Sci-Tech news

• Mankind slaughtered THREE MILLION whales in the 20th Century

  16-03-2015 23:44 via
  
  Between 1990 and 1962, the same number of sperm whales had been killed by humans as had been taken during 18th and 19th centuries, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle.
  
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• Scientists eavesdrop on seismic waves to create most accurate map of inside Earth

  16-03-2015 23:15 via
  
  The images were created by Princeton University in New Jersey. The team are aiming to create a 3D map of the entire mantle, down to a depth of 1,865 miles (3,000km), by the end of the year.
  
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• Palm-sized drones and self-flying vehicles go on display in Germany

  16-03-2015 22:57 via
  
  The drones are on display at this year's CeBIT technology show in Germany and include the QH micro quadcopter (pictured) that's small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
  
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• Is this nondescript California garage where Apple is building its self driving CAR?

  16-03-2015 22:51 via
  
  AppleInsider claims the building in Sunnyvale is the HQ for the project which could one day take on Tesla with a self driving car.
  
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• Money really does make you mean: Feeling flush makes you more likely to snub friends and break the law, claims scientist

  16-03-2015 22:50 via
  
  Professor Paul Piff from the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed several experiments in which the rich struggled with empathy and generosity, compared with their poorer companions.
  
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• Dancing in the dark: The search for the 'missing Universe'

  16-03-2015 22:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Large Hadron Collider goes after dark matter
  
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• VIDEO: Dark matter's 'gang of four'

  16-03-2015 22:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Large Hadron Collider will put reputations on the line when it attempts to solve the mystery of dark matter.
  
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• Move over Saturn: Astronomers uncover a second minor planet in our solar system that may have rings

  16-03-2015 21:23 via
  
  Astronomers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe that 'minor planet', Chiron, which is located between Saturn and Uranus, may have rings of Saturn-like (pictured) gas and dust.
  
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• Scientists extract DNA from extinct woolly mammoth to bring the species back

  16-03-2015 21:16 via
  
  A team of experts took samples of bone marrow from the extinct creature's front left leg during a symposium at a university in Siberia on Monday (pictured).
  
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• Facebook slaps ban on buttocks, buying drugs and celebrating crimes

  16-03-2015 21:11 via
  
  Silicon Valley giant Facebook has created a new rule book that tells users the sort of content they can and can't post on the site, including a ban on images of buttocks.
  
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• That's robo-abuse! Researchers test their new two legged 'giant chicken' robot by throwing dodgeballs at it

  16-03-2015 21:02 via
  
  The robot has been designed by researchers in the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory at Oregon State University to become the fastest bipedal robot in the world - and compete in the prestigious 'robo olympics'
  
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• Light pollution affects plant growth and insects, study claims

  16-03-2015 20:52 via
  
  Researchers from the University of Exeter simulated the effects of street lighting (pictured) on artificial grassland plots containing a community of invertebrates at night.
  
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• Are signs of alien life hiding in REFLECTIONS of planets? Experts spot clues about organisms using light bouncing around the solar system

  16-03-2015 20:44 via
  
  Astronomers in New York have catalogued species of organism on Earth by studying their reflected light. The same method could be used to spot life on another planet (illustration shown).
  
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• Incredible meteor spotted over Loch Ness through 'sheer dumb luck'

  16-03-2015 20:39 via
  
  John Alasdair Macdonald captured the image (shown) from Drumnadrochit on the west coast of Loch Ness in Scotland. His 30-second long exposure shot was taken with a Sony RX100.
  
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• Attack of the drones! Palm-sized machines and self-flying vehicles go on display in Germany

  16-03-2015 20:35 via
  
  The drones are on display at this year's CeBIT technology show in Germany and include the QH micro quadcopter (pictured) that's small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
  
  Read more

• Mankind slaughtered THREE MILLION whales in the 20th Century: Scientists reveal extent of the 'largest hunt in human history'

  16-03-2015 20:26 via
  
  Between 1990 and 1962, the same number of sperm whales had been killed by humans as had been taken during 18th and 19th centuries, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle.
  
