This is a specially crafted multi-pronged conduit.  Everything I type feeds parallel simultaneous streams to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my e-mail broadcast system.  It’s a global tightrope without a net.  Oh, my.

No topic is off limits. If you’re looking for a site that is “politically correct,” you’ve come to the wrong place.  Hit the back button on your browser now.

Lots and lots of new features are coming online.  They’re all in various stages of development.  You’ll soon see innovative things I’m working on — such as a live, streaming, two-way “TV channel” of sorts where you’ll be able to interact with me (audio, video, text) in real time as I type here in front of my computer.

This is my platform to push the boundaries of technology in every dimension.

Hang on tight.  We may achieve orbit.  Or we may sail off a cliff.  But the ride will be exhilarating.

– Eric

As many of you know, I was one of the team leaders of this historic mission.  On May 17, 2004, after years of agonizing rocket crashes and catastrophes — some quite spectacular — we accomplished our remarkable goal.

I stuffed the book with 90 full-color photos to bring the adventure to life in vivid detail.  It’s 244 pages long in a wonderfully oversized 6×9 format.  (Paperback size wouldn’t do justice to the glorious color images.)  Check out the covers here.

You can order the book from Amazon by clicking here.

I encourage you to check out my book’s companion Web site at www.TheNewRaceToSpace.com.  You’ll see lots of interesting videos and other neat stories. And, as a bonus, you can save $2.00 if you use the Web site’s special ordering link and enter Discount Code NDE55XNW.

But don’t just take my word for it. The same conclusion is represented by three distinguished law professors from Stanford, Elon, and Temple universities in their jointly published essay, “Don’t Break the Internet.”

Here are a couple of snippets from the authors’ essay:

“The procedures outlined in both bills fail [a] fundamental constitutional test. Websites can be ‘completely removed from circulation’ — rendered unreachable by, and invisible to, Internet users in the United States and abroad — immediately upon application by the government, without any reasonable opportunity for the owner or operator of the website in question to be heard or to present evidence on his or her own behalf. This falls far short of what the Constitution requires before speech can be eliminated from public circulation.”

“As serious as these infirmities are, SOPA, the House’s bill, builds upon them, enlarges them, and makes them worse. Under SOPA, IP rights holders can proceed vigilante-style against allegedly offending sites, without any court hearing or any judicial intervention or oversight whatsoever.”

In the noise of all of the other political gyrations in Washington, legislation that could undermine the foundation of the Internet could squeak through. I urge you to review the entire legal analysis at this link.  If you’re equally concerned, you may want to consider contacting your Congressional representatives.

Image courtesy Stanford Law Review.

“Oneal Ron Morris, 30, was arrested last Friday for conducting a botched butt implant at a Miami home last May, ABC reports.  Police said Morris shot a mixture of cement, glue, mineral oil and ‘Fix-A-Flat’ [tire] mender into the woman’s buttocks and then sealed the amateur incision with super glue.

“Morris, who appears to have an ‘enhanced’ rear end herself from police photos, first met her victim to discuss the procedure in May 2010.  ‘They agreed on the price of $700 for the procedure, which was intended for cosmetic purposes,’ Sgt William Bamford told ABC.  But the patient soon complained of serious pains in her abdomen and throughout her body, and was hospitalized.”

For the complete head-shaking story, visit http://bit.ly/rwQ7if

Police photo of Oneal Ron Morris courtesy of ABC News / Australian 9NEWS

“Sour foods are perceived as trippily sweet when tasted for up to an hour after consuming the berry. This effect has led curious folks in the U.S. and elsewhere to seek the miracle fruit for ‘flavor-tripping’ parties: pop the fruit with friends, then sample a smorgasbord of sour-leaning snacks: limes, goat cheese, beer, grapefruit, vinegar, pickles and more.

“‘To me it was very exhilarating. It really is a very joyous experience,’ said writer Adam Gollner of trying the fruit. Gollner is author of The Fruit Hunters, which includes a chapter on the miracle fruit. “It’s almost like this thing that you can’t understand that is happening to you. That sense of incomprehensibility is a great feeling.’”

For the complete Discovery News article, click here: http://bit.ly/tW1qVS

Image courtesy of Keiko Abe / Science

OLEDs provide amazing clarity, contrast, and color saturation.  In the not-to-distant future, they’ll be the technology behind the paper-thin TVs you’ll be able to affix to your wall like wall paper.  In the meantime, manufacturers are ready to roll out more-traditional flat-screen TVs made of OLEDs — such as the stunning 55-inch TV by LG Electronics.

The soon-to-be-unveiled LG Electronics 55-inch OLED flat-screen TV is just 4mm thick  (just a little more than an eighth of an inch).  And the entire TV weighs just 16.5 pounds.

The LG Electronics 55-inch OLED TV is scheduled to be revealed at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas on January 10th.  For more information, visit this link:  http://fxn.ws/tgDLlb

Image courtesy LG Electronics

Not even today’s advanced lithium batteries would function for 23 years.  (Their shelf life is approx. 10 years.)  And back 23 years ago, the battery that was glued into the ornament was the cheapest possible — as the entire ornament only cost Larry a few dollars.  The battery should have lasted four or five years, at most.  But now we’re just two years short of a QUARTER CENTURY.

Would you like to see and hear the ornament for yourself?  Here’s a link to a YouTube video of Elsie and Larry playing the ornament on December 12, 2010.  And here’s a link to a YouTube video of Elsie, Larry, and other family members playing the ornament just a couple of days ago — on December 18, 2011.

You can also scroll down and click on the images below — to immediately play our 2010 and 2011 family YouTube videos.

None of my engineer buddies (in fact, no one who I’ve talked to) has been able to suggest a plausible reason why this ornament continues to play, year after year.  Hence it’s why our family has named it our “miracle Christmas ornament.”

Now, I’m not saying that this ornament is divinely powered.  For us, the phrase  is simply a fun way to talk about our annual family tradition regarding this amazing, never-quit, holiday gift.

How long will it keep going?  Will it make a full quarter of a century?  Impossible to predict.  We’re in uncharted territory.  I’ll keep you posted through the next couple of years.

