"Bridesmaids" actor Chris O'Dowd -- who wooed Kristen Wiig as lovable Irish cop Nathan Rhodes in the 2011 flick -- will soon tie the knot with his girlfriend, British TV personality Dawn Porter.
PHOTOS: Celebs who got engaged in 2011
Proposing the day after Christmas during the couple's vacation in Guernsey, an island in the English Channel, O'Dowd, 32, took to Twitter to confirm the happy news Thursday.
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"I'm so bored of all this happiness and sex. I'm getting married," he wrote. Added his 32-year-old fiancee, via Twitter : "I guess he liked it, coz he put a ring on it. #engaged."
PHOTOS: How A-listers celebrated the holidays
That ring, Porter tells the local Guernsey Press, is not the traditional engagement diamond, but an emerald.
PHOTOS: Stars' blingy engagement rings
"The ring is gorgeous -- an emerald, as he is Irish, and green to replace a green ring of my mum's that I have worn on that hand since I was 16," the bride-to-be told the paper.
According to Porter, the couple is considering a summer 2012 wedding.
Super PACs spending millions of dollars on the brutal ads shaping the GOP presidential primary have taken advantage in the last few weeks of a pair of loopholes that will let them keep their donors secret until after votes are cast in the first four big contests.
Some of these new groups backing Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman wrote short letters this month to the Federal Election Commission requesting a bureaucratic change that lets them delay revealing their funders, while super PACs supporting Rick Santorum and Rick Perry are benefiting from a longstanding, but little-noticed, ruling that exempts their Iowa caucus ads from disclosure requirements.
Continue Reading
The loopholes are the latest development in a campaign that has seen an explosion of unlimited spending that?s difficult to trace. And exploitation of these loopholes likely guarantees that voters won?t find out who?s paying for a majority of primary campaign ads until late on the night of Jan. 31. That?s after polls have closed in states expected to go a long way towards determining the GOP presidential nominee ? the Iowa caucuses and primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida.
The disclosure rules may need to be updated to reflect the rise of super PACs as driving forces in presidential politics, two Democratic FEC commissioners suggested in interviews with POLITICO.
?Super PACs are functioning as the alter-egos of the campaigns, and their activity was clearly not anticipated when the statutes were put in place,? Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic FEC appointee said. The commission, she said ?should reconsider the regulations about caucuses and disclosure, or at least take a hard look at them.?
Fellow Democratic FEC commissioner Cynthia Bauerly said in an email that the recent moves by the super PACs supporting Romney and Huntsman ?highlight the fact that more can be done to ensure that voters have the information they are entitled to in making decisions about federal elections.?
But the FEC, which has become mired in partisan gridlock, is unlikely to make any changes in time to affect the 2012 election. The other four commissioners did not respond to interview requests. The commission has already rubber-stamped the disclosure change by the pro-Romney ?Restore Our Future? super PAC, and is expected to do the same with the pro-Gingrich super PAC ?Winning Our Future? and the pro-Huntsman group, ?Our Destiny PAC.?
Rick Tyler, a former Gingrich press secretary who?s now a top adviser to Winning Our Future, said ?It?s ridiculous that we have the ability to raise unlimited money and direct the message of the campaigns when the candidates themselves don?t have this.?
But his group is merely playing by the same rules as other super PACs, he said, explaining ?this is the situation we have, that?s been given to us.?
Winning Our Future, which was established in early December, notified the FEC last week in a one-line memorandum that it ?is changing its filing status ? effective immediately? to one that will allow it to file its first report as late as the end of next month. But Tyler says the group intends to file before the deadline.
Now that pod2g has done the heavy lifting and released an untethered jailbreak for iOS5, the Seas0NPass tool has been updated for your untethered jailbreaking pleasure on Apple TVs running even the latest 4.4.4 update. Redmond Pie has a full walkthrough and how-to that should help you get things going, so that you no longer have to choose between extending your device's capabilities beyond Apple's restrictions (still no Plex support on 4.4.4 thoughUpdate: Plex Beta 4 has been released which is compatible with 4.4.4., thanks Christo & Tulio) and features like AirPlay mirroring. Even more interestingly however, a few hackers may be close to unlocking iOS apps for use on the Apple TV. There's nothing released yet but we'll be following @themudkip and @westbaer on Twitter for further updates as they're available. In the meantime, check out a couple shots of iOS apps running on the Apple TV after the break, courtesy of Steven Troughton-Smith.
All Critics (135) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (131) | Rotten (4)
The Artist is the most surprising and delightful film of 2011.
A silent movie shot in sumptuous black-and-white, no less. A silent flick made with not a jot of distancing winking, but instead born of a heady affection for a bygone, very bygone, era of filmmaking.
