Silkworms have been genetically engineered to spin spider silk

Scientists from University of Wyoming, who published their research in the PNAS journal, say their ultimate goal is to produce silk from worms that has the toughness of spider silk. Spider silk, weight-for-weight, is stronger than steel. The team say the silkworm silk has a whole range of biomedical applications, including uses for bulletproof vests, sports gear and airbags for vehicles.

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Bike With Laser Light

A Korean company called Slancio makes safety light that includes a requisite set of flashing red LEDs, but also a pair of lasers that produce a thin set of lines on the road on either side of your bike.

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Is The Right Time For Space Traffic Control?

The same drivers that led to the global air traffic control system on Earth could  also result in the creation of an analogous space traffic control (STC) system, as the quantity of space debris continues to increase.

In 1978 NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler, predicted a scenario in which the density of objects in LEO would become high enough that collisions between objects could cause a kind of chain reaction, with each collision generating further space debris and increasing the likelihood of further collisions. In the air domain, it is sometimes appropriate to designate regions as “no-fly zones”. Without appropriate STC measures it may become necessary to designate certain altitudes as “no-orbit zones” to avoid the Kessler scenario.

So, is the time right for Space Traffic Control?
Stuart Eves, Lead Mission Concepts Engineer at SSTL (and now on secondment at Astrium), recently presented the concept of STC at a lecture for the Royal Aeronautical Society, and has suggested that the key aims of an effective system should be to:
· Track smaller debris objects than is currently achieved.
· Reduce the tracking errors around space objects to improve collision avoidance operations.
· Increase the frequency of space object tracking.
· Improve space weather monitoring.
Achieving these aims requires new, global collaborations, data sharing, and a robust regulatory system, much like the one operated to ensure the safety of air traffic on Earth. Some of the technical considerations for such a system are discussed more fully below.
Solar Activity and Space Weather
The Sun’s 11-year activity cycle has a direct effect on the density of the Earth’s atmosphere, and hence the drag experienced by satellites in low Earth orbit. The more solar activity there is, the more extended the upper atmosphere becomes. An improved understanding of solar activity would allow us to more accurately predict the time-variant drag that our atmosphere is creating, and hence make more astute future predictions of satellite and debris orbits. This would also improve our models of when space debris will be pulled down to burn up in the earth’s atmosphere.
Forecasting and modelling of space weather is also of vital importance to the space-faring community, especially the frequency and severity of extreme events that may impact on the operational functionality of spacecraft, and more importantly, the health of any astronauts inside. 


Ellipsoid reduction
More accurately tracking the location of space debris is another way to reduce the risk of collisions and reducing the size of the object’s “error ellipsoid” is required to achieve this. An error ellipsoid is a three dimensional representation of the uncertainty in the position of an object in space. A range of factors can affect the shape of these ellipsoids, but in LEO it is dominated by the drag that the earth’s atmosphere is creating on that object.

  An error ellipsoid can be made smaller through the sharing of orbital data between satellite operators. As with Air Traffic Control, where aircraft are required to report their positions when they are in uncontrolled airspace, satellite operators could report their current orbital positions and planned manoeuvres to each other periodically. Work like this is currently voluntarily carried out by a small group of satellite operators that make up the Space Data Association [http://www.space-data.org/sda/], but in future it could be made a mandatory regulation. 


Launch notification
At present there is no global requirement to provide up-to-date information or tracking of any of the various objects entering space, including the pieces of the launch vehicles themselves that do not return to Earth. A new regulation could see the mandatory provision of orbital information on launch vehicles and payloads – the number of separate objects that will be injected into orbit, their positioning, size and weight. In time there could also be regulations governing the design of the launchers, limiting the number of debris objects generated by each launch. 
Object tracking
Currently (and perhaps surprisingly) there is no requirement for spacecraft to carry any form of tracking device, or to share orbit and positioning data. Under a new space traffic control system, satellites could be required to periodically broadcast their positions to a network of receivers, based either on Earth or to a secondary monitoring network based in orbit, relying on data relay satellites to collect and transmit multiple space object position and velocity data for analysis. Many satellites in orbit today do carry beacons or GPS receiver systems. However these have the drawback of increasing the mass and cost of the mission for the satellite operator and they also draw some of the satellite’s power in order to operate, so some manufacturers are reluctant to include them in their designs. Also, once the satellite’s life cycle is over a powered tracking system is longer operable.
One tracking method that negotiates this problem is laser retro-reflectors. These are special mirrors, angled so that any light shone onto them is reflected back to the source. Laser retro-reflectors do not require any power, so even once the satellite has reached the end of its operational lifetime this system could still be used to track it very accurately.

