Monday, January 17, 2022

The problem is NOT China, but the US: Mr Blinken really had ' blinkers on ' by Vijay Prashad

Vijay Prashad Warns Biden Is “Doubling Down” on Trump's ...

Beijing has accused the U.S. of perpetuating a Cold War mentality as President Joe Biden and senior administration officials shore up alliances in the Pacific region to counter China’s growing influence and increasingly describe the country as a geopolitical threat. Vijay Prashad, director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, says the “bellicose” tone out of Washington is not because the U.S. sees China as a military threat, but because China threatens U.S. dominance in the scientific, technological and diplomatic spheres. “It’s very chilling what the U.S. government is doing in ramping up this cold war,” says Prashad. #DemocracyNow

Writer: Vijay Prashad, the Indian Historian, Journalist.... ` Title: Mr Blinken really had ' blinkers on ' .

The problem is NOT China, but the US

` The US has conned the world for far too long, with its smooth and sweet rhetorics through the control of the media, with grandiose moral high grounds of human rights, freedom of speech, democracy etc., when itself is among the chief violators, not only in the US itself but throughout the world.

` The US on false pretexts bombed up Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen ( through its proxies) among others, created the human refugees catastrophe for which Europe had to bear the brunt of handling it.

` The US for decades had been an Evil Empire ,its actually the bull in the China shop.

` It has also destabilized many Latin American countries, and now karma has shown up at its own southern borders with refugees.

` I agree that Mr Blinken is a better looking version ( Version 2) of Mike Pompeo , but they are the same, carrying out the wishes of the American Military Complex.

` The Americans don't follow any international law or order, though they keep pontifying about it.

` They are above the laws and do what they like.

` In short, they are the big bully and now the rogue on the International Stage.

` At the recent meeting in Alaska, the US delegation was told to f...off, China gave the US a longer lecture in rebuttal.

` The US asked China not to bully America's lap dog Australia by imposing tariffs on Australian goods, but it’s ok for the US to impose tariffs on Chinese goods.

` The Australians are now feeling the pinch and the US is now trying to get Australia out of the ditch... more crudely out of the shit that the Americans pushed the Australians into.

` The world now needs China more than China needs the world ... that's a debate by itself, for another day.

` The US has resorted back to gunboat diplomacy.

` Apart from forming Quad, the US had asked and Britain and France had both just obliged by each sending a warship into the Pacific Ocean, from its very depleted fleet.

` This time round, China will not be intimidated. The Americans are sadly mistaken, that just because the West won the Cold War against the Soviet Union, they can win the Cold War, the Trade War against China.

` China is the giant that Napolean forsawed will awake one day and it has now woken up.

` China has delivered 700 to 900 million people out of poverty whereas more and more Americans have fallen below the poverty line. Is food and shelter, not a basic human right ?

` CHINA's progress did not come from the exploitation of other countries, like colonisation, rape and plunder and destruction of other countries, but through the hard work and the sweats toils and tears of the Chinese peasants and people.

` Don't forget the suffering of the 60 million 'Lost/ Damaged generation of China. These were the children who grew up , who were ' abandoned' by their fathers and mothers who left their countryside to work in the factories in the cities and the economic zones. The children don't get to see their parents for at least a year or even longer... a tremendous social price that was being paid, so that American consumers can enjoy cheap goods.

` At rallies after rallies, Trump retched up anti China and anti Chinese sentiments by accusing China of raping, plundering and robbing Americans because of repeated annual trade deficits for years of about US 550 Billion.

` The question the world can ask is,did China point a gun at the US to force it to buy Chinese products, unlike the time the West forced China to buy its opium.

` The US bought Chinese goods because it benefitted the American Consumers.... it helped to keep inflation down in America. What Trump did not tell the American public is that each year US Companies in China reek in revenues to the tune of US 750 Billion.

` Who forced the American companies to go and operate in China?

` The West, America and Europe have developed at the expense of the AAA (African, Asian, Aboriginals) countries and peoples.. through colonization , exploitation, killings, slavery etc.

` Enough is Enough, the 500 years curse is over.

` The 21st century is the Asian century and Women will dominate.

` Biden had called Putin a Killer and President Xi a thug.

` The truth and the irrefutable fact is the Americans and the British have killed the most number of innocent people in all of human history.

` How can America, a nation of about 240 years lecture a 5000 years old, Chinese civilisation?

` The Wild Wild West foreign policy of the US will this time not work against China's Sun Tzu ‘Art of War'.

` Sadly, the US today is the world's biggest terrorist and gangster and a threat to international peace and human civilisation.

