How Does He Do It? Researcher Explains How Santa Delivers Presents in One Night

Newswise — Don’t believe in Santa Claus? Magic, you say? In fact, science and technology explain how Santa is able to deliver toys to good girls and boys around the world in one night, according to a North Carolina State University researcher.

NC State’s Dr. Larry Silverberg, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, can explain the science and engineering principles that allow Santa, also known as Kris Kringle or Saint Nicholas, to pull off the magical feat year after year.

Silverberg was team leader on a first-of-its-kind visiting scholars program at Santa’s Workshop-North Pole Labs (NPL) last year. “Children shouldn’t put too much credence in the opinions of those who say it’s not possible to deliver presents all over the world in one night,” Silverberg says.

With his cherubic smile and twinkling eyes, Santa may appear to be merely a right jolly old elf, but he and his NPL staff have a lot going on under the funny-looking hats, Silverberg says. Their advanced knowledge of electromagnetic waves, the space/time continuum, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and computer science easily trumps the know-how of contemporary scientists.

Silverberg says that Santa has a personal pipeline to children’s thoughts – via a listening antenna that combines technologies currently used in cell phones and EKGs – which informs him that Mary in Miami hopes for a surfboard, while Michael from Minneapolis wants a snowboard. A sophisticated signal processing system filters the data, giving Santa clues on who wants what, where children live, and even who’s been bad or good. Later, all this information will be processed in an onboard sleigh guidance system, which will provide Santa with the most efficient delivery route.

However, Silverberg adds that letters to Santa via snail mail still get the job done. “While he takes advantage of emerging technologies,” Silverberg says, “Santa is, in many ways, a traditionalist.”

Silverberg is not so naïve as to think that Santa and his reindeer can travel approximately 200 million square miles – making stops in some 80 million homes – in one night. Instead, he posits that Santa uses his knowledge of the space/time continuum to form what Silverberg calls “relativity clouds.”

“Based on his advanced knowledge of the theory of relativity, Santa recognizes that time can be stretched like a rubber band, space can be squeezed like an orange and light can be bent,” Silverberg says. “Relativity clouds are controllable domains – rips in time – that allow him months to deliver presents while only a few minutes pass on Earth. The presents are truly delivered in a wink of an eye.”

With a detailed route prepared and his list checked twice through the onboard computer on the technologically advanced sleigh, Santa is ready to deliver presents. His reindeer – genetically bred to fly, balance on rooftops and see well in the dark – don’t actually pull a sleigh loaded down with toys. Instead, each house becomes Santa’s workshop as he utilizes his “magic bag of toys” – a nano-toymaker that is able to fabricate toys inside the children’s homes. The presents are grown on the spot, as the nano-toymaker creates – atom by atom – toys out of snow and soot, much like DNA can command the growth of organic material like tissues and body parts.

And there’s really no need for Santa to enter the house via chimney, although Silverberg says he enjoys doing that every so often. Rather, the same relativity cloud that allows Santa to deliver presents in what seems like a wink of an eye is also used to “morph” Santa into people’s homes.

Finally, many people wonder how Santa and the reindeer can eat all the food left out for them. Silverberg says they take just a nibble at each house. The remainder is either left in the house or placed in the sleigh’s built-in food dehydrator, where it is preserved for future consumption. It takes a long time to deliver all those presents, after all.

“This is merely an overview, based on what we learned at the NPL, of Santa’s delivery methods,” Silverberg says. “Without these tools, it would be impossible for him to accomplish his annual mission, given the human, physical and engineering constraints we face today.”

Released: 12/6/2011

Source: North Carolina State University

Related Link:

http://newswise.com/articles/researcher-explains-how-santa-delivers-presents-in-one-night

Researchers Develop Runway Anti-Icing System

Conductive overlays would reduce airport maintenance expense

The researchers test site shows photovoltaic panels (foreground) providing power to a battery-storage system and concrete panels (background).

Newswise — FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas are developing an anti-icing system that could make airport runways safer and less expensive to maintain during winter months. The approach uses a conventional photovoltaic system to supply energy to a conductive concrete slab that would function as a surface overlay on runways. Energy conducted throughout the slabs allows them to continually maintain temperatures above freezing and thus prevent accumulation of snow and ice.

