Sci-Tech news

• Aircraft contrails could be 'unintentionally' changing the atmosphere

  18-12-2015 23:38 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory believes contrails may be altering our climate system.Jet exhausts could be generating a layer of ice crystals that promotes a more diffuse type of light.
  
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• $30 selfie stick collapses into an iPhone case when not in use

  18-12-2015 23:37 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  StikBox has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its multi-purpose phone case that features a built-in selfie stick. The aluminum stick simply extends when you need it and folds up neatly when you don't.
  
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• ROMAN sword on Oak Island suggests they set foot in US before Columbus

  18-12-2015 23:32 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Jovan Hutton Pulitzer has now put together a paper, along with researchers at the Ancient Artifact Preservation Society, to detail his findings on the Island.
  
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• Elon Musk slams first person to hack an iPhone's claim he built a self-driving car

  18-12-2015 23:24 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  George Hotz, a 26 year-old from New Jersey, claims his technology will be far superior to the MobilEye system used in the Tesla Model S autonomous car.
  
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• University of Liverpool researchers say 'moral anger' can improve workplaces

  18-12-2015 23:18 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The University of Liverpool has concluded that being angry at work is good, as long as its the healthy kind of anger. 'Moral anger' is beneficial for society as it anger towards unfairness or injustices.
  
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• Australian researchers reveal the 3.5kC conditions at the edge of the Earth's core

  18-12-2015 23:14 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Australian National University researchers say temperatures in the centre of Earth vary three times more than expected. The core of our planet is more difficult to study than the sun's.
  
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• US military developing ‘tailsitter' drone that carry as much as a Predator

  18-12-2015 22:48 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Northrop’s tailsitter design includes a set of large counter-rotating propellers covering almost two-thirds of a roughly 9.14m (30ft)-diameter. It will be able to take off from small Navy ships.
  
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• Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch on the 20th after technical problems

  18-12-2015 22:44 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  SpaceX was planning to launch its rocket on Saturday from Florida, but tweets from CEO Elon Musk last night revealed a number of challenges relating to the liquid oxygen in its rocket tanks.
  
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• Revenue rise boosts Blackberry revival

  18-12-2015 22:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Blackberry reports revenues of $548m for the three months to November - 12% higher than the previous quarter.
  
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• Apple and Samsung go head to head in China as BOTH firms sign deals of offer mobile payment services

  18-12-2015 22:21 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Both firms have signed deals with bank giant UnionPay, and are expected to launch rival services in 2016.
  
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• The 'vampire graves': Archaeologists find corpses' buried with sickles around their necks to stop them rising up as DEMONS

  18-12-2015 21:45 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Burying bodies with a sharp, curved iron sickle pressed against the throat or hips of a body guaranteed that if the dead rose back up in ancient Drawsko, Poland, they wouldn't get very far.
  
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• Sony reveals ‘superbattery’ with 40% more capacity will go on sale in 2020

  18-12-2015 21:01 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Sony has revealed plans for a battery that could carry 40% more energy than the traditional lithium-ion batteries. The new batteries will be sulfur based, but you'll have to wait another five years.
  
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• Brian Cox hits out at conspiracy theorists who say NASA's ISS is fake

  18-12-2015 20:48 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The British scientist, 47, also described people who don't believe in the ISS as 'f***nozzles' and people who think the moon landings were fake as 'n*b ends'.
  
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• Nasa releases image of Earth from the Deep Space Climate Observatory

  18-12-2015 20:15 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the unique view of Earth from the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit around the moon.
  
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• UK astronaut Tim Peake performs his first somersault in space in a video

  18-12-2015 20:06 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  During his first live conference from the International Space Station, the British astronaut showcased his floating skills, and revealed how he's been finding the first few days.
  
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• Sanders punished over Clinton snooping

  18-12-2015 20:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders has its access to a critical voter database suspended after accessing data belonging to Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
  
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• Earthquake error in Facebook review

  18-12-2015 20:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Footage featuring in Facebook's 2015 video review of the Nepal earthquake footage is in fact from Egypt, as BBC verifiers discovered at the time of the disaster.
  
