Space walk pictures in History | nasa space walk

Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth (a spacewalk). As of September 13, 2006, 158 astronauts had made spacewalks (out of 448 astronauts ever in space). These are some of the most interesting moments in spacewalks history:

1. Alexey Leonov, the pioneer (march, 1965)

On March 18, 1965 Alexei Leonov became the first person to walk in space. He spent 12 minutes outside the spacecraft Voskhod 2, connected to the craft by a five-foot tether. At the end of the spacewalk, Leonov's spacesuit had inflated in the vacuum of space to the point where he could not reenter the airlock. Finally, he opened a valve to allow some of the suit's pressure to bleed off, and was barely able to get back inside the capsule. The images are still shocking:

2. Ed White, the first American (june, 1965)

On June 3, 1965, Edgard H. White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. As pilot of Gemini 4, White stepped outside the spacecraft for a 21-min spacewalk during which he maneuvered on the end of a 7.6-m lifeline by using a hand-held jet gun.

3. Bruce McCandless, floating free in space (1984)

At about 100 meters from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger, Bruce McCandless II was further out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured above, was floating free in space. McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk" during Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984. [1]

4. Mark C. Lee, testing EVA Rescue unit (1994)

In 1994 astronaut Mark Lee tested the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) system for NASA. SAFER is a backpack propulsion unit that incorporates small nitrogen thrusters controlled by hand and moderated by computer. Pictured, Lee jets about the bay of Space Shuttle Discovery, over 200 kilometers above Earth in the first untethered space walk in ten years. SAFER, smaller than the Manned Maneuvering Unit, is designed as a backup system to help astronauts in the unlikely event that they become too separated from their work outside the International Space Station. [1]


5. Deep Space Spacewalkers (1971,72)

August 5, 1971. On the return journey, while about 275,000 km from Earth, Alfred Worden went on a 41-minute spacewalk during which he was attached to the CSM by a tether – the most distant EVA up to that time. In the picture, astronaut Ronald Evans performs an EVA during the Apollo XVII on December 17, 1972. Evans made three trips to the Service Module's Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay to retrieve file cassettes in the last spacewalk in deep space to date. [1] [2]


6. First spacewalk from the Shuttle (1983)

Astronauts Musgrave and Peterson on the first spacewalk from the Shuttle, 1983. During the mission, both astronauts tested EVA equipment as well as construction and repair devices and procedures. [1]



7. Intelsat VI Satelite Rescue (1992)

May, 1993. Three crewmembers of mission STS-49 hold onto the 4.5 ton International Telecommunications Organization Satellite (INTELSAT) VI after a six- handed "capture" was made minutes earlier during the mission's third extravehicular activity (EVA). From left to right: Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers and Pierre J. Thuot. [1]


8. Spacewalks on the robotic arm

Spacewalkers often work strapped to the tip of the shuttle's 50-foot robotic arm. The large robot arm attached to the Space Shuttle Orbiter was designed, and built by a Canadian company, and so is also known as Canadarm. It is 15.3 m long and weighs 408 kg. As part of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) it can retrieve, repair and deploy satellites, or provide a mobile extension ladder for spacewalking crewmembers. The arm has been supporting astronauts working in space for a long time, so these are some of the most interesting pictures:

Jerry L. Ross, anchored to the robotic arm of the Atlantis. [1]


Mark C. Lee and Carl Meade on Discovery shuttle, 1994. [1]


Stephen K. Robinson, Discovery, August 8, 2005. [1]


Wisoff and Low, Endeavour, december 1993. [1]


Michael Gernhardt, Endeavour robotic arm. [1]


Peter J.K. Wisoff, december 2003. [1]


David Wolf testing EVARM, october 10, 2002. [1]


Bruce McCandless over Canadarm, february, 1984. [1]

Satellites "for sale"

November 14, 1984. Astronaut Dale A. Gardner holds up a "For Sale" sign refering to the two satellites, Palapa B-2 and Westar 6 that they retrieved from orbit after their Payload Assist Modules (PAM) failed to fire. [1]

9. Hubble Repair Missions

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope in orbit around the Earth and the only telescope ever designed to be serviced from space by astronauts. To date, there have been four servicing missions, with a fifth and final mission planned for September 2008. [1] [2]

Astronaut F. Story Musgrave, anchored on the end of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, prepares to be elevated to the top of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to install protective covers on the magnetometers. [1]

10. International Space Station assembly

The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space. It travels at an average speed of 27,744 km (17,240 miles) per hour, completing 15.7 orbits per day. Since 1998, astronauts have worked hard completing the station. In the picture above, International Space Station assembly EVA made during the STS-116 spaceflight by astronauts Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang as they fly over New Zealand. [1]

April 13, 2002. Anchored on the International Space Station’s (ISS) Canadarm2 some 240 miles above the blue and white Earth, astronaut Lee M.E. Morin totes one of the S0 (S-zero) keel pins, which were removed from their functional position on the truss and attached on to its exterior for long-term stowage. [1]

Astronaut Piers Sellers working on ISS.

