Thursday, June 23, 2011

NASA’s Cassini–Huygens spacecraft has discovered evidence for a large-scale saltwater reservoir beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The data came from the spacecraft’s direct analysis of salt-rich ice grains close to the jets ejected from the moon. The study has been published in this week’s edition of the journal Nature.

Data from Cassini’s cosmic dust analyzer show the grains expelled from fissures, known as tiger stripes, are relatively small and usually low in salt far away from the moon. Closer to the moon’s surface, Cassini found that relatively large grains rich with sodium and potassium dominate the plumes. The salt-rich particles have an “ocean-like” composition and indicate that most, if not all, of the expelled ice and water vapor comes from the evaporation of liquid salt-water. When water freezes, the salt is squeezed out, leaving pure water ice behind.

Cassini’s ultraviolet imaging spectrograph also recently obtained complementary results that support the presence of a subsurface ocean. A team of Cassini researchers led by Candice Hansen of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, measured gas shooting out of distinct jets originating in the moon’s south polar region at five to eight times the speed of sound, several times faster than previously measured. These observations of distinct jets, from a 2010 flyby, are consistent with results showing a difference in composition of ice grains close to the moon’s surface and those that made it out to the E ring, the outermost ring that gets its material primarily from Enceladean jets. If the plumes emanated from ice, they should have very little salt in them.

“There currently is no plausible way to produce a steady outflow of salt-rich grains from solid ice across all the tiger stripes other than salt water under Enceladus’s icy surface,” said Frank Postberg, a Cassini team scientist at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

The data suggests a layer of water between the moon’s rocky core and its icy mantle, possibly as deep as about 50 miles (80 kilometers) beneath the surface. As this water washes against the rocks, it dissolves salt compounds and rises through fractures in the overlying ice to form reserves nearer the surface. If the outermost layer cracks open, the decrease in pressure from these reserves to space causes a plume to shoot out. Roughly 400 pounds (200 kilograms) of water vapor is lost every second in the plumes, with smaller amounts being lost as ice grains. The team calculates the water reserves must have large evaporating surfaces, or they would freeze easily and stop the plumes.

“We imagine that between the ice and the ice core there is an ocean of depth and this is somehow connected to the surface reservoir,” added Postberg.

The Cassini mission discovered Enceladus’ water-vapor and ice jets in 2005. In 2009, scientists working with the cosmic dust analyzer examined some sodium salts found in ice grains of Saturn’s E ring but the link to subsurface salt water was not definitive. The new paper analyzes three Enceladus flybys in 2008 and 2009 with the same instrument, focusing on the composition of freshly ejected plume grains. In 2008, Cassini discovered a high “density of volatile gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well as organic materials, some 20 times denser than expected” in geysers erupting from the moon. The icy particles hit the detector target at speeds between 15,000 and 39,000 MPH (23,000 and 63,000 KPH), vaporizing instantly. Electrical fields inside the cosmic dust analyzer separated the various constituents of the impact cloud.

“Enceladus has got warmth, water and organic chemicals, some of the essential building blocks needed for life,” said Dennis Matson in 2008, Cassini project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

“This finding is a crucial new piece of evidence showing that environmental conditions favorable to the emergence of life can be sustained on icy bodies orbiting gas giant planets,” said Nicolas Altobelli, the European Space Agency’s project scientist for Cassini.

“If there is water in such an unexpected place, it leaves possibility for the rest of the universe,” said Postberg.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007File:240-dogFighting.jpg

Three Finnish men have been arrested as part of an investigation by the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into apparent illegal dogfights in various locations in the south of the country.

Dog fights, in which two dogs are pitted head-to-head for the entertainment of spectators and for gambling, is illegal in Finland, and is covered by Finland’s animal protection laws, as dogs often sustain severe or even fatal injuries. It is believed this case also involved gambling, thus rendering the suspects, if convicted, in breach of gambling laws also.

The investigation was started in July after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) forwarded information to the NBI, claiming that during an investigation of its own for a programme it was making into dog fighting in the United Kingdom, they had uncovered connections to comparable activity in Finland.