` Time for America to Repent.

` Do not be surprised if one day, Russian and Chinese missiles rained down on the US... if the US persists with its wet dreams that God created America and Mickey Mouse created the rest of the world.

` Ps . The Americans have been able to convinced the Eskimos to buy refrigerators 🤔

` I still believe the Americans planted the Covid 19 virus in Wuhan.

` Trump and Pompeo had been saying that the virus escaped from the Wuhan lab and they have the evidence. The whole world is still waiting to see the evidence.

Source link

`

Title: Mr Blinken really had ' blinkers on '. Writer: Vijay Prashad Vijay Prashad, born in Calcutta, graduated from Chicago University is a renowned historian and journalist. He was the George and Martha Kellner Chair in South Asian History and a professor of International Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, United States from 1996 to 2017. In 2013–2014, he was the Edward Said Chair at the American University of Beirut and has been a Senior Fellow of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs in Beirut.

` The problem is NOT China, but the US. The US has conned the world for far too long, with its smooth and sweet rhetorics through the control of the media, with grandiose moral high grounds of human rights, freedom of speech, democracy etc., when itself is among the chief violators, not only in the US itself but throughout the world.

` The US on false pretexts bombed Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen (through its proxies) among others, created the human refugees' catastrophe for which Europe had to bear the brunt of handling it.

`The US for decades had been an Evil Empire, it's actually the bull in the China shop. It has also destabilized many Latin American countries, and now karma has shown up at its own southern borders with refugees.

` I agree that Mr Blinken is a better-looking version ( Version 2) of Mike Pompeo, but they are the same, carrying out the American Military Industrial Complex (MIC).

` The Americans don't follow any international law or order, though they keep pontifying about it. They are above the laws and do what they like. In short, they are the big bully and now the rogue on the International Stage. At the recent meeting in Alaska, the US delegation was told to f...off, China gave the US a longer lecture in rebuttal.

` The US asked China not to bully America's lapdog Australia by imposing tariffs on Australian goods, but it’s ok for the US to impose tariffs on Chinese goods. The Australians are now feeling the pinch and the US is now trying to get Australia out of the ditch... more crudely out of the shit that the Americans pushed the Australians into.

` The world now needs China more than China needs the world ... that's a debate by itself, for another day.

` The US has resorted back to gunboat diplomacy. Apart from forming Quad, the US had asked and Britain and France had both obliged by each sending a warship into the South China Sea, from its very depleted fleet.

` This time around, China will not be intimidated. The Americans are mistaken, that just because the West won the Cold War against the Soviet Union, they can win the Cold War, the Trade War against China.

`China is the giant that Napolean foresaw will awake one day and it has now woken up.

` China has delivered 700 to 900 million people out of poverty whereas more and more Americans have fallen below the poverty line. Is food and shelter, not a basic human right?

` CHINA's progress did not come from the exploitation of other countries, like colonisation, rape and plunder and destruction of other countries, but through the hard work and the sweats toils and tears of the Chinese peasants and people.

` Don't forget the suffering of the 60 million 'Lost/ Damaged generation of China. These were the children who grew up, who were ' abandoned' by their fathers and mothers who left their countryside to work in the factories in the cities and the economic zones. The children don't get to see their parents for at least a year or even longer... a tremendous social price paid, so American consumers can enjoy cheap goods.

` At rallies after rallies, Trump retched up anti-China and anti-Chinese sentiments by accusing China of raping, plundering and robbing Americans because of repeated annual trade deficits for years of about US 550 Billion.

` The question the world can ask is, did China point a gun at the US to force it to buy Chinese products, unlike the time the West forced China to buy its opium ? The US bought Chinese goods because it benefitted the American consumers and it helped keep inflation down in America. What Trump did not tell the American public is that each year US Companies in China rake in revenues to the tune of US 750 Billion.

` Who forced the American companies to go and operate in China? The West, America and Europe have developed at the expense of the AAA (African, Asian, Aboriginals) countries and peoples.. through colonization, exploitation, killings, slavery etc. Enough is Enough, the 500 years curse is over.

` The 21st century is the Asian century and Women will dominate. Biden had called Putin a Killer and President Xi a thug. The truth and the irrefutable fact is the Americans and the British have killed the most number of innocent people in all of human history.

` How can America, a nation of about 240 years lecture a 5000 years old, Chinese civilisation?

` The Wild Wild West foreign policy of the US will this time not work against China's Sun Tzu ‘Art of War'. Sadly, the US today is the world's biggest terrorist and gangster and a threat to international peace and human civilisation. Time for America to Repent.

