Did You Know.....

[Warph]

....that here's a thought: How did different skin colors evolve? Evolutionary biologist Nina Jablonski wrote the most widely accepted theory in 2000, saying that it comes down to a practical combination of three things: skin, ultraviolet light and vitamins.




It started with skin...

The story begins in Africa, about two million years ago, when early members of the genus Homo began moving from the cool cover of forests onto sunnier open plains to find food. These early humans were densely covered in hair, which increased their body temperatures and made them slower hunters.

Thanks to genetic variation, some were born with less hair. Since those less-hairy hominids had a survival advantage, natural selection kicked in over thousands of generations, and body hair gave way to bare skin populated by sweat glands. These became the body's escape route for heat and created a further evolutionary advantage for these humans by making them more effective hunters and therefore, more attractive mates.



UV and vitamins:

Moving to a sunnier environment meant greater exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) from the sun. UV breaks down folate, a vitamin that is vital for healthy pregnancies






"When you don't have hair, you have to figure out other ways to protect the skin," explains Jablonski. This was especially important in the African tropics, where ultraviolet, carried in sunlight, hits the equator full-force.

Natural sunscreen:

But just as some early humans got lucky by having less hair, some were also born with better protection from UV. Melanin is an ingredient in the skin that acts like a natural sunscreen, shielding folate from the harmful effects of UV light. The amount of melanin in skin determines its pigmentation: more of it makes darker brown skin, while less melanin makes paler skin. Those of our ancestors lucky enough to have more melanin were at a reproductive advantage, allowing them to spread the genes that encourage the production of darker skin.



But wait, there's more:

We know that our ancestors started moving out of Africa about 80 000 years ago. "They didn't have a travel plan," says Jablonski, "they were just going where the resources went." They migrated north and south of the equator, where light hits the earth at increasingly slanted angles, resulting in weaker UV light. While this low angle made UV less damaging to folate, it also reduced bodily concentrations of Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin."



Vitamin D is made naturally in the body when UV in sunlight hits the skin. Just like folate, it is vital for reproduction. But because humans had developed higher melanin levels to protect them from the tropical sun, they left Africa with a powerful melanin buffer that dangerously shut out the delivery of Vitamin D-producing UV.
http://www.worldology.com/Europe/Europe_Articles/out_of_africa.htm



The spread of color:

However, those born with less melanin (and lighter skin) could still produce Vitamin D in environments with less sunlight. Having less melanin was also safe at higher latitudes, because UV there is not strong enough to damage folate. So, once again, natural selection took over: The genetically lucky grew stronger, spreading their light-skinned genes. Wherever direct sunlight was scarce, populations became paler — something Jablonski calls genetic "fine-tuning." She explains: "We think that the transition was actually fairly short", maybe 5,000 years — which is quick in evolutionary terms. The serious health impacts of having darker skin in high latitudes created a powerful evolutionary pressure that sped up the change.





But does it make sense?
Why then are there indigenous darker-skinned populations in less sunny parts of the world — for example, the Inuit in northern Canada? The answer appears to be that their diets are so loaded with Vitamin D-rich seafood that they get a surplus of the vitamin, making lighter skin unnecessary. This made adaptation equally unnecessary, and so in these populations, it stopped the evolution of skin color in its tracks.


What we have learned:

The links between ultraviolet light and vitamins are an evolutionary balancing act, the consequences of which are so clear that there are maps showing how skin color varies with distance from the equator, creating a sepia rainbow.
http://www.brynmawr.edu/alumnae/bulletin/jablonsk.htm






Why should we care about skin color? For at least two reasons. The first is that the evolution of skin pigmentation shows the importance of vitamin health. More importantly, understanding the real causes of skin color variation is a powerful way to challenge some deeply entrenched — and false — ideas about race and the acceptability of racial discrimination.

Jablonski's work shows that skin color, an attribute that has been at the center of so much conflict and suffering in human history, really is just skin deep. Our skin might make us look distinct on the outside, but it obscures a simple truth: Race is in fact nothing more than an environmental adaptation. It all boils down to sunlight and vitamins in the end.

[larryJ]

Did you know.........

Sports Illustrated, a weekly magazine dedicated to sports was first published on Aug. 16, 1954.  The cover was a picture of a nighttime baseball game between the Milwaukee Braves and the New York Giants.  The cover featured Eddie Matthews of the Braves batting, Wes Westrum of the Giants catching and umpire Augie Donatelli behind the plate.  The single-issue price was 25 cents.

The first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was launched on Jan. 20, 1964, with German model Babette March on the cover.

