Quantum entanglement is one of the central principles of quantum physics, though it is also highly misunderstood. In short, quantum entanglement means that multiple particles are linked together in a way such that the measurement of one particle's quantum state determines the possible quantum states of the other particles.

The Classic Quantum Entanglement Example

The classic example of quantum entanglement is called the EPR paradox. In a simplified version of this case, consider a particle with quantum spin 0 that decays into two new particles, Particle A and Particle B. Particle A and Particle B head off in opposite directions. However, the original particle had a quantum spin of 0. Each of the new particles has a quantum spin of 1/2, but because they have to add up to 0, one is +1/2 and one is -1/2.
This relationship means that the two particles are entangled. When you measure the spin of Particle A, that measurement has an impact on the possible results you could get when measuring the spin of Particle B. And this isn't just an interesting theoretical prediction, but has been verified experimentally through tests of Bell's Theorem.
One important thing to remember is that in quantum physics, the original uncertainty about the particle's quantum state isn't just a lack of knowledge. A fundamental property of quantum theory is that prior to the act of measurement, the particle really doesn't have a definite state, but is in a superposition of all possible states. This is best modeled by the classic quantum physics thought experiment, Schroedinger's Cat, where a quantum mechanics approach results in an unobserved cat that is both alive and dead simultaneously.

The Wavefunction of the Universe

 

One way of interpreting things is to consider the entire universe as one single wavefunction. In this representation, this "wavefunction of the universe" would contain a term that defines the quantum state of each and every particle. It is this approach that leaves open the door for claims that "everything is connected," which often gets manipulated (either intentionally or through honest confusion) to end up with things like the physics errors in The Secret.
Though this interpretation does mean that the quantum state of every particle in the universe affects the wavefunction of every other particle, it does so in a way that is only mathematical. There is really no sort of experiment which could ever - even in principle - discover the effect in one place showing up in another location.

Quantum Entaglement

Quantum entanglement is one of the central principles of quantum physics, though it is also highly misunderstood. In short, quantum entanglement means that multiple particles are linked together in a way such that the measurement of one particle's quantum state determines the possible quantum states of the other particles.

The Classic Quantum Entanglement Example

The classic example of quantum entanglement is called the EPR paradox. In a simplified version of this case, consider a particle with quantum spin 0 that decays into two new particles, Particle A and Particle B. Particle A and Particle B head off in opposite directions. However, the original particle had a quantum spin of 0. Each of the new particles has a quantum spin of 1/2, but because they have to add up to 0, one is +1/2 and one is -1/2.
This relationship means that the two particles are entangled. When you measure the spin of Particle A, that measurement has an impact on the possible results you could get when measuring the spin of Particle B. And this isn't just an interesting theoretical prediction, but has been verified experimentally through tests of Bell's Theorem.
One important thing to remember is that in quantum physics, the original uncertainty about the particle's quantum state isn't just a lack of knowledge. A fundamental property of quantum theory is that prior to the act of measurement, the particle really doesn't have a definite state, but is in a superposition of all possible states. This is best modeled by the classic quantum physics thought experiment, Schroedinger's Cat, where a quantum mechanics approach results in an unobserved cat that is both alive and dead simultaneously.

The Wavefunction of the Universe

 

One way of interpreting things is to consider the entire universe as one single wavefunction. In this representation, this "wavefunction of the universe" would contain a term that defines the quantum state of each and every particle. It is this approach that leaves open the door for claims that "everything is connected," which often gets manipulated (either intentionally or through honest confusion) to end up with things like the physics errors in The Secret.
Though this interpretation does mean that the quantum state of every particle in the universe affects the wavefunction of every other particle, it does so in a way that is only mathematical. There is really no sort of experiment which could ever - even in principle - discover the effect in one place showing up in another location.

This artist’s impression shows the planet HD 85512b orbiting the Sun-like star HD 85512 about 35 light-years from Earth. This planet is about 3.6 times as massive as the Earth is at the edge of the habitable zone around the star, where liquid water, and perhaps even life, could potentially exist. CREDIT: ESO/M. Kornmesser View full size image

We know for certain that life exists in the Milky Way galaxy: that life is us. Scientists are continually looking to understand more about how life on our planet came to be and the conditions that must be met for its survival, and whether those conditions can be replicated elsewhere in the universe. It turns out that looking at our entire galaxy, rather than focusing just on life-giving properties of our planet or indeed the habitability of regions of our own solar system, is a good place to start.
How far our planet orbits from the sun, along with other factors such as atmospheric composition, a carbon cycle and the existence of water, has told astronomers much about the conditions that are required for life to not only originate, but to survive on rocky worlds. This distance from a star is referred to, quite simply, as the 'Habitable Zone' or sometimes the 'Goldilocks Zone'' because conditions here are neither too hot or too cold for water to be liquid on the planet’s surface — conditions just right for life as we know it to thrive. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]
Copernican theory tells us that our world is a typical rocky planet in a typical planetary system. This concept has spurred some astronomers to start thinking bigger, way beyond the simplicity of any one planetary system and instead towards much grander scales.

Astronomers are exploring whether there is a Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) in our Galaxy – a region of the Milky Way that is conducive to forming planetary systems with habitable worlds. The Galactic Habitable Zone implies that if there are conditions just right for a planet around a star, then the same must go for a galaxy.
This concept was first introduced by geologist and paleontologist Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee, an astronomer and astrobiologist, in their book, 'Rare Earth.' The idea of a GHZ served as an antagonistic view point to the Copernican principle.

Despite scientists such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake favoring the theory of mediocrity based on the Copernican model, which supports the probability of the universe hosting other forms of complex life, Ward and Brownlee were certain our Earth and the conditions within our galaxy that allowed such life to evolve are both extremely rare. Their answer to the famous Fermi paradox – if extraterrestrial aliens are common, why is their existence not obvious? – is that alien life more complex than microbes is not very common at all, requiring a number of factors, each of low possibility, to come into play.
In short, Ward and Brownlee were suggesting that much of the galaxy was inhospitable to complex life. In their view, only a narrow belt around the galaxy was fertile: the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Since then, many astronomers have looked at the idea of the GHZ. Not all believe that it necessarily supports Ward and Brownlee's Rare Earth hypothesis.
One recent assessment of the GHZ, by Michael Gowanlock of NASA's Astrobiology Institute, and his Trent University colleagues David Patton and Sabine McConnell, has suggested that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way galaxy may be the most dangerous, it is also most likely to support habitable worlds. [Infographic: How Alien Solar Systems Stack Up]

A multi-wavelength image of the Milky Way's center. It is towards the galactic center where the highest number of stars and rocky planets reside, but also where the most supernovae occur.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/STScI.

View full size image

Their paper, accepted for publication in the journal Astrobiology, modeled habitability in the Milky Way based on three factors: supernova rates, metallicity (the abundance of heavy elements, used as a proxy for planet formation) and the time taken for complex life to evolve. They found that although the greater density of stars in the inner galaxy (out to a distance of 8,100 light-years from the galactic center) meant that more supernovas exploded, with more planets becoming sterilized by the radiation from these exploding stars, the chances of finding a habitable planet there was 10 times more likely than in the outer galaxy.
This contradicts previous studies that, for example, suggested the GHZ to be a belt around the galaxy between distances of 22,800 light-years and 29,300 light-years from the galactic center. What's noticeable is that our sun orbits the galaxy at a distance of about 26,000 light-years – far outside GHZ proposed by Gowanlock's team.
Why is their proposed galactic habitable zone so different? [How Do Astronomers Find Alien Planets?]
"We assume that metallicity scales with planet formation," Gowanlock said.
Heavy elements are produced by dying stars, and the more generations of stars there have been, the greater the production of these elements (or ‘metals’ as they are termed by astronomers). Historically, the greatest amount of star formation has occurred in the inner region of the Milky Way.
"The inner galaxy is the most metal-rich, and the outer galaxy is the most metal-poor. Therefore the number of planets is highest in the inner galaxy, as the metallicity and stellar density is the highest in this region," Gowanlock said.
However, amongst so much star formation lurks a danger: supernovae. Gowanlock’s team modeled the effects of the two most common forms of supernovae – the accreting white dwarfs that produce type Ia supernovas, and the collapsing massive stars of type II supernovae.
Measurements of the galactic abundance of the isotope aluminum-26, which is a common by-product of type II supernovas, have allowed astronomers to ascertain that a supernova explodes on average once every 50 years. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that a supernova can have a deleterious effect on any habitable planet within 30 light- years.

A supernova sterilizes an alien world in this artist's impression.
CREDIT: David A Aguilar (CfA)

View full size image

"In our model, we assume that the build-up of oxygen and the ozone layer is required for the emergence of complex life," Gowanlock said. "Supernovae can deplete the ozone in an atmosphere. Therefore, the survival of land-based complex life is at risk when a nearby supernova sufficiently depletes a great fraction of the ozone in a planet's atmosphere." [Supernova Photos: Great Images of Star Explosions]
The team discovered that at some time in their lives, the majority of stars in our galaxy will be bathed in the radiation from a nearby supernova, whereas around 30 percent of stars remain untouched or unsterilized.
"Sterilization occurs on a planet that is roughly [at a distance] between 6.5 to 98 light-years, depending on the supernovae," Gowanlock said. "In our model, the sterilization distances are not equal, as some supernovae are more lethal than others."
Although the outer regions of the galaxy, with their lower density of stars and fewer supernovas, are generally safer, the higher metallicity in the inner galaxy means that the chances of finding an unsterilized, habitable world are ten times greater, according to Gowanlock's model. However, their model does not stipulate any region of the galaxy to be uninhabitable, only that it’s less likely to find habitable planets elsewhere.
This explains why our Solar System can reside far outside of the inner region, and it also gives hope to SETI – Gowanlock's model proposes that there are regions of the galaxy even more likely to have life, and many SETI searches are already targeted towards the galactic center. [Field Guide to Alien Planets]
However, not all are in favor of the new model. Ward and Brownlee noted that the sun's position in the galaxy is far more favorable because planets that dance around stars that are too close to the galactic center are more likely to suffer from a perturbed orbit by the gravity of another star that has wandered too close. Others question some of the assumptions made in the research, such as the accuracy of the percentage of planets that are habitable in the galaxy (1.2 percent), or that tidally-locked worlds can be habitable.
“The authors may be making some assumptions that aren’t too well justified,” said Jim Kasting of Penn State University and author of "How to Find a Habitable Planet." "They seem well ahead of the rest of us who are still pondering these questions."
However, others believe that the research is promising. "This is one of the most complete studies of the Galactic Habitable Zone to date," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. "The results are intriguing, finding that white dwarf supernovae are over five times more lethal to complex life on habitable worlds than core collapse supernovae."
The GHZ isn't static; the research paper written by Gowanlock's team points out that over time the metallicity of the galaxy will begin to increase the farther out one travels from the galactic center.
"This is why stars that form at a later date have a greater chance of having terrestrial planets," Gowanlock said. As a result, perhaps the heyday for life in our galaxy is yet to come.
This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program.

