goodnews.ws

LA VITA DI MICHELANGELO. Carte, poesie, lettere e disegni autografi.  La mostra rara, singolare e raffinata, attraverso carte autografe di Michelangelo – lettere, poesie, carte di cantiere e altri documenti – percorre tutta la vita del grande artista, ponendo l’accento sulla presenza e l’operato di Michelangelo a Siena. Queste straordinarie testimonianze autografe provengono dall’Archivio Buonarroti, di proprietà della Fondazione Casa Buonarroti, che raccoglie le carte di famiglia ed è, per quanto riguarda Michelangelo, tanto vario e cronologicamente completo da rendere possibile un vero e proprio ritratto biografico. La mostra, a cura di Lucilla Bardeschi Ciulich, nota studiosa della grafia michelangiolesca, e di Pina Ragionieri, direttrice della Fondazione Casa Buonarroti, è realizzata su progetto

scientifico della Fondazione stessa, e per la sede di Siena si avvale della consulenza scientifica di Gabriele Fattorini. È organizzata dall’Associazione Culturale Metamorfosi e da Vernice Progetti Culturali, con il contributo del Comune di Siena e della Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena. “Si prende l’avvio dalle prime lettere e dalle poesie della giovinezza per giungere alla corrispondenza estrema dell’artista, ormai quasi novantenne, con il prediletto nipote Leonardo. – spiega Pina Ragionieri – Su questa falsariga si incontrano prove grafiche di alto impegno, come i disegni, scelti qui con l’occhio fisso al risvolto biografico, siano essi di figura, o di progetto architettonico, o provenienti direttamente dai cantieri e dalle cave, come i famosi blocchi di marmo schizzati a beneficio degli scalpellini; o di fortificazione, rimandanti questi ultimi all’esperienza eroica ed effimera della seconda repubblica fiorentina, che trovò in Michelangelo un convinto e partecipe sostenitore. Si accoglie inoltre qualche esempio della fortuna del Maestro nei secoli: si accetta volentieri la gradevole mitologia ottocentesca del bel ritratto di Vittoria Colonna opera di Cesare Maccari, cortesemente prestato per la sede senese dall’Istituzione ospite, ma si tenta anche di fornire adeguata testimonianza visiva di opere perdute o, per motivi diversi, non presenti in mostra”. Nella sede di Santa Maria della Scala, l’esposizione farà omaggio alla città di Siena di rare testimonianze autografe, anch’esse provenienti dall’Archivio Buonarroti, del giovanile e geniale impegno di Michelangelo per quel grande capolavoro che è l’altare Piccolomini, realizzato da Andrea Bregno e arricchito dal giovane Michelangelo tra il 1501 e il 1504 con l’aggiunta, nelle nicchie inferiori, delle quattro statue di santi Pietro, Paolo, Agostino e Gregorio. Saranno presenti inoltre uno splendido disegno di Giuliano da Sangallo, contenuto nel famoso Taccuino senese, che

documenta l’aspetto dell’altare prima degli interventi michelangioleschi, e tre sculture di ambito senese – il San Vittore e il Bacco di Antonio Federighi e l’opera di Cesare Maccari raffigurante Vittoria Colonna meditante un madrigale direttole da Michelangelo – che riportano a una davvero suggestiva atmosfera protomichelangiolesca. “Nell’occasione dell’omaggio senese a Michelangelo, la Fondazione Casa Buonarroti ha voluto esporre alcuni documenti dal proprio ricchissimo archivio che raccontano dell’incarico del Cardinale a Michelangelo, corredati da opere che testimoniano dell’influenza michelangiolesca sull’arte senese – sottolinea l’on. Pietro Folena, presidente di Metamorfosi, organizzatrice della mostra in collaborazione con Vernice Progetti Culturali- il nostro obiettivo è infatti quello di favorire la produzione e la diffusione, grazie all’opera degli studiosi più autorevoli e riconosciuti, di occasioni uniche e irripetibili, capaci ogni volta di tirare un filo, aprire un pezzo di archivio, far vivere dei documenti, ricercare e testimoniare le radici comuni della nostra identità nazionale”.  sms santa maria della scala P.zza Duomo, 1 -  Siena | Tel.0577 534511 -  Tutti i giorni ore 10,30-19,30 – Biglietto intero: € 6.00. Ridotto: (per gruppi, ultra sessantacinquenni e convenzioni): € 3.00. Gratuito: bambini fino a 6 anni, disabili e accompagnatori, funzionari del Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione e del Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali. Il biglietto della mostra dà diritto alla riduzione di euro 0,50 per la visita al Duomo di Siena. Ufficio Stampa:  Agenzia Freelance per Vernice Progetti Culturali Sonia Corsi, Natascia Maesi – Ufficio Stampa: Associazione Culturale Metamorfosi Maria Grazia Filippi.  fonte: santamariadellascala.com

