LHC - the aim of the exercise:
To smash protons moving at 99.999999% of the speed of light into each other and so recreate conditions a fraction of a second after the big bang. The LHC experiments try and work out what happened
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Google Acquisition
A Senate hearing on antitrust concerns about the proposed merger between Google and DoubleClick occasionally turned tense yesterday, as Microsoft and Google brought their corporate rivalry to Capitol Hill.
The hearing was prompted by worries that the $3.1 billion merger would create a behemoth in the online advertising business, potentially risking consumer privacy and stifling competition.
Discussion PolicyDiscussion Policy CLOSEComments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Google and DoubleClick respectively dominate search and image advertising on the Web. A combined company would help create ads targeted at consumers' interests while preserving Web users' privacy, Google said.
Microsoft, which is trying to get a bigger foothold in that growing business, is lobbying against regulatory approval of the merger, saying it would consolidate too much of the market. Microsoft also said the merger could put consumer privacy at risk by consolidating information about what people do on the Web in the hands of a single powerful company.
The hearing, hosted by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, became more antagonistic after a series of claims and counterclaims about Google's competitive intentions.
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith accused Google of unfairly cornering the market and placing consumer data at risk of security breaches, and then told the senators that he and Google General Counsel David Drummond were "friends off the basketball court."
Drummond seemed to bristle at that comment, saying he didn't know what Smith meant with the sports reference, and then moved on with his rebuttal.
The Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission are reviewing the Google-DoubleClick deal. Although Congress has no authority to block the completion of a deal, lawmakers could decide that additional laws are necessary to protect online consumer privacy. In a letter to the FTC in July, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection, said he hopes to hold a hearing on the issue.
"No one concerned with antitrust policy should stand idly by if industry consolidation jeopardizes the vital privacy interests of our citizens so essential to our democracy," said Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), chairman of the antitrust subcommittee.
The Google-DoubleClick deal is only one of a rash of acquisitions announced in recent months. Microsoft announced plans in May to acquire aQuantive, DoubleClick's less powerful competitor.
Drummond argued that Google has been at the forefront of privacy efforts, noting that it was the first search engine to make search records anonymous after a period of time. He also said it is in the company's best interest to protect consumers' privacy because it needs to maintain users' trust.
Some agreed with Google's argument that targeted advertising benefits consumers.
"The evidence is that the use of personal information by online advertisers produces substantial consumer benefits," Thomas Lenard, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, said at the hearing. Google and Microsoft are among the companies that support the foundation.
But Alissa Cooper, a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said the deal points to the need for greater consumer protections. "If they thought this merger pointed to a larger, industry-wide problem, Congress could create those now," she said in an interview.
The hearing was prompted by worries that the $3.1 billion merger would create a behemoth in the online advertising business, potentially risking consumer privacy and stifling competition.
Discussion PolicyDiscussion Policy CLOSEComments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Google and DoubleClick respectively dominate search and image advertising on the Web. A combined company would help create ads targeted at consumers' interests while preserving Web users' privacy, Google said.
Microsoft, which is trying to get a bigger foothold in that growing business, is lobbying against regulatory approval of the merger, saying it would consolidate too much of the market. Microsoft also said the merger could put consumer privacy at risk by consolidating information about what people do on the Web in the hands of a single powerful company.
The hearing, hosted by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, became more antagonistic after a series of claims and counterclaims about Google's competitive intentions.
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith accused Google of unfairly cornering the market and placing consumer data at risk of security breaches, and then told the senators that he and Google General Counsel David Drummond were "friends off the basketball court."
Drummond seemed to bristle at that comment, saying he didn't know what Smith meant with the sports reference, and then moved on with his rebuttal.
The Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission are reviewing the Google-DoubleClick deal. Although Congress has no authority to block the completion of a deal, lawmakers could decide that additional laws are necessary to protect online consumer privacy. In a letter to the FTC in July, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on commerce, trade and consumer protection, said he hopes to hold a hearing on the issue.
"No one concerned with antitrust policy should stand idly by if industry consolidation jeopardizes the vital privacy interests of our citizens so essential to our democracy," said Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), chairman of the antitrust subcommittee.
The Google-DoubleClick deal is only one of a rash of acquisitions announced in recent months. Microsoft announced plans in May to acquire aQuantive, DoubleClick's less powerful competitor.
Drummond argued that Google has been at the forefront of privacy efforts, noting that it was the first search engine to make search records anonymous after a period of time. He also said it is in the company's best interest to protect consumers' privacy because it needs to maintain users' trust.
Some agreed with Google's argument that targeted advertising benefits consumers.
"The evidence is that the use of personal information by online advertisers produces substantial consumer benefits," Thomas Lenard, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, said at the hearing. Google and Microsoft are among the companies that support the foundation.
But Alissa Cooper, a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said the deal points to the need for greater consumer protections. "If they thought this merger pointed to a larger, industry-wide problem, Congress could create those now," she said in an interview.
MIT Pranksters Give Harvard the Halo 3 Treatment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology pranksters celebrated this past Tuesday's debut of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Halo 3 by transforming the statue of John Harvard in Harvard Yard into the Master Chief character from the much anticipated video game.