It's a rocket to the moon fueled by unadulterated joy and pure imagination.
Strangely, wonderfully, The Artist feels as bold and innovative a moviegoing experience as James Cameron's bells-and-whistles Avatar did a couple of years ago.
"The Artist'' is a small, exquisitely-cut jewel in a style everyone assumes is 80 years out of date.
A beguiling tale about Hollywood's silent movie days that is itself silent, this made-in-L.A. French feature will charm cinephiles with its affection for one of the movies' golden ages.
...a good film with some great moments and two excellent lead performances...
full review at Movies for the Masses
...one of the most original films of this decade.
It's a valentine to the cinema that comes from the heart.
It's easy to dismiss The Artist as a simple love letter to the silent-film era, but there is a lot more at work here than just an attention-getting gimmick.
This film says a lot, without saying nearly any words. It's one of the best of 2011. (Content Review for Parents also available)
Not only does 'The Artist' clearly demonstrate that something was lost when movies started talking, but it also proves that we haven't begun to learn what can be done with images alone.
It may be silent, but The Artist earns some very loud applause
The Artist is a slight confection, really, but it's so delicious and knowing that it may well end up on any number of cineastes' desert-island lists. It's certainly on mine.
"The Artist" may be too cute to qualify as high art, but it's highly entertaining.
The story and the silent-era conventions may not be entirely original, but the director revives this uniquely American storytelling style with such infectious joy and life-affirming enthusiasm that it's nearly impossible not to respond in equal measure.
Essentially a stunt, but an expertly executed one that's immensely enjoyable, especially for movie buffs...a nimble, exuberant lark.
'The Artist' paints a glorious picture of old Hollyood.
In the more eye-pleasing The Artist, the plot eventually comes too close to its inspiration, though its early moments were headed for mastery - and transformation - of style.
Hazanavicius crafted more than a replica of the silent era... a masterwork that likely won't be imitated. How many movies in 2011 can you say that about? Only the best one.
"The Artist" is a delightful treasure. It is a charming mixture of comedy, melodrama and romance that cinema lovers should make a point of experiencing.
This is not some clinical dissection of bygone cinematic techniques; it's a lively, appealing effort that mostly rises above mere novelty.
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YANGON, Myanmar ? A fire followed by several explosions engulfed many state warehouses and neighboring homes, killing at least 16 people and injuring 108 in Myanmar's main city of Yangon on Thursday.
The blasts occurred as firefighters were putting out the fire that had started in a state-owned warehouse before spreading to other warehouses and nearby homes and buildings before dawn.
The Yangon General Hospital's emergency ward was in commotion as dozens of injured people and dead bodies were brought in by ambulances and pickup trucks.
A total of 108 injured people were brought in and more were continuing to arrive, said a senior nurse. She confirmed that 16 people had died.
She said the dead include at least three firefighters who were caught in an explosion during the conflagration in Mingalar Tahung Nyunt township in eastern Yangon.
The nurse did not want to be identified because she is not authorized to speak to the media.
"Many of the dead were hit by flying debris of broken walls and stone slabs that were flung on to the streets due to the explosion," Maung Win, a 45-year-old resident, told the Associated Press.
The explosions knocked down buildings including a Buddhist monastery near the warehouse. Windows from the nearby buildings were shattered due to powerful explosions, witnesses said.
The explosions rocked the entire city, jolting residents from sleep. A 20-foot (6-meter) -wide and 15-foot (4.5-meter) -deep crater was visible at the site. Black smoke was seen billowing from the rubble Thursday morning.
Firefighters were searching for bodies from among the debris.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire and the explosion.
Residents said the fire started in a warehouse that stored electronic goods and spread to another warehouse that stored some kind of chemicals. Officials did not immediately given any details.
WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration is weighing an unprecedented diplomatic act ? whether to bar a friendly president from U.S. soil.
American officials were evaluating on Tuesday an awkward request from Yemeni strongman and longtime U.S. counterterrorism partner Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh has said he plans to come to the United States for medical treatment for injuries suffered in a June assassination attempt, and he has asked for a U.S. visa for entry to the country. Fearful of appearing to harbor an autocrat with blood on his hands, the Obama administration was trying to ensure that Saleh visits only for medical care and doesn't plan to stay, U.S. officials said.
Washington's hesitation reflects the shifting alliances and foreign policy strategy prompted by a year of upheaval in the Arab world. Saleh has served as an American ally against al-Qaida and will soon transfer power under a U.S.-backed deal with Yemen's opposition aimed at ending months of instability. He isn't subject to any U.S. or international sanctions.