Another approach to improve the knowledge of the orbital population would be to perform more tracking from LEO via space situational awareness spacecraft such as Sapphire. These missions offer near-real-time continuous reporting, without any interference from the various factors that limit tracking from Earth, such as the day-night cycle and adverse weather.


Telemetry data and station-keeping manoeuvres

Another possible aid to collision avoidance would be the reporting of satellite telemetry data to a central regulatory body. Telemetry data documents the satellite’s state of health, orbit and attitude through the use of on-board sensors and thus a regulatory body could provide early warnings of when satellites are experiencing problems which might impact on other nearby satellites, and so give operators more time to take precautionary measures, such as performing avoidance manoeuvres. It would also be an obvious benefit to share information on planned manoeuvres, de-orbit burns, and deployment of de-orbit sails with the global space community.

The rise of the cubesats – a new threat?

Although many of these suggested regulations would be difficult for very small satellites, such as cubesats, to adhere to, it could be argued that a less restrictive set of regulations could be applied to these microsats if they were placed into a very low orbit, at less than 500km above earth, thereby ensuring that they would re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up within a year or two. And if it is judged that their sheer numbers, increasing year-on-year, is the bigger problem, then a cap could be agreed, using some kind of global licensing.

Debris removal

There has been much talk lately about putting mandatory requirements on satellite owners/operators to provide space debris removal systems on future spacecraft and for space agencies to fund active debris removal missions. This would be a useful part of any STC system, but the “value” of removing any given piece of debris will depend on parameters such as:

· Mass/size
· Expected natural lifetime
· Current orbit
· Number of other objects in a possible collision path/zone

In the final analysis, international space traffic control standards to regulate satellite operators are undoubtedly in the best interests of everyone who relies on satellites in their daily lives – and these days that is just about everyone on the planet. After all, with space traffic control, the space industry stays in business!

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Gulf of Mexico oil slick captured by satellite

SSTL’s satellite imaging subsidiary DMCii has used its UK-DMC2 satellite to monitor the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. Satellite imagery is being supplied to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), and the US Geological Survey (USGS) following an activation of the International Charter : Space and Major Disasters. 

 UK-DMC2 and its five siblings in the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) of satellites are able to provide daily imaging of the oil slick if required, detecting changes in the spill and tracking changes in direction. Current reports indicate that the oil click is moving towards the Florida coastline, having already reached land and affected Louisiana fisheries. The DMC satellites use specially designed SSTL imaging payloads to image the Earth at resolutions between 4m and 32m across an ultra-wide 600km-plus swath (width).

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The challenges of spacecraft assembly, integration and test (AIT)

Every SSTL satellite undergoes meticulous inspection and thorough testing before it is launched into space, in order to withstand the tough conditions outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

SSTL's spacecraft are designed around a stack of module trays with each module performing a different function for the mission, such as power management, navigation, on-board computing, communication and propulsion.

Modules are assembled in the Flight Assembly cleanroom, one of a suite of cleanrooms housed in SSTL’s Kepler Building, and then tested for functionality and performance by design engineers in the huge first floor Laboratory, before being delivered into the Assembly Integration and Test Hall. Here the module trays are handed over to the AIT engineers and the process of stacking them in the structure, connecting them together, and attaching the solar panels, to form the flight-ready spacecraft begins.
  When Space Blog visited SSTL, a DMC3 spacecraft and the Kaz-MRES spacecraft were visible in the AIT Hall, undergoing assembly and testing.

Space Blog spoke to Steve Forster, Senior Assembly Integration and Test Engineer, to get a better understanding of the procedures that lead to a spacecraft being given SSTL’s ‘Space-ready seal of approval’. In this Blog we’ll cover the process up to what’s known as the ‘soft stack’ phase.
 

Steve explains that the Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) campaign for every SSTL spacecraft starts with the flight harness - the craft’s complex series of wires, interconnections and connectors - and the Electrical Ground Support System Equipment (EGSE) that forms the ‘mission control’ for the testing process. To manufacture the harness to an exact fit, a wooden replica of the spacecraft, affectionately referred to at SSTL as ‘WoodSat’, is made. Then the thousands of wires and connectors that make up the spacecraft’s flight harness and which will ultimately link the spacecraft’s individual modules together are overlaid onto WoodSat. This process safely allows the wires to be cut to exact lengths and routed correctly around WoodSat in readiness for transferring the flight harness to the real spacecraf.

