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India.com
a day ago
- General
- India.com
5 Best Picnic Spots In Surat For A Relaxing Day Outdoors
Surat, the Diamond City, is not only about textile and diamond industries. This Gujarati city is also known for its tranquil picnic sites that you can visit for a cool day with your family and friends. Whether you prefer beautiful gardens, monuments, or river views, Surat has them all. So let's take a look at the best picnic places in and around the city for a memorable weekend getaway! 1. Dumas Beach Dumas Beach is the hotspot for locals who want a windy escape. This black-sand beach just 21 km from the city center provides you with a chilling wave and excellent street food. In the mornings, tourists take long strolls along the beach, and at night it becomes vibrant with food stalls offering hot bhajiyas and pav bhaji. Also, make sure to try the local drink – coconut water, which goes great with the sea breeze. Distance: 21 km from Surat city center Activities: Walking, street food, photography Highlights: famous for its black sand Best Time to Visit: October to March for pleasant weather 2. Sarthana Nature Park and Zoo Sarthana Nature Park and Zoo is an ideal picnic spot for children. There are many animals and birds at this 81-acre park, ranging from large tigers to parrots. With the lush nature and maintained hiking trails, it is a wonderful place to relax and be outside. Take your picnic basket and spread out in the shade for a quiet afternoon. Children will appreciate seeing their favorite animals up close. Activities: Animal spotting, picnicking, walking Highlights: Tigers, parrots, and sprawling greenery 3. Gopi Talav Gopi Talav is a historic water reservoir converted into an amusement park. This place blends historic meaning with contemporary tourist attraction and is the ideal destination for a leisurely sightseeing tour. You can go boating, or adventure sports, or just enjoy being on the water. The night fountain show is a must-see, lighting up the park in brilliant hues. Kiosks selling healthy munchies such as kachoris and dhoklas keep your palette as entertained as your body. Distance: Located in the heart of Surat city Activities: Boating, adventure activities, fountain show Highlights: Historical significance and vibrant evening atmosphere Best Time to Visit: Evening hours for the fountain show 4. Science Center and Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden A trip to the Science Center and Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden is educational and restorative. While the Science Center thrills visitors with its planetarium, 3D cinema and hands-on interactives, the adjacent botanical garden provides a lovely picnic area. You can explore the science exhibits, then take a leisurely lunch in the garden, where fragrant flowers and beautifully manicured pathways await. I mean, it's the ideal combination of learning and play. Distance: Approximately (9.5 km) via Rander Rd from Surat city center Activities: Exploring science exhibits, picnicking, walking in the garden Highlights: Planetarium, 3D shows, and colorful flower beds 5. Ubharat Beach Ubharat Beach is a perfect getaway if you are willing to venture out a bit further. Located about 42 kilometers away from Surat, this quiet beach is quieter than Dumas and offers soft sands and crystal waters. The beach is lined by casuarina trees that provide shade for your picnic. A frisbee, kite or even a book will help to make the most of your time there. Activities: Picnicking, enjoying the natural scenery Highlights: Clean and serene environment with casuarina trees Best Time to Visit: October to March, as the weather is cooler and more pleasant Final Thoughts Surat's picnic destinations are as rich in flavour as its culture. No matter whether you're looking for the hustle and bustle of the nearest beaches or the tranquility of nature parks, you'll find it here. So get your loved ones, grab your favorite snacks and head off to explore these jewels. A day spent exploring Surat's outdoors is a day well spent!
Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
The next big earthquake: When is the Bay Area due?
SAN JOSE, Calif. - California has dozens of earthquakes every day. Most are below 3.0 magnitude, so small that they aren't felt. But a few, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, are massive, capable of widespread destruction. The last significant damaging earthquake in the Bay Area was the 6.0 South Napa Quake on Aug. 24, 2014, which killed 1 person, injured 300 and caused $1 billion in damage in Napa and Vallejo. Before that, it was the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake on Oct. 17, 1989, which disrupted the World Series, and wrecked the Bay Bridge, Oakland's Cypress Freeway, downtown Santa Cruz, and parts of San Francisco, killing 63 people. The Bay Area has had a quiet few decades. Is it due for another major quake any time soon? Sarah Minson is a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Science Center at Moffett Field. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity and length. Question: What's the current risk of a major quake occurring in the Bay Area? Answer: There is about a 72% probability of one or more magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquakes within 30 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. Q: That sounds pretty high. How aware of that risk do you think Bay Area residents are? A: Relative to other parts of the country, or possibly even other parts of California, people in the Bay Area do tend to be very well aware because of events like Loma Prieta and the Napa earthquake. They happened in living memory. And even if there is always a new group of arrivals in the Bay Area or young kids who haven't lived through them, it is within a human lifespan, so there is a lot more lived experience - stories from your close friends and family - than in other places where earthquakes happen only once every 100 years or 1,000 years. Q: What would the impact be of a 6.7 to a 7.0 quake in the Bay Area today? A: I like the fact that you're asking about 6.7-to-7.0 magnitude earthquakes because it turns out that most of our earthquake risk is from magnitude 6-ish earthquakes, rather than a magnitude 8 big one, like the 1906 earthquake. That's