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• Nasa's 3D printed rocket engine test brings blasters in space a step closer

  18-12-2015 19:38 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Engineers at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, have test fired a rocket made from 3D-printed components, generating 20,000lbs of thrust.
  
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• Grindr users targeted by armed gang

  18-12-2015 19:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Police in London warn that an armed gang is using the dating app Grindr to rob unsuspecting victims.
  
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• Russian woman Olesya Podkorytov photographs GHOST ALIEN in plane selfie

  18-12-2015 19:01 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Olesya Podkorytov from Kurgan in south-central Russia said at first she had not noticed the mysterious figure in the selfie, which she took on a passenger jet.
  
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• Consciousness can be controlled by 'tuning the brain's radio dial': Scientists discover a 'switch' that forces rats to go to sleep

  18-12-2015 18:57 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Scientists Stanford University have been able to send rats to sleep by ‘dialling down’ the activity of a central region of their brains – like turning down the volume on a radio.
  
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• The oldest tattoos in the world: Researchers reveal Ötzi the iceman's ink really is record breaking

  18-12-2015 18:47 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The oldest tattoos in the world belong to an ancient iceman. Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old mummy has tattoos grouped across 19 body parts, and researchers in Italy revealed a 'new' tattoo.
  
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• The ultimate ‘blue marble’: Nasa releases stunning image of Earth taken from a spacecraft orbiting the moon

  18-12-2015 18:38 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the unique view of Earth from the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit around the moon.
  
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• 'Clumpy donut' spotted around supermassive black hole: Ring of dust and gas in distant galaxy is 'lumpy' but astronomers don't know why

  18-12-2015 18:20 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Astronomers at the University of Southampton found that the doughnut-shaped clouds that surround supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies are lumpy, rather than smooth.
  
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• HIV clinic fined £250 for data breach

  18-12-2015 18:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A health clinic that mistakenly revealed the identity of HIV-positive patients in a group email is fined £250 by the UK's data watchdog.
  
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• Feel the FORCE of Nasa's 3D printed rocket engine: Spectacular test brings prospect of creating blasters in space a step closer

  18-12-2015 17:28 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Engineers at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, have test fired a rocket made from 3D-printed components, generating 20,000lbs of thrust.
  
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• Lizard Squad: 'wannabes' will target gamers this Christmas

  18-12-2015 17:25
  
  Lizard Squad member says 'wannabe' group Phantom Squad will 'more than likely' attack Xbox Live and PSN this ChristmasBy: Cara McGoogan, Continue reading...
  
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• Tim Peake, J.J. Abrams interview: Podcast 248

  18-12-2015 16:59
  
  
  We look back at Tim Peake's journey to space and sit down with Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams.By: WIRED.co.uk, Continue reading...
  
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• Tim Peake settles into life on the ISS with a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea 

  18-12-2015 16:44 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  In a series of tweets from on board the station, the British astronaut revealed his first meal consisted of a bacon sandwich (pictured) and a cup of English tea.
  
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• Smartphone stress causing more sick days, reports London Council

  18-12-2015 16:37 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  A report from a London Council has found that a ‘digitisation megatrend’ is exhausting staff, resulting in higher levels work-related stress and more time off.
  
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• Reddit bans users who spoil the plot of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

  18-12-2015 16:26 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The San Francisco-based site has started banning users who deliberately ruin the plot of the latest installment of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (still from the film pictured).
  
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• This newborn star looks just like a lightsaber

  18-12-2015 16:06
  
  The images have been released by HubbleBy: Emily Reynolds, Continue reading...
  
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• No Star Wars spoilers! Reddit starts banning users who deliberately ruin the plot of The Force Awakens

  18-12-2015 14:53 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The San Francisco-based site has started banning users who deliberately ruin the plot of the latest installment of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (still from the film pictured).
  
