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4:00 am
Sesame Street "Don't Get Push" Telly, Baby Bear, and Rosita are playing school, and Telly is the teacher! He asks someone to come up to the board and write the letter of the day, the letter "T." Very excited, Rosita pushes Baby Bear as she makes her way to the blackboard. Telly explains that it was not okay for her to push Baby Bear. D
5:00 am
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood "Daniel's Babysitter/Daniel Goes to School" Daniel's Babysitter - Prince Tuesday comes to babysit Daniel Tiger while Mom Tiger and Dad Tiger go out dancing. As Daniel gets ready for bed, he misses his Mom and Dad, but Prince Tuesday reminds him that they will be back soon. And when Tigey goes missing right before bedtime, Daniel learns what a grr-ific babysitter Prince Tuesday is. D
5:30 am
Martha Speaks "Martha's Thanksgiving, Part One & Two" Martha's Thanksgiving, Part One - When Martha learns that Helen's extended family will be coming for Thanksgiving, she decides to search for her own long-lost canine siblings. Tails begin to wag as the family reunites, but where is Martha's mother? Vocabulary: (E) reunion, prepare, organize, trace, quest. Martha's Thanksgiving, Part Two - Still in search of her mother, Martha digs into her past to uncover the reason they were separated. D
6:00 am
NOVA "At The Edge of Space" NOVA takes viewers on an exploration of the Earth-space boundary zone that's home to some of nature's most puzzling and alluring phenomena: the shimmering aurora, streaking meteors and fleeting flashes that shoot upward from thunderclouds, known as sprites. Only discovered in 1989, sprites have eluded capture because they flicker into existence for a mere split-second - 40 times faster than an eye blink.G
7:00 am
Rick Steves' Europe "England's Bath & York" Rick takes in Medieval York and Georgian Bath, both easy sidetrips from London. He explores Roman hot springs, cruises canals, and marvels at England's finest Gothic church.G
7:30 am
Smart Travels - Europe with Rudy Maxa "Milan and Lake Como" Rudy explores an extravagantly decorated Gothic cathedral, looks at famous paintings and goes shopping.G
8:00 am
In The Americas with David Yetman "Peru: A Train to the Clouds" Once a month a train departs from Lima on the coast and heads for the highlands. Yetman rides the train to its destination, the indigenous city of Huancayo high on the Altiplano of the Andes.G
8:30 am
Chef John Besh's New Orleans Creole Matzos Ball Soup, Passover Artichokes, and Blood Orange Creme Brulee. D
9:00 am
Lidia's Italy In America "St. Louis's Little Italy" Everyone loves a warm plate of Spaghetti & Meatballs, and today Lidia teaches the viewer how to take that classic and make it the way she loves to eat it. She also adds a Sicilian specialty - arancini - or Rice Balls to the menu. D
9:30 am
GardenSMART An abandoned waterfront has been transformed into a public park, a wonderful area filled with lush lawns, trees and beautiful flowers. By incorporating a collection of ecosystems, it's a landscape people and wildlife use and enjoy. You can utilize similar concepts in your own landscape. D
10:00 am
Christina "Fat and You" It ain't fat that's making you fat.it's the kind of fat you're eating. But before you go on an onion ring binge, hang on. D
10:30 am
Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen "Favorites with a Chinese Accent" Test cook Julia Collin Davison shows host Christopher Kimball how to make Chinese-Style Glazed Pork Tenderloin. Then, equipment expert Adam Ried reveals his top picks for grill pans. Next, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Chris to a tasting of ready rice. D
11:00 am
ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival This AUSTIN CITY LIMITS special features the best in American roots music, without the awards presentations. Taped at the Americana Music Awards in Nashville, featured performers include Lucinda Williams, Gregg Allman, Robert Plant, the Civil Wars, Jessica Lea Mayfield and Justin Townes Earle.G
12:00 pm
Sesame Street "The Whoosh & Vanish Mystery" It's a very windy day on Sesame Street. Elmo and Telly are just about to play a game of basketball. When they return from eating a healthy power snack, their ball is missing! It's a real mystery and they need to investigate to solve the problem! First, Telly writes down what they already know about the mystery! Then, he forms a hypothesis, or a guess, that Abby must have made the basketball disappear because she's able to do magic. D
1:00 pm
Dinosaur Train "Dinosaur Train Submarine: Shoshana Shonosaurus/All Kinds of Families" The Pteranodon family goes under the sea again, to ride the Dinosaur Train Submarine - this time they go to meet Shoshana Shonisaurus, an enormous marine reptile that's something between a dolphin and a whale. Since Shoshana loves to dive down very deep, Shiny has a problem with following her down to the bottom of the sea. Shoshana kindly helps Shiny get over her fear of diving deep. D
1:30 pm
Peg + Cat "The Race Car Problem/The Big Gig Problem" The Race Car Problem - Junk Yard/Race Track Stadium. Peg and Cat rebuild their homemade race car, "Hot Buttered Lightnin'," to compete in the Talla-peg-a 20 race. Primary Content: More than, less than; Secondary Content: Solid shapes. D
2:00 pm
Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! "Seasons - Spring and Summer/Seasons - Fall and Winter" Seasons - Spring and Summer - For Show and Tell at school, Nick and Sally must bring something from their favourite season. But how can they choose which is their favourite? The Cat in the Hat takes them to the magical Garden of Seasons, where they can visit any season they like, any time they like! They meet three young animals and journey with them as they begin to grow up. Sally decides that she has two favourite seasons, and with the pictures taken from the Snaparama camera, she now has a scrapbook of pictures to show why! Seasons - Fall and Winter - It's Nick's turn to choose a favourite season. D
2:30 pm
WordGirl "Who Wants Candy?/Chuck's Brother" Who Wants Candy? - On a field trip to the local candy factory, The Birthday Girl goes on a candy eating spree. WordGirl must find a way to save the city's candy and win back her best friend and field trip buddy, Violet. Vocabulary Words: Awestruck, Mastermind. D
3:00 pm
Science Trek "Trees" The oldest living thing on Earth is a tree. It is also the heaviest and the tallest. Trees keep our air clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, create shade, provide food, building materials, homes for wildlife, and make our world beautiful. Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guests Brian Jorgenson, City of Boise Forester, and Michelle Youngquist, Educational Coordinator, Idaho Forest Products Commission, answer students' questions about trees.G
3:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "London: Mod and Trad" Rick finds London quintessentially English, yet cosmopolitan. He checks out the new - the Millenium Bridge and the British Museum's Great Court - and admires the old - well-wrapped mummies and a rare Leonardo.G
4:00 pm
Lincoln@Gettysburg The telegraph, the "Internet" of the 19th century, gave President Abraham Lincoln new powers to reshape leadership and wield personal control across distant battlefields. The results of Lincoln's pioneering experiment in electronic leadership led to the rebirth of America on the fields of Gettysburg.G
5:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
6:00 pm
Globe Trekker "Globe Trekker Special: World War II in the Pacific" The Trekkers explore the epic events of World War II by visiting key locations in the Pacific, a region where great battles were fought and military history was made.G
7:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "The Foothills" The backdrop for Idaho's Statehouse and the city of Boise is also the instant getaway for people in the Treasure Valley with more than 10,000 acres set aside through a voter-approved levy and more than 135 miles of trails. Runners, walkers, mountain bikers, wildflower hunters, wildlife watchers and more make year around use of the Foothills, which merge into the Boise Ridge, topped by Bogus Basin Ski Resort.G
7:30 pm
Dialogue "Brinkley On Cronkite" Host Marcia Franklin talks with historian Douglas Brinkley about his biography of iconic CBS newsman Walter Cronkite.G
8:00 pm
Oregon Field Guide "Rogue River Conflicts/Tree-Top Tour" The wild and scenic river attracts rafters, jet boaters, fishermen and others in increasing numbers, causing conflicting views on the river's use.G
8:30 pm
Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope "The Bonin/Ogasawara Islands - A Land Far, Far Away" On the Bonin or Ogasawara Islands Joseph is reminded that travel is a treasure hunt. Even though one is told where the riches are buried, the real gems have to be discovered on their own. On this voyage to Tokyo's most distant possessions - more than 600 miles and 25 hours by ferry from the mainland - Joseph partakes of kayaking, snorkeling, trekking and whale watching. D
9:00 pm
Oregon Experience "Opal Whiteley" The girl who grew up literally barefoot and dirt poor in Oregon's logging camps at the turn of the 20th century appeared to be a child prodigy with an encyclopedic knowledge of nature. She left behind a childhood diary that gained her international fame and a mystery about a kidnapped French princess.G
9:30 pm
Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge "India - Varanasi to Bandhavgarh" Wolfe joins nearly 20 million pilgrims for a dip in the Ganges and captures images of Hindu holy men who have renounced all worldly pursuits. Downstream, in ancient Varanasi, the sacred and the ordinary meet in a swirl of color, fire and ritual.G
10:00 pm
Globe Trekker "Globe Trekker Special: World War II in the Pacific" The Trekkers explore the epic events of World War II by visiting key locations in the Pacific, a region where great battles were fought and military history was made.G
11:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "The Foothills" The backdrop for Idaho's Statehouse and the city of Boise is also the instant getaway for people in the Treasure Valley with more than 10,000 acres set aside through a voter-approved levy and more than 135 miles of trails. Runners, walkers, mountain bikers, wildflower hunters, wildlife watchers and more make year around use of the Foothills, which merge into the Boise Ridge, topped by Bogus Basin Ski Resort.G
11:30 pm
Dialogue "Brinkley On Cronkite" Host Marcia Franklin talks with historian Douglas Brinkley about his biography of iconic CBS newsman Walter Cronkite.G