Caro amico lettore, questo è un progetto aperto e accetta la collaborazione di chiunque abbia voglia di far circolare positività…
Inviaci le tue proposte (articoli, vignette, foto e video divertenti) e troverai una porta aperta dove far circolare le tue idee…POSITIVE!
Sostieni e diffondi l’unico e-magazine dedicato alle buone notizie e sorrisi!Scrivi a: buonenotizie@goodnews.ws
Inserisci sul tuo sito un link al nostro www.goodnews.ws

GOOD NEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

Cockroach brains could be rich stores of new antibiotics. Cockroaches could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard according to scientists from The University of Nottingham. Experts from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science have discovered powerful antibiotic properties in the brains of cockroaches and locusts which could lead to novel treatments for multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. They found that the tissues of the brain and nervous system of the insects were able to kill more than 90 per cent of MRSA and pathogenic Escherichia coli, without harming human cells. Simon Lee, a postgraduate researcher, is presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s autumn meeting which is being held at The University of Nottingham between the 6 and 9 September 2010. The research has identified up to nine different molecules in the insect tissues that were toxic to bacteria.  Simon Lee said: “We hope that these molecules could eventually be developed into treatments for E. coli and MRSA infections that are increasingly resistant to current drugs. These new antibiotics could potentially provide alternatives to currently available drugs that may be effective but have serious and unwanted side effects.” Dr Naveed Khan, an Associate Professor of Molecular Microbiology who is supervising Simon Lee’s work said: “Superbugs such as MRSA have developed resistance against the chemotherapeutic artillery that

we throw at them. They have shown the ability to cause untreatable infections, and have become a major threat in our fight against bacterial diseases. Thus, there is a continuous need to find additional sources of novel antimicrobials to confront this menace.” Using state-of-the-art analytical tools, Dr Khan and his team are studying the specific properties of the antibacterial molecules. Research is currently underway to test the potency of these molecules against a variety of emerging superbugs such as Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Burkholderia. Mr Lee explained why it is unsurprising that insects secrete their own antimicrobials. He said: “Insects often live in unsanitary and unhygienic environments where they encounter many different types of bacteria. It is therefore logical that they have developed ways of protecting themselves against micro-organisms.”  -  Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the World’s Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings. More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to RAE 2008, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranks the University 7th in the UK by research power. In 27 subject areas, the University features in the UK Top

Ten, with 14 of those in the Top Five. The University provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain’s “only truly global university”, it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation — School of Pharmacy), and was named ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2008. Nottingham was designated as a Science City in 2005 in recognition of its rich scientific heritage, industrial base and role as a leading research centre. Nottingham has since embarked on a wide range of business, property, knowledge transfer and educational initiatives (www.science-city.co.uk) in order to build on its growing reputation as an international centre of scientific excellence. The University of Nottingham is a partner in Nottingham: the Science City.  Lindsay Brooke – Media Relations Manager. News from:  nottingham.ac.uk

Dear friend,
this is an open project and accepts the help of anyone willing to make positive thinking…
Send your proposals (articles, cartoons, funny pictures and videos) and find an open door where to move your ideas … POSITIVE!
Support and Spread the only e-magazine dedicated to good news and smiles!

Write to: goodnewsenglish@goodnews.ws
Show on your site a link to our www.goodnews.ws

GOODNEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

Uomini e Donne, come sanare la Frattura. Dai litigi in tv alle separazioni nei tribunali, dalle ideologie del ’68 sino alle odierne leggi di genere (ad esempio la proposta svedese di tassa sui nascituri maschi), appare evidente un radicato conflitto sociale tra maschile e femminile. Eppure nella storia uomo e donna hanno sempre collaborato e se oggi siamo nel punto più alto della catena alimentare.. è anche grazie a questa collaborazione. Ma proprio in tempi di minor rischio e maggior benessere nasce questa lotta “intestina”; donne che vogliono scavalcare l’uomo “a tutti i costi” (anche usando strumenti quali quote rosa, finanziamenti e leggi spesso sbilanciate), alcune dichiarano addirittura di volerlo completamente sostituire.. certo vedere donne esili o incinte sulla strada a fare il carabiniere e uomini possenti stare in casa a dare latte in polvere poco nutriente al bebè.. mi fa sorridere; mi sembra un po’ come se un paesino di montagna volesse rinunciare all’ottima acqua sorgiva per tirar su quella dal fiume di valle spendendo enormi patrimoni energetici; usando un termine attuale direi che è “poco sostenibile”. Ognuno è libero di pensare ciò che vuole s’intenda, ma come sempre accade nelle guerre interne inevitabilmente ci si dirige verso il “caos”; poco male – “sai cosa penso che anche se non ha un senso, domani arriverà lo stesso” – dice il noto cantante Vasco Rossi. Anche qui rimango perplesso..

