Designer Harc Lee has created a “naked” Coca Cola can that forfeits Coke’s typical bold red and white stripes in favor of au naturale silver. The aluminum can is created without using any paints or dyes, and stands to greatly reduce pollution and energy use associated with producing and recycling soda cans.

Facebook brings out the big numbers

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Facebook has released some startling figures today, which underlines just how big the site has become.

Speaking to journalists at the UK headquarters, with TechRadar in attendance, Facebook revealed just how many people log on each day and the stats are pretty mind-blowing. The company also noted that one of its apps, 'Farmville', is more popular than its major rival in the social-networking world – Twitter.

Here come the numbers: worldwide Facebook is clocking up 200 billion page views a month, with 350 million users globally logging into the site.

When it comes to the site's online chat function, 1.6 billion messages are sent every single day and 2.5 billion photos uploaded a month (around a thousand a second).

Facebook is also now hitting 23 million unique users a month in the UK, with each of those people logging on spending around 25 minutes on the website a day.

With so many users, Facebook is keen to push itself beyond that of a place that you come to see what your friends are up to.

(…)

After recently showing you parts of the adidas Originals x Star Wars collection, as well as the Porter x Star Wars line, here you get a look at the New Era x Star Wars cap collection here now. All of your favorite characters are included in the line-up. Of course most of the caps are a little extreme, but for the hardcore fans among you, definitely something to look out for! Via Warp.

The majority of Saudi Arabia’s population is under 21 years of age.  I have had a number of discussions with many Saudis about the new generation and expectations of Saudi youth.  There will always be those who are exceptional and of course those who are far less than exceptional and then the mainstream youth.  But what exactly are the mainstream youth of Saudi’s new and upcoming generation?  The young men seem to be much more “me” oriented and demanding and impatient.  Impertinent is another word that comes to mind.  One recent example of what I mean happened last week at a Saudi government school in Al-Qassim.  A ninth-grade youth was not only disrupting the class but also making inappropriate statements about another student.  The (Saudi) teacher asked this student to come to his desk.  The youth insolently rose from his desk and sauntered to the teacher’s desk.  The teacher told the student privately that his behavior was inappropriate for the classroom and if he could not behave he would be sent to the principal’s office.  The student responded “I don’t care if you send me to the principal’s office.  You can even send me to the Minister’s office.”  The Saudi teacher was so surprised to be addressed as such by a ninth grade student that he chose to tell the student he did not deserve to be in the classroom today and told the student to leave the classroom.  I’m not sure if that was the best response but apparently this incident was pretty typical of actions of the youth in the classroom and the teacher had just had enough.

So why are the youth today having such attitudes and lack of respect?  And what recourses are there to change this attitude?  Particularly before these youth are expected to take responsible positions in society?

Posted in culture, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, Saudi education, Saudi Living, travel, Uncategorized Tagged: culture, culture shock, customs, gender, KSA, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Saudi customs

Luxus-Forschung in der Wüstenfestung

Mitarbeiter raunen von einem märchenhaften Campus mit Spitzenlabors. Die Kaust-Universität in Saudi-Arabien ist ein Traum für Forscher und Studenten - aber streng abgeschottet. Das soll sie vor religiösen Eiferern schützen. Denn hier dürfen Männer und Frauen gemeinsam lernen und arbeiten.

Wer als Wissenschaftler den Bezug zur Realität verliert, zieht in den Elfenbeinturm. Doch was verleitet renommierte Forscher dazu, ihre Zelte in einer Wüstenfestung in Saudi-Arabien aufzuschlagen, verborgen hinter hohen Betonmauern, bewacht von schwerbewaffneten Sicherheitsbeamten?

Die Antwort der Studenten und Professoren, die seit dem vergangenen September in Saudi-Arabien auf dem Gelände der König Abdullah Universität für Wissenschaft und Technologie (Kaust) wohnen, forschen, lehren und lernen, lautet schlicht: Geld.

Denn in der neuen Uni am Roten Meer gibt es hochdotierte Stipendien, anständige Gehälter und großzügige Forschungsetats. Hinzu kommt eine einmalige Erfahrung in einem Multi-Kulti-Umfeld, die jedem konventionellen Lebenslauf ein exotisches I-Tüpfelchen aufsetzt.

Ein Uni-Leben wie im offenen Strafvollzug

Die Schattenseiten: Einige Forscher mussten nach ihrer Ankunft feststellen, dass die von ihnen benötigten Labors noch nicht fertig waren. Die Sicherheitsvorkehrungen rund um das Universitätsgelände sind so streng, als lebten hier Gefangene im offenen Vollzug.

