Friday, February 19, 2010
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Brain "Imaging"
A recent article from BBC : Electrodes have been implanted in the brain of Eric Ramsay, who has been "locked in" - conscious but paralysed - since a car crash eight years ago.
These have been recording pulses in areas of the brain involved in speech.
Now, New Scientist magazine reports, they are to use the signals he generates to drive speech software.
Although the data is still being analysed, researchers at Boston University believe they can correctly identify the sound Mr Ramsay's brain is imagining some 80% of the time.
In the next few weeks, a computer will start the task of translating his thoughts into sounds.
"We hope it will be a breakthrough," says Joe Wright of Neural Signals, which has helped develop the technology.
"Conversation is what we're hoping for, but we're pretty far from that."
Reading minds
Experts in the field of neuroscience agreed it was an exciting advance.
We are lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago
John Dylan Haynes
Max Planck Institute
"It hasn't come completely out of the blue," said Professor Geraint Rees, a neuroscientist at University College London.
"We have been moving towards decoding primitive vocabulary for a while now. But this is certainly an interesting development, although invasive techniques, where something is out in someone's brain, such as these will of course carry risks."
Reading people's minds remains a far-off prospect, however.
"There is a huge difference between a technique like this, which is able to pick up signals the subject wants to be picked up, and being able to delve deep into the mind," says Professor John Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
"It's very exciting that we are starting to be able to translate some basic thoughts, but we are a lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago."
These have been recording pulses in areas of the brain involved in speech.
Now, New Scientist magazine reports, they are to use the signals he generates to drive speech software.
Although the data is still being analysed, researchers at Boston University believe they can correctly identify the sound Mr Ramsay's brain is imagining some 80% of the time.
In the next few weeks, a computer will start the task of translating his thoughts into sounds.
"We hope it will be a breakthrough," says Joe Wright of Neural Signals, which has helped develop the technology.
"Conversation is what we're hoping for, but we're pretty far from that."
Reading minds
Experts in the field of neuroscience agreed it was an exciting advance.
We are lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago
John Dylan Haynes
Max Planck Institute
"It hasn't come completely out of the blue," said Professor Geraint Rees, a neuroscientist at University College London.
"We have been moving towards decoding primitive vocabulary for a while now. But this is certainly an interesting development, although invasive techniques, where something is out in someone's brain, such as these will of course carry risks."
Reading people's minds remains a far-off prospect, however.
"There is a huge difference between a technique like this, which is able to pick up signals the subject wants to be picked up, and being able to delve deep into the mind," says Professor John Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
"It's very exciting that we are starting to be able to translate some basic thoughts, but we are a lot further away from a universal mind reading machine than some people hoped - or feared - we may be five years ago."
Amazing Paradoxes
Science sure have progressed a lot but there is a downside too. These are few of the paradoxes in science i came across while browsing the net. Wow, just think of the amazing possibilities its creating.
Grandfather paradox: Traveller going back in time and killing his own grandfather before his parent is conceived, thereby precluding his own travel to the past by canceling his own existence.
Predestination paradox: When a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" him or her to travel back in time. Because of the possibility of influencing the past while time travelling, one way of explaining why history does not change is by saying that whatever has happened was meant to happen. A time traveller attempting to alter the past in this model, intentionally or not, would only be fulfilling his role in creating history as we know it, not changing it.
An ontological paradox, or ontolodox, is a paradox of time travel that questions the existence and creation of information and objects that travel in time.
eg. A professor travels forward in time, and reads in a physics journal about a new equation that was recently derived. He travels back to his own time, and relates it to one of his students who writes it up, and the article is published in the same journal which the professor reads in the future.
A floating cork paradox is a paradox to show that it is impossible to intentionally prevent an event from occuring using time travel.
Newcomb's Paradox, also referred to as Newcomb's Problem, is a thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true.
Then comes the most famous - The chicken or the egg parodox. lol
Grandfather paradox: Traveller going back in time and killing his own grandfather before his parent is conceived, thereby precluding his own travel to the past by canceling his own existence.
Predestination paradox: When a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" him or her to travel back in time. Because of the possibility of influencing the past while time travelling, one way of explaining why history does not change is by saying that whatever has happened was meant to happen. A time traveller attempting to alter the past in this model, intentionally or not, would only be fulfilling his role in creating history as we know it, not changing it.
