One such amazing piece of engineering is the Aizhai bridge, that extends almost 4000 ft (3858 ft actually) from one end to another. It is about 1103 ft high. The bridge has been constructed to connect the two valleys to cut short the traveling time between the two. It has reduced the travel time between Jishou and Chadong to less than 1 hour, which earlier was more than 4 hours.

It is world’s sixth highest bridge and 12th longest suspension bridge. Among bridges connecting tunnels, it is both highest and longest.

The bridge cost 208 million US$ and the financing was provided by Asian Development Bank as a loan.

According to reports, the plane went missing at 2:33 PM local time around West Java after it had descended to 6000 ft. Due to bad weather, search operation through helicopters cannot be carried out and 100 people are deployed to search for any clues regarding the missing aircraft.

“I cannot say that it has crashed. What we can say at the moment is that it has lost contact,” said Daryatmo who is the head of search and rescue agency.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) is believed to be the cause of ‘crash’, according to some people as the maximum elevation above sea level reaches about 10,000 ft in West Java and it’s a possibility plane might have crashed into mountains.

It was the 2nd day of demonstration in Indonesia. The first day went smooth without any issues and it was checked prior to 2nd day of demo, according to the reports. Earlier on, the jet had visited Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Myanmar.

The aircraft’s tour to several countries in Asia was an attempt to revive the Soviet aviation industry after it was hurt by its collapse in late 80s. It was designed and manufactured in collaboration with Boeing and other European aviation industries.

Sukhoi Superjet 100 at display in Karachi, Pakistan (Image Credits: Historyofpia.com)

But do these intrepid explorers ever pause to marvel at the feat of engineering that has created their luxurious floating hotel? How exactly is a cruise ship made?

Image Credits: Wikipedia

Building a cruise ship generally takes between 2-3 years, from the design stage to launch. As with all large ships, cruise ships tower above the water, carrying between 2,000 and 5,000 passengers depending on their size, so need some clever engineering to keep them afloat. Initial designs, including confirmation of ship size, the number of passenger cabins and required amenities, are translated into scale models which are tested in huge pools of water, called basins.

A lot of care is given to the design of the shape of the hull to ensure that the ship remains safe in rough seas and difficult conditions. A wide hull helps to spread the weight of the ship and to keep it stable and steady in the water, while extra-strength steel in a double-hull form aims to prevent any serious damage that might sink the ship.

To prepare for the unlikely event that both the hulls are breached, there are a series of bulkheads within the ship that ‘compartmentalise’ any water taken on board, ie they keep the water within a contained area within the ship to prevent the water spreading, tipping and ultimately sinking the ship.

Cruise ships are normally built in a dry dock (which is later flooded to move the ship to open water) or on dry land (and launched down a ramp into the water). Various different components of the ship are constructed, such as the decks, bulkheads, pipes, bolts, ventilation ducts and electrical cable runs etc, which are then put together in large panels and then transformed into the ship itself, almost like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Large engines power the ship’s propellers to move the ship forwards to its destination. Due to the shape of the hull and the corresponding resistance of the water, these ships tend to be generally quite slow but given the ship’s purpose this is not usually an issue. Older ships had diesel engines, whilst modern ships tend to have either gas turbine or diesel electric engines. Whatever the engine used, cruise ships need a considerable amount of fuel.

Once the basic structure is in place, a great deal of time and effort is spent on the design and layout of the ship’s interior. Amenities such as a swimming pool, miniature golf course, climbing wall, cinema, bars and restaurants have to be placed, as well as the partitioning of the various cabins and function rooms, and finally the décor and overall interior design of the ship.

The perception of cruises is one of luxury and decadence, and the interior of the ship reflects this accordingly. No expense is spared in fitting out the ship with beautiful designs, exquisite panelling, luxurious carpets and flooring, and the best lighting and artwork. Some vessels such as the Ventura cruise ship are still traditional in their style, but recently there has been the emergence of ‘themed’ cruise ships to suit every taste – Disney, Hawaiian, Las Vegas, fantasy, myth and legend to name a few.

