Famous News

The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler

2010-11-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

Adolf Hitler was responsible for starting World War II and for killing more than 11 million people during the Holocaust.

Michael Jackson's Biography

2010-11-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the '80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power.

History Of AK-47

2010-11-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Avtomat Kalashnikova, in short AK 47, is an assault rifle that was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1940s, by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm battle rifle, used around the world. AK 47 has been manufactured in many countries and currently, there are over 30 million of these reputed rifles in the world (not including clones and copies). The present model of AK 47, in 5.45 x 39 mm, is a highly improved design and enhanced version of the actual AK 47. The functions of the rifle nevertheless remain the same, irrespective of the variations introduced. Read on to know a detailed historical account of AK47 and know what led to its development.

Interesting Information On Origin & Background Of AK 47

The concept of assault rifles was first developed by Germany, during the Second World War. The Germans aimed at developing a rifle for close range firefights. The German army wanted a cartridge and rifle, subtly combining the features of a submachine gun, suitable for a range of 300 meters. A lighter 7.92x33 mm Kurz was manufactured by shortening the 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge case, to cut the excessive manufacturing costs. Sturmgewehr 44 was the first assault rifle produced, although it was not the first one to carry these features. The Italian Cei-Rigotti and the Russian Fedorov Avtomat design rifles were the predecessors of the German format.

The German Sturmgewehr 44 was used against the Soviets during the end of the war, which had a profound impact on the soviet military doctrine in the following years. Mikhail Kalashnikov, the brain behind AK47, was shot in the shoulder in the Battle of Bryansk (October 2–21, 1941). This incident marked the beginning of his career as a weapon designer. He enrolled in a competition for a new weapon that aimed to chamber the 7.62x41 mm cartridge, developed way back in 1943. The competition required the participants to design a firearm, which could be relied upon in the mud-spattered, wet, and frozen conditions of the Soviet frontline.

Mikhail designed a carbine, borrowing heavily from the American M1 Garand, but lost the competition. However, the Soviet army was interested in developing a true assault rifle with a shortened M1943 round. This led to the conduct of a new design competition, two years later. This time, Mikhail and his team designed a gas-operated rifle, operating on a breech-block mechanism, bearing similarities to his 1944 carbine, and a curved 30-round magazine. The rifles designed by Mikhail and his team proved reliable and made it to the second round of the competition.

The other designs entering the second round were those by A.A Demetev and F. Bulkin. When the guns were being tested, Aleksandr Zaytsev, one of Mikhail’s assistants, suggested a redesigning of AK-1, to improve its reliability quotient. This led to the development of a new rifle for the second round of firing tests and field trials. The re-designed Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1947 proved reliable and convenient to handle, under a broad range of conditions. Therefore, the model was officially accepted by the Soviet army in 1949 as '7.62mm Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK). It is recognized as one of the best assault rifles in the world today.

Egypt Pyramids:

2010-11-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

There are about 110 pyramids currently known in Egypt, many in a state of great disrepair and almost unrecognisable. Some were built as burial places for kings and others for queens. A pyramid also may have represented a stairway for the king to ascend to the heavens. Another possibility is that it was symbolic of the primeval mound on which the sun god/creator was born.

How the Egyptians managed the complex organisation of labour and the physical movement of large stone blocks is still a matter for debate. Pyramid construction may have involved ramps being erected around the pyramid. Blocks of stone would have been pulled up on sledges and the ramps dismantled later. It is believed that most of the labour for the construction of the pyramids would have come from farmers who were available during the inundation season when the Nile River flooded and farmland was underwater. It would also have been an ideal time for the transportation by boat of large stone blocks from their quarries to the pyramid sites.

The earliest pyramid was the Step Pyramid of king Djoser of the Old Kingdom's 3rd Dynasty over 4,600 years ago. The pyramid (at right) was the largest structure ever erected at Saqqara, the necropolis that overlooked the ancient capital of Memphis. Its construction was initially in the form of a low mastaba tomb upon which extra levels were gradually added to give it a step-like appearance.

