Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=4b50fe9409bdf77500ad2bcbc2672602
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Sunday, January 15, 2012
Study Ranks Countries on Nuclear Security
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Australia takes first place, and the United States ties for 13th places with Belgium. Last place went to North Korea.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Wes Bentley: I Still Grieve for My Pal Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger died four years ago this month, but actor Wes Bentley will always grieve the best friend he lost Jan. 22, 2008.
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Cold winters caused by warmer summers, research suggests
Friday, January 13, 2012
Scientists have offered up a convincing explanation for the harsh winters recently experienced in the Northern Hemisphere; increasing temperatures and melting ice in the Arctic regions creating more snowfall in the autumn months at lower latitudes.
Their findings may throw light on specific weather incidents such as the extremely harsh Florida winter of 2010 which ended up killing a host of tropical creatures, as well as the chaos-causing snow that fell on the UK in December 2010.
Published today, Friday 13 January, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, this new research suggests that the trend of increasingly cold winters over the past two decades could be explained by warmer temperatures in the autumn having a marked effect on normal weather patterns, causing temperatures to plummet in the following winter.
The strongest winter cooling trends were observed in the eastern United States, southern Canada and much of northern Eurasia, which the researchers, based at Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), the University of Massachusetts and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, believe cannot be entirely explained by the natural variability of the climate system.
Their results showed strong warming throughout July, August and September in the Arctic, which continued through the autumn and, according to their observational data, appeared to enhance the melting of sea ice.
This warmer atmosphere, combined with melting sea ice, allows the Arctic atmosphere to hold more moisture and increases the likelihood of precipitation over more southern areas such as Eurasia, which, in the freezing temperatures, would fall as snow. Indeed, the researchers' observations showed that the average snow coverage in Eurasia has increased over the past two decades.
They believe the increased snow cover has an intricate effect on the Arctic Oscillation ? an atmospheric pressure pattern in the mid- to high-latitudes ? causing it to remain in the "negative phase".
In the "negative phase", high pressure resides over the Arctic region, pushing colder air into mid-latitude regions, such as the United States and northern Canada, and giving the observed colder winters.
The lead author of the study, Judah Cohen, said: "In my mind there is no doubt that the globe is getting warmer and this will favour warmer temperatures in all seasons and in all locations; however, I do think that the increasing trend in snow cover has led to regional cooling as discussed in the paper and I see no reason why this won't continue into the near future. Also if it continues to get much warmer in the fall, precipitation that currently falls as snow will fall as rain instead, eliminating the winter cooling."
It is also deduced that one of the main reasons conventional climate models fail to pick up on this observed winter cooling is their failure to account for the variability of snow cover, which, as demonstrated in this study, can greatly improve the accuracy of seasonal, and lengthier, forecasts.
"We show in the paper how using the snow cover in a seasonal forecast can provide a more skilful or accurate forecast. Without correctly simulating the coupling of winter climate patterns and the variability of snow fall, the models currently used by Government centres miss an important influence on winter and will therefore continue to be deficient in predicting winter weather on seasonal time scales, and even longer decadal time scales," continued Cohen.
###
Institute of Physics: http://www.iop.org
Thanks to Institute of Physics for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116723/Cold_winters_caused_by_warmer_summers__research_suggests
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
'Breaking Dawn,' 'Hunger Games' Top Movie Brawl Sweet 16
Anything can happen as front-runners and dark horses duke it out for the top spot in our tourney.
By Eric Ditzian
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Photo: Summit Entertainment
What a ride it's been so far in the MTV Movie Brawl 2012! After more than a quarter million votes, fans have whittled down the competition from an opening round of 32 films to a 16-flick bracket topped by #1 seeds "Hunger Games" and "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2."
Now that the pretenders and also-rans have been axed — See ya later "Expendables 2"! Thanks for playing "Rock of Ages"! — it's time for the big guns to face off. Let's get right to it.
