Sci-Tech news

• Landmark DNA study in Iceland reveals new insights into evolution and disease

  25-03-2015 23:59 via
  
  Reykjavik-based DeCode Genetics has sequenced the largest ever set of human genomes from a single nation, revealing surprising genetic mutations in Icelandic people.
  
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• Will Google's self driving cars have airbags on the OUTSIDE to protect pedestrians? 

  25-03-2015 23:49 via
  
  Google's self driving car could have airbags both inside and  out, a new patent granted to the Mountain View firm has revealed.
  
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• The 'father of humanity' lived 239,000 years ago: Landmark DNA study in Iceland reveals new insights into evolution and disease

  25-03-2015 23:17 via
  
  Reykjavik-based DeCode Genetics has sequenced the largest ever set of human genomes from a single nation, revealing surprising genetic mutations in Icelandic people.
  
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• Researchers find Jupiter's permanent aurora EXPLODES - causing dazzling brightness over areas many times the size of Earth

  25-03-2015 23:08 via
  
  Japanese researchers found Jupiter's aurora sometimes mysteriously explodes - causing dazzling brightening  up because of a process having nothing to do with the Sun.
  
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• Men use flamboyant facial hair as a badge of dominance to attract females

  25-03-2015 22:47 via
  
  The University of Western Australia in Crawley say men are using beards as a badge of dominance, which is attractive to women. A similar technique is seen in the monkey world.
  
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• Facebook opens up Messenger app in bid to boost usage

  25-03-2015 22:42 via
  
  Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new features at its annual developer conference in San Francisco, for the first time allowing developers to create apps that function inside Messenger .
  
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• Could Facebook kill off email? Firm opens up Messenger app in bid to boost usage - and says even your doors could soon use it

  25-03-2015 22:05 via
  
  Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new features at its annual developer conference in San Francisco, for the first time allowing developers to create apps that function inside Messenger .
  
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• Scientists are close to developing a healthier GM potato

  25-03-2015 20:27 via
  
  Scientists at the publicly-funded Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich claim they have designed a potato which takes eight genes from other varieties. A stock image is shown.
  
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• Hipster beards really ARE just a way to get women: Men use flamboyant facial hair as a badge of dominance to attract females

  25-03-2015 20:25 via
  
  The University of Western Australia in Crawley say men are using beards as a badge of dominance, which is attractive to women. A similar technique is seen in the monkey world.
  
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• Have we finally found DARK MATTER?

  25-03-2015 20:21 via
  
  Physicists at Carnegie Mellon, Brown and Cambridge universities say the 'Reticulum 2' galaxy 98,000 light-years away has provided the most convincing signal of dark matter yet.
  
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• Facebook adds support for 360 degree 'transportation' videos

  25-03-2015 20:20 via
  
  Facebook is to begin supporting virtual reality on its newsfeed, with users able to put on a headset and explore a virtual location, the firm revealed at its F8 conference in San Francisco.
  
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• The US Navy's 'ghost hunter' hit the water: Robo-boats set to track down silent enemy submarines for months at a time

  25-03-2015 20:18 via
  
  The ACTUV will be able to operate for several months at a time scouring the seas and coastal areas for silent, diesel powered enemy submarines, and is being tested in Mississippi.
  
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• How to cut and core a bell pepper without getting seeds everywhere

  25-03-2015 20:13 via
  
  Thanks to a new 'life hack' video from YouTube user Rumble Viral, a pepper is opened up in a matter of seconds without disrupting any of the pips.
  
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• Elon Musk claims artificial intelligence will treat humans like 'labradors'

  25-03-2015 20:12 via
  
  Elon Musk's comments were made in an interview with New York-based scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who added that computers could choose to breed docile humans and eradicate the violent ones.
  
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• Black holes cause BLASTS in the cores of galaxies

  25-03-2015 20:08 via
  
  Astronomers in Maryland have found the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes cause huge outpourings of material from the centre of galaxies (illustration shown).
  
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• Move over Baywatch: Lifeguard drone could save swimmers in distress

  25-03-2015 20:04 via
  
  Ryptide converts drones into a flying life-guard that can drop up to four inflatable rings to swimmers in trouble. It is being developed by students in Stamford, Connecticut.
  
