Sci-Tech news

• Drone testing finds some elevated pollutants at Army plant

  07-08-2017 23:30
  Researchers who flew a drone over the open burning of hazardous waste at an Army ammunition plant in Virginia found arsenic, lead and other pollutants at higher-than-expected levels, according to a draft report obtained by The Associated Press.
  
  Read more

• Study Shows Lysosomes Greatly Accelerate Formation of Amyloid Plaques

  07-08-2017 23:02 via scitechdaily.com
  New research from Yale University shows that increased lysosomes in neural projections in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s greatly accelerated formation of amyloid plaques. Lysosomes...
  The post Study Shows Lysosomes Greatly Accelerate Formation of Amyloid Plaques appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• New technique to suppress sound waves from disorder to improve optical fiber communication

  07-08-2017 23:02
  Energy loss due to scattering from material defects is known to set limits on the performance of nearly all technologies that we employ for communications, timing, and navigation. In micro-mechanical gyroscopes and accelerometers, such as those commonly found in cellphones today, microstructural disorder impacts measurement drift and overall accuracy of the sensor, analogous to how a dirty violin string might impact one's enjoyment of beautiful music. In optical fiber communication systems, scat
  
  Read more

• Google Staffer Manifesto Criticizing Diversity Sparks Firestorm

  07-08-2017 22:48 via nbcnews.com
  An internal, unofficial memo slams Google's diversity efforts as misguided in light of the fact that "women on average show a higher interest in people and men in things."
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Scientists tally the environmental impact of feeding meat to our cats and dogs. It's huge

  07-08-2017 22:35
  You've heard about the carbon footprint, but what about the carbon paw-print? According to a new study, U.S. cats' and dogs' eating patterns have as big an effect as driving 13.6 million cars for a year.
  
  Read more

• NASA and Norway to develop Arctic laser-ranging station

  07-08-2017 22:30
  NASA and the Norwegian Mapping Authority are partnering to develop a state-of-the-art satellite laser ranging station 650 miles from the North Pole that will produce high-precision locations of orbiting satellites, help track changes in the ice sheets and improve the efficiency of marine transportation and agriculture.
  
  Read more

• Scientists probe the conditions of stellar interiors to measure nuclear reactions

  07-08-2017 22:20
  Most of the nuclear reactions that drive the nucleosynthesis of the elements in our universe occur in very extreme stellar plasma conditions. This intense environment found in the deep interiors of stars has made it nearly impossible for scientists to perform nuclear measurements in these conditions - until now.
  
  Read more

• Sale of genetically modified salmon in Canada alarms environmentalists

  07-08-2017 22:20
  Environmentalists charged Monday that genetically modified salmon are being marketed in Canada without warning labels and called on supermarkets to withdraw them from sale.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Parasitic Worm Treatments Could Soon Be Legal in Germany

  07-08-2017 22:18 via feedproxy.google.com
  In Germany, treatments for disease may entail adding a vial of parasitic worms to a meal or beverage.The country's food and consumer safety organization is set to weigh in on the relative merits of parasitic worms as a treatment for a range of autoimmune disorders. So called "helminthic therapies" have been slowly gaining ground in the past two decades or so, although the scientific evidence in favor of the treatment is mixed.
  Wonder Worms
  If Germany's Federal Office for Consumer Prote
  
  Read more

• New Horizons will soon solve a mystery about an object a billion miles past Pluto

  07-08-2017 22:17
  
  SpaceTwo for the price of one.
  In less than two years, the New Horizons space probe is going to go whizzing by an object a billion miles further away from us than Pluto.
  
  Read more

• New CubeSat propulsion system uses water as propellant

  07-08-2017 22:17
  A new type of micropropulsion system for miniature satellites called CubeSats uses an innovative design of tiny nozzles that release precise bursts of water vapor to maneuver the spacecraft.
  
  Read more

• Successful guide dogs have 'tough love' moms, study finds

  07-08-2017 22:00
  Much has been written on the pitfalls of being a helicopter parent, one who insulates children from adversity rather than encouraging their independence.
  
  Read more

• Justice Dept. tries to shore up forensic science, testimony

  07-08-2017 22:00
  The Justice Department is trying to shore up faltering confidence in forensic science and how its experts describe their findings in court, a push that comes months after similar efforts dating to the Obama administration were suspended.
  
  Read more

• UK cyber-researcher still held in Las Vegas in malware case

  07-08-2017 21:50
  An official says a British cybersecurity researcher remains jailed in Nevada, a day before he's due to face charges in federal court in Milwaukee that he created and distributed malicious software designed to steal banking passwords.
  
  Read more

• Some land conservation measures unpopular among property owners

  07-08-2017 21:48
  While popular with conservation groups, coastal easements that prevent development in order to protect marshland from changes brought about by climate change and rising sea levels are not favored by property owners, according to a new study by the University of Connecticut and Virginia Tech.
  
