sky. thus, converting hours to minutes and dividing, we find that the sun moves 1º every 4 minutes. although it doesn ' t seem that there ' s any scale marked on this image to permit me to figure out how many degress there is between each image from which to figure out the time between images, there actually is a very easy one : the sun itself. both the sun and the moon have an angular size of 1 / 2º. that means that if the little suns were butted right up against one another, it would have traveled 1 / 2º between images, which in turn implies that it would have been 2 minutes ( 4 / 2 ) between each image. since there ' s a little more space, roughly 1 / 2 of a sun width ( ie, 1 / 4º ), i can estimate there was approximately another minute between pictures. thus 2 + 1 = 3. so ultimately 18 images of the sun were taken and then reassembled to produce this dramatic image. while in and of itself it is quite stunning, a closer look reveals more information than meets the eye. this concept is one i feel is important to keep in mind in the sciences. things are not always what they seem to be at a first glance. if this wasn ' t the driving concept behind science, we would still hold with many ridiculous ideas such as the earth being flat, or alchemy, or perhaps more relavant today, intelligent design. image copyright : stefan seip found via : nasa astronomy picture of the day update : the original version of this post contained erronious math which was noted by reader, benjamin franz, in the comments. i have corrected my math here, but wanted to make sure he was given due credit.


' dumped ' pythons put squeeze on everglades wildlife [ livescience 2012 - 01 - 30 ] [ photo ] big burmese python. credit : mike rochford sixteen - foot - long pythons aren ' t just frightening movie concepts, they are a real - life threat in the everglades where they are annihilating the park ' s mammal populations to unrecoverable numbers, researchers now say. the pythons entered the park from households that kept the snakes as pets, and may also have been set loose by hurricanes in the ' 90s, researchers say. rangers started noticing the python ' s presence in 2000, when two snakes were removed from national lands. the number of pythons has skyrocketed, with more than 300 pythons being removed from the everglades every year since 2007. researchers don ' t know their true numbers but estimate at least tens of thousands of the giant snakes inhabit the national everglades park. " they turn up all over the u. s., but now they are established and reproducing and apparently doing very well in south florida, " said study researcher michael dorcas, of davidson college in north carolina. " it ' s 11 years later, and we are already recording a hugely devastating impact. " dorcas is co - author of the book " invasive pythons in the united states " ( the university of georgia press, 2011 ). the researchers studied records of mammal deaths on roads from 1993 to 1999, before the pythons were commonly found in the everglades. in addition, over 51 nights in 1996 and 1997, they drove along national park roads and tallied live and dead mammals along the road. [ see photos of the invading pythons ] they compared these results with animal numbers tallied from 2003 through 2011, the time after which pythons became common. these numbers were also gleaned from more than 35, 000 miles of road surveys. in areas where pythons had been present the longest, between 2003 and 2011, populations of raccoons dropped 99. 3 percent, opossums 98. 9 percent and bobcats 87. 5 percent. marsh and cottontail rabbits, as well as foxes, though common before the pythons were seen in the area, were not seen at all in these surveys. in areas where pythons had recently taken root, the mammal decreases were smaller ; in areas where pythons hadn ' t been spotted mammal numbers were similar to those in the everglades ' pre - python years.


seen at all in these surveys. in areas where pythons had recently taken root, the mammal decreases were smaller ; in areas where pythons hadn ' t been spotted mammal numbers were similar to those in the everglades ' pre - python years. future of the everglades carla dove, a researcher at the smithsonian institution who wasn ' t involved in the study, said the results of this survey were " much worse than expected " and noted that the pythons don ' t just eat mammals — they can also eat birds and other reptiles ( even huge alligators ). her own soon - to - be published research indicates that birds, and their eggs, are also being preyed upon by the python populations in the everglades. while dorcas ' survey focused on common mammals, " it raises lots of disconcerting questions about [ other ] species that are rare and endangered, " dorcas said. " we don ' t yet know about those species and if similar impacts are occurring in those species as well, but it certainly warrants further investigation. " to try to limit the spread of invasive pythons, the u. s. fish and wildlife service recently ( finalized jan. 17 ) banned the import and transport between states of the burmese python and three other large snakes into the u. s. as pets. these regulations may be too late to save the wildlife in the everglades, dorcas said. " what was most striking to me was the magnitude of the observed changes in mammal numbers, " gordon rodda, of the u. s. geological survey, fort collins science center, told livescience in an email. " these are not incremental changes but nearly complete removal of some very key components of the everglades ecosystem, " said rodda, who was not involved in the current study. snakes are hard to hunt, especially in wild areas like the everglades, because they are extremely secretive. " it makes it really difficult to suppress their populations under most circumstances, " dorcas said. the study was published today ( jan. 30 ) in the journal proceedings of the national academy of sciences.


the western chorus frog is found in the middle to eastern portions of the north american continent. its range extends from southern quebec and northern new york west to south dakota, then south to kansas and oklahoma ( harding 1997 ). western chorus frogs can be found in a variety of habitats, including marshes, meadows, swales, and other open areas. less frequently they can be found in fallowed agricultural fields, damp woods, and wooded swamps. these areas of less permanent water offer reduced risk of egg and tadpole predation by other animals such as fish. there is a trade - off, however, as these temporary bodies of water can dry up in years of drought, resulting in reproductive failure for that year ( harding 1997 ). the western chorus frog is characterized by a white or cream colored stripe along the upper lip, bordered by a dark brown stripe running through the eye from the nostril to the groin. there are usually 3 dark stripes running down the back, although these may be broken into rows of spots in some specimens. background color ranges from brown to gray or olive. the underside is white or cream colored, possibly with dark spots on the chin and throat ( conant and collins, 1991 ). males have a yellow colored vocal sac that appears as a dark, loose flap of skin when not calling. the skin of the western chorus frog is typically moist and bumpy, and the toes end in slightly expanded toepads. adult length is typically 1. 9 to 3. 9 cm (. 75 " to 1. 5 " ), with males usually smaller than females. p. triseriata tadpoles have gray or brown bodies round in shape. their tail fins are clear, often with dark flecks. the intestinal coil can be seen through the bronze belly skin. maximum length before metamorphosis is about 3cm ( 1. 2 inches ) ( harding 1997 ). the rate of development of the eggs and larvae is dependent on water temperature, with specimens in colder water requiring more time for development. maximum length before metamorphosis is about 3cm. in michigan, the breeding season of pseudacris triseriata begins in mid - march and runs through late may, although most activity occurs in april. these periods can vary, with breeding taking place earlier in the southern end of its range and later in the northern end. ( conant and collins, 1991 ). breeding sites include the edges of shallow ponds, flooded swales, ditches, wooded swamps, and flooded fields


with breeding taking place earlier in the southern end of its range and later in the northern end. ( conant and collins, 1991 ). breeding sites include the edges of shallow ponds, flooded swales, ditches, wooded swamps, and flooded fields. breeding choruses early in the season can be heard on clear, sunny days, but shift to evenings or cloudy, rainy days as the season progresses. picking the small end of a high quality fine tooth comb with a fingernail can reproduce the call of the western chorus frog. the call sounds like " cree - ee - ee - ee - eek ", rising in speed and pitch as it progresses. during amplexus, the female will lay 500 - 1500 eggs in several loose, gelatinous clusters attached to submerged grasses or sticks. each cluster will typically have 20 to 300 eggs. hatching generally occurs in 3 to 14 days and tadpoles transform into tiny froglets 40 to 90 days thereafter. the rate of development of the eggs and larvae is dependent on water temperature, with specimens in colder water requiring more time for development. western chorus frogs can mature and breed in less than one year ( harding 1997 ). after laying their eggs in clusters on vegetation there is no further parental care in striped chorus frogs. most striped chorus frogs will probably die as tadpoles or froglets. once they reach adulthood, striped chorus frogs may live for about 5 years. western chorus frogs tend to remain close to their breeding grounds throughout the year. they often hide from predators beneath logs, rocks, leaf litter, and in loose soil or animal burrows. they will typically hibernate in these places as well ( harding 1997 ). picking the small end of a high quality fine tooth comb with a fingernail can reproduce the call of the western chorus frog. the call sounds like " cree - ee - ee - ee - eek ", rising in speed and pitch as it progresses. striped chorus frog males use these calls to attract females to breeding sites during the breeding season. striped chorus frogs also use their keen vision to capture prey. western chorus frogs eat a variety of small invertebrates, including ants, flies, beetles, moths, caterpillars, leaf hoppers, and spiders. newly formed froglets feed on smaller prey, including mites, midges, and springtails. tadpoles are herbivorous, foraging mostly on algae ( harding 1997 ). striped chorus frogs help to control insect populations where they live, they also act as an important food source for their predators. the


