Ender's Game Movie

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race. Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, ENDER'S GAME is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

(C) Summit

PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.

Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By: Gavin Hood

In Theaters: Nov 1, 2013 Wide

US Box Office:$44.0M

Apple's iPhone 5S Camera

 Who could imagine a time when a camera phone could shoot images in the lowest of light, take video in slow-motion and illuminate a face with not one flash, but two softer LEDs?

And not only do the job, but do it really, really well?

Such are the results of shooting photos and videos on the new and improved camera that comes with the iPhone 5s, which went on sale Friday. ($199 and up with a two-year contract).

More photos are taken on the iPhone than any other imaging device — so we were eager to grab our review copy and get to the beach to take shots in a variety of situations, to see if the new camera held up to Apple's hype.

The verdict: The images are really strong, but just slightly better than those on the iPhone 5, the previous model.

But the features — slo-mo, improved flash and most importantly, the ability to produce better images in lower light — are a welcome addition to what already was an amazing camera. What a great bonus for a device primarily sold to make phone calls, check e-mail, text message and surf the Internet.

Is the camera as good as those from competitors? Not in the specs: The new Lumia 1020 Windows Phone has a 41 megapixel camera, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13 megapixel camera, while the iPhone 5s sports an 8 megapixel sensor. We'll have a more in-depth back to back shootout between the iPhone 5s, Galaxy and Lumia for photographers in an upcoming Talking Tech. For today, it's iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5.

For the 5s sensor, the megapixels are the same as the 5, but the sensor is larger — 15%, says Apple — with a bigger lens opening — f.2.2, vs. last year's f.2.4. If those numbers sound like gobbledygook, just know that with the 5s you can shoot better images in low light, like at parties, night shots and indoor events.

We stopped in at Vivianne Robinson's iconic Venice Beach tourist shop, home of everything from flying alarm clocks with wings to wacky Halloween masks, to give it a try. We found the darkest spot in the joint, and photographed some socks at the back of a shelf, hidden behind other products.

On first glance, both shots — on the 5 and 5s, look great — both are illuminated well and clear. But when blown up on the computer, you can see background noise on the 5 image — a result of shooting at the lower f stop. The 5s is clearly the winner.

We also shot Robinson in the back of the shop, using the harsher flash from the 5, and the more flattering, more-even double LED from the 5s. This is probably the most welcome new feature, the one that will be used the most by the huge army of iPhoneographers.

The burst mode is fun — but it's gimmicky. You hold the shutter down and can snap up to 100 photos at once. (The idea is that you do this to ensure that you won't miss a key shot — but good luck sifting through all 100 to find the best one.)

Slo-mo video is always a kick. We shot skateboarders — and Robinson's flying alarm clocks — and the effect looks fantastic. This is something you could easily do in a video editing program, but I can see a nation of folks who never go near video editors have a great new conversation piece at parties.

As with many smartphone cameras you can do a lot with these, but you'll still need a good traditional camera to:

— Zoom into the action. With a smartphone camera you'll need to move closer to the action if you want to zoom in.

— Manually adjust the image. Smartphone cameras are all automatic, so if an image needs to be adjusted to get the exposure right, you're generally out of luck.

— Stop action. Good luck getting the shot of your son sliding into first base on a cloudy, dark day, with a smartphone.

And of course, traditional cameras have even bigger image sensors, for generally better quality.

Still, the results from smartphones these few past years have been groundbreaking and amazing.

The bottom line on the iPhone 5s vs. the 5, for photographers:

— The new camera is indeed stronger than 5, but just slightly.

— If you own a 5, I wouldn't rush to break a contract to get the 5s, but if you have an older model and want to stay in the iPhone family you'll definitely appreciate the upgrade.

Comets

If you happen to gaze up in the sky at just the right time in the year 2061, you might get to see one of the most famous comets of all. It’s called Halley’s Comet, and people get a chance to see it every 76 years when the comet’s orbit brings its close to Earth.

Comets are satellites made up primarily of ice (both water and frozen gases) and dust. All comets orbit the Sun, but seme complete a revolution of the Sun in just a few years while others need several hundred thousand years. When a comet passes close to the Sun, the ice in the comet melts and dust particle are released. These dust particles from the comet’s famous tail, or “long hair,” which can extend for more than 10 million kilometers. It should be no surprise that the word comet comes from the Greek word kometes, which means “long-haired.”

For much of human history, people were terrified of comets. These bizarre objects seemed to appear suddenly out of nowhere, and unlike the Sun and stars, they seemed to have no predictable pattern. Some people thought comets were messengers, bringing news of disasters to come. Comets were blamed for earthquakes, wars, floods, and assortment of other catastrophes. It wasn’t until late in the 17^th century that Sir Isaac Newton discovered that comets orbit the Sun in predictable patterns, a discovery that helped to dispel many people’s fear of the long-haired messengers of doom.

