Space yacht will be first craft to travel on 'solar waves' as it sets sail for Venus

A 'space yacht' propelled only by sunlight particles bouncing off its kite-shaped sails is to launch next month.

A rocket carrying the Japanese craft will blast off from Tanegashima Space Center on May 18.

Once in space the short cylindrical pod will separate from the rocket spinning up to 20 times a minute. This will help it to unfold its flexible 46ft sail, which is thinner than a human hair.

Ikaros will harness the power of the Sun using a 46ft sail that is thinner than a human hair

The square shaped sail is equipped with thin-film solar cells and will use resistance created by the Sun's energy in much the same way as wind propels a yacht through water. This will provide it with enough thrust to hover and rotate.

'It is a hybrid technology of electricity and pressure', Japanese Space Agency expert Yuichi Tsuda said.

'Solar sails are the technology that realises space travel without fuel as long as we have sunlight. The availability of electricity would enable us to navigate farther and more effectively in the solar system.'

Scientists will steer the Ikaros by changing the angle at which sunlight particles bounce off the silver-coloured sail.

During a six-month mission they will head towards our sister planet Venus. If this is a success Jaxa are planning further missions to the red giant Jupiter and Trojan using sails more than twice as the size of the Ikaros.

The space yacht will unfurl its solar sail several weeks after launch before heading to Venus

The £35million Ikaros will be the first use of such technology in deep space. Past experiments have limited crafts to orbits around Earth.

A Jaxa spokesman said: 'This will be the world's first solar powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin film power generation during its interplanetary cruise.'

It's name is an acronym for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun. It also alludes to the Greek mythic hero Icarus who flew too close to the Sun and fell into the sea.

The space yacht's sail will be deployed and kept flat by its spinning motion

'Unlike the mythical Icarus, this Ikaros will not crash,' Mr Tsuda said.

Japan has become a major player in the space industry in recent years. In 2008 they installed a £1billion laboratory on board the International Space Station.

The space agency has proposed that the Japanese government send a wheeled robot to the moon in five years and build the world's first lunar base by 2020.

Under the plan, the robot's tasks would include setting up an observation device, gathering geological samples and sending data back to Earth. The robot would also set up solar panels to generate energy.

This would cost Japan around £1billion over the next 10 years.

by dailymail

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Pure mischief from Mourinho: Jose fans the flames with dig at Barcelona's obsession

Even in Tuesday night's press conference, Jose Mourinho needed those rather sinister-looking bodyguards. He needed their protection because he, too, was armed and dangerous, walking into the auditorium deep in the Nou Camp and hurling a grenade in the direction of Barcelona.

It was classic Mourinho. A premeditated strike by the Inter Milan manager designed to hit the Catalans right where it hurts and one that was met by his audience with a sharp intake of breath.

Provocative: Jose Mourinho has needled the Catalans

The self-anointed Special One dared suggest that Barcelona's pursuit of a place in this season's Champions League final is nothing like as pure as Inter's - that it is driven by hatred and envy and a desire to lift the European Cup at the home of Real Madrid rather than the Corinthian values (no really, he did) that the Italians represent.

'It is one thing to follow a dream and another to follow an obsession,' he said. 'For Inter Milan it is about trying to win for the first time in 45 years. That is the dream of the Inter players.

VIDEO: Mourinho on Barca's obsession...

'But for Barcelona it is not a dream. It is an obsession in a negative way. And the difference is that a dream is more pure than an obsession. A dream is about pride. For them, they reach the dream by winning in Rome and in Paris. But this is not a dream. It is an obsession with Real Madrid and the Santiago Bernabeu. It's anti-Madridismo.

'I was here in 1997 and I lived a Cup final at the Bernabeu between Real Betis and Barca. It seemed like we had won the World Cup. To have a Catalan flag in the Bernabeu. I can imagine a final in Turin. It would be an obsession for Inter. It's not a criticism.'

