Australian Popular Science News

Issue #50 - January 2013

2020-01-09T15:52:00.0000000+11:00

It's the one with lots of groovy drones and planes and whatnot on the cover. Plus a cyborg cockroach! Find out what that's all about after the break...

CES 2013: Hands On With The Razer Edge Gaming Tablet

2020-01-09T12:12:00.0000000+11:00

We've known about the Razer Edge - a Windows 8 tablet designed top to bottom for gaming - for awhile, but today at CES was the first time we'd actually gotten a chance to play with it. And, despite my own reservations about Windows 8, small Windows 8 tablets, gaming tablets, and tablets with detachable joysticks, as soon as I started using it, I got it: this is probably the best Windows 8 tablet I've used, period, and it's a hell of a lot of fun.

Discovered: Giant Dolphin-Like Sea Monster That Ate Dinosaurs

2020-01-09T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Dolphins are great! Intelligent, charming, cute. This newly-discovered dolphin-like predator: maybe not so great.

Today on Mars: When Curiosity Brushes Away The Red Dust, Mars Looks Pale

2020-01-09T03:44:00.0000000+11:00

The Mars rover Curiosity is not afraid of getting dirty - it swallowed some scoopfuls of dirt to clean itself out - but sometimes, it needs a clean work surface. To that end, the rover just used its special brush for the first time, clearing away the dust from a specific flat rock it plans to study in greater detail.

Captive Hyena Figures Out A Meat Puzzle Faster Than Its Wild Cousin

2020-01-09T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

When animal behaviorists want to study animal skills, they often work with animals living in the nation's zoos and aquariums, testing problem-solving and other traits. But a new study suggests this may not paint an accurate picture. Animals in captivity act much differently than animals in the wild, and their ability to face new problems is no exception.

Up Close With The 2012 Olympus Bioscapes Microscopic Photography Challenge

2020-01-09T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Perhaps it's a sign of just how far imaging technology has come in the last decade that the overall winner of the Olympus Bioscapes Digital Imaging competition - an annual microscopic photography contest now in its tenth year - wasn't a still photograph but a video. Amid a range of stunning visuals captured via dozens of imaging and microscopy techniques, Ralph Grimm's video of colonial rotifers - micrscopic beings that sustain themselves on dead bacteria and the like - took top prize, the first time a video has done so.

CES 2013: Lego Mindstorms EV3 Robots Add App Control, Speed, Sensors

2020-01-08T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

Fifteen CESes ago, Lego unveiled the Robotics Invention Kit, the system that would become Mindstorms. Since then, DIyers have machined 'bots to do everything from flush the toilet to solve a Rubik's cube - faster than a human being, no less. Today, the Danish company announced a near-gut refresh of the line, the Mindstorms EV3. The 594-piece kit will be the first Mindstorms system with app support, as well as a sensor suite that allows creations to navigate and react autonomously.

CES 2013: Ford Wants You To Design Its Next App

2020-01-08T12:55:00.0000000+11:00

Inching us ever closer to the connected car of the future, Ford today announced plans to crowdsource the next generation of driver-friendly apps. The 150-year-old company is opening its code libraries and other resources to developers worldwide. The idea? Consumers know what they want, so let them design the apps that'll keep them entertained - and safe - on the road.

CES 2013: Look At This Weird TV

2020-01-08T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

I just got out of Samsung's CES event, which was mostly not very exciting, unless there's something about the concept of a fridge with a touchscreen in it that excites you. And if there is that's fine, I hope you achieve all your life's goals and get yourself a fridge with a touchscreen in it. But what was weird was this gargantuan 4K TV. It's an 85-incher, which is absurd, and it's more absurd because the screen is encased in this metal frame and is not removable at all. So, unless you basically own a hotel or choose to build your home around your new TV, this is going to be tough to fit in most houses.

CES 2013: The Hideous Glitz Of My Favorite Event

2020-01-08T08:53:00.0000000+11:00

There is a long line of celebrities standing at the back of the stage. Noel Lee, the CEO of Monster Cable, wheels around in front of them on a Segway with gold-painted rims - the gold just a bit too orange - and flame decals. (Lee has a physical disability which impairs his ability to walk, and has turned his use of the Segway into a trademark.) Tyson Beckford, the supermodel, is a pro, encouraging, smiling, clapping. Xzibit, the rapper and sometime-actor, is chubbier than I remember him from Pimp My Ride. He looks alternately bored and confused. Drew Brees, of the New Orleans Saints, wears monochromatic navy blue dad-clothes, and stands awkwardly at the end of the line, his arms hanging at his sides.

CES 2013: Fitbit's New Flex Wristband Never Leaves Your Person

2020-01-08T07:32:00.0000000+11:00

We haven't been too thrilled with Fitbit's offerings in the past - not that they're not good at what they are, just that the fitness tracker in general is not what we'd like it to be right now. One of the bigger problems with the Fitbit is that you have to remember to take it with you, so we're glad to see that problem remedied with the new Fitbit Flex, announced today here at CES.

CES 2013: Lexus Unveils Autonomous 'Safety Research' Car

2020-01-08T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

At CES today, Lexus showcased an "Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle," a souped-up LS being used as a testbed for autonomous car technology.

CES 2013: Nvidia Announces Ludicrous Portable Gaming System

2020-01-08T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

Nvidia isn't a company everyone necessarily knows; they've long been known for graphics hardware, but have recently branched out into mobile silicon with the Tegra line of combination CPU/GPU processors, which are used in some Android tablets and smartphones. Last night they combined those two specialties and added a hefty dose of wild, optimistic insanity, announcing a portable gaming system currently code-named "Project Shield."

Do Natural Disasters Breed Health Epidemics?

2020-01-08T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Few post-disaster myths have a stronger hold on our imaginations than the specter of a follow-on epidemic. Some imagine a killer virus will spread through the sudden glut of dead bodies. Others merely go by the notion that when it rains - or shakes, or erupts, or burns - it pours. But we can all take a deep, healthy breath: It's not true. There don't tend to be spontaneous epidemics in the wake of natural disasters. As a World Health Organization team explained in a 2007 study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases: "The risk for outbreaks after natural disasters is low."

2013 Prediction: Asia Takes Two Routes To Space

2020-01-08T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Earth's two most populous nations have major space launches slated for 2013: China will send a lander to the moon and India will propel an orbiter toward Mars. On the surface, their goals appear similar-cement a toehold in a frontier dominated by the US, Russia, and Europe-but the ways in which they will achieve them are very different.

Politics Is Most Important Factor For Climate Future, Study Finds

2020-01-05T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

An analysis in Nature has confirmed what we already knew: politicians need to hurry up if we're going to stop climate change. What's more, the longer they wait, the more it'll cost them - and taxpayers - to fight the problem.

Skip Out On The Elks Lodge, Die In A Traffic Accident

2020-01-05T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Do you live around a cranky neighbour? Are you the cranky neighbour?

These are important questions because, according to a new study, areas with low "social capital" - lack of neighbourliness, I guess would be one way of putting it - are associated with higher rates of traffic fatalities. Love thy neighbour, or stay off the roads.

UK Police Launch Website Asking Public To Identify Over 1,000 Found Bodies

2020-01-05T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Over 350 of the individuals that have gone missing in the UK over the last few years have not been found, according to a UK Missing Persons list. Meanwhile, the nation's police have the opposite problem - records and photos of over 1,000 bodies that have been found, but never identified.

On DARPA's 2013 Wish List: Extreme Diving, Portable Brain Reading, And Gravity Vision

2020-01-05T04:27:00.0000000+11:00

DARPA solicitation days are like Christmas morning for technology nerds, occasions whose bounty defense tech geeks look forward to precisely because we have no idea what we are going to get. And in case you thought DARPA might scale back its far-out R&D ambitions in light of impending defense budget cuts, be advised: the DoD's blue-sky researchers fear no fiscal cliff (in fact, it has likely already developed a self-assembling hypersonic vehicle that will automatically scramjet the agency to safety should any cliff, fiscal or otherwise, be autonomously detected). So what does DARPA want in 2013? Read on.

Scientists Send A Cloud Of Atoms Plunging Below Absolute Zero

2020-01-05T02:31:00.0000000+11:00

Absolute zero - that's zero degrees Kelvin, or -273 degrees C - is understood by textbook definition to be the absolute coldest anything can be, a temperature threshold at which atoms actually lose all of their kinetic energy and stop moving completely (or at which entropy reaches its lowest value). There can be nothing stiller than completely still, and hence absolute zero is as low-energy as something can go. Right? But researchers have discovered that's not exactly the case. By messing with the distribution of high- and low-energy atoms within a system, a team of physicists at the University of Munich in Germany has created what it defines as a negative temperature system - one that has a temperature south of absolute zero.

Early Earth Should Have Been A Snowball, But Wasn't

2020-01-05T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

When our sun first got going, some 4.5 billion years ago, it wasn't the same blazing star we know today - its warmth and brightness grew gradually as more and more of its fuel ignited. So, for Earth's first two billion years, our planet was bathed in a light 25 per cent dimmer than it receives today.

Important Science Of The Season: Hot Chocolate Tastes Better In An Orange Cup

2020-01-04T09:09:00.0000000+11:00

A creamsicle-coloured set of mugs will make your hot chocolate taste and smell sweeter than it would taste served in plain white or stark red, according to European scientists. This adds to the growing set of studies that claim the vessel in which our food is served can have a dramatic effect on the way our senses perceive the food.

New Ground-Based Indoor Positioning Tech Is Accurate Down To Just A Few Inches

2020-01-04T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

Indoor navigation is most certainly the holy grail for positioning system makers right now. Satellite-based location technologies like GPS work wonderfully out under the open sky, where signals bounced from satellites to receivers on the ground are unhindered by man-made structures or natural obstructions. Take that same technology into the subway or a large shopping mall, and the signal goes dead. But a new ground-based positioning system called Locata could soon replace or augment satnav using radio signals that are a million times stronger than GPS signals, indoors or out.

Everything You Read About Health Is Wrong

2020-01-04T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

There's a major problem in health journalism: It's wildly unreliable. As David H. Freedman points out in an excellent critique in the January/ February issue of Columbia Journalism Review, the rate of "overall wrongness" in top medical journals is as much as two thirds - something even the most seasoned science reporters don't point out. The resulting information conveyed to lay readers, is, at best, confusing and, at worst, dead wrong.

Say Hello To Mobile Ubuntu, Coming To An Android Phone Near You

2020-01-04T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

It's not every day that we see a new mobile OS, even if it's not entirely new. Canonical, makers of Ubuntu, the largest distro of Linux, showed off a very-nearly-finished build of the Ubuntu mobile OS yesterday, and it actually looks pretty good!

2013 Prediction: Stem Cells Sidestep Controversy

2020-01-04T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

During 2012, two scientific teams announced, in separate studies, that they had transformed ordinary adult skin cells into neural cells, a breakthrough that could change the course of human stem cell research. Stem cells hold enormous potential for medicine because they can develop from undifferentiated cells into a variety of specialized ones. But their use has been stymied by ethical concerns; most are harvested from human embryos, which are destroyed in the process.

Babies Pick Up On Language Before They're Even Born

2020-01-03T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Research suggests we pick up on the nuts and bolts of speech six months after birth. But a new study suggests newborns have already learned parts of a language, can distinguish between their native tongue and a foreign one, and even - in a really weird way - demonstrate that they know the difference, much earlier than we thought.

BigPic: What Is This 'Vital Equipment' On The International Space Station?

2020-01-03T08:30:00.0000000+11:00

International Space Station astronaut Chris Hadfield just tweeted this photo of... some sort of tank or something on board the International Space Station.

A Map Of Every Person In The US And Canada

2020-01-03T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here's a pretty cool interactive map made by Brandon Martin-Anderson showing, according to census data, every single person in the United States and Canada. The map uses the 2010 US census and the 2011 Canadian census, for a total of 341,817,095. But interestingly, there are no other visual aids - no landmarks, no borders, no rivers or lakes. So if you want to find your Seppo friends or relatives, you'll have to go by population groups, which gets pretty difficult as you zoom further in. Unless you live in Nunavut or something.

This Robot Vomits So You Won't Have To

2020-01-03T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes inventions, even the important ones, aren't pretty. Case in point: this vomiting robot. It could help us understand, and then battle, an illness that no one's found a cure for in 40 years. Even if it's not the cutest 'bot out there.

NASA Considers Tugging An Asteroid Into Orbit Around The Moon

2020-01-03T05:31:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's (and President Obama's) vision for sending a manned space mission to a distant asteroid by the 2020s doesn't seem to be gaining much steam, but a conceptual mission under development by the Keck Institute for Space Studies in California could bring an asteroid much closer to home in that timeframe. An estimated $2.6 billion could fund a mission that would send a robotic spacecraft out into interplanetary space and drag an asteroid into orbit around the moon where robots and even humans could explore it far more conveniently.

People Like Science, Says The New York Times

2020-01-03T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

The New York Times published a little trend piece that argues "social media and science found each other in 2012." Evidence cited: there were scientific or science-related events that broke through to become part of the general public conversation...

Neil Armstrong Planned 'Small Step For Man' Line Months Before The Moon Landing

2020-01-03T03:51:00.0000000+11:00

Neil Armstrong always maintained that he'd thought up possibly the most famous line in American history just after landing on the moon, but in an interview with The Telegraph, his brother says the origin story starts months before the landing, back on earth, and with a game of Risk.

How Birds Learn To Sing

2020-01-03T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Birds learn to sing in much the same way humans learn to talk: by listening to, and then imitating, the vocal sounds of their elders. Of course, those sounds rarely come out right the first time, but a fledgling's sense of hearing can tell her just how off the mark she is. If a note is too low, she'll know to whistle it higher next time, and that feedback helps birds (and us) learn how to communicate.

2013 Prediction: Hackers Attack Mobile Phones

2020-01-03T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

In 2009, the annual Pwn2Own cybersecurity competition provided hackers with a shot at cracking smartphones. They failed. In September, the event offered phones as targets again. This time, contestants seized control of them, successfully exploiting vulnerabilities in the two most popular operating systems, iOS and Android.

2013 Prediction: Physics Enters A New Era

2020-01-02T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

On July 4, 2020, a panel of scientists at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva announced the discovery of a new particle, the long-anticipated Higgs boson (or something very much like it). The Higgs is the final piece of the Standard Model of particle physics, a theory that accounts for everything we experience in our lives, from rocks to puppies to stars and planets. After decades of searching and billions of dollars, the Higgs discovery marked the end of one era and the beginning of another, which scientists will embark upon in 2013.

New Technique To Study The Impact Of Cell Phone Radiation

2020-01-01T07:50:00.0000000+11:00

Concerns about the health risks associated with cell phones date back almost to the dawn of the industry. Over the last four decades, while cell phones shrunk and multiplied and worked their way into the very fabric of human existence, the vague threat of danger has slunk along behind like a faint but troubling and unshakeable odor: do what they could, scientists couldn't quite eliminate it, and they couldn't quite define it, either. The best they've been able to do is say that the radiation coming from cell phones may or may not cause cancer.

Next-Gen Space Rovers

2020-01-01T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's past few Mars rovers have been friendly robots with head-like masts and cameras for eyes, easily anthropomorphized and adored. The next generation might be decidedly less cute - they resemble a medieval battle mace.

Giant Panda Genome Holds Recipe For Powerful Antibiotic

2020-01-01T05:13:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists have found the code for a powerful antibiotic within the giant panda genome, according to a story in the Telegraph. Pandas' immune systems naturally produce the small anti-bacterial protein, but their critically low numbers and almost invariable failure to breed in captivity rule the animals out as a potential source for the compound.

How The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Made Kids Fat

2020-01-01T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

After a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Japan in 2011, causing major meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, local schools restricted outdoor activities and parents (understandably) wanted to keep their children indoors. That's had an unexpected consequence. Fukushima children 5 to 9 and 14 to 17 are the fattest in the country.

People Mostly Ignore Smart TV Features, Because They Are Bad

2020-01-01T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

A new survey finds that most people with smart TVs aren't using the majority of the smart features.

Does Pot Use Cause Psychosis, Or Does Psychosis Cause Pot Use?

2020-01-01T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The link between teenagers smoking pot and psychosis is ripe for a correlation-causation debacle. Studies have indicated there's a relationship between psychotic symptoms and above-average marijuana use, but the reasons behind that correlation are not clear. Does pot cause psychosis in teens, or are teens with mental health issues retreating into marijuana use to deal with those issues?

FYI: Why Do We Crave Greasy Food When We're Hung Over?

2020-01-01T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

The desire to eat high-fat foods after drinking too much is rooted in human's earliest, humblest beginnings, some scientists say.

What It's Like To Use The Beautiful, Futuristic Nest Thermostat

2020-12-29T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

The Nest thermostat is a test case for the proposition that better consumer products can save the world. It is indeed an excellent consumer product, but the early results on world-saving are inconclusive.

The Great Antarctic Search For Life Is Over (For Now)

2020-12-29T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

The British Antarctic Survey above Lake Ellsworth was a Great White Hope for discovering never-before-seen life. Scientists spent years planning an ambitious study of the lake, which sits two miles below the Antarctic surface, hoping to burrow through the ice with a hot-water drill. If they'd arrived at the bottom, the team might've found microbes with biology never observed by humans. Instead, the team's heading home.

Human Penis Size, Illuminati, And The Other Most Popular Wikipedia Pages Of 2012

2020-12-29T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

A barebones site has collected the 100 most popular Wikipedia stories from each major language. The different languages have different pages entirely, as they're more like localized versions of Wikipedia than translated versions of the original, English-language site. The view counts are public; anyone can check and see the popularity of any individual page. So what was the most popular?

Science Confirms The Obvious: Being Nice Helps You Make Friends

2020-12-28T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

After conducting a month-long study with several hundred Canadian tweens, researchers have arrived at the conclusion that permeates every after-school special you've ever been bored enough to watch: being nice makes people like you.

US Forensic Crime Labs Are A Mess. What Happened?

2020-12-28T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Earlier this month, we wrote about Annie Dookhan, a forensic chemist at a Massachusetts-based crime lab who stands accused of some pretty stark negligence. Turns out she's not the only one. Problems in crime labs have reached the top levels of government and spread out across the country, shining a spotlight on the troublesome role of science in criminal cases.

Stuffing Your Face With Holiday Bikkies Disrupts Your Body Clock

2020-12-28T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Blue-spectrum light and weird work schedules can easily interfere with our bodies' master clocks, but did you know that food can, too? All those cookies and pies you've been eating this week are going to mess with your sleep, especially when you're nibbling on them all day. Holiday travel will make it that much worse.

15 Science and Technology News Bytes From 2013

2020-12-28T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

And now! A collection of science nibbles you'll be hearing more about throughout 2013. Enjoy!

Global Warming Triggers Volcanic Eruptions, Scientists Say

2020-12-28T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here's an idea you've probably heard before: volcanic eruptions - the big, explosive Pinatubo kind - spew millions of tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, and the sulfur dioxide stays there for a few years, reflecting sunlight and cooling down the planet for a few years. In other words, eruptions can affect climate.

FDA Says Giant, Genetically Modified Salmon Is Environmentally Safe

2020-12-27T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

The AquAdvantage salmon, a genetically modified fish that grows year round and much faster than a natural salmon, has been approved for human consumption for years now (at least in the US). But one consistent hurdle to getting the "FrankenFish" on supermarket shelves is the suspected environmental impact.

Science Confirms The Obvious: Kids With Allergies Get Bullied

2020-12-27T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

It's bad enough that they have to avoid milk and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. A new study reveals that kids with allergies also get picked on at lunch.

GameSci: The Wii U's Unlikely Influence

2020-12-27T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

To most of the world, Sega's Visual Memory Unit has been been dead for the better part of a decade, forgotten as a footnote in the annals of videogame history. It was a memory card, shaped mostly like a Tamagotchi, that slipped into the giant controller of a Sega Dreamcast, with its tiny, 1.5-inch greyscale screen peeking through a little cut-out. If players wanted to, they could pull it out of the controller and, using two buttons and a control pad, play rudimentary mini-games. It was a smallish element of a failed console released 13 years ago from a company that no longer even makes hardware.

Robot Boy To Be 'Born' In 9 Months

2020-12-27T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Where are our mass-produced robot butlers already, the Rosies of our Jetsons families? Still a ways off, unfortunately, but here's the next best thing: 'Roboy,' a child-like service bot that researchers are billing as "one of the most advanced humanoid robots."

Asparagus Prevents Hangovers, Incredibly Useful Study Finds

2020-12-27T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

It's the holidays, so maybe you've been drinking too much. And maybe you've been dealing with a few too many hangovers. But no more. Just stuff some asparagus in your pocket and enjoy your New Year's Eve.

FYI: Which Computer Is Smarter, Watson Or Deep Blue?

2020-12-27T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Humans haven't fared well against IBM computers.Record-holding Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter lost to IBM's Watson last year on national television. Garry Kasparov, often considered history's greatest chess player, fell to IBM's Deep Blue in 1997.

FYI: What Causes Motion Sickness, And How Do You Cure It?

2020-12-25T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Motion sickness is a mismatch between what your body and your brain is experiencing, says Dr. Sujana Chandrasekhar, director of New York Otology and ENT surgeon at the New York Head and Neck Institute.

Q+A: Cody Wilson Of The Wiki Weapon Project On The 3-D Printed Future of Firearms

2020-12-22T08:50:00.0000000+11:00

The Wiki Weapon project is an initiative undertaken by Defense Distributed, a non-profit headed by University of Texas law student Cody Wilson aimed at generating a freely-distributed, open source design for a 3-D printed firearm - an idea that has come under serious fire from proponents of increased gun control in the U.S., particularly in light of last week's tragic shooting of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The idea behind the project - embraced by some, absolutely detested by others - is that technology will soon make regulating firearms virtually impossible. That is a very polarizing idea. But to say the very least Wiki Weapons is also a technologically intriguing project, one that forces us to examine some very relevant - some might say ominous - questions about new technological capabilities and where they are taking us, as well as what happens when technology gets way out in front of the law. We spoke with Wilson briefly this week hoping to address some of these questions. Below is an edited transcript of that conversation.

Study: Online User Reviews Influence Us In Ways We Don't Even Realise

2020-12-22T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Nowadays, many of us rely on online user reviews, instead of expert opinions or the advice of family and friends, for help making decisions both big and small. If we want to know about a restaurant, a hotel, a product - or even a neighborhood, a school district, a church, a donut shop or a barber - we tap the web and the massive database of reviews that populates it. Turns out those reviews are influencing us in ways we might not realize.

A Homemade Rocket Ship for the Masses

2020-12-22T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

Anyone with enough brains and balls can build their own rocket and fly it to space. Or at least that's what the non-profit, open source space project Copenhagen Suborbitals wants to prove.

Male Peacocks Try To Attract Females While Already Bonking Other Females

2020-12-22T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

A study at Duke University sought to uncover the meaning behind the peacock's so-called "hoot dash" display. The hoot dash is a peculiar courtship move in which a male peacock emits a loud noise, something like the honk of a clown's horn, right before copulation. The female peahen is already ready for mating; why does the male need to let out this powerful squawk?

How To Survive The Apocalypse, Cold War-Style

2020-12-22T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

The world is definitely not going to end today. So don't worry. But! If you enjoy worrying, or just really want to be prepared for future apocalypses, then the March 1951 issue of Popular Science is required reading. In the middle of the Cold War, we published an eerily-illustrated handbook for surviving an atomic bomb strike, from preparing your family's foxhole to what to do if you're caught outside during the blast. Unfortunately, none of these preparations were likely to do much good if your neighborhood was actually hit by a nuclear bomb, but some of the advice might come in handy against mysterious Mayan voodoo (or whatever.)

How Genetics Is Perfecting The Christmas Tree

2020-12-22T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

With just a few days left until Christmas, my tree is barely holding on - to its needles, to its stiffness, and to its dignity. It was an early tree this year, the result of the earliest possible Thanksgiving, but it was more than that. There was something about this tree that made it dry out quickly, and make it less likely to keep its thin needles. It is a Fraser fir, Abies fraseriis, so this was a surprise to John Frampton.

BeerSci: How Beer Gets Its Colour

2020-12-21T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

Before you read this column, I urge you to pop open a belated birthday beer. Pour that beer into a clear glass (pint or tulip, your choice), hold it up to the light, and take a good look at the color.

Inject Rhino Horns With Poison, That'll Stop Poachers

2020-12-21T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

In South Africa, conservationists have had to come up with new and more innovative ways to prevent poachers from killing the local rhinoceros for their horns. Enter the Rhino Rescue Project.

How To 3D Print A Record

2020-12-21T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Try to spin these 3D printed vinyl analogs at your next party, and the dance floor will likely grind to a halt. But the technique created by Instructables assistant tech editor Amanda Ghassaei for converting digital audio files into printable, playable 33 rpm records is actually pretty amazing, and as 3-D printer resolution continues ticking upward, the sound quality can only get better and better.

Study: We Can Spot Powerful Leaders In 2 Minutes

2020-12-21T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Thought experiment: What if you didn't know Barack Obama was president? Would you be able to spot him in a crowd - single him out as a leader? A new study suggests you might. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found that people can identify leaders by sight - all it takes is about two minutes.

FYI: What Kind Of Dinosaur Meat Would Taste Best?

2020-12-21T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

An ostrich-like dinosaur known as an ornithomimid would probably yield the most consumer-friendly cut of meat, while still maintaining a unique dinosaur taste.

Scientists Engineer Algae To Produce New Targeted Cancer Therapy

2020-12-21T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

If traditional cancer therapies like chemotherapy are the WMDs of medicine - powerful, indiscriminate killers - targeted drug therapies are the assassins, trained to seek out and destroy enemy cancer cells, one at a time.

Paper Waste Makes World's Grossest-Looking Bricks

2020-12-21T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

We don't want to be unkind, because it's nice that people are working toward a future where we won't have to rely on traditional brick-making methods, which produce tons of carbon dioxide. But a new idea for "green" bricks is a little less, uh, aesthetically pleasing than other ones we've noticed.

Genetically-Engineered Stingray-Skin Sneakers Are A Hoax

2020-12-20T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Back in June, news sites began picking up the story of Rayfish Footwear, which claimed it could genetically engineer stingrays to have whatever skin pattern or color you want, and then make you some cool sneakers out of it. Just like we thought, that is not possible, and the company is fake. NextNature, the Dutch organization behind Rayfish (they've also done other pranks), just released a video documenting the prank, though it's not totally clear what point they were trying to make with the whole thing. Video after the jump.

We Want These "Ultrastretchable" Charging Cables Now, Please

2020-12-20T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

At some point soon, we'll have wireless everything - wireless charging, wireless syncing, wireless video, wireless audio. We've already got a lot of that stuff, in fact. But today, we still need wires and cables, and a new creation from researchers at North Carolina State University could make them much more usable - by making them stretchy.

These Massive Extinct Eagles Could Have Carried Off That Toddler's Dad

2020-12-20T06:15:00.0000000+11:00

Last night, a video supposedly showing a golden eagle swooping down to pluck a toddler from a Montreal park - it was unsuccessful, luckily - hit the internet. Great video! This morning, avian experts both amateur and professional began weighing in, saying the video was doctored, that the bird in question was not actually a golden eagle, that the bird's behaviour is unusual and that, all in all, it's probably fake.

Nearby Star Tau Ceti Could Have A Habitable Planet

2020-12-20T06:04:00.0000000+11:00

It was really big news back in October when astronomers discovered an Earth-sized planet whipping around Alpha Centauri B, a star in the Alpha Centauri system, the closest star system to Earth. Now, it turns out the nearest single sun-like star to us is likely also harboring planets - five of them - and one looks to be orbiting in the so-called "goldilocks zone."

The Eagle-Snatching-Baby Video Is Insane, But It's Also Fake

2020-12-20T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

From Motherboard: I knew we were all in for an epic display of virality (sorry) last night when I saw about a dozen unrelated people share the same video last night, a video that features a toddler in Montreal, one turned into a tasty, immobile package of calories by its winter clothing, get snatched up by a golden eagle and dropped on its head. Whether or not you've seen it already, watch it again. Don't worry, I'll wait.

BigPic: A Rare And Spectacular View Of Saturn

2020-12-20T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Cassini, the NASA spacecraft that has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, captured this spectacular portrait on October 17. In the image, the sun is positioned behind Saturn, backlighting the fragments of ice that make up its rings, while the planet itself - the side we can see, anyway - remains in darkness.

Would Arming Teachers And Students Really Have Prevented A Tragedy?

2020-12-20T02:30:00.0000000+11:00

A recent bill sent from the Michigan House of Representatives to the Governor would make it easier to carry a concealed weapon in a school. After Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a spokesman for House Speaker Jase Bolger said the policy could have been "the difference between life and death for many innocent bystanders."

Scan Of Mummy Reveals Pharaoh Died With His Throat Slit

2020-12-19T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

The end of the Egyptian pharaoh Rameses III's reign was never meant to be a mystery for the ages. The Egyptians left behind a number of detailed historical documents that clearly lay out some basic details: In the year 1155 BC, members of the pharaoh's harem attempted to kill him as part of a coup. The plan was found out and the conspirators were tried in court, convicted, and punished.

Peter Thiel's Latest Pet Project: Tornado-Powered Energy

2020-12-19T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Billionaire Peter Thiel is already trying to create all sorts of zany things: 3D printed meat, reconstructed brain tissue, antimatter-fuelled spaceships and more. Now he wants to harness tornadoes. To produce energy.

Smartphone-Controlled Japanese Toilet Keeps A Personal Poop Diary

2020-12-19T08:45:00.0000000+11:00

The day will come, and come soon, when we will control our entire domestic lives with a phone. We will turn the lights on and off, we will change the temperature to the precise level we desire, we will cook our dinners and make our beds and brew our coffee and close our blinds and feed our pets with a tap and a swipe. We can do most of that now, in fact, though it's kind of expensive and cobbled-together to implement.

A Spider Builds Fake Spiders To Psych Out Predators

2020-12-19T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

Don't be fooled: this isn't a real spider. It's a fabrication! A lie! It's a decoy spider built from twigs, leaves, debris, dead insects, and whatever stuff nightmares are made of.

Ping Pong Ball-Sized Robots Can Swarm Together To Form A Smart Liquid

2020-12-19T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Some of the best robot swarms we've seen can either fly in formation or swim in a group, and while these are certainly awesome, they represent somewhat singular abilities. A new swarm that looks like a bunch of ping pong balls is both simpler and more complex, with potentially much more flexibility.

Why Are Architects Deploying Drones?

2020-12-19T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Drones have been taking on more creative jobs lately. (Artsy skateboarding photographer? Check. Local news reporter? Check.) So it was just a matter of time before drones joined the construction game.

Stem Cell Surgery Led To Bones Growing In Patient's Eye

2020-12-19T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Stem cell surgery, in which stem cells from a patient's body are transplanted into some other part of the body, is gaining in popularity. One patient in Los Angeles found out the hard way that the surgery is largely untested and unregulated.

Revisiting Britain's Biggest Hoax: Who Faked The Bones Of The Piltdown Man?

2020-12-19T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

On December 18, 2020, Charles Dawson told The Geological Society of London that a workman had uncovered the remains of one of the earliest humans in a gravel pit in Piltdown, England. The skull fragments and lower jaw bone of the "Piltdown Man" showed that it had a brain two-thirds the size of a modern human's and a jaw remarkably similar to that of a young chimpanzee.

NASA's Twin Moon Probes Crash Successfully Into Moon!

2020-12-18T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

After 350 days in lunar orbit, the twin probes Ebb and Flow ended their mission today with a carefully planned dive into a mountain near the moon's north pole. The probes' crash site has been named in honor of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

IBM Predicts: Cognitive Computers That Feel And Smell, Within The Next Five Years

2020-12-18T09:01:00.0000000+11:00

At the end of each year, IBM releases its "5 in 5" - five technology predictions that IBM researchers foresee coming to fruition within the coming five years. These predictions are based on everything from emerging market trends to cultural and social behaviors to actual technologies IBM has incubating in its many labs. And if this year's predictions are to be believed, many computational systems - from your tablet and laptop to your smartphone - are about to get a lot more sensory, learning to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell in their own digital ways.

Asterank 3D: A Visual Guide To Getting Rich In Space

2020-12-18T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

Imagine it: trillions of dollars worth of precious metals, fossil fuels, and fresh water, just lying around waiting to be claimed by anybody with a little know-how and an adventurer's spirit - any lucky person willing to travel a few million km into the great black unknown, latch on to a big hunk of funny-shaped rock, and claim 'em!

Fitness Trackers Make Terrible Gifts

2020-12-18T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Fitness trackers, little pedometer-type things that purport to measure your activity and help you get into shape, are on about a billion gift guides this year. But maybe they shouldn't be. Here are the two most pressing reasons not to buy someone a fitness tracker like a Fitbit, Nike+ Fuelband, or Jawbone Up as a gift.

North Korea's Satellite Is Still Tumbling And Likely Completely Dead

2020-12-18T06:47:00.0000000+11:00

More bad news for North Korea on the first anniversary of dearly departed leader Kim Jong-il's death: the satellite it launched into orbit last week is not only tumbling out of control, but is also likely completely dead, astronomers say.

Scientists Use A Virus To Reconstruct The Heart's Own Pacemaker

2020-12-18T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

A slight genetic tweak can restart the heart's own innate pacemaker system, according to new research. Someday, newly jumpstarted internal pacemakers could eliminate the need for electrical implants.

Paralysed Woman Can Eat A Chocolate Bar, With Graceful Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm

2020-12-18T05:04:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created a prosthetic arm that is the most sophisticated mind-controlled prosthesis ever created. Using a mix of cutting edge hardware and complex programming, the team has enabled a 52-year-old woman paralyzed from the neck down by a degenerative neurological disorder to move a robotic arm and hand with a degree of nuance and fluidity never before seen.

5 Petitions For Things Less Important To US Prosperity Than A Death Star

2020-12-18T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

The people of the United States have spoken. A White House petition to begin construction of a Death Star by 2016 has reached the 25,000-signature threshold, meaning the White House now has to respond.

Google Hires Ray Kurzweil To Head Its Engineering Lab

2020-12-18T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The singularity is nearer. Or, if you take the viewpoint of Technology Review, maybe the singularity is dead, now that Google has hired Ray Kurzweil to lead its engineering lab.

To Pinpoint Audio Evidence, UK Police Record 7 Years Of Background Noise

2020-12-18T00:58:00.0000000+11:00

Metropolitan police in London have been recording the hum of the nation's electrical grid for the last seven years, the BBC reports. And not just for fun: fluctuations in the sound enable audio forensic experts to pinpoint the time when any digital recording - of, say, a phone call - was made.

Watch: Asteroid Toutatis Twirling Through Space During Earth Flyby

2020-12-15T08:28:00.0000000+11:00

The three-mile-long chunk of space rock that swung past Earth early this week never got closer than a distance of about four million miles, but NASA scientists still managed to catch it on tape.

How Roald Amundsen Won The Race To The Bottom Of The World

2020-12-15T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

On December 14, 2020, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's five-man expedition arrived at the South Pole on skis and dogsleds, beating Robert F. Scott's ill-fated team by a month. Amundsen, who left medical school at age 21 for a life at sea, was also the first person to cross the North Pole by airship and the first to traverse Canada's Northwest Passage.

Who Were The First Organisms To Live On Land?

2020-12-15T07:02:00.0000000+11:00

A new paper out in the journal Nature this week has stirred up an old debate among geologists about when, exactly, life on Earth first colonised dry land.

Adorable Beagle Diagnoses Deadly Infections By Sniffing You

2020-12-15T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

In hospitals, a nasty little bacterium called Clostridium difficile causes problems for patients - it's highly infectious and can cause diarrhea among people who are already sick. Diagnosing whether a patient has C. diff, as it's called, requires a stool sample, which can take days to analyse. So scientists at the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam trained a beagle named Cliff to sniff out the nasty bacterium. The craziest part? Cliff doesn't need to sniff stool samples - he can tell just by walking up to a patient as the patient lies in bed.

How Many Model Rockets Would You Need To Get To Space? [Infographic]

2020-12-15T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today, the always-great web-comic XKCD gets Wile E. Coyote on everyone by explaining how many model rockets you'd need to shoot a rocket into space. (Spoiler: you will need several model rockets.)

Sculptures Reimagine Pasta And Bamboo As Bacteria And DNA

2020-12-15T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

We only know a few things about these sculptural interpretations of the microscopic world from artist Sinead Foley. 1) The bacteria and cells are made mostly from everyday objects, like pasta. 2) The results are surprisingly detailed (maybe done through 3-D modeling?). 3) Every photo is stunning.

Are You Healthy Enough To Fly To Space?

2020-12-15T01:56:00.0000000+11:00

In a sign of the times in which we now live, a paper published in the latest edition of medical journal BMJ advises clinicians that they will soon be asked to clear patients for the rigors of spaceflight, and they need to be ready to do so. With space tourism becoming more feasible for more and more people, it's inevitable that patients are going so start asking their doctors for such evaluations, just as they might ask if they are health enough to go scuba diving or mountain climbing.

NASA's Twin Orbiters Will Crash Into The Moon On Monday

2020-12-14T09:04:00.0000000+11:00

Just shy of a full year encircling the moon, NASA's twin lunar probes are bidding farewell on Monday, crashing in a controlled fashion into a small mountain-like formation at the moon's north pole. The GRAIL twins, nicknamed Ebb and Flow, are almost out of fuel and their lives would come to an end anyway - but rather than let them fall out of the lunar sky, as it were, NASA is performing a kind of spacecraft euthanasia.

New Venomous Primate Species Discovered In Borneo

2020-12-14T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

In the jungles of Borneo, an international team of researchers have discovered a new species of slow loris, and classified two previously known subspecies as distinct species in their own rights. That up there is the Kayan loris, the new species.

North Korea's Satellite Is Tumbling Out Of Control

2020-12-14T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here's something troubling to start your afternoon: North Korea launched a new satellite into space earlier this week and now it's apparently tumbling out of control amid all the other satellites that the world relies on.

Thank You, Apple Maps. Now Go Away.

2020-12-14T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The terrifying few months of what will be forever known as Apple Mapgate (no it won't) are over. Google just released Google Maps for the iPhone, so we can all stick Apple Maps in our "Utilities" folder on our homescreens where it can sit comfortably next to other useless apps like Compass and Stocks. But here's the weird thing: Google didn't just package up the old Google Maps for iOS app and re-release it. They spent the past few months actually making a better app, with features the iOS version of Google Maps never had before.

How To Make Beer [Infographic]

2020-12-14T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

When the United States ratified the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, Popular Science celebrated the end of Prohibition by getting completely wasted (probably) and publishing this lovely infographic on how to make beer. "With the removal of national restrictions against the manufacture and sale of beer, American brewers are again in action," said our June 1933 issue. "Their operations represent one of the most extensive applications of modern industrial chemistry."

Could Scientists Have Found A Gay Switch?

2020-12-14T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Gayness may not be in our genes, but in the molecules that regulate them. New research suggests that epigenetic factors - chemical "switches" attached to genes that turn them on or off - are a more plausible heritable mechanism behind homosexuality than DNA itself.

North Korea's Rocket Launch - Imminent Doom? No.

2020-12-13T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Late yesterday, North Korea joined the spacefaring nations club, when it successfully launched a rudimentary satellite that now appears to be in orbit. North Korea being North Korea, this was a troublesome development. The nation's insular, military leadership is widely regarded as a rogue regime. It has brazenly developed a nuclear weapons program in the face of international objection and regular economic sanctions. And its "peaceful" space program is largely (and by my most expert accounts, accurately) perceived as a front for intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

Digital Tool Ages Your Face To Scare You Into Saving Money

2020-12-13T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Did you know that if you see an age-enhanced version of yourself, you're more likely to save extra money for retirement? Stanford researchers know, because they studied that effect in 2011, and Bank of America division Merrill Edge knows, because they're pointing to the Stanford study as the rationale behind a newly released online digital-aging program that exists to remind you that you're going to get old and die.

For New Lamps, An Unlikely Energy Source: Gravity

2020-12-13T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Kerosene lamps used in off-grid, rural areas are a major problem. They're bad for people's health and the environment's. One startup's solution is to tap another, greener resource, something we all have in abundance: gravity.

A Hauntingly Beautiful Skateboarding Video Shot With A Hexacopter Drone

2020-12-13T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Among those who appreciate the craft, the skateboarding video is a cherished art form that has long been associated with unconventional filmmaking methods. This beautifully executed Czech production is no exception, shot via the versatile perspective of a camera-equipped hexacopter drone that captures an underlit, Tron-like skateboard (and rider) traversing a barren cityscape at night.

PSY, Mars, and Gabby Douglas: Google Sums Up The Year That Was 2012

2020-12-13T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

You probably searched Gabby Douglas, Mars Curiosity, and PSY's names on Google or YouTube, because you want to be up to date on news, memes, and tiny gymnasts. What you didn't know was that you were voting with each search. Google assembled the data from search trends to figure out the most-searched things of the year - it's called Zeitgeist 2012.

Very Important Science Finding: Put Your Cask Wine In The Fridge

2020-12-13T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today in Very Important Science: if you're drinking bagged or boxed wine - and we're not going to tell you not to, it's good for you - make sure to keep it at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. You snooty oenophiles with your wines in bottles, who cares, do whatever you want with your single-varietal Monopoly Man swill.

These Terrifying Handcuffs Can Shock And Drug Prisoners

2020-12-13T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

An Arizona-based company recently filed a patent for high-tech futuristic handcuffs that are, in a word, terrifying. In addition to restraining prisoners, the cuffs can also deliver electric shocks and sedatives.

Mexican Drug Smugglers Are Launching Pot Into The US With A Huge Pneumatic Cannon

2020-12-13T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

When we last checked in on the DIY innovations of Mexican cartel drug smugglers, we found them lobbing four-pound bales of marijuana over the Mexico-Arizona border with a trailer-mounted catapult. But technology never stands still. US Customs and Border Patrol agents recently found 33 canisters of marijuana in a field on the US side near the point where the Colorado River crosses the US-Mexico border, and they think the pot got there after being launched from a huge pneumatic cannon.

RIP Pixels?

2020-12-13T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

The pixel isn't perfect. For most everything, lining up tiny blocks and displaying them on a screen works well enough. But those blocks have limitations. Now a team of researchers is saying there's a better way to present onscreen images - one that'll replace the pixel in five years.

What Does A Climate Scientist Think Of Glenn Beck's Environmental-Conspiracy Novel?

2020-12-13T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

When I was first asked to review Glenn Beck's new tome Agenda 21, I feared I could not accomplish the task objectively. After all, Beck - as recounted in my own book The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars - once suggested that I, and indeed all of my fellow climate scientists, commit hara-kiri out of shame for promoting the purportedly bogus science of climate change. Hard not to harbor a bit of a grudge after that.

The Strangest Thing You'll See Today: Air Pollution Represented By Nostril-Hair Length

2020-12-12T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

The colored balloons on this map of Asia represent current levels of air pollution, namely particulate pollution, which are at harmful levels for nearly 70% of developing Asian cities, according to Clean Air Asia. But the brightly colored dots on the map probably weren't what caught your eye - maybe it was the giant pigtails sprouting from the lone nose on the right?

China Fires Officials Who Sanctioned Secret Feeding Of Genetically Modified Rice To Kids

2020-12-12T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Chinese leaders have fired three government officials involved in a study of genetically modified rice, after complaints that the study's subjects weren't properly informed. The subjects were kids whose parents didn't know what their kids were eating.

BigPic: Two And A Half Years Of Computer Use In One Incredible Image

2020-12-12T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

For a project titled Every Day of My Life, artist/programmer/designer Marcin Ignac used software to track, measure, and visualize his computer use every day for 2.5 years. The result: This beautiful, simple look at one of the most prominent aspects of daily life in the 21st century. Each line is a single day, with colors representing which app was being used at the time of day. (So, for example, your line might be red during this time, signaling that you're using your browser.) The black sections are times when he had his computer off - meaning that blacked-out section in every day is probably night.

A Robot With Bones And Muscles

2020-12-12T05:57:00.0000000+11:00

We see a lot of robots here, including some that mimic human movement. But this one gets a special prize for having the most muscles - or the robot equivalent, pulley-like contraptions - of any robot based on a natural creature. The final muscle tally for the University of Tokyo's Kenshiro robot is 160, with 50 in the legs, 76 in the trunk, 12 in the shoulder, and 22 in the neck. And it also has a slightly unnerving pair of tennis shoes.

Genetic Researchers Grow A Fish That Has Legs

2020-12-12T05:02:00.0000000+11:00

The fossil record has a lot of strange stories to tell about the evolution of life on Earth, and one of the strangest is how life moved from sea to land. Though clues from the record give the rough outlines of the story - limbs grew from fins in a series of stages in which fins grew longer and narrower - scientists are still filling in the details, trying to determine what genetic changes might have allowed the limbs to grow.

Concept Of "Purity" Makes Conservatives Care About Environmental Issues

2020-12-12T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

It's not that political conservatives don't care about things like climate change, recycling and deforestation - it's that they don't care about it the same way liberals do. True, they tend to be less concerned about it at first, but when you give them the right messages, they do care. If environmental issues are couched as defending the Earth's purity and sanctity, that is.

White Nose Syndrome In Bats Could Yield Clues About AIDS

2020-12-12T03:02:00.0000000+11:00

The millions of bats succumbing to a deadly fungal infection across the US will leave massive ecological holes in their wake - prime predators of insects are disappearing, for one, and cave flora and fauna that depend on bats could be in danger of collapsing. But research on the animals' immune responses could have one silver lining: helping AIDS patients.

FYI: How Long Would It Take Santa To Deliver Presents To Every Kid On Earth?

2020-12-12T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

About six "Santa months," according to Larry Silverberg, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. He's a Santa math specialist (really) whose students took on the problem.

How The Internet Has Spread Around The World [Infographic]

2020-12-12T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

When Tim Berner-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1991, it was a bit of a misnomer - at the time, virtually all of the world's five million internet users were concentrated in just 12 countries, and 70 percent were dialing up from within the United States alone.

3D Painting Visualises Earthquakes In Real Time

2020-12-11T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

Design student James Boock is turning Christchurch's seismology into something more than a record of natural disaster. Quakescape, a project conceived in the aftermath of last year's earthquakes, transforms seismological data into a work of art in realtime, splashing color across a 3D topographical model of Christchurch that corresponds to the magnitude of the earthquakes that occur there.

New Human-Powered Styrofoam Plane

2020-12-11T07:01:00.0000000+11:00

A team of Japanese motorcycle makers may soon remind the world that another type of bike - one with pedals - can be an incredibly efficient way to get around. Team Aeroscepsy is gunning for a new world record for distance flown in an aircraft under human power.

Take A Virtual Trip To The Moon With Patrick Moore's Handy Guide

2020-12-11T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

British astronomer and television show host Patrick Moore died Sunday at his home in Selsey, England. He was 89. The beloved xylophone-playing, monocle-wearing scientist published his first paper about the moon when he was just 13 and went on to author more than 60 books about astronomy.

Stop Shooting Wolves, You Maniacs

2020-12-11T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Last week, an alpha female grey wolf known as 832F, perhaps the most widely seen wolf at Yellowstone National Park, was shot and killed after straying just outside the boundaries of the park and into greater Wyoming. Wyoming is a lunatic state that has legalized the mass shooting of an animal that poses basically no threat to anyone and is, in fact, an essential part of the ecosystem as a whole.

Science Can Now Turn Human Urine Into Brain Cells

2020-12-11T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

It turns out urine isn't just human waste. Chinese researchers have managed to reprogram kidney cells harvested from urine samples into neural cell progenitors - immature brain cells that can develop into various types of glial cells and neurons. Reprogramming cells has been done before, of course, but not with cells gleaned from urine and not via a method this direct (more on that in a moment). The technique could prove extremely helpful to those pursuing treatments for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Watch A 10-Story Building Go Up In Two Days

2020-12-11T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

Prefabricated structures are getting lots of media attention right now, notably after China's BroadGroup put up a 30-story pre-fab hotel in 15 days with plans to build the world's tallest building in three months using the same technique. Now we have another entry in the taller-than-usual prefab building category: a 10-story building in Mohali, India, that was built in two days. TWO DAYS.

Latest Apple Maps Glitch Strands Motorists In Australian Wilderness

2020-12-11T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The Apple Maps saga continues! The latest chapter finds police in Victoria, Australia, issuing a formal warning to motorists not to use the app. The reason: Police there have had to rescue half a dozen motorists who were quite literally lost in the wilderness after using the app's directions to try to navigate between cities. Some were stranded in a national park for up to 24 hours.

Shapeshifting Metamaterial Could Revolutionize How We Treat Wounds

2020-12-11T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at Cornell University have somewhat accidentally created a strange new kind of metamaterial that flows like a liquid metal but also remembers its shape. In the presence of water, the liquid metamaterial snaps back into the form of its original container - a property that could have significant applications in treating wounds and beyond.

Why The Only Secure Password Is One You Don't Even Know That You Know

2020-12-11T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Hristo Bojinov wants you to forget your password. More precisely, he wants you to never really know it in the first place. Bojinov, a computer scientist at Stanford, and his colleagues have developed a computer program that can implant passwords in a person's subconscious mind - and retrieve them subconsciously too. The technique could make it impossible for, say, a high-security government agent to reveal his password; the agent wouldn't actually know the secret code. Eventually, the use of subconscious passwords could even trickle down to the rest of us. And considering the precarious state of password protection, that probably can't happen soon enough.

Why Isn't the US Afraid Of A Tsunami Hitting San Francisco?

2020-12-08T08:07:00.0000000+11:00

(This report from the PopSci Mothership in the US - pertinent because our editor-in-chief lives in California...)

When news broke of a 7.3-magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan early this morning, our first reaction was to fear a tsunami. The devastating earthquake that hit Japan last March and left 15,000 dead was in large part so damaging because of the ensuing tsunami, massive waves of ocean water which crashed up to six miles inland and over a hundred feet high. Luckily, Japan today's earthquake and its aftershocks seem to have minimal adverse effect, and the waves are not high enough to be damaging.

AirHarp, The Instrument You Play Without Touching Anything

2020-12-08T07:04:00.0000000+11:00

It looks like magic, but it's just technology. For a casual weekend hack, developer Adam Somers used a Leap Motion USB motion sensor device to turn his computer into a musical instrument. By adjusting settings in the AirHarp app and waving his fingers around like a wizard casting a hex, Somers was able to recreate the sound of a harp, playing in different keys, melodies and timbres. Watch the video to see and hear what we're talking about.

New Microscopy Technique Gets Close Enough To See The Lengths Of Atomic Bonds

2020-12-08T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

For the first time, scientists have used an imaging technique that's so precise that it's possible to see the different lengths of individual atomic bonds.

The Secret Weapons Behind Pearl Harbour

2020-12-08T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

Today, the US marks 71 years since the attack on Pearl Harbour that catapulted the United States into World War II (it was yesterday for us, of course). The attack was devastating. More than 2,400 people died and more than 1,000 were wounded. It was also, in the cold language of military science, wildly successful.

How To Scrub GPS Data From Your Photos; Or, How To Be Smarter Than Vice

2020-12-08T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

John McAfee - anti-virus pioneer, "person of interest" in Belize murder investigation, and launcher of increasingly bizarre media stories - has been captured. It happened after journalists from Vice accidentally published an iPhone photo of McAfee with embedded GPS data.

Does Edible Deodorant Work?

2020-12-08T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The makers of Deo Perfume Candy claim that if you eat a few of their pink lozenges, the odour compounds contained therein will travel through your body and start oozing out of your pores, giving you a vague and pleasant rose-smelling aura. That's right. It's edible deodorant. But don't throw out your Speed Stick just yet. I tried it for a week, and suffice it to say "pleasant" is a wild overstatement.

Moon Trips: Only $750 Million!

2020-12-07T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

On the heels of SpaceX's vision of a human colony on Mars, here's another idea for people who think of outer space the way the rest of us think of Hawaii: a space-tourism startup is selling trips to the moon at $750 million each.

Video: A Black Hawk Helicopter Goes Autonomous

2020-12-07T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

Our brand new drones aren't the only things becoming increasingly autonomous. This newly-released video of a November 5 flight over the Diablo Range in California shows a US Army Black Hawk helicopter autonomously navigating through hills and valleys at low altitude.

Samsung's Galaxy Camera Is The Camera Of The Future [Review]

2020-12-07T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

To review the Samsung Galaxy Camera, Popular Photography's Dan Bracaglia lends his photographic expertise to talk about the camera from a photog's perspective, while Popular Science's gadget reviewer, Dan Nosowitz, reviews the camera from a gadget-geek's perspective.

How Scientists Turn The Ocean Into A Controlled Laboratory

2020-12-07T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

When marine biologist David Kline, of Australia's University of Queensland, set out for Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef, he and his team were determined to help answer a pressing question: How will rising acidity from climate change affect coral reefs? So they brought along their Coral Proto FOCE, the first device that lets scientists manipulate acidity in a reef's natural environment.

You Built What?!: A Remote-Controlled Robo-Arm

2020-12-07T01:59:00.0000000+11:00

Two summers ago, Easton LaChappelle thought it would be fun to build a robotic arm controlled wirelessly using a glove. LaChappelle, then 14, knew nothing about electronics, programming, or robots-but he was bored and desperate for a challenge. So over the next couple of years, the teen, now a high school junior, toiled in his cramped bedroom workshop in Mancos, Colorado, ironing out the details. In time, he emerged with a robo-arm operated by a gaming glove-and his mind.

Love Of Spicy Food Is Built Into Your Personality

2020-12-07T01:01:00.0000000+11:00

When I was a kid, I'd watch in awe as my dad ate dinner. It wasn't just the heaps of food piled on his plate that impressed me. (The words "portion control" had yet to enter the public lexicon.) What always made me shake my head in disbelief was his curious habit of alternating bites of his meal with bites off a jalapeno pepper. To save time, he'd simply hold the pepper in one hand and his utensil in the other. I should also mention that my heritage is Indian, and that my mom served up traditional spicy dishes on a nightly basis. But it was never spicy enough for Dad.

Remembering Dave Brubeck, The Mathematical Pianist (1920-2012)

2020-12-06T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

I saw Dave Brubeck play, once. That's not that unusual; he performed pretty much right up until he died, earlier today, the day before his 92nd birthday. I was in high school, playing piano, trying to figure out what I wanted out of the instrument. I had been classically trained, and got tired of the constraints, of the tamped emotion, the lack of freedom. I had a year or so of jazz training, but I didn't much like playing standards, and I didn't like playing with other jazz kids, who in high school tend to play anonymous and masturbatory jazz-funk, almost exclusively. Pop music was what I loved, but the piano parts were all boring.

Today On Mars: Where Curiosity's Cruise Stage Crashed Down

2020-12-06T09:02:00.0000000+11:00

When the Mars Rover Curiosity left Earth, it was carrying a cruise stage, whose parts included a sun sensor and star scanner, propellant tanks, and a couple of antennae. The craft released the cruise stage, along with two 165-pound blocks of tungsten ballast, to gain some aerodynamic lift right before it hit Mars' atmosphere, preparing for the "seven minutes of terror" it would take to reach the surface.

Readers! Help Astronomers Study The Galaxy That's Going To Collide With Ours

2020-12-06T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes, scientists need a hand. There's a lot of data to sift through, and now more than ever, the public can be part of that sifting. Take this fun new project: a crowdsourced hunt for star clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Study Says Women Can Spot Cheaters At A Glance

2020-12-06T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

It seems like you can't throw a dart at a wall of research without hitting a "men are from Mars, women are from Venus" claim. Recently, we've seen some good studies along those lines (and some not so good studies). Now here's another one, out of Australia: women, researchers say, can tell if a person they've never seen before has a history of infidelity.

Grand Award Winner: The Sand Flea

2020-12-06T06:39:00.0000000+11:00

Reconnaissance robots have typically required elaborate engineering to overcome the challenges of urban surveillance; models based on hummingbirds, flies, and cockroaches are all in development.

Sperm Count Is Falling In France, And Globally, Too, Study Says

2020-12-06T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

A biggest-of-its-kind study suggests that sperm counts are falling. By a lot. Researchers studied French men from 1989 to 2005, measuring their sperm counts regularly, and found that counts fell about one third in that 16-year period, from 74 million per millilitre to about 50 million. A steady yearly decrease of about 2 percent took it that low.