about feeling· aliens· desert dropdown· fnding men in love

How to Find Habitable Planets in Our Galaxy's Danger Zone

This artist’s impression shows the planet HD 85512b orbiting the Sun-like star HD 85512 about 35 light-years from Earth. This planet is about 3.6 times as massive as the Earth is at the edge of the habitable zone around the star, where liquid water, and perhaps even life, could potentially exist. CREDIT: ESO/M. Kornmesser View full size image

We know for certain that life exists in the Milky Way galaxy: that life is us. Scientists are continually looking to understand more about how life on our planet came to be and the conditions that must be met for its survival, and whether those conditions can be replicated elsewhere in the universe. It turns out that looking at our entire galaxy, rather than focusing just on life-giving properties of our planet or indeed the habitability of regions of our own solar system, is a good place to start.
How far our planet orbits from the sun, along with other factors such as atmospheric composition, a carbon cycle and the existence of water, has told astronomers much about the conditions that are required for life to not only originate, but to survive on rocky worlds. This distance from a star is referred to, quite simply, as the 'Habitable Zone' or sometimes the 'Goldilocks Zone'' because conditions here are neither too hot or too cold for water to be liquid on the planet’s surface — conditions just right for life as we know it to thrive. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]
Copernican theory tells us that our world is a typical rocky planet in a typical planetary system. This concept has spurred some astronomers to start thinking bigger, way beyond the simplicity of any one planetary system and instead towards much grander scales.

Astronomers are exploring whether there is a Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) in our Galaxy – a region of the Milky Way that is conducive to forming planetary systems with habitable worlds. The Galactic Habitable Zone implies that if there are conditions just right for a planet around a star, then the same must go for a galaxy.
This concept was first introduced by geologist and paleontologist Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee, an astronomer and astrobiologist, in their book, 'Rare Earth.' The idea of a GHZ served as an antagonistic view point to the Copernican principle.

Despite scientists such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake favoring the theory of mediocrity based on the Copernican model, which supports the probability of the universe hosting other forms of complex life, Ward and Brownlee were certain our Earth and the conditions within our galaxy that allowed such life to evolve are both extremely rare. Their answer to the famous Fermi paradox – if extraterrestrial aliens are common, why is their existence not obvious? – is that alien life more complex than microbes is not very common at all, requiring a number of factors, each of low possibility, to come into play.
In short, Ward and Brownlee were suggesting that much of the galaxy was inhospitable to complex life. In their view, only a narrow belt around the galaxy was fertile: the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Since then, many astronomers have looked at the idea of the GHZ. Not all believe that it necessarily supports Ward and Brownlee's Rare Earth hypothesis.
One recent assessment of the GHZ, by Michael Gowanlock of NASA's Astrobiology Institute, and his Trent University colleagues David Patton and Sabine McConnell, has suggested that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way galaxy may be the most dangerous, it is also most likely to support habitable worlds. [Infographic: How Alien Solar Systems Stack Up]

A multi-wavelength image of the Milky Way's center. It is towards the galactic center where the highest number of stars and rocky planets reside, but also where the most supernovae occur.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/STScI.

View full size image

Their paper, accepted for publication in the journal Astrobiology, modeled habitability in the Milky Way based on three factors: supernova rates, metallicity (the abundance of heavy elements, used as a proxy for planet formation) and the time taken for complex life to evolve. They found that although the greater density of stars in the inner galaxy (out to a distance of 8,100 light-years from the galactic center) meant that more supernovas exploded, with more planets becoming sterilized by the radiation from these exploding stars, the chances of finding a habitable planet there was 10 times more likely than in the outer galaxy.
This contradicts previous studies that, for example, suggested the GHZ to be a belt around the galaxy between distances of 22,800 light-years and 29,300 light-years from the galactic center. What's noticeable is that our sun orbits the galaxy at a distance of about 26,000 light-years – far outside GHZ proposed by Gowanlock's team.
Why is their proposed galactic habitable zone so different? [How Do Astronomers Find Alien Planets?]
"We assume that metallicity scales with planet formation," Gowanlock said.
Heavy elements are produced by dying stars, and the more generations of stars there have been, the greater the production of these elements (or ‘metals’ as they are termed by astronomers). Historically, the greatest amount of star formation has occurred in the inner region of the Milky Way.
"The inner galaxy is the most metal-rich, and the outer galaxy is the most metal-poor. Therefore the number of planets is highest in the inner galaxy, as the metallicity and stellar density is the highest in this region," Gowanlock said.
However, amongst so much star formation lurks a danger: supernovae. Gowanlock’s team modeled the effects of the two most common forms of supernovae – the accreting white dwarfs that produce type Ia supernovas, and the collapsing massive stars of type II supernovae.
Measurements of the galactic abundance of the isotope aluminum-26, which is a common by-product of type II supernovas, have allowed astronomers to ascertain that a supernova explodes on average once every 50 years. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that a supernova can have a deleterious effect on any habitable planet within 30 light- years.

A supernova sterilizes an alien world in this artist's impression.
CREDIT: David A Aguilar (CfA)

View full size image

"In our model, we assume that the build-up of oxygen and the ozone layer is required for the emergence of complex life," Gowanlock said. "Supernovae can deplete the ozone in an atmosphere. Therefore, the survival of land-based complex life is at risk when a nearby supernova sufficiently depletes a great fraction of the ozone in a planet's atmosphere." [Supernova Photos: Great Images of Star Explosions]
The team discovered that at some time in their lives, the majority of stars in our galaxy will be bathed in the radiation from a nearby supernova, whereas around 30 percent of stars remain untouched or unsterilized.
"Sterilization occurs on a planet that is roughly [at a distance] between 6.5 to 98 light-years, depending on the supernovae," Gowanlock said. "In our model, the sterilization distances are not equal, as some supernovae are more lethal than others."
Although the outer regions of the galaxy, with their lower density of stars and fewer supernovas, are generally safer, the higher metallicity in the inner galaxy means that the chances of finding an unsterilized, habitable world are ten times greater, according to Gowanlock's model. However, their model does not stipulate any region of the galaxy to be uninhabitable, only that it’s less likely to find habitable planets elsewhere.
This explains why our Solar System can reside far outside of the inner region, and it also gives hope to SETI – Gowanlock's model proposes that there are regions of the galaxy even more likely to have life, and many SETI searches are already targeted towards the galactic center. [Field Guide to Alien Planets]
However, not all are in favor of the new model. Ward and Brownlee noted that the sun's position in the galaxy is far more favorable because planets that dance around stars that are too close to the galactic center are more likely to suffer from a perturbed orbit by the gravity of another star that has wandered too close. Others question some of the assumptions made in the research, such as the accuracy of the percentage of planets that are habitable in the galaxy (1.2 percent), or that tidally-locked worlds can be habitable.
“The authors may be making some assumptions that aren’t too well justified,” said Jim Kasting of Penn State University and author of "How to Find a Habitable Planet." "They seem well ahead of the rest of us who are still pondering these questions."
However, others believe that the research is promising. "This is one of the most complete studies of the Galactic Habitable Zone to date," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. "The results are intriguing, finding that white dwarf supernovae are over five times more lethal to complex life on habitable worlds than core collapse supernovae."
The GHZ isn't static; the research paper written by Gowanlock's team points out that over time the metallicity of the galaxy will begin to increase the farther out one travels from the galactic center.
"This is why stars that form at a later date have a greater chance of having terrestrial planets," Gowanlock said. As a result, perhaps the heyday for life in our galaxy is yet to come.
This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program.

Intro

The space around Earth is a crowded space packed with nearly 22,000 spent rocket stages, dead or dying satellites and countless crumbs of human-made orbital flotsam. An average of one object has reentered Earth's atmosphere every day.
Here are 10 of the most memorable manmade things that have rained down on us.

Satellite Shootdown

Credit: Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy intercepted its defunct spy satellite USA-193 on Feb. 20, 2008, sending a trail of debristhat some amateur astronomers reported falling over the northwestern United States and Canada. Department of Defense officials said they hadn't recovered any debris larger than a football.

Noggin' Knocker

Credit: NASA

A woman in Turley, Oklahoma, got a noggin-knock in January 1997 when she was struck with a lightweight fragment of charred woven material. She was not injured. The sky junk was identified as debris from a Delta 2 booster, which reentered the Earth's atmosphere on Jan. 22, 1997. Other debris from that booster included a steel propellant tank and a titanium pressure sphere.

Mystery Ball

Credit: NASA

Several mysterious spheres turned up in Australia in the 1960s, with some speculating these balls could be connected with UFO phenomenon. One such titanium sphere was spotted in Merkanooka, Western Australia. Dubbed the Merkanooka ball, the metal sphere was later identified as a tank used for drinking water in the Gemini V spacecraft, which was launched on Aug. 21, 1965, and reentered the atmosphere and splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 29 that year.

Toxic Touchdown

Credit: NASA

A secret Soviet-navy satellite called Cosmos 954, which was launched on Sept. 18, 1977, spiraled out of control. The spy radar antennas each sported a compact nuclear reactor, making the reentry one of the most frightening to date for people on the ground. On Jan. 24, 1978, Cosmos 954 reentered over Canada and shed debris across the frozen ground of the Canadian Arctic. Following the crash, the U.S. and Canada conducted overflights of the area and associated cleanup efforts.

Desert Dropdown

Credit: NASA

On Jan. 21, 2001, a Delta 2 third stage, known as a PAM-D (Payload Assist Module-Delta), reentered the atmosphere over the Middle East. Its titanium motor casing, weighing about 154 pounds (70 kilograms), slammed down in Saudi Arabia, while a titanium pressurant tank landed near Seguin, Texas, and the main propellant tank plunked down near Georgetown, Texas.

 

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

In May 1966, spacecraft debris was spotted in the Rio Negro District of Brazil. The metal parts were identified as coming from a stage of the Saturn development test (SA-5) that launched in 1964 and which reentered the atmosphere on April 30, 1966. The litterincluded a piece of lightweight metal, an oval-shaped chunk of metal, a black beehive-shaped structure and four pieces of fragile wire.