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Cybersecurity has become a neck-and-neck race between the public sector and the public enemy -- hackers.
While government adds cybersecurity training facilities to beef up its cyber workforce, hackers are learning their trade through hacker forums, which have become a training ground for cyber criminals.
Roughly one-third (28 percent) of all hacker forum conversations are related to beginner hacking and hacker training, with another 5 percent relating to hacking tutorials, according to recent report by Imperva. The business security solutions provider analyzed one of the largest hacker forums, which contains roughly 250,000 members, for its October Intelligence Initiative report, "Monitoring Hacker Forums."
Analyzing conversations by specific keywords, Imperva found the most common topics of conversation to be SQL injection and DDoS, both at 19 percent of discussion volume. However, Imperva estimates that less than 5 percent of security budgets are allocated to products that mitigate SQL injection attacks.
"We believe this imbalance encourages hackers to continue to learn and deploy this attack method," the report noted. Furthermore, it said that many security professionals do not spend time exploring hacker forums to understand the tools and techniques hackers use to attack.
According to Rob Rachwald in an October 31st Imperva blog, many tools exist to automate SQL attacks, which enable hackers to profitably steal data. Yet "security teams continue to rely on IPS, network firewalls and antivirus--all of which don't even know a SQL injection from a hole in the wall," he wrote.
Social networks are also prominent sources of information, with 39 percent of discussions concerning Facebook and 37 percent concerning Twitter.
While hacker forums may be an incubator for future cyber criminals, government is building an arsenal of educational tools of its own. For example, Iowa State University launched its Information Systems Security Lab (ISSL), an education and product and security testing site in late August, GCN reported at the time.
ISSL, operated by the school's Information Assurance Center, a National Security Agency center for academic excellence in information, provides basic training, both for general security awareness and literacy to produce better stewards of sensitive data.
Similarly, last December a nonprofit group supported by government, academia and the private sector announced an education and training program to develop the cybersecurity workforce needed to protect the nation's critical infrastructure. The National Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Education Initiative will produce sector-specific curricula and training programs for all ages -- from K through 12 -- through professional training and certification for current workers, GCN reported.
This coming January may also bring some new tools to government cybersecurity teams as the Air Force wants to expand its cyber force development next year by opening its cyber warfare simulation center to more military commands, educational institutions and other federal agencies, GCN reported in August.
In addition, academia and the public and private sectors have established initiatives to identify and recruit cybersecurity talent. The seventh annual National Cyber Defense Competition, held in April, pitted teams from 10 universities around the country to defend networks against attacks. While the prizes offered are modest, the competition brings exposure and job offers to participants.
About the Author
Kathleen Hickey is a freelance writer for GCN.
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Why not try to enlist (some) hackers in a cyber militia? Give them a target (Iran, China, North Korea) and set them free. Turn it into a game where they could earn "points" for proven effectiveness and host a leaderboard. Cyber militias from other countries have proven effective and world opinion was unsure how to react. We could end up with a cost effective method for dealing with cyber attacks if it was organized properly.
One obvious difference in approach is economics, hacker resources are available to anyone irrespective of age and financial resources, government educational assets are restricted to a specific age and socio-economic group. By the time many people with the inclination to pursue cyber security on either side of the fence reach college age, they have already been exposed to hacker culture and the decision may have already been made. My point being cyber-security education should be targeted as early as practical, and not tied to optional (and financially prohibitive) educational institutions.
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15 Nov 18
Warren Gatland says the players named to face Tonga this Saturday at Principality Stadium deserve the opportunity to stake a claim for the final game of the autumn against South Africa.
Ever since Mr D Herbert officiated the Wales v England game way back in 1882, Welsh referees have always been at the forefront of the international game.
The highly respected Gwynne Walters made his international debut in 1959 and was frequently asked to officiate at the Varsity match. He was followed on the international scene in the mid sixties by referees of the calibre of Meirion Joseph.
Clive Norling took charge of his first international in 1978 and went on to officiate in many high profile matches. Derek Bevan proved consistently to be one of the top referees in the world following his elevation to the international game. He refereed the 1991 World Cup final between England and Australia. Four years later he was the official in the 1995 semi-final between South Africa and France and followed that four years later with an appearance at the same stage when taking centre stage for the Australia v South Africa semi-final.
Bevan held the record for most caps - 44 - when he retired from international rugby in 2000. His record remained intact until Nigel Owens surpassed it in 2013 with his 45th cap when officiating the clash between New Zealand and France.
Leighton Hodges is the most recent Welsh referee to join the elite ranks when he was in charge of two Tests in the 2012/13 season.
Among the 55 Welsh international referees there are eight who played for Wales (Charles Lewis, Horace Lyne, William Phillips, Billy Douglas, Tom Williams, Harry Bowen, Gwyn Nicholls and Tommy Vile); two who acted as treasurer of the Union (Richard Mullock and Williams Wilkins); one who was secretary (Richard Mullock) and five who became President (Horace Lyne, Tommy Vile, Wilf Faull, Vernon Parfitt and Gwilym Treharne). More recently, Ken Rowlands, Clive Norling and Rob Yeman worked as Referee's Manager for the WRU.


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Many people vented their political beliefs on social networks during the run-up to (and aftermath of) last week's election. Social media became a premier outlet for venting personal hopes, fears and occasional prejudices about politicians on both sides of the aisle. Some firm believers, however, took it a little too far – and used the election as their chance to let out a rant full of defaming comments.
One harangue in particular – a Facebook post written by a teacher from Linden-McKinley High School – upset a large number of Columbus, Ohio, parents. The inflamatory status update was posted shortly after President Barack Obama's reelection was confirmed.
It read, "Congrats to those dependent on government, homosexuals, potheads, JAY-Z fans, non Christians, non taxpayers, illegals, communists, Muslims, planned murder clinics, enemies of America, Satan You WON!"
Plus: Teacher Steals Baby Pictures From Facebook to Get Back at Boyfriend
The post was ultimately removed, but not before many students and parents got an eyeful. One mother, Hazel Davis, reported it to the principal after receiving several calls of complaints from fellow parents. Their biggest issue was that the post insulted the majority of the school's students, 95% of whom are reportedly on the federal free and reduced lunch program. The parents wondered whether this was the kind of person they want teaching their children.
The district even looked into the matter after hearing complaints, according to district spokesman Jeff Warner, but has yet to take any action. Since no legal actions have taken place, the teacher remains unnamed.
This isn't the first time a teacher got in trouble for posting to his personal profile, nor will it be the last. The Ohio Education Association advises teachers not to post "anything that you wouldn't write as an editorial to all major newspapers" on social media websites.
Do you think it's okay for teachers to post their personal opinions? Should this teacher be penalized for their defaming comment on Facebook? Leave a comment.


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News & Business
Print resources: Newspapers and magazines are located along the west side of the main floor of the library. In parentheses are the number of back issues we keep on hand. Subscriptions include local daily and weekly publications along with the following regional, financial and specialty publications:
- Barron's National Business and Financial Weekly (1 month)
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Countywide Online Databases
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Business Insights: Global
Search this database for information on companies.
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This collection of 150 full-text periodicals covers topics such as economic development, forecasting, and history; fiscal theory; monetary theory and financial institutions; business finance; public finance; country studies; and government regulations.
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From marketing professionals to students studying for advanced degrees in linguistic theory, this collection provides current and accurate information from more than 100 journals focused on all aspects of the communications field. Key subjects covered include: advertising and public relations, literature and writing, linguistics, and many more.
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Full text articles from The Oregonian (9/1/1987 to the present).
For members of the Lake Oswego Public Library:
Contains detailed information on more than 14 million U.S. businesses and 97 million U.S. residents. Company information is searchable by company name, type of business, geography, and size. Individuals can be searched by name, address, and phone number.


