Going bananas

 

Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit after tomatoes. In western countries, they could account for 3% of a grocer’s total sales. Bananas consistently are the number one compliant of grocery shoppers. Most people complain when bananas are overripe or even freckled. The fact is that spotted bananas are sweeter, with a sugar content of more than 20%, compared with 3% in a green banana.

As if fighting with their consumers over bananas is not enough big retailers often turn on each other. In 2002, Asda-Walmart fired the first, uhm, banana in a price war with big British supermarket chain Tesco and others. The gorilla war (which includes guerrilla war tactics) would spill over onto other battle shelves and – even after a trade truce in 2009 – the price war is ongoing.

Banana Trade War

The banana war didn’t begin or end there. The biggest banana complaint desk is the World Trade Organization (WTO). Starting in 1975 but eventually turning into the so-called Banana War in 1991, the United States peeled the gloves off to go up against the European Union, whose citizens go ape for the yellow wonder. The EU imports more than 3 billion tonnes annually… but that is less than the United States.

This is not even half of the story. The Banana War eventually spilled over into Italian cheese, German coffee, French handbags and Scottish cashmere trade disputes. The gorillas refused to turn yellow and although the white flags reached half-mast in 2001 and in 2005, no-one came down their herb. (The banana plant is not a tree; it actually is a giant herb.)  The banana war became the longest trade dispute in history, ending only in 2009 after 16 years.

Banana Wars with Real Live Ammo

Bananas obviously is no monkey business. The Banana Republics were called such because of the hideous Banana Wars (not to be confused with the mention Banana Trade War), starting in the 1920s, in which thousands of innocent people died needlessly in the so-called American imperialism effort. It is now known in fair detail how big banana firms sponsored right-wing militias. Further reading on CorpWatch and Latin American Studies.

The Beautiful Banana

Fortunately, there is a very nice side to every banana. To get to the root of the not-so-humble banana as a beautiful tasty thingy, take a bite at banana.com. Keep in mind, though, that, true to the banana tradition, some of the serving is spotted.

Savor this: the banana is not the world’s most popular fruit! That title belongs to what the French used to call “the apple of love” and the Germans “the apple of paradise” – the mighty tomato.

Fakta-fakta Menarik Tentang Pluto

PLUTO yang juga dikenal dengan nama Pluto 134340 adalah sebuah planet kerdil dalam sistem Tata  Surya Bimasakti. Letak Pluto berada dalam sebuah wilayah terluar Tata Surya yang bernama Sabuk Kuiper. Sabuk Kuiper sendiri adalah sebutan untuk wilayah di luar orbit planet Neptunus hingga jarak 50 Satuan Astronomi (SA/1 Satuan Astronomi = jarak rata-rata Matahari-Bumi, yakni sekitar 149,6 juta kilometer) dari Matahari. Pluto memiliki orbit yang unik saat mengelilingi matahari, orbitnya berbentuk melonjong dan kisaran jaraknya sekitar 4,4 – 7,4 miliar km dari Matahari. Berbeda dengan planet-planet lainnya di Tata Surya, Pluto cenderung bergerak mendekati Matahari saat melakukan perjalanan orbit. Akibatnya, terkadang Pluto berjarak lebih dekat dengan Matahari (atau Bumi) daripada Neptunus.

Di antara obyek-obyek yang ada dalam Tata Surya, Pluto adalah yang terkecil baik dalam ukuran maupun jumlah masa. Pluto bahkan lebih kecil daripada 7 bulan di tata surya, (Bulan, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Calisto, Titan, dan Triton). Pluto memiliki diameter 4.862 km dan memiliki massa 0,002 massa Bumi. Periode rotasi Pluto adalah 6,39 hari, sedangkan periode revolusi adalah 248,4 tahun. Bentuk Pluto mirip dengan Bulan dengan atmosfer yang mengandung metan. Suhu permukaan Pluto berkisar -233o Celsius sampai dengan-223o Celsius, sehingga sebagian besar berwujud es. Seperti sejumlah planet Tata Surya lain, Pluto juga mempunyai beberapa bulan/satelit yang mengitarinya. Bulan-bulan itu adalah: Charon (ditemukan oleh astronom James Christy pada tahun 1978), Nix dan Hydra (keduanya ditemukan pada tahun 2005)

Penemuan Pluto

Proses penemuan Pluto sebenarnya diawali dengan kekeliruan interpretasi sejumlah astronom yang mendapati adanya kekacauan dalam orbit Uranus. Semula mereka berasumsi bahwa Neptunuslah yang mengacaukan orbit Uranus karena tarikan gravitasinya. Di akhir abad 19, setelah melakukan observasi lanjutan, para astronom berpendapat bahwa ada planet lain selain Neptunus yang mengganggu orbit Uranus.

Pada tahun 1905 seorang astronom AS, Percival Lowell, memulai proyek pencarian planet ke-sembilan dalam sistem Tata Surya. Lowell bersama rekannya, William H. Pickering, mengajukan beberapa konsep koordinat planet ke-sembilan dalam Tata Surya yang mereka namakan “Planet X”. Lowell meninggal pada tahun 1916, akan tetapi proyek pencariannya tetap dilanjutkan. Nama Lowell diabadikan sebagai nama observatorium yang didirikannya pada tahun 1894.

Pada bulan Januari 1930, Clyde Tombaugh, seorang peneliti yang juga anggota tim proyek pencarian planet ke-sembilan dalam Tata Surya di Observatorium Lowell, berhasil mencitrakan beberapa pergerakan sebuah obyek misterius di luar angkasa. Tim peneliti dalam proyek tersebut berkesimpulan bahwa obyek luar angkasa itu adalah sebuah planet dan untuk memastikannya mereka kemudian mengirim hasil pencitraan obyek luar angkasa itu ke Observatorium Harvard College untuk diteliti lebih lanjut.

Setelah dipastikan bahwa obyek yang ditemukan itu adalah sebuah planet, Tombaugh dan ketua tim peneliti, Vesto Melvin Slipher, menggelar sayembara untuk mencarikan nama bagi planet ke-sembilan itu. Nama Pluto dicetuskan oleh Venetia Burney, seorang anak perempuan umur sebelas tahun asal Oxford, Inggris. Venetia yang gemar mempelajari mitologi Yunani Kuno dan astronomi pertama kali mengusulkan nama ini pada kakeknya, Falconer Madan, mantan pustakawan di Universitas Oxford, Inggris. Madan kemudian meneruskan usul cucunya ini pada Profesor Herbert Hall Turner yang kemudian meneruskannya lagi pada rekan-rekannya di Amerika.