The statue was outfitted with a helmet and toy assault rifle under the cloak of darkness the night before the release and removed by around 8 a.m. that morning. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Master Chief character's real name is John. See a picture of the hoax here.
While you might think conducting any prank that involves a gun -- real or fake -- would spell immediate trouble with law enforcement, MIT officials say they are working with students on a pranking code of conduct.
Recent MIT pranks have focused on such things as the release of the last Harry Potter book. Among other things, students set up broomstick parking spaces.
While it might have seemed like another MIT prank, Microsoft earlier this week acknowledged some Halo 3 discs that shipped were scratched. Microsoft said it will replace discs of its Halo 3 Xbox 360 game that came scratched.
Meanwhile, the Halo 3 flu was a concern among tech-savvy employers this week, as video game enthusiasts were expected to call in sick to set upon the game.
Source
The statue was outfitted with a helmet and toy assault rifle under the cloak of darkness the night before the release and removed by around 8 a.m. that morning. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Master Chief character's real name is John. See a picture of the hoax here.
While you might think conducting any prank that involves a gun -- real or fake -- would spell immediate trouble with law enforcement, MIT officials say they are working with students on a pranking code of conduct.
Recent MIT pranks have focused on such things as the release of the last Harry Potter book. Among other things, students set up broomstick parking spaces.
While it might have seemed like another MIT prank, Microsoft earlier this week acknowledged some Halo 3 discs that shipped were scratched. Microsoft said it will replace discs of its Halo 3 Xbox 360 game that came scratched.
Meanwhile, the Halo 3 flu was a concern among tech-savvy employers this week, as video game enthusiasts were expected to call in sick to set upon the game.
Source
MIT and Novartis in new partnership aimed at transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing
Novartis and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have launched a long-term research collaboration aimed at transforming the way pharmaceuticals are produced.
The 10-year partnership, known as the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing, will work to develop new technologies that could replace the conventional batch-based system in the pharmaceuticals industry - which often includes many interruptions and work at separate sites - with continuous manufacturing processes from start to finish.
The Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing combines the industrial expertise of Novartis with MIT's leadership in scientific and technological innovation. Novartis will invest USD 65 million in research activities at MIT over the next 10 years.
"This partnership demonstrates our commitment to lead not only in discovering innovative treatments for patients but also in improving manufacturing processes, which are critical to ensuring a high-quality, efficient and reliable supply of medicines to patients. Our collaboration with MIT, a worldwide leader in developing cutting edge technologies, holds the promise to achieve a quantum leap in the production of pharmaceuticals, a field which has received rather little attention in the past," said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis.
Novartis and MIT expect the technologies created in this collaboration will benefit patients and healthcare providers through a positive impact on supply availability and the quality of medicines. These technologies will also seek to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing activities.
"The Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize drug development and production," said Susan Hockfield, MIT President. "We are delighted to collaborate with Novartis to help improve the way that drugs are manufactured so that patients have quicker and more reliable access to the medications they need. The new educational opportunities that this program will provide for our students make this partnership even more exciting."
The pharmaceutical industry currently uses batch-based manufacturing that has been common for several years, even though other industries have moved to continuous manufacturing.
In this often time-consuming process, pharmaceutical active ingredients are synthesized in a chemical manufacturing plant. These ingredients are then shipped to a manufacturing facility, often at another site, where they are converted through defined processes into giant batches of pills, liquid or cream. With multiple interruptions, including transport to separate locations, each batch may take weeks to produce. In addition, manufacturing design and scale-up for a new drug are very costly and time-consuming.
Expected benefits of continuous manufacturing include accelerating the introduction of new drugs by designing production processes earlier; using smaller production facilities, with lower building and capital costs; minimizing waste, energy consumption and raw material use; monitoring quality assurance on a continuous basis instead of post-production batch-based testing; and enhancing process reliability and flexibility to respond to market needs.
The initial research of the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing will be conducted primarily through Ph.D. programs at MIT laboratories, and then transferred to Novartis for further development to industrial-scale projects.
The partners expect the Center's work to involve seven to ten MIT faculty members, as well as students, postdoctoral fellows and staff scientists. Novartis will commit its manufacturing and R&D resources and will pilot new manufacturing processes with one of its pharmaceutical products.
About MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a co-educational privately endowed research university, is dedicated to advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship to serve the nation and world. The Institute has more than 900 faculty and 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
MIT's commitment to innovation has led to a host of scientific breakthroughs and technological advances. Achievements include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin and vitamin A, the development of inertial guidance systems, modern technologies for artificial limbs, and the magnetic core memory that led to the development of digital computers. Sixty-three alumni, faculty, researchers and staff have won the Nobel Prizes.
About Novartis
Novartis AG is a world leader in offering medicines to protect health, cure disease and improve well-being. Our goal is to discover, develop and successfully market innovative products to treat patients, ease suffering and enhance the quality of life. We are strengthening our medicine-based portfolio, which is focused on strategic growth platforms in innovation-driven pharmaceuticals, high-quality and low-cost generics, human vaccines and leading self-medication OTC brands. Novartis is the only company with leadership positions in these areas. In 2006, the Group's businesses achieved net sales of USD 37.0 billion and net income of USD 7.2 billion. Approximately USD 5.4 billion was invested in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ more than 100,000 associates and operate in over 140 countries around the world.