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Celebs Tweet Mother's Day Wishes
Today is Mother's Day, and all the celebs on Twitter want to send their moms a little love. Some like P!nk are celebrating their first Mother's Day, some, like Chris Colfer want to spread the love to moms IRL and show biz moms, and some, like Kourtney Kardashian want to give a shout out to a mother who's in the spotlight just as much as she is.
The sentiments are all sweet, though some were more elaborate than others. Miley Cyrus helped us picture the kind of Mother's Day celebration she's giving her mom by tweeting her mom's breakfast will come complete with the gift of jewelery, Emma Roberts is bummed she and her mom aren't in the same city today but still sends her love, and Taylor Swift marked the day with a little mother-daughter nostalgia putting up the photo above (so. much. velvet.)
It looks like the moms of these stars are going to be well taken care of today. Check out some of the cutest Mother's Day tweets from your favorite celebrities below.
Photo: (Instagram)


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Policy Brief on Senior Entrepreneurship
As the population in the EU continues to age, counteracting the resulting demographic forces is becoming increasingly important. Helping these people remain economically active has the potential to have important economic and social benefits, not only for the target group, but for society on the whole. The European Commission and OECD have joined forces to produce a brochure, which emphasises the importance of a shift in entrepreneurship policy within this demographic, to encourage it to become more active. In this context, it examines a range of different initiatives and schemes that could be implemented to promote business start-ups by older people.This brochure will be available online in English, German and French.


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An excerpt from John Main OSB, MONASTERY WITHOUT WALLS: The Spiritual Letters of John Main (Norwich: Canterbury, 200), pp. 127-28.
The gift of vision is the wonder of creation. We are empowered to see the reality within which we live and move and have our being. It is not a gift we can ever possess because it is one we are continuously receiving.
In returning it, in letting go, we receive it again even more fully. That is why, the longer we have been meditating the more we do so without demands or expectations. Knowing that God has created us to share in being takes possession of us without our knowing it. Yet the light of consciousness we expand into is complete in ways that the ego's dim self-consciousness never can be. [. . . .]
For those humbly treading the pilgrimage of prayer into light, this is the essential knowledge we need. Knowledge is experience. It is also the Word that once uttered makes conscious whoever hears it. It summons us out of the old fixed pattern and inspires us to breathe more deeply into the expanding reality and to place our centre of consciousness beyond self-preoccupation. It is to discover that our centre is in God. How we may come to this journey is less important than that we do begin it. To begin, it is necessary to enter somehow into real commitment. That moment of self-giving, of surrendering the ego, is the hole in the wall of the ego that, however fleetingly at first, allows in the light. Light will flow in more and more powerfully until it overcomes whatever blocks translucence.
This moment of commitment is always available to us. It is not an absent ideal, a theoretical possibility, but always a present reality accessible through faith. The question is, are we sufficiently present to ourselves to see it, to hear the invitation and respond? Every moment is the moment because all time has been charged with divine meaning. "Now is the acceptable time." All time is the "moment of Christ." Like a lover, like a gardener, God patiently awaits our response, our growth.
Meditate for Thirty Minutes. Remember: Sit down. Sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Silently, interiorly, begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer phrase "Maranatha." Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently, but continuously. Do not think or imagine anything spiritual or otherwise. Thoughts and images will likely come, but let them pass. Just keep returning your attention – with humility and simplicity to saying your word in faith, from the beginning to the end of your meditation.
After Meditation, an excerpt from Andrew Harvey, A JOURNEY IN LADAKH (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000), pp. 92-93.
To take this river, these rocks, this light, these mountains changing in the light, "for granted," and to revel in them—I am learning that slowly here. I am learning not to fling names at things. Even when I write or think simply rock, river, light, mountain, I begin to see through the word to the thing, to be along with the thing, the rock, this light on my hands, without fear or need to speak.
Things exist in the unnameable. Sometimes I am free, or freed by this landscape, to see them as they are and not wish to name them. Sometimes, as the rocks glow in the late sun, or the river flashes suddenly between boulders, or two birds hide in a burst of light above me, I understand that all names fall short of the shining of things. And that understanding, while it lasts, is peace.


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Experience two essential female voices while overlooking the iconic New York skyline at our annual Books Beneath the Bridge reading series! This year POWERHOUSE ARENA presents Chelsea Hodson & Julie Buntin. The outdoor event will feature a reading, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
Obama: An Oral History is the first ever comprehensive oral history of President Obama's White House, an immersive chronology of the politics and governing behind a landmark American presidency.
On May 23, 2009, Amanda Stott-Smith drove to the middle of the Sellwood Bridge in Portland, Oregon, and dropped her two children into the Willamette River. Forty minutes later, rescuers found the body of four-year-old Eldon. Miraculously, his seven-year-old sister, Trinity, was saved. As the public cried out for blood, Amanda was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to thirty-five years in prison. The case was closed, but for journalist Nancy Rommelmann, the mystery remained: What made a mother want to murder her own children?
Memoir Monday is a collaboration between Narratively, Catapult, Tin House, The Rumpus, Granta, Guernica, and Longreads to bring the very best first-person writing together all in one place. This month will feature Jennifer Baker, Daniel Magariel, Mallika Rao, & Kelly Sundberg!
Close Apart explores states between lovers and friends, parents and children, gangsters and Robert Cowans. Between Manhattan streets, Italian hilltowns, and Siberian forests. Between will, determinism, re-memory, re-death. Between fireplaces and hallways, expansion and condensation. Between us.


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Diagon Alley Joins the Muggle World of Google Maps
Like many Harry Potter fans, we are convinced that our Hogwarts acceptance letter was hidden away by cruel parents on our 11th birthday, or else it somehow got lost in owl-post. Either way, we've been cruelly denied the opportunity to stroll the famous, cobbled street in order to shop for magical school supplies.
If you're struggling to find the Leaky Cauldron or have forgotten the brick-wand-tapping combination to enter the concealed entrance (it's three up, two across, by the way), Google Maps has a solution. Thanks to Street View, you mere Muggles (non-magic folk) can now explore the magical world of Diagon Alley from the comfort of your own homes.
The enchanted retail street Potter readers originally meet in 'Sorcerer's Stone,' where Hagrid takes Harry to buy his school supplies, is the first fictional location to be included on Google's mapping site. From the wand store, Ollivander's, to Flourish and Blotts, where Hogwarts students buy their school books, to Fred and George's magical joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Google Street View's newest location allows fans a broomstick-perspective glimpse into the iconic alley.
Google's Diagon Alley can be found at the Warner Brothers Studio in Leavesden, UK, where the film franchise was based. Since the movies ended, the sets have been made open to the public, and Diagon Alley is not the only Harry Potter location Google has added to its ever-growing network of maps. By dragging the Street View symbol onto the map, you can explore other iconic sets at the studios, including Harry's cupboard under the stairs at Privet Drive.
It may not be the Marauder's Map, but Google has beautifully captured the concealed wizarding alley, allowing international Potter lovers a peek into the real life version of J.K. Rowling's magical world.


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Our goal is to help you develop your gifts so you can use them to serve God in your career. Having experienced Christian engineers design the CE and EE programs makes a significant difference.
Typical Class Sizes:
- Calculus (Freshman): 35 students
- Engineering Computing (Freshman): 18 students
- Electric Circuit Analysis (Sophomore): 24 students
- Embedded Systems (CE Junior): 10 students
- Digital Signal Processing (EE Junior): 15 students
- Design Team (Senior): 4-5 students
Curriculum Design:
- Engineering courses the first year:
- Intro to Engineering: learn about engineering and how to think like an engineer.
- Engineering Computing: learn how to use computer tools and create a simulator
- Engineering Fundamentals: design the hardware for an autonomous robotic vehicle and write its operating system.
- Programming I: learn how to program using C++
- Programming II learn advanced features of C++
- Number of labs students will have:
- EE Students (20-21 labs)
- CE Students (18-19 labs)
- Compare to other schools
- 3-course sequence for capstone design sequence
- ABET requires 1 course
- Compare to other schools
- Senior design experience.
- Systems I: Learn how to plan and budget an engineering project
- Systems II: Complete a detailed design and build a working prototype
- Systems III: Test your design and finish your project
- Senior Engineering Seminar: prepare for career as we discuss the job search and life after college and listen to 10-12 engineers from industry discuss job opportunities and career experiences.
More information on the ECE curricula.
Career Impact:
- 100% job placement rate for those with at least a 3.0 GPA
- highly sought out by engineering community
- Feedback from industry that says our graduates are excelling in
- work ethic
- reliability
- team work
- ethical behavior
- keeping up with technology
- contributing to engineering process


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Add Some Color with the Stash Table from Thomas Wold
Some coffee tables can leave much to be desired. Lacking any design flair, storage or personality, they become more a place to store coffee table books and coasters than a real contribution to your space. For those looking to get a bit more from their coffee table, the Stash Table provides colors, design and storage.
Inspired by the Endless Summer movie poster, Thomas created this table as a project for ReadyMade magazine. With colored panels that slide to expose storage for magazines, games or remote controls and legs reminiscent of a saw horse, the Stash Table will make a statement in any room, and an affordable one at that (it is priced at $500).
To read more about Thomas' construction process of the Stash Table, visit Thomas Wold: ReadyMade Project 2 - Lava Palette Stash Table.
Image credits: Thomas Wold
• Mushroom Tables by Thomas Wold
• How To: Create a Thomas Wold-Like Shelving Unit
• Piecemeal Coffee Table by Thomas Wold
• Thomas Wold's Block Party Bookcase
• Plaid Console/Credenza by Thomas Wold


