text:
When explaining science, Carl Sagan drew his comparisons from ancient history. Tyson makes pop-culture references.Photograph by Pari Dukovic
February 17 & 24, 2014 Issue
Neil deGrasse Tyson, the new guide to the "Cosmos."
It was a mild October day in Hollywood, but a trace of artificial snow remained on the ground as Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium, at the American Museum of Natural History, walked around a back lot at Paramount Studios. Late the previous evening, the street corner outside a fake storefront had stood in for the bus depot on a snowy night in Ithaca, New York, and a young actor had portrayed the Tyson of nearly forty years ago: a senior at the Bronx High School of Science who had been summoned to Cornell University by Carl Sagan, at the time the best-known astrophysicist in the world. Tyson had filmed a short introduction to the scene. Toeing snow with the tip of a cowboy boot, he told me, "I faced straight to the camera and said, 'This is a moment from my past.' "
In the flashback scene, Tyson is heading home to New York after a daylong visit. Sagan hands Tyson his home phone number, telling him to call if the bus is delayed by weather. The encounter is being reconstructed for a thirteen-episode series, "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," which Fox will begin airing on March 9th. The show is a sequel to "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage," the celebrated series that was hosted by Sagan and broadcast on PBS, in 1980. Sagan, who died in 1996, was an erudite guide to the universe, conveying the excitement of discoveries within the solar system and beyond.
Tyson is the host of the new "Cosmos," and he was in Los Angeles for the final days of shooting. After nine months in locations ranging from Iceland to Italy, "Cosmos" had come to the Paramount lot to shoot special effects, including a simulation of how a New York City street would look in zero gravity. A common misconception is to think that, in such conditions, everything floats upward, as in a vision of Rapture. Tyson observed an extra, wearing a hidden harness, walk up a stepladder that had been placed in front of a green screen. At the top, he continued a diagonal trajectory, as if there were invisible steps. "He's a good zero-g guy," Tyson said.
Tyson hosted PBS's "NOVA ScienceNOW" for four seasons, and he is a frequent guest on "CBS This Morning" and "The Colbert Report." He has flown to and from Los Angeles within hours to appear on Bill Maher's program. But "Cosmos" is Tyson's first Hollywood production, and he was interested to discover that a movie set has laws almost as stringent as those of physics. "The crew doesn't speak to the talent, unless the talent speaks to them," he said, as he stepped over snaking lighting cables. Tyson spoke to everyone, like a politician working a room. Chatting with an intern, he debated the strengths of Shake Shack versus those of In-N-Out Burger.
He is tall and charismatic, with a deep, commanding voice that can shift register from a honeyed purr to a practiced roar of outrage. His wardrobe invites notice: bright patterned vests, suède shirts, broad-brimmed felt hats in the style of Indiana Jones. (Onscreen for "Cosmos," he was required to dress down—a blue suit, a safari jacket.) As a makeup artist powdered his hairline, he began talking with her about New Age philosophy. Tyson questioned its vaunting of ancient wisdom. "In practically every idea we have as humans, the older version of it is not better than the newer version," he said. "With the invested effort of generations, and centuries, and sometimes millennia of smart people who have been born since the idea came out, we have improved ideas."
The shoot went late into the evening, but Tyson seemed tireless, pacing in front of the camera like a prowling lion. At one point, he read copy that described different kinds of light, visible and invisible. "In microwave light we can see all the way back to the birth of the universe," he read from a teleprompter. "We have only just opened our eyes." He repeated the lines a dozen times, to get the proper balance of authority and wonder. For a scene rendering the Big Bang, he posed against a green screen, coolly put on a pair of sunglasses, then flung out his arms in a gesture suggesting a crucifixion, all the while affecting the stony countenance of an action hero.
Sagan, who was born in 1934, was a scientist of the Apollo era, when the year 2001 connoted not terror but Stanley Kubrick's vision of a lone astronaut journeying deep into space, in pursuit of expansive enlightenment. Sagan was the chairman of a committee that selected the recordings included on gold-plated disks carried into space by the two Voyager interstellar spacecraft, in 1977: Beethoven, Chuck Berry, greetings in fifty-five languages. Sagan was not altogether optimistic about the future of his own species: the threat of nuclear annihilation is a motif of the original "Cosmos." But he did believe that certain battles against ignorance had been decisively won, and that humankind was oriented firmly toward progress.
The context in which Tyson promotes science suggests otherwise. A few years ago, when the Museum of Natural History mounted an exhibition devoted to Charles Darwin, officials felt it necessary to train docents how to respond to challenges from creationists, who still number nearly half the American public, according to a 2012 Gallup poll. Since the mid-sixties, NASA's funding has dwindled from four per cent of the federal budget to half of one per cent. Tyson, who is fifty-five, was a child when astronauts first landed on the Moon and barely a teen when the missions ended, in 1972. Recently, he has been obliged to contend with the conspiracy theory that the landings were a government-sponsored hoax—a theory promoted, in part, by a widely seen television special broadcast by Fox. (In a podcast interview, Tyson dismissed the theory with characteristic verve. "If there were ever a state secret that the government wanted to keep, it would be the behavior of President Clinton's genitals, O.K.? But that got out!" he said. "You're going to hoax a Moon landing by telling ten thousand scientists and engineers to keep it secret for forty years?")
"Skip to the part where the princess climbs to the top of the corporate ladder."
Tyson's rhetorical style differs dramatically from Sagan's. Sagan paid deference to high culture: he drew his comparisons from ancient history and his vocabulary from literature. Tyson's preferred frame of reference is pop culture. This does not mean that he has unsophisticated tastes: his friends still talk about the hundred-year-old wine that he served at a nine-course dinner celebrating the turn of the millennium. And he has a library of rare antiquarian scientific volumes, including a third edition of Sir Isaac Newton's "Principia," which he considers the most important book ever written. But when explaining science he is most likely to point to a movie such as "A Bug's Life." (An ant constructs a telescope by wrapping a blade of grass around a water droplet, thus illustrating the concept of surface tension.) He is the host of an entertaining radio show, "StarTalk," whose guests include both professors and comedians. Tyson meets people where they are, rather than seeking to raise them to where he is. Joe Patterson, a professor of astronomy at Columbia University, told me, "Neil is kind of a combination of Carl Sagan and Mister Rogers."
Sagan continued to do research even as he appeared on the "Tonight Show." Tyson, too, is still active in the laboratory, though it has been five years since he published in a scientific journal. His astronomical thinking has been featured, however, in a Superman comic: at the request of DC Comics, Tyson pinpointed a star that could support a planet like Krypton. Academic colleagues say that Tyson's record as a scientist is sound but not extraordinary. David Spergel, an astrophysicist at Princeton, where Tyson did post-doctoral work, says, "Neil could have pursued a research career and been a good researcher. But he's great at what he does."
Colleagues say that Tyson keeps close track of advances in his field, so that he can relay them to the public. Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Caltech, says of him, "He has absolutely mastered the ability to convey not only the substance of the science but the real excitement and passion that scientists are feeling when they are doing it." Tyson can go to goofy lengths to communicate that passion. At a recent panel discussion, he got so worked up while debating the motives for space exploration that he rose from his chair, in mock anger, before being playfully restrained by Bill Nye the Science Guy. Many people find Tyson's assertive intelligence very seductive. "I am the straightest guy you ever met, but if @neiltyson showed up at my door with a bottle of wine and a Barry White CD I'd let him in," one admirer tweeted, to Tyson's delight. He works hard at making his public appearances look easy. Before going on "The Daily Show" for the first time, he studied past episodes, counting how many sentences Jon Stewart permitted a guest to speak before butting in with a joke. Stewart told me that Tyson's compulsion to elucidate continues even when the camera is not rolling. "To have someone who was able to explain science, in relative layman's terms, with that force of conviction was one thing. But I also remember that we had a Rubik's Cube sitting in the greenroom, and he had to solve it. He can't leave things unsolved."
Tyson is vigilant about correcting misrepresentations of science in popular culture. Last fall, he issued a series of lighthearted tweets pointing out errors made by the director of "Gravity." (Satellites generally circle the globe west to east, yet in the movie all the debris was coming east to west; Sandra Bullock's hair remains unruffled in zero-g conditions.) His correctives were considered newsworthy enough for Brian Williams to include them on the "NBC Nightly News," and for the "Saturday Night Live" team to spoof them. Tyson has more than 1.6 million followers on Twitter, and his feed is filled with appetizing science facts: "Yup. Comet ISON croaked. You would have too, if you were made of ice and you buzz-cut the Sun." The author or co-author of ten books of popular science, Tyson is considering compiling a volume of his tweets for publication.
Tyson's dark, cluttered office at the American Museum of Natural History is an environment fit to delight an eight-year-old boy. An almost six-foot-tall model of a Saturn V rocket stands in one corner, and in a desk drawer Tyson keeps a football-size fragment of an asteroid that belongs to the museum's collection. Dozens of cosmic-themed neckties are draped over a hanger. A replica of van Gogh's "Starry Night" hangs behind his desk. Shelves are filled with science books and framed certificates, including one for an asteroid that was named in Tyson's honor. There are also kitschy artifacts like glow-in-the-dark Band-Aids with cosmic motifs and a can of Dole pineapple chunks with a starburst theme on the wrapper. Tyson believes that such objects indicate a collective fascination with his sphere of expertise. "There are no DNA-helix pineapple cans," he said one afternoon.
