How dinosaurs became extinct

Study: Dinosaurs Died Within Hours After Asteroid Hit Earth 65 Million Years Ago
May 24, 2004

According to new research led by a University of Colorado at Boulder geophysicist, a giant asteroid that hit the coast of Mexico 65 million years ago probably incinerated all the large dinosaurs that were alive at the time in only a few hours, and only those organisms already sheltered in burrows or in water were left alive.

The six-mile-in-diameter asteroid is thought to have hit Chicxulub in the Yucatan, striking with the energy of 100 million megatons of TNT, said chief author and Researcher Doug Robertson of the department of geological sciences and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. The "heat pulse" caused by re-entering ejected matter would have reached around the globe, igniting fires and burning up all terrestrial organisms not sheltered in burrows or in water, he said.

A paper on the subject was published by Robertson in the May-June issue of the Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. Co-authors include CU-Boulder Professor Owen Toon, University of Wyoming Professors Malcolm McKenna and Jason Lillegraven and California Academy of Sciences Researcher Sylvia Hope.

"The kinetic energy of the ejected matter would have dissipated as heat in the upper atmosphere during re-entry, enough heat to make the normally blue sky turn red-hot for hours," said Robertson. Scientists have speculated for more than a decade that the entire surface of the Earth below would have been baked by the equivalent of a global oven set on broil.

The evidence of terrestrial ruin is compelling, said Robertson, noting that tiny spheres of melted rock are found in the Cretaceous-Tertiary, or KT, boundary around the globe. The spheres in the clay are remnants of the rocky masses that were vaporized and ejected into sub-orbital trajectories by the impact.

A nearly worldwide clay layer laced with soot and extra-terrestrial iridium also records the impact and global firestorm that followed the impact.

The spheres, the heat pulse and the soot all have been known for some time, but their implications for survival of organisms on land have not been explained well, said Robertson. Many scientists have been curious about how any animal species such as primitive birds, mammals and amphibians managed to survive the global disaster that killed off all the existing dinosaurs.

Robertson and colleagues have provided a new hypothesis for the differential pattern of survival among land vertebrates at the end of the Cretaceous. They have focused on the question of which groups of vertebrates were likely to have been sheltered underground or underwater at the time of the impact.

Their answer closely matches the observed patterns of survival. Pterosaurs and non-avian dinosaurs had no obvious adaptations for burrowing or swimming and became extinct. In contrast, the vertebrates that could burrow in holes or shelter in water -- mammals, birds, crocodilians, snakes, lizards, turtles and amphibians -- for the most part survived.

Terrestrial vertebrates that survived also were exposed to the secondary effects of a radically altered, inhospitable environment. "Future studies of early Paleocene events on land may be illuminated by this new view of the KT catastrophe," said Robertson.

Located on the CU-Boulder campus, CIRES is a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Source: http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2004/168.html

Posted by Mateo Consagra

Explaining the Concept of a "Scientific Theory"

Warning: the following video has no subtitles

This video points out how Theories are used in Science in order to explain the workings of the laws of the Universe.

Agustín Perez Villafañe

Fast Food Effects on Health

In today's age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a 2-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old grandpa seems to be enjoying it every chance they get. And why not? It's delicious, it's filling, is really affordable, and readily available just any time of the day, being only a drive through phone call away. What more can you ask for when you are living life in the fast lane?

Well, plenty "“ fast food is all good tasting, except that it is not nutritionally balanced and, therefore, unhealthy in the long run if consumed on a regular basis.

Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes).

It is also very high in sodium, coming from common salt and other additives. On top of all this, fast food is deficient in dietary fiber and essential micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals.  

To make matters worse, heaps of fast food are normally guzzled down with gallons of sugar-rich colas which many fast-food restaurants serve free with food as an incentive.

To make a long story short, all this results in piling up of unused empty calories in the body, which get stored as body fat "“ till one day you look in the mirror and realize that your great figure has been replaced by this creature in the mirror.

