Saturn's youthful appearance explained

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

As planets age they become darker and cooler. Saturn however is much brighter than expected for a planet of its age - a question that has puzzled scientists since the late sixties. New research published in the journal Nature Geoscience has revealed how Saturn keeps itself looking young and hot.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and the Ecole Normale Sup?rieure de Lyon found that layers of gas, generated by physical instability deep within the giant planet, prevent heat from escaping and have resulted in Saturn failing to cool down at the expected rate.

Professor Gilles Chabrier from Physics & Astronomy at the University of Exeter said: "Scientists have been wondering for years if Saturn was using an additional source of energy to look so bright but instead our calculations show that Saturn appears young because it can't cool down. Instead of heat being transported throughout the planet by large scale (convective) motions, as previously thought, it must be partly transferred by diffusion across different layers of gas inside Saturn. These separate layers effectively insulate the planet and prevent heat from radiating out efficiently. This keeps Saturn warm and bright."

Characterised by its distinctive rings, Saturn is one of the largest planets in our Solar System, second only in size to massive Jupiter. It is primarily made of hydrogen and helium and its excessive brightness has previously been attributed to helium rains, the result of helium failing to mix with Saturn's hydrogen rich atmosphere.

Layered convection, like that recently discovered in Saturn, has been observed in the Earth's oceans where warm, salty water lies beneath cool and less salty water. The denser, salty water prevents vertical currents forming between the different layers and so heat cannot be transported efficiently upwards.

These findings suggest that the interior structure, composition and thermal evolution of giant planets in our Solar System, and beyond, may be much more complex than previously thought.

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University of Exeter: http://www.exeter.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Exeter for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128060/Saturn_s_youthful_appearance_explained

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The Paris beat: not all chocolat et fromage

Europe bureau chief Sara Llana writes that getting through immigration's bureaucracy in Paris is a lot harder than in her last assignment, Mexico City.

By Sara Miller Llana,?Staff writer / April 29, 2013

The Eiffel Tower and the sun are reflected in a tourist's sunglasses during a mild and sunny spring day in Paris, this month.

Christian Hartmann/Reuters

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When I wrote a farewell letter to Mexico City?as I left for my new post?in Paris, I received not a few snide remarks: ?Oh, poor thing.? ?Oh, what a hardship beat.?

Skip to next paragraph Sara Miller Llana

Europe Bureau Chief

Sara Miller Llana?moved to Paris in April 2013 to become the Monitor's Europe Bureau?Chief. Previously she was the?paper's?Latin America Bureau Chief, based in Mexico City, from 2006 to 2013.

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Well, I am here to tell you, that it is hard. At least setting up the bureau is, with far more hassle than anything I experienced while establishing the Monitor?s office in Mexico.

It?s an endless task of official stamps, translations, long lines, subway rides, closed office hours, misinformation, and rigid rules (that appear to be inexplicably bent at any given moment).

Immigration to Mexico is not exactly easy. I spent countless hours standing in lines, only to be told I didn?t have the right paperwork and that I needed to return the next day to stand in line again.

But this, I dare say, has been worse.

Per the French consulate in Boston and then a reconfirmation from the French embassy in Mexico, I will have the right to reside in France through my husband?s European citizenship. I was told (in writing) to enter France without a visa and head to the police station upon arriving.

Having dealt with the pains of immigration ? both living abroad and in the US, since I married a foreigner ? I know to call first and find out what documents are required, even when there is a list of what you need online. Except that here, there is no such place to call. Every attempt led me to the same answer: ?You will get all of the information at the prefecture assigned to you.? So I went. Only to find huddled masses, in the freezing cold of a Parisian morning, in a line that did not budge, at all, for two hours (when I finally gave up and went home). There were no officials to ask any questions, no information posted anywhere. There must be another way to get information, I assumed.

So I went with a friend to the central offices the next day, where I was told that I needed to have gotten the visa before having arrived. The consulate and the embassy, she said, were wrong. But then she added that I should go the prefecture, to find out if she was wrong. And the documents I need to bring with me? ?You need to go there and ask,? she said.

