Sci-Tech news

• Aerial drones reveal sharks in shallow water

  25-01-2017 23:45
  
  Answers about shark populations could come from the skies, new research finds.
  
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• Apple legal fight with Qualcomm spreads to China (Update)

  25-01-2017 23:10
  
  Apple on Wednesday took its legal war with Qualcomm to China, filing lawsuits there accusing the chip-making giant of illegally wielding monopoly power.
  
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• Apple legal fight with Qualcomm spreads to China

  25-01-2017 23:10
  
  Apple on Wednesday took its legal war with Qualcomm to China, filing lawsuits there accusing the chip-making giant of illegally wielding monopoly power.
  
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• EPA science under scrutiny by Trump political staff

  25-01-2017 23:06
  
  The Trump administration is mandating that any studies or data from scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency undergo review by political appointees before they can be released to the public.
  
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• Rolling robots could soon be making deliveries in Virginia

  25-01-2017 23:05
  
  Robots about the size of a beer cooler could soon be rolling down Virginia sidewalks to deliver sandwiches, groceries or packages.
  
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• Largest US offshore wind farm gets green light

  25-01-2017 23:05
  
  Local authorities approved the largest offshore wind farm in the United States on Wednesday, to be located near Long Island and capable of powering some 50,000 households.
  
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• Agricultural fires in Brazil harm infant health, a warning for the developing world

  25-01-2017 22:53
  
  Pollution from the controlled fires that burn across Brazil's São Paulo state during the sugarcane-harvesting season has a negative impact on infant health nearby. But the health of those same infants likely benefits from the economic opportunities the fires bring to their parents.
  
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• Antarctic bottom waters freshening at unexpected rate

  25-01-2017 22:50
  
  In the cold depths along the sea floor, Antarctic Bottom Waters are part of a global circulatory system, supplying oxygen-, carbon- and nutrient-rich waters to the world's oceans. Over the last decade, scientists have been monitoring changes in these waters. But a new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) suggests these changes are themselves shifting in unexpected ways, with potentially significant consequences for the ocean and climate.
  
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• A crab's eye view of rising tides in a changing world

  25-01-2017 22:45
  
  Coastal ecosystems and aquifers will be greatly affected by climate change, not only from rising temperatures and more volatile weather, including changes in precipitation patterns, but also from sea level rise.
  
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• The strings that bind us: Cytofilaments connect cell nucleus to extracellular microenvironment

  25-01-2017 22:37
  
  It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but new images of structural fibers inside a cell may represent more than a million words from hundreds of research papers spanning the past three decades.
  
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• Ancient, scary and alien-looking specimen forms a rarity in the insect world—a new order

  25-01-2017 22:33
  
  Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a 100-million-year-old insect preserved in amber with a triangular head, almost-alien and "E.T.-like" appearance and features so unusual that it has been placed in its own scientific "order" - an incredibly rare event.
  
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• Americans split on whether US will be viewed as leader in science under President Trump

  25-01-2017 22:28
  
  A new survey shows Americans are split on whether the U.S. will be seen as the global leader in science and innovation under President Donald Trump; 41% of Americans agree, 40% disagree and 19% are not sure. Those in agreement include a strong majority of Republicans (70%) compared to Independents (34%) and Democrats (19%), according to the survey commissioned by Research!America. When asked if great strides in science and innovation will continue while Donald Trump is President, opinions were a
  
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• New class of materials could revolutionize biomedical, alternative energy industries

  25-01-2017 22:27
  
  Polyhedral boranes, or clusters of boron atoms bound to hydrogen atoms, are transforming the biomedical industry. These manmade materials have become the basis for the creation of cancer therapies, enhanced drug delivery and new contrast agents needed for radioimaging and diagnosis. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has discovered an entirely new class of materials based on boranes that might have widespread potential applications, including improved diagnostic tools for cancer and
  
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• Invasive beetle species in Hawaii can now be identified faster with new genetic test

  25-01-2017 22:21
  
  Researchers at the University of Hawaii have developed a new genetic-testing method for identifying the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle, which promises to be much faster than existing physical identification methods. The new tool, reported in the Journal of Economic Entomology, could be a significant step toward keeping the species—a damaging pest to coconut palm trees that was first seen in Hawaii in 2013—from becoming widespread.
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg Says He Won't Be the Next Billionaire President

  25-01-2017 20:57 via nbcnews.com
  
  The Facebook CEO sets the record straight on his political ambitions.
  
