This Day in Tech 1882

Robert Koch isolated the tuberculosis bacillus only five years after proving that bacillus anthracis is the infectious microorganism that transmits anthrax.
Courtesy Karolinska Institutet Library

1882: German physician Robert Koch announces his discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus, isolating the cause of a scourge responsible for one in seven deaths during the mid-19th century.

Koch turned to the study of infectious diseases while still in medical school at the University of Gottingen. There, he was influenced by anatomist Jakob Henle, an advocate of the germ theory, which posited that communicable disease was transmitted through microorganisms.

Despite the work of other prominent microbiologists, including Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur, the prevailing view for much of the 19th century was that diseases arose spontaneously within an individual. Koch, piggybacking on the work of his predecessors and making huge contributions of his own, played a key role in finally debunking that theory.

Besides discovering the TB germ, Robert Koch also isolated the infectious bacillus for both anthrax and cholera.

Koch volunteered for medical service during the Franco-Prussian War and carried out much of his groundbreaking research on anthrax — including the discovery of the bacillus anthracis — while serving as district medical officer in the rural Wollstein, a farming region in the Rhineland.

He began serious research into tuberculosis after moving in 1880 to the Imperial Health Bureau in Berlin, which offered better laboratory facilities. By 1882, Koch had isolated the bacillus and published his definitive paper on the subject.

The German Cholera Commission sent Koch overseas in 1883, first to Egypt and then to India, to study the rising tide of that disease in those countries. His work led to the identification of the bacillus that causes cholera and eventually to a worldwide convention on the handling of cholera, which remains relevant to this day.

That work took him away from tuberculosis for a few years, but he returned to it after becoming professor of hygiene at the University of Berlin. Koch developed tuberculin, which he believed would result in a cure of tuberculosis, but his claims proved to be exaggerated, which damaged his reputation for a time.

The damage was not lasting, however, owing to Koch's many achievements that changed attitudes and approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases. Tuberculin also proved effective, not as a cure for the disease, but as a test for presymptomatic tuberculosis.

An immunization for tuberculosis, BCG, was produced in 1906, although it wasn't tried on humans until the early 1920s and didn't see widespread use until after World War II.

Koch, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1905 for his work in tuberculosis, also laid down the conditions, known as Koch's postulates, that must be met before a specific bacteria can be said to have caused a specific disease.

iTube or why 23,000 people care why Justine just ate a cookie

Multimedia Watch iJustine’s cheeseburger and iPhone bill videos.

iJUSTINE www.youtube.com/user/ijustine www.justin.tv/ijustine

Twenty-four-year-old Justine Ezarik, who goes by the moniker "iJustine," is bouncing around on my computer screen in a pink tank top and black bra, her platinum hair--ordinarily perfectly straight-- increasingly mussed as she works herself into a frenzy about something. I have turned my computer's sound off, so I don't know what's making her widen her heavily made-up eyes, flail her head from side to side, and fix the camera with an open-mouthed pout. My boyfriend glances at my screen as he walks by--and stops in his tracks and watches.

"When is she going to take her top off?" he says after a minute.

A few days later, on the phone from her new home in L.A., Ezarik tells me that women who work "in technology" are at a disadvantage: "People don't want to take us seriously." Her chirpy voice is familiar from the video (which turned out to be about a frustrating exchange with a prissy waiter who tried to steer her away from ordering a cheeseburger). "Like, speaking on ­panels, people don't want to take you seriously. I've been in technology all my life. Like, I was the only girl in my computer science classes in high school. That's why a lot of younger girls look up to me now, because they want to do this stuff and use it to its full potential."

By "this stuff," Ezarik means video blogging about gadgets and social-networking sites, not widening your eyes and yelping with delight and making sure your cleavage is in frame. But you'd have to be even wider-eyed than iJustine to believe that those latter skills, impediments to being taken seriously on panels though they may be, haven't contributed to stardom in new media.

For iJustine is a star: a week after that cheeseburger video was posted, it had been viewed more than 600,000 times on YouTube. That's nothing compared with the more than 1,336,000 views generated by the most famous of her 168 YouTube videos, "iPhone bill." (In iJustine's masterwork, which like most of her oeuvre takes a little over a minute to consume, she simply flips through her hefty 300-page phone bill, exasperated.) Her channel iJustine.tv on the two-year-old user-generated-video site Justin.tv, where for six months she wore camera equipment and "lifecast" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is still one of that site's most popular.

Ezarik is one of a new breed of completely self-constructed celebrities. Like my friend Julia Allison, whose online self-­promotion recently landed her on the cover of Wired, she is a Web 2.0 version of the American everygirls with bleached teeth and fake tans who have enjoyed reality-show notoriety for a decade. But Ezarik didn't wait around for a reality show to cast her: she trained the camera on herself, controlling every aspect of how she was portrayed. And while her shtick is that she's just putting quotidian stuff online, she's actually as invested as a reality-show producer in shaping and policing a brand. "I feel like iJustine has become sort of like this character," she explains. "It's not like I don't drink or go out and do stuff, but I won't drink on camera, and if I swear I'll bleep it out. I really try to keep it clean. I kind of think if my grandmother won't like it I won't do it, 'cause she's proba­bly one of my biggest fans."

Less Time in Traffic, thanks to MIT Program

The CarTel project helps drivers avoid jams by using sensors to record real-time data

Note to Self: Avoid Like the Plague: Photo by iStockphoto

Traffic delays are the bane of any commuter—even those who use a GPS, which warns you about traffic jams on your route to work. The reason: getting real-time data is difficult as the traffic information is routed from the scene to a massive database that only feeds GPS units on regular intervals.

At MIT, a new project called CarTel hopes to solve this dilemma by using in-car sensors that monitor traffic and feed a continually updated stream of data to the CarTel team. In the future, a monitoring system linked directly to vehicles could help find alternate routes without relying on aggregated data from local traffic systems.