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There are no Upcoming Shows listed for this comedian.
Karen Hanover
Karen Hanover recently realized she hit middle age and is desperately clawing to youth. Can you hear finger nails scratching as she slides down the wall into the abyss of senioritis? As memory loss kicks in, Karen does her best to remember her jokes about hitting menopause, sagging skin, lack of vaginal muscle control, kids, dating and being "cool" (do they still use that term???) while trying not to break for a bathroom run as her vaginal walls fail her.
Her clean (or mostly clean if the venue prefers) lighthearted comedy warns younger generations about what is to come and is highly relatable by middle aged men and women alike as they identify with Karen's trials and tribulations of getting old.
Karen is a comedic-caped crusader by night performing at the famous, Hollywood Improv as well as The Comedy Store. By day, Karen is a public speaker, actress, best-selling author and soon-to-be talk show host. You can check out her resume at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5759046/ or learn more about her at www.karenhanover.com.
Karen Hanover's Upcoming Shows
Karen Hanover is Known For


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The lineup for the annual Coachella Music Festival has finally been announced. The festival expanded to two weekends last year and will see appearances from Blur, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phoenix, The Wu-Tang Clan, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Postal Service, Passion Pit, The xx, Sigur Rós, Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, Japandroids, Of Monsters and Men, TNGHT, Jessie Ware, and Bassnectar amongst others.
On the local front, Kids These Days, Wild Belle, and Smith Westerns will make apperances between both weekends.