We had just watched a preview of the Hayden Planetarium's new space show, the first for which Tyson had provided the narration. The show tackles the esoteric subject of dark matter and dark energy, which together make up ninety-five per cent of the known universe, and which are only scantly understood. Tyson was pleased with the result, which included footage of the Mount Wilson Observatory, in Los Angeles; images from the atmosphere of Jupiter, beamed to Earth by the Galileo space probe; and simulated renderings of the universe that made dark matter discernible, allowing viewers, as Dennis Overbye wrote in the Times, to see "the galaxies drift apart like stragglers in the parking lot after the bar closes." The show was to open in a few days, but before then, Tyson told me, he was hosting a private sky tour in the planetarium dome—a prize won at a benefit—for the family of David Koch, the chemical-industry billionaire and conservative activist, who supports science museums and at the same time politicians who are skeptical of climate change. Koch has given twenty-two million dollars to the Museum of Natural History and is a member of its board of trustees. He says of Tyson, "I can listen to him for hours and not lose my attention in any way." Tyson once visited Koch's Southampton home, where he taught members of the family how to use a telescope. He did the same for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, at Gracie Mansion.
Being able to pivot comfortably between the general public and the political plutocracy is a skill no less complex than being able to analyze data from the Hubble telescope; being able to do both is very unusual. Tyson has served on two Presidential commissions, under George W. Bush, an experience that has given him insight into the horse-trading necessary to gain funding for any venture, and a pragmatism about the motivations of any elected official. "In a capitalist democracy, everybody agrees that they want more money tomorrow than they do today," he says. "But not everyone agrees that they want to walk around on the surface of Mars. Not everyone agrees that finding life on Europa"—one of Jupiter's moons—"is an interesting problem."
"Yes, I have taken my medication. Have you taken your medication?"
His preferred strategy is to explain how funding space exploration will contribute to economic growth, by requiring an investment in science education that would open up the possibility of unimagined technological and scientific advances. "I'm not talking about spinoffs here—you can't justify the space program on spinoffs," he says. "I'm talking about the culture of innovation that comes about when everybody is innovating and making great discoveries that make headlines every day. Before Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X rays, he wasn't thinking, How can I create a medical device?" In 2012, Tyson wrote an influential essay for Foreign Affairs that made a case for manned missions to space, on the ground that they would serve the United States' economic and defense interests, just as funding Columbus's voyage to the New World served the interests of the Spanish crown. "I'm saying, 'Go into space so that you can get rich,' not because it's a beautiful thing," he says. "Because I think my read of history tells me that's the only way we're going to go into space." He is fond of joking that the U.S. would hasten to land astronauts on Mars in a year or two if the Chinese leaked a memo that described plans to build military bases there.
Unlike Sagan, who opposed President Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" program, and who was arrested during a protest at the nuclear test site in Nevada, Tyson refuses to take explicit political positions in public, or to criticize elected officials, even those who reject evolution; he would rather invest his energies in creating a more enlightened electorate. Nevertheless, his political and cultural leanings seem clear, and his insistence on objectivity can seem disingenuous. After the Newtown massacre, he tweeted, "In Walmart, America's largest gun seller, you can buy an assault rifle. But company policy bans pop music with curse words." On Christmas Day, he tweeted, "Born on this day, long ago, was a man who showed us all a way to know the Cosmos. Isaac Newton, Dec 25, 1642 Lincolnshire UK."
Tyson attended a Catholic church as a boy, but he began questioning the Church's tenets before entering his teens. When pressed, he calls himself an agnostic, but he resists labels, maintaining that atheism has come to imply activism. "My confidence that there is a loving God who cares at all for your health or your longevity, based on what I see in the physical universe, is so low that it is not something that I would spend any time investing in, to try to explore any further about whether or not it's true," he says. "I'll let other people do that exploring. And, if they bring the evidence to me, that's fine." Tyson's dogged nonpartisanship can be seen as a form of retreat. In an interview that has been watched 1.3 million times on YouTube, he says that he does not have the time, energy, or interest to enter a debate about atheism. "It's odd that the word 'atheist' even exists," he says. "I don't play golf. Is there a word for non-golf players? Do non-golf players gather and strategize? Do non-skiers have a word, and come together, and talk about the fact that they don't ski?"
Tyson lives in lower Manhattan with his wife, Alice Young, who trained as a mathematical physicist and worked as a programmer at Bloomberg L.P., and their two teen-age children, who attend public school. A native New Yorker, Tyson first visited the Hayden Planetarium when he was nine years old. "I was never the same after that," he says. "The lights go off and the stars come out—I had never seen that in my life. I grew up in the city, and you look up and there's a tall building, and air pollution, and light pollution. You don't have a relationship with the night sky. You don't even know it's there." Tyson characterizes the experience in mystical terms. "The universe chose me—I had no say in the matter," he says. "After that one session with the deep voice of the planetarium director—the God voice—resonating in the cavity of the dome, looking at the universe. That is some pretty impactful life experience."
Tyson grew up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. "People who live in Riverdale don't say they live in the Bronx," he says. "But I liked the Bronx, and I always said the Bronx, out of solidarity with those who couldn't say they lived in Riverdale." His father, Cyril, a sociologist, was a human-resources commissioner in the Lindsay Administration; his mother, Sunchita, became a gerontologist when Tyson was in high school. He was the middle of three children and showed an early aptitude for science; he rigged up a system of fishing weights that automatically closed the bedroom door that his sister always left open, and he periodically turned one of the apartment's bathrooms into a darkroom.
Tyson attended public schools, and was not a distinguished student. He was social, and teachers criticized him for being inattentive. When speaking to other educators, he stresses the importance of reaching not just the A students, who are already likely to succeed, but the B students, who might succeed if they were more deeply engaged by their teachers. He is on the board of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, which seeks to offer such encouragement to students in public schools. Calvin Sims, a former chairman of the fund, says, "To have someone in Neil's position talking about these great ideas, and to do it in a humorous and animated way—and to have someone who looks like them do that—I think means the world." Not long ago, Tyson's elementary school, P.S. 81, invited him to give a commencement address; he declined. He recalls telling the administrators, "I am where I am not because of what happened in school but in spite of it, and that is probably not what you want me to say. Call me back, and I will address your teachers and give them a piece of my mind."
A more important education came from his parents. "We used New York City as a learning laboratory," Sunchita told me. Every weekend, the family visited a museum or went to a sporting event, or to a Broadway play or the Metropolitan Opera. Tyson's mother gave him a pair of folding opera glasses, which provided his first magnified look at the night sky. In middle school, he bought a telescope with money that he earned by walking neighbors' dogs—"It was the golden age of dog walking, because you didn't have to clean up after them," he recalls—and studied the sky from the roof of his apartment building. In his bedroom, he arranged glow-in-the-dark stars in the shape of constellations.
Tyson often took the subway alone to the Museum of Natural History, attending lectures and classes. At fourteen, he won a scholarship, through the Explorers Club, for a cruise on the S.S. Canberra to Mauritania, to view a solar eclipse. He went by himself. As he boarded, his mother buttonholed older couples and asked them to keep an eye on her son. "He had a ball on that ship," Sunchita says. "He even won the Charleston contest." The same summer, he attended a camp in the Mojave Desert focussed on astronomy and physics; it was run by Joe Patterson. "He was pretty unusual—he was more of an urbane character," Patterson says. "There were a lot of kids at the camp who were very nerdy, but Neil was somebody who made friends easily. He asked a lot of questions. He was not intimidated by adults."
"You don't have to answer that."
At the age of eleven, Tyson spoke with a teacher at P.S. 81 about his fascination with astronomy. Tyson's older brother, Stephen, who is an artist, recalls, "The teacher asked, 'Why do you want to go into science? There aren't any Negroes in that field. Why don't you go into sports?' " One evening, when he and his father were entering Van Cortlandt Park carrying a telescope, the police stopped them. "I guess they thought it was a bazooka," Sunchita says. "Just keeping my kids on the straight and narrow—and getting them not to hate people, in some instances, because of the way they were treated—was a full-time job." On another occasion, police were called to Tyson's building by neighbors who were alarmed by his rooftop activities; Tyson ended up showing the officers the stars.
At Bronx Science, he was captain of the wrestling team and the editor of the physical-science journal. He applied to study physics and astrophysics at Harvard, N.Y.U., M.I.T., Princeton, and Cornell. (All but Princeton accepted him.) Despite being wooed by Sagan, Tyson was fiercely rational in deciding where to go. He made a spreadsheet that listed recent contributors of physics and astrophysics articles to Scientific American, showing which schools they had attended and which faculty they had later joined. The school that appeared most frequently on the spreadsheet was Harvard, so he went there.
In a memoir, "The Sky Is Not the Limit," published in 2004, Tyson mentions that Caroline Kennedy was a classmate, but says that he had little time for social life: he was consumed by his studies, and he also joined the wrestling team. He often tells the story of how another African-American member of the team, Frederick T. Smith—an eventual Rhodes scholar, who intended to put his economics degree to use among impoverished communities—criticized him for devoting himself to science. "Blacks in America do not have the luxury of your intellectual talents being spent on astrophysics," he told Tyson. (Smith, who became an attorney in Newark, died in 2005.) "Never before had someone so casually, yet so succinctly, indicted my life's ambitions," Tyson later wrote.
