Sci-Tech news

• Ravens Surprise Scientists By Showing They Can Plan - NPR

  13-07-2017 23:56 via npr.org
  
  NPR
  Ravens Surprise Scientists By Showing They Can Plan
  NPR
  As recently as 10 years ago, humans were thought to be the only species with the ability to plan. Recent studies on great apes showed the ability is not uniquely human. Now, scientists in Sweden have come to the surprising conclusion that ravens can ...
  Cunning ravens can plan ahead, study showsPBS NewsHour
  Ravens Can Plan for the FutureThe Atlantic
  More Evidence That Ravens Are Ridiculously Intelligent BirdsGizmodo
  TIME -Washingt
  
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• US Social Security funds run out in 17 years: Treasury

  13-07-2017 23:53
  
  The US government retirement program for the elderly will be exhausted starting in 17 years unless policies are changed, the US Treasury said Thursday.
  
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• Parts of Wisconsin, Illinois recover from flooding

  13-07-2017 23:52
  
  Flooding in the Midwest closed roadways and knocked out power to thousands, including a suburban Chicago hospital that was forced to close, but residents in the Wisconsin city of Burlington appeared upbeat even as portions of streets remained submerged by water Thursday.
  
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• Server outage at Brazil foreign ministry after rogue emails

  13-07-2017 23:03
  
  Two employees of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry say the agency briefly suffered an unspecified computer outage after a flurry of suspicious emails.
  
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• The science fiction podcasts every nerd should listen to

  13-07-2017 23:02
  
  EntertainmentTo help you ignore your dystopian reality.
  Short stories, radio dramas, and fictional docudrama podcasts that will make any science fiction lover turn up the volume.
  
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• Climate change deepens threat to Pacific island wildlife

  13-07-2017 22:33
  
  Land mammals and reptiles in the Pacific islands facing extinction due to habitat loss, hunting and other threats could be decimated by climate change, a study published Thursday said.
  
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• Windows Phone 8 fades out as Microsoft mulls mobile strategy

  13-07-2017 22:28
  
  Microsoft has ended support for its Windows 8 smartphones, as the US tech giant focuses on other segments, amid ongoing speculation about its strategy for mobile.
  
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• Insect attack! US West is battling crop-killing swarms

  13-07-2017 22:28
  
  Farmers in the U.S. West face a creepy scourge every eight years or so: Swarms of ravenous insects that can decimate crops and cause slippery, bug-slick car crashes as they march across highways and roads.
  
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• Mountaintop coal mining causes Appalachian rivers to run 'consistently saltier'

  13-07-2017 22:25
  
  Mountaintop-removal coal mining causes many streams and rivers in Appalachia to run consistently saltier for up to 80 percent of the year, a new study by researchers at the University of Wyoming and Duke University finds.
  
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• iFixit teardown confirms Note 7 Fan Edition is just a Note 7 with a new, smaller battery - The Verge

  13-07-2017 22:08 via theverge.com
  
  The Verge
  iFixit teardown confirms Note 7 Fan Edition is just a Note 7 with a new, smaller battery
  The Verge
  Like a phoenix from the ashes, Samsung's ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 has emerged from the fires of its battery woes reborn as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition, a refurbished Note 7 that, hopefully, won't explode. Samsung announced that it'd be using ...
  New Galaxy Note 8 Press Image & Device Renders LeakAndroid Headlines
  Did Samsung just accidentally reveal the Galaxy Note 8 ea
  
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• Big Xbox One Update Out Today, Here's What It Adds - GameSpot

  13-07-2017 21:49 via gamespot.com
  
  GameSpot
  Big Xbox One Update Out Today, Here's What It Adds
  GameSpot
  Microsoft has detailed the next update for Xbox One, and it's a rather sizable one. The update rolls out today and will add custom gamerpics and a number of other new features to the console. With today's update, you'll be able to upload your own ...
  Xbox Live update makes co-op live streams a realityEngadget
  Microsoft bringing Xbox One X, Age of Empires to Gamescom 2017Polygon
  Xbox Live members can now use custom gamerpicsThe
  
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• "Brain Training" Doesn't Work?

  13-07-2017 21:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  Lumosity "brain training" games have no beneficial effects on cognition, according to a paper just published in the Journal of Neuroscience.According to the authors, led by UPenn psychologist Joseph W. Kable, Lumosity "appears to have no benefits in healthy young adults above those of standard video games."In the study, 128 young adults were randomly assigned to either 10 weeks of Lumosity training, or a control condition: 10 weeks of playing normal, non-brain-based online videogames
  
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• U.S doctor: Treatment 'worth trying' in UK sick baby case

  13-07-2017 21:16
  
  The parents of a baby with a rare disease stormed out of a London court hearing in an emotional outburst Thursday, as the couple tried to convince a judge to let them take their critically ill child to the United States for medical treatment.
  
