Games, General Geekery, and what knots found on the web
Monday, October 15, 2012
Celebrate National Fossil Day On October 17
Celebrate National Fossil Day On October 17 - Science News - redOrbit
redOrbit (http://s.tt/1q0Kb)
National Fossil Day Promotes Public Awareness And Stewardship Of Fossils
October 14, 2012
Image Credit: Nejron Photo / Shutterstock
April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
October 17, 2012 is National Fossil Day, sponsored by the National Park Service (NPS) and the American Geological Institute (AGI). This year is the third annual event, scheduled in conjunction with Earth Science Week.
The mission of National Fossil Day is to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils. The NPS hopes to foster an appreciation of the scientific and educational value of fossil preservation and study.
“Fossils discovered on the nation’s public lands preserve ancient life from all major eras of Earth’s history, and from every major group of animal or plant. In the national parks, for example, fossils range from primitive algae found high in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, to the remains of ice-age animals found in caves at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Public lands provide visitors with opportunities to interpret a fossil’s ecological context by observing fossils in the same place those animals and plants lived millions of years ago.”
Over 237 National Park Service areas preserve fossils.
Each year, the NPS hosts an Art and Photo Contest. This year, the theme for the contest was “Careers in Paleontology.” The contest is already being judged for this year, and the winner’s artwork will be displayed on the National Fossil Day website after October 16, 2012.
The 2012 Logo depicts a Mammoth, and each month this year the NPS is highlighting a “mammoth” partner. October’s partner is The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD.
There will be events at Bureau of Land Management and National Parks facilities across the nation. One of the largest will be held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 17, from 10am to 2pm. There will be activities for all ages and educational levels, from becoming a Junior Paleontologist, washing/screening for your own fossils to an ancient version of the “Antiques Roadshow” where you can bring any fossils you have found to have them identified by experts.
Check your state to see if there is a National Fossil Day event near you.
October 17, 2012 is National Fossil Day, sponsored by the National Park Service (NPS) and the American Geological Institute (AGI). This year is the third annual event, scheduled in conjunction with Earth Science Week.
The mission of National Fossil Day is to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils. The NPS hopes to foster an appreciation of the scientific and educational value of fossil preservation and study.
“Fossils discovered on the nation’s public lands preserve ancient life from all major eras of Earth’s history, and from every major group of animal or plant. In the national parks, for example, fossils range from primitive algae found high in the mountains of Glacier National Park, Montana, to the remains of ice-age animals found in caves at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Public lands provide visitors with opportunities to interpret a fossil’s ecological context by observing fossils in the same place those animals and plants lived millions of years ago.”
Over 237 National Park Service areas preserve fossils.
Each year, the NPS hosts an Art and Photo Contest. This year, the theme for the contest was “Careers in Paleontology.” The contest is already being judged for this year, and the winner’s artwork will be displayed on the National Fossil Day website after October 16, 2012.
The 2012 Logo depicts a Mammoth, and each month this year the NPS is highlighting a “mammoth” partner. October’s partner is The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD.
There will be events at Bureau of Land Management and National Parks facilities across the nation. One of the largest will be held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 17, from 10am to 2pm. There will be activities for all ages and educational levels, from becoming a Junior Paleontologist, washing/screening for your own fossils to an ancient version of the “Antiques Roadshow” where you can bring any fossils you have found to have them identified by experts.
Check your state to see if there is a National Fossil Day event near you.
Source: April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online
redOrbit (http://s.tt/1q0Kb)
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Board game tournament for World Hunger Relief on October 20th in Windsor - Toronto board games | Examiner.com
Board game tournament for World Hunger Relief on October 20th in Windsor - Toronto board games | Examiner.com
The Windsor Gaming Resource, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Hugin & Munin are pleased to announced a charity board gaming event being held on the 20th of October with a noon start time.
There is a $5 entry fee for this event which is being donated to help with World Hunger Relief.
There will be four rounds. In between round 2 and 3 there will be a dinner break, you are welcome to bring your own food or there's a ton of great places to eat in the area.
Each round points will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. Anyone who has played in any of the Great Canadian Board Game Blitz events will be familiar with the format.
Prizes:
1st place - $30 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 15pc KFC Meal
2nd place - $20 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 8pc KFC Meal
3rd place - $10 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 4pc KFC Meal
Hugin & Munin
1664 Tecumseh Rd. East
Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1C5, Canada
Tel: (519) 974-7898
Board game tournament for World Hunger Relief on October 20th in Windsor
Board Games to End World Hunger
Credits:
by Ashley Mullin
There is a $5 entry fee for this event which is being donated to help with World Hunger Relief.
