Le Matinal (17 February 2014) by Le Matinal

LE MATINAL, PORT LOUIS, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2014 ● w w w . l e m a t i n a l . c o m

BEYOND

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'The night I invented 3D printing' GO NEWS

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BEYOND

A N A LY S I S

BY MATTHEW PONSFORD AND NICK GLASS

BORDERS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH LE MATINAL

Imagine world without nuclear weapons I BY DESMOND TUTU

n February 1990, the same month that Nelson Mandela, also known as Madiba, walked free after 27 years behind bars, South Africa's then-President, Frederik Willem de Klerk, issued written instructions to dismantle the nation's atomic arsenal. Like Madiba's achingly long incarceration, the apartheid regime's development of these most abominable weapons, though never officially acknowledged, had become an intolerable blight on South Africa's image abroad. Divesting ourselves of the bomb was -- as de Klerk later remarked -- an essential part of our transition from a pariah state to an accepted member of the family of nations. In his time as president, from 1994 to 1999, Madiba frequently implored the remaining nuclear powers to follow South Africa's lead in relinquishing nuclear weapons. All of humanity would be better off, he reasoned, if we

lived free from the threat of a nuclear conflagration, the effects of which would be catastrophic. Addressing the U.N. General Assembly in 1998, he said: "We must ask the question, which might sound naive to those who have elaborated so-

only nation to have built nuclear weapons and then done away with them altogether. Nine nations still cling firmly to these ghastly instruments of terror, believing, paradoxically, that by threatening to obliterate others they are main-

use of the threat of brute force to assert the primacy of some states over others." To his mind, the struggle against the bomb was intertwined, inextricably, with the struggles to end racism and colonialism. He abhorred the

lenge the perceived entitlement of a select few nations to possess the bomb. As Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. Secretary-General, put it succinctly in January of last year: "There are no right hands for wrong weapons." But how do we uproot the dis-

O The month Mandela left prison, South Africa's president ordered its atomic arsenal dismantled

O Desmond Tutu says nuclear weapons -like apartheid -- were a blight on S. Africa's image

O As president, Mandela implored the remaining nuclear powers to also give up their weapons

O Tutu says nuclear weapons and those who hold them should be stigmatized

phisticated arguments to justify their refusal to eliminate these terrible and terrifying weapons of mass destruction -- why do they need them anyway?" Despite Madiba's undisputed moral authority and unmatched powers of persuasion, his cri de coeur for disarmament went unheeded in his lifetime. South Africa, to this day, remains the

taining the peace. Quite unaccountably, all are squandering precious resources, human and material, on programs to modernize and upgrade their arsenals -- an egregious theft from the world's poor. Madiba attributed the lack of progress in achieving total nuclear disarmament to "Cold War inertia and an attachment to the

double standard, deeply entrenched in today's international order, whereby certain nations claim a "right" to possess nuclear arms -- in the hundreds, even the thousands -- while simultaneously condemning, and feigning moral outrage towards, those who dare pursue the same. We must vociferously chal-

criminatory order? How do we end the minority rule? In our decades-long fight against apartheid in South Africa, we depended upon the combination of an irrepressible domestic groundswell of popular opposition to the regime and intense and sustained pressure from the international community. The same combination is needed

now in the movement to abolish nuclear weapons. This week, in the Mexican state of Nayarit, ministers and diplomats from three-quarters of all nations -- those not coming include the Permanent Five members of the U.N. Security Council, the U.S., UK, France, Russia and China -- are gathered to discuss the devastating humanitarian impact of nuclear detonations. This will cover the inability of emergency workers to provide relief to the wounded; the widespread dispersal of radiation; the lofting of millions of tonnes of soot from firestorms high into the upper troposphere; the collapse of global agriculture from lack of sunlight and rainfall; the onset of famine and disease on a scale never before witnessed. This conference is not only a much-needed reminder of what nuclear weapons do to humans beings -- something seldom mentioned in arms control discussions -- but also a vital chance for the international community to chart a new course.

