Find drivers for your devices - click link
domingo, 23 de fevereiro de 2014
Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet (1,885 m). The lake has a surface area of .5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi).
The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The colour is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.
Les 5 plus gros virus informatiques de tous les temps
Internet est devenu incontournable dans notre société, quasiment tout passe par là : nos informations personnelles, les échanges avec nos proches et même nos transactions bancaires. De ce fait, ce réseau mondial est devenu le terrain de chasse favori des hackers et crackers en tout genre qui ne cessent de créer de nouveaux virus. DGS vous présente les 5 virus qui ont causé le plus de dégâts dans le monde.
1. Le virus MyDoom en 2004
Dommages estimés à : 38,000,000,000$ (environ 28,000,000,000€)
Ordinateurs infectés : environ 2,000,000
Ce virus se répand par email. Une fois le courriel ouvert, MyDoom se télécharge et « vole » tout le carnet d’adresse de l’ordinateur infecté. Ainsi, il est devenu le virus qui s’est le plus vite répandu au monde.
2. Le virus Sobig F. en 2003
Dommages estimés à : 37,100,000,000$ (environ 27,000,000,000€)
Ordinateurs infectés : environ 2,000,000
Sobif F. était capable de se dupliquer lui-même et se répandait par email. Quand l’email était ouvert, il déclenchait le ver qui se mettait en chasse de nouvelles adresses électroniques sur l’ordinateur infecté. Le flot de messages qu’il envoyait submergeait les boîtes mails et ralentissait tout le système informatique. De nombreuses grandes entreprises en ont été victimes, comme Air Canada par exemple.
3. Le virus I Love You en 2000
Dommages estimés à : 15,000,000,000$ (environ 11,000,000,000€)
Ordinateurs infectés : 500,000
Ce ver tire son nom de la pièce jointe au courriel qui le transporte : Love-letter-for-you.txt.vbs. Lorsqu’il est ouvert, un programme malveillant est déclenché. Ce virus a été conçu pour voler des mots de passe d’accès Internet et il se renvoyait lui-même à l’intégralité du carnet d’adresse de l’ordinateur infecté.
4. Le virus Code Red en 2001
Dommages estimés à : 2,600,000,000$ (environ 1,900,000,000€)
Ordinateurs infectés : 1,000,000
Code Red exploitait une faille dans le système d’exploitation de Windows 2000 et Windows NT ce qui lui a permis de « défigurer » et de planter certains sites web, dont le site de la maison blanche. Il choisissait au hasard 100 adresses IP à la fois en scannant le système Microsoft.
5. Le virus Slammer en 2003
Dommages estimés à : 1,200,000,000$ (environ 870,000,000€)
Ordinateurs infectés : 200,000
Slammer était un ver internet qui causait des dénis de service sur les serveurs Internet et qui ralentissait considérablement le trafic général. Ce ver est un petit code qui générait des adresses IP de façon aléatoire et envoyait des copies de lui-même à ces adresses. Il se répandit à une vitesse fulgurante sur Internet, doublant de volume toutes les 8,5 secondes. Parmi ses victimes, on peut compter Continental Airlines, une centrale nucléaire dans l’Ohio, une banque américaine ainsi que le système des appels d’urgence dans l’État de Washington.
On est estomaqués de voir le prix des dommages causés par ces virus et la vitesse incroyable à laquelle ils ont évolué… Il est d’ailleurs effrayant de voir que de « simples » vers informatiques peuvent mettre en difficulté de grandes entreprises et organismes gouvernementaux comme l’ont fait les virus Slammer ou encore Code Red. Est-ce que votre ordinateur a déjà été infecté par un virus qui vous a mené la vie dure ?
The Scientifically Best Time to Drink Coffee, in One Simple Graphic
You wake up, tired and groggy, and you can think of only one thing: coffee. But in reality, first thing in the morning isn't the best time to hit hit the caffeine—and it's science that says so.
