Sci-Tech news

• Rent Prices Drive Palo Alto Commish Out of Town

  11-08-2016 23:32 via nbcnews.com
  
  A lawyer and a software engineer can no longer afford to live in the heart of Silicon Valley.
  
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• 200 Meteors Per Hour Will Be in Tonight's Perseid Shower

  11-08-2016 23:03 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Perseid Meteor Shower is set to reach its peak early Friday morning when as many as 200 meteors per hour are expected to streak across the night sky.
  
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• Ten trillionths of your suntan comes from beyond our galaxy

  11-08-2016 23:00
  
  Lie on the beach this summer and your body will be bombarded by about sextillion photons of light per second.
  
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• Extreme rainfall along gulf coast measured by NASA's IMERG

  11-08-2016 22:49
  
  For the better part of a week, a persistent, mid-level area of low pressure has been tapping into warm, moist air to produce stormy weather in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, and satellite data of rainfall was collected and calculated at NASA.
  
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• Department stores hope to recapture appeal, be destinations

  11-08-2016 22:41
  
  Department stores trying to recapture their appeal to consumers are making plans to provide more experiences like spas and restaurants, and offer exclusive selections to transforms the store into more of a destination.
  
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• NIH: Last federal chimps to head to sanctuary by fall 2026

  11-08-2016 22:40
  
  The National Institutes of Health says its last chimpanzees should be moved from Texas and New Mexico to a sanctuary in Louisiana by fall 2026.
  
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• New study addresses lack of American engineers and scientists

  11-08-2016 22:40
  
  A new study by Huy Le, associate professor of management at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), identifies factors that could lead more young students to successful careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
  
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• How did primate brains get so big?

  11-08-2016 22:39
  
  Virtual brains reconstructed from ancient, kiwi-sized primate skulls could help resolve one of the most intriguing evolutionary mysteries: how modern primates developed large brains.
  
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• NASA to map Asteroid Bennu from the ground up

  11-08-2016 22:37
  
  How do you study the topography of an asteroid millions of miles away? Map it with a robotic cartographer!
  
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• The innovative shock absorber system from Audi can generate electricity

  11-08-2016 22:36
  
  In the mobility of the future, the recuperation of energy plays an increasingly important role, including in a car's suspension. Audi is working on a prototype called "eROT," in which electromechanical rotary dampers replace the hydraulic dampers used today for an even more comfortable ride.
  
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• Wind power fiercer than expected, study finds

  11-08-2016 22:00
  
  University of Delaware researchers report in a new study that offshore wind may be more powerful, yet more turbulent than expected in the North Eastern United States.
  
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• California island foxes removed from endangered species list

  11-08-2016 22:00
  
  Not long ago, foxes native to the Channel Islands off the California coast teetered on the edge of extinction.
  
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• NASA measures winds of Tropical Storm Conson

  11-08-2016 21:52
  
  NASA's RapidScat instrument provided measurements of sustained wind speeds as Tropical Storm Conson continued tracking north through the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
  
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• Greenland Shark Now Oldest Living Animal With Backbone

  11-08-2016 21:49
  In the cold waters of the Arctic, a denizen of the deep lurked for centuries
  
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• We understand that social media does not equal social interaction

  11-08-2016 21:40
  
  If you worry that people today are using social media as a crutch for a real social life, a University of Kansas study will set you at ease.
  
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• Hubble uncovers a galaxy pair coming in from the wilderness

  11-08-2016 21:40
  
  NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered two tiny dwarf galaxies that have wandered from a vast cosmic wilderness into a nearby "big city" packed with galaxies. After being quiescent for billions of years, they are ready to party by starting a firestorm of star birth.
  
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• Much ado about nothing: Astronomers use empty space to study the universe

  11-08-2016 21:24
  
  Researchers who are looking for new ways to probe the nature of gravity and dark energy in the universe have adopted a new strategy: looking at what's not there.
  
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• Directly reprogramming a cell's identity with gene editing

  11-08-2016 21:23
  
  Researchers have used CRISPR—a revolutionary new genetic engineering technique—to convert cells isolated from mouse connective tissue directly into neuronal cells.
  
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• Ecosystems in the southeastern US are vulnerable to climate change

  11-08-2016 21:22
  
  At least several southeastern U.S. ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of present and future climate change, according to two new USGS reports on research conducted by scientists with Interior Department's Southeast Climate Science Center.
  
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• Global warming's next surprise: Saltier beaches

  11-08-2016 21:20
  
  Batches of sand from a beach on the Delaware Bay are yielding insights into the powerful impact of temperature rise and evaporation along the shore that are in turn challenging long-held assumptions about what causes beach salinity to fluctuate in coastal zones that support a rich network of sea creatures and plants.
  
