NASA telescopes discover strobe-like flashes in young stars

Feb. 7, 2013 ? Two of NASA's great observatories, the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes, have teamed up to uncover a mysterious infant star that behaves like a strobe light.

Every 25.34 days, the object, designated LRLL 54361, unleashes a burst of light. Although a similar phenomenon has been observed in two other young stellar objects, this is the most powerful such beacon seen to date.

The heart of the fireworks is hidden behind a dense disk and an envelope of dust. Astronomers propose the light flashes are caused by periodic interactions between two newly formed stars that are binary, or gravitationally bound to each other. LRLL 54361 offers insights into the early stages of star formation when lots of gas and dust is being rapidly accreted, or pulled together, to form a new binary star.

Astronomers theorize the flashes are caused by material suddenly being dumped onto the growing stars, known as protostars. A blast of radiation is unleashed each time the stars get close to each other in their orbits. This phenomenon, called pulsed accretion, has been seen in later stages of star birth, but never in such a young system or with such intensity and regularity.

"This protostar has such large brightness variations with a precise period that it is very difficult to explain," said James Muzerolle of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md. His paper recently was published in the science journal Nature.

Discovered by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, LRLL 54361 is a variable object inside the star-forming region IC 348, located 950 light-years from Earth. Data from Spitzer revealed the presence of protostars. Based on statistical analysis, the two stars are estimated to be no more than a few hundred thousand years old.

The Spitzer infrared data, collected repeatedly during a period of seven years, showed unusual outbursts in the brightness of the suspected binary protostar. Surprisingly, the outbursts recurred every 25.34 days, which is a very rare phenomenon.

Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to confirm the Spitzer observations and reveal the detailed stellar structure around LRLL 54361. Hubble observed two cavities above and below a dusty disk. The cavities are visible by tracing light scattered off their edges. They likely were blown out of the surrounding natal envelope of dust and gas by an outflow launched near the central stars. The disk and the envelope prevent the suspected binary star pair from being observed directly. By capturing multiple images over the course of one pulse event, the Hubble observations uncovered a spectacular movement of light away from the center of the system, an optical illusion known as a light echo.

Muzerolle and his team hypothesized the pair of stars in the center of the dust cloud move around one another in a very eccentric orbit. As the stars approach each other, dust and gas are dragged from the inner edge of a surrounding disk. The material ultimately crashes onto one or both stars, which triggers a flash of light that illuminates the circumstellar dust. The system is rare because close binaries account for only a few percent of our galaxy's stellar population. This is likely a brief, transitory phase in the birth of a star system.

Muzerolle's team next plans to continue monitoring LRLL 54361 using other facilities, including the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope. The team hopes to eventually obtain more direct measurements of the binary star and its orbit.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. James Muzerolle, Elise Furlan, Kevin Flaherty, Zoltan Balog, Robert Gutermuth. Pulsed accretion in a variable protostar. Nature, 2013; 493 (7432): 378 DOI: 10.1038/nature11746

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/2F4huzGlaLw/130207132908.htm

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Decline in Endowments May Affect Best Colleges Rankings

The value of college endowments, which had rebounded following the recession, declined slightly despite a recovering stock market. This finding comes from the newly released 2012 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments, produced by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

It turns out that 2012 was a sub-par year for the performance of college endowments. According to the study, the endowments of the 831 institutions surveyed had an average decline of 0.3 percent in the year ending June 30, 2012. This is down sharply from the previous year's average gain of 19.2 percent and well below 2010's gain of 11.9 percent, but better than the 18.7 percent decline for endowments that occurred during the recession in 2009.

In terms of the methodology used to calculate the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, the absolute size and annual performance of a college's endowment are not direct factors in the rankings.

However, this is not the full story. A decline in a college's endowment can have a negative impact on the school's ability to fund its yearly operating budget, since institutions use income from their endowment to supplement tuition from students and other sources as a way to fund ongoing operations. Schools in the study spent an average of 4.2 percent of their endowments on their yearly operating budgets in 2012.

