Sci-Tech news

• The secret to success in the Supreme Court revealed

  30-12-2014 23:49 via
  
  Chicago researchers analysed recordings and found that just one trait emerged as an indicator of how they would do - how masculine their voice was.
  
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• The secret to success in the Supreme Court revealed: Researchers say lawyers who DON'T have a masculine voice are more likely to win

  30-12-2014 23:37 via
  
  Chicago researchers analysed recordings and found that just one trait emerged as an indicator of how they would do - how masculine their voice was.
  
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• Wind-up radio inventor honoured

  30-12-2014 23:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Inventor Trevor Baylis - who designed the wind-up Baygen radio - has been appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours list.
  
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• Knighthood for 'father of Viagra'

  30-12-2014 23:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two chemists, one who started research on Viagra and a YouTube celebrity, along with a former NFU president, receives knighthoods in the New Year Honours.
  
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• The 'lightpaper' that can turn your walls into lamps - and could mean the end of lightbulbs 

  30-12-2014 22:28 via
  
  Idaho researchers have revealed lightpaper, a way to print sheets of 'paper' infused with tiny LEDs.
  
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• Researchers say up to 25,000 creatures can live in average Christmas tree

  30-12-2014 21:38 via
  
  Insects, including springtails, bark lice, mites, moths and spiders, are attracted by the baled up trees to escape the cold, Norwegian researchers say.
  
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• The vast vacuum chamber that can recreate space in Florida: Stunning photos of Nasa's vast thermal chamber reveal how the James Webb Space Telescope will be cryogenically tested ahead of its launch in 2018

  30-12-2014 21:01 via
  
  Nasa is preparing to cryogenically test its new telescope in a vacuum chamber (shown) in Houston, Texas. The huge Chamber A at the Johnson Space Center will eventually host the JWST.
  
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• US parents to be offered experimental genome testing

  30-12-2014 20:55 via
  
  Four US hospitals are beginning project to look at different aspects of gene sequencing in newborn babies to provide doctors and parents a vast pool of data on potential issues.
  
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• Heart emoji 'most popular word' 2014

  30-12-2014 20:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The symbol appeared billions of times a day across the world during 2014, according to new research.
  
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• SmudgeGuard is a GLOVE that stops you dragging ink across paper

  30-12-2014 20:03 via
  
  Jeannie Lit from New Jersey designed a glove to prevent smudging. Called SmudgeGuard (shown) it stops perspiration adhering to ink on paper so 'lefties' can write without ruining a page with smudges.
  
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• Images reveal 2014's biggest SPACE stories

  30-12-2014 19:57 via
  
  Hi-resolution photography from astronauts onboard the ISS, combined with stunning satellite images of Earth, have revealed the major events that have shaped our planet in 2014.
  
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• Xiaomi becomes worlds most valuable tech start-up at $45 BILLION

  30-12-2014 19:34 via
  
  Xiaomi was founded just four years ago by Chinese businessman Lei Jun, although the firm has faced criticism for creating products that look similar to those designed by Apple.
  
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• Chevron confirms it will be rolling out Apple Pay on its forecourts in 2015

  30-12-2014 19:33 via
  
  The California-based energy firm confirmed that US users of Apple Watch, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will be able to use Apple Pay to purchase fuel sometime in the new year.
  
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• Child porn tops Tor hidden site visits

  30-12-2014 19:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The majority of visits to sites hidden on the Tor network go to those dealing in images of child sexual abuse, suggests a study.
  
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• The science of CHAMPAGNE

  30-12-2014 18:57 via
  
  Bournemouth-based teacher Andy Brunning explains that each glass of champagne releases approximately 20 million tiny bubbles, which give the wine its flavour and smell.
  
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• Steam Holiday Sale: Counter Strike Go and huge Valve collection in deal bonanza

  30-12-2014 18:41
  
  STEAM'S annual Holiday Sale has kicked off and includes 12-hour special discounts, featured deals and community voted price cuts.
  
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• Lettuce get to Mars! Ambitious plan to grow greens on the red planet is shortlisted for the Mars One landing mission

  30-12-2014 18:02 via
  
  The project, being run at the University of Southampton, aims to nurture the salad vegetable in a greenhouse that will use the atmosphere and sunlight to help it grow.
  
