Did Leonardo da Vinci Copy His Famous "Vitruvian Man"?

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An Italian architectural historian thinks Giacomo Andrea de Ferrera, a Renaissance architect and da Vinci friend, drew the man-in-circle diagram first

By Natalie Wolchover ?| January 31, 2012?|

Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a male figure perfectly inscribed in a circle and square, known as the "Vitruvian Man," illustrates what he believed to be a divine connection between the human form and the universe. Beloved for its beauty and symbolic power, it is one of the most famous images in the world. However, new research suggests that the work, which dates to 1490, may be a copy of an earlier drawing by Leonardo's friend.

Another illustration of a divinely proportioned man?the subject is Christ-like, but the setting is strikingly similar to Leonardo's?has been discovered in a forgotten manuscript in Ferrara, Italy. Both drawings are depictions of a passage written 1,500 years earlier by Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect, in which he describes a man's body fitting perfectly inside a circle (the divine symbol) and inside a square (the earthly symbol). It was a geometric interpretation of the ancient belief that man is a "microcosm": a miniature embodiment of the whole universe. Leonardo and other scholars revived this vainglorious notion during the Italian Renaissance.

After decades of study, Claudio Sgarbi, an Italian architectural historian who discovered the lesser known illustration of the Vitruvian man in 1986, now believes it to be the work of Giacomo Andrea de Ferrara, a Renaissance architect, expert on Vitruvius, and close friend of Leonardo's. What's more, Sgarbi believes Giacomo Andrea probably drew his Vitruvian man first, though the two men are likely to have discussed their mutual efforts. Sgarbi will lay out his arguments in a volume of academic papers to be published this winter, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

The key arguments are as follows: In Leonardo's writings, he mentions "Giacomo Andrea's Vitruvius" ? seemingly a direct reference to the illustrated Ferrara manuscript. Secondly, Leonardo had dinner with Giacomo Andrea in July 1490, the year in which both men are thought to have drawn their Vitruvian men. Experts believe Leonardo would have probed Giacomo Andrea's knowledge of Vitruvius when they met. And though both drawings interpret Vitruvius' words similarly, Leonardo's is perfectly executed, while Giacomo Andrea's is full of false starts and revisions, none of which would have been necessary if he had simply copied Leonardo's depiction, rather than the other way around. [Early Christian Lead Codices Now Called Fakes]

Other scholars find the arguments convincing.

"I find Sgarbi's argument exciting and very seductive, to say the least," said Indra McEwen, an architectural historian at Concordia University who has written extensively about the works of Vitruvius. "But [I] would opt for the view that Giacomo Andrea and Leonardo worked in tandem, rather than Leonardo basing his drawing on Andrea's."

Rather than competitors, the two Renaissance men were colleagues working together to bring a beautiful, ancient idea back to life. "Whose was the 'original' drawing is a non-question as far as I'm concerned. ?Much as it is a preoccupation of our own time, I don't think it would have been an issue in Leonardo's day," McEwen told Life's Little Mysteries.

Patrice Le Floch-Prigent, an anatomist at the University of Versailles in France who has analyzed the anatomical correctness of Leonardo's famous work, noted that, for both drawings, "the source is Vitruvius."

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Report from Syria: The Brutal, Shadowy War for Hearts and Minds (Time.com)

On a cool winter day in the city of Deraa, a young man walking by me on a busy commercial street grazed me gently. In any large city outside of Syria, it would have gone unnoticed. But as I made eye contact with the young man, he gestured with his head to follow him in between two buildings. I quickly sensed the nudge was not accidental.

I had been standing on the busy street filming with my cameraman, part of a government-sanctioned tour of the restive city where Syria's uprising began. Shops were open, traffic flowing and people hurrying about their business. There was a sense of normalcy to the street until, that is, I followed the young man into the alleyway. "Nothing is what it seems," he said. "This is what they want you to see, so you think everything is normal." (PHOTOS: Protests in Syria.)

The young man began speaking at a dizzying pace, describing for me the horrors of what happened and is happening in this city, including daily raids of resident homes, ubiquitous security checkpoints and crackdowns on dissent. He lifted his shirt up to show me gunshot wounds he says he suffered during the crackdown on Deraa. "Come back after a few hours and see what happens in Deraa after it gets dark." As he pulled his shirt back down, he looked at me squarely and said, "The only gangs in these cities are the armed gangs that belong to Assad... Only the Free Syrian Army will protect us and will not stop until the regime falls."

As quickly as the conversation began, it ended. I was back on the street in the company of the government minders off to our next stop. Earlier in the day, a group of journalists were taken to meet the governor of Deraa, Mohammed Khaled el Hannous. Ironically, his message was very similar to what the young man on the street would tell me a few hours later. "The situation in Deraa and Syria is not what you see on TV," he added. "Three quarters of our problem come from Al Jazeera and satellite channels exaggerating what is happening. Today, you will go out and see for yourself what Deraa is like."

According to el Hannous, and by extension the Syrian government, what began as a legitimate protest against corruption and political stagnation back in March was addressed and resolved with "respectable residents." Today, those in the streets "are armed gangs and terrorists" and not the same as those who originally took to the streets. "They are bought with money and drugs." (PHOTOS: Bomb Blast In Damascus.)

Once again, the reality in the country was different depending on whom you asked. In Syria, there are concerns that the protracted conflict has become a battle over perception as much as it has become a battle for the future of the country.

Each side claims a monopoly on the truth, making it harder for everyone to really understand what is happening on the ground, especially journalists relying on unverifiable amateur footage from inside the country, government escorted minders on the other side, statements from exiled opposition and Syrian government officials who rarely grant journalists interviews.

