The science 'X Factor' with a 1bn euro prize
ADVERTISEMENT
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Israel PM defiant over Obama border proposals
Israel PM defiant over Obama border proposals
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects pre-1967 border agreement call
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Barack Obama's call for peace with the Palestinians based on pre-1967 borders.
After tense talks at the White House, a defiant Mr Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to compromise but there could be no peace "based on illusions".
Mr Obama, who formally adopted the principle on Thursday, admitted there were "differences" between the views.
But he said such differences were possible "between friends".
In his speech to the state department on Thursday, Mr Obama stated overtly for the first time that the peace talks should be based on a future Palestinian state within the borders in place before the 1967 Middle East War.
"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognised borders are established for both states," he said.
This proposal has been a key demand of the Palestinians in the negotiations.
But speaking in the Oval Office after their meeting, Mr Netanyahu flatly rejected this proposal, saying Israel wanted "a peace that will be genuine".
"We both agree that a peace based on illusions will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality, and that the only peace that will endure is one that is based on reality, on unshakeable facts."
'Demographic changes'Israel was "prepared to make generous compromises for peace", he said, but could not go back to the 1967 borders "because these lines are indefensible".
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
The Israeli prime minister couldn't be clearer: At the moment there is no basis for new talks and he won't buy the president's plans”
He said the old borders did not take into account the "demographic changes that have taken place over the last 44 years".
An estimated 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements built in the Palestinian West Bank, which lies outside those borders.
The settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Mr Obama said there were obviously "some differences" in the "precise formulations and language" used by Israel and the US, but that this "happens between friends".
He did not bring up the matter of the borders in his joint conference with Mr Netanyahu.
But he said Palestinians faced "tough choices" following the recent reconciliation deal between Fatah, which runs the West Bank, and Hamas, which governs Gaza and still denies Israel's right to exist.
Mr Obama said true peace could only occur if Israel was allowed to defend itself against threats.
The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says that while notion of a peace agreement based on 1967 lines is not news, Mr Obama has clearly angered Mr Netanyahu by formally adopting it.
Mr Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure as world figures and organisations, including American's partners in the Middle East Peace Quartet, EU, UN and Russia - lined up to back Mr Obama's position.
Arab League chief, Amr Moussa, also called on President Obama to remain committed to the plan.
But in the absence of a viable peace process, it is unclear what will come of US-Israel talks, says our correspondent.
Source
~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary
I'm glad that at least there is a clear cut position and that Israel is being confronted on all sides by this logical first step for peace.
There is no alternative at this point for any Palestinian state to exist without the 1967 borders.
Such a state would be a crippled West Bank and Gaza, a shadow of Palestine's former self. That's why such a deal is unacceptable to the Palestinian people and even to the weak boned Fatah.
At the end of the day Isreal needs to remember that it truly stole all the land it currently sits on and to be speaking as if it owns claim to it all and that it decides all the terms is very proud and very haughty.
Similar situations occurred in Northern Ireland and the violence still hasn't fully disapated after years of peace talks and unneeded deaths.
A country should never steal or usurp the land of another. Injustice will always lead to pain.
The defense of innocent people and the work of justice to reclaim land rights of those it was taken from, is now what the peace talks should focus on.
Sadly I'm not optimistic about them turning to those relevant topics.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The tent that turns into concrete in less than 24 hours
The tent that turns into concrete in less than 24 hours
The past 12 months have seen a remarkable number of humanitarian crises with earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand and deadly tornadoes in the southern US being among the most recent.
Among new innovations which could help relief efforts is a fabric shelter that, when sprayed with water, turns to concrete within 24 hours.
Invented by two engineers while at university, Concrete Canvas allows aid teams to construct solid structures in emergency zones quickly and easily.
Will Crawford and Peter Brewin showed BBC News how the concrete tent is put together and spoke about what inspired them.
Saudi woman seeks to put women in the driving seat
Saudi woman seeks to put women in the driving seat
Najla Hariri says there is no law against women driving, only society's convention A Saudi woman has taken to the road in a direct challenge to the country's ban on female drivers.
Najla Hariri started driving around Jeddah last week. She is believed to be the only woman regularly driving in a Saudi city.
The 45-year-old says she was inspired by the protests taking place elsewhere in the Middle East.
"Enough is enough", she told the BBC as she drove around the city. "I have the right to [drive]."
Ms Hariri holds a driving licence from both Egypt and Lebanon from her time living abroad, and also has an international licence that she uses when she drives in Europe.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Najla HaririIn this society I am a little bit brave - I am not scared”
"There is no law against women driving. It's society's [convention] that says women are not allowed to drive."