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Adaptive reflective surfaces have been a challenge for both electronic paper (e-paper) and biological organisms. Multiple colours, contrast, polarization, reflectance, diffusivity and texture must all be controlled simultaneously without optical losses in order to fully replicate the appearance of natural surfaces and vividly communicate information. This review merges the frontiers of knowledge for both biological adaptive coloration, with a focus on cephalopods, and synthetic reflective e-paper within a consistent framework of scientific metrics. Currently, the highest performance approach for both nature and technology uses colourant transposition. Three outcomes are envisioned from this review: reflective display engineers may gain new insights from millions of years of natural selection and evolution; biologists will benefit from understanding the types of mechanisms, characterization and metrics used in synthetic reflective e-paper; all scientists will gain a clearer picture of the long-term prospects for capabilities such as adaptive concealment and signalling.
1. Introduction
In the scientific record, some of the earliest writings regarding adaptive coloration were by Aristotle [1], who wrote extensively about octopus tuneable coloration. Throughout our recorded history, there have always been diverse examples of tuneable coloration in nature for the purposes of both adaptive concealment and information communication [2,3]. Only in the past decade has humanity begun to master adaptive coloration for its own purposes, primarily in the form of reflective electronic paper (e-paper) devices such as the Amazon Kindle. This initial launch of e-paper products has stimulated investment in research and development, and a torrent of technological progress in more than a dozen disparate technologies vying for applications ranging from e-readers, to signage, to tuneable colour mobile phone casings [4,5]. However, e-paper still lags behind biological systems in optical performance, especially in colour generation, which is not surprising because biology has had more than a 100 million year head start. As a result, some e-paper technologies are now attempting to emulate optical effects already perfected in nature. Therefore, e-paper engineers should be examining equivalent biological systems in greater detail. On the other hand, intense e-paper research and development have now given us a mature understanding of the optics of adaptive coloration with synthetic materials, and the advanced 'measurement standards' required for scientific involvement. Although this framework now exists, it is far underused for analysis of biological adaptive coloration. It seems that now is an appropriate time for biologists and engineers to better inform each other, and therefore advance the state of the art across the wide spectrum of disciplines and applications.
This review aims to merge the frontiers of knowledge for both biological adaptive coloration and synthetic reflective e-paper within a consistent framework of scientific metrics. Merging these disparate fields is challenging, and our chosen approach for this review aims to develop common ground between biology and materials science. First, we review in a generic framework the optics of adaptive coloration. Next, because, out of the whole of the animal kingdom, the molluscan class Cephalopoda (squid, cuttlefish and octopus) is the most renowned for rapid adaptive coloration used for a variety of communication and camouflage tasks, we review the mechanisms of their adaptive coloration. This review includes detailed subsections on the chromatophore organs, iridophores and leucophore cells within the skin. Each of these structures will then be compared with synthetic technologies that provide similar functionality. Biological systems are too complex to compare directly with a single synthetic technology; for example, comparing a squid and an Amazon Kindle e-reader is not highly meaningful. However, important comparisons can be made between the function and performance of biological pigments and reflectors, and similarly functioning synthetic pixels and components.
The best approaches to adaptive colour generation in nature and artifice share two common aspects: adaptive colour is changed by compacting or spreading pigment (i.e. colourant transposition), and efficient reflection is achieved by optical interference/diffraction. The major outcome from this review is the foundation of a consistent set of scientific parameters that allows for a better understanding of how display engineers and biologists can efficiently coordinate a bio-inspired approach to advanced materials and devices.
2. A hierarchical view of adaptive coloration
A common, or at least interchangeable, set of terminology is needed for this review. There are three hierarchical levels that will be used in our analysis (figure 1). At the apex, there is the 'organism' or 'system' level that contains everything needed for self-sufficient operation. Even though an e-reader (figure 1c) is not truly autonomous, it is grouped with autonomous organisms (figure 1a) because it has all the features necessary to respond to stimuli and achieve an appropriate adaptation in colour or information communicated. One level deeper is the 'organ' or 'device' level. For organisms, the adaptive coloration 'organ' is often the skin, including the vascular and nervous system features within it. In electronic systems, there is no organ but instead the analogous 'device' that actually modulates the reflected colour. For example, an E ink 'device' has microcapsules of electronically switchable ink, and an array of electrodes for switching the ink capsules. Lastly, there is the 'cellular' or 'pixel' level, both of which also inherently require consideration of the materials used. The cellular level is where the basic biology and optical physics that enable adaptive coloration can be discussed in their greatest physical detail. The comparisons in this review will focus on this cellular/pixel level.
3. The optics of adaptive coloration
Before we focus on the optics specific to the organisms/technologies of this review, we will introduce the reader to adaptive reflective coloration in its broadest context. The optics for reflective adaptive colour are unlike transmissive or emissive display approaches. In emissive or transmissive colour generation, there is an internal source to generate light, and optical inefficiency can be overcome by simply increasing the electrical power to the internal light generation. In the reflective mode, the only way to achieve proper coloration is through high optical efficiency for all layers and materials. Consider, for example, a conventional liquid-crystal display (LCD) in a laptop computer. The panel is designed for optimum efficiency; however, it emits a very small percentage of the light incident on the display (low optical efficiency). This is why the panel appears black if the backlight is turned off. Considering the low optical efficiency in LCDs (despite being designed for optimum performance), it is all the more amazing that biological organisms are able to achieve bright adaptive coloration solely in the reflective mode. Simply stated, animal pigments and structurally coloured reflectors are very efficient at using available light. There are well-established visual standards for reflective efficiency (brightness) and colour [4].
Whether biological or electronic, the optical efficiency of adaptive coloration involves several chronological steps that are common regardless of which approach is used (figure 2). (i) Light must be effectively coupled into the device or organ. Generally, this means that various layers of the organ or device should have low optical absorption and as small a refractive index mismatch as possible. Layers with different refractive indices can cause Fresnel reflection [7] which reflects the light before it can couple (transmit) into the device or organ. (ii) Light must be efficiently reflected inside the pixel. A mechanism for efficient reflection is needed, and generally the reflection must be at least semi-diffuse (semi-Lambertian) to appear like natural surfaces. (iii) The diffusely reflected light must be outcoupled. Once the incident light is diffused, it must also be outcoupled (i.e. escape the device or organ). Some light does not escape due to total internal reflection [7] and must be diffusely reflected again, introducing further optical loss. For example, an organ or device that is internally 80 per cent reflective and has a refractive index of n ∼ 1.5 can lose more than 20 per cent of the light owing to total internal reflection [7].
Three important optical parameters for comparison include contrast ratio, colour gamut and the number of grey-scale levels. Contrast ratio is the optical ratio between colour state and black (or non-colour colour state). Colour gamut is defined as the subset of complete colours that a surface can achieve. Reflective colour is typically defined by the L*a*b* (laboratory colour space) coordinates that can be derived from the wavelength spectrum of the reflected light, when compared with a perfectly diffuse white reflector [4]. L* is an intensity measurement that closely matches human perception of lightness. This is distinct from a reflectivity measurement in that reflectivity measures the amount of photons reflected from a surface that is not linear with the human visual system. a* and b* are the colour-opponent dimensions. Greyscale relates to the number or shades of a colour.
While one can use optical parameters for comparative discussion, importantly, a human-made system (e-paper) is optimized for a fundamentally different purpose than the evolved, biological adaptive colour systems, i.e. it is optimized specifically for the human visual system. The primate (e.g. human) visual system is distinct from many other organisms. Humans possess three cone visual pigments for conveying colour information that is said to allow humans to be able to detect approximately 10 million unique colours [8,9] but only distinguish about 30 shades of grey [10]. With regard to spectral sensitivity, there are enormous variations in visual abilities across the animal kingdom. Some simpler animal eyes have only one visual pigment; others, such as mantis shrimp, have as many as 12, covering the human visible spectrum as well as UV and IR [11–13]. While there are several methods available to analyse how colours are perceived from the perspective of the human visual system (e.g. CIE 1931 XYZ colour space), there have to date been very few attempts to extend these methods to include animal visual systems.
Nevertheless, various modelling methods have been developed [14–17] that allow us to assess how particular colours are perceived by a given animal's visual system. This is particularly important because the (L*a*b) method is devised for human vision and is not applicable to other visual systems. These modelling methods [14–17] take into consideration how many photons (i.e. light reflected from a surface) are absorbed by a given set of photoreceptors in the retina, and how these photon catches are represented in a specific colour space. However, precise knowledge of the ratio of different photoreceptor types present in the retina of di-, tri- or even tetra-chromats are required for these models to give an accurate estimation of what an animal sees. While such models are helpful when assessing species for which these data exist, for many others, these modelling techniques remain speculation.
4. The cephalopod system for adaptive coloration
Of all of the organisms in the animal kingdom capable of colour modulation, cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus) are able to produce the widest range of colours and patterns to help them adapt to their visually diverse marine environments as well as signal and communicate with their own species and others. There are more than 700 species of cephalopods, and many of the organisms within this class are able to adapt their coloration to their environment to various degrees (figure 3). Cephalopods are the focus in this review, although other organisms (such as chameleons) [18–20] have similar mechanisms for adaptive colour and will be briefly discussed in a later section. The cephalopod is best presented in terms of the organism/organ/cellular hierarchy (figure 1). Organism—for the cephalopod organism to modulate skin colour, it first needs to sense its surroundings to determine what colours and patterns it needs to create. This sensing is done by the visual system of the cephalopod [21]. The visual data are processed by the brain, which then sends control signals to the skin, which is the Organ that enables adaptive coloration. The skin contains three distinct structures—chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores—that contribute to the colour and pattern adaptation. The skin is also capable of flattening or wrinkling on demand, providing surface texturing (see octopus in figure 1a). As shown in figure 3, the epidermis and dermis are transparent, allowing light to pass through to impact all three skin structures before light is modified through interaction at a Cellular level. At the cellular level, the chromatophore pigments impart variable optical transmission, and the iridophores and leucophores serve as a rear reflector (similar to the basic approach of figure 2b). The chromatophore has a pigment-filled sac that has dozens of radial muscle fibres attached around its periphery. As shown in the photographs of figure 3, these structures work in combination to produce stark changes in the organisms' coloration and patterning (via colour transposition).
The cumulative mechanism behind adaptive coloration for cephalopods is more sophisticated than anything synthetic (figure 4). There are separate mechanisms for the physics of how the cephalopod's colour modulation works. The pigmented chromatophores are punctate when retracted (i.e. barely visible) and are expanded into a thin disc of colour by the radial muscle fibres. This allows the pigments to go from almost invisible to full coverage on the organism. The function of chromatophores is to reflect, block and transmit light, as well as act as a spectral filter. A red-pigmented chromatophore, for example, absorbs all other wavelengths except red. The iridophores function differently: they produce structural colour based on constructive interference (i.e. there is no absorption of light). There is a difference in refractive index between the reflectin protein in each iridophore platelet and the interplatelet spaces within the entire iridophore cell [22–24]. Moreover, the platelet thicknesses and adjacent spaces have precise and periodic arrangement that influence which wavelengths are reflected (a dielectric mirror) [25]. The plate spacing for some iridophores can also be controlled by the organism, thereby varying the peak reflected wavelength [26]. Recently, it has been discovered that not only the iridophore plate spacing can be controlled but also the arrangement of the reflectin proteins through a reversible phosphorylation process [23]. The rearrangement of these proteins also results in changes to the peak reflected wavelength. Cuttlefish leucophores (leuco means 'white') also reflect light, but from wavelengths of 300 to 900 nm giving them a diffuse white appearance (like paper). In some skin areas, reflectance is as high as 70 per cent, and the intensity of the reflected white light is the same, regardless of the viewing and incident light angles (similar to a Lambertian surface). Cuttlefish leucophores are composed of spherical protein assemblages of varying diameters (200–2000 nm) that scatter light whether the surrounding medium is water or air. Moreover, these leucophores are very flexible: they do not lose their optical properties when mechanically deformed. They are physiologically passive: with no associated musculature or innervation, their energy requirement is nil [27].