Upper West Region
Otherwise known as the Robert Pattinson Honorary Region, this section of the bracket features three RPattz films. While we love seeing the 3-D re-release of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" sneaking into the Sweet 16 after a wild-card win in round one, George Lucas' baby doesn't have much of a shot to knock "Breaking Dawn" from its perch atop the bracket. Twi-fans came out in force over the weekend to conquer "Hunger Games" and assure itself the highest vote total of round one. So Pattinson and his vampire pals have got to be feeling good as voting moves forward. Things are much more up in the air in the region's other matchup: "Cosmopolis" vs. "Bel Ami." Will Pattinson fans favor his cerebral, David Cronenberg-directed drama or his Uma Thurman-co-starring love story, which holds out the prospect of, as RPattz himself told us, "a lot of my crack in it." This matchup is just too close to call at this point.
Lower West Region
This region is all about the superheroes, though neither "Dark Knight Rises," "The Amazing Spider-Man" nor "Marvel's The Avengers" performed heroically in the first round. The MTV Movies team had been eyeing "TDKR" as one of the films to beat headed into the tournament, but fans didn't turn out to support Christopher Nolan's final Batman film in the numbers we expected. "Avengers" managed to nab a six seed, but Captain America and his crew had better bring their A-games if they want to give "TDKR" a run for its money. By contrast, "Spider-Man," which barely survived round one, is going to have to deliver nothing short of an inspired performance if it expects to knock off "Dark Shadows." Tim Burton's adaptation of the supernatural soap opera announced itself as a potential dark horse after an impressive and unexpected first-round showing. An Elite Eight showdown between "Dark Shadows" and "Dark Knight" would make for a kick-ass brawl.
Upper East Region
"Hunger Games" enters the Sweet 16 with a bit of wind taken out of its sails, following its failure to garner the most round-one votes after leading for most of the week. Its new matchup is a pivotal one, and a blowout of "Prometheus" would go a long way toward assuring fans that "Hunger Games" has its eye locked squarely on a final matchup with "Breaking Dawn." But before we get there, "Hunger Games" will have to contend with two action flicks, in "John Carter" and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," that have been surging in recent days. "G.I. Joe" didn't even look like it was going to make the Sweet 16 until a last-minute rise. That sequel could potentially play the spoiler in this four-seed vs. five-seed matchup.
Lower East Region
Anything can happen in this region. Based on its pedigree, you might expect "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" to run roughshod over anything at this point in the tournament. But Peter Jackson's flick faces off against Emma Watson's "Perks of Being a Wallflower," a wild-card entrant that can easily spoil the hopes of everyone in Middle-earth. This matchup to just too close to call. And don't count out another upset in the game between "Snow White and the Huntsman" and "The Woman in Black." Though "SWATH" has a lot of heat behind it, based on a top-notch trailer and the leadership of Kristen Stewart, you underestimate Daniel Radcliffe's fans at your own peril. But which star has the most feverish following? The answer to that question will likely reveal which film moves on to the Elite Eight in the MTV Movie Brawl 2012.
What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It's time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012!
Related VideosSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676951/breaking-dawn-hunger-games-movie-brawl-sweet-sixteen.jhtml
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London Olympics Restrict Volunteers Twitter and Facebook Use (Mashable)
London 2012 Olympic volunteers have been banned from posting updates and photos to Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. The London Organizing Committee announced Friday that Games Makers, the 70,000 person volunteer squad, cannot post their roles, locations, or details about the athletes and other VIPs online. "We understand that many of our Games Makers will want to use social media to share their exciting experiences at London 2012 with their friends and family," a spokesman told Reuters. "As is standard in most organizations, we have provided some practical guidelines to give basic advice on interacting in a social media environment with the aim of protecting the interests of our workforce and operation."
[More from Mashable: Charting the CES Chatter, Wednesday Edition [INFOGRAPHIC]]
Broadcasting our whereabouts on Foursquare or snapping an Instagram of a celebrity sighting have become second nature for many of us. While athletes are permitted to tweet or post Facebook updates, the London Organizing Committee has made a decision that will limit the citizen discussion of Olympic events.
[More from Mashable: In Tiff With Google, Twitter Turns to Wrestling]
Additional restrictions prevent Game Makers from making public statements relating to the London games, without prior permission from Olympics spokespeople, or speaking to schools about the events.