And here you can see two videos of the ISS works, simply amazing:

ISS space golf

International Space Station flight engineer Mikhail Tyurin became the world's third space golfer on November 22, 2006, as he took swing with a six iron at the start of a scheduled six- hour spacewalk. A company paid the Russian Federal Space Agency for the demonstration: [1]

Suni Williams loses her camera in Space

June, 2007. While doing an EVA on the ISS, Space Shuttle astronaut Suni Williams’ camera broke free of its bracket and floated away from her into space. A button designed to lock the camera in place might have failed, resulting in the camera's loss. NASA's debris analysts studied the camera's trajectory.

Image credits: NASA

More info and sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Tags: Space walk, pictures, History, NASA space walk, shuttle space walk, beautiful world

How to Make Your Brain Stronger and Faster

Knowledge Boost

How to Increase your knowledge base, and continue learning. An interest in the world around you, and the never ending quest for knowledge, can actually boost your prain power. Here are some ways to experience a knowledge boost — and keep your brain strong:

1. Discover your learning style: In order to accumulate knowledge, you need to understand how you learn best. Figure out your learning style, and then use that knowledge to boost your brain power.
2. Rediscover the encyclopedia: You can get a great overview on a number of different subjects when you read an encyclopedia. Do it online or offline, but you can learn about something new each day when you read the encyclopedia.
3. Revisit tough school subjects: You can give your brain a workout when you revisit tough school subjects. Had a hard time with math? Go back and do a refresher online. Was English your Achilles heel? Review sentence diagramming.
4. Stay up to date: Know what’s happening in the news. Keep track of current events by watching the nightly news, reading the newspaper or looking online.
5. Look at things from the other side: If you have an opinion about a certain subject or issue, look at it from the other side. Learn the merits of the opposing opinion, and try to understand another point of view. This type of critical thinking will boost your knowledge base and your brain power.
6. Consider philosophy: There are few things that can give your brain a good workout like trying to answer philosophical questions like “What is truth?” and “Why are we here?”
7. Take community education classes: If possible, take a class in something you find interesting. You can audit a class at a university or enroll in community education. A great way to continue building knowledge and strengthening your brain.
8. Enjoy open courseware: Even if you can’t attend a class in the “real” world, you can do so online. Many universities offer open courseware that allows you to learn for free. MIT has especially expansive open courseware offerings.
9. Read scientific journals: Whether you read online or off, getting information from scientific journals and other publications can boost your knowledge and brain power.
10. Look for new experiences: Few things can increase your brain power like new experiences. Look to experience new things every so often.
11. Pay attention to your environment: The way your environment is arranged can help you focus better and absorb knowledge better. A tidy environment, and one that is cool, can actually help enhance your study skills.

Creative Boost

Creativity can help improve your brain function. Here are some tips for using creativity to build your brain’s strength and agility.

12. Explore your creative side: Try writing, art or performance to see whether you enjoy. You don’t even have to be good at it; just working at your creativity can help you increase your brain power and speed.
13. Read for fun: Don’t just read for knowledge; read for fun as well. Even if you enjoy reading novels, you can boost your brain power by working your imagination as you journey to new places using your mind.
14. Don’t forget to laugh: Laughing relieves stress and releases chemicals that help you feel positive. Humor can be a good way to release tension and let your brain get a little relaxation.
15. Learn a musical instrument: The learning processes that go into music can benefit you. Learn a musical instrument to increase your brain power and enhance personal enjoyment.
16. Listen to music: The creative processes in music can benefit you, even if you just listen. Classical music is especially beneficial for the brain.
17. Volunteer: Use your talents and skills to help others. Volunteering can be a good way to build brain power as you meet new people and learn new things.
18. Learn about other cultures: Understanding other cultures can be an interesting and creative exercise that can help you gain new perspective while making your brain stronger.
19. Keep a dream journal: A dream journal can encourage you to examine your subconscious, and you may find new answers in creative ways in your dreams.
20. Develop a hobby: Find something you enjoy doing and develop that skill through a hobby.
21. Interact with others: Socializing can be a to learn new ideas and share your own. Creative sharing — or just relaxing with others — can boost creativity and make your brain stronger.
22. Consider a child’s perspective: Look at things as a child would. This is a great creative exercise that can help make your brain stronger

