Stomr

2013-12-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

USES FOR COCONUT OIL

In cooking as a great oil with a high smoke point. Great for baking, stir-frys or as a dairy free replacement to butter.
Taken supplementally for daily energy.
As a coffee creamer when emulsified into coffee
On the skin as a basic lotion.
In homemade lotion bars for soft, smooth skin.
In homemade deodorant
As an eye-makeup remover
As a cloth diaper safe diaper cream (like lotion)
In making your own Re-mineral-zing Toothpaste
To lighten age spots when rubbed directly on the skin
To prevent stretch marks during pregnancy
To support health thyroid function
In homemade Mayo without the high PUFA vegetable oils.
To help increase sun tolerance and avoid burning
As a naturally SPF 4 sunscreen
In homemade lotion recipes
To get rid cradle cap on baby
Topically to kill yeast or yeast infections
As a delicious tropical massage oil
It's high lauric acid and MCFA contents help boost metaboism.

Fakta Mengenai Warna Sayuran/Buah-buahan.

2013-10-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Fakta Mengenai Warna Sayuran dan Buah-buahan.

Buah-buahan dan sayuran adalah sumber yang kaya dengan vitamin, mineeral, serat dan bahan-bahan yang menyihatkan badan yang dikenali sebagai fitokimia. Banyak fitokimia mempunyai fungsi antioksidan yang dipercayai dapat melawan penyakit tertentu, sperti kanser. Adalah penting bagi anda makan pelbagai jenis buah-buahan dan sayur-sayuran yang berlainan warna setiap hari Pelbagai jenis fitokimia memberi warna kepada buahan dan sayuran, di samping kesan antioksidan dan juga pelbagai manfaat.

Kuning/Jingga - Buahan dan sayuran yang berwarna kuning/jingga adalah kaya dengan beta-karotin. Pengambilan jenis buahan dan sayuran ini dengan banyak dapat dikaitkan dengan peningkatan pertahanan tubuh terhadap jangkitan dan kesihatan mata. Contoh : Betik, Manga, Oren, Lobak merah, Lada besar kuning, ubi keledik dan labu.

Hijau - Buahan dan sayuran yang berwarna hijau mengandungi beta-karotin, tetapi ia telah diselaputi satu pigmen warna hijau yang dikenali sebagai klorofil yang memberikan warna hijau kepada sayuran dan buahan ini. Contoh fitokimia lain ialah lutein dan zeaxanthin. Pengambilan sayuran berdaun hijau dengan banyak, bukan sahaja dikaitkan dengan pengurangan sesetengah kanser, ia juga membantu meningkatkan kesihatan mata. Contoh : Bayam, Kangkung, Buah Kiwi.

Merah - Kaya dengan lycopene, sejenis karetenoid. Pengambilan lycopene dengan banyak dapat mengurangkan risiko pelbagai kanser dan penyakit jantung. Contoh : Tomato, Tembikai, Betik.

Bitu/Ungu - Kaya dengan fitokimia seperti anthocyanins. Pengambilan sayuran ini dapat dikaitkan dengan pengurangan risiko kanser dan penyakit jantung. Contoh : Buah naga, beri biru, Terung.

Putih - Buahan dan sayuran yang berwarna putih adalah sumber yang kaya dengan vitamin C, kalium, dan serat. Sayuran berwarna putih seperti bunga kubis dan kubis mengandungi fitokimia seperti idoles. Contoh : Jambu bantu, Pisang, Buah pir,

Who You Meet In College

2013-10-13T23:55:00.004-07:00

How do we get vitamin D from sunlight?

2013-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

VITAMIN D ISN’T an ingredient of sunlight; sunlight triggers the reaction that makes it. Vitamin D is a group of related compounds and D3 is the one that requires sunlight. Cholesterol in our diet is first converted to 7-dehydrocholesterol and then UVB radiation in sunlight triggers a reaction that creates first previtamin D3, and then vitamin D3 proper. In the UK, you need the sunshine levels of a summer’s day to create vitamin D and it only works outdoors, because glass blocks UVB radiation.

Know the machine

2013-10-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Are you really know this machine?