“Major U.S. airports do a good job of keeping runways safe and clear of ice and snow,” said Ernie Heymsfield, associate professor of civil engineering. “But this is a labor-intensive and expensive process, especially for northern airports. The St. Paul, Minnesota, airport, for example, budgets approximately $4 million annually for snow removal. For various reasons, including the fact that it is grid-energy independent, our system could put a huge dent in this budget.”

After initial design, Heymsfield now leads a team of researchers who are testing the slab at the university’s Engineering Research Center in south Fayetteville. The slab consists of two layers above existing soil and a gravel base.

The bottom layer – the first layer above the gravel base – is a 20-foot by 24-foot base slab that does not contain any conductive properties. Above the base slab is a surface layer that consists of twelve overlay panels, each 4 feet by 10 feet. Ten of these panels are made with a special concrete mix that conducts heat much like a cast-iron skillet exposed to a stove burner. Two control panels made of conventional concrete mix provide a basis for comparison to the conductive panels.

The photovoltaic system supplies DC power to electrodes embedded within the conductive concrete panels. The components of the photovoltaic system include an array of cells that convert sunlight into energy, a battery storage bank and a regulator to control energy between the array and the batteries. Energy is transferred from the batteries to the electrodes. The intrinsic thermal-mass properties of the concrete mix also enable the slab to absorb large amounts of heat from ambient temperature conditions, which minimizes the cost of the photovoltaic system.

Preliminary tests showed that although heat flow was non-uniform and concentrated on an area near the energy source, the conductive panels responded much faster to extreme surface temperature reductions after the researchers applied a thin layer of ice. Heymsfield said the non-uniformity and concentration of heat flow will be corrected by modifying the electrode configuration. The researchers will continue testing the system through the 2011-12 winter season.

If successful, the modified pavement could be an alternative to current snow and ice-removal methods, which include plowing, blowing and applying chemicals. There are various pavement de-icing methods, including chemical, thermal, electric and microwave, but these methods are expensive because they rely on grid power or require a high number of airport personnel.

Since 1978, slush, ice or snow has contributed to approximately 100 accidents and incidents on U.S. runways involving jet or turboprop aircraft weighing more than 5,600 pounds.

Initial results of the study will be presented at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in January 2012.

Released: 11/15/2011

Source: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-develop-runway-anti-icing-system

Traveling to Mars: Filling the Pantry for the First Voyages to the Red Planet

PhotoCredit: NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC) Astronauts en route to Mars may not have it as easy as this space shuttle astronaut — they may have to grow their own food.

Newswise — DENVER, Aug. 28, 2011 — A green thumb and a little flair as a gourmet chef may be among the key skills for the first men and women who travel to the Red Planet later this century, according to a scientist who reported here today on preparations for the first manned missions to Mars.

Speaking at the 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Maya R. Cooper said that provisioning the astronauts with food stands as one of the greatest challenges in scripting the first manned mission to Mars. ACS, the world largest scientific society, opened the meeting today at the Colorado Convention Center and downtown hotels. With more than 7,500 reports on new advances in science and some 9,500 scientists and others expected in attendance, it will be one of 2011’s largest scientific gatherings.

Cooper explained that the challenges of provisioning space vehicles and Martian surface bases begin with tangible factors, such weight and nutrition, and encompass psychological nuances, such as providing a varied, tasty menu that wards off boredom. The solutions envisioned now include requiring astronauts to grow some of their own food and engage in much more food preparation than their counterparts on the International Space Station.

The major challenge is to balance weight, food acceptability and resource utilization, Cooper explained. She is a senior research scientist at the NASA Johnson Space Center in the Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston, Texas. For flights on the space shuttles and the International Space Station, astronauts get 3.8 pounds of food per day. For a 5-year round-trip mission to Mars, that would mean almost 7,000 pounds of food per person.

