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Freitag, 18. Juli 2014
Der Dalai Lama in Hamburg: ICT-Podiumsdiskussion am 25. August
Mittwoch, 16. Juli 2014
NASA: ALIENS are OUT THERE. We'll find a NEW EARTH within 20 years
NASA: ALIENS are OUT THERE. We'll find a NEW EARTH within 20 years
We'll discover ETs, habitable planets with our new 'scopes
Top NASA scientists told the space agency's head yesterday that the forthcoming generation of space telescopes are likely to discover habitable Earth-like worlds and probably alien life – perhaps within 20 years.
We're all someone's Sun
"Sometime in the near future, people will be able to point to a star and say, 'that star has a planet like Earth'," said Sara Seager, professor of planetary science and physics at MIT.
"Just imagine the moment, when we find potential signatures of life," concurred Matt Mountain, a top space telescope boffin. "Imagine the moment when the world wakes up and the human race realizes that its long loneliness in time and space may be over - the possibility we're no longer alone in the universe."
“I think in the next 20 years we will find out we are not alone in the universe,” added NASA astronomer Kevin Hand.
The assembled boffins were excited about the near future, in particular at the prospect of the James Webb Space Telescope's deployment to the Earth-Sun L2 point, far beyond the Moon's orbit, where – among other things – it will be able to probe the atmospheres of far-flung exoplanets circling other suns. The mighty JWST, a collaboration between NASA and international allies, is currently planned to lift off in 2018.
Other exciting developments in the field of exoplanetology are to include the proposed Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope - Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (WFIRST-AFTA) early in the next decade, and the Transiting Exoplanet Surveying Satellite (TESS) in 2017.
These various space observatories will to a large extent be carrying out in-depth investigation of exoplanets previously discovered by other means such as the Kepler spacecraft.
"This technology we are using to explore exoplanets is real," enthused John Grunsfeld, a physics PhD and veteran astronaut with five Shuttle flights logged, now employed as a NASA science chief. "The James Webb Space Telescope and the next advances are happening now. These are not dreams - this is what we do at NASA."
The head of NASA himself, Charles Bolden (a former shuttle pilot and US Marine general) ranged himself firmly alongside his top boffins in the aliens-are-surely-out-there camp.
"It's highly improbable in the limitless vastness of the universe that we humans stand alone," he stated. ®
Samstag, 12. Juli 2014
2 million to ban the lion trade
Amazing win! A South African court ruled that the government violated
our right to free speech when they tore down ads calling for the
protection of South Africa’s lions -- let’s use this momentum to build
our petition further and save the lions:
Dear friends,
Hundreds of South African lions are being slaughtered to make
bogus sex potions for men. But we can stop this cruel trade by hitting
the government where it hurts -- the tourism industry.
A global ban on tiger bone sales has traders hunting a new prize -- the majestic lions. Lions are farmed under appalling conditions in South Africa for "canned hunting", where rich tourists pay thousands to shoot them through fences. Now experts say lion bones from these killing farms are being exported to phony 'medicine' makers in Asia for record profits. Trade is exploding and experts fear that as prices rise, even wild lions -- with only 20,000 left in Africa -- will come under poaching attack.
If we can show President Zuma that this brutal trade is hurting South Africa's image as a tourist destination, he could ban the trade in lion bones. Avaaz is taking out strong ads in airports, tourism websites and magazines, but we urgently need 2 million petition signers to give the ads their force. Sign below and forward this email to build our numbers fast:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en_to_nm/?bkleThb&v=38954
'Tiger bone wine' and other tiger-part medicines were banned after massive international outrage -- now traders have shifted their attention to lions' bones to make all kinds of bogus remedies. Experts say unless governments act now, lions could be the next in line -- after tigers and rhinos -- to face extinction.
There is a solution: banning and punishing the trade of lion bones and organs. South Africa is currently the largest exporter of lion trophies, bones and organs -- it is also the only African country actively breeding lions in large numbers to supply trophy hunting. But if we can show that allowing this senseless trade can hurt South Africa’s booming tourism industry and make visitors flee, president Zuma could be forced to act.
Let’s build a thunderous global roar for the lions. Avaaz will show the cruelty of the lion bone trade with stinging ads -- sign now and tell everyone about it:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en_to_nm/?bkleThb&v=38954
Avaaz members across the world have come together to demand strong protection for rhinos, save the world’s bees from poisonous pesticides and achieve huge marine reserves in Chagos and Australia to safeguard vulnerable marine species. Lets come together once again and stand up for Africa’s lions.
