Republican Santorum endorses Romney for president
Posted by Shaimaa Gamal
Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum endorsed his one-time fierce rival Mitt Romney on Monday, a move that may help the party's presumptive White House nominee win over religious conservatives.
Santorum said in an unusual late-night statement that the two have differences, but that he came away from a meeting with the ex-Massachusetts governor impressed with Romney's "deep understanding" of economic and family issues central to the campaign.
"Above all else, we both agree that President (Barack) Obama must be defeated. The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious," Santorum said.
"Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime," he said in the statement, which was emailed to supporters.
The socially conservative former Pennsylvania senator, who won 11 state contests and was the favorite of Republican voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll for the No. 2 spot on the ticket, is best known for his strong opposition to abortion and gay rights.
He clashed sharply with Romney in several televised debates, but his support may now help Romney win over religious conservatives before the November 6 election.
Santorum had been reluctant to give an endorsement, but he said that changed after a "clear-the-air" meeting with Romney in Pittsburgh on Friday. The question of endorsement did not come up, but Santorum said the conversation was candid and focused on issues.
Silkworms and squid inspire smart materials
Posted by Ahmed
Car panels made of silkworm cocoons, clothing that can camouflage the wearer at the flick of a switch and a “smart” shirt with a phone and power source embedded in the fabric.
Scientists, some with funding from the US Air Force, have made breakthroughs that could eventually make all this reality.
Research published on Wednesday reveals advances in materials science that could transform industries struggling with the rising cost and scarcity of raw materials and save lives in post-conflict countries still clearing minefields.
Scientists, some with funding from the US Air Force, have made breakthroughs that could eventually make all this reality.
In a study published in the Royal Society journal Interface, Oxford University researchers David Porter and Fujia Chen examine the structure of silkworm cocoons, which are extremely light and tough, with properties that could inspire advanced materials for use in protective helmets and light-weight armor.
“Silkworm cocoons have evolved a remarkable range of optimal structures and properties to protect moth pupae from many different natural threats,” Porter and Chen said in their paper. These structures are lightweight, strong and porous and therefore “ideal for the development of bio-inspired composite materials.”
Their research could lead to lightweight armor that dissipates rather than deflects the particular components of a blast that do the most damage to the human body — much like crumple zones in modern cars or sound-absorbing sonar tiles that make submarines harder to detect.
Even more tantalizing from an economic standpoint, Porter and Chen’s research, which was funded by a grant from the US Air Force, could point to a new material for fabricating car panels in some of the fastest-growing car markets - China and India.
Fritz Vollrath, who heads the Oxford research group, said supplies of cocoons are plentiful. “Present raw silk market production globally is half a million tons annually.”
Japan’s Youngest Billionaire Extends Loss as Gree Plunges
Posted by Maha Shawki
Gree Inc. (3632) extended losses in Tokyo trading a day after founder Yoshikazu Tanaka, Japan’s youngest billionaire, lost $702 million as his social-gaming company plunged on concerns one of its sales methods may be illegal.
Japan’s second-biggest operator of social games tumbled as much as 16 percent to 1,380 yen and traded at 1,561 yen as of 10:38 a.m. The stock dropped by the 500-yen daily limit yesterday, wiping 56.1 billion yen ($702 million) from the value of 35-year-old Tanaka’s shareholding, based on calculations by Bloomberg News.
Gree led declines among Japanese social game-related companies after the nation’s Consumer Affairs Agency said it’s considering whether a sales method called “complete gacha” violates the law. The Yomiuri newspaper said May 5 the agency will ask social-network game operators to stop using the system because it prompts customers to pay excessive fees.
“The situation remains severe” for both Gree and its rivals, Mitsuo Shimizu, a market analyst at Tokyo-based Iwai Cosmo Securities Co., said by phone today. “Their profitability is at risk, depending on the government’s decision.”
Tanaka was the youngest billionaire in Japan with an estimated fortune of $3.5 billion, Forbes magazine said in March. His 48.18 percent stake in Gree was worth $2.32 billion after yesterday’s rout.