Edmond Halley, another famous astronomer, was born in London, England, in 1656. He studied astronomy at Oxford University until 1676, when he went off to study the stars and planets of the southern hemisphere. Later, he compiled his data in a book about the location of the stars in the sky; he was the first person to map them accurately. Halley also observed the Moon and studied how it affects the ocean tides. He helped to find a way to measure distances in space. This measurement system was used by other scientists to learn about the size of our solar system and the distances of many stars and planets from Earth.

Edmond Halley was especially fond of studying comets. He read about comets and observed them in the sky. He learned about the way they move around the Sun, each comets following a different path and travelling at its own speed. Over time, he calculated the orbits of 24 comets that he had either read about or seen himself.

Halley noticed that the paths of a comet seen in 1531 and of a comet seen in 1607 were identical to the path of a comet he had observed in 1682. He concluded that these three comets were, in fact, the same comet. Because Halley accurately predicted that the comet would come again in 1758, it was decided to name the comet after him. The earliest known reports of Halley’s Comet were actually made over 2,000 years ago by Chinese astronomers, so we know that it has been orbiting the Sun for more than 2,000 years. Halley’s comet is one of the brightest comets—bright enough for people to see without a telescope.

The orbits of more than 850 comets have now been calculated. Of these, at least 184 are called periodic comets because they orbit the Sun in less than 200 years. Studying comets may give us information about  the origins and formation of the solar system. In 2004, the Stardust spacecraft flew within 236 kilometers of a comet called Wild 2. From this distance, the Stardust was able to take extraordinarily detailed photographs of the comet. Then, in a 12-minute pass trough Wild 2’s dust and gas cloud, the Stardust mission was able to collect a spoonful of comet dust to bring back to Earth for further study. Another spacecraft called Rosetta is expected to actually land on a comet named Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the year 2014.

With satellite providing more and more information, comets will continue to captivate professional and amateur astronomers, as well as the general public. And if we are fortunate, comets may soon answer some fundamental questions about the origins of the solar system.

Source : Kosayu’s XII Student Handbook

Memory

When you say that someone has a good memory, what exactly do you mean? Are you saying that the person has fast recall or that she or he absorbs information quickly? Or maybe you just mean that the person remembers a lot about her or his childhood. The truth is that it is difficult to say exactly what memory is. Even scientist who have been studying memory for decades say that they are still trying to figure out exactly what it is. 

We do know that a particular memory is not just one thing stored somewhere in the brain. Instead, a memory is made up of bits and pieces of information stored all over the brain. Perhaps, then, the best way to describe memory is to say that it is a process--a process of recording, storing, and retrieving information. It is process that allows us to retain memories of past events as well as to remember an unlimited number of facts.

In order for a piece of information to be remembered, it must first be recorded in the brain. And to record something in the brain, you have to really notice it or register it, using one or more of your five senses--sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Practice and repetition can then help to strengthen the pieces that make up your memory of that information.

Memory can be negatively affected by a number of things. Poor nutrition and depression can affect a person's ability to retain information. Excessive alcohol use can also impair memory and cause permanent damage to the brain over the long term. A vision or hearing impairment may affect a person's ability to notice certain things, thus making it harder to record information in the brain.

When people talk about memory, they often refer to short-term memory and long-term memory. If you want to call a store or an office that you don't call often, you look in the telephone book for the number. You dial the number, and then you forget it! You use your short-term memory to remember the number. Your short-term memory lasts about 30 seconds or half a minute.

However, you don't need to look in the telephone book for your best friend's number, because you already know it. This number is in your long-term memory , which stores information about things you have learned and experienced through the years.

Why do you forget things sometimes? The major reason for forgetting something is that you did not learn it well enough in the beginning. For example, if you meet some new people and right away forget their names, it is because you did not register it when you heard them.

You can help yourself to remember better. Here are some ideas.

1.   .       Move information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. You can do this by practicing the new information. Say it loud to yourself. Think about it.
2.      .     After you learn something, study it again and again. Learn it more than you need to. This process is called overlearning  For example, when you learn new words, practice using them in sentences. Don’t try to memorize words only from a list.
3. 3.   Make sure that you understand new information. It is difficult to remember something that you don’t comprehend. Ask questions when you are trying to learn new information to be certain that you understand it accurately.
   4.   Get rid of any distractions in the room where you are studying. Do not listen to music or watch television while you are studying. You will remember  better if you concentrate on just one thing at the same time.
4. 
   

Another World Inside The Tree

On my last summer holiday, my best friend Josh and I were playing hide and seek in quiet forest near his new house. So I closed my eyes and started counting. Then in the count of six, I heard something called my name. I thought it was Josh who called my name, but I couldn't found him anywhere.

