Sci-Tech news

• Alphabet's Verily makes smartwatch for health research

  14-04-2017 22:47
  
  Alphabet's life sciences unit Verily on Friday unveiled a wrist-worn "Study Watch" designed to gather complex health data in clinical studies.
  
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• Computers create recipe for two new magnetic materials

  14-04-2017 21:06
  
  Material scientists have predicted and built two new magnetic materials, atom-by-atom, using high-throughput computational models. The success marks a new era for the large-scale design of new magnetic materials at unprecedented speed.
  
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• SAVI camera ditches long lens for distant images

  14-04-2017 20:53
  
  A unique camera that can capture a detailed micron-resolution image from a distance uses a laser and techniques that borrow from holography, microscopy and "Matrix"-style bullet time.
  
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• NASA sees central and south Philippines bracing for Tropical Depression 02W

  14-04-2017 19:55
  
  NASA's Terra satellite passed over newly developed Tropical Depression 02W as it formed east of the central and southern Philippines in the Philippine Sea early on April 14.
  
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• Apple to begin testing self-driving car tech in California

  14-04-2017 19:54
  
  Apple will begin testing self-driving car technology in California, its first public move into a highly competitive field that could radically change transportation.
  
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• Harvard Astronomers Estimate the Lifetimes of Massive Star-Forming Regions

  14-04-2017 19:30 via scitechdaily.com
  
  A team of astronomers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have combined statistical studies of infrared data with submillimeter images to estimate the typical age...
  The post Harvard Astronomers Estimate the Lifetimes of Massive Star-Forming Regions appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Facebook disrupts suspected spam operation

  14-04-2017 19:26
  
  Facebook on Friday said it disrupted an international fake account operation that was firing off inauthentic "likes" and bogus comments to win friends it would then pound with spam.
  
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• NASA examines New Zealand's extreme rainfall as Cyclone Cook's remnants move away

  14-04-2017 19:18
  
  Two extra-tropical cyclones recently dropped very heavy rain over New Zealand, Debbie and Cook. As Cook's remnants continue to move away, NASA analyzed the heavy rainfall generated from the double extra-tropical punch.Tropical cyclone Debbie dumped extreme amounts of rain over the northeastern coast of Australia when it hit the Queensland coast on March 28, 2017. After drenching northeastern Australia Extra-tropical Cyclone Debbie transported a river of water over New Zealand last week. Debbie's
  
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• New method for tapping vast plant pharmacopeia to make more effective drugs

  14-04-2017 19:15
  
  Cocaine, nicotine, capsaicin. These are just three familiar examples of the hundreds of thousands of small molecules (also called specialized or secondary metabolites) that plants use as chemical ammunition to protect themselves from predation.
  
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• Helping students learn by sketching

  14-04-2017 19:14
  
  Although sketching exercises can help students learn many subjects, they are woefully underused in classrooms.
  
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• Wisconsin turns to Minnesota for new blood to restore grouse

  14-04-2017 19:12
  
  The entertaining springtime ritual of male sharp-tailed grouse twirling, nodding and strutting their stuff on the prairie to impress the ladies isn't as common a sight in Wisconsin as it used to be. So biologists are bringing in new blood from Minnesota to provide an isolated flock with a shot at survival.
  
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• The Algorithms That Could Slash Your Tax Bill

  14-04-2017 18:20 via nbcnews.com
  
  Managing finances can be complicated - especially when planning for the future. But machine intelligence is changing the game. There are algorithms that can make investments for you and maybe even help you save on your tax bill.
  
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• NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Views Lakebeds in Holden Crater

  14-04-2017 17:54 via scitechdaily.com
  
  The high resolution imaging science experiment (HiRISE) on the Mars Orbiter gives astronomers a view of the sediment deposits leftover from the lakes that once...
  The post NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Views Lakebeds in Holden Crater appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Study unravels long-held Fermi puzzle tied to nonlinear systems

  14-04-2017 17:48
  
  In physics, the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou (FPUT) problem—which found that certain nonlinear systems do not disperse their energy, but rather return to their initial excited states—has been a challenge that scientists have tackled repeatedly since 1955.
  