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• Carbon dioxide emissions help tropical rainforests grow faster: Study shows trees absorb more greenhouse gas than expected

  30-12-2014 17:47 via
  
  Researchers from Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have found that tropical forests account for more than half of all carbon dioxide absorbed by plants growing on land.
  
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• The science of CHAMPAGNE: 20 million tiny bubbles help give the tipple its distinctive peachy and metallic aroma

  30-12-2014 17:26 via
  
  Bournemouth-based teacher Andy Brunning explains that each glass of champagne releases approximately 20 million tiny bubbles, which give the wine its flavour and smell.
  
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• Pompeii ruins are being restored by THIEVES: People who stole artefacts are now bringing back the pieces in their droves

  30-12-2014 17:11 via
  
  Stolen artefacts that have since been returned to the Italian ruins (pictured) include tiles, painted plaster, stones and bricks. One stone decoration was returned in October after being stolen in 1964.
  
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• Apple now lets you return apps TWO WEEKS after you bought them

  30-12-2014 16:27 via
  
  The California-based firm updated its App Store, iTunes and iBooks terms and conditions, meaning any customer in the EU can cancel an order within 14 days of receiving the receipt.
  
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• The brand new web browser for Windows 10

  30-12-2014 16:15
  
  SOFTWARE giant Microsoft are working on a new internet browser to take on Chrome and Firefox for their new platform, Windows 10.
  
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• Samsung's '360-degree Ring' speakers promise to send sound in every direction

  30-12-2014 16:09 via
  
  The Korean firm is set to unveil the two new speakers - called WAM7500 and WAM6500 (pictured) - at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.
  
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• Ichthyosaur fossil is the first complete 'fish lizard' found in Wales

  30-12-2014 15:57 via
  
  Jonathan Bow, 34, stumbled upon the complete 200 million-year-old ichthyosaur remains while walking along the Penarth shoreline. The fossil weighs 132lb (60kg) and is 7ft (2.1 metre) long.
  
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• Left-handed and sick of smudging your writing? Now there's a GLOVE that stops you dragging ink across paper

  30-12-2014 15:32 via
  
  Jeannie Lit from New Jersey designed a glove to prevent smudging. Called SmudgeGuard (shown) it stops perspiration adhering to ink on paper so 'lefties' can write without ruining a page with smudges.
  
  Read more

• PS4 and Xbox One: The biggest games releases for 2015

  30-12-2014 15:32
  
  XBOX ONE and PS4 owners have a lot to look forward to in 2015, with a huge swathe of new releases planned in the next 12 months.
  
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• Dawn spacecraft nears dwarf planet Ceres after a 3 BILLION mile journey

  30-12-2014 15:17 via
  
  The probe is currently 400,000 miles (640,000km) from the Texas-sized dwarf planet, approaching it at around 450mph (725km/h), according to Houston-based Nasa. Pictured is an artist's impression.
  
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• Travel firms sue cheap airfare site

  30-12-2014 15:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  United Airlines and travel firm Orbitz have launched legal action against a site that finds cheap airfares.
  
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• Wolf of Wall Street and Frozen top the most pirated films of 2014

  30-12-2014 14:40 via
  
  The figures were collected by Germany-based IT forensic firm Excipio, which monitors copyright infringements on peer-to-peer networks. The Wolf of Wall Street was illegally download 30 million times.
  
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• Was the Mayan civilisation wiped out by an extreme drought? Study of Great Blue Hole suggests 100-year dry spell caused collapse

  30-12-2014 14:39 via
  
  Research by Dr Droxler from Rice University in Texas provides new evidence for the drought theory. It suggests parts of Mayan civilisation (Chichén Itzá shown) collapsed due to a dry spell.
  
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• $999 human-sized Luna could usher in the age of the personal robot

  30-12-2014 14:28 via
  
  Santa Monica-based RoboDynamics is seeking funding for its Luna robot (shown). They say it could bring robots to the masses. The 5ft (1.5m) tall android has a touchscreen 'face' and arms.
  
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• Is Yahoo working on a smartwatch? Internet giant may launch hardware if Apple Watch news app proves a hit

  30-12-2014 14:27 via
  
  Yahoo's Senior Vice President of mobile, Adam Cahan, who is based in Sunnyvale, California, said that he could ‘never say never’ to Yahoo to making a smart watch in the future.
  
