Sci-Tech news

• VIDEO: Revolutionary urinal 'makes energy'

  05-03-2015 23:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A toilet that could revolutionise sanitation facilities in refugee camps has been developed by a group of researchers at the University of the West of England.
  
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• An exploding star as never seen before: Supernova creates stunning cosmic illusion nine billion light years away

  05-03-2015 23:07 via
  
  Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore were able to capture four images of the exploding star due to an effect known as 'gravitational lensing'.
  
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• Forget the dress - what colour is MARS? Some people say planet is more blue and green than pink and red

  05-03-2015 22:03 via
  
  The debate has raged since the 1970s when Nasa's Viking 1 lander beamed back images to mission control in Houston depicting the Martian sky as blue, rather than red.
  
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• The robotic SALAMANDER that could shed light on how dinosaurs walked - and may even help rescue trapped humans

  05-03-2015 21:46 via
  
  Engineers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne used 3D X-ray videos of sharp-ribbed salamanders moving to create a robot that mimics how the creatures walk and swim.
  
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• Maserati unveiled at Mobile Wolrd Congress lets passengers stream content

  05-03-2015 20:06 via
  
  The concept Maserati (pictured) is on display at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and uses Qualcomm technology to power its sensors, camera and on-board modems.
  
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• Do killer whales hold the secret to the MENOPAUSE?

  05-03-2015 20:05 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Exeter say that older females that have gone through the menopause are free to impart their experience and wisdom for the benefit of the rest of the family group.
  
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• You can be ALLERGIC to cannabis, scientists warn

  05-03-2015 20:01 via
  
  A new study by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that marijuana, like other pollen-bearing plants, is an allergen.
  
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• Never clean your house again! Super water-resistant spray stops grime, germs and dust from sticking to ANY surface

  05-03-2015 20:00 via
  
  The material is made of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and was designed by chemists at University College London. Moisture turns into a ball and rolls away, cleaning dust or germs in its path.
  
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• Mars once had more water than the ARCTIC OCEAN - enough for life to thrive on the red planet

  05-03-2015 20:00 via
  
  Nasa scientists in Maryland calculated how much water was once on Mars. They found that 3.7 billion years ago it had more than the Arctic Ocean in its northern hemisphere (illustrated)
  
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• Octopus uses filmmaker's GoPro camera to take HIS picture

  05-03-2015 19:28 via
  
  Benjamin Savard, a digital media producer at Middlebury College in Vermont, was testing out a GoPro camera in the octopus tank when the mischievous creature grabbed the device.
  
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• Will Apple's iPhone 7 be WATERPROOF?

  05-03-2015 19:25 via
  
  The patent was filed by the Californian firm last year. It said cases have ‘little value’ once water in in the the phone and details a system of adding ‘hydrophobic coating to components’.
  
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• Technology helps visually impaired navigate the Tube

  05-03-2015 18:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  App to help visually impaired young people on the London Tube
  
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• Are Uber self-driving cars on their way? Firm buys mapping service that could help develop a range of driverless vehicles

  05-03-2015 18:51 via
  
  The San Francisco-based cab firm told MailOnline that it plans to complete the acquisition of DeCarta 'later this week' and will use it to bolster its current services in the short term.
  
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• Autism appears 'largely genetic'

  05-03-2015 18:49 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Genetic influences on autism are estimated to be between 74-98%, a Medical Research Council study of 258 twins suggests.
  
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• The car that's a Wi-Fi hotspot: Maserati lets passengers stream content - and uses ultrasonic sensors to remove blind spots

  05-03-2015 18:26 via
  
  The concept Maserati (pictured) is on display at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and uses Qualcomm technology to power its sensors, camera and on-board modems.
  
  Read more

• Do killer whales hold the secret to the MENOPAUSE? Experienced, aging females lead the family when hunting to boost their chances of survival

  05-03-2015 18:23 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Exeter say that older females that have gone through the menopause are free to impart their experience and wisdom for the benefit of the rest of the family group.
  
  Read more

• Will the iPhone 7 be WATERPROOF? Apple patent reveals plans to protect the inside of the phone from liquid

  05-03-2015 17:55 via
  
  The patent was filed by the Californian firm last year. It said cases have ‘little value’ once water in in the the phone and details a system of adding ‘hydrophobic coating to components’.
  