There will be four rounds. In between round 2 and 3 there will be a dinner break, you are welcome to bring your own food or there's a ton of great places to eat in the area.
Each round points will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. Anyone who has played in any of the Great Canadian Board Game Blitz events will be familiar with the format.
Prizes:
1st place - $30 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 15pc KFC Meal
2nd place - $20 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 8pc KFC Meal
3rd place - $10 Hugin and Munin Gift Certificate and 4pc KFC Meal
Hugin & Munin
42.30151; -82.9987331664 Tecumseh Rd. East
Windsor, Ontario, N8W 1C5, Canada
Tel: (519) 974-7898
Ph.D. in Batman? First doctorate in comics to be awarded - books - TODAY.com
Ph.D. in Batman? First doctorate in comics to be awarded - books - TODAY.com
Ph.D. in Batman? First doctorate in comic books to be awarded
newsandexperts.com
“There were comic book burnings in various towns,” Uslan told TODAY.com. “In postwar America, comics were blamed for juvenile delinquency and, my favorite, asthma, because comic book readers stayed indoors to read instead of playing outside in the fresh air.”
Story: DC do-over: Superman and friends start over from scratch
Despite all that, Uslan grew up to not only write comic books, but become the originator and executive producer of the “Batman” film franchise, which has brought in nearly $1.9 billion at the box office since 1989. But soon he will receive vindication that, if possible, may actually be sweeter: On Oct. 10, he’ll receive the world’s first fine arts doctorate in comic books, conferred by Monmouth University, a stone’s throw from where he grew up the son of a stonemason in New Jersey.
That degree will close a wide circle for Uslan, who in 1971 taught the world’s first accredited college course in comics, at Indiana University.
“One of my life’s goals is to make the world aware that comics are an indigenous American art form, as legitimate as jazz,” he told TODAY.com. As the modern equivalent of ancient mythology and a mirror to society, he maintains, comics are “contemporary American folklore.”
That changed with the release of “Batman” starring Michael Keaton in 1989. Uslan feels “the first film by Tim Burton was revolutionary” in conveying the original vision of Batman as a dark avenger of the night, not the campy buffoon who cavorted on TV in the late 1960s.
Gay characters take center stage in comic books
And that vision, he believes, culminated in the three Christian Bale Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan (“Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and this year’s “The Dark Knight Rises”). “What Chris has done has been to elevate the comic book movie,” Uslan said. “People say ‘that was a great film,’ not ‘that was a great comic book movie.’”
So, in homage to his hero, will “The Boy Who Loved Batman” (as Uslan’s memoir is titled), dress up like the Dark Knight to collect his degree?
“They’re putting me up there in the black robe, and I’m hoping it will be pointy like Batman’s cape,” Uslan said with a laugh. “If not, maybe I can wear Batman Underoos underneath.”
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
Ph.D. in Batman? First doctorate in comic books to be awarded
Producer of the Dark Knight movie trilogy will receive honorary degree from Monmouth University
Michael Uslan, originator and executive producer of the Batman film franchise since 1989, will receive the world’s first fine arts doctorate in comic books on Oct. 10.
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When Michael Uslan was a boy, he watched the stuff that dreams are made of literally go up in smoke.
A friend’s father, who shared the dim view of comic books most grown-ups held in the 1950s and ’60s, burned his son’s collection in his fireplace as young Michael watched in horror. Uslan estimates that the comics he saw consumed in flames that day, which included Spider-Man’s first appearance, would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars today.“There were comic book burnings in various towns,” Uslan told TODAY.com. “In postwar America, comics were blamed for juvenile delinquency and, my favorite, asthma, because comic book readers stayed indoors to read instead of playing outside in the fresh air.”
Story: DC do-over: Superman and friends start over from scratch
Despite all that, Uslan grew up to not only write comic books, but become the originator and executive producer of the “Batman” film franchise, which has brought in nearly $1.9 billion at the box office since 1989. But soon he will receive vindication that, if possible, may actually be sweeter: On Oct. 10, he’ll receive the world’s first fine arts doctorate in comic books, conferred by Monmouth University, a stone’s throw from where he grew up the son of a stonemason in New Jersey.
That degree will close a wide circle for Uslan, who in 1971 taught the world’s first accredited college course in comics, at Indiana University.
“One of my life’s goals is to make the world aware that comics are an indigenous American art form, as legitimate as jazz,” he told TODAY.com. As the modern equivalent of ancient mythology and a mirror to society, he maintains, comics are “contemporary American folklore.”
