Friday, May 31, 2013

Why animals compare the present with the past

May 30, 2013 ? Humans, like other animals, compare things. We care not only how well off we are, but whether we are better or worse off than others around us, or than we were last year. New research by scientists at the University of Bristol shows that such comparisons can give individuals an evolutionary advantage.

According to standard theory, the best response to current circumstances should be unaffected by what has happened in the past. But the Bristol study, published in the journal Science, shows that in a changing, unpredictable world it is important to be sensitive to past conditions.

The research team, led by Professor John McNamara in Bristol's School of Mathematics, built a mathematical model to understand how animals should behave when they are uncertain about the pattern of environmental change. They found that when animals are used to rich conditions but then conditions suddenly worsen, they should work less hard than animals exposed to poor conditions all along.

The predictions from the model closely match findings from classic laboratory experiments in the 1940s, in which rats were trained to run along a passage to gain food rewards. The rats ran more slowly for small amounts of food if they were used to getting large amounts of food, compared to control rats that were always rewarded with the smaller amount.

This so-called 'contrast effect' has also been reported in bees, starlings and a variety of mammals including newborn children, but until now it lacked a convincing explanation.

Dr Tim Fawcett, a research fellow in Bristol's School of Biological Sciences and a co-author on the study, said: "The effects in our model are driven by uncertainty. In changing environments, conditions experienced in the past can be a valuable indicator of how things will be in the future."

This, in turn, affects how animals should respond to their current situation. "An animal that is used to rich conditions thinks that the world is generally a good place," Dr Fawcett explained. "So when conditions suddenly turn bad, it interprets this as a temporary 'blip' and hunkers down, expecting that rich conditions will return soon. In contrast, an animal used to poor conditions expects those conditions to persist, and so cannot afford to rest."

The model also predicts the reverse effect, in which animals work harder for food when conditions suddenly improve, compared to animals experiencing rich conditions all along. This too has been found in laboratory experiments on a range of animals.

The Bristol study highlights unpredictable environmental fluctuations as an important evolutionary force. "Rapid changes favour individuals that are responsive and able to adjust their behaviour in the light of past experience," said Dr Fawcett. "The natural world is a dynamic and unpredictable place, but evolutionary models often neglect this. Our work suggests that models of more complex environments are important for understanding behaviour."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/aIWs62NcHWE/130530142003.htm

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Engadget Podcast 346 - 05.31.13

Engadget Podcast 343 - 05.10.13

We weren't able to make into the studio again, but a week without a new episode of the Engadget Podcast is hardly a week at all, right? Tim's still a traveling man, but he finally picked up a PlayStation Vita for entertainment on the move. Tune in to find out if he likes it and get a recap of the week's tech news, including the tastiest tidbits from D11. Stream the audio below and find the video version embedded past the break.

Hosts: Tim Stevens, Peter Rojas

Producer: Joe Pollicino

Hear the podcast:

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Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZYMMWCHQhuw/

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Asteroid mining company wants to put your face in space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Thu May 30, 2013 2:37am EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A privately owned asteroid mining firm, backed in part by Google Inc's founders, launched a crowd-funding project on Wednesday to gauge public interest in a small space telescope that could serve as a backdrop for personal photographs, officials said.

Planetary Resources, based in Bellevue, Washington, plans to build and operate telescopes to hunt for asteroids orbiting near Earth and robotic spacecraft to mine them for precious metals, water and other materials.

It also plans an educational and outreach program to let students, museums, armchair astronomers and virtual travelers share use of a telescope through an initiative on Kickstarter, a website used to raise funds for creative projects.

Planetary Resources aims to raise $1 million by June 30 to assess public appetite for participating in a space project. It expects to launch its first telescope in 2015.

For a pledge of $25, participants can make use of a "space photo booth" by sending a picture to be displayed like a billboard on the side of the telescope with Earth in the background. Its image would then be snapped by a remote camera and transmitted back.

Starting at $200, participants can use the telescope to look at an astronomical object.

The Kickstarter campaign complements the company's ongoing efforts to design and build its first telescope, called ARKYD. Investors include Google Chief Executive Larry Page and Chairman Eric Schmidt, as well as Ross Perot Jr., chairman of the real estate development firm Hillwood and The Perot Group.

"All we are asking is for the public to tell us that they want something," company co-founder Eric Anderson told reporters during a webcast press conference on Wednesday.

"We're not going to spend our time and resources to do something if people don't want it and really the only way to prove that it's something people want is to ask them for money," he said.

Planetary Resources is not the first space startup to turn to crowd-funding. Colorado-based Golden Spike, which plans commercial human expeditions to the moon, has launched two initiatives on Indiegogo, another Internet-based funding platform.

Golden Spike exceeded a $75,000 goal to start a sister firm, called Uwingu, designed to funnel profits into space projects, but fell far short of a $240,000 target for spacesuits for Golden Spike's first moon run.

Hyper-V Technologies of Virginia turned to Kickstarter to raise nearly $73,000 to help develop a plasma jet electric thruster. STAR Systems in Phoenix, Arizona, raised $20,000 for work on a hybrid rocket motor for its suborbital Hermes spaceplane.

Last year, Washington-based LiftPort ended an $8,000 Kickstarter campaign with more than $100,000 to demonstrate how robots could climb a 1.2-mile long tether held aloft by a large helium balloon.

The company is working on an alternative space transportation system called a "space elevator" that uses tethers or cables instead of rockets.

"I think crowd-funding is a new kind of bike and people are trying and willing to ride it, some successfully, some not as successfully, but I think it's here to stay," said Golden Spike founder and planetary scientist Alan Stern.

"These companies like Kickstarter and Indiegogo and RocketHub, they seem to be some kind of marketing distribution system that lets people with an idea put it out there. Previously people didn't know how to do that except run an ad in a newspaper. It's a capability we just didn't have five years ago," Stern said.

(Editing by David Adams and Richard Chang)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/UUKGzzUQwno/story01.htm

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U.S. to loosen sanctions on Iran for mobile phones, gadgets

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States was set to relax sanctions on Iran on Thursday to allow American companies to sell mobile phones, software and other technology used for personal communications to Iranians, two U.S. officials said.

The move, expected later on Thursday, will allow Iranians to get access to the latest Apple phones and newest software that have only been available on Tehran's black market since sanctions were first imposed in 1992.