Psicologicamente parlando la società si è sempre strutturata su “famiglia e diversità”, dove il padre capofamiglia trovava il senso nella sua realizzazione nel mondo fungendo da traino e creatore di senso per la sua donna ed i suoi figli; tutti così avevano e davano un senso “coerente e duraturo” alla loro esistenza; oggi invece le persone appaiono nevrotiche, stressate dal non avere nessuna direzione, scopo. Le “organizzazioni” delle pari opportunità poi contribuiscono ad alimentare questo stato delle cose, proponendosi (a discapito del nome) come strumento di “omologazione forzata” tra uomo e donna, esaltando razionalità e calcolo in modo esasperato: i due partner devono progredire simultaneamente ed identicamente (forse anche “respirare” simultaneamente.. come due automi) oppure non progredire affatto. Avete mai visto una coppia “paritaria” tra le mura di casa? Litigano per ogni minuscola cosa della quotidianità, a partire dallo spazzolino (è il primo motivo di rottura del matrimonio dicono le statistiche), tutto deve essere perfettamente separato in due.. ci si controlla a vista e ossessivamente si passa il tempo a verificare che l’altro non avanzi troppo, e intanto.. “non ci si evolve noi” (..la colpa poi è dell’altro ovviamente). Più che pace e parità pare un inferno, ma d’altronde uomini e donne ora sono sullo stesso “campo”, entrambi capofamiglia, entrambi gregari; il fatto però è che alla fine c’è sempre uno dei due che tira le fila (è fisiologico) solo che non si ammette.. e la lotta intestina di cui parlavo prosegue sempre più subdola, inconscia e meschina. Come uscirne? Non fermandosi alla superficie, ma ragionando; non facendoci ingannare da ideologie egoistiche, astratte o strumentali che promettono grandi cose in futuro.. ma intanto nel presente portano a fare la guerra al prossimo. Essere Uomini e Donne autentici, che assecondano la biologia e ci sommano le individualità, non solo è un bisogno della società ma è anche un vivere migliore, meno nevrotico e represso, più sensato e libero.  Biologia, Umanità, Individualità: rispettate nell’ordine queste basi e le loro regole.. e probabilmente qualunque cosa farete sarà più solida e bella, senza nuocere a nessuno. Fabio Barzagli

Caro amico lettore, questo è un progetto aperto e accetta la collaborazione di chiunque abbia voglia di far circolare positività…
Inviaci le tue proposte (articoli, vignette, foto e video divertenti) e troverai una porta aperta dove far circolare le tue idee…POSITIVE!
Sostieni e diffondi l’unico e-magazine dedicato alle buone notizie e sorrisi!Scrivi a: buonenotizie@goodnews.ws
Inserisci sul tuo sito un link al nostro www.goodnews.ws

GOOD NEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

There is a lot of talk on solfeggio harmonics, its all a bit confusing, and whether they really exist is another whole debate! What do you think? The evidence still seems a bit sketchy to me, they still sound nice so I use them. Here is what I have found out about them, let me know if I am wrong! These original sound frequencies were apparently used in Ancient Gregorian Chants, such as the great hymn to St. John the Baptist, along with others that church authorities say were lost centuries ago. The chants and their special tones were believed to impart tremendous spiritual blessings when sung in harmony during religious masse. Frequency 528 Hz, the miraculous frequency for transformation and DNA repair. There is a special sound and color of love according to Dr. Horowitz, a Harvard-trained award-winning investigator. Broadcasting the right frequency can help open your heart, prompt peace,

and hasten healing. “We now know the love signal, 528 Hertz, is among the six core creative frequencies of the universe because math doesn’t lie, the geometry of physical reality universally reflects this music; these findings have been independently derived, peer reviewed, and empirically validated,” Dr. Horowitz says. The third note, frequency 528, relates to the note MI on the scale and derives from the phrase “MI-ra gestorum” in Latin meaning “miracle.” Stunningly, this is the exact frequency used by genetic biochemists to repair broken DNA — the genetic blueprint upon which life is based! MI — 528 Hz — relates to crown chakra. Dr Puleo suggests an association with DNA integrity. The regular “C” that we all know of in this culture (which is from the diatonic scale of do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do) is not the 528 Hz frequency C. A regular “C” vibrates at a frequency of 523.3 Hz. The “C” of 528 Hz used for DNA repair is part of an ancient scale called the Solfeggio Scale. We have provided solfeggio tones embedded within music. Whether or not these tones are actually exist, are valid or accurate is still unsure, however the music that has been embedded with it has received fantastic feedback. The Six Main Solfeggio Frequencies Are: 1. UT — 396 Hz — Liberating Guilt and Fear 2. RE — 417 Hz — Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change 3. MI — 528 Hz — Transformation and Miracles (DNA Repair) 4. FA — 639 Hz — Connecting/Relationships 5. SOL — 741 Hz — Expression/Solutions 6. LA — 852 Hz — Awakening Intuition. I have infused solfeggio harmonics into my music production to ensure you have the optimum majickal value music can provide! You can check them out on my channel! Namaste.  amAya

