What gives scientists – and writers – credibility?

Kat Austen, CultureLab editor

(Image: Sir Cam)

You know those random conversations you strike up with strangers? I remember one from years ago, with a guy on a train from London to Cambridge, where we started talking about life-logging. It turned out he was a psychologist, working in the research department at Microsoft on the precursor to the SenseCam.

The technology was in its early days, and he was telling me about how being shown photos of the previous day?s activities can help people recollect in different ways. It?s intuitive, but being told it by a chap at Microsoft Research added the gravitas needed to move it from ?common sense? to ?information?. His position there gave him credibility.

(Image: Sir Cam)

Employment at a recognised institution can do that for a scientist. In fact, these days, it?s almost requisite. And, as I learned this week at the Festival of Ideas, hosted by the University of Cambridge, it is increasingly important for people who write about science too.

The session, INcredible: Stories in Science, explored not only how scientists gain, maintain and lose credibility, but also how that kind of credibility translates over into writing about science and scientists.

The Royal Observatory?s public astronomer, Marek Kukula, explained that he got his job because of his 15 years of research experience in supermassive black holes - because of the ?plausibility that experience lends?, as Wellcome Trust public engagement fellow Richard Barnett interjected. But in the intervening years, this credibility, and his job title, seems to have transferred away from his area of astronomical expertise, he noted, positioning him to speak with authority about anything related to physics or satellite collisions or faster-than-light neutrinos.

For writers about science, the institution is no less important. Novelist and poet Sue Guiney told us how her position as writer-in-residence at the at the University of London has opened far more doors than did the fact she has written four books.

In fact, as fellow novelist Laura Dietz pointed out, the institution is such a strong factor in science that citizen scientists who prove their worth outside of the traditional research environment tend to get scooped up into a university as soon as they rise to prominence. Like research papers, it seems that people require peer review in order to gain credibility, too.

As an ex-scientist and current science journalist, I am confronted with questions over credibility on a daily basis, be it my own or that of others. This aspect was touched upon only lightly - how the media?s predilection for a good narrative arc in stories compares to that of fiction writers - but given the impassioned views and breadth of the topic, that debate could have raged for hours. After much discussion, though, the panel decided that plausibility - be it of fictional characters, imagined research ideas, or even real-life stories of scientists - is the overarching measure for credibility. This was most succinctly summarised in an interjection from the audience, when esteemed science historian Simon Schaffer piped up with, ?I couldn?t put a cigarette paper between plausibility and credibility?.

The importance of credibility came sharply into focus for me later on in the week when I attended a debate entitled "Energy policy: should scientists be in charge?" The panel was stacked to the gunnels with intellectual heavyweights, but was in fact more of a face-off between engineering and economics than a question of whether scientists should be in charge. Electrical engineers Mike Kelly and Richard McMahon argued the pragmatism and overarching vision of their profession meant they should be in charge. Economists David Newbery and Michael Pollitt countered by arguing strongly for the effect of the free market in directing energy policy. They also pointed out that one country?s energy policy alone won?t mitigate climate change, that other countries must be ?persuaded? to meet targets too.

The audience?s opinion was as divided on leaving the discussion as on entering it. On a topic as important and complex as energy policy, who to trust becomes even more important. But confronted with a panel of experts giving conflicting advice, individual credibility won?t be able to sway the decision. In the end, you are left to hope that the credibility of their arguments will win out.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/19a48a54/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cculturelab0C20A110C10A0Cwhat0Egives0Escientists0E0E0Eand0Ewriters0E0E0Ecredibility0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Flat tax renews fight on 'trickle-down economics' (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The flat tax is making a comeback among Republican presidential candidates. But it faces tough opposition in Congress because it tends to favor the rich at the expense of other taxpayers, renewing an old debate about "trickle-down economics."

Most of the top GOP contenders ? Mitt Romney's an exception ? offer a variation of the tax plan in which everyone pays the same rate. Businessman Herman Cain has his 9-9-9 proposal, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry unveiled a 20 percent flat tax on income this week. Even Romney foresees a flatter tax system in the future, though he favors something closer to the current setup in the short term.

The idea of a flat tax has long been championed by conservative politicians as being simple and fair. Publisher Steve Forbes made it a centerpiece of his Republican presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000. Forbes has endorsed Perry, calling his economic plan "the most exciting plan since (Ronald) Reagan's."

"American families deserve a system that is low, flat and fair," Perry wrote in his tax plan. "They should be able to file their taxes on a postcard instead of a massive novel-length document."

Conservative economists argue a flat tax would promote long-term economic growth by lowering taxes on the people who save and invest the greatest share of their income: the wealthy.

Lowering taxes on the wealthy, however, could prove politically difficult, especially now, with protesters around the country occupying public spaces and calling for the rich to pay more. President Barack Obama and many Democrats in Congress also want higher taxes for the highest-income Americans.

"It's all about political rhetoric," said William McBride, an economist the Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank. "The inevitable result of shifting the tax burden away from saving and investment is that you reduce the tax burden on the rich."

Liberals and many moderates complain that a flat tax is a giveaway to the rich, renewing an old debate over whether the benefits of tax cuts for those at the top trickle down to the rest of the population.

"This idea of lowering taxes on high-income people and somehow middle class people will benefit has been there for a long time," said Chuck Marr, director of federal tax policy at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Obviously it hasn't worked very well."

Flat tax plans by both Cain and Perry have provisions to protect low-income families from tax increases. But that raises questions about who will be left to pay the tab, said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.

"If you exempt the low-income people from higher taxes, if you cut the taxes for the wealthy, getting the same amount of revenue means the middle class are going to pay more, a lot more," Williams said.

The federal income tax currently has six marginal tax rates, also known as tax brackets. The lowest rate is 10 percent, and it applies to taxable income up to $17,000, for a married couple filing jointly. The top tax rate is 35 percent, on taxable income above $379,150.

"Taxable income" is income after deductions and exemptions, which can greatly reduce the amount that is taxed. There are also many tax credits that can further reduce tax bills.

In all, nearly half of U.S. households pay no federal income tax because their incomes are so low or because they qualify for so many tax breaks, according to the Tax Policy Center. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 pay, on average, 7.2 percent of their income in federal income taxes.

By contrast, the top 10 percent of households, in terms of income, pay more than half of all federal taxes and more than 70 percent of federal income taxes, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Cain's plan would scrap most of the current tax system. He would eliminate the payroll taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, and replace the progressive federal income tax with a flat 9 percent tax on income. He would lower the corporate income tax from 35 percent to 9 percent, and impose a new 9 percent national sales tax. The tax on capital gains would be eliminated.

The only income tax deductions allowed under Cain's original plan were for charitable contributions. He has since said people living below the poverty line ? $22,314 for a family of four ? would also be exempt from income tax.