The U.S. has ramped up tough measures against Iran in recent years to slow development of the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program, blacklisting a wide range of Iranian companies and government officials.

The United States believes Iran is enriching uranium to levels that could be used in nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its program is for peaceful purposes.

The easing of sanctions on technology may be an attempt by the U.S. government to develop goodwill with Iranian citizens before the Iranian national elections next month.

Social media played a big role in the wake of Iran's disputed 2009 presidential elections, used by the opposition "Green Movement" to marshal global attention to their cause, and later inspiring protesters in the Arab Spring revolts of 2011.

The U.S. government first eased some technology restrictions after the election in 2010, allowing U.S. companies to export to Iran some basic software and free Internet services such as chat and email.

But the move on Thursday goes further, allowing companies to sell software and hardware to Iranian citizens, Wendy Sherman, undersecretary for political affairs at the U.S. State Department, said in an interview on the BBC Persian service late on Wednesday.

"We have no desire to cut off communications," she said in the interview, which first announced the looser rules. "We in fact want to encourage communications in every way we can."

The English transcript from Sherman's interview was provided by the National Iranian American Council, a non-profit group that has long urged the U.S. government to ease restrictions on Iran that hurt ordinary citizens but do little to hinder the government's actions.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov, additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-loosen-sanctions-iran-mobile-phones-gadgets-180315165.html

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Are Shelter Dogs the Cure for Bullying?

LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA)? in cooperation with The Juvenile Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, is re-instilling empathy into teens with a revolutionary approach to curing violence ? the Teaching Love and Compassion Program for Juvenile Offenders (jTLC)?.

In a? two-day, court-mandated course ? a condition of probation for some juvenile offenders ?teens are paired with shelter dogs and offered intensive sessions designed to help at-risk youth identify and break the cycle of violence.? The jTLC candidates are carefully selected by the District Attorney's Office along with the Juvenile Court judges.??

"jTLC is a different approach with teens who are entering the juvenile system," says spcaLA President, Madeline Bernstein.? "These kids learn coping and anger management skills and gain self-esteem.? With the help of our shelter dogs, we instill in them compassion and empathy ? which steers them into a more positive direction."

For the last two years, spcaLA has pilot-tested the jTLC program with juvenile offenders from communities like Long Beach and Sylmar.?? 80% of the offenders have avoided trouble and not reoffended.? jTLC is unique to spcaLA and Los Angeles County.? Other communities, like New York City, have inquired about the program and how they can introduce it into their own juvenile systems.

"As an animal lover, retired Police Sergeant and currently Los Angeles County District Attorney Juvenile Offender Intervention Program (J.O.I.N.) hearing officer, I knew from experience and studies that the direct correlation between animal cruelty and domestic violence, child abuse, bullying and school fights is factual," said Lianne Osendorf.? "The cycle of abuse will continue unless there is intervention to break the cycle. The collaboration of the LA DA and spcaLA to bring awareness and intervention to these minors is a major step in doing just that. Thanks to Melanie Wagner, Director of Humane Education, and her staff and some very caring District Attorneys the program has been a phenomenal success.? With few exceptions the minors that participate come away from the experience with new found respect for animals and people. The weekend class focuses on teaching minors how damaging abuse can be not only to animals and people but also to the person inflicting the abuse."

jTLC attendees range from teenage girls who were convicted of bullying to an animal abuse offender who, at 8 years old, was bullied by his brother to injure a rabbit.? Now at 14 years old, he was sentenced to jTLC for hitting a dog in the head with a brick.?

jTLC is based on spcaLA's award-winning at-risk youth violence prevention program, Teaching Love & Compassion (TLC)?.? Since 1996, TLC has helped over 500 at-risk youth exhibiting behavioral problems or anti-social tendencies.? The program is designed to prevent animal cruelty and in turn prevent violence toward people. The TLC program helps students identify and break the cycle of violence through positive feedback, building self-esteem and increasing respect for all living creatures.

The students work one on one with the shelter dogs with the focus of building a positive relationship.? In the group portion of the class, the teens focus on teamwork and other valuable interpersonal skills.

At the end of the two-day session, a graduation ceremony is held.? The teens, alongside their shelter dogs, will discuss what they have learned in the program and show a brief demonstration of commands with shelter dogs.? Media is invited to attend provided the juvenile offenders remain anonymous.?

For media who would like to attend the graduation ceremony or to schedule an interview, please contact Ana Bustilloz at 323.730.5300, x252 or cell 323.707.1271, abustilloz@spcaLA.com

Established in 1877, spcaLA is an independent, nonprofit animal welfare organization serving Southern California.? There is no national SPCA, parent organization, or umbrella group that provides financial support.? Donations run programs and services including Cruelty Investigation, the Disaster Animal Response Team, Humane Education and a variety of shelter services.?

SOURCE spcaLA

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shelter-dogs-cure-bullying-123300637.html

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

E! to air 'Access Hollywood Live' in daytime slot

By Jethro Nededog

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - E! has picked up syndicated entertainment news show "Access Hollywood Live," TheWrap has learned exclusively.

Hosted by Billy Bush and Kit Hoover, the "Access Hollywood" daytime spinoff will begin airing daily starting June 10 on the cable channel at 3 p.m./2c, an E! representative told TheWrap.

Produced in Los Angeles by KNBC-TV and distributed by NBC Universal Domestic Television, "Access Hollywood Live's" airings on E! represent some synergy between the sister NBCU companies.

An insider said that there has been some talk internally at NBCU about ways to join "Access Hollywood Live," currently in its third season, and E!'s resources in the entertainment news space. This move would seem like a step toward that goal.

"Access Hollywood" executive producer Rob K. Silverstein also leads the senior production team responsible for "Access Hollywood Live."

"Access Hollywood Live" debuted in September 2010. It was initially seen only on NBC owned-and-operated stations in six markets and Fox owned-and-operated stations in six other major markets, all on stations that already carried the flagship series. The program is now distributed to non-network owned stations nationwide.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/e-air-access-hollywood-live-daytime-slot-011622238.html

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Nostalgia, Activate! Earthworm Jim's Creator Turns To Kickstarter For His Gaming Comeback

armikrogBetween Disney axing LucasArts and Monkey Island's creator waxing on about the sequel he thinks he'll never make, the last few months have been a pretty big kick to the gaming crowd's feels. Here's some feel-good medicine: the creator of 90's nostalgia-factory Earthworm Jim is getting back into gaming, and he's turning to Kickstarter to make his new game happen.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/c-mMBdg7L8k/

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Are there clues which could help me identify short ... - Zillow Real ...