"Bulk data typically covers only a small number of road segments, and typically only the major freeways," says Hari Balakrishnan, an MIT professor in charge of the project. "For example, in Boston, it doesn't include most roads that people actually drive on."

Today, CarTel uses sensors installed on about 50 cars in the Boston area. Using local Wi-Fi networks, the data is fed from the cars to an MIT Web server. The driver can monitor traffic levels and choose a different route. Balakrishnan says the project has cut his own commute time by 25 percent. In addition, CarTel can monitor car maintenance issues and alert the driver about any problems, such as much-needed oil change. One key difference between CarTel and a GPS that provides traffic info is that the CarTel data can be used to build traffic models and predict where congestion might occur next.

The plan is to roll out CarTel on a larger scale in more cities, helping reduce fuel consumption and the time people spend in their cars. Ambitious, but it's hard to see how CarTel could be deployed on a mass scale to all drivers. And, the Dash Express GPS already uses a "social network" paradigm where real-time traffic data is sent from each Dash user, not from city traffic data. Still, anyone aiming to shorten that clench-jawed wait has our support.

Green Collar Jobs

Green Jobs: iStockphoto

The economy is down and global warming is up. Instead of tackling the two problems individually, some lawmakers are looking to link the two activities together in what is proving to be an opportunity to fix both. In California, they are killing the two proverbial birds with one law, or in this case, many energy-efficiency policies.

California has a reputation for spearheading green policies. The state's energy-efficient ideology dates back to 1978, long before any other state was concerned about greenhouse gas emissions. The study, conducted by David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at the University of California, Berkeley, focuses on household spending (which amounts to 70% of the gross state product) and is unique because it examines data over a thirty-year span, from 1977 to 2007. Says Holst, "What I wanted to do to support the forward-looking vision is go back and look at the evidence we have in front of us."

This study is timely. As new carbon-cutting initiatives are born, economists, lawmakers, and taxpayers wonder how big a price tag converting to energy-efficient systems will yield. The study shows that, despite the sometimes higher upfront cost of a large appliance—a refrigerator, for example—or building project that meets efficiency standards, the money saved in electricity costs down the road spurs economic growth.

When people don't have to spend their hard-earned dollars on energy costs, they open their wallets elsewhere. As a result, this economic boost is diverse, providing a boon to everything from the light industrial sector ($1.2 billion increase), to wholesale and retail trade ($11.2 billion increase), to the finance and insurance sectors ($7.3 billion increase), to the service sector ($17.8 billion increase). In a trickle down effect, the more people are able to spend on groceries or clothing or a taxi instead of on high energy costs, the more jobs are created in those industries.

Calculations were based on residential spending on electricity and the cost of that same commodity. California's per-capita demand for electricity is 40% below the national average, but its electrical rates are 40% above the national average. Historically, however, the decrease in per-capita demand for electricity is greater than the corresponding rates increases.

Granted, compensation in traditional industries has gone down, as has the number of jobs; however, those numbers gain relativity when compared to what the green movement has generated. Where 25,000 jobs were lost, 1.5 million jobs were created. Where compensation in the electric power industry went down about $1.6 billion, statewide all-around compensation rose by $44.6 billion.

As California and other states move into the future, enacting carbon-capping laws and putting them into practice will cost money. But as the Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman said in a recent New York Times editorial, now is not the time to worry about the deficit. The incurred costs here are relatively slight, and the overarching benefits could not only save you money, but save the Earth as well.

Via: New York Times

Giant spider eating a bird caught on camera

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney

Photographs of a giant spider eating a bird in an Australian garden have stunned wildlife experts.

The pictures show the spider with its long black legs wrapped around the body of a dead bird suspended in its web. The startling images were reportedly taken in Atheron, close to Queensland's tropical north. Despite their unlikely subject matter, the pictures appear to be real. Joel Shakespeare, head spider keeper at the Australian Reptile Park, said the spider was a Golden Orb Weaver. "Normally they prey on large insects… it's unusual to see one eating a bird," he told ninemsn.com. Mr Shakepeare said he had seen Golden Orb Weaver spiders as big as a human hand but the northern species in tropical areas were known to grow larger. Queensland Museum identified the bird as a native finch called the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin. Heron eats rabbit Leopard savages crocodile Shark's killing display Mr Shakespeare told ninemsn the bird must have flown into the spider web and become stuck. "It wouldn't eat the whole bird," he said. "It uses its venom to break down the bird for eating and what it leaves is a food parcel," he said. Greg Czechura from Queensland Museum said cases of the Golden Orb Weaver eating small birds were "well known but rare". "It builds a very strong web," he said. But he said the spider would not have attacked until the bird weakened. The Golden Orb Weaver spins a strong web high in protein because it depends on it to capture large insects for food.

Wall St. Joins Global Selloff

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. stocks added to a worldwide stock selloff Friday on fears of a global recession, but the major indexes bounced off their lows in the first minutes of trading.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 350 points, or 4%, after being down as much as 504 points in the early going.

The Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) index and the Nasdaq composite (COMP) both lost over 4%. All three major gauges were hovering around five-year lows.

Stocks have been mostly lower this week as the credit crisis, sluggish corporate forecasts and slump in commodity prices exacerbated fears of a steeper slowdown. The weakness hasn't been limited to U.S. stocks, with markets in Asia and Europe tumbling this week as well.

Asian markets tumbled overnight, with the Japanese Nikkei losing almost 10%. The market in Moscow slumped 14% before the exchange suspended trading until Tuesday. European markets slumped in afternoon trading after a big drop in the United Kingdom's third-quarter GDP added to recession fears there.

Bets that the Bank of England and European Central Bank will have to cut rates aggressively in the months ahead sent the euro and pound lower versus the dollar. The dollar slumped versus the yen.

Oil prices continued to slide, with crude dropping below $65 a barrel despite news that oil cartel OPEC is cutting production by 1.5 million barrels a day starting in November.

Investors had been braced for an even bigger selloff in the early going, after Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 548 points, which triggered trading limits.

