Transtromer Wins Nobel in Literature
I is said that the Nobel Prize academy is especially cautious about awarding prizes to Swedes out of fear of being seen as biased. But this week, the 2011 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet whose surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World War II.
Computer Program Promises to Save the Whales
Researchers at the University of Montreal have developed a computer programme that enables regulators to evaluate the ecological and economic tradeoffs between marine mammal conservation, whale watching and marine transportation activities in the Saint Lawrence Estuary. "The objective is to reduce the collision risk with whales while taking into account the impact on industry and marine transportation," said Lael Parrott, who headed the research team. The model, developed in her Complex Systems Laboratory, maps the estuary where the field research was undertaken, simulates the comings and goings of five mammal species (minke whale, fin whale, beluga, humpback and blue whale), the presence and movements of three types of boats (recreation, excursion and cargo), and environmental conditions. Nine scenarios were elaborated in order to observe the effects of various decisions.
The system was developed following a request from Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It is based on real conditions observed in the estuary since 1994 and takes into account human behaviors based on interviews with captains and shipping pilots.
New Study Shows How Trees Clean the Air in London
New research by scientists at the University of Southampton has shown how London's trees can improve air quality by filtering out pollution particulates, which are damaging to human health.
A paper published this month in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning indicates that the urban trees of the Greater London Authority (GLA) area remove somewhere between 850 and 2000 tonnes of particulate pollution (PM10) from the air every year.
An important development in this research, carried out by Dr Matthew Tallis, is that the methodology allows the prediction of how much pollution will be removed in the future as the climate and pollution emissions change. This shows the real benefits of the planned increase in the number of street trees in London and throughout England, including the GLA's plan to increase the area of urban trees by 2050 and the current government's 'Big tree plant' initiative.
Adolescents Sleeping More Hours Score Higher in School
Adolescents sleeping more hours score higher on mathematics, while those who sleep between six and ten hours (ie. an average sleep pattern) got significantly better scores, as compared to those with a short (6 hours or less per night) or long (more than 9 hours per night) pattern sleep. Moreover, this difference is more prominent in physical education.
This was the conclusion drawn in a study published in the January 2001 issue of the journal International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology by Raúl Quevedo-Blasco, a professor at the Department of Personality Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, at the University of Granada, and by Víctor J. Quevedo-Blasco, a secondary school teacher at the I.E.S Flavio Irnitano in Seville, Spain.
The aim of this study was to analyze how sleep patterns can affect students’ academic performance. Their academic performance was measured in terms of mean grade –in common subjects and at global level– of a group of Secondary School students. To such purpose, the authors analyzed a sample of 592 students aged 12 to 19 years from a Secondary School center in a rural region in Seville. From these middle-class 592 students, 231 (39%) were men and 361 (61%) were women.
Sleep in a Box Makes Dreams a Reality
With the arrival of the Sleepbox - a portable sleep pod that allows you and your gadgets to be recharged at a rate of about $10 per hour - catching some Zs while traveling is now a possibility.
Last month the Sleepbox -- designed by the Russian-based architectural firm Arch Group -- arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, but could be coming to an airport near you.
Requests for the pods have reportedly come in from such far-flung places as the Fiji Islands and Spain.
Arch Group says that the soundproof capsules are about 118" high and come with one, two or three bunks. They have electricity for lights and laptop/phone charging capability, built-in LED reading lamps and electric-drive blinds on the windows for privacy.
There's also space for luggage under the beds, that come each with a nightstand. Additional features like TV's, Wi-Fi, and alarm and intercom systems could also be incorporated.
The Japanese developed the similar pod-style hotel idea decades ago, but this concept --which could be installed at railway and bus stations -- means a traveler can catch a power nap without ever having to leave the terminal.
Travel experts say the Sleepboxes are a great idea, as delays have increasingly become a mainstay of travel.