` Do not be surprised if one day, Russian and Chinese missiles rain down on the US... if the US persists with its wet dreams that God created America and Mickey Mouse created the rest of the world.

` Ps. The Americans have been able to convince the Eskimos to buy refrigerators.

`I still believe the Americans planted the Covid 19 virus in Wuhan. Trump and Pompeo had been saying that the virus escaped from the Wuhan lab and they have the evidence. The whole world is still waiting to see the evidence.

` Meanwhile America has demolished a great part of Fort Detrick, on the pretex of renovation, to destroy evidence. Snaky bastxxd

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25 Stroke Recovery Tips for Healing, Habits, and Happiness

Medically reviewed by Courtney Maher, OTR/L — written by Flint Rehab.

Last updated on February 8, 2021

At Flint Rehab, we believe that stroke recovery tips should address both your physical health and your lifestyle, as both impact recovery.

In this article, we gathered 25 helpful stroke recovery tips and organized them into the following sections:

Click any of the links to jump straight to that section.

Physical Healing Stroke Recovery Tips

First up, we’ll share some tips on the technical side of stroke recovery. These tips will address the physical side of recovery: overcoming the secondary effects and regaining independence.

Let’s start at the beginning:

1. Understand How the Brain Heals

Did you know that the brain is capable of healing itself after an injury like a stroke? It revolves around the phenomenon of neuroplasticity: the mechanism that your brain uses to rewire itself and create new neural pathways.

Neuroplasticity is arguably the most important concept to focus on during stroke recovery. And it can be boiled down into this popular neuroscience phrase: “neurons that fire together, wire together.” The skills that you practice on a regular basis are the skills that your brain improves.

To learn more about neuroplasticity, check out the book The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. It’s one of our top recommended stroke recovery books.

The next tip will discuss how to activate neuroplasticity:

2. Focus on “Massed Practice” to Regain Lost Skills

Neuroplasticity is guided by experience. The more you practice something (and gain experience with it) the more your brain will attempt to get better at that skill.

This is why riding a bike helps you get better at riding a bike. As you continue to practice and gain experience, your brain is busy rewiring itself to create and strengthen neural pathways that control your balance, steering, pedaling, and other relevant skills.

Similarly, this is also why consistent rehabilitation exercise is an essential ingredient for stroke recovery. You need to gain experience with movement in order to improve at moving your body. The more you practice leg exercises, for example, the more your leg mobility will improve as a result of that experience.

3. Focus on Good Nutrition

As your brain and body recover from the secondary effects of a stroke, you can boost recovery by focusing on proper nutrition.

Some of the best foods for stroke recovery are whole foods like vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. It may also help to limit saturated fat and sugar intake, as these foods limit “neuronal and behavioral plasticity.”

Also, be sure that your diet is rich in vitamins for stroke recovery. If you don’t get enough vitamins through your diet, consult with your doctor before taking any new vitamins or supplements.

4. Don’t Get Discouraged If Progress Slows

The stroke recovery plateau often occurs around the three month mark, generally speaking. At this point, recovery tends to slow down — but it will not stop as long as you don’t stop participating in rehabilitation.

Studies have shown that some stroke survivors are at the same level of improvement 5 years post-stroke as they were 2 months post-stroke. One possible reason for this long-term plateau could be a lack of consistent rehabilitation at home.

The brain needs consistent stimulation in order to rewire itself. To avoid getting stuck in a plateau, it’s imperative to find an appropriate home therapy regimen and stick with it.

Want 25 pages of stroke recovery exercises in PDF form? Click here to download our free Stroke Rehab Exercise ebook now (link opens a pop up for uninterrupted reading)

5. Avoid “Learned Nonuse”

stroke survivor with one strong arm from learned nonuse

During stroke recovery, the phrase “use it or lose it” is commonly used to describe the condition of learned nonuse. This occurs when you completely stop using your affected limb(s), and after a while your brain forgets how to use it.

The brain likes to be efficient. When you stop using your affected arm or leg, for example, the brain thinks that arm or leg movement is not as important. Then, to become as efficient as possible, it deprioritizes arm or leg movement on that side. And if the neglect continues, it leads to learned nonuse.

For this reason, all movement is beneficial during recovery. If you struggle with post-stroke paralysis, passive movement (where you assist your limbs through a movement) helps stimulate the brain and prevent learned nonuse.

6. Think About Spasticity Differently

If you are new to the world of stroke recovery, it’s important to educate yourself about all the various physical effects that can occur, such as spasticity.

