Today on New Scientist: 25 June 2012

Corporate money men fill the political void at Rio+20

It may have been a damp squib politically, but business leaders at the Earth Summit in Rio were on hand to commit cash for UN green initiatives

Is there an explanation for existence?

In Why Does the World Exist? Jim Holt spans physics, philosophy and literature to examine the mystery of why there is something rather than nothing

Psychedelic nano-art in oils and ferrofluids

Ferrofluids - a mix of oil and nano-sized iron particles - are normally used in computer hard drives, but their weird properties can make for great liquid art

Want terabit internet? Get light to do the twist

Twisting individual beams of light in different ways allows more data to be transmitted in the same signal

Ultrasound pill helps the medicine go down

A swallowable ultrasound device called uPill could end the need for painful daily injections

Life: is it inevitable or just a fluke?

If life arises wherever conditions are right, why haven't we heard from aliens yet? Biochemist Nick Lane thinks he might have an answer

Sea-level rise accelerates faster on US east coast

The Atlantic coast of North America is a hotspot of sea level rise, suggesting that a major Atlantic current is slowing down

Threatwatch: Taliban action risks polio resurgence

Which is more likely to derail the decades-long battle to rid the world of polio? The Taliban, or the financial crisis?

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Analysis: Egypt elections only the beginning

Mohamed Messara / EPA

A man paints the flag of Egypt and heart on the face of an Egyptian woman during demonstration at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt on June 25, 2012.

By Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News Cairo

Analysis

CAIRO -- Egypt's presidential elections are a watershed moment for the country, an unfinished revolution and political Islam. Some will look at this moment and say it fell short of expectations, others will look at it and say it exceed some expectations. In the final analysis, how Egypt's elections measure up depends on the measuring stick one uses to assess its importance.?

If you strip away the politics for a moment and look simply at the mechanics of the electoral process, I think it's safe to say most Egyptians feel the process -- a purely mechanical process -- was free, transparent and had integrity. While citing some irregularities, The Carter Center, a nongovernmental organization, didn't discredit the overall integrity of the process. Compare this to elections in Egypt over the past years and you will see why it was crucially important for the state's institutions to prove it can carry out an election professionally and credibly in the eyes of its own citizens.

Mohamed Messara / EPA

Supporters of Presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi demonstrate in Cairo, Egypt, on June 25, 2012.

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People boycotted the elections, and yes, the incoming president does not have a large mandate, but that's politics not process. At the end of the day, 25 million Egyptians voted and they believe their voice mattered and made a difference. That is a historic first in a country where 85 million voices were rarely heard.?

On to the other measuring stick: political Islam. Egypt is the birthplace of political Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood, which inspired Islamist political movements around the world, was born in Egypt. For the better part of 80 years, the Muslim Brotherhood has been part of the fabric of Egypt, shaping the identity of the country and its citizens. There is only problem: the state refused to acknowledge it. For decades, while the group was banned from participating in political life, it played a role in shaping the social identity of the country instead.

Eric Trager, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, studies Egyptian opposition groups. He speaks with NBC News' Charlene Gubash about what the Muslim Brotherhood's victory means for the U.S. and the region.

Egypt's big turn under the Muslim Brotherhood

For years, the Brotherhood's leadership was routinely killed, tortured, imprisoned and harassed by secular-authoritarian-military dominated governments. Today, that very same military-led government has conceded the Muslim Brotherhood can no longer be ignored, marginalized or suppressed and in fact they are entitled to run the process -- with some limitations. This is important because Arab countries have rejected political Islam as a system of governance and many are skeptical of it.

That is a valid concern. But if one wants political Islamic movements to falter, they must be tested in the political arena. As targeted organizations by dictatorial regimes, Islamist movements thrived on being the victims and translated that grassroots sympathy into support. They then used that support to derive their legitimacy. Today, they are no longer victims or the underdogs in Egypt. Now they will be tested and judged based on their performance, not their myth. Egyptians will and can hold their officials responsible -- that's a lesson learned from the Jan. 25, 2011 revolution.?