, midges, and springtails. tadpoles are herbivorous, foraging mostly on algae ( harding 1997 ). striped chorus frogs help to control insect populations where they live, they also act as an important food source for their predators. the western chorus frog ( and most other frogs ) acts as a critical indicator species. because the larval and adult forms of this species occupy different levels of the food chain, anomalies ( such as deformities ) or a reduction in reproductive success can be linked to either aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems, depending on the life stage of the animal. this makes this species valuable in determining the overall health of both ecosystems. the permeable skin of the western chorus frog also makes it susceptible to contaminants and other external stimuli. changes in morphology or ecology of this species might indicate high levels of pollution or other activity detrimental to their well being. the western chorus frog can be common to locally abundant, although some areas have shown a decline. the subspecies pseudacris triseriata maculata is listed as special concern in the state of michigan. this species appears to be quite tolerant of human activities, considering its presence in agricultural and suburban areas. caution must be exercised during agricultural practices, as runoff containing pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers often fills breeding ponds, making eggs and larvae susceptible to detrimental effects ( harding 1997 ). kevin gardiner ( author ), michigan state university, james harding ( editor ), michigan state university. living in the nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the new world. this includes greenland, the canadian arctic islands, and all of the north american as far south as the highlands of central mexico. having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror - image halves. animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. synapomorphy of the bilateria. an animal that mainly eats meat active at dawn and dusk animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature fertilization takes place outside the female ' s body union of egg and spermatozoan forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality. mainly lives in water that is not salty. offspring are produced in more than one group ( litters, clutches, etc. ) and across multiple seasons ( or other periods hospitable to reproduction ). iteroparous animals


seasonality. mainly lives in water that is not salty. offspring are produced in more than one group ( litters, clutches, etc. ) and across multiple seasons ( or other periods hospitable to reproduction ). iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons ( or periodic condition changes ). a large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. in insects, " incomplete metamorphosis " is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and " complete metamorphosis " is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. having the capacity to move from one place to another. the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. active during the night reproduction in which eggs are released by the female ; development of offspring occurs outside the mother ' s body. having more than one female as a mate at one time breeding is confined to a particular season reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation. that region of the earth between 23. 5 degrees north and 60 degrees north ( between the tropic of cancer and the arctic circle ) and between 23. 5 degrees south and 60 degrees south ( between the tropic of capricorn and the antarctic circle ). living on the ground. conant, r., j. collins. 1991. peterson field guides : reptiles and amphibians of eastern and central north america. new york : houghton mifflin company. harding, j. 1997. amphibians and reptiles of the great lakes region. ann arbor, mi : the university of michigan press.


carlson, john k. and brusher, john h. ( 1999 ) an index of abundance for coastal species of juvenile sharks from the northeast gulf of mexico. marine fisheries review, 61 ( 3 ), pp. 37 - 45. | pdf - requires a pdf viewer such as gsview, xpdf or adobe acrobat reader | download ( 625kb ) | preview a fishery - independent assessment of juvenile coastal shark populations in u. s. waters of the northeast gulf of mexico was conducted using two methods : gillnets and longlines. surveys were conducted monthly during april – october in two fixed sampling areas from 1996 to 1998. the atlantic sharpnose shark, rhizoprionodon terraenovae, and the blacktip shark, carcharhinus limbatus, were the most common species captured with either longlines or gillnets. an additional 14 shark species were captured, and juvenile indices of abundance were developed for 8 species with gillnets and 6 species of sharks with longlines. trends in catch - per - unit - effort were found to vary depending on species. length - frequency information revealed that the majority of sharks captured were juveniles. given the direct relationship between stock and recruitment for sharks, continued monitoring of juvenile abundance will aid in determining the strength of the parental stock size and for predicting future population strength. | title : | | an index of abundance for coastal species of juvenile sharks from the northeast gulf of mexico | | journal or publication title : | | marine fisheries review | | page range : | | pp. 37 - 45 | | issuing agency : | | united states national marine fisheries service | | depositing user : | | patti m. marraro | | date deposited : | | 14 aug 2012 22 : 15 | | last modified : | | 14 aug 2012 22 : 15 | actions ( login required )


" set that bear free at once, " shouted the president, outraged that they had offered him such an unsportsmanlike shot in killing a tethered animal. the next day ' s newspaper immortalised teddy ' s bear in a satirical cartoon by clifford k. berryman. here he empasized the childlike helplessness of the cub and the moral rectitude of roosevelt, which opened a can of worms on where to draw the line. from this clifford. k. berryman created a series of cartoon ' s depicting teddy bear ' s. seymour eaton, who also helped with the popularity in the earliest days, decided to create with the permission of the president, teddy b and teddy g, the roosevelt bear ' s. these two bear ' s were used in books as well as newspapers. meanwhile, morris michtom a storekeeper in brooklyn and wife rose had decided to make a pattern for a soft toy cub, after seeing the article in the newspaper. after asking permission from the president, his wife put together a toy bear cub to sell in the stationary and confectionery shop which they displayed in their window, alongside the newspaper cutting, labelling it as " teddy ' s bear ". this was an instant success. they both decided not to sell candy anymore and created teddy bear wholesalers ' the ideal novelty and toy co, ' meanwhile further away in late october 1902, in germany, a toy designer richard steiff was working at his family firm in giengen. they were searching for fresh new ideas in toy making. he decided to see a touring american circus and while there observed a group of performing bears, which inspired him to create his own toy bear. the next day he put his ideas down on paper to show his aunt margarete steiff, who founded the firm in 1880. it is still operating til this day. richard decided to make a bear toy, which was standing, upright, and jointed in a similar way to dolls. there had been bear toys before with fur but these were all duplicates of real bears. this design was that they could walk upright. margarete steiff was happy with the idea and richard went to work on the idea by visiting zoos and sketching live bears. simultaneously in germany unaware of the manufacturing in the usa richard completed the designs and margarete ran up a prototype from scraps of mohair. the bear, which was public at the 1903 spring, toy fair at leipzig as the ' friend petz ', to richards disappointment no - one


in the usa richard completed the designs and margarete ran up a prototype from scraps of mohair. the bear, which was public at the 1903 spring, toy fair at leipzig as the ' friend petz ', to richards disappointment no - one was interested in the product until he was packing up his stand when, an american toy buyer came across him and ordered 3, 000 teddy bear as soon as possible. this spawned international success. within a few years of their invention, teddy bear had swept the world. roosevelt adopted the red ribboned, bear cub image on his lapelle as his way of swaying a second successful political campaign. steiff re - created the teddy bear ' s face to be more appealing to consumers, which influenced the drift of the teddy bear for the next 50yrs. even though teddy ' s bear was popular from it ' s inception, the term teddy bear did not enter into the mainstream vernacular until 1906. in november that year, it was coined in a trade magazine called playthings, by e. l. horsman and co. distributors. they had advertised bear mascots for display on their new - fangled, horseless carriages. the same company used the name teddy bear a month later to advertise their own toy bears and this commanded all world toy companies to adopt it. the fact is we all " own " the term teddy bear. dean ' s rag book, is a british company, that to this day, still makes bears. originally was dean ' s publishing and in 1903, changed their name. they then produced children ' s books, as the dean ' s rag book company in england, publishing a rag book entitled " teddy bear " by alice scott. it was illustrated by sybil scott paley they also had developed indestructible rag books for children with teddy bear themes. they had gone to making cut out and sew rag teddies in 1908, as well as the first plush jointed teddy bear. one of the first firms that involved themselves in manufacturing bears ( the mitchtom ' s and steiff ) were j. k. farnell, which is the dean rag book co, and h. g. stone & co together. this manufacturer sold the bears under the trade name of " chiltern ' s toys " dean ' s first advertised their plush bears in 1915 in the ' kuddlemee ' catalogue. the first animated teddy - bear cartoon called little johnny and the teddy bear was made in the usa in 1907. an american composer j


' s toys " dean ' s first advertised their plush bears in 1915 in the ' kuddlemee ' catalogue. the first animated teddy - bear cartoon called little johnny and the teddy bear was made in the usa in 1907. an american composer j. k bratton also wrote the music in 1907 ' the teddy bear ' s two steps '. which he was hoping it would be the campaign song for roosevelt at election time but unfortunately the president stepped aside from leadership, in favour of william howard taft. british songwriter jimmy kennedy re - wrote the renowned lyrics in 1930, ' the teddy ' s bear picnic '. the bruin boys were first in writing in the aurthur mee ' s children ' s encyclopaedia in 1910. across america firms mainly supplied teddy bear ' s to their home markets, while german companies such as steiff and competitors, hermann and gebrader bing exported bears across europe. the german gebrader bing company, which mainly manufactured kitchenware and mechanical tin toys, was founded in the nineteenth century. in 1908 they began producing quality, stylish teddy bears with the steiff pattern and similar logo buttons, while continuing to manufacture conventional teddies. the company also produced mechanical bears in 1910. these included the famous footballer, skier, roller skater and the ice - skater bear. in 1932 bing co went into receivership and was sold which made the mechanical teddies limited eddition ' s. alongside them, many other smaller firm ' s in germany had flourished and quickly disappeared. the british had responded to the popularity of the teddy bear mania in the usa and germany. this created demand in britain and they became the 2nd major cliental ( usa being first ) for the steiff orders of their bear ' s. which they had designed specifically for the british market. the material for the mohair yarn, which was used in the plush early collection for steiff in germany, came from the british mills. the first british made jointed plush bear was produced by j. k farnell and co. they were london based and established since 1840 which made small fabric articles like, pen wipers. the children of farnell transformed the company into soft toy company in 1897 and a few years later. a german - born distributor joseph eeisenmann suggested that the company made teddy bear ' s due to the great demand. the german imports were just unable keep up, his name was josef eisenmann. due to lack of labelling, it is very hard to find the earliest of the british teddy bears


