Sweeney read for just under 20 minutes, ultimately rattling off the other defining characteristics her super-achievers share.

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The radar sends radio wave pulses into the ice sheet, and the waves bounce off buried features, informing researchers about the characteristics of the snow and ice layers.

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"We considered over 30 designs and believe that the QSST is the only design that meets all the desired requirements including range, take-off and landing field length, take-off noise, emissions and sufficiently low sonic boom characteristics to enable supersonic flight over land, " he told CNN.

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If your portfolio already contains options such as calls and puts which have non-linear return characteristics, the calculations will also be thrown off.

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But while DARPA's "Terminator 2"-style morphing military robots may still be a long way off, many scientists are already working on robots that exhibit some of the characteristics required.

CNN: Robotics discovers its soft side

In kicking off father-child conversations in eight families, we learned a great deal about characteristics shared among generations.

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With demand for large SUVs beginning to level off, automakers are finding new ways to blend roomy interiors with better fuel economy and driving characteristics.

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