Larryj

[Warph]

How to Devise Passwords That Drive Hackers Away

By NICOLE PERLROTH

....that not long after I began writing about cybersecurity, I became a paranoid caricature of my former self. It's hard to maintain peace of mind when hackers remind me every day, all day, just how easy it is to steal my personal data.

Within weeks, I set up unique, complex passwords for every Web site, enabled two-step authentication for my e-mail accounts, and even covered up my computer's Web camera with a piece of masking tape — a precaution that invited ridicule from friends and co-workers who suggested it was time to get my head checked.

But recent episodes offered vindication. I removed the webcam tape — after a friend convinced me that it was a little much — only to see its light turn green a few days later, suggesting someone was in my computer and watching. More recently, I received a text message from Google with the two-step verification code for my Gmail account. That's the string of numbers Google sends after you correctly enter the password to your Gmail account, and it serves as a second password. (Do sign up for it.) The only problem was that I was not trying to get into my Gmail account. I was nowhere near a computer. Apparently, somebody else was.

It is absurdly easy to get hacked. All it takes is clicking on one malicious link or attachment. Companies' computer systems are attacked every day by hackers looking for passwords to sell on auctionlike black market sites where a single password can fetch $20. Hackers regularly exploit tools like John the Ripper, a free password-cracking program that use lists of commonly used passwords from breached sites and can test millions of passwords per second.

Chances are, most people will get hacked at some point in their lifetime. The best they can do is delay the inevitable by avoiding suspicious links, even from friends, and manage their passwords. Unfortunately, good password hygiene is like flossing — you know it's important, but it takes effort. How do you possibly come up with different, hard-to-crack passwords for every single news, social network, e-commerce, banking, corporate and e-mail account and still remember them all?

To answer that question, I called two of the most (justifiably) paranoid people I know, Jeremiah Grossman and Paul Kocher, to find out how they keep their information safe. Mr. Grossman was the first hacker to demonstrate how easily somebody can break into a computer's webcam and microphone through a Web browser. He is now chief technology officer at WhiteHat Security, an Internet and network security firm, where he is frequently targeted by cybercriminals. Mr. Kocher, a well-known cryptographer, gained notice for clever hacks on security systems. He now runs Cryptography Research, a security firm that specializes in keeping systems hacker-resistant. Here were their tips:

FORGET THE DICTIONARY If your password can be found in a dictionary, you might as well not have one. "The worst passwords are dictionary words or a small number of insertions or changes to words that are in the dictionary," said Mr. Kocher. Hackers will often test passwords from a dictionary or aggregated from breaches. If your password is not in that set, hackers will typically move on.

NEVER USE THE SAME PASSWORD TWICE People tend to use the same password across multiple sites, a fact hackers regularly exploit. While cracking into someone's professional profile on LinkedIn might not have dire consequences, hackers will use that password to crack into, say, someone's e-mail, bank, or brokerage account where more valuable financial and personal data is stored.

COME UP WITH A PASSPHRASE The longer your password, the longer it will take to crack. A password should ideally be 14 characters or more in length if you want to make it uncrackable by an attacker in less than 24 hours. Because longer passwords tend to be harder to remember, consider a passphrase, such as a favorite movie quote, song lyric, or poem, and string together only the first one or two letters of each word in the sentence.

OR JUST JAM ON YOUR KEYBOARD For sensitive accounts, Mr. Grossman says that instead of a passphrase, he will randomly jam on his keyboard, intermittently hitting the Shift and Alt keys, and copy the result into a text file which he stores on an encrypted, password-protected USB drive. "That way, if someone puts a gun to my head and demands to know my password, I can honestly say I don't know it."

STORE YOUR PASSWORDS SECURELY Do not store your passwords in your in-box or on your desktop. If malware infects your computer, you're toast. Mr. Grossman stores his password file on an encrypted USB drive for which he has a long, complex password that he has memorized. He copies and pastes those passwords into accounts so that, in the event an attacker installs keystroke logging software on his computer, they cannot record the keystrokes to his password. Mr. Kocher takes a more old-fashioned approach: He keeps password hints, not the actual passwords, on a scrap of paper in his wallet. "I try to keep my most sensitive information off the Internet completely," Mr. Kocher said.

A PASSWORD MANAGER? MAYBE Password-protection software lets you store all your usernames and passwords in one place. Some programs will even create strong passwords for you and automatically log you in to sites as long as you provide one master password. LastPass, SplashData and AgileBits offer password management software for Windows, Macs and mobile devices. But consider yourself warned: Mr. Kocher said he did not use the software because even with encryption, it still lived on the computer itself. "If someone steals my computer, I've lost my passwords." Mr. Grossman said he did not trust the software because he didn't write it. Indeed, at a security conference in Amsterdam earlier this year, hackers demonstrated how easily the cryptography used by many popular mobile password managers could be cracked.

