Microsoft oferece apoio para empresas com fim do Windows XP

 

Corporações que ainda estiveram usando o XP poderão contratar suporte estendido por um ano, tempo considerado suficiente para completar o processo de migração.

Desde 2007 a Microsoft vem alertando os usuários corporativos sobre o fim do suporte para o Windows XP. A hora chegou. Mas várias empresas - especialmente aquelas que usaram o sistema operacional em soluções onde o mais indicado teria sido a opção pela versão embedded do sistema, como os caixas eletrônicos dos bancos - ainda estão encontrando dificuldades para migrar para versões mais recentes do sistema. Pensando nelas, a Microsoft preparou programas de apoio técnico e financeiro, oferecidos através de parceiros, para agilizar, sobretudo, a compatibilização de programas que rodam no XP ao Windows 7 ou o mais recomendável, ao Windows 8.

De acordo com o gerente de produtos Windows, Fábio Gaspar, para ter acesso a esses programas de apoio técnico e financeiro, incluindo contratos de suporte estendido válidos por um ano, as empresas devem entrar em contato com parceiro ou com a própria Microsoft. Mas não sem antes terem feito uma avaliação criteriosa das máquinas que ainda rodam o XP e dos motivos delas continuarem em uso.

"Se forem poucas máquinas, antigas, em uso por secretárias ou outras pessoas no escritório,  o mais indicado é a troca da máquina por uma mais nova, com sistemas atualizados. Windows 8.1 e Office 365, respectivamente", afirma Gaspar, lembrando que o fim do suporte do Office 2003 também está próximo.

Já no caso dos PCs com XP rodarem aplicações de missão crítica, a primeira providência deve ser procurar o fornecedor da aplicação para saber se já não há versões atualizadas. Em caso afirmativo, a orientação é trocar as máquinas e atualizar a aplicação. Em caso negativo, ou em caso de a aplicação de missão crítica ter sido desenvolvida internamente, aí sim a Microsoft indicará parceiros que possam trabalhar na compatibilização dessas aplicações e os usuários poderão se beneficiar do apoio técnico e financeiro e do contrato de suporte estendido, que inclui o tratamento de vulnerabilidades descobertas no sistema.

Gaspar lembra ainda que há casos de empresas que, por motivos variados, não conseguirão migrar aplicações que rodam no XP. São minoria, mas existem. A recomendação da Microsoft para elas, por questões de segurança, é isolar essas máquinas (desconectadas de Internet, de preferência), mantê-las o mais fechada possível (bloqueando o uso de pendrives, inclusive), e usá-las exclusivamente para rodar a aplicação que não poderá ser atualizada, enquanto trabalham em um plano de migração.

De acordo com a Microsoft, 14% dos usuários do Windows em todo o mundo ainda rodam o Windows XP. A taxa de eliminação tem sido de 1,5% ao mês. Se mantido esse ritmo, em mais ou mesno 10 meses o sistema terá desaparecido por completo.

O maior volume de máquinas rodando o sistema é no mercado de consumo. Por isso tantas campanhas de conscientização sobre a importância da migração. Principalmente, com alertas para os ricos de segurança.

Segundo a Microsoft, esses usuários que continuam rodando o XP estão prestes a se tornarem alvo significativo de malware e cibercrime, já que a partir de 8 de abril, os clientes que usam o Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) não receberão mais novas atualizações de segurança, hotfixes não relacionados à segurança, opções de suporte assistido gratuito ou pago, ou atualizações de conteúdo técnico on-line. Na prática, qualquer nova vulnerabilidade descoberta no Windows XP, depois do seu “fim de vida”, não será tratada pelas novas atualizações de segurança fornecidas pela Microsoft.

Segundo Gaspar, desde o início de março, esses usuários começaram a receber uma mensagem, durante a inicialização do sistema, alertando sobre o riscos da falta de suporte, informando sobre como fazer a atualização.

A recomendação da Microsoft é para que esses usuários optem pelo uso do Windows 8, "por ser um sistema mais seguro, mais rápido e mais leve que o Windows 7", explica Gaspar.

Na opinião de empresas da área de segurança e de pequisa de mercado, outras versões do Windows já ficaram sem suporte anteriormente, mas nunca em porcentagem de usuários tão grande como é o caso agora. Vamos ver como fica.

 

Can Natural Gas Be a Bridge to Clean Energy?

 

Photograph courtesy Daniel Foster/Flickr

by Christina Nunez, National Geographic

PUBLISHED MARCH 18, 2014

As the shale gas boom progresses in North America, and as other nations seek to develop their own gas reserves, communities around the world are engaged in fierce debates over whether to allow fracking and expand global trade of natural gas. The promise of jobs and economic benefits come up against concerns about the environmental and health effects of natural gas development, along with skirmishes over land rights.

But at the heart of these debates lies a broader question about where we should be focusing our efforts to meet energy demand. Can natural gas can be considered a lower-carbon "bridge" fuel, as U.S. President Barack Obama and many others have billed it, or is it simply a continuation of our dependence on fossil fuels? Oil and gas magnate T. Boone Pickens argues on his website, "Natural gas is not a permanent solution to ending our addiction to imported oil. It is a bridge fuel to slash our oil dependence while buying us time to develop new technologies that will ultimately replace fossil transportation fuels."

Natural gas is touted for its potential to reduce emissions by edging out, for example, coal as an electricity source and diesel as truck fuel. But the appeal of a cleaner, abundant fossil fuel source cuts both ways. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that, in the United States, gas threatens to edge out renewables as well. "Shale gas is a great advantage to the U.S. in the short term, for the next few decades," said MIT economist Henry Jacoby, lead author of the study. "But it is so attractive that it threatens other energy sources we ultimately will need." (See related story: "Shale Gas: A Boon That Could Stunt Alternatives, Study Says.")