Muzzling Messi: Inter gave Barca's star no room to punish them in last week's first leg

It was wonderful stuff and delivered both to increase the pressure on a Barcelona side 3-1 down after that stunning first leg at the San Siro and to raise the tension among the Barcelona supporters who gave him such a hostile reception last night. He might have once worked for this great club as a translator and coach, under Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal, but any love was lost when Mourinho returned here as the manager of Chelsea. The storm over Anders Frisk; the accusation that Lionel Messi was a diver. Today he is a hate-figure.

Barcelona will see a further incentive for his provocative behaviour last night - the desire to leave Milan for Madrid.

But Mourinho must already realise that no amount of posturing can match a victory against the team even he recognises as the finest in the world, so denying them the opportunity to prance around like peacocks at the Bernabeu.

It will not be easy even if Inter have a two-goal advantage. Mourinho will be mindful of the fact that his side lost 2-0 here in November; that Pep Guardiola will have the grass cut a good deal shorter than it was for the first leg in Milan, where the Barca coach complained it was too long.

He will also be mindful of the fact that Messi often proves more dangerous at home, although the brilliant little Argentine has never scored against a Mourinho team.

There is a suggestion that there could be a subtle yet significant change to the Inter side for what could be the match of the season this evening. Mourinho named 10 of the players he intends to select. 'Julio, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Sneijder, Motta, Eto'o, Milito,' he said.

But then someone asked if he had forgotten 'Pandev'. 'You want to know everything,' he replied. The feeling is Pandev could make way for Cristian Chivu, whose appearance at left back would enable Mourinho to position the great Javier Zanetti in central midfield.

Esteban Cambiasso and Thiaggo Motta were excellent last week, frustrating Messi and Xavi with the ferocity of their tackling. But Zanetti would be the insurance policy, especially when Messi is due a goal, having not scored for four matches.

'There's no secret to stopping Messi because it's impossible to control him perfectly,' said Mourinho. 'But if he scores four or five tomorrow my words will seem ridiculous.'

For all the possession Barcelona enjoyed last week, Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder exposed frailties in Guardiola's defence and the absence of the suspended Carles Puyol, likely to be replaced by Milito's brother Gabriel, could prove significant.

Having arrived 40 minutes late, so making Mourinho wait to give his press conference, Guardiola did his best to present himself as full of confidence. 'It is not about Mourinho or his tactics,' said Guardiola. 'It is about whether my team turn up. If they do we will go through to the final.'

And if they don't then the aforementioned bodyguards could be busy. 'He's a nice guy,' insisted Mourinho in trying to defend the one who least resembled Kevin Costner. 'But if you call him scary and he understands you he will hit you!'

A bit like Mourinho, right where it hurts.

by Daily Mail

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Lyon 0 Bayern Munich 3 (0-4 on agg): Robben wants to face old boss Mourinho in final

Bayern Munich striker Arjen Robben insists he hopes to meet former manager Jose Mourinho in the Champions League final after helping his team book their place at the Bernabeu next month.

The German club swept aside 10-man Lyon and will meet either Inter Milan or defending champions Barcelona. Robben, who spent three seasons at Chelsea under Mourinho, has no doubt who he wants to face.

Treble top: Ivica Olic celebrates after scoring the first of his three goals in a 3-0 victory over Lyon

He said: 'I want to play Inter, definitely. It's better for us as a team. We can have difficulties against Barca. But It's also because I want to play against Mourinho and (Holland team-mate Wesley) Sneijder.'

An Ivica Olic hat-trick ensured Bayern progressed to their first Champions League final since beating Valencia on penalties in 2001. And Robben reserved special praise for the Croatia striker, who took his tally to seven goals in nine European appearances this season. 'He's great, just unbelievable,' added Robben.

Madrid here we come: Arjen Robben leads the Bayern celebrations at the final whistle

'He gives more than 100 per cent every game. He just keeps running, so energetic. He's a great player and so important for us.'

The outcome was rarely in doubt as Bayern dominated from start to finish. Robben said: 'Yes, it was comfortable, it also felt so on the pitch.

'We were much the better team. We played a great game. We didn't sit back and wait for them to come. We played aggressively, with attacking football and didn't let them come into the game.

