Sci-Tech news

• Rock stacks reveal 'jumping' quakes

  04-08-2015 23:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists solve the riddle of why precariously balanced rocks near the San Andreas fault have never been toppled by earthquakes - revealing crucial interactions between faultlines.
  
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• Take a journey inside the brain: Stunning 3D map reveals tiny connections between cells in unprecedented detail

  04-08-2015 23:52 via
  
  Harvard University researchers hope the map could be used to identify unusual connections between brain cells that could shed light on disorders such as bipolar and depression.
  
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• Taylor Swift calls Spotify 'start-up with no cash flow'

  04-08-2015 23:45 via
  
  She describes the firm as a  'start-up with no cash flow' - but backs Apple's rival service in a new Vanity Fair interview published today.
  
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• The universe is FAKE and we're playthings of advanced civilisation says theory

  04-08-2015 23:23 via
  
  That's the radical theory put forward by a number of scientists, who claim there is a possibility that our world is merely a computer simulation - and there may be evidence of this if we know where to look.
  
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• Playing with graphene? All the cool kids are using TIN – atom-thick sheets of stanene

  04-08-2015 22:22 via go.theregister.com
  
  Newest nanomaterial could be perfectly power efficient Researchers at Stanford have laid down the first atom-thick sheet of tin, and it has the potential to revolutionize electronics thanks to its unique power propagation properties.…
  
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• Swincar can handle any terrain with independent suspension for EACH wheel

  04-08-2015 22:13 via
  
  The French company behind the Swincar, describe it as 'a mechanical spider on wheels.' Each wheel is on the end of a long arm, and has its own electric motor and suspension.
  
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• Is our universe FAKE? Theory suggests we're playthings of advanced civilisation

  04-08-2015 22:02 via
  
  That's the radical theory put forward by a number of scientists, who claim there is a possibility that our world is merely a computer simulation - and there may be evidence of this if we know where to look.
  
  Read more

• Satellite that could improve weather forecasting reveals its 1st image of Earth

  04-08-2015 21:56 via
  
  The MSG-4 satellite, which was launched on July 15 from French Guiana, will send back images of the Earth's surface and atmosphere in 12 different wavelengths once every 15 minutes when operational.
  
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• The PINK planet: Hi-res satellite that could dramatically improve forecasting reveals its first image of Earth (and of course it shows storm clouds over Britain)

  04-08-2015 21:43 via
  
  The MSG-4 satellite, which was launched on July 15 from French Guiana, will send back images of the Earth's surface and atmosphere in 12 different wavelengths once every 15 minutes when operational.
  
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• Astronomers discover the biggest structure in the universe

  04-08-2015 21:28 via
  
  A US-Hungarian team recently discovered nine gamma ray bursts that appear to be at very similar distances from us – around seven billion light years – in a circle 36° across on the sky.
  
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• The biggest structure in the universe revealed: Astronomers discover mysterious ring FIVE BILLION light years across

  04-08-2015 21:16 via
  
  A US-Hungarian team recently discovered nine gamma ray bursts that appear to be at very similar distances from us – around seven billion light years – in a circle 36° across on the sky.
  
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• Apple Mac malware that can install 'adware' spotted

  04-08-2015 21:11 via
  
  Mac users have been warned of the first worm that can automatically download 'adware' to their machines - although Apple has already blocked it.
  
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• Is our universe FAKE? Physicists claim we could all be the playthings of an advanced civilisation

  04-08-2015 20:46 via
  
  That's the radical theory put forward by a number of scientists, who claim there is a possibility that our world is merely a computer simulation - and there may be evidence of this if we know where to look.
  
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• German treason probe row escalates

  04-08-2015 19:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The German justice minister demands the sacking of the chief prosecutor over a treason investigation into the website Netzpolitik.org.
  
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• Goliath's gates belonging to Biblical city of Philistine Gath discovered

  04-08-2015 19:13 via
  
  Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an enormous set of gates and surrounding fortified wall (pictured) to the ancient city of Gath, which was home to Goliath, in central Israel.
  
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• Are you being tracked using your smartphone's BATTERY LIFE? Information harvested to make websites energy-efficient can identify web users

  04-08-2015 19:07 via
  
  French and Belgium security researchers have discovered battery life information can be used to track people’s activity online, but only for short bursts of time.
  
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• 2,200-year-old termite mound discovered in the Miombo woodland, central Africa

  04-08-2015 19:06 via
  
  The discovery in the Miombo woodland area of central Africa, suggests that nature’s engineers use the same mound for hundreds if not over one thousand years.
  
