Shell Oil Slide Show: How to Drill a Deepwater Well

This will be my last tout of Aspen/Atlantic Ideas Festival sessions. The video is not yet up on the main Aspen archive site, here, but please check in a few days to see if they've posted a July 9 session called "How Will We Drill for Oil?" The main presenter was Joe Leimkuhler of Shell.

The obvious caveats: Shell was a sponsor/underwriter of this conference and is an Atlantic advertiser. Shell of course has every interest in distinguishing its drilling practices from those of BP, as part of its case that deepwater drilling its not inherently dangerous and should continue -- as Shell has said it intends to do. (When asked directly about the now-disputed moratorium on offshore drilling, Leimkuhler said: After a 737 airplane crashes, sometimes you ground all 737s until you are sure what went wrong. But you don't necessarily ground all 747s too.)

With that noted, the presentation was different from anything I had seen before, in laying out step-by-step the differences in how you could design a deepwater well, with multiple, redundant fail-safe points and blowout-prevention systems (which is what Shell says it does), and how, according to Leimkuhler, BP did design and drill the well that has so catastrophically failed in the Gulf. On one side of his chart, Leimkuhler showed the multiple check points and controls on one of his wells; on the other side, the BP well with most of those controls and fail-safe points omitted.

A recent industry-news story quoted Shell's chief executive Peter Voser thus: "Voser said Shell would not have drilled the [BP] Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico in the same way as BP did. But he did not elaborate." While Leimkuhler was very careful to keep saying, "We have to wait until all the evidence is in" and not explicitly to blame BP, his charts provided the elaboration for the contrast.

Again as caveat: I can't independently vouch for Shell's presentation, and I don't know what BP would have said in response. I am not making a case about the drilling moratorium or saying that the Shell design is "safe." I am saying that at face value, this was a more easily-comprehensible -- and therefore infuriating -- indictment of the drilling practices behind the BP disaster than I have previously seen. I think that was the general crowd reaction too. (I discussed this briefly on Weekend All Things Considered, with guest host Lynn Neary, yesterday.)

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2010/07/shell-oil-slide-show-how-to-drill-a-deepwater-well/59508/

11 Essential Online Resources for Consultants

Sharlyn Lauby

11 Essential Online Resources for Consultants

Jul 09, 2010 -

One of the keys to being a successful consultant is information - having it at your fingertips the moment you need it.



While some sources might come and go depending upon the projects I'm working on or the hot topics of the day, there are a few that I keep bookmarked and ready, because I seem to need them on a regular basis.



My top 12 suggestions for online resources that cater to the needs of consultants are listed below. This is just a starter list -- add your own suggestions in the comments below.



1. You're the Boss: Because small business owners oftentimes get very little formal training, The New York Times has started a blog where you can read about what's keeping entrepreneurs up at night. The topics covered on the blog enhance the lessons you are already learning on the job. A couple of my favorite posts include "Inside a Family Business: Maybe This Isn't the Best Place for Everyone" and "It's the Economy, Mr. Bernanke".



2. Workshifting: Even solopreneurs need a place to turn and the Workshifting blog focuses on independent workers. Their mantra is about making work more productive so people can work from anywhere - home, an airport or your local coffee shop. I enjoyed reading "The Great Debate: Coffee Shop vs. Home Office" and "The Nature of Remoteness."



3. CNN Travel: I don't know a consultant out there who doesn't travel, whether it's to client sites or conferences. And trends in travel can impact business. CNN Travel does a good job of reporting tips and information on everything from baggage fees and security screenings to situations that might impact your travel plans. You can even access their information on the go via Twitter.



4. LinkedIn: We've talked about using it for recruiting, but you can also use LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Be sure to regularly change your status update and share with your connections those projects you're working on. Also get out there, join some groups, and answer questions.



5. MarketingProfs: Every business, regardless of size, needs to market itself. MarketingProfs offers resources in the areas of email marketing, branding, SEO, lead generation, and so on. They offer a free membership as well as a pro level with enhanced benefits. I find their data very useful. For some examples, take a look at "Consumers Want Print Magazines, but Also Relevance" and "Average Value of Facebook Fan $136.38."



