Oceans could be the future of nuclear power
Zee News (India) – Aug. 22
Oceans which are a rich source of uranium may soon hold the future of nuclear power as scientists are developing a cost-effective way to extract the precious metal from the waterbodies through special mats. A team of researchers led by Dr Robin Rogers, from the University of Alabama are involved in making cheaper and efficient mats and compounds that latch onto uranium. The standard extraction technique, developed in Japan, uses mats of braided plastic fibres embedded with compounds that capture uranium atoms. Each mat is 50 to 100 yards long and suspended 100 to 200 yards under the water. After being brought back to the surface, the mats are rinsed with a mild acid solution to recover the uranium. They are then dunked in the water again in a process that can be repeated several times. Rogers and his team are exploring the use of waste shrimp shells from the seafood industry to produce a biodegradable mat material. “Estimates indicate that the oceans are a mother lode of uranium, with far more uranium dissolved in seawater than in all the known terrestrial deposits that can be mined,” Rogers said. “The difficulty has always been that the concentration is just very, very low, making the cost of extraction high. But we are gaining on that challenge,” Rogers was quoted as saying by the paper. In the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia, it was discussed that fast progress is being made towards turning the oceans into a uranium reservoir.
Wexford People (UK) – Aug. 22
Daily Mail (UK) – Aug. 22
Financial Express (India) – Aug. 22
Red Orbit – Aug. 22
The Independent (UK) – Aug. 22
How time flies when you’re having fun
Daily News and Analysis (India) – Aug. 22
Do you wonder why time passes faster sometimes and slower at other times. When we’re waiting in line or sitting in a boring meeting, time seems to slow down. And when we get caught up in something completely engrossing – a gripping thriller, for example – we may lose sense of time altogether. New study has indicated this feeling that time is somehow shorter seems to be the specific result of our desire to approach or pursue something, not a more general effect of heightened attention or physiological arousal. The research suggests that the familiar adage may really be true, with a caveat: time flies when we’re have goal-motivated fun … Sometimes we experience feelings of contentment or serenity … Psychological scientists Philip Gable and Bryan Pool of the University of Alabama hypothesised that it’s specifically those states that are high in approach motivation that make us feel like time is passing quickly … These findings were confirmed in a second study, in which participants reported time as passing faster when they looked at the dessert pictures with the expectation that they would be able to eat those desserts later, suggesting that our desire to approach something really does make time fly by. Gable and Pool propose that states high in approach motivation make us feel like time is passing quickly because they narrow our memory and attention processes, helping us to shut out irrelevant thoughts and feelings. “Although we tend to believe that time flies when we’re having a good time, these studies indicate what it is about the enjoyable time that causes it to go by more quickly,” said Gable. “It seems to be the goal pursuit or achievement-directed action we’re engaged in that matters. Just being content or satisfied may not make time fly, but being excited or actively pursuing a desired object can,” he added.
Science Daily – Aug. 22
Health News Digest – Aug. 22
UA freshmen take part in “Ripple Effect: Freshmen Service Day”
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 21
One-hundred freshmen from the University of Alabama started the school year off helping others. Forty of those students helped Habitat for Humanity build a new home in Alberta City. WVUA’s Emileigh Forrester has more…Painting boards, cutting wood, and installing a roof … UA freshmen helped Habitat for Humanity build a home for the Welch family in Alberta City, while building lasting friendships at the same time. Lisa Bochey: “It really just unites the community, especially because they’re freshmen. So it gets them forming relationships before school even starts.” The program is called The Ripple Effect: Freshmen Service Day. And it not only acquaints students with their peers, but also lets them serve their community.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Aug. 21
Athletes from UA’s Adapted Athletics Program to compete in Paralympics
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 21
The University of Alabama Adapted Athletics program will have seven athletes and one coach representing their respective countries at the Paralympics in London, England on Aug. 29. Cindy Ouellet, Katie Harnock, Maude Jaques, and Elisha Williams will represent Team Canada in wheelchair basketball. Annika Zeyen will represent Team Germany in wheelchair basketball. Mackenzie Soldan will represent Team USA in wheelchair tennis. Robert Hedges will represent Team Canada in men’s wheelchair basketball and Miles Thompson will serve as an assistant coach for Team USA wheelchair basketball. The Paralympics is the largest international sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities. It is held at the exact same venues as the Olympic Games.
West Alabama Real Estate Summit set for Friday, August 24th
Al.com – Aug. 21
The Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama announces that it will be hosting a West Alabama Real Estate Summit this Friday, August 24, at the Bryant Conference Center. The Summit includes a residential real estate forum in the morning and a commercial real estate forum in the afternoon. Both forums are approved for three hours of continuing education (CE). The detailed agenda, speaker bios, general information and online registration can be found at the Summit website. Attendees can attend the entire day (“day pass”) or only the forum that is of interest to them. According to Grayson Glaze, ACRE Executive Director, “The Summit was designed to provide flexibility for participants. While we recommend taking in the entire day of market-driven knowledge and expert commentary, we also understand the need to provide convenient options for today’s business & real estate professional.”
