"The Height of the Depth--The M&M"

Mount Everest

Mount Everest, also called Chomolungma or Qomolangma,Sagarmatha (Nepali) is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit above sea level, which is 8,848 metres or 29,029 feet. The mountain, which is part of the Himalaya range in High Asia, is located on the border between Sagarmatha Zone, Nepal and Tibet, China.

The Great Trigonometric Survey of India established the first published height of Everest in 1856 at 29,002 ft (8,840 m), although at the time Everest was known as Peak XV. The mountain was given its official English name in 1865 by the Royal Geographical Society upon recommendation of Andrew Waugh, the British Survey General of India at the time. Waugh was unable to propose an established local name due to Nepal and Tibet being closed to foreigners at the time although Chomolungma had been in common use by Tibetans for centuries.

Naming

In 1865, the mountain was officially given its English by the Royal Geographical Society after being proposed by Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India. Waugh chose to name the mountain after George Everest, first using the spelling Mont Everest, and then Mount Everest. However, the modern pronunciation of Everest IPA: is in fact different from Sir George's own pronunciation of his surname, which was /ˈiːvrɪst/

Measurement

In 1856, Andrew Waugh announced Everest (then known as Peak XV) as 29,002 feet (8,840 m) high, after several years of calculations based on observations made by the Great Trigonometric Survey.

More recently, the mountain has been found to be 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) high, although there is some variation in the measurements. On May 22, 2005, the People's Republic of China's Everest Expedition Team ascended to the top of the mountain. After several months' measurement and calculation, on October 9, 2005, the PRC's State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping officially announced the height of Everest as 8,844.43 m ± 0.21 m (29,017.16 ± 0.69 ft). They claimed it was the most accurate measurement to date. This height is based on the actual highest point of rock and not on the snow and ice covering it. The Chinese team also measured a snow/ice depth of 3.5 m,which is in agreement with a net elevation of 8,848 m. The snow and ice thickness varies over time, making a definitive height of the snow cap impossible to determine.

The elevation of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) was first determined by an Indian survey in 1955, made closer to the mountain, also using theodolites. It was subsequently reaffirmed by a 1975 Chinese measurement. In both cases the snow cap, not the rock head, was measured. In May 1999 an American Everest Expedition, directed by Bradford Washburn, anchored a GPS unit into the highest bedrock. A rock head elevation of 8,850 m (29,035 ft), and a snow/ice elevation 1 m (3 ft) higher, were obtained via this device.Although it has not been officially recognized by Nepal, this figure is widely quoted. Geoid uncertainty casts doubt upon the accuracy claimed by both the 1999 and 2005 surveys.

Early Expeditions

In 1885, Clinton Thomas Dent, president of the Alpine Club, suggests that climbing Mount Everest is possible in his book Above the Snow Line.

On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, both of the United Kingdom, made an attempt on the summit via the north col/north ridge route from which they never returned. On May 1, 1999, the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition found Mallory's body in the predicted search area near the old Chinese camp. Controversy has raged in the mountaineering community as to whether or not one or both of them reached the summit 29 years before the confirmed ascent (and of course, safe descent) of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. The general consensus among climbers has been that they did not.

Mallory had gone on a speaking tour of the United States the year before in 1923; it was then that he exasperatedly gave the famous reply, "Because it is there," to a New York journalist in response to hearing the question, "Why climb Everest?" for seemingly the thousandth time.

In 1933, Lady Houston, a British millionaire ex-showgirl, funded the Houston Everest Flight of 1933, which saw a formation of aircraft led by the Marquess of Clydesdale fly over the summit in an effort to deploy the British Union Flag at the top.

reasserted control over Tibet. However, in 1950, Early expeditions – such as Bruce's in the 1920s and Hugh Ruttledge's two unsuccessful attempts in 1933 and 1936 – tried to make an ascent of the mountain from Tibet, via the north face. Access was closed from the north to western expeditions in 1950, after the ChineseBill Tilman and a small party which included Charles Houston, Oscar Houston and Betsy Cowles undertook an exploratory expedition to Everest through Nepal along the route which has now become the standard approach to Everest from the south.