  Read more

• Now THAT'S a heavy tax bill! Ancient Egyptian receipt suggests coins weighing 220lbs would have been needed to pay duty

  16-03-2015 20:03 via
  
  The tax receipt from Egypt (pictured) was written in Greek on a piece of pottery and dates to 98BC. The unnamed taxpayer had to pay a land transfer tax of 75 talents, as well as a fee of 15 talents on top.
  
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• Do YOU make tea correctly? 80% of us don't let it brew for long enough

  16-03-2015 19:44 via
  
  Experts from University College London and British Science Week also found that English Breakfast made without sugar and drunk from a ceramic mug is the most popular method.
  
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• French government orders site block

  16-03-2015 19:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The French authorities have used new powers to block five websites, which they claim condone terrorism, without a court order.
  
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• Protest as Oxford postpones divestment

  16-03-2015 19:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Former students occupy an Oxford building to protest the university's failure to decide about divesting funds from fossil fuels.
  
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• Are streetlamps really such a bright idea? Light pollution is affecting plant growth and and insect numbers

  16-03-2015 19:04 via
  
  Researchers from the University of Exeter simulated the effects of street lighting (pictured) on artificial grassland plots containing a community of invertebrates at night.
  
  Read more

• Facebook slaps ban on buttocks

  16-03-2015 18:52 via
  
  Silicon Valley giant Facebook has created a new rule book that tells users the sort of content they can and can't post on the site, including a ban on images of buttocks.
  
  Read more

• Take a look INSIDE the Earth: Scientists eavesdrop on seismic waves to create most accurate map of planet's interior

  16-03-2015 18:51 via
  
  The images were created by Princeton University in New Jersey. The team are aiming to create a 3D map of the entire mantle, down to a depth of 1,865 miles (3,000km), by the end of the year.
  
  Read more

• Social media; start-ups to grown ups

  16-03-2015 18:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Social networks need rules, whether they like it or not
  
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• Facebook rules: A sign of the times

  16-03-2015 18:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Social networks need rules, whether they like it or not
  
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• Could we soon clone a woolly mammoth? Scientists extract DNA from extinct creature to bring the species back from the dead

  16-03-2015 18:45 via
  
  A team of experts took samples of bone marrow from the extinct creature's front left leg during a symposium at a university in Siberia on Monday (pictured).
  
  Read more

• The Loch Ness METEOR: Photographer captures shooting star lighting up the sky above lake thanks to 'sheer dumb luck'

  16-03-2015 18:12 via
  
  John Alasdair Macdonald captured the image (shown) from Drumnadrochit on the west coast of Loch Ness in Scotland. His 30-second long exposure shot was taken with a Sony RX100.
  
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• Stonehenge supported a wooden platform to get 'closer to the heavens', claims expert

  16-03-2015 18:05 via
  
  Historian Julian Spalding has provided a new theory on Stonehenge (shown). He says the stones were pillars used to support a raised platform. This would have had people of importance upon it.
  
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• Do YOU make your tea correctly? 80% of us are too impatient to brew a proper cuppa, study reveals

  16-03-2015 17:22 via
  
  Experts from University College London and British Science Week also found that English Breakfast made without sugar and drunk from a ceramic mug is the most popular method.
  
  Read more

• Will Elon Musk banish 'range anxiety'? CEO teases software that could boost Tesla Model S battery

  16-03-2015 17:17 via
  
  California-based Tesla is to announce a software update on Friday. Elon Musk revealed it would be for the 'entire Model S fleet' (shown) in a tweet, suggesting it may be a trick to boost battery power.
  
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• Poll to find first bird for Britain

  16-03-2015 16:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Votes can now be cast in an online poll to choose what could become Britain's first national bird.
  
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• Online synaesthesia test reveals how you perceive colours, tastes and sounds

  16-03-2015 16:15 via
  
  The online Synesthesia Battery test (pictured) was created by neuroscientist David Eagleman from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas to test what types of synaesthesia a user has.
  
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• Drivers during the solar eclipse must focus on the road or risk accidents

  16-03-2015 16:12 via
  
  The solar eclipse is set to block out nearly 90 per cent of sunlight across parts of Europe on Friday during rush-hour and could cause traffic accidents (stock image).
  
