Joe Biden's alpha-male display leaves Paul Ryan overwhelmed in VP debate

No knockout blows, but a shot in the arm by Democrats as vice president called his opponent spiel

In the normal course of events, Vice-President of the debates, as both vice presidents themselves, especially not matter. And this may be the case of slaughter in Kentucky Thursday night. But if this is the case, it will not be for lack of trying on the part of Joe Biden, whose high energy performance - part bar room angry polemicist, part of condescension old uncle, comic mime part - often leaving Paul Ryan seemed dejected.

On more than one occasion, the Republican candidate visibly swallowed. It is disappointing, of course, that political discourse has been reduced to such manifestations of dominant alpha male, but there were times when the discussion could benefit from a David Attenborough voice whisper: "And the old man victorious after having bared his teeth aesthetically improved rods away, muttering: "With all due respect, this is a lot of nonsense ..." "

Undoubtedly, Biden not blow, while Ryan snuck in a few lines well rehearsed and did not lose his composure. But in the wake of the poor performance of Barack Obama in Denver last week, the resurgence of the country of spirits was almost inaudible Democrats. Your biggest concern was perhaps the vice-president famous gaffe prone swear by accident. ("It's a lot of things," he quipped in place in response to the indictment of Ryan that the Obama administration would abandon Israel. "Many things," he said when pressed which means "nonsense". They in this context apparently means "shit.")

• "Stop talking about how you care about people," he interrupted in a moment, after Ryan started in one of the stories of his personal values ??campaign holiness Mitt Romney. "Show me something. Show me a politician. Show me a policy where you take responsibility. "Bulldozer his way through the 90-minute debate - excellent moderated by Martha Raddatz ABC foreign correspondent - Biden did all the things that Obama supporters complained that the president did not even mention the 47% of observations Romney (twice) and hard to clarify the mathematical impossibilities budget plans Romney / Ryan.

Biden is an incorrigible ham. Split screen, while Ryan spoke, he could be seen smiling, laughing, shaking his head, raising his hands to heaven or bowing his head in disbelief exaggerated, highly variable sequence of gestures that everything was "can you believe this guy? "When the questioning turned to religious faith, Biden has adopted a completely different voice, hoarse and several lowest tones. lies with lush, Ryan called" my friend "on a dozen times., but everything seemed to work. has worked much better, no doubt, that Obama's decision to act as if the split screen was not there.

The cons-narrative that Fox News commentators were busy trying to build a few seconds of the final applause was Biden laughs, sighs infamous as Al Gore would be a liability in the coming days. Independent voters, according to this version of the conventional wisdom, are alienated by the slightest hint of conflict or intimidation. Maybe. The truth, however, is that the debate will probably not make much difference one way or another support the balance.

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Science prizes: what are they for? | Rebekah Higgitt

Nobel award recognizes outstanding achievement, but in a style reminiscent of 18th century science, technology and prices are increasingly offered to encourage solutions to specific problems

Tuesday, the Nobel Prize was announced. Like all Nobel will attract a lot of interest and publicity debate. But what are the functions of prices - as a reward or encouragement - Science

Due to the large amount of money at stake, and international competition, the Nobel Prize has become very prestigious but often controversial. However, they are a rarity, based on the whim of a single person, without any consultation with governments and institutions, and the rest, as the Guardian, Ian said, "in the words of a secret group of Scandinavians ". However, the Nobel Prize is typical of many awards established in science that reward success, approval mark, strengthen a sense of community and often create public interest.

Although many, the notion of scientific prizes may be controversial. Options decisions on winners and losers is bound to promote dissent, but the prices seem to question some basic assumptions about how science works. Stimulate competition in an effort that is often celebrated as collaboration. Sometimes they act to concentrate the mind on specific issues, which means that the chance discovery by "blue sky" research is insufficient to meet the needs of society. Finally, offering money to think that financial success on the market can be difficult to achieve, or the joy of discovery is not necessarily sufficient intellectual reward.

The way we were rewarded and disseminated can provide clues about the state of science throughout history. The Royal Society, which now offers a number of awards and honors, first awarded its Copley Medal in 1731. The list of winners is wonderfully eclectic, and shows that in the early days of the "most important scientific discovery," often tried to refer to a concrete problem. Displays a company that wanted to show the utility of the science.

This was typical of the time. The Society of Arts, for example, offered premiums for specific problems, such as improving machinery or techniques in agriculture and navigation. Similarly, in 1796, the American Philosophical Society has announced awards for best performance ", inventions or improvements" bombs ships, computing the length of the lunar distance, pans, preventing degradation study of peach power plants Amerindian, and lighting. Famous, Napoleon offered a prize for inventing a method of food preservation that provide food for their armies.

