Last week, the people in charge of CERN, the European physics lab that is responsible for the highest energy particle collider on the planet, met to decide a course of action for the coming years. Faced with the reality that equipment upgrades would be necessary before the Large Hadron Collider could reach its full, 14TeV energy levels, the managers decided to plan for a long run at half the rated maximum before shutting it down for extensive work.
According to the CERN news page, 7.0TeV collisions (meaning each of the collider’s proton beams running at 3.5TeV) are within the current operational bounds of the machine. But the superconducting hardware that distributes power to the the magnets that control the beams haven’t been fully updated. This hardware was responsible for the failure that shut the LHC down after its short initial run, so its limitations should be fairly clear to the CERN staff. Replacing this equipment requires that the LHC be warmed up from its normal operating temperatures, which are near absolute zero. That, in turn, requires major downtime.
So, run a machine at the highest energies yet achieved, or shut it down for a long time in order to go even higher? The decision was to perform an initial run at 7TeV until a specific data target was reached, which should take 18 months to two years. At that point, the LHC would be shut down for upgrades that could take a year or more. Scienceis reporting that the delay has caused Fermilab administrators to reevaluate plans to shut the Tevatron down.
The initial run of the machine allowed researchers to calibrate their instruments on known particles—a scientist who works on the ATLAS detector told Ars that the initial data was “absolutely beautiful.” Dealing with extended operational data should give the grid computing system that analyzes the results a full workout, and may even turn up some predicted particles that lie outside of the reach of the Tevatron’s energies. Next week, we’ll be taking a tour of Brookhaven’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider that will include a teleconference with scientists at CERN, so expect more from the world of particle physics soon.
I received this email this morning from Roger Harribin, the BBC’s environmental analyst. It’s interesting because I received an email from the Guardian yesterday asking if I’d like to write a 200 word guest piece. Unfortunately it somehow ended up in my spam filter (which I found this morning) so I missed the 3 PM GMT deadline today. Here’s what Mr. Harrabin wrote. I hope WUWT readers will come to aid, especially since skeptics are now apparently getting a voice in UK MSM.
Dear Mr Watts,
I am trying to talk to UK scientists in current academic posts who are sceptical about AGW.
I’m struggling to find anyone – but there may of course be a number of reasons for this. Please could you post my request on your website – and ask people to email [email protected].
We are looking for scientists, of course – not insults.
It strikes me that it might be useful to meet sometime to discuss a project I am planning on the weather.
If you know of a skeptical scientist in the UK that may be interested, please advise them of this. Thanks to all for your consideration. – Anthony Updated below by Piers Corbyn at WUWT
Today i was going through a thread by ‘Tejas’ on fitting a camcorder in his car to record his trip to Mahabaleshwar, and the first thing that came to my mind on reading the Title, was an episode of CSI on AXN, in which the Cops catch the Bad Guys on the basis of the video clip recorded by the Car’s Event Data Recorder.
It struck me as something which is indispensable for indian driving conditions where every now and then a motorcyclist is hit by beemer or something and it is always publicized to be the mistake of the Car driver.
So what is everybody’s take on this? Should at least the High-End cars being sold in India, be Factory-fitted with such a Device or the customer be provided with an option to get such a device fitted from the Dealer?
The pipeline will connect three reservoirs in order to save money on energy costs.
The planned pipeline from Lake Palestine will connect to the Cedar Creek and Richland-Chamber reservoirs.
The Tarrant Regional Water District received approval for a $101 million loan to finance part of a 180-mile pipeline serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Texas Water Development Board announced in January.
The pipeline from Lake Palestine will be jointly developed by Dallas Water Utilities, and combine two independent projects in order to save $500 million in capital costs. Additionally it will cost several billion dollars in future operations and maintenance costs, according to Wayne Owen, the planning director for Tarrant Regional.
Total cost for the project is estimated at $1.6 billion.
By connecting Lake Palestine with two of Tarrant Regional’s existing supply reservoirs, the water district will save on energy costs, Owen told Circle of Blue.
