Friday, September 30, 2011

Physicists consider their own carbon footprint

ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2011) ? In October's issue of Physics World, Phil Marshall, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford, calls on physicists to pull their weight when it comes to climate change, drawing on his own research showing that astronomers average 23,000 air miles per year flying to observatories, conferences and meetings, and use 130 KWh more energy per day than the average US citizen.

Marshall says that physicists must not only act as "trusted voices" in climate-change debates, but also do all they can to reduce their own carbon footprints.

This must involve a change of behaviour at the individual level -- say by skipping an overseas scientific meeting and taking part via video conference call instead -- and as an entire community, particularly by carefully planning future experiments to try and make them as "carbon-neutral" as possible.

"Individual physicists can help to solve the energy problem, and not just the ones whose research is in new technologies; we can all contribute by setting the right example," writes Marshall.

It is an urgent problem for physics as many current "big-science" facilities -- from huge particle accelerators to massive ground-based telescopes -- have a frightening energy demand, Marshall notes. CERN's Large Hadron Collider, for example, has an energy bill as big as that of all the households in the region around Geneva, estimated to be around ?10m.

Marshall's comments are timely as researchers are set to meet up in mid-October to identify ways to do large-scale physics research with a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supply that is carbon-neutral.

The venue of this workshop -- Lund, in Sweden -- is an appropriate location for the meeting as the city will also play host to the first ever carbon-neutral, big-science facility -- the ?1.48bn European Spallation Source (ESS) -- which is set to come online towards the end of the decade. All of the ESS's electricity will come from renewable sources and more than half the heat it generates will be fed back into the system.

Carbon reduction is, of course, not the only challenge facing those designing massively complex scientific facilities like the ESS. As explained in the first ever Physics World big-science supplement, which accompanies the October issue of the magazine, these challenges are many and varied -- ranging from the financial and technical to the political and scientific.

Also in this month's issue:

  • Relativity's new revolution -- how computer simulations are pointing to rogue black holes that could be cannonballing through the universe
  • Making sense of common sense -- Duncan Watts from Yahoo! Research explains how physicists are muscling in on sociology

Physics World is available online at: http://physicsworld.com

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Institute of Physics, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929235151.htm

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Straightforward Home Improvement Strategies If You Have Any ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Try looking for heavier duty doors that can help prevent sound from escaping. They don't have to be sound proof but there are doors that help add to the quietness of your sleeping areas. Another fun home improvement ...

Source: http://www.inventivearticles.com/home-and-family/straightforward-home-improvement-strategies-if-you-have-any-swimming-pool-and-large-lawn/

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Carlucci 2010 ? Precisely What Is Fax Software?

fax software can be an software that could be put in onto the desktop of the process and may be used to mail, get and arrange fax messages. This moderately small-scale sized application can provide operational pros and utility amazing benefits with the people even when satisfying their fax conversation requires. Sending, obtaining, arranging, storing and printing fax messages generally is a regime and cumbersome project but this job is crucial for any progress of business and maintaining seamless communication when by using the shoppers. Fax communication should be a facilitator of organisation and should always not turned out to be a endeavor unto alone. The Unfortunate Point Is, a large amount of organizations use further employees just to manage the fax communications. fax software can do that task immediately and may also be personalized and tweaked to enhance effectiveness, all at a relatively decrease expense.

fax software can deliver and obtain faxes in the click on of the button. The computer software has the ability to convert the received faxes into a digital format and store them for later use. The software is also capable of storing all received faxes in a sequential order and can retrieve any fax that the user may want to scrutinize instantly. This saves large amounts of time, work and price for your consumers who don?t have to bodily hunt for the document after they possess a electronic replicate on their desktops. Sending faxes can be built simpler and easier when applying the fax software; they connect with the fax device, dial the quantity of the recipient and ship the fax routinely, absolutely doing absent with the guide course of action concerned. This characteristic can also be particularly helpful would be the consumer needs to deliver many different web page faxes to your recipient. More Generally Than Not, sending multi pages by way of fax wants the individual interest from the user but the fax software minimizes this need to have. Faxes may also be timed to become sent at a specific time slot additionally, the person would need not be bodily around to send the fax.

fax software can also be linked to from the internet fax program companies who deliver and obtain faxes on behalf of this end users. this allows the person to ship, acquire and scrutinize faxes from anyplace, assuming that you can find on-line connectivity. fax software that could be linked to a fax company supplier may make guaranteed that the user maintains a paperless office without having compromising to the demands of your prospects and consumers. fax software is accessible for at very low charges and also can lower the operational expenditure of your consumers by minimizing manpower, phone and stationery fees

Source: http://www.carlucci2010.com/fax-software/precisely-what-is-fax-software/

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Best Penny stock investing Brokers for choosing Penny Stocks ...

Posted on September 14th, 2011 by How To Get Pregnant

In case you are considering trading small cap stocks and another with the steps you?ll want to take would be to go with a penny stock trading broker. I worked for the major brokerage house for some a number of many of the nations largest firms don?t want their customers buying penny stocks.Perhaps you have ready for this? broker ratings

As a result, many of them have a very fee structure which makes it to expensive for trade. The fact is that many of the accounts that trade penny stock lists are small accounts plus they need a lots of oversight. The big brokerage firms would prefer to take care of customers who?ve accounts with large dollars amounts.Trying to find brand new stocks? great penny stocks

It is virtually impossible to trade penny stock lists with a full service broker. The commissions are extremely large plus they eat into your profits to much. I recommend that you buy very cheap stocks online by having an online broker in order to keep your costs in check.

Reasonable Commissions

Seemingly, the main consideration in choosing an online broker for almost all people may be the cost of executing a trade. Include the commissions reasonable? Penny stock trading trading involves trading a lot of shares. As opposed to trades with a 100 or so shares you will end up making trades with potentially A large number of shares. Which means you are ideally searching for firms with low one-time fee costs per trade without hidden fees for inexpensive stocks.

Reliability

The next characteristic you are interested in in choosing anything stock broker is reliability. Within this category, I?d include a few things. How quick is he at executing your stock trade? How easy to use is their trading interface? How reliable is their website?

How good would be the tools that they make on hand that could aid your trading? Tools such as charts, research, recommendations, etc. And lastly, additionally you must ensure that trading firm is just not some fly by night company. You want to make sure they?ve been around and that they have a very good reputation in the market.

Customer support

Another characteristic I?d personally try to find when trying to determine which firm is the greatest firm to acquire penny stock lists online with is usually to look at their customer satisfaction. Sooner or later you?ll have to deal with customer service. You?ll need to open a forex account and possibly transfer money from time to time. Maybe you have questions about individual trades which you have made. You might have queries about a number of the fees which might be charged. Maybe you have questions about your margin account. You will possess questions so ensure you look for a company with a customer support reputation.