 

 Once the module trays have been assembled and delivered into AIT, the ‘soft stack’ phase can begin where the spacecraft sub-systems are assembled into a ‘Flat Sat’ configuration and functional and performance tests are conducted to verify the interfaces between the modules. Tests include ambient pressure thermal cycling, conducted within SSTL’s 125 cubic metre walk-in thermal chamber, which can be used to check the workmanship, function and performance aspects of the spacecraft by subjecting it to temperatures ranging from -30 to +70 degrees centigrade in less than 90 minutes if required. During the final stages of the ‘soft stack’ phase the team then assemble the spacecraft using the flight structure, all the way up to mating the solar panels. 

 However, this is just a dress rehearsal and makes the spacecraft strong enough to handle but not fully ready for flight : the fasteners are only partially tightened and don’t have yet have adhesive applied – a process known as head staking.

 

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Solar Power Plant With a Molten Salt

Gemasolar is a concentrated solar power plant with a molten salt heat storage system. It is located within the city limits of Fuentes de Andalucía in the province of Seville, Spain.
  
  Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemasolar_Thermosolar_Plant

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67 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Weight-Part-4

Tips to Track

51. Jot it down

If using fancy apps seems too daunting, research suggests there’s still merit to the old pen and paper. Monitoring our food intake with a food diary can help to lose and maintain weight [80]. In fact people who stick to food diaries are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t [81] [82]. Recording each bite helps us be aware of not only the foods we eat, but when, and how much we eat them [83].

52. Use an app a day

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that using a mobile device was more effective in helping people lose weight than tracking diets on paper [84]. Apps like Fitocracy, MyFitnessPal, and StrongLIfts help users track daily activity, food intake, and gamify weight loss by awarding points for workouts. Tracking with the help of apps may help us regulate our behavior and be mindful of our health and fitness choices.

53. Get trackin’

Writing stuff down may be helpful, but it’s tough to accurately gauge how much we move every day (and not just on the treadmill). Invest in an on-body device like the BodyMedia trackers or the Nike+ FuelBand to monitor energy burn. Or invest in a pedometer to track daily steps. Studies show that individuals who walk more tend to be thinner than those who walk less, and pedometer-based walking programs result in weight loss [85] [86].

54. Point and Shoot

We can write down what we eat, but when we look back a week later we may have a tough time visualizing exactly what a meal looked like. A quicker, and perhaps more telling, alternative is to take photos of each meal. A small study showed that photographic food diaries could alter attitudes and behaviors associated with food choices more likely than written diaries [87]. Grab a camera and get snapping!

Tips for Exercising

55. Pump up the jam

Pack your playlist with upbeat tunes. Research shows music that has 180 beats per minute — like, say, "Hey Ya" by OutKast — will naturally prompt a quicker pace [88]. Plus, music serves as a distraction, which can help take attention off a grueling gym sesh.

56. Avoid injuries

Right when you’re all gung-ho about hitting the gym and getting fit, there’s nothing worse than a pulled hammy or pesky shin splints. Read up on how to avoid the most common yoga injuries (often from over-stretching and misalignment), and running injuries (like stress fractures, pulled muscles, and blisters) to make sure you’re in tip-top shape to get in shape. Make sure to get in a good warm-up, too. Studies show we perform our best and better avoid injury after warming up [89] [90].

57. Choose Free Weights

We’ve already praised strength training, but it gets even better when you set yourself free. And by that, we mean step off the leg-press and start squatting with a pair of dumbbells. Working out with free weights can activate muscles more effectively, and as we’ve learned, muscle can torch calories [91] [92].

58. Get functional

Functional exercise has been shown to increase strength and balance and reduce risk of injury all while working multiple muscle groups at the same time [93]. All that movement promotes muscle gain, which can increase metabolism, which can over time help shed fat [94]. Added bonus: Functional exercises can help make real life tasks, like hauling groceries up the stairs, a lot easier.

59. Swig some caffeine

Getting a morning jolt from java may be a part of your daily routine, but sipping some coffee before a workout can actually boost endurance during exercise [95] [96]. How’s it work? Caffeine slows glycogen depletion (the starch our bodies turn to for energy during exercise) by encouraging the body to use fat for fuel first [97].

60. Let go of limitations

Getting a good workout in isn’t limited to a gym or track, use your bodyweight or build a home gym to get that sweat on.