Underneath Djoser's pyramid was a complex system of corridors with a burial chamber lined with Aswan pink granite about 28 metres underground. The entrance was sealed with a three-tonne granite plug. The pyramid's outside would have been cased with fine limestone, but this was removed long ago. Nearby were the Mortuary Temple, a Great Court and various other structures.

The first true pyramid was developed for King Sneferu during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It is referred to as the Red Pyramid, because of its colour, or the North Pyramid because of its position at Dashur south of Cairo. It was about 105 metres high with its sides measuring 220 metres.

The largest pyramid ever built was the Great Pyramid at Giza southwest of modern Cairo (see Giza and the Pyramids). Built for king Khufu, this pyramid was completed around 2550 BC.

It is estimated that the pyramid contains approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tonnes each and some up to 15 tonnes. Its sides measure 230 metres in length. The structure would have towered about 146.6 metres high, but it is now a little shorter owing to the outer casing having been removed to build many of Cairo's buildings during the Middle Ages. The interior design was changed during the pyramid's construction and the burial chamber was relocated.

One of its most spectacular features is the enormous sloping Grand Gallery. At the Gallery's top is a low corridor which leads into the King's Chamber, the walls of which are made of polished granite. A large granite sarcophagus is open and no burial goods have ever been found.

To the east of the pyramid, some of the smooth basalt paving of the mortuary temple remains and the causeway which led to the river temple is now buried with the valley temple being under modern buildings. Small pyramids for queens are adjacent to the Great Pyramid, as are boat pits.

In 1954, a large cedar boat was uncovered in one of the pits and then reassembled. It is now on display next to the pyramid. A second boat remains in pieces in another covered pit. The boats may have been provided for the deceased king to travel through the underworld.

The Giza Plateau also is home to two other large pyramids for the subsequent kings, Chephren and Menkaura. As with the Great Pyramid, both of these pyramids have valley temples and mortuary temples connected by causeways. However, next to Chephren's valley temple is the famous 73-metre long Sphinx and its associated temple.

Despite controversy over its age, most Egyptologists believe that the Sphinx was carved from a rocky outcrop at the same time as Chephren's pyramid.

The resources for building enormous pyramids during the rest of the Old Kingdom could not be mustered and the pyramids were both smaller and less well built. The 5th Dynasty pyramid of Unas at Saqqara is famous for its Pyramid Texts - the first funerary texts carved into the walls of any pyramid. The pyramid is located just south of the walled enclosure of the pyramid of Djoser.

During the Middle Kingdom, kings again built themselves pyramids, but being largely of mud-brick, they have not survived very well. Elaborate interior designs failed to stop ancient tomb robbers from breaking in and stealing the burial goods.

The time of large pyramids had passed, although small pyramids were used in some New Kingdom private burials as superstructures for funerary chapels. Restored examples exist at Deir el-Medina, the village of the workmen who constructed the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Pyramids were also built south of Egypt in ancient Nubia (the northern part of today's Sudan), where there are actually more than in Egypt. Although being influenced by the Egyptian pyramids, the pyramids in Nubia had their own style and were built on a smaller scale and with steeper sides. In the case of the Nubian pyramids, the tombs of owners were usually underground with the pyramid built on top. The last pyramid was built in Nubia in the 4th century AD.

The Eiffel Tower

2010-11-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, [tuʁ ɛfɛl], nickname La dame de fer, the iron lady) is an 1889 iron lattice tower located on theChamp de Mars in Paris that has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tallest building in Paris, it is the most-visited paid monument in the world; millions of people ascend it every year. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair.

The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. Upon its completion, it usurped the Washington Monument to assume the title of tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure in France after the 2004 Millau Viaduct.

The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift, to the first and second levels. The walk to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by elevator. Both the first and second levels feature restaurants.

The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.