IGNORE SECURITY QUESTIONS There is a limited set of answers to questions like "What is your favorite color?" and most answers to questions like "What middle school did you attend?" can be found on the Internet. Hackers use that information to reset your password and take control of your account. Earlier this year, a hacker claimed he was able to crack into Mitt Romney's Hotmail and Dropbox accounts using the name of his favorite pet. A better approach would be to enter a password hint that has nothing to do with the question itself. For example, if the security question asks for the name of the hospital in which you were born, your answer might be: "Your favorite song lyric."

USE DIFFERENT BROWSERS Mr. Grossman makes a point of using different Web browsers for different activities. "Pick one browser for 'promiscuous' browsing: online forums, news sites, blogs — anything you don't consider important," he said. "When you're online banking or checking e-mail, fire up a secondary Web browser, then shut it down." That way, if your browser catches an infection when you accidentally stumble on an X-rated site, your bank account is not necessarily compromised. As for which browser to use for which activities, a study last year by Accuvant Labs of Web browsers — including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer — found that Chrome was the least susceptible to attacks.

SHARE CAUTIOUSLY "You are your e-mail address and your password," Mr. Kocher emphasized. Whenever possible, he will not register for online accounts using his real e-mail address. Instead he will use "throwaway" e-mail addresses, like those offered by 10minutemail.com. Users register and confirm an online account, which self-destructs 10 minutes later. Mr. Grossman said he often warned people to treat anything they typed or shared online as public record.

"At some point, you will get hacked — it's only a matter of time," warned Mr. Grossman. "If that's unacceptable to you, don't put it online."

[Warph]

....that:







Newfound 'super-Earth' could support life

Published: 08 November, 2012


This artist's impression shows the newfound potentially
habitable alien planet HD40307g in the foreground.
(Image from space.com by J. Pinfield, for the RoPACS
network at the University of Hertfordshire)


Astronomers have discovered another potentially habitable planet – and it's at least seven times the mass of Earth. Dwarf star HD 40307g hosts a system of six planets, and one of those is believed have the potential to support human life.

The newfound exoplanet was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Goettingen.
It's located a mere 44 light-years from Earth. And although that may seem like a far distance, it's actually just around the corner – cosmically speaking. It's so close that researchers say telescopes on Earth may be able to image it directly.

The alien planet has been classified as a Super-Earth, meaning it's larger than Earth but smaller than gas planets such as Neptune.

It orbits at a distance of 55.8 million miles from the sun, which puts it in its host star's habitable zone – the region where liquid water can exist on a planet's surface.

But it's not just the possibility of water that has astronomers thinking the newfound planet could be habitable.

The dwarf star is likely rotating on its own axis instead of having one face permanently turned toward the sun. The result is an Earth-like day and night cycle. 
"The longer orbit of the new planet means that its climate and atmosphere may be just right to support life. Just as Goldilocks liked her porridge to be neither too hot nor too cold but just right, this planet – or indeed any moons that it has – lie in an orbit comparable to Earth, increasing the probability of it being habitable," study co-author Hugh Jones said in a statement.­

Exploring the exoplanet

Astronomers previously detected three other super-Earths around the same host star – all of which were in orbits too close to their sun to house water.

But in a new study, a research team reanalyzed observations of the HD 40307 system by using the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, HARPS.

The tool allows astronomers to pick up tiny gravitational wobbles that an orbiting planet induces in its parent star.

And while the study brought forth a new discovery, astronomers say they're far from knowing all the answers surrounding the exoplanet.
The super-Earth may or may not be a rocky planet like earth, according to lead author Mikko Tuomi. "If I had to guess, I would say 50-50... but the truth at the moment is that we simply do not know whether the planet is a large Earth or a small, warm Neptune without a solid surface," Tuomi told SPACE.com.

The next step for the team will be to use space-based telescopes to get a more direct look at the exoplanet and examine its composition.

[Warph]

...that I, Pencil: The Movie: is one of the most
popular hits with the young school kids today.

Follow up and Extended Commentary I, Pencil The Movie:

[Warph]

Did you know.........

Sports Illustrated, a weekly magazine dedicated to sports was first published on Aug. 16, 1954.  The cover was a picture of a nighttime baseball game between the Milwaukee Braves and the New York Giants.  The cover featured Eddie Matthews of the Braves batting, Wes Westrum of the Giants catching and umpire Augie Donatelli behind the plate.  The single-issue price was 25 cents.
Larryj

Very interesting, Larry.  Eddie could sure hit that ball.