“This project will allow us to move water from any of the three sources in regards to most economic means,” Owen said. “The biggest expense for us is energy to pump and transport water. A large portion of the savings is in energy.”
The pipeline will increase Tarrant Regional’s supply capacity by nearly 200 million gallons per day, while Dallas will divert 150 million gallons per day.
The pipeline route will be finalized in March, and construction could start as early as 2013, said Chad Lorance, communications manager for Tarrant Regional. The water district hopes to finish the project by 2018.
The subsidized loan from the water development board will cover conceptual design and permitting costs and will be paid for by annual bond issues over the next six years, Owen said.
Money for the loan came from the water development board’s Water Infrastructure Fund, which finances projects included in the state water plan, said Ken Peterson, general counsel for the board.
The state water plan, last updated in 2007, aims to develop projects that will maintain a 50-year supply of water for Texas, Peterson told Circle of Blue.
The new pipeline will not affect Tarrant’s lawsuit against Oklahoma for access to its water resources, Owen said. Instead, the pipeline’s expanded capacity will allow the water district to fully use the water in its existing reservoirs.
Tarrant Regional’s lawsuit was revived in December when U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton allowed the water district to file an amended complaint clarifying its position. The Oklahoma attorney general’s office filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint earlier last month. The judge has not ruled on either action, Owen said.
Tarrant Regional supplies water to 1.7 million customers through wholesale contracts to the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington and to the Trinity River Authority.
(This guest post originally appeared at the author’s blog)
James Carville, the famed political strategist once said:
” I used to think if there was reincarnation, I wanted to come back as the President, or the pope, or a .400 baseball hitter. But now I want to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody.”
In today’s world, the bond market runs through Bill Gross, the Founder and CEO of PIMCO. The soft spoken Californian, former professional blackjack player and billionaire, oversees over one trillion (with a T) dollars in assets under management. He has been referred to as the 4th branch of the U.S. government and with the bond market under his thumb it’s not a stretch to say that he is the most powerful man in the United States.
His current outlook for the U.S. economy is not particularly rosy (read his latest outlook here). Gross recently coined the term “the new normal” when talking about the post-crisis economy. He believes the global economy has been effectively reset as investors take on less risk, de-leverage the mountain of debt, regulation hampers growth and de-globalization takes hold. He believes this is best presented by the low expectations in the bond market where 10 year treasuries, at 3.5%, are still positioned for very meager economic growth. He says we are entering a sustained period of low growth and low inflation.
A year ago, Gross was seen as a co-conspirator of sorts in the government bailouts. As the U.S. government began to take stakes in financial institutions Gross jumped in head first with them. He piled his firm’s assets into the riskiest of risky assets in what turned out to be a brilliantly simple bet – the U.S. government won’t let these assets fail therefore, we are wise to invest along side them. It couldn’t have worked out much better for the bond king. He is rumored to have netted $1.7B alone on the day of the Fannie and Freddie bailouts. Some saw it as talking his book and asking for his own bailout. Others see it as unrivaled power and brilliance.
Gross believes the U.S. economic recovery has been largely based on the stimulus and that the economy could suffer a relapse when the stimulus is finally removed. In preparation he says investors are wise to move money into stable, conservative income generating assets. He also says assets are likely to move from debt-laden governments such as the U.S and U.K. into those who were more fiscally responsible such as Germany and China.
So where is an investor to look for high quality, stable and conservative fixed income assets in this low yield, high risk environment? At the 2010 Barron’s roundtable Gross made a number of suggestions. He currently likes the Reaves Utility Income fund (ticker: UTG) which is a stable utility fund yielding 7.25%. He also likes the PIMCO Corporate Opportunity a high yield corporate bond fund that Gross himself manages. It yields a juicy 13%. In terms of specific bonds Gross still likes to trade along side the government. He recommends investors look into the GMAC 8% due 2031 and the AIG 8.25% due 2018.