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• NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Views Saturn’s ‘Flying-Saucer’ Moon Atlas Up Close

  14-04-2017 17:35 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Cassini takes a closer look at Saturn’s small moon Atlas. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft capture this new raw, unprocessed image of Saturn’s moon Atlas on April...
  The post NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Views Saturn’s ‘Flying-Saucer’ Moon Atlas Up Close appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Tiny 'Organ Chips' Promise Big Boost to Testing of Food, Drugs

  14-04-2017 16:59 via nbcnews.com
  
  Scientists at the FDA hope to use "organs on chips" to study how certain chemicals from foods, cosmetics and supplements affect organs in the body.
  
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• Facebook targets 30,000 fake France accounts before election

  14-04-2017 16:58 via abcnews.go.com
  
  Facebook says it has targeted 30,000 fake accounts linked to France ahead of the country's presidential election, as part of a worldwide effort against misinformation
  
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• Large asteroid to hurtle past Earth on April 19

  14-04-2017 16:26
  
  An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar will streak past Earth on April 18 at a safe but uncomfortably close distance, according to astronomers.
  
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• GM to ramp up self-driving effort in Silicon Valley

  14-04-2017 16:26
  
  General Motors is boosting its autonomous driving efforts, investing $14 million and adding 1,100 jobs in a new research center in San Francisco.
  
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• Apple gets permit to test self-driving cars

  14-04-2017 16:26
  
  Apple has joined the list of companies with permits to test self-driving cars in California, according to an updated roster released on Friday by state officials.
  
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• New leak suggests NSA penetrated Mideast banking networks

  14-04-2017 16:20
  
  A new set of documents published by a group calling itself TheShadowBrokers suggests that the U.S. National Security Agency has burrowed deep into the Middle East's financial network.
  
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• Hubble sees starbursts in Virgo

  14-04-2017 15:56
  
  Although galaxy formation and evolution are still far from being fully understood, the conditions we see within certain galaxies—such as so-called starburst galaxies—can tell us a lot about how they have evolved over time. Starburst galaxies contain a region (or many regions) where stars are forming at such a breakneck rate that the galaxy is eating up its gas supply faster than it can be replenished!
  
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• Researchers test 'social contagion' in laboratory setting

  14-04-2017 15:30
  
  (Phys.org)—Social contagion describes the propagation of beliefs, evaluations and attitudes through a network of people. It's well understood that political beliefs, emotional attitudes and opinions are contagious within a network, but the precise mechanisms and dynamics are not well understood for two reasons: the complexity of network structures, and the behavioral processes that operate within the network.
  
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• Lice and their bacterial sidekicks have evolved together for millions of years

  14-04-2017 15:11
  
  A Florida Museum of Natural History study provides new insights into the complex, shared history between blood-sucking lice and the vitamin-producing bacterial sidekicks that enable them to parasitize mammals, including primates and humans.
  
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• Samsung reportedly planning rugged Galaxy S8 for AT&T - The Verge

  14-04-2017 15:00
  
  The Verge
  Samsung reportedly planning rugged Galaxy S8 for AT&T
  The Verge
  Samsung's Galaxy S8 is a great looking smartphone — it's also covered entirely in very scratchable glass. So it's no surprise to hear that Samsung is developing a rugged version of the phone for people who'd rather not worrying about shattering it.
  The Galaxy S8's battery might not catch fire even if something bad happens to itBGR
  New Note 8 Images Channel The Stunning Galaxy S8Forbes
  Samsung's Interactive Table
  
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• Here's why Nintendo is canceling the NES Classic - Fox News