Dear friend,
this is an open project and accepts the help of anyone willing to make positive thinking…
Send your proposals (articles, cartoons, funny pictures and videos) and find an open door where to move your ideas … POSITIVE!
Support and Spread the only e-magazine dedicated to good news and smiles!

Write to: goodnewsenglish@goodnews.ws
Show on your site a link to our www.goodnews.ws

GOODNEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

Una cattedrale vegetale del parco delle Orobie per riconciliarsi con la natura. Oltre Il Colle. Desiderio di ridare una forte identita’ culturale e naturalistica. Questo e’ lo scopo della Cattedrale Vegetale costruita a Oltre il Colle, in provincia di Bergamo, ai piedi del Monte Arera. Il progetto ideato dall’architetto

Giuliano Mauri, scomparso nel 2009, è stato portato a termine dal figlio Roberto che ci ha descritto le difficolta’ incontrate. L’opera si estende su una superficie di 650 metri quadrati ed e’ costituita da 42 colonne di materiale vegetale del posto. L’uomo prova a riconciliarsi con la natura, troppe volte deturpata, come ci ha detto il Presidente del Parco delle Orobie, Franco Grassi.  Servizio e riprese di Pierangelo Mella.  fonte: www.c6.tv ~ Il Parco delle Orobie Bergamasche è un parco regionale della Lombardia, istituito nel 1989. Con una superficie di circa 68.898 ettari il parco include la parte nord del versante bergamasco delle catena delle Orobie, le cui vette variano tra i 2000 m e i 3000 m di altitudine. Caratterizzato da valli che incidono profondamente il territorio e le cui acque alimentano maggiori fiumi bergamaschi, quest’area protetta viene definita “parco montano forestale” .  ~ N.D.R.

Caro amico lettore, questo è un progetto aperto e accetta la collaborazione di chiunque abbia voglia di far circolare positività…
Inviaci le tue proposte (articoli, vignette, foto e video divertenti) e troverai una porta aperta dove far circolare le tue idee…POSITIVE!
Sostieni e diffondi l’unico e-magazine dedicato alle buone notizie e sorrisi!Scrivi a: buonenotizie@goodnews.ws
Inserisci sul tuo sito un link al nostro www.goodnews.ws

GOOD NEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

In crisi fast food con boom farmers market. La crisi del fast food con la messa in vendita del colosso statunitense Burger King è la conferma di un cambiamento in atto nelle abitudini alimentari anche negli Usa dove negli ultimi dieci anni sono piu’ che raddoppiati i mercati degli agricoltori dove comprare prodotti locali di grande qualità alternativi ai menu’’ globalizzati. E’ quanto afferma la Coldiretti che, nel commentare le difficoltà che sta incontrando la catena di Fast Food, sottolinea che negli Stati uniti sono aperti 6132 mercati degli agricoltori in aumento del 16 per cento rispetto allo scorso anno. Una tendenza sostenuta dalla stessa amministrazione Obama che ha avviato numerose iniziative contro il cibo spazzatura e a favore di stili di vita sani che – ricorda la Coldiretti – vanno dall’obbligo ad indicare il conto delle calorie nei menu’ offerti da oltre 200mila catene di fast food, ristoranti e take away previsto dalla riforma sanitaria alla coltivazione di un orto alla Casa Bianca nelle cui prossimità è stato aperto anche un farmers market

