NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren took this photograph on Nov. 11, 2015 from the International Space Station, and shared it with his followers on social media. Lindgren wrote, “The delicate fingerprints of water imprinted on the sand. The #StoryOfWater.” The area photographed is located in Oman, approximately 20 km to the west-northwest of Hamra Al Drooa.
One of the ways research on the space station benefits life on Earth is by supporting water purification efforts worldwide. Drinkable water is vital for human survival. Unfortunately, many people around the world lack access to clean water. Using technology developed for the space station, at-risk areas can gain access to advanced water filtration and purification systems, making a life-saving difference in these communities. Joint collaborations between aid organizations and NASA technology show just how effectively space research can adapt to contribute answers to global problems. The commercialization of this station-related technology has provided aid and disaster relief for communities worldwide.
The construction of FAST – China’s new radio telescope – is proceeding on schedule. When completed in 2016, it’ll be the largest radio telescope in the world
Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China.
The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) – now under construction in southwest China’s Guizhou Province – is going well. Construction began in 2011 and is set to be completed by September, 2016. When completed, China’s new radio telescope will be the largest in the world.
As its name suggests, this new radio telescope will have a diameter of 500 meters (1,600 feet). That’s in contrast to the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which is 305 meters (1,000 feet) across.
Like Arecibo, the new ‘scope lies within a natural hollow, or karst, in the landscape. When finished, it’ll have 4,600 triangular panels for reflecting and focusing the radio waves. Unlike Arecibo, which has a fixed spherical curvature, FAST will use active optics. Its surface will adjust in different directions with more flexibility than the surface of Arecibo. That means it’ll cover the sky within 40° from the zenith, or overhead point, in contrast to Arecibo’s 20° range.
A possible application is to listen for radio waves from other advanced civilizations, but there are many astronomical questions as well, which the telescope will help answer.
Li Di, the chief scientist of the National Astronomical Observatories Chinese Academy of Sciences,said:
FAST will remain the best in the world in the next 20 to 30 years after it is completed. FAST can answer questions not only limited to astronomy but questions about humanity and nature. The scientific potential of this telescope is hard to predict.
Bottom line: The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China is progressing on schedule and should be completed in September 2016.
Following the attacks in Beirut, Baghdad, and Paris, our newsfeeds were flooded with death tolls and prayers for survivors. We should all take the time to mourn those we’ve lost.
But we can’t let our grief get the best of us. We must also remember how many lives are saved because of the quick thinking of first responders and the government agencies that act predominantly behind the scenes. Because of them, so many people have been spared from harm.
Here are just a few of the many terrorist attacks that were stopped before anyone was hurt:
1. On December 22, 2001, Richard Reid attempted to detonate a shoe bomb.
Each day, some 125,000 motor vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians, and 2,600 cyclists cross the bridge.
3. Dhiren Barot was arrested in 2004 for suspected plots against the New York Stock Exchange, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Citigroup Center.
It later surfaced that Barot planned to use limousines filled with “dirty” bombs for the attacks.
4. Shahawar Matin Siraj and James Elshafay were arrested in 2004 for plots to bomb the 34th Street – Herald Square subway station.
The tower features 110 floors of office, retail, and recreational space.
6. Abdul Kadir, a former member of Guyana’s parliament, was arrested with three other men in 2007 in connection with plans to bomb the jet fuel line at JFK Airport.
The Moroccan man believed he was working with Al Qaeda, but he was actually in contact with undercover FBI agents the whole time.
10. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Rezwan Ferdaus was arrested in 2011 for plots to attack the Pentagon, United States Capitol, and U.S. soldiers abroad with IED devices.
Before their arrests, they sent the footage to a London-based jihadist website.
Thanks to quick decision-making paired with countless hours of investigation, thousands — if not millions — of lives have been saved. It’s important to always remember and thank those who don’t get enough recognition. We salute you!
Crescent Pluto, acquired as New Horizons sped past in July on its way deeper into the Kuiper Belt
View larger. | Crescent Pluto. This world is 1,473 miles (2,370 km) wide. Image via NASA / JHU-APL / SWRI/ New Horizons spacecraft.
The New Horizons spacecraft looked back to a crescent Pluto, after sweeping past this world in July, 2015. The sun is behind Pluto in this image. New Horizons acquired the view using the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) onboard.
Here, Pluto’s ice mountains Norgay Montes and Hillary Montes can be seen rising as high as approximately 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) above Pluto’s surface. The so-called Sputnik Planum within the Tombaugh Regio stretches to the horizon on the right.
The frigid, very thin, cold atmosphere is seen with layers of haze. The average surface temperature of Pluto is minus 367 Fahrenheit (minus 232 Celsius). If our own Earth cooled to the same temperatures, our oceans would freeze almost all the way down and our atmosphere would collapse and freeze into a layer of frozen gasses 35 feet (11 meters) thick.