Short sales don't show up here as such so you have to find out when you contact a Realtor that can look up the details on the local MLS where they are listed with all details, only some details make it to here or other online services.

As far as foreclosed homes, which is a more correct term than foreclosures which is not really correct to say. A home that is in the process of foreclosure is in the process or it is not. Once in the process it can take weeks to years sometimes to get to the end which is the auction. All property goes through the auction that completes the process and once completed it is really no longer in foreclosure and not correctly called that anymore, although many still call them foreclosures. At the auction, if they make it to that point, they will sell. Either an investor buys them for cash or the bank gets them back and since they already are owed money they usually just bid what is owed and so most investors don't want to spend that much and the bank gets them back and they are now the "Owner" which before the auction they were not. So they are sold at auction, most often back to the bank that started the foreclosure. Now that the bank owns them the bank can get around to selling them and they are now correctly called bank owned homes or REO which stands for Real Estate Owned homes. This is where you can buy it from the bank at any amount the bank feels like selling them for. Your new lender will require they be appraised and the appraisal must be enough, or more, than you are paying or your new lender will not loan on them. The bank that owns it takes a loss here since they probably had more loaned out on it and why it went to foreclosure auction rather than the owner selling it themselves to prevent the foreclosure.

Hope that answers your question.

tim

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Are-there-clues-which-could-help-me-identify-short-sales-on-Zillow-Also-foreclosure-question/494090/

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Weiner attends first NYC mayoral debate, gains in polls

Anthony Weiner headed to a campaign event. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)NEW YORK?Former Rep. Anthony Weiner made his first debate appearance as a candidate for New York City mayor as a new poll found him gaining ground in the race.

The new Marist Poll found Weiner trailing his chief rival, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, 19 percent to Quinn?s 24 percent. That was a shift from a Marist Poll in April, when he trailed 15 percent to her 26 percent.

According to the latest poll, the remainder of the field continues to lag behind them, including Public Advocate Bill de Blasio at 12 percent, former Comptroller Bill Thompson at 11 percent and current Comptroller John Liu at 8 percent.

The poll came as Weiner made his first debate appearance as a full-fledged mayoral candidate at an education forum sponsored by New Yorkers for Great Public Schools, a coalition of parent and teacher groups that has lobbied heavily against school reforms championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Quinn, a close ally of Bloomberg who backed many of his policies, was a last-minute no-show at the debate?an absence noted by organizers, who called her decision ?a big mistake.?

The group said Quinn staffers had repeatedly said she would attend and that they had even scheduled the debate twice around her schedule. But Quinn canceled with no explanation over the Memorial Day weekend, organizers said.

?Quinn is running away from an opportunity to defend her record on education,? Billy Easton, a spokesman for the school group, said.

A spokesman for Quinn did not respond to a request for comment.

But Weiner was a last-minute addition to the debate lineup?agreeing to the appearance Monday after Quinn had informed the group she would not appear.

Arriving at the debate site, Weiner was immediately swarmed by dozens of reporters, who literally ran into each other as they sought to get close to the former congressman.

Weiner arrived on stage before his rivals, and for several minutes he sat at a table set up on a raised platform and answered questions as reporters took video and photos of him and jammed microphones into his face. During the debate, where he was asked questions by a mix of parents and a moderator, Weiner stood to answer each question?while his rivals remained seated.

?This is my first time seeing live fire in the campaign,? Weiner said in response to his first question.

With few genuine policy disagreements among those in the Democratic mayoral field, there were few pointed exchanges between the candidates. But at one point, former City Councilman Sal Albanese took a jab at Weiner, implying he was a late arrival to being involved in education policy.

?Welcome to the fight,? Albanese said, adding that Weiner had been in office ?forever.?

?Thank you?? Weiner replied.

Later, the ex-lawmaker took a shot at Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has criticized Weiner?s decision to run. Asked what he would do to help restore school funding stripped by state lawmakers in Albany, Weiner said he might ?have to fight with Gov. Cuomo. But honestly, he started it.?

The appearance comes just a week after he officially declared his candidacy?nearly two years to the month after he was forced out of Congress after he was busted sexting women who were not his wife.

In announcing his bid, Weiner admitted that he had made ?big mistakes? but asked voters to give him a ?second chance.?

According to the Marist Poll, 53 percent of those polled said he deserves that ?second chance,? while 39 percent said he does not have the ?character? to be mayor. Eight percent were undecided. Meanwhile, Democrats were equally split on how they view Weiner: 44 percent said they view him ?favorably,? while 44 view him ?unfavorably.?

Neither Weiner or his rivals made any mention of the personal drama that forced him from office. But closing out his appearance, the ex-congressman spoke of the good relations and respect he hoped to forge between City Hall and New York City public school teachers if he wins the mayoral race.

"I want my teachers to say, 'I respect that guy,'" he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/weiner-gaining-polls-attends-first-debate-nyc-mayoral-212416507.html

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International crew blasts off for space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Tue May 28, 2013 5:17pm EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A veteran Russian cosmonaut, a rookie Italian astronaut and an American mother on her second flight blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for a six-hour ride to the International Space Station.

The Russian Soyuz rocket lifted off at 4:31 p.m. EDT, streaking through clear, pre-dawn skies in Kazakhstan as it headed into orbit, a NASA TV broadcast showed.

In command of the Soyuz capsule was cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, 54, who already has made two long-duration flights aboard the space station and one aboard NASA's now-retired space shuttle.

He was joined by Luca Parmitano, 36, a major in the Italian Air Force. Parmitano, who initially studied political science and international law at the University of Naples, and will be the first Italian to live aboard the station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations.

"This is very momentous," Parmitano said in a preflight NASA interview.

NASA allotted the crew slot to the Italian Space Agency as part of a barter agreement for cargo carriers that were taken to the station aboard the shuttles. One module was converted into a storage closet and left aboard the station.

Rounding out the crew is NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, a 43-year-old mechanical engineer who has one previous spaceflight on her resume, a two-week shuttle mission. She leaves behind her astronaut husband, Doug Hurley, and their 3-year-old son, Jack.

"Time for me to 'unplug!' Thanks everyone for well wishes and great interest in what our nations do in space," Nyberg wrote on Twitter seven hours before liftoff.

