Swarmoth College: What Makes A Good Society?

When TEDxSwarthmore got underway on Sat., March 31, the 500-or-so students, faculty and staff members, alumni, parents, and other visitors that flocked into the Lang Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 31, expected to be wowed. After all, this was Swarthmore's version of the acclaimed TED Conference, an annual meeting in Long Beach, Calif., that brings together some of the keenest minds from around the globe to present their "ideas that can change the world."

Moderator Sarah Willie-LeBreton (center) joins speakers Donna Jo Napoli and Corinna Lathan '88 during a break.

The main stage of LPAC had been transformed, most noticeably by large, three-dimensional red and white letters that spelled "TEDxSwarthmore." Large arrangements of cherry blossoms from the Scott Arboretum also graced both sides. Preceding each of the three sessions, a variety of TED talks ran on a large screen. A student-inspired, communitywide collaboration, TEDxSwarthmore required thousands of hours to prepare for the daylong event.

"I've been so impressed with the students who sparked the creation of this powerful event and really worked hard to see it through," says President Rebecca Chopp who, as the first speaker, highlighted the role of the liberal arts in the development of a "moral imagination." "It was also wonderful to experience the community-wide collaboration that took place to support this event. It was a tremendous undertaking and it generated just the kind of intellectual engagement that our community so values."

Audience members could hardly have anticipated the tidal surge of intellectual and emotional energy that permeated the theater, as 12 invited members of the community from a variety of disciplines shared their ideas. More than 800 viewers around the country also watched the day via livestreaming, and the program was simulcast in various on-campus venues including Sharples, the Science Center, and the Bookstore. There was fevered Tweeting throughout the day, both from those in attendance, and alumni, students, and others, some of whom were watching the event via the livestream.

In a program broken down into three sections of four talks, each speaker - in true TED fashion - was allowed no more than 18 minutes to divulge what he or she believed to be the ingredients for a "good society." In addition to President Chopp, the speakers included Professor of Economics Mark Kuperberg, Associate Professor of Statistics Steve Wang, co-founder of the Genocide Intervention Network Stephanie Nyombayire '08, actor and playwright Stephen Lang '73, Professor of Linguistics Donna Jo Napoli, founder and CEO of AnthroTronix Corinna Lathan '88, political science honors major and English literature minor Mary Jean Chan '12, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University Paul Starr P'13, Professor of Biology Amy Cheng Vollmer, Associate Professor of Music John Alston, and frequent TED and TEDx speaker and Dorwin P. Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action Barry Schwartz.

Between the talks, student performances - Corey Silberstein '12 playing Chopin on piano, the Tri-College a cappella group Chaverim singing folk songs, and spoken word by OASIS members Javier Perez '13 and Noel Quiñones '15 - moved listeners differently but with no less brilliance.

Associate Professor of Sociology Sarah Willie-LeBreton, who moderated the event, concluded the program by commending the 12 visions of a better society presented throughout the day. She invoked philosopher Hannah Arendt who wrote about the importance of humanity and empathy. Willie-LeBreton left the audience with the thought: "Let's build a good society together."

And anyone who believes that listening to 12 highly intellectual, fact-packed, thought-provoking talks might be an exhausting way to spend a day is unfamiliar with the Swarthmore ethos. Attendees left feeling stimulated, exhilarated, awestruck, and yearning for more.

At a reception afterward, the LPAC foyer was abuzz with excitement, as audience members and speakers mingled to continue the conversation and strangers hugged each other spontaneously out of sheer enthusiasm. One delighted participant was Kathryn Johnson P'13, who has avidly listened to TED talks online and always found them intriguing. "When I heard that Swarthmore was doing it, I thought, 'That's a tremendous undertaking.' As I have found out today, it is totally doable." Among the most moving aspects for Johnson were the talk by Stephanie Nyombayire '08 and the performance by the a cappella group Chaverim. Nyombayire helped Johnson see beyond the stereotypes associated with recipients of charity to see their personhood and dignity. A Finnish folk song performed by the singers reminded her of "the beauty of life," certainly an outcome that many experienced at different moments during this day of hope and inspiration about what makes a good society. 

Original source here.

Southwestern Receives $500,000 Grant from The Mellon Foundation to Reshape Its Paideia Program

Key elements of Southwestern University’s signature Paideia® program will now be available to all students, thanks to a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.


The Paideia program was started in 2003 to give students additional opportunities to make connections between what they are learning in the classroom and the world around them, and to act upon their learning. In addition to their overall academic curricula, program participants fulfill requirements in civic engagement, intercultural learning, and undergraduate research.

Another key element of the program is that it brings students from all disciplines together for regular small-group seminars with a faculty member. Initial support for the program came from an $8.5 million grant from the Robert & Ruby Priddy Charitable Trust.

Since its inception, about one-quarter of Southwestern students have participated in the Paideia program. For the past several years, faculty and administrators have been trying to figure out how to bring the benefits of the program to more students.

An opportunity presented itself when, as a result of its upcoming re-accreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Southwestern was required to implement a new “Quality Enhancement Plan” (QEP).

After universitywide discussion and a vote on what Southwestern should select as its Quality Enhancement Plan, a consensus was reached that the University should create a new program for all students that would combine the growing academic trend toward interdisciplinary studies with key elements of its Paideia Program. The new program, which is being informally referred to as “Paideia For All,” is scheduled to start in the 2014-2015 academic year.

“This new program will make Paideia central to rather than ancillary to our academic program,” said Provost Jim Hunt. After taking the required First-Year Seminar, all Southwestern students will choose an interdisciplinary theme that will guide the selection of some of their general education courses. Eight to 10 classes from different departments will be offered in each theme and students will choose three of these courses to make up their “Paideia Cluster.”

Alison Kafer, a faculty member who chaired the committee that developed the proposal for the new program, said the QEP committee will hold focus groups or other conversations with students and faculty members to start generating ideas on possible themes for Paideia Clusters.

“We’re really excited about the possibilities this new program offers for collaboration among faculty members and among faculty and students,” Kafer said.

After completing their three-course “Paideia Cluster,” all students will take an interdisciplinary “Paideia Seminar” during their junior or senior year that is related to their chosen theme. These seminars will be team-taught by two faculty members, who will help students place what they have learned in their cluster courses into the context of real-world issues. For example, seminar groups might work with local community organizations on research projects that could benefit both students and the organizations.