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's next president: Protesters' bloodshed will not be in vain

Is that a risk worth taking? Will the Muslim Brotherhood ruin Egypt? Will the Muslim Brotherhood impose Islamic law? Will the Muslim Brotherhood go to war and destabilize the region? The answer is no. If there is one thing that has happened in Egypt since Jan. 25, it has been the fragmentation of power across the country. There has been an explosion of vibrant media, a flowering of civil society organizations, a robust and legal activism that was once dormant. Where once a handful of business and political elites ruled the country, the climate in Egypt today is still bringing new forces and people into the power sharing process. The election of Mohammed Morsi is one more indication that traditional power centers in Egypt are shifting and not yet settled. The last state institution that is begrudgingly learning that lesson is the military, which refuses to hand over complete power to a civilian government.

Egypt has elected a conservative president who has said he wants to impose Islamic law. How he will change the country remains unclear. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

The question that should be asked is whether the Muslim Brotherhood can consolidate as much power as authoritarian regimes have without the use of force. It's unlikely it can in the short to medium term. Can it consolidate power through the ballot box and legislation? Yes, that is possible, and that is where Egyptians should be watching closely and with great skepticism. But that happens over time and with the complicity of society at large. It's also why it's more important that secular liberal forces get their act together and get in the political mix.

If the revolution has taught Egyptians one thing, it has shattered people's fear to take on those in power -- including would-be religious fanatics. If you want to measure the elections by the measuring stick of the revolution, it's safe to say that Egypt today is not what the revolutionaries envisioned. But then again it's naive to think removing Hosni Mubarak was going to remove the regime as well.

Today, the message to Egypt's military and others is simple: you can no longer maintain your exclusive monopoly on power. Morsi is not a product of Egypt's powerful security establishment. He is not a wealthy businessman. The fact that he can now preside over a country that had these two pillars as the cornerstone of the regime is a milestone. Is Morsi a revolutionary candidate? No. But Morsi, the candidate, was borne out of the the revolution and that is not lost on him or the Muslim Brotherhood, whose popularity has waned considerably and whose credibility has been challenged repeatedly by their miscalculations throughout the transitional period.?

In the final analysis, the elections in Egypt should not be considered the end of a transitional process, but rather the beginning. In Egypt today, more power, no matter how regulated or muted, is being divided among more players and the result will be a more pluralistic political arena. Will the president challenge the military? Will he represent the people or his political affiliation? Will the military persistently defy the will of its people? Will liberal forces join Islamists against the military? Will the business elite actually start building a genuine economy and create a level playing field? I don't know the answers to any of these questions. But the fact that millions of Egyptians can ask them and begin to answer them for themselves is a good start. These elections were critical and a milestone for Egypt but they will not be as important as the next elections.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

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Alex Trebek Heart Attack: Jeopardy! Host 'Up And About' After Mild Scare

NEW YORK -- A spokeswoman says "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is "up and about" in a Los Angeles hospital as he recovers from a mild heart attack.

Sony Pictures Television spokeswoman Paula Askanas said Monday that Trebek is "in good spirits" while doctors complete their tests. She says he has been moved to a regular room.

The 71-year-old Trebek was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Saturday. He's expected to fully recover and be back at work when "Jeopardy!" resumes production for a new season in July.

Trebek was hospitalized for a heart attack in 2007. He has been hosting the popular quiz show for 28 years.

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The Key to Success and Happiness is Self Improvement | Healthy ...

By Stephen Kavita -

You improve yourself when you become conscious of your innermost feelings and thoughts. Learning to love you is fundamental in self improvement and building good self esteem. You can inspire others to improve themselves by first understanding yourself and accepting the way you are.

Do you know that even the people you admire most and think they have everything working well for them, they have their own insecurities in life because no ones life is perfect. Do not contrast your self with others, be content with whom and what you are.

Accepting who you are will bring happiness and satisfaction to your life, thus attain self development. Every time you look in the mirror you should love what you see. Though work pressures, family struggles, illness especially terminal can make you lose your self confidence, do not give up on the journey of making yourself better.

