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San
José, Costa
Rica, Tuesday,
Jan. 31, 2017,
Vol. 17, No.
22
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Winds
expected to continue today
By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Strong blasts of wind have been pummeling areas of the Central Valley and Guanacaste these past couple days and will continue today. According to the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional, the Costa Rican national weather service, a cold front is generating strong wind gusts upwards of 60 to 100 kilometers per hour. These wind bursts will continue throughout the Central Valley, north Pacific and the central mountains today, according to the weather service. The Central Valley and Guanacaste received the worst of the wind this past weekend. Monday, Liberia and Santa Cruz in Guanacaste were hit with wind in the mid-60s kilometers per hour. La Cruz received the highest wind velocity capping at 79 kilometers per hour. By comparison, San José received a lighter velocity of 43 kilometers per hour while Alajuela and Heredia to the north got 57 kilometers per hour. The winds caused a slight drop in temperatures of around 2 degrees C. Scattered rainfall occurred through Monday in the northern part of the country and is expected to continue. Colder temperatures due to the windy conditions and cold front will keep some parts of the northern area in the low 60s during the evening. Depending on proximity to the mountains, the windchill could drop even lower, according to the weather service. Tuesday’s high for the capital is predicted to be around 72 degrees fahrenheit, according to the weather service. Heredia and Alajuela is predicted to be in the mid to high 70s. Meanwhile, Cartago is predicted to have a temperature in the high 60s. Ancient Greek Tragedies coming in March By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Classical Greek drama is taking the stage in March at Costa Rica’s Teatro Nacional. The Oresteia, called in Spanish La Orestíada, an adaptation of the tragedies created by Aeschylus in the fifth century B.C., will debut March 10 at 8 p.m. and continue to run until March 19 at 5 p.m. The tragedies tells the story of Agamemnon, the legendary King of Mycenae and leader of the Greek force that sailed to war against the Trojans. This is not, however, an adaptation of Homer’s Illiad. The play recounts how the Oracle at Delphi tells Agamemnon that, as a way to assure total victory over the Trojans, he must first sacrifice his own daughter. The scenario will be very similar to how a Greek tragedy is traditionally set up in terms of choreography and stage setup, according to actor Leonardo Perucci. The show will be bare in terms of grand canvases and stage design and very minimalist in terms of the costuming. This means that the show will rely heavily on the interpretative skills of the actors involved to make this show come to life. The show’s director, Luis Fernando Gómez, also emphasized the lighting transitions will be important in creating the desired catharsis, or emotional response, among the audience, typical of the goals in Ancient Greek drama. The difference in this interpretation of the Aeschylus play will be that the scene transitions will utilize original music from the Costa Rican composer Carlos Escalante. Tickets can be purchased at the Teatro Nacional or reserved online and by phone. Prices will range 6,400 and 15,000 colons depending on seating arrangement. 1,500 new police officers are expected By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An estimated 1,500 new police officers will join law enforcement this year, according to officials in the public security ministry. The Ministerio de Seguridad Pública announced Monday afternoon that 25 billion colons, around $44.8 million, is being budgeted for the project and the training of new officers. The recruits will be divided up into five groups with around 300 policemen for every group, according to officials. Police officers greeted with rain of rocks By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A rock-throwing brawl outside a bar turned into an attack on Fuerza Pública officers Sunday night. The incident occurred in Pital at San Carlos where police received a call about people outside a local bar hurling stones against parked vehicles and yelling at each other. According to the official report, underage children were also present at the place. When police initially tried to intervene, several among the crowd began to attack the officers responding to the scene. Police called for backup, which resulted in the apprehension of two men and a woman. Police said that some of their officers sustained injuries to the head, arms, and legs from this incident. One of the apprehended has a criminal record for selling drugs and has been arrested several times on those charges, police said.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Tuesday,
Jan. 31, 2017, Vol. 17, No.
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, Jan.
31, 2017, Vol.