Great Wall of China

2010-11-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Great Wall of China is not a continuous wall but is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain. The Great Wall of China, known as "long Wall of 10,000 Li" in China, extends about 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles).

A first set of walls, designed to keep Mongol nomads out of China, were built of earth and stones in wood frames during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE).

Some additions and modifications were made to these simple walls over the next millennium but the major construction of the "modern" walls began in the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644 CE).

The Ming fortifications were established in new areas from the Qin walls. They were up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high, 15 to 30 feet (4.6 to 9.1 meters) wide at the base, and from 9 to 12 feet (2.7 to 3.7 meters) wide at the top (wide enough for marching troops or wagons). At regular intervals, guard stations and watch towers were established.

Since the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders had no trouble breaching the wall by going around it, so the wall proved unsuccessful and was eventually abandoned. Additionally, a policy of mollification during the subsequent Ch'ing Dynasty that sought to pacify the Mongol leaders through religious conversion also helped to limit the need for the wall.

Through Western contact with China from the 17th through 20th centuries, the legend of the Great Wall of China grew along with tourism to the wall. Restoration and rebuilding took place in the 20th century and in 1987 the Great Wall of China was made a World Heritage Site. Today, a portion of the Great Wall of China about 50 miles (80 km) from Beijing receives thousands of tourists each day.

Can You See The Great Wall of China from The Moon?

For some reason, some urban legends tend to get stated and never disappear. This legend even appears as a erroneous Trivial Pursuit question. The legend? Many are familiar with the claim that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space or from the moon with the naked eye. This is simply not true.

The myth of being able to see the Great Wall from space originated in Richard Halliburton's 1938 (long before humans saw the earth from space) book Second Book of Marvels said that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from the moon.

From a low orbit of the earth, many artificial objects are visible on the earth, such as highways, ships in the sea, railroads, cities, fields of crops, and even some individual buildings. While at a low orbit, the Great Wall of China can certainly be seen from space but it is not unique in that regard.

However, when leaving the earth's orbit and acquiring an altitude of more than a few thousand miles, no man-made objects are visible at all. NASA says, "The Great Wall can barely be seen from the Shuttle, so it would not be possible to see it from the Moon with the naked eye." Thus, it'd be tough to spot the Great Wall of China or any other object from the moon. Furthermore, from the moon, even the continents are barely visible.

Regarding the origination of the story The Straight Dope's pundit Cecil Adams says, "Nobody knows exactly where the story got started, although some think it was speculation by some bigshot during an after-dinner speech in the early days of the space program."

NASA astronaut Alan Bean is quoted in Tom Burnam's book More Misinformation...

"The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."

Taj Mahal

2010-11-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra
Year of Construction: 1631-1653
Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Spread Over: 42 acres
Significance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized.

Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument.

Che Guevara

2010-11-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

Ernesto Che Guevara’s birth happened under a garb of ambiguity. Guevara’s birth certificate records his birthday as June 14, 1928. His real birth date was May 14, 1928. In a way this typified the way Che spent most of his adult life.

The birth certificate was doctored because the family wanted to protect Che’s mother from scandal that would come about due to her being pregnant at the time of her marriage.

Che was born in Rosario, Argentina. He was the eldest of his 4 siblings. Che is a nickname that was acquired when Guevara was studying. It means "mate" or "friend" in South America. Che studied medicine in the University of Buenos Aires. He completed his studies in 1953.

It was at this point in time that Che’s life changed forever. Unable to watch Fulgencio Batista oppress the poor people of Cuba, Che Guevara left the medical profession and joined the forces of Fidel Castro. Castro and his forces which now included Che, crossed the Caribbean in 1956, in a treacherous journey aboard the yacht –Granma. The invading party landed and fought bravely to conquer The Sierra Maestra.

Che Guevara was a natural at warfare. He was soon made commander of Castro’s forces. A large part of the Guerilla forces led by Castro and Guevara, sometimes above 80 percent, were peasants, some dispossessed, all abused by feudal land arrangements of Cuba before the revolution. The guerrilla warfare spanned over a period of two years, Che’s men eventually vanquished Batista’s forces.