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• Scientists expect 'significant' algae bloom on Lake Erie

  13-07-2017 21:00
  
  A "significant" harmful algae bloom is expected to form in western Lake Erie this summer, though it probably won't be as large as some previous formations that posed health risks and hampered tourism, scientists said Thursday.
  
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• What 'Thrones' fans already know: Ravens can see ahead

  13-07-2017 20:58
  
  More than 170 years after Edgar Allan Poe's fictional raven croaked, "Nevermore," scientists are reporting that real-life ravens think about the future.
  
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• Team studies mechanism of H. influenzae biofilm formation

  13-07-2017 20:53
  
  A research study identifying novel bacterial physiology in the creation of biofilms by Nationwide Children's Hospital scientists has been published in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
  
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• Sprint CEO: America’s Most Important Infrastructure Project Is 5G mobile networks

  13-07-2017 20:47 via technocracy.news
  
  As noted before, 5G will actually enable the Internet of Everything as it provides mobile speeds 10 times higher than current rates. The mobile world is stampeding to implement 5G, regardless of public resistance or safety consideration. Because of ‘small cell’ technology, 5G transmitters will smother communities with high-frequency radiation. ⁃ TN EditorI recently met with President Trump and other officials at the White House to discuss American leadership in e
  
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• DARPA Is Spending $65 Million to Meld Mind and Machine

  13-07-2017 20:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  The U.S. defense agency that specializes in “out-there” science and technology endeavors is on a quest to bridge the gap between brain and computer.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently awarded $65 million to six different teams that will begin developing neural implants that convert neural activity into 1s and 0s of digital code. It’s all part of the agency’s Neural Engineering System Design program that was announced by the Obama Administration
  
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• Baby squirrels are less likely to die if they’re born early

  13-07-2017 20:30
  
  AnimalsIf you’re an adorable red squirrel pup, it’s best to have a birthday in March.
  The early bird gets the worm, and the early squirrel gets the ... home. Read on.
  
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• Expert: Rise Of Sex Robots Leading To Moral And Legal Challenges

  13-07-2017 20:26 via technocracy.news
  
  Twisted Technocrat logic will make way for so-called ‘sentient’ robots to receive legal human status. What if a man ‘rapes’ a sex robot that he does not own? Does the robot have rights and/or moral choice? Technocracy is coloring every conceivable aspect of human existence. ⁃ TN EditorThe rise of sex robots is presenting increasingly difficult moral and legal dilemmas, an expert has warned.
  Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly sophisticate
  
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• Spacecraft reveals beauty of solar system's biggest storm

  13-07-2017 20:19
  
  A spacecraft circling Jupiter is revealing the up-close beauty of our solar system's biggest storm
  
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• Astronomers Identify Major Challenges for the Development of Life in TRAPPIST-1 System

  13-07-2017 20:07 via scitechdaily.com
  
  Two separate teams of researchers have identified major challenges for the development of life in the TRAPPIST-1 system. The red dwarf star in this system...
  The post Astronomers Identify Major Challenges for the Development of Life in TRAPPIST-1 System appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Researchers develop technique to control and measure electron spin voltage

  13-07-2017 20:00
  
  Information technologies of the future will likely use electron spin—rather than electron charge—to carry information. But first, scientists need to better understand how to control spin and learn to build the spin equivalent of electronic components, from spin transistors, to spin gates and circuits.
  
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• Feedback from thousands of designs could transform protein engineering

  13-07-2017 20:00
  
  The stage is set for a new era of data-driven protein molecular engineering as advances in DNA synthesis technology merge with improvements in computational design of new proteins.
  
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• Bitcoin study shows value of exclusive access for early adopters

  13-07-2017 20:00
  
  Giving early adopters the first access to new technologies can help diffuse those technologies among the masses. A notable example is Google's rollout of Gmail: In 2004, about 1,000 select users were given exclusive access and told to invite others. This campaign was so successful that at one point before the email service went mainstream Gmail invites were selling for more than $150 on eBay.
  
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• Satellite sees Tropical Storm Fernanda heading west

  13-07-2017 19:57
  
  Tropical Storm Fernanda continues to strengthen as it moves west through the Eastern Pacific Ocean. NOAA's GOES-West satellite provided an infrared image of the storm on July 13 as it was nearing hurricane strength.
  