17, No. 22
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| A
review of language-learning programs Duolingo language-learning site appears to be a great start for Spanish |
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By Sharon and James
Brodell
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff Duolingo continues to be a winner in language learning, a newspaper study has shown. The free, online training site is 5 years old now, and 27 languages are being offered with nearly that many in
After 60 or so quick lessons, a learner can construct basic sentences, knows a little about telling time, as well as basic occupations and sizes: small, big, short, tall. The program originated at Carnegie Mellon University. So, despite being free, the coursework is impressive. Each course is developed by bilingual speakers, and many are academics with vast knowledge of linguistics. The Spanish for English speakers course has about 79,000 learners now, but many, of course, do not finish the lessons. That is not the fault of Duolingo. The program sends out daily messages encouraging learners to sign on and complete a lesson. Its motto is that language learning requires daily practice. The website is available on handheld devices, too. Some may want to use the oral capacities. Those with microphones on computers can use this optional feature. |
Duolingo
is supported by foundations and promises to be free
forever. Expats with time on their hands might even want to take a shot at learning Klingon, the language of the Star Trek alien race. There is a course in that, too. Of more practical use for those in Costa Rica might be Brazilian Portuguese. A.M. Costa Rica reported on the language site last year when the Ministerio de Educación Pública decided to use it in classrooms. Special programming allows teachers to monitor student progress. The classroom use would seem to combine the benefits of online education with personal attention. An extensive study by bilingual reporters over the last few months resulted in rave reviews. The Spanish program is remarkably personal for something computer generated. Part of the reason is a discussions list where learners can pose general questions and specific discussion sections for each question or exercise. These are monitored by the bilingual teams. The team members who monitor each section repeatedly demonstrate deep knowledge of linguistics and language history. Some of the discussions are beyond that found in any text. There are competitors online, including Babble and Memrise, that charge for lessons. Some Duolingo students also use the paid competitors for additional training. Memrise, for example, emphasizes its scientific approach. All seem to represent a step forward in language education and certainly provide tools for students and those who may be suddenly thrust into international situations. There also are tests and certifications. Language novices in Costa Rica would have an advantage if they completed the free Duolingo or similar course and then sought fluency with human teachers in face-to-face lessons. |
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Here's reasonable
medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents
of
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Colorado S.A. 2016 and may not be reproduced anywhere
without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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San
José, Costa
Rica, Tuesday,
Jan. 31, 2017,
Vol. 17, No.
22
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Acting attorney
general fired,
for refusing to obey orders By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
U.S. President Donald Trump wasted no time Monday night in firing an acting attorney general who earlier in the day ordered the Justice Department not to defend his executive order temporarily banning travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries. A White House statement said Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States. It said Trump relieved her of her duties and named Dana Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting attorney general. The president's nominee for attorney general, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, is likely to be confirmed soon by his Senate colleagues. Earlier Monday, Ms. Yates wrote a letter to Justice Department lawyers saying, "I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right." Then-President Barack Obama appointed Ms. Yates to be deputy attorney general in 2015, and she was asked to stay on by the Trump administration until a new attorney general is confirmed by the Senate. Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that 109 people have so far been stopped from entering the United States, out of 325,000 foreign nationals who have entered the country in a single 24-hour period since the ban was imposed. Trump’s executive order suspends U.S. entry to all refugees for 120 days, and bans Syrian refugees indefinitely. The decree further blocks citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia from entering U.S. territory for a period of three months. Trump has insisted the ban is not a religious measure targeting Muslims, instead calling it a series of precautionary steps needed to keep America safe. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer continued to attack the travel restrictions Monday, saying the ban should be reversed immediately because it is un-American. On the floor of the Senate, he warned colleagues that Islamic State extremists stand to gain the most from the travel ban, saying they want nothing more than to paint the United States as a country at war with Islam. He also reminded his audience that America was founded by the descendants of asylum seekers, and that the country has been constantly invigorated by immigrants. Senior Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized Trump's order Sunday, saying the confusion at airports showed the measure was not properly vetted. Trump responded to McCain and Graham on Twitter, calling them weak on immigration and saying they should be focused on Islamic State, illegal immigration and border security. The ban's implementation led to a weekend of confusion, particularly at the nation's airports, where in some cases people holding green cards as permanent legal residents were detained for extra questioning before being allowed entry. In a separate statement Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security said the government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if necessary for national security. That followed an emergency order by a federal court in New York temporarily barring the deportation of people who arrive at U.S. airports with a valid visa or an approved refugee application. French-Canadian charged with six counts of murder By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Police in Quebec City have charged a French-Canadian university student with murder following a deadly attack on a mosque in