  Read more

• Researchers study synthetic protein cages

  07-08-2017 21:45
  A multidisciplinary team of mathematicians, theoretical physicists, chemists and biochemists from the University of Bristol came together to study the self-assembly of protein building into protein cages with possible applications in nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
  
  Read more

• 'Yeah, if you could win spreadsheet title, that'd be great'

  07-08-2017 21:40
  John Dumoulin has never really set foot in an office. He works part time at Chick-fil-a.
  
  Read more

• New look at archaic DNA rewrites human evolution story

  07-08-2017 21:37
  Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancestors of modern humans diverged from an archaic lineage that gave rise to Neanderthals and Denisovans. Yet the evolutionary relationships between these groups remain unclear.
  
  Read more

• US officially tells UN it wants out of Paris climate deal

  07-08-2017 21:31 via abcnews.go.com
  Trump administration officially tells U.N. that America intends to withdraw from the Paris climate deal
  
  Read more

• Algae blooms irk Canaries beachgoers

  07-08-2017 21:30
  Microalgae blooms proliferating in hot weather in Spain's Canary Islands are irritating beachgoers, who should avoid direct contact with them, local authorities said Monday.
  
  Read more

• The good, the bad and the algae: Salton Sea-grown algae as new fuel source and pollution solution

  07-08-2017 21:20
  Sandia National Laboratories is testing whether one of California's largest and most polluted lakes can transform into one of its most productive and profitable. Southern California's 350-square-mile Salton Sea has well-documented problems related to elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff. Algae thrives on these elements—a fact that causes environmental problems but could also be a solution to those problems.
  
  Read more

• Google exec denounces employee's views on female workers

  07-08-2017 21:20
  Silicon Valley's efforts to promote workforce diversity haven't yielded many results—unless you count a backlash at Google, where a male engineer blamed biological differences for the paucity of female programmers.
  
  Read more

• Google CEO slams memo on gender as employee reportedly fired

  07-08-2017 21:20
  A memo written by a male engineer at Google about gender differences sparked a quick rebuttal from Google after it circulated widely online.
  
  Read more

• Scientists improve forecast of increasing hazard on Ecuadorian volcano

  07-08-2017 21:10
  Researchers from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the Instituto Geofisico—Escuela Politecnica Nacional (IGEPN) of Ecuador, showed an increasing volcanic danger on Cotopaxi in Ecuador using a powerful technique known as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR).
  
  Read more

• NASA tracking Tropical Storm Franklin

  07-08-2017 21:02
  Tropical Storm Franklin formed in the Caribbean Sea late on August 6. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of the Atlantic Ocean basin's seventh tropical depression as it organized. NOAA's GOES-East satellite provided an image the next day that showed the storm approaching landfall.
  
  Read more

• Study finds that choice of cool roofing materials can potentially impact region's air pollution

  07-08-2017 21:00
  In a groundbreaking study released today, scientists at the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the University of Southern California have found that widespread installation of certain "cool roof" materials in the region could slightly increase ozone and fine particulate pollution levels.
  
  Read more

• Marine reserves a solution to bycatch problem in oceans

  07-08-2017 21:00
  Commercial fishermen may be able to catch more of the profitable fish they want with marine reserves than without them, according to a study in the journal PNAS led by the University of California, Davis. Using marine reserves as a management tool could also help the recently rebounded West Coast groundfish fishery sustain itself, the study notes.
  
  Read more

• DNA from Viking cod bones suggests 1,000-year history of European fish trade

  07-08-2017 21:00
  Norway is famed for its cod. Catches from the Arctic stock that spawns each year off its northern coast are exported across Europe for staple dishes from British fish and chips to Spanish bacalao stew.
  
  Read more

• Fin24.com | Data wars: Icasa beefs up fight with regulations for data expiry - report

  07-08-2017 20:50
  
  Icasa plans on regulating data-expiry and roll-over, according to a draft published in the Government Gazette.
  
  Read more

• A Google employee's anti-diversity memo sparks debate

  07-08-2017 19:37 via abcnews.go.com
  The company rebuked an employee's internal memo critical of promoting diversity.
  
  Read more

• The Definitive Road Trip Gadget Guide

  07-08-2017 19:31 via nbcnews.com
  Whether you're camping, biking, or hitting the open road, we've got the latest tech gadgets to help you get the most out of the sunniest season.
  
  Read more

• Biodiversity negates carbon storage in seagrasses, new study finds

  07-08-2017 19:30
  Seagrass meadows are great absorbers of carbon dioxide from the air. But the algae, animals, corals and plants that live among them release large amounts of carbon dioxide, according to newly released research. The scientists are now identifying seagrass locations with fewer emitters to target for conservation.
  
  Read more

• EU demands Polish 'reassurance' over ancient forest

  07-08-2017 19:10
  Top European Union officials have written to Poland's right-wing government seeking "reassurance" it will obey a ban on logging in Europe's last primeval woodland, sources said on Monday.
  
  Read more

• Sunshield layers fully integrated on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

  07-08-2017 19:00
  The five sunshield layers responsible for protecting the optics and instruments of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope are now fully installed.
  