Bottom line: As New Horizons sped past in July, it looked back to a crescent Pluto.
On Nov. 6, 2015, NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren spent 7 hours and 48 minutes working outside the International Space Station on the 190th spacewalk in support of station assembly and maintenance. The astronauts restored the port truss (P6) ammonia cooling system to its original configuration, the main task for the spacewalk. They also returned ammonia to the desired levels in both the prime and back-up systems. The spacewalk was the second for both astronauts. Crew members have now spent a total of 1,192 hours and 4 minutes working outside the orbital laboratory.
At about an hour after the 6:22 a.m. EST start of the spacewalk, astronaut Kjell Lindgren took this photograph of Scott Kelly at work, with the station’s solar arrays visible in the background.
A WOMAN boarded a plane for a short trip, but when it landed and everyone left, she remained in her seat. Nobody realised.
So she continued on with another load of passengers to a destination she never intended on visiting, flying a total of 14 hours instead of four.
Because 82-year-old Dolores Runnels has dementia, she just stayed on the plane. She was meant to fly from Dallas to Houston then to Greenville, US.
Instead, she ended up on the other side of the country, going from Dallas to Houston to Greenville to Baltimore to Chicago and then back to Greenville.
All the while her baffled daughter Melody Allega was waiting at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
“I get to baggage claim. Her bags are there, but there is no mother,” Ms Allega toldWYFF4.com.
Nobody seemed to know what had happened to her mum.
“I just kept thinking about how scared she would be to show up somewhere and not realise where she was or how she got there or how to get home.”
Finally, it became disturbingly clear what had happened — she hadn’t been escorted off the plane by Southwest staff.
That’s despite Runnel’s family contacting the airline prior to the flight.
Her son had even received an email response from Southwest confirming they acknowledged Ms Runnels had dementia and outlining a plan to get her safely to Greenville.
“Who counted that plane? That’s not just an old person that needs help or a person with dementia that needs help, that’s national security biting the dust,” he said.
Allegra said her mum was left “hungry and confused” and she wanted the airline to apologise.
Southwest Airlines spokesman Dan Landson told WYFF4.com: “A passenger travelling alone on Flight 486 from Houston Hobby to Greenville-Spartanburg arrived at her intended destination but did not get off the aircraft and travelled on with other passengers to Baltimore/Washington.
“Upon her arrival at BWI and after learning of the situation with this customer, our airport employees did what they do best — they jumped into action, bought her food, and diligently worked on flight arrangements to get her back Greenville-Spartanburg that day.
“At Southwest, we consider each customer an extended part of our family. We’ll complete an internal review of what happened.”
Witnesses from Southern California to Reno, Nevada reportedly “went into a tizzy” when they spotted a bright, blue-green, mysterious, long-lasting light in the sky on Saturday evening (November 7, 2015).
The light reportedly movied from south to north over a period of five minutes or more. Many saw it, as it sailed across the sky around 6 p.m. PST (8 p.m. CST). Translate to your time zone.
Later, the light was found to be an unarmed Trident missile test-fired by the U.S. Navy, from a submarine off the coast of Southern California.
Here’s your mystery light source: It was a test of a Trident SLBM from a U.S. Navy submarine off Point Magu, California, near Vandenberg AFB. Pictured is a Trident II (D-5) missile underwater launch. Image via DailyMail
Bottom line: The mysterious light was seen over Los Angeles and in various western states on Saturday night – November 7, 2015 – was confirmed to be an unarmed Naval test fire off the California coast.
Just yesterday, on November 4, 2015, a devastating accident rocked South Sudan as a cargo plane full of passengers crashed shortly after takeoff. When investigators and rescue workers arrived on the scene, they knew that there was little hope of finding survivors in the charred, twisted wreckage.
But just as they were about to give up all hope, they made a miraculous discovery.
Prospects were grim as rescue workers stepped onto the site of the horrific crash.
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The plane was only designed to hold cargo and about 12 crew members, so it’s believed that overcrowding caused it to go down.
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Approximately 36 passengers are confirmed dead, but numbers will likely rise as the wreckage is moved.
But just as they were about to give up hope, rescuers made a heartbreaking — but completely amazing — discovery.
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They found a one-year-old girl crying underneath the wreckage. She’s one of two reported survivors, and volunteers were completely floored by the tiny child’s will to live. The other survivor ultimately succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash, but somehow, this brave little one made it.
The girl, named Nyalou Thong, was immediately rushed to the hospital. She’s reportedly doing well after receiving treatment for a broken leg and other minor injuries.
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Sadly, Nyalou’s mother and brother died in the crash. As of now, rescuers are attempting to contact other family members.