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Posted in Uncategorized |

Source: http://www.clomidsuccessrates.info/best-penny-stock-investing-brokers-for-choosing-penny-stocks-online/

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Pink Well Breast Cancer Survivor Dance Tribute | Finance Assistant

September 12th, 2011


Disco superstar Gloria Gaynor joined well-known Texas philanthropists Lester and Sue Smith in a colorful, surprise dance tribute performed by more than 200 breast cancer survivors and supporters at the Houston Galleria mall June 4, 2011. The upbeat video was released June 5 in conjunction with National Cancer Survivors Day. The event had a single goal ?to celebrate the survivor in all of us and raise awareness about breast cancer, a disease that strikes one in eight women nationally. The event also launched the Smith?s Pink Well Challenge, a national campaign symbolized by an active pink pump jack located in the heart of West Texas. Through Pink Well Challenge, the Lester and Sue Smith Foundation will give away up to $1 million in matching funds to eligible breast cancer organizations. Applications are being taken at www.pinkwell.org until October 1, 2011. Featured dancers included the Smiths, who are two-time National Latin Dance Champions. A successful Texas oilman, Smith is also a two-time cancer survivor.

Categories: FUNDS

Tags: Breast, Cancer, Dance, Pink, Survivor, Tribute, Well

Source: http://www.finance-assistant.info/funds/pink-well-breast-cancer-survivor-dance-tribute.html

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

One bag? Sail through security at Pittsburgh airport

Pittsburgh International Airport

Beginning Tuesday, travelers with just one carry-on item will be able to breeze through Pittsburgh International Airport's new Express Security Lane.

By Harriet Baskas, msnbc.com contributor

Air travelers trying to avoid checked?luggage fees by taking along extra carry-ons often clog up the works at security checkpoints.

But passengers flying out of Pittsburgh International Airport? now have incentive to pack light and check those bags.

Beginning Tuesday,? travelers with just one carry-on item will be able to breeze through the airport?s new Express Security Lane,?believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

?Traffic has been increasing at our airport, and the checkpoint lines have been getting longer. This could pull up to 25 percent?of the people out of the longer line and improve everyone?s experience,? said Bradley Penrod, executive director/CEO for the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

The express line received approval from the Transportation Security Administration and will be staffed by?security officers?who will send passengers with both a carry-on bag and another item, such as a computer bag or purse, to one of the other, non-express, checkpoint lines. Jackets will be allowed, but not carry-ons larger than 22" by 14" by 9".

?The program at Pittsburg International Airport is one example of TSA partnering with airports to improve the passenger experience, while providing world-class security,? said TSA spokesperson Greg Soule.?

Frequent flier and registered traveler programs already promise some travelers a quicker path to the secure side of many of the nation?s more than 450 commercial airports, but Pittsburgh airport?officials believe they?ve come up with a novel, universally accessible idea.??

?Even TSA couldn?t confirm we were the first airport to do this," said Penrod. "But we expect if it works here, other airports will start offering express lanes as well.?

More on Overhead Bin

Find more by Harriet Baskas on Stuck at The Airport.com and follow her on Twitter.

?

Source: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/12/7728190-just-one-bag-sail-through-security-at-pittsburgh-airport

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Petrified Forest adds 26,000 acres of private land

FILE - This 2001 file photo shows part of the Blue Mesa Trail in the Petrified Forest National Park, Ariz. The National Park Service secured the first major private ranch within the Petrified Forest National Park boundaries on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, capping off negotiations that began years ago with the help of a conservation group. Scientists say they're eager to explore the more than 26,000 acres that have remained largely untouched and discover even more treasures. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

FILE - This 2001 file photo shows part of the Blue Mesa Trail in the Petrified Forest National Park, Ariz. The National Park Service secured the first major private ranch within the Petrified Forest National Park boundaries on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, capping off negotiations that began years ago with the help of a conservation group. Scientists say they're eager to explore the more than 26,000 acres that have remained largely untouched and discover even more treasures. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

FILE - This is an undated file photo of the Petrified Forest National Park, Ariz. The National Park Service secured the first major private ranch within the Petrified Forest National Park boundaries on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, capping off negotiations that began years ago with the help of a conservation group. Scientists say they're eager to explore the more than 26,000 acres that have remained largely untouched and discover even more treasures. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

(AP) ? The federal government is gaining control over an even larger expanse of rainbow-colored petrified wood, fossils from the dawning age of dinosaurs and petroglyphs left by American Indian tribes who once lived in eastern Arizona.

The National Park Service secured the first major private ranch within the Petrified Forest National Park boundaries on Thursday, capping off negotiations that began years ago with the help of a conservation group. Scientists say they're eager to explore the more than 26,000 acres that have remained largely untouched and discover even more treasures.

"The opportunity to actually go out into an area that hasn't been worked before by other researchers, the opportunity to find things that are truly new to science ? there's a very good chance of that, so it's pretty exciting," said Bill Parker, a paleontologist at the park. "I think we're definitely going to be able to find some things that are new out there that are really going to enhance the story of the park."

Congress expanded the boundaries of the park in 2004 from 93,500 acres to about 218,500 acres but did not immediately appropriate any money to buy the private inholdings. The funding for land purchases came years later through a federal land protection program. The Park Service now has acquired about a third of the 120,000 acres it wants, with the most significant acreage coming from a transfer of U.S. Bureau of Land Management land and Thursday's $8 million purchase of the Paulsell Ranch within the park boundaries.

Mike Ford, the Southwest director for the Conservation Fund, said he began a quest to acquire the land for the Park Service in 1999 at the request of former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. Ford recalled driving around in a pickup with the landowner, Marvin Hatch, surveying the land and trying to strike a deal that the two never quite agreed on. Hatch's family contacted Ford after Hatch died to continue the talks.

Petrified wood is scattered throughout the undeveloped ranch land south of Interstate 40 where cattle haven't grazed for years, but Ford notes "you're not going to see dinosaur bones protruding from the ground."

"I tell people about this part of the world ? it's so rough and crude, it has its own beauty," Ford said. "For people who love the Southwest and love those kinds of landscapes, it's isolated, it's remote, it's out there. That crudeness has a beauty that you have to be a desert rat to appreciate."

The Park Service expects to spend a few years doing inventory on the land before it decides how the public can best enjoy it, Parker said. Some 630,000 people visit the park each year.

The ranch is a mix of grasslands that would be ideal for archaeological and wildlife finds, and badlands with fossils from the Triassic period that scientists say dates back 220 million years.

Parker said almost 90 new plant and animal species have been found in the park that was designated a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. One of the most significant discoveries was Revueltosaurus, which is related to the crocodile but first was believed to be a plant-eating dinosaur because of its teeth found in New Mexico. A full skeleton was later uncovered at the petrified forest.

Institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Texas at Austin have succeeded in finding plant and animal fossils on the ranch land, said Parker, pointing to its potential. Park archaeologist Bill Reitze said surveys of the new property also have shown promise for archaeological sites like early basket-maker villages and petroglyph sites.

"Acquisition of this land may significantly enhance our knowledge of early peoples of the area," Reitze said.

Ford, who is certain that Hatch would be thrilled to know the land is in Park Service hands, said the Conservation Fund now will work to acquire other sites within the petrified forest. Major parcels of private land are held by less than a handful of owners. The Hatch family didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Certainly we don't see this as the end, but we're in a really different time right now politically, economically and otherwise," Ford said. "We trust and hope Congress continues to support important acquisitions like this."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2011-09-08-Petrified%20Forest%20Expansion/id-6a36bc6abe6848b785d45f01212bacd0

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Monday, September 12, 2011

mLogic mDock extends your MacBook ports, steals your Thunder(bolt)


If you're trying to make a name for yourself in the incredibly crowded portable storage space, you can innovate and create something totally awesome, or you can do this. The mDock from mLogic is an external hard drive, port extender and port blocker all rolled into one pricey coffin-like chamber of fail. $219 will net you an eternal resting place for 500 gigs of data, while $299 ups the ante to an entire terabyte. Plus, with a pair of front-facing USB ports, you can add a third-party portable storage yokel for the less-than-princely sum of 50 bucks. If you haven't already gathered, the mDock is designed for mMacbook Pros, but there's also the iMac-mountable mBack (curiously not the iBack), designed with Apple's familiar desktop flavor in mind. That variant is slightly more affordable, with pricing ranging from $169 for 1TB to $349 for 3TB, but you'll forgo the dock-like USB hub and headphone jack. There's no word on when to expect these life-changing devices in stores, but it's never too early to dust off the mChair iChair and park yourself on 5th Ave.

Update: As pointed out by many in the comments most ports that are blocked by the mDock are replicated on the silver brick, including the Magsafe. The only restriction appears to be a lack of pass-through for Thunderbolt, but you do get a mini DisplayPort for hooking up external monitors. We've added one more pic after the break.

Continue reading mLogic mDock extends your MacBook ports, steals your Thunder(bolt)

mLogic mDock extends your MacBook ports, steals your Thunder(bolt) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, September 11, 2011

The French Preparing School Us ? Figure out how to Cook This ...

When you can find individuals that opt for to stay to standard ways of cooking and standard foods, in addition there are a class of individuals that are generally ready to experiment with new culinary delights! The French cuisine is made of classic and regional dishes, and also continental foods flavored together with the French ethnic touch. It can be due to this that French foods is so well known while in the relaxation of Europe, USA, and several other international locations. This worldwide recognition has hence led to your initiation on the French Cooking College USA.

The French Cooking College USA, an association of various universities, was inaugurated along with the plan of imparting expertise about French recipes and French delicacies to men and women wishing to qualify as pros while in the artwork of French cooking. Advancement of instructing capabilities is additionally a component of your software. Furthermore, the development of science and engineering and universities less than this association getting put at assorted spots has ensured that length poses no dilemma to mastering.

Acquiring attained the distinction of remaining essentially the most exploratory global institution where by the culinary arts and cooking are involved, the French Cooking College USA employs different cooking procedures exceptional to France and progressive recipes to offer an extraordinary discovering practical knowledge because of its pupils. The College is operate by folks carefully acquainted with French connoisseur cooking along with the essence of France?s tradition. Could it be any ponder then that fantastic masterpieces like Souffles and Bisques have occur from your French Cooking College USA?

Two of your extra common educational institutions linked while using the French Cooking College USA will be the Ecole Dijon Cooking College plus the Cook Road College of High-quality Cooking.

The Ecole Dijon Cooking College conducts lessons at Chef Drew Holladay Household. There are actually tiny groups of pupils that are scheduled to enroll in 8 periods of instructing. This college quite simply caters to cooking from the property. So folks who want to confine their culinary techniques to their particular households or provide an adjust within their typical menus just take admission the following. Skilled cooks display more recent techniques of cooking schedule foods to convey about wide range.

The pupils at Cook Road College of High-quality Cooking in Colorado discover specialised French cooking and just how to get ready wine. Certificates are granted for the conclude from the training course. Nevertheless the costs demanded are really economical, the pupils get thorough instruction inside the science of fine ingesting. They will hence choose for careers in culinary artwork. The study course method imparts expertise with regards to the heritage of French cuisine, how a menu needs to be ready, information about wines, and just how an appetite permanently foods is always to be produced.

Yet another college of point out affiliated together with the French Cooking College USA, would be the New College of Cooking. An newbie will take admission and departs as being a qualified cook! There may be the overall flexibility of taking up part-time, or full-time baking programs of one-year duration. Instruction is provided by qualified chefs. You can find also the choice of mastering Italian and Asian cooking on top of that to French cooking.

Hence, the French Cooking College USA supplies a great ambiance and finding out knowledge for any individual desiring to grasp French cooking!

Learn Cooking Games here or have Fun Cooking Games instead.

Source: http://www.nztip.com/food-drink/fast-food/the-french-preparing-school-us-figure-out-how-to-cook-this-french-way-at-the-german-cooking-institution-usa/

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Video: A glimpse into the morning of 9/11

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44442466#44442466

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An intel Q&A: How the US gets it, where it goes (AP)

WASHINGTON ? U.S. intelligence in the struggle against terrorism comes in many forms, maddeningly general, improbably precise, a game of sorts with vast consequences for winner and loser.

It's a satellite image showing tribesmen gathering in a remote area where none should be ? the photograph so clear you can see the caliber of ammunition they are carrying.

It's a snatched bit of conversation between two terrorist leaders, overheard by a trusted source the terrorists don't realize is listening.

It's a stolen diplomatic cable. That's right, we steal.

Each of these sources and a multitude of others can become the tips that put an entire nation on alert, as a single tip has done from a single source just before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Here are some questions and answers about the gathering and use of intelligence:

Q: What is intel?

A: Simply put, it is information from anywhere that the U.S. can use to its advantage in the world, either in pursuit of its goals or to protect its people. It can be as basic as a diplomat reading a local newspaper and passing on something interesting to a superior in an embassy or Washington. But it gets much more sophisticated and aggressive than that.

In counterterrorism, bits and pieces of information form a messy picture like an impressionist painting. Those collecting the signs and signals look for a pattern, eventually an image, that gives them a target to go after or tells them which target to protect.

___

Q: What are the main forms of intel?

A: Perhaps the spookiest is measurement intelligence, known as "masint," using far-away technology to get extremely up close and personal. The U.S. is capable of placing a sensor near a suspected terrorist hideout that can count the number of heartbeats in a room and gauge how fast they're beating. There are even efforts to understand what a "guilty" heartbeat pattern might be.