'Not scared'The mother of five has the support of her husband and says her daughters and their friends are very proud of her.
She knows, however, that she could be stopped at any moment by the police.
"In this society I am a little bit brave. I am not scared," she says.
Najla Hariri says she was inspired by the Arab Spring protests In some desert areas of Saudi Arabia, women are understood to drive occasionally, but it is virtually unheard of for a woman to take to the road in a major city.
Opponents of women driving argue that it's safer for females to have a male in the car with them, and that they are honouring their women by sparing them the strain of driving.
"They are lying to themselves," replies Ms Hariri forcefully. "It is safer for women to drive themselves. We have four million foreign drivers [in the country] and we'd like to get rid of them and drive ourselves."
Ms Hariri admits she did not want to be at the vanguard of efforts to give women more freedoms.
She returned to Saudi Arabia two years ago and was tempted to start driving immediately.
She found herself stuck at home with two cars but no driver, as her husband and eldest son were both away. "But I waited for the right time; I waited for other ladies to [go first]," she says.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Najla HaririWe are focusing on spreading the word - women here don't know their rights”
As no-one stepped forward, she has decided that now is the moment.
"Before in Saudi, you never heard about protests," she says.
"[But] after what has happened in the Middle East, we started to accept a group of people going outside and saying what they want in a loud voice, and this has had an impact on me."
Facebook campaignNajla Hariri's challenge to Saudi society is part of a wider effort for greater female participation in the whole of society.
A Facebook page is encouraging women to come out and drive on 17 June.
Other women are pushing for the right to vote in municipal elections scheduled for September, while there are also calls for women to get permission to sign legal documents.
Aalia, a 19-year-old university student, is co-ordinating some of the online reform efforts.
"We are focusing on spreading the word, raising public awareness," she says. "Women here don't know their rights."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary
Lets look at the middle east a second, shall we. So there are sanctions from Iraq to the western shores of Africa in the Ivory coast. Sanctions for human rights and a number of other issues.
But when it comes to Saudi Arabia.... where are the sanctions America?
Where are the sanctions on human rights in the one place they are threatened the most?
When a woman has virtually no rights in a country run by the dangerously extreme Wahabbi sect, why does no one in America speak up?
Right now Syria is being sanctioned for what it's doing to it's protestors, and yet Saudi does it on a daily basis to every woman in it's borders. Why the double standards?
Oh yea, i forgot.... Oil.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Pakistan: Bin Laden death exposes complex militant ties
Pakistan: Bin Laden death exposes complex militant ties
Militant attacks have killed thousands of people in Pakistan over recent years The presence of Osama Bin Laden on Pakistani soil has once again raised questions about the links between the country's security establishment and jihadi militants.
It is an issue that has long concerned Western leaders who provide Pakistan with billions of dollars of aid each year and expect, in return, full co-operation in the US war on terror.
In July last year, British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he could not tolerate a situation in which Pakistan was able to "look both ways" so that it could promote the export of terror.
And just last month, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen went on Pakistani television and openly accused Pakistan's main intelligence agency, the ISI, of having links with a powerful tribal group believed to facilitate the movement of Taliban fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
The ISI, Adm Mullen said, had a "long-standing relationship" with the Haqqani network.
The fact that such senior political and military leaders are openly voicing their suspicions about Pakistan reflects their frustration that a decade into the US war on terror, the Taliban movement in Afghanistan is strong and growing stronger.
'Unmatched record'The biggest question just now is whether Pakistan knew Osama Bin Laden was living in its country.
Continue reading the main story 
“Start Quote
Shaukat Qadir Retired brigadierThere is no way Osama Bin Laden could come here without the ISI's knowledge”
Many Pakistanis familiar with the way the security establishment works think it is very likely the ISI did know.
"There is no way he could come here without the ISI's knowledge," said retired Brig Shaukat Qadir.
"You see this particular house had been raided... This house has been under suspicion all along."
Others insist that the ISI did not know and argue that its track record of catching militants proves it has no desire to hide them.
Assad Munir, another retired brigadier, was working for military intelligence and the ISI before and after 9/11.
He was based in north-west Pakistan and led the search for al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.
"We got hold of the maximum people, who went to Guantanamo. I think we got hold of more than 260 people between 2001 and 2003," he said.
"We have the record. I don't think anyone else can match it."
It is a complicated situation and outsiders are often baffled by Pakistan's aggressive attitude towards some militants, and apparent tolerance of others.
Jihadis, after all, are causing havoc in Pakistan. With an average of more than one suicide bombing every week, 35,000 Pakistanis have died since 9/11.