As soon as everything is in place (all structures and fittings) then rigorous testing has to take place – the electrical systems, plumbing systems, ventilation systems and security systems among others. Once these have been deemed to be in a satisfactory working condition, then the final stage is the sea trials. The ship is taken out on the sea under real-life conditions and observed closely to make sure there is nothing malfunctioning and that everything meets the safety requirements. Finally, if everything is deemed to be in order, the ship is released to the cruise company and becomes available for holidaymakers to book their idyllic getaways on.

Image Credits: Aviationspectator.com

over a desert and then ejected safely to let the plane crash which was recorded from various angles.

The desert where this act was performed is Sonoran desert in Baja California, Mexico. The filming was being done for a UK television program. Other channels involved are discovery and Germany’s Pro Sieben channel. The area was cordoned off before the crash so as to prevent anyone entering the premises of ‘planned crash site’.

The plane was also equipped with cameras to record the happenings of a crash from inside and scientific instruments to collect data regarding the impact as airplane hit the ground.

The producers released a statement that “the crash went according to plan and there were no injuries or damage to property”.

Boeing 727 was a three-engine, narrow body airliner built by Boeing from early 1960s to 1984. 1,832 Boeing 727s had been delivered till the day production was ended. It was the most sold aircraft before the arrival of famous Boeing 737 jets.

See the video of crash

via flightglobal

The first details regarding the specs has only 4.0L V8 engine with the SLS style doors replaced by a newer design. The production version would be called “CLA”. Before CLA is available for purchase in 2014, two more models of SLS would be made public for purchase and then the CLA would be released anywhere in 2014.

The expected price range for the new model would be around 128,000 US$ (Approximately 80,000£)

Image Credits: TopSpeed.com

via topspeed

To use this kind of machine, the customers will be required to first visit a nearby branch of bank to get their biometric data entered into bank’s system which would then make it possible to use palm as identifying source while using ATM machines. However, to avoid any confusion and overlapping, customers will also have to enter their birthday and 4-digit PIN to gain complete access. This additional requirement might seem hectic but the bright side of it is that it comes in handy if you forgot your ATM card home.

However, in the world this is not the first time hand scanning is being used for ATM machines. Ziraat Bank of Turkey has already implemented this system before. This elimination of needing the card would not only save from troubles of not having card to withdraw but also eliminate need of manufacturing card and hence less plastic usage, for a greener earth.

The system has been developed by Fujitsu Limited of Japan.

Image Courtesy: Hitachi

via discovery

Microsoft offers the game free of cost, however, to add more aiports, planes and effects, you will have to buy those upgrades via Games For Windows Live platform. The platform is installed during the game installation process. This concept is termed as Downloadable Content (DLC) where all the upgrades can be bought from a ‘market’ (much like you buy apps for your smartphones). This also means that open source development of addons is not possible yet and all upgrades and addons will be officially released by Microsoft.

You can get the game from http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/

Upon clicking “Download and play free now” you will download a small file of few Kilobytes which will start the process and download the entire game onto your PC. If you are on slow net connection, this might be too lengthy and frustrating. Anyhow, it’s official version of the game so you probably wont mind that.

See the system requirements listed on the site (link given above). Dual core powered computers would still run it, albeit with reduced performance in terms of graphics.

We all know someone with a food disorder, whether it’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance), wheat intolerance or lactose intolerance.  Lactose intolerance has become far more common in recent times with almost 90-95% of black individuals and 20-25% of white individuals throughout the world showing symptoms for being lactose intolerant.

These figures aren’t surprising for marketing experts who have been keeping a keen eye on these trends for the past few years. In your local supermarket you can now find a range of different lactose-free products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, chocolate and other desserts, from at least two or three different brand names.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Subscript:  Despite still being an excellent source of calcium, cow’s milk that is not produced organically, has quite a high carbon footprint.

Cow’s milk not the enemy

Cow’s milk is certainly not the healthiest or greenest milk available and has never been (for) everyone’s cup of tea, as the various alternatives on the market, such as soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or goat’s milk suggest.  In fact, scientists have found that the proteins in cow’s milk also cause problems of digestion, intolerance, impaired absorption of other nutrients, and auto-immune reactions.