the company made teddy bear ' s due to the great demand. the german imports were just unable keep up, his name was josef eisenmann. due to lack of labelling, it is very hard to find the earliest of the british teddy bears. william j. terry ( terryer toys ) was one of many small british soft toy companies that had become well known as well as british united toy manufacturing company ( omega toys ). american and british bears were very pleasing in the early stages of the teddy ' s bear ' s his - story and the german teddy bear ' s which dominated and created the design and quality. since the birth of the teddy bear there has been a vast variety of companies that have manufacture these toys and some are still operating. other ' s have closed down, increasing value to some bears due to the company ' s closure. most teddy bear ' s were produced small scale in britain approximately til 1910, then some other large scaled companies started around 1915. the english bear ' s that were manufactured seemed to have a softer look and feel about them than the german bear ' s, which created an influence in the 1920 ' s and 1930 ' s. farnell bears were considered to be close to steiff bear ' s in comparisons but many other companies ' s such as merrythought ( 1930 ), dean ' s, chad valley co and chiltern did all produce very beautiful teddy bear ' s ( to be fair ). only because the first world war started in 1912, did other countries begin to make their mark in manufacturing of teddy bear ' s. this ravaged europes manufacturing market for years and still after the effect of war had lingered on. the steiff and other german manufacturers handed their factories over for war efforts. during this time the teddy bear manufacturing was halted. from the results of german bears being banned in britain, they created for themselves the first plush bear. other countries, which relied on the german supplies, had no choice but to manufacture their own bears. with in the restrictions of the war, people and companies had produced new teddy bear ' s and when things became " normal " again, traditional jointed bears were alongside the new " necessity " designs. founded in 1914 the harwin company made a speciality of dressed bears, even though they were not born clothed which included kitted military uniforms. johnson brothers made the first ' chad valley bear ' s which were created in 1915. this teddy was called ' master teddy ' and was made partly out of plush fur with it ' s clothing made out


not born clothed which included kitted military uniforms. johnson brothers made the first ' chad valley bear ' s which were created in 1915. this teddy was called ' master teddy ' and was made partly out of plush fur with it ' s clothing made out of cotton to economise on the expensive mohair and created it in 5 different sizes. after the ww1 in the 1920 ' s and 1930 ' s it was to be a golden age for the teddy bear ' s all across the world, this refers to finacially as well as in the design structure of the bears. during this period the french manufacturing was enhancing. emile thiennot had created a factory in the region of champagne in france. the fabrication artistique d ' animaux en peluche produced teddies in 1925 and article de luxe fabrication artisanale started in 1936. for this period the french bears had downturned mouths, ears with contrast colour, jointed discs which were shown on the outside and the alfa bears had open mouths. in the 1920 ' s australia started to manufacture teddy bear ' s from imports of mohair from britain. they had created hand made bears and traditiond, joy toys in melbourne were the first to start producing them. these became collectables and other firm ' s bears such as emil toys and fideston toy company. wendy boston was involved with the popularity of washing machines and had created an unjointed and fully washable bear which was duplicated by all the manufacturer. through the 60 ' s and 70 ' s this design had great influence, onthe shape and look of jointed bears. a lot of adult ' s in the mid 70 ' s started collecting teddy bear ' s and were happy with the new design ' s that were around. after realising the significance of the his - story of teddy ' s bear the older bears with traditional designs became more in demand for collectors. therefore unfortunately the manufacturer produced for looked at the collectors rather than the children or the bears themselves. steiff then in 1980 re - produced a limited edition teddy bear. ( to cash in ) the legend still lives on though the people need reminding of its origins. so, maybe we should spare a thought also for teddy ' s real bear, who probably died from starvation after it was released, because its mum was not around anymore to feed it and forest predators without guns would have consumed it before it starved. all that fuss over an act that was as irresponsible as shooting it ' s mum in the first place


it has been nearly 200 years since we became aware of the neanderthals, an extinct form of humans that once shared europe and asia with the modern humans. but it has been less than two years since we discovered that the neanderthals were not the only archaic modern human around at the time. in short order, researchers in germany produced a draft of the denisova genome, which showed that the ancestors of some modern human populations had interbred with the denisovans at some point in the past. however, the genome sequence that was published in 2010 was only a draft, which is expected to contain errors and areas of very poor coverage. the folks at the max planck institute have continued sequencing away, though, and have greatly expanded their coverage of the denisova genome ; they ' re apparently preparing a paper to describe the expanded sequence right now. but to keep the research community from waiting for the paper to clear peer review, they ' ve decided to release the sequence, both on the max planck website and through amazon ' s web services. the release includes both the raw sequence itself, as well as alignments to the human and chimp genomes. to protect their ability to publish a paper, the max planck team is releasing the sequence under a license that prohibits anyone else from doing an analysis of the complete genome. but anyone interested in looking at specific genes is able to do their analysis without waiting. people interested in doing something in between these two extremes are invited to get in touch with svante paabo, who is directing the work, to sort out an agreement.


you may remember 2004 ’ s disaster movie and cgi delivery vehicle, the day after tomorrow. the premise of the film ( which like any self - respecting disaster film, is excessively absurd ) is that global warming suddenly plunges the world into the depths of an ice age. new york city drowns under the largest storm surge in history, and then flash freezes. as is the case with many disaster movies, there ’ s a small kernel of truth at the eye of this hurricane of exaggeration. that kernel relates to ocean circulation and the gulf stream. the gulf stream carries warm water toward western europe, helping to keep it more temperate than its latitude would otherwise dictate. it depends on the downward flow of dense, salty water in the north atlantic that drives a " conveyor belt " of ocean circulation in the atlantic. large amounts of fresh water discharged to the north atlantic ( from melting ice sheets, for example ) can clog up that overturn by decreasing the density of the surface water. slowing down atlantic circulation drives down temperatures in europe and affects climate around the globe. during the most recent ice age, changes to the atlantic conveyor system appear to have triggered bursts of extremely rapid climate change. a new study pins these changes on an event that took place elsewhere in the globe : the closing of the bering strait between alaska and russia. although it ' s not able to generate cinematic quality climatic chaos, researchers think that the shutdown in the atlantic conveyor is behind some of the most rapid climate changes visible in ice core records from greenland — the dansgaard - oeschger oscillations. these events occurred in cycles roughly 1, 500 years long throughout much of the last glacial period. although north atlantic overturning seems to be involved in these events, it ’ s unclear what alters the currents. it could be an external trigger ( though no orbital or solar cycles really fit the bill ), or it could be a sort of ice sheet heartbeat. it may be that the events can only occur when ice sheets reach a critical size, meaning that the rhythm of the cycles could be determined by the growth rate of ice sheets. whatever the trigger is, it appears to have been absent or ineffective at the start of the most recent ice age. the last glacial period began around 115, 000 years ago, but dansgaard - oeschger oscillations were only prevalent between 11, 000 and 80, 000 years ago. they didn ’ t appear for the first 35, 000 years of the glacial


period began around 115, 000 years ago, but dansgaard - oeschger oscillations were only prevalent between 11, 000 and 80, 000 years ago. they didn ’ t appear for the first 35, 000 years of the glacial period, and they haven ’ t been seen since it ended. a paper published this week in proceedings of the national academy of sciences pins this difference on a feature that ' s an ocean away. it had been proposed that the bering strait between alaska and eastern russia — which is replaced by a land bridge when sea level drops during glacial periods — could have something to do with these rapid climate shifts. so, a group of researchers set out to test the idea using the latest community climate system model ( ccsm3 ). the model was run under two scenarios — one with modern sea level and an open bering strait, and one with a lower sea level and a closed bering strait. in each, freshwater was added to the north atlantic at a slowly increasing rate until the overturning circulation slows down, after which the freshwater input is ramped back down to zero. during the dansgaard - oeschger oscillations, the overturning circulation seems to show a sort of double equilibrium. one state is the normal mode, like it behaves today. that seems to collapse to a low - circulation state that can hang around for quite a while before flipping back to full strength. the simulation with an open bering strait couldn ’ t replicate this behavior. the overturning circulation would slow down, but as soon as the freshwater addition started to drop, the circulation would smoothly recover right along with it. with the bering strait closed, however, the circulation would collapse more quickly, hold steady there for a while, and then abruptly kick back into gear. much like the real thing is thought to have done. the bering strait exerts its influence by controlling flow between the arctic and the north pacific. normally, fresher water flows into the arctic, but when freshwater is being added to the north atlantic some of it leaks into the arctic and out to the pacific. that helps keep the overturning circulation in the north atlantic from clogging up so easily. in contrast, when the bering strait is closed, the freshwater in the north atlantic piles up and lingers. beyond offering an explanation of why the dansgaard - oeschger oscillations happened when they did ( during the period when sea level was low enough that the bering


matisse : in search of true painting explores henri matisse ' s painting process by showcasing 49 vibrantly colored canvases that demonstrate the artist ' s tendency to use his completed canvases as tools, repeating compositions in order to compare effects, gauge his progress, and, as he put it, " push further and deeper into true painting. " ( december 4, 2012 - march 17, 2013 ). where : the metropolitan museum of art fifth avenue at 82nd street matisse copied old master paintings as part of his academic training. he found much to admire on the walls of the musee du louvre yet was also receptive to the contemporary pictures he encountered in parisian galleries. he was particularly intrigued by the work of paul cezanne ( 1839 - 1906 ) and paul signac ( 1863 - 1935 ). in 1904 - 1905 matisse arranged a still life and painted it in two different ways. the green and violet clusters of diagonally placed brushstrokes in still life with purro i ( 1904, private collection ) evoke passages in certain of cezanne ' s paintings, while the vivid colors and confetti - like effects of still life with purro ii ( 1904 - 1905, private collection ) are derived from signac. matisse borrowed stylistic elements from the two artists but was more interested in rendering his own sensations than subscribing to either of their theories. matisse ' s stylistic exploration sparked the creation of pairs in which neither painting is entirely indebted to another artist. upon his return to the fishing village of collioure in the summer of 1906, he depicted a local teenager in a work that has all the hallmarks of his own vividly colored, expressive fauvism ( young sailor i, 1906, collection of sheldon h. solow ). he then painted a second version of the composition on an identically sized canvas, this time employing flat color and deformation to produce a drastically different effect ( young sailor ii, 1906, the metropolitan museum of art ). unsure of his new direction, matisse told friends that young sailor ii had been painted by the local postman. matisse later explained that his aim was to " condense the meaning of [ a ] body by seeking its essential lines. " over the next 10 years, matisse approached his pairs in a variety of ways. he used a full - size cartoon and squaring to create his next major pair, life - size representations of a trio of nudes near the sea ( le luxe i, 1907, centre