Regardless of how strong you think you are, there times when doubts, fears and insecurities will slink upon you. Have people who believe in you, that support you and encourage you to move on for example family and friends. In addition, you can get a mentor who you can be accountable to.

Though the road to self improvement is not easy, it is compulsory for one to experience happiness in life. You have to stop blaming yourself for not being what others perceive you to be. We all have issues we must deal with. When you stop and deal with them, you are on the road to a more well and vibrant you and hence achieving success will be easy.

Stephen shares his experience in Self Development Tips that will definitely Add Value to your Life. (Website:) Self Improvement Tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Kavita
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Key-to-Success-and-Happiness-is-Self-Improvement&id=3557045

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Jenny McCarthy Playboy Cover: Revealed!

Some things really do get better with age.

Just months away from turning 40, and 19 years after she got naked in Playboy for the first time, Jenny McCarthy is back in the men's magazine.

And she's still got it.

The model / actress' fourth nude pictorial hits newsstands this Friday in the July / August issue. Check out the just-released cover photo of Jenny McCarthy in Playboy:

"I'm really proud of it," McCarthy told People of the pictorial.

"The pictures are really gorgeous and classy. They really could be out of W magazine."

"They're just really elegant photos. It's probably a lot more sophisticated than a lot of the stuff you'd see of people with their clothes on."

"The one thing I like about Playboy is they don't have the anorexic look. The women are voluptuous. So I didn't really want to diet. I just wanted to tone up."

Mission accomplished, we'd have to say. Models everywhere need to take a cue from this (and Kate Upton pictures) and do what comes naturally: Eat.

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The Dark Carnival

Welcome to the Dark Carnival! If you're here, that means you're dead! Or maybe you work in the carnival, judging souls, sending them to heaven or hell. Maybe you are one of the six joker cards. You decide for yourself.

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Dark Carnival?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "The Dark Carnival"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

LycanGod13

Member for 1 years

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What exactly are the main characters uh...abilities or whatever? like the wraith? What is it?

you cut my soul.
i cut my skin.
its like a game.
but who will win?

KayEyeEmm

Member for 0 years

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LastPass 2.0

Sometimes the best things in life really are free. LastPass 2.0, the latest edition of PCMag's Editors' Choice for password manager, won't cost you a penny, and it outperforms the competition, both free and paid.

The developers at LastPass don't scrimp when it comes to updates. According to the product's revision history there have been over a dozen revisions, large and small, since I reviewed LastPass 1.72 (free, 5 stars). I'll highlight the major enhancements in this review.

Thorough Installation
You'll go through quite a few steps installing LastPass, but by the time you're through you'll have a fully functional ready-to-run installation. The installer adds plug-ins for the browsers it detects and offers to create a LastPass account if you don't already have one. It checks your browsers for insecurely stored passwords and offers to import them, remove them from the browser, and turn off the browser's password management. The fact that it can do all this is pretty clear evidence that browser-stored passwords aren't safe.

New in this edition, during installation you can import the password and other details for your Wi-Fi connection into a secure note. After installation, you can choose to import the login details for every Wi-Fi connection stored on your PC. Once you complete the installation process, the installer offers to show a video explaining just what you can do with LastPass.

Secure Storage
With LastPass, all of your passwords and other data are stored online in a highly encrypted format. The system is designed so that the people at LastPass have no access to your password. Even if subpoenaed to release your encrypted data, they simply couldn't. And the encryption system they use is highly resistant to brute force attacks. I'm confident enough that I use it myself.

If you just can't stomach the thought of keeping your passwords in the cloud, you'll have to choose a different product. RoboForm Desktop 7 ($29.95 direct, 4 stars) stores your encrypted passwords on the local computer. Dashlane 1.1 (free, 4.5 stars) offers a choice between local and cloud storage. If you enable the Sync option it stores the encrypted data online with the ability to sync between different devices. But if you leave Sync disabled, all data gets stored locally.

Still worried? You might consider a self-contained option like MyLOK Personal ($89.95 direct, 4 stars) or the password manager component of IronKey Personal S200 ($79 direct, 4 stars). You won't get the full range of password management features, but you can feel secure with all your passwords in your pocket.

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