6. Help a Reporter Out (HARO): Let's face it… we all want free PR. But we can't all afford a public relations firm. HARO connects reporters with sources. Sign up to get their regular queries - it's not only good from a response perspective, but it gives you some sense of what writers are researching and the hot topics. You can also follow HARO on Twitter for fast breaking stories that need experts.



7. USA.gov: The official website of the U.S. Government provides tons of resources for the self-employed. If you need information about starting a business, being self-employed, small business loans, or government contracts, it's all on the USA.gov site. You can also follow them on Twitter for regular updates.



8. IRS: Speaking of government, the Internal Revenue Service is another site with a seemingly endless amount of information. You can apply for your Employer Identification Number (EIN), download required tax forms, and check on the latest mileage rate. The IRS also has a Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center that includes news, events and videos to help you with your tax-related questions.



9. LegalZoom.com: Sometimes there are situations where you need an attorney, but for those times when you just need a form, this is a great option. There are other online legal document companies as well that offer trademark documentation, partnership agreements, and other business services. Of course, I don't need to remind everyone that you have to do your homework about when and how to use a site like this.



10. Evernote: Consultants are always working on multiple things - on one hand you're working with a client project and in the other you're running your business. Evernote is a web-based application that allows you to save your ideas and inspiration. You can record a message, write a note, clip an article or take a picture. I really like their blog because it profiles people and companies using Evernote. I've discovered many ways to make my work life easier. It integrates with the iPhone and Android, allowing you to capture your best thoughts on the go.



11. Google Docs: Speaking of ways to make life easier, Google docs and Wave are great collaborative tools as well. And Microsoft is offering free online storage and document sharing via Office Live.



As you can see, there is no shortage of places for consultants and the self-employed to get tips, tricks and resources that help with the everyday running of a business. What websites are on your "go-to" list? Tell us in the comments.

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/technology/article/11-essential-online-resources-for-consultants-sharlyn-lauby

First 3D Television Channel to Launch in the U.S. in 2010

It certainly looks like 2010 is shaping up to be the year during which 3D finally moves from the realm of novelty into both mainstream film and TV. Satellite cable provider DirecTV has a new satellite in the air, and according to HD Guru, one of the 200 new HD stations to be broadcast from it includes the first U.S. HDTV channel in 3D.

There are still some technical hurdles to clear before you’re watching zany sitcom antics flying toward you, but the trend is clear. The satellite begins full operation in March, and existing DirecTV set-top boxes will simply need a firmware upgrade to support the 3D programming. Unfortunately, you’ll still need to pick up a 3D-capable HDTV to play it back, and that’s where the market lag will play a role in determining how fast 3D will penetrate.

Although 3D content has a long history stretching all the way back to 1922 — when the first public 3D movie was displayed — a number of optics and display challenges, as well as market realities, relegated 3D to a periodic novelty for decades. With the vast majority of the technical hurdles now solved and 3D displays making steady inroads at seminal trade shows like CES over the past couple of years, 2010 is poised to be 3D’s breakout year. The emergence of a string of blockbusters like Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and more rounds out 3D’s emergence — or re-emergence — on the big screen. Soon, consumers will come to expect the same experience in their home theater as well.

Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi, LG and other manufacturers will be showing off 3D displays at CES 2010 next week. They’ll be hoping the stars will align properly to make 2010 3D’s breakout year, and DirectTV’s news is a timely piece of that puzzle. Are you excited about 3D’s inroads to the home, or is your pocketbook still weary from the last cycle of high definition upgrades?

http://mashable.com/2009/12/29/first-us-3dtv-channel/

The Top 2010 3D TV Models: Firsthand Photos

• By: Greg Mombert •
• January 26, 2010
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3D televisions were the hottest trend at CES this year. We grabbed pictures of all the top models from Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, and LG. So take a firsthand look at the future of television straight from the show floor.

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• New 3D Televisions for 2010

World’s Smallest Working Train Model

source= http://www.funis2cool.com/unusual/worlds-smallest-working-train-model.html

The world’s smallest operational train set is a “real” miniature object, it is built on a scale of 1:35200, and measures just 1/8 of an inch x 1/4 of an inch. The best part certainly is that the set is functional, even with that small size. Made by David Smith, the model has a five-carriage train traveling around an oval route.

Powered by a standard two-inch-long rotating motor head and carved out of mouldable plastic, the model train cost Mr Smith just over L6 to make. “To get a sense of scale you have to remember that the River Branch project is being built to the scale of 1-220,” Mr Smith added. ‘It has taken up two-and-a half-years of my life and is going to be very impressive once it is finished.’