of art ). in the 1930s matisse hired a photographer to document his progress on certain paintings. his model and studio assistant lydia delectorskaya recalled that the photographer was called in " when, at the end of a session, it seemed to matisse he had come to the end of his work or he decided he had arrived at a significant stage …. " instead of setting his canvas aside and repeating the composition on a new canvas of identical size, as he had done in the 1900s and 1910s, matisse used the photographs to preserve states of his paintings. he consulted them as he worked, comparing them to the painting in order to see whether he had advanced or regressed. in december 1945, six recent paintings by matisse were displayed at the galerie maeght in paris. each was juxtaposed with large framed photographs documenting its evolution. the photographs are not depictions of related works ; they trace the evolution of the canvas they surround. matisse embraced the opportunity to put his process on display and in so doing, dispelled the notion that he worked spontaneously. he insisted that the only point of the exhibition was to present " the progressive development of the artworks through their various respective states toward definitive conclusions and precise signs. " by agreeing to make the photographs public, matisse tacitly acknowledged that their presence added to the viewers ' understanding and appreciation of his work. the metropolitan museum ' s exhibition will recreate three walls of the galerie maeght exhibition, featuring la france ( 1939, hiroshima museum of art ), the dream ( 1940, private collection ), and still life with magnolia ( 1941, centre pompidou, musee national d ' art moderne, paris ). the theme of the studio interior - a consistent motif in matisse ' s oeuvre throughout his career - was addressed in matisse ' s final painted series, created from 1944 to 1948 at the villa le reve in vence, france. the septuagenarian artist felt that a lifetime of work had prepared him to use color as a means of intimate expression. in the spring of 1948, he wrote to his son pierre that his most recent paintings " impress everyone who has seen them because they are vivid and rich. " interior with an egyptian curtain ( 1948, the phillips collection, washington, d. c. ), interior with black fern ( 1948, fondation beyeler, riehen / basel ), and large red interior ( 1948, centre pompidou, musee national d ' art moderne, paris )


" of silence and speech, silence is better, " says the inscription in salvator rosa ’ s 1640 self - portrait ( above ). born june 20, 1615, rosa let his paintings and etchings do the talking, and bragging. only the ego of salvator rosa could title an etching the genius of salvator rosa. in many ways, rosa follows in the “ wild man ” footsteps of artists such as caravaggio, living life to the fullest and making friends and enemies everywhere he went. in addition to his paintings, rosa wrote biting satires that jabbed at many of his contemporaries. perhaps when rosa claimed to prefer silence, he meant the silence of others. the deep, dramatic darks of this self - portrait show that rosa followed caravaggio in more than just pugnaciousness. i ’ m not sure if rosa ever met his slightly older contemporary nicolas poussin, but it would have been interesting to witness. poussin, all erudition and class, sitting across from rosa, brash and spontaneous — yet both supremely talented. rosa ’ s landscape with saint john the baptist pointing out christ ( above, from 1655 - 1660 ) shows the influence of poussin, who set the standard for seventeenth century landscape. all the classic poussin elements are there : an easily conveyed moment of drama, tiny figures dwarfed by nature, layers and layers of depth reaching back forever. yet, rosa adds a romantic element that the cool classicist poussin could never bring himself to try. the agitation reflected in the stormy sky and swaying trees could never exist in a poussin ’ s perfectly ordered world, but paved the way for artists such as caspar david friedrich to take even further in the tempestuous nineteenth century. rosa also explored the gothic side of romanticism in works such as the self - portrait with skull ( above ), done later than the 1640 self - portrait. on the skull, rosa writes in greek, “ behold, whither, when ” — a classic case of memento mori. the eighteenth - century british novelist ann radcliffe, who specialized in lurid gothic page - turners such as the mysteries of udolpho and the italian, loved the works of rosa and strove to capture the spirit of his works in her writing. for all his colorful brashness, rosa took the work of art seriously, encompassing the works of the past as well as contemporary movements while incorporating his individuality in a way that makes him


a rise in the number of new houses under construction, as occurred in november, surely means the economy is about to boom. a fall in retail sales, which occurred at the same time, surely means the economy is cooling off. orders for goods that people keep for several years, such as cars and refrigerators, rose in september. they fell in october. in the first half of december, the number of people filing new claims for unemployment increased. but what do the statistics mean? which ones are important? and do any of them reliably predict the future of the economy? is a recession ahead? has it already begun? piece by piece, the thousands of economic statistics that the federal government and private industry tabulate every month help paint the picture of the national economy that drives financial decisions by individuals, businesses and government. " i think of it as a huge jigsaw puzzle with tiny little pieces, and every day i get a couple of new ones, " stuart hoffman, chief economist with pnc financial services group in pittsburgh, says of the steady stream of economic reports. " in the real world, it ' s a changing puzzle. it ' s not like you solve it and you ' re done. " different statistics come in and out of fashion with the economic cycle. a decade ago, economists lived and died by the federal reserve board ' s measures of money supply, its estimate of the total amount of money in the economy. now, says hoffman, few economists give it much weight. individual investors can ' t easily know which statistics are important - unless their stock portfolios soar or plummet on the release of the data. and paying attention to every newly released statistic is almost a guarantee of confusion. " watching high - frequency data can be dangerous to your health, " says david wyss, chief economist for standard & poor ' s corp. in new york. " i think every day, something comes out. " economists, though, do agree on the importance of a half - dozen statistical indicators, in times of growth as well as recession. these are the measures that seem to reliably describe the state of the economy and, over time, hint at its direction : employment situation report. if economists had to choose a favorite measure, this likely would be it. " it has a lot of numbers in it, a lot of stuff to analyze, " says wyss. released by the department of labor on the first friday of the month, it is the first major indicator of what happened the previous


it. " it has a lot of numbers in it, a lot of stuff to analyze, " says wyss. released by the department of labor on the first friday of the month, it is the first major indicator of what happened the previous month. as such, it can move the stock markets. important numbers : how many jobs were gained or lost, the jobless rate and average hourly earnings ( this last item being an inflation gauge ). the report is compiled from two surveys : the current employment statistics, which surveys 380, 000 nonfarm businesses on number of workers, wages and work hours ; and the current population survey, which is conducted by 1, 500 census bureau workers interviewing members of 50, 000 households about their work status. gross domestic product. " it is really the most comprehensive picture of the overall economy, " says sung won sohn, chief economist for wells fargo & co. in minneapolis. released quarterly by the commerce department, the gdp is the market value of all goods and services produced within the united states. changes in gdp show how fast or slow the economy is growing. to calculate the gdp number, about 100 staffers in the bureau of economic analysis collect and organize thousands of economic figures compiled by private sources and government agencies. the data fall into four categories : consumer spending, net exports, business investment and government spending and investments. the commerce department was asked to track industrial production in the late 1930s, when it appeared the country was headed for war and the government wanted to assure enough resources were available. consumer price index. calculated monthly by the bureau of labor statistics, this cost - of - living index measures changes in the prices that urban consumers pay for a selection of good and services. critics say the cpi tends to overstate inflation and doesn ' t accurately reflect today ' s shopping habits. but it is the most widely watched inflation gauge. the cpi was created during world war i because a rapid rise in prices created a need for an index to make cost - of - living adjustments in wages. data collection began in 1917 and the cpi was issued beginning in 1919. about 275 field representatives visit stores, apartments and businesses in 87 cities each month to record prices of 80, 000 items - including eyeglasses, gasoline, rent, cupcakes, beer, breakfast cereal, tuition, software and funeral services. the basket items have been revised every 10 years, based on consumer diaries. beginning 2002, the basket will be updated every two years.


may 31, 1990 students in the builders club at rio hondo school in el monte have raised $ 100 for the cystic fibrosis foundation through an aluminum can drive. the club is a service group for seventh - and eighth - grade students, who selected the foundation as recipient because several of their classmates have cystic fibrosis. january 23, 2006 | mists of inhaled saltwater can reduce the pus and infection that fills the airways of cystic fibrosis sufferers, although side effects include a nasty coughing fit and a harsh taste. that ' s the conclusion of two studies published in the jan. 19 issue of the new england journal of medicine. they found that inhaling a mist with a salt content of 7 % or 9 % improved lung function and, in some cases, produced less absenteeism from school or work. california | local september 3, 1998 the genetic defect that causes cystic fibrosis also appears to be involved in a life - threatening inflammation of the pancreas that afflicts about 100, 000 americans. two studies in today ' s new england journal of medicine provide the first solid evidence that chronic pancreatitis may be linked to a bad gene. researchers estimate that the cystic fibrosis gene may play a role in about 10 % to 15 % of these cases, even though victims show no signs of cystic fibrosis. california | local july 30, 1990 | a newly discovered cluster of genetic flaws responsible for a small fraction of cystic fibrosis cases may provide valuable clues to finding a treatment for the nation ' s most common inherited fatal disease, a u. s. - canadian research team reported last week in the british journal nature. the four genetic defects together account for about 7 % of cystic fibrosis cases in whites and 5 % in american blacks. california | local september 26, 1996 | a british geneticist said wednesday that he and colleagues have successfully used genes to treat cystic fibrosis patients. eight volunteers with cystic fibrosis were given one dose of normal genes by dr. chris higgins of oxford university to counteract the genetic mutation that causes the disease. six had no symptoms of the disease for three weeks, he reported. higgins said the technique used was not strictly gene therapy. " what we are really doing is gene transfer, not gene therapy. august 24, 1989 | researchers have discovered and isolated the gene that causes cystic fibrosis when it is defective, a major step that could help in developing treatments for the fatal