Social Robot Designed To Befriend Lonely Astronauts

2020-12-06T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

NASA has already sent its own humanoid Robonaut into orbit aboard the International Space Station, and now Japan's JAXA is following suit. The small humanoid will travel to the station next summer to reside in Japan's Kibo module, where it will keep JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and the rest of the crew company.

Modernisation and Discretionary Income Positions Africa On The Rise

2020-12-06T04:02:00.0000000+11:00

As the portfolio manager for the T. Rowe Price Africa and Middle East fund, I look for investment opportunities across two large regions - more than 60 countries in all. Since there's much less research than usual written about the companies and countries the fund covers, it's critical for us to visit the countries and meet with management. On average, I'm traveling once every four weeks.

Scientists Might've Discovered World's Oldest Dinosaur

2020-12-06T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Paleontologists have discovered what very well might be the oldest known dinosaur, if in fact Nyasasaurus parringtoni is a dinosaur at all. A study published in the journal Biology Letters is describing a new species of prehistoric reptile that appears to predate the previous earliest-known dinosaur by 10 to 15 million years. That not only stands as a new superlative in dinosaur classification, but if confirmed, it fills a gap in the evolutionary timeline that's been puzzling scholars for years.

Robot Boat Makes it to Australia!

2020-12-06T01:11:00.0000000+11:00

In November of last year, Liquid Robotics dropped four of its brand new Wave Glider robots in the water just off the coast of San Francisco with hopes of making history and learning a thing or two in the offing. Two of the robots would set a course for Japan and the other two for Australia, each destination roughly 16,500 km away. It was to be the longest journey ever taken by any autonomous vehicle, a slow but steady swim across the entire Pacific Ocean that would collect and relay high resolution oceanographic and atmospheric data all along the way, stopping only for a quick maintenance check-up in Hawaii - if they made it that far at all.

Video: A Timelapse View Of Earth From The ISS

2020-12-05T09:45:00.0000000+11:00

Happy holidays from the International Space Station! Film student Giacomo Sardelli created this timelapse video of the ISS to promote world connectedness and peace on Earth. 'Tis the season. Although this background music is way more epic than "Frosty The Snowman."

NASA's Newest Engineering Challenge: How To Change A Light Bulb

2020-12-05T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Astronaut insomnia is somewhat legendary at NASA, with astronauts popping sleep pills with regularity and averaging only six hours of sleep a night, far less than the eight and a half hours they're technically allotted. This can cause serious problems as fatigue sets in. To help matters, NASA is embarking on a major mission to change all the light bulbs on the space station.

Researchers Can Tell A Liar By The Nose With The 'Pinocchio Effect'

2020-12-05T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

To tell if a person is lying, just measure his or her nose. No, not the length - the temperature. Researchers at the University of Grenada are calling it the "Pinocchio Effect," after - you guessed it! - the marionette who just couldn't seem to tell the truth and become a real boy. Thermograms show that the old fairytale isn't all that far off. Though the nose doesn't grow when you lie, its temperature (along with that of the muscles in the inner eye) rises.

Video: 3D Printed Assault Rifle Breaks After Just 6 Shots

2020-12-05T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

A field test of a 3D printed assault rifle ended quickly over the weekend, with the printed plastic parts breaking apart after six rounds. It was the first live test of the printed AR-15 assault rifle, the Wiki Weapons Project's target for the first blueprint of a fully 3D printed gun. There are still plenty of improvements to make before the team will recommend assembly, as the test shows.

Animal Bluffs Inspire A New Breed Of Deceptive Robots

2020-12-05T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Squirrels have a habit of storing acorns and other nuts in various spots, then patrolling those stashes. But what happens if another opportunistic squirrel shows up to steal the bounty? The stash-owning squirrel fakes out the would-be thief, "checking" fake cache sites to throw the invader off the trail. Now researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have endowed robots with the same ability.

Spider Astronaut Dies On Display At Smithsonian

2020-12-05T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

The "spidernaut" Nefertiti has died. It was 10 months old. A "Johnson Jumper" spider, it was sent on board the International Space Station in July as part of an experiment; researchers watched to see if the spider would adapt its feeding behavior to weightlessness (it did).

African Elephant's Cataract Operation Is The Biggest Eye Surgery Ever

2020-12-05T02:02:00.0000000+11:00

Duchess, a 4.4-ton, 45-year-old African elephant at the Paignton Zoo in Devon, England, had already lost her right eye to glaucoma, and cataracts threatened to blind the other. So in September, veterinarians put Duchess under the knife for the second cataract operation ever performed on an elephant.

Better Than A Condom? Discreet Nanofabric Protects Against Pregnancy and HIV

2020-12-05T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

University of Washington researchers have developed a new contraceptive that for the first time offers women a discreet way to protect against both sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. An electrically spun nanofabric, the technology is designed to dissolve in the body, releasing preventative drugs. The goal: to empower women to make their own reproductive choices safely and cheaply.

How Moon Dust Could Improve Weather Predictions On Earth

2020-12-04T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

When John Lane stood in his backyard and pointed his laser at the rain, he wasn't thinking about weather on Earth. He was trying to figure out the best way to track lunar dust, part of a project to protect NASA's Apollo landers from would-be moon visitors. But he ended up helping weather forecasters anyway, by finding a new way to measure the size of raindrops - something weather radar can't do.

This Is What Thinking About Nothing Looks Like

2020-12-04T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

What do empty thoughts look like? According to the artist Gustav Metzger, they look like the weird blobby object above. Metzger hooked up his brain to a robotic sculpting machine that carved away at a piece of Portland Stone based on the stimuli it received from Metzger's EEG readings as he tried to think of nothing at all. Titled "Null Object," the work is now on display at London's Work Gallery.

What Ancient Antarctic Microbes Reveal About The Hunt For Extraterrestrial Life

2020-12-04T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

In a frigid lake some 65 feet below Antarctica's icy surface, NASA scientists and their partners from the Desert Research Institute in Nevada and several other institutions have made an important discovery both for our understanding of life on Earth and for the search for extraterrestrial life. In the briny depths of Lake Vida, an oxygen-free, nitrous oxide-rich saltwater body buried underneath Antarctic ice for millennia, the researchers have found a thriving colony of bacteria. This, in an environment that would instantly extinguish most life.

Mmmmm? Scientists Make Bread Last 60 Days

2020-12-04T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Hard truth is, we waste 40 per cent of the food we buy, whether because we forget about it in the back of the fridge, fail to wrap it properly, or something else. It's equivalent to about nine kilos per person per month, according to one study. Now a new spinoff company claims it can preserve at least some of our food for longer, by zapping it with microwaves.

FIPEL Lighting Could Replace Fluorescents

2020-12-04T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Like the desktop printer and the fax machine, the fluorescent overhead light might soon see a diminished role around the office. Researchers at Wake Forest University have developed a field-induced polymer elecroluminescent (FIPEL) lighting technology that silently gives off a soft, white glow, sans the annoying hum and yellow tint of fluorescent bulbs or the sharp, bluish hue of LED light fixtures.

FYI: What Do Forensic Chemists Do, And Why Would They Cheat?

2020-12-04T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Earlier this fall, a forensic chemist at the Massachusetts-based crime lab William A. Hinton State Laboratory was charged with obstruction of justice. Annie Dookhan allegedly mixed drug samples, neglected to test them properly and forged colleagues' signatures throughout her nine-year career to drive up her productivity. She might not have even received the master's degree she claimed to have (University of Massachusetts officials are denying her credentials). Now a grand jury is investigating the case and is expected to return indictments against the disgraced chemist some time after today. The story is like something straight out of "Law & Order."

MIT Researchers Create The Swiss Army Knife Of The Robotics World

2020-12-01T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

MIT is calling this tiny device the Swiss army knife of the robotics world, though that doesn't really seem to do it justice. Developed at the university's Center for Bits and Atoms, the milli-motein is a caterpillar-sized robot that can be folded into assorted shapes, signaling a future in which devices shapeshift into almost anything imaginable.

As Kilauea Volcano Spews Lava Into The Ocean, Tourists Flock To The Scene

2020-12-01T08:44:00.0000000+11:00

Remember those plucky writers who were reckless enough to walk outside during Hurricane Sandy? Oh, right...that was us. But we at PopSci might not be the only ones who enjoy a good disaster despite the danger. A volcano pouring lava into the ocean, for example, might be pretty impossible to resist. Hawaii tourism officials are banking on that.

FYI: Can Viagra Make You A Better Athlete?

2020-12-01T07:17:00.0000000+11:00

Over in the US they take their sport seriously. VERY seriously. Boner-pill seriously. Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall caused a great engorgement in the wit of the sports commentariat when he admitted that he's "heard (of) guys using like Viagra, seriously" to gain a competitive edge on the field.

Carbomorph - The Key To 3D Printing

2020-12-01T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

For a long time now, the ability to print electronic circuitry and components on commercially available 3D printers has been viewed as the development that will thrust 3D printing out of its current nascent maker space and into the mainstream of both manufacturing and home fabrication. And while it's already been demonstrated on specialized printers in the lab, researcher at the University of Warwick in the UK have developed a low-cost material they've named "carbomorph" that is conductive, piezoresistive, and printable in currently available, consumer-affordable 3D printers.

In 2013, Free Schools In England Will Have To Teach Evolution In The Classroom

2020-12-01T04:21:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists were concerned that children in England's free schools - taxpayer-funded schools that aren't run by local authorities - might not learn about evolution in schools run by creationists.

BigPic: The Northern Lights Like You've Never Seen Them Before

2020-12-01T04:02:00.0000000+11:00

In pictures and in person, the Earth's aurora looks sorta like wispy clouds made of emerald fuzz. That's gorgeous and all, but we need a clearer picture for scientific study. Auroras, which happen when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's magnetic field, could reveal a lot to us about how the Earth and the Sun interact. Most cameras just swallow all the light into one image when you take a picture, so researchers would have to use filters to study specific bands of the spectrum.

Which Dates Matter Most To Us? A Weighted Calendar [Infographic]

2020-12-01T01:59:00.0000000+11:00

Which dates matter? All of them, of course. But there are some we talk about more than others, and this calendar from web comic xkcd gives those dates prime real estate.

Military Uniforms Of The Future Will Automatically Turn Into Chemical Suits In The Presence Of Threats

2020-12-01T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Soldiers on the battlefield may soon be getting a second skin. Researchers at UMass Amherst are developing a new nanotube-based fabric intended for use in military combat uniforms that protects grunts from chemical and biological agents. But unlike the cumbersome and (really, really) hot chemical suits the military currently issues to mitigate those kinds of threats, this material will automatically switch from a highly breathable state to a protective one, triggered by the presence of a chemical or biological threat. The uniform may well know the threat is present before the soldier does.

To Fight Winter Blahs, Sweden Offers Light Therapy At The Bus Stop

2020-11-30T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Days will keep getting shorter as we approach the winter solstice, which means fewer and fewer hours of sunlight. That can be depressing at normal mid-North American latitudes, so imagine how bad it gets in a place like Sweden. To fight the winter doldrums, a Swedish utility is installing UV lights at bus stations.

No Organics Yet For Mars Rover Curiosity, NASA Warns

2020-11-30T06:59:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's forthcoming news conference (scheduled for Monday) about the Mars rover Curiosity's latest findings may not be so "earth-shaking," it turns out. The busy rover has not found any evidence of organic material on Mars - at least not yet.

The Big-Boy Microsoft Surface Pro Comes at a Big-Boy Price

2020-11-30T06:09:00.0000000+11:00

In case you're still confused (because it is confusing): the Microsoft Surface we've been talking about lately is the Surface RT, which is basically like a tablet. The Surface Pro, though it looks pretty much like the Surface RT, has full laptop capabilities, just like any other Windows 8 computer.

'Intelligent' Rifle Pre-Tags Target

2020-11-30T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Taking the "sport" out of "sport shooting" and the "man" out of "marksman," a company called TrackingPoint has developed what it calls "Intelligent Digital Tracking Scopes" for use on its "Precision Guided Firearms." The latter is something of a misnomer, as neither the munition itself nor the firearm is guided, but the shooter is - sort of. TrackingPoint's technology allows a shaky shooter to digitally tag a target through the optic, which then won't let the firearm discharge until it is lined up perfectly on the target.

US Store Staples Will Offer On-Demand 3D Printing

2020-11-30T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

3D printing is at an awkward, prepubescent stage right now. The printers aren't exactly common, but a few early adopters have them. That leaves out the people who'd like to use them occasionally without investing in a printer of their own, and that seems like the market Staples is catering to by offering 3D printing to customers.

What Are Your Odds Of Winning The Lottery? [Infographic]

2020-11-30T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

People have just won that ridiculous, record-breaking US$579.9 million Powerball jackpot. Two people, even! But you know who didn't win the jackpot? A lot more people. Amazingly, this holds true in Australia as well as the US. Voluntary taxation you say? Well, this infographic shows exactly how crappy your chances are of winning the lottery - and how lucky today's winners really are.

Winged Robots Will Live In Cows' Stomachs To Monitor Their Methane Burps

2020-11-30T03:06:00.0000000+11:00

Cow burps are a problem. Also cow farts. Those are responsible for 28 per cent of all human-related methane emissions. When that methane is released into the atmosphere, they heat up the already warming planet. So some researchers are enlisting technology to help out.

Turn Your Favorite Mitts Into Gadget-Compatible Manipulators

2020-11-30T01:58:00.0000000+11:00

Winter gloves and gadgets don't mix. Most touchscreens use capacitive sensing to complete a weak electrical circuit through skin and locate our tapping. And while wool, cotton, and leather gloves insulate hands from the cold, they block the body's ability to shuttle electrons. Strategic stitching with conductive thread, however, can prevent essential electronics from becoming unresponsive bricks the moment you bundle up.

FYI: Why Are Mean People So Hot?

2020-11-30T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Mean people are attractive because of their meanness, not in spite of it. What I call meanness is more officially known as the "Dark Triad" of personality traits-narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. A recent study shows that people who exhibit these traits are better than people who score lower on the Dark Triad at making themselves appear more attractive.

Cadbury's Chocolate Of The Future Doesn't Melt Even At 40 Degrees

2020-11-29T09:04:00.0000000+11:00

We've known since the advent of the cream-filled Cadbury Egg that scientists at the confectionary company like to play fast and loose with the rules of chocolatiering. But the latest development out of Cadbury's R&D facility in Birmingham, UK, has us wondering if they've crossed that delicate line between genius and madness. They call it "temperature-tolerant chocolate." But let's call it what it is: chocolate that doesn't melt.

Largest Quasar Ever Discovered Burns 100 Times Brighter Than Entire Milky Way

2020-11-29T07:48:00.0000000+11:00

Astronomers have found a galaxy whose super-luminous nucleus - called a quasar - is burning 100 times as much energy as the entire Milky Way galaxy.

Skylon Spaceplane Engine Endorsed By European Space Agency

2020-11-29T06:57:00.0000000+11:00

The Skylon, a concept spaceplane that (theoretically) could go from a standing start to orbit and back without disposing of any rocket stages, took another big step forward today as tests independently audited by the European Space Agency confirmed that the Sabre engine underpinning it is conceptually sound. It's the second key endorsement from the ESA that Skylon and the Sabre engine have picked up in the past two years - giving Sabre-maker Reaction Engines cause to call its technology the biggest engine breakthrough since the jet.

SpaceX Plans Mars Colony

2020-11-29T05:45:00.0000000+11:00

SpaceX founder/Tony Stark movie inspiration Elon Musk made some heads turn this week, as heads are wont to do when they hear someone plans to ship 80,000 people to Mars. In a talk at the Royal Aeronautical Society, Musk offered early ideas on how to start a colony on the Red Planet. Then, yesterday, he doubled down with a tweet.

Britain Is Testing An Amphibious House That Rises Along WIth Floodwaters

2020-11-29T04:58:00.0000000+11:00

When floodwaters rise there aren't a lot of places to hide, and in the oft-rainy UK that can spell big problems and major property damage. So in an attempt to mitigate the problem, British authorities have just built the country's first amphibious house on the banks of the River Thames. When the river rises, the house rises with it. Bring on the Biblical deluge.

Korean Government Will Intervene On Gadget Addiction, Starting With 3-Year-Olds

2020-11-29T03:28:00.0000000+11:00

Gadgets and the Internet are big in South Korea. Really big, as this Associated Press story points out.

Clues To Climate Of Historical Earth Lie In Ancient Human Feces

2020-11-29T02:42:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers studying past climates have a handy new tool for uncovering ancient human settlements: Human feces. Apparently biomarkers only found in the intestines of higher mammals can persist in lake sediment, serving as an indicator that humans were living, eating and, yes, excreting in a given area.

Awesome Color Wheels Made From Musician Names And Song Titles [Infographic]

2020-11-29T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

The designers of We Are Dorothy are masters at representing snippets of pop culture in fresh, visual ways. The British team has created maps for a musical town (Penny Lane, Highway 61) and a Los Angelesesque city atlas with cinematic landmarks (Reservoir Dogs, Jurassic Park). As a followup to those, and in that same vein, their newest project is pure pop Pantone: colour charts that feature only colours named for songs and musicians.

5 Of Physics's Greatest Sex Scandals

2020-11-28T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

We know it can be hard to resist the temptation of bikini models on the Internet, but physicist Paul Frampton was duped pretty bad. The University of North Carolina professor flew to Bolivia to meet up with model Denise Milani, but Milani never showed up. Instead, a man with a briefcase claiming to be Milani's intermediary sent Frampton on a drug smuggling mission. Frampton was arrested before he made it back the United States and convicted last week. We're all fools in love, huh?

Deep In The Earth's Core, Clues About Its Mysterious Birth

2020-11-28T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

We've known for over half a century that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, but for people like University of California, Davis geologist Qing-zhu Yin, that number just isn't good enough - they need to determine what digit comes after the '5'. Yin has spent the last fifteen years trying to figure out exactly how our solar system formed - how, over a span of some tens of millions of years, a large chaotic disc of dust and gas turned itself into eight planets in orderly orbit around a central star.

Which City Has The Most Nobel Prize Winners? [Infographic]

2020-11-28T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Courtesy of Italian design agency Accurat, here's a simple, attractive look at data from the Nobel Prizes. It's in Italian, but like most well-done infographics, it doesn't require too much reading to get the idea. At a glance, you can tell prize-winners in economics are older than the average age for all categories, and winners in chemistry and physics are older than they were in the early 20th century. (By contrast, the age for peace prize winners looks more erratic. Take a look at those orange circles.) There's also a look at winners by home city (New York takes the crown), and a space for university affiliation of the laureates. Check out a bigger version here.

LHC's Latest Particle Collisions Find What May Be A New Form Of Matter

2020-11-28T05:03:00.0000000+11:00

Some unusual new physics may be emerging at the Large Hadron Collider, where particles are behaving in a surprising way. Collisions between protons and lead nuclei might be forming a new type of matter that relies on quantum entanglement, according to particle physicists.

Students Learn Better With Star Trek-Style Touchscreen Desks

2020-11-28T04:09:00.0000000+11:00

Observe the criticisms of nearly any major public education system in the world, and a few of the many complaints are more or less universal. Technology moves faster than the education system. Teachers must teach at the pace of the slowest student rather than the fastest. And - particularly in the United States - grade school children as a group don't care much for, or excel at, mathematics. So it's heartening to learn that a new kind of "classroom of the future" shows promise at mitigating some of these problems, starting with that fundamental piece of classroom furniture: the desk.

Wii Mini Coming December 7 for $99

2020-11-28T02:31:00.0000000+11:00

Well, this was unexpected. Nintendo is trying the take-a-cool-thing-and-make-it-smaller business model. A Best Buy blog post gives the details on the Wii Mini.

Gray Matter: Finding Water Where It's Least Expected

2020-11-28T02:01:00.0000000+11:00

Water hides itself really well. Its molecules can form weak chemical bonds with many substances, allowing it to remain concealed within their crystal structures. There's no sign of water's presence-no dampness, no softness, no anything-until something triggers its release.

Boxee TV Review: Not Ready For Primetime

2020-11-28T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

When I spoke to Boxee CEO Avner Ronen in the run-up to the release of the Boxee TV, it was hard not to see the nascent set-top box as the best new tool for those wanting to ditch pay TV. It would have apps like Netflix and YouTube, sure, but it would also be a Boxee, so it'd play downloaded videos in that great, clean way Boxee always has, and then it'd have this cool new cloud DVR so it could record live TV shows and play them back on any device. That's everything! But Ronen repeatedly insisted that the Boxee TV was not a cure-all for cord-cutters. He said it was just a component, not a complete solution. I thought he was just trying to play nice with the content providers like Comcast and Viacom, feigning modesty so they wouldn't see Boxee as an enemy.

Samsung Thinks It'll Release Flexible OLED Displays Next Year

2020-11-27T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Samsung is "in the last stage of development" for flexible plastic OLED displays, and that the displays will be released in the first half of 2013.

What The Future Will Look Like, According To Famous Science Fiction [Infographic]

2020-11-27T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Our science fiction isn't always on the nose. 1984 didn't look exactly like 1984, and 2001 didn't bring us the kind of Space Odysseys we envisioned. So forgive us for being skeptical about predictions pegged to dates that haven't been reached yet - the subject of this terrific visualization by Italian designer Giorgia Lupi.

How Kids (And Other Amateurs) Are Improving Science

2020-11-27T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists often spread themselves too thin trying to gather and monitor vast amounts of data, so why not outsource some of that work to non-scientists? It's only getting easier to collaborate with citizen scientists. Volunteers can enlist through social media, gather field data through a smartphone app, then put all of that into an organized web database fresh for the analysing.

The Highway Patrol Of The Future Is A Robot

2020-11-27T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

Every year, the Design Challenge - formulated by and for the LA Auto Show - asks the automotive industry's most advanced design labs to speculate on possible futures as they pertain to the continuing evolution of the automobile. This year's theme: highway patrol 2025. Entries from the likes of GM, Subaru, BMW, and Honda naturally show a lot of imagination, but more than that they show a degree of agreement between the industry's brightest creatives that the future is going to be crowded, full of traffic jams, and above all very, very automated.

BigPic: Sun Gone Wild

2020-11-27T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Every time the sun lashes out with another beautiful but potentially threatening solar flare or coronal mass ejection, we are reminded that the naturally occurring solar cycle is approaching a "solar maximum" in 2013 and that solar activity is on the ascent. But what does that mean? If you're having a hard time picturing an active ball of flaming nuclear fusion versus a less-active ball of flaming nuclear fusion, simply see above.

With Electrodes Implanted In The Retina, Blind Patient Can Read

2020-11-27T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

A new eye prosthetic can download electrical data right into a blind person's retina, bypassing a camera and placing digital information right onto the nerve cells. A blind patient who used the device could read Braille patterns in less than a second, according to Swiss researchers.

Laser-Cut Scotch Tape Makes A Tiny Gripping Robotic Claw

2020-11-27T04:05:00.0000000+11:00

Scotch tape is indispensable this time of year, even for the least-skilled gift wrappers among us. Now it may have another use that lasts well beyond the wrapping paper frenzy: a shape-changing gripper.

Can Taking A Pill Before Bed Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

2020-11-27T03:12:00.0000000+11:00

Can you cure a bed bug infestation just by downing drugs? While the idea has appeal, particularly for people afflicted with nightly bites and for scientists dealing with a pest that is increasingly difficult to kill, the short answer is probably no. But before we get to the long answer, some background.

Google Nexus 4 Review: A Phone You Should Buy

2020-11-22T06:15:00.0000000+11:00

The Nexus 4 is the first Android phone that combines all the disparate parts of a phone - interface, options, ease of use, speed and smoothness, depth of features, quality and number of apps - in the right way. It is the best Android phone I've ever used, sure, but it's the only Android phone I've ever used that feels as intentional as the iPhone. It feels like it was put together with a vision of how this phone should work as a whole - not just "add this feature, add this feature." It's probably the best smartphone on the market, period.

These Beautiful Nano-Rainbows Could Make Better TVs

2020-11-22T05:38:00.0000000+11:00

It's difficult to manage colour when you get to the nanoscale, but researchers from King's College London have found a way to trap light on nanostructures. Based on the shape of the structure, they can capture a rainbow created on gold film that's 100 times smaller than a human hair.

Watch This Awesome Robot Play Catch Better Than Your Dad

2020-11-22T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Fancy a round of catch? This Disney robot plays an eerily humanlike game. In a combination of engineering and sorcery, researchers created a robot that follows the ball in the air with its eyes, catches the ball in its hands, and reacts when it misses a catch. Also, it juggles.

To Make Steam Without Boiling Water, Just Add Sunlight And Nanoparticles

2020-11-22T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today in mind-bendingly cool stuff that nanoparticles can do: A team of researchers at Rice University in Texas has demonstrated a mechanism by which they can create steam in just seconds by focusing sunlight on a mixture of water and nanoparticles. This isn't just some artificial means of lowering boiling point either; this solar powered "boiler" can produce steam before the water even gets warm to the touch, without ever bringing the aggregate water to a boil.

Scientists Discover An Exoplanet So Massive They're Not Even Sure It's A Planet

2020-11-21T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

You know we've found something new and interesting when scientists don't really know how to classify it. Using the Subaru Telescope an international team of astronomers has discovered a "super-Jupiter" so massive that it seems they're not quite sure whether to call it a planet or a low-mass brown dwarf (in other words, a star that failed to fire). Located roughly 170 light-years from Earth, the host star is roughly 2.5 times more massive than the sun and its planet is about 13 times larger than Jupiter, making this the highest-mass star to ever host a directly imaged orbital companion - especially one of this size.

Optical Camouflage Renders The Backseat Of A Car Transparent

2020-11-21T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

The problem with the backseat - really with the whole rear of the car - is that it's in your way when you're trying to reverse. So researchers at Keio University in Japan have applied optical camouflage technology to automobiles, making the back seat appear transparent so the driver can see straight through it when reversing.

DHS Is Experimenting With A Huge Inflatable Plug To Stop Future Flooding Of Transit Tunnels

2020-11-21T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

When Hurricane Sandy struck New York City a few weeks ago, seven of the 14 under-river subway tunnels flooded as a result of the storm surge, halting operation of some subway lines for more than a week.

FYI: Can You Make An Authentic Twinkie At Home?

2020-11-21T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Last week, Hostess Brands, Inc. announced it was going out of business, raising fears of an orphaned Twinkie the Kid, inciting Twinkie runs on eBay, and turning up home-made recipes for the snacks. (So many recipes.) It's since been reported that mediation will save the company, but we still need to know: Can you really make a homemade Twinkie taste the same as the version with the Hostess stamp of approval?

Could A Sonic Weapon Make Your Head Explode?

2020-11-21T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

There's an elevator in the Brown University Biomed building (hopefully fixed by now) that I've heard called "the elevator to hell," not because of destination but because there is a bent blade in the overhead fan. The elevator is typical of older models, a box 2 metrer by 2 metres by 3 metres with requisite buzzing fluorescent, making it a perfect resonator for low-frequency sounds. As soon as the doors close, you don't really hear anything different, but you can feel your ears (and body, if you're not wearing a coat) pulsing about four times per second. Even going only two floors can leave you pretty nauseated. The fan isn't particularly powerful, but the damage to one of the blades just happens to change the air flow at a rate that is matched by the dimensions of the car. This is the basis of what is called vibroacoustic syndrome-the effect of infrasonic output not on your hearing but on the various fluid-filled parts of your body.

Human Rights Watch Wants An International Ban On Autonomous Killer Robots

2020-11-20T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

The threat of autonomous killer robots is very real and we have to stop them before it's too late.

Great Apes Might Experience Mid-Life Crises Just Like Humans

2020-11-20T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

Across cultures and countries, humans experience a pretty well-defined U-shaped curve in our happiness. We're happy when we're young, and well-being descends into its nadir during midlife, only to rise again in old age. Midlife crises are a cliche, but they're real - and they're just as real in our primate cousins, apparently.

Watch Paralysed Dogs Walk Again After Nose Cell Transplants

2020-11-20T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

For the past few years, scientists at Cambridge University have been working with dogs who were paralysed in accidents to test therapies and new cell treatments that reverse the damage. A new study shows that their methods can work, restoring dogs' ability to walk by using cells grown from the lining of the animals' noses. In the study, 23 dogs with transplanted cells were able to walk again.

How Israel's ‘Iron Dome' Knocks Almost Every Incoming Missile Out Of The Sky

2020-11-20T06:01:00.0000000+11:00

The clash between Israel and Hamas-backed fighters in the Gaza Strip continued over the weekend and into today, with the death toll in Gaza inching toward 100 (there were 91 recorded deaths as of Tuesday morning). But amid the troubling images and stark numbers trickling out of the conflict there, one set of numbers represents a rare bright spot: the number of Hamas rockets that Israel's "Iron Dome" missile-defense shield is knocking out the sky.

How To Build An LED Lightsaber [Infographic]

2020-11-20T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

This infographic is a step-by-step guide for building a nerd's dream: grab some PVC, spray paint, LEDs, and a few other DIY trinkets, then make a lightsaber.

Are People Getting Dumber? One Geneticist Thinks So

2020-11-20T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

There's this great recurring "Saturday Night Live" skit from several years back where Phil Hartman plays an unfrozen caveman who goes to law school. He pontificates on the American judicial system while marveling at modern technology like "the tiny people in the magic box" (a TV). It fits a common stereotype: Human ancestors were, well, cavemen, and not as smart as we are today. A provocative new hypothesis from a Stanford geneticist tries to turn this stereotype upside down.

BigPic: From Above, These Saharan Mountains Look Like Abstract Art

2020-11-20T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

At ground level the Sahara desert often seems somewhat monochromatic, but from above that picture changes completely.

Researchers Achieve Quantum Teleportation Between Two Macroscopic Objects For The First Time

2020-11-20T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes it's tough to get excited about stuff happening in quantum technologies, not because it's anything less than fascinating but because it can be so hard to wrap your head around this stuff and anyhow the practical applications often seem very far away. But this is one of those milestones that you have to appreciate: Physicists have for the first time teleported quantum information from one macroscopic object to another.

Issue #49 - December 2012

2020-11-19T11:09:00.0000000+11:00

It's that time of year again! Time for the annual PopSci Best of What's New awards! We scrutinise, evaluate and occasionally subject to robo-showdown a massive collection of 100 innovations from fields such as entertainment, engineering, aerospace, automotive and more. But that's not all!

Nintendo Wii U: The PopSci Review

2020-11-18T05:32:00.0000000+11:00

The big criticism with Nintendo consoles is that they're engineered for kids. The original Wii was innovative and flat-out fun enough to make it all work - it seemed charming rather than simplistic. But the new Nintendo console, the Wii U, is careful not to seem too playful and innocent - launch titles, for example, have you playing as a brooding Batman and a space marine. And you'll be doing it with a goofy new controller, which looks like a PS3 controller with a 6.2-inch tablet between your two hands. And it usually feels really right, even if not every game makes the most of it.

FYI: What's The Most Porous Material On Earth?

2020-11-17T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

It goes without saying that climate change is one of the thorniest problems of our time. If only we had some kind of sponge to just soak up all that carbon dioxide! The Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) developed by UCLA researchers might not be a catchall solution. But as the most porous materials on earth, they can be used to store, separate or convert molecules - and could help absorb harmful gases before they reach the air.

From Google, A Breathtaking Interactive Journey Through The Stars

2020-11-17T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here's a beautiful way to make yourself feel insignificant. A bunch of space-loving Google employees got together to make 100,000 Stars, a virtual tour through, well, 100,000 stars. You can zoom in and out, tumbling through our galaxy and beyond, while listening to a soundtrack from videogame score composer Sam Hulick.

The Latest From iRobot's Research Lab

2020-11-17T07:58:00.0000000+11:00

The nice folks at iRobot were kind enough to swing through our offices yesterday to demo some of the latest things coming out of their robotics research labs - which, from the look of things, must be a pretty amazing place to clock in every day. iRobot, if you're unfamiliar, makes everything from the adorable little Roomba robots that putter around cleaning floors to the Packbots and Warrior robots that have helped military EOD teams disable improvised explosives devices in Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond. They're out at the front of the so-called robotics revolution, and so when they hand us a thumb drive full of brand new videos of robots we've never seen before, well, we just have to share them with you.

Nokia Lumia 920 Review: A Fisher-Price Phone For A Giant

2020-11-17T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

The Lumia is a phone I want to like much more than I do. Each Nokia phone has all this weight on its shoulders: Nokia, the legendary company, is basically dead. Will the phone save Nokia? Windows Phone, the wild card third platform that could compete with Android and iOS, is totally underused. Will the phone save Windows Phone?

This Bug Has More Legs Than Anything Else

2020-11-17T06:01:00.0000000+11:00

Illacme plenipes, the "leggiest" (most-legged? legfullest?) animal in the world, hasn't been seen since 1928, when government scientists first spotted it. But it and its 750 legs were found again near Silicon Valley a few years ago, and it's now being described for the first time in the journal ZooKeys.

FYI: What Is Sea Foam? Where Does It Come From?

2020-11-17T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Just a few hours before a tornado touched down in Queens, New York this past September, I was hanging out on a beach in The Rockaways, a narrow peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic just southeast of Brooklyn (though it is technically a part of Queens). The storm hadn't rolled in yet, but the wind had - little white clouds raced across the sky, sand flew through the air above the beach, and, along the shoreline, huge globs of foam blew off the water and collected on the beach in thick, jiggling blankets of yellowish-white. Foam built up in big, shapeless piles behind rocks, and dollops of the stuff broke free and scampered up the beach like animate loogies.

3D Printing Will Turn Homes Into Mini Factories

2020-11-17T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

In 1984, inventor Charles Hull built the first rapid-prototyping machine, a massive device that turned digital blueprints into plastic models constructed layer by ultrathin layer. Since then, 3D printers have shrunk from room-filling behemoths to tabletop boxes just larger than a typical ink jet. They have also dropped in cost from hundreds of thousands of dollars to as little as $500. Home printing has flowered as a result, with amateurs "fabbing" anything in plastic, from cellphone cases to scale models of Rodin's Walking Man. Yet such tinkering, however nifty, is simply 3D printing's first act. Its real promise is much greater: to turn every home into a self-sustaining manufacturing and recycling center.

Reimagining Buildings Of The Past With The Materials Of The Future

2020-11-17T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Part of the reason we're enamored with our famous buildings is for the sense of history they impart. When you look at the White House you're not just looking at a building; you're looking at our shared presidential past. That's great. But if you coldly stare at those structures like they were just well-molded hunks of concrete and steel, you might fairly wonder: can't we do better?

Super Tractor Messes with our Eyes!

2020-11-16T13:40:00.0000000+11:00

Souping up a car is no big thing. Heck, there are shops you can go to and by shiny metallic blue parts right off the shelf.

Souping up a tractor on the other hand, that's something else entirely...

Utah Cops May Be Required To Wear Camera Glasses

2020-11-16T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Memo to Salt Lake City Police Department: Lifeblogging was never cool. Neither, come to think of it, are the glasses you see above. But the chief of police of Salt Lake City is hoping to make the above accessory mandatory for his on-duty officers, as well as for every other officer in the state. Much like dashboard cameras currently log what's happening in front of a police officers car during a shift, this tiny glasses-mounted camera will record everything an officer sees - and does - while on patrol.

US Navy To Retire Mine-Sweeping Dolphins And Use Robots Instead

2020-11-16T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Soon, dolphins and sea lions won't be hunting mines any more. The US Navy is phasing out the Marine Mammal Program. Though trained sea mammals have been serving the Navy for 50 years, they're retiring to make way for cheaper, easier-to-manage robots.

BeerSci: What's The Connection Between Hops And Marijuana?

2020-11-16T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

"Are hops and marijuana related?" I've fielded that question many times, usually after someone has sampled an especially resinous IPA - although at least one PopSci editor asked me the same question when looking at a photo of the leaves of a hop plant.

The answer to that question is yes and no.

Today In Wallpapers: A Climate Model Spits Out A Beautiful Image Of Global Aerosols

2020-11-16T04:08:00.0000000+11:00

The climate is soon coming to destroy you, but in the meantime you can enjoy this beautiful piece of the modern body of climate science that unequivocally spells your eventual doom.

The Best Review of Halo 4

2020-11-16T03:46:00.0000000+11:00

Halo. Refreshing new take on a venerable series? Maybe not...

"The plot is hysterical in both senses of the word, at the same time. Things are always happening, and there is always a blast door that must be shut on penalty of galactic holocaust..."

Four Of The Greatest Polymers Of All Time

2020-11-16T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here at PopSci, we usually focus on the newest innovations in science and technology. But many past innovations in polymer science - the study of plastics and other similar materials - are still relevant and deserve recognition. They've saved lives, kept babies dry and made huge shark observation tanks possible. Some have tradenames that have gone on to represent an entire class of product, such as Kevlar. Others lurk in obscurity. Here are some of the most important materials and a glimpse into how scientists designed them to work their magic.

New E-Textbooks Will Tattle To Lecturers About Students' Reading Habits

2020-11-16T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Digital textbooks seem like they should be a boon to students. They all fit on a single, thin device. They're (hopefully) cheaper. But dead-tree books beat them out on at least one thing: they won't tattle on you for not doing the assigned reading.

The Top 25 Innovations of the Last 25 Years

2020-11-16T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Ever since we inaugurated the Best of What's New (BOWN) awards 25 years ago, the bar we as editors set for our honorees has remained extremely high...

Metamaterial Focuses Radio Waves, Could Yield Up-Close Views Of Molecules

2020-11-15T09:01:00.0000000+11:00

When nature's materials can't do the job scientists want done, it's time to head into the lab and get creative. That means entering the impressive, strange genre of metamaterials - stuff with a designer molecular structure that gives it unique properties. The latest entry in that field: a metamaterial lens from MIT that can bend and focus radio waves, which could be used to bring us higher-resolution images - of outer space or of molecules on Earth.

Lonely Orphaned Planet Spotted Wandering Aimlessly Through Interstellar Space

2020-11-15T08:29:00.0000000+11:00

It's lonely way out there in interplanetary space, lonelier still if you don't have a star to call home. But this solitary life is all CFBDSIR2149 has ever known. Astronomers searching for the faint signatures of brown dwarf stars discovered this Jupiter-class giant hurtling through the cosmos with not star to orbit and nowhere in particular to be.

Israel Declares War On Hamas Via Twitter, Hamas Responds Via Twitter

2020-11-15T08:14:00.0000000+11:00

Israel launched an offensive this morning on "terror sites and operatives in the Gaza strip, chief among them Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets."

Nanotechnology Is Changing The World

2020-11-15T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

"Everything, when miniaturized to the sub-100-nanometre scale, has new properties, regardless of what it is," says Chad Mirkin, professor of chemistry (and materials science, engineering, medicine, biomedical engineering and chemical and biological engineering) at Northwestern University. This is what makes nanoparticles the materials of the future. They have strange chemical and physical properties compared to their larger-particle kin. The thing that matters about nanoparticles is their scale.

BigPic: The Science Of Lubricated Hamsters

2020-11-15T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Excellent Tumblr Thanks, Textbooks found this great one from a physics textbook involving a somewhat questionable activity.

[via Maggie Koerth-Baker and Popperfront]

The App Store Is Full Of Bogus Health Apps

2020-11-15T04:54:00.0000000+11:00

The App Store is filled with health apps and most of them are garbage. At least, that seems to be the overarching sentiment running throughout the Washington Post's extensive examination of bogus health-related apps now cluttering both the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

Still Hate Apple Maps? Nokia Is Here To Help

2020-11-15T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Apple Maps has, as promised, come a long way since its disastrous beta days, but it's still not great, lacking public transit directions, bike directions, and offline maps, and still getting things wrong sometimes (or jeopardizing national security). We've been waiting for Google's replacement Google Maps app for iOS, but there might be a third competitor: Nokia.

How Lincoln Invented Modern War

2020-11-15T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

In between shots of soldiers meeting their brutal end and Sally Field being the most perfect Mary Todd Lincoln of all time (besides maybe MTL herself), the trailer for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, a war drama in theatres everywhere November 16, presents Honest Abe as an honest badass. "I am the President of the United States of America...clothed in immense power," he declares, because if you're going to abolish slavery you have to be the toughest dude in the room. In our 1957 issue, PopSci celebrated Lincoln as the awesome war scientist he was. We wrote about how the great emancipator tested out and helped create at least a rudimentary form of most of the weapons we knew in the mid-20th century.

The Darkest Material On Earth?

2020-11-15T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

The idea of dark materials might sound familiar to you if you read fantasy trilogies or like casually memorising lines from Paradise Lost. Unfortunately, this material isn't used to create more worlds - but it might help save this one. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT), the darkest material known to man, was developed by researchers at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 2007. With the ability to absorb 99.970 per cent of light, VACNT has significant implications in solar energy research. For instance, it can be used to improve the efficiency of solar panels.

Watch A French Researcher Control A Robot With His Brain

2020-11-14T08:57:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers in Japan are using a brain-machine interface to control the actions of a humanoid robot. The goal is to allow people "to feel embodied in the body of a humanoid robot," in the words of one researcher.

Vets Want A Global Monitoring System To Track Sickness In Pets Before It Jumps To Humans

2020-11-14T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

The next pandemics will come from animals, in all likelihood, as zoonotic diseases jump into the human population. Global health authorities keep tabs on sick livestock and sick people for that reason. But nobody keeps tabs on your dog or cat - and an international group of veterinarians wants to change that.

iPad Mini Review: Tablet Small

2020-11-14T07:31:00.0000000+11:00

Whether you'll like the iPad Mini has a lot more to do with your physical health than you'd think it would. How healthy are your eyes? How big are your hands? How strong are your forearms? How acute are your ears?

Tesla Model S Named Motor Trend's First All-Electric Car Of The Year

2020-11-14T06:55:00.0000000+11:00

In a striking sign of the future to come, the car-kingmakers at Motor Trend magazine have for the first time named an all-electric vehicle their Car of the Year. The Tesla Model S is the first car without an internal combustion engine to win the coveted award. It's also much-loved by PopSci, FYI.

Watch Today's Total Solar Eclipse Live From The Middle Of Nowhere, Right Here

2020-11-14T06:06:00.0000000+11:00

The skies across northeastern Australia will go dark around 2:44pm EST today. That's when the moon will slide in front of the sun and cast a deep, circular shadow on the Earth.

How James Bond's Aston Martin Survived A Huge Explosion In 'Skyfall'

2020-11-14T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

In the new James Bond movie Skyfall, the Aston Martin DB5 - a rare but staple race car in the spy fiction series since 1964 - explodes into smithereens. We'll spare you the cinematic details, but take heart, auto aficionados. The real DB5 is safe.

Lenovo Yoga 13 Review: The Windows 8 Laptop You Should Buy

2020-11-14T05:11:00.0000000+11:00

The first crop of Windows 8 laptops are here, and they're much more interesting than, say, the first laptops to run Windows 7, or Windows Vista, or really any hardware that's ever accompanied a new version of Windows. That's because Windows 8 isn't really like any other version of Windows, and we'll get to that in a bit. I've been trying out a variety of Windows 8 laptops, and the Lenovo Yoga 13 is, so far, my favorite - the one I recommended to a roommate without hesitation (despite its flaws), and the one I grabbed whenever I needed to test something on Windows 8. Here's why.

FYI: Can Japan's Latest Soft Drink Really Help You Lose Weight?

2020-11-14T04:03:00.0000000+11:00

Soft drinks and weight loss don't usually go hand-in-hand. But Pepsi aims to change that with a new drink the company has just launched in Japan, called Pepsi Special. The soft drink has an added ingredient, dextrin, that the distributor, Suntory, says reduces your body's ability to absorb fat. So does that mean you can finally enjoy your soda with a slice of cheesy pizza, hold the guilt?

FYI: What's The Lightest Metal On Earth?

2020-11-14T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

The lighter a structure launching into air, the better. That's one of the reasons why ostriches can't fly - because their bones are solid instead of hollow. It's also one of the reasons why researchers at HRL Laboratories created the lightest metal known to man.

To Fight Bacteria, Coat Everything In Mucus

2020-11-13T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Bodily fluids are not the first thing that come to mind when you're looking for a disinfectant. But mucus is surprisingly good at preventing bacterial growth - never mind that it's a nasty side effect of infection on its own. A type of polymer found in mucus - known as mucin - can trap bacteria and prevent them from clumping together into a hard-to-remove biofilm, MIT scientists say.

17-Petaflop Titan Supercomputer Is Now Officially The World's Fastest

2020-11-13T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

The latest TOP500 rankings of the world's fastest supercomputers is out today, and as expected Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titan has unseated Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Sequoia in for the number one seat. That means a couple of things. For one, it represents something of a proving out for co-processor technology (that's technology that uses graphics processors alongside conventional processors to accelerate a machine's performance), which drove Titan's performance over the top. Secondly, it means it's been a really good year for American supercomputing.

Seven Navy SEALs Disciplined For Divulging Secrets While Consulting On Video Game

2020-11-13T05:38:00.0000000+11:00

Proof that video games keep getting more and more realistic: Seven U.S. Navy SEALs, including one who participated in last year's raid that killed Osama bin Laden, have been disciplined by the Navy for divulging secrets while serving as consultants for the new Medal of Honor: Warfighter video game released by Electronic Arts

Samsung's Cool/Weird Android-Running Galaxy Camera Will Cost $500

2020-11-13T05:29:00.0000000+11:00

The goofy Samsung Galaxy Camera - a point-and-shoot with a 4.8-inch touchscreen and a full version of Android - came out of nowhere and actually impressed us.

Synthetic, Self-Healing Skin That's Sensitive To The Touch

2020-11-13T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

Before we can construct the realistic humanoid robots that populate our most vivid sci-fi-driven dreams, there are a lot of human systems that researchers are going to have to emulate synthetically. Not the least challenging is human skin; filled with nerve endings and able to heal itself over time, our skin serves as both a massive sensory system and a barrier between our innards and the outside world. Now, an interdisciplinary team of Stanford researchers has created the first synthetic material that is both self-healing at room temperature and sensitive to touch - a breakthrough that could be the beginnings of a new kind of robot skin (and in the meantime enjoy much more practical applications like enhanced prosthetics).

FYI: What's The Softest Material On Earth?

2020-11-13T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Everyone knows the hardest material on Earth is diamond, says George Pharr, director of the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials at the University of Tennessee. But when it comes to the softest stuff on the planet, "there's no one definition," he says.

Introducing Our Latest Theme Week!

2020-11-13T00:30:00.0000000+11:00

This week, as a companion to Popular Science's November issue, we're bringing you a bunch of stories about materials science - a field that touches on all aspects of the world around us, from the paint on our walls to the the drugs that treat our diseases. Swing by for an exploration of some of the most dangerous materials in your home; a taste of what famous buildings might've looked like had materials scientists known what they know today; and a snapshot of nanomaterials as you've never seen them before. All that and more can be read here on PopSci.com, starting today. Enjoy!

Carl Sagan Advocates For Life On Mars

2020-11-10T09:25:00.0000000+11:00

Carl Sagan, everyone's favourite late astronomer, would have been 78 today. We can't think of anyone who inspired so many people to love science and the universe than good old Sagan. This year, we're looking back to an interview with the scientist that appeared in our September 1972 issue. At the time, he was really stoked about Mars.

Your Scrambled Eggs Are Wrong, And Other Cooking Science Lessons From America's Test Kitchen

2020-11-10T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

I learned how to cook the day I opened my first issue of Cook's Illustrated. Phrases like Maillard reaction and gluten development and Best Blueberry Pancakes flowed across pages adorned with desaturated sketches, drawing me in with their simplicity and forthrightness. This is the best way to grill salmon or make pie crust, the articles said - and here are three pages of reasons why.

Ask a Geek: How Can I Permanently Delete My Computer Files?

2020-11-10T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

Before you sell, donate, or recycle your old computer, beware: You may be handing personal information to strangers. Simply restoring the operating system to factory settings does not delete all data and neither does formatting the hard drive before reinstalling the OS.

8 Of Stanley Kubrick's Greatest Technological Innovations

2020-11-10T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

As you wander through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's sprawling new exhibit on Stanley Kubrick, it's hard not to marvel at how utterly distinct each of the legendary American film director's imagined worlds were: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, each a meticulously crafted cinematic cosmos unto itself.

I Will Destroy This Robot Sheet-Music Sight-Reader, I Swear I Will

2020-11-10T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Sight-reading complex musical notation takes years of training, hundreds or thousands of hours of practice, sitting in front of the piano, a metronome drilling its infernal clicks into your brain. Eventually you'll gain the ability to read and perform just about any piece of music that's set in front of you, without ever having seen it before. It does not come easily, and it is not a natural skill; you have to keep practicing to retain it. Each month you don't practice takes two months to earn back the power you've squandered. It is a human achievement, a way in which we force our brains and fingers and feet and eyes to perform a task we are not born able to do.

People Are Literally Allergic To BlackBerry Phones

2020-11-10T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

BlackBerry has been having a rough go of it lately, slowly sliding into irrelevance as Android and iPhone corner the market. Now add one more nail to that coffin: a study says that people are allergic to BlackBerry phones. As in, an actual itch-inducing allergy. As in, to a phone.

Political Strife Caused By Climate Change Doomed The Mayans

2020-11-10T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Debilitating drought may have been a major factor in the fractious politics that ended the Maya civilisation, according to archaeologists. Maya culture thrived in wet seasons and fell apart when the rains ceased. "It's an example of a sophisticated civilisation failing to adapt successfully to climate change," said James Baldini, a professor at Durham University in the UK.

New Study Examines "Hookup Culture" In Awkward, Clinical Way

2020-11-09T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

A new study from The Miriam Hospital's Centres for Behavioural and Preventive Medicine takes a look at the noted alarmist old-people concept "hookup culture," which seems to mean "non-romantic sexual encounters" and which is obviously eroding the very foundation of the Free West.

Baby Birds Use Unique Passwords To Unlock Dinner

2020-11-09T07:01:00.0000000+11:00

In an interesting example of prenatal learning, a species of tiny Australian songbirds teach their embryonic young a special password, which the baby birds must chirp in order to get food after they're born. The password is a single unique note the mother wren teaches them from outside the egg, according to biologists.

This Is Why Nobody Will Use Credit Cards In A Few Years

2020-11-09T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Entertainment Weekly has twice now inserted an LCD screen into its paper magazine to show video ads. That's the growing pains that come when an entire medium is going through an upheaval - you get these little half-steps, a nod that, well, this thing we've used for a long time? It probably won't be around much longer. But that new things is maybe scary, or expensive, or not quite ready yet, so let's try combining the two.

The Universe Is Almost Done Making Stars

2020-11-09T03:56:00.0000000+11:00

In its youth, the universe was a roiling soup of star ingredients, with new stars forming rapidly. But now it's much quieter, and things are not expected to get more exciting anytime soon, astronomers say. For the first time, astronomers have figured out the universe's star-birth rate, and found that today, it's 30 times lower than its likely peak some 11 billion years ago. As a result, all of the future stars may be no more than a 5 percent increase above what we've got now.

Why Do Computer Scientists Want Election Day To Drag On For A Full Week?

2020-11-09T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

There's something so indescribably American about what millions of them did yesterday - standing in line at a polling place, exchanging hellos with neighbours, peacefully filling in circles or tapping touchscreens to record our future hopes. Thank God (in Whom they trust) all that's over!

Inside The Largest Simulation Of The Universe Ever Created

2020-11-09T01:02:00.0000000+11:00

Imagine being asked to solve a complex algebra problem that is roughly 95 percent variables and only five percent known values. This is a rough analogy perhaps, but it paints a fairly accurate picture of the task faced by modern cosmologists. The prevailing line of thinking says that the universe is mostly composed of dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious entities that have never been directly observed or measured even though the cosmological math insist that they are real. We can see their perceived effects, but we can't see them directly - and thus we can't seen the real structure of our own universe.

Fund A Tiny Robotic Dragonfly

2020-11-08T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Georgia Institute of Technology has plopped its robotic dragonfly drone up on Indiegogo to be crowdfunded. It's a pretty impressive device: a four-winged, superlight flier with the capability to hold a camera, plus GPS, Wi-Fi, and compatibility with smartphone apps.

Obama: Congratulations! But We Need To Talk.

2020-11-08T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

(The following is a post-US-election dispatch from the PopSci mothership in New York.)

Dear President Obama,

What a relief, many of us thought this morning. We re-elected a president who supports public funding for research (truthfully, public funding for anything). We re-elected a president who acknowledges the reality of climate change (at least you did in your victory speech if not during the campaign). We re-elected a president who so eloquently describes occupations like doctors, scientists and engineers as the definition of American aspiration.

The Pacific Island Chain of Tokelau Is The First Territory Powered Solely By Solar

2020-11-08T05:09:00.0000000+11:00

The remote island chain of Tokelau, positioned between New Zealand and Hawaii in the Pacific, suddenly has a significant claim to fame. Tokelau has become the first territory able to meet all of its electricity needs with solar power, officials say, completely weaning the string of atolls off of the diesel generators it has relied on for decades.

Researchers Turn Animal Ears Into Bio-Batteries

2020-11-08T03:39:00.0000000+11:00

The line between man and machine - or at least mammal and machine - grows blurrier still. It's not exactly the Singularity, but a collaboration between researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have tapped into the electrochemical gradient that exists naturally in the inner ear of mammals and used it to power electronics for the first time - like the Matrix, but with guinea pigs.

How Do You Find More Donor Organs? Pay People For Their Body Parts

2020-11-08T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

A Canadian study probing the modern feasibility of a relatively old idea has come to a somewhat unexpected conclusion: most people really don't have a problem with paying for human organs. Dr. Braden Manns of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and Institute for Public Health sent a questionnaire around to more than 2.500 public health workers and people affected with kidney disease. The results: people seem to think it's okay to pay for body parts.

'Donuts Inc.' Accused Of Fueling Cybersquatting After Bidding $56 Million For New Domain Names

2020-11-08T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

When the so-called top-level domain names - with suffixes like .buy, .apple, or .book instead of .org or .com - went up for auction, it was compared to an Internet gold rush. Big companies hurried to snatch them up, despite the prohibitive $185,000 application fee. You might've heard about Google and Amazon going big on the new suffixes, but you probably didn't hear about Donuts Inc., a small, venture-backed company that's spent $56 million on more than 300 domains. For reference, that's about three times as many as Google is bidding for, and four times as many as Amazon.

Thank You, Bravo, For 'Start-Ups: Silicon Valley' [Review]

2020-11-07T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

In a spectacular Sufjan-Stevensesque gimmick, Bravo has quietly pledged to create a television series about every single pocket of horrible rich people in the entire country. That includes housewives made of the same soft-touch plastic as many smartphones, trust-fund art gallery interns in New York, bipedal snake-monster matchmakers, and now, in Start-Ups: Silicon Valley, soulless husks of Ruby code in Silicon Valley. It is a performance art project of horrific proportions, a mirror held up to the American dream. You want to be rich? Here's what rich looks like. This will be shown in the Guggenheim in 40 years, probably.

Let's Replace Annoying Billboards With Sky Forests of Bamboo

2020-11-07T09:32:00.0000000+11:00

In areas that allow unlimited billboard construction, the side of the road can look like a peeling, rusty forest. Signs that aren't hawking cellphone companies, fast food places or adult stores are adorned with horribly sketched toothy whales shouting YOUR AD HERE. But there is a better billboard future! Let's put plants on them instead, creating mini hanging gardens that can purify air and give us a break from a constant barrage of words and pictures.

DARPA Wants Cheap Head-Up Displays That Work In Any Kind Of Light

2020-11-07T08:27:00.0000000+11:00

Warfighters have a whole suite of cameras they can use to see in the dark, through fog or smoke, and in broad daylight - but that's actually a problem, according to DARPA. Nobody wants to carry a suite of things. It would be better to have just one item that can do everything your suite could do.

Your Kinect Will Count The Number Of People In The Room So It Can Charge You A Per-Person Rate

2020-11-07T07:26:00.0000000+11:00

You already knew your Kinect was watching you, but perhaps not like this. A US Patent and Trademark Office filing by Microsoft reveals that the company is devising a means for your Xbox peripheral to count the number of people in the room and even identify who they are in order to assess licensing fees for content based on the number of people in the room.

