Girls talk about rape
Two girls in a Youtheatre production engage in a verbal duel on issues of culture, sexuality, betrayal, class and race
By Kathryn Greenaway, The GazetteMarch 19, 2009
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/theatre/Girls+talk+about+rape/1406152/story.html
Playwright Hannah Moscovitch realized she had to get back into the loop when it came to sex and the teenage girl after Youtheatre artistic director Michel Lefebvre commissioned her to write a play about rape, from a girl’s perspective. Moscovitch had just turned 30 and felt out of touch with teen girls and their attitudes toward sexuality.
As part of Youtheatre’s 40th anniversary season, there is one public performance of Moscovitch’s play In This World, directed by Lefebvre, at Théâtre Calixa-Lavallée tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Youtheatre is dedicated to the production of issue-oriented works by Canadian playwrights and has been touring Ed Roy’s Bang Boy, Bang! – a play about rape from a guy’s perspective – for years. Lefebvre wanted to give the girls a say.
Moscovitch hated her first draft of the play, so Lefebvre suggested she go to the source. She set up interviews with girls from a high school in Dorval and a high school in LaSalle.
“I was worried they would react to me like a teacher and I didn’t want my questions to sound judgmental,” Moscovitch said following a student performance on Monday.
“Luckily, because of the way I look (like a teenager), they opened up to me completely and said the most incredible things.
“The genesis for the (two) characters in the play is based on interviews I did with an alpha female from each of the two schools.”
In This World is relevant and unflinching.
Sharon James plays Neyssa, a curvy black girl with roots in Jamaica and a working-class address in LaSalle. She thinks girls who have sex are sluts.
Hannah Cheesman plays Bijou, a slender blond WASP from Westmount who has had sex with Neyssa’s cousin and is proud of it.
The girls attend the same swank private school (Neyssa’s on scholarship) and play on the same volleyball team.
Their tenuous friendship is threatened when Neyssa goes to a party at Bijou’s mansion and is raped. She tells no one. At school, Neyssa picks a fight with Bijou and punches her.
Cheesman and James vibrated with anger and frustration during Monday afternoon’s performance.
Lefebvre coaxed emotionally acute performances out of both actors, leaving little time for the audience to exhale, but then this is a play for teenagers who are pretty much on hormonal high alert 24/7, so the ferocity fit.
In the detention hall, the girls faced off while sitting on raised metal chairs. Their verbal sparring touched on issues of culture, sexuality, betrayal, class and race. At one point, Bijou stopped just short of using the “N” word.
Teenagers attending Monday’s performance listened carefully – the ultimate compliment – and responded thoughtfully during a question period following the show.
“It’s a risky thing having an ending where a rape is hidden instead of reported,” Moscovitch said.
“But when I interviewed the (girl students), they said it was what they would do. I’m hoping the teachers will talk about what went on and what should be done.”
Moscovitch is Ottawa-raised, Toronto-based and a National Theatre School graduate. Her mainstage play East of Berlin – about the son of a Nazi war criminal coming to terms with his father’s past – is a hit with theatre critics this season.
Youtheatre presents In This World at Théâtre Calixa-Lavallée, 3829 Calixa-Lavallée Ave., tomorrow at 7 p.m. For info, call 514-844-8781.
kgreenaway@thegazette.canwest.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Walrus
National Geographic Canada
The Arctic Ocean habitat of the Atlantic walrus ranges from the eastern Canadian Artic all the way to Greenland. This magnificent mammal, whose entire population is classified in one species, Odobenus rosmarus, was relentlessly hunted in previous centuries. European whaling ships slaughtered the walruses, sold their tusks for ivory and used their blubber for oil. As a result, the Atlantic population is still dangerously low. Today, the animals number between 10,000 and 50,000. While the levels are not low enough to warrant an IUCN (The World Conservation Union) listing, hunting the animals for sport or sale is prohibited except for Inuit families, who are allowed to legally kill four walruses per year for subsistence.
The walrus, awkward on land, is surprisingly fluid in the water. The average walrus swims at a rate of seven kilometres per hour but it can reach speeds upwards of 30 kilometres per hour. Preferring to inhabit shallow water regions (40 metres or less) near the coasts of the Artic Ocean, walruses live mainly on ice floes, but the males (bulls), in the summer season, may use inlets or isolated beaches. The females (cows) and the young stay on the ice floes all year round.