This child truly is a tiny miracle. Officials and volunteers who responded to the crash signed on for the recovery mission with heavy hearts, but this discovery proved to be a glimmer of hope. We’re sending our thoughts to the people of South Sudan as they recover from this tragedy, and to little Nyalou as she heals.
Visit Sai Bakery in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, and you will find more than just the wonderful aroma of freshly baked goods wafting out of it. You’ll sense the pride with which it is run and the confidence and self-esteem it provides to many of its employees who are adults with special needs.
Pista muffins, mango blondies, cheese wraps, and wheat bread are just some of the mouth-watering treats being produced at this neighbourhood initiative that gives adults with special needs an opportunity to harness their skills, socialise with each other and the community at large, and feel like they are productive members of society.
When we talk about people with special needs, there are many organizations that provide early intervention and cater to the needs of learning-disabled children. But what happens after these children are grown adults?
This is where Sai Bakery comes into the picture. It is not just a regular bakery but it’s a place where adults with learning disabilities can come, work, learn, and spend a respectable and productive day.
Sai Bakery employs adults with developmental disabilities (cerebal palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities). Each special person’s skills are assessed and the jobs distributed accordingly. Training is provided in the areas of baking and packaging and marketing.
“As a child with special needs grows, his or her family too is growing old. The parents have less stamina to take care of the growing child/adult. There are very few organisations that are working with adults with special needs,” says Sumithra Prasad, founder of Sai Bakery.
The idea about starting a bakery came from Sumithra’s son Srinivasan who has Asperger’s syndrome. After he finished Class 12, he just went to Sumithra and said, “I want to bake. I want to start a bakery. I will get my friends and we’ll do it together.”
Sumithra welcomed her son’s idea and enthusiasm to do something. She helped him get some training to learn the basics of running a bakery. And, in September 2013, Sai Bakery opened its doors.
Sai Bakery, which works with the support of the DORAI (Development Opportunities Resources Access Insight) Foundation, not only engages adults in baking but also provides them access to various activities like music, yoga, terrace gardening, etc. The products from the bakery are also delivered to corporate events in bulk.
“We are not a regular bakery. We make products when we get orders and deliver them fresh. Our aim is not to earn profits but to empower and give a sense of respect and individuality to these adults who have been often ignored even by their own families,” says Sumithra.
Sumithra has personally witnessed the impact on some of the lives of these adults with special needs working at the bakery.
Earlier, Shameena would not even go to the toilet alone; she was always accompanied by her mother. Today, she travels all by herself from her house to the bakery everyday, an incredible and positive achievement. She has taken over the packing of pastries in their boxes.
Once a shy boy, Anand would barely speak to anyone. But today, he sings and dances with his friends from the bakery. Similarly, there is Srinivasan who has become good at mixing and blending the dough.
Though a monthly stipend is given to these adults for coming to the bakery, it is the emotional and psychological support they get that matters.
“Many times, even families don’t take these adults seriously. Someone once said about their disabled daughter, ‘What will happen even if we teach her? She is not going to work anyway.’ This attitude needs to be changed. Respect and individuality are very important,” says Sumithra.
Sumithra adds that the attitude of parents towards their own children with disabilities has been the biggest challenge she has had to overcome. Sometimes, the families are not even ready to pay for the transport of their children, even though all the other facilities at Sai Bakery are free.
But thanks to Sumithra’s determination, she has been able to create ripples of change in the lives of many such adults. She has also inspired four to five similar bakery initiatives in different parts of the country.
In the future, Sumithra wants to reach out to more people who are willing to start similar initiatives and enable more people with learning disabilities to become empowered. Even if there are three people with disabilities who need help, she says, Sai Bakery will help them set up the entire system.
Here is a heart-touching video on the unique bakery produced by The Better India Talkies:
To order tasty treats from the bakery or to know more about their work, contact Sumithra Prasad at – doraifoundation@gmail.com and check out their Facebook page.
We’ve already seen ex-fighter pilot Yves Rossy — a.k.a. Jetman — fly his jet-propelled wing in formation with another pilot, and we’ve seen him whizz around Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
His latest stunt, however, again performed with parachuter Vince Reffet, is perhaps the most impressive so far. The two pilots fly their jetpacks in formation with an Emirates-owned Airbus A380.
In the stunt, once again available in 4K resolution, the pilots whir incredibly close to the airplane as it flies above the Dubai skyline. The airplane’s size — the A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner, some 238 feet long — gives a great sense of scale, showing how incredibly small the pilots’ jetpacks really are.
Filming the video was no easy feat either; every little detail had to be carefully planned, with a team of videographers recording the stunt from another, smaller plane. Check out the “making of” video below.
Take off with Natarajan 