Sci-Tech news

• Online Holiday Sales Rise 11 Percent to $91.7 Billion

  05-01-2017 23:45
  Online sales during the recently concluded holiday season rose to $91.7 billion, topping 2015's tally by 11 percent
  
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• 6-Year-Old Orders $162 Worth of Goodies While Chatting With Amazon Echo

  05-01-2017 22:55
  
  A Dallas mother was stunned when she discovered her daughter's purchase.
  
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• Shhh, Your Washing Machine Might Overhear You

  05-01-2017 22:45
  As more and more voice-activated devices like the Amazon Echo find their way into U.S. homes, some experts worry that our privacy is at risk
  
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• T-Mobile says unlimited plans will be only option

  05-01-2017 22:27
  
  T-Mobile said unlimited plans will be the only option for new customers even though they are more expensive than some of its old, limited plans.
  
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• NASA flying observatory makes observations of Jupiter previously only possible from space

  05-01-2017 22:19
  
  For the first time since the twin Voyager spacecraft missions in 1979, scientists have produced far-infrared maps of Jupiter using NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA. These maps were created from the researchers' studies of the circulation of gases within the gas giant planet's atmosphere.
  
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• Astronomers discover powerful cosmic double whammy

  05-01-2017 22:17
  
  Astronomers have discovered a cosmic one-two punch unlike any ever seen before. Two of the most powerful phenomena in the Universe, a supermassive black hole, and the collision of giant galaxy clusters, have combined to create a stupendous cosmic particle accelerator.
  
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• How far away is that galaxy? Vast catalog has answers

  05-01-2017 22:15
  
  A team of researchers has compiled a special catalog to help astronomers figure out the true distances to tens of thousands of galaxies beyond our own Milky Way.
  
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• Arctic sea ice loss impacts beluga whale migration

  05-01-2017 21:53
  
  The annual migration of some beluga whales in Alaska is altered by sea ice changes in the Arctic, while other belugas do not appear to be affected.
  
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• Measuring trees with the speed of sound

  05-01-2017 21:52
  
  Living trees can rot from the inside out, leaving only a hollowed trunk. Wood rot in living trees can cause overestimates of global carbon pools, timber loss in forestry, and poor tree health. Understanding wood decay in forests is of special concern in the tropics because tropical forests are estimated to harbor 96% of the world's tree diversity and about 25% of terrestrial carbon, compared to the roughly 10% of carbon held in temperate forests.
  
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• Scientists use light to control the logic networks of a cell

  05-01-2017 21:51
  
  Proteins are the workhorse molecules of life. Among their many jobs, they carry oxygen, build tissue, copy DNA for the next generation, and coordinate events within and between cells. Now scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a method to control proteins inside live cells with the flick of a switch, giving researchers an unprecedented tool for pinpointing the causes of disease using the simplest of tools: light.
  
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• Jury: DuPont should pay Ohio man $10.5M more in cancer suit

  05-01-2017 21:14
  
  A federal jury says DuPont should pay an additional $10.5 million in damages to an Ohio man who says he got testicular cancer because of a chemical used to make Teflon.
  
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• Ski-run surprise: Lynx stroll past crowds in rare sightings

  05-01-2017 21:13
  
  Some elusive lynx have been parading past awe-struck Colorado residents and visitors this winter, electrifying social media and giving biologists reason to smile.
  
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• Unlucky polar bears beset by toxins too

  05-01-2017 21:11
  
  Polar bears just can't catch a break.
  
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• Researchers discover surprising process behind sense of touch

  05-01-2017 21:03
  
  Biologists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a new mechanism that likely underlies how we feel force or touch. Their study suggests that "rafts" of fatty lipids on the cell surface act as compartments to keep certain enzymes from mixing with their binding partners. Disrupt these rafts through touch—also called mechanosensation—and the enzymes will mix with their partners and react, triggering a signal that communicates the touch to respons
  
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• Captured on video: DNA nanotubes build a bridge between two molecular posts

  05-01-2017 20:59
  
  In a microscopic feat that resembled a high-wire circus act, Johns Hopkins researchers have coaxed DNA nanotubes to assemble themselves into bridge-like structures arched between two molecular landmarks on the surface of a lab dish.
  
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• NASA moon data provides more accurate 2017 eclipse path

  05-01-2017 20:57
  
  On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, millions in the U.S. will have their eyes to the sky as they witness a total solar eclipse. The moon's shadow will race across the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina. The path of this shadow, also known as the path of totality, is where observers will see the moon completely cover the sun. And thanks to elevation data of the moon from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, coupled with detailed NASA topography data of Earth, we have the most accurate map
  
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• Research sheds new light on high-altitude settlement in Tibet

  05-01-2017 20:56
  
  Humans likely established permanent settlements on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau between 13,000-7,400 years ago, according to new research published this week in the journal Science.
  
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• Physicists solve decades-old scientific mystery of negative differential resistance

  05-01-2017 20:53
  
  With a storied history that includes more than a half-century of research, a Nobel Prize, and multiple attempts at practical applications, the story of negative differential resistance—or NDR—reads like a scientific mystery, a mystery that University of Alberta physicists have at last succeeded in unraveling.
  