First successful ascent by Tenzing and Hillary

In 1953, a ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, returned to Nepal. Hunt selected two climbing pairs to attempt to reach the summit. The first pair (Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans) came within 100 m (300 feet) of the summit on 26 May, but turned back after becoming exhausted. As planned, their work in route finding and breaking trail and their caches of extra oxygen were of great aid to the following pair. Two days later, the expedition made its second and final assault on the summit with its second climbing pair, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay from Nepal. They reached the summit at 11:30 a.m. local time on May 29, 1953 via the South Col Route. At the time, both acknowledged it as a team effort by the whole expedition, but Tenzing revealed a few years later that Hillary had put his foot on the summit first. They paused at the summit to take photographs and buried a few sweets and a small cross in the snow before descending.

News of the expedition's success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Returning to Kathmandu a few days later, Hunt (a Briton) and Hillary (a subject of Elizabeth, through her role as head of state of New Zealand) discovered that they had been promptly knighted in the Order of the British Empire, a KBE, for the ascent. Tenzing (a subject of the King of Nepal) was granted the George Medal by the UK. Hunt was ultimately made a life peer in Britain, while Hillary became a founding member of the Order of New Zealand.[more...]

Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench (or Mariana's Trench) is the deepest part of the world's oceans, and the deepest location on the surface of the Earth's crust. It has a maximum depth of about 11 km (6.8 mi), and is located in the western North Pacific Ocean, to the east and south of the Mariana Islands, near Guam.

The trench forms the boundary between two tectonic plates, where the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Philippine Plate. The bottom of the trench is farther below sea level than Mount Everest is above it (8,848m/29,028ft). At the bottom, the water column above exerts a pressure of 108.6 MPa, over one thousand times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Measurement

The trench was first surveyed in 1951 by the Royal Navy vessel Challenger, which gave its name to the deepest part of the trench, the Challenger Deep. Using echo sounding, the Challenger II measured a depth of 5,960 fathoms (10,900 metres, 35,760 ft)

In 1957, the Soviet vessel Vityaz reported a depth of 11,034 meters (36,200 ft), dubbed the Mariana Hollow.(Although this claim was made by the Soviets in 1957, the finding has not been repeated by subsequent mapping expeditions using more accurate and modern equipment.)

In 1962, the surface ship M.V. Spencer F. Baird recorded a greatest depth of 10,915 meters (35,810 ft), using precision depth gauges.

In 1984, the Japanese sent the Takuyō (拓洋), a highly specialized survey vessel, to the Mariana Trench and collected data using a narrow, multi-beam echo sounder; they reported a maximum depth of 10,924 meters, also reported as 10,920 meters ± 10 meters).

Desents

The United States Navy bathyscaphe Trieste reached the bottom at 1:06 p.m. on January 23, 1960, with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard on board.Iron shot was used for ballast, with gasoline for buoyancy. The onboard systems indicated a depth of 11,521 meters (37,799 ft), but this was later revised to 10,916 meters (35,813 ft). At the bottom, Walsh and Piccard were surprised to discover soles or flounder about 30 cm (1 ft) long, as well as shrimp According to Piccard, "The bottom appeared light and clear, a waste of firm diatomaceous ooze".

The most accurate measurement on record was taken by a Japanese probe, Kaikō (かいこう), which descended unmanned to the bottom of the trench on March 24, 1995 and recorded a depth of 10,911 meters (35,798 ft).

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is planning to send its Nereus hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) to explore the trench in 2008

source: wikipedia

Further Info:

Everest.net

everest news

NGC link

Everest Factoid

Mariana

Extreme Science

The Deepest Depths

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20 Films by Alfred Hitchcock~The Master of Suspense~

Perhaps no other director in the history of film has had a greater impact on the industry or on popular culture than Alfred Hitchcock. "Hitch" made more than 65 full-length movies that have defined cinema for generations. Nicknamed "the Master of Suspense," the round, gravelly-voiced man (who never won a Best Director Oscar) made films that put viewers on the edge of their seats time and time again.

Strong characterization, symbolism, surprise endings, and extended chase scenes were a few of Hitch's trademarks. Here are 20 of his most memorable movies.

1. Rebecca (1940)

This early Hitchcock film tells the spooky tale of Rebecca (played by Joan Fontaine), the naive second wife of a rich widower portrayed by Sir Laurence Olivier. It becomes abundantly clear that Rebecca's husband and the servants in his mansion aren't totally over the death of his first wife, and Rebecca is driven mad. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, this movie was tied up in legal trouble over the rights to the script for several years before and after its release.

2. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

Leave it to Hitchcock to surprise everyone by making a movie with no murder and no mystery at all. Lighthearted and purely entertaining, Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a couple with a rather odd relationship. When the two find out that they might not be married at all, their strained commitment is given new life. It was Lombard who is said to have convinced Hitch to do this beloved departure movie. Another movie of the same title was made in 2005 with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but it bears little resemblance to the original.