In some areas, natural gas is most certainly making way for renewables. New gas-fired "flex" power plants in California, for example, are built to ramp up and down quickly to accommodate shifting supply from wind and solar. Facilities like these bolster the idea that the notion of a "bridge" is misguided; some in the energy and technology industries talk about natural gas as a "destination" fuel that we will need for many years to come. > See related story: "New 'Flexible' Power Plants Sway to Keep Up with Renewables."

Origins of the Eiffel Tower

 

In 1889 France held the Universal Exhibition, a celebration of modern achievement timed to coincide with the first centenary of the French Revolution. The French government held a competition to design an “iron tower” to be erected at the entrance to the exhibition on the Champ-de-Mars, partly to create an impressive experience for visitors. One hundred and seven plans were submitted, and the winner was one by engineer and entrepreneur Gustav Eiffel, aided by architect Stephen Sauvestre and engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier.

The Eiffel Tower

Eiffel’s tower was to be unlike anything yet built: 300 metres tall, at that time the highest man made structure on earth, and built of a latticework of wrought iron, a material whose large scale production is now synonymous with the industrial revolution. But the design and nature of the material, making use of metal arches and trusses, meant the tower could be light and “see through”, rather than a solid block, and retain still its strength. Its construction, which began on January 26th 1887, was swift, relatively cheap and achieved with a small workforce. There were 18,038 pieces and over two million rivets.

The Tower is based on four large pillars, which form a square 125 meters along each side, before rising up and joining into a central tower. The curving nature of the pillars meant the elevators, which were themselves a relatively recent invention, had to be carefully designed. There are viewing platforms at several levels, and people can travel to the top. Parts of the great curves are actually purely aesthetic. The structure is painted (and re-painted regularly).

Opposition and Skepticism

The Tower is now considered a historical milestone in design and construction, a masterpiece for its day, the start of a new revolution in building. At the time, however, there was opposition, not least from people horrified at the aesthetic implications of such a large structure on the Champ-de-Mars. On February 14th 1887, while construction was ongoing, a statement of complaint was issued by “personalities from the world of arts and letters”. Other people were skeptical that the project would work. Eiffel had to fight his corner, but was successful and the tower went ahead.

Opening of the Eiffel Tower

On March 31st 1889 Eiffel climbed to the top of the tower and hoisted a French flag at the top, opening the structure; various notables followed him up. It remained the highest building in the world until the Chrysler building was finished in New York in 1929, and is still the tallest structure in Paris.

Lasting Impact

The Eiffel Tower was originally designed to stand for twenty years, but has lasted over a century, thanks partly to Eiffel’s willingness to use the tower in experiments and innovations in wireless telegraphy, allowing the mounting of antennas. Indeed, the Tower was at one point due to be torn down, but remained after it began broadcasting signals. In 2005 this tradition was continued when Paris’ first digital television signals were broadcast from the Tower. However, since its construction the Tower has achieved a lasting cultural impact, first as a symbol of modernity and innovation, then as of Paris and France. Media of all sorts has used the Tower.

The Official Site of the Eiffel Tower

 

NASA’s Super Guppy Makes a Special Delivery

 

 

NASA’s Super Guppy, a wide-bodied cargo aircraft, landed at the Redstone Army Airfield near Huntsville, Ala. on March 26 with a special delivery: an innovative composite rocket fuel tank. The tank was manufactured at the Boeing Developmental Center in Tukwila, Wash. The tank will be unloaded from the Super Guppy, which has a hinged nose that opens and allows large cargos like the tank to be easily unloaded. After the tank is removed from the Super Guppy, it will be inspected and prepared for testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The composite tank project is part of the Game Changing Development Program and NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Horizon adaptive, all-terrain e-trike speeds over pavement and dirt

 

The Horizon can be pedaled with the hands or feet or driven solely by electric motor power

 

For the past few years, Outrider has been earning praise and breaking records with its pedal-assisted electric trikes, but its latest design is gearing up to be its most rewarding endeavor yet. The Horizon is a modular adaptive trike designed to get paraplegics, quadriplegics and others with disabilities wheeling over pavement and dirt. Outrider's goal is to develop a production trike that can be pedaled with the legs or hands or powered entirely with an electric hub motor.

Chris Wenner grew up an avid bicycle enthusiast before breaking his neck at the age of 17. He found that one of the hardest parts of adjusting to life as a quadriplegic was not being able to get back onto the saddle of a bicycle. A smart, determined guy and Ph.D. as an adult, Wenner began tinkering with his own adaptive electric bike, eventually turning to the trike experts at Outrider to help out on the design.

After Wenner contacted the company a little more than a year ago, Outrider quickly grabbed the ball and ran with it. Working closely with Wenner to build upon his initial design, they've created the Horizon, a versatile, modular trike platform designed to meet the needs of many different riders. The trike has the potential to empower those with various types of disabilities to get out and adventure on the street and beyond.

"The driving mission behind the Horizon trike is simple – just because an individual has a physical disability, doesn’t mean they don’t still crave the adventure and freedom of riding a bike," says Outrider co-founder Jesse Lee. "When we combined that mission with our experience building the world’s highest performing electric bikes, the Horizon was born."

Like Outrider's other trikes, the Horizon offers three primary riding options: electric only, pedal-assist electric and pedal only. Unlike on those traditional trikes, those options are fine-tuned around the varying needs of the adaptive community, creating a total of nine possible set-ups.

The Horizon can be pedaled by a set of foot pedals, and Outrider plans to develop a hand pedal system for those that don't have use of their legs but still want to exercise. For those that can't or don't want to pedal at all, the Horizon can also be equipped with a footrest and powered entirely by the 1,500-watt electric rear-hub motor. The drive system is carefully tuned for motoring the rider over rigorous terrain and up hills from a standstill. It delivers speeds up to 25 mph (40 km/h) and a range of up to 30 miles (48 km). Outrider also plans to offer 60- and 100-mile (96- and 161-km) range options in the future.