Setelah melalui proses penyeleksian, pada 24 Maret 1930, tim peneliti di Observatorium Lowell berembuk untuk menentukan mana di antara 3 nama berikut yang akan dijadikan nama planet baru itu yaitu: “Minerva”, “Cronus”, dan “Pluto”. Akhirnya, pada 1 Mei 1930, tim memutuskan nama planet baru itu adalah “Pluto”.

Eksplorasi ke Pluto

Sejauh ini eksplorasi ke Pluto menjadi tantangan besar bagi sejumlah negara adikuasa yang telah memiliki pesawat ulang-alik luar angkasa. Bukan hanya karena Pluto berjarak sangat jauh dari bumi namun juga karena Pluto hanya memiliki massa yang kecil dan suhunya sangat dingin. Hingga penghujung abad 20 belum ada upaya serius dari negara-negara adikuasa untuk melakukan misi perjalanan ke Pluto. Bahkan di tahun 2000, Badan Antariksa AS (NASA) membatalkan misi Pluto Kuiper Express karena alasan dana.

Namun setelah melewati perdebatan panjang, akhirnya misi perjalanan ke Pluto dicanangkan kembali oleh pemerintah AS pada 2003. Misi perjalanan yang menggunakan pesawat tanpa awak ini diberi nama “New Horizons”. New Horizons telah sukses diluncurkan pada tanggal 19 Januari 2006. Pesawat ini dilengkapi dengan sejumlah peralatan kendali jarak jauh untuk mengenali citra geologi dan morfologi Pluto bersama satelitnya, Charon, memetakan komposisi permukaannya, dan menganalisa atmosfirnya. Selain itu juga New Horizons akan memotret permukaan Pluto dan Charon. Uniknya, dalam pesawat canggih ini juga disertakan abu jenazah sang penemu Pluto, Clyde Tombaugh (meninggal tahun 1997). Sayangnya, New Horizons diperkirakan baru akan mendekati orbit Pluto nanti pada tahun 2015. Setelah itu, barulah para ilmuwan NASA bisa mengungkap lebih jauh tentang misteri planet ‘mungil’ ini.

Pluto bukan planet?

Bagaimanapun, sejak tahun 2006 Pluto sudah tidak lagi dikategorikan sebagai planet inti dalam sistem Tata Surya oleh Himpunan Astronomi Internasional (IAU). Karena sejak penemuannya pada tahun 1930 hingga pada 2006 telah ditemukan sejumlah obyek lain di bagian terluar Tata Surya yang komposisinya serupa dengan Pluto, salah satunya yaitu Eris yang mempunyai massa 27% lebih padat daripada Pluto. Pluto kini hanya digolongkan dalam planet-planet minor atau kerdil (dwarf planet) bersama dengan Eris dan Ceres dan diberi nomor 134340.

8 Macam Kepribadian

Berdasarkan teori Jung dari jurnalnya “Psychological Types”, terdapat perbedaan yang mendasar dalam tipe kepribadian. Berikut merupakan beberapa tipe kepribadian dari teori Jung tersebut.

Ekstrovert VS Introvert
Seseorang dapat menjadi ekstrovert atau introvert, tergantung dengan arah aktivitas mereka. Extrovert adalah orang yang berpikir mengenai hal-hal secara objektif dan luas, sedangkan Introvert lebih berpikir ke arah subjektif atau dirinya sendiri. Perbedaan kedua kepribadian tersebut seperti di bawah ini :

Ekstrovert

• Tertarik dengan apa yang terjadi di sekitar mereka
• Terbuka dan seringkali banyak bicara
• Membandingkan pendapat mereka dengan pendapat orang lain
• Seperti aksi dan inisiatif
• Mudah mendapat teman atau beradaptasi dalam grup baru
• Mengatakan apa yang mereka pikirkan
• Tertarik dengan orang-orang baru
• Mudah menolak bersahabat dengan orang-orang yang tidak diinginkannya

Introvert

• Tertarik dengan pikiran dan perasaannya sendiri
• Memerlukan teritori mereka sendiri
• Tampil dengan muka pendiam dan tampak penuh pemikiran
• Biasanya tidak mempunyai banyak teman
• Sulit membuat hubungan baru
• Menyukai konsentrasi dan kesunyian
• Tidak suka denga kunjungan yang tidak diharapkan dan tidak suka mengunjungi orang lain
• Bekerja dengan baik sendirian

Logika VS Intuisi
Berpikir secara logika adalah kemampuan mengambil informasi berdasarkan kualitas fisik dan pengaruhnya terhadap informasi lainnya. Intuisi atau suara hati merupakan kemampuan untuk mengambil informasi berdasarkan potensi tersembunyi dan kemungkinan eksistensinya. Perbedaan umum keduanya sebagai berikut :

Tipe Penuh Logika

• Melihat semua orang dan memikirkan semua hal
• Merasa hanya hidup di sini dan hari ini
• Cepat beradaptasi dengan berbagai situasi
• Senang dengan sensasi fisik
• Senang dengan masalah practical dan aktif
• Realistis dan percaya diri

Tipe Intuisi

• Mengarah ke masa lalu atau masa depan
• Khawatir mengenai masa depan lebih dari yang sekarang
• Tertarik dengan semua hal baru dan tidak biasa
• Tidak suka rutinitas
• Lebih atraktif dalam teori daripada praktek
• Sering ragu-ragu

Berpikir VS Merasakan
Berpikir merupakan kemampuan untuk mengambil informasi berdasarkan sturktur dan fungsinya. Sedangkan merasakan adalah kemampuan untuk mengambil informasi berdasarkan kondisi penuh semangat. Perbedaan umum dari keduanya adalah :

Tipe Pemikir

• Tertarik dengan system, struktur, dan pola
• Mengekspos apapun dalam analisi logis
• Relatif dingin dan tidak emosional
• Mengevaluasi hal dengan intelektualitas dan antara benar atau salah
• Memiliki kesulitan untuk mengungkapkan perasaan
• Tidak suka berargumen secara terbuka atau memulai perselisihan