The Lightning

2013-10-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

How to fold a suit, pants and shirt to go in a suitcase without wrinkling ?

2013-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

How to fold a suit, pants and shirt to go in a suitcase without wrinkling ?

Watch this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VDGWW7_O2sI

Where The Minerals Are

2013-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Why do we stretch when we wake up?

2013-09-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Why do we stretch when we wake up?

When we wake up every morning or after having a nap, normal person will stretch. Why this happen? Is this cause by the position of sleeping or what?

When you sleep, your muscles lose tone and fluid tends to pool along your back. Stretching helps to massage fluid gently back into the normal position. Also, your muscles protect themselves from over-extension by inhibiting the nerve impulses as they approach their limit. Over time, this safety mechanism becomes increasingly restrictive. Stretching briefly takes your muscles outside their normal range. This recalibrates the feedback mechanisms that determine their normal amount of motion. LV

BBC.Knowledge.July.2013

How long to nap ?

2013-09-21T17:15:00.002-07:00

The sleep experts say a 10-20-minute power nap gives you the best "Brain Reboot" but depending on what you want the nap to do for you For a quick boost of alertness, experts say a 10-20-minute power nap is adequate for getting back to work in a pinch. For cognitive memory processing, however, a 60-minute nap may do more good, Dr. Mednick said. Including slow-wave sleep helps with remembering facts, places and faces. The downside: some grogginess upon waking. Finally, the 90-minute nap will likely involve a full cycle of sleep, which aids creativity and emotional and procedural memory, such as learning how to ride a bike.

Diversity of Species in the Rainforest

2013-09-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Prehistoric Writing: Stone Age Jottings

2013-09-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Human Vs Animal

2013-08-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Abundance Of Elements

2013-08-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

What benefits can coconut water provide an exerciser?

2013-08-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Coconut water, the clear liquid found in coconuts, is rich in sugars and amino acids, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, important electrolytes lost to sweat during exercise.
These qualities make coconut water an attractive choice for replenishing your body after exercise.
Given all the nutrients you can gain for only 46 calories per 200 ml-glass, coconut water is generally a good choice for staying hydrated, and it may be better than sweetened energy drinks after a workout.

Some Athletes Swear By It

Professional tennis player John Isner credits coconut water with keeping him on his feet for his epic 11-hour marathon Wimbledon tennis win. “It is super hydrating and has kept me going in long matches and prevented me from cramping even in the hottest and most humid conditions,” Isner says.

He drinks a mixture of coconut water and water the night before a match in difficult heat conditions and routinely mixes a cocktail of coconut water and sea salt for on-court hydration and mixes it with protein powder for post-match recovery.

Coconut water may be better at replacing lost fluids than a sports drink or water -- as long as you enjoy the taste. A study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that coconut water replenishes body fluids as well as a sports drink and better than water but the athletes preferred the taste of the sports drinks.

Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, MS, RD and author of Nancy Clarks Sports Nutrition Guidebook says coconut water won’t rehydrate the body unless you can drink plenty of it. If you enjoy the taste and can tolerate large amounts, it could help keep you hydrated.

A 2007 study shows coconut water enhanced with sodium was as good as drinking a commercial sports drink for post-exercise rehydration with better fluid tolerance. Another study reported that coconut water caused less nausea, fullness, and stomach upset and was easier to consume in large amounts during rehydration.

What Is Coconut Water?

Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts.

It has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink. Ounce per ounce, most unflavored coconut water contains 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams (mg) of potassium, and 5.45 mg of sodium compared to Gatorade, which has 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams of sugar, 3.75 mg of potassium, and 13.75 mg of sodium.

Better Than Some Sugary Drinks

Coconut water has less sugar than many sports drinks and much less sugar than sodas and some fruit juices. Plain coconut water could be a better choice for adults and kids looking for a beverage that is less sweet. But don’t overdo it, says Lillian Cheung, DSc, RD, of Harvard School of Public Health. “One 11-ounce container has 60 calories and if you drink several in one day, the calories can add up quickly," Cheung says.

