Syria's allies on the Security Council vetoed a resolution because they said it could for something that would end up like Libya. Some of the documentations included torturing and shooting unarmed demonstrators. Since March, over 4,000 people have ended up dead because of this. There has been no word on what Syria will do to amend this.
Friday, December 2, 2011
U.N. Finds Syria Committed Crimes Against Humanity
The United Nations condemned Syria for "gross and systematic violations" after evidence reveals that the country's security forces had committed crimes against humanity. The government was found out doing violent crackdowns for an eight-month old uprising.
70% to Islamist Party
Since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian government has been in control by the new military. Many citizens are upset about this and wanted the military out of office. Due to this the citizens want the military to step down as the governing body, and choose a new president. This is why the military has proposed Egypt performs an election for a new president.
So far with all of the elections the Islamist Party is speculated to have seventy percent of the vote in the election so far. So it seems like Islamic parties will play a leading role in the next phase during the transition towards democracy. 62 percent of voters turned up to vote, which was roughly 8.4 million.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-02/islamist-parties-may-have-won-70-of-vote-in-egypt-s-election.html
So far with all of the elections the Islamist Party is speculated to have seventy percent of the vote in the election so far. So it seems like Islamic parties will play a leading role in the next phase during the transition towards democracy. 62 percent of voters turned up to vote, which was roughly 8.4 million.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-02/islamist-parties-may-have-won-70-of-vote-in-egypt-s-election.html
Tomorrow's Toilet?
$6,000.00 is the cost for a new state-of-the-art toilet. Made from Kohler it offer features that they felt were missing from standard toilets. The toilet looks like a fancy waste bin, and is much smaller than a normal toilet. So what features does one get for the cost?
The toilet has a motion sensor, so when one approaches it, the toilet will open and when one leaves, it will close. The seat is heated,and there is a grate that can blow warm air on one's feet. There is an ecological flush system, which uses .6 gallons to flush, and the standard one is twice that amount. There is a remote control to use on the toilet, and an audio jack for ones media player.
So while functionality comes with this, the installation also is a bit more complicated. While a regular toilet only requires the normal tubes and pumps for the water system, this toilet requires an electrical set up as well, and with more set-up requirements, the more problems can occur. So the big question is, is it worth it?
Bottled Bridges
Plastic bottles are great for recycling, but many ignorant or unobservant people put them with trash where they end up in a landfill. Being in these landfills are terrible for the environment because they do not degrade. Only 27.5 percent of plastic bottles are being recycled. Another problem with these problems the bottles are very strong to be replaced, and they have to be melted down to be used for other items. Now manufacuterers are using this plastic to make them into boards for decks or clothing materials. There is even one town in Maine that is using recycled bottles to build a bridge.
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| A polymer bridge being made in York, Maine. |
There is some speculation to use plastic versus wood for this bridge. Firstly, the cost to create it is twice as expensive to make this rather than a wooden bridge. However, some of the benefits can outweigh that cost. Trees are not cut down, which is good for the environment, and the plastics are invulnerable to bugs and water. Finally, just as long as they last in a landfill, the bridge will last that long as well.
Hope in Jobs
The unemplyment rate in the US has fallen to 8.6%. This is the lowest level in two-and-a-half years (March 2009). Due to this, 120,000 jobs were able to be added. Due to this slow growth, the unemmployment rate is very high.
It causes wondering if there will be any concern for engineers if unemployment becomes large enough. Due to the vastness that the engineering covers, would it be possible that the unemployment rate for an engineer would be zero? Hopefully by furthering education in engineering, no one will lose their job through their desired field.
Printing New Bones
With the creation of the 3D printer, humans have been able to create many things. Some of these creations have included art, blood cells, car parts, and now engineers have been able to create new bones. Engineers have created a composite-like material that can be added to a normal bone that has been damaged which promotes cell growth. After many tests, no ill-effects have been found yet. Given a few years, doctors will be able to use this research in order to replace bone tissue.