Their large tusks, called canines, can grow up to an average of 50 centimeters in length. Stiff beard bristles, or vibrissae, grow like moustaches over their tusks. A walrus uses its tusk for a variety of reasons: cutting through ice, hooking ice for stability while sleeping, helping to pull the body from the water, tearing apart prey for food, and, for males, battling for territories.
Walruses eat animals that live at the bottom of the ocean. On any one day, a walrus could eat mussels, snails, crabs, clams and shellfish. Their huge appetites are sometimes satisfied by eating fish, seals and young whales. A full-grown adult male can weigh up to 1700 kilograms; females are slightly smaller. They have tough, thick skin that becomes flushed when the animal lies in the sun, giving them the appearance of being sunburned.
Humans, polar bears and killer whales are the walrus' natural enemies. They tend to reside in herds on the ice floes, sitting in the company of thousands of other walruses, to protect themselves from their predators. These large congregations are organized according to tusk and body size and, in the non-breeding season, are segregated by the sexes where the young will obviously stay with the cows.
National Geographic Canada
The Arctic Ocean habitat of the Atlantic walrus ranges from the eastern Canadian Artic all the way to Greenland. This magnificent mammal, whose entire population is classified in one species, Odobenus rosmarus, was relentlessly hunted in previous centuries. European whaling ships slaughtered the walruses, sold their tusks for ivory and used their blubber for oil. As a result, the Atlantic population is still dangerously low. Today, the animals number between 10,000 and 50,000. While the levels are not low enough to warrant an IUCN (The World Conservation Union) listing, hunting the animals for sport or sale is prohibited except for Inuit families, who are allowed to legally kill four walruses per year for subsistence.
The walrus, awkward on land, is surprisingly fluid in the water. The average walrus swims at a rate of seven kilometres per hour but it can reach speeds upwards of 30 kilometres per hour. Preferring to inhabit shallow water regions (40 metres or less) near the coasts of the Artic Ocean, walruses live mainly on ice floes, but the males (bulls), in the summer season, may use inlets or isolated beaches. The females (cows) and the young stay on the ice floes all year round.
Their large tusks, called canines, can grow up to an average of 50 centimeters in length. Stiff beard bristles, or vibrissae, grow like moustaches over their tusks. A walrus uses its tusk for a variety of reasons: cutting through ice, hooking ice for stability while sleeping, helping to pull the body from the water, tearing apart prey for food, and, for males, battling for territories.
Walruses eat animals that live at the bottom of the ocean. On any one day, a walrus could eat mussels, snails, crabs, clams and shellfish. Their huge appetites are sometimes satisfied by eating fish, seals and young whales. A full-grown adult male can weigh up to 1700 kilograms; females are slightly smaller. They have tough, thick skin that becomes flushed when the animal lies in the sun, giving them the appearance of being sunburned.
Humans, polar bears and killer whales are the walrus' natural enemies. They tend to reside in herds on the ice floes, sitting in the company of thousands of other walruses, to protect themselves from their predators. These large congregations are organized according to tusk and body size and, in the non-breeding season, are segregated by the sexes where the young will obviously stay with the cows.
Kids with freedom get more exercise
British Study; Research paves way for examining play environments
Reuters
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/parenting/Kids+with+freedom+more+exercise/1223010/story.html
Children whose parents give them more free rein to roam are also more physically active, new research from the United Kingdom shows.
Parents are becoming less and less likely to allow their children this kind of independence, Dr. Angie Page and her colleagues from the University of Bristol point out, and more research is needed on how to change the social and physical environment to allow parents to feel more comfortable giving their children more autonomy.
Page and her team looked at the independent mobility -- the degree to which the children were allowed to move around without adult supervision. An example would be allowing children to walk to school or to a friend's house without being accompanied by an adult.
Parents may be becoming increasingly reluctant to let their children wander on their own due to concerns about traffic dangers or the threat that their child might be molested, the researchers note, or they may also want to spend more time interacting with their children.
Research has shown that children with more independent mobility interact more with other children and their environments, while lower levels of independent mobility could "negatively influence children's emotional, social and cognitive development," and may lead to more sedentary behaviours, putting them at risk of obesity, Page and her colleagues write. Evidence is mounting, they add, that children are spending less time on their own outside the home, and more likely to travel by car when they go out.