An ontological paradox, or ontolodox, is a paradox of time travel that questions the existence and creation of information and objects that travel in time.
eg. A professor travels forward in time, and reads in a physics journal about a new equation that was recently derived. He travels back to his own time, and relates it to one of his students who writes it up, and the article is published in the same journal which the professor reads in the future.
A floating cork paradox is a paradox to show that it is impossible to intentionally prevent an event from occuring using time travel.
Newcomb's Paradox, also referred to as Newcomb's Problem, is a thought experiment involving a game between two players, one of whom purports to be able to predict the future.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true.
Then comes the most famous - The chicken or the egg parodox. lol
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ambrose's deadly spell
Curtly Ambrose, the west indies cricketer of the nineties, nicnamed the Little Bird is by no means little which the aussies found out with a price in this video. Its one of my all time favourite achievements of Ambrose. Enjoy this great cricket video and do share it.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Time Travel, When and How?
Scientists consider time as another dimension like length, width and height. Following Einstein's revolutinary theory of relativity, Space and time are tangled together in a sort of a four-dimensional fabric called Space-Time. Any object with a mass in this universe causes a dimple in this Space-time fabric, which bends to accomodate this mass. This bending is what causes the objects to move in a curved path and this curvature of space the 'Gravity'. One can move backwards or forwards in the three spatial dimensions but not the case in time. One can only move forwards in time.
So why is it not possible to travel time at our own speed and direction?
It is possible to travel time, Theoritically atleast. The idea that excites me the most is this Black hole theory. Black holes are regions in space resulting from the collapse of a star. These are regions with extremly high gravitational field. These are considered as worm holes, a tunnel which links to a completely different space and time. It is also theoritically possible to create a worm hole. To create this hole in space-time, we would require high amount of energy which could be equal to that of sevaral giant stars. Though with the current knowledge and facilities its only possible to hypothesize regarding this, a time might come when mankind will have advanced this technology and at that time we can travel time just like we travel space.
So why is it not possible to travel time at our own speed and direction?
It is possible to travel time, Theoritically atleast. The idea that excites me the most is this Black hole theory. Black holes are regions in space resulting from the collapse of a star. These are regions with extremly high gravitational field. These are considered as worm holes, a tunnel which links to a completely different space and time. It is also theoritically possible to create a worm hole. To create this hole in space-time, we would require high amount of energy which could be equal to that of sevaral giant stars. Though with the current knowledge and facilities its only possible to hypothesize regarding this, a time might come when mankind will have advanced this technology and at that time we can travel time just like we travel space.
Some interesting facts
We used to say we will be there in a jiffy. Well, what is "JIFFY". Jiffy is 1/100th of a second.
Diamonds were first discovered in India 4 millenia ago.
Most simplest and the most common Element/Atom in the universe is Hydrogen.
Francium is the most rarest element.
PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS or PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOKONIOSIS is the longest word in English dictionary. For more info on this disease, please click on Medicine in the side bar. Some consider this term as Medical term and dont consider as the longest word.
According to Guinness book, Floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning 'estimating something as worthless' is the longest word.
posted by B.K.N at 8:40 AM links to this post
New York Times printed Hercule Poirot's obituary on the front page in 1975. Hercule Poirot was a fictional detective created by Agatha Christie. He was the first fictional character to appear in New york times obituary.
Study of laughing and smiling is "GELOTOLOGY"
Hiccups is also called Singultus.
Vatican city is the only country which is completely surrounded by a city-Rome.
Sinophobia is fear of China and Chinese.
Diamonds were first discovered in India 4 millenia ago.
Most simplest and the most common Element/Atom in the universe is Hydrogen.
Francium is the most rarest element.
PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS or PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOKONIOSIS is the longest word in English dictionary. For more info on this disease, please click on Medicine in the side bar. Some consider this term as Medical term and dont consider as the longest word.
According to Guinness book, Floccinaucinihilipilification, meaning 'estimating something as worthless' is the longest word.
posted by B.K.N at 8:40 AM links to this post
New York Times printed Hercule Poirot's obituary on the front page in 1975. Hercule Poirot was a fictional detective created by Agatha Christie. He was the first fictional character to appear in New york times obituary.