Guevara took special delight in torturing and killing traitors and informants. Executions were personally done. He published a book called Guerilla Warfare. It became the definitive work on that form of battle. It documented how a small group of irregulars could defeat the organized army of the Government by drumming up support from the common man on the street.

The only quality required to take on a strong oppressor was to have the will to do so. The cult that was to surround Che Guevara for the rest of his life and death was beginning to build.

Gradually the battle in Cuba changed from one that was purely centered on the ouster of Batista to one that was concerned with the social and economic development of the country. Che wanted to cut down the land lords to size. He was a great believer in the Zapatista phrase "Land for those who work it." On October 7, 1959, Che became the director of the industrialization program of the National Agrarian Reform Institute.

However he left the job a month later because he became the head of the National Bank of Cuba. Che realized that monetary funding was essential to the revolution. He began changing the banking system at a fundamental level. Che Guevara’s greatest contribution was to implement controls over the foreign currency reserves held by Cuba.

Six years later in 1965, Che dropped out of public life completely. He was last seen after his return to Cuba from a tour to China, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, and Congo. Initially there was great curiosity over the mystery of the missing second in command. It was learnt later that he had resurfaced in Bolivia to lead the revolution against President René Barrientos. Guerrilla warfare commenced again in the jungles of Bolivia. But the Bolivian army was trained by foreign military experts. They were prepared for everything that Che had to throw at them.

Che Guevara was executed in Vallegrande. He was 39 years old. The circumstances surrounding his death have added to his mystique. He was taken to an old school house and was tied to a board. Che Guevara’s alleged last words to the firing squad were "Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man".

Over the years Che Guevara has been lionized in Latin America and immortalized all over the world. Che has been portrayed in the musical play, Evita where he is the narrator. A 1960’s photograph of his by the photographer Alberto Korda has become one of the most easily recognizable images.

It has become a symbol for freedom and liberty. There were many political parties that were started by similar minded idealists all over the world. These parties espoused Che’s values but most of them have died natural deaths.

Today, it has become cool to own a part of Che. It could be in the form of a T-shirt, cap, football or bumper car sticker. Not many people understand or even attempt to understand what he stood for but they know that being part of the Che cult is the thing to do.

Bill Gates

2010-11-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates is one of the most influential people in the world. He is cofounder of one of the most recognized brands in the computer industry with nearly every desk top computer using at least one software program from Microsoft. According to the Forbes magazine, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and has held the number one position for many years.

Gates was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington USA. His father, William H. Gates II was a Seattle attorney and his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates was a school teacher and chairperson of the United Way charity. Gates and his two sisters had a comfortable upbringing, with Gates being able to attend the exclusive secondary "Lakeside School".

Bill Gates started studying at Harvard University in 1973 where he spent time with Paul Allen. Gates and Allen worked on a version of the programming language BASIC, that was the basis for the MITS Altair (the first microcomputer available). He did not go on to graduate from Harvard University as he left in his junior year to start what was to become the largest computer software company in the world; Microsoft Corporation.Bill Gates and the Microsoft Corporation "To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential." Microsoft Mission Statement
After dropping out of Harvard Bill Gates and his partner Paul Allen set about revolutionizing the computer industry. Gates believed there should be a computer on every office desk and in every home.

In 1975 the company Micro-soft was formed, which was an abbreviation of microcomputer software. It soon became simply "Microsoft"® and went on to completely change the way people use computers.