The sophistication of biological adaptive coloration can be fully appreciated by a detailed examination of the ray traces (1, 2, 3) in figure 4a,b. Ray trace (1a) shows a ray of white light incident on an iridophore cell. Owing to constructive interference, the reflected light is blue (shorter wavelength), given by the periodic spacing for the iridophore. Ray trace (1b) shows the expanded brown chromatophore absorbing most of the reflected blue light. Ray trace (2a) shows diffusely reflected white light from a leucophore, which in (2b) is coloured red by the expanded red chromatophore. Ray trace (3a) depicts incident light filtered by a yellow chromatophore, and then reflected from an iridophore with a plate spacing shifted closer to the red spectrum such that the reflected light is orange. Ray trace (3b) shows the same yellow-filtered light appearing greenish as the iridophore plate spacing decreased (wavelength shift towards cyan/blue). These are just several examples and the coordination of all these cell types gives rise to an enormous range of available colours. It should be noted that the ray traces in figure 4 are meant to convey the level of sophistication and interplay for light interactions in the skin, and do not represent the dominant ray paths/colour nor partial transparency of the skin (figure 3c).
A quantitative optical model for the biological system has not been developed. CIE colour coordinates have been theoretically mapped in detail by Sutherland et al. [28]. The contrast ratio has not been directly measured. For example, a measure of contrast ratio would be the colour state from the combined chromatophore and iridophore divided by 'off-state' retracted chromatophore states. An adaptive colour biological system has evolved to optimize colour contrast ratio relative to their environment. As such, a comparison between the biological optical parameters and environment is equally important. For example, for concealment, biological systems should generally resemble the contrast ratio of environment or a dark shadow, and the colour coordinates for the majority of environment colours. For signalling, the contrast ratio is usually high so that the signal is highly conspicuous, but of course colour plays a role in some species by targeting certain wavelengths in the receiver's visual system [29].
5. Cephalopod adaptive coloration for signalling
The most well-known application of adaptive coloration in cephalopods is predator avoidance through camouflage. However, cephalopods also use the same skin elements used in camouflage to create visual patterns of high contrast for vivid unambiguous signalling and communication [30,31]. Biological signalling is an important topic, because it parallels the foremost human use of adaptive coloration, which is for visual communication of information. The leucophores can play a particularly important role here because their highly reflective whiteness provides the strongest contrast to the overlying dark brown/black pigmented chromatophores (figure 4) [32,33]. For example, the Zebra display, shown by cuttlefish males during reproductive behaviour, is created by maximally expanding the black chromatophores to achieve a dark striped pattern, while simultaneously retracting the chromatophores in-between and allowing the bright white scattering from leucophores to produce maximum contrast with the dark stripes. In addition, the cuttlefish amplifies the signal with arm postures that maximize visibility of the pattern. Other more subtle signals, including the use of polarized reflections, may use the iridophores to achieve displays of varying conspicuousness [30,31,33]. It is worth noting that synthetic technologies also have the ability to reflect polarized light but owing to limitations of the human visual system, it is of little use to humanity, unless technological aid is provided.
6. Synthetic adaptive colour technology
There has been a plethora of 'bio-inspired' technology development, most of which has only a weak connection to the actual optics of cephalopod skin [34,35]. Therefore, we have judiciously selected the very few technologies that are more closely biomimetic to the cephalopod skin. Next, detailed subsections on the chromatophore, iridophore and leucophore structures within the skin will be compared with synthetic technologies that provide similar functionality. The skin in cephalopods is more complex and sophisticated than any synthetic technology. Therefore, meaningful comparisons must be made at the cellular level (biological) to the pixel level (synthetic).
7. Chromatophores versus synthetic technology
Cephalopod chromatophores all function similarly, compacting from as small as a tenth of a millimetre to 2 mm in diameter (20 : 1 expansion factor) [30]. The time that it takes to go from fully retracted to fully expanded varies and is based on the organism, but recent work has reported it to be typically around 300 ms [36]. The colour of the pigments inside the sac can be grouped into two or three colour classes, depending on species—red, yellow/orange and brown/black [31,37]. When selecting the most closely related synthetic technologies, the limiting criteria are: (i) use of pigment; (ii) transposing pigment between a spread and compacted state; and (iii) in the zero energy stage, pigment is compacted. There are two technologies in development for e-paper [4] which closely match these functions: electrokinetic [38], which provides criteria (i,ii), and electrofluidic [39], which matches all three criteria (figure 5).
Like a chromatophore, the electrokinetic technology is able to spread or compact pigment, but using an electric field instead of muscle fibres. The pigment particles have an electrical charge, and if, for example, the pigment particles have positive charge, then they will be attracted to electrodes at which negative voltage is applied. As shown in figure 5a, voltage can be used to compact the pigment particles in tiny pits, with a speed of 100s of milliseconds, allowing transparency and therefore 60 per cent white reflectance from a layer of paper beneath the pixel. In the absence of voltage, the pigment particles will spread and colour the surface. Expansion factors of 10 : 1–20 : 1 have been achieved. Also shown in figure 5a, cyan, magenta and yellow electrokinetic films can be layered and create full colour images by subtractive colour [40]. The colour performance is currently close to that of colour newsprint, which is the highest performance shown for any synthetic adaptive colour technology.
Even closer to a chromatophore's function are the electrofluidic pixels. Here a droplet of pigmented ink is bound not by biological membranes, but by surface tension. With no applied voltage, surface tension compacts the ink in a semi-spherical shape (similar to the shape a droplet of water forms), allowing approximately 60–70% reflection from paper behind the pixel. When voltage is applied to the droplet, the electric field spreads it into a thin channel, where it becomes highly visible. Switching between these two states is fast (approx. 10s of ms). Currently, only monochrome versions of this technology have been demonstrated, but subtractive colour stacking is possible similar to that shown for electrokinetic technologies (figure 5a).
7.1. Summary
Optically, synthetic electrokinetic and electrofluidic technologies compare well with chromatophores. It is interesting to note that compacting and spreading a pigment is one of the highest performance techniques developed by both nature and humans [4] for creating adaptive colour. Only recently have humans been able to create the function and performance of reflective surfaces similar to what nature has refined over hundreds of millions of years. There are several additional factors of interest, but they will be presented in §11.
8. Iridophores versus synthetic technology
Iridophores are typically less than 1 mm wide and are composed of several periodic layers of cytoplasm (n ∼ 1.36) and reflectin protein (n ∼ 1.59) or guanine crystals (n ∼ 1.86) [41,42]. The thickness of each reflective layer and the spacing in-between is typically a fraction of the reflected wavelength (e.g. in an 'ideal' quarter-wave stack the reflective layers and spaces have an optical thickness of a quarter of the wavelength the stack reflects). The thicker the reflective layers and the wider the spaces, the longer the wavelength of reflected light. This multilayer reflector system is similar to a dielectric mirror [25], and is highly efficient because, unlike metal mirrors, the materials used have far less optical absorption. In cephalopods, iridophores are even more powerful than a conventional dielectric mirror because with acetylcholine stimulation, the reflectin protein can change in refractive index and plate spacing, typically producing a shift in 60–80% peak reflection over roughly 100 nm, with subsets of iridophores specialized for bands ranging from the UV through infrared [32]. Recently, it has been reported that this shift may actually well exceed 100 nm for certain organisms [43]. This process is much slower than the muscle-controlled chromatophores and can take anywhere from seconds to minutes to complete. When selecting the most closely related synthetic technologies, the limiting criteria are: (i) constructive interference from periodical modulations in refractive index and (ii) a shift in spectrum. There are two technologies in development for e-paper [4] that closely match these functions: optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) [44] and photonic crystal ink [45] (figure 6).
Like an iridophore, optical MEMs [4,44] use constructive interference; however, even though MEMs is a multilayer technology, the resonant-reflected wavelength is set by a single cavity. As shown in figure 6a, the shorter the cavity height, the shorter the reflected wavelength, with a collapsed cavity reflecting only UV light (which appears black to the human eye). The membrane actuates with electrical field at microseconds speeds between the open and collapsed states. Because intermediate positions are not possible, one pixel can only display a single colour or black. Additional colours are created by side-by-side mixing, but as a result, pure colours can only be created at 33 per cent of the area. The peak reflectance is very high at approximately 50 per cent, and like iridophores is highly dependent on the angles of illumination and viewing.
The technology most similar to an iridophore is photonic crystal ink [4,46], which can electrochemically tune its reflected wavelength over an amazing range, spanning the UV through the infrared. The ink contains an ordered array of approximately 200 nm silica microspheres surrounded by a ferrocene-based metallopolymer that swells or shrinks with a highly reversible redox process [47]. Stripping electrons from the iron atoms renders them positively charged, and causes negative counter-anions from the surrounding electrolyte to enter and swell the film. Wider bead spacing causes reflections at longer wavelengths (figure 6b). Currently, peak performance is 60–70% reflectance with approximately 100 ms switching speed. There are additional technologies that leverage the use of structural coloration that include altering the localized concentration of colloidal particles in a fluid medium [48,49] and self-assembling block copolymers [35]. However, these technologies are still early in their development.
The colours and intensity produced by constructive interference techniques using regularly spaced arrays (as discussed in this section) are angularly dependent (will appear different as viewing angle changes). However, not all forms of constructive interference produce angularly dependent colours and intensity. Amorphous or quasi-ordered nanostructures (as can be found in bird feathers) [50] produce a non-iridescent structural coloration. While the iridescent form of structural coloration is desirable for applications like banknotes and identification documents, it imposes an extra challenge for displays where appearance should not vary with viewing angle [4].
8.1. Summary
Like chromatophores, optically synthetic technology appears to outperform iridophores. However, all synthetic technologies exhibit numerous limitations that will be highlighted in §11. Moreover, the synthetic technologies mentioned in this section have the ability to reflect UV and/or IR wavelengths. Many organisms (including cephalopods) use these wavelengths for a variety of signalling activities. Thus, technology can actually replicate the appearance of some biological organisms.
9. Leucophores versus synthetic technology
Leucophores also use protein to reflect light. However, in leucophores, the reflection is not from layered sheets but from spherical granules with varying diameters (200–2000 nm) inside the cell. This reflection is similar in appearance and function to diffuse white paint (which typically contains approx. 100 nm-sized granules of TiO2). This reflection involves significant scattering, and is far less efficient than reflection due to multilayer interference. Therefore, thicker sheets of cells (approx. 100–250 µm) are needed to increase the total reflectance to approximately 70 per cent (as in the Sepia cuttlefish fin spots). The function of the leucophore is assumed to be in aiding both wavelength and intensity matching at a localized level within the skin [27,51].
There are numerous synthetic examples of highly efficient white reflectors, including the scattering properties of bleached wood fibre in paper, microvoided polymer films and polymer : TiO2 composite films. For example, 3M has developed less than 60 µm thick films of multilayer bi-refringent polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate that reflect the entire visible spectrum (white light) with more than 99 per cent efficiency over nearly all angles and polarizations [52].
9.1. Summary
In terms of diffuse reflection, humanity clearly outperforms nature. However, again, nature has several advantages that will be highlighted in §11.
10. Other biological colour-changing organisms
Cephalopods are not the only organisms capable of colour modulation. In fact, chameleons have historically been the most well-known organism capable of adaptive coloration. The mechanisms of colour change in the chameleon differ greatly from the cephalopod. In cephalopods, colour change occurs under direct neural control and is therefore fast (milliseconds to seconds). In lizards, such as the chameleon, colour change is regulated by a neuro-hormonal mechanism, which generally takes longer (seconds to minutes, and in some species hours or days) [18]. The structures responsible for colour change also differ between the two animal groups. Lizards also have structures called chromatophores, but they are distinct from those of cephalopods. Lizard chromatophores are cells, not organs. Three types of lizard chromatophores are known: melanophores, guanophores and xanthophores. Melanophores are large cells deep in the dermis. They have numerous long dendritic processes (like small channels) that run towards the skin surface. Melanin granules travel along these processes to darken the skin when they are at the skin surface, or lighten it, when they are concentrated at the centre of the cell. Guanophores are above the melanophores and contain guanine crystals that reflect light by constructive interference and are responsible for blue coloration. Xanthophores are the most superficial cells and lack dendritic processes. They contain red and yellow pigments. Similar to cephalopods, the final skin coloration is the end result of the interactions among all skin structures [18–20]. It is worth noting that the function of the melanophores is similar to vertical electrophoretic displays [4,5] used in the Amazon Kindle: coloured particles move either closer to, or farther away from, the viewer to elicit a change in reflection.