'I'm very proud. Very proud of the team and happy to reach the final. It's a great season.'

Lyon never really looked like scoring and their slim hopes of reaching the final all but evaporated when Cris was harshly dismissed on the hour.

With the score on the night still 1-0, Cris was booked for a challenge and was then shown a second yellow for ironically applauding the referee. To add insult to injury, replays showed that the Lyon captain's challenge was fair.

However, coach Claude Puel refused to use the red card as an excuse, admitting Bayern simply outplayed his team.

'We have to realise that they were stronger,' he said. 'It's a shame we didn't equalise, we had opportunities in front of goal which would have put us back in the match.

Off you go: Lyon captain Cris is given his marching orders by referee Massimo Busacca.

'It was more difficult after Cris's sending off, we had already worked a lot physically. 'The score is heavy compared to what the players put in. There's not really much to reproach them for.

'It leaves the feeling of emptiness.'

Bayern's Dutch coach Louis van Gaal said: 'The players now know what it's like to spend 10 months with Van Gaal. They know it's not easy but they're happy now and so am I.'

by dailymail

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US Dollar rallies on the black market while Euro is reeling in the banks

U.S. dollar rallied against the Algerian Dinar on the black market surging from 860 to 910 AD at the moment where $ 100 was exchanged at a level of 8300 Algerian Dinars last November.

• The US currency’s rally on the informal market is due to the actual Dollar/euro parity as the US bill leveled off against the European currency both in the banks and the black market, Echourok has noticed.
• The Euro/Algerian Dinar parity has been fixed by the Algerian Bank for Sunday’s exchange to 1 Euro against 10.55 Algerian Dinars.
• The value index of the US dollar has been fixed to 767 Algerian Dinars for Sunday’s exchange, while it exchanged at a level of 910 Algerian Dinars on the black market. However, the Algerian citizens are forced to turn to the black market to acquire hard currency because the Algerian legislation allows its selling for importers and exporters only.
• By contrast, the European currency plummeted on the black market against the Algerian Dinar felling from 12.65 Algerian Dinars for 1 Euro to 10.25 AD for 1 Euro, a sharp shrink in comparison to last October and November.
• The rally of the US currency on the black market is contrasted by the fall of Euro in the major stock exchanges across the world. 100 Euros equaled $ 147 two weeks ago while the parity Dollar/ Euro narrowed to 100 Euros for 136 Dollars.
• Specialists have attribute the rise of the US Dollar on the black market and the collapse of the Euro in banks to the two main reasons; the first is the fall of the European value in comparison to the Dollar on the international market, which impacted on the hard currency in Algeria, the second reason is due to the increase of the informal businessmen’s activities pulling the dollar’s value upward.

by echoroukonline

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Bad memory? Forget it! As scientists claim running improves memory, the tricks that mean you'll never forget a name or that pint of milk again

Do you have trouble remembering where you left your car keys? Do you struggle to recall people's names? A study from Cambridge University suggests that regular aerobic exercise - such as jogging - can significantly boost memory by triggering the growth of grey matter in the brain. But are there other things we can do to develop our brain cells? We asked eight-times World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien, author of Learn To Remember and a host of bestselling memory books, for his tips...

• WHAT IS MEMORY?
  
• Simply put, memory is the mental activity of recalling information that you have learned or experienced.
• 
  
• A memory is stored as a result of complex electrical signals which cause a change in the physical structure of the brain. Whether a memory is stored as a short or longterm one depends on exactly how the event is received by the brain.
• 
  
• SHORT-TERM MEMORY
• 
  
• This is a system within the brain that is used for temporarily storing and managing information. We use short-term memory to remember an address we've just looked up or to compare prices of different items in the supermarket, for example.
• 
  
• Short-term memory generally holds information for only ten to 20 seconds, but it is vital for any activity that requires conscious thought - even something as simple as understanding this sentence.
• 
  