The 10-year partnership, known as the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing, will work to develop new technologies that could replace the conventional batch-based system in the pharmaceuticals industry - which often includes many interruptions and work at separate sites - with continuous manufacturing processes from start to finish.
The Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing combines the industrial expertise of Novartis with MIT's leadership in scientific and technological innovation. Novartis will invest USD 65 million in research activities at MIT over the next 10 years.
"This partnership demonstrates our commitment to lead not only in discovering innovative treatments for patients but also in improving manufacturing processes, which are critical to ensuring a high-quality, efficient and reliable supply of medicines to patients. Our collaboration with MIT, a worldwide leader in developing cutting edge technologies, holds the promise to achieve a quantum leap in the production of pharmaceuticals, a field which has received rather little attention in the past," said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis.
Novartis and MIT expect the technologies created in this collaboration will benefit patients and healthcare providers through a positive impact on supply availability and the quality of medicines. These technologies will also seek to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing activities.
"The Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize drug development and production," said Susan Hockfield, MIT President. "We are delighted to collaborate with Novartis to help improve the way that drugs are manufactured so that patients have quicker and more reliable access to the medications they need. The new educational opportunities that this program will provide for our students make this partnership even more exciting."
The pharmaceutical industry currently uses batch-based manufacturing that has been common for several years, even though other industries have moved to continuous manufacturing.
In this often time-consuming process, pharmaceutical active ingredients are synthesized in a chemical manufacturing plant. These ingredients are then shipped to a manufacturing facility, often at another site, where they are converted through defined processes into giant batches of pills, liquid or cream. With multiple interruptions, including transport to separate locations, each batch may take weeks to produce. In addition, manufacturing design and scale-up for a new drug are very costly and time-consuming.
Expected benefits of continuous manufacturing include accelerating the introduction of new drugs by designing production processes earlier; using smaller production facilities, with lower building and capital costs; minimizing waste, energy consumption and raw material use; monitoring quality assurance on a continuous basis instead of post-production batch-based testing; and enhancing process reliability and flexibility to respond to market needs.
The initial research of the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing will be conducted primarily through Ph.D. programs at MIT laboratories, and then transferred to Novartis for further development to industrial-scale projects.
The partners expect the Center's work to involve seven to ten MIT faculty members, as well as students, postdoctoral fellows and staff scientists. Novartis will commit its manufacturing and R&D resources and will pilot new manufacturing processes with one of its pharmaceutical products.
About MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a co-educational privately endowed research university, is dedicated to advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship to serve the nation and world. The Institute has more than 900 faculty and 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
MIT's commitment to innovation has led to a host of scientific breakthroughs and technological advances. Achievements include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin and vitamin A, the development of inertial guidance systems, modern technologies for artificial limbs, and the magnetic core memory that led to the development of digital computers. Sixty-three alumni, faculty, researchers and staff have won the Nobel Prizes.
About Novartis
Novartis AG is a world leader in offering medicines to protect health, cure disease and improve well-being. Our goal is to discover, develop and successfully market innovative products to treat patients, ease suffering and enhance the quality of life. We are strengthening our medicine-based portfolio, which is focused on strategic growth platforms in innovation-driven pharmaceuticals, high-quality and low-cost generics, human vaccines and leading self-medication OTC brands. Novartis is the only company with leadership positions in these areas. In 2006, the Group's businesses achieved net sales of USD 37.0 billion and net income of USD 7.2 billion. Approximately USD 5.4 billion was invested in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ more than 100,000 associates and operate in over 140 countries around the world.
Team proves role of microRNAs in spread of cancer
MIT scientists have proved that microRNAs, tiny molecules that fine-tune protein production and play a powerful role in biological processes, can prompt otherwise sedentary cancer cells to move and invade other tissues.
Labs have been probing the relationship between aberrant microRNA levels and cancer for several years. They've shown that some microRNAs cause normal cells to divide rapidly and form tumors, but they've never demonstrated that microRNAs subsequently cause cancer cells to metastasize, or spread.
Now, working in the lab of MIT Biology Professor and Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg, Postdoctoral Fellow Li Ma has coaxed cancer cells to break away from a tumor and colonize distant tissues in mice by simply increasing the level of one microRNA.
The work appears in the Sept. 26 advance online edition of Nature.
"Li has shown that a specific microRNA is able to cause profound changes in the behavior of cancer cells, which is striking considering that 10 years ago no one suspected microRNAs were involved in any biological process," says Weinberg.
Ma began with a list of 29 microRNAs expressed at different levels in tumors versus normal tissue. She examined their production in two groups of cancer cells--metastatic and non-metastatic. Metastatic cancer cells (including those taken directly from patients) contained much higher levels of one microRNA called microRNA-10b.