“The Paideia Seminars and Clusters will provide both faculty and students with the opportunity to intentionally engage in making meaningful connections among their learning experiences, which was one of the key components of the Paideia Program,” Hunt said.

The funding from the Mellon Foundation will help support the intensive faculty development activities required to launch the new program. These activities are expected to start in 2013 and will include both on-campus seminars as well as opportunities for faculty members to attend conferences related to interdisciplinary learning or visit exemplary programs at peer institutions.

“Over the past eight years, the Paideia Program has transformed Southwestern in significant ways,” said President Jake B. Schrum. “The re-imagining of Paideia will make our interdisciplinary efforts more visible, intentional and coordinated across the curriculum and the community as a whole. We are very fortunate to have a partner like The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help make this possible.”

Original source here.

Westmont: April Concerts to Reveal Spring Colors

This April, the Westmont Music Department showers the community with several performances, including the Spring Orchestra Concert on Sunday, April 29, at First Presbyterian Church, 21 East Constance Avenue. General admission is $10 and students are free. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact Trinity Hokama at (805) 565-6040. Seven other performances this month are free and open to the public.

The Instrumental Chamber Concert, directed by Philip Ficsor, is on Monday, April 16, at 8 p.m. in Westmont’s Deane Chapel. The performance features a quintet, consisting of Emily Rutherford (cello), Alex Ronne (violin), Erin LeVoir (violin), Allyson Fredrickson (viola) and Enoch Matsumura (clarinet), playing Mozart’s Quintet in A Major KV. 581 for clarinet, 2 violins, viola and cello. The concert also includes the Siloam Quartet, featuring Emily McClean (violin), Madison Martin (violin), Sarah Shasberger (viola) and Rebecca Shasberger (cello). The repertoire includes music by Schubert, Brahms and Dvorak.

The Composers Concert will feature works by student composers on Wednesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The performance includes music by first-year students Rutherford, Jake Elliott, Steven Yoo, Emilee Letsinger, Nathan Frank and third-year student Alexander Quirk. “This will be a wonderful concert showcasing a wide variety of talent and musical styles,” Rutherford says. “The concert will feature string quartets, choral pieces, art songs and more.” Rutherford’s original piece will feature eight student vocalists performing C.S. Lewis’ poem “After Prayers, Lie Cold.” Yoo’s work utilizes 14 musicians performing “The Lord Answers Job.”

The Spring Choral Concert features a diverse selection of music showcasing the talents of three choral groups on Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church. The performance features the Men’s Chorale directed by Grey Brothers, Women’s Chorale directed by Joanne Wasserman, and the Westmont College Choir directed by Michael Shasberger, Adams professor of music and worship. The College Choir will present a cycle of works ranging musically from the renaissance work of Jacobus Gallus, to the 19th century inspiration of Johannes Brahms and contemporary compositions of Rollo Dilworth.

Wind and brass ensembles, directed by Paul Mori, perform at the Wind Chamber Concert on Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The performance will highlight the talents of first-year students Bryanna Beauchamp (trumpet), Evan Ewert (tuba), Emily Hauck (French horn), Jeremy Kubiak (trombone), Matsumura (clarinet), Nicolas Robertson (French horn), Joseph Sidebotham (French horn) and Ryan Vande Wydeven (trumpet).

The Vocal Chamber Concert features the Chamber Singers and New Sounds, an 18 voice ensemble made up primarily of select first-year singers, on Sunday, April 22, at 8 p.m. in Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State Street. New Sounds will perform music for the Lenten and Easter seasons, as well as music from the Mexican cathedral tradition. The Chamber Singers’ repertoire includes some popular arrangements and spirituals.

Toes will be tapping at the Westmont Jazz Concert on Wednesday, April 25, at 8 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The Westmont Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Douglas, will perform an eclectic mix of compositions with genres ranging from bebop, straight-ahead and Brazilian. The repertoire includes a few jazz standards and an original song by Rutherford (vocals/cello). The ensemble also features Jaewoo Chung on trumpet, Matsumura on alto and tenor sax, Nathaniel Taylor on piano and Donny Brubaker on drums.

Westmont’s Siloam Quartet, featuring Martin, McClean, Sarah Shasberger and Rebecca Shasberger, performs its Spring Concert on Saturday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel.

Original source here.

Women in Computer Science Earn Awards at Conference

 llana J. Johnson ’13 (at right) was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in Baltimore, Md. this fall, as the result of winning the undergraduate research poster competition at the Indiana Celebration of Women in Computing Conference in Spencer, Ind.

Johnson attended the conference along with a dozen DePauw students and faculty members, including Khadija J. Stewart, assistant professor of computer science, and Gloria Childress Townsend, professor of computer science and coordinator of the Women in Science Program. Townsend is also the conference general chair.

Conference goals are to provide a low-cost, regionally tailored, intimate and supportive atmosphere for women in computing. The conference brings together women from industry and Indiana academic institutions, providing an ideal setting for both undergraduate and graduate students – sharing the same philosophy as the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, the largest technical conference for women in computing.

At the conference in Spencer (attendees pictured above), students had the opportunity to present a poster or lightning talk. Poster topics included interesting class projects, undergraduate or graduate research, and works in progress. The purpose of the poster presentation is to highlight key questions and results of academic study and present them in a visually attractive manner.

Lightning talks are five-minute mini-presentations about various topics, including class projects and research, how to survive a computing major, programming tips and ideas about how to create a successful women in computing group.

Together, sophomores Yandan “Joey” Ni and Fei Wen (below) won the undergraduate lightning talk competition. Ni, a chemistry and computer science double major, and Fei, a computer science major, shared their views on robotics. They both agreed that the opportunity to attend an all-women conference was a great way to gain confidence and connect with other women in the field.

“Even though we presented to more than 100 people, I wasn’t nervous because robotics is something I’m naturally excited about,” Ni says. “Computers are progressing so quickly, but the field of robotics is stagnating, and we need more people to get involved. So, I was excited to get the message out to so many people.” Ni started a robotics club on campus and asked Professor Townsend to be the sponsor. They have 20 members and meet on Saturdays.