To investigate the relationship between independent mobility and physical activity, they looked at 1,307 boys and girls, 10-to-11 years old, attending 23 different schools in a large city. Children wore a device called an accelerometer to measure their physical activity for a week. The researchers looked at both local and area independent mobility, and asked the children how often they were allowed to go to various places on their own or with friends.
Overall, the researchers found, boys had more independent mobility than girls. And the greater a child's independent mobility, the more active he or she was on weekdays. However, the researchers found no link between independent mobility and weekend physical activity.
"Understanding the factors that influence independent mobility is necessary to determine the optimum social and physical environment that encourages parents and adult carers to allow their children to be physically active outside unsupervised," the researchers say.
"This should be in addition to encouraging children [and parents] to be more physically active outside together. Both of these approaches may be important mechanisms to promote increased physical activity in young people," they conclude.
British Study; Research paves way for examining play environments
Reuters
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/parenting/Kids+with+freedom+more+exercise/1223010/story.html
Children whose parents give them more free rein to roam are also more physically active, new research from the United Kingdom shows.
Parents are becoming less and less likely to allow their children this kind of independence, Dr. Angie Page and her colleagues from the University of Bristol point out, and more research is needed on how to change the social and physical environment to allow parents to feel more comfortable giving their children more autonomy.
Page and her team looked at the independent mobility -- the degree to which the children were allowed to move around without adult supervision. An example would be allowing children to walk to school or to a friend's house without being accompanied by an adult.
Parents may be becoming increasingly reluctant to let their children wander on their own due to concerns about traffic dangers or the threat that their child might be molested, the researchers note, or they may also want to spend more time interacting with their children.
Research has shown that children with more independent mobility interact more with other children and their environments, while lower levels of independent mobility could "negatively influence children's emotional, social and cognitive development," and may lead to more sedentary behaviours, putting them at risk of obesity, Page and her colleagues write. Evidence is mounting, they add, that children are spending less time on their own outside the home, and more likely to travel by car when they go out.
To investigate the relationship between independent mobility and physical activity, they looked at 1,307 boys and girls, 10-to-11 years old, attending 23 different schools in a large city. Children wore a device called an accelerometer to measure their physical activity for a week. The researchers looked at both local and area independent mobility, and asked the children how often they were allowed to go to various places on their own or with friends.
Overall, the researchers found, boys had more independent mobility than girls. And the greater a child's independent mobility, the more active he or she was on weekdays. However, the researchers found no link between independent mobility and weekend physical activity.
"Understanding the factors that influence independent mobility is necessary to determine the optimum social and physical environment that encourages parents and adult carers to allow their children to be physically active outside unsupervised," the researchers say.
"This should be in addition to encouraging children [and parents] to be more physically active outside together. Both of these approaches may be important mechanisms to promote increased physical activity in young people," they conclude.
Sci/Tech Not the end of the world
By BBC News Online Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse
Scientists have quashed suggestions that a £350m experiment planned for the autumn could cause the destruction of the Earth.
The director of the laboratory commissioning the machine says there is "no chance" of the atom-smashing experiment causing a disaster, such as a black hole that would devour the entire Earth.
Researchers have spent eight years constructing the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island in New York state. Its goal is to smash the nuclei of atoms together and study their wreckage to determine the fundamental properties of matter.
RHIC takes atoms of gold and swings them around two 3.8 kilometre (2.4 mile) circular tubes where powerful magnets accelerate them to almost the speed of light. When they collide, they do so in minute collisions that are 10,000 times hotter than the Sun.
Scientists hope to create a quark-gluon plasma, a fundamental state of matter that probably has not existed naturally in the Universe since the Big Bang.
Armageddon?
But could they create something else, a mini-black hole perhaps or a new form of particle with unknown properties that could expand and engulf the Earth?
That was the suggestion made recently in the letters section of the Scientific American magazine, "I am concerned that physicists are going where it is unsafe to go," said one correspondent
If a mini black hole was created then some speculate that, in certain circumstances and if it was next to a concentration of mass, it could become stable and continue to grow. It would be drawn towards the centre of the Earth, where it would start to grow. It might engulf the entire Earth within minutes.