Chameleons change colour for a variety of reasons, such as thermoregulation, camouflage and communication. In the dwarf chameleon, it has been shown that the camouflage body patterns are even tailored to the visual system of the predator they are aiming to avoid [53,54]. However, adaptable colour change of cephalopods is much more diverse in patterning, speed and optical effects [21,33].
Other biological organisms, such as birds [55,56] and insects, [55,57] commonly produce coloration through the use of submicron structures and pigmentation. These coloration strategies can also be described as coherent (i.e. structural interference/diffraction) and incoherent (i.e. scattering) [58,59]. Which means are used is dependent on the specific species of interest. Although not tuneable like the cephalopod system, the structural means of coloration used by these organisms are equally sophisticated and can achieve a similarly wide gamut of colours.
11. Discussion: who can inform whom?
Synthetic technology was shown to equal or outperform biological systems (cephalopods) when making direct comparison with chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores.
This is only a very recent achievement for humanity (past several years) [4]. The current applications of synthetic technology more closely match the signalling/communication functionality of the cephalopod system than camouflage. However, the cephalopod skin systems are far more efficient at handling ambient light, whereas many synthetic technologies have thus far relied on large amounts of electrical power to create emissive light and there has been much less focus on looking for reflective materials that may produce comparable results.
Regarding signalling, the requirements for electronic signage and e-readers are still very different from cephalopod signalling and communication. The primary difference is in the desired colour gamut and level of information content. Synthetic technology often displays information-rich and dense groupings of high-resolution symbols and characters, while cephalopods and other animals achieve signalling using simple vivid static or flashing patterns.
Regarding camouflage, few synthetic technologies aim to replicate the mechanisms and functions found in biological systems. However, robust adaptive coloration is the basic enabler of high performance in all applications (camouflage, signalling and communication). For example, having good dark states, bright maximum light states and ability to adapt quickly benefits nearly all uses for both technology and cephalopods.
In terms of overall performance, we will now revisit the organisms/system performance (figure 1a–c) and plot performance in the spider chart of figure 7. For biology, it is cephalopods such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus, for synthetic technology the focus will be the technologies of figure 5 (electrokinetic/electrofluidic), because they have been shown to produce some of the brightest/widest ranges of colours and patterns in a single device.
Colour. Although not commercially available, Hewlett-Packard's electrokinetic displays (figure 5a) now provide colour quality comparable to that found in printed newspapers (specifications for newsprint advertising production (SNAP) printing standard) [4]. Cephalopods might exceed SNAP standards for a few colours, but do not provide all the colours and greyscale found in newspaper quality colour. This comparison may not be fair, however, because cephalopods have adapted over 200 million years to a more limited colour set relevant to their underwater habitat. Had their habitat been as diverse and colourful as magazine print, cephalopods may have evolved to exceed current synthetic technology in terms of colour.
Dark state. Here, technology exceeds, providing dark state reflection values of less than 5–10%. However, like colour, this comparison may be unfair as most cephalopods do not require adaptation to a pitch black background.
Integration and sophistication. Cephalopods far outperform technology in this category, not only in terms of intelligence (compared with a computer that lacks intelligence), but also in elegant integration of numerous cell types in a single organ. Humanity has never developed anything as complex nor sophisticated as the biology and physics of cephalopod skin. For optical integration, biological systems have one major advantage, in that tissue layers can be extremely clear and have a low and homogeneous refractive index such that light is very efficiently coupled into and out of the tissue.
Adapt to environment. Although in theory, technology could use sensors and computing to adapt in coloration to its local environment, this requires numerous additional electronic components and integration of all such components. Compared with cephalopods, colour adaptation to the environment with technology is unproven.
Required energy. Both synthetic and biological systems exhibit very low power consumptions; however, biological systems are superior in how they are self-reliant for gathering energy compared with synthetic systems, which typically require batteries. However, a few displays have had solar-cells integrated into them to harvest energy [60,61].
Speed. Ideally, speed of adaptation should be close to or exceed the response time of biological vision systems (typically 10 s of ms). Here, technology is far superior to cephalopods.
Surface texture. Displaying texture on an e-reader or laptop screen is most always noticeably fake. Texture provides additional light scattering and shadowing that is difficult to dynamically display with technology. However, cephalopods have developed the ability to selectively adapt or 'crinkle' their skin to match a variety of textures.
Flexible. Technology companies have prototypes that are not mass-produced and sold, including flexible electrophoretic displays [62–64], and electrokinetic displays [38] to name a few. These flexible display technologies currently conform in one-dimension to adapt to the printed-paper technologies, which is far from the flexible capability that cephalopods can achieve. Several groups have demonstrated electronics that conform (stretch) in two-dimensions, which has allowed synthetic electronics to be integrated on human skin [65]. By contrast, biological organisms have adapted to a highly conformal environment that requires a system that can stretch many times the original size.
Scalable. For an adaptive reflective surface to be scalable, it must be able to be increased in size while keeping an acceptably low number of defects. In this respect, cephalopods also outperform technology. While humans have been able to scale up rigid panels (100″ rigid panels are being manufactured) flexible scalability has been far less (less than 10″). Cephalopods have been successful at scaling up their fully conformal method of adaptive coloration over a wide range of sizes of organisms.
It is noteworthy that although not included in figure 7, the ratio of the colour state to dark state (contrast ratio) is very important. A good dark state will make a colour state look brighter, and vice versa. There are other additional metrics, like polarization of light, resolution (points per inch) and ability to self-generate light, to name a few. These metrics are beyond the scope of this review but may be worthy of consideration based on application.
So, how can nature better inform the development of improved synthetic technology for adaptive coloration? For some applications, nature has already influenced synthetic technology. For example, biological coloration strategies used by cephalopods have inspired engineering approaches to create devices that exhibit tuneable optical properties. One example is that the use of layered materials has resulted in the fabrication of Bragg mirrors that have a rapid reversible optical reflectance [66]. This is analogous to the colour-changing mechanism used by cephalopods, using the change in thickness of iridophore platelets. Another synthetic device inspired by cephalopods is the electrochemically tuneable block copolymer full colour pixels demonstrated by Thomas and co-workers [35]. Again, this is analogous to the iridophore platelets in that changing the distance in the optical elements (platelets in the cephalopod) results in tuneable optical properties. The iridophores are not the only component of the cephalopod that humans have taken inspiration from. Recently, a group at the University of Bristol used inspiration from the underlying mechanisms of chromatophore actuation to create artificial elastomeric chromatophores that undergo optical modulation in response to electrical stimuli [67]. In addition, a simple soft machine constructed from polymers was equipped with microfluidics to change the color and pattern of the small robot; this work was inspired by cephalopods and other animals with adaptive coloration [68]. Inspiration has also been derived from organisms other than cephalopods. For example, the structural coloration created by butterfly wings has been used by L'Oreal for cosmetics [69].
For the existing applications of e-paper, such as e-readers, humanity has explored most of the physics relevant to reflective coloration. Furthermore, the performance of emerging e-paper technologies is now superior in optical performance to biological adaptive colour. However, there are emergent designs for applications where humanity is lacking technology that nature has mastered. For example, consider reconfigurable keyboards used in touch-based smart phones and tablets. It would be highly desirable to provide both visual display of the keyboard and texture/tactile feedback. The ability of cephalopods to modulate the texture of their skin could, in theory, provide a form of tactile feedback. Furthermore, there is the desire to have adaptive colour, and reconfigurable input capability, on compound curves of electronics. Although the development of rollable displays is well underway [70], conformal technology is much farther behind [65]. In addition, humanity can learn from the many other performance deficiencies described in figure 7. We note that our speculations certainly do not represent a complete set of opportunities.
So, how can technology better inform our understanding of adaptive coloration in nature? Firstly, it is difficult to isolate and analyse cellular components of adaptive coloration. Work has been done in direct acetylcholine stimulation of iridophores [71] and sophisticated spectroscopic models of chromatophore/iridophore layers have been developed [72]. However, synthetic devices can be easily controlled electronically and cycled millions if not billions of times, and, in some cases, might provide suitable biomimetic measurements. Secondly, there is a clear lack of measurement standards, metrics and advanced measurement techniques in analysis of natural adaptive colour. Synthetic e-paper is part of a much larger display industry that has developed sunlight, diffuse light and other illumination standards. In addition, measurement techniques are now quite advanced for diffuse versus specular reflection, and optical models for light-outcoupling are now available [73]. Furthermore, biologists could go beyond simple plots of 'reflected intensity versus angle' to cephalopod equivalents of L* and a*,b* colour space [4] (caveat, these are for human perception of colour; suitable colour-space models for other organisms need further development [74]). It seems that the value that technology can provide to nature is in optical characterization of natural adaptive coloration.
12. Conclusions
Adaptive reflective surfaces have been developed through natural selection by biological organisms for hundreds of millions of years for the purposes of adaptive coloration and communication. Only recently have synthetic technologies (e-paper) attempted to achieve similar adaptive reflective properties. In order to achieve the most robust adaptive reflective platforms, both biological organisms and synthetic technologies have to control patterns, textures, colours, contrast, diffuseness, reflectance and polarization all while minimizing optical losses. Because biology has a significant head start on humanity in terms of adaptive reflectance, it is imperative to study biology closely to help direct the development of technology.
Owing to the complexity of biological systems, it is not easy to make a direct comparison between an organism and a synthetic technology. By breaking down both the organism and technology into a functional hierarchy, much more can be learned. Cephalopods are useful candidates for study, as they achieve the widest range of adaptive coloration. From studying cephalopods, two main outcomes about adaptive reflectance can be derived. The first is that the best method for changing coloration is by compacting and spreading out pigments. The second is that efficient reflection and wavelength modulation can be achieved by thin-film interference. Most importantly, animal systems such as cephalopods that have the most diverse and changeable skin patterning always use a combination of pigments and reflectors in various combinations of layers, and studying these systems will certainly yield new ideas about how to engineer synthetic systems.
Technologies exist that begin to imitate the individual colour adapting structures of cephalopods and outperform them in terms of speed (microseconds to milliseconds), coloration (SNAP achieved) and dark states (<5% reflective in dark state). However, cephalopods have major advantages in terms of flexibility (fully conformal), texturing (technology has yet to commercially prove this capability), adapting to environments, integration and scalability. As a result, humanity can learn much from biology in terms of how to increase the sophistication of their technology, but implemented in a simple and self-reliant system. On the other hand, science as a whole can learn from the various standards and methods for optical characterization that have been developed for measuring the performance of synthetic technology. By using these methods and metrics, a more complete database of information regarding adaptive coloration in organisms can be created.
E.K., J.H. and E.F. created content on technological (synthetic) aspects of adaptive coloration while L.M.M., R.T.H., P.B.D. and R.R.N. focused on the biological content. E.K. organized and compiled the sections into the main paper, and worked with J.H. on the comparisons section at the end. All authors discussed the information presented in the paper at all stages, with the exception of E.F. who made significant contributions at later stages. The University of Cincinnati authors gratefully acknowledge partial support from AFRL (contract no. 5408-25-SC-0003) NSF Career award (no. 0640964; University of Cincinnati), NSF IHCS award (no. 1001141) and ARL (grant no. W9111NF-09-2-0034). MBL authors acknowledge support from AFOSR grant no. FA9550-09-0346, ARL grant no. W911NF-09-2-0043, DARPA (DSO) grant no. W911NF-10-1-0113 and ONR grant no. N00014-10-1-0989. R.R.N. acknowledges support from AFOSR.
- Received July 28, 2012.
- Accepted September 5, 2012.
- This journal is © 2012 The Royal Society