It is still with mixed perceptions that cow’s milk is being promoted by health professionals as the best follow-up for toddlers after breastfeeding. The proteins present in cow’s milk, which was obviously meant for baby cows, are not found naturally in breast milk and none of these proteins are present in any natural adult human food. Even the high protein content in cow’s milk creates problems for the human digestive system as babies require the saturated fats and cholesterol from their mother’s milk. Although all mammalian infants drink their mothers’ milk, humans are the only mammals that drink milk as adults. If not for milk or food, what are cows then good for other than leather upholstery?

Even though there are quite a few support groups out there that feel very strongly that cow’s milk is not a great option, organic cow’s milk has gained a lot of ground to substantiate milk’s value and contribution as a natural form of calcium and proteins. The Food Standards Association (FSA) supports the consumption of organic milk: “Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, so buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides”. So as with every other form of food production, it is not so much about what is produced, but how it’s produced that makes the difference.

Why the intolerance for some?

Lactose intolerance occurs when the human body fails to produce an enzyme called lactase. Lactase is needed to breakdown the lactose, a sugar compound, so it can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream. If not digested fully, lactose stays in the digestive system and gets fermented by bacteria – which leads to all the unkind symptoms that are associated with lactose intolerance – such as abdominal bloating and cramps, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea, a rumbling stomach and/or vomiting.

Although lactase initially occurs naturally in the human body, it has been proven that lactase production levels drop significantly after an infant has been weaned. This is apparent from early childhood, around the age of four, when the body almost stops producing the enzyme at all. That’s why it is actually more puzzling that adults are lactose tolerant at all, considering their bodies should not be able to digest lactose anymore.

It’s not just a culture thing

From the 1960’s onwards, when lactose intolerance was first discovered, it was just believed to be a problem common in babies or toddlers’ digestive systems.  Now, as a growing disorder in adults, it is believed that all Asian populations have a 98% rate and people in African countries have a 90% rate of lactose intolerance. Levels of lactose intolerance are significantly lower in the Western populations, but research has shown that most people “of colour” seem to have intolerance for lactose.

A recent study of behaviour and neurobiology has been able to shed some light as to why Europeans seems to be more lactose tolerant than others. Apparently if your ancestors came from regions where cattle and more specifically dairy cows, could be raised safely and economically, then you most probably have the ability to digest milk.

Subscript: A recent has shown that more than 90% of people from African descent are lactose intolerant.

On the flipside, if your ancestors came from Africa or Asia – considered as areas that have very hot or cold climates that does not support dairy herding – then you don’t have the ability to digest milk after infancy. People of northern European descent, however, tend to retain the ability to produce the enzyme and drink milk throughout life.

Paul Sherman, the professor at the head of this study sums it up: “This is a spectacular case of how cultural evolution – in this case, the domestication of cattle – has guided our biological evolution.”

Office 2003 accompanies Windows XP which will also loose official support of microsoft in the same time. The announcement was made by marketing director of Microsoft, Stella Chernyak in a blog post.

Stella commented:

Windows XP and Office 2003 were great software releases in their time, but the technology environment has shifted. Technology continues to evolve and so do people’s needs and expectations.

The support period ends right after the pre-specified time period which says a microsoft product is supported for 10 years after its launch, after which the support is taken off to drive the new products forward.

Time for users of XP to start considering Windows 7.

via foxnews

Image Credits: Alivisatos, Lee and Zettl research groups, LBNL

development is the application of graphene to analyze objects immersed in liquid using a ‘graphene sandwitch’.

The development eases the inspection of objects using electron microscopy which previously needed to be held in a vacuum for electrons to travel. Same thing couldn’t be done with the objects lying in a container with liquid. Moreover, liquid vaporized if placed in vacuum.

Researchers hit upon the idea that graphene’s finely packed layers can be used to trap liquid between them in a vacuum environment. The liqudi would then hold the object to be analyzed. This is what the researchers refer to as ‘sandwitch’. As a test,  researchers tried to figure out if the platinum nanocrystals appeared after microscopy or not. To much of their delight, the images showed the crystals emerging, citing that the experiment was successful.

Source

High-Resolution EM of Colloidal Nanocrystal Growth Using Graphene Liquid Cells, Science 6 April 2012: Vol. 336 no. 6077 pp. 61-64. DOI: 10.1126/science.1217654

via physorg