Spasticity involves stiff, tight muscles that result from miscommunication from the brain. When the brain has been impacted by injury, like a stroke, it might not be able to send the right signals to your muscles anymore. As a result, your muscles tighten up as a result of being over-active, with your brain being unable to tell them to relax when they should.

It can help to realize that the problem is not with your muscles — instead, spasticity originates from the brain. And you can help reduce spasticity and restore mobility in your muscles by engaging neuroplasticity.

As you exercise your affected muscles, you encourage the brain to rewire itself and, as a result, spasticity becomes less severe. This is only possible through consistent exercise, though, as the brain needs repetitive stimulation in order to rewire itself.

7. Experiment with Different Rehabilitation Methods

There are many techniques for stroke rehabilitation, such as gait training, mirror therapy, and electrical stimulation.

Since every stroke is different, every survivor will benefit from different rehabilitation techniques. What works for one person might not work for you, and vice versa.

Therefore, it can be helpful to experiment with various techniques and explore them with the safe guidance from your therapist. Continue to experiment until you find what works for you, and then do that consistently with your therapist and at home.

8. Sleep When Your Body Asks for It

Jill Bolte Taylor’s top recommendation for stroke survivors is sleep. (And if you haven’t heard of Jill before, she’s a stroke survivor and brain scientist that gave one of the most-watched TedTalks of all time about her stroke, called “My Stroke of Insight.”)

A recovering brain needs sleep for various reasons. One particularly motivating reason is that sleep helps improve movement recovery after stroke. If you want to improve mobility, then be sure to give yourself plenty of rest along with your daily rehabilitation exercise.

Want 20 pages of stroke recovery tips in an illustrated PDF? Download our free ebook by clicking here (link opens a pop up for uninterrupted reading)

9. Take Steps for Stroke Prevention

Stroke survivors are at higher risk of experiencing another stroke, which means that stroke prevention is key. Some great places to start are understanding your stroke risk factors, taking any medication prescribed by your doctor, and staying active.

10. Focus on Foot Drop

If you suffer from foot drop, then ankle foot orthotics (AFOs) can help improve your safety and make walking easier. If an AFO is appropriate for you, your physical therapist would be able to recommend this. It’s important to realize that this is a compensatory strategy, which means that, while you are protecting your safety, you are not addressing the root issue.

To reduce foot drop and wean off the need for an AFO, be sure to exercise your foot regularly. A consistent foot drop exercise routine can help rewire the brain and improve mobility in your foot.

Mindset and Habit Stroke Recovery Tips

Now let’s move onto our mindset and habit tips for stroke recovery. These can help build the foundation that allows the physical healing to manifest.

11. Set Clear, Measurable Goals

Setting goals during stroke recovery can serve as a powerful form of motivation, especially if your goals are specific, measurable, realistic, and challenging. For instance, you could set a goal to move from a walker to a quad cane within the next 6 months — if that’s something realistic and challenging for you. Your therapists should guide you in goal-setting while always keeping your priorities in mind.

12. Use the 1% Motivation Method

The all-or-nothing approach can lead to burnout during stroke recovery (or anything else for that matter). If you feel overwhelmed, take a step back and breathe. You don’t need to win the war today. You only need to win the battle.

Instead of trying to get as much done as possible, just focus on 1% improvement every day. This will help prevent burnout and accumulate real results over time.

13. Avoid the Nocebo Effect

sugar pills in one hand (placebo) and actual pills in the other

The nocebo effect happens when you experience a negative effect simply by believing that something negative would happen. For instance, if someone told you that a specific pill would give you the flu, and you experienced the flu even though it was just a sugar pill, then you experienced the nocebo effect.

One of our favorite stroke recovery tips here at Flint Rehab is to always keep an eye out for the nocebo effect. For instance, if a doctor told you that you’ll never be able to walk again, be mindful of that potential nocebo effect. Just because a doctor said your recovery will be limited doesn’t mean progress isn’t possible.

Many stroke survivor stories involve people pushing their limits and achieving milestones that were once considered impossible. If these survivors allowed the nocebo effect to stop them from pursuing recovery, they wouldn’t be where they are today.

To achieve your highest recovery, constantly remain curious about your potential.

14. Believe in a Full Recovery

There’s a famous saying that says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” What if we turned that into a stroke recovery tip?

What would happen if you got curious about your potential to reach a full recovery? Hopefully it might motivate you to take action, which naturally leads to results. It might not lead to a full recovery for everyone, but it will get you much farther than believing otherwise.

15. Read Motivational Quotes

Motivational quotes are like mini life lessons boiled down into a sentence or two, making them powerful sources of motivation when we need it most. Whenever you’re feeling down, read some inspirational quotes for stroke survivors. You will never find a shortage of them on Pinterest.

