Sci-Tech news

• Report: Mexico's monarch butterfly reserve lost 24 acres

  18-12-2015 23:10
  
  Studies found that illegal loggers clear-cut at least 24 acres (10 hectares) in the monarch butterflies' wintering grounds in central Mexico this year, a Mexican environmentalist said Friday.
  
  Read more

• Cook bashes talk Apple is dodging taxes

  18-12-2015 23:09
  
  Apple chief Tim Cook emphatically rejected accusations that the world's richest company is sidestepping US taxes by keeping bundles of cash overseas, suggesting that the claim was politically motivated.
  
  Read more

• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter releases new high-resolution earthrise image

  18-12-2015 22:39
  
  NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently captured a unique view of Earth from the spacecraft's vantage point in orbit around the moon.
  
  Read more

• Costa Rica boasts 99% renewable energy in 2015

  18-12-2015 22:12
  
  Almost all of Costa Rica's electricity came from renewable sources this year, making it one of a few countries in the world to eschew fossil fuels in energy generation, the state electricity agency said Friday.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New findings from New Horizons shape understanding of Pluto and its moons

  18-12-2015 22:10
  
  Five months after NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto to take the first images and measurements of this icy world and its system of satellites, knowledge about this distant system continues to unfold.
  
  Read more

• Slovenia's fence on Croatia border threatening wildlife: WWF

  18-12-2015 21:53
  
  A razor-wire fence rolled out by Slovenia on Croatia's border to block the path of migrants is seriously threating wildlife in the area, conservation group WWF warned Friday.
  
  Read more

• NASA: Spacewalk needed to move stalled rail car

  18-12-2015 21:52
  
  Two Americans aboard the International Space Station are gearing up for a spacewalk early next week to free a stalled rail car.
  
  Read more

• NASA: Spacewalk likely needed to move stalled cart

  18-12-2015 21:52
  
  Two Americans aboard the International Space Station are gearing up for a possible spacewalk early next week to free a stalled cart.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Examination of Earth's recent history key to predicting global temperatures

  18-12-2015 21:51
  
  Estimates of future global temperatures based on recent observations must account for the differing characteristics of each important driver of recent climate change, according to a new NASA study published Dec. 14 in the journal Nature Climate Change.
  
  Read more

• MMS mission delivers promising initial results

  18-12-2015 21:50
  
  Just under four months into the science phase of the mission, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, is delivering promising early results on a process called magnetic reconnection—a kind of magnetic explosion that's related to everything from the northern lights to solar flares.
  
  Read more

• Congress passes long-stalled cybersecurity bill

  18-12-2015 21:40
  
  Congress on Friday passed legislation to fight cyber threats, pushing the measure through by tucking it into a sprawling government funding bill, after earlier failed attempts.
  
  Read more

• China launches dark matter detecting satellite into orbit

  18-12-2015 21:36
  
  China has successfully placed a satellite called the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) into a sun-synchronous orbit around the Earth. Its mission is to study high-energy particles and γ-rays as part of an overall objective to learn more about dark matter. The satellite was boosted into the sky by a Chinese Long March 2D rocket, launched from a northwest province in China.
  
  Read more

• Researchers demonstrate tracking of individual catalyst nanoparticles during heating

  18-12-2015 21:23
  
  Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., have taken atomic-level images of individual nanoparticles during heating that could lead to improved fuel-cell technologies at lower cost, reduce dependence on imported oil and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  Read more

• Dutch ruling: What does it mean for Shell in Nigeria?

  18-12-2015 21:18
  
  A Dutch appeals court on Friday permitted four Nigerian farmers and fishermen to sue oil giant Shell for environmental pollution at a court in the Netherlands.
  
  Read more

• How lottery insider allegedly fixed jackpots

  18-12-2015 21:15
  
  Eddie Tipton, a computer expert and the Multi-State Lottery Association's security director, allegedly rigged a lottery jackpot by installing a software program known as a rootkit on a computer that would pick the winning number for a $16.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot.
  