This won't mean much of a change from Beijing 2008, considering that China bans Twitter and Facebook. However, one may argue Olympic volunteers could have provided excellent stories from behind the scenes at the games.
Do you think the Olympics are making a mistake by restricting what volunteers can post to social networks? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Syrian troops open fire in Homs as observers visit
A Syrian woman, left, speaks with an Arab league observer, right, who attends with other observers a mass prayer for the people and army soldiers who were killed during the violence around the country, at the Holy Cross Church, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Thousands of Syrians attended special prayers held in Damascus for the more than 5,000 people killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March. The prayers was attended by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.(AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
A Syrian woman, left, speaks with an Arab league observer, right, who attends with other observers a mass prayer for the people and army soldiers who were killed during the violence around the country, at the Holy Cross Church, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Thousands of Syrians attended special prayers held in Damascus for the more than 5,000 people killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March. The prayers was attended by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.(AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
An anti-Syrian regime protester chants slogans during a demonstration outside the Arab League as the body meets on the situation in Syria in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012. Arab League ministers responsible for monitoring the Syrian crisis say they need more observers and greater independence on the ground. Ministers at a meeting in Cairo said those are conditions for successfully carrying out an observer mission aimed at pressuring Damascus to stop its 10-month-old crackdown on protesters that has killed thousands, according to a statement Sunday. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)
A Syrian man riding his bicycle passes in front of pro-Syrian regime protesters waving their national flags, as they gather outside the Holy Cross Church where a mass prayer was taking place for the people and army soldiers who were killed during the violence around the country, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Thousands of Syrians attended a special prayers held in Damascus for the more than 5,000 people killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March. The prayers were attended by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.(AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
A Syrian woman weeps as she attends a mass prayer for the people and army soldiers who were killed during the recent violence around the country, at the Holy Cross Church, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Thousands of Syrians attended special prayers held in Damascus for the more than 5,000 people killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March. The prayers was attended by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.(AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
A Syrian woman, lights a candle for the people and army soldiers who were killed during the recent violence around the country during a mass service prayer at the Holy Cross Church, in Damascus, Syria, on Monday Jan. 9, 2012. Thousands of Syrians attended a special prayers held in Damascus for the more than 5,000 people killed since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March. The prayers was attended by Christian and Muslim religious leaders.(AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops fired on protesters Monday in the restive city of Homs as Arab League observers toured the area to see whether President Bashar Assad's regime is abiding by its pledge to halt the 10-month-old crackdown on dissent, activists said.
In the capital Damascus, thousands held prayers for those killed since the uprising began in March. Christian and Muslim religious leaders attended the service, and throngs packed the city's Holy Cross church, its yards and a nearby street.
"Enough killings in our beloved Syria," the country's top Sunni clergyman, Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, told the crowd at the prayer service. His son was shot dead in October.
The 165 foreign monitors are supposed to be ensuring that Syria complies with the Arab League plan stipulating the regime stop killing protesters, remove heavy weaponry, such as tanks, from all cities, free all political prisoners and allow in human rights organizations and foreign journalists. Syria agreed to the plan on Dec. 19.
However, the crackdown has not stopped and opposition activists say around 450 people have killed by the regime since observers began work on Dec. 21. On Monday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces shot dead four people around the country and returned the bodies of 10 other people to their families in several Homs neighborhoods.
Syrian state TV said that Assad will deliver a speech at noon Tuesday addressing "local and international developments." Assad has few public appearances since the uprising began, and it will be his first comments since Syria agreed to the Arab League peace plan last month.
The U.N. estimated several weeks ago that more than 5,000 people have been killed in political violence since March. Since that report, opposition activists say hundreds more have died.
On Sunday, the Arab League repeated its demand for the Syrian government to immediately stop all bloodshed.
It was not immediately clear whether the foreign observers witnessed the regime forces opening fire in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs. Several people were reported wounded.
Majd Amer, an activist in Homs, said the shooting started after thousands of protesters surrounded a group of observers, urging them to go to Khaldiyeh, where anti-regime protesters are known to be active. The observers' Syrian escorts wanted to take them to the nearby Abbassiyah neighborhood, where many regime supporters live, he said.