Wer auf dem Weg zu dem hermetisch abgeriegelten Campus die erste Sperre passiert hat, die von der Nationalgarde bewacht wird, muss sich zunächst in einem Besucher-Pavillon bei einem Wachmann melden. Erst wenn der überprüft hat, welcher Mitarbeiter der Universität den Besucher eingeladen hat, wird er zu einer zweiten Sperre vorgelassen, an der Angehörige der Wachmannschaft der staatlichen Ölgesellschaft Saudi Aramco postiert sind. Drinnen auf dem Gelände übernimmt dann die universitätseigene Sicherheitsfirma die Überwachung.

Die junge saudische Frau mit dem schwarzen Gesichtsschleier und den hochhackigen weißen Sandalen, die an diesem heißen Herbsttag mit ihrem "männlichen Vormund" die 80 Kilometer von der Hafenstadt Dschidda zur Uni gefahren ist, wird gar nicht erst bis zur zweiten Sperre vorgelassen. "Ich möchte hier studieren, so Gott will", sagt sie, "aber ich brauche noch mehr Informationen über die Zulassungsvoraussetzungen."

Angst vor Terroristen - und vor kritischen Blicken

Der saudische Wachmann ist freundlich zu der Bewerberin. Doch statt sie ins Kaust-Verwaltungsgebäude zu schicken, drückt er ihrem "Vormund" nach zehnminütiger Diskussion und zwei Telefonaten mit der Verwaltung nur einen kleinen gelben Zettel mit einer Telefonnummer in die Hand. "Gestern war ein hochrangiger Regierungsbeamter hier, der durfte auch nicht hinein, der hat vielleicht getobt", erzählt der junge Wachmann. "Ich kann da nichts machen, ich habe strikte Befehle - sonst verliere ich meinen Job."

Das Klima der Angst hat offensichtlich auch einige der Dozenten erfasst. "Wenn ich einen Journalisten als Besucher auf das Uni-Gelände einlade, bekomme ich hinterher vielleicht Ärger", sagt ein verunsicherter Junior-Professor aus Europa.

Denn die strikten Sicherheitsmaßnahmen rund um die Uni sollen nicht nur Attacken von Qaida-Terroristen verhindern, die in den vergangenen Jahren mehrere Selbstmordanschläge auf ausländische Einrichtungen in dem islamischen Königreich verübt hatten. Sie sollen auch Journalisten fernhalten. "Wir empfangen derzeit keine Journalisten, und ich kann auch nicht sagen, wann sich dies ändern wird", erklärt Christopher Sands, Assistent des Direktors für Universitätsbeziehungen. Selbst zu den Gründen für diese ablehnende Haltung darf er nichts sagen.

Maulkörbe wegen des Streits mit Religionsgelehrten?

Saudische Beobachter vermuten, dass die Universitätsleitung wegen eines Streits mit den Religionsgelehrten alle Mitarbeiter zum Schweigen verdonnert hat. Denn kurz nach der pompösen Eröffnung der Universität im vergangenen September hatte sich einer der wichtigsten Islam-Gelehrten von Saudi-Arabien kritisch über Kaust geäußert.

Scheich Saad al-Schithri störte sich daran, dass Männer und Frauen in der Kaust gemeinsam forschen und studieren. Denn an allen anderen Universitäten des Landes findet gemäß der staatlich verordneten Geschlechtertrennung kein gemeinsamer Unterricht statt. Außerdem forderte Al-Schithri die Gründung eines Komitees, das überprüfen solle, ob die Kaust-Lehrpläne mit dem Islam zu vereinbaren seien.

Da platzte König Abdullah, der den Bau der Universität in Auftrag gegeben hatte, der Kragen. Er entließ den kritischen Scheich aus dem hohen Rat der Religionsgelehrten. Das hatte es in dem konservativ-islamischen Königreich noch nie zuvor gegeben.

"Die neue Universität ist ein Traum, die technischen Einrichtungen sind Weltklasse", schwärmt ein junger Unternehmer aus Dschidda, der mit den Forschern der Kaust kooperieren will. Doch er sagt auch: "Aus dem Plan, dass sich die Wissensgesellschaft von dieser Uni aus Schritt für Schritt in ganz Saudi-Arabien ausbreiten soll, wird nichts werden, wenn sie ihre Forschung hinter hohen Mauern verstecken."

Von Anne-Beatrice Clasmann, dpa

Immune system gets a boost from early exposure to bacteria.

Natasha Gilbert

Outdoor pigs had more ‘friendly’ gut bacteria than indoor pigs.D. BURTON/NATUREPL.COM

Living like a pig could be good for you, according to research showing that dirty piglets pick up 'friendly' bacteria that help them to develop robust immune systems later in life.

The results provide support for the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that a lack of exposure to microbes in early life can affect development of the immune system and increase susceptibility to certain disorders, such as allergies and inflammatory bowel disease.

By Henry Meyer and Glen Carey

Nov. 25 (Bloomberg) — Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world that forbids women from driving, isn’t ready to alter that, said Ali Suwaiyel, a 28-year-old Saudi banker.

