Biological transistor enables computing within living cells

Mar. 28, 2013 ? When Charles Babbage prototyped the first computing machine in the 19th century, he imagined using mechanical gears and latches to control information. ENIAC, the first modern computer developed in the 1940s, used vacuum tubes and electricity. Today, computers use transistors made from highly engineered semiconducting materials to carry out their logical operations.

And now a team of Stanford University bioengineers has taken computing beyond mechanics and electronics into the living realm of biology. In a paper to be published March 28 in Science, the team details a biological transistor made from genetic material -- DNA and RNA -- in place of gears or electrons. The team calls its biological transistor the "transcriptor."

"Transcriptors are the key component behind amplifying genetic logic -- akin to the transistor and electronics," said Jerome Bonnet, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering and the paper's lead author.

The creation of the transcriptor allows engineers to compute inside living cells to record, for instance, when cells have been exposed to certain external stimuli or environmental factors, or even to turn on and off cell reproduction as needed.

"Biological computers can be used to study and reprogram living systems, monitor environments and improve cellular therapeutics," said Drew Endy, PhD, assistant professor of bioengineering and the paper's senior author.

The biological computer

In electronics, a transistor controls the flow of electrons along a circuit. Similarly, in biologics, a transcriptor controls the flow of a specific protein, RNA polymerase, as it travels along a strand of DNA.

"We have repurposed a group of natural proteins, called integrases, to realize digital control over the flow of RNA polymerase along DNA, which in turn allowed us to engineer amplifying genetic logic," said Endy.

Using transcriptors, the team has created what are known in electrical engineering as logic gates that can derive true-false answers to virtually any biochemical question that might be posed within a cell.

They refer to their transcriptor-based logic gates as "Boolean Integrase Logic," or "BIL gates" for short.

Transcriptor-based gates alone do not constitute a computer, but they are the third and final component of a biological computer that could operate within individual living cells.

Despite their outward differences, all modern computers, from ENIAC to Apple, share three basic functions: storing, transmitting and performing logical operations on information.

Last year, Endy and his team made news in delivering the other two core components of a fully functional genetic computer. The first was a type of rewritable digital data storage within DNA. They also developed a mechanism for transmitting genetic information from cell to cell, a sort of biological Internet.

It all adds up to creating a computer inside a living cell.

Boole's gold

Digital logic is often referred to as "Boolean logic," after George Boole, the mathematician who proposed the system in 1854. Today, Boolean logic typically takes the form of 1s and 0s within a computer. Answer true, gate open; answer false, gate closed. Open. Closed. On. Off. 1. 0. It's that basic. But it turns out that with just these simple tools and ways of thinking you can accomplish quite a lot.

"AND" and "OR" are just two of the most basic Boolean logic gates. An "AND" gate, for instance, is "true" when both of its inputs are true -- when "a" and "b" are true. An "OR" gate, on the other hand, is true when either or both of its inputs are true.

In a biological setting, the possibilities for logic are as limitless as in electronics, Bonnet explained. "You could test whether a given cell had been exposed to any number of external stimuli -- the presence of glucose and caffeine, for instance. BIL gates would allow you to make that determination and to store that information so you could easily identify those which had been exposed and which had not," he said.

By the same token, you could tell the cell to start or stop reproducing if certain factors were present. And, by coupling BIL gates with the team's biological Internet, it is possible to communicate genetic information from cell to cell to orchestrate the behavior of a group of cells.

"The potential applications are limited only by the imagination of the researcher," said co-author Monica Ortiz, a PhD candidate in bioengineering who demonstrated autonomous cell-to-cell communication of DNA encoding various BIL gates.

Building a transcriptor

To create transcriptors and logic gates, the team used carefully calibrated combinations of enzymes -- the integrases mentioned earlier -- that control the flow of RNA polymerase along strands of DNA. If this were electronics, DNA is the wire and RNA polymerase is the electron.

"The choice of enzymes is important," Bonnet said. "We have been careful to select enzymes that function in bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, so that bio-computers can be engineered within a variety of organisms."

On the technical side, the transcriptor achieves a key similarity between the biological transistor and its semiconducting cousin: signal amplification.

With transcriptors, a very small change in the expression of an integrase can create a very large change in the expression of any two other genes.

To understand the importance of amplification, consider that the transistor was first conceived as a way to replace expensive, inefficient and unreliable vacuum tubes in the amplification of telephone signals for transcontinental phone calls. Electrical signals traveling along wires get weaker the farther they travel, but if you put an amplifier every so often along the way, you can relay the signal across a great distance. The same would hold in biological systems as signals get transmitted among a group of cells.

"It is a concept similar to transistor radios," said Pakpoom Subsoontorn, a PhD candidate in bioengineering and co-author of the study who developed theoretical models to predict the behavior of BIL gates. "Relatively weak radio waves traveling through the air can get amplified into sound."

Public-domain biotechnology

To bring the age of the biological computer to a much speedier reality, Endy and his team have contributed all of BIL gates to the public domain so that others can immediately harness and improve upon the tools.

"Most of biotechnology has not yet been imagined, let alone made true. By freely sharing important basic tools everyone can work better together," Bonnet said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Andrew Myers.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jerome Bonnet, Peter Yin, Monica E. Ortiz, Pakpoom Subsoontorn, and Drew Endy. Amplifying Genetic Logic Gates. Science, 28 March 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1232758

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ED1fLVQ-WsM/130328142400.htm

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Gucci Mane Denied Bond In Assault Case

Rapper hit with aggravated assault with a weapon charge and ordered to stay in jail until April 10.
By Gil Kaufman

Gucci Mane
Photo: Prince Williams/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704481/gucci-mane-denied-bond-assault.jhtml

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Stumbles of S. Korean leader distract month into job

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korean President Park Geun-hye's honeymoon was over before it even began.

Only a month on the job, Park has stumbled repeatedly in the face of bitter opposition to policy proposals and her choices for top government posts.

Half a dozen Cabinet appointees have quit under clouds. The latest is Han Man-soo, who withdrew his nomination for antitrust chief Monday amid allegations he stashed millions of dollars overseas to avoid taxes. Other claims that have brought down Park appointees include real estate speculation, a sex-for-influence scandal, bribery and links to an arms broker.

