Government shutdown: What it entails

Government shutdown as discussed here is solely as concerns US politics.

Capitol Hill

Amidst widespread economic uncertainties, the government shutdown couldn’t have come at a worse time. It may be over now as a matter of just under 24 hours ago, but there is some something in it for everyone to learn.

What is a government shutdown? This is the cessation of “non-essential” government functionaries because there is no congressional authorization to spend federal funds.

What causes this? The US constitution makes it mandatory for Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) to authorize government to spend taxpayers’ money, but that’s not what causes a government shutdown per se. The US fiscal/financial year runs from October 1 to midnight September 30. Before the close of a fiscal year on September 30, congress is expected to pass spending bills which comprise the annual federal budget or “continuing resolutions” for the next fiscal year which is then signed by the president. When congress for one reason or the other fails to pass these bills before due date, or the president vetoes the bill for whatever reason, it becomes constitutionally illegal for the federal government to make any expenditure with public funds; this would lead to the furlough of federal employees considered non-essential (those whose services are not especially necessary for protection of life and property) simply because it can no longer pay for their services – an estimated 800,000 to 1million workers (about 40% of federal workers) fall into this category.

What are the consequences? A government shutdown no matter how short has far reaching effects. Delays become fraught in the system, and many state funded departments grind to a halt.

• Environment: Toxic waste clean-up workers are sent home. Diseases could spread.
• US Veterans: Could be cut off from many of their benefits ranging from health and welfare to finance and travel. For many, it’s their only source of livelihood.
• National parks, museums, zoo, monuments: Visitors not allowed in. This leads to huge revenue losses.
• Government-sponsored loans: Delays in releasing federal mortgage loans. Over 10,000 low income families benefit from it.
• National Archives and libraries: They will all be shutdown; only those that generate their own revenues (i.e. profit oriented) may still operate.
• Passport and Visa Applications are also cancelled; tourist industry takes a huge hit.
• Social Security: Claims are not processed, new card issuances are not made and hotlines for queries are closed. Several thousands of America’s aged, disabled and unemployed benefit from this service.

So many other sectors take a huge hit during a government shutdown.

What caused the 2013 federal government shutdown? The 16 day long shutdown (October 1 to 17) was as a result of failure of the two chambers of government to agree to a compromise continuing appropriations resolution. The Republican led House of Representatives agreed to defund Obamacare, while the Democratic led Senate insisted that a clean continuing resolutions be passed, one without any policy changes, including defunding Obamacare.  

How much did it cost the US? Official reports put the cost at $24billion in lost revenue and a 0.6% drop in yearly fourth quarter GDP growth.

How many times has the government shutdown? According to the Congressional Research Service, since 1976 there have now been 18 shutdowns. The most recent was 17 years ago when Bill Clinton was president.

Did you know? The 16 day long shutdown of 2013 is now the third longest in American history.

2013 Nobel Prize Predictions

All eligible nominees are certainly in it to win it, but we can't help identifying these front-runners who their works stand out the most, who have conferred great benefits on mankind. But of course, there can only be one worthy laureate (individual or group of no more than three people).

With just a week until the announcement of the first prize for this year, the stakes have never been higher for betting on possible winners of what is widely considered the most prestigious award available in the fields of literature, medicine physics, chemistry, peace and economics. 

By no means do I claim to be a fortune teller, not even touching that with a ten-foot pole; for a bit of guidance one may look to the winners of the Lasker awards for medical research, the Shaw prizes for astronomy and life sciences, the John Bates Clark medal recipients for economics, or maybe a strategy the analysts at Thomson Reuters use, researchers most frequently cited (called citation laureates) -- you weren't thinking predictions were simply blind mindless conjectures, were you?
In fact, Thomson Reuters analysts have quite an impressive track record, since 2002 they have correctly predicted 15 of the 44 prizes awarded in the science (all but the Peace and Literature prizes) category, including all nine winners back in 2011. Could this year's predictions be a home run? We haven't long to find out.

Below are predictions of three likely winners in each award category in the sciences.