" what we are really doing is gene transfer, not gene therapy. august 24, 1989 | researchers have discovered and isolated the gene that causes cystic fibrosis when it is defective, a major step that could help in developing treatments for the fatal disease, a scientist said today. the discovery will " open up the door to more focused experiments " to find treatments that strike at the basic cause of the disease, said lap - chee tsui of the research institute at the hospital for sick children. february 1, 1990 | a new test can spot three - quarters of all adults who risk having children with cystic fibrosis, and more accurate versions should soon allow routine screening of everyone in the united states for this common genetic defect, researchers report. the screening can help parents avoid having children with cystic fibrosis. but experts say it also raises ethical and practical questions about who should get the test and what should be done with the information it provides. march 30, 1995 | high doses of a common over - the - counter pain reliever slowed lung deterioration by 90 % over four years in children with cystic fibrosis, a study has found. the benefits of ibuprofen - - sold under such brand names as advil, nuprin and motrin - - were most dramatic in children ages 5 to 13 who consistently took it in addition to conventional treatment with other drugs, the study ' s authors said. ibuprofen might also have some reduced benefit in older patients, the researchers said. december 9, 1994 | scientists said thursday that they have wiped out certain cystic fibrosis symptoms in mice, an advance in the search for a cure for the inherited disease that usually kills its human victims before their 30th birthdays. the research, being published today in the journal science, establishes for the first time that the disease in mice can be corrected with a human gene. the work focused on intestinal symptoms and researchers are now probing whether a similar approach will work on mice lungs. april 26, 1990 | use of a common high blood pressure medicine as a nasal spray appears to slow the life - threatening lung damage that cystic fibrosis causes, and could dramatically improve the lives of people who have the frequently inherited disorder. the conclusions were drawn from a preliminary study of the drug amiloride. the medicine, when inhaled, seemed to help clear the secretions that clog the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.


book chapter, the new harvest : agricultural innovation in africa, pages 166 - 203 author : calestous juma, professor of the practice of international development ; director, science, technology, and globalization project ; principal investigator, agricultural innovation in africa other chapters in the new harvest : agricultural innovation in africa : - the growing economy - advances in science, technology, and engineering - agricultural innovation systems - enabling infrastructure - human capacity - conclusions and the way ahead african countries are increasingly focusing on promoting regional economic integration as a way to stimulate economic growth and expand local markets. considerable progress has been made in expanding regional trade through regional bodies such as the common market for eastern and southern africa ( comesa ) and the east african community ( eac ). there are six other such regional economic communities ( recs ) that are recognized by the african union as building blocks for pan - african economic integration. so far, regional cooperation in agriculture is in its infancy and major challenges lie ahead. this chapter will explore the prospects of using regional bodies as agents of agricultural innovation through measures such as regional specialization. the chapter will examine ways to strengthen the role of the recs in promoting innovation. it adopts the view that effective regional integration is a learning process that involves continuous institutional adaptation. through extensive examples of initiatives at the national or cross - border levels, this chapter provides cases for regional collaboration or scaling up national programs to regional programs. africa ' s recs have convening powers that position them as valuable vehicles. that is, they convene meetings of political leaders at the highest level, and these leaders take decisions that are binding on the member states ; the member states then regularly report on their performance regarding these decisions. such meetings provide good platforms for sharing information and best practices. africa ' s recs have established and continue to designate centers of excellence in various areas. comesa, for instance, has established reference laboratories for animal and plant research in kenya and zambia. designation of centers of excellence for specific aspects of agricultural research will greatly assist specialization within the recs and put to common use the knowledge from the expertise identified in the region.... the entire chapter may be downloaded below. - full text of " governing innovation " ( 121k pdf ) for more information about this publication please contact the stg coordinator. for academic citation :


( german : die buchse der pandora ) the title is a reference to pandora of greek mythology, who upon opening a box given to her by the gods released all evils into the world, leaving only hope behind. the lead role is played by lousie brooks as lulu. she is a young and impulsive vaudeville performer whose raw sexuality and uninhibited nature bring about the downfall of almost everyone she meets. indeed her asset is her body which, to use a metaphor, was like the box. she only needed to open it, and as we see in this silent film, what havoc it could wreak on men as well as women of certain attitude. incidentally in countess anna we have the cinema ’ s first lesbian character. pandora ’ s box is a german silent melodrama based loosely on frank wedekind ’ s plays erdgeist ( earth spirit, 1895 ) and die buchse der pandora ( 1904 ). wedekind ’ s plays in his time were controversial to say the least. satire was a weapon more like a red rag to be shaken at the middle - class morality and the solid citizenry in germany were bedeviled by the impossible and more perverse than natural conduct in lulu. widekind was not exceptional in this. from the turn of the century there were two opposing forces at work in imperial germany and both were curiously born out of self same causes. perversity, vampirism and similar lurid subjects that were taboo till then began to appear as a reaction to a very moribund german national life. lulu was a creature, an intellectual shock therapy on one hand from widekind is an example. the other form of shock was prescribed by deeds and came from wandervogels ( birds of passage ). the latter were from well - to - do middle class families and this movement was hellbent to attack school, home and church. the latter group was to transform into freikorps at the end of wwi. the latter played a part in helping hitler to power while it marked the exodus of intellectuals to safer havens. this film is directed by austrian filmaker georg wilhelm pabst, the film stars louise brooks as lulu, fritz kortner as dr. schon, francis lederer as alwa schon and alice roberts as countess geschwitz. the plot revolves around many loves of lulu, her rise and fall. she marries a respectable newspaper publisher, but soon drives him into insanity, climaxing in an incident in which she accidentally


alwa schon and alice roberts as countess geschwitz. the plot revolves around many loves of lulu, her rise and fall. she marries a respectable newspaper publisher, but soon drives him into insanity, climaxing in an incident in which she accidentally shoots him to death. found guilty of manslaughter, she escapes from justice with the help of her former pimp ( whom she considers her father ) and the son of her dead husband, who is also in love with her. after spending several months hiding in an illegal gambling den in france, where lulu is nearly sold into slavery, lulu and her friends end up living in squalor in a london garret. on christmas eve, driven into prostitution by poverty, lulu meets her doom at the hands of jack the ripper. pandora ’ s box was already adapted to the screen by arzen von cserepy in 1921 in germany under the same title with asta nielsen in the roll as lulu. there were musical, plays and other cinema features of the film at the time and the story of pandora ’ s box was commonplace in culture. this allowed pabst to make liberties with the story of the film. ( wikipedia ) directed by g. w. pabst produced by seymour nebenzal written by g. w. pabst cinematography gunther krampf distributed by sud - film release date ( s ) germany : 30 january, 1929 running time 100 - 152 mins. ( us ) 133 mins. ( dir. cut ) language silent film * fritz kortner as dr. ludwig schon * francis lederer as alwa schon : dr. ludwig schon son. * carl goetz as schigolch : there is no real definiton of his relation to lulu but it is suggested in the film that he is or has acted as a sort of pimp for lulu. * krafft - raschig as rodrigo quast * alice roberts as countess anna geschwitz : geschwitz is defined by her masculine look with her tuxedo suit that she wears. * daisy d ’ ora as dr. schon ’ s fiance * gustav diessl as jack the ripper * michael von newlinsky as marquis casti - piani * sigfried arno as the stage manager diary of a lost girl ( 1929, g. w. pabst ) the blue angel ( 1930, josef von sternberg ) queen kelly ( 1929, erich von stroheim ) the wild heart ( 1950,


arno as the stage manager diary of a lost girl ( 1929, g. w. pabst ) the blue angel ( 1930, josef von sternberg ) queen kelly ( 1929, erich von stroheim ) the wild heart ( 1950, rouben mamoulian, michael powell, emeric pressburger ) a breath of scandal ( 1960, michael curtiz ) looking for mr. goodbar ( 1977, richard brooks ) klondike annie ( 1936, raoul walsh ) afgrunden ( 1910, peter urban gad ) movies with the same personnel diary of a lost girl ( 1929, g. w. pabst ) kameradschaft ( 1931, g. w. pabst ) westfront 1918 ( 1930, g. w. pabst ) the threepenny opera ( 1931, g. w. pabst ) don quixote ( 1933, g. w. pabst ) der prozess ( 1948, g. w. pabst ) the strange death of adolf hitler ( 1943, james hogan ) die stadt ist voller geheimnisse ( 1955, fritz kortner ) * louise brooks as lulu : on seeing louise brooks as a circus performer in the 1928 howard hawks ’ film a girl in every port. director g. w. pabst tried to get brooks on loan from paramount pictures. pabst ’ s offer wasn ’ t even given to brooks by the studio until she left paramount over a salary dispute. on not receiving brooks for the role, pabst ’ s second choice was marlene dietrich. * georg wilhelm pabst nearly signed marlene dietrich to star, although he greatly preferred louise brooks. according to pabst, dietrich was in his office waiting to sign the contract when a cable came from paramount saying that brooks was willing to play the role. * georg wilhelm pabst initially incurred a lot of wrath when he cast american louise brooks in the role of lulu, a part which was considered to be quintessentially german. ultimately brooks ’ performance silenced her critics. * for the scene in which lulu picks up and seduces jack, georg wilhelm pabst selected one of louise brooks ’ s own suits – her favorite – for lulu ’ s costume and soiled, scuffed and rent it. brooks claimed that, without spoken direction, pabst thus established the desired effect of making her feel worn, cheap, and desperate, as the character of lulu was intended to be portrayed.