"A couple of flops would've been acceptable, but having a total of six failures in the first few months means that the problem lies with her style," said Lee Cheol-hee, head of the Dumon Political Strategy Institute think tank. "She seems to think she can just hand down a list of people she prefers, without thinking hard about whether those people's credentials and ethical records fit the jobs they will be handling."

Critics also complain that she's still short on specifics about how to deal with pressing issues including an increasingly belligerent North Korea and serious domestic anxiety about fewer stable jobs, heavy household debt and a wide income gap. Compounding her trouble was a long deadlock that ended just last week over her ambitious proposal to overhaul government structure.

"Because the launch of the new government has been delayed by one month, we should work harder to fulfill our vision," Park said Monday.

Presidential spokeswoman Lee Mi-yeon defended Park's candidates as fresh and different choices, highlighting nominee Jeong H. Kim, a Korean American who was the former head of Bell Labs in the United States, for head of a new science and technology ministry.

Kim resigned earlier this month, citing political wrangling over the responsibilities of the science and technology ministry. Opponents questioned Kim's links to the Central Intelligence Agency as an external advisory board member for four years until 2011.

"The president has chosen people based on their expertise and competence, and she has acquainted herself with them through various activities," Park's spokeswoman said. Lee said the failed appointments have to do with each nominee's credentials rather than with Park's style. Lee also said many key appointments have now been made and the government believes it has turned a corner.

The troubles of the country's first female president have a lot to do with the fiercely divided political and social landscape in this still relatively young and rambunctious democracy. She also carries the heavy historical baggage of being the daughter of a dictator whose legacy still divides South Koreans.

The 61-year-old president, who was elected in December and inaugurated Feb. 25, has long faced claims of being aloof and an "imperial" decision-maker. The genesis of this criticism comes from her upbringing.

She is the eldest child of late President Park Chung-hee, who led South Korea for 18 years in the 1960s and '70s and is both denounced for human rights abuses and praised as a strong leader. She grew up in the Blue House and served as her father's first lady for the last five years of his rule, after her mother was killed in 1974 by an assassin who said he was sent by North Korea.

"When her father ruled, no one questioned the president's picks," Lee, the analyst, said. "But things have changed since. ... It's like Park is driving a car with a navigator system that has only decades-old maps."

Even Park's own ruling Saenuri Party has been critical. A spokesman called for a better system of screening appointees, and said whoever vetted the failed candidates should be held responsible.

Park spent much of her first month in office negotiating with opposition lawmakers over an ambitious government reorganization plan that aims to focus on science and economic growth. An agreement was reached only last week, more than 50 days after Park's party floated the proposal.

Her economic team met for the first time since her inauguration only on Monday, and critics said there was little other than promises of major policy goals and specific plans in coming days and weeks. Her economic policies include buzzwords like "economic democratization" and "creative economy."

"These are slogans more rhetorical than real, and few seem to know exactly what they mean, let alone how to realize them," the Korea Times said in an editorial Wednesday.

Park has made some progress, including an announcement this week of the start of a $1.35 billion fund to provide debt relief for more than half a million people unable to repay loans. The fund, however, is less than one-tenth the size of the one she promised during her campaign.

Despite North Korean threats that have followed new U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's recent nuclear test, Park has pressed forward with a vow to create trust and renew dialogue after five years of tension and animosity under her hard-line predecessor. She approved a shipment of anti-tuberculosis medicine to North Korea last week.

Things, however, may get worse if political gridlock and bickering continues.

Park faces an opposition with a strengthened veto power, and the possibility of organized resistance to her foreign policy initiatives by prominent liberal groups, Park Ihn-hwi, a professor at Ewha Womans University in South Korea, wrote on the Council on Foreign Relations' website.

Some also see growing cynicism with Park among young South Koreans, many of whom voted for her liberal opponent.

"If a political issue emerges to turn apathy into opposition, there is a real possibility that street demonstrations similar to those that occurred in the early days of the Lee Myung-bak administration could further hamper Park's ability to get things done," Scott Snyder, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a blog posting Wednesday.

Lee, Park's conservative predecessor, saw tens of thousands take to the streets in 2008 to protest what opponents called a hasty government decision to allow U.S. beef imports to resume.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stumbles-skorean-leader-distract-month-job-015503480.html

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Give Your Desktop a Drink with These Liquid Wallpapers

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/6EFomEOdDgI/

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Institutional Investors Increase Their Home Buying Activity by 50%

Monday, March 25th, 2013
By Michael Lombardi, MBA for Profit Confidential

I may be the only one saying it: the rise in the U.S. housing market doesn?t look sustainable.

One of the most critical components of the housing market I follow is first-time home buyers. Why? As I have said many times in these pages, they are the ones who promote economic growth by increasing consumer spending after they make a home purchase; they buy furniture, appliances, audio/visual electronics, and more to fill the homes they buy.

Looking at the existing U.S. home sales for February, I see first-time home buyers accounted for only 30% of purchases in the housing market?that?s 6.25% lower than the number of first-time home buyers one year ago, in February of 2012. (Source: National Association of Realtors, March 21, 2013.) Until first-time home buyers pour into the housing market, I don?t expect it to go much further in terms of price increases.

With that said, the question arises: who is actually buying the homes and causing home prices to start increasing? According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the national median home price for all housing increased 11.6% to $173,600 in February of 2013 from last February.

Home prices have increased for 12 consecutive months now. They haven?t been big increases, but the last time the U.S. housing market witnessed this many consecutive months of price increases was from June 2005 to May 2006.

The reality is that it?s the investors who are buying up homes right across America.

While the number of first-time home buyers declined in February, investors accounted for 22% of all the existing homes purchases in the U.S. housing market. In January, they accounted for only 19%.

According to a report by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE/JPM), institutional investors are looking to invest $10.0 billion in the housing market in an effort to rent the properties out for income. (Source: USA Today, January 22, 2013.)

The recent Market Pulse report by CoreLogic says institutional investors increased their buying activities by more than 50% in 2012?they bought houses in major cities, like Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. (Source: CoreLogic, March 18, 2013.)

The average American consumer hasn?t come back to the housing market, as they are struggling?facing higher food and gas prices and lower real disposable income.