Tipe Perasa

• Tertarik dengan orang dan perasaan mereka
• Mudah mengungkapkan mood-nya kepada orang lain
• Menaruh perhatian besar terhadap cinta dan keinginannya yang besar
• Mengavaluasi hal dengan penuh etika dan antara baik atau buruk
• Mudah tersentuh atau menggunakan manipulasi emosional
• Ramah dan sering memberikan pujian untuk orang-orang yang menyenangkan

Pasrah VS Penuntut
Tipe Pasrah termotivasi dalam aktivitas dari perubahan suatu situasi. Tipe penuntut termotivasi ke dalam aktivitas hasil keputusan mereka dari perubahan situasi. Perbedaan umum keduanya adalah :

Tipe Pasrah

• Bergerak secara impulsive mengikuti situasi
• Dapat memulai banyak hal dalam sekali waktu, namun tanpa penyelesaiannya
• Lebih memilih kemerdekaan daripada memenuhi kewajiban
• Selalu ingin tahu dan suka hal baru
• Bekerja produktif tergantung mood
• Sering bertindak tanpa persiapan

Tipe Penuntut

• Tidak suka meninggalkan pertanyaan tanpa jawaban
• Bekerja keras dan selalu menyelesaikannya dengan baik
• Tidak suka mengubah apa yang sudah menjadi keputusannya
• Relatif stabil dalam bekerja
• Mengikuti aturan dan disiplin

Otak Jepang

Orang Jepang dikenal dengan kecerdasan dan kedisiplinannya. Selain doyan makanan yang kaya protein, orang Jepang juga dikenal suka melakukan latihan otak yang dapat meningkatkan IQ (Intelligence Quotient) dan membuat otak terus aktif.

Popularitas latihan otak dari Jepang dimulai sejak tahun 2005 dengan permainan Nintendo Brain Age dan teka-teki seperti Sudoku. Anak-anak hingga manula mulai bermain game-game ini untuk meningkatkan memori, IQ dan membuat otak lebih aktif.

Kini, para pendidik dan ilmuwan di Jepang telah menyusun sejumlah latihan otak dan beberapa permainan yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan otak, yang bisa dilakukan anak-anak, orang dewasa dan manula.

Dilansir dari Livestrong, berikut beberapa latihan otak yang serig dilakukan orang Jepang:

1. Brain Age
Mengingat banyaknya orang usia lanjut di Jepang, Dr Ryuta Kawashima dari Tohoku University of Medicine memutuskan untuk menciptakan suatu permainan yang dapat mengembalikan kelincahan mental warga lanjut usia di Jepang.

Kawashima menciptakan video game yang dapat digunakan untuk meningkatkan penalaran mental dan bahasa. Penelitiannya menciptakan game Nintendo, Brain Age. Brain Age memiliki komponen yang menguji dan meningkatkan kemampuan matematika, kemampuan memori serta kemampuan yang meningkatkan jalur saraf.

2. Sudoku
Sudoku adalah puzzle Jepang yang melatih sisi penalaran dan analisis otak. Sudoku dipopulerkan oleh Nikoli Puzzle Company pada tahun 1986 dan menjadi populer di seluruh dunia pada tahun 2005. Puzzle Sudoku terdiri dari kotak persegi 9×9, yang mana setiap baris berisi nomor 1 sampai 9.

Pada awal permainan, ada beberapa angka dalam setiap persegi, kemudian para pemain harus menggunakan logikanya untuk menalarkan kolom dan baris yang masih kosong dengan angka-angka yang sesuai. Ada banyak variasi sudoku, seperti sudoku untuk anak-anak yang menggunakan kotak yang lebih kecil dan memiliki simbol seperti planet dan binatang, bukan angka.

3. Anzan
Anzan merupakan awal dari adanya latihan otak di Jepang. Anzan diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Inggris yang berarti ‘perhitungan mental’ dan melibatkan serangkaian panjang hitungan angka dengan membayangkan sempoa.

Pada anzan, sempoa digambarkan dalam pikiran. Penambahan, pengurangan, perkalian, pembagian dan pembukuan dilengkapi melalui konsentrasi yang mendalam dan manipulasi sempoa mental. Untuk menjadi mahir, orang harus banyak berlatih. Anak-anak di Jepang biasanya latihan anzan 2 jam sehari.

6 Rahasia Pasta Gigi!

Ada begitu banyak produk pasta gigi di pasaran yang menjanjikan Anda gigi yang lebih segar, lebih putih, dan mencegah lubang. Hal ini menyebabkan Anda sebagai konsumen menjadi bingung untuk memilih yang terbaik. Kandungan apa sih, yang kita perlukan? Seberapa banyak pasta gigi yang harus kita gunakan? Mana yang lebih baik antara bentuk gel atau pasta? Berikut adalah panduannya.

1. Fluoride, bahan yang terpenting
Saat ini, ada begitu banyak produk pasta gigi yang diperkaya dengan kandungan sesuai kebutuhan gigi kita, seperti tartar control, pemutih, atau penyegar napas. Namun, dalam pasta gigi yang paling penting adalah fluoride-nya. Menurut Academy of General Dentistry, menggosok gigi dengan pasta gigi ber-fluoride dua kali sehari bisa mengurangi kerusakan gigi hingga 40 persen.

2. Pemutih tak akan langsung membuat gigi jadi putih
Ada belasan produk yang menjanjikan senyum yang cemerlang, tetapi apa sih kandungan dari pasta gigi dengan whitener ini? “Pasta gigi dengan pemutih mengandung ‘pengampelas’ ringan untuk membantu menghilangkan noda di permukaan gigi,” kata Clifford Whall, PhD, Direktur American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance Program.

Bentuk partikel yang digunakan pada produk pemutih dimodifikasi untuk membersihkan noda tersebut dengan lebih baik sehingga Anda bisa melihat adanya perbedaan pada gigi Anda. Meskipun begitu, produk-produk ini tidak mengandung pemutih sehingga tidak mungkin membuat gigi Anda langsung putih seperti jika Anda menjalani perawatan pemutihan gigi secara profesional.

3. Lebih sedikit, lebih baik
Dalam iklan-iklan pasta gigi mungkin Anda akan melihat modelnya memegang sikat gigi yang dipenuhi pasta gigi. Namun, memencet pasta gigi sebanyak ini (katakan, sepanjang 2 cm) tidak akan membuat gigi Anda lebih bersih daripada jika Anda hanya menuang 1 cm pasta gigi, demikian menurut E Jane Crocker, RHD, Presiden Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association.

