Friday, October 28, 2011

Amazing video of the Earth spinning taken from the International Space Station



This is one film that’s sure to leave you in a spin.
The crew of the International Space Station pointed a camera at North America and the resulting still pictures were spliced together into a mesmerising speeded-up sequence.
It shows a rotation of the Earth in just a matter of seconds from a vantage point 225 miles up.

The northern lights shimmer over the horizon as the International Space Station passes over the brightly lit cities of America beneath
The northern lights shimmer over the horizon as the International Space Station passes over the brightly lit cities of America beneath
Nasa explains that the camera was north-facing, so the amazing Aurora Borealis can be seen shimmering at the top of the screen throughout the video.

    The sequence begins with lights from southern Canada sweeping into view before the station passes over central North America. 
    Through the clouds, the peninsula of Michigan can be seen, with Chicago's millions of lights glowing at the south end of Lake Michigan. 
    A few dramatic lightning storms can be seen flashing in the clouds over central United States before the East Coast of the United States, including Atlanta and Georgia, comes into view.
    Whole cloud formations can be seen clearly moving across the earth's surface as the ISS passes over
    Whole cloud formations can be seen clearly moving across the earth's surface as the ISS passes over
    Heavens above: The International Space Station orbits at over 200 miles above Earth
    Heavens above: The International Space Station orbits at over 200 miles above Earth
    Near the end of the video, the eastern half of the Florida peninsula is visible, as well as the shallow waters of the Bahamas.
    The station, a $100billion project of 16 nations, was finished this year after more than a decade of construction.
    The outpost, which is about the size of a five-bedroom house, supports a variety of scientific research and technology demonstrations.
    It has travelled more than 1.5 billion miles – the same as eight trips to the sun and back.

    Facebook puts your photos into the deep freeze as it unveils massive new five acre data center near Arctic circle



    • First plant outside U.S. will make Facebook faster for Europeans
    • In northern Sweden 60 miles from Arctic Circle - will 'chill' computers using the weather for eight months per year
    • Other web giants such as Google already host 'server farms' near Arctic to keep them cool
    • Near huge dam on river that generates twice as much power as Hoover Dam
    • Plant will have 14 backup diesel generators
    Facebook's new server farm in the northern Swedish city of Lulea is the firm's first outside the U.S. - in a location chosen because the fierce cold will help to keep the company's racks of high-performance computers cool.
    Facebook looked at several sites across Europe, and picked Lulea for its cold climate. The move will see Facebook become faster for users across Europe.
    'Facebook has more users outside the U.S. than inside,' Facebook director of site operations Tom Furlong said. 'It was time for us to expand in Europe.'

    Facebook confirmed that it had picked the northern Swedish city of Lulea for the data centre partly because of the cold climate - crucial for keeping racks of high-performance computers cool
    Facebook confirmed that it had picked the northern Swedish city of Lulea for the data centre partly because of the cold climate - crucial for keeping racks of high-performance computers cool
    He said European users would get better performance from having a node for data traffic closer to them. Facebook currently stores data at sites in California, Virginia and Oregon and is building another facility in North Carolina.
    Companies rely on additional data centres not only to provide faster connections for people nearby, but also as backup in event of a system failure. 

    Facebook Director of Operations, Tom Furlong unveils plans for the new facility in Lulea in northern Sweden - it's the firm's first data centre outside the U.S.
    Facebook Director of Operations, Tom Furlong unveils plans for the new facility in Lulea in northern Sweden - it's the firm's first data centre outside the U.S.
    The Mayor of Lulea, Karl Petersen, and Matz Engman, CEO for Lulea Business Agency, show that they 'like' the proposed new plant
    The Mayor of Lulea, Karl Petersen, and Matz Engman, CEO for Lulea Business Agency, show that they 'like' the proposed new plant

    WHAT DO DATA CENTRES DO - AND WHY DO THEY USE SO MUCH POWER?

     Internet companies such as Facebook use huge 'server farms' such as this proposed plant to store and manage data.