It?s the big institutional investors buying homes to rent and not the end-user home occupant; a housing recovery will not sustain itself in the long term under such a scenario. Consider Phoenix, Arizona, for example, where the so-called housing market ?recovery? is robust. In 2011, institutional investors purchased 16% of all the homes sold. By 2012, they purchased 26% of all homes sold.

It isn?t rocket science; when investors are running to the housing market, and buying with two hands, the supply will decrease and the prices will obviously increase. My question is: what happens when their returns diminish (as home prices increase further) and these same institutional investors try to exit the market?

The activity in the housing market is artificial.

Michael?s Personal Notes:

While the mainstream focuses on the smallest nation in the eurozone, Cyprus, I am concerned about the overall health of the global economy. The reality is that progress in the global economy is slowing down with major economic hubs struggling.

Dear reader, Cyprus will eventually get a bailout. We have already seen countries like Spain, Portugal, and Greece each receive a significant amount of loans to keep their countries afloat. Why would Cyprus be any different?

But aside from Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus, when I look at the remainder of the global economy, I see a recession emerging. Demand is simply declining in the global economy?which I believe will lead to a recession.

Look at China: the Chinese economy is expected to grow at 8.1% in 2013 and eight percent in 2014. In 2012, the country grew at the slowest pace in 13 years. (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, March 20, 2013.) But I believe the growth forecasts for China are overly optimistic.

The Chinese Customs Administration reported that the country imported only 56.4 million tons of iron ore?the main ingredient for steel production?in February 2013, compared to 65.5 million tons in January. This represents a decline of almost 14%. Steel production in China gives us an idea about the health of the global economy.

According to Citigroup Inc. (NYSE/C), steel demand in China was only 2.1% in 2012, compared to 20% in 2010. Keep in mind that China is the biggest producer of steel in the world!

Similarly, the Japanese economy?a well-known exporter in the global economy?is facing hardship, too, as its exports decline and the country is back in a recession.

The eurozone, one of the major hurdles for economic growth in the global economy, continues to be in severe distress. It?s not only debt-infested countries that are struggling, but stronger nations like France and Germany are begging for growth now, too.

On the other side of the global economy, Brazil is facing economic scrutiny as well. According to the country?s central bank, Brazil?s trade deficit in February was $1.3 billion, compared to a surplus of $1.7 billion in February of 2012.

These are just a few hints of how sick the global economy really is.

For us here at home, a recession in the global economy will further weaken the U.S. economy, as 40% of American-based S&P 500 companies that derive sales from outside the U.S. face mounting pressure for earnings growth. Once big U.S. companies start suffering, it?s all downhill from there for the U.S. economy.

Where the Market Stands; Where It?s Headed:

The stock market is overbought, with far too much optimism amongst stock advisors and investors. Corporate insiders are at their most bearish level since the late 1990s. (See ?Corporate Insiders Most Bearish in 14 Years.?) Corporate earnings growth will be negative again this quarter, the second time that?s happened in the past three quarters. The VIX is at its lowest level in years (see ?Fear Index Says This Stock Market Reminiscent of October 2007?), and the U.S. economy almost had negative growth in the last quarter of 2012.

I?m sitting back, just waiting for this market to fall.

What He Said:

?I?ve been pushing gold bullion and gold shares for over a year now. Bank in January 2002, I personally started buying gold shares.? Michael Lombardi, Profit Confidential, December 13, 2002. Gold bullion was trading under $300.00 an ounce when Michael first started recommending gold-related investments.

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Institutional Investors Increase Their Home Buying Activity by 50%, 1.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/real-estate-market/institutional-investors-increase-their-home-buying-activity-by-50/

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2013 Ford Fusion S from North America

Good comfortable vehicle, gets a lot of looks.

Can't beat the car for the price. The engine runs smooth, and it has decent pick up and gas mileage for the size of the vehicle. Interior is nice and has all of your basic luxuries in the base model, without all of the fluff.

Source: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/ford/fusion/2013/

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Technotronic: Pump Up The Jam

You know what, tonight we're gonna rock this. Do you need the Billboard Hot 100 from 1990 to tell you about good music? No. Because you already know that visualizing sound waves in neon colors on a zebra-print backdrop is the only real way to make a music video. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yuTSfmfQSBM/technotronic-pump-up-the-jam

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How to Select the Right Fort Worth Neighborhood - RealEstate.com

With a hometown feel that still has the metropolitan vibe that so many people are looking for, it?s no wonder so many people choose to call Fort Worth, Texas home. There are a variety of established and developing neighborhoods to consider in Fort Worth, and choosing the right spot to settle can be a difficult task. With so many amazing communities, how do you choose?

In an effort to streamline the process, a good place to start is to make a list of your wants and needs. Do you have small children who love to play at the park? Or are you single and looking for a place that offers more entertainment and nightlife options? Either way, creating a set of parameters is essential before you begin the quest for a Fort Worth home. This will help narrow your search and keep you focused! Here?s an overview of some of the Fort Worth neighborhoods where you should consider focusing your search.

Close to Downtown

Six Points is an ideal community if you?re hoping to stay close to downtown. Perhaps you work there, or just like the idea of being a short drive away from everything downtown has to offer. Just southeast of the downtown area, Six Points is an up-and-coming neighborhood that is packed with new bars and restaurants. Race Street is a unique street that has undergone a revival in recent years, and with housing prices more affordable compared with other neighborhoods, it?s a great option for first-time Fort Worth homebuyers.

Nightlife and Entertainment

If you?re big on going out and want to be close to the Stockyards historic district, neighborhoods like Rosen Heights, Diamond Hill, and Northside would all be fantastic choices. The Fort Worth Stockyards were once home to the largest livestock markets in the country and played a vital role in Fort Worth?s early growth. Today, they?re filled with exceptional restaurants, bars, and country music venues, like Billy Bob?s, that are renowned across the U.S. For foodies, there?s no better place. In fact, Tim Love of ?Iron Chef America? and ?Top Chef Masters? owns a variety of restaurants nearby.

Family Life

If you?re looking for the picture-perfect family neighborhood, Arlington Heights is where it?s at. Here, most of the homes feature Bungalow or Tudor architecture and were built in the 1920s. It attracts growing families as well as young professionals and retirees, making it a great option for Fort Worth homebuyers interested in a more laid back lifestyle. It?s close to the Cultural District, downtown and Camp Bowie Boulevard, and its location on Fort Worth?s west side make it an ideal choice for those looking for convenience.

