Basketball


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A brief out line of basketball is it is a game played with a pumped round ball between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court. In professional or minor competition basketball is usually played indoors, but it does not need to be. Each team tries to score by shooting the ball through the other teams goal at each end of the court, above their heads. The goal is a round hoop and net called a basket. The team scoring the most such throws, through field goals or foul shots, wins the game. Equipment used You do not need a lot of equipment to play basketball all you need is a basketball, a court and one or two basketball rings. The basketball court is in a shape of a rectangle ranging in size from about 29 m by 15 m to about 22 m by 13 m. At each end of the court is a backboard placed behind the ring, measuring usually about 2 m by 1 m, this is also in a rectangular shape although in some collages in America it is more in a shape of this. Each normal rectangular backboard is about 2.7 m (about 9 ft) above the court. The baskets are attached firmly to the backboards about 3 m (about 10 ft) above the playing surface. Each basket is about 46 cm (about 18 in) in diameter and consists of a round hoop, or metal ring, from which a wide-meshed white net is hung. The regulation basketball is an inflated, leather- or nylon-covered sphere that weighs from 567 to 624 g (20 to 22 oz.) and has a circumference of about 76-cm (about 30 in). What is involved A conventional basketball team, which is directed by a coach, is made up of two forwards, two guards, and a center. The two forwards are usually the better of the shooters and are really quick. In the jump they both stand between the circle and the opponents basket. The two guards stand in the backcourt. The center, usually the tallest player on the team who stands inside a circle that has a radius of about 61 cm (about 24 in) and is located midway along a line painted across the center of the court. The game commences with the tip-off, when the referee tosses the ball into the air over the center circle, in which the opposing centers stand face to face. The centers then leap into the air and attempt, with their hands, to tap the ball to their teammates. The team that gets the ball attempts to advance it toward the basket defended by the opposing side, in order to try for a field goal, or basket, scoring two or three points, depending on the player's distance from the basket. A player may advance the ball by passing it to a teammate or by bouncing (dribbling) it continually along the floor while running toward the basket. After a basket is scored, the opposing team puts the ball into play from behind its end line and in turn tries to move the ball upcourt to score. How is the game structured in the Olympics In the Olympics basketball the Officials consist of a referee, one or two umpires, one or two scorekeepers, and one or two timekeepers. The referee is in charge of the game. The referee and umpires operate on the court to ensure that the game is played by the rules. They both can call any foul or violation they see anywhere on the court. Usually, one official operates near the offensive team's basket and the other near the division line. The officials reverse positions when the teams move to the other end of the court. If a second umpire is used, he or she stands near a sideline. To call a violation or foul, the official blows a whistle to stop play and the clock. The official explains the violation or foul, usually with a hand or arm signal, and enforces the penalty. The game then resumes. Because around the world basketball has little changes from one country to the other when the Olympics are played some one has to make the decisions on how it is going to be played. No matter how the rules are decided it would not be much of a change from where ever the basketball players have come from to make it difficult to play. In the Olympics the games is set out as one big knock out game to decide who plays in the finals to become number one in the world. All the teams have to try not to get kicked out by loosing games while trying to knock the other teams out of the competition. Which leaves the basketball players with an enormous amount of pressure on them. Basic Rules The basic rules to basketball are fouls, travelling, double dribbling, the three second violation, foot violation and finally out of bounds. To get a foul in basketball you are usually hit or pushed in some way by the opposing side. To travell in basketball you will either take to many steps before bouncing the ball, or after bouncing and stopping you start to bounce the ball again. To double dribble you must jump in the air with the ball in your hands and land again with out passing or shooting the ball. Someone playing offence and staying in the key for longer than three seconds or more causes the three-second violation. Foot violation in exactly what it sounds like, it is a violation made by someone kicking the ball. Last but not least is going over the boundary line with the ball. All of these things are not allowed in basketball and I should know as I play in real competition. For almost all off the rules the referees