“Yang Anda butuhkan hanya pasta gigi seukuran kacang,” katanya. Pasta gigi sebanyak itu tidak hanya akan membuat penggosokan gigi lebih efektif (dengan membersihkan dan menghilangkan plak, noda, dan sisa makanan), Anda juga akan menghemat pasta gigi Anda.

4. Cara Anda menyikat gigi jauh lebih penting
Anda boleh saja membeli pasta gigi terbaik, dan sikat gigi paling sempurna di toko, tetapi jika Anda tidak menggosok gigi Anda dengan benar, sia-sia saja. “Untuk menyikat gigi dengan semestinya, Anda harus memegang sikat pada posisi 45 derajat sehingga Anda membuat bulu sikat gigi ada di antara gigi dan gusi,” ujar Dr Whall. “Gerakkan sikat gigi dalam bentuk lingkaran kecil di area tersebut, lalu lanjutkan pada gigi yang lain. Proses ini akan menghabiskan waktu sekitar satu atau dua menit sampai selesai.”

5. Kandungan pasta gigi bisa mencengangkan
Anda mungkin tidak mengenali nama-nama yang terdaftar di sisi tabung pasta gigi. Bahan-bahan seperti rumput laut atau deterjen bisa ditemukan dalam banyak pasta gigi ber-fluoride. Menurut ADA, bahan pengental pasta gigi bisa terbuat dari koloid rumput laut, koloid mineral, dan getah alam. Sedangkan untuk busanya, kebanyakan produk mengandalkan deterjen seperti sodium lauryl sulfate, yang juga bisa ditemukan di sampo atau sabun cair. Bahan ini dianggap 100 persen aman dan efektif oleh ADA.

6. Pasta atau gel?
Ada yang mengatakan, bentuk pasta lebih baik daripada bentuk gel, atau sebaliknya. Namun, menurut para ahli kesehatan, kedua jenis bahan ini tetap membersihkan gigi dengan baik, kok. “Selain cita rasa, tekstur, atau bagaimana pasta gigi itu berpengaruh pada perasaan pemakainya, tidak ada perbedaan besar dari bentuk-bentuk bahannya,” kata Crocker. “Menurut saya sih, hal ini tergantung pilihan masing-masing, yang biasanya diketahui melalui trial and error. Saya sendiri mendorong pasien-pasien saya untuk menggunakan produk apa pun yang bisa membuat mereka menggosok gigi.” Dengan kata lain, terserah mau pilih produk apa, yang penting Anda rajin gosok gigi!

Learn about Leonardo da Vinci

Have you seen the Mona Lisa or The Last Supper? Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest painters of all time because of these magnificent works. What many people forget is that Leonardo da Vinci was also a great scientist. He was born on April 15, 1452 in Florence and died on May 2, 1519 in France. It is said that he embodies the true “Renaissance man” because he was very curious and he invented ways in order to satisfy that curiosity. Leonardo has so many achievements that he has been called the “Perfect Man,” the “Perfect Artist” and the “Universal Genius.”

What happened during Leonardo’s childhood?

Many people do not know that Leonardo’s parents were not married. This was the reason why he was called an illegitimate child. His father was a wealthy lawyer named Piero da Vinci while his mother was a poor peasant named Caterina. It is said that he stayed with his mother until he was five years old. Later on, he went to stay with his father. He did not go to school but was taught at home on the subjects of Latin, Mathematics and Geometry.

What happened when Leonardo was a teenager?

When Leonardo turned 14 years old, he became an apprentice to an artist named Andrea di Cione, more famously known as Verrochio. A person is called an “apprentice” if he works under a “master” to gain certain skills. As an apprentice, Leonardo learned different skills including chemistry, plaster casting, mechanics, carpentry, drawing, painting, modelling and sculpting. In 1478, he finally left Verrochio in order to establish his own professional career as a painter.

What happened in Leonardo’s professional life?

Leonardo was commissioned by several powerful figures in Italy. He worked for the ruling family of the Medicis, particularly for Lorenzo de Medici. It is said that Leonardo once created a silver lyre shaped like a horse head. Lorenzo de Medici sent Leonardo to bear this lyre as a gift to Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan, in order to have peace between Florence and Milan.

While he was in Milan, he painted the famous paintings Virgin of the Rocks and The Last Supper. The Duke of Milan then employed Leonardo for different projects. He is said to have acted both as a painter and an engineer during this time. His work included preparing designs and floats for special occasions, designing the Milan Cathedral and preparing an equestrian (horse) monument dedicated to the great Milan leader Francesco Sforza. However, he was only able to create a clay model.

What were Leonardo’s scientific achievements?

Leonardo was not only interested in the arts. He was also a very observant and creative scientist. During the Renaissance, this interest in both the arts and the sciences was encouraged.

• Geometry. Leonardo became interested in geometry after reading books in architecture and perspectives in painting. He was the illustrator for the mathematics book “Divina Proportione” by the mathematician Luca Pacioli.

• Biology and Anatomy. Leonardo’s interest in natural philosophy meant he explored biology and anatomy. He often wrote his observations in journals. One thing unique about Leonardo is that he wrote from right to left, which meant that his notes are best read when reflected by a mirror. Some people have suggested that he wanted to keep his notes secret but others believed that it was easier for him to write this way because he was left-handed. He drew the Vitruvian Man or the Proportions of Man, which is considered to be an anatomically correct representation of the human body. You might have seen replicas of this Vitruvian Man because it is now used as a symbol of medical professionals or establishments. Another famous anatomical illustration of Leonardo was a fetus in the womb and its heart. You might ask how Leonardo could have drawn these things without models. Actually, he did have actual models. Because he was a famous artist, the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, located in Florence, gave him permission to study human corpses. From these studies, he was able to draw the human skeleton, muscles, heart, circulatory system and internal organs. Because he wrote observations regarding how muscles and bones move, he is said to have been the first person that explored biomechanics, an important science, which is now being applied to prosthetics and robots. He also dissected animals such as cows, monkeys, frogs, birds and horses and compared their anatomical structures with those of humans.

