Japanese Computer Is Ranked Most Powerful - NYTimes.com

Japanese Computer Is Ranked Most Powerful - NYTimes.com: "In the rankings of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, a Japanese machine has earned the top spot with a performance that essentially laps the competition.

The computer, known as “K Computer,” is three times faster than a Chinese rival that previously held the top position, said Jack Dongarra, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who keeps the official rankings of computer performance."

Obama Pushes G.O.P. on Start Treaty - NYTimes.com

So ignore the picture of the President and look at the others around him: Sec. James Baker, Sec. Henry Kissinger, Sec. Brent Scowcroft, Senator Lugar, Senator Nunn.



President Obama made remarks during a meeting to discuss the new START treaty in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Thursday.

Obama Pushes G.O.P. on Start Treaty - NYTimes.com: "President Obama escalated the pressure on the Senate on Thursday to approve a new arms control treaty with Russia before the end of the year, saying, “This is not a matter that can be delayed.” But a new survey of Republican senators cast doubt on his chances of success.

The White House is trying to press ahead with a vote on the treaty, known as New Start, even though Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, the lead Republican negotiator on the issue, said earlier this week that he opposed voting on the treaty in the lame-duck session of Congress because there was not enough time to work out a deal."

Working Tractor Beam Can Move Objects 5 Feet With Just Light | Popular Science

Working Tractor Beam Can Move Objects 5 Feet With Just Light | Popular Science: "Have you ever lazily wished you could just use a tractor beam to grab that out-of-reach object? Apparently, you can.
Using only light, Australian researchers say they are able to move small particles almost five feet through the air. It’s more than 100 times the distance achieved by existing optical “tweezers,” the researchers say.
Not quite a simple grabby tractor beam, the new system works by shining a hollow laser beam at an object and taking advantage of air-temperature differences to move it around."