have made some kind of body signal to tell everyone what just happened with out yelling it so everyone can hear. Below you can see some of the following signs the referees make. When it began in the Olympics The success of international basketball was greatly advanced by Forrest C. Allen, a Naismith disciple and a former coach at the University of Kansas, who led the movement for inclusion of basketball in the Olympic Games in 1936 and from then onwards. Details of any Australians who has competed at the Olympics in this event One Australian basketball player who has not only participated in one Olympics is Andrew Gaze. Andrew Gaze has played with the Melbourne Tigers for his whole carrier in the National Basketball League the NBL. At one stage of his long and successful carrier he decided to up grade him self by competing in the National Basketball Association the NBA. This did not really work out for him so he came back to Australia and continued playing with the Melbourne Tigers. To say the most I think a lot of his fans and also his team preferred it this way. Andrew Gaze is more of a offensive player as he is known for his pure shooting skills as his was voted best pure shooter in 1994 yet did not get a single vote for his defense. Changes that have occurred over time Changes in the Game. Soon after Naismith invented basketball, changes were adopted to improve the sport. In 1893, metal hoops with net bags attached replaced the wooden baskets. Officials pulled a cord attached to the net to let the ball drop out. Baskets with bottomless nets came into general use about 1913. The backboard was introduced in 1894. That year, larger balls replaced soccer balls. In 1932, the 10-second rule was adopted. This rule stated that the offensive team must advance the ball across the division line within 10 seconds or lose possession. Once the ball crossed the line, the offensive team lost possession if a player took the ball back over the line. This rule eliminated wasting time with the ball in the backcourt. Until 1937, a center jump was held after every field goal. Beginning in 1937, the defensive team received the ball out-of-bounds after a field goal. In 1935, a rule was adopted that stopped any offensive player from standing in the free throw lane for more than three seconds. In 1955, the foul lane was widened to 12 feet (3.7 meters) from the previous 6 feet (1.83 meters). These changes resulted in more offensive movement and less rough physical contact near the basket. Early basketball had little scoring. Players basically used two shots; the lay-up and a two-handed set shot. Hank Luisetti revolutionized the game by popularizing a one-handed shot. Luisetti was a star for Stanford University from 1935 to 1938. His one-handed shot could be released quicker than the two-handed shot and was more difficult to defend. The one-handed shot was the most popular shot in basketball until Joe Fulks popularized the jump shot. The jump shot became the most popular shot in basketball and greatly increased scoring. Any other interesting facts James Naismith, a Canadian, invented basketball in 1891. Naismith was a physical-education instructor at the School for Christian Workers (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Luther H. Gulick, head of the school's physical-education department, asked Naismith to create a team sport that could be played indoors during the winter. For his new game, Naismith decided to use a soccer ball because it was large enough to catch easily. He then asked the building superintendent for two boxes to use as goals. The superintendent had no boxes but provided two peach baskets. The baskets were attached to a gymnasium balcony railing 10 feet (3 meters) above the floor. The first game took place between members of Naismith's physical-education class in December 1891. Details of successful international competitors The most successful international competitors these days and for the last so many years is the American basketball team and for the last three Olympics known as the Dream Team. The American team is not only the best in the world it also the most popular as it is known right round the world. The reason for winning basketball in the Olympic game is because of the great players like Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, David Robinson and so many more what do you expect. Another country that always does well in the Olympics is Yugoslavia. Just the last Olympics they came second in the world loosing against America. Yugoslavia might have a little bit more experience then some other countries lets say us, because players like Toni Kukoc have played for the NBA with the Chicago Bulls for some of his carrier and been able to go no and have great success. If it weren't for Americas team, Yugoslavia would be the best team in the world now until proven different. Details of any Olympic record holders or current Gold medallists Unlike swimming or running basketball is not a sport that tries to break records, as its only objective is to win the finals. The only true record holders could be America as they have won in the Olympics in a row for the longest time ever. Longer then any other country has yet proven. To tell you the truth I don't think any one will ever either.

