Som Sabadell flashmob - BANCO SABADELL

This is just amazing.  I wish that I was there.

2013/11/26 50 Meters of Optical Fiber Shrunk to the Size of Microchips

I came across this article on the Facebook page for DARPA, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  I usually have about one half hour to read before I leave to go into work.  This is what I found today while having my morning cup of Earl Grey tea.  Here is an excerpt.

"DARPA's iPhoD program reaches successful conclusion with demonstration of low signal loss records with microchip-scale, integrated waveguides for photonic delay"

"DARPA's integrated Photonic Delay (iPhoD) program created a new class of photonic waveguides with losses approaching that of optical fiber. The new waveguides are built onto microchips and include up to 50 meters of coiled material that is used to delay light. Conventional fiber optic coils of the same length would be about the size of a small juice glass. These waveguides also employ modern silicon processing to achieve submicron precision and more efficient manufacturing. The result is a new component that is smaller and more precise than anything before in its class."

Click on the following link for the full story.
2013/11/26 50 Meters of Optical Fiber Shrunk to the Size of Microchips

Scientists Prove X-ray Laser Can Solve Protein Structures from Scratch | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

As I continue to read about interesting topics in my search for a future career, I came across this article published by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University.   

"An international team of researchers working at the Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory produced from scratch an accurate model of lysozyme, a well-studied enzyme found in egg whites, using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser and sophisticated computer analysis tools."

For more information, click on the following link.
Scientists Prove X-ray Laser Can Solve Protein Structures from Scratch | SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Backstory: Marc Messerschmidt, Staff Scientist

As I continue to read interesting articles that catch my interest, I came across this video about the daily life at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.   

"Marc Messerschmidt, a staff scientist at the Coherent X-ray Imaging (CXI) experimental station at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser, describes his daily work."  (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory).  I found this video on YouTube and on an article titled Scientists Prove X-ray Laser Can Solve Protein Structures from Scratch.

www.slac.stanford.edu

lcls.slac.stanford.edu

science.energy.gov

Beyond Quantum Simulation: JILA Physicists Create 'Crystal' of Spin-swapping Ultracold Gas Molecules

From NIST Tech Beat: September 18, 2013

The research was funded by NIST, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office, the Department of Energy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

"Described in a Nature paper* posted online on Sept. 18, 2013, the JILA experiment is the first to record ultracold gas molecules exchanging spins at a distance, a behavior that may be similar to that of intriguing solids such as "frustrated" magnets with competing internal forces, or high-temperature superconductors, which transmit electricity without resistance. The new results build on the same JILA team's prior creation of the first molecular quantum gases and demonstrations of ultracold chemistry.**"

Click on the link to read the article published on the NIST Tech Beat
Beyond Quantum Simulation: JILA Physicists Create 'Crystal' of Spin-swapping Ultracold Gas Molecules

Making the Triton Unmanned Aircraft System

As I continue to search for a better job opportunity, I am reading different company websites.  I found this video, the making of the Triton Unmanned Aircraft System at Northrop Grumman, on the Northrop Grumman website and YouTube channel.   Take a look at the video to watch how they  describe its capabilities.

2013/11/21 Chips meet Tubes: World 's First Terahertz Vacuum Amplifier

I just read a very exciting article about DARPA's  Terahertz Electronics (THz) program.  I am interested in pursuing a PhD and I think that I found a program that holds my interest.  Here is an excerpt from the article that can be found by clicking on the link below.  

"The achievement comes from DARPA-funded researchers at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, who built the 1 centimeter-wide traveling wave vacuum tube. The vacuum tube power amplifier is only one achievement of the broader THz program, which seeks to develop a variety of breakthrough component and integration technologies necessary to one day build complex THz circuits for communications and sensing."

2013/11/21 Chips meet Tubes: World 's First Terahertz Vacuum Amplifier

Making the New Revolutions in Biology Safe - Council on Foreign Relations

This informative article was written by Laurie Garrett is senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.  Here is an excerpt of the article.  "Two revolutions are unfolding in biology, giving scientists the ability to turn existing germs into more dangerous ones with gained functional characteristics, and to synthesize new life forms entirely."

Making the New Revolutions in Biology Safe - Council on Foreign Relations

Read Laurie Garrett's related article in the November/December 2013 issue of Foreign Affairs, "Biology's Brave New World."

The ‘Armadillo’ Car Folds Up for Easy Parking

I have been searching for an electric car and read this article and watched the ABC News video.  What a great concept!  The project was lead by Suh In-Soo, a professor at the Graduate School for Green Transportation at KAIST.  

The ‘Armadillo’ Car Folds Up for Easy Parking: SEOUL, South Korea – The new buzz in South Korea’s car industry is a micro electric car that folds in half and parks itself by a remote control app on your smartphone. “We see cars as a complicated machine. But it is now time to...

Army Medical Students March to a Different Drum -- FORT KNOX, Ky., Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

I have a latent desire to attend medical school and combine this with military service.  The following article describes the experiences of two medical students at George Washington University School of Medicine and the US Army.  


Army Medical Students March to a Different Drum -- FORT KNOX, Ky., Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

The Most And Least Lucrative College Majors, In 2 Graphs : Planet Money : NPR

What a wake-up call when looking at the projected earnings after getting a college degree!  I scoured the graphs looking for my college degree earnings outlook and was unable to find it.   This is a great article found on NPR and based upon research completed by Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce.   Because I plan to complete an advanced degree, I found the data very valuable.  Click on the following link to read the full article.  

