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New discoveries point to 'cave of John the Baptist' as important site in the time of Isaiah

Written by Everything Science

Apr 01, 2006 at 12:00 AM

New Discoveries Point to "Cave of John the Baptist" as Important Site in the Time of Isaiah Recently completed digging at Israel's Suba Cave, an archaeological site that is possibly connected with John the Baptist, or Jewish groups of his time has revealed features that deepen the mystery of the site's ancient origins, according to University of North Carolina at Charlotte archaeologist James D. Tabor, associate director of the excavation.

The interior of Suba Cave Credit: UNC Charlotte

The site was brought to international attention in 2004 with the publication of The Cave of John the Baptist, a controversial book by Israeli archaeologist Shimon Gibson, the site's director. The initial connection with John the Baptist was based on some of the earliest Christian drawings related to John on the cave walls as well as the location of the cave near Ein Kerem, John's birthplace. In particular, the most recent excavations point to the possible existence of a second, still unexcavated cave at the site, suggesting that the location may have been a major complex of uncertain function during the Iron Age

In the 2004 book, Gibson discussed discoveries from the cave and underground reservoir at Suba, 15 miles west of Jerusalem, focusing on the finding that it had seen particularly heavy use during the early Roman period, around the time of John the Baptist and Jesus. In particular, the discovery in 1st. Century AD stratigraphic levels of thousands of small pottery vessels, all apparently ritually broken, led Gibson to theorize that the cave had been a site for baptismal rituals, possibly performed by John the Baptist or Jesus, or other Jewish groups of a similar nature who practices ritual water purification rites. Towards the end of the cave excavation, Gibson also found evidence that the cave's large (24 meters long, 4 meters wide and 5 meters high) plastered reservoir had originally been constructed in the 7th Century BC, near the time of Isaiah. Because the massive cave had been professionally cut from solid rock, Gibson concluded that it must have been a project of the Kingdom of Judah. Because it was not conveniently located in an urban area (the nearest town was Suba, which was more than a kilometer away) and because it contained features that were inconsistent with a storage reservoir or cistern (its unusual shape and broad stairs descending to the water), Gibson theorized that part of its original function might have included ritual rites of water purification.

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Last Updated ( Apr 01, 2006 at 03:28 PM )

'March Madness' Effects Observed in Ultracold Gases

Written by Everything Science

Apr 01, 2006 at 12:00 AM

Physicists at Harvard University, George Mason University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered new quantum effects in ultracold gases that may lead to improved understanding of electrical conductivity in metals.

The image above represents the interference of wave patterns created by simulated atoms that have been "trapped" by intersecting laser beams. The complex shape of peaks and valleys is an example of a natural fractal pattern, a pattern that continues to reveal new details no matter how many times it is magnified. Credit: A.M. Rey/Harvard University

In work presented at the March meeting of the American Physical Society* in Baltimore, Md., the researchers calculated the properties of an "artificial crystal" of ultracold atoms in a lattice formed by intersecting laser beams. The wave patterns in the laser light form the equivalent of row upon row of stadium seating for the atoms, an appropriate analogy given that the work was debuted during the height of college basketball's "March Madness" tournament.

In metals like copper, two mutually exclusive types of effects tend to slow down the flow of electrons and reduce electrical conductivity, namely disorder in the crystal structure or blocking of electrons by other electrons that are already occupying a given space.

"In March Madness terms," says NIST physicist Charles Clark, "fans who arrive early to an empty stadium can move relatively quickly down any row unless they encounter a railing, wall or other barrier (crystal disorder) but once the game begins a fan's movements are constrained along rows by other fans already occupying seats (electron blocking)." Even though Phillip Anderson and Sir Neville Mott won the Nobel Prize in 1977 for explaining these phenomena in metals, it has been difficult to observe the effects in real materials.

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Last Updated ( Apr 01, 2006 at 09:44 PM )

Northern Birds are Fatter!

Written by Everything Science

Mar 31, 2006 at 12:00 AM

“The further birds migrate north for the summer, the faster they put on weight”, says Dr Williams (Simon Fraser University, Canada) who has been tracking migrating birds for several years. “This research may have implications for the designation of protected areas which will ensure birds can complete their spring and autumn migrations.” Dr Williams will present his research on Tuesday 4th April at the Society for Experimental Biology’s Annual Main Meeting in Canterbury [session A4].

Western Sandpipers

“Our data can be used to assess habitat quality and the importance of specific sites for migratory birds, and this can contribute to decisions about whether migratory sites are protected and which sites are prioritised for protection”, explains Williams.

Two techniques were used to study Western Sandpipers on their spring journey along the Pacific ‘Flyway’ from Mexico to Alaska: 80 birds were fitted with radio-telemetry tracking devices and a further 400 had blood samples taken to give measurements of fattening rate. Williams found that birds fatten more rapidly as they move further north – as they get closer to the breeding grounds - and that the longer the birds spend hanging around at San Francisco Bay (one of the more southerly refuelling sites), the lower their fattening rates.

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Last Updated ( Apr 01, 2006 at 03:13 PM )

How Low Can You Go? Ants Learn to Limbo

Written by Everything Science

Mar 31, 2006 at 12:00 AM

Have you ever tried to do the limbo? For ants it’s a way of life! Scientists at the University of Zurich have discovered that ants are able to learn how to visually judge the height of horizontal barriers so that they can successfully crawl under it without slowing down. Tobias Seidl will be presenting his latest research findings at the Annual Meeting for the Society for Experimental Biology on Tuesday 4th April.

Limbo ant (Supplied by Tobias Seidl)

Desert ants generally scurry around at high speeds whilst foraging to limit their exposure to the life threatening conditions of their habitat. Climbing over or crawling beneath obstacles means that ants do not have to make large detours to go around them.

“We found that the ants visually assessed the height of the barrier and learned how to lower their body enough to crawl under without stopping”, explains Tobias Seidl, “When the barrier was made invisible to them, they had to use their antennae to examine it”.

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Last Updated ( Apr 01, 2006 at 03:14 PM )

Evolution Robotics Supports Next Generation of WowWee Humanoids with its Highly Advanced Robotics

Written by Everything Science

Mar 22, 2006 at 12:00 AM

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2006-- Evolution Robotics, a leading provider of next-generation robotics solutions, today announced a strategic alliance with WowWee Robotics(TM), the #1 consumer entertainment robotics company, to integrate Evolution's technologies for vision and navigation into the next generation of WowWee products. WowWee's award-winning Roboraptor(TM) and Robosapien(TM) are among the best-selling robots on the market today, with several million robots sold to date. Evolution Robotics works with leading consumer brands to make their robots smarter using breakthrough solutions in vision and autonomous navigation.

Next-generation products from WowWee will use advanced vision and navigation technologies from Evolution Robotics. (Photo: Business Wire)

WowWee will incorporate two of Evolution's unique technologies in their line of products: ViPR(TM) and Northstar(TM). ViPR (Visual Pattern Recognition) is the "gold standard" in visual recognition technology, and provides reliable and fast recognition of patterns, objects, and locations in realistic environments. Northstar, known as "Indoor GPS," is the world's lowest-cost solution for position-awareness for consumer robots, and enables robots to navigate autonomously and intelligently. Both of these technologies will be used by WowWee as they continue to create breakthrough robotic companions and entertainment products.

"We are excited about joining WowWee to develop a new generation of robotic products that will provide amazing features to consumers," said Paolo Pirjanian, President and Chief Technology Officer of Evolution Robotics. "These new robots will be truly intelligent and autonomous -- a first in mass-market robots."

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Last Updated ( Mar 25, 2006 at 09:44 AM )

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