2008年7月8日星期二

dais, iteration, zillion, billionaire, astrophysics

Smart-phone shoppers who have been waiting for a cheaper iPhone that runs on faster cell networks might want to take the plunge on the iconic device's latest iteration, but service costs have risen and battery life has dropped.

• Video: Mossberg Breaks Down the iPhone | Complete Coverage

Daily Highlights Thursday, July 17, 2008

Spotlight


Oldest Seen Galaxies

Scientific research shows that the universe has been expanding at an accelerating rate; this is said to be due to the dark energy that makes up some 70 percent of the total energy density of today's universe. This discovery further bears out the big bang theory, which had been first proposed by astrophysicist and cosmologist Georges Lemaître in 1927. LeMaître, who was born on this date in 1894, stated that the universe began some 20 billion years ago with the violent explosion of a small mass of matter at extremely high density and temperature.

Quote
"A universe that came from nothing in the big bang will disappear into nothing at the big crunch. Its glorious few zillion years of existence not even a memory." — Paul Davies

Edwin E. Salpeter, Leader in Astrophysics Study, Dies at 83

astro・physics

━━ n. 天体物理学.
astro・physical　━━ a.
astro・physicist　━━ n.

zillion
noun [C] INFORMAL
an extremely large, but not a stated, number:
I've told you a zillion times/zillions of times not to do that.billion
noun [C]
1 1 000 000 000:
Cosmetics is a billion dollar industry.

2 UK OLD-FASHIONED 1 000 000 000 000
NOTE: This number is now called a trillion.

billionaire
noun [C]
a person whose wealth is at least 1 000 000 000 in their country's money

it・er・ate

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━━ vt. 繰り返す; 繰り返して言う.

it・er・a・tion　━━ n. 【コンピュータ】（プログラム中の命令の）繰り返し, 反復.
iteration control structure　【コンピュータ】くり返し制御構造.

it・er・a・tive　━━ a. 反復の; 【文法】反復相の.
iterative process　【コンピュータ】反復プロセス.

The body had to be changed because Ratan Tata, over six feet tall himself, wanted it to be easy for tall people to get in and out of the car. "Imagine the plight of the body designer—he went through hundreds of iterations, then at the last minute the car length was increased by 100 millimeters!" Wagh says. The attention to detail paid off: When the car rolled onto the dais at the Auto Show in New Delhi in January, and Ratan Tata stepped out of the driver's seat with ease, it made an immediate impact.

dais Show phonetics
noun [C]
a raised surface at one end of a meeting room which someone can stand on when speaking to a group