Next, Ma forced non-metastatic human breast cancer cells to produce lots of microRNA-10b by inserting extra copies of the gene. She injected the altered cancer cells into the mammary fat pads of mice, which soon developed breast tumors that metastasized.
So what caused this stunning metamorphosis?
MicroRNAs typically disrupt protein production by binding to the messenger RNAs that copy DNA instructions for proteins and carry them to "translators." Ma used a program developed in the lab of Whitehead Member David Bartel to search for the target of microRNA-10b. She identified several candidates, including the messenger RNA for a gene called HoxD10.
Generally involved in development, Hox proteins control many genes active in an embryo. Some Hox proteins have also been implicated in cancer. HoxD10, for example, can block the expression of genes required for cancer cells to move--essentially applying the brakes to a migration process.
To test whether she had removed the brakes during her experiment, awakening the dormant migration process, Ma boosted the level of HoxD10 in the cancer cells with artificially high levels of microRNA-10b. The cells lost their newly acquired abilities to move and invade.
"I was able to fully reverse microRNA-10b induced migration and invasion, suggesting that HoxD10 is indeed a functional target," Ma explains.
"During normal development, this microRNA probably enables cells to move from one part of the embryo to another," adds Weinberg. "Its original function has been co-opted by carcinoma cells."
This research is funded by the Life Sciences Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT.
Labs have been probing the relationship between aberrant microRNA levels and cancer for several years. They've shown that some microRNAs cause normal cells to divide rapidly and form tumors, but they've never demonstrated that microRNAs subsequently cause cancer cells to metastasize, or spread.
Now, working in the lab of MIT Biology Professor and Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg, Postdoctoral Fellow Li Ma has coaxed cancer cells to break away from a tumor and colonize distant tissues in mice by simply increasing the level of one microRNA.
The work appears in the Sept. 26 advance online edition of Nature.
"Li has shown that a specific microRNA is able to cause profound changes in the behavior of cancer cells, which is striking considering that 10 years ago no one suspected microRNAs were involved in any biological process," says Weinberg.
Ma began with a list of 29 microRNAs expressed at different levels in tumors versus normal tissue. She examined their production in two groups of cancer cells--metastatic and non-metastatic. Metastatic cancer cells (including those taken directly from patients) contained much higher levels of one microRNA called microRNA-10b.
Next, Ma forced non-metastatic human breast cancer cells to produce lots of microRNA-10b by inserting extra copies of the gene. She injected the altered cancer cells into the mammary fat pads of mice, which soon developed breast tumors that metastasized.
So what caused this stunning metamorphosis?
MicroRNAs typically disrupt protein production by binding to the messenger RNAs that copy DNA instructions for proteins and carry them to "translators." Ma used a program developed in the lab of Whitehead Member David Bartel to search for the target of microRNA-10b. She identified several candidates, including the messenger RNA for a gene called HoxD10.
Generally involved in development, Hox proteins control many genes active in an embryo. Some Hox proteins have also been implicated in cancer. HoxD10, for example, can block the expression of genes required for cancer cells to move--essentially applying the brakes to a migration process.
To test whether she had removed the brakes during her experiment, awakening the dormant migration process, Ma boosted the level of HoxD10 in the cancer cells with artificially high levels of microRNA-10b. The cells lost their newly acquired abilities to move and invade.
"I was able to fully reverse microRNA-10b induced migration and invasion, suggesting that HoxD10 is indeed a functional target," Ma explains.
"During normal development, this microRNA probably enables cells to move from one part of the embryo to another," adds Weinberg. "Its original function has been co-opted by carcinoma cells."
This research is funded by the Life Sciences Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT.
MIT community invited to State of the Institute forum on Oct. 2
The entire MIT community is invited to attend the State of the Institute Forum at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, in Kresge Auditorium. At the event, President Susan Hockfield, Provost L. Rafael Reif, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay and Executive Vice President and Treasurer Theresa M. Stone will speak about the current state of MIT and the year ahead. A question and answer period will follow.
At the conclusion of the forum, there will be a reception and lunch in Kresge Lobby.
For more information about the State of the Institute, please visit the State of the Institute web site: http://mit.edu/events/stateoftheinstitute/
India to develop own technology for space travel
India will develop its own technology to launch an astronaut into space rather than rely on outside support, the head of the country's space agency said Thursday.
India's space programme suffered in the past from sanctions imposed by the West, barring access to space material and technology transfers, after the country tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and in 1998.
"We have learned the hard way that we should have indigenous capability," said G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, in this southern city which is hosting a global conerfence on space technology.
"Only then will anyone respect you," Nair told a news conference on the penultimate day of the five-day event.
"In manned missions also that's the approach we will adopt."
India plans to launch a lunar probe in March or April next year and ISRO is firming up a proposal to try to send an astronaut to the moon at a date to be decided.
The country's launch rockets are not powerful enough to send a man from an earth orbit to the moon, requiring ISRO to almost double its launch capability, said Nair.
"If we have cooperation with the Russians or the Americans, it will speed up the process," said Nair. "But I am not sure how that will emerge because of the various technology control regimes that exist all around the globe."
Russia has a space tourism programme under which a return voyage and a week-long stay in space costs 20 million dollars, the official said.