Memang Hot - Eleanor Tomlinson

2013-08-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Based on 2013

Different between adult and kid

2013-08-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Kids And Adults View

Kids Vision

All About Evolution

2013-08-09T11:02:00.002-07:00

The theory of evolution explains how the enormous variety of life could come into existence. How it is possible for primitive life forms to spawn the millions of different creatures, that exist today. Unfortunately, evolution is often misunderstood, because it's mechanisms seem counter intuitive.

Beauty Tricks

2013-08-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

BRIGHTEN UP WITH MINT

Using mint as an ingredient in skincare products can increase mental alertness for a morning pick-me-up and instantly brighten dull, tired skin," says Renee Rouleau, esthetician and founder of Renee Rouleau Skin Care, who adds that the invigorating herb helps to stimulate blood circulation, bringing new nutrients to skin cells. - See more at: http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/8-beauty-tricks-look-well-rested-even-if-youre-far-it#sthash.qDy49Sle.dpuf

using mint can increase mental alertness for morning pick-me-up and instantly brighten dull, tired skin. Beside, the invigorating herb helps to stimulate blood circulation, bringing new nutrients to skin cells.

CHILL OUT

We all know someone who swears that placing cucumber slices on her eyes instantly eliminates puffiness. But there's no miraculous anti-puff ingredient in the veggie.

MASK IT

Exfoliation brimgs oxygenated blood flow to the surface for an instant glow. Do it with a treatment that contains dull-skin dissolving fruit acids or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs).

CURL UP

When you are bleary-eyed, curling your lashes is a must. Lifted lashes give the appearence of bigger, more open eyes.

Brighten Up with Mint

Brighten Up with MintBrighten Up with Mint

How Can Music Help Stop Human Trafficking?

2013-08-05T05:11:00.004-07:00

Freedom Festival is a music and art festival that is hosted by Project Liber8 for their annual awareness event. There will be different activities which includes photo booths, eating competition, open mic, message wall as well as inspiring and motivating speeches as well.

Click this for more info

SIMPLE PACKAGING MACHINE USING PLC

2013-08-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

SIMPLE PACKAGING MACHINE USING PLC

MNEMONIC CODE
LD 0000
0R 1001
0R 0003
AND NOT 0001
AND NOT 1002
OUT 1001
LD 0002
LD 0003
CNT 00
#05
LD CNT 00
TIM 00
#30
LD TIM 00
OUT 1002
END 01

5 NASA Inventions You Won't Believe

2013-08-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

1. Nanoceramics Cure Cancer, Make Hair Shiny

While working as a NASA scientist specializing innanomaterials (which are 10,000 times smaller than a human hair), Dr. Dennis Morrison developed nanoceramics, which could be formed into tiny balloons called microcapsules. These little balloons could be filled with cancer-fighting drugs and injected into solid tumors.

Where, you're wondering, does space come into this process? In order to create the microscopic membrane around the liquid drugs, the microcapsules had to be formed in low-Earth orbit. Dr. Morrison's ceramic nanoparticles contained metals that would react when the patient was subjected to a magnetic field, like what's used in an MRI diagnostic machine. The capsules would melt, and the drugs would be released to fight the cancerous tumor.

It turns out that Dr. Morrison's ceramic-magnetic particles were good for more than fighting tumors -- they could also fight frizz. When incorporated into Farouk Systems's hairstyling iron and heated, the nanoparticles released ions that made hair smooth and shiny.

2. Reflective Coatings Save Skylab, Manatees

When the Skylab space-based laboratory was set in position in 1973, a solar panel fell off during the launch, which kept another solar panel from deploying properly once in orbit. These panels had to be replaced -- and fast. NASA turned to National Metalizing, a firm it had worked with previously, to create a new panel that would be ready to go into space in 10 days.

National Metalizing had originally developed reflective materials for NASA in the 1950s, so it was able to deliver the necessary thin plastic material coated in vaporized aluminum in time. The material can deflect or conserve radiant energy, depending on which is required -- to keep something cool or to warm it up. This flexible reflective material proved so useful, it was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1996.