16. Do What Elite Athletes Do: Visualize

Visualization is a powerful neuroscience technique that can help rewire your brain and improve performance. Michael Phelps, 18 time Olympic gold medalist, used visualization to prepare for his swim meets. You can apply the same technique to stroke recovery.

Researchers have already proved that it works. Visualization can help rewire the brain after stroke by triggering neuroplasticity the same way that physical practice does. While visualization cannot substitute physical therapy, combining the two can lead to better results.

17. Grow Your Brain with Meditation

Meditation is an underrated stroke recovery technique. It might seem too simple to make any real difference, but the science has proven otherwise!

Regular meditation has been shown to help grow your brain, regulate emotion, and reduce fatigue. All of these benefits are valuable for stroke survivors. If you need help getting started, try using the Calm app (one of our top recommended apps for stroke patients) as it contains guided meditations.

Stroke Recovery Tips on Happiness

In this final section, you’ll discover some stroke recovery tips that help enhance happiness. Hopefully, by improving your mindset, it can help motivate you to take more action and, as a result, encourage recovery.

18. Reverse Negativity

Our brain naturally has a negative bias where we remember negative events more vividly than positive events. Luckily gratitude can help counteract this mechanism. To cultivate an attitude of gratitude, spend some time every day – even if it’s just for 2 minutes – writing down things you’re grateful for in a journal. Once this habit is developed, it will train your brain to notice more and more things to be grateful for. This is an example of using neuroplasticity to boost your mindset.

19. Improve Your Posture to Boost Motivation

stroke recovery tips for creating happiness

Do you struggle with getting motivated to do your rehab exercises at home? Well, this stroke recovery tip provides an unassuming way to get motivated: using your posture to influence your hormones.

Try this: Lift your arms up into a V (using one arm works just as well) and puff your chest up. How do you feel?

You probably feel more presence, confidence, and comfort in your body. At least, that’s what psychologist Amy Cuddy discovered during her research on body language.

She calls it “power posing” — which includes expanding your body to make yourself feel big. This practice helps boost testosterone (the dominance hormone) and reduces cortisol (the stress hormone). This winning combination makes us feel positive and powerful when we’re in that posture.

So, the next time you’re feeling unmotivated to do your stroke recovery exercises at home, strike a power pose and see if that helps.

20. Happy Gut, Happy Brain

Your gut health is closely tied to your brain health through the gut-brain axis. Many studies have linked an unhealthy microbiome (the ecosystem of 100 trillion little bacteria in your gut) with anxiety and depression. A great way to improve the health of your microbiome is to make sure you’re getting probiotics in your diet, which can be found in cultured foods like yogurt and kefir, or can be taken as a supplement after checking with your doctor.

21. Create and Enforce Boundaries

caregiver and stroke survivor discussing stroke recovery tips

If you’re a caregiver, it’s important to respect the boundaries of your loved one and try not to do too much for them; otherwise, your loved one won’t have the experience necessary for recovery. Similarly, if you’re a survivor, it’s also important to protect your boundaries. If a caregiver is doing too much, kindly ask them to stop.

On the other hand, if you find yourself unable to get through your day without growing exhausted or frustrated, that could indicate that you need to ask for help. Try to have open, ongoing conversations with your caregivers and loved ones about how much you need help with and how much you want to do on your own.

22. Develop Your Self-Confidence

After a stroke, it’s understandable if your self-confidence is reduced. If this feeling lasts long-term, it could be a sign to turn inward and take some good psychological care of yourself.

It might be a good time to explore the world of psychotherapy so that you can talk to someone about your experiences. Surviving a stroke and enduring the life-changes that follow are no small feat. Having a therapist to express your frustrations to can be a great way to improve self-confidence and self-esteem.

If you’re more of a do-it-yourself type of person, try exploring stroke recovery books that address the emotional side of recovery, such as our book Healing and Happiness After Stroke.

23. Give Yourself Permission to Grieve

Everyone who goes through loss must deal with grief. And stroke recovery can involve different forms of loss for different people — such as loss of independence, loss of beloved hobbies, or even loss of identity.

It’s normal to go through the stages of grief if your life was significantly impacted by your stroke. The stages of grief include denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance — and it’s not linear. Sometimes people move between anger and depression many times before getting to acceptance.

But one thing is clear: the only way out is through. Instead of trying to avoid these emotions, it can be helpful to embrace them and give yourself permission to grieve.

24. Make Peace with Slow

We live in a society that idolizes busyness and productivity. As you can imagine, this can create distress when we can’t do things as fast as we once could.