 

 

 

Columbia Debris

Credit: NASA

On Feb. 1, 2003, during its return to Earth, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry, killing seven astronauts. The catastrophic, lethal accident shed thousands of pieces of debris across a 28,000 square mile (72,520 square kilometers) area in eastern Texas and western Louisiana. More than 80,000 recovered pieces were stored for follow-up research.

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

After completing 51,658 orbits around Earth, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was intentionally deorbited due to a crippled gyroscope on June 4, 2000. As the spacecraft tumbled through Earth's atmosphere, its solar panels and antennas were thought to pop off first, while other parts likely melted. About 13,227 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of debris from the observatory splashed down into the Pacific Ocean southeast of Hawaii.

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

In the world of space litter, the heavyweight champ would have to be Mir, heftier in its day than any object (except the moon) to orbit Earth. The 15-year-old Russian space station began its suicidal nosedive on March 23, 2001, as it reentered Earth's atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean near Fiji. Though most of the station, weighing 286,600 pounds (130,000 kilograms), burned up in the atmosphere, about 1,500 fragments reached Earth's surface. Beachgoers in Nadi, Fiji, snapped photos of blazing bits of Mir debris and there were reports of sonic booms caused by heavy debris.

 

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

Weighing in at 77 tons (70,000 kilograms), the first and only solely-U.S. space station Skylab launched into orbit on May 14, 1973. Its orbiting operations came to a premature end on July 11, 1979, when Skylab plummeted through the atmosphere, sending chunks of debris raining down over an area stretching from the Southeastern Indian Ocean across a sparsely populated section of Western Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

columbia Debris· desert dropdown· knocker· mystery ball· satellite shootsown· the top 10 space junks· toxic touchdown

Growing Threat of Space Debris

Intro

The space around Earth is a crowded space packed with nearly 22,000 spent rocket stages, dead or dying satellites and countless crumbs of human-made orbital flotsam. An average of one object has reentered Earth's atmosphere every day.
Here are 10 of the most memorable manmade things that have rained down on us.

Satellite Shootdown

Credit: Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy intercepted its defunct spy satellite USA-193 on Feb. 20, 2008, sending a trail of debristhat some amateur astronomers reported falling over the northwestern United States and Canada. Department of Defense officials said they hadn't recovered any debris larger than a football.

Noggin' Knocker

Credit: NASA

A woman in Turley, Oklahoma, got a noggin-knock in January 1997 when she was struck with a lightweight fragment of charred woven material. She was not injured. The sky junk was identified as debris from a Delta 2 booster, which reentered the Earth's atmosphere on Jan. 22, 1997. Other debris from that booster included a steel propellant tank and a titanium pressure sphere.

Mystery Ball

Credit: NASA

Several mysterious spheres turned up in Australia in the 1960s, with some speculating these balls could be connected with UFO phenomenon. One such titanium sphere was spotted in Merkanooka, Western Australia. Dubbed the Merkanooka ball, the metal sphere was later identified as a tank used for drinking water in the Gemini V spacecraft, which was launched on Aug. 21, 1965, and reentered the atmosphere and splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 29 that year.

Toxic Touchdown

Credit: NASA

A secret Soviet-navy satellite called Cosmos 954, which was launched on Sept. 18, 1977, spiraled out of control. The spy radar antennas each sported a compact nuclear reactor, making the reentry one of the most frightening to date for people on the ground. On Jan. 24, 1978, Cosmos 954 reentered over Canada and shed debris across the frozen ground of the Canadian Arctic. Following the crash, the U.S. and Canada conducted overflights of the area and associated cleanup efforts.

Desert Dropdown

Credit: NASA

On Jan. 21, 2001, a Delta 2 third stage, known as a PAM-D (Payload Assist Module-Delta), reentered the atmosphere over the Middle East. Its titanium motor casing, weighing about 154 pounds (70 kilograms), slammed down in Saudi Arabia, while a titanium pressurant tank landed near Seguin, Texas, and the main propellant tank plunked down near Georgetown, Texas.

 

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

In May 1966, spacecraft debris was spotted in the Rio Negro District of Brazil. The metal parts were identified as coming from a stage of the Saturn development test (SA-5) that launched in 1964 and which reentered the atmosphere on April 30, 1966. The litterincluded a piece of lightweight metal, an oval-shaped chunk of metal, a black beehive-shaped structure and four pieces of fragile wire.

 

 

 

Columbia Debris

Credit: NASA

On Feb. 1, 2003, during its return to Earth, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated on reentry, killing seven astronauts. The catastrophic, lethal accident shed thousands of pieces of debris across a 28,000 square mile (72,520 square kilometers) area in eastern Texas and western Louisiana. More than 80,000 recovered pieces were stored for follow-up research.

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

After completing 51,658 orbits around Earth, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was intentionally deorbited due to a crippled gyroscope on June 4, 2000. As the spacecraft tumbled through Earth's atmosphere, its solar panels and antennas were thought to pop off first, while other parts likely melted. About 13,227 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of debris from the observatory splashed down into the Pacific Ocean southeast of Hawaii.

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

In the world of space litter, the heavyweight champ would have to be Mir, heftier in its day than any object (except the moon) to orbit Earth. The 15-year-old Russian space station began its suicidal nosedive on March 23, 2001, as it reentered Earth's atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean near Fiji. Though most of the station, weighing 286,600 pounds (130,000 kilograms), burned up in the atmosphere, about 1,500 fragments reached Earth's surface. Beachgoers in Nadi, Fiji, snapped photos of blazing bits of Mir debris and there were reports of sonic booms caused by heavy debris.

 

 

 

 

Credit: NASA

Weighing in at 77 tons (70,000 kilograms), the first and only solely-U.S. space station Skylab launched into orbit on May 14, 1973. Its orbiting operations came to a premature end on July 11, 1979, when Skylab plummeted through the atmosphere, sending chunks of debris raining down over an area stretching from the Southeastern Indian Ocean across a sparsely populated section of Western Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When do you know if you fancy someone? What does love do to your brain chemicals, and is falling in love just nature's way to keep our species alive? We call it love. It feels like love. But the most exhilarating of all human emotions is probably nature’s beautiful way of keeping the human species alive and reproducing. With an irresistible cocktail of chemicals, our brain entices us to fall in love. We believe we’re choosing a partner. But we may merely be the happy victims of nature’s lovely plan. It’s not what you say... Psychologists have shown it takes between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if you fancy someone. Research has shown this has little to do with what is said, rather 55% is through body language 38% is the tone and speed of their voice Only 7% is through what they say

The 3 stages of love Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in the States has proposed 3 stages of love – lust, attraction and attachment. Each stage might be driven by different hormones and chemicals. Stage 1: Lust This is the first stage of love and is driven by the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen – in both men and women. Stage 2: Attraction This is the amazing time when you are truly love-struck and can think of little else. Scientists think that three main neurotransmitters are involved in this stage; adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Adrenaline The initial stages of falling for someone activates your stress response, increasing your blood levels of adrenalin and cortisol. This has the charming effect that when you unexpectedly bump into your new love, you start to sweat, your heart races and your mouth goes dry. Dopamine Helen Fisher asked newly ‘love struck’ couples to have their brains examined and discovered they have high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical stimulates ‘desire and reward’ by triggering an intense rush of pleasure. It has the same effect on the brain as taking cocaine! Fisher suggests “couples often show the signs of surging dopamine: increased energy, less need for sleep or food, focused attention and exquisite delight in smallest details of this novel relationship” . Serotonin And finally, serotonin. One of love's most important chemicals that may explain why when you’re falling in love, your new lover keeps popping into your thoughts. Does love change the way you think? A landmark experiment in Pisa, Italy showed that early love (the attraction phase) really changes the way you think. Dr Donatella Marazziti, a psychiatrist at the University of Pisa advertised for twenty couples who'd been madly in love for less than six months. She wanted to see if the brain mechanisms that cause you to constantly think about your lover, were related to the brain mechanisms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. By analysing blood samples from the lovers, Dr Marazitti discovered that serotonin levels of new lovers were equivalent to the low serotonin levels of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder patients. Love needs to be blind Newly smitten lovers often idealise their partner, magnifying their virtues and explaining away their flaws says Ellen Berscheid, a leading researcher on the psychology of love. New couples also exalt the relationship itself. “It's very common to think they have a relationship that's closer and more special than anyone else's”. Psychologists think we need this rose-tinted view. It makes us want to stay together to enter the next stage of love – attachment. Stage 3: Attachment Attachment is the bond that keeps couples together long enough for them to have and raise children. Scientists think there might be two major hormones involved in this feeling of attachment; oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin - The cuddle hormone Oxytocin is a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It probably deepens the feelings of attachment and makes couples feel much closer to one another after they have had sex. The theory goes that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes. Oxytocin also seems to help cement the strong bond between mum and baby and is released during childbirth. It is also responsible for a mum’s breast automatically releasing milk at the mere sight or sound of her young baby. Diane Witt, assistant professor of psychology from New York has showed that if you block the natural release of oxytocin in sheep and rats, they reject their own young. Conversely, injecting oxytocin into female rats who’ve never had sex, caused them to fawn over another female’s young, nuzzling the pups and protecting them as if they were their own. Vasopressin Vasopressin is another important hormone in the long-term commitment stage and is released after sex. Vasopressin (also called anti-diuretic hormone) works with your kidneys to control thirst. Its potential role in long-term relationships was discovered when scientists looked at the prairie vole. Prairie voles indulge in far more sex than is strictly necessary for the purposes of reproduction. They also – like humans - form fairly stable pair-bonds. When male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin, the bond with their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost their devotion and failed to protect their partner from new suitors. And finally … how to fall in love Find a complete stranger. Reveal to each other intimate details about your lives for half an hour. Then, stare deeply into each other’s eyes without talking for four minutes. York psychologist, Professor Arthur Arun, has been studying why people fall in love. He asked his subjects to carry out the above 3 steps and found that many of his couples felt deeply attracted after the 34 minute experiment. Two of his subjects later got married.

how to know if he loves you· love· men in love

The science of love

When do you know if you fancy someone? What does love do to your brain chemicals, and is falling in love just nature's way to keep our species alive? We call it love. It feels like love. But the most exhilarating of all human emotions is probably nature’s beautiful way of keeping the human species alive and reproducing. With an irresistible cocktail of chemicals, our brain entices us to fall in love. We believe we’re choosing a partner. But we may merely be the happy victims of nature’s lovely plan. It’s not what you say... Psychologists have shown it takes between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if you fancy someone. Research has shown this has little to do with what is said, rather 55% is through body language 38% is the tone and speed of their voice Only 7% is through what they say