• Engineering.Leonardo was a very good engineer. As mentioned, he served under the Duke of Milan for this purpose. He also designed barricades to protect Venice from invaders. He designed pumps, tanks, mortar shells, crank mechanisms and steam cannons. Leonardo was greatly interested in birds. It is said that he bought birds in cages just to release them. Perhaps he did so because he wanted to design a machine that would fly. His observations on flight were recorded in a book called Codex on the Flight of Birds. In this book, it can be seen that Leonardo already had ideas on how to design a glider and a helicopter. Indeed, Leonardo da Vinci was an amazing visionary.

Bunga Mawar

Bila kita ingin menyaksikan taman mawar yang komplet, rasanya tidak perlu datang ke Taman Bagatelle di Prancis atau Rose Park di Belanda. Betapa tidak? Sebab, di taman mawar Kertek, Wonosobo (kebun mawar milik Jack Eugene Craig), kita bisa menikmati dan mencium wanginya aroma lembut 200 varietas dari berbagai belahan bumi.

Menurut Jack Eugene Craig, mawar paling banyak dikoleksi dibandingkan dengan ratusan jenis tanaman lainnya. Untuk menunjukan kecintaannya pada bunga mawar (queen of flower) ini, ia tidak asal tanam saja, melainkan dengan menatanya menjadi taman asri. Adapun desain tanaman dibuat secara alamiah, tidak formal, seperti halnya di Bagatelle ataupun mungkin taman mawar di Taman Bunga Nusantara, Cianjur yang mengoleksi sekira 100 varietas.

Selain itu, ia tidak hanya menghadirkan bunga mawar. Di antara koleksi diselipkan pula dahlia, gladinol, krinum, dan salvia. Pada musim hujan mereka memamerkan keragaman bunga sehingga menjadi fokus yang unik dan menarik. Adapun tanaman lain, seperti semanggi variegete, Taiwan beauty, dan sutra bombai sebagai penutup tanah. Ekspatriat yang telah bermukim di Indonesia lebih dari 30 tahun itu juga memanfaatkan serutan kayu, dan limbah mebelnya sebagai mulsa.

Jenis mawar

Sebenarnya ada beberapa mawar berbunga pada musim hujan. First Edition, Soldier Boy, Miss Fred Show, Earth Son Pink, Olympiad, Good Show, dan Star of the Nile masih toleran terhadap hujan. Keindahan bunga mereka bisa disaksikan pada bulan Desember – Maret ketika hujan lebat mengguyur. Pada bulan Mei – Oktober, ke-200 varietas seolah-olah sedang berlomba memamerkan kemolekan dan keindahannya masing-masing.

Setiap mawar memiliki perbedaan, baik warna, susunan bunga, ukuran bunga, tinggi tanaman, dan jumlah durinya. Dilihat dari segi warna, ada putih, putih kuning, kuning pink, oranye, dan merah. Adapun susunan bunga mulai dari satu lapis, seperti Leda dan Ellen Wilmott, dan berlapis tiga seperti Fisrt Edition dan yang 10 lapis seperti; MMG George Bruant, Dark Lady, dan Molyneux.

Apabila kita ingin melihat yang anggun, carilah Molyneux dan Pierre de Runsard. Bunganya kuning bersemburat pink, berukuran 7 cm. Petal 30 lembar tersusun melingkar dan cukup rapi. Tinggi hanya 1 m, tetapi bunganya banyak. Ia pun menebar aroma nan lembut. Si lembut Pierre de Runsard ditanam untuk menutup pergola. Bunga putih pink lembut dengan petal bersusun 5 lingkaran.

Pergola

Elemen khas tanaman mawar yaitu pergola yang dihadirkan dalam bentuk gapura dan gazebo. Tiang dibuat dari pilar bundar setinggi 3 meter yang saling berpasangan. Di atasnya dipasang besi penghubung dan diperindah modern climbers dan ramblers. Melalui besi itulah mawar merambat. Setiap tiang ditanam 2-3 mawar yang berbeda jenis. Pierre de Runsard, misalnya, merambat pada pergola pertama. Ia berpasangan dengan Aloha.

Kemudian, gazebo beratap mawar bisa menjadi tempat istirahat yang cukup mengasikan. Para pengunjung sembari duduk rileks akan bisa menghirup aroma lembut kultivar Merashell Niel, Helen Troble, dan Phyllis Bide. Mereka bisa merambat hingga 6 m.

Di taman tersebut, ia pun membuat jalan setapak yang berliku-liku. Jadi, para pengunjung tidak perlu merunduk dan menyibak cabang-cabang yang berduri. Penanaman pun berdasarkan sosok mawar sehingga membentuk gradasi. Yang berpenampilan rendah, seperti kelompok ground covers, modern shrub rose, dan polyanthas ditempatkan dekat jalan. Rata-rata tingginya hanya 45 cm. Floribundas dan hybrids rose di belakang karena tinggi. Disusul dengan modern climbers dan ramblers paling belakang sekaligus berfungsi sebagai pagar taman.

Selain mawar, ada beberapa jenis tanaman hias yang jadi koleksi Eugene. Koleksinya antara lain ratusan palem, bromelia, philodendron, anthurium, puring, hibiskus, helikonia, sukulen, dan buah langka. Berbeda dengan mawar, tanaman ini ditata bercampur di lahan 6 ha yang berada di ketinggian 1.000 m di bawah permukaan laut.

Facts About Dogs

Facts about Dogs:
The first fact about dogs that crops up in my mind is that these are one of the first animals to be domesticated by man. They were domesticated about 12,000 years ago.

The lifespan of a dog, on an average is between 8 to 15 years.

Have you always seen a dog curling up to sleep with its tail covering its nose? Well, this happens simply because of the cold weather. It wouldn’t hurt you to give it a thick cloth to sleep on.

The sweat glands of a dog are located between their paw pads.

Most dogs today would heave a sigh of relief for not being born earlier as in the ancient Roman times, mastiffs had to don a lightweight armor and follow the mounted knights!

The first ever dog show was held in Britain in the year 1859.

The smallest dog is the Chihuahua.

Did you know that the body of a dog contains 321 bones?

Yet another interesting fact about dogs is that they are direct descendants of the wolves. Perhaps this is the reason why one particular dog in my neighbor does resemble a wolf!

Have you checked out the color of the eyes whenever you spot a dog in the dark? Most dogs reflect a shade of green in their eyes but also show a shade of orange or red at times.

Dogs definitely have better vision at nighttime as compared to humans. This is because of a special layer that reflects the light, which is right behind their retinas.

When you speak about maturity, a dog that is merely one year old can have the physical maturity of a 15-year-old human being.