Perry's plan would impose an optional 20 percent flat tax. Families could choose between the current tax structure and a new 20 percent tax on income, presumably picking the one that taxes them the least.

Perry's flat tax would preserve deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations and state and local taxes. It also includes a $12,500 exemption for individuals and their dependents, meaning a family of four could make $50,000 and pay no federal income tax.

Perry's plan would reduce the corporate income tax from 35 percent to 20 percent and would eliminate the tax on dividends and long-term capital gains.

Romney's tax plan would initially maintain the current tax rates, extending sweeping tax cuts that were enacted under former President George W. Bush and extended through 2012 by Obama. Romney would eliminate taxes on capital gains, dividends and interest for taxpayers with adjusted gross income below $200,000. He would push to lower the corporate income tax from 35 percent to 25 percent.

In the long term, Romney would "pursue a conservative overhaul of the tax system that includes lower and flatter rates on a broader tax base."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_bi_ge/us2012_gop_flat_tax

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Optics Express Focus Issue: Collective phenomena in photonic, plasmonic and hybrid structures

Public release date: 24-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Stark
astark@osa.org
202-416-1443
Optical Society of America

Research highlights photonic and plasmonic nanostructures with applications in optical communications, energy generation and biomedical research

WASHINGTON, -- The combination of optical, electronic and mechanical effects occurring in devices and materials that have structure on the nanometer scale are being investigated by researchers around the world. These "collective phenomena" have applications as diverse as the generation of light, optical sensing, and information processing. To highlight the recent progress and trends in physics and applications in this area, the editors of the Optical Society's (OSA) (http://www.osa.org) open-access journal Optics Express (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe) today published a special focus issue on "Collective Phenomena in Photonic, Plasmonic and Hybrid Structures." (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/virtual_issue.cfm?vid=154) The issue is organized and edited by Guest Editors Svetlana V. Boriskina of Boston University, Michelle Povinelli of the University of Southern California, Vasily N. Astratov of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Anatoly V. Zayats of King's College London, and Viktor A. Podolskiy of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Photonic and plasmonic nanostructures provide exciting opportunities for trapping and manipulating light in volumes that can be even smaller than the wavelength of light. These effects have already been harnessed for applications in optical communications, energy generation and biomedical research. The next challenge faced by researchers in this burgeoning field is the understanding and exploiting of collective phenomena phenomena due to the interactions of the individual photonic, plasmonic, electronic and mechanical components. Examples of this include a small object that starts to vibrate by shining light on it, or an artificial nano-structured material whose optical and electronic properties result from the concerted action of its individual building blocks.

"Our goal in publishing this focus issue is to spur further inter-disciplinary research merging nanophotonics, plasmonics, optomechanics and material science, which could lead to the development of novel classes of high-performance devices and nano-structured materials with custom-designed optical, electronic and mechanical characteristics," said Boriskina.

Summary

The papers in this issue focus on studying the fundamental physics of collective phenomena due to the coupling of confined photonic, plasmonic, electronic and mechanical states, and in exploiting these phenomena to engineer novel devices for light generation, optical sensing, and information processing. The scattering, radiative and mechanical properties of structures and materials dominated by collective phenomena can differ significantly from those of individual components. Additional degrees of freedom offered by complex heterogeneous nanostructures can be used to obtain new device functionality through coupling-induced tailored control of fundamental physical processes.

Key Findings & Select Papers

Mark Stockman of Georgia State University (USA) provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in nanoplasmonics with a special emphasis on ultrafast, active and gain plasmonics. After reviewing the fundamentals of hot spots formation in plasmonic structures and arrays, the author focuses on the description of the mechanisms of spatiotemporal control of nanolocalization of optical energy. The principle of operation and applications of the active plasmonic element spaser (Surface Plasmon Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are also discussed. Finally, the author summarizes possible ways to bypass, mitigate, or overcome dissipative losses inherent to nanoplasmonic networks, with the main focus on the Ohmic loss compensation by gain in photonic-plasmonic metamaterials. Paper: "Nanoplasmonics: Past, Present, and Glimpse into Future," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22029) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22029-22106.

A group of researchers from the CIC nanoGune Consolider, Centro de Fsica de Materiales, and Basque Fondation for Science, Spain, present a hybrid system consisting of cyanine dye J-aggregates and Ag nanoparticles attached to a spherical dielectric microcavity. Melnikau et al demonstrate that attractive optical properties of J-aggregates such as narrow luminescence bands, high spontaneous emission rate, and giant third-order nonlinear susceptibility can be further enhanced by the concerted action of the high-Q localized optical states in the microcavity and localized surface plasmon oscillations on noble-metal nanoparticles. The authors describe the method to form thin shells of J-aggregates and multi-layers consisting of J-aggregates and Ag nanoparticles on the surfaces of optical microspheres. This creative fabrication approach results in the experimental demonstration of cavity-assisted luminescence enhancement, enhanced Raman scattering, and polarization-sensitive mode damping caused by re-absorption of J-aggregate emission. It also opens many new possibilities for creating new photonic structures and materials with localized states in the optical spectrum and nonlinear optical response. Paper: "Whispering gallery mode resonators with J-aggregates," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22280) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22280-22291.

Researchers from Boston University introduce a new approach to realize active spatio-temporal control of light on the nanoscale, which is a major challenge in conventional plasmonic nanocircuitry. Boriskina and Reinhard propose to exploit the rich phase landscape of the near-field of high-Q optical microcavities to manipulate sub-wavelength spatial light distribution in nanoscale plasmonic structures. Their theoretical analysis reveals that the flow of light through plasmonic nanocircuits can be directed and reversibly switched via controllable activation of areas of circulating powerflow (optical vortices), whose positions and mutual coupling can be dynamically controlled by the excitation wavelength, polarization, and modulation of the microcavity refractive index. This research opens new opportunities for the development of locally-addressable vortex-operated switching architectures for quantum information nanocircuit and bio(chemical) sensing platforms. Paper: "Adaptive on-chip control of nano-optical fields with optoplasmonic vortex nanogates," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22305) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22305-22315.

A research group from the Yale University demonstrates wheel-shaped optomechanical resonators that operate at GHz frequency with high mechanical Q factor in ambient air. Fabricated on a CMOS-compatible all-integrated Si photonics platform, the devices feature high-finesse optical whispering gallery modes (loaded optical Q factor above 500,000), which allows for efficient transduction of their mechanical modes with high mechanical Q factors. Sun and colleagues demonstrate the mechanical mode Q-factors up to 4,000, which helps to improve the readout sensitivity and the coherence time of the mechanical vibration. The demonstrated GHz-frequency operation of the optomechanical device opens the way for developing high-speed sensing systems, routing signals of different frequencies in optical channels, and also for facilitating access to the quantum regime. Paper: "GHz optomechanical resonators with high mechanical Q factor in air," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22316) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22316-22321.