However, overcoming the secondary effects of a stroke often means relearning how to do some things as if for the first time; such as walking, talking, or getting dressed. These daily tasks may take longer than they once did (and you may need a nap after doing them). Try your best to make peace with the slow pace of daily living.

Even though it can be frustrating some days, remember that doing activities on your own helps provide the stimulation and experience that your brain needs for neuroplasticity and healing.

25. Use Positive Psychology

You’re almost to the end, and hopefully you’re starting to see how happiness can help accelerate recovery from stroke.

A great place to continue learning about the emotional side of stroke recovery is our book called Healing & Happiness After Stroke. It will show you exactly how to boost self-esteem, happiness, and recovery by using positive psychology tactics. Check it out on Amazon.

We hope these stroke recovery tips help you find healing and motivation on the road to recovery.

Keep It Going: Download Our Stroke Recovery Ebook for Free

Get our free stroke recovery ebook by signing up below! It contains 15 tips every stroke survivor and caregiver must know. You’ll also receive our weekly Monday newsletter that contains 5 articles on stroke recovery. We will never sell your email address, and we never spam. That we promise.

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Sunday, January 16, 2022

China has built an artificial moon that simulates low-gravity conditions on Earth

China has built an artificial Moon that simulates low gravity conditions, the first of its kind. The facility is expected to play an important role in China's future Moon missions.

China has built a research facility that simulates the low-gravity environment on the moon – and it was inspired by experiments using magnets to levitate a frog.

` The facility could provide valuable research for China’s lunar exploration activities, according to scientists involved in the project. Located in the eastern city of Xuzhou, in Jiangsu province, the simulator is expected to be officially launched in the coming months.

` Lead scientist Li Ruilin, from the China University of Mining and Technology, said it was the “first of its kind in the world” and would take lunar simulation to a whole new level.

` Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

` The simulator can make gravity “disappear”, Li said in an interview on Tuesday. While low gravity can be achieved in an aircraft or a drop tower, it is momentary. Li said in the simulator that effect can “last as long as you want”.

` At its heart is a vacuum chamber that houses a mini “moon” measuring 60cm (about 2 feet) in diameter. The artificial lunar landscape is made up of rocks and dust that are as light as those on the moon – where gravity is about one-sixth as powerful as the gravity on Earth – partly because they are supported by a magnetic field.

` When the field is strong enough it can magnetise and levitate things – from a living frog to a chestnut – against the gravitational force.

` “Some experiments such as an impact test need just a few seconds [in the simulator],” said Li, from the university’s state key laboratory for geomechanics and deep underground engineering. “But others such as creep testing can take several days.”

A vacuum chamber at the heart of the simulator houses an artificial moon measuring 60cm (about 2 feet) in diameter. Photo: Li Ruilin, China University of Mining and Technology

` Li said the idea came from Russian-born physicist Andre Geim’s experiments to levitate a frog with a magnet – for which he won an Ig Nobel Prize, celebrating science that “first makes people laugh, and then think”, in 2000. Geim, from the University of Manchester in England, also won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for his work on graphene.

` Responding to an approach by the South China Morning Post, Geim said he was pleased that his “purely education experiments on diamagnetic levitation led to applications in space exploration”.

` “Magnetic levitation is certainly not the same as antigravity, but there is a variety of situations where mimicking microgravity by magnetic fields could be invaluable to expect the unexpected in space research.”

` China is seeking to take the lead in a new international space race with the United States. That includes its lunar exploration programme – named after the mythical moon goddess Chang’e – whose recent missions include landing a rover on the far side of the moon in 2019, and in 2020 bringing rock samples back to Earth for the first time in 44 years.

` Next, China wants to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, and to set up a joint lunar research base with Russia. Chinese space authorities said last month that construction of the research station could start as soon as 2027 – years ahead of schedule – amid concerns over US-led moves to set the rules for future lunar activities. Nasa also plans to send astronauts back to the moon by 2024 under its Artemis programme.

` The Xuzhou facility is expected to play a key role in China’s future lunar missions, including building infrastructure on the moon, Li said.

` It will allow scientists to test equipment – and potentially prevent costly miscalculations – in a simulation of the extreme lunar environment, where rocks and dust can behave in a completely different way than they do on Earth. There is no atmosphere on the moon, the temperature can change quickly and dramatically, and in low gravity, soil particles are more loosely bound to each other.

` The Chang’e 5 mission returned with rock samples in December 2020, but there were not as many as planned because the drill hit unexpected resistance. Previous missions by the Soviet Union and US have had similar issues.

