Engineering

Engineering is the application of scientific, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes. It may encompass using insights to conceive, model and scale an appropriate solution to a problem or objective. The discipline of engineering is extremely broad, and encompasses a range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of technology and types of application. The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD, the predecessor of ABET) has defined "engineering" as: The creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics of operation or safety to life and property. One who practices engineering is called an engineer, and those licensed to do so may have more formal designations such as Professional Engineer, Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Ingenieur or European Engineer.

Canis Minor

Canis Minor (pron.: /ˌkeɪnɨs ˈmaɪnər/) is a small constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the second century, it was included as an asterism, or pattern, of two stars in Ptolemy's 48 constellations, and is counted among the 88 modern constellations. Its name is Latin for "lesser dog" in contrast to Canis Major, the "greater dog"; both figures are commonly represented as following the constellation of Orion the hunter. Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than the fourth magnitude, Procyon (Alpha Canis Minoris), with a magnitude of 0.34, and Gomeisa (Beta Canis Minoris), with a magnitude of 2.9. The constellation's dimmer stars were noted by Johann Bayer, who named eight stars including Alpha and Beta, and John Flamsteed, who numbered fourteen. Procyon is the seventh-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. A yellow-white main sequence star, it has a white dwarf companion. Gomeisa is a blue-white main sequence star. Luyten's Star is a ninth-magnitude red dwarf and the Solar System's next closest stellar neighbour in the constellation after Procyon. The fourth-magnitude HD 66141, which has evolved into an orange giant towards the end of its life cycle, was discovered to have a planet in 2012. Known as Thor's Helmet or the Duck Nebula, NGC 2359 is a tenth-magnitude nebula surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star. There are two faint deep sky objects within the constellation's borders. The 11 Canis-Minorids are a meteor shower that can be seen in early December. History and mythology Though strongly associated with the Classical Greek uranographic tradition, Canis Minor originates in ancient Mesopotamia. Procyon and Gomeisa were called MASH.TAB.BA or "twins" in the Three Stars Each tablets, dating to around 1100 BC. In the later MUL.APIN, this name was also applied to the pairs of Pi3 and Pi4 Orionis and Zeta and Xi Orionis. The meaning of MASH.TAB.BA evolved as well, becoming the twin deities Lulal and Latarak who are on the opposite side of the sky from Papsukal, the True Shepherd of Heaven in Babylonian mythology. Canis Minor was also given the name DAR.LUGAL, which translates to "the star which stands behind it", in the MUL.APIN; the constellation represents a rooster. This name may have also referred to the constellation Lepus. DAR.LUGAL was also denoted DAR.MUŠEN and DAR.LUGAL.MUŠEN in Babylonia. Canis Minor was then called tarlugallu in Akkadian astronomy. Canis Minor was one of the original 48 constellations formulated by Ptolemy in his second-century Almagest, in which it was defined as a specific pattern (asterism) of stars; Ptolemy identified only two stars and hence no depiction was possible. The Ancient Greeks called the constellation προκυων/Procyon, "coming before the dog", transliterated into Latin as Antecanis, Praecanis, or variations thereof, by Cicero and others. Roman writers also appended the descriptors parvus, minor or minusculus ("small" or "lesser", for its faintness), septentrionalis ("northerly", for its position in relation to Canis Major), primus (rising "first") or sinister (rising to the "left") to its name Canis.[3] In Greek mythology, Canis Minor was sometimes connected with the Teumessian Fox, a beast turned into stone with its hunter, Laelaps, by Zeus, who placed them in heaven as Canis Major (Laelaps) and Canis Minor (Teumessian Fox). Eratosthenes accompanied the Little Dog with Orion, while Hyginus linked the constellation with Maera, a dog owned by Icarius of Athens. On discovering the latter's death, the dog and Icarius' daughter Erigone took their lives and were placed in the sky—Erigone as Virgo and Icarius as Boötes. The medieval Arabic astronomers maintained the depiction of Canis Minor (al-Kalb al-Asghar in Arabic) as a dog; in his Book of the Fixed Stars, Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi included a diagram of the constellation with a canine figure superimposed. There was one slight difference between the Ptolemaic vision of Canis Minor and the Arabic; al-Sufi claims Mirzam, now assigned to Orion, as part of both Canis Minor—the collar of the dog—and its modern home. The Arabic names for both Procyon and Gomeisa alluded to their proximity and resemblance to Sirius, though they were not direct translations of the Greek; Procyon was called ash-Shi'ra ash-Shamiya, the "Syrian Sirius" and Gomeisa was called ash-Shira al-Ghamisa, the Sirius with bleary eyes. Among the Merazig of Tunisia, shepherds note six constellations that mark the passage of the dry, hot season. One of them, called Merzem, includes the stars of Canis Minor and Canis Major and is the herald of two weeks of hot weather. Alternative names have been proposed: Johann Bayer in the early 17th century termed the constellation Fovea "The Pit", and Morus "Sycamine Tree". Seventeenth-century German poet and author Philippus Caesius linked it to the dog of Tobias from the Apocrypha. Richard A. Proctor gave the constellation the name Felis "the Cat" in 1870 (contrasting with Canis Major, which he had abbreviated to Canis "the Dog"), explaining that he sought to shorten the constellation names to make them more manageable on celestial charts. Occasionally, Canis Minor is confused with Canis Major and given