Sci-Tech news

• Scientists studying Alzheimer's create super-intelligent mice: Breakthrough could lead to better treatment for brain disorders

  14-08-2015 22:41 via
  
  Scientists, led by Leeds University, created super-intelligent mice by altering a single gene. The change also meant the mice were less likely to feel anxiety or recall fear.
  
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• Researcher makes himself into a GOAT with prosthetics to follow herd in the Alps

  14-08-2015 22:27 via
  
  Thomas Thwaites, a 34-year-old researcher from London, told DailyMail.com that the he was hoping to explore a 'simpler way of life' using technology.
  
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• Windows 10 sends identifiable information to tech giant EVEN when told not to

  14-08-2015 22:24 via
  
  A report by US-based Ars Technica suggests the system still sends identifiable information to Microsoft, even if a user activates the software’s privacy protection settings.
  
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• Canadian space firm Thoth's space elevator could give astronauts a leg-up into the cosmos

  14-08-2015 22:17 via
  
  Canadian space firm Thoth has outlined plans for an elevator to space, potentially saving huge amounts of fuel and money that form part of the vast cost of launching rockets into orbit.
  
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• 50k-year-old Siberian skull may belong to a Neanderthal or Denisovan

  14-08-2015 22:16 via
  
  Fragments of an early human skull and rib were found at Strashnaya - or Scary - Cave in the Altai Mountains in Central Asia during a summer archaeological dig at the site (pictured).
  
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• Scientists calculate when next SUPERFLARE outburst is due

  14-08-2015 22:00 via
  
  Astronomers at the Astronomical Union General Assembly in Honolulu claim superflares that disables power grids, GPS, and satellites strike Earth once every 350 years.
  
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• Koko the gorilla learns vocal and breathing patterns associated with speaking

  14-08-2015 21:57 via
  
  Marcus Perlman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied video footage of Koko (pictured) to identify vocalisations thought to be impossible.
  
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• Donation from 'Scarface' gives fresh hope for black-footed ferret's survival

  14-08-2015 21:36 via
  
  The study, which involved The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, is the first to prove that artificial insemination with long-stored sperm can boost genetic diversity in endangered populations.
  
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• The man who tried to live as a GOAT: Researcher transforms himself with prosthetics to follow a herd in the Alps

  14-08-2015 21:18 via
  
  Thomas Thwaites, a 34-year-old researcher from London, told DailyMail.com that the he was hoping to explore a 'simpler way of life' using technology.
  
  Read more

• Double-headed sea slug discovered off the coast of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo

  14-08-2015 21:09 via
  
  A diver came across the two-headed psychedelic creature (pictured) near a sandbar off the coast of Sabah in eastern Malaysian Borneo.
  
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• A missing link in human evolution? 50,000-year-old skull unearthed in a Siberian cave may belong to a Neanderthal or Denisovan

  14-08-2015 21:09 via
  
  Fragments of an early human skull and rib were found at Strashnaya - or Scary - Cave in the Altai Mountains in Central Asia during a summer archaeological dig at the site (pictured).
  
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• Could we grow our own painkillers using genetically modified yeast?

  14-08-2015 21:09 via
  
  Scientists from Stanford University in the US added 23 genes from poppies, rats and bacteria to baker’s yeast (illustrated) to give it all the chemical instructions needed to turn sugar into opioids.
  
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• Is Microsoft snooping on your computer? Analysts claim Windows 10 sends identifiable information to tech giant EVEN when told not to

  14-08-2015 21:05 via
  
  A report by US-based Ars Technica suggests the system still sends identifiable information to Microsoft, even if a user activates the software’s privacy protection settings.
  
  Read more

• Going up! Space elevator in a tower 12 miles high could one day give astronauts a leg-up into the cosmos

  14-08-2015 20:55 via
  
  Canadian space firm Thoth has outlined plans for an elevator to space, potentially saving huge amounts of fuel and money that form part of the vast cost of launching rockets into orbit.
  
  Read more

• Is the Earth about to be hit by a SUPERFLARE? Scientists calculate when next massive solar outburst is due

  14-08-2015 20:29 via
  
  Astronomers at the Astronomical Union General Assembly in Honolulu claim superflares that disables power grids, GPS, and satellites strike Earth once every 350 years.
  