The average rider will probably be content equipping his or her Horizon with one pedal set-up, but Outrider intends to make the hand cycle, foot cycle and footrest hardware easy to switch out. Such a flexible design should prove attractive for adaptive groups, rehab centers and families that have multiple riders of various ability types using the Horizon at different times.

Braking and throttle functions are controlled by the rider's choice of traditional trike handles, with hand brakes or adaptive tri-pin controls designed for those with limited hand movement. The controls can be mounted on both the left and right side or just one side, making it possible for those with use of only one arm to ride the Horizon.

"When we designed the Horizon, we were striving for a cycle that could be ridden by as many people as possible,” says Outrider's Tom Ausherman.

The large, adjustable seat and self balancing capabilities of a trike make it a natural choice for an adaptive vehicle. Outrider is working on an electrically-actuated seat that rises to the standard wheelchair height of 19 in (48 cm) for easier ingress and egress. The control handles also have quick-release joints to fold out of the way during side entry.

The Horizon drives over asphalt, dirt, rock and more on a set of knobby, off-road tires. The bike's chassis is based on the Steintrikes Wild One, which uses an A-arm front suspension to eat bumps and smooth out the ride. The trike also has rear suspension. Outrider says that the Horizon can handle steep inclines (15 percent grades), and given that its 422 Alpha trike set a record climbing Pikes Peak, we're inclined to take it at its word. Other ride features include a reverse mode, seven-speed SRAM drivetrain and front-mounted computer display.

Wenner has continued to play an integral role in the Horizon's development and testing. Last month, he completed a 410-mile (660-km), four-day ride between Tucson and San Diego. He's preparing to undertake a 10,000-mile (16,093-km) "Epic Trip" across the the 48 states of the continental United States.

"The feeling of riding this is exactly like I recall riding my mountain bike in high school before my injury," Wenner says. "It was awesome then, it's awesome now."

Outrider has built two prototypes and has turned to Kickstarter for help fund the remaining development. It still needs to finish work on the chassis, hand cycle system, electrically raised seat and adaptive tri-pin controls. It is halfway to its US$100,000 goal, with about a week and a half to go.

The base Kickstarter price for a Horizon trike is $7,950. That pledge level has sold out, but the trike is still available for a pledge of $8,100. The company explains that the pricing reflects the high costs of the custom-designed, all-terrain chassis, 1,100-Wh lithium battery pack and custom drive system. Those that don't want to spend the money on a full trike but want to support the project can pledge at lesser levels, starting at $5.

Outrider hopes to finish development over the next few months, start production in September and begin shipping fully assembled Horizons in December. It has been speaking with various adaptive groups for feedback on the design and plans to continue doing so throughout its development stage.

 

Source: Outrider

Smartwatches pode se tornar tão útil quanto Smartphones.

 

 

YURI GONZAGA
DE SÃO PAULO

31/03/2014 03h30

O lançamento do sistema para dispositivos vestíveis do Google, o Android Wear, e do relógio Moto 360 é o primeiro capítulo de uma possível transição da cultura do smartphone para a cultura do "smartwatch", diz Lior Ron, executivo da Motorola que lidera o projeto do aparelho.

"Há lugar [no mercado] para óculos, há lugar para aparelhos de bolso [celular]. Mas vejo que o relógio pode ser o melhor formato [de computadores portáteis]", disse Ron em entrevista à Folha na quarta-feira passada.

"Sabemos que um dono de smartphone típico checa o aparelho centenas vezes por dia, o que muitas vezes demanda tirá-lo do bolso, fazer o desbloqueio, limpar notificações, interagir com alguma. Com um relógio inteligente, isso fica a uma olhadela de distância", diz.

Moto 360

Comandos de voz para responder mensagens e fazer pesquisas serão uma capacidade do Moto 360 quando for lançado (durante o inverno, entre junho e setembro), garante Ron, assim como potencialmente em qualquer aparelho com o Android Wear.

Antes da Motorola, Ron trabalhou no Google, no Yahoo! e na inteligência do Exército de Israel, país onde nasceu.

LUXO

A Motorola não permitiu a operação do protótipo atado ao pulso do executivo durante a entrevista, mas pode-se dizer que o aparelho –o primeiro "smartwach" redondo– é de fato mais atraente que o Sony SmartWatch ou o Samsung Gear, por exemplo.

"Não queríamos criar um relógio inteligente, mas sim um relógio. Algo que vejo que poderá atrair quem já usa relógio ou quem desejar suas funcionalidades", diz.

Por usar materiais como couro legítimo e aço inoxidável, o aparelho também terá um preço "premium".

"Fizemos o possível para que parecesse ter sido feito por uma empresa de relógios. Não queríamos fazer concessões em qualquer frente; o princípio básico de um vestível é você querer vesti-lo."
Ron afirma que a vida de bateria será prioridade. "Os relógios que já estão aí demandam que o usuário recarregue-o todo dia. Acho que isso é uma falha", diz.

O executivo deu a entender que haverá acionamento por gestos, como girar o pulso para checar a hora, e "talvez" opção de recarga sem fios.

Uma versão mais barata do dispositivo, num lançamento posterior, também é uma das possibilidades em vista.

ENTRE GIGANTES

Neste ano, o Google vendeu a Motorola, empresa que havia adquirido em 2012, à fabricante chinesa Lenovo.

Isso, segundo o executivo, não impediu uma profunda parceria entre as empresas no desenvolvimento do Moto 360 e no do Android Wear, anunciados há pouco menos de duas semanas junto com um relógio da LG. Asus, HTC e Samsung também disseram que terão seus exemplares.