Johnson, who is a member of the Women in Computer Science Program, was invited to go to the conference by Professor Townsend. “She encouraged me to present my summer research, which was conducted with four other computer science students – juniors Reid T. Conner, Jacob “Jake” J. Meyer, Vedant Singhania and John D. Hoover ’14 under the supervision of Professor of Computer Science David A. Berque and Professor of Psychology Terri L. Bonebright, in collaboration with Assistant Professor of Psychology Michael E. Roberts.

“Our project was to create a program to discourage users from electronic distractions using persuasive technology,” Johnson explains. “For example, when you are working on a research paper on your computer, an electronic distraction may be checking email because it is an unrelated task. Our program would detect this distraction and use tools, such as pop-ups, that would persuade the user to get back on task.

“In order to gauge the effectiveness of our program, we conducted a field experiment in which students used our program and gave us feedback,” Johnson says. “Overall, we found that our project would be effective and that students would be willing to use it.” When Johnson attends the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Maryland this fall, she will present her DePauw research poster at a much larger venue.

Johnson says the computer science department at DePauw is small, but opportunities – such as attending the conference – are great. “There might be two or three other women in upper-level courses,” Johnson explains. “Having the chance to see so many women involved in computer science at the graduate level and in industry is empowering.

“I didn’t come to DePauw thinking about computer science, but because DePauw encourages students to take a wide array of classes, I took a computer science class and loved it.”

Johnson explains that as a high school senior in Anderson, Ind., she had her college career planned out – until she visited DePauw. “I fell in love with the place. I had a full-tuition scholarship to go to Butler, and I turned it down. My parents asked, more than once, ‘Are you sure?’ I was positive. I have no regrets.”

Original source here.

Richard Karrat '12 to Teach English in Jordan Through Fulbright ETA

Richard Karrat ’12, a candidate for May graduation, has been awarded a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Jordan. A Dean’s List student, Karrat is a French and world politics major at Hamilton.

Karrat studied abroad in France in 2010-11 through Hamilton’s program there. A speaker of five languages and advanced speaker of Arabic, he began studying the language at Utica College during his senior year of high school, completed five semesters of Arabic at Hamilton and two semesters at the Arab World Institute in Paris.

At Hamilton Karrat has served as president and vice president of the French Club, treasurer of the Spanish Club and has been involved with the Middle Eastern Cultural program. He has been employed as a foreign relations interviewer with pollster IBOPE Zogby International, a Hamilton peer tutor and as a French and Arabic teaching assistant. Karrat has taught math and reading to elementary school students in New Hartford, served as a Hamilton resident advisor and worked at Hamilton reunions for the College’s Alumni Office.

After his return from Jordan, Karrat plans to pursue an advanced degree in Arabic and teach Arabic language at the college level or for a government agency. The Fulbright ETA Program, an element of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, places U.S. students as English teaching assistants in schools or universities overseas, thus improving foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while increasing their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. ETAs may also pursue individual study/research plans in addition to their teaching responsibilities.


Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. Karrat is the son of Mary Ellen and Richard Karrat of New Hartford, N.Y. He is a graduate of New Hartford High School.

Original source here

Red Sony PS3 UK release date set for April 27th

Sony is to expand its range of PlayStation consoles confirming it will launch a red PS3 console in the UK on April 27th whilst fans wait for the PS4

 Whilst the gaming world looks ahead to the long awaited PS4 release date, Sony has confirmed that it will launch the formerly Japan exclusive red PS3 console in the UK in the coming weeks.

Having previous been made available in Sony’s native Japan, the Xbox 360 rival has announced it is to introduce the red PS3 console to British markets later this month with the vibrantly hued gamer to be paired with a similarly coloured controller.

Red Sony PlayStation 3 Release Date and Price

Set to hit UK stores later this month the red Sony PS3 console UK release date has been pencilled in for April 27th with the console to launch boasting a 320GB internal hard disk drive and a £250 price tag.

Those looking to pick up the red PS3 whilst saving a bit of cash will be able to bag themselves the newly hued device for just £240 through online retailer Play from May 4th onwards.

Are you in the market for a new home games console? Would the availability of a new red model tempt you into plumping for a PS3 over an Xbox 360? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

 

T3

Tough gadgets love a good shock

Technophiles love their shiny devices but live in constant fear of scratches, cracks and other damage that comes with everyday use and occasional clumsiness. You can rest easy knowing there are a number of tough gadgets built to last and endure the harshest of conditions:

Rugged Portable

IoSafe loves a good shock. At the giant CES tech trade show early this year, it decided to show just how tough its hard drives were by firing up a Tesla coil and zapping a Rugged Portable. The year prior, it took a shotgun to the same drive. And you know what? In both instances, even though the drives were pretty beat up, the data survived. It's no surprise the folks challenged me to torture test the Rugged Portable. Let me say, it's quite a feat. The drive is crush resistant up to 5,000 pounds; can be fully submerged in 10-feet-deep water for up to 72 hours; and can withstand immersion in diesel fuels, oils, hydraulic fluids and aircraft fuels. Watch my quest to destroy the drive in the video that accompanies this story. The 500GB Rugged Portable with a one-year subscription to a data recovery service begins at $249.99.

G-Form

Also fond of publicity stunts, G-Form likes to put its products to the test. The maker of protection for sports and electronic gear decided to use an iPhone as a hockey puck when it debuted its X Protect and Extreme Grid cases (both $39.95). A slap shot had the smartphone flying at 82 miles per hour across a hockey rink. Meanwhile, its iPad cases, Extreme Edge ($44.95) and Extreme Portfolio ($89.95) reached new heights when they were tossed from a plane soaring at 1,300 feet. The most extreme stunt involved strapping an iPad in an Extreme Edge case to a weather balloon, which according to the company lifted the device to the edge of space. When the balloon burst at 100,000 feet, the iPad went into free fall, landing in rubble. The results? In all instances, the iPhones and iPads were A-OK. If you're looking for a durable case, look no further than G-Form.

Panasonic Toughpad

If you're the type who wants a tablet that's durable right out the box, then the Panasonic Toughpad might be for you — no case required. Like the company's line of Toughbook laptops, the ToughPad, which comes in seven- and 10-inch models, was built to endure the most extreme of situations. The rugged tablet can take on the elements — not only is it water- and dust-resistant, it can withstand freezing temperatures and four-foot drops. The 16GB Android tablet is 3G-, 4G- and WiFi-compatible. But realize this: When you're in the market for durable, you're not going to get a MacBook Air-like product. The ToughPad is no different, weighing in at 2.13 pounds. The 10-inch model will be available in the summer, with pricing estimated to begin at $1,299. The seven-inch will be available later in 2012, and no pricing information is available yet.