"Sporadic shooting was heard for a few seconds," Amer said.
The opposition has accused Syria of trying to mislead the activists by showing them areas where regime support is strong.
Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said Sunday observers will continue their monthlong mission in Syria, despite claims by activists that the mission is giving cover to Assad's crackdown on protesters and delaying further action against the regime in forums such as the U.N. Security Council.
Some members of the Syrian opposition criticized the Arab League for not withdrawing the observers.
An opposition group called the Syrian Revolution General Commission said the Arab League stance "equates between the victim and the executioner" and called for the League to refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council.
But Abdul-Aziz al-Kheir, a spokesman for the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, said the presence of observers has reinvigorated the uprising in the past two weeks and decreased the number of protesters killed.
"Any talk of foreign intervention is an illusion, the Arab League initiative is the only way forward," he said after meeting with Elaraby in Cairo Monday.
Adnan al-Khudeir, head of the Cairo operations room that the monitors report to, said more observers will head to Syria in the coming days and the delegation should reach 200. He said the mission then will expand its work in Syria to reach the eastern province of Deir el-Zour and predominantly Kurdish areas to the northeast.
The regime's crackdown has led to worldwide condemnation and sanctions, weakened the economy and left Assad an international pariah just as he was trying to open up his country and modernize the economy.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Monday that the Syrian conflict is sliding toward "civil war" and said it must be stopped. At a joint news conference in Ankara, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said there is a need to increase international pressure to force to step down because of massacres by his regime.
The Syrian government says that the turmoil is not an uprising but the work of terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs.
Activists and observers deny that.
___
Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus.
___
Bassem Mroue can be reached on http://twitter.com/bmroue
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012
LSU vs. Alabama: Les Miles expects 'big boy' football in battle for BCS title tonight
NEW ORLEANS ? Les Miles squeezed out a smile, clenched his left hand nervously and extended his right hand toward Nick Saban. The coaches got in an awkward grasp, forced a bit of small talk, and then posed for the cameras behind the crystal trophy that only one of them can hoist toward the Superdome roof come Monday night.
This was the last of their pregame obligations ? one final chance for Miles to deflect a query about whether top-ranked LSU is the favorite to make it to the BCS title NEXT YEAR, one more opportunity for Saban to show he?s got a life beyond his stranglehold on the storied program at No. 2 Alabama (turns out he does, if watching the Weather Channel qualifies).
Now, let?s get down to business.
LSU vs. Alabama, Part II. The BCS championship.
This time, it?s for all the marbles.
Really.
The teams already met two months ago in Tuscaloosa, a so-called Game of the Century that was more of a Brawl in the Backyard, a brutal slugfest that sent both teams scurrying for the training room the next day and left fans around the country feeling a bit cheated by an old-fashioned defensive struggle in a college game now dominated by point-a-minute offenses.
Neither team made it to the end zone in that first meeting, even with the benefit of extra time. LSU won a battle of field goals, claiming a 9-6 overtime victory and stealing away the top spot in the rankings from the Crimson Tide.
Everyone expects more scoring in the rematch, but there?s no way it?s turning into one of those back-and-forth shootouts we?ve seen so many times this bowl season.
?I?d expect it to be big-boy football,? Miles said Sunday during his time on podium.
LSU (13-0) has already put up a body of work that clearly establishes it as the nation?s best team. In addition to that Nov. 5 win at Alabama, the Tigers have victories over two other major bowl champions, Rose Bowl winner Oregon and Orange Bowl champ West Virginia. In all, they?ve knocked off eight teams that were ranked in The Associated Press Top 25, with only three of those games in Baton Rouge.
(Page 2 of 4)
?The only team I?ve told them not to schedule is the Green Bay Packers,? Miles quipped.
Maybe it?s only appropriate for the Tigers to find one more daunting challenge standing in the way of a championship season ? a great team they?ve already beaten.
?When we take the field, we?ll be an emotional, fired-up football team,? Miles vowed.
Alabama (11-1) didn?t even make the championship game of the Southeastern Conference, but the Crimson Tide managed to sneak back into the national title race when Oklahoma State lost late in the season. In the strangest of twists, Saban?s team will be the one celebrating its second national title in three years with a mere split of the season series with LSU.