The 3 stages of love Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in the States has proposed 3 stages of love – lust, attraction and attachment. Each stage might be driven by different hormones and chemicals. Stage 1: Lust This is the first stage of love and is driven by the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen – in both men and women. Stage 2: Attraction This is the amazing time when you are truly love-struck and can think of little else. Scientists think that three main neurotransmitters are involved in this stage; adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. Adrenaline The initial stages of falling for someone activates your stress response, increasing your blood levels of adrenalin and cortisol. This has the charming effect that when you unexpectedly bump into your new love, you start to sweat, your heart races and your mouth goes dry. Dopamine Helen Fisher asked newly ‘love struck’ couples to have their brains examined and discovered they have high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical stimulates ‘desire and reward’ by triggering an intense rush of pleasure. It has the same effect on the brain as taking cocaine! Fisher suggests “couples often show the signs of surging dopamine: increased energy, less need for sleep or food, focused attention and exquisite delight in smallest details of this novel relationship” . Serotonin And finally, serotonin. One of love's most important chemicals that may explain why when you’re falling in love, your new lover keeps popping into your thoughts. Does love change the way you think? A landmark experiment in Pisa, Italy showed that early love (the attraction phase) really changes the way you think. Dr Donatella Marazziti, a psychiatrist at the University of Pisa advertised for twenty couples who'd been madly in love for less than six months. She wanted to see if the brain mechanisms that cause you to constantly think about your lover, were related to the brain mechanisms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. By analysing blood samples from the lovers, Dr Marazitti discovered that serotonin levels of new lovers were equivalent to the low serotonin levels of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder patients. Love needs to be blind Newly smitten lovers often idealise their partner, magnifying their virtues and explaining away their flaws says Ellen Berscheid, a leading researcher on the psychology of love. New couples also exalt the relationship itself. “It's very common to think they have a relationship that's closer and more special than anyone else's”. Psychologists think we need this rose-tinted view. It makes us want to stay together to enter the next stage of love – attachment. Stage 3: Attachment Attachment is the bond that keeps couples together long enough for them to have and raise children. Scientists think there might be two major hormones involved in this feeling of attachment; oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin - The cuddle hormone Oxytocin is a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It probably deepens the feelings of attachment and makes couples feel much closer to one another after they have had sex. The theory goes that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes. Oxytocin also seems to help cement the strong bond between mum and baby and is released during childbirth. It is also responsible for a mum’s breast automatically releasing milk at the mere sight or sound of her young baby. Diane Witt, assistant professor of psychology from New York has showed that if you block the natural release of oxytocin in sheep and rats, they reject their own young. Conversely, injecting oxytocin into female rats who’ve never had sex, caused them to fawn over another female’s young, nuzzling the pups and protecting them as if they were their own. Vasopressin Vasopressin is another important hormone in the long-term commitment stage and is released after sex. Vasopressin (also called anti-diuretic hormone) works with your kidneys to control thirst. Its potential role in long-term relationships was discovered when scientists looked at the prairie vole. Prairie voles indulge in far more sex than is strictly necessary for the purposes of reproduction. They also – like humans - form fairly stable pair-bonds. When male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin, the bond with their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost their devotion and failed to protect their partner from new suitors. And finally … how to fall in love Find a complete stranger. Reveal to each other intimate details about your lives for half an hour. Then, stare deeply into each other’s eyes without talking for four minutes. York psychologist, Professor Arthur Arun, has been studying why people fall in love. He asked his subjects to carry out the above 3 steps and found that many of his couples felt deeply attracted after the 34 minute experiment. Two of his subjects later got married.

Introduction

Microbes in Meteorites

 

Credit: Hoover/Journal of Cosmology

NASA scientist Richard Hoover published a paper March 4, 2011, claiming to have found fossil evidence for cyanobacteria in carbonaceous meteorites from outer space. Hoover observed slices of meteorites through scanning electron microscopes, and identified filaments and structures that he said resemble the tiny single-celled algae.

Reaction from some scientists was skeptical, in part because the study was published in the questionable Journal of Cosmology. Other researchers said the study was conducted thoroughly, but it was too soon to say for sure whether the claim would hold up.

 

Viking Lander Results

Credit: NASA

In 1976 NASA's two Viking landers touched down on the surface of Mars. The probes conducted a host of biological experiments, including collecting samples of Martian soil to test for organic compounds – the building blocks of life – and biosignatures that could indicate the presence of microorganisms.

The landers found little evidence for organics, but the onboard Labeled Release experiment found a reactive agent in the surface material of Mars that produced increased carbon dioxide. Gilbert Levin, an engineer who designed Labeled Release, concluded that this activity was triggered by living microorganisms lurking in the Martian soil. However, that interpretation has not been widely accepted by the scientific community.

More recent research has also called into question Viking's negative results in searching for organic compounds. A study published in December 2010 in the Journal of Geophysical Research suggested that these compounds were present on Mars, but they were just destroyed by other chemicals before Viking could detect them.

 

 

Credit: NASA

Science fiction author Sir Arthur C. Clarke, famous for penning the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey," made headlines in the year 2001 when he claimed that recently returned photos from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor showed evidence of trees and bushes on Mars.

Most scientists scoffed at the claim, but the writer stood by his belief.

"I'm quite serious when I say have a really good look at these new Mars images," Clarke said at the time. "Something is actually moving and changing with the seasons that suggests, at least, vegetation."

Clarke died in 2008 in Sri Lanka.

 

 

Credit: Tom Ruen, Eugene Antoniadi, Lowell Hess, Roy A. Gallant, HST, NASA

The idea that Mars was traversed by a complex network of canals was first put forward in 1877 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, and later popularized by astronomer Percival Lowell. Lowell made intricate drawings of what he took to be canals based on observations he made at his observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

The idea gained relatively wide acceptance until the early 20th century, when astronomical observations improved and higher-resolution imaging revealed the "canals" to be optical illusions and geologic formations.

 

 

Credit: NASA

When scientists announced in 1996 that they'd discovered evidence of fossilized microbial life in a meteorite from Mars, it was a huge event. President Bill Clinton make a national address about the discovery, which seemed to herald the news that we are not alone.

Subsequent analysis of the research, on a meteorite called Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001), produced controversy, with many experts asserting that the fossils could have been created by non-living processes.

The evidence is still debated, and the space rock remains a topic of ongoing research.

Introduction

Microbes in Meteorites

 

Credit: Hoover/Journal of Cosmology

NASA scientist Richard Hoover published a paper March 4, 2011, claiming to have found fossil evidence for cyanobacteria in carbonaceous meteorites from outer space. Hoover observed slices of meteorites through scanning electron microscopes, and identified filaments and structures that he said resemble the tiny single-celled algae.

Reaction from some scientists was skeptical, in part because the study was published in the questionable Journal of Cosmology. Other researchers said the study was conducted thoroughly, but it was too soon to say for sure whether the claim would hold up.

 

Viking Lander Results

Credit: NASA

In 1976 NASA's two Viking landers touched down on the surface of Mars. The probes conducted a host of biological experiments, including collecting samples of Martian soil to test for organic compounds – the building blocks of life – and biosignatures that could indicate the presence of microorganisms.

The landers found little evidence for organics, but the onboard Labeled Release experiment found a reactive agent in the surface material of Mars that produced increased carbon dioxide. Gilbert Levin, an engineer who designed Labeled Release, concluded that this activity was triggered by living microorganisms lurking in the Martian soil. However, that interpretation has not been widely accepted by the scientific community.

More recent research has also called into question Viking's negative results in searching for organic compounds. A study published in December 2010 in the Journal of Geophysical Research suggested that these compounds were present on Mars, but they were just destroyed by other chemicals before Viking could detect them.

 

 

Credit: NASA

Science fiction author Sir Arthur C. Clarke, famous for penning the novel "2001: A Space Odyssey," made headlines in the year 2001 when he claimed that recently returned photos from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor showed evidence of trees and bushes on Mars.

Most scientists scoffed at the claim, but the writer stood by his belief.

"I'm quite serious when I say have a really good look at these new Mars images," Clarke said at the time. "Something is actually moving and changing with the seasons that suggests, at least, vegetation."

Clarke died in 2008 in Sri Lanka.

 

 

Credit: Tom Ruen, Eugene Antoniadi, Lowell Hess, Roy A. Gallant, HST, NASA

The idea that Mars was traversed by a complex network of canals was first put forward in 1877 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, and later popularized by astronomer Percival Lowell. Lowell made intricate drawings of what he took to be canals based on observations he made at his observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

The idea gained relatively wide acceptance until the early 20th century, when astronomical observations improved and higher-resolution imaging revealed the "canals" to be optical illusions and geologic formations.

 

 

Credit: NASA

When scientists announced in 1996 that they'd discovered evidence of fossilized microbial life in a meteorite from Mars, it was a huge event. President Bill Clinton make a national address about the discovery, which seemed to herald the news that we are not alone.

Subsequent analysis of the research, on a meteorite called Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001), produced controversy, with many experts asserting that the fossils could have been created by non-living processes.

The evidence is still debated, and the space rock remains a topic of ongoing research.

How to Find Habitable Planets in Our Galaxy's Danger Zone

This artist’s impression shows the planet HD 85512b orbiting the Sun-like star HD 85512 about 35 light-years from Earth. This planet is about 3.6 times as massive as the Earth is at the edge of the habitable zone around the star, where liquid water, and perhaps even life, could potentially exist. CREDIT: ESO/M. Kornmesser View full size image

We know for certain that life exists in the Milky Way galaxy: that life is us. Scientists are continually looking to understand more about how life on our planet came to be and the conditions that must be met for its survival, and whether those conditions can be replicated elsewhere in the universe. It turns out that looking at our entire galaxy, rather than focusing just on life-giving properties of our planet or indeed the habitability of regions of our own solar system, is a good place to start.
How far our planet orbits from the sun, along with other factors such as atmospheric composition, a carbon cycle and the existence of water, has told astronomers much about the conditions that are required for life to not only originate, but to survive on rocky worlds. This distance from a star is referred to, quite simply, as the 'Habitable Zone' or sometimes the 'Goldilocks Zone'' because conditions here are neither too hot or too cold for water to be liquid on the planet’s surface — conditions just right for life as we know it to thrive. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]
Copernican theory tells us that our world is a typical rocky planet in a typical planetary system. This concept has spurred some astronomers to start thinking bigger, way beyond the simplicity of any one planetary system and instead towards much grander scales.
 