- More in books
That changed with the release of “Batman” starring Michael Keaton in 1989. Uslan feels “the first film by Tim Burton was revolutionary” in conveying the original vision of Batman as a dark avenger of the night, not the campy buffoon who cavorted on TV in the late 1960s.
Gay characters take center stage in comic books
And that vision, he believes, culminated in the three Christian Bale Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan (“Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and this year’s “The Dark Knight Rises”). “What Chris has done has been to elevate the comic book movie,” Uslan said. “People say ‘that was a great film,’ not ‘that was a great comic book movie.’”
So, in homage to his hero, will “The Boy Who Loved Batman” (as Uslan’s memoir is titled), dress up like the Dark Knight to collect his degree?
“They’re putting me up there in the black robe, and I’m hoping it will be pointy like Batman’s cape,” Uslan said with a laugh. “If not, maybe I can wear Batman Underoos underneath.”
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints
NASA - NASA's Ironman-Like Exoskeleton Could Give Astronauts, Paraplegics Improved Mobility and Strength
NASA - NASA's Ironman-Like Exoskeleton Could Give Astronauts, Paraplegics Improved Mobility and Strength
Project Engineer Roger Rovekamp demonstrates the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton for resistive exercise, rehabilitation and mobility augmentation in the Advanced Robotics Development Lab.
Image courtesy of Robert Markowitz
› Link to larger photo
Project Engineer Shelley Rea demonstrates the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton.
Image courtesy of Robert Markowitz
› Link to larger photo
Marvel Comic's fictional superhero, Ironman, uses a powered armor suit that allows him superhuman strength. While NASA's X1 robotic exoskeleton can't do what you see in the movies, the latest robotic, space technology, spinoff derived from NASA's Robonaut 2 project may someday help astronauts stay healthier in space with the added benefit of assisting paraplegics in walking here on Earth.
NASA and The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) of Pensacola, Fla., with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, have jointly developed a robotic exoskeleton called X1. The 57-pound device is a robot that a human could wear over his or her body either to assist or inhibit movement in leg joints.
In the inhibit mode, the robotic device would be used as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement. The same technology could be used in reverse on the ground, potentially helping some individuals walk for the first time.
"Robotics is playing a key role aboard the International Space Station and will continue to be critical as we move toward human exploration of deep space," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program. "What's extraordinary about space technology and our work with projects like Robonaut are the unexpected possibilities space tech spinoffs may have right here on Earth. It's exciting to see a NASA-developed technology that might one day help people with serious ambulatory needs begin to walk again, or even walk for the first time. That's the sort of return on investment NASA is proud to give back to America and the world."
Worn over the legs with a harness that reaches up the back and around the shoulders, X1 has 10 degrees of freedom, or joints -- four motorized joints at the hips and the knees, and six passive joints that allow for sidestepping, turning and pointing, and flexing a foot. There also are multiple adjustment points, allowing the X1 to be used in many different ways.
X1 currently is in a research and development phase, where the primary focus is design, evaluation and improvement of the technology. NASA is examining the potential for the X1 as an exercise device to improve crew health both aboard the space station and during future long-duration missions to an asteroid or Mars. Without taking up valuable space or weight during missions, X1 could replicate common crew exercises, which are vital to keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. In addition, the device has the ability to measure, record and stream back, in real-time, data to flight controllers on Earth, giving doctors better feedback on the impact of the crew's exercise regimen.
As the technology matures, X1 also could provide a robotic power boost to astronauts as they work on the surface of distant planetary bodies. Coupled with a spacesuit, X1 could provide additional force when needed during surface exploration, improving the ability to walk in a reduced gravity environment, providing even more bang for its small bulk.
Here on Earth, IHMC is interested in developing and using X1 as an assistive walking device. By combining NASA technology and walking algorithms developed at IHMC, X1 has the potential to produce high torques to allow for assisted walking over varied terrain, as well as stair climbing. Preliminary studies using X1 for this purpose have already started at IHMC.
"We greatly value our collaboration with NASA," said Ken Ford, IHMC's director and CEO. "The X1's high-performance capabilities will enable IHMC to continue performing cutting-edge research in mobility assistance while expanding into the field of rehabilitation."
The potential of X1 extends to other applications, including rehabilitation, gait modification and offloading large amounts of weight from the wearer. Preliminary studies by IHMC have shown X1 to be more comfortable, easier to adjust, and easier to put on than previous exoskeleton devices. Researchers plan on improving on the X1 design, adding more active joints to areas such as the ankle and hip, which will, in turn, increase the potential uses for the device.