That prompted the New York Stock Exchange to post a statement on its blog confirming that trading would began as normal at 9:30 a.m. ET, saying it felt it needed to address widespread rumors that the open would be delayed.

Results: This week has brought the biggest wave yet of corporate results, with about 140 of the S&P 500 companies having reported.

With 34% of the reports out already, third-quarter profits are currently on track to have fallen almost 10.9% from a year earlier, according to the latest estimates from Thomson Reuters.

After the close Thursday, Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) reported quarterly sales and earnings that topped forecasts. But the software leader also warned that sales and earnings for the fiscal second quarter and the full year won't meet forecasts due to the slowing economy. (Full story)

Stocks have tumbled over the last year as the financial market meltdown and economic contraction have weighed on equities. Since hitting an all-time high of 14,164 just over a year ago, the Dow has lost about 38%. Since hitting an all-time high of 1,565 at the same time, the S&P 500 has lost around 41%.

Since hitting a bull-market high of 2,859 nearly a year ago, the Nasdaq has crumbled 44%.

Credit market: Lending rates seized up a bit amid the broad recession fears, with Libor, the overnight bank-to-bank lending rate, rising to 1.28% from 1.21% late Thursday, according to Bloomberg.com. However, that still kept the rate below the Fed's benchmark lending rate of 1.5%, which is a good sign for the credit market. Libor hit a record 6.88% earlier this month at the height of the market panic.

The 3-month Libor rate, what banks charge each other to borrow for three months, fell to 3.52% from 3.54% Thursday.

The TED spread, which is the difference between what banks pay to borrow from each other for three months and what the Treasury pays, widened modestly to 2.56% from 2.55% late Wednesday. The spread hit a record 4.65% earlier this month. The narrower the spread, the more willing banks are to lend to each other. To top of page

The Maxima's good, but Infiniti's the front-runner

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The '09 Maxima veers closer to its upscale sibling but remains a conventional sedan.

By DAN NEIL
October 24, 2008

According to our friends at Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research, you can tell which presidential candidate a person supports by looking at what kind of car they drive. Republican Sen. John McCain has the support of 66% of full-size pickup truck drivers; not surprisingly, perhaps, hybrid drivers are more inclined toward Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin scores very high with drivers of Zambonis.

Supporters of Sen. Joe Biden take the train, back and forth, from Washington to Delaware for 35 years.

As for brands, KBB reports Obama leading McCain among owners of nichy import vehicles, including Mini (70%), Subaru (61%) and Saab (59%). Does that mean 41% of Saab owners support McCain? Not necessarily. Remember there are several credible independent candidates, including Rep. Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, Bob Barr and Sha'alweed from the planet Niiik6.

Does the Nissan Maxima still have a constituency? In the early 1990s, this was the cool Nissan to have -- a tightly drafted, reasonably racy Japanese sedan noted for its affordable fun and can't-kill-it durability. Tuners and slammers loved it. Nissan called it their 4DSC, which stood for "four-door sports car" (though I always thought that was eight-door hyperbole).

In recent years, if the Maxima were a political party, it could have held its rallies in a porta-potty. The once-sporty midsizer had been rendered all but irrelevant by the slightly smaller, swifter and cheaper Nissan Altima, built from the same greasy bits and using the same 3.5-liter V6.

Yet the bigger problem for Nissan's top-shelf sedan, it seems to me, was its loss of identity. The numb-handed corporate styling, the perfunctory interiors, the middling performance. If these are the planks of your platform, you ought to be campaigning in Albania.

For 2009, the Maxima has gotten a candidate makeover -- for much less than $150,000. The big changes include a 290-horsepower version of Nissan/Infiniti's VQ-series V6 (a 35-hp bump over the 2008 model), which gushes power through a continuously variable transmission and out the front wheels in a deluge of exuberant torque steer.

This is a car that is trying really hard to be liked, a little like Hillary. Eager, aggressive, hypercompetent, the new Maxima doesn't so much sit on the fence as caromthrough it. It's a four-wheel pantsuit.

The CVT transmission has been reeducated for sporty driving -- it will now hold high revs under hard acceleration -- and the 19-inch sport tires (part of the optional performance package) sink their fangs into the asphalt from takeoff. It's a buzzy cavort to 60 mph (under 7 seconds), and I estimate the quarter-mile time is probably in the mid-14-second range. There's a bit of a whine here. I'll leave it to you to say which candidate that's like.

To further establish the Maxima as a bona-fide sports sedan, Nissan has shortened the wheelbase and widened the track to make it marginally more nimble and flatter in cornering. There are, apparently, lighter aluminum suspension pieces underneath, buttoned to a stiffer chassis, and the engine lump is situated lower.

The CVT is also equipped with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which causes the transmission to mimic the fixed gear ratios of a standard six-speed.

The results of all the sport-ifying are mixed. Indeed, you could call it Mixima. The car has serious and significant road-holding ability in corners, big lateral grip.

However, first you have to get it in the corners, and that means using the steering wheel, which is full of twitches and uncertainty. The steering ratio is quick -- when you turn the wheel a little, the car turns a lot -- but the low-friction steering doesn't feel connected and secure, nor does it want to center itself. At moderate highway speeds, the Maxima requires a lot of tiller tending.

Out in the esses, the Maxima has a toothy bite in the corners. But as speeds increase, the turn-in washes away and you're left with a fairly conventional front-drive sedan operating at above-par speeds. Body roll is damped but far from banished. Off-the-corner push (understeer) is simply part of the bargain. Making a high-horsepower, front-drive, nose-heavy car corner well is harder than gay marriage in Utah.

So why isn't this a rear-drive car? Which is to say, why isn't this an Infiniti?

The Maxima's new styling -- with its distinct bevel edge from headlight to taillight, swelling to encompass muscular fender flares -- is reminiscent of Nissan's luxury division. The deep reserves of cush, the quiet ride and sound insulation, are worthy of the Infiniti.