Study of laughing and smiling is "GELOTOLOGY"
Hiccups is also called Singultus.
Vatican city is the only country which is completely surrounded by a city-Rome.
Sinophobia is fear of China and Chinese.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Some nice words
eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains however improbable must be the truth
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos: there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force
Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know best what to undermine you. Tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know what I must force you to face. Tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you. And tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you.
"Always two there are; no more, no less: a master and an apprentice." -Yoda
"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it." -Darth Bane
Dezhnev, Senior
1) He who is needed must learn to endure flattery.
2) If asking politely is useless, take.
3) A pawn is the most important piece on the chessboard - to a pawn.
4) Small can be beautiful: an eagle may at times go hungry; a pet canary, never.
5) Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It is the transition that is troublesome.
6) We are always certain that the decision we have just made is wrong.
7) No voyage is dangerous to the one who waves goodbye from the shore.
8) The greatest difficulty comes at the start. It's called 'getting ready'.
9) If the current flow is taking you where you want to go, don't argue.
10) If you want to know whether water is boiling, don't test it by hand.
11) Going there may be most of the fun- but only if you get there in the hand.
12) In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.
13) The wall that says 'Welcome, stranger' has never been built.
14) Those who say ' A penny for your thoughts' are usually being over-generous.
15) Good company robs even death of some of its terrors.
16) Once the sun sets, it grows dark; don't let that catch you by surprise.
17) If trouble were as easy to get out of, as into, life would be one sweet song.
18) The trouble with triumph is that you may be on the other side.
19) In the true triumph, however, there are no losers.
There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no chaos: there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force
Peace is a lie; there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know best what to undermine you. Tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know what I must force you to face. Tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you. And tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you.
"Always two there are; no more, no less: a master and an apprentice." -Yoda
"Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it." -Darth Bane
Dezhnev, Senior
1) He who is needed must learn to endure flattery.
2) If asking politely is useless, take.
3) A pawn is the most important piece on the chessboard - to a pawn.
4) Small can be beautiful: an eagle may at times go hungry; a pet canary, never.
5) Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It is the transition that is troublesome.
6) We are always certain that the decision we have just made is wrong.
7) No voyage is dangerous to the one who waves goodbye from the shore.
8) The greatest difficulty comes at the start. It's called 'getting ready'.
9) If the current flow is taking you where you want to go, don't argue.
10) If you want to know whether water is boiling, don't test it by hand.
11) Going there may be most of the fun- but only if you get there in the hand.
12) In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.
13) The wall that says 'Welcome, stranger' has never been built.
14) Those who say ' A penny for your thoughts' are usually being over-generous.
15) Good company robs even death of some of its terrors.
16) Once the sun sets, it grows dark; don't let that catch you by surprise.
17) If trouble were as easy to get out of, as into, life would be one sweet song.
18) The trouble with triumph is that you may be on the other side.
19) In the true triumph, however, there are no losers.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
F1 Preview
McLaren
1 Fernando Alonso, 2 Lewis Hamilton
Testers: Pedro de la Rosa, Gary Paffett
You don’t spend more than a few moments in the company of McLaren personnel these days without feeling the ambition vibrating off them. The team made mistakes with their aero package in 2006 that cost them dearly, but now there is an air of determination and confidence pervading the McLaren Technology Centre that is almost tangible. So much within this team is new for 2007: Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and title sponsor Vodafone, for starters. World champion Alonso has looked strong and quick all through winter testing in the new MP4-22, and his work ethic is precisely what the team need to hone their act. The Spaniard will certainly win races this year, and he is a definite favourite to challenge for the title too. Hamilton faces a rookie season that would daunt a less competitive man, running alongside the best driver in the world, but he is up for it and is focused on giving his best. Would it be fanciful to envisage him winning a race? Perhaps not, if the cards fall in his favour.