  Read more

• Using instructions to build Lego toys harms youngsters' problem solving skills

  14-08-2015 20:24 via
  
  Researchers at the Buskerud and Vestfold University College in Norway found children who played with traditional Lego bricks performed better in creative tasks than those given kits.
  
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• Could apes ever learn to talk? Koko the gorilla learns vocal and breathing patterns associated with speaking

  14-08-2015 20:11 via
  
  Marcus Perlman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied video footage of Koko (pictured) to identify vocalisations thought to be impossible.
  
  Read more

• Stunning images reveal the fossilised remains of whales in the middle of a desert that was once the sea floor of a long lost ocean

  14-08-2015 19:50 via
  
  The Valley of the Whales is a desert region of Egypt 93 miles (150 km) southwest of Cairo that hides a geological secret only revealed by its incredible fossils that tell a tale from a forgotten era.
  
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• Can frozen sperm save the black-footed ferret? Donation from long-dead 'Scarface' gives fresh hope for species' survival

  14-08-2015 19:27 via
  
  The study, which involved The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, is the first to prove that artificial insemination with long-stored sperm can boost genetic diversity in endangered populations.
  
  Read more

• Two heads are better than one! Double-headed psychedelic sea slug is discovered off the coast of Borneo

  14-08-2015 19:05 via
  
  A diver came across the two-headed psychedelic creature (pictured) near a sandbar off the coast of Sabah in eastern Malaysian Borneo.
  
  Read more

• Are Lego Star Wars sets stifling your child's creativity? Using instructions to build toys harms youngsters' problem solving skills

  14-08-2015 18:32 via
  
  Researchers at the Buskerud and Vestfold University College in Norway found children who played with traditional Lego bricks performed better in creative tasks than those given kits.
  
  Read more

• Space salad, Alphabet and RIP to LOL: Podcast 230

  14-08-2015 18:15
  
  
  Listen this week for an entertaining 45-minute look at the most interesting technology and science stories from the last seven days, with WIRED.co.uk's Michael Rundle, Katie Collins and James Temperton.By: Wired.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
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• Android security fix 'flawed'

  14-08-2015 14:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An update designed to fix a major Android security hole in the operating system is itself flawed, it has emerged.
  
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• Oracle and Google clash on Java code

  14-08-2015 14:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Software giant Oracle is seeking to expand a legal complaint against Google's Android operating system.
  
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• EU clears UK to give £50m to SABRE space launcher engine

  14-08-2015 14:18 via go.theregister.com
  
  Kindly Commish lets UK spend its money as it wants ... on a space launcher Their benevolent highnesses at the European Commission have seen fit to allow the UK to grant £50m towards the designing of the SABRE space launcher, after questioning whether the grant was in line with EU state aid rules.…
  
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• Porn induces addiction and makes men bad in bed and affects your brain

  14-08-2015 13:41 via
  
  Pornography offers the chance to explore your sexual fantasies. But while X-rated films can boost your libido, it can have a sinister effect on the brain, scientists in Germany, the UK reveal.
  
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• Snotbot drones collect mucus sprayed from whales blowholes to study stress

  14-08-2015 13:37 via
  
  Ocean Alliance, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is raising funds on Kickstarter to finance three expeditions to use drones to collect whale mucus samples.
  
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• Review: Gameband is a wearable for Minecraft obsessives

  14-08-2015 13:16
  
  Minecraft is now a multi-billion dollar franchise owned by Microsoft -- and arguably the world's most popular mobile game -- but at its best it still feels like a secret society. The Mojang-endorsed Gameband by Now Computing, the first wearable device aimed specifically at 'crafters', feels like an expression of that weird, brilliant core of Minecraft's audience, if not its new mainstream reality.By: Michael Rundle, Continue reading...
  
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• Queues move faster if the person at the back is served first, study finds

  14-08-2015 13:10 via
  
  A paper by Danish researchers claims serving the person at the end of a queue first is more efficient, as people change their behaviour to turn up at different times, resulting in less waiting time.
  
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• Young 'alien Jupiter' discovered

  14-08-2015 12:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A planet 100 light-years away resembles a young version of Jupiter, astronomers say.
  
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• The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach with good food

  14-08-2015 12:55 via
  
  Brain scans reveal women are more responsive to romantic stimuli after eating a meal than before, experts at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvannia found.
  