On the streets of the capital Damascus, many supporters of President Bashir al-Assad know who to blame for the recent unrest. They blame Qatar and Arab Gulf countries, accusing them of inciting violence to weaken and divide Syria. At pro-government rallies, Syrians say Gulf Arab countries take orders from the United States and Israel to weaken the alliance of Iran, Syria and Hizballah.

Their argument goes that because Syria dares to stand up to the U.S. while supporting resistance to Israel's occupation of Arab lands, a conspiracy has been hatched with the support of foreign media to topple Assad's pan-Arab nationalist regime. Had Gulf Arab countries been genuine about reform and democracy, they would have been more vocal about countries like Bahrain where a reform movement was also crushed militarily.

It's a different story in parts of the country where anti-government sentiment runs high. Their struggle, they say, is for freedom from oppression and tyranny. Popular unrest is the same as it was in other Arab countries fighting to end one-family rule and dictatorships. Opposition forces inside Syria say the crackdown by pro-Assad forces and "gangs" is the work of foreign hands too. But the foreign hands are Iran and its Lebanese ally Hizballah who want to preserve their patron in Damascus.

In Zabadani, a Syrian town that is nestled along the Lebanese-Syrian border, members of the Free Syrian Army, a loose knit group of fighters made up of military defectors and their anti-government supporters, openly profess their disdain for Hizballah and Iran. When I visited the town with Arab League monitors, the city was swept up in a hysterical frenzy over rumors that Hizballah had amassed fighters on the Lebanese side of the border to coordinate a join attack with the Syrian military against Zabadani. Hizballah denied the charges.

Syrian activists inside the country have recently been circulating amateur footage of what they claim to be Iranian forces captured while operating inside Syria. A member of the Iranian parliament who chairs the Security and Foreign policy committee in the legislature, described 11 missing Iranian nationals as religious pilgrims, further sowing confusion over what is fact or fiction. The U.S. has also accused Iran of supporting the government in Damascus, saying high-ranking Iranian military officials have visited Syria in recent weeks. MAGAZINE: "The Real Threat in the Middle East." (Subscription)

Iran has reiterated its support for Assad's government. According to Iran's official news agency, Iranian officials say Assad still has the majority of support in his country and that Tehran stands by the President's reform plans against what it calls "terrorists attacking the central government." The Syrian government claims weapons are being smuggled in from Turkey and Jordan to arm rebel fighters attacking the state. Gulf Arab countries are financing the Free Syrian Army.

Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition has repeatedly criticized the Arab League and the West for not doing more to intervene to stop the bloodshed. They call on the United Nations Security Council powers to impose tougher sanctions on Syria and have openly called for military intervention including the imposition of no-fly zones or "safe-zones" and humanitarian corridors that would restrict the movement of the Syrian military inside the country.

Syria's main ally, Russia has also been involved in the media blame game. According to a pro-Assad satellite channel, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has blamed members of the U.N. Security Council for fueling the divisions in Syria by not exerting more pressure on the opposition movement known as the Syrian National Council to enter direct negotiations with the Assad government to resolve the conflict.

The media in Syria has become a vital tool in the battle for the country. Pro-government channels dedicate considerable resources and airtime to scrutinize amateur cell phone footage used by protestors and circulated globally via the internet to undermine reports of atrocities and massacres spread by the opposition. They also dissect foreign news bulletins looking for errors and biases they say are evidence of a foreign conspiracy against them.

As the conflict drags on and becomes increasingly militarized, many people feel the wounds of a full-blown war between the government and armed insurgents would destroy Syria and that fear has paralyzed some into supporting the president -- for the time being. It is difficult to gauge how much support the President or his policies actually have. Syrians I spoke to have expressed support for the regime out of fear of the alternative. They don't know what a post-Assad Syria would look or function like. Many of those I spoke to blame the Syrian opposition for not doing a better job of communicating their vision for the day after.

For the time being, foreign journalists inside Syria are still under restrictions as to where they can go in the country, though more and more, they are pushing the limits -- at great personal risk -- by venturing out without the permission or the presence of government minders. The government says restricting the movement of journalists is for their safety. Critics say it's to control the message.

Unlike Arab revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya where critical masses quickly and overwhelmingly exposed the unpopularity of their regimes, the battle for the hearts and minds of Syrians and those watching the uprising from afar still rages, just like the 10-month conflict itself.

Mohyeldin is a foreign correspondent for NBC News based in Cairo.

View this article on Time.com

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China to make Shanghai the world's yuan centre by 2015 (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China will make Shanghai the global centre of yuan trading, clearing and pricing by 2015, according to a specific state plan laying out the city's future as an international financial centre.

The detailed plan, published jointly by the country's economic planning agency and the Shanghai government, shows the scale of China's ambition in creating its own version of New York, London or Hong Kong.

The National Development and Reform Commission envisions a trading hub with annual non-forex financial market volume of 1,000 trillion yuan ($158.3 trillion) by 2015 from less than 400 trillion in 2010.

The plan said the daily mid-point price published by the central bank in the onshore yuan market would be the benchmark for both domestic and foreign yuan trading markets, and the government-backed Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate, or Shibor, would be the benchmark for yuan credit everywhere.

China would also encourage overseas companies to sell yuan-denominated shares in its domestic stock markets, but the plan did not give a detailed timetable.

(Reporting by Zhou Xin and Nick Edwards; Editing by Ken Wills)

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Reliance Wellness Insurance coverage-Healthwise Policy

National health insurance companies are insurance companies authorized to do business in all states of the United States of America, excepting New York. The national health insurance company was founded in 1923 as the William Harvey Life Insurance Company.

It was in 1975 that the National Health Insurance Company pioneered the first 100% catastrophic insurance plans. Policyholders of National Health Insurance Companies can approach these affiliate providers for any health problems they face, which are covered in their health insurance policies. One of the benefits of getting an insurance policy from National Health Insurance Companies is that insurance claims can be made from one of the many providers found all over America.