'Countering India'The key to understanding Pakistani policy is to appreciate the distinctions between different types of militant groups.
Some, such as the Pakistan Taliban, are attacking targets within Pakistan - including security force personnel. The Pakistan army is consequently fighting the Pakistan Taliban hard. It has lost thousands of men in doing so.
Pakistani-based militants have been accused of planning the 2008 Mumbai attacks But other Pakistani-based groups are focused on the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan has long been preparing for an American defeat in Afghanistan and wants to have a good relationship with whatever government takes over once the Americans have left.
For Islamabad, there is a lot at stake.
Pakistan used to think of Afghanistan as a place that gave it strategic depth. A friendly government in Kabul allowed it to concentrate its military forces on the border with India.
Islamabad is highly concerned that Delhi, which has given more than $1bn of aid to Kabul in recent years, is getting a foothold in Afghanistan. Countering Indian influence in Afghanistan is a top Pakistani priority.
Since the post-Hamid Karzai government will almost certainly include elements of the Taliban, Pakistan has an interest in maintaining good relations with the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Mullah Omar has repeatedly said he does not want his part of the Taliban to attack targets inside Pakistan.
Furthermore, if Pakistan allows Punjabi militants, for example, to fight in Afghanistan then it means they cannot cause any problems at home.
Continue reading the main story
Find out more
You can hear the full report on Assignment on BBC World Service Radio on Thursday, 12 May 2011 at 0905BST or on Crossing Continents on BBC Radio 4 at 1100BST . You can also listen via the BBC iPlayer or by downloading the free Crossing Continents podcast or Assignment podcast.
But it is not just Afghanistan. There have even been cases of groups thought to have close links with the ISI launching attacks in India itself.
For example, the deaths of more than 170 people in Mumbai in November 2008 were blamed on the Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Under huge international pressure, the Pakistani authorities put the founder of the organisation, Hafiz Saeed, under house arrest, but a few months later released him.
Other members of the group were taken into custody in Pakistan but none of their trials have been processed.
Abbas Nasir, a former editor of the Dawn newspaper, says there are elements of the state that want some militants to be set free.
"People have been killed, the murderers have been arrested, and then released without charge at the behest and the instigation of the security services," he said.
"They perceive India as the biggest enemy that they have. And think they need the jihad, the international jihad forces, to protect them and to reinforce their foreign policy, be it in Afghanistan or Kashmir."
'Impunity or death'The state's lack of determination to ensure the conviction of some jihadis has also been apparent in the investigation into the murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Abbas Nasir Former editor of the Dawn newspaperPeople have been killed, the murderers have been arrested, and then released without charge at the behest and the instigation of the security services”
Despite strong evidence that the Taliban carried out the assassination, and the arrest of five suspects, their trials have been delayed on various pretexts.
Jihadis involved in less well-known cases also escape justice but for different reasons.
Fearing reprisals, eyewitnesses and judges are reluctant to give evidence against or to convict jihadis.
In addition, the legal system is stacked in favour of militants. For example, possession of any amount of explosives - including suicide vests - is a bailable offence.
Many police officers have stories about jihadis being let off.
Senior superintendent of police Akbar Nasir Khan, for example, once arrested a man for attacking a politician's house in Peshawar with a rocket launcher.
He arrested him, seized various weapons, and found eyewitnesses who had seen the accused with the rocket launcher.
But three months after the case went to court, the man turned up in Akbar Nasir Khan's office and suggested they have cup of tea.
The court had released him on bail on the grounds that he was not a threat to public security.
The failings of the judicial system mean that, increasingly, for street level militants, it is a case of impunity or death.
Some police officers are so frustrated by the failure of the courts to convict jihadis that they say that rather than arrest suspects they now kill them.
One police officer in Karachi told me he had killed 22 militants.
"They always say the same thing", he said, putting his finger on the middle of his forehead.
"They say don't break my body. Make it quick."
~~~~~~~~~
Commentary
Pakistan does it's utmost to interject in the way of Justice and to allow death to occur inside and outside it's borders.
As a result it's people live day in and day out with suicide bombings and power cuts.
Until it's people rise up and revolt for a new government, this current Pakistan is a joke. It is a mecca of corruption, greed, and injustice.
As far as how much the ISI knows about it's borders and it's capital; to assume that it was totally ignorant of Osama's prescence, just miles from the capital, is absurd.
The ISI hid him there, under their wings, until America found the damning trail of bread crumbs.
Why are Americans so angry about petrol prices?
Why are Americans so angry about petrol prices?
