Sci-Tech news

• Ferries banned from dumping toilet waste in Baltic Sea

  22-04-2016 23:52
  
  Ferries and ships will be banned from dumping toilet waste in the Baltic Sea, one of the world's most polluted bodies of water, the International Maritime Organization said Friday.
  
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• Citizen seismologists multiply the impacts of earthquake studies

  22-04-2016 23:52
  
  From matchbook-sized sensors plugged into a desktop computer to location-tagged tweets, the earthquake data provided by "citizen seismologists" have grown in size and quality since 2000, according to the field's researchers.
  
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• Scientists discover new reef system at mouth of Amazon River

  22-04-2016 23:51
  
  A new reef system has been found at the mouth of the Amazon River, the largest river by discharge of water in the world. As large rivers empty into the world's oceans in areas known as plumes, they typically create gaps in the reef distribution along the tropical shelves—something that makes finding a reef in the Amazon plume an unexpected discovery.
  
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• New survey shows Americans believe civility is on the decline

  22-04-2016 23:50
  
  A recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 74 percent of Americans think manners and behavior have deteriorated in the United States over the past several decades. A large majority of Americans believe that politicians should be held to a higher standard than the general public, but few think they are living up to that expectation. The Republican campaign is viewed as rude and disrespectful by nearly twice as many Americans as those who characteriz
  
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• NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Amos threatening American Samoa

  22-04-2016 23:49
  
  As the seven islands of American Samoa were bracing for Tropical Cyclone Amos, NASA's Aqua satellite saw the storm affecting the Southwestern Pacific Islands of Wallis and Futuna. Warnings were already in effect for American Samoa on April 22 as the storm continued moving east toward the islands.
  
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• High alpine dairying may have begun over 3000 years ago

  22-04-2016 23:49
  
  The discovery of dairy fats on ancient pottery may indicate dairying high in the Alps occurred as early as the Iron Age over 3000 years ago, according to a study published April 21, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Francesco Carrer from the University of York, UK, and colleagues.
  
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• Solar Plane's Pilot Speaks With UN Leader From Over Pacific

  22-04-2016 23:08
  The pilot of a solar-powered plane on an around-the-world journey took a few minutes on Friday _ Earth Day _ to exchange pleasantries with the United Nations secretary-general while he flew high above the Pacific Ocean en route to a stop in California
  
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• After Uber's Lawsuit Settlements, What's Next For Drivers

  22-04-2016 22:46
  
  Uber has settled class action lawsuits with drivers in two U.S. states, offering to pay up to $100 million and agreeing to a set of new protocols.
  
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• App aims to bring Shakespeare to new generation

  22-04-2016 21:32
  
  A new iPad app intended to make William Shakespeare's works more accessible is being launched by actor Ian McKellen and director Richard Loncraine on Saturday, the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death.
  
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• Review: Nintendo's 'Star Fox Zero' crashes and burns

  22-04-2016 21:31
  
  How do you solve a problem like Fox McCloud?
  
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• 'Once-a-century' climate hazards will hit Europe yearly: study

  22-04-2016 21:31
  
  By mid-century, pockets of southern Europe will face at least one severe climate hazard every year of the scale now occurring only once a century, according to a new study.
  
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• Google seeks to play down EU Android probe

  22-04-2016 21:31
  
  Google sought to play down its anti-trust battle with the European Commission on Friday, with a senior executive insisting the row was "normal".
  
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• New state of water molecule discovered

  22-04-2016 21:02
  
  Neutron scattering and computational modeling have revealed unique and unexpected behavior of water molecules under extreme confinement that is unmatched by any known gas, liquid or solid states.
  
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• Dry soil to absorb some snowmelt heading to Colorado River

  22-04-2016 20:57
  
  Storms brought deep snow to the mountains that feed the vital Colorado River this winter and spring, but the dried-out landscape will soak up some of the runoff before it can reach the river and the 40 million people depending on it for water.
  
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• 175 states signing landmark Paris deal on climate change

  22-04-2016 20:47
  
  Leaders from at least 175 countries were signing the Paris Agreement on climate change Friday as the landmark deal took a key step forward, potentially entering into force years ahead of schedule.
  
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• Beyond milkweed: Monarchs face habitat, nectar threats

  22-04-2016 20:43
  
  In the face of scientific dogma that faults the population decline of monarch butterflies on a lack of milkweed, herbicides and genetically modified crops, a new Cornell University study casts wider blame: sparse autumnal nectar sources, weather and habitat fragmentation.
  
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• Old-growth forests may provide buffer against rising temperatures

  22-04-2016 20:00
  
  The soaring canopy and dense understory of an old-growth forest could provide a buffer for plants and animals in a warming world, according to a study from Oregon State University published today in Science Advances.
  
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• Corals most important for building reefs are now in sharp decline

  22-04-2016 20:00
  
  A new study has found that the very corals responsible for establishing today's reefs are now some of the most threatened coral species due to climate change and other man-made stressors.
  
