Sep
3
A new artificial intelligence system allows a robotic helicopter to teach itself how to fly and even do challenging stunts, just by watching other helicopters perform the same maneuvers.
The result is an autonomous helicopter than can perform a complete airshow of complex tricks on its own, its inventors say.
The stunts are “by far the most difficult aerobatic maneuvers flown by any computer-controlled helicopter,” said Andrew Ng, a Stanford University professor directing the research of graduate students Pieter Abbeel, Adam Coates, Timothy Hunter and Morgan Quigley.
A new video demonstrates the robot’s capabilities.
Rather than using software to control flight, the robot learns by observing an expert in what the Stanford team calls “apprenticeship learning.” Radio-control pilot Garett Oku operates the 4-foot model helicopter that serves as the expert.
“Garett can pick up any helicopter, even ones he’s never seen, and go fly amazing aerobatics. So the question for us is always, why can’t computers do things like this?” Coates said.
Well, they can.
The artificial-intelligence helicopter, an off-the-shelf model other than its new brains, can do traveling flips, rolls, loops, stall-turns with pirouettes and more. It can even do the “tic toc,” in which the helicopter, while pointed straight up, hovers with a side-to-side motion as if it were the pendulum of an upside down clock.
“I think the range of maneuvers they can do is by far the largest” in the autonomous helicopter field, said Eric Feron, a Georgia Tech aeronautics and astronautics professor who worked on autonomous helicopters while at MIT. “But what’s more impressive is the technology that underlies this work. In a way, the machine teaches itself how to do this by watching an expert pilot fly. This is amazing.”
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Jul
18
How Mars and Alaska Are Alike
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Little did Bucknell University geology professors Craig Kochel and Jeffrey Trop know, as they were working in Alaska, that they would soon predict one of the most important planetary observations ever made.
The pair was in Alaska for an eight-day trip in July 2006, studying geological features and the processes that create them. As they studied photographs taken of the surrounding area, some features caught Kochel’s eye. He thought they were strangely familiar, and then realized they reminded him of images he’d seen when working on the Viking missions to Mars in the 1970s.
Kochel and Trop trekked to where the shots were taken overlooking a glacier. Spotting triangle-shaped landforms called “fans” sealed the deal: They looked strikingly similar to photographs taken of features on Mars.
Mystery solved
Although geologists can usually tell what shapes the landscape around us, it was a mystery what formed the Mars-like features found in Alaska.
The conditions on Mars are quite different than anything experienced on Earth. For example, Mars is much colder than even the Arctic - the average martian temperature is -81 degrees F (-63 degrees C) - and the planet’s atmospheric pressure is lower than Earth’s. Still, for the same features to be present on Earth and Mars, the two professors suspected similar processes would have made them.
They had just over a week in Alaska to discover what created the glaciers and fans.
During this time they managed to see an impressive 289 events, including rock falls and floods. The vast majority of these events were snow and ice avalanches. The frequency of these avalanches astounded the scientists, who reasoned that climate change was the most likely culprit. As temperatures rise, the glaciers pull back, creating large areas where ice has been separated. Material can fall down these cracks and lead to avalanches. This was creating the features seen in Alaska, and perhaps the same thing had happened on Mars.
An astounding prediction
Realizing the importance of this discovery, Kochel and Trop presented their findings to a NASA lunar and planetary science meeting. Their comparisons were based on older photographs of Mars, but the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was sending back new pictures which further confirmed the idea of avalanches on Mars.
Kochel and Trop explained that with a bit of luck and good timing, it would be possible to snap photographs of martian avalanches.
Amazingly, soon afterwards the orbiter sent back images of an ice flow avalanche in action on Mars. Pieces of ice, dust and possibly rocks crashed down from high, steep areas, sending clouds of fine material billowing upwards. The cloud itself was about 590 feet (180 meters) across. The exact cause of the avalanche isn’t known with certainty, but it could be because the sun warmed layers of ice.
This was the first time an avalanche had been observed on another world, and was the perfect confirmation of Kochel and Trop’s ideas.
Valuable research
Studies like this help us understand the changes that take place during periods of climate variation. They also show that although planets like the Earth and Mars are very different places, in many ways they can be astoundingly similar.
The details of this paper will also be of interest to astrobiologists. Searching for water on other worlds is thought to be a key step toward finding life, and understanding how the water cycle takes place on Mars will help scientists make more accurate predictions. Couple water with a dynamic world experiencing changes to its landscape, and Mars looks all the more promising for life.