Masint, working in combination with other kinds of intelligence-gathering, was one of the clinchers in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The U.S. measured the approximate height of the tall man who paced beneath the trellis outside the kitchen in a Pakistani compound, to help determine bin Laden was that man.

Then there is human intelligence, or "humint," which has been around since the dawn of spycraft and is still vital. That's the tipster you cultivate and pay, or perhaps the unproven one who simply walks into a U.S. embassy and offers information.

"Sigint," or signals intelligence, monitors or otherwise exploits radio, telephone or satellite phone transmissions. "Imint" is imagery intelligence that includes photographs showing the outlines of a nuclear power plant, obscured in desert sands, or a terrorist training base tucked in a mountainside.

Cybertracking is a newer tool, pursuing terrorists who use computers either to attack a computer network or, more often, to organize how their own human network would launch a physical attack.

___

Q: What happens to this mountain of raw material?

A: Each of those streams of data is captured by a multibillion-dollar worldwide network of U.S. satellites, armed drones, static blimps and high-flying spy aircraft, manned or unmanned, that suck up so much sound it takes massive computers to crunch all the data and help analysts overwhelmed by the technical information to find meaningful clues.

Sometimes these streams are collected by U.S. operatives ? Americans or those in U.S. employ ? who go behind enemy lines or into enemy homes, leaving behind the sensors that will provide the data.

True to its name, the Central Intelligence Agency is an "all-source" organization using all means.

___

Q: How do all these eyes and ears work together?

A: Sometimes they don't. After a Nigerian allegedly tried to bring down a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day almost two years ago, it emerged that his father had warned U.S. diplomats about his son's possible terrorist sympathies, but that tip was lost in the blizzard of counterintelligence.

But in the bin Laden raid, a human source led to the compound in the Pakistani army town of Abbottabad. Signals intelligence monitored for phone calls emanating from there, and found none, because bin Laden forbade them, hoping to evade detection by just such technical means. Masint was derived from the imagery taken by drones and satellites.

All of this helped to convince CIA analysts they had found their man and persuade President Barack Obama to approve a dangerous and diplomatically risky raid into Pakistani sovereign territory.

___

Q: How is all of this intel sorted through so that the real threats are detected and averted?

A: The ever-present risk is that they won't be. One of the failings of pre-9/11 counterintelligence was that information was jealously guarded by the individual intelligence agencies. Word of a potential plot to fly planes into U.S. landmarks was received by one agency. Another agency had word terrorists might be attending flight school. Each organization kept to itself the dots of information that, when connected, could have revealed the larger pattern of a massive terrorist plot.

Before raw data and human tips can be called "intelligence," they must be analyzed, and if possible, corroborated. The CIA alone has 2,500 people in its Directorate of Intelligence devoted to that task. There are thousands more across the 16 intelligence agencies, sifting raw data, and cross-comparing within their own agencies, and with others, to spot a pattern.

___

Q: What does it mean to receive ? and warn the public about ? a credible and specific but unconfirmed threat, as in the latest case?

A: A credible threat means it was heard from a trusted source, not just anyone. Specific means the U.S. has details about when, where or how an attack might unfold. When a threat is specific and credible but unconfirmed, that means intelligence officials haven't been able to validate the information even though they trust the source who gave it to them.

This particular threat is not unusual, but it's being taken so seriously because it comes days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a date al-Qaida has eyed for attack.

___

Q: How is the intel being analyzed in the latest threat?

A: Right now, teams of analysts are combing through information gleaned from one trusted source, who heard that a small group of attackers, perhaps from Pakistan, might blow up a car bomb in New York or Washington. One or all of the attackers might be from Pakistan. Newly minted al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri might be behind it.

These analysts are looking for anything to corroborate that report in the reams of information they've gathered tracking travelers to the U.S. from Pakistan. U.S. spies overseas will be going back to their sources to see if anyone has heard the same rumor.

Everything unfolds in a hurry.

"You don't have the luxury of vetting the source and then disseminating the information," said Phillip Mudd, a former top counterterrorist official at the CIA and the FBI. "You have to tell everyone what you heard and then try to prove the information is legitimate.

He said he would be directing analysts to pore over everything that can be gleaned from flight and passport logs of potential foreign suspects who have traveled to the U.S.

"Figuring out who would-be attackers are, or even whether they exist, could take months, where the drumbeat of national security wants answers in minutes or days," Mudd said.

___

Q: What rules do U.S. intelligence-gatherers have to play by?

A: Looser rules than for most people.

The CIA operates under the U.S. law known as Title 50 ? literally a license to break laws in foreign countries, by committing espionage, persuading a local official to commit treason, or in extreme circumstances, to go into a foreign country and target a suspect for killing or capture. Title 50 operations are covert, meaning the U.S. never intends to acknowledge them. Other intelligence agencies, such as the eavesdropping National Security Agency and the new Cyber Command, routinely operate under Title 50 as well.

___

Q: Ultimately, doesn't it all come down to getting lucky ? or unlucky?

A: It can feel that way. There is a favorite expression among intelligence officials, memorably if confusingly uttered by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, that captures the essence of their work:

"As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns ? the ones we don't know we don't know."

___

Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110909/ap_on_re_us/us_terror_threat_what_is_intel

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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Disasters and Real Estate

In the wake of last week?s hurricane Irene, I wanted to chat a bit about some of the occasional disasters (natural and otherwise) that can befall a real estate transaction. After the hurricane, many transactions were put on hold, awaiting inspections by buyers, appraisers, engineers and even insurance companies. The assessing of any damage has left many transactions in danger.

Does a buyer want to risk some structural damage or even mold problems? How long will it take a seller?s insurance company to respond, pay and complete repairs? Some homes were even damaged beyond repair. No one really could have prevented these issues, but some other ?disasters? could have been?

  • Title Issues ? chain of title, past mortgages, judgments, foreclosures, old tax bills, certificates of occupancy, and other thorns in the side of closings often can be dealt with much earlier in the process. The attorneys, agents and lenders who are proactive in attacking title challenges are not the norm. Making sure you have them on your team can save you a lot of headaches.
  • Appraisal Issues ? sellers who engage real estate agents often neglect one of the most important roles an agent can play?the sales person to the appraiser. Agents can have some influence on the value that appraisers establish, by providing the best possible comps, thereby saving the appraiser time and energy. A well prepared agent is huge. An agent who can help make a home look more appealing through staging is invaluable in exciting buyers and appraisers.
  • Credit Issues, Asset Issues, Employment Issues ? home buyer?s loan applications are under more scrutiny than ever. Buyers who work with a loan officer who is a coach (properly structuring loans, optimizing credit scores, explaining deposit and job abnormalities) are buyers who can avoid some of the biggest disasters.

Bottom line, some problems are unavoidable?but many pitfalls can be avoided if you have the right people around you. Whether you are buying or selling?YOU NEED THE BEST! Seek them out and hold onto them because they are rare. And don?t forget to refer them to those you care about. Excellence should not be a secret!