per favorire l’offerta di cibi freschi e genuini provenienti dalla campagna. Anche in Italia si registra il successo di esperienze di vendita di prodotti locali rispetto a quello delle multinazionali come McDonald’s con il 54 per cento degli italiani preferisce acquistare prodotti alimentari locali e artigianali che battono nettamente le grandi marche, che si fermano al 12 per cento, secondo una indagine Coldiretti/Swg. Secondo l’indagine – continua la Coldiretti – per il 29 per cento degli italiani la scelta tra le due tipologie di prodotto dipende dalla qualità, mentre per il 5 per cento dal prezzo. Si tratta – sottolinea la Coldiretti – di una opinione confermata da un vero boom degli acquisti diretti dai produttori dove compra regolarmente l’11 per cento degli italiani e ben il 47 per cento ha dichiarato di farlo almeno qualche volta durante l’anno. La spesa in cantine, malghe o frantoi per acquistare direttamente dai produttori vini, ortofrutta, olio, formaggi, e altre specialità supererà nel 2010 i 3 miliardi di euro secondo la Coldiretti e coinvolge 63mila imprese agricole attraverso spacci aziendali, chioschi, bancarelle, sagre e oltre 500 mercati degli agricoltori di Campagna Amica. L’acquisto di un alimento direttamente dal produttore – sottolinea la Coldiretti – è una opportunità per conoscere non solo il prodotto ma anche la storia, la cultura e la tradizione che racchiude dalle parole di chi a contribuito a conservare un patrimonio che spesso non ha nulla da invidiare alle bellezze artistiche e naturali del territorio nazionale. Si tratta – conclude la Coldiretti – di un fenomeno in controtendenza rispetto alla crisi generale perché concilia la necessità di risparmiare con quella di garantirsi la sicurezza del cibo. Tra le motivazioni di acquisto dell’indagine Swg/Coldiretti spicca infatti la genuinità (71 per cento) seguita dal risparmio (40 per cento) e dal gusto (26 per cento). fonte: coldiretti.it

Caro amico lettore, questo è un progetto aperto e accetta la collaborazione di chiunque abbia voglia di far circolare positività…
Inviaci le tue proposte (articoli, vignette, foto e video divertenti) e troverai una porta aperta dove far circolare le tue idee…POSITIVE!
Sostieni e diffondi l’unico e-magazine dedicato alle buone notizie e sorrisi!Scrivi a: buonenotizie@goodnews.ws
Inserisci sul tuo sito un link al nostro www.goodnews.ws

GOOD NEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

Il satellite Envisat ha seguito gli spostamenti dell’enorme iceberg che il 4 agosto scorso si è staccato dal ghiacciaio Petermann in Groenlandia. Questa sequenza di immagini radar, acquisite fra il 31 luglio e il 1 settembre, mostra l’iceberg che si allontana dal ghiacciaio ed entra nello Stretto di Nares, il tratto di mare che collega l’Oceano Artico e il Mare di Lincoln con la Baia di Baffin. L’iceberg, al momento il più grande dell’emisfero settentrionale, è lungo circa 30 km ed ha una superficie di circa 245 kmq. Il 22 agosto aveva già percorso circa 22 km dal suo punto di origine, fino a raggiungere l’estremità del ghiacciaio Petermann, e nell’immagine del 1 settembre lo si vede fare il suo ingresso nello Stretto di Nares. La stessa immagine mostra anche che l’iceberg ha urtato una piccola isola nello stretto, il che potrebbe rallentarlo per un breve periodo o spezzarlo in blocchi più piccoli. In ogni caso é molto probabile che l’iceberg presto si troverà completamente nello stretto, ma percorso e velocità dipendono da diversi fattori, quali i venti che soffiano dal ghiacciaio, le correnti che attraversano lo stretto e, non ultimo, l’eventuale ghiaccio marino che potrebbe bloccarne il cammino. fonte:  esa.int

Caro amico lettore, questo è un progetto aperto e accetta la collaborazione di chiunque abbia voglia di far circolare positività…
Inviaci le tue proposte (articoli, vignette, foto e video divertenti) e troverai una porta aperta dove far circolare le tue idee…POSITIVE!
Sostieni e diffondi l’unico e-magazine dedicato alle buone notizie e sorrisi!Scrivi a: buonenotizie@goodnews.ws
Inserisci sul tuo sito un link al nostro www.goodnews.ws

GOOD NEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

The Extraordinary Tale of Red Rain, Comets and Extraterrestrials. For years, claims have circulated that red rain which fell in India in 2001, contained cells unlike any found on Earth. Now new evidence that these cells can reproduce is about to set the debate alive. Panspermia is the idea that life exists throughout the universe in comets, asteroids and interstellar dust clouds and that life of Earth was seeded from one or more of these sources.

Panspermia holds that we are all extraterrestrials. While this is certainly not a mainstream idea in science, a growing body of evidence suggests that it should be carefully studied rather than casually disregarded. For example, various bugs have been shown to survive for months or even years in the harsh conditions of space. And one of the more interesting but lesser known facts about the Mars meteorite that some scientists believe holds evidence of life on Mars, is that its interior never rose above 50 degrees centigrade, despite being blasted from the Martian surface by an meteor impact and surviving a fiery a descent through Earth’s thick atmosphere. If there is life up there, this evidence suggests that it could survive the trip to Earth. All that seems well established. Now for the really controversial stuff. In 2001, numerous people observed red rain falling over Kerala in the southern tip of India during a two month period. One of them was Godfrey Louis, a physicist at nearby Cochin University of Science and Technology. Intrigued by this phenomena, Louis collected numerous samples of red rain, determined to find out what was causing the