Solidar will once again celebrate individuals and organisations that have made an extraordinary contribution to the fight for more social justice in Europe and around the world. A jury made up of Members of the European Parliament who share SOLIDAR’s values will meet in December to decide on the winners. The jury is chaired this year by Véronique de Keyser, a Member of the European Parliament from Belgium.
You can nominate any individual or organisation which you find has made or is making an outstanding contribution for more social justice, international solidarity, democracy or human rights within the two categories a) European Social Justice and b) International Solidarity. Nominations can be made here until 25 November 2009.
Deadliest Catch Captain Phil Harris is showing “good signs of improvement” after suffering a stroke last Friday, sons Jake and Josh Harris told fans this week.
Harris was airlifted to an Anchorage hospital after collapsing while unloading his boat, The Cornelia Marie, at a port on St. Paul Island, Alaska. Doctors there placed Harris under a coma to reduce brain swelling. The tattooed Skipper woke up from the medically-induced coma yesterday afternoon with fighting words for his nurses.
“Today Dad showed some good signs of improvement, squeezing our hands and even summoning his trademark captain’s bluntness by telling the doctors and nurses, ‘Don’t f–k up,’” Josh and Jake reported on the Discovery Channel show’s site Wednesday. “We are encouraged, but still very cautious. It is a long road ahead, but it’s made more bearable and comforting knowing your thoughts and prayers are with us. We are strong because of you—our fans.”
Deadliest Catch is a reality fan favorite and even won an Emmy for its adventures on the high seas.
DEF points us to a recent appeals court (federal circuit) ruling that held that the University of South Carolina cannot use the letters USC on its sports uniforms because the University of Southern California already claims those letters. Seriously. It’s hard to see how this makes much sense at all. USC is an accurate acronym for both schools, and it makes no sense to limit it. In an amazingly obnoxious gloating victory note, the lawyer for the USC from California “suggested that the letters were more deservedly linked to the Trojans’ warrior image than to ‘a goofy little chicken,’” by which he meant the logo of the South Carolina teams. The lawyer for the USC from the east coast noted that “Southern manners” kept him from responding to that point.
The political resurrection of Judy Baar Topinka seems to have begun with the former three-term state treasurer on her way to winning the Republican primary for comptroller.
With 97 percent of precincts unofficially reporting, the Riverside Republican had a substantial lead, approximately 59 percent of the vote, over fellow contenders Jim Dodge, an Orland Park trustee and Metra board member, and William Kelly, a Chicago television producer and former director of National Taxpayers United of Illinois.
Topinka said Dodge had called her to concede.
“Mr. Dodge conceded in a genteel fashion,” she said. “He’s a classy candidate and it was kind of him to do what he did.”
Topinka said she had not heard from William Kelly, a Chicago television producer and former director of National Taxpayers United of Illinois.
Commenting on her victory, Topinka said, “I think the public understands that we are in a fiscal crisis the likes of which this state has not seen and they are going to entrust the fiscal office to people who know what they’re doing.”
If she prevails in November’s general election, Topinka says she will push for a balanced budget and for the state to pay its bills on time.
“We’re ready to hit the ground running,” she said.
On the Democratic side, with 98 percent of precincts unofficially reporting, the race for the Democratic nomination appears too close to call.
State Rep. David Miller of Lynwood has 46.4 percent of the vote compared to Hoffman Estates attorney S. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s 45.9 percent of the vote.
Clinton “Clint” Krislov, a Wilmette tax attorney had 7.6 percent of the vote. Green Party candidate nominee Erika Schafer of Chicago ran unopposed.
Miller wasn’t overly concerned with the tight race. He said he’s been in this position before. Ten years ago, he won his seat in the General Assembly by 29 votes following a recount.
“We’re in a better position than we were 10 years ago,” he said.
“We’ve looked at the numbers, where we are now and we’re very confident.”
As the state’s chief fiscal control officer, the comptroller is responsible for paying the state’s bills.
The treasurer also pays the state’s bills, in addition to overseeing investments and safekeeping funds.
The comptroller oversees about 300 employees and a budget of $118 million.