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• Boeing Unveils New Spacesuits for Starliner Astronaut Taxi (Photos) - Space.com

  25-01-2017 20:48 via space.com
  
  Space.com
  Boeing Unveils New Spacesuits for Starliner Astronaut Taxi (Photos)
  Space.com
  The NASA astronauts who fly aboard Boeing's new spaceship will wear sleek, blue suits that are lighter, simpler and more comfortable than the bulky orange gear of the space shuttle era, company representatives said. Unveiled today (Jan. 25), the new ...
  This is the bright blue Boeing spacesuit astronauts will wear en route to the ISSThe Verge
  Here are Boeing's new slim, touchscreen-friendly spacesuitsMa
  
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• In Silicon Valley, Uncertainty and Scrutiny for President Trump

  25-01-2017 20:36 via nbcnews.com
  
  Less than one week into the Trump administration, it appears one of Silicon Valley's hard-fought victories may already be doomed.
  
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• Future of Giant Radio Telescope in Puerto Rico in Limbo

  25-01-2017 20:15 via abcnews.go.com
  The future of one of the world's largest single-dish radio telescopes has been called into question after the U.S. National Science Foundation announced it was formally seeking someone to operate the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
  
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• Apollo 1's Crew: a Mercury Astronaut, Spacewalker and Rookie

  25-01-2017 20:15 via abcnews.go.com
  The three astronauts killed 50 years ago this week in the first U.S. space tragedy represented NASA's finest
  
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• Studies offer new hope for diagnosis of Chiari-malformation in toy dog breeds

  25-01-2017 20:00
  
  Researchers from the University Of Surrey School Of Veterinary Medicine have made advances in the study of the Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia disorder in toy dogs.
  
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• Nonresident seabirds forage along the continental shelf break in Central California

  25-01-2017 20:00
  
  Nonresident seabirds in Central California concentrate their foraging along the continental shelf break, according to a study published January 25, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anna Studwell who has worked jointly with colleagues at Point Blue Conservation Science, the SFSU Department of Geography & Environment, and the Romberg Tiburon Center, USA.
  
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• 'Knitted muscles' provide power

  25-01-2017 20:00
  
  Researchers have coated normal fabric with an electroactive material, and in this way given it the ability to actuate in the same way as muscle fibres. The technology opens new opportunities to design "textile muscles" that could, for example, be incorporated into clothes, making it easier for people with disabilities to move. The study, which has been carried out by researchers at Linköping University and the University of Borås in Sweden, has been published in Science Advances.
  
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• Expansion of Australian reserves for fairy possums might be at expense of other species

  25-01-2017 20:00
  
  Current nature reserves are not very suitable for the critically endangered Critically Endangered Leadbeater's Possum, but expansion of nature reserves might come at the expense of other Australian forest species, according to a study published January 25, 2017 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Chris Taylor and Natasha Cadenhead from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues.
  
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• New study highlights need to increase female peer reviewers

  25-01-2017 19:50
  
  Publishers of scholarly journals should take additional steps to get more women to serve as peer reviewers of manuscripts, according to a new analysis by the American Geophysical Union showing women across all age groups have fewer opportunities than men to participate in this career-building activity.
  
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• Floating towards water treatment

  25-01-2017 19:48
  
  Floating wetlands may seem odd but are perfectly natural. They occur when mats of vegetation break free from the shore of a body of water. That got ecological engineers curious about how they affect the water they bob up and down in.
  