contamination, perhaps sand or dust from some distant desert. Under a  microscope, however, he found no evidence of sand or dust. Instead, the rain water was filled with red cells that look remarkably like conventional bugs on Earth. What was strange was that Louis found no evidence of DNA in these cells which would rule out most kinds of known biological cells (red blood cells are one possibility but ought to be destroyed quickly by rain water). Louis published his results in the peer-reviewed journal Astrophysics and Space in 2006, along with the tentative suggestion that the cells could be extraterrestrial, perhaps from a comet that had disintegrated in the upper atmosphere and then seeded clouds as the cells floated down to Earth. In fact, Louis says there were reports in the region of a sonic boom-type noise at the time, which could have been caused by the disintegration of an object in the upper atmosphere. Since then, Louis has continued to study the cells with an international team including Chandra Wickramasinghe from the University of Cardiff in the UK and one of the leading proponents of the panspermia theory, which he developed in the latter half of the 20th century with the remarkable physicist Fred Hoyle. Today Louis, Wickramasinghe and others publish some extraordinary claims about these red cells. They say that the cells clearly

reproduce at a temperature of 121 degrees C. “Under these conditions daughter cells appear within the original mother cells and the number of cells in the samples increases with length of exposure to 121 degrees C,” they say. By contrast, the cells are inert at room temperature. That makes them highly unusual, to say the least. The spores of some extremophiles can survive these kinds of temperatures and then reproduce at lower temperatures but nothing behaves like this at these temperatures, as far as we know. This is an extraordinary claim that will need to be independently verified before it will be more broadly accepted. And of course, this behaviour does not suggest an extraterrestrial origin for these cells, by any means. However, Wickramasinghe and co can’t resist hinting at such an exotic explanation. They’ve examined the way these fluoresce when bombarded with light and say it is remarkably similar to various unexplained emission spectra seen in various parts of the galaxy. One such place is the Red Rectangle, a cloud of dust and gas around a young star in the Monocerous constellation.It would be fair to say that more evidence will be required before Kerala’s red rain can be satisfactorily explained. In the meantime, it looks a fascinating mystery.  -  Growth and replication of red rain cells at 121  oC and their red fluorescence. Abstract: We have shown that the red cells

found in the Red Rain (which fell on Kerala, India, in 2001) survive and grow after incubation for periods of up to two hours at 121 oC . Under these conditions daughter cells appear within the original mother cells and the number of cells in the samples increases with length of exposure to 121 oC. No such increase in cells occurs at room temperature, suggesting that the increase in daughter cells is brought about by exposure of the Red Rain cells to high temperatures. This is an independent confirmation of results reported earlier by two of the present authors, claiming that the cells can replicate under high pressure at temperatures up to 300 oC. The flourescence behaviour of the red cells is shown to be in remarkable correspondence with the extended red emission observed in the Red Rectangle planetary nebula and other galactic and extragalactic dust clouds, suggesting, though not proving, an extraterrestrial origin.  Authors: Rajkumar Gangappa (Univ. of Glamorgan UK) Chandra Wickramasinghe (Cardiff Univ. UK), Milton Wainwright (Univ. Sheffield UK), A. Santhosh Kumar (Cochin University India), Godfrey Louis (Cochin University India). Sources: technologyreview.com  &  arxiv.org  ~ Red rain in Kerala;  From July 25 to September 23, 2001, red rain sporadically fell on the southern Indian state of Kerala. Heavy downpours occurred in which the rain was colored red, staining clothes pink. Yellow, green, and black rain was also reported.Colored rain had been reported in Kerala as early as 1896 and several times since then. It was initially thought that the rains were colored by fallout from a hypothetical meteor burst, but a study commissioned by the Government of India concluded that the rains had been colored by airborne spores from  locally prolific terrestrial algae.It was not until early 2006 that the colored rains of Kerala gained widespread attention when the popular media reported that Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar of the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam proposed a controversial hypothesis that the colored particles were extraterrestrial cells.Extraterrestrial hypothesis; In 2003 Godfrey Louis and Santhosh Kumar, physicists at the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, Kerala, posted an article entitled “Cometary panspermia explains the red rain of Kerala” in the on-line, non-peer reviewed arXiv web site. While the CESS report said there was no apparent relationship between the loud sound (possibly a sonic boom) and flash of light which preceded the red rain, to Louis and Kumar it was a key piece of evidence. They proposed that a meteor (from a comet containing the red particles) caused the sound and

flash and when it disintegrated over Kerala it released the red particles which slowly fell to the ground. However, they omitted an explanation on how debris from a meteor continued to fall in the same area over a period of two months while unaffected from winds.Their work indicated that the particles were of biological origin (consistent with the CESS report), however, they invoked the panspermia hypothesis to explain the presence of cells in a supposed fall of meteoric material. Additionally, using ethidium bromide they were unable to detect DNA or RNA in the particles. Two months later they posted another paper on the same web site entitled “New biology of red rain extremophiles prove cometary panspermia”in which they reported that “The microorganism isolated from the red rain of Kerala shows very extraordinary characteristics, like the ability to grow optimally at 300°C (572°F) and the capacity to metabolize a wide range of organic and inorganic materials.” These claims and data have yet to be verified and reported in any peer reviewed publication. In