I?ve experienced variations of this story for everything we have on our to-do list, from finding an apartment (which we mercifully did in a mere 10 days), to setting up Internet service. I do think once we?re settled it will be an amazing beat, and so many parts of the French system make life so much easier than life in Mexico or the US ? but we?ve definitely got some hard steps ahead.

Reporter note: After writing this blog, I did go back to the prefecture. I stood in line for 8 hours in total. The good news is that I apparently did not need a visa prior to entrance. The bad news: I did not have all of the paperwork - I was asked for things that were not listed on the website.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/gkN9qNSSGh0/The-Paris-beat-not-all-chocolat-et-fromage

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Katy Perry Not Naming Names On Next Album

Will John Mayer or Russell Brand inspire her LP? The singer is keeping fans guessing.
By Jocelyn Vena

Katy Perry
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706625/katy-perry-next-album-relationships-breakups.jhtml

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FDA: Morning-after pill OK for ages 15 and up

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government on Tuesday lowered to 15 the age at which girls can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription and said the emergency contraception no longer has to be kept behind pharmacy counters.

The decision by the Food and Drug Administration is an attempt to find middle ground just days before a court-imposed deadline to lift all age restrictions on the drug.

Today, Plan B One-Step is sold behind pharmacy counters, and buyers must prove they're 17 or older to buy it without a prescription. Tuesday's decision lowers the age limit to 15 ? and will allow the pill to sit on drugstore shelves next to condoms and spermicides or other women's health products. But customers must prove their age at the cash register.

Teva Women's Health, which makes Plan B, said it would begin over-the-counter sales in a few months.

The question is whether Tuesday's action settles a larger court fight. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York blasted the Obama administration for imposing the age-17 limit, saying it had let election-year politics trump science and was making it hard for women of any age to obtain the emergency contraception in time. He ordered an end to all age restrictions by Monday, for Plan B and its generic versions.

The FDA said Tuesday's decision was independent of the court case and wasn't intended to address it. Technically, the FDA approved Teva's application to sell Plan B in this manner.

The Justice Department remained mum on whether it planned to appeal Korman's decision, and the White House had no immediate comment.

The women's group that sued over the age limits said Tuesday's action is not enough, and it will continue the court fight if necessary.

Lowering the age limit "may reduce delays for some young women but it does nothing to address the significant barriers that far too many women of all ages will still find if they arrive at the drugstore without identification," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The FDA said the Plan B One-Step will be packaged with a product code that prompts the cashier to verify a customer's age. Anyone who can't provide such proof as a driver's license, birth certificate or passport wouldn't be allowed to complete the purchase. In most states, driver's licenses, the most common form of identification, are issued at age 16.

"These are daunting and sometimes insurmountable hoops women are forced to jump through in time-sensitive circumstances, and we will continue our battle in court to remove these arbitrary restrictions on emergency contraception for all women," Northup said.

Other contraceptive contraception advocates called the move promising.

"This decision is a step in the right direction for increased access to a product that is a safe and effective method of preventing unintended pregnancies," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. "It's also a decision that moves us closer to these critical availability decisions being based on science, not politics."

Social conservatives had opposed any efforts to loosen restrictions on sale of the morning-after pill, arguing that it was important for parents and medical professionals to be involved in such decisions involving young girls.

The group Concerned Women for America charged that health officials were putting politics and so-called progress ahead of the health of children as well as women.

"It makes no sense that kids need parental permission to take aspirin at school, but they're free to buy and administer Plan B," Penny Nance, CEO and president of CWA, said in a statement.

Half the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended, and doctors' groups say more access to morning-after pills could cut those numbers. The pills contain higher doses of regular contraceptives, and if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. But it works best if taken in the first 24 hours.

The FDA had been poised to lift all age limits and let Plan B sell over-the-counter in late 2011, when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in an unprecedented move, overruled her own scientists. Sebelius said some girls as young as 11 are physically capable of bearing children but shouldn't be able to buy the pregnancy-preventing pill on their own.

President Barack Obama supported Sebelius' move and a spokesman said earlier this month that the president's position hadn't changed.