costume and soiled, scuffed and rent it. brooks claimed that, without spoken direction, pabst thus established the desired effect of making her feel worn, cheap, and desperate, as the character of lulu was intended to be portrayed. * in her biography, louise brooks says she was physically attracted to gustav diessl, who played jack the ripper, and that made it easy for her to play her scenes with him. * according to louise brooks ’ memoir, “ lulu in hollywood ”, alice roberts was not aware her character was a lesbian until filming began, and she was initially opposed to playing the role as being attracted to lulu. georg wilhelm pabst, brooks writes, convinced roberts to pretend she was making her love gestures to pabst, who was standing just off - camera. * louise brooks ’ highly influential “ bob ” hairdo is referred to as a lulu to this day. • fritz kortner reportedly did not like or respect louise brooks, whom he didn ’ t consider a trained actress. lulu : you ’ ll have to kill me to get rid of me. dr. ludwig schon : [ to alwa ] just one thing, my boy, beware of that woman. schigolch : you should only play when you ’ re sure to win. lulu : [ referring to the egyptian ] he ’ s acting like he wants to buy me. marquis casti - piani : i need money badly and you have none to give me … the egyptian will give me 50 more pounds than the german police … you ’ re in luck. alwa schon : it ’ s strange how you can get booze on credit but not bread. lulu : money! all they want is money! in france, the film was edited making alwa was schon ’ s secretary and the countess became lulu ’ s childhood friend. lulu is found innocent in the film at her trial and there is no jack the ripper character as the film ended with lulu joining the salvation army. the film was re - discovered in the 1950s by critics to great critical acclaim. modern critics now praise the film as one of the classics of weimar germany ’ s cinema along with the cabinet of dr. caligari, metropolis, and the blue angel. check out the other blog of the author : cinebuff. wordpress. com


what ' s the latest development? stephen emmott, head of computational science at microsoft research in cambridge, uk, and professor of computational science at oxford, uk, has built a 75 - minute presentation called ten billion, in which he forecasts what the world might be like if current environmental degradation and population expansion continues until the end of the century. perhaps reminiscent of al gore ' s an inconvenient truth, the figures emmott presents are startling : " a global population that was 1 billion in 1800 and 4 billion in 1980 will probably have grown to 10 billion by the end of this century ; the demand for food will have doubled by 2050 ; food production already accounts for 30 % of greenhouse gases – more than manufacturing or transport... " what ' s the big idea? "... a world population of 10 billion will need 960 new dams, each of them the size of the world ' s largest in china ' s three gorges, plus 15, 000 nuclear power stations and / or... 11 million wind farms. " describing himself as a rational pessimist, emmott says of possible solutions to the impending crisis : " we ' re fucked. " the problem, it seems, is our inability to locate blame within ourselves. if an asteroid were hurtling toward the earth, the world ' s resources would quickly be marshaled to alter the asteroid ' s path or mitigate its damage. " but there is no asteroid. the problem is us. " photo credit : shutterstock. com


this is one of those easy options for vocabulary. i thought of it when i saw the 2011 mediocrity commercial embedded below. essentially, they pick one of the vocabulary words and use it as a car name. the students would draw up a one page ad1 ( with relevant copy ) for the car that plays off the word they choose. it would certainly be more fun with word you wouldn ’ t normally associate with cars. i ’ d make sure i posted these in the room for future use. you wouldn ’ t do it all the time but it ’ d be one of those options i ’ d have for my students to pick from. i ’ d make an ad for the abstinence that shows just a frame and chastises you for wanting doors, seats, etc. 1. give these to your students as warm ups at various times but with one of the words blocked out and have them decide what it should be. 2. when they ’ ve got the hang of guessing, they start making their own based on terms you ’ re studying. should work for just about any subject and is far better than the standard “ write a sentence using this term ” vocabulary exercises. don ’ t limit yourself ( or them ) to vocabulary words - think historical events, novels etc1. 1 in a way it reminds me of the “ its the * meets the * ” style of music / movie descriptions which would be another great way to get students thinking describing novels in interesting ways that draw connections to things they know. i swear i have something about this bookmarked in delicious somewhere. my wife informed me that these are too violent to use in classrooms ( she said something about “ blood soaked ” being a little inappropriate ). i ’ d have used them but then again she taught in a very different environment.


as the series finding your roots with henry louis gates, jr. begins its 10 - week run on pbs, the spittoon will feature posts from 23andme ’ s ancestry ambassadors featuring their own stories about using dna to dig into ancestry. by tim janzen, m. d. my father, robert janzen, comes from a long line of hardworking low german mennonite farmers. but when 23andme developed the feature to identify ashkenazi jewish heritage, i really wanted to determine whether his data suggested any jewish ancestry. let me explain. his mennonite ancestors were persecuted in the low countries — in what is now the netherlands and belgium — and in the 1500s they fled to a safer haven in what is now poland. after catherine the great opened russia to settlers, his ancestors migrated to south russia between 1789 and 1819 where they established small villages of mennonites on the russian steppe. after many hardships they eventually prospered and developed thriving agricultural colonies that helped transform south russia into the “ breadbasket ” of the world before about a third of the mennonites immigrated to the united states in the 1870s. the mennonites who lived in poland and russia were an endogamous religious group, meaning they rarely married others who were not adherents to their faith. but there were many exceptions to that practice, and over the centuries a significant number of non - mennonites joined the mennonite faith. relatives on my father ’ s mother ’ s side have said that one of our ancestors was jewish. my father ’ s great uncle johann peters conveyed that we descend from a catholic priest who married a “ redheaded jewess ” sometime in the distant past. who this was we do not know. according to the historical record between 1750 and 1790 26, 000 jewish followers of jacob frank converted to christianity in poland. perhaps my jewish ancestor was among them. traditional genealogical tools and family stories helped to identify some possibilities. there was joseph nowitzky ( 1776 - 1844 ), whose ancestry is cloaked in mystery. the nowitzky name is found among ashkenazi jews, and family stories from relatives in canada said that joseph nowitzky was a traveling jewish salesman whose daughter maria nowitzky lived with a mennonite family and eventually married a son from that family. but written records from south russia suggest that joseph nowitzky had become a mennonite by 1801. he and his family are listed in the major mennonite censuses from 1801 to 1816. another relative has heard that we are


that family. but written records from south russia suggest that joseph nowitzky had become a mennonite by 1801. he and his family are listed in the major mennonite censuses from 1801 to 1816. another relative has heard that we are descended from a woman of jewish background named justina von liechtenstein. so i was faced with a problem many genealogists confront — an end to the paper trail and conflicting family stories. this is where using dna can help. while any two people ’ s genomes are 99. 5 percent identical, that small bit of difference is incredibly important. it ’ s what makes each of us unique and it allows genetic genealogists to find relatives and map out information about our ancestry. fundamentally this comes down to making comparisons, either between individuals to see how closely they are related, or comparing an individual to groups of individuals to determine common ancestry. the closer two people are related, the more similar their dna. the more shared ancestry a person has with a group, the more segments of dna he or she shares with that group of people. 23andme compares individuals in their database with its relative finder tool and finds potential matches. using an advanced tool called “ ancestry finder, ” you combine relative finder matches with ancestry survey information about the country of origin of their grandparents. this can help tell you more about your ancestry. you can also tweak the controls and increase or decrease the length of the matching segments, measured in a unit called centimorgans ( cms ). when i set the minimum segment size to five cms, set the number of grandparents from the same country to one and clicked the box to show ashkenazi jewish ancestry, ancestry finder indicated that between 2 percent and 3. 8 percent of my father ’ s dna is of ashkenazi jewish origin. results for my father ’ s sisters are similar and the average amount of dna that is of ashkenazi jewish origin for my father and his four sisters is 2. 27 percent. i also have data from two distant relatives who descend from my father ’ s great - great - grandparents, jacob peters ( b. 1823 ) and helena bergmann ( b. 1826 ). helena bergmann ’ s mother was justina nowitzky, who was a daughter of joseph nowitzky. the ancestry finder results indicate that my father ’ s relatives have an average of 4. 35 % ashkenazi jewish ancestry. this would be consistent with each of them being approximately 1 / 32 ashkenazi


a daughter of joseph nowitzky. the ancestry finder results indicate that my father ’ s relatives have an average of 4. 35 % ashkenazi jewish ancestry. this would be consistent with each of them being approximately 1 / 32 ashkenazi jewish in origin. the ancestry finder results for my father and his sisters would suggest that they are about 1 / 64 ashkenazi jewish in origin. i reviewed the 23andme results of 33 other mennonites, as well as the data from my father ’ s paternal cousins to see if they show any evidence of ashkenazi jewish ancestry. none of them show more than 1 percent ashkenazi jewish ancestry. these results confirm that my father indeed has ashkenazi jewish ancestry on his mother ’ s side. i cannot prove at this time that the ashkenazi jewish ancestry came through joseph nowitzky, but that is a strong possibility. if the jewish ancestry wasn ’ t from joseph nowitzky then it could have come from one or more of jacob peters ’ and helena bergmann ’ s great - grandparents. in any case the ancestry finder results from 23andme confirm that my father does have jewish ancestry as related in the family stories told by his great uncle johann peters. whether that ancestor was truly a redheaded jewish woman may never be determined, but the 23andme ancestry finder results certainly provide fascinating confirmation of an interesting family legend! tim janzen is a family practice doctor at south tabor family physicians in portland, oregon. his interest in genealogical research goes back 35 years and he has particularly focused on mennonite genealogy for the past 15 years. he has a web site that summarizes many different sources available for mennonite genealogical research found at www. timjanzen. com and has given many presentations about mennonite genealogy in the united states and canada. he is the co - administrator of the mennonite dna project at www. mennonitedna. com. he also serves on the isogg y - dna haplogroup tree committee. tim is married to rachel janzen and they have four children.