In fact, we've covered this in some detail before—and you can read all about it below. But for those of you who like to ingest your data graphically, this little visualization shows you that you're far better offer quaffing the coffee mid-morning and early afternoon to get the maximum impact. [I Love Coffee]
The Scientifically Best Time to Drink Coffee
Ever wonder what the best time is to drink your coffee? You probably know it is not a good idea to drink part of your daily dose of caffeine in the afternoon. Especially for those who have problems sleeping. But, do you ever drink your coffee and feel like it just didn’t work?
I know I have that feeling sometimes. The explanation for this has to with a concept that I think is extremely interesting but rarely discussed: chronopharmacology.
Chronopharmacology can be defined as the study of the interaction of biological rhythms and drug action. One of the most important biological rhythms is your circadian clock. This endogenous 24 hour clock alters your physiology and behavior in variety of ways but it can also alter many properties of drugs including drug safety (pharmacovigilance), pharmacokinetics, drug efficacy, and perhaps even drug tolerance.
But, what part of the brain produces this 24 hour cycle and what signals does it receive in order for it to do so properly? It has been known for a long time that light is a strong zeitgeber. A zeitgeber is a term used in chronobiology for describing an environmental stimulus that influences biological rhythms. In the case of mammals, light is by far the most powerful. Following the discovery of connections between the retina and hypothalamus (theretinohypothalamic tract), investigations were aimed at the hypothalamus as the putative master clock.
Related
Indeed, in some of the most elegant brain lesion experiments, Inouye and Kawamura (1979) provided some of the first evidence demonstrating that the hypothalamus acts as the master clock in controlling the circadian rhythm. By creating an "island" in the brain by methodically cutting the hypothalamus away from any surrounding tissue, the circadian clock was completely lost (Inouye and Kawamura, 1979).
What does that mean? Well, the output of the hypothalamus nucleus (the suprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN) that controls the circadian clock has a variety of functions. The SCN controls your sleep-wake cycle, feeding and energy consumption, sugar homeostasis, and in addition to a few other things it controls your hormones. And, with respect to your alertness, the SCN’s control of cortisol (often referred to as the "stress" hormone) production is extremely important.
Most readers here, especially the ones in science enjoy–and desperately need–their morning coffee. I’ve seen some striking posts (here and here - note the caffeine consumption map with the number of researchers map) on the internet lately showing the correlation between science and caffeine. Not surprisingly to me, wherever there are scientists, there is a lot of caffeine consumed. And, a scientist also happens to be #1 the profession with the greatest caffeine consumption. But, if you are drinking your morning coffee at 8 AM is that really the best time? The circadian rhythm of cortisol production would suggest not.
Drug tolerance is an important subject, especially in the case of caffeine since most of us overuse this drug. Therefore, if we are drinking caffeine at a time when your cortisol concentration in the blood is at its peak, you probably should not be drinking it. This is because cortisol production is strongly related to your level of alertness and it just so happens that cortisol peaks for your 24 hour rhythm between 8 and 9 AM on average (Debono et al., 2009). Therefore, you are drinking caffeine at a time when you are already approaching your maximal level of alertness naturally.
One of the key principles of pharmacology is use a drug when it is needed (although I’m sure some scientists might argue that caffeine is always needed). Otherwise, we can develop tolerance to a drug administered at the same dose. In other words, the same cup of morning coffee will become less effective and this is probably why I need a shot of espresso in mine now. Although your cortisol levels peak between 8 and 9 AM, there are a few other times where–on average–blood levels peak again and are between noon to 1 PM, and between 5:30 to 6:30 PM. In the morning then, your coffee will probably be the most effective if you enjoy it between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM, when your cortisol levels are dropping before the next spike.
Originally, when I heard a lecture on this topic, the professor said that since light is the strongest zeitgeber he suggested driving into work without sunglasses on. This would allow for stronger signals to be sent along the retinohypothalamic tract to stimulate the SCN and increase your morning cortisol production at a faster rate. I still tend to drive with them on since I feel blinded by the sun in the morning. However, on mornings when it is partially cloudy out and I did not get a lot of sleep, I drive with them off because this will help me feel more alert than if I was shielding what little sunlight was available.