The Justice Department could appeal Korman's ruling and seek a stay. If granted, the appeals process would move through the courts, while Plan B is sold over the counter whenever Teva has the product repackaged to meet FDA's requirements.

Absent a stay, "we will want to go back to court as quickly as possible and ask the judge to hold them in contempt," said Janet Crepps, a senior counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The FDA said Tuesday that Teva had provided data proving that girls as young as 15 could understand how Plan B works and use it properly, without the involvement of a health care provider. Teva plans to conduct a consumer-education program, and indicated it is willing to audit whether stores are following the age requirement, the agency said.

FDA said its ruling applies only to Plan B One-Step, and not to generic versions of the pill which would remain behind pharmacy counters with the age-17 restriction.

If a woman already is pregnant, the morning-after pill has no effect. It prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg. According to the medical definition, pregnancy doesn't begin until a fertilized egg implants itself into the wall of the uterus. Still, some critics say Plan B is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it may also be able to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, a contention that many scientists ? and Korman, in his ruling ? said has been discredited.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fda-morning-pill-ok-ages-15-232957915.html

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Synrgic Uno debuts as one of the last TI OMAP-powered Android phones

Taiwan might have an HTC One and an HTC First, but starting today, Singapore has a Synrgic Uno to join the banter (get it?). The name Synrgic might not immediately ring a bell, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll see a mention of its earlier phone plus three tablets from a while back. Alas, said phone was eventually canned as the quality didn't meet expectations, so consider this Uno a new attempt by the same Singaporean startup. Announced in its home city just now, this device is positioned as a mid-tier Android phone with some modest specs, namely a 4.7-inch, 720p IPS display with Gorilla Glass and, more interestingly, a dual-core 1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC (with 1GB DDR2 RAM and SGX 544 graphics chip). With the upcoming TI OMAP 5 series shifting towards automotive systems, chances are the Uno will be one of the last OMAP-powered smartphones before TI waves goodbye to the mobile world.

This 9.5mm-thick, 133g-heavy phone also packs 16GB of built-in storage along with up to 32GB of microSD expansion, which should give plenty of space for the 8-megapixel main camera (with 1080p video capture) plus 2-megapixel front imager. And in case you're wondering, yes, the 2,300mAh battery is removable. As for radios, the Uno comes with quad-band HSPA 3G (up to 21Mbps) as well as the usual package: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, GPS, FM and NFC. The software? Just vanilla Android 4.0.4 (with 4.2 update coming in this quarter) with Google services included, as the 26-year-old Chairman and CEO Cheo Suan Jin isn't too keen on bloatware; and he also promises to release the source code in about two weeks so that the enthusiasts can tinker with other ROMs. The Singapore-designed, South Korea-made Uno is available today for $320 (excluding tax) on Synrgic's website, and free shipping plus "1 for 1" exchange warranty will be provided to select countries in South East Asia.

Gallery: Synrgic Uno debuts as one of the last TI OMAP-powered Android phones

Gallery: Synrgic Uno hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/jtejC1fntOs/

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New research helps to show how turbulence can occur without inertia

Apr. 30, 2013 ? Anyone who has flown in an airplane knows about turbulence, or when the flow of a fluid -- in this case, the flow of air over the wings -- becomes chaotic and unstable. For more than a century, the field of fluid mechanics has posited that turbulence scales with inertia, and so massive things, like planes, have an easier time causing it.

Now, research led by engineers at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that this transition to turbulence can occur without inertia at all.

The study was conducted by associate professor Paulo E. Arratia and graduate student Lichao Pan, both of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics of Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science. They collaborated with professor Christian Wagner of Germany's Saarland University and with professor Alexander Morozov of Scotland's University of Edinburgh.

It was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

One of the most fundamental concepts in fluid dynamics is the Reynolds number. Named for Osborne Reynolds, the late 19^th century physicist who demonstrated how fluid flowing through a pipe transitioned into a turbulent state. Reynolds numbers describe the ratio between viscous forces and inertial forces for given fluids and the conditions they are flowing in. Low Reynolds numbers are associated with "laminar" flow, which is smooth and orderly, while high Reynolds numbers are associated with turbulent flow, which is nonlinear and chaotic.