The use of a 3D printer to repair bone problems is valuable. Unlike human error, all of these 3D printers are very exact. By creating a bone-like substance, doctors and physicians can order repairs that are unique to each individual patient.
So while these substances promote new bone growth, engineers could go even further than this. There could be the possibility where they can create an entire new bone that will be able to create artificial cell growth. With this, it could help many patients that have bone ailments such as leukemia. There will be great opportunities with this product with bio-medical engineers.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15963467
The use of a 3D printer to repair bone problems is valuable. Unlike human error, all of these 3D printers are very exact. By creating a bone-like substance, doctors and physicians can order repairs that are unique to each individual patient.
So while these substances promote new bone growth, engineers could go even further than this. There could be the possibility where they can create an entire new bone that will be able to create artificial cell growth. With this, it could help many patients that have bone ailments such as leukemia. There will be great opportunities with this product with bio-medical engineers.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15963467
Power Outages Due to Wind
The Santa Ana winds has been causing many problems in the Western United States. One of the most recent has been large power failures due to the wind, leaving tens of thousands without power. The winds were shown to have reached a peak gust of 97 miles per hour in California, and up to 123 miles per hour in Colorado.
Luckily the wind speeds are slowing down, but the speeds have been reported to be the strongest in a decade. It leaves speculation for what the causes for the increase in wind velocity. Another problem is how to protect against these winds. So far, there has been an estimate of $3.5 million damage to infrastructure, and trying to protect again the winds will leave to an even further cost. Hopefully there can be a way to lessen the wind speed from hitting homes and other cars.
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| Many motorways were closed after vehicles were flipped over by wind speeds. |
Luckily the wind speeds are slowing down, but the speeds have been reported to be the strongest in a decade. It leaves speculation for what the causes for the increase in wind velocity. Another problem is how to protect against these winds. So far, there has been an estimate of $3.5 million damage to infrastructure, and trying to protect again the winds will leave to an even further cost. Hopefully there can be a way to lessen the wind speed from hitting homes and other cars.
Pond-Dwelling Animals Able to Sense Earthquakes?
During natural occurrences, many animals in nature are often found having bizarre behavior before the disaster happens. With pond-dwelling animals, scientists have found out that animals may be able to sense chemical changes in the water when an earthquake will almost strike.
In 2009, a colony of toads abandoned their pond in L'Aquila, Italy days before an earthquake happened. Findings in the pond revealed that there were stressed rocks in the Earth's crust that released particles with a charge that reacts with the groundwater. Many animals that live near this groundwater are very sensitive to any changes, so they were able to sense the change before the stressed rocks create an earthquake.
Throughout history, replies, amphibians, and fish behave in unusual ways before earthquakes happen. With the use of continuing this research, scientists may be able to help save multiple lives to prevent when an earthquake will strike again.
New Possible Life in Space
The first animal has been able to survive in space. Scientists were able to put worms into space, which they were successful in surviving in a liquid state. The result from this could allow the worms in space to establish their own colonies without having constant people to look after them. The usefulness for these worms in space allow scientist to understand radiation levels, the effects of weightlessness, and how humans could possibly survive in the solar system.
In space, there are certain places that contain high amounts of radiation, that we are naturally protected by from the Earth. Without an atmosphere, humans are more prone to these radiation levels, and thus will need to adapt further in order to adapt to the radiation. With the worms, scientist will be able to see how differently the radiation in space will affect the worms versus the radiation that is normal on Earth's atmosphere.
Weightlessness is another problem that will face the worms while they colonize in space. Studies have shown that while in zero gravity, that muscles that are used to support against gravity (known as anti-gravity muscles), deteriorate because of the lack of gravitational pull. Along with the muscles, some organs have also been affect to show some deterioration. With the help of these worms, scientists can study the long-term effects of deep space travel and how it would effect human life.
Steven Hawking once said "I don't think the human race will survive unless we spread into space." With many troubles that we are experienceijng, this seems true. With the help of these worms, the thought of space travel will make it more possible.
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