“That’s a clear impediment to a lot of mission scenarios,” Cooper said. “We need new approaches. Right now, we are looking at the possibility of implementing a bioregenerative system that would involve growing crops in space and possibly shipping some bulk commodities to a Mars habitat as well. This scenario involves much more food processing and meal preparation than the current food system developed for the space shuttles and the International Space Station.”

Bioregenerative systems involve growing plants that multi-task. They would supply food, of course. But just as plants do in natural environments on Earth, those growing in bioregenerative systems also would release oxygen for the astronauts to breathe, purify the air by removing the carbon dioxide that crews exhale and even purify water.

Ideally, these plants would have few inedible parts, would grow well with minimal tending and would not take up much room. Ten crops that fit those requirements have emerged as prime candidates for the Mars mission’s kitchen garden. They are lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, radishes, bell peppers, strawberries, fresh herbs and cabbages.

Cooper cited another option for these missions, the first of which could launch in the 2030s, according to some forecasts. Shipping bulk commodities to Mars could involve unmanned spacecraft launched a year or two before the astronauts depart to establish stashes of food with long shelf-lives that the crew could use while exploring the Red Planet.

Engaging astronauts in food production and preparation is the latest concept in a 50-year evolution of technology for filling astronauts’ and cosmonauts’ larders, Cooper noted. It began when Yuri Gagarin reportedly munched on paté and caviar during that first manned spaceflight in 1961.

Space food has come a long way since the days of freeze-dried food blocks and squeezing gooey foods out of toothpaste tubes that astronauts ate in the earliest days of space flight. By the late 1960s, astronauts for the first time could have hot food and eat their food with a spoon in a special bowl. Other utensils were introduced in the 1970s with Skylab — the U.S.’ first space station. These astronauts could choose from 72 different foods, some of which were stored in an on-board refrigerator or freezer — a first for space cuisine. In recent years, space shuttle astronauts could drink a coffee with their scrambled eggs for breakfast, snack on chocolates or a brownie and choose from chicken al a King, mushroom soup or rice pilaf among other foods for lunch and dinner — just like on Earth. These prepackaged foods take only a few minutes and little effort to prepare.

“The NASA Advanced Food Technology project is currently working to address the issues of food variety, weight, volume, nutrition and trash disposal through research and external academic and commercial collaborations,” Cooper noted.

The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Released: 8/25/2011     Source: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Via Newswise

Related Link:

http://newswise.com/articles/filling-the-pantry-for-the-first-voyages-to-the-red-planet

8PAK.COM Exclusive! Midweek Photo Gallery, Landscapes and Nature by Gil Van Policarpio

Photo by Gil Van Policarpio, Copyright 2011, All rights reserved

Our Chief Contributing  Photographer, Gil Van Policarpio is certainly a multi-talented artist! We bring you, this mid-week, a small sampling of his outstanding landscape and nature photos. These images were all shot in the beautiful Philippines.

Photo by Gil Van Policarpio, Copyright 2011, All rights reserved

The Editors really love this shot because it brings back fond memories of the wonderful vacation in Boracay, which we enjoyed a couple of years ago, in this island paradise!

You can see more of Gil’s outstanding photos such as those above and below, in his Nature and Landscape Gallery by CLICKING HERE! 

Photo by Gil Van Policarpio, Copyright 2011, All rights reserved

Iconic Empire State Building Enriches Visitor Experience With New Documentary-Style Exhibit on 80th Floor

Permanent Installation Chronicles the Engineering and Construction of the World’s Most Famous Office Building

Empire State Building Unveils New Permanent Documentary-Style Exhibit on 80th Floor Chronicling the Engineering and Construction of the World's Most Famous Office Building. (PRNewsFoto/Empire State Building)

NEW YORK, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — In its 80th anniversary year, the Empire State Building today unveiled a new, permanent exhibit that captures the global icon’s astonishing history, engineering and construction. Curated by Carol Willis of New York City’s Skyscraper Museum, the installation is located on the 80th floor of the World’s Most Famous Office Building and further enriches and enhances each visitor’s Observatory experience.

Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Building Company, stated, “As part of our more than $550 million Empire State ReBuilding program, we have completely upgraded our Observatory experience. From our brilliantly restored art deco masterpiece lobby, to this celebration of the unprecedented and unmatched feats of engineering and construction of the Empire State Building, we have created a totally new offering to our millions of annual visitors.” He added, “The new 80th floor exhibit’s homage to the pioneering work of the architects, builders, and laborers of the day adds to our $2 million, multi-media exhibit about the groundbreaking work on energy efficiency performed at the building and offers educational value for every visitor.”

With content from The Skyscraper Museum’s archives, the exhibit illustrates three main themes:
Speed: Construction took only 11 months from the setting of the tower’s first steel columns on April 7, 1930, to the completed building by March 31, 1931–a full month before the official opening ceremonies on May 1, 1931.
Scale: Gigantic in every dimension, the record-breaking tower required immense amounts of materials and equipment to build what is still one of the tallest and largest man made structures in the world
Steel: The building’s steel frame was intricately designed with remarkable proportions, and all aspects of its construction remain extraordinary, even today

The exhibit shares numerous remarkable facts as well as reproductions of nostalgic photos and mementos of the more than 3,400 workers who helped create history. Documents include stunning period photographs, architectural sketches and renderings, construction notes, and daily bookkeeping documents presented on a series of photomurals, banners, two panels and seven stands. In a unique twist, the exhibit uses the windows of the building to show views from 1931, creating a period look unimaginable unless seen.

Empire State Building visitors view the exhibit along route to the world-famous 86th and 102nd floor Observatories. The building is open daily, 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.esbnyc.com.

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet (from base to antenna) above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is the “World’s Most Famous Office Building.” With new investments in infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions and is the region’s #1 tourist destination.

SOURCE Empire State Building
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Automotive and Travel News: Major Los Angeles Freeway Closure Set for Weekend of July 16-17, 2011

405 Freeway

Extended 53-Hour Closure of I-405 Freeway Between U.S. 101 and I-10 Planned in Mid-July for
Mulholland Bridge Demolition Work

Los Angeles, Calif. – Plan Ahead, Avoid The Area, Or Stay Home. That’s the message public safety officials are sending to the public in anticipation of a planned 10-mile, 53-hour closure of the I-405 freeway between the U.S. 101 and I-10 on the weekend of July 16-17, 2011 for planned demolition work on the Mulholland Bridge, part of a major I-405 improvement project.
The Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Metro and Caltrans are informing the public in advance that if they do not have a critical need to be in or near the vicinity of the closure, they are being asked to avoid the area.
The specific freeway closure boundaries are as follows:
 Northbound I-405: 10-mile closure between I-10 and U.S. 101
 Southbound I-405: 4-mile closure between U.S. 101 and Getty Center Drive Ramps
Motorists who must travel through the Los Angeles metropolitan area are advised to use alternate freeways within the region, including the 5, 15, 23, 55, 57, 101, 118, 126, 210, 605 and 710 freeways to bypass the impacted area. In addition, public transportation options are available such as the Metro Rail service within L.A. County and Metrolink servicing the five county Southern California region.

Additional alternate route information will be made available on the project web site at www.metro.net/405.
On Friday, July 15, ramps along the 10 mile closure will begin to be shut down as early as 7 p.m., and closure of freeway lanes will begin at 10 p.m. to ensure full freeway closure by midnight. The closure will continue until 5 a.m. Monday morning, July 18. Ramps and connectors will be reopened by 6 a.m. During this closure, the Mulholland Bridge, I-405 freeway and access ramps will be closed.
Sepulveda Boulevard is intended as an alternate route for local resident access only. Sepulveda Boulevardwill not have the capacity to accommodate both local and diverted freeway traffic. Those using Sepulveda Boulevard should expect extreme congestion and lengthy delays. Motorists should instead use alternate regional freeway routes to completely bypass the Sepulveda Pass.
Traffic conditions on local streets and freeways within the region of Los Angeles County and beyond are expected to be severe, with significant, multi-hour delays. Motorists who must travel during this weekend are advised to plan ahead, monitor real-time traffic conditions prior to beginning their trips, and follow alternate routes that are provided.

