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On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the moon. The giant leap was made possible by decades of scientific research, rigorous testing, and new innovations spearheaded by NASA with collaborations by many other groups and organizations, one of which was GE. Among other contributions to the technology of the Apollo program, GE researchers developed a special silicon rubber for the astronaut’s boots. This week, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the moon landing, GE, Android Homme and JackThreads collaborated on a new sneaker called The Missions, which Buzz Aldrin is wearing in the picture above. The sneakers feature lightweight carbon fiber used for jet engine components, and a hydrophobic coating similar to the materials that prevent ice from forming on wind turbines. Read more about the collaboration at GE Reports.
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IC5070 - The Pelican Nebula by Jesús M. Vargas and Maritxu Poyal
“New reprocessed. This time the sum total of Narrow Band + RGB + Luminance Halfa shots, treated with stars.”
The Pelican Nebula is an H II region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The gaseous contortions of this emission nebula bear a resemblance to a pelican, giving rise to its name. [**]
(via distant-traveller)
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In France, grocery stores are selling out of ugly produce
One grocery store chain purchases “inglorious fruits and vegetables” and turns them into profit instead of waste. -
If I fits, I sits: 18 photos that prove cats can get comfortable anywhere
Our feline friends are incredibly talented when it comes to getting themselves to fit in tight spaces and peculiar places. -
Possible jet blown shells near microquasar Cygnus X-1
What happens to matter that falls toward an energetic black hole? In the case of Cygnus X-1, perhaps little of that matter actually makes it in. Infalling gas may first collide not only with itself but with an accretion disk of swirling material surrounding the black hole. The result may be a microquasar that glows across the electromagnetic spectrum and produces powerful jets that expel much of the infalling matter back into the cosmos at near light speed before it can even approach the black hole’s event horizon. Confirmation that black hole jets may create expanding shells has come recently from the discovery of shells surrounding Cygnus X-1. Pictured above on the upper right is one such shell quite possibly created by the jet of microquasar and black hole candidate Cygnus X-1. The physical processes that create the black hole jets is a topic that continues to be researched.
Image credit & copyright: Steve Cullen (lightbuckets.com)
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Is the Universe simple or complex? Part II
Mathematical complexity
In 1963, Soviet mathematician Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov formulated what is now known as Kolmogorov complexityto describe the mathematical complexity of an object. His idea, which was independently co-discovered by Argentine-American mathematician and computer scientist Gregory John Chaitin, says that the complexity of an object such as a piece of text is a measure of the computational resources needed to specify it. So if a 10 megapixels photo takes up 10MB — but you can store it as a compressed image in 300KB — then 300KB is the overall complexity of the photo (you can find out more in this Plus article). But is it possible to apply this simple description of complexity to the Universe?
(via wildcat2030)
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Health Check: how food affects mood and mood affects food Eating good food promotes overall health and well-being, but what you eat may also impact how you feel. Research suggests that not only can the food you eat affect your mood, but that your mood may influence the foods you choose to consume. Enjoying a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, wholegrain cereals, legumes, low-fat dairy, lean meat and oily fish, for instance, is associated with reductions in mood swings, depression and anxiety. And the opposite holds for a diet based on foods high in refined sugar (think lollies), one that combines high levels of sugar and fat (cakes, for instance, or pastries), or involves high intakes of caffeine or alcohol.
Highs and lows Basically, the nutrients found in healthy foods appear to work together to cause the brain to produce the “feel-good hormone” serotonin, which is associated with improved mood and feelings of relaxation. And eating foods that maintain a steady blood-sugar level within the appropriate range, such as wholegrain cereals, helps to stabilise mood. But how does your mood affect the foods you select? Results of research on the connection between food selection and poor mood are reasonably consistent − people in a negative frame of mind are more likely to choose sugary, fatty or salty – indulgence or comfort – foods rather than nutritious ones. Indulgence foods may boost energy and improve mood in the short term but these positive effects are usually fleeting. For some people, such effects can often be followed by guilt (because we know those foods aren’t good for us) and a consequent drop in mood. This can trigger more bad eating and set up a vicious circle. Better ways of overcoming negative thoughts include exercising, which has been shown to improve mood by reducing anxiety and stress, or doing fun things such as watching a film, listening to music or visiting friends. Such activities not only enhance mood, but also assist with controlling indulgence food intake. -
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Tiny Molecule May Battle Depression
Levels of a small molecule found only in humans and in other primates are lower in the brains of depressed individuals, according to researchers at McGill Univ. and the Douglas Institute. This discovery may hold a key to improving treatment options for those who suffer from depression.
Depression is a common cause of disability, and while viable medications exist to treat it, finding the right medication for individual patients often amounts to trial and error for the physician. In a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine, Gustavo Turecki, a psychiatrist at the Douglas and professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry at McGill, together with his team, discovered that the levels of a tiny molecule, miR-1202, may provide a marker for depression and help detect individuals who are likely to respond to antidepressant treatment.
Read more: http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2014/06/tiny-molecule-may-battle-depression -
A tiny molecule may help battle depression Levels of a small molecule found only in humans and in other primates are lower in the brains of depressed individuals, according to researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute. This discovery may hold a key to improving treatment options for those who suffer from depression.
Depression is a common cause of disability, and while viable medications exist to treat it, finding the right medication for individual patients often amounts to trial and error for the physician. In a new study to be published in the journal