The crew is expected to reach the space station, which orbits about 250 miles above Earth about six hours after launch, an expedited trip that has been made by only one other previous crew.

Awaiting their arrival are station commander Pavel Vinogradov and flight engineers Alexander Misurkin and Chris Cassidy. The men are two months into a planned six-month mission.

The combined crews will oversee more than 100 research experiments and technology tests currently under way aboard the station. Nyberg, an avid quilter, said she also was bringing along sewing supplies, a sketch book and pencils.

"I'm really hoping to spend some of my free time drawing," Nyberg said in a preflight interview.

"I used to mostly draw portraits, and gave them to friends, but I haven't done it in a long time. I am hoping I can get back to some of that while I am in space," she said.

(Editing by Jane Sutton and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/kthPj2OVuX4/story01.htm

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Why Brazil's e.Bricks Digital is Launching a $100 ... - The Next Web

Brazilian holding?e.Bricks Digital?has launched a $100 million venture capital fund,?its parent company Grupo RBS announced earlier this month. Its target is to make 12 to 15 new investments per year, with a specific focus on early-stage companies.

e.Bricks Digital was?formally launched in October 2012?as a way to structure the digital portfolio of?Grupo RBS. As you may know, this media group is one of the largest in Brazil, with an even stronger footprint in the south of the country, where it was created in 1957.

While Grupo RBS? properties include many traditional media outlets such as several newspapers and radio stations, it has also been investing in growth stage companies operating in the digital and tech sectors.

e.Bricks Digital?s main role so far was to handle said partnerships, but the launch of its dedicated fund means it is now venturing into a new activity: sourcing and managing investments in early-stage startups.

e.bricks digital logo black  Why Brazils e.Bricks Digital is Launching a $100 million Venture Capital Fund

According to e.Bricks Digital?s strategy and portfolio executive director,?Andiara Petterle, this new strategy is related to the current state of Brazil?s tech scene:

?The Brazilian digital market is still in the very beginning and the ecosystem has not fully been developed yet. For that reason, there are more early stage companies than there are [in] growth stage. We?ve decided to separate growth and early stage [by] creating a specific fund for early stage companies, with a dedicated team. This fund will profit [from] e.Bricks? ecosystem with entrepreneurs and digital experts to help [provide] leverage [to] the companies.?

In practical terms, this means that e.Bricks? structure is now dual. On one hand, its growth-stage department consists of 20 people dedicated to M&A, portfolio management, financial and legal stuff. On the other hand, it allocated a team of three to early-stage investments, under the management of?Pedro Sirotsky Melzer.

Before heading e.Bricks? early stage fund, Sirotzky Melzer was a managing partner at Brazilian VC firm?Warehouse Investimentos, which he had joined after two years of working for Apple.

According to e.Bricks Digital?s CEO, Fabio Bruggioni, this parallel structure was the best option. ?Our appointed teams are extremely specialized, dedicated and allocated for each operation while respecting the independence of each strategy,? he said.

Consolidating growing companies

e.Bricks? investments focus on three verticals: digital media & tech, segmented e-commerce and mobile. This scope results Grupo RBS? background, but also from the evolution of the Brazilian market. ?Mobile is key in Brazil considering all the characteristics of Internet access here,??Petterle explains.

The growth-stage companies e.Bricks partners with need to have average revenues of $30-40 million, scalable business models and be in a position to become leaders in their market ? if they aren?t already. Here?s the list of companies that made the cut so far:

-?Guia da Semana,?ObaOba?and?Hagah, three social local recommendation platforms that share the same management team;

- Mobile marketing and advertising company?Grupo .Mobi;

- Online media agency?Hi-Midia?and its affiliate network?Afilio;

- Fast fashion brand and online retailer?Lets;

- Digital marketing solution provider?Predicta?(see our previous?post);

- Online retailer for user-customized products?Vitrinepix;

- Online wine and gourmet store?Wine.com.br.

e.bricks portfolio  Why Brazils e.Bricks Digital is Launching a $100 million Venture Capital Fund

Betting on early-stage startups

Apart from the revenue requirement, the early-stage startups in which e.Bricks is seeking to invest aren?t very different from its current portfolio:

?We?re looking for early-stage companies in the digital space, having the technology as a core or as an enabler in the business model. The business models have to create evident efficiency gains in the value chain and be extremely scalable. We?re targeting companies within markets of over a billion dollars in size,? Melzer Sirotsky says.

e.Bricks has already announced deals in three early-stage companies, such as content marketing platform?Rock Content?and?cloud-based family safety service?Zoemob, which was?nominated?for TNW Startup Awards in 2012.

While Rock Content is a new brand, it resulted from the merger of Start-Up Chile alum Textcorner with?Everwrite, which had?won the?RBS Prize for Entrepreneurship and Innovation?in 2011.

As we reported, e.Bricks also participated in a?$500k investment round in video ad network Samba Ads?a few months ago, alongside?Initial Capital,?500 Startups?and American-Israeli firm Rhodium.

Co-investments are indeed one of the structures e.Bricks? fund will use, although it will also invest alone. Its scope will range between seed capital and B rounds, starting with initial investments of between $250k and $1 million, and including follow-ons of $1 million to $3 millions for top performers.

At the moment, the fund?s $100 million capital comes entirely from its sole LP, e.Bricks, though?Melzer Sirotsky expects it to open to other institutions at some point.

In return for its investments, it?will seek a minority stake of 15 to 40 percent as well as board seats to ensure it will be able to work very closely with its portfolio companies.

According to Petterle, Wine.com.br?s example illustrates the positive impact of e.Bricks? hands-on approach and of potential synergies with Grupo RBS. She explains that since investing in the company last year, e.Bricks? team and network helped Wine.com.br get ready to scale in many ways, such as reconfiguring its distribution network and improving?its financial and HR structure. Over the same period, the startup expanded its business vision beyond wine, and reportedly saw its revenues grow five folds.

wine.com .br gourmet 730x371  Why Brazils e.Bricks Digital is Launching a $100 million Venture Capital Fund

While Grupo RBS? historical base is Southern Brazil, e.Bricks Digital is based in S?o Paulo, where it has recently inaugurated its new headquarters. According to?INFO Online, the 1,200-square meter office space also features an auditorium for networking events between entrepreneurs and investors.