But that's not the end of the story, it's just the beginning "“ consuming too much fast food not only turns a handsome guy into an unsightly obese man, but as Eric Schlosser points out in his book it is a big health hazard too.

And being physically inactive only adds to the problem of obesity. Not many people who love fast food are ready to acknowledge that obesity is not simply an eyesore "“ it is a major risk factor for a large number of deadly diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and even many types of cancers. 

Recent scientific studies have shown that high-calorie foods rich in fats, refined sugar and salt could reconfigure the hormones in the body in such a way that they make you crave for such foods and always leave you asking for more.

In other words, fast food is kind of addictive; you get hooked on to it and continue consuming it in an uncontrolled way in spite of knowing that it is unhealthy. The more you consume, the more difficult it is for you to opt for healthy foods.

The situation is worse in case of children who from a very young age get hooked on fast food. Making them change their food habits from fatty and sweet foods and develop a taste for health-promoting fruits and vegetables is a task easier said than done. Such children would grow up to be obese adults who have never felt the advantages of being a healthy weight.

To sum up, consuming fast food on a regular basis leads to many health hazards. But bringing about changes in eating habits is not easy. 

To start with, a simple change that one could make is to successively reduce the frequency of eating fast food and eat more frequently home-cooked food, with plenty of fresh foods and vegetables.

If your a female there is a great free suport group called Diet Bug. They are there to encourage and help you.

Slowly your taste will change and your body will respond with new found energy.That doesn't mean you can never have fast food again. All it means is that you cut the fast food way back. I still occasionally(once a month)will have my #1 at McDonalds. Big Mac Rules!

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES by MICHAEL ( CPE )

Lexicon

   Preposition in phrases:

Above all: ‘Be kind and polite but above all be helpful’.

Ahead of: ‘ There was a long queue ahead of us’.

Along with:’ I passed the piano exam along with three aother people in the class’.

Apart from: ‘ Your essay is very good, apart from a few spelling mistakes.

As for me,you, etc : ‘ My family is moving to Canada. But as for me, I don’t want to go’.

At the end of: ‘Let’s meet up at the end of the month when we are less busy’.

At first: ‘I was angry at first but then I realised she was very sorry’.

At home: ‘ I stayed at home because of the awful weather’.

At (long) last: ‘I’ve found out a good tennis coach at (long) last’.

At the moment: ‘At the moment, I’m living in Athens’.

At that very moment: ‘I was turning the corner and at that very moment a child ran into the road’.

At any rate: ‘I think they are coming- at any rate that’s what they told me’.

At risk: ‘Your health is at risk if you smoke’.

Because of: ‘We can’t go for a walk because of  the rain’.

By accident: ‘I knocked  over the display by accident’.

By chance: ‘We planned to meet on Sunday but we met by chance on the bus this morning’.

By mistake: ‘I´m sorry but I took your dictionary by mistake’.

By the time: ‘By the time we arrived, they had already gone’.

For a while: ‘We waited for a while and then left without her’.

For me,her, you etc.:  ‘I don’t like that disco- for me it’s too noisy!

For now: ‘We have enough tea for now but we might need more later’.

For sale,rent,etc.: ‘Is your old computer for sale?’

From bad to worse: ‘Your behaviour is going from bad to worse’.

From memory: ‘I can play the whole tune from memory’.

From now on: ‘From now on you must all show your membership cards’.

In addition to: ‘She works in the café in addition to her job at the cinema’.

In aid of: ‘ We are collecting money in aid of the refugees’.

In case: ‘Let´s take an umbrella (just) in case it rains’.

In charge of: ‘Who´s in charge of the tickets on the door?’

In comparison to/with: ‘She is much  taller in comparison to (or with) most of us here.

In  contact with: ‘Are you in contact with anyone we met London?’

In danger of: ‘You are in great danger of failing all your exams’.