Rising petrol prices in the US are expected to be one of the key issues in the 2012 presidential election. But Americans still pay half of what Europeans fork out on the forecourt. So why is it such a big deal?
Whatever bounce President Barack Obama has received from Osama Bin Laden's demise, there is a widespread belief that his fortunes at the ballot box in 18 months will be decided by two things.
Gas and jobs.
While the latest employment situation appears to be mixed - figures last week suggested both jobs and jobless rose in number - the president will be closely monitoring feelings on the forecourts of petrol stations across the US.
A survey published on Sunday by Lundberg said the price of a gallon of petrol (a US liquid gallon, not imperial), had hit a nationwide average of $4 (£2.40), just 11 cents short of the record high in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.
There has been some respite since the weekend with prices of gas, as it is known in the US, reportedly falling by five cents in some places, but the anger felt by drivers shows no sign of abating.
At Tyson's Corner Center, a huge shopping mall in northern Virginia, motorist after motorist said it was hurting them in everything they did - the commute, the weekly shop or the school run.
And worryingly for the faltering economic recovery - and the president - they said they were being forced to cut back on other spending to pay for gas.
Continue reading the main story 
What US motorists say...
"I notice the gas prices increase a lot because I spend about $200 a month on it. I've been driving for 10 years and this is the worse I've known it," says Orgil Ganbold, 29, pictured in his Jaguar.
"I earn the minimum wage and half my pay cheque goes on gas," says Aimen Idris, 20, who works in a shopping mall. "So I'm not eating out and not going out as much."
"It doesn't affect me so much because I live near where I work. But my friends talk about it a lot and my daughter hasn't visited since spring break because she can't afford the gas," says Gloria Burtrago, 50.
"Of course it's hurting, it's $1.25 more than a year ago. I'm considering buying a bike and cycling the four miles to work," says software engineer Pedro Alvarado, 25.
Drivers speaking from Tyson's Corner, northern Virginia
The issue is so important that it is rarely out of the news, with TV bulletins continually monitoring the prices and analysts always on hand to discuss the consequences. Polling suggests it is one of the biggest concerns among the electorate.
In Europe, prices are roughly double the US due to the tax, but the anger is not so palpable, and almost certainly not about to influence elections. A protest planned in the UK at the weekend drew only a fraction the number expected.
So what is it about the American relationship with gas that makes it such an important issue?
Americans use their cars more, so the pain is greater. They have, on average, a longer daily commute than all Europeans, except Hungarians and Romanians. Public transport is generally poor so many Americans have no alternative but to drive.
But there is also a symbolic significance about gas that goes to the heart of what America is.
It signifies mobility, freedom and personal liberty, says Dan Neil, motoring correspondent on the Wall Street Journal.
"Anger is probably more tied up with a wider sense of decline and also a loss of privilege.
"Cheap gas has been one of the prerogatives of the American Empire so people have become accustomed to it in a way which is somehow associated with our ability to wield our will around the world.
Continue reading the main story
Why are gas prices rising in US?
- Crude oil more expensive due to global demand for cars
- Ethanol price increasing for same reason, makes up 10% of gas
- Unrest in the Middle East can affect supply
- Sales tax and credit card fees are fixed percentages and so compound these increases
- Speculation by investors has impact day to day but not much over long term
American Petroleum Institute
"We're mad because we've spent a lot of money in the Middle East and made a lot of enemies and defended a lot of tyrants and still gas prices go up."
And knowing that the British pay double won't make Americans feel any better, he adds.
"Americans are not aware of what the rest of the world pays for gas. We are a very big, inward-looking domestic market. We don't watch soccer, we don't watch French movies and we don't really care what the Europeans pay for their gas.
"It's a very big country and the entire infrastructure is predicated on scandalously cheap energy. Everything we do is big - business, agriculture, entertainment.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Quentin Willson Motoring expertThe reason why the British public are more sanguine [than Americans] is firstly because that's their nature”
"Where we live, where we play, all of that is predicated on cheap gas, so when the price of gas goes up, it really cuts to the heart of the American way of life."
The long-term solutions, he says, would involve a huge investment in rail, an overhaul of the infrastructure and a change in mindset - not events that happen overnight.
In the UK, there is no sign that the nationwide fuel protests by lorry drivers 11 years ago will be repeated soon, despite petrol now being double the price.
At the weekend, a protest at an oil refinery in Stanlow, near Cheshire, failed to draw the 1,000 vehicles expected. Instead there were little more than 100.
"The reason why the British public are more sanguine [than Americans] is firstly because that's their nature," says motoring expert and broadcaster Quentin Willson.