Blendtec
You might wonder what a blender is doing in a tech article, but Blendtec is a staple in the gadgets world. After all, it's the brand that's behind the popular Will it Blend series. The blog and its videos shot to stardom when it put an iPhone to its test. (Yes, the iPhone does indeed blend.) So what's behind these pricey kitchen appliances, which range from $400 to $1,000? The company has what it call an Ice-Crushing guarantee, claiming its devices can turn ice into snow. The top-of-the-line 20-amp Tom Dickson Extreme Blender, named after the company's CEO, features a 2400-watt motor with 25 pre-programmed blend cycles. If it can blend a golf ball, it can make you a darn good smoothie.
 
Pelican
If you're looking for ultimate protection for electronic devices, invest in a crushproof case. Otterbox long had a big name in this market, but with the rise of iPhones and the subsequent smartphone and tablet explosion, the company now focuses more on personal gadget protection. Its current line of crushproof boxes has slimmed down, ideal for carrying smaller gadgets, such as smartphones, point-and-shoot cameras or medium-sized SLR lenses. For protection of heftier gear, competitor Pelican makes water-, crush- and dust-proof cases of all sizes. One of the largest is the 1660, which holds about 5.7 cubic feet, or about the volume of a typical bath tub. Not only can the 1660 carry a few lenses, but you can stash the rest of your studio equipment here as well. Prices for Pelican cases vary by size; the 1660 retails for $323.95.

(usatoday)

 

iPod video used to encourage organ donation

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An organ donation video people can watch on an iPod while they wait at the Department of Motor Vehicles may encourage more to become donors, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that for folks getting a driver's license in their county, the iPod video seemed to sway the decision on becoming an organ donor.

Of people who saw it, 84 percent consented to be a donor, versus 72 percent of those who didn't watch the video.

The effect was larger among African Americans: 76 percent of those who saw the video became organ donors, compared with just 54 percent of those who did not.

The findings, reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, point to one potential fix for a well-known problem: the need for donor organs far exceeds the supply.

In the U.S., the gap between organ demand and supply is particularly large among minorities.

"One reason is that the need for donor organs is so great," said Dr. J. Daryl Thornton of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, the lead researcher on the new study.

Minorities, and African Americans in particular, have higher rates of health conditions that can necessitate a new organ -- to replace a kidney damaged by high blood pressure or diabetes, for example.

African Americans are three times more likely than whites to develop kidney disease, and they account for one-third of the waiting list for donor kidneys.

Add to that the fact that not enough people consent to be organ donors. Surveys have pointed to some reasons: many people are unaware of the acute need for donor organs; others mistrust the medical establishment and think they won't get life-saving measures if doctors know they are a donor. Some people think their religion disapproves of organ donation, though most have no rules against it.

There have been some efforts, such as billboards and radio spots, to educate people about organ donation. But they haven't met with much success, Thornton told Reuters Health.

He and his colleagues thought a timely video -- shown at the DMV, right before people are asked to become donors -- might work better.

"Video has the ability to capture people on so many different levels," Thornton said.

The researchers' video featured an ethnically diverse group of "real" people -- organ donors and recipients, family members of recipients and family of people who died waiting for an organ.

They all talked about what organ donation meant to them, Thornton said. And the discussion hit on common obstacles to people's willingness to become donors -- like mistrust of doctors and religious views on organ donation.

Thornton's team tested the five-minute video at 12 Cleveland-area DMVs, with two days spent at each location. Half of each day was designated as the "intervention" period (license-seekers watched the video on an iPod), and the other half was the "control" period (no one saw the video).

Overall, 443 people saw the video and 84 percent of them agreed to become organ donors. That compared with 72 percent of the 509 people who did not see the video.

About 20 percent of all study participants were African American. And the video seemed especially influential for them. It raised their consent rate by 22 percentage points, versus 11 percentage points among white license-seekers.

CHANGING VIEWS

Thornton's team also found that people's attitudes shifted after seeing the video. They felt more knowledgeable about organ donation and had fewer "conflicts" about it than their counterparts who had not seen the video.

That runs counter to the conventional wisdom that it's hard to change people's views on organ donation, according to Thornton.

"We just have to present the information in a way that's accessible to people," he said.

As for the practicality of the video, Thornton said, "one of the great things is that it's inexpensive."

In theory, DMVs anywhere could run the video -- and not necessarily via iPod, according to Thornton.

He said it could be shown on existing DMV TV screens, though it's not clear if that would be as effective as the iPod viewing.

Even if iPods were needed, Thornton said, they are "fairly inexpensive now," and DMVs should be able to buy a few. The models used in this study run between $200 and $300.

"I don't think this would be hard for any state to implement," Thornton said. He added that his team is currently working with Ohio to get the video into the rest of the state's DMV locations.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

A big question is still whether any increase in organ-donor consent will ultimately mean a bigger donor-organ supply. "A lot of things happen between consent and donation," Thornton said.

A common scenario, he noted, is that an organ donor dies of a cause that prevents any tissue from being harvested.

In the U.S., more than 100,000 people are on the active waiting list for an organ transplant. But fewer than 30,000 transplants are performed each year, Thornton's team notes in the report.

Minorities make up half of that waiting list, but only account for 30 percent of donors.

That 30 percent does match the proportion of minorities in the U.S. population as a whole. But ideally, experts would like to see more minority donors. Because transplants have a greater chance of success when the donor and recipient are as genetically similar as possible, it's preferable to match people of the same race and ethnicity.

Eco-tourism may be good news for sharks

Researcher says shark tourism can offer economic benefits and security to animals 

Imagine swimming in crystalline ocean waters shot through with sunlight when one of Earth's most notorious predators swims into view — a very close view.

Such pulse-quickening encounters are, in fact, the whole point for visitors to Tiger Beach, an idyllic spot in the Bahamas where eco-tourists can get up close and personal with tiger sharks — indiscriminate eaters known to devour everything from sea turtles to kegs of nails (and occasionally a few unlucky humans).