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• Facebook in virtual reality move

  25-03-2015 19:43 via
  
  Facebook is to begin supporting virtual reality on its newsfeed, with users able to put on a headset and explore a virtual location, the firm revealed at its F8 conference in San Francisco.
  
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• VIDEO: Future plans for Facebook Messenger

  25-03-2015 19:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has outlined some of the social network's plans for its Messenger app, including opening it up to third parties.
  
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• Facebook Messenger lets apps plug in

  25-03-2015 19:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Facebook opens up its Messenger app to accept posts from other photo, video, audio and Gif-based social networks.
  
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• Could robots turn people into PETS? Elon Musk claims artificial intelligence will treat humans like 'labradors'

  25-03-2015 19:19 via
  
  Elon Musk's comments were made in an interview with New York-based scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who added that computers could choose to breed docile humans and eradicate the violent ones.
  
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• Black holes cause BLASTS in the cores of galaxies: Supermassive objects lead to thousands of stars forming every year

  25-03-2015 19:09 via
  
  Astronomers in Maryland have found the first observational evidence that supermassive black holes cause huge outpourings of material from the centre of galaxies (illustration shown).
  
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• Have we finally found DARK MATTER? Gamma rays hint at the presence of the mysterious material in nearby dwarf galaxy

  25-03-2015 19:03 via
  
  Physicists at Carnegie Mellon, Brown and Cambridge universities say the 'Reticulum 2' galaxy 98,000 light-years away has provided the most convincing signal of dark matter yet.
  
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• One corned beef sandwich for mankind: How astronauts took forbidden food onto Nasa's first two-man spaceflight 50 years ago

  25-03-2015 18:18 via
  
  The Gemini 3 mission of 23 March 1965, launched from Florida, was shrouded in controversy when astronaut John Young snuck a corned beef sandwich (pictured in a museum) on board.
  
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• Intelligence is based on nature AND nurture: Study finds your environment plays a significant role in how smart you are

  25-03-2015 18:11 via
  
  Scientists at Virginia University compared biological brothers, one of whom had been adopted into a new family, to discover that their IQs differed. A stock image is shown.
  
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• Water 'could warm a million homes'

  25-03-2015 17:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A million properties across England could in future be heated by water from rivers, canals and the sea, the government says.
  
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• One corn beef sandwich for mankind: How astronauts took forbidden food onto Nasa's first two-man spaceflight 50 years ago

  25-03-2015 17:05 via
  
  The Gemini 3 mission of 23 March 1965, launched from Florida, was shrouded in controversy when astronaut John Young snuck a corn beef sandwich (pictured in a museum) on board.
  
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• VIDEO: Ford tech 'stops people speeding'

  25-03-2015 17:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ford is to sell a car that can read road signs and adjust its speed accordingly to ensure the vehicle is not driving too fast.
  
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• Swimmer has Russian Ross Sea talks

  25-03-2015 16:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The record-breaking endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh discusses the possibility of an Antarctic Ross Sea marine reserve with the Russians.
  
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• 'Chameleon' smart shoes change colour at the touch of a button: App transforms the look of high heels using flexible displays

  25-03-2015 16:38 via
  
  The shoes (pictured) were designed by Lithuania-based iShuu Technologies. Each shoe has flexible e-ink displays on the left and right sides which connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
  
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• Will Samsung's Galaxy S7 fold in HALF?

  25-03-2015 16:20 via
  
  A report hints that a fully foldable smartphone (stock image) by the South Korean firm could be ready as soon as next year and that foldable screens may also feature in laptops and wearables.
  
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• How to shuffle cards like a pro shown by a mathematician

  25-03-2015 16:06 via
  
  A mathematician at Stanford University, California, compared the efficiency of shuffling techniques and said the 'riffle' shuffle (pictured) is the most effective and random if done well.
  
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• Car slows when it sees speed signs

  25-03-2015 15:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ford announces it is to start selling cars that restrict their speed to the limits shown on the road signs they pass.
  