the city. The man, Alexandre Bissonnette, was charged Monday evening with six counts of first degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in the shooting, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned as a terrorist attack on Muslims. More than 50 people were at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center when the shooting erupted late Sunday. A police spokeswoman, Christine Coulombe, said the six victims ranged in age from 35 to about 70. Eight others were wounded in the attack, including five who are in critical condition. A second person was detained by police as a suspect, but is now being considered a witness. Police did not give a motive for the attack and it is not clear if anyone else was involved in the shooting. U.S. President Donald Trump called Trudeau Monday to offer his condolences. Trudeau's office said Trump offered to provide any assistance needed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters the Quebec shooting is a terrible reminder of why Americans must remain vigilant, and why the president is taking steps to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to the nation's safety and security. Refugee agency scrambles to limit effect of U.S. ban By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily halting the resettlement of all Syrian refugees and banning entry of individuals from seven predominantly Muslim nations has left the United Nations scrambling to limit the fall-out to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. “This week alone, over 800 refugees were set to make America their new home, but instead find themselves barred from traveling to the U.S.,” said a statement issued Monday from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The agency, which works around the world assisting and screening refugees for resettlement said refugees are anxious, confused and heartbroken at this suspension in what is already a lengthy process. On Friday, Trump signed the executive order, which includes a 120-day suspension of refugee admissions and a 90-day entry ban for people from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al Hussein criticized the ban on Twitter and Facebook, writing that discrimination based on nationality alone is forbidden under human rights law. The human rights chief has been a vocal critic of Trump for his views on torture and immigrants, and referred to him in a September speech denouncing populists and demagogues in Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, concerns and confusion at the United Nations around the immigration ban extend beyond the people the organization serves to those who serve them. The U.N. secretary-general has not issued a direct condemnation of the ban or called for it to be revoked. Saturday, the International Organization for Migration and the U.N. Human Rights Agency put out a joint statement on the importance of ensuring safe and secure resettlement and immigration programs.  University of
Cambridge graphic
The microfossil had a very big mouth.Study says ancient critter was ancestor of humanity By St. John's
College, Cambridge, news staff
Researchers have identified traces of what they believe is the earliest known prehistoric ancestor of humans. That ancestor is a microscopic, bag-like sea creature, which lived about 540 million years ago. Named Saccorhytus, after the sack-like features created by its body and large mouth, the species is new to science and was identified from microfossils found in China. It is thought to be the most primitive example of a so-called deuterostome, which is a broad biological category that encompasses a number of sub-groups, including the vertebrates. If the conclusions of the study, published in the journal Nature, are correct, then Saccorhytus was the common ancestor of a huge range of species, and the earliest step yet discovered on the evolutionary path that eventually led to humans, hundreds of millions of years later. Modern humans are unlikely to perceive much by way of a family resemblance. Saccorhytus was about a millimeter in size, and probably lived between grains of sand on the seabed. Its features were spectacularly preserved in the fossil record and, intriguingly, the researchers were unable to find any evidence that the animal had an anus. The study was carried out by an international team of academics, including researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK and Northwest University in Xi'an China, with support from other colleagues at institutions in China and Germany. Simon Conway Morris, professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge, said: "We think that as an early deuterostome this may represent the primitive beginnings of a very diverse range of species, including ourselves. To the naked eye, the fossils we studied look like tiny black grains, but under the microscope the level of detail is jaw-dropping. All deuterostomes had a common ancestor, and we think that is what we are looking at here." Degan Shu from Northwest University added: "Our team has notched up some important discoveries in the past, including the earliest fish and a remarkable variety of other early deuterostomes. Saccorhytus now gives us remarkable insights into the very first stages of the evolution of a group that led to the fish, and ultimately, to us." Most other early deuterostome groups are from about 510 to 520 million years ago, when they had already begun to diversify into not just the vertebrates, but the sea squirts or animals such as starfish and sea urchins. This level of diversity has made it extremely difficult to work out what an earlier, common ancestor might have looked like. The Saccorhytus microfossils were found in Shaanxi Province, in central China, and pre-date all other known deuterostomes. By isolating the fossils from the surrounding rock, and then studying them both under an electron microscope and using a computerized tomography scan, the team were able to build up a picture of how Saccorhytus might have looked and lived. In the early Cambrian period, the region would have been a shallow sea. Saccorhytus was so small that it probably lived in between individual grains of sediment on the sea bed. The study suggests that its body was bilaterally symmetrical, a characteristic inherited by many of its descendants including humans. It was covered with a thin, relatively flexible skin. This in turn suggests that it could have made contractile movements, and got around by wriggling. Perhaps its most striking feature, however, was its rather primitive means of eating food and then dispensing with the resulting waste. Saccorhytus had a large mouth, relative to the rest of its body, and probably ate by engulfing food particles, or even other creatures. A crucial observation are small cone-like structures on its body. These may have allowed the water that it swallowed to escape and so were perhaps the evolutionary precursor of the gills we now see in fish. But the researchers were unable to find any evidence that the creature had an anus. "If that was the case, then any waste material would simply have been taken out back through the mouth, which from our perspective sounds rather unappealing," Conway Morris said. The findings also provide evidence in support of a theory explaining the long-standing mismatch between fossil evidence of prehistoric life, and the record provided by bio-molecular data. Unfortunately, before a point corresponding roughly to the time at which Saccorhytus was wriggling in the mud, there are scarcely any fossils available to match the molecular data. Some researchers have theorized that, before a certain point, many of the creatures they are searching for were simply too small to leave much of a fossil record. The microscopic scale of Saccorhytus, combined with the fact that it is probably the most primitive deuterostome yet discovered, appears to back this up. Dutch government beginning global fund for women’s rights By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
