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Robotic insect capable of 'jumping on water' just like water striders (VIDEO)

2015/07/31

Water striders have six legs and resemble large mosquitos. They can be spotted on the surface of calm or slow-moving water, eat living or dead insects and prefer to reside around ponds and marshes.

“The water’s surface needs to be pressed at the right speed for an adequate amount of time, up to a certain depth, in order to achieve jumping,” said Kyu Jin Cho, the study’s co-senior author, director of the Biorobotics Laboratory at Seoul National University.

Scientists found that the water strider employs a rotational leg movement to aid its takeoff from water. Researchers collected bugs to video their movements and study the complex mechanics that help them jump off of the water’s surface.“If you apply as much force as quickly as possible on water, the limbs will break through the surface and you won’t get anywhere,” said Robert Wood, a co-author on the study and founder of the Harvard Microrobotics Lab.

The scientists found that the best way to jump off of water is to maintain leg contact on the surface for as long as possible during jumping.

“Using its legs to push down on water, the natural water strider exerts the maximum amount of force just below the threshold that would break the water’s surface,” said Je-Sung Koh, another co-author of the study.

The robotic insect can exert up to 16 times its own body weight on the water’s surface without breaking through.

The team’s findings were published in the latest edition of the journal Science.

Greenpeace bridge danglers and ‘kayaktivists’ delay Shell icebreaker in Portland

2015/07/31

All protesters were eventually lowered into Willamette River by the Coast Guard, Oregon State Police and Portland Fire & Rescue crews and detained for alleged criminal trespassing and interfering with law enforcement, according to reports.

However, after the human blockade was removed and the icebreaker, which is central to Royal Dutch Shell’s plans for extracting oil in the Arctic, began to depart, so-called “kayaktivists” tried to engage the vessel by rowing into its path.

The second wave of protesters was pushed away by officers in sheriff boats and rescue crews. The vessel was able to leave the harbor around 6pm local time.

“The Fennica is now safely on its way to Alaska and will join Shell’s exploration fleet in the Chukchi Sea – where the Transocean Polar Pioneer commenced initial drilling operations at approximately 5:00 tonight AKDT,” Shell said in a statement.

Before lowering the dangling protesters, police asked whether they would come down voluntarily.

Another activist from a local environmentalist group, Portland Rising Tide, took matters into his own hands and locked his neck with a bike lock to the Oregon Slough Railroad Bridge. Rescuers had to cut the lock to remove him from the bridge. The protester was detained.

Greenpeace claimed the action was a success.

“We found that the blockade was successful,” Greenpeace spokeswoman Mary Nicol told GGW.com. “Climate change does present a real threat to everyone globally.”

Nicole added that the goal is to bring attention to the issue and persuade President Barack Obama to reconsider giving permission to Shell to drill in the Arctic. Environmentalists fear the drilling could harm Arctic populations of whales, polar bears and walruses, or even end up in a major ecological catastrophe, given Shell’s record of oil rig incidents and reported dumping of waste.

Meanwhile, US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason has ordered Greenpeace to pay a fine of $2,500 per hour for the time Shell’s vessel was delayed.

Canada pledges $6.4 mn for Iraq’s fight against ISIS

2015/07/31

Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson made the announcement on Thursday after closed-door coalition meetings in Quebec City concerning the fight against ISIS. The meeting was the second in two months. The previous one was held on June 2 in Pairs.

“We will not stand idly by while ISIS and its affiliates continue their murderous rampage in an attempt to wreak havoc across the region, spawn splinter cells from North Africa to South Asia, and prey on youngsters in the West,” Nicholson said.

“Canada will provide up to 8.3 million dollars in programming to build the capacity of Iraqi authorities in mine action, supply non-lethal military equipment to countries affected by ISIS to contain the flow of foreign fighters and secure their borders, counter chemical and biological threats, and improve the flow of humanitarian aid,” the ministry said in a statement.

Islamic State has been reportedly carrying out chemical attacks as of late, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and statements made by Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG). The most recent one reportedly took place in June and targeted a Kurdish village located in Syria’s north-eastern Al-Hasakah Governorate. IS fighters allegedly used poison gas while shelling the village.

There were also reports in May that an IS suicide bomber had driven a truck filled with toxic chlorine gas into Kurdish positions while under heavy fire.

Canada joined the US-led coalition against IS in August 2014, contributing six CF-188 aircraft, one CC-150T refueller, two CP-140 surveillance aircraft and approximately 600 CAF personnel. The country has committed to the anti-Islamic State campaign until spring 2016.

As of June, the Canadian Air Force carried out over 100 air strikes in the coalition campaign in Iraq and Syria, according to official data. It reported an additional 18 strikes within Iraq in the beginning of July.

NATO increases number of exercises near Russia’s borders by half — Defense Ministry

2015/07/30

MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. NATO has increased the number of military exercises near Russia’s borders from 90-95 to 150 per year, the number of reconnaissance aviation flights grew by nine times, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry has told reporters.

"In 2012 and 2013 NATO conducted on the average nearly 90-95 exercises near Russia’s borders. Now they conduct about 150 exercises," the spokesman said. "There’s been a sharp increase in [reconnaissance aviation] flights - their number grew nine times."

Russian Defense Ministry to lay off nearly 50,000 people

2015/07/30

MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry plans to lay off nearly 17,000 military and some 30,000 civilian personnel after the construction of new munition depots is completed, a ministry official told reporters on Friday.

According to him, the new arsenals’ building will be completed this year.

"We’ll lay off nearly 17,000 military who are currently at depots and nearly 30,000 civilian personnel," the source said.

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