Kochel and Trop’s research paper was published in the July issue of the journal Icarus.
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Original Story: How Mars and Alaska Are Alike
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May
13
How To Draw Naruto
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Naruto is one of the most popular cartoon characters amongst kids right now. He is a fictional character from the Naruto universe and is a young ninja from Konoha, a fictional village. Through the series, he works towards a single mission - to become Hokage i.e. the village leader of Konoha. It is one of the favorite pastimes of kids these days to draw the character of Naruto. If your little one is also a Naruto fan, make use of the easy steps given below to teach him how to draw the front view of Naruto.
Easy Steps to Draw Naruto Characters
Items Needed
Eraser
Paper
Pencil
Method
Start by drawing the head of Naruto, in the form of a circle.
At the bottom of the circle, draw a rounded triangular shape. This will comprise of the chin and cheekbones of Naruto.
Now, you have to draw the eyes, in a round shape. Even the pupils of the eyes will be round and large. The eyes should be drawn in between the top and bottom of the circle.
The next step will require you to darken the top eyelashes.
Add eyebrows on top of the eyes, making sure that they are slightly bent.
For the nose, draw a curved line, which will indicate the nose and the nostrils.
The mouth will look the best in the form of a smile. So, draw a simple, slightly curved line below the nose.
The ears will comprise of a curved line and will be a bit shaded. They will start at eye level and end at the nose.
Do not forget to add three whiskers on each cheek.
Now, draw a headband or bandana around his forehead, making sure that it gets covered. The bandana/headband is widest at the center of the forehead and gets thinner as we move towards the sides.
The hair will be drawn above the headband. You do not have to show the hair strands separately, just show assorted clumps of hair, preferably in the form of spikes.
Look back at the drawing and make corrections, if any, and remove all the extra lines
May
9
Medical know-how raises suicide risk for doctors
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CHICAGO - There’s a grim, rarely talked-about twist to all that medical know-how doctors learn to save lives: It makes them especially good at ending their own. An estimated 300 to 400 U.S. doctors kill themselves each year - a suicide rate thought to be higher than in the general population, although exact figures are hard to come by.
Some doctors believe the stigma of mental illness is magnified in a profession that prides itself on stoicism and bravado. Many fear admitting psychiatric problems could be fatal to their careers, so they suffer in silence.
And when the pain is too much, doctors have easy access to prescription drugs and a precise knowledge of both how the body works and the amount of a drug needed for an overdose to stop breathing and halt the heart.
“All physicians have access to neat, clean ways to commit suicide,” said Dr. Robert Lehmberg, a Little Rock, Ark., surgeon who has battled depression and long considered suicide “an exit strategy if absolutely necessary.”
The American Medical Association has called physician suicide “an endemic catastrophe,” and pledged two years ago to work to prevent the problem.
But the suicides have persisted. So the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has launched an educational campaign in hopes of making troubled doctors more willing to seek help.
The foundation, the American College of Psychiatrists and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a maker of antidepressant pills, paid for the program. It includes a documentary titled “Struggling in Silence” that begins airing on public television stations this week.
“It really has been swept under the carpet,” said Dr. Paula Clayton, the suicide foundation’s medical director.
The foundation says 300 to 400 doctors commit suicide each year, based on estimates from research, but that more studies are needed to get a more precise count.
Another estimate of 250 yearly comes from an online article by Dr. Louise Andrew and in American Medical News, an AMA publication. But a spokesman said the AMA doesn’t track doctor suicides because accurate numbers aren’t available.
Suicide figures in broader society are not completely reliable because suicide is often not given as the cause of death.
The overall U.S. suicide rate among men is four times higher than in women - about 23 per 100,000 versus about 6 per 100,000 in women, according to the most recent government data.
But among doctors, suicide rates are about equal for men and women.
A 28-state study from 1984-95 found women doctors were more than twice as likely as women in the general population to kill themselves. Men were more than 70 percent more likely inside the medical profession than overall to commit suicide.
One explanation is that most suicide attempts in the broader population are unsuccessful, while doctors know how to successfully commit suicide, said Dr. Erika Frank, who specializes in research on physician health.
Depression is often the problem.
Depressed doctors frequently decide to self-medicate but don’t seek psychotherapy that could help them deal with underlying issues, said Dr. Glenn Siegel, who runs a suburban Chicago program that treats doctors with drug abuse, depression and other psychiatric problems.