Microsoft helped to make the computer easier to use with its developed and purchased software, and made it a commercial success. The success of Microsoft began with the MS-DOS computer operating system that Gates licensed to IBM. Gates also set about protecting the royalties that he could acquire from computer software by aggressively fighting against all forms of software piracy, effectively creating the retail software market that now exists today. This move was quite controversial at the time as it was the freedom of sharing that produced much innovation and advances in the newly forming software industry. But it was this stand against software piracy, that was to be central in the great commercial success that Microsoft went on to achieve.Bill Gates retired as Microsoft CEO in 2008.Bill Gates Criticism
With his great success in the computer software industry also came many criticisms. With his ambitious and aggressive business philosophy, Gates or his Microsoft lawyers have been in and out of courtrooms fighting legal battles almost since Microsoft began.

The Microsoft monopoly sets about completely dominating every market it enters through either acquisition, aggressive business tactics or a combination of them. Many of the largest technology companies have fought legally against the actions of Microsoft, including Apple Computer, Netscape, Opera, WordPerfect, and sun Microsystems.Bill Gates Net Worth
With an estimated wealth of $53 billion in 2006, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and he should be starting to get used to the number spot as he has been there from the mid-ninties up until now. The famous investor Warren Buffett is gaining on Gates though with an estimated $46 billion in 2006.

Microsoft hasn't just made Bill Gates very wealthy though. According to the Forbes business magazine in 2004 Paul Allen, Microsoft cofounder was the 5th richest man in the world with an estimated $21 billion. While Bill Gates' long time friend and Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer was the 19th richest man in the world at $12.4 billion.

See more information the Bill Gates Net Worth page.Bill Gates Philanthropy
Being the richest man in the world has also enabled Gates to create one of the world's largest charitable foundations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has an endowment of more than $28 billion, with donations totaling more than $1 billion every year. The foundation was formed in 2000 after merging the "Gates Learning Foundation" and "William H. Gates Foundation". Their aim is to "bring innovations in health and learning to the global community".

Bill Gates continues to play a very active role in the workings of the Microsoft Company, but has handed the position of CEO over to Steve Ballmer. Gates now holds the positions of "Chairman" and "Chief Software Architect". He has started that he plans to take on fewer responsibilities at Microsoft and will eventually devote all his time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2006, the second richest man in the world, Warren Buffett pledged to give much of his vast fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.Bill Gates Receives a KBE
In March 2005 William H. Gates received an "honorary" knighthood from the queen of England. Gates was bestowed with the KBE Order (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services in reducing poverty and improving health in the developing countries of the world.
After the privately held ceremony in Buckingham Palace with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Gates commented on the recognition.."I am humbled and delighted. I am particularly pleased that this honor helps recognize the real heroes our foundation (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) supports to improve health in poor countries. Their incredible work is helping ensure that one day all people, no matter where they are born, will have the same opportunity for a healthy life, and I'm grateful to share this honor with them."

The KBE Order of the British Empire is the second highest Order given out, but it is only an honorary knighthood as only citizens that are British or a part of the Commonwealth receive the full Order. This means that Gates does not become Sir Bill Gates.

Bill Gates lives near Lake Washington with his wife Melinda French Gates and their three children. Interests of Gates include reading, golf and playing bridge.

Abraham Lincoln

2010-11-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Full Name: Mr. Abraham Lincoln / Abe LincolnDate of Birth: February 12, 1809
Place of Birth: Hodgenville, Kentucky, USADied: April 15, 1865Place of Death: Washington, D.C., USAClassification: Leaders & Revolutionaries

Being born on a farm in rural Hardin, Kentucky didn’t inhibit Abraham Lincoln. Working on his father’s farm and digesting all the literature he could in his spare time, Lincoln’s self-taught education was probably better than anything he would have received at school. And, being born to parents who thought the slave trade despicable, Lincoln’s hard path to abolish slavery in the entire country led him to become the most impressive, well remembered, and perhaps greatest president of the United States of America.

Lincoln had to work twice as hard as someone from a wealthy or well-connected family to attain his post as a lawyer in Illinois, and later as a congressman for the state. Without a formal education behind him, his oratory skills and debates won him national recognition. In his debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858, he won the backing of the Republican Party and a nomination for president. With a drive that knew no limit, he began his crusade to become the first Republican President of the United States.