In demand: ‘Are those electronic pets still in demand?’

In the end: ‘In the end all of us agreed with her plan’.

In front of: ‘She stood in front of the mirror admiring herself’.

In a hurry: ‘Sorry, I can’t stop. I´m in a hurry to get work’.

In a mess: ‘Your room is  in a terrible mess’

In my opinion:  ‘In my opinion, bus fares should be cheaper’.

In need of: ‘The house is very old and in need of major repairs.

In order that: ‘ I did it in order that you would notice me.

In order to: ‘I shouted in order to get help’.

In reality: ‘ She said she was rich but in reality her parents are very poor’.

In return for: ‘ I lent her a couple of CDs in return for using her bike’.

In search for: ‘They’ve gone in search of a cheap restaurant’.

In spite of: ‘ We enjoyed our walk in spite of the rain’.

Instead of: ‘Why don’t you go to the match instead of me?’

In terms of: ‘In terms of their recent successes, the team is a good one’.

In good time: ‘ Please be there in good time because we still have to buy the tickets.

In time: ‘I arrived just in time for the start of the film’.

In no time: ‘Work hard and you’ll finish in no time (at all)’.

In touch: ‘Goodbye- keep in touch and email me.

In a way: ‘You are right in a way but I still don’t agree with you’.

Not at all: ‘I´m not at all happy with my essay’.

Of course: ‘Can I come?’ ‘Of course you can.’ ‘Do you mind?’ ‘Of course not?’.

      

Chemical castration

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chemical castration is the administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, child molesters and other sex offenders from repeating their crimes. Unlike surgical castration, where the testicles or ovaries are removed through an incision in the body,chemical castration does not actually castrate the person, nor is it a form of sterilization. For this reason the term "chemical castration" has been called a misnomer.
Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued, although permanent effects in body chemistry can sometimes be seen, as in the case of bone density loss increasing with length of use of Depo Provera.Castration has, from time to time, been used as an instrument of public and/or judicial policy despite concerns over human rights and possible side effects.

Application

Chemical castration involves the administration of anti-androgen drugs, such as cyproterone or the birth-control drug Depo-Provera, which is given as an injection every three months, making compliance easier to track.

Effects

When used on men, these drugs can reduce sex drive, compulsive sexual fantasies, and capacity for sexual arousal. Life-threatening side effects are rare, but some users show increases in body fat and reduced bone density, which increase long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. They may also experience other "feminizing" effects such as gynecomastia (abnormal development of large mammary glands in males),reduced body hair,and loss of muscle mass.

Ethical objections

Although chemical castration is presented as a humane alternative to life-long imprisonment or surgical castration, the American Civil Liberties Union opposes the coerced administration of any drug, including antiandrogen drugs for sex offenders. They argue that forced chemical castration is a "cruel and unusual punishment", and therefore should be constitutionally prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. They also stated that it interfered with the right to procreate, and could expose users to various health problems. Law professor John Stinneford has argued that chemical castration, by exerting control over the mind of sex offenders to render them incapable of sexual desire, and subjecting them to the physical changes caused by the female hormones used, is a cruel and unusual punishment.
It has also been argued that, based on the Fourteenth Amendment, the procedure fails to guarantee equal protection - although the laws mandating the treatment do so without respect to gender, the actual effect of the procedure falls disproportionately upon men.In the case of voluntary statutes, the ability to give informed consent is also an issue; in 1984, the U.S. state of Michigan's court of appeals held that mandating chemical castration as a condition of probation was unlawful, on the grounds that the drug medroxyprogesterone acetate had not yet gained acceptance as being safe and reliable and also due to the difficulty of obtaining informed consent under these circumstances.