` Experiments conducted on a smaller prototype simulator suggested drill resistance on the moon could be much higher than predicted by theoretical models, according to a paper by the Xuzhou team published in the Journal of China University of Mining and Technology last week.

` According to Li, the moon simulator could also be used to test whether new technology such as 3D printing could be used to build structures on the lunar surface. It could help assess whether a permanent human settlement could be built there, including issues like how well the surface traps heat, he said.

` “Some experiments conducted in the simulated environment can also give us some important clues, such as where to look for water trapped under the surface,” he said.

` Simulating the harsh lunar environment on Earth was no easy task – the magnetic force needed is so strong that it could tear apart components like superconducting wires. Add to that the many metallic components needed for the vacuum chamber which do not function properly near a powerful magnet.

` Li said the team came up with a number of technical innovations to get around these challenges, including simulating lunar dust that could float more easily in the magnetic field, and replacing steel with aluminium in some of the key components.

` He said the Chinese facility would be open to researchers from around the world.

` And that includes UK-based physicist Geim. “We definitely welcome Professor Geim to come and share more great ideas with us,” Li said.

`

More from South China Morning Post:

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Chang'e-5 in-situ data proves presence of water on moon

Picture of the cube-shaped "mystery hut" taken by Yutu-2 rover. Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Aerospace Control Center Data acqu...

Friday, January 14, 2022

U.S. reported 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a day, shattering global record

Source: Worldometer - www.worldometers.info Weekly Trends - Graphs - Countries - News

The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.

` The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday due to many states not reporting over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks to over 700,000 new infections a day.

` The record in new cases came the same day as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also hit an all-time high, having doubled in three weeks, according to a Reuters tally.

` There were more than 136,604 people hospitalized with COVID-19, surpassing the record of 132,051 set in January last year. While the Omicron variant is potentially less severe, health officials have warned that the sheer number of infections could strain hospital systems, some of which have already suspended elective procedures as they struggle to handle the increase in patients and staff shortages.

` The surge in cases has disrupted schools, which are struggling with absences of staff, teachers and bus drivers.

` Chicago canceled classes for a fourth day as the district and teachers failed to agree on how to deal with increased infections.

` New York City suspended service on three subway lines as a large number of workers were out sick, according to its Twitter account. Companies' plans for workers to return to office have also been derailed.

` Deaths are averaging 1,700 per day, up from about 1,400 in recent days but within levels seen earlier this winter.

` A redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant is likely needed, Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) CEO said on Monday, adding his company could have one ready to launch by March.

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Eight ‘No.1’ titles the US deserves

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Concerned citizens lodge MACC report alleging wrongdoings by SC officials, MACC studying NGO report

Group alleges corrupt practices by top Securities Commission (SC) officials

Potential probe ahead: A view of the SC building in Kuala Lumpur. Rakyat Malaysia Prihatin has cited three cases of alleged wrongdoing by high-ranking SC officials.

PETALING JAYA: A group has come forward to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) alleging corrupt practices by high-ranking Securities Commission (SC) officials.

` The non-governmental organisation calling itself Rakyat Malaysia Prihatin claimed to have evidence of alleged wrongdoings that also involved politicians holding top government posts.

` “I want the MACC to investigate this matter immediately. We do not want the integrity and image of the SC to be tarnished due to such cases,” an unnamed representative of the group told Utusan Malaysia after lodging the report with MACC in Putrajaya at about 4.30pm on Sunday (Jan 9).

` The representative cited three cases, the first involving a relative of a senior SC management official who was allegedly given a top post in a company.

` The company in question was being investigated by the SC with the appointment being an alleged inducement to cover up the company’s wrongdoings.

` “There is also a case involving conflict of interest, where a SC board member is alleged to be holding shares worth RM28.2mil in a company which has a working relationship with the commission.

` “The third case involves high-ranking SC officials taking bribes to close cases involving insider trading by public-listed companies,” the representative claimed.

` The group said it was acting as "concerned rakyat" who wanted to ensure that government agencies are clean and not corruptly used for personal gain.

` It then added that it would provide the MACC with proof of the wrongdoings once investigations begin.

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MACC studying NGO report

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is going through a report lodged by a non-governmental organisation against the Securities Commission (SC).A senior official confirmed that the report was lodged on Sunday by a group calling itself Rakyat Malaysia Prihatin.

` The NGO has alleged that there are corrupt practices by high-ranking SC officials.

` It also claimed to have evidence of alleged wrongdoings that involved politicians holding top government posts.