Perhaps sensing just how fortuitous Alabama was to get a do-over, Saban wants his players to seize the moment.
?I would like for them to focus on the opportunity, not the pressure part,? he said, ?so that they really are zeroed into the mental practice and the things that when they go out there and play, they?re going to be confident in doing their job the way they need to do it to have success.?
That sort of robotic talk is typical of Saban, who spits out championship teams with assembly line precision, devoid of any flair. While Miles? disjointed grammar and goofy antics make it difficult to take him seriously at times, there are no such issues with Saban. He?s all business, mixed in with a healthy dose of fear and autocracy.
?He?s not like that all the time. He does have a personality,? junior Robert Lester said. ?But he?s hard on us because he wants us to get the job done. On the field, he demands what he wants. By doing so, the guys go out there and try to do it perfect to please him. It works. You can tell, because we?re playing in the national championship game again. When you come here, you?ve got to buy into the program. That?s part of it. We?ve bought in and had success.?
Saban did break character a few times Sunday.
When someone?s cell phone went off in the back of the room with a loud song, the coach interjected, ?Is that a little Al Green? Turn it up, man.? He drew laughs when telling how he grilled anyone who wanted to go out on a date with his daughter. ?None of them ever really answered me,? he said, managing a slight smile. ?They were so intimidated so I never got much good information.?
(Page 3 of 4)
Saban even revealed the morning routine he has with his wife.
?We get up at 6:15 every day and watch the Weather Channel for about 30 minutes before we start our day,? Saban said. ?I get most of my marching orders in that 30-minute segment of what we should do or how I should do it or why it?s important to do it that way, what I need to talk to the team about. I get coached up very well in that 30-minute segment of the Weather Channel.?
He might want to see if there?s a Kicking Channel.
Alabama likely would have won the first meeting with LSU if not for the dismal performance by its two kickers. Cade Foster botched three field-goal attempts, including a 52-yarder after the Tide went the wrong way with its overtime possession. Jeremy Shelley also missed.
Given these are two defenses that take it personally when someone gets close to the goal line, Foster and Shelley are likely to be called on again in the championship game. But the Alabama offense hopes to make it a little easier on them this time. Foster?s other misses were from 44 and 50 yards. Shelley failed to convert on a 49-yarder, far beyond his normal range.
?We?ve got to get them closer. We?ve got to get them kicking extra points. We can?t be going for three points every time,? Alabama lineman William Vlachos said. ?Obviously, it?s not the kickers? fault when we?re throwing them out there for 50-yarders every time. That?s on the offense, that?s on the defense, that?s on everyone else but the kickers. As a team, we?re not putting the blame on them, that?s for sure.?
No one doubts the Alabama defense, which wouldn?t look that out of place in the NFL with 260-pound linebackers Dont?a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw. The Crimson Tide led the nation in every major category, allowing a minuscule 8.8 points a game.
LSU, with not one but two All-American cornerbacks in Tyrann ?Honey Badger? Mathieu and Morris Claiborne, isn?t far behind. The Tigers have allowed the second-fewest points (10.5) and are no lower than sixth in the other three major rankings.
(Page 4 of 4)
While those who prefer high-scoring games might be flipping around the dial Monday night, these teams aren?t apologizing to anyone. In fact, they give rave reviews to LSU-Alabama I.
?I thought it was beautiful,? Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said. ?That was grown men out there battling. It was the most physical game since I?ve been at Alabama. It was brutal ? the pounding, all the big hits.?
That game also marked a turning point for LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. He began the senior year of his checkered college career with a four-game suspension, punished for his involvement in a bar fight, but took over when Jarrett Lee threw a pair of interceptions against the Tide. Jefferson guided the Tigers to their biggest victory and started the final four games.
Another win over the Tide, he said, ?will make my legacy at LSU that much sweeter.?
Miles veered away from a question about whether one more victory would stamp LSU as one of the best teams in college football history. Jefferson had no such qualms.
?If we do win this game, I think we will go down as the greatest team,? he said.
Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120109/SPORTS/301090036/1002/rss
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