Tags: electric train model, model train, model train pictures, model train scale, small model train layouts, small train model, train model

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10 Optical Illusions That are Going to Mess With Your Brain

Published by Nattyb at 10:00 am under Images

If you like what you see above then you’ll love this post. If you don’t then I highly suggest you not click on the “continue reading ” link. Our brains tend to love to play tricks on us when the occasion calls for it. So with the right colors, shapes, and patterns sometimes we’re tricked into seeing things that we really don’t see.

For the record, I’m a huge fan of optical illusions. Personally, I don’t really care to learn why a clearly still image appears to be moving. However I definitely find it interesting.

So if you’re up for the eye pain, check out 10 amazing optical illusions after the jump

Why these circles rotate I have no clue

Um, what?

Keep your eye on that center and watch the disappearing act

I don’t get it, I just don’t

Stop moving!

Am I tripping? Seriously, am I tripping?

OK, I’m getting out of here

Or not

Phew!

OK I had to throw that one in there

http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2010/01/25/ten-amazing-optical-illusions/

How To Start A Child In An Astronomy Hobby

Solar Eclipse January 2010, I caught the astronomy bug at an early age. It was right after my dinosaur-obsession and right before my car-obsession. Unfortunately, my interest in astronomy ended as abruptly as it began and on a very sour note. It took almost 30 years for me to decide to take it up again, and when I did it was hard to imagine waiting so long. Upon reflection, I realized I didn’t just stop; I stopped out of anger and frustration. My mother confirmed this recalling that when I was about 8 years old, my father and I went out with my little telescope for the first time. A half hour later when we came back in I wanted nothing more to do with it and wouldn’t even talk about it! It’s very easy to get a child interested in astronomy but it’s even easier for them to get frustrated and quit. I’ve come up with four suggestions that I feel may help you avoid the pitfalls I experienced and inspire your future scientist to take up the amazing hobby of astronomy and enjoy it for a lifetime!

First, you don’t need a telescope for an astronomy hobby. You heard that right! The very best way to start out is by learning about what you’re looking at. And you don’t need any equipment to do it. Get a book on constellations, sit down with your future astronomer (during the day), and start with the constellations that are visible for that time of year. Learn to identify the patterns, associate them with their names, and read the stories behind the historical characters they are named after. Kids have amazing memories and are fantastic at learning patterns and associating the names with them. Perfect for constellations! Check out science kits, science toys, and Janice VanCleave science experiment books, they are a great way to get started. After your child has become familiar with and can identify some of the constellations in the book, wait for a dark clear night, lie out on a blanket, and identify as many as you can. It will be so much fun you will count the days until the next time you go stargazing!

Now let’s talk about what you can and cannot see. The moon is amazing to look at through either binoculars or a telescope, but it’s bright so make sure you have a moon filter so you don’t hurt your eyes! A moon filter is like wearing sunglasses, it reduces the amount of light entering your eye(s). And don’t observe the moon when it’s full, it’s too washed out. Shadows bring out details in craters and other landscape features. Meteor showers are fun and there are schedules that will tell you when and where to look for them. Constellations are easy to see with the naked eye, but try to go out during a new moon (also called a dark moon) or close to it. The brighter the moon the harder it is to see celestial objects. With binoculars you will be able to see many open clusters and globular clusters, quite beautiful! With a low powered telescope you’ll be able to see both types of clusters, some double stars, and a few nebulae. You may also get to see Jupiter and Saturn. The only galaxy you should expect to see is Andromeda (M31), the closest large galaxy to the Milky Way. Unless you live under extremely dark skies and have a big telescope, galaxies are just too faint and too far away to see. Even Andromeda will look like a faint fuzzy in most parts of the country.

This leads right into my second postulate. Objects seen through a telescope rarely look like the clear, colorful, large photos you see. The human eye is unable to see the color that can be picked up by a camera. Therefore, a nebula that shows up in photos with wonderful reds and purples, and sticks out in sharp contrast to neighboring stars will look gray, faint, and ghostly through your telescope. And that’s if you can see it at all. Jupiter will show some color, but the image will be very small in your eyepiece and making out details will be difficult. I’m not saying the objects you see will be disappointing, quite the contrary. But if expectations are set too high for a child, the let-down can be damaging. Learning about the objects first will make them much more interesting to observe.

