Brain Can Only Pay Attention for 40 Minutes

I've known for years that my attention span in my graduate math classes has an upper limit of 45 minutes (probably a little less since the lecture usually doesn't start exactly on time). In situations where I don't have to pay attention continuously, I know my attention drifts in and out much more frequently than every 40 minutes or so, but if I already pretty much know what's going on, it doesn't matter much. I think the findings reported in this clip are significant in situations in which very careful attention to every detail is very important -- trying to follow a math proof, airport security, ...

clipped from www.sciencedaily.com Psychologists are finding out that even when people try to focus on a task they tend to lose concentration within 40 minutes, and sometimes as little as 10 minutes. The studies are based on a new technique, called transcranial Doppler sonography, that uses ultrasound to monitor blood flow velocity in the brain. The technique could be turned into a warning system for workers who perform critical tasks -- such as pilots or air traffic controllers -- or even for drivers. Distractions can break anyone's concentration, but new research shows what happens in your brain can, too. The phenomenon is such that the more you look, the less you see transcranial Doppler sonography (TDS). The device measures blood flow velocity in the brain researchers saw a decrease in blood-flow velocity over time, and, therefore, a decrease in attention Warm believes the study results can be helpful for the military, security workers, air traffic controllers and many others

Possible Solutions to Atlanta Water Crisis

This continues from the same article as the previous clip -- I thought it was important enough to do one clip on the problem and one on possible solutions.

clipped from www.adn.com Former Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat who was defeated in 2002, told reporters this week that he had planned to offer grants to fix leaks that waste millions of gallons of water each year. He also said he planned to build three new state reservoirs in north and west Georgia to help insulate the state from a future water crisis It seems the idea of building state reservoirs is gaining steam in the Legislature as Georgia's battle with the Corps over federal reservoirs heats up. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said he favors building more regional reservoirs shared by multiple communities to harness the 50 trillion gallons of water that fall over Georgia each year. start using more "purple water" - waste water that is partially treated and can be used for irrigation, fire fighting and uses other than drinking all outdoor watering across was banned across the northern half of the state, restaurants were asked to serve water only at a customer's request take shorter showers

Atlanta Running Out of Water

clipped from www.adn.com exposed lake bed at West Bank Park on Lake Lanier in Buford, Ga. No backup if Atlanta's faucets run dry less than a 90-day supply of water Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue seems to be pinning his hopes on a two-pronged approach: urging water conservation and reducing water flowing out of federally controlled lakes Perdue's office on Friday asked a Florida federal judge to force the Army Corps of Engineers to curb the amount of water draining from Georgia reservoirs into Alabama and Florida More than a quarter of the Southeast is covered by an "exceptional" drought - the National Weather Service's worst drought category most of Tennessee, Alabama and the northern half of Georgia, as well as parts of North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Lake Lanier, a 38,000-acre north Georgia reservoir that supplies more than 3 million residents with water, is already less than three months from depletion

Hubble Photos of Nebula

These photos are so beautiful! There are many more at the Hubble Site.

clipped from hubblesite.org The Helix Nebula: a Gaseous Envelope Expelled By a Dying Star clipped from hubblesite.org Gas Pillars in the Eagle Nebula (M16): Pillars of Creation in a Star-Forming Region clipped from hubblesite.org Uncovering the Veil Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org Star-Birth Clouds in M16: Stellar "Eggs" Emerge from Molecular Cloud clipped from hubblesite.org The Cat's Eye Nebula: Dying Star Creates Fantasy-like Sculpture of Gas and Dust clipped from hubblesite.org The Colorful Demise of a Sun-like Star clipped from hubblesite.org Eagle Nebula (M16) Pillar Detail: Portion of Top clipped from hubblesite.org A Perfect Storm of Turbulent Gases in the Omega/Swan Nebula (M17) clipped from hubblesite.org Crab Nebula: a Dead Star Creates Celestial Havoc clipped from hubblesite.org The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) clipped from hubblesite.org The Eskimo Nebula (NGC 2392) clipped from hubblesite.org The Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant clipped from hubblesite.org The Cat's Eye Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org Edifice of Gas and Dust in the Cone Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org The Cone Nebula (NGC 2264) clipped from hubblesite.org Gas Plume From a Newborn Star in the Orion Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org Comet-like Filaments Along the Inner Rim of the Helix Nebula's Gas Ring clipped from hubblesite.org The Ring Nebula (M57) clipped from hubblesite.org Supernova Remnant N 63A clipped from hubblesite.org Comet-Like Knots Around a Dying Star in the Helix Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org Rainbow Image of the Egg Nebula clipped from hubblesite.org Veil Nebula - Segment #2

America's Drought of 2007

This clip is courtesy of BartendingBear on Clipmarks.

clipped from www.kansascity.com Southeast feels the agony of ongoing drought Falls Lake, the main water source for the capital of North Carolina, is 8 feet below normal and Monday had barely 100 days of usable water left for Raleigh. Similar problems persist across the South. From the shriveled cotton fields of northern Alabama to the browned lawns of suburban Atlanta, the Southeast is wilting under one of the most severe droughts in its history. •How bad is it? About 26 percent of the Southeast faces “exceptional” drought — the worst category. Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida have had less rain than at any time since records began in 1894. How low are reservoirs? So low that in the Atlanta area, Lake Lanier, the water source for 3 million people, could run dry in just 90 days. South Carolina’s Lake Moultrie is the lowest in half a century. Private wells are going dry in Kentucky. In Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel’s distillery may have to shut down because the spring is low.