It is high time for the nuclear-free nations of the world, constituting the overwhelming majority, to work together to exert their extraordinary collective influence. Without delay, they should embark on a process to negotiate a global treaty banning the use, manufacture and possession of nuclear weapons -whether or not the nucleararmed nations are prepared to join them. Why should these weapons, whose effects are the most grievous of all, remain the only weapons of mass destruction not expressly prohibited under international law? By stigmatizing the bomb -as well as those who possess it -we can build tremendous pressure for disarmament. As Madiba understood well, a world freed of nuclear arms will be a freer world for all. Desmond Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, is a patron of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The views expressed are his own.

all him Charlie, Charles, Chuck -whatever you want. It's all okay with him. Beaming a warm smile from beneath his push-broom mustache, the softly spoken 74-yearold doesn't strike you as a pioneering innovator -- the man responsible for a breakthrough that's now driving forward the world of manufacturing. But Chuck Hall -- "in this kind of environment, it's usually 'Chuck'," he says, as he sits down with CNN in Frankfurt, Germany -- is executive vice president and chief technology officer of 3D Systems, a company built on his creation: the 3D printer. In 1983, Hall was working for a small business that made tough coatings for tables using ultraviolet lamps. When he suggested a new way to use the UV technology -- to quickly turn computer designs into working prototypes -- Hall was given a little lab to play around in during his evenings and weekends. Hall experimented for months, on his own with a plastic-y gloop -- then one night, something emerged... CNN: When you began, what materials exactly were you using? Hall: The class of materials is called "photopolymers" and these are typically acrylic-based materials that would be liquid until they're hit with -- let's say -an ultraviolet light. Then, they instantly turn solid. So, you have a vat of this liquid and a point of ultraviolet light, and you turn it into a solid piece of plastic. And that's the basic method? That's the basic methodology -- that's stereolithography. That's never changed. Who was the first person you showed it to? Er, my wife. I got a good part and called her up, got her out of her pajamas, told her to come down to the lab and see this. What did she say? "This had better be good!" (Laughs.) And then, when did you see 3D printing take off ? Well, it's really blossomed just in the last few years -- in the sense of really rapid growth and recognition. There's a lots of things that contributed to that, I think: a lot of the medical applications catch peoples' imagination; certainly the maker movement, with low-cost machines getting hobbyists interested in inventing and building using 3D

O Chuck Hall is the American engineer who invented 3D printing

BY DAISY CARRINGTON AND ROSIE TOMKINS

printing. How did the process develop into what it is today? One of the most significant [changes] is the basic accuracy you can achieve: because [the materials] cure from a liquid to a solid, they tend to shrink and they can distort. So as you build these 3D parts you get some inaccuracies and warp-age. But that chemistry has been vastly improved, so there's almost no distortion now. Also the physical properties: initially the materials were really brittle -- they would break easily. Nowadays you get really good, tough plastic materials.

able technology at Heathrow Airport

BY SIMON BUSCH

BY HEIDI BEEMER

ars One, a Dutch nonprofit organization, aims to establish the first human settlement on Mars in the coming decades. I am one of 1,058 people chosen from around the world to be in round two of Mars One's astronaut application pool. The next few rounds will narrow the field until at last 24 candidates will be picked to begin 10 years of training for the mission. The process is very competitive. In my application, I highlighted my strengths, including adaptability, resiliency, curiosity and leadership skills. I am ready to accept all the hard challenges of going to space and living on Mars. My passion for Mars and space exploration began in 1997 when I was 8 years old. NASA had been sending humans to space for several decades, but it began to push new frontiers by

sending the first rover to Mars. The Sojourner rover landed on the Red Planet on July 4, 1997, and gave humans a glimpse of the rust-colored Martian surface. Seeing the images ignited a passion inside. For most people, perhaps the desolate landscape of Mars is uninviting; for me, it was the future -- the next frontier. I remember telling myself then that the only way we will

find the answers locked inside our solar system would be to send humans to Mars; and I wanted to go. When I was a senior in college, I was selected to be the ex-

Although our two-week stay is relatively short compared to Mars One's lifelong expedition, it is scientific research like this that is going to help us find a way to adapt to living on other

One project presents is extraordinary. Humans have always dreamed of living on another planet. The technology to send us to the surface of a planet like Mars exists; it has been avail-