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• Car immobiliser 'easy to crack'

  14-08-2015 12:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Anti-theft devices found on millions of cars are vulnerable to a "trivial" attack, say security researchers.
  
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• Emoji symbols misunderstood by translators from 11 regions

  14-08-2015 11:52 via
  
  The world’s largest online translation company, based in London, has put the emoji’s universality to the test, to show that some symbols may effectively have regional dialects.
  
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• Bears scared 'UFOs' too as heart rate races as drones pass overhead

  14-08-2015 11:40 via
  
  Scientists from the University of Minnesota found that while American black bears (stock image) rarely seem to run away when a drone comes near, their hearts are racing – a sign of acute stress.
  
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• Can YOU decipher these emoji messages? Translators from 11 regions misunderstand 'universal' symbols with hilarious results

  14-08-2015 11:30 via
  
  The world’s largest online translation company, based in London, has put the emoji’s universality to the test, to show that some symbols may effectively have regional dialects.
  
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• Mobile phone roaming charges can cost more than holiday itself, tourists warned

  14-08-2015 11:05 via
  
  Watching an episode of EastEnders on a mobile device could cost up to £1,360 in Turkey, compared with a maximum of £32 within the EU, warned Citizens Advice.
  
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• Global 'food shocks' risk increasing

  14-08-2015 10:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Climate change is increasing the risk of severe 'food shocks' where crops fail and prices of staples rise rapidly.
  
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• 'Young Jupiter' discovered by astronomers by new instrument

  14-08-2015 10:02 via
  
  The discovery of the 'young Jupiter', found by the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) which is mounted on top of a telescope in Chile, orbits the star 51 Eridani - a staggering 96 light years away from Earth.
  
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• Riddle solved: Do bears crap in the woods? No – they're stressing out over drones instead

  14-08-2015 09:01 via go.theregister.com
  
  Hovering bots drive grizzlies to distraction Vid  Bears, those savage and fearless predators of the wild, are driven to distraction by hovering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs aka drones).…
  
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• Scientists discover people with autism have 'fewer ideas but are more creative'

  14-08-2015 08:56 via
  
  Scientists at the University of East Anglia found when asked to provide solutions to a problem, such as uses for a paper clip, people with autism were more creative in their ideas.
  
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• Major blow for US film download case

  14-08-2015 08:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An Australian court rules a US company must pay a huge bond if it wants the details of Australians who illegally downloaded the film Dallas Buyers Club.
  
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• Men in ancient Egypt were given 8ft-long prenups

  14-08-2015 07:04 via
  
  A contract, currently hanging at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago reveals how one woman would be given '1.2 pieces of silver and 36 bags of grain every year for the rest of her life.'
  
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• El Niño could be biggest since records began and bring with it some rain

  14-08-2015 06:45 via
  
  Dubbed the 'Godzilla El Niño' or 'Bruce Lee El Niño', the weather event looks set to bring more rain and tropical cyclones to the Pacific Southwest since records began in 1950.
  
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• Venezuelan lake is hit by lightning THOUSANDS of times an hour

  14-08-2015 03:30 via
  
  Where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo,260 storm days each year create around 28 lightning strikes hitting the lake each minute.
  
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• The most electric place in the world: Venezuelan lake is hit by lightning THOUSANDS of times an hour

  14-08-2015 02:58 via
  
  Where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo,260 storm days each year create around 28 lightning strikes hitting the lake each minute.
  
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• Can the smell of the sea cool the Earth?

  14-08-2015 02:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Can the smell of the sea cool the Earth?
  
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• VIDEO: Cleaner-fish 'eat' salmon healthy

  14-08-2015 01:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scotland's salmon farming industry has begun farming a new type of fish, specifically to keep salmon clean.
  
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• Becoming rich is more about nurture than nature, Lund University study finds 

  14-08-2015 01:01 via
  
  A study by Lund University in Sweden has found that the wealth of an adopted child before receiving an inheritance is similar to that of their adoptive parents, rather than their biological ones.
  
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• VIDEO: Pixel movie anti-piracy mix-up

  14-08-2015 01:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Pixel movie anti-piracy mix-up and other technology news
  
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• VIDEO: App avoids pass-the-microphone mess

  14-08-2015 01:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An app which turns a smartphone into a wireless microphone for public events has been developed by a start-up in the US.
  
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