Sci-Tech news

• So THAT'S how they do it: Study reveals how water striders' leg hairs create 'magic formula' to repel water 

  20-07-2015 23:43 via
  
  Researchers at Harvard University captured the three-stage phenomenon which sees water molecules move between the insects' leg hairs before they are quickly expelled.
  
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• Znaps adaptor could save your iPhone from falling off the table

  20-07-2015 23:19 via
  
  The Znaps gadget, which is raising funds on Kickstarter, means you’ll be able to magnetically snap your power adapter in place, and just as easily tug it free.
  
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• SpaceX reveals broken strut caused its rocket to explode

  20-07-2015 23:11 via
  
  A flawed steel strut holding a helium pressurisation bottle likely gave way, dooming a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last month, company chief Elon Musk has revealed.
  
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• Grooveshark creator, 28, found dead

  20-07-2015 23:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Co-founder of recently-shut down music streaming website is found dead in his Florida home, local police have said.
  
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• Space shuttle powered by MICROWAVES could be the future of space travel

  20-07-2015 22:37 via
  
  The radical craft would bepowered by microwave energy delivered wirelessly to a heat exchanger on the spaceplane, via a phased array of microwave antennas located on the ground.
  
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• Can the sun cause birth defects on Earth?

  20-07-2015 22:34 via
  
  A Nasa-funded study has found radiation from solar events is too weak to damage cells on Earth – but they add their calculations may be inaccurate given recent evidence to the contrary.
  
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• June warmest EVER recorded globally

  20-07-2015 22:22 via
  
  Earth dialed the heat up in June, smashing warm temperature records for both the month and the first half of the year.
  
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• How an inmate's prison sentence can drop if they appear trustworthy

  20-07-2015 22:21 via
  
  The University of Toronto says the findings highlight the flaws in America's supposedly 'objective' justice system. They also believe race was not a factor: just the face.
  
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• New Nasa camera provides an 'EPIC' view of Earth

  20-07-2015 22:18 via
  
  The blue marble was captured by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic) and created by combining three separate images to show our planet in incredible detail.
  
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• Lonely people 'crack under the pressure' of social interaction

  20-07-2015 22:04 via
  
  A study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin shows that lonely people are as socially adept as the rest of us but suffer a form of performance anxiety.
  
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• VIDEO: Battling deadly disease in wombats

  20-07-2015 21:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Australia's wombats are under threat from a painful and fatal skin disease known as mange.
  
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• MCity, in Ann Arbor where only ROBOTS drive: Autonomous car test track opens

  20-07-2015 21:45 via
  
  At first glance it seems like any other city, with five lane roads, intersections, buildings and even pedestrians waving as you pass. However - they are all mechanical, and only robocars drive the town.
  
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• Charred 1,500-year-old scroll found to be early Hebrew Bible

  20-07-2015 21:37 via
  
  The badly charred scroll (pictured) was found in an ancient synagogue in Ein Gedi, Israel. 3D scanning revealed the first eight verses of the Book of Leveticus written on the parchment.
  
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• Smile in the dock! How an inmate's prison sentence can drop dramatically if they appear trustworthy

  20-07-2015 21:30 via
  
  The authors of the study at the University of Toronto say the findings highlight the flaws in America's supposedly 'objective' justice system. They also believe race was not a factor: just the face.
  
  Read more

• June warmest EVER recorded globally - and 2015 set to be a record breaker, warn forecasters 

  20-07-2015 21:16 via
  
  Earth dialed the heat up in June, smashing warm temperature records for both the month and the first half of the year.
  
  Read more

• Can the sun cause birth defects on Earth? Study finds 'strange link' between cosmic rays and mutant cell changes in humans

  20-07-2015 21:01 via
  
  A Nasa-funded study has found radiation from solar events is too weak to damage cells on Earth – but they add their calculations may be inaccurate given recent evidence to the contrary.
  
  Read more

• Lonely people are not just awkward: Loners 'crack under the pressure' of social interaction

  20-07-2015 20:28 via
  
  A study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin shows that lonely people are as socially adept as the rest of us but suffer a form of performance anxiety.
  