“We are trying to find out when the activity has started and how widespread it has been. Apparently, just a small gang of people has been involved.” said Detective Chief Inspector Göran Wennqvist, adding that “We are now trying to find out whether or not this is part of a larger international organisation or just local criminal activity.”

It is believed the dogs went through training fights to test if they were suitable for fighting prior to actual events. A number of animals thought to have been used for fighting have been examined by a veterinarian to determine the types of injuries sustained by the dogs.

Despite the fact that dog fighting is known to have occurred in various countries – including countries close to Finland, such as Sweden, Norway, and Russia – neither the police or the Finnish Kennel Club were aware of any previous incidents occurring in Finland, although chairman of the board of the Finnish Kennel Club Martti Mannersuo told reporters that he recalled a rumour “many years ago” of domestic dog fights occurring in Finland, although this went unconfirmed. Wennqvist, however, independently told YLE “In other Nordic countries, they have seen incidents of dog fighting since the 90’s, but I haven’t come across any cases in Finland in 32 years,” although it is unclear if this was a confirmed case or if it were linked to the rumour Mannersuo had reported.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

The body of Sarah Lunde, a missing 13-year-old Florida girl, was found very close to her home Saturday, authorities said.

Lunde’s body was found by a search-and-rescue dog in an abandoned fish farm about a half-mile away from her home, according to David Gee, sheriff of Hillsborough County. Lunde had been missing since last Sunday from her home in Ruskin, a town to the south of Tampa.

Gee said the body had a green cast on one arm, just as Sarah did. “The green cast is apparent,” he said. He also stated that the body had been in the water for a long period of time, and that an autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of Lunde’s death.

“The family is very distraught,” Gee added.

According to CNN, David Onstott, 36, was charged late Saturday night with first-degree murder Gee said. “He is the defendant.”,Onstott confessed to the murder.He was arrested on Tuesday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Aside from a 1995 sexual assault charge, Onstott is said to have been sighted at Lunde’s house hours after Lunde disappeared, and grabbed a half-empty beer bottle as he left. This could possibly link him to the numerous beer bottles found around the area, which, it is rumored, will be subjected to DNA testing. Onstott was also arraigned on Thursday on charges of not registering as a sex offender and is currently being held in the Hillsborough County Jail. Although his bond was set at $250,000, sheriff’s spokesman J.D. Callaway stated that since no bond was set on a Michigan drunk driving warrant Onstott is also being held for, there is no bond set on him for his various other charges, so Onstott is being held without bond for the moment.

This case is now the second such case in a month. Jessica Lunsford‘s body was found in Citrus County, north of Tampa, after she had been missing from her home for three weeks.

Convicted sex offender John E. Couey, who had been living near Lunsford’s home, was arrested and charged with her murder after he confessed.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Many of record store HMV‘s Canadian locations have started to stock iPod portable music players, in a move to stay relevant.

HMV Canada President Humphrey Kadaner commented “While the majority of purchased music continues to be in physical form, it’s clear the listening experience of many Canadians is evolving to also include portable music and for the majority of those consumers the digital player of choice is the iPod. As the country’s leading music retailer, it only makes sense that we provide a full music experience for our customers by selling Canada’s leading digital music player.”

“Many people think the world of CDs and the world of iPod are incompatible and it just isn’t true. Not only are they compatible, they are now cohabitating at many HMV stores across the country. The addition of iPod in HMV stores is another step in HMV’s evolution from a music retailer to an entertainment retailer.”

In mid-November this year, Canadian chain Music World announced it was closing its stores as of the new year. The franchise has 72 stores across the country, and 648 employees who have been able to keep their jobs during liquidation, which is expected to continue through until Christmas. The store’s website now contains nothing but its logo for months.

Previously, the last remaining location of Sam the Record Man closed down, in downtown Toronto. Sam once had 130 stores nationwide, then the record. There is a store in Belleville and Sarnia, once part of the chain, but now simply known as “SAM”.

The last American locations of HMV closed in 2004.