just because they happen so much more often. A good rule of thumb is that every magnitude decrease is an increase by a factor of 10 in how frequently earthquakes happen. So, for every magnitude 8, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, there are 10 Loma Prieta-sized earthquakes, and 100 Napa-sized earthquakes, and 1,000 magnitude 5 earthquakes. Even though each of those smaller earthquakes impacts a smaller area and they are less likely to cause damage, they happen so much more frequently that overall the risk from them is higher. Q: Why is that? A: A colleague of mine likes to say that the comparison between big and small earthquakes is like the difference between sharks and cows. Think of big earthquakes like sharks and little earthquakes like cows. Sharks are scary. Cows are not. But you almost never come face to snout with a shark, right? Whereas you meet cows all the time. And if you look at the statistics, it turns out that sharks kill on average about five people a year and cows kill on average about 22 people a year. So even though the 2014 Napa earthquake didn't impact all of Northern California like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake did, the shaking locally in Napa was probably higher there than it was during the 1906 earthquake. These earthquakes that we experience year after year and decade after decade are actually where most of our hazard comes from. When you're thinking about preparing for an earthquake, these are really the kinds of earthquakes you want to be preparing for. The cataclysmic earthquakes happen so infrequently. They are the sharks. But the cows are what's going to get you. Q: Which faults in the Bay Area are of most concern? A: In general, the Hayward Fault seems to have the highest rate of earthquakes. Not in our lifetime. But if you look in the 1800s, there were a number of earthquakes and so overall that seems to be the highest rate long term, followed by the San Andreas Fault. Q: The Hayward Fault seems to be the one we hear people most worried about. Is that fair? A: Everyone is concerned about the faults to go through the urban core. But it's important to know that your hazard isn't necessarily governed by your proximity to the fault. It's not the earthquake itself that causes damage. It's the shaking from the earthquake or potentially liquefaction or landslides. In fact, one of the highest hazard places in the Bay Area would be the Santa Clara Valley, because it's right in between the Hayward Fault and the San Andreas Fault, so it's going to feel shaking if there's an earthquake on either of them. On top of that, it's a valley full of soft sediment, and soft sediment can amplify shaking. Q: What should you do if you feel an earthquake? A: You have bookcases in buildings that can tip over or books that can just fall out of a bookcase. You might have a chandelier over your head. That's why if you feel shaking, you should drop, cover and hold on to protect yourself. Don't go anywhere. Don't run outside. A huge number of the injuries that occur in earthquakes are people stepping on broken glass or trying to run during the shaking and falling down. Q: How should we prepare? A:The sort of things you need to do are the things you need in any other disaster, like large winter storms and wildfires. You want to have a plan to be in contact with your family in case normal communication or transportation is interrupted. You want water, food, those sorts of things. Think of your pets. You can go to for more information. Q: What's the takeaway message? A: Earthquakes are something that you don't want to be fatalistic about. We have a tendency to focus on apocalyptic stories of magnitude 8 earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault or magnitude 9 on the Cascadia Subduction Zone that bring destruction to a huge swath of the state. If you're an emergency manager or someone like that you should be prepared for these possibilities. But for you as a human, with a human life span, the thing much more likely to impact you is not even something like Loma Prieta but something like the Napa earthquake. These earthquakes are very survivable. They don't even necessarily have to interrupt your life all that much with some very simple preparedness. Five interesting things about Sarah Minson -Raised in Mendocino County, California -Earned her bachelor's degree in geophysics at the University of California, Berkeley in 2003. -Earned her master's and doctorate degrees in geophysics at the California Institute of Technology in 2005 and 2010, with a doctoral thesis on "A Bayesian Approach to Earthquake Source Studies." -Expert in rupture models, earthquake early warning systems, earthquake source mechanisms, crustal deformation, and public outreach of seismic issues -Awards include 2020 USGS Superior Service Award; 2018 Kavli Fellow (National Academy of Sciences and The Kavli Foundation); 2021, 2021, 2019, 2016 U.S. Geological Survey STAR Award; 2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
This is where the tornado hit St. Louis and did the most damage
ST. LOUIS — We're learning more about where the tornado hit St. Louis Friday. The storm was about 20 miles long and first touched down at around Hanley and Clayton Road. Damage reports continue as the storm crosses Big Bend on to Skinker and Wydown. There are multiple trees down in Forest Park near the Science Center. There are also damage reports on the northern end of Forest Park. One Day Later: Shocking new photos reveal widespread tornado damage in St. Louis The track continues north to Kingshighway to Newstead. This is where most of the EF-3 damage is reported. Winds clocking over 150 mph were reported in this heavily populated area of North St. Louis. This is in The Ville and The Greater Ville neighborhoods. Eventually the tornado went across the Mississippi River and into Illinois. Damage reports in Granite City are in the EF-0 and EF-1 range. The tornado damage continues to Edwardville and SIUE. Police also shared these pictures from the air. They are surveying the storm damage from the air by helicopter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Technical.ly
07-05-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Innovation to Impact: Collaborating with Health Systems in Greater Philadelphia
