The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.
There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008.Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.
The earliest known Egyptian pyramid is the Pyramid of Djoser which was built during the third dynasty. This pyramid and its surrounding complex were designed by the architect Imhotep, and are generally considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry.The best known Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built.
The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.
Diagram of the interior structures of the great pyramid. The inner line indicates the pyramid's present profile, the outer line indicates the original profile.The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. The shape is also thought to be representative of the descending rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone, in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were often also named in ways that referred to solar luminescence. For example, the formal name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur The Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at el-Lahun was Senwosret is Shining.
While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One theory is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine."
from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
New Way To Monitor Faults May Help Predict Earthquakes
ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2009) — Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found a way to monitor the strength of geologic faults deep in the Earth. This finding could prove to be a boon for earthquake prediction by pinpointing those faults that are likely to fail and produce earthquakes. Until now, scientists had no method for detecting changes in fault strength, which is not measureable at the Earth's surface.
Paul Silver* and Taka'aki Taira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, with Fenglin Niu of Rice University and Robert Nadeau of the University of California, Berkeley, used highly sensitive seismometers to detect subtle changes in earthquake waves that travel through the San Andreas Fault zone near Parkfield, California, over a period of 20 years. The changes in the waves indicate weakening of the fault and correspond to periods of increased rates of small earthquakes along the fault.
"Fault strength is a fundamental property of seismic zones," says Taira, now at the University of California, Berkeley. "Earthquakes are caused when a fault fails, either because of the build-up of stress or because of a weakening of the fault. Changes in fault strength are much harder to measure than changes in stress, especially for faults deep in the crust. Our result opens up exciting possibilities for monitoring seismic risk and understanding the causes of earthquakes."
The section of the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, sometimes called the "Earthquake Capital of the World," has been intensively studied by seismologists and is home to a sophisticated array of borehole seismometers called the High-Resolution Seismic Network and other geophysical instruments. Because the area experiences numerous repeated small earthquakes, it is a natural laboratory for studying the physics of earthquakes.
Seismograms from small earthquakes revealed that within the fault zone there were areas of fluid-filled fractures. What caught the researchers' attention was that these areas shifted slightly from time to time. The repeating earthquakes also became smaller and more frequent during these intervals – an indication of a weakened fault.
"Movement of the fluid in these fractures lubricates the fault zone and thereby weakens the fault," says Niu. "The total displacement of the fluids is only about 10 meters at a depth of about three kilometers, so it takes very sensitive seismometers to detect the changes, such as we have at Parkfield."
What caused the fluids to shift? Intriguingly, the researchers noticed that on two occasions the shifts came after the fault zone was disturbed by seismic waves from large, distant earthquakes, such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake. Pressure from these waves may have been enough to cause the fluids to flow. "So it is possible that the strength of faults and earthquake risk is affected by seismic events on the other side of the world," says Niu.
http//www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/09092
ScienceDaily (Oct. 1, 2009) — Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found a way to monitor the strength of geologic faults deep in the Earth. This finding could prove to be a boon for earthquake prediction by pinpointing those faults that are likely to fail and produce earthquakes. Until now, scientists had no method for detecting changes in fault strength, which is not measureable at the Earth's surface.
Paul Silver* and Taka'aki Taira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, with Fenglin Niu of Rice University and Robert Nadeau of the University of California, Berkeley, used highly sensitive seismometers to detect subtle changes in earthquake waves that travel through the San Andreas Fault zone near Parkfield, California, over a period of 20 years. The changes in the waves indicate weakening of the fault and correspond to periods of increased rates of small earthquakes along the fault.
"Fault strength is a fundamental property of seismic zones," says Taira, now at the University of California, Berkeley. "Earthquakes are caused when a fault fails, either because of the build-up of stress or because of a weakening of the fault. Changes in fault strength are much harder to measure than changes in stress, especially for faults deep in the crust. Our result opens up exciting possibilities for monitoring seismic risk and understanding the causes of earthquakes."
The section of the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, sometimes called the "Earthquake Capital of the World," has been intensively studied by seismologists and is home to a sophisticated array of borehole seismometers called the High-Resolution Seismic Network and other geophysical instruments. Because the area experiences numerous repeated small earthquakes, it is a natural laboratory for studying the physics of earthquakes.
