Unseen World!

Introduction

The possibility of human cloning, raised when Scottish scientists at Roslin Institute created the much-celebrated sheep "Dolly" (Nature 385, 810-13, 1997), aroused worldwide interest and concern because of its scientific and ethical implications. The feat, cited by Science magazine as the breakthrough of 1997, also generated uncertainty over the meaning of "cloning" –an umbrella term traditionally used by scientists to describe different processes for duplicating biological material.

What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning?

When the media report on cloning in the news, they are usually talking about only one type called reproductive cloning. There are different types of cloning however, and cloning technologies can be used for other purposes besides producing the genetic twin of another organism. A basic understanding of the different types of cloning is key to taking an informed stance on current public policy issues and making the best possible personal decisions. The following three types of cloning technologies will be discussed: (1) recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, (2) reproductive cloning, and (3) therapeutic cloning.

Should humans be cloned?

Physicians from the American Medical Association and scientists with the American Association for the Advancement of Science have issued formal public statements advising against human reproductive cloning. The U.S. Congress has considered the passage of legislation that could ban human cloning. See the Policy and Legislation links below.

Due to the inefficiency of animal cloning (only about 1 or 2 viable offspring for every 100 experiments) and the lack of understanding about reproductive cloning, many scientists and physicians strongly believe that it would be unethical to attempt to clone humans. Not only do most attempts to clone mammals fail, about 30% of clones born alive are affected with "large-offspring syndrome" and other debilitating conditions. Several cloned animals have died prematurely from infections and other complications. The same problems would be expected in human cloning. In addition, scientists do not know how cloning could impact mental development. While factors such as intellect and mood may not be as important for a cow or a mouse, they are crucial for the development of healthy humans. With so many unknowns concerning reproductive cloning, the attempt to clone humans at this time is considered potentially dangerous and ethically irresponsible. See the Cloning Ethics links below for more information about the human cloning debate.

Source – ornl.gov

The clip isn’t yet properly live at Apple, the site meant to be hosting it in the US, but you can see it in 1080p with this link, or at the French MSN site.

Here’s the quick recap: Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) arrives (in his wheelchair) on Pandora. He sees the planet’s beauty and, though him, we’re quickly introduced to the ten-foot tall alien Na’vi avatars. Implanted in his Na’vi body, Jake leads us on an exploration of Pandora. We see Zoe Saldana’s Na’vi character and Jake’s imprinting session with Pandora’s version of a dragon. (Hey Anne McCafferey, did you get a royalty check?) There’s even a glimpse of Pandora at night, and a little bit of the new power suits in action, which weren’t much seen in the Comic Con footage. We don’t see Sigourney Weaver, but do get a glimpse of Drag Me To Hell’s Dileep Rao as one of the Avatar technicians.

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — Forecasters said they think it’s unlikely Hurricane Bill will make landfall in the United States, but they haven’t ruled out the chance for a direct hit on a Massachusetts island.

Hurricane Bill’s projected path shows it moving north toward New England and then Canada.

Cape Cod lies within the National Hurricane Center’s cone of uncertainty and is at risk for a Sunday morning strike by Bill, forecasters said.

Wind gusts greater than 39 mph will be possible Saturday evening through midday Sunday in Boston and the rest of eastern Massachusetts, CNN meteorologists said Thursday.

The first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season does not directly threaten the rest of the Eastern coastline, but the Middle Atlantic States and Northeast may see high surf, dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding by Friday and Saturday morning as Bill moves northward, those meteorologists said. See Bill’s projected path »

Hurricane Bill was downgraded early Thursday to a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale of strength. Hurricanes are ranked in categories 1 to 5 on that scale. But forecasters warn the storm could regain strength and become a Category 4 overnight as it encounters warmer waters.

At 2 p.m. ET, Bill was heading northwest at nearly 18 mph. The hurricane edged closer to Bermuda, with its eye about 645 miles south of the British territory.

Bill’s maximum sustained winds were near 120 mph, the hurricane center said.

The waters around the north Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola already have begun to experience large swells due to Bill, the center reported.