Memory Tricks

If you want to improve your memory and make your brain faster at recall, here are some tricks you can practice:

23. Use an organizer: Organizing your thoughts and appointments can help you recall needed information faster.
24. Get adequate sleep: You remember things better when you are properly rested.
25. Use more senses: As you learn, focus on smell, taste and touch as well as sight and sound. This will help you with recall.
26. Linking: Link a new concept somehow to something you already know. This will help you organize the information in your brain.
27. Practice: Just like anything else, if you want a good memory, you have to practice. Practice recalling information you have learned.
28. Mind mapping: You can use mind mapping to learn how to visualize what you have you learned, and then recall it earlier.
29. Try to avoid distractions: Concentrate on what you are doing, and try to avoid distractions when possible.
30. Mnemonic devices: You can use a number of mnemonic devices to improve your memory function, including systems of letters, grouping and even rhymes.
31. Take notes: When learning something, take notes. Writing it down can help you commit things
32. Use your non-dominant hand: You can increase your brain power and your memory by exercising your brain with the use of your non-dominant hand.
33. Make a to-do list: Sometimes you need external reminders to help you keep your memory sharp. A to-do list can help you stay focused throughout the day.

Stay Sharp

Once you have begun building your brain power, you want to stay sharp. Here are some tips that can help you keep your brain strong and fast.

34. Physical exercise: You can enhance your brain function by staying physically active.
35. Meditation: You can sharpen your mind powers with some meditation. Give your brain a charge, and keep it focused.
36. Relaxation: De-stress yourself in order to give your brain time to process and rest a little. This will help it stay sharp and learn better in the future.
37. Sudoku: You can exercise your mind skills, and keep them sharp, with the number game Sudoku.
38. Crossword puzzles: Simple and fun crossword puzzles can help exercise your mind to keep it fast and sharp.
39. Trivia games: Played online or with a group of friends in person, trivia games can be great ways to exercise your memory and your brain.
40. Video games: Some video games are designed with education and brain function in mind. Games that require you to think things through and solve puzzles to advance can be helpful in maintaining your brain power.
41. Strategic board games: Games like chess, Risk and even checkers can help you analyze situations and think strategically, boosting your brain power.
42. Some card games: Some card games, like bridge, can keep your mind sharp by encouraging thought about strategy. Even poker can test your ability to determine probabilities.
43. Teach: One way you can keep your mind sharp is to teach others. You can teach as an adjunct, offer community classes or tutor in order to keep your mind sharp.
44. Learn sign language: Sign language connects motor skills to the brain, and brings more mental effort to communication.

Brain Food

If you want to boost your brain power and quickness, you need to eat the right things. There are some nutritional guidelines that can help you improve braing strength.

45. Omega-3 fatty acids: The oils found in fish and some plants, like flaxseed, can improve brain function.
46. Red wine: In very moderate amounts, red wine can help your brain.
47. Blueberries: These delicious berries can help neurons in your brain.
48. Strawberries: Antioxidants in strawberries can help your brain, and the vitamin C and potassium have other benefits.
49. Folic acid: This nutrient can help you avoid memory loss. Folic acid supplements can be a good addition to your brain food regimen.
50. Fiber: Keep your body and mind functioning properly and in balance with fiber.
51. Water: Dehydration can be detrimental to the brain. Drink lots of water to avoid this.
52. Eat breakfast: Get off to the right start every day with proper nutrition, and your brain will be more active.
53. Beware of caffeine: While moderate amounts of caffeine can be helpful (one cup of tea or coffee), too much can overstimulate the brain, and the following crash can cause problems.
54. Watch out for alcohol and drugs: Substance abuse is very detrimental to brain function.
55. Limit junk food: Junk food drains your brain power and slows it down. In order to make your brain stronger and faster, you need to limit your intake of junk.

Source:- mastersinhealthinformatics

Tags: how to, boost brain, brain power, tips, brain training, creativity, memory, prevent memory loss, increase brain speed

17 Interesting Tricks of the Body

Interesting Body tricks to try out when you are bored.