Prestige and Luxury

If your heart is set on finding a Fort Worth luxury home, Rivercrest is the neighborhood for you. Billed as one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Fort Worth, many smaller homes here have been replaced by expansive abodes. That?s not to say that there aren?t still the charming Tudors and Bugalows of the past; Rivercrest actually features a unique mix of historic mansions, smaller homes, and even some apartment buildings. Of course, the vast majority of the neighborhood surrounds the Rivercrest Country Club, a favorite among Fort Worth homeowners. It?s one of the oldest private country clubs in Texas.

Fort Worth is a rather expansive city, so keeping in mind your lifestyle and preference is essential when you?re searching for a home. Once you?re certain about the kind of neighborhood you?re looking for, it?s time to pound the pavement and look for the perfect house.

This guest post was written by?Prudential Texas Properties. They?provide real estate services to the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, including Arlington, Plano, Southlake and more. Their team of experienced and knowledgeable real estate agents work with home buyers and sellers to ensure that their introduction to homeownership is as stress-free as possible.?

Tagged as: Arlington Heights, Fort Worth, homebuyer, Rivercrest, Stockyards, texas

Source: http://www.realestate.com/advice/how-to-select-the-right-fort-worth-neighborhood-51412/

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China's Internet Architecture Gives the Rest of Us a Run for Our Money

In a lot of ways, China's Internet isn't the sort of Internet you want to be using. It's ridiculously censored, for example. But in other ways, it's way better than the stuff we have over here. According to a recent report from the New England Complex Systems Institute, China's 'net infrastructure is head and shoulders above what we've got here in the west. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/27Ho1Ro6axU/chinas-internet-architecture-gives-the-rest-of-us-a-run-for-our-money

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Jones, Hosmer lead US past Canada, move up in WBC

Canada's Adam Loewen delivers an RBI single against the United States in the sixth inning during a World Baseball Classic baseball game on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Canada's Adam Loewen delivers an RBI single against the United States in the sixth inning during a World Baseball Classic baseball game on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

United States manager Joe Torre puts his sunglasses on after delivering the lineup card to the umpires prior to a World Baseball Classic baseball game against Canada on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Former MLB players representing their countries Ferguson Jenkins, left, of Canada, and Ken Griffey, Jr., of the United States, throw out the first pitch prior to a World Baseball Classic baseball game between Canada and the United States on Sunday, March 10, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

PHOENIX (AP) ? Adam Jones doubled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning, Eric Hosmer had a three-run double in the ninth and the United States beat Canada 9-4 on Sunday to advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic.

Down to their last several outs, the U.S. trailed 3-2 after seven innings before breaking loose. Team USA and Italy advanced in the group while Canada and Mexico were eliminated.

Jones and Hosmer both had a rough week at the plate but came through with the United States on the brink of what would have been a humbling loss. Jones' hit was his second in nine at-bats. Hosmer was 3 for 13.

Heath Bell pitched a scoreless seventh to get the victory. Jimmy Henderson took the loss.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-10-WBC-Canada-United%20States/id-81750469024e49ccb4cf66dd76a8c359

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Police: Delhi gang rape suspect kills self in jail

NEW DELHI (AP) ? The main suspect in the gang rape and fatal beating of a woman on a New Delhi bus, an attack that horrified Indians and set off national protests, committed suicide in jail Monday, police officials said.

Ram Singh, who is accused of driving the bus on which the 23-year-old student was raped and fatally assaulted by a group of six men in December, hanged himself with his own clothes, said G. Sudhakar, the top police official at Tihar jail.

Singh, along with four other men on trial with him on rape, murder and abduction charges, had been under a suicide watch, another jail official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. He said the five were being held in separate cells in separate buildings at the jail.

If convicted, the men could face the death penalty. The sixth accused is being tried and jailed separately because he is a juvenile.

Singh's lawyer, A. P. Singh, confirmed his client's death, saying he died at 5:30 a.m. He alleged that police maleficence led to his client's death.

"What do you mean killed himself? He has been killed in prison," Singh said.

Lawyers for the men have previously accused police of beating confessions out of their clients.

Indian jails have a reputation for overcrowding, poor management and brutal treatment of inmates.

The woman and a male friend were attacked after boarding the bus Dec. 16 as they tried to return home after watching a movie, police say. The six men, the only occupants of the private bus, beat the man with a metal bar, raped the woman and used the bar to inflict massive internal injuries to her, police say. The victims were dumped naked on the roadside, and the woman died from her injuries two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.

The brutal attack set off nationwide protests about India's treatment of women and spurred the government to hurry through a new package of laws to protect them.

Singh's death comes as the trial was deep underway, with another hearing scheduled for Monday. There was no word if that would be affected.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-10-India-Gang%20Rape/id-33b8d213466a4de89a9ae3403d233f64

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Expert views on the top 5 qualities for a pope

Leading historian Michael Walsh discusses the impact of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, his legacy and whether there's a chance that the next pontiff will be a non-European.

By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

ROME ? As the world?s eyes fall on the papal conclave due to begin Tuesday, cardinals must now identify the key characteristics they want to see in the next leader of the world?s 1.2 billion Catholics ? and then find the man who matches their vision of the ?ideal? pontiff.

So what are the top five qualities that should be on the resume of the next pope? NBC?s team of experts in Rome give their insight into what the cardinals will be looking for.

Management skills
?A pope needs to know how to lead and manage a team,? says Father John Bartunek,?a Catholic priest and author?who provided spiritual support on the set of Mel Gibson?s "The Passion of the Christ" while researching his 2005 best-seller about the film, "Inside the Passion." ?If he can?t create cohesion among his primary co-workers ? especially the curia and the bishops ? all his other efforts will be hampered.?

That doesn?t necessarily mean a candidate with a ruthless eye for boardroom-style effectiveness. The next pope could be somebody who can select the right team alongside him.

?Popes of the 21st century cannot be micromanaging their chief executives so they must have good judgment in the men they select to lead local churches as bishops and to manage the machinery of the church,? says George Weigel, NBC Vatican analyst, biographer of Pope John Paul II and author of over 20 books, including ?Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church". ?