Renault
3 Giancarlo Fisichella, 4 Heikki Kovalainen
Testers: Nelson Piquet Jr, Ricardo Zonta
Is Giancarlo Fisichella big enough to carry the burden of Renault’s expectations in 2007? That’s the key question, as the Italian veteran seeks to mould what was Fernando Alonso’s team around himself. Fisichella is desperate to prove that he can be a title contender and that he can step up to the plate following the Spaniard’s departure. His critics suggest he will be lucky to see out the season without being replaced by test driver Nelson Piquet Jr - or not to be blown away by rookie team mate Heikki Kovalainen. His admirers argue he will rise to the occasion. This is what makes 2007 such a great season, because there are no certainties any more. Renault were top dogs in 2005 and 2006, but how much did that owe to Alonso? Are the drivers really that important, or have Bob Bell and his engineers spent new title sponsor ING’s budget creating in the new R27 another masterpiece that will do much of the job for them?
Ferrari
5 Felipe Massa, 6 Kimi Raikkonen
Testers: Luca Badoer, Marc Gene
In their first season since 1995 without Michael Schumacher, and also without the redoubtable engineering talents of Ross Brawn and Nigel Stepney, Ferrari face a different series of challenges in 2007. Testing has indicated that there isn’t much wrong with the new F2007, which has vied for fastest times with McLaren wherever the two teams have run. And Felipe Massa now has his feet nicely under the table at Maranello and comes into the new season buoyed with confidence after his fabulous triumph in Brazil last October. The likable Brazilian proved himself in 2006, winning for the first time in Turkey and showing well against Schumacher, and has to be considered a genuine title aspirant. So, of course, does his new team mate, Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn is arguably the fastest man in Formula One right now, but it will be one of the enduring fascinations of the season to see how well he fits into his new environment, and whether it will be him or Massa who gains the upper hand. Whatever happens, expect the red team to be one of the title favourites.
Honda
7 Jenson Button, 8 Rubens Barrichello
Testers: Christian Klien, James Rossiter
Putting aside the argument over Honda’s decision to go ‘green’, peel off sponsors’ logos and spread a map of the world over its RA107s, the real issue is whether the new car is going to give Jenson Button, who dominated team mate Rubens Barrichello in 2006, a crack at the world championship. The Englishman has suggested of late that it is not quick enough to do so, indicating that yet again the Brackley team will start the season playing catch up. There have been the odd signs of speed, but it’s always difficult to judge that accurately in tests, where fuel loads can differ so widely. Honda and Button scored more points than anyone else in the second half of 2006; those with a British interest in the title fight will be praying that his predictions for 2007 have been pessimistic and that Honda are genuine contenders. BMW Sauber 9 Nick Heidfeld, 10 Robert Kubica Testers: Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock Testing has revealed BMW Sauber to be the dark horses of 2007. The new F1.07 was born out of the state-of-the-art wind tunnel that the far-sighted Peter Sauber commissioned in Hinwil long before selling his team to the Munich manufacturer, and those in the know point to some clever aerodynamic features as the secret of the serious pace the car has shown all through the winter. In 2006 it’s fair to say that team principal Dr Mario Theissen delivered more than was expected, including two podiums. Now he says podiums are the aim once again, though drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have better things in mind. Can BMW break through and win races? It would be extraordinary if they do, and also welcome. More likely, however, would be for the team to fight Honda all the way for fourth place overall.
Toyota
11 Ralf Schumacher, 12 Jarno Trulli
Testers: Franck Montagny
2007 is without question the most critical year in Toyota’s thus-far troubled Formula One tenancy. It is the year in which they must get results, if the board in Japan is surely not to start questioning their involvement. When you sell as many cars worldwide as Toyota do, spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on Formula One racing may seem a drop in the ocean, but they aren’t in the game merely to make up the numbers. Last year they took a step backwards after parting with Mike Gascoyne, and so far the signs are that they have not done anything like enough to make up the lost ground, let alone move ahead. Drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli continue. Both have positive points, both have negative. Unless they can score points regularly, many critics argue it is unlikely the pairing will continue beyond this season.
Red Bull
14 David Coulthard, 15 Mark Webber
Testers: Robert Doornbos, Michael Ammermuller
Here is another team facing their most crucial year to date. Red Bull Racing got through a bruising second season, and now have the long-awaited Adrian Newey-penned RB3 and Renault RS27 power with which to challenge for a place in the top four. Can it deliver the goods, or will the disappointment of failure to do so be enough to trigger implosion? While Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed down at Toro Rosso have been put on their mettle to produce results in a similar car, everyone at Red Bull is feeling the same way. The RB3 must work and, if they are to keep progressing, podiums must feature regularly. David Coulthard is adamant despite some weak races in 2006 that he can do the job in the right car, while this is Mark Webber’s chance to prove once and for all that he is a serious top-liner. Watch this team closely.
