Stuff YOU Should Know
Celebrating Flight
Credit: U.S. Air Force photo; Orville and Wilbur Wright made significant advances in aviation that were stepping stones for today’s technology.
There are a lot of days marked to commemorate great achievements (or great figures) of history. August 19th marks National Aviation Day. The day coincides with the birthdate of American inventor Orville Wright–although it honors the achievement of his brother Wilbur as well. This commemoration day was established in 1939 by an official presidential proclamation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. While the day is a national remembrance, it is primarily celebrated in two states–Ohio (the childhood home of the Wright Brothers) and North Carolina (the site of their first successful flight at Kill Devil Hills).
In Dayton, Ohio, the Wright Brothers made a few early attempts at entrepreneurial endeavors (including a print shop, newspaper and bicycle shop) before shifting their attention to aviation experiments. The Wright Brothers invested a great deal of time observing how birds fly. Their first aircraft were a series of gliders. Finding a way to control by steering was a major challenge. After many months of testing and trial and error, they successfully achieved the first powered flight. (Wilbur got to fly because he won a coin toss.)
Visit the Library of Congress Web site dedicated to the Wright Brothers to learn more about them and to see more of their historical primary sources.
Dig Deeper Organizers of National Aviation Day suggest the following activities as ways to mark the day – flying a kite, building a model airplane (or even a paper one), go to a local airport and watch planes take off and land. Choose one and celebrate!
Time to Get Organized (for Real This Time!)
It’s that time of year again: we collectively head into local stores armed with our school supply lists and a plan that this year, we’re going to be more organized. But, according to the experts, it’s not so much the materials as the strategy behind it. In other words, there is not right or wrong way, just a best way for you. Being focused, creative and flexible in devising your own system can make all the difference. Here are some helpful tips to get you headed in the right direction:
- Keep it Simple. If you are easily overwhelmed by the pure volume of gadgets and contraptions available, do some research before you head into the giant box store and keep your head down as you plot out your acquisition of supplies.
- Have a Centralized Planner. This means one place to record all assignments, deadlines, activities and To-Do lists. If transitioning to a digital device, allow plenty of time to deal with inevitable glitches that can lead to a loss of data.
- Binders. A simple 3-ring binder for each subject is a perfectly effective organizational tool across all times.
- Quick Notes. Get into a habit of writing ideas and reminders down when they pop into your head. Carry around pads of sticky notes, and place them around your house in places where you regularly hang out. At the end of each day, collect the notes and transcribe them into the appropriate subjects or lists.
- Know Your Day. Start each day by making a list of what is needed for each class. Then prioritize the list accordingly. This will give you a guide when the day gets crazier and your thinking more blurred.
What Do You Think? On a scale of organized to disorganized, where do you fall? If you are more organized, offer up your best tip; if you are not, ask a classmate for his or her best tip.
Military Using Smartphones
Perhaps you play some kind of combat-strategy video game; maybe you even play it on your Smartphone. The U.S. government is taking steps to integrate the convenience of apps into real-life military uses. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has developed a program called TransApp (short for Transformative Apps). Despite the fact that the general public have been using highly sophisticated devices, most soldiers rely upon radio receivers the size of bricks along with paper maps. This is largely due to two reasons–bureaucracy and national security.
The TransAp program is hoping to change that. Some of the apps that have been developed include: a special weapon encyclopedia, a sniper calculation tool, specialized maps and one to determine a medical diagnosis. One of the most recent real-life applications was implementing security measures at the more recent Boston Marathon. Developers are hoping they can eventually be able to pinpoint the location of a terrorist from a cell phone signal. Funding for the TransAp program is set to expire soon. The Pentagon is hoping to extend the contract and continue the momentum of the work they’ve begun.
What Do You Think? If you could come up with an app for the military to use, what would it be? Your answer can be as far-fetched as your imagination.
Snowden to Stay in Russia
Last summer, btw brought you news of Edward Snowden, the former U.S. defense contractor who leaked classified documents to a British newspaper. While on his way to Hong Kong to avoid arrest, his plane was re-routed to Russia where he was stripped of his passport and stranded for a time in the Moscow airport. Snowden petitioned Russia for asylum (protection granted to a person of another country who has fled and considers him or herself a political refugee). After one year of temporary asylum, Snowden’s request has been extended.
On August 7, the Russian government reported that Edward Snowden was issued a residence permit to live in Russia for up to three years. This will allow him to travel freely inside of the country and travel abroad for three months at a time. In five years, he will be allowed to apply for permanent citizenship. Snowden denies allegations that he was working for Russia as a spy. He reportedly now has a new job in his new country in the computer technology field.