Did you know.........

The first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was launched on Jan. 20, 1964, with German model Babette March on the cover.

Larryj

1964 - Babette March - Above.


Quite tame today compared to Sport Ill. Kate Upton's October 2012  Cover:




....and her SI Video:

....and her.. er.. "Dancing"  Video:

Has this woman NO SHAME??  Flaunting herself like that!
There oughta be a law (cough)  (cough)

...and ...and... Hmmmm..... her "T...   opl..  es...  s" video:

....and (lrg*hususs%qrhjk...) (sputter)... 
(sorry, couldn't speak for a few minutes)


....and (fj]wejfulzzz...)  the 2012 (sweating) Sports Ill. Calendar:




Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (whew...) Edition 2012 Video:

Well, you can see what Larryj started here.  Has he NO SHAME? 
What??  Videos and pictures of Betty White NEXT???
What would Teresa & Kjell think ... or for that matter... Jarhead, Frank, Patriot, Waldo, and Wilma think...
if they saw larryj's shameful exibition here?  Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!
(Wonder if R.A.M.B.O. knows about this).  [/font] [/size]

[Warph]

.....that this was the Internets First Photo:



This delightfully cheesy promo image doesn't look all that impressive, but it has a special story. It's the first photo ever uploaded to the Internet.

It's an album cover for "The Cernettes," a comedy band made up of CERN employees and scientists' wives.

They sang songs about particle colliders and the other hi-tech gadgets that CERN used. The members from the left are Angela Higney, Michele de Gennaro, Colette Marx-Neilsen and Lynn Veronneau.

De Gennaro's husband, Silvano, edited the picture in the first version of Photoshop. Tim Berners-Lee - known as the inventor of the Internet - came to Silvano's office needing a photo to use in a Web design. Silvano gave him this, and history was born.

The Cernettes still occasionally sing for CERN employees. They also had what Silvano calls the first band website.

Les Horribles Cernettes are the one and only High Energy Rock Band. They sing about colliders, quarks, microwaves, antiprotons and Internet. They are known and loved by some 20000 High Energy Physicists worldwide. They were born at the same time, and in the office next door to... the World Wide Web. No wonder they were the first band to have their picture posted on the web! This website is kept pretty much in its original shape as it was in 1994. It was originally written by hand in HTML, using a text editor, before Dreamweaver was invented. We decided to leave it in its "vintage look" for you to see what the web looked like back then. http://www.cernettes.com/
...Kim Kommando

[larryJ]

LOL     Well, I know what Jarhead would think......not sure about the others.  Except possibly they should take away your Wi-fi priviledges at the nineteenth hole.  One too many beers and you come up with some really strange stuff. 

As for R.A.M.B.O., he is not impressed.  Perhaps if it had been a video of a cute French poodle, he would show some interest.   

(Please, don't post any pictures of poodles or any other dog, for that matter.  I need to monitor his heart rate and can't have him get too excited!)  Plus, he needs to be kept busy on the bunker.  He is currently installing the bar at the 14th level.

Larryj

[jarhead]

I hadn't visited here for a spell, then watched these videos of Miss Upton.
What would Jarhead think ? Oh my !! Oh my !!! She has such a beautiful smile and a care free manner about her. I would like to take her home and play with her---you know--like pick-up sticks and paper dolls and maybe even cars and trucks in the sand pile. Oh my !! Can't believe I missed Vanna White on Wheel while watching these videos.

[Warph]

....that there are ten Sci-Fi Weapons that atctually exist? Sure, the gear may look like it came straight out of Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica. But all of the laser weapons, robots, sonic blasters and puke rays pictured here are real. Some of these weapons have already found their way onto the battlefield. If the rest of this sci-fi arsenal follows, war may soon be unrecognizable.


1.) The XM-25 grenade launcher is equipped with a laser rangefinder and on-board computer. It packs a magazine of four 25mm projectiles, and programs them to detonate as they pass by their targets. That feature will allow soldiers to strike enemies who are taking cover. By 2012, the Army hopes to arm every infantry squad and Special Forces unit with at least one of the big guns.

In August, a lucky soldier got to pull the trigger, and fire off a HEAB, or High Explosive Air Burst, round at the Aberdeen Testing Ground in Maryland. Those projectiles pack quite a punch. They are purportedly 300 percent more effective than normal ammo, and will be able to strike targets as far as 700 meters (2,300 feet) away.





2.) Remotely operated weapons are showing up everywhere. Israel is building an automated kill zone. An American firm, More Industries, offers a turret that can aim and fire two automatic shotguns.