Williams
16 Nico Rosberg, 17 Alex Wurz
Testers: Narain Karthikeyan, Kazuki Nakajima
Are we witnessing the slow decline of the once-great Williams team into a Tyrrell role? Or will they bounce back and embarrass the works Toyota team with their similarly-powered FW29? Those are the key questions surrounding one of the most popular teams in the pit lane, still headed by those archetypal racers Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. There has been a lot of reshuffling of personnel over the winter, with Adam Parr coming in to replace Chris Chapple as CEO, Jon Tomlinson coming in to head the aero department from Renault and Amit Chakraborty joining from McLaren, John Russell returning to get the reliability problems of 2006 sorted, and Ed Wood stepping in as chief designer, all to give technical director Sam Michael stronger back-up. AT&T and Lenovo have joined RBS as sponsors. The results have been promising in testing, but the jury is still out on whether the driver pairing of sophomore Nico Rosberg and veteran Alex Wurz (said by some to be the ‘Michael Schumacher of testing’ and returning to a full-time race seat for the first time since 2000 at Benetton) is strong enough to get the job done.
Toro Rosso
18 Vitantonio Liuzzi, 19 Scott Speed
Whatever anyone might tell you, indications are this has not been a happy team during the winter break. Neither Vitantonio Liuzzi nor Scott Speed had their contracts confirmed until very late, following harsh public criticism from co-owner Gerhard Berger. The Austrian suggested he had sought drivers of the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Hakkinen as potential replacements, despite the fact that last season both the Italian and the American regularly upstaged their Red Bull siblings in a car that was one year older than their mounts. Perhaps not a conventional way to motivate people, though it was interesting to see in recent testing in Bahrain that in a short time both Toro Rosso pilots got their new cars going faster than the Red Bulls again. Therein, of course, lies a tale, as Toro Rosso faces the same criticisms from rivals as Super Aguri that their new car breaks the rules by being based on another competitor’s. There are those who will tell you that the Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull RB3 and the Toro Rosso STR02 are separated only by their engines; the former has the Renault RS27, the latter Ferrari’s 056 V8. The team insist all is legal. Watch this lot, however. Liuzzi is underrated and is determined to beat the Red Bull guys again; and Speed showed well against him in the second half of 2006. They both have a point to prove.
Spyker
20 Christijan Albers, 21 Adrian Sutil
Testers: Fairuz Fauzy, Adrian Valles, Giedo van der Garde, Markus Winkelhock
First they were Jordan. Then, after gentle decline, they became Midland for an uncomfortable limbo period. Since Spyker took over late last year, this team have begun the long task of pulling themselves up by their boot straps. Getting Mike Gascoyne on board as chief technical officer was a positive move - many believe Toyota’s loss to be Spyker’s gain. Affectionately known as the ‘Rottweiler’ in the paddock, there isn’t an awful lot Gascoyne’s been able to do with the F8-VII given his relatively recent arrival, but he is a down-to-earth character who, appropriately, calls a spade a spade, and he will guide the engineering department, led by technical director James Key, down the right path. With Ferrari engines for the first time, they will have good power and should have excellent reliability, giving Spyker the chance to progress. Of course it will be tough, but team principal Colin Kolles proved himself adept at keeping Jordan afloat when investment from Midland dried up and Andy Stevenson did a solid, unsung job as team manager. On the driver front, Dutchman Christijan Albers will be the darling of team owners Michiel Mol and Victor Muller. He has shown reasonable speed and has the experience to make the most of his equipment. German rookie Adrian Sutil showed well against Lewis Hamilton in F3, and also impressed on his Friday test runs for Midland in 2006.