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• King Philip II's tomb uncovered in Greece: Analysis confirms skeleton belongs to the father of Alexander the Great

  20-07-2015 20:08 via
  
  Using radiography, anthropologists from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid analysed skeletal remains in tombs in Vergina, Greece, revealing Philip's leg wound.
  
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• The village where only ROBOTS drive: Inside the autonomous driving test track where the buildings are fake and even the popup pedestrians are mechanical

  20-07-2015 20:03 via
  
  At first glance it seems like any other city, with five lane roads, intersections, buildings and even pedestrians waving as you pass. However - they are all mechanical, and only robocars drive the town.
  
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• Infidelity site customer data stolen

  20-07-2015 20:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ashley Madison, an online dating website for married people who wish to cheat on their spouse, suffers a loss of customer data.
  
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• Arctic sea ice boosted by a THIRD during cool summer of 2013, study reveals

  20-07-2015 20:01 via
  
  The rapidly melting region increased its volume by a third as temperatures dropped dramatically for the first time since the 1990s, according to an unprecedented study of the region.
  
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• America like you've never seen it before: New Nasa camera provides an 'EPIC' view of Earth from a million miles away

  20-07-2015 19:59 via
  
  The blue marble was captured by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (Epic) and created by combining three separate images to show our planet in incredible detail.
  
  Read more

• Do baboons live in a DEMOCRACY?

  20-07-2015 19:58 via
  
  GPS devices tracked olive baboons travelling though the Kenyan savannah. The data showed that decision making about which way to go was done as a group rather than by a dominant individual.
  
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• Charred 1,500-year-old scroll deciphered: Scans of ancient parchment reveal text from early version of Hebrew Bible

  20-07-2015 19:45 via
  
  The badly charred scroll (pictured) was found in an ancient synagogue in Ein Gedi, Israel. 3D scanning revealed the first eight verses of the Book of Leveticus written on the parchment.
  
  Read more

• Do your dog's paws smell of POPCORN?

  20-07-2015 19:22 via
  
  Dog owners have besieged animal experts in the US with queries about a strange popcorn smell coming from the paws of their pets, but the exact cause remains a mystery.
  
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• Lockheed to buy United Tech's Sikorsky for over $8 bln -sources

  20-07-2015 19:19 via
  
  Lockheed Martin has agreed to buy United Technologies Sikorsky Aircraft for over $8 billion, giving the Black Hawk helicopter to the maker of the F-35 fighter jet.
  
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• Apple set to launch cheaper gold Watche

  20-07-2015 19:13 via
  
  The claims were made by Taiwan-Based analyst Ming Chi-Kuo in a note to investors ahead of Apple’s earning call (Apple edition pictured).
  
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• Do baboons live in a DEMOCRACY? Decisions are made as a group despite the presence of dominant individuals

  20-07-2015 18:36 via
  
  GPS devices tracked olive baboons travelling though the Kenyan savannah. The data showed that decision making about which way to go was done as a group rather than by a dominant individual.
  
  Read more

• Philae comet lander falls silent

  20-07-2015 18:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Philae comet lander has fallen silent, according to scientists working on the European Rosetta mission.
  
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• Plan to fit an entire CITY inside a 'bee hive' skyscraper that would house 25,000

  20-07-2015 18:08 via
  
  The 'Vertical City' project, overseen by Luca Curci, an architect based in Bari, Italy, features a slick-looking tower, which would be population-dense and able to hold 2,500 people at any time.
  
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• Do your dog's paws smell of POPCORN? Bacteria and yeast growing on your canine's feet may be creating that 'comforting' aroma, experts reveal

  20-07-2015 17:20 via
  
  Dog owners have besieged animal experts in the US with queries about a strange popcorn smell coming from the paws of their pets, but the exact cause remains a mystery.
  
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• Apple set to launch cheaper gold Watches: Analyst claims the next-generation Sport model will be available in yellow or rose

  20-07-2015 17:02 via
  
  The claims were made by Taiwan-Based analyst Ming Chi-Kuo in a note to investors ahead of Apple’s earning call (Apple edition pictured).
  
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• Fishing boats become data platforms

  20-07-2015 16:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Fishermen in South-West England turn their boats into "massive data platforms" for a citizen science study to measure plankton levels off the UK coast.
  