the name Canis Orionis ("Orion's Dog"). In non-Western astronomy In Chinese astronomy, the stars corresponding to Canis Minor lie in the The Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀, Nán Fāng Zhū Què). Procyon, Gomeisa and Eta Canis Minoris form an asterism known as Nánhé, the Southern River. With its counterpart, the Northern River Beihe (Castor and Pollux), Nánhé was also associated with a gate or sentry. Along with Zeta and 8 Cancri, 6 Canis Minoris and 11 Canis Minoris formed the asterism Shuiwei, which literally means "water level". Combined with additional stars in Gemini, Shuiwei represented an official who managed floodwaters or a marker of the water level. Neighboring Korea recognized four stars in Canis Minor as part of a different constellation, "the position of the water". This constellation was located in the Red Bird, the southern portion of the sky. Polynesian peoples did not often recognize Canis Minor as a constellation, but they saw Procyon as significant and often named it; in the Tuamotu Archipelago it was known as Hiro, meaning "twist as a thread of coconut fiber", and Kopu-nui-o-Hiro ("great paunch of Hiro"), which was either a name for the modern figure of Canis Minor or an alternative name for Procyon. Other names included Vena (after a goddess), on Mangaia and Puanga-hori (false Puanga, the name for Rigel), in New Zealand. In the Society Islands, Procyon was called Ana-tahua-vahine-o-toa-te-manava, literally "Aster the priestess of brave heart", figuratively the "pillar for elocution". The Wardaman people of the Northern Territory in Australia gave Procyon and Gomeisa the names Magum and Gurumana, describing them as humans who were transformed into gum trees in the dreamtime. Although their skin had turned to bark, they were able to speak with a human voice by rustling their leaves. The Aztec calendar was related to their cosmology. The stars of Canis Minor were incorporated along with some stars of Orion and Gemini into an asterism associated with the day called "Water". Characteristics Lying directly south of Gemini's bright stars Castor and Pollux, Canis Minor is a small constellation bordered by Monoceros to the south, Gemini to the north, Cancer to the northeast, and Hydra to the east. It does not border Canis Major; Monoceros is in between the two. Covering 183 square degrees, Canis Minor ranks seventy-first of the 88 constellations in size. It appears prominently in the southern sky during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. The constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 14 sides. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 07h 06.4m and 08h 11.4m, while the declination coordinates are between 13.22° and −0.36°. Most visible in the evening sky from January to March, Canis Minor is most prominent at 10 PM during mid-February. It is then seen earlier in the evening until July, when it is only visible after sunset before setting itself, and rising in the morning sky before dawn. The constellation's three-letter abbreviation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is "CMi". Notable features Canis Minor, as depicted by Johann Bode in his 1801 work Uranographia The constellation Canis Minor as it can be seen by the naked eye Canis Minor contains only two stars brighter than fourth magnitude. At magnitude 0.34, Procyon, or Alpha Canis Minoris, is the seventh-brightest star in the night sky, as well as one of the closest. Its name means "before the dog" or "preceding the dog" in Greek, as it rises an hour before the "Dog Star", Sirius, of Canis Major. It is a binary star system, consisting of a yellow-white main sequence star of spectral type F5 IV-V, named Procyon A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA, named Procyon B. Procyon B, which orbits the more massive star every 41 years, is of magnitude 10.7. Procyon A is 1.4 times the Sun's mass, while its smaller companion is 0.6 times as massive as the Sun. The system is 11.4 light-years (3.5 parsecs) from Earth, the shortest distance to a northern-hemisphere star of the first magnitude. Gomeisa, or Beta Canis Minoris, with a magnitude of 2.89, is the second-brightest star in Canis Minor. Lying 162 light-years (50 parsecs) from the Solar System, it is a blue-white main sequence star of spectral class B8 Ve. Although fainter to Earth observers, it is much brighter than Procyon, and is 250 times as luminous and three times as massive as the Sun. Although its variations are slight, Gomeisa is classified as a shell star (Gamma Cassiopeiae variable), with a maximum magnitude of 2.84 and a minimum magnitude of 2.92. It is surrounded by a disk of gas which it heats and causes to emit radiation. Johann Bayer used the Greek letters Alpha to Eta to label the most prominent eight stars in the constellation, designating two stars as Delta (named Delta1 and Delta2). John Flamsteed numbered fourteen stars, discerning a third star he named Delta3;his star 12 Canis Minoris was not found subsequently. In Bayer's 1603 work Uranometria, Procyon is located on the dog's belly, and Gomeisa on its neck. Gamma, Epsilon and Eta Canis Minoris lie nearby, marking the dog's neck, crown and chest respectively. Although it has an apparent magnitude of 4.34, Gamma Canis Minoris is an orange K-type giant of spectral class K3-III C, which lies 318 light-years (97 parsecs) away. Its colour is obvious when seen through binoculars. It is a multiple system, consisting of the spectroscopic binary Gamma A and three optical companions, Gamma B, magnitude 13; Gamma C, magnitude 12; and Gamma D, magnitude 10. The two components of Gamma A orbit each other every 389.2 days, with an eccentric orbit that takes their separation between 2.3 and 1.4 astronomical units (AU). Epsilon Canis Minoris is a yellow bright giant of spectral class G6.5IIb of magnitude of 4.99. It lies 988–1,196 light-years (303–367 parsecs) from Earth, with 13 times the diameter and 750 times the luminosity of the Sun. Eta Canis Minoris is a giant of spectral class F0III of magnitude 5.24, which has a yellowish hue when viewed through binoculars