But he also is accused of committing gross human rights violations during a year of internal conflict, and the U.S. is trying not to burn any bridges with Yemeni political groups likely to take part in future governments. Political asylum for Saleh in the United States, or the appearance of preferential treatment from an administration that has championed peaceful and democratic change, would be highly unpopular with Yemenis who've fought to depose their dictator of 33 years.
Officials close to the Saleh said Washington's suspicion that he may seek political asylum was delaying approval of his trip. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. But American officials appeared to substantiate those concerns and said they were troubled by Saleh's recent comments portraying his trip as a move designed to ease the political transition.
"What we're looking at now is a request to come to the United States for the sole purpose of medical treatment," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, refusing to go into the specific of the evaluation. "That permission has not been granted yet."
Toner declined to elaborate on the assurances the United States wanted from Saleh or offer a timetable for a decision. He also couldn't say whether any provisions existed under U.S. law to prevent the Yemeni leader from visiting the country ? provided he assures officials he demonstrates he'll only stay temporarily.
In that case, Saleh almost surely will be granted entry, U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because visa evaluations are supposed to be confidential. It's unclear when, if ever, the last time the head of state of a friendly government was blocked from visiting the United States.
One official went so far as to say Saleh's exit from Yemen might be beneficial by lowering the risk of disruptions in the lead-up to planned February elections. The U.S. is committed to doing everything it can to ensure those elections take place, the official said, but President Barack Obama's national security team was expected to make the final decision on Saleh's request. Obama was being briefed on developments while on vacation in Hawaii.
Demonstrators began protesting against Saleh and calling for his ouster in February. The Yemeni government responded with a bloody crackdown, leaving hundreds of protesters dead, and stoking fears of instability in a nation grappling with burgeoning extremism. Yemen's dangerous al-Qaida branch, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, has taken advantage of the vacuum to expend its presence in the south of the country.
International pressure has mounted for months for Saleh to step aside. A June rocket attack on his compound left him badly burned and wounded, and led Saleh to seek medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia for three months. American officials had hoped he would remain there, but the Yemeni leader returned and violence worsened anew.
Last month, Saleh agreed to a Saudi-backed deal to hand power to his vice president and commit to stepping down completely in exchange for immunity. The deal further angered Saleh's opponents, who demanded he be tried for his attacks on protesters. Opponents also lament that he has continued to wield influence through loyalists and relatives remaining in positions of power, and many fear he may find a way to continue his rule.
Protests have expanded recently to include labor strikes, calls for Saleh to be put on trial and demands that his loyalists to be removed from office. Activists said troops commanded by Saleh's relatives attacked protesters in the capital of Sanaa over the weekend, killing at least nine people. Tens of thousands demonstrated the following day.
Saleh's immediate plans are unclear. The wily leader of three decades has maintained his rule over a country divided by tribal and regional loyalties by consistently outsmarting his opponents, but Toner said the U.S. is trying to remind everyone of the "importance of continuing along this agreed-upon path of political transition that will lead to the next election."
"We need to see that process continue regardless of where President Saleh is," Toner said.
An American official said Saleh's office informed the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa that the outgoing leader would leave Yemen soon and travel elsewhere abroad first, before possibly coming to the U.S.
The situation offers an eerie parallel to three decades ago, when President Jimmy Carter allowed the exiled shah of Iran into the U.S. for medical treatment. The decision contributed to rapidly worsening relations between Washington and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's revolution in Tehran, with Iranian students occupying the U.S. Embassy in Iran a month later.
Fifty-two American hostages were held for 444 days in response to Carter's refusal to send the shah back to Iran for trial.
___
Pace reported from Honolulu. Ahmed al-Haj in Sanaa contributed to this report.
I wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas. I hope you are feeling loved and are with people that you care for and love - family, friends, partners, chosen families, etc. If you are spending it alone, I hope you are still able to find comfort and joy in being alone. Sometimes it's great to be alone!
Oh, by the way, I read this article on the DailyMail about elderly people spending Christmas time alone. Here's the link:
So, I will be in Mexico City for a couple of weeks. I will try to upload some pictures when I am there athough I really want to take the opportunity to spend it with people I love so I may not be able to post pictures until I am back. We'll see... Although I will be mostly with friends, I also want to spend some time with myself ?some alone time! :) A lot has happened to my life this year. I want to spend part of this holiday vacation to do some self-reflection and meditation.
Anyway, I wish each and everyone of us a 2012 full of happiness, success, love, and all things amazing and wonderful! :)
TUESDAY, Dec. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Racial and cultural factors still affect the diagnosis and treatment of depression in elderly Americans, despite improvements to diagnostic tools and therapies in recent decades, according to a new study.