3. Saboteur (1942)

This Hitchcock film tells the tale of Barry Kane, a factory worker who sees a Nazi agent blow up his plant. Robert Cummings plays the leading man-on-the-run (though it's rumored that Hitch wanted Cary Grant in the role), and lots of classic Hitchcock moments ensue -- cross-country chases, a lovely blonde, a slimy antagonist, and a big finish. Although it's not one of Hitchcock's top 10, it's definitely a thrilling film.

4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Who knew Thornton Wilder, the playwright who penned Our Town, had it in him to write such a murderous tale? Hitchcock, ever the innovator, teamed up with Wilder to create this tale starring Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie and Teresa Wright as his niece. Uncle Charlie seems to be a mild-mannered guy, but his loving niece finds out something sinister about him and has to make some tough, dangerous decisions about how to handle the sticky situation. Hitch often said that Shadow was his favorite of all his films.

5. Lifeboat (1944)

Long before Survivor and Lost, there was Lifeboat. Two World War II ships crash at sea and a group of survivors have to figure out how to stay afloat and reach safety with limited options. The group in the cramped boat includes a journalist, a radio operator, a businessman, and a nurse, among others. Many in the cast suffered from pneumonia during filming, but the set's chilly conditions created tension and incredible atmosphere for this fan favorite.

6. Rope (1948)

The first picture Hitch made with his own production company, Transatlantic Pictures, was also his first film in color. Two young men murder for fun and play cat and mouse with a former teacher, played by Jimmy Stewart. This movie, which was based on a true story, is noted for its incredibly long takes -- the film often goes seven or eight minutes without an edit.

7. Dial "M" for Murder (1954)

The first of Hitch's so-called "blonde films," this double-crossing plot is among the filmmaker's best. Grace Kelly is a woman torn between her husband (a handsome but murderous Ray Milland) and her new love (a dashing but philandering Robert Cummings). When Milland learns of the affair, he decides to blackmail an old acquaintance into murdering his wife. Things go a bit haywire, so Milland switches plans and attempts to frame his wife for the murder of the would-be assassin. Everything seems to be going according to Plan B, until an inspector starts snooping around. This film was originally done in 3-D, but switched to 2-D soon after. The 3-D version of this thriller is now available as a reissue.

8. Rear Window (1954)

One of the most acclaimed suspense films of all time features Hitch favorites Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart. Stewart stars as Jeff, a snoop who sees a murder take place in his neighbor's house while looking out his window. Jeff's apartment was the set for the movie and except for one or two exterior shots, all shooting was done within the set -- at the time, the largest set Paramount had ever constructed. The suspenseful ending is one of the more gripping finales ever committed to celluloid.

9. To Catch a Thief (1955)

Hitch was among the first to film the engaging story of the reformed thug. Cary Grant plays John Robie, a retired cat burglar who lives a quiet life in the plush Riviera. Naturally, when a fresh set of burglaries explodes in the area, Robie is suspected. In order to clear his name, he sets out to catch the thief himself. He is aided by Grace Kelly, an American heiress initially convinced that Robie is guilty. Look for a long Hitch cameo in this film -- he's an unassuming bus passenger for about ten minutes.

10. The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Fans either love or hate The Trouble with Harry, a suspenseful satire made in 1955. Jerry Mathers, Academy Award-winner Edmund Gwenn, John Forsythe, and Shirley MacLaine (in her first film role) all try to solve the problem -- Harry is dead and no one knows what to do with the body -- with mixed results. This comedy revealed the range that the director was capable of, even though many wondered where the dark, foreboding Hitch had gone.

11. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Jimmy Stewart is back again, this time opposite Doris Day as a naive American couple vacationing in Morocco. When a French spy dies in Stewart's arms and the couple's son is kidnapped, a tense international espionage story plays out. Stewart is chased by the bad guys, since he knows too much about an assassination set to be carried out in London. The scene known as "The Albert Hall Scene" is about 12 minutes long and contains no dialogue whatsoever, delighting film students and cinephiles the world over -- it's a risky filmmaking move and a Hitchcock masterstroke.

James Stewart's character in Vertigo is said to closely resemble Hitchcock himself.