The interior, from the lux leather to the scads of high-grade electronics, including rear-view camera, Bluetooth and navigation, are right out of Infiniti's campaign headquarters. The price -- upward of $37,000 in full boat trim -- is certainly in the Infiniti ZIP Code.

Personally, I think the Maxima is a victim of over-busy, overlapping product planning. Why would you vote for the Maxima when you can pull the lever for a similarly priced Infiniti G35, which puts its 300-plus horsepower to the rear wheels? Or even further the upcoming G37 sedan with 330hp to the rear wheels and a 7 speed automatic!

Now that's a party.

GM Picks Volt Battery Supplier

DETROIT — General Motors reportedly has selected Korean supplier LG Chem and Michigan-based Compact Power, a local subsidiary, to provide the first-generation lithium-ion battery packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, according to Reuters.

Citing company sources, Reuters said the battery contract would be announced in November, possibly at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, with the final terms still being ironed out.

Another battery supplier, A123, and its German partner Continental continue to work on battery development with GM.

GM spokesman Dave Darovitz on Thursday told Inside Line, "We are still evaluating [battery] suppliers. We expect to make a final announcement by the end of the year."

Watertown, MA based A123 is about to go public. The LG Chem announcement could have a negative impact on its stock price.

Bloodhound SSC shooting for 1000mph Land Speed Record

No, this isn't a Dyson vacuum that's been knocked over and fitted with a rocket engine. Instead, you're looking at the Bloodhound SSC, the latest vehicle to chase the land speed record. As could be expected, it's certainly an ungainly thing - the rocket-shaped vehicle measures 12.8 meters long and weighs 6400 kg - but it may be more unusual than we anticipated. Though details are a bit sketchy, the press release mentions the Bloodhound SSC is powered by an "exotic combination" of jet, rocket, and piston-engine power. Now that's a hybrid... From what we understand, the rocket's charged mainly with propelling the car to high speeds. Though it's good for that, it's unable to hold selected speeds, hence the addition of a Eurojet EJ200 jet engine kicks in. The piston engine? We hear the 800-hp V-12 engine serves mostly as an auxiliary power source and a fuel pump. More unusual is the staggered approach to breaking the 1000-mph record. Piloted by Andy Green and Richard Noble - both land-speed record veterans themselves - the Bloodhound's debut in 2009 will aim only for 800 mph. The team plans on breaking the 900-mph mark in 2010, and the cherished 1000 mph in 2011. Source: Bloodhound SSC

Aston Martin close to deal with Mercedes Benz

Talks of automotive mergers and takeovers seem all the rage these days, especially considering economic times that are forcing cost-cutting measures. Lately, though, rumors of another collaborative deal have emerged from the cities of Gaydon, U.K., and Stuttgart, Germany, the respective headquarters of Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz. Back in April, we reported on a possible link between the two automakers in the future development of vehicles, but now, the talks are said to have become more heated and vastly intricate, giving many the impression a deal will be signed fairly soon. According to Car's detailed account of the proceedings, the deal is unofficially known as Romeo and Juliet and will be worth more that 300 million euros (around $385 million). Included in its fine print is the minority ownership of Aston Martin by Mercedes-Benz. Currently, Aston is owned by a consortium of investors under the DAR umbrella from Kuwait and is headed by CEO Ulrich Bez. Daimler's Mercedes-Benz is run under Dr. Dieter Zetche, better known as Dr. Z. Obviously, should such a deal be struck, Aston's engineering team would get generous access to Mercedes' advanced R&D and high-volume production facilities. In turn, it's believed Dr. Z has asked Aston to design and build the next-generation Maybach 57 and 62 sedans. Mercedes is said to hand off most of the car's design due to its volume-oriented business structure. Later on, Aston's involvement in other limited models will increase. If Bez and Zetche come to terms, Aston could see more perks coming its way. In addition to gaining an all-access pass to Merc's design facilities, Aston is expected to utilize reworked German powertrains (among other parts) for its future lineup of cars. Recently, Dr. Z approved a V-12 development program valued at $193 million involving his brand's top secret twin-turbochaged M275 engine. The deal allows for Aston Martin to test the new engine, its seven-speed transmission and, most interestingly, its hybrid modules. Added to the mix is talk of Gaydon utilizing a few next-generation Mercedes-Benz models as the basis of its upcoming Lagonda vehicles. Lagonda is pegged as the luxury marque of the Aston Martin brand and is speculated to be developing four new models -- a large sedan, four-seat coupe, four-seat cabriolet and SUV. The new Maybach, presumably to be penned by Aston, will donate its underpinnings and many of its design lines to the Lagonda sedan, while a revised GL will be used for the 4x4. The Lagonda coupe and cabrio would naturally use Mercedes-Benz CL technology. Whatever the outcome may be, a potential merger between these two distinct brands is bound to ruffle some feathers and raise just as many eyebrows. Do you think it will ultimately work?

What happens when a team has two players with the same name?

By Paul Lukas

When Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck decided to have his players wear their names on their road jerseys in 1960, it probably didn't occur to him that a football player named Roy Williams would one day be traded from the Detroit Lions to the Dallas Cowboys, or that Dallas would already have a player named Roy Williams on its roster, or that this would result in a blizzard of activity in the Uni Watch inbox as readers clamored to know how the Cowboys would handle this unusual state of affairs on the players' jerseys.

But that's exactly what happened. And contrary to what many fans think, the NFL has no rules for this sort of situation. True, every player is required to wear his last name (well, usually), but the rules requiring same-surnamed teammates to wear first initials, and same-surnamed and -initialed players to wear their full names, were scrapped prior to the start of last season. There was never any official explanation, but Uni Watch's understanding is that the move was prompted by the Patriots' signing of Kyle Brady back in March of 2007: If a "T." had suddenly been added to Tom Brady's nameplate, fans with Brady jerseys would have been left with a choice of either wearing an inaccurate "Brady" nameplate (clearly unacceptable to most Pats fanatics) or having to drop a few hundred bucks on the new version. The NFL honchos are greedy, but they're not that greedy (or at least they don't want to be perceived that way), so they changed the rule. Tom and Kyle have both worn "Brady" with no initial, and teams now have the option to handle these situations however they like.