Too far-fetched
But it is all a bit-far fetched according to the scientists commissioning the particle collider. John Marburger, Director of Brookhaven Laboratories says: "I am familiar with the issue of possible dire consequences of experiments at the RHIC, which Brookhaven Lab is now commissioning.
"These issues have been raised and examined by responsible scientists who have concluded that there is no chance that any phenomenon produced by RHIC will lead to disaster.
"The amount of matter involved in the RHIC collisions is exceedingly small - only a single pair of atomic nuclei is involved in each collision. Our Universe would have to be extremely unstable in order for such a small amount of energy to cause a large effect."
"On the contrary, the Universe appears to be quite stable against releases of much larger amounts of energy that occur in astrophysical processes."
He emphasises that RHIC collisions will be within the spectrum of energies encompassed by naturally occurring cosmic radiation that strikes the Earth all the time.
Experts in the relevant fields of physics have been asked to produce a single comprehensive report on the safety of each of the speculative "disaster scenarios". When completed it will be placed on the laboratory's web site.
Familiar fear
It is not the first time that scientists and others have worried that they may produce some form of chain-reaction in their particle colliders that may endanger the Earth.
In the 1970's the Russian physicist Yakob Zeldovich expressed concern that experiments being carried out at the Cern European particle physics centre in Switzerland may result in catastrophe. He later carried out more calculations and decided that his fears were groundless.
In 1995 protestors picketed the Fermilab laboratory near Chicago carrying the banner "Fermilab: home of the next supernova." Experts said their fears were baseless.
By BBC News Online Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse
Scientists have quashed suggestions that a £350m experiment planned for the autumn could cause the destruction of the Earth.
The director of the laboratory commissioning the machine says there is "no chance" of the atom-smashing experiment causing a disaster, such as a black hole that would devour the entire Earth.
Researchers have spent eight years constructing the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island in New York state. Its goal is to smash the nuclei of atoms together and study their wreckage to determine the fundamental properties of matter.
RHIC takes atoms of gold and swings them around two 3.8 kilometre (2.4 mile) circular tubes where powerful magnets accelerate them to almost the speed of light. When they collide, they do so in minute collisions that are 10,000 times hotter than the Sun.
Scientists hope to create a quark-gluon plasma, a fundamental state of matter that probably has not existed naturally in the Universe since the Big Bang.
Armageddon?
But could they create something else, a mini-black hole perhaps or a new form of particle with unknown properties that could expand and engulf the Earth?
That was the suggestion made recently in the letters section of the Scientific American magazine, "I am concerned that physicists are going where it is unsafe to go," said one correspondent
If a mini black hole was created then some speculate that, in certain circumstances and if it was next to a concentration of mass, it could become stable and continue to grow. It would be drawn towards the centre of the Earth, where it would start to grow. It might engulf the entire Earth within minutes.
Too far-fetched
But it is all a bit-far fetched according to the scientists commissioning the particle collider. John Marburger, Director of Brookhaven Laboratories says: "I am familiar with the issue of possible dire consequences of experiments at the RHIC, which Brookhaven Lab is now commissioning.
"These issues have been raised and examined by responsible scientists who have concluded that there is no chance that any phenomenon produced by RHIC will lead to disaster.
"The amount of matter involved in the RHIC collisions is exceedingly small - only a single pair of atomic nuclei is involved in each collision. Our Universe would have to be extremely unstable in order for such a small amount of energy to cause a large effect."
"On the contrary, the Universe appears to be quite stable against releases of much larger amounts of energy that occur in astrophysical processes."
He emphasises that RHIC collisions will be within the spectrum of energies encompassed by naturally occurring cosmic radiation that strikes the Earth all the time.
Experts in the relevant fields of physics have been asked to produce a single comprehensive report on the safety of each of the speculative "disaster scenarios". When completed it will be placed on the laboratory's web site.
Familiar fear
It is not the first time that scientists and others have worried that they may produce some form of chain-reaction in their particle colliders that may endanger the Earth.
In the 1970's the Russian physicist Yakob Zeldovich expressed concern that experiments being carried out at the Cern European particle physics centre in Switzerland may result in catastrophe. He later carried out more calculations and decided that his fears were groundless.