61. Partner up

A new study suggests we perform better on aerobic tasks like running and cycling when exercising with a partner [98] [99]. Hitting the gym with a friend, coworker, or family member can also increase accountability, so grab a buddy and try out some of our favorite partner exercises like medicine ball lunge-to-chest passes, and reach-and-touch planks.

62. Don’t rely on the monitor

Gym machine monitors (like on a treadmill or elliptical) may not be so reliable. They sometimes display higher calorie burn, and we may overcompensate and eat too much.

63. Strength Train

Pumping iron not only gives us sexy muscles, but can boost resting metabolism (that means burning more calories outside the gym) plus improve mood and confidence [100] [101] [102] [103]. Lifting a little weight can also help us sleep, another factor in effective weight loss [104]. If we haven’t convinced you to take to the dumbbells quite yet, there’s also this: Strength training takes just a couple weeks to see results and reep the benefits!

64. HIIT it

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combines periods of intense effort with periods of moderate-to-low effort. What’s so great about it? Interval training burns more calories and boosts metabolism significantly longer than a steady workout of even longer length [105] [106]. Added bonus: Interval training gets more done in less time.

65. Get hot in bed

Working up a sweat in bed can burn more than 144 calories in just a half an hour. Having sex also reduces blood pressure and overall stress levels (and stress can lead to weight gain) [107]. Need we say more?

66. Stand up

It may sound ludacris to peel your tush from a desk chair at work, but sitting all day has been linked to obesity, poor posture, and chromic pain [108]. Try a sit-stand workstation to switch things up and burn some more calories.

67. Step on it

A simple phrase for losing weight is to move more and eat less. The secret here is that moving doesn’t just mean hitting the track or going to the gym. Make the conscious decision to get more steps into the day by taking the stairs, having a walking meeting, or parking the car far away from the grocery store entrance.

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67 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Weight -Part-3

Tips for Drinking

30. Sip Green Tea

Drinking green tea is one of the most common tips for shedding a few pounds, and for good reason — green tea is known for its ability to metabolize fat [44] [45]. And in combination with resistance training, green tea increases the potential for fat loss [46]. Add a squeeze of lemon for a little flavor and to amp up antioxidant affects [47].

31. Gulp H2O

Kick the diet beverages and vitamin enhanced money traps to the curb and reach for good ‘ole H2O instead. Drinking water helps people feel full, and as a result, consume fewer calories [48] [49]. Drinking water also significantly elevates resting energy expenditure (basically the number of calories we’d burn if we sat around all day) and lower water intake is associated with obesity [50] [51].

32. Sip before noshing

Pregaming a meal with a glass of water has been linked with more weight loss than cutting calories alone [52]. Take some mid-set breaks and guzzle a little water between bites too to give the brain time to register fullness [53].

33. Cut back on liquid cals

Milk and cookies, orange juice and French toast, wine and cheese — some foods seemingly require a liquid counterpart. But, it’s easy to pour on the pounds by chugging soda, juice, alcohol, and even milk on the reg [54].  Sugar sweetened beverages are associated with increased body fat and blood pressure [55].

34. Water it down

When you’ve simply got to have a swig of juice with that morning bowl of oatmeal, try watering it down. While it may sound entirely unappealing, gradually adding more water to less juice will keep some of the flavor without all the sugar and calories. Added incentive: Increasing water intake in place of sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juices is associated with lower long-term weight gain [56].

35. Choose tall and thin

So we know we said to cut back on the juice and soda, but when you’ve got a hankering from some morning orange juice, reach for a tall thin glass, not a short squatty one. While it may sound like you’re discriminating against your glasses, research shows that people pour less liquid into tall narrow glasses than into their vertically challenged counterparts, meaning we’ll ultimately (probably) drink less in one sitting. This is especially helpful when drinking alcohol [57].

36. Banish the booze

We probably don’t have to tell you that partying like an undergrad may pack on a few pounds. And you’ve likely heard the phrase “drink in moderation.” The point is, alcohol houses a lot of sneaky calories and it has the ability to inhibit eating decisions (mmm, greasy pizza) later on in the night. Even after you’ve sobered up, alcohol can have negative impacts on strength and may leave you lagging in the weight room days later [58] [59].

Tips for Being Mindful

37. Brush those pearly whites

After dinner, go ahead and brush your teeth. Getting minty fresh breath not only has the obvious oral health benefits, but can also keep you from mindlessly snacking while watching a pre-bed TV show. Not a bad idea to hit up the floss, too. Once both deeds are done, we may be more inclined to keep our mouths clean before bed.