Good communicator
?The pope should be a gifted communicator ? skilled in a variety of languages but above all skilled in the art of persuasive speech,? says Father Robert Barron,?a Catholic priest, author and documentary-maker. ?He should also be a man with a global vision, a sense of the universal church and its needs.?

Given the demographics of world Catholicism in the 21st century, a pope without a functional knowledge of English and Spanish is going to be at a serious disadvantage, says Weigel. ?And until the Roman Curia changes its ingrained habits and institutional culture, a working knowledge of Italian is also an important attribute for a pope.?

An evangelist
A pope needs ?to encourage, inspire, and support every member of the Church in this beautiful and crucial mission,? says Bartunek.

Weigel adds: ?The church needs to present the gospel of good news in a positive and compelling way, suggesting to the secular world that there?s more to life than ?me, myself and I,? and that a larger horizon of aspiration might actually lead to a happier human life. That?s going to take a missionary, evangelical pope to put a face on the evangelical fervor that is already felt through the church, including in the United States.

?And let?s underscore that: The Catholic church is vital and lively in America. A reclusive man, a man who wears his doubts and his sense of ambiguities on his sleeve or who is shy about the world media, is lacking an important quality.?

Trustworthiness
?One word can sum up this conclave and papal election: trust,? says Elizabeth Lev, an American living in Rome who teaches in the Catholic studies program at the University of St. Thomas. ?Of the many concerns and challenges that the cardinals are airing in these days of meetings, they will all be looking above all for the man they can trust to lead the church forward on its journey.

?Scandals of all kinds have undermined the trust people placed in the church; aggressive secularism and encroachment on religious liberty have shaken the trust many Catholics have towards the outside world; the next pope will have to restore that trust.?

A common touch
The next pope "needs to understand and be in synch with today?s culture,? Bartunek believes. ?Otherwise, how will he be able to connect the Catholic faith to the felt needs of God?s children throughout the world???

Barron agrees that the cardinals must choose a man ?who understands the dynamics of the secularism that has come to dominate so much of Western culture.?

/

The pope delivers his final audience in St. Peter's Square as he prepares to stand down.

That could point to a candidate with a grounding in the pastoral work of the church. ??John Paul II came to Peter?s chair with a vast amount of pastoral experience that proved to be a great benefit,? says Weigel. ?Virtually every one of the major initiatives of his papacy can be traced back to his experience as archbishop of Krakow ? as test bed for his pontificate, if you will.?

With those qualities on the agenda, NBC?s experts agree that characteristics such as background and race shouldn?t be up for consideration.

?As it will be difficult enough to find a candidate who has a measure of all these qualities, nationality ought to mean nothing in the final choice,? says Weigel. ?It would be irresponsible of cardinal-electors to constrain their choices by dismissing some nationalities, races, or ethnicities, or by giving pride of place to others.?

Bartunek says age, nationality and personality are ?secondary? traits that matter only in relation to how they affect the other ideal characteristics, although Barron suggests ?it would be wise to choose someone under 70.?

Lev adds: ?The conclave will not be a casting call. Trust isn't old or young, tall or short, black or white, media friendly or shy ? if you look at the ways trust has been depicted in art over the centuries, it is sometimes a frightened fisherman sinking in troubled waters reaching up to a serene Christ while at other times it is a woman standing tall and steadfast while holding a cross for grace through suffering.?

Finally, Weigel points out anyone actually wanting the job is likely to be ruled out as a result, ?not so much for a lack of humility as for a lack of prudence. No sane man seeks the physical and spiritual burden of the papacy. The office seeks the man.?

Related:

Riots, revenge and royal rigging: A history of controversial conclaves

Will Catholics embrace change? The view from one parish in Rome

Full coverage of the papal abdication from NBC News

?

?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/10/17237548-a-ceo-with-the-common-touch-expert-views-on-the-top-5-qualities-for-a-pope?lite

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Source: www.nytimes.com --- Thursday, March 07, 2013
Luka Modric's mediocre season at Real Madrid has raised doubts about his international place but Croatia Coach Igor Stimac says the midfielder will again be his driving force in this month's World Cup qualifying matches. ...

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Interior pick puts outdoor industry in spotlight

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama points towards REI CEO Sally Jewell as he announces that he is nominating her as the next interior secretary replacing outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama points towards REI CEO Sally Jewell as he announces that he is nominating her as the next interior secretary replacing outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

FILE - In this March 2006 file photo, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) CEO Sally Jewell poses for a photo at REI's Seattle flagship store. Jewell doesn?t wear a cowboy hat favored by traditional picks for Secretary of the Interior. Jewell prefers fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and wears a safety helmet when she needs it for scaling cliffs, skiing or kayaking. (AP Photo/Scott Cohen, File)

FILE - This March 22, 2006 file photo shows Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) CEO Sally Jewell climbing the 65-foot rock climbing pinnacle at REI's Seattle flagship store. She doesn?t wear a cowboy hat favored by traditional picks for Secretary of the Interior. Jewell prefers fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and wears a safety helmet when she needs it for scaling cliffs, skiing or kayaking. (AP Photo/Scott Cohen, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama watches as his Interior Secretary nominee, REI Chief Executive Officer Sally Jewell, center, gets a kiss from outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, where the president announced that Jewell is his choice to replace Salazar. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

In this Feb. 22, 2013 photo, Peter Metcalf, president and CEO of Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Inc., speaks during an interview, in Holladay, Utah. The nomination of Sally Jewell, a mountain-climbing CEO, underscores the growing power and influence of outdoor recreation as an economic and political force. ?It?s a total game-changer, a recognition of changes in how public lands are used,? said Metcalf, a maker of ski and climbing gear and apparel. ?Politics in Washington have finally caught up with reality.? (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? She doesn't wear a cowboy hat favored by traditional picks for interior secretary. Sally Jewell prefers fleece and Gore-Tex jackets and wears a safety helmet when she needs it for scaling cliffs, skiing or kayaking.

Jewell, the 57-year-old chief of Recreational Equipment Inc., represents a new face for a cabinet post more often associated with ranching or oil, gas and mining development. The fact that a mountain-climbing CEO of an outdoors company is President Barack Obama's nominee underscores a new reality in Washington and beyond: the growing influence of outdoor recreation as a political and economic force.