Astronomers are exploring whether there is a Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) in our Galaxy – a region of the Milky Way that is conducive to forming planetary systems with habitable worlds. The Galactic Habitable Zone implies that if there are conditions just right for a planet around a star, then the same must go for a galaxy.
This concept was first introduced by geologist and paleontologist Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee, an astronomer and astrobiologist, in their book, 'Rare Earth.' The idea of a GHZ served as an antagonistic view point to the Copernican principle.

Despite scientists such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake favoring the theory of mediocrity based on the Copernican model, which supports the probability of the universe hosting other forms of complex life, Ward and Brownlee were certain our Earth and the conditions within our galaxy that allowed such life to evolve are both extremely rare. Their answer to the famous Fermi paradox – if extraterrestrial aliens are common, why is their existence not obvious? – is that alien life more complex than microbes is not very common at all, requiring a number of factors, each of low possibility, to come into play.
In short, Ward and Brownlee were suggesting that much of the galaxy was inhospitable to complex life. In their view, only a narrow belt around the galaxy was fertile: the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Since then, many astronomers have looked at the idea of the GHZ. Not all believe that it necessarily supports Ward and Brownlee's Rare Earth hypothesis.
One recent assessment of the GHZ, by Michael Gowanlock of NASA's Astrobiology Institute, and his Trent University colleagues David Patton and Sabine McConnell, has suggested that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way galaxy may be the most dangerous, it is also most likely to support habitable worlds. [Infographic: How Alien Solar Systems Stack Up]

A multi-wavelength image of the Milky Way's center. It is towards the galactic center where the highest number of stars and rocky planets reside, but also where the most supernovae occur.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/STScI.

View full size image

Their paper, accepted for publication in the journal Astrobiology, modeled habitability in the Milky Way based on three factors: supernova rates, metallicity (the abundance of heavy elements, used as a proxy for planet formation) and the time taken for complex life to evolve. They found that although the greater density of stars in the inner galaxy (out to a distance of 8,100 light-years from the galactic center) meant that more supernovas exploded, with more planets becoming sterilized by the radiation from these exploding stars, the chances of finding a habitable planet there was 10 times more likely than in the outer galaxy.
This contradicts previous studies that, for example, suggested the GHZ to be a belt around the galaxy between distances of 22,800 light-years and 29,300 light-years from the galactic center. What's noticeable is that our sun orbits the galaxy at a distance of about 26,000 light-years – far outside GHZ proposed by Gowanlock's team.
Why is their proposed galactic habitable zone so different? [How Do Astronomers Find Alien Planets?]
"We assume that metallicity scales with planet formation," Gowanlock said.
Heavy elements are produced by dying stars, and the more generations of stars there have been, the greater the production of these elements (or ‘metals’ as they are termed by astronomers). Historically, the greatest amount of star formation has occurred in the inner region of the Milky Way.
"The inner galaxy is the most metal-rich, and the outer galaxy is the most metal-poor. Therefore the number of planets is highest in the inner galaxy, as the metallicity and stellar density is the highest in this region," Gowanlock said.
However, amongst so much star formation lurks a danger: supernovae. Gowanlock’s team modeled the effects of the two most common forms of supernovae – the accreting white dwarfs that produce type Ia supernovas, and the collapsing massive stars of type II supernovae.
Measurements of the galactic abundance of the isotope aluminum-26, which is a common by-product of type II supernovas, have allowed astronomers to ascertain that a supernova explodes on average once every 50 years. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that a supernova can have a deleterious effect on any habitable planet within 30 light- years.

A supernova sterilizes an alien world in this artist's impression.
CREDIT: David A Aguilar (CfA)

View full size image

"In our model, we assume that the build-up of oxygen and the ozone layer is required for the emergence of complex life," Gowanlock said. "Supernovae can deplete the ozone in an atmosphere. Therefore, the survival of land-based complex life is at risk when a nearby supernova sufficiently depletes a great fraction of the ozone in a planet's atmosphere." [Supernova Photos: Great Images of Star Explosions]
The team discovered that at some time in their lives, the majority of stars in our galaxy will be bathed in the radiation from a nearby supernova, whereas around 30 percent of stars remain untouched or unsterilized.
"Sterilization occurs on a planet that is roughly [at a distance] between 6.5 to 98 light-years, depending on the supernovae," Gowanlock said. "In our model, the sterilization distances are not equal, as some supernovae are more lethal than others."
Although the outer regions of the galaxy, with their lower density of stars and fewer supernovas, are generally safer, the higher metallicity in the inner galaxy means that the chances of finding an unsterilized, habitable world are ten times greater, according to Gowanlock's model. However, their model does not stipulate any region of the galaxy to be uninhabitable, only that it’s less likely to find habitable planets elsewhere.
This explains why our Solar System can reside far outside of the inner region, and it also gives hope to SETI – Gowanlock's model proposes that there are regions of the galaxy even more likely to have life, and many SETI searches are already targeted towards the galactic center. [Field Guide to Alien Planets]
However, not all are in favor of the new model. Ward and Brownlee noted that the sun's position in the galaxy is far more favorable because planets that dance around stars that are too close to the galactic center are more likely to suffer from a perturbed orbit by the gravity of another star that has wandered too close. Others question some of the assumptions made in the research, such as the accuracy of the percentage of planets that are habitable in the galaxy (1.2 percent), or that tidally-locked worlds can be habitable.
“The authors may be making some assumptions that aren’t too well justified,” said Jim Kasting of Penn State University and author of "How to Find a Habitable Planet." "They seem well ahead of the rest of us who are still pondering these questions."
However, others believe that the research is promising. "This is one of the most complete studies of the Galactic Habitable Zone to date," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. "The results are intriguing, finding that white dwarf supernovae are over five times more lethal to complex life on habitable worlds than core collapse supernovae."
The GHZ isn't static; the research paper written by Gowanlock's team points out that over time the metallicity of the galaxy will begin to increase the farther out one travels from the galactic center.
"This is why stars that form at a later date have a greater chance of having terrestrial planets," Gowanlock said. As a result, perhaps the heyday for life in our galaxy is yet to come.
This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program.

aliens· extra terrestrial life· galaxy dange's zone· space

How to Find Habitable Planets in Our Galaxy's Danger Zone

How to Find Habitable Planets in Our Galaxy's Danger Zone

This artist’s impression shows the planet HD 85512b orbiting the Sun-like star HD 85512 about 35 light-years from Earth. This planet is about 3.6 times as massive as the Earth is at the edge of the habitable zone around the star, where liquid water, and perhaps even life, could potentially exist. CREDIT: ESO/M. Kornmesser View full size image

We know for certain that life exists in the Milky Way galaxy: that life is us. Scientists are continually looking to understand more about how life on our planet came to be and the conditions that must be met for its survival, and whether those conditions can be replicated elsewhere in the universe. It turns out that looking at our entire galaxy, rather than focusing just on life-giving properties of our planet or indeed the habitability of regions of our own solar system, is a good place to start.
How far our planet orbits from the sun, along with other factors such as atmospheric composition, a carbon cycle and the existence of water, has told astronomers much about the conditions that are required for life to not only originate, but to survive on rocky worlds. This distance from a star is referred to, quite simply, as the 'Habitable Zone' or sometimes the 'Goldilocks Zone'' because conditions here are neither too hot or too cold for water to be liquid on the planet’s surface — conditions just right for life as we know it to thrive. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]
Copernican theory tells us that our world is a typical rocky planet in a typical planetary system. This concept has spurred some astronomers to start thinking bigger, way beyond the simplicity of any one planetary system and instead towards much grander scales.
 
Astronomers are exploring whether there is a Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) in our Galaxy – a region of the Milky Way that is conducive to forming planetary systems with habitable worlds. The Galactic Habitable Zone implies that if there are conditions just right for a planet around a star, then the same must go for a galaxy.
This concept was first introduced by geologist and paleontologist Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee, an astronomer and astrobiologist, in their book, 'Rare Earth.' The idea of a GHZ served as an antagonistic view point to the Copernican principle.

Despite scientists such as Carl Sagan and Frank Drake favoring the theory of mediocrity based on the Copernican model, which supports the probability of the universe hosting other forms of complex life, Ward and Brownlee were certain our Earth and the conditions within our galaxy that allowed such life to evolve are both extremely rare. Their answer to the famous Fermi paradox – if extraterrestrial aliens are common, why is their existence not obvious? – is that alien life more complex than microbes is not very common at all, requiring a number of factors, each of low possibility, to come into play.
In short, Ward and Brownlee were suggesting that much of the galaxy was inhospitable to complex life. In their view, only a narrow belt around the galaxy was fertile: the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Since then, many astronomers have looked at the idea of the GHZ. Not all believe that it necessarily supports Ward and Brownlee's Rare Earth hypothesis.
One recent assessment of the GHZ, by Michael Gowanlock of NASA's Astrobiology Institute, and his Trent University colleagues David Patton and Sabine McConnell, has suggested that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way galaxy may be the most dangerous, it is also most likely to support habitable worlds. [Infographic: How Alien Solar Systems Stack Up]

A multi-wavelength image of the Milky Way's center. It is towards the galactic center where the highest number of stars and rocky planets reside, but also where the most supernovae occur.
CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/STScI.

View full size image

Their paper, accepted for publication in the journal Astrobiology, modeled habitability in the Milky Way based on three factors: supernova rates, metallicity (the abundance of heavy elements, used as a proxy for planet formation) and the time taken for complex life to evolve. They found that although the greater density of stars in the inner galaxy (out to a distance of 8,100 light-years from the galactic center) meant that more supernovas exploded, with more planets becoming sterilized by the radiation from these exploding stars, the chances of finding a habitable planet there was 10 times more likely than in the outer galaxy.
This contradicts previous studies that, for example, suggested the GHZ to be a belt around the galaxy between distances of 22,800 light-years and 29,300 light-years from the galactic center. What's noticeable is that our sun orbits the galaxy at a distance of about 26,000 light-years – far outside GHZ proposed by Gowanlock's team.
Why is their proposed galactic habitable zone so different? [How Do Astronomers Find Alien Planets?]
"We assume that metallicity scales with planet formation," Gowanlock said.
Heavy elements are produced by dying stars, and the more generations of stars there have been, the greater the production of these elements (or ‘metals’ as they are termed by astronomers). Historically, the greatest amount of star formation has occurred in the inner region of the Milky Way.
"The inner galaxy is the most metal-rich, and the outer galaxy is the most metal-poor. Therefore the number of planets is highest in the inner galaxy, as the metallicity and stellar density is the highest in this region," Gowanlock said.
However, amongst so much star formation lurks a danger: supernovae. Gowanlock’s team modeled the effects of the two most common forms of supernovae – the accreting white dwarfs that produce type Ia supernovas, and the collapsing massive stars of type II supernovae.
Measurements of the galactic abundance of the isotope aluminum-26, which is a common by-product of type II supernovas, have allowed astronomers to ascertain that a supernova explodes on average once every 50 years. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that a supernova can have a deleterious effect on any habitable planet within 30 light- years.