Let’s take the following example: Imagine looking at a globular cluster (personally, my favorite object in the sky). Looks pretty amazing through your telescope, believe me. But look at it again knowing its M-13 or Messier 13, the Hercules Cluster, the best globular cluster north of the celestial equator. This is a naked eye object under very dark skies with 500,000 stars extending 150 light years across and a distance of 26,000 light years from Earth. Discovered by Edmond Halley (of Halley’s Comet) in 1714. While Messier never saw its individual stars, even a small telescope brings out the details in this magnificent mass of stars. This globular cluster is about 14 billion years old! Three dark rifts radiate outward from near the center, like a dark “propeller”. M-13 is located in the constellation Hercules, son of Zeus, the hero who was made to perform twelve great tasks to cleanse himself after he went temporarily insane, killing his wife and children. Even if your child can’t grasp all the concepts, do you see how the constellation and the objects now have life?

Third, (as I’ve previously mentioned) you need to manage a child’s expectations. If they expect to see a big, bright, colorful object, and they end up having to struggle to see a bland, blurry one that takes you a long time to find, they will get frustrated and lose interest. Kids have big imaginations as we can see by the cartoons they watch. Their world is big, loud, and colorful and their attention span is short. It also depends on what age your child is. The Janice VanCleave science experiment books are for kids 8 years and older, and that’s probably a good age to start them with a telescope. They may be interested in constellations at an earlier age but when it comes time to look at things through the telescope it’s a little tougher. Astronomy can be a slow and deliberate hobby, with beauty in the very subtle details of the objects. As a parent you need to decide when to start your child in this fantastic hobby. If they have become interested, teach them as much as they can soak up!

And fourth, when you are ready to buy a telescope, don’t buy a cheap piece of junk! Now let me tell you how I really feel. ? You don’t need to spend a lot of money, but buying an inferior scope is a recipe for disaster. Walking through department stores you’ll notice the no-name brand telescopes being sold that advertise 400x power (sounds good, right?) and show beautiful large color pictures of heavenly objects on the box. As we’ve discussed, you won’t be seeing those objects on the box the way they are shown, but it’s a nice marketing tool. Cheap telescopes don’t focus well and 400 power just blurs images. A low power scope with quality optics is the best way to go, and they are inexpensive. A great source on the web is Science Store for the Stars for telescopes and Janice VanCleave science books.

Years after I put my telescope into “storage”, I got it out again and took it apart to see what was inside. The primary mirror was basically a piece of tin foil that reflected the little bit of light it could muster onto a small mirror that looked just like the hand mirror a dentist puts into your mouth. It was a complete piece of junk! It never focused or showed anything in detail. Even the moon was blurry. No wonder I angrily quit the hobby! Of course there was no way for my parents to know, and how would you?

Very briefly let’s talk about telescopes. The purpose of a telescope is to first, capture light with the primary mirror or refracting lens(s), and second, to focus it (with an eyepiece) into a clear and sharp image. The eyepieces are what give you different powers (also called magnifications). One lesson I learned rather quickly was that you don’t need an expensive, large, and powerful scope to see some of the best objects in the sky. But you do need a quality telescope. There are many different designs of telescopes, but there are really only 2 types; refractors and reflectors. Refractor telescopes use lenses like binoculars to refract or bend the light coming in. Reflectors, on the other hand, use a primary mirror which reflects light to a smaller secondary mirror, then through an eyepiece (a lens) before it gets to your eye. There are many different kinds of reflectors including the Dobsonian, SCT or Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, Maksutov-Cassegrain, Newtonian reflectors, Ritchey-Chretien, and others. We won’t get into the specifics of these, but the different types of reflectors all basically work the same way; by reflecting light.

If you start by learning about the constellations and other celestial objects and manage your child’s expectations, they will appreciate what they see. When it comes time to buy a telescope, do your research! There are plenty of inexpensive telescopes with quality optics out there. Try Science Store for the Stars for great starter scopes by Smithsonian and Educational Insights. Both are affordable with high quality optics. They also have Janice VanCleave science books on astronomy and constellations. If you follow these guidelines, you and your young astronomer will enjoy the hobby of astronomy for a lifetime!