as well as a faint companion of magnitude 11.1. Located 4 arcseconds from the primary, the companion star is actually around 440 AU from the main star and takes around 5000 years to orbit it. Near Procyon, three stars share the name Delta Canis Minoris. Delta1 is a yellow-white F-type giant of magnitude 5.25 located around 790 light-years (240 parsecs) from Earth. About 360 times as luminous and 3.75 times as massive as the Sun, it is expanding and cooling as it ages, having spent much of its life as a main sequence star of spectrum B6V. Also known as 8 Canis Minoris, Delta2 is an F-type main-sequence star of spectral type F2V and magnitude 5.59 which is 136 light-years (42 parsecs) distant. The last of the trio, Delta3 (also known as 9 Canis Minoris), is a white main sequence star of spectral type A0Vnn and magnitude 5.83 which is 680 light-years (210 parsecs) distant. These stars mark the paws of the Lesser Dog's left hind leg, while magnitude 5.13 Zeta marks the right. A blue-white bright giant of spectral type B8II, Zeta lies around 623 light-years (191 parsecs) away from the Solar System. Lying approximately 264 light-years (81 parsecs) away with an apparent magnitude of 4.39, HD 66141 is 6.8 billion years old and has evolved into an orange giant of spectral type K2III with a diameter around 22 times that of the Sun, and weighing 1.1 solar masses. It is 174 times as luminous as the Sun, with an absolute magnitude of −0.15. HD 66141 was mistakenly named 13 Puppis, as its celestial coordinates were recorded incorrectly when catalogued and hence mistakenly thought to be in the constellation of Puppis; Bode gave it the name Lambda Canis Minoris, which is now obsolete. The orange giant is orbited by a planet, HD 66141b, which was detected in 2012 by measuring the star's radial velocity. The planet has a mass around 6 times that of Jupiter and a period of 480 days. A red giant of spectral type M4III, BC Canis Minoris lies around 500 light-years (150 parsecs) distant from the Solar System. It is a semiregular variable star that varies between a maximum magnitude of 6.14 and minimum magnitude of 6.42. Periods of 27.7, 143.3 and 208.3 days have been recorded in its pulsations. AZ, AD and BI Canis Minoris are Delta Scuti variables—short period (six hours at most) pulsating stars that have been used as standard candles and as subjects to study astroseismology. AZ is of spectral type F0III, and ranges between magnitudes 6.44 and 6.51 over a period of 2.3 hours. AD has a spectral type of F2III, and has a maximum magnitude of 9.21 and minimum of 9.51, with a period of approximately 2.95 hours. BI is of spectral type F2 with an apparent magnitude varying around 9.19 and a period of approximately 2.91 hours. At least three red giants are Mira variables in Canis Minor. S Canis Minoris, of spectral type M7e, is the brightest, ranging from magnitude 6.6 to 13.2 over a period of 332.94 days. V Canis Minoris ranges from magnitude 7.4 to 15.1 over a period of 366.1 days. Similar in magnitude is R Canis Minoris, which has a maximum of 7.3, but a significantly brighter minimum of 11.6. An S-type star, it has a period of 337.8 days. YZ Canis Minoris is a red dwarf of spectral type M4.5V and magnitude 11.2, roughly three times the size of Jupiter and 20 light-years (6.1 parsecs) from Earth. It is a flare star, emitting unpredictable outbursts of energy for mere minutes, which might be much more powerful analogues of solar flares. Luyten's Star (GJ 273) is a red dwarf star of spectral type M3.5V and close neighbour of the Solar System. Its visual magnitude of 9.9 renders it too faint to be seen with the naked eye, even though it is only 12.39 light-years (3.80 parsecs) away. Fainter still is PSS 544-7, an eighteenth-magnitude red dwarf around 20 percent the mass of the Sun, located 685 light-years (210 parsecs) from Earth. First noticed in 1991, it is thought to be a cannonball star, shot out of a star cluster and now moving rapidly through space directly away from the galactic disc The WZ Sagittae-type dwarf nova VSX J074727.6+065050 flared up to magnitude 11.4 over January and February 2008 before dropping eight magnitudes to around 19.5 over approximately 80 days. It is a remote binary star system where a white dwarf and low mass star orbit each other close enough for the former star to draw material off the latter and form an accretion disc. This material builds up until it erupts dramatically. Deep-sky objects The Milky Way passes through much of Canis Minor, yet it has few deep-sky objects. William Herschel recorded four objects in his 1786 work Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, including two he mistakenly believed were star clusters. NGC 2459 is a group of five thirteenth- and fourteenth-magnitude stars that appear to lie close together in the sky but are not related. A similar situation has occurred with NGC 2394, also in Canis Minor This is a collection of fifteen unrelated stars of ninth-magnitude and fainter. Herschel also observed three faint galaxies, two of which are interacting with each other. NGC 2508 is a lenticular galaxy of thirteenth-magnitude, estimated at 205 million light-years (63 million parsecs) distance with a diameter of 80 thousand light-years (25 thousand parsecs). Named as a single object by Herschel, NGC 2402 is actually a pair of near-adjacent galaxies that appear to be interacting with each other. Only of fourteenth- and fifteenth-magnitudes respectively, the elliptical and spiral galaxy are thought to be approximately 245 million light-years distant, and each measure 55,000 light-years in diameter. The 11 Canis-Minorids, also called the Beta Canis Minorids, are a meteor shower that arise near the fifth-magnitude star 11 Canis Minoris and were discovered in 1964 by Keith Hindley, who investigated their trajectory and proposed a common origin with the comet D/1917 F1 Mellish. However, this conclusion has been refuted subsequently as the number of orbits analysed was low and their trajectories too disparate to confirm a link. They last from 4 to 15 December, peaking over 10 and 11 December.