Stirred, Then Shaken: NIST Atomtronic Study May Pave the Way for New Devices
From NIST Tech Beat: February 19, 2014
While pursuing the goal of turning a cloud of ultracold atoms into a completely new kind of circuit element, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated* that such a cloud—known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)—can display a sort of "memory."
The findings, featured as the cover article of the Feb. 12, 2014, issue of Nature, pave the way for a host of novel devices based on "atomtronics," an emerging field that offers an alternative to conventional electronics.
Just as electronic devices manipulate the flow of electrons, atomtronic devices manipulate the flow of atoms. Since atoms have properties that are very different from electrons, atomtronic devices have the potential to go beyond the capabilities of electronics. The newfound effect of the BEC could be an important tool for constructing atomtronic devices similar to computer memory, according to the research team's leader, Gretchen Campbell.
A BEC, a gas of atoms cooled to nearly absolute zero, is an exotic form of matter that exhibits superfluidity—flow without resistance. This and other properties make BECs potentially useful in atomtronics. The field is still in its infancy though, so the team is exploring BEC-based analogs to well-understood devices. In this study, they looked at ways to make a BEC rotate, knowledge that might one day produce more sensitive rotation sensors.
The team created a BEC out of about 400,000 sodium atoms suspended by laser beams, which corralled the BEC into a doughnut-shaped cloud about as wide as a strand of hair is thick. Another laser acted as a "slotted spoon" that stirred the cloud, making the doughnut spin like a wheel. While stirring their BEC, the researchers saw some behavior they expected—and some they didn't.
"A stirred BEC flows only at certain velocities—starting with the spoon at rest, as one stirs more rapidly, the BEC initially stays at rest, then suddenly, at a 'critical' stirring rate, starts to flow," says Campbell, a NIST physicist. "Curiously, the stirring rate at which the BEC jumps into motion is not the same as the stirring rate to get the BEC to jump back to rest; in some cases, one even has to stir backwards."
A similar effect exists in a magnetic hard disk drive: the magnetic field needed to change a memory bit differs depending on whether you are changing a zero to a one or vice versa. This effect, called "hysteresis," gives the hard drive stability, allowing it to store computer data. In principle, information also could be stored in the flow state of an atomtronic circuit, and an advantage of a BEC system is that the stability of the hysteresis can be tuned by changing the properties of the laser "spoon."
What surprised the team was that the most common, albeit imperfect, theory of BECs did not predict correctly how changing the stirring laser—altering the size of the slots in the spoon, as it were—changes the stirring rate at which the BEC switches from one velocity to another. This unexpected finding implies there is something the most common theory of BECs has left out.
"Nevertheless, the demonstration of hysteresis in an atomtronic device opens up lots of possibilities," Campbell says. "It might now be possible to make a host of atomtronic devices such as switches, more sensitive gyroscopes or maybe even a different type of a quantum computer."
*S. Eckel, J.G. Lee, F. Jendrzejewski, N. Murray, C.W. Clark, C.J. Lobb, W.D. Phillips, M. Edwards and G.K. Campbell. Hysteresis in aquantized superfluid 'atomtronic' circuit. Nature, Feb. 12, 2014. doi:10.1038/nature12958.
World Press 2014: Signals from Djibouti
Each year, an international panel of visual luminaries gathers at World Press Photo in Amsterdam to judge tens of thousands of images submitted by photojournalists from around the world. The results of this year’s contest were announced on February 14, with seven awards going to photographers on assignment for National Geographic magazine. Over the next few days, we will go behind the scenes of the winning shots with the photographers and their picture editors. Here, John Stanmeyer and Kim Hubbard share their thoughts on “Signal,” which took the top prize of 2013 Photo of the Year.
Kim Hubbard, Senior Photo Editor
When John Stanmeyer called me from Djibouti to say he was photographing people on a beach holding their cell phones in the air, I was a little skeptical. In his first few days there, he’d only been able to find what he described as “frivolous vignettes,” and we were both hoping for something better. Something substantial. When he sent me a jpeg of the folks on the beach, we both knew he had found a special situation. John returned to that beach night after night, hobbling on a sprained leg to get the picture. He managed to distill our entire story into one beautiful, moonlit image: modern day migration meets the universal desire for connection.