Mars One, a nonprofit, aims to establish the first human settlement on the Red Planet

Heidi Beemer: I signed up to volunteer for a one-way trip to Mars

She says despite risks and challenges, the trip is worthwhile in what we can learn

ecutive officer and chief geologist of Crew 99 at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah. Much like the astronauts on the International Space Station learn to live and work in space, the Mars Society's MDRS outpost teaches us how to live, work and solve problems on Mars. My crew consisted of five other students from across the country and we lived at a Martian analogue station for two weeks. We learned how to conduct daily missions, maintain our habitat, take quick showers and utilize recycled water systems.

planets. Once the Mars One crew arrives on Mars the members will begin living their lives as Martians. A majority of their time will be spent conducting scientific experiments, exploring the surroundings, maintaining and improving their habitat. They will also stay connected with the world they left through e-mail and video messages. They will live like the scientists at MDRS and spend their days learning how to adapt to a foreign environment. The opportunity the Mars

able for more than 20 years. But limited funding and unknown health risks have put a brake on our desire to try to settle on other planets. Because Mars mysteriously lost its atmosphere and oceans millions of years ago it is important for us to find out why. By sending humans there, we can find answers to Mars' past and future, and ultimately, maybe find answers to the future of Earth. Of course, there are concerns about whether it makes sense to start a human settlement on

such a cold and harsh planet. In an article in The Times, astronauts and physicians acknowledge that the human body isn't equipped for long-term space travel. Risks include extended exposure to radiation and cosmic rays. Even at low and acceptable levels, they may cause health problems. Luckily, it does not take a lifetime to travel to Mars. In fact, it may only take 210 days to reach the Red Planet. This is a mere 30 days longer than a normal crew rotation on the International Space Station. While we know about the negative toll of prolonged space living on the human body, astronauts returning to the gravitational force of the Earth recover from their stay in space. Although research is still being done on the loss of bone mass, most other effects felt during space missions subside after physical therapy and treatment. Mars is also a much smaller

planet than Earth. This means the gravity felt on the surface is one-third what we feel on Earth. Once the settlers arrive on the surface after a seven-month space journey, their bodies will eventually adapt to the surface of Mars. Obviously, there will be unforeseen challenges in such a huge endeavor. But they shouldn't deter us from the attempt. If we never put our collective efforts together to do this, the human race will never fulfill its dream of living on another planet. We owe it to future generations, who will be left with the problems of Earth, to try to find new homes throughout the solar system. As long as there are volunteers like me willing to make the sacrifice, we will find ways to survive in space and beyond. Heidi Beemer, a first lieutenant in the United States Army, is a chemical defense officer in the 63rd Chemical Company at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Glasses on the other face Virgin is claiming a first for a trial of Google Glass in the airline industry. But others have predicted

Rise of the big spenders Russians traveled overseas last year

O Virgin Atlantic is testing Google's wear-

Why I signed up for a one-way trip to Mars

A N A LY S I S

O Nearly 40 million Russians

Virgin tests Google Glass at check-in f you're accosted at an airport by someone who already knows your name, destination and dietary requirements, don't assume they're working for security. Virgin Atlantic has begun testing Google Glass. The airline is conducting a six-week experiment with the wearable technology for passengers in its Upper Class Lounge at London Heathrow airport. The web-connected specs should enable concierge staff to identify passengers arriving at the airport. With data flashing before their eyes, staff can update customers on their latest flight information, as well as weather and events at their destination. Once a passenger has been identified, the glasses promise to begin the check-in process automatically and perform services such as translating relevant foreign language travel notices.

O Hall created the first 3D printer in 1983 and has been refining his creation ever since

VIEWS

I hear the word "democratization" used about 3D printing. Is that important to you? The whole premise of this technology has been to foster creativity, and change in product design and manufacturing, and so forth. At the individual level, I think there's a great kind of pent up need: we've got into the computer age and everything is on a screen or remote, we've kind of missed the tangible result. This is a means to convert something on the computer to reality in a straightforward way. Could you have imagined all this?