    The plants are filled with cupboard-sized racks of computer servers that store and move data such as photos. These slightly eerie, heavily guarded facilities are where sites such as Facebook and Google 'live'

    The high-power computer equipment generates huge amount of heat - most data centres use chiller systems to stay cool.

    Nordic countries now sell plants on the basis that their frosty locations will help cool computer equipment. Google already has a plant in Finland in a disused paper mill.

    Facebook is also building new data centres in America - the more an internet company has, the better, as it has 'back-up' facilities in case of a failure.

    The recent three-day collapse of BlackBerry's service was due to a data-centre crash. BlackBerry has been criticised for not having enough data centres

    BlackBerry's recent service collapse was a testament to the damage that can be caused by companies having too few data centres to shoulder the load if one hits a technical hitch.
    Located 60 miles (100 kilometers), south of the Arctic Cicle, Lulea lies near hydropower stations on a river that generates twice as much electricity as the Hoover Dam on the border of Nevada and Arizona, Facebook said.

    In case of a blackout, construction designs call for each building to have 14 backup diesel generators with a total output of 40 MW.
    The Lulea data center, which will consist of three 300,000-square foot (28,000-square meter) server buildings, is scheduled for completion by 2014. The site will need 120 MW of energy, fully derived from hydropower.
    While many server farms rely on chiller systems, Facebook's will use an advanced cooling system powered by evaporating water. 
    For around eight months of the year, the plant will cool itself using the icy outside air.
    The heat from the server racks will also warm up the offices at the plant. 

      Facebook didn't give the price of its investment, but Lulea officials have previously projected construction costs of up to 5 billion kronor ($760 million).

      'We knocked on doors at Facebook's head office (in Palo Alto, California) and today they're moving in to Lulea — this is huge, really huge,' said Matz Engman, who heads the Lulea Business Agency, a public-private partnership working to attract businesses to the region.

      With winter temperatures well below freezing and summertime highs that rarely climb above 80F (25 degrees Celcius), Lulea has used its frigid climate as a selling point in its efforts to establish itself as a hub for server farms. 
      Other Nordic cities have adopted similar strategies.

      In 2009 Google purchased a paper mill in Hamina, southern Finland, and turned it into a data center, using seawater from the Baltic Sea for its cooling system.

      Servers inside data centers are the backbone of Internet services such as Facebook. The servers store and transmit billions of status updates, links, photos and all the outside apps used by Facebook's members.
      Snowploughs clear an airport in Sweden: The cold near-Arctic climate will help to cool the racks of servers used by the company to store and move user data such as photographs
      Snowploughs clear an airport in Sweden: The cold near-Arctic climate will help to cool the racks of servers used by the company to store and move user data such as photographs
      Data centres are monitored constantly for system failures and overheating. The buildings are often heavily guarded - both to ensure that the companies who rely on them get continued service, and to guard the hugely expensive computer equipment
      Data centres are monitored constantly for system failures and overheating. The buildings are often heavily guarded - both to ensure that the companies who rely on them get continued service, and to guard the hugely expensive computer equipment
      Facebook is also currently building another data centre in Prineville Oregon. The company's expansion has been extremely rapid, and it needs more data centres to shoulder the load
      Facebook is also currently building another data centre in Prineville Oregon. The company's expansion has been extremely rapid, and it needs more data centres to shoulder the load

      The 'flying Humvee' gets off the ground as U.S. military plans first all-terrain, bullet-proof warcraft by next year


      It might look like something out of a Marvel comic but this flying jeep is close to becoming a reality.
      According to insiders at the military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the first model of this futuristic vehicle will be ready at the end of next year. 
      It is designed to be capable of driving across the roughest terrain like a jeep, sustain gun fire and take off and land at the flick of a switch. 
      Warcraft of the future: The military's Transformer TX will look like a 'flying Humvee' and be able to take off and land vertically while being capable of all-terrain driving
      Warcraft of the future: The military's Transformer TX will look like a 'flying Humvee' and be able to take off and land vertically while being capable of all-terrain driving
      Tanked up: The Humvee is commonly used by the U.S. military and is made by AM General
      Tanked up: The Humvee is commonly used by the U.S. military and is made by AM General
      The U.S. Army hopes that the 'flying Humvee' will carry four personnel plus equipment, take off and land vertically, be flown more than 250 miles on a tank of gas, and be operated without pilot training. 
      Aerospace companies Lockheed Martin and AAI Corporation have presented 'feasible designs' to the military's Transformer TX program, reports Aviation Week's Ares blog, and have advanced to the next phase - beginning work on prototypes.