Print?Print

Dean Hartman

About The Author


Dean Hartman is the Regional Vice President of Benchmark Lending and a 25 year veteran of the mortgage banking industry. He has achieved the designation of Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist, and also specializes in sales leadership, seminar presenting, and team building. Check out Dean's Facebook Page, DreamTeamTV.

Source: http://kcmblog.com/2011/09/08/disasters-and-real-estate/

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Tips to Protect ... - Internet, business, online marketing and news!

Tips to Protect yourself From Internet Home Business Scams

As products and services appear on the Internet and there is proof that money can be made through these venues, copy cats, hackers, and scam artists are quick to create twin sites that will easily fool consumers and those looking for internet home business opportunities. Bank information, personal information (SSN), and physical money are taken fraudulently creating victims of fraud, internet home business scam and identity theft. Far too many people believe that this cannot happen to him or her, as this is just not the case.

The Despicable internet home business scam Artists
If you were to take the time to look into the numerous scams and bogus business offers found online it would turn your stomach. It is disgraceful and frightening to see those online surveys, government grants; mystery shoppers and data entry clerks all make the list for internet home business scams online. Opportunities that were once available are now cause for red

Source: http://www.srbe.net/tips-to-protect-yourself-from-internet-home-business-scams.htm

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Specialized Myka Sport Disc Mountain Bike for Women 2012 ...

You are here: Home / Mountain Bikes / Specialized Myka Sport Disc Mountain Bike for Women 2012

Article by ukbikes on Bikes ? Compare Prices in our online Bike Shop ?

Specialized Myka Sport Disc 2012 Overview

2012 continues where 2011 left off for the Specialized Myka, with excellence. The Myka range of Women?s mountain bikes is excellent. Specialized have once again produced a good quality, reliable MTB that soves trails. Aside from its lightweight effectiveness, this bike is designed with women-specific components and anatomical engineering.

Key components of the Myka Sport Disc include an SR Suntour fork with 80mm of travel, Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport 60 TPI tires, and Avid BB5 disc brakes. The height of the tires is reduced in order to lessen rolling resistance.

Moderately stiff and strong, its lightweight double wall rim is set as aluminum alloy. The 2012 Specialized Myka Sport Disc Mountain Bike for Women is one of the best performing recreational female mountain bikes on the market at this price.

Specialized Myka Sport Disc 2012 Features

  • Fully butted A1 Premium Aluminium frame with women?s recreational XC geometry and low standover for a confident and lightweight ride, plus disc mounts for upgrading
  • 80mm smooth-travel SR Suntour fork with preload adjustment, lockout, and custom women?s spring rates delivers size-appropriate tunability for varying terrain
  • Alex HR disc-specific alloy, 32h rims are lightweight and durable
  • Specialized Fast Trak LK Sport 60 TPI tyres use a reduced knob height for lower rolling resistance, but have plenty of grip for confidence on the trail
  • SR Suntour 9-speed crankset uses Shimano?s Octalink-splined BB interface for reliable power transfer; chainguard included
  • Tektro Draco dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes assure precise braking and durability
  • Shimano Acera 9-speed rear derailleur and Acera Rapidfire trigger shifters are a confidence-inspiring combination
  • Body Geometry Women?s Riva 155mm saddle combines generous padding and durable scuff guards for all-day performance and comfort

Related Bike Articles:

Compare Prices: Specialized Myka

Source: http://www.bikes.org.uk/specialized-myka-sport-disc-mountain-bike-for-women-2012/

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Friday, September 9, 2011

Nintendo?s 3DS Circle Pad Attachment

Most gamers would agree that having a left and right circle pad is necessary on a game controller.? The problem is that Nintendo released the 3DS with only one circle pad.? It works fine for most games but now game designers are making more complicated games that require a second circle pad.? And that?s why [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/09/09/nintendos-3ds-circle-pad-attachment/

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Choose an effective online marketing to increase the visibility of your ...

With the increasing use of the Internet, many companies have started making their own website and began to fill with information as to the company, your product, your motivation, goal etc. like most business has gone online , so their marketing technique has also changed the online marketing, which is considered one of the effective methods of marketing to promote products and services company that online.

There are several companies offering online marketing quality services at an affordable cost. However, to find the best among them to suit your business needs and work within your budget is not an easy task. If you are planning to start an online business and want to do their marketing, first you have to do some research to find reliable and affordable online marketing company that can help expand your business and be visible online. There are several Internet marketing services such as service PPC, SMO services, SEO services etc. offered by online marketing companies, but before taking any of the services, it is best to analyze your needs and ask the only services you really need to promote business.

style=?width:300px;float:right;margin:12px google_ad_channel = ?7940249670?, + + AB_cat_channel AB_unit_channel; google_language = ?is?; google_ad_region = ?test?

Source: http://techinternetmarketing.com/choose-an-effective-online-marketing-to-increase-the-visibility-of-your-online-business.html

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Lawyer: Van der Sloot should do more time (AP)

LIMA, Peru ? The family of the Peruvian woman who Joran van der Sloot is charged with killing believes the 30-year prison sentence sought by the prosecution is inadequate.

But the family's lawyer tells The Associated Press that Stephany Flores' family won't object because it doesn't want the trial delayed.

Van der Sloot is to appear Monday before a judge who could set the trial to begin as early as October.

When arrested in the May 2010 slaying of Flores, Van der Sloot was widely known as the chief suspect in the unsolved disappearance five years earlier in Aruba of the U.S. teen Natalee Holloway.

Lawyer Edward Alvarez says that if the Flores family were to raise objections Monday the trial could be delayed until next year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110906/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_peru_van_der_sloot

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Napolitano says no known threats as 9-11 nears (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said there is no information about a specific threat around the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but there is "a lot of chatter."

Napolitano told reporters Thursday that "in the intel world there is lots of chatter and we are taking it very seriously."

Napolitano did not offer details, but said Homeland Security would warn the public if a threat arose.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110908/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_napolitano_intelligence

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PFT: Colts suspend Tressel for first six games

Terrelle Pryor Pro DayGetty Images

On Saturday, we reported that the Colts had hired former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel without league approval, and that Commissioner Roger Goodell would take a hard look at whether, like former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, his entry to the NFL should be delayed.

And it will be delayed.

The Colts have announced that Tressel will begin working for the team in their seventh game, which means that Tressel will be suspended for six games.

?After the announcement of Coach Jim Tressel?s agreement to join the Colts as a game day consultant, questions were raised with respect to the equity of his appointment as opposed to suspensions being served this season by present and former Ohio State players,? Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said in a statement released by the team.

?Over the weekend Coach Tressel, Mr. Irsay, Coach Caldwell and I had a discussion of the issue,? Polian added.? ?In addition, we had a conversation with league officials to apprise them of the details of Coach Tressel?s employment and the issues we were reviewing.?