Which brings us back to the Cowboys and their two Roy Williamses. Speculation was rampant during the first 24 hours after the trade. Would they wear their full names with middle initials (as ESPN.com is now listing them on the Cowboys' roster page)? Would they go with "DEF Williams" and "OFF Williams" to indicate which side of the ball they play on? Or maybe "Williams OU" and "Williams UT," as a shout-out to their colleges?

No, no, and no. "They're both just going to wear 'Williams' on their jerseys," says Cowboys spokesperson Jancy Briles. "They play on opposite sides of the ball and have different uniform numbers, so that should be enough to tell them apart."

Well, that's no fun. Unfortunately, this cop-out approach appears to be standard procedure for same-named teammates. Here's a timeline of such instances, and how the players' names appeared on their jerseys:

1962: Two different pitchers named Bob Miller -- this one and this one -- play for the Mets, appearing in the same game five times. But the Mets, like almost every other MLB team, aren't yet putting player names on jerseys, so it's a non-issue from a uniform standpoint.

1973: One of the Bob Millers returns to play for the Mets. Fans have a hard time keeping track of which Bob Miller he is, and finally give up after someone points out, "Y'know, they both kinda sucked, so what's the difference?"

1976-78: Two players named Johnny Jones play for the Texas Longhorns (wearing uni numbers 25 and 26, just to make things extra-confusing). They become known as Ham Jones and Lam Jones, nicknames that refer to their Texas hometowns of Hamlin and Lampasas, but the Texas jerseys don't include player names during this period, so it's a moot point uni-wise. (A third Jones, nicknamed Jam, is added to the mix in 1978, but his first name is A.J., not Johnny.)

1990: Ken Griffey Sr. is released by the Reds and signs with the Mariners, where Ken Griffey Jr. is in the middle of his second big-league season. Father and son both end up wearing "Griffey" -- no "Jr." or "Sr."

2000: The Mets corner the market on Bobby Joneses by adding this Bobby Jones to a roster that already includes this Bobby Jones. Despite a flood of speculation (well, at least in Uni Watch's house) about both players possibly wearing their first names and middle initials, they both simply wear "Jones." (Fortunately, the Mets fail to acquire this Bobby Jones, thereby averting a space-time fissure that would have surely swallowed the entire solar system.)

2001: The Expos grant Tim Raines Sr.'s request to be traded to Baltimore for the last game of the season so he can play in front of more than 17 people alongside recent Orioles call-up Tim Raines Jr. Following the Griffeys' example, the Raineses simply wear "Raines."

2002: In a fairly amazing coincidence that threatens to warp the fabric of reality, the two Bobby Joneses end up on the same team again -- this time the Padres. Once again, they take the boring approach and both wear "Jones." Sick of all the "keeping up with the Joneses" jokes, they instruct their agents to make sure they never ever end up on the same team again.

2006: Pitcher Javier Lopez joins the Red Sox, who already have catcher Javy (short for Javier) Lopez on their roster. In a tragic managerial misstep, Boston skipper Terry Francona never has them appear in the same game, thereby wasting a golden opportunity for an all-Javier Lopez battery. Even worse, the Sox don't wear player names on their home jerseys, and both players just wear "Lopez" on the road.

Realistically, same-named teammates don't really leave a team with many options. Same-surnamed teammates, however, offer a wealth of possibilities, from the relatively tame first initial (a phenomenon explored in greater detail here) to somewhat more exotic approaches like the first two letters of the first name, roman numerals, "Jr." and "Sr." designations, and the somewhat bizarre first initial after the surname. (Hey, shouldn't there be a comma between the name and the initial?)

But the most interesting nameplate variation is the FNOB -- short for "full name on back" -- which is usually employed when teammates have the same surname and first initial, like Bracy and Brian Walker a few years back. It's not clear when this format debuted, but over the years it's appeared in the NFL, the NBA, MLB (Mr. October simply wore "Jackson"), the NHL, college football, high school football, soccer, and probably every other sport where players wear their names on their backs. Fringe presidential candidate Ron Paul even went FNOB for a Congressional baseball game back in the 1980s.

FNOBs can present a challenge for equipment managers, who have to figure out how to fit all those letters on the jersey without having them spill over the sides. The coolest solution to this problem is the stacked or double-decker FNOB, a style pioneered by Jim and Jack Youngblood in the 1970s (additional examples here and here). Other approaches include tight kerning, tiny lettering, small caps for the first name, shortening the first name, a straight first name with an arched surname, and even splitting the first and last names around the uniform number.

Can't get enough of this stuff? Here's some bonus material:

• The NFL's rules about initials and full names routinely caused havoc during training camp. With so many extra players suiting up before the final roster cuts, players who normally just wore their last name during the regular season sometimes found themselves forced to go FNOB for preseason games.

• When the Alberta Oilers (forerunners of today's Edmonton Oilers) debuted in 1972, they spent part of their inaugural season with the entire team wearing FNOB (with a round-edged nameplate and a goofy font to boot!).

• Another WHA team, the Cincinnati Stingers, took a similar approach in the 1977-78 season, when they had the entire team wear first initials (additional pics here).

Finally, here's a thorny question: What if your first name is just a pair of initials? Does that qualify as FNOB, or is it a separate category (maybe TIOB, for "two initials on back")? If you'd care to weigh in on this critical issue, or if you have any additional examples of nameplate shenanigans involving similarly monikered teammates, you know what to do.

Down on the Farm, Continued
Our ongoing list of ballparks with tomato patches -- which had previously included Shea Stadium, Fenway Park, and Memorial Stadium -- has a new addition: Tiger Stadium. A couple more ballpark tomato patches and we should be able to feed an entire famine-stricken village (or at least David Wells). Special thanks to reader Steve Migala for the tip, and to Don Sherman for tracking down the photo.