"It's a total game-changer ? a recognition of changes in how public lands are used," said Peter Metcalf, president and CEO of Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Inc., a maker of ski and climbing gear and apparel. "Politics in Washington have finally caught up with reality."

While past interior secretaries have ranged from conservationists, like former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbitt, to allies of industry like Reagan's first Interior Secretary James G. Watt, they always have been challenged by the competing forces that want to use the federal government's vast lands. That tension doesn't figure to ease under Jewell, who faced her first Senate hearing Thursday and is expected to be confirmed in coming weeks.

Critics complain that the outdoor industry has worked to lock up valuable lands and stymie development in the West. Though oil and gas trade groups aren't opposing Jewell, the nomination of a woman who has a led a recreation-focused company with 128 stores in 31 states alarms some who argue that she might favor her own industry over others.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah said the recreation industry is "a special interest group like any other .... They have clearly wanted their industry to have a primary position on certain pieces of land."

At Thursday's hearing, Jewell cited federal statistics showing that the Interior Department generated more than $12 billion in revenue from energy production last year, and that visitors to national parks generated an estimated $30 billion in economic activity.

"These are impressive numbers. They underscore the important balance that the Department of the Interior must maintain to ensure that our public lands and waters are managed wisely, using the best science available, to harness their economic potential while preserving their multiple uses for future generations," she said.

Jewell, who also has experience in the oil industry and as a banker, already has been tested with demands as she prepares to take over the department, which manages 780,000 square miles of public lands, including the national parks.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski threatened to hold up Jewell's nomination if the Obama administration refuses to approve a road to an all-weather airport across a wildlife refuge in the Aleutian Islands. Murkowski called Jewell into her Washington office Feb. 27 on the demand, but said she's expecting departing interior secretary Ken Salazar to give the approval before he leaves office.

It wasn't long ago that that the notion of the outdoors industry holding major political clout would have been difficult to imagine.

"We've always thought the outdoor sector was important. It's just getting others to recognize it that was the challenge," said Sue Rechner, chief of Confluence Watersports, a Greenville, S.C., maker of Mad River canoes and other watersports brands.

Outdoor executives acknowledge they were somewhat naive when they started in politics. They first tried to lobby members of Congress by giving ice-ax awards ? that didn't cut it, said Metcalf, one of the industry's most active and passionate voices.

"Some of the feedback we began to get back was, 'By the way, this is Washington, D.C. Money talks. Nice to hear from you, but I got a campaign to run,'" he said. "So we began making contributions. It was clear if there wasn't any money behind it, we were compromising ourselves."

Industry officials say Americans spend $646 billion a year on outdoor gear and apparel, off-road vehicles and travel and services, creating 6.1 million professional and seasonal jobs. Many American brands dominate the global marketplace for outdoor equipment.

In Washington, the 4,000-member Outdoor Industry Association tripled its PAC contributions in 2012 to nearly $90,000, according to data compiled by opensecrets.org. The industry spends around $300,000 a year on lobbying, but says it didn't push for Jewell's nomination and that she earned it on her own.

In Utah, the OIA pressured the state's Republican governor to treat outdoor recreation seriously by threatening to pull a lucrative trade show out of Salt Lake City. They have helped fund nonprofits that push for increased land preservation, sometimes butting heads with energy groups seeking to drill on federal lands.

"This is an economic engine, not just a bunch of guys trying to protect the land," said Mike Reberg, district director for Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. "They created an economic perspective on why this stuff is important."

Lobbying disclosures show the OIA's leading issues are protecting wilderness lands and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Act, which steers money from offshore oil leases to recreation programs. It has teamed up with other industry players to push for a repeal of the 1930s tariff on imported shoes.

"Our industry is often overlooked because of how diverse and broad it is. It's not a normal economic sector," said Frank Hugelmeyer, OIA's president. "We're a horizontal industry that touches many traditional economic sectors."

Beyond her executive experience, it was Jewell's work on the board of the National Parks Conservation Association and for President Barack Obama's "America's Great Outdoors Initiative" brought her leadership to the attention of the White House.

"She knows the link between conservation and good jobs," Obama said at a White House ceremony Feb. 6. "She knows that there's no contradiction."

Jewell is inspirational, "mission-driven" and a consensus builder who nearly doubled REI's revenues to $1.8 billion since joining REI in 2000 and will raise the profile of the industry, said company chairman John Hamlin, managing partner of the private-equity firm Bozeman Limited Partnership.

Among the issues Jewell will need to navigate is the collision between a record-setting energy boom ? which has led to sharply increased drilling over the past decade ? and the desire of western communities to lure tourists and information-age workers who want to be able to play outdoors, using the gear the industry makes.

Kathleen Sgamma, vice president of government and public affairs for the Western Energy Alliance, said she's baffled at the hostility to energy exploration among the outdoor recreation industry.

"They're not transporting their products via windmills," she said. "Their customers wouldn't be able to use all that gear in the mountains without driving in their cars."

Bishop complained that REI has pushed for America's Redrock Wilderness Act, a bill that has languished in Congress for years without action because of the Utah delegation's opposition. It also helped fund nonprofits who sued to stop the Bush administration's award of 77 oil and gas leases on Utah land in 2008. He scoffed at those who argue that the West can prosper from the recreation economy.

"Recreation is a great element but it's only one of the elements you need," Bishop said. "It is extremely volatile. You need a good industrial sector. You need a good manufacturing sector. You need a good mining sector."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-08-Outdoor%20Recreation-Politics/id-da9a6f7291ef4c83bed79dd1d240bfcf

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How Science fits in Race & Media Discussions: #Scisplain #Journosplain

By DNLee?| March 6, 2013 |??

Share ?Email ?Print

---

During a recent Twitterchat #L21MediaChat on Race & Media hosted by The Loop 21 and UNITY Journalists I recommended that Science belongs in this conversation ? and not as aside.

Here is a summary of the conversation on the intersection of Science, Race, and Media.

About the Author: DNLee is a biologist and she studies animal behavior, mammalogy, and ecology . She uses social media, informal experiential science experiences, and draws from hip hop culture to share science with general audiences, particularly under-served groups. Follow on Twitter @DNLee5.

More??