Let me take this moment to wish a heartfelt “Happy Holidays” to all of my readers — of all faiths — around the globe.  Thank you for letting me be part of your world each week.

-- Eric

From December 12, 2010:

From December 18, 2011:

After the bill passes the Senate (and all indications are that it will), and President Obama signs the legislation into law, entrepreneurs will be able to turn on a grassroots method to raise capital — equity sales online — with greatly reduced SEC restrictions.  The freer flow of money would be rocket fuel for startups, which are an essential engine for a robust economy and job creation.

“Crowdfunding” — a way for masses of people (“the crowd”) to feed ventures with capital via the Web — has blossomed in recent years thanks to sites like Kickstarter.com.  But SEC “red tape” (primarily the Securities Act of 1933) has prohibited these sites from directly offering investment shares in the enterprises.  The new Crowdfunding Act will remove this barrier.  No longer will equity sales be restricted to accredited investors.  And the power of public-supported funding will be unleashed.

Entrepreneurial endeavors will be able to sell up to $2 million in ownership shares to an unlimited number of investors.  And individuals will be able to invest up to $10,000 or up to 10% of his or her annual income, whichever is less.

If a company seeks the maximum $2 million in funding, it must supply “the crowd” with audited financial statements.  A company can choose to bypass the audited-financial-statement requirement — but then the maximum capital it can raise is $1 million.  (That’s nothing to sneeze at!)

When the President signs the legislation into law, it will be a great day for all entrepreneurs.  Just as important for America, the ensuing new businesses will provide a shot of adrenaline for the economy and help rev up the job-creation engine.  Everyone will win.

I found the iCADE on sale at ThinkGeek for $69.99 (about 30 bucks less than other online stores).  Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/s56vbe

And, yes, I bought one.  Couldn’t resist.

NOTE:  To complete the iPad-to-iCADE metamorphosis, you’ll also need to download the games from the Apple App Store.  Some are free (like Missile Command), some are 99 cents, and you can download the full collection of 100 Atari games for $14.99.  Enjoy!

The editors of “Damn You Auto Correct” have compiled what they believe are the 50 funniest messed-up text messages, as determined by Facebook shares, tweets, comments, and pageviews.  Check out the LOL selection of text messages here:   http://bit.ly/vxU90b

Because Americans Elect doesn’t have to reveal its donor list, that invites big money to sneak in the back door — along with wink-and-nod influence.  And the organization, itself, was kicked off with $1.55 million from Wall Street billionaire Peter Ackerman.  Yes, that’s the COO’s father.  So there’s a strange mix of things going on here.  The organization may very well have a significant impact on the 2012 election.  But will it be a healthy impact?  Stay tuned for further perspectives.

In the meantime, check out the Wikipedia information here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_Elect

And here’s a link to the above-referenced Hardball interview: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#45406374

But we won’t be visiting anytime soon, as the planet is 600 light years away.  How far is 600 light years?  Well, consider that light travels 186,287 miles each second.  Now multiply 186,287 miles times the number of seconds in 600 years.  Whew!

Scientists have pointed the 42 dish antennas that comprise California’s Allen Telescope Array on Kepler-22b to see if it can detect any radio waves — to perhaps catch a Keplerian broadcast of “Dancing with the Stars” (sorry — couldn’t resist that).

Something to think about:  If scientists on Kepler-22b were scanning Earth for radio or TV broadcasts, they wouldn’t hear anything.  Radio waves travel at the speed of light.  So, they’d be examining Earth as it was 600 years ago — and radio was invented here less than 150 years ago.

For additional details about this planetary discovery, including a video of the mission managers discussing their find, check out the following article in the San Jose Mercury News:  http://bit.ly/smOSZF

Artist’s conception courtesy of NASA / Ames/ JPL-Caltech

“No, it’s not part of some great Orwellian plot; it’s a diagnostic tool that carriers say plays a crucial role in helping them assess and troubleshoot their networks. But the recording app, which flew under the radar for years until security researchers drew attention to it recently, is setting off red-alert privacy and security alarms.

“It’s also spotlighting how little customers — and, sometimes, the carriers and manufacturers themselves — know about what goes on under the hood of their data-stuffed mobile devices.”

For the full article, including a link to an insightful YouTube video, visit http://cnnmon.ie/ruPxSh

Image courtesy John F. Coughlin / CNNMoney

It’s called Americans Elect www.AmericansElect.com.  Its goal:  Allow the public to select its own President / Vice President candidate ticket — and put the pair on the election ballot in all 50 states.

What distinguishes this endeavor from a symbolic gesture is that Americans Elect is collecting signatures nationwide to place the selected candidates on the ballot in all 50 states.  So, in theory, the Americans Elect ticket could become President and Vice President of the United States.

As stated by Americans Elect:  “We’re using the Internet to break the gridlock in Washington, open up the political process and give every single voter — Democrat, Republican or independent — the power to nominate a presidential ticket in 2012. Your voice matters. You decide the issues. You choose the candidates. And in a secure, online convention next June, you will make history by putting the Americans Elect ticket on the ballot in every state.”

Could this actually happen?  Given the volatile political climate, and now the technology infrastructure, it’s not impossible.  Check out the Web site www.AmericansElect.com and keep an eye on things.  And if Americans Elect blossoms into a real political force, remember where you heard it first.

I was pleasantly surprised.  This little unit performed like a champ.   Within about 20 seconds of popping in two AAA batteries, the unit had already “locked” onto GPS satellites.  With a press of a button, the unit stored my location.  It gave me a choice of five location icons, as the device will allow up to five “waypoints” to be kept in memory.

My wife and I then went for a few-mile hike in an area with plenty  of hills, trees, and thick brush.   The  BackTrack Point-5 made our return trip simple.

With its small size and attached carabineer, you can just clip it onto your belt or backpack — and off you go.  For easy hikes, it may be all you need.  For more complex journeys, it would make a great backup.

If you’re looking for a “stocking stuffer” for the person who appreciates  unique gadgets, this should certainly be a pleaser.