"O Google sabe cativar desenvolvedores. E a mágica estará nos apps que teremos."

O que significa um VHS elevado?

 

O que significa um VHS (velocidade de hemossedimentação) elevado?

O VHS é um dos exames mais utilizados por um reumatologista. O que significa o VHS? Em que situações ele está elevado? Quais as implicações desta elevação? Confira estas e outras respostas abaixo.

O que é o VHS?

VHS vem de Velocidade de Hemo-Sedimentação. “Hemo” (αίμα), em grego, significa sangue, e sedimentação, é a precipitação de partículas sólidas suspensas em um líquido pela ação da gravidade. Ao pé da letra, VHS significa a velocidade com que os glóbulos vermelhos se separam do “soro” e se depositam no fundo, se um tubo de sangue (com anti-coagulante) é deixado parado (veja figura). Os glóbulos vermelhos (hemácias), que têm a forma de “balas soft”, vão sendo puxadas para baixo pela gravidade e tendem a se aglomerar no fundo do tubo. No entanto as hemácias são cobertas por cargas elétricas negativas e, quando elas vão se aproximando no fundo, repelem-se umas às outras, como cargas iguais de ímans. Essa força magnética de repulsão se contrapõe à gravidade, e naturalmente diminui a velocidade com que as hemácias caem. No entanto, se junto com as hemácias, nadando no plasma, haja outras estruturas de cargas positivas, estas vão anular as cargas negativas das hemácias e também a repulsão magnética entre elas, permitindo sua aglutinação. Neste caso a gravidade age sozinha e a velocidade com que elas caem (velocidade de hemossedimentação) é acelerada. O VHS é expresso como o número de milímetros que o sangue sedimentou (no tubo) no espaço de 1 hora (mm/h).

O que mede o VHS?

Muitas proteínas concentram cargas positivas em um lado e negativas em outro (assimetria de cargas). A parte positiva destas proteínas tem o mesmo efeito sobre as hemácias. Diversas proteínas produzidas pelo corpo durante infecções ou inflamações (proteínas de fase ativa, principalmente o fribrinogênio) são assim. Portanto VHS é um jeito indireto de medir a presença inflamação ou infecção no corpo.

Em que condições o VHS está elevado?

Como acima descrito, em situações onde há inflamação/ infecção existe a produção de proteínas (de fase ativa) que elevam a velocidade de hemossedimentação. Mas outras proteínas também são capazes de alterar a velocidade da queda das hemácias. Fibrinogênio (necessário para a cogulação e produzido em excesso na gravidez), imunoglobulinas (anticorpos) e paraproteínas (produzidas por cânceres do sangue) são exemplos. Além disso, a diluição do sangue (gravidez, insuficiência cardíaca, insuficiência renal) diminui a viscosidade e separa as cargas repulsivas elevando o VHS. Uma das principais proteínas do plasma sanguíneo chama-se albumina. Ela também tem carga negativa, portanto quando sua concentração cai (falência hepática, perda renal ou intestinal) “sobra” proporcionalmente mais cargas positivas para anular as hemácias, elevando o VHS. Outro mecanismo de elevação do VHS consiste na diminuição do número de hemácias (anemia) ou alteração da forma das mesmas (anemia falciforme). A obesidade, o diabetes mellitus, o sexo e a idade são fatores que também influenciam o VHS.

Tabela 1: Situações nas quais há elevação de VHS

Situações

Exemplos

Inflamação
Artrites (Reumatóide, Lúpus), Vasculites, Serosites

Infecção
Aguda (amigdalite, cistite, gripe), Crônica (hepatites, osteomielites)

Hemodiluição
Insuficiência cardíaca, Insuficiência renal, Gravidez

Queda de albumina
Insuficiência hepática, perda renal (s. nefrótica), perda intestinal

Proteínas no sangue
Gravidez (fibrinogênio), Câncer (paraproteínas), Crioglobulinemia

Alteração das hemácias
Número (anemia), Forma (A. falciforme, esferocitose)

Outras
Obesidade (aumento IL-6), Diabete Mellitus (vários mecanismos), tabagismo, idade, sexo feminino.

Qual é o valor normal para o VHS?

O VHS varia de acordo com a idade, sexo e método de aferição. Pode haver variações entre os valores normais de laboratório para laboratório, mas de maneira geral os valores normais podem ser aproximadamente expressos pela seguinte fórmula:

Homens

.      Valor normal = idade/2

Mulheres

.     Valor normal = (idade+10)/2

Crianças:

.      Valor normal =~ 3-13 mm/h

Meu VHS está elevado, o que isso significa?

Como acima descrito, existem diversas condições que podem alterar o VHS, muitas delas corriqueiras e passageiras como um resfriado, uma amigdalite e ou uma infecção urinária. Um exame pontualmente alterado pode não querer dizer nada! Frente a um VHS elevado a melhor postura muitas vezes é aguardar e repetir o exame mais tarde (como o VHS pode demorar semanas para cair mesmo depois da melhora clínica, o ideal é repetir o exame somente 1 mês mais tarde). Como praticamente todo exame laboratorial, o VHS deve ser interpretado dentro de um contexto clínico. Seu médico é a melhor pessoa para dizer se o VHS tem ou não importância clínica.

 

Big Data Makes Big Inroads into Schools

 

 

Introduction to a special report on the ways technology is remaking every aspect of education—bringing top-notch courses to the world's poorest citizens and reshaping the way all students learn

Jul 17, 2013 |By The Editors

KYLE BEAN (illustration); MITCH PAYNE (photograph)

In Brief

• Data analytics and streaming video, among other technologies, are filtering from the consumer market-place into college and K–12 classrooms.
• Massive open online courses (MOOCs) deliver free university classes to remote regions.
• Adaptive learning platforms closely track student progress, tailor content to individual abilities and predict how a student will perform. But critics caution we must invest as much in great teachers as in technology.

