Sci-Tech news

• San Diego State botanists name plant discovery after Jimi Hendrix

  28-12-2016 23:50
  
  A succulent discovered in Mexico more than 20 years ago by San Diego State University botany students may look small, but its name evokes a towering figure in music.
  
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• Obama names Utah, Nevada monuments despite opposition

  28-12-2016 23:47
  
  President Barack Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West, marking the administration's latest move to protect environmentally sensitive areas in its final days.
  
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• Obama names Utah, Nevada monuments despite GOP opposition (Update)

  28-12-2016 23:47
  
  President Barack Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West, marking the administration's latest move to protect environmentally sensitive areas in its final days.
  
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• President Barack Obama Names New National Monuments on Sacred Tribal Lands in Utah and Archaeological Sites in Nevada

  28-12-2016 23:45 via abcnews.go.com
  President Barack Obama names new national monuments on sacred tribal lands in Utah and archaeological sites in Nevada
  
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• Amazon Alexa May Be a Witness to Murder

  28-12-2016 23:45 via abcnews.go.com
  
  Authorities investigating the death of an Arkansas man whose body was found in a hot tub want to expand the probe to include a new kind of evidence: any comments overheard by the suspect's Amazon Echo smart speaker
  
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• 10,000 fish in two Maryland rivers have died in recent days

  28-12-2016 23:40
  
  Thousands of fish have died in recent days in the Gunpowder and Bird rivers in eastern Baltimore County, and officials believe a toxic algae bloom is to blame.
  
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• How robots will change the workforce

  28-12-2016 23:36
  
  Thirty of the world's top scientists are scheduled to meet at the University of California at San Diego in February to discuss the toughest challenges in robotics and automation, including how to make driverless cars safe for a mass audience.
  
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• Pokemon Go, Trump top Google trend list

  28-12-2016 22:54
  
  The past year was a big one for Donald Trump, but also for Pokemon Go.
  
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• Alexa a witness to murder? Prosecutors seek Amazon Echo data

  28-12-2016 22:54
  
  Authorities investigating the death of an Arkansas man whose body was found in a hot tub want to expand the probe to include a new kind of evidence: any comments overheard by the suspect's Amazon Echo smart speaker.
  
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• This App Is Revolutionizing Diagnoses of Rare Diseases

  28-12-2016 21:52 via nbcnews.com
  
  Face2Gene's algorithms map points on a patient's face, compare those points with a database containing points from thousands of other faces, and suggest potential diagnoses for rare genetic diseases.
  
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• OSCE victim of 'major' cyber attack

  28-12-2016 21:03
  
  The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an international election and war monitor, said Wednesday it had become the latest global institution to suffer a "major" cyber attack.
  
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• Avoid dull snapshots: Tips for taking stunning pictures

  28-12-2016 21:02
  
  Smartphone cameras have seen dramatic improvements, but technology alone won't produce shots that grab attention.
  
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• Alexa, Whodunit? Amazon Echo Could Play Role in Murder Case

  28-12-2016 20:13 via nbcnews.com
  
  The case against James Bates is gaining national attention after prosecutors confirmed there is an active warrant to obtain data from his Amazon Echo.
  
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• Study provides evidence on movement of potato famine pathogen

  28-12-2016 20:00
  
  New North Carolina State University research delves into the movement and evolution of the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, which set down roots in the United States before attacking Europe.
  
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• Where to sell your unwanted stuff online and earn extra cash

  28-12-2016 19:51
  
  If you're cleaning out your closets for the new year, or need some spare cash after the holidays, your old stuff can help fill up your wallet.
  
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• Predicting and preventing violence against criminal justice officials

  28-12-2016 19:50
  
  A "triage tool" that can help law enforcement more accurately assess threats of violence and predict attacks against police, judges, and other criminal justice officials can lead to better preventive measures. The violence risk factors and risk management strategies that form the basis for an effective approach to minimizing such targeted attacks are described in the article "Threat to Criminal Justice Officials: If It Is Predictable, It Is Preventable," published in Violence and Gender.
  
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• In Spain first, Madrid bans half of cars to fight smog

  28-12-2016 19:50
  
  Madrid's city hall announced Wednesday it had ordered half of most private cars off the roads to fight a particularly bad bout of pollution, a first in Spain.
  
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• Economics of forest biomass raise hurdles for rural development

  28-12-2016 19:48
  
  The use of residual forest biomass for rural development faces significant economic hurdles that make it unlikely to be a source of jobs in the near future, according to an analysis by economists at Oregon State University.
  
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• NASA Maps Typhoon Nock-ten's lifetime rainfall as storm fades

  28-12-2016 19:42
  
  NASA has added up the large amounts of rainfall generated throughout the life of the once Super-typhoon Nock-ten from its birth to its entrance into the South China Sea on Dec. 27.
  
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• Fin24.com | Vodacom slashes client's data bill by R20 000

  28-12-2016 17:20
  
  A Fin24 user is happy that Vodacom has given him some golden treatment with a massive discount on an unexpected costly data bill.
  