The West's First Gene Therapy Goes On Sale Mid-2013

2020-11-07T06:45:00.0000000+11:00

The first gene therapy to be approved in the West will hit the market by the middle of next year, opening the masses to a controversial treatment that directly alters a patient's own DNA. Dutch biotech uniQure's Glybera was approved for sale by the European Commission late last month.

Gamers Chipping Away At Digital Cube Are Promised 'Life-Changing' Secret

2020-11-07T06:15:00.0000000+11:00

This is how the just-released game Curiosity: What's Inside The Cube? works: Anyone with an iPhone or iPad can download the iOS app. With the app, the players connect on the Internet, furiously tapping on their screens to remove pixely chunks of a single, gigantic cube.

NASA Astronauts Cast Their Votes From Space

2020-11-07T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Proof that remote e-voting is possible, even if we haven't figured out how to make it happen on Earth: NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station are filling out digital versions of their ballots today, and beaming them back to Mission Control.

'We Wanted To Make A Robot That Could Squeeze Through Holes And Change Its Shape'

2020-11-07T03:03:00.0000000+11:00

"If you don't have legs, you can propel yourself by deforming your body. Earthworms do this through peristaltic locomotion: The muscles in one body segment contract while others relax, which creates a traveling wave that moves them forward. Our robot, Meshworm, moves this way, using wires for muscles. To make a muscle segment, we twist the wire into a long, narrow spring, and then wrap the spring into a tube shape. After that, we link up several segments and cover them with plastic braided mesh, like the screen on your window.

Scientist Wants To Fly A Blimp Over Mountains To Search For Bigfoot

2020-11-06T09:13:00.0000000+11:00

Jeffrey Meldrum, an anatomy and anthropology professor at Idaho State University, has spent significant time in his career searching for Bigfoot. That's gained him the ire of colleagues, but it hasn't stopped him from upping the stakes more and more. Now he's gotten the nod from the University to build a remote-controlled blimp and continue the chase.

Methane Is Scarce, But That Doesn't Mean There's No Life On Mars

2020-11-06T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Finding methane on another world is like finding breadcrumbs on a trail - it's a telling clue, a detail that gives reason to ask more questions and maybe find some answers, in this case related to extraterrestrial life. This is why news from the Mars rover Curiosity late last week is kind of disappointing - looking around for methane, Curiosity found a whole lot of nothing.

Science Predicts What Kinds Of Toys A Dog Will Enjoy

2020-11-06T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Dog toy selection is more art than science. Maybe you think it's safe to just go for a classic. Something like a nice bone.

Amputee Climbs 103 Stories Using Mind-Controlled Bionic Leg

2020-11-06T04:01:00.0000000+11:00

A man with a mind-controlled bionic leg climbed to the top of Chicago's famous ~~Sears~~ Willis Tower Sunday, part of a charity stair-climbing event. Zac Vawter, 31, lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident and is the first person to climb that many floors wearing a bionic limb.

How I Hacked An Electronic Voting Machine

2020-11-06T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Roger Johnston is the head of the Vulnerability Assessment Team at Argonne National Laboratory. Not long ago, he and his colleagues launched security attacks on electronic voting machines to demonstrate the startling ease with which one can steal votes. Even more startling: Versions of those machines will appear in polling places all over America on Tuesday. The touchscreen Diebold Accuvote-TSX will be used by more than 26 million voters in 20 states; the push-button Sequoia AVC Voting Machine will be used by almost 9 million voters in four US states. Here, Johnston reveals how he hacked the machines - and why anyone, from a high-school kid to an 80-year-old grandmother, could do the same.

Why Living Cells Are The Future Of Data Processing

2020-11-06T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Not all computers are made of silicon. By definition, a computer is anything that processes data, performs calculations, or uses so-called logic gates to turn inputs (for example, 1s and 0s in binary code) into outputs. And now, a small international community of scientists is working to expand the realm of computers to include cells, animals, and other living organisms. Some of their experiments are highly theoretical; others represent the first steps toward usable biological computers. All are attempts to make life perform work now done by chips and circuit boards.

Lonely Asian Elephant Learns To Speak 5 Words In Korean

2020-11-03T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

If you speak any Korean - or are familiar with Season 2 of Arrested Development - you know that the word for "hello" is "annyong." Koshik, an elephant who spent much of his youth at Everland Zoo in South Korea, can actually pronounce it. A beluga whale made the news just last week for being able to imitate human sounds, but this elephant can actually say words! The animal kingdom is constantly one-upping itself.

Meet The Climate Change Denier Who Became The Voice Of Hurricane Sandy On Wikipedia

2020-11-03T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

"All I am is a contributor. I have no title, I'm just a Joe Blow," says Ken Mampel, a currently unemployed 56-year-old living in Ormond Beach, Florida. He's also largely responsible for the Wikipedia article about Hurricane Sandy. If it isn't already, that article will eventually become the single most-viewed document about the hurricane. On the entire internet.

BeerSci: Uncovering the Secrets Of Barley

2020-11-03T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Last month, scientists announced a big breakthrough in barley research: They had finally sequenced the entire barley genome. In response, some media outlets ran stories declaring that this will somehow result in better beer (barley being one of beer's key ingredients). Sure, on some level, understanding the barley genome is going to yield better - or more, or cheaper - beer, especially if climate change goes down the way scientists suspect it will and crops become more difficult to grow due to substandard environmental conditions. But those media stories are missing the point: That kind of better-beer hyperbole is a bit like taking some NASA results from the Solar Dynamics Observatory and saying that the data will help you get a better tan. The implications of the research are much more complex.

This Giant Stellar Bubble Looks Like A Dog's Head

2020-11-03T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Some 5,000 light years away, hovering in the constellation Canis Major, this massive 60-light-years-across bubble is lurking. Known as a Wolf-Rayet bubble (and thought by some to resemble a wolf- or dog-like head), it's a type of cosmic structure created by huge stars that generate equally colossal stellar winds. When imaged in X-ray, it gives us the shifting blues, greens, yellows, and reds seen above.

New Mission Will Explore Bizarre Gravitational Anomaly Around Earth

2020-11-02T23:56:00.0000000+11:00

Something strange happens to spacecraft swinging past Earth for a gravity boost - they suddenly speed up, and their trajectories change in unexpected ways. It's a tiny change, but enough that physicists have started to take notice. The European Space Agency is planning a new mission that could measure this gravity anomaly and figure out if a new, unknown physics is at work.

Humans Can't Be Empathetic And Logical At The Same Time

2020-11-02T07:57:00.0000000+11:00

Logic and emotion tend to be considered as polar opposites. Think about the analytic CEO-his actions make sense in the science of profit, but when it means using cheap human labor or firing a couple hundred employees, there's an apparent lack of concern for the human consequences of his actions. Many choices are a struggle to compromise the two systems - and that may have to do with how our brains are wired.

News Writers: Stop Trying To Scare People With Made-Up Storm Language

2020-11-02T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here is a short list of major news organizations referring to Sandy as a "superstorm": The L.A. Times, CBS News, Time, The Guardian, Business Insider, the Toronto Star, and the Wall Street Journal.

Here's what Professor Alan Blumberg, professor of ocean engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology and director of its Center for Maritime Systems, says a "superstorm" is: "It's a media invention. There's no real meteorological term called 'superstorm.'"

Thinking About Maths Is As Painful As A Hot Stove Burn, If You're Anxious

2020-11-02T06:27:00.0000000+11:00

Are you the type of person who has a calculator app at the ready, helping figure out restaurant tips and sale discounts? Does the above image make you nervous? Are you actually scared of maths? It's OK! It's your brain playing tricks on you.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Citing Climate Change, Endorses Obama

2020-11-02T06:12:00.0000000+11:00

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has had Barack Obama and Mitt Romney trying to court him for some time now, both hoping the third-term independent could help move some swing staters to their respective corners. It wasn't clear either candidate would get the nod from Bloomberg, but the mayor just endorsed Obama.

News Now Brought To You By Drones?

2020-11-02T04:58:00.0000000+11:00

Over at the University of Nebraska, journalism students putting another tool in the reporter's toolbox: drones. The Drone Journalism Lab at U. of Nebraska Lincoln has filed its first drone-assisted story, a print/video story package (you can see the video below) on the ongoing drought in Nebraska's Platte River basin.

NOAA's New Storm-Chasing Robot Survives Sandy And Reports Back

2020-11-02T03:58:00.0000000+11:00

Back in August, as Tropical Storm Isaac was churning toward New Orleans, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration experienced a near-miss. One of its prototype wave-powered Wave Glider robots - a proof of concept storm tracking ‘bot that NOAA plans to evolve into an entire fleet - was in the water north of Puerto Rico on a routine science mission when Isaac skirted by, just missing the robot and robbing NOAA of a great opportunity to give its robotic storm chaser a real-world trial. This week, NOAA got its second chance.

FYI: Why Does Salt Water Make Hurricane Damage So Much Worse?

2020-11-02T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Sandy crippled the NYC subway system this week, knocking out power, damaging switches, and dumping gallons of storm water into the city's aging tunnel infrastructure. Officials estimated that it would take several days for the subway to return to normal (some lines have already resumed service), and a 2011 study on similar disasters suggested it could take even longer, up to several months. A big part of the problem? Salt.

The iPad Mini, Undressed

2020-11-02T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends over at iFixit got their hands on the new iPad Mini and, as is their wont, tore it to pieces.

A Working Tetris Game Inside A Pumpkin

2020-11-01T08:37:00.0000000+11:00

Nathan Pryor at HaHa Bird has essentially won Halloween. Rather than carving a boring spooky face for trick-or-treaters to ignore, he made the gourd into a Tetris machine. There's a grid of holes on the facade and LED lights inside. Players can control the game using the stem of the pumpkin, which functions as a joystick. Waste not, want not.

Daily Infographic: A Family Tree Of Every Bird On Earth

2020-11-01T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

This gorgeous infographic is the first family tree linking every bird on Earth, revealing how birds have evolved since the dinosaur age.

A Laser To The Brain Eliminates Bad Habits In Rats

2020-11-01T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Neuroscientists at MIT have identified the region of the brain that switches between old and new habits. In the study, researchers trained rats to run in a T-shaped maze. They would receive chocolate milk for turning left or sugar water for turning right. When the researchers took away the rewards, the rats who had learned to turn left continued to do so, even though they weren't benefitting in any way.

Monsters Are People Too, Says Dungeons And Dragons Study

2020-11-01T06:28:00.0000000+11:00

A pair of eyes in front of us automatically lures our own gaze, even if they belong to an animal. But what about a monster with multiple eyes located not on the head, but on its hands or legs or torso? Where do we first look?

Large Hadron Collider Unleashes Rampaging Zombies

2020-11-01T05:28:00.0000000+11:00

At first I thought the zombie trend was kind of played out, but then I saw this trailer. It's another zombie film, but this one has the Large Hadron Collider! The Higgs field! "Decay" as one of the nerdiest plays-on-words ever! It's great.

Smartphone-Using Teens Have More Sex, New Study Says

2020-11-01T04:48:00.0000000+11:00

A new as-yet-unpublished study claims that teens who have smartphones are more likely to set up hookups. It may be because smartphones make it simpler.

Today On Mars: Curiosity's First X-Rays Determine Mars Soil Is Like Hawaii's

2020-11-01T03:20:00.0000000+11:00

Martian soil is a lot like the weathered volcanic soils of Hawaii, according to the latest from the Mars rover Curiosity. The minerals in Martian soil are a similar composition to basaltic material on Earth.

Here's Why The New Boxee TV Won't Have Amazon Instant Video

2020-11-01T01:40:00.0000000+11:00

Boxee, the underdog startup which emerged from the hacker world to create some of the best and most interesting streaming media gadgets on the market, is doing its best to go mainstream. And what's more mainstream in the US than Walmart?

What Not To Do In A Superstorm

2020-10-31T08:30:00.0000000+11:00

I wish I could blame the following stupidity on booze, but I don't even have that crutch. I'll blame it instead on being cooped up in the house for hours on end watching horrible things unfold on the internet and outside my window. See, right when that hurricane made landfall last night, my friends and I were wandering the streets of Brooklyn.

Disney Will Release A New Star Wars Movie In 2015

2020-10-31T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

Disney has bought Star Wars. In a just-announced deal for $4 billion, the company picked up Lucasfilm, the production company that made The Biggest Cultural Thing In Modern Times. And along with that, Disney's making Star Wars: Episode VII, to be released in 2015, with another film to be released every two to three years after.

Lebbeus Woods, Futuristic Architect, Dies

2020-10-31T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Lebbeus Woods, an experimental architect, artist, and theoretician, has died. He passed away in his sleep this morning, New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman reported on Twitter.

Video: Steve Jobs's Yacht Unveiled At Last

2020-10-31T06:48:00.0000000+11:00

It's the yacht that Steve Jobs commissioned before his death, and it was just unveiled in the Netherlands this week.

Cheap New Nanoparticle HIV Test Gives Fast Results Visible To The Naked Eye

2020-10-31T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at Imperial College London have created a simple and quick HIV test that is both more sensitive and 10 times cheaper than existing methods. The new test, which uses nanotechnology to produce results visible to the naked eye, could be invaluable in poorer countries that lack sophisticated laboratory equipment.

To Deflect Asteroids From Earth, Deploy Paintballs By The Tonne

2020-10-31T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

We can't do much to deflect a hurricane, but we may have a pretty good defense against asteroids. A particularly pale asteroid could reflect so much sunlight that the photons bouncing from it could create enough force to steer it away. All we'd need to do is ensure that any asteroids coming our way are bright white. MIT graduate student Sung Wook Paek's solution is to blast incoming offenders with pellets full of white paint.

Roku's New One-Stop Search Finds Your Video, Regardless Of App

2020-10-31T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

This morning, all newish Roku boxes - that's the Roku 2, Roku LT, and some older Roku HDs - got an update to support one-stop search. Right on the homescreen, there's a new search option that'll trawl through Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle, HBO Go, and Vudu. It's one of those things that sounds small but that's actually pretty big - one-stop search is a major tool in unifying what used to be disparate standalone apps, which means it's a major tool towards making streaming media easier and less awkward to use.

The Fastest Science Machine In The World

2020-10-31T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

With the release of the next TOP500 ranking of the world's fastest supercomputers just weeks away, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has this week officially deployed Titan, a 20-petaflop machine. Titan is expected to edge out Sequoia, another Department of Energy machine housed at Lawrence Livermore National Labs, putting the U.S. confidently back atop the supercomputing pyramid (Sequoia is expected to hold the number-two spot) after spending the last few years often chasing China and Japan.

Daily Infographic: Gorgeous Wind Map Captures Sandy In Real-Time

2020-10-31T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Storms such as the one formerly-known-as-hurricane-Sandy are a font of scientific information. I am sure that many PhD dissertations will result from sifting through the reams of data the storm generated. But that data can also be visually captivating, as in the case of this nifty near-real-time info-vis module of the wind by infographic artists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg.

IBM Transistors Made Of Nanotubes Could Replace Silicon, In Ever-Tinier Computer Chips

2020-10-31T01:40:00.0000000+11:00

As silicon microchips get smaller and manufacturers pack more and more transistors onto each individual chip, Moore's Law - the optimistic observation that the microchip industry doubles the number of transistors it can build on a single chip every 12 to 18 months - becomes a little more difficult to maintain. But IBM researchers are reporting a breakthrough in transistor technology that could allow them to further reduce the size of logic gates - the fundamental digital switches on the modern microchip - and therefore continue shrinking microchips for another decade or more, enabling our gadgets to continue growing faster, more powerful, and (hopefully) more efficient.

Behold: An Indoor Hurricane Simulator!

2020-10-31T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

About two years ago, Brian Haus, the chair of the Division of Applied Marine Physics at the University of Miami, was studying storms in the western Pacific ocean, off the coast of Taiwan. He and his team chase hurricanes. Sometimes the hurricanes completely miss the sensor-packed buoys placed in their path to track power and speed. Sometimes they don't.

5 Things Hurricane Sandy Reveals About Global Warming

2020-10-31T00:00:00.0000000+11:00

Hurricane Sandy pummeled the eastern United States with unprecedented storm surges, rainfall, and howling winds Monday. Making matters worse: A cold front strengthed the cyclone into a snowy "Frankenstorm," while an Arctic weather system trapped the storm over densely populated regions.

How The PopSci Staff Prepares For A Hurricane

2020-10-30T09:44:00.0000000+11:00

The PopSci Mothership is based in New York. And New York is in the process of being ground flat - or perhaps just gently dampened - by Hurricane Sandy. Here's how the team is (literally) weathering the storm...

The Dictionary Of Hurricane Sandy: Wind Shear

2020-10-30T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Wind shear usually comes up when you talk about how a hurricane weakens. The term refers to changes in wind speed or direction over a short distance and can be measured either vertically or horizontally.

BeerSci: What To Drink During A Hurricane

2020-10-30T06:52:00.0000000+11:00

Team BeerSci is trapped at home with a few Zone A refugees and we're contemplating how to pass the time as Hurricane Sandy approaches. It's not a tough decision: we made sure to put plenty of homebrew in the fridge last night, and there is a high probability that one will make an appearance on my desk next to the computer in the next few minutes.

Major New Google Announcements!

2020-10-30T06:34:00.0000000+11:00

While the New York team cowers behind cans of overpriced and underflavoured Amy's Soup, those spoiled techies out in Mountain View, California - the location of Google headquarters - announced a whole mess of new Android stuff today. Here's what you need to know.

The Dictionary of Hurricane Sandy: Storm Surge

2020-10-30T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

During a hurricane, a storm surge is usually the greatest threat to life and property. The disaster associated with Hurricane Katrina, as most will recall, was pretty much all derived either directly or indirectly from the storm surge. And while most people probably have a pretty good idea of what storm surge is, there is some nuance here that is worth noting.

The Dictionary Of Hurricane Sandy: Baroclinic Energy

2020-10-30T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

One of the most striking features of Sandy is its source of energy. Most tropical cyclones get their energy from convection of warm tropical air up through the core of the storm to the upper atmosphere, as the storm moves across the warm waters of the Atlantic or Caribbean. Most storms are at their strongest when they are out to sea over warm water and lose energy once they come ashore.

The Dictionary of Hurricane Sandy: Spring Tide

2020-10-30T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Most coastlines on Earth experience two low tides and two high tides every day, as the enormous mass of water is tugged upon by the gravity of the orbiting moon and sloshes in and out on its 12-hour cycle.

FYI: How Much Caffeine Would It Take To Kill You?

2020-10-30T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

A wrongful-death lawsuit filed last week against the makers of Monster energy drinks claims that 14-year-old Anais Fournier drank two 24-ounce cans of Monster in the day before she unexpectedly died late in 2011. The coroner's report described "caffeine toxicity" as contributing to her death. Just what does it take to ingest a lethal dose of caffeine?

The Dictionary Of Hurricane Sandy: Landfall

2020-10-30T02:38:00.0000000+11:00

Landfall is a simple but misleading term. The proper definition, for a tropical or subtropical storm like our new friend Hurricane Sandy, is that when the eye of the storm passes over land, it is classified as "making landfall."

A Look At Instagrams Of Hurricane Sandy In Real Time

2020-10-30T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

If you want to take the visual pulse of a major event, you can do a lot worse than checking out Instagram. Now, for Hurricane Sandy, we present Instacane, a site that updates with Instagram images of the storm in real time.

Scientists Looking For Volunteers To Snag Samples Of Hurricane Sandy

2020-10-30T01:29:00.0000000+11:00

If you're in a safe area (please, don't do this if you're not) scientists are looking for some help dissecting Hurricane Sandy. By collecting samples with the help of volunteers, researchers can learn a lot about an extreme weather event: where it came from, how it got to where it is, and more.

Updated Theory: Moon is Chunk of Earth

2020-10-29T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

New simulations of a crash between Earth and a protoplanetary sister long ago could have produced a moon that's chemically similar to our planet, according to a new analysis. It bolsters a theory that the moon is part of Earth, and it helps settle a question about how this could be physically possible.

Hurricane Sandy, The "Bride Of Frankenstorm," From Above

2020-10-27T07:54:00.0000000+11:00

Hurricane Sandy, nicknamed "Bride of Frankenstorm" because it's almost Halloween and because meteorologists are just the worst pun-makers ever, was photographed by NASA's TRIMM satellite while centered over the Bahamas this morning.

GameSci: Want to Dominate The Game? Set Your Morals Aside

2020-10-27T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

I've spent the week enjoying Dishonored, a Victorian-steampunk fever-dream of a game that came out earlier this month. In it you play Corvo, a bodyguard who's looking for revenge after being framed for a royal murder and kidnapping. So far, it's a lot more fun than I anticipated, in part because of its willingness to bite me in the ass for my choices. You can either carefully sneak by enemies or plunge right into the fray, slicing and dicing past. But if you choose the latter, you later have to confront the downed foes undead-style (a zombifying plague is a main plotpoint) and deal with a "darker" ending. Still, getting through is sometimes a lot faster with a weapon handy. Should I do the moral thing or the strategic thing? Is this even up to me?

A Bloody Seeping Hole In My Foot, And Other Memories From A Field Biologist

2020-10-27T03:40:00.0000000+11:00

"When your feet start to bleed - and boy, will they ever - don't panic. The hole that appears to be eating its way into the space between your 4th and 5th toes on your right foot won't go any deeper than a full centimeter (you know this because you stuck your finger inside of it and then measured the extent of the bloody seepage on your pinkie finger… the hole is that wide and deep)."

The Most Advanced Warship Ever Built

2020-10-27T02:02:00.0000000+11:00

When the USS Zumwalt rolls out of dry dock at Bath Iron Works in Maine next year, the Navy's newest warship will be 100 feet longer than the destroyers currently serving around the globe-and nearly twice as massive-yet it will have a radar signature 50 times smaller and will carry half the crew. Packed bow to stern with state-of-the-art radar, stealth, weapons, and propulsion systems, the USS Zumwalt, which will be operational in mid-2016, will be the most technologically sophisticated warship ever to hit the water.

How Designers Plan To Create 'The Route 66 Of The Future'

2020-10-27T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

The folks behind the Dutch design lab Studio Roosegaarde have come up with some outrageous ideas (a vanishing cocktail dress! A sustainable dance floor!). So you know when they partner with a construction company to conceptualize The Future Of The Highway, as they did at Dutch Design Week recently, it's going to be good. Also: weird.

Why Do Children Think Covering Their Eyes Makes Them Invisible?

2020-10-27T00:00:00.0000000+11:00

Anyone who has ever engaged in a round of peekaboo with a child has witnessed an adorable yet somewhat illogical behavior that is nearly universally shared among children: the attempt to hide from view by simply closing their eyes. This is cute and all, but it's also baffling. Why do children think they can render themselves invisible? And why have nearly all young children come to this same irrational conclusion?

How To Properly Butcher And Eat A Triceratops

2020-10-26T08:31:00.0000000+11:00

When it came to dining on Triceratops, the Tyrannosaurus had a problem. That nutrient-rich meat in the Triceratops neck was a Late Cretaceous delicacy, but with that huge bone and keratin frill in the way it was notoriously difficult to get to. Now, paleontologists at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont., have developed a new theory for how the T. Rex devoured the best part of his meal...

China Is Building A Brand New Green City From Scratch

2020-10-26T08:04:00.0000000+11:00

A tiny pocket city built from scratch next to a crowded urban center could alleviate some of China's crowding and pollution problems. A Chicago-based architectural firm designed a master plan for the city, which will be built within eight years and host 30,000 families, or roughly 80,000 people.

Today On Mars: Curiosity Entertains The Idea Of An Escorted Return Trip To Earth

2020-10-26T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Mars Rover Curiosity's mission is slated to run for just two Earth years, but the directory of NASA's Mars Exploration Program thinks it could have enough power to run for two decades. In fact, he says, Curiosity may actually return to Earth someday.

Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

2020-10-26T04:23:00.0000000+11:00

Are people spooked by black cats? Darker felines sure seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to adoption. Black cats stay in shelters longer and are more likely to be euthanised than their lighter-coloured counterparts. Researchers at University of California at Berkeley conducted a study to find a link between cat colour and people's perception of cat personality. The findings were surprising: People do judge feline personalities by colour, but don't assess black cats negatively relative to other cats.

NASA's New, Stunning Pics Of Solar Storms

2020-10-26T03:32:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists who study solar weather try to find patterns in the violent, chaotic motion of magnetic field lines above the sun's surface. Though the lines aren't actually visible, their patterns are illuminated by the streams of hot plasma that travel along them. But, while the giant coronal loops that form during major solar storms are easy to pick out, the field lines are generally so tangled up that it's hard to pick any one of them out.

5 Things You Need To Know About The Microsoft Surface

2020-10-26T02:15:00.0000000+11:00

Windows 8 is two OSes in one. The Surface has two models with two different versions of that OS. This is confusing! So here's the breakdown.

Science Confirms The Obvious: Strict Parents Raise Conservative Kids

2020-10-26T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

What makes a conservative? What makes a liberal? New research suggests that political socialization begins with parenting. Mothers and fathers who adopt an authoritarian parenting style (as opposed to an egalitarian style) tend to raise children who endorse conservative ideologies as adults.

NASA Is Building A Mocked-Up Deep-Space Habitat In Texas

2020-10-26T00:00:00.0000000+11:00

When it's done, the concept for a ship that'll take astronauts to deep space won't look like much. Actually, it kind of sounds like a mess: the "Deep Space Habitat" is being cobbled together from scrap parts of the International Space Station, and even a museum mockup. Obviously, it's not going to send anyone to deep space. But it does give us a tantalising look at what it'll look when NASA does take the next steps in space travel.

Here Is What 84 Million Stars Look Like. You're Welcome.

2020-10-25T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

In this picture, you are looking at a central concentration of ancient stars in the bulging part of our galaxy. The bulge is full of dust, gas and most of the stars in the Milky Way, which makes it hard to study - astronomers have to suss out stars from crowded, dusty zones and figure out how far they are from us. This new image catalogs 84 million of them, which is 10 times the number of stars cataloged in any previous study.

Double-Diamond Anvil Creates Pressures Greater Than Earth's Inner Core

2020-10-25T06:25:00.0000000+11:00

With a new megapressure environment, scientists will be able to replicate pressures one and a half times stronger than those found at the center of the Earth. The specialized anvil cell can create double the amount of pressure than anyone had previously demonstrated, an environment where new materials can be formed and where minerals behave very strangely.

Is This Tiny Sticker The Future of NFC?

2020-10-25T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

At any given time there are a whole mess of buzzwords and concepts floating around the tech world, evolving incrementally until eventually they become something we can all actually use and enjoy (or, alternately, until they are replaced or forgotten). "The cloud," meaningless as that term is, has already transitioned into "thing everyone uses all the time." Something like 3D printing, on the other hand, is still at a comparatively early stage - you can technically do it, but nobody knows quite why you would, given the current state of the tech, and nobody knows what the application will be that makes it useful for normal people.

Boeing Tests A Missile That Knocks Out A Building's Power

2020-10-25T05:07:00.0000000+11:00

In whatever sense that there's a "good" missile, this new one from Boeing seems like it. Rather than a missile that demolishes a target (along with everything nearby), countries have been clamoring for something more discreet: a weapon that knocks out the lights instead, crippling a target without collateral damage.

How The Sound Of Rain Helps Engineers Diagnose Unsafe Bridges

2020-10-25T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

To test the safety of a bridge, engineers rely on some pretty low-tech methods. One common way of doing it is to drag a chain across the bridge and listen in for the hollow-sounding spots. But, weirdly, an even-lower-tech method might speed things along: Have the rain do the work for you.

Electric Brain Stimulation Warps Your Perception Of Faces

2020-10-25T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

Two nerve clusters in the brain are crucial for perceiving faces, a finding that could help treat people who suffer from face blindness and that could inform why some people have such good facial recognition. Like many other neurological studies, the research team was able to benefit from a patient's desperate measures to treat his debilitating seizures. It wasn't quite the man who mistook his wife for a hat - more a man who mistook his doctor for some other guy.

Fruit Punched: What Is The Point Of Flavored Mouthguards?

2020-10-25T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

A mouthguard is the single most important piece of safety equipment in any fighting sport. Sure, the gloves are iconic, but they only protect the tiny bones of the hand. The headgear sure looks safe, but its actual value in protecting against brain damage has been called into question (and pro fighters don't get to wear one anyhow). It is the humble mouthguard that ultimately keeps a fighter's teeth intact, keeps him from biting off his tongue, wards off broken mandibles, and helps cushion the brain from blows to the jaw. In the heat of battle, under attack from a determined foe, a mouthguard may be a fighter's only real line of defence.

Video: Blue Origin Tests Its Rocket Crew Launchpad Escape System

2020-10-25T01:31:00.0000000+11:00

On Friday, private spaceflight venture Blue Origin conducted a successful test of its Pad Escape system, demonstrating that its pusher escape motor system can effectively put daylight between its crew capsule and an imperiled launch vehicle (read: out-of-control rocket booster) should anything go awry during a potential future crewed space launch aboard Blue Origin's technology. Today, we got our hands on the video.

Issue #48 - November 2012

2020-10-24T14:36:00.0000000+11:00

The November issue helps you live in a new material world. Specifically, a world of amazing new materials that will form the building-blocks of the next generation of tech. Also there's a jet-powered Aussie speedboat.

Infographic: Horses And Bayonets? Guns And Butter?

2020-10-24T07:52:00.0000000+11:00

"Horses and Bayonets" was a meme the instant it came out of President Obama's mouth during last night's debate. The phrase was part of a rebuttal against Governor Romney's claim that the US has the smallest number of ships since 1916 (the implication being that the US Navy is currently weak).

This piece is by our US correspondents, so they refer to "we" a lot. Oh well - given the ANZUS treaty, it's probably apt!

Listen to Your Intuition, Because Your Body Can Predict Future Events Without Conscious Clues

2020-10-24T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

Pre-cognition might really exist, at least in some limited fashion, according to a new study of studies. Humans can anticipate near-future events even without any evidence presaging the event - and apparently without realising it. One researcher even hints that quantum behavior might be involved.

Raw Food Diet Kept Primates Stupid

2020-10-24T06:28:00.0000000+11:00

Hey! We're still on that raw food thing. Humans differ from their primate ancestors in a few obvious ways (our conspicuous lack of body hair, our short arms), but evolutionary researchers all agree that what really sets us apart - what makes us social and creative and human - is our big brains. The question researchers are still trying to answer is: How did it happen? What conditions or changes or achievements made it possible for our ancestors' brains to grow to twice the relative size of monkeys, orangutans, and chimpanzees?

FYI: How Do Places On Mars Get Their Names?

2020-10-24T05:28:00.0000000+11:00

This week, the Mars rover Curiosity is humming its way across the pebbly surface of Yellowknife, leaving behind Peace Vallis and Hottah, and motoring through Gale Crater through a geologic region called Glenelg. Like every other major feature on Mars, all the names of all these places were carefully chosen, suggested to an international consortium of scientists, formally selected and then officially written into the gazetteer. Most places on Mars are named for geologic features on Earth, but sometimes there's a larger connection - like Glenelg.

Apple Goes Small At Today's Announcement With iPad Mini

2020-10-24T04:39:00.0000000+11:00

Alright folks, event over. Here's what we learned:

Puppies Only Pick Up Yawns When They're Old Enough To Understand Empathy

2020-10-24T03:34:00.0000000+11:00

Dogs catch contagious yawns just like people, baboons and chimps, which can be used as a measure of empathy. But this is a behavior they learn after they emerge from youngest puppyhood, a new study says. Like people, young dogs show a developmental trend in their likelihood of catching yawns. This is the first time anyone has studied young-organism yawning in a species other than people.

The iPad Mini Is For Snobs, The Kindle Fire Is For Dumb-Dumbs

2020-10-24T02:32:00.0000000+11:00

So today is the day of the iPad Mini announcement. I tried to do a story about what small tablets are better at than big tablets, aside from costing fewer dollars, but the only thing I could come up with was book-reading. And then I wondered: which would be better at book-reading, a 7-inch tablet like the Kindle Fire, or a 7.85-inch tablet like the iPad Mini?

Eating Cooked Food Made Us Human

2020-10-23T09:08:00.0000000+11:00

Gathered around a blazing fire, our ancient ancestors probably huddled to pass the archaic kebab, munching cooked meat and figuring out how they might share it and plan to get more of it. Eating cooked food allowed these early hominids to spend less time gnawing on raw material and digesting it, providing time - and energy - to do other things instead, like socialize. The strenuous cognitive demands of communicating and socializing forced human ancestors to develop more powerful brains, which required more calories - calories that cooked food provided. Cooking, in other words, allowed us to become human.

Science Says Sex Addiction Is For Real. Here's How To Diagnose It.

2020-10-23T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen and other celebrities with an admitted proclivity for prurient behavior could soon serve as diagnostic case studies: New research shows that sex addiction is indeed a mental health disorder - one that can be easily and accurately diagnosed.

Brand-New Vaccine Strategy Works Against Herpes, And Potentially HIV

2020-10-23T07:01:00.0000000+11:00

Yale researchers developing a new technique for vaccination against genital herpes have succeeded, but their research may have implications far beyond what they set out to accomplish. Employing a two-part immune-system-boosting strategy known as "prime and pull," the researchers have effectively coaxed the body's own antibodies into setting up a defensive blockade in tissues that formerly were not conducive to such immune responses. In doing so, they may have found a mechanism that is effective in preventing not only herpes, but other sexually transmitted infections as well - infections like the AIDS-causing HIV-1.

Dentists Could Soon Diagnose Cancer By Looking At Your Saliva

2020-10-23T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Your dentist could soon be your new doctor. Don't cancel your annual physical just yet, but promising research coming out of UCLA's School of Dentistry suggests that salivary diagnostics - or "salivaomics" - could become a potent resource for early detection of a broad range of potential health problems like autoimmune diseases, diabetes and even life-threatening conditions like cancer.

Italian Quake Scientists Convicted

2020-10-23T03:58:00.0000000+11:00

After a 6.3 magnitude quake hit L'aquila, killing more than 300 people, Italian officials arrested six scientists and one former government official, saying they were falsely reassuring about the chances of the quake. Now they've just been sentenced to six years in prison.

New Telescope To Hunt For Earth's Twin

2020-10-23T03:03:00.0000000+11:00

The Kepler space telescope (and several observatories on the ground) have pinpointed a plenitude of planets around other stars, but astronomers' knowledge of them remains fuzzy. A new European mission launching in five years will bring them into focus, figuring out their size, density and internal structure.

iPod Nano And iPod Touch Review: Hey Guys, Remember iPods?

2020-10-23T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Let's assume, before we go any further, that you have already decided you want a non-smartphone that can play media (or apps), so we can not waste any time by discussing under which probably weird circumstances you want one of these instead of a smartphone, which is of course much more capable and which you probably already have. No more discussion! Just reviews!

Turn An Android Device Into A Pocket-Size Media Centre

2020-10-23T01:27:00.0000000+11:00

The notion that a home entertainment centre must be in your actual home is antiquated. With an off-the-shelf adapter and a few apps loaded onto an Android phone or tablet, users can stream movies, TV shows, and videogames from remote computers or media services to a television. That means you can fully re-create the experience of being at home when you're at a friend's house, in a hotel room, or anywhere else with a good flat-screen.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done!

2020-10-23T00:01:00.0000000+11:00

Da Vinci sketched the oldest known plans for a human-powered aircraft in 1485. Yet it wasn't until 1977 that the first one truly flew. Flight requires lift, when the net air pressure pushing upward counteracts the craft's weight. For years, many assumed that flight required more lift and more power than the human body alone could provide (although the admonitions did little to stop myriad failed attempts). But inventors persisted. Aircraft fly using three basic configurations: fixed wing, flapping wing, and rotors. In the last 50 years, inventors have conquered fixed-wing and flapping flight. Now they are on the verge of overcoming the greatest challenge yet: vertical takeoff.

Will The City Of The Future Look As Insane As This?

2020-10-20T08:30:00.0000000+11:00

To create the exhibit "Under Tomorrows Sky" (yes, it's apostrophe-free), speculative architect Liam Young brought together a batch of like-minded folks to imagine a city of the future...

Today On Mars: Curiosity Arrives At 'The Promised Land'

2020-10-19T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Mars rover Curiosity has arrived at its long-sought destination: Glenelg, a region where three types of geologic formations converge into a potential bonanza for scientists.

Science Confirms The Obvious: Rejection Can Make You More Creative

2020-10-19T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Don't let rejection get you down - it might be the ticket to creativity, science says. That's right: If regular rejection doesn't cause you to lose all self-confidence and withdraw from the world entirely, it just might boost your ability to think outside of the mainstream and draw upon a unique worldview, suggesting that the kind of people society considers "geniuses" might tend to have a go-it-alone, loner mentality.

How An Architectural Photographer Turned Google's Boring Server Warehouses Into Art

2020-10-19T05:50:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends at Pop Photo talked to Connie Zhou, who took absolutely stunning photos of what might seem horribly boring: Google's server centers.

Daily Infographic: Who's Been In The Most James Bond Movies?

2020-10-19T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

The 50th anniversary of James Bond - and the upcoming release of Skyfall, the newest film - have inspired a wealth of infographics over the last couple weeks, but this interactive visualization by Ramiro Gómez is arguably the coolest.

Exposing Kids To 10 Hours Of Science A Year Makes Them Smarter

2020-10-19T03:15:00.0000000+11:00

Low-income minority fourth-graders from south L.A. improved their test scores in math and language after they got just a handful of science lessons, a new study found. College students studying science presented 10 separate one-hour lessons, and the kids rose up whole percentile ranks in other subjects.

Check Out The Most Richly Detailed Image Ever Taken Of Uranus

2020-10-19T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Uranus looks a lot like some of our solar system's other planets in these spectacular new images from the Keck Observatory. Rather than beholding a pale bluish orb (like how Voyager viewed the planet nearly three decades ago), you can see whorls of clouds at high and low altitudes, huge hurricanes and strange features at its south pole.

GameSci: LittleBigPlanet Karting Gives You Rules Hoping You'll Break Them

2020-10-19T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

The LittleBigPlanet series has always prided itself on creativity; the motto was, in short, build the game you want. So when I heard the newest game in the series would be called LittleBigPlanet Karting, I was wary.

Cruising Through The Throwback Game L.A. Noire With Someone Who Was There

2020-10-19T01:12:00.0000000+11:00

In L.A. Noire, you play a detective cracking cases on the mean streets of 1940s Los Angeles. One of the most heralded parts of the game was its historical accuracy: The landscapes and buildings are modelled on how they really were in the '40s. But what would someone who was actually there think of the game? At Eurogamer, Christian Donlan tackles that question. His father grew up in the '40s and, even better, his grandfather was a beat cop. Read what both Donlan and his dad think of the experience here.

Megapixels: The James Webb Space Telescope Gets Chilled to 400 Degrees Below Zero

2020-10-19T00:58:00.0000000+11:00

In 2018, NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope, which will boast mirrors approximately seven times larger than those on the Hubble. Once operational, the telescope will peer through interstellar dust and clearly image some of the youngest stars and galaxies in the universe.

Spontaneous Combustion Is Easier Than You Think

2020-10-19T00:00:00.0000000+11:00

The facts about spontaneous combustion are easily lost. Mostly this is because spontaneous human combustion is a favorite among conspiracy-theorist types. Reports of people suddenly going up in flames tend to omit an essential detail, such as a lit cigarette. Yet as with many phoney scientific concepts, the possibility is so intriguing that some people just want to believe.

V-Moda M-100 Review: The Headphones That Made Me Love Headphones

2020-10-18T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The single best non-essential tech item - like, not a laptop or smartphone - that you can buy is a really good pair of headphones.

Video: The 'World's First High-Speed, Commercially Available Amphibious Vehicle'

2020-10-17T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

The first commercially available amphibious vehicle capable of decent speeds - 45 miles per hour on both land and water - is expected to go on sale in the US by the end of this year.

Meet Boxee, The Hacker Project Gone Mainstream That Could Get You To Ditch Cable

2020-10-17T01:05:00.0000000+11:00

In 1994, Avner Ronen was in the Israeli Defense Forces, stationed, he says, at the first place in the IDF with an internet-connected computer. Somebody there showed him some nudie pics, doubtlessly downloaded with painful slowness, but nudie pics. "I immediately saw the potential of the internet," Ronen told me, with about as much of a grin as I ever saw throughout our interviews. Which is not much.

Saturn's Moon Titan Has A Soft, Crusty Surface, Like Freshly Frozen Snow

2020-10-16T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

Walking on the surface of Titan would be like walking on a beach while the tide is going out, according to a new study. Or, if snow is your preferred outdoor surface, it's like breaking a snowshoe trail on a sunny day. The huge Saturnian moon's surface has the consistency of damp sand or crusty snow - you can walk gently on top, but push hard with your foot and you'll break through, sinking down at least a few inches.

Sensitive Structures

2020-10-09T10:54:00.0000000+11:00

In our September issue, we featured a story on a University of Technology, Sydney, building embedded with special sensors that tell engineers when the structure is under stress or being corroded. For a more in-depth view into this area, we spoke with Behnam Vakshouri, a PhD student whose research involves this sensitive structure, about the building, the future of sensors in Australia, and why he's enjoyed working on this project.

FYI: Is It Legal To 3-D Print A Handgun?

2020-10-05T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Earlier this week, the Wiki Weapons Project - an initiative to create a 3-D printed handgun and distribute the digital design file for free online - ran into a stumbling block when 3-D printer provider Stratasys pulled the lease on a printer it had provided the group. Stratasys cited a clause in the lease agreement that allows the company to rescind a lease for printers believed to be used for unlawful purposes. That raises the obvious (and thorny) question: Is the Wiki Weapons Project doing anything illegal?

Amazing Video: Timelapse View Of The Australian Outback's Giant Radio Dishes

2020-10-04T05:53:00.0000000+10:00

Australia's first portion of the enormous future Square Kilometer Array turns on this Friday, and will soon begin surveying the entire sky with a quickness. The array contains 36 12-meter antennas that spread across 4,000 meters but work as a single instrument, providing an enormous field of view.

Bats Combine Work And Dating

2020-10-04T05:07:00.0000000+10:00

Echolocation is a bat's prime method of finding food and orienting itself, but it also helps the animals find and keep their mates, according to a new study. Bat calls contain detailed information an individual's identity, which helps male bats avoid rivals and helps females find their partners.

Fake Toes Found In Ancient Egyptian Tombs Could Be The World's Oldest Prostheses

2020-10-04T04:52:00.0000000+10:00

There is a documented history of ancient Egyptians creating fake body parts to augment bodies headed for burial, but a new study suggests that two artificial toes recovered from tombs there may in fact be the oldest known prosthetic body parts. Researchers at the University of Manchester made replicas of the two items - both right big toes - and had volunteers missing those toes to wear them. The fake toes showed to be not only comfortable to wear, but to also vastly improve their walking while wearing traditional Egyptian sandals, suggesting these toes had more than an aesthetic, funerary purpose.

New Dinosaur Identified

2020-10-04T04:45:00.0000000+10:00

The newly identified Pegomastax africanus is a strange new anomaly in the dinosaur world. When it roamed the planet more than 200 million years ago, it was less than 2 feet long and didn't even weigh as much as a housecat - making it one of the smallest dinos ever - and it definitely wasn't as likable as a housecat: despite it probably being a herbivore, it had 1-inch-long fangs and porcupine-style quills.

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car Project Test Fires Its Rocket Engine

2020-10-04T01:35:00.0000000+10:00

The Bloodhound rocket car has another year of development ahead of it before Wing Commander Andy Green of Britain's Royal Air Force attempts to accelerate it to speeds upward of 1600 kilometers per hour (the current land speed record is 1220 kilomters per hour). In the meantime, the project is teasing us with glimpses of just how powerful this supersonic vehicle's power source will be. Earlier today at Newquay Airport in Cornwall, UK, the development team test fired the rocket engine that will power the Bloodhound across the flats of South Africa next year. Hold on tight.

Mythbusting: The Vampire Squid Is Not A Lethal Ocean Predator

2020-10-03T08:18:00.0000000+10:00

There's nothing particularly cuddly about the vampire squid, and on top of that, it's named the vampire squid. It's even known by the vaguely hellish Vampyroteuthis infernalis. But the little guy is catching a break, finally: it's not a vampire, just a slime-eating garbageman of the deep.

Today On Mars: Bathurst Signals

2020-10-03T08:06:00.0000000+10:00

Over the weekend, the Mars rover Curiosity rolled up to an angular rock on Mars and took some closeup images, as well as a sniff of the rock's chemical composition. This rock is called Bathurst Inlet.

Ambitious $1 Billion Project Aims to Drill A Hole All the Way to Earth's Mantle

2020-10-03T05:46:00.0000000+10:00

With enough money and enough moxie, scientists operating gigantic ocean-based drills could penetrate into the Earth's mantle by the early 2020s, returning samples that could hold clues to our planet's origins. The effort to reach into the heart of the Earth would be one of the most dramatic undertakings in science.

Genetically Engineered Cow Produces World's First Hypoallergenic Milk

2020-10-03T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Cow genes could be modified to prevent the animals from producing proteins that cause allergic reactions, according to a new study. Scientists in New Zealand engineered a dairy cow to lack the milk protein beta-lactoglobulin, while other milk proteins were dramatically increased.

Boeing's New Space Junk Scheme Clears Debris With a Cloud Of Ballistic Gas

2020-10-03T02:39:00.0000000+10:00

Aerospace giant Boeing has developed a novel means of clearing space junk from low Earth orbit: A cloud of ballistic gas. Most space junk-clearing schemes involve launching something up there to physically de-orbit debris, but this means launching rocket stages into orbit that then become more orbital debris. Boeing's solution: Launch a rocket full of cryogenic inert gas right to the very edge of space, then forcibly eject tons of vaporised gas further upward into an orbiting debris cluster. The initial density of the cloud will create enough drag to slow the debris just enough to de-orbit it, and the launch rocket would remain low enough to fall harmlessly back to Earth.

Meet The 2012 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Scientists

2020-10-03T02:25:00.0000000+10:00

Every year, the MacArthur Foundation makes an investment - a $500,000 investment - in the future by handing out bags of money to people whose work shows promise. Of course that includes scientists doing world-changing research. The 2012 fellows were just announced, and here they are: Maria Chudnovsky and Melody Swartz.

3-D Printing Company Confiscates Wiki Weapon Project's Printer

2020-10-03T00:47:00.0000000+10:00

The Wiki Weapon Project - the attempt by University of Texas law school student Cody Wilson to develop a 3-D printable handgun and distribute its digital design file across the Web - is under fire. Stratasys, the maker of the 3-D printer the project's backers hoped to use to prototype its designs, has reclaimed the printer they originally sent to Wilson, citing Wilson's lack of a federal firearms manufacturing license and the company's right to rescind any lease if it believes its printers will be used for unlawful activity. This whole controversy exists in a huge legal gray area, but for now it looks like the Wiki Weapon is stalled.

A Map Of The World, According To Wikipedia Geotags [Infographic]

2020-10-03T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

The English version of Wikipedia of has more than four million articles, or 2.5 billion words-50 times the number of words in the next-largest English encyclopedia, the Encyclopedia Brittanica, according to Wikipedia. And in all 271 languages combined, the online encyclopedia holds some 23.6 million entries.

FYI: Could "Smiles," The Psychedelic Drug Implicated In An Actor's Death, Cause Violent Behavior?

2020-10-02T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Johnny Lewis, an actor known for his role on the show Sons of Anarchy, died last week, suspected of killing his landlady and her cat, then killing himself. The word leaked quickly that Lewis had been on a relatively new designer drug: "Smiles," or 2C-I. Several publications jumped on it, ready to lay the blame on drug use, or at least casually suggesting a connection. 2C-I is dangerous, yes, linked to overdoses and other erratic behavior - but is it linked to violence? Not especially.

Today On Mars: Check Out Curiosity's Martian Roadmap

2020-10-02T07:31:00.0000000+10:00

Mars rover Curiosity has already made some neat discoveries on its still-short mission, and this roadside map plots those. But it still has a way to go: It's Glenelg or bust.

Adam Cohen Lights Up Neurons To See How They Fire

2020-10-02T06:00:00.0000000+10:00

Other 13-year-old boys want cash for their bar mitzvah. Adam Cohen asked for an oscilloscope. Shortly thereafter, he startled his parents by wandering into the living room with a home-built EKG machine taped to his chest. "They were a bit concerned that I was going to electrocute myself," Cohen recalls, "but apart from that, they were supportive."

We Are All Born Scientists, Study Finds

2020-10-02T03:04:00.0000000+10:00

Young kids think and learn about their surroundings much the way that scientists think and learn in advanced experiments, a new study says. They form hypotheses, test them, analyse their findings and learn from their actions and the actions of others - all in child's play.

Swiss Quadrotor Robots Throw and Catch

2020-10-02T01:58:00.0000000+10:00

We never get tired of writing about networked, swarm-like quadrotor drones, mostly because this field - though it currently lacks a killer application - continues to advance at such a rapid pace. We've previously seen quadrotors work collectively to build structures and play the James Bond theme, and now researchers at ETH Zurich are teaching them to play catch.

Watch Cyberattacks Spread Across The Globe In Real Time [Infographic]

2020-10-02T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

A beautiful, hard-to-look-away-from graphic from the Honeynet Project shows cyberattacks as they happen, and where they happen. The red dots represent attacks; the yellow dots are "honeypots," or sensors, which monitor and publish the flow of cyberattacks. You can watch it all flow across the bottom, too. Almost every second, a new attack is reported and pushed through.

Snow On Venus? Upper Atmospheric Layer On Normally Scorching Planet Might Be Cold Enough

2020-10-02T00:39:00.0000000+10:00

Venus is known for its scorching, Earth-lander-melting, inhospitable surface - but don't judge a planet by its cover. Venus has a cold streak high in the atmosphere, where it might even be cool enough for snow to form.

After The LHC: The Next Really Big Experiments In Particle Physics

2020-10-02T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

It took the Large Hadron Collider just three years to find the Higgs boson - but it took nearly 20 years to create the Large Hadron Collider. High energy physics happens at the speed of light, but the underlying practicalities move at the speed of bureaucracy, funding requests, and setting concrete. So to keep things moving forward, the global physics community is constantly envisioning and re-envisioning the next big things in high energy particle physics - things big enough to dwarf even the largest and most expensive science experiment mankind has ever created.

Today On Mars: Curiosity Chemically Examines Its First Rock

2020-09-29T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

Yesterday heralded news that Mars rover Curiosity had discovered evidence of water once flowing on Mars, but this image of Curiosity reaching out its robotic arm to examine its first rock, taken on an earlier Martian day, is more bittersweet. The rock was named Jake Matijevic, for the rover engineer who died this year. Matijevic helped engineer Curiosity, Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity.

A Guide For "Human Expansion Into The Cosmos" [Infographic]

2020-09-29T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Sean Ragan at MAKE magazine spent some time hunting down this 1980s infographic, and it's a beaut. Rockwell International was a major company in its time, and here it presents its "Integrated Space Plan" - basically, how we're all going to get off this rock we call home. It's (not surprisingly) overwhelming and slightly dated, but there's a lot of interesting ideas in it, too.

Artificially Intelligent Gamer Bots Convince Judges They're More Human Than Humans

2020-09-29T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

Two virtual gamers have convinced a panel of judges they were more human than the humans they competed with in a first-person shooter game, winning the five-year-old BotPrize and beating the Turing test of machine awareness. The game bots were video game characters controlled by artificially intelligent algorithms.

Where Do You Have To Work The Hardest For A Beer? [Infographic]

2020-09-29T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

The post-work beer is always satisfying, but as a chart from The Economist shows, residents of some nations have to work harder for it. Sometimes a lot harder.

Awesome New Electronics Can Dissolve and Disappear When They're No Longer Needed

2020-09-29T00:19:00.0000000+10:00

A new class of electronics can dissolve and disappear on a pre-set schedule, within a few minutes or a few years, depending on when you want them to go away. They could live in the body and deliver drugs, they could stick on the exterior of buildings or tanks, and they can become compost instead of metal scrap - in other words, they turn the common conception of electronics completely upside down.

Using 'Fractal Kitties,' We Could Avoid A Critical Shortage Of Cat Photos

2020-09-28T23:07:00.0000000+10:00

Threatened by the idea that we may someday run out of cat photos, a couple of Cornell mathematicians have set about using their skills to approximate the shape of a cat using a mathematic device known as the Julia sets of polynomials. The Julia sets of degree two polynomials is closely related to the more familiar Mandelbrot set, one of the most famous fractals.

Issue #47 - October 2012

2020-09-28T10:45:00.0000000+10:00

Our October issue is ON SALE FROM SEPTEMBER 26, and is about three of the greatest things in science and tech: guns, robots and boats! It's a future of defence special, where we look at stealth destroyers, smart guns and haptic battlefield robots.

Today On Mars: First Physical Evidence Of A Once-Flowing Stream

2020-09-28T06:22:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists have known that water flowed on Mars at one point, but until now, what that flow looked like has remained educated speculation. Now a discovery changes that. Mars rover Curiosity has found gravel that was once part of an ancient stream. This image shows the Martian rock outcrop where that gravel is.

After Pregnancy, Many Women Have Bits Of Male DNA In Their Brains

2020-09-28T04:01:00.0000000+10:00

Mothers aren't just emotionally connected to their sons. A new study shows how genetic material can be passed on from fetuses during pregnancy, traveling through the human blood-brain barrier and settling in - and it might be relatively normal, too.

"Looper" And The Real Science Of Time Travel

2020-09-28T03:05:00.0000000+10:00

This week, Looper, a gritty time-travel thriller from writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) arrives in movie theaters across Australia. The story: Powerful crime organizations in the late 21st century can't off their foes without getting caught, so they illegally send victims back in time to the year 2044 to be disposed of by hitmen called "loopers." Looper's time travel, in short, is a futuristic version of the concrete boots.

Your Clothes Could Soon Scrub Pollution Directly From The Air

2020-09-28T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

Your washing machine and dryer are both energy intensive machines, but soon your rinse cycle could start giving something back. A liquid laundry additive called "CatClo" (for "catalytic clothing") developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield and London College of Fashion in the UK could imbue clothing with titanium dioxice nanoparticles that scrub nitrogen oxides from the air and oxidise them in the fabric. On the next wash, these nitrogen oxides are simply washed away.

Brilliant 10: Anže Slosar Maps Matter At The Edge Of The Universe

2020-09-28T00:06:00.0000000+10:00

The oldest part of the universe, more than 10 billion light years away, bursts with super-luminous quasars and diffuse aggregations of hydrogen gas. Anže Slosar, a cosmologist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, wants to map that expanse in 3-D.

Invisibility, No Brake Lights, Ads Everywhere: The Future Of Self-Driving Cars

2020-09-27T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Car designer Chris Bangle has spent years designing forward-thinking vehicles, so now, with self-driving cars just legalised in California, we decided to pick his brain on what's next for the automobile that no longer needs its master.

Google Maps Launches 3-D Snorkel View Of The World's Greatest Reefs

2020-09-27T05:02:00.0000000+10:00

Google Maps just unveiled a new ocean-level street view, which we'll call Snorkel View, allowing anyone with an Internet connection to virtually dive with sea turtles other creatures in some of the world's most pristine coral reefs. You can use the Street View tool in several tropical locales to zoom in and swim with the fishes.

Carbon Nanotubes Generate The Smallest 3-D Hologram Pixels Ever

2020-09-27T03:19:00.0000000+10:00

Holography is one of those "it's-2012-where-is-my-holodeck" kind of sciences - long promised by science fiction, still far from a practical communications tool. But the field is moving forward in fits and starts, even if a complete technology package that will beam moving holograms onto our tabletops, Princess Leia-style, is still on some far horizon. Example: Researchers at Cambridge in the U.K. have recently generated holograms with carbon nanotubes for the first time, generating the smallest hologram pixels ever.

5 Ways The Brand New Dark Energy Camera Will Utterly Change Our Understanding Of The Universe

2020-09-27T02:24:00.0000000+10:00

For something that we know absolutely nothing about, dark energy owns a prominent place in astrophysics. Its discovery won the Nobel Prize even though the very term "dark energy" is a placeholder for a phenomenon we don't really understand, and though its effects are observable dark energy itself - which supposedly makes up three-quarters of the universe - has never been seen and remains unobservable. That's why the Dark Energy Camera - which achieved first light just last week - is such a big deal. With it, we might finally give the term "dark energy" some meaning.