• Items stored in our short-term memory tend to be discarded fairly rapidly, however. It can normally hold approximately seven pieces of information simultaneously - new data displaces whatever is already there. As a result, short-term memory is easily lost.
• 
  
• HOW BIG IS YOUR SHORT-TERM MEMORY?
• 
  
• This exercise will reveal how much data you can hold in your short-term memory before it is replaced. Ask a friend to write down and then read out four random single digit numbers (from 1-9) at the rate of one number per second. Once all four have been read out, try to write them down in order, from memory.
• 
  
• If you can do it correctly, try five numbers. If you are able to recall five numbers correctly, move on to six, and so on. The average memory span for normal adults is six numbers.
• 
  
• LONG-TERM MEMORY
• 
  
• This involves the information you make a conscious or unconscious effort to retain because it has a personal meaning. For example, information about friends and family; the best places to buy certain items - or events and situations that have had an emotional impact on you.
• 
  
• Some long-term memories require a conscious effort to recall: memories about specific experiences; or facts which can be everything from the names of insects to the colour of your bedroom curtains. Another type of long-term memory is procedural memory, which involves skills such as tying your shoelaces - you can do them 'standing on your head'.
  
• WHERE IS MY MEMORY?
• 
  
• Certain areas of the brain are especially important in the formation and retention of memory:
• 
  
• The hippocampus (so- called because it's shape resembles a seahorse) is a structure in the brain that has the main role in processing information as long-term memory.
• 
  
• The amygdala, an area near the hippocampus, processes emotion and helps to imprint emotive memories in the brain.
• 
  
• The cerebral cortex - the outer layer of the brain, stores most longterm memory in different zones, depending on what kind of processing the information involves: speech, sensory input, problem-solving, etc.
• 
  
• Memory also involves communication among the brain's network of neurons, which are millions of cells activated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
  
• HOW DO WE MAKE MEMORIES?
• 
  
• There are three stages the brain goes through to make memories:
• 
  
• 1. Acquiring new memories
• 
  
• All day long new information enters your brain along pathways between your neurons (nerve cells). But if you don't stop to concentrate, the data might as well go in one ear and out the other. If you focus intently, whatever you are trying to remember is encoded in the brain, the first step to memory-making.
• 
  
• 2. Storing away the words, numbers and pictures
• 
  
• If you've concentrated hard enough to encode something, your hippocampus sends a signal to store the information for the long-term. This is easier if it's related to something you already know, or provokes an emotional reaction from you.
• 
  
• 3. Retrieving the information
• 
  
• Every time you need to recall a memory, your brain has to activate the exact same pattern of nerve cells that it used to store it. The more frequently you think about the information, the easier it is to retrieve.
• 
  
• HOW TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARP
  
• As we saw in the Cambridge University study this week, regular aerobic exercise is very important for brain health as it boosts the circulation and increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
• 
  
• Regular exercise also reduces the risk of disorders such as stress, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which can adversely affect brain function. Some experts also believe exercise can enhance the effects of helpful chemicals and protect brain cells.
• 
  
• GOOD SLEEP HABITS
• 
  
• A good night's sleep is thought to play an important role in the consolidation of memory. The theory goes that during sleep the brain is relieved from handling the constant barrage of stimuli with which it is bombarded during waking hours. While we are asleep, our minds are free to review, organise and file the experiences of the day.
• 
  
• Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnoea can play havoc with recall, because they leave you tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
  
• STOP SMOKING
• 
  
• Smoking heightens the risk of circulatory disorders that can cause strokes and constrict arteries that deliver oxygen to the brain.
  
• NUTRITION
• 
  
• A diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and 'healthy' fats will provide lots of health benefits, and can also improve memory and brain function.
• 
  
• • B vitamins protect neurons by breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to nerve cells. They're also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen. Best sources are spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits and soybeans.
• 
  
• • Antioxidants such as vitamins C and Ehave been linked to a slowing of age-related memory loss. Best sources are berries, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits and liver.
• 
  
• • Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with cognitive function. They count as 'healthy' fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. Best sources are oily fish, walnuts and walnut oil.