Tyson was undaunted, though, and after Harvard he began postgraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin. As soon as he arrived, a faculty member encouraged him to join the department's basketball team. Others suggested that he aim at teaching in a community college, or leave astrophysics for industry, where he could make more money. Tyson was certainly an unusual student for a science department: he rowed competitively, and won trophies in local competitions as part of the school's Latin-dance team. In his memoir, he reveals that he considered supplementing his income by working as an exotic dancer in a strip club, until he discovered that one dance routine would require him to wear, and ignite, an asbestos-lined jockstrap soaked with lighter fluid. (These days, he occasionally sneaks a few dance steps into a public appearance, with mock reluctance.)
Tyson transferred to Columbia for his Ph.D., studying the chemical composition and the velocity of stars in the "galactic bulge"—the dense zone of stars at the center of most spiral galaxies. He also published his first book, "Merlin's Tour of the Universe," a collection of pop-science columns that he had written for Star Date, an astronomy magazine. While at Columbia, Tyson was interviewed for the first time by a local television reporter, about solar explosions. Watching the segment that evening, he had a realization that answered the challenge of his old wrestling teammate: this was the first time that he could recall seeing a black person being interviewed on television as an expert about something that had nothing to do with being black.
When Tyson graduated from Columbia, in 1991, he was invited to give a speech at the convocation. He described the lowered expectations that he had experienced at school in New York and, later, in Austin. "To spend most of my life fighting these attitudes levies an emotional tax that is a form of intellectual emasculation," he announced, noting that, by his count, his graduation brought the total number of black astrophysicists nationally to seven, out of about four thousand. "Given what I have experienced, I am surprised there are that many," he said.
He became a post-doc at Princeton, continuing his studies of the galactic bulge. (His other research interests include star formation and exploding stars. Many of his published papers have titles that might almost belong to Dave Eggers novels: "On the Possibility of Gas-Rich Dwarf Galaxies in the Lyman-alpha Forest," "The Faint-End Slopes of Galaxy Luminosity Functions in the COSMOS Field.") In astrophysics, as in other sciences, there are observers, who collect and analyze data, and theorists, who speculate about what the data mean. Tyson was an observer. "Theory is generally considered more high-powered, but observation tends to be what drives the field," David Spergel, a theorist, says. Spergel remembers accompanying Tyson on a trip to Chile. "We were on a mountain, and what I remember most was an earthquake the first night of observing," Spergel says. "It shook the mountain, and Neil claimed it showed that the observatory gods were angry, because we brought a theorist to the top of the mountain." Tyson was also a gifted teacher—another skill that is traditionally accorded less respect than research, but one that recommended him for a position outside academia.
In the mid-nineties, the board of trustees of the Museum of Natural History began a search for a new director of the Hayden Planetarium. The chairman of the board solicited recommendations from J. Richard Gott, a member of the astrophysics department at Princeton. "I said, 'The perfect person is a post-doc right here,' and it's the single best piece of advice I've ever given anyone," Gott told me. Tyson became the Frederick P. Rose Director in 1996*. A condition of his appointment was the creation of an in-house department of astrophysics. David Helfand, the president of the American Astronomical Society and a former chair of Columbia's astronomy department, recalls, "I had many discussions with him about the degree to which he should focus, as some curators do, on his own research, rather than taking a larger role in the public presentation of science. In academia, there is a prejudice that the only thing that matters is research—teaching is a waste of your time and public education is a waste of your time."
It was clear, however, where Tyson was most effective. One of his first tasks in the new job was selling wary members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission on building a modern replacement for the original planetarium, which was completed in 1935. "Many neighbors didn't want to see construction going on, so there was opposition," Gott says. "Neil presented the plan to the commission and explained how the new planetarium would present educational opportunities that the old one couldn't, and he said how he loved the old planetarium—no one loved it more than Neil." The commission voted unanimously to allow the old building to be razed. The glass-walled Rose Center for Earth and Space, containing the revamped planetarium, opened in 2000.
"Evan has a syndrome where he cheats on me and does a lot of recreational drugs, but I forget the medical name for it."
Tyson was also instrumental in conceiving how the new building could itself be an educational tool, with its enormous internal sphere representing the sun and mock planets arrayed around it. Tyson decided not to include Pluto among the planets, relegating it to the status of an object in the Kuiper Belt—the band of icy bodies that astronomers discovered in 1992, six decades after scientists had named Pluto the outermost planet in the solar system. Gott calls the Pluto decision Tyson's most significant contribution to science—even if, strictly speaking, the part he played had more to do with public relations than with astrophysics. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted to change the status of Pluto to a dwarf planet. "Sometimes you say a person is ahead of his time, and in this case we know exactly how far ahead of his time Neil was," Gott says. Tyson, who wrote a book about the Pluto controversy, has achieved the peculiar status of being an astronomer famous for losing a planet, rather than for discovering one.
In early January, the American Astronomical Society held its annual meeting, in Washington, D.C. Tyson was scheduled to give an evening presentation, "Tales from the Twitterverse & Other Media Excursions." I arrived early in the vast, characterless ballroom where the event was to take place. Daunting rows of chairs stood empty—a public speaker's worst nightmare—but gradually people arrived, like stars materializing in the sky at dusk, until the room was densely populated. The talk started late, because there were technical difficulties connecting Tyson's laptop to the large screens on either side of the stage. "How many world-leading astrophysicists does it take to set up a presentation?" a young man sitting behind me, who wore a badge identifying him as an M.I.T. student, said. Pleased with his joke, he said it again.
Eventually, Tyson launched into an entertaining disquisition about his quest to bring science to the general public, and about his conviction that there was a growing interest in scientific matters. He talked about going to Comic Con—"an extraordinary celebration of the geekiverse," he called it—and showed a photograph of himself with a young woman in alien makeup and a scanty costume. He showed newspaper cartoons that assumed a degree of science literacy. (One featured a bespectacled scientist pointing at a chalkboard filled with equations and saying, "Along with 'Antimatter' and 'Dark Matter,' we've recently discovered the existence of 'Doesn't Matter,' which appears to have no effect on the universe whatsoever.") He showed images of science-related tattoos, including one of Carl Sagan's face inked onto a leg. The work of scientists, he said, was landing on "fertile territory that has been tilled by this kind of activity."
He spoke about his "Gravity" tweets: "People went bat crazy," he said. He mentioned a tweet that he'd posted a couple of days earlier, on January 4th: "Merry Perihelion to all. Earth, in its oval orbit, is closer to the Sun today than on any other day of the year." He told his listeners, "We all know this, but you keep it to yourself! Don't! Spread the love!" Tyson talked for an hour and a half; then, as technicians tried to clear the room, he kept talking, without amplification, to more than a hundred audience members, who mobbed him at the edge of the stage. After a while, a conference organizer walked onstage to drag him off to a reception for which he was already late. Tyson broke into a moonwalk, to roars of approval. "You're all astronomers—learn to moonwalk!" he said. "You'll need it one day!"
Last fall, Tyson travelled to Washington for a ceremony at the Library of Congress, which was celebrating its acquisition of the papers of Carl Sagan. He and other eminences spoke of Sagan's vision, and of the ways in which scientific progress has fallen far short of Sagan's hopes and predictions. David Morrison, the director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, at the SETI Institute, in Mountain View, California, said, "Sagan thought we would have colonies on the Moon by now. He believed SETIwould have succeeded." Tyson told the story of his encounter with Sagan in Ithaca, and of learning from Sagan the importance of engaging with students. Tyson emphasized that he now made student visits to his office a priority. "I could be on the phone in my office to the White House—'Barack, I've got to call you back,' " he said, to general amusement. (In fact, Tyson is not on first-name terms with the President, though he went to a White House Christmas party this year.)
Another speaker was Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the Fox television series "Family Guy," who had bought the Sagan papers from Sagan's estate, and then donated them to the library. MacFarlane, who was seven when "Cosmos" aired, expressed dismay that "a nationwide scientific regression has taken place." He called Tyson "the heir-apparent to Carl's rare combination of wisdom and communicative power."
MacFarlane brokered the deal with the Fox network to make the new "Cosmos," of which he is an executive producer. (It will be shown in a hundred and eighty countries.) Ann Druyan, Carl Sagan's widow, who was a writer on the original series and is the writer and lead executive producer on the new one, told me that she took the proposal to other networks, including PBS, but none of them offered the budget that Fox did, or the freedom. "The others wanted creative control, and complete content control," Druyan said. Fox gave a free hand to Druyan and her team. Druyan told me that she hoped the new series would kindle an interest in science among young people, as the old one did, though she acknowledged that the practical impact of Sagan's "Cosmos" had been limited. "If Carl were alive, and I could tell him that creationism is still a viable way of seeing things!" she told me, shaking her head.
The new series casts Tyson in a Saganesque mold that differs somewhat from his own public persona: there is less joking and irony, more earnestness and awe. The first episode opens with Tyson standing on the same cliffs in Monterey where Sagan stood as he began his own odyssey. And the show brings back a number of the original series' celebrated storytelling devices, including the Cosmic Calendar, which has been digitally enhanced, and the Spaceship of the Imagination, which originally resembled a dandelion head and now looks like the first flying Apple product. Science geeks in Hollywood have been persuaded to work on "Cosmos" for considerably less than their usual rate, among them Bill Pope, who was the director of photography for the "Matrix" trilogy. Courtesy of animators drafted by MacFarlane, the lives of historical figures have been rendered elegantly in pictures, instead of being represented by bewigged actors; it's an inspired way to get a contemporary audience to stick with the story of, say, Giordano Bruno, the sixteenth-century philosopher who built on the Copernican view of the universe and was burned at the stake for heresy. (MacFarlane provides the voice for Bruno.)