Studies

In 1981, in an experiment by P. Gagne, 48 males with long standing histories of sexually deviant behaviour were given medroxyprogesterone acetate for as long as 12 months. Forty of those subjects were recorded as to have diminished desires for deviant sexual behaviour, less frequent sexual fantasies, and greater control over sexual urges. The research recorded a continuation of this more positive behaviour after the administration of the drug had ended, with no evidence of adverse side effects, and recommended medroxyprogesterone acetate along with counselling as a successful method of treatment for serial sex offenders.

History and use by country

The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering men's testosterone. Chemical castration is often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty, allowing the release of sex offenders while reducing or eliminating the chance that they reoffend.

United States

In 1966, John Money prescribed medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, the base ingredient now used in Depo Provera) as a treatment for a patient dealing with pedophilic urges, becoming the first American to employ chemical castration. Since then, the drug has become a mainstay of chemical castration in America. Despite its long history and established use, the drug has never been approved by the FDA for use as a treatment for sexual offenders.
California was the first U.S. state to specify the use of chemical castration as a punishment for child molestation, following the passage of a modification to Section 645 of the California penal code in 1996. This law stipulates that anyone convicted of child molestation with a minor under 13 years of age may be treated with Depo Provera if they are on parole if it is their second offense and offenders may not reject the treatment.
The passage of this law led to similar laws in other states, such as Florida's Statute Section 794.0235 which was passed into law in 1997.As in California, treatment is mandatory after a second offense.
Besides California and Florida, at least seven other states, including Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Texas and Wisconsin, have experimented with chemical castration. In Iowa, as in California and Florida, offenders may be sentenced to chemical castration in all cases involving serious sex offenses. On June 25, 2008, following a Supreme Court ruling that the execution of child rapists where the victim was not killed was unconstitutional Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed Senate Bill 144, allowing Louisiana judges to sentence convicted rapists to chemical castration.

Europe

The drug cyproterone acetate has been commonly used for chemical castration throughout Europe. It is similar to the drug MPA used in America.
In the United Kingdom, computer scientist Alan Turing, famous for his contributions to mathematics and computer science, was a homosexual who chose to undergo chemical castration in order to avoid imprisonment in 1952.At the time, homosexuality was still illegal and considered to be a mental illness that could be treated with chemical castration.Turing experienced side effects such as breast enlargementand bloating of the physique.Two years later, he committed suicide. In 2009, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, issued a public apology for the British government's "appalling" actions after an online petition seeking the same gained 30,000 signatures and international recognition.
In the 1960s, German physicians used antiandrogens as a treatment for sexual paraphilia.
On September 25, 2009 Poland passed legislation for forcible chemical castration of child molesters. This law came into effect on June 9, 2010 so in Poland "anyone guilty of raping a child under the age of 15 can now be forced to submit to chemical and psychological therapy to reduce sex drive at the end of a prison term".
On April 30, 2010 a man in the United Kingdom found guilty of attempting to murder a 60-year-old woman in order to abduct and rape her two granddaughters, agreed to undergo chemical castration as part of the terms of his sentence.
On March 4th, 2011 a 66 year old man in Germany was found guilty of molesting 400 children while he knew he had AIDS. He got a 9 year prison penalty and chemical castration is a part of his sentence.

Israel

In May 2009, two brothers from Haifa, convicted child molesters, agreed to undergo chemical castration to avoid committing further crimes.

Australia

In 2010, a repeat child sex offender who had been subject to chemical castration inappropriately touched and kissed a young girl. He was found not guilty by a jury, which was not informed of the context of his previous offences.

Argentina

In March 2010 Mendoza, a province in Argentina, approved a new law which allows rapists to voluntarily undergo chemical castration therapy in return for reduced sentences.