John Stanmeyer, Photographer
The photograph “Signal” was taken along the shores of the Red Sea on an evening of a full moon in Djibouti City, Djibouti. I was there on assignment photographing the story “Out of Eden”, a project with National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek related to our collective human migration out of Africa that began some 60,000 years ago.
After a month traveling overland from a small village in Ethiopia, I arrived in Djibouti City. On my second day in the capital, I did what I often do when in a place I’ve never been before — walk about in the natural process of getting lost. While meandering along the beach, I came upon a group of people at dusk, all standing at different spots along the shoreline holding up their phones, some talking on them, others waving them in the air or just standing motionless.
I asked my friend/translator what they were doing as it was truly one of the more unique gatherings I’d ever stumbled upon. He said there are people, mostly Somalis, who often come to this spot along the beach to try and do what is called “Catching”—to catch an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia by using a Somali SIM card in their phones.
Immediately I was astonished by what we were witnessing — the innate desire we all have as humans to reconnect home. Over the following few days I would revisit this stretch of beach where each night there would be a new gathering of men and women waiting for that moment when all the natural layers would combine.
Speaking to many of them, the stories were always the same: the desire to reconnect to family, asking for remittance or updates on emigration papers from family living in Europe. Not all attempts to catch the signal were fulfilled. Some would stand in one place for twenty of thirty minutes, waiting for their phone to grab the faint signal which never appeared, only to return another evening to try once more.
I’ve been asked often over the past few days what this photograph means to me. Very simple — it felt as if I was photographing all of us — you, me, our brothers and sisters — all desperately trying to connect to our loved ones.
In this tenuous period of human migration where despair and hope simultaneously intertwine, we seek to find comfort, a sense of balance, a desire to be home, reconnecting to something stable, reassuring. This photograph of Somalis trying to “catch” a signal is an image of all of us as we stand at the crossroads of humanity, where we must ask ourselves what is truly important, demanding our collective attention in a global society where the issues of migration, borders, war, poverty, technology and communication intersect.
Stanmeyer’s coverage of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, the second segment of Paul Salopek’s epic journey, will be featured in the July 2014 issue of National Geographic. John will travel to Israel in April to continue his coverage of Salopek’s seven-year-walk from Ethiopia to Patagonia. Stay tuned.
11 Dessert Hacks that Satisfy Cravings but are Secretly Healthy
Is dessert your diet's achilles heel? Well, we have that in common. But often, the psychology of having something sweet is more powerful than the actual need for something that will sabotage your time in the gym. Here's a list of awesome treats from around the web that seem much more sinful than they actually are! These treats are not only delicious, they also have secret weapon ingredients that are actually good for you.
1. Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (above)
There are many varieties of the pumpkin pie smoothie on blogs across the web; this one in particular from the blog Food Plus Words is packed with secret healthy weapons.
Secret weapon #1: Tofu. For those of you who don't have anything against soy, tofu is an awesome thickener. Don't bust it 'til you try it, people. The beauty of tofu is that it tastes like whatever you put it with - in this case, it creates an awesome creamy texture while adding nutritional value. If you're exploring smoothies on your own, just make sure to start out with a little. Too much tofu in the smoothie will start to weird-i-fy the taste.
Secret weapon #2: Pumpkin puree. Many of us only eat pumpkin puree in pies, so we automatically associate the taste with decadence. But pumpkin itself is quite healthy! (Click here for more pumpkin recipes).
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
This dip is high in protein and gluten free - and tastes so much more sinful than it actually is.
Secret weapon: Chickpeas. Can you believe it? Genius blogger Chocolate Covered Katie realized that blending these little suckers resulted in a neutral tasting base for a sweet treat. She took the dip to a party and didn't tell anyone what was in it, and watched as guests made comments about how addictive it was.
3. Avocado green tea (matcha) pops.
Whoa. These Munchin with Munchkin treats pack a punch of everything we love, and are sweetened with agave to boot.