" 'Abandon all hope' only comes in the sweatshirt."
The show treads lightly on known unknowns—at one point, Tyson calls the origins of life on earth "one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science." But in its steady insistence on fact "Cosmos" counters anti-science rhetoric of the sort found on Fox News and in the culture at large, while being visually appealing in a manner that stands a good chance of capturing the attention of an audience accustomed to computerized thrills. The larger question presented by "Cosmos" is whether the series will merely entertain, or whether it might infuse young viewers with a grander view of technological progress. The Carl Sagan who guided Americans through the original "Cosmos" would not, perhaps, have identified Sandra Bullock's unmoving hair as the problem with "Gravity." He might instead have identified the desperate efforts of Bullock's character to return to Earth—"I hate space," she mutters to herself at one point—as the problem, and diagnosed the earthbound fear of space that characterizes the movie as an expression of a larger cultural timorousness.
Tyson never dreamed of becoming an astronaut, even as a child. "It was clear that I wasn't who they were looking for," he told me one afternoon, in his office. "The skin color didn't match up. This is the sixties, when 'Hair' is the No. 1 musical on Broadway, and here are these guys with crewcuts. War is becoming rapidly unpopular in the sixties, and yet nearly all the astronauts are drawn from the military. It was something that didn't include me." In any case, his mother told me, he used to get queasy in an elevator.
Tyson is impatient with the diminished ambitions of America's space program. "If you're an astronaut today, you're boldly going where hundreds have gone before—into Earth orbit," he said. To illustrate his point, he grabbed a schoolroom globe and a replica of the Moon that had roughly the circumference of a dessert plate. "This is about the correct relative size of the Earth and Moon to each other," he said.
I had no idea that the Moon was so large, its diameter a full quarter of the Earth's. "We have one of the biggest moons in the solar system relative to our home planet," Tyson said. "We have a totally rocking moon!" By now he was on his feet, theatrically holding the globe aloft. He asked me to guess how far away from the globe he would have to hold his moon to represent the true distance between them. I made a stab at an answer: out on the street?
"Thirty feet—at the end of the corridor," Tyson said. "Mars would be a mile away." He then hovered one finger above the surface of the globe, almost touching it, and leaned in close to me. "The Space Shuttle, the Space Station, the Hubble telescope—they're orbiting three-eighths of an inch above Earth," he exclaimed. "And NASA has convinced us that's space. To me, that's not space. I want to go somewhere! That's space. Take me to Europa—I'll sign up." Tyson was warming to his theme, even with an audience of one. "The dude who took his jump from space—the Red Bull jump from space? One-sixteenth of an inch above the Earth's surface," he declared. "I tweeted that." ♦
*An earlier version of this article misstated the year in which Tyson became the director of the Hayden Planetarium.
Published in the print edition of the February 17 & 24, 2014, issue.
More:American Museum of Natural HistoryAstronomersAstrophysicsCarl SaganColumbia UniversityDavid KochHayden Planetariumjon stewartLibrary of CongressMarsMoonNeil deGrasse TysonPBSPlutoPrinceton UniversityScienceSeth MacFarlaneTwitter
How Neil Armstrong Brought the Space Program Down to Earth
Did anyone have the right to be so little changed by the moon landing as Armstrong seems to have been?
By Thomas Mallon
A Critic at Large
Project Exodus
What's behind the dream of colonizing Mars?
By Elizabeth Kolbert


The After-School All-Stars North Texas Fourth Annual Rising Stars Luncheon will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at the Brook Hollow Golf Club. This year, we have an exciting opportunity to host special guest, Drew Brees, the 2009 Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. The luncheon will be chaired by Tara Conway and Bev Bowman, honoring our Board Chairman Ben Lange for his visionary leadership over the last three years.
Drew Brees is the 2009 Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. A native of Austin, TX, Brees attended Westlake High School and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and as a senior in 1996 led his football team to a perfect 16-0 record and the 5A State Championship while garnering 5A Offensive Player of the Year honors. He attended Purdue University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Industrial Management from the prestigious Krannert School of Management while lettering in football from 1997-2000. A two-time Heisman finalist, Brees led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance during the 2000 season. In that same year, he won the Maxwell Award as the nation's top collegiate player as well as being named Academic All-American Player of the Year and was a recipient of the National Football Foundation's post-graduate scholarship. In Brees' five years with the San Diego Chargers and eleven years with the New Orleans Saints, he has been elected to 12 Pro Bowls while being named 2004 Comeback Player of the Year, 2006 All-Pro Team, 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, 2008 and 2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP. As much pride as Brees takes in his on-field performance, he takes even more pride in his community service endeavors. Drew and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003 and since then have contributed over $33,000,000 to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children and families in need.
We are excited to hear more about Brees' experiences on and off the field that led him to his success today. Please join us for an incredible event supporting our All-Star students!
For table & ticket purchases, please click here. *Individual tickets & Dutch Treat tables are limited.
For sponsorship level benefits, please review the underwriting contract here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Lizzie Arington at lizzie@as-as.org or 972.803.4692.


text:
Curse of witch/Beginning of new love or sad ending???
Beginning of new love or sad ending???
Nadia smiled and said, "you have to promise me that we will meet again." Rahman smiled and said, "okay we will." Nadia became happy. "Now go. Take rest. I already reserved a plane ticket. But we will stop at Istanbul for transition then we will go." Nadia nob. Nadia was about to leave. But she stopped and looked at Rahman. She said " we will go to my grandmother's home. But where will we go to stay safe." Rahman said " I will find a place. I already talked with two people about this. And if we can't find it we can come back to Bangladesh." "yes. I miss my grandmother." saying this she hugged herself. Rahman went near her and hugged her. "Don't worry. We will meet with her soon." Nadia started to cry. She said "why this kept happening to me. I was happy just two days ago. Now everything changed. I want that old Nadia back. Who doesn't have to worry if she will see the next sunrise or not? Who doesn't have to worry about her grandmother? Only have to worry about her exam. Why ?? Why?? I have to go through this" she cried. Rahman soothed her. After some time she stops crying. He looked at her and saw she fell asleep. He carried her and put her to the bed. He was about to leave when Nadia held his hand. He saw it and sat down beside her on the bed. He watched her sleeping. He touched her hair and felt the softness. It's like cotton candy, which can be melted with a simple touch. He was lost in her. But Abu spoke in his mind. Abu asked, "where are you?" "In my bedroom." Abu laughed and said "finally my friend is in the bedroom. Congrats?" "You stupid; dumbo; I am in my bedroom but that doesn't mean anything " "when did I say anything? O; you thought some dirty things and you blame me for it. Not fair my friend." Abu said in a meekly sad voice. "Forget it. I can never win with a drama queen like you." Rahman said in a defeated voice. "who is a drama queen? I am a drama king in search of his drama queen. "Rahman pressed his hand on his forehead and said "please tell me what you want to say. Or I will curse you the whole night ``'' you won't have time as you will look at Nadia the whole night. How about this? Tell me you love me and I will say the reason I called you and you can go back to watching Nadia." Abu said in a teasing tone. Rahman sighed and said "I love you. Happy? Now tell me" Abu laughed and said "I tried to contact some witch. And Anna replied to me. She said the head in Bangladesh is ready to collaborate with us. But have a peculiar demand. ""what do they want?" Rahman asked. "The head said you must return with Nadia. And said that you must protect her at any cost during the journey. "Abu replied in confusion."She must have seen something and warned me. But why did she ask me to take Nadia to her?? It's not safe." "Yes. She said to tell you that the most dangerous place is the safest place for Nadia. How did she know that you will ask this?" Abu asked. "You forgot she is the one who predicted the future," Rahman said. "O. Now I remembered. I thought we were talking about another head. ``Yes, they have 12 heads in the whole world. And each has a different region to maintain. Bindi was the regional head of south-east Asia. "Abu said "I understand. Now what will we do?" Rahman said "we will follow her instructions. I will go and get Nadia's grandmother and we three will return here." "That's a great plan. Those ways you can make her stay with you." Rahman nob then remembered he was talking on the mind and replied "yes. Let's see what the future brought us"
~HOPE~
She felt like her whole body became stiff. She tried to move but she can't. She can't even lift a finger. She was feeling pain and cold. The water was still running. She started to shiver and she was feeling like she was on the top of Mount Everest. She again tried to stand up. This time she almost succeeded but at the last moment, she fell. She hit the glass door and had a cut on
