Sci-Tech news

• Self driving car completes record breaking coast to coast trip

  02-04-2015 23:56 via
  
  Delphi Automotivehas completed the longest automated drive in the US,travelling from San Francisco to New York in the first coast-to-coast trip ever attempted by an automated vehicle.
  
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• The ultimate American road trip - and you'll never need to touch the wheel: Self driving car completes record breaking coast to coast trip

  02-04-2015 23:36 via
  
  Delphi Automotivehas completed the longest automated drive in the US,travelling from San Francisco to New York in the first coast-to-coast trip ever attempted by an automated vehicle.
  
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• Hubble spots a GHOST: Stunning new images reveal remnants of past quasars creating eerie green wisps in space

  02-04-2015 23:36 via
  
  The University of Alabama, who initiated the Hubble survey, say these ethereal wisps were illuminated by a blast of radiation from a supermassive black hole at the core of the host galaxy.
  
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• ESA lander to crash into an asteroid at 14,000mph to alter its course

  02-04-2015 23:24 via
  
  The European Space Agency's latest mission plans to visit an asteroid - and keep watch as a Nasa craft crashes into it.
  
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• HIV spread mimics an online computer virus UCL reseachers find

  02-04-2015 23:24 via
  
  London researchers builta model which accurately predicted patients' progression from HIV to AIDS in a major clinical trial - and say early treatment is key to staving off AIDS.
  
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• Camel unearthed in Vienna cellar used by Ottoman Empire in the 17th Century

  02-04-2015 22:34 via
  
  Archaeologists believe the camel - the first intact skeleton of the creature found in central Europe - may have been left in the town of Tulln for trading after the siege of Vienna in 1683.
  
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• Brain hack lets rats feel geomagnetic signals and it may help the blind 'see'

  02-04-2015 22:12 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Tokyo say that after only a few days of practice, the brain implants allowed blind rodents to navigate a maze just as well as sighted rats.
  
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• 'Alien' war camel is unearthed in Austrian cellar: Scientists reveal the beast was used by Ottoman Empire in the 17th Century

  02-04-2015 22:12 via
  
  Archaeologists believe the camel - the first intact skeleton of the creature found in central Europe - may have been left in the town of Tulln for trading after the siege of Vienna in 1683.
  
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• Magic suprises infants because they understand physics' basic principles

  02-04-2015 21:49 via
  
  Researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore showed 11 month old infants a series of magic tricks like a ball passing through a solid wall and found they tried to learn the trick's secrets.
  
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• Apple reveals how iWatch started after predictions of 1m sales in first weekend

  02-04-2015 21:49 via
  
  In a rare interview, the Silicon Valley head of the watch project, Kevin Lynch (pictured), and one of its designers, Alan Dye, have revealed how the gadget came to life.
  
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• 4G speeds are half as fast promised Ofcom says, and will get worse

  02-04-2015 21:49 via
  
  A study by Ofcom says 4G speeds in the UK are slower than promised. Mobile phone companies boasted 4G would be five times faster than 3G - but the real figure is closer to 2.5 times.
  
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• Do babies understand PHYSICS? Infants are surprised by magic tricks because they understand its basic principles, say scientists

  02-04-2015 20:42 via
  
  Researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore showed 11 month old infants a series of magic tricks like a ball passing through a solid wall and found they tried to learn the trick's secrets.
  
  Read more

• Could implants give humans superpowers? Brain hack lets rats feel geomagnetic signals - and it may help the blind 'see'

  02-04-2015 20:42 via
  
  Scientists at the University of Tokyo say that after only a few days of practice, the brain implants allowed blind rodents to navigate a maze just as well as sighted rats.
  
  Read more

• Rosetta probe briefly loses contact with Earth during swoop down to investigate comet 67P

  02-04-2015 20:20 via
  
  The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft (illustrated) has survived a hair-raising encounter with comet 67P after the probe ran into difficulties during a recent flyby.
  
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• Facebook launches Riff App that lets you create video montages with friends and strangers

  02-04-2015 20:20 via
  
  The free Riff app (pictured) was created by London-based developers through Facebook's Creative Labs. It is available for free on iOS and Android.
  
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• Are 4G speeds getting SLOWER? Networks are half as fast promised - and will get worse as more people use them

  02-04-2015 20:20 via
  
  A study by Ofcom says 4G speeds in the UK are slower than promised. Mobile phone companies boasted 4G would be five times faster than 3G - but the real figure is closer to 2.5 times.
  