Monday, December 22, 2008

A suspected United States military air strike launched by a remote-controlled and unmanned CIA aircraft on Monday morning killed at least 8 militants. Media reports claim that in two separate attacks, three missiles were fired by US drones at South Waziristan’s Karikot and Shin Warsak villages, a tribal area in northwest Pakistan, well-known as center of Taliban and Al-Qaeda activity. The site of the attack is about nine miles (15 km) from the town of Wana in South Waziristan, an ungoverned tribal region.

South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² (4,473 mi²). It comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the North and the Gomal river to the south, forming part of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The North-West Frontier Province lies immediately to the east. The region was an independent tribal territory from 1893, remaining outside of British-ruled empire and Afghanistan. Tribal raiding into British-ruled territory was a constant problem for the British, requiring frequent punitive expeditions between 1860 and 1945. The region became part of Pakistan in 1947.

A senior security official said that “two vehicles fitted with guns were destroyed,” adding that “the eight people killed were all inside the vehicles.” Pakistani intelligence said they believed the extremists killed were members of local Pakistani Taliban groups. The reports also said that the missiles “targeted vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns, and one missile missed its intended target and landed near a house.” A local official said nine other extremists were wounded in the drone strike.

Agence France-Presse has reported that “a missile attack late last month by a US jet killed Rashid Rauf, the alleged Al-Qaeda mastermind of a 2006 transatlantic airplane bombing plot, as well as an Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative, security officials have said.” US unmanned drones have launched not less than 20 missile attacks in Pakistan Afghan border or tribal areas since August. The strikes have raised tensions between Washington and Islamabad.

In November, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani viewed these missile strikes as flagrant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He announced his government was considering “a number of options to counter attacks”. BBC has reported, however, that Pakistan “has been reluctant to move either diplomatically or militarily to stop these strikes.” “This has fuelled speculation that the attacks may be part of a secret pact between Pakistan and the US,” it added. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush, last week, said that “you know very well that when it comes to certain matters, the U.S. government doesn’t discuss operations.” He ruled out consultations with other governments, including Pakistan, prior to drone strikes operations.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

At the 2008 Taipei International Book Exhibition, comic books and fiction books presented different authoring styles in formatting, story construction, and background settings. Examples of these were highlighted at two seminars entitled “On Trends in Creative Chinese Literature” and “From ‘Shao Nu Xiao Yu‘ (????, meaning in English as “A Young Girl – Little Fish”) to ‘The Banquet Bug‘ (???)”, as well as through recent fiction released by several publishers in Taiwan.

• Seminar: “From ‘Shao Nu Xiao Yu’ to ‘The Banquet Bug'”Image: Rico Shen.

• Seminar: “On Trends in Creative Chinese Literature”.Image: Rico Shen.

In the seminar about ‘The Banquet Bug’, a book, which has drawn by international media attention from “The Times“, “Daily Mail“, and “TIME Magazine“, was recently translated into the Chinese language by John Chiang-sheng Kuo (???). Taiwanese literature commentator Nan Fang Shou (???, pen-name by Xin-ching Wang, ???) said the following at the seminar:

At the other seminar, “On Trends in Creative Chinese Literature”, which focused on wuxia novels, famous Taiwanese novelist Da-chuen Chang (???) commented with some specialists on wuxia novels and said:

In fact, the novel and fiction authoring in Taiwan has generally been steady and varied with such examples and the maturation of independent authoring.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The name Robert Cailliau may not ring a bell to the general public, but his invention is the reason why you are reading this: Dr. Cailliau together with his colleague Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, making the internet accessible so it could grow from an academic tool to a mass communication medium. Last January Dr. Cailliau retired from CERN, the European particle physics lab where the WWW emerged.

Wikinews offered the engineer a virtual beer from his native country Belgium, and conducted an e-mail interview with him (which started about three weeks ago) about the history and the future of the web and his life and work.

Wikinews: At the start of this interview, we would like to offer you a fresh pint on a terrace, but since this is an e-mail interview, we will limit ourselves to a virtual beer, which you can enjoy here.

Robert Cailliau: Yes, I myself once (at the 2nd international WWW Conference, Chicago) said that there is no such thing as a virtual beer: people will still want to sit together. Anyway, here we go.