Next Big Mars Goal: Bringing Samples Home From the Red Planet

2020-09-27T00:45:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's next Mars moves should focus on bringing chunks of Mars back to Earth, possibly in a hand-off between a robot and an astronaut, according to a new planning document. Involving humans in a space-based rock swap would ensure the sample is protected and Earth is protected - and it would probably make sense anyway, given the timing and budget constraints for NASA's Mars plans.

New Brain Upgrade To Let Mars Rover Curiosity Decide For Itself Which Rocks To Zap

2020-09-26T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

As the Mars rover Curiosity rolls through pebbly Gale Crater, it snaps a multitude of photographs and sends them to Earth, where humans pore over them and decide where to send the rover next. But within a few months, the rover will be able to find salient rocks on its own, speeding the process of exploring Mars.

PopSci Recommends: What I Learned About Einstein In 4.5 Hours Of Opera

2020-09-26T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

I went into the production of Philip Glass's "Einstein on the Beach" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Friday, curious to see if this famous 1976 work would tell me anything about science.

From Hubble, The Deepest-Ever View Of The Universe

2020-09-26T06:42:00.0000000+10:00

Take a deep breath, stargazers: this is the farthest we've seen into the heart of the universe. The eXtreme Deep Field, or XDF, as the photo's called, shows about 5,500 galaxies, although some are as much are only one ten-billionth of the brightness needed to be seen by human eyes.

Parking Software Lets Drivers Buy And Sell Info About Available Spaces

2020-09-26T05:05:00.0000000+10:00

Rather than hunting for an empty parking spot, or even getting out and letting your empty car hunt for you, a new system relies on good old-fashioned capitalism to find open spaces. With TruCentive, drivers can buy and sell information about available spots.

Today On Mars: Curiosity Records Hurricane-Like Air Pressure Swings

2020-09-26T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Mars Rover Curiosity is above all a robot geologist, but that's not stopping it from tracking weather on the Red Planet as well. And what strange weather it is. The latest exciting result from Curiosity: atmospheric pressures at some places on Mars swing wildly throughout the day.

Brilliant 10: Deva Ramanan Trains Computers To Identify People

2020-09-26T00:01:00.0000000+10:00

Deva Ramanan clicks a button on his MacBook Air and a video begins to play: Michelle Kwan skating in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Next to it, a computer program renders what it "sees" in the footage: Kwan's head, legs, torso, upper arms, and forearms, all distinguished by different colors. Ramanan, a computer scientist at University of California at Irvine, trains computers to recognise three-dimensional humans in flat photography.

How Better Typography Could Reduce Car Crashes

2020-09-25T22:23:00.0000000+10:00

The basic interior of the automobile changed little in the latter half of the 20th century. "You had the steering wheel, the gas pedal, the brakes. And the display in there might have been providing a digital readout of the radio station," says Bryan Reimer, a research scientist at the MIT AgeLab.

Why Not To Keep Your Liquid Nitrogen In A Sealed Container

2020-09-25T07:18:00.0000000+10:00

Here at PopSci we use a lot of liquid nitrogen; we use it to crack locks, to mix drinks, and even just to cool off. But we're careful.

Brilliant 10: Greg Nielson Shrinks Solar Cells To The Size Of Glitter

2020-09-25T04:54:00.0000000+10:00

Greg Nielson pushes a small jar full of rubbing alcohol across his desk at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. In the jar float shiny solar cells the size of glitter. "If you have panels of these on top of Walmart, you get twice as much power [as conventional photovoltaics] and your costs go down by half," he says. For the past six years, Nielson has worked to dramatically reduce the size of solar cells in order to make them more durable, efficient, and cost-effective.

Today On Mars: The President's Signature

2020-09-25T03:05:00.0000000+10:00

Starting with Nixon and the Apollo missions, we've been blasting presidential signatures into space for more than four decades. This one's the latest: Barack Obama's signature is on Mars rover Curiosity, with Joe Biden's right below it. This shot, of the left side of the rover's deck, was taken by the ever-flexible Curiosity on a recent Martian "sol," or Mars day. Also attached - on the neat, anodised aluminum plaque, which is the material of choice for this sort of thing - are the John Hancocks of various science advisers and NASA officials.

MIT's Wearable Sensor Pack Turns First Responders Into Digital Mapmakers

2020-09-25T02:07:00.0000000+10:00

Robots have seemingly unlimited potential when it comes to search and rescue operations - they can enter hazardous environments, quickly map dangerous areas for first responders, and help establish communication links and a game plan for larger recovery and triage efforts. But in these scenarios, humans aren't going anywhere. We still need breathing, thinking bodies on the ground. So a team at MIT has built a wearable sensor pack that can "roboticise" human first responders, allowing the first person into a dangerous environment to digitally map it in realtime, just like a robot.

Science Of Theft: Freeze A Bike Lock Then Smash It

2020-09-25T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

Strong, hard, tough. These sound like different ways of saying the same thing, perhaps describing a really good suitcase. But when applied to the physical properties of materials, each of these words has a very specific technical meaning that distinguishes it from the others. And those definitions explain why it's so difficult to make a bicycle lock that can foil thieves.

A New Artificial Heart Pump That Mimics the Real Thing

2020-09-22T03:15:00.0000000+10:00

Today's artificial hearts contain pumps whose spinning rotors can damage blood cells, causing clotting that can lead to strokes. A new pump design could prevent that damage by mimicking the natural movement of human tissue.

Project Of The Month: The Soldering Gun

2020-09-22T02:15:00.0000000+10:00

Mike Warren, an editor at DIY website instructables.com, wanted a tool that was fun and unusual for projects that require soldering electronics. His solution? Disassemble a 15-watt soldering iron and install it in the gutted body of an air-pellet gun.

The Statistical Physics Of Ponytails And Other Ig Nobel Winners

2020-09-22T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

Science is our key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and also occasionally the key to unlocking the brain waves of dead salmon. Thus: another year, another announcement of the Ig Nobel prize winners, the men and women behind the most unlikely, hilarious, thought-provoking science of the year.

What Countries Are The Worst At Protecting Endangered Animals? [Infographic]

2020-09-22T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

The demand for ivory and other illegal animal parts is on the rise in China and other Asian markets, and in Africa, tens of thousands of elephants are being slaughtered each year to meet it. Rhinos and tigers - whose horns and various other parts are also popular in China and Vietnam - are aggressively poached as well.

Science Confirms The Obvious: Science Faculty Think Female Students Are Less Competent

2020-09-21T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

There's a canyon-sized gender gap in the academic science world. Officials keep pushing to move women into the field, and the number of degrees granted to them has increased, but those degrees don't necessarily result in more women working in the sciences. A new study shows that science faculty see female students as less competent than their male counterparts, and it could cost them jobs, a fair salary, and mentoring opportunities.

One Gene Lays The Blueprint for A Cheetah's Spots And A Tabby Cat's Stripes

2020-09-21T05:46:00.0000000+10:00

Anyone who's ever seen a cat knows how distinct he or she looks compared to every other cat - stripes and whorls cover their coats in seemingly endless variation. It turns out that one gene is responsible for regulating these patterns, and it's true for all of the domestic cat's larger cousins. Different mutations on a shared gene produce the blotchy patterns of pet tabbies as well as the stripes on a rare type of wild cheetahs. What's more, one geneticist thinks there could be an immunological reason for all these unique designs.

Harvard Business Review: Data Scientist Is The 'Sexiest Job Of The 21st Century'

2020-09-21T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

What is the sexiest job of the 21st century? If you said "data scientist," you're probably an editor at Harvard Business Review and probably not anyone else.

Nestle Embeds GPS Trackers In Candy Bars To Hunt Down Eaters

2020-09-21T03:56:00.0000000+10:00

Customers buying Kit-Kat bars in the United Kingdom could be unwrapping a 21st-century version of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket - a GPS unit the candy-maker will use to find them, apprehend them and give them a prize. Nestlé claims to be the first to market its chocolatey wares with a GPS-based promotion.

Your Next Leather Wallet Could Be Grown In A Petri Dish

2020-09-21T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

Science has been trying for years to grow the perfect sirloin in a petri dish, but animal hides, rather than animal meat, might be a simpler, easier-to-sell product you can harvest in the lab. A company called Modern Meadow could have a full-scale leather production facility up and running within five years, CEO and cofounder Andras Forgacs says.

The Fastest Way To Crack A 4-Digit PIN Number [Infographic]

2020-09-21T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

We know people default to bad passwords, whether for their computers or banking PINs. But, we have to stress this here, people are really bad at picking passwords. This infographic visualizes that idea by taking all of the possible combinations and mapping them based on frequency of use.

German Art Laser Turns Random Desktop Crap Into Exotic Musical Instruments

2020-09-21T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

An Instrument for the Sonification of Everday Things from Dennis P Paul on Vimeo.

First 3-D Printing Store in U.S. Opens

2020-09-20T08:20:00.0000000+10:00

The 3-D printing world just took another big leap into the consumer market. Next stop: world domination?

Video: The Popinator Tracks Where Your Voice Is Coming From And Shoots Popcorn Into Your Mouth

2020-09-20T07:27:00.0000000+10:00

If you're tired of relying on your merely-mortal hands to catapult popcorn into your maw during snack time, there's a better way. The Popinator will do it for you, do it better, and do it from wherever you are in the room. Just say "pop."

How Bats Can Help Scientists Design Better Robots

2020-09-20T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Bats are great at hunting down prey via echolocation, in which their ultrasonic chirps bounce off anything in the air. Specialised ear designs and other features detect the returning sounds, helping the bats determine the location of a moving target. But what about when the target is still?

The U.S. Conducted Atomic Weapons Tests On Beer

2020-09-20T02:29:00.0000000+10:00

The atomic bomb reached deep into the world's collective consciousness, changing everything forever. Testing something like that meant serious research into how a nuclear explosion would affect every part of life, including: "Will this bomb irradiate my beer?"

How An Underfunded Team Of Spanish Astronomers Could Help Solve The Mystery Of Dark Energy

2020-09-20T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Since 1998, when astronomers discovered that a mysterious force known as dark energy is blowing the universe apart, scientists have launched at least a dozen multimillion-dollar projects to figure out what, exactly, dark energy is. These range from the $71-million BigBOSS project to the $900-million Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which is scheduled to see first light in 2019. But in an era of shrinking research funding, the advantage might go to scientists who can work on a shoestring budget-people such as Basque cosmologist Narciso "Txitxo" Benítez, who says he can scoop every one of those projects for less than $10 million.

This Escape Pod Could Save Lives In A Tsunami

2020-09-19T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Australian business owner Matt Duncan usually builds steel-hulled houseboats, but he was so affected by last year's devastating tsunami in Japan that he's turned his focus to seaworthy survival craft. His bright orange Tsunami Survival Pod can accommodate four people for two and a half hours.

Write Your Name In The Stars With This New Font

2020-09-19T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

When you spend lots of free time categorizing images of galaxies, you start to see recognizable shapes - including the letters of the alphabet. Over the past couple of years, the volunteer galaxy hunters over at the Zooniverse compiled a list, and now it's available on a whole new section of the site. You can write your name in the stars!

Sperm Can't Turn Left, Or Don't Want To

2020-09-19T04:29:00.0000000+10:00

Sperm are small, but they're quick-an individual sperm can wiggle through a space 25 times the length of its body in a single second. (For comparison, a human would have to run 869 000 kilometers per hour to achieve the same relative speed.)

"There Is No Such Thing As Time"

2020-09-19T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

The "rebels" who fight the Big Bang theory are mostly attempting to grapple with the concept of time. They are philosophers as much as cosmologists, unsatisfied with the Big Bang, unimpressed with string theory and unconvinced of the multiverse. Julian Barbour, British physicist, author, and major proponent of the idea of timeless physics, is one of those rebels - so thoroughly a rebel that he has spurned the world of academics.

FYI: Why Do Girls Throw Like A Girl?

2020-09-19T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

You don't need to look any further than last week's news cycle to see proof that a girl can throw a ball: Erin DiMeglio, the first female quarterback to play high school football in Florida, made a splash by taking a spot on her team. But some research indicates it's an uphill battle.

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Completes First Triathlon In Space

2020-09-19T01:19:00.0000000+10:00

Astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams, who just took command of the International Space Station over the weekend, likes to break records. (She is only the second woman ever to command the ISS, by the way.) She holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, spending 195 consecutive days on the ISS. Now she's finished the first-ever ~~space triathlon~~ spaceathlon.

Popular Neuroscience Is "Neurobollocks"

2020-09-19T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

Steven Poole over at the New Statesman has a great piece up bashing the populist, not-so-scientific writings of folks like Malcolm Gladwell and Jonah Lehrer. It's an angry, thoughtful discussion of the complexities of the brain and why catchy headlines and simplistic conclusions might be doing us a disservice.

The Last Dinosaur Died In 1927: The Fossil Record According To Creationism [Infographic]

2020-09-19T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

In the mid-1700s-about a century before the birth of geology and the first scientific attempts to determine Earth's age-an archbishop of the Church of Ireland named James Ussher mapped out the genealogies and chronologies of Biblical characters all the way back to Adam and Eve, and concluded that the world was created in the year 4004 B.C.

India Aims To Take The "World's Fastest Supercomputer" Crown By 2017

2020-09-18T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

India's government-backed computing agency has submitted a plan to the government there that calls for a massive investment in next-generation supercomputing power. The proposal, which calls for an investment of more than $870 million over five years, claims that it can rocket India to the very peak of the TOP500 list, the twice-a-year tallying of the fastest computing platforms in the world. In fact, the proposal says that these exaflop-range machines will be a full 61 times faster than the fastest existing machine.

Upcoming Space Station Cameras Will Give All Humans Live Imagery of Their Houses From Space

2020-09-18T05:38:00.0000000+10:00

An ambitious effort to broadcast real-time streaming video of Earth from space is closer to reality, after a new influx of cash and some new partnerships. By spring 2013, everyone on Earth will be able to watch the planet from the most unique vantage point ever built, the International Space Station.

Make Your Own Mars Watch, To Keep Time With The Rovers

2020-09-18T02:04:00.0000000+10:00

Keeping time on Mars is a challenge not only because of the time slip - you jump forward 39 Earth minutes and 35 Earth seconds a day - but because of the actual mechanics. A Mars day is longer than an Earth day, which means an hour is longer, and so is a minute and a second. So, synchronising your watch with the Mars rover Curiosity's clock is all but impossible. Until now!

Full-Frame Compacts, Android Cameras, and More From Photokina 2012

2020-09-18T01:44:00.0000000+10:00

Our good friends at Popular Photography are out in Cologne, Germany, eating sausage and getting their sausage-grease-covered fingers all over the next generation of camera gear at Photokina 2012, the world's biggest camera convention.

Today On Mars: Opportunity Discovers Mysterious Martian Spheres

2020-09-18T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

More than eight years into its mission, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is still sending back data and images that consistently fill us with wonder and periodically leave scientists scratching their heads. Consider the image above. Taken by Opportunity at an outcropping on the rim of Endeavour Crater known as Kirkwood, it reveals a small stretch of ground littered with tiny spheres, and geologists have no idea what they are or how they got there.

Today on Mars: Roving and Photo-Snapping

2020-09-15T07:54:00.0000000+10:00

Mars Rover Curiosity got a move on during its 38th sol hanging out on the red planet. After taking a few more self-portraits, and testing the robotic arm the rover will use to collect samples, it set off on one of its longest drives yet.

Video: Government Wizards Levitate Drugs With Ultrasonic Sound

2020-09-15T05:23:00.0000000+10:00

Good drugs dissolve easily in the body. Bad pharmaceutical molecules, meanwhile, lock themselves into hard-to-absorb crystals that require strong doses to work, and this overcompensation often leads to crummy side effects.

An Accessory That Replaces Mouse Movements With Hand Waves

2020-09-15T03:35:00.0000000+10:00

It's been nearly 50 years since Douglas Engelbart, an engineer at the Stanford Research Institute, invented the first computer mouse. Since then, his basic point-and-click input scheme has remained fundamentally unchanged; even trackpads and touchscreens, which recognize multiple points at once, work on the same guiding principle. Now Leap Motion, a San Francisco company, is aiming to reinvent human-computer interaction. Its three-inch-long motion-capture device, known simply as the Leap, lets users control computers and manipulate onscreen objects by just waving their fingers.

The Labs That Go Boom: The Propulsion Research Center Builds A Better Rocket

2020-09-15T02:25:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

Marshall's Plans: Advanced Testing For DIY Projects

2020-09-14T23:55:00.0000000+10:00

I'm always tinkering with cars and building strange machines, so it's crucial that I have the right electronic test and measurement equipment handy. Last month I showed off the gear I use the most often in my shop. But at times, I need more specialised gadgets to make sure my projects are the right length, speed or voltage. This is the gear I turn to when the basics aren't enough.

20 Facts About the iPhone 5

2020-09-14T07:35:00.0000000+10:00

Have you pre-ordered one already?

Computer Learns to Recognise Badly Drawn Animals

2020-09-14T06:23:00.0000000+10:00

At a party a few weeks ago, I had the unenviable task of trying to pictorially represent "Sesame Street." The most ridiculous-looking blob, which was supposed to be Big Bird, flowed from my dry erase marker. But as soon as I put a curly-haired face-thing on top of what appeared to be a garbage can, someone shouted the answer. We humans are pretty good at guessing each other's badly rendered line drawings.

Video: The First Film Shot With Google Glass

2020-09-14T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen Google Glass, the project responsible for the filming, augmented-reality-providing glasses, jumping out of planes, but this is the first actual, edited film made with them. Diane Von Furstenberg's show at New York Fashion Week featured models wearing the glasses, and the designer herself wore them as well. The footage was edited into a pretty amazing insider look at how a runway show feels. Watch it below:

New Monkey Discovered, Looks Like Man In Monkey Suit

2020-09-14T01:28:00.0000000+10:00

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, scientists have discovered a new species of monkey - only the second in the last 28 years. The lesula is a guenon, a genus of Old World monkeys found exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa, and while guenons are very common, the lesula was unknown to western science until a chance meeting in 2007. A scientific team happened to find one being kept as a pet, leashed to a fencepost. It was known quite well to hunters of the area, but the scientists had never seen it before, hence discovery. Like the other guenons, it's a smallish, forest-dwelling monkey, preyed upon by leopards, humans, and chimpanzees.

Vintage PopSci: 7 Phone Ideas That Are More Innovative Than The iPhone 5

2020-09-14T00:56:00.0000000+10:00

"Everyone takes the telephone for granted," PopSci lamented in December 1965. Everyone except the inventors at Bell Telephone Laboratories, who had recently unveiled seven crazy-futuristic ideas to revolutionize telephones in homes, offices and even the wilderness.

The First Watch That Automatically Can Set Itself Anywhere

2020-09-14T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

Even watches that sync with an atomic clock aren't accurate everywhere. They contain a radio that picks up a signal from a long-range tower connected to atomic clocks around the world. But the towers have a range of only about 1000 kilometers, leaving large regions, including South America and Canada, uncovered. The Seiko Astron is the first watch that uses GPS, so it can automatically set the time anywhere.

Today on Mars: It's Snowing Dry Ice At The Martian South Pole

2020-09-13T07:22:00.0000000+10:00

Curiosity may be roving the Martian frontier to find out just how similar the Red Planet is to Earth, but meanwhile NASA's other Martian explorers are turning up evidence of just how different our neighboring planet can be. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned data suggesting that it snows on Mars just like it snows on Earth, with one key difference: On Mars, it snows dry ice.

Most Convoluted Crystal Ever Made Has Enough Surface Area To Cover A Desk

2020-09-13T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Today in cool stuff happening in university labs: Northwestern researchers have created two new record-setting synthetic materials with the greatest internal surface areas ever seen. There are a lot of potential applications for these metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), named NU-109 and NU-110, but first the mind-bending fact: if you were to unfold a crystal of NU-110 the size of a grain of salt, the surface area would cover a desktop.

Is Homeopathy Really As Implausible As It Sounds?

2020-09-13T05:32:00.0000000+10:00

The new British minister of health has recently become the target of scorn and mockery, after a science writer with The Telegraph noted that he supports homeopathy, a branch of alternative medicine most health experts view as quackery. But just how quackish is it?

Alzheimer's May Be Caused By Poor Diet

2020-09-13T04:15:00.0000000+10:00

The root causes of Alzheimer's disease are still a scientific uncertainty, though there's no lack of suggestions and opinions circulating in the biomedical community. But here's one we hadn't yet heard that is gaining traction amid increasing evidence: Alzheimer's is primarily a metabolic disease much like diabetes. At its root, a poor diet can be the instigator of this degenerative neurological condition. The evidence is so stark that some scientists have even taken to referring to Alzheimer's as type 3 diabetes.

Russia is Building the World's Largest Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker

2020-09-13T01:31:00.0000000+10:00

Russia already has a huge fleet of both diesel-powered and even nuclear icebreakers, but it recently penned an order for something the world has never seen before: a massive new 170 meter long, dual-reactor nuclear icebreaker that will be 14 meters longer and at least4 meters wider than any other icebreaker in its fleet. Powered by two 60-megawatt compact pressurized water reactors, it will be the world's largest "universal" nuclear icebreaker.

The Labs That Go Boom: The Shock Compression Laboratory Smashes Planets

2020-09-13T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

Video: Take a Spin Through the Pencil Nebula

2020-09-12T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

When it comes to enduring legacies, supernovae have little competition in the universe. What you are looking at above is the Pencil Nebula (though its appearance is sometimes compared to a witch's broomstick) as captured in a new image by the Wide Field Imager at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile. From our vantage point on Earth, it is still noticeably moving across the night sky even though it is something like 8,000 light-years away. All this from a star that exploded 11,000 years ago.

Scientists Plant False Short-Term Memories Directly In Rodent Brains

2020-09-12T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

For the first time, scientists have implanted false memories directly into pieces of cut-out rodent brain tissue, storing different types of short-term memory and proving the brain cells can store information about specific contexts. The memories lasted 10 seconds inside in vitro brain tissue, meaning brain tissue stored in a test tube was able to remember - albeit very briefly.

Valve Wants to Move PC Gaming to the Living Room

2020-09-12T03:35:00.0000000+10:00

Our friends at Kotaku have a preview of Big Picture mode, a new experiment for Valve's Steam platform. Steam is sort of like the iTunes Store of PC gaming - it's a one-stop shop for games, and it has basically complete control of that market. Big Picture mode gives Steam an interface specifically designed for the living room - you're supposed to sit 3 meters away from the screen, on your couch, controller in hand, which makes it very different from the way PC gaming is normally done.

Video: Harvard's Robotic Tentacle Can Lift a Flower Without Crushing It

2020-09-12T03:16:00.0000000+10:00

We've written about a few soft robotic tentacles here before, but researchers from Harvard working with the Department of Energy and DARPA have come up with one that they claim is sensitive and nuanced enough to grip and manipulate a flower without breaking it. Their work is detailed in the latest issue of the journal Advanced Materials.

Astronaut Frank Culbertson Watched the 9/11 Attacks From Space

2020-09-12T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

On September 11th, 2001, there was only one American on the International Space Station: Expedition Three Commander Frank L. Culbertson. That morning, after a physical examination of the other astronauts, command on the ground told Culbertson what had happened.

Brilliant 10: Christy Haynes Reveals the Secrets of the Body's Blood-Clotting System

2020-09-11T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Human blood cells are fairly well understood. That's not true of platelets, the tiny nucleus-free discs that circulate in the blood and play a key role in regulating clotting. Platelets are less than a fifth of the size of a typical red blood cell, and until University of Minnesota chemist Christy Haynes started studying them, scientists had no way to see what was happening inside.

Video: Big Dog Is Back

2020-09-11T06:08:00.0000000+10:00

DARPA's terrifying Big Dog is back, this time a little less terrifying (but still pretty terrifying).

Science Confirms the Obvious: Literature is Good for Your Brain

2020-09-11T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

In news that probably isn't going to blow your mind, researchers have found that reading is good for your brain. But it's not as straightforward as "book learnin' is good for you." By asking a test group of literary PhD candidates to read a Jane Austin novel inside of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, a Stanford researcher has found that critical, literary reading and leisure reading provide different kinds of neurological workouts, both of which constitute "truly valuable exercise of people's brains."

A New Tack for HIV Vaccines, and Why This Problem Is So Hard to Solve

2020-09-11T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

Attempts to create a vaccine for HIV have failed time and again partly because no one has been able to achieve the right vaccine balance - one that can spur the body into action, but not make a person sick. A new study in monkeys suggests a new solution: Vaccines could be more effective if they can be made to linger in the body.

Researchers Drill World's Deepest Hole in the Ocean Floor

2020-09-11T02:00:00.0000000+10:00

Japanese researchers have toppled a 19-year-old record for the deepest passage into the floor of the world, reaching 2,466 meters as of today. That's about 600+ meters deeper than the lowest part of the Grand Canyon, from rim to floor. The old record, 2,111 meters, fell Friday.

Mars Rover Curiosity Snaps a Self Portrait, Records Some Lolz on the Red Planet

2020-09-11T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

Since Mars Curiosity Rover's landing in the Red Planet's Gale Crater last month, we've seen pictures from just about every imaging instrument aboard the robotic geology lab. But today, we're seeing a different kind of image: a self-portrait of Curiosity snapped by the Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI, the camera fixed to the end of the rover's seven-foot robotic arm. Everything you snapped on Instagram over the weekend suddenly pales in comparison, no?

How Engineers Can Help Prevent Water Wars

2020-09-11T00:12:00.0000000+10:00

Somewhere around 2014, if all goes according to plan, Turkey will complete the Ilisu Dam, a major component of one of the world's most ambitious - and controversial - hydro-engineering projects. The dam is the latest addition to the $32-billion Southeastern Anatolia Project (known by its Turkish acronym, GAP). Along with 21 other dams, Ilisu will lock up the entire Tigris and Euphrates watershed, creating 7,476 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity and irrigating a parched farm region nearly the size of New Jersey. Ilisu's reservoir, however, will also flood the ancient city of Hasankeyf, uproot as many as 70,000 members of Turkey's struggling Kurdish minority, and give Turkish engineers an alarming degree of control over the fate of their downstream neighbors in Iraq.

The Labs That Go Boom: The DHS Center of Excellence Destroys IEDs

2020-09-08T03:45:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

FYI: Why Is Bill Clinton So Good at Speaking to a Crowd?

2020-09-08T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

There is a reason why so many of you were enthralled by former President Clinton the other night. It's the same reason why Barack Obama had a tough act to follow last night at his own convention. The art of speechwriting and speech-giving - and it is an art, no doubt - is also, in many ways, a science. A good speech flows sort of like a backward scientific method; it starts with a preconceived idea, and is supported by evidence reinforcing the idea. And politics aside, there may be no one better at doing this than William Jefferson Clinton.

Megapixels: A Monkey Controls a Robot Hand With its Mind

2020-09-07T23:34:00.0000000+10:00

The first direct brain-machine interface, developed in the 1990s, connected a computer to a rat. By 2003, scientists had mostly replaced rats with nonhuman primates. One of which is Jianhui, an eight-year-old rhesus macaque at Zhejiang University in eastern China.

The Labs That Go Boom: The Plasma Physics Laboratory Makes Miniature Suns

2020-09-07T07:47:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

Video: Cyborg Cockroach Scurries Along a Precise, Curved Path

2020-09-07T06:53:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen schemes for remotely-controlled cyborg insects before, including at least one DIY kit for building your own robotically-enhanced cockroach, but researchers at NC State are really moving this discipline forward (literally). A team there has developed an electronic interface that allows them to remotely control cockroaches along fairly precise paths, and they have the video to prove it.

Inside the Mysterious Dark Matter of the Human Genome

2020-09-07T04:59:00.0000000+10:00

When scientists sequenced the human genome a decade ago, it was somewhat like looking at a blueprint in a foreign language - everything was marked in its proper location, but no one could tell what it all meant. Only about 1 percent of our genome codes for proteins that actually do anything, so the rest of our DNA has been like biology's dark matter, acting in mysterious ways. Now, after years of monumental effort, scientists think they have some answers.

Astronauts Repair $150 Billion Space Station with a Toothbrush and Some Bent Wire

2020-09-07T03:47:00.0000000+10:00

It was both a high drama rescue and a defining moment for implements of oral hygiene. During a hastily scheduled six-and-a-half hour spacewalk yesterday, a NASA astronaut and her Japanese counterpart fixed the broken $150 billion dollar International Space Station. Key to their success: a toothbrush.

Science Has Discovered the 'Pigtail' Molecular Cloud and it is Beautiful

2020-09-07T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Some 30,000 light-years away near the chaotic, gaseous region near our galactic center, a team of Japanese researchers has found the strange cosmic feature you see above: a helical molecular cloud twisting across some 60 light years. This kind of structure is not the kind of thing astronomers expect to find here, but in observing the "pigtail" molecular cloud, as they are calling it, they have figured out some interesting things about the goings-on there at the heart of the galaxy and the magnetic characteristics that exist there.

Global Warming Could Be Linked to the Number of Exploding Stars in the Sky

2020-09-06T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

An astrophysicist working on one of the cosmos greatest mysteries has a new theory on global warming theory that might sound implausible on its face, but actually makes some sense: that we can measure future global warming based on the number of exploding stars we see in the sky.

Dr. Charles Wang of the University of Aberdeen has put forth a new theory concerning supernova that involves a Higgs Boson-like mystery particle that is scheduled to be tested at CERN. That's interesting, but perhaps more intriguing is the idea that his theory could aid in our understanding of where global warming originates and where it is going.

Video: A Ball of Metal Bounces Off a Thin Sheet of Super-Tough Hydrogel

2020-09-06T07:28:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen hydrogels - the squishy material of the future - do some neat tricks before. Researchers, for example, have already tried to make them autonomous self-healers, ready to repair themselves when they break. But what if they just didn't break at all under strain? Then you'd get something like this video, which shows a new, super-strong hydrogel shrugging off a ball of metal.

Video: Cheetah Robot Sets a New Land Speed Record

2020-09-06T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

Last we heard from Boston Dynamics' Cheetah, it was coursing along at 28 kilometers per hour, the fastest a robot had ever run. Now, inspired perhaps by Olympic sprinters, it's cranked that up to a frightening 45.5 kilometers per hour.

Mars Rover Curiosity Snaps a New 360-Degree Panoramic on its Way to Glenelg

2020-09-06T03:07:00.0000000+10:00

A new image released by NASA this week shows the Mars Rover Curiosity's view of the red planet in a sweeping 360 degrees. The rover, which is en route toward a location known as Glenelg since last week, has been prodigiously snapping photos with its navigation camera, and mission handlers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory stitched together this panorama that shows both where Curiosity has been and where it is going.

Classic Knot Designs Tie Down Mars Rover Curiosity's Cables, to Knot Fans' Delight

2020-09-06T01:43:00.0000000+10:00

The Mars rover Curiosity is chock full of the most advanced technology humans can build, from its miniaturized X-ray machine to its awesomely powerful laser. And then there are these knots.

The Labs That Go Boom: The Center for Defense Chemistry Fingerprints Explosions

2020-09-06T00:52:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

Haptic "Ghost" Armband Teaches Your Muscles To Behave Like Athletes' Muscles

2020-09-05T23:57:00.0000000+10:00

Training for the highest levels of a sport requires fine-tuning of muscle memory, but this is often a visual game, with athletes watching high-speed video of themselves and their competitors to nail down the right moves. So impaired vision can be a major obstacle. A new device developed for the Paralympics gives physical feedback instead - and it could even be used to help athletes emulate the movements of star athletes.

You Can Give the Kinect the Power of Image Recognition

2020-09-05T07:09:00.0000000+10:00

The Kinect can see, but the ability to see objects is different from the ability to recognise objects. You and I, with our eyes and brains that work so effectively, can see a water bottle of pretty much any size, shape, color, or material, and recognise what it's for. But a Kinect is not as smart as we are, and needs a hand to get to our level. That's where you come in.

The Labs That Go Boom: Lightning Research Lab

2020-09-05T05:11:00.0000000+10:00

A lucky few engineering students at the University of Florida get to do something vaguely magical: conjure their own lightning...

Researchers Manipulate the Dreams of Rats, Opening the Door to 'Dream Engineering'

2020-09-05T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

MIT researchers have successfully reached inside the brains of rats and manipulated their dreams using an audio cue conditioned into them during the previous day. It's a development that lends insight into the whole sleep/memory consolidation relationship. But it's also worth reiterating that this is dream control, external manipulation of the mind during sleep. And it could one day lead to the controlled engineering of dreams.

Nuclear-Powered LEDs Will Light Up Future Space Farms Far From the Sun

2020-09-05T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

Robots don't need a whole lot to survive, and even thrive, on the surface of Mars (once they get there, anyway). But meeting even the most basic needs of humans will be a huge challenge - we'll need some kind of bioregenerative system to grow food, produce oxygen, clean our water and recycle nutrients. Still, that doesn't mean we can't take a page from the Mars rover Curiosity and go nuclear.

Viral Gene Therapy Gives Non-Smelling Mice the Ability to Smell

2020-09-05T02:09:00.0000000+10:00

Science can make blind mice see again and deaf mice hear - now scent-deprived mice can sniff their surroundings and smell for the first time, after a new gene therapy. It may be a while before this treatment percolates up to humans, but it's a sign that gene therapy could restore smell in this rare but disorder.

Smart Carpet Detects Your Gait, Knows if You've Fallen

2020-09-05T01:02:00.0000000+10:00

Packed with smart meters, smart appliances, smart windows and doors, smart lighting, smart HVAC and other smart what-have-you, the smart home of the future is purportedly going to be overflowing with sensors that make life more efficient and convenient. Now, it could be packed with sensors that make sure you're not splayed on the floor alone in the living with a busted hip, unable to reach the phone. A research group at the U.K.‘s University of Manchester has developed smart carpeting that can tell when someone has stumbled or fallen, and even analyse people's gaits for signs of oncoming mobility problems.

The Labs That Go Boom: The Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic Deploys Photon Torpedoes

2020-09-05T00:06:00.0000000+10:00

This month PopSci presents 10 labs where students do serious research (and career training) by blowing stuff up.

Light-Activated Muscle Could Make Robots Move Like Real Creatures

2020-09-03T01:15:00.0000000+10:00

New generations of bio-inspired robots will be more than just inspired by nature - they may use actual biological components. Bioengineers at MIT have genetically modified muscle cells to respond to light, which could be used to make easily controllable robot muscles that look and act like the animals on which they're based.

In World First, Scientists Surgically Implant a Working Bionic Eye In a Blind Patient

2020-09-01T04:40:00.0000000+10:00

We've been waiting on the prospect of a bionic eye for a while now; being able to surgically give sight to the sightless would be a medical breakthrough, and we're right on the cusp. Exhibit A: In a world first, scientists have successfully implanted a prototype bionic eye that has helped a woman see shapes.

Russia Wants a New Long-Range Bomber That Cracks Mach 5

2020-09-01T01:59:00.0000000+10:00

There's a new arms race brewing, and this one is destined to be very, very fast. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin is calling for the development of a hypersonic long-range bomber to ensure Russia is not "falling behind the Americans." He doesn't want some subsonic or even supersonic analog to the American B-2, he says. Russia's next bomber - slated for delivery by decade's end - will move faster than Mach 5.

For Some Reason Apple Doesn't Want iPhone Users Keeping Tabs on the Drone Wars

2020-09-01T01:10:00.0000000+10:00

We've covered the technology aspects of the ongoing drone wars thoroughly here at PopSci. The geopolitical and legal ramifications have been fodder for an endlessly cycling debate in the blogosphere. Esquire's Tom Junod recently termed it the "Lethal Presidency" while examining the moral ramifications. The bottom line is, the U.S. is engaged in several shadow wars around the globe in which unmanned aircraft are lethally striking at a list of individuals in places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. And Apple's App Store, for its part, seems to want nothing to do with it.

After Embryo is Washed of Disease, Healthy Purebred Baby Buffalo Born in the Bronx

2020-09-01T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

The first "genetically pure" bison produced from a cleansed and transplanted embryo was born in June, officials at the Bronx Zoo announced today. Now the zoo can expand its bison herd with only the purest samples of prairie cows.

Video: Maryland Student Hovers 8 Feet High in Human-Powered Helicopter, Smashing Previous Records

2020-08-31T07:38:00.0000000+10:00

Records are made to be broken, and a bunch of students at the University of Maryland are smashing the ones they just set earlier this summer. They're so close to winning the crazy-hard American Helicopter Society's Igor I. Sikorsky Human-Powered Helicopter competition - watch an amazing almost 3 meter flight past the jump.

Henry Enerson, a freshman at UMD, is one of a handful of pilots taking turns furiously pedaling in the cockpit of the Gamera II, a human-powered quadcopter. The team has already met one major requirement of the Sikorsky Prize this week, hovering for 65 seconds. Now if they can hit one minute and get a little higher to exactly 3 meters they'll win the $250,000 32-year-old prize.

Video: A Body-Cooling Glove Could Give Athletes a Better Boost Than Steroids

2020-08-31T07:15:00.0000000+10:00

Almost all mammals have a network of veins near a hairless part of their skin that controls rapid temperature management - and it's no different for people. For us it's the palms (as opposed to, say, a dog's dangling tongue). But like some other biological processes, the technique can be gamed, with engineering topping physiology. That's the case with a body-cooling glove out of Stanford that researchers say might be more potent - and obviously much more legal - than steroids.

San Diego Zoo Wants Inventors to Design New Robots and Devices Inspired By Its Animals

2020-08-31T06:23:00.0000000+10:00

The San Diego Zoo, one of the best-regarded zoos in the world, has spent several years promoting biomimicry and its potential benefits to the economy and various research fields. Now the zoo is really ramping up its inspired-by-nature kick, launching an entire Centre for Bioinspiration, complete with the British spelling. Come look at the amazing animals, get excited and then design a cheetahbot!

South African Scientists Claim Breakthrough Drug Cures All Strains of Malaria

2020-08-31T05:20:00.0000000+10:00

Malaria is the scourge of tropical nations, crippling its victims with symptoms like debilitating fever, convulsions and nausea, and killing half a million people annually. Now researchers in South Africa say they may have a one-size-fits-all solution, in the form of a new drug that could work with just one dose.

Video: Controlling a Drone With Nothing But Your Thoughts

2020-08-31T04:20:00.0000000+10:00

We recently gave the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 a pretty solid review here on PopSci for improvements made to the recreational quadcopter's smartphone- or tablet-based control interface, which we found to be very intuitive. But a team of researchers at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, has gone a long step further. Using an off-the-shelf Emotiv EEG headset, they've devised a brain-machine interface that lets users control an AR.Drone with their thoughts alone.

PopSci Recommends: Steven Millhauser, Short Fiction's Greatest Historical Futurist

2020-08-31T03:20:00.0000000+10:00

Many of Steven Millhauser's best stories are wonders of historical futurism. He is interested in the road not taken, in what might have been, whether it's a frighteningly interactive form of painting ("A Precursor of the Cinema") or a bodysuit that simulates any tactile experience ("The Wizard of West Orange"). If you like steampunk or sci-fi, if you like Christopher Nolan or Rian Johnson - really, if you like PopSci - you owe it to yourself to check out Millhauser.

Cassini Beams Back Stunning Images of Seasons Changing on Saturn

2020-08-31T02:19:00.0000000+10:00

Curiosity, you are such an amazing space mission that we will sacrifice a thousand blog posts, a million gallons of newsprint even, in your honor. But can you do this? NASA's Cassini probe, not content to be forgotten in its faraway orbit around Saturn and its moons, has beamed back new natural-color images of the ringed planet that are absolutely breathtaking. Released yesterday, they show a very different planet than the one Cassini arrived at eight years ago.

FYI: How Long Can a Brain Live in a Dish?

2020-08-30T07:08:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists have isolated the brains of dogs, cats and monkeys and kept them alive for short periods in one way or another. But the most successful "whole-brain preparation" of a mammal was developed in the mid-1980s. A neuroscientist at NYU Langone Medical Center named Rodolfo Llinás came up with a way to keep the brain of a young guinea pig alive in a fluid-filled tank for the length of a standard workday.

Hurricane Isaac Captured in Eerily Beautiful Images from Orbit

2020-08-30T06:45:00.0000000+10:00

Hurricane Isaac has now made two landfalls in southern Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast region is no doubt in for a long Wednesday. The slow-moving storm carries an increased risk for flooding in the affected regions, as rainfall totals will be higher. And then there's that storm surge, and those Category One, 130 kilometer per hour winds. Kind of makes you wonder how something so violent and destructive on the underside can look so tranquil from above. This is a major test of the world's largest water pump system, which was installed in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina.

Photo of the Day: NASA Tests Gigantic Parachutes for the Next Manned Space Capsule

2020-08-30T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

Even the space shuttle, which glided through the atmosphere and landed like an airplane, had parachutes to help slow it down - they're the most effective drag-inducers out there. But you'd better be sure they work. NASA is testing the giant heavyweight parachutes being developed for the next space capsule that will ferry humans into orbit, Orion.

The U.S. Air Force is Officially Seeking Cyber Weapons

2020-08-30T04:05:00.0000000+10:00

Look, we all know the Pentagon is seeking cyber weapons. For defensive purposes only, of course, not for playing dirty cyber tricks on enemies of the state (Stuxnet, anyone?). But it's a bit strange when the military does it so openly. For instance, when it submits a request into the public domain saying "please build us cyber weapons." Which is what the Air Force just did.

IBM Is Bringing Its Mega-Intelligence Watson to Your Smartphone

2020-08-30T03:04:00.0000000+10:00

Siri is helpful when you want to schedule a reminder or look at the forecast, but wouldn't it be better to have a bona fide Jeopardy! champ in your pocket? IBM is trying to figure out how to bring the power of its superbrainy Watson to smartphones, helping people answer far more complex questions.

Can't Define "The Cloud"? Who Cares?

2020-08-29T06:07:00.0000000+10:00

"The cloud" is nothing and everything at once, so it's not surprising that pretty much nobody (no normal people, I mean) can define or even identify it. But tech terms like this soak through our cultural consciousness until it seems like you're supposed to know what it is. Which is where this unexpectedly enlightening survey comes in. It found that most people have no idea what the cloud is, have pretended to know what it means on first dates, and yet effectively all respondents are active cloud computing users. And that's the way this stuff should work. When you can use technology without using jargon, that's a triumph of technology, not a reason to ridicule users.

Robo-Grading Programs Judge Student Essays Better Than Humans Do

2020-08-29T05:21:00.0000000+10:00

Since 2009, Utah has used computers to grade essays on a state student-assessment test. And testing companies use essay-evaluating software as one of two graders on graduate-school admissions exams such as the GRE. But how well, really, can a computer grade an essay?

AIDS Virus Could Be Harnessed to Fight Cancer

2020-08-29T04:23:00.0000000+10:00

Viruses are skillful mutants, changing their structures or outer proteins to evade the shifting natural defenses of their targets. (This is why you have to get a flu shot every year.) Now researchers in France report using one of the most proficient mutants, HIV, to fight another intractable disease: Cancer.

Mars Rover Curiosity Photographs Its Destination, Enormous Mount Sharp

2020-08-29T02:58:00.0000000+10:00

Since we don't have the usual landmarks on Mars that we enjoy on Earth, it can be tough to get a sense of scale for the great shots we've seen from Mars rover Curiosity. In this photo of Mount Sharp - Curiosity's scientific destination - the mound in the center of the image is about 300 meters across and 100 meters high. Curiosity, relative to that, looks like a speck of dirt, as you can see after the jump.

A Mechanical Scale Capable of Weighing a Single Molecule

2020-08-28T23:50:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers at Caltech, working with French colleagues, have figured out a mechanical means to weigh the previously un-weigh-able - things like individual molecules, viruses, proteins, and other particles - at the individual level, one by one. Such a scale should lead to huge leaps in understanding of molecular processes within biological cells, as well as advances in nanotechnology and other sciences of the very small.

Now on Kickstarter: The First Steps Toward a Lunar Space Elevator

2020-08-28T07:44:00.0000000+10:00

There's only one it's-the-future-why-don't-we-have-x trope that rivals the flying car, and that's the space elevator. (First proposed in 1895, it might even predate it.) The idea of a giant tower that can carry us from Earth to outer space is legend, and it probably will be for a long time. But a company has successfully Kickstarted what they say is their first step to building one on the Moon.

Stealing Data From Your Brain, With a $300 Scanner

2020-08-28T06:44:00.0000000+10:00

The Emotiv brain-computer interface was designed to let users control their computers with their thoughts alone, opening up a new avenue for hands-free computing as well as a potential means for those with disabilities to communicate through machines. So much for good intentions. Scientists at the University of California and the University of Oxford in Geneva have devised a way to steal a user's sensitive information - account numbers, PIN numbers, etc. - via Emotiv's off-the-shelf brain signal-reading technology.

Video: Learn to Cook a Steak by Cooking Bizarre Imaginary Steaks

2020-08-28T05:38:00.0000000+10:00

How do you learn to cook a steak? Some people might say "attempt to cook a steak." Those people are living in the past! What you should do is rig a system of wires and pulleys and augmented reality cameras and projectors so you can toss and turn a digital projection of a steak and onions with a digital projection of a spatula while feeling simulated resistance that mimics the weight of a steak. Duh. Video after the jump.

Swarms of Scottish Robots Will Find and Heal Damaged Coral

2020-08-28T04:54:00.0000000+10:00

Swarms of caretaker robots will soon buzz around the damaged coral reefs of Scotland, re-cementing broken sections with utmost precision. Researchers at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University are programming autonomous underwater vehicles to follow a set of simple rules, like bees in a swarm, to keep corals healthy.

NASA's Next Nanosatellites Will Carry HTC Smartphones

2020-08-28T03:55:00.0000000+10:00

"The smartphone in your pocket has more computing power than the spacecraft that took the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon," says anyone trying to impress anyone else with the massive scaling of computing power over the last few decades. Perhaps taking a clue from this cocktail party trivia, NASA is now developing spacecraft powered by commercial smartphones. The space agency's PhoneSat program (not sure if that's an official name, but that's what people are calling it) aims to develop prototype nanosatellites built around HTC handsets.

Biocompatible Transistors Wired Into Living Human Tissue

2020-08-28T01:58:00.0000000+10:00

A new material developed at Harvard and MIT adds a distinctly cybernetic element to the science of tissue engineering. The 3-D mesh of transistors and cells, which can support tissue growth while monitoring its health and progress, could even be a step toward prosthetic devices that connect directly to the nervous system.

Artificial Intelligence Predicts and Combats Crop-Destroying Fruit Flies

2020-08-28T01:16:00.0000000+10:00

Oriental fruit flies are one of the biggest scourges to farmers around the globe, often forcing officials to put crops into quarantine just to keep Bactrocera dorsalis shut out. In Taiwan, where the situation is especially dire, scientists are using artificial intelligence tech that can determine, with uncanny accuracy, where and when an outbreak is about to happen.

Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon, Dies at 82

2020-08-26T13:50:00.0000000+10:00

Neil Armstrong's one small step, indelible in the minds of generations, will live far beyond his last day on Earth today, Aug. 25. The reclusive 82-year-old former astronaut and the first man on the moon may not have wanted such a legacy, preferring to focus on his role as a professor and pilot. But he will remain as as reluctantly famous in death as he was throughout the past 43 years of his life.

Mars Rover Curiosity's Tracks Are More Than Just Skid Marks in the Martian Dirt

2020-08-25T06:00:00.0000000+10:00

The Mars rover Curiosity's first roll was more than a cause for celebration - it will help pinpoint where the rover set down, and emblazon the name of its maker into the Martian soil. Curiosity's wheels have holes arranged in the Morse code pattern for "JPL."

Electronic Sutures Can Check For Infections and Even Help Wounds Heal

2020-08-25T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

Stitches deserve a makeover. We've been using them in some form for thousands of years. So while they've stood the test of time, a researcher from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is wrestling surgical sutures into the future by creating "smart" electronic versions. They can monitor sutured sites for infection, and even help in the healing process.

Paralympic Athletes Try to Get a Performance Boost By Hurting Themselves

2020-08-25T02:04:00.0000000+10:00

We've heard of odd rules put in place (marijuana use comes to mind) to keep Olympians and Paralympians from gaining an unfair advantage, but this is odd and more than a little scary: Against regulations, some Paralympians may physically hurt themselves - maybe to the point of breaking a bone - in order to get an edge in competition.

Scientists Turn Adult Red Blood Cells Into Embryonic Stem Cells

2020-08-25T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

Despite the ethical and political differences they incite, stem cells are still a miraculous medicine, potentially able to change into whatever a sick body needs them to be. The only way to get them, though, is from actual embryos. If we could get around that, theoretically, the problems would be gone. Johns Hopkins scientists are making progress there, creating them from a non-controversial supply of something we have in bulk: adult red blood cells.

Video: Squid Skin Dances When You Blast Cypress Hill At It

2020-08-24T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

Animals use electricity to move, and so electricity can be used to make them move, as the scientists at Backyard Brains show in a neat DIY experiment that can be done with a cockroach's leg. For a larger scale version, they connected the device to a squid, which produce pigmented cells called chromatophores to reflect light. By using an iPod blasting Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Membrane" as the stimulant, they discovered a lovely, abstract look at the process.

Pop Review: The Nintendo 3DS XL Proves Bigger Is Sometimes Better

2020-08-24T06:28:00.0000000+10:00

We've said it before, but our favorite application for 3-D - really, the only venue in which we don't hate it - is gaming. Nintendo just released the 3DS XL, basically a bigger version of the glasses-free 3DS, and it's great. Here's why.

Amazing Video: Mars Rover Curiosity's Descent and Landing in High Res

2020-08-24T05:45:00.0000000+10:00

As promised, NASA has stitched together high-resolution imagery of the descent and landing of the Mars rover Curiosity, captured from the rover's own bellycam. The full-color four-frame-per-second video is below, with synchronised narration from Allen Chen and the other scientists in the control room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Sea Chair Project Collects Ocean Plastic Garbage to Make Stylish Sitting Stools

2020-08-24T05:05:00.0000000+10:00

Of all the ideas for dealing with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, this one may be closest to home - turn it into furniture. Until sea drones can be built to hoover it all up, this is as good a solution as any.

The Future of Electronics is Just One Single Molecule Thick

2020-08-24T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Where electronics are concerned, the future is two-dimensional and very, very thin. One molecule thin, to be exact. That's not quite as thin as a sheet of graphene, but new research from MIT shows that while one-atom-thick graphene shows exceptional strength and other novel properties, the future of electronics lies with materials like molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) that are a couple of atoms thicker but much, much easier to work with.

A Blueprint to Let Anyone 3-D Print an Open-Source Gun At Home

2020-08-24T03:03:00.0000000+10:00

We've already seen that it's possible to print parts of a gun - and have it work - using a 3-D printer. The project was highly controversial, but now a group wants to make sure that anyone can print a working gun at home.

Video: A Real Working Hoverbike Zooms Across the Desert

2020-08-24T02:06:00.0000000+10:00

Future tech doesn't always look the way the '70s might've predicted, but sometimes it does. Case in point: this beautiful, fully functional hoverbike that could've been torn out of our archives. It's going to be a while before you see one zipping down the street, but if the public does get a chance to ride one, the bike is rideable right out of the box - no training required.

Tomorrow, NASA's Twin Radiation Belt Probes Launch for the Most Hostile Regions in Nearby Space

2020-08-24T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

In the wake of Curiosity's landing on Mars, a return to regular science missions in Earth orbit may seem a bit pedestrian. But tomorrow morning just after 4 a.m. EDT, an Atlas V rocket is launching from Cape Canaveral carrying a unique mission aimed at doing some pretty critical science much closer to home. The twin Radiation Belt Storm Probes are bound straight for the Van Allen radiation belts that ring Earth, mysterious and hazardous regions of nearby space that we've known about for decades without truly understanding them.

Video: Inside NASA's Spectacular Undersea Mission to Save Earth from a Deadly Collision

2020-08-24T00:20:00.0000000+10:00

PopSci is pleased to present videos created by Motherboard, Vice Media's guide to future culture. Motherboard's original videos that run the gamut from in-depth, investigative reports to profiles of the offbeat forward-thinking characters who are sculpting our bizarre present.

Audio: Gibbons On Helium Sing Soprano

2020-08-23T23:18:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers have just discovered that gibbons not only compete with our top ranks of singers - they have the technique down pat with almost no effort. How did we find this out? By gassing them with helium and listening in on the results, of course.

Mars Rover Curiosity Successfully Makes Its First Test-Drive

2020-08-23T05:57:00.0000000+10:00

Two weeks after being expertly parked in Mars's Gale Crater by NASA's sky crane apparatus, Mars rover Curiosity has made its first test-drive. It wasn't a particularly long journey; it moved just 3 meters from its landing site - a half-hour trip - so to re-park itself in an area where the rover has visually confirmed there are no obstacles.

The play-by-play: Curiosity successfully tested its wheel turning capability yesterday, performing what NASA is aptly calling a "wheel wiggle." Today, it took those skills on a real test. The rover moved 5 meters away, turned 90 degrees, and reversed a meter. Fin.

FYI: Is There Any Way to Prevent Toe Cramps?

2020-08-23T05:09:00.0000000+10:00

Short answer: Not really.

New Camouflage Face Paint Could Shield Soldiers From Bomb Blasts' Heat

2020-08-23T04:08:00.0000000+10:00

When a roadside bomb or other explosive device goes off, it hits everything nearby with an extreme blast of pressure. Almost simultaneously comes a heat - more than 1,000 degrees - that's hot enough to cook skin. Presented today at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, a new invention will try to counteract that, and do it through a technology that's already been used for hundreds of years: camouflage paint.

Keep Your Bananas Ripe by Spraying Them With Recycled Shrimp Shells

2020-08-23T03:11:00.0000000+10:00

Science spends a lot of time taking care of bananas - inventing refrigerated ships, crushing acres' worth of them to come up with enough seeds to breed, and so on. Now a group of Chinese researchers are proposing a secondary banana coat, spraying Andrew W.K.'s favorite fruits with a hydrogel made from discarded shrimp shells.

Video: New Dad Builds a Baby Monitor Out of Lasers and a Wiimote

2020-08-23T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

Preparing for a newborn baby is a lot of work, from buying the bassinet to arranging the diapers. And soldering apart the Wiimote, installing the crib lasers and turning on the camera.

Video: DARPA's New Amphibious Tank Prototype Drives On Water

2020-08-23T01:15:00.0000000+10:00

DARPA's Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform (TEMP) program is a wide-ranging effort to pack standard ISO shipping containers with technologies that can assist during humanitarian disasters or aid military in solving other unconventional, international problems (like piracy). Essentially DARPA wants a modular means to quickly turn any ship into a technology-laden base of operations that can quickly execute ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore operations. We've seen the ship-based portion of this before. We're now seeing the ship-to-shore piece.

Meet CAAT (for Captive Air Amphibious Transporter). The prototype vehicle is basically like a tank with treads made out of air-filled pontoons, enabling it to roll over water (and obstacles in the water) with Abrams-like efficiency and continue its forward march once it hits shore. Perhaps the coolest thing about the video below: this is a 1/5 scale demonstrator.

Nikon's New Point-and-Shoot Comes With a Full Version of Android

2020-08-23T00:40:00.0000000+10:00

Connected cameras aren't new - hell, there have been connected SD cards for like five years - but this is a bit of a departure for Nikon. The Coolpix S800c is a 16MP point-and-shoot with a big 3.5-inch touchscreen, which will be used to navigate a full copy of Android Gingerbread, with Wi-Fi and GPS and apps and all that.

The Army's Quick Fix for Soldier Suicides: Anti-Depressive Nasal Spray

2020-08-23T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

The U.S. Army tallied 38 confirmed or suspected suicides among its ranks last month - that's among both active- and non-active-duty members including the Army National Guard and Army Reserve - the highest rate of suicide within the branch yet observed, further underscoring a mental health crisis that the services have yet to get a handle on. But help may be coming in an unlikely form: nasal spray.

Solving Age-Old Mysteries By Going Beyond the Spectrum of Visible Light

2020-08-22T07:49:00.0000000+10:00

Our friends at American Photo have a great feature up today about hyperspectral photography, a technique that takes advantage of the fact that photographs often capture light beyond the visible spectrum. Using the technique, you can peel back history - and see what lies underneath pages that have been blacked out, erased, or written over.