  Read more

• Appeals court: Airline pilots can't ride share like Uber

  18-12-2015 21:13
  
  Private pilots can't offer flight-sharing services to the public using an Internet model similar to those developed by Uber and Lyft, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.
  
  Read more

• Extinction of large animals could make climate change worse

  18-12-2015 21:09
  
  The extinction of large animals from tropical forests could make climate change worse—according to researchers at the University of East Anglia.
  
  Read more

• Some quantum cryptography systems vulnerable to hacking, study shows

  18-12-2015 21:01
  
  Quantum cryptography is considered a fully secure encryption method, but researchers from Linköping University and Stockholm University have discovered that this is not always the case. They found that energy-time entanglement - the method that today forms the basis for many systems of quantum cryptography - is vulnerable to attack. The results of their research have been published in Science Advances.
  
  Read more

• Magnetic nanoparticle chains offer new technique for controlling soft robots

  18-12-2015 20:54
  
  Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a technique for using chains of magnetic nanoparticles to manipulate elastic polymers in three dimensions, which could be used to remotely control new "soft robots."
  
  Read more

• Which-hunting and the hegemony of style guides

  18-12-2015 20:53
  
  A new study reveals just how strong the influence of mass-market books promoting a certain style of writing have had on authors since they were first published in the late 1950s. The study "Which-hunting and the Standard English Relative Clause," by a team of linguists at the University of Texas at Austin and KU Leuven, was published in the December, 2015 issue of the scholarly journal Language.
  
  Read more

• Maintaining salt balance helps insects avoid frosty fate: Could assist with pest control

  18-12-2015 20:51
  
  For humans, getting chilly is a problem that can usually be solved with a hat and mitts, but for insects it's not so simple. A study led by a York University Postdoctoral Fellow has found that for some insects, the key to cold weather survival is in keeping their salt balance in check, and that finding could help with controlling pests in the future.
  
  Read more

• NASA finds huge rainfall totals from Typhoon Melor over Philippines

  18-12-2015 20:49
  
  NASA'S Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data collected from December 12 to 17, 2015 were used to update Typhoon Melor's rainfall totals. The central Philippines received the largest amount of rainfall that measured almost three feet.
  
  Read more

• Study uncovers strategies for increasing charitable giving

  18-12-2015 20:47
  
  With the holiday season at a fever pitch and charitable giving on people's minds, new research from the University of Delaware suggests that for organizations interested in increasing the number of givers and the amount of donations, the solution might be as easy as a simple change in how charitable gifts are made.
  
  Read more

• Police shootings of black males: A public health problem

  18-12-2015 20:33
  
  A Saint Louis University public health researcher is proposing immediate, concrete steps to stem police shootings of black males.
  
  Read more

• Bacterium carrying a cloned Bt-gene could help millions infected with roundworms

  18-12-2015 20:30
  
  Intestinal nematodes and roundworms infect more than one billion people worldwide. These parasites lead to malnutrition and developmental problems, especially in children. Unfortunately, resistance to the existing drug treatment is increasing. Now a team of researchers has successfully inserted the gene for a naturally-occurring, insecticidal protein called Bt into a harmless bacterium. This could then be incorporated into dairy products, or used as a probiotic to deliver the protein to the inte
  
  Read more

• Bacteria battle: How one changes appearance, moves away to resist the other

  18-12-2015 20:30
  
  Two types of bacteria found in the soil have enabled scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research to get the dirt on how resistance to antibiotics develops along with a separate survival strategy.
  
  Read more

• GHG emissions from Canadian Arctic aquatic systems dated for the first time

  18-12-2015 20:27
  
  For the first time, researchers have successfully dated the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emitted by ponds and lakes on Bylot Island, Nunavut. The research team observed significant variability in age and emission rates of greenhouse gases (GHG) from aquatic systems located in a continuous permafrost zone. The study, whose lead author is Frédéric Bouchard affiliated to the INRS Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre and the Geography Department of Université de Mon
  
  Read more

• Radioactive matter migrates more quickly through fractured carbonate rock

  18-12-2015 20:25
  
  Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have found that radioactive matter migrates more quickly in carbonate bedrock formations once it has leaked from a tank from near surface waste sites and geological repositories.
  