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• Deepest X-ray image ever reveals black hole treasure trove

  05-01-2017 20:52
  
  An unparalleled image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is giving an international team of astronomers the best look yet at the growth of black holes over billions of years beginning soon after the Big Bang. This is the deepest X-ray image ever obtained, collected with about 7 million seconds, or 11 and a half weeks, of Chandra observing time.
  
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• Climate change could trigger strong sea level rise

  05-01-2017 20:37
  
  About 15,000 years ago, the ocean around Antarctica has seen an abrupt sea level rise of several meters. It could happen again. An international team of scientists with the participation of the University of Bonn is now reporting its findings in the magazine Scientific Reports.
  
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• Studies of electron density lead to discovery of disturbing trends in modern computational chemistry

  05-01-2017 20:00
  
  When chemists include some theory in their papers, it usually means that they will perform some quantum-chemical calculations of the participating molecules. This generally means solving a series of extremely complex equations describing the motion of electrons around atomic nuclei to target the energies of the starting molecules and the products.
  
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• South American fossil tomatillos show nightshades evolved earlier than thought

  05-01-2017 20:00
  
  Delicate fossil remains of tomatillos found in Patagonia, Argentina, show that this branch of the economically important family that also includes potatoes, peppers, tobacco, petunias and tomatoes existed 52 million years ago, long before the dates previously ascribed to these species, according to an international team of scientists.
  
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• Scientists crack the structure of HIV machinery

  05-01-2017 20:00
  
  Salk Institute scientists have solved the atomic structure of a key piece of machinery that allows HIV to integrate into human host DNA and replicate in the body, which has eluded researchers for decades. The findings describing this machinery, known as the "intasome," appear January 6, 2017, in Science and yield structural clues informing the development of new HIV drugs.
  
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• Scaling up marine conservation targets should benefit millions of people

  05-01-2017 20:00
  
  About 200 countries worldwide committed to protecting 10% of national marine areas by signing the Convention on Biological Diversity. But more ambitious marine reserve coverage policies that target unprotected fishing grounds would benefit millions of people who depend on fisheries for food and livelihoods, argue the authors of an international study, publishing on January 5 in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
  
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• Chandra’s Newest Image Reveals Black Hole Treasure Trove

  05-01-2017 18:35 via scitechdaily.com
  An unparalleled image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory gives astronomers the best look yet at the growth of black holes over billions of years beginning soon after the Big Bang. This is the deepest X-ray image ever obtained, made with over 7 million seconds of observing time with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. These data give […]
  The post Chandra’s Newest Image Reveals Black Hole Treasure Trove appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• New NASA Mission to Study Black Holes, Cosmic X-ray Mysteries

  05-01-2017 18:08 via scitechdaily.com
  A new NASA mission will allow astronomers to explore the hidden details of some of the most extreme and exotic astronomical objects, such as stellar and supermassive black holes, neutron stars and pulsars. Objects such as black holes can heat surrounding gases to more than a million degrees. The high-energy X-ray radiation from this gas […]
  The post New NASA Mission to Study Black Holes, Cosmic X-ray Mysteries appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Scientists Provide New Insight into Pluto’s Bladed Terrain

  05-01-2017 18:03 via scitechdaily.com
  A team of researchers used a model similar to what meteorologists use to forecast weather and a computer simulation of the physics of evaporating ices to find evidence of snow and ice features on Pluto. Formed by erosion, the features, known as “penitentes,” are bowl-shaped depressions with blade-like spires around the edge that rise several […]
  The post Scientists Provide New Insight into Pluto’s Bladed Terrain appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Hummingbirds see motion in an unexpected way

  05-01-2017 18:00
  
  Have you ever imagined what the world must look like to hummingbirds as they zoom about at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour? According to new evidence on the way the hummingbird brain processes visual signals reported in Current Biology on January 5, you can't. That's because a key area of the hummingbird's brain processes motion in a unique and unexpected way.
  
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• Report finds improvements in Chesapeake Bay's overall health

  05-01-2017 17:27
  
  A new report finds that water clarity in the Chesapeake Bay is the best it's been in decades, and native rockfish, oyster and blue crab populations are rebounding as the overall health of the nation's largest estuary improves.
  
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• The Latest at CES: Unlimited will be only option at T-Mobile

  05-01-2017 17:26
  
  The Latest on the CES gadget show in Las Vegas (all times local):
  
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• The Latest at CES: Skydiving and zombies in virtual reality

  05-01-2017 17:26
  
  The Latest on the CES gadget show in Las Vegas (all times local):
  
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• The Latest at CES: Dell's new way to create with 'Canvas'

  05-01-2017 17:26
  
  The Latest on the CES gadget show in Las Vegas (all times local):
  
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• Fin24.com | IN PICTURES: Tech giants preview new gadgets at CES

  05-01-2017 16:56
  
  Ahead of the start of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, big name tech companies provided a sneak peek into what they plan to launch in 2017.
  