With hope, and determination,
Meredith, Alex, Antonia, Mia, Alice, Ricken, Luca, Emily and the entire Avaaz team
More information:
Avaaz lion bones adverts were censored, finds Constitutional Court (Mail & Guardian)
http://mg.co.za/article/2013-10-25-lion-bones-adverts-censored
Court orders Zuma lion advert to be displayed again at OR Tambo airport (BDlive)
http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/media/2013/10/25/court-orders-zuma-lion-advert-to-be-displayed-again-at-or-tambo-airport
Born to be killed (Carte Blanche)
http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?ID=4226
The Lion Bone’s Connected to the … Rhino Horn? (Rhinoconservation.org)
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2012/05/12/the-lion-bones-connected-to-the-rhino-horn/
Wildlife trafficking trail leads to SA safari man (News 24)
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Bloody-rhino-poaching-trail-leads-to-SA-safari-operator-20110721
Avaaz.org is a 37-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Dear friends,
South African lions are being slaughtered for their bones, just to make bogus sex potions for men. But if we show President Zuma that this hurts South Africa’s image as a tourist destination, he could stop this cruelty by banning the trade in lion bones and organs. Sign the petition below -- we’ll take out ads in major tourism magazines and websites:  |
A global ban on tiger bone sales has traders hunting a new prize -- the majestic lions. Lions are farmed under appalling conditions in South Africa for "canned hunting", where rich tourists pay thousands to shoot them through fences. Now experts say lion bones from these killing farms are being exported to phony 'medicine' makers in Asia for record profits. Trade is exploding and experts fear that as prices rise, even wild lions -- with only 20,000 left in Africa -- will come under poaching attack.
If we can show President Zuma that this brutal trade is hurting South Africa's image as a tourist destination, he could ban the trade in lion bones. Avaaz is taking out strong ads in airports, tourism websites and magazines, but we urgently need 2 million petition signers to give the ads their force. Sign below and forward this email to build our numbers fast:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en_to_nm/?bkleThb&v=38954
'Tiger bone wine' and other tiger-part medicines were banned after massive international outrage -- now traders have shifted their attention to lions' bones to make all kinds of bogus remedies. Experts say unless governments act now, lions could be the next in line -- after tigers and rhinos -- to face extinction.
There is a solution: banning and punishing the trade of lion bones and organs. South Africa is currently the largest exporter of lion trophies, bones and organs -- it is also the only African country actively breeding lions in large numbers to supply trophy hunting. But if we can show that allowing this senseless trade can hurt South Africa’s booming tourism industry and make visitors flee, president Zuma could be forced to act.
Let’s build a thunderous global roar for the lions. Avaaz will show the cruelty of the lion bone trade with stinging ads -- sign now and tell everyone about it:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_lion_slaughter_for_sex_aides_rb_en_to_nm/?bkleThb&v=38954
Avaaz members across the world have come together to demand strong protection for rhinos, save the world’s bees from poisonous pesticides and achieve huge marine reserves in Chagos and Australia to safeguard vulnerable marine species. Lets come together once again and stand up for Africa’s lions.
With hope, and determination,
Meredith, Alex, Antonia, Mia, Alice, Ricken, Luca, Emily and the entire Avaaz team
More information:
Avaaz lion bones adverts were censored, finds Constitutional Court (Mail & Guardian)
http://mg.co.za/article/2013-10-25-lion-bones-adverts-censored
Court orders Zuma lion advert to be displayed again at OR Tambo airport (BDlive)
http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/media/2013/10/25/court-orders-zuma-lion-advert-to-be-displayed-again-at-or-tambo-airport
Born to be killed (Carte Blanche)
http://beta.mnet.co.za/carteblanche/Article.aspx?ID=4226
The Lion Bone’s Connected to the … Rhino Horn? (Rhinoconservation.org)
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2012/05/12/the-lion-bones-connected-to-the-rhino-horn/
Wildlife trafficking trail leads to SA safari man (News 24)
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Bloody-rhino-poaching-trail-leads-to-SA-safari-operator-20110721
Avaaz.org is a 37-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Donnerstag, 10. Juli 2014
Merging galaxies and droplets of starbirth
heic1414 - Photo Release
Merging galaxies and droplets of starbirth
Hubble snaps a violent galactic merger and chain of star formation
10 July 2014
The Universe is filled with objects springing to life, evolving and dying explosive deaths. This new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures a snapshot of some of this cosmic movement. Embedded within the egg-shaped blue ring at the centre of the frame are two galaxies. These galaxies have been found to be merging into one and a "chain" of young stellar superclusters are seen winding around the galaxies’ nuclei.
At the centre of this image lie two elliptical galaxies, part of a galaxy cluster known as [HGO2008]SDSS J1531+3414, which have strayed into each other’s paths. While this region has been observed before, this new Hubble picture shows clearly for the first time that the pair are two separate objects. However, they will not be able to hold on to their separate identities much longer, as they are in the process of merging into one [1].