When a group of Southern States seceded from the Union States to create The Confederate States of America, Lincoln in his Inaugural Address states, “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.”

With a country on the brink of civil war, Lincoln, with great care and planning, was able to keep the Union States staunchly cemented in their cause, where he called for nearly 100,000 soldiers to fight for the preservation of their country. The Confederate’s attack on Fort Sumter was the final straw that led the United States to war.

In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that declared all slaves free men. With the end of the civil war in 1864, Lincoln was re-elected president for a second term. His southern re-building efforts, to this day, have gone down in history as amazingly generous, allowing time to heal, and encouraging southerners to move ahead with the all the great prosperity and liberties they had enjoyed before.

During Abraham’s terms in office, he set up the Department of Agriculture, the income tax, started the transcontinental railroad, and set up a model that influenced the operation of all State-run universities.

With a continued fervor of re-building the United States, Lincoln continued his second term in office. However, upon a visit to the Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln at point-blank range. Booth escaped, but 12 days later was hunted down by federal agents and shot. After nine hours in a coma, Abraham Lincoln passed into history as the savior of the United States and ultimately as the “Great Emancipator” of slavery.

Alexander the Great

2010-11-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Alexander the Great, who would become the Conqueror of the Ancient World, was born at Pella, Macedonia in 356 B.C.E. His father was King Phillip II and his mother was Olympias, a deeply spiritual woman who taught her son that he was a descendant of Achilles and Hercules. From the earliest age, then, Alexander was conditioned for conquest and kingly glory. He, thus, became focused on being a great ruler.

When he was 13, Alexander became student to the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. Under Aristotle’s tutorship he gained an interest in philosophy, medicine and science. However, Aristotle’s concept of small city-state government would not have gone down well with the young prince who was bent on world domination. Aristotle did, however, cultivate Alexander’s interest in reading and learning.

At age 16 Alexander was called to Macedonia to put down a Thracian rebellion while his father was away. Distinguishing himself immediately, Alexander quelled the rebellion, stormed the rebel’s stronghold and renamed it Alexandroupolis, after himself.

In 336 B.C.E. Phillip was assassinated and 20 year old Alexander took the throne of Macedonia. Within two years he had embarked on his campaign of conquest. His army of 30,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 cavalreymen was small but efficient. Along with the army he took engineers, surveyors, architects, scientists and even historians.

The first engagement was against the Persians at the Granicus River in modern day Turkey. Defeating the Persians he swept through western Asia Minor. The next Autumn the second major encounter against the Persians took place at Issus, in the south eastern corner of Asia Minor. Persian king Darius III had amassed an army of about half a million to wipe out the Greek threat. But the vicious and tactically superb attack mounted by Alexander routed the Persians, despite being outnumbered about 13 to 1.

Alexander now turned south, marching along the Mediterranean coast His only resistance came from the island city of Tyre. Alexander began a siege that would last for seven months. Finally Tyre was completely destroyed in July, 332 B.C.E.

Alexander now pushed further south, conquering Gaza and then moving into Egypt where the people welcomed him as a deliverer from their Persian rulers. Now Alexander turned north east, moving through Palestine towards the Tigris River. In 331 B.C.E. he met the Persians for the third time. The Battle of Gaugamela saw him defeat superior odds once more. Persian King Darius was later killed by his own people. Swiftly Alexander pushed through to take the Persian Capital at Babylon. He humiliated the Persians by burning their great palace at Xerxes. Before long the entire Persian domain was under Alexander’s control. He now crossed the Indus River and entered the region bordering the Persian province of Taxila. Here he met the feared Indian Monarch Porus who, with 25,000 men and 200 elephants nearly did what the entire Persian Kingdom could not. After fierce fighting, however, Alexander was once more victorious. Porus surrendered and became an ally.

After an eight year campaign Alexander was now ruler of a massive empire. He was keen to push further west but his men were weary and intent on returning to their families. Reluctantly he complied with their wishes.