Designed in only a few years, X1 came from technology developed for Robonaut 2 and IHMC's Mina exoskeleton.
NASA's Game Changing Development Program, part of NASA's Space Technology Program, funds the X1 work. NASA's Space Technology Program focuses on maturing advanced space technologies that may lead to entirely new approaches for space missions and solutions to significant national needs.
For additional information about IHMC, visit:
http://www.ihmc.us
For information about the X1 and Robonaut, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/robonaut
NASA's Ironman-Like Exoskeleton Could Give Astronauts, Paraplegics Improved Mobility and Strength
Project Engineer Roger Rovekamp demonstrates the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton for resistive exercise, rehabilitation and mobility augmentation in the Advanced Robotics Development Lab.Image courtesy of Robert Markowitz
› Link to larger photo
Project Engineer Shelley Rea demonstrates the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton. Image courtesy of Robert Markowitz
› Link to larger photo
Marvel Comic's fictional superhero, Ironman, uses a powered armor suit that allows him superhuman strength. While NASA's X1 robotic exoskeleton can't do what you see in the movies, the latest robotic, space technology, spinoff derived from NASA's Robonaut 2 project may someday help astronauts stay healthier in space with the added benefit of assisting paraplegics in walking here on Earth.
NASA and The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) of Pensacola, Fla., with the help of engineers from Oceaneering Space Systems of Houston, have jointly developed a robotic exoskeleton called X1. The 57-pound device is a robot that a human could wear over his or her body either to assist or inhibit movement in leg joints.
In the inhibit mode, the robotic device would be used as an in-space exercise machine to supply resistance against leg movement. The same technology could be used in reverse on the ground, potentially helping some individuals walk for the first time.
"Robotics is playing a key role aboard the International Space Station and will continue to be critical as we move toward human exploration of deep space," said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program. "What's extraordinary about space technology and our work with projects like Robonaut are the unexpected possibilities space tech spinoffs may have right here on Earth. It's exciting to see a NASA-developed technology that might one day help people with serious ambulatory needs begin to walk again, or even walk for the first time. That's the sort of return on investment NASA is proud to give back to America and the world."
Worn over the legs with a harness that reaches up the back and around the shoulders, X1 has 10 degrees of freedom, or joints -- four motorized joints at the hips and the knees, and six passive joints that allow for sidestepping, turning and pointing, and flexing a foot. There also are multiple adjustment points, allowing the X1 to be used in many different ways.
X1 currently is in a research and development phase, where the primary focus is design, evaluation and improvement of the technology. NASA is examining the potential for the X1 as an exercise device to improve crew health both aboard the space station and during future long-duration missions to an asteroid or Mars. Without taking up valuable space or weight during missions, X1 could replicate common crew exercises, which are vital to keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. In addition, the device has the ability to measure, record and stream back, in real-time, data to flight controllers on Earth, giving doctors better feedback on the impact of the crew's exercise regimen.
As the technology matures, X1 also could provide a robotic power boost to astronauts as they work on the surface of distant planetary bodies. Coupled with a spacesuit, X1 could provide additional force when needed during surface exploration, improving the ability to walk in a reduced gravity environment, providing even more bang for its small bulk.
Here on Earth, IHMC is interested in developing and using X1 as an assistive walking device. By combining NASA technology and walking algorithms developed at IHMC, X1 has the potential to produce high torques to allow for assisted walking over varied terrain, as well as stair climbing. Preliminary studies using X1 for this purpose have already started at IHMC.
"We greatly value our collaboration with NASA," said Ken Ford, IHMC's director and CEO. "The X1's high-performance capabilities will enable IHMC to continue performing cutting-edge research in mobility assistance while expanding into the field of rehabilitation."
The potential of X1 extends to other applications, including rehabilitation, gait modification and offloading large amounts of weight from the wearer. Preliminary studies by IHMC have shown X1 to be more comfortable, easier to adjust, and easier to put on than previous exoskeleton devices. Researchers plan on improving on the X1 design, adding more active joints to areas such as the ankle and hip, which will, in turn, increase the potential uses for the device.
Designed in only a few years, X1 came from technology developed for Robonaut 2 and IHMC's Mina exoskeleton.
NASA's Game Changing Development Program, part of NASA's Space Technology Program, funds the X1 work. NASA's Space Technology Program focuses on maturing advanced space technologies that may lead to entirely new approaches for space missions and solutions to significant national needs.
For additional information about IHMC, visit:
http://www.ihmc.us
For information about the X1 and Robonaut, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/robonaut
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