Have Humans Caused a New Geological Era?

SAN FRANCISCO — Humans drive trillions of miles in cars, clear-cut forests for agriculture and create vast landfills teeming with tin cans, soda bottles and other detritus of industrialization. There's no doubt that humans have radically reshaped the planet, and those changes leave traces in the Earth's geological record. At the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union this week, geologists are grappling with how to define the boundaries of that human-centered geologic era, referred to as the Anthropocene. Despite our dramatic impact on the planet, defining our era has proven a difficult task. "If it's to be a geological period, it has to be visible in the geological record," said Anthony Brown, a researcher at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, who is trying to define the boundary. Because geology looks at the deep past, such questions would normally be examined in 100,000, even 1 million years' time, he said. "In the absence of time travel, we have to work out whether we really do have enough around to define a new geological period." Shifting boundary In one possible way of demarcating the boundary between natural geologic eras and the human-shaped period, scientists would look at how agriculture changes sediments, Brown told LiveScience. For instance, when farmers clear-cut forests and plant crops, they change how sediments and runoff wash into the local rivers, often creating a thick layer of silty, sandy clay on the flood plain, Brown said. [Top 10 Ways to Destroy Earth] But using such geologic clues to date the Anthropocene era runs into a problem: agriculture began at different times around the globe. Some areas, such as certain pockets in Africa, may not have had intensive agriculture until recently. Alternatively chemical deposits could date the boundary between human and natural geologic eras. For instance, widespread use of leaded gasoline and paint has left high levels of lead in soils throughout the world, said Michael Kruge, a researcher at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) could also serve as markers. These are formed from combustion in natural wildfires, but also come largely from the burning of fossil fuels. "In the middle of the 20th century, you see a big spike in these compounds in sediment," Kruge said in a press conference. Using those measures, the Anthropocene era would begin around industrialization, thousands of years after humans began reshaping the planet with agriculture. Yet another proposal would peg the time of the Anthropocene's birth to the mass movement of soil, or the accumulation of minerals from coal burning, cement production for construction, or the massive use of nitrogen fertilizers. That would date the Anthropocene to the sharp uptick in the production of these chemicals after World War II. Other scientists hope to date the Anthropocene's onset using modern-day fossils, for instance, layers and layers of plastic soda bottles and tin cans piling up in landfills. All of these approaches face a challenge, however: combining human-caused changes with natural, global variations that normally demarcate different geologic time periods. For instance, our current geologic time period, the Holocene Epoch, governs our climate and the extent of our glaciers, and is dictated by eccentricities in the Earth's orbit (something humans' haven't yet managed to alter). Since the Earth's orbit isn't going to change any time soon, the Anthropocene would somehow need to overlap with the Holocene. "Nobody believes that the astronomical cycle, the 100,000-year cycle that we're in, is suddenly coming to an end," Brown said. "We have to combine the anthropogenic with the natural variability in the climate system. It is a question that geologists never had to face before."

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Disgust Makes Dirt More Visible

The feeling of disgust isn't particularly enjoyable, but new research suggests the "ewww" has its role: People who are disgusted are better at detecting impurities. In other words, disgust makes it easier to see dirt and other nastiness that might make us sick, researchers reported online Nov. 5 in the journal Psychological Science. The findings aren't the first example of emotions influencing perceptions. Spiders, for example, look bigger to people who fear them, according to research published in February in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. Similarly people who are afraid of heights think drops look bigger than they are. Ewww, disgusting! University of Virginia researchers were interested in finding out whether disgust skews our perceptions, too. Disgust motivates cleanliness, they reasoned, and cleanliness is symbolized across many cultures as whiteness — think of a bathroom cleaner commercial that emphasizes shots of gleaming white porcelain to sell its product. In that case, the researchers hypothesized, feeling disgust might make people more sensitive to impurities in the color white, which would indicate dinginess or dirt. They conducted a series of three experiments to test the idea. In the first, 122 undergraduate students were shown four gray rectangles on a computer screen, one slightly darker or lighter than the others. They were asked to pick the one that was a different shade. After the fact, the students filled out questionnaires about their personal sensitivity to disgust, answering, for example, how grossed-out they'd be at seeing something like maggots in a garbage can. [7 Thoughts That Are Bad For You] A second study, this one with 51 undergraduate participants, mimicked the first, but asked students to detect a faint numeral on either a white or gray background. In both studies, the researchers found the more disgust-sensitive the student, the more likely they were to detect differences in shade on the white and lighter gray side of the spectrum. They did not, however, get any better at detecting differences in dark grays, suggesting their perceptual shift was focused on the brightness of whites only. Noticing impurities In the final experiment, the researchers asked 44 different undergrads to complete a similar task detecting a faint numeral against a black or white background. This time, though, the students saw either gross images (such as roaches or garbage) or scary images (such as guns or angry faces) before the task. Previous studies have found that scientists can subtly influence people's behavior with these so-called "primes." That turned out to be the case with disgust, too. People who were generally sensitive to disgust became better at distinguishing whites and light grays after seeing gross images. People not sensitive to disgust showed no change, perhaps because they simply weren't grossed out enough by the images. The results held for sexual disgust (an aversion to hearing strangers having sex, for example) and pathogen-based disgust (a strong desire to avoid potential communicable disease), but not for moral disgust such as a negative reaction to forging a signature. People who are sensitive to disgust may be more in-tune with the differences between a bright white and a dingy white because they're motivated by their concerns with cleanliness to pay attention to those shades, the researchers wrote. Or they may have sharper perceptions in the first place, which lead them to notice dirt where others overlook it, contributing to their disgust. The anterior insula, a small nugget of nervous tissue buried deep in the brain, may be the region that influences these perceptions, the researchers suggest.