Autotransfusion Device Collects Stray Blood During Surgery and Pumps it Back Into the Patient

2020-08-22T06:33:00.0000000+10:00

Massive blood loss, known as MBL in the medical world, is a major cause of death during cardiac surgery - and an accepted one, because it's the best option we have. Blood transfusions help, but those aren't without complications, either. A new device could cut that step out of the process for some patients by collecting the blood from a surgery, concentrating the blood cells, and routing it intravenously right back to the person on the table.

Video: DARPA's Lightweight, Inflatable Robotic Arm Lifts Four Times its Own Weight

2020-08-22T05:31:00.0000000+10:00

The future of military robotics isn't all heavy metal and humanoid soldier-bots. If DARPA's newest warbot implement is any indication, the future is soft, lightweight, and inflatable. The Pentagon's blue-sky research wing is about to award $625,000 to iRobot to develop an inflatable robotic arm that can lift four times its own weight.

Distant Red Giant Caught Devouring One of Its Planets

2020-08-22T04:28:00.0000000+10:00

Astronomers have glimpsed the first evidence of a dying star devouring one of its planets, a fate that may await the inner planets - including Earth - in our own solar system. The star in the new study swallowed its planet as it mushroomed into a red giant.

Rape Results In More Pregnancies Than Consensual Sex, Not Fewer

2020-08-22T02:29:00.0000000+10:00

If you follow American politics you have probably already heard that in an interview Sunday, Missouri Representative and Republican Senate nominee Todd Akin said he believed that rape-related pregnancy was "really rare." He continued by saying that, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

NASA Engineer Switches His Entire Family to Mars Time

2020-08-22T02:09:00.0000000+10:00

Since the moment the Mars rover Curiosity landed in Gale Crater two weeks ago, NASA engineers have been living on Mars time, rolling their clocks forward 40 minutes every day to keep time with the rover. One engineer brought his entire family along for the ride.

Army Sends Mobile 3-D Printing Labs to Afghanistan For On-Demand Gear

2020-08-22T01:14:00.0000000+10:00

3-D printing has yielded items both fascinating and potentially troubling. Now we can add one more to the list of printed achievements: The U.S. Army has had a rapid prototyping wing for some time, and now they've deployed full teams - complete with scientists and 3-D printers - to Afghanistan.

PopSci #46 - September 2012

2020-08-21T15:54:00.0000000+10:00

The September edition will hit shops on the 29th of August. And it's all about cars. Find out more after the jump!

SWITCH60 Review: The First Liquid-Cooled LED Bulb Will Light Up Your House Like Edison

2020-08-21T07:50:00.0000000+10:00

The ice cream cone-shaped fluorescent light bulb was supposed to be the lamp of the future, producing just as much light as the century-old Edison incandescent at a fraction of the energy. But CFLs look terrible, enveloping rooms in an unfriendly bluish hue. LED lamps are the next future of lighting, but they have their own obstacles to overcome, including sensitive electronics that can burn out when they get warm. SWITCH, the first liquid-cooled light bulb, aims to solve that issue and light up your house with the comfortable yellow glow of the incandescent.

A Robot Drill For Mars Will Be NASA's Next Interplanetary Mission

2020-08-21T07:12:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's next interplanetary mission won't be a space boat or a comet-hopper, but another mission to Mars, this time with a stationary probe to drill into the planet. The InSight lander could rival the Mars rover Curiosity's amazing laser in terms of Martian instrument-penetration, drilling 30 feet into the planet's crust.

Giant Cave Spider Discovered in Oregon

2020-08-21T06:07:00.0000000+10:00

Oregon is not a safe place for arachnophobes, with at least 500 species of spiders known to inhabit forests, rotten logs and other dwellings. And now there's a new spider on the block.

Synaptics Introduces Pressure-SensitiveTrackpad

2020-08-21T04:01:00.0000000+10:00

Trackpads have been a remarkably simple solution to what could've been a complicated problem: translating the mouse to a laptop. But pushing that technology any further requires some lateral thinking, and the next dimension laptops might venture into is detecting pressure from your fingers, which would open the door for a larger set of commands. It would change how we navigate, and we might be almost there.

Video: Affordable Robot Hand Made with Cellphone Parts Can Replace Its Own Fingers

2020-08-21T02:59:00.0000000+10:00

The human hand is incredibly complex, and no matter how many attempts we see to replicate it, none seem to get it perfectly right. So a DARPA-funded project is throwing the idea of completely mimicking it out the window and going with an impressive four-fingered plastic machine that can move objects, replace the batteries in a flashlight, and even help detect IEDs.

In Hong Kong, Starbucks Biorefinery Turns Stale Pastry and Coffee Grounds Into Plastic

2020-08-21T02:11:00.0000000+10:00

Instead of burning it, composting it or just dumping it in landfills, food waste from your area coffee shop could be upcycled into new plastic or laundry detergent. Starbucks Hong Kong is trying out a new biorefinery, breaking down stale bakery products and coffee grounds into a sugary mixture that can be used for manufacturing.

Innocent Martian Rock Tweets As It's Zapped by Curiosity

2020-08-21T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

The Martian rock recently named N165 found itself thrust into the limelight this week as it received a new neighbor from Earth - the Mars rover Curiosity. Some genius made a Twitter account from the perspective of N165 as it meets Curiosity, attempts to make friends - and is ruthlessly attacked.

Video: Penny-Sized Thrusters Could Turn Tiny Satellites Into Orbiting Garbagemen

2020-08-18T04:05:00.0000000+10:00

The big rockets of our day get all of the fanfare during a launch, but often they're accompanied by tiny stowaways known as CubeSats, which hitch a ride and drop into orbit. They're convenient and able to get us into space cheaply, roughly the size of a Rubik's Cube and weigh only three pounds. A potential problem with them, though, is there's no way to control them once they're gone, and when we keep sending them farther from terra firma, they could pile up in space. To nip that problem in the bud early, an MIT professor has developed penny-sized thrusters that could help us take them down ourselves.

A New Robot Dismantles Pipe Bombs While Leaving Forensic Evidence Intact

2020-08-18T02:59:00.0000000+10:00

The first priority in a bomb-related emergency is, of course, to safely dismantle the bomb. If it's a pipe bomb - the basement-built explosive device - a robot could be sent in to do the job. But enlisting one could hurt officials' secondary objective: obtaining evidence to determine who built the bomb. SAPBER, a new robot, can safely disarm it and turn over the forensics needed to track down its maker.

Visualised: Worldwide Shark Attacks Since 2000

2020-08-18T01:58:00.0000000+10:00

At the Florida Museum of Natural History, filling up two five-drawer file cabinets are 2700 detailed accounts of shark attacks that collectively make up what's called the International Shark Attack File. The name of the database might be somewhat misleading-two recent stories suggest that shark-human interactions should be referred to as "incidents" rather than "attacks." But whether we think of them as vicious, violent killers or big, curious fish navigating cloudy waters, one thing is clear from the Shark Attack File: Sharks bite more people in U.S. waters than anywhere else in the world.

Rough Sketch: "This Squishy Arm is Cheap--Good For Search and Rescue"

2020-08-18T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

Our 35 centimeter long robotic elephant trunk has five segments, each made of a silicone membrane with an embedded metal spring that acts like an exoskeleton. The segments are filled with dry coffee grounds and each is vacuum-controlled separately. When coffee grounds are loosely packed, they're in a liquid-like state. When they're vacuum-packed, they transition into a solid-like state.

Rough Sketch: The Camera That Takes Photos 100 Times Bigger Than the Average Point-and-Shoot

2020-08-17T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

"Our Aware-2 camera combines 98 small cameras with a spherical lens to take black-and-white gigapixel photographs. It set the record for the largest digital snapshot by a terrestrial camera. One image from the camera, printed at 300 dots per inch, is 8 feet high by 16 feet long.

The Sun Is the Most Perfect Naturally-Occurring Sphere in the Universe

2020-08-17T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

After 50 years of research, we've discovered a strange, beautiful fact about our Sun: it's more perfectly round than anything else in the natural world. It's not the roundest in a certain category; it's just the roundest sphere there is. If it were a beach ball, The Guardian writes, it would be a hair's width away from complete perfection.

New Stretchy, Soft Chameleon Robot Can Change Colors and Hide In Any Environment

2020-08-17T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Soft robots are coming a long way, with strong yet stretchy bodies that can survive all kinds of assaults. But it would be even better if they didn't have to survive smashing attempts at all, instead blending into their environments so neither animals nor people would even know they were there. Researchers at Harvard designed new chameleon-bots that can do exactly that.

Dream Kitchens of the Future: Augmented Reality Countertops, Ingredient Sensors and Sous Chef Bots

2020-08-17T03:12:00.0000000+10:00

Modern kitchens already contain multitudes of cooking-related gadgets, from iPads slicked with EVOO to excellet multitasking tools. But it would be nice if the appliances themselves helped you cook, letting you know it's time to stir the risotto, that you should add salt to your soup or how to debone a chicken. Researchers in Japan (where else?) have some ideas about how to do that.

5.5-Meter-Wide Rideable Robot Named Stompy Gets Funded on Kickstarter

2020-08-17T02:12:00.0000000+10:00

Project Hexapod, based in Somerville, MA (just outside Cambridge), just passed their requested $65,000 funding on Kickstarter, which is great, because Project Hexapod is building a 1800 kilogram, 5.5 meter wide, two-seat rideable six-legged robot. Its name will be Stompy. We love this project.

A Mechanical Road Crew for Filling Potholes Quickly and Cheaply

2020-08-17T01:15:00.0000000+10:00

A quarter of America's major metropolitan roads have stretches in substandard condition, and drivers pay the consequences-potholes alone cost car owners an average of $335 a year in tires, repair and maintenance. The standard method for fixing potholes is to send three workers and a hotbed truck to toss in an asphalt mix and give it a few thumps with a shovel or boot. The process can take as little as two minutes, but the fix is only temporary. One study found that about half of repaired potholes had returned four years later.

Billionaire Investor Peter Thiel Backs New Venture Aimed at Producing 3-D Printed Meat

2020-08-16T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

Billionaire Peter Thiel would like to introduce you to the other, other white meat. The investor's philanthropic Thiel Foundation's Breakout Labs is offering up a six-figure grant (between $250,00 and $350,000, though representatives wouldn't say exactly) to a Missouri-based startup called Modern Meadow that is flipping 3-D bio-printing technology originally aimed at the regenerative medicine market into a means to produce 3-D printed meat.

Diagnostic Eyedrops Could Make Patients' Eyes Light Up With Signs of Neurological Disease

2020-08-16T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or Creutzfeld-Jacobs are tough to diagnose. Outward symptoms can obviously be an indicator, but symptoms for many neuro-disorders overlap while protein biomarkers for each illness, called amyloids, are difficult to distinguish between. But researchers at UCSD are developing a new diagnostic tool that could soon let doctors diagnose a patient's neuro-degenerative condition simply by gazing into his or her eyes.

Video: Fly Through A Billion Light Years of the Universe, Past Galaxy Clusters and Dark Matter

2020-08-16T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

A massive cosmic cataloguing effort released a new crop of star and galaxy data last week, noting the locations and brightnesses of hundreds of thousands of objects. Now you can fly through some of them in this new video - click past the jump for a "flight through the universe."

Strong Hands and Voice Pitch Really Are Signs of Fertility

2020-08-16T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

Recent research tells us that the sound of our voices betrays clues about our age, whether we're menstruating (if we're female), our sexual behavior and our physical strength. All of these factors, evolutionary psychologists say, are indicators of her reproductive potential. Voice pitch, in particular, has been associated with indirect measures of reproductive fitness in both men and women-men with "masculine" low-pitched voices and women with "feminine" high-pitched voices tend to be rated more attractive and have more sexual partners, for example, and they have higher levels of sex hormones (testosterone in men and estrogen in women).

Karate Experts' Superhuman Punch Comes From a Unique Brain Structure

2020-08-16T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

If you've seen the board-breaking power of a professional martial artist and thought it looked superhuman, don't worry: for a while now science couldn't fully explain it, either. The punches delivered by a top-notch fighter are so tough that muscle strength alone can't account for them. But researchers from Imperial College London and University College London have discovered that a unique brain structure could be what gives experts fists of fury.

How Tablets Will Remake Television

2020-08-16T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

The days of leaning back to watch TV have ended. Eighty-eight percent of tablet owners say they use the device in front of the tube; they find tweets, news, video and other information related to the program they're watching. Afraid of losing eyeballs, networks have released dozens of one-off apps with additional programming content. But that means that viewers must hop from app to app, distracting themselves even further from the TV-viewing experience. Now app developers are starting to take a new approach, one that allows tablets to communicate directly with Wi-Fi-enabled TVs and set-top boxes. The result could fundamentally change how viewers experience TV.

Museum Relics Prove Pacific Sharks Died Out Before We Knew They Were There

2020-08-15T07:34:00.0000000+10:00

Dusky sharks do not live in the Pacific waters near the Republic of Kiribati. Neither do spottail sharks, nor the aptly named bignose sharks. But they used to live there at one point in the past - right by the Gilbert Islands, according to anthropological evidence. Ancient shark-tooth weapons can serve as a record of past biodiversity, according to new ecological research.

With New Programming, Autonomous Airplanes Can Navigate on the Fly With No GPS

2020-08-15T06:29:00.0000000+10:00

Self-piloted drones may be able to land or fly almost anywhere - even aircraft carriers - but they need some complex navigation skills to do it, including the somewhat existential ability to know where they are in the world. But this is difficult without some type of onboard relative positioning system. A new algorithmic project at MIT straps netbook computer parts to a specially designed, laser-equipped airplane that can find itself and navigate tight spaces safely.

Video: Disney's 3-D Facial Scruff Technology Reconstructs Beards Down to the Individual Hair

2020-08-15T05:25:00.0000000+10:00

Face capture technology has come a long way, especially as 3-D stereoscopic imaging and the like have made leaps forward in recent years. It's now relatively easy to capture a face in 3-D and reconstruct it digitally for applications such as the amazing CGI you see in movies like The Avengers (Ruffalo-Hulk was pretty visually awesome, no?). But facial hair is another story altogether. Current face capture systems don't capture it well, and the skin that it obscures on the face then becomes an issue as well. Disney Research is changing that.

Mutant Butterflies are Turning Up in Japan's Nuclear Disaster Zone

2020-08-15T03:20:00.0000000+10:00

The first serious indications of the ecosystem impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan are in, and they're troubling. Researchers there collected 144 common pale grass blue butterflies from the region a couple of months after the catastrophic nuclear meltdowns leaked radiation into the environment last year. After studying them for a few generations, those researchers are finding signs of genetic mutations that are leading to physical abnormalities.

Interactive Infographic: How Do Olympic Gold Medalists Compare?

2020-08-15T02:21:00.0000000+10:00

Now that the Olympics are done, we can reflect on the big moments. (Usain Bolt's lightspeed 100-meter win and Michael Phelps's sunken-pirate-ship levels of gold come to mind.) But if we pull the historical camera back even farther, we can look at the big picture, seeing exactly how much of a blip on the timeline this year made. With that in mind, we've created an interactive graph that shows every gold-medal time for several events and annotations for years that were outliers, or that were just especially interesting (including tech like the Speedo LZR suit, or less-known developments like the official roughening of the javelin to handicap the competitors). It's a look at how technology, smarts, and super-human ability brought the Games to where they are now.

Researchers Smash Quantum Teleportation Distance Record, Beaming a Photon Over 143 Kilometers

2020-08-15T01:40:00.0000000+10:00

The Olympics are over but international competition is still hot and records continue to fall. Just eight short days after a Chinese physics group posted a paper claiming to have achieved quantum teleportation across a record-setting 97 kilometers, a joint Canadian/European team posted another claiming to have teleported a single photon across 143 kilometers. That second paper hasn't been peer-reviewed yet (the Chinese paper just came out in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on August 9), but should it stand up to scrutiny, we've got yet another new distance record in the quantum teleportation event.

New Algorithm Predicts Your Future Movements Within 20 Meter Accuracy

2020-08-14T07:33:00.0000000+10:00

Plenty of hay has been made over which apps and cell phones track our movements, but so far it has been difficult to accurately determine where we're going next - people can be unpredictable, after all, and make dinner plans at random new places on a whim. In that case, what's a prediction algorithm to do? Track all your friends, too, it turns out.

Spotting Cancer Cells in Blood With a 27-Picosecond Camera

2020-08-14T06:45:00.0000000+10:00

A simple blood test that offers early detection of cancer in the human body has long eluded medical researchers, but a team at UCLA is getting closer. By blending an ultra-fast camera and a powerful optical microscope with software that can process the data they produce at extremely high speeds, the team hopes it can spot circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that have broken away from cancerous tumors in blood samples, potentially making early cancer detection as simple as taking a blood draw.

Researchers Reach the 'Highest Possible' Resolution for Color Laser Printing at 100,000 dpi

2020-08-14T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

A lot has been written about the perceived benefits and non-benefits of higher-than-the-human-eye-can-perceive resolutions, things like displays that go beyond HD and retina or cameras and scanners that capture imagery in pixel counts that go so far beyond the threshold of what we can see as to be meaningless, at least visually speaking. Undaunted, researchers in Singapore claim they have achieved the highest resolution possible for color laser printing by recreating the classic Lena test image at 100,000dpi.

Video: Indestructible Military Inchworm-Bot Survives Attack By Bootheels and Hammers

2020-08-14T04:20:00.0000000+10:00

Soft, bendy robots could have a wide variety of benefits, from squishing into tight spaces to conduct surveillance, to crawling through a person's body to deliver drugs or take medical images. But it's hard to build entirely soft objects containing soft bodies, soft batteries and soft motors. A new version developed at MIT and Harvard is both soft and tough, inching around like an earthworm yet surviving multiple cruel blows from a rubber mallet.

Electronic 'Smart Fingertips' Could Give Robots and Doctors Virtual Touch

2020-08-14T03:19:00.0000000+10:00

The same touchy engineers who gave us the first peelable epidermal electronics last year have a new virtual tactile system: Smart fingers, which could someday bring a real sense of touch to telepresence applications. Surgical robots or human doctors could virtually feel surfaces, temperatures and other characteristics, through special smart gloves designed to trick the brain into thinking it's feeling.

Video: NASA's Experimental Morpheus Lander Fails Flight Test by Exploding

2020-08-14T02:15:00.0000000+10:00

Space exploration doesn't always go smoothly. For instance, the triumph of Apollo 11 was followed by the failed mission and near-disaster of Apollo 13. Prior to launching Alan Shepard into space in 1961, NASA blew countless space rockets to pieces on the launchpad. Russia still crashes its spaceships periodically. And lest last week's euphoria over the Mars rover Curiosity landing have you thinking NASA's got this spaceflight thing down to a pure science, please see the video below. Late last week, NASA's experimental unmanned Morpheus lander failed spectacularly during vehicle tests. Really spectacularly. With fire and explosions and whatnot.

Jailbreak Your iPhone For New Functions in the Notification Center

2020-08-14T00:14:00.0000000+10:00

Jailbreaking-altering an iPhone or iPad's firmware to access unlicensed apps-became less useful as Apple released more feature-rich iOS updates. But now developers have come up with a new reason to jailbreak iDevices: They've enabled users to add settings, music controls and more to Notification Center, iOS 5's drop-down information panel. That puts a huge amount of functionality in one convenient location, with only a five-minute tweak. Here's a look at the best new features and how to get them.

New York Bookstore Brings SF Back From the Dead

2020-08-11T07:40:00.0000000+10:00

Much of the oldest and best science fiction stories and novels are, sadly, long out of print. The only way to read them is to dig through second-hand bookshops, rummage sales, or dusty attics, or hope that the local library still keeps their old paperbacks around. A group in Brooklyn called Singularity&Co. wants to change that. The attack is two-fold: raise some of these long-lost stories from their graves and release them as e-books, and showcase some really killer hardcovers and paperbacks at an honest-to-god brick-and-mortar bookstore near the East River. Being a dedicated sci-fi nerd, I felt obligated check it all out for myself at their grand opening last night.

The Test Olympians Use to Improve Their Performance--On the Inside

2020-08-11T06:14:00.0000000+10:00

To help prepare for track meets, competitive 5K races and especially the Olympics, Boston-based runner Ruben Sanca runs 185 kilometers per week, takes vitamins and mostly watches his diet. But he would still feel fatigued after training runs. Then a blood analysis and a special software program revealed his internal chemistry needed some adjusting.

What Curiosity Means for the Future of Space

2020-08-11T05:04:00.0000000+10:00

Mars rover Curiosity has landed. You know this because you have an Internet connection and because the hair-raising landing was a huge media spectacle, and justifiably so. NASA just delivered the most sophisticated suite of science instruments ever packaged on a planetary rover onto the surface of Mars via an untested landing maneuver, instruments that should provide us with two uninterrupted years of unrivaled geological science on another planet. That in itself is a truly incredible story. But it's not the whole story.

F=ma: Prosperity Isn't How Much You Move--It's How You Move It

2020-08-11T03:35:00.0000000+10:00

Science is how people attempt to see the world as it truly is. That's why I'm drawing the title of this new column from the wisdom of the greatest of scientists. Since Isaac Newton first stated his Second Law of Motion, we have understood that "force" is really a product of mass and acceleration: F = ma. Move more things faster, and they will exert more force.

Lockheed Martin's 'Flying Humvee' Concept Gets a Lift from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

2020-08-10T23:40:00.0000000+10:00

When DARPA launched its Transformer (TX) program back in early 2010, PopSci responded as most media did by applauding the ambition while simultaneously harboring serious skepticism. In essence the DoD was asking for a flying car, a "1- to 4-person transportation vehicle that can drive and fly," capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), for troops looking to avoid rough terrain and IEDs. The very idea simply feels impossible - at least until you have a sober conversation with the guy building it.

Giant 3-D Printer to Make An Entire House in 20 Hours

2020-08-10T06:23:00.0000000+10:00

3-D printers can make airplanes and their parts, food and more - why not entire buildings? A professor at the University of Southern California aims to print out whole houses, using layers of concrete and adding plumbing, electrical wiring and other guts as it moves upward.

Protein With Liquid Built In Could Be Key to Life Without Water

2020-08-10T05:23:00.0000000+10:00

For all our attempts to find it on other worlds, water may not be the most essential molecule for life, a new study suggests. A protein that brings oxygen to muscle can function without it, using a synthetic polymer in its place.

MIT's Smart Handheld Woodworking Tool Makes Precise Cuts Automatically

2020-08-10T03:39:00.0000000+10:00

It can be satisfying to build something yourself, making careful measurements and ensuring your carefully routed wood slats fit together perfectly. Except when your measurements are off by a few microns and nothing fits. Some MIT students decided that a smart machine could help matters, and designed a re-routing router that automatically cuts the right shape.

FYI: Does Training at High Altitudes Help Olympians Win?

2020-08-10T02:50:00.0000000+10:00

It's widely assumed that training on top of a mountain will give an athlete a major leg-up when competing closer to sea level. But it turns out it's not quite that simple, and in fact, athletes are discouraged from conducting training exclusively at high altitudes. How much altitude training helps, and how to tweak the finer points of a high-altitude training regimen are questions still under consideration. It's not nearly as simple as running on a mountain, coming down, and feeling prepped for your marathon. Today's altitude training cycle comes from decades of trial and error - and it doesn't work the way you'd think.

Video: A Japanese Company Will Scan and Print You a Statue of Your Gestating Fetus

2020-08-10T00:52:00.0000000+10:00

What you might not expect when you're expecting: a company that wants to 3-D print a statuette of your unborn child. Japanese engineering outfit Fasotec will gladly take an MRI scan of an expecting mother's fetus and using its BioTexture modeling software to capture 3-D data related to human tissues convert that scan into a CAD file, then print it up in resin. It's called the "Shape of Angel" service (what else?), and it will only set you back roughly $1,250.

Video: The Army's Massive LEMV Airship Makes its Maiden Flight (Finally)

2020-08-10T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

LAS VEGAS - Military personnel and defense contractors attending the year's largest unmanned systems convention here awoke this morning to a bit of breaking robotics news unraveling thousands of kilometers away from their briefing rooms and exhibition booths. First lighting up Twitter and later acknowledged by the Army, the first flight of Northrop Grumman's robotic Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) took place this morning in New Jersey, marking the first flight of one of the DoD's next generation military airships.

How A Sundial Lets Curiosity See Mars in Living Color

2020-08-09T06:15:00.0000000+10:00

PASADENA, Calif. - We've seen a brief sample of the full-color environment at Gale Crater on Mars, but before the Mars rover Curiosity can beam back full-size versions, its cameras need a checkup. Scientists want to be sure they're seeing Mars as it really looks, in real ochre - so the cameras have to be calibrated. To do it, Curiosity will call upon one of the most ancient tools of astronomy: A sundial.

Performing Self-Surgery to Become a Handmade Cyborg

2020-08-09T02:45:00.0000000+10:00

Today in great reads: The Verge's Ben Popper has a killer story up about the world of underground body hackers - those souls brave and crazy enough to perform surgery on themselves to give themselves new powers and strengths. It goes beyond regular cyborg ideas, partly because the guys are doing it themselves, with no safety net.

What Our Eyes Say About Our Sexual Preferences

2020-08-08T23:56:00.0000000+10:00

Cornell University researchers used porn and measures of pupil dilation to study arousal in straight-, gay- and bisexual-identifying men and women, reports a study published April 3 in PLoS ONE. The results, which point to surprising differences in arousal based on a person's sex and sexual orientation, corroborate previous research using measures of genital response, opening up a less-invasive method of studying arousal and orientation.

Human development experts Gerulf Rieger and Ritch Savin-Williams measured pupil dilation in 325 people as they watched two 30-second videos - one of a woman masturbating and one of a man - as well as a 1-minute clip of a neutral landscape that served as a palate-cleanser and a control between the porn clips. Participants in a pilot study chose the clips based on the attractiveness of the models, and the order they were shown in (man first versus woman first) was selected randomly during the dilation study.

Olympics FYI: Why Is Cannabis Considered a Performance-Enhancing Drug?

2020-08-08T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

On Monday, American judo competitor Nick Delpopolo was expelled from the Olympics for doping with cannabis. (He says he accidentally ate a pot brownie.) The key word here is "doping" - if the situation were different, Delpopolo might just have been "using." Cannabis is on the Prohibited List, a catalogue of banned drugs maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. Test positive for a drug on WADA's list? You're doping, and face dismissal from the Games. Test positive for anything else, even if it's illegal? No worries - you're free to compete. This is one powerful list. But why is cannabis, the users of which are not necessarily renowned for their athletic ability, on it?

NASA Satellite Photo Shows Aftermath of Mars Rover Curiosity's Landing

2020-08-08T06:33:00.0000000+10:00

Getting Mars rover Curiosity onto the surface of the planet had to be coordinated between many mechanical parts: a heat shield to protect it, a supersonic parachute to soften the landing, and a sky crane to set it down on Mars. It went smoothly for the rover, and now NASA has released another photo, which they've nicknamed a "crime scene" shot, showing what happened to the bit players in the landing, too.

Use Your Body's Electrical Field To Uniquely Identify Yourself

2020-08-08T05:46:00.0000000+10:00

You are unique. This is one of the more obscure ways you're unique: An alternating current of different frequencies running through you causes a reaction that's noticeably different from anyone else's. Researchers from Dartmouth University are trying to put this difference to use by creating wearable electronics that respond to - and only to - their intended user.

Video: Software That Can Tell What City It's In By Looking At The Architecture

2020-08-08T05:08:00.0000000+10:00

Generations of sweating architects and designers have been at work for hundreds of years, pulling inspiration from different sources, to give the biggest, most iconic cities in the world their unique looks. The result is a Paris that isn't the same as New York and a Barcelona that isn't the same as Tokyo. We can pick up on the subtle differences, and now new software can, too.

Are Recent Extreme Weather Events Caused By Global Warming? NASA Scientist Says Yes

2020-08-08T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

It's not in doubt that global warming is changing the planet for the worse, but it's difficult to identify which, if any, specific weather events we can definitively link to it. But a new (and divisive) paper from senior NASA climate scientist James E. Hansen suggests that global warming is almost definitely the cause of heat waves and other events observed in the last decade.

The Fully Electronic, Futuristic Starting Gun That Eliminates Advantages in Races

2020-08-08T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

It's easy to take for granted just how insanely close some Olympic races are, and how much the minutiae of it all can matter. The perfect example is the traditional starting gun. Seems easy. You pull a trigger and the race starts. Boom. What people don't consider: When a conventional gun goes off, the sound travels to the ears of the closest runner a fraction of a second sooner than the others. That's just enough to matter, and why the latest starting pistol has traded in the mechanical boom for orchestrated, electronic noise.

First Color Image of Mars Beamed Back to Earth by Curiosity Rover

2020-08-08T00:32:00.0000000+10:00

That didn't take long: early yesterday we received the earliest images from Mars rover Curiosity's descent and landing zone, and now we've received the first color image from the Mars mission. It shows the Gale Crater in the background - Curiosity's home for now - and the next images will only be getting better from here.

How NFC Radios Will Help the Visually Impaired to See

2020-08-08T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

The day I entered public school, I was classified as visually impaired. I have a rare genetic syndrome known as achromatopsia. I'm color blind and light sensitive, and my distance vision is flat-out awful. Even corrected, it's closer to 20/100 than 20/20. I can't see street signs until I'm a meter away from them and I don't even bother trying to read most posters, plaques or museum cards.

Megapixels: Space Shuttle Enterprise Gets Grabbed By a Crane

2020-08-07T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

Space Shuttle Enterprise was the property of the Smithsonian Institution for 27 years. The shuttle never went to space; instead, NASA used it for landing and launch-pad vibration tests. The end of the space shuttle program last year gave the Smithsonian the opportunity to get Discovery, a shuttle that actually earned its "space" moniker. Thus Enterprise came to its new home, New York City, in April, where 50 employees from NASA and aerospace company United Space Alliance spent eight hours separating the 75,000 kilogram shuttle from its modified Boeing 747 transport.

These Are The Cameras Currently Shooting On Mars

2020-08-07T06:38:00.0000000+10:00

We've taken a look at some of the instruments Mars rover Curiosity will be using now that it's arrived at its destination, and our friends at PopPhoto have a look at the cameras that are documenting its journey.

Mars Rover Curiosity Sends First High-Resolution Photo

2020-08-07T03:20:00.0000000+10:00

NASA has just released the best-looking photo (above) we have of the Gale Crater, the piece of the Red Planet where Mars rover Curiosity landed last night. The photo shows the rim of the crater on the horizon and a gravel field in the foreground, as seen through a fisheye lens, a part of the many cameras Curiosity has on board.

You Don't Want the New U.S. Customs Robot to Find You Suspicious

2020-08-07T02:45:00.0000000+10:00

U.S Customs and Border Protection has a new hire on hand at its Nogales, Ariz., border crossing between the United States and Mexico. CBP has installed an avatar kiosk at the checkpoint to help quickly move persons enrolled in CBP's Trusted Traveler program through the border crossing quickly, analysing what they say - both their words and the way they say them - for suspicious signals.

Video: Make Your Houseplant a Touchscreen? Or Theremin? What Is Going On Here

2020-08-07T01:38:00.0000000+10:00

For people who like the Microsoft Kinect but also the simple joys of nature, the dream makers at Disney Research have just smashed together that particular peanut butter and chocolate into a magical (and very, deeply strange) new technology: plants that can register movements like a touchscreen, then display those movements, or use them to interact with an electronic device.

Building Artificial Islands That Rise With the Sea

2020-08-07T00:50:00.0000000+10:00

With an average elevation of just 1.5 meters above sea level, the Maldives-a nation comprising 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean-is the lowest country in the world. Sea level, meanwhile, has risen by about 18 centimeters since 1900, and scientists predict that it will rise as much as 60 centimeters more by 2100, pushing much of the population (about 390,000 and growing) out of their homes. In the past, engineers have used sand and rubble to create islands elsewhere, but these structures can disturb the sea and seafloor ecosystems.

NASA Has Plenty to Celebrate Now Curiosity is Down

2020-08-06T18:08:00.0000000+10:00

PASADENA, Calif. - Long minutes of thunderous applause greeted the managers and engineers who paraded into an auditorium here Sunday night, triumphant after a perfect landing on another world. The Mars rover Curiosity sent a picture from the Martian surface just moments after its self-piloted descent and airdrop, and everyone assembled at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory could not help but cheer. It's a huge moment for NASA, which delivered the rover over budget and two years late - but delivered it, and beautifully.

The Scene at NASA's Mars Rover Landing Watch: Peanuts, Playoff Beards and Other Curiosities

2020-08-06T11:47:00.0000000+10:00

PASADENA, Calif. - The mood is increasingly electric here at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where worldwide media, dignitaries and hordes of scientists and engineers are gathered to watch the new Mars rover's landing attempt. The Mars rover Curiosity is three and a half hours from touchdown - scheduled for 10:31 p.m. Pacific time, 3:31 p.m. Monday Australian time - and it's almost time to break out the peanuts.

Why the Mars Rover Curiosity's Crazy, Complicated Landing Isn't So Crazy After All

2020-08-06T06:21:00.0000000+10:00

PASADENA - Later tonight, a white-and-orange spacecraft, shaped roughly like a chicken pot pie, will come screaming into the Martian atmosphere at 21,120 kilometers per hour. The fireball surrounding the Mars Science Laboratory craft will reach 2100 degrees Celsius as it descends, like a controlled meteor on a ballistic path. By 10:31 p.m. Pacific time/3:31 a.m. Australian time, NASA hopes to hear that it safely slowed to zero KPH in seven minutes of terror, and is ready to explore Mars.

Watch This Spot: Mars Rover Curiosity Touches Down Monday

2020-08-04T08:29:00.0000000+10:00

No doubt you have heard that the new rover Curiosity is preparing to make an edge of the seat landing on Mars. Stay tuned and watch for updates on PopSci about the landing (or resulting crater) from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory!

NASA Invests $1.1 Billion in Manned Commercial Trips to Space

2020-08-04T02:16:00.0000000+10:00

The dust has settled on the final round of NASA's Commercial Crew integrated Capability program project, and three winners have been given funding for the next round of American-made space taxis: Boeing, who received $460 million; SpaceX with $440 million; and the Sierra Nevada Corporation, with a paltry $212.5. The companies will use it as seed money to create commercial spacecraft that U.S. astronauts will fly aboard.

Physicists Demonstrate Working Quantum Router, a Step Toward a Quantum Internet

2020-08-04T02:12:00.0000000+10:00

As much as we love our silicon semiconductors, quantum computers are very much a technology of the future. Instead of the usual string of 1s and 0s, they'll be able to send both types of information at the same time, dwarfing their traditional counterparts. But one major problem is that they can only move through one optical fiber. To push more information through, they need a router, and Chinese physicists have unveiled the first one.

Fiendish Creator of Browser Game QWOP Releases CLOP

2020-08-04T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

We're big fans of innovative gameplay here at PopSci, and the web browser can provide the perfect, simple canvas for that. For example: You may be familiar with the game QWOP, created by Oxford professor Bennett Foddy, whom we featured in our PopSci Arcade earlier this year. In QWOP, you frustratingly try to direct a person through a race by moving their limbs using the Q-W-O-P keys. It's almost impossible to beat and almost impossible to put down. Now, from the same productivity vampire comes CLOP. This time you're a unicorn.

Stock Trading Robot Makes Decisions Based on Superstitious Algorithms

2020-08-04T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

When we feel there's a situation out of our control, we often fall back on superstition to account for it. ("Nothing else is working, why not blame it on that black cat?") But when enough of us rely on superstition, it's not just an individual comfort; it starts to have real repercussions. Now a designer has created an algorithm trades stock superstitiously, and it's going to see if gambling based on full moons and thirteens can pay off.

How The Largest Health Surveillance System Ever Created Is Preventing An Olympic-Size Pandemic

2020-08-04T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

Right now in London and various sites around the UK, more than half a million international travelers are sharing stories, beers, doner kebabs, close living quarters and - let's be frank - the occasional mattress. Roughly 17,000 athletes and officials from hundreds of countries are packed into the Olympic Village alone, and that doesn't take into account the spectators - more than 8 million tickets will be punched at the Games - who have piled on top of greater London's nearly 8 million inhabitants. Culturally speaking, it's a marvel that we can do this and all get well enough along. Epidemiologically speaking, it's a nightmare scenario.

Russian Robotic Spacecraft Completes First Same-Day Docking at ISS, Just Six Hours After Launch

2020-08-03T07:01:00.0000000+10:00

Russia just set a speed record for a sprint that took place a long way from London. An unmanned Russian Progress cargo ship launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday and docked with the International Space Station just six hours later, marking the first same-day docking ever performed at the ISS.

Navy Experimental Rail Gun to Fire GPS-Guided Projectiles

2020-08-03T06:03:00.0000000+10:00

The U.S. military has been looking for ways to smarten up its dumb projectiles for years - look no further than this GPS guided mortar round recently fielded by the army - hoping to increase lethality while reducing collateral damage. The Navy is no exception to this trend, and the seaborne branch is looking for precision beyond its current arsenal. The Office of Naval Research wants a guided munition for its experimental electromagnetic rail gun that can alter the course of a 9000 kilometer per hour projectile in flight.

Why Is It So Hard to Land On Mars?

2020-08-03T04:51:00.0000000+10:00

Mars is not a friendly place. It's freezing, windy, barren, and quiet except for howling dust storms that can threaten hopeful visitors. The planet is kind of a jerk, really, presenting vindictive obstacles to thwart the robotic explorers sent toward it for the past 47 years. And Mars usually wins.

India Will Launch Probe to Mars Next Year

2020-08-03T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

While we in the U.S. wait with bated breath for Mars Rover Curiosity's August 5 landing on the red planet, India's space program, the Indian Space Research Organisation, has confirmed that it plans to send an orbiter to Mars in 2013. It's one small step in a program that's been making giant leaps in recent years, including multiple satellite launch missions.

New LHC Results: We Were Sure We Found the Higgs Boson, and Now We're Even Surer

2020-08-03T03:08:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers at CERN and the world over were already sure they had found the Higgs Boson - five-sigma sure - but in case there were any lingering doubts a new round of results coming out of Geneva further backs the earlier findings. One team there now reports a 5.9 sigma level of certainty that the Higgs exists. That equates to a one-in-550 million chance that the results are incorrect reflections of statistical errors.

The Best Way to Measure Intelligence Could Be Brain Imaging

2020-08-03T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

There are a lot of hurdles to accurately predicting intelligence, from the difficulty of defining exactly what it is to accurately understanding the complexities of the human brain. Some techniques are surprisingly simple, like measuring the size of the brain. But others, like a new study that suggests brain imaging could crack the IQ code, require a little more finesse.

The Next Generation of Mars Rovers Could Be Smaller Than Grains of Sand

2020-08-03T01:22:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, scheduled to reach the red planet this Sunday, is the size of an SUV for good reason: It's built to carry 75 kilograms of scientific instruments over boulders and into gullies. But putting Hummer-size robots on other planets is not altogether practical. For one, it's expensive. (Getting a Curiosity-weight rover to Mars takes more than a 450,000 kilograms of fuel.) Large rovers are also power-hungry and limited in range. For future missions, some researchers, eager to do more science with fewer resources, have begun looking to nanobots-each one about one-one-billionth as big as Curiosity.

Video: Google Street View Adds Space Shuttles, Launch Pads and More At Kennedy Space Center

2020-08-03T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

America's space shuttles may be settling into their retirement roles as national artifacts, but for space fans who miss their presence at Kennedy Space Center, Google has a new offering - Street View images of the entire complex, shuttles and all. The web giant unveiled the new images this morning, and we have a preview.

The First Shirt That Lowers Your Body Temperature

2020-08-02T06:36:00.0000000+10:00

The human body already has a highly efficient cooling system: As perspiration evaporates, it draws heat away from the body. Wicking fabrics facilitate this process by distributing sweat evenly over the fabric, so that it dries more quickly. Despite devising cheats, such as menthol-like chemical coatings added to fabrics, companies have never actually improved upon the body's natural cooling process. Designers at Columbia Sportswear have now made a fabric that does.

Seeing Through Walls With a Wireless Router

2020-08-02T05:28:00.0000000+10:00

In the 1930s, U.S. Navy researchers stumbled upon the concept of radar when they noticed that a plane flying past a radio tower reflected radio waves. Scientists have now applied that same principle to make the first device that tracks existing Wi-Fi signals to spy on people through walls.

Europe Will Require New Vehicles to Include Autonomous Self-Braking System

2020-08-02T04:25:00.0000000+10:00

Cars in Europe may soon become very much more robotic whether drivers want them to or not. New rules coming down from the European Commission will require all commercial vehicles to be fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology by November 2013, and passenger vehicles could soon follow suit. These cars will go beyond simply sending a signal to the driver when they detect an impending collision via radar, lidar (that's like radar but with light), or video sensors and apply the brakes themselves.

Aussie Tycoon Wants to Clone Dinosaurs for His Real Life, Resort-Based Jurassic Park

2020-08-02T04:15:00.0000000+10:00

In other billionaire news today, a controversial and ostentatious Australian is supposedly planning a real-life Jurassic Park, complete with cloned dinosaurs. Clive Palmer, who also wants to build a modern-day Titanic replica, has held talks with the scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep, reports Australia's Sunshine Coast Daily.

Video: Ride On a Seabird's Back as It Dives Toward the Ocean Floor

2020-08-02T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

Giving video cameras to animals can yield some awesome results, especially underwater - remember the octopus guerrilla filmmaker? In a new video, ride on the back of a South American seabird as it captures footage of its 45 meter deep dive.

Video: Autonomous X-47B Warplane Test Flight

2020-08-02T02:46:00.0000000+10:00

PopSci's favorite autonomous warplane is having a big week at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The first of the two aircraft has been reassembled, run through a battery of tests, and is officially back in the air, this time on the East Coast.

Panasonic's Artificial Photosynthesis Turns Water, Sunlight, and CO2 into Useful Chemicals

2020-08-02T02:16:00.0000000+10:00

Artificial photosynthesis - the idea that we might be able to create energy and other useful thing from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, as plants do - is something of a holy grail for energy and green chemistry researchers. And while some efforts have shown modest potential - MIT's Nocera Lab, for instance, claims to have created an artificial leaf from stable materials - efficiency is still a problem. That hasn't stopped consumer electronics giant Panasonic; the company yesterday revealed that it is investing in artificial photosynthesis technology that turns carbon dioxide and sunlight into industrial chemicals. Just add water.

Nine Unsuspecting Scientists Win $27 Million in Suddenly Announced Largest-Ever Annual Physics Prize

2020-08-02T01:11:00.0000000+10:00

A Russian physics student turned social media billionaire just made theoretical physics the most lucrative thing in science, heaping $3 million apiece on nine researchers. The new Fundamental Physics Prize is worth more than double the Nobel, at least monetarily speaking.

Scientists Engineer "Chimera" Primates to Combat Human Ailments

2020-08-01T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

Roku, Hex and Chimero are the world's first primate chimeras-individual monkeys made from multiple fertilised eggs of the same species. Each animal has six different sets of genes instead of one. To produce each monkey, biologist Shoukhrat Mitalipov and his team at the Oregon Health and Science University placed six separate four-celled embryos into a petri dish and, using a micropipette, nudged them into a single aggregation. After a few days, the researchers implanted the aggregation into an adult female macaque. The resulting young have cells descended from each of six embryos evenly distributed throughout their bodies.

Turn Animated Characters From Games Into Movable 3-D Printed Beasts

2020-08-01T06:32:00.0000000+10:00

Imaginary creatures rule the universes of various video games, maybe none more notably than the fantastical beasts you can create all by yourself in "Spore." Ever wonder if your two-headed, seven-eyed four-legged dinosaur-thing would be able to stand up? New software developed at Harvard will make it real for you, making a new computer model and constructing a physical animal-thing with a 3-D printer.

Approved: The First Swallowable Electronic Devices

2020-08-01T05:37:00.0000000+10:00

No matter how fast pharmaceutical companies can churn out drugs to prevent or cure illnesses, health insurance doesn't cover the cost of hiring a person to follow you around and remind you to take your meds. So the FDA has approved a pill that can do it on its own by monitoring your insides and relaying the information back to a healthcare provider.

Video: 'Roadable Airplane' Shows Up at Experimental Aircraft Show

2020-08-01T04:59:00.0000000+10:00

There was an unusual visitor at the Oshkosh airshow this year: a roadable aircraft manufactured by PlaneDriven. The PD2 takes a Glasair Sportsman amateur-built airplane and adds a separate 50-hp "drive unit" to the rear of the craft to provide ground power. To put the vehicle into drive mode, the pilot folds the wings, starts the drive unit, and away we go.

Twitter (the Company) Has Been Behaving Very Strangely This Olympics

2020-08-01T01:49:00.0000000+10:00

In the short time since the opening ceremonies of the London Games, we've seen the usual kind of Twitter-related stories - a Swiss soccer player banned for a racist tweet, everybody everywhere voicing their complaints about NBC's mostly abysmal coverage, that kind of thing. But there's some weirder, darker undercurrents going on, with journalists blocked, kids arrested, and free speech on Twitter seeming a much more questionable right than it might have seemed during the Arab Spring.

Video: A Retro-Sci-Fi Tour of Mars Rover Curiosity's Awesome Chemistry Lab

2020-08-01T00:56:00.0000000+10:00

As we approach the Mars rover Curiosity's landing Sunday night, we're having a lot of fun seeing all the promotions - there are all kinds of videos, museum exhibits and road shows to help explain what the newest interplanetary explorer will do. Below is a great new one from the American Chemical Society.

Summer Olympics: 2020

2020-08-01T00:01:00.0000000+10:00

The modern Olympics have been running for 116 years, but many events remain unsafe and difficult to score. We propose ideas that might help solve some of the toughest problems.

Nike's New Strobing Glasses Enhance Athletes' Visual Acuity and Sensory Skills

2020-07-31T07:35:00.0000000+10:00

Nike has developed a means of increasing visual short-term memory retention and physical reaction time via a set of strobing goggles that rob athletes in training of some of their vision. The SPARQ Sensory Performance system evaluates an athlete for 10 visual performance skills and creates a training program specifically for him or her that involves wearing Nike's SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear, which basically fog over to block the wearer's vision for short periods of time, forcing the athlete to anticipate what's coming next.

Video: William Shatner and Wil Wheaton Narrate Mars Rover Curiosity's Landing

2020-07-31T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

NASA is enlisting Hollywood to help promote its blockbuster new Mars rover, Curiosity, in a couple of new videos. Below you can watch both William Shatner and Will Wheaton describe Curiosity's "seven minutes of terror" as it touches down on Mars.

Video: Four-Ton Japanese Mega Bot Fires BBs At Smiling Humans

2020-07-31T05:34:00.0000000+10:00

This boxy guy is called Kuratas, otherwise known as Vaudeville, and he stands 12 feet 5 inches tall. He weighs about 4.5 tons and is diesel-powered. Do not smile at him. He will shoot that grin right off your face.

Just A Week From Landing, Mars Rover Curiosity Makes Final Course Corrections

2020-07-31T04:36:00.0000000+10:00

A week before its scheduled landing, the spacecraft carrying the Mars rover Curiosity is just about done arranging itself in space. There's time for two more trajectory correction maneuvers, but the one the Mars Science Laboratory pulled off over the weekend should be the last nudge the spacecraft needs before entering the Martian atmosphere.

Civilian Drones to Search for Downed Power Lines During Blackouts

2020-07-31T02:20:00.0000000+10:00

Today in ways the impending domestic drone explosion is going to change your life: a number of utilities are testing new technologies that will allow them to quickly diagnose grid problems and rapidly restore electricity to areas stricken by blackouts - technologies that include augmented reality apps and aerial drones. These prototype systems could go a long way toward streamlining the grid repair process, quickly returning households and local economies to normal after sever weather events or other power-related calamities.

PopSci Q&A: The U.S. Olympic Team's Chief Technologist Tells Us How Olympians Train

2020-07-31T01:43:00.0000000+10:00

By almost any account, the 2012 Olympics will be the most high-tech ever, from the actual starting guns to the microsecond camera finishes. But the pre-Olympics are even more high-tech, as athletes increasingly turn to advanced video and biomechanical data analysis to track their performances and train more efficiently.

FYI: Will Athletes Ever Stop Breaking Records?

2020-07-31T00:02:00.0000000+10:00

Even if athletes never got any stronger or faster, and if their techniques and training never changed, they would still break records from time to time. That's because the ability of each person who decides to compete, and the outcome of each competition, are affected by random processes. What happened on the way to the track that might affect the athletes' performance? What's the weather like? And so on. Every sporting event is a matter of chance as well as of achievement, and chance always offers the possibility of a breakthrough.

South Korean Artist Prepares to Launch His Homemade Satellite Into Orbit

2020-07-28T07:14:00.0000000+10:00

South Korean artist Song Ho-jun has spent years working on his very own DIY sputnik, a homemade satellite cobbled together from electronics store parts. It might be the first satellite completely built by an individual. Now, later this year, it'll launch.

NASA Releases Satellite Photos of Olympic Host Cities

2020-07-28T04:09:00.0000000+10:00

As is the case every four years, only a lucky few will be able to see the summer Olympics live and in-person. The rest of us peasants will settle for watching and streaming the games from our homes. But if you want something that feels a little grander, maybe even cosmic, NASA has just released a series of satellite photos depicting past Olympic host cities from space. The earliest comes from 1997 and shows Atlanta, and the series goes all the way up to London 2012.

How Science Predicts Which Olympic Events Will Be the Most Exciting to Watch

2020-07-28T03:23:00.0000000+10:00

The Olympics represent something very special in the culture of sport, but from a viewing perspective they are a logistical nightmare. Multiple events play out at the same time, forcing you to pick and choose between your favorite events. Where will the next dazzling, record-breaking performance take place? Will someone rob Usain Bolt of his 100-meter record? Will there be a Kerri Strug moment in the gym? There's no way to to tune into the Games with absolute certainty that you'll see something historic, but Steve Haake thinks you can increase your chances. Science can tell us where we're most likely to see the closest competitions or record-breaking performances, and where we're least likely to see anything exciting at all.

What Photo Gear Do You Bring to Shoot the Olympics?

2020-07-28T02:04:00.0000000+10:00

For a photographer, the Olympics are a goldmine - there are stories big and small, athletes in prime physical condition, the drama of the sports and the Games itself. But it's also a challenge to shoot all that stuff. Our friends over at Pop Photo talked to veteran Getty photographer and awesome name-haver Streeter Lecka about what gear he's bringing to London. It's especially interesting to hear how a Getty photographer does this kind of thing - it's not exactly how you or I would work. Read the story over at Pop Photo.

Epidemiological Algorithm Scans Your Tweets, Can Predict You'll Get The Flu Next Week

2020-07-28T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

In a crowded urban areas present in thousands of cities around the world, it's impossible to keep your distance from people who may be sick. If you've left your apartment - and maybe even if you haven't - there's a decent chance you've been around someone who is under the weather and there's really no way you could know it.

Smartphone Clocks Could Keep Precise Time By Syncing With Fluorescent Lights' Flicker

2020-07-28T00:02:00.0000000+10:00

Your smartphone is probably losing track of time. Most electronics with internal clocks keep them regulated via vibrating crystals (much like a quartz clock) that keep their timekeeping precise. But while far better timekeepers than mechanical clocks, even these crystals can be thrown off their regular frequencies by external factors like humidity or temperature. Which is why scientists at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology think you're better off syncing your clock to your overhead lights.

A Working Assault Rifle Made With a 3D Printer

2020-07-27T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

Get ready. It's now possible to print weapons at home.

Video: In Nail-Biting Flight, Holder of Electric Bike Speed Record Sets Electric Plane Speed Record

2020-07-27T06:07:00.0000000+10:00

Test pilot and speed freak Chip Yates, already a record-holder for the world's fastest electric motorcycle, broke another one last week in his all-electric airplane. In only its second flight, his Flight of the Century Long-EZ took to the skies over Inyokern Airport in California and reached a top speed of 325 KPH.

Video: Automatic Pastry Identifier Can Tell a Croissant From a Baguette in One Second

2020-07-27T04:03:00.0000000+10:00

"I will have that curly thing," as I once put it to the pastry-selling woman across the counter. There was no sign, so how was I supposed to know it was called a pecan braid? This new food recognizer could have helped!

With A Chemical Injection, Blind Mice Can See

2020-07-27T03:07:00.0000000+10:00

An injection of a specific chemical directly into the eyes can temporarily restore sight in blind mice, suggesting a new therapy for people with vision loss, a new study says. The researchers who discovered the chemical capability are working on an improved version that could someday work in humans.

The Totally Custom, Absurdly Light 3-D Printed Shoe That Could Win Olympic Gold

2020-07-27T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

Luc Fusaro, a French engineering and design student who does not work for Nike or any other shoe company, is creating a 3-D-printed running shoe. It's revolutionary, but he's hoping it barely affects runners at all. To be precise (and maybe optimistic), the shoes - branded "Designed to Win" - could shave 3.5 percent off a runner's time. That's it. But in the professional running world, that's the difference between Olympic glory and heading home in defeat.

Can Bridgestone's Airless Tire End the Inner Tube Era?

2020-07-27T00:18:00.0000000+10:00

Since the Scottish inventor Robert Thomson patented pneumatic tires in 1845, they have become standard on every vehicle with two, four or 18 wheels. Pneumatic tires are now so durable that many drivers never even bother to check their air pressure. But the tires still have weaknesses, not least of which is the tendency to go flat.

Skydiver Makes Successful Leap From The Stratosphere

2020-07-26T11:15:00.0000000+10:00

The free-fall at Questacon is about the biggest drop most of us will experience in our lifetime. Even skydivers only fall for a minute or two - unless your name is Felix Baumgartner and you’re jumping from 29 kilometres above the Earth.

Absorbent Paint Could Soak Up Chemical Weapons, Protecting Vehicle Occupants From Deadly Gas

2020-07-26T07:48:00.0000000+10:00

Syria's regime announced for the first time this week that it has chemical weapons, and stands ready to use them if attacked. A new type of paint could potentially guard against it, protecting tanks and armored vehicles with a special chemical-absorbing topcoat.

Digital Iris Fakes Made with Evolving Algorithm Fool Biometric Scanners

2020-07-26T07:04:00.0000000+10:00

There's more to iris scans than meets the eye, and that could end up being their undoing. New academic research coming out at the Black Hat Security conference this week shows a way to recreate iris images from the digital codes underlying iris-scanning security protocols - images that are so good that they can trick commercial-grade iris-scanning security devices into thinking they're the real thing.

In Record Summer Heat, 97 Percent of Greenland's Surface Ice Turns to Slush

2020-07-26T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

While we enjoy the cold weather this winter, it has been a sensationally hot summer for many other parts of the world, with records breaking daily. But Greenland seems to have just claimed the heat-related phenomenon crown, with 97 percent of its ice sheet turning to slush. The even stranger part? It might be completely normal - at least for now.

Video: Japanese Trashcan Bot Frantically Drives Around to Catch Your Tossed Litter

2020-07-26T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

This Japanese trashbot is custom-built with a fairly complex-looking control board, power system and operating code. Three wheels at the base have 360 degrees of motion, so the robot can spin in any direction.

Mac OS X Mountain Lion Is Here

2020-07-26T01:35:00.0000000+10:00

Apple's newest desktop/laptop operating system, Mac OS X 10.8 (otherwise known as Mountain Lion) was released this morning. You can only get it via download in the Mac App Store, for an impulse-worthy $20. We're still playing with ours; it's a minor update, especially compared to the complete overhaul that is the next version of Windows, though there are some new features here we're excited about, like AirPlay mirroring, a great new version of Safari, and a notifications bar. If you've got, like, a full day, check out Ars Technica's review - it's a 26,000-word, 24-page behemoth of a piece that covers all the ins, outs, and other prepositions related to the new update.

With Orbiter Glitch Repaired, Mars Rover Curiosity Landing Will Now Be Broadcast Live

2020-07-26T00:58:00.0000000+10:00

NASA has some good news from Mars two weeks before its newest rover is set to land on the planet - they'll be able to listen to the landing after all. The aging Odyssey orbiter is now properly in place and will relay landing data immediately, as originally planned.