Apple


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In past years, Apple was on a downward spiral, but now the Mac is back on the right track. The interim CEO Steve Jobs has brought them from expected quarterly loses to now, first quarter net income of some 150 millions dollars. The question still remains, is Apple back to stay? With the Windows driven world of today, can Apple assert them self to claim market share? Apple’s stunning new hardware, user-friendly operating system, and drive for incredible new technology, will not only compare Apple to traditional PC and software maker but will stun the rest of the computer world along the way. On July 21, 1999, PC Data released a report stating the iMac, Apple’s entry level personal computer, was the best selling retail and mail order computer in the month of June. There are a number of different reasons why this computer beat out all other PC’s on the market. One reason is the new and exciting colors the iMac is being offered in. Instead of the traditional color, beige, being offered by Dell or Gateway, the iMac comes in strawberry, blueberry, grape, tangerine and lime. Another feature for the iMac is the speed of the computer compared to the computers in its class. According to the BYTEmark integer test, the 333-MHz G3 processor in the iMac is almost twice as fast as the 500-MHz Intel Pentium III found in professional computers found today. The iMac is not the only computer offered by Apple. They have a line of professional personal computers called the G3 series. These computers are the fastest personal computers on the market today, beating other computers such as the Gateway 550-MHz Pentium III PC. Another main reason the iMac is such a big success and Apple in general is coming back is their operating system called the MacOS. Its number one feature is its user-friendliness. Apple computers such as the iMac are called plug-and-play computers. This means you plug a device into your computer, like a zip drive, and it works. No installing drivers like the Window-based computers are made to do. Another success for the Macintosh Operating System is the Sherlock searching device. It is an effective way to search the Internet using multiple search engines at the same time. The feature is very important because this means no more going search engine to search engine looking for a particular topic, like all other computer users have to do, but doing this in one simple location and is easy to use. The Windows operating system has no feature to compare to the Sherlock search engine. Finally the new MacOS is equipped with one feature that no other operating system has, and that is speech recognition. A person can ask the computer, “What time is it?” and will receive it. The most popular operating system, Windows, has no comparable feature to speak of. There are several reasons attributing to the Apple come back but no more than the new dedication by Apple to drive technology further than anyone personal computer company has. One of the fantastic new technologies is the Airport networking device developed by Lucent Technologies just for the Apple iBook. This is a wireless networking system that lets you travel up to 150 feet away from the base station. No other computer maker such as Dell or Micron, has a technology like this on the market as of today. One more incredible advancement by Apple is the new Quicktime TV. What this does is brings you living, streaming television transmission over the Internet. Its competition, Real Player, has much lower quality of picture than the Quicktime program does. An addition to the great new technologies being introduced and supported is the continued excellence for the graphics in the industry. Apple has always supported graphical software and hardware but the continued vision of where the industry is going with software titles like Adobe PhotoShop and Apple’s new FinalCut Pro surpasses anything the rest of the other computer and software makers have to offer. Another push for the advancement of PC technology, by Apple, is the newly adopted USB port. Universal Serial Bus is the technology that will eventually over take the serial port. It is much faster and easier to use than the serial port. Apple recognized the USB technology immediately and adopted it, but Microsoft had to release a second edition of its operating system to fully support this new groundbreaking tool. Finally, the new Macintosh operating systems are showing great support for the futurist programming language of Java. Eventually, Java programming language will control such devices as washer and driers, stoves, and televisions. Windows is just starting to support future uses of Java. Apple’s ad campaign is based on the two words of “Think Different”, and I believe they are even taking these words home to Apple. With new technologies being introduced rapidly, iMac sales at an all time high, and this eye for new inventions, which is to say Apple, is not back? With this pulse on the personal computer industry, Apple will continue to forge ahead with more growth and revenues. With this Apple, is likely to become a major player, again, in the industry of personal computing.