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• New insights into the evolution of cooperation in spatially structured populations

  11-08-2016 20:20
  
  Researchers have analyzed a new mathematical model to investigate how a population's spatial structure affects the evolution of cooperation. Jorge Peña of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, and colleagues describe the model in a new study in PLOS Computational Biology.
  
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• Sequencing of fungal disease genomes may help prevent banana armageddon

  11-08-2016 20:10
  
  Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and in the Netherlands have discovered how a group of three closely related fungal pathogens have evolved into a lethal threat to the world's bananas, whilst an international consortium led by scientists from Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre) has unravelled the DNA of the fungus that causes black Sigatoka disease in bananas. The findings provide leads for increasing the sustainability of banana cultivation, for instance through t
  
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• Emergency financial aid from call centers effectively prevents homelessness

  11-08-2016 20:10
  
  Homelessness in the United States is a persistent and complex problem. Each year more than 2.3 million people experience homelessness, 7.4 million people live "doubled up" with friends or family for economic reasons, and many more are on the brink of homelessness. In addition to the negative mental, developmental and health problems that arise among homeless adults and children, the issue costs a community more than $5,000 for each person who enters a shelter.
  
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• Virus attracts bumblebees to infected plants by changing scent

  11-08-2016 20:00
  
  Plant scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) alters gene expression in the tomato plants it infects, causing changes to air-borne chemicals - the scent - emitted by the plants. Bees can smell these subtle changes, and glasshouse experiments have shown that bumblebees prefer infected plants over healthy ones.
  
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• Greenland sharks live at least 400 years, study finds

  11-08-2016 20:00
  
  Greenland sharks live at least as long as 400 years, and they reach sexual maturity at the age of about 150, a new study reports. The results place Greenland sharks as the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth. The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is widely distributed across the North Atlantic, with adults reaching lengths of 400 to 500 centimeters (13 to 16 feet).
  
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• Gaming using a stretchy touchpad (w/ Video)

  11-08-2016 20:00
  
  Researchers have developed a highly stretchable touchpad that can be used to write words and play electronic games. The development could lead to flexible, wearable devices with a variety of applications.
  
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• Discovery of sunlight-driven organic chemistry on water surfaces

  11-08-2016 20:00
  
  Fatty acids found on the surface of water droplets react with sunlight to form organic molecules, a new study reports, essentially uncovering a previously unknown form of photolysis.
  
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• Lock picking your way to cybersecurity at Def Con

  11-08-2016 19:50
  
  Lock picking might seem ridiculously old-fashioned at a cybersecurity gathering—but learning it can actually help people protect machines from digital threats.
  
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• Shares of Alibaba jump on strong 1Q results

  11-08-2016 19:20
  
  Shares of Alibaba jumped on Thursday as the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse added shoppers and mobile revenue surged.
  
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• Bug collecting: Researchers map North American groups of plant-feeding insects

  11-08-2016 19:15
  
  Amateur and professional entomologists are experts at their own version of Pokémon Go. After all, part of their job is to search for and collect rare insect species that are stored in the archives of natural history museums.
  
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• Google Reveals Your Burning Questions About the Olympics

  11-08-2016 19:05 via nbcnews.com
  With the Olympics in full swing, many people are turning to Google to answer their most burning questions about the athletes and Rio.
  
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• "Sleeping beauty" is a new species from the Peruvian Andes

  11-08-2016 19:00
  
  A new species of rain frog was discovered in the premontane forests of the Peruvian central Andes. Referring to the mountain chain's local name, the amphibian's name translates to 'Sleeping beauty'. Another striking thing about the new frog is the contrasting bright red that coats its groins, shanks and thighs.
  
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• Wildlife-friendly farming shown to benefit UK moths

  11-08-2016 18:50
  
  Wildlife-friendly farming schemes can help boost the abundance of many UK moth species, a new study by the University of Liverpool has found.
  
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• Bankruptcy imminent for failed startup Skully

  11-08-2016 18:50 via rss.cnn.com
  
  Skully, a failed startup behind an "augmented reality" motorcycle helmet, claims on its Indiegogo website that it is "the future."
  
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• How to take the perfect selfie

  11-08-2016 18:41 via rss.cnn.com
  
  Computer science researchers at Princeton University created an editing tool that helps reduce distortions in your selfies. The software can also make your photos look like they're moving, similar to the portraits in the Harry Potter films.
  