The First Phone That's Audible Anywhere

2020-07-26T00:19:00.0000000+10:00

All phones have a fatal flaw: In noisy environments, it can be nearly impossible to hear someone on the other end of the line. As a remedy, some separate Bluetooth headsets use bone conduction to supplement the phone's speaker. Actuators in the earpiece translate audio signals into vibrations, which travel through the jawbone and skull and into the bones in the ear and on to the auditory nerve. Though helpful, those systems produce muffled sound because the vibrations bypass the eardrum, the flap of soft tissue responsible for increasing clarity and producing tone.

Video: How Mars Rover Curiosity Will Search for the Ingredients of Life

2020-07-25T05:59:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently released the much-watched "Seven Minutes of Terror" video, which describes the harrowing descent to the Red Planet that the Mars rover Curiosity will undergo on August 5. Now, from the same lab, comes a look at the chemical tools Curiosity will use to search for signs that Mars could have once sustained life.

FYI: Did Prehistoric Birds Evolve Flight By Falling Out of Trees?

2020-07-25T05:02:00.0000000+10:00

Possibly. The trees-down (or "arboreal") hypothesis has been around for many years, says evolutionary biologist Richard O. Prum of Yale University. Researchers guessed that the scales of tree-dwelling Triassic reptiles elongated into feathers, which helped them leap away from predators. Once the proto-birds could glide, they were en route to avian flight. "It was like one big, crazy hairball of ideas all stuck together," Prum says.

Using Neuroscience to Find an Activity Gamers Like as Much as Shooting People

2020-07-25T02:11:00.0000000+10:00

A few years ago, given an Xbox 360 for testing purposes, I went to the EB Games to get a new game. I like games, but I don't like games with guns or sports, because I don't particularly like guns or sports in real life, either. The guy at the EB was absolutely flummoxed by my request for an Xbox game with neither. He ended up recommending the game version of the movie G-Force, which is a movie for children featuring talking CGI guinea pigs.

India to Predict Monsoon Rains With Supercomputer Accuracy

2020-07-25T01:59:00.0000000+10:00

In an effort to stay one step ahead of the summer monsoon season, Indian scientists are embarking on an ambitious and unprecedented project to build computer models that will allow them to predict the movements of erratic monsoons weeks in advance. If successful, the Indian government thinks it can drastically alter economic outcomes for hundreds of millions of people whose lives depend directly on India's agriculture sector.

Plastic-Eating Underwater Drone Could Swallow the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

2020-07-25T00:07:00.0000000+10:00

A new underwater drone concept could seek and destroy one of the ocean's most insidious enemies, while earning a profit for plastics recyclers. This marine drone can siphon plastic garbage, swallowing bits of trash in a gaping maw rivaling that of a whale shark.

IBM Will Power the Murchison Widefield Array

2020-07-24T11:03:00.0000000+10:00

As we move through the Information Age, it’s become increasingly apparent obstacles to future scientific discovery might not be in the collection of data, as has been the case in the past. Instead, we’ve got so much data we can’t manage it - which is why IBM has partnered with the Murchison Widefield Array radio system to help manage the data it collects about the origin of the universe.

Sally Ride, America's First Female Astronaut, Has Died

2020-07-24T07:41:00.0000000+10:00

Sally Ride, America's first female astronaut, died today in La Jolla, Calif., after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Ride was a doctoral candidate in physics at Stanford University in 1977 when she answered an ad placed by NASA seeking astronauts. She flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983, becoming not only America's first woman in space, but at 32 years of age, also the youngest American to have traveled in space at that time. She left NASA in 1987, spending much of her time thereafter encouraging students - especially young women - to pursue careers in science and engineering. She was 61.

Don't Look to the Paleolithic for Diet Tips--Look to Apes

2020-07-24T07:00:00.0000000+10:00

Paleo diets, in which people attempt to eat like they imagine cavemen ate (mostly meats, supplemented with occasional wild fruits), were trendy a few years back, and still have their adherents. The idea is that modern humans are healthier when eating what our bodies evolved to eat. And that's a fine idea, but Rob Dunn over at Scientific American has a correction: to find out what our bodies evolved to eat, why stop at the Paleolithic period? Why not go back further - to apes and monkeys? It's a great piece about how arbitrary diets can be. Read it here.

Unique Chemical Bond Only Seen In Dwarf Stars Could Make Better Computers

2020-07-24T06:20:00.0000000+10:00

Stars are responsible for forging every heavy element in the universe when they fuse hydrogen and when they explode at the ends of their lives. But they also create a strange third type of chemical bond between atoms, caused by their incredible magnetic fields. This previously unknown type of bond could lead to new research in quantum science, perhaps even quantum computing.

Speedo's Super-Fast, Shark-Skin-Inspired Fastskin Swimsuit Is Actually Nothing Like a Shark's Skin

2020-07-24T05:21:00.0000000+10:00

Speedo's Fastskin line (including the banned-as-of-2009 LZR suit) of high-tech, high-performance swimsuits were inspired by the skin of a shark - shark skin's sandpaper-like texture is thought to reduce drag, hence its usefulness in swimming gear. But an ichthyologist at Harvard performed a study and found that Fastskin is "nothing like shark skin at all," and that its surface properties do not reduce drag one bit.

Sequenced for the First Time: the Genome of Human Sperm

2020-07-24T04:24:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists have sequenced the full genomes of 91 sperm from one man, the first complete sequencing of a human gamete cell. It demonstrates the vast genetic variation in one person, according to genetic researchers at Stanford.

Scientists Read Monkeys' Minds, See What They're Planning to Do Before They Do it

2020-07-24T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

Neurologists working with monkeys at Washington University in St. Louis to decode brain activity have stumbled upon a rather surprising result. While working to demonstrate that multiple parameters can be seen in the firing rate of a single neuron (and that certain parameters are embedded in neurons only if they are needed to solve the immediate task), they also found that they could read their monkeys' minds.

Canon Announces First Mirrorless Compact Camera, the EOS M

2020-07-24T02:54:00.0000000+10:00

Big news in the camera world, courtesy of our friends at PopPhoto: Canon just announced its first mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (ILC). ILCs are great because they take, largely, the core features and image quality of a DSLR and shrink them to near-point-and-shoot size - plus, you retain the ability to swap lenses. Sony has owned the category lately, but Canon's EOS M has most of the internals of its currently excellent Rebel line of entry-level DSLRs, including the same sensor as the T4i. It will retail for $800 when released in the US in October, but no word yet on an Australian release or price. Read more at PopPhoto.

NASA Successfully Tests its Inflatable Heat Shield in Reentry

2020-07-24T02:51:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's inflatable heat shield took another big step forward early this morning when its Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) came screaming through the atmosphere and splashed down in the Atlantic after spending 15 minutes undergoing the intense heat and pressure of atmospheric reentry. Launched from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the IRVE-3 mission further demonstrated that an inflatable heat shield can protect a space capsule as it enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Video: Jellyfish Made From Silicone and Rat's Heart Cells Swims and Beats Like a Heart

2020-07-24T01:59:00.0000000+10:00

Despite being one of the most alien-looking things on Earth, the mechanism jellyfish use to swim is similar in some ways to the beating human heart. That inspired researchers to build a sort of cyborg jellyfish from the ground up, using heart muscle cells from a rat and silicone polymer. And it's actually only a little more odd-looking than a regular jelly.

Researchers Trying to Give First Supersonic Biplane Some Lift

2020-07-24T00:04:00.0000000+10:00

In the 1930s engineer Adolf Busemann conceived of a supersonic biplane that produced no sonic boom-the shock waves would bounce off the plane's two wings at opposing angles, nullifying each other. But the design created so much drag that the plane wouldn't have been able to fly. Now two groups are trying to improve the concept with computer simulations. Engineers at Japan's Tohoku University devised wings with shifting flaps that adjust for drag at different speeds. And researchers from MIT and Stanford University widened the air channel between the wings and tilted their leading and trailing edges. If either design gets built, it could be the first supersonic biplane to take off.

You Built What?!: A 14-Ton Pizzeria on Wheels

2020-07-23T12:25:00.0000000+10:00

Jon Darsky spent years in San Francisco restaurants baking Neapolitan-style pizzas-thin crusts topped with fresh salted tomatoes and milky fior di latte mozzarella-in old-school specialty wood-fired ovens. In 2010 he began looking around for a place of his own but couldn't find the right piece of real estate. After a trip to Austin, Texas, a hotbed of mobile street vendors, he scrapped the idea of a bricks-and-mortar pizzeria and decided to put his oven on wheels.

Rough Sketch: Self-Guided Bullet

2020-07-23T12:08:00.0000000+10:00

For years, people have tried to come up with ways to steer bullets, and everyone has consistently said you can't do it. And you couldn't-if the bullet was spinning. A spinning bullet is too stable; you can't apply enough force to turn it off its axis of revolution. The secret sauce is that our bullet doesn't spin. It's kind of like a musket ball, which doesn't rotate, but with technology added to let us control where it goes.

You Built What?!: A Portable X-Ray Machine

2020-07-23T10:00:00.0000000+10:00

Late one night two years ago, Adam Munich found himself talking with two new acquaintances in a chatroom. One, a Pakistani guy, was complaining about rolling electricity blackouts in his country. The other had broken his leg in a motocross accident in Mexico and said his local hospital couldn't find a working x-ray machine. The two situations fused in Munich's mind; he wondered if a cheap, reliable, battery-powered x-ray machine existed-something that could be used in remote areas and function without being plugged in during blackouts. After discovering that the answer was no, he spent two years building one himself out of Nixie tubes, old art suitcases, chainsaw oil, and electronics from across the globe. It was an incredibly ambitious project for anyone, let alone a 15-year-old.

Riding Along With the Mars Rover Drivers

2020-07-21T07:18:00.0000000+10:00

Scott Maxwell stared at his bedroom ceiling in the hours after his first drive, restless with excitement. All systems were go, and he'd sent the commands by the time he left the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Now he was supposed to sleep before his next shift on Mars time. But he knew that on the fourth planet from the sun, the Spirit rover's wheels had started to move.

Google Nexus Q Review: An Unfinished Orb of Mystery

2020-07-21T04:53:00.0000000+10:00

The Nexus Q is Google's first media streamer, a sphere that streams audio and video to speakers and/or TVs, using an Android device as a remote. It's also horribly restrictive and limited in functionality - but it has potential, providing either Google or industrious hackers put in some hard work.

Unfortunately there is no word yet on when the Australian launch is scheduled or what local prices may be. Until we can personally get some hands on time, check out our US coverage of the Q.

A Brainwave-Controlled Version of "Pong"

2020-07-21T03:13:00.0000000+10:00

Few video games are more basic than Pong, but Charles Moyes and Mengxiang Jiang's version is incredibly complex. The two Cornell University students built a custom electroencephalography (EEG) device so they could control the game's onscreen paddle with their minds.

Researchers Build First Complete Computer Model of an Entire Organism

2020-07-21T01:10:00.0000000+10:00

To conduct experiments, researchers can change a variable in an organism and watch the results unfold. But life is messy, and it's difficult to understand the underlying processes that explain the data. Digitising the process could help, and now we're starting small: researchers have successfully made a computer model of Mycoplasma genitalium, the world's tiniest free-living bacterium.

Neurosecurity Lets You Store a Password In Your Brain Without Remembering It

2020-07-21T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Usually it's a problem when you can't remember a password. But in this particular case, it's by design. A new security technique mashes up cryptography with neuroscience to create passwords that are stored in users' brains but cannot be recalled, recited, or otherwise extracted by another party.

Blackberry Adds Heightened Emotion to Cell Phone Messages

2020-07-20T07:20:00.0000000+10:00

Most cell phones are pretty good at auto-correcting the errant spelling and punctuation that can ensue when you're typing while furious, or sad, or gleeful. But what if the messages you're sending could also convey those emotions embedded in your words? RIM filed a patent for just such a messaging system, which can determine the emotional context of a text in a way that goes beyond the little :-) we all know.

Video: NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity Has Traveled A Marathon on Mars

2020-07-20T05:56:00.0000000+10:00

All eyes will be on the new Mars rover Curiosity when it lands in just over two weeks, but lest we forget, NASA's indefatigable Mars rover Opportunity is still rolling along, too. The rover has driven about 35 kilometers, which prompted some Olympic-minded NASA people to realize the rover is nearing marathon distance. It will be the first interplanetary marathon.

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Could Cause Ultraviolet Damage to Skin

2020-07-20T05:42:00.0000000+10:00

We know CFL bulbs are world-changingly efficient, producing the same level of light as their incandescent parents while using a quarter of the energy. But they're still a relatively new device, and few long-term studies have been carried out on them. One of the most recent, a new report from a team at Stony Brook, suggests CFLs might cause damage to skin by releasing UV rays.

Billionaires: Russian Mogul Wants to Upload Your Brains Into Immortality

2020-07-20T03:29:00.0000000+10:00

Earlier this year, a Russian media mogul named Dmitry Itskov formally announced his intention to disembody our conscious minds and upload them to a hologram - an avatar - by 2045. In other words he outlined a plan to achieve immortality, removing the human mind from the physical constraints presented by the biological human body. He was serious. And now, in a letter to the members of the Forbes World's Billionaire's List, he's offering up that immortality to the world's 1,266 richest people.

Video: Kissenger Kissing Robot Transmits Your Signature Smooch

2020-07-20T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

Last time PopSci checked in on Singapore-based Lovotics, roboticists there were trying to create an interface for human-robot love by imbuing robots with all the biological and emotional nuances that characterize human relationships. Now, the team there is trying to enhance long-distance human-human relationships via a robotic medium with Kissenger (or Kiss Me, both short for Kiss Messenger we presume).

A New Blood Test Could Spot Concussions Within Hours

2020-07-20T00:05:00.0000000+10:00

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people with traumatic brain injuries go undiagnosed, often because they brush off their symptoms or because nothing unusual appears on CT scans of their brains. Without a diagnosis, people risk getting another concussion on top of the one they already have, increasing the chance of complications such as coma and death. But a new blood test could spot a brain injury within a few hours, enabling people to take time off to recover properly.

Victoria's Secret Designer is Giving Private Spaceflight a Makeover

2020-07-19T07:33:00.0000000+10:00

An unlikely duo has launched an unlikely commercial space company in an unlikely place. A former Roscosmos (that's the Russian space agency) employee and the designer famous for crafting the Victoria's Secret angel wings are teaming to create next-generation space suits for the commercial spaceflight industry in Brooklyn. Final Frontier Design yesterday cleared its funding goal on Kickstarter by more than $7,000, and is on its way to developing a new breed of intra-vehicular space suit.

Geoengineers Will Release Tons of Sun-Reflecting Chemicals Into the Air Above New Mexico

2020-07-19T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Even if they can be a major disaster for people nearby them, volcanoes do one good thing: helping to cool the planet by sending sun-reflecting chemicals into the stratosphere. Now two Harvard engineers are trying to replicate the better part of the volcanic process on a small scale by spraying thousands of tons of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere above New Mexico.

YouTube Launches Face Blurring Tool to Keep Protesters Anonymous

2020-07-19T05:37:00.0000000+10:00

Recent events have shown how social networks can help world unrest get witnessed globally. YouTube was a major player in sending videos of Arab Spring protestors out to masses across the world, but it had its drawbacks: the person protesting in a video was seen everywhere, but they were also seen back at home, where losing anonymity to a despotic government could become dangerous. To counteract that, YouTube is launching a tool to let video uploaders blur faces, hopefully allowing the spread of the videos without bringing danger to the ones in them.

Astronomers Spot Ancient Spiral Galaxy From an Era When Spirals Should Not Exist

2020-07-19T04:40:00.0000000+10:00

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have stumbled on a rare and surprising find: A very distant spiral galaxy, swirling billions of light years away, which formed at a time when such spiral galaxies were thought to be nonexistent. Researchers say it's an astounding discovery - partly because it raises some questions about prevailing theories of galaxy formation.

Researchers Model and Accurately Predict War Zone Attacks Using WikiLeaks Data

2020-07-19T03:35:00.0000000+10:00

The WikiLeaks info-dumps, as a lot of the public realised as they started to be released, contained a whole lot of info - both genuine nuggets of military action and wartime marginalia. But by cataloguing all of the events logged in the WikiLeaks Afghan War Diary - 91,000 reports from 2004 to 2010 - researchers from the University of Edinburg have been able to accurately map the past of the conflict, which could lead to predicting the conflict into the future.

By Linking Telescopes, Astronomers Make the Sharpest-Ever Observation of a Distant Object

2020-07-19T02:36:00.0000000+10:00

By tying together the observational power of three radio telescopes, astronomers have made the sharpest observation of a distant galaxy, some two million times sharper than human vision. That's big news in and of itself, but it's even bigger news for astronomers pursuing next-level Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). The observation demonstrates a kind of telescopic collaboration that's never been seen before, hinting at the future of astronomical observation.

Making a Camera Out of a Turtle Shell, an Egg, and More Weird Casings

2020-07-19T01:14:00.0000000+10:00

Camera design is getting more and more interesting as its components get smaller, but there's one major limitation: cameras are always made out of cameras. I know! Ridiculous! Our friends over at Pop Photo put together a list of cameras made out of things that are not cameras - turtle shells, garbage cans, an egg, and more. Take a note, camera makers. Read the full story over at Pop Photo.

Modular System Quickly Converts Container Ships to Drone-Powered Humanitarian Aid Stations

2020-07-18T23:45:00.0000000+10:00

When disaster strikes and a humanitarian crisis unfolds, international aid generally arrives via naval ships - often the very same military vessels designed to put troops and materiel ashore during military conflicts. That works okay, but it involves pulling naval vessels off their primary security missions and then moving them to where they can help, which can take days. To help get aid to the places its needed faster without bothering the Navy, Raytheon has designed a modular approach for quickly outfitting commercial container ships with an array of advanced technologies designed to move humanitarian cargo ashore to the places its needed most, no seaport necessary.

Video: DARPA Device Puts Out a Fire With Blast of Sound

2020-07-18T07:59:00.0000000+10:00

Applying physics to put out a fire, as opposed to chemistry, is an idea DARPA has been eyeing for a while, and it might lead to military devices that can better snuff out fires in enclosed places. Now they have demonstrated a new device in action.

IBM Supercomputer Simulates Common Cold Virus

2020-07-18T06:34:00.0000000+10:00

For humans, few things are as ubiquitous as the common cold. We catch it more than any other infectious disease and it's been with us as about as long as we've existed. But while there isn't a cure, our technology is constantly improving, and now in our corner we have Australia's fastest supercomputer helping to work out a solution.

Screen Yourself for Skin Cancer at Home With Your Phone's Camera

2020-07-18T04:29:00.0000000+10:00

Something like 90 percent of melanomas - the most serious kind of skin cancer - are visible to the naked eye, no MRI, CT scan, or other kind of sophisticated scanning or imaging necessary. So why bother getting screened at a clinic? The University of Michigan has created an iPhone app that allows you to inspect yourself for skin cancer. All you have to do is take 23 nude pictures of yourself with your smartphone.

FDA Approves First HIV-Prevention Drug

2020-07-18T03:45:00.0000000+10:00

In a milestone announcement, today the FDA approved the use of Truvada, the first drug to be used for HIV prevention in the 30-plus year battle against the virus. To be used as part of safe sex practices and continued testing, the drug, which was first approved in 2004, has already shown promise in preventing infection, with some figures placing protection rates as high as 90 percent.

Video: NASA is Testing a Water Prospecting Lunar Rover to Scout Future Moon Mission Destinations

2020-07-18T03:28:00.0000000+10:00

While NASA waits with bated breath for the Curiosity rover's arrival on the Martian surface, engineers at NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are already at work testing a new lunar rover designed to seek out water and other natural resources closer to home. The rover payload, known as the Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE), is designed to spend nine days prospecting for water resources on the moon sometime in the future.

The First Ever Self-Chilling Can

2020-07-18T02:31:00.0000000+10:00

Twenty years ago, Mitchell Joseph set out to solve one of the great challenges of the modern age: how to make a can of beer that could cool itself. He designed a can that used and released the coolant HFC-134a. His prototype worked-it cooled liquid dramatically in a matter of minutes-but there was a hitch. HFC-134a is a greenhouse gas 1,400 times as potent as carbon dioxide. Popping one of Joseph's cans was the environmental equivalent of driving 800 kilometers, and it was illegal under EPA regulations. Suffice it to say, his original design never made it into production. This year, Joseph introduced the ChillCan, a completely legal self-chilling can that reduces a drink's temperature by 15ºC in three minutes.

Security Consultant Cracks Handcuffs Open With 3-D Printed Plastic Keys

2020-07-18T02:25:00.0000000+10:00

At a hacker conference in New York on Friday, a German security consultant demonstrated just how "disruptive" 3-D printing can really be. Using a 3-D printer, the hacker/consultant printed out various plastic copies of handcuff keys for bracelets manufactured by both English and German security firms. Then he used them to easily pop open both sets of cuffs.

PopSci #45 - August 2012

2020-07-17T13:58:00.0000000+10:00

The August edition of Australian Popular Science is all about flying the unfriendly skies - with the world's first true robotic warplane. Should we be scared or secretly impressed? And where's the science in mixed martial arts? We find out.

Bio-Retina Implant Could Give Laser-Powered Sight to the Blind

2020-07-17T06:50:00.0000000+10:00

A new bionic eye implant could allow blind people to recognize faces, watch TV and even read. Nano Retina's Bio-Retina is one of two recent attempts to help patients with age-related macular degeneration, which affects 1.5 million people in the U.S. Although a similar implant, Second Sight's Argus II, has been on the market in Europe since last year, it requires a four-hour operation under full anesthesia because it includes an antenna to receive power and images from an external apparatus. The Bio-Retina implant is smaller because it doesn't have an antenna. Instead, the implant captures images directly in the eye, and a laser powers the implant remotely. Because of Bio-Retina's compact size, an ophthalmologist can insert it through a small incision in the eye in 30 minutes-potentially more appropriate for seniors. The Bio-Retina will generate a 576-pixel grayscale image. And clinical trials could begin as soon as next year.

Video: Camera Uses Ultra-Fast Mirrors to Perfectly Track a Ping-Pong Ball in Play

2020-07-17T05:44:00.0000000+10:00

The synchronized left-right-left-right neck swivel that's the hallmark of tennis spectation can be tough on the cameraman, too. Even in professional hands, capturing the perfect sequence is difficult when done manually. But a new project is aiming to autonomize a camera to perfectly capture close-up, dead-center video of fast-moving objects. And, at least when chasing a ping-pong ball, it looks good.

Land Your Very Own Curiosity Mars Rover Via Kinect

2020-07-17T04:51:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's newest Mars rover, Curiosity, is just a few weeks away from its nail-biting landing, soaring to the surface and dropping via hovercrane. A new Kinect-based game unveiled today lets you land it yourself, using your own movement to maneuver Curiosity through the landing called "seven minutes of terror."

Recharged in Midair By Flying Battery-Drones, Electric Aircraft May Never Have to Land

2020-07-17T03:48:00.0000000+10:00

Instead of taking off with thunderous jet engines, future airplanes may soar into the air on battery packs, and jettison them like so much ballast once the juice has been drained. Then these batteries could be replaced in flight. Instead of refueling with flying tankers, electric planes would rendezvous with autonomous flying battery-drones.

Powerful Lasers Could Be Fired Into the Clouds to Make It Rain

2020-07-17T02:52:00.0000000+10:00

We're further along in using science to manually force the weather's hand than many people suspect. In 2009, for example, the Chinese government used weather manipulation to bring a snowstorm to Beijing, and they aren't the only nation giving it a try. But using so-called "cloud seeding" techniques as high-tech rain dances is controversial; critics say it's both ineffective and bad for the environment. A potentially better solution - to this, as to most things! - is to fire up some lasers.

MIT's Smart Automotive Co-Pilot Secretly Helps You Drive Better

2020-07-17T01:57:00.0000000+10:00

Before cars start driving themselves completely, they'll most likely start helping humans behave better on the road, politely ignoring instructions to run a red light or noticing traffic cones or other obstacles a driver might not see. A new system developed at MIT could help cars have our backs, letting them serve as semi-autonomous co-pilots.

Using DNA to Track the Spread of Bedbugs

2020-07-17T00:53:00.0000000+10:00

Independent research teams from the U.S. and the U.K. are developing genetic techniques similar to those used in forensics labs to trace the ancestry of the bedbug. The work may help map the spread of the pesky bloodsucker over the course of the continuing global resurgence, as well as lead to DNA tests for use in lawsuits and other bed-bug-related disputes.

This Week in the Future, July 9-13, 2012

2020-07-14T06:32:00.0000000+10:00

The person in this week's Baarbarian illustration is facing a triple threat: dodging landmines with that phone, the moon waiting to strike, and the corn field that's prime territory for an alien attack, Signs-style.

Google Nexus 7 Tablet Review: Best of a Weird Breed

2020-07-14T03:39:00.0000000+10:00

The Nexus 7, built by Asus with close oversight from Google, is the best Android tablet and the best seven-inch tablet. If you have already convinced yourself that you want either of those, this is the one you want. It's nice to be able to say that so concretely! But where the best seven-inch, or even the best Android tablet falls in the overall tablet market is the more important question.

At Last, a Breed of Fruit Flies That Can Count Up to Four

2020-07-14T02:31:00.0000000+10:00

Geneticists in Canada have finally succeeded in an experiment that lasted for 40 generations. Generations of fruit flies, I mean. The flies were kept in containers, and lights were repeatedly flashed on them. When the number of flashes was two or four, the container was given a shake.

Aerographite, the Lightest Material Ever Created

2020-07-14T01:52:00.0000000+10:00

We've been impressed in the past by aerogel, a lattice-like solid that's almost entirely made of air but can support weight and also has tremendous insulating properties. Then last year an ultralight metal caught our eye, weighing in at 99.99 percent air, which leaves 0.01 percent solid.
Now we are excited to meet aerographite, a sponge grown of carbon nanotubes that's the least dense solid ever: a cubic centimeter of it weighs just two ten-thousandths of a gram.

The Jets of the Future

2020-07-14T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

NASA asked the world's top aircraft engineers to solve the hardest problem in commercial aviation: how to fly cleaner, quieter and using less fuel. The prototypes they imagined may set a new standard for the next two decades of flight.

NASA's Augmented Reality App Lets You Ride Along with Curiosity Mars Lander

2020-07-13T07:52:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's Curiosity rover is landing on Mars next month. But it's already landed on iPhones. So have the twin GRAIL spacecraft currently orbiting the moon. A new iPhone/iPad app released by NASA delivers an augmented reality experience in 3-D that allows users to print off imagery of the moon or Mars and view that imagery through the cameras on their devices, which then overlay the image on the device screen with various animations, graphics, and information.

National Ignition Facility Cranks Laser Up to Record 500 Trillion Watts

2020-07-13T06:58:00.0000000+10:00

In California, at the ultra-powerful fusion laboratory of the National Ignition Facility, 192 laser beams fired simultaneously, blasting their target - a circle 2 millimeters in diameter - with 500 trillion watts. That's 16,000+ times more than the entire of Australia was using at the time. It is the highest-energy laser shot ever fired in real life, although some fictional lasers have exceeded the record.

Seen for the First Time: Starless Galaxies

2020-07-13T04:02:00.0000000+10:00

Galaxy building theory says there are stars and there are stage hands. The bright, shining galaxies filled with stars, the theory goes, took star-building gas from somewhere else, but we couldn't find exactly where the help came from. Now astronomers have likely found that source; starless "dark galaxies" that fed others early in the history of the universe have been seen.

Supermarkets Use Retina Trackers To Monitor Your Shopping Choices

2020-07-13T03:03:00.0000000+10:00

Consumer products makers spend countless dollars every year on market research that doesn't work. Focus groups generally to try to please their testers, research has found, and consumer surveys also tend to overestimate their interest in products. So several companies are cutting what consumers say out of the equation and instead going straight after what they are thinking.

A New Way to Keep Deep-Sea Creatures Alive at the Surface

2020-07-13T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

The problem: Although scientists have been studying deep-sea animals since the 1860s, they still don't know much about them. That's in large part because the fish, octopuses and other creatures that thrive at the bottom of the ocean die quickly at the surface. In some cases, the lower pressure and higher temperature melt the lipids in their cell membranes. Even hardier animals, such as crabs, can survive at sea level for no more than a few weeks.

How 4K Resolution Will Bring Movie-Theatre Quality Into the Living Room

2020-07-12T15:01:00.0000000+10:00

Since the first high-definition televisions came out in 1998, consumers have heard the same tired sales pitch: "It's like having a movie theatre in your living room!" Actually, no. An HD image does have nearly the same resolution as one projected in a theatre. But when viewed on a large screen in a tight living room, the image's quality degrades markedly. 4K, a resolution standard just beginning to reach consumer markets, promises to make possible the dream of any serious film fan-vast, perfectly crisp movies at home.

Astronomers Eye Dark Galaxies For the First Time

2020-07-12T12:09:00.0000000+10:00

European scientists have zeroed in on 'dark galaxies' for the very first time using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, potentially plugging another gap in our knowledge of how galaxies like our own came to be.

Video: Man Strips Down Classic Sports Car Engine - In Stop Motion

2020-07-12T11:45:00.0000000+10:00

If you've ever stripped a car engine, you know it takes a long time, a lot of effort, and invariably leaves you with a large and mysterious pile of 'extra' parts by the end of it. A UK man has upped the difficulty by taking a few thousand photos of the process in order to then make a stop motion video of it.

Video: Jet Engine Made From... Lego?

2020-07-12T11:38:00.0000000+10:00

Over the years there’s been a long list of zany Lego creations - F1 cars, pianos, guitars, even whole houses. But until now, no-one’s ever seen fit to create a replica jet engine - let alone a jet engine that actually works.

Splicing a 500-Million-Year-Old Gene Into Modern Bacteria

2020-07-12T09:50:00.0000000+10:00

We are still waiting with bated breath for the day scientists resurrect the woolly mammoth. Until then, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with resurrections of ancient plants and bacteria - which may be more amazing anyway, because they're even older. The dish in the above image holds a bacterium with a 500 million-year-old gene in it. That's an era just a little while after the Cambrian explosion, when life became complex.

In Simulation, Moon Dust Found to Be Toxic to Humans

2020-07-12T07:50:00.0000000+10:00

Because we don't spend a large chunk of time up there, we haven't done too much research on the long-term health effects of living on the moon. But a paper titled "Toxicity of Lunar Dust," covering several aspects of the effects of moon dust on the human body, offers some insight: the moon is basically trying to kill you.

Video: A Robot With More Lifelike Facial Expressions Tries to Escape the Uncanny Valley

2020-07-12T07:05:00.0000000+10:00

The "uncanny valley" principle - the idea that when robots (or politicians) look human but not quite realistic enough, it makes real humans terribly uncomfortable - is a persistent problem for roboticists pursuing realistic humanoid robots. But research also shows that the uncanny valley effect can be somewhat mitigated by making the robotic more attractive and lifelike. To that end, Italian roboticists have created FACE, a realistic humanoid bust designed to closely mimic the many facial expressions our facial muscles are capable of.

Wind-Powered Car Travels At Twice the Speed of the Wind

2020-07-12T05:51:00.0000000+10:00

A couple of years back, Rick Cavallaro and his wind-powered car - Blackbird - silenced an online debate about whether its possible for a wind-powered vehicle to move downwind faster than the speed of the wind itself by going out and outrunning the wind. Now, Cavallaro and company have reconfigured their car to travel upwind and proved that it's possible to travel upwind at more than twice the speed of the headwind, setting what has to be a record for upwind terrestrial sailing.

Virgin Galactic Unveils Its Satellite-Launching Rocket, Will Be Lofted Into Orbit By WhiteKnightTwo

2020-07-12T02:53:00.0000000+10:00

Virgin Galactic officially entered the satellite launch business this morning at the Farnborough International Air Show when founder Sir Richard Branson unveiled LauncherOne, an expendable two-stage rocket designed to blast off at high altitude from Virgin's carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo - the same mothership that will launch space tourists on suborbital spaceflights. By circumventing both the weather and the high cost of a terrestrial rocket launch, Branson said he plans to create the lowest satellite launch cost in the space industry.

Torn Apart by Metal, Graphene Knits Itself Back Together Again

2020-07-12T02:00:00.0000000+10:00

Once punctured by wayward metal atoms, the wonder material graphene can stitch itself back together, healing over with a new patch of two-dimensional carbon atoms. This new finding sheds more light on the strange properties of graphene, and it could even lead to new graphene creation strategies.

Nano-Device Accurately Moves Single Electrons at 1 Billion Per Second

2020-07-12T01:12:00.0000000+10:00

For about 60 years, we've defined the amp - the power of an electrical current - by using mechanical processes, i.e., processes not defined in nature. And for the most part that works just fine. But now we're approaching a better way: scientists from the National Physical Laboratory and University of Cambridge have found a process to move 1 billion individual electrons per second, and measure them accurately.

A Stringless Guitar Simulator That Anyone Can Play

2020-07-12T00:25:00.0000000+10:00

Miroslaw Sowa, an electronics hobbyist in Montreal who grew up playing the accordion, liked the guitar but found fingering chords on the fret board too difficult. So he teamed up with Toronto software developer Vsevolod Zagainov to develop the Tabstrummer, an electronic instrument that allows the user to play different guitar chords simply by pressing one of up to 12 preset memory buttons.

Single Core Computer Watches Board Games For 2 Minutes, Then Beats You Mercilessly

2020-07-11T15:17:00.0000000+10:00

Computers have been beating humans at games for ages, that much is obvious. But a computer scientist from the Universite Paris Diderot in Paris, France has decided to change tack, moving away from complicated data sets, instead creating a vision-based system that can look at a game, learn it, and then play it by learning through "relational structures" instead of long formulae and a database of background knowledge. And it does it very, very well.

Parkinson's, Stroke Could Be Treated With Magnets: Trial

2020-07-11T10:49:00.0000000+10:00

New Australian research has found that language disorders incurred by Parkinson's and stroke suffers could be treated by an electromagnetic coil that launches magnetic pulses towards the patient's brain.

FYI: Will Climate Change Make it Too Hot Again?

2020-07-11T07:31:00.0000000+10:00

It depends on who you are and where you live. Humans thrive in Kuwait City, where average highs top 43°C for several months a year. But extended runs of hot days and warm nights do lead to spikes in mortality, and climatologists expect an increasing number of heat waves in years to come.

Video: Mapping Inside Buildings By Tracking Earth's Magnetic Field

2020-07-11T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

The kind of accurate geolocation offered by Global Positioning Systems has typically been difficult to apply indoors because metallic structures like buildings disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, rendering compasses like the one found in many smartphones useless when inside. So map- and app-maker IndoorAtlas decided to spin these magnetic disturbances into something useful. Via an upcoming smartphone app, the company has created a way for users to navigate indoors using those very magnetic disturbances as their guide.

New Telescope Optics Can Directly View Exoplanets By Hiding Interfering Starlight

2020-07-11T05:22:00.0000000+10:00

For now, the thousands of potential exoplanets discovered in the past two years are little more than curvy dips on a graph. Astronomers using the Kepler Space Telescope pick them out by examining the way they blot out their own stars' light as they move through their orbits. But if astronomers could block out the stars themselves, they may be able to see the planets directly. A new adaptive optics system on the storied Palomar Observatory just started doing that - it's the first of its kind capable of spotting planets outside our solar system.

Video: Smartphone App, Accurate to One Foot, Helps the Visually Impaired Navigate Indoors

2020-07-11T04:27:00.0000000+10:00

Using a smartphone and ultra wide band (UWB) transmission technology, Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Fujitsu have teamed to create a realtime positioning system for the blind that works indoors where GPS can't reach. Using base stations to triangulate a user's position, the system is accurate to within 30 centimetres.

MIT Energy Scavenger Harvests Power from Light, Vibrations, and Heat

2020-07-11T03:27:00.0000000+10:00

Small power generators that can harvest energy from ambient sources like heat, vibrations, and light hold a lot of promise across a range of applications, particularly in things like remote monitoring. They can harvest the vibrations imparted by vehicles passing over a bridge to power sensors that monitor the bridge's structural integrity, for instance, or keep a network of wildfire-detecting sensors working in the remote wilderness, no batteries necessary. But these kinds of ambient power are often intermittent and unreliable - unless you can harvest several of them at the same time.

Cockpit Controls Now Available As A Wrist Tablet and Mega Helmet

2020-07-11T02:34:00.0000000+10:00

Equipped with a huge helmet and a handy wrist-attached device, future fighter pilots will have maps, surround sound, radar and infrared vision all at their fingertips - even when they're outside the cockpit. Raytheon's new Aviation Warrior system, unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK, gives an airman or woman all the information a pilot might need, all in a wearable system.

This Laser Can Instantly, Remotely Scan You For Drugs or Explosives

2020-07-11T01:50:00.0000000+10:00

That inconspicuous brown box above is reportedly a new kind of laser-based molecular scanner that can collect spectroscopic information from more than 45 metres away. It can instantly probe your clothing and luggage for chemical traces of anything - explosives, drugs, biological matter - and you will never even know it.

FYI: Will Climate Change Make the Weather Too Extreme?

2020-07-11T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

Unpredictable extremes of weather could be a huge problem. Simon N. Gosling, a geographer at the University of Nottingham in England, and Robert E. Davis of the University of Virginia agree that hotter weather on average isn't as dangerous as unexpected weather.

Video: Aussie Uni Student Builds Wirelessly Charged, Levitating Light

2020-07-10T14:03:00.0000000+10:00

A University of Queensland student has built a lightbulb that does two things a little outside the lightbulb norm - first, it levitates. Secondly, it is powered without wires.

FYI: What's the Hottest the Earth Has Ever Gotten?

2020-07-10T09:30:00.0000000+10:00

Hot enough to boil oceans and vaporize rock. The highest terrestrial temperatures occurred more than four billion years ago, when a Mars-size proto-planet smashed into the Earth. (The debris from this collision formed our moon.) Within a millennium, the surface air temperature had dropped from a high of about 2,038°C down to 1,649°C. Then the planet went into a period of slower cooling that lasted a few tens of millions of years. As the atmosphere thickened with heat-trapping water clouds and carbon dioxide and a shell of solid rock formed around the Earth's core, conditions stabilized at 227°C.

Strategies for a Changing Planet: Shelter

2020-07-10T09:00:00.0000000+10:00

Climate change is already happening, and it's time to get ready. Here's how we could adjust our most basic needs - food, water, shelter - to survive.

For $10,000 on Kickstarter, Google Lunar X-Prize Contender Will Land Your DNA on the Moon

2020-07-10T07:11:00.0000000+10:00

Kickstarter can be a great way for people to help out with projects they care about. Make a small donation, and maybe even get a little trinket for your time. But what about the rich eccentric with money to burn? For 10,000 bucks, they too can help out with a project - and in exchange get their DNA on the moon.

At the Imagine Cup 2012: A Real-Life Minesweeper App That Detects Buried Landmines

2020-07-10T06:22:00.0000000+10:00

Using both the military and software sides of their education, a team of Polish military students studying computer engineering at Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna (Military University of Technology) presented at the Imagine Cup here in Sydney an app that uses the built-in magnetometer in a Windows phone to detect the magnetic signature of land mines buried in the ground.

SAPER (Sensor Amplified Perception for Explosives Recognition) is Poland's entry in the software design category of the 2012 Imagine Cup.

Jamming Device Prevents Driver's Phone From Working If Car Is In Motion

2020-07-10T05:35:00.0000000+10:00

Texting while driving is enough of a problem that it's been pinned as more dangerous than drunk driving, so it was only a matter of time before we started to see technology better able to shut it down. Now on that list: researchers have found a way to detect when a phone is being used in a moving car, then jam it.

World's Fastest Camera Photographs Cells in Action to Catch Cancer

2020-07-10T04:21:00.0000000+10:00

The fastest camera ever made can automatically count individual cells, processing millions of images continuously and doing it 100 times faster than existing light microscopes. This super-fast imaging system could potentially detect cancer cells lurking in millions of healthy cells, and could lead to speedier diagnosis of disease.

Physics Students Say A Gliding Batman Would Die Upon Landing

2020-07-10T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

The feasibility of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise has already taken some light hits here at PopSci, but a study from physics students at the University of Leiceister is trying to put another nail in the caped crusader's coffin, saying Bruce Wayne would hit the ground fatally if he were to glide the way he does in Batman Begins.

Kicking Off the 2012 Microsoft Imagine Cup With Student-Made Kinect Projects

2020-07-10T03:19:00.0000000+10:00

This year's Imagine Cup, a dream-of-the-future student competition in which "technology helps solve the world's toughest questions," was held in Sydney. The opening ceremonies were the mixture of ostentatious congratulation and childlike enthusiasm I have come to expect from the Imagine Cup. For a while, it was like Oprah's Favorite Things in there: "Everybody gets a new Nokia phone! Four of you get to go to a Microsoft developer's conference! Everybody gets Bill Gates's signature on a certificate!" The phrase "change the world" was used 10 times. I counted. And then four confetti cannons went off.

Aussie Scientists Grab First Radio Waves From Intermediate Sized Black Hole

2020-07-09T15:04:00.0000000+10:00

An international team including scientists from the University of Sydney have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to successfully detect radio waves from an intermediate black hole.

A Carbon Chassis Electric Motorbike: The Roskva

2020-07-09T10:59:00.0000000+10:00

It might not be a real, purchasable item just yet, but this carbon-chassis electric motorcycle from Norway already has our mouths watering.

Rough Sketch: "A Snail Could Be Used as a Battery"

2020-07-09T09:00:00.0000000+10:00

Our biofuel cell generates power from glucose sugar in a snail's body. We drill holes through the shell and implant enzyme-coated electrodes in the hemolymph, or snail blood, that naturally collects between the snail's body and shell. Like any battery, ours is based on chemical reactions that create a flow of electrons. One electrode grabs electrons from glucose in the hemolymph. The electrons then travel through an external circuit-including any device we want to power-and end up at the opposing electrode. There, the electrons react with oxygen in the hemolymph to form water. The power output is small, in the range of microwatts, and runs out after a few minutes as the glucose is depleted. After harvesting energy, the snail eats and drinks, restoring glucose levels in its body, and it can then generate power again. The snails don't appear to be harmed by the biocell.

Video: The Closest Robotic Legs Have Ever Gotten to Mimicking Human Gait

2020-07-07T07:34:00.0000000+10:00

Getting a robot to walk is doable. Getting it to walk exactly like a human? Not so easy. But now we're getting there, with researchers from the University of Arizona unveiling a first-of-its-kind set of biologically accurate robot legs.

Space Helps Worms Live Longer--What About Humans?

2020-07-07T06:45:00.0000000+10:00

Getting to space is a tough enough prospect, and even once you make it out of our atmosphere, there are still physical issues. Chief among them: a long flight can cause a loss of bone and muscle mass. To find ways to combat that process, researchers study C. elegans, worms that have a surprising amount in common with humans. But a recent study noticed a strange side effect for space-bound worms: they lived longer.

Megapixels: Blowing Up a 483 Metre Bridge

2020-07-07T03:03:00.0000000+10:00

The American 483-metre Fort Steuben Bridge spanned the Ohio River, linking Ohio to West Virginia for 84 years, but it took just seconds for it to drop in a controlled demolition in February.

Video: Build Your Own Food Helper Gadgets

2020-07-07T02:10:00.0000000+10:00

Isn't it a pain when you forget to stir your soup and it scorches? Or when you're trying to play Madden whilst hungry, but you need both hands on the controller? Ben Heckendorn, game device modder extraordinaire, came up with some solutions. Watch the videos past the jump.

Pretty Space Pics: WISE Captures a Nebula on Fire

2020-07-07T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer may be running out of coolant, but its infrared sensors are still capturing some amazing infrared views of the cosmos. Today in pretty space pics: the Flame nebula, a burning candle lighting up the larger Orion complex close to its well-known belt.

Video: Burning Mercury Thicyanide Equals ... Um?

2020-07-06T17:01:00.0000000+10:00

What better way to round out a Friday afternoon that with an amazing, and slightly frightening, look at what happens when you set a highly toxic substance like mercury thiocyanide alight. If you haven't seen this before, be warned - it's the stuff nightmares are made of.

Melting Sea Ice, Atmospheric Warming Contributes To Four Times Global Average Heating In Arctic: Study

2020-07-06T15:35:00.0000000+10:00

New Australian research as shown that Arctic temperatures are heating at a rate up to four times higher than the global average, and this extraordinary number is largely down to loss of sea ice and increased atmospheric circulation caused by global warming.

Japanese Inquiry Declares Fukushima Crisis "A Profoundly Man-Made Disaster"

2020-07-06T13:11:00.0000000+10:00

The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission, an independent (well, duh) committee set up by the Japanese parliament to look into last year's nuclear disaster, just released its official report - and it's pretty damning. In the introduction, the chairman of the commission says the nuclear accident "could and should have been foreseen and prevented."

Israeli Man Controls Robot Thousands of Miles Away With Just His Brain

2020-07-06T07:32:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen telepresence take huge steps in recent years, broadcasting the sense of touch to operators and allowing us to attend a party across the country. But this is really some next-level stuff: this telepresence 'bot is controlled simply with its operator's thoughts.

Oscar Pistorius Will Be the First Amputee to Compete in the Olympic Games

2020-07-06T06:13:00.0000000+10:00

Oscar Pistorius is a sprinter, sure, but he's also basically a professional world's-firster. Last year he became the world's first amputee to run in the World Championships, and today it was announced that Pistorius, whose legs were both amputated below the knee at less than a year old, will become the first amputee to run in the Olympic Games this summer in London. (He'll also be competing in the Paralympic Games - another world's first.)

Stanford's New Electrojelly Feels Like Living Tissue, But Acts Like a Semiconductor

2020-07-06T05:39:00.0000000+10:00

Future electronic skin and bio-batteries could be etched onto surfaces with inkjet printers, conducting electricity while looking for all the world like spongy biological tissue. A new electrically conductive hydrogel, developed at Stanford University, can be printed or sprayed as a liquid and turned into a gel once it's in place.

Discovered: the First Major Botnet Living on Smartphones

2020-07-06T01:39:00.0000000+10:00

We've all grown quite used to the idea of botnets stowing away on PCs out there on the Internet, spamming us from hacked inboxes in unknown places. Now, botnets are going mobile. Microsoft researcher Terry Zink says he's discovered evidence that an illegal botnet has hijacked smartphones running Google's Android operating system and used them to send spam from users' Yahoo email accounts.

Aussie Researchers Grab A Snapshot of A Single Atom's Shadow

2020-07-06T00:35:00.0000000+10:00

There's no way to take a direct picture of something as small and fleeting as a Higgs boson. But physicists can photograph its relatives, directly imaging atomic structures and improving our understanding of atomic physics. Now comes this picture: The first-ever snapshot of a single atom's shadow.

The State of the Civilian UAV Industry in Australia

2020-07-05T15:15:00.0000000+10:00

To quote a certain moustachioed British comedian, don’t mention the war. Just don’t. Specifically, don’t mention all those remote controlled, explosive-payload-carrying aerial drones, the ones that are as much a part of modern warfare as the guys on the ground. In much the same way that the internal combustion engine, planes, and even the internet came from military roots, Unmanned Aerial Systems (as civil industry prefers to call the peaceful variety) have to bear the burden of past lives as cutting edge military tech before coming into civilian use. In some ways, they’re in the position of the kid that always got picked on at school. Or Microsoft. Or all sides of Australian politics. Basically, UAVs have an image problem.

Commbank's Kaching Mobile Payment App Arrives For Android, But With No NFC Functionality

2020-07-05T12:48:00.0000000+10:00

Imagine the joy when CommBank customers discovered the bank was today releasing its mobile payments app, Kaching, for Android eight months after the iOS version launched. Now imagine some of the disappointment when it arrives sporting a number of iOS interface holdovers and zero NFC/Paypass functionality.

The Coal Mining Boom: Blessing or Curse?

2020-07-05T11:32:00.0000000+10:00

Following on from our discussion of fossil fuels in the latest issue of PopSci magazine, a pair of Sydney Uni professors have looked more closely at the real benefits versus the drawbacks of the coal industry.

Hello, Higgs Boson: New Particle The Real Thing?

2020-07-05T08:15:00.0000000+10:00

"We have discovered a new particle," CERN director general Rolf Heuer said Wednesday morning. "A boson. Most probably a Higgs boson." Even the most anticipated news in science does not come without some caveats.

Scientists Almost Entirely Certain They've Found The Higgs Boson

2020-07-04T18:10:00.0000000+10:00

Late this afternoon, in both Melbourne and the home of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, CERN announced what probably qualifies as the biggest breakthrough in physics research this century - the discovery of what is almost certainly the Higg's Boson. 99.999 per cent certain, in fact.

Leaked Higg's Boson Video One Of Several Recorded In Advance

2020-07-04T11:45:00.0000000+10:00

On the eve of an announcement by CERN on the existence, or indeed continuing non-existence, of the Higg's Boson or 'God Particle', a video has been leaked of an interview with a CERN scientist who says they have observed a particle that could fit the Higg's model. Interestingly, though, CERN have since said the video was one of several recorded in advance. What the?

Chemistry Finally Delivers Long-Promised Self-Cleaning Lawn Furniture

2020-07-04T05:15:00.0000000+10:00

Just in time for that annual fourth of July cookout in which you drag all that filthy white lawn furniture from its molding, mildewing stack out behind the shed: a team from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute has created a titanium dioxide-doped polymer coating that kills germs and bacteria when exposed to sunlight. Self-cleaning lawn furniture surely can't be far behind.

Japanese Anesthesiologist Completely Faked 172 Papers

2020-07-04T04:48:00.0000000+10:00

Scientific papers are faked sometimes. That's obviously dangerous, especially when the researcher works for the pharmaceutical industry or has a clear agenda. But we've never seen anything quite like this: a Japanese anesthesiologist named Yoshitaka Fujii has been found to have fabricated a hundred and seventy-two papers over the course of 19 years, more than even Joachim Boldt, who fabricated 90.

Headlights That See Through a Downpour by Tracking and Hiding Raindrops

2020-07-04T04:02:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have figured out how to thwart the weather when you're behind the wheel by looking straight through the rain drops or snow that create that white-out effect when headlights meet heavy precipitation at night. By detecting and tracking individual rain droplets or snow as they fall through a car's headlight beams, they've created a system that can "dis-illuminate" them by adjusting the headlight beams to only shine around them rather than on them.

Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Review: Fly Higher, Farther, and More Intuitively

2020-07-04T03:15:00.0000000+10:00

After enthusiastically covering the debut of Parrot at the Consumer Electronics Show back in 2010, PopSci went on to honour the camera-equipped, remotely-piloted quadrotor with a Best of What's New distinction. And so with that in mind I unboxed the newest iteration - properly named AR.Drone 2.0 - prepared for some degree of disappointment. Second-generation products, as often as not, tend to correct flaws in the first generation and marginally refresh or update certain features (now with HD camera!) without drastically improving or reinventing the core product or experience. I approached Parrot's newest drone accordingly.

As Deadly White-Nose Syndrome Ravages Bat Population, Bats Change Social Strategy to Survive

2020-07-04T01:48:00.0000000+10:00

Like germophobes who avoid the mall during flu season, North America's most common bat species is changing its social behaviour as a result of disease, new research says. Little brown bats, which have been decimated by a fungus known as white-nose, are turning into loners.

Scientists To Watch Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole Chow Down On Huge Gas Cloud

2020-07-03T17:30:00.0000000+10:00

With black holes still being something of a mysterious entity in cosmos, scientists are looking forward to a rare event in astrophysical observation - the consumption of an entire dust cloud by the black hole at the heart of our galaxy.

Researchers Create Stretchy 'Rubber Band' Electronics, Can Flick At People's Eyes

2020-07-03T15:18:00.0000000+10:00

When we think of gadgets and electronics, we're not usually thinking of how bendy and rubbery we wish they were. Fortunately for us small minded folk, though, a research term has been thinking very hard about the problem, and have come up with a way to create the stretchiest electronics yet.

Video: MIT Alumni Bring Spacesuit Tech to Temperature-Regulating Dress Shirts

2020-07-03T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

It happens to the best of us: you slog through the summer heat on your morning commute and wind up a messy ball of sweat by the time you make it to the sweet comfort of your air-conditioned office. Now a team of MIT grads is trying to solve that problem by borrowing temperature-control technology from NASA.

The Future of Game Consoles Will Be No Console

2020-07-03T07:03:00.0000000+10:00

Last night, Sony announced it's purchasing Gaikai, a service that lets you stream video games in a similar way to OnLive - servers stream video games to an electronic device as you send controller movements back to those servers.

Physicists and Geneticists Team Up to Build a Galactic Dark-Matter Detector out of DNA

2020-07-03T06:07:00.0000000+10:00

The hunt for dark matter is arguably the biggest scientific search ongoing right now - even as scientists close in on the elusive Higgs boson - but finding it is not proving easy, since physicists can't see or measure the stuff, or even be sure that it's there at all (it is, after all, theoretical at this point). To find it, a notable collaboration of astrophysicists and geneticists is gathering to build one of the most far-out particle detectors we've come across in recent memory: a dark matter detector made out of DNA.

A Topically Applied Skin Lotion That Modifies Your Genes

2020-07-03T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

Future genetic therapy could be as simple as applying a topical lotion, with nanoscale compounds soaking through your epidermis to tweak your DNA. This new class of nucleic acid structures could guard against some types of skin cancer, according to researchers at Northwestern University.

IBM Tackles Boston Traffic, Merging Multiple Data Streams to Predict, Ease Congestion

2020-07-03T04:29:00.0000000+10:00

By some estimates, Boston is one of the 10 worst cities for traffic congestion in the United States. To alleviate the problem, Boston tapped IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge and the technical expertise of that company's engineers to build an app that merges everything from cell phone accelerometer data to comments made via social media to paint an all-encompassing realtime picture of Boston's traffic situation.

"Acoustic Tweezers" Can Manipulate Tiny Organisms Using Sound Waves

2020-07-03T03:41:00.0000000+10:00

Tired of grabbing cells and roundworms with clumsy tools? This set of acoustic tweezers - a device the size of a dime - uses ultrasound to move objects and living material without physical contact.

You'll Soon Be Able to Buy a Firefox Phone

2020-07-03T02:34:00.0000000+10:00

Mozilla has been making some small moves into mobile with the Firefox browser for Android, but today the company announced much bigger plans: Firefox OS, previously known as "Boot to Gecko," is an entirely new operating system for smartphones. The OS will be based on Linux, but all apps will be entirely browser-based, built on HTML5, like Google's Chrome OS.

Video: The World's Thinnest Transparent Display is a Soap Bubble

2020-07-03T02:03:00.0000000+10:00

The world's thinnest transparent screen isn't really a screen at all, but something more like a soap bubble. An international team of researchers claims its display - which uses ultrasonic sound waves to change the properties of a soap-like film to display both flat and 3D images - is the world's thinnest transparent screen, and that using several of them together can even produce a holographic projection.

Young Fish Adapting To CO2-Heated Water Of Their Parents: Study

2020-07-02T15:27:00.0000000+10:00

A new body of research conducted by Australian scientists has found that some species of fish may be able to adapt somewhat to increases in water temperature caused by rising CO2 levels.

Survive Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse, Make a Radar Out Of Coffee Tins

2020-07-02T13:46:00.0000000+10:00

Coffee tins - great for string-based telephone construction, improvised percussion and, finally, for keeping things in. However, as it turns out they're good for another thing as well - cobbling together a radar system. We can see how this would be useful when we find ourselves against the wall when the zombies apocalypse comes.

What to Do With the Free Bonus Second We're All Getting This Weekend

2020-06-30T07:03:00.0000000+10:00

The Earth's rotation doesn't line up perfectly with our calculation of it, so to keep things consistent, we have to adjust. That's why this weekend will have a leap second. This Saturday, just before midnight Greenwich Mean Time, clocks will count to 60 seconds, instead of 59.

Intel's New Processor Powers a Range of Ultra-Slim Laptops

2020-06-30T05:15:00.0000000+10:00

Last October, Acer and Asus debuted the first ultrabooks, a class of laptops characterised by their super-thin chassis. The trim designs, however, left engineers little room to include graphics cards or large, fast processors.