Brazil aside, e.Bricks will encourage portfolio companies whose products could be easily adopted in more developed markets to expand internationally. Both Predicta and Zoemob have already done so; the former has opened offices in Silicon Valley, while the latter gets 90 percent of its clients from outside of Brazil, mostly from the US.

e.Bricks itself also plans to operate in the US by closing partnerships that will help it internationalize its portfolio, either by taking Brazilian companies abroad for global expansion or by bringing foreign business models into Brazil. Petterle and Sirotzky Melzer declined to elaborate on the details, but advised us to stay tuned for ?exciting announcements on the horizon.?

Image credit: Bruna Nishihata

Source: http://thenextweb.com/la/2013/05/27/why-brazils-e-bricks-digital-is-launching-a-100-million-venture-capital-fund/

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Sharks top Kings 2-1 to force Game 7 in West semis

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) ? The San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings have followed a familiar pattern for six games: The home team scores first on the way to the win.

After using that formula to force a decisive seventh game in their second-round series, the Sharks know they need to reverse the trend if they want to advance to the Western Conference finals for the third time in four years.

"It's followed the script. Home team wins back and forth," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "It's time for us to get there and try to change the story. We're going to have to play a much better game than we did last time in that building. But they earned the right for home-ice. It's our job to take it away from them."

Joe Thornton got San Jose off to a fast start with a power-play goal in the first period and TJ Galiardi added a goal in the second to set up a winner-take-all game in this all-California series.

Antti Niemi made 24 saves as the Sharks earned their third 2-1 home win of the series.

"We wanted this opportunity," said Joe Pavelski, who set up Thornton's goal. "We wanted to go play. We feel like we've played some good games there before. It's been a while since we've won, so we're due."

Game 7 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. While the Kings seemingly have the advantage of home ice that has been so paramount this series, road teams in NHL history are 8-8 in seventh games of series where the home team has won the first six games, according to STATS.

Dustin Brown scored the lone goal for Los Angeles and Jonathan Quick made 24 saves. The Kings have lost 11 of 12 road games but have been unbeatable at home, winning all six playoff games and 13 straight at Staples Center since the end of the regular season.

"It's come down to one game," forward Mike Richards said. "We're a confident, comfortable team at home. The fans are loud and behind us. It should be an exciting game."

The Kings tried to end it in San Jose, putting pressure on Niemi early in the final period in search of the equalizer. But they couldn't break through against a strong forecheck late in the game ? much to the delight of the loud crowd chanting "Beat LA! Beat LA!" from the start. Los Angeles managed just one shot on goal in the final 2:50.

After taking a 1-0 lead, the Sharks went more than 15 minutes without a shot before regaining their stride early in the second period. Galiardi beat Quick with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle for his first career playoff goal to make it 2-0 and San Jose had a chance to break the game open when Justin Williams was sent to the box with a double-minor for high-sticking.

But Quick and the Kings killed off all 4 minutes of power-play time and then got back into the game with just over 6 minutes left in the second when Brown banked a shot from behind the goal line off Niemi and into the net.

"Every game has been close," Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "I'm sure it's not a shock it's come to a Game 7. I'm sure both teams didn't want it to go this far. Right now, it doesn't matter how we win it, just that we win it."

The Sharks started fast thanks to three early power plays and the desperation of an elimination game to continue the trend in this series of the home team scoring first when they converted on a two-man advantage. With Richards already in the box for tripping Brent Burns, Anze Kopitar shot a puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.

San Jose patiently worked the puck around during the 5-on-3 advantage and took the lead when Pavelski slid a pass across the goalmouth to Thornton, who shot it in from the side of the net to end a drought of 102:14 dating to the second period in Game 4.

"The 5-on-3 in the first few minutes was big. We're just trying to slap down the ice but things like that happen," Scuderi said. "We were trying to limit their start in this building but that got the fans into it early and that hurt us."

The Sharks were lucky that lead held up for the period as they were scrambling after that in part because of an injury that knocked defenseman Justin Braun out for the final 16 minutes of the period.

Los Angeles took the last eight shots of the period, with Niemi making two tough saves to rob Trevor Lewis on the power play and also stopping Kyle Clifford on a rebound in close. The Kings also were unlucky, hitting three posts in the period.

NOTES: The Kings haven't allowed more than three goals in 32 straight playoff games, starting with last year's run to the Stanley Cup. ... Braun returned in the second period. ... Niemi got an assist on Galiardi's goal for his first career playoff point. He joins Mike Vernon and Evgeni Nabokov as Sharks goalies to record a point in the playoffs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sharks-top-kings-2-1-force-game-7-071757407.html

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Bite Stays Hot Despite Colder Weather

The cold weather over the weekend did not cool down the Walleye bite on Lake Erie or the inland lakes. Good numbers of fish were taken by anglers on the big lake, and also at Mosquito Creek Reservoir. And method did not seem to matter, either. Walleye were caught on diving lures and on nightcrawler harnesses.

Taking a closer look at Lake Erie, a check on the head boats out of Port Clinton finds good numbers of fish are being caught, as long as the weather cooperates. Mark Wolf at Fisherman?s Wharf in downtown Port Clinton reports that their boats have been catching Walleye drifting nightcrawler harnesses. Other Port Clinton head boat operators Shore-Nuf, Tibbels, and The Sassy Sal are providing similar reports. The head boats drift for their catch, but trollers in the Western Basin are also taking fish. They are pulling Shad Raps, spoons, and harnesses with success. They have been targeting the areas north of Kelleys Island and near Niagara Reef

In the Central Basin it is a similar story. Craig Lewis at Erie Outfitters tells us trollers are taking fish from Sheffield to Vermilion. Fish are running from 32 to 42 feet deep. Boats trolling Reef Runners and crawler harnesses in pink and purple are catching Walleye. Most of the trolling is being done off of planer boards.

Closer to Cleveland, the folks at Shine?s say trollers and drifters are catching Walleye off of Rocky River on harnesses and weight forward spinners tipped with nightcrawlers. Some breakwall casters are also picking up fish on diving cranks.

The Lake Erie bite comes just after the Walleye fishing started to pick up on inland lakes. It is still going strong there, too. Good Walleye catches are being made at Lake Milton, Mosquito Creek, Berlin, West Branch, and Pymatuning. Trolling crankbaits or nightcrawler harnesses will take fish. Plenty of limit catches were made at Mosquito this weekend. For Saugeye, try Tappan, Piedmont, Pleasant Hill and below Charles Mill Dam. Trolling Flicker Shads or drifting crawlers or minnows will trigger bites on the first three lakes, while fishing a minnow under a float will work below Charles Mill.