  14-04-2017 14:56
  
  Fox News
  Here's why Nintendo is canceling the NES Classic
  Fox News
  In a somewhat puzzling move, Nintendo said it would stop selling the Nintendo Classic in North America this month, despite unprecedented demand for the mini console. The news was first reported by IGN, which received a statement from a Nintendo ...
  Discontinuing the NES Classic Is a Classic Nintendo MistakeWIRED
  The Morning After: Friday, April 14th 2017Engadget
  Nintendo doesn't want your money — it wants your soulThe
  
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• New whole genome amplification method reduces biases introduced by other methods

  14-04-2017 14:50
  
  (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at Harvard University has developed a new whole-genome amplification method that outperforms other methods currently being used. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their technique and how well it performed when used to measure single-nucleotide variations in a human cell after exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
  
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• Sperm tested as possible candidate for delivering cancer medications in female patients

  14-04-2017 14:40
  
  (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences in Germany has tested the possibility of using sperm cells to deliver drugs to cancerous tumors in female patients. In their paper uploaded to the preprint server arXiv, the group describes how such a technique might work, their initial test results and what they learned from their experiments.
  
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• Image: Copernicus Sentinel-2A captures Brazil

  14-04-2017 14:40
  
  Sentinel-2A takes us over central-eastern Brazil – more specifically where the Bahia, Tocantins and Goiás states meet.
  
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• Simple method for converting carboxylic acids into boronate esters and boronic acids

  14-04-2017 14:30
  
  (Phys.org)—A team of researchers from the Scripps Research Institute has developed a simple, practical method for converting carboxylic acids into boronate esters and boronic acids. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes the process and why they believe it will make such compounds more accessible.
  
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• Geophysicists develop high-res map of Earth's magnetic field

  14-04-2017 14:30
  
  A University of Kentucky geophysicist is helping an international team of scientists reveal dramatic new information about the Earth's magnetic field.
  
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• Scientists seek citizens' help in first-ever census of Weddell seals

  14-04-2017 14:20
  
  Scientists are asking for the public's help to look through thousands of satellite images of Antarctica in the first-ever, comprehensive count of Weddell seals. Documenting the seals' population trends over time will help scientists better understand the effects of climate change and commercial fishing in the Antarctic.
  
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• Facebook Closes 30000 Fake Accounts in France Ahead of Elections - Newsweek

  14-04-2017 14:18
  
  Newsweek
  Facebook Closes 30000 Fake Accounts in France Ahead of Elections
  Newsweek
  Facebook said on Thursday it suspended 30,000 accounts in France as the social network giant steps up efforts to stop the spread of fake news, misinformation and spam. The move, which comes 10 days before the first round of a hotly contested French ...
  Facebook ramps up efforts to quash fake accountsUSA TODAY
  Facebook Is Cracking Down on Thousands of Fake Accounts in FranceFortune
  Why Does Facebook Still See
  
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• Fin24.com | Tesla's Musk: plans for semi-truck launch

  14-04-2017 14:12
  
  Tesla founder Elon Musk says the electric car startup is set to launch its first semi-truck in September, moving for the first time into that segment.
  
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• Can life's bad turns lead to populist views? Researcher takes a closer look

  14-04-2017 14:10
  
  Whether it's losing a job or dealing with an illness, negative life events can lead people to adopt more extreme political views, according to a new U of T study.
  
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• Wireless customers, you've got more choices coming your way - CNET

  14-04-2017 14:00
  
  CNET
  Wireless customers, you've got more choices coming your way
  CNET
  It's a good time to be a wireless customer. Unlimited data is back. Prices are falling. And thanks to the conclusion of the Federal Communications Commission's latest wireless spectrum auction, consumers could have a greater choice of carriers going ...
  Comcast Wins Spectrum – What's Next?Light Reading
  The government just wrapped a major auction that'll shape the future of the InternetWashington Post
  T-Mobile Just Picke
  
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• Physicists image individual molecules by watching them absorb light

  14-04-2017 14:00
  
  What do ships, bats and torpedoes have in common? They navigate by emitting sound waves and listening where those get absorbed or reflected. Humans do the same with light waves, except that they rely on external sources like the sun for the original emission. However when looking at something as small as a single molecule this becomes problematic, as light waves, not to mention sound waves, are bigger than the object itself.
  