HEAD’S UP:   I already thought it was a super deal for $79.  But I’ve also spotted it for just $68 at Walmart (online only) and $67 on Amazon.

Check out a minute-and-a-half video and product details at this link.

Image courtesy Bushnell

If you’d like to read more about NASA’s Curiosity rover and its innovative power plant, check out a CNET article at this link:  http://cnet.co/rs8Xlz

Image courtesy of NASA

If you dare to unlock a weird and freaky place in your brain, turn up your speakers and click on this article’s image and link.  You’ve been warned…

The researchers do not suggest whether they believe it was Facebook activity that increased the size of these portions of the brain — or — if someone’s amygdala size, for instance, influences a person’s desire to acquire Facebook friends.

If you’d like to know more about this unusual study, check out the Reuter’s report here:  http://reut.rs/rm6Apb.  And, yes, feel free to share the details with your friends on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Reuters

To provide a first-hand report, I created Chime.in account (very simple to do), and explored the site.  Although the site is still in beta, I must say the user interface is well thought out.  Since the site has just turned on, you probably have a good shot to get your personal name as your user name.  Hey, it’s free.  Go for it.  www.Chime.in

The following is a snippet of a Huffington Post article about Chime.In:

“While Facebook has earned billions of dollars selling ads next to the content uploaded by their 800 million members, users haven’t seen a dime from their posts.

Share with Chime.in and Chime.in will share with you. The site, which allows individuals to post photos, links, videos and text in two thousand character ‘chimes,’ will give users 50 percent of the revenue it earns from selling advertising on their profile pages.

‘This is a firing shot in social media,’ [Bill Gross, the founder] told The Huffington Post. ‘Finally, the interests of the content creators are aligned with the interests of the publisher because they get something for their hard work.”

For the complete article, visit http://huff.to/ogyFGi

Image courtesy The Huffington Post and Getty Images.

London (CNN)

The new analysis by the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project examined 1.6 billion temperature reports from 15 data archives stretching back over 200 years in an effort to address scientific concerns raised by climate skeptics about the data used to inform reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Researchers found “reliable evidence” of a rise in average world land temperatures of one degrees Celsius — or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit — since the mid-1950s.

[NOTE:  To attempt to quell any straggling skeptics, the researchers have published their methodology, entire data set, and software code, in a fully transparent and well-designed research protocol.   Here's the link:   http://berkeleyearth.org]

“Our biggest surprise was that the new results agreed so closely with the warming values published previously by other teams in the United States and the UK,” professor Richard A. Muller, Berkeley Earth’s scientific director said in a statement.

“This confirms that these studies were done carefully and that potential biases identified by climate change skeptics did not seriously affect their conclusions,” Muller added.

Climate skeptics have consistently challenged the findings of studies by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the UK’s University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit, whose research is used by the IPCC.

For the complete CNN report, including links to the actual study, please visit http://bit.ly/qNMjJE

Image courtesy of CNN

(1)  In the left-hand column, click on LISTS.

(2)  Click on the “Create a List” button and type “Most Recent” as the name.

(3)  Select all of the friends you’d like to follow by clicking on their pictures.

That’s it!  Now when you want to see a “normal” most-recent list of the activities of your friends, just click on the “Most Recent” link in the left-hand column.

Bonus option #1:  If you’d like the “Most Recent” link to conveniently appear in your “Favorites” at top of the left-hand column, simply mouse-over the “Most Recent” list name, click on the pencil icon that pops up, and then click on “Add to Favorites.”

Bonus option #2:  If you’d really like to tweak the position of the “Most Recent” link, say to put it at the very top of your “Favorites,” that’s easy too.  All you have to do (once it is in your “Favorites”) is mouse over the “Most Recent” link again, click on the pencil icon again, and select the “Rearrange” option.  Now click and drag the “Most Recent” link to the position you’d like.

The “ticker” Lee referred to is the live scrolling updates of your friends, as implemented in the recent interface update of Facebook.

The graphic associated with this post is a snippet of a screenshot by quick-fingered Twitter users — before Lee and Facebook removed Lee’s tweet from public view.

What the Facebook Music feature will look like, and how it will actually function, is still a secret.  Keep an eye on both the ticker and the general Facebook user interface over the next couple of days.

The commercialization of space will be an exciting era.  The retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet may provide a short-term space-transportation gap, but — in the long run — the opportunities and new doors that will open will be amazing.

ISS graphic courtesy of NASA

For more information, visit the following Reuters report:  http://reut.rs/n0IMAo

NASA is also posting regular updates here:  www.nasa.gov/uars

Photo courtesy of Space.com and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

The bill also gets the U.S. on the same patent footing as the rest of the world, by changing our system from a “first-to-invent” standard to a “first-to-file” standard.  This one change, alone, is designed to eliminate the myriad of court cases that try to resolve which inventor came up with an idea first.

Additional information can be read at the following AP report: http://bit.ly/pWOQR0

Photo courtesy of the AP.

Photo courtesy of SpencerTunick.com

Facebook’s system makes an initial guess at parceling your contacts into separate groups, based on proximity, family relationship, business name, or school association.  You can override and edit Facebook’s guesses, to get your groups just the way you want them.

Facebook has been working on this feature for some time.  But Google’s recent roll out of Google+ and its “circles” concept seems to have spurred Facebook to speed things to completion.

Image courtesy of USA TODAY

I have mixed feelings about this development.  We all remember how the HAL 9000 turned against the astronauts in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Sure, that was science fiction.  But so were artificial satellites when they were envisioned a decade before Sputnik by the master science-fiction writers Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.  Computers are marvelous tools.  But good ol’ fashion intuition, by a seasoned physician, is (with current technology) impossible to replicate.

For the full AP article, visit http://bit.ly/n621oi

Photo courtesy AP and IBM

The best time for viewing is right after sunset, before the moon comes up and washes out the sky with its reflected light.

Here’s a link to an excellent one-and-a-half-minute YouTube video by Berkeley Lab scientist Peter Nugent that will help you spot and view the supernova:   http://bit.ly/qilPZ9

For additional information and images, visit the USA TODAY article at http://usat.ly/okjuOS.  (Click on the “BEFORE” and “AFTER” buttons in the USA TODAY interactive image.)