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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---

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a9752dd675383bef0485d4cdaa19b0fa

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Google services should not require real names: Vint Cerf

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - In the face of increasing government-led crackdowns on social media, Google Inc should not force Internet users to reveal their real names for some services, including its Google+ social network, said Vint Cerf, a senior Google executive known as a "father of the Internet."

In an interview with Reuters, Cerf acknowledged that the search giant's sweeping push in the past 18 months to institute real-name authentication for Google+ and other services has sparked intense debate within its Mountain View, California, headquarters. But he argued that current name policy, which allows for some users to display pseudonyms, offers adequate "choice" in how users choose to represent themselves.

Over the past year, the company has strongly encouraged users to merge their accounts on YouTube, Gmail and other Google properties into a single Google+ identity, the company's social network offering that asks users to use the "common name" they are known by in the real world.

"Using real names is useful," Cerf said. "But I don't think it should be forced on people, and I don't think we do."

The comments from one of the Internet industry's most high-profile thinkers come at a time when the debate over the future of online anonymity is roiling tech circles, with the outcome bearing profound implications for Internet use around the world.

Google and Facebook Inc are leading the charge to encourage Internet users to log on and carry out their digital lives with their offline identities, arguing that greater transparency enhances online transactions and communication.

But Cerf recognized using real names could land social media users under oppressive regimes in "fatal trouble," and Google will not enforce its policy in such instances. But in many other cases, user authentication should be promoted, he said.

"Anonymity and pseudonymity are perfectly reasonable under some situations," Cerf said. "But there are cases where in the transactions both parties really need to know who are we talking to. So what I'm looking for is not that we shut down anonymity, but rather that we offer an option when needed that can strongly authenticate who the parties are."

In the past few months Cerf has warned that governments ? including democratic ones ? are increasingly censoring and filtering the Web, while some regimes are seeking to ban online anonymity in order to control political speech.

"At Google, we see and feel the dangers of the government-led Net crackdown," he wrote in a CNN.com editorial in December.

DOLLAR MOTIVE

Yet digital rights activists have accused two of the Internet industry's most influential players ? Facebook and Google ? of leading the charge against anonymity by pushing its users to identify themselves, which can turn up valuable information for two companies that essentially make money by advertising and tracking user behavior.

When Google+ launched in 2011, its requirement that users display their real names alarmed activists who accused the Web giant of abandoning its "Don't be evil" corporate mantra to pursue growing rival Facebook. The world's most popular social network has been the most aggressive in enforcing its policy, with Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg once equating keeping multiple identities with "a lack of integrity."

In one instance in 2011, Facebook suspended British author Salman Rushdie's account and, after reviewing his passport, changed his Facebook identity to "Ahmed Rushdie." The company relented after Rushdie played up the row on Twitter, but it has stood by its policy as a general matter.

"This real name culture leads to greater accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for our users, and we firmly believe that the use of authentic identity helps people get the most value out of the site," Facebook spokesman Frederic Wolens said.

Due to its easy integration, many online messaging boards or third-party apps ? like music-streaming service Vevo.com, for instance ? increasingly require users to log in with their Facebook credentials. Last week, Google introduced a similar Google+ log-in service for third-party sites.

In response to public outcry, Google in 2012 began allowing nicknames and pseudonyms for a fraction of Google+'s 500 million users, and has since reiterated that it would encourage - but not require - Gmail and YouTube users to sign in with Google+.

Although its algorithms sift through Google+ to flag accounts with symbols or common nouns, a Google spokesman said the company will not require user authentication with official documents such as passports.

Still, Google's aggressive push to implement Google+ has been controversial even within the company, and Google+ chief Vic Gundotra had to downplay suggestions of internal disagreements over its roll-out in recent press interviews.

"There was a debate on this subject and it was resolved," Cerf told Reuters. Requiring real names "denies (users) choice," he said. "Our conclusion was that choice is important."

Google respected its users' rights more than Facebook, but the company did not go far enough, said Jillian York of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an Internet rights group.

"Google's approach to this takes the view that the only thing that people want to stay safe from is government, and that's not entirely true," York said. "People are also concerned about staying protected from Google itself."

Cerf, 69, co-invented the protocols that underpin the Internet in the 1970s, when he taught at Stanford and worked with the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Since 2005, when he joined Google as its "chief Internet evangelist," Cerf has been a fixture at international technology conferences, often sporting his signature three-piece suits and fiercely advocating for Internet freedom.

Cerf personally uses two Google+ accounts, for work and socializing, but took a few tongue-in-cheek swipes at Google's rival, which he said was diluted by too many distractions.

"I'm on Facebook and I found it less than useful," said Cerf, who explained that he accepted every Facebook friend request when he first joined the service ? only to quickly hit the maximum threshold of 5,000 friends.

"I complained to (Facebook Chief Operating Officer) Sheryl Sandberg that I thought that was a personal insult that they thought I had too many friends," he said. "I think they changed it for me."

(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-services-not-require-real-names-vint-cerf-120515311--sector.html

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The Engadget Interview: ARM president Simon Segars at MWC 2013

We met up with ARM president Simon Segars at Mobile World Congress to chat about the company's recent milestones -- 8-core big.LITTLE processors, the powerful yet efficient Cortex-A50 architecture (which we discussed with James Bruce last year), MediaTek's Cortex-A7 quad-core SoC (the first of its kind) and Samsung's octa-core Exynos 5 chip -- to name a few. Hit the break to watch our video and read the interview transcript.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Beam me up, Yoda: Obama flubs 'Star Trek' term

President Barack Obama pause as he speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room in Washington, Friday, March 1, 2013, following a meeting with congressional leaders regarding the automatic spending cuts. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama pause as he speaks to reporters in the White House briefing room in Washington, Friday, March 1, 2013, following a meeting with congressional leaders regarding the automatic spending cuts. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? He's not a dictator and won't entertain the idea of a "Jedi mind-meld" with opponents. There's no "secret formula or special sauce" he can slip foes to make them see things his way. And not to worry, he says, the situation may look dire but won't be an "apocalypse."

So who was the guy in a suit and tie who showed up Friday in the White House briefing room, mixing metaphors and references to "Star Wars" and "Star Trek"?