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Abbas: Israel to blame for failure of latest talks

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Israel has caused the failure of the latest round of low-level talks with the Palestinians by not presenting detailed proposals.

The two sides have held Jordanian-mediated preliminary talks on borders and security for the past month at the urging of the Quartet of international Mideast mediators ? the U.S., the U.N., the EU and Russia. The Quartet hoped contacts would evolve into full negotiations.

Abbas said in comments carried Sunday by the Palestinian news agency Wafa that "by not presenting a clear vision ... Israel foiled the Quartet talks in (Jordan's capital) Amman."

Israel says it wants to keep talking, and that it is serious about reaching a peace deal by the year's end.

Abbas is to decide this week whether to continue the talks.

Associated Press

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Cat Knee Joint Surgery: Cyrano The Tubby Tabby Gets Revolutionary Treatment (VIDEO)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim.

On Thursday, the 10-year-old cat from Upperville, Va., received what doctors believe is the first feline total knee replacement in the U.S.

"This is the most complex implant that NC State has made and really, in all honesty, that anyone has built for any situation that I know of," said surgeon Denis Marcellin-Little, a French-born veterinarian.

Cyrano ? his full name is Mr. Cyrano L. Catte II ? underwent treatment last year at Colorado State University for cancer in his left hind leg. The disease is in remission, but the treatment left the leg nearly useless and extremely painful.

Marcellin-Little and NCSU engineer Ola Harrysson are pioneers in osseointegration, a process that fuses a prosthetic limb with living bone. In 2005, Marcellin-Little performed the world's first surgery to fuse leg implants with a cat's bone tissue, so Cyrano's owners turned to him for help.

Britain's Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick was credited with the world's first total knee replacement in 2009 on a cat named Missy, whose leg was crushed by a car. But Marcellin-Little said Cyrano's plastic and cobalt chromium alloy implant is more like those used in humans.

"It has a form of articulation that is unique ? that allows the implant to bend and rotate," he said, demonstrating with a model during a news conference the day before the surgery. "The devil is in the details."

Such implants have become commonplace in dogs. But a cat's smaller anatomy has proved more difficult to work with, and Cyrano's damaged bones posed an additional challenge, Marcellin-Little said.

Unlike other joints, which are machined, Cyrano's knee ? in cats, it's actually called a "stifle" ? was fabricated using a laser process that hardens metal powder to exactly replicate his bones. More than a dozen people worked on developing and testing the implant, each half of which is about 2 inches long.

Marcellin-Little practiced the procedure four times on plastic models before Thursday's surgery.

The operation began around 10:30 a.m. Attendants did not wheel Cyrano to the intensive care unit until almost 5 p.m.

Marcellin-Little said the tabby's girth and big bones were a plus. He said Cyrano should be up and around in about a week, though he won't be climbing trees for a while yet.

"We would like him to take it easy for about three months after surgery," the doctor said. "And then we will let him be himself."

Because so much of the time and material were donated, university representatives could not give a total cost estimate.

"Part of this is a pure research project, in a way," said Harrysson, an NCSU professor of industrial and systems engineering.

The bill to owners Sandra Lerner and Len Bosack will be around $20,000. Sitting in a waiting room after the surgery, a visibly exhausted Lerner ? who helped found electronics giant Cisco Systems ? said "Rat Boy" is worth every penny.

"He's my child. And if it were your child, would you begrudge the money?" she said. "I have a personal philosophy that people are, at best, equal with the other inhabitants of the planet. And I'm very, very grateful that I have the money and (am) able to do it."

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Allen G. Breed is a national writer, based in Raleigh, N.C. He can be reached at features(at)ap.org.

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Despair, crackdowns breed more violence in Tibet (AP)

BEIJING ? A young man posts his photo with a leaflet demanding freedom for Tibet and telling Chinese police, come and get me. Protesters rise up to defend him, and demonstrations break out in two other Tibetan areas of western China to support the same cause.

Each time, police respond with bullets.

The three clashes, all in the past week, killed several Tibetans and injured dozens. They mark an escalation of a protest movement that for months expressed itself mainly through scattered individual self-immolations.

It's the result of growing desperation among Tibetans and a harsh crackdown by security forces that scholars and pro-Tibet activists contend only breeds more rage and despair.

That leaves authorities with the stark choice of either cracking down even harder or meeting Tibetan demands for greater freedom and a return of their Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama ? something Beijing has shown zero willingness to do.

"By not responding constructively when it was faced with peaceful one-person protests, the (Communist) party has created the conditions for violent, large-scale protests," said Robbie Barnett, head of modern Tibetan studies at New York's Columbia University.

This is the region's most violent period since 2008, when deadly rioting in Tibet's capital Lhasa spread to Tibetan areas in adjoining provinces. China responded by flooding the area with troops and closing Tibetan regions entirely to foreigners for about a year. Special permission is still required for non-Chinese visitors to Tibet, and the Himalayan region remains closed off entirely for the weeks surrounding the March 14 anniversary of the riots that left 22 people dead.

Video smuggled out by activists shows paramilitary troops equipped with assault rifles and armored cars making pre-dawn arrests. Huge convoys of heavily armored troops are seen driving along mountain roads and monks accused of sedition being frog-marched to waiting trucks.

For the past year, self-immolations have become a striking form of protest in the region. At least 16 monks, nuns and former clergy set themselves on fire after chanting for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

China, fiercely critical of the Dalai Lama, says Tibet has been under its rule for centuries, but many Tibetans say the region was functionally independent for most of that time.

In a change from the individual protests, several thousand Tibetans marched to government offices Monday in Ganzi prefecture in Sichuan province. Police opened fire into the crowd, killing up to three people, witnesses and activist groups said.

On Tuesday, security forces opened fire on a crowd of protesters in another area of Ganzi, killing two Tibetans and wounding several more, according to the group Free Tibet.

