Tag Archives: data

How Technology is Changing Kenya

By Guest PostSeptember 10, 2012Economy, Technologyafrica, big name, blog, business, changing, data, data collection, Economy, everyday life, facility, forefront, healthcare, information technology, internet, julie, Kenya, kenyans, next, online map, online resource, paul, portable, provider, smart phone, startup, Technology, wife

It is not often you think about how technology can affect an entire country, but the upsurge of affordable smart phones and portable internet have made a huge impact on the everyday lives on Kenyans. Not only do people now have access to things around the world, but they also have educational and health opportunities they have never had before. The idea of using smart phones as makeshift computers is nothing new, especially in developing countries. Where the income is limited, a smartphone can be a costly expense. However, having access to current technology will allow Kenyans to expand and grow in the world economy. To that end, here are some examples of improvements that new technology has had in the lives of Kenyans: (more…)

First Stars, Galaxies Formed more Rapidly than Expected

By Guest PostSeptember 9, 2012Scienceanalysis, anisotropy probe, Antarctica, astronomer, background, Berkeley, california, christian reichardt, cmb, cosmic microwave, cosmological evolution, data, earth axis, electron, Epoch, Galaxy, geographic, herschel satellite, high resolution, hydrogen atom, image, john carlstrom, kavli foundation, microwave, millimeter wavelength, national, neutral, neutral gas, oliver zahn, period, plasma, polar plateau, proton, radiation, reionization, s chandrasekhar, science foundation, south pole, star, telescope, ultraviolet light, universe, university, wilkinson

Analysis of data from the National Science Foundation’s South Pole Telescope, for the first time, more precisely defines the period of cosmological evolution when the first stars and galaxies formed and gradually illuminated the universe. The data indicate that this period, called the epoch of reionization, was shorter than theorists speculated — and that it ended early.

“We find that the epoch of reionization lasted less than 500 million years and began when the universe was at least 250 million years old,” said Oliver Zahn, a postdoctoral fellow at the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, who led the study. “Before this measurement, scientists believed that reionization lasted 750 million years or longer, and had no evidence as to when reionization began.” (more…)

NASA/WHOI Voyage Set to Explore Link Between Sea Saltiness and Climate

By Guest PostSeptember 9, 2012Environment, Science3d picture, aquarius instrument, autonomous glider, azores, bahamas, climate change, climate model, data, david fratantoni, drought, effect, equator, eric lindstrom, evaporation, expedition, flood, fluctuate, global temperature, knorr, NASA, north africa, north atlantic, ocean, pattern, phenomena, planet, rainfall, rainy belt, raymond schmitt, research vessel, sac d, salinity processes, salinity variability, salt content, satellite technology, scale, spurs, upper layer, us midwest, voyage, water cycle, western coast, woods hole

A NASA-sponsored expedition is set to sail to the North Atlantic’s saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean’s upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet.

The research voyage is part of a multi-year mission, dubbed the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS), which will deploy multiple instruments in different regions of the ocean. The new data also will help calibrate the salinity measurements NASA’s Aquarius instrument has been collecting from space since August 2011. (more…)

Forcing the Molecular Bond Issue

By Guest PostSeptember 6, 2012Scienceadsorb, aerosol droplets, aleksandr noy, antibody, berkeley lab, binding free energy, biosensing assay, data, dfs, dynamic force spectroscopy, energy barrier, force spectra, formation, interaction, intermolecular bond, jim deyoreo, material, molecular bond, molecular foundry, molecular system, molecule, nanoscience center, nonlinear force, property, raymond friddle, rupture, single bond model, standard model, synthetic analogue, synthetic polymer, torsional force

New and Improved Model of Molecular Bonding from Researchers at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry

Material properties and interactions are largely determined by the binding and unbinding of their constituent molecules, but the standard model used to interpret data on the formation and rupturing of molecular bonds suffers from inconsistencies. A collaboration of researchers led by a scientist at the U.S Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a first-of-its-kind model for providing a comprehensive description of the way in which molecular bonds form and rupture. This model enables researchers to predict the “binding free energy” of a given molecular system, which is key to predicting how that molecule will interact with other molecules.