Classrooms haven't changed much in the past few centuries. Students attend class, take notes and do their homework. The teacher lectures and once in a while administers a test. Students get their grades and move on to the next topic. By and large, students—especially the most disadvantaged ones—attend the school or university closest to their home, regardless of its quality.

These routines are starting to change. In a small but growing number of schools, students watch lectures online and come to class prepared to tackle assignments and collaborate with teachers and peers. They interact with computer programs that allow them to work at their own pace, regardless of what the rest of the class is doing. Teachers rely on those same programs to grade tests and essays, allowing them to closely track more students at once. And local schools are no longer a pupil's only option. Start-ups and nonprofits make high-quality courses available online to anyone with an Internet connection.

What is driving this digital revolution? One factor is that schools and universities are under greater pressure than ever before. More and more students are pursuing higher levels of education at a time when budget-strapped principals and universities cannot hire the staff they need. At the same time, governments and institutions (prodded by employers) are raising standards for what students should know at every stage of school.

Many see technology as a solution. But skeptics think it improves little on what teachers can do and poses a threat to student privacy.

In this special section, Scientific American explores the frontiers of the new digital age in education and what it means for parents, students, teachers and society.

 

Sociedade do custo zero trará fim do capitalismo, diz livro

 

 

Americano Jeremy Rifkin argumenta que "internet das coisas", energias renováveis e custo marginal zero vão nos levar para novo sistema colaborativo

 

Mão segurando globo terrestre: livro argumenta que viveremos em mundo colaborativo

São Paulo - Na segunda metade do século XXI, a economia mundial será híbrida e um sistema colaborativo estará convivendo com um capitalismo cada vez menos importante.

A previsão provocativa é do americano Jeremy Rifkin, que acaba de publicar seu novo livro "The Zero Marginal Cost Society" ("A Sociedade do Custo Marginal Zero", em tradução livre).

Depois de uma série de bestsellers sobre os impactos da tecnologia na economia, ele foi além e vislumbrou um futuro no qual a lógica colaborativa da internet tomou conta de quase todo o sistema.

Em outras palavras: depois de séculos nos quais o capitalismo conseguiu levar várias dimensões da vida humana para a esfera econômica, o processo começou a se reverter.

Tese

Para Rifkin, isso é fruto do próprio dinamismo do sistema. A busca incessante por produtividade teve tanto sucesso que levará a um ponto no qual o custo marginal - ou seja, o custo de produzir uma unidade adicional de algum determinado produto ou serviço - beira zero.

Isso apareceu primeiro em indústrias como a do entretenimento e comunicação, completamente modificadas pela internet, mas já começa a ficar claro em outros campos.

Na educação, cursos online permitem que um professor ensine milhões de alunos de uma vez. Na manufatura, impressoras 3D criam uma geração de "prosumidores" - produtores e consumidores ao mesmo tempo.

O resultado: "lucros corporativos estão começando a secar, os direitos de propriedade estão se enfraquecendo e uma economia baseada na escassez está dando espaço a uma economia da abundância", escreve Rifkin.

 

Can An Online Education Actually Land You A Job?

 

Job options for people who educate themselves via free online courses are expanding—slowly.

This post is part of Hire Education, an occasional series about technological innovation in education and how it's reshaping the way students prepare themselves for a transformed workforce.

The brave new word of free, online college-level courses finally makes it possible to get an inexpensive degree-equivalent education in many fields. Employers, though, might be less impressed with the supplemental coursework, unless you're looking for a job in technology or computer science.

Generally, massive open online courses—still often known by the unwieldy acronym MOOCs—are focused on providing courses that will improve skills in specific topics, frequently focused on technology, science and mathematics. These courses provide students with completion credentials once they have passed a class.

But the trend in online education is relatively new, having boomed over the last two years. So while students are flocking to these services—Udacity boasts 1.6 million students in over 200 countries—many employers remain skeptical of the nontraditional education.

 

Online-Educated And In The Workplace

Udacity, a popular online-course platforms that focuses specifically on technology-related courses, is working hard to encourage the acceptance of its remotely educated students in the workforce.

The company recently announced the Open Education Alliance (OEA), a group of employers and educators that provides access to post-secondary education and encourages students to pursue careers in technology. Members of Udacity’s OEA include Google, AT&T, Intuit and Cloudera.

“We’ve heard from our students that many of them are motivated to advance their career opportunities,” said Clarissa Shen, vice president of strategic business and marketing at Udacity. “Employers and industry partners we work with are hiring our students.”

Udacity’s job placement program also actively works with students to help attain employment from its network of over 300 companies ranging from leading Fortune 500 companies to smaller startups.

“Out of our user base, ten to 15 percent of our students at any given time have opted in to post their resumes,” Shen said. Students are also encouraged to promote their coursework on resumes and LinkedIn accounts, as well as set up profiles on GitHub.

Coursera, another online teaching startup, says it wants to offer people a way to obtain a lifelong education, regardless of whether they get a degree at the end or not.

The company offers a "signature track" program in which students can pay anywhere from $30 to $70 to secure an official Coursera completion certificate that they can then advertise to employers.

“We ask students at the end of the course to share how they’re using a verified course certificate,” said Chris Heather, a product manager at Coursera. “It ends up that students are professionals that have a college degree or higher, and the main reason they actually take the courses is to advance their career.”

So while online courses are supplemental to professionals who have already taken a traditional university route, these online platforms might prove to be crucial to students who either can’t afford, or have no desire to attend college, but still want a good job in the workforce.

 

Degrees, Huh—What Are They Good For?

