Global seed vault dispatches first ever grain shipment It was meant to be the ultimate insurance policy against a catastrophe that could wipe out the world’s food supply. Now the global seed vault – a repository burrowed deep into the frozen hillside of the closest town to the north pole – has issued its first down-payment on that legacy. The caretakers of the vault, situated on the Svalbard archipelago in the high Arctic, said yesterday that they had dispatched the first shipment of seeds to try to regenerate ancient food crops lost during Syria’s civil war. The seeds – including varieties of wheat, barley, lentils, chickpeas and the wild versions of pulses and cereals – were copies of those originally held at an international research facility in Aleppo, Syria, that had been deposited in the vault for safekeeping. The seeds were withdrawn from the Svalbard vault and shipped to Lebanon and Morocco, the trust which manages the facility said on Monday.
India's digitisation spells the end for 200,000 document writers | Swati Sanyal Tarafdar | Global development Varudu Nagaraju pores over a bunch of stapled, stamped papers belonging to the men sitting on the other side of the table in his two-roomed office. They want to buy property and need Nagaraju’s help with the registration process. Nagaraju’s office is in Vijayawada, in Andhra Pradesh. There are an estimated 150,000-200,000 self-proclaimed document writers in the south-eastern state. “After getting the documents ready for the application for registration, I will send those over to the SRO upstairs, to the desk of a certain officer, who will verify and sign them, asserting that the new property, with the enclosed specifications, is now rightfully owned by my clients,” Nagaraju says. He reluctantly admits that he usually feeds in small amounts of money to the right people along the way. Bribes are a common currency in registration offices. These practices cost the state in lost revenues, and the government of Andhra Pradesh is accelerating its efforts to digitise operations.
Dubai wants to be 'world's happiest city'. Report says it has a long way to go | Cities Dubai’s ambition to become the “world’s happiest city” by the end of the decade has suffered a blow with the publication of the latest annual World Happiness Report, which sees the United Arab Emirates slip down the rankings from 20th to 28th place. The new report, which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, also states that “happiness inequality” has increased significantly “in most countries, in almost all global regions, and for the population of the world as a whole.” In an effort to counter this trend, in 2014 Dubai – one of seven emirates that make up the UAE – launched its own “happiness index”, aimed at collecting data on how government services impacted happiness. “Creating happiness is the final result of the smart city agenda,” Ahmed Bin Byat, CEO of the investment group Dubai Holding, told a government summit last year. Some observers have raised eyebrows at the UAE’s “happiness project”, coming as it does amid ongoing human rights concerns.
Minnesota Starvation Experiment - Starving Effects Photo: Wallace Kirkland/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. In November 1944, 36 men reported to the University of Minnesota as volunteers for a 13-month study under research scientist Ancel Keys. What became known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment has long been cited as perhaps the most important study on the mental, physical, and social effects of food restriction. The rapid deterioration, the strange and often alarming changes in the subjects' behavior, and the long-lasting effects of "semi-starvation" are hallmarks to anyone familiar with disordered eating. What's not as frequently discussed — but just as evident — is this study's implications about common dieting. After all, these men were not starved to the brink of death, but fed approximately 1,600 calories a day. As World War II drew to a close, news media flooded the U.S. with horrific accounts of starved populations and refugees in war-torn nations abroad. Food became the sole source of fascination and motivation.
Sweden Experimenting with a 6-Hour Work Day dateline: 13 October 2015 Pre-Listening Vocabulary productive: able to get a lot of work donedistraction: something that takes one’s focus away from a present task or activitycoordinate: to plan and scheduleadopt: to start or take on something newturnover: the rate at which the staff are replaced in a workplace Sweden Experimenting with a 6-Hour Work Day Comprehension Questions What are some workplaces in Sweden experimenting with? Discussion Questions: Besides reducing the number of work hours, what other types of flexible work arrangements make people more productive? show Answershide Answers Sweden Experimenting with a 6-Hour Work Day Workplaces in Sweden are experimenting with a 6-hour work day and are seeing positive results. Some workplaces in Sweden are experimenting with a shorter work day (6 hours).Managers report that staff have more energy and are more focused at work.