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• Apple's first experiment with a watch was an iPhone with a velcro strap: Firm reveals how the project started - as analysts predict it will a MILLION in first weekend

  02-04-2015 20:20 via
  
  In a rare interview, the Silicon Valley head of the watch project, Kevin Lynch (pictured), and one of its designers, Alan Dye, have revealed how the gadget came to life.
  
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• 911 Emergency app tells rescuers HOW to find and save you at the touch of a button

  02-04-2015 18:54 via
  
  The One-touch-911 app (pictured) was developed by researchers at Boston-based MIT and lets users call the police, fire service, report a car crash or seek medical help using buttons on the phone's screen.
  
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• Facebook launches Riff: App lets you create video montages with friends and strangers

  02-04-2015 18:33 via
  
  The free Riff app (pictured) was created by London-based developers through Facebook's Creative Labs. It is available for free on iOS and Android.
  
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• Close shave for Rosetta: Probe briefly loses contact with Earth during swoop down to investigate comet 67P

  02-04-2015 18:33 via
  
  The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft (illustrated) has survived a hair-raising encounter with comet 67P after the probe ran into difficulties during a recent flyby.
  
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• Helmet that allows pilots to see THROUGH the F-35 fighter jet

  02-04-2015 18:33 via
  
  Six infrared cameras mounted around the F-35 Lightning II beam a live feed straight into the pilots' $400,000 helmet, giving them a complete 360 degree view of their surroundings and enemies.
  
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• Ugly 'bagpipe' fish whistles to woo females and ward off rivals

  02-04-2015 17:49 via
  
  Clara Amorim of ISPA University Institute in Portugal studied the different sounds made by the fish, which contracts muscles in its swim bladders to release air, a little like bagpipe.
  
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• VIDEO: Buyers’ guide: LG and Moto watches

  02-04-2015 17:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Kate Russell reviews some of the latest smartwatches.
  
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• VIDEO: The crime fighting 'Twitter chief'

  02-04-2015 17:33 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Kenyan village chief who is turning to social media to help fight crime.
  
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• Beauty of ancient shells unmasked: Fossilised snails revealed in all their glory after 6.5 million years thanks to UV light

  02-04-2015 17:28 via
  
  Scientists used ultraviolet light on the fossilised shells of cone snails to reveal the once vivid pigments and patterns that have been bleached away over millions of years.
  
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• Ugly 'bagpipe' fish whistles to woo females and ward off rivals - and even sings in chorus

  02-04-2015 17:05 via
  
  Clara Amorim of ISPA University Institute in Portugal studied the different sounds made by the fish, which contracts muscles in its swim bladders to release air, a little like bagpipe.
  
  Read more

• The app that could save your LIFE: Emergency service tells rescuers HOW to find and save you at the touch of a button

  02-04-2015 17:05 via
  
  The One-touch-911 app (pictured) was developed by researchers at Boston-based MIT and lets users call the police, fire service, report a car crash or seek medical help using buttons on the phone's screen.
  
  Read more

• California's drought in pictures

  02-04-2015 16:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Pictures from California's record-breaking drought
  
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• Mice recognise fear in the faces of other rodents, experiment shows

  02-04-2015 16:22 via
  
  Researchers based at different institutions in Tokyo placed rats in a special cage with pictures of rats in pain (shown) and with neutral expressions on the walls, to see how they reacted.
  
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• Neanderthal flutes found in Slovenia were made by hyenas, study claims

  02-04-2015 16:07 via
  
  Research has said that a 'Neanderthal flute' found in Slovenia (shown) - believed to be the world's oldest musical instrument - is simply a bone chewed in a cave by a hyena 30,000 years ago.
  
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• Bloodhound Diary: Building a 'bullet-proof' car

  02-04-2015 15:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Bloodhound car will be bullet-proof as well as fast
  
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• Why DO humans have such large penises?

  02-04-2015 15:20 via
  
  Evolutionary biologist Darren Curnoe from the University of New South Wales, Australia discusses the differences in genital size in humans and apes in his latest 'How Did We Get Here?' video.
  