1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear.
When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, but you’re more discriminating. Take that tickle in your throat; it’s not worth gagging over. Here’s a better way to scratch your itch: “When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm,” says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. “This spasm relieves the tickle.”

2. Experience supersonic hearing!
If you’re stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It’s better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Feel no pain!
German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

4. Clear your stuffed nose!
Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you’ll feel your sinuses start to drain.

5. Fight fire without water!
Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? “Sleep on your left side,” says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you’re on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity’s in your favor.

6. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!
Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

7. Make burns disappear!
When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natural method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

8. Stop the world from spinning!
One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance—the cupula—floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. “As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises,” says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

9. Unstitch your side!
If you’re like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

10. Stanch blood with a single finger!
Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed—if you don’t mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums—just behind that small dent below your nose—and press against it, hard. “Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose,” says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. “Pressing here helps stop them.”

11. Make your heart stand still!
Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It’ll get your heart rate back to normal.

12. Thaw your brain!
Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. “Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too,” says Abo. “In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache.” The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

13. Prevent near-sightedness!
Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. “It’s usually caused by near-point stress.” In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles—like the eyes—into relaxing as well.

14. Wake the dead!
If your hand falls asleep while you’re driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It’ll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don’t let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.

15. Impress your friends!
Next time you’re at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He’ll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that’s a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you’ve offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body’s ability to resist.

16. Breathe underwater!
If you’re dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first—essentially, hyperventilate. When you’re underwater, it’s not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it’s the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin’ ain’t right. “When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity,” says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. “This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen.” It’ll buy you up to 10 seconds.

17. Read minds!
Your own! “If you’re giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep,” says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.
Source:- rockforhealth

Tags: Interesting, Tricks, Body, Health, beautiful world

Yacht "Maiken" New Island Discovered in South Pacific

Yacht "Maiken" was traveling in the south Pacific when the crew came across a strange sight. It looked as though sand was floating on top of the water, until the realized it was volcanic stone.


Look at these photos of this rare phenomenon. This is not a beach, it is volcanic stone floating on the water.


The trail left by the yacht, through the volcanic stone.


And then this was spotted, just behind them; ash and steam rising from the ocean.



A brand new island formed.

How to Make a Pinecone Skier | pinecone craft ideas

How to Make a Pinecone Skier Craft Day, an easy Pine cone Skier



Materials Required:
pine cone
2 round toothpicks
2 mini Popsicle sticks
red paint
1 inch pompom
2 small googly eyes
1 tiny pompom for nose
scraps of felt
1 white pipe cleaner

2 sequins
small pompom for hat
tacky glue
scissors



To make a pine cone skier you first need to paint your toothpicks and mini Popsicle sticks. I took the toothpicks and cut off the top pointy end and then painted them red, For the skis I painted 2 mini Popsicle sticks red...for Christmas Craft day I lucked out at the dollar store and found some picket fencing that is normally used for a Christmas village but will work perfectly for this project.



Take the two red toothpicks and put a dab of glue on the hole in the sequin. Push the pointy end of the toothpick into the glue. These will be your ski poles. Set aside.



Take your 1 inch pom pom and glue on the 2 eyes as well as the mini pom pom for the nose.





With the scraps of felt cut out a circle for the hat.



Glue on top of the head and then add a sparkly pompom on top.


Set aside.



Take your white pipe cleaner and cut it in half. Wind around the pine cone near the top and give it a twist...these will be your arms. I found these silver and gold pine cones at the dollar store 12 for a $1.00. You can use the ones from outside and just add some glitter or paint. Here in Canada our pine cones are now buried under 2 feet of snow!



Bend the arms to look like your skier is working really hard to snowplow up that hill.



Add a dab of glue where the hands would be.



Slide in the poles...you can squeeze the pipe cleaner to hold it in place while the glue sets up. Put some glue on top of the pine cone and glue on the head.

Let sit for a few minutes.



Turn pine cone over keeping your finger pressing down on head to ensure it stays on and put some glue where you want the skis to go.



Attach your skis. You can arrange them so they are snow plowing or straight on...it's up to you.



That's it...a very cute pine cone skier. If you want you can add a string at the top for hanging on the tree. See you soon with a special JOY sign project.
Source :- thatartistwoman

Tags: How to, Make, a Pinecone Skier, beautiful art, pinecone, craft, ideas