  Read more

• Researchers Identify a Prehistoric Sea Creature That Once Patrolled the Ocean Floor

  07-08-2017 18:58 via scitechdaily.com
  A team of biologists has identified a small marine predator that once patrolled the ocean floor and grabbed its prey with 50 spines that it...
  The post Researchers Identify a Prehistoric Sea Creature That Once Patrolled the Ocean Floor appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Invisibility cloak takes one step closer to revealing itself

  07-08-2017 18:50
  Two research teams have made structures that could help conceal objects from daylight – taking the next step towards making the visible, invisible. Recent progress draws on advances in so-called metamaterials, which are microscopic structures that bend light in unnatural directions.
  
  Read more

• Cassini Spacecraft Views Prometheus and the Ghostly F Ring

  07-08-2017 18:43 via scitechdaily.com
  This new image from the Cassini Spacecraft shows Saturn’s moon Prometheus near Saturn’s narrow F ring. The thin sliver of Saturn’s moon Prometheus lurks near...
  The post Cassini Spacecraft Views Prometheus and the Ghostly F Ring appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• Water filtration system in West Virginia among the elite

  07-08-2017 18:40
  A raft of garbage covers a swath of the Monongahela River in northern West Virginia, a dozen miles upstream from the drinking water intake for 100,000 people.
  
  Read more

• Hubble Image of the Week – Dwarf Galaxy NGC 5949

  07-08-2017 18:31 via scitechdaily.com
  This Hubble image of the week shows dwarf galaxy NGC 5949, which is located roughly 44 million light-years away. The subject of this NASA/ESA Hubble...
  The post Hubble Image of the Week – Dwarf Galaxy NGC 5949 appeared first on SciTech Daily.
  
  Read more

• MRI contrast agents accumulate in the brain

  07-08-2017 18:30
  The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) has provided new guidance in the use of contrast agents during MRI scans. Emerging research suggests gadolinium-based contrast agents, injected in a patient's veins to brighten tissues in MRI images, accumulate in the brain. More than 300 million doses of such drugs have been administered since their introduction in 1987.
  
  Read more

• Ditch your phone’s default apps for these superior replacements

  07-08-2017 18:30
  
  DIYUpgrade your mobile experience.
  Your phone comes with default apps—but these aren't always the best options on the market. Here are some alternatives to the apps provided by Apple and Google.
  
  Read more

• NASA Spots extra-Tropical Depression Nalgae near Kuril Islands

  07-08-2017 18:28
  On August 7, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean and captured an image of extra-tropical storm Nalgae near the Kuril Islands north of Japan.
  
  Read more

• NASA instrument key to understanding solar powered planet arrives at Kennedy Space Center

  07-08-2017 18:20
  A new instrument that will monitor our planet's biggest power source, the Sun, arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It has a targeted November 2017 launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station. The Total Solar and Spectral Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) instrument was built by the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
  
  Read more

• Researchers set record for fastest light pulse

  07-08-2017 18:19
  A research team at the University of Central Florida has demonstrated the fastest light pulse ever developed, a 53-attosecond X-ray flash.
  
  Read more

• 5 critically endangered white lions born in Czech zoo

  07-08-2017 18:14
  For the critically endangered white lion, the quintuplets recently born in a Czech zoo are a vital contribution for survival, and a joy and responsibility for keepers.
  
  Read more

• NASA tests autopilot sensors during simulations

  07-08-2017 18:10
  Inside a large, black-walled facility outside Denver, NASA's Satellite Servicing Projects Division (SSPD) team successfully completed the latest testing of three rendezvous and proximity operations sensors used for satellite servicing applicatons and beyond. These sensors are needed for autonomous rendezvous of spacecraft, which is a vital technology for robotically servicing a satellite.
  
  Read more

• NASA sees Typhoon Noru over southern Japan

  07-08-2017 18:10
  Typhoon Noru was moving over Honshu, Japan when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead on August 7. Noru made landfall in the central prefecture of Wakayama early in the day.
  
  Read more

• Netflix acquires comic book creator Millarworld

  07-08-2017 18:09
  Netflix announced Monday it was acquiring comic book publisher Millarworld, creator of popular series including "Kick-Ass" and "Kingsman."
  
  Read more

• Small streams have a big influence on our lives

  07-08-2017 18:00
  Small streams make up 70%-80% of the total channel length of river networks, and they strongly influence downstream portions these networks. The role small streams ? known as headstreams ? play in retaining or transmitting sediment and nutrients, providing habitat and refuge for diverse aquatic and riparian organisms, creating migration corridors, and governing connectivity at the watershed-scale is the subject of a review by Ellen Wohl of Colorado State University in the US. The article is publ
  
  Read more

• New paper lays out framework for understanding 'institutional corruption'

  07-08-2017 17:50
  In many ways, the polarizing 2016 U.S. elections inflamed public concern regarding the power of wealth over politics and policy, providing raw and emotional examples of "institutional corruption"—a term that broadly refers to legal, systemic corruption rather than illegal, quid pro quo corruption.
  
  Read more

Follow @NewslockSciTech on Twitter!