        Although no contracts have yet been awarded to take the project to the next level, AAI spokesman Sharn Corna told MSNBC: 'It is my understanding that DARPA intends to proceed with us.'
        The first model of the 'flying Humvee' is expected at the end of next year.
        Invention headquarters: The military's technological branch DARPA is based in Arlington, Virginia
        Invention headquarters: The military's technological branch DARPA is based in Arlington, Virginia
        If DARPA then move forward with the project, the new Humvee could take to the skies as soon as 2015. 
        'Meeting these requirements is pushing the state of the art in lightweight materials and structure, high power-to-weight engines, and autonomous flight controls,' Aviation Week reported.
        It's not the first roadworthy aircraft being produced. The Transition by company Terrafugia is a plane that allows the pilot to fold up its wings when it lands and then drive the aircraft home like a car.
        After rigorous flight tests, it passed all regulations in July. 
        Coming soon: The Transition is an aircraft which then can be driven home like a car
        Coming soon: The Transition is an aircraft which then can be driven home like a car
        Car of the future: After rigorous tests, the Transition passed all regulations in July
        Car of the future: After rigorous tests, the Transition passed all regulations in July

        Life imitates art as 'Slumdog' clerk wins $1m on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire



        • Thousands of children in Bihar are severely affected by malnutrition, causing many to become paralysed
        • Kumar's winning questions will be aired on November 2

        An impoverished government clerk from a desolate region of eastern India has become the first person ever to win $1million on an Indian game show.
        Sushil Kumar, whose family is so poor they couldn't afford a television set, claimed the staggering win on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
        Mr Kumar's win echoes the plot of the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, whose impoverished protagonist, played by Dev Patel, wins the grand prize on the show.
        Big winner: Sushil Kumar (left) was haned a check for 50m rupees from the show's host Amitabh Bachchan (right)
        Big winner: Sushil Kumar (left) was haned a cheque for 50m rupees from the show's host Amitabh Bachchan (right)
        The 26-year-old and his wife of five months wept when Indian movie legend Amitabh Bachchan, the show's host, handed them a cheque for 50 million rupees (just over $1 million) after the contestant gave all the right answers on the show.
        'You have created history. Your grit and determination has made you come so far in this show,' Bachchan said.

        Before Kumar went on the program, which was filmed on Tuesday and will air next week, he was a $120-a-month government office worker and supplemented his income by working as a private tutor in the small town of Motihari in the eastern state of Bihar.
        Kumar told viewers his family was too poor to have a television, forcing him to go to a neighbour's home to watch the quiz show.
        Kumar's win echoes film Slumdog Millionaire, whose impoverished protagonist played by Dev Patel (pictured left) won the grand prize
        Kumar's win echoes film Slumdog Millionaire, whose impoverished protagonist played by Dev Patel (pictured left) won the grand prize
        Love interest: Dev Patel (left) stars as Jamal in the film, while Freida Pinto (right) stars as Latika in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire
        Love interest: Dev Patel (left) stars as Jamal in the film, while Freida Pinto (right) stars as Latika in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire
        Watching him tick off correct answer after correct answer, his neighbours persuaded him to try out for the show, he said.
        The trip to the Mumbai studio where the show is taped was his first ride in a plane and his first visit to a big city, he said.
        Kumar had clear, if modest, plans for the money.
        He said he will use some to pay for a preparatory course so he can take India's tough civil service exam, which could lead to a secure and prestigious lifetime job.
        He said he will also buy a new home for his wife, pay off his parents' debts and give his brothers start-up cash so they can set up small businesses.
        And he plans to build a library in Motihari so the children of his village will have access to the books and knowledge he so desperately craved, he said.
        The win has as transformed Mr Kumar into a role model for millions of aspiring youngsters yearning to escape from lives of poverty and find a role in India's burgeoning economy.
        Humble beginnings: Sushil Kumar is from the small town of Motihari in the eastern state of Bihar, India (pictured)
        Humble beginnings: Sushil Kumar is from the small town of Motihari in the eastern state of Bihar, India (pictured)