Yet it is by playing to the sharks' voracious appetites that dive operators are able to lure them into view, courtesy of generous offerings of chum — minced fish.

However, some have argued that the free meals — and resulting close encounters between humans and sharks — could have bad consequences for both species.

Shark meal "People are concerned that it could be causing sharks to associate people with food," said shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag, an assistant professor at the University of Miami. Some worry that, like cartoon castaways eyeing each other hungrily in a boat, tiger sharks might, essentially, begin to see humans as giant pork chops with legs.

"Shark attacks are so very rare, so it's really hard to draw conclusions," Hammerschlag told OurAmazingPlanet.

Another concern, he said, and one that is easier to test, is that all the free food might disrupt the sharks' natural wanderings, and artificially limit their movements to areas close to tourist sites. (Why go hunting out at sea when the bipeds regularly serve up snacks?)

Since sharks are apex predators — a bit like the Godfathers of the ecosystem — and keep potentially disruptive ecological usurpers in check, such a change could have negative effects.

"They help keep balance," Hammerschlag said, "so if this really changes their behavior long term, it could have ecological consequences."

Neither idea has been properly tested, he said. To that end, Hammerschlag, heading up a team of researchers, designed a study to investigate.

Shark testing They used satellite tags attached to the sharks' dorsal fins to track tiger sharks in areas where eco-tourism packages offer plenty of free food to the sharks — the Bahamas' Tiger Beach — and an area where the practice is forbidden — Florida.

All told, they tracked 11 Floridian tiger sharks and 10 Bahamian sharks, in near-real time, for spans of six months to almost a year. Hammerschlag said he expected the Bahamian sharks, with access to cushy meals, to travel far less than their Floridian counterparts.

"But, in fact, we found the opposite," he said. The Florida tiger sharks traveled, at most, 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from their tagging site.

In contrast, "the tiger sharks from the Bahamas diving site moved massive distances," Hammerschlag said. "Definitely that area was important, but they didn't rely on it."

Some swam as far as 2,175 miles (3,500 km) out into the middle of the Atlantic and spent seven months there. The researchers noted that the difference could be related to size: The Bahamian sharks are bigger, and bigger animals tend to travel larger distances.

Their research is published today (March 9) in the journal Functional Ecology.

Shark people Hammerschlag said that the work indicates that eco-tourism, when done right, may not be all bad for sharks — crucial predators that are disappearing from oceans around the world, many falling victim to the lucrative and devastating shark-fin trade.

With proper policies, he suggested, people could continue to see economic benefit from sharks, but in a way that keeps the animals alive.

"In the Bahamas, they've encouraged shark diving because it's good for the economy, and because of that they're protecting sharks in their water," he said — something that Florida policymakers might want to keep in mind.

"I would say that before we ban these things outright, we should do some research," he said. "Rather than basing our decisions on fear, we should base them on fact."

 

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie are Engaged: A Timeline Of Their Love

Take a look back at the seven-year relationship between two of the world's biggest movie stars.

That noise you just heard was the heads of celebrity tabloid editors' heads exploding in unison at the news that Brad Pitt finally put a ring on it and proposed to Angelina Jolie.

Rumors of an engagement began to swirl when Jolie was spotted at a private viewing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Chinese galleries on Wednesday rocking quite a sparkler on her ring finger. Pitt's manager Cynthia Pett-Dante confirmed the engagement to People, saying, "It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy."

The pair have been together for seven years and have six children. Their love story has been documented like crazy by the tabloids, but in honor of their long-overdue engagement, we decided to take a look back at the highlights of their relationship to show you how they got from meeting on a movie set to preparing to walk down the aisle.

» Summer 2004: Pitt and Jolie meet on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Rumors of an on-set romance begin almost immediately, though both deny the allegations, saying they are just friends.

» January 2005: Pitt and then-wife Jennifer Aniston announce that they have decided to formally separate after nearly five years of marriage and more than seven years together.

» March 2005: Aniston files for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences."

» April 2005: Paparazzi photos of Pitt, Jolie and her adopted son Maddox on a beach in Kenya surface, seeming to confirm long-standing rumors that the pair are a romantic item.

» July 2005: Pitt and Jolie pose for a photo shoot for W magazine entitled "Domestic Bliss," portraying them as a family with several children. Though rumors that they were a serious item had reached a fever pitch, they continued to refuse to confirm anything. Following the paparazzi images of the couple together in Kenya, many considered the shoot a major affront to Aniston, as her divorce from Pitt had not yet been finalized.

» July 6, 2005: Jolie adopts her second child, 6-month-old daughter Zahara Marley, from an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

» October 2, 2005: Pitt and Aniston's divorce is finalized by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

» January 11, 2006: Jolie confirms to People that she is pregnant with her first child with Pitt.

» January 19, 2006: A judge grants Jolie's request to legally change the last names of her adopted children from Jolie to Jolie-Pitt. Pitt's legal adoption of both Maddox and Zahara was granted soon after.

» May 27, 2006: Jolie gives birth to the couple's first biological child, daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, in Swakopmund, Namibia. Shiloh's first pictures were sold exclusively to People and OK for $4.1 million and $3.5 million, respectively, and all of the cash was donated to charities benefiting African children.

» October 2006: Voicing his support for same-sex couples seeking equal marriage rights, Pitt tells Esquire magazine that he and Jolie would marry "when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able."

» March 15, 2007: Jolie adopts 3-year-old Pax Thien from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Because Vietnam's adoption regulations do not allow unmarried couples to co-adopt, Jolie adopted Pax as a single parent, but filed a request to legally change her son's surname from Jolie to Jolie-Pitt a month later.

» May 2008: After much speculation, while promoting "Kung Fu Panda" at the Cannes Film Festival, Jolie confirms that she and Pitt are expecting twins.

» July 12, 2008: Jolie gives birth to a son, Knox Léon, and a daughter, Vivienne Marcheline, in Nice, France. As they did following Shiloh's birth, Pitt and Jolie sold the rights for the first images of the twins jointly to People and Hello! for $14 million (the most expensive celebrity pictures ever taken) with proceeds going to their Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

» October 15, 2008: Jolie ignites controversy after telling The New York Times that she is excited for her children to see "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" because "not a lot of people get to see a movie where their parents fell in love." Both Pitt and Jolie had long maintained that while there was chemistry on the set of "Smith," Pitt did not cheat on Aniston during production and began his relationship with Jolie after they'd separated.