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• Researchers reduce sugar content of yogurt without reducing sweetness

  22-04-2016 19:24
  
  A team from a Danish food ingredients company has manipulated the metabolic properties of yogurt-producing bacteria to sweeten the yogurt naturally, while reducing sugar in the final product. Similar manipulations have also all but eliminated lactose, so that those with lactose intolerance can enjoy the yogurt. They have accomplished all of this using microbiological methods that predate the era of genetic technologies. The research appears April 22nd in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a
  
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• Microsoft and Google make regulatory peace treaty

  22-04-2016 19:24
  
  Microsoft and Google on Friday said they have agreed to drop all regulatory complaints against one another to work out such concerns between themselves in the future.
  
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• Lens used during Apollo mission sells for more than $450,000

  22-04-2016 19:24
  
  A camera lens used during the Apollo 15 space mission in 1971 has been sold at auction for more than $450,000.
  
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• Research team realizes three-color photodetector

  22-04-2016 19:12
  
  While infrared waves are available in short, mid, and long lengths, most detection devices are unable to harness all three at the same time.
  
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• Queen's researcher explores effectiveness of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

  22-04-2016 18:43
  
  Queen's University political researcher Nathan Andrews has co-authored a report on the effectiveness of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in improving transparency and domestic government in resource rich countries suffering from the "resource curse."
  
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• VW to take $18 billion hit as German carmakers face recall

  22-04-2016 18:30
  
  German carmaker Volkswagen capped two grim days for the country's auto industry by revealing its diesel emissions cheating cost it a chunky 16.2 billion euros ($18.2 billion) for 2015 alone—and that's likely only a part of the total bill.
  
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• Solar-powered plane slowly soaring from Hawaii to California

  22-04-2016 18:30
  
  A solar-powered plane on an around-the-world journey was about a third of the way to California early Friday after taking off from Hawaii, the project's mission control said.
  
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• NASA sees Tropical Cyclone Fantala slowing

  22-04-2016 18:29
  
  On April 21, Fantala's maximum sustained wind speeds started to decrease since making a "U-turn" and moving southeastward to a position northeast of Madagascar and the storm maintained strength on April 22. NASA's RapidScat instrument measured winds around the system while NASA-JAXA's Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite analyzed rainfall rates with the hurricane.
  
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• Field Museum expedition captures animal selfies in Amazon Rainforest

  22-04-2016 18:28
  
  If you've been on the Internet lately, you've probably seen a cat selfie. Now, a Field Museum expedition to the Peruvian Amazon has elevated the animal selfie phenomenon to a whole new level. Earlier this year, a team of 25 scientists trekked to the unexplored reaches of Medio Putumayo-Algodón, Peru and spent 17 days conducting a rapid biological and social inventory of the area. As part of their efforts to document the region's biodiversity, the team set up 14 motion-activated camera tra
  
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• Changing the world, one fridge at a time: Food waste, and what to do about it

  22-04-2016 18:24
  
  To help change the world, have a look inside your fridge—this is one of the messages contained in an article published in the most recent issue of the authoritative academic journal Science. Food waste has attained monumental proportions in both the developed and developing worlds, and the sum of individual consumer´s actions can have major impacts on a global scale, according to the article's author, Jessica Aschemann-Witzel, an associate professor at Aarhus BSS, the business school
  
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• When beauty becomes the beast: Research efforts successfully combat invasive species

  22-04-2016 18:21
  
  A walk through most Midwestern state parks and nature preserves looks much different today than it did a century ago.
  
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• Earth Day 2016: Where to Recycle Batteries, Gadgets

  22-04-2016 18:04
  
  Many pieces of old technology include salvageable parts.
  
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• Mergers not the answer for HEIs seeking savings, research says

  22-04-2016 18:02
  
  AS the sole UK academic presenting a paper at a large-scale conference in the USA, the University of Huddersfield's Professor Jill Johnes introduced her audience to some new concepts in education finance. She also returned with a fresh idea of her own - to establish a new European association for education and finance policy.
  
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• The unique challenges of conserving forest giants

  22-04-2016 18:00
  
  The redwood and sequoia trees in California, the baobab trees in Madagascar, and the rose gum Eucalyptus trees in northeastern Australia are only a few of the spectacular large, old trees still growing today. Protecting these trees, some hundreds or thousands of years old, requires thinking long-term about concerns such as their unique habitat needs and the impacts of climate change, researchers write in a Forum published April 22, Earth Day, in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
  
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• Researchers develop magnifying smartphone screen app for visually impaired

  22-04-2016 18:00
  
  Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have developed a smartphone application that projects a magnified smartphone screen to Google Glass, which users can navigate using head movements to view a corresponding portion of the magnified screen. They have shown that the technology can potentially benefit low-vision users, many of whom find the smartphone's built-in zoom feature to be difficult to use due to the loss of context. Their
  
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• Watch: FBI Paid More Than $1 Million to Hack San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone

  22-04-2016 17:44
  FBI Director James Comey hinted at the price tag by comparing it to his salary.
  