"But there has to be an objective," he added. "Our thrust will be to develop the technology and use Indian launch vehicles to access space. Our capability to have human access to space is a must in the long-run and we will take action in this regard."
India's space programme suffered in the past from sanctions imposed by the West, barring access to space material and technology transfers, after the country tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and in 1998.
"We have learned the hard way that we should have indigenous capability," said G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, in this southern city which is hosting a global conerfence on space technology.
"Only then will anyone respect you," Nair told a news conference on the penultimate day of the five-day event.
"In manned missions also that's the approach we will adopt."
India plans to launch a lunar probe in March or April next year and ISRO is firming up a proposal to try to send an astronaut to the moon at a date to be decided.
The country's launch rockets are not powerful enough to send a man from an earth orbit to the moon, requiring ISRO to almost double its launch capability, said Nair.
"If we have cooperation with the Russians or the Americans, it will speed up the process," said Nair. "But I am not sure how that will emerge because of the various technology control regimes that exist all around the globe."
Russia has a space tourism programme under which a return voyage and a week-long stay in space costs 20 million dollars, the official said.
"But there has to be an objective," he added. "Our thrust will be to develop the technology and use Indian launch vehicles to access space. Our capability to have human access to space is a must in the long-run and we will take action in this regard."
India to develop own technology for space travel
India will develop its own technology to launch an astronaut into space rather than rely on outside support, the head of the country's space agency said Thursday.
India's space programme suffered in the past from sanctions imposed by the West, barring access to space material and technology transfers, after the country tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and in 1998.
"We have learned the hard way that we should have indigenous capability," said G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, in this southern city which is hosting a global conerfence on space technology.
"Only then will anyone respect you," Nair told a news conference on the penultimate day of the five-day event.
"In manned missions also that's the approach we will adopt."
India plans to launch a lunar probe in March or April next year and ISRO is firming up a proposal to try to send an astronaut to the moon at a date to be decided.
The country's launch rockets are not powerful enough to send a man from an earth orbit to the moon, requiring ISRO to almost double its launch capability, said Nair.
"If we have cooperation with the Russians or the Americans, it will speed up the process," said Nair. "But I am not sure how that will emerge because of the various technology control regimes that exist all around the globe."
Russia has a space tourism programme under which a return voyage and a week-long stay in space costs 20 million dollars, the official said.
"But there has to be an objective," he added. "Our thrust will be to develop the technology and use Indian launch vehicles to access space. Our capability to have human access to space is a must in the long-run and we will take action in this regard."
Hosted by Copyright © 2007 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
India's space programme suffered in the past from sanctions imposed by the West, barring access to space material and technology transfers, after the country tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and in 1998.
"We have learned the hard way that we should have indigenous capability," said G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, in this southern city which is hosting a global conerfence on space technology.
"Only then will anyone respect you," Nair told a news conference on the penultimate day of the five-day event.
"In manned missions also that's the approach we will adopt."
India plans to launch a lunar probe in March or April next year and ISRO is firming up a proposal to try to send an astronaut to the moon at a date to be decided.
The country's launch rockets are not powerful enough to send a man from an earth orbit to the moon, requiring ISRO to almost double its launch capability, said Nair.
"If we have cooperation with the Russians or the Americans, it will speed up the process," said Nair. "But I am not sure how that will emerge because of the various technology control regimes that exist all around the globe."
Russia has a space tourism programme under which a return voyage and a week-long stay in space costs 20 million dollars, the official said.
"But there has to be an objective," he added. "Our thrust will be to develop the technology and use Indian launch vehicles to access space. Our capability to have human access to space is a must in the long-run and we will take action in this regard."