» November 2008: In an interview with Vogue, Jennifer Aniston says that Jolie's comment to the NYT that she and Pitt fell in love on the set of "Smith" was "uncool." "I felt those details were a little inappropriate to discuss," Aniston said. "That stuff about how she couldn't wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool."

» July 5, 2011: Praising New York on passing marriage equality legislation, Pitt reaffirmed to People that he and Jolie will not marry until all Americans are afforded marriage rights.

» September 2011: Pitt finds himself embroiled in controversy after telling Parade, "I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't." This was, as usual, scooped up by the tabloids as if he were hurling an insult at Aniston, and much of his "Moneyball" press tour was spent explaining that he was simply at a bad place in his life near the end of his marriage and that his relationship with Jolie reinvigorated him.

» December 2011: Promoting her directorial debut "In the Land of Blood and Honey," Jolie tells Christiane Amanpour that her kids were pressing her to get married. "The kids asked me the other day, and I asked them if it was just because they wanted to have a 'big cake,' " Jolie said. "They see movies that have the people getting married in the movies ... you know, the happily ever after. Shrek and Fiona are married. ... We've explained to them that our commitment when we decided to start a family was the greatest commitment you could possibly have. Once you have six children, you're committed."

» January 2012: Pitt co-signed Jolie's statement that their children were pushing them down the aisle. "We'd actually like to," he told The Hollywood Reporter of marrying Jolie, "and it seems to mean more and more to our kids. We made this declaration some time ago that we weren't going to do it till everyone can. But I don't think we'll be able to hold out. It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment."(Mtv news)

Microsoft Needs Your Help: Promises Free Software In Return For Windows 8 Feedback

With Windows 8 getting ever closer to its release date, Microsoft today announced that it is looking for volunteers to join its invite-only feedback program for active Windows 7 and Windows 8 Consumer Preview users in the U.S. In return for providing feedback to Microsoft – both by sending the company data or by filling out surveys – participants who stay in the program for more than four months will be eligible for “free software and Xbox games such as Microsoft Office 2012, Kinect Disneyland, and Forza Motorsport 4.”

In the announcement today, Microsoft communications manager Brandon LeBlanc stresses that this is not meant to be a way to submit bug reports. Instead, the idea here is to help Microsoft “build better software by getting a broader understanding of your perceptions and experiences with our products.”

It’s somewhat odd that Microsoft would choose this time to highlight this program. The Windows Feedback Program, after all, has been running for years already. Indeed, the sign-up for the Feedback Program is from 2009. While the sign-up form specifically mentions that volunteers will also be asked to provide feedback about Windows Live, including Hotmail and Messenger, today’s announcement puts the emphasis on Windows 7 and 8.

Chances are that the company is mostly making this appeal today because it is looking for more data about the Windows 8 user experience (a user experience that could definitely still use some work). It feels like it is rather late in the Windows 8 development cycle to ask for this kind of data now, though.


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Xbox continues to reign amidst weak video game market

The Xbox 360 scored its 15th month in a row as the top-selling gaming console, NPD reported yesterday.

With a 42 percent chunk of all console sales, Microsoft sold 371,000 Xbox 360 units last month. Total spending on Xbox hardware, software, and accessories hit $430 million, more than was spent on Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii combined.

Among the top 10 games last month, five of them were Xbox titles: Mass Effect 3, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, NBA 2K12, SSX, and Major League Baseball 2K12.

As usual, the rest of the video game industry was down in the dumps. Sales of consoles and other hardware touched $323.5 million, a 35 percent drop from March 2011.

"Hardware really slowed down this month and all systems saw a unit sales decline versus last March, and on an average sales per week basis, versus February 2012," NPD analyst Anita Frazier said in a statement. "That said, the high definition console systems fared better than many other hardware platforms."

Sales of gaming software fell by 25 percent to $553.1 million year over year, though one title proved especially popular. As the top seller last month, newly released Mass Effect 3 sold twice as many copies as did Mass Effect 2 during its debut month in January 2010.

Video game accessory sales declined by 8 percent to $222.5 million year over year. The industry actually sold more physical accessories than a year ago, but sales were down as a result of a drop in the average selling price.

Total gaming sales (hardware, software, and accessories) dived by 25 percent to $1.1 billion from $1.47 billion in March 2011. But the weak results didn't surprise NPD.

"While it was a disappointing month, and first quarter, for new physical retail sales of video games hardware, software and accessories, it wasn't entirely unexpected given guidance we've seen from several sources," Frazier noted.

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Terry and Cole set to return

John Terry and Ashley Cole are both available for Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley this weekend.

Blues skipper Terry has been nursing a rib injury while left-back Cole missed Chelsea's last two games with an ankle problem.

But manager Roberto Di Matteo has revealed the defenders have both been training without any difficulties.

The news is a significant boost with regular right-back Branislav Ivanovic suspended for the Tottenham clash and Chelsea also facing Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League and Arsenal in the Premier League next week.

"Ashley trained today and is fine, he's available," Di Matteo told reporters at Chelsea's training ground. "It's a good time to have him back. John Terry came through training fine too."

Confident

Although this is a pivotal point in the season for the Blues, Di Matteo is determined not to look beyond beating Spurs on Sunday and is confident of doing just that.

"The two times we played (Tottenham) in the league, the games were quite balanced," Di Matteo added.

"But in a one-off game it is difficult to say who is the favourite due to the form, because the dynamic is a little different.

"We are in good form and the players are confident. At the moment I am only looking at the game on Sunday, and thinking about what is the best selection to win that game.

"Every time you play at Wembley it should be a spectacle because it is a great arena.

"We have two opportunities to win a trophy and we will try to win them both.

"That is what we are working for, that is challenge we face and we are looking forward to that challenge."

'United have everything, we have nothing', says Roberto Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has attempted some reverse psychology in the Premier League mind games battle by heaping praise on title rivals Manchester United.

United assistant-manager Rene Meulensteen highlighted the spirit within United's camp as the major reason for their present five-point advantage, coupled with its better balance.

Sir Alex Ferguson refused to elaborate on Meulensteen's comments, aware of their potential for riling City and offering them easy motivation ahead of their encounter with Norwich at Carrow Road tomorrow.