One of the factors in the Best Colleges methodology is financial resources per student, which has a weight of 10 percent in the overall rankings. This factor measures the average spending per student on instruction, student services, academic support, research, and related educational expenditures.

U.S. News believes that generous per-student spending indicates that the college can offer a wide variety of academic programs and services. Colleges with large endowments, which tend to be private universities, can spend more per student on educational services than schools without endowments or with very small ones. So if a school's endowment shrinks, it may have less money to spend on the education of its students.

Schools with large endowments therefore tend to do better in the rankings' financial resources indicator than schools without any endowment or very small ones.

Many public universities, which in general don't have large endowments, face tight or decreasing state appropriations due to the lingering impact that the recession and slow recovery has had on the willingness of some states to fund higher education. That can have a bigger impact on public universities than shrinking or slow growing endowments have had on private colleges.

As a result, some public universities have implemented significant tuition increases or have increased the proportion of out-of-state students who pay higher tuitions to try to offset annual funding cuts. Budget cuts in some cases have led to the discontinuance of academic programs, larger class sizes, and reduced spending per student.

Download the list of the universities with the largest college endowments and changes to their market value between 2011 and 2012, available through the organization's website.

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/decline-endowments-may-affect-best-colleges-rankings-174101270.html

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Powerful blizzard takes aim at northeastern U.S.

BOSTON (Reuters) - The northeastern United States braced on Friday morning for a blizzard that could drop up to three feet (nearly one meter) of snow through Saturday and bring travel to a halt.

Blizzard warnings were in effect from New Jersey through southern Maine, with Boston expected to bear the brunt of the massive storm that could set records. The day began with light snow and winds that were due to pick up with much heavier snowfall by afternoon.

Officials urged residents to stay home, rather than risk getting stuck in deep drifts or whiteout conditions.

Boston and surrounding communities said schools would be closed on Friday, and city and state officials told nonessential city workers to stay home. Businesses were urged to let staff work from home or shorten schedules.

"Accumulation is expected to be swift, heavy and dangerous," Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told reporters. "I am ordering all nonessential state workers to work from home (Friday). I am strongly urging private employers to take the same precautions."

Officials across the region echoed his recommendations, telling residents to prepare for any power outages and consider checking on elderly or disabled neighbors who might need help.

In New York City, still not fully recovered from the effects of October's devastating Hurricane Sandy, officials said they had 1,800 Sanitation Department trucks equipped with snow plows ready to be deployed.

In New Jersey, also hit hard by Sandy, state officials expected major coastal flooding, high winds, and possible blizzard conditions in the northeastern section of the state.

"This is a dangerous storm, and we ask motorists to be careful while driving. There is also the potential for downed trees and wires because of wind conditions," said Colonel Rick Fuentes, director of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. "(The) evening commute will be treacherous throughout much of New Jersey."

The National Weather Service, warning of a "major, maybe even historic, snowstorm," said Boston and much of New England could get up to three feet of snow on Friday and Saturday, its first heavy snowfall in two years. Winds could gust as high as 60 miles to 70 miles per hour (95 to 112 km per hour).

If more than 18.2 inches of snow falls in Boston, it will rank among the city's 10 largest snowfalls. Boston's record snowfall, 27.6 inches, came in 2003.

Cities from Hartford, Connecticut, to Portland, Maine, were expected to see at least one foot of snow.

Airlines have already canceled nearly 2,500 flights for Friday, according to website FlightAware.com, with the largest number of cancellations at airports in Newark, New Jersey; New York City; Chicago and Boston.

Some 550 flights were canceled for Saturday, according to the flight-tracking site.

Boston's Logan International Airport warned that once the storm roars in, all flights would likely be grounded for 24 hours.

United Continental Holdings Inc, JetBlue Airways Corp and Delta Air Lines Inc all reported extensive cancellations.