  Read more

• Superbug colony behaviors revealed in time lapse video

  18-12-2015 20:24
  
  A well-known 'superbug' which was thought to have been a static or non-motile organism has been observed showing signs of active motility by scientists at The Universities of Nottingham and Sheffield.
  
  Read more

• Railways: Ensuring readiness in case of space weather events

  18-12-2015 20:08
  
  The JRC has been looking into the risks of space weather impact on critical infrastructures. A new report explores the rail sector's vulnerability and the potential impacts, in particular through interdependencies with other infrastructures. Awareness among operators and regulators worldwide is currently limited and vulnerabilities across the rail sector need to be identified, authors say.
  
  Read more

• Alternative method for the representation of microstructures in polycrystalline materials

  18-12-2015 20:07
  
  Most solid materials are of polycrystalline nature. In which way the individual grains are oriented in the material can be relevant for its functional properties. In order to determine the corresponding orientation distributions on large specimen areas, generally, a scanning electron microscope is employed. The specimen surface needs to be prepared, before it can be probed under vacuum by an electron beam and analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD).
  
  Read more

• Black holes could grow as large as 50 billion suns before their food crumbles into stars according to research

  18-12-2015 20:04
  
  Black holes at the heart of galaxies could swell to 50 billion times the mass of the sun before losing the discs of gas they rely on to sustain themselves, according to research at the University of Leicester.
  
  Read more

• NASA sees remnants of Tropical Depression 29W over Southern Philippines

  18-12-2015 20:02
  
  Tropical Depression 29W was being battered by vertical wind shear from the day it formed and just two days later it dissipated as it reached the southern Philippines. NASA's Aqua satellite captured temperature data on the storms within the remnant low pressure area after it made landfall.
  
  Read more

• HTC Vive to demo a 'very big' breakthrough in VR at CES - Engadget

  18-12-2015 20:01 via
  Engadget
  HTC Vive to demo a 'very big' breakthrough in VR at CES
  Engadget
  Regular folks who are eager to get hold of the HTC Vive would have been bummed by the news that it's been pushed to April 2016, but in return, we'll actually be getting a much improved version. At today's Vive Unbound developers forum in Beijing, CEO ...
  Leaked Renders Of A New HTC Vive Headset Show Polished DesignAndroid Headlines - Android News
  HTC's Wang teases "Big technological breakthrough" for VR to be reveale
  

• Watch: Best Buy Offers Apple iPhone 6 For $1

  18-12-2015 18:08 via abcnews.go.com
  
  Save on iPhone 6 when you purchase a 2-year agreement from Verizon Wireless or Sprint.
  
  Read more

• Rare Full Cold Moon on Christmas Day

  18-12-2015 18:00 via scitechdaily.com
  
  This Christmas Day a bright full moon will be an added gift for the holidays. Known as the Full Cold Moon, this event won’t happen again until 2034. December’s full moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs during the beginning of winter. The moon’s peak this year […]
  The post Rare Full Cold Moon on Christmas Day appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Astronomers Reveal the “Skeletal Structure” of the Milky Way

  18-12-2015 17:57 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using infrared surveys from the Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have identified ten new filamentary dark clouds in the Milky Way and are looking for more in order to study the “skeletal” makeup of the galaxy. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a typical barred spiral galaxy, a flattened disk of about a hundred billion […]
  The post Astronomers Reveal the “Skeletal Structure” of the Milky Way appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• The $15M pebble that powers South African business

  18-12-2015 17:52 via rss.cnn.com
  
  With one of the world's highest unemployment rates, South Africa is increasingly reliant on home-grown entrepreneurs to power a flagging economy.
  