A supernova sterilizes an alien world in this artist's impression.
CREDIT: David A Aguilar (CfA)

View full size image

"In our model, we assume that the build-up of oxygen and the ozone layer is required for the emergence of complex life," Gowanlock said. "Supernovae can deplete the ozone in an atmosphere. Therefore, the survival of land-based complex life is at risk when a nearby supernova sufficiently depletes a great fraction of the ozone in a planet's atmosphere." [Supernova Photos: Great Images of Star Explosions]
The team discovered that at some time in their lives, the majority of stars in our galaxy will be bathed in the radiation from a nearby supernova, whereas around 30 percent of stars remain untouched or unsterilized.
"Sterilization occurs on a planet that is roughly [at a distance] between 6.5 to 98 light-years, depending on the supernovae," Gowanlock said. "In our model, the sterilization distances are not equal, as some supernovae are more lethal than others."
Although the outer regions of the galaxy, with their lower density of stars and fewer supernovas, are generally safer, the higher metallicity in the inner galaxy means that the chances of finding an unsterilized, habitable world are ten times greater, according to Gowanlock's model. However, their model does not stipulate any region of the galaxy to be uninhabitable, only that it’s less likely to find habitable planets elsewhere.
This explains why our Solar System can reside far outside of the inner region, and it also gives hope to SETI – Gowanlock's model proposes that there are regions of the galaxy even more likely to have life, and many SETI searches are already targeted towards the galactic center. [Field Guide to Alien Planets]
However, not all are in favor of the new model. Ward and Brownlee noted that the sun's position in the galaxy is far more favorable because planets that dance around stars that are too close to the galactic center are more likely to suffer from a perturbed orbit by the gravity of another star that has wandered too close. Others question some of the assumptions made in the research, such as the accuracy of the percentage of planets that are habitable in the galaxy (1.2 percent), or that tidally-locked worlds can be habitable.
“The authors may be making some assumptions that aren’t too well justified,” said Jim Kasting of Penn State University and author of "How to Find a Habitable Planet." "They seem well ahead of the rest of us who are still pondering these questions."
However, others believe that the research is promising. "This is one of the most complete studies of the Galactic Habitable Zone to date," said Lewis Dartnell, an astrobiologist at University College London. "The results are intriguing, finding that white dwarf supernovae are over five times more lethal to complex life on habitable worlds than core collapse supernovae."
The GHZ isn't static; the research paper written by Gowanlock's team points out that over time the metallicity of the galaxy will begin to increase the farther out one travels from the galactic center.
"This is why stars that form at a later date have a greater chance of having terrestrial planets," Gowanlock said. As a result, perhaps the heyday for life in our galaxy is yet to come.
This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program.

What is ‘self-esteem’?

Self-esteem is the attitude which describes our self. When we feel good about our self, we work better, our relationships become good at work and home and we feel this world is more beautiful. What can be the reason behind these all? The reason behind all this is ‘there is direct relation between our feeling and behavior.’ Whatever we will feel about a particular thing, we act upon that thing accordingly.

How to build Self-esteem?

If we want to develop a quick and effective self esteem, then the best idea is to ‘help people who can’t repay you back by either giving u money or anything else.’

A few years back, a writer was running a program to develop the positive attitude and self-esteem in the prisoners. After attending that program for two weeks a prisoner said to the writer “I will be free in few days’. Then the writer asked ‘what you learnt from my program?’ the prisoner remained silent for sometime and after thinking he replied “now I’m feeling good about myself”. Writer said “for me there is no meaning for your word ‘good’. Tell me the things which are changed in your behavior, actually the writer was expecting a different answer. Because it cannot be said that he is learning if he is not showing the change in his behavior, prisoner said ‘now he read bible everyday’. Then writer asked ‘what was the effect of bible on your life?’ he replied ‘now I find myself with me, and I feel better with others too. He had not felt like this before. Writer added ‘this is okay but, what will you do after being free from here?’ this conversation went on long….. One of the prisoner who was listening to them interrupted and asked ‘what you get after all these things? The writer answered “I get the feeling of self satisfaction that is more valuable than money.’’ Then the prisoner asked “why did you come here?” writer replied- ‘I came here for myself, I want to make this world a better place for living. And such a self-satisfaction is profitable. In short – what we contribute to system, we always get in return in forms of reward , and many times those reward are much more than what we give. But we should not think about the reward.

                Then another prisoner said- ‘whatever a person does, that is his personal matter/affair, if someone takes drug or any toxic material that is his own choice. Why do you bother about that? What relation do you have? Why don’t you leave him at his own condition?’ writer replied- ‘by the way, I’m not agree with your statement, but let say for sometime I accept that I’ve no relation with that person. But can you give me the guarantee that whenever somebody will drive car who has taken drug or toxic material. His car will hit accident only at a tree?? If you can’t guarantee me that his car will not hit people like me, you or our children, then believe me I’ve relation with that particular person. I’ll have to keep that person away from the road.

                ‘This is my life’, whatever I want, I will do! - This statement has made a great loss rather than profit. People always except the original meaning of the statement, and interpret the meaning according to their convenience and profile. Such people have rationalized this statement to their selfishness. Who’s bad impact affect their life rather it  also affects the life of the people connected with them & also affects the whole system.

Such people forget that we live in the same world. We don’t live separately. Whatever I will do has a effect on you. And whatever you will do, will have effect on me. We are inter-related. We will have to feel that in this world we all have partnership and we will have to learn to act responsibly.

                This world has people of two types: one who takes (TAKER), and one who gives (giver). Those who are takers eat well! And those who give ‘sleep well’. The givers have high-self-esteem. Such people have positive attitude and they serve society. “serving society’ – by this, I didn’t meant like our politicians who act like serving the society but actually serving themselves only.

                Being a human, everybody has to interchange. But the one who is called high-self-esteemed is the one who feels the need of taking rather giving too.

SELF ESTEEM

What is ‘self-esteem’?

Self-esteem is the attitude which describes our self. When we feel good about our self, we work better, our relationships become good at work and home and we feel this world is more beautiful. What can be the reason behind these all? The reason behind all this is ‘there is direct relation between our feeling and behavior.’ Whatever we will feel about a particular thing, we act upon that thing accordingly.

How to build Self-esteem?

If we want to develop a quick and effective self esteem, then the best idea is to ‘help people who can’t repay you back by either giving u money or anything else.’

A few years back, a writer was running a program to develop the positive attitude and self-esteem in the prisoners. After attending that program for two weeks a prisoner said to the writer “I will be free in few days’. Then the writer asked ‘what you learnt from my program?’ the prisoner remained silent for sometime and after thinking he replied “now I’m feeling good about myself”. Writer said “for me there is no meaning for your word ‘good’. Tell me the things which are changed in your behavior, actually the writer was expecting a different answer. Because it cannot be said that he is learning if he is not showing the change in his behavior, prisoner said ‘now he read bible everyday’. Then writer asked ‘what was the effect of bible on your life?’ he replied ‘now I find myself with me, and I feel better with others too. He had not felt like this before. Writer added ‘this is okay but, what will you do after being free from here?’ this conversation went on long….. One of the prisoner who was listening to them interrupted and asked ‘what you get after all these things? The writer answered “I get the feeling of self satisfaction that is more valuable than money.’’ Then the prisoner asked “why did you come here?” writer replied- ‘I came here for myself, I want to make this world a better place for living. And such a self-satisfaction is profitable. In short – what we contribute to system, we always get in return in forms of reward , and many times those reward are much more than what we give. But we should not think about the reward.

                Then another prisoner said- ‘whatever a person does, that is his personal matter/affair, if someone takes drug or any toxic material that is his own choice. Why do you bother about that? What relation do you have? Why don’t you leave him at his own condition?’ writer replied- ‘by the way, I’m not agree with your statement, but let say for sometime I accept that I’ve no relation with that person. But can you give me the guarantee that whenever somebody will drive car who has taken drug or toxic material. His car will hit accident only at a tree?? If you can’t guarantee me that his car will not hit people like me, you or our children, then believe me I’ve relation with that particular person. I’ll have to keep that person away from the road.

                ‘This is my life’, whatever I want, I will do! - This statement has made a great loss rather than profit. People always except the original meaning of the statement, and interpret the meaning according to their convenience and profile. Such people have rationalized this statement to their selfishness. Who’s bad impact affect their life rather it  also affects the life of the people connected with them & also affects the whole system.

Such people forget that we live in the same world. We don’t live separately. Whatever I will do has a effect on you. And whatever you will do, will have effect on me. We are inter-related. We will have to feel that in this world we all have partnership and we will have to learn to act responsibly.

                This world has people of two types: one who takes (TAKER), and one who gives (giver). Those who are takers eat well! And those who give ‘sleep well’. The givers have high-self-esteem. Such people have positive attitude and they serve society. “serving society’ – by this, I didn’t meant like our politicians who act like serving the society but actually serving themselves only.

                Being a human, everybody has to interchange. But the one who is called high-self-esteemed is the one who feels the need of taking rather giving too.

Ever feel like your thoughts are a thousand miles ahead of what is really going on in your life? Would you like to learn how to shift your perspective on your circumstance to start living a happier life today?


You may be experiencing feelings of frustration, anger, overwhelm...any emotion that makes you feel contracted and unhappy, but have no real tangible thing to tie those feelings to in the present moment. So, how does one go about dealing with this type of situation and shifting your perspectives to increase happiness?

The first step in growing your level of happiness right now is to detach from the negative emotions that you are experiencing. Easier said than done, right? We give those negative emotions so much power despite the fact that they only really exist in our minds. If you want to generate more happiness learn to recognize the emotion as it arises and detach yourself from the feelings it generates within you. Realize that those feelings are just that - feelings. They don't exist outside the realm of your mind.