It’s upon us! National Signing Day is here! It’s like a whole season unto itself! Will anyone top Florida and Texas? Will upstart Auburn out-recruit national champion Alabama? Some folks put a lot of stock into recruiting and some don’t. We’ll have updates along the way today. Sound off and tell us what you know about your team and what big surprises are in store for some teams!
STANDINGS:
Rivals:
Team Points
1 USC 3003
2 Florida 2938
3 Texas 2728
4 Auburn 2485
5 Alabama 2308
6 LSU 2255
7 Oklahoma 2213
8 UCLA 2105
9 Tennessee 2048
10 Florida State 1953
11 California 1875
12 Penn State 1852
13 Oregon 1851
14 Notre Dame 1618
15 Texas A&M 1587
16 Georgia 1581
17 Ole Miss 1554
18 Clemson 1551
19 West Virginia 1533
20 Michigan 1479
21 Missouri 1446
22 Virginia Tech 1430
23 Nebraska 1407
24 Miami 1347
25 South Carolina 1342
ESPN:
1) Florida
2) Texas
3) Alabama
4) Auburn
5) Oklahoma
6) FSU
7) USC
8) LSU
9) Tennessee
10) UCLA
11) Penn State
12) Georgia
13) Miami
14) Michigan
15) California
16) Ohio State
17) Texas A&M
18) Stanford
19) Clemson
20) Washington
21) Notre Dame
22) Oregon
23) South Carolina
24) North Carolina
25) Ole Miss
SCOUT:
Team Rankings
1. Florida 28 SEC 5384
2. Oklahoma 29 Big 12 5147
3. Texas 25 Big 12 5134
4. Alabama 29 SEC 4464
5. USC 20 Pac-10 4425
6. Auburn 32 SEC 4313
7. LSU 29 SEC 4063
8. UCLA 24 Pac-10 4050
9. Penn State 20 Big Ten 3857
10. Florida State 24 ACC 3830
11. Washington 30 Pac-10 3633
12. Michigan 27 Big Ten 3594
13. Oregon 23 Pac-10 3262
14. Mississippi 25 SEC 3184
15. Tennessee 25 SEC 3175
16. Pittsburgh 24 Big East 3151
17. Miami (Fl) 28 ACC 3096
18. Oklahoma State 27 Big 12 3086
19. Notre Dame 23 Indep 3033
20. Ohio State 18 Big Ten 3032
21. Georgia 19 SEC 2990
22. BYU 26 MWC 2900
23. Clemson 23 ACC 2838
24. Stanford 23 Pac-10 2814
25. Texas A&M 22 Big 12 2688 .
Ski resorts face tough choices and an uncertain future. (Photo: Bill Sullivan)
Anyone who has ever traveled to a big-time ski resort knows that conquering the mountain is a daunting task – and an expensive one, too.
For the 2009-10 season, a one-day lift ticket at Vail (Colorado) is $97 for an adult. Over at Aspen/Snowmass, a two-day advance purchase pass will set you back $191.
Of course, that’s just the beginning. If you’re a flatlander or a relative novice, you’ll probably have to rent equipment. (Plan on $40 a day and up.) If you’ve never skied at all, you’ll want to get a few pointers before climbing onto that lift: At Vail, a one day beginner lesson at Golden Peak Ski and Snowboard School is $165.
Planning to stay close to the slopes? The Vail Plaza Hotel & Club can keep you near all the action. For a mid-March visit, a standard room with two queen beds runs about $539 a night. If you’re bringing a crowd, a three-bedroom condo averages $2,475 each evening you put head to pillow.
Yes, there are less tony accommodations at not quite so chic locales, and rates vary by time of season (Christmas and Spring Break are the most expensive bookings), but you get the point. The ski trade is Big Business backed by even Bigger Businesses, and enormous investments are subject to conditions that can change… like the weather.
But what happens when the weather itself actually changes? Global warming is a concept that sends chills down the spine of owners and operators at otherwise remote outposts in Colorado, Utah and California, not to mention Canada and Europe. A steady snowfall from before Thanksgiving through early April is essential to keeping companies afloat and locals gainfully employed.