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• Ultrathin semiconducting sheet showing gas-responsive electronic properties for highly sensitive gas sensors

  14-04-2017 13:50
  
  Gas detectors capable of sensing minute quantities of pollutants could help better monitor air quality. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) researchers have discovered a two-dimensional electronic material that exhibits high sensitivity to gas molecules, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3).
  
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• Pulsed ion beams reveal nonlinearity of radiation defect dynamics in silicon carbide

  14-04-2017 13:50
  
  Materials scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) got a step closer to understanding defect interaction dynamics in silicon carbide.
  
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• Understanding money reduces worry about old age

  14-04-2017 13:42
  
  People who possess a greater understanding of finance are less likely to fret about life in their twilight years.
  
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• Nano-sized sensors provide unprecedented data on how heat diffuses in and out of living cells

  14-04-2017 13:40
  
  Tiny flat sensors that stick to the surface of living cells can provide detailed measurements of heat transfer at the cell surface. Developed at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, these new sensors resolve some of the practical challenges of working with these tiny cells as well as enable novel diagnostic techniques.
  
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• Hubble spots possible venting activity on Europa

  14-04-2017 13:36
  
  When Galileo discovered Jupiter's moon Europa in 1610, along with three other satellites whirling around the giant planet, he could have barely imagined it was such a world of wonder.
  
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• Chaotic flows and the origin of life

  14-04-2017 13:35
  
  A research team at Texas A&M University has uncovered a physical mechanism that may help answer one of the major questions concerning the origin of life, "How did the building blocks form?"
  
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• Cassini gets close-up view of Saturn moon Atlas

  14-04-2017 13:35
  
  These raw, unprocessed images of Saturn's moon, Atlas, were taken on April 12, 2017, by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The flyby had a close-approach distance of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers).
  
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• How to embrace urban living, but avoid an apocalypse

  14-04-2017 13:30
  
  Cities – we are repeatedly told – are the future. Governments and global corporations seek to increase productivity by accelerating urban growth, while more and more citizens migrate to cities, in search of a better life. Indeed, the Chinese government recently unveiled plans to construct a city three times the size of New York, calling it a "strategy crucial for a millennium to come".
  
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• Biological sensor can identify and quantify the activity of a little-known class of plant hormones

  14-04-2017 13:30
  
  Strigolactones are an important and diverse class of plant hormones. Now, an international team led by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Associate Professor Salim Al-Babili and Professor Matias Zurbriggen from the University of Dusseldorf has developed a strigolactone sensor that can be genetically encoded into plant cells to help our understanding of plant development.
  
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• Black silicon prevents eye implant from gumming up

  14-04-2017 13:21
  
  A team of researchers led by Caltech's Hyuck Choo has developed an eye implant for glaucoma patients that could one day lead to more timely and effective treatment.
  
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• The dangers of being a saber-toothed cat in Los Angeles 12,000 years ago

  14-04-2017 13:20
  
  Saber-toothed cats that roamed Los Angeles 12,000 years ago had many injuries to their shoulders and backbones that likely occurred when they killed large herbivore prey such as bison and horses, UCLA biologists report in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.
  
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• Shooting the messenger: how one protein allows germ cells to develop

  14-04-2017 13:20
  
  The first days of an embryo's development are a busy time for the molecules that regulate gene expression. A vast number of specific genes need to be turned on and off at precisely the right time for cells to end up in the proper place and in the appropriate quantity.
  
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• Researchers develop new tools to optimize CHO cell lines for making biologic drugs

  14-04-2017 13:20
  
  Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most commonly used cells to produce biologics—protein-based drugs for treating cancers, autoimmune diseases and much more. CHO cells are the workhorses behind more than half of the top-selling biologics on the market today, including Humira, Avastin and Rituxan, to name a few.
  
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