Russian travelers are increasingly booking trips abroad, and hotels and touring companies are working overtime to win their patronage. In 2012, Russian tourists spent $43 billion abroad -making them the fifth highest-spending segment of the travel industry. Last year, nearly 40 million Russians traveled overseas (only 8 million journeyed in 2006). That number is likely to expand, and quickly; Russians are the world's second-fastest growing group of tourists. The supercharged growth can be attributed to a steadily growing middle class (projected to rise 16% between now and 2020), and the fact that access to the world beyond the former Soviet borders is still fairly novel. "The Russian visitor explosion has been so fast that perhaps some hoteliers still haven't quite picked up on it," says Matt Walls, vice president of Hotels.com -- a booking site that recently released a global survey on Russian tourists. "Now is the time (for them to do so), because unless you can cater to the needs of Russian customers, they'll go and stay somewhere else," he adds. The InterContinental Hotel Group is one company that invested early and heavily in their Russian guests, introducing Russian-language websites, call centers and mobile apps. "Russia is one of the largest outbound markets in the world -- equivalent to a country like France, but growing almost as fast as China," says Matt Luscombe, the InterContinental's senior vice president of sales and marketing. Catering to new market According to Visit Britain, hotel managers in London -- one of the top ten destinations Russians visit when on vacation -- have started introducing amenities to deal specifically with this segment. At the Jumeirah Carlton Towers, special menus cater to Russian tastes and Russian-language shopping guides help guests navigate the city's department stores. At the Corinthia Hotel, Russian-speaking butlers have been added to the staff. "If you asked me three years ago, I'd say we didn't have any Russian guests. Now, we have some every single weekend and weekday," notes Alvaro Rey, general manager of London's InterContinental Park Lane. "This being a new market, you have to start adapting to them: What are their needs? How should we handle them? What types of room do they like? How do they like to be addressed?" For the companies that do succeed in winning over this newest segment, the rewards can be sizable. Russian guests tend to spend 20% to 30% above the average room rate, according to Hotels.com, and they can rack up a sizable food and beverage bill. "On the plus side, Russians are seen as high-spending. They bring a lot of cash with them," says Walls, who adds that Russians tend to enjoy a drink or two. "The bar bill benefits quite significantly when Russians are traveling."

Women: 5 ways to protect your heart BY JEN CHRISTENSEN

he chances you'll die from heart disease are good -too good. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans. It's especially of concern for women, since symptoms can be different from those seen in men, according to the American Heart Association. The good news is, you have a tremendous ability to keep yourself from becoming a sad statistic. Here are five simple things you can do to take better care of your ticker.

Get some zzz's uses for the technology by passengers, rather than airline employees. The glasses could provide passengers with virtual, real-time maps of airports, for example -- no more hunting for a restroom. Taxi fare estimates and basic language prompts could appear before your retina on arrival at your destination. Once on location, the technology could provide a relatively effortless way of negotiating a museum, as well as feeding users snippets on the works of art. There might also be less of that helpless menu-stabbing. The glasses should at least enable you to tell whether you're pointing at meat or fish. Although you'll still have to order it.

(Laughs.) Not at the consumer level. I was always thinking in terms of design engineers -- in terms of their expensive CAD computers and so forth. What do you think the industry is worth now? I think, well, in terms of the total goods and services, it's about $3 billion annually and it's actually growing at a rapid rate. Are there limits to what 3D printing can do? There's limits to everything. So, the kind of traditional limits of 3D printing have been: material properties, speed, making millions of things. But all the competitive companies are just

constantly pushing those limits, so if you're projecting the future, it looks like these limits are going to be beat down over the next couple of years. What has surprised you most? To me, some of the medical applications. I didn't anticipate that, and as soon as I started working with some of the medical imaging people, it became pretty clear that this was going to work. But, you know, they told me, I didn't tell them. What does your wife say? (Laughs) She's probably more enthusiastic than I am, so she's very excited about this whole field. You made your discovery 30 years ago: how have you felt along these long 30 years? I mean, it's exploded hasn't it? Well, you know I'm old enough that I should have retired long ago, but it's so interesting that I don't. It's a really interesting journey.

here's a new group of travelers in town -- and it hardly matters which town you're talking about.

