Science & News: Today's Rarity On The News

Google Date Centres: inside the campus network room, routers and switches allow Google's data centres to talk to each other. The fiber optic networks connecting Google's sites can run at speeds that are more than 200,000 times faster than a typical home internet connection. The fiber cables run along the yellow cable trays near the ceiling. Image from Google, Caption from news.com.au

Google Data Centre, Georgia: These colorful pipes send and receive water for cooling Google's facility. Also pictured is a G-Bike, the vehicle of choice for team members to get around outside the data centres. Image from Google , caption from news.com.au

It was definitely a rarity for us non-Google employees to go inside the Google data centres to have a look-around, not any more, because Google has put their data centre on Street View and you can now move around quite freely in and out of the building.

And look what I've found in the building!!!

A Super Secret Stratgic Power usage effectiveness (PUE) Plan
Image from Google

A Stormtrooper from Star Wars with mini R2D2
Image from Google

Google staff get candies everywhere!
Image from Google

Table tennis and pool for relaxation
Image from Google

Very careful reminder
Image from Google

People with actual faces on Street View, not easy to find
Image from Google

Another rarity is this rare octopus that comes with a shell which turned up in the nets of a fishing boat off the coast of San Pedro last weekend. It is now staying at San Pedro aquarium and has attracted attentions since then. For more detail, do read the article by NBC.

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Next up, researchers have found a rare Japanese Otton frog which uses its Wolverine-like retractable spikes for mating and fighting! Hm... so mating and fighting are similar stuff? Just as violent, maybe?

The Japanese Otton frog -- with Wolverine-like retractable spikes
Image from Mail Online

Sharp and Pointy
Image from Mail Online

Wolverine with retractable claws
Image from empireonline

I do think that this Japanese Otton frog cannot be described as "cool", that's for sure!

Green tea is good for health
Image from tumblr

Last but not least, WedMD Health News adds more clues to how green Tea can help prevent or slow the growth of prostate and breast cancer. Their findings show that Green tea, which is high in polyphenols -- an antioxidants that protect against cell damage, lowers the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) which is produced by the prostate gland. Another green tea extract called Polyphenon E, may slow down breast cancer by affecting substances called growth factors which are involved in the signals that tell breast cancer to grow.

Can you see the prostate gland?
Image from weisshospital

Care for a cup? Grab some this weekend and start drinking!


Vocabulary:

rarity -- (n)  [C or U] something that is very unusual, or the quality of being very unusual
retractable --(adj)  formal  can be pulled something back or in


Resources:

Google Data centers @ Google
http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/

Google reveals 'top secret' data centres that act as beating heart of the digital age @ News.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/technology/google-reveals-top-secret-data-centers/story-e6frfro0-1226498166064

Explore a Google data center with Street View @ Google
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=avP5d16wEp0

The incredible Japanese 'wolverine frog' with spikes that shoot out of its false thumbs @MailOnline
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2219727/The-incredible-Japanese-wolverine-frog-spikes-shoot-false-thumb.html

Rare Octopus on Display at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro @NBC
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/the-scene/events/Rare-Octopus-on-Display-at-Cabrillo--174817521.html

Green Tea and Cancer Prevention: New Clues @ WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20121018/green-tea-cancer-prevention-new-clues

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/rarity?q=rarity
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/retract?q=retractable+