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• This Is the System Keeping Your Credit Cards Safe

  25-01-2017 19:46 via nbcnews.com
  
  Because they are often on the hook for fraudulent charges, the major credit card companies rely on intricate algorithms designed to trigger an alert when suspicious purchases have been made.
  
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• Video game ratings work, if you use them

  25-01-2017 19:25
  
  Nearly every video game sold or downloaded comes with a rating that provides age-appropriate guidelines based on the game's content. Critics have questioned the effectiveness of ratings, but new research from Iowa State University indicates the rating system is a beneficial tool.
  
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• NASA Displays Apollo Capsule Hatch 50 Years After Fatal Fire

  25-01-2017 19:22 via abcnews.go.com
  
  A relic from America's first space tragedy is finally going on display this week, 50 years after the fire that killed three astronauts
  
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• Getting by with a little help from their friends

  25-01-2017 19:22
  
  After big winter storms, clumps of kelp forests often wash ashore along the Southern California coast. Contrary to the devastation these massive piles of seaweed might indicate, new research suggests the kelp may rebound pretty quickly, with help from neighboring beds.
  
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• When it comes to predators, size matters

  25-01-2017 19:18
  
  Marine reserves play an important role in sustaining ecosystem diversity and abundance. Their presence enables certain species to return to a natural size structure, which enables predators to control destructive prey.
  
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• Geophysicists Resolve the Mystery About Wind Flows on Jupiter

  25-01-2017 19:15 via scitechdaily.com
  Using a spinning table and a massive garbage can, new experiments simulated Jupiter’s swirling winds in the laboratory for the first time. The results demonstrate that the winds likely extend thousands of miles below Jupiter’s visible atmosphere. Jupiter’s colorful, swirling winds known as “jets” have long puzzled astronomers. One mystery has been whether the jets […]
  The post Geophysicists Resolve the Mystery About Wind Flows on Jupiter appeared first on Sci
  
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• Exceptionally preserved Jurassic sea life found in new fossil site

  25-01-2017 19:13
  
  A trove of exceptionally preserved Jurassic marine fossils discovered in Canada, rare for recording soft-bodied species that normally don't fossilize, is expanding scientists' view of the rich marine life of the period.
  
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• Are social networking sites good platforms for providing social support?

  25-01-2017 19:09
  
  A critical review of 10 years of research on social support via social networking sites led to the identification of current trends and the development of recommendations to guide future research. Key themes, including the role of social networks as avenues of social support and the dynamic relationship between the two, are examined in an article published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
  
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• When jumping spiders show their true colors, biologists look through the lens for the reasons

  25-01-2017 19:08
  
  While most arachnophiles will likely find tiny spider dancers who can "swagger like Jagger" entertaining, it's more than the dance that captures the fascination of one NSF-funded University of Cincinnati researcher.
  
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• Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior

  25-01-2017 19:03 via scitechdaily.com
  New research from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development shows that adolescents are more likely to ignore information that could prompt them to rethink risky decisions, helping to explain why information campaigns on risky behaviors such as drug abuse tend to have only limited success. Reckless driving, binge drinking, drug taking—it is well known […]
  The post Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior appeared first on
  
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• Switching between freezing and flight

  25-01-2017 19:00
  
  Andreas Lüthi and his group at the FMI have identified two types of neurons in the amygdala, each of which generates a distinct fear response – freezing or flight. In addition, these two cell types interact, thus creating a balance, which shifts in one direction or the other, depending on the particular situation. The researchers' findings were published today in Nature.
  
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• Study reveals that climate change could dramatically alter fragile mountain habitats

  25-01-2017 19:00
  
  Mountain regions of the world are under direct threat from human-induced climate change which could radically alter these fragile habitats, warn an international team of researchers—including an expert from The University of Manchester.
  
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• Scholars show new method of harvesting crowd wisdom

  25-01-2017 19:00
  
  The wisdom of crowds is not always perfect. But two scholars at MIT's Sloan Neuroeconomics Lab, along with a colleague at Princeton University, have found a way to make it better.
  