2006 Louis and Kumar published a paper in Astrophysics and Space Science entitled “The red rain phenomenon of Kerala and its possible extraterrestrial origin” which reiterated their hypothesis that the red rain was biological matter from an extraterrestrial source but made no mention of their previous claims to having induced the cells to grow. One of their conclusions was that if the red rain particles are biological cells and are of cometary origin, then this phenomenon can be a case of cometary panspermia. On August 2008 Louis and Kumar again presented their case in an astrobiology conference. The abstract for paper states that “The red cells found in the red rain in Kerala, India are now considered as a possible case of extraterrestrial life form. These cells can undergo rapid replication even at an extreme high temperature of 300 deg C. They can also be cultured in diverse unconventional chemical substrates. The molecular composition of these cells is yet to be identified”.  ~  GoodNews International

Dear friend,
this is an open project and accepts the help of anyone willing to make positive thinking…
Send your proposals (articles, cartoons, funny pictures and videos) and find an open door where to move your ideas … POSITIVE!
Support and Spread the only e-magazine dedicated to good news and smiles!

Write to: goodnewsenglish@goodnews.ws
Show on your site a link to our www.goodnews.ws

GOODNEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

Plasticity of brain networks in a randomized intervention trial of exercise training in older adults. Attention, couch potatoes! Walking boosts brain connectivity, function. Moderate walking three times per week for a year increased brain connectivity and brain function in older adults, the researchers found. A group of “professional couch potatoes,” as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise – in this case walking at one’s own pace for 40 minutes three times a week – can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.  The study, in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, followed 65 adults, aged 59 to 80, who joined a walking group or stretching and toning group for a year. All of the participants were sedentary before the study, reporting less than two episodes of physical activity lasting 30 minutes or more in the previous six months. The researchers also measured brain activity in 32

younger (18- to 35-year-old) adults. Rather than focusing on specific brain structures, the study looked at activity in brain regions that function together as networks. “Almost nothing in the brain gets done by one area – it’s more of a circuit,” said University of Illinois psychology professor and Beckman Institute Director Art Kramer, who led the study with kinesiology and community health professor Edward McAuley and doctoral student Michelle Voss. “These networks can become more or less connected. In general, as we get older, they become less connected, so we were interested in the effects of fitness on connectivity of brain networks that show the most dysfunction with age.” Neuroscientists have identified several distinct brain circuits. Perhaps the most intriguing is the default mode network (DMN), which dominates brain activity when a person is least engaged with the outside world – either passively observing something or simply daydreaming. Previous studies found that a loss of coordination in the DMN is a common symptom of aging and in extreme cases can be a marker of disease, Voss said. “For example, people with Alzheimer’s disease tend to have less activity in the default mode network and they tend to have less connectivity,” she said. Low connectivity means that the different parts of the circuit are not operating in sync. Like poorly trained athletes on a rowing team, the brain regions that make up the circuit lack coordination and so do not function at optimal efficiency or speed, Voss said. In a healthy young brain, activity in the DMN quickly diminishes when a person engages in an activity that requires focus on the external environment. Older people, people with Alzheimer’s disease and those who are schizophrenic have more difficulty “down-regulating” the DMN so that other brain networks can come to the fore, Kramer said. A recent study by Kramer, Voss and their

colleagues found that older adults who are more fit tend to have better connectivity in specific regions of the DMN than their sedentary peers. Those with more connectivity in the DMN also tend to be better at planning, prioritizing, strategizing and multi-tasking. The new study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine whether aerobic activity increased connectivity in the DMN or other brain networks. The researchers measured participants’ brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tasks at the beginning of the study, at six months and after a year of either walking or toning and stretching. At the end of the year, DMN connectivity was significantly improved in the brains of the older walkers, but not in the stretching and toning group, the researchers report. The walkers also had increased connectivity in parts of another brain circuit (the fronto-executive network, which aids in the performance of complex tasks) and they did significantly better on cognitive tests than their toning and stretching peers. Previous studies have found that aerobic exercise can enhance the function of specific brain structures, Kramer said. This study shows that even moderate aerobic exercise also improves the coordination of important brain networks. “The higher the connectivity, the better the performance on some of these cognitive tasks, especially the ones we call executive control tasks – things like planning, scheduling, dealing with ambiguity, working memory and multitasking,” Kramer said. These are the very skills that tend to decline with aging, he said. This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Editor’s note: To contact Art Kramer, e-mail a-kramer@illinois.edu. To reach Michelle, e-mail mvoss@illinois.edu. The paper, “Plasticity of Brain Networks in a Randomized Intervention Trial of Exercise Training in Older Adults,” is available online. Diana Yates,  Life Sciences Editor.  News from: illinois.edu