In 1995 protestors picketed the Fermilab laboratory near Chicago carrying the banner "Fermilab: home of the next supernova." Experts said their fears were baseless.
Extreme kids
If your child jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?
By Debbie Olsen, For The Calgary Herald
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/parenting/Extreme+kids/1402036/story.html
Extreme sports like bungee jumping are becoming more popular with people of all ages. Many activities that were once the domain of adventurous adults are available for the younger set--providing they have parental approval. The tough thing as a parent is deciding whether an activity is too extreme for your comfort level--or theirs.
When it comes to risk-taking, sometimes it's best to let your children stretch their wings with carefully controlled activities. On a recent trip to New Zealand, our two teenaged boys were excited to try bungee jumping. The other four members of our family were not as eager, but we all climbed up the Auckland Bridge and stood beside the bungee platform to cheer on the dare devils. The experience gave new meaning to the old question: "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump to?"
Here are some ideas for extreme (and not so extreme) activities.
THE ORIGINAL BUNGEE JUMP
In 1986, A. J. Hacket made his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge. He opened the world's first permanent commercial bungee site at Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown not long afterward. He is one of the world's largest commercial bungee operators with permanent sites in New Zealand and around the world.
Two of our boys decided they'd like to bungee jump with the world's original operator off the Auckland Bridge. Like millions of adventurous souls before them, they lived to tell the tale.Info:It costs about $85 Cdn to bungee jump off the Auckland Bridge and that includes an A. J. Hackett Bungee T-shirt. (bungy. co. nz).
Hint: For about $24 Cdn per person, you can climb to the bungee platform and watch your friend or family member take the plunge off the Auckland Bridge. The views from the top are worth the fee, but seeing your loved one drop from the top is priceless.
ZORBING
As we rounded the stretch of New Zealand highway that leads into Rotorua we caught our first glimpse of the Zorb, a large sphere that looks like a giant beach ball. Inside the larger ball was a smaller one and inside of that was a tourist who was running down the hill like a hamster in an exercise ball. Our kids knew it was something they just had to try.Info:The zorb was invented in New Zealand and there are several places there and around the world where you can experience zorbing. It costs about $30 Cdn for one ride in Rotorua. (zorb. co. nz).
TANDEM PARASAILING
Sammy Duvall's Watersport Centre at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Florida offers a unique parasailing experience for families that provides a bird's-eye view of Walt Disney World that maxes out at 180 metres in height.Info:Parasailing flights start at $95 US for a single rider or $170 for two tandem riders. All fliers must be over six years old and the total weight on the parachute must be between 57 kg and 150 kg. ( sammyduvall.com).
TANDEM HANG-GLIDING
It takes months of training to be able to solo hang-glide, but novices can enjoy a tandem flight in a single morning. With an instructor by your side, you are towed 2,000 feet into the air and free fly for 15 to 20 minutes. While in the air, your instructor teaches you how to steer the glider using your body weight. People from ages four to 40 have enjoyed the experience and on a recent visit to Orlando, my 10-year-old daughter and I gave it a try. Exhilarating!
Info: A standard tandem instruction flight costs $120 at Wallaby Ranch near Orlando.( wallaby.com).
SAFETY FIRST
It's important to check out a company's safety measures as well as its safety record prior to participating in any type of extreme activity. Wearing proper safety gear for the activity such as helmets, pads, and proper clothing and having adequate travel medical insurance in place is also a must.
Debbie Olsen is an Alberta-based freelance writer and mother of four children.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
If your child jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?
By Debbie Olsen, For The Calgary Herald
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/parenting/Extreme+kids/1402036/story.html
Extreme sports like bungee jumping are becoming more popular with people of all ages. Many activities that were once the domain of adventurous adults are available for the younger set--providing they have parental approval. The tough thing as a parent is deciding whether an activity is too extreme for your comfort level--or theirs.
When it comes to risk-taking, sometimes it's best to let your children stretch their wings with carefully controlled activities. On a recent trip to New Zealand, our two teenaged boys were excited to try bungee jumping. The other four members of our family were not as eager, but we all climbed up the Auckland Bridge and stood beside the bungee platform to cheer on the dare devils. The experience gave new meaning to the old question: "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump to?"