Hosted by Copyright © 2007 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
Czech Republic spearheads EU project to conceive next-gen airplane
Local plane manufacturers are leaving the gutter and looking for their place in the sky. The aviation industry has experienced some lean years since 1989, with many firms adhering to one imperative: Make smaller planes or perish. A portion of the industry is now staging a full-fledged recovery that builds off this downsizing, turning its small aircraft focus into an asset: Last year, local companies produced nearly one-third of the ultralight planes bought in the United States.Evidencing this specialization, 11 Czech companies are playing a significant role in a 1 billion Kč ($49 million) research and development project sponsored by the European Union, called CESAR, which is tasked with conceiving a new direction for aircraft manufacturing.“The CESAR project is going to bring about a new concept for a cost-effective small aircraft with five to 15 seats,” said Milan Holl, head of the Czech Aeronautical Research and Test Institute (VZLÚ), which leads and coordinates the 40 companies and research institutes involved in the venture.While the research and development of large aircraft is backed by companies such as Boeing and Airbus, smaller aircraft development is hardly moving ahead, shackling small planes with outdated equipment and systems.The EU’s three-year CESAR project — short for Cost-Effective Small Aircraft — launched last fall. It should ultimately give birth to a concept for a small commuter plane with low development and maintenance costs and reduced environmental impact, Holl said.Half of the project’s budget comes from the EU and the other half is provided by participants. Approximately one-quarter of the EU grant — some 140 million Kč — is distributed among domestic companies.For Aero Vodochody, the country’s largest plane manufacturer, the project has been an opportunity to gain valuable experience with the small and prestigious club that leads Europe’s aviation industry, said Aero spokesman Vítězslav Kulich.Vlastimil Havelka, head of the Association of Aviation Manufacturers (AVL), agrees that the project is invaluable for connecting local companies to the West.“My experience is that face-to-face contacts are crucial in this business,” he said. “Moreover, Czech companies can learn a lot from partners in the West.”Go smallWhile Czech ultralight planes — which, befitting their name, are lighter, tinier and slower than normal small planes — are increasingly cluttering European and U.S. skies, the country’s larger commuter and military planes are now produced only in small numbers by a handful of firms, such as Aero and Letov. And even these firms depend largely on cooperation programs, supplying plane parts to big foreign makers.“After 1989, Czech makers’ close ties to the Soviet Union were cut,” Holl said, and while this reaped many rewards for the country, the aviation industry was decimated. During the communist era, Aero Vodochody alone produced 37 percent of all the military-training aircrafts sold worldwide, Havelka said. “Wherever Russians supplied their fighters, Aero supplied training planes.”That golden age is gone. Now, the industry employs only about 10,000 people. “There’s no way we can compete with, say, the British aviation industry, which has more than 100,000 workers and has been undisturbed by large economic and political changes,” Havelka said.After the 1989 revolution, a large number of aviation experts became unemployed. However, several of these experts had an entrepreneurial bent, which ultimately led them to develop smaller aircraft.Today, domestic aircraft manufacturers have a 30 percent share of the United States small but growing ultralight plane market, according to the AVL; they hold a similarly strong position in Europe. In 2006, the Czech Republic produced about 500 ultralight planes, though this production accounted for only a small fraction of the overall revenue in the aviation sector, which amounted to some 7 billion Kč.One manufacturer, Evektor, produced 130 ultralight planes in 2006. This year, production should rise to 180 planes. “The demand for ultralight planes is on the constant rise,” said Evektor development engineer Václav Zajíc.The booming ultralight plane market notwithstanding, Evektor wants to move further, planning to manufacture the Cobra, a four-seat plane. However, it’s not cheap to develop a new plane type.“The development of the Cobra has already cost us hundreds of millions of crowns,” Zajíc said. “Preparing its production will require us to swallow at least the same amount.” The company is now looking for a strategic partner willing to finance the project, while it continues to develop an even larger project: an aircraft with room for 14 passengers.The foremost objective for the domestic aviation industry is to become a powerhouse in the production of small commuter planes like this, to be used for regional transport, according to an industry development strategy being prepared by the AVL.However, some local aviation experts are aiming higher, beyond the firmament.“In the near future, we want to focus more on the space industry,” Holl said.
Drinking induces memories
Those who drink to drown their sorrows, thinking alcohol makes the brain and memory go fuzzy, are having a wrong notion.
A new study by scientists has revealed that while low levels of alcohol promote neutral memories and moderate amounts boost one's ability to remember, heavy drinking induces negative memories.
"Moderate levels of alcohol challenge the brain and it responds by improving memory. It is like the best way to build strength in a muscle is to challenge the muscle," The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday, quoting lead researcher Professor Matthew During of University of Auckland as saying.
"Contrary to popular belief, we also found that excessive levels of alcohol enhanced memories of highly emotional stimuli. Our work suggests that heavy drinking actually reinforces negative memories," he said.
The scientists came to the conclusion after studying the effects on memory of moderate levels of alcohol consumption, equivalent to a glass or two of wine every day, and found they can enhance memory.
According to Prof During's fellow researcher, Maggie Kalev, low levels of alcohol "promoted neutral memories, such as remembering objects."
The findings have been published in the 'Journal of Neuroscience'.
So, drinking too much means you are more likely to remember the embarrassment of a boisterous binge -- from making an indecent proposal to dancing without your trousers on.
A new study by scientists has revealed that while low levels of alcohol promote neutral memories and moderate amounts boost one's ability to remember, heavy drinking induces negative memories.
"Moderate levels of alcohol challenge the brain and it responds by improving memory. It is like the best way to build strength in a muscle is to challenge the muscle," The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday, quoting lead researcher Professor Matthew During of University of Auckland as saying.
"Contrary to popular belief, we also found that excessive levels of alcohol enhanced memories of highly emotional stimuli. Our work suggests that heavy drinking actually reinforces negative memories," he said.
The scientists came to the conclusion after studying the effects on memory of moderate levels of alcohol consumption, equivalent to a glass or two of wine every day, and found they can enhance memory.
According to Prof During's fellow researcher, Maggie Kalev, low levels of alcohol "promoted neutral memories, such as remembering objects."
The findings have been published in the 'Journal of Neuroscience'.
So, drinking too much means you are more likely to remember the embarrassment of a boisterous binge -- from making an indecent proposal to dancing without your trousers on.