Image of The Pinwheel Galaxy (where the supernova is occurring) courtesy of Reuters and The Guardian.

If you’re content with all of the features of your current version of Microsoft Office, but would like to open and edit those new .DOCX (for Word), .PPTX (for PowerPoint), and .XLSX (for Excel), just download the 100% free “compatibility pack” from Microsoft.  Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/rb0Ifl.  The installation will take you less than a minute.

And if you’re totally fed up with Microsoft, just download and use Oracle’s 100% free OpenOffice suite.  As described at OpenOffice.org:  “OpenOffice.org 3 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.”

As mentioned above, OpenOffice lets you read and edit Microsoft Office files (like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).  So you can remain fully compatible with Microsoft files you’ve previously created, or files you share with clients and colleagues.

To give OpenOffice a whirl, just visit www.OpenOffice.org.

Perhaps a little competition will nudge Microsoft towards more reasonable pricing for its products.  I’m all for it.

“The butyl methyl sulphide molecule was placed on a clean copper surface, where its single sulfur atom acted as a pivot….  As well as forming a part of the tiniest machines the world has ever seen, such minute mechanics could be useful in medicine — for example, in the controlled delivery of drugs to targeted locations.

“The next thing to do is to…couple it to other molecules, lining them up next to one another so they’re like miniature cog-wheels.”

To read the complete BBC report, visit http://bbc.in/qZKTg4

*  Full-color 7″ screen
*  Two-finger multi-touch screen interface
*  Runs a specially customized version of Android 2.2
*  $250 — about half the cost of Apple’s base iPad

Amazon has a huge, loyal customer base and almost unlimited content. Its release of what will be an impressive full-color tablet PC, running the popular Android operating system, will be a game changer.  No, it won’t knock Apple off its roll with the iPad.  But it will make a serious dent.  As for the other tablet makers?  They’re in deep doo-doo.

Check out a recent article at Discovery.com here:  http://bit.ly/jQXfGz

Fuel cells are becoming more and more viable as a zero-emission power source.  For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell.

Image courtesy Zhan Yuan / Volkwagen

The Juno spacecraft has 439 million miles to travel before it gets to Jupiter.  One can only imagine the other photos it may take along its celestial course.

For more information regarding the photo, check out the NASA JPL article at http://1.usa.gov/pDDjTh

For more information on the Juno mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/juno

Well, scientists speculate that the rapid compression and expansion of air around turboprop propellers chills and condenses the water vapor in the air creating (depending on the season) snow or rain.

Could air travel have an effect on global precipitation — and climate in general?  Not really.  Given the enormous volume of air that comprises the atmosphere*, the influence of air travel is (you might say) a drop in the bucket.

It didn’t appear that the researchers looked at the air compression / expansion caused by air flow around the wings of a plane, but I believe that could play a role too.

*In case you’re curious, and if I did my math correctly, the volume of air in the atmosphere is 4.18 billion cubic kilometers…give or take. 

Discovery published today an interesting article (“Russia and Europe to Send Man to Mars?”) that challenges the common perception that an American would be first to walk on the red planet.

The article quotes Jean-Jacques Dordain, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), as saying that the ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) would “carry out the first flight to Mars together.”

Russia and the ESA are wrapping up a project in which six individuals simulated a year-and-a-half round-trip to Mars; the team lived the entire time in a cramped 550-cu.-ft. simulated spaceship. The experiment, which will conclude in November, has examined the effects of continuous, close-quarter working on the mind and body.

With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, Russia clearly leads in “heavy lift” rocket technology.  And just this week they unveiled the design of a new manned spacecraft at an international air show.  Bottom line:  Russia and Europe have “the right stuff” — and are doing the right things — to propel them to the goal of Mars.

For the thought-provoking Discovery article, check out http://bit.ly/olFmgH

Mars image courtesy of NASA

The four dogs in the study were two German shepherds, a Labrador retriever, and an Australian shepherd.  The dogs’ overall accuracy was 71%.

For additional details, take a look at the following excellent report in today’s Daily Mail: http://bit.ly/q0ChrB

I’m not picking on the IB Times.  I’ve seen similar reports in Popular Science, such as the June 30th article entitled, “Are We Prepared for a Catastrophic Solar Storm?”

So are we all toast?

Here’s the reality:

It’s true that with the near total dependence on computers for every aspect of our lives, we’ve never been more vulnerable to solar activity.  I described in a previous article a recent near-miss of a CME (corona mass ejection) — essentially a ball of plasma ejected by the sun.  If a large CME hits our planet, power could certainly go down for an extended period of time.

One of the biggest concerns of scientists is the “Fukushima Effect” in which the backup generators and battery systems at nuclear power plants run out power.  Such a circumstance could cascade to the point where water-cooling systems would become inoperable — and result in Fukushima-like catastrophes around the world.  The actual chances?  Hard to predict precisely.  But, by legitimate estimates, pretty low.

More likely to occur:  Gas pumps at your local service station would stop working.  (They’re essentially computerized pumps; the credit-card processing network would also likely go down.)   “Telecommuting” would not be possible, as phone and Internet would be flicked off like a switch.  Cell phone service would also go down as soon as the backup generators and / or batteries at the cell towers run out of juice.  (You won’t be able to charge your cell phones, anyway.)

If the power grid goes down, once your food runs out (or spoils) in your fridge, don’t count on restocking at the supermarket.  The 18 wheelers that are the mainstay of food delivery across the country would also quickly run out of fuel — and, as mentioned above, the services stations would be unable to refill the rigs.

The probability of a sweeping, worldwide catastrophe as outline above is low.  But CMEs can, and have, made direct Earth strikes over the centuries — and caused significant disruptions.  Do a Google search for the “Carrington Event.”  In 1859, during the peak of another solar cycle, a CME knocked out telegraph offices around the globe (and even shocked some of the telegraph operators).  Most scientists agree that — because of entrenched computerization and satellite-based communications — the same magnitude CME today would disrupt society on a widespread basis.