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• Captivating timelapse shows MOULD growing on what looks like an alien world - but is actually a potato

  25-03-2015 15:27 via
  
  Russian photographer Nick Larionstev filmed five different species of mould growing using a specially designed rig. It took between two and eight days to capture each sequence.
  
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• How to shuffle cards like a pro: Mathematician shows why the 'riffle' technique is more effective than the flashy 'overhand'

  25-03-2015 15:19 via
  
  A mathematician at Stanford University, California, compared the efficiency of shuffling techniques and said the 'riffle' shuffle (pictured) is the most effective and random if done well.
  
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• Bloodhound car has engine fitting

  25-03-2015 14:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Bloodhound Super Sonic Car has a fitting with the Rolls-Royce jet engine it will use to try to break the world land speed record.
  
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• 'Robot on reins' could soon replace guide dogs

  25-03-2015 14:40 via
  
  The robot (pictured), developed at King's College London is equipped with sensors. A sleeve on the user's arm interprets signals sent back from the robot using micro vibrations.
  
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• Men AND women agree Taylor Swift not Kim Kardashian has the perfect body

  25-03-2015 14:38 via
  
  A new survey of more than 60,000 people has revealed that Taylor Swift has the most desirable body shape - not Kim's short, busty, big-bottomed frame.
  
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• Drones: US loss could be UK's gain

  25-03-2015 14:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  As Amazon complains that US regulators are taking too long to issue test permits, countries like the UK could be well placed to profit, says a leading academic
  
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• How SPERM could protect your home from fire: Scientists use DNA from herring to develop new flame retardants

  25-03-2015 13:39 via
  
  Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Turin are using DNA from herring sperm cells to develop new types of flame retardant materials after finding it forms a ceramic like material when heated.
  
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• How Benedict Cumberbatch is related to Richard III: Sherlock star is the infamous monarch's second cousin 16 times removed

  25-03-2015 13:14 via
  
  Professor Kevin Schürer from the University of Leicester, found the link between the former Plantagenet monarch and English actor Benedict Cumberbatch.
  
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• The car claiming to be 'teen proof'

  25-03-2015 12:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The new Chevrolet lets nervous parents spy on their children's driving in real-time.
  
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• Twitter's 'Quality Filter' set to rid the site of abuse

  25-03-2015 12:25 via
  
  The tool (pictured) works in a similar way to the California-based site's 'tailored notifications' and involves scanning tweets for abusive or offensive words, threats or signs of harassment.
  
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• House sparrow rule roost in Scotland

  25-03-2015 12:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  House sparrows are the most commonly spotted bird in gardens in Scotland, according to an RSPB survey.
  
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• Badger TB vaccine expansion plans

  25-03-2015 12:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A trial to give Bovine TB vaccines to badgers will expand after it was deemed a success by scientists in Cornwall.
  
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• Clean Reader app censors swear words in ebooks

  25-03-2015 12:09 via
  
  An Idaho-based couple has released a censoring app for iOS and Android. Called Clean Reader it deletes certain swear words from books (excerpt from Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl shown).
  
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• Facebook 'On This Day' tool launched for a nostalgic trip through previous posts

  25-03-2015 11:44 via
  
  The Californian site said posts only appear on a user's On this Day page (shown), and this page can only be viewed by that user. The tool is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will be able to see it yet.
  
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• BT returns to mobile phone market

  25-03-2015 11:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BT announces it is to start selling mobile phone subscriptions again in the UK, 10 years after it pulled out of the market.
  
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• Forget Timehop, Facebook launches 'On This Day' tool that lets you take a nostalgic trip through previous posts

  25-03-2015 10:47 via
  
  The Californian site said posts only appear on a user's On this Day page (shown), and this page can only be viewed by that user. The tool is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will be able to see it yet.
  
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• Mars rover detects 'useful nitrogen'

  25-03-2015 10:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Curiosity rover makes a detection of nitrogen compounds which provide further evidence that ancient Mars would have been a habitable world.
  
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• Cape York fisherman reels in a salmon in a CROCODILE'S jaws

  25-03-2015 10:31 via
  
  Ben Stack has warned other Far North Queensland fishermen to be wary while out on the water after he came face-to-face with a salt water crocodile on a recent trip.
  
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