Super Aguri
22 Takuma Sato, 23 Anthony Davidson
Tester: Sakon Yamamoto
Last year Super Aguri struggled along with a lashed up car, the faithful Takuma Sato and Japanese team mates Yuji Ide and Sakon Yamamoto. It was always going to be a tough season as they established themselves, but towards the end of the year, particularly in Brazil, improvements in their Bridgestone tyres enabled Sato to get in amongst the Spykers and Red Bulls. A team’s second year is always harder than the first, but Super Aguri may prove the exception to that rule after a tough 2006 baptism. In 2007 things should only get better, given that they have had an awful lot more time to prepare for the new season, and that their ties with Honda are even stronger. First, Sato gets what he needs: a team mate who can give him a hard time and keep him fully focused. Anthony Davidson played with Sato the role Dario Franchitti played to Jan Magnussen in their F3 days, but just as Franchitti went on to have the stronger career in the big leagues, so Davidson could yet get the upper hand. He is hugely experienced from all of his testing with Honda, in which he proved himself to be fast and reliable. He may yet gain the advantage over the mercurial Japanese racer. Much will depend on how successful the team’s new car is. Despite any protestations to the contrary, all the expectations are that the SA07 - to be launched on the Wednesday prior to the Australian Grand Prix - will be based heavily on Honda’s 2006 RA106, and the RA807E engine will be strong.
1 Fernando Alonso, 2 Lewis Hamilton
Testers: Pedro de la Rosa, Gary Paffett
You don’t spend more than a few moments in the company of McLaren personnel these days without feeling the ambition vibrating off them. The team made mistakes with their aero package in 2006 that cost them dearly, but now there is an air of determination and confidence pervading the McLaren Technology Centre that is almost tangible. So much within this team is new for 2007: Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and title sponsor Vodafone, for starters. World champion Alonso has looked strong and quick all through winter testing in the new MP4-22, and his work ethic is precisely what the team need to hone their act. The Spaniard will certainly win races this year, and he is a definite favourite to challenge for the title too. Hamilton faces a rookie season that would daunt a less competitive man, running alongside the best driver in the world, but he is up for it and is focused on giving his best. Would it be fanciful to envisage him winning a race? Perhaps not, if the cards fall in his favour.
Renault
3 Giancarlo Fisichella, 4 Heikki Kovalainen
Testers: Nelson Piquet Jr, Ricardo Zonta
Is Giancarlo Fisichella big enough to carry the burden of Renault’s expectations in 2007? That’s the key question, as the Italian veteran seeks to mould what was Fernando Alonso’s team around himself. Fisichella is desperate to prove that he can be a title contender and that he can step up to the plate following the Spaniard’s departure. His critics suggest he will be lucky to see out the season without being replaced by test driver Nelson Piquet Jr - or not to be blown away by rookie team mate Heikki Kovalainen. His admirers argue he will rise to the occasion. This is what makes 2007 such a great season, because there are no certainties any more. Renault were top dogs in 2005 and 2006, but how much did that owe to Alonso? Are the drivers really that important, or have Bob Bell and his engineers spent new title sponsor ING’s budget creating in the new R27 another masterpiece that will do much of the job for them?
Ferrari
5 Felipe Massa, 6 Kimi Raikkonen
Testers: Luca Badoer, Marc Gene
In their first season since 1995 without Michael Schumacher, and also without the redoubtable engineering talents of Ross Brawn and Nigel Stepney, Ferrari face a different series of challenges in 2007. Testing has indicated that there isn’t much wrong with the new F2007, which has vied for fastest times with McLaren wherever the two teams have run. And Felipe Massa now has his feet nicely under the table at Maranello and comes into the new season buoyed with confidence after his fabulous triumph in Brazil last October. The likable Brazilian proved himself in 2006, winning for the first time in Turkey and showing well against Schumacher, and has to be considered a genuine title aspirant. So, of course, does his new team mate, Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn is arguably the fastest man in Formula One right now, but it will be one of the enduring fascinations of the season to see how well he fits into his new environment, and whether it will be him or Massa who gains the upper hand. Whatever happens, expect the red team to be one of the title favourites.