        Thursday, October 27, 2011

        Death of an American hero:Soldier who went to war for his country 14 times is killed by Taliban bomb



        • Sergeant Kristoffer B. Domeij was a 10-year veteran and is set to receive posthumous Purple Heart
        • He is now the Elite Ranger with most deployments to be killed in action - the previous record was 12
        • One of the team that rescued Jessica Lynch from captors in Iraq in 2003
        • One of three soldiers who died in an IED explosion near Kandahar province

        Killed in action: Kristoffer Domeij died in Afghanistan on his 14th deployment with the Elite Army Rangers
        Killed in action: Kristoffer Domeij died in Afghanistan on his 14th deployment with the Elite Army Rangers
        The United States Army is today mourning one of its most courageous and decorated heroes.
        Sergeant 1st Class Kristoffer B. Domeij was one of three soldiers killed by a roadside bomb last Saturday near Kandahar Province.
        Remarkably, the elite ranger, who died when the team triggered an improvised device, was serving his 14th deployment at the time.
        In an extraordinary career, Sgt. Domeij was decorated a number of times - and crowning it will be the Purple Heart that military chiefs have confirmed he will be awarded posthumously.
        The husband and father-of-two from San Diego will go down in U.S. Army history as one of the team who rescued rescued Private Jessica Lynch from her Iraqi captors in 2003. 
        And as American troops prepare to leave Iraq in just a few weeks, Sgt. Domeij's astonishing bravery will stand as a fitting memorial to their dedication to service.
        A 10-year veteran of the Army Rangers special operations team, he has the unwanted distinction of becoming the Ranger with the most deployments to date to be killed in action.
        His death saw him supersede a marker laid down 13 months ago when fellow Ranger SFC Lance Vogeler was killed in Afghanistan during his 12th deployment. 
        He was also one of the first ground soldiers qualified as a Ranger Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), which meant he was able to coordinate Air Force and Navy air attacks from his ground position. The position is usually reserved Air Force personnel.
        The 75th Ranger Regiment typically deploys on 105-day deployments, shorter than the average year-long Army or marine deployment, but they are acknowledged as unusually intense tours with one operation every single night.
        Heroic effort: Jessica Lynch was rescued from her captors in Iraq by a team that included Sgt. Domeij
        Heroic effort: Jessica Lynch was rescued from her captors in Iraq by a team that included Sgt. Domeij
        Killed in action: Lieutenant Ashley White, 24, died in the same IED explosion as Sgt. Domeij
        Killed in action: Private 1st Class Christopher A. Horns, 20, died in the same IED explosion as Sgt. Domeij
        Killed in action: Left, Lieutenant Ashley White, 24, and right, Private 1st Class Christopher A. Horns, 20, both died in the same IED explosion as Sgt. Domeij
        Kandahar: Domeij was near the province when his attack force triggered an IED that took three lives
        Kandahar: Domeij was near the province when his attack force triggered an IED that took three lives
        Conventional troops may have completed four or five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan but Special Operations troops such as Domeij are more likely to have have served 10-12. Even by those higher standards, his record of 14 tours was a rare feat.
        Domeij had a combined total of 48 months deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan alone, Tracy Bailey, a spokesperson for the 75th Ranger Regiment.
        All told, he is likely to have spent close to four years serving in war zones.