On Thursday in southwestern Sichuan province's Aba prefecture, a youth named Tarpa posted a leaflet saying that self-immolations wouldn't stop until Tibet is free, the London-based International Campaign for Tibet said. He wrote his name on the leaflet and included a photo of himself, saying that Chinese authorities could come and arrest him if they wished, group spokeswoman Kate Saunders said in an email.

Security forces did so about two hours later. Area residents blocked their way, shouting slogans and warning of bigger protests if Tarpa wasn't released, Saunders said. Police then fired into the crowd, killing a a 20-year-old friend of Tarpa's, a student named Urgen, and wounding several others.

The incident, as with most reported clashes in Tibetan areas, could not be independently verified and exact numbers of casualties were unclear because of the heavy security presence and lack of access. The topic is so sensitive that even government-backed scholars claim ignorance of it and refuse to comment.

The government, however, acknowledged Tuesday's unrest, saying that a "mob" charged a police station and injured 14 officers, forcing police to open fire on them. The official Xinhua News Agency said police killed one rioter and injured another.

"The Chinese government will, as always, fight all crimes and be resolute in maintaining social order," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in comments on the incident.

The harsh response points to a deep anxiety about the self-immolations, said Youdon Aukatsang, a New Delhi-based member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile.

"They're worried that there is an underground movement in Tibet that is coming to the surface," she said.

Tibetan desperation has been fed both by the harsh crackdown ? security agents reportedly outnumber monks in some monasteries ? along with a deep fear that the Dalai Lama, probably the most potent symbol of Tibet's separate identity, will never return.

The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate handed his political powers to an elected assembly last year. That was intended to ensure the Tibetan cause would live on after him, but was met with considerable anxiety among many Tibetans who saw it as a sign he was giving up his role as leader of their struggle.

Dibyesh Anand, a Tibet expert at London's University of Westminster, said resistance to Chinese rule is likely to grow more fierce.

"Protests will get more radicalized since the Tibetans in the region see no concession, no offer of compromise, no flexibility coming from the government," he said.

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The Bachelor Promo: Courtney Robertson Nude Alert!

Blame it on editing if you like, but in just four episodes, Courtney Robertson has already cemented her place as one of the great villains in the history of The Bachelor.

She's just getting started, too.

Next week features the already-infamous scene in which Courtney takes things to new depths in her quest to claim Ben's heart (and other body parts) for her own.

Even Ellen told him he's being played, but when a model strips down and goes skinny dipping in the ocean with you, rational thoughts may be on the back burner.

Can she be stopped before it's too late?

Watch Ben Fljanik and Courtney Robertson's nude moment in the promo for Monday's episode of The Bachelor (after this week's DRAMATIC rose ceremony) below:

The Bachelor Promo: Skinny Dipping

The Bachelor's Courtney Robertson ...

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Euro rises against the dollar on US economic data (AP)

NEW YORK ? The euro is rising against the dollar after the U.S. released durable goods and jobs data.

The euro rose as high as $1.3184, its highest point in five weeks. The euro was worth $1.3084 late Wednesday.

Orders for durable goods rose last month, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Separately, the Labor Department said that unemployment rose last week to 377,000, but economists think the numbers point to a recovering job market.

The dollar was also falling against most other currencies. The dollar fell to 77.48 Japanese yen from 77.81 Japanese yen, to 0.9176 Swiss franc from 0.9231 Swiss franc and to 99.90 Canadian cents from 1.0053 Canadian dollar.

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What's all the buzz about Oprah and Salman Rushdie going to India?

The Jaipur Literary Festival has become Asia's biggest literary festival, and the fact that some of the biggest names in the book world attend highlights India's growing appetite for good reads.

Oprah's here - but Salman Rushdie is not.?

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The fifth annual Jaipur Literature Festival has for a few years now attracted more and more major literary and cultural figures from across the world, including, this year, talk show host and reading evangelist Oprah Winfrey.?

For five days, the festival, which started Friday, is taking over Jaipur, a city in central India. The festival has gotten so big that no sooner had the dates been announced ? last year ? then did nearby hotels get slammed with bookings. The rate at which the festival is growing in popularity highlights how much the book industry in India has grown.

The Jaipur Literature Festival had relatively humble beginnings: Its main purpose was to put literature, both in English and local languages, on the radar for Indians.

It seems to have worked.

Now, the festival is widely recognized as a destination for thinkers and writers.?Publishers come to scout for talent and writers come looking for book deals. And hundreds of thousands of eyes are on it and watching the books that are discussed there.??

It?s recently been described as ?the Oscars? of the literary world.

?Of the many literary festivals in India, Jaipur is the big one. It?s the one to go and be seen at,? novelist Samit Basu told the Wall Street Journal.

To say it gets crowded is an understatement. In 2008 there were 7,000 attendees; last year an estimated 60,000 people came to see and be seen and even more are expected to attend this year.

India?s English-language publishing is relatively small but growing industry ? a study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry last fall pegged the market at $1.4 billion and reported it was growing about 10 percent each year.

Among the local writers, an invitation to appear is an indication of having made it: Look out for Jeet Thayil, Anuradha Roy, and Gurcharan Das.

Oprah arrived in Mumbai earlier last week and spent time with the?first family of Bollywood?? actors?Aishwarya Rai,?Abhishek Bachchan, and their baby girl???before heading north.

Addressing the festival today, she said three things have struck her about India so far: "Its chaos,?the underlying calmness and love, and the fact that everyone seems to know where they are going.? She also dabbled in US politics, predicting the President Obama would win reelection in November.

US journalist Katherine Boo's book on life in the slums of Mumbai, ?Behind The Beautiful Forevers,? is one of the most anticipated books, and sOprahe?s slated to be on hand.