ECHOES OF '78

For some in the Boston area, the forecast brought to mind memories of the blizzard of 1978, which dropped 27.1 inches, the second largest snowfall recorded in the city's history. That storm started out gently and intensified during the day, leaving many motorists stranded during the evening commute.

Dozens of deaths were reported in the region after that storm, many from people touching downed electric lines.

Officials warned of a high risk of extensive power outages across the region due to the combination of heavy snow and high winds. Residents were also at risk of losing heat at a time when temperatures would dip to 20 Fahrenheit (minus 7 Celsius).

Across the region, store shelves were picked clean of food and storm-related supplies such as shovels and salt as residents scrambled to prepare.

Some big employers said they were considering pleas by officials to let workers stay home, including State Street Corp, one of Boston's largest employers in the financial sector.

(Additional reporting by Daniel Lovering and Tim McLaughlin in Boston, Dave Warner in Philadelphia, Karen Jacobs in Atlanta and Colleen Jenkins in North Carolina; Editing by Daniel Trotta; and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://weather.yahoo.com/england-bear-brunt-powerful-blizzard-032605853.html

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Lil Wayne has yet to watch Nicki Minaj on 'Idol'

METARIE, La. (AP) ? "American Idol" picked Nicki Minaj as a judge to draw in viewers, but she's actually discouraged at least one person from watching it ? her mentor, Lil Wayne.

The rap star admitted Friday that he has yet to see "Idol" this season ? or any other season.

"Actually, I've never watched it," he said, a bit sheepishly.

Part of the reason he hasn't tuned in to see Minaj is because she didn't exactly sell the show to Lil Wayne.

"When I talk to her she's always tells me, 'You don't wanna watch that, you're not going to be into it,'" he said.

"She knows me. ... It's kind of like a catfight where they be going back and forth type of thing, I'm not into all that," he said of the judging panel, which includes Mariah Carey, with whom Minaj had a much-publicized argument.

"The talent on that is pretty good I heard, though," he said.

Lil Wayne spoke Friday after signing autographs for more than 100 fans who were at a suburban New Orleans Macy's to support his Trukfit clothing line; a couple hundred more waited outside for a glimpse of the star.

Wayne said he's hoping to soon make Trukfit for women and children. Now, it's just a men's line. Part of the problem is finding the right designer.

"They send everything, every design to me, and I approve or decline, and the designer is extremely OK (with that). ... That person may have designed something, and I may say I hate it. I get no flack about it, and women are different," he said, laughing. "So we're trying to find the perfect female designer who has no problem with me declining what I don't like."

Lil Wayne, of course, still has his day job: His new album, "I Am Not A Human Being II," is due out March 26. When asked what fans could expect, he said, laughing: "Never have expectations for me, like never, because I probably will not meet your expectations. ... Just enjoy what you get, hopefully."

___

Follow Nekesa Mumbi Moody at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lil-wayne-yet-watch-nicki-minaj-idol-165439058.html

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Storytelling And Information Marketing

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Copywriter John Forde said it perfectly in an email I received today ? ?What your customer really wants is to be the hero of his own story.? He credits Bill Bonner for the idea, but I say it?s as old as time because cavemen grunted out stories to impress and harass each other, and we?re all still doing the same thing today with the benefit of modern language and digital communication.

Even without grunting and wielding thick sticks to emphasize our main points we had better be good at storytelling and information marketing in order to succeed. Knowing the only story that truly interests your clients and customers is THEIR OWN STORY is a big step towards gaining and maintaining the focus you need to create your information products in the first place.

Storytelling And Information Marketing

Starting your writing and speaking with your own stories can be a good introductory technique, but it had better lead quickly to the story your readers and listeners most want to hear. It?s the story that answers the question, ?What?s in this for me??? The acronym WIIFM represents that question and it is the perfect reminder of what we need to remember when we create and market info products, when we speak to audiences and even when we communicate one-on-one.