In laminar, or linear, flow, there is a direct relationship between the force applied to the fluid and how fast it moves. When the applied force is removed, viscous forces stop the fluid's motion. With turbulent, or nonlinear, flows, this relationship is no longer straight forward. This is because inertial forces keep the fluid moving even after the applied force is removed. Briefly stirring a cup of coffee with a spoon will keep the coffee swirling for minutes, but the same effect can't be achieved with a cup of honey.

"What Reynolds elegantly suggested was that the force that makes things go nonlinear or irregular is inertia, since inertia is a nonlinear force itself," Arratia said. "As water flows faster, it has more inertia and thus becomes more turbulent, which is something you can see as you turn the tap on the faucet in your sink."

The transition from smooth to turbulent has obvious implications for massive things, such as airplanes, but surprisingly, it also has an impact on small scales where mass should theoretically not play a factor. It is relevant to the flow of blood in capillaries, or in extracting oil or natural gas from porous rock, as is the case with fracking.

"In fracking, all of these liquids go through tiny pores. Originally, people thought that, since the pores were so small, there would be no inertia and therefore no turbulence, but it's there," Arratia said. "They get all of these fluctuations and unusual pressure drops, and a lot of things would fail because of it."

To explain how turbulence could arise even in the absence of inertia, Arratia's team set out to conduct an experiment similar to Reynolds' famous one, but instead of changing the inertia of the fluid, they changed the fluid itself. In their study, they pumped a polymer-infused fluid through a pipe at a constant rate. Polymers are a common feature of non-Newtonian fluids -- such as blood, ketchup or yogurt -- which have flow properties that change under certain conditions. One of the main features of non-Newtonian fluids is that their material properties, such as viscosity, are nonlinear -- there is not a direct relationship between the amount of force exerted on them and the speed at which they flow.

Another factor in the transition to turbulence is how the linear, smooth flow is initially disturbed so that a chaotic, non-linear flow begins. In Reynolds' experiment, the roughness of the walls of the pipe was sufficient to "kick" the flow into a turbulent state once a sufficient amount of inertia was present. In Arratia's experiment, this roughness was a precisely controlled via a series of cylindrical posts at the beginning of the pipe.

"After 'kicking' the pipe with these posts, we watch the fluid flow a certain distance. If that disturbance decays, the flow is laminar, but if the disturbance is maintained or grows, it's turbulent," Arratia said. "And we saw it grow."

Beyond medical or industrial applications, understanding the interplay between non-Newtonian fluids and turbulence is an important contribution to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics.

"We always thought that inertia had to be there for this transition to take place, but there are other non-linear forces out there," Arratia said. "In this case, even though we're at a low Reynolds number as there's no inertia coming from the mass, because the fluid is non-linear itself you get a very similar transition to the one Osborne Reynolds saw in 1883."

The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pennsylvania.

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Journal Reference:

1. L. Pan, A. Morozov, C. Wagner, P. E. Arratia. Nonlinear Elastic Instability in Channel Flows at Low Reynolds Numbers. Physical Review Letters, 2013; 110 (17) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.174502

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/u9MZxqVMHJY/130430142102.htm

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Collins: Support after coming out 'incredible'

In this photo provided by ABC, NBA basketball veteran Jason Collins, left, poses for a photo with television journalist George Stephanopoulos, Monday, April 29, 2013, in Los Angeles. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins became the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He participated in an exclusive interview with Stephanopoulos, which is scheduled to air on Good Morning America on Tuesday. (AP Photo/ABC, Eric McCandless)

In this photo provided by ABC, NBA basketball veteran Jason Collins, left, poses for a photo with television journalist George Stephanopoulos, Monday, April 29, 2013, in Los Angeles. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins became the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He participated in an exclusive interview with Stephanopoulos, which is scheduled to air on Good Morning America on Tuesday. (AP Photo/ABC, Eric McCandless)