Physiology or Medicine prize
• Dr Dennis Slamon, for identifying HER-2/neu oncogene or which aggravates tumours in over a quarter of breast cancer patients.
• Adrian Bird, Howard Cedar and Aharon Razin, for discovery of the mechanism that alters genes so cells can develop into specific tissues.
• Daniel Klionsky, Noboru Mizushima and Yoshinori Ohsumi, for elucidating the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of autophagy (which is a process by which the body destroys cells it no longer needs).
Announcement date: 7 October

Physics prize
• Paul Higgs and Francois Englert, for predicting the existence of the Higgs boson, which gives a particle its mass. It has been confirmed at CERN last year.
• Hideo Hosono, for his discovery of iron-based superconductors.
• Michael Mayor, Didier Queloz and Geoffrey Marcy, for discovering the first extra-solar planet (51 Pegasi b).
Announcement date: 8 October

Chemistry prize
•Valery Fokin, K. Barry Sharpless and M.G. Finn, for their work on something called Modular click chemistry, which is an approach to building small substances.
• Bruce Ames, for inventing the Ames test, a test for determining which chemicals may be carcinogenic.
• Paul Alivisatos, Chad Mirkin and Nadrian Seeman, for their work on DNA nanotechnology.
Announcement date: 9 October

Economic sciences prize
• Joshua Angrist, David Card and Alan Krueger, for their study on labour markets, value of education, social programs and other aspects of microeconomics. • Sir David Hendry, M. Hashem Pesaran and Peter C.B. Phillips, for their work on forecasting, modelling and other uses of data.
• Sam Peltzman and Judge Richard Posner, for their work on economic effects of regulation. 
Announcement date: 14 October

They all are no doubt worthy contenders, we'll just have to wait and see. Before then, why not have a guess at the Peace and Literature prizes as well? Mine is anybody's guess.

Did you know? Each laureate receives a gold medal, a heavily decorated diploma and a sum of money decided by the Nobel Foundation (In 2012, each prize was worth US$1.2 million).

Breathtaking Military Technology that could be employed in a Syria Strike

The US claim they have confirmed that Sarin gas (a banned chemical weapon) was used by the Assad regime against its own people (over 1,400 civilians were killed in the August 21 attack) and as such has crossed international red lines. It could only be a matter of days before we see a US intervention, well, militarily.
That leaves a lot of folks wondering what kind of strike we're going to witness; the extent, the white house say will be limited. Leaves me asking what military weaponry will be employed if and when the US decides to strike.
As the US Congress deliberates on that at Capitol hill, let's take a moment and look at some intriguing munitions in the Pentagon's arsenal that could be utilized in disarming Assad. 

Agent Defeat weapons (Passive Attack Weapons and Crashpad)
Designed by the US Airforce to target and destroy stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons without spreading them to surrounding areas, in effect reducing collateral damage. These weapons would be carried and deployed by fighter jets with radar-evading stealth technology.

Drone eyes
Pentagon's  Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) wants to assess the effects of a strike immediately it happens, they could find out if a plume of toxic smoke is released upon impact by the agent defeat among other data following an impact. A Drone lends itself to this end. Miniature drones would be released from the tail section of a bomb moments before impact.

Smartphones 
A surprise inclusion maybe. Although a ground battle is unlikely going by the claim of a limited action, smartphones replace some of the equipment soldiers carry about in hardware form -- compass, accelerometer, GPS. There are specialized apps developed for specific military operations that could come in handy at Syria.   

Aircraft Carrier ship (USS Nimitz) Finally, a contribution from the US Navy. This nuclear powered warship and other ships in its strike group would have their hands full if a go ahead is given to strike Syria. From its position in the eastern Mediterranean it would provide a platform for military strikes and a safe fortress for military planning. It capacity to house as many as 85 aircrafts and is fully equipped with radars.

Air, ground, sea, space or cyber, military technology has transcended all frontiers. On a day that the Pope has declared as a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the Middle east, one can only wonder if all these robots, drones and lasers of technology would solve the age old problem in Syria.   

The Tale of the OLEV and its Recharging Road

                              

Yet another buzz from the world of transportation (see previous post on the Hyperloop), together we’ll explore the workings behind The Online Electric vehicle – I mean we just can’t do without moving.

On August 6, 2013, Gumi City in South Korea launched a new infrastructure for people to get by. It’s not your average everyday electric vehicle this time, it just upped a notch. Launching two buses (the South Koreans plan to increase that number by an additional 10 by 2015) that get charged right on the road is groundbreaking stuff of technology – at least on that scale.