Researchers found that elderly blacks are less likely to be diagnosed -- and therefore treated -- than whites or Hispanics.
About 6.6 percent of elderly people in the United States have an episode of major depression each year, making it a significant public health issue for older Americans, the Rutgers University researchers pointed out in a university news release.
If it's left untreated or undertreated, depression can have a major negative impact on quality of life and can also complicate medical conditions that are common in elderly people, including congestive heart failure, arthritis and diabetes, Ayse Akincigil, an assistant professor in Rutgers' School of Social Work, and colleagues explained.
The investigators analyzed data collected from nearly 34,000 Medicare beneficiaries between 2001 and 2005, and found that rates of depression diagnosis were 6.4 percent for whites, 4.2 percent for blacks, 7.2 percent for Hispanics, and 3.8 percent for other groups.
"Efforts are needed to reduce the burden of undetected and untreated depression and to identify the barriers that generate disparities in detection and treatment," the researchers concluded.
"Promising approaches include providing universal depression screening and ensuring access to care in low-income and minority neighborhoods," they added. "An increase in the reimbursement of case management services for the treatment of depression also may be effective."
The study was released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about older adults and depression.
MEXICO CITY - Mexican authorities said Monday that they had dealt a blow to the country's most powerful drug cartel with the capture of a top lieutenant ? but didn't say if they were any closer to capturing the gang's elusive leader.
Felipe Cabrera Sarabia, known as "The Engineer," allegedly ran operations for the Sinaloa drug cartel, Mexico's most powerful, in the northern state of Durango and in part of the northern state of Chihuahua, Chief Army spokesman Gen. Ricardo Trevilla told a news conference. Cabrera, wearing a bulletproof vest, was paraded before the news media in what has become a common practice for law enforcement authorities following major arrests.
Many experts and law-enforcement officials believe the reputed leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has been hiding in the mountains of Durango. Authorities say Guzman is Mexico's top drug lord, while Forbes magazine has included him on its list of the world's richest men, reportedly worth more than $1 billion. He has eluded authorities since his 2001 escape from prison in a laundry truck, and has a $7 million bounty on his head.
Trevilla offered no information about the hunt for Guzman. He only said that Cabrera's capture "will affect the structure and leadership of the Sinaloa cartel."
At the time of Cabrera's arrest, army special forces also seized documents and computer equipment, he said.
Cabrera was nabbed without a shot being fired Friday in the capital of Sinaloa state, headquarters of the cartel, army officials first announced Sunday night.
He will be held for at least 40 days on suspicion of participating in organized crime and drug trafficking. Mexican law allows organized-crime suspects to be held that long before prosecutors bring formal charges before a judge.
Trevilla said Cabrera and three of his brothers began as marijuana growers and that Cabrera rose through the Sinaloa ranks by using violence against his rivals.
In recent months, Cabrera waged war against a rival faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as the "Ms", leading to a surge in violence around Durango, he said.
Federal forces have found 14 mass graves containing 287 bodies in Durango state since April.
Separately, Mexican authorities said they had seized 21 metric tons of precursor chemicals used to make methamphetamine from a boat that stopped in the port of Manzanillo on the way from Peru to Guatemala.
It was the fourth large seizure this month of precursor chemicals headed for Guatemala.
It brings to more than 555 tons the amount of meth chemicals detected at Mexican ports in less than a month.
Authorities announced on Dec. 19 that they had found almost 100 metric tons of methylamine at the port of Lazaro Cardenas, and earlier said that 205 tons of the chemical had been found there over several days in early December. Mexico said Friday that it seized 229 metric tons of precursor chemicals at the port.
Experts familiar with meth production call it a huge amount of raw material, noting that under some production methods, precursor chemicals can yield about half their weight in uncut meth.
MEXICO CITY ? The Mexican army announced Sunday that it had captured the head of security for Sinaloa drug cartel head Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most wanted men.
The suspect, who was not identified by name, was captured in the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan and will be presented to the media Monday morning, the army said.
Guzman, Mexico's top drug lord, is one of the world's richest men, and has eluded authorities by moving around and hiding since his 2001 escape from prison in a laundry truck.
The army said the man they had arrested also ran cartel activities in Durango and southern Chihuahua state, and was responsible for carrying out secret burials of cartel victims, kidnapping, extortion and arson. They did not say if the arrest moved the military closer to capturing Guzman, an arrest that would be seen as a major victory for the government of President Felipe Calderon.
Guzman is worth more than $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine, which has listed him among the "World's Most Powerful People." He has a $7 million bounty on his head, and thousands of law enforcement agents from the U.S. and other countries working on capturing him.