Paul Lukas has never been on a team with anyone else named Lukas. His Uni Watch blog, which is updated daily, is here. Want to learn about his Uni Watch membership program, be added to his mailing list so you'll always know when a new column has been posted, or just ask him a question? Contact him here.

'Flying saucer' filmed in Turkey

THIS astonishing video footage is claimed to be the "most important images of a UFO ever filmed" – and is said to even depict ALIENS.

The shots were captured by night guard Yalcin Yalman in a compound in Turkey earlier this year.

The 42-year-old and a number of residents claim the UFOs were spotted over a four month period between May and September near the compound in Istanbul.

He said: “I don’t know what these things are. We filmed them several times and they are totally unknown to us. I was very excited when I saw them and I want the world to know that UFOs do exist”.

Almost two-and-a-half hours of footage was filmed featuring a variety of objects ranging from incredible flying saucer-type 'craft' to clustering orb-like lights hovering in the night sky.

Genuine

The clips were handed to the Sirius UFO Space Science Research Centre in Turkey who interviewed witnesses and painstakingly combed through the footage frame by frame.

International UFO researcher Haktan Akdogan said: "In this amazing video footage, physical forms of UFOs and their metallic structures are clearly noticeable.

"What is more important is that in the close-up of some footages of the objects, entities in them can be distinctly made out."

He continues: "We have spoken with all of the witnesses and had detailed analysis conducted on all two-and-a-half hours of footage.

"After conducting all of the analysis we came to the conclusion that this video footage is 100 per cent genuine.

"The objects filmed are structured objects and are not the result of misidentification or natural phenomena, aircraft or astronomical objects.

"They are not the results either of any kind of computer animation. Now is it a time for world governments to acknowledge the reality of UFOs."

He added: "The images captured on film are expected to have a tremendous impact throughout the world and they are the most important UFO images ever caught on camera."

The footage will be revealed at the UFO Data Magazine annual conference in Pontefract, West Yorks, on October 25.

And it has earned the seal of approval from British experts.

UFO Data Magazine editor Russell Callaghan said: "This video footage from Turkey, if authentic, represents a serious challenge to science. I can honestly say that this footage is truly unique."

Not so Generous

While Chismillionaire is the first to say GM workers receive far more than they should in the way of benefits and guarantees compared to other automakers in the industry(Viagra prescriptions are paid for 100% for instance), but no 401(K) match is simply below the human standard that should be expected in our society. The very investments they should be making in future employees are going to go elsewhere. Very shortsighted for a company whose product mix is clearly starting to turn the corner with the Corvette, CTS, Malibu, G8, New Camaro, Escalade etc...

In the end Chismillionaire stands by this truth: It's all about the product! Porsche has never been more profitable. Same for Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mini and BMW. Create products people clamor for and the money will ROLL IN to the point you will pay your employees $10,000 bonuses instead of paying them to go away and cutting their 401(k).

Looking to shore up its liquid assets during the economic slowdown, GM has explored unloading some businesses and brands, reducing advertising, refinancing its headquarters, and even taking over Chrysler in exchange for its stake in GMAC (although Motor Trend's Todd Lassa reports this is not happening for now). And now after months of plant closures and layoffs, it looks like the General's need for cash is claiming another victim -- employee 401(k) accounts. While the automaker has already exceeded its original goal of eliminating 5000 salaried positions, recent turmoil on Wall Street and a plunging auto sales are forcing another round of belt tightening. According to a letter to executives from CEO Rick Wagoner and COO Fritz Henderson, the global credit crisis' "dramatic impact upon the industry at large" is driving GM to "address our increasing need to conserve cash." In part this means another round of white-collar job cuts, although spokesman Tom Wilkinson says that despite "very real short and mid-term challenges," the company will endeavor to "keep critical programs on track." In addition to more job cuts, however, in a move that could affect all employees GM also plans to suspend company matching on employee 401(k) accounts, as well as cutting other benefits like college tuition assistance, dependant scholarships, and adoption-assistance. The 401(k) benefit suspension will go into effect November 1, the same date a new round of employees who've already taken early retirement will leave. With that in mind, in their letter Wagoner and Henderson point out these benefit cuts to workers still on the fence, saying "this may be an ideal time for them to exit the organization." Given that the next round of cuts might not include the courtesy of an early retirement offer, they could be right. Source: The Detroit News

John Cooper Works Clubman

More Race, More Room, More Mini

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Racer John Cooper is inextricably linked to Mini. Appending his surname to the little beastie created one of the most iconic Anglophile sportsters ever. The tradition continues with Mini's latest John Cooper Works (JCW) branded Mini, the Clubman. This one joins the Motor Trend stable as our third long-term Mini-following the 163-horsepower 2003 Cooper S and our 172-horsepower 2007 Cooper S-in an ascending progression of power and performance.

As expected, most of the Clubman's performance goodies are standard equipment: 1.6-liter turbocharged 16-valve four-cylinder, 17-Inch alloy wheels, 205/45R17 ContiSportContact 3 SSR run-flat tires, and Brembo front disc brakes with 12.4-inch ventilated rotors and red-painted calipers. However, Mini thrives on a palette of personalization and extended upgrade options; thus, our Chili Red Clubman sports $100 black hood stripes, a $250 multifunction steering wheel, $250 Rooster Red interior highlights, and a $500 USB/Bluetooth adapter. Yeah, sure, the optional $500 sport suspension package, which we opted not to get, would have been icing on the cake for hard-core staffers, but retaining an ounce of civility goes a long way on extended jaunts. The options we did select on the list added only $1100 to the $31,450 base price, bringing the total up to $32,550.