Other notable authors appearing include Ben Okri,?David Remnick, Jamaica Kincaid, Fatima Bhutto, Lionel Shriver, Amy Chua, and Teju Cole.

But Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses which earned him a fatwa in 1989, has announced he will not attend, saying intelligence services have told him that underworld dons in Mumbai have hired assassins to "eliminate" him. He may yet appear via video link instead, which is continuing to kick up controversy in India.

"While I have some doubts about the accuracy of this intelligence, it would be irresponsible of me to come to the Festival in such circumstances; irresponsible to my family, to the festival audience, and to my fellow writers," said Rushdie in a statement.?

It's unfortunate for festival-goers, many of whom were keen to see Rushdie live in the flesh in his homeland,?but something tells me there will be plenty to keep them occupied.?

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Bruce Jenner: My teens don't need college

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

?

By Us Weekly

Who needs a college degree when fame and fortune awaits?

Since their first appearance on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" in 2007, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have become stars in their own right, thanks to lucrative modeling campaigns and a thriving teen fashion empire.

PHOTOS: Kardashians as kids

When Us Weekly spoke to their father Bruce Jenner at the Performance 3D demonstration in NYC Monday, the 62-year-old Olympian admitted his girls' careers are so busy they may not pursue higher education.

"If they want to go to college, certainly, I think it's a good idea. But I'm not the advocate of, 'You've got to go to college!'" Bruce said. "I think by the time they graduate from high school, they will probably be in a position to go right to working."

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bruce defends Kendall's racy bikini photo shoot

Like their older sisters Kourtney, 32, Kim, 31, and Khloe, 27, Kendall and Kylie are becoming branded businesswomen, Bruce explained. "They've just developing their clothing line for Sears -- it's a little more teen-oriented, the clothing line. And they're working all the time on the show."

With two magazine covers under her belt (American Cheerleader and Teen Prom), Kendall, 16, is poised to become the next big supermodel, Bruce added.

VIDEO: Bruce freaks out when he finds out Kendall is on birth control

"She'll probably have a career by the time she's out of high school," Bruce told Us. "If that's what she wants to do, that's good. I don't know if college is going to be that important for her."

Do you agree the girls don't need college? Vote in our poll, and tell us on Facebook.

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Bruce Jenner's teens have millions. Do they need college?

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Scientists say Facebook's roots go way back

Coren Apicella

A woman from Tanzania's Hadzabe tribe studies a social-networking chart.

By Alan Boyle

Hunter-gatherers exhibit many of the "friending" habits familiar to Facebook users, suggesting that the patterns for social networking were set early in the history of our species.

At least that's the conclusion from a group of researchers who mapped the connections among members of the Hadza ethnic group in Tanzania's Lake Eyasi region. The results were published in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

---

"The astonishing thing is that ancient human social networks so very much resemble what we see today," senior author Nicholas Christakis, a sociologist at Harvard Medical School, said in a university news release. Researchers from Harvard, the University of California at San Diego and Cambridge University worked together to document the Hadza's social networks.

"From the time we were around campfires and had words floating through the air, to today when we have digital packets floating through the ether, we've made networks of basically the same kind," Christakis said.

Another co-author of the study, UCSD's James Fowler, said the results suggest that the structure of today's social networks go back to a time before the invention of agriculture, tens of thousands of years ago.

For decades, social scientists have puzzled over the origins of cooperative and altruistic behavior that benefits the group at the expense of the individual. That seems to run counter to a basic "tooth and claw" view of evolution, in which each individual fights for survival, or at least the survival of its gene pool. One of the leading hypotheses is that a system to reward cooperation and punish non-cooperators ("free riders") grew out of a sense of genetic kinship between related individuals. But how far back did such a system arise?

Harvard Medical School researcher Coren Apicella discusses the Hadza social network.

To investigate that question, researchers spent two months interviewing more than 200 adult members of the Hadza group who still live in a traditional, nomadic, pre-agricultural setting. To chart the social connections, the researchers asked the adults to identify the individuals they'd like to live with in their next encampment. They also looked into gift-giving connections by giving their experimental subjects three straws of honey ? one of the Hadza's best-loved treats ? and asking them to assign them secretly to anyone else in the camp. That exercise produced a complex web of 1,263 "campmate ties" and 426 "gift ties."

Separately, the researchers gave the Hadza additional honey straws that they could either keep for themselves or donate for group distribution. That was used as a measure of cooperation vs. non-cooperation.

When the researchers analyzed all the linkages, they found that cooperators tended to group themselves together into one set of social clusters, while non-cooperators were in separate clusters. Even when other factors were taken into account, such as connections between kin and geographical proximity, the cooperation vs. non-cooperation distinction was significant. That finding suggested that even in pre-agricultural societies, social networking strengthened the connections between people inclined toward different kinds of behavior.

"If you can get cooperators to cluster together in social space, cooperation can evolve," said Coren Apicella, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in health-care policy at Harvard Medical School and the Nature paper's first author. "Social networks allow this to happen."

The researchers said the dynamics of the Hadza social networks ? including the kinds of ties that bind a group's most popular members and the reciprocal connections within the group?? were indistinguishable from previously gathered data about social networks in modern communities.

"We turned the data over lots of different ways," Fowler said in the news release. "We looked at over a dozen measures that social network analysts use to compare networks, and pretty much, the Hadza are like us."

Beyond the Facebook angle, the rise of relationships between cooperative individuals has larger implications for the study of human evolution. "This suggests that social networks may have co-evolved with the widespread cooperation in humans that we observe today," the researchers wrote.

Update for 2:15 p.m. ET: In a Nature commentary, University of British Columbia anthropologist Joseph Henrich said that the study provided a "glimpse into the social dynamics of one of the few remaining populations of nomadic hunter-gatherers" ? and pointed up the parallels between modern-day social networking and the kind of society in which our distant ancestors lived.