12. Vertigo (1958)

Based on a French novel, Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak star in this megahit movie -- filmed in "VistaVision" color. The dark story is set in San Francisco and features Stewart as an obsessive man who falls for a girl who kills herself. Novak plays two roles in the film. This is said to be Hitch's most "confessional" movie, dealing directly with how he feared women and tried to control them. Stewart is essentially playing Hitchcock himself.

13. North by Northwest (1959)

This movie sold itself as "A 3,000 mile chase scene!" with a star-studded cast that included Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The chase reaches its climax on Mount Rushmore. Naturally, Hitch wanted to go big and film on location, but the powers that be didn't want an attempted murder taking place on a national monument. The entire set was constructed on a soundstage instead. The film was nominated for three Oscars and is often touted by critics as one of the best movies of all time.

14. Psycho (1960)

Hitchcock didn't use his usual, expensive production unit for this cultural juggernaut, opting instead to use his TV crew because he wanted Psycho to look like "a cheap exploitation film." Anthony Perkins stars as Norman Bates, a creepy mama's-boy innkeeper who offers Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) a place to stay for the night. Hitchcock chose to shoot in black and white to resemble the newsreels of the time -- and also because the gory nature of the film would be too much in living color. Psycho is truly Hitchcock's masterpiece, a must-see for anyone who has ever wanted to be entertained -- or scared out of their mind.

15. The Birds (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock will forever be known as "the Master of Suspense" because of his ability to take the everyday and make it terrifying. Hotels, heights, neighbors, women, and birds were benign until Hitch got ahold of them. The Birds is the ultimate example of this -- any shred of avian cuteness is obliterated when swarms of birds attack a northern California town. Tippi Hedren plays the doomed blonde alongside handsome Rod Taylor. Hitch said the characters in The Birds "are the victims of Judgment Day," making the film an acceptably horrifying follow-up to Psycho.

16. Marnie (1964)

Tippi Hedren is back, playing a compulsive thief in this rock-solid psychological thriller. Sean Connery is the dashing leading man who tries to get Marnie to confront her schizophrenia. Long scenes and heavy dialogue kept this picture from having the mass appeal of Psycho or The Birds, but the suspense is every bit as potent. Hitch originally wanted Grace Kelly to play Marnie but she had just married the Prince of Monaco and his people weren't thrilled about their new princess portraying such an unstable character.

17. Torn Curtain (1966)

Nothing is what it appears to be in this "trust no one" thriller set during the Cold War. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star as a young couple caught up in an international mystery in which everyone is a suspect. This would be the last picture that Hitch and composer and longtime collaborator Bernard Herrmann would work on together. Universal Pictures convinced Hitch that the score Herrmann penned wasn't upbeat enough, so the director cut the score and a brilliant, 11-year relationship was officially over.

18. Topaz (1969)

Another tense Cold War adventure, Topaz is based on a Leon Uris novel about the Cuban Missile Crisis. John Forsythe is a CIA agent who hires a French operative to investigate rumors of missiles in Cuba and a shady NATO spy known as "Topaz." True to Hitchcock form, much intrigue, double-crossing, and death transpire. Hitch admitted that Topaz was one of his more experimental films and had elements that didn't totally work, but true fans still appreciate the film as a risky but important fixture in the Hitchcock arsenal.

19. Frenzy (1972)

Stop the presses! Frenzy was the first Hitch film to earn an R rating with the new ratings system that took effect in 1968. This ultra-dark comedy about an innocent man on the run was filmed in England, putting Hitch back home for the first time in nearly 20 years. Jon Finch, Alec McCowen, and Barry Foster make up the strong cast in this gallows-humor story that incorporates many trademark Hitchcock touches -- bathrooms, continuous camera shots, and criminals around every corner.

20. Family Plot (1976)

Hitch's final film uses both humor and suspense to tell a tongue-in-cheek tale of a rich lady's eccentric foibles and the trouble they cause. Stars abound in this film, including Bruce Dern and William Devane, but Hitch had originally wanted the likes of Liza Minnelli and Al Pacino in the picture. If you look closely, there is a street sign in Family Plot that reads "Bates Ave.," a nod to Psycho, one of the many films that made this director one of the most influential men of the 20th century.

References:

Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
Hitchcockonline-Contains a lengthy online essay and related links.
Writing With Hitchcock - includes original interviews, essays, script excerpts, and extensive material on Hitchcock's unproduced works.
Senses of Cinema's "Great Directors" Alfred Hitchcock profile
Hitchcock's Style -- online exhibit from screenonline, a website of the British Film Institute

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