###

About Optics Express

Optics Express reports on new developments in all fields of optical science and technology every two weeks. The journal provides rapid publication of original, peer-reviewed papers. It is published by the Optical Society and edited by C. Martijn de Sterke of the University of Sydney. Optics Express is an open-access journal and is available at no cost to readers online at http://www.OpticsInfoBase.org/OE.

About OSA

Uniting more than 130,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit http://www.osa.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 24-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Stark
astark@osa.org
202-416-1443
Optical Society of America

Research highlights photonic and plasmonic nanostructures with applications in optical communications, energy generation and biomedical research

WASHINGTON, -- The combination of optical, electronic and mechanical effects occurring in devices and materials that have structure on the nanometer scale are being investigated by researchers around the world. These "collective phenomena" have applications as diverse as the generation of light, optical sensing, and information processing. To highlight the recent progress and trends in physics and applications in this area, the editors of the Optical Society's (OSA) (http://www.osa.org) open-access journal Optics Express (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe) today published a special focus issue on "Collective Phenomena in Photonic, Plasmonic and Hybrid Structures." (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/virtual_issue.cfm?vid=154) The issue is organized and edited by Guest Editors Svetlana V. Boriskina of Boston University, Michelle Povinelli of the University of Southern California, Vasily N. Astratov of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Anatoly V. Zayats of King's College London, and Viktor A. Podolskiy of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Photonic and plasmonic nanostructures provide exciting opportunities for trapping and manipulating light in volumes that can be even smaller than the wavelength of light. These effects have already been harnessed for applications in optical communications, energy generation and biomedical research. The next challenge faced by researchers in this burgeoning field is the understanding and exploiting of collective phenomena phenomena due to the interactions of the individual photonic, plasmonic, electronic and mechanical components. Examples of this include a small object that starts to vibrate by shining light on it, or an artificial nano-structured material whose optical and electronic properties result from the concerted action of its individual building blocks.

"Our goal in publishing this focus issue is to spur further inter-disciplinary research merging nanophotonics, plasmonics, optomechanics and material science, which could lead to the development of novel classes of high-performance devices and nano-structured materials with custom-designed optical, electronic and mechanical characteristics," said Boriskina.

Summary

The papers in this issue focus on studying the fundamental physics of collective phenomena due to the coupling of confined photonic, plasmonic, electronic and mechanical states, and in exploiting these phenomena to engineer novel devices for light generation, optical sensing, and information processing. The scattering, radiative and mechanical properties of structures and materials dominated by collective phenomena can differ significantly from those of individual components. Additional degrees of freedom offered by complex heterogeneous nanostructures can be used to obtain new device functionality through coupling-induced tailored control of fundamental physical processes.

Key Findings & Select Papers

Mark Stockman of Georgia State University (USA) provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in nanoplasmonics with a special emphasis on ultrafast, active and gain plasmonics. After reviewing the fundamentals of hot spots formation in plasmonic structures and arrays, the author focuses on the description of the mechanisms of spatiotemporal control of nanolocalization of optical energy. The principle of operation and applications of the active plasmonic element spaser (Surface Plasmon Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are also discussed. Finally, the author summarizes possible ways to bypass, mitigate, or overcome dissipative losses inherent to nanoplasmonic networks, with the main focus on the Ohmic loss compensation by gain in photonic-plasmonic metamaterials. Paper: "Nanoplasmonics: Past, Present, and Glimpse into Future," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22029) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22029-22106.

A group of researchers from the CIC nanoGune Consolider, Centro de Fsica de Materiales, and Basque Fondation for Science, Spain, present a hybrid system consisting of cyanine dye J-aggregates and Ag nanoparticles attached to a spherical dielectric microcavity. Melnikau et al demonstrate that attractive optical properties of J-aggregates such as narrow luminescence bands, high spontaneous emission rate, and giant third-order nonlinear susceptibility can be further enhanced by the concerted action of the high-Q localized optical states in the microcavity and localized surface plasmon oscillations on noble-metal nanoparticles. The authors describe the method to form thin shells of J-aggregates and multi-layers consisting of J-aggregates and Ag nanoparticles on the surfaces of optical microspheres. This creative fabrication approach results in the experimental demonstration of cavity-assisted luminescence enhancement, enhanced Raman scattering, and polarization-sensitive mode damping caused by re-absorption of J-aggregate emission. It also opens many new possibilities for creating new photonic structures and materials with localized states in the optical spectrum and nonlinear optical response. Paper: "Whispering gallery mode resonators with J-aggregates," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22280) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22280-22291.

Researchers from Boston University introduce a new approach to realize active spatio-temporal control of light on the nanoscale, which is a major challenge in conventional plasmonic nanocircuitry. Boriskina and Reinhard propose to exploit the rich phase landscape of the near-field of high-Q optical microcavities to manipulate sub-wavelength spatial light distribution in nanoscale plasmonic structures. Their theoretical analysis reveals that the flow of light through plasmonic nanocircuits can be directed and reversibly switched via controllable activation of areas of circulating powerflow (optical vortices), whose positions and mutual coupling can be dynamically controlled by the excitation wavelength, polarization, and modulation of the microcavity refractive index. This research opens new opportunities for the development of locally-addressable vortex-operated switching architectures for quantum information nanocircuit and bio(chemical) sensing platforms. Paper: "Adaptive on-chip control of nano-optical fields with optoplasmonic vortex nanogates," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22305) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22305-22315.

A research group from the Yale University demonstrates wheel-shaped optomechanical resonators that operate at GHz frequency with high mechanical Q factor in ambient air. Fabricated on a CMOS-compatible all-integrated Si photonics platform, the devices feature high-finesse optical whispering gallery modes (loaded optical Q factor above 500,000), which allows for efficient transduction of their mechanical modes with high mechanical Q factors. Sun and colleagues demonstrate the mechanical mode Q-factors up to 4,000, which helps to improve the readout sensitivity and the coherence time of the mechanical vibration. The demonstrated GHz-frequency operation of the optomechanical device opens the way for developing high-speed sensing systems, routing signals of different frequencies in optical channels, and also for facilitating access to the quantum regime. Paper: "GHz optomechanical resonators with high mechanical Q factor in air," (http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22316) Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 22, pp. 22316-22321.

###

About Optics Express

Optics Express reports on new developments in all fields of optical science and technology every two weeks. The journal provides rapid publication of original, peer-reviewed papers. It is published by the Optical Society and edited by C. Martijn de Sterke of the University of Sydney. Optics Express is an open-access journal and is available at no cost to readers online at http://www.OpticsInfoBase.org/OE.