His cartel controls cocaine trafficking on the Mexican border with California and has moved eastward to the corridor between the Mexican state of Sonora, which borders Arizona.
Separately, Mexican soldiers discovered 13 bodies in an abandoned truck Sunday along with a message that they were killed in a war between rival drug cartels in the eastern state of Veracruz, officials said.
The bodies were found in Tamaulipas state, a few hundred yards (meters) from its border with Veracruz, according to the Tamaulipas attorney general's office. The office said that 10 of the bodies had been decapitated.
The area has been the scene of bloody battles between the Gulf and Zetas cartels, and a pair of banners alluding to a rivalry were found in the truck, the statement from the attorney-general's office said.
On Friday, the attorney general's office in Veracruz said it had found 10 bodies in a different area along the border with Tamaulipas after receiving a tip.
On Thursday, three U.S. citizens traveling to spend the holidays with their relatives in Mexico were among those killed in a spree of shooting attacks on buses. In the spree, a group of gunmen attacked three buses in Veracruz, killing a total of seven passengers.
The Americans killed were a mother and her two daughters who were returning to visit relatives in the region.
The five gunmen who allegedly carried out the attacks were later shot to death by soldiers.
Earlier, the gunmen also killed four people in the nearby town of El Higo, Veracruz.
Local police in Veracruz have become so corrupt that on Wednesday the government decided to dissolve the entire force in the state's largest city, also known as Veracruz, and sent the Navy in to patrol. Some 800 police officers and 300 administrative employees were laid off.
Alors je ne vais malheureusement pas pouvoir r?pondre a ta question dans le sens ou je viens] juste de recevoir mon x10 mini auquel je n'est pour le moment pas encore transf?rer mes contacts (j'ai pass? le plus de temps a en faire un couteau suisse de fonctionnalit?s u_u; ) mais vu ce que j'ai lut via ton lien, je risque d'en chier tout autant que toi, les menus et le home devant ?tre un peu pr?s pareil vue la gamme de produit en question.
Cependant, je ne vient pas ici juste pour te dire que je n'en sais rien, je souhaite faire avancer le d?bat en parlant des fonction de base du t?l?phone en lui m?me.
L'une des plus grosse d?ception (?) que j'ai eu en apprivoisant le syst?me android fut la gestion des applications elle m?mes: certaines sont pr?sente d?s le premier allumage du t?l?phone tel que: UEFA.com ou un jeu d?bile qui ressemble de nom a "Gold..." quelques chose. Bon d?j? les avoir de base ca craint, sur pc nous avions Norton et la flop?e de merde fournis par les constructeurs/ assembleurs, voila que maintenant ils nous refont le m?me coup sous android! Mais le pire est a venir: je pensais pouvoir les effacer direct ET BIEN NON! il a fallut que je root le tel pour avoir les droit de d?sinstall!
D?j? c'est pas cool comme d?but. mais c'est pas fini:
Sur le menu de base, IMPOSSIBLE DE CATALOGUER SES APPLIS! Pas de cr?ation de Dossier ou de groupes d'applis! Nous avons donc sois le menu home avec ses widgets (un par page, attention pas plus... donc inutile ou du moins mal pratique) ou alors un autre menu application imbuvable avec sa liste compl?te d'appli install? sur son tel allant de minuteur a ES file manager en passant par des applis plus "sensible" tel que calvier ou dialer.... oO;
La ca craint du boudin. S?rieux, heureusement qu'il est possible d'installer un home alternatif ou alors oui il existe des applis avec fonction cr?ation de dossier mais tout de m?me c'est la BASE des fonctionnalit?s a avoir en natif sur un mobile sous android! Sinon je serais aller le refourguer direct.
Dernier point plus personnel: La gestion des "applis" INDISPENSABLE au t?l?phone tel que: le clavier ou encore le dialer ou la messagerie/sms etc.. sont consid?r? au m?me niveau que n'importe quelle autre appli! perso, ca me va pas du tout! Imaginons une personne mal intentionn? souhaitant me faire un sale coup et hop! on d?sinstalle le dialer! Ou l'appli r?pertoire! (oui bon, la fonction root est la pour ?viter ca mais tout de m?me!). Il manque clairement quelques chose! Une distinction entre applis "indispensable", cach? dans un sous r?pertoire invisible ou dans un groupe particulier, et les applis perso chop? sur le market ou ailleurs.
Sans parler de la gestion des droits des applications mais il parait que certaines applis permette une gestion plus pouss? appli par appli, faut que je regarde ca de plus pr?s.