A former director of the company took this technology, which has been in the public domain for decades, and started a new company, Advanced Flexible Materials. The same materials used to protect Skylab now protects marathon runners from hypothermia after a race, as well as manatees, which can suffer from hypothermia at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius), while they're being tagged by researchers.

3. Deformable Mirrors -- Not for the Fun House

Any space nerd who remembers the Hubble Space Telescope launch in 1990 remembers seeing pictures and news videos of the giant mirrors being polished to perfection -- or as close as humans can get, anyway. Minor flaws in the surface could obscure important discoveries.

Hubble and its amazing sheets of optical glass paved the way for the Terrestrial Planet Finder and its deformable mirrors, which will have 100 times the imaging power of its predecessor when NASA launches it in the near future. Deformable mirrors don't need to be absolutely perfect the first time out -- they can adjust their positions to correct for blurring or distortion, which in space can be caused by temperature, lack of gravity or getting bumped during launch.

Deformable mirrors are not so new; they were proposed by astronomers in the 1950s and developed by the United States Air Force in the 1970s. Each system consists of the deformable mirror itself, a sensor that measures any aberrations it finds hundreds of times a second, and a small computer that receives the sensor's readings and tells the mirror how to move to correct for the problem.

4. Nanotubes Look for Life on Mars

No matter what the movies have been telling us for decades, Martians are not likely to be humanoid, sentient beings. They won't have ray guns or space suits. If there is life on Mars, it will be very, very small, and probably not too far up the evolution ladder. Pity.

In order to find such small forms of life, small detectors were necessary. Enter nanotubes, which is a fun word to say. Scientists at the Ames Research Center developed carbon nanotubes, each 1/50,000th the diameter of a human hair, that can conduct heat and electricity. Each nanotube is tipped with single strands of nucleic acid (the "NA" in "DNA") from a microorganism. When it comes into contact with a matching strand, the pair form a double helix and send a faint electrical charge through the nanotubes. This charge is how anyone looking at the biosensor, as the tiny apparatus is called, knows life has been detected.

Sadly, no life has yet been found on Mars, but these biosensors are being put to good use on Earth. Tipping the nanotubes with waterborne pathogens like E. Coli and Cryptosporidium means an analyst can get results from the biosensor in the field within two hours -- no lab work required.

5. Mars Missions Create Tough Armor

When the Mars Pathfinder (1997) and Mars Rover (2004) missions landed on the Red Planet, they landed hard. These were unmanned missions, of course, with some guidance from engineers on Earth -- but not as much as they'd like. The equipment was designed to crash land, gently, with a cage of airbags to cushion the fall from space.

Obviously, not just any airbag would work. NASA required the material to be lightweight and able to withstand extreme temperatures for the interplanetary flight. The material also had to be tough enough to keep the airbags inflated as the whole apparatus bounced along the rocky, sharp surface of Mars.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory worked with Warwick Mills, the company that had woven the reentry parachutes for the Apollo missions in the 1960s, to create a layered, coated, liquid-crystal polyester fiber that would fit the bill.

Warwick took the technology and ran with it, creating TurtleSkin protective gear that can withstand punctures from needles, knives and even bullets. The flexibility of the tightly woven fabric, which helped keep the Mars landers safe, now also keeps military and police officers safe.

Quantum Computer

2013-07-27T06:50:00.000-07:00

A quantum computer is a computation device that makes direct use of quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on data. Quantum computers are different from digital computers based on transistors. Whereas digital computers require data to be encoded into binary digits (bits), quantum computation uses quantum properties to represent data and perform operations on these data.^[1] A theoretical model is the quantum Turing machine, also known as the universal quantum computer. Quantum computers share theoretical similarities with non-deterministic and probabilistic computers. One example is the ability to be in more than one state simultaneously. The field of quantum computing was first introduced by Yuri Manin in 1980 and Richard Feynman in 1981. A quantum computer with spins as quantum bits was also formulated for use as a quantum space-time in 1969.

Although quantum computing is still in its infancy, experiments have been carried out in which quantum computational operations were executed on a very small number of qubits (quantum bits). Both practical and theoretical research continues, and many national governments and military funding agencies support quantum computing research to develop quantum computers for both civilian and national security purposes, such as cryptanalysis.