Here are some ideas for extreme (and not so extreme) activities.
THE ORIGINAL BUNGEE JUMP
In 1986, A. J. Hacket made his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge. He opened the world's first permanent commercial bungee site at Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown not long afterward. He is one of the world's largest commercial bungee operators with permanent sites in New Zealand and around the world.
Two of our boys decided they'd like to bungee jump with the world's original operator off the Auckland Bridge. Like millions of adventurous souls before them, they lived to tell the tale.Info:It costs about $85 Cdn to bungee jump off the Auckland Bridge and that includes an A. J. Hackett Bungee T-shirt. (bungy. co. nz).
Hint: For about $24 Cdn per person, you can climb to the bungee platform and watch your friend or family member take the plunge off the Auckland Bridge. The views from the top are worth the fee, but seeing your loved one drop from the top is priceless.
ZORBING
As we rounded the stretch of New Zealand highway that leads into Rotorua we caught our first glimpse of the Zorb, a large sphere that looks like a giant beach ball. Inside the larger ball was a smaller one and inside of that was a tourist who was running down the hill like a hamster in an exercise ball. Our kids knew it was something they just had to try.Info:The zorb was invented in New Zealand and there are several places there and around the world where you can experience zorbing. It costs about $30 Cdn for one ride in Rotorua. (zorb. co. nz).
TANDEM PARASAILING
Sammy Duvall's Watersport Centre at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Florida offers a unique parasailing experience for families that provides a bird's-eye view of Walt Disney World that maxes out at 180 metres in height.Info:Parasailing flights start at $95 US for a single rider or $170 for two tandem riders. All fliers must be over six years old and the total weight on the parachute must be between 57 kg and 150 kg. ( sammyduvall.com).
TANDEM HANG-GLIDING
It takes months of training to be able to solo hang-glide, but novices can enjoy a tandem flight in a single morning. With an instructor by your side, you are towed 2,000 feet into the air and free fly for 15 to 20 minutes. While in the air, your instructor teaches you how to steer the glider using your body weight. People from ages four to 40 have enjoyed the experience and on a recent visit to Orlando, my 10-year-old daughter and I gave it a try. Exhilarating!
Info: A standard tandem instruction flight costs $120 at Wallaby Ranch near Orlando.( wallaby.com).
SAFETY FIRST
It's important to check out a company's safety measures as well as its safety record prior to participating in any type of extreme activity. Wearing proper safety gear for the activity such as helmets, pads, and proper clothing and having adequate travel medical insurance in place is also a must.
Debbie Olsen is an Alberta-based freelance writer and mother of four children.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
British-built robotic fish to detect pollution
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/personal-tech/British+built+robotic+fish+detect+pollution/1405840/story.html
LONDON - A shoal of robotic fish which can detect pollution in the water are set to released into the sea off Spain, British scientists said Thursday.
The fish, which are some 1.5 metres long and resemble carp, will be fitted with detectors which can identify the sources of pollution, such as ship fuel or chemicals in the water.
Five of the robots, worth some 20,000 pounds ($29,000 US) each, are being released into the Bay of Biscay at Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year joint project between engineering consultancy BMT Group and researchers at Essex University in southeast England.
The robots, which have an eight-hour battery and do not require remote control, are set to be released in around 18 months' time.
"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located," said Professor Huosheng Hu of Essex University, whose team is building the fish.
If successful, they hope the fish could be used around the world to prevent the spread of pollution.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/personal-tech/British+built+robotic+fish+detect+pollution/1405840/story.html
LONDON - A shoal of robotic fish which can detect pollution in the water are set to released into the sea off Spain, British scientists said Thursday.
The fish, which are some 1.5 metres long and resemble carp, will be fitted with detectors which can identify the sources of pollution, such as ship fuel or chemicals in the water.
Five of the robots, worth some 20,000 pounds ($29,000 US) each, are being released into the Bay of Biscay at Gijon in northern Spain as part of a three-year joint project between engineering consultancy BMT Group and researchers at Essex University in southeast England.
The robots, which have an eight-hour battery and do not require remote control, are set to be released in around 18 months' time.
"The hope is that this will prevent potentially hazardous discharges at sea as the leak would undoubtedly get worse over time if not located," said Professor Huosheng Hu of Essex University, whose team is building the fish.