Those good times and big payoffs are threatened as the Earth heats up.
“People in the industry are definitely paying attention,” says Mark Williams, University of Colorado geography professor and a fellow at CU-Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. “A small change of climate that changes snow to rain changes the industry.
“They’re quite aware of what could potentially happen with climate change.”
A little over a year ago, Williams and Brian Lazar of Stratus Consulting Inc. of Boulder released a study that combined temperature and precipitation data with general climate circulation models, focusing on Aspen Mountain in Colorado and Park City Mountain in Utah, resorts who combined to sponsor the research.
The study produced some startling conclusions:
Snowlines (elevations below which seasonal snowpack doesn’t develop) will move up more than 2,400 feet at the two ski areas by 2100.
Using a “business as usual” scenario and assuming that the future rate of CO2 increase will be similar to the current rate, the model projects that average temperatures will rise by four degrees Fahrenheit at the two resorts by 2030 and by 8.6 degrees in Aspen and 10.4 degrees in Park City by the dawn of the next century.
By 2030, ski seasons will be squeezed on each end, with snow falling later and melting earlier.
Many ski areas in California’s Sierra Nevada, the Cascades in Oregon and Washington, and Eastern areas in Pennsylvania and West Virginia could be forced to close in the coming decades due to warmer conditions.
The three-way rumble between the Colonial Marines, the Predators, and the Aliens (okay, Xenomorphs) will commence tomorrow when Sega drops the Aliens vs. Predator multiplayer demo on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC gamers’ laps.
Garuda Indonesia is leveraging the 2010 Singapore Airshow this week to spotlight its new livery and interior decor, using a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 with blended winglets as the platform.
Boeing has delivered five 737-800s to Garuda Indonesia, which has 20 more on order.
“Garuda’s presence at the Singapore Airshow is a statement of its commitment to leadership, reinforcing its position as a major carrier in Asia,” said Rob Laird, vice president of Sales for East & Southeast Asia, Commercial Airplanes.
“Garuda’s 737 on display also reinforces Garuda’s focus on efficiency and reliability and is a proud symbol of the close partnership between Boeing and Garuda.”
Garuda Indonesia President and CEO Emirsyah Satar added, “Garuda Indonesia has an aggressive fleet expansion plan which is part of the airline’s ‘quantum leap’ transformation strategy. This includes a near doubling of the fleet from 67 airplanes to 116.
The 737-800 will support these expansion plans as we add new domestic routes and increase frequencies on regional services.”
Nearly 120 customers around the world have ordered more than 5,000 Next-Generation 737s.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Linda Lee, +1 206-766-2905
International Communications
Boeing Commercial Airplanes [email protected]
Leif Garrett — the ’70s answer to Justin Bieber — was collared on drug charges after an arrest in Los Angeles early Monday.
The former actor/singer, now 48, was busted by cops at a train station and taken into custody on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. He was released from jail on Wednesday morning and is due to answer the charge in court on Feb. 24.
The arrest is the latest in a hard fall from grace for the the ex-Idol, who shot to fame at the age of 15 with his hit single “I Was Made For Dancin.” ‘Garrett served 90 days behind bars when he was found in possession of heroin and the sedative Quaalude in 2006.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart takes on the Toyotathon of Death – Click above to watch the video after the jump
Where there’s funny to be found, you can count on Jon Stewart to find it. The much-loved host of news parody program The Daily Show has proven a knack for exposing the humorous side of whatever’s happening in the news, and lately, well…that’s been Toyota and its two recalls. So it was only a matter of time until his Comedy Central crew took a good-natured jab at the world’s largest automaker in its most difficult time.
In the video after the jump, you’ll find Stewart and his troop noting the overwhelming irony behind Toyota’s unstoppable acceleration in the marketplace, the explosive flip-side of its superior gas mileage, company president Akio Toyoda’s use of an Audi wagon in Switzerland, and, of course, what this means for Detroit’s Big 3 automakers. Set aside five minutes, put a handful of Fritos in your mouth and watch the “Toyotathon of Death.” Bonus: David Letterman also took a swing at Toyota on the Late Show. Watch both funnymen ply their craft at Toyota’s expense after the jump.