Large-scale quantum computers will be able to solve certain problems much faster than any classical computer using the best currently knownalgorithms, like integer factorization using Shor's algorithm or the simulation of quantum many-body systems. There exist quantum algorithms, such as Simon's algorithm, which run faster than any possible probabilistic classical algorithm. Given sufficient computational resources, a classical computer could be made to simulate any quantum algorithm; quantum computation does not violate the Church–Turing thesis.^[9] However, the computational basis of 500 qubits, for example, would already be too large to be represented on a classical computer because it would require 2⁵⁰⁰ complex values (2⁵⁰¹ bits) to be stored.^[10] (For comparison, a terabyte of digital information is only 2⁴³ bits.)

Defining the Quantum Computer

The Turing machine, developed by Alan Turing in the 1930s, is a theoretical device that consists of tape of unlimited length that is divided into little squares. Each square can either hold a symbol (1 or 0) or be left blank. A read-write device reads these symbols and blanks, which gives the machine its instructions to perform a certain program. Does this sound familiar? Well, in a quantum Turing machine, the difference is that the tape exists in a quantum state, as does the read-write head. This means that the symbols on the tape can be either 0 or 1 or a superposition of 0 and 1; in other words the symbols are both 0 and 1 (and all points in between) at the same time. While a normal Turing machine can only perform one calculation at a time, a quantum Turing machine can perform many calculations at once.

Today's computers, like a Turing machine, work by manipulating bits that exist in one of two states: a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers aren't limited to two states; they encode information as quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in superposition. Qubits represent atoms, ions, photons or electrons and their respective control devices that are working together to act as computer memory and a processor. Because a quantum computer can contain these multiple states simultaneously, it has the potential to be millions of times more powerful than today's most powerful supercomputers.

This superposition of qubits is what gives quantum computers their inherent parallelism. According to physicist David Deutsch, this parallelism allows a quantum computer to work on a million computations at once, while your desktop PC works on one. A 30-qubit quantum computer would equal the processing power of a conventional computer that could run at 10 teraflops (trillions of floating-point operations per second). Today's typical desktop computers run at speeds measured in gigaflops (billions of floating-point operations per second).

Quantum computers also utilize another aspect of quantum mechanics known as entanglement. One problem with the idea of quantum computers is that if you try to look at the subatomic particles, you could bump them, and thereby change their value. If you look at a qubit in superposition to determine its value, the qubit will assume the value of either 0 or 1, but not both (effectively turning your spiffy quantum computer into a mundane digital computer). To make a practical quantum computer, scientists have to devise ways of making measurements indirectly to preserve the system's integrity. Entanglement provides a potential answer. In quantum physics, if you apply an outside force to two atoms, it can cause them to become entangled, and the second atom can take on the properties of the first atom. So if left alone, an atom will spin in all directions. The instant it is disturbed it chooses one spin, or one value; and at the same time, the second entangled atom will choose an opposite spin, or value. This allows scientists to know the value of the qubits without actually looking at them.

The Bloch sphere is a representation of a qubit, the fundamental building block of quantum computers.

Qubit Control

Computer scientists control the microscopic particles that act as qubits in quantum computers by using control devices :

Ion traps use optical or magnetic fields (or a combination of both) to trap ions.

Optical traps use light waves to trap and control particles.

Quantum dots are made of semiconductor material and are used to contain and manipulate electrons.

Semiconductor impurities contain electrons by using "unwanted" atoms found in semiconductor material.

Superconducting circuits allow electrons to flow with almost no resistance at very low temperatures.

Today's Quantum Computers

Quantum computers could one day replace silicon chips, just like the transistor once replaced the vacuum tube. But for now, the technology required to develop such a quantum computer is beyond our reach. Most research in quantum computing is still very theoretical.

The most advanced quantum computers have not gone beyond manipulating more than 16 qubits, meaning that they are a far cry from practical application. However, the potential remains that quantum computers one day could perform, quickly and easily, calculations that are incredibly time-consuming on conventional computers. Several key advancements have been made in quantum computing in the last few years. Let's look at a few of the quantum computers that have been developed.