“What’s the hurry?” he asked as he sipped a coffee in a Starbucks in Riyadh, wearing a traditional white Arabic robe and sunglasses. “What are the benefits?”

King Abdullah, 86, sees the need for speed in changing his country. He is creating secular universities, including a coeducational graduate school, and pushing for more science and technology in education. The king needs a well-trained workforce to diversify the world’s largest oil exporter from energy and create jobs for Saudi Arabia’s youth, more than 25 percent of whom are unemployed.

Failing to raise the fortunes of the almost 40 percent of the population under 15 would make the Islamic state even more susceptible to extremism, said Simon Henderson, an expert on the Gulf monarchies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Stability of world oil supplies depends on Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.

A backlash by clerics, led in public by Sheikh Saad Bin Naser al-Shatri, is slowing those efforts, though the king dismissed al-Shatri from the country’s top religious body last month.

“We’re missing a lot of opportunities because of religious opposition,” said Jamal Khashoggi, editor of al-Watan newspaper in Jeddah. It is owned by Prince Khaled al-Faisal, governor of that province. “The conservatives are fighting back.”

No Film Festival

Al-Shatri publicly criticized the country’s first co- educational university in September. This followed the last- minute cancellation in July of a Jeddah film festival that had run annually since 2006. The Arab News said a cancellation order was issued by local authorities, citing festival organizers. Clerics in Saudi Arabia, where movie theatres are banned, maintain that musical and film performances are against Sharia, or Islamic law.

Under a pact between the ruling al-Saud family and the Sunni Muslim hierarchy dating back to 1744, Saudi Arabia maintains an austere brand of Islam in return for clerics’ acceptance of the crown, according to official history. The Wahhabi religious establishment controls the courts and dominates the education system.

Opposition

Prince Turki al-Faisal, whose father, King Faisal, introduced female education in the early 1960s and deployed soldiers to protect girls attending school, said there is similar opposition now.

“Any reform agenda will face resistance but that has not disrupted King Abdullah,” said Turki, 64, a former ambassador to the U.S. and U.K. and intelligence chief from 1977 to 2001.

To lure foreign academics and international students to his King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, known as KAUST, the Saudi monarch relaxed the rules.

Women don’t have to wear the abaya, a black robe that covers all but the face, and are allowed to drive in the fenced- off campus 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Jeddah.

“This is something I never expected to see in my lifetime in Saudi Arabia,” Hommood al Rowais, 23, a student in a black baseball cap, blue shorts and a T-shirt who is the son of a Saudi diplomat in Washington, said in an Oct. 14 interview on the newly built campus.

Four New Cities

Abdullah also is building four industrial cities, including the King Abdullah Economic City near KAUST. The government says they will create 1 million new jobs by 2020 in a country whose population is now 28 million. The aim is to build energy-related industries such as plastics, petrochemicals, aluminum and steel. Saudi Arabia depends on oil exports for 90 percent of its revenue.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the world’s largest petrochemicals maker and a leading pillar of the drive to reduce reliance on oil, is listed as a research collaborator with KAUST in the field of catalysis on the university’s Web site. The technology allows more efficient use of raw materials in the chemicals and petroleum industries.

Saudi Arabia could increase manufacturing’s share of the economy from 11 percent to 16 percent within the next decade, according to John Sfakianakis, chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi in Riyadh, the capital.

Religious Education

Elementary schools devote 31 percent of their time to religion and 20 percent to math and science, according to a report last year by Booz Allen Hamilton, a McLean, Virginia- based consulting firm.

The king faces difficulties too as he tries to modernize the religious-run judiciary to create a favorable environment for business and foreign investment. In 2007, Abdullah said Saudi Arabia would reform the legal system by establishing a supreme court and commercial and labor courts.

The future judges who can bring the system more in line with international norms are “now studying in school,” Bandar bin Mohammed al-Aiban, president of the government-run Saudi Human Rights Commission, said in an interview in Riyadh. “This will take a long time.”

Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz became first deputy prime minister, the third most powerful position in the country, in March. He is more wary of provoking clerical opposition than Abdullah, said Khashoggi.

Religious Police

The head of the religious police, Abdelaziz al-Humayyin, ordered stepped-up patrols in July. The police enforce separation of unmarried males and females and a ban on alcohol, and require Muslims to respect prayer times.

Just days after the Saudi monarch presided over a Sept. 23 inauguration ceremony for KAUST in which he called it a “beacon of tolerance,” al-Shatri said in a television interview that mixed-gender classes were “evil.”

Suwaiyel, the banker, said he thinks women will drive someday in Saudi Arabia, though not for 10 or 15 years. Granting them the right earlier “would cause a lot of friction,” he said.

“I believe Saudi Arabia is going to change but at its own pace,” he said. “The conservatives are resistant to change and they don’t want it right now.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Henry Meyer in Riyadh at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net. Glen Carey in Riyadh at gcarey8@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 25, 2009 04:02 EST