Star Wars: flying Millennium Falcom

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It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a...a...Fish!

Analysis by Zahra Hirji
From: http://news.discovery.com/

Fish aren't birds. Seems like a simple enough argument; one lives in the water, the other flies around and lives pretty much wherever it likes.

Then there are flying fish. Like flying squirrels and scuba divers, these animals appear profoundly confused about which element they belong in. They blur the lines about what it means to be a "fish." The thing is, they're good at it -- flying fish can remain aloft for up to 45 seconds and travel a quarter of a mile above the water.

WATCH VIDEO: Flying fish take off in this incredible video.

How do they do it? Two engineers at Seoul National University in Korea, Haecheon Choi and Hyungmin Park, have just found out.

Previous studies determined that these fish initially swim extremely fast and gain momentum before bursting forth from the water. Once airborne, they glide with their wing-like fins spread out wide, looking very much like a bird or insect. When they need an additional speed boost part-way through their flight, they beat their tails against the water in a motion called taxiing.

But, until now, researchers had no idea just what efficient fliers they were.

There are about 40 known species of flying fish. They are all equipped with two large pectoral fins that serve as "wings" in the air. Some also come with additional back or pelvic fins and are called "four-wingers."

Particularly interested in uncovering the mechanisms of four-winger flight, Choi and Park analyzed darkedged-wing flying fish (Cypselurus hiraii) from the East Sea of Korea. The fish were stuffed in a way that maintained their body size and wing flexibility, sensors were attached to different points on their bodies and they were mounted in a wind tunnel.

Researchers tested the lift-to-drag ratio of the fish -- that is, the measure of horizontal distance covered relative to change in height during a flight. They observed the animals' aerodynamics when tilted to different angles and when lifted above both a solid and liquid surface.

In a recent article in the Journal of Experimental Biology, Choi and Park reported that when fish fly close and parallel to the sea surface they reduce their drag, increasing their lift-to-drag ratio, and thus maximizing flight efficiency.

In fact, according to the researchers their gliding ability "is comparable to those of bird wings such as the hawk, petrel and wood duck."

Though Choi and Park have solved the mystery of how these fish fly, scientists are still unsure why they fly. The leading theory is that it enables them to avoid predators. Another idea is that the combination of flying and swimming is a more efficient mode of transportation that saves the fish energy.

Festo's flying AirPenguin robot induces daydreaming beyond the sea (video)

By: Richard Lai
From: http://www.engadget.com/

Penguins. Such graceful creatures. Mommy never told us why these birds don't fly, but here's proof that this won't be a concern for our little 'uns. What you're looking at is the Festo AirPenguin's rare appearance outside its German labs -- the Gotengo-esque airship is at The Gadget Show Live in Birmingham, UK this week. Sure, this baby's a bit old, but being up close and personal with it is way more sensational than watching the mere 40-second-long segment from last time, and at least we now know it's the real deal. Video after the break.

Festo's bionic AirPenguin robot doesn't blow bubbles, but will blow your mind

Man Can **FLY** If you watch one video in 2009, be it this.

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

New drug may put jet lag to rest

The experimental medication, called tasimelteon, works like melatonin and restores normal sleep patterns, researchers say.

By Thomas H. Maugh II

December 2, 2008

An experimental drug that mimics the effects of the hormone melatonin can reset the body's circadian rhythms, bringing relief to jet-lagged travelers and night-shift workers, researchers reported Monday.

In a study of 450 people who were subjected to simulated jet lag in a sleep laboratory, a team from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that the drug restored near normal sleep the first night it was used.

There were no aftereffects from the drug, minimal side effects, and people who took it performed normally the next day, said Dr. Elizabeth B. Klerman, one of the co-authors of the study published online in the journal Lancet.

And unlike conventional sleeping aids such as Ambien or Lunesta, she added, the new drug, called tasimelteon, has no potential for addiction or abuse.

The main limitations of the study were the relatively small size and the researchers' inability to measure performance and mood after the drug was used, experts said.

The study was designed and funded by Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Rockville, Md., which developed tasimelteon, and all of the researchers reported receiving funds from Vanda or other pharmaceutical companies.

"This is a very promising first step," said Dr. Jay Udani, who runs the integrative medicine program at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and who was not involved in the study. But the research "does not prove that it works for jet lag or shift workers," he added. "That needs controlled studies in the field."

The body's sleep-wake cycle is controlled by melatonin, which is produced by the pineal gland in response to patterns of light and darkness. Higher concentrations of melatonin in the blood are associated with greater sleepiness.

Some research has shown that administering melatonin can adjust sleep cycles in travelers and workers, but the results have been mixed.

Because melatonin can't be patented, drug companies have been interested in developing melatonin mimics, such as tasimelteon, which can be patented.

In the first part of the study, 39 patients' normal sleep habits were monitored for three nights in the laboratory before they were sent to bed five hours early.

They were then given one of four different doses of tasimelteon or a placebo 30 minutes before bedtime.

Researchers monitored their sleep efficiency -- the percentage of time in bed they actually slept -- and the amount of time required for them to fall asleep.

Although all the subjects benefited from the drug, those receiving the highest dose had a sleep efficiency of 89% the first night, virtually the same as the 90% efficiency before the trail started. Those receiving a placebo had an efficiency of 71%.

Patients taking the highest doses slept for an average of about 428 minutes, compared with 430 minutes before the trial and 324 minutes for those taking a placebo. It took an average of seven minutes for them to go to sleep, compared with 11 minutes before the trial and 22 minutes for those receiving a placebo.

Blood analysis showed that the melatonin cycle of those receiving the drug was altered to match the new conditions.

"They would be expected to sleep better because their internal clock is on the right time," Klerman said.

Maugh is a Times staff writer.

thomas.maugh@latimes.com