These awards challenge does not disappear, but in the following centuries, the most visible were donated by individuals and businesses, focusing on interesting and popular areas of innovation, such as railways and theft. The X Prize for commercial space flights, is clearly of the same lineage as the price Orteig to fly nonstop between Paris and New York.

• Increasingly, however, science has begun to offer career opportunities rather than rewards incidental, institutional and government for science recognizes outstanding achievement, instead of trying to push people and teams to work on specific problems. In part, this is due to the emergence of the idea that the benefits of science and humanity unpredictable (but ultimately, however, said a) the following non-oriented, curiosity-driven .

Recently, however, seems to have taken a step back in the 18th century. Nesta, who launched a Challenge Award Center with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the tone in this summary of the history and the recent rise of the Challenge. It highlights the findings of a recent report that "in 1991, 97% of the price offered was in the form of awards for past achievements. Since then, 78% of new prices have been proposed for future troubleshooting. "

price induction multiply and British and American governments are showing increasing interest. They are a particularly effective way to attract the attention of the public and STEM, while the display is made positive noises about important issues or opportunities, all at a much lower cost than the full support and Winners invest in research and development necessary X-Prize put more money and adding the amount invested by others in this or that, for example, the price Saltire, we can see that this is a bargain. But is this really how things work?

Almost every time these prices are mentioned, as in the proof of its effectiveness, the great grandfather of all - Longitude Prize calls - called. In 1714, the British government offered a lot of money to anyone who could find a more convenient and accurate to determine the length (ie east-west) at sea mentioned amount, £ 20,000, ultimately was given to John Harrison for his watches March Bingo! Important issue resolved as a result of an incentive award once.

Well, yes and no. As I already wrote, the story is more complicated and time Commissioners of the Admiralty and had to be much more flexible in their approach. Regarding the development of clocks Harrison will in the long term financial support in the form of a series of small grants between 1737 and 1764, was probably more important than the final reward carrot distance. It was also necessary to invest in product development and basic infrastructure for the use of timers and the (necessary and complementary), astronomical techniques a practical possibility.

Law
length is 1714 cases be a source of inspiration for ongoing initiatives, while donors scholarships should remember these facts and be able to provide a model mixed funding. Unless supported by grants, profitable companies or other institutions, researchers will not have the leisure time and develop new ideas. And these ideas are nothing without a major investment. Without these elements, the other, the reward challenge already successful as Nobel and other recognition awards.

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SpaceX rocket blasts off for International Space Station

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Abu Hamza and other four terror suspects face 'clean version of hell'

If convicted by a U.S. court, the five suspected terrorists are likely to end up in jail disk "maximum security" in Florence, Colorado

Abu Hamza and four other suspected terrorists have failed to prevent the extradition to the United States Chances are, if convicted by a U.S. court to spend time in solitary confinement in Alcatraz of the Rockies - the federal "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado.

Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber", is already among the members of al-Qaeda prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in a maximum security prison, a former guard described as "a clean version of the hell. "

Court emblem of human rights in April which ultimately paved the way for five to send the United States to be tried or not serving sentences ranging from 50 years in solitary confinement in the prison of the maximum amount to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment. Abu Hamza, because he has no hands, and has a vision in one eye, could expect to spend some time in Florence before being transferred elsewhere, but it is a risk to the long-term fate of four others.

• lawyers of the five men did not deny that his physical condition - the cell size, the type of lighting, plumbing - do not violate human rights. Instead, he focused on his very restrictive diet and the almost total absence of human contact.
• The system is designed to prevent any physical contact between the offender and others and to minimize social interaction with staff. For those in solitary confinement, contact the staff could be just a minute a day.
held basal diet only have 10 hours per week of free time outside of their cells. Indoor recreation were little more than cages with a single drawbar exercise. Anything you can do in outdoor cages is to walk. Despite these "privileges" may be terminated. One inmate was denied outdoor exercise for 60 days to try to feed the birds crumbs.

But the proof that the Strasbourg Court, Patricia Rangel, director of the maximum security unit, told the judges that could have five social visits per month unlimited correspondence with their families. Detainees have access to the interior of the cell to 50 channels and seven radio stations, a copy of USA Today, and can talk to inmates in adjacent cells using the ventilation system by voice.

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Republicans allege Benghazi cover-up

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Pakistan is not co-operating with US over drones, ministry insists

newspaper regularly CIA drones consent to operate freely

Pakistan has rejected allegations that military aircraft deliberately erased in the sky of the U.S. border region to allow drones to operate freely.

"There can be no doubt Pakistan under such attacks," said Foreign Ministry in response to a report by the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States believes that the consent has regularly received.