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• Gadget makers offer voice controls through Amazon's Alexa

  05-01-2017 16:44
  
  Amazon doesn't have an official presence at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas but its Alexa voice control software seems to be everywhere.
  
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• Are tiny grazers the new hope for Caribbean reefs?

  05-01-2017 16:42
  
  Thirty years ago a mysterious disease wiped out long-spined black sea urchins across the Caribbean, leading to massive algal overgrowth that smothered already overfished coral reefs. Now, marine biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) report that smaller sea urchins and parrotfish may be taking the place of the large sea urchins, restoring the balance on degraded reefs.
  
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• High-tech mooring will measure beneath Antarctic ice

  05-01-2017 16:39
  
  Earth's oceans have soaked up about a third of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere by humans through use of fossil fuels and other activities. That's good news for those concerned with greenhouse warming, but bad news for the marine life that's sensitive to the increasing acidity extra CO2 brings to ocean waters.
  
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• Females seeking a sex partner can tell whether males experienced stress during adolescence

  05-01-2017 16:37
  
  Sexual preference is influenced by males' adolescent social stress history and social status, according to a research team including Nicole Cameron, assistant professor of psychology at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
  
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• Radar reveals meltwater's year-round life under Greenland ice

  05-01-2017 16:34
  
  When summer temperatures rise in Greenland and the melt season begins, water pools on the surface, and sometimes disappears down holes in the ice. That water may eventually reach bedrock, creating a slipperier, faster slide for glaciers. But where does it go once it gets there, and what happens to it in the winter? A new study helps answer these questions.
  
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• New microscope chemically identifies micron-sized particles

  05-01-2017 16:31
  
  Researchers have developed a microscope that can chemically identify individual micron-sized particles. The new approach could one day be used in airports or other high-security venues as a highly sensitive and low-cost way to rapidly screen people for microscopic amounts of potentially dangerous materials.
  
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• Leaders and managers should be taught how to 'love' their staff

  05-01-2017 16:30
  
  Some 80 per cent of managers think leaders and managers should be taught how to be compassionate, to genuinely care for and to be considerate towards their staff.
  
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• Common terns stay with the same partner for life even though they have poor breeding success

  05-01-2017 16:30
  
  Many birds choose partners for life - it offers many advantages and often improves a couple's breeding output. New research reveals that for the common tern lifelong monogamy does not always lead to breeding success. Nevertheless, they don't split up.
  
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• New model shows companies how to tailor call center service to different customer types

  05-01-2017 16:28
  
  Call centres can be expensive as well as the source of lots of consumer angst. But companies can get more bang for their buck by doing a better job of coordinating marketing decisions that drive customers to call centres with operational ones about handling them once they get there, says a new study from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.
  
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• Biologists reveal important role cities play in conservation of threatened species

  05-01-2017 16:28
  
  The exhaustive international trade of wildlife has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Coincidentally, many of the same species have been introduced to urban centres or wilderness areas outside their natural ranges. In a recent study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, authors from Hong Kong and Australia find that these introduced populations may provide hope for these threatened species.
  
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• Mothers' lack of legal knowledge linked to juvenile re-offending

  05-01-2017 16:27
  
  Youth who commit crimes for the first time are more likely to re-offend if their mothers don't participate in their legal process. Unfortunately, mothers are widely unfamiliar with the juvenile justice system - and those who know the least about the system also participate the least.
  
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• Hong Kong hosts more than a quarter of all marine species recorded in China

  05-01-2017 16:26
  
  Hong Kong is best known as a bustling harbour, a financial centre and a shoppers' paradise, with a dense burgeoning population of seven million impacting its natural environment. Yet, away from the skyscrapers and the pressures of anthropogenic influence, Hong Kong has a record of 5,943 marine species according to a recent review by a research group led by Professor Gray A. Williams of The Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) and School of Biological Sciences, the University of Hong Kong (H
  
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• A colorful yet little known snout moth genus from China with five new species

  05-01-2017 16:24
  
  A group of beautiful snout moths from China was revised by three scientists from the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
  
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• Millions of adults in the UK unhappy in current job but don't do anything about it

  05-01-2017 16:20
  
  New research has today (January 5) revealed that, despite millions of adults claiming to be unhappy in their job, very few actually take steps to make a change.
  
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• Artificial intelligence seen as a key technology to enable better balancing of UK's energy market

  05-01-2017 16:20
  
  Upside Energy and Heriot-Watt University have been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) grant by Innovate UK to maximise the opportunities presented by the emerging energy demand response market.
  
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• Telecommunications light amplifier could strengthen integrity of transmitted data

  05-01-2017 16:18
  
  Imagine a dim light which is insufficiently bright enough to illuminate a room. An amplifier for such a light would increase the brightness by increasing the number of photons emitted. Photonics researchers have created such a high gain optical amplifier that is compact enough to be placed on a chip. The developed amplifier, when used within an optical interconnect such as a transceiver or fiber optic network, would help to efficiently increase the power of the transmitted light before it is com
  
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• Ash dieback—insect threat to fungus-resistant trees

  05-01-2017 16:17
  
  Ash trees which can resist the killer dieback fungus may be more vulnerable to attacks by insects, according to new research.
  
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