Sci-Tech news

• Report: Russian Propaganda Effort Spread Fake News

  25-11-2016 22:07 via abcnews.go.com
  A 'sophisticated' Russian propaganda campaign helped flood social media with fake news stories during the election season, according to a new report in The Washington Post
  
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• Self-Driving Truck Hits the Road as Ohio Discusses Research

  25-11-2016 21:58 via abcnews.go.com
  State officials say Ohio is making new investments to support innovative transportation technology like a self-driving truck that will begin traveling next week on U.S. Route 33 and the Ohio Turnpike
  
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• Macy's Website Crashes After Black Friday Traffic Spike

  25-11-2016 20:42 via nbcnews.com
  
  Shoppers trying to navigate Macy's website hit a road block Friday afternoon, as an overflow of traffic caused a "temporary shopping jam."
  
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• Photonic crystals reveal their internal characteristics with new method

  25-11-2016 20:21
  
  A new technique developed by MIT researchers reveals the inner details of photonic crystals, synthetic materials whose exotic optical properties are the subject of widespread research.
  
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• Fed Up With Thanksgiving Leftovers? Spare a Thought for Astronauts...

  25-11-2016 20:21 via nbcnews.com
  
  If you thought Thanksgiving leftovers were bad, spare a thought for astronauts of the future.
  
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• Biologist discusses a synthetic metabolic pathway that fixes carbon dioxide and synthetic biology

  25-11-2016 20:19
  
  A synthetic metabolic pathway developed by Tobias Erb and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg converts CO2 from the atmosphere into organic matter more efficiently than plants are able to through photosynthesis. We asked the researcher what significance this process could have for climate protection, discussed the hurdles the research team had to overcome to achieve their goal, and looked at the new perspectives that synthetic biology opens up.
  
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• Flossing and the Art of Scientific Investigation

  25-11-2016 19:34 via nytimes.com
  As dentists demonstrate, there’s more to evidence than the randomized controlled trial.
  
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• Some examples in Europe show that cities running their own energy company can lower the energy bill for citizens

  25-11-2016 18:32
  
  Across Europe, town and city councils are becoming increasingly interested in energy decentralisation, i.e. in producing power closer to where it is consumed.
  
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• Sweden slaughters 200,000 hens on bird flu fears

  25-11-2016 18:29
  
  Sweden on Friday said 200,000 chickens were being slaughtered at a farm where bird flu has been detected, following a resurgence in the virus across Europe.
  
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• ExoMars space programme needs an extra 400mn euros

  25-11-2016 18:29
  
  Barely a month after its expensive test lander crashed into Mars, the European Space Agency asked member nations Friday to cough up an extra 400 million euros ($425 million) to complete the ExoMars exploration of the Red Planet.
  
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• Some of the Best Black Friday Deals

  25-11-2016 18:01 via nbcnews.com
  
  A curated selection of deals worth braving the masse in-store or online this holiday shopping kickoff weekend.
  
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• NA64 hunts the mysterious dark photon

  25-11-2016 16:35
  
  One of the biggest puzzles in physics is that eighty-five percent of the matter in our universe is "dark": it does not interact with the photons of the conventional electromagnetic force and is therefore invisible to our eyes and telescopes. Although the composition and origin of dark matter are a mystery, we know it exists because astronomers observe its gravitational pull on ordinary visible matter such as stars and galaxies.
  
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• Clay and a little salt water can make for enhanced oil recovery

  25-11-2016 16:31
  
  By controlling a mix of clay, water and salt, Norwegian and Brazilian researchers have created nanostructures that might help boost oil production, expand the lifespan of certain foods or that can be used in cosmetics or drugs
  
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• Theory that challenges Einstein's physics could soon be put to the test

  25-11-2016 16:29
  
  Scientists behind a theory that the speed of light is variable - and not constant as Einstein suggested - have made a prediction that could be tested.
  
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• Single-molecule graphene switches bring minute electronic devices a step closer

  25-11-2016 16:28
  
  Researchers have discovered how to control molecules attached to graphene, paving the way for tiny biological sensors and devices to hold information.
  
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• Near Earth Objects

  25-11-2016 16:24
  
  Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are small solar system bodies whose orbits sometimes bring them close to the Earth, thereby posing a potential threat. Because NEOs are constantly being replenished from the solar system, they are tracers of the composition, dynamics and environmental conditions throughout the solar system, and of the history of our planetary system. NEOs are the parent bodies of meteorites, one of our key sources of detailed knowledge about the solar system's development. NEOs are also
  
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• Satellites confirm sinking of San Francisco tower

  25-11-2016 16:20
  
  The Sentinel-1 satellites have shown that the Millennium Tower skyscraper in the centre of San Francisco is sinking by a few centimetres a year. Studying the city is helping scientists to improve the monitoring of urban ground movements, particularly for subsidence hotspots in Europe.
  