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• Antibody against carcinogenic substance deciphered

  13-07-2017 19:53
  
  Summertime is barbecue time. However, when fat reacts with glowing coal, a substance chemists call benzopyrene is created. It is a widespread environmental toxin that can cause cancer in humans. Since buildings were heated with coal and wood for decades, dispersed by chimney smoke, it is now also found in soil and groundwater. A team led by Prof. Arne Skerra from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has deciphered the binding mechanism of an antibody to benzopyrene—a discovery that cou
  
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• Public Wi-Fi Isn't Always Safe Just Because You Have the Password

  13-07-2017 19:48 via nbcnews.com
  
  Almost 70 percent of Americans feel their personal information is safe when using a Wi-Fi hotspot — but we've almost all put ourselves at risk.
  
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• Why CAR T-cell immunotherapy is such a big deal for cancer treatment

  13-07-2017 19:35
  
  HealthThe FDA will likely approve the gene-altering therapy.
  The FDA just recommended a brand new type of cancer treatment for approval: One that employs the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Read on.
  
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• New Images from Juno’s Recent Flyby of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

  13-07-2017 19:30 via scitechdaily.com
  
  The JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno Spacecraft captured new images of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, revealing a tangle of dark, veinous clouds weaving their way...
  The post New Images from Juno’s Recent Flyby of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
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• Can Facebook Fix VR's Most Frustrating Problems in One Fell Swoop? - Gizmodo

  13-07-2017 19:04 via gizmodo.com
  
  Gizmodo
  Can Facebook Fix VR's Most Frustrating Problems in One Fell Swoop?
  Gizmodo
  Virtual reality is cool and all, but it won't really become mainstream until a) it's affordable and b) it doesn't require a $1,000+ gaming PC. But it seems Facebook is attempting yet again to make VR a thing. Facebook is creating a new Oculus VR ...
  Facebook's Oculus to fight Apple's AR and VR push with new $200 standalone headset in 2018AppleInsider (press release) (blog)
  The next Oculus VR headset might be tota
  
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• The best science podcasts to make you smarter

  13-07-2017 18:58
  
  TechnologyBite-sized science knowledge for your hungry ears.
  I love podcasts, you love podcasts, your grandma probably loves podcasts. Looking for some science you can enjoy while your eyeballs do stuff that isn't reading? Great.
  
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• Trampolines are more dangerous than you think

  13-07-2017 18:57
  
  HealthAnd no, the padding and nets don’t really help.
  They're basically giant bouncy surfaces for kids with undeveloped coordination to fling themselves around on. So are you surprised?
  
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• The Smallest Star Known to Humankind

  13-07-2017 18:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A team of astronomers at the University of Cambridge was on the lookout for new exoplanets when they came across an exciting accidental discovery: They found the smallest star measured to this day.This tiny new star, which is being called EBLM J0555-57Ab, is about 600 light-years from Earth, and has a comparable mass (85 Jupiter masses) to the estimated mass of TRAPPIST-1. The newly discovered star, though, has a radius about 30 percent smaller. Like TRAPPIST-1, EBLM J0555-57Ab is
  
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• Verizon Partner Exposes Data of Millions of Customers Who Called Customer Service [Updated] - Mac Rumors

  13-07-2017 18:29 via macrumors.com
  
  Washington Post
  Verizon Partner Exposes Data of Millions of Customers Who Called Customer Service [Updated]
  Mac Rumors
  Up to 14 million Verizon subscribers may have had their sensitive data exposed by Nice Systems, a partner of Verizon, reports ZDNet. Subscriber records from users who called customer service over the past six months were located on an unprotected ...
  Why you should change your Verizon PIN right nowWashington Post
  6M Verizon Customers' Account Details ExposedPCMag
  How to pr
  
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• Fin24.com | Cell C's reality show on the hunt for SA's next big innovator

  13-07-2017 18:26
  
  Mobile network Cell C has launched a new social networking reality showto unearth SA’s next great innovator. The show, Hangman, will have R1m up for grabs in prize money.
  
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• Fin24.com | Google escapes $1.272bn tax bill in France

  13-07-2017 18:08
  
  Google is not liable for $1.272bn in unpaid taxes claimed by the French state, a court ruled, saying the internet giant's Irish subsidiary is not taxable in France.
  