In other words, Polian has conceded that the Colts hired Tressel without letting the league office know in advance.

?At Coach Tressel?s suggestion, and with Mr. Irsay?s concurrence and support, we have decided to begin Coach Tressel?s employment effective with our seventh regular season game,? Polian said. ?We have informed the league office of our decision and expect that they will be supportive of it.?

It?s technically not a ?suspension,? but in reality it is.? And the fact that Tressel got one more game than Pryor seems to suggest that the league and/or its teams view coaches who violate NCAA rules as being more culpable than players.

The Colts? decision to impose the suspension on Tressel helps the league office avoid creating a crystal-clear impression that the NFL has now become an active participant in the enforcement of NCAA rules.? Still, the somewhat-less-than-crystal-clear impression remains ? the NFL and its teams, in deference to the curators of the league?s free farm system, will erect barriers to the commencement of employment in order to encourage compliance with NCAA rules.

With that line now crossed, the question becomes when, and if, the NFL will take action against folks whose NFL employment already has begun.

We think it?s more a question of when than if.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/05/tressel-gets-six-game-suspension-from-colts/related/

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Find Your Hidden Self Improvement Power | Knowledge Base

If we see an object, a painting, for example ? we are not able to appreciate what is in it, what is painted and it follows, if the color is only an inch from his face. But if we step back we will have a clearer picture of the entire work of art. In this way, us. We are seeing too close to the true meaning of us. We need to take a step back.

We have reached a point in our lives when we are ready for change and ready for a variety of information that help us unlock our self improvement power is, but some can right under our noses, but still can not see. Sometimes you have overwhelming evidence of our attention.

Today, Anna thinks Carl hates her. Tomorrow, Patrick came to her and says she hates him. Anna stays the same no matter what people say. The next day he learned that Kim and John also his disgust. Anna does not realize the need for self improvement until the entire community hates her and is totally alone and in emotional pain.

Discover our lessons when we experience the emotional pain. Finally we see the signs and warning signals when it get hard and difficult.

? ??. If we recognize that we need to change your diet? If any of our jeans and T-shirts from us in the form.

? ??. When will we stop eating candies and chocolates? If all the rotten teeth?

? ??. If we recognize that we need to quit smoking? If the lungs are bad?

? ??. When we pray and ask for help? If we say we are broke?

The only time that the most experienced of us unlock our self improvement power is when our personal lives or business fails and falls apart. We think and feel this way because we are afraid of change even when change is always painful, the more we ignore him.

Change will happen whether we like it or not. At one time or another, we all experience different turning points in our lives ? and most people at some point you unleash the power of improvement. But because the world does not say, because our friends were shocked, but because the pain will be unbearable to do anything.

Balanced accept so many people not only embrace change. Now there is no need to provide a tremendous heat before realizing the need to feel for improvement. Unleash the power of self-improvement to break out of the cage of thought that says free. ?It is simply my way,? It?s a good excuse for people to change, fear and resistance.

Jen said many times that everyone has the courage to groups of people must be. He heard his mother, father, sister, teacher of the same next to him on third. Over the years, is what Jen believes. She believes it is his story. And what happened? When faced with a lot at home, school and community ? which take a step back or escape prone. Jen believes his story and he saw again and again before a group situation.

Jen has recognized that we write the history. Instead of one of his history as a terrible person who can live and understand the idea: ?I am a confident person, and I want to mix with groups of people?

Self-improvement may not be everyone?s favorite word, but if we are to enjoy the things from another perspective, or rather, the entire process step by step, instead of looking fear the days until they are fully improved.

Three sessions per week in the gym would result in a healthier life. Read books instead of watching reality shows on television give us a deeper understanding. Meet up with friends and colleagues will help you take a step back to work and rest. And as you enjoy the whole process of unlocking your self improvement power, you will notice they are starting to take things easy and happy.

Gravatars are small images that can show your personality. You can get your gravatar for free today!

Source: http://blog.numsai.com/find-your-hidden-self-improvement-power/

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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Green Real Estate & CleanTech News - Penton Announces Hiring of ...

Penton Announces Hiring of Jonathan Schein to Lead Penton Commercial Real Estate Media Group By Betsy Kraat

NEW YORK, NY--Penton Media announced that Jonathan A. Schein has joined Penton Media as general manager of Penton's Commercial Real Estate Media Group.

Mr. Schein has been CEO of Schein Media and was the founder of Globest.com and Real Share Conferences, and CEO of Real Estate Media.

"It is a real coup to attract Jonathan to Penton with his wealth of knowledge in the commercial real estate industry," said Warren N. Bimblick, senior vice president, strategy and business development. "We are convinced Jonathan's experience in product and market innovation will enable Penton to jumpstart growth in this sector."

In this newly created role he will assume the stewardship of National Real Estate Investor and Retail Traffic. National Real Estate Investor, nreionline.com and its suite of other digital products is the leading commercial real estate media brand where all disciplines of commercial real estate meet (multi-housing, retail, industrial, office and hospitality). Retail Traffic, retailtraffic.com and its suite of other digital products will continue to focus on retail real estate trends. Mr. Schein will report to William C. O'Conor, Penton's market leader for financial services.

"I love the Penton assets and am really looking forward to digging into the opportunities and create new products," said Mr. Schein. "We have tremendous opportunities with digital, live events and marketing services."

Mr. Schein has more than 25 years experience in the commercial real estate industry. He also serves on the board of the Lincoln Center Real Estate and Construction Council. He is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Reporting to Mr. Schein will be Marianne Rivera, publisher of National Real Estate Investor, and David Bodamer, who is being promoted to editorial director for Penton Commercial Real Estate.

Source: http://www.njand.com/news/green.php/2011/09/06/penton_announces_hiring_of_jonathan_sche

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Florida A&M women's basketball team member killed (Providence Journal)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/131403073?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Home Brewing Sites for Brewing Beer at Home | Very Best Websites

Nothing beats a nice cold beer at the end (or in the middle) of a long day. With the continuing demand for small craft beers, it is clear that the microbrew trend wasn?t just a flash in the pan. People are discovering the joys of brewing beer at home in such high numbers; there are thriving businesses solely devoted to the hobby. There are even festivals and competitions for amateur brewers. By brewing your own beer, you can be certain of the ingredients and the quality of your brew, you can be creative and whimsical, and as you become more efficient, you will probably save money. As you develop your craft, your friends and family probably won?t mind being your guinea pigs. So hop to it, and see what kind of concoctions you can create in your own kitchen.