The Most And Least Lucrative College Majors, In 2 Graphs : Planet Money : NPR

Page One Economics - St. Louis Fed

Being from St. Louis, MO, I have a tendency to read news articles from my home town.  The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis published an article that I found easy to read.  It explains the different types of unemployment: frictional, structural, and cyclical unemployment.  The graph that accompanies the article shows the civilian unemployment rate compared to the natural unemployment rate and the different recessions from 1948 to 2008.

To read the full article, Why Scarce Resources Are Sometimes Unemployed by Erin A. Yetter, Economic Education Specialist, click on the link below.

Page One Economics - St. Louis Fed

Personal Branding for Introverts - Dorie Clark - Harvard Business Review

I found it a challenge to quietly promote my skills while in the work place and found the suggestions in this article by Dorie Clark from the Harvard Business Review not only appealing, but I have begun to put some of them in place; attending Toastmaster's International for public speaking and beginning a blog.  I have yet to hang my college diploma for a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in an office, but that depends upon my next interview and landing a job offer.

To read the complete article, click on the following link.


Personal Branding for Introverts - Dorie Clark - Harvard Business Review

Electric Car Price Guide: Every 2013-2014 Plug-In Car, With Specs | Popular Science

As I search for a new car, I am curious about the electric cars that are now available.  I am looking for an electric car under $30,000 and will have a driving range that will get me to and from work without worrying about recharging the car.  I found an article on the Popular Science website at www.popsci.com with great photos and an easy to read comparison of electric cars for 2013-2014.  My pick is the 2013 Chevrolet Spark EV for $27, 495.  Click on the link below for the full article.

Electric Car Price Guide: Every 2013-2014 Plug-In Car, With Specs | Popular Science

Antitrust Compliance Programs: The Government Perspective

It was many years ago, about 2004, that I came across a brief article in The Harvard Business Review that referenced a paper written by William J. Kolasky, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, that caught my attention.  I searched that article for a reference to the original and that lead me to The U. S. Department of Justice website.  I began by downloading the PDF file for his speech to my computer and made a paper copy for myself to read at a later date.  I liked that one so much, that I downloaded the rest of his papers to my computer.   

Antitrust Compliance Programs: The Government Perspective

Speeches by William J. Kolasky, Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Website

I just found one of my favorite authors and physicist has a website dedicated to his lectures given while teaching at CalTech; The Feynman Lectures on Physics found at http://www.feynmanlectures.info/.  I was browsing Facebook tonight after returning home from work and saw two separate entries about Richard Feynman from Physics Today and APS Physics, both announcing that the Feynman Lectures on Physics textbook is now available online. 

After I quickly clinked on the below link, and began to look at the website, I found a page listing his original handouts for the course that he taught at CalTech from 1961-1963.  I find this exciting, as a novice in physics!  

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Website

President Obama Addresses the Nation on Syria

Poorest Americans Still Spending Less Than They Did in 2008 - Real Time Economics - WSJ

This article from The Wall Street Journal by  Ben Casselman caught my attention when I read the following. "But the gains in spending haven’t been evenly distributed. Low-income households — those in the bottom fifth of earners, meaning they made less than $19,000 before taxes in 2012 — are still spending less than they were in 2008. Those in the middle three fifths are spending 1.9% more, while the wealthiest 20% — those earning more than $96,000 — are spending 2.4% more." 

Poorest Americans Still Spending Less Than They Did in 2008 - Real Time Economics - WSJ

X-47B UCAS - Aviation History Under Way

As I read about Northrop Grumman Company and its products and services while I search for a better job, I found that I began to save the company webpage and YouTube videos on Pinterest as a way to keep track of what I read.  This YouTube video that I found on the Northrop Grumman Company website shows the successful flight of the X-47B UCAS, (U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration).    

Nicholas Kristof and Lara Setrakian To Host a Google+ Hangout With Secretary Kerry

Nicholas Kristof and Lara Setrakian To Host a Google+ Hangout With Secretary Kerry

SYRIA: WEIGHING THE U.S RESPONSE

I came across the announcement for the Secretary of State John Kerry on Google Hangouts to address the United States' approach to the Syrian civil war after its use of chemical weapons.  

My mom!

  What a wonderful photo of my mother.  She recently purchased the hat from Target with a gift card that I sent to her.  I hope that she enjoys this! 

Let’s face it: The US job market is dead in the water and not getting better

This is an article that I stumbled across that was posted on the American Enterprise Institute website. I have yet to read this in full, but I am following the different articles concerning the job market, and will read it in the near future. The link below directs you to the webpage for the full article.

Let’s face it: The US job market is dead in the water and not getting better

X-47B completes historic at-sea period aboard Truman | NAVAIR - U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command - Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation

This was posted on the US Navy website. As I was reading the Northrop Grumman Corporation website to learn about the products and services, specifically the X-47B, I discovered more information about it was posted on the US Navy Naval Air Systems Command's website. The link below directs you to the webpage for the full article at www.navair.navy.mil.

X-47B completes historic at-sea period aboard Truman | NAVAIR - U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command - Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation

RAND Study Evaluates Airpower Options for Syria Intervention | RAND

I look to the RAND Corporation for a serious and thorough review of issues that I am trying to understand. International conflict and weather or not the United States should intervene is a complex and difficult decision. This was posted on the RAND Corporation website and the link below directs you to the webpage for the full article.

RAND Study Evaluates Airpower Options for Syria Intervention | RAND

Riviera Village

This was a photo that I took while walking in Riviera Village, Redondo Beach, CA.

Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Complete Triton Unmanned Aircraft's First Flight (NYSE:NOC)

I read this article on the Northrop Grumman Corporation website when reading about the company and its products and services as I prepare to search for a new job. The link below directs you to the webpage for the full article.

Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Complete Triton Unmanned Aircraft's First Flight (NYSE:NOC)