Icelandic Hekla volcano shows signs of activity

Yesterday, at 11:00am local time in Iceland, the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police declared an "uncertainty phase", the lowest civilian volcanic alert level, for the country's Hekla stratovolcano which is located on the southern part of island nation. The warning was intended to aid in preparations of potential evacuations. Given the uniqueness of the earthquake activity as it applies to this particular volcano, today, the Icelandic Meteorological Office upgraded their aviation alert for the area to Yellow. At the same time, Police advised against hiking in the area but were not enforcing this. Monitoring of the area has also been stepped up. The United States Geological Survey international earthquake map showed no earthquakes in Iceland in the week prior. The Icelandic Meteorological Office also reported no earthquake activity in the Hekla area in the past 48 hours. The significant earthquake activity resulting in the phase change had took place on March 10 on the northeast side of the volcano's summit caldera. Dark clouds unrelated to any volcanic activity were reported at the base of the mountain. The clouds presented the potential for confusion as to whether an actual eruption had taken place. Hekla last erupted in 2000, and has a history of exploding roughly every ten years. Icelandic volcanic activity attracted international attention as a result of an April 2010 explosion of another volcano that had shut down European airspace for several days.

David Miliband to resign as MP for job at non-profit

David Miliband, former UK Foreign secretary, announced today he standing down as an MP to take the job of President and Chief Executive of the International Rescue Committee, a non-profit aid organisation based in New York City. The former Cabinet minister stood for election as leader of the Labour Party, losing out to his brother, Ed Miliband. In a letter to Alan Donnelly, chair of the South Shields Constituency Labour Party, David Miliband lists the reasons for his stepping back from the limelight of British politics: "After the leadership election, I felt I could be most helpful to the party on the front line, in South Shields and around the country, rather than on the front bench in Parliament. I felt this gave Ed the space and at the same time the support he needed to lead the party without distraction." David Miliband expanded the reasons in an interview with the BBC, saying it had been hard "to accept that I can best help the Labour Party by not just giving the space between the front bench and the back bench to Ed, but the space between the front bench and 3,000 miles away". Ed Miliband praised his brother, saying British politics would be "a poorer place" without David: "Having spoken to him a lot over the past few months, I know how long and hard he thought about this before deciding to take up the offer. I also know how enthusiastic he is about the potential this job provides."

Outer Hebrides collision kills postman

A man, reportedly a postman, has died as the result of a one-vehicle road traffic collision in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Emergency services were alerted to the incident, which occurred on Ford Terrace on the island of Benbecula, at 1139 UTC yesterday. STV News reported the mail carrier, who has not yet been publicly identified, was conducting his duties at the time of the incident. According to Hebrides News, the accident occurred when the man was standing outside of the van he was driving; the vehicle rolled over the man, fatally injuring him. The Northern Constabulary said the local Road Policing Unit based in the town of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands has launched an investigation into the incident. A spokesperson for the Royal Mail said the postal service is cooperating with police as they investigate the incident. "Our thoughts are with the postman's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time", the spokesperson added. Police do not intend to disclose any further information about the incident until relatives of the deceased have been informed of the incident. No other vehicles are thought to have been involved; the Northern Constabulary has not yet said if it is looking for any other persons in relation to the fatality.

Atomic Line Filter (ALF)

An atomic line filter (ALF) is an advanced optical band-pass filter used in the physical sciences for filtering electromagnetic radiation with precision, accuracy, and minimal signal strength loss. Atomic line filters work via the absorption or resonance lines of atomic vapors and so may also be designated an atomic resonance filter (ARF). The three major types of atomic line filters are absorption-re-emission ALFs, Faraday filters and Voigt filters. Absorption-re-emission filters were the first type developed, and so are commonly called simply "atomic line filters"; the other two types are usually referred to specifically as "Faraday filters" or "Voigt filters". Atomic line filters use different mechanisms and designs for different applications, but the same basic strategy is always employed: by taking advantage of the narrow lines of absorption or resonance in a metallic vapor, a specific frequency of light bypasses a series of filters that block all other light. Atomic line filters can be considered the optical equivalent of lock-in amplifiers; they are used in scientific applications requiring the effective detection of a narrowband signal (almost always laser light) that would otherwise be obscured by broadband sources, such as daylight. They are used regularly in Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and are being studied for their potential use in laser communication systems. Atomic line filters are superior to conventional dielectric optical filters such as interference filters and Lyot filters, but their greater complexity makes them practical only in background-limited detection, where a weak signal is detected while suppressing a strong background. Compared to etalons, another high-end optical filter, Faraday filters are significantly sturdier and may be six times cheaper at around US$15,000 per unit.