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• Wolf of Wall Street and Frozen top the most pirated films of 2014 - and Game of Thrones takes the TV top spot

  30-12-2014 13:51 via
  
  The figures were collected by Germany-based IT forensic firm Excipio, which monitors copyright infringements on peer-to-peer networks. The Wolf of Wall Street was illegally download 30 million times.
  
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• Elephant shrew and sea slugs among 221 new species of animal discovered this year

  30-12-2014 13:42 via
  
  One mammal, insects, sea creatures and plants were found on five continents and in two oceans in 2014, according to a comprehensive list compiled by the California Academy of Sciences.
  
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• Sleep more to stick to your New Year's resolutions, say scientists

  30-12-2014 13:39 via
  
  An early night is the best way to stick to next year's resolutions, according to psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire, who surveyed the willpower and sleep patterns of 1,000 people.
  
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• Apple now lets you return apps TWO WEEKS after you bought them... but only in the EU

  30-12-2014 12:51 via
  
  The California-based firm updated its App Store, iTunes and iBooks terms and conditions, meaning any customer in the EU can cancel an order within 14 days of receiving the receipt.
  
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• Sony hackers 'shared' stolen logins

  30-12-2014 12:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Data that helped hackers access Sony's internal network came from another group targeting the firm, reports the Washington Post.
  
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• Rarest turtles in the world wash up on British beaches 5,000 miles from Gulf of Mexico after cold weather leaves them too weak to swim against ocean currents

  30-12-2014 12:21 via
  
  Two juvenile Kemp's Ridley turtles were found alive on Formby beach in Sefton, Merseyside and on Walney Island, off Barrow, in Cumbria. One of the turtles has since died.
  
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• VIDEO: Why is there a science skills gap?

  30-12-2014 12:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC's Steph McGovern is looking at the skills shortages facing employers in Britain.
  
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• Map shows how late the world stays up on New Year's Eve

  30-12-2014 12:09 via
  
  While the average Briton calls it a night at 01:38am, people in Russia stay up the latest in the world, according to data, gathered from hundreds of thousands of Jawbone Up wearers.
  
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• Could we find aliens by searching for VIBRATIONS? £6,000 nanosensor may pick up tiny movements of life on distant planets

  30-12-2014 11:39 via
  
  The sensor has already shown it can detect Ecoli, according to scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland and the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie in Belgium.
  
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• The science of ZOMBIES and how to avoid becoming their dinner

  30-12-2014 11:33 via
  
  Neuroscientists from Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, and the University of California, San Diego, analysed zombie behaviour in films and linked to to brain structure.
  
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• Top memes and viral videos of 2014

  30-12-2014 11:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The biggest memes and viral ads of 2014
  
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• Flir One iPhone case transforms your tabletop into a real time thermal display

  30-12-2014 11:27 via
  
  The thermal table (pictured) was created by Japanese researcher Ken Kawamoto, who projected light from a Flir One iPhone case onto a table using a process known as projection mapping.
  
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• Rise in pregnant women posting pictures online inviting others to guess their child's sex

  30-12-2014 11:17 via
  
  Couples guess their baby's sex using theories including the nub theory, the skull theory, analysing the shape of the bump or looking at cravings, a poll by parenting site Netmums found.
  
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• The science of ZOMBIES: Neuroscientists reveal the anatomy of the undead's brain - and how to avoid becoming their dinner

  30-12-2014 11:12 via
  
  Neuroscientists from Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania, and the University of California, San Diego, analysed zombie behaviour in films and linked to to brain structure.
  
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• Violent conflict can give men a biological benefit in attracting females, study finds

  30-12-2014 11:03 via
  
  Researchers at Harvard University studied a small tribal populations in eastern Africa - and found violent conflict resulted in more wives and children for certain warriors.
  
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• Watch the US Navy's helicopter drone land on a battleship

  30-12-2014 10:36 via
  
  Northrop Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout has been tested aboard the USS Dunham, and could soon be seen on US warships headed to battle.
  
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• Now THAT'S a remote control helicopter: Watch the US Navy's full size drone copter land on a battleship - without a pilot in sight

  30-12-2014 02:45 via
  
  Northrop Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout has been tested aboard the USS Dunham, and could soon be seen on US warships headed to battle.
  
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• Is going to war all about attracting women? Violent conflict can give men a biological benefit in attracting females, study finds

  30-12-2014 02:20 via
  
  Researchers at Harvard University studied a small tribal populations in eastern Africa - and found violent conflict resulted in more wives and children for certain warriors.
  
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