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• 'Latest spoke in the wheel' drives brain-mapping advances

  28-12-2016 16:44
  
  Advances in microscopy techniques have often triggered important discoveries in the field of neuroscience, enabling vital insights in understanding the brain and promising new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. A special section on "Super-resolution Microscopy of Neural Structure and Function" in the current issue of the journal Neurophotonics, published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, details this work in reports on ground
  
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• A 'small data' approach to energy saving for industry

  28-12-2016 16:35
  
  With his eyes gazing at the countryside in County Meath, a dozen miles north-west of Dublin, Vincent Murray, project technical leader at IES, is fully immersed in industrial environments. He is one of the developers of the company's simulation tool for energy saving in factories, now being deployed across three demo sites in the textile, food and foundry sectors, supported by the REEMAIN project.
  
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• 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 1... An extra second to see out 2016

  28-12-2016 16:29
  
  As if 2016 has not been long enough, the year's dying minute will last an extra second to make up for time lost to Earth's slowing rotation, timekeepers say.
  
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• New data-mining strategy that offers unprecedented pattern search speed could glean new insights from massive datasets

  28-12-2016 16:28
  
  Searching for recurring patterns in network systems has become a fundamental part of research and discovery in fields as diverse as biology and social media. KAUST researchers have developed a pattern or graph-mining framework that promises to significantly speed up searches on massive network data sets.
  
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• Miniscule amounts of impurities in vacuum greatly affecting OLED lifetime

  28-12-2016 15:29
  
  Reproducibility is a necessity for science but has often eluded researchers studying the lifetime of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Recent research from Japan sheds new light on why: impurities present in the vacuum chamber during fabrication but in amounts so small that they are easily overlooked.
  
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• Strip tillage, rowcovers for organic cucurbit production

  28-12-2016 15:28
  
  Plasticulture systems, the use of polyethylene mulch on raised beds with drip irrigation, are common in the production of many cucurbit crops in the Northeastern US. Plasticulture systems have numerous benefits, but concerns about costs and the environmental impacts of plastic disposal, along with expenses related to system installation, are motivating scientists to find alternatives. To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of alternative systems on cucurbit production, Pennsylvania State
  
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• Lotus stir-fry scores high in consumer panels

  28-12-2016 15:23
  
  Lotus, an aquatic perennial vegetable native to many subtropical and temperate zones, is cultivated extensively throughout Asia. Lotus rhizomes, stems, flowers, seeds, and young leaves are in great demand, and are considered a dietary vegetable staple in many Asian cultures because of their high content of protein, amino acids, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, carotenoids, and macro/micronutrients. A new report in HortTechnology found there may be a niche market for locally grown lotus am
  
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• Management practices recommended for specialty cider apples

  28-12-2016 15:22
  
  The hard cider industry is experiencing remarkable growth; statistics show that US hard cider production increased 22-fold from 2007-2015. To meet consumer demand for specialty cider apples, producers in the US are investigating innovative orchard practices that can help specialty apple growers minimize production costs. A study from researchers at The Department of Horticulture at Washington State University contains cider apple harvesting and storage recommendations that can inform orchard man
  
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• Traffic management solutions for drones in Singapore's airspace

  28-12-2016 13:30
  
  With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones gaining popularity globally for commercial, recreational and industry purposes, hundreds of UAVs may soon be buzzing all over Singapore.
  
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• Comet U1 NEOWISE—a possible binocular comet?

  28-12-2016 13:20
  
  Well, it looks like we'll close out 2016 without a great 'Comet of the Century.' One of the final discoveries of the year did, however, grab our attention, and may present a challenging target through early 2017: Comet U1 NEOWISE.
  
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• Conservation agriculture leads to remarkable improvement in crop production and livelihood of farmers in Bangladesh

  28-12-2016 13:19
  
  Bangladesh, one of the densest countries in terms of population with about 1000 people living per square kilometre, has always been under huge pressure to feed its growing population. Intensive agricultural practice, which involves mono-cropping and use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, helped boost productivity initially. However, these approaches involved little or no replenishments of used up organic matter and so generations of unsustainable farming methods have resulted in deteriorati
  
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• Lithuanian 'Elves' Combat Russian Influence Online

  28-12-2016 13:15 via abcnews.go.com
  Lithuanian volunteers who've dubbed themselves "elves" patrol social media to expose fake accounts they accuse of spreading pro-Russia propaganda
  
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• NIST guide provides way to tackle cybersecurity incidents with recovery plan, playbook

  28-12-2016 13:10
  
  "Defense! Defense!" may bethe rallying cry fromcybersecurity teams working to thwart cybersecurity attacks, but perhaps they should be shouting "Recover!Recover!" instead. Attackers are increasingly racking up points against their targets, so the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) has published the Guide for Cybersecurity Event Recoveryto help organizations develop a game plan to contain the opponent and get back on the field quickly.
  
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• Production to consumption energy efficiency for smart cities

  28-12-2016 13:05
  
  By integrating energy management systems the EU funded BESOS project contributes to the efficiency and sustainability of 'smart cities', while further empowering citizens to make informed choices.
  
