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Beam Me Away
Emitting radar beams from wind turbines could deter bats from flying too close and getting killed, according to a new study in PLoS ONE.
Thousands of bats are dying in wind turbine collisions, but scientists haven't yet come up with a solution that's both effective and economically palatable. After noticing that bats tend to avoid air traffic control and weather radars, the authors tested the effects of small radar systems at 20 bat foraging sites in Scotland. Bat activity dropped when the radar was turned on, they found, with certain pulses reducing activity by 39 percent.
It's not quite clear why the bats avoid radar, the authors say. Insect levels stayed the same in radar-beamed areas, so the changes in bat foraging probably aren't due to lack of food. One possibility is that bats can "hear" the radar pulses, causing stress or hampering their ability to hunt for prey. – Roberta Kwok
Source: Nicholls, B. and P.A. Racey. 2009. The aversive effect of electromagnetic radiation on foraging bats – a possible means of discouraging bats from approaching wind turbines. PLoS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006246
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The Scotsman, 17 July 2009:
"Phone causes jet to change course"
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Phone-causes-jet-to-change.5468755.jp
A JUMBO jet changed direction because of interference from a passenger's mobile phone, air safety officials have told The Scotsman. The revelation came as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) attempted to avert a surge of air rage incidents involving mobiles by warning holidaymakers that most airlines do not yet permit their use in flight.
It has commissioned research that showed mobiles could affect aircraft navigation and communication systems, "producing significant errors on instrument displays and background noise on pilot radios".
Best regards,
Henrik, mast-victims.org
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ACTION ALERT: CELL PHONES IN CLASSROOMS AS EDUCATIONAL TOOL?
Dear Colleagues,
Please read and forward to others who might be able to sign on to this Sprint sponsored discussion on selling cell phones to schools for students to use as an educational tool in the classroom.
The marketing to cash strapped schools is strong right now and one wonders what motivates school districts to seek additional revenue to pay for new wireless digital technology when teachers are being laid off and many programs and services are being
eliminated.
Your participation in this program would provide a public venue where questions about health can b e raised on behalf of children, youth and school personnel.
regards,
Elizabeth Kelley, M.A.
Advisor, EMR Networkl.org
www.emrnetwork.org
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:17:55 -0700
From: newsletters@edweek.org
Subject: Live webinar: Cellphones as Instructional Tools
Please add us to your address book to ensure our emails reach your inbox.
Sponsored by:
Free Live Webinar:
Cellphones as Instructional Tools
Thursday, July 23, 4-5 p.m., Eastern time
Free registration is now open.
Cellphones have been called "the new paper and pencil" or "the new laptop," and they could be in the hands of as many as 10 million to 15 million schoolchildren in the next few years. For their instructional potential and ability to connect students to the Internet, mobile devices are quietly making their way into schools in the United States and abroad. What does your district, school, or classroom need to make this technology leap? Guests will discuss policy and implementation issues and offer practical
curriculum ideas for every subject.
Guests:
Elliot Soloway, professor, School of Information, School of Education, and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan
Liz Kolb, education technology instructor, University of Michigan and Madonna University; author, Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education
Ron Myers, principal, Trinity Meadows Intermediate School, Keller, Texas
Related stories:
Students Turn On Their Cellphones for Classroom Lessons
Mobile Devices Seen as Key to 21st-Century Learning
Adding a Touch of Technology
This webinar will be moderated by Elizabeth Rich, online editor of teachermagazine.org and Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. See attachment for information on how to register for this free, live event or go to
Editorial Projects in Education, Inc., 6935 Arlington Road, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814. EPE is the publisher of Education Week, Digital Directions, Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook, edweek.org, teachermagazine.org, DigitalDirections.org and TopSchoolJobs.org. Copyright © 2009 Editorial Projects in Education.