Drink Craft Beer

Drink Craft Beer

Drink Craft Beer is a beer snob?s promised land where the intermediate brewer (or dauntless beginner) can learn to approximate the recipes of his or her favorite microbrew, join a beer-of-the-month club, and weigh in on the virtues of this trend or that. Do note: when you click anything on the page, scroll down. The greeting remains intact while the lower part of the page changes according to your choice. That said, the how-to guide to home brewing beer is fantastic?complete with photos of the equipment, the process, and a workspace that is realistic and likely similar to your own kitchen (and bathtub). If you need further advice or you need to get to the bottom of why your home brew has so much sediment, isn?t fizzy, tastes skunky, or whatever else, there is a link to their forum at the bottom of the page.

>>drinkcraftbeer.com

How to Brew

How to Brew

How To Brew?s home page supplies the aspiring home brewer with a state-by-state guide to locate a brew shop nearby. This information is helpful for beginners and enthusiasts who want to meet other brewers and attend events and tastings. For the extreme DIY guy, there are likely to be nearer outposts that sell supplies (and of course they?re for sale online). From the homepage you will be able to enter the first edition of How to Brew, which features gobs of information in a format that looks overwhelming, but is simply very, VERY thorough. Read the introduction, then use the site map to answer any questions you may have before you get started, then use the step-by step guide as a reference as you go.

>>howtobrew.com

Home Brew Zone

Home Brew Zone

Home Brew Zone might not be the slickest looking page, it is a terrific reference guide for those who brew and those who think they might like to try. The homebrew tips are an exhaustive list of do?s and don?ts that are largely overlooked (like don?t use chlorinated water). Then there is a guide to a few dozen different varieties of hops, which outlines the flavor, acidity, and usage of each. Malt extracts are treated with the same attention, and the ?bad beer? section will help you diagnose what went wrong in a lousy batch. If these sections don?t answer your questions, check into the homebrew forum to chat with brewers from every skill level. Finally, the collection of drinking quotes will give you something to profess loudly on your porch late at night, thus impressing your friends and neighbors. The introvert may opt to scrawl them on the bathroom chalkboard of his or her neighborhood bar.

>>homebrewzone.com

Brew Your Own

Brew Your Own

Brew Your Own is the go-to spot for easy, basic recipes. Check out the possibilities your new hobby will open up, like hard cider, and real root beer. Browsing and trying out these recipes will give you a grip on technique and style that will quickly have you developing your own signature brews, and probably noticing a lot more thirsty friends dropping by. And the recipe section doesn?t even skim the surface. While you can subscribe to Brew Your Own magazine, you can also listen to the brewcast, watch videos, read from a number of brewers? blogs, look at labels and photos, and so much more. Spending too much time here will solidify your beer-dorkdom for good.

>>byo.com

Make Beer at Home

?

Make Beer at Home

Make Beer at Home is a marvelously stylish site replete with smooth, retro icons and snappy quotes. Even the ads are cool, so kudos for that. However, take a trip into the recipes pages and you might find yourself down a rabbit hole. Do you want to make a beer like Bass Ale? How about a garlic beer or liquid fruitcake stout? Everything from the pedestrian to the esoteric can be found here, as well as a step-by-step outline of the brewing process; the pros and cons of different styles of brewing; some pretty neat charts; and plenty of links to where to get supplies.

>>makebeerathome.info

Home Brewing Videos

Home Brewing Video

Home Brewing Videos, as you may suspect, is chock full of videos about home brewing. This page is created by Home Brewer?s Outpost, where you can buy kits, equipment, books, and the like. This site is a great how-to guide with videos and power-point slideshows that you can play on your laptop or tablet as you set up your station. This is simply a great option for beginners who want to get started right away and read about he process later.

>>homebrewingvideos.com

Very Best Sites does not allow links in our comments. If you would like to advertise on our site, please click here to read about advertising & site reviews.

?

Source: http://www.verybestsites.com/home-brewing-sites-for-brewing-beer-at-home/

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A whole new light on graphene metamaterials

A whole new light on graphene metamaterials [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 4-Sep-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Paul Preuss
paul_preuss@lbl.gov
510-486-6249
DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Berkeley Lab scientists demonstrate a tunable graphene device, the first tool in a kit for putting terahertz light to work

Long-wavelength terahertz light is invisible it's at the farthest end of the far infrared but it's useful for everything from detecting explosives at the airport to designing drugs to diagnosing skin cancer. Now, for the first time, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have demonstrated a microscale device made of graphene the remarkable form of carbon that's only one atom thick whose strong response to light at terahertz frequencies can be tuned with exquisite precision.

"The heart of our device is an array made of graphene ribbons only millionths of a meter wide," says Feng Wang of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, who is also an assistant professor of physics at UC Berkeley, and who led the research team. "By varying the width of the ribbons and the concentration of charge carriers in them, we can control the collective oscillations of electrons in the microribbons."

The name for such collective oscillations of electrons is "plasmons," a word that sounds abstruse but describes effects as familiar as the glowing colors in stained-glass windows.

"Plasmons in high-frequency visible light happen in three-dimensional metal nanostructures," Wang says. The colors of medieval stained glass, for example, result from oscillating collections of electrons on the surfaces of nanoparticles of gold, copper, and other metals, and depend on their size and shape. "But graphene is only one atom thick, and its electrons move in only two dimensions. In 2D systems, plasmons occur at much lower frequencies."

The wavelength of terahertz radiation is measured in hundreds of micrometers (millionths of a meter), yet the width of the graphene ribbons in the experimental device is only one to four micrometers each.

"A material that consists of structures with dimensions much smaller than the relevant wavelength, and which exhibits optical properties distinctly different from the bulk material, is called a metamaterial," says Wang. "So we have not only made the first studies of light and plasmon coupling in graphene, we've also created a prototype for future graphene-based metamaterials in the terahertz range."

The team reports their research in Nature Nanotechnology, available in advanced online publication.

How to push the plasmons

In two-dimensional graphene, electrons have a tiny rest mass and respond quickly to electric fields. A plasmon describes the collective oscillation of many electrons, and its frequency depends on how rapidly waves in this electron sea slosh back and forth between the edges of a graphene microribbon. When light of the same frequency is applied, the result is "resonant excitation," a marked increase in the strength of the oscillation and simultaneous strong absorption of the light at that frequency. Since the frequency of the oscillations is determined by the width of the ribbons, varying their width can tune the system to absorb different frequencies of light.

The strength of the light-plasmon coupling can also be affected by the concentration of charge carriers electrons and their positively charged counterparts, holes. One remarkable characteristic of graphene is that the concentration of its charge carriers can easily be increased or decreased simply by applying a strong electric field so-called electrostatic doping.

The Berkeley device incorporates both these methods for tuning the response to terahertz light. Microribbon arrays were made by depositing an atom-thick layer of carbon on a sheet of copper, then transferring the graphene layer to a silicon-oxide substrate and etching ribbon patterns into it. An ion gel with contact points for varying the voltage was placed on top of the graphene.

The gated graphene microarray was illuminated with terahertz radiation at beamline 1.4 of Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, and transmission measurements were made with the beamline's infrared spectrometer. In this way the research team demonstrated coupling between light and plasmons that were stronger by an order of magnitude than in other 2D systems.