Line integral of scalar field

A scalar field has a value associated to each point in space. Examples of scalar fields are height, temperature or pressure maps. In a two-dimensional field, the value at each point can be thought of as a height of a surface embedded in three dimensions. The line integral of a curve along this scalar field is equivalent to the area under a curve traced over the surface defined by the field. In this animation, all these processes are represented step-by-step, directly linking the concept of the line integral over a scalar field to the representation of integrals familiar to students, as the area under a simpler curve. A breakdown of the steps: The color-coded scalar field f and a curve C are shown. The curve C starts at a and ends at b The field is rotated in 3D to illustrate how the scalar field describes a surface. The curve C, in blue, is now shown along this surface. This shows how at each point in the curve, a scalar value (the height) can be associated. The curve is projected onto the plane XY (in gray), giving us the red curve, which is exactly the curve C as seen from above in the beginning. This is red curve is the curve in which the line integral is performed. The distances from the projected curve (red) to the curve along the surface (blue) describes a "curtain" surface (in blue). The graph is rotated to face the curve from a better angle The projected curve is rectified (made straight), and the same transformation follows on the blue curve, along the surface. This shows how the line integral is applied to the arc length of the given curve The graph is rotated so we view the blue surface defined by both curves face on This final view illustrates the line integral as the familiar integral of a function, whose value is the "signed area" between the X axis (the red curve, now a straight line) and the blue curve (which gives the value of the scalar field at each point). Thus, we conclude that the two integrals are the same, illustrating the concept of a line integral on a scalar field in an intuitive way.

Peran Kurikulum dan Kualitas Guru dalam Pendidikan

PENDIDIKAN di indonesia sampai saat ini masih bermasalah.Ada yang berpendapat masalah pendidikan disebabkan kurikulum(yang selalu berubah),guru yang tidak juga memenuhi kompetensi yang diinginkan,dana yang dialokasinya tidak sesuai(minim),sarana prasarana yang kurang memadai,juga dilema ujian nasional(UN) yang meresahkan. Menurut data yang ada,sejak kemerdekaan indonesia,kurikulum pendidikan dasar dan menengah sudah mengalami sepuluh kali perubahan.Perubahan kurikulum terus-menerus dilakukan tidak lain dalam rangka penyempurnaan demi menghasilkan lulusan yang berkompeten. Perubahan kurikulum yang terakhir adalah kurikulum tingkat satuan pendidikan(KTSP) 2006 yang sudah diberlakukan selama 6 tahun.Terlepas dari sudah ada atau belumnya evaluasi KTSP 2006 oleh pemerintah,menurut Wakil Presiden Boediono dalam tulisannya yang bertajuk Pendidikan Kunci Pembangunan,pendidikan di indonesia ternyata belum menghasilkan lulusan yang kompeten karena tidak mempunyai konsep yang jelas. Kemudian lahirlah kurikulum terbaru yang disebut kurikulum 2013,yang mungkin lebih jelas konsepnya sehingga bisa benar-benar menghasilkan lulusan sesuai dengan yang diinginkan. Perubahan kurikulum sendiri terkadang meresahkan para guru. keresahan tersebut muncul karena belum jelasnya sosialisasi terkait pelaksanaan kurikulum terbaru dan tidak adanya informasi tentang dasar perubahan kurikulum.Selain itu, guru juga mengalami ketidaknyamanan ketika baru bisa menerapkan kurikulum terdahulu, ternyata harus kembali mempelajari dan mungkin mengembangkan kurikulum terbaru. Alih-alih meningkatkan proses transfer ilmu ke peserta didik, guru kebingunn sendiri menfransfer ilmu baru(kurikulum baru) ke dalam pengetahuannya sendiri. Seharusnya ada kebijaksanaan yang dilaksanakan pemerintah dalam pembenahan pendidikan,khususnya masalah kurikulum.waktu yang relatif singkat dalam pemberlakuan satu kurikulum belum bisa menjadi jaminan kurikulum yang diberlakukan tersebut tidak berhasil.Pembenahan kurikulum hendaknya menjadi hal yang benar-benar menjadi perhatian pemerintah,dalam hal masa pemberlakuan,evaluasi pelaksanaan,dan kejelasan hasil evaluasi yang disampaikan secara terbuka.

Manfaat Buah Naga

Buah naga merupakan buah yang indah dengan warna intens dan bentuk serta dengan bunga yang mempesona.Biasanya buah ini berwarna merah gelap,itu juga dapat ditemukan dalam warna kuning atau merah muda.Kulit buah ini ditutupi dengan sisik hijau besar. Buah naga mempunyai khasiat yang bermanfaat bagi kesehatan manusia diantaranya sebagai penyeimbang kadar gula darah, pelindung kesehatan mulut,pencegah kanker usus,mengurangi kolestrol,pencegah pendarahan dan mengobati keluhan keputihan. Biasanya buah naga dikonsumsi dalam bentuk buah segar sebagai penghilang dahaga,karena buah naga mengandung kadar air tinggi sekitar 90% dari berat buah.Rasanya cukup manis karena mengandung kadar gula mencapai 13-18 briks.Buah naga juga dapat disajikan dalam bentuk jus,sari buah,manisan maupun selai atau beragam bentuk penyajian sesuai selera anda. Menurut AL Leong dari Jhoncola Pitaya Food R&D,organisasi yang meneliti buah naga merah,buah kaktus madu itu cukup kaya dengan berbagai zat vitamin dan mineral yang sangat membantu meningkatkan daya tahan dan bermanfaat bagi metabolisme dalam tubuh manusia. "Penelitian menunjukan buah naga merah ini sangat baik untuk sistem peredaran darah,juga memberikan efek mengurangi tekanan emosi dan menetralkan toksik dalam darah."Penelitihan juga menunjukkan buah ini bisa mencegah kanker usus,selain mencegah kandungan kolesterol yang tinggi dalam darah dan menurunkan kadar lemak dalam tubuh," Secara keseluruhan,setiap buah naga merah mengandung protein yang mampu meningkatkan metabolisme tubuh dan menjaga kesehatan jantung;serat(mencegah kanker usus,kencing manis dan diet);karotin(kesehatan mata,menguatkan otak dan mencegah masuknya penyakit),kalsium(menguatkan tulang). Buah naga juga mengandung zat besi untuk menambah darah;B1 (mencegah demam badan);vitamin B2 (menambah selera);vitamin B3(menurunkan kadar kolesterol) dan vitamin C ( menambah kelicinan,kehalusan kulit serta mencegah jerawat).