According to a study from the Brookings Institution earlier this year, about half of all U.S. jobs that require science, technology, engineering and math training are available to workers without a four-year college degree. Those jobs account for about five percent of all U.S. positions.

This bodes well for the likes of Coursera, Udacity and edX, the non-profit partnership between Harvard and MIT. Students can pay a minimal fee to complete coursework in lieu of a university education and still succeed in high tech fields.

In an interview with the New York Times, Google's senior vice president of people operations, Laszlo Block, said that the proportion of employees at the company who don't have college degrees has increased over time. In fact, there are some teams at Google on which 14 percent of employees never went to college.

"After two or three years, your ability to perform at Google is completely unrelated to how you performed when you were in school," Block told the NYT. "Because the skills you required in college are very different."

Tamir Duberstein understands firsthand how learning a new skill after college can create additional job opportunities. He began taking MOOC classes through MITx, now edX, and segued into the inaugural Udacity courses focused on computer science.

He completed five courses focusing on computer science and programming and was encouraged to post his resume on Udacity's platform. Because of his coursework, he now has a job as a programmer at Square, the San Francisco-based payments startup.

Udacity courses undoubtedly helped him get hired, he said in an email interview. "Udacity personnel actively put me in touch with my recruiter at Square."

With a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Duberstein had never studied computer science, and decided to pursue the subject online. The coursework on Udacity is very different from the traditional classroom, he said, in fact he was happy to work on assignments, unlike his experience in college.

 

In Academia, The Degree Is King

Academics scoff at the idea that online certificates might rival university degrees, although of course that skepticism is a bit self-serving. If people turn to MOOCs over college, and the platforms can educate a higher number of students at a faster pace, then universities would need fewer professors leading lecture halls.

Sanjay Sarma, director of digital learning at MIT, believes traditional university degrees still hold sway in the workplace.

“When I’m hiring someone for the long-term to lead the company, I want to make sure that their … interdisciplinary skills and critical thinking are very developed,” he said in an interview with ReadWrite earlier this year. “So there, it matters and would matter to me that they did go to a good school and get a great education.” 

Technical skills like programming and mathematics can be learned online, but interpersonal relationships and leadership qualities still can’t be perfected through MOOC classrooms, something many companies value in their employees.

A recent informal poll by a recruitment strategy expert Brad Petersen at Success Communications Group yielded some interesting insights. One respondent claimed that while some managers are slanted towards giving more weight to someone with a traditional college degree, they try to approach the topic of education equally.

“The person who usually gets an online degree or certification is juggling full time work, maybe didn't have the opportunity to go to full-time college (like me) and typically has more real world experience,” the recruiter said.

This is congruent with both Coursera and Udacity’s student bodies. Both companies report that while all students are taking courses to hone their skills, a high number of them are already employed and are using the courses to become more attractive as candidates for promotion or to other potential employers.

 

80 uses for coconut oil

 

Product Information

Eternal Delight offers three types of coconut oil:  extra virgin coconut oil,  light virgin and deodorized. We use deodorized coconut oil in our natural soaps, light extra virgin in products where we don’t want the coconut flavour but still all the nutrients and extra virgin for products like cheese cake and chocolates. See underneath for many uses up to your preference. If you wish to find out our current best price according to the current market value please email us with the amount you are looking for and we will give you a quote.

Daily Dosage:

Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready.

Type to use:

·       deodorized coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell of taste.
·       Virgin coconut oil tastes coconutty and can be used for anything as well and it is completely nutritious.
·       Food grade should always be used.

80 Uses for Coconut Oil

Personal Hygiene/Body

1.       Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.
2.       Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.
3.       Preshave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.
4.       Aftershave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores.
5.       Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!
6.       Hair Conditioner/Deep Treatment – use as a leave in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.
7.       Hair Gel/Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).
8.       Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.
9.       Make up remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!
10.   Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!
11.   Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!
12.   Lubricant – it is an all natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!
13.   Sunscreen
14.   Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.
15.   Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore, or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.
16.   Diaper salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.
17.   Cradle cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.
18.   Body scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.
19.   Healing – when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.
20.   Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.
21.   Skin problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
22.   Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.
General Health and Wellness

23.   Stress Relief – relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.
24.   Digestion – the saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.
25.   Fitness – coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat, while increasing muscle.
26.   Nose bleeds – coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme hotness and extreme coldness. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.
27.   For breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich your milk supply.
28.   Helps with weight loss & controlling cravings.
29.   Helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings in those with diabetes.
Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when taken internally)

30.   Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, some don’t
31.   Skin problems
32.   Toenail fungus
33.   Hot flashes
34.   Bleeding hemorrhoids (can also be applied externally twice a day)
35.   HIV
36.   Head lice
37.   Improvements in menstruation regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow
38.   Migraines (with regular use)
39.   Mononucleosis
40.   Parasites
41.   Thrush
42.   Relieve gallbladder pain
43.   Has helped some people improve symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland, results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal
44.   Energy boost
45.   Flaky, dry skin
46.   May relieve acid reflux and indigestion when taken with each meal
47.   Adrenal fatigue
48.   Alzheimers
49.   H. pylori
50.   Candida albicans
51.   Asthma, even in children
52.   Autism
53.   Cholesterol – improves HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) to LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol
54.   Chronic fatigue
55.   Circulation/feeling cold all the time
56.   Stronger immune system
57.   Mental Clarity
58.   Depression
59.   Helps with inflammation in Crohns

Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when applied topically)

60.   Athletes foot
61.   Back pain/sore muscles
62.   Canker sores
63.   Acne
64.   Cellulite
65.   Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)
66.   Genital warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)
67.   Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.
Cooking

68.   Use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing other oils/butter in recipes with coconut oil.
69.   Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in it’s solid form – greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.
70.   Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.
71.   Nutritional supplement – melt and add to smoothies.