Secret weapon #1: Avocado. Don't wince. Avocado is actually a main shake ingredient in Brazil and Indonesia (avocado vanilla shakes with chocolate - we've tried it - it's unbelievable, trust us.) This recipe takes advantage of the creamy "good fat" texture of avocado for a decadent treat.
Secret weapon #2: Green tea! We don't need to tell you how much we love green tea, but have you ever had green tea ice cream??
Secret weapon: Frozen bananas. There are many variations on banana "ice cream", but the secret is the same: blending frozen bananas results in a miraculously creamy consistency and taste. Note that bananas do have a lot of sugar, but if the alternative is Ben N' Jerrys, there's really no competition. Bananas win. Potassium, yo.
Secret weapon: Cocoa. Guys, chocolate only gets a bad rap because we add so much sugar to it. Cacao itself is great for you, promoting seratonin production in the brain (happy chemicals) and providing antioxidant benefits as well.
Source: Gotchocolate.com
5. Frozen Blueberries and Milk, or Blueberries in Whipped Yogurt Milk and Honey
This sounds super simple, and it is. This is a another great treat to satisfy that icecream urge! Freeze blueberries in season, and when the time is right, pop a few in the glass and cover with milk (regular or the non-dairy substitute of your choice.)
Secret weapon: frozen berries. You might notice a trend here: frozen fruit is an amazing way to satisfy that "cold and sweet" urge. Specifically with berries, when you freeze them and add milk, the milk freezes over the berries resulting in a sort of frozen milk mash. The other benefit of this is that it's COLD - meaning you have to take your time eating it. Slower is better, people.
Drawback: Some studies show that eating berries with milk (from a cow) negates the antioxidant properties of the berries. This may be true, but our unofficial studies show that eating berries an milk is healthier than downing a pint of Chunky Monkey.
Do you like rice pudding? This recipe Cannelle et Vanille (exectution by Honest Fare) recreates the treat with a more nutritions grain.
Secret weapon: Quinoa. This power grain is a great subtitution for rice given its high protein content and amino acid count. Top with healthy extras like fruits and nuts.
7. No Sugar Added Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
Sometimes you just need a good old fashioned fruit popsicle. Try this variation from the blog Sugar Free Mom that achieves the deliciousness without all of the extra sugar.
8. Frozen Grape Kabobs.
There's no secret here. It's just grapes. What we like about this particular method of freezing them is the portioning. By sticking the grapes on kabobs, it will be easier to reach for one at a time (yup, you can overindulge on fruit, too).
9. Whipped Cashew Cream and Raspberries
Test out this delish whip substitute by Kirstin Uhrenholdt of The Family Dinner. "It’s sweet and creamy, rich and fluffy, but without dairy, or added sugar. Made with fruit and nuts it quickly comes together with a whir of your blender."
Secret weapon: Cashews. These nutty guys are great for you and the cream derivation replicates the consistency of good old whipped.
Here's a delicious dip from the blog Organizing with a Side of Fabulous for fruits and rice cakes, using protein-packed greek yogurt.
Secret weapon: Tons of spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg... yum!
This yummy recipe from the blog Food For Thought uses blended ricotta, is a great way to achieve a creaminess for those of you who are A-ok with dairy.
Enjoy your dessert hacks! Do you have favorite "brain tricking" sweets? What are they?
Love,
You might also like:
Get more yummy, healthy recipes.
Pencil drawings that are indistinguishable from photographs
One day a little girl fell in love with colored pencils. She is a a very talented illustrator.
21 year old Morgan Davidson paints beautiful portraits and paintings that are difficult to distinguish from the photos.
Artist uses only colored pencils and making one canvas takes from 15 to 25 hours.
Share and Enjoy
Breathtaking Pastel Drawings of Greenland Fulfill Late Mother’s Dream by Zaria Forman
Published on: Jan 02 2014 by Inspiration
New York-based artist Zaria Forman has created stunning realistic drawings of Greenland’s icebergs for her late mother…
Assinar:
Postagens (Atom)