her forehead. Blood came out of her head and washed away by the cold water. All the water drops felt like an alpin to her. Which is piercing her body and soul? She wanted to close her eyes and let it end. She was about to when she heard "what the hell is this?" She looked at a person. He has waist-length white hair and deep blue eyes. So blue that you must be confused with green. When you look at it you will feel like you are in the deep sea and feel suffocated. Also, you will feel pressured under those eyes. It held authorities and didn't take no for an answer. She was looking at these eyes and remembered a pair of other blue eyes. Which held the promise to be with her? To be her life; to be her breath; to be her shadow; to be her happiness. But that blue eyes shattered all the dreams and promises. She felt like dying. But this pair of blue eyes is different. It only held one promise that is to torture you to death. She was only looking at his eyes when she felt warm water fall on her. She stirred and looked around. She tried to come out of trance. When she was trying to adjust her mind on the right track she heard "Are you trying to kill yourself?" This dominating voice can only belong to one person. She looked and confirmed that. It was no other than Val. She was shattering and asked, "why are you in my bathroom?" "Wow look at this little one. Instead of thanking me; she is asking me ``why am I here?" Val said in a dramatic voice. "What I mean to say is that you could have sent a maid. Why did you come?" Hope said. Still shattering. "Because of this stupid tattoo," Val moved his hand to let her saw it. It looked normal to her. So she said, "it looked normal to me." "I know it looks normal but I have this weird feeling that you are in pain. I can't pinpoint it." Val replied in confusion. "It happened but we don't have this kind of blood contract where you will feel my pain." Hope said. Val shrugged and picked Hope up. Hope shouted, "What are you doing?" Val didn't reply and took her to the bedroom. He made her sit on the bed and ring a bell. 2 maids came. He said "help her get dressed. And make sure to keep her warm" Hope said "I can take care of myself. Leave me. All of you get out" Val sat at the level of Hope and said "listen; angry ball. This is my palace. Whatever I say is the law here. Don't disobey me. Or I don't mind to show you your real place." Hope looked up and said, "f**k you." Tears came running down her eyes. Val saw it and said "leave us" two maids left the room. Hope cried and cried. Val just stood there. But he couldn't bear it anymore. He pulled her. She was weak so she lost her balance but he held her. She looked at him. A Tear stain mark was visible on her cheek. And she cried early. He saw her red eyes when she opened them after shouting for 10 times. He didn't know why she was in so much pain.she was strong and she didn't take bullshit from him. So why was she crying? Val said, "stop crying or I will personally change your clothes." Hearing it Hope tried to stop crying but failed. Val became frustrated and took her to the changing room. He saw a white top and blue jeans. He shoved it into her hand and said "change" she looked at the tops and then at him. "Change now; Hope." She shivered but this time not because of coldness but because of his voice that called her name. It's the first time he called her Hope. She said "you go. I will." "Sorry. But I don't trust you. You can fall at any moment. I promise I won't look but change in front of me. Here "he took a piece of cloth and blindfolded himself."Now change "Hope to remove her cloth with a shaky hand. She used a towel to remove water and then wear the tops and jeans Val gave her. After changing she was feeling like she did a mountain of work. She was so weak that she wanted to sit down. Then she remembered Val was standing and said "you can open your blindfold. I already changed". She felt shy to change in front of him. So she tries some moves to make sure he isn't looking. After confirming that he can't see she changed. Now that she changed she sat on the fall. Val
removed his blindfold and saw her sitting on the floor. "Do you love to sit on the floor?" She said "I couldn't stand still. So I sat down." Val took a deep breath and picked her again. This time hope didn't say anything. He put her to bed and asked "where is your medicine?" Hope looked and asked "which medicine?" "The one you used at the girl in the woods" "I have it. It's in my bag." Val went to get her bag and gave her the medicine. "Use it. You have an injury to the head." "No need. Just give me a bandage and dressing material. I will clean my wound. "hope said in a weak voice."Why don't you use your potion." Val asked. She said "it is for an emergency. I can't use it for minor injuries. "Val became angry and said "minor injury? Did you look at it? And you lost too much blood. Don't be stubborn and use it." "You are not my mother, stop nagging me," hope said in an irritated voice. "I am not but I don't mind becoming your daddy." "Can you please not joke about this?" hope said in a defeated voice. "Only when you will listen, I will listen to you." Hope gave a sigh, snatched the potion from his hand, and applied it. The pain reduced and she took another medicine. It warmed her body. She was feeling a lot better. Val asked "Are you feeling alright?" Hope nob. He stood up and was about to leave. Hope called "Val", he looked at her, and she looked downward. She was looking at her hand like it was the most important thing. Val asked "what is it?" Hope still looked down and said "Thank you" Val's eyes got big and his heart started to beat first. He replied "welcome and take care of yourself ". Then he left the room or should we say run from the room. Hope looked at the empty space where Val was standing. She remembered what Val did for her and she smiled.
It's the longest chapter I wrote in this book. Hope you all like my chapter. I am thinking about the love triangle or love quadrangle. But We will see what the future holds for us. For now, just enjoy their happiness. And in the next chapter, we will see some action. So my dear readers, be ready. And who still doesn't add my book to your library go back to the front page and give love. That's all it needs to have a daily update about this beautiful book. So hurry. Love you all.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Perkins takes Miss Mississippi Crown to Miss America, wins $10,000 scholarship
Published 8:00 am Thursday, December 22, 2022
Miss Mississippi Emmie Perkins displays the trophy she received for her Social Impact Initiative, Music is Medicine, at the Miss America Competition. (Photo Courtesy of Emmie Perkins)
Although the outcome of the Miss America Competition may not have been exactly what Miss Mississippi Emmie Perkins had hoped for, she still came out as a winner.
Perkins walked away with more than $10,000 in scholarships, an experience of a lifetime and the opportunity to continue to serve her state.
"I gained a lot more aside from not making the top (11)," Perkins said. "I had an incredible time and I walked away with $13,000 in scholarship, which was amazing."
A portion of the winnings – $10,000 – was due to Perkins being named the overall winner of the Social Impact award.
Since 2019, Perkins began promoting "Music is Medicine," which has since grown to her working with hospitals, nursing homes and schools, while also partnering with additional organizations.
Perkins is the first Miss Mississippi to receive this award.
"When I heard my name called, I was in complete shock, and to walk away with an extra scholarship that acknowledged my platform 'Music is Medicine' meant the entire world to me because that's really the heart of what I do. So, to have national recognition was amazing," she said.
In addition to winning scholarship money, another bonus Perkins said she experienced while at the Miss America Competition was the relationships she made throughout the week with other candidates.
"They (the relationships) were unforgettable. People say it's 'the best week of your life,' and it's true. You build a bond like nothing I could even describe until you experience it yourself," Perkins said. "I loved being with the other women and I met so many great friends, and it's insane to think I have a friend in all 50 states now."
Although she did not win the title, Perkins said the highlight of the competition was knowing she did her best.
"You can only control yourself, not the outcome of the situation, and I felt like every single time I spoke and every time I performed on the Miss America stage, I did everything to the best of my abilities. There is not a single thing that I would change about how I prepared or who I was during every phase of the competition," she said. "I truly felt at peace. I almost think it was a supernatural thing because I had the best performance, the best interview and the best on-stage questions of my entire life and nothing can take that away," including not being chosen as one of the top 10 candidates in the Miss America Competition.
In returning home, Perkins said, she is excited about being back in Mississippi and has already begun resuming where she left off in serving the state.
"I am exactly where I need to be for a reason. I've got a lot of work to do, and I needed a little bit more time to get it done," Perkins said.
As Miss Mississippi, Perkins set a goal to visit a school in all 82 counties in the state.
"I'm excited to come home and accomplish goals I had set up in Mississippi," she said.


After what seemed like 20 years of never being cleaned or organized... the studio @JMHS is ready to roll. Wall mounted easels are still to be made and put up, supplies will be bought, but the studio for the high schools new Studio Art Program is ready for production. We have a creative bunch of students here in Walsenburg and I cant wait to see this studio rock&roll..


text:
Home FAQ All About..... Backstage Quickies We are the Roadcrew
Hangtime's Tutorials
at a glance.... | GarageBand FAQ: your questions answered |
Backstage Quickies
Audio Units | All about
SoundFonts | All about
Panning |
We are the Roadcrew...
to The DoorPost
The DoorPost - GarageBand tips newsletter is sent to you every three months and is full of extra tips on how to get the most out of GarageBand. It takes a more in-depth look at some important aspects of digital audio and home recording with GarageBand. Also: Links to free loops, effects and software instruments.
Your e-mail privacy matters; we will never pass your details on to other parties |
All About.. Building Software Instruments Creating a Template Recording 2 Tracks The Best Panning Converting Sound Formats Audio Units SoundFonts ClickTracks Effect Automation Moving Regions Copyright Fair Use Rescuing files Creating an Aggregate Device Balanced systems Transferring LPs to iTunes FAQ
All about......
Please Note: HangTime is not a Lawyer. He does not play one on the Teley. He would question anyone's sanity that would take anything he says as legal advice. Hopefully you will find this educational as well as entertaining, however anything dealing with Law or Government is complicated (they make sure of it ... it's called Job Security), and it is important to do your own research. If there is something you're not sure about, please consult with a lawyer.
Also note that this article is based on Copyright Law in the United States, other Country's laws may vary.
So I wrote these really awesome songs, how do I make sure no one steals them? You're probably thinking of "Copyright"
Yeah, that's it! How do I do that? It's easier than you think
I SO hate when you say things like that. No really it is. In fact it's so easy you don't have to do anything at all to own the Copyright.
Huh? Since 1978 any copyrightable work is technically Copyrighted the moment you actually create it.
Coolness, so I'm done. Well there's a little more to it if you really want to be fully protected, and be able to sue for damages should someone actually steal your work.
See, I knew it wouldn't be simple, it's never simple with you! Don't panic, it's really not very difficult at all.