"And secondly, the fuel protests of 2000 will never happen again because the cops have got wise to it. Haulage companies have been told that if they start blocking refineries, they'll lose licences."
Continue reading the main story
View from the Netherlands
- Price rises are definitely reported - the oil industry puts out a consistent stream of press releases to keep the issue in the news - but there is no huge outcry
- At current prices, Americans spend about $2,600 on transport fuel per head, almost twice the European average of $1,400
- Petrol is relatively expensive and diesel relatively cheap in Netherlands, probably because we do not have a car industry, but do have a huge trucking industry
Mr Dings is the Dutch director of T&E which promotes sustainable transport across Europe
But the anger is there, says Mr Willson, who led a delegation to Downing Street to complain about fuel duty, and people are near breaking point.
They are stopping him in the street to complain, he says, and some are having to choose between food and fuel.
Petrol sales are down by a fifth in the last year and breakdowns due to tanks running empty are up by 17% in the same period.
"We're on the cusp of social unrest," he predicts.
But petrol is unlikely to define a UK election. In the US, gas prices are a bellwether of consumer confidence, says Mr Neil, and will be more influential in 2012 than Bin Laden.
Republicans blame Obama for gas prices, while Democrats blame oil companies, and they're both wrong, he says. It's more complex, to do with US oil refineries running at capacity and speculators driving up the price of crude oil.
The one key driver behind rising prices is the price of crude oil, says John Felmy, chief economist at the American Petroleum Institute.
It's increased in price by about $1.20 a gallon since August, he says, driven by increased global demand, especially in China and India, where more and more people are driving cars.
Continue reading the main story
Zipcode lottery
- Chicago, Illinois, $4.50
- Los Angeles, California, $4.26
- Seattle, Washington, $4.04
- Boston, Massachusetts, $4.04
- Newark, New Jersey, $3.87
- Tucson, Arizona, $3.62
Source: Lundberg Survey
The portion of tax imposed by the federal government has not risen for several years, but there's a big variation between states, illustrated on the CNN website, which reflects the duties imposed by states.
Rising oil prices mean bigger profits. Last month, Texas-based oil company Exxon announced profits of $10.7bn (£6.4bn), up 69% on last year. There was an outcry, given the pain felt by motorists.
Mr Obama has said he wants Congress to end the $4bn in annual tax breaks for the oil and gas industry.
Although this won't affect prices at the pumps, he wants the money to be invested in clean energy sources.
But some of his critics say he should be doing more to liberate restrictions on American drilling.
Either way, as long as American drivers are feeling the pain at the pumps, the president will be wary of how that pain will play out at the polls.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Travel etiquette 101: Body language
Travel etiquette 101: Body language
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Thumbs up! – the customary greeting in Belize. (Andrew Marshall & Leanne Walker/LPI)
You step over someone’s legs in Nepal and you might not even realize that you committed a grave social taboo! Read below for a list of etiquette tips, complied from Lonely Planet guidebooks and staffers, to help you navigate different parts of the world.
1. In Asia, never touch any part of someone else's body with your foot, which is considered the "lowest" part of the body. If you accidentally do this, apologize by touching your hand to the person's arm and then touching your own head. Do not point at objects or people with your feet, do not prop your feet on chairs or tables while sitting. (From the Thailand travel guide and other Asia books.)
2. Also in Asia, refrain from touching people on the head or ruffling their hair. The head is spiritually the "highest" part of the body. Don't sit on pillows meant as headrests, as it is a variant on this taboo. (From the China travel guide.)
3. Shaking hands was introduced to Fiji in the 19th Century by way of Tonga, and quickly became the established custom. An affectionate handshake can be very long, and may even last throughout an entire conversation. (From the South Pacific phrasebook.)
4. In Nepal, it is bad manners to step over someone's outstretched legs, so avoid doing that, and move your own legs when someone wants to pass. Also do not step over or sit on a monk's cushions in or near a temple, even if no one is sitting on them. Always walk around stupas and chortens (Tibetan-style stupas) in a clockwise direction. (From the Nepal travel guide.)
5. In Japanese baths, called onsen, always wash first before entering the water. The water is considered fouled if someone does not do this, kind of like the American equivalent of peeing in a pool. Also, use a wash cloth to cover your private bits. (From the Japan travel guide.)
6. The people of Italy are emotionally demonstrative, so expect to see lots of cheek kissing among acquaintances, embraces between men who are good friends and lingering handshakes. Italian men and women may walk arm-in-arm. Pushing and shoving in busy places is not considered rude, so do not be offended by it. Try to hold your ground. (From the Italy travel guide.)