"I am not a dictator. I'm the president," Barack Obama declared as he rejected the idea of using Secret Service agents to keep lawmakers from leaving until everyone agreed on a budget. He answered reporters' questions shortly after an inconclusive, 52-minute meeting with the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate.

"So ultimately, if (Senate Minority leader) Mitch McConnell or (House Speaker) John Boehner say, 'We need to go to catch a plane,' I can't have Secret Service block the doorway. Right?"

Even if he did bar his office ? the oval one ? Obama said he wouldn't do a "Jedi mind-meld" with Congress' top two Republicans to persuade them "to do what's right."

Yoda-quoting nerds, Beltway insiders and even Hollywood heroes were instantly abuzz. The presidential mishmash of sci-fi references went viral, turning off geeks who had considered Obama one of their own after a slip of the tongue that was almost as bad as confusing Klingons and Ewoks, or even Democrats and Republicans.

Jedi are from "Star Wars," while mind melds happened on "Star Trek."

Mister Spock of "Star Trek" weighed in.

"Only a Vulcan mind-meld would be effective on this Congress. LLAP," Leonard Nimoy emailed after The Associated Press sought his reaction. Nimoy signed off with the abbreviation for his "Live long and prosper."

Maybe it was the power of the Force or some kind of Starfleet prime directive, but the White House couldn't ignore comments like that, flashing in and out of time and space and mixed metaphors like a Tardis traveling at warp speed in social media. It later tweeted: "We must bring balance to the force," with a link to an Obama photo inside a border designed to look like outer space.

As for the situation that led Obama to the briefing room in the first place, he could have quoted Bobby McFerrin and just said: "Don't worry. Be happy."

Instead, the president went with: "This is not going to be a apocalypse."

___

AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein and Associated Press writer Caleb Jones in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-01-US-Obama-Jedi-Mindmeld/id-a9022e62e5bf4d16a0447fef3f7eb4ed

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Qatar funds huge Palestinian settlement in West Bank

Paul Goldman / NBC News

By Martin Fletcher, Correspondent, NBC News

RAWABI, West Bank ? As gambles go, it hardly gets bigger: A $1 billion dollar bet on peace ??or at least a measure of calm ??in the West Bank.

Even the founder of Rawabi, the biggest construction project in the history of the Palestinian people, says nobody in his right mind would invest here.

Standing on a wind-swept hilltop overlooking the biblical hills of Judea, a half-hour drive from Ramallah, Bashar Al-Masri points to the Palestinian flags flying atop the giant cranes that are building, with phenomenal speed, the first modern Palestinian town.

?As a teenager, raising the Palestinian flag was enough to be shot and killed,? he says, immaculate in a form-hugging, thin-lapelled dark suit and narrow burgundy tie.

?This is a small, symbolic way of how long we came along, and how much we will come along in the future,? adds Al-Masri, who as a teenager threw stones at Israeli soldiers.

The largest flag is mounted on a pole facing the Jewish settlement of Atteret, a community of about a hundred families located across a small valley.

The flag is a deliberate statement.

?So that we can show our unfriendly neighbors who were violently against us that we're here, and we're here to stay, and we're not afraid of you, we will remain here,? Al-Masri says.

Nation-building
Two-thirds of the investment in this town comes from the government of Qatar?s investment fund, Al-Masri explains. The design, planning and construction are all by Palestinians, with outside help, and what appears to make him proudest of all, he says, there is no input from Israel.

He says there are more than 8,000 families interested in moving in, and the first few hundred apartments will go on the market in March, with the town?s inauguration in May. The cost of the apartments, depending on size and location, is between $75,000 and $140,000.

?This is about nation-building, this is about doing what?s right, this is my contribution that I know the best,? says Al-Masri. ?The human rights activists have their contribution, the [Palestinian Authority] people are building capacity and building the government, we're all together as the Palestinian people building a state.?

There are two main practical problems for the new town. All the water has to be piped in, and there is no obvious source. ?We are in this project, putting facts on the ground, and things will have to follow,? is Al-Masri?s answer, hoping for a miracle.

And access. The only road to Rawabi passes through what is known as Area C: that part of the West Bank that is fully controlled by Israel, administratively and militarily. It is a narrow, winding road that the Palestinians can use only with an Israeli permit, which must be renewed each year.

Al-Masri talks of a tunnel through the hills linking Rawabi with Ramallah, barely visible on the horizon. Will that ever happen? "Probably not,? he admits. ?It?s a problem."

Paul Goldman / NBC News

The view to Rawabi from the nearby Jewish settlement of Atteret.

On the nearest hill, looking at Rawabi from Atteret, the manager of the Jewish settlement, Noam Aharon, agrees. ?They throw stones at us,? he says, talking about young Palestinians. ?Just last month they smashed my windscreen. Stones can kill. And if they try to kill us, we will kill them.?

?What do you think of their new town??

Leap of faith
?It spoils the view. But they can have it ??they can do what they want, as long as we can live here in peace. If we can?t, neither can they.?

Building a new town out of this scraggly, dry wilderness ??from where on a clear day you can see the towers of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea ??is a leap of faith, which al-Al-Masri does not deny.

It is being built against the opposition of many Palestinians who see any peaceful project as a way of affirming the status quo with Israel, of denying the Palestinian struggle.

??Of course I believe, I must believe that there will be peace with Israel, and it?s a matter of time,? he says. ?The majority of Israeli people, at least 70 percent, want a Palestinian state. So, peace is possible. It just requires the right leaders.? ?

So what percentage of Palestinians want peace with Israel?

??The vast majority. I'm certain of that.?

Rawabi looks much more like an Israeli middle-class town than a Palestinian city: It will have high-rises, an outside theater to seat 20,000, soccer fields and cinemas and a theater, a swimming pool, a pedestrian precinct in the city center, bars and shopping malls.

All it needs now is people, water and a larger access road.

But the statement the project makes may be as important as the facts on the ground. It says that, between a failed peace process and a possible third intifada, there is a third way: Building Palestine from the bottom up.

Related:

'Force to be reckoned with': Israel's settlers dig in ahead of Obama visit

Israel faces European backlash over decision to expand settlements

US slams Israel's decision to expand settlements

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/03/17169153-a-1-billion-bet-on-peace-qatar-funds-huge-palestinian-settlement-in-west-bank?lite

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