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• Hooray! You CAN eat fast food after exercise: Burgers and chips are just as good as supplements for workout recovery, study claims

  02-04-2015 15:20 via
  
  Research led by the University of Montana has found that eating fast food after a workout may be just as beneficial as dietary supplements.
  
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• Did woolly mammoths die out because of OSTEOPOROSIS?

  02-04-2015 15:20 via
  
  Starting new evidence from Russia suggests mammoths may have gone extinct because of a crippling bone disease that left hem unable to fend off predators (image of bone shown).
  
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• A mile-high skyscraper city in the middle of Times Square, a bio-pyramid in the desert and a research lab in the clouds among futuristic entries for design contest

  02-04-2015 15:20 via
  
  eVolo Magazine awards were established in 2006 to recognise 'outstanding ideas for vertical living'. First place was awarded to a team of Polish designers for its project Essence Skyscraper (shown).
  
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• Google drops Chinese net regulator

  02-04-2015 15:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A Chinese internet regulator has hit out at Google for no longer accepting its security certificates.
  
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• British tech at the top of its game

  02-04-2015 15:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Changing perceptions of the UK's video game makers
  
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• Rechargeable Illume gadget uses electricity instead of fire to ignite

  02-04-2015 14:56 via
  
  Inventors in Edmonton Canada have came up with the Illume ArcLighter, (pictured) which creates a ‘super high-intensity’ electrical arc between two ceramic electrodes (pictured).
  
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• Electrifying shots of Mexican volcanic eruption

  02-04-2015 14:56 via
  
  Photographer Hernando Rivera Cervantes captured these images of bolts of lightning inside the ash cloud thrown out by the erupting Colima Volcano in Mexico (pictured).
  
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• Genes for Good compares your DNA with Facebook friends

  02-04-2015 14:36 via
  
  Genes for Good was developed by researchers at the University of Michigan. Participants complete surveys and can submit a spit sample for free, that is tied to the results of these surveys.
  
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• Mice recognise fear in their friends' faces: Rodents may use expressions to warn others of danger or ask for help

  02-04-2015 14:12 via
  
  Researchers based at different institutions in Tokyo placed rats in a special cage with pictures of rats in pain (shown) and with neutral expressions on the walls, to see how they reacted.
  
  Read more

• Mars beckons for European satellite

  02-04-2015 13:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The satellite Europe will be sending to Mars early next year enters its final test programme.
  
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• Was the first musical instrument just a chewed bone? Neanderthal flutes were made by hyenas, study claims

  02-04-2015 13:51 via
  
  A research has said that a 'Neanderthal flute' found in Slovenia (shown) - believed to be the world's oldest musical instrument - is simply a bone chewed in a cave by a hyena 30,000 years ago.
  
  Read more

• Seen a ghost? Then you may have inhaled toxic mould

  02-04-2015 13:51 via
  
  Researchers at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York are collecting samples of toxic mould from 'haunted' buildings in the state to see whether spores may be behind sightings of ghosts.
  
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• Why DO humans have such large penises? Difference in size between men and great apes may be a way of keeping cool

  02-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  Evolutionary biologist Darren Curnoe from the University of New South Wales, Australia discusses the differences in genital size in humans and apes in his latest 'How Did We Get Here?' video.
  
  Read more

• Was the 'earliest musical instrument' just a chewed bone? Neanderthal 'flutes' were made by hyenas, study claims

  02-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  A research has said that a 'Neanderthal flute' found in Slovenia (shown) - believed to be the world's oldest musical instrument - is simply a bone chewed in a cave by a hyena 30,000 years ago.
  
  Read more

• Facebook app wants your SPIT: Genes for Good compares your DNA with friends in a bid to make medical breakthroughs

  02-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  Genes for Good was developed by researchers at the University of Michigan. Participants complete surveys and can submit a spit sample for free, that is tied to the results of these surveys.
  
  Read more

• Antarctic temperatures reach an all time high of 17.5°C

  02-04-2015 13:30 via
  
  Meteorologists report that Argentina's Esperanza Base on the Antarctic Peninsula has recorded the highest temperature in history on the continent at 17.5°C (63.5°F).
  
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• Android apps to run on Windows, Macs

  02-04-2015 13:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google has released a software tool that lets Android apps run on any machine that can run its Chrome browser.
  
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• Airbnb adds Cuba to destination list

  02-04-2015 13:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Airbnb begins listing rooms to rent in Cuba, but only allows US-based members to make bookings.
  
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