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China's mini Apple takes slice of smartphone pie

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi Technology is a fairy tale for nerdy entrepreneurs. Less than three years after its founding, the smartphone maker is valued at $4 billion and evokes Apple-like adoration from its fans, some of whom are desperate enough to skip work for a shot at buying the latest product the day it goes on sale. Founder Lei Jun dresses like the late Steve Jobs, in jeans and a black top. He has created a fervent fan base for Xiaomi's moderately priced high-end smartphones by mimicking Apple Inc's marketing tactic of attaching an aura of exclusivity around its products. Before Xiaomi, the 42-year-old Lei was a key investor in China's early Internet scene, co-founding startups including Joyo.cn, which was eventually sold to Amazon.com Inc, and the recently listed YY Inc. Born in Xiantao, a small city in China's central Hubei province better known for breeding Olympic gymnasts than billionaire technocrats, Lei brushes off comparisons to Jobs but concedes that the Apple visionary was an inspiration. "China's media say I am China's Steve Jobs," Lei told Reuters in an interview. "I will take this as a compliment but such kind of comparison brings us huge pressure," said Lei, who grew up assembling radios as a hobby. "Xiaomi and Apple are two totally different companies. Xiaomi's based on the Internet. We are not doing the same thing as Apple." HOT SALES AND FANS Xiaomi has already sold 300,000 of its latest phone model, launched in October. The Xiaomi phone 2 has specifications similar to those of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S3 and Apple's iPhone5 but a top-of-the-line model sells for about $370, half the price of an iPhone5. Unlike the big domestic smartphone players, such as Lenovo Group, ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies, which work with telecom carriers to sell a large volume of smartphones, Xiaomi sells most of its phones online and in small batches. This small volume strategy creates pent-up demand that gives Xiaomi free marketing buzz. The first batch of 50,000 phones released on October 30 sold out in less than two minutes. Subsequent larger batches have also sold out in minutes. Lei, who has nearly 4 million followers on China's popular microblogging platform, Weibo, feeds the buzz by dangling teasers about new products and launch dates. "We're not a company that chases sales volume. We chase customer satisfaction. We look for ways to give the customer a great surprise," Lei said. His vision for an exclusive mid-tier brand that builds up incrementally, rather than swamping the market, has found financial backers. In June, Xiaomi raised $216 million from Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, the Government of Singapore Investment Corp, and a few of Lei's friends, local media reported, giving it a valuation of $4 billion. "China is ripe for its own Apple, HTC or Samsung," said Hans Tung, managing partner at Qiming Venture Partners, a venture firm backing Xiaomi. "The country is big enough, there are enough mobile Internet users and mobile phone consumers. Therefore having its own mobile ecosystem built up by a domestic brand makes sense." Xiaomi, which was founded in April 2010 and only started selling smartphones in October 2011, is on track to sell 7 million units this year, exceeding its target of 2 million. Xiaomi is already profitable and is expected to rake in sales of up to 13 billion yuan ($2 billion) this year. "Our product only sold for a year and hit sales of $2 billion. That is pretty impressive," Lei said, adding Xiaomi was not considering an initial public offering within the next five years. Tung said Xiaomi's net margins were 10 percent. This suggests its net profit could hit $200 million this year. Mo Xiaohua, a 24-year-old accountant, is a proud Xiaomi fan who only recently bought her first Xiaomi phone. For many who use Xiaomi phones, the customizable themes and the weekly updates are a big draw. "I like Xiaomi because among China's brand smartphones, its value is the best," Mo said. "Now that we have such a good China branded phone, we need to support it." 'BLACK BACK FLATS' Xiaomi has its fair share of detractors who doubt it will have a happy ending. They say the smartphone game in China can only be won with wide distribution and high volume or a big brand with distinctive designs. Xiaomi, whose attraction is its price and high technical specifications, does not win points for cutting-edge design. "This is a world where people are now cranking out 'black back flats', that's what all these phones are when you put 10 on the table... Xiaomi is not going to stick out," said Michael Clendenin, managing director at RedTech Advisors. "In this world, the market is driven by two things: one is massive volume and two huge brands." ZTE and Huawei have set smartphone sales targets for this year at about 30 million and 60 million respectively. The firms have traditionally dominated the cheap low-end smartphone segment but have been pushing into the mid-price range. ZTE said it launched 11 types of smartphones in the mid-price range of 1,500-2,500 yuan this year, up from six last year. Apple released its mid-range tablet, the iPad Mini, in China on Friday. "Xiaomi had great headline appeal a year ago... but the problem is now you have got guys like ZTE and Huawei and Meizu with phones that are priced in a similar range," Clendenin said. China is expected to surpass the United States as the world's largest smartphone market this year with 165-170 million unit sales, up from 78 million last year, Gartner said. Analysts said Xiaomi had to ramp up volume and address technical problems and a shortage of customer service centers if it wanted a shot at the big league. "One of the challenges of being in the middle is that you can get squeezed," said Duncan Clark, chairman of Beijing-based consultancy BDA. Lei is resolute that he will prove the naysayers wrong. "In this industry, I think the most important thing is to get love from your customers," he said. "If you are popular with your customers, you succeed." ($1 = 6.2253 yuan)