About OSA

Uniting more than 130,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit http://www.osa.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/osoa-oef102411.php

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Ohio city wants immigrants to feel welcome

DAYTON, Ohio?? On the same afternoon thousands of Hispanics in Alabama took the day off to protest the state's strict new immigration law, Mexican-born Francisco Mejia was ringing up diners' bills and handing containers piled with carnitas to drive-thru customers on the east side of Dayton.

His family's Taqueria Mixteca is thriving on a street pockmarked with rundown buildings and vacant storefronts. It gets packed with a diverse lunchtime clientele of Hispanic laborers, white men in suits and other customers, white and black. "Business is very good," Mejia said, smiling broadly between orders.

It's the kind of success story that leaders in Dayton think offers hope for an entire city. It has adopted a plan not only to encourage immigrants to come and feel welcome here, but also to use them to help pull out of an economic tailspin.

Dayton officials, who adopted the "Welcome Dayton" plan unanimously Oct. 5, say they aren't condoning illegal immigration; those who come here illicitly will continue to be subject to U.S. laws.

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Story: Parents: Hispanic kids being bullied in law's wake

While states including Alabama, Georgia and Arizona, as well as some cities, have passed laws in recent years cracking down on illegal immigrants, Dayton officials say they will leave that to federal authorities and focus instead on how to attract and assimilate those who come legally.

Other cities, including nearby Columbus and Indianapolis, have programs to help immigrants get government and community help, but Dayton's effort has a broader, and more urgent, feel.

Mayor Gary Leitzell told the city commission before the vote that immigrants bring "new ideas, new perspectives and new talent to our workforce. ... To reverse the decades-long trend of economic decline in this city, we need to think globally."

Hard-hit for years by the struggles of U.S. manufacturing, particularly in the auto industry, the recession pounded Dayton, which as the Wright Brother's hometown calls itself "the birthplace of aviation."

Thousands of jobs were lost with the crippling 2009 exodus to Georgia of NCR (formerly National Cash Register), one of Dayton's signature corporations, after 125 years, and by the 2008 shutdown of a General Motors plant in suburban Moraine.

Dayton's unemployment is nearly 11 percent, 2 percent higher than the national average, while population has fallen below 142,000, down 15 percent from 2000. Meanwhile, the city's official foreign-born population rose 57 percent, to 5,102, from 2000 to 2010, according to census figures.

City leaders aiming to turn Dayton around started examining the immigrant population: Indian doctors in hospitals; foreign-born professors and graduate students at the region's universities; and owners of new small businesses such as a Turkish family's New York Pizzeria on the city's east side and Hispanic-run car lots, repair shops and small markets. They say immigrants have revitalized some rundown housing, moving into and fixing up what had been vacant homes.

"This area has been in a terrible recession, but it would be even worse without them," said Theo Majka, a University of Dayton sociology professor who, with his sociologist wife Linda Majka, has studied and advocated for Dayton's immigrants. "Here we have this underutilized resource."

Dayton officials say their plan still needs funding and volunteers to help put it in place; they hope by the end of the year. Its key tenets include increasing information and access to government, social services and housing issues; language education and help with identification cards, and grants and marketing help for immigrant entrepreneurs to help build the East Third Street section.

"We will be more diverse, we will grow, we will have more restaurants, more small businesses," said Tom Wahlrab, the city's human relations council director, who helped lead the plan's development.

Besides thousands of Hispanics, there are communities in Dayton of Iraqi refugees, Vietnamese and other Asians, Africans from several countries, and Russians and Turks who, officials say, are already living here quietly and industriously.

"Immigrants are hard workers with a propensity to create jobs, and this will invigorate the economy," said Festus Nyiwo, an attorney in his home country of Nigeria who has been a small-business entrepreneur since coming to Dayton about eight years ago.

Around the country, the bad economy has helped inspire new laws targeting illegal immigrants, seen as taking scarce jobs and overburdening schools, police and services.

In Alabama, a new law allows police to detain indefinitely those suspected of being in the country illegally and requires schools to check new students' status; some farms and businesses say they're losing workers because of it. Georgia and Arizona also added tough restrictions.

The immigration debate continues in Hazleton, Pa., where officials five years ago passed a law aimed at driving out illegal immigrants they blamed for drugs, violent crime and overwhelming schools and hospitals. The measure has since been tied up in court challenges.

Dorothy Balser, manager of refugee resettlement services for Catholic Social Services, said that finding jobs can be a struggle, but that refugees have generally been able to fit into the Dayton community. She thinks the Welcome Dayton plan will have a "natural positive effect" on those already here without causing a significant rise in numbers immediately.

Dayton's schools say they're helping 525 students learn English, up from 420 less than two years ago. About half are native Spanish-speakers; the rest are a mix of Turkish, Arabic, Swahili and more. They're ready to accept more.

"We already are currently experiencing many students from many nationalities living in Dayton. That is a reality," said Jill Moberly, a spokeswoman for Dayton Public Schools.

Opponents fear it will encourage illegal immigration and give preferences to immigrants.

"If Dayton wants to help build its economy by letting people know that illegal immigrants are welcome, that's their prerogative," said Steve Salvi, founder of Ohio Jobs & Justice PAC, an advocacy group that focuses on illegal immigration. "But when they accept a plan that clearly has the purpose of including those people, that's a problem for everyone."

Roy Barber, who owns Roy's Lock Shop on East Third Street, says he's been in business for 30 years and doesn't like the city's plan.

"Nobody ever talked to me," he said. "Why not help us?"

Barber said most of the neighborhood's Hispanic immigrants work hard and cause no problems. But he predicts Welcome Dayton will bring more illegal immigrants.

"You see people out on the street and you know they're illegal," he said.

Rich Lober, 50, a lifelong Dayton resident, said Mexican and other immigrants have helped East Third.

"I like the idea of rejuvenating this neighborhood," Lober said. But he said Dayton should look to draw back former residents.

"I'd like to see a 'Welcome Back.' They should include American citizens, too," Lober said.

Black resident David Dewberry told city officials it's important not to neglect predominantly black neighborhoods, where residents might wonder where their welcome plan is.

"Rightfully so, there are some lifelong residents who are disenchanted," he said.

At Taqueria Mixteca, Mejia's mother and restaurant manager, Marta Guzman, believes Welcome Dayton will help relieve stereotypes.

"I know there are some (immigrants) who are causing crime and problems," said Guzman, who has lived in the United States for three decades, legalized through the 1986 amnesty program.

"I have struggled a lot in this country, working two jobs, raising three children" as a single mother, she said. "Most of us are here to work hard and to live the American dream."

Will the new policy bring more immigrants? Mejia smiled again.

"We're already hearing that there are some Mexicans who are planning to come here from Alabama," he said.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press reporters Lisa Cornwell in Cincinnati, Michael Rubinkam in Allentown, Pa.; Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix and Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Ala.