7. Shaking hands across a threshold is considered unlucky in Russia, thus some pizza delivery guys will refuse to conduct a transaction across a threshold. You either have to go out to the hall or invite them just inside the door. (From the Russia travel guide.)
8. In India it is possible to pay a tremendous compliment with body language alone. When somebody approaches a person with their tongue between their teeth and gathers the air around the person's head with their hands to draw it into their own personal space, it means they find the person either unbearably beautiful or extraordinarily intelligent. (From the Indian English Language and Culture book.)
9. Do not stick your index finger and middle finger up with the palm of your hand facing towards you in the United Kingdom; it is the equivalent of giving someone the finger. Tip: Do not order two beers in this fashion in UK bars. Doing it palm facing out - the piece sign - is OK. (From a Lonely Planet staffer in the UK).
10. Moroccan greetings can last up to 10 minutes. Shake with your right hand then touch your hand to your heart, to indicate that you are taking the meeting to heart. Good friends may tack on up to four air kisses, accompanied by a stream of well wishes: "How are you? Everything's good with you? I hope your parents are well? Baraka (blessings) upon them!" (From Alison Bing, Lonely Planet Morocco author.)
'Godzilla' lionfish threatening Cayman paradise
'Godzilla' lionfish threatening Cayman paradise
| By Tim Ecott Cayman Islands |
An explosion in the population of the predatory lionfish in Caribbean waters, where it has no natural predators, is posing a widespread threat to marine wildlife.
Just off the north shore of Little Cayman, I sink into the blue abyss.
 No-one knows how the lionfish came to be in the Caribbean waters |
I am descending the vertical coral wall at Bloody Bay Marine Park.
Straight ahead and straight down there is nothing but blue - a dizzying empty space where sunlight streams down and down into darker places well beyond my reach.
But up close, the wall of coral is covered in giant barrel sponges as tall as a man, bright purple vase sponges, green and red corals and creatures that creep, crawl and swim within and among them.
I spot a seahorse, clinging to a whip coral by its tail, a spider crab with legs almost 3ft (1m) wide and a baby hawksbill turtle rocketing to the surface for a breath of air.
And there, spiralling up from the depths come three graceful Caribbean reef sharks, curious and skittish.
Suddenly, I notice Peter Hillenbrand, my diving buddy, gesticulating angrily - he points with one hand and pulls the trigger on an imaginary gun.
It is not the sharks he is angry at, but a brightly coloured fish covered in feathery spines.
I recognise it immediately as a lionfish - distinctive with its tracery of red-brown stripes and the high venomous spikes all along its back and protruding from its pectoral fins.
I have seen thousands of these fish in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but they should not be here in the Caribbean.
 |  No invasive tropical fish species has ever survived so successfully outside its own home ecosystem like this  Dr Carrie Manfrino |
"These fish are like Godzilla," Peter tells me on the boat after we surface.
"Two or three years ago we would see the odd one here and there, but now on every dive they're there.
"I've been diving these reefs for over 30 years and I'm worried that these fish are taking over," he says.
On Little Cayman, I visit the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, where scientists are studying the invasive population of lionfish, more properly known as Pterois volitans.
Morgan Edwards, a post-graduate researcher at the Institute invites me to watch her dissecting them.
Even in death they are beautiful, with a maze of dark red stripes all over their head and body, protective spines covered in a web of fine skin and delicate frilly tassels of skin hanging from their mouths.
 |
After measuring its length, weight and other details, Morgan removes the stomach from each fish and opens it to find out what they have been eating - shrimps, baby grouper, damsel fish and crabs.
"Their stomach can expand up to 30 times its volume," Morgan explains.
"And they can swallow any other fish up to two thirds their own body length.
"But they seem to have no natural predators here in the Caribbean."
Stealthy predators
The facts about lionfish are frightening.
 Lionfish have red-brown stripes and long venomous spikes |
A female can produce 30,000 eggs every four days. The eggs are unpalatable to other fish.
And lionfish are growing larger than they do in their native waters - up to 18in long (47cm), and they are stealthy ambush predators.
No-one knows how lionfish got into the Caribbean.
One theory says they escaped from a Florida aquarium during a hurricane about 10 years ago.
Others believe that tropical fish keepers released their pets into the sea when they grew too large to keep at home.
| One study in the Bahamas showed that lionfish reduced native species populations on one reef by almost 80% |
It does not really matter how they got here, but since 1992 they have spread from Florida up the east coast of the United States as far north as Long Island in New York.