The Bermuda Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch, meaning that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours, the hurricane center said. Bill should pass just to the west of Bermuda by early Saturday afternoon.

Bill is forecast to diminish into a Category 1 hurricane by Monday morning when it is projected to make landfall near the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia or Newfoundland.

Source – CNN

A secret CIA program to kill top al-Qaeda leaders with assassination teams was outsourced in 2004 to Blackwater USA, the private security contractor whose operations in Iraq prompted intense scrutiny, according to two former intelligence officials familiar with the events.

Editor’s Note – This operation was originally launched in 2001, shortly after al Qaeda killed over 3,000 Americans on 911. Why wouldn’t we go after their leadership using any and all available options?

The North Carolina-based company was given operational responsibility for targeting terrorist commanders and was awarded millions of dollars for training and weaponry, but the program was canceled before any missions were conducted, the two officials said.

The assassination program — revealed to Congress in June by CIA Director Leon Panetta — was initially launched in 2001 as a CIA-led effort to kill or capture top al-Qaeda members using the agency’s paramilitary forces. But in 2004, after briefly terminating the program, agency officials decided to revive it under a different code name, using outside contractors, the officials said.

Read more – Source

2009 marks the 50th anniversary of COBOL. September 18 1959 marks the date when the name COBOL was decided upon. On September 17-18 2009 COBOL Magazine will sponsor a world wide celebration. And a new resurgence of COBOL. The event will be held at the Hilton Akron / Fairlawn in Akron Ohio. There will also be satellite parties at select locations around the world.

Costa Rican hotel turns vintage Boeing 727 into a luxury suite

Hotel Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, has new lodgings that are sure to appeal to aviation fans:

It has created a Boeing 727 fuselage suite. The hotel says that it refurbished a vintage 1965 Boeing 727 airframe. Previously, the airplane had flown for South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines (Colombia).

The hotel Web site dedicated to the 727 has more pictures and a longer explanation of how it came to acquire the Boeing jet and "assemble" it in the trees.

Rates range from $400 to $500 per night plus tax.

The London Guardian has named the 727 suite as one of world’s top "10 wild places to lay your head."

(Via USA Today)

It’s a new kind of subway flasher: baring it all for art. New York Photographer Zach Hyman, 22, has been known to take photos of nude models in Times Square and Chinatown, and The Huffington Post reports that now he’s trying the subway. He spends about 30 seconds and takes 10 shots of the models, his latest one being Jocelyn Saldana. Her photo for Zach’s Chair and Maiden Gallery showing is one of 14 images on display in a photography exhibition that opens tonight in New York.

Hyman insists that his photos are not pornography; he says that our nether regions are “one of the unifying aspects of being human.” Still, he always keeps bail money on hand, watches out for police and keeps his lawyer on speed-dial in case he gets arrested. The response from other subway riders varies; during a recent shoot, a woman screamed and an elderly man started shaking – but most people were apathetic. Just another crazy on the subway…

According to The New York Post, Alex Reisner, a 20 year-old Columbia student, is one of Zach’s models who stripped down on the street in Chinatown. When she jumped into the air and Zach took her picture, the crowd burst into applause.  ”There was so much adrenaline,” she said. “I was bouncing around for the rest of the day. I told him I want to pose nude every weekend.”

Something tells me the men of New York would be okay with that.

In recent months, we’ve gone over many stupid reasons to call 911:

There was Michael Krause, the guy who called 911, and asked for a lift to a Lil Wayne concert.

There was the infamous McNugget 911 emergency in Florida, followed by the botched Mickey D’s order in Oregon, which also required police assistance.

We had the story of the depressed woman from Jacksonville, who asked 911 to take her to jail. And, in 2008, we had the story of the man who dialed 9-1-1 with his toe.

Now, we have the case of Robert Edward Cook, who allegedly called 911 because members of his family hid his booze, probably for a very good reason.

The police report, quoted in First Coast News indicates that he was in a "drunken state" and so does his mug shot. (Weird Crime Mug Shot Hall of Shame)