Our smart phones have incorporated something called inductive charging (otherwise known as wireless charging) for quite some time now, and that is really similar to how the OLEV buses work as we’ll soon discover.

And just in case it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, let's recap by stating that the OLEV, unlike trams that require a pantograph to collect power through contact with an overhead catenary wire, or just another hybrid electric vehicle in need of a charging station, is in fact powered on the go by the road which steadily supplies it with power.

Obviously, this transcends beyond just a new vehicular technology to new road building technology as it were.

So, let’s get cracking already…

How does the OLEV work? 

 

The “recharging road” technology

 

The online Electric vehicle (OLEV) is an electric vehicle which uses electromagnetic induction; the interesting thing about it being how it seamlessly makes use of “recharging roads”. Electric power strips sourcing power from the national grid are buried 12 inches (30cm) beneath the road surface; this creates magnetic fields which are picked up, wirelessly of course, by a device attached to the under-body of the OLEV using a specially developed technology for the project, SMFIR (Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance). This receiving device converts these fields into electricity which powers the OLEV – all while maintaining a 17cm air gap between the road and the under-body of the OLEV.

Do we rebuild all roads to incorporate this technology? If so, that would no doubt be an instant deal breaker. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which is behind the project, notes that only a few sections of the road have to be rebuilt with embedded cables. Only 5% - 15% of the entire road they say, is embedded with the power strips. This is because the OLEV has a small battery that keeps it going when it’s not being recharged by the road. With the little retrofitting involved, I suppose one would hardly baulk at idea of taking on this kind of project in the near future.

How safe is it? #EMF exposure: Intense radiations would have also been a show-stopper for the OLEV, but we needn’t worry much the experts say. EMF exposure is minimal and within the margin of safety level – that pretty much takes care of the health concerns. In addition, the road also has a smart function of distinguishing OLEV buses from regular vehicles, thereby ensuring that the power strips remain switched off unless an OLEV bus is passing along – this further prevents EMF exposure and the unnecessary power consumption when on standby. 

The OLEV bus

 

So there you have it, a remarkable feat of engineering technology that is claiming numerous patents along the way. We can only expect that it is commercialized in the in the near future – and to be honest, that’s one sweet ride!

Fancy word you may wanna know about

Inductive Charging: Wireless charging as it is also called, involves using induction coils in both the device being charged and the charging base station. They both need to be close to form a transformer. Basically, the device being charged takes power from electromagnetic fields created and converts it to electric current. Look no further than a modern consumer electronic gadget to see this technology in action.

The Hype behind the Hyperloop

        How the Hyperloop is going to work

Are you dissatisfied with the systems of transportation we have today? Do you feel the need for more speed; yet a safer, cheaper, and weather immune system of transportation? Then the Hyperloop could be your dream come true – or so the brain behind it believes.

Elon Musk, South African born entrepreneur and founder of Paypal, SpaceX and Tesla on 12 August 2013, unveiled the alpha-design white paper for what he calls the ‘Fifth mode’ of transport (alternative land, air, sea, and rail); and I must say it’s pretty interesting – I’m quite optimistic about this project as I’ve had a nearly similar idea in the recent past. So, let’s get down to it already—you would soon be riding the Hyperloop in your imagination!

What is the Hyperloop?

Photo credit: space.com

The Hyperloop is all the hype now in the tech media—and for a good reason. This fifth mode of transportation, as Musk calls it, is a proposed elevated ultra-high speed inter-city transportation capsule that will shuttle passengers at top speeds of 760mph (1,220 km/h).

As futuristic as that may sound, one can't help asking if it’s actually science driven or just another stuff of science fiction—well, I’d say is a combination of both as you’ll soon find out.

Do we actually need a new mode of transportation? It depends on who you ask. Most conservatives may argue they don’t see the need for one. Techies on the other hand could get super-excited over the prospect of one. Either way, the bottom line remains that in offering something new to the general public, it has to be better than what they have already; make it mediocre and it’s bound for failure. Musk actually believes his idea “could revolutionize travel”. With ideals of  “safer, faster, lower cost, more convenient, immune to weather, sustainably self-powering, resistant to Earthquakes, not disruptive to those along the route” mode of transport, as he stated in his company's blog, everyone would agree to this ‘next big thing’.