Seismograms from small earthquakes revealed that within the fault zone there were areas of fluid-filled fractures. What caught the researchers' attention was that these areas shifted slightly from time to time. The repeating earthquakes also became smaller and more frequent during these intervals – an indication of a weakened fault.
"Movement of the fluid in these fractures lubricates the fault zone and thereby weakens the fault," says Niu. "The total displacement of the fluids is only about 10 meters at a depth of about three kilometers, so it takes very sensitive seismometers to detect the changes, such as we have at Parkfield."
What caused the fluids to shift? Intriguingly, the researchers noticed that on two occasions the shifts came after the fault zone was disturbed by seismic waves from large, distant earthquakes, such as the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake. Pressure from these waves may have been enough to cause the fluids to flow. "So it is possible that the strength of faults and earthquake risk is affected by seismic events on the other side of the world," says Niu.
http//www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/09092
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Mokhtar Dahari (1953 - 1991) was a legendary Malaysian national football team player from Selangor. Born in Setapak on 13 November 1953, he became one of the best players in Asia in the 1970s. He was Malaysia's best striker. Mokhtar showed interest in playing football at an early age. He played for his school and later for his home state, Selangor FA. He was only nineteen years old when he first played for the Malaysia national football team in an international game. Mokhtar helped Selangor FA win the Malaysia Cup 10 times and scored 177 goals altogether. In international games, he scored a total of 125 goals in 167 caps for the Malaysian team.
The Merdeka Stadium was his second home amidst roars of "Supermokh" from the young generation who worshipped him. Along with goalkeeper R Arumugam, defenders Santokh Singh and Soh Chin Aun, midfielders Reduan Abadullah and Shukor Salleh and Mokhtar's partner up front, Isa Bakar, the Selangor FA and Malaysia national football team were a force to be reckoned with in the 70's.
In 1975, Mokhtar represented Malaysia national team against English giants Arsenal F.C. The Malaysian team won the game 2-0 with Mokhtar scoring both goals. After the game, Mokhtar was rumoured to have been offered a chance to play for the Gunners. He also famously scored the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw against the England national B Team in 1978. He won his 100th cap for representing Malaysia when he played in a Merdeka Football Tournament match against the Japanese national football team in 1976. This Number 10 of Selangor FA also had a friendly game against another Number 10, Diego Maradona, when he met the Boca Juniors in January 1982.
Mokhtar retired in May 1986 after winning the Malaysia Cup for Selangor FA, making himself the man of the match. He also gave his number 10 jersey to the Raja Muda Selangor. He came out of retirement in January 1987 to play one more season for Selangor FA. In January 1988, Mokhtar joined Kwong Yik Bank and won the Selangor League that year. Mokhtar died at the age of thirty-seven of muscular dystrophy on 11 July 1991.
http://www.viweb.freehosting.net/SuperMokh.htm
The Merdeka Stadium was his second home amidst roars of "Supermokh" from the young generation who worshipped him. Along with goalkeeper R Arumugam, defenders Santokh Singh and Soh Chin Aun, midfielders Reduan Abadullah and Shukor Salleh and Mokhtar's partner up front, Isa Bakar, the Selangor FA and Malaysia national football team were a force to be reckoned with in the 70's.
In 1975, Mokhtar represented Malaysia national team against English giants Arsenal F.C. The Malaysian team won the game 2-0 with Mokhtar scoring both goals. After the game, Mokhtar was rumoured to have been offered a chance to play for the Gunners. He also famously scored the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw against the England national B Team in 1978. He won his 100th cap for representing Malaysia when he played in a Merdeka Football Tournament match against the Japanese national football team in 1976. This Number 10 of Selangor FA also had a friendly game against another Number 10, Diego Maradona, when he met the Boca Juniors in January 1982.