Let?s take a look around northern Ohio to see what else is biting:

Lake Erie

The Yellow Perch have started to cooperate. Weather conditions have not been consistently good, but when they are, Perch are being caught. Over on Cleveland?s east side, the folks at Wildwood Marina are running Perch trips on their head boat. Catches have been hit or miss, but the size of the fish has been good. Emerald Shiners fished on spreaders or Crappie rigs are preferred. On Sunday, fishermen on the Linda Mae, the headboat out of Wildwood caught more than 80 Yellow Perch and more than 160 White Perch. Fish are being caught in 33 to 35 feet of water from Euclid Hospital to Bratenahl.

In the Western Basin, the folks at Tibbels tell us anglers have been taking Yellow Perch near Kelleys Island on minnows and jigging spoons.

Smallmouth Bass have been hitting jerk baits and crankbaits in rocky areas near Cranberry and Ruggles Reef. The Smallmouth activity has really picked up in the past week.

Mosquito Creek Reservoir

Walleye have really turned on at this impoundment just north of Warren. Crankbaits, crawler harnesses, and jigs tipped with minnows seem to be triggering the most strikes. Causeway Sporting Goods tells us the east side of the lake by the cemetery has been producing. So has the area just north of there known as the ?Red Barn? area. Diving plugs like Flicker Shads and Shad Raps fished with weight or on lead core line have been especially effective. The fish are spread at different depths through the water column. Joe at the Mosquito State Park Marina tells us a lot of big Crappies are also hitting, too. Tube jigs, jigs tipped with minnows, or minnows below a float fished around brush in the shallows are producing fish. Walleye fishermen are also picking them as they troll crankbaits. Big Channel Catfish are being taken on nightcrawlers.

Portage Lakes

The Crappie bite is just about done in this popular chain of lakes just south of Akron. But, the panfish action is heating up. Jerry at Long Lake Bait and Tackle says the big Bluegills and Red Ears are on the nests. Maggots, waxworms, and red worms presented slowly on the bottom or under a bobber will catch fish. The emphasis is on ?slowly?. These fish are not interested in actively feeding, so baits fished at a relaxed pace in the beds will trigger reflex bites.

Ron Slater at Portage Lakes Bait and Tackle says Largemouth Bass are also very active. He suggests using four inch plastic worms in East Reservoir and Mud Lake. Bass are also being reported out of Turkeyfoot and Rex Lake.

Good catches of Channel Catfish are being made. Chicken Livers and nightcrawlers are the baits of choice. Long Lake, North Reservoir, and Turkeyfoot have been producing.

Nimisila Reservoir has been producing Crappie and Largemouth. Fishing brush and structure has been productive. Also, there have been scattered

reports of Walleye being caught at Nimisila, as well.

West Branch

Crappies are still hitting at West Branch. Alvin at Ron?s West Branch Bait says minnows are catching a lot of fish. They are also catching plenty of White Bass, too. Muskies are also being taken on large spinners cast near weed beds. A huge Muskie that weighed in at more than 20 pounds was caught last week. The Walleye bite has also picked up, especially for trollers dragging crankbaits and spinners tipped with crawlers. Fishing just outside the weed beds and on the drop-offs has been productive.

Berlin & Milton

Good catches of Walleye are being reported at these two lakes just west of Youngstown. Trollling nightcrawler harnesses and diving crankbaits have produced. Work the crawlers in shallower areas and on humps. Use the diving plugs for suspended fish in deeper water. Plenty of Smallmouth are also being caught at Milton. White Bass have also been cooperating with some very large fish being taken by trollers.

Charles Mill & Pleasant Hill

These two reservoirs near Mansfield and Ashland are good producers of spring Saugeye. Dusty at Mifflin Lakes Trading Post reports good numbers of Saugeye are being taken at Pleasant Hill. Areas in front of the beach and near the Mohican Lodge have been good for trollers and drifters fishing diving crankbaits and crawler rigs. Saugeye are hitting minnows below the dam at Charles Mill. Fish them on the bottom or under a float. Above the dam, Charles Mill is producing good catches of Wipers, which are Striped Bass-White Bass hybrids. Jigs and twister tails, as well as chicken livers are the preferred baits. The Crappie bite is still on there, too.

Pymatuning

The Walleye bite has picked up south of the causeway at this popular Ashtabula County reservoir. Anglers are trolling and drifting nightcrawlers to catch fish. Minnows are taking Crappie in the shallows. Channel Catfish are hitting shad and doughballs. Chicken livers will work for the Catfish, too.

Chippewa Lake

This popular lake south of Medina is open to the public, again. Panfish are being taken in good numbers. Largemouth Bass are also hitting. Bob Nemeth at Chippewa Lake Bait and Tackle reports an 8.5 pound Largemouth was caught recently. White Perch and Channel Catfish are also being caught.

Cleveland Metro Parks

Most of the Metro Parks lakes are producing nice Panfish catches. The Rocky River is also providing good results for Smallmouth Bass. Fishing jigs and plastics near structure are the key.

Ohio River

Jigging spoons are catching a lot of Sauger below the New Cumberland Dam in Columbiana County. Twister tails and other baits fished near the bottom are also taking fish. Limited numbers of Channel Cats are being caught, as well.

Mogadore

This is one of the top Panfish lakes in northeast Ohio, and it is producing, as usual. Good catches of Sunfish and Crappie are being made. Mogadore Bait and Tackle reports the big Red Ears are on the nests. Some Yellow Perch and Largemouth are also being taken.

Tuscarawas River

Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike are being caught in the stretch from Canal Fulton south to Dover. Crankbaits and jigs are catching both species.

Cuyahoga River

The Cuyahoga above Cuyahoga Falls is providing decent action for Bass and Northern Pike. Spinner baits, spoons, and crankbaits will catch fish.

?

Good Catch!

Go ahead, brag a little. We want to remind you that you can submit photos of your fish catches. We might post the photos or broadcast them on Good Morning Cleveland. Send those photos to Noleff@wews.com . We have several photos of good catches posted in the photo section of this article. We also welcome your fishing reports from you home waters, tips, suggestions, and even recipes that we can share.