Living in the Future: We Are All DJs

2020-06-30T03:46:00.0000000+10:00

Living in the Future is a new column about those rare moments, as we go about our daily lives, when we realize that what we're doing is amazing. We have a tendency to assimilate new tech into our lives without giving it much thought, or even without much gratitude, as Louis C.K. reminds us. But every once in awhile, we get that visceral "whoomph" while doing something as mundane as listening to music or playing a video game, and think: "Holy shit. I can't believe this is possible."

Chinese Astronauts Return to Earth After 12-Day Mission

2020-06-30T03:11:00.0000000+10:00

Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth in a re-entry broadcast live on Chinese television, landing safely in Inner Mongolia. We saw the historic launch and docking earlier this month, and now, after more than a week of running tests aboard the solar-powered Tiangong 1 space module, the crew of three is back. Needless to say, this is another big leap for the country.

How the Designer of Apple's Mouse is Helping 32 Million Americans Sign Up For Healthcare

2020-06-30T01:05:00.0000000+10:00

It's official: the US Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, which, however you feel about it, means 32 million Americans will likely gain health care coverage. A part of the legislation dictates that all those people, by law, need somewhere to enroll, compare coverage, and purchase insurance. The design consultancy Ideo has spent more than a year putting together an open-source template to keep the potential paperwork from crushing everyone before they even have health insurance to cover the damage.

Video: A Steampunk-Style Cold Cathode Nixie Tube Chess Set

2020-06-29T14:17:00.0000000+10:00

There are a billion beautiful work-of-art chess sets out there, but this one had us impressed thanks to its pure scientific elegance - this chess set is made out of old school Nixie tubes, that glow not because they are heated, but because they're lit by electrified gas under low pressure.

Texas Students Hijack a US Government Drone in Midair

2020-06-29T06:01:00.0000000+10:00

The US government, understandably, doesn't want its drone technology to fall out of the sky and into other peoples' laps. But being able to hijack a drone and control it? That's even worse. And a team of researchers has done it for 1,000 bucks.

With New Nicotine Vaccine, Cigarettes Give You No Pleasure

2020-06-29T03:55:00.0000000+10:00

Nicotine addiction is a hard habit to break. But what if you could never get hooked in the first place? Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York report in the journal Science Translational Medicine that they have developed a potential vaccine for nicotine addiction. In mice, the vaccine inhibits the effects of nicotine before they reach the heart or brain, making it seem as though the nicotine never entered the bloodstream.

Electric Spray Paint Could Turn Any Surface Into a Battery

2020-06-29T02:58:00.0000000+10:00

Lithium-ion batteries work by stacking active ingredients in layers. In your laptop and phone, the layers are stacked into a block, but a new process could make that seem quaint: spray-paint the necessary layers onto any surface like paint, to make an instant battery anywhere.

B612 Sentinel: The First Privately-Funded Deep Space Mission

2020-06-29T02:15:00.0000000+10:00

This morning at the California Academy of Sciences, a team of former astronauts, space scientists, NASA alums, and other concerned citizens of the solar system announced an unprecedented initiative to place a solar-orbiting telescope in deep space. The B612 Foundation wants to map the inner solar system's asteroid inhabitants and chart their orbits over the next hundred years. And to do so, it will build, launch, and operate the first privately funded deep space mission in the history of human spaceflight.

Video: Dr. NakaMats, the World's Most Prolific Inventor

2020-06-29T01:01:00.0000000+10:00

Japan has a storied history of technical wizardry, but even then Yoshiro Nakamatsu stands a cut above. Better known as Dr. NakaMats, he's a celebrity inventor who's claimed to hold over 4,000 patents, which would be a world record. He's known for his loopy, goofball demeanour, which makes him something of a cross between Nikola Tesla and Willy Wonka. Dr. NakaMats celebrated his 84th birthday on June 26.

Emulsifying Molecule Could Magnetise Oil Spills For Easy Cleanup

2020-06-29T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

A lot of oil spill clean-up technology is focused on heavily mechanical solutions - gadgets and machines pumping the muck out of water. But some interesting solutions to the quandary come from other fields of science, and one team is looking to chemistry for a better way. They're using an emulsifier, a custom molecule that allows liquids, such as oil and water, to mix. And this particular emulsifier responds to magnets.

Video: A Skateboard Designed To Navigate Spiral Staircases

2020-06-28T16:11:00.0000000+10:00

A UK-based student decided one day to come up with the ultimate urban skateboard, designed specifically to deal with the stair-blocked dead ends through the city of London. He's finally finished it, and boy is it slick.

Australian Research Shows Cycling Use Locally In Decline

2020-06-28T15:20:00.0000000+10:00

We like to think that we're becoming more environmentally conscious, that cycling use in our capital cities is on the upswing, but a new body of research from Sydney University has found that the reverse is true - the per capita levels of cycling in Australia are actually on the decline.

Discovering Telstra's NextG Browser Tracking

2020-06-28T12:12:00.0000000+10:00

Yesterday saw a new battle on the online privacy front emerge after it was found Telstra was tracking web pages visited by mobile customers on their NextG network, and then delivering that data to a third party in the United States. We spoke to one of the people behind the discovery, Mark Newton, about how he found out about the tracking, and followed it back to its overseas source.

The World's First LED Lightbulb You Can Control With a Smartphone

2020-06-28T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

There will come a time when our homes are completely automated, just like in several horror movies in which a house slowly murders its unsuspecting occupant. The Insteon is a pretty good step towards that inevitable murder - it's the first LED lightbulb that you can control with a smartphone app.

DARPA's Satellite-Recycling Program is Looking For the Perfect Orbiting Sat to Dismantle

2020-06-28T06:45:00.0000000+10:00

In late 2011, DARPA announced its intention to create an on-orbit capability to harvest dead satellites and recycle their parts into new orbiting communications outposts. In 2012, the research arm of the US Department of Defence is making good. Danger Room reports the agency has awarded its first contract ($2.5 million to a Northrop Grumman division for technology development), organised a summit on sustainable satellite servicing, and began seeking its first candidate satellite on which it hopes to demonstrate these technologies by 2015.

Developers Can Now Pre-Order A Pair of Smart Google Glasses

2020-06-28T04:55:00.0000000+10:00

At Google I/O, the annual Google tech conference, corporate heads let everyone know they're further ahead on Google Glass - those neat virtual reality glasses you may have seen - than anyone thought. They're available now for pre-order, but for the time being will only be sold to US-based developers attending the I/O conference. They'll be let go to those select few for a cool US$1,500. No word yet on when the general public will be able to get their hands on one.

Five Reasons Why I'm Excited About Google's Nexus Q

2020-06-28T04:02:00.0000000+10:00

Google (probably accidentally) leaked some details of the Nexus Q before today's I/O event even started. It's a streaming...I almost said box, but it's actually more like an orb. It's somewhere between a Sonos system, which streams music to stations in different parts of your house, and an Apple TV, which streams music and video to your TV. And I think it's very exciting. Here's why.

FYI: Could Drugs Like "Bath Salts" Be Causing An Outbreak of Cannibalism?

2020-06-28T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Does the drug commonly known as "bath salts" make you particularly crave the taste of human flesh? There's no scientific evidence that it does. But it certainly could lead to a bit of cannibalism as a side effect.

Tesla Founder Says Most New Cars Will Be Electric Within 20 Years - But Will They?

2020-06-27T16:18:00.0000000+10:00

Given that he launched the Tesla Model S earlier this week, it makes sense that Tesla founder Elon Musk would be in high spirits. So high, in fact, that he has said today that within 20 years, the majority of new cars sold will run entirely off of electric batteries.

PopSci #44 - July 2012

2020-06-27T15:33:00.0000000+10:00

Our Future of the Environment issue is here today, and it's environmentally friendly to the extreme. Traditional wisdom says buying magazines isn't a great thing to do in terms of environmentalism thanks to paper, but this issue is made out of 100 per cent recycled recycling. Ok, that may not be entirely true, but if you want to get up to speed on all the important environmental discussions and the best in green tech, this is a (tiny!) carbon footprint worth having.

New Aussie Program To Fast Track Civil UAV Tech For Widespread Use

2020-06-27T14:57:00.0000000+10:00

A new public-private program in Queensland has been started to try and push the development and use of unmanned flight technology, particularly in environmental and emergency applications.

Video: A Robot That Cannot Be Beaten At Scissors Paper Rock

2020-06-27T14:38:00.0000000+10:00

A Japanese robot has essentially become the best scissor paper rock player Earth has to offer, being designed to be unbeatable at the game. If you ever have problems breaking a stalemate with your friends over who has to buy the next round of beers, this robot is your... man?

Project of the Month: An Autonomous Lawn Mower

2020-06-27T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

It took Hubert Pissavin two weeks in his garage to build a machine that would do his least favorite chore for him: mowing the lawn. The retired electrical engineer started with a simple, boxy chassis made of wood. With four motorised wheels and a spinning blade, the battery-powered device moves in a straight line until it bumps into an obstacle, which activates a relay switch that backs the mower up about three feet.

China's "Human Sniffers" Tasked With Finding Potentially Hazardous Gas Emissions

2020-06-27T06:33:00.0000000+10:00

Today in truly odd jobs: China is apparently hiring "human sniffers" to act as living, breathing sensors to detect potentially unhealthy gases around waste and sewage treatment plants. In fact, Beijing has been doing this for years. China's rapid urbanisation in recent decades has resulted in the construction of many new treatment facilities for waste and sewage that can emit unhealthy and offensive vapours into the air, and the state has dealt with this via a small army of human smell detectors.

Use a Mac? You Probably Want a More Expensive Hotel Reservation

2020-06-27T04:36:00.0000000+10:00

Data mining by online merchants isn't just so Overstock.com can offer to sell you the same product you just purchased on Amazon. It has the power to make all our lives better! Orbitz, which makes online reservations for hotels and such, figured out that Mac and Windows users have different purchasing habits - and adjusted accordingly.

Video: A Quadrotor Swarm Puts on a Seriously Psychedelic Light Show at Cannes

2020-06-27T03:23:00.0000000+10:00

The Cannes Lions are generally characterised by lavish parties and ad industry people congratulating each other for, well, being ad industry people. But it's also a meeting of creative, forward-thinking media minds, so perhaps it's about time someone got wise to the robotics revolution unfolding across the globe right now. Front and centre at ad house Saatchi & Saatchi's New Directors' Showcase at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: a swarm of precisely-programmed quadrotor drones putting on a face-melting psychedelic light show soundtracked by Brooklyn's Oneohtrix Point Never.

Male Contraceptive Gel Could Be Applied Directly to the Skin

2020-06-27T02:32:00.0000000+10:00

When it comes to taking charge of one's reproductive fate, women have had reliable birth control methods for decades now. For men the story is completely different. Though not for lack of trying, the medical establishment has failed to produce a consistently reliable method of contraception that is both non-permanent and healthy for men to take. But research coming out of Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center could change that via a simple gel applied directly to the skin.

Google's Simulated Brain Has Trained Itself to Recognise Cats on YouTube

2020-06-27T01:50:00.0000000+10:00

As intelligent as computers continue to get, it's still a lot of work for them to perform tasks many humans do on a regular basis - like, say, enjoying cat videos on YouTube. In an attempt to bridge that gap, scientists from Google's X laboratory created a simulated human brain by putting 16,000 computer processors together and having them browse around the Internet, learning facts about the world as they went. And the simulated human brain successfully found YouTube's cats.

Simulated 13-Year-Old Boy "Eugene Goostman" Wins Largest-Ever Turing Test

2020-06-27T00:52:00.0000000+10:00

Computer scientist Alan Turing's infamous Turing test - possibly the thing he's known best for out of a long resume - is a simple, solid bar for artificial intelligence that's held up since the 1950s. But this weekend that bar was nearly reached. Judges surveyed in the largest-ever Turing competition agreed 29 percent of the time that Eugene Goostman was a 13-year-old boy, and that was good enough for the chatbot to win.

A Heatsink That Could Be 30 Times More Efficient Than Today's Setups

2020-06-27T00:10:00.0000000+10:00

Computers get hot. Heat is bad for computers. To whisk it away, we use a combination of heatsinks and fans to snatch heat away from the internals and blast it out of the computer's case. But Sandia has a concept that combines the two in a way that, they claim, increases heat-removing efficiency by up to 30 times.

Video: Robotic Flower Looks Like a Pretty Daisy, Bites Like A Venus Flytrap

2020-06-26T14:08:00.0000000+10:00

There's a dearth of pretty robots in the world today. We have powerful robots, creepy robots, weird robots - but there's just not enough pretty. One guy has decided to rectify that by building a moving large-sized lily robot, perfect for allergy sufferers or those with a taste for more than the regular plastic fakery. Watch out, though - not everything is as it seems.

Colombian Garbage Dump To Be Turned Into a Park Thanks To Its Own Colony Of Bacteria

2020-06-26T12:47:00.0000000+10:00

The infamous El Merro municipal dump in north-western Colombia that once played home to 50,000 people has been a remediation nightmare for the country. However, the key to turning the 50 metre high dumping ground into something a little more palatable could be the very same bacteria that already live in its slightly-stinky depths.

Water Scarce After the Apocalypse? Install These Water-Conserving Cyborg Internal Organs

2020-06-26T07:44:00.0000000+10:00

Handed an assignment to design a water bottle for the human race if it were on the brink of extinction, Japanese design studio Takram instead did something else: planned a set of robotic "organs" that could keep people alive on 32 millilitres of water a day.

Sea Level Rising Rapidly on Both Coasts, Could Even Flood San Francisco Airport in a Decade

2020-06-26T06:51:00.0000000+10:00

The Northeast US has been taking the brunt of rising sea levels not just in the country but in the world, with waters rising three to four times faster than the global average, according to new data. But that doesn't spare the West Coast; in a decade, rising sea levels could flood the San Francisco International Airport.

Amazing Video: Curiosity Rover's Mars Landing Will Be "Seven Minutes of Terror"

2020-06-26T05:43:00.0000000+10:00

When NASA's Curiosity Rover reaches Mars this August, it'll takes seven minutes to get from the tip of the atmosphere to the surface of the planet. Those seven minutes are a little scary for engineers who've sunk a lot of time into this project, so the descent is called the "seven minutes of terror." Here it gets highlighted by an awesome, super-dramatic video.

A Fingerprint Scanner That Can Capture Prints From Six Metres Away

2020-06-26T04:18:00.0000000+10:00

Gaining access to your gym or office building could soon be as simple as waving a hand at the front door. A Hunsville, Alabama based company called IDair is developing a system that can scan and identify a fingerprint from nearly six metres away. Coupled with other biometrics, it could soon allow security systems to grant or deny access from a distance, without requiring users to stop and scan a fingerprint, swipe an ID card, or otherwise lose a moment dealing with technology.

Video: Human-Powered Gamera II Helicopter Hovers for a World-Record 50 Seconds

2020-06-26T03:23:00.0000000+10:00

It hasn't nabbed the Sikorsky Prize yet, but it looks like a new world record: the Gamera II team at the University of Maryland flew, with power provided only by the arms and legs of Ph.D. candidate Kyle Gluesenkamp, for 50 seconds.

By Twisting Light Signals into a Vortex, Researchers Create Fastest Wireless Connection Ever

2020-06-26T02:48:00.0000000+10:00

By twisting radio waves into a threaded vortex, an international team of researchers has beamed data through the air at 2.5 terabits per second, creating what has to be the fastest wireless network ever created. Moreover, the technique used to create this effect has no real theoretical ceiling, ExtremeTech reports. That means - in theory - that an infinite number of these vortex beams could be threaded together to add infinite capacity to conventional transmission protocols.

Ultrasound in a Pill Could Replace Daily Injections

2020-06-26T02:03:00.0000000+10:00

A daily shot is still the most effective, if most uncomfortable, form of treatment for many people with a chronic illness. Most pills work too slowly to be of much use for, say, someone with diabetes. But one company is planning a solution: packing ultrasound tech into a pill to orally deliver drugs as efficiently as a shot.

Chinese Astronauts Complete Their First Manual Spacecraft Docking

2020-06-26T01:22:00.0000000+10:00

Chinese astronauts aboard Shenzhou-9 continue to rack up milestones. The crew - which has been living and working aboard the Tiangong-1 orbiting module, China's first stab at a working space station, for a week now - returned to the Shenzhou spacecraft early Sunday, disconnected from Tiangong-1, and docked with it again manually (the spacecraft originally docked with the Tiangong module via remote control from a ground station in China).

At SETIcon 2012: Planetary Spit-Swapping, Dark Energy As a Singularity and Other Bizarro Space Science

2020-06-26T00:45:00.0000000+10:00

I'm huddled outside the Hyatt hotel entrance in Santa Clara, California, shivering with a notepad in hand and half listening to the pop music coming from "Christia and Derick's wedding reception," when Erika Dunning breaks the news. "The International Space Station is passing overhead in four minutes," she says, reading her NASA iPhone app. "30 degrees above northwest, 66 degrees max elevation."

Can the All-Electric Ford Focus Get Traction?

2020-06-26T00:21:00.0000000+10:00

Later this year, Ford will roll out the Focus Electric, Detroit's first direct competitor to the Nissan Leaf in the US. Like the Leaf, the Focus Electric is an all-electric five-door hatchback with a 275-plus-kilogram lithium-ion battery, a driving range of close to 160 kilometres on a charge, and a price tag north of US$35,000. Unlike the Leaf, the Focus Electric is not a purpose-built EV; it looks almost identical to the gas-powered Focus, which is manufactured on the same Michigan assembly line. How will the Focus Electric compare? We drove one of the first road-ready specimens to find out.

Tesla Model S Sedan Rolls Out In US

2020-06-25T14:16:00.0000000+10:00

In what is hope by many (not least Tesla) to be a shot in the arm of the burgeoning electric car industry, the weekend saw the first premium electric sedan released to the American market, with it due to arrive on Australian shores mid next year.

Ford's Fastest Mustang Ever: A 325kph Muscle Car

2020-06-25T07:08:00.0000000+10:00

Detroit automakers have recently been locked in a competition straight out of the 1960s: a race to create the fastest and most powerful muscle car. This summer, Ford takes the lead with the 485-kilowatt Mustang Shelby GT 500. To break the 320kph mark, engineers departed from the muscle-car tradition of throwing a truck engine under the hood and calling it a day. Instead they redesigned the engine with lightweight materials, refined the car's aerodynamics, and installed driver-assistance systems that allow anyone to drive the Shelby as it's designed to be driven-aggressively.

This Week in the Future, June 18-22, 2012

2020-06-23T08:30:00.0000000+10:00

Are the raging mice duking it out with the stressed grasshoppers to save the world, or destroy it? Either way, it doesn't take away from the magnificence of this illustration.

Mars Might Have a Lot More Water Than We Knew

2020-06-23T07:00:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers have discovered evidence that there's a lot more water on Mars - at least on parts of Mars - than anyone previously thought. Using new technology, scientists examined the water content in meteorites from the planet, and it points to a lot of it in the Martian mantle.

Kepler Spots Two Planets Locked in Super-Close, Never-Before-Seen Orbit

2020-06-23T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

Imagine crawling out of bed and seeing a gigantic red Mars instead of the Sun. That's basically the situation for two newly discovered planets. Astronomers working with NASA's Kepler Mission recently found them 1,200 light years away, and they're 30 times closer than any pair of planets in our solar system. Actually, the scientists aren't totally sure how that happened - just another sign that our solar system is not the only way planets can be arranged.

Test Drive: The 2012 Toyota Prius C

2020-06-23T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Recently Bloomberg ran a report stating that Toyota is on track to sell over 250,000 Prius-branded vehicles in the United States in 2012. If you live anywhere on the coasts or in any urban and/or quickly gentrifying area, you might think Toyota has hit that saturation point already. Toyota wants more from the Prius than the standard "Liftback" and the family cruiser Prius V (for versatility). Now, with the introduction of the Prius C - the C is for City - Toyota has created a smaller, less expensive, entry level Prius for the masses. Beware all other compact cars, hybrid or not: the gauntlet has been thrown down.

Video: A Three Square Metre LED Wall You Can Control With Your iPad

2020-06-22T12:18:00.0000000+10:00

A California man has made himself a large LED 'wall' , that displays different colours, words and patterns thanks to a customised software suite that responds to music and runs on your iPad.

Video: Adam Savage Show Off His "Rocketeer"-Inspired Rocket Engines

2020-06-22T07:00:00.0000000+10:00

Today's the 21st anniversary of The Rocketeer, and Tested has a treat for fans of the Disney flick (or fans of Mythbusters): Adam Savage displaying the engines of his in-progress Rocketeer jet pack.

New 'Strain Paint' Glows Fluorescent When the Underlying Structure is Stressed

2020-06-22T04:47:00.0000000+10:00

New kinds of coatings and sensors that can help engineers detect stress or deformation in structures abound, but most are limited by the scope of deformation they can detect and the need to be physically connected to an output device. Researchers at Rice University may have overcome these obstacles with a new kind of nanotube-packed "strain paint" that alerts engineers to compression and stress in an underlying structure by glowing under near-infrared light.

Those Nigerian Scam Emails Spin an Outrageous Yarn for a Reason

2020-06-22T02:55:00.0000000+10:00

You know those completely implausible, unbelievably over-the-top scam emails spelling out some overwrought story about a deceased Nigerian prince, his massive fortune, and the lawyer (esquire, really) who needs your help to transfer the funds out of the country before they are seized by the government? One Microsoft researcher thinks these stories are unbelievable on purpose. Implausible stories drive away all but the most gullible recipients, he argues. The ones most susceptible to the scams self-select.

The Struggle to Image NFL Players' Brains While They're Still Alive

2020-06-22T01:25:00.0000000+10:00

This morning, Deadspin took a deep look at new research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disorder caused by blunt head trauma that's affecting NFL players in big numbers. The problem is, up until now it's only been diagnosed post-mortem. But maybe not anymore.

Engineers Build Cabinet-Sized Gigapixel Camera

2020-06-21T16:33:00.0000000+10:00

We thought the 41 megapixels in the Nokia 808 were exorbitant, but a team of US engineers have one upped the Finns by building a one gigapixel camera that is only(!) the size of a bedside cabinet.

International Research Finds Diesel Exhaust Causes Lung Cancer

2020-06-21T13:01:00.0000000+10:00

Diesel has been on international lists for years as a possible cause of cancer, but a new study by a World Health Organisation agency has definitively concluded that diesel exhaust is carcinogenic at a time when diesel consumption is increasing worldwide.

A Pollen Coating Could Help Identify Who Fired a Bullet

2020-06-21T09:22:00.0000000+10:00

When a bullet is recovered at a crime scene, ballistic identification can help track the gun that fired it, but identifying the person who fired the gun is a lot harder. Now scientists have found an unlikely method to ID gunmen on the lam, using flower pollen.

Researchers Grow Functioning Human Liver Tissue from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

2020-06-21T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

Japanese researchers working with induced pluripotent stem cells have coaxed a semi-functional, liver-like tissue from a petri dish in what could mark a significant step forward for regenerative medicine and the science of creating new, working organs from scratch. There's still a long way to go of course, but researchers are enthusiastic that the work could light the way forward for pluripotent stem cell research into organ generating technologies.

Study of Angry Mice Could Find Drugs to Prevent Pathological Rage

2020-06-21T06:03:00.0000000+10:00

Shutting down a brain receptor in mice - a receptor that also exists in humans - can block pathological rage, a new study says. We didn't realise that mice could experience pathological rage. But stopping it, and the impulsive violence that could result, would be a way to treat the types of aggression that are common in some neurological and psychological disorders in people.

You Built What?! A Flashing, Tilting Ping-Pong Table to Throw Off Opponents

2020-06-21T04:27:00.0000000+10:00

Internships more often than not are mindless, coffee-fetching black holes of boredom. But not at Syyn Labs, a Los Angeles collective that creates unusual interactive art and science projects for commercials and music videos. Last summer, student interns Hoon Oh, Robb Godshaw and Jisu Choi took it upon themselves to reinvent the sport of table tennis. Their project could pass for an extra in Transformers: It's part ping-pong table, part machine, and so difficult to play that it reduces pros to the level of rank amateurs.

Microsoft Announces Windows Phone 8: New Start Screen, NFC, and More

2020-06-21T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Microsoft, in a big one-two punch of mobile, followed up Monday's Surface tablet announcement with today's unveiling of Windows Phone 8.

Samsung Galaxy S III Review: A Phone in Need of an Editor

2020-06-21T03:15:00.0000000+10:00

The Samsung Galaxy S III is going to be a wild smash hit, I'm sure. And it's a very good phone; a lot of people will be very happy with it. But stepping back to look at the current state of Android smartphones, it's interesting to look at the S III compared to last November's Samsung Galaxy Nexus-a slightly older but extremely similar phone, loaded with a pure install of Android 4.0 that Samsung wasn't allowed to mess with, on Google's orders.

Video: The Magnificent Power of Earth's Magnetosphere Showcased in NASA Video

2020-06-21T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

When the roused and active sun flings its energetic particles at Earth, we get to see beautiful aurorae, even in low latitudes of late. Pretty as they are, they don't give a full account of how hard the planet's magnetosphere is working to shield us from the sun's wrath. This new video from the animation whiz team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US brings it home.

New Prenatal Blood Tests Can Identify Paternity of an Eight-Week Fetus

2020-06-21T02:00:00.0000000+10:00

An interesting story in the New York Times today explores the ease with which noninvasive prenatal diagnostics can now determine paternity, even when the pregnancy is only eight or nine weeks old. Multiple companies are now offering such tests, which require only blood samples from the mother and from the potential father to determine paternity long before the pregnancy culminates.

Missile-Tracking Cameras Are Changing the NBA

2020-06-21T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

For some morning tech reading, we're looking at an article from Fast Company on SportVU, a camera system used by NBA teams that plots a ton of statistics for every match-up, down to the shooting average versus number of dribbles on a play.

Watch It Live: Gamera Human-Powered Helicopter Attempts World Record Flight Today

2020-06-21T00:45:00.0000000+10:00

Already demolishing the standing world record more than twice over, a massive human-powered quadrotor designed by students at the University of Maryland is poised to make aviation history today. The Gamera II helicopter is shooting for the Sikorsky Prize, one of aviation's last great challenges, by hovering for one full minute under human power only. Their first attempt Wednesday morning lasted 35 seconds!

Video: 3D Visualisation Software Makes Destructive Hack Attacks Look Beautiful

2020-06-20T15:19:00.0000000+10:00

Clearly, we're not sufficiently advanced until every last piece of software looks neon and sophisticated, and causes things to spin slowly on screen in a hypnotically beautiful way. NICT in Japan has taken us a step closer to that goal, making a tool that will visualise cyber attacks in a way that can only be described as dazzling.

Local Research Finds Super Adaptive Mossie That Lives In Sewers, Reproduces Without First Sucking Blood

2020-06-20T13:05:00.0000000+10:00

In a surprising example of species adaptation, Sydney scientists have discovered a species of mosquito that has learned to survive without one of the flying insect's most recognisable traits - it can lay eggs without first having to suck anyone's blood. Especially mine.

This Is What Your Brain Looks Like When You Lose Your Self-Control

2020-06-20T06:40:00.0000000+10:00

You are not a bastion of self-control. Everyone has a set amount of the stuff, and when life saps it, people can break. Now fMRIs from a University of Iowa study show exactly what it looks like when that happens.

Video: Single-Seat Amphibious FlyNano Makes its Maiden Flight

2020-06-20T05:42:00.0000000+10:00

This Finnish-built flying boat made its maiden flight a few days ago, taking off from a lake and soaring into the air. The FlyNano, made by a startup by the same name, is a recreational vehicle with no wheels - and it looks like fun.

Video: Introducing Burritobot, the 3D Printer that Fabricates With Frijoles and Queso

2020-06-20T04:42:00.0000000+10:00

The beauty and promise of 3-D printing is really all tied to the end-user experience - if you can think of something, you can have it made specifically the way you want it to suit any specific need. And as NYU grad student Marko Manriquez says, "sometimes you really need a burrito." Enter Burritobot, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Liquid-Filled Robot Finger More Sensitive to Touch Than a Human's

2020-06-20T03:44:00.0000000+10:00

Add to the list of things robots now do better than humans: feel. Researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering have designed a robot finger that can outperform humans in the basic yet complex sensory task of touching. Their robot finger, equipped with a novel tactile sensor technology, is better at identifying and distinguishing between different materials and textures than human beings are.

Stressed-Out Grasshoppers Can Damage the Entire Ecosystem

2020-06-20T02:50:00.0000000+10:00

In the same way humans might be tempted to binge on some junk food when they're under stress, grasshoppers head for the carbohydrate-rich foods when they get scared. The difference is the grasshoppers can leave behind some big-scale problems for the environment.

Oxygen-Monitoring Glasses Could Let You Read People's Moods Right Through Their Skin

2020-06-20T01:51:00.0000000+10:00

The ability to read other people is largely perceived to be intuitive - some people just have a talent for "seeing" what other people are thinking or feeling. But what if you could augment yourself with such an ability, allowing you to perceive changes in other people's biologies as their biochemical state changes? A company called 2AI Labs has developed a pair of glasses - known as O2Amps - that supposedly can do just that.

Chinese Construction Company to Build World's New Tallest Building In a Three-Month Timeframe

2020-06-20T01:08:00.0000000+10:00

The world's tallest building took five years to reach its 828-metre height, but a Chinese company wants to leave the Burj Khalifa in the dust. Broad Sustainable Building, which already built a hotel in two weeks, aims to erect the new Sky City skyscraper within three months.

Study Shows Overweight, Obese Lifestyles Are Ecologically Unsustainable

2020-06-19T14:41:00.0000000+10:00

Obesity is a hot button topic in many Western nations, including Australia, at the moment, but now we have some crazy statistics to throw into the equation, with a UK study cruching the numbers on the weight of humanity, finding that the combined weight of every human being on the planet is about 287 million tonnes.

Microsoft Announces Its First Real Tablet: The Surface

2020-06-19T09:35:00.0000000+10:00

Right now in Los Angeles, curiously late in the evening, Microsoft is showing off its very first modern (read: post-iPad) tablet. The family will be called the Surface, the same as its conceptually-cool-but-practically-impractical tabletop touch computer. It's actually a very interesting product - the capabilities of a full PC, but thanks to Microsoft's dual-natured, touch-focused Windows 8, it works like a regular tablet as well. Here's what we know.

Video: Lab-on-a-Chip Sorts Particles in Blood Using Pinball-Machine-Like Ramps

2020-06-19T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Like a coin machine sorting change according to size, a new lab-on-a-chip can sift cells according to their weight and other properties. Doctors could use it to tease out biological matter from the bloodstream and detect cancer or potentially other ailments.

Video: Soft, Floating Robots Connect to Form Larger Squishy 'Bot

2020-06-19T05:39:00.0000000+10:00

The future of robotics is soft and modular, or at least that's they way some of the robotics gurus at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne envision things moving. Rigid robots are fine, but true versatility in the robotic medium will come from modular robots that are flexible enough in form that they can adapt to task and environment. So a team at the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LIS) there is developing connections for soft, floating robots that would allow many small, squishy robots to organize themselves into a larger softbot through electroadhesion.

Nano-Firefly Tech Could Make Lights That Need No Electricity

2020-06-19T04:36:00.0000000+10:00

Fireflies light up summer lawns at dusk through chemical reactions, which take place between a light-emitting substance and its related enzyme. Luciferin and luciferase, respectively, could provide a natural, electricity-free glow for ambient lighting and other uses. But previous experiments to this end have not yielded very bright light.

Voyager 1, Moving Ever Closer to Solar System's Edge, Hit By Rapidly Increasing Amounts of Cosmic Rays

2020-06-19T03:50:00.0000000+10:00

For at least a year now, NASA has been waiting with bated breath for Voyager 1 to pass through the boundary of our solar system and become our first emissary to the stars. It's been cruising the edge for some time, but when it finally leaves forever, it won't be a satisfyingly clear punch-through - so it's hard to say exactly when this will happen. Or happened. Now the spacecraft is in another strange new zone, where the influx of cosmic particles has been ramping up by the week.

The Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Returns to Earth After a 15-Month Secret Mission

2020-06-19T03:06:00.0000000+10:00

The Air Force's X-37B - its secret robotic space plane that's been orbiting the Earth on a mission shrouded in mystery for more than a year - landed safely in the wee hours Saturday morning at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Orbital Test Vehicle 2 (OTV-2) is the second X-37B test vehicle to successfully complete an orbital mission and autonomously return to Earth, following sister spacecraft OTV-1's 225-day mission in 2010.

Another Milestone for China's Space Program as Space Pod Docks With Orbital Lab

2020-06-19T02:21:00.0000000+10:00

Chinese astronauts floated into an orbiting space lab Monday, another milestone for the country's space program that puts it on par with Russia and the U.S. An automatically controlled docking manoeuvre connected the Tiangong-1 space lab with a manned Shenzhou space capsule early Monday evening Australia time.

IBM's Sequoia Supercomputer is Now the World's Fastest Computing Machine

2020-06-19T01:34:00.0000000+10:00

The latest TOP500 ranking of the world's fastest supercomputers is out this morning, and America is (finally) back on top. After nearly three years trailing supercomputers abroad - Japan's K computer reigned supreme for most of last year, with China's Tianhe-1A close behind - the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has stolen the top spot via Sequoia, a 16.32 petaflops (that's a quadrillion floating point operations per second) IBM machine built from 96 racks containing 98,304 computing nodes and 1.6 million cores.

Fuel Cells Of The Future To Be Powered By Brain Fluid

2020-06-18T14:33:00.0000000+10:00

Forget about battery packs for powering medical implants or personal gadgetry - engineers have come up with a fuel cell that runs on glucose and could potentially be powered by the fluid inside your own brain.

Man Builds Working Version Of Invader Zim's Gir, Programs Him To Propose To Girlfriend

2020-06-18T13:10:00.0000000+10:00

Out of all the many, many awesome robots out there in both real life and pop culture, there is one often held up as an example of what we love about our metal companions, and his name is Gir. Zany and technologically sophisticated in equal measure, it makes sense that someone would try to actually build one. What makes a teeny little bit less sense is that it was designed to be used in a marriage proposal.

2012 Invention Awards: A Recirculating Shower

2020-06-18T00:26:00.0000000+10:00

Taking a shower draws more water and more energy than any other daily household activity. Low-flow showerheads save only a little of both, typically at the expense of comfort. That's because they let the hot water-and all the heat energy it contains-go down the drain.

How to Copy the Great Mineral Waters of Europe At Home

2020-06-16T05:38:00.0000000+10:00

The mineral composition of water varies subtly, almost imperceptibly, from place to place. Variation in bedrock makes the effervescent springs at Vergeze, France, where Hannibal allegedly found a refreshing drink after crossing the Alps, different from the sulfuric liquid bubbling up out of the ground at Saratoga Springs, New York. Sulfates near Burton, England impart a distinctive minerality to the region's pale ales. And connoisseurs pay top dollar for these differences.

Industrial Food Machine Video of the Day: Toasting and Frying Taco Shells

2020-06-16T05:05:00.0000000+10:00

Tacos are the best. Broken taco shells from the box (if I am too lazy to fry up some fresh ones) are not the best. Taco shells must be handled with care, from beginning to end.

How To Make Your Own Home Drink Carbonation System

2020-06-16T03:54:00.0000000+10:00

If your friends and family are anything like mine, you've observed that home beverage carbonation is experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately. Perhaps you've seen the increasingly ubiquitous Sodastream machine on a countertop near you-or, more likely, heard its syncopated honk and pop-fizz release from across the room, announcing another fresh liter of water made bubbly.

This Is the Food We'll Eat on Mars

2020-06-16T03:28:00.0000000+10:00

"Turn it just like this," the uniformed instructor tells the alert crew of trainee astronauts gathered around the workspace. "And then this next piece twists in the other direction." The first trainee approaches the table.

Inside The US's Other Most Innovative Kitchen

2020-06-16T02:00:00.0000000+10:00

Grant Achatz's Alinea may get all the national (and international) press, but over at Moto in Chicago, chef Homaru Cantu and pastry chef Ben Roche are turning out delicious, ridiculously innovative meals - and they have a kitchen any scientist would envy.

"The Kitchen As Laboratory": Measuring the Texture of Egg Yolks

2020-06-16T00:55:00.0000000+10:00

One of the most fascinating threads running through The Kitchen As Laboratory, a collection of essays edited by a trio of food scientists and published earlier this year, is the application of rigorous testing and measurement to a realm that has classically been very subjective. In the test pictured above, after egg yolks are poached at a constant temperature for a varying number of minutes, a rheometer is used to precisely measure the resulting texture, in pascal-seconds. Cesar Vega, a culinary scientist at Mars Botanical, used the rheometer to debunk the contemporary received wisdom that the texture of a cooked egg is a function of temperature but not time.

April 1956: Preserve Your Meat and Produce With Atomic Radiation

2020-06-15T23:45:00.0000000+10:00

This article originally appeared in the April 1956 issue of Popular Science.

Prospero the Swarming Farmbot Wants to Show You the Future of Agriculture

2020-06-15T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Whether conducted by an industrial farming outfit or a small, independent farmer, agriculture is all about yield. Per-acre production makes or break the year, and taken at the macro level it impacts global markets and can lead to humanitarian crises. And while agriculture already happens at the field-by-field level, David Dorhout wants to make agriculture even more precise. Think: plant-by-plant farming, optimised on a seed-by-seed basis.

ANU, Fujitsu To Build Fastest Aussie Supercomputer

2020-06-15T15:07:00.0000000+10:00

The Australian National University in Canberra has just signed an agreement with Japanese ICT and electronics manufacturer Fujitsu to build Australia's fastest supercomputer, performing at 1.2 petaflops. And believe us, that's actually a lot of flops.

Ebola Virus Cured in Monkeys a Full Day After Infection

2020-06-15T11:30:00.0000000+10:00

The Ebola virus-one of the world's deadliest diseases-has a kill rate of 90 percent. That's largely because the best current treatment must be applied within one hour of infection. Which is an almost impossibly brief window, considering symptoms may take anywhere from two to 21 days to appear in humans. But a new treatment has shown success in curing the disease when administered 24 hours or more after infection-at least when tested in monkeys.

April 1961: Popular Science Suggests Eating Hippopotamuses

2020-06-15T08:30:00.0000000+10:00

This article originally appeared in the April 1961 issue of Popular Science.

PopSci Q&A: How the Rheon Machine Stuffs Any Food Into Any Other Food

2020-06-15T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

Empanadas, Chinese dumplings and the deliciousness that is the fried risotto ball are all wonderful when they're homemade. But when stuffing by hand becomes tiresome, let a Rheon encrusting machine take over.

FYI: How Do Firefighters Tackle a Voracious, Out-of-Control Fire?

2020-06-15T07:00:00.0000000+10:00

In Australia, we're no strangers to bushfires. But in the US summer underway now, they have their own fires to deal with.

FYI: Why Does Scotch Smell Like Band-Aids?

2020-06-15T04:28:00.0000000+10:00

A friend of mine has type 1 diabetes, for which she injects a synthetic insulin called Humalog. When she does, there's a quick but very powerful aroma of... Band-Aids. It's weird. I never thought much of it, until the last time I had a peaty glass of scotch, a drink I've never particularly loved. As I took my first sip, I thought, as I always do, that it smelled like... the same Band-Aids.

How a Lab of College Students Invented the World's Best Home Blast-Chiller

2020-06-15T03:15:00.0000000+10:00

The Energy and Design Research Lab at The Cooper Union, an arts and engineering college in New York City, is probably best known for the Cooper Cooler, which in 1992 became the fastest machine to chill beer, wine, and other beverages: three minutes, from room temperature to frosty cold. It's every college student's dream. And that makes sense, because as it turns out, it was created by students.

A Star System 12.9 Billion Light Years Away is the New Most Distant Galaxy

2020-06-15T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

The telescopes get bigger and more sophisticated, the light we can see comes in from deeper in the cosmos, and the most-distant visible objects keep getting further away. Last October astronomers using Hubble Space Telescope data reported sighting a possible galaxy some 13.2 billion light years away. That sighting is still awaiting confirmation as a galaxy, and in the meantime it has some competition in a galaxy discovered by scientists at the Subaru and Keck Telescopes that has, for the time being, seized the title of most distant known galaxy.

Video: The Guillotine-Like Machines That Analyse Foods' Texture

2020-06-15T01:45:00.0000000+10:00

In the sometimes strange world of food technology, one of the many aspects of food that gets measured is its texture, and accuracy is key. That's why your grocery-store cookies are always reliably chewy from one batch to the next, and that's why it's possible to while away an afternoon on YouTube in10-second increments gawking at texture analysis machines. Here's a look at a few of the best.

Industrial Food Video of the Day: Japanese Robot Methodically Stuffs Fried Tofu Skin Rolls

2020-06-15T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

When the need arises for a very specific type of robot, odds are pretty good it exists in Japan. A new Japanese robot can make 2,500 fried tofu rolls per hour, puffing little triangles of tofu with air and stuffing them with rice with precision and speed.

Make Any Cheese Melt as Evenly and Perfectly as Unnatural American Cheese

2020-06-15T00:17:00.0000000+10:00

We have a soft spot for American cheese, viewed in a hazy glow of nostalgia, but we wouldn't exactly call it "good" cheese. Or "cheese." Still, it has one major advantage over cheeses made from, like, dairy products: it melts perfectly.

NBN To Switch On 1/3 of Aussie Economy by 2050

2020-06-14T15:27:00.0000000+10:00

A new report commissioned by IBM has projected that up to 35 per cent of Australia's $4 trillion revenue in 2050 will be in industry areas that will either be radically transformed by, or birthed within a super-fast, NBN-powered future.

Recipe: Sous Vide Ice Cream

2020-06-14T07:23:00.0000000+10:00

One of our all-time favorite food hacks is the DIY sous vide setup - it takes a very trendy, seemingly complicated and intimidating device and brings it to your countertop with just a little bit of work.

Myhrvold Shows off His Pantry: "All Food Is Made of Chemicals"

2020-06-14T06:43:00.0000000+10:00

Nathan Myhrvold knows that the work he and his Modernist Cuisine team do can be a little intimidating or frightening, but he's not going to stand for misconceived reactions - like, "why does your food have so many chemicals in it?"

PopSci Q&A: A Robot Masters the Art of Chicken Boning

2020-06-14T06:10:00.0000000+10:00

De-boning a chicken, duck or other bird can be an arduous and unpleasant task - even Julia Child said it could take way too long "because of fright." Yet with patience and the right knife, any human can do it. But a robot?

Recipe: Ewe's Milk Ice Cream With Textured Herb Buds From Mugaritz

2020-06-14T05:03:00.0000000+10:00

Last year, we saw chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of restaurant Mugaritz demonstrate a couple of his high-tech, artful, playful dishes: his fool-the-eye walnuts, his artificial eggs. This month he presents the world with the Mugaritz cookbook, a striking glossy tome that sets forth the holistic, highly experimental philosophy of the restaurant in the Basque countryside.

NASA's Black-Hole-Hunting NuSTAR Telescope Has Launched

2020-06-14T04:31:00.0000000+10:00

At noon today, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) was released from a companion aircraft and sent off into Earth's orbit. That's big news for black hole and space enthusiasts: The technology strapped to it will make the hunt for celestial objects significantly easier, both in the Milky Way and farther abroad.

Glucose-Powered Fuel Cell Could Use Your Body's Resources to Drive Neural Prosthetics

2020-06-14T03:04:00.0000000+10:00

Future neural prosthetics could not only tap into brain signals, but also brain fluids, using the cerebrospinal medium to power a fuel cell. Researchers at MIT designed a new silicon wafer with several embedded fuel cells that generate power using glucose.

How The Human Nose Helps Chemists Analyse Flavour

2020-06-14T02:01:00.0000000+10:00

Think you know the fresh, lemony taste of lemongrass, or the lush herbal taste of basil? Most of what we experience as "taste" actually comes from our sense of smell, not from our tastebuds. Volatile compounds - molecules light enough to produce a vapor or gas - play a key role in how we experience food and drink (as well as fragrances and scents). But the complex ways in which we perceive these molecules as flavour is not nearly as straightforward as pure chemistry, making understanding flavour partly, but not completely, a chemical question.

iFixit Takes CrazyPowerful New MacBook Pro Apart, Deems It Un-Repairable

2020-06-14T01:54:00.0000000+10:00

Our friends over at iFixit, as is their wont, got their hands on one of the new, ridiculously powerful, ridiculously expensive MacBook Pros with Retina Display, and promptly tore it to pieces. For the good of all of us!

Industrial Food Machine of the Day: Robots Milk Cows

2020-06-14T01:01:00.0000000+10:00

Dairy cows are pretty docile creatures, so as animals go, they're also pretty good candidates for handling via heavy machinery. And there may be no better task to automate than milking - it's repetitive, it's predictable, it's unpleasant. A pair of new robotic milk factories can do the job, using robotic teat washers, robot cups, instant milk analysers, and robot teat stimulators.

Video: Swiss Flying Torpedo Bot Crashes, Dusts Itself Off and Flies Again

2020-06-14T00:07:00.0000000+10:00

Flying robots are adept aviators, flipping through small openings, building structures and playing tennis. But what goes up must come down, and sometimes it's not exactly as planned. A new flying robot can survive a crash, picking itself back up and taking flight again.

Video: 'Thumper' Blows Up Soft Drink Cans In Slow Mo - Because It Can

2020-06-13T13:23:00.0000000+10:00

Thumper's day job involves testing cables and equipment for faults by generating high voltage electrical pulses. At night, though, it gets used to do much more entertaining things, like blowing up cans of soft drink. Like so.

Cane Toad Poison Is Cane Toad Bait For Cane Toad Tadpoles

2020-06-13T11:45:00.0000000+10:00

Cane toads - probably the single greatest introduced threat to native plant and animal life. The biggest obstacle to getting rid of the suckers has been their phenomenal reproduction rate - 30,000 eggs from a single round of spawning from a single female means most attempts to catch and remove them are useless. Aussie scientists, however, have a new tactic - bait them literally with their own poison.

FYI: What Is Espresso?

2020-06-13T05:51:00.0000000+10:00

Espresso is both widely drunk and widely misunderstood, and even though we're avid drinkers of the stuff here at PopSci, when asked precisely what the term means, we couldn't come up with a satisfying answer. That's because it turns out to be much easier to talk about what it is not than what it actually is. Surprisingly, there is no real definition of espresso - there are certainly elements that the experts agree on, but there are no codified guidelines, no explicit recipes. "The reality is there's no master bible," said Matt Lounsbury of Portland, OR's Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

Pop Review: V-Moda's VAMP Gives Your iPhone Audio Superpowers

2020-06-13T04:54:00.0000000+10:00

Putting the V-Moda VAMP on your iPhone is like watching it change into its superhero audio costume. It's outrageously expensive, but there's also nothing quite like it.

Original Paper Discussing "Uncanny Valley" Now Available in English

2020-06-13T04:02:00.0000000+10:00

The uncanny valley appears pretty frequently in these pages, at least in presentation - like the disembodied baby head above, for instance, or the wonderfully horrible Telenoid. These robots and others represent the gulf in our robot affinity that gapes open when machines approach a certain level of human likeness.

A Scientist's Guide to Dining in 1950s Manhattan

2020-06-13T02:06:00.0000000+10:00

Robert Browning Sosman, a physical chemist who died in 1967 at the age of 86, packed many careers into one lifetime. He wrote the definitive book on the chemical compound silica; was the seventh person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail; and, at home in New Jersey, kept a 3,500-strong map collection.

Industrial Food Machine of the Day: Slicing Your Breakfast Pastry With a Water Jet

2020-06-13T00:54:00.0000000+10:00

Slicing a morning danish pastry can be a sticky, gloopy affair, sugary icing glomming onto the knife and plate, and currants falling everywhere. This machine cuts it with water!

NASA Habitat Competition Looks For Bioregenerative Space Greenhouses

2020-06-13T00:10:00.0000000+10:00

Future astronauts en route to Mars or deep-space destinations will need specially designed living quarters and renewable sources of food - so this year's X-Hab Challenge includes a remotely operated, robotically controlled space garden. Students at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University are developing a workable prototype "bioregenerative food system," which they'll deliver to NASA next summer.

Canadians Working On Five Minute Electric Car Charger

2020-06-12T12:42:00.0000000+10:00

When you can fill your car up with petrol AND pay for it in a couple of minutes, the half hour charge times common on many electric cars can get old pretty fast. A Canadian utility company with money to burn is already working on the problem, thankfully, by designing a system that can do the same job in five minutes.

Industrial Animal Processing Video: Automated Lamb Boning

2020-06-12T07:46:00.0000000+10:00

Butchers are adept at making the ideal cuts in a side of meat, reducing waste while finding the right balance of fat, connective tissue and supple muscle that will eventually become a juicy steak or chop. But robots do not possess a human's knifely intuition, so they must be equipped with extra tools. This machine uses X-ray technology to find the best cut.

Ambitious Insect Catalogue Snaps 3D Images of Every Ant Species

2020-06-12T06:43:00.0000000+10:00

A global effort to photograph every species of ant on this planet is embarking on an international tour, stopping by museums and scientific collections in the United Kingdom. With thousands of American ant species already accounted for, now Brian Fisher and colleagues at the California Academy of Sciences are taking AntWeb overseas.

The New iOS and Mac OS Features We Love

2020-06-12T05:43:00.0000000+10:00

Apple went through, by our count, six hundred million billion new features that'll be present in the next versions of its operating systems, both Mac OS X Mountain Lion for computers and iOS 6 for iPhones, iPads, and iPods Touch. Some of them we don't care about. Some we do! Here's what we liked.

The Kitchen Without Limits: Six Cutting-Edge Chefs' Fantasy Kitchen Tools

2020-06-12T05:28:00.0000000+10:00

In many ways, we're already living in the future: Kitchen technology is finally at the point where a chef can, without too much effort, serve a levitating amuse-bouche or an exquisitely miniature dish comprised of 86 individual ingredients. But a creative chef can always dream bigger. We asked six chefs to defy the laws of time and space to develop their ultimate fantasy kitchen tool.

FYI: Can Drinking Moonshine Really Make Me Go Blind?

2020-06-12T05:01:00.0000000+10:00

The short answer: yes, it's possible to go blind from drinking moonshine. But it's also possible to go blind staring at the sun. When consuming alcoholic beverages of the DIY variety, the important thing is to let common sense be your guide.

Apple Updates MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Lines, They Are Better

2020-06-12T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Apple's Tim Cook is in the middle of his keynote at WWDC 2012, this year's Worldwide Developer's Conference, and just flipped the sheet off the new line of Apple laptops. They are better than last year's! There's a much bigger separation in price and features between the two laptop lines, the Air and the Pro - the Air is Apple's laptop for everyone, now. The Pro is for, well, pros.

Industrial Food Machine Video of the Day: Mushroom Mega-Sorter

2020-06-12T03:41:00.0000000+10:00

Before becoming wrinkly brown pizza toppings or silken gold steak accompaniments, mushrooms take a ride through a scrubbing, sorting industrial processor that prepares them for their kitchen futures. Watch them bounce and fall in this oddly mesmerising video from mushroom machine-maker Havatec.

April 1968: Popular Science Tests the Brand-New Microwave Oven

2020-06-12T02:29:00.0000000+10:00

This article originally appeared in the April 1968 issue of Popular Science.

Kitchen Alchemy: The Frigid Power of the Blast Chiller

2020-06-12T00:38:00.0000000+10:00

There's a piece of equipment that's slowly been making its way into restaurant kitchens: the blast chiller. It does exactly what it sounds like: cool things down quickly, using fast-moving cold air. This coming summer, LG is going to release a version of their refrigerator for home kitchens that incorporates a small blast chiller for quickly cooling down cans of soda and bottles of wine.

This Week in the Future, June 4-8, 2012

2020-06-09T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

In a tribute to the great Ray Bradbury, an image even he couldn't have envisioned: a dead stuffed cat given the power of flight.

Pop Review: The Logitech K760 Solar Keyboard

2020-06-09T05:45:00.0000000+10:00

Logitech's new K760 keyboard has a solar charger and a fast-switching Bluetooth function that'll get you paired with multiple devices in a snap. It's great. Here's why.

Hands-On: The Touchscreen-Equipped Canon T4i

2020-06-09T04:35:00.0000000+10:00

Our friends over at Popular Photography got a hands-on look at the new Canon EOS Rebel T4i, the sequel to the fantastic entry-level T3i DSLR.

FYI: Are There Traffic Laws in Space Yet?

2020-06-09T01:30:00.0000000+10:00

Only a few. Right now, the roughly 20,000 man-made objects orbiting the Earth are less regulated than the cars on a morning commute. Satellites are usually on a fixed path, so the traffic control comes prelaunch. Most can move slightly to maintain orbit, but only a few can maneuver on short notice to avoid a collision. Satellite operators make sure they know where other space objects are so that none come close enough to collide.

Testing the Novara Gotham: A Bike With Infinite Gears

2020-06-08T07:46:00.0000000+10:00

Summer's here and it's time to get back on the bike. We could have looked at a fancy new ultralight, but the NuVinci is the bike that's really going to shake things up. It answers a question you may not have thought to ask: what if you could pick up a new ride with a transmission that made sure you'll never be in the wrong gear?

Could Cops Scan Suspicious Web Search Terms for Pre-Crime Prevention?

2020-06-08T06:21:00.0000000+10:00

Might the death of Juliana Mensch have been predicted, and perhaps prevented? The people accused of strangling the 19-year-old in Fort Lauderdale, USA this March apparently Googled how to do it. What if the police had been alerted to these searches, and the location of the cell phone used to conduct them?

There Are a Million Billion x Five More Billion New Drugs Awaiting Discovery

2020-06-08T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

Think a trip to the pharmacy is overwhelming? Try this: One million billion billion billion billion billion billion. That's a 1 with 60 zeroes after it. That's the number of potential new medicines that could still be made, according to a new study. It may be more than the number of stars in the universe.

Ultra-Tough Mantis Shrimp Claws Could Lead to Better Body Armour

2020-06-08T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Perhaps no creature packs a more intimidating punch - especially relative to its size - than the peacock mantis shrimp. It feasts on snails, crabs and other molluscs and crustaceans by smashing through their shells with its front hammer-like claws, delivering 500 Newtons of force. This is powerful enough to punch through aquarium glass.

Scientists Decipher Almost the Entire Genome of an Unborn Baby

2020-06-08T01:57:00.0000000+10:00

In a new study fraught with some heady ethical questions, scientists have sequenced almost the complete genome of an unborn child, and done so without interrupting the fetus or the mother's womb. The team used the mother's blood and the father's saliva to determine their child's genetic sequence in the second trimester.

How Crows Recognize Individual Humans, Warn Others, and Are Basically Smarter Than You

2020-06-07T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

The corvid family - a widespread group of birds made up most prominently of crows, ravens, and magpies - are no ordinary birds, with a brain-to-body-weight ratio and cognitive abilities equal to apes and dolphins. This excerpt, from the great new book Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans, by John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell, details an experiment in which students and faculty at the University of Washington tried to discover if crows can recognize individual humans - and what they'd do with that information. Read on!

Video Device Reads American Sign Language and Translates It Into Audible English

2020-06-07T04:52:00.0000000+10:00

Sign language can greatly improve the communication capability of hearing-impaired people, but there's still a major barrier in that most people don't understand it. New prototype gadgets could change that, by automatically translating hand motions into audible speech that a non-signing person can interpret.

Remembering Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012

2020-06-07T03:44:00.0000000+10:00

Web editor Paul Adams ruined my morning by walking over to my desk to inform me that Ray Bradbury had died at age 91. The news was unpleasant, but I appreciated the face-to-face exchange rather than getting an email. Bradbury, a writer oft-gripped by the talons of nostalgia who disliked modern technology such as computers, deserved a meatspace delivery of the news of his demise.

Mars Colonisation Mission Will Happen Live on Reality TV

2020-06-07T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

One of the primary obstacles to human colonisation of Mars is the funding - creating a habitable environment and sending humans across the gulf of space is a costly process, well beyond the exploration budgets of most nations. But Nobel Prize-winning physicist Gerard Hooft and Big Brother co-creator Paul Romer have a brilliant solution that will put colonists on Mars by 2023.

Video: Venus Sweeps Across the Face of the Sun For the Last Time This Century

2020-06-07T01:03:00.0000000+10:00

Watching the transit of Venus through telescopes at the local planetarium was impressive, but it was nothing compared to this view from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the most advanced spacecraft ever built to stare at the sun. SDO captured a high-res view of the event through a series of filters.

