Miscellaneous Tech/SCI News

NASA is reporting the first successful tests of its Deep Space Network modeled after Earth’s own Internet. Instead of using TCP/IP, however, the interplanetary communication network relies upon DTN (Disruption-Tolerant Networking) co-developed by none other than Google’s Vinton Cerf. As such, NASA’s network does not assume a continuous end-to-end connection — if a link is lost due to solar storms or a planetary eclipse, the communication node will store the information until the connection is re-established. So, what’s the big deal you rightly ask, after all, we’ve been (purposely) transmitting data to and from space for a half-century. As Leigh Torgerson, manager of NASA’s DTN Experiment Operations Center explains it:

Click Here To Read The Full  Article @ Engadget

As a self-confessed ‘black thumb’ (I’m told that’s the opposite of a green thumb), anything that improves the chances of survival of a plant under my care always piques my interest. My parents constantly tell me the importance of ‘location, location, location’, when it comes to plant placement and a new product from Plumstone, LLC, might just help me get that aspect of gardening right.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Gizmag

Very few of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs went to business school, so it’s somewhat incongruous that Business Schools B-School-Isnt-What-It-Used-To-Be  have claimed ‘ownership’ of the teaching of entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship . A new book aims to support the growing amount of entrepreneurial training taking place outside of the business school, teaching the skills and essential practical knowledge for specific markets.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Gizmag

Some preliminary data was recently released on how well the 39 nations which ratified the Kyoto Protocol are doing in reducing carbon emissions and the result for the group overall is, well, a mixed bag. Sixteen nations are on track to meet their obligations, while 20 are not.

Part of the reason: Between 1990-2006 emissions from the countries of the former Soviet Union declined by 36% as those nation’s economies crashed on the rocks. However from 2000-2006 emissions from these nations rose 7.4%. At the same time emissions from richer developed nations rose 10%.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger

In our own species, trends from the 1980’s have come back into fashion recently—witness the reemergence of leg warmers—and now the animal kingdom is getting in on the ’80’s thing too, as Pygmy Tarsiers, animals closely resembling creatures from the 1984 movie Gremlins, and thought to be extinct, have been found in the mountaintop forests of Indonesia. The carnivorous primate had not been witnessed alive since 1921, but three live specimens were found and tagged this summer. (In 2000, Indonesian scientists accidentally trapped and killed a pygmy tarsier mistaking it for a rat).

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger

Though Congress let the offshore drilling and oil shale development ban lapse back in the end of September, few expected that new rules to develop US oil shale would be proposed before the end of the year. Well, the Bureau of Land Management apparently couldn’t wait.

In a move which the BLM says “could result in the addition [to US supplies] of up to 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil from lands in the Western United States” and which will “increase and diversify America’s energy supply”, new rules for Oil Shale management were released yesterday .

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger

Though marine conservation is stepping up worldwide, a new study has found that countries still have a relatively long way to go before they meet their commitment to protect 10 percent of their respective waters. Whereas 12 percent of the world’s land is protected, only 4 percent of the world’s coasts are designated as “marine protected areas” (MPAs) – a term used to describe a holistic and well-connected global network of marine reserves protecting vital coastal habitats. The open oceans fare even worse, with only 0.7 of them falling under protected areas.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger

For the luxury yacht owners, the world is one big playground, and they have the playthings to prove it. We at BornRich are big fans of luxury yachts and catamarans. Inspired by world renowned ocean racers, the Aeroyacht 110? luxury catamaran is one of the largest multi hulls in the world that exemplifies the ultimate high performance. Designed by Gregor Tarjan, founder and president of Aeroyacht, in collaboration with the famed team of Morelli & Melvin, the 30knot capable Aeroyacht 110? luxury catamaran has a specially designed pod to house a 2-seater Icon A5 amphibian sports plane. This pod could also be used for sightseeing, medical emergencies and transporting guests to the yacht. The catamaran has a speed potential of over 32 knots.

Click Here To Read The Full  Article @ Born Rich

I have to be honest, when I first picked up the book, I inwardly sighed and thought “not another how to go green book.” But, I have to take that back because I was refreshingly surprised with the insights Sid Davis offers in Your Eco-Friendly Home. As someone who is considering her first home purchase, but wanting to go green and thinks the idea of flipping a home is romantic, this book helped to inspire but also to ground by offering practical advice from someone in the industry.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger

While few people would doubt that wind power shows great promise, where new wind farms get built is often a contentious issue, with one of the issues being (of course) impact on wildlife and the environment. That’s where the newly formed American Wind Wildlife Institute comes in. The group of 20 wind power and environmental organizations will collaborate on research, mapping, mitigation and public education on best practices in balancing habitat protection and wind farm siting.

Click Here To Read The Full Article @ Treehugger