___

Contact this reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45019429/ns/us_news-life/

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Red Wings Vs. Capitals: Battle Of The Undefeateds In Washington

By Sean Yuille - Managing Editor

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Oct 22, 2011 - The Detroit Red Wings got almost a week off before Friday night's game against the winless Columbus Blue Jackets. They don't have any time to rest before Saturday night's game against the undefeated Washington Capitals, though. The Red Wings headed to Washington D.C. shortly after the win over the Blue Jackets, and they are preparing for their toughest test of the young NHL season.

After a couple weeks of play, only two teams in the NHL have yet to lose a game: the Red Wings and Capitals. Detroit is 5-0-0 and Washington is 6-0-0. The two teams will put their perfect records on the line Saturday night as Detroit looks to go for its best start since 1972-73. Here's a look at the lineup the Red Wings have put together for this game:

Forwards

Henrik Zetterberg - Pavel Datsyuk - Dan Cleary

Valtteri Filppula - Johan Franzen - Jiri Hudler

Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Todd Bertuzzi

Fabian Brunnstrom - Cory Emmerton - Patrick Eaves

Defenseman

Nicklas Lidstrom - Ian White

Niklas Kronwall - Brad Stuart

Jonathan Ericsson - Jakub Kindl

Starting Goalie

Ty Conklin

This game will serve as Brunnstrom's Red Wings debut, his 100th career NHL game and his first NHL game in more than 18 months. In his one career game against the Capitals, he scored a goal, so hopefully he'll add another one on Saturday night.

Read More: Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings

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Source: http://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-red-wings/2011/10/22/2506934/capitals-vs-red-wings-nhl-schedule

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Video: Video: Dirty Lions, Tebow's play and more

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/45010680#45010680

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Final four face off on 'Runway' finale

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Contestants Anya Ayoung-Chee, Joshua McKinley, Viktor Luna, Anthony Ryan Auld and Kimberly Goldson reunited in September ... but who was the ultimate "Project Runway" winner?

By Liane Bonin Starr , HitFix.com

It's down to the final four, and for whatever reason, Josh M. is still on the show. We can only hope he goes back to his apartment and makes a ton of ugly, tacky stuff in horrible neon colors and gets sent home. Wait, didn't we see horrible neon colors in the promo? Fingers crossed!?

Heidi Klum tells the final four they have five weeks and nine grand with which to make a collection. Then, she sends them home. Well, first they pack up their stuff at Atlas and cry a little. Then they go home. Hurry, you've only got five weeks, designers! ?

Of course, they don't just run back to New York with finished collections. First, Tim Gunn drops in to give them critiques while they still have time to fix their mistakes. His first visit is to Kimberly in White Plains, Md. She's designing for a Brooklyn gal, taking her inspiration from Brooklyn as it was when she was growing up (rough) and what it is now (expensive). What she shows Tim is surprisingly cute. I haven't loved everything Kim's done this season, but she's steadily improved. She introduces Tim to her two best friends and thinks about her dead mom. She's doing everything to make her dead mom proud. Do you detect a theme yet? You will.? ?

Next, Tim jets off to Maraval, Trinidad to see Anya. She introduces him to her brothers Yves and Will. She does everything to make her dead brother Pillar proud. Everything, that is, except a collection. She shows Tim the beautiful fabrics she wants to use ... but no samples. She's made NOTHING? Tim looks like he's going to have a heart attack. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack just watching. She keeps telling him she hasn't created any new shapes, to which he says, just MAKE SOMETHING. Oh, no. She's choking. Anya, I'm rooting for you, come back! ?

Next, Tim visits Viktor in New York. His studio is a fifth-floor walk up, which is excellent cardiovascular exercise. His inspiration is urban coast and ... his ?dead brother. Tim loves everything except one dress. Next, Tim meets his boyfriend David. Viktor reveals he's one of seven kids from Mexico, so he wants to make good to achieve the American dream.

Josh M. is in Queens. His sister McKenzie seems surprisingly sane, so apparently crazy doesn't run in the family. Josh M.'s family was athletic and he was a whiz on the track, but he left track and field behind for the bright lights and ugliest fabrics of New York City. He hopes Tim will clarify his vision. Hey, Josh M., you're supposed to have a clear vision ALREADY. Josh M. wants to push the envelope with a lenticular fabric usually reserved for arts and crafts projects. Tim does not look pleased. He thinks the colors are sherbet-y. Tim hates Josh M.'s beloved vintage print, which is truly godawful. Tim declares it's too busy and thinks it looks like he's trying too hard. Honestly, this collection is truly horrid. But now Josh M. has direction. Thanks, Tim.? ?

Finally, it's time for everyone to head for New York for Fashion Week.?Josh M. is so happy to be going to the penthouse of the Hudson Hotel, and he wishes his mom could be here to see him in all his glamorous glory. Guess what, Josh M.? You're not there alone, so get over yourself. Soon, everyone else arrives and pretends to be happy to see one another.

Read the full recap at HitFix.com.

Are you surprised at who's made it (nearly) to the finish line? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/21/8428631-anya-chokes-josh-m-tries-too-hard-on-first-part-of-runways-finale

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Deficit panel's credible accounting (Politico)

There are many individuals and groups, in the U.S. and around the world, concerned about Washington?s serious fiscal challenges and waiting to see what the supercommittee on deficit reduction will recommend.

The first key question they need to address is how they will keep score. Once this is decided, the supercommittee should focus on three objectives.

Continue Reading

First, it should make recommendations that can meet or exceed the established deficit-reduction target to avoid across-the-board cuts. Second, it should make recommendations designed to help economic growth and reduce unemployment. Third, its recommendations should facilitate greater deficit-reduction progress from 2012 to 2013.

The baseline the committee chooses will be crucial for calculating the deficit-reduction impact of their proposed reforms. How it decides to do so will have real bearing on the credibility of its efforts.

The supercommittee could choose from two primary bases to keep score. The first is the Congressional Budget Office?s extended baseline, or the current-law baseline. This assumes that the Bush tax cuts will expire at the end of calendar 2012; the alternative minimum tax will not be addressed and physician reimbursements under Medicare will be cut dramatically.

The other is the CBO?s alternative baseline, or the current-policy baseline ? which assumes that most of the Bush tax cuts will be extended; the alternative minimum tax will be patched and physician payments will not be cut dramatically.

The latter method results in more than $6 trillion in additional deficits over the next 10 years.

For the credibility of the committee?s efforts, it is important that the panel uses the individual elements that comprise the current-law baseline rather than the current-policy baseline. Doing otherwise would essentially give Congress and President Barack Obama a free pass on decisions relating to the critical fiscal issues that make up the difference ? an action both imprudent and inappropriate.