ISRO aims Mars mission
Hyderabad, Sept.27 With the mission to the Moon on course of preparations, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has now set its eyes on the red planet — Mars. ISRO has unveiled preliminary ideas of sending a spacecraft to Mars. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), will be capable of sending a 500 kg orbiter (spacecraft) to the Mars, said the ISRO chief, Mr N. Madhavan Nair.
With new excitement on lunar missions from countries such as Japan, China, India, Russia and the US and the US’s long-term programme to Mars, capturing the imagination at the ongoing 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), here, Mr Nair’s pointers to India joining the Mars bandwagon also seemed most appropriate.
He urged the scientific community to come up with ideas to crystallise the objectives for the Mars mission and thereafter a definitive project could be put in place. At present the technical capability to send a spacecraft to Mars exists, the ISRO chief said.
On the Moon mission, Chandrayaan I was on course and is expected to take off in the summer of 2008. With increased co-operation between ISRO and NASA (National Aeronautical Space Agency) of US, at least two US payloads are expected to fly on Chandrayaan I by the PSLV to the Moon’s orbit for studies, he said.
The ISRO is also ready with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which is a constellation of small satellites in the low earth orbit, intended to boost a wide range of communication systems.
The first of the seven satellites intended to be launched for the IRNSS would be scheduled for the end of 2008. The rest would be in place by 2011. The IRNSS is estimated to cost around Rs 1,600 crores and is India’s own regional answer to bigger GPS (Global Positioning Systems) projects like Galileo (Europe), Glonass (Russian) etc. The Chinese are also reportedly building their own regional constellation.
On the launch plans, Mr Nair said ISRO has decided to launch 60 satellites in the next five years from Sriharikota. These satellites would be used for communications, meteorology, studying oceans, atmosphere, environment and specific scientific projects.
MORE
European space agencies keen on outsourcing work to India
Hyderabad: Top space organisations of Europe are keen to outsource sub-systems and components for their space missions to India but are unable to do so due to political hurdles.
Under the European Space Agency (ESA) rules, the 17 member organisations cannot outsource the work but some of them wished they were allowed to do this to leverage on the cost benefit and reliable Indian research and development.
"We would like to outsource to India but we can't do it because the money of European tax payers has gone into the space programmes and they would not like to see outsourcing taking away the jobs from the local people," Christophe Bardou, programme director of Arianespace's commercial directorate, told IANS.
The French commercial launch service leader, which is part of ESA, has an over three-decade-old relationship with India, having launched 13 Insat satellites for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) so far.
Bardou, who is attending the ongoing space expo being held here as part of the 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), was all praise for the Indian space programme saying it has strong political backing.
"There is a strong political will for space development. The Indian space industry has the wherewithal to develop key sub-systems and components with reliable technology," he said.
He said ISRO, which was now capable of launching medium satellites of two tonnes, would be able to double the capacity in two to three years with the launch of GSLV Mark III.
Arianespace, which has marketing arrangements with ISRO for light payloads, mini and micro satellites and PSLV, will next year launch the W2M satellite developed by ISRO under contract with Astrim for Eutelsat Communications.
DLR, the German Aerospace Centre, also feels that India was entering the big global market. "It has the advantage of good software development," said Ulrich Kohler of Institute of Planetary Research, DLR.
According to him, things move quickly in India unlike in Japan where there is too much bureaucracy.
Swedish Space Corporation, which is planning to use nano-technology in its space missions, said it would like to discuss outsourcing with India. "There are several areas where we can work together with India," Anna Rathsman of the Swedish Space Corporation said.
With new excitement on lunar missions from countries such as Japan, China, India, Russia and the US and the US’s long-term programme to Mars, capturing the imagination at the ongoing 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), here, Mr Nair’s pointers to India joining the Mars bandwagon also seemed most appropriate.
He urged the scientific community to come up with ideas to crystallise the objectives for the Mars mission and thereafter a definitive project could be put in place. At present the technical capability to send a spacecraft to Mars exists, the ISRO chief said.
On the Moon mission, Chandrayaan I was on course and is expected to take off in the summer of 2008. With increased co-operation between ISRO and NASA (National Aeronautical Space Agency) of US, at least two US payloads are expected to fly on Chandrayaan I by the PSLV to the Moon’s orbit for studies, he said.
The ISRO is also ready with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which is a constellation of small satellites in the low earth orbit, intended to boost a wide range of communication systems.
The first of the seven satellites intended to be launched for the IRNSS would be scheduled for the end of 2008. The rest would be in place by 2011. The IRNSS is estimated to cost around Rs 1,600 crores and is India’s own regional answer to bigger GPS (Global Positioning Systems) projects like Galileo (Europe), Glonass (Russian) etc. The Chinese are also reportedly building their own regional constellation.
On the launch plans, Mr Nair said ISRO has decided to launch 60 satellites in the next five years from Sriharikota. These satellites would be used for communications, meteorology, studying oceans, atmosphere, environment and specific scientific projects.
MORE
European space agencies keen on outsourcing work to India
Hyderabad: Top space organisations of Europe are keen to outsource sub-systems and components for their space missions to India but are unable to do so due to political hurdles.
Under the European Space Agency (ESA) rules, the 17 member organisations cannot outsource the work but some of them wished they were allowed to do this to leverage on the cost benefit and reliable Indian research and development.