If successful, they hope the fish could be used around the world to prevent the spread of pollution.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Canada's Vampiress
By Katherine Monk, Canwest News ServiceMarch 20, 2009 11:02 AM
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Canada+Vampiress/1409722/story.html
Rachelle Lefevre doesn't want to sound like a walking cliche, but she really is "over the moon" these days thanks to the imminent start of New Moon, the latest instalment in Stephanie Meyer's 'tweener vampire sensation.'
Lefevre landed the role of "evil vampire Victoria" in the original Twilight, and come March 23, she'll be back on the west coast when camera goes up on the new movie's Vancouver shoot.
Lefevre likes working in her home and native land. Born and raised in Montreal as the daughter of an English teacher and psychologist, Lefevre has a long resume that includes smaller parts in U.S. and Canadian episodics, but it's her role in Twilight - which hits DVD March 21 - and the forthcoming New Moon that really set her star aflame.
Even though Victoria doesn't occupy large swaths of screen time, Lefevre says she's been enjoying the best of both worlds since she faced down Kristen Stewart's Bella Swan in a rogue baseball match.
"I don't even feel famous," Lefevre says from her home in Los Angeles. "And that's good. I feel like I'm a part of something with a huge fan base and that's entirely different. It's not about me at all. It's about the work that Stephenie Meyer created, so while I may be photographed at a Twilight party, I'm not stopped on the streets of Los Angeles."
Lefevre says she still has her own life, and her own privacy, and she's smart and wise enough to know just how valuable those intangibles are.
"The way I look at it is that I don't have to experience any of the downs that famous people have. I can hang out with my new puppy and my boyfriend, play Wii tennis, and be a real person."
Lefevre's insight into the empty vessel of fame is the result of her grounded upbringing with well-adjusted and educated parents, as well as her Canadian identity, she says.
"I'm not criticizing the States at all. But when you're raised in Canada, you're brought up with a different appreciation of difference. We have the mosaic model instead of embracing this general trend of assimilation - where people are encouraged to believe in the same things," she says.
"I was taught to be inquisitive about people and to respect their uniqueness."
When you realize everyone is different, and everyone has intrinsic social value, Lefevre says the drive for fame loses its urgency because the need to stand out from the uniform masses disappears.
The other upside of her Canadian upbringing relates directly to her craft.
Lefevre says acting demands a surrender of self, and a desire to explore the other perspectives and value systems - two ideals built right into the Canadian experience.
"I remember when we were shooting the big vampire baseball game, and I had this impulse to run my fingers down Nikki Reed's leg - like a creepy bug. I didn't do it on the first take because I thought about it too much and censored myself," says Lefevre, who actually wrote Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke a letter explaining her long-standing vampire fixation and her deep desire for the role.
"We learn to suppress negative impulses, which is good - unless you're playing an evil vampire. Victoria does not censor herself, so it's been really liberating to play a character who just says what's she's feeling."
Lefevre says she even solicited her psychologist mother for some professional advice on the symptoms of various psychoses.
"I wanted Victoria to be playful and powerful, but not a sociopath. There's no pathology to her evil. I think she's just an example of what happens when you have absolute power: It corrupts absolutely," she says.
"And let's face it: If you were more powerful than every other person on the planet, you'd start looking at everyone else as inferior beings. Victoria also sees humans as food, too, which doesn't help with the empathy."
Victoria's role gets a little heftier in New Moon as she seeks to avenge Bella Swan for the death of her lover, James, but Lefevre says it's not about the cumulative screen time. She just feels lucky to be a part of such a great project.
"I've been fascinated by vampires for a long time," says Lefevre.
Immortality and the ability to outwit death is appealing to any mere mortal, but the real attraction behind New Moon and the entire Twilight saga is epic romance, says Lefevre.
"When you're in your teens and tweens, you don't really understand all these strange feelings that you have. One year, a boy beats up on you. The next year, he gives you butterflies and you think he's cute," says Lefevre.
"Sure, (vampirism) is about sexuality, but these books help young people explore that sexuality in a safe way."
The other attraction is plain as day: "The dark side can be fascinating. And for Bella and Edward, there is no happily ever after," says Lefevre. "In that way, the series is a lot like real life."