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Italian tax police visit Facebook's Milan offices

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian police have been carrying out checks at the Milan offices of Facebook to assess whether it regularly declared its income in Italy, an investigative source and the U.S. company said on Friday. Italian officials have stepped up their efforts to collect taxes in recent months and have already targeted other big corporate names such as Google to check whether they are paying their dues. The investigative source said tax officials first went to the offices of Facebook in Milan nearly a month ago to collect documents. "Facebook pays taxes in Italy as part of its business activity in the country and strictly complies with Italy's fiscal rules," Facebook said in an emailed statement. "Facebook has fully cooperated with tax police during the investigation and intends to continue to do that." Italian police opened a new tax probe into Google Italy last week, five years after an earlier investigation into transfer pricing. Google has said it complies with the tax laws in every country in which it operates. ($1=0.7700 euros)

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Best E-Reader for Under $100

Top Contenders The basic model Kindle, the Nook Simple Touch, and the Kobo Touch all share a few traits other than a reasonable price. They all feature 6-inch screens, 2 GB of storage, Wi-Fi for downloading books, and good readability. But a few differentiating factors may tip the balance. Kindle ($89) The Kindle line offers a range of devices priced from $89 (or $69 if you don't mind the ad-supported version) to the $499, 8.9-inch, 4G Kindle Fire HD, which is an Android-based tablet computer rather than a straight e-reader. But for the under-$100 e-reader market, Amazon really only offers one option, simply called "Kindle." It's physical dimensions are sleek, it's thin and fits nicely in your hand; it's the smallest of the three top contenders. Another defining factor: it has a very high contrast screen; text stands out more clearly on the Kindle than on any other of the competitors. But this reader has some serious drawbacks: All Amazon Kindles have limited access to open e-book formats. You can still borrow books from the library if they support Kindle lending, but both Nook and Kobo support EPUB formats, which are more widely available for free. Another important issue: this Kindle model does NOT have a touch screen. That's not a big deal if you download all your books over one secure Wi-Fi network, but if you consistently need to enter passwords or search terms, toggling the cursor around to select letters instead of typing is a P-A-I-N. Kobo Touch ($99) You may not have heard much about the Kobo Touch, but it's been around for a few years and is actually the most popular e-reader in Canada. Their bookstore is well stocked; like the Amazon and Barnes & Noble online stores, they offer millions of titles. Kobo is also compatible with the open ebook formats like EPUB, so you can borrow a wide range of titles from your library. Kobo isn't the zippiest of the e-readers, but I like this device. It's thin and light, just like the others, and its textured back feels quilted, like you're holding an expensive purse. Also, as the name implies, the Kobo Touch has a touch screen, which makes me rank this device ahead of the Kindle. Nook Simple Touch ($99) As you might have guessed, it too has a touch screen. It's the biggest of all the devices, with physical buttons along the edges to turn the pages, yet I like the feel of this device best. And while you can get it for $99, an extra $20 upgrades you to the Glow Touch, which adds backlighting to the screen for night reading. Sure, this pushes it out of the "under $100" category, but for me, it's an extra worth having. The Nook is responsive and zippy as you move between menus, it has lots of extra features, and the screen looks good (not as good as the Kindle, but very readable). I liked the Nook a lot. [Related: Is iPad Mini Worth Buying?] Also-Rans There are some other sub-$100 options. The Aluratek Libre has a smaller, darker screen, and it's painfully slow. But it's discounted to about $79 dollars and comes preloaded with 100 of the classics. There's also rumor of a new ereader, the TXTR Beagle, which the company claims will be introduced to the US soon for just $13. Wow. I'll believe it when I see it. And remember, you may already have an e-reader — your smartphone. The Kindle, Nook, and Kobo apps are free. And while the screen isn't as big as a true e-reader, the price is right, and it's always with you. Final Verdict You can't really go wrong with any of the top contenders, but since touchscreen is such a handy feature, I have to rule out the low-end Kindle. Kobo is easy to use, but it's not the most polished or zippiest. So that makes the Nook Simple Touch my pick for Best E-reader for Under $100.