Honda
7 Jenson Button, 8 Rubens Barrichello
Testers: Christian Klien, James Rossiter
Putting aside the argument over Honda’s decision to go ‘green’, peel off sponsors’ logos and spread a map of the world over its RA107s, the real issue is whether the new car is going to give Jenson Button, who dominated team mate Rubens Barrichello in 2006, a crack at the world championship. The Englishman has suggested of late that it is not quick enough to do so, indicating that yet again the Brackley team will start the season playing catch up. There have been the odd signs of speed, but it’s always difficult to judge that accurately in tests, where fuel loads can differ so widely. Honda and Button scored more points than anyone else in the second half of 2006; those with a British interest in the title fight will be praying that his predictions for 2007 have been pessimistic and that Honda are genuine contenders. BMW Sauber 9 Nick Heidfeld, 10 Robert Kubica Testers: Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock Testing has revealed BMW Sauber to be the dark horses of 2007. The new F1.07 was born out of the state-of-the-art wind tunnel that the far-sighted Peter Sauber commissioned in Hinwil long before selling his team to the Munich manufacturer, and those in the know point to some clever aerodynamic features as the secret of the serious pace the car has shown all through the winter. In 2006 it’s fair to say that team principal Dr Mario Theissen delivered more than was expected, including two podiums. Now he says podiums are the aim once again, though drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have better things in mind. Can BMW break through and win races? It would be extraordinary if they do, and also welcome. More likely, however, would be for the team to fight Honda all the way for fourth place overall.
Toyota
11 Ralf Schumacher, 12 Jarno Trulli
Testers: Franck Montagny
2007 is without question the most critical year in Toyota’s thus-far troubled Formula One tenancy. It is the year in which they must get results, if the board in Japan is surely not to start questioning their involvement. When you sell as many cars worldwide as Toyota do, spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on Formula One racing may seem a drop in the ocean, but they aren’t in the game merely to make up the numbers. Last year they took a step backwards after parting with Mike Gascoyne, and so far the signs are that they have not done anything like enough to make up the lost ground, let alone move ahead. Drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli continue. Both have positive points, both have negative. Unless they can score points regularly, many critics argue it is unlikely the pairing will continue beyond this season.
Red Bull
14 David Coulthard, 15 Mark Webber
Testers: Robert Doornbos, Michael Ammermuller
Here is another team facing their most crucial year to date. Red Bull Racing got through a bruising second season, and now have the long-awaited Adrian Newey-penned RB3 and Renault RS27 power with which to challenge for a place in the top four. Can it deliver the goods, or will the disappointment of failure to do so be enough to trigger implosion? While Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed down at Toro Rosso have been put on their mettle to produce results in a similar car, everyone at Red Bull is feeling the same way. The RB3 must work and, if they are to keep progressing, podiums must feature regularly. David Coulthard is adamant despite some weak races in 2006 that he can do the job in the right car, while this is Mark Webber’s chance to prove once and for all that he is a serious top-liner. Watch this team closely.
Williams
16 Nico Rosberg, 17 Alex Wurz
Testers: Narain Karthikeyan, Kazuki Nakajima
Are we witnessing the slow decline of the once-great Williams team into a Tyrrell role? Or will they bounce back and embarrass the works Toyota team with their similarly-powered FW29? Those are the key questions surrounding one of the most popular teams in the pit lane, still headed by those archetypal racers Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. There has been a lot of reshuffling of personnel over the winter, with Adam Parr coming in to replace Chris Chapple as CEO, Jon Tomlinson coming in to head the aero department from Renault and Amit Chakraborty joining from McLaren, John Russell returning to get the reliability problems of 2006 sorted, and Ed Wood stepping in as chief designer, all to give technical director Sam Michael stronger back-up. AT&T and Lenovo have joined RBS as sponsors. The results have been promising in testing, but the jury is still out on whether the driver pairing of sophomore Nico Rosberg and veteran Alex Wurz (said by some to be the ‘Michael Schumacher of testing’ and returning to a full-time race seat for the first time since 2000 at Benetton) is strong enough to get the job done.
Toro Rosso
18 Vitantonio Liuzzi, 19 Scott Speed
Whatever anyone might tell you, indications are this has not been a happy team during the winter break. Neither Vitantonio Liuzzi nor Scott Speed had their contracts confirmed until very late, following harsh public criticism from co-owner Gerhard Berger. The Austrian suggested he had sought drivers of the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya and Mika Hakkinen as potential replacements, despite the fact that last season both the Italian and the American regularly upstaged their Red Bull siblings in a car that was one year older than their mounts. Perhaps not a conventional way to motivate people, though it was interesting to see in recent testing in Bahrain that in a short time both Toro Rosso pilots got their new cars going faster than the Red Bulls again. Therein, of course, lies a tale, as Toro Rosso faces the same criticisms from rivals as Super Aguri that their new car breaks the rules by being based on another competitor’s. There are those who will tell you that the Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull RB3 and the Toro Rosso STR02 are separated only by their engines; the former has the Renault RS27, the latter Ferrari’s 056 V8. The team insist all is legal. Watch this lot, however. Liuzzi is underrated and is determined to beat the Red Bull guys again; and Speed showed well against him in the second half of 2006. They both have a point to prove.