I’m hoping the media doesn’t escalate the risks to an astronomical level.  The last thing we need is a massive wave of hysteria.  But, hey, it can’t hurt to keep an extra candle or two around the house.  And, perhaps, a couple of cans of Spam…

For a reasonably well-proportioned (non-hyped) news report — with an exceptional piece of video from NASA of a CME — check out the following two-minute CNN video:  http://bit.ly/h7GEmn

For reference, the NASA image associated with this article shows the approximate size of the Earth as compared to a solar eruption.  (In reality, the Earth is 93 million miles away from the sun — so a flare would never envelop the Earth as in the NASA comparison.)

The scientists’ preliminary studies were effective against 15 virus types, including Dengue fever and H1N1.  It will be interesting to see if the next phase of research can replicate this significant level of success.

For the full LA Times article, visit http://lat.ms/q077Jb

MakerBot’s “Thing-O-Matic” is one of the leading gadgets in this new marketplace.  For $1,225, you can manufacture with plastic almost any hand-sized object you can imagine.  Just plug the Thing-O-Matic into your PC’s USB port and (using supplied software) it squirts out molten plastic, layer by layer, until your creation is completed.

Check out an excellent article from the UK’s DailyMail here http://bit.ly/fCQvkY.

For the complete article, visit http://reut.rs/p3tGN9

Photo courtesy of Reuters

It looks like the service currently only supports Chrome and Safari browsers.   So, if you’re a fan of say Firefox (like me), you’ll need to download a version of either browser .  But, hey, they’re free — so no big deal.  Check out additional details at https://read.amazon.com.

Yes, it did occur. It was a rather unique NASA experiment. The trick? Scientists used a superconducting magnet to levitate the water inside of a mouse. Here’s an article from LiveScience: http://bit.ly/kb330d

If NASA could develop the system on a larger scale, it’s possible that the same technique could be used with humans to simulate the effects of microgravity. (We’re 60 – 70% water, so the technique should, in theory, work.)

If that fizzles for NASA, fear not: Perhaps the gadget could become part of the next Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas.

Check out the excellent report published today at SPACE.com via this link: http://bit.ly/ptYTRb

1.  Log into (or sign up for) a Yahoo! account.

2.  Click into your address book.

3.  Select “Import Contacts”

4.  Click on the Facebook option.

5.  When the popup box appears, click OK to share contacts.  (Depending on your browser, you may need to enable popups to see this box.)  Like magic, the data representing your Friends list will begin downloading.

6.  Open a new tab in your browser and log into your Google+ account.  Click on the Circles tab.  Click on “add and invite” and select the Yahoo! icon.  Presto!  Your Facebook friends will now be imported.

It was common for the researchers to find milk, fruit, and meats above 40 degrees F.  It was also common for hot items, such as soups, to have cooled to the point that could foster bacteria growth.  It only takes an hour or two for bacteria levels to rise enough to make a child sick.

According to the CNN article that discussed the research, “If your child complains of a stomach ache or is vomiting or has diarrhea, it’s not necessarily a bug caught from another child.”

There are easy steps to help your children’s food stay at the proper temperature.  Many of these steps are outlined in the following CNN article  http://bit.ly/qmloax

The accompanying  illustration is from Tim Berners-Lee’s original proposal for a Web-based computer network using hyperlinks and a computer network.  (Content credit: CNET and W3C)

As you’re strolling memory lane, other notable items from 1991 include the start of the first Gulf War, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, Lech Walensa elected President of Poland, and Freddie Mercury, the wonderfully talented lead singer of Queen, passing away from AIDS.

The more astronomers look, the more water is found throughout the universe.  If water is essential to life, as most scientists believe, then the universe is a very welcoming spa.

Artist rendering of a quasar by NASA

Just recently, researches have successfully “printed” a living blood vessel using a fluid containing a brew of blood-vessel cells and muscle cells.  This is an ingenious application of 3D printers — remarkable devices that can create three-dimensional objects by applying multiple layers of a liquid construction material.  (For more info, visit this Wiki article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing.)

Printed blood vessels could have tremendous applications in surgery.  For instance, a patient awaiting bypass surgery could have blood vessels printed in the days leading up to the procedure — with the vessels made from a small sampling of his or her own cells.  The ultimate vision is to print complete organs — even new hearts — as an alternative to transplants.

Given the pace of this technology’s development, I believe were only talking a handful of years before we see it saving lives in major hospitals.  Very exciting.

It will be interesting to see what Google really has up its sleeves.

For additional information from the InformationWeek report, visit http://bit.ly/ppz9ca

According to Garrett Reisman, a veteran NASA astronaut and now an employee of SpaceX:  “The next flight of the Dragon we’re going to go all the way and berth it to the space station, drop cargo off and bring stuff back.”

Stay tuned for more information. 

Dragon capsule image courtesy SpaceX

In March 2001, the Russian MIR space station was disposed of similarly, as Russia de-orbited the station into the South Pacific Ocean.

Additional information about Russia’s apparent plans for the ISS can be read at http://bit.ly/pxdAR2.  Photo courtesy of NASA

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/nYgYhb.

Photo courtesy International Business Times

Their rationale?  People should have the right to choose how they want to light their homes and businesses, regardless of bulb type or efficiency.  Now, I’m all for a free society and minimal government impact on our lives.  But the reality is that America has five percent of the world’s population, but consumes a whopping 25% of the world’s energy.  Expressed another way:  On average, each one of us consumes five times more energy than an individual in any other country on the planet.  And lighting is one of the heftiest contributors.

Edison bulbs have been around since 1879.  As we all learned in school, Thomas Edison found a way to create light by sending a current through a metal filament, causing it to glow. But this ancient technology, as mentioned above, is a terribly inefficient light source; for most homes, it’s the second-largest energy expense.

Today’s energy-efficient light-bulb alternatives come in all shapes, sizes, and types.

The now-popular “curly” fluorescent light bulbs (a.k.a., compact fluorescent lights, CFLs) are much more energy efficient (20% or more).  But some people don’t like the slight turn-on delay.  And, contrary to recent media reports, they don’t contain life-threatening levels of mercury.  Yes, they contain some mercury — but only about one hundredth (1/100) of the mercury as the medical thermometers we grew up with.