Event Description Healthcare systems are complex organizations with unique operational needs, regulatory requirements, and adoption challenges. Bringing healthcare innovations to market – and into the hands of clinicians and patients – requires more than just a great product. It demands strategic alignment with the needs and operations of health systems, a clear understanding of the regulatory and reimbursement landscapes, and access to resources and opportunities. The discussion will highlight accelerator programs in the ecosystem like Science Center's U.S. Market Access and Capital Readiness programs help international and early-stage startup companies scale successfully in the U.S. healthcare market. FEATURED SPEAKERS: Neal Lemon, PhD, MBA, Associate VP of Innovation, Cooper Innovation Center Charles Cairns, MD, Dean, Drexel University College of Medicine Tiffany Wilson, President & CEO, Science Center (moderator)
Technical.ly
26-03-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Philly's Venture Cafe, the once-popular University City meetup, shuts down after 6 years
Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at philly@ Local startups are making strategic moves through accelerators, partnerships and executive leadership changes — but one major opportunity just shuttered. The University City Science Center ended its Venture Cafe program, a biweekly meetup for founders and other stakeholders. At the same time, the startup resource organization announced the next cohort of its Capital Readiness Program, including three Philly-based startups. Plus, transportation tech startup Jawnt is partnering with parking platform SpotHero and adtech data analytics platform announced a new CEO. Check out all the details and more power moves below the chart, where we look at the top 10 desirable skills for jobs right now and how many job postings request each skill. Innovation meetup group Venture Cafe shuts down The University City Science Center is ending its biweekly Venture Cafe programming. The program was launched in 2018 and facilitated networking, panels and discussions among founders in the Science Center's community. This decision aligns with the Science Center's goal to continually evaluate and upgrade its programming, Kristen Fitch, senior director of marketing, told March 20 was the last Thursday gathering at the Science Center. The global Venture Cafe network will continue to operate in other cities. Venture Cafe Philadelphia launched around the same time that the Science Center's 3675 Market Street office opened, providing a way to engage with the community and strengthen partnerships with other orgs in uCity Square, Tiffany Wilson, president and CEO of the Science Center, said. 'By all accounts, we reflect on Venture Cafe as a major success for the Science Center,' Wilson said. 'We're eager to continue building upon that foundation to meet the changing needs of this dynamic ecosystem.' Jawnt partners with SpotHero to book parking via commuter cards Local transportation technology company Jawnt is partnering with parking reservation platform SpotHero. The partnership will allow Jawnt members to book and pay for parking on SpotHero using the money on their Jawnt commuter cards. The new feature is already available. 'While we champion public transit for its sustainability, we know that it's not always accessible to commuters due to proximity, scheduling or other factors,' said Jeff Stade, CEO of Jawnt. 'By enabling drivers to reserve their parking through the SpotHero app, they are given the power to make their car commutes more sustainable while also saving time and money.' The 2024 RealLIST Startup honoree works with companies and organizations to offer commuter benefits to its members and employees. The company's platform integrates with existing payroll systems to make it easier to manage benefits programs. appoints new CEO Adtech company appointed Ken Kennedy as its new CEO. Kennedy brings 30 years of experience working at software companies, most recently as COO and president of revenue management and digital monetization at business support software company CSG. West Chester-based platform works with organizations to better understand data about its audience. 'The company has a strong foundation, a talented team, and incredible potential for growth,' Kennedy said. 'Together, we will build on our successes, drive innovation, and unlock new opportunities to deliver value for our customers every day.' 3 Philly companies selected for Science Center's funding accelerator The University City Science Center announced the seventh cohort of its Capital Readiness Program, an accelerator for healthtech startups preparing to raise funding. Ten companies from the United States and Canada were selected to come to the Science Center the first week of April. This round, the center selected three companies local to Philly. Cerespectus is a medical device company that developed a catheter to deliver gene therapy to the central nervous system. UprightVR is developing VR rehabilitation tests and exercises to help people regain balance and prevent falls. Liife's platform uses cryptography and blockchain technology to ensure identity security. 'This program will enhance our funding readiness and connect us with inspiring entrepreneurs and industry leaders on our journey,' said Jamie Moses, cofounder and co-CEO of Liife. Since launching in 2023, the Capital Readiness Program has worked with 60 companies, which have collectively raised over $35 million. More power moves: Colby Maldini joined the Wistar Institute as a new faculty member in the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center. Madini joins as part of the Caspar Wistar Fellowship program, which supports younger researchers. Healthtech company Liife appointed former Amazon Web Services leader Elizabeth Boudreau to its advisory board. Boudreau currently runs a startup consulting firm, Practical Acceleration. Philly-based Kidas, an anti-bullying software for online games, partnered to provide its software on esports software company GgCircuit's platform. The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia awarded banking executive Daniel K. Fitzpatrick the 2024 William Penn Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of businesspeople in the region. Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