I have heard about the third eye, but have you ever heard about the third eyelid? Facts about dogs can get really as interesting as ever with the third eyelid that is located inside the first two eyelids. There is a function associated with it of course, the third eyelid or the haw, helps to protect the eye from the dust and the dirt.

Barking dogs seldom bite but what about the dog that never barks? The Basenji is one such dog that doesn’t bark.

How often have you used the phrase, ‘raining cats and dogs’? It is believed that this phrase has originated during the 17th century. This was because many cats and dogs were known to have drowned during a heavy downpour.

I have always felt sorry for dogs whenever people use firecrackers as a way of celebration. This is one fact about dogs, which you should be completely aware of because dogs can register the sounds differently from humans, which is around 35,000 vibrations within a second. Humans, on the other hand can hear 20,000 vibrations.

The St. Bernard is considered to the heaviest of all dogs.

Of all the breeds of dogs, the oldest known breed is the Saluki.

Have you loved the spots that are so distinctive of the Dalmatians? Dalmatian puppies are born without any spots on their body!

An adult dog always has 42 teeth.

When it comes to humans, fingerprints play a major role in identification. Did you know that a dog’s nose prints are as unique as a human’s fingerprint? These can also act as a substantial proof for identification.

You must have noted that puppies are born without teeth. It is only when they are around 3-4 weeks old, it can eat food due to the presence of 28 teeth in total!

Laika was the first dog to become the first space astronaut. Unfortunately, this dog did not survive the stress caused by the trip and died a few hours after launch.

A dog can take around ten to thirty breaths in a minute.

Pugs have been given their name due to their resemblance to a pug monkey.

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell but that is nothing new! They can even distinguish different ingredients.

Obesity is not the only problem faced by humans, today, dogs also face this health problem.

On an average, at least 70% people all over the world always sign their dog’s name on a greeting card along with the rest of the family names.

Mengapa Nyamuk Makin Tertarik pada Tubuh Anda

Akhir-akhir ini Anda selalu dikerubungi nyamuk padahal kamar dan rumah sudah bersih ? Mungkin pemicunya adalah tubuh Anda sendiri. Ada enam pemicu mengapa nyamuk suka sekali mendekati dan mengincar darah Anda.

1. Warna gelapNyamuk berevolusi untuk berburu mamalia yang berbulu dan berwarna gelap, hal itu menurut Grayson Brown, PhD. Selama uji coba lapangan, pekerja di laboratorium Brown yang  memakai seragam putih atau berwarna kurang menarik nyamuk.

2. Aroma bungaNyamuk juga suka sekali mengonsumsi nektar pada bunga. Nektar akan memberikannya energi untuk terbang dan menyengat. Jadi, jika Anda menggunakn parfum beraroma bunga, nyamuk akan menempel terus karena mengira Anda adalah sumber nektar.

3. BirPenelitian di Prancis menunjukkan bahwa peminum bir lebih menarik perhatian nyamuk dibandingkan yang tidak minum bir. Hal itu karen alkohol berdampak pada aroma nafas dan bau badan.

4. HamilWanita hamil lebih disukai nyamuk, hal itu karena dalam tahap akhir kehamilan volume pembuangan napas 21 persen lebih tinggi. Saat membuang napas tercipta  kelembaban dan ini sangat disukai nyamuk. Wanita hamil juga cenderung memiliki suhu tubuh sedikit lebih tinggi, yang membuat nyamuk lebih mudah mendeteksi.

5. BegadangNyamuk betina aktif pada malam hari untuk memburu darah. Hal itu karena darah mengandung protein yang dibutuhkan untuk perkembangan telur nyamuk. Bisa dikatakan, nyamuk betina menghisap darah Anda untuk mempertahankan kelangsungan hidup spesiesnya. Jadi jangan heran jika pada malam hari, nyamuk betina mengerubungi karena  membutuhkan protein dalam darah Anda.

6. BerkeringatPeneliti dari Yale University, Amerika Serikat, menemukan bahwa nyamuk dapat mengambil zat kimia dalam keringat manusia. Jadi, jika berkerinngat segera bersihkan dengan handuk agar Anda tidak dikelilingi nyamuk.

Fast facts about your body

The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot.

Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.

It is impossible to lick your elbow. Well, for almost everyone… but a few can.

Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.

The human head contains 22 bones. More on the head and brains

On average, you breathe 23,000 times a day.

Breathing generates about 0.6g of CO2 every minute.

On average, people can hold their breath for about one minute. The world record is 21 minutes 29 seconds, by David
Merlini.

On average, you speak almost 5,000 words a day – although almost 80% of speaking is self-talk (talking to yourself).

Over the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialized nations increased by 10 cm (4 in).

In the 19th century, American men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1,71 metres (5’6″). Today, the average height for American men is 1,763 m (5 feet 9-and-half inches), compared to 1,815 m (5’10″) for Swedes, and 1,843 m (5’11″) for the Dutch, the tallest Caucasians.

The tallest nation in the world is the Watusis of Burundi: 1.98 m (6 feet 6 inches) tall.

If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you’ll feel thirsty.

It is impossible to sneeze and keep one’s eyes open at the same time.

55% of people yawn within 5 minutes of seeing someone else yawn.

Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, suggested that a woman could enlarge her bust line by singing loudly and often.

A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.

You’ll drink about 75,000 litres (20,000 gallons) of water in your lifetime.

After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced
by new hair.

Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair.

Men loose about 40 hairs a day. Women loose about 70 hairs a day.

In the Middle Ages the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow was called an ell.

A person remains conscious for eight seconds after being decapitated.

The first successful human sex change took place in 1950 when Danish doctor Christian Hamburger operated on New Yorker George Jorgensen, who became Christine Jorgensen.

The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second.

On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. Women blink twice as much as men.

A typical athlete’s heart churns out 25 to 30 litres (up to 8 gallons) of blood per minute.

We have four basic tastes plus umami. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides; umami is a mixture of tastes sensed along the center of the tongue.

Not all our taste buds are on our tongue; about 10% are on the palette and the cheeks.

Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.

The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.

On average a hiccup lasts 5 minutes.

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

Your middle fingernail grows the fastest.

Your finger nails grow at 1 nanometre per second (0.000 000 001 m/s). Your hair grows at 4 nanometres per second (0.000 000 004 m/s).

It takes about 3 months for the transplanted hair to start growing again.