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• The Aztec treasure unearthed: New earth snake species discovered in Mexico

  11-08-2016 18:40
  
  A new gem has been added to the vast treasure of Mexican reptiles. Mexican scientists recently described a new and strikingly colored species of earth snake from the mountains of Puebla and Veracruz in east-central Mexico.
  
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• Disregarded plant molecule actually a treasure

  11-08-2016 18:30
  
  The best natural chemists out there are not scientists—they're plants. Plants have continued to evolve a rich palette of small natural chemicals and receptors since they began to inhabit land roughly 450 million years ago.
  
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• Disrupting mitochondrial function could improve treatment of fungal infections

  11-08-2016 18:10
  
  By identifying new compounds that selectively block mitochondrial respiration in pathogenic fungi, Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a potential antifungal mechanism that could enable combination therapy with fluconazole, one of today's most commonly prescribed fungal infection treatments. The approach could also prevent the development of drug resistance.
  
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• Self-shading windows switch from clear to opaque

  11-08-2016 18:00
  
  A team of researchers at MIT has developed a new way of making windows that can switch from transparent to opaque, potentially saving energy by blocking sunlight on hot days and thus reducing air-conditioning costs. While other systems for causing glass to darken do exist, the new method offers significant advantages by combining rapid response times and low power needs.
  
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• Key molecular signal that shapes regeneration in planarian stem cells discovered

  11-08-2016 18:00
  
  Many living creatures possess exceptional abilities that set them apart from other species. Cheetahs can run up to 60 miles per hour; ants can lift 100 times their body weight; flatworms can regrow amputated body parts. Scientists have spent decades studying the mechanisms that drive such remarkable feats, with the hopes that any secrets they uncover might lead to new perspectives in human biology and new ways to enhance health and ameliorate disease.
  
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• New Yale Research Reveals Insights into Alcoholic Liver Disease

  11-08-2016 17:50 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A team of researchers at the Yale School of Public Health has identified a novel mechanism that protects the liver against the accumulation of fats and may represent a promising new therapeutic approach for treating and/or preventing alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and other fatty liver diseases. Professor Vasilis Vasiliou, chair of the Department of Environmental […]
  The post New Yale Research Reveals Insights into Alcoholic Liver Disease appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Delta computer outage included 'small fire' at data center

  11-08-2016 17:48
  
  As flight cancelations and delays move into their fourth day, Delta Air Lines isn't providing details on a "small fire" Monday at its data center and whether that fire—or attempts to extinguish it—compounded the airline's troubles.
  
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• New Research From NASA Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable

  11-08-2016 17:40 via scitechdaily.com
  
  New research from NASA suggests that Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and habitable surface temperatures for up to 2 billion years of its early history. The findings, published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, were obtained with a model similar to the type used to predict future climate change on […]
  The post New Research From NASA Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• NASA climate modeling suggests Venus may have been habitable

  11-08-2016 16:43
  
  Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and habitable surface temperatures for up to 2 billion years of its early history, according to computer modeling of the planet's ancient climate by scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.
  
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• Activists slam ASEAN roadmap to stop smog

  11-08-2016 16:43
  
  Southeast Asian nations agreed to a roadmap on Thursday to combat acrid haze from Indonesian fires that cloaks vast swathes of the region every year, but the move was greeted by activists with scepticism.
  
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• Russia fines Google $6.7 million over anti-trust charge

  11-08-2016 16:40
  
  Russia's anti-trust authority on Thursday fined Google 438 million rubles ($6.75 million) after finding it guilty of abusing its dominant market position by forcing smartphone makers to install its search engine on Androids.
  
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• Webcam Nightmare: Mom Finds Daughters' Room Featured on Live App

  11-08-2016 16:32
  
  She said another mother 2,000 miles away had alerted her to the live stream.
  
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• Uber's never-ending stream of lawsuits

  11-08-2016 16:30 via rss.cnn.com
  
  Since its launch in 2009, Uber has been juggling a nonstop barrage of lawsuits from governments, drivers, passengers and competitors.
  
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• Saving bees: France's thriving city hives offer token help

  11-08-2016 16:30
  
  Urban rooftops are buzzing across France, but the fad for beekeeping from Montpellier to Lille to Paris—including atop AFP's headquarters—will do little do reverse declining bee populations, experts say.
  
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• General to Marines: Drop your cell phones!

  11-08-2016 16:28 via rss.cnn.com
  
  US Marines need to put away their cell phones, forget about their fancy coffees and get back to doing what Marines used to do -- dig a foxhole, cover up, stay quiet and be wary, the Corps' top officer says.
  
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