Motorists will be informed of the closure in advance by Caltrans-operated freeway message signs with coverage extending into neighboring counties and other metropolitan regions in the state.

Summertime is Vacation Time, Here is a Healthy Vacation Checklist to Make Sure It’s a Great One!

NEW YORK (July 2011) — There are millions of vacation destinations to visit this summer and thousands of sights to see, but there is one surefire way to ruin your trip — getting sick. Although you may not be thinking about viruses and bacterial infections when you plan your trip, there are a few nasty bugs you should be aware of as you pack your bags.

“The world is big and beautiful and we can enjoy it at our own pace without taking unnecessary risks and by protecting ourselves whenever we can,” says Dr. Mirella Salvatore, acting director of the Travel Medicine Service of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Salvatore offers the following checklist to help you stay healthy and active in whatever corner of the world you may find yourself this summer.

* Update your vaccinations. If you are planning a trip you should consult your doctor or a travel medicine specialist four to eight weeks before you leave to make sure that you are up to date with the routine vaccinations, including tetanus, MMR and pneumococcus for the elderly. High-risk destinations may require additional vaccines. Elderly travelers and people with health issues should check with a physician even before booking a trip to a high-risk destination.

* Pack a healthy travel kit. Prepare a separate bag that will get you through any unforeseen illness and help you manage any chronic conditions while away from home.

* Bring all your medications with you. Do not assume you will be able to find your medications in a foreign country. This includes any prescription or over-the-counter drug that you take regularly or occasionally. Keep all drugs in their original containers to avoid any problems with customs officials.

* Pack Imodium for mild diarrhea. While on vacation, only eat meat that is thoroughly cooked. You should also steer clear of raw vegetables, dairy products sold by small independent vendors, and any dairy products that seem to have been left out in the sun. You should also talk to your doctor about bringing an antibiotic for the treatment of traveler’s diarrhea.

* Pack acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain or fever. However, you should consult a physician immediately if you have any of the following symptoms while on vacation: bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, high fever or dehydration.

* Don’t forget the insect repellent. Bring insect repellent containing 30 percent to 35 percent DEET. Insect repellents reduce the chances of infection with insect-transmitted diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Use a bed net at night if you are in a malaria region.

* Also remember to include important first-aid supplies. Your travel bag would not be complete without sunscreen, antibacterial wipes or gels, and first-aid supplies such as Band-Aids, disinfectant and antibiotic ointment.

* Keep your emergency contact information handy. Have copies of emergency contact numbers, copies of all evacuation insurance, and contact information and addresses for local embassies.

* Suggestions for long flights. If you are on a long flight you should also try to stand up and walk and/or stretch for several minutes every hour or so, to avoid blood clots that can form in your legs. To avoid jet lag, eat a light meal during your flight, and avoid alcohol and caffeine.

* Drink water. Travelers frequently become dehydrated during long flights. Drink fruit juices or bottled water to prevent dehydration during your flight.

Released: 7/1/2011
Source: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Via Newswise

Related Link:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/summer-health-advice-from-newyork-presbyterian-hospital

Travel News: Qatar Airways Named Airline of the Year at Skytrax World Airline Awards 2011

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker celebrating an historic moment as the carrier is named Airline of the Year at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards 2011 held during the Paris Air Show. (PRNewsFoto/Qatar Airways)

PARIS, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Qatar Airways has been named “Airline of the Year” at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards 2011 for its outstanding inflight product and operational excellence.

Qatar Airways’ global ranking among more than 200 international airlines rose to the world’s top position – up from third spot last year – further cementing its stature as one of the world’s best airlines.

The awards are selected by the airline’s most important audience – its customers. More than 18 million passengers worldwide were polled during the annual Skytrax awards.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker collected the award at a ceremony today during the Paris Air Show, being held at Le Bourget.

Qatar Airways, which remains one of a select-few carriers with a Skytrax Five Star ranking for service excellence, also claimed the “Best Middle East Airline” award for the sixth consecutive year.