The next step is to practice letting go. Understand that you cannot control what happens in life. The only thing you can control are your thoughts and subsequent reactions to those thoughts. Work on improving your thoughts and reactions to all that happens in life. Recognize the power that you have in choosing your thoughts.

The final step is to be proactive about changing things in your life that are making you unhappy. You are not a victim of your circumstances, only a victim of your thoughts. Recognize and change your thought patterns about the things that bring you down. Then take the next step and do something to change the things in your life that are causing you to react in this way. Use your new perspective as impetus to make positive change in your life

attachment kills· be happy

Increase Happiness Now - Simple Steps to Have a Happy Day

Ever feel like your thoughts are a thousand miles ahead of what is really going on in your life? Would you like to learn how to shift your perspective on your circumstance to start living a happier life today?


You may be experiencing feelings of frustration, anger, overwhelm...any emotion that makes you feel contracted and unhappy, but have no real tangible thing to tie those feelings to in the present moment. So, how does one go about dealing with this type of situation and shifting your perspectives to increase happiness?

The first step in growing your level of happiness right now is to detach from the negative emotions that you are experiencing. Easier said than done, right? We give those negative emotions so much power despite the fact that they only really exist in our minds. If you want to generate more happiness learn to recognize the emotion as it arises and detach yourself from the feelings it generates within you. Realize that those feelings are just that - feelings. They don't exist outside the realm of your mind.

The next step is to practice letting go. Understand that you cannot control what happens in life. The only thing you can control are your thoughts and subsequent reactions to those thoughts. Work on improving your thoughts and reactions to all that happens in life. Recognize the power that you have in choosing your thoughts.

The final step is to be proactive about changing things in your life that are making you unhappy. You are not a victim of your circumstances, only a victim of your thoughts. Recognize and change your thought patterns about the things that bring you down. Then take the next step and do something to change the things in your life that are causing you to react in this way. Use your new perspective as impetus to make positive change in your life

People who have ignored their disabilities and embraced their strengths and weaknesses are today living positively. This is necessary if one is to succeed in life- by stephen kavita

We all have our strengths and weaknesses but did you know that the average person has a little over 300 capabilities? Research has proved that most people never live to discover their full potential. Within you there is an immense potential that can propel you towards unimaginable heights. Therefore, nothing but you stands in your path of reaching your destiny in life.

From a personal point of view, I believe that the number of flaws of an average person do not come anywhere close to 300. Given the margin, no one should not grumble about their faults or give excuses for every failure. In any case, your strengths and weaknesses should complement each other. People are gifted differently and individuals should strive to understand themselves better so as to be self-assured.

On the other hand, having a disability should not mean the end of the world. Since you can do nothing about your inabilities, do not waste your time thinking about them. Rather, find ways to strike a balance between your strengths and weaknesses. Do what you can do in the best way possible and you will find joy and comfort in life.

You should also know that everyone has shortcomings only that they hide them. Hence it is critical to always remember that champions come back with no excuses but they come back victorious.

After all, it is merely a matter of approach and insight. Some people remember the good part of the day while others choose to remember the hard and bad part. Do you see a half glass of water as half full or half empty? Well, it depends on the way you choose to see things.

Click below to start striking a balance between your Strengths and Weaknesses and thus achieving your full potential in life

personality development· self improvement tips· self motivation

Strengths And Weaknesses Are To Make You Realize Your Full Potential

People who have ignored their disabilities and embraced their strengths and weaknesses are today living positively. This is necessary if one is to succeed in life- by stephen kavita

We all have our strengths and weaknesses but did you know that the average person has a little over 300 capabilities? Research has proved that most people never live to discover their full potential. Within you there is an immense potential that can propel you towards unimaginable heights. Therefore, nothing but you stands in your path of reaching your destiny in life.

From a personal point of view, I believe that the number of flaws of an average person do not come anywhere close to 300. Given the margin, no one should not grumble about their faults or give excuses for every failure. In any case, your strengths and weaknesses should complement each other. People are gifted differently and individuals should strive to understand themselves better so as to be self-assured.

On the other hand, having a disability should not mean the end of the world. Since you can do nothing about your inabilities, do not waste your time thinking about them. Rather, find ways to strike a balance between your strengths and weaknesses. Do what you can do in the best way possible and you will find joy and comfort in life.

You should also know that everyone has shortcomings only that they hide them. Hence it is critical to always remember that champions come back with no excuses but they come back victorious.

After all, it is merely a matter of approach and insight. Some people remember the good part of the day while others choose to remember the hard and bad part. Do you see a half glass of water as half full or half empty? Well, it depends on the way you choose to see things.

Click below to start striking a balance between your Strengths and Weaknesses and thus achieving your full potential in life

Self confidence depends a lot on what we tell ourselves. Experts refer to this as self talk. Despite what we may think, we have a lot of power over how we feel about ourselves

What others say does have an impact, but we have more control over our own thoughts and feelings than many of us recognize.

Most people use quite a bit of negative self talk, and this is a large contributor to lacking self confidence. While it is true that we may need to change some of our other behaviors, we should start with how we talk to ourselves. Self confidence affirmations will go a long way making this an integral part of our lives.

Some of the things we say to ourselves may be true to an extent, but we should change the way we say them so that they are positive. We may base some of our self talk on events that did happen in our lives and things that are true, but what we can change is our perspectives.
For example, you may be beating yourself up over something you have done or failed to do in the past. Rather than continue to remind yourself of the mistake or keep dwelling on the fact that those around you have not made the same mistake, a better idea would be to remind yourself that, “I try my best, but nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. There are a lot of mistakes that others make that I don’t make. This just happened to be mine.”

The key is not to deny truths, because untrue statements do not lead to self confidence. We know the truth about ourselves, so saying things that we do not really believe will not help. For example, if we tell ourselves, “I didn’t do anything wrong in this situation,” when we know that we did, or “I am an outgoing person,” when we actually are not, it will not work to improve our self confidence.

The key is in focusing on what is true about ourselves and encouraging ourselves to love who we are. Say that you have always felt bad about the fact that you can never come up with anything to say in social situations because you have a more introverted personality than those around you. Up until this point, you may have been giving yourself negative self talk, telling yourself, “Why can’t you just be like everybody else? You’re not outgoing enough. You’re too shy. Everybody is wondering what’s wrong with you,” and other related ideas.

As mentioned before, it will not help to tell ourselves things that are not true, so in this case you should steer away from saying things like, “I am outgoing.” Instead, focus on who you really are, but examine what is positive about that. Tell yourself, “I am interesting, and I have a lot to offer those who take the time to get to know me.” Remind yourself of what you do in your spare time that you accomplish while others are taking part in social activities, and tell yourself how special you are for having this difference.

Recognize that no one personality type is better than another, they are simply different. You can say something in your head like, “That’s Sarah. She has blonde hair and is outgoing and likes public speaking. I am me. I have brown hair, and I am friendly and like getting to know people on a deeper level and telling them what is important to me.” Whatever the case may be, you want to emphasis that your traits are just as valuable through your daily self confidence affirmations.

SelfImprovement4Success.com is dedicated to helping you understand better these strategies to help you in your personal development goals.

About Author

If you enjoyed the information in this article, have a look at more great SelfImprovement Tips here. Also, help yourself to this FREE Report explaining How to Become Your Best Self

personality development· self improvement tips· self motivation

Self Confidence Affirmations

Self confidence depends a lot on what we tell ourselves. Experts refer to this as self talk. Despite what we may think, we have a lot of power over how we feel about ourselves

What others say does have an impact, but we have more control over our own thoughts and feelings than many of us recognize.

Most people use quite a bit of negative self talk, and this is a large contributor to lacking self confidence. While it is true that we may need to change some of our other behaviors, we should start with how we talk to ourselves. Self confidence affirmations will go a long way making this an integral part of our lives.

Some of the things we say to ourselves may be true to an extent, but we should change the way we say them so that they are positive. We may base some of our self talk on events that did happen in our lives and things that are true, but what we can change is our perspectives.
For example, you may be beating yourself up over something you have done or failed to do in the past. Rather than continue to remind yourself of the mistake or keep dwelling on the fact that those around you have not made the same mistake, a better idea would be to remind yourself that, “I try my best, but nobody is perfect, and we all make mistakes. There are a lot of mistakes that others make that I don’t make. This just happened to be mine.”

The key is not to deny truths, because untrue statements do not lead to self confidence. We know the truth about ourselves, so saying things that we do not really believe will not help. For example, if we tell ourselves, “I didn’t do anything wrong in this situation,” when we know that we did, or “I am an outgoing person,” when we actually are not, it will not work to improve our self confidence.

The key is in focusing on what is true about ourselves and encouraging ourselves to love who we are. Say that you have always felt bad about the fact that you can never come up with anything to say in social situations because you have a more introverted personality than those around you. Up until this point, you may have been giving yourself negative self talk, telling yourself, “Why can’t you just be like everybody else? You’re not outgoing enough. You’re too shy. Everybody is wondering what’s wrong with you,” and other related ideas.

As mentioned before, it will not help to tell ourselves things that are not true, so in this case you should steer away from saying things like, “I am outgoing.” Instead, focus on who you really are, but examine what is positive about that. Tell yourself, “I am interesting, and I have a lot to offer those who take the time to get to know me.” Remind yourself of what you do in your spare time that you accomplish while others are taking part in social activities, and tell yourself how special you are for having this difference.

Recognize that no one personality type is better than another, they are simply different. You can say something in your head like, “That’s Sarah. She has blonde hair and is outgoing and likes public speaking. I am me. I have brown hair, and I am friendly and like getting to know people on a deeper level and telling them what is important to me.” Whatever the case may be, you want to emphasis that your traits are just as valuable through your daily self confidence affirmations.

SelfImprovement4Success.com is dedicated to helping you understand better these strategies to help you in your personal development goals.

About Author

If you enjoyed the information in this article, have a look at more great SelfImprovement Tips here. Also, help yourself to this FREE Report explaining How to Become Your Best Self

Shyness is a debilitating condition for many men. It prevents them from functioning in social situations, from voicing their real concerns, and most sadly, from approaching the woman of their dreams.

The truth is that many shy men are exactly the kind of guys women look for. But since they're too timid, women get left with the swaggering jerks they always complain about but seem to date exclusively. If shyness has kept you from getting that special lady, read on to see how you can overcome it.


1
Practice with a friend. One of the big factors in shyness is the fear of rejection. Eliminate this factor by approaching and picking up a woman for your friend or your brother (but make sure your friend knows!). Since your own ego isn't at stake, you'll be less inhibited in your approach. You'll see it's no big deal and will want to pick up for yourself next time.