This report will be updated through the week to reflect the most recent fishing conditions.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/northeast-ohio-fishing-report--bite-stays-hot-despite-colder-weather

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Iran fields 'massive' number of missile launchers

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran has fielded a "massive" number of new long-range missile launchers, state TV reported Sunday.

The new weapon components delivered to Iranian military units would allow them to "crush the enemy" with the mass simultaneous fire of long-range surface-to-surface missiles, Defence Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi was quoted as saying.

TV showed footage of him inspecting two dozen launch trucks without missiles at an outdoor site. The report did not specify the type of missile that would be fired, nor more details on the number of launchers deployed.

Some of Iran's surface-to-surface missiles are estimated to have ranges of over 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), capable of hitting its arch-foe Israel and the U.S. bases in the region.

Vahidi did not specify who was the "enemy" and said Iran would never start a war.

Iran considers both the United States and Israel as enemies. Both have not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are aimed at weapons development. Iran denies the charge.

From time to time Iran announces military achievements that cannot be independently verified.

Facing a Western military embargo, Iran is pursuing a program for military self-sufficiency, producing weapons ranging from light submarines and jet fighters to torpedoes and missiles.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-fields-massive-number-missile-launchers-072216902.html

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As summer approaches, sequestration threatens holiday fun (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Video: Lois Lerner Taking the 5th, or Not?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51996020/

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

'Return Of The Jedi' Turns 30: Secrets Of Ewok Language Revealed!

Sound designer Ben Burtt says Ewokese was created over time and across continents with help from Grandma Vodka.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708006/star-wars-return-jedi-ewok-language-secrets.jhtml

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Reinventing Farming For A Changing Climate

Scientists say climate change could increase pests and weeds, lengthen growing seasons and turn dry soil to dust. Farmers are already on the offensive, adopting no-till cropping methods to conserve water and experimenting with different seeds. And scientists are using a technique called gene silencing to develop new crops?without tinkering with the plants' DNA.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=186450905&ft=1&f=1007

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IRS official at center of scandal put on administrative leave

By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lois Lerner, an Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the scandal over the agency's extra scrutiny of conservative groups, was put on administrative leave on Thursday after she refused to resign, a U.S. senator said.

Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa said new acting IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel was the one who asked for Lerner's resignation.

An IRS spokesman declined to comment on Lerner's status, citing privacy concerns. However, an internal memo supplied by the agency named Lerner's replacement.

An aide to Grassley said Werfel spoke with Grassley's office on Thursday afternoon and conveyed the information.

A bipartisan chorus in Congress had been calling for her to go. Democratic Senator Carl Levin and Republican Senator John McCain had written to Werfel earlier on Thursday calling for her to be removed.

The move comes one day after Lerner refused to answer questions during a House of Representatives panel hearing into why workers in a Cincinnati, Ohio, field office of the IRS in early 2010 began targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status.

Lerner oversaw the tax-exempt division.

Lerner's lawyer, William Taylor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"From all accounts so far, the IRS acting commissioner was on solid ground to ask for her resignation," Grassley said in a statement.

He also said that Lerner "shouldn't be in limbo indefinitely on the taxpayers' dime."

On Wednesday, Lerner denied she had done anything wrong, but asserted her constitutional right against self-incrimination.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa has accused Lerner of providing "false or misleading information" to his committee on four occasions last year.

Lerner was the official who first publicly acknowledged the targeting by responding to a planted question about the topic at an American Bar Association conference on May 10.

The admission came before a Treasury Department inspector general report found that workers in the Cincinnati office used "inappropriate criteria" such as the terms "Tea Party" and "Patriots" to target the applications of conservative groups for intense scrutiny.

Werfel, a White House budget official who officially started at the IRS on Wednesday, announced Lerner's replacement in an employee memo on Thursday.

Ken Corbin, a deputy director in charge of the wage and investment division, will take over as acting director of the tax exempt organizations unit, Werfel said, without acknowledging Lerner.

Werfel himself took over for Acting Commissioner Steve Miller, who was fired by President Barack Obama over the controversy last week.

(Reporting By Kim Dixon and Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republican-issa-call-irss-lerner-back-tea-party-145240506.html

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Friday, May 24, 2013

No fatalities in I-5 bridge collapses in NW Wash

People look on after the Interstate 5 bridge collapsed over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Rick Lund) TV OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

People look on after the Interstate 5 bridge collapsed over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Rick Lund) TV OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River dumping vehicles and people into the water in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013 according to the Washington State Patrol. (AP Photo/Skagit Valley Herald, Frank Varga)

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Rick Lund) TV OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

(AP) ? Authorities say there were no fatalities when an Interstate 5 bridge over a river north of Seattle collapsed.

The Thursday evening bridge failure dumped vehicles and people into the water.

Marcus Deyerin (DayERin), a spokesman for the Northwest Washington Incident Management team, said there were no fatalities or suspected fatalities. He said three people were rescued from the water and sent to area hospitals. He didn't know the extent of their injuries.

A search of the river continues and a dive team was on scene as well as several rescue boats still on the river.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-24-I-5%20Bridge%20Collapse/id-89a03079682f4ed18567bff6d566f1b4

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Lawyer revises testimony on 'This Is It' contract

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A corporate lawyer for concert giant AEG Live LLC has revised his testimony and now says the tour director of Michael Jackson's ill-fated "This Is It" concerts had a signed contract.

AEG Live General Counsel Shawn Trell told jurors on Tuesday that he had forgotten that Kenny Ortega was working under a signed contract.

Trell testified on Monday that Ortega was working under agreements reached through a series of emails, not a formalized contract.

An attorney for Michael Jackson's mother on Monday compared Ortega's emails to messages between the promoter and the singer's personal physician laying out how he would be compensated.

Trell disputed that the situations of Ortega and Conrad Murray were similar.

Katherine Jackson is suing AEG, claiming it hired Murray without properly investigating him.