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• The planet with FOUR suns: 30 Ari B suggests quadruple-star worlds are much more common than we thought

  05-03-2015 17:46 via
  
  Nasa astronomers in California have found a planet in a multi-star system. 30 Ari b (illustration shown) has four stars in its system - two sets of binary stars.
  
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• Was Silbury Hill a Neolithic LIGHTHOUSE? Ancient mound was built as a beacon for a once waterlogged Wiltshire, expert claims

  05-03-2015 17:45 via
  
  A mapmaker claims he has found evidence of a new stone avenue between the mound (pictured) and the nearby holy stone circle of Avebury in Wiltshire.
  
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• Hotel chain confirms hack attack

  05-03-2015 16:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hotel chain Mandarin Oriental has confirmed that credit card data has been stolen in a hack attack on the company's network.
  
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• Bogus tech support call turns nasty

  05-03-2015 16:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A conman threatened to kill a man who challenged him about the fake tech support scam he was involved with, reports CBC.
  
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• Reconstruction of ancient Rome shows it was made mostly from brick

  05-03-2015 16:34 via
  
  Historians at the University of California Los Angeles have reconstructed ancient Rome using architectural modelling software and found few of the buildings were made from marble.
  
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• The laser that blasts trucks from a MILE away

  05-03-2015 16:28 via
  
  The laser is known as Athena and was built by Maryland-based security firm Lockheed Martin. During the test, the 30-killowatt fibre laser burnt through the truck’s engine and disabled it in seconds.
  
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• Expert believes passwords should replace SIM cards

  05-03-2015 15:57 via
  
  Dr Markus Kuhn from the University of Cambridge said the SIM could have been replaced long ago and believes the time is right to switch because of recent advances in cryptographic techniques.
  
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• Would you wear eau de YEAST? Perfume smells like roses but is made of fungus

  05-03-2015 15:36 via
  
  Experts at Gingko Bioworks in Boston are developing a cultured fragrance that uses the coded genes and enzymes from a rose to genetically engineer strains of yeast.
  
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• Deer eat CHICKS for a protein hit, snatching them from nests

  05-03-2015 15:17 via
  
  Deer in North Dakota, Canada and Scotland have been recorded eating chicks and experts think it may be to make up for protein and calcium deficiencies in their otherwise vegetarian diets.
  
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• Data roaming to stay, EU proposes

  05-03-2015 14:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  MEPs will consider proposals that would maintain data roaming charges and introduce priority internet access for some specialist services.
  
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• Does the Higgs boson hold the secret to dark matter?

  05-03-2015 14:43 via
  
  Dr Christoffer Petersson from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden has proposed a new model for particle physics. He says the Higgs boson (illustrated) can break down into dark matter.
  
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• The laser that blasts trucks from a MILE away: Lockheed Martin plans to mount the weapon on military planes and helicopters

  05-03-2015 14:25 via
  
  The laser is known as Athena and was built by Maryland-based security firm Lockheed Martin. During the test, the 30-killowatt fibre laser burnt through the truck’s engine and disabled it in seconds.
  
  Read more

• If Ferrari made SUBMARINES: HP Sport Sub 2 dives 300ft below the waves so you can cruise the ocean floor in style

  05-03-2015 14:14 via
  
  The nine foot long (2.7metre) submarine, which resembles a supercar, can travel at up to 4mph (6kph) and is the latest creation by Dutch company U-Boat Worx.
  
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• Facebook rant lands man in UAE jail

  05-03-2015 14:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An American has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates for comments he posted on Facebook while in the US.
  
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• Our ancestors may have been scavengers, study reveals

  05-03-2015 13:56 via
  
  Palaeontologists at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History studied modern big cat kills and found that the carcasses they left contained enough meat to sustain early humans.
  
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• DNA reveals bird shift surprise

  05-03-2015 13:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  DNA samples reveal two species of forest-dwelling birds on remote Indonesian islands are actually members of the ground-dwelling pipit and wagtail family.
  