In any case, the CBO will score the supercommittee?s work using the current-law baseline. Simply put, our combined fiscal reforms must result in more progress than would occur if Congress and the president took a 10-year vacation!

The supercommittee, from a scorekeeping perspective, should use the individual elements of the CBO?s current-law baseline and make recommendations that can meet the established 10-year deficit-reduction target. It should also recognize that comprehensive social insurance and tax reforms are not feasible given its reporting deadline.

Possible recommendations include: modifying existing indexing formulas to more accurately reflect the cost of living; adopting greater means-testing for Medicare and other health care premium subsidies; reducing agriculture and other taxpayer subsidies and establishing firm deadlines for troop reductions in Afghanistan.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1011_66466_html/43335461/SIG=11md5jt9a/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66466.html

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"Jersey Shore" season finale ratings barely up from last week (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Season 4 of "Jersey Shore" started out with a bang, ratings-wise, and while the season didn't exactly end with a whimper, it was nothing to fist-pump about.

The season finale of "Jersey Shore" on Thursday -- in which Snooki, the Situation and the rest of the GTL crew bid arrivederci to their ancestral homeland of Italy -- beat out last week's episode, but just barely. And the season capper was a far cry from the blockbuster numbers that the Season 4 premiere in August posted.

Thursday night's finale pulled in 6.6 million total viewers, just managing to best last week's 6.5 million total viewers. (The season premiere raked in 8.8 million total viewers, while the season overall averaged 7.3 million total viewers.)

In the target demographic of people 12-34, last night's premiere posted a 6.36 rating, with 4.9 million total viewers in the demo, compared to last week's 6.24 rating and 4.8 million in the demo.

The reality TV guidos and guidettes will return to MTV for a fifth season in January.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111022/tv_nm/us_jerseyshore

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Romney says religion shouldn't be a factor (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/150060782?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Britney Spears, Boyfriend Get Steamy In 'Criminal' Video

Brit's real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick stars in Chris Marrs Piliero-directed clip.
By Jocelyn Vena

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears in the "Criminal" music video
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears' posh but incredibly mean English boyfriend asks his lovely girlfriend, "Why don't we see that pretty little face of yours?" at the beginning of the "Criminal" video. That remark sets off a chain of events that will certainly leave Britney fans watching the Chris Marrs Piliero-directed ("I Wanna Go") video on repeat.

As Britney and her abusive beau make their way out of the party, with him yelling at her for standing up for herself as he flirted with other girls, they come across Britney's real-life boyfriend, Jason Trawick, who is playing one really hot bad guy with a heart of gold. The boyfriend slaps Britney, and Jason comes to her rescue, setting into motion their very hot — and very naked — love affair.

He takes her back to his place, where a headline reveals he's -- you guessed it — a criminal. But Britney doesn't seem to mind. She kisses him. He kisses her. They get it on, showing lots of skin and giving fans a sneak peek into their personal life.

They then head to a convenience store, where Britney decides to break loose and hold the place up, guns blazing. After the stickup, the pair steal a car and head back to Jason's loft for a very revealing shower scene that includes lingering shots on their wet, naked bodies.

As they wrap up the steamy shower session, the authorities close in on them, blasting bullets into the apartment. But Britney and Jason just continue to share passionate kisses as bullets soar around them John Woo-style.

Just when you think it's the end for pop's reigning Bonnie and Clyde, the police enter the apartment to see that the duo has escaped, unhurt, driving away on Jason's motorcycle. As the credits roll, everyone's left wondering what they will do next.

Britney first teased her "Criminal" single to MTV News when we caught up with her at the 2011 VMAs in August, and she was already thinking about what the visual element might look like. "Actually the song, when I first heard it, it's really different and it's not anything I've heard like this before," Brit said. "So I really wanted to deliver this song. I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting," she added. "You'll have to see."

Shot in London in September, "Criminal" is the fourth single and video from Femme Fatale.

Related Photos

• Britney Spears Teases 'Criminal' Video With Photos!

Related Artists

• Britney Spears

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672700/britney-spears-criminal-video.jhtml

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Major investors seek new carbon emissions treaty (AP)

GENEVA ? Large investors representing more than $20 trillion (euro14.62 trillion) in assets urged governments on Wednesday to sign a binding treaty on carbon emissions at the U.N. climate talks in South Africa in December.

A group of 285 investors say only legally enforceable carbon limits can spur the level of investment needed to keep temperatures from rising further. The group includes three major investor networks in the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Stephanie Pfeifer, executive director of the London-based Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, said that raising enough capital to meet climate change goals "will only be possible when low carbon investments are seen as attractive relative to higher carbon investments."

The group includes HSBC Investments, BBC Pension Trust, Hermes, BNP Paribas, Sarasin & Partners and many other of the largest pension funds and asset managers in Europe, with assets of around $10 trillion.

The investors, which also includes the Investor Network on Climate Risk, say overall capital flows to address climate change remain well below the $500 billion (euro365.60 billion) a year that the Paris-based International Energy Agency says is needed to keep temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. That is the threshold beyond which nations have agreed that serious damage from climate change would be expected.

Boston-based INCR includes BlackRock, Deutsche Asset Management and public pension funds in California, Florida and New York, collectively managing about $10 trillion in assets.

They also want a multibillion-dollar "Green Climate Fund" and clear short-, medium- and long-term goals established for cutting carbon dioxide, methane and other major industrial gases that trap heat in the atmosphere like a greenhouse.

Mindy Lubber, director of INCR and president of Boston-based investment network Ceres, called the statement "a plea" to the U.S. and other governments to give businesses the policies they need to compete in a global economy with a low-carbon future.

"Governments that act aggressively to enact strong, long-term climate and energy policy will reap the biggest rewards," she said. "They will drive the innovation, attract investment and create jobs."

In 1997, the world's nations gathered in Kyoto, Japan, to try to do something about increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and associated rising temperatures.

The Kyoto Protocol, which the United States wouldn't join, called for modest cuts in greenhouse emissions by the end of 2012. It's unclear what might follow that treaty or how it could impact Europe's carbon emissions trading system that is expanding each year.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made climate change a top priority of his first term from 2007 until the end of this year, but for his second term he's pushing global sustainability, a broader calculus that includes climate, energy and a host of other issues.

Christiana Figueres, the Costa Rican head of the U.N.'s post-Kyoto climate negotiations, said many governments are signaling they want a low-carbon future.

"To get there fast enough will require huge new investments in clean energy," Figueres said.

"This is the only way to guarantee the long-term sustainability and security of the world economic system, and the stability of returns from global investment, a major part of which is directly linked to the pensions and life insurance of ordinary people around the world."

The arguments run counter to some of those being made in the United States, where there has been a raging and highly partisan debate over whether countries' economies would clearly benefit from more climate investment and "green jobs."