curator ’ s note : jennica rzepka added three hundred images of double eagles ( 20 dollar gold coins ) into the national numismatic collection database. to do this she had to research the objects using specific numismatic references, create or complete database records, and learn proper coin handling methods. jennica became so passionate on her subject that she wrote this post about her newfound knowledge. when i first accepted my internship with the national museum of american history in the national numismatic collection ( nnc ), i had no idea what “ numismatic ” meant. i discovered that “ numismatics ” was the “ study of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. ” my excitement for interning at the museum was somewhat diminished upon realizing that i ’ d be far from working with the muppets or world war ii memorabilia. to my surprise, however, it turns out that coins and tokens have as much beauty, mystery, and intrigue as the rest of the amazing collection at the museum. i worked primarily with the “ double eagle ” 20 - dollar gold pieces that date from 1849 to 1933. right off the bat, i heard the word “ gold ” and was captivated. what girl doesn ’ t love shiny things? but my interest stalled there ; they were still just coins. my lovely intern supervisor, robyn einhorn, opened my eyes to see the double eagles not merely as coins, but as miniature works of art. gradually, i began to appreciate that these were little tokens of history ( please excuse the pun! ). in 1848, the gold rush turned america on its head, and the gold pouring out of california was quickly turned into currency. the excess of gold allowed for a new denomination — the 20 dollar gold coin. double eagles are extraordinary not only in their rarity, but in their design as well. from 1849 to 1907, the image on the obverse, or “ head ’ s side, ” of the double eagle was of lady liberty ’ s head facing left, with her hair gathered up, and surrounded by 13 stars. james barton longacre, chief engraver for the united states mint from 1844 to 1869, designed the first double eagles, which highlighted his mastery of portrait engraving. united states, 20 dollars, 1849, designer james barton longacre. this is one of two trial pattern coins struck in february 1850, but back dated to show the date 1849, when congress authorized the striking of the first 20 dollar coins. although i think


, 20 dollars, 1849, designer james barton longacre. this is one of two trial pattern coins struck in february 1850, but back dated to show the date 1849, when congress authorized the striking of the first 20 dollar coins. although i think the longacre design absolutely beautiful, president roosevelt felt otherwise. in 1907, he enlisted famed sculptor augustus saint - gaudens to create a design that was reminiscent of the beauty and high relief of ancient greek coins. what saint - gaudens came up with is truly remarkable. lady liberty is shown striding forward, holding a torch in one hand and an olive branch in another. her grecian gown flows out and around her body, with sunbeams radiating from beneath her feet. the romanticism and the magnificence president roosevelt believed american coinage lacked was found in the saint - gaudens double eagles. of course, all good things must come to an end, and eventually the mines were depleted. due to massive gold and capital outflows, the united states departed from an exclusive gold reserve in 1931. by april 1933, president franklin d. roosevelt ordered all americans to surrender their gold, instantly making the 20 dollar gold pieces rare and even more valuable. so rare, in fact, that of the 445, 000 double eagles produced in 1933, only three are known to exist in private and public collections. in 2001, one of the three went up for auction and fetched a record - breaking $ 7. 5 million dollars. talk about impressive! where are the other two? right here in the national museum of american history. united states, 20 dollars, 1933, designer augustus saint - gaudens. this is of the two 1933 ( the year most gold coins were called back to the mint and melted ) double eagles in the collections of the national museum of american history. i feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with such a significant part of american history, and i encourage you to visit stories on money to see these legendary coins for yourself! jennica rzepka is an intern for the national numismatic collection at the national museum of american history.


why did jesus have to die? roman, jewish, and christian perspectives by rev. dr. mark d. roberts copyright © 2010 by mark d. roberts and beliefnet note : you may download this resource at no cost, for personal use, for use in a christian ministry, or for use in an educational venture, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. all i ask is that you give credit to this website : http : / / blog. beliefnet. com / markdroberts /. for all other uses, please contact me at email @ example. com. thank you. as we approach the season of lent, and then holy week and easter, i propose to consider the question : “ why did jesus have to die? ” at the outset, i must say that this isn ’ t an easy question to answer for several reasons. let me mention three. first, when it comes to the death of jesus, we ’ re dealing with an historical event concerning which we have limited historical sources. we don ’ t have some of the sources that would make our task much easier, the diary of pontius pilate, for example, or notes from the proceedings of the jewish council that examined jesus prior to his crucifixion. therefore, when i try to explain why pilate or certain jewish leaders believed that jesus had to die, i ’ ll have to extrapolate from the evidence that is available to us. i do believe, however, that this evidence, both in the new testament gospels and in other ancient sources, is strong enough to allow us to formulate likely hypotheses concerning roman and jewish motivations for the crucifixion of jesus. second, the question of why jesus was put to death is a matter of considerable scholarly disagreement. for centuries it was common to put all the blame on “ the jews. ” but the horror of the holocaust combined with new historical insights has led scholars in almost completely the opposite direction. many claim that “ the jews, ” even jewish leaders, had little or nothing to do with the death of jesus. in my opinion, as you ’ ll see, the pendulum that had once swung way too far in the direction of “ the jews ” has now swung too far back in the opposite “ romans only ” direction. i ’ ll have more to say about this later. i should add at this point that i am aware of the shameful history of anti - semitism and the danger of anti - semitism that is very much alive today


romans only ” direction. i ’ ll have more to say about this later. i should add at this point that i am aware of the shameful history of anti - semitism and the danger of anti - semitism that is very much alive today. this does make it tricky to deal with the historical evidence in a straightforward way, because if one concludes that some jews were somewhat responsible for the death of jesus, this might fuel anti - semitic attitudes and actions. so, i will say at the outset that nothing in the historical record justifies hatred of or mistreat of jews, or any other people, for that matter. third, there is not one, simple, obvious answer to the question of why jesus had to die. from a historical point of view, we have to deal with at least two perspectives, roman and jewish. in fact, i ’ ll show that there was more than one jewish point of view on jesus ’ death. so it is really too simple to speak of “ the jewish perspective ” on the necessity of jesus ’ death. furthermore, historical explanation doesn ’ t exhaust the realm of discourse when it comes to the reason for jesus ’ death. we also need to deal with the whole area of theology. we ’ ll want to know why, in light of his understanding of god, jesus himself believed that he needed to die. moreover, we must also examine early christian thinking concerning why jesus ’ death was necessary for the salvation of the world. in the end, therefore, the answer to the simple question “ why did jesus have to die? ” will be anything but simple. it will have multiple layers and nuances. nevertheless, this is a task well worth the effort, both in the writing and in the reading. no matter what you think about jesus, you will help yourself and your world if you ’ re able to discuss his death intelligently. this is especially true given the tendency of this conversation to become terribly anti - semitic. in a world where hatred of jews is on the increase, all thoughtful, compassionate human beings need to be informed about just who was responsible for the death of jesus and why. finally, if, like me, you believe that the crucifixion of jesus stands at the very center of history, then knowing why jesus had to die is just about the most important bit of knowledge you can have. in my next post i ’ ll lay out some basic parameters for the rest of this series : how i ’ m going to structure the series and some of the foundational facts


to die is just about the most important bit of knowledge you can have. in my next post i ’ ll lay out some basic parameters for the rest of this series : how i ’ m going to structure the series and some of the foundational facts upon which i ’ ll build the structure. where do we start when considering the death of jesus? some basic facts where should we start in our effort to discover why jesus had to die? i propose to begin with some basic historical facts, facts that are affirmed by almost every historian and biblical scholar, even those who approach this question from a highly critical and skeptical starting point. so what are these facts : jesus was crucified. there were many ways in the first - century for a criminal to be put to death, including stoning, beheading, being torn apart by beasts, etc. yet all the earliest sources attest to the crucifixion of jesus. these sources include, in addition to the new testament writings, the jewish historian josephus ( antiquities 18. 3. 3, a. d. 95 ) and the roman historian tacitus ( annals 15. 44, a. d. 109 ) ( photo : painting by el greco, “ the crucifixion, ” 1596 - 1600 ) jesus was crucified during the governorship and under the authority of pontius pilate. once again, this basic fact is confirmed in josephus and tacitus in addition to the new testament. pilate placed a sign on jesus ’ cross that read “ the king of the jews. ” this fact is found in all four new testament gospels and in some later non - canonical gospels as well. this “ title ” helps to explain the nature of the charges against jesus. jesus was crucified in jerusalem on or near the jewish feast of passover. again, all new testament gospels agree on these basic facts, and there is every reason to believe that they are accurate ( though the precise timing of jesus ’ death in relationship to passover is hard to pin down ). these basic facts, though apparently obvious and unspectacular, will actually prove to be very helpful as we try to figure out the reasons for jesus ’ death. as i mentioned in my previous post, the question “ why did jesus have to die? ” doesn ’ t have a simple answer. i propose to address this question from four different perspectives : • roman : why did pontius pilate think jesus had to die? • jewish : why did some jewish leaders


