Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Experts talk on media issues , srm university international seminar on regulating the media.
Balanced reporting and presentation of news in a manner that would improve the lives of the people in general and consumers of news in particular are needed today, speakers at the inaugural of a two-day seminar said here on Wednesday
The seminar ‘Regulating the Media?' was organised by Young Journalists Association, School of Media Studies and School of Government and International Affairs of SRM University, in association with the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), The Hindu and the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce.
In her theme address, Srividya Raghavan, Professor of Law, Oklahoma, U.S., said a majority of news organisations, especially television and radio channels were controlled by giant companies in the U.S. Sadly, the trend of consolidation of unregulated media was happening in India too, she observed.
The challenge before the media was two-fold — finding out what the readers' expectations were and how these expectations could be met, experts said. In a hurry to meet such expectations, the media began “pandering to the masses.” Naming a couple of newspapers, she said she was appalled to find highly objectionable news reports and photos in their sports section.
Ms. Raghavan further added that politicians and their political parties started television channels and in such media houses, objective reporting would be a casualty.
Nirmala Lakshman, Director, Kasturi and Sons, said the media had to introspect on its role as a good news operator in the society. “The media plays a vital role as a tool of empowerment for the citizen to pursue a better quality of life,” Dr. Lakshman said. She regretted that issues like paid news and private treaties with companies for equity stakes had brought down credibility to an all-time low.
In her address, Jennnifer McIntyre, Consul General for the U.S. in Chennai, said press freedom was an idea common to both India and United States. Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Panchamoothoo, Chairman of SRM Group of Educational Institutions, said, media should give more space for positive news over negative content. Coming down heavily on sensationalism, he said it should not be the top priority and media houses should think seriously about reducing bad content.
Monday, 30 April 2012
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Students Create Award-Winning ”Green” Airplane Designs ….
Students Create Award-Winning ''Green'' Airplane Designs
The winning U.S. entry in NASA's "green aviation" college competition was this design from a University of Virginia team. Credit: UVA
More than 20 seniors from the University of Virginia contributed to the winning paper and project they called the VERDe Atrema or Virginia Environmentally Responsible Design (VERDe) Atrema. They responded to a challenge from the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.The challenge was to submit ideas and designs for aircraft or engine concepts and technologies that would assist in meeting the project's goals for more environmentally friendly aviation by the year 2020. Those goals include better fuel economy, fewer emissions, less noise and better performing airplanes.
Judges for the competition assessed submissions from 20 national and international student teams, most of whom are studying engineering. Nine seniors from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., created the second place entry known as P6CAF-IncAR Concept Airliner, which looks more like a traditional tube and wing aircraft.
The second place college team, from Purdue University, created this aircraft concept that looks more like a traditional airplane. Credit: Purdue University
Two teams tied for third place including another group from Purdue. Nine undergraduates from the Indiana university designed the "Night Panther" airliner, while a team of eight first year graduate students from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta designed a blended wing body aircraft they called ERATO.All of the non-U.S. winners came from India. First place went to two seniors at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, for their engine concepts. Two seniors from Anna University in Chennai came in second for their blended wing body design. Third place went to four undergraduates from SRM University in Kattankulathur for their airliner concept.
NASA sponsors design contests in hopes of interesting students in aeronautics and engineering careers. Each winning U.S. college team received a cash award and an engraved trophy through a NASA education grant and cooperative agreement. Cash awards ranged from $5,000 for first place to $2,500 for third place. Non-U.S. participants received certificates of appreciation.
High school students also had the opportunity to enter a similar, but a little less academically challenging, contest. The movie "Back to the Future" may have inspired the winner of that competition.
United States winner Andrew Andraka, a senior at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R. I., chose to focus on "the next generation eco-friendly hydrogen airship." His was one of 34 entries from the U.S. and around the world in the "Environmentally Responsible Aviation (Green) Aviation High School Student Challenge," also sponsored by the Environmentally Responsible Aviation project.
A high school senior from Rhode Island proposed a hydrogen airship as an environmentally friendly alternative. Credit: Andrew Andraka
Andraka touts the abundance of inexpensive, environmentally friendly hydrogen as a replacement for pollution producing jet fuel. He would contain the flammable hydrogen inside chambers made of advanced composite materials filled with oxygen-consuming bacteria to reduce fire risk. The study also suggests that solar power would make up part of a unique hybrid electric engine technology.
Other teams in the high school competition also proposed hybrid engine technology as part of their green aviation solution. Some looked at the potential of solar power. Others researched biofuels as an alternative.
There was a tie for second place among the U.S. entries. Second place went to three seniors at Linwood Holton Governor’s School in Abingdon, Va. and two juniors from St. Croix Preparatory Academy Stillwater, Minn.
Students from India and Romania took top honors among the foreign entries. First place went to 11th grader Nitish Kulkarni, from the Oakridge International School Hyderabad, India. Twelfth grader teams from Tudor Vianu National High School of Computer Science in Bucharest, Romania came in second and third.
Winning U.S. high school entries were also eligible for cash awards and trophies. The cash award for a first place team was $1,500 and $1,000 for individual first place. Non-U.S. participants received certificates of appreciation.
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