Daily Mail

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Earth's twin planet will be found by the end of the year, leading astronomer says

The first Earth-like planet outside the solar system will have been discovered by the end of the year, one of the world's leading astronomers said yesterday.

• Professor Michel Mayor, the scientist in charge of the team who detected the first extrasolar planet in 1995, claimed that the chance of finding a planet that is habitable for humans is now imminent.
• The astronomer, of Geneva University, said that recent technological progress that allows the observation of planets outside the solar system now makes the prospect of locating a planet of a similar make-up to Earth extremely likely.
• Professor Mayor said: 'The search for twins of Earth is motivated by the ultimate prospect of finding sites with favourable conditions for the development of life.
  
• 'We’ve entered a new phase in this search.'
  
• He was speaking at a conference at the Royal Society to mark the anniversary of the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, known as SETI.
• Among those in attendance included representatives from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
• Professor Mayor said that Nasa's Kepler spacecraft is likely to be the first to locate the ideal planet to sustain human life because it is carrying the largest telescope to ever have been sent beyond the Earth's orbit.
• The telescope, which is in orbit around the Sun, is monitoring more than 100,000 stars every half hour and is focused on a star field in the Orion spiral arm of the Milky Way.
• More than 400 extrasolar planets - or exoplanets - that orbit stars similar to the Sun have been discovered in the last 15 years, Professor Mayor told the conference.
  
• But most of these planets are too large to be habitable for human life, due to having active tectonic plates that would make foran unstable environment.
• The smallest planet found to date, he said, is approximately 1.7 times the size of Earth.
• It is also imperative for the planet to be at a certain distance from its star so that its water would be liquid.
• Professor Mayor said: 'If the planet’s too close, it will be blazing hot and all the water will evaporate and if it’s too far away, it will be ice.'
• It is hoped that within about four years Kepler will have located planets of the same size as Earth that are also in the 'habitable zone', he added.

Daily Mail

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Could this be the robot servant who will serve you breakfast in bed?

Ever dreamed of having a robot servant who would do all the boring chores around the house? Well mechanised domestic staff have come one step closer, thanks to an android being developed in Japan.

• Researchers at Tokyo University's JSK Robotics Laboratory, have created a humanoid called Kojiro, who is learning how to mimic how we walk.
  
• What makes him unique is that he has a skeletal structure similar to that of humans, which means he moves in a more natural fashion, and bends and twists via his artificial spine.
• 
  
• The team, led by Professor Nakanishi, said this newly developed spine would allow them to manufacture lighter and more flexible robots in the future to serve in the home.
• 
  
• In one scientific paper, they wrote: 'Currently normal humanoid robots are not suitable for working in our daily environment.
• 
  
• 'Lack of safety and versatility is the main reason; their hard and heavy bodies can hurt humans or surrounding objects, and they can do limited tasks compared with what humans do in daily life.'
• 
  
• Traditional robots have limbs and torsos powered by heavy motors at the joints.
• 
  
• However in Kojiro, the motors are lightweight and used to pull cables attached to different locations on the body. This simulates how our own muscles and tendons contract and relax when we move.
• 
  
• The sophisticated system of around 100 such tendon-muscle structures work together to give Kojiro 60 degrees of freedom.
• 
  
• Sensors were added to some of the joints to keep track of Kojiro's various postures and an accelerometer and two gyroscopes were added to help the robot balance.
• 
  
• The humanoid is also made mostly from light and flexible materials, which would make him less of a menace around the home.
• 
  
• The researchers found the most difficult challenge was finding a way to make such a sophisticated robot walk.
  
• 'The system has strong nonlinearity and is hard to model precisely. To control such a system, a kind of learning method is needed,' the team wrote.
• 
  
• At present the scientists are testing Kojiro's smaller movements using a games console controller.
  
• The team plan to tweak the computer algorithms that control the robot's movements as they go and hope it will one day be able to handle complex movements using all of its limbs. Then perhaps one day, you will find Kojiro serving you breakfast in bed.

Daily Mail

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