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• Want to avoid a hangover? DRINK MORE, say boffins

  04-08-2015 19:05 via go.theregister.com
  
  Erm, yeah, more Korean pear juice, that is, before you hit the hard stuff The juice of Korean pear Pyrus pyrifolia might just be the greatest discovery in all human history, as boffins think the fruit can reduce the severity of hangovers.…
  
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• Teen cannabis use 'NOT linked to depression or lung cancer in later life'

  04-08-2015 19:02 via
  
  Psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh were 'surprised there was no difference in health outcomes regardless of how often men used cannabis as a teenager.
  
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• Would YOU have sex with a robot? Expert claims it will be the norm in 50 years

  04-08-2015 18:56 via
  
  Dr Helen Driscoll from the University of Sunderland has claimed that in 50 years sex with robots will become the norm and physical relationships might be viewed as primitive.
  
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• Kellogg's Corn Flakes invented to stop masturbation and sexual desire

  04-08-2015 18:23 via
  
  Corn Flakes were invented by John Harvey Kellogg in the 19th century. Mr Kellogg created the plain cereal to prevent people masturbating - which he believed caused 39 illnesses including acne.
  
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• 2,200-year-old termite mound discovered: Feat of insect engineering may have only been abandoned decades ago, claim scientists

  04-08-2015 18:05 via
  
  The discovery in the Miombo woodland area of central Africa, suggests that nature’s engineers use the same mound for hundreds if not over one thousand years.
  
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• Earthworms have gut chemical that allows them to eat poisonous fallen leaves

  04-08-2015 17:57 via
  
  A chemical in Earthworms' guts called drilodefensins helps them break down a poison contained in fallen leaves called Polyphenols, which allows them to clear the countryside of leaves in Autumn.
  
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• Would YOU have sex with a robot? Intimate relationships with machines will be the norm in 50 years, claims expert

  04-08-2015 17:25 via
  
  Dr Helen Driscoll from the University of Sunderland has claimed that in 50 years sex with robots will become the norm and physical relationships might be viewed as primitive.
  
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• Mayflower drone to use renewable energy to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in 2020

  04-08-2015 17:20 via
  
  Plymouth University has announced plans to build the Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship, which it hopes will pave the way for the future of autonomous shipping.
  
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• The future of shipping? Seafaring Mayflower drone will use renewable energy to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in 2020

  04-08-2015 16:56 via
  
  Plymouth University has announced plans to build the Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship, which it hopes will pave the way for the future of autonomous shipping.
  
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• British Museum offers Bronze Age VR

  04-08-2015 16:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A second UK museum has started using virtual reality to give visitors a new view of its collection.
  
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• Lighthous designs including Batman beam could prevent another Costa Concordia

  04-08-2015 15:56 via
  
  The winners of a competition intended to commemorate the Costa Concordia tragedy and design a new lighthouse concept for the spot where vessel sunk near Italy, have been announced.
  
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• Siberia's most ancient rock carvings revealed and may be 10,000-years-old

  04-08-2015 15:48 via
  
  Archaeologists found petroglyphs of horses and bison, which were discovered on volcanic rocks on the Ukok Plateau in the Altai Mountains, are thought to be the oldest in Siberia.
  
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• Technopicnic backpack that contains a table, cup holders and USB hubs

  04-08-2015 15:47 via
  
  This space age backpack - or 'technopicnic' - is inspired by sci-fi hit 2001: A Space Odyssey and contains everything the picnicker of the future needs.
  
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• Could these futuristic lighthouses prevent another Costa Concordia? Designs include Batman beam and a 'silent compass'

  04-08-2015 15:36 via
  
  The winners of a competition intended to commemorate the Costa Concordia tragedy and design a new lighthouse concept for the spot where vessel sunk near Italy, have been announced.
  
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• Weight-loss Thin Ice CLOTHING 'hacks' your metabolism, makers claim

  04-08-2015 15:22 via
  
  The Thin Ice clothing line, created by Toronto-based personal trainerAdam Paulin, lowers the user's body temperature which triggers a warming response that burns calories.
  
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• The future of picnicking has arrived: The space age backpack that contains a table, cup holders and USB hubs

  04-08-2015 15:16 via
  
  Against a backdrop of grey skyscrapers and hard pavements, Atelier Teratoma say the tradition of picnicking and the kit we use for it need updating to match an urban destination.
  