You need seven to eight hours a night to be well-rested. Sleep is not just downtime. It's when your brain forms new pathways to help your memory. It's when your heart and vascular system get a break, as your blood pressure and heart rate slow down. If you don't get enough sleep, your body constantly produces adrenaline and stress hormones to keep you awake. That means your blood pressure and heart rate doesn't slow down as well, and that hurts your heart. Your sleeping body also produces cytokines, which helps your immune system fight infections and chronic inflammation. Studies show poor sleep -- anything less than six hours -- hurts women more than it does men.

Get active (yes, including sex!)

O Heart disease can be prevented with diet, exercise, sleep and stress-reduction Any kind of exercise is essential for your heart, including sex, studies show. "My guess is the 'get more sex (suggestion)' was published by a man," Dr. Deidre Mattina joked. But the Henry Ford Health System cardiologist admits she has "written on my prescription pad that a patient should have more chocolate, sex and coffee." All of those, in moderation, are good for stress relief, she said. Studies do show that sex is a significant form of exercise. Mattina recommends you get at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise whether it is at the gym, in your neighborhood or even in your bedroom. Something as simple as walking counts -- "as long as when I call you on the cell phone I can tell by your breathing that you are exercising," Mattina said. "You can't just be on a stroll window shopping." Exercise lowers your blood pressure, helps you lose weight, increase your good cholesterol (HDL), reduces your bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases your insulin sensitivity. Only about 20% of American adults meet the minimum standard for exercise recommended by the federal government, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That standard is 2½ hours a week of moderate aerobic exercise like walking or 75 minutes of

vigorous exercise like jogging. Being overweight is also hard on your heart, so if you want to lose weight aim for 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day, according to Dr. Carol Ma, a cardiologist at Florida Hospital in Orlando.

Raise a glass -- and maybe a carrot -- to your heart A drink a day can keep the heart doctor away. If you do drink (don't start for a healthier heart), Mattina suggests one alcoholic beverage is enough (for the guys it's two). Any more can stress your heart. A drink, by the way, is not an extra-large tumbler. It's 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits. This is not just limited to red wine, which does have hearthealthy antioxidants. There is evidence to suggest a drink can increase levels of "good" cholesterol and protect against artery damage. Alcohol can also help you relax. Eating healthy is also essential -- watch refined sugar, salt and fat and eat lots of fruits and vegetables (in the 4.5 cup range). Keep a close eye on salt. Most Americans eat too much and over 75% of it comes from packaged foods or from eating out.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest limiting salt to less than 2,300 miligrams per day -- that's about 1 teaspoon. Ma also tells her patients to keep a healthy heart diet high in omega-3 fatty acids like what you find in fish.

Don't let your doctor be lonely Get screened for heart disease. Regular screening can catch risks early and prevent problems down the road. The kind of tests you need depend on your age, how much exercise you get, how great your diet is and your family history (if your parents or brothers and/or sisters have heart problems, you're at risk). The American Heart Association suggests everyone start monitoring heart health by age 20. Your doctor should check your blood pressure, your weight and your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. High blood pressure greatly increases your chance of having heart problems. If your blood pressure is above 120/80mm, you may want more regular checks. Blood pressure can be controlled through medication or a better diet and exercise. Starting at age 45, get your

blood glucose levels checked. High blood glucose levels -- a sign of Type 2 diabetes -- can lead to heart disease and stroke. For women, it's especially important to know the signs of heart trouble, as they can differ from symptoms in men. Instead of the classic chest pain with exertion, women may experience this pain while resting or have a sensation in their neck or jaw -- or classic symptoms that can be confused with gastro-intestinal disease. "Women are so busy taking care of everyone else they put themselves last, but they have to take care of themselves when it comes to their heart," Ma said.

Quit smoking "This is No. 1 on my list," Mattina said, and Ma agreed. Mattina said when she sees a young patient who has a heart attack, 90% of them admit to being smokers. It's a little known fact, but most smokers die from heart disease long before they'll get lung cancer. There are fewer smokers these days, according to the CDC but the number of women who quit has plateaued. Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It tends to create blood clots, decreases your levels of good cholesterol, makes it harder to exercise and can raise your blood pressure temporarily.