Bayi Hiu Berkepala Dua

Peneliti kelautan di Michigan State University, Michael Wegner, mengonfirmasi untuk pertama kalinya menemukan bayi hiu benteng (bull shark) berkepala dua. Ia memastikan, ini bukan dikarenakan kembar siam, melainkan adanya kelainan genetik. Menurut Wegner, spesimen bayi hiu tersebut ditemukan di Teluk Meksiko pada 2011 yang lalu. Penemuan ini merupakan contoh anatomi dengan dua kepala menyatu (dicephalus) tercacat pertama dari sejarah hiu benteng. “Ini merupakan fenomena menarik yang jarang terdeteksi. Oleh karena itu kami mendokumentasikannya sebagai bagian dari sejarah alam di dunia. Tapi, kami perlu menemukan hal seperti ini lebih banyak lagi agar dapat menarik kesimpulan tentang penyebab terjadinya ini,” jelas Wegner. Salah satu kesulitan untuk menemukan keanehan seperti itu lagi, yaitu sebagian dari mereka yang memiliki kelainan akan mati tak lama setelah lahir. Seorang nelayan yang menemukan bayi ikan hiu berkepala dua ini mengatakan, “Anda akan melihat banyak keanehan kasus seperti ini. Karena mereka dibesarkan dalam penangkaran yang dapat menyebabkan anomali (keganjilan) ini,” Wenger mengamati detil penemuan ini melalui Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Hasil MRI menunjukkan bahwa hiu itu memiliki dua kepala yang berbeda, hati dan perut yang tergabung dengan sisa tubuhnya membentuk satu ekor di belakang. “Mengingat penemuan hiu itu bertepatan dengan tumpahan minyak Horizon Deepwater, saya mungkin dapat memperkirakan hiu itu terpapar, sehingga menyebabkan kelainan,” lanjut Wenger.

Rp 264 Miliyar

Yahoo mengumumkan bahwa pihaknya telah membeli aplikasi besutan remaja 17 tahun, Nick D'Aloisio. Kabarnya perusahaan pencarian itu meminang aplikasi tersebut dengan mahar sekira Rp264 miliar lebih. "Visi kami bagaimana memperoleh informasi dengan ringkas, dan kami senang dapat melanjutkan misi dengan perusahahaan berskala global, Yahoo," kata D'Aloisio yang duduk di SMA ini. Aplikasi besutan D'Aloisio ialah Summly, aplikasi yang menyajikan sejumlah informasi lebih ringkas dan mudah ke pengguna. Summly diluncurkan pada Desember 2011. Meski masih berusia cukup muda, namun ia memperoleh suntikan dana dari Horizons Ventures dan juga memperoleh bantuan dan saran dari aktor Ashton Kutcher dan artis Yoko Ono. Demikian dilansir dari Macworld, Rabu (27/3/2013). Yahoo dilaporkan bukan hanya membeli perusahaan itu. Akan tetapi D'Aloisio juga diajak bergabung ke perusahaan sebagai bagian dari kesepakatan. Yahoo sendiri sudah menumbangkan aplikasi Simmly, tapi perusahaan mengatakan bahwa teknologi itu akan disisipkan segera sebagai bagian dari mobile Yahoo. "Perangkat mobile merupakan komponen utama bagaimana kami bisa terikat dengan pengguna, pengalaman, dan minat yang kita suka," tulis Senior Vice President of Mobile & Emerging Product Yahoo, Adam Cahan. (amr

Science museum hosts first-ever 'Maker Faire' for city of Tyler, Texas

Discovery Science Place hosted a mini Maker Faire in Tyler, Texas. Multiple vendors and exhibitors were on hand. An art car, featuring what might be the largest collection of singing robotic lobsters anywhere in the world was on display, curiously titled the, "Sashimi Tabernacle Choir." A large modular analog synthesizer was also available for attendees to experiment with, designed by staff at Synthesizers.com. Some exhibits were quite simple, showing how to modify inexpensive radio-controlled cars using epoxy and LEGO bricks. Two 3-dimensional printers were displayed, showing attendess how the new technology operates. Outdoor exhibits included mulitple forms of robots and flying drone-style aircraft (see video below). According to a news release, the event is one of 60 planned to occur worldwide this year. Numerous volunteers were on hand to assist with the event. Colleges and university groups were on hand, including representatives from The University of Texas at Tyler, among others.