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• Richard III sealed inside a lead-lined coffin ahead of burial next week

  16-03-2015 15:51 via
  
  The coffin has been had made by Micheal Ibsen, the dead king's 17th grand grand nephew using English oak and yew. The last Plantagenet king will be buried in Leicester Cathedral.
  
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• Mysterious ring reveals the Vikings' reach: Purple stone found in 9th century grave is inscribed 'for Allah' showing warriors traded with Islamic civilisations

  16-03-2015 15:49 via
  
  The ring (pictured) was discovered during excavations of a Viking trading centre in Birka, Sweden, in the late 1800s but recent examinations have revealed its origins.
  
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• Web servers stage Pratchett tribute

  16-03-2015 15:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A long-running tribute to late fantasy author Terry Pratchett is being staged with the help of some of the web's servers
  
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• Good vibrations! Peacock feathers don't just look good - they produce infrasound noises to talk to other birds

  16-03-2015 15:00 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, have shown that the birds (stock image) make infrasound noises - below 20 hertz - using their tails.
  
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• Chemicals from stain repellent disrupt brain signal in polar bears

  16-03-2015 14:57 via
  
  Researchers at the University of Copenhagen fear reduced levels of neurotransmitters in polar bears brains may be effecting their behaviour and hormone levels.
  
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• Cuba approves first public wi-fi hub

  16-03-2015 14:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Cuba grants approval to the artist Kcho to operate the country's first public wireless hub at his Havana cultural centre.
  
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• Do YOU have synaesthesia? Online test reveals how you perceive colours, tastes and sounds

  16-03-2015 14:27 via
  
  The online Synesthesia Battery test (pictured) was created by neuroscientist David Eagleman from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas to test what types of synaesthesia a user has.
  
  Read more

• Friday's solar eclipse may reveal why the corona is hotter than the sun's surface

  16-03-2015 14:18 via
  
  A team of scientists is travelling to Svalbard to observe the solar eclipse. They will use an array of instruments to look at the sun's corona (shown in image) and work out why it is so hot.
  
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• Blackberry firm unveils new tablet

  16-03-2015 14:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Blackberry-owned company Secusmart has shown off a secure tablet in collaboration with Samsung and IBM.
  
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• Will this week's solar eclipse make driving DANGEROUS? Drivers must focus on the road or risk accidents and temporary blindness, experts warn

  16-03-2015 13:40 via
  
  The solar eclipse is set to block out nearly 90 per cent of sunlight across parts of Europe on Friday during rush-hour and could cause traffic accidents (stock image).
  
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• The perils of feeding bread to ducks

  16-03-2015 13:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Does white bread for ducks damage our ecosystems?
  
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• Silk Road staffer pleads guilty

  16-03-2015 13:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An Australian man who worked for the Silk Road pleads guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in the US
  
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• Dyson invests in batteries that can DOUBLE your phone's power

  16-03-2015 13:19 via
  
  Dyson inventor Sir James Dyson (pictured) has invested $15 million (£10 million) in Michigan-based Sakti3. The batteries could feature in Dyson's cordless cleaners as well as phones and other gadgets.
  
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• Computer expert claims Atlantis remains are 'hiding in plain sight' in Morocco

  16-03-2015 13:11 via
  
  A German computer expert has challenged theories that the lost city of Atlantis lies beneath the sea, after he claimed to have calculated its coordinates to an area on land in Morocco (pictured).
  
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• Richard III to be sealed inside a lead-lined coffin ahead of burial next week

  16-03-2015 13:10 via
  
  The coffin has been had made by Micheal Ibsen, the dead king's 17th grand grand nephew using English oak and yew. The last Plantagenet king will be buried in Leicester Cathedral.
  
  Read more

• Richard III to be sealed in lead ossuary and coffin made by his closest living relative ahead of burial at Leicester Cathedral

  16-03-2015 12:53 via
  
  The coffin has been had made by Micheal Ibsen, the dead king's 17th grand grand nephew using English oak and yew. The last Plantagenet king will be buried in Leicester Cathedral.
  
  Read more

• Blippar app lets you search the web using your smartphone CAMERA

  16-03-2015 12:28 via
  
  Blippar, which is based in London and New York, will launch the latest version of its app in April, which will initially work for CDS, DVDs and film posters to bring up related information online.
  
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