First a little background, with no legal-speak. As I said, the moment you actually create something (write it down, record it, draw it, etc, more than just having the idea in your head), you own the copyright ... the right to copy, or create something based on, your work.
The catch is that you want to be able to prove that you created it first. A friend told me that I could seal my work in an envelope and mail it to myself. Yeah, that is unfortunately a Myth (worth emphasizing: Myth!) The fact is that it offers no legal protection, and while every case is different, legally you can not sue for damages without a registered Copyright.
Are you sure? Have I ever lied to you? Welllll... Fine, here is a direct quote from the Library of Congress:
Do I have to register with your office to be protected? No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.
Fine. How do I get a legally registered Copyright? It's as easy as mailing a CD of your music along with the proper form and filing fee to the Library of Congress (LOC).
Ooookay. So where do I get this form. The LOC rather conveniently offers the Copyright forms on its web site.
Boom. What was that? My head exploding, yet again. Well, yes, there are a dizzying number of forms to choose from, but wanted to be sure all possibilities were covered (and I like the way your eyes bulged out when that page loaded)
Okay, I think I figured it out, I have a CD of original music, so I need to use form SR for Sound Recordings. Err, not exactly
What? Why? It's a Sound Recording, isn't it? This could be a little confusing, don't panic.
{rolls eyes}. The SR form is for protecting the recording, not the songs and lyrics.
Aren't they the same thing? Like I said, the concept might take a moment to grasp. Suppose you have a song you wrote called "Slammin'Metal Maniac" and you copyrighted it, music and lyrics, and released it on your debut album. Now some time later you decide to release it on an album of live recordings (all previously released and copyrighted), you'd still want to register this album, though the songs are already copyrighted. For this, registering the recordings (not the songs themselves) you'd use form SR
I think I get it. So it's like, hmmm. Okay, the SR form registers the album itself so that no one would be allowed to duplicate it and start selling it, but that wouldn't let me sue for damages if they ripped off my music. Did I get it right? You get a gold star. Very good.
So if SR is not the right form, which one is it? Use Form PA to register your song.
Here's how the Copyright office describes the uses for form PA:
Use Form PA for registration of published or unpublished works of the performing arts. This class includes works prepared for the purpose of being "performed" directly before an audience or indirectly "by means of any device or process." Works of the performing arts include: (1) musical works, including any accompanying words; (2) dramatic works, including any accompanying music; (3) pantomimes and choreographic works; and (4) motion pictures and other audiovisual works
So I just fill out the form and send it in with a CD that has my song on it? And the Filing Fee, yes.
Ugh, and how much is that? $45. Before you send anything, check the Current Fee Requirements on the Copyright Offices Web Site, just to be sure.
ACK! And I have to do that for EVERY dong?! Don't panic, form PA also allows you to send what they refer to as a collection. IOW a Book of poems for instance, or in your case, a CD full of music and lyrics. Here's what the Copyright office says about it:
Under the following conditions, a work may be registered in unpublished form as a "collection", with one application form and one fee:
The elements of the collection are assembled in an orderly form;
The combined elements bear a single title identifying the collection as a whole;
The copyright claimant in all the elements and in the collection as a whole is the same; and
All the elements are by the same author, or, if they are by different authors, at least one of the authors has contributed copyrightable authorship to each element.
An unpublished collection is not indexed under the individual titles of the contents but under the title of the collection.
Or in simple terms: a CD of your songs with a single title
Cool, I'm totally getting it. I knew you would.
How long does Copyright last? Copyright law has changed over the years, and along with it the time period of Copyright protextion, however we'll skip over the history lesson and just stick to the relevant information for you. Since January 1, 1978 your work is protected for your entire lifetime, plus 70 years.
Why 'Plus 70'? I mean, if I'm dead and all... I can't offer you the exact reasoning for choosing 70 years, but the thought behind the extension past your lifetime was so that you could leave the work to someone in your Will.
BTW, there are a couple more bits that could be relevant. If you hold the copyright along with someone else, it's the entire lifetime of the last surviving Copyright Holder Plus 70 years. Also, for anonymous or pseudonymous works (unless the author's identity is revealed in Copyright Office records), the duration of Copyright is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.
Is there anything else I should do? I always see things like the word "Copyright" with a funny little symbol and such. Back in 1976 that was indeed required, however this requirement was abandoned in 1989, so you no longer have to do so. However, there are reasons you may want to follow the worldwide standard practice of labeling things in the form:
Copyright © HangTime. All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Why? Copyright Law varies from Country to Country, using this form is the standard used by most of them, and without doing research on every country, I can't tell you if some may still require it. And besides, it just looks dead cool!
Umm, before I forget, how did you make that little circle-c thingie? You're going to love this, it's really... don't say it! ...but it is, really simple. Just hold down the OptionKey and press the letter "g" key, bingo, a Copyright symbol (©). Oh, of course those are instructions for a Mac, for other platforms you're on your own.
Nice, thanks! Glad I could help
Now, err, you're not going to steal my song before I get it Copyrighted are you? No. (And you mean "Registered" it's already copyrighted). Boom. Now for our many friends around the world, it's not realistic to try to cover everything in an article of this type, however I do offer you a starting point. If you're not sure where to start to research your own country's laws, perhaps the International Copyright Relations of the United States page can help you to find out what to search for to better understand the laws governing your Rights.
Home Tutorials Setup Gear Loops Instruments Live Recording Editing & Mixing the Music
Subscribe to the "DoorPost" newsletter.
© the GarageDoor 2010
© 2010 the GarageDoor


News, Events, Inspiration, and much more!
For most of us, memories of when we were young always include a certain song sung by a certain special someone. That song resonates with us, and will forever. That particular song reminds us of calm, peace, serenity, comfort and security. It's no secret that music can create its very own atmosphere. Therefore, it's no surprise to find live music easing its way into NICUs across the country.
The American Music Therapy Association lists many reasons for having music in the NICU. There are the obvious reasons, such as: Music can mask all the ambient noise in the NICU environment that all NICU parents know so well. Music can enhance the NICU environment for personnel and keep the NICU nurses more stress-free.
Music pacifies the infant and positively effects oxygen saturation levels, heart rate, and respiration rate.
Music therapy can reduce length of NICU stay with preemies.
Music facilitates neurological growth and development.
Music can promote a sense of safety during painful procedures.
Music can promote a longer period of sleeping for the infant.
Many hospitals have volunteers playing guitar and singing to the baby while the caregiver holds the baby (when possible). However, preemies.about.com suggests waiting until the baby is ready for music therapy to be sure the baby is not over stimulated.
Music therapy is not just for the baby, it's also for the caregivers.


Halloween is one of the best times of the year, from the fancy dress and sweets, to spooky scary skeletons and fantastic decorations. In recent years the tradition has been increasing in popularity in the UK, but this is making it a little bit harder for pet owners. The festivities, decorations, and food all pose hazards to the home, especially for pets. However, if you want to have a pet friendly Halloween, take a look at Petplan's tips to ensure a happy, fun, and above all, safe, holiday.
As autumn draws closer to an end and the shorter winter days start to settle in, fireworks provide some much-needed levity to beat the cold weather blues.
We all love our furry friends, we take care of them and in return they give us their love and affection, but sometimes they aren't capable of looking after themselves or someone has refused to look after them. In unfortunate cases like this, we have numerous animal charities here in the UK to ensure that these pets are well-looked after and often find them new homes of their own. Petplan takes a look at some of the most important animal charity work being done and how it helps pets that need this love and care.
Should you buy your child a pet? It's a question that many parents ask themselves, but it's hard to know the answer. Every family is different, and pets have their own wants and needs to take into account. However, there are a multitude of benefits to be had by introducing your child or children to a furry new friend.


text:
Cobanocythere subterranoides is een mosselkreeftjessoort uit de familie van de Cobanocytheridae. De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1974 door Hartmann.

Cobanocytheridae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The First Week of School – 040 – What is the best way to start the school year? Should I get serious right away to set the tone? Or should I have fun with the students in order to get to know each other? Is there a way to combine both? Here's a suggestion for an integrated approach that smoothly merges two seemingly conflicting attitudes toward the first days of school.


text:
The 10 most common mobile security problems and how you can fight them
By Michael Cooney
Senior Editor, CSO |
When it comes to security, most mobile devices are a target waiting to be attacked. That's pretty much the conclusion of a report to Congress on the status of the security of mobile devices this week by watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office.
Combine the lack of security with the fact that mobile devices are being targeted by cybercriminals and you have a bad situation. For example, the number of variants of malicious software aimed at mobile devices has reportedly risen from about 14,000 to 40,000 or about 185% in less than a year, the GAO stated.
IN THE NEWS: Watchdogs say tons of issues remain before unmanned aircraft can fly free in USA
MORE: Insider security threat gets a serious look by US security agencies
"Mobile devices face an array of threats that take advantage of numerous vulnerabilities commonly found in such devices. These vulnerabilities can be the result of inadequate technical controls, but they can also result from the poor security practices of consumers," the GAO stated. "Private [companies] and relevant federal agencies have taken steps to improve the security of mobile devices, including making certain controls available for consumers to use if they wish and promulgating information about recommended mobile security practices. However, security controls are not always consistently implemented on mobile devices, and it is unclear whether consumers are aware of the importance of enabling security controls on their devices and adopting recommended practices."
