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Benvenuti in queste pagine dedicate a scienza, storia ed arte. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, Torino

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Caligae

A massive statue believed to be that of  Emperor Caligula, sitting on a throne, coming from an illegal dig south of Rome, was unveiled. The statue, broken in several large pieces, was found last January when Finance Police stopped it from being smuggled out of the country. The  "tomb raiders" tried to sell this archaeological treasure on the black market. The statue has feet wearing "caligae": this is why the person shown by the statue is identified as the emperor Caligula. 


The Emperor Caligula. Statue in the Museo Nazionale, Naples.

Caligula's statue will come back home

"La statua dell’imperatore Caligola torna a Nemi. A recuperarla il comando provinciale della Guardia di Finanza di Roma, guidato dal generale Ignazio Gibilaro, nel corso di una più vasta operazione di tutela del patrimonio artistico nazionale. «E' stato recuperato un pezzo di straordinaria bellezza e rinvenuto un sito archeologico finora sconosciuto alla stessa sovrintendenza – ha spiegato Giuseppina Ghini, direttrice del Museo delle Navi dove sarà collocata la statua dopo il suo restauro - Abbiamo sottoposto la statua ad una prima ripulitura, presto inizieremo il restauro ma per ora si sta ancora studiando, analizzando»."
http://www.newnotizie.it/2011/07/13/ritrovata-la-statua-di-caligola-in-trono/
Emperor Caligula's statue is coming back home to Nemi. It was the provincial team of the Guardia di Finanza in Rome, led by General Ignacio Gibilaro, to retrieve it, during an police action to protect the national artistic heritage. According to Giuseppina Ghini, head of the Museum at Nemi,  this staue is a piece of extraordinary beauty, discovered in a previously unknown archaeological site. The statue, after restoration, will be soon bach home in the Museum of Nemi. 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Earliest Roman basilica found outside Alexandria - Ahram Online

" At Al-Baron area in Semouha district, south of Alexandria, an Egyptian archaeological mission has discovered several significant monuments and artefacts that will help in the writing of the history of the area.

 During excavations, archaeologists uncovered the earliest Roman civil basilica yet found on top of a Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the three Alexandria deities (Isis, Serapis, Harpocrates) along with a collection of terracotta statues."
Earliest ever civil Roman basilica found outside Alexandria - Greco-Roman - Heritage - Ahram Online

Monday, July 11, 2011

DNA transistor

"Passivated nanopores withstand extreme voltages.
Solid-state nanopores are a core element of next-generation single molecule tools in the field of nanobiotechnology, most prominently in the area of DNA-sequencing technology. Researchers at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center have recently introduced a nanopore-based DNA sequencing platform, which they call a DNA transistor. Thin-film electrodes are integrated into the nanopore device for electrically interacting with translocating DNA. They have now shown that TiN electrodes inside a nanopore can be passivated and completely shielded against electrochemical deterioration even when extreme voltages are applied."

electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

"Functionalized electrochemical impedance spectroscopy device targets personalized medicine.
Rapid, sensitive, accurate, miniaturized and inexpensive biosensors are highly desirable for assisting clinical medical diagnosis. Researchers based at National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, have developed such a portable bio-sensing platform to detect intermolecular interactions using nanogold-enhanced electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)."

Friday, July 8, 2011

Objeto en llamas sobre Alemania

"Un objeto volador no identificado cayó en llamas sobre la ciudad de Berlín, Alemania. Una cámara captó el momento preciso en el que se observa al extraño objeto cayendo de manera lenta paro totalmente incendiada."

Vídeo: objeto en llamas cae sobre Alemania

Sandstorm on Phoenix

Phoenix Dusts Off After Giant Sandstorm Whips Through
More http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/us/07dust.html

See the video (courtesy: http://www.mikeolbinski.com/ and http://www.krazywake.com/)
Amazing video by two photographers - Mike Olbinski and Blaine Coury - in Arizona.
 A wall of dust is moving on Phoenix in Arizona. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

A giant mirage on a Chinese river

'Lost Civilization' Appears Above Chinese River, Published June 27, 2011,  News Corp Australian Papers
"It looks like any other city skyline with skyscrapers, a few mountains and trees -- except it isn't real.
The giant mirage appeared across the skyline in East China earlier this month after heavy rainfall and humid conditions covered the Xin’an River. As mist settled over the river at dusk, tall buildings appeared to rise from nowhere, leading residents in nearby Huanshan City to speculate that the vision may be a "vortex" to a lost civilization."
Egyptology on line resourches
http://egypt.online-resourcen.de/