Rare long-nose chimaera pulled from the sea in Newfoundland Greek mythology has stories about Chimaera, a monstrous fire-breathing lion, goat and snake hybrid and one has been recently caught off the coast of Newfoundland. But this creature is a deep sea fish with a slimy body, green glowing eyes and ribbed fins that look like feathered wings. This eerie catch is said to be a long-nose chimaera that branched off from sharks almost 400 million years ago. Scroll down for video But this creature is a deep sea fish with a slimy body, green glowing eyes and ribbed fins that look like feathered wings. The chimaera goes by various names including ratfish, rabbitfish, and ghostsharks. The group branched off from sharks, its closest relative, around 400 million years ago and have remained a distinct, and distinctly odd, lineage ever since and have been basically unchanged since they shared the Earth with dinosaurs. Like sharks and rays, chimaeras have a skeleton made of cartilage. It feeds on shrimp and crabs and is completely harmless to humans. Loaded: 0%
Modal Verbs and Agony Aunts: Conversation Class for Older Mid-level Students | con tomates Today’s topic is MODAL VERBS. Can anyone tell me a modal verb? My mid-level students have all been over modal verbs multiple times in their regular English classes, and they can produce a good starting list when prompted (we’ll skip shall for sake of modern relevance). Once the map’s been generated, we talk about usage: these verbs are for ability and possibility. I sneak in a grammar review here – what’s easy about modal verbs? If you want a negative, just stick a NOT onto the end of the principal verb of the sentence – that is, to the modal: I could not walk, you could not walk, he could not walk, she could not walk, it could not walk, we could not walk, they could not walk. To take it into the past is as simple as changing the base form of the second verb to its present perfect: I could have walked, you could have walked, he could have walked, she could have walked, it could have walked, we could have walked, they could have walked. I start a new map: Agony Aunt. The characters:
ESL/EFL: Best Debates & Role-plays of 2012 (English Class Activity) English Current Recommendation to Teachers: Download the file, paste the role-plays/debates you find interesting into a blank document and then use that for your class. Do not try to use all of the debates/role-plays found here. Some role-plays/debates will not not be suitable/interesting for your students. Enjoy. New Years ESL Lesson Plan: Role-Play Parenting ESL Lesson Plan: Debate Background: Many countries now have ‘baby boxes’ where parents can anonymously drop off unwanted children. (note: each student reads his or her role only) Parenting ESL Lesson Plan: Role Play Job Interview ESL Lesson Plan: Job Interview Role-play (Pair work) 1) You and your partner will take turns interviewing. ACTA ESL Lesson Plan: Role-Play #1 ACTA ESL Lesson Plan: Role-Play #2 Future ESL Lesson Plan: Artificial Intelligence Debate (Pair Work) Premise 1: Humanity is becoming wiser. Premise 2: Wiser humans can develop and utilize AI responsibly. Conclusion: Therefore, AI should be developed. Travel Lesson Plan ESL: Role-play #2
The tremendous ambitions behind New York City’s free WiFi At this very moment in New York City, you can walk up to one of 65 futuristic kiosks, punch in an email address on your phone and instantly receive a wireless Internet connection that follows you around town. It's free — and it's fast. Each kiosk, which is really an old payphone that's been converted into an Internet terminal, is connected to gigabit fiber optics. It's like having Verizon FiOS on every street corner, pumping out WiFi. Free, city-wide WiFi has been an elusive dream for many urbanists. In a city of more than 8 million, that might not sound like much. This public connectivity could someday wind up supplementing — if not replacing — some New Yorkers' existing Internet subscriptions, said Intersection's chief innovation officer, Colin O'Donnell. "You could put 20 bucks back in your pocket" in mobile data savings that way, said O'Donnell. LinkNYC wants to be more than just a way for people to get on the Internet. "We'll be doing developer days, making APIs," he said. business
How to Write Complaint Letters Flat 303 Lucky Mansions 856 Cheung Sha Wan Road Cheung Sha Wan Kowloon 15 April 2016 The Administrative Officer Exhibition Services Exhibitions International 33 Kadoorie Avenue Kowloon Dear Sir/Madam I attended your exhibition Sound Systems 2016 at the Fortune Hotel from 7 - 8 April and found it informative and interesting. Firstly, I had difficulty in registering to attend the event. Secondly, the exhibition was held at one of Hong Kong's most prestigious hotels, but frankly the venue was better suited to a medium-sized business conference than to a large exhibition open by registration to the public. The final point I want to make concerns product information. Could I please ask you to look into these matters - not only on my behalf but also on behalf of other attendees, and in fact on behalf of your company, too. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully Michael Leung