Foto de Jason Collins del 28 de septiembre del 2012, cuando todav?a militaba con los Celtics de Boston. Collins revel? que es gay. Es el primer deportista activo de uno de los cuatro deportes m?s populares de Estados Unidos que confirma que es homosexual.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2013 file photo, then-Boston Celtics center Jason Collins (98) guards Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Auburn Hills, Mich. Jason Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website. The 34-year-old Collins has played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons. He finished this past season with the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent. He says he wants to continue playing. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)

FILE - In a Wednesday, April 17, 2013 file photo, Washington Wizards center Jason Collins, right, battles for a rebound against Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - Boston Celtics center Jason Collins battles Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) for a rebound during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 in Los Angeles. NBA veteran center Collins has become the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins wrote a first-person account posted Monday, April 29, 2013 on Sports Illustrated's website.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Jason Collins said he has gotten "incredible" support since coming out as the first openly gay player in one of the four major U.S. pro sports leagues, and hopes he may have made the path easier for others to follow.

Collins sat down for an interview that was aired by ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, one day after the veteran NBA center revealed his sexuality in a first-person story posted on Sports Illustrated's website.

"I think, I know, in my personal life, I'm ready and I think the country is ready for supporting an openly gay basketball player," Collins told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

ABC aired the interview in two segments, with Stephanopoulos asking Collins in the second portion if he hoped that other players will follow his example.

"I hope that every player makes a decision that leads to their own happiness, whatever happiness that is in life," Collins responded. "I know that I, right now, am the happiest that I've ever been in my life."

Collins said he went through something akin to a 12-step program while deciding to come out, dealing with emotions such as anger and denial.

"But when you finally get to that point of acceptance, there's nothing more beautiful than just allowing yourself to really be happy and be comfortable in your own skin," Collins said.

Dozens of NBA players sent messages to Collins after the story was posted Monday, many doing so through social media. The support didn't stop there, with President Barack Obama also calling to offer his support.

"It's incredible. Just try to live an honest, genuine life and the next thing you know you have the president calling you," Collins said. "He was incredibly supportive and he was proud of me, said this not only affected my life but others going forward."

Collins said he does not know of any other gay NBA players. He also told ABC that he was overwhelmed by the reaction of tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who came out in 1981 and called him a pioneer after he went public with his story.

"I look at her as one of my heroes, the dignity and class that she's lived her life and all that she's achieved in her career," Collins said. "She is my role model. Hopefully going forward I can be someone else's role model."

Collins averaged 1.1 points this season for the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards. He will be a free agent this offseason, and plans to continue his career.

"From my teammates, I'm expecting support because that's what I would do for my teammates," Collins told ABC. "A team is like a family. The NBA is like a brotherhood. And I'm looking at it like we all support each other, on and off the court."

Asked by Stephanopoulos what his story could mean to youth who play basketball and are worried about their futures because they are gay, Collins offered a simple piece of advice.

"It doesn't matter that you're gay. The key thing is that it's about basketball," Collins said. "It's about working hard, it's about sacrificing for your team. It's all about dedication. That's what you should focus on."

In the second part of the ABC interview, Collins discussed what it was like to come out to his family and people closest to him. In the SI piece, Collins said that the first relative he came out to was his aunt, Teri Jackson, a San Francisco Superior Court Judge ? "so I guess she's good at reading people," Collins told ABC.

"When you keep telling yourself a lie, at some point you buy your own cover story, like a CIA spy or something," Collins said.

His own twin brother, Jarron Collins, had no idea about his brother's orientation.

"I am really good at playing it straight," Jason Collins said, laughing at his own joke. "Maybe he needs to hang out with my aunt a little more, get a discerning eye like she has."

Collins told Stephanopoulos that he one day hopes to be married and have children, but currently describes his relationship status as single.

"I tried everything in the book as far as trying to convince myself to lead the life that you should," said Collins, who dated women in the past and was once engaged. "Calling off the wedding was obviously a tough decision, but it was the right one, because I knew I wasn't getting married for the right reasons."

ABC said the interview was taped Monday night in Los Angeles.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-30-BKN-Jason-Collins-ABC-Interview/id-e054167d56b14269b57b2403df3de8c1

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