Posts

April 10, 2013

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I was just reading over on David Reneke’s excellent site about how the powers that be are going to let the International Space Station (ISS) crash into the ocean after they retire it in 2020. This seems like a waste to me. Currently, there are at least three viable commercial space programs in operation. The … Continue reading »

April 09, 2013

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10:00 PM | When Does Trade Secret Theft Become a Federal Crime?

Trade secret theft is generally addressed through the civil lawsuits. However, in some cases, the misappropriation of trade secrets can rise to the level of a federal crime. The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 criminalizes trade secret theft committed for personal benefit within the country or for the benefit of a foreign government. Section 1831 … Continue reading »

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3:49 PM | Global Astronomy Month

April is Global Astronomy Month. There are many activities and programs available for amateurs and educators. You can find out more about GAM here. These events are mostly run by Astronomers Without Borders who hope to once again bringing enthusiasts together in a worldwide to celebrate their motto “One People, One Sky.” There is a … Continue reading »

April 08, 2013

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10:00 PM | Trademarking you catch phrase.

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is hoping that everything he touches turns to gold. He has filed a trademark application for the phrase “Jeah.” If you are wondering what the word means, Lochte has stated it means happy or good. “Like, if you have a good swim, you say, ‘Jeah.’ Like, it’s good. So, I guess … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | International Dark Sky Week

This week is International Dark Sky week. Created in 2003 by high-school student Jennifer Barlow, IDSW has grown to become a worldwide event and a key component of Global Astronomy Month (more on this tomorrow). The goals of IDSW are to appreciate the beauty of the night sky and to raise awareness of how poor-quality lighting … Continue reading »

April 05, 2013

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10:00 PM | Should China Overhaul Its Patent System?

The European Chamber of Commerce in China is calling on China to make big changes to its patent system. The Chamber states that the current Chinese patent system hinders the country’s ability to innovate and may be detrimental to foreign companies. The group released a report recommending a total of 52 changes. Below is a … Continue reading »

April 04, 2013

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4:00 PM | Ode to Herschel’s Images

Yesterday, I reported that the Herschel Space Observatory was on its last legs. Today, I present you some images taken by Herschel during its lifetime. Enjoy. Massive star formation in the W3 Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) Herschel targets galactic black-hole jet. Betelgeuse’s enigmatic circumstellar envelope and bow shock. Almost 800 spectroscopic redshifts obtained for HerMES … Continue reading »

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5:45 AM | Turns out there’s a line you cross when meeting...

Turns out there’s a line you cross when meeting serious academics who also make life or death decisions out there based the research they do. After that, being impressed by theoretical work is more at an ohthatsnice level.

April 03, 2013

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10:00 PM | What is a Supplemental Examination?

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has released new rules for supplemental patent examination, which implement the provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). It has also adjusted the fee for filing a request for ex parte reexamination and established a fee for petitions filed in ex parte and inter partes reexamination proceedings. Supplemental … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | Herschel is dead, long live Webb.

Shortly, the Herschel Space Observatory run by the European Space Agency will run out of fuel to continue its mission. Herschel has been the largest infrared space observatory launched to date. The spacecraft has a 3.5 meter (138 inch)(11.5 ft) diameter reflecting telescope and other instruments. To view the infrared wavelengths the mirror and instruments are … Continue reading »

April 02, 2013

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10:00 PM | The End of Paper Trademark Applications?

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) provides a portal to conduct most business with the Trademark Office. Trademark applicants can file an initial application form online, as well as submit other documents including a response to an examining attorney’s Office action, a change of address, an allegation of use, and … Continue reading »

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9:37 PM | a new lab.

a new lab.

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4:00 PM | The one is definitely a Lemmon.

No, that isn’t a mis-spelling. Comet Lemmon should be visible in the north for the next month or so. Image credit: Gabe Brammer Gabe’s picture above is a fantastic shot of Pan-STARRS at the bottom, a meteor in the middle and comet Lemmon on top. Gabe has obviously been blessed by the astrophotography and weather … Continue reading »

April 01, 2013

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11:00 PM | How Much Does IP Theft Cost?

A new government reports sheds light on the impact of intellectual property theft on the U.S. economy. Counterfeiting and piracy erode the returns on innovation and slow economic growth because of the negative impacts on companies, consumers and governments, according to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. The report notes that intellectual property infringement harms companies … Continue reading »

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4:00 PM | Swiftly sizing up comet ISON.

Astronomers using images from the the Swift satellite taken over the past two months have taken a closer look at comet ISON, which many are predicting to the one of the best and brightest comet ever. ISON will be visible in the western sky later this year on its trek around the sun. The Swift … Continue reading »

March 31, 2013

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9:10 PM | Criminal culpability of successful v. unsuccessful...

Criminal culpability of successful v. unsuccessful psychopaths The psychological literature now differentiates between two types of psychopath: successful (with little or no criminal record) and unsuccessful (with a criminal record). Recent research indicates that earlier findings of reduced autonomic activity, reduced prefrontal grey matter, and compromised executive activity may only be true of unsuccessful psychopaths. In contrast, successful psychopaths actually show autonomic and […]

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12:59 AM | Brain Scanning for Recidivism So, we all love the work that...