About 13% of people are left-handed. Up from 11% in the past.

In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.

A newborn baby’s head accounts for one-quarter of its weight.

King Henry I, who ruled in the England in the 12th century, standardized the yard as the distance from the thumb of his outstretched arm to his nose.

The bones in your body are not white – they range in color from beige to light brown. The bones you see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth.

Every person has a unique tongue print.

If all your DNA is stretched out, it would reach to the moon 6,000 times.

Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water. Blood is 92% water. The brain is 75% water and muscles are 75% water.

The colored part of the eye is called the iris. Behind the iris is the soft, rubbery lens which focuses the light on to a layer, called the retina, in the back of the eye. The retina contains about 125 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods pick up shades of gray and help us see in dim light. The cones work best in bright light to pick up colors.

We actually do not see with our eyes – we see with our brains. The eyes basically are the cameras of the brain.

Facts about cats

Whether your kitty meows or roars, it is a descendant of the Felis silvestris species, which is divided into the African wildcat, European wildcat and Steppe wildcat.

The smallest of the descendants is the rusty-spotted cat found in Sri Lanka. It is about half the size of the domestic cat. The largest is the tiger. The male Siberian or Amur Tiger has a total body length in excess of 3m (10 ft) and weighs up to 300kg (660 lb).

The lion is the king of the cats. It stands out from the other cats, not just in its distinctive appearance but also in being the only felid that lives in organized social groups. Adult male lions weigh up to 225kg (500 lb) and grow up to 3m (10 ft) in body length.

The fastest cat, the cheetah, is also the fastest land animal. It can reach 95 km/h (60 mph) over short distances. Unlike other big cats it does not roar – it makes high pitched yelps, barks and chirruping sounds. And like your kitty, it does purr.

Domestic cat – originally not so domestic, but now even more popular than pet dogs.
Kitty in pic is Boomer

Meow!

Domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, the same frequency as an idling diesel engine. A domestic cat hears frequencies up to about 65 kHz, humans up to 20 kHz. Its sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than that of humans.

In the rear of a cat’s eye is a light-reflecting layer called the tapetum lucidum, which causes cats’ eyes to glow at night. This reflecting layer absorbs light 6 times more effectively than human eyes do, allowing a cat to see better than humans at night.

There are more than 3000 types of domestic cats, but only 8% are pedigree. And, unlike other cats, they are found all over the world… in abundance. In the US, there are more cats than dogs, and people annually spend more on cat food than on baby food.

Domestic cats – or any other cats – do not have nine lives. They also do not always land on their feet. It is said that a cat that falls out of a 20-story building has a better chance of surviving than when falling out of a 7-story building because it takes a cat at least 7 stories to co-ordinate itself to land on its feet.

Cats step with both left legs, then both right legs when they walk or run. The only other animals to do this are the giraffe, camel and the maned wolf.

The tails of wild cats almost never lift higher than their backs.

Cats cannot see directly below their heads that is why they do not see the food when you put it under their nose. Keep this in mind when you’re feeding your kitty.

African wildcat – the Felis silvestris species from which domestic cats are descendants.

Meow or roar, the cat is a hunter

All cats are direct descendants of the wildcat – even your kitty. This is Simba, a purebred Maine Coon from Germany.

Of the 36 species of wild cats, the tiger is the largest, weighing up to 300kg (660 lb).

King of the beasts – respected and famous even before there were movies.

The cheetah – the fastest land animal. It also is the only cat that cannot retract its claws.

Did you know?

Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible, lions 89 times, but domestic cats are not mentioned.

How old is safety?

The famed institution has just accepted various new donations rounding out what it calls three-quarters of a century of auto-safety innovation and initiatives.

The new objects include a three-point seatbelt from a 1961 Volvo. Many of us see Volvo's three-pointer as the gold standard of automotive safety equipment but who's going to queue to look at it?

It's just a hunch but the pull of the Smithsonian's Apollo 11 capsule or Wright Flyer might be a bit stronger than a couple of metres of webbing attached to a tarnished chrome buckle.

Other parts of the safety collection include crash-test dummies and safety advertisements, plus a Guardian Interlock. This 1980s device required a driver to pass a breath test before turning the key. It was a great success - in forcing drunks to ask their sober friends to lean over and start their car.

But back to the 75-year bit. What exactly happened way back then? Weren't all cars damn near homicidal? Mostly, yes. The part of the collection from 1935, or thereabouts, includes early road-safety literature, no doubt of the ''don't open the fuel flap to check the level with a lighted cigarette'' variety.

There's also what looks like a long, narrow and slightly misshapen yellow cushion that was designed by Dr Claire L. Straith. Dr Straith, a surgeon who specialised in facial reconstruction, was an early advocate of cars that didn't slice, dice and puree their occupants during acollision.

His radical idea didn't seem to find much popular traction. However, he did manage to convince Walter Chrysler to fit the 1937 Dodge with dashboard knobs and door handles that were less likely to puncture and disembowel than the types favoured before then.

Oddly, General Motors claims to have undertaken its first crash test that decade, though for what reason one can only guess. Safety was given no consideration whatsoever in the 1930s. One suspects that not even a crash-test dummy would agree to sit in a car of that era heading for a barrier.

But back to Straith's strange cushion. It was a dashboard pad designed to reduce ''cranial and facial injuries''. A photo from the day shows a girl in the front seat of a car leaning her head against it.

Yep, safe as houses. In the same shot, the girl's mother sits behind a big bakelite-covered steering wheel with its unyielding column. This would most likely impale her while junior bounced off the yellow cushion and vacated the premises through the non-safety-glass windscreen. Still, it was a start of sorts.

This year also marks exactly 55 years (give or take 12 months) since Ford introduced its Lifeguard safety package in the US.

Lame and expensive, it included exactly two things: a ''safety steering wheel'', with a deeper centre than standard, and door handles that were designed to prevent occupants from being flung out of the vehicle during a crash.

There were more things outside the package than in.

On top of the Lifeguard premium, you had to pay extra for padding on the dashboard, a safety-glass rear-view mirror and two-point seatbelts. A publicity shot shows a 10-year-old boy lap-strapped into the front seat with his head lined up exactly to clang against a sharp metal ridge running the length of the metal dashboard.

Few ticked these option boxes so Ford's entire focus returned to its mainstay: overpowered, underbraked, fuel-guzzling death traps.