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Choosing the 2+1-door Clubman over the standard two-door does not indicate a giant leap of practicality, but its lengthened wheelbase nets more cargo area and enhanced rear-seat accommodations, the latter boasting a legroom bump of 2.4 inches over the coupe, allowing adults to sit in relative comfort. It's one attribute passengers will appreciate even though it's still no family hauler. The curbside-only half-door eases ingress and egress as well as simplifying side loading or installation of a child safety seat. Further, our over-equipped photography team has already exploited the barn-door cargo access and fold-flat second row.

The real prize in the JCW Clubman is the performance. With 208 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, the tweaked 1.6-liter offers ample muscle, especially in a vehicle weighing only 2768 pounds. It's no surprise, then, that with a weight-to-power ratio of 13.3 pounds per horsepower, the test numbers are imposing: 0-to-60 in 5.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 14.3 seconds at 96.3 mph, and 60-to-0 braking in just 109 feet. For context, our long-term 291-horse Mitsubishi Evo MR recorded 0-to-60 in 5.3, the quarter mile in 13.9 at 99.4, and 60-to-0 in 112 feet. Keeping the Mini's potency in check is an alphabet soup of tech systems: Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Dynamic Stability Control, and Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC), all of which are linked and help modulate power to the wheels and are semi-programmable from the cockpit using the DTC switch. There are three braking-system monitors, as well-Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Corner Brake Control (CBC) for braking while steering, and Electronic Brakeforce Controller (EBC) to balance braking when weight distribution changes.

With our JCW, we return to a standard Getrag six-speed manual transmission, a refreshing, more involving switch after a year with the six-speed slushbox in our long-term 2007 Cooper S. One unaddressed and unwelcome dynamic of the Mini's front-drive layout, however, is torque steer. The JCW Clubman has it to the max, and we, as will Mini owners, will have to live with it or try to tame it with bolt-ons. That said, the torque steer is brazen but not unworkable, so after the driver adapts, the experience can be quite rewarding.

Minis are almost a staple in the Motor Trend stockade of asphalt weaponry. The JCW Clubman brings us a slightly larger package that's more eager than ever to take on the varied tasks staffers will ask of it. How eager? Well, it's already amassed over 4400 miles in only two months of duty.

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Nissan 370Z Convertible

SANTA MONICA, California — Nissan has yet to officially unveil the all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z coupe, and Inside Line is already providing details on the 2010 Nissan 370Z convertible.

Unlike the Infiniti G37 drop top, which uses a retractable hardtop, the future 370Z convertible will incorporate a power-operated soft top. The fabric top will likely keep the new Z convertible from getting an exorbitant bump in price, and more importantly, will prevent the newly smaller Z from taking on any unnecessary pounds. The new sixth-generation Z cut its wheelbase by approximately 4 inches, so it's necessary for the convertible to keep its weight down.

The 370Z convertible is expected to share a powertrain with the 370Z coupe, likely to be the same 3.7-liter Nissan VQ engine that's already providing power to the G37 coupe and sedan. A seven-speed automatic and a six-speed manual transmission will be offered, same as in the G. Although the G37 added an all-wheel-drive option this year in the form of the G37x, the 370Z will continue to use rear-wheel drive only.

The 2010 Nissan 370Z convertible will debut early next spring at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

Inside Line says: The good-looking coupe makes a striking convertible.

Two-handled tennis racquet developed in US

A bizarre two-handled racquet with a fork-like grip has been developed for tennis.

By Alex Starritt

Brothers Dann and Brian Battistone play with the innovative creations in competition Photo: Wenn

Brothers Dann and Brian Battistone play with the innovative creations in competition Photo: Wenn

The racquet has two handles positioned at a right-angle to the head, allowing players to play two-handed open-stance forehand shots from both sides.

Its use is being permitted but it has raised eyebrows in the traditional sport.

Two American brothers, Dann and Brian Battistone, play with the innovative creations in competition.

One of them uses a volleyball-style jump serve, switching the racket from hand to hand mid-leap.

However, the racquet brothers take an International Tennis Federation (ITF) certificate to every game they play, proving that the racket, named 'The Natural,' is match-legal.

"We knew some people would be against the racket," said Brian, 29, from Las Vegas. "There's a lot of tradition in tennis so this is quite radical."

The designer of the racket, Lionel Burt, said that it had been easy to convince the ITF to approve the racket: "Their basic position is, 'If you can beat Roger Federer with a snow shovel of that dimension, go ahead and do it."

The double-hitter has already brought the brothers success. They had previously languished in the 800s in the world rankings and Brian had left tennis in 2000 to serve a mission for his Mormon faith. They have now risen to 206th and 207th in the doubles rankings using the racket, even beating world doubles number 11 pair Lukas Dlouhy and partner Tomas Zib.

Brothers Dann and Brian Battistone play with the innovative creations in competition Photo: Wenn

Burt says that the racket took him 18 years to develop, and was inspired by his permanent back problems caused by always playing on one side. However, it is not the first time a racket of this type has been used and there are rumours linking 'The Natural' to a racket designed by a Florida-based mechanical engineer and over-50s player called Elie Boukheir.

Around five years ago, the 'Logix' racket was also developed, a two-handled racket where the second handle was used as a counterweight. The head was tilted at a 20 degree angle to the handle, supposedly allowing the player to hit a topspin shot by moving the racket parallel to the ground.

The most famous tilted-head rackets were designed by tennis company Snauwaert in the 1980s and were endorsed by former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, a byword for tennis controversy. The Snauwaert rackets never caught on, but Burt says that now they have the financial backing and the players to make it happen.

Need a new heart? Print one

The technology is the same as that of the simple inkjet printer found in homes and offices, but Japanese scientist Makoto Nakamura is on a mission to see if it can also produce human organs.

The idea is for the printer to jet out thousands of cells per second, rather than ink droplets, and to build them up into a three-dimensional organ.

"It would be like building a huge skyscraper on a micro level using different kinds of cells and other materials instead of steel beams, concrete and glass," he said.

"Ultimately I hope to make a heart," said Dr Nakamura, professor at the graduate school of science and technology for research at the state-run University of Toyama.