My personal preference is the LED light bulb, based on the same LED technology used in everything from flashlights to TV displays.  They are considerably more expensive — $20 to $40 per bulb.  But, because they are up to 80% efficient (vs. an Edison bulb’s 10% or a CFL’s 20%), they pay back quickly in energy savings — and can save hundreds of dollars per year in operating costs.  And forget about replacing them.  Under typical usage, a single LED bulb can last up to 25 years.

Watch for the costs of LED bulbs to plummet over the next year or two, as demand and production increase.

Companies are springing up, all across America, to manufacture both CFLs and LEDs.  These companies are creating jobs and fostering innovation.  Now if only the light bulb would go on in the heads of our politicians.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/p1ddmu

Image courtesy of Discovery News

“Create a Google+ circle of people you don’t want to snub, but don’t want to share your life with, either. You can call it anything you want –  Frenemies, for example — since Google+ doesn’t expose the names of your circles to others. When an annoying semifriend adds you on Google+, quickly add them to your Frenemies circle. They’ll get a notice that you’ve added them to a circle. Hurray! They’ll even show up on your profile page as one of the people in your circles.”

For the complete article, check out http://nyti.ms/pnIcLP

For instance, NASA has a presidential mandate to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 — a mind-boggling challenge on multiple dimensions.  As a recent Washington Post article describes:  “You can’t land on an asteroid because you’d bounce off — it has virtually no gravity. Reaching it might require a NASA spacecraft to harpoon it. Heck, astronauts couldn’t even walk on it because they’d float away.”

Check out the very interesting piece by the Washington Post, describing the many technological hurdles of a manned mission to an asteroid, at this link:  http://wapo.st/oNK3Wr

Image courtesy NASA / JPL

This logjam is beginning to open with the medical community’s announcement that a patient received a trachea (“windpipe”) that was created with the patient’s own stem cells.  (Stem cells are a versatile type of cell that can transform into many types of cells. http://1.usa.gov/ubcAp)

The trachea was constructed with an artificial “skeleton” of a spongy material which was then immersed in a solution of stem cells.  The cells grew into the sponge material, creating a living organ in less than two weeks.  The resulting trachea was then implanted into the patient (who was suffering from tracheal cancer).  The patient’s body accepted new-formed organ as if it was the original trachea.

In theory, the same process could be used to create other, more complex organs:  liver, pancreas, heart, etc.  We’re still quite a ways from this level of organ development.  But the medical door is now open a crack.  Further progress is just a matter of time.

For more information and additional photos, take a look at a recent article at CNN http://bit.ly/qAibNI.

Image courtesy Harvard Bioscience

If you have some clever ideas swirling in your head, take a look at the  “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” information PDF at http://bit.ly/p4qVZs

You can also read a great overview article at http://bit.ly/ottbCy

Image courtesy of CNN

Product insights, photos, and accessories — including nifty keyboards that turn a tablet into a full-fledged computer workstation — are all provided in this tablet review. Check it out at http://zd.net/o8ZsIt

The “winner” of the CNET review was the Toyota Prius, due to its low base cost, driving range, and passenger compartment volume.

For the full review, visit http://cnet.co/oB8MhM

Curiosity is an audacious technical marvel in search of past or present life on Mars.  It uses a state-of-the-art radioactive power system to generate electricity and heat.  It’s jam-packed with a multi-million-dollar laboratory of scientific instruments.  And its ingenious landing system is right out of a science-fiction novel:  A “sky crane” will literally lower Curiosity from an above-flying descent stage to the Martian surface.

The launch window is November 25th through December 18th.  Pencil in August 2012 for a wild ride down to the Martian surface.

Rendering courtesy NASA / JPL-Caltech

(1)  Visit http://www.facebook.com/videocalling and click on the Get Started button.  (2) Click on a person to call from your chat list.  (3) Follow the pop-up window prompt to set up video calling.  (4) Video-call the person you selected.  It’s that easy.  Enjoy video-calling your Facebook friends!

In the 1960s, the rage was “Tang” in space.  Today it’s a sports drink that I’ve dubbed “Sweet Pee.”  (If that name becomes a hit, remember where you heard it first.)

Image courtesy Wired Magazine

As is etched in history, on October 30, 1938 (the night before Halloween), Orson Welles aired his radio play of H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds.  A frightened public truly believed that the world was under attack by Martians.

Never before had the media portrayed a fictitious event as if it was actual news.  The news-bulletin format of the radio broadcast only amplified the realism.

Fast-forward 73 years.  Look at the way some elements of the media manipulate public opinion under the thinly veiled cover of “the news.”  Flashing graphics, endless replays, “breaking news” bulletins.  They all seem eerily familiar — nearly three-quarters-of-a-century later.

You would think with all of the sources of information today, from traditional media to new media, it would be easy to cobble together an accurate assessment of the news.  However, on some days, separating fact from fiction — or even science fiction — is easier said than done.  We live in an interesting time, to say the least.

Image:  New York Times headline from October 31, 1938

+Circles — online places users create to socialize and interact with different groups of people,  not everyone.

+Hangouts — multi-person video calling.

+Mobile — group messaging, location services, and photo and video uploads and sharing.

+Sparks — social sharing service.

Check out the full review here:   http://bit.ly/kuEUfs.

If I was a bigwig at Facebook, I’d be worried.  At first glance, Google+ looks very impressive.

Image courtesy of The Globe and Mail.

The date for the public launch of Google+ has not been announced.  The service is already being used by Google’s own staff.  So it is reasonable to assume that a phased public roll out could occur as early as the next few weeks.

Scientists have discovered that any particular type of cancer is actually a defined group of related cancers.  For instance, prostate cancer is actually comprised of a family of 24 cancers.  And there are eight primary variants of breast cancer.  Knowing the specific cancer variant, in any particular patient, gives doctors an inside track to targeting the cancer with the optimum treatment.

But that’s just the first step.  The most-recent breakthroughs are in the knowledge of each individual’s genetic code.