Dear friend,
this is an open project and accepts the help of anyone willing to make positive thinking…
Send your proposals (articles, cartoons, funny pictures and videos) and find an open door where to move your ideas … POSITIVE!
Support and Spread the only e-magazine dedicated to good news and smiles!

Write to: goodnewsenglish@goodnews.ws
Show on your site a link to our www.goodnews.ws

GOODNEWS Cerca il Meglio per te

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago. The research, led by Emory anthropologist George Armelagos and medicinal chemist Mark Nelson of Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. “We tend to associate drugs that cure diseases with modern medicine,” Armelagos says. “But it’s becoming increasingly clear that this prehistoric population

was using empirical evidence to develop therapeutic agents. I have no doubt that they knew what they were doing.” Armelagos is a bioarcheologist and an expert on prehistoric and ancient diets. In 1980, he discovered what appeared to be traces of tetracycline in human bones from Nubia dated between A.D. 350 and 550, populations that left no written record. The ancient Nubian kingdom was located in present-day Sudan, south of ancient Egypt. Armelagos and his fellow researchers later tied the source of the antibiotic to the Nubian beer. The grain used to make the fermented gruel contained the soil bacteria streptomyces, which produces tetracycline. A key question was whether only occasional batches of the ancient beer contained tetracycline, which would indicate accidental contamination with the bacteria. Nelson, a leading expert in tetracycline and other antibiotics, became interested in the project after hearing Armelagos speak at a conference. “I told him to send me some mummy bones, because I had the tools and the expertise to extract the tetracycline,” Nelson says. “It’s a nasty and dangerous process. I had to dissolve the bones in hydrogen fluoride, the most dangerous acid on the planet.” The results stunned Nelson. “The bones of these ancient people were saturated with tetracycline, showing that they had been taking it for a long time,” he says. “I’m convinced that they had the science of fermentation

under control and were purposely producing the drug.” (The yellow film in the flask above shows tetracycline residue from dissolved bones.) Even the tibia and skull belonging to a 4-year-old were full of tetracycline, suggesting that they were giving high doses to the child to try and cure him of illness, Nelson says. The first of the modern day tetracyclines was discovered in 1948. It was given the name auereomycin, after the Latin word “aerous,” which means containing gold. “Streptomyces produce a golden colony of bacteria, and if it was floating on a batch of beer, it must have look pretty impressive to ancient people who revered gold,” Nelson theorizes. The ancient Egyptians and Jordanians used beer to treat gum disease and other ailments, Armelagos says, adding that the complex art of fermenting antibiotics was probably widespread in ancient times, and handed down through generations. The chemical confirmation of tetracycline in ancient bones is not the end of the story for Armelagos. He remains enthused after more than three decades on the project. “This opens up a whole new area of research,” he says. “Now we’re going to compare the amount of tetracycline in the bones, and bone formation over time, to determine the dosage that the ancient Nubians were

getting.” -  Emory University, a top 20 research university located in Atlanta, Georgia, is an inquiry-driven, ethically engaged and diverse community whose members work collaboratively for positive transformation in the world through courageous leadership in teaching, research, scholarship, health care and social action. The university is recognized internationally for its outstanding liberal arts college, superb professional schools and one of the Southeast’s leading health care systems. This is a time of dynamic change on campus, where the future is being guided by an ambitious strategic plan, Where Courageous Inquiry Leads. Emory maintains an uncommon balance for an institution of its standing: it generates more research funding than any other Georgia university, while maintaining its traditional emphasis on teaching. The university is enriched by the legacy and energy of Atlanta, and by collaboration among its schools, units and centers, as well as with affiliated institutions. News from: Emory University  emory.edu

Dear friend,
this is an open project and accepts the help of anyone willing to make positive thinking…
Send your proposals (articles, cartoons, funny pictures and videos) and find an open door where to move your ideas … POSITIVE!
Support and Spread the only e-magazine dedicated to good news and smiles!

Write to: goodnewsenglish@goodnews.ws
Show on your site a link to our www.goodnews.ws

GOODNEWS Cerca il Meglio per te