Tout cela pour dire que: l'ergonomie des t?l?phone est aussi importante que l'OS pr?sent?. Si les fonctions de base sont manquantes ou mal traduites, ca pose de s?rieux probl?me d'utilisation.
On the heels of Kate Hudson's 2010 subtle breast enhancement, once flat-chested Nicole Richie, 30, opted for small implants.
PHOTOS: Most talked-about bodies of 2011
The mom of Sparrow, 2, and Harlow, 3, -- with husband Joel Madden, 32, -- unveiled her new cleavage during a bikini-filled vacation with pals in Mexico in September.
PHOTOS: Nicole's wild to mild transformation
"Breast-feeding killed what boobs she did have," a source told Us Weekly of the House of Harlow 1960 designer. "And she wanted to stay sexy for Joel."
PHOTOS: More stars who had plastic surgery in 2011
One thing the reality star hasn't altered since becoming a mom and a wife? Her enviable style.
"I'm still wearing 5-inch heels," the Fashion Star mentor recently told WWD. "My fashion really hasn't changed at all."
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Harvard physicists demonstrate a new cooling technique for quantum gasesPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter Reuell preuell@fas.harvard.edu 617-496-8070 Harvard University
Physicists at Harvard University have realized a new way to cool synthetic materials by employing a quantum algorithm to remove excess energy. The research, published this week in the journal Nature, is the first application of such an "algorithmic cooling" technique to ultra-cold atomic gases, opening new possibilities from materials science to quantum computation.
"Ultracold atoms are the coldest objects in the known universe," explains senior author Markus Greiner, associate professor of Physics at Harvard. "Their temperature is only a billionth of a degree above absolute zero temperature, but we will need to make them even colder if we are to harness their unique properties to learn about quantum mechanics."
Greiner and his colleagues study quantum many-body physics, the exotic and complex behaviors that result when simple quantum particles interact. It is these behaviors which give rise to high-temperature superconductivity and quantum magnetism, and that many physicists hope to employ in quantum computers.
"We simulate real-world materials by building synthetic counterparts composed of ultra-cold atoms trapped in laser lattices," says co-author Waseem Bakr, a graduate student in physics at Harvard. "This approach enables us to image and manipulate the individual particles in a way that has not been possible in real materials."
The catch is that observing the quantum mechanical effects that Greiner, Bakr and colleagues seek requires extreme temperatures.
"One typically thinks of the quantum world as being small," says Bakr, " but the truth is that many bizarre features of quantum mechanics, like entanglement, are equally dependent upon extreme cold."
The hotter an object is, the more its constituent particles move around, obscuring the quantum world much as a shaken camera blurs a photograph.
The push to ever-lower temperatures is driven by techniques like "laser cooling" and "evaporative cooling," which are approaching their limits at nanoKelvin temperatures. In a proof-of-principle experiment, the Harvard team has demonstrated that they can actively remove the fluctuations which constitute temperature, rather than merely waiting for hot particles to leave as in evaporative cooling.
Akin to preparing precisely one egg per dimple in a carton, this "orbital excitation blockade" process removes excess atoms from a crystal until there is precisely one atom per site.
"The collective behaviors of atoms at these temperatures remain an important open question, and the breathtaking control we now exert over individual atoms will be a powerful tool for answering it," said Greiner. "We are glimpsing a mysterious and wonderful world that has never been seen in this way before."
###
Greiner and Bakr's co-authors in Harvard's Department of Physics are Philipp Preiss, Eric Tai, Ruichao Ma and Jonathan Simon.
Their work was supported by the Army Research Office through the DARPA OLE program, the AFOSR MURI program, and by grants from the NSF.
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Harvard physicists demonstrate a new cooling technique for quantum gasesPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter Reuell preuell@fas.harvard.edu 617-496-8070 Harvard University
Physicists at Harvard University have realized a new way to cool synthetic materials by employing a quantum algorithm to remove excess energy. The research, published this week in the journal Nature, is the first application of such an "algorithmic cooling" technique to ultra-cold atomic gases, opening new possibilities from materials science to quantum computation.
"Ultracold atoms are the coldest objects in the known universe," explains senior author Markus Greiner, associate professor of Physics at Harvard. "Their temperature is only a billionth of a degree above absolute zero temperature, but we will need to make them even colder if we are to harness their unique properties to learn about quantum mechanics."
Greiner and his colleagues study quantum many-body physics, the exotic and complex behaviors that result when simple quantum particles interact. It is these behaviors which give rise to high-temperature superconductivity and quantum magnetism, and that many physicists hope to employ in quantum computers.