Brain Scanning for Recidivism So, we all love the work that neuroscientist Kent Kiehl and his group does involving fMRI and incarcerated offenders, right? He’s the only guy I know out there workin’ the beat, going door to door (prison to prison), uphill both ways, not really. ok really (science drama), with a mobile scanner collecting brain scan data from prisoners. This week, his latest study is all over the place with headlines parading how this technique can predict who will reoffend. […]

March 29, 2013

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5:00 PM | New Images of an Old Supernova

More than 400 years ago, a spectacular new star appeared in the night sky. Johannes Kepler (famous for his laws of planetary motion) wrote a book about the supernova sighting after a week of observation titled “De Stella nova in pede Serpentarii” (“On the new star in Ophiuchus’s foot”, Prague 1606). The supernova (1604) occurred … Continue reading »

March 28, 2013

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11:00 PM | Patents around the globe.

With yesterday’s move by Spain to nix the unitary patent system in the EU, it seems that the only active attempt to find a path to a global patent system is the global dossier initiative announced last year by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Global Dossier Initiative is designed to make it easier … Continue reading »

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5:00 PM | A-Maze-ing!

Okay, nothing about astronomy in this post, but I thought this was cool anyway. It seems the people over at Google have create a program that allows you to turn any website into a 3D marble maze. To start you need to have both Google’s Chrome browser and a smartphone to control the marble. You … Continue reading »

March 27, 2013

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11:00 PM | Spain may kill EU’s Unified Patent

As reported earlier on this (and many other) blogs. There were going to be several challenges to the new EU unified patent system. Today, Spain brought two last minute actions before the Court of Justice against the new regulations passed in December creating a unitary patent protection plan for the European Union. And, they are … Continue reading »

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5:00 PM | Our Evil Twin.

Venus is roughly the same size as the Earth, formed in the “Goldilocks” zone like Earth, but so completely different than Earth. In 2006, the European Space Agency launched the Venus Express mission to answer some of the questions hidden beneath the cloudy veil of our sister planet. It took less than three years from … Continue reading »

March 26, 2013

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11:00 PM | Should the U.S. Let Experts Go “Hot Tubbing?”

The ongoing patent litigation between Apple and Samsung is not confined to the United States. Similar legal battles are simultaneously taking place all over the world in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia, just to name a few. These lawsuits provide a unique glimpse into the legal systems of other countries, particularly how they … Continue reading »

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5:00 PM | A MESSENGER for you.

This past Saturday during the regular meeting of the Riverside Astronomical Society, our guest speaker updated us on the Curiosity Mars rover that he currently works on. However, I thought it would fun to look closer in and see what was happening with the inner Solar system. That led me to Messenger. Messenger has spent … Continue reading »

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2:25 AM | Presenting research at West Point with my co-author.

Presenting research at West Point with my co-author.

March 25, 2013

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11:00 PM | Raytheon’s Second Chance Trade Secrets Case

Raytheon Co. will have another opportunity to pursue an intellectual property lawsuit against Flir Systems Inc. Raytheon alleges that the company’s Indigo Systems unit stole trade secrets regarding its infrared technology. In 2004, Raytheon obtained an Indigo infrared camera and, after disassembling it, “found what it believed was evidence of patent infringement and trade secret … Continue reading »

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5:00 PM | Sequester and Consequences

se·ques·ter /səˈkwestər/ Verb Isolate or hide away (someone or something): “the artist sequestered himself in his studio for two years”. Noun A general cut in government spending. the sequester – a “series of across-the-board cuts to government agencies totaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years” (CNN) — has finally hit NASA right in the outreach. NASA circulated … Continue reading »

March 23, 2013

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1:27 AM | “What happens to your home’s value when a registered sex...

“What happens to your home’s value when a registered sex offender moves in next door?” Well, turns out it drops about 12%. The picture gets even bleaker when you consider that sex offenders affect not only the value of adjacent properties, but the value of other homes nearby. On average, homes within a 0.1-mile radius of a registered sex offender drop in value by 4 percent. [via Slate] Keep in mind the range in the stats covers serious offenders to wily sexting teens. It’d be nice […]

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12:34 AM | I’ll be sharing some neuroscience at Westpoint Military...

I’ll be sharing some neuroscience at Westpoint Military Academy next week that’s what I’ve been up to. There remains a trace of ‘torture’ in the modern mechanisms of criminal justice, a trace that has not been entirely overcome, but which is enveloped, increasingly, by the non-corporal nature of the penal system. The body and pain are not the ultimate objects of [the law’s] punitive action, thus warders, doctors, chaplains, psychiatrists, psychologists, and educationalists have […]

March 21, 2013

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10:07 PM | Pandora Files Suit Over Music Licensing Fees

Reblogged from Biotech Boardwalk: Pandora Media Inc. has taken its fight over music licensing fees to the next level. The company recently filed suit against the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and has asked the court to set “reasonable” rates and licensing terms that would last through 2015. Digital music sites devote … Continue reading »