She Decides is a global fundraising initiative launched by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation last Saturday. The campaign is trying to raise money to offer family planning services to women in developing countries. The crowdfunding effort was established in response to a decree signed last week by U.S. President Donald Trump. His order, also known as the México City policy, prohibits federal funding to groups and organizations that support abortions. Dutch Minister Lilianne Ploumen said in a video message she received an overwhelming amount of supporting messages from around the world after she voiced her plan to set up an international safe abortion fund. “We want to raise funds to make sure women and girls all over the world have access to family planning services, " she said, "Please join us, spread the word. It is time that she decides.” The first $10 million donation came from the Dutch government. Ms. Ploumen is now actively lobbying other governments and organizations to close the $600 million funding gap. Canada is said to be enthusiastic about the Dutch initiative and so is Belgium. Alexander de Croo, the Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of development cooperation, said he will host an international conference this spring in Brussels. The aim is to bring together like-minded countries and organizations when it comes to the topic of women’s rights and family planning. One of the affected organizations will be Marie Stopes International, which provides contraception and abortion services to women in 37 countries. Last year it received about $30 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development, for expanding access to contraception in developing countries. Will Harris of Marie Stopes International said the decree leaves the organization with a 17 percent budget cut for 2017. The group believes without alternative funding, the impact of the decree between 2017 and 2020 will be 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.1 million unsafe abortions and 21,700 maternal deaths. Many Republican politicians oppose abortions, while this is not as much of a public debate in most European countries. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation says the initiative is not against President Trump or the United States, but is focusing on the millions of women they believe will not have access to information, contraceptives and abortions. Former President Ronald Reagan imposed the Mexico City policy in 1984. It was repealed by President Bill Clinton, re-imposed by President George W. Bush and repealed again by President Barack Obama.  University of
Southampton graphic
Diagram of
speculation on universe
Research says known universe is one big, complex hologram By the University of
Southampton press services
A United Kingdom, Canadian and Italian study has provided what researchers believe is the first observational evidence that our universe could be a vast and complex hologram. Theoretical physicists and astrophysicists, investigating irregularities in the afterglow of the Big Bang, have found there is substantial evidence supporting a holographic explanation of the universe. In fact, as much as there is for the traditional explanation of these irregularities using the theory of cosmic inflation. The researchers, from the University of Southampton, Canada’s University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute, Italy’s Lecce and the University of Salento, have published findings in the journal Physical Review Letters. A holographic universe, an idea first suggested in the 1990s, is one where all the information, which makes up our 3D reality plus time is contained in a 2D surface on its boundaries. Professor Kostas Skenderis of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southampton explains: "Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions and your perception of time in fact emanates from a flat two-dimensional field. The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded!" Although not an example with holographic properties, it could be thought of as rather like watching a 3D film in a cinema. We see the pictures as having height, width and crucially, depth - when in fact it all originates from a flat 2D screen. The difference, in our 3D universe, is that we can touch objects and the projection is real from our perspective. In recent decades, advances in telescopes and sensing equipment have allowed scientists to detect a vast amount of data hidden in the white noise or microwaves, partly responsible for the random black and white dots you see on an un-tuned TV, left over from the moment the universe was created. Using this information, the team were able to make complex comparisons between networks of features in the data and quantum field theory. They found that some of the simplest quantum field theories could explain nearly all cosmological observations of the early universe. Professor Skenderis commented, "Holography is a huge leap forward in the way we think about the structure and creation of the universe. Einstein's theory of general relativity explains almost everything large scale in the universe very well, but starts to unravel when examining its origins and mechanisms at quantum level.” Scientists have been working for decades to combine Einstein's theory of gravity and quantum theory. Some believe the concept of a holographic universe has the potential to reconcile the two. I hope our research takes us another step towards this, Skenderis said. The scientists now hope their study will open the door to further our understanding of the early universe and explain how space and time emerged. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents
of
this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado S.A. 2017 and may not be reproduced anywhere
without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica sixth news page |
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San
José, Costa
Rica, Tuesday,
Jan. 31, 2017,
Vol. 17, No.