Just a few years ago, it would have cost millions of dollars to map the entire genome (genetic blueprint) of a single person.  But that price tag has plummeted to $5,000 — thanks to innovative technology companies like Complete Genomics.

Combining precise knowledge of a person’s genome with specific knowledge of a cancer variant is a powerful one-two punch.  It has the real potential to enable ultra-tailored, ultra-effective cancer treatments.  We’re not there yet.  But the convergence of technologies is happening right before our eyes.  Stay tuned.

For additional reference, visit these links:

Wiki genome information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome

Genomics and the treatment of prostate cancer:  http://bit.ly/lRLPtI

Interesting article on Complete Genomics:  http://bit.ly/k8ZW4K

Graphic courtesy of MIT / Technology Review

For the complete Space.com article, please visit http://bit.ly/k2BVd6

Image courtesy of NASA

“NASA said that an object the size of Asteroid 2011 MD is expected to come this close to Earth about every six years on average. Scientists say that when Asteroid 2011 MD makes another pass in 2022, an impact with Earth is possible.”

“A larger, 1,300-foot asteroid, Asteroid 2005 YU55, is expected to flash past Earth on Nov. 8, 2011.”

For the complete article, visit:  http://abcn.ws/j4b2w9

Image courtesy ABC News

I was flying to Chicago the other on business.  Curiosity finally got the best of me and I asked a flight attendant “Why don’t those little bags inflate?”  He didn’t know.  He asked the other flight attendants.  They didn’t know either.

Since my last flight, I did a bit of searching online.  It turns out that even some pilots in discussion forums were unsure.  But I finally pieced together the answer:  With every inhale, we breathe in quite a volume of air — about half a liter per inhale.   However, the oxygen-delivery system in an airplane can’t deliver that large volume as quickly as we consume it.  So the little bags mix our exhaled air (which still contains a substantial amount of oxygen) with the relative trickle of pure oxygen that’s coming into the bag from the airplane’s supply tube.  When we breathe in, the bag quickly compresses as we inhale all of the air in the little bag plus whatever oxygen has trickled in from the oxygen tube.

So the bag is really just a mixing device, combining the exhaled air from our lungs with that of the supplemental oxygen.  But because our inhales are so large (compared to the size of the bag), the bag will not inflate.

Mystery solved.

And regarding the “breathe normally” part of the safety briefing?  Yeah, right.  Under those circumstances, I think most of us would be sucking in air as fast as our lungs would work.

Image courtesy of London Heathrow Airport.

According to the ICANN press release:

“ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,” said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.

New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Virtually every organization with an online presence could be affected in some way.

Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.

“Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

For the full press release, please visit http://www.icann.org/en/news/releases/release-20jun11-en.pdf

Image courtesy of CBS News and iStockPhoto.

InfomationWeek

“IBM took on massive projects ranging from implementing the Social Security Act of 1935, to developing Cold-War-era aircraft tracking systems and atomic research labs, to building guidance systems for the early space program. IBM has plenty of inventions to its credit along the way, from electric tabulators and typewriters, to dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and hard disk drives, to the barcodes and magnetic-stripe cards now ubiquitous in retail transactions.”

Take a stroll down “memory” lane.  The museum-quality pictures (and  the accompanying story) are extraordinary.   Visit http://bit.ly/jQjxdU.

In fact, every piece of plastic created since plastic’s invention in 1856 is still around in some form.  (Okay, unless the plastic item was burned to ashes somewhere.  But you get the idea.)

A plastic container, like a water bottle, buried in a landfill can take a million of years to degrade.  That’s not a typo.  A million years.

Look around you right now.  All of the plastic you see (even the keys on your keyboard) may well be around a million years from now.  Perhaps long after our species has migrated into the vast reaches of the cosmos.  (Weird to think that my toothbrush may be orbiting the sun on a big empty rock eons from now.)

Compounding matters is that plastic is made from petroleum.  The manufacturing of plastic accounts for about 5% of the total U.S. petroleum consumption.  That’s a good chunk of our country’s energy resources.

No, I’m not suggesting that we boycott plastics.  I like sipping a cool drink with a straw as much as anyone.  But, for me, I’m going to give a little extra thought before I casually reach for another plastic water bottle after a run.

Image credit:  PhysOrg.com and Wikimedia Commons

Google also unveiled a “search by image” feature inspired by its mobile Google Goggles app.  Insert an image and Google will try to provide a search result that it feels is associated with that image.

For more information on this breaking news, check out the following article at SearchEngineLand.com:  http://selnd.com/mg13Jp

According to the report, “It sounds like something out of a comic book or a science fiction movie — a living laser — but that is exactly what two investigators [at the Center] have developed.”

The researchers used a human cell and genetically re-engineered it to emit light using the same principle in which some types of jellyfish emit light.

Scientists hope that these biological lasers could someday be used in “photodynamic therapies.”  That is, treating diseases such as cancer by applying light — from inside the body — to activate photosensitive drugs to destroy cancer cells.

To read the complete PhysOrg.com article, visit http://bit.ly/mRzGqR

We are approaching a period that scientists call a “solar maximum”:  an eleven-year cycle of increased solar activity. With the world’s dependence on satellites for communications, scientists are concerned that a closer approach (or direct hit) of a CME could wipe out a good portion of the world’s satellite network. It could have even more far-reaching effects, such as shutting down electrical power grids on a global scale.

This is not a pie-in-the-sky worry. As mentioned in yesterday’s PC Magazine article: “In 1859, the biggest flare on record hit, creating auroras worldwide and interrupting telegraph service for weeks. Considering today’s connected world, and our reliance on satellites, a major solar storm could be disastrous.”

Is there any way we could protect ourselves from such an event? Unfortunately, not. The sun is essentially playing roulette with our technology infrastructure. All we can do is hope that our number doesn’t come up.

To read the PC Magazine article, including an incredible video of the flare as provided by NASA, please visit http://bit.ly/iP6pId.

P.S.  If there is any good news, it is that the solar flare set the stage for aurora borealis (“Northern Lights”). If the sky is clear in your portion of the U.S. tonight (June 9th), take a peek to the north. You may be treated to an extraordinary light show.