“It’s not a safe topic to be as open about in that profession because you’re responsible for the well-being of others,” Siegel said. “If you’re admitting something like that, you’re saying maybe you’re not fit to do your job.”
Adds Lehmberg, the Arkansas surgeon, who is featured in the documentary: “You just would rather take a risk with your health than your career. It’s not like you get a second chance with it.”
A psychiatrist in the New York area who asked to remain unidentified said he had suicidal thoughts every day for several years. But in medical school in the 1980s, he said he was so embarrassed about seeking help for depression that he went to a pay phone instead of his dorm to call a therapist.
Since then, some schools have begun teaching medical students about depression among doctors, but, he said in an interview, “so much more needs to be done.”
Because the stigma persists, he said he didn’t want his name used to avoid hurting his family and relationships with colleagues and patients.
Some studies have suggested depression is more common among doctors, especially women physicians, and that the high demands of a job dealing with life-and-death issues makes them prone.
But Frank questions that and said she worries that singling out physicians risks “pathologizing” a profession whose members generally “have it awfully good.”
“I think the situation gets portrayed as far more grave than it really is for physicians compared to anyone else in the world,” Frank said.
There could be reasons why the stigma would be worse for doctors, “but you can come up with just as many reasons why physicians would be better equipped to acknowledge” mental illness, she said.
“We’ve all done psychiatric training. We all know bad mental health outcomes happen to good people,” she said.
A study in Denmark, published last year, found more suicides in doctors than among more than 20 other professions, including nurses, factory workers, elementary school teachers, corporate managers and architects.
But there are few comprehensive studies on suicides among U.S. doctors.
Some have been based on newspaper obituaries, which are “flawed at best” because suicide often isn’t listed as a cause of death, said Dr. Morton Silverman, a University of Chicago suicide expert.
New Jersey physician Ron Brown suffered from depression and killed himself in 2002. His widow, Mumtaz Bari-Brown, said she believes the stigma kept her husband from getting help in time to save his life.
As a boy, Brown had been told his father died of a heart attack, not the real cause of suicide, the widow said.
“We have to stop the hiding and the ignorance and recognize it as a disease like high blood pressure or diabetes,” said Bari-Brown, who also is featured in the new documentary.
Dr. G. Richard Smith, Lehmberg’s doctor and director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ psychiatric research institute, said doctors need assurance they won’t risk their jobs if they seek psychiatric help.
Smith succeeded in getting changes to questions on medical license applications in Arkansas that he believes will help. The old application asked doctors if they were being treated for mental illness or ever had been. A “yes” answer required a psychiatrist’s note declaring they were fit to practice medicine. Now, they need only disclose mental health treatment that was advised or required by medical authorities.
The previous form didn’t keep doctors with psychiatric problems from practicing, Smith said. But it did keep “doctors who needed treatment from getting the treatment that they needed.”
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May
8
How To Make An Origami Swan
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Summer time is the most boring period for kids. Their school is off and because of the heat; they cannot go outside to play, especially in the afternoon. We all know that ‘empty mind is a devil’s workshop’. In short, you need to make sure that the kids are busy during this time; otherwise you will have to bear the naughty consequences. One of the ways of keeping the kids occupied is by teaching them interesting crafts. Keeping this in mind, we have written this article, which provides easy instructions on making origami swan. Just follow the steps given below and watch your kids doing something fruitful in their free time.
How to Make an Origami Swan
Items Needed
Origami Paper
Pencils
Rulers
Instructions
Cut out a square piece from the origami paper, the size depending upon how big you want the swan to be.
Place the paper on a table, with the colored side facing down. Hold the top-left corner of the paper and fold it in such a way that it meets the bottom-right corner.
Make a firm crease at the point where the paper has just folded. Now, unfold the paper and return it back to the original position.
Bring the left edge of the paper into the center of the square and make a firm crease at the point where the paper has folded.
Repeat the above step with the right edge of the paper.
Turn over the paper and repeat the above two steps with this side. Now, the paper should resemble an elongated diamond.
Hold the bottom point of the diamond and fold it from the center, in such a way that it meets the top point. Crease. The folded portion will make the head and neck of the swan.
For making the swan’s head, fold the top area of the portion folded in the previous step. Make sure you fold only ¼ of the section, so that the head remains smaller than the neck.
Now, fold the entire piece of paper into half underneath itself, along the central line made in the third step.
Flatten the paper.