Among U.S. Republican presidential candidates, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has said "the science is not settled" and only Jon Huntsman Jr., the former Utah governor, defends the science of climate change.

The U.N.'s World Climate Research Program in Geneva will assemble 1,700 scientists from 84 nations in Denver next week to look at climate change and extreme weather events. Fossil fuel-burning and other human changes on climate clearly raise the odds for "more of these types of events ? heat waves over Europe ? in the future," Ghassem Asrar, the program's director, told reporters Wednesday.

In June, the Democrats' leading environmental messenger, Al Gore, argued that even President Barack Obama ? a proponent of green jobs to spur the economy ? has failed to take "bold action" on the issue of global warming.

"Individual nations will be in a stronger position to attract private capital to stimulate their economies by implementing clear and credible climate policies," said Frank Pegan, chair of the Sydney-based Investor Group on Climate Change, which includes Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and UBS Investment Bank, and controls about $700 billion in assets.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_un_climate_investors

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Factory closure in China could affect Mac notebook shipments (Digital Trends)

The partial closure of a factory in China due to environmental concerns could have an impact on the supply of Apple?s notebook computers.

According to an FT report on Monday, the facility was closed by local officials following complaints by people living nearby of a strange odour, apparently coming from the factory.

The production plant, located in Suzhou province in eastern China, is operated by Taiwan-based Catcher Technology, one of the world?s leading manufacturers of metal computer casings. The company is a big supplier of the unibody aluminum cases used for Apple?s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks.

Speaking at a news conference, Catcher Technology?s president Allen Horng said, ?Shipments to our customers will inevitably be affected. We already asked them to make adjustments to their (casings) procurement.?

The Wall Street Journal reported that Horng was unable to say how long the closure would last for, but that the company?s total shipments would fall by 20 percent in October and, if the situation continued, by around 40 percent in November.

Analysts have suggested that the other major supplier of metal computer casings, Foxconn, could receive an increase in orders as a result of the problem at Catcher Technology?s Suzhou factory, although it?s not clear by how much this would ease any strain on the supply chain.

On Tuesday Apple will release its third quarter financial results. Some analysts expect record figures to be announced, helped partly by healthy sales of the MacBook Air, which received a refresh in July.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111017/tc_digitaltrends/factoryclosureinchinacouldaffectmacnotebookshipments

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Future spaceflight goes virtual

Sierra Nevada Corp.

Sierra Nevada Corp.'s Dream Chaser flight simulator shows the view that would be outside the cockpit windows during the mini-shuttle's approach to a landing strip.

By Alan Boyle

Even though Sierra Nevada Corp.'s downsized space shuttle hasn't been built yet, future fliers can practice taking it in for a simulated landing. And among those future fliers is the boss.

Mark Sirangelo isn't just the head of Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Space Systems. He's also a licensed pilot, and he intends to take a ride on his company's Dream Chaser spaceship as early as next year during its atmospheric tests. Those tests are slated to begin next summer, with the stub-winged Dream Chaser being dropped from high altitude by Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane.

---

If the test flights go as planned, Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser could be?carrying astronauts and cargo between Earth and the International Space Station in 2015 or 2016 ? becoming the first winged vehicle to fly in Earth orbit since NASA's retirement of the space shuttle. By that time, there could well be other U.S. spaceships flying as well, courtesy of?companies ranging from the Boeing Co. and Orbital Sciences Corp. to SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Those companies' pioneering efforts in commercial spaceflight will be among the subjects taken up this week during the International Symposium?for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, presented in Las Cruces,?N.M. This year's?symposium is being held just a couple of days after the splashy?dedication of Virgin Galactic's?terminal building at Spaceport America, 45 miles to the north.

Sirangelo told me that this week's dedication served as another sign that the commercial space frontier was advancing. "This brings a certain reality to the idea," he said as he watched?WhiteKnightTwo and its attached SpaceShipTwo rocket plane go through their maneuvers.

Sierra Nevada is Virgin Galactic's partner in more ways than one:?In addition to using WhiteKnightTwo as a platform for its early tests,?Sirangelo's?company is manufacturing the hybrid rocket engines that are to be used in SpaceShipTwo. Those engines are now undergoing ground tests. The first in-flight tests are expected to begin within a year.

Meanwhile, the work on Dream Chaser is accelerating:?This spring, NASA awarded Sierra Nevada $80 million to support the spaceship's development, and?last month the space agency sweetened the deal with an extra $25.6 million for additional milestones. NASA's Kennedy Space Center?struck yet another deal to?make its facilities and its expertise available to Sierra?Nevada.

During a recent visit to Sierra Nevada Space System's headquarters near Denver, I saw a few former NASA?employees bustling through?the halls, including five-time space shuttle fliers?Steve Lindsey and Jim Voss (who are now executives at the company).

Another one of the ex-NASA types at Sierra Nevada is the company's simulation manager, Stokes McMillan, whoused to work on NASA's X-38 program at Johnson Space Center. "After that program was canceled, I?always have looked for something?like that ? and here it is," McMillan told me.

McMillan's?pride and joy is Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser?cockpit simulator, a gizmo modeled after NASA's space shuttle simulator. It may not rock and roll like the space agency's motion-base machine, but it has?big?projection screens, computerized control dials and a joystick-based flight system that?give you the?feeling that you're actually flying. Even I was able to land the darn thing on a virtual Kennedy Space Center airstrip, with lots of coaching from McMillan.

Development of the simulator was one of the extra milestones that NASA added to Sierra Nevada's list. In the long term,?the make-believe cockpit?can be used to train astronauts to fly the real Dream Chaser. But in the shorter term, it?will help the company's engineers fine-tune the way the spaceship handles itself and the way the instruments are arranged, with advice from the?experts who'll be making all those virtual flights.

Sirangelo has flown the simulator many times, and he's looking forward to?taking a seat on the real Dream Chaser in the not-too-distant future. He discussed his expectations as well as the company's aspirations during a wide-ranging interview this summer.?Here's an edited excerpt:???

Cosmic Log: There are several vehicles that are being supported by NASA as part of the commercial crew development program. And I've seen one report about an Irish bookmaker who said the Dream Chaser had the best odds of flying first. How do you assess the field for this sort of market of providing NASA with these services?

Mark Sirangelo: Well, it?s not for me to comment on other people's work, but we look at the field this way: We think that NASA will have more than one provider. They have more than one provider to do cargo right now. There are two U.S. companies vying to do that, in addition to the Japanese cargo system and the Russian cargo system. There are multiple cargo systems out there. We think that, ultimately, there will be at least two, perhaps more U.S. systems brought for orbital transfer.

Very often we get asked, well, why us?? Well, if you look at space, why should space be any different from how we look at our navy or our air force or our army? There are different vehicles for different tasks. Having a lifting body capable of making a runway landing has certain attributes to it that are not present in capsules right now.