About six years ago they crossed the western Atlantic to Bermuda and then drifted south to Bahamas, Jamaica and Cuba.
In 2008 the first lionfish was spotted at Bloody Bay on Little Cayman.
One year later there were hundreds, and now thousands. And they have now gone south as far as Venezuela.
"This isn't just an invasion," explained Dr Carrie Manfrino, Research Director at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
"This is an explosion. No invasive tropical fish species has ever survived so successfully outside its own home ecosystem like this."
Appetising
Regular diving expeditions to cull lionfish have been authorised by Cayman Islands Department of the Environment in collaboration with the Institute.
| LIONFISH  Females can produce 30,000 eggs every four days Grows up to 18 inches long Eat up to 30 times its stomach volume |
But no-one is sure that anyone can catch enough lionfish to make a difference.
One study in the Bahamas showed that lionfish reduced native species populations on one reef by almost 80%.
Back on Grand Cayman, 100 miles away from the reefs of Bloody Bay, I make another discovery about lionfish.
They taste delicious.
At Michael's restaurant at the popular Camana Bay waterfront development, well-heeled tourists and residents are being offered a new dish.
Flash fried fillets of lionfish flavoured with chilli, fennel and mustard seed.
Chef Thomas Tennant says he cannot get enough of them.
"They cook beautifully," he tells me enthusiastically.
Perhaps in the end, that may be the answer. This is one reef fish we can eat with a clean conscience.
How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
US 'web suicide nurse' William Melchert-Dinkel jailed
US 'web suicide nurse' William Melchert-Dinkel jailed
A judge said Melchert-Dinkel, shown in February, was not the only factor in the victims' deaths A US man who helped persuade an English man and a Canadian woman to commit suicide after finding them online has been given a jail term in Minnesota.
Ex-nurse William Melchert-Dinkel, 48, was convicted in March over the deaths of Mark Drybrough, 32, from Coventry, and Nadia Kajouji, 18, from Ontario.
The judge ordered him to spend an initial 320 days in prison and then for the next 10 years return to jail on the anniversaries of his victims' deaths.
His lawyer plans to lodge an appeal.
Melchert-Dinkel, who wiped away tears as he was sentenced, apologised in a statement read by his lawyer, Terry Watkins, and said he felt "shame and remorse".
The official sentence handed down by Judge Thomas Neuville was six-and-a-half years in jail, with most of it suspended unless Melchert-Dinkel violates the terms of his probation over the next 15 years.
The sentence was structured in such a way that he will have to spend two-day spells in prison on the anniversaries of the deaths of Mr Drybrough and Ms Kajouji over the next decade.
The judge said that while Melchert-Dinkel's actions were directly related to the victims' deaths, other factors were also involved.
Ms Kajouji's mother, Deborah Chevalier, told the Associated Press news agency she was disappointed the sentence was not longer.
Coventry man Mark Drybrough, 32, hanged himself in 2005 Melchert-Dinkel had faced a maximum jail term of 15 years on each count of aiding suicide.
During his trial, the court heard he was obsessed with suicide and hanging.
Prosecutors claimed he hunted down his victims on the internet for "the thrill of the chase" and gave them advice and encouragement, while posing as a female nurse.
US prosecutors said Melchert-Dinkel acknowledged having taken part in online chats about suicide with up to 20 people and entering into fake suicide pacts with about 10, five of whom he believed killed themselves.
Mr Watkins has said his client intends to appeal against the conviction on the grounds his remarks were shielded by the free speech protections of the US constitution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary
The power of words are more evident than ever. You can and will be convicted if you use them improperly.
Freedom of speech ends when murder, oppression, and injustice begin.
This man should have been forced to spend 5 years in prison and 1 year of parole. He got off easy in my opinion. You can't toy with other people's lives and get away with it.
Gravity Probe B confirms Einstein effects
Gravity Probe B confirms Einstein effects
Gravity Probe B was launched in 2004 Nasa's Gravity Probe B has produced remarkable new confirmation of some key predictions by Albert Einstein.
The satellite's observations show the massive body of the Earth is very subtly warping space and time, and even pulling them around with it.
Scientists were able to see these effects by studying the behaviour of four perfectly engineered spinning balls carried inside the probe.
The results are published online in the journal Physical Review Letters.
They are significant because they underline once again the genius of the great German-born scientist, but also because they provide more refined tools to understand the physics that drives the cosmos.
On a more human level, the findings represent the culmination of an extraordinary odyssey for the leading lights of the mission, some of whom have dedicated more than five decades to the quest.
These include Francis Everitt, the mission's principal investigator at Stanford University - a researcher who was there at the inception of the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) idea in the late 1950s.