Alexander was a caring military leader. He would visit his men after the battle, examining their wounds and praising them for their valiant efforts. He would also arrange extravagant funerals for the fallen. He would arrange games and contests for his men. The affection for their leader was what galvanized his troops.

Returning to Babylon Alexander assumed the role he had coveted for so long – The great Conqeuror. Eventually, however, he gave way to a licentious lifestyle of excessive drinking. He also gave way to fits of rage and paranoid suspicion. One night he even murdered his closest associate, Clitus, in a fit of rage. This act was to haunt for the remainder of his short life.
In June, 332 B.C.E Alexander fell victim to malarial fever. He never recovered.

The man who no man could defeat died on June 13, 323 B.C.E. He was just 32 years and 8 months old.

NEXI - Robot with facial expressions

2010-11-06T22:11:00.001-07:00

A LATEST INVENTION BY MIT MEDIA LAB IS A NEW ROBOT THAT IS ABLE TO SHOW VARIOUS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS SUCH AS 'SLANTING ITS EYEBROWS IN ANGER', OR 'RAISE THEM IN SURPRISE', AND SHOW A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE.

This latest achievement in the field of Robotics is named NEXI as it is framed as the next generation robots which is aimed for a range of applications for personal robots and human-robot teamwork.

DESIGNING

The head and face of NEXI were designed by Xitome Design which is a innovative designing and development company that specializes in robotic design and development. The expressive robotics started with a neck mechanism sporting 4 degrees of freedom (DoF) at the base, plus pan-tilt-yaw of the head itself. The mechanism has been constructed to time the movements so they mimic human speed. The face of NEXI has been specially designed to use gaze, eyebrows, eyelids and an articulate mandible which helps in expressing a wide range of different emotions.

The chassis of NEXI is also advanced. It has been developed by the Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics UMASS (University of Massachusetts), Amherst. This chassis is based on the uBot5 mobile manipulator. The mobile base can balance dynamically on two wheels. The arms of NEXI can pick up a weight of up to 10 pounds and the plastic covering of the chassis can detect any kind of human touch.

CYNTHIA BREAZEAL: HEAD OF THE PROJECT

This project was headed by Media Lab's Cynthia Breazeal, a well known robotics expert famous for earlier expressive robots such as Kismet. She is an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT. She named her new product as an MDS (mobile, dextrous, social) robot.

FEATURES OF NEXI

Except a wide range of facial expressions, Nexi has many other features. It has self-balancing wheels like the Segway transporter, to ultimately ride on. Currently it uses an additional set of supportive wheels to operate as a statically stable platform in its early stage of development. It has hands which can be used to manipulate objects, eyes (video cameras), ears (an array of microphones), and a 3-D infrared camera and laser rangefinder which support real-time tracking of objects, people and voices as well as indoor navigation.

Four Frightening (and Real) Robots

2010-11-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Some robots are designed to kill human beings. Others are designed to kill other robots. But when there’s nothing left to kill, what do we do with our robots? We make them play sports. TOPIO began development in 2005 as a humanoid robot designed to play table tennis. Built by a Vietnamese robot firm, TOPIO confirms at least two things for us: mankind has run out of useful things to do as a whole and Vietnam has robot firms, apparently.

TOPIO’s main features are the ability to recognize fast moving objects, to react to fast moving objects and to maintain balance. In other words, TOPIO does what any human would do if they took up the lost art of table tennis. Unlike your typical table tennis enthusiast, however, TOPIO looks like this:

Is this part of the T-1000′s vacation slides? If the goal of TOPIO was to build a robot that would mindlessly play a tier-three sport and not cause those who see it to cry out in fear, then mission failed. The shades say “I’m going to kill you, fleshbag,” while the jacked physique says “No, really, I’m going to kill you. And no one’s going to stop me because the laws of men don’t apply to a machine. If you’d read Issac Asimov in high school you would have known that already.”