We’ll decide shortly if the Hyperloop can meet up with these aforementioned ideals.

How would the Hyperloop work?

 The Hyperloop elevated tube design

I’ve spent a great deal of time studying the 57 page design brief wherein Musk detailed the technicalities of the system and even the financial facet of the project.

The Hyperloop design and working principle is really interesting on paper. Basically, it’s a pod (or capsule) that would travel in continuous steel tubes which could be elevated (as pictured above), or underground. According to the design brief, it would carry about 28 passengers at a time and some other version of it could even carry the passengers' cars along with it in the journey.

The tubes will be maintained at a partial vacuum (you’d agree that totally evacuating a 1500km long tube will be overly energy consuming—unfeasible with today’s technology—even though it would allow for faster transportation as air friction is eliminated) thus, reducing air friction and heating. The tubes will have a vast array of solar panels that will power the entire system, thereby eliminating the need for grid supply (that way, it ensures its self-sufficiency). Inside the tubes, the pods are mounted on thin skis made out of a high pressure and heat resistant alloy, Inconel. Air is pumped through tiny holes in the skis to make an air cushion over which the capsule rides -- more like, levitates. Magnetic linear accelerators located at different points along the tube do the job of accelerating and decelerating the pods to appropriate speeds (just as it does for those Maglev trains and the roller coasters in amusement parks). It’s instructive to note here that top speeds will be just below the sound barrier (768mph); this ensures that no sonic boom is heard. The nose (front part) of the pod would have a pair of air jet inlets; an electric turbo compressor will do the job of compressing the air from the inlet and directing it to the skis and the cabin. High tailwinds and a low drag eventually translate to high speeds, with aerodynamic efficiency.

Are these ideas indeed practicable? 

A rendering of the capsule's interior

For the most part, the system's design is realistic—it makes use of already existing technology. But, a closer examination might bring some of the proposed concepts into question. The billionaire brain behind the business says his idea is still open for contributions on how to possibly improve on it though (@elonmusk). It delivers a great deal of its ideals: it’s fast (how about 760mph for a ride!), it’s self-powering in an eco-friendly manner (solar powered), Musk also claims it’ll be cheaper (with tickets costing about $20; and the project itself only $6billion—yes, “only”, when you consider that the US government approved $68billion for a less efficient, by Hyperloop standards, high speed rail). The tubes would also be made seismically safe (resistant to Earthquakes) with similar technologies to those used on such structures as the Golden gates bridge.

Concerns such as: G-forces resulting from fast acceleration to such high speeds, wind shear resulting from unequal wind strengths hitting the top and bottom of the elevated tube causing it to sway, and possible heat damage arising from the compressing and expelling of air mechanism earlier explained, have surfaced.

Tweaks to the system might solve some of the identified problems as we’re about to see:

• The problem of painful G-forces wouldn’t be much of a problem if acceleration is made slower. Also the tubes should be as straight as possible (less lateral acceleration) as steep bends definitely add to those forces.
• It’s uncertain if concrete pillars as proposed by Musk will do the job of carrying tubes elevated about 100ft off the ground.
• All that continuous air compression creates an enormous amount of heat and this could potentially damage the entire machinery. Musk plans on adding water tanks as heat exchanger to capture heat and turn it into steam which would be collected at the next station. But this could add to the weight and decrease efficiency – I for one believe there will be a more elegant solution to this problem than that.

How long before we see it take-off?

Hyperloop capsule with doors open at the station

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but in these austere times, it doesn’t look like governments are ready to gamble on seemingly far-fetched ideas like this one just yet. Elon Musk himself says he is not ready to embark on this project (I mean you can't blame him, he obviously has his hands full with managing his companies; and five children) , although he says with time he may build a small-scale prototype. He also says he would be supportive of anyone who may like to take on the project. Seems like our Hyperloop dreams will have to wait for now.

Fancy word you may wanna know about:

Kantrowitz limit: This is nature’s top speed law for a given tube to pod (capsule) area ratio.

At supersonic speeds or high subsonic speeds, a capsule moving in a tube containing a fluid (air in this case) has a minimum area ratio with the tube which when below that value, the flow is choked as they are now too close.