2
Focus on baby steps. Treat dating like a 12-step program. Start with a smile; show everyone (not just the cute girls) you're friendly and approachable. On following days, move up to saying "hi." A few days after that, engage in small talk. Keep going as you gradually open yourself up to people and see it's not as hard as you thought. If you make a blunder, forget about it. Most people are more forgiving than you think. If beautiful women intimidate you, take baby steps up the beauty scale. Start by approaching more average-looking women you feel confident with. As you become at ease with them, move on to prettier women, and so on.


3
Start by asking this special girl simple questions. You can show that you care by asking her how her day was.


4
Don't take things personally. If you want to succeed in the game of romance, you can't take every comment, insinuation or joke that a woman might throw your way as a personal affront. People sometimes say things they don't mean.


5
Learn to listen. Don't do all the talking. Let women talk about themselves for a while. Ask open-ended questions and just sit back and listen. If the conversation lulls, have new conversation topics ready. And to ease the burden of initiating something, have a few icebreakers handy to get the ball rolling.

6
Talk to a lot of people. Don't be afraid to chat up everyone you meet, from the old lady doing her groceries to the bank teller. Practice makes perfect.


7
Don't fear rejection. Great boxers go in the ring knowing there's a chance they'll lose. Similarly, you can't expect to succeed every time. Nothing is 100%, so view every encounter with a woman as a positive learning experience. The trick here is to not be self-conscious. Shyness and hesitation occur when you think about your flaws. Instead, focus your thoughts entirely on the woman you're talking to. You'll forget about your jitters and she'll be flattered by the attention.


8
Get out and socialize. Join activities in which you're always interacting with people, such as the gym, exercise classes, a college society, or a hobby club. In these environments, you must always socialize, and after a while, you'll get comfortable with it. Furthermore, you're practically guaranteed to meet interesting women.


9
It starts with you. When you leave your shyness behind, which will take time and persistence, you'll see how much your life will change, as you'll begin to go after what you want with fewer fears. And here's a secret: should you enter a room and feel those familiar jitters, remember that most people you meet are too busy worrying about what others think about them to really notice and judge you

overcoming shyness

How to Overcome Shyness with Girls?

Shyness is a debilitating condition for many men. It prevents them from functioning in social situations, from voicing their real concerns, and most sadly, from approaching the woman of their dreams.

The truth is that many shy men are exactly the kind of guys women look for. But since they're too timid, women get left with the swaggering jerks they always complain about but seem to date exclusively. If shyness has kept you from getting that special lady, read on to see how you can overcome it.


1
Practice with a friend. One of the big factors in shyness is the fear of rejection. Eliminate this factor by approaching and picking up a woman for your friend or your brother (but make sure your friend knows!). Since your own ego isn't at stake, you'll be less inhibited in your approach. You'll see it's no big deal and will want to pick up for yourself next time.


2
Focus on baby steps. Treat dating like a 12-step program. Start with a smile; show everyone (not just the cute girls) you're friendly and approachable. On following days, move up to saying "hi." A few days after that, engage in small talk. Keep going as you gradually open yourself up to people and see it's not as hard as you thought. If you make a blunder, forget about it. Most people are more forgiving than you think. If beautiful women intimidate you, take baby steps up the beauty scale. Start by approaching more average-looking women you feel confident with. As you become at ease with them, move on to prettier women, and so on.


3
Start by asking this special girl simple questions. You can show that you care by asking her how her day was.


4
Don't take things personally. If you want to succeed in the game of romance, you can't take every comment, insinuation or joke that a woman might throw your way as a personal affront. People sometimes say things they don't mean.


5
Learn to listen. Don't do all the talking. Let women talk about themselves for a while. Ask open-ended questions and just sit back and listen. If the conversation lulls, have new conversation topics ready. And to ease the burden of initiating something, have a few icebreakers handy to get the ball rolling.

6
Talk to a lot of people. Don't be afraid to chat up everyone you meet, from the old lady doing her groceries to the bank teller. Practice makes perfect.


7
Don't fear rejection. Great boxers go in the ring knowing there's a chance they'll lose. Similarly, you can't expect to succeed every time. Nothing is 100%, so view every encounter with a woman as a positive learning experience. The trick here is to not be self-conscious. Shyness and hesitation occur when you think about your flaws. Instead, focus your thoughts entirely on the woman you're talking to. You'll forget about your jitters and she'll be flattered by the attention.


8
Get out and socialize. Join activities in which you're always interacting with people, such as the gym, exercise classes, a college society, or a hobby club. In these environments, you must always socialize, and after a while, you'll get comfortable with it. Furthermore, you're practically guaranteed to meet interesting women.


9
It starts with you. When you leave your shyness behind, which will take time and persistence, you'll see how much your life will change, as you'll begin to go after what you want with fewer fears. And here's a secret: should you enter a room and feel those familiar jitters, remember that most people you meet are too busy worrying about what others think about them to really notice and judge you

How to Overcome Anxiousness

Angie Briggs

 

 

 

Overcome Anxiousness

Anxiety can be a normal reaction to many situations. Anxiety is your body's way of alerting you that something is wrong. If someone were to come across a bear, it would be normal to feel anxious. Your body needs that feeling to trigger its "fight or flight" response, which causes many bodily changes in order to flee from the danger. For some people anxiety can become persistent, even when there is no danger. There are different types of anxiety disorders including general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorder. See a doctor if anxiousness becomes persistent to rule out underlying causes.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

1. • 1
     Practice a relaxation technique. Some examples include yoga, abdominal breathing, and guided imagery. Practicing relaxation techniques on a regular basis can lessen or even prevent anxiousness.
   • 2
     Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise reduces skeletal-muscle tension, which is responsible for feelings of tension. Exercise also metabolizes adrenaline and thyroxin faster, which causes feelings of vigilance and arousal.
   • 3
     Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Caffeine can keep you tense and jittery, which can bring on or worsen feelings of anxiousness. Nicotine is a strong stimulant like caffeine and causes vasoconstriction, which makes the heart work harder.
   • 4
     Take supplements with calcium, vitamin B and vitamin C. Calcium has a calming effect on the nervous system. Vitamin B and C are rapidly depleted by your body during times of stress. Vitamin C helps energy levels and vitamin B help the function of the nervous system.
   • 5
     Take medication that is prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist as directed. Medication can be an important tool in a person's process to overcome anxiety. Medication is not a cure, but it can lessen symptoms of anxiety while you work on coping techniques.

References

• The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook; Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.; 2005

overcoming axiety

How to Overcome Anxiousness?

How to Overcome Anxiousness

Angie Briggs

 

 

 

Overcome Anxiousness

Anxiety can be a normal reaction to many situations. Anxiety is your body's way of alerting you that something is wrong. If someone were to come across a bear, it would be normal to feel anxious. Your body needs that feeling to trigger its "fight or flight" response, which causes many bodily changes in order to flee from the danger. For some people anxiety can become persistent, even when there is no danger. There are different types of anxiety disorders including general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorder. See a doctor if anxiousness becomes persistent to rule out underlying causes.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

1. • 1
     Practice a relaxation technique. Some examples include yoga, abdominal breathing, and guided imagery. Practicing relaxation techniques on a regular basis can lessen or even prevent anxiousness.
   • 2
     Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise reduces skeletal-muscle tension, which is responsible for feelings of tension. Exercise also metabolizes adrenaline and thyroxin faster, which causes feelings of vigilance and arousal.
   • 3
     Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Caffeine can keep you tense and jittery, which can bring on or worsen feelings of anxiousness. Nicotine is a strong stimulant like caffeine and causes vasoconstriction, which makes the heart work harder.
   • 4
     Take supplements with calcium, vitamin B and vitamin C. Calcium has a calming effect on the nervous system. Vitamin B and C are rapidly depleted by your body during times of stress. Vitamin C helps energy levels and vitamin B help the function of the nervous system.
   • 5
     Take medication that is prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist as directed. Medication can be an important tool in a person's process to overcome anxiety. Medication is not a cure, but it can lessen symptoms of anxiety while you work on coping techniques.

References

• The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook; Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.; 2005

 

Sincerity, honesty and closeness are feelings that are associated with love. Discover what it means to fall in love with tips from the author of a book on dating in this free video on love and relationship dating techniques.

Video Transcript

When you were a child, you may have had a puppy or a kitten. And you were in love. Well what feelings do you have when you're in love? This is Dr. Paul author of Boomer Girls, a Boomer Woman's Guide to Men and Dating and host of Ask Dr. Paul. I remember the puppy that I was in love with. And as I look at it, and as you look at it, you can very very often identify those feelings with the feelings you have today about being in love. How sweet they are, how cute they are, how warm they are, how touching they are. All of that adds up to the very same feeling that you had then. And it's how you respond to them. You feel the warmth. If you touch them you feel the closeness. If you talk to them you feel the sincerity. Those are the feelings that are very very significant of the feelings that we have when we're in love. And it's no different from having that puppy when we were children or having that kitten whatever it may have been as a pet, and having that same or similar reaction to that love object. That person that you are in love with. So those are the feelings that just are simple to identify with. You know, there's no rocket scientist that has to develop a formula for this. It's something that you can feel from the inside because you've been there before. Enjoy it. This is Dr. Paul. May your fantasies of today be your realities of tomorrow.

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Are you in love?

 

Sincerity, honesty and closeness are feelings that are associated with love. Discover what it means to fall in love with tips from the author of a book on dating in this free video on love and relationship dating techniques.

Video Transcript

When you were a child, you may have had a puppy or a kitten. And you were in love. Well what feelings do you have when you're in love? This is Dr. Paul author of Boomer Girls, a Boomer Woman's Guide to Men and Dating and host of Ask Dr. Paul. I remember the puppy that I was in love with. And as I look at it, and as you look at it, you can very very often identify those feelings with the feelings you have today about being in love. How sweet they are, how cute they are, how warm they are, how touching they are. All of that adds up to the very same feeling that you had then. And it's how you respond to them. You feel the warmth. If you touch them you feel the closeness. If you talk to them you feel the sincerity. Those are the feelings that are very very significant of the feelings that we have when we're in love. And it's no different from having that puppy when we were children or having that kitten whatever it may have been as a pet, and having that same or similar reaction to that love object. That person that you are in love with. So those are the feelings that just are simple to identify with. You know, there's no rocket scientist that has to develop a formula for this. It's something that you can feel from the inside because you've been there before. Enjoy it. This is Dr. Paul. May your fantasies of today be your realities of tomorrow.