Finding two elliptical galaxies merging is rare, but it is even rarer to find a merger between ellipticals rich enough in gas to induce star formation. Galaxies in clusters are generally thought to have been deprived of their gaseous contents; a process that Hubble has recently seen in action. Yet, in this image, not only have two elliptical galaxies been caught merging but their newborn stellar population is also a rare breed.
The stellar infants — thought to be a result of the merger — are part of what is known as "beads on a string" star formation. This type of formation appears as a knotted rope of gaseous filaments with bright patches of new stars and the process stems from the same fundamental physics which causes rain to fall in droplets, rather than as a continuous column [2].
Nineteen compact clumps of young stars make up the length of this "string", woven together with narrow filaments of hydrogen gas. The star formation spans 100,000 light years, which is about the size of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The strand is dwarfed, however, by the ancient, giant merging galaxies that it inhabits. They are about 330,000 light years across, nearly three times larger than our own galaxy. This is typical for galaxies at the centre of massive clusters, as they tend to be the largest galaxies in the Universe.
The electric blue arcs making up the spectacular egg-like shape framing these objects are a result of the galaxy cluster’s immense gravity. The gravity warps the space around it and creates bizarre patterns using light from more distant galaxies.
Astronomers have ruled out the possibility that the blue strand is also just a lensed mirage from distant galaxies and now their challenge is to understand the origin of the cold gas that is fuelling the growth of the stellar superclusters. Was the gas already in the merging galaxies? Did it condense like rain from the rapidly cooling X-ray plasma surrounding the two galaxies? Or, did it cool out of a shock in the X-ray gas as the ten-million-degree gaseous halos surrounding the galaxies collided together? Future observations with both space- and ground-based observatories are needed to unravel this mystery.
Notes
[1] Mergers occur when two or more galaxies stray too close to one another, causing them to coalesce into one large body (heic0912). The violent process strips gas, dust and stars away from the galaxies involved and can alter their appearances dramatically, forming large gaseous tails, glowing rings, and warped galactic discs (heic0810).
[2] The merging system is forming stellar superclusters in equally spaced beads just like evenly spaced drops from a tap. The only real difference is that surface tension in the falling water is analogous to gravity in the context of the star-forming chain. This is a wonderful demonstration that the fundamental laws of physics really are scale-invariant - we see the same physics in rain drops that we do on 100 000 light-year scales.
More information
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.
Image credit: NASA, ESA/Hubble and G. Tremblay (European Southern Observatory)
Acknowledgement: M. Gladders & M. Florian (University of Chicago, USA), S. Baum, C. O'Dea & K. Cooke (Rochester Institute of Technology, USA), M. Bayliss (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, USA), H. Dahle (University of Oslo, Norway), T. Davis (European Southern Observatory), J. Rigby (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA), K. Sharon (University of Michigan, USA), E. Soto (The Catholic University of America, USA) and E. Wuyts (Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany).
Links
Mittwoch, 9. Juli 2014
Frau Merkel, erst Menschen, dann Grenzen schützen!
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Montag, 7. Juli 2014
Hours to save elephants
Dear friends,
Poachers just shot one of the world’s largest elephants, Satao, then hacked his 100 pound tusks out of his face with a machete. At the current rate of killing, elephants may be extinct in 15 years, but this week if we act now we have an amazing chance to crack down on the illegal trade that fuels the slaughter.
Each day, 50 regal elephants are butchered just to make dinky ivory trinkets! The main culprit for this carnage is Thailand -- the fastest growing market for unregulated ivory. And tomorrow the international body created to protect endangered species has a chance to sanction Thailand until it cracks down on the elephant killers. Experts fear Thai leaders are mounting a propaganda campaign to dodge penalties, but it just takes Europe and the US to ignore their noise and spearhead action to end the slaughter.
Let's give key European delegates, and the US, the global call they need to tune out Thailand and bravely lead the world to save the elephants. A final decision could be made tomorrow, so we have no time to lose -- sign the petition, then send a message to the EU Environment Commissioner:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/hours_to_save_elephants/?bIiqNab&v=41982
20,000 African elephants are killed every year, and the number of ivory products on sale in Bangkok trebled in the last twelve months. Government representatives to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have the responsibility to keep the world’s rarest plants and animals alive, and when sanctions were applied to Thailand twenty years ago, it forced the country to pass critical wildlife protection laws.
