DAVID GUTTENFELDER/POOL/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES Following earthquake and tsunami, radiation is Japan?s true aftershock The worst earthquake in Japan?s recorded history ? and, at magnitude 9.0, one of the most powerful ever recorded ? didn?t end when the shaking did on March 11. Within hours, a meters-high tsunami swamped much of the coastline, including the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, setting off the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown in Ukraine (SN: 4/9/11, p. 5). Three reactors at the Fukushima plant exploded, releasing radioactivity carried by winds across Japan and then around the globe (SN Online: 3/19/11). Radiation physicists continue…
BRASILIA, Brazil ? The government says the number of workers who entered the formal job market in 2011 was 24 percent less than in 2010. Labor Ministry figures show that 1.94 million payroll jobs were created last year, compared to 2.54 million in 2010. The government had forecast that 3 million new jobs would be created in 2011. Acting Labor Minister Paulo Roberto Pinto says the reduced job creation is due to the economic crisis that has hurt export-oriented companies. On Tuesday the International Monetary Fund said Brazil’s economy would grow 3 percent in 2012, 0.6 percentage points less than…
It’s reasonably well known at this point that Apple is looking to line up partnerships for some sort of a streaming video service. We’ve heard again and again that it’s coming, so get ready to hum along with that ‘ol tune one more time. Reuters is reporting that Apple has been in negotiations with Epix since earlier this year, hoping to secure access to films from Lions Gate, MGM and Paramount Pictures. There’s no indication of when such a service might come to light, but Reuters indicates the company’s current deal with Netflix, which expires on September 1st, could be…
There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding Jupiter’s moon Europa, but researchers at NASA seem fairly certain that there’s a watery ocean lurking beneath its icy exterior. Their theories may finally be put to the test later this decade, thanks to a concept mission crafted by astronomers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. According to Space.com, JPL researchers have come up with a plan that would send a pair of landers to Europa by 2026, in the hopes of finding out whether the rock has ever supported life forms. The endeavor certainly wouldn’t be easy, since Jupiter blankets its moon in…
You’ve Got To Be Kidding 8:30 am, December 14th | by Amy Tennery GlobeAsia, a leading regional business magazine, wants women to succeed. That?s great! Their aim, however, might have been a bit too? broad. In an ad for its 2011 Leaders Forum this week, which featured a handful of influential female Indonesian business and government figures, GlobeAsia heralded ?the rise of women leaders in Asia,? according to SE Asia Realtime. Okay, nothing wrong so far. But then it included the tagline ?From The Bedroom To The Boardroom.? Which is, not surprisingly, generating just the wee-ist bit of controversy. After…