Some bots have been defusing bombs for years, but none have seen combat. That's a shame, according to Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, who believes that 122 men could have been spared if combat bots had been working in their stead.

There was a set of armed robots sent to Iraq. They never fired a shot, however. They weren't allowed to. No one could guarantee that the bots wouldn't go berserk and mow down friendly troops or otherwise malfunction, even though they have lots of safeguards.

Considering how much firepower they pack, safeguards are really important. The Maars system (above) can be equipped with four grenade launchers and a machine gun that packs 400 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition.

But its manufacturers like to point out its less-lethal capabilities. Instead of mowing people down, it can stick to the fine print of the first law of robotics and fire tear gas canisters, smoke grenades, smoke bombs and perhaps even Taser's upcoming 40mm people-zapper projectile. Three were deployed to Iraq last year.





3.) The Active Denial System fires a beam of millimeter-wave radiation. It make people feel like their skin is burning without causing any permanent damage. Though promising as a nonlethal weapon, the pain ray has some serious limits.

On a rainy day, water droplets will disperse the beam, and it may feel warm and refreshing instead of frightening. On a hot day, the cooling system might give out. The problems don't stop there. Raytheon's baby is bulky, and despite repeated requests to send it into battle, shipments of the energy weapon have been delayed. The military is looking for a stronger, lighter weapon.





4.) If troops spot someone suspicious approaching them, they can use the Long Range Acoustic Device to send a warning message. It fires narrow beams of sound waves that can be heard clearly from 300 meters (about a thousand feet) away. Crank up the power, and it can emit a warning tone so loud that anyone in its path would have no choice but to cover their ears and run.

The manufacturer doesn't like to call these devices weapons, even though they've been used to repel pirates. Cops used them to harass protesters at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh this year.





5.) Drones are arguably the most controversial weapon in the war on terror. By some accounts, they are deeply feared by the Taliban. They've taken out many Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, and their sound when flying low is a constant annoyance and a reminder of their menace . But they also kill a lot of civilians.

They are, however, far more cost effective than supersonic fighter jets. Predators can pack two Hellfire missiles. Their big brothers, Reapers, can hold four Hellfires and two 500-pound bombs.







6.) Flash bang grenades were designed to stun people. But they have a pretty bad safety record. The little bombs have dismembered at least one soldier and caused hearing loss in others.

To remedy that problem, Mark Grubelich and his colleagues at Sandia National Laboratory built the Improved Flash Bang Grenade. It hurls flaming aluminum particles into the air, causing a bright flash without an accompanying shockwave.





7.) Even the angriest mobs would probably think twice about trying to pass a Taser Shockwave barrier. It is the less-lethal equivalent of a claymore mine. Push the big red button, and it will fire 24 electrified probes at the same time in a single direction.





8.) After learning about an experimental weapon that can make people feel seasick, Limor Fried and Phil Torrone decided to build their own. They did it for less than $250, and wrote step-by-step instructions so that anyone can make one at home.

It can create a nauseating lightshow with 36 pulsating LEDs. Their design has a bonus feature. You can set it to disco mode. Instead of making you sick, the weapon will add life to your next party.





9.) If you're worried that someone's about to attack you, but not completely sure of their intent, it's a good idea to give them a warning before pulling the trigger. Green laser pointers are a great way to extend that courtesy. The Marines like to call them "ocular interruption devices."

Shine one in someone's face, and your target should immediately get the message that it's time to back off. The LA-9/P, made by B.E. Meyers, can warn people from up to 4 kilometers (2½ miles) away. It fires a 250-milliwatt beam. That's roughly 1/4,000 the strength of the smallest anti-aircraft lasers.

Even so, you've got to be careful when handling the thing. Over a few months in Iraq, a dozen soldiers were wounded in dazzler "friendly fire." Several troops may have been injured while monkeying around with laser target designators, which are substantially more powerful than the less-lethal devices.





10.) Behold the Laser Avenger, a cannon that could be used to take down incoming aircraft. Boeing was able to shoot a drone out of the sky with the hummer-mounted laser, even though it's not particularly high-powered. It cooked the remote-controlled aircraft using a somewhat feeble 1-kilowatt beam.

More recently, the company shot down another UAV using a low-power laser paired with its Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments, or Matrix, system during a test in White Sands, New Mexico.

Northrop Grumman is hard at work on a 100-kilowatt laser weapon, which could do far more damage, but it's not quite ready for prime time. It's fully operational, but looks like a refrigerator.

Boeing announced in late December that the Avenger has been used to destroy 50 different improvised explosive devices, during tests at Redstone Aresenal in Huntsville, Alabama.