However, rather than defend his squad, Mancini said Meulensteen was right.

"I agree with him," said the City chief. "This is why I say we can't win.

"They have big experience and a fantastic team. They have everything. We have nothing.

"But I am proud of my players for everything, including our mistakes.

"We are not on the moon. We are normal, like all normal people we can make mistakes."

After cutting United's lead to five points by beating West Brom on Sunday, victory at Norwich will slice further into their rivals' advantage ahead of their encounter with Aston Villa on Sunday.

However, Mancini has warned of the obvious dangers lying in wait at Carrow Road.

Mancini clearly does not see motivation or focus being a problem for the eagerly-awaited derby encounter at the Etihad Stadium on April 30.

The same cannot be said for this weekend.

"The derby is easy," he said. "We can lose it but it is not a hard game. We don't have any problem with it.

"You know when you play against United or Chelsea, your concentration is 100 per cent.

"The problem will be against Norwich. Against Norwich you might think it is an easy game.

"But it will be really tough. They are a good team and we have only had two days to recover."

Two principals sacked in food poisoning

Two school principals were dismissed from their posts after more than 300 students suffered from food poisoning in Dingla primary school, Southwest China's Yunnan province.
On Monday, 368 students at Dingla primary school showed symptoms such as diarrhea, stomachache and fever, after eating school-provided lunches. All were sent to hospital. The school supplies lunches for 1,061 students.

The school immediately reported the situation to the Zhenxiong county government, which investigated the incident. By 5 pm on Thursday, 342 of the students were discharged from the hospital while 26 remained for observation.

On Friday morning, the county government disclosed its findings on its website.
Although investigators did not find excess bacteria in the samples they took from the school lunches, the canteen was found to be in violation of many regulations, including operating without a proper license and having insufficient equipment and poor management.
The county government said in a statement that two principals were removed from their positions. (Chinadaily.com)

Battle to save flagship Envisat spacecraft

Engineers are battling to save the European Space Agency's (Esa) flagship Earth observation mission - Envisat.

Controllers say the eight-tonne spacecraft appears to be in a stable condition, but they are not receiving any data at all from it.

Contact was lost with Envisat at the weekend shortly after it downloaded pictures of Spain's Canary Islands.

A recovery team, which includes experts from industry, is now trying to re-establish contact with the craft.

Mission managers said on Friday that they were working through a number of possible fault scenarios but conceded they had little to go on.

Radar pictures taken from the ground appear to show the satellite to be intact, but there is as yet no confirmation that Envisat has entered the expected "safe mode" of an ailing spacecraft.

This automated procedure is designed to ensure the solar panel is pointed at the Sun and that onboard power systems are prioritised above all other activity.

If this has not happened, the concern would be that Envisat's batteries could soon become depleted, denying any prospect of recovery.

"We continue to try to re-establish contact with the satellite, and in parallel to collect more information on the satellite's status by ground radar images, from optical images, from telescopes, but also from other spacecraft," said Prof Volker Liebig, the director of Earth observation at Esa.


"On Sunday, [the French space agency] will try to program [their new high-resolution imaging satellite] Pleiades to see if they can image Envisat, to give us more detailed knowledge on whether there is damage on the outside," he told reporters.

Envisat was launched in 2002 and is the biggest non-military Earth observation spacecraft ever put in orbit.  (BBC.co.uk)

Lighting raids save masterpiece

SERBIAN and Swiss police recovered a Paul Cezanne masterpiece, stolen from a Swiss museum in 2008, and captured four men as they tried to sell it.

In Belgrade, officials played a video showing how police had arrested one of four suspects in a Belgrade suburb and found the painting in the roof upholstery of a black van. They handcuffed the driver and dragged him away.

Clearly proud of the police raids, officials displayed The Boy in the Red Vest, by the French impressionist, with two masked Serbian special police armed with machineguns standing alongside it.

A Swiss expert authenticated the oil-on-canvas painting, which was stolen from the E.G Buhrle Collection in Zurich along with three other masterpieces by Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas.

Zurich prosecutors also said the museum had certified that the painting was the original by Cezanne.

The work was worth $105 million when it was stolen by three masked gunmen who, witnesses said, spoke German with a Slavic accent in what was one of the biggest art thefts in Europe at the time.

"I think this is really an impressive action conducted jointly with Swiss police," said Miljko Radisavljevic, Serbia's organised crime prosecutor.

He said four men, including the leader of the gang that conducted the robbery, were arrested in raids in Belgrade and the central city of Cacak.

Soon after the 2008 robbery, Monet's Poppy field at Vetheuil and van Gogh's Blooming Chestnut Branches were found in a car parked at a mental hospital in Zurich.

About a year later, Degas's Ludovic Lepic and his Daughter, worth about $11 million, was returned to the Swiss museum after a reward was paid to an unidentified person, Serbian officials said.

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the police raids, planned since 2010, took place when the suspected robbers decided to take the Cezanne painting to a wealthy Serb who agreed to buy it for $4.6 million. Mr Dacic said nearly $2 million in cash and firearms were found with the four arrested men.

"Of course, they could not sell the painting for its real price," Mr Dacic said. "It's amazing standing beside this masterpiece."

He said one of the arrested men was the leader of the gang that conducted the robbery, while the three others were believed to be accomplices in the crime.

They would stand trial in Serbia, Mr Dacic said.

Art experts suggested the robbers took advantage of low security at the Swiss museum without knowing the paintings or how difficult it could be to sell them.

Man arrested after allegedly trying to rob three New York banks armed with toilet plunger

A MAN was arrested after attempting to rob three banks in New York state armed with a toilet plunger.

Lawrence Deptola, 49, was held after officers in an unmarked police car saw him walking away from the Key Bank in Utica, WKTV reported.

When he saw the officers, Deptola allegedly tried to run away but was taken into custody. He was charged with attempted robbery.

Utica police responded to reports of an attempted robbery at Key Bank and were also contacted by two other banks that said a man demanded money.

Bank employees said the suspect yelled obscenities, asked tellers to put money in a bag and threatened staff with the plunger.

The plunger was later recovered inside another bank.

Chemicals in cosmetics linked to diabetes, Swedish study says

A CHEMICAL commonly used in cosmetics and plastics could increase the likelihood of Type 2 diabetes, a Swedish study has found.