"We would like to outsource to India but we can't do it because the money of European tax payers has gone into the space programmes and they would not like to see outsourcing taking away the jobs from the local people," Christophe Bardou, programme director of Arianespace's commercial directorate, told IANS.
The French commercial launch service leader, which is part of ESA, has an over three-decade-old relationship with India, having launched 13 Insat satellites for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) so far.
Bardou, who is attending the ongoing space expo being held here as part of the 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), was all praise for the Indian space programme saying it has strong political backing.
"There is a strong political will for space development. The Indian space industry has the wherewithal to develop key sub-systems and components with reliable technology," he said.
He said ISRO, which was now capable of launching medium satellites of two tonnes, would be able to double the capacity in two to three years with the launch of GSLV Mark III.
Arianespace, which has marketing arrangements with ISRO for light payloads, mini and micro satellites and PSLV, will next year launch the W2M satellite developed by ISRO under contract with Astrim for Eutelsat Communications.
DLR, the German Aerospace Centre, also feels that India was entering the big global market. "It has the advantage of good software development," said Ulrich Kohler of Institute of Planetary Research, DLR.
According to him, things move quickly in India unlike in Japan where there is too much bureaucracy.
Swedish Space Corporation, which is planning to use nano-technology in its space missions, said it would like to discuss outsourcing with India. "There are several areas where we can work together with India," Anna Rathsman of the Swedish Space Corporation said.
Argentine Court OKs Sex Change for Teen
A 17-year-old Argentine has won a court battle to undergo surgery to become a female, the first decision of its kind involving a minor in Argentina, news reports said Thursday.
Ending a three-year legal battle, a court in the central province of Cordoba authorized the surgery earlier this week.
In Argentina, the surgery requires court approval because of laws against mutilation.
A judge in 2004 initially ruled the teenager must wait until age 21, but the parents appealed and persuaded a court panel, the reports said.
Courts have withheld the name because the teenager is still a minor and the local media have not published the teen's identity.
In the U.S., no court permission is necessary but most doctors are hesitant to operate on minors, said Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education in Waltham, Mass.
An August court decision in Brazil required the public health system to pay for sex reassignment surgeries. At least eight other countries, including Canada, have similar policies.
But in most of Latin America, the surgery still requires a judge's permission, according to Alejandra Victoria Portadino, legal counsel with the Homosexual Community of Argentina
Ending a three-year legal battle, a court in the central province of Cordoba authorized the surgery earlier this week.
In Argentina, the surgery requires court approval because of laws against mutilation.
A judge in 2004 initially ruled the teenager must wait until age 21, but the parents appealed and persuaded a court panel, the reports said.
Courts have withheld the name because the teenager is still a minor and the local media have not published the teen's identity.
In the U.S., no court permission is necessary but most doctors are hesitant to operate on minors, said Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education in Waltham, Mass.
An August court decision in Brazil required the public health system to pay for sex reassignment surgeries. At least eight other countries, including Canada, have similar policies.
But in most of Latin America, the surgery still requires a judge's permission, according to Alejandra Victoria Portadino, legal counsel with the Homosexual Community of Argentina
‘Developing sophisticated technology is feasible’
BANGALORE: Terming innovation the catalyst for growth and the key to a country’s progress, Vice Admiral (retd) Raman Puri on Wednesday said that “nothing less than a satyagraha is necessary” if India was to become self-reliant in technology, especially in the field of aerospace technology.
According to him the status of a country’s aeronautical prowess is a general indication of that country’s technological capabilities.
Speaking on “Strategy for Indigenous Capability Building in Aeronautics” at a function to commemorate the Foundation Day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research at the National Aerospace Laboratories here, he said that the goal of self-reliance needed “will, structures and out of the box solutions, including public-private partnerships”.
Stating that developing sophisticated technology in India was not only feasible, but also cheaper than importing technology, Vice Admiral Puri said that even today the Indian armed forces were fighting with 70 per cent of armament from overseas.
“We cannot be a global power on imported hardware,” he said.
Though the Indian Air Force was the fourth largest air force in the world, it did not fly even one aircraft that had been designed and developed indigenously.
“If we are to improve our comprehensive air power, aerospace will have to play a big role. Look at China, they may have bought the Su-27, but they are also working on four major aircraft programmes. The Chinese have used reverse engineering, but have added Chinese science and concepts to it. We have to learn this fast,” he said
LCA
Calling for formation of a top level aeronautical commission that would steer indigenous programmes from concept to delivery, Vice Admiral Puri said that India could learn from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.
“We can learn from the problems faced by the Aeronautical Development Agency in the development of the LCA,” he added.
He expressed the view that India must complete the LCA programme “no matter at what cost”. The Vice Admiral also stressed that India must follow up on the LCA programme. “Unlike the LCA which has taken us 20 years a new aircraft will take just five to seven years, and the cost will not exceed $1 billion,” he said.
Vice Admiral Puri, who retired as the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), said that if India wanted to break out of the environment placed on it by the geopolitical situation and technology denial regimes, the only way was thought building indigenous capability.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)