Kiribati acquires international funding for solar power

Last Tuesday, AusAID Australia and the World Bank's Global Environment Fund (GEF) reached an agreement to give the government of Kiribati US$5 million (AU$4,779,000, NZ$5,985,000, €3,885,000) to install solar panels around the country capital, located on the Tarawa atoll. According to Business Desk of the Brunei Times, AusAID promised AU$3.2 million in funding, while GEF promised US$1 million. The country was the first in the Pacific to make a deal with the World Bank. The funding was part of a US$530 million (NZ$635 million) package announced at yesterday's Pacific Energy Summit in Auckland involving New Zealand and the European Union, Australia, the Asian Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the World Bank Group, and the United Arab Emirates. Also at the summit yesterday, New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully had announced a national commitment of USD$54,262,000 (AU$51,861,000 NZ$65 million, €42,178,000) to Pacific region energy solutions, of which US$8,348,000 (AU$8 million, NZ$10 million, €6,483,000) would be specifically earmarked for renewable energy and improved energy efficiency in the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu. Kiribati is heavily dependent on diesel fuel for most of the energy available on the national power grid, which supplies power to half Kiribati's population of 110,000. In addition, a third of the country's population lacks access to electricity. Once installation of the solar panels is complete, they are estimated to reduce diesel consumption by 230,000 liters (60,760 gallons) a year and give access to the electricity to some parts of the population that currently have no electricity. The European Union already has committed €100 million to sustainable energy in the region, with €10 million of that coming as a result of an announcement made last week. In a press release about the news, Kiribati President Anote Tong was quoted as saying, "Kiribati faces big challenges it is remote, it is at risk from the effects of climate change, and it is vulnerable to economic shocks. Shifting Kiribati's focus to reliable solar energy will provide a more secure, more sustainable power source for the country's people." Radio New Zealand International quoted Tong as saying, "It's the first time we are doing this. We're excited at the prospect of even substituting fossil fuel to a small extent at this stage. What the system being envisaged will only produce around 500 kilowatts, but this is the beginning of what I hope will be a pattern, the trend in the future." The European Union's Fiji-based head of operations for the Pacific region, Renato Mele, supported alternative energy solutions like solar power for the region, but said that solar power had limitations because climate and environmental conditions sometimes meant batteries required to power the panels had a life of only 12 months, compared to other climates where batteries normally last five years. This created the potential to drive up standard operating costs. Mele has also noted these additional costs though are still lower than the cost of diesel power. One News Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver noted, "Governments will be able to put the money they (currently) spend on diesel into things like education and health."

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind and body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as in "good health" or "healthy"). The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Although this definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as lacking operational value and because of the problem created by use of the word "complete", it remains the most enduring . Other definitions have been proposed, among which a recent definition that correlates health and personal satisfaction. Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications, including the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), are commonly used to define and measure the components of health. Systematic activities to prevent or cure health problems and promote good health in humans are undertaken by health care providers. Applications with regard to animal health are covered by the veterinary sciences. The term "healthy" is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living organizations and their impacts for the benefit of humans, such as in the sense of healthy communities, healthy cities or healthy environments. In addition to health care interventions and a person's surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence the health status of individuals, including their background, lifestyle, and economic and social conditions; these are referred to as "determinants of health".

Tips Berinternet yang Aman

MELINDUNGI anak dari bahaya internet menjadi perhatian utama para orang tua di era digital ini.Maraknya dampak negatif pergaulan dunia maya membuat banyak orang tua menjadi was-ws. Penyedia layanan e-mail terbesar,Yahoo! meluncurkan kampanye internet aman melalui program Yahoo!Safely,turut berbagi tips berselancar dengan aman dan nyaman di dunia maya. 1. Pertimbangkan Sebelum Mengirim Posting Bagaimana anda menulis status di facebook,menulis tweet,maupun memajang avatar,menampilkan citra diri anda yang sebenarnya.Banyak orang yang nampak pendiam di dunia nyata,namun begitu terbuka di ranah maya.Gunakan citra diri dalam bentuk virtual ini sebagai investasi anda dalam bergaul. 2. Bermainlah Secara Sportif Game virtual memang menyenangkan,namun ingatlah untuk tetap menghargai pemain lain.Hindari menggunakan cheat atau mencurangi pemain lain jika anda ingin tampil sportif. 3. Ambil Tindakan dan Laporan Pelecehan Memutuskan untuk hanya menjadi penonton saat anda mnyaksikan adanya pelcehn di dunia maya,dapat membuat anda menjadi bagian dari masalah tersebut.Segera laporkan ke pihak-pihak yang bersangkutan dan ambil peluang untuk menciptakan perubahan positif. 4. Bagilah Senyum Melalui Telepon Anda Survey membuktikan,setiap orang mengirim rata-rata 1.500 SMS per bulan.Melalui hasil survey ini, SMS dipercaya menjadi sarana jitu untuk tetap terhubung dengan kerabat dan sahabat.Pikirkan baik-baik apa yang anda tuliskan melalui SMS,karena komunikasi secara tertulis mengandung efek ambigu yang mudah disalahartikan.Begitu pula dalam berkomunikasi melalui internet.pintar-pintar mngolah kata dapat menghindarkan anda dari salah paham. 5. Tarik Diri dan Berhubunganlah dengan Dunia Nyata Pernah mendengar kasus seorang pelajar di Cina yang meninggal dunia akibat keasyikan bermain game selama berhari-hari? Hidup di dunia digital memang mengasyikkan,namun tak berarti kita harus melupakan kehidupan nyata.Keluar dan berinteraksilah dengan teman-teman di dunia nyata agar pergaulan sosial anda tetap terjaga.