As reported in the current issue of ScienceNews:

“[The] connection between sound and touch may run deep [Tony Ro, a neuroscientist at the City College of New York] and colleagues said during presentations May 25 at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Both hearing and touch, the scientists pointed out, rely on nerves set atwitter by vibration. A cell phone set to vibrate can be sensed by the skin of the hand, and the phone’s ring tone generates sound waves — vibrations of air — that move the eardrum.

“Elizabeth Courtenay Wilson, a neuroscientist…has also seen strong connections between areas of the brain that process hearing and touch. ‘We’re suggesting that the ear evolved out of the skin in order to do more finely tuned frequency analysis,’ adds Wilson, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.”

It has long been speculated that hearing, across all species, evolved out of the ability of fish to sense their environment through sound waves.  So it is reasonable to consider that the human sense of hearing evolved from touch, as well.

For the full article at ScienceNews, visit http://bit.ly/jChqzB

And if you’d like information on how fish hear sounds, visit the excellent article at http://bit.ly/kHv3nW

For more information, visit the following article in Scientific American:  http://bit.ly/jYvgjp

(eMarketer)

eMarketer estimates that by the end of 2011, nearly half of U.S. adult Internet users, or 88.2 million people, will have redeemed an online coupon or code for use either online or offline in the past year. By 2013, 96.8 million adults will redeem an online coupon.

For the full report, visit http://bit.ly/lZfDE1

The following is a link to the full CNN article with the list of highest and lowest radiation emitters:  http://bit.ly/iTpgj6

And here’s a link to the searchable database of all cell phones:  http://bit.ly/kz9GJ9

Photo courtesy of CNN

And the world’s population is predicted to be approximately 7.7 billion in 2020.

So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist (inside joke) to predict that each person on the planet will, on average, be connected to the Internet by well over six mobile devices.

We’re not just talking about pockets full of smartphones.

The quantum jump, according to Ericsson and many others, will be the explosive growth of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.  That is, portable electronic devices, automobiles, traffic-control systems, dozens of home appliances, and more, all connected through the Internet…and large-scale wireless connectivity.  Many of the devices will be interacting with each other, at thousands of times a second, without you even knowing it.

Think of it a massive data-communications environment, invisible to the naked eye, and as ubiquitous as the air we breathe.  And continually interacting with our daily life.

Welcome to the autonomous, interconnected world.  It’s just around the corner.

Computer illustration of Internet connectivity by the The Opte Project

Tobacco kills up to half its users and is described by the WHO as “one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.”  It causes lung cancer, which is often fatal, and other chronic respiratory diseases. It is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the world’s number one killer. For the complete Reuters article, visit http://reut.rs/lpExqr

These are contemporary books that the authors and / or publishers have (kindly) decided to offer as free Kindle eBooks.

Happy e-reading!

But it seems more than a coincidence that the warming of the planet (which is irrefutable science — don’t listen to the naysayer talking heads in the media or political circles) may be playing a role.

Many scientific studies have noted the correlation between the rising temperature of the planet and the rising temperature of the ocean’s waters.  As we all learned in science class, as water warms it evaporates more quickly.  A warmer ocean pumps more moisture into the atmosphere — and that ultimately leads to more rain (and, in the winter, more snow).  The warmer-water phenomenon may also be a factor in the stronger hurricanes that we’ve seen in recent times.

Real climatological trends take centuries of data to confirm.  But it does seem like the rise in the Earth’s temperature has tweaked the global weather engine just enough to spawn a higher frequency of extreme weather events.

There are no days on Gliese 581d; one side is perpetually light and one side is perpetually dark. People thought this would mean that the night side would be perpetually frozen. But a new study by the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique at the Institute Pierre Simon Laplace found that because of the local star’s red light that penetrates deep into the heavy carbon atmosphere, the planet regulates heat quite well. Downside: It will always be a sort of red-hued dusk. And gravity is twice as strong, meaning it won’t be too pleasant to walk around. But at least we’ll be able to live there.

The problem, as with most things in space, is the distance. At 20 light years away, it would take 300,000 years [with current propulsion technology] to get there.

For the complete article, please visit http://bit.ly/kiVu3I

[Image is of the red moon, not of Gliese 581d, but you get the idea.  Image provided by Flickr user +gAbY+]

(WebMD)

When the researchers looked at all forms of prostate cancer “the highest coffee drinkers had about a 20% lower risk of developing prostate cancer during the follow-up” says researcher Lorelei Mucci, ScD, MPH, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The 20% lower risk was found in those drinking six or more cups daily compared to none, she tells WebMD.

The surprise: the risk reduction held for both regular coffee and decaf, leading the researchers to speculate it’s not the caffeine providing the protection.

The study is published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

For the complete WebMD article, visit http://bit.ly/mrQeNe.

According to Gizmag.com: “Researchers from the Human Media Lab at Canada’s Queen’s University have created a fully-functioning floppy smartphone [that they call a] Paperphone.  The Paperphone can do things like making and receiving calls, storing e-books, and playing music. [It] conforms to the shape of its user’s pocket or purse, and can even be operated through bending actions.”

“This computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper,” said its creator, Roel Vertegaal, who is also the director of the Human Media Lab. “You interact with it by bending it into a cell phone, flipping the corner to turn pages, or writing on it with a pen.”

In just a few short years (perhaps sooner) computers like the MacBook Air will seem like boat anchors…the iPad will feel like a cast-iron frying pan…and you’ll be able to carry your smartphone like a dollar bill in your wallet.  It’s all right around the corner.

(Mashable)

In surveys conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, 34% of respondents said they read news online within the past 24 hours (as opposed to 31% who favored newspapers); and a full 41% said they get most of their news online, 10% more than those who said they got most of their news from a newspaper.  

Also, online news media was the only medium that saw growth year-over-year; from radio to television to newspapers and magazines, every other medium saw a decline in audience.

In general, it can be said that text-based news audiences are dwindling. Only 40% of people in the study said they read the news in an online or print newspaper, a 12% drop from five years ago.

For the complete article and data, visit http://on.mash.to/icLvBP