Gently pull the swan’s neck and head and bring them into an upright position. Origami swan is ready
May
8
How To Whiten Teeth
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Teeth whitening can be explained as the process through which we whiten our teeth, which have become yellowish with time. Age, apart from excessive consumption of tea, coffee, aerated drinks, chocolates, toffees, soda, and the like, is amongst the major reasons of the teeth turning yellow. Add to this, the habit of smoking, drinking and avoiding proper oral hygiene and care and the result is not only yellow teeth, but also tooth decay and other dental problems. Through this article, we intend to tell you how to whiten teeth, naturally and at home.
Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening
Given below are some of the best, natural ways to whiten teeth.
Clean your teeth thoroughly with toothpaste. Shake the toothbrush to almost dry and dip it in the baking soda. Brush your teeth with the soda, making sure to rub all the sides.
Rub the bark of walnut tree on your teeth. It will help clean the teeth as well as whiten them.
Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and salt. With the help of a finger or brush, rub it over your teeth.
Use soda bicarbonate on your teeth, atleast five minutes before brushing them with toothpaste.
Cut a strawberry into half and rub its inner part over you teeth as well as your gums.
Orange peel has also been associated with healthy teeth. Rubbing it on the teeth will help in whitening them.
Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, to form a paste. Brush your teeth daily, atleast two times, with this paste.
Rubbing hard wood ash, containing potassium hydroxide, on teeth has been found to help in whitening them.
Mix 1 tsp baking soda, pinch of salt and a few drops of white vinegar. Rub it on your teeth, with the help of a finger or brush.
Try to avoid excessively hot and excessively cold drinks and foods, as much as possible.
Stop, or atleast limit, your intake of coffee, tobacco, red wine, carbonated drinks, tea, etc.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. It helps ensures regular rinsing of the teeth.
Try to brush and floss after each and every meal
Apr
13
How To Smock
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Smocking is the name given to an embroidery technique that was developed in England. It is used for the purpose of gathering a fabric in such a way that it is able to stretch. In fact, before the invention of elastic, smocking was widely used in cuffs, bodices and necklines in garments, where buttons were unwanted. The technique of smocking has been in use since the Middle Ages; however its popularity was at its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries. A smock is amongst the few embroidery styles that have some use apart from decoration. With the information given below, learn how to smock.
Instructions for Smocking
Items Needed
Fabric
Thread
Pleated garment
Cotton thread
Needle
Pleated Garment
Needle
Cotton Thread
Smocking Pleater (optional)
Instructions
First of all, you will be required to pleat a garment. You can make use of the Smocking Pleater for the purpose. Make sure that the while pleating, the general gauge is 3:1 i.e. three inches of un-pleated fabric to one inch of pleated fabric.
Unpick the first three pleats on both sides of the garment, in order to create seam allowances.
Tie off the pleats, taking two at a time.
Now, redistribute the pleats evenly and align them correctly, with the help of a comb.
Thread the needle, with three strands of cotton thread, and tie a single knot at the end.
Start the process of smocking on the second gathered row, while making sure to avoid catching the gathering thread in it.
Taking the pleats to be a row of V’s, start just above the gathering thread, but under the fabric. Pull the needle up through the bottom of the second V, or pleat, bringing the needle in the valley, to the left of the second pleat.
Put the needle inside, through the first pleat, from left to right. With this, you can start stitching.
Bring the needle up to the left of the first pleat.
With the thread being under the needle, pick up the second pleat as you insert the needle from right to left.
As the stitch comes to an end, give a gentle upward tug to the thread.
Now, keeping the thread above the needle, pick up the third pleat.
Thereafter, insert the needle from right to left. As the stitch comes to an end, give the thread a gentle tug, this time downward.
Repeat the stitches mentioned above across the row.
Place another stitch in the final pleat as you end the row. Make sure to leave a little loop as you pull the thread.
Finally, run the needle back through the loop and pull the thread to create a knot. Trim the remaining thread to ¼ inch.
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Apr
11
How To Make A Lanyard
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Lanyard can be described as a rope or a cord that is used for securing small portable items. For instance, you can easily secure your keys, cell phone, badge, or whistle with the help of a lanyard. The best part about lanyards is that they can be made at home, easily and quickly, without putting in too much effort or materials. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that the material used for it should be the thin, elastic, and flexible plastic lace, known as craft lace, lanyard, gimp, or boondoggle. You can either use the homemade lanyards yourself or give them as gifts to your friends and family members. In the following lines, we will explain the instructions for making a simple and basic lanyard.