We are all overgrown toddlers with an insatiable desire to make the world respond to our needs and wants. If you have ever told stories to small children, you know they absolutely DELIGHT in hearing their own name woven into stories told aloud. ?That?s pretty much the way it works for all of us, all the time.

Related Articles

Source: http://www.fredgleeck.com/blog/storytelling-and-information-marketing/

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Could Scottish, Catalan independence votes reshape Europe?

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - The separatist flag of Catalonia - with its yellow and red stripes, blue triangle and white star - was a rare sight on the streets of Barcelona a decade ago. Now, it is almost ubiquitous.

Two thousand km to the north in Scotland, the blue-and-white saltire has always been popular. But that flag too increasingly symbolizes something new, that after more than 400 years within the United Kingdom Scotland may be on the verge of demanding a divorce.

For all the focus on the risk of the euro zone falling apart, some suspect this decade may be better remembered as the time when two of Europe's most permanent states began to break apart.

Pro-independence parties in Scotland and Catalonia are preparing for referendums next year that they hope could see their regions secede for good - which some analysts suspect might encourage others in Europe to follow suit.

There are considerable differences between the two regions. Scotland has always been referred to as a separate "country" within the United Kingdom, while Catalonia's claims to self rule are rooted in the history of the Middle Ages.

Prime Minister David Cameron's government has agreed to co-operate with the autumn 2014 Scottish referendum, though it is campaigning vigorously against any split.

In contrast, Madrid has declared it will fight a Catalan referendum on constitutional grounds. The separatist parties that run the region are keen to push ahead anyway and match Scotland with a 2014 vote.

Some suspect the two campaigns will feed off each other in the months to come. Each cause is marshalling a similar range of emotional, practical and cold-blooded economic arguments as well as trading off widespread frustration with those in power in the traditional national capital.

Alfred Bosch, leader of the Republican Left, or ERC, bloc in Spanish parliament that has long lobbied for independence, said separatist politicians in Spain do keep an eye on what's happening in Scotland.

In both countries "there are the underlying emotional arguments for independence, then there are the more rational economic ones. What we are seeing is that they are coming together."

Polls vary, but at least one survey has suggested more than half of Catalonian voters would vote for a separate state if given the chance. That compares to figures of just over a third in Scotland - although those on both sides of the argument in that country say it is entirely possible numbers could change between now and the final vote.

Pro-independence activists in both countries are quick to stress they see themselves as part of a wider trend. The number of countries of the world has almost trebled since 1945 as African and Asian states broke free of colonial masters and with the fall of the Soviet Union creating a plethora of new nations across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

In Brussels, Scottish and Catalan parties are already forging something of an alliance with Belgian Flemish parties.

"The global trend has been moving in this direction for some time," Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for external affairs for the pro-independence Scottish government, told Reuters recently.

"Many countries which were not independent 20 years ago have gained their independence and are now full members of the European Union."

ECONOMIC CRISIS, ALIENATION

The modern contours of both Britain and Spain were drawn in the 15th and 16th centuries just as they began hundreds of years of imperial expansion that brought wealth and power.

Neither nation embarked on the kind of deliberate centrally coordinated efforts to build a national identity seen in newer nations such as Germany and Italy under Bismarck and Garibaldi respectively - or in France under Napoleon.

What may be giving fuel to the cause of separatism now is a growing sense of frustration and alienation from the powers-that-be in London, Madrid and many other capitals. The economic crisis, it seems, has made that even more pronounced.

"Whatever happens, these movements are going to have an impact. You're going to get more calls for devolution," said David Lea, Western Europe analyst at Control Risks.

"Part of it is obviously the crisis, but there are other factors as well: the rise of social media, much broader unhappiness with the status quo."

In Edinburgh, the rise of the Scottish National Party - now a majority government in the parliament - is seen more a result of their perceived administrative competence and a lack of enthusiasm for London-based parties than widespread pro-independence sentiment. The SNP hopes that is already changing as the referendum nears.