Those attributes include things such as being able to return to Earth at less than 2 G's and being able to land on a runway that's less than 10,000 feet long, being able to go right up to the vehicle after it lands to take off critical experiments, and take people off immediately.

The vehicle also has the ability to do other things in space. One of the reasons NASA got into this program to begin with was to enable commercial space, not just to provide a point-to-point solution for the space station. A lifting-body design like ours has the ability to do servicing, much as the shuttle serviced the Hubble Space Telescope. Our vehicle can stay in low-Earth orbit for many months unmanned if it needs to.? We can provide transportation to other destinations in a manner that?s very consistent with what non-professional astronauts might need.

Q: Of all the vehicles that are being funded in this phase, this is the only lifting-body, winged vehicle that looks anything like the shuttle. I've noticed that you've had former astronauts come through here - do you feel as if a lot of the people who have been involved in the NASA program have a soft spot for a winged vehicle like this?

A: We think that we?re getting an increasing amount of interest in our program for a variety of reasons.? I think the top reasons are that people with the retirement of the shuttle realized that there was a purpose for the shuttle, for its design, for what it did. I wouldn?t call it sentimental, but they realized that the people who designed that were pretty smart people.? They felt that there would be multiple missions this shuttle can do.

I think there?s also real interest in that we can make a very positive statement that many of the people who worked on the shuttle program can see those skill sets being accomplished on our program. We have to turn this around from one flight to the next, we have to do many of the same kind of things that the shuttle did, albeit in a smaller version. So some of those skill sets will transfer over.

We also think that when members of the astronaut corps look at this, they'll realize that they can still be piloting, they can still be flying a vehicle.? In the current scenario, where there are passengers on a Russian Soyuz, that skill set goes away. In our vision, we will have a commercial astronaut pilot sitting next to a NASA astronaut pilot on NASA missions.? So those people still have a place to fly, that skill set remains current within the U.S. space effort. And all that money spent to train those people continue to be relevant.

Q: There?s been some discussion about who would fly the vehicle in its operational phase. Of course, there will be test pilots who are employed by Sierra Nevada to make sure the vehicle fills the specifications. But once it enters service, who's in control of the vehicle?

A: It isn?t clear to any of us right now who?s going to fly and how it?s going to fly.? But I think there are three basic approaches to the problem.

One is that we build the vehicle, and NASA essentially leases it.? So they put NASA personnel on and NASA flies it. That certainly would be fine with us.

The second approach would be that we essentially pilot the vehicle.? We own it and we?re much like the Soyuz right now, where the Russians are in charge of the vehicle and they?re providing a seat. We provide a seat in a similar fashion to NASA. Instead of flying on a Russian vehicle, putting money into the Russian space program, we?re putting that money into the U.S. space program,? and we?re providing transportation underneath our own management.

We also have come up with a third approach, and it?s one that we particularly like. It?s taking the page out of the maritime industry, where large ships are often piloted across the waters by a captain who is employed by the company who owns the tanker or the cargo ship. When the ship gets to a major port, there?s a harbor pilot who comes out to take that ship in, who knows the harbor very well.?Similarly speaking, we think the NASA astronaut pilots know the space station. NASA might feel more comfortable having a NASA astronaut pilot do the proximity operations around the space station, including docking. We might in fact have our pilot do the launch and take off and put it into orbit, and I believe NASA pilot take over when that ship needs to dock to the space station.? That would balance the skill sets on both sides and provide another level of safety, and another level of interaction with NASA.

Q: Interesting ... when you look at the stimulator that you have set up, it?s very similar to how a shuttle simulator looks. Is that intentional, in that you want to preserve the handling of the shuttle, or is it just an outgrowth of the design, because it?s a vehicle that?s designed similarly to the shuttle.

A: When you walk into the simulator, you?ll see that there are very similar aspects to what is going on with the space shuttle, and that?s not by chance. Many, many years of work has gone into how to lay out vehicles, and we are learning from that, we are absorbing that. We are adding significantly new technologies to the vehicle, so it has the blending of what?s going on currently in the field of aviation technology as well as some of the tried-and-true design methods that have been used before.?Anyone who comes into that who has experience flying high-performance aircraft or flying the shuttle or flying modern commercial aviation aircraft will feel very comfortable behind the stick. And that is by intent.

We?re not trying to reinvent the wheel here.? We are trying to take the best of the past and marry it with the best of the future, and put it together into one vehicle. ...

Q: I'm guessing that when you got started in business,?you did not anticipate that you?d be working on a spaceship. Did you think that you would be working on this sort of vehicle?

A: It?s interesting. I think many of the people on the program, myself included, have always believed that we would do something in space. I have been a pilot for a long time, and I continue to fly. One of the jokes around my family was that the next thing we were going to be doing would be Mark going to space at some point in time. This is as much a passion for me as it is for anyone else. I hope to be in one of the first vehicles. We are going to be flying the vehicles before we ever put any NASA people onboard. And if there are something wrong, we?ll be the first ones to know about it.

This is not done merely as some business activity. This is done as a personal passion. Throughout the organization, the hundreds of people who are now working on this are doing it because they believe in this program, and they believe in the partnership with NASA that we have. Someday I?ll be flying the vehicle alongside, I hope, a number of people from NASA.

Q: When do you anticipate that day will come?

A: We will start doing our drop test of the Dream Chaser in 2012. First schedule is to start doing what we call an?atmospheric drop test, taking it up to a high altitude and letting it go and then piloting it down to make sure that the vehicle has all the necessary characteristics to allow to act as a piloted vehicle. In the following year, we?ll begin doing our suborbital tests, and then starting in 2014, going into 2015, we?ll be doing orbital tests, first as an unmanned vehicle and then as a manned vehicle. I hope and I think many of us will be participating in that test schedule between now and then.

Q: So in the 2015 timeframe, once the manned orbital tests begin, is that when you would get your ticket?

A: I would expect that I would be part of the drop test program and the suborbital program. We have a small group of people who have experience in flying who are going to be part of that.

Q: So that could be next year?

A: It could be next year, or early 2013.

Q: So how do you feel about that? it sounds as if you?re looking forward to it.

A: Oh, yeah. I can?t say how excited we all are to be able to go back and see hardware, to touch the vehicle now that?s been on paper for so long. Seeing that the first vehicle is well into production really gets your heart going. It makes you realize why you are doing this.

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Stay tuned for more reports about the space frontier from the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight on Wednesday and Thursday. We'll also be featuring some of the leaders?of the private-sector space effort, including?Sirangelo as well as SpaceX's Elon Musk and Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson, in an upcoming installment of our "Future of Technology" series.

Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding me to your Google+ circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/18/8385891-future-spaceflight-goes-virtual

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