Spyker
20 Christijan Albers, 21 Adrian Sutil
Testers: Fairuz Fauzy, Adrian Valles, Giedo van der Garde, Markus Winkelhock
First they were Jordan. Then, after gentle decline, they became Midland for an uncomfortable limbo period. Since Spyker took over late last year, this team have begun the long task of pulling themselves up by their boot straps. Getting Mike Gascoyne on board as chief technical officer was a positive move - many believe Toyota’s loss to be Spyker’s gain. Affectionately known as the ‘Rottweiler’ in the paddock, there isn’t an awful lot Gascoyne’s been able to do with the F8-VII given his relatively recent arrival, but he is a down-to-earth character who, appropriately, calls a spade a spade, and he will guide the engineering department, led by technical director James Key, down the right path. With Ferrari engines for the first time, they will have good power and should have excellent reliability, giving Spyker the chance to progress. Of course it will be tough, but team principal Colin Kolles proved himself adept at keeping Jordan afloat when investment from Midland dried up and Andy Stevenson did a solid, unsung job as team manager. On the driver front, Dutchman Christijan Albers will be the darling of team owners Michiel Mol and Victor Muller. He has shown reasonable speed and has the experience to make the most of his equipment. German rookie Adrian Sutil showed well against Lewis Hamilton in F3, and also impressed on his Friday test runs for Midland in 2006.
Super Aguri
22 Takuma Sato, 23 Anthony Davidson
Tester: Sakon Yamamoto
Last year Super Aguri struggled along with a lashed up car, the faithful Takuma Sato and Japanese team mates Yuji Ide and Sakon Yamamoto. It was always going to be a tough season as they established themselves, but towards the end of the year, particularly in Brazil, improvements in their Bridgestone tyres enabled Sato to get in amongst the Spykers and Red Bulls. A team’s second year is always harder than the first, but Super Aguri may prove the exception to that rule after a tough 2006 baptism. In 2007 things should only get better, given that they have had an awful lot more time to prepare for the new season, and that their ties with Honda are even stronger. First, Sato gets what he needs: a team mate who can give him a hard time and keep him fully focused. Anthony Davidson played with Sato the role Dario Franchitti played to Jan Magnussen in their F3 days, but just as Franchitti went on to have the stronger career in the big leagues, so Davidson could yet get the upper hand. He is hugely experienced from all of his testing with Honda, in which he proved himself to be fast and reliable. He may yet gain the advantage over the mercurial Japanese racer. Much will depend on how successful the team’s new car is. Despite any protestations to the contrary, all the expectations are that the SA07 - to be launched on the Wednesday prior to the Australian Grand Prix - will be based heavily on Honda’s 2006 RA106, and the RA807E engine will be strong.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
My Favourite Quotes
My Favourite Quotes
The following are my favourite quotes.
Albert Einstein
If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.
Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor
Imagination is more important than knowledge...
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Truth is what stands the test of experience.
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.
At any rate, I am convinced that He [God] does not play dice
If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.
Douglas Adams
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.
It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear.
Life... is like a grapefruit. It's orange and squishy, and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast.
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
You live and learn. At any rate, you live.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.
The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
More on my favourite quotes comin soon..........
The following are my favourite quotes.
Albert Einstein
If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.
Before God we are all equally wise and equally foolish.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith
If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor
Imagination is more important than knowledge...
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
Truth is what stands the test of experience.
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.
At any rate, I am convinced that He [God] does not play dice
If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.
Douglas Adams
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.
It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear.
Life... is like a grapefruit. It's orange and squishy, and has a few pips in it, and some folks have half a one for breakfast.
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
You live and learn. At any rate, you live.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.
The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.
More on my favourite quotes comin soon..........
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