In Catalonia, one of the richest areas of Spain, there is widespread anger over what many see as too much money passing to the rest of the country. The Catalan independence movement has also proved increasingly effective at tapping into the wider sense of anger at government and big business produced by still-deepening economic woes.

"For me, it's something sentimental I got from my father," salesman Miquel Blas, 35, says of his attachment to the idea of Catalan independence. "But the real support for independence has come with the crisis."

Another Barcelona resident, real estate agent Maria Caralt, 40, says intertwining the two issues is unhealthy, however.

"People talk about independence and they talk about the crisis and they all get mixed together," she says. "But I still think independence is a good idea. It would be better and easier to manage a small country."

Not one of those who spoke to Reuters on the streets of Barcelona were enthusiastic about maintaining a unified state. Those who planned to vote against independence cited their cynicism about politicians in general and said they doubted that leaders of a separatist Catalonia would run it any better.

THE WORLD IS WATCHING

In London and Madrid, mainstream political parties opposed to independence are already beginning to work together to fight the pro-independence campaigns, though some analysts believe a coordinated effort could end up inflaming Catalan and Scottish opinion, instead.

The debate is being watched well beyond Europe. Far-flung states such as Russia and China with restive minority populations are concerned that the breakup of a major European state could fuel separatist feeling at home.

British and Scottish officials say they have already received queries from their U.S. counterparts on the issue and say Washington is noticeably lukewarm about the prospect that two key NATO allies might be about to radically change.

Fiona Hill, a former official at the U.S. National Intelligence Council and now head of the Europe program at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC., says London and Madrid don't seem to realize how important this is seen to be beyond their borders.

"We are talking about two of the oldest states in Europe," Hill said. "I had a senior Balkan official ask me if it was the end of the multi-ethnic state."

If the unexpected happens and Scotland and Catalonia do vote for independence, no-one knows what it would mean in practice.

While those pushing for independence in both say they would want to remain within the European Union, most experts believe the new countries would have to apply for membership, which Madrid and London might be tempted to block, perhaps cutting them off at least temporarily from employment in the EU.

It is also unclear how an independent Scotland could continue to use sterling or Catalonia the euro, although in principle there would be no way for Britain or Spain to stop them. National debt and natural resources, from water rights to Scotland's share of North Sea oil, would all have to be negotiated.

If Catalonia votes for independence but Madrid attempts to block it from splitting off, long-simmering resentment on a host of issues could spill out into violence on the streets.

So far, however, the biggest lesson from these independence movements appears to be a positive one: they have been relatively effective while remaining peaceful, compared to more violent separatists such as the IRA in Northern Ireland or ETA in Spain's Basque country.

"If that was the first lesson of this decade of the 21st century, I think that would be a beautiful thing," says Catalan separatist politician Bosch.

(Additional reporting by Braden Phillips in Barcelona; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/could-scottish-catalan-independence-votes-reshape-europe-151417909.html

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Standoff: Ala. gunman still holed up with kidnapped boy

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) ? A gunman holed up in a bunker with a 5-year-old hostage kept law officers at bay Wednesday in an all-night, all-day standoff that began when he killed a school bus driver and dragged the boy away, authorities said.

SWAT teams took up positions around the gunman's rural property and police negotiators tried to win the kindergartener's safe release.

The situation remained unchanged late Wednesday, with negotiations ongoing, Alabama State Trooper Charles Dysart told a news conference. He said no additional information would be released until Thursday morning.

The gunman, identified by neighbors as Jimmy Lee Dykes, a 65-year-old retired truck driver, was known around the neighborhood as a menacing figure who once beat a dog to death with a lead pipe, threatened to shoot children for setting foot on his property and patrolled his yard at night with a flashlight and a shotgun.

He had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning to answer charges he shot at his neighbors in a dispute last month over a speed bump.

The standoff along a red dirt road began on Tuesday afternoon, after a gunman boarded a stopped school bus filled with children in the town of Midland City, population 2,300. Sheriff Wally Olson said the man shot the bus driver when he refused to hand over a 5-year-old child. The gunman then took the boy away.