Apple


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In past years, Apple was on a downward spiral, but now the Mac is back on the right track. The interim CEO Steve Jobs has brought them from expected quarterly loses to now, first quarter net income of some 150 millions dollars. The question still remains, is Apple back to stay? With the Windows driven world of today, can Apple assert them self to claim market share? Apple’s stunning new hardware, user-friendly operating system, and drive for incredible new technology, will not only compare Apple to traditional PC and software maker but will stun the rest of the computer world along the way. On July 21, 1999, PC Data released a report stating the iMac, Apple’s entry level personal computer, was the best selling retail and mail order computer in the month of June. There are a number of different reasons why this computer beat out all other PC’s on the market. One reason is the new and exciting colors the iMac is being offered in. Instead of the traditional color, beige, being offered by Dell or Gateway, the iMac comes in strawberry, blueberry, grape, tangerine and lime. Another feature for the iMac is the speed of the computer compared to the computers in its class. According to the BYTEmark integer test, the 333-MHz G3 processor in the iMac is almost twice as fast as the 500-MHz Intel Pentium III found in professional computers found today. The iMac is not the only computer offered by Apple. They have a line of professional personal computers called the G3 series. These computers are the fastest personal computers on the market today, beating other computers such as the Gateway 550-MHz Pentium III PC. Another main reason the iMac is such a big success and Apple in general is coming back is their operating system called the MacOS. Its number one feature is its user-friendliness. Apple computers such as the iMac are called plug-and-play computers. This means you plug a device into your computer, like a zip drive, and it works. No installing drivers like the Window-based computers are made to do. Another success for the Macintosh Operating System is the Sherlock searching device. It is an effective way to search the Internet using multiple search engines at the same time. The feature is very important because this means no more going search engine to search engine looking for a particular topic, like all other computer users have to do, but doing this in one simple location and is easy to use. The Windows operating system has no feature to compare to the Sherlock search engine. Finally the new MacOS is equipped with one feature that no other operating system has, and that is speech recognition. A person can ask the computer, “What time is it?” and will receive it. The most popular operating system, Windows, has no comparable feature to speak of. There are several reasons attributing to the Apple come back but no more than the new dedication by Apple to drive technology further than anyone personal computer company has. One of the fantastic new technologies is the Airport networking device developed by Lucent Technologies just for the Apple iBook. This is a wireless networking system that lets you travel up to 150 feet away from the base station. No other computer maker such as Dell or Micron, has a technology like this on the market as of today. One more incredible advancement by Apple is the new Quicktime TV. What this does is brings you living, streaming television transmission over the Internet. Its competition, Real Player, has much lower quality of picture than the Quicktime program does. An addition to the great new technologies being introduced and supported is the continued excellence for the graphics in the industry. Apple has always supported graphical software and hardware but the continued vision of where the industry is going with software titles like Adobe PhotoShop and Apple’s new FinalCut Pro surpasses anything the rest of the other computer and software makers have to offer. Another push for the advancement of PC technology, by Apple, is the newly adopted USB port. Universal Serial Bus is the technology that will eventually over take the serial port. It is much faster and easier to use than the serial port. Apple recognized the USB technology immediately and adopted it, but Microsoft had to release a second edition of its operating system to fully support this new groundbreaking tool. Finally, the new Macintosh operating systems are showing great support for the futurist programming language of Java. Eventually, Java programming language will control such devices as washer and driers, stoves, and televisions. Windows is just starting to support future uses of Java. Apple’s ad campaign is based on the two words of “Think Different”, and I believe they are even taking these words home to Apple. With new technologies being introduced rapidly, iMac sales at an all time high, and this eye for new inventions, which is to say Apple, is not back? With this pulse on the personal computer industry, Apple will continue to forge ahead with more growth and revenues. With this Apple, is likely to become a major player, again, in the industry of personal computing.

Hydrogen


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Hydrogen

Hydrogen in it’s liquid form has been used in space vehicles for years. Hydrogen has a high combustion energy per pound relative to any other fuel, meaning hydrogen is more efficient on a weight basis than fuels currently used in air or ground transportation. Hydrogen is the universe’s most abundant element. Most of that hydrogen though, is tied up in chemical bonds. Hydrogen can exist in either a gaseous form or a liquid form. Hydrogen is The liquid form is usually used for storage while the gaseous form is used as a heat transfer, and also as a cooling agent in nuclear power plants. The name hydrogen is Greek for water former. Hydrogen was once called “inflammable air” by a British scientist names Joseph Priestly . French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier then renamed it to today’s name, hydrogen. Hydrogen can be produced in many ways. Electrolysis is a common way hydrogen is produced. Electric current is passed through water which releases