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• 2,600-year-old human BRAIN was preserved thanks to oxygen-free clay mud in York

  05-03-2015 13:41 via
  
  Experts from York Archaeological Trust believe the 2,600-year-old brain was preserved because it was buried in a sealed clay pit and fats and proteins linking together in the organ.
  
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• Is this where Mars One astronauts will live on the red planet?

  05-03-2015 13:31 via
  
  Danish space architect Kristian von Bengtson revealed his sketch for Mars One's habitat on the red planet (shown). The concept includes living quarters, a laboratory and even a holodeck.
  
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• Death of the SIM card? Expert believes passwords should replace iconic microchips

  05-03-2015 13:15 via
  
  Dr Markus Kuhn from the University of Cambridge said the SIM could have been replaced long ago and believes the time is right to switch because of recent advances in cryptographic techniques.
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: New threats to wild bees identified

  05-03-2015 13:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Bumblebees in the wild are infected with many diseases found in honeybees kept by bee keepers, according to a national survey.
  
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• If Ferarri made SUBMARINES: HP Sport Sub 2 dives 300ft below the waves so you can cruise the ocean floor in style

  05-03-2015 13:00 via
  
  The nine foot long (2.7metre) submarine, which resembles a supercar, can travel at up to 4mph (6kph) and is the latest creation by Dutch company U-Boat Worx.
  
  Read more

• Civilisation does NOT need faith in God, study finds

  05-03-2015 12:21 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Auckland studied 97 Pacific island cultures and found that belief in supernatural and vengeful spirits was actually what caused civilised societies to grow.
  
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• The cyborg cockroaches that are fitted with a mind-control device - and they could be used to explore disaster zones

  05-03-2015 12:00 via
  
  Texas engineers have developed a method to control cockroach movement. Their backpack stimulates the nervous system in the bugs' brains (image shown).
  
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• The self-driving car with a built-in GYM: Bars and pedals help passengers exercise - and a fridge stores post-workout drinks

  05-03-2015 11:49 via
  
  Italian engineers at Italdesign Giugiaro teamed up with Audi and Technogym to create its in-vehicle gym. Aluminium handles fitted into the rear seats can be used for upper body routines.
  
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• 2,600-year-old human BRAIN was preserved thanks to oxygen-free clay mud, archaeologists reveal

  05-03-2015 11:20 via
  
  Experts from York Archaeological Trust believe the 2,600-year-old brain was preserved because it was buried in a sealed clay pit and fats and proteins linking together in the organ.
  
  Read more

• Civilisation does NOT need faith in God: Belief in supreme being doesn't play a role in forming complex societies, study finds

  05-03-2015 11:02 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Auckland studied 97 Pacific island cultures and found that belief in supernatural and vengeful spirits was actually what caused civilised societies to grow.
  
  Read more

• VIDEO: Software designs robotic solutions

  05-03-2015 09:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The latest in robotics including software which can design electronics to solve problems
  
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• Scientists discover a hormone that gives you the same benefits as exercise

  05-03-2015 09:32 via
  
  The MOTS-c hormone has been proven to work in mice and clinical trials on humans could begin in three years, according to scientists at the University of Southern California.
  
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• European languages were carried from the East

  05-03-2015 09:27 via
  
  Harvard Medical School in Boston found evidence of the migration by analysing DNA of 69 people who lived across Europe between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago.
  
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• Global flood toll to triple by 2030

  05-03-2015 06:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  People affected by river flooding worldwide could triple by 2030, with climate change and population growth the main factors, says a new report.
  
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• African synchrotron bid gathers pace

  05-03-2015 04:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The effort to build a synchrotron - a large accelerator that generates X-rays for research - in Africa is gaining momentum, a US conference hears.
  
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• Forget the gym: Scientists discover a hormone that gives you the same benefits as exercise without breaking a sweat

  05-03-2015 02:57 via
  
  The MOTS-c hormone has been proven to work in mice and clinical trials on humans could begin in three years, according to scientists at the University of Southern California.
  
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• European languages were carried from the East: Fossils reveal how mass migration 4,500 years ago shaped our speech

  05-03-2015 02:46 via
  
  Harvard Medical School in Boston found evidence of the migration by analysing DNA of 69 people who lived across Europe between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago.
  
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