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• New suit can enhance athletes' performance with data

  13-07-2017 18:06
  
  When it comes to professional athletics, every little bit counts, and for centuries, athletes have been doing everything they can to get ahead. From legal means like hiring the best trainers and purchasing the best equipment, to less legal means like pharmaceutical enhancement, athletic advantages come in all forms. But thanks to CMU-SV Professor Pei Zhang, the modern athlete now has access to the newest advancement in performance enhancing technology: data.
  
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• Ancient plankton-like microfossils span two continents

  13-07-2017 18:04
  
  Large, robust, lens-shaped microfossils from the approximately 3.4 billion-year-old Kromberg Formation of the Kaapvaal Craton in eastern South Africa are not only among the oldest elaborate microorganisms known, but are also related to other intricate microfossils of the same age found in the Pilbara Craton of Australia, according to an international team of scientists.
  
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• Machine learning technique offers insight into plasma behavior

  13-07-2017 18:03
  
  Machine learning, which lets researchers determine if two processes are causally linked without revealing how, could help stabilize the plasma within doughnut-shaped fusion devices known as tokamaks. Such learning can facilitate the avoidance of disruptions—off-normal events in tokamak plasmas that can lead to very fast loss of the stored thermal and magnetic energies and threaten the integrity of the machine. A paper by graduate student Matthew Parsons published in June in the journal Pla
  
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• Stay powered wherever you go with this waterproof solar charger

  13-07-2017 18:00
  
  Sponsored PostPower any two mobile devices and save 72 percent off MSRP.
  Stay powered wherever you go with this waterproof solar charger. Read on.
  
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• New study sheds light on disease-busting 'recycling bins' in our cells

  13-07-2017 18:00
  
  Scientists have made an important step in understanding how cells keep themselves clean and healthy - a finding that may have implications for combating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
  
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• Largest study of malaria gene function reveals many potential drug targets

  13-07-2017 18:00
  
  The malaria parasite's success is owed to the stripping down of its genome to the bare essential genes, scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have found. In the first ever large-scale study of malaria gene function, scientists analysed more than half of the genes in the parasite's genome and found that two thirds of these genes were essential for survival—the largest proportion of essential genes found in any organism studied to date.
  
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• How social rank can trigger vulnerability to stress

  13-07-2017 18:00
  
  Stress is a major risk factor for a range of psychopathologies. However, stress does not affect everyone equally: in the face of sustained adversity, some people develop depression symptoms while others adapt and remain resilient. Identifying risk factors and biomarkers for vulnerability to developing stress-induced depression in order to identify individual susceptibility before stress exposure has been a major challenge. EPFL scientists have now shown that social organization can affect differ
  
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• Genetic clocks in zooplankton species regulate what is likely the largest daily movement of biomass worldwide

  13-07-2017 18:00
  
  The copepod species Calanus finmarchicus schedules its day using a genetic clock that works independently of external stimuli. The clock shapes the copepod's metabolic rhythms and daily vertical migration. This, in turn, has an enormous influence on the entire food web in the North Atlantic, where Calanus finmarchicus is a central plankton species. Wherever the high-calorie copepod is found determines where its predator species are. The results of the study will be published in the journal Curre
  
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• 16-County Regional Planning Organization Promotes ‘Technocracy In America’ Ideology

  13-07-2017 17:56 via technocracy.news
  
  Thrive Regional Partnership is an NGO that promotes public-private regional planning in a sixteen county region spanning parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. Started in 2012, it is a self-appointed NGO that views itself as elevated above other Councils of Government organizations already in the region.
  In September 2016, Thrive posted a glowing article that showcases Connectography, a book by global scholar Parag Khanna. Connectography represents core values to Thrive as it attempts to estab
  
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• Sexy sounds lure invasive cane toads into traps

  13-07-2017 17:54
  
  AnimalsLet’s not get it on.
  Killing me softly with his song. Read on.
  
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• Is Sound the Secret for Saving the Manatees?

  13-07-2017 17:34 via nbcnews.com
  
  A new high-frequency alarm design harnesses acoustical tools to protect manatees from fatal boat collisions.
  
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• WATCH: NASA spacecraft shows new images of Jupiter

  13-07-2017 17:20
  
  NASA's Juno spacecraft passes over Jupiter's Great Red Spot closer than ever before, hoping to unlock secrets of the mammoth storm.
  
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• In the 'War on Cash,' Visa Offers Restaurants $10,000 to Go Cashless

  13-07-2017 17:17 via nbcnews.com
  
  Your favorite restaurant could be going cash free, and getting $10,000 from Visa to do it. It's all part of Visa's "war on cash."
  
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