  Read more

• New Findings Help Shape Our Understanding of Pluto and Its Moons

  18-12-2015 17:26 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Using data from the New Horizons flyby of Pluto, astronomers continue to learn more about this icy world and its system of satellites. New Horizons science team members are highlighting the latest findings from the Pluto flyby at this week’s American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in San Francisco. Among the highlights are insights into […]
  The post New Findings Help Shape Our Understanding of Pluto and Its Moons appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Use of residues from agriculture and forestry as energy sources improves food security

  18-12-2015 17:10
  
  The sustainability of growing crops for use as energy sources has been disputed for many years. A potentially attractive alternative is to use waste and residues from agricultural and forestry. However, using waste and other residues may have an impact on land use, biodiversity and food security. The additional sources of income from the sale of waste and other residues could prompt an increase in the production of crops and wood. LEI has investigated the potential impact of the large-scale use
  
  Read more

• Choosing for not-genetically modified soy results in higher costs for livestock

  18-12-2015 17:00
  
  If the Netherlands together with Germany, France, Poland and Hungary would choose for an opt-out of the use of genetically modified (GM) soy in animal feed, then the current use of soy products in animal feed in these five countries must decrease by 40 to 50 percent to ensure that the demand for non-GM soy from the European Union (EU) does not exceed the available amount on the world market. Mid-term (3 to 5 years) additional costs for the Dutch animal husbandry due to more expensive non-GM soy
  
  Read more

• Watching the ribosome at work

  18-12-2015 16:50
  
  A new statistical method could help to clarify the function of unknown genes. A research team under Uwe Ohler of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) has adapted and tested a filter method from speech signal processing that makes sequencing data more interpretable. "We can use this to watch the ribosome at work," says Ohler.
  
  Read more

• Researcher studies fish populations at world's second largest freshwater lake

  18-12-2015 16:50
  
  A University of Wyoming researcher is studying fish populations—and their relationship with local fishing communities—in Africa's largest lake.
  
  Read more

• Opinion: How we built a robot that can evolve – and why it won't take over the world

  18-12-2015 16:50
  
  The latest research on robots is often described as if it were a step on the inexorable march toward a robot apocalypse straight out of the Terminator films. While there are risks in developing artificial intelligence that need to be taken seriously, reacting to every development in robotics with undue fear could stifle research and creativity.
  
  Read more

• European top managers would rather offer flexibility than part-time work

  18-12-2015 16:50
  
  In the area of work-life policy, European top managers place the interest of the organisation above that of their employees. Schemes intended to make it easier for employees to combine their work and private life should preferably benefit the company as well, according to employers in Europe. Flexible working times and possibilities to work from home can count on the most support at the top level. This is what Wike Been concludes in her PhD thesis 'European top managers' support for work-life ar
  
  Read more

• Uncertain future carbon uptake in the North Atlantic

  18-12-2015 16:40
  
  Will carbon uptake increase or decrease due to global warming? A new model experiment shows that uncertainties in modelled biological production makes the answer unclear.
  
  Read more

• 'Lipstick'-wearing males fare better in monkey business

  18-12-2015 16:40
  
  If you're looking to impress the ladies this mating season, you need look no further than the cosmetics counter, at least if you're a snub-nosed monkey.
  
  Read more

• Nanotech weapon against chronic bacterial infections in hospitals

  18-12-2015 16:30
  
  One of the scourges of infections in hospitals—biofilms formed by bacteria that stick to each other on living tissue and medical instruments, making them harder to remove—can be tricked into dispersing with the targeted application of nanoparticles and heat, researchers have found.
  
  Read more

• Holiday sales show online shift

  18-12-2015 16:30
  
  More often shoppers are making the decision to sit on their couches than head to stores this holiday season.
  
  Read more

• Norway's EV purchasing spree is climate friendly

  18-12-2015 16:20
  
  If every other passenger car in Norway is plugged into the electric network by 2020, Europe will have to produce more electricity – mainly from coal-fired power plants – to meet the demand. But it will be a plus for the climate nonetheless.
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockSciTech on Twitter!