1998

Los Alamos and MIT researchers managed to spread a single qubit across three nuclear spins in each molecule of a liquid solution of alanine (an amino acid used to analyze quantum state decay) ortrichloroethylene (a chlorinated hydrocarbon used for quantum error correction) molecules. Spreading out the qubit made it harder to corrupt, allowing researchers to use entanglement to study interactions between states as an indirect method for analyzing the quantum information.

2000

In March, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory announced the development of a 7-qubit quantum computer within a single drop of liquid. The quantum computer uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to manipulate particles in the atomic nuclei of molecules of trans-crotonic acid, a simple fluid consisting of molecules made up of six hydrogen and four carbon atoms. The NMR is used to apply electromagnetic pulses, which force the particles to line up. These particles in positions parallel or counter to the magnetic field allow the quantum computer to mimic the information-encoding of bits in digital computers.

Researchers at IBM-Almaden Research Center developed what they claimed was the most advanced quantum computer to date in August. The 5-qubit quantum computer was designed to allow the nuclei of five fluorine atoms to interact with each other as qubits, be programmed by radio frequency pulses and be detected by NMR instruments similar to those used in hospitals (see How Magnetic Resonance Imaging Works for details). Led by Dr. Isaac Chuang, the IBM team was able to solve in one step a mathematical problem that would take conventional computers repeated cycles. The problem, called order-finding, involves finding the period of a particular function, a typical aspect of many mathematical problems involved in cryptography.

2001

Scientists from IBM and Stanford University successfully demonstrated Shor's Algorithm on a quantum computer. Shor's Algorithm is a method for finding the prime factors of numbers (which plays an intrinsic role in cryptography). They used a 7-qubit computer to find the factors of 15. The computer correctly deduced that the prime factors were 3 and 5.

2005

The Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information at the University of Innsbruck announced that scientists had created the first qubyte, or series of 8 qubits, using ion traps.

2006

Scientists in Waterloo and Massachusetts devised methods for quantum control on a 12-qubit system. Quantum control becomes more complex as systems employ more qubits.

2007

Canadian startup company D-Wave demonstrated a 16-qubit quantum computer. The computer solved a sudoku puzzle and other pattern matching problems. The company claims it will produce practical systems by 2008. Skeptics believe practical quantum computers are still decades away, that the system D-Wave has created isn't scaleable, and that many of the claims on D-Wave's Web site are simply impossible (or at least impossible to know for certain given our understanding of quantum mechanics).

If functional quantum computers can be built, they will be valuable in factoring large numbers, and therefore extremely useful for decoding and encoding secret information. If one were to be built today, no information on the Internet would be safe. Our current methods of encryption are simple compared to the complicated methods possible in quantum computers. Quantum computers could also be used to search large databases in a fraction of the time that it would take a conventional computer. Other applications could include using quantum computers to study quantum mechanics, or even to design other quantum computers.

But quantum computing is still in its early stages of development, and many computer scientists believe the technology needed to create a practical quantum computer is years away. Quantum computers must have at least several dozen qubits to be able to solve real-world problems, and thus serve as a viable computing method.

SIMPLE TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM USING PLC

2013-07-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

SIMPLE TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM USING PLC

MNEMONIC CODE
LD 0000
0R 1000
0R TIM 02
AND NOT 0001
AND NOT 1001
OUT 1000
LD 1000
TIM 00
#10
LD TIM 00
0R 1001
AND NOT TIM 01
AND NOT 0001
OUT 1001
LD 1001
TIM 01
#10
LD TIM 01
OR 1002
AND NOT 0001
AND NOT TIM 02
OUT 1002
LD 1002
TIM 02
#10
END 01

What is IARPA Works

2013-07-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

How IARPA Works

"Game-changing," "paradigm-shifting," "disruptive." These are all catchwords government officials use to describe the desired outcomes of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, or IARPA for short. And they aren't kidding around. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) created IARPA to give the U.S. Intelligence Community a booster shot of fresh science and technology innovations for combating enemies in a globalized world.