I’m sure you’ve seen it. It’s all over the news. People are finally beginning to come around to that inconvenient truth about our feet, that dirty little secret that shoe companies would prefer to keep under wraps: barefoot is better.
There has been media coverage of the barefoot trend in the past, mostly intermittent, in running magazines and always taking a patronizing tone. It follows the same formula: more idle speculation on a bizarre fad that a select few crazies are promoting, with plenty of “balance” from stuffy foot specialists expressing doubt that the inherently fragile, gentle human foot could ever withstand the rigors of walking unshod without “serious injury,” than any serious consideration of the merits. But now we’ve got a nice, juicy study to hang our hats (or our shoes) on, and media outlets are falling over themselves to get the scoop.
The study in question was Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman’s on “Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners.” (See comparison videos below. The difference between shod heel strike running and barefoot forefoot strike running is visually and graphically captured. For more on what you’re seeing check out NPR’s coverage.) It’s hard to believe that this is the first study of its kind, though, probably because it actually isn’t. Last year, researchers ran a similar study and decided that “Footwear Alters Normal Form and Function of the Foot” by exerting acute pressure to sensitive areas of the foot, whereas barefoot walkers enjoyed wider forefeet and more evenly distributed locomotive stress. Interesting, but probably because it didn’t make any bold pronouncements and because it dealt with the relatively mundane act of walking (rather than running), the study didn’t get any press. They could have recommended people throw off their shoes, but that wouldn’t be prudent. It wouldn’t be responsible. I can’t fault them for that, really. Researchers need funding, and you don’t want to make bold pronouncements if it means getting cut off or reprimanded. Unfortunately, scientists need to be bold to effect real change.
Even when the “experts” get it so, so right, they do their best to get it wrong in the end, or they hedge their bets and stick with the safe answer, rather than question Conventional Wisdom entirely (even if the data contradicts CW directly). I’m reminded of when Gary Taubes famously lamented a similar mindset in physicians and obesity researchers who, although they understood (and even witnessed in a clinical setting) the chronic insulin/body fat connection, continued to recommend the standard low-fat, high-carb, low-calorie diet to their patients. They connect all the dots, but fail to see the bigger picture clearly outlined by those dots. To their credit, though, researchers can and do make sensible recommendations within the context of Conventional Wisdom. The researchers from that walking study did ultimately call for the design of “quality footwear” that doesn’t “hamper the foot’s biologically normal function.” Better than nothing, I suppose.
Now, even though I agree with Lieberman’s conclusions (actually, because I’m such a huge fan of barefoot), it pays to be critical. I know Lieberman has affiliations with Vibram – in fact, he may have even helped them design the Fivefingers – and that they probably funded the study, and I know that we hem, haw, and cast skeptical eyes on Pfizer when they fund yet another statin paper. There’s a major difference between the two, though: Lieberman is right. His data is strong. He isn’t hiding anything or fudging the results. We’re right. Barefoot is better. There’s no shame in that, you know – being right. There are objective truths out there, and the objective truth is that most people aren’t born with genetically defective feet. Everyone’s imperfect, sure, but for the most part we’ve all got the same basic equipment with the same basic biomechanics working under the hood. Unless you have a birth defect, no one is born with feet that “won’t work right” or that “require shoes”. The flat footed (no arch) argument doesn’t stand up as an excuse, except when you’ve already spent a lifetime coddling your feet in supportive casts. A cautionary word that anyone transitioning to a barefoot lifestyle should take it VERY easy at first.