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• Senior Charged in Cyberattack on Pennsylvania Schools

  25-11-2016 16:12 via abcnews.go.com
  A senior has been charged with launching a cyberattack on her western Pennsylvania high school which wound up disrupting more than a dozen school district computer systems
  
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• Fin24.com | Naspers' half-year earnings jump on e-commerce, Tencent

  25-11-2016 16:08
  
  Internet and media giant Naspers recorded an earnings jump for the six months ended September 30 2016thanks to its e-commerce unit and stake in Tencent.
  
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• Fin24.com | Cell C BEE partner fights Blue Label deal

  25-11-2016 15:52
  
  Blue Label Telecoms said that it hadn't yet been served with papers regarding a court challenge against its plan to purchase a portion of cellphone network Cell C.
  
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• Do automakers have the mettle to harness potentially lucrative data?

  25-11-2016 15:50
  
  When cars exit the tunnel of the next 15 years, they'll be like giant smartphones.
  
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• Svalbard sees 'shocking' temperatures near freezing point

  25-11-2016 15:41
  
  The Arctic archipelago of Svalbard has seen such extreme warmth this year that the average annual temperature could end up above freezing for the first time on record, scientists said Friday.
  
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• Sensors to measure 'fan quakes' at Michigan-Ohio State game

  25-11-2016 15:40
  
  Ohio Stadium is sure to be rocking on Saturday when Ohio State and Michigan take the football field, and geologists will find out just how much through the use of seismographs.
  
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• How the Brits Black Friday Shop Online

  25-11-2016 15:35 via nbcnews.com
  
  Brits are topping last year's Black Friday online sales.
  
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• New 3-D structure shows optimal way to divide space

  25-11-2016 15:20
  
  (Phys.org)—Researchers have discovered a new 3D structure that divides space into 24 regions, and have shown that it is the best solution yet to a modified version of a geometrical space-partitioning problem that has challenged researchers for more than a century.
  
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• Fin24.com | Best tech deals between #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday

  25-11-2016 15:09
  
  Tech-lovers can get their fix of Black Friday sales with discounted gadgets from smartphones to TV sets, most of which are expected to last until Cyber Monday.
  
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• New TV tech promises better picture for mainstream consumers

  25-11-2016 15:00
  
  If all you want for Christmas is a TV whose picture hops off the screen, this could be your year.
  
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• Airlines, Resorts, Hotels Roll Out Black Friday Deals

  25-11-2016 15:00 via nbcnews.com
  
  Hotels, resorts, cruise lines, airlines are offering hot Black Friday deals this year.
  
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• Save on Cyber Monday (Which Starts Friday)

  25-11-2016 14:20 via nbcnews.com
  
  If all those Cyber Monday deals sound overwhelming, we've got key tips for you to make the most of this online shopping holiday.
  
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• Cleaning equipment-maker hopes to introduce industrial-sized Roomba-like floor scrubber

  25-11-2016 14:20
  
  New robotics technology is seeping into every part of manufacturing - even the cleaning of the factory floors and assembly lines.
  
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• Review: Backbeat Pro 2 shows just how good wireless headphones are getting

  25-11-2016 13:30
  
  So Apple has taken the lead and announced that wired headphones are headed toward extinction (not really), but if wireless headphones are the future, I like where things are headed.
  
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• flightSpeak app guides travelers through airports

  25-11-2016 12:50
  
  What: flightSpeak, an app to help you navigate any airport
  
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• Fin24.com | No credit history? No problem: Lenders start peering at phone data

  25-11-2016 12:48
  
  Financial institutions, overcoming some initial trepidation about privacy, are increasingly gauging consumers’ creditworthiness by using phone-company data on calling patterns and locations.
  
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• Fin24.com | SA's ICT spend to top the Mideast, Africa in 2017

  25-11-2016 12:47
  
  The country is expected to have the the highest information, technology and communications spend across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa in 2017.
  
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• Why has ragweed—a highly allergenic plant—been spreading so quickly?

  25-11-2016 12:31
  
  Why has ragweed – a highly allergenic plant – been spreading so quickly? Researcher Michael Martin took a six-week road trip across the USA and collected 1000 samples of the plant from roadsides and herbaria to answer that exact question. 
  