One of the more interesting findings was that non-cooperators preferred to associate with other non-cooperators, rather than with the givers in the Hadza group, Henrich told me. That could be because people tend to make those they associate with more similar to themselves ? sort of like a curmudgeonly married couple. Or it could be because non-cooperative types avoid the cooperators in the first place ? sort of like the high-school kids who shun the goody-goodies and form their own clique of bad boys and girls.

Henrich said the cooperation vs. non-cooperation distinction was surprisingly strong. "In fact, the gift-network results indicate that this extends to friends of friends: if your friend's friend is highly cooperative, you are likely to cooperate more, too."

He said the findings support the principle of homophily in social relations: "People tend to pick people like themselves." But does the cooperation connection apply to modern-day social networks as well? If you're a giving person, do you tend to friend other givers online? "We don't know," Henrich told me. That's a topic for further research.

More social-network science:

---

In addition to Apicella, Christakis and Fowler, authors of "Social Networks and Cooperation in Hunter-Gatherers" include Cambridge University's Frank Marlowe.

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10234789-facebooks-roots-go-way-way-back

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Testimony to begin in trial of financier Stanford

FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2010 file photo, R. Allen Stanford arrives in custody at the federal courthouse for a hearing in Houston. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, after much delay, federal prosecutors in Houston are due to begin laying out their case against Stanford, telling jurors that the 61-year-old?s business empire was built on smoke and mirrors and that he bilked investors out of more than $7 billion over 20 years as part of a massive Ponzi scheme. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 24, 2010 file photo, R. Allen Stanford arrives in custody at the federal courthouse for a hearing in Houston. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, after much delay, federal prosecutors in Houston are due to begin laying out their case against Stanford, telling jurors that the 61-year-old?s business empire was built on smoke and mirrors and that he bilked investors out of more than $7 billion over 20 years as part of a massive Ponzi scheme. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

HOUSTON (AP) ? Texas financier R. Allen Stanford built a vast fortune through his network of banks and other businesses in the U.S., Latin America the Caribbean, and he led a lifestyle befitting a billionaire business magnate.

Once considered one of the U.S.'s wealthiest people, with an estimated net worth of more than $2 billion, Stanford snatched up luxury homes and cars, private jets and yachts, and became so prominent in his adopted country of Antigua, where he took on dual citizenship, that he was knighted by the Caribbean island's government and became known as "Sir Allen."

On Tuesday, after much delay, federal prosecutors in Houston were due to begin laying out their case against Stanford, telling jurors that the 61-year-old's business empire was built on smoke and mirrors and that he bilked investors out of more than $7 billion over 20 years as part of a massive Ponzi scheme. Jury selection in Stanford's trial was to conclude Tuesday, after starting a day earlier, with opening statements expected later in the day

Stanford, who denies the claims and says his businesses were legitimate, is charged with 14 counts, including wire and mail fraud, and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He is expected to testify during the trial, which will likely last at least six weeks.

Stanford's business empire was run through the Houston-based Stanford Financial Group, but at its heart was Antiguan-based Stanford International Bank. The bank mainly sold certificates of deposit, or CDs, that promised substantially higher rates of return than U.S. banks and promised investors their money was safe.

Prosecutors say Stanford used money from the sale of the CDs, which were sold to clients from more than 100 countries, to pay off those purchased earlier once they matured and to support his other businesses, which included other banks, a brokerage firm that sold the CDs, an airline, cricket grounds and restaurants. They say Stanford used up to $2 billion of investor funds as personal loans to support his lavish lifestyle, and that he and three former executives at his companies who also face charges covered up their misdeeds by fabricating the bank's records and bribing Antiguan regulators.

"It's a bait and switch," prosecutor William Stellmach said at a court hearing last week.

But in court documents filed earlier this month, Stanford's attorneys argued that he intended to pay CD investors through his other companies if authorities hadn't seized them and begun selling them off.

"This fraud (theory by the government) is just wrong," Ali Fazel, one of Stanford's attorneys, said at that hearing. "Our defense is we didn't do anything wrong."

A gag order bars lawyers from publicly discussing the case.

Stanford has been in jail since his arrest 2? years ago because he was deemed a flight risk. His trial was delayed after he was declared incompetent due to an addiction he developed in jail to an anti-anxiety drug and underwent treatment for eight months last year. He was also evaluated for any long-term effects from being injured in a September 2009 jail fight.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner declared Stanford fit for trial last month.

Once Antigua's richest citizen, primary banker and its largest private employer, Stanford had his assets seized and now has court appointed attorneys after an insurance policy that had been paying for his defense was revoked.

Stanford is on his fifth set of lawyers since being indicted. Previous attorneys accused him of being difficult.

The three other indicted former executives are to be tried in June. A former Antiguan financial regulator was also indicted and he awaits extradition to the U.S.

Stanford and the former executives are also fighting a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit filed in Dallas that makes similar allegations.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-24-Stanford%20Trial/id-d3a2729044d74d78943265dbc757ada4

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Demi Moore Hospitalized

Her rep cites 'exhaustion,' while TMZ reports substance abuse is behind actress' trip to the hospital.
By Kara Warner

Demi Moore
Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/ WireImage

Demi Moore was reportedly admitted to the hospital for a brief health assessment late Monday night after paramedics responded to an emergency call made to 911 from the actress' home in Los Angeles.

There are currently two conflicting reports surrounding the specific illness that caused Moore's brief hospitalization. According to TMZ, Moore was taken to the hospital to be treated for substance abuse; People magazine, however, describes the cause of the illness as exhaustion.

"Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health," her rep said of Moore's condition in a statement. "She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."