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• Charles Darwin's finches on the brink of extinction: Parasitic flies could wipe out the Galapagos Island birds in just 15 years

  18-12-2015 14:53 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Mathematical simulations at the University of Utah show parasitic flies may spell extinction for Darwin's finches (shown) in the Galapagos Islands, but pest-control efforts might save the birds.
  
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• Oxygen took 100m years to rise enough for animal life on early Earth

  18-12-2015 14:21 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Researchers at University College London have found it may have taken 100 million years for oxygen levels to reach the point that allowed the Cambrian explosion of animal evolution.
  
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• Tim Peake: Space Itinerary

  18-12-2015 14:20 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What is 'Major Tim' doing in his first week in space and beyond?
  
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• The rise of the armoured SUPER speed camera: Futuristic 'Enforcement Trailer' that captures traffic on both sides of the road could be heading to the UK

  18-12-2015 13:52 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The armour-plated 'Enforcement Trailer' (pictured) speed camera is on trial in Hanover, Germany. It is capable of capturing speeding vehicles across multiple lanes at once.
  
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• From alchemy to brain-hacking: How to be better, forever

  18-12-2015 13:37 via go.theregister.com
  
  Anders Sandberg tackles transhumanism for the rest of us Reg Lecture  It’s the time of year where we stop to think about how we could make ourselves better people. Well, if you spare around 50 minutes of your time to watch our first 2015 Reg Winter Lecture vid, you’ll find out how to be better not just next year, but for centuries.…
  
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• Net firm finds 'unauthorised' code

  18-12-2015 13:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Juniper Networks has issued a warning after discovering "unauthorised code" in its firewall software.
  
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• Men better than women at putting together IKEA furniture, says report

  18-12-2015 13:01 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Research carried out at the University of Tromso in Norway found men were faster at assembling flatpack furniture than women.
  
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• Google autonomous car boss disputes California restrictions

  18-12-2015 12:56
  Google's Chris Urmson says the California DMV's proposed regulation of autonomous vehicles "falls short on allowing this technology to reach its full potential".By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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• Life may have 'trickled' across Earth rather than exploding into existence: Oxygen levels took 100 million years to rise enough to trigger evolution

  18-12-2015 12:46 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Researchers at University College London have found it may have taken 100 million years for oxygen levels to reach the point that allowed the Cambrian explosion of animal evolution.
  
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• Firing laser pulses at neurons wakes up sleeping rats

  18-12-2015 12:16
  
  New study compares the central thalamus to a "radio dial" that is able to tune the brain into different states.By: Emily Reynolds, Continue reading...
  
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• Driverless car rules 'perplexing'

  18-12-2015 12:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Google criticises the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California for insisting driverless cars must have a fully licensed driver behind the wheel.
  
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• 'Check divorce deal', couples told

  18-12-2015 12:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A family law specialist who uncovered a glitch in the government's online divorce form advises couples in England and Wales to check their financial settlements.
  
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• 'Boy, that tasted good!' Tim Peake settles into life on the ISS with a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea 

  18-12-2015 12:02 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  In a series of tweets from on board the station, the British astronaut revealed his first meal consisted of a bacon sandwich (pictured) and a cup of English tea.
  
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• How close are we to building a 'real' lightsaber?

  18-12-2015 11:54
  
  The quest to build a 'real' lightsaber is fairly extensive, comprising more or less exactly the same length of time as has expired since the end of the original Star Wars' premiere in 1977.By: Michael Rundle, Continue reading...
  
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• VIDEO: Counting the cost of Chennai floods

  18-12-2015 11:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  More than 300 people were killed when devastating floods hit the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
  
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• Leaked catalogue details US surveillance hardware

  18-12-2015 11:47
  An internal US government catalogue including dozens of mobile phone surveillance and interception devices has been leaked by a source concerned at the spread of military hardware to local law enforcement services.By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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• Ice age femur points to late survival of ancient human relatives

  18-12-2015 11:38
  
  The discovery of a thigh bone with traits common to ancient Homo habilis and Homo erectus could indicate a late-surviving pre-modern human that lived as recently as 14,000 years ago.By: K.G Orphanides, Continue reading...
  
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