The GAO report came up with a list of mobile vulnerabilities it says are common to all mobile platforms and it offered a number of possible fixes for the weaknesses: From the report:
" Mobile devices often do not have passwords enabled. Mobile devices often lack passwords to authenticate users and control access to data stored on the devices. Many devices have the technical capability to support passwords, personal identification numbers (PIN), or pattern screen locks for authentication. Some mobile devices also include a biometric reader to scan a fingerprint for authentication. However, anecdotal information indicates that consumers seldom employ these mechanisms. Additionally, if users do use a password or PIN they often choose passwords or PINs that can be easily determined or bypassed, such as 1234 or 0000. Without passwords or PINs to lock the device, there is increased risk that stolen or lost phones' information could be accessed by unauthorized users who could view sensitive information and misuse mobile devices.
" Two-factor authentication is not always used when conducting sensitive transactions on mobile devices. According to studies, consumers generally use static passwords instead of two-factor authentication when conducting online sensitive transactions while using mobile devices. Using static passwords for authentication has security drawbacks: passwords can be guessed, forgotten, written down and stolen, or eavesdropped. Two-factor authentication generally provides a higher level of security than traditional passwords and PINs, and this higher level may be important for sensitive transactions. Two-factor refers to an authentication system in which users are required to authenticate using at least two different "factors" something you know, something you have, or something you are before being granted access. Mobile devices can be used as a second factor in some two-factor authentication schemes. The mobile device can generate pass codes, or the codes can be sent via a text message to the phone. Without two-factor authentication, increased risk exists that unauthorized users could gain access to sensitive information and misuse mobile devices.
" Wireless transmissions are not always encrypted. Information such as e-mails sent by a mobile device is usually not encrypted while in transit. In addition, many applications do not encrypt the data they transmit and receive over the network, making it easy for the data to be intercepted. For example, if an application is transmitting data over an unencrypted WiFi network using http (rather than secure http), the data can be easily intercepted. When a wireless transmission is not encrypted, data can be easily intercepted.
" Mobile devices may contain malware. Consumers may download applications that contain malware. Consumers download malware unknowingly because it can be disguised as a game, security patch, utility, or other useful application. It is difficult for users to tell the difference between a legitimate application and one containing malware. For example, an application could be repackaged with malware and a consumer could inadvertently download it onto a mobile device. the data can be easily intercepted. When a wireless transmission is not encrypted, data can be easily intercepted by eavesdroppers, who may gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
" Mobile devices often do not use security software. Many mobile devices do not come preinstalled with security software to protect against malicious applications, spyware, and malware-based attacks. Further, users do not always install security software, in part because mobile devices often do not come preloaded with such software. While such software may slow operations and affect battery life on some mobile devices, without it, the risk may be increased that an attacker could successfully distribute malware such as viruses, Trojans, spyware, and spam to lure users into revealing passwords or other confidential information.
" Operating systems may be out-of-date. Security patches or fixes for mobile devices' operating systems are not always installed on mobile devices in a timely manner. It can take weeks to months before security updates are provided to consumers' devices. Depending on the nature of the vulnerability, the patching process may be complex and involve many parties. For example, Google develops updates to fix security vulnerabilities in the Android OS, but it is up to device manufacturers to produce a device-specific update incorporating the vulnerability fix, which can take time if there are proprietary modifications to the device's software. Once a manufacturer produces an update, it is up to each carrier to test it and transmit the updates to consumers' devices. However, carriers can be delayed in providing the updates because they need time to test whether they interfere with other aspects of the device or the software installed on it.
In addition, mobile devices that are older than two years may not receive security updates because manufacturers may no longer support these devices. Many manufacturers stop supporting smartphones as soon as 12 to 18 months after their release. Such devices may face increased risk if manufacturers do not develop patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities.
" Software on mobile devices may be out-of-date. Security patches for third-party applications are not always developed and released in a timely manner. In addition, mobile third-party applications, including web browsers, do not always notify consumers when updates are available. Unlike traditional web browsers, mobile browsers rarely get updates. Using outdated software increases the risk that an attacker may exploit vulnerabilities associated with these devices.
" Mobile devices often do not limit Internet connections. Many mobile devices do not have firewalls to limit connections. When the device is connected to a wide area network it uses communications ports to connect with other devices and the Internet. A hacker could access the mobile device through a port that is not secured. A firewall secures these ports and allows the user to choose what connections he wants to allow into the mobile device. Without a firewall, the mobile device may be open to intrusion through an unsecured communications port, and an intruder may be able to obtain sensitive information on the device and misuse it.
" Mobile devices may have unauthorized modifications. The process of modifying a mobile device to remove its limitations so consumers can add features (known as "jailbreaking" or "rooting") changes how security for the device is managed and could increase security risks. Jailbreaking allows users to gain access to the operating system of a device so as to permit the installation of unauthorized software functions and applications and/or to not be tied to a particular wireless carrier. While some users may jailbreak or root their mobile devices specifically to install security enhancements such as firewalls, others may simply be looking for a less expensive or easier way to install desirable applications. In the latter case, users face increased security risks, because they are bypassing the application vetting process established by the manufacturer and thus have less protection against inadvertently installing malware. Further, jailbroken devices may not receive notifications of security updates from the manufacturer and may require extra effort from the user to maintain up-to-date software.
" Communication channels may be poorly secured. Having communication channels, such as Bluetooth communications, "open" or in "discovery" mode (which allows the device to be seen by other Bluetooth-enabled devices so that connections can be made) could allow an attacker to install malware through that connection, or surreptitiously activate a microphone or camera to eavesdrop on the user. In addition, using unsecured public wireless Internet networks or WiFi spots could allow an attacker to connect to the device and view sensitive information.
The GAO report went on to state that connecting to an unsecured WiFi network could let an attacker access personal information from a device, putting users at risk for data and identity theft. One type of attack that exploits the WiFi network is known as man-in-the-middle, where an attacker inserts himself in the middle of the communication stream and steals information.
So what can be done to secure mobile devices? The GAO report offers a number of ideas including:
" Enable user authentication: Devices can be configured to require passwords or PINs to gain access. In addition, the password field can be masked to prevent it from being observed, and the devices can activate idle-time screen locking to prevent unauthorized access.
" Enable two-factor authentication for sensitive transactions: Two-factor authentication can be used when conducting sensitive transactions on mobile devices. Two-factor authentication provides a higher level of security than traditional passwords. Two-factor refers to an authentication system in which users are required to authenticate using at least two different "factors" something you know, something you have, or something you are before being granted access. Mobile devices themselves can be used as a second factor in some two-factor authentication schemes used for remote access. The mobile device can generate pass codes, or the codes can be sent via a text message to the phone. Two-factor authentication may be important when sensitive transactions occur, such as for mobile banking or conducting financial transactions.
" Verify the authenticity of downloaded applications: Procedures can be implemented for assessing the digital signatures of downloaded applications to ensure that they have not been tampered with.
" Install antimalware capability: Antimalware protection can be installed to protect against malicious applications, viruses, spyware, infected secure digital cards,b and malware-based attacks. In addition, such capabilities can protect against unwanted (spam) voice messages, text messages, and e-mail attachments.
" Install a firewall: A personal firewall can protect against unauthorized connections by intercepting both incoming and outgoing connection attempts and blocking or permitting them based on a list of rules.
" Install security updates: Software updates can be automatically transferred from the manufacturer or carrier directly to a mobile device. Procedures can be implemented to ensure these updates are transmitted promptly.
" Remotely disable lost or stolen devices: Remote disabling is a feature for lost or stolen devices that either locks the device or completely erases its contents remotely. Locked devices can be unlocked subsequently by the user if they are recovered.
" Enable encryption for data stored on device or memory card: File encryption protects sensitive data stored on mobile devices and memory cards. Devices can have built-in encryption capabilities or use commercially available encryption tools.
" Enable whitelisting: Whitelisting is a software control that permits only known safe applications to execute commands.
" Establish a mobile device security policy: Security policies define the rules, principles, and practices that determine how an organization treats mobile devices, whether they are issued by the organization or owned by individuals. Policies should cover areas such as roles and responsibilities, infrastructure security, device security, and security assessments. By establishing policies that address these areas, agencies can create a framework for applying practices, tools, and training to help support the security of wireless networks.
" Provide mobile device security training: Training employees in an organization's mobile security policies can help to ensure that mobile devices are configured, operated, and used in a secure and appropriate manner.
" Establish a deployment plan: Following a well-designed deployment plan helps to ensure that security objectives are met.
" Perform risk assessments: Risk analysis identifies vulnerabilities and threats, enumerates potential attacks, assesses their likelihood of success, and estimates the potential damage from successful attacks on mobile devices.
" Perform configuration control and management: Configuration management ensures that mobile devices are protected against the introduction of improper modifications before, during, and after deployment.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8 and on Facebook.
Read more about anti-malware in Network World's Anti-malware section.
Michael Cooney is a Senior Editor with Network World who has written about the IT world for more than 25 years. He can be reached at michael_cooney@idg.com.


File photo: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
SYRACUSE, NY -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed state health department staff to St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center after "preliminary tests" on Friday found Legionella bacteria in part of the building's water system.
The bacteria can cause Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia that can be deadly for the elderly and smokers. A Sunday news release from the governor's office stated that all 11 of the hospital's cooling towers tested negative for the bacteria but that other tests found the bacteria elsewhere.