It furiously fought safety legislation when it was first proposed in the 1960s. Henry Ford II insisted his company had proved people didn't want safe cars and, anyway, they would be so expensive, it would force the Big Three to close down.

He wore crook neckties, too.

Science facts about quantum mechanics and quantum particles

Quantum mechanics is basically set of different principles that describes the physical reality of the matter at atomic and subatomic level. Its origin is quantum theory that began with the study of the interactions of matter and radiation in the early years of the 20th century. Quantum theory is all about the exploring the nature of the matter by exploring its tiniest pieces (subatomic level).

Planck's constant is very important to quantum theory and quantum mechanics in general. It states that the energy of each quantum is equal to the frequency of the radiation multiplied by the universal constant: E=f*h, where h is 6.63 * 10E-34 Js.

Quantum mechanics can be referred to as the mathematical description of physical reality of the matter, like almost any other scientific model. According to quantum mechanics the most complete description we can make of a system is its wavefunction, which is mathematically speaking just a number varying between time and place.

Quantum theory can provide accurate descriptions for phenomenons such as black body radiation and the stability of electron orbitals.

The famous quantum theory of the atom was primarily developed as an explanation for the electron's staying in its orbital, which couldn't at that time be explained by Newton's laws of motion.

Quantum particles have one very unique property, namely they can be in different states at the same time. This is referred to as the "superposition" of two conditions. Based on this for instance the 'spin' of an electron can be pointing in two different directions at once.

Many scientists believe that super-fast quantum computer are only matter of time.

Quantum computers have also unlimited potential and they are likely able to fix problems that would normally take millions of years to solve, much faster than ordinary computers. Currently the biggest problem with development of quantum computers is that scientists can only hold a limited number of atoms in place for a very short period of time.

Quantum mechanics allows a quantum computer built on these principles (still theoretical, to perform tasks that are currently thought impossible to do efficiently on a normal computer, for instance breaking with ease all currently possible encryption standards.

Quantum mechanics plays key role for understanding how individual atoms combine covalently to form chemicals or molecules, and is so well used in chemistry that is even known under the name of quantum chemistry.

Quantum mechanics has had significant impact on today's modern technology such as lasers, transistors and diodes.

MANUSIA PERTAMA FILIPINA

      Tim arkeologi University of the Philippines menemukan fosil seruas jari kaki kanan Manusia Callao berusia 67.000 ribu tahun. Keberadaan Manusia Callao baru dipublikasikan karena fosil tulangnya harus menjalani serangkaian tes penentuan usia di Perancis. Ukuran fosil seruas jari kaki itu kecil sekali, hanya 6,1 cm. Didalam goa dekat lokasi penemuan tersebut, ditemukan juga tulang rusa dan babi hutan.

        Teori sementara, manusia Callao datang dari wilayah Indonesia menggunakan rakit. Sebagian peneliti yakin, manusia Callao memiliki kemiripan dengan Aytas di Luzon, yang selama ini dianggap spesies manusia pertama di Filipina.

BAHAN ANTI RADAR

     

      Tim ilmuwan AS dan Inggris berhasil menguji kemampuan selubung yang dapat membuat benda di dalamnya tidak terdeteksi gelombang radar. Permukaan selubung yang terbuat dari bahan metamaterial ini mampu memandu aliran gelombang mikro yang melaluinya sehingga benda di baliknya tidak akan terdeteksi.

       Selubung metamaterial tersusun dari 10 cincin serat kaca yang dilapisi tembaga. Material ini dapat direkayasa agar memantulkan gelombang mikro ke arah yang diinginkan.

       Seperti hanya cahaya tampak, gelombang mikro terpantul di permukaan benda sehingga terbentuk bayangan benda di permukaan radar. Bedanya, pada gelombang mikro proses pendeteksiannnya menggunakn isntrumen bukannya mata telanjang. Gelombang air punya sifat yang berbeda. Ketika menabrak batu, gelombang air akan terpecah dan menyatu kembali setelah melaluinya.

 

       Nah, metamaterial ini juga tidak serta-merta memantulkan gelombang mikro. Tapi, permukaannya membelokkan berkas gelombang mikro sehingga menyatu kembali saat melaluinya.

       Pada penelitian ini, para ilmuwan pertama kali melihat bentuk aliran gelombang mikro di permukaan sebuah bidang tanpa adanya penghalang. Kemudian, mereka meletakkan silinder tembaga di bidang yang sama untuk melihat pengaruhnya terhadap perubahan aliran gelombang.

       Terakhir, mereka bungkus silinder tebaga dengan bahan metamaterial dan diamati perubahan aliran gelombangnya. Ternyata, selubung tersebut tidak dapat mengatasi bayangnya pantulan dengan sempurna, namun mampu mereduksi efek pantulan gelombang di permukaan silinder tembaga. Para peneliti sedang mengembangkan teknik ini agar efek reduksinya benar-benar sempurna.

       "Selubung ini memandu gelombang elektromagnetik saat melalui bagian dalam sehingga objek apapun yang diletakkan di sana tidak akan mengganggu medan elektromagnetik," kata salah satu peneliti Dr. David Schurig dari Universitas Duke.

The Advanced Helmet match with bikers head

Each person must have felt the difficulty in choosing a helmet. Sometimes the helmet which we estimate was not fit on the head. Could be too loose or even too narrow. It certainly undermine the comfort of driving. Scorpion helmet manufacturer seems to realize this. That's why in their latest products, Scorpion Exo 750, these manufacturers embed a technology called AirFit system.
This helmet has a pump system, with a series of internal air space in the cheek and neck that allows the rider to change the size of their helmets in a matter of seconds via a button located on the front of the helmet, exactly near the chin.  

In addition, SpeedShift can quickly change the helmet to adjust the face shield in less than 10 seconds, without tools. "Taking all the advantages of technology, the engineers could make helmets and combine some real madness of the people by offering a quick view graphical joined AirFit system security,"
Exo Helmets 750 is lighter than the previous 700 version Exo Exo 1000 but embraced technology to a higher level. With the base material Kevlar matrix shell technology, the Scorpion Exo 750 has managed to exceed the high standards of ECE and DOT.
As for price, helmets are offered in two models namely Live Fast graphical look and vintage graphics and solid colors like black and silver released at a price between U.S. $ 219.95 to U.S. $ 249.95 or about USD 2 million to 2.3 million.