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• Promoting parasites: Researchers' quest to identify freshwater fish parasites in Japan

  25-11-2016 12:10
  
  Hiroshima University scientists have identified a new species of parasite infecting an invasive freshwater fish on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan. The results are part of a project to find parasites that have arrived in Japan with their non-native hosts and understand the role of parasites in natural ecosystems.Tracking parasites can be one scientific method to monitor ecosystem health and attempt to conserve biodiversity.
  
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• Researchers pioneer alternate use for sugarcane waste

  25-11-2016 12:01
  
  From Britain to Mexico, countries are considering sugar taxes to reduce consumption and curb the global obesity epidemic. In 2014, about 600 million people, roughly double the population of the United States, were obese. Addressing the problem earlier this year, the World Health Organization pointed the finger at high sugar consumption, in particular through sugar-sweetened beverages.
  
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• New capillarity effects in ideal gases solve an old mathematical mystery

  25-11-2016 12:00
  
  A Mathematician from the University of Leicester, Alexander Gorban, along with a physicist from ETH Zürich, Ilya Karlin, have challenged traditional concepts of micro and macro worlds and demonstrated how ideal gas unexpectedly exhibits capillarity properties.
  
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• Binge-eating bacteria extract energy from sewage

  25-11-2016 12:00
  
  New research shows that sewage contains a source of energy that can be harvested by using hungry bacteria.
  
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• Defining conservation priorities in tropical and biodiversity rich countries

  25-11-2016 11:57
  
  Rich in biodiversity, with a rapidly growing economy, Malaysia exemplifies the tension between conservation and economic development faced by many tropical countries.
  
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• Indian court bans firecracker sales in smog-hit Delhi

  25-11-2016 11:54
  
  India's top court ordered a temporary ban on the sale of firecrackers in New Delhi on Friday, after air quality reached crisis levels in the world's most polluted capital.
  
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• Greenpeace urges UK microbead ban to protect ocean life

  25-11-2016 11:54
  
  Environmental group Greenpeace is calling for a ban in Britain on plastic "microbeads", found in many cosmetics, which they warn pollute the oceans and poison marine life.
  
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• Vietnam seizes smuggled ivory hidden with wax, wood nails

  25-11-2016 11:53
  
  Vietnamese authorities have seized 619 kilograms (1,362 pounds) of ivory smuggled from Africa after finding 4 tons at the same port over the past two months, state media and an official said Friday.
  
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• Bangladesh says Uber 'illegal', days after launch

  25-11-2016 11:53
  
  Bangladesh said Friday the Uber ride-sharing service was operating "illegally", just days after it launched in the capital.
  
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• Homes storing CO2, just like trees

  25-11-2016 11:52
  
  Houses built with bio-based materials, such as timber, straw and hemp, act as CO2 banks. Experts explain how citizens can become custodians of atmospheric carbon dioxide and thus help reduce air pollution
  
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• Sampling species' DNA trails is leading to better environmental monitoring

  25-11-2016 11:51
  
  Using a technique that can tell if a species has passed by from just a sample of water, scientists are developing new ways to assess ecosystems.
  
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• Graphene coated motorcycle helmet launched

  25-11-2016 11:50
  
  The Graphene Flagship presents an early success story in translating graphene's properties to marketable technologies. This autumn sees the commercial launch of a motorcycle helmet that benefits from the inclusion of graphene. Created from a collaboration between Graphene Flagship partner Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Italian luxury design company Momodesign this helmet will be on show at the Graphene Flagship Pavilion at the Composites Europe show from the 29 November to 1 December
  
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• Enough is enough—stem cell factor Nanog knows when to slow down

  25-11-2016 11:43
  
  The transcription factor Nanog plays a crucial role in the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. Previously unclear was how its protein abundance is regulated in the cells. Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich, working in collaboration with colleagues from ETH Zürich, now report in Cell Systems that the more Nanog there is on hand, the less reproduction there is.
  
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• Development of a triarylmethane compound for possible control of plant growth

  25-11-2016 11:41
  
  Arising from a collaboration between plant and animal biologists, and organic chemists at ITbM, Nagoya University, the group succeeded in developing a new compound, a triarylmethane that can rapidly inhibit cell division in plants. This compound was found to selectively inhibit cell division in plant cells with respect to animal cells. Having a reversible cell inhibiting property, this triarylmethane could be a potential candidate for developing new agrochemicals that can control plant growth.
  
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• Pink balls in day-night cricket could challenge players at sunset

  25-11-2016 11:40
  
  Cricket is a great game but it can be dangerous so anything that can reduce the potential risk to players in the game should be considered.
  
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