Other Uses

72.   Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with Deet! Tons safer too.
73.   Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.
74.   Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.
75.   Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!
76.   Polish Furniture – coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.
77.   Polishing Bronze – all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.
78.   Seasoning animal hide drums
79.   Seasoning cookware
80.   Moisturizing and cleaning leather products

 

source : http://www.eternaldelight.co.nz/2012/01/80-uses-for-coconut-oil/

3 Simple Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's

 

Georgetown University researchers reported making great strides this month toward developing a blood test for Alzheimer's disease. But until such a test is widely available, one of the nation's leading experts on aging and mental health says there are steps you can — and should — take now to reduce your odds of developing dementia.

Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center, tells Newsmax TV it could take years for the breakthrough Georgetown research to translate into a viable Alzheimer’s blood test to diagnose the condition early, when drugs that slow its progression are most effective. But, in the meantime, Dr. Small recommends three simple but effective ways to protect the brain from the ravages of the memory-robbing disease: Exercising, managing stress, and eating a healthy diet.

"The research is compelling that there's a lot we can do to protect our brain health," says Dr. Small, a professor of psychiatry and aging, and the author of The Mind Health Report. "The MacArthur Study of Successful Aging concluded that about a third of what determines Alzheimer's disease or cognitive decline as we age comes from genetics. That means that two-thirds is non-genetic and may be under our control."

Dr. Small, author of "The Memory Prescription: Dr. Gary Small's 14-Day Plan to Keep Your Brain and Body Young," recommends being on the lookout for early signs of cognitive declines, including even minor memory lapses, if they occur frequently or become increasingly more pronounced and serious. Occasionally forgetting where you left your car keys may not be a sign of trouble, for instance, but forgetting a spouse's name or how to drive to a favorite restaurant could be a symptom of dementia.

"It's difficult because those 'senior moments' [can] gradually segue into mild Alzheimer's disease," he explains. "So it's often difficult to differentiate them from normal … aging or incipient Alzheimer's. If you're concerned, it's always best to check with your doctor early rather than late because the sooner you can make a diagnosis and initiate treatment, the better will be the outcome."

He adds that the Georgetown researchers' progress toward developing a blood test for Alzheimer's is "promising," but more work will be needed to verify their findings and market such a test. The team found that levels of 10 fats ("lipids") in the bloodstream can be used to estimate the chances of someone developing mild cognitive impairment — which involves memory loss and a decline in thinking ability — or the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease within a few years.

Lead researcher Howard Federoff, executive dean of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, said those 10 blood fats can predict impending dementia with 90 percent accuracy, even before symptoms appear. Doctors now must rely on expensive MRIs and PET scans that are limited in their diagnostic ability, so a blood test based on the research would be a significant step forward, and allow doctors to begin therapies early — when they are most effective — before significant brain damage and memory loss occur.

Alzheimer's afflicts more than 5 million Americans and kills at least 84,000 people in the U.S. every year. 

Until such a test is available, Dr. Small recommends the following clinically proven ways to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's and slowing its progress.

1-Exercise at least 30 minutes each day. "I recommend that people get physical exercise routinely," he says. "We know that it pumps oxygen and nutrients to your brain cells and protects them, mental exercise also probably protects your brain and can improve those age-related memory slips." He adds that you don't have to become a triathlete or spend hours at the gym every day. "Just 20 minutes a day of brisk walking will lower your risk for Alzheimer's disease," he says. It's also a good idea to exercise the mind, by engaging in mentally stimulating activities that can keep you sharp as you age.

2-Learn to manage stress effectively. Meditation, yoga, listening to music, or simply spending a few minutes each day doing something to relax and wind down have been shown to ease stress and boost mental and physical health. "Trying to manage stress better is critically important," Dr. Small advises. "Stress is really the enemy of brain health."

3-Eat a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. "Nutrition is critically important," he says, "In the average American diet, we're not getting enough omega-3 fats from fish, nuts, and flax seed. We're not getting enough fruits and vegetables that are [rich in] anti-oxidant[s] and protect brain cells."

 

Girl's World

 

March 30, 2014

Photograph by Gina Waga, National Geographic Your Shot

"I captured this moment of my daughter's reckless abandon in a suburban playground in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia," says Gina Waga, a member of National Geographic Your Shot whose picture was recently featured in the Daily Dozen. "I chose an evening during a specific time of year, when the sunset would be enhanced by the smoke from the local canefires, creating the stunning, merging colors."

Waga says a lower-angle composition captured her daughter's silhouette perfectly. "It was then up to timing: teaching her how to position herself, pushing her on the swing, then getting back to the perfect spot in the overgrown grass to capture a moment of simplicity and beauty in a child's life."

This photo was submitted to Your Shot. Check out the new and improved website, where you can share photos, take part in assignments, lend your voice to stories, and connect with fellow photographers from around the globe.

 

 

Q&A: Gerd Ludwig’s Long Look at the Chernobyl Disaster

 

“Deep inside, at a dark hallway, we stopped in front of a heavy metal door. The engineer indicated I had only a brief moment to shoot. It took him a long minute to open the jammed door. The adrenaline surge was extraordinary. The room was absolutely dark, lit only by our headlamps. Wires were obstructing my view. At the far end of the room I could make out a clock. I was only able to fire off a few frames and wanted to wait for my flash to recharge. But he already pulled me out. I checked my pictures. Out of focus! I begged him to allow me in one more time. He gave me a few more seconds to frame the clock showing 1:23:58 AM—the time when on 26 April, 1986 in the building that housed Energy Block # 4, time stood forever still.” —Gerd Ludwig on photographing inside reactor #4, where an explosion caused a catastrophic nuclear meltdown. Ludwig describes this as one of the most challenging situations he has ever photographed.