Eventually, I found Josh. He was staring at a cat who was sleeping on tree branch. Josh said that the cat just called my name. I was confuse. Cause I never heard an animal can says a word.

I felt pity on the cat. Josh told me that Kitty had been there for all night long. She looked very scare of height. So I climbed the tree with Josh's help.

The tree was taller than I thought. Josh took a ladder from his father's pantry. So I stepped on it and grabbed the cat. The cat seemed lost of weight. She looked very pail. It couldn't be the cat who called me. But then, I heard that voice called my name again. Kitty was sick and there was nobody there. So, it meant that the voice wasn't from the cat but it was from tree! Josh agreed with me. So we decided to find where was the voice came from and explore the tree.

Josh and I climbed the tree and stood awhile to saw the view around. We kept searching on the tree. Then we arrived at the center of the tree. The energy became clearer. Then, Josh told me that he remembered something about the mysterious tree. Someone said that the tree had a magical power. I was trembling when he told me that. We continued searching. Josh walked slowly because the twig he stepped became slippery due to the rain. I gave my hand to helped him and we stepped together. The spot seemed interesting. We got excited and we forgot about the tree we stepped. We lost balance and fell into the ground.

Our ass felt pain. We opened our eyes widely and found it surprise. The place was very different from the first time we saved Kitty. Josh said he couldn't see his house. And so as I. I saw so many beautiful thing there. Wow! This is amazing. It could be the fantasy world that Josh thought at first. It was the most stunning garden we have ever explored.

The blur voice was getting clearer and closer. We were holding hand and walking in the fantasy world inside the tree. I was wondering if there was wanderers who lived there. Josh guessed that nobody lived there. I agreed. Because I didn't see anyone crossed around us. So where did the sound come from. That was strange. 

It was nearing dusk. We were afraid if we couldn't come back to our real world. Josh who had known about legend a lot seemed worry about the sunset. Then, we went to the riverside to took a drink. The river had so many fishes. It meant that the world was a living world with only animals. Suddenly, we heard a crack behind us.

We went toward to the hill to saw who was there. It was actually a phoenix bird who was cursed by a cruel Witch from the North. The bird was in pain. He said that the evil changed him from a human to an animal. It wasn't surprise. Josh had told me that he lost his friend when he played hide and seek there. 

It made sense for us. We understood who called my name. It was Tyler - Josh's friend, who wanted us to tell his mother not to looking for him again. Tyler asked us not to stayed there for a longer time. He gave us the instructions to leave. 

We followed the instructions step by step. I took Phoenix's feather as an amulet. Eventually, we got to the bush and descended fast. We were so happy that we still alive and back to our normal world. Thank to Tyler, he saved our life. And guess what? Tyler turned to human. It was magic. 

Our adventure was in great success. We were not only explored the tree and saved Kitty, but also another fantasy world inside the tree. We did it together as genuine friend. Now, since Tyler turned to human, he completed our friendship. This is perfect! 



This article is for my English Task. I hope you can get interested and find the meaning of friendship. Thank you so much for my teacher, Ms. Penny to letting me set my imagination on. "Crazier is better.". I'm Laurensia Vianna 8B #23. I hope you like Mrs!
Please comment and tell me your opinion... 🌸💐 

Neuro Connections

Did You Know....

• The brain does not interpret pain, as it has no pain receptors.
• The human brain consists of at least 60% fat.
• Reading aloud and talking promotes the brain development of young children.
• The slowest speed at which information travels between neurons is 416 km/hour or 260 mph, that is as "slow" as today's supercar's top speed (the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron locked at 253 mph).
• The energy used by the brain is enough to illuminate a 25-watt bulb.
• The human brain consists of about 75% water.
• You cannot tickle yourself because your brain can distinguish between unexpected external touch and your own touch.
• Laughing at a joke is no simple task, as it requires activity in five different areas of the brain.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is the American multiple Emmy Award winning host of "The Oprah Winfrey Show", the highest rated talk show in television history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the most philanthropic African American of all time, and the world's only black billionaire for three straight years.

Many of us often envy her success but she is today solely because of her positive response to her past experiences.

Oprah was born in Mississippi, and was raised by her grandmother on a farm. From age of 6 to 13 after being abused and molested she ran away and was sent to a juvenile detention home at  the age of 13, only to be denied admission because all the beds were filled. As a last resort, she was sent to Nashville to live under her father's strict discipline.

In 1991, motivated by her own memories of childhood abuse, she initiated a campaign to establish a national database of convicted child abusers, and testified before a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a National Child Protection Act. President Bill Clinton signed the "Oprah Bill" into law in 1993, establishing the national database she had sought, which is now available to law enforcement agencies and concerned parties across the country.

Oprah is a personification of the success principles Event + Response = Outcome. Despite coming from a background of abuse, she controlled her response and was able to change her life by making positive decisions that led her to where she is right now.