38. Set realistic goals

It’s easy, especially come New Year’s resolution season, to set some pretty unrealistic goals about weight loss (fit into skinny jeans in three days!) [60]. Since impractical goals can slow down long-term weight-loss, it’s important to address those goals before making any health and fitness changes [61].

39. Portion patrol

Practicing portion control is one of the easiest, most reliable ways to lose weight, but it’s not an easy task [62] [63]. Portion distortion is ever present, but it may help to use portion visuals, for instance — a serving of chicken (3 ounces) is roughly the size of a deck of cards [64].

40. Stay Positive

Many of us demonize certain foods, and even punish ourselves for certain indulgences. Instead, positive messages like “I can control my eating” or “I’m proud that I ate responsibly today” can reframe our relationship with food. Research shows that positive expectations are also associated with weight loss [65].

41. Think on it

How satiated we feel a few hours after we eat depends not on how much we actually scarfed down but on how much we think we ate. It pays to pay attention to what we eat... it’s actually okay to eat with our eyes [66].

42. Meditate

Emotional eating — essentially eating to make ourselves feel better (often when we’re sad or anxious) — can interfere with weight loss goals [67]. But meditation — using techniques like muscle relaxation and achieving self focus — can help binge eaters become aware of how they turn to food to deal with emotions [68]. Check out these 10 ways to meditate.

43. Reel off mantras

Sometimes we just need a little fire under our tushies to get motivated. If you’d rather forgo the literal bonfire, try out some motivational mantras. Hang up an inspirational poster, write it on a sticky note at work, or scribble it on your roommate’s forehead when she’s sleeping as a reminder of your health and fitness goals. Added plus: Mantras don’t cost a thing!

44. De-stress

A lot of stress can trigger increased eating and cravings, especially for sugary carbohydrates [69] [70]. If pressure at work or a family burden has got you feeling overwhelmed, try out one of these ways to reduce stress before pawing at that donut.

45. Add, don’t subtract

Instead of fixating on cutting out cookies, cake, pizza, and all that heavy cream in your morning coffee, focus instead on adding healthy foods to your menu. Ditching all the “bad” stuff can be a daunting task, one that’s easier to stick to by focusing on one habit at a time (science says it takes anywhere from 18-254 days to form a habit). Add in as many healthy habits as you’d like — drink more water, stock up on fresh fruits and veggies — and slowly wean off of the not-so-good-for-you goodies.

46. One habit at a time

There’s an idea that focusing on less helps us achieve more. Changing a habit is tough, but trying to tackle a whole handful may seem impossible. Instead, concentrate on changing one behavior at a time. Start small and make clear guidelines for a set habit. For example, if you’d like to increase veggie intake, decide to eat three different vegetables each day, or 1 cup with each meal. And remember, small changes can lead to gradual weight loss [71] [72].

47. Envision the goal

Time spent visualizing what you would look and feel like with a few less pounds, can help acknowledge the health and fitness changes necessary for successful weight loss. Research suggests that imagining achieving an exercise goal — like running a 5k, or increasing weights for your next workout — can actually enhance performance [73].

48. Think big picture

So you’ve “banned” chocolate cake, but decided to go for just a small taste. Instead you polished off a full slice. It’s so easy to go totally overboard on an old habit. Instead of blowing it if you’ve slipped up on a new goal, think of the big picture. Focus on the change rather than what’s being eliminated (either a “bad” food, or a bad habit).  Live in the moment to successfully make new healthy habits.

49. Sleep smart

Sleep can not only reduce stress, help us heal faster, and prevent depression, it can also help shave off some pounds because sleep loss is linked to changes in appetite and the metabolism of glucose (sugar in the blood) [74]. Moral of the story: Sleep is associated with less weight gain [75] [76]. Take a look at our guide to sleep positions to optimize those hours spent tucked under the sheets. And try other solutions for extra Zzs like turning off electronics in the bedroom and avoiding large meals late at night [77] [78].

50. Get social

Check out online communities (like on Facebook, Twitter, or other forums) that provide support and encouragement. One study showed that overweight adults who listened to weight-loss podcasts and used twitter in tandem with a diet and physical activity monitoring app lost more weight than those who did not go social [79].  Sharing progress and setbacks on social media platforms can help users feel accountable for their goals.

 

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