the elements it is made of. These elements are hydrogen and oxygen. Today’s efficiency of this method is about 65 percent, however 80-85 percent are possible with more research. Another method of producing hydrogen is through chemical means. It is a scientific fact that every metal that is less noble than hydrogen will displace hydrogen from water . Common materials used in this reaction is sodium or potassium . Sodium plus water will produce hydrogen , NaOH, and heat . Other reactions include the “producer” reaction that was discovered in 1800 . It involves combining heat, carbon, and water. It then yields hydrogen and carbon monoxide . Bacteria can also be a hydrogen producer. Bacteria and other microorganisms may release hydrogen in the process of creating heavier hydrocarbons or oxygen for assimilation . A process known as Photoconversion or photosynthesis involves light combining with water, which produces hydrogen and oxygen . Hydrogen can be stored in a variety of ways. Compressed gas storage and transportation has been widely used for more than 100 years. Common materials for storage canisters are mild steel, aluminum, and composites. Storage pressure for hydrogen ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 P.S.I . Cooling hydrogen to below the boiling point of -252.7º C allows storage as a cryogenic liquid without the need for pressurization . Cryogenic storage of hydrogen allows regular commercial shipment by truck and rail. Many commercial processes such as glass manufacturing, brazing, heat treating, and semiconductor manufacturing are served by deliveries of liquid hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen has also facilitated the U.S. space exploration program. If liquid hydrogen is suddenly subjected to a vacuum it will evaporate with a subsequent cooling of the liquid mass will cause the temperature to fall to below the freezing point of -259º C and solid hydrogen will be produced . This mixture of liquid and solid hydrogen is called “slush” and provides more dense storage of hydrogen than liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be stored in metal hydrides . Hydrogen is pumped into the interaom spaces of a granular metal. When the hydrogen needs to be released the metal is heated. This system is reliable and compact, but is very expensive. The energy from hydrogen can be harnessed in many ways. One method of doing this is using a fuel cell. A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly into electricity via a modified oxidation process . The process also produces heat, water, and carbon dioxide. By-products such as nitrous oxide and sulfur are eliminated because of the low reaction temperatures of 200º - 500º C. Fuel cells create electricity more efficient than mechanical systems because a fuel cell has no moving parts. The absence of moving parts allows them to run quietly. Fuel cells operate in reverse of electrolysis. In a fuel cell hydrogen and oxygen stream pass through porous metal plates separated in an electrolyte bath. The plates have a single connection to each other which is outside the electrolyte bath. The oxygen molecules are combined with the hydrogen modules which creates heat and water. The heat is then captured and turned into electricity. The first fuel cell was constructed by Sir William Groves in 1839 . He used platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolytbath . A significant amount of research was done in the 1920’s in Germany which laid the groundwork for today’s fuel cells. One of the most important accomplishments in the history of fuel cells was the accomplishments of Francis T. Bacon. He developed the Bacon Cell. The Bacon Cell substitutes potassium hydroxide for the regular acid which was corrosive on the electrodes . The Bacon Cell was selected by NASA to be used in the Apollo missions and the space shuttles as the primary electrical fuel source. Fuel cells are manufactured throughout the world, including in South Windsor, Connecticut. International Fuel Cells, a subsidiary of United Technologies, is the world’s largest manufacturer of fuel cells. This company produced the Bacon Cell, that went into space. Today’s gasoline engines can be fairly easily converted to run on hydrogen. The biggest cost involvement is in purchasing the tank, however in some cities they can be leased or rented. Engines can also be made to run on hydrogen initially. These would be more effective since they were built to take advantage of the fast-burn and far-lean combustion characteristics of hydrogen. Many auto makers including BMW and Mazda have already made prototype hydrogen cars, to hit the market around the year 2000 . When hydrogen pumps are developed and placed at gas stations, hydrogen will only cost about 75 cents a gallon, compared to the high prices of gasoline . There are still other uses for hydrogen. It is currently being used in stationary turbines and aircraft engines. In 1980 a propeller plane was fitted to run on hydrogen in an air show. As the public notices the advantages of hydrogen, it popularity will increase. Hydrogen is a clean and efficient fuel but it can be dangerous at times. Hydrogen is both flammable and buoyant. It is more flammable than gasoline or natural gas, but it dissipates more rapidly of either of these two fuels in a spill. Like all gases hydrogen should be used in a ventilated area. Since 1766 hydrogen has been a part of the world. First appearing as “inflammable air” and then hydrogen. Hydrogen is a flexible material in that it can be harnessed many ways and be utilized in many ways. In fact if the US beings to use solar hydrogen California, Arizona, and other sunny states would be richer than Saudi Arabia . Hydrogen will be the key source of energy for the future. As of today hydrogen is the safest and most economical way to move energy across the ocean . In fact, if we being to use hydrogen on a large-scale basis we would actually reverse the greenhouse effect. The switch to hydrogen will make the world a better place to live. The hydrogen market will cut pollution, provide cheaper transportation, and create more jobs. If safe power is the question, hydrogen is the answer.
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