Karakteristik Rumah Tangga Islami

Apa pun bentuk keluarga kita itu adalah hasil dari perpaduan tiga faktor pembentuknya.Ketiga faktor itu adalah paradigma yang kita miliki tentang keluarga,kompetensi seluruh anggota keluarga kita dalam membangun keluarga,dan macam apa aktivitas yang ada dalam keluarga kita. Kalau dalam paradigma kita bahwa keluarga bahagia adalah yang bergelimangan harta,maka motivasi kita dalam berkeluarga adalah mengkapitalisasi kekayaan.Maka,kita akan mencari istri atau suami,anak tunggal dari calon mertua yang kaya.Pusat perhatian kita dalam berkeluarga adalah menambah kekayaan. Bagi paradigma berkeluarga seorang muslim berasal dari motivasi bahwa berkeluarga adalah untuk beribadah kepada Allah,menjaga kesucian diri,dan merealisasikan amal bahwa berkeluarga adalah bagian dari sebuah gerakan menegakkan hukum-hukum Allah di muka bumi.Sehingga,pusat perhatiannya dalam berkeluarga adalah meningkatkan kualitas dan kwantitas ruhiyah,fikriyah,nafsiyah(emosi kejiwaan),jasadiyah,dansosialisasi setiap anggota keluarganya. Karena itu,membangun keluarga sakinah mawadah wa rahma(samara) adalah sasaran yang ingin dicapai seorang muslim dalam membentuk keluarga.Dalam keluarga yang samara itulah kita akan melahirkan pribadi islami untuk saat ini dan masa depan. Jadi,sangat penting bagi seorang muslim membangun kompetensi untuk membangun keluarga.Apa itu kompetensi berkeluarga? Kompetensi berumah tangga adalah segala pengetahuan,keterampilan,dan sikap dasar yang harus dimiliki agar seorang dapat berhasil membangun rumah tangga yang kokoh karena ia menjadi basis penegakkan nilai-nilai islam di masyarakat.Maka tak heran jika Rasulullah SAW,menyuruh kita untuk pandai-pandai memilih pasangan hidup.Jangan asal pilih. Aktifitas sebuah keluarga dapat dilihat dari karakteristik dari keluarga itu sendiri.Sebuah keluarga islami memiliki karakteristik sebagai berikut: 1.Didirikan atas landasan ibadah Dalam hal ini diawali dari proses memilih pasangan yang dilandasi kebaikan agama bukan sekedar kecantikan,harta maupun keturunan.Landasan ibadah ini setidaknya menjadi pemicu dan pemacu untuk tetap tunduk dalam langkah-langkah menjalankan kehidupan sesuai dengan apa yang telah ditetapkan dan dimaksudkan oleh Allah SWT; ( QS.Adz Dzariyat [51]:56). 2.Komitmen terhadap adab-adab Islam Komitmen terhadap adab-adab islam dan selalu mengaplikasikan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, sebagai upaya internalisasi nilai-nilai islam yang berjalan secara terus-menerus,bertahap dan berkesinambungan. 3.Terhadap contoh yang nyata Orang tua memiliki posisi dan peran yang sangat penting dalam hal ini,sebelum memerintahkan kebaikan atau melarang kemungkaran kepada anggota keluarga lain,pertama kali orang tua harus memberikan keteladanan.Keteladanan sangat diperlukan,sebabproses interaksi anak-anak dengan orang tua sangat dekat,anak-anak akan langsung mengetahui kondisi ideal yang diharapkan dan proses internalisasi akan lebih mudah.Dan disebutkan dalam ( QS.Ash Shof [61]:3-4 ). 4.Terbiasa tolong-menolong dalam kebaikan Untuk dapat mewujudkan kebaikan dan membentuk suasana islami,diperlukan suasana kerjasama yang baik,membiasakan untuk saling mengingatkan dalam kebenaran antar anggota keluarga dengan penuh kesabaran dan kasih sayang. 5.Terpenuhinya kebutuhan materi secara wajar Demi mewujudkan kebaikan dalam keluarga,tidak lepas dari faktor biaya.Materi bukanlah merupakan tujuan dalam kehidupan rumah tangga muslim,akan tetapi tanpa materi banyak hal yang tidak didapatkan.Tindaklanjutnya adalah,kelharga muslim perlu berupaya memenuhi kebutuhan materinya,buman berarti mencari kemewahan dunia,akan tetapi ketersedian materi yang cukup untuk kebutuhan-kebutuhan keluarga.Dan disebutkan dalam ( QS. Al Qoshosh [28]:77 ). 6.Berperan dalam masyarakat Keluarga muslim adalah bagian dari komunitas masyarakat,dalam hal hak bermasyarakat,bertetangga maka ia sebagai bagian dari masyarakat di mana ia berada dengan peran yang disandangnya,dalam hal ini bagian dari perannya.Dan disebutkan dalam (QS. An Nahl [16]:125). Betapapun kuatnya keluarga muslim terhadap norma-norma ilahiah,apabila lingkungan sekitar tidak mendukung,pelarutan-pelarutan nilai akan mudah terjadi, terlebih pada anak-anak. Selain itu diperlukan upaya intensif sebagai mekanisme penyelamatan internal,agar tidak larut dan hanyut dalam lingkungan masyarakat yang tidak baik. Semua peran keluarga muslim itu adalah sebagai sarana menggapai mardhotillah,oleh karenanya tanpa peran serta Allah dalam hal ini adalah mustahil,di sinilah keluarga muslim menggantungkan se.uruh usahanya kepada Allah SWT dengan do'a-do'anya dalam setiap kesempatan.