Twilight hits DVD March 20. New Moon is tentatively slated for a November 2009 release.
By Katherine Monk, Canwest News ServiceMarch 20, 2009 11:02 AM
From: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Canada+Vampiress/1409722/story.html
Rachelle Lefevre doesn't want to sound like a walking cliche, but she really is "over the moon" these days thanks to the imminent start of New Moon, the latest instalment in Stephanie Meyer's 'tweener vampire sensation.'
Lefevre landed the role of "evil vampire Victoria" in the original Twilight, and come March 23, she'll be back on the west coast when camera goes up on the new movie's Vancouver shoot.
Lefevre likes working in her home and native land. Born and raised in Montreal as the daughter of an English teacher and psychologist, Lefevre has a long resume that includes smaller parts in U.S. and Canadian episodics, but it's her role in Twilight - which hits DVD March 21 - and the forthcoming New Moon that really set her star aflame.
Even though Victoria doesn't occupy large swaths of screen time, Lefevre says she's been enjoying the best of both worlds since she faced down Kristen Stewart's Bella Swan in a rogue baseball match.
"I don't even feel famous," Lefevre says from her home in Los Angeles. "And that's good. I feel like I'm a part of something with a huge fan base and that's entirely different. It's not about me at all. It's about the work that Stephenie Meyer created, so while I may be photographed at a Twilight party, I'm not stopped on the streets of Los Angeles."
Lefevre says she still has her own life, and her own privacy, and she's smart and wise enough to know just how valuable those intangibles are.
"The way I look at it is that I don't have to experience any of the downs that famous people have. I can hang out with my new puppy and my boyfriend, play Wii tennis, and be a real person."
Lefevre's insight into the empty vessel of fame is the result of her grounded upbringing with well-adjusted and educated parents, as well as her Canadian identity, she says.
"I'm not criticizing the States at all. But when you're raised in Canada, you're brought up with a different appreciation of difference. We have the mosaic model instead of embracing this general trend of assimilation - where people are encouraged to believe in the same things," she says.
"I was taught to be inquisitive about people and to respect their uniqueness."
When you realize everyone is different, and everyone has intrinsic social value, Lefevre says the drive for fame loses its urgency because the need to stand out from the uniform masses disappears.
The other upside of her Canadian upbringing relates directly to her craft.
Lefevre says acting demands a surrender of self, and a desire to explore the other perspectives and value systems - two ideals built right into the Canadian experience.
"I remember when we were shooting the big vampire baseball game, and I had this impulse to run my fingers down Nikki Reed's leg - like a creepy bug. I didn't do it on the first take because I thought about it too much and censored myself," says Lefevre, who actually wrote Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke a letter explaining her long-standing vampire fixation and her deep desire for the role.
"We learn to suppress negative impulses, which is good - unless you're playing an evil vampire. Victoria does not censor herself, so it's been really liberating to play a character who just says what's she's feeling."
Lefevre says she even solicited her psychologist mother for some professional advice on the symptoms of various psychoses.
"I wanted Victoria to be playful and powerful, but not a sociopath. There's no pathology to her evil. I think she's just an example of what happens when you have absolute power: It corrupts absolutely," she says.
"And let's face it: If you were more powerful than every other person on the planet, you'd start looking at everyone else as inferior beings. Victoria also sees humans as food, too, which doesn't help with the empathy."
Victoria's role gets a little heftier in New Moon as she seeks to avenge Bella Swan for the death of her lover, James, but Lefevre says it's not about the cumulative screen time. She just feels lucky to be a part of such a great project.
"I've been fascinated by vampires for a long time," says Lefevre.
Immortality and the ability to outwit death is appealing to any mere mortal, but the real attraction behind New Moon and the entire Twilight saga is epic romance, says Lefevre.
"When you're in your teens and tweens, you don't really understand all these strange feelings that you have. One year, a boy beats up on you. The next year, he gives you butterflies and you think he's cute," says Lefevre.
"Sure, (vampirism) is about sexuality, but these books help young people explore that sexuality in a safe way."
The other attraction is plain as day: "The dark side can be fascinating. And for Bella and Edward, there is no happily ever after," says Lefevre. "In that way, the series is a lot like real life."
Twilight hits DVD March 20. New Moon is tentatively slated for a November 2009 release.
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