Mokhtar retired in May 1986 after winning the Malaysia Cup for Selangor FA, making himself the man of the match. He also gave his number 10 jersey to the Raja Muda Selangor. He came out of retirement in January 1987 to play one more season for Selangor FA. In January 1988, Mokhtar joined Kwong Yik Bank and won the Selangor League that year. Mokhtar died at the age of thirty-seven of muscular dystrophy on 11 July 1991.
http://www.viweb.freehosting.net/SuperMokh.htm
Location :Japan; the Tokaido-Sanyo Shankansen line from Tokyo to Hakata
Longest Run : 664 miles
The fastest line of the Shinkansen system, the Nozomi train travels the 320-mile distance from Tokyo to Osaka in less than 2.5 hours. This speed has increased significantly since the bullet train was first inaugurated in Japan in 1964, when this distance took a little over 3 hours. The Nozomi cars are equipped with lightweight technology: a tilting system that uses lightweight air springs to lift one side of the car during a curve in the track. Advanced construction and materials—strong and unbreakable polycarbonate with reduced window-to-body edge and a scratch-resistant coating—add significant speed and durability to the cars.
*Both the German InterCityExpress (ICE) and the Nozomi Shinkansen, reach normal running speeds of 186 mph, but, in trial runs, the Nozomi's network wins. The ICE has reached speeds of 229 mph. While the top speed recorded for the Nozomi Shankansen, the fastest line on the network, was not available, trains on the same network have topped speeds of 275 mph.
http//www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation
Longest Run : 664 miles
The fastest line of the Shinkansen system, the Nozomi train travels the 320-mile distance from Tokyo to Osaka in less than 2.5 hours. This speed has increased significantly since the bullet train was first inaugurated in Japan in 1964, when this distance took a little over 3 hours. The Nozomi cars are equipped with lightweight technology: a tilting system that uses lightweight air springs to lift one side of the car during a curve in the track. Advanced construction and materials—strong and unbreakable polycarbonate with reduced window-to-body edge and a scratch-resistant coating—add significant speed and durability to the cars.
*Both the German InterCityExpress (ICE) and the Nozomi Shinkansen, reach normal running speeds of 186 mph, but, in trial runs, the Nozomi's network wins. The ICE has reached speeds of 229 mph. While the top speed recorded for the Nozomi Shankansen, the fastest line on the network, was not available, trains on the same network have topped speeds of 275 mph.
http//www.popularmechanics.com/technology/transportation
Friday, August 21, 2009
This article is about the general concept of art. For the categories of different expressive disciplines, see The arts. For the arts that are visual in nature, see Visual arts.20th-century Rwandan bottle. Artistic works may serve practical functions, in addition to their decorative value.Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.
The definition and evaluation of art has become especially problematic since the early 20th century. Richard Wollheim distinguishes three approaches: the Realist, whereby aesthetic quality is an absolute value independent of any human view; the Objectivist, whereby it is also an absolute value, but is dependent on general human experience; and the Relativist position, whereby it is not an absolute value, but depends on, and varies with, the human experience of different humans.An object may be characterized by the intentions, or lack thereof, of its creator, regardless of its apparent purpose. A cup, which ostensibly can be used as a container, may be considered art if intended solely as an ornament, while a painting may be deemed craft if mass-produced.
Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.
The nature of art has been described by Richard Wollheim as "one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture".It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation.Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another.Benedetto Croce and R.G. Collingwood advanced the idealist view that art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator.The theory of art as form has its roots in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and was developed in the early twentieth century by Roger Fry and Clive Bell.Art as mimesis or representation has deep roots in the philosophy of Aristotle.More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community develops for itself a medium for self-expression and interpretation.
from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The definition and evaluation of art has become especially problematic since the early 20th century. Richard Wollheim distinguishes three approaches: the Realist, whereby aesthetic quality is an absolute value independent of any human view; the Objectivist, whereby it is also an absolute value, but is dependent on general human experience; and the Relativist position, whereby it is not an absolute value, but depends on, and varies with, the human experience of different humans.An object may be characterized by the intentions, or lack thereof, of its creator, regardless of its apparent purpose. A cup, which ostensibly can be used as a container, may be considered art if intended solely as an ornament, while a painting may be deemed craft if mass-produced.
Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.
The nature of art has been described by Richard Wollheim as "one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture".It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation.Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another.Benedetto Croce and R.G. Collingwood advanced the idealist view that art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator.The theory of art as form has its roots in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and was developed in the early twentieth century by Roger Fry and Clive Bell.Art as mimesis or representation has deep roots in the philosophy of Aristotle.More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community develops for itself a medium for self-expression and interpretation.
from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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