22
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Coffee
and tea can mask many calories
By the
University of Illinois news staff
More than 160 million people in the U.S. drink coffee or tea on a regular basis, and many of them use sugar, cream, flavored syrups or other calorie-laden additives in their drinks of choice. A new analysis reveals just how much Americans are adding to their caloric intake by spicing up or sweetening their coffee or tea. A kinesiology and community health professor, Ruopeng An, used U.S. national data to determine how many calories Americans consume in their coffee and tea. The research looked at 12 years of data ending in 2012 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including information from a nationally representative sample of 13,185 adults who reported drinking coffee and 6,215 adults who reported drinking tea in the 24 hours prior to being surveyed. The data suggest that more than 51 percent of U.S. adults drink coffee and nearly 26 percent drink tea on any given day, said the professor. Roughly two-thirds of the coffee drinkers and one-third of the tea drinkers put sugar, cream, flavorings or other calorie-rich additives in their drinks, he found. “Many people prefer drinking coffee and tea with sugar, cream, half-and-half or honey,” An said. “These add-in items are often dense in energy and fat but low in nutritional value.” Milk products add a bit of calcium to the diet, but the amount, 22 milligrams per day, on average, is negligible, An said. The daily recommended calcium intake is 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams, depending on one’s age and pregnancy status. Those who drink their coffee black consume about 69 fewer total calories per cup per day, on average, than those who add sweeteners, cream or other substances to their coffee, An found. More than 60 percent of those calories come from sugar, with fat accounting for most of the rest of the extra calories consumed. Tea drinkers tend to add fewer calorie-dense substances to their tea if they add anything at all, the analysis found. “Compared with adding nothing to one’s tea, drinking tea with caloric add-ins increased daily caloric intake by more than 43 calories, on average, with nearly 85 percent of those added calories coming from sugar,” An said. The daily intakes may seem small, but the extra calories every day can add up to extra pounds, An said. “Our findings indicate that a lot of coffee and tea drinkers regularly use caloric add-ins to improve the flavor of their beverages, but possibly without fully realizing or taking into consideration its caloric and nutritional implications,” he said. |
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| From Page 7: Costa Rica gets its first world body OK By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
Costa Rica is one step closer to being a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The foreign trade minister, Alexander Mora, said he was satisfied with the organization’s approval of Costa Rica to join in the area of foreign trade. This is a part of a long and continuing period of evaluation in the country’s policies, regulations and practices in foreign trade. The organization's Trade Committee initiated a long and thorough review of Costa Rican trade policy and free market development in 2015. To achieve a positive assessment and be approved for membership, two experts of the organization visited the country. Here in Costa Rica, these experts met with around 60 institutions, foreign trade representatives, and members of the private sector. The process was led by the Ministerio de Comercio Exterior. The review assesses areas of trade including an applicant country’s transparency and openness in decision-making, policy of non-discrimination, measures to promote free trade and limit restrictions, and protection of property rights, among other things. The country continues to be evaluated by 22 other committees of the organization. The Trade Committee is the first to adopt a formal favorable opinion necessary to join. The intergovernmental organization is composed of at least 60 countries. The vast majority of member-nations are in North America and Europe. The organizations self-described mission is aimed at improving economic and social conditions. It was first founded in 1948 as part of the wider framework within the U.S. Marshall Plan aid package. |