After enduring a very public and emotional split from husband Ashton Kutcher back in November, it's easy for fans and the media to assume "the stresses" her rep's statement refers to are most likely the emotional fallout from her impending divorce. Moore publicly announced the breakup with "sadness and a heavy heart" after months of not-so-quiet rumblings that Kutcher was unfaithful.

Check out photos of Demi and Ashton from happier times.

Earlier this month, Moore was back in the spotlight, but this time for positive news: It was announced that she had signed on to play feminist icon Gloria Steinem in "Lovelace," one of two upcoming biopics about adult-film star Linda Lovelace. Unfortunately, due to this setback with her health, her rep told People she will no longer be working on the project.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677859/demi-moore-hospitalized.jhtml

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What Can You Do In 1,000 Days? (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190981889?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Fresh Android Apps for Jan. 24: Apartments.com, Cut?n?Roll, The Serpent of Isis (Appolicious)

If we learned anything over the past few years, it?s that home ownership isn?t for everyone. If you want to rent, check out the fresh app from Apartments.com.

In games, help a turtle roll home in Cut?n?Roll and solve an old art heist in The Serpent of Isis.

Apartment hunting stresses everyone out, so why not let your Android do most of the work? Some real estate apps provide listings for both home sales and rentals, but this app focuses specifically on condo and apartment rentals. Search for listings within a particular radius of your current location or search a different location using the name. Filter your search by the number of bedrooms, price, number of bathrooms and more, then, save your search for later retrieval. Individual listings provide photos and even video walkthroughs to get the sense of a place.

Worried you aren?t getting all the details? The app even describes a listing?s pet policy.

If you?ve conquered Cut the Rope, this might be your next slice of fun. Here a turtle ? not an alien ? needs to get to his home, but there?s an entire obstacle course between him and his house.

Use the slashing power of your finger to cut a path for the turtle. The app is really a physics puzzle game that requires you to think before you snip. You only have a limited number of cuts, so each move must be just right. When your precision work is complete, the turtle will roll through the course in time for bed.

Calling all Agatha Christie fans! From the makers of Azada, comes a new mystery puzzle game whose setting is an exotic train called the Mont Palu Express. A legendary piece of art was stolen back in the early 1900s from the Museum of Cairo. You?ve been hunting it all your life and now you think it?s onboard.

Use your hunter/gatherer skills to locate and collect important objects that will help you solve the puzzles. The train takes you to Bucharest, Vienna, London and Paris through 10 chapters and 20 mini-games. Enjoy the ride.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_androidapps_com_articles10849_fresh_android_apps_for_jan_24_apartments_com_cutnroll_the_serpent_of_isis/44284389/SIG=13qrktc9e/*http%3A//www.androidapps.com/tech/articles/10849-fresh-android-apps-for-jan-24-apartments-com-cutnroll-the-serpent-of-isis

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Sean Penn shares film's dream of ducking stardom (AP)

PARK CITY, Utah ? Sean Penn's new movie casts him as a former rock star who turns his back on stardom and goes into exile overseas.

Penn can relate. He says he's thought often enough about ducking out of the limelight.

"This Must Be the Place" had its U.S. premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where Penn first came 27 years ago with "The Falcon and the Snowman."

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino, "This Must Be the Place" stars Penn as Cheyenne, a raven-maned, mascara-caked former pop icon whose look was inspired by Robert Smith of the Cure.

After his father's death, lost soul Cheyenne embarks on a road trip to track down a former Nazi who brutalized his dad in a concentration camp.

The film opens in the U.S. in March.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_en_mo/us_film_sundance_sean_penn

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Stumping for Romney, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says character counts (Daily Caller)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ? Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell endorsed Mitt Romney?s campaign for president on Friday and told a rally of supporters that both character and values matter when selecting a nominee to run against President Obama.

McDonnell didn?t mention Romney?s rival, Newt Gingrich, by name in his remarks. But the Virginia governor?s comments come just hours after questions about Gingrich?s messy past with his ex-wife played a starring role in a televised debate here.

?Character counts and values matter in our people and in our leaders,? he said to applause.

?I am here to ask you to help elect a man of character and decency that loves the values of this nation.?

Voters in the Palmetto State head to the polls Saturday. While Romney was until recently leading in polls here, Gingrich surpassed the former Massachusetts governor in several polls released this week.

At Friday?s rally at the Charleston Area Convention Center, Romney also trotted out another high-profile supporter to energize supporters: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Both McDonnell and Haley are frequently mentioned as possible running mates for Romney.

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Stumping for Romney, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says character counts

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Howard Kurtz calls out CNN colleague John King for debate 'misstep'

DOJ site down again as Anonymous retaliates

Hollywood wastes no time exploiting cruise ship disaster

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120120/pl_dailycaller/stumpingforromneyvirginiagovbobmcdonnellsayscharactercounts

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Romney is so rich, he has no idea how much he?s worth. But the margin of error is $90m. (Americablog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188666629?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Romney tries to sidestep tax furor he ignited (The Arizona Republic)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188393562?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Eli Manning misses practice with stomach illness

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2011 file photo, New York Giants' Eli Manning, right, is congratulated by New England Patriots' Tom Brady after the Giants' 24-20 win in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Brady has three Super Bowl rings, with another taken away by Manning and the Giants in 2008. Both have their teams on course for a reprise of that memorable title game. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2011 file photo, New York Giants' Eli Manning, right, is congratulated by New England Patriots' Tom Brady after the Giants' 24-20 win in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. Brady has three Super Bowl rings, with another taken away by Manning and the Giants in 2008. Both have their teams on course for a reprise of that memorable title game. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

New York Giants' Eli Manning reacts following a touchdown during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. New York won 37-20. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) ? New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning missed part of Wednesday's practice session with an illness that coach Tom Coughlin called "a stomach bug, hopefully a 24-hour deal."