Week of Welcome
Crimson White – Aug. 22
The University’s annual Week of Welcome was extended to two weeks this year, giving students more time to explore different organizations on campus. Latasha Lewis, programming assistant for the Ferguson Center, said the goal is to get students out and about on campus and exploring their options. She said they had to add more days to the Week of Welcome in order to accommodate all the organizations that wanted to participate. “It’s awesome that we can showcase so many organizations and opportunities on campus,” she said. “Having a longer week just shows how much we have to offer students.”
FocusFirst screens dozens of students
Crimson White – Aug. 22
Children up to five years old in low-income daycares were screened and treated for vision problems this summer by dozens of UA students who volunteered with FocusFirst, an initiative of Impact Alabama. Sponsored by the Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility at the University of Alabama, FocusFirst sends 2,300 college students from more than 23 colleges statewide to provide quality care to children, regardless of the income of their family. This year, volunteering college students screened more than 33,000 children. Stephen Black, the founder and president of FocusFirst, said his goal was not only to help kids, but also the students administering the help. “I thought this would be such a great source, because not only can our college students and staff screen thousands of kids, but it is also a really valuable experience for our college students,” Black said. Tayla Sumbler, a junior majoring in general health, volunteered for four months last season and plans to contribute again this year. “I think this program is pretty amazing,” Sumbler said. “I’m from Houston, Texas, and there isn’t anything of this nature out there for children in our school system.” Impact Alabama Program Development Coordinator Addie Mancuso said increasing awareness of and interest in the program has sparked growth in participation.
On campus housing for freshman debated
Crimson White – Aug. 22
While it’s not always the most popular aspect of Alabama college life, living on campus is both required and beneficial according to one housing official. Alicia Browne, the Director of Housing Administration, strongly supports having freshmen live on campus. “Freshmen are more likely to get involved in campus life and persist towards graduation if they are living in a dorm,” Browne said. “Living on campus gives them an easier way to make friends.” The Freshman Residency Program was instituted in 2006 and was designed to give students the educational and social benefits they would not experience if they lived off campus. In fall 2011, there was a total of 5,772 incoming freshmen…Cameron Kiszla, a student living in a dorm, believes there are many advantages to living on UA grounds. “I feel more involved at UA because I live on campus,” Kiszla said. “Living in the dorms, you don’t have to worry about finding something to do, you have to worry about finding time to do what you have to.”
Million Dollar Band preps before classes
Crimson White – Aug. 22
Freshman Brandon Suttles applied to the University of Alabama in March with every intention of joining the ranks of the famed Million Dollar Band. “I knew I wanted to be in the Million Dollar Band ever since I saw them perform a concert my junior year in high school,” he said. Two weeks before classes started, Suttles packed his belongings and moved to campus, joining the ranks of hundreds of other prospective band members. The following day, each prospect vied for a spot within the 400-member band, and two days after that, veteran members returned to protect their positions. “All members must audition each year, with a music audition and a movement audition,” Randall Coleman, associate director of bands, said. “We like for our students to have solid concepts about the two areas that we deal with — music and marching. Each member performs sections of the music for the first halftime show and goes through a basic movement series that allows us to evaluate their proficiency in movement skills.” Suttles was selected as a member of the trumpet line and now joins the band’s intensive pre-season training, which included three rehearsal blocks per day.
Smartphone addiction alters behavior, sleep (print version only)
Crimson White – Aug. 22
An addiction to a smart phone could be thought of as a stimulus response model similar to Pavlov’s experiment with dogs and bells, Marcus Brown, associate professor of computer science, said. “So, you’re in a meeting, and you’re bored,” Brown said. “You check your smart phone because you know that some of your friends may have tweeted or updated their Facebook status or posted a funny picture. If you find something like this, you get a kick of enjoyment. Each time you get an enjoyable reward, your behavior is strengthened, and it won’t be there every time, so the effect will last longer and longer, even when there is no new tweet or post right away. A recent Huffington Post article reported that 84 percent of Americans could not go a single day without their smart phones, and 50 percent sleep with their phones next to them, including over 80 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds.
Bonner hosts luncheon for three UA athletic teams
Crimson White – Aug. 22
Interim president Judy Bonner hosted the three Alabama athletic teams that won NCAA championships last spring to a celebratory luncheon Tuesday afternoon at the University Club. The Crimson Tide gymnastics, softball and women’s golf student-athletes, coaches and staff gathered on campus to celebrate the historic three months last spring. Alabama gymnastics head coach Sarah Patterson won their sixth national title and second consecutive championship in April. In late May, Mic Potter and the women’s golf team won its first NCAA title, while Patrick Murphy’s squad won the Tide’s first national softball title in June. “When each of you started school last fall, you were student-athletes, very good student-athletes, but student-athletes,” Bonner said, opening the luncheon. “You finished the year as national champions, and we are very proud of all you accomplished.”…Bonner noted each team not only excelled athletically, but in the classroom as well, and that The University appreciated the balance of excellence each team brought to their roles as student-athletes. WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Aug. 21