The international airline also received the accolade “Best First Class Lounge” for its Premium Terminal at the carrier’s Doha hub – a facility for exclusive use by Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the awards were a fantastic achievement, honoring many aspects of the airline, in which it had excelled in different areas, including its inflight product, onboard service, environmental leadership and overall operations in the air and on the ground.

“Since I became the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways in 1997 at the time of Qatar Airways’ relaunch, my goal was simple – for Qatar Airways to reach the pinnacle of the airline industry,” he said.

“At Qatar Airways we always aim at doing the best in everything we do. To be considered as the top airline in the world is a huge achievement and a very rewarding moment in Qatar Airways’ history.”

Added Al Baker: “It is extremely gratifying to be recognized as “Airline of the Year”, which takes into account the outstanding efforts and hard work of all our employees, as we continuously aim to exceed the expectations of our customers.

Over 18 million air travelers from more than 100 different nationalities took part in the 10-month long survey. The awards are recognized around the world for being the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and as the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry.

SOURCE Qatar Airways

RELATED LINKS
http://www.qatarairways.com/us

Holiday News; AAA Projects a 2.5 Percent Decrease in Independence Day Travel as Americans Fly More and Drive Less

ORLANDO, Fla., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — AAA forecasts 39 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, a 2.5 percent decline from the 40 million people who traveled a year ago. The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, June 30 to Monday, July 4.

“AAA is projecting a slight decline in the number of Independence Day travelers mainly due to fuel prices being approximately one dollar per gallon higher than last year,” said Glen MacDonell, director, AAA Travel Services. “Increased fuel costs are also responsible for a shift in the demographics of the typical Independence Day traveler as higher prices impact lower income households more significantly.”

The amount of money spent each month on gasoline is unlikely to vary much across household income groups, however as a share of total spending fuel is obviously going to consume a larger share of the budget for lower income households. As a result, the percentage of travelers with a household income of $50,000 or less is expected to decrease from 41 percent to 33 percent, while travelers with a household income of more than $100,000 are expected to increase to 35 percent from 26 percent.

AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA / IHS Global Insight 2011 Independence Day Holiday Travel Forecast can be found at AAA.com/news.

Automobile travel down three percent, but five out of six travelers will drive to destination
Approximately 32.8 million people plan to travel by automobile and that’s a decline of almost a million auto travelers from the 33.7 million who drove last year. Automobile travel remains the dominant mode of transportation (84 percent of holiday travelers) despite gasoline prices about a dollar per gallon more expensive than a year ago in many parts of the country. If current market conditions persist, AAA expects the national average price for regular gasoline to remain between $3.60 and $3.70 per gallon during the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans
A survey of intended travelers found that 56 percent said rising gasoline prices would not impact their travel plans. For the remaining 44 percent who said rising gas prices would impact their travel plans, seven out of 10 will economize in other areas and three out of 10 are planning to take a shorter trip or travel by a different mode of transportation.

Travelers concerned about how fuel prices will impact their travel budget can use AAA’s free, GPS-based TripTik® Mobile application to compare prices for all grades of gasoline at nearby stations. TripTik Mobile is available for iPhone and Android devices. Travelers may also use TripTik Mobile to get maps and directions, AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotel and restaurant information complete with AAA inspector notes, plus details about attractions, events and Approved Auto Repair facilities.

Number of air travelers expected to increase by nine percent
A little more than three million leisure travelers (eight percent of holiday travelers) will fly during the holiday weekend, a nine percent increase from last year’s 2.75 million air travelers. This increase continues a rebound in air travel that began in 2010 following the lowest years for air travel in the past ten – 2009 and 2008. The rising cost of gasoline is a contributing factor to the increase in air travel, as the increasing cost of travel by car is making air travel a more viable option for some travelers despite recent increases in air fares. The remaining eight percent of holiday travelers are expected to travel by other modes, including rail, bus and watercraft.

Travelers to experience increases in airfares, hotel rates and car rental rates
According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, Independence Day holiday airfares are expected to be 11 percent more than last year with an average lowest round-trip rate of $213 for the top 40 U.S. air routes. Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase three percent from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $147 per night compared to $143 last year. Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay eight percent more at an average cost of $110 per night. Weekend daily car rental rates will average $56, a three percent increase over a year ago.

