Hybrid electric vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric power train is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle, or better performance. A variety of types of HEV exist, and the degree to which they function as EVs varies as well. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car, although hybrid electric trucks (pickups and tractors) also exist.

Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative braking, which converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into battery-replenishing electric energy, rather than wasting it as heat energy as conventional brakes do. Some varieties of HEVs use their internal combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical generator (this combination is known as a motor-generator), to either recharge their batteries or to directly power the electric drive motors. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed; this is known as a start-stop system. A hybrid-electric produces less emissions from its ICE than a comparably-sized gasoline car, as an HEV's gasoline engine is usually smaller than a pure fossil-fuel vehicle, and if not used to directly drive the car, can be geared to run at maximum efficiency, further improving fuel economy.

Ferdinand Porsche in 1900 developed the first hybrid (gasoline-electric) automobile in the world. The hybrid-electric vehicle did not become widely available until the release of the Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997, followed by the Honda Insight in 1999. While initially perceived as unnecessary due to the low cost of gasoline, worldwide increases in the price of petroleum caused many automakers to release hybrids in the late 2000s; they are now perceived as a core segment of the automotive market of the future. Worldwide sales of hybrid vehicles produced by Toyota reached 1.0 million vehicles by May 31, 2007, and the 2.0 million mark was reached by August 31, 2009, with hybrids sold in 50 countries. Worldwide sales are led by the Prius, with cumulative sales of 1.43 million by August 2009. The market leader is the United States with 1.6 million hybrids registered by December 2009, of which 814,173 are Toyota Prius.

References:

· "Toyota Global Hybrid Sales Top Two Million Mark". Kelly Blue Book Green.      http://www.kbb.com/kbb/green-cars/articles.aspx?BlogPostId=1664. Retrieved 2009-10-24.

·   http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070416/REG/70416014/-1

·   WFS Energy Diversity as a Business Imperative

·  "Toyota tops 2 million hybrid sales worldwide". AutobloGreen. 2009-09-04. http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/04/toyota-tops-2-million-hybrid-sales-worldwide/. Retrieved 2009-10-24.

·  "Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs): Trend of sales by HEV models from 1999-2009". Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data Center (U.S. DoE). http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/data/vehicles.html. Retrieved 2010-03-09. Total registered electric hybrids in the U.S. is 1,614,761 vehicles until December 2009, of which 122,755 were manufactured by Ford

American Scientist

The article begins by talking about how neural circuits were just based on numbers until recently. Ju Lu a Harvard university graduate student in Jeff. W litchmans laboratory has just published the first map of the neuromuscular circuit or as he liked to call it a “connectome”.

                The article continues with a series of questions and answers between Catherine Clabby and Professor Jeff W. Lichtman. It explains how Prof J.W.L thinks that’s the human brain is the most sophisticated and competent brain on the planet. Prof J.W.L and his student used computers to aid them in their research but at some certain point the computer was not enough and that is where Ju Lu stepped in. They also note that the younger the animal is the more complex and more wiring the brain had and they had figured out a way of tracing each nerve on its own by using various colors forming to what they like to call the “brainbow”. And these color patterns show the power of tools that allows one to see things that were already hidden. And according to J.W.L he ends the article by saying “Many times we see things we didn’t expect-and that is good!”

After reading the article it really opened my mind and interest towards neural circuits. It is really odd how the article or Prof J.W.L states that us human have the most sophisticated minds on the planet yet it takes us longer to learn an action, other than an insect, for example a firefly, that can chase a fly just as it opens it wings for the first time. Then it got me wondering, could animals be smarter than us? Even though our brain is more sophisticated? What makes us different? I would really like to see more of this newly experimented technology. Who knows, they might discover answers to the question us humans or more specifically scientists have been looking for for years. 

Reference: http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/real-deal-connectivity/1

The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle or "Devil's Triangle" is a triangular-shaped area off the coast of Florida that is famous for reports in which strange disappearances occur and magnetic compasses go haywire.  The area is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and is generally thought of as having apexes at Miami, Bermuda, and San Juan.  This area contains some of the deepest sub-oceanic trenches in the world,  encompasses the fast-moving waters of the Gulf Stream,  and has frequent strong water spouts and violent storms, making at least some of the reported odd phenomena attributable to human error or mishap.

The US Coast Guard acknowledges the fact that there are definite environmental anomalies in this area, but goes on to say that human error is by far the more bizarre phenomena that happens in these waters.  The area sustains heavy traffic, both by air and by sea,  and certainly accidents are bound to happen. Inexperienced mariners or pilots who don't take into account variations in compass readings or environmental anomalies in the area can and do get into serious trouble, accounting for many of the unexplained disappearances in the area.
  

However, even if every one of these stories were found to be attributable to human error or natural phenomena, the area is still fascinating for other reasons, not the least of which includes speculation that it encompasses the lost continent of Atlantis, and that it is a doorway to other dimensions. There is also speculation that the seabed in this area contains huge amounts of methane gas that is released suddenly due to changes in the sea bed, releasing large, unpredictable plumes of gas that have the capability to swallow ships or planes within minutes - without a trace.

Our Professors Trip

Professor Hedley’s Trip

He travelled to the Niah Caves in East Malaysia about 30 years ago from Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan or BSB for short. He went with his wife and his elder daughter.

At first they travelled by car till they reached a river and then they used the ferry to cross it. They headed out in the morning and got to their destination around late afternoon/sunset. Once they got there they used a small boat to get to the caves.

He stayed at a government rest house during the time he was there. One of the amazing sights they got to see is the climbing of men inside the cave retrieving the birds’ nests, and they use those birds’ nests to make soup since they believed that it was very healthy. Unfortunately the cave had a very bad stench due to all the bird waste.

They stayed for that day and then headed back on the next. 

Day One in Communication Class

My first day attending my communication class, pretty interesting so far. Spent the first 20 minutes introducing ourselves. Looks like a promising day.