Researchers from the University of Uppsala, eastern Sweden, tested 1016 people aged 70 for chemicals called phthalates, which are used to soften plastics and in cosmetics such as perfume and fake tan.

Even after taking into account other factors that can lead to diabetes, such as being overweight and smoking, the researchers found that those people with higher levels of phthalate chemicals in their bloodstream were more likely to develop diabetes.

"The findings in this cross-sectional study showed that several phthalate metabolites are related to diabetes prevalence," the study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, said.

"These findings support the view that these commonly used chemicals might influence major factors that are regulating glucose metabolism in humans at the level of exposure ... seen in the general elderly population," the authors added.

Drought expands throughout USA

Still reeling from devastating drought that led to at least $10 billion in agricultural losses across Texas and the South in 2011, the nation is enduring more unusually parched weather.

A mostly dry, mild winter has put nearly 61% of the lower 48 states in "abnormally dry" or drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly federal tracking of drought. That's the highest percentage of dry or drought conditions since September 2007, when 61.5% of the country was listed in those categories.

Only two states — Ohio and Alaska — are entirely free of abnormally dry or drought conditions, according to the Drought Monitor.

The drought is expanding into some areas where dryness is rare, such as New England.

"Conditions are starting to worry us now," said Keith Eggleston , a climatologist with the Northeast Regional Climate Center in Ithaca, N.Y.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, stream flow levels are at record or near-record lows in much of New England. The Drought Monitor lists all of Vermont as "abnormally dry," just six months after the state's wettest August on record that stemmed mainly from disastrous flooding by the remnants of Hurricane Irene.

So far this year, Connecticut has endured its driest January-March period ever, Weather Channelmeteorologist Jonathan Erdman reports. This followed the state's wettest year on record.

The drought is mainly an agricultural concern in the Northeast at this point, says Eggleston. While agricultural conditions in the Northeast could be perilous if the dry weather continues as the growing season kicks off, water shortages for the public shouldn't be an issue, as most reservoirs were near or at capacity due to the early-season snowmelt and thaw, and to wetter conditions in the past, the Drought Monitor reported.

The rest of the East is also very dry. "We expanded the drought intensity and coverage in the Southeast and up and down the East Coast," said meteorologist David Miskus of the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., who prepared this week's update of the Monitor. "Georgia is one area we'll really have to watch," says Miskus. More than 63% of the state is now in the worst two levels of drought, the highest percentage of any state.

Wildfires and brush fires have been common along the East Coast from New England to Florida in recent weeks because of wind and the dryness and windy conditions.

As water levels continue to decline in bone-dry southern Florida, the South Florida Water Management District has issued a water shortage warning from Key West to Orlando.

One of the causes of the winter dryness was a weak La Niña, a climate pattern in the Pacific that affects weather in the USA and around the world, Miskus reports. La Niña tends to bring dry conditions to the southern tier of the nation.

The Southwest and Southeast had a very dry winter, but the southern Plains had a much wetter winter than expected, Miskus says. The rain eased drought conditions in eastern Texas. The state dropped from 100% in the four categories of drought in late September to 64% this week. Much of western Texas remains in extreme to exceptional drought.

Trouble also looms for water-dependent California. The state Department of Water Resources said last week that water content in California's mountain snowpack is 45% below normal.

"An unusually wet March improved conditions, but did not make up for the previous dry months," said DWR Director Mark Cowin. "The take-home message is that we've had a dry winter and although good reservoir storage will lessen impacts this summer, we need to be prepared for a potentially dry 2013."

California has above-average reservoir storage as the summer approaches, thanks to runoff from last winter's storms, the DWR reports.

Lastly, other areas that bear watching, according to Miskus, are the northern Plains and upper Midwest, due to the lack of snow this past winter. He says that while farmers there are welcoming the dry conditions to aid in spring planting, they will be hoping for rain later on in spring and summer.

Strong earthquake strikes off Mexican coast

A STRONG earthquake struck off the coast of Mexico today, waking up people living near the Gulf of California only hours after a separate quake swayed tall buildings in Mexico City, causing evacuations.

Authorities said neither quake caused major damage or injuries. The tremor late on Wednesday afternoon was the third strong one to shake Mexico City in as many weeks and rattled the nerves of weary residents.

The US Geological Survey said Thursday's 6.9-magnitude quake hit the waters between the Baja peninsula and the northern state of Sonora at 12.15am local time.

People in the city of Hermosillo woke up as their beds swayed and their ceiling fans shook.

Luis Enrique Cordova, director of emergency services in Sonora, said confused residents clogged the phone lines of the civil protection office in Hermosillo, capital of the state and home to some 700,000. But Mr Cordova said no major damage had been detected in the region.

"I was on my bed, leaning against the wall, and the fans kept moving non-stop, side to side," said Carlos Morales, a teacher in Hermosillo.

The quake was centered 133 kilometres northeast of Guerrero Negro and 215km west of Hermosillo. It hit about 10.3km below the surface.

Hours earlier, a 6.4-magnitude quake struck a sparsely populated area in the mountains of western Michoacan state and caused multi-story buildings to sway more than 322km away in Mexico City.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake on March 20 was felt strongly in the nation's capital. It damaged hundreds of homes and killed at least two people near the border between Guerrero and Oaxaca states.

Mexico's seismological service said that quake has been followed by close to 400 aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.0 that also rocked the capital.

Shortly after Wednesday's quake, social networks began buzzing with comments of scared residents.

"We just had another earthquake, this is damn scary," wrote a Twitter user.

A quake alert application for Blackberrys that Mexico City's Government touted last week did not work on Wednesday.

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said the alert system so far is set up only for quakes centred in the southern states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. He said it will begin to work for any tremors in Michoacan in the next few days.

Scientists said the quakes shaking Mexico have not been triggered by each other and are the result of having three tectonic plates come together off Mexico's Pacific coast.

Don Blakeman, geophysicist with the US Geological Survey, said quakes that hit in different locations are not related and it's simply coincidence that they happen so close together.

"Mexico, Japan, Indonesia and California are seismic reactive areas and they are always going to have earthquakes," Blakeman said. "Places like Mexico, California and Japan are really beautiful places to live because the tectonic plates keep moving and they make mountains and beautiful seascapes, but earthquakes come with this beautiful scenery and that's the way it is." (AP)