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Nippon Television Investment Spells Future Anime
posted on 2007-03-02 15:48 EST by Bamboo Dong
NTV's recent business dealings with Japanese manga publisher may pave the way for more anime.
Nippon Television recently invested 160 million yen in Digima, the publishers of Japan's first free weekly manga magazine, Comic Gumbo. Currently being distributed around Tokyo, the magazine features works from established manga creators like Tatsuya Egawa, Hiroyuki Yoshida, and Kotobuki Shiriagari. NTV, one of the producers of the Death Note anime, plans to pursue anime, film, and drama adaptations of Digima's manga titles, as well as market them overseas.
Source: Animaxis
Source: Animaxis
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text: + Article code: PR-IPW0088AGD, Wood Double Flared Plug with gold-plated Inlay × Please select M All organic products are made of natural materials. All of these items are handmade, so slight variations in size, shape and color are possible. Base price $6.96 ? $6.96 Add to cart Add to watchlist


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New SEMI PV Automation Standards Committee Formed
By James Amano, Director, SEMI International Standards
Since its formation in 2007, the SEMI PV Standards Committee has grown to address a wide variety of topics, including materials, test methods, connector ribbon, equipment communication, thin film substrate dimensions, transparent conductive oxide, wafer and cell transport, silicon feedstock, module vibration, crystalline silicon cell appearance, gases, and chemicals. The SEMI PV Standards Committee has now developed and published twelve standards, and over 20 other activities are underway.
In order to effectively address the growing activity level in standardization of PV manufacturing hardware and software, the SEMI International Standards Committee recently approved formation of a new PV Automation Standards Committee. The first chapter of the global committee was established in Japan, and a European counterpart was approved in July at SEMICON West / Intersolar NA. The PV Automation Committee in Europe is co-chaired by Tino Korner (Q-Cells), Martin Zenning (Jonas & Redmann), and Eberhard Teichmann (Peer Group), and the PV Automation Committee in Japan is co-chaired by Emi Ishikawa (Atelier Ishikawa) and Terry Asakawa (Tokyo Electron).
The new PV Automation Committee will initially focus on existing efforts related to equipment-to-equipment communication, cell transport carriers, and single substrate tracking, but activities are anticipated to rapidly multiply, as the PV industry is increasingly recognizing the essential role Standards will play in reaching grid parity. Automated material handling is a prerequisite for efficient PV module fabrication, and the PV Transport Carrier Task Force is looking at Standards needed for PV wafer and cell carriers. The current reality is that PV manufacturers and equipment suppliers are spending significant time and effort on material handling within their production lines, distracting them from focusing on their core competencies.
The Carrier Task Force effort will enable standardization of equipment load ports and transport systems, resulting in both direct and indirect cost savings throughout the whole supply chain, less risk during ramp-up, and less effort for integration of production lines. Q-Cells' Tino Korner, leader of the Transport Carrier Task Force states, "The industry's response to the need of productivity enhancements is to set automation standards. These standards will help the photovoltaic industry to master manufacturing challenges and provide better communication between equipment of any sort - from wafering to module build. Without automation standards it will become very hard for the industry to achieve its ambitious performance targets."
Martin Zennig of Jonas & Redmann, who leads the PV Equipment Interface Specification (EIS) TF, emphasizes that development and implementation of Standards in the PV industry is extremely helpful and reduces cost at all points where hardware or software interfaces exist between different pieces of equipment. A good example of where such a Standard is needed is the vertical communication between equipment and shop floor manufacturing execution system, where the PV EIS Task Force developed SEMI PV2: Guide for PV Equipment Communication Interfaces (PVECI) . Zennig reports the EIS TF is now working on a Standard for horizontal communication from equipment to equipment: "A lot of different hardware layers are being used and an immense number of proprietary protocols currently exist in the fabs. Of course this has a negative impact from several different standpoints – first the time for the ramp-up of a production line (cell manufacturer), second the efforts for the development of such protocols (equipment supplier), and last but not least the missing flexibility for end customers to replace a piece of equipment from another supplier."
Horizontal communication is a critical topic with a high amount of global interest. The European PV EIS Task Force and the Japanese PV EIS Task Force are working together to find the best solutions for different use cases for both crystalline silicon and thin film PV. Zennig continues that "This activity is a big challenge given the many industry players involved, but working within the SEMI framework is a big advantage. The global presence of SEMI enables stakeholders worldwide to contribute their opinions and develop a Standard beneficial for all." Zennig's counterpart in the Japan PV EIS TF, Mitch Sakamoto of Tokyo Electron confirms the urgency: "Standardization of PV factory automation is a critical requirement to reduce PV manufacturing costs - we must develop and promote high-impact standards as soon as possible. The creation of PV Automation Committees in both Japan and Europe will allow a more focused discussion and accelerate worldwide standards development and consensus."
How to Get Involved
If your company is not yet involved in these efforts to shape the future of PV, now is the perfect time to register, as several key documents will be balloted this fall and winter. To learn more, please visit www.pvgroup.org/standards, or contact your local Standards staff. Participation in the SEMI Standards Program is free, but Standards Program registration is required.
Upcoming PV Automation Standards Meetings
Standard Watch - September 2010


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Jazz FM LondonJazz FM London is a public digital radio station radio. UK Free TV shows the coverage area for a radio transmitter as a coloured overlay (orange for FM, other colours for DAB) on the grey map. We have computed the coverage by combining the terrain with the official radiation pattern. A single click will select the transmitter to view the coverage for a single site, and a double click goes to a page showing full details. Click on the buttons in the right-hand corner of the map to choose from different frequencies (or multiplexes for DAB).
Jazz FM London multiplexesLondon 2
map is loading, please wait...
What do the map symbols mean?DAB radio transmitter.
Masts transmitting London 2 multiplexAlexandra PalaceArkleyBluebell HillBT TowerColindale HouseCroydonCrystal PalaceGuildfordHarrow WealdHemel HempsteadHungry HillSU850840Leatherhead Stoke dAbernonMount VernonReigateRichmond HillShooters HillStainesWrothamZouches Farm
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We have created a new data base for hot tub covers for every Amish Country brand and model.
Here is the link to all of the Amish Country Spas covers by model.
Just click on the name of the model below to go directly to your hot tub cover.
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