"We simulate real-world materials by building synthetic counterparts composed of ultra-cold atoms trapped in laser lattices," says co-author Waseem Bakr, a graduate student in physics at Harvard. "This approach enables us to image and manipulate the individual particles in a way that has not been possible in real materials."
The catch is that observing the quantum mechanical effects that Greiner, Bakr and colleagues seek requires extreme temperatures.
"One typically thinks of the quantum world as being small," says Bakr, " but the truth is that many bizarre features of quantum mechanics, like entanglement, are equally dependent upon extreme cold."
The hotter an object is, the more its constituent particles move around, obscuring the quantum world much as a shaken camera blurs a photograph.
The push to ever-lower temperatures is driven by techniques like "laser cooling" and "evaporative cooling," which are approaching their limits at nanoKelvin temperatures. In a proof-of-principle experiment, the Harvard team has demonstrated that they can actively remove the fluctuations which constitute temperature, rather than merely waiting for hot particles to leave as in evaporative cooling.
Akin to preparing precisely one egg per dimple in a carton, this "orbital excitation blockade" process removes excess atoms from a crystal until there is precisely one atom per site.
"The collective behaviors of atoms at these temperatures remain an important open question, and the breathtaking control we now exert over individual atoms will be a powerful tool for answering it," said Greiner. "We are glimpsing a mysterious and wonderful world that has never been seen in this way before."
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Greiner and Bakr's co-authors in Harvard's Department of Physics are Philipp Preiss, Eric Tai, Ruichao Ma and Jonathan Simon.
Their work was supported by the Army Research Office through the DARPA OLE program, the AFOSR MURI program, and by grants from the NSF.
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LITTLE ROCK ? A former finance chief for the cash-strapped state Forestry Commission said today the director knew of the agency?s money problems for years and suggested Gov. Mike Beebe ordered officials to keep quiet until after the 2010 election.
Robert Araiza, former chief financial officer of the state Forestry Commission, testifies Tuesday before the personnel subcommittee of the state Legislative Council. (John Lyon photo)
A spokesman for the governor called the assertion ?absolutely not true.?
Robert Araiza, the commission?s former chief financial officer, testified today at a hearing before the Legislative Council?s personnel subcommittee, which is looking into the agency?s plans to lay off 36 employees ? including more than a dozen firefighters ? on Jan. 13 because of a $4 million budget shortfall.
The agency?s director, John Shannon, has said he did not know until recently that the agency?s finances were in such dire straits because Araiza had not told him. Araiza told the personnel subcommittee today that he had been warning Shannon and the commissioners for four years about the agency?s financial problems, and he provided the subcommittee with copies of emails in which he had raised those concerns.
?The more I brought it to their attention, the more it fell on deaf ears,? said Araiza, who left the Forestry Commission in October for another state job. Araiza also said the agency?s financial problems were to have been the subject of a canceled 2010 meeting between Shannon and timber industry leaders.
?The day before that meeting, everything was ready to go. Mr. Shannon called us together and explained to us that the meeting had been canceled by the governor?s office because they didn?t want any discussions being held regarding the ? shortfall until after the election,? Araiza testified.
?That is absolutely not true,? Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said today. ?If we had known that the commission?s financial struggles had reached the severity they?ve reached, we would have addressed it during (this year?s) legislative session.
?We knew that the timber industry was struggling. We?ve had a lot of state agencies struggling, but they?ve been able to make do. We didn?t know that things had gotten to this level at the Forestry Commission until a few months ago, and when we did, we put a stop to the overspending.?
DeCample acknowledged Shannon scheduled a meeting with timber officials in the summer of 2010 but said it was to begin discussions about a possible increase in the severance tax on timber to offset the commission?s revenue losses due to a timber industry downturn.
?The governor felt at that time there was a strong sentiment against new tax increases in Arkansas and that such a meeting would not be productive,? DeCample said.
John Shannon, director of the state Forestry Commission, testifies at Tuesday's hearing on the budget problems that led to the planned layoffs of 36 employees. (John Lyon photo)
Shannon offered the same explanation in his testimony today, telling legislators that a person from the governor?s office called him and said the governor did not want any talk about raising taxes, so he canceled the meeting.
Araiza also testified that Shannon instructed commission employees not to talk to legislators about the agency?s financial problems, despite a state law that protects state employees? right to contact legislators.
Shannon insisted that he does not forbid employees to talk to legislators.
?That?s the opposite of my approach,? he said.
Legislators asked Shannon about a Nov. 18, 2009, email he sent to agency employees in which he said, ?For many reasons, public officials should hear from only one AFC representative. That person is me ? You and members of your staff should not testify or promote public policy to elected officials or their staff members in Little Rock or Washington.?