How to Make a Lanyard
Items Needed
Craft Lace
Instructions
Take two strands of craft lace, fold them together into half. Make sure the lace is of considerable length.
Tie a knot towards the top of the craft lace, so as to hold the strands securely together.
With the previous step, you will have four strands, secured at the top. Spread all the strings apart, in such a way that each of them points towards a different cardinal direction.
Hold the ‘west’ string of the lace, close to the knot, and pull it over the ‘north’ string.
Now, cross the ‘north’ string over the ‘east’ string. With this, the ‘north’ string will be covering both the ‘west’ string and the ‘east’ string.
Next, cross the ‘east’ string over the ‘south’ string.
Thereafter, cross the ‘south’ string over the ‘west’ string.
Pull each end of the four strings extremely tight, in order to make the first knot.
Continue doing the procedure, starting with the crossing over of the ‘west’ string and ending with the crossing lover of the ‘south’ string, till the desired length of the lanyard is achieved Source:
Apr
11
How To Roast Peppers
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One of the best ways to eat peppers is by roasting them. As you roast peppers, their outer skin becomes black and gets filled with blister. With this, the skin becomes easy to peel. When you take off the skin, you are rewarded with sweet and tender flesh that has a pleasantly smoky taste. You can either eat the pulp as it is or use it to add on to the favor of salads, sauces and other dishes. Though any and every fresh pepper can be roasted, the technique works the best in case of the ones with thick flesh (like bell peppers and jalapenos). If you want to know the method of roasting pepper, read the recipe provided below.
How to Roast Peppers (Burner/Grill)
Items Needed
Peppers
Metal Tongs
Gas Burner or Charcoal/Gas Grill
Instructions
Turn the heat of the burner/grill to high.
Coat the pepper lightly with oil.
With the help of metal tongs, place the peppers directly in the flame of the burner or on the grill.
As the pepper flesh, closest to the heat, turns black and forms blisters, rotate it.
Remove the pepper from the burner/grill, after its skin has turned black completely, all over.
Place it in a bowl and cover it. It will allow the peppers to steam. Alternatively, you can put the peppers in a paper bag and close it.
After 15 to 20 minutes, remove the lid from the bowl or take out the peppers from the bag.
Scrape off the blackened skin of the peppers and discard it.
Remove the seed pod, stem and inner ribs of the peppers.
Your peppers are properly roasted and ready to eat.
How to Roast Peppers (Broiler)
Items Needed
Peppers
Broiler
Instructions
Turn on the broiler.
Cut the pepper in half and remove the stem, veins and seeds from it.
Place the pepper on the broiler pan.
Broil for 5 to 7 minutes.
Place it in a bowl and cover it with a lid. Otherwise, you can put the peppers in a paper bag and close it.
Remove the peppers from the bowl/bag after 15-20 minutes.
Peel them and enjoy eating!
Tips for Roasting Peppers
Before roasting the peppers, make sure to wash them thoroughly.
You can roast all types of pepper, be it red bells, green chili, jalapeños, and so on.
Always wear gloves while cutting or peeling peppers. Otherwise, the hot oil will settle into your skin and cause burning pain.
Do not use wooden skewers. They might catch fire, if not watched properly.
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Apr
10
Cat Care - How to Take Care of Cat
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Cats require some special care for healthy and trouble free existence.
Cats are carnivorous; hence they require some animal-source ingredients, such as meat, poultry, or fish, in their diets.
Give your cat fresh water every day. There is no need to give milk to the cat.
Keep the litter box clean. It promotes good sanitation behavior.
Get your cat vaccinated against deadly diseases.
Take your cat routinely to a veterinarian. Cats are prone to many of the same diseases that human beings are, like cancer, kidney diseases, heart diseases, and dental diseases.
It is advisable to have your cat neutered, also called spayed (for females) and castrated (for males). It aids in control of unwanted kittens, and greatly minimizes the risk of problems associated with the reproductive tract and behavioral problems associated with sexually intact animals.
Cats are attracted towards string-like objects like tinsel, needles and thread, rubber bands etc and may eat them. Some cats are attracted towards electric cords. Therefore, keep all these things out of the reach of cats.
Train the cat to desist from undesirable behaviors such as scratching furniture and jumping on countertops etc.
Put a collar and ID tag that includes your name, address, and telephone number around the cat.
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