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Mahfud Terpilih Karena Peserta Munas Tak Ingin KAHMI Dipimpin Politisi

Terpilihnya Mahfud MD sebagai Ketua Presedium Korps Alumni Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (KAHMI) dianggap mereflrksikan keinginan seluruh peserta Munas ke-IX di Riau. Dari awal perserta Munas, tak ingin KAHMI dipimpin politisi. "Jadi kepimpinan Mahfud MD ini sudah dapat mewakili apa yang diharapkan peserta Munas pada umumnya. Dimana peserta mengharapkan agar KAHMI jangan dimpimpin seorang politisi," kata Ketua Pelaksana Daerah Munas KAHMI di Riau, Johar Firdaus dalam perbincangan dengan detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Menurut Johar, keinginan peserta Munas untuk tidak memilih ketua dari unsur politisi, agar kepengurusan KAHMI bisa lebih independen. Sehingga peserta Munas mengharapkan ketua umum KAHMI dari kalangan birokrasi, atau akademisi. "Para peserta menilai, jika pucuk pimpinan dari politisi, mau tidak mau, nantinya KAHMI juga terkesan ikut dalam partai tersebut. Menghindari hal itulah, kami rasa Mahfud MD sudah paling pas memimpin KAHMI, karena dia dari kalangan akademisi," kata Johar. Berdasarkan Munas tersebut, terpilih 9 orang presidium yang menjadi anggota Majelis Nasional KAHMI. Berikut hasil pemilihan dalam Munas KAHMI ke-IX: 1. Mahfud MD (347 suara) 2. Viva Yoga Mauladi (334 suara) 3. Anas Urbaningrum (320 suara) 4. Muhammad Marwan (313 suara) 5. Anis Baswedan (308 suara) 6. Bambang Soesatyo (260 suara) 7. Dr Hj Reni Marlina (192 suara) 8. Ms Kaban (156 suara) 9. Taufiq Hidayat (153 suara) Munas KAHMI ke-IX digelar sejak Jumat (30/11) hingga Minggu (2/12) dini hari di Kabupaten Kampar, Riau. Selain dihadiri 1000 anggota KAHMI dari seluruh Indonesia, Munas ini juga dihadiri Jusuf Kalla.

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Ribuan Vespa-mania Menyemut di TMII, Lalu Lintas Dialihkan

Ribuan 'Vespa-mania' menyemut di Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Jakarta Timur. Akibat para pengendara Vespa yang memarkir kendaraannya di lokasi itu lalu lintas terowongan pintu 3 TMII ditutup. "Sementara kita tutup untuk dialihkan ke Terminal Kampung Rambutan," kata Kasat Lantas Porles Jakarta Timur AKBP Supoyo kepada detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Supoyo mengatakan, para pengemudi Vespa itu hanya duduk-duduk sambil memarkir kendaraannya di pinggir jalan di sepanjang TMII. Hal ini menyebabkan ruas jalan yang awalnya bisa dilewati tiga jalur, menyempit menjadi satu jalur. "Mereka hanya duduk-duduk dan memarkir motornya di sepanjang jalan," kata Supoyo. Menurut informasi, para pengendara Vespa berkumpul di TMII untuk mengadakan jambore Vespa. Para pengendara kendaraan ini sengaja berkumpul di lokasi tersebut. "Sudah dari semalam berkumpulnya, tapi tak terlihat adanya panggung," kata