Average travel distance down seven percent; median spending up 25 percent from last year
According to a survey of traveler intentions, the average distance traveled by Americans during the Independence Day holiday weekend is expected to be 573 miles, which is seven percent less than last year’s average travel distance of 617 miles. Median spending is expected to be $807, an increase of 25 percent from $644 last year.

AAA offers mobile and digital travel planning resources
For Independence Day getaways and vacation planning, travelers may use AAA’s digital eTourBook guides for smartphones and ereader devices. Each new digital guide book highlights a top North American travel destination, complete with listings for AAA Approved and Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants; AAA Editor’s Picks for attractions, events and nightlife; and other proprietary information available only through AAA. Members can download the 40 available titles at AAA.com/ebooks and sync them to their device for on-the-go use.

SOURCE AAA

IBM and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collaborate to Preserve Works of Art

Meeting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Cloisters Museum in New York, Paolo Dionisi Vici, Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Scientific Research at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Hendrik Hamann, Research Manager at IBM , discuss the implementation of a new environmental sensor network for buildings which will help the Cloisters Museum preserve some of the world’s great historic treasures and artwork (The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Don Pollard).

Physical Analytics Technology Can Predict Environmental Conditions within Buildings and Optimize Microclimates for Preservation of Works of Art

NEW YORK, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art today announced the successful installation of a new wireless environmental sensor network at the Museum called Low-Power Mote that will help preserve the works of art in its world-renowned, encyclopedic collection.

This technology has recently been installed and is currently being tested at The Cloisters museum and gardens, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Located in northern Manhattan, The Cloisters has a collection of approximately 3,000 works of art, most dating from the 12th through the 15th century, ranging from illuminated manuscripts to polychrome wood sculptures, paintings, and tapestries.

“This pilot project has the potential to become an important tool in the Metropolitan Museum’s ongoing efforts to achieve the best environmental conditions for the works of art in our care,” said Paolo Dionisi Vici, Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Scientific Research at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “This new technology offers a real-time, detailed picture of the environment, and we are now working on an upgrade that will also monitor the actual reactions of the works of art to the environment. These developments have the potential for us to create ‘sensing environments’ for works of art that will provide constant feedback, enabling conservators, curators, and facilities experts to fine-tune their approaches to establishing and adapting as necessary the exhibition and storage conditions.”

Works of art are very sensitive to fluctuations in temperature, relative humidity, and other environmental conditions. To preserve them for posterity, the climate in the galleries is tightly controlled and sealed cases are used for the most delicate objects.

Working with experts at the Metropolitan Museum to address the complex environment associated with art conservation, scientists from IBM Research are implementing the comprehensive solution called Low-Power Mote technology. This involves time-stamped data collection through a wireless sensor network, data storage with real-time visualization, modeling, and analysis. This results in an ultra-low-power physical analytics technique that, combined with cloud computing capabilities, allows micro-environment sensing and more precise and accurate modeling.

In the initial phase, IBM has deployed 100 sensors in strategic locations in several adjacent rooms of the Museum, allowing for high-definition monitoring of the environment that captures the subtle dynamics of the space. Sensors measure temperature, humidity, air flow, contamination levels, door positions, light levels, and more. All of the data is fed into a software application where it is modeled to provide detailed real-time 3D temperature, humidity, and dew-point distributions. A distinct feature of this technology lies in its unique analytical capabilities, which leverage several physics-based models for optimum operation, and controls and make it possible to generate and visualize hydrodynamic flows in real time.

With this unique analytics technology, the Metropolitan Museum’s scientists and conservators will be able to probe localized variations in climate developing detailed microclimate maps of the galleries at The Cloisters. The measurements will also enable the Museum’s scientists to correlate the reaction of art objects to environmental changes in order to develop object-oriented tests and predictive models for art preservation more accurately. This advance, which represents a shift from monitoring the environment to creating a sensing environment, will eventually be expanded to the Museum’s main building on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street in Manhattan as well.

SOURCE IBM Corporation
RELATED LINKS
http://www.ibm.com