"As far as we know there is no relation at all. He just wanted a child for a hostage situation," said Michael Senn, a pastor who helped comfort the traumatized children after the attack.

Authorities initially said the boy was 6, but state Rep. Steve Clouse, who visited the boy's family, said he does not turn 6 until next week.

The bus driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, was hailed by locals as a hero who gave his life to protect 21 students.

The boy's classmates, their parents and other members of this small Bible Belt community gathered in several churches and held a candlelight vigil in the town square Wednesday evening to pray for Poland and for the boy's safety. Some in the square joined together to sing "Amazing Grace."

Authorities gave no details on the standoff, and it was unclear if Dykes made any demands from his underground bunker, which resembled a tornado shelter.

The sheriff said in a brief statement Wednesday evening that negotiators continued talking to the suspect and "at this time we have no reason to believe that the child has been harmed."

About 50 vehicles from federal, state and local agencies were clustered at the end of a dirt road near where Dykes lived in a small travel trailer. Nearby homes were evacuated after authorities found what was believed to be a bomb on his property.

Clouse, who also has met with authorities, said the bunker had food and electricity, and the youngster was watching TV. He said law enforcement authorities were communicating with the gunman, but he had no details on how.

At one point, authorities lowered medicine into the bunker for the boy after his captor agreed to it, Clouse said. The lawmaker said he did not know what the medicine was for or whether it was urgently needed.

Chris Voss, a former international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI, said negotiators at the scene should remain patient and calm, resisting the urge to force a quick resolution.

"Getting what you want is not the same as getting even," said Voss, whose firm, the Black Swan Group, now consults on high-stakes negotiations. "Flooding the zone will not save lives."

Mike and Patricia Smith, who live across the street from Dykes and whose two children were on the bus when the shooting happened, said their youngsters had a run-in with him about 10 months ago.

"My bulldogs got loose and went over there," Patricia Smith said. "The children went to get them. He threatened to shoot them if they came back."

"He's very paranoid," her husband said. "He goes around in his yard at night with a flashlight and shotgun."

Patricia Smith said her children told her what happened on the bus: Two other children had just been dropped off and the Smith children were next. Dykes stepped onto the bus and grabbed the door so the driver couldn't close it. Dykes told the driver he wanted two boys, 6 to 8 years old, without saying why.

According to Smith, Dykes started down the aisle of the bus and the driver put his arm out to block him. Dykes fired four shots at Poland with a handgun, Smith said.

"He did give his life, saving children," Mike Smith said.

Patricia Smith said her daughter, a high school senior, began corralling the other children and headed for the back of the bus while Dykes and the driver were arguing. Later, Smith's son ran inside his house, telling his mother: "The crazy man across the street shot the bus driver and Mr. Poland won't wake up."

Patricia Smith ran over to the bus and saw the driver slumped over in his seat. Her daughter used another child's cellphone to call 911.

Another neighbor, Ronda Wilbur, said Dykes beat her 120-pound dog with a lead pipe for coming onto his side of the dirt road. The dog died a week later.

"He said his only regret was he didn't beat him to death all the way," Wilbur said. "If a man can kill a dog, and beat it with a lead pipe and brag about it, it's nothing until it's going to be people."

Dykes had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to face a charge of menacing some neighbors as they drove by his house weeks ago. Claudia Davis said he yelled and fired shots at her, her son and her baby grandson over damage Dykes claimed their pickup truck did to a makeshift speed bump in the dirt road. No one was hurt.

"Before this happened, I would see him at several places and he would just stare a hole through me," Davis said. "On Monday I saw him at a laundromat and he seen me when I was getting in my truck, and he just stared and stared and stared at me."

__

Associated Press writers Melissa Nelson-Gabriel in Midland City, Bob Johnson in Montgomery, and Jay Reeves in Birmingham contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/standoff-ala-gunman-holed-kidnapped-boy-044359841.html

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