“Molecular binding and unbinding events are much simpler than we have been led to believe from the standard model over the past decade,” says Jim DeYoreo, a scientist with the Molecular Foundry, a DOE nanoscience center at Berkeley Lab who was one of the leaders of this research. “With our new model, we now have a clear means for measuring one of the most important parameters governing how materials and molecules bind together.” (more…)

Rose McDermott: The Political Genome

By Guest PostAugust 31, 2012Politics, Sciencealcoholic, american sense, austrailia, biological measure, biology, capital punishment, courtney coelho, data, democrats, denmark, election result, evolutionary perspective, explosion, fraternal twins, gene, genetic contribution, genetic factor, genetic foundation, genetics, hereditary component, obesity, political genome, political preference, political problem, political science, prediction, public policy, reproductive issue, republicans, rose mcdermott, sex, spectrum, statistical test, trends, united states

A recent review of research co-authored by Rose McDermott highlights the role that genes play in political preferences, an area of study that began to draw significant attention in the last decade. McDermott speaks with Courtney Coelho about this growing field of research, its evolutionary roots, and whether it means anything for the prediction of future election results.

The connection between biology and political science is relatively new, but it’s one that has grown rapidly, with a boom in research linking genetics and political preferences in the last decade. Rose McDermott, professor of political science, has done research on this topic and recently co-authored a review, published in Trends in Genetics, of studies in recent years. (more…)

5 Easy Steps to Make Your Computer Run Faster

By Guest PostAugust 26, 2012Technologycomputer, data, defrag, easy steps, faster, hard drive, memory, mitch taylor, msconfig, ram, run, spyware, startup, update software, virus

Most computers are not slow out of the box, with use and new programs installed a computer can slow down significantly. A slow running computer can be a nightmare, and really cut productivity. Not only that, but it can be extremely aggravating and time consuming to fix. It is actually very simple to speed up a slow running computer with just a simple few steps. Here are 5 easy steps to make a computer run faster.

Disable Startup Items

Many programs automatically startup even though it may not be necessary. By clicking start, run, and typing msconfig, then going to the startup tab. You can see which programs are automatically starting up when the computer is turned on. It would be prudent to disable anything that is not necessary to startup with the computer. Any programs that do not startup automatically can be opened manually later if needed. This frees up memory for more essential activities. (more…)

How to Effectively Compare Auto Insurance Quotes

By Guest PostJune 16, 2012Economyautomobile, automobile insurance, car insurance, data, Economy, high volume traffic, home insurance, industry, insurance packages, jordan ruth, luxury, notion, plan, times of emergency, unemployment rate, website

As the economy of the world continues to fluctuate and the unemployment rates remain high even in the most stable first world economies, people everywhere are looking for ways to cut back their monthly budgets. One of the first things that is usually on the chopping block are the various insurance packages that people consider a luxury.

Although this is perhaps the least advisable way to lower monthly liabilities, many people think that it is their only option. They believe that prices on things like car insurance and home insurance are set in stone, and that they cannot be negotiated down. This notion is far from the truth. (more…)

IBM CEO Study: Command & Control Meets Collaboration

By Guest PostMay 23, 2012Technologybridget van kralingen, business analytics, ceos, chief executive officer, collaboration, command and control, data, economic, face to face, human relationship, ibm ceo study, ibm study, innovation, interaction, internet, key influence, market condition, modern corporation, peter voser, royal dutch shell, social business platforms, social media, social network, Technology

CEOs embark on a new era of leadership as they embrace a more connected culture

ARMONK, N.Y. – A new IBM study of more than 1,700 Chief Executive Officers from 64 countries and 18 industries worldwide reveals that CEOs are changing the nature of work by adding a powerful dose of openness, transparency and employee empowerment to the command-and-control ethos that has characterized the modern corporation for more than a century.

The advantages of the fast-moving trend are clear. According to the IBM CEO study, companies that outperform their peers are 30 percent more likely to identify openness – often characterized by a greater use of social media as a key enabler of collaboration and innovation – as a key influence on their organization. Outperformers are embracing new models of working that tap into the collective intelligence of an organization and its networks to devise new ideas and solutions for increased profitability and growth. (more…)