        DECORATED HERO: HIS MEDALS

        Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medals
        Purple Heart // 3 x Bronze Star
         
        Iraq Campaign Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal
        3 x Iraq Campaign Medal // 2 x Afghanistan Campaign Medal
         
        Meritorious Service medal Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal


        Meritorious Service Medal
         // Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
         
        Joint Commendation Medal - National Defense Service Medal

        Joint Commendation Medal // National Defense Service Medal Overseas Service Ribbon (N4) 
         
        Army Commendation Medal Army Acheivement Medal

        Army Commendation Medal // Army Achievement Medal
         
        Army Good Conduct medal

        Army Good Conduct medal
         

        expert infantry badge.jpg

        Expert Infantry Badge
         
        U.S. United States Military Badges for service Pathfinder Badge
        Pathfinder Badge
         
        Senior Parachutist Badge - U.S. United States Military Badges for service

        Senior Parachutist Badge
         
        Ranger Tab - U.S. United States Military Badges for service

        Ranger Tab
         
        OTHER BADGES:
        Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge
        Combat Action Badge
        He was lauded by said Colonel Mark W. Odom, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment who said: 'Sgt. Domeij was the prototypical special operations NCO... veteran of a decade of deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan and hundreds of combat missions.
        'His ability to employ fire support platforms made him a game changer on the battlefield — an operator who in real terms had the value of an entire strike force on the battlefield.'
        He was also remembered by 75th Ranger Regiment's Lt. Col. David Hodne as 'one of those men who was known by all as much for his humour, enthusiasm, and loyal friendship, as he was for his unparallelled skill and bravery under fire.   
        'He is irreplaceable in our formation and in our hearts.'
        Sgt. Domeij enlisted in July 2001 and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in April 2002.
        He was husband to Sarah and father to daughters Mikajsa and Aaliyah. He is also survived by his mother Scoti and brother Kyle.
        He will also be posthumously awarded another Bronze Star to bring his collection to three and Meritorious Service medals.
        The U.S. Army was unable to provide explanations for how he won his haul, give a reason for the Purple Heart award or detail the 14 deployments he had undertaken.
        The combat operation in which he died, support of Operation Enduring Freedom, also claimed the lives of Private 1st Class Christopher A. Horns, 20, and Lieutenant Ashley White, 24.
        The death of White, from Ohio, has forced the U.S. Army to defend the position of female soldiers on the front line in Afghanistan - where more than 1,700 members of the military have lost their lives.
        The lieutenant was the first casualty of the decision to bring in women to do things that would be awkward or impossible for her male colleagues, such as frisking burka-clad women or simply gaining their trust.
        But her death in Kandahar underscores the risks of placing women with elite U.S. special operations teams working in remote villages.
        Military leaders and other female soldiers in the programme say its rewards are great, even as it fuels debate over the roles of women in combat.
        'We could do things that the males cannot do, and they are starting to realise that,' says Sgt. Christine Baldwin, who like White was among the first groups of women deployed to Afghanistan this year as specially trained 'cultural support' troops.
        Male soldiers often cannot even speak to an Afghan woman because of the strict cultural norms that separate the sexes and the tradition of women remaining behind closed doors most of the time. 
        Forcing the issue has yielded only resentment, military officials say, and has jeopardized the trust and cooperation of villagers. 
        From the start of the war 10 years ago, Afghans have especially resented the practice of 'night raids' in which male foreign soldiers enter and search homes, the traditional sanctum of women.
        'We could search the female, find out the other half of the information,' Baldwin said in an interview. 'If you're missing half of the lay of the land, how effective are you in engaging the populace?'
        That question was eight years in the making. It arose from the frustration of U.S. commanders who realised two years ago that as they tried to apply the principles of counterinsurgency - protect civilians and enlist them to reject insurgents and provide intelligence - they weren't reaching the majority of the Afghan population.
        Now, the first female soldiers are serving in commando units. They are trained to ferret out critical information not available to their male team members, to identify insurgents disguised as women and figure out when Afghan women are being used to hide weapons.
        U.S. women have been on the front lines in Afghanistan since the war began, and over time they have been used to reach out to the Afghan population through health care initiatives and other programs. 
        They have traveled with Army soldiers and Marines throughout the warfront, often to assist in development projects or as part of psychological operations - what are now called MISO, or military information support operations.