According to the newspaper, the CIA sent a fax "about once a month" of the ISI, Pakistan's counterpart, on the fields and the objectives that the unmanned aircraft are operated .

ISI did not respond to faxes from a year ago, according to the newspaper. However, counsel for the U.S. government found that tacit approval, because Pakistan is responsible for so-called "conflict", its airspace -. Prevents aircraft flying in the affected areas

A government spokesman dismissed the suggestion made in the report and reiterated Pakistan's position on drone attacks. "Drone attacks are illegal, against-productive, in violation of international law and a violation of Pakistani sovereignty "

diplomats and security analysts believe that Pakistan continues to give its consent to the drone attacks.

confidential diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks have revealed that, in 2008, the Pakistani army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, has called on the United States for "Predator coverage continues [drones]" part of South Waziristan.

In the same year, the former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the U.S. ambassador did not mind the U.S. program "Until they get the right people."

Despite the history of cooperation with the United States, the drones are very unpopular in Pakistan, where politicians, including former cricketer Imran Khan have won the support of attack against what many consider the systematic violation of Pakistani sovereignty.
Stressing act

Pakistan drone attacks are counterproductive, says report

Report

academic says U.S. drones kill large numbers of civilians and increase recruitment by militant groups

CIA program "targeted" assassinations with drones in Pakistan's tribal strongholds is politically against-productive, killing large numbers of civilians, undermines respect for international law, according to a report published by U.S. academics.

Schools and Colleges Stanford study in New York law, based on interviews with victims, witnesses and experts blame the U.S. president, Barack Obama, climbing by strikes "signature" in which groups are selected by the remote "lifestyle" analysis.

Families

afraid to attend weddings or funerals, said, in the case of terrestrial operators U.S. drone directors meetings misinterpret the Taliban or Al-Qaeda.

"The dominant discourse on the use of drones in Pakistan is an effective tool and surgical precision that allows the United States more secure by enabling" targeted killings "of terrorists, with minimal side effects or inconvenience. this story is false, "the report entitled Living on drones States.

The authors admit that it is difficult to obtain accurate data on victims "with U.S. efforts to protect the drone program of democratic accountability, compounded by barriers to independent research strikes North Waziristan. "

The "best available information", they say, is that between 2562 and 3325 people were killed in Pakistan between June 2004 and mid-September of this year - between 474 and 881 were civilians, including 176 children. The data were collected by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, said that 1,300 people were injured in the drone attacks in this period.

The report was commissioned by and written with the help of the organization Reprieve, based in London, which supports the work of British courts by Noor Khan, a Pakistani whose father was killed by a drone attack in the United States in March 2011. His legal challenge is based in the UK is complicit in U.S. airstrikes because the spy agency GCHQ, the intelligence CIA actions on targets for drone attacks.

"U.S. drones are approximately 24 hours per day in the localities of northwest Pakistan, remarkable houses, vehicles and public places, without notice," the report says law schools U.S..

"His presence terrifies men, women and children, causing psychological trauma and anxiety among the civilian population. Persons living in drones to cope with the constant worry of Deadly attack can not be dismissed at any time, and knowing that they are unable to protect themselves.

"These fears have affected behavior. U.S. training area has reached several times, and the evidence that has killed rescuers, makes community members and aid workers are afraid or unwilling to participate in injured victims. "

• The study goes on to say: "The evidence available to the public that the strikes were safe United States in general, is somewhat ambiguous ... The number of "high level" militant killed as a percentage of all victims is extremely low -. proof estimated at 2% [of death] suggests that U.S. attacks have facilitated the recruitment of non-state armed groups, violent, and most violent attacks motivated ... A major study shows that 74% of Pakistanis now consider the U.S. an enemy. "
• American lawyers come abroad rather than human rights, critics are probably more influence in national debates on the legality of U.S. war drone.

"targeted assassinations and practices of U.S. drone attacks undermine respect for the rule of law and the international legal protection and can create dangerous precedents," says the report, wondering if Pakistan consented to the attacks.

"The failure of the U.S. government to ensure transparency and accountability in their basic policy of targeted assassinations, to provide information on its program of targeted assassinations, or establish legal factors involved in decisions appropriate to strike prevents necessary democratic debate on a crucial aspect of U.S. foreign policy and national security.

"American practices can also facilitate the use of force in the world by dangerous precedents for other governments. As manufacturers of unmanned aircraft and officials succeed in reducing barriers export controls, and more countries develop deadly drone technology, these risks increase. "
The report supports the call by Ben Emmerson QC, Special Rapporteur on the fight against terrorism, independent investigations of deaths from airstrikes and demanded the release of the U.S. Justice Department memos describing the legal basis for U.S. targeted killings in Pakistan.

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