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• Genome secrets of elusive human malaria species revealed

  25-01-2017 19:00
  
  The genomes of the two least common species of human malaria parasites are revealed today in Nature by a team of scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their international collaborators. These sequences will enable improved surveillance and diagnosis of these rarer parasites that still cause more than 10 million malaria cases every year.
  
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• First step towards photonic quantum network

  25-01-2017 19:00
  
  Advanced photonic nanostructures are well on their way to revolutionising quantum technology for quantum networks based on light. Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have now developed the first building blocks needed to construct complex quantum photonic circuits for quantum networks. This rapid development in quantum networks is highlighted in an article in the journal Nature.
  
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• NASA’s NuSTAR Reveals New Clues to ‘Chameleon Supernova’

  25-01-2017 18:41 via scitechdaily.com
  
  NASA’s NuSTAR satellite reveals new clues to why supernova SN 2014C dramatically changed in appearance over the course of a year. “We’re made of star stuff,” astronomer Carl Sagan famously said. Nuclear reactions that happened in ancient stars generated much of the material that makes up our bodies, our planet and our solar system. When […]
  The post NASA’s NuSTAR Reveals New Clues to ‘Chameleon Supernova’ appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Fin24.com | Vodacom ‘considers’ selling R15bn stake in BEE deal

  25-01-2017 17:57
  
  Vodacom is considering the sale of a R15bn stake in what would be one of the country’s biggest ever deals aimed at boosting black participation in the economy.
  
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• Chase, Mint reach deal for faster, more secure data-sharing

  25-01-2017 17:32
  
  Bank customers who use Chase but also want to take advantage of financial tools like Mint or TurboTax will soon be able to send their data faster and more securely between the two companies.
  
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• How water can split into two liquids below zero

  25-01-2017 17:31
  
  Did you know that water can still remain liquid below zero degrees Celsius? It is called supercooled water and is present in refrigerators. At even smaller temperatures, supercooled water could exist as a cocktail of two distinct liquids. Unfortunately, the presence of ice often prevents us from observing this phenomenon. So physicists had the idea of replicating the tetrahedral shape of water molecules—using DNA as a scaffold to create tetrahedral molecules—and thus removing the int
  
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• Switching is not so simple: 100% renewable energy sources require overcapacity

  25-01-2017 17:30
  
  Germany decided to go nuclear-free by 2022. A CO2-emission-free electricity supply system based on intermittent sources, such as wind and solar - or photovoltaic (PV) - power could replace nuclear power. However, these sources depend on the weather conditions. In a new study published in EPJ Plus, Fritz Wagner from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Germany analysed weather conditions using 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 data derived from the electricity supply system itself, instead of r
  
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• Global shark attacks drop to recent average in 2016

  25-01-2017 17:30
  
  After 2015's record-busting 98 shark attacks, calmer waters prevailed in 2016. The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File reported 81 unprovoked attacks worldwide, in line with the five-year average of about 82 incidents annually.
  
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• NASA restarts rigorous vibration testing on the James Webb Space Telescope

  25-01-2017 16:46
  
  Testing on the James Webb Space Telescope successfully resumed last week at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland.
  
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• President's Backers, Critics Power #ThankYouTrump Trend

  25-01-2017 16:45 via abcnews.go.com
  A movement to thank President Donald Trump on Twitter for the actions he's taken during his first week in the Oval Office hasn't worked out quite as originally planned
  
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• Senior manager at cybersecurity firm arrested in Moscow

  25-01-2017 16:16
  
  A manager in charge of investigating hacking attacks at Russia's biggest cybersecurity firm has been arrested, the company said Wednesday.
  
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• Sexist, Vulgar Posts on Women's Marches Rebound on Officials

  25-01-2017 16:15 via abcnews.go.com
  Some public officials across the U.S. are facing consequences for social media postings that criticized recent women's marches
  
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