Some jokes

The Pope

The Pope is traveling by limo across America to make appearances.
One day he sees that his driver is taking him on an old dirt highway and the area is fairly desolate. He asks his driver, "You know, I've always had a chauffeur. I bet it's fun to drive. Would you mind if I gave it a try?"
The driver is a bit suprised, but agrees. After all, he is the Pope. The driver gets in the back of the limosine and lets the Pope take the wheel. The Pope is having such a good time that he speeds up. As he goes around a bend, a cop clocks him speeding and pulls him over. The officer walks to the window and upon seeing who it is, radios headquarters.
Cop: "I just pulled over a car for speeding, but it's someone special.
Should I give him a ticket?"
H.Q.: " Is it the governor?"
Cop: "Bigger."
H.Q.: "The President?!?"
Cop: "Bigger."
H.Q.: "Damn! Who's bigger than the president?!?"
Cop: "I don't know, but he's got the Pope as a chauffeur!"

Husband and wife

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. The next week the man realized that he would need his wife to wake him at 5.00 am for an early morning business flight to Chicago. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he finally wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5.00 am."
The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9.00am, and that he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't woken him when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed ... it said... "It is 5.00am; wake up."

Marriage

A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer"

Three men

There were three stranded men walking down a sandy beach on a deserted island. They walk a little ways and find a magic lamp. So they decide since they are stranded that they might as well rub it. After they rub it a genie pops out and says each one has one wish.
The first man wishes he was at home having fun with his wife. POOF, he's gone
The second man wishes that he was at his favorite strip club, drinking a beer with his friends. POOF, he's gone.
The third man doesn't know what to do, so he thinks for a minute and says, "hmm, you know I really wish those two were back here to help me make my decision."

Jacob and Rebecca

Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in. Jacob addresses the man behind the counter:
'Are you the owner?' The pharmacist answers yes.
Says Jacob: 'We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course we do.'
Jacob: 'How about medicine for circulation?'
Pharmacist: 'All kinds.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for rheumatism, scoliosis? '
Pharmacist: 'Definitely.'
Jacob: 'How about Viagra?'
Pharmacist: 'Of course.'
Jacob: 'Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?'
Pharmacist: 'Yes, a large variety. The works.'
Jacob: 'What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?'
Pharmacist: 'Absolutely.'
Jacob: 'You sell wheelchairs and walkers?'
Pharmacist: 'All speeds and sizes.'
Jacob says to the pharmacist: 'We'd like to register here for our wedding gifts, please.'

Posted by: Mateo Consagra

Pet column: Service dogs specialize in autistic children

When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents’ lives change forever. The neurological disorder is characterized by abnormal social and communication behaviors and the presence of repetitive behaviors, such as hand flapping or spinning in circles, sometimes for hours.

Individuals may fall anywhere on the autism spectrum, from highly functioning to severely impaired.

Autistic children are prone to unintentionally wandering or running away, sometimes becoming lost. Some engage in self-injurious behavior, such as head-banging or self-hitting. And others experience frequent meltdowns, falling to the ground kicking and screaming.

Public environments tend to stimulate these children excessively, exacerbating symptoms. A simple outing to the store, or going through the checkout stand, can be horrible for parents, said Beverly Swartz of All Purpose Canines in Aberdeen, S.D.

Swartz trains service dogs for autistic children and has placed dogs with families throughout the United States and Canada. Dogs are taught to track children should they become lost. And children sometimes stop wandering altogether because they don’t want to leave their dog, often their only friend.

Autistic children may walk into oncoming traffic. Dogs, tethered to the child, are taught to stop at curbs. And strangely, although the children don’t realize they will be hurt by cars, they realize their dog will be hurt and they often stop willingly, Swartz said.

The leading cause of death among autistic children is accidents related to wandering, such as exposure to the elements and drowning.

Interrupted sleep patterns and night wandering are issues with autistic children. The dog is one tool to keep the child safe. Just as weighted blankets soothe and induce sleep in some autistics, the pressure of a 60-70 pound dog can soothe and induce sleep, too, Swartz said.

Dogs are trained to redirect the child during repetitive or self-injurious behaviors by bringing a ball to the child and other means. Parents are often able to redirect unwanted behaviors simply by encouraging the child to pet the dog.

Joanne Mañá