Manning was placed on the Giants' injury report for the first time this season as a limited participant in practice, though he missed the majority of it. The team is preparing to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday for the NFC championship.

"If there is one guy who can miss a practice Wednesday mentally, it's No. 10," guard Chris Snee said of Manning, who has had his best pro season. "He was probably in here on Monday and Tuesday looking at film."

Tight end Jake Ballard figured Manning headed right home to recuperate ? and watch film.

"He's probably going to spend the rest of the day doing that," Ballard said.

Also limited Wednesday were defensive ends Justin Tuck (shoulder) and Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee), cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring) and rookie linebacker Mark Herzlich (ankle).

Missing practice completely was running back Ahmad Bradshaw with a foot problem. Bradshaw frequently has sat out practices or been limited in recent weeks.

Ballard said it was apparent immediately Wednesday morning that Manning wasn't feeling well.

"You could tell he was hurting bad," Ballard said. "He usually toughs things out like that. You could tell he was dragging, and you don't like to see your Pro Bowl quarterback throwing up or feeling like that. Hopefully he's better tomorrow."

Snee wants to make sure of that, so he offered some help.

"I'm actually going to bring him some soup tomorrow," Snee said. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure he is at full strength."

Some home cooking?

"Southern gumbo," Snee joked. "Or whatever they have in the cafeteria."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-18-FBN-Eli-Manning-Illness/id-a82ab4c6ec8e451f965cb905e09ab922

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Retroficiency Identifies Building Energy Inefficiencies Without Ever Stepping Inside

Buildings are blamed for as much as 40% of U.S. energy consumption, and while green construction is on the rise, identifying the best ways to make and older building more efficient can be a tedious manual endeavor. Retroficiency, whose aim is to disrupt the energy efficiency market, eases the process with the help of extensive data sets and predictive analytics.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sOkC5qp_UlQ/

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Details of his vast personal fortune trail Romney

[unable to retrieve full-text content]CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Under duress two days before the pivotal South Carolina primary, Republican front-runner Mitt Romney acknowledges he has part of his millions invested in the Cayman Islands, although his aides say he never used the location as a tax haven.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-19-Romney/id-f26c48ce208749ec81cdb6801295fd9c

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How to Catch a Plane—the Hard Way [Video]

Since the dawn of time, man has continually sought bigger and badder stunts to prove his mettle. First it was "Slap the Cave Bear and Run." Then it was "Who Can Hold the Lightning Rod Longest." Now, it's "Grab the Inverted Airplane Tail from the Back of a Motorcycle." More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MWSPLCYoohM/how-to-catch-a-plane-the-hard-way

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European court: Cleric can't be deported from UK (AP)

LONDON ? An extremist cleric described as one of Europe's leading al-Qaida operatives should not be deported to Jordan to face trial because of the risk evidence obtained through torture would be used against him, Europe's highest court ruled Tuesday.

After a six-year legal battle, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that deporting Abu Qatada from Britain ? where he is in prison custody ? would "give rise to a flagrant denial of justice."

Abu Qatada ? whose real name is Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman ? is an extremist Muslim preacher from Jordan who has been described in both Spanish and British courts as a leading al-Qaida figure in Europe.

A Palestinian-Jordanian citizen, Abu Qatada arrived in Britain in 1993 and was detained in 2002 under anti-terrorism laws which at the time allowed suspected terrorists to be held in jail without charge.

Though Abu Qatada was released in 2005, when the unpopular law was overturned, he was kept under surveillance and arrested again within months, to be held pending his deportation to face terrorism charges in Jordan.

While living in Britain, he was convicted in his absence in Jordan of terrorist offenses related to two alleged bomb plots.

Although Abu Qatada has never faced criminal charges in Britain, authorities in the U.K. have accused him of advising militants and raising money for terrorist attacks. He "is a leading spiritual advisor with extensive links to, and influence over, extreme Islamists in the U.K. and overseas," prosecutors told a British court in 2007.

Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May said the U.K. would consider appealing the European court's decision. It has a three-month window in which to make any appeal, the court said.

"I am disappointed that the court has made this ruling," May said in a statement. "This is not the end of the road, and we will now consider all the legal options available to us."

Abu Qatada will remain held in British prison custody while a decision is made, she said.

May has not specified what Britain would do if it loses any appeal, though it is likely Abu Qatada would be freed from prison and monitored under a surveillance program which requires those suspected of involvement in terorrism ? but not charged with any crime ? to abide by a curfew and wear an electronic anklet.

Britain's Special Immigration Appeals Commission has previously been told Abu Qatada was also suspected of links to a bomb plot in Strasbourg, France, and to the raising of funds for terrorism in Chechnya.

In their ruling, the European judges based in Strasbourg said they did not accept Abu Qatada's claims that he would face ill treatment or torture at the hands of Jordanian authorities if sent there for trial, citing recent agreements between Jordan and the U.K.

But the judges warned that evidence in his case had been obtained by torturing his co-accused.

"The court found that torture was widespread in Jordan, as was the use of torture evidence by the Jordanian courts," the ruling said. "In relation to each of the two terrorist conspiracies ... the evidence of his involvement had been obtained by torturing one of his co-defendants."

Judges said evidence obtained through torture was illegal under international law and was also unreliable. The ruling said "there was a high probability that the incriminating evidence would be admitted ... and that it would be of considerable, perhaps decisive, importance."

Britain's highest court had ruled in 2009 that Abu Qatada should be deported to Jordan, despite fears over his potential mistreatment.

Human rights group Liberty urged the British government to make efforts to have Abu Qatada prosecuted in Britain.

"The court found that torture and evidence obtained that way is widespread in" Jordan, Shami Chakrabarti, the group's director, said in a statement. "So it is clear that, if Abu Qatada is to be tried for terrorism, this should happen in a British court without further delay."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_radical_preacher

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