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• Google search gives men more jobs for higher-paid executive jobs

  20-07-2015 16:28 via
  
  The research was carried out at Carnegie Mellon University. Researchers edited preferences, gender and interests using Google’s Ads Setting tool to see how these changes impacted adverts.
  
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• Act now to regulate killer machines before they multiply warns legal expert

  20-07-2015 16:07 via
  
  Ryan Calo, from the University of Washington’s School of Law warns that our laws will have to adapt to robotics and artificial intelligence or be faced with difficult decisions in the near future.
  
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• Nanowire technology may allow new types of hydrogen fuel cell for vehicles

  20-07-2015 16:05 via
  
  Scientists at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have created compact 'solar fuel cells' that use the power of the sun to generate hydrogen for producing energy after dark.
  
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• Should robots have human rights? Act now to regulate killer machines before they multiply and demand the right to vote, warns legal expert

  20-07-2015 15:29 via
  
  Ryan Calo, from the University of Washington’s School of Law warns that our laws will have to adapt to robotics and artificial intelligence or be faced with difficult decisions in the near future.
  
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• Could we finally power cars with SOLAR PANELS? Nanowire technology may allow new types of hydrogen fuel cell for vehicles

  20-07-2015 15:20 via
  
  Scientists at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have created compact 'solar fuel cells' that use the power of the sun to generate hydrogen for producing energy after dark.
  
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• VIDEO: Hawking backs huge search for aliens

  20-07-2015 14:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Prof Stephen Hawking has launched a new effort to answer the question of whether there is life elsewhere in space.
  
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• Instagram 'sorry' for account mix-up

  20-07-2015 14:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Instagram apologises to a man after his username is taken over by a footballer with the same name.
  
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• Scientists discover the taste of FAT and it could hold key to tackling obesity

  20-07-2015 14:16 via
  
  Fat now joins sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savoury) as a flavour. It has a unique and unpleasant taste that the researchers, from Purdue University in Indiana, have called oleogustus.
  
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• Stephen Hawking backs $100 million search for extraterrestrial signals

  20-07-2015 14:15 via
  
  The Breakthrough Initiative, launched in London, aims to scour one million of the closest starts to Earth for alien transmissions and laser signals using powerful radio telescopes.
  
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• Cortana for Android leaked early

  20-07-2015 14:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Android version of Microsoft's voice-driven personal assistant Cortana has accidentally been leaked.
  
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• Molluscs dubbed ‘sea bunnies’ thanks to their fluffy-looking bodies and ‘ears’

  20-07-2015 13:57 via
  
  Footage of the slugs was captured by Japan-based Dive Store Exiles. Named Jorunna parva, the slugs have been dubbed ‘sea bunnies’ because of their white bodies and ear-shaped spines.
  
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• Drones hamper firefighting efforts

  20-07-2015 13:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  US firefighters have condemned drone owners who flew craft near forest fires and grounded helicopters helping to douse flames.
  
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• Hawking backs new search for aliens

  20-07-2015 13:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Prof Stephen Hawking launches a new effort to answer the question of whether there is life elsewhere in space.
  
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• Philae has been silent for 11 days, worried scientists reveal

  20-07-2015 13:14 via
  
  The European Space Agency say the Philae spacecraft that landed on a comet (pictured) last year may have shifted its position, making it harder to communicate with the probe.
  
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• Drone captures underwater 'volcano' erupting off coast of Turtle Mountain Island

  20-07-2015 13:02 via
  
  The footage was captured by marine scientist Mario Lebrato from Spain. He said: 'We were diving to obtain volcanic sulphur, and while it happened we shot aerial video to explore the area.'
  
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• Video reveals why your bedside glass of water tastes strange in the morning

  20-07-2015 12:28 via
  
  A video by Discovery News revealed that subtle chemical changes that happen overnight can actually change the composition of the water, making it ever so slightly acidic.
  
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• Battery failure for new Routemaster

  20-07-2015 12:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A number of new Routemasters' batteries do not work which means some of the vehicles which are meant to be environmentally friendly are running on just diesel.
  
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