"The samples which have preliminarily tested positive are now undergoing culture testing to definitively determine if there is live Legionella bacteria in the system that is capable of causing disease," State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker wrote in the news release. "... The State Department of Health - which has extensive expertise in the management of Legionella - has deployed staff to the hospital to provide consultation to the facility and to perform further testing."
Also, the State Office of Emergency Management is working with Onondaga County to ensure patients and staff have a supply of bottled drinking water, according to the news release.
While potentially unsafe for drinking, the water in the hospital's systems can still be safely used for hand washing, bed bathing and cleaning, Zucker said.
"We will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates as test results and more information become available," he said.
The testing was part of a state mandate in late August after 12 people died in the South Bronx from the disease, which was linked to a cooling tower at a hotel.


text:
Less corporate, more mindful
Discovering 'star nurseries'
"I was around individuals who had had a lot of success in certain fields, especially being here in Silicon Valley, and I saw it was easy to get hooked on that success," said Lawrence Levy, former CFO of Pixar, on working in corporate America. "It was easy for that work to define us as individuals and to not really get beyond it."
Photo by Dan Carlson
HLS grad talks about leap from Pixar to meditation-focused nonprofit
Several years ago, Harvard Law School graduate Lawrence Levy was at the top of his game. Following a successful law career in Silicon Valley, Levy was recruited by Steve Jobs to help lead the animation studio Pixar. As chief financial officer, he guided the company's business strategy and IPO, and helped orchestrate its sale to Disney in 2006.
But while he loved his career, Levy felt the tug of something he first became interested in as a student at HLS: meditation.
In 2003, he co-founded the Juniper Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to bringing meditation to contemporary life; currently he's working on opening a meditation center in San Francisco. In advance of his visit to campus this week, the Gazette spoke with Levy about his time at Pixar and his turn to meditation.
GAZETTE: Can you tell me about how you got interested in meditation?
LEVY: It started for me I suppose in some ways when I was in Cambridge in 1980. I was at Harvard Law School and even back then I was interested in meditation. I would be sitting in some of the bookstores looking at the various meditation books that were there at the time and wondering about it. And then … life took over. I had a career and a family and I didn't have an opportunity to explore it very much, although the interest remained. And then I reached the point in my career around 12 years ago, I was about five years into my work at Pixar, and I decided to take a sabbatical because that path or that passion in my life was really strong and I wanted to explore it, and so that's what I did. That's when I really began to get into meditation, both studying and learning about it and practicing it as well.
GAZETTE: How would you say it's changed your life?
LEVY: For me has been a very transformative practice. With meditation it's not like lightning bolts go off or you suddenly see angels dancing on clouds or anything like that. I consider that it kind of works at a deeper level. Someone might put it like this — at the level of personality I remain the same person. I still enjoy the same things, I do the same things, all the same activities and endeavors, but underneath that there's a deeper level of calm, a deeper level of awareness, a different, deeper way of being in life, and I enjoy the experience of that. That's changed my life in really positive ways.
GAZETTE: What would you say to those who might question your choice to move your life in such a different direction when you were really at the top of your field as a successful lawyer and then the CFO of Pixar?
LEVY: It was a dramatic shift, but I guess I would say it like this: I loved my career, I loved my time as a lawyer, I loved my time as a business executive and I enjoyed everything that I was doing, but I sort of had this feeling inside of me that as good as it was there was a kind of one-dimensionality to it. I was around individuals who had had a lot of success in certain fields, especially being here in Silicon Valley, and I saw it was easy to get hooked on that success. It was easy for that work to define us as individuals and to not really get beyond it. And my passions aligned in this domain of meditation philosophy, Eastern philosophy, those kinds of topics, and I thought that there was something richer to be discovered in life there. And I wanted to do that sooner rather than later. That's why I decided to do it. I am not sure I expected at the time that it would become what it did, that I would start a foundation to be more involved in that kind of work, but at the time, that was the impulse that drove me.
I would say that since then, I feel I have sort of affirmed that many times over. I think that that capacity to get caught up in work life and sort of [let that] define us can still be problematic.
GAZETTE: Looking back, do you think you would you have been a more effective executive with the benefit of meditation?
LEVY: This is a question I am asked a lot. In some ways, looking back, I applied a lot of the dimensions that I know now almost sort of naturally and automatically. So even as an executive I was able to prioritize what I would call the human dimension of life, the care and concern for others, considering the dignity of others. Attention to the bottom line, yes, but not at the expense of really thinking, worrying, and caring deeply about what was happening to all the people around me. So if I went back now, I think I would have even more tools to bring to that.
People often ask me, "Can you be a strong, hard-charging executive if you're worried too much about other people's feelings?" And my answer to that is always, absolutely you can. I am sure that it happens many, many times. You don't have to be aloof, or uncaring, or uncompassionate to be a successful executive. But you can be a successful executive without those qualities. They both work. I think it's more a question of how we want to live our lives as individuals, and the kinds of companies, organizations, or entities that we want to build.
GAZETTE: Do you miss corporate America?
LEVY: That's a great question. I did at the beginning. One of the grooves in my life was the groove of being an executive and I was very used to that, and it took me a while to find a new groove. I would say I no longer do miss it. I feel very fortunate to be able to do the work that I am doing. I feel very fortunate to have learned and studied with my own teacher, Segyu Rinpoche, and to do the work that I am doing now at Juniper. So I am just on a different path now than I was before. But it doesn't change my feeling about that. I still look back with great joy. It was a wonderful time. I am just doing something different now.
GAZETTE: Could you ever see yourself going back to it in some capacity?
LEVY: I maybe entertained that in the first couple of years. I think these life transitions take a little bit of time. It did for me, too. But basically, when we founded Juniper, the work that I'm doing now, that was in 2003, the five co-founders spent a month examining what the challenge was that we would have, trying to bring meditation into contemporary life. And we mapped the whole thing out and made a blueprint for what it was going to look like to do it, very Silicon Valley startup style. And we looked at that and thought, "Wow this is a huge task, this could take 500 years." My teacher and co-founder Rinpoche said, "Perhaps not 500 years, maybe just 100 years. We just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and do it." And at that point I looked at it and I said, "You know what, this is an amazing opportunity to do work like this." Perhaps I hadn't seen myself doing it before, but this was something that I was passionate about and I said, "Let's do it, let's go for it."
GAZETTE: I know at Juniper you prioritize, in part, the incorporation of science and modern education. Why are those two areas in particular so important?
LEVY: In the meditation tradition that we practice, which goes back to a 2,500-year-old Buddhist tradition … at the heart of it is their principle of critical thought: deconstructing dogma in order to find and penetrate deeper understanding of things. That gives us the license in a way to go back and examine old principles and critically think about whether they still apply or not. And if they do still apply, then that's great and we can continue with them. But if they don't, then we replace them with principles that do. So for example, today we have obviously unbelievable knowledge about the brain, about the mind; unbelievable products of science, of neuroscience that simply didn't exist 2,000 years ago. And so it's pretty clear to us from how we read those teachings, that those meditation masters back then wouldn't have ignored all this, they would have loved it, because that notion of critical thought is one that, I think, they welcomed.
Another way to think of it is, we don't see this practice or this tradition as being in the truth business. It's not an ideology or a dogma; it's a methodology. And as a methodology, that gives us that license to embrace new knowledge and I think we will always be continuing to do that.
GAZETTE: What would you say to people so busy with work and family and other commitments that they think even five or ten minutes a day for meditation is more than they have?
LEVY: I would say this: If you want to do any kind of inner work, any kind of inner self-reflection, examination, translation, we have to do something. The reason for that is because our minds are always on, and our minds our very habitual: We are constantly in motion in whatever our active thought and emotion are. It's like trying to fix a car going 100 miles an hour down the highway. If you need to fix the car, you've got to find a way to get the car off the highway and stop to be able to fix it. We are like that in a way, because we are in motion all the time. We need to put a pause in that motion in order to have an opening for some sort of self-reflection or inner growth. And meditation is a great tool for that because it puts the pause in our lives. And when we do that other things will come in. And that pause works best when it's regular, when it's a habit. So we strongly encourage individuals to put in that five or ten minutes a day rather than an hour on the weekends or a meditation retreat once a year. That regularity, that habit of that practice, can be very fruitful for our lives.
Levy will speak at Harvard Business School Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.; at Harvard Law School's Wasserstein Hall Thursday at noon; and at Harvard Divinity School's Braun Room at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Astronomers have identified 18 extreme mass-ratio binaries in a neighboring galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud (pictured). We've caught them "in the delivery room," since one star is fully formed while the other is still in its infancy. These systems represent a new class of binary stars, according to CfA researchers.
Credit: Robert Gendler and Josch Hambsch 2005 ©


text:
Home/Archives/2014 Archives
MEET THE 2014 STATE CHAMPIONS!
Meet the High School teams that competed in Orlando in the National LifeSmarts Championship in late April. Click here.
Congratulations to our Junior Varsity State Champions! Click here.
SPECIAL FBLA COMPETITIONS
Congratulations to all of the teams that competed in the LifeSmarts FBLA Spring Challenge. Twelve teams will be invited by FBLA to advance to the NLC. We will see you there! See all 28 State Champions! Click here.
National LifeSmarts Championship
State champion teams compete for four days in April with the national title on the line.
Click here for a wrap-up of the 2014 National LifeSmarts Championship.