You can call this new weapon in the American spying arsenal "eye-ar-pah," "yar-pah" or just plain "I-A-R-P-A". Spurred by the information lapses surrounding the Sept. 11 attacks, the ODNI recognized the need for an organization to fill in the gaps between the 16 member agencies of the Intelligence community [source: Adee]. Its plan was folded into the ODNI's overarching strategy for increased cohesion among the scattered organizations (dubbed the 100 Day Plan for IC Integration and Collaboration) [source: 100 Day Plan]. According to its Web site, IARPA will engage in "high-risk/high-payoff" research projects to accelerate the pace of intelligence gathering and analysis and ensure that the U.S. information systems are safe from intrusion. First presented to the Congress in January 2007, IARPA has made swift progress in its brief history, naming its first director, Lisa Porter, in January 2008 and publicizing the first unclassified project proposals [source:Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008].

Such rapid progress is key for the fledgling organization to meet its primary purpose of accelerating the pace of U.S. intelligence capabilities. But while the media have compared it to the "James Bond" "Q Branch," IARPA isn't all about exploding pens or tiny guns. It aims to build better spy devices and technologies and also focus heavily on the social and cultural backgrounds of its targets. As you'll learn in this article, these efforts take on many different forms, such as a radar-cloaking device, software that rapidly translates foreign languages and video-scanning programs.Up first, let's take a closer look at IARPA as an organization and how it plans to facilitate these cutting edge research projects.

IARPA Plans: Today and Tomorrow

For brilliant scientists and engineers who want a shot at IARPA, the organization actively recruits project managers, and your brilliant idea could be blessed for federal use. The public most likely will never know which ones make the cut because most IARPA efforts are classified [source: Adee]. But the intelligence organization has publicized some projects to give us glimpses into its high-security domain.

A project called "Reynard" has received a lot of buzz across the Internet because the next time you're playing "World of Warcraft" or exploring an online realm, an IARPA researcher could be watching you. An overview titled "Information and Behavior Exploitation in Virtual Worlds" explains the need to investigate the potential role of virtual reality platforms with cyber terrorism [source: Bush and Kisiel]. Since people can now exchange money through online games such as "Second Life" and covertly recruit and communicate with others around the globe, Reynard's goal is to find out just how much enemies could accomplish through these portals. Depending on what they learn, Reynard could evolve into a larger, longer-term study.

Watching people's casual online activities as described in Reynard is a mild example of data mining. More formalized data mining involves using special queries and codes to electronically filter information for signals of criminal or terrorist activity [source: Federation of American Scientists]. Interestingly, DARPA got in trouble with Congress in 2003 for a data mining project Total Information Awareness that zeroed in on too much private information [source: Shrader].

According to the February 2008 Data Mining Report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, IARPA has a handful of related ventures in the pipeline as part of its incisive analysis program office. In addition to Reynard, the report included four other data mining projects:

Knowledge Discovery and Dissemination: develop the technology that can pull information from multiple intelligence databases at once
Tangram: keeps tabs on people known as potential threats for any pattern changes that could warn of an elevated risk
Video Analysis and Content Extraction: like Google search for video -- software that can scan video for specific things or people
ProActive Intelligence: examines activities of enemy targets to try to find any distinct patterns

[source: Federation of American Scientists]

To handle the massive amount of data that intelligence employees must sift through, IARPA is also funding development of quantum computing capabilities [source: Porter]. These types of computers have the potential to process data much faster, which would undoubtedly make U.S. intelligence organizations more agile. For more information on the specifics of this technology, read How Quantum Computers Work.

IARPA has also started an endeavor called socio-cultural context in language (SCIL). As we discussed with the incisive analysis office, the purpose of SCIL is to incorporate the social and cultural background of language into the technology that interprets it. By understanding these contexts more clearly and immediately, IARPA believes that people will be better prepared to detect subtleties in language that can clue them in to targets' upcoming schemes.

With all of this and more going on, you may be wondering if the public will feel the effects of IARPA's work, as with DARPA and the Internet and GPS. Porter, the IARPA director, has predicted that since the technology that comes out of the research will be incredibly cutting-edge, there's a good chance it will trickle down to the stuff we use every day [source: Adee].

Retrieve from :HowStuffWorks