"We've completed this landmark experiment, testing Einstein's Universe - and Einstein survives," he announced on Wednesday.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Rex Geveden Former GP-B programme managerThe idea came about three to four decades before the technology was available to test it”
GP-B itself was not launched until 2004, and it has taken since then for the mission team to assess the data and to be sure of its observations.
Part of the group's difficulty has been in showing that some fantastically small measurements were real and not biases introduced by flaws in the experimental set-up. For a while, it looked like the venture might not succeed.
Gravity Probe B was put in space to confirm two important consequences stemming from Einstein's Theory of General Relativity - his description of gravity. The predictions characterise the way space and time will be distorted by the presence of huge objects such as planets and stars.
One, known as the geodetic effect, is the amount by which the mass of the Earth will warp the local space-time in which it sits.
The other, which physicists refer to as frame-dragging, is the phenomenon that sees the Earth twist local space-time around with it as it rotates.
The quartz gyros (left) were coated with niobium (right). They were described as the most perfect spheres ever engineered GP-B sought to observe both these effects by measuring tiny drifts in the spin axes of four gyroscopes relative to the position of a star called IM Pegasi (HR 8703).
To ensure accuracy, the balls had to be chilled to near "absolute zero" (-273C) and were flown inside a giant vacuum flask containing super-fluid helium. This and other measures isolated the spheres from any external disturbance.
If Einstein had been wrong in his ideas then the gyros should have spun unhindered by external forces (pressure, heat, magnetic field, gravity, and electrical charges).
But given the physicist has taught us that local space-time around the Earth is curved and frame-dragging then a deviation in their behaviour ought to be expected and measurable - albeit with great difficulty.
Over the course of a year, the anticipated drift in the spin axes of the balls due to the geodetic effect was calculated to reveal itself on the scale of just a few thousand milliarcseconds. The frame-dragging effect was predicted to be even smaller.
"A milliarcsecond is the width of a human hair seen at a distance of 10 miles. It really is a rather small angle, and this is the accuracy Gravity Probe B had to achieve," explained Professor Everitt.
"For the geodetic effect, the predicted relativity effect is 6,606.1 of these milliarcseconds, and the measured result is a little over a quarter of a percent of that. The frame-dragging we've measured to a little better than 20%."
Tech spin-offThe idea for the mission was first proposed in 1959, but the project had to wait until the technologies to carry it through could be invented.
Some 100 students achieved their PhDs by working on some aspect of the mission "GP-B, while conceptually simple, is technologically an extremely complex experiment," said Rex Geveden, the former programme manager on GP-B and now the president of Teledyne Brown Engineering from Huntsville, Alabama.
"The idea came about three to four decades before the technology was available to test it. Thirteen novel technologies were created for GP-B. The quartz balls were thought to be the roundest objects ever manufactured. The diametric variation across the spheres is about two-tenths of a millionth of an inch."
Innovations from Gravity Probe B have fed directly into improvements in the Global Positioning System (GPS). And a Nasa mission called Cobe that pictured the Universe less than a million years after the Big Bang owed its success to technology developed on Gravity Probe B.
Unending testsSome 100 students achieved their PhDs by working on some aspect of the mission during the many years it took to develop, build and then fly the probe.
Most of these PhDs were earned at Stanford, and at the universities in Huntsville; and in Aberdeen, UK. More than 350 undergraduate students also worked on GP-B, including one who later became the first female American astronaut in space, Sally Ride. Another was Eric Cornell, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001.
"The precession of a gyroscope in a gravitational field of a rotating body has never been measured before today. While the result in this case does support Einstein, it didn't have to," commented Professor Clifford Will from Washington University, St. Louis.
"Physicists will never cease testing their basic theories, whether in order to confirm them better or in order to reveal new physics beyond those standard theories.
"In some realms the only place to do this, to carry out such experiments, is in space. This was the case with GP-B."
Continue reading the main story
- 1. The spin axes of the gyroscopes were initially aligned with a guide star. The gyroscopes were then monitored for changes in their angle of spin caused by general relativity effects
- 2. The disturbance due to frame-dragging was expected to cause the spin axes of the super-smooth gyroscopic spheres to change by an angle of just 0.041 arcseconds per year
- 3. For the geodetic effect, the spacecraft expected to see a bigger signal - for the gyroscopes' spin axes to change by an angle of 6.6 arcseconds over a year of observations
- 4. Gravity Probe B's gyroscopes were held inside a vacuum container
- 5. The US space agency (Nasa) satellite was launched on 20 April, 2004
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)