A final method of controlling plasmon strength and terahertz absorption depends on polarization. Light shining in the same direction as the graphene ribbons shows no variations in absorption according to frequency. But light at right angles to the ribbons the same orientation as the oscillating electron sea yields sharp absorption peaks. What's more, light absorption in conventional 2D semiconductor systems, such as quantum wells, can only be measured at temperatures near absolute zero. The Berkeley team measured prominent absorption peaks at room temperature.

"Terahertz radiation covers a spectral range that's difficult to work with, because until now there have been no tools," says Wang. "Now we have the beginnings of a toolset for working in this range, potentially leading to a variety of graphene-based terahertz metamaterials."

The Berkeley experimental setup is only a precursor of devices to come, which will be able to control the polarization and modify the intensity of terahertz light and enable other optical and electronic components, in applications from medical imaging to astronomy all in two dimensions.

###

"Graphene plasmonics for tunable terahertz metamaterials," by Long Ju, Baisong Geng, Jason Horng, Caglar Girit, Michael Martin, Zhao Hao, Hans A. Bechtel, Xiaogan Liang, Alex Zettl, Y. Ron Shen, and Feng Wang, appears in Nature Nanotechnology, available in advanced online publication at http://www.nature.com/nnano/index.html.

Martin, Hao, and Bechtel are with Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source. Hao is also with the Lab's Earth Sciences Division. Liang is with the Lab's Molecular Foundry. Ju, Geng, Horng, Girit, Zettl, Shen, and Wang are with UC Berkeley's Department of Physics. Geng is also with Lanzhou University, China. Zettl, Shen, and Wang are also with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://science.energy.gov.

For more about the Advanced Light Source, visit http://www-als.lbl.gov/.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 12 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


A whole new light on graphene metamaterials [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 4-Sep-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Paul Preuss
paul_preuss@lbl.gov
510-486-6249
DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Berkeley Lab scientists demonstrate a tunable graphene device, the first tool in a kit for putting terahertz light to work

Long-wavelength terahertz light is invisible it's at the farthest end of the far infrared but it's useful for everything from detecting explosives at the airport to designing drugs to diagnosing skin cancer. Now, for the first time, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley have demonstrated a microscale device made of graphene the remarkable form of carbon that's only one atom thick whose strong response to light at terahertz frequencies can be tuned with exquisite precision.

"The heart of our device is an array made of graphene ribbons only millionths of a meter wide," says Feng Wang of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, who is also an assistant professor of physics at UC Berkeley, and who led the research team. "By varying the width of the ribbons and the concentration of charge carriers in them, we can control the collective oscillations of electrons in the microribbons."

The name for such collective oscillations of electrons is "plasmons," a word that sounds abstruse but describes effects as familiar as the glowing colors in stained-glass windows.

"Plasmons in high-frequency visible light happen in three-dimensional metal nanostructures," Wang says. The colors of medieval stained glass, for example, result from oscillating collections of electrons on the surfaces of nanoparticles of gold, copper, and other metals, and depend on their size and shape. "But graphene is only one atom thick, and its electrons move in only two dimensions. In 2D systems, plasmons occur at much lower frequencies."

The wavelength of terahertz radiation is measured in hundreds of micrometers (millionths of a meter), yet the width of the graphene ribbons in the experimental device is only one to four micrometers each.

"A material that consists of structures with dimensions much smaller than the relevant wavelength, and which exhibits optical properties distinctly different from the bulk material, is called a metamaterial," says Wang. "So we have not only made the first studies of light and plasmon coupling in graphene, we've also created a prototype for future graphene-based metamaterials in the terahertz range."

The team reports their research in Nature Nanotechnology, available in advanced online publication.

How to push the plasmons

In two-dimensional graphene, electrons have a tiny rest mass and respond quickly to electric fields. A plasmon describes the collective oscillation of many electrons, and its frequency depends on how rapidly waves in this electron sea slosh back and forth between the edges of a graphene microribbon. When light of the same frequency is applied, the result is "resonant excitation," a marked increase in the strength of the oscillation and simultaneous strong absorption of the light at that frequency. Since the frequency of the oscillations is determined by the width of the ribbons, varying their width can tune the system to absorb different frequencies of light.

The strength of the light-plasmon coupling can also be affected by the concentration of charge carriers electrons and their positively charged counterparts, holes. One remarkable characteristic of graphene is that the concentration of its charge carriers can easily be increased or decreased simply by applying a strong electric field so-called electrostatic doping.

The Berkeley device incorporates both these methods for tuning the response to terahertz light. Microribbon arrays were made by depositing an atom-thick layer of carbon on a sheet of copper, then transferring the graphene layer to a silicon-oxide substrate and etching ribbon patterns into it. An ion gel with contact points for varying the voltage was placed on top of the graphene.

The gated graphene microarray was illuminated with terahertz radiation at beamline 1.4 of Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, and transmission measurements were made with the beamline's infrared spectrometer. In this way the research team demonstrated coupling between light and plasmons that were stronger by an order of magnitude than in other 2D systems.

A final method of controlling plasmon strength and terahertz absorption depends on polarization. Light shining in the same direction as the graphene ribbons shows no variations in absorption according to frequency. But light at right angles to the ribbons the same orientation as the oscillating electron sea yields sharp absorption peaks. What's more, light absorption in conventional 2D semiconductor systems, such as quantum wells, can only be measured at temperatures near absolute zero. The Berkeley team measured prominent absorption peaks at room temperature.

"Terahertz radiation covers a spectral range that's difficult to work with, because until now there have been no tools," says Wang. "Now we have the beginnings of a toolset for working in this range, potentially leading to a variety of graphene-based terahertz metamaterials."

The Berkeley experimental setup is only a precursor of devices to come, which will be able to control the polarization and modify the intensity of terahertz light and enable other optical and electronic components, in applications from medical imaging to astronomy all in two dimensions.

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"Graphene plasmonics for tunable terahertz metamaterials," by Long Ju, Baisong Geng, Jason Horng, Caglar Girit, Michael Martin, Zhao Hao, Hans A. Bechtel, Xiaogan Liang, Alex Zettl, Y. Ron Shen, and Feng Wang, appears in Nature Nanotechnology, available in advanced online publication at http://www.nature.com/nnano/index.html.

Martin, Hao, and Bechtel are with Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source. Hao is also with the Lab's Earth Sciences Division. Liang is with the Lab's Molecular Foundry. Ju, Geng, Horng, Girit, Zettl, Shen, and Wang are with UC Berkeley's Department of Physics. Geng is also with Lanzhou University, China. Zettl, Shen, and Wang are also with Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://science.energy.gov.

For more about the Advanced Light Source, visit http://www-als.lbl.gov/.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 12 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.


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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/dbnl-awn090211.php

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