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• Siberia's most ancient rock carvings revealed: Etchings of animals on bleak mountain plateau may be 10,000-years-old

  04-08-2015 15:14 via
  
  Archaeologists found petroglyphs of horses and bison, which were discovered on volcanic rocks on the Ukok Plateau in the Altai Mountains, are thought to be the oldest in Siberia.
  
  Read more

• Canines have a specialised region of the brain to recognise faces

  04-08-2015 14:58 via
  
  Experts at Emory University in Atlanta used a fMRI scanner to provide the first evidence for a face-selective region in the temporal cortex of dogs.
  
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• Bonobos use high-pitched 'peeps' just like infants learning to talk

  04-08-2015 14:34 via
  
  Primatologists at the University of Birmingham say the sounds produced by bonobos (pictured) and human babies could shed light on the evolution of speech in early human species.
  
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• Dieters rejoice! Weight-loss CLOTHING 'hacks' your metabolism to trick your body into burning 1,000 extra calories A DAY, makers claim

  04-08-2015 14:10 via
  
  The Thin Ice clothing line, created by Toronto-based personal trainerAdam Paulin, lowers the user's body temperature which triggers a warming response that burns calories.
  
  Read more

• Bonobos' clue to speech evolution

  04-08-2015 13:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A study finds that wild bonobos use a single high-pitched call in a variety of contexts, showing a linguistic flexibility that was thought to be uniquely human.
  
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• Why dogs became man's best friend? Canines have a specialised region of the brain to recognise faces which helps them pick up human emotions

  04-08-2015 13:54 via
  
  Experts at Emory University in Atlanta used a fMRI scanner to provide the first evidence for a face-selective region in the temporal cortex of dogs.
  
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• First 3D-printed pill approved in US

  04-08-2015 13:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  In a world first, the US Food and Drug Administration has given go-ahead for a 3D printed pill to go into production.
  
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• Bonobos speak like HUMAN BABIES: Apes use high-pitched 'peeps' just like infants learning to talk

  04-08-2015 13:28 via
  
  Primatologists at the University of Birmingham say the sounds produced by bonobos (pictured) and human babies could shed light on the evolution of speech in early human species.
  
  Read more

• Man updates to Windows 10 to find porn collection as screensaver

  04-08-2015 13:14 via
  
  The story was posted on Reddit by user FalloutBoS so others would not repeat the fatal mistake. Images saved from the 'My Pictures' folder are automatically made into a slideshow screensaver.
  
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• Obama plan 'hope' for Paris deal

  04-08-2015 13:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK government welcomes President Obama's plan to cut greenhouse gases and boost clean power.
  
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• Microsoft Windows 10 may threaten your privacy, watchdogs warn

  04-08-2015 13:05 via
  
  The move has angered watchdogs, such as European Digital Rights which says it is ‘bad news for privacy,’ but Microsoft says it does not collect data without users’ consent.
  
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• Angry Birds gamers mad at in-app purchases

  04-08-2015 12:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The sequel to the hit game is free to download but in-app purchases are making some gamers angry.
  
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• Is Microsoft reading YOUR emails? Windows 10 may threaten your privacy, watchdogs warn

  04-08-2015 12:53 via
  
  The move has angered watchdogs, such as European Digital Rights which says it is ‘bad news for privacy,’ but Microsoft says it does not collect data without users’ consent.
  
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• Man updates his PC to Windows 10 ... only for his wife to find his entire PORN collection has been transformed into a slideshow on repeat

  04-08-2015 12:14 via
  
  The story was posted on Reddit by user FalloutBoS so others would not repeat the fatal mistake. Images saved from the 'My Pictures' folder are automatically made into a slideshow screensaver.
  
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• Vatican astronomer says aliens exist but is unlikely to have been visited by Jesus

  04-08-2015 12:11 via
  
  The director of the Vatican Observatory has said he believes there may be intelligent life on other planets following Nasa's discovery of the Earth-like world Kepler-452b (pictured).
  
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• We are not alone, says Vatican: Pope's chief astronomer says alien life exists, but it is unlikely to have been visited by Jesus

  04-08-2015 11:40 via
  
  The director of the Vatican Observatory has said he believes there may be intelligent life on other planets following Nasa's discovery of the Earth-like world Kepler-452b (pictured).
  
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• Would you wear the Livall Bling Helmet?

  04-08-2015 11:39 via
  
  The Livall helmet, made by China-based start-up Livall Riding, is crammed full of technology that helps the rider stay safe while cycling, as well as providing access to music and calls.
  
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