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Jokowi Silaturahmi Dengan RT & RW Se-DKI di Senayan

Sekitar 5000 orang tumpah jadi satu di Istora Senayan. Mereka menyambut Jokowi dalam rangka silaturahmi gubernur DKI Jakarta bersama masyarakat RT, RW, PKK serta seluruh elemen masyarakat. Pantauan detikcom di lokasi, Minggu (2/12/2012), Jokowi tiba sekitar pukul 09.15 WIB. Jokowi menggunakan mobil Innova hitam bernopol B 1123 RFR. Dengan berbalut kemeja batik cokelat, Jokowi masuk ke dalam stadion ditemani istrinya, Iriana Widodo dan para ajudannya. Saat memasuki gedung Istora, tiba-tiba lampu mendadak mati. Sontak seisi ruangan serempak berteriak panik, "Waahh..!". Namun ternyata hal ini merupakan rangkaian acara yang disengaja untuk menyambut Jokowi. Beberapa detik kemudian lampu kembali nyala. Pertemuan ini dihadiri sebagian besar oleh ibu-ibu PKK se-DKI yang mengenakan seragam ungu, hadir juga para ketua-ketua RT, RW dan warga DKI.

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Akbar Tandjung dan Fuad Bawazier Jadi Dewan Penasihat KAHMI

Dalam Musyawarah Nasional (Munas) Korps Alumni Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (KAHMI) menetapkan Akbar Tandjung dan Fuad Bawazier sebagai duet Dewan Penasihat. "Peserta Munas menyepakati keduanya menjadi dewan penasihat," kata Ketua Pelaksana Daerah Munas IX di Riau, Johar Firdaus, saat dihubungi detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Sedangkan Yusril Ihza Mahendra yang juga ikut dalam acara Munas sempat mencalonkan diri sebagai ketua presidium. Namun menjelang hari pemilihan, Yusril lebih dulu meninggalkan acara Munas. "Nama Yusril sempat mau dalam kandidat presidium. Hanya saja menjelang pemilihan, Yusril lebih awal meninggalkan acara," kata Johar. Sebagaimana diketahui, Munas KAHMI berlangsung di Hotel Labersa, di Kabupaten Kampar, Riau, sejak Jumat (30/11) hingga Minggu (2/12) dini hari. Peserta Munas mencapai 1.000 orang dari seluruh Indonesia. Acaranya pun berjalan dengan sukses. Berdasarkan Munas tersebut, terpilih 9 presidium yang menjadi anggota Majelis Nasional KAHMI. Berikut hasil pemilihan dalam Munas KAHMI ke-IX: 1. Mahfud MD (347 suara) 2. Viva Yoga Mauladi (334 suara) 3. Anas Urbaningrum (320 suara) 4. Muhammad Marwan (313 suara) 5. Anis Baswedan (308 suara) 6. Bambang Soesatyo (260 suara) 7. Dr Hj Reni Marlina (192 suara) 8. Ms Kaban (156 suara) 9. Taufiq Hidayat (153 suara)

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Seorang Pria di Makassar Tewas, Diduga Dibunuh Tamunya

Novan (30) ditemukan tewas bersimbah darah, diduga dibunuh oleh tamunya yang berkunjung di rumahnya di Jl Gowaria, Kelurahan Sudiang, Kecamatan Biringkanaya, Makassar, Sabtu (1/12/12). Menurut keterangan Rara, istri korban, saat dimintai keterangan aparat Polsek Biringkanaya, sekitar pukul 10.00 Wita, suaminya yang bekerja sebagai pengawas proyek pengerukan di sebuah perusahaan, pulang dari tempat kerjanya. Sekitar 15 menit kemudian, tamu suaminya yang berinisial DR datang berkunjung ke rumahnya. Korban dan tamunya kemudian langsung naik ke lantai 2 rumahnya. Saat hari mulai sore, Rara penasaran kenapa suami dan tamunya tersebut tidak kunjung turun. Rara mencoba menghubungi nomor ponsel suaminya, namun telepon Novan tidak diangkat. Rara berinisiatif untuk naik ke lantai 2 untuk mengecek suaminya. Alangkah kagetnya ia saat melihat suaminya sudah terkapar bersimbah darah dengan beberapa luka bekas tikaman di perut dan lengan suaminya. Sepengetahuan Rara, ia tidak melihat tamu suaminya turun dan meninggalkan rumahnya. DR yang diduga sebagai pelaku ini masih dalam buruan anggota reserse Polsek Biringkanaya. Hingga kini aparat Polsek belum mengetahui motif pembunuhan tersebut.

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