thomas hockenhull, curator, british museum the 2008 banking crisis plunged the uk into a recession from which it has been struggling to recover ever since. however, this crisis is not the first to have affected britain and it is unlikely to be the last. here in the department of coins and medals we decided to look at the bigger picture in an exhibition looking back at britain ’ s financial crises since the 1700s. drawing upon our extensive collection, we found we had an object that related to almost every crisis to affect britain since the advent of organised banking. this material ranged from share certificates for companies that failed and notes from failed banks, to reports and recriminations about crises. in some cases these objects are fragile and sensitive to light, meaning that they can never go on permanent display. for the rest of the exhibition we wanted to show how ordinary people have, and will continue, to respond to financial crisis. numerous cartoons and satirical prints have been produced over hundreds of years relating to crises, including a james gillray print from 1797. additionally, the artist steve bell – perhaps best known for his work in the guardian newspaper – has loaned a work from 2011 entitled ‘ bank levy ’ that depicts a banker as a distraught fat cat in a suit having its claws clipped by the chancellor george osborne. other exhibits, for example, include a champagne bottle given out by northern rock to its employees when the building society demutualised to become a bank in 1997. this object was retained by its recipient, a former employee, and provides an ironic reminder that demutualisation was greeted optimistically, supposedly enabling northern rock to expand its business more easily. instead, history records that its investment portfolio would fail within 10 years, triggering the first run on a uk bank since that which occurred during the collapse of overend, gurney and co. in 1866. the collapse of overend, gurney and co. features elsewhere in the exhibition and, in both instances the banks failed because their customers lost faith in their ability to protect and reinvest their savings. the centrepiece of the exhibition is a contemporary sculpture by justine smith, a london - based artist. made from real uk banknotes built into a house of cards, the artwork neatly symbolises the occasionally precarious nature of financial investment. i hope many people will get a chance to come and see the display, to find out how 300 years of boom and bust have helped to shape britain ’ s financial landscape.


henri emile benoit matisse was born in the textile town of le cateau - cambresis ( france ) on the last night of the year, 31 december 1869. henri matisse wasn ’ t born to a rich family. his father was a grain merchant whose family were weavers. henri matisse began to paint in 1889, when his mother had brought him art supplies during the period of recovery after appendix surgery. in 1891 matisse returned to paris to study art at the academie julian. matisse began painting still - live and landscape paintings in the traditional flemish style. most of his early artworks tend to be gloomy as they employ a dark palette. matisse ’ s drastic change of profession deeply disappointed his father. caroline joblaud was matisse ’ s early lover for four years. at the beginning of artist career when matisse strived to affirm his artistic direction and professional career, he met caroline joblaud. she was his early lover who gave matisse his first daughter marguerite in 1894. the daughter was warmly accepted in new family after matisse ’ s marriage to amelie noellie parayre in january 1898. matisse and his wife had had two sons, jean and pierre. influenced by the works of the post - impressionists paul cezanne, van gogh, paul signac and gauguin, and also by japanese art, matisse decided to make color a crucial element of his artworks. after years in poverty, matisse went through his “ dark period ” ( 1902 - 03 ), and moved to naturalism. soon after matisse lost the desire to paint and decided to leave his artistic career. fortunately, matisse found an opportunity to earn some money painting a frieze for the world fair at the grand palais in paris. matisse ’ s first solo exhibition took place in 1904, but it wasn ’ t a successful one. characterized by its spontaneity and roughness of execution as well as use of raw color straight from the palette to the canvas, matisse was considered spearhead the fauve movement in france. matisse ’ s paintings of this period are : woman with a hat, the open window and the view of collioure. from 1906 - 1917 he lived in paris. many of his finest artworks were created during this period. in 1906, matisse created a series of 12 lithographs, nudes. the same year these lithographs were exhibited at the druet gallery in paris. unfortunately, matisse works in the fauve style were more


period. in 1906, matisse created a series of 12 lithographs, nudes. the same year these lithographs were exhibited at the druet gallery in paris. unfortunately, matisse works in the fauve style were more admired by foreigners than by the french. it was the russians and the americans who bought significant collections of his early work almost as quickly as it was created. the paintings created by the talented artist matisse we see in the paris museums today were mostly acquired after the artist ’ s death. in 1911, matisse ’ s friends organized and financed the academie matisse in paris, in which matisse instructed young artists. this private and non - commercial school became one of the principal crossroads of modern painting for a number of european and american artists. the matisse ’ s art of the next period was profoundly influenced by easter art. he travelled to morocco and created there many of his masterpieces. in 1917, matisse moved to nice to distance himself from wartime activity. the principal subject of his paintings of this period remained the female figure. in 1929, matisse traveled to america to sit on the jury of the 29th carnegie international. in 1930, he travelled to tahiti and new york, also he spent some time in maryland, baltimore, and merion, pennsylvania. americans were prominent among matisse ’ s patrons throughout his career. the foundational matisse monograph was written during his lifetime by alfred barr. matisse and his wife were divorced in 1939. during the mid - 1930s, he created distinctive series of pen - and - ink drawings. he made hundreds of drawings, original prints and illustrated books. in 1941 matisse was diagnosed with cancer and, following surgery, he started using a wheelchair. matisse died of a heart attack at the age of eighty - four, on november 3, 1954.


most people are striving for good physical and mental health, and with the new year upon us, many are taking this time to reevaluate their routine to look and feel better. committing to good oral health care is the perfect new year ’ s resolution for young and old because it is an essential part of becoming a healthy person. our mouths are the gateway to our health, and bad breath, cavities and other issues make it apparent that we are not taking good care of ourselves. the california dental association urges people young and old to practice good hygiene this year. make it a family effort resolutions and goals are always easier when you have someone to share them with! why not make it a goal for the entire family to get better about their oral health? parents should encourage their children to be brushing their teeth for two minutes, two times a day, along with flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash if children are old enough. if parents begin encouraging these practices when kids are young, it ’ s much more likely that the practice will just become a natural part of their daily routine. maintaining such routines will help combat bad breathand other diseases like gum disease later in life. the cda suggests replacing your toothbrush every three to four months or when the bristles show signs of wear because worn - out brushes aren ’ t able to properly clean the teeth and mouth of food particles. “ removing plaque from the mouth keeps teeth and gums healthy, and the best way to do that is by brushing and flossing, ” cda president lindsey robinson, a pediatric dentist, said. “ it ’ s important to brush with a fluoride toothpaste as fluoride reduces bacteria levels in the mouth. it also remineralizes tooth surfaces to make them stronger. ” change your diet the food and beverages you are consuming may be causing bad breath and wreaking havoc on your mouth. eating starchy and sugary foods can cause bacteria to thrive in the back of the mouth – which is why we always hear how important it is to brush our tongues – and not drinking enough water causes that bacteria to sit on the tongue and cause us to have bad breath. limiting your intake of soda and fruit juices can also help maintain good oral health. just like our bodies, eating a substantial amount of fruits and vegetables is great for our mouths! these foods help get rid of bacteria in the mouth and offer nutrients to help promote good health. prevent future illnesses having good health care is actually a key in preventing


researchers at penn medicine announced this week some promising results from a small clinical trial for a new cancer treatment using a modified cold virus to fight mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lungs. the treatment, called immuno - gene therapy, entails injecting patients with a small amount of adenovirus, a cold virus — just enough to trigger an immune response. then, the patient ’ s own immune defenses take over and start destroying cancer cells. the results of their study, which track the progress of a handful patients with mesothelioma at various stages of the disease, are in today ’ s issue of american journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. of the nine patients enrolled in the study, antibody responses mounted against the tumors were seen in almost all of them — including the advance - stage ones, who, typically, have few viable treatment options available. what ’ s more, the disease either stabilized or regressed in five patients, and no major side effects from the therapy were observed. this is pretty big news for anyone who has — or knows someone who has — mesothelioma. the mayo clinic characterizes it as an “ aggressive and deadly ” cancer, usually caused by asbestos exposure. there ’ s no known cure, and treatments are aimed mainly at making patients as comfortable as possible.


views on commodities and energy more than a billion people go hungry each day — about the same number as did in the late 1950s. that ’ s both a “ tragedy on a grand scale ” and an “ astounding success, ” according to a new report called “ millions fed, ” produced by the international food policy research institute and the bill and melinda gates foundation. while the absolute number of hungry people is the same as it was 40 years ago, the proportion is dramatically smaller — one in six today, compared to one in three then, the report said. it illustrates 20 successful case studies where progress has been made in the fight against hunger. some solutions come from science : new varieties of wheat, rice, beans, maize, cassava, millet and sorghum. others deal with markets, government policies, or the environment. two farmers from the sahel region of africa, oft plagued by drought and famine, visited washington last month to talk about solutions they found close to home — one of the success stories trumpeted in “ millions fed. ” almost 30 years ago, farmers in burkina faso experimented with a traditional technique called “ zai, ” digging pits in their plots and adding manure to improve soils before the rainy season, resulting in dramatically better yields. “ there was a long period of drought in my village, ” yacouba sawadogo told reporters. “ many people left because their life was very, very difficult. but i decided to stay, ” he said, explaining how he taught others the technique. in niger, farmers manage trees on their land to prevent erosion, improve yields, and provide livestock fodder. before, women had to walk 6 miles to get firewood, but now they have enough for themselves and to sell to others, said sakina mati, who coordinates tree projects in six villages. the projects have improved 13 million acres of farmland and fed 3 million people, said oxfam america, a development group that works with the farmers. it ’ s food for thought as rich nations ramp up efforts to help small farmers grow more food in poor countries. “ in our approach toward solutions and programs, we really need to listen as well as talk, ” said gawain kripke of oxfam. “ solutions don ’ t always come from us. ” photo credit : yacouba sawadogo on his farm in burkina faso / courtesy of oxfam america world food day is friday, and on opposite sides of the developed world, two large groups of experts