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• NASA Webb Telescope structure is sound after vibration testing detects anomaly

  28-12-2016 12:54
  
  The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now deemed "sound" and apparently unscathed, engineers have concluded, based on results from a new batch of intensive inspections of the observatory's structure,after concerns were raised in early December when technicians initially detected "anomalous readings" during a preplanned series of vibration tests, NASA announced Dec. 23.
  
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• The lie-detecting security kiosk of the future

  28-12-2016 12:53
  
  When you engage in international travel, you may one day find yourself face-to-face with border security that is polite, bilingual and responsive—and robotic.
  
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• Sociolinguist investigates drivers of language change

  28-12-2016 12:50
  
  Kiribati is a long way away from my university in Bern – over 9,000 miles away as the crow flies. Though you can't actually fly straight there, as you have to change planes several times, including in Australia. Air Nauru then brings you to an airport on the Tarawa Atoll. When I visited there in 2015, I travelled the last few miles in a canoe. I then spent three months with Amon, Tekinati and their children in their huts made out of palm and pandanus leaves. I call them my Kiribati family
  
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• Image: Northern lights over Canada

  28-12-2016 12:48
  
  Just hours after the winter solstice, a mass of energetic particles from the Sun smashed into the magnetic field around Earth. The strong solar wind stream stirred up a display of northern lights over northern Canada.
  
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• Experts highlight link between language and race in new book

  28-12-2016 12:48
  
  Anthropologist Samy Alim argues that the relationship between race, language and racism plays such a key role in reflecting and defining the way human societies are structured that it deserves study as a separate field, which he calls "raciolinguistics."
  
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• Cover crop costs recovered on Rolling Plains cotton

  28-12-2016 12:45
  
  Adoption of cover crops in the Rolling Plains has been slow as questions persist on water use and benefits. But after compiling economic data this past year, one Texas A&M AgriLife researcher is asking producers, "Can you afford not to adopt cover crops?"
  
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• 2016—the year in space and astronomy

  28-12-2016 12:43
  
  The achievements of astrophysicists this year were as groundbreaking as they were varied. From reuniting a lander with a mothership on a comet, to seeing the most extreme cosmic events with gravitational waves, 2016 was truly out of this world for science.
  
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• A raincoat for houses

  28-12-2016 12:20
  
  The construction industry is preparing to use textiles from the clothing and footwear industries. Gore-Tex-like membranes, which are usually found in weather-proof jackets and trekking shoes, are now being studied to build breathable, water-resistant walls. Tyvek is one such synthetic textile being used as a "raincoat" for homes.
  
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• Crossing borders to crowdfund renewables

  28-12-2016 12:05
  
  Today energy crowdfunding platforms and investors experience many problems if they want to finance projects that cross the legal boundaries between the EU member states. International experts are striving to harmonise to European regulations in the sector
  
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• Carbon dioxide conversion process may be adapted for biofuel synthesis

  28-12-2016 12:00
  
  Using a novel approach involving a key enzyme that helps regulate global nitrogen, University of California, Irvine molecular biologists have discovered an effective way to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO) that can be adapted for commercial applications like biofuel synthesis.
  
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• Physicists measure the loss of dark matter since the birth of the universe

  28-12-2016 11:52
  
  Russian scientists have discovered that the proportion of unstable particles in the composition of dark matter in the days immediately following the Big Bang was no more than 2 percent to 5 percent. Their study has been published in Physical Review D.
  
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• Dental implants with antibacterial activity

  28-12-2016 11:52
  
  The quest for surfaces capable of preventing bacterial colonisation and adhesion around dental implants is a subject of research interest, according to Beatriz Palla, a researcher in the Biomaterials Group of the UPV/EHU's Department of Polymer Science and Technology. About 10 percent of implants have to be removed due to osseointegration problems or to the onset of infections.
  
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• A cloud-screening scheme for for the Chinese Carbon Dioxide Observation Satellite (TanSat)

  28-12-2016 11:52
  
  Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas, and a source of atmospheric warming due to the rapid increase in its atmospheric concentrations. China has launched its first mini-satellite dedicated to carbon dioxide detection and monitoring at 15:22 UTC on December 22, 2016. The Chinese Carbon Dioxide Observation Satellite (TANSAT) was designed to focus on the global observation of CO2. For retrieving carbon dioxide from TANSAT observations, cloud detection is an essential preprocessing step.
  
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• Did cavemen use toothpicks?

  28-12-2016 11:15
  
  Researchers say they've found evidence that ancient human relatives used toothpicks.
  
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• Fin24.com | Takealot apologises for late Christmas deliveries

  28-12-2016 10:57
  
  Online shopping site, takealot.com has apologised to customers who had not received packages before Christmas.
  
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• China in biggest-ever pangolin scale seizure: reports

  28-12-2016 10:15
  
  Chinese customs seized over three tonnes of pangolin scales, state media said, in the country's biggest-ever smuggling case involving the animal parts.
  
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