2005. The evacuated city of Pripyat, once brimming with life, is now a chilling ghost town. For an exiled resident, the stillness of a city boulevard stirs memories of her former life. In her hand is an old photo of the same street years earlier.

Launch Gallery

2005. A peeling mural of an abandoned school creates a poignant reminder of the residents that once called Pripyat home.

When the tsunami caused disastrous damage to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, German photographer Gerd Ludwig’s agency, Institute, was contacted by photo editors at Time wanting to assign him for the story. Ludwig was unreachable, at a hotel without internet access at the site of another disaster that happened 25 years before—Chernobyl.

Ludwig has been photographing Chernobyl since 1993 and has returned to the area three times since—in 2005, 2011 and 2013—ultimately venturing deeper inside the reactor than any Western photographer.

“Of all man-made environmental catastrophes in human history, Chernobyl is considered to have caused the most lasting impact. Seeing the full extent of the destruction inside the reactor, and the full force of health consequences—not only in Ukraine but also in neighboring Belarus—is why I felt that I would need to revisit Chernobyl on a regular basis,” he says.

Ludwig is currently working on a photography book, the Long Shadow of Chernobyl, documenting his 20-year relationship with what noted scientist Alexei Okeanov calls “a fire that can’t be put out in our lifetimes.” Ludwig recently shared his thoughts with Proof:

Alexa Keefe : What is the most important part of telling this story?

Gerd Ludwig: These images remind us that accidents like Chernobyl are a possible outcome of nuclear power—anytime, anywhere. I want my project to stand as a document of this man-made disaster—to remember the countless victims of Chernobyl, and to warn future generations of the deadly consequences of human hubris.

2011. On April 26, 1986, operators in this control room of reactor #4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant committed a fatal series of errors during a safety-test, triggering a reactor meltdown that resulted in the world’s largest nuclear accident to date.

2005. Workers wearing plastic suits and respirators for protection pause briefly on their way to drill holes for support rods inside the shaky concrete sarcophagus, a structure hastily built after the explosion to isolate the radioactive rubble of Reactor #4. It is hazardous work: radiation inside is so high that they constantly need to monitor their Geiger counters—and are allowed to work only one shift of 15 minutes per day.

2011. Although radiation levels only allowed for a few minutes of access, workers initially had to pass over hazardous ladders to a section underneath the melted core with life-threatening contamination. In order to facilitate faster access, a daunting hallway, called “the leaning staircase” was erected.

Alexa: Were there times when you felt in danger?

Gerd: Exposing your body to radiation inside the reactor is only one side of the danger. The other risk comes with radioactive dust specs that can settle easily into soft materials. If ingested they can stay in your body and cause cancer.

After each entry into the reactor I undergo a careful cleaning process: leave the protective gear behind, take a long, hot shower, and change into clean clothes. When I asked a safety specialist to check my equipment after my last visit deep into the reactor, I could read in her face that she thought I was being paranoid. Reluctantly she checked my gear, but then her facial expression completely changed, and she kept repeating again and again “Oh my God! Oh my God! You need to clean your cameras. You need to wash them.”

It turned out that the camera straps were contaminated. I gave my cameras a good cleaning that night, until my Geiger counter indicated that they were fine. And I got new camera straps.

2005. Severely physically and mentally handicapped, 5-year-old Igor was given up by his parents and now lives at a children’s mental asylum, which cares for abandoned and orphaned children with disabilities. It is one of several such facilities in rural southern Belarus receiving support from Chernobyl Children International, an aid organization established in 1991 in the aftermath of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

2005. Suffering from thyroid cancer, Oleg Shapiro, 54, and Dima Bogdanovich, 13, receive care at a thyroid hospital in Minsk, where surgery is performed on a daily basis. As a liquidator, Oleg was exposed to extreme levels of radiation. It was his third thyroid operation. Dima’s mother claims that Chernobyl’s nuclear fallout is responsible for her son’s cancer, but his doctors are more cautious: Belarusian officials are often instructed to downplay the severity of the radiation.

Alexa: You devote one section of your book to the human victims, particularly children born in the years following the disaster. Tell me about your experience photographing them.

Gerd: Much of the nuclear fallout drifted into the Gomel region of Belarus. In 2005, on assignment for National Geographic, I wanted to photograph the children in an orphanage. In one of the orphanages, I photographed 5-year-old Igor. Severely physically and mentally handicapped, he was given up by his parents, and lived at a home which cares for abandoned and orphaned children with disabilities. He caught my attention because most of the time he was sitting motionless, leaning against a wall. With poor eyesight and hearing he was unable to participate even in the slightest interaction with the other children around him. Once in a while his empty eyes wandered in the direction of the other kids in the room, but when they tried to hug him he started crying. Done photographing him I gave his hand a squeeze. The smile with which he reacted nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Alexa: Another group of people you have photographed are those who have returned to the Exclusion Zone to live—whom you have described as preferring to die on contaminated soil than of a broken heart in an anonymous suburb. What was their attitude towards you as someone coming to tell their story?

Gerd: No journalist can move freely in the zone. We have to be accompanied by a guide who works for the administration but we have to pay for their time. Since there are only a few hundred returnees living in the zone today, the guides know most of them. The only vehicles driving in the zone are those controlled by the administration. There is no public transportation and the returnees do not own cars. That is why many returnees enjoy visits by journalists. They are a welcome change into their rather uneventful daily routine. The guides recommend that journalists bring along goods such as fresh bread, cheeses, sweets that the returnees lack, as they rarely get the chance to leave their villages.

Many returnees are very hospitable, offering everything they grow and produce from their own land, from tomatoes to berries, from illegally caught fish to moonshine. Eating food grown on contaminated land makes me sometimes feel uncomfortable. But as a photographer you walk a thin line: you want to be safe but you also need people’s trust and cooperation to get the pictures.