` “Yes, we have received the report. MACC officers are going through it before we decide to open investigation papers or not,” said the official when contacted.

` This, the official added, was the procedure each time a report was lodged.

` To a question, the official said it was not unusual to have people wanting to lodge reports to MACC on weekends or public holidays.

` “It has been done before. We have officers on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said the official.Several attempts were made to contact the NGO members for comment yesterday.The Star managed to get hold of the contact number of its representative, but the phone was answered by a person who claimed that he was not the person this reporter was looking for.

` On Sunday night, Utusan Malaysia reported about the NGO going to the MACC.“I want the MACC to investigate this matter immediately. We do not want the integrity and image of the SC to be tarnished due to such cases,” an unnamed representative of the group was quoted as saying after lodging the report with MACC in Putrajaya at about 4.30pm on Sunday.

` He cited three cases, the first involving a relative of a senior SC management official who was allegedly given a top post in a company.

` The company in question was being investigated by the SC with the appointment being an alleged inducement to cover up the company’s wrongdoings.

` “There is also a case involving conflict of interest, where a SC board member is alleged to be holding shares worth RM28.2mil in a company which has a working relationship with the commission.

` “The third case involves high- ranking SC

`officials taking bribes to close cases involving insider trading by public-listed companies,” the representative claimed. The group said it was acting as “concerned rakyat” who wanted to ensure that government agencies were clean and not used for personal gain.It also said it would provide the MACC with proof of the wrongdoings once investigations began.

` Source link

Monday, January 10, 2022

Chang'e-5 in-situ data proves presence of water on moon

Picture of the cube-shaped "mystery hut" taken by Yutu-2 rover. Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Aerospace Control Center

Data acquired by the lander of China's Chang'e-5 lunar probe has provided the first-ever evidence of the in-situ detection of water on the moon, indicating that there is as much as 120 parts per million of water (as hydroxyl and/or H2O) in the lunar regolith. Space analysts said Sunday that this fresh discovery of a key resource on the moon is great news for humanity's endeavor to build and operate research stations and even migration to Mars.

` A joint research team led by Lin Yangting and Lin Honglei from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences made observations of the water signals in reflectance spectral data from the lunar surface collected by the Chang'e-5 lander, and their study was published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary open-access scientific journal run by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, on Saturday.

` Scientists said in the published work that water on the moon "is mostly attributed to solar wind implantation."

` Before this, many orbital observations and sample measurements completed over the past decade have found evidence of the presence of water (as hydroxyl and/or H2O) on the moon. However, no in-situ measurements were previously conducted on the lunar surface. The Chang'e in-situ measurement filled this gap.

` Song Zhongping, a space analyst and TV commentator, told the Global Times the existence of water could support human survival on the moon and help generate fuel for spacecraft such as rockets.

` That would mean the moon's resources could facilitate humanity's exploration of deeper space. The moon could also be a great springboard for human migration to Mars, Song pointed out.

` Carrying some two kilograms of lunar samples, China's Chang'e-5 safely landed at a designated landing site in Siziwang Banner of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 17, 2020, marking a full victory for the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission in 1976.

` Lin said that the Chang'e-6 and -7 missions will continue to search for water on the moon, and their studies would lay the ground for future missions' scientific goals.

` Wu Yanhua, a deputy administrator with the China National Space Administration (CNSA), recently disclosed that state authorities have approved the fourth phase of China's lunar missions, which will include new Chang'e-6, -7 and -8 missions, which are expected to be carried out in the next decade.

` China plans to launch the Chang'e-7 probe to the lunar South Pole first, which will be followed by the Chang'e-6 for a sampling and return mission from the lunar South Pole.

` Chang'e-8, the last piece of the fourth phase, will construct a primary form of the International Lunar Research Station.

` Meanwhile, the Global Times learned from the CNSA that the Chang'e-4's rover Yutu-2 had trekked more than 1,000 meters on the moon's surface as of Thursday.

` According to mission insiders, the cube-shaped "mystery hut" on the far side of the moon the rover spotted last month has turned out to be a rabbit-like rock. On the 38th moon day of the moon expedition, Yutu-2 advanced right toward the rock to see it up close.

` After getting closer and getting some perspective, and with the guidance of the ground supporting team, the rover was able to reveal the object's true nature with the full-color camera onboard.

` The Yutu-2 and Chang'e-4 lander took pictures of each other on January 11, 2019, marking the full success of the mission, and the latest stage of the rover took place just before the third anniversary of that epic feat.

` Many netizens commented online that it was such a sweet and romantic moment, that China's "jade rabbit" rover could finally meet its mate on the moon.