        But as elite special operations teams fanned out across the country doing counterinsurgency 'stability operations' in the small villages, they complained to their superiors that they weren't reaching the women and children who make up as much as 71 per cent of the population.
        `We waited too long to get to this,' says Command Sgt. Maj. Ledford Stigall.
        'We had a lot of people focused on the kill and capture, and it really took someone to say, hey it's not about kill, capture, it's about developing a country that can take care of itself.'
        'Women have a voice,' he said. 'They can influence the men in their society.'
        It was in 2009, under pressure from Gen. Stanley McChrystal, then the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and Gen. David Petraeus, then the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, that the Army began to develop Cultural Support Teams.
        Last November, the first group of women went through a grueling five-day assessment that tested their physical and military skills, their problem-solving and writing abilities and their psychological and mental fitness. Those that passed moved on to a six-week training programme.
        And in January, the first group of 28 women deployed to Afghanistan with Army Rangers and Special Forces teams.
        They went in two-woman teams as part of larger special operations units - usually numbering about a dozen. 
        And they were designed to go out on patrols and into the villages with the special operators to help build relations with the communities by engaging with the Afghan women.
        In the process, they could also glean valuable intelligence about the people in the region, information they might not be able to get from the men.
        Capt. Adrienne Bryant was in the first group that deployed.
        Down in Helmand Province with a team of Marine special operations forces, Bryant said, the initial response from the population was tepid.
        But on her first patrol, the team introduced her and her CST teammate to a village elder.
        'He had been constantly abused by the Taliban, had been kidnapped and returned and he didn't want to work with coalition forces anymore because of the fear the Taliban was going to retaliate,' said Bryant, in an interview.
        Bryant and her teammate talked to him about what they could do for the women of his village, including the medical assistance and the skills training - like sewing - they could bring. And he was interested.
        'Helmand was a pretty conservative area, women aren't really seen out much, they don't shop. So we had to disguise our sewing program, we ran it in conjunction with our clinic,' said Bryant, who is from Virginia.
        Tragic: Sgt. Domeij, pictured with his wife Sarah, enlisted in July 2001 and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in April 2002
        Tragic: Sgt. Domeij, pictured with his wife Sarah, enlisted in July 2001 and joined the 75th Ranger Regiment in April 2002
        Children: He was husband to Sarah and father to daughters Mikajsa and Aaliyah
        Children: He was husband to Sarah and father to daughters Mikajsa and Aaliyah
        'In case the women were being scrutinized because they were coming to learn a skill from us, they had cover by coming on clinic days.'
        Baldwin, of San Diego, was sent up north with an Army special operations team in Kunduz Province. The women they encountered were hesitant at first.
        'We'd go out on patrol and be all kitted up and they were almost fearful, but once we took off that helmet, and put on the scarf, they would recognize that it was a female and the fear would be gone,' she said.
        Married with kids: Domeij had a combined total of 48 months deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan alone
        Married with kids: Domeij had a combined total of 48 months deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan alone
        Altogether: The soldier is survived by his wife, two children - and by his mother Scoti and brother Kyle
        Altogether: The soldier is survived by his wife, two children - and by his mother Scoti and brother Kyle
        Both Baldwin and Bryant said the Afghan women and children at their meetings grew from a few to dozens. Neither said they ever felt they were in immediate danger during their eight-month deployment, although they knew what was possible.
        'Any day that they're walking into a village and engaging with the population they are at the same risk as those Special Forces, SEALs, or special operators they're detailed to. 
        'So I would say it is not for the weak-kneed,' said Michael Lumpkin, the principal deputy assistant defense secretary for special operations. 'These women are on the front lines in very austere locations.'
        Anger: With the upper number of deployments increasing all the time, many in the U.S. are asking how soldiers can be expected to survive such prolonged exposure to combat (file photo)
        Anger: With the upper number of deployments increasing all the time, many in the U.S. are asking how soldiers can be expected to survive such prolonged exposure to combat (file photo)
        White was among the 34 CST members to go to Afghanistan in the second group, and she was assigned to a Ranger unit.
        U.S. Army Special Operations Command said White 'played a crucial role as a member of a special operations strike force. 
        Her efforts highlight both the importance and necessity of women on the battlefield today.'