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• FBI Paid More Than $1 Million for Help Hacking iPhone

  22-04-2016 17:25
  
  The price tag for help hacking into the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters was more than $1 million, according to FBI Director James Comey.
  
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• Prince, a Master of Playing Music and Distributing It

  22-04-2016 16:46 via nytimes.com
  The artist both embraced and hated technology as he tried to upend the music industry — realizing that making music wasn’t his only responsibility.
  
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• New tomb will make Chernobyl site safe for 100 years

  22-04-2016 16:20
  
  Thirty years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, there's still a significant threat of radiation from the crumbling remains of Reactor 4. But an innovative, €1.5 billion super-structure is being built to prevent further releases, giving an elegant engineering solution to one of the ugliest disasters known to man.
  
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• Before fusion—a human history of fire

  22-04-2016 16:10
  
  We humans are fire creatures. Tending fire is a species trait, a capacity we alone possess – and one we are not likely to tolerate willingly in any other species. But then we live on Earth, the only true fire planet, the only one we know of that burns living landscapes. Fire is where, uniquely, our special capabilities and Earth's bioenergy flows converge. That has made us the keystone species for fire on Earth. Our environmental power is literally a fire power.
  
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• Fin24.com | Tech firms help SA nab rhino poachers

  22-04-2016 16:02
  
  South Africa is using technology to keep poachers away from rhinos by tracking people moving in and out of a game reserve near Kruger National Park - whether it be by landing a helicopter, cutting through a fence or driving past the gate.
  
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• What is the surface of Neptune like?

  22-04-2016 15:50
  
  As a gas giant (or ice giant), Neptune has no solid surface. In fact, the blue-green disc we have all seen in photographs over the years is actually a bit of an illusion. What we see is actually the tops of some very deep gas clouds, which in turn give way to water and other melted ices that lie over an approximately Earth-size core made of silicate rock and a nickel-iron mix. If a person were to attempt to stand on Neptune, they would sink through the gaseous layers.
  
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• Ancient mosaic featuring 'cheerful' skeleton found in Turkey

  22-04-2016 15:49
  
  Turkey's state-run news agency says archaeologists have unearthed an ancient mosaic featuring a reclining skeleton holding a drink with the inscription in Greek: "Be cheerful, enjoy life."
  
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• Scientists harness nature's transport system to the brain

  22-04-2016 15:48
  
  Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) have derived a structural model of a transporter at the blood-brain barrier called Mfsd2a (1). This is the first molecular model of this critical transporter, and could prove important for the development of therapeutic agents that need to be delivered to the brain —- across the blood-brain barrier. In future, this could help treat neurological disorders such as glioblastoma.
  
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• Our sun may have eaten a super-Earth for breakfast

  22-04-2016 15:40
  
  Our solar system sure seems like an orderly place. The orbits of the planets are predictable enough that we can send spacecraft on multi-year journeys to them and they will reliably reach their destinations. But we've only been looking at the solar system for the blink of an eye, cosmically speaking.
  
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• Lithuania govt websites hit by cyberattacks for third time

  22-04-2016 15:40
  
  Lithuanian officials say government websites have been hit by cyberattacks for the third time this month.
  
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• The big question of 'how physics makes us free'

  22-04-2016 15:33
  
  Can it really be that everything you do is determined by facts that were in place long before you were born?
  
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• Atoms placed precisely in silicon can act as quantum simulator

  22-04-2016 15:33
  
  In a proof-of-principle experiment, researchers at UNSW Australia have demonstrated that a small group of individual atoms placed very precisely in silicon can act as a quantum simulator, mimicking nature - in this case, the weird quantum interactions of electrons in materials.
  
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• Thin-film solar cells: How defects appear and disappear in CIGSe cells

  22-04-2016 15:32
  
  An international collaboration of German, Israeli, and British teams has investigated the deposition of thin chalcopyrite layers. They were able to observe specific defects as these formed during deposition and under what conditions they self-healed using the BESSY II X-ray source at the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. The results of their research provide clues to optimizing fabrication processes and have now been published in Energy & Environmental Science.
  
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• A laser look at ultra-thin layers

  22-04-2016 15:30
  
  From the coating of electronic or pharmaceutical products to thin plastic films – a new technique developed by TU Wien enables coating processes to be quality controlled in real time.
  
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• Paperbark tree to unlock climate change

  22-04-2016 15:29
  
  Synonymous with the Australian landscape, the paperbark tree is most recognised for its distinctive bark, but it is the leaves that have found themselves at the centre of research which could provide crucial insights into climate change.
  
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• New Herschel maps and catalogues reveal stellar nurseries across the galactic plane

  22-04-2016 15:25
  
  ESA's Herschel mission releases today a series of unprecedented maps of star-forming hubs in the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. This is accompanied by a set of catalogues of hundreds of thousands of compact sources that span all phases leading to the birth of stars in our Galaxy. These maps and catalogues will be very valuable resources for astronomers, to exploit scientifically and for planning follow-up studies of particularly interesting regions in the Galactic Plane.
  
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