While Dr Nakamura says it would take him some 20 years to develop a heart, the feat could pave the way to mass produce "good hearts" for patients waiting for transplants.

A heart made of cells originating from the patient could eliminate fears that the body would reject it.

In the emerging field of organ printing, Dr Nakamura bills his work as the world's finest printed 3D structure with living cells.

The technology works a bit like dealing with sliced fruit: an organ is cut horizontally, allowing researchers to see an array of cells on the surface.

If a printer drops cells one by one into the right spots and repeats the process for many layers, it creates a 3D organ.

Much like a printer chooses different colours, the machine can position different types of cells to drop.

Dr Nakamura has succeeded in building a tube with living cells.

It measures one millimetre in diameter and has double walls with two different kinds of cells, similar to the three-layer structure in human blood vessels.

He has also made a smaller single-wall hydrogel tube that measures one-tenth of a millimetre, as narrow as human hair.

The tubes are made by a 3D inkjet bioprinter that Dr Nakamura's team developed in a three-year project completed earlier this year at Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, a foundation based south-west of Tokyo.

The printer can adjust where to drop cells in the order of one-thousandth of a millimetre and produce a tube at a speed of 3 centimetres per two minutes.

- AFP

This is from 2003. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/164-bod ... There is an awesome video demonstrating this and a doctor who has already transplanted multiple bladders with no rejection. The first part of the video is about successful limb regeneration.

Fuel Cell (Hydrogen-Powered) Wheelchairs

by greenz.jp, Tokyo, Japan on 10.21.08

With the Japanese population aging rapidly, the fuel-cell wheelchair and cart applications have a bright future. In fact, Japan already has the world's highest proportion of elderly people. More than 20% are over the age of 65 and this figure is expected to rise to about 40% by 2050. Considering this population trend, no doubt there will be an increasing demand for these wheelchairs and carts from Kurimoto Ltd. in the future. Promoted as "Eco" fuel-cell powered means turning the “silver market” into green. Of course they are for other treehugging wheelchair users as well!

Previously here on Treehugger, we talked about the world’s first hydrogen generation plant in Japan. Building the infrastructure for the eventual commercialization of hydrogen is part of the Japanese Government’s plan to “build a hydrogen economy to sustain our precious earth.” Under the motto Moving Our Future Forward the Japanese government engages in a number of related research and demonstration projects.

One such project is the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC Project), initiated by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), aims to gather and share data in order to develop the roadmap for full-scale mass production and widespread use of FCVs. The JHFC Project involves a wide range of activities related to the use of fuel cell vehicles, which also includes consumer awareness campaigns.

We visited the latest consumer-focused campaign at the Roppongi Tsutaya store. This branch of the Tsutaya CD and video retail/ bookstore chain is set in the popular up-market Roppongi Hills neighborhood and attracts a very trend-aware Japanese and international audience. For one month part of the store was occupied by a Fuel Cell Car covered in colorful images to attract the attention of store visitors. Promotional banners and brochures informed about the JIFC Project and some workshops were aimed at children and teenagers, the future consumers who will hopefully grow into a world where hydrogen applications are more common-place.

Participating Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) included six cars, one bus and two types of hydrogen ICVs (internal combustion vehicles) developed by domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers, including Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hino, Suzuki, Mazda, Daimler and GM. While fuel cell cars and busses have been much talked about, it is the small fuel cell powered vehicles that are the latest technological achievements.

We liked the fuel-cell wheelchairs, a fuel-cell electric cart and a fuel-cell electric assisted bicycle, developed by two Japanese companies that are not car manufacturers. Kurimoto Ltd. (Japanese manufacturer of industrial products) released its Fuel Cell Wheelchair IV in June 2006 and a Fuel Cell Cart II in May 2007 while Iwatani Corp. (Japanese gas and energy development and supply company) released the Fuel Cell Electric Assisted Bicycle in February 2008.

The wheelchair and the cart’s fuel-cell system is a 24V 250W PEFC Air Cooling External Humidifier. Both drive at a max. speed of 6km/h and their driving range is 10hours, 60km (H2 Storage 190g/4 canisters) and 5hours, 30km (H2 Storage 100g/2 canisters). Iwatani Corp., the manufacturer of the Fuel Cell Electric-Assisted Bicycle, has been working with hydrogen for about 50 years and holds the leading share (40%) of the hydrogen market in Japan.

Written by Alena Eckelmann at greenz.jp

JCVD -- The Movie -- Happy Van Damme Friday!!!

Here is the synopsis for JCVD (2008)

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States. Written by Wismerhill & Redking

Early English-subtitled trailer here. Newer, U.S. trailer below.

Wanna see the movie? Here are the theatrical dates for “JCVD” in the States so far:

1/7 : NYC , AMC’s EMPIRE 25 & ANGELIKA FILM Center NYC

11/14 : LA , Landmark’s Nuart theatre

11/14: Irvine, Regal/Edwards University 6

11/14 Cambridge , Landmark’s Kendall Theatre

11/14: D.C. Landmark’s E street cinema

11/14- Chicago- AMC Pipers Alley

11/14 : SF , Landmark’s Bridge theatre

11/14 : Berkeley, Ca., Landmark’s Shattuck

11/14: Phil. Ritz @ the Bourse, Landmark

11/14: Landmarks Detroit, Main Art

11/21 : PALO. ALTO, Landmark’s Aquaris Theatre

11/21 : S.D., Landmarks Hillcrest Theatre

11/21: Seattle, Landmark’s Harvard Exit

11/21 - Denver , Landmark’s Mayan Theatre

11/21- Houston , Angelika film center

11/21 - Austin , Tx, Alamo draft house

11/21 -Tentative Dallas , Angelika film center date must be confirmed

11/21 : Plano, Tx - Angelika film center

11/21 - Sacramento, the Crest theatre

11/28 - Columbus , Oh . Landmark’s Gateway theatre

12/12 : Minneapolis Landmark’s Uptown theatre