Thailand says it’s hard to distinguish legal ivory from Thai elephants from smuggled African ivory, and that it has adopted an action plan to stop the ivory trade. But 20 years of delays and a recent military coup tell a different story. If we reach out to the ministers who set the position, we can get the votes needed to prevent Thailand exporting items like aquarium fish and exotic flowers.
Right now CITES representatives are considering whether to sanction Thailand for its failure to stem the ivory trade. Let's make a call directly to key delegates and the EU Environment Commissioner now to ensure they make the right decision. Add your voice, then share widely:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/hours_to_save_elephants/?bIiqNab&v=41982
Last year, the Avaaz community helped force Thailand to agree to ban the domestic ivory trade. But Thailand’s new military government has done little to show it will fulfil this promise or restrict this bloody business. Let’s show the strength of our community by issuing an enormous call to protect the lives of one of the world’s most precious species.
With hope,
Alex, Danny, Alice, Nick, Lisa, Emma and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION:
World famous elephant 'Satao' killed by poachers in Kenya (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2014/06/15/world-famous-elephant-satao-killed-by-poachers-in-kenya/
The ivory highway (Men's Journal)
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-ivory-highway-20140213
Legal reform must shut down Thailand's ivory trade (WWF)
http://wwf.panda.org/?209665/Legal-reform-must-shut-down-Thailands-ivory-trade
Elephant population too small to supply huge local ivory market (Bangkok Post)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/418534/thai-elephant-population-too-small-to-supply-huge-local-ivory-market
Major increase in Thai ivory market shows need for action at wildlife trade meeting (World Wildlife Fund)
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?224690/Major-increase-in-Thai-ivory-market-shows-need-for-action-at-wildlife-trade-meeting
Avaaz.org is a 37-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
 African elephants could go extinct by 2030, but in days, a body in charge of protecting endangered species could slap sanctions on Thailand, the key blood ivory market. Let's race to put key representatives on the spot to save the elephants -- add your voice now:  |
Each day, 50 regal elephants are butchered just to make dinky ivory trinkets! The main culprit for this carnage is Thailand -- the fastest growing market for unregulated ivory. And tomorrow the international body created to protect endangered species has a chance to sanction Thailand until it cracks down on the elephant killers. Experts fear Thai leaders are mounting a propaganda campaign to dodge penalties, but it just takes Europe and the US to ignore their noise and spearhead action to end the slaughter.
Let's give key European delegates, and the US, the global call they need to tune out Thailand and bravely lead the world to save the elephants. A final decision could be made tomorrow, so we have no time to lose -- sign the petition, then send a message to the EU Environment Commissioner:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/hours_to_save_elephants/?bIiqNab&v=41982
20,000 African elephants are killed every year, and the number of ivory products on sale in Bangkok trebled in the last twelve months. Government representatives to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) have the responsibility to keep the world’s rarest plants and animals alive, and when sanctions were applied to Thailand twenty years ago, it forced the country to pass critical wildlife protection laws.
Thailand says it’s hard to distinguish legal ivory from Thai elephants from smuggled African ivory, and that it has adopted an action plan to stop the ivory trade. But 20 years of delays and a recent military coup tell a different story. If we reach out to the ministers who set the position, we can get the votes needed to prevent Thailand exporting items like aquarium fish and exotic flowers.
Right now CITES representatives are considering whether to sanction Thailand for its failure to stem the ivory trade. Let's make a call directly to key delegates and the EU Environment Commissioner now to ensure they make the right decision. Add your voice, then share widely:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/hours_to_save_elephants/?bIiqNab&v=41982
Last year, the Avaaz community helped force Thailand to agree to ban the domestic ivory trade. But Thailand’s new military government has done little to show it will fulfil this promise or restrict this bloody business. Let’s show the strength of our community by issuing an enormous call to protect the lives of one of the world’s most precious species.
With hope,
Alex, Danny, Alice, Nick, Lisa, Emma and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION:
World famous elephant 'Satao' killed by poachers in Kenya (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2014/06/15/world-famous-elephant-satao-killed-by-poachers-in-kenya/
The ivory highway (Men's Journal)
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/print-view/the-ivory-highway-20140213
Legal reform must shut down Thailand's ivory trade (WWF)
http://wwf.panda.org/?209665/Legal-reform-must-shut-down-Thailands-ivory-trade
Elephant population too small to supply huge local ivory market (Bangkok Post)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/418534/thai-elephant-population-too-small-to-supply-huge-local-ivory-market
Major increase in Thai ivory market shows need for action at wildlife trade meeting (World Wildlife Fund)
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?224690/Major-increase-in-Thai-ivory-market-shows-need-for-action-at-wildlife-trade-meeting
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Avaaz.org is a 37-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Sonntag, 6. Juli 2014
Today is H.H. the Dalai Lama's birthday
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