AEG denies it hired Murray.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawyer-revises-testimony-contract-174212063.html

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Power of Moore tornado dwarfs Hiroshima bomb

In this Tuesday, May 21, 2013 aerial photo, emergency responders make their way down a street of damaged homes following Monday's tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Kim Johnson Flodin)

In this Tuesday, May 21, 2013 aerial photo, emergency responders make their way down a street of damaged homes following Monday's tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Kim Johnson Flodin)

This aerial photo shows the remains of houses in Moore, Okla., following a tornado Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo/Steve Gooch)

Storm clouds build in the distance beyond tornado-ravaged homes Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The rubble of a destroyed neighborhood is strewn about a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Many homes were stripped to their foundations Monday by a tornado which moved through the area. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

An aerial view of an entire neighborhood destroyed by Monday's tornado is shown Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Everything had to come together just perfectly to create the killer tornado in Moore, Okla.: wind speed, moisture in the air, temperature and timing. And when they did, the awesome energy released over that city dwarfed the power of the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service gave it the top-of-the-scale rating of EF5 for wind speed and breadth, and severity of damage. Wind speeds were estimated at between 200 and 210 mph. The death count is 24 so far, including at least nine children. The United States averages about one EF5 a year, but this was the first in nearly two years.

To get such an uncommon storm to form is "a bit of a Goldilocks problem," said Pennsylvania State University meteorology professor Paul Markowski. "Everything has to be just right."

For example, there must be humidity for a tornado to form, but too much can cut the storm off. The same goes with the cold air in a downdraft: Too much can be a storm-killer.

But when the ideal conditions do occur, watch out. The power of nature beats out anything man can create.

"Everything was ready for explosive development yesterday," said Colorado State University meteorology professor Russ Schumacher, who was in Oklahoma launching airborne devices that measured the energy, moisture and wind speeds on Monday. "It all just unleashed on that one area."

Several meteorologists contacted by The Associated Press used real time measurements, some made by Schumacher, to calculate the energy released during the storm's 40-minute life span. Their estimates ranged from 8 times to more than 600 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb, with more experts at the high end. Their calculations were based on energy measured in the air and then multiplied over the size and duration of the storm.

An EF5 tornado has the most violent winds on Earth, more powerful than a hurricane. The strongest winds ever measured were the 302 mph reading, measured by radar, during the EF5 tornado that struck Moore on May 3, 1999, according to Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the Weather Underground.

Still, when it comes to weather events, scientists usually know more about and can better predict hurricanes, winter storms, heat waves and other big events.

That's because even though a tornado like the one that struck Moore was 1.3 miles wide, with a path of 17 miles long, in meteorological terms it was small, hard to track, rare and even harder to study. So tornadoes are still more of a mystery than their hurricane cousins, even though tropical storms form over ocean areas where no one is, while this tornado formed only miles from the very National Weather Service office that specializes in tornadoes.

"This phenomenon can be so deadly you would think that something that catastrophic, that severe would lend itself to understanding," said Adam Houston, meteorology professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. "But we're fighting the inherent unpredictability of these small-scale phenomena."

Unlike hurricanes, which forecasters can fly through in planes and monitor with buoys and weather stations, usually over a period of days, tornadoes form quickly and normally last only a matter of minutes. While meteorologists and television hosts chase tornadoes and try to get readings, it's not usually enough. This storm lasted 40 minutes ? long for a regular tornado but not too unusual for such a violent one, said research meteorologist Harold Brooks at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla.

Still, the conditions needed to form such a violent and devastating tornado were there and forecasters knew it, warning five days in advance that something big could happen, Brooks said.

By Monday morning, forecasters at the National Weather Center, home of the storm lab and storm prediction center, knew "that any storm that formed in that environment had the potential to be a strong to violent tornado," he said.

"This is a pretty classic setup," Brooks said.

Tornadoes have two main ingredients: moist energy in the atmosphere and wind shear. Wind shear is the difference between wind at high altitudes and wind near the surface. The more moist energy and the greater the wind shear, the better the chances for tornadoes.

But just because the conditions are right doesn't mean a violent tornado will form, and scientists still don't know why they occur in certain spots in a storm and not others, and why at certain times and not others.

On Monday, the moist energy came up from the Gulf of Mexico, the wind shear from the jet stream plunging from Canada. "Where they met is where the Moore storm got started," Brooks said.

With the third strong storm hitting Moore in 14 years ? and following roughly the same path as an EF5 that killed 40 people in 1999 and an EF4 that injured 45 others in 2003 ? some people are wondering why Moore?

It's a combination of geography, meteorology and lots of bad luck, experts said.

If you look at the climate history of tornadoes in May, you will see they cluster in a spot, maybe 100 miles wide, in central Oklahoma, Houston said. That's where the weather conditions of warm, moist air and strong wind shear needed for tornadoes combine, in just the right balance.

"Central Oklahoma is a hot spot and there's a good reason for it," Houston said. "There's this perfect combination where the jet stream is strong, the instability is large and the typical position for this juxtaposition climatologically is central Oklahoma."

And the timing has to be perfect. Earlier in the year, there's not enough warm moist air, but the jet stream is stronger. Later, the jet stream is weaker but the air is moister and warmer.

The hot spot is more than just the city of Moore. Several meteorologists offer the same explanation for why that Oklahoma City suburb seemed to be hit repeatedly by violent tornadoes: Bad luck.

Of the 60 EF5 tornadoes since 1950, Oklahoma and Alabama have been struck the most, seven times each. More than half of these top-of-the-scale twisters are in just five states: Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Kansas, and Iowa. Less than 1 percent of all U .S. tornadoes are this violent ? only about 10 a year, Brooks said.

The United States' Great Plains is the "best place on Earth" for the formation of violent tornadoes because of geography, Markowski said. You need the low pressure systems coming down off the Rocky Mountains colliding with the warm moist unstable air coming north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Scientists know the key ingredients that go into a devastating tornado. But they are struggling to figure out why they develop in some big storms and not others. They also are still trying to determine what effects, if any, global warming has on tornadoes. The jet stream can shift to cause a record number of tornadoes ? or an unusually low number of them.

Early research, much of it by Brooks, predicts that as the world warms, the moist energy ? or instability ? will increase, and the U.S. will have more thunderstorms. But at the same time, the needed wind shear ? the difference between wind speed and direction at different altitudes ? will likely decrease.

The two factors go in different directions and it's hard to tell which will win out. Brooks and others think that eventually there may be more thunderstorms and fewer days with tornadoes, but more tornadoes on those days when twisters do strike.

"Tornadoes are perhaps the most difficult things to connect to climate change of any extreme," said NASA climate scientist Tony Del Genio. "Because we still don't understand all the factors required to get a tornado."

___

Online

The National Weather Center; http://www.nwc.ou.edu/

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-21-Oklahoma%20Tornado-Science/id-e83a8c948f4e494c83013526dd1757ab

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