There was one more response to the barefoot running study that bears mentioning: Brooks (world famous running shoe company) CEO Jim Weber’s scrambling blog post. You know – I feel for the guy. It’s gotta be tough to make a reasonable response to a scientifically sound piece of research that refutes almost everything you’ve built your business on. I mean, what is he supposed to do? Admit that he’s been wrong this whole time? Admit that his shoes are basically coffins for the feet? Naturally, he goes with the entirely unsubstantiated claim that the “vast majority of runners” should race “in a performance running shoe, not barefoot.” Apparently, we barefooters are a genetically gifted breed of athlete who are “biomechanically blessed” with “natural healthy gaits.” Hmm. So, the natural, normal gait is actually somehow rare and precious. It doesn’t occur naturally. Got it. Jim, did you ever stop to think why so many of your runners seem to lack that natural healthy gait? Perhaps it’s the shoes. Our “unique biomechanical needs” are only unique because we’ve been smashing, smushing, and confining our feet to too-small, too-constrictive, too-structured footwear for years. Check out your comments section, dude. The people have spoken. You can’t ignore anecdotal evidence pouring in from all sides forever.
I eagerly await your upcoming, inevitable barefoot-analogous running shoe model.
When the CEO of a major running shoe company makes a public acknowledgment, that’s a sign. A sea change is undoubtedly occurring here, folks. The media may help spur things along, but they’re just reporting what’s really happening out there. If there wasn’t a massive audience for the barefoot message present and willing to get out there and experiment for themselves, there’d be no story. Just check out the comment sections for all the blogs and all the newspaper articles dealing with the study. In previous barefoot articles, most of the comments were either dubious or dismissive of the “fad”; now, the naysayers clinging to their Nikes are being drowned out by barefoot evangelists. I applaud them.
You’re part of what made this possible. Now, let’s hope the rest of the Primal Blueprint gains some ground out there!
University Park, Pa. — An internal inquiry by Penn State into the research and scholarly activities of a well-known climate scientist will move into the investigatory stage, which is the next step in the University’s process for reviewing research conduct.
A University committee has concluded its inquiry into allegations of research impropriety that were leveled in November against Professor Michael Mann, after information contained in a collection of stolen e-mails was revealed. More than a thousand e-mails are reported to have been “hacked” from computer servers at the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia in England, one of the main repositories of information about climate change.
During the inquiry, all relevant e-mails pertaining to Mann or his work were reviewed, as well as related journal articles, reports and additional information. The committee followed a well-established University policy during the inquiry (http://guru.psu.edu/policies/ra10.html ).
In looking at four possible allegations of research misconduct, the committee determined that further investigation is warranted for one of those allegations. The recommended investigation will focus on determining if Mann “engaged in, directly or indirectly, any actions that seriously deviated from accepted practices within the academic community for proposing, conducting or reporting research or other scholarly activities.” A full report (http://www.research.psu.edu/orp) concerning the allegations and the findings of the inquiry committee has been submitted.
It’s that time of year! The eagerly-awaited annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition hits newsstands next week and for the third year in a row this year’s covergirl will unveil the cover with CBS funny guy David Letterman. The identity of the 2010 cover model, will be revealed on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, Feb. 8. The model will join Letterman in the flesh the following night.
Maroon 5 has been tipped to perform at an issue launch party at Vanity Nightclub in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas next Wednesday night. The 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue will also launch online, on your iPhone, and anywhere magazines are sold Wednesday. Feb. 11.
I received this email this morning from Roger Harribin, the BBC’s environmental analyst. It’s interesting because I received an email from the Guardian yesterday asking if I’d like to write a 200 word guest piece. Unfortunately it somehow ended up in my spam filter (which I found this morning) so I missed the 3 PM GMT deadline today. Here’s what Mr. Harrabin wrote. I hope WUWT readers will come to aid, especially since skeptics are now apparently getting a voice in UK MSM.
The political resurrection of Judy Baar Topinka seems to have begun with the former three-term state treasurer on her way to winning the Republican primary for comptroller.
About 18 percent of registered McHenry County voters made their way to local polling places Tuesday.
Garuda Indonesia is leveraging the 2010 Singapore Airshow this week to spotlight its new livery and interior decor, using a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 with blended winglets as the platform.
I’m sure you’ve seen it. It’s all over the news. People are finally beginning to come around to that inconvenient truth about our feet, that dirty little secret that shoe companies would prefer to keep under wraps: barefoot is better.