Shannon said he sent the email at a time when the agency was receiving numerous questions from the news media.
?When it comes to dealing with the press, I need to speak for the Forestry Commission,? he said.
Shannon said mistakes were made in handling the agency?s finances and said that because he is the director, ?the blame is mine.? But he also said he did not know until last month that the financial problems were serious enough to require layoffs.
He said the commission had been borrowing from federal grants to meet payroll, but state finance officials told him on Nov. 17 that the grants were not supposed to be used for that purpose.
?Mr. Araiza had assured me, ?That?s allowable. We just need to make sure we pay it back,?? Shannon said.
?I also learned on Nov. 17 that Mr. Araiza made a mistake ? and it?s just a mistake, nothing more than a mistake ? on the certification of our federal income, income that we really get to use internally. The mistake was over $3 million,? he said.
Shannon said he has hired a certified public accountant ? Fred Wiedower, who now works for the Department of Workforce Services but will join the Forestry Commission on Jan. 9 ? and promised ?a new level of scrutiny? of the agency?s finances.
Rep. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, co-chairman of the subcommittee, told reporters after the hearing that a lack of leadership from the governor contributed to the problems that led to the layoffs.
?He can talk about, that he didn?t want any discussion of raising taxes. That sounds like a lawyer defending a bad position and not a leader,? King said.
Beebe said today in a written statement, ?If I had known sooner that shortfalls at the Arkansas Forestry Commission had reached the point that the agency could no longer operate within its means, we would have taken action sooner. The issue would have been addressed during the regular budget process of this year?s legislative session.
?There is no doubt that the struggles of the timber industry led to these unfortunate layoffs, and I am willing to meet with legislators who have proposals to create additional revenue for the Forestry Commission.?
The House and Senate committees on agriculture, forestry and economic development are scheduled to meet Jan. 4 to begin looking at ways to address the Forestry Commission?s budget shortfall.
Is GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney in danger of losing conservative support with his talk of regulations? John Tamny, Forbes opinions editor, weighs the risks.
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WASHINGTON ? The government on Thursday said it would adopt strict new limits on using chimpanzees in medical research, after a prestigious scientific group recommended that experiments with humans' closest relative be done only as a last resort.
The National Institutes of Health agreed that science has advanced enough that chimps seldom would be needed to help develop new medicines.
NIH Director Francis Collins temporarily barred new federal funding for research involving chimps, and said a working group will review about 37 ongoing projects involving the animals to see if they should be phased out.
Chimps' similarity to people "demands special consideration and respect," Collins said.
These apes' genetic closeness to humans has long caused a quandary. It's what has made them so valuable to scientists for nearly a century. They were vital in creating a vaccine for hepatitis B, for example, and even were shot into space to make sure the trip wouldn't kill the astronauts next in line.
But that close relationship also has had animal rights groups arguing that using chimps for biomedical research is unethical, even cruel.
Chimp research already was dwindling fast as scientists turned to less costly and ethically charged alternatives.
Thursday's decision was triggered by an uproar last year over the fate of 186 semi-retired research chimps that the NIH, to save money, planned to move from a New Mexico facility to an active research lab in Texas.
Where and how to house those animals ? and others scattered around the country who probably no longer will be needed ? are among the issues that Collins said a government working group will decide as it determines how to implement the new research restrictions.
The Institute of Medicine's recommendation on Thursday stopped short of the outright ban that animal rights activists had pushed. Instead, it urged strict limits on biomedical research ? testing new drugs or giving animals a disease ? that would allow using chimps only if studies could not be done on other animals or people themselves, and if foregoing the chimp work would hinder progress against life-threatening or debilitating conditions.
The panel advised the government to limit use of chimps in behavioral and genetic research as well, saying such studies must provide insights that otherwise are unattainable ? and use techniques that minimize any pain or distress.
"We understand and feel compelled by the moral cost of using chimpanzees in research," said bioethicist Jeffrey Kahn of Johns Hopkins University, who chaired the Institute of Medicine panel. "We have established criteria that will set the bar quite high for justification of the use of chimpanzees."
The U.S. is one of only two countries known to still conduct medical research with chimpanzees; the other is Gabon, in Africa. The European Union essentially banned such research last year.
Here, too, the practice was becoming uncommon. The Institute of Medicine's investigation found over the past 10 years, the NIH has paid for just 110 projects of any type that involved chimps. There are not quite 1,000 chimps available for medical research in the country.
While it's impossible to say how many have been used in privately funded pharmaceutical research, the industry is shifting to higher-tech and less costly research methods. One drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, adopted an official policy ending its use of great apes, including chimpanzees, in research.
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Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
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