Venus Transit Web Stream From Alice Springs Sunk By Damaged Telstra Cable

2020-06-06T11:36:00.0000000+10:00

There's nothing worse than a Telstra outage. Now, granted, it's not strictly Telstra's fault this time, but when a once-in-a-lifetime view of a major astronomical event is stuffed by damage done to one of your cables, that's a big deal.

ANU's Science Circus - This is Work?!

2020-06-06T09:00:00.0000000+10:00

Dr Will Grant is a scientist. He's a Lecturer and the Graduate Studies Convenor at ANU's Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. He also oversees their Science Circus program, and thinks that how we think about science in this country needs to become a lot messier. And no, he isn't just referring to making cool explosions (though it's probably part of it).

Video: What We Saw at the World Science Festival's Innovation Square

2020-06-06T07:51:00.0000000+10:00

MetroTech Plaza in Brooklyn was packed with science and technology enthusiasts on Saturday, eager to see the sights of the World Science Festival's Innovation Square. The day-long collection of exhibits, performances, lectures and games was designed to be a "technophile's adventureland," and didn't disappoint. We stopped by to check out the robot petting zoo, see some robots play soccer, and enjoy computer-based dance choreography.

NASA Adopts Two Spare Spy Telescopes, Each Maybe More Powerful Than Hubble

2020-06-06T04:01:00.0000000+10:00

It almost sounds too good to be true. Twin Hubble-quality space telescopes currently collecting dust in upstate New York are getting a second chance at flight, and they could be the best thing to happen to NASA since the real Hubble's mirrors were fixed. The unused scopes are even the same size as the beloved space telescope, and nary a civilian knew they existed until yesterday.

With New Prediction Algorithm, a Patient's Past Foretells His Medical Future

2020-06-06T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, the saying goes, and a new algorithm will test that formula by predicting what will be wrong with a patient in the future, based on his or her past - and that of everyone else.

Boeing's Corpulent Hydrogen-Powered Drone Makes Its First Flight

2020-06-06T00:58:00.0000000+10:00

Eventually it will fly for four days straight, making only water as its waste product. But a journey of four days starts with a few minutes, so the chubby PhantomEye's first autonomous flight was under half an hour.

New Way To Clean Toxic Spills In Water - Chuck In Some Iron Nanoparticles

2020-06-05T11:10:00.0000000+10:00

It's a little counter-intuitive, but bear with us - one scientist is working on a solution to toxic groundwater that involves injecting iron nanoparticles into the ground.

First Images From Complete Map of Mouse Brain

2020-06-05T07:02:00.0000000+10:00

Despite plenty of advances in neuroscience, often what we know about the brain comes with gaps, and anything close to a full piece of knowledge always ends up lacking something - whether it's for the human brain or a mouse's.

How to Watch the Last Transit of Venus This Century

2020-06-05T06:32:00.0000000+10:00

Observatories the world over will be watching on Wednesday as Venus crosses the face of the sun for the last time in any of our lifetimes. It will be a banner day for astronomers, providing ample opportunities for measuring Venus' characteristics, and for determining some rules that will help in the hunt for exoplanets. But it's also just an amazing thing to behold, and you can watch it, too - as long as you follow some safety precautions.

Swiss Scientists Program Mammalian Cells to Work As Logic Gates

2020-06-05T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

A new biologic logic gate based on proteins can perform binary calculations, serving as the first "cellular calculator," researchers say. Various combinations of components can be arranged into circuit elements, leading to specific metabolic processes inside a cell. The setup can answer mathematical questions in a similar fashion to a computer.

Microsoft's Smart Glass Is Like Apple's AirPlay, But More So

2020-06-05T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

Today at E3, the massive electronics expo that yesterday played host to Nintendo's announcement about the updated Wii U, Microsoft broke out an announcement that's really more about media - especially video - than games. Microsoft Smart Glass is a way to join all of your devices together: smartphone, tablet, and TV, all sharing media.

Video: Motivating Robot Follows You on Your Morning Run

2020-06-05T03:54:00.0000000+10:00

Same old jogging routine got you bored? Can't move your leaden legs faster than 1 and a half kms in 15 minutes? Turn into a juggernaut with Joggobot, a hovercraft that will fly above your head and motivate you to run faster.

How The Transit of Venus Helps Find Other Planets

2020-06-05T03:02:00.0000000+10:00

Tomorrow, skywatchers the world over will look up to behold a strange sight witnessed just seven times in the past five centuries. The last transit of Venus until 2117 is an occasion for astronomical celebration and historic import - we'll be watching something the greatest astronomers of any age have traveled the world to see.

Nintendo Updates Wii U With NFC and Legit Online Connectivity

2020-06-05T00:59:00.0000000+10:00

Yesterday at E3, the gaming industry's biggest American conference, Nintendo showed up with a 30-minute video updating their upcoming Wii U console - there have been some minor changes, like the move from touch-sensitive circle-pads to real joysticks, but the biggest change is that Nintendo seems to have finally heard of the internet.

Man Turns Dead Beloved Household Pet Into Cutting Edge Quadrocopter

2020-06-04T14:29:00.0000000+10:00

People love cats. I don't personally understand it, but there you go. One particularly entrepreneurial Dutch artist really loved his cat. He loved his cat so much that when his cat was tragically run over by a car, he decided to show said love in the best way possible - by strapping on four propellers and gifting his dead friend the power of flight.

Prostate Cancer Trial Shut Down - Because The Medicine Was Too Good

2020-06-04T12:37:00.0000000+10:00

Trials for a prostate cancer drug in the US has been shut down, after the first batch of results proved so promising it was deemed unfair to then not provide the drug to the rest of the participants in the trial.

Climate Change Affects Supply of Power Plant Cooling Water, Causes Increase In Power Shortages

2020-06-04T10:41:00.0000000+10:00

We already know that our traditional thermoelectric power sources, namely coal, are having a negative impact on our planet's climate. But, as it turns out, the reverse is also true - research has found that worldwide warming is reducing the amount of cooling water that can be used in coal and nuclear plants, and this is already causing problems for electrical grids in the US and Europe.

This Week in the Future, May 28-June 1, 2020

2020-06-02T08:00:00.0000000+10:00

Is this week's Baarbarian illustration a Robert Palmer reference? Or just a horrifying singing tomato with rat backup dancers and a shiny grill? Either way it means one thing: it's time for the weekend.

Review: A Serious Speaker, Amp, and DAC in a 2.5-Inch Cube

2020-06-02T05:52:00.0000000+10:00

Our buddies over at Sound+Vision just posted a review of a gadget we've been excited about: the NuForce Cube, an absolutely tiny (2.5 inches!) cube of audio power.

Make Your Mornings Explosive With a Defusable Alarm Clock

2020-06-02T04:08:00.0000000+10:00

Inspired by the iconic look of time bombs in old movies, software engineer Michael Krumpus set out to build an alarm clock that would make his mornings more action-packed. When the alarm goes off in defuse mode, the clock starts a 10-second countdown; the correct wire, which is randomly assigned each day, has to be cut or pulled out to stop the detonation, or the clock will "explode" with noise and flashing LEDs.

Obama Ordered Stuxnet Virus, Part of Organised Cyberattacks Against Iran

2020-06-02T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

According to a report today in the New York Times, President Obama secretly ordered accelerated cyberattacks against the computers running Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities.

Enter the Popular Science/InnoCentive Cementitious Challenge

2020-06-02T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

One month from today - July 1st, 2012 - is the deadline for the newest InnoCentive challenge. InnoCentive is a US organisation (linked to "the mothership" - the US edition of Popular Science) that provides, well, incentives for inventors and innovators to come up with solutions to problems. The problem this time? New super-cement...

Researchers Test Space Equipment For Five Days in Austrian Alps

2020-06-02T02:09:00.0000000+10:00

In the ongoing hunt for Martian life, there's one place astronauts haven't yet explored deeply: caves. But to delve into Martian caves calls for some heavy-duty gear, and where do you test Martian caving gear on Earth? The Austrian Alps.

App of the Month: Transparent Screen for Android

2020-06-02T01:24:00.0000000+10:00

It begins with a tweet and ends with a twisted ankle. Still, since everyone seems intent on continuing to stumble along looking down at their smartphones, Transparent Screen can help minimize accidents.

State of the Art: Australia's Synchrotron Unearthing Secret Histories

2020-06-01T15:32:00.0000000+10:00

A couple of months ago Australia's very own synchrotron - a machine that accelerates charged particles close to the speed of light - was given $100 million by the Victorian and Commonwealth governments, securing its survival for another four years.

Video: The Milky Way and Andromeda Crash Together

2020-06-01T06:42:00.0000000+10:00

First, the bad news: In four billion years it's going to get a lot more crowded around here. The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are on a collision course. The good news is that a new video from NASA shows how it'll go down.

Video: Brachiating 'Bot Swings Its Arm Like An Ape

2020-06-01T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

Robot locomotion can take many forms, from crawling like snakes to rolling like tanks. This one swings like an android ape, using brachiating arm motion to grab onto a surface and forward momentum to keep going.

Video: After Robot-Assisted Rehab and a Dose of Chemicals, Paralysed Rats Walk Again

2020-06-01T04:19:00.0000000+10:00

With careful training using a robotic harness, and a special chemical cocktail designed to stimulate brain cells, rats with spinal cord injuries were able to re-learn how to walk. Scientists in Switzerland say the tests suggest humans with paralysis due to spinal cord injuries may regain some nerve activity.

Video: Astronaut Don Pettit Plays Space Station Vacuum Cleaner As Didgeridoo

2020-06-01T03:33:00.0000000+10:00

When he's not busy with his full-time gig, NASA Astronaut Don Pettit takes the time to run some of his own personal science experiments. His latest? A zero-gravity didgeridoo performance - for science.

Finnish Scientists Announce a Possible Universal Allergy Vaccine

2020-06-01T02:20:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland say they hope to have an allergy vaccine on the market in five to seven years. For everything, from pollen to cat hair.

Watch It Live: SpaceX's Dragon Capsule Splashes Back Down on Earth This Morning

2020-06-01T00:35:00.0000000+10:00

Updated: One last major milestone achieved for SpaceX's Dragon capsule today: A successful splashdown and recovery. The privately built spacecraft unlatched from the International Space Station earlier this morning and returned to Earth, parachuting to an ocean landing.

Plonk Down a Couple Of Grand, Pick Up Your Genetically Engineered Stingray Boots

2020-05-31T14:07:00.0000000+10:00

At PopSci, we're not that into exotic footwear. You have your casual shoes, your dress shoes, and maybe a couple of pairs of thongs. Having said that, even we were impressed/stunned by a pair of genetically engineered boots made almost entirely from stingray. For real.

In Capitalist Japan, Electric Cars Power You - Or At Least Your Building

2020-05-31T12:07:00.0000000+10:00

In a neat twist, Japan is in the midst of an interesting energy trial that involves powering buildings from a rather unlikely source - the battery pack of a Nissan Leaf.

Be A Time Travelling Hero With Your Own Multifunction Wrist Brace

2020-05-31T11:26:00.0000000+10:00

If today's sci-fi is anything to go by, everyone will eventually move from watches and mobile phones, and instead gravitates to slightly oversized, but extremely versatile wrist-mounted doodads. One particularly adventurous DIY-er has had a go at making their own working gadget bracer, with a hint of slightly-dystopic futurist flare.

Endless Cycle: Powering an Electric Bike With Renewable Energy

2020-05-31T11:06:00.0000000+10:00

We all know the best way to reduce our carbon footprint is to drop the car keys and hop onto a bike, but so many of us prefer convenience over green-ience. But now the Solarbike, a solar-rechargeable, electric bicycle conversion kit, could revolutionise the way we ride.

Your Scent Tells People Your Age and Gender

2020-05-31T10:25:00.0000000+10:00

Next time you’re catching the bus or train, play this little game. Before someone sits down next to you, close your eyes. Then when you hear someone take a seat beside you, breathe in deeply and take a smell of the air. Then guess the age and gender of the person. According to a new study, you should be able to get it right.

Aussie Researchers Increase Solar Cell Efficiency by 30 Per Cent

2020-05-31T10:07:00.0000000+10:00

As we meander towards renewables, via other slightly more controversial energy sources like gas and nuclear, the recurring problem is usually one of energy efficiency, as well as cost. RMIT, thankfully, have done a little to whittle down the barriers presented by both, creating a variant on the dye-sensitised solar cell that boosts output by 30 per cent.

An Integrated Circuit Made of Ions Could Bring Computing Into Your Cells

2020-05-31T07:02:00.0000000+10:00

The human body isn't a metal machine, but it's still plenty complicated, and regulating it like a machine is tough to pull off. That's why a new discovery by Klas Tybrandt, a doctoral student in Organic Electronics at Linköping University, Sweden, is exciting: he's developed the first integrated chemical chip, similar to silicon-based electronics, but for biologic material.

Video: Quadrotor Drone Flies Around To Your Devices And Charges Their Batteries

2020-05-31T05:01:00.0000000+10:00

Even though we've been able to keep in touch for long stretches of time since the advent of cellphones, there's still heaps of trouble with keeping them alive long enough to be any good. But wireless everywhere is the way of the future, and roboticists from the NIMBUS Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have a very futuristic solution: a flying, wireless quadrotor inductive charger.

Tomato Genome Decoded, Will Seed Development of Tastier, Fleshier Fruits

2020-05-31T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

A relatively small cluster of genetic information, some of it dating to 60 million years ago, endows the staple fruit of summer with its taste and texture. The secrets of the tomato, star of summer gardens, salads and gazpacho, is now laid out for plant breeders and horticulturists in exacting detail.

Video: Play-A-Grill Lets Playas Hear Music Through Their Teeth

2020-05-31T02:03:00.0000000+10:00

Now, wearing grills is about more than a fashion statement. You can use it as an MP3 player, using bone conduction to play your block rockin' beats through your teeth. Because why not.

Physicists Store 'Atomic Movie' in a Cloud of Vapour, and Play It Back

2020-05-31T01:09:00.0000000+10:00

As Moore's Law continues its march, there's the ever-present threat of stuff getting too small to get any smaller. It might be time to tally another one against Moore: Scientists are taking the next logical step and storing images in atomic vapour.

Video: First Autonomous Road Train Cruises Down Public Spanish Highway

2020-05-31T00:02:00.0000000+10:00

Three cars and a truck successfully drove themselves 200 kilometres down a highway in Spain, using radar and laser tracking to follow each other closely while their human passengers read magazines. Project SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) tested the vehicles alongside actual human motorists, some of whom may have caused safety issues of their own by rubbernecking at the hands-free steering wheels.

Video: Sergey Brin Shows Off Google Glass

2020-05-30T12:43:00.0000000+10:00

We all remember the demo video of Google Glass being used to navigate streets and find out a train was late, but many wrote that off as more fiction than fact. But a new demo from Sergey Brin shows the Glass technology may be further along than some thought.

The Light Fantastic: Coral-Keepers Turning on the LEDs To Light Up Animal Lives

2020-05-30T12:02:00.0000000+10:00

Keeping a salt-water aquarium is a serious hobby, and requires investing in a whole host of clever technologies to maintain water quality and keep finicky tropical fish happy. But most finicky of all are live corals.

Images of New iPhone Leaked

2020-05-30T11:18:00.0000000+10:00

Supposed images of the newest iPhone have been leaked, showing a device with a taller screen, a modified back plating, and a smaller dock connector.

Algorithm Can Tell If Your Smile is Happy or Born of Frustration

2020-05-30T09:54:00.0000000+10:00

You may not notice it - at least not as much as you notice when you smile sarcastically - but you smile when you’re frustrated. It’s more like a surprised grimace than a happy grin, but the difference is subtle. So subtle that humans can hardly detect it, actually - but a computer can.

Scientists Create the Smallest Possible Five-Ringed Molecule, Photograph It, and Call It Olympicene

2020-05-30T07:40:00.0000000+10:00

While most people end up crafting stick figures in boring meetings, Graham Richards of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) was doodling when he thought making "a molecular structure with three hexagonal rings above two others would make for an interesting synthetic challenge."

The Cosmic Alignment Known As 'Manhattanhenge' Begins Tonight

2020-05-30T07:01:00.0000000+10:00

New Yorkers will be given an astronomical treat as their sunset perfectly lines up across the borough of Manhattan, giving a luminescent flare to the south and north sides of every street in town.

Snake Robots Will Soon Crawl Around Inside Your Body Off-Leash

2020-05-30T06:08:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen snake robots and, of course, tons of surgery robots, but Dr Michael Argenziano, the Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center in New York, says we'll soon have fully untethered snake-type robots that will crawl through the human body, assisting with all kinds of fixes and maintenance.

The US Military May Blanket Afghanistan in Tiny Spy Sensors That Last for Two Decades

2020-05-30T04:14:00.0000000+10:00

During the Cold War, both sides liberally used the "bug" - the remote listening device - to surreptitiously get wind of what the other side was up to by listening in on a room, a building, or, in the case of East Berlin, an entire city. But in America's cooling war in Afghanistan, US forces may undertake what could be the biggest bugging operation of all time, planting sensors all over the entire country that could feed the US military intelligence from inside that country for the next two decades.

Video: Japanese Dentist Invents Self-Stirring Whirlpool Pot

2020-05-30T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

For some people, making soup is the height of tedium. Now, a Japanese dentist has created the easy chair of kitchen equipment: a specially sculpted pot that stirs itself.

Video: Smart Cubes Use Distributed Intelligence to Replicate Objects

2020-05-29T10:41:00.0000000+10:00

There's nothing like a healthy dose of robots-that-share-intelligence-and-replicate news to get the day moving. MIT have gone ahead and created a set of smart cubes that can use their hive intelligence to create an internalised 3D map of another object, and then form a copy of that object. Hold onto your tin hats, people.

One Finite Loop: The Story of Sydney's Monorail

2020-05-28T12:57:00.0000000+10:00

When you’re travelling inside one of Sydney’s monorail carriages, the views of the CBD and Darling Harbour are some of the best you can find in the city without travelling 100 storeys up a highrise. But from the streets below, some see the monorail as a blight on the overhead landscape which is used by nobody except tourists.

Australia's Greatest Radio Astronomer Remembered In Google Doodle

2020-05-28T12:33:00.0000000+10:00

Australian astronomy owes a lot to Ruby Payne-Scott. As a veritable pioneer in the field of radio astronomy, most of our current studies of space, not to mention things like the Square Kilometre Array, have come from her work. Today would be her 100th birthday, and the Google homepage is today set up to commemorate it.

PopSci #43 - June 2012

2020-05-28T12:06:00.0000000+10:00

Get your mad scientist on with our invention special, where we walk you through the best in technological innovation, from energy sources to aircraft, from biotech to gadgets, while also giving you the tips you need to make your own awesome inventions!

SKA Will Be Split Between Australia and South Africa

2020-05-28T11:33:00.0000000+10:00

It’s been up in the air for months, but the International Square Kilometre Array Organisation has finally decided the SKA will be split between Australia and South Africa, rather than based in one country only.

This Week in the Future, May 21-25, 2012

2020-05-26T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

No, angler fish! That's a robot, not whatever you usually eat! But maybe the oil slick on the surface of the angler's home is more dangerous than ingesting some gadgetry.

NASA Says: Please Don't Touch Our Stuff When You Go to the Moon

2020-05-26T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

Dear intrepid lunar explorers: NASA politely asks that, when you travel to the moon, you refrain from messing with the American flag.

There Will Be Enough Giant Phones Sold in 2015 to Pave Monaco

2020-05-26T01:12:00.0000000+10:00

A firm of analysts has just issued a report predicting that shipments of giant smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note, will reach a completely bonkers 208 million in 2015, which, if our math is correct, is only a few years away.

SpaceX Dragon Successfully Captured by International Space Station

2020-05-26T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

Just minutes ago, via the NASA TV stream, we learned that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has successfully been attached to the International Space Station - the very first private spacecraft to do so.

Backpack Radar Can Detect Ambushers Within 60 Hectares

2020-05-25T07:33:00.0000000+10:00

If you're a soldier suspecting an ambush, you probably don't have much time to spare, and you definitely can't afford to be carrying any unnecessary weight. That's why so much military tech involves shrinking whatever's portable, and why, now, a company has thrown its radar-in-a-backpack into the ring.

Take a Class on How to Design a Space Hotel

2020-05-25T07:01:00.0000000+10:00

If you're wondering what new skills you should learn this year, and you live in or are comfortable moving to Milan, maybe you should check out Susmita Mohanty's class at Domas Academy entitled "Products and Microenvironments for Orbiting Hotels." Mohanty is an "aerospace entrepreneur" and has worked on the International Space Station and the Shuttle-Mir missions, so she seems like a good choice to teach a class on designing products to allow for a comfortable stay for orbiting tourists.

Organic Carbon Found on Mars Rocks Is Not Life, New Study Says

2020-05-25T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

Since the Viking landers' footpads touched down on Mars, scientists have been searching for complex carbon molecules there, which on this planet are the building blocks of all life. They've found some examples in meteorites purported to come from the Red Planet, but debate persists about the origin of those rocks, let alone the carbon signatures inside them, which some have (controversially) argued could indicate life. Now a new study says the rocks in question are from Mars, but the carbon molecules are not relics of extraterrestrial life.

Watch: Neil Armstrong Narrates His Moon Landing In a Rare TV Interview

2020-05-25T03:10:00.0000000+10:00

The immortal first words on the moon, uttered so shakily by a man who has done his best to avoid the spotlight ever since, are even more impressive in hindsight. The Eagle lander nearly plunked Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong in a boulder field, and Armstrong had to take over from autopilot to set the spacecraft down. This is according to very rare new commentary from Armstrong himself.

Today in Good Reads: A Q&A With a Military Bioethicist

2020-05-25T02:14:00.0000000+10:00

Vice's Motherboard has a great Q&A up with Jonathan Moreno, author of Mind Wars and an expert on the topic of neuroscience in the military. And seeing as how the military is at the forefront of all kinds of crazy neuroscience - drones, implants, the relationships between machines and our own brains - studying the military's efforts gives a kind of sneak peak at what we'll be seeing in the future in the civilian world.

Today in Good Reads: A Q&A With a Military Bioethicist

2020-05-25T02:14:00.0000000+10:00

Vice's Motherboard has a great Q&A up with Jonathan Moreno, author of Mind Wars and an expert on the topic of neuroscience in the military.

Magnetic Jet Injection Device Can Shoot Any Drug Through the Skin, No Needle Required

2020-05-25T01:21:00.0000000+10:00

Whether you're at the doctor's office or taking medicine at home, future injections could be a lot less painful with this new gadget developed at MIT. Instead of a sterile metal point penetrating your skin, it fires a jet of medicine through your skin at the speed of sound.

Aussie Researchers Create Computer System To Help Fight Fires in Buildings

2020-05-24T14:28:00.0000000+10:00

A team from the University of New South Wales has created a computer modelling system to be used against dangerous and otherwise difficult-to-deal-with fire situations, by simulating a blaze right down to the levels of oxygen in specific locations within buildings, and also to possible secondary ignition locations.

Android-Based Mini PC Jumps On Raspberry Pi Bandwagon

2020-05-24T12:14:00.0000000+10:00

Well, given that Raspberry Pis are selling like hot cakes (or maybe pies), its only to be expected that other all-in-one mini computing platforms would try and push themselves out onto market. This particular platform runs on Android, is about the size of a smartphone, and costs US$49 a pop.

Video: In Record-Breaking Parachuteless Skydive, Man Jumps 730 Metres Into a Pile of Boxes

2020-05-24T08:18:00.0000000+10:00

Gary Connery broke the record today for skydiving sans parachute and also, presumably, took home a gold medal in being a badass. But that wasn't all: The 42-year-old father-stuntman-crazy-person gave Newton's First Law one more slap in the face by diving from 730 metres above Buckinghamshire, England, and straight into 18,600 cardboard boxes.

Pumping Well Water Out of the Ground May Be a Culprit in Rising Sea Levels

2020-05-24T07:33:00.0000000+10:00

When we think of rising sea levels, we think of global climate change and melting ice caps. Yet there's a disparity in the raw data. During the second half of the last century, global sea levels rose 1.8 millimetres per year, according to tide gauges. But it's been determined that melting ice caps and glaciers have only contributed to 1.1 millimetres per year of that. So where did the other 0.7 millimetres come from?

Video: Paratrooping Roomba-Style Drone Concept Could Help Clean Oil Spills

2020-05-24T06:08:00.0000000+10:00

Clearing the muck from an oil spill is tough enough without having to worry about collateral damage, but designer Hsu Sean is looking to create a Roomba-like Bio-Cleaner drone that degrades oil while keeping animals out of harm's way.

Snazzy All-in-One "Vancouver Poles" to Replace Ugly Urban Forest of Cell Towers and Cables

2020-05-24T05:18:00.0000000+10:00

Streetlamps, cell phone towers and parking meters lend a certain urban charm, but these unnatural forms can also get a little clunky, especially as they grow in number. To get rid of the clutter, the city of Vancouver is planning new all-purpose utility towers that will provide WiFi, cell phone service, parking, car charging and more - all wrapped up in a Candy Land-like stripey pole.

Would You Ride This Pencil-Shaped Capsule To Space?

2020-05-24T04:03:00.0000000+10:00

The amateur rocketeers at Copenhagen Suborbitals are getting closer and closer to orbit, testing a new bi-liquid fuel combination for a hand-built, donation-funded, non-profit rocket. The group tested its alcohol- and liquid oxygen-powered TM65 rocket over the weekend, the largest amateur bi-liquid rocket in the world.

Russian Space Chief: 'We're Talking About Establishing Permanent Bases On the Moon

2020-05-24T03:07:00.0000000+10:00

Yesterday, the heads of the space agencies for Europe, Canada, Russia, India, and Japan met in Washington DC (without NASA, which had all hands on deck for the SpaceX launch in Florida). The most interesting topic of conversation? The moon, which seems to be the destination on everyone's agenda except for NASA. And for Russia, it's less a destination and more a frontier for colonisation.

Oxford Launches New Hunt for Yeti DNA Samples

2020-05-24T01:13:00.0000000+10:00

In the bizarre world of cryptozoology, the yeti looms large, its potential existence the stuff of legend since the days of the first Mt. Everest expeditions. Now a new effort could settle it for good, by studying DNA from hair samples stored at various institutions around the world. Maybe the samples do belong to a yeti or some type of beast unknown to science, or maybe it's as boring as a bear - a team of researchers at the University of Oxford and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology aim to find out.

New 'Mechanical Metamaterial' Expands When You Compress It, Shrinks When You Stretch It

2020-05-23T14:07:00.0000000+10:00

Metamaterials research has generally focused on media with strange or unique electromagnetic properties, like the ability to bend light or sound in an unnatural way, but materials scientists at Northwestern University are experimenting with an entirely new kind of material with unique mechanical properties.

Video: Amazing Coating For Bottles' Interiors Lets Ketchup Flow Like Water

2020-05-23T07:09:00.0000000+10:00

LiquiGlide, developed by a team at MIT's Varanasi Research Group, is a surface coating that liberates the notoriously non-Euclidean fluid ketchup from its glass- or plastic-walled prison. The research came in second in MIT's $100K Entrepreneurship Challenge, and is almost certainly destined for a bottle near you. Watch its graceful performance below in a video from Fast Co.Exist.

Celebrate Robert Moog's Birthday With a Google Synth

2020-05-23T06:01:00.0000000+10:00

Robert Moog, the inventor of the seminal analogue audio synthesiser that bears his name, is celebrated by Google today, in one of the search giant's classic time-sucking doodles.

Are Cells Communicating With Each Other By Emitting Light?

2020-05-23T05:22:00.0000000+10:00

Biophotons are optical or ultraviolet photons that are emitted by biological systems and there's long been a suspicion among some biologists that they are up to something we don't really understand.

Giant European Robofish Sniff Out Ocean Pollutants Autonomously

2020-05-23T04:13:00.0000000+10:00

A fleet of robotic pollution predators splashed into service today in Spain, in a trial to determine how well robots can hunt down water contamination and report its location to ships or shore.

100-Year Starship Project Forges Ahead With First Round of Funding

2020-05-23T03:16:00.0000000+10:00

An ambitious effort for an interstellar travel planning organisation officially kicked off this week, after DARPA awarded $500,000 to form the 100-Year Starship initiative. The organisation's goal is to ensure that the capability for human interstellar travel exists within the next 100 years.

DNA Inside Cells Can Serve As Rewritable Data Storage

2020-05-23T02:23:00.0000000+10:00

DNA is the blueprint for life, and now it can serve as a computer to monitor life's processes. Bioengineers transformed DNA into a one-bit memory system that can record, store and erase data within living cells. A future DNA memory device could be used to track cell division and differentiation in cancer patients, perhaps, or to monitor what happens as cells get sick or age.

Video: Micro-Robots Made of Bubbles That Are Powered by Lasers

2020-05-23T01:13:00.0000000+10:00

Roboticists make robots out of all kinds of things, but Aaron Ohta at the University of Hawaii at Manoa makes them out of thin air. While we usually think of robots as mechanical, Ohta's lab has devised a way to make robots out of bubbles of air powered by lasers, IEEE Spectrum reports.

SpaceX Successfully Launches the First Privately Built Spacecraft to the International Space Station

2020-05-22T23:34:00.0000000+10:00

After a handful of delays and one abort on the launch pad, SpaceX began its historic journey toward the International Space Station on Tuesday morning in America, as its Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in a spectacular night time launch.

Hubble Peers Into the Constellation Andromeda to Capture a Spiral Galaxy in Profile

2020-05-22T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics: Hubble snaps the northern half of spiral galaxy NGC 981 in profile. The central galactic bulge is just out of frame to the lower left, leaving us with a close-up spanning roughly 100,000 light years that lets us look right through its plane of gas and dust.

Leap 3D System Offers Amazing Gesture-Based Control of Your Computer for Just $70

2020-05-22T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

The promise of Microsoft's Kinect was never simply to allow us to play games sans peripherals, but that one day an entirely new peripheral-free language would arise between us and our machines (many writers might pause here to mention the film Minority Report, but we're going to refrain). We're not all the way there yet, but a San Francisco startup is making a sub-US$100 attempt at throwing open the door. Leap Motion's Leap 3D system will allow users to control their computers with hundredth-of-a-millimetre accuracy using touch-free gestural cues.

Kepler Spots a Doomed Planet Slowly Evaporating into Space

2020-05-22T02:51:00.0000000+10:00

Of all the ways planets can die - consumed by their host stars, for instance, or obliterated by a collision with another planet or asteroid - evaporation isn't one that had crossed many astronomer's minds. But data from the exoplanet-hunting Kepler observatory has revealed a nearby planet - just 1,500 light years from Earth - that appears to be evaporating before our very eyes. Over the next 100 million years, the planet will completely disintegrate.

Here's Why Apple's iPhone Chargers Are So Expensive

2020-05-22T02:15:00.0000000+10:00

Here's the the question: you can charge an iPhone with any AC-to-USB adapter. So how does Apple get off charging $39 for theirs?

Equipped With a Hot Glue Gun, New Robot Builds Its Own Custom Tools

2020-05-22T01:30:00.0000000+10:00

Most robots are designed to do a couple specific things, which is one reason why the adaptability requirements in DARPA's robotics challenge will be so interesting. But not everyone has the funds or know-how to build a robot that can do anything. Instead, the robotics whiz teams at ETH Zurich are giving robots the ability to build any new tool for itself, whenever the need might arise. It just comes with a hot glue gun, which the robot uses like a low-tech 3D printer.

Phoenix on the Hill: The Future of Australian Space Research

2020-05-21T16:58:00.0000000+10:00

Despite funding cuts and a devastating fire in 2003, Australia's Mount Stromlo continues to punch above its weight when it comes to international astronomy.

As Earth's Underwater Carbon Sinks, Seagrass Could Save The World

2020-05-21T15:43:00.0000000+10:00

While we're all fussing about with things up here, Aussie researchers have helped investigate marine ecosystems, finding that the meadows of seagrass in the deep blue yonder actually help to suck up vast amounts of carbon dioxide, potentially providing new ways to tackle climate change. The problem is, these seagrasses themselves are in decline.

Quantum Dot Technology Closer To Human Use After Successful Primate Medical Trial

2020-05-21T12:56:00.0000000+10:00

Quantum dot technology is being eyeballed for a suite of applications, including LEDs, solar cells, quantum computing and mobile phone cameras. Another possible application is medical imaging, and this use has become more of a reality after a recent study with primates found no ill effects in primates after quantum dot injection.

Does Your Child Text Too Much? Don’t Blame Them - It’s In Your Genes

2020-05-21T12:45:00.0000000+10:00

A common belief in gene theory and heritability is that all of our inheritable traits come from thousands of years ago when humans were hunter-gatherers or nomads roaming the Earth. But you can also inherit traits related to modern phenomena, like how much you use your mobile phone.

World's Largest Tidal Farm Launches in Scotland

2020-05-21T11:31:00.0000000+10:00

Farming has been an integral part of Australia’s history since the arrival of the first European settlers in 1788, so you think we’d be the first to know about any new developments in the area. But no, Scotland have beaten us to the punch - though not in the type of farm you might expect.

SpaceX's Historic ISS Cargo Ferry Launch Aborted at the Last Second

2020-05-20T01:39:00.0000000+10:00

Just half a second before liftoff, computers aborted the launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket early this morning, delaying the dawn of the commercial space age at least until Tuesday.

This Week in the Future, May 14-18, 2012

2020-05-19T08:05:00.0000000+10:00

A lot of people didn't agree with us that multitouch is magic. But we think those people are all doing it wrong, because this is literally what happens to us when we swipe. Our hands become instantly magnetic and we gain the power of telekinesis.

Your Very Own Cleaner, Faster Plane, Now on Kickstarter

2020-05-19T06:29:00.0000000+10:00

The Synergy aircraft, propelled by a fan in back and buoyed by a boxy tail, promises to be cheaper, safer, quieter, and vastly more efficient than a jet airplane. The hitch is that it doesn't quite exist yet, but it's nearly halfway to its goal on Kickstarter, so now is your chance to invest.

Book Review: Why You Are the Future of Video Games

2020-05-19T05:33:00.0000000+10:00

The internet revolution has changed the way we create and showcase work. Amateur videos recorded on cellphones are getting more eyes than the latest ABC midseason replacement. The blog has brought democracy to the written word. Cheap technology and digital distribution make it easier than ever before for your little brother's band to be heard around the world. Why hasn't this populist revolution happened to video games?

The Dawn of the Commercial Space Age is (Probably) Happening This Weekend

2020-05-19T02:25:00.0000000+10:00

Tomorrow morning, whether they realize it or not, Americans will likely wake up to a new era. Though nothing will be outwardly different, a fundamental shift in the nature spaceflight will commence during the wee morning hours. Call it a defining moment, or a milestone, or simply call it what it is: the dawn of the private spaceflight industry's real presence in outer space.

Bioresorbable Heart Implant Clears Initial Clinical Trial

2020-05-18T13:42:00.0000000+10:00

For those of you who can remember back to our medical tech issue of the magazine, you may remember that we tackled a bunch of new technologies being developed around the world and particular in Australia, including a stent, or heart implant, that would automatically be reabsorbed by the body after it had done its job. Well, that stent, developed by Australian-traded company Reva Medical has cleared its initial clinical trial, meaning its that much closer to becoming a reality.

In Order To Reduce 'Noise' in Quantum Computers, Scientists Add More Noise

2020-05-18T11:33:00.0000000+10:00

In what is a twist we really all should have expected (this is quantum computing after all), Aussie researchers have discovered that the best way to reduce the noise problem in quantum computers, itself the biggest technical barrier to actual quantum computer use, is simply to add more noise. This is where we all nod our heads and smile.

Phineas Gage, Neurology's Most Interesting Case, Gets His Head Re-Examined With a New Neural Map

2020-05-18T08:35:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists are getting another chance to get inside Phineas Gage's head. The 25-year-old Gage was a railroad supervisor back in 1848, using a six-kilo, 31.1 metre iron rod to pack blasting powder into a rock just moments before becoming history's most interesting neuroscience case. Gage somehow triggered an explosion that drove the rod straight through his left cheek and out the top of his head, taking a chunk of his left frontal lobe with it.

What Is Google's Semantic Search?

2020-05-18T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

One of Google's stated goals is to index all of the world's information, the ever-changing mass of combined knowledge and snarky commentary that lives on the Internet. Today this index is getting some context, with billions of attributes and connections linking millions of individual nouns - a gigantic spider's web of data with Google at the centre.

Buried Since the Jurassic Era, Ocean Microbes Are Still 'Barely Alive'

2020-05-18T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

With no meal for 86 million years, and barely enough oxygen to sustain metabolism, can a single-celled organism really be considered alive? Yes, but only just, according to a new study. A microbial community buried under the ocean floor since the mid-Jurassic era is still hanging on. Their tenacity could pose some interesting questions for the hunt for alien life.

Video: MIT's Latest User Interface Employs Gravity-Defying, Levitating Metal Orbs

2020-05-18T06:07:00.0000000+10:00

The future of user interfaces seems to be gesture-based, at least if one simply looks at where research dollars are flowing and what products - yes, like the Kinect - are coming to market. But the peripheral is not dead. Jinha Lee at the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab sees a different future, one that dispenses with gravity to create a much more tangible yet futuristic UI that lets users move and interact with floating, gravity-defying objects in 3D space.

iFixit Introduces Dozuki, Actually Makes Product Manuals Interesting and Exciting

2020-05-18T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

iFixit's beautiful teardowns of products have long been misconstrued as simple gadget porn, when really they're more of an activist call to action: take care of your objects! Repair them, improve them, make them last. iFixit sprung up largely as a response to companies providing wholly inadequate documentation, leaving their customers stranded - and the site's new venture, Dozuki, aims to give those companies a second chance, by taking advantage of what iFixit has made - and in the process, revolutionise the whole idea of the manual.

PopSci Q&A: NASA Just Gave You A Telescope. What Will You Look At First?

2020-05-18T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

If you follow NASA at all, you know the agency has had some funding troubles of late, forcing changes to its manned spaceflight and Mars exploration programs. Among more high-profile woes, the strapped budget almost doomed one of the agency's cheapest missions, the prolific Galaxy Evolution Explorer. But Chris Martin had another idea.

Astronaut Don Pettit Creates the First Mailing Address in Space

2020-05-18T03:32:00.0000000+10:00

The International Space Station is in constant motion, whipping around the Earth at some 23,400 km/h. But according to current ISS inhabitant and NASA astronaut Don Pettit, there's no reason why a bullet-fast orbital space station with no fixed location shouldn't have a fixed mailing address - after all, Navy ships have mailing addresses, as do remote outposts like McMurdo Station in Antarctica - and he's devised just such a postal nomenclature to satisfy this need via his NASA blog.

Pretty Space Pics: Centaurus A Captured in a Whole New Way

2020-05-18T00:15:58.0000000+10:00

Some 12 million light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Centaurus, the most prominent source of galactic radio emissions in the sky rests in the galaxy Centaurus A. Here, a truly gigantic black hole 100 million times more massive than our sun is (most likely) ejecting huge amounts of energy as it helps rip another galaxy apart, and the European Southern Observatory has snapped a brand new image of the elliptical galaxy in stunning new resolution.

Success For Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm

2020-05-17T12:48:00.0000000+10:00

Two stroke-victims have successfully managed to move a robotic arm with their mind, building on research in brain-machine interfacing and proving it is possible even for those who cannot use their physical limbs.

New Australian IPCC Report Demonstrates, Again, That Warming Is Real

2020-05-17T12:46:00.0000000+10:00

A new Australian submission to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reconstructed temperatures from before 1910, and shown the warming that has occurred in the Australasian region since 1950 is unprecedented in the last 1000 years of history in the Pacific.

FDA Panel Endorses an Over-the-Counter HIV Test that Diagnoses in Just 20 Minutes

2020-05-17T08:00:00.0000000+10:00

It's no cure, but it could mark a significant victory in the fight against HIV. A 17-member advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration has endorsed an over-the-counter HIV test that would allow consumers to test themselves for the AIDS-causing virus in the privacy of their own homes in just 20 minutes.

ViviSat: An On-Call, Robotic Doctor for Ailing Satellites

2020-05-17T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Aside from a couple particularly nasty collisions, dead satellites comprise the bulk of our planet's space junk problem - as they die, get fried by radiation and become zombies, or are decommissioned, there's nowhere for them to go. ViviSat aims to change that by servicing satellites where they are, pushing them into new orbits and allowing them to live longer.

The Pentagon is Investing Millions to Advance the Future of 3D Printing Tech

2020-05-17T04:24:00.0000000+10:00

President Obama's nationwide push for innovation in manufacturing reaches across agencies from the National Science Foundation to the Department of Energy, and now it's reaching all the way into the Pentagon where $60 million is being set aside for investment in 3D printing technologies. The DoD will fund a network of agencies, academic institutions, and companies to build on 3D printing tech with the overarching goal of building aerospace and weapons technology faster.

Virgin Atlantic Now Allows Cell Phone Calls on Transatlantic Flights

2020-05-17T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

It was bound to happen and we can't say we're surprised that the forward-leaning Virgin Atlantic is the one doing it. As of yesterday passengers aboard Virgin's new Airbus A330-300 aircraft flying London-NYC routes can use their cell phones to make calls from 10,000 metres. Customers will also be able to send text messages and access the Web via GPRS. The only restrictions on usage will be during takeoff and landing or within 400 kilometres of US airspace.

Talking to Dolphins: New "Dolphin Speaker" Produces Full Range of Dolphinese Sounds

2020-05-17T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

Communication with dolphins is getting better all the time - they've been using iPads, for one thing, and humans have been working on a type of Rosetta Stone-like two-way translation device. A new gadget could improve matters even further, by allowing humans to produce the full range of dolphin sounds. The acoustics researchers who developed it call it the Dolphin Speaker.

Raspberry Pi Ripe For Picking In Australia, But Few On The Tree

2020-05-16T15:26:00.0000000+10:00

The dirt cheap Raspberry Pi microcomputer has now officially launched here in Australia, but there's an extreme shortage of devices in Australia, given the demand. Not surprising for a teeny tiny AU$41 computer.

A 'Self-Replicating' Milling Machine

2020-05-16T12:29:00.0000000+10:00

Milling machines are nothing new - objects have been cut out by such machines since the early nineteenth century. Also giving such a machine the ability to also create more of itself is another thing entirely - and that's exactly what one senior student at a US college did when he made a 'self-replicating' milling machine.

Organic Transport: The World's Subway Systems Are Evolving

2020-05-16T12:25:00.0000000+10:00

The Sydney and Melbourne train systems might seem like a bit of a jumbled mess to you - crossed lines sprawling in all directions then converging into a complex centre. But a new study suggests there’s method in this madness, and it isn’t isolated to any one particular system - subways evolve along similar lines everywhere in the world.

Equip Robots with Bee Brains, Allow Them To Make Complex Decisions

2020-05-16T10:53:00.0000000+10:00

Aussie researchers have been trying to get around one of the most fundamental problems of robotic artificial intelligence - namely, how to get robots to solve complex problems without a complicated, large, and organic human brain. The solution, it turns out, is decidedly simple - use bee brains instead.

Now Showing in NYC: A Rare Collection of Hollywood Futurist Syd Mead's Paintings

2020-05-16T07:35:00.0000000+10:00

Getting around in the future is going to be something of a trip, at least to let classics of science fiction like TRON, Blade Runner, Aliens, and Star Trek tell the story. In a rare glimpse into the mind of the man that largely shaped Hollywood's sci-fi representation of the future of transport, a collection of visionary designer Syd Mead's paintings is currently on display in Manhattan.

"Map of Life" Shows the Location of All Organisms, Large and Small

2020-05-16T06:45:00.0000000+10:00

Ever wonder exactly where grizzly bears live on this continent? Or where you might find Myotis lucifungus, the fuzzy, adorable little brown bat that is currently threatened with extinction because of white-nose syndrome? Now you can track them on Google Maps, thanks to a new program that aims to plot the location of every single living thing on Earth. It's kind of like the Gawker Stalker, only with lemurs instead of Malcolm Gladwell.

Test Drive: The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG

2020-05-16T05:35:00.0000000+10:00

With the new sixth generation SL, Mercedes-Benz once again redefines the two-seater luxury roadster segment that it helped to create in 1954. For 2013, Mercedes-Benz started from the ground up on the SL, this time building upon a lightweight aluminum bodyshell similar to the top-of-the-range SLS. The platform is entirely new - its first in a decade.

Sorry, But Google Goggles Won't Provide The Terminator-Like Vision You Were Hoping For

2020-05-16T04:35:00.0000000+10:00

Sorry wannabe Google Gogglers, but your Terminator-styled visual overlays are not going to be here as soon as you might have wanted. Google is still being quite dodgy with the details surrounding its much-anticipated augmented reality glasses, but CNET confirms after spending some time at Google HQ that informational overlays will be more restricted, displaying above the normal line of sight, "about where the edge of an umbrella might be."

Video: New Finger-Tap Power Generator Uses Viruses to Make Electricity

2020-05-16T03:39:00.0000000+10:00

Piezoelectric devices promise to draw power from your footsteps or heartbeat, change the channel on your TV, and complete all sorts of helpful tasks - but they generally work in the nano-mechanical realm, requiring synthetic materials to function. Now for the first time, scientists have built a piezoelectric device using biological materials - in this case, viruses. Future sneakers may come with a customised viral mat on the bottom, with millions of would-be pathogens working together to power your music player.

NASA is Training Up an Astronaut Crew for a Potential Manned Asteroid Mission

2020-05-16T02:40:00.0000000+10:00

We haven't heard much about if from NASA yet, but the Telegraph is reporting that the space agency will soon begin training up an international crew of astronauts for a potential manned mission to an asteroid slated for later in the next decade. Starting next month, six astronauts are headed to the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO), the underwater habitat off the Florida coast that will serve as a simulator for the long duration mission to an asteroid, the UK outlet reports.

Hands-On and In-Depth With Leica's Black & White Only M-Monochrom Digital

2020-05-16T01:40:00.0000000+10:00

It may sound crazy to release a digital camera in 2012 that only shoots in black & white, but that's exactly what Leica has done with the US$8,000 M-Monochrom rangefinder.

Infographic: The New Planetary Habitability Index

2020-05-15T07:24:00.0000000+10:00

Astronomers often estimate the habitability of extrasolar planets and moons based mostly on their temperatures and distance from the nearest star. A team of astrobiologists has now proposed a rubric that includes four groups of variables, each of which is weighted by its importance to sustaining life.

A Series of Long Exposures Aboard the ISS Produces a Psychedelic Swirl of Stars

2020-05-15T06:22:00.0000000+10:00

Hat tip to astronomer Phil Plait over at Bad Astronomy for digging up this gem of an image snapped by astronaut Don Petit aboard the International Space Station. Culled from NASA's Flickr stream, the composite is a series of eighteen 30-second exposures stitched together to capture the motion of the ISS around the Earth, trailing the light from cities and auroras below as well as stars above.

Computer Interface Monitors Your Overworked Brain and Takes Over Tasks For You

2020-05-15T05:22:00.0000000+10:00

Your office mates, whether they're people or pets, can probably tell when you're feeling stretched too thin - heavy sighs, hand-wringing and general signs of stress are fairly easy to spot. Yet your computer takes no notice, its beach ball of death spinning away incessantly and its processor failing utterly to work any faster. Now a new brain-computer interface could turn your computer into a more sympathetic partner, taking over some of your tasks when it senses you're overworked.

Engineer Wants to Build a Real Starship Enterprise

2020-05-15T04:25:00.0000000+10:00

The year 2245 is just too distant - we should build and commission a real USS Enterprise right now, cracking the champagne across her hull within 20 years, according to an enterprising engineer. The gigantic ship would use ion propulsion, powered by a 1.5-gigawatt nuclear reactor, and could reach Mars in three months and the moon in three days. Its 500-metre-diameter, magnetically suspended gravity wheel spinning at 2 RPM would provide 1G of gravity, and the thing looks just like the "Star Trek" ship of lore.

Electrical Engineer Can Feel Magnetic Fields Through Magnets Implanted in His Fingertips

2020-05-15T03:25:00.0000000+10:00

Reddit's IAmA forums can be a regular source of BS, so when we came across this "Ask Me Anything" session in which a 24-year-old electrical engineer (and grad student) shares his experiences with having magnets implanted in his fingertips, we were skeptical. Then we read it, and it was kind of awesome. Moreover, it appears there are lots of people out there interested in the magnetic implant subculture - which apparently is a real thing.

Skywatchers Take Note: Sunday's Annular Solar Eclipse Will Leave a Ring of Fire in the Sky

2020-05-15T01:34:00.0000000+10:00

A friendly reminder for skywatchers in East Asia and the American West: On Sunday May 20 (May 21st across the date line in Asia) the moon will blot out 94 per cent of our star's early evening light in an annular solar eclipse that should leave a dazzling ring of fire in the sky.

Living in the Future: Multitouch, or How I Learned to Love the Mac

2020-05-15T00:20:00.0000000+10:00

Living in the Future is a new column about those rare moments, as we go about our daily lives, when we realize that what we're doing is amazing. We have a tendency to assimilate new tech into our lives without giving it much thought, or even without much gratitude, as Louis C.K. reminds us. But every once in awhile, we get that visceral "whoomph" while doing something as mundane as listening to music or playing a video game, and think: "I can't believe this is possible!"

Blind People Could One Day See With Goggles That Shoot Lasers Into Your Eyes

2020-05-14T15:22:00.0000000+10:00

Ok, so it's not quite as cool as shooting lasers out of your eyes. But for the 39 million blind people alive around the world today, and the many more who will live in the future, a pair of goggles that allows you to see by shooting lasers into your eyes would no doubt sound like the best thing ever. Scientists from Stanford University in the States have put together a proof-of-concept demonstrating core system that could make such a device a future possibility.

Smart Mirror: Check The Weather While You Brush Your Teeth

2020-05-14T13:27:00.0000000+10:00

We all know that your PC isn’t the only place you’re interacting with the internet any more - mobiles, gaming consoles, e-readers and tablets are all portals to the web. But those aren’t the only screens that will play host to the internet in the future.

Video: Robot Makes A Perfect Landing On Your Hand

2020-05-14T12:31:00.0000000+10:00

There’s always something impressive about watching a bird soar twenty to thirty metres at speed before pulling up and landing perfectly on an outstretched branch. Now, researchers from the University of Illinois have replicated this sort of manoeuvre - with a robot.

Pretty Space Pics: Stunning Image of A Solar Flare Is Stunning

2020-05-14T10:36:00.0000000+10:00

Given you can, by definition, see the Sun almost every single day, it takes a lot to truly impress us when it comes to solar photography. Well, this image by NASA depicting a solar flare (or alternatively some sort of galactic superhero) has done just that. Who said teal couldn't make things awesome?

Q&A: How NanoRacks sends Scotch, iPhones and school experiments into space

2020-05-14T10:05:00.0000000+10:00

A small company called Nanoracks, which made headlines lately for its plans to send components of Ardbeg single-malt whisky to the ISS, will be the first commercial cargo to fly on SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

This Week in the Future, May 7-11, 2012

2020-05-12T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

This Baarbarian illustration is done in a particular paint-like style, but the prepared food? That is photo-realistic. Because it's disgusting.

Even the Maya Didn't Think the World Would End in 2012

2020-05-12T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

National Geographic has a new feature up today in which they discuss the new finding of a cave in the midst of an unexplored Mayan megacity - a cave with very particular glyphs on the walls. Those writings include charts to predict lunar cycles and other calendrical workings - including a cyclical Mayan calendar that counts many thousands of years in the future. Which means, um, that stuff about the Maya predicting the end of the world is kind of... factually problematic.

Chinese Physicists Teleport Photons 100 Kilometres Away

2020-05-12T01:45:00.0000000+10:00

Teleportation, sci-fi as it sounds, is actually not fictional or even new; two years ago, Chinese physicists broke the then-current record for quantum teleportation by teleporting photons over 16 km. But a new effort from that same team demolishes that record, beaming the photons over 97 kilometres.

New iPad App 123D Catch Turns Pictures Into Printable 3-D Renders

2020-05-12T00:34:00.0000000+10:00

Autodesk, one of the premier 3D printing companies out there right now - they make AutoCAD, the pioneering software - has a new app out for iPad that aims to make 3D printing easier. Just snap a bunch of pictures of the object you want to reproduce from different angles, and the app, cleverly named 123D Catch, creates a 3D rendering automatically.

The 10 Best Quotes From the Study That Proves Cereal Tastes Better With Milk Than Water

2020-05-11T07:40:00.0000000+10:00

At Pontificia University Católica in Santiago, Chile, important work is being done. Sick of people repeatedly insisting that corn flakes are delicious when swimming in a bowl of tap water (I guess?), a team of researchersembarked on a remarkably thorough examination of the effects of different liquids - 2% milk, skim milk, and water - on breakfast cereal (both corn flakes and quinoa flakes). This is a real study, and we at PopSci spent real money and real time to read it.

This US$8,000 Leica Camera Only Shoots in Black and White

2020-05-11T06:46:00.0000000+10:00

The Leica M-Monochrom is in a lot of ways much like the Leica M9. It's beautiful, compact, exceedingly expensive, with great image quality - a Maserati of a camera. But there's an interesting catch...

Today's Pretty Space Pic: Cygnus-X, a Star Nursery in Action

2020-05-11T05:45:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics: The active star birthing region Cygnus-X, a chaotic complex of gas and dust in the constellation Cygnus, otherwise known as the Swan. Captured by the far infrared sensors of the ESA's Herschel Space Observatory, the image gives astronomers a unique view of massive star birth perviously unavailable at these wavelengths.

Golf-Ball-Inspired Nike Track Suit Has Speed Holes, for Speed

2020-05-11T04:45:00.0000000+10:00

Nike's TurboSpeed, which sounds like the name of a Hot Wheels playset, is an ultra-lightweight track suit designed to help sprinters reach that extra height. Oddly, it's inspired by the golf ball, which is why it has all those odd little dimples. But we prefer to think of them as speed holes.

My Three Hours With the Most Violent Videogame I've Ever Seen

2020-05-11T03:29:00.0000000+10:00

The creators of Sniper Elite V2, a third-person World War II shooter released this week, know that the success of a modern videogame comes down to the details. They worked closely with historians to nail the feel of 1945 Berlin, all the way down to the pattern of the wallpaper inside a typical German home. The typeface on the Nazi propaganda littering the crumbling virtual urban streets is Antiqua, the preferred font of the Reich. But there's an even more intense, maybe even disturbing, level of detail in this game.

Pentagon to Put Their Spin On Call of Duty's Ideas

2020-05-11T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

Art imitates life they say, and every now and then life imitates art. Which is only slightly terrifying when the art being imitated is a Call of Duty title and the real-world entity doing the imitating is the Pentagon. A fictional drone from a videogame that hasn't even been released yet has inspired a US DoD office to consider pursuing the same drone in real life, Brookings Institute 21st Century Defense Initiative director and all-around drones guru Peter Singer tells Innovation News Daily.

Video: Bizarrely Realistic Japanese Robotic Buttocks Responds to Slaps

2020-05-11T01:30:00.0000000+10:00

Here's how Nobuhiro Takahashi and the University of Electro-Communications describe this project: "'SHIRI' is a buttocks humanoid robot that expresses various emotions with organic movement of the artificial muscles." It's designed to respond to slaps, caresses, and finger-pokes. It is super weird.

Wristband Sensors Can Detect, and Possibly Predict, Life-Threatening Seizures

2020-05-10T07:40:00.0000000+10:00

Some seizures briefly incapacitate, while other seizures can be deadly. Knowing the difference is obviously of grave importance, but figuring out which is which is difficult. So a team of MIT Media Lab researchers have developed a wristband that can tell the difference between the more benign breed of seizure and the one that might kill you, and may even be able to predict seizures before they strike.

Do You "Possess" What You View Online?

2020-05-10T06:25:00.0000000+10:00

In a ruling yesterday, the New York Court of Appeals dismissed several counts of possession of child pornography charged to college professor James D. Kent, after a computer he brought to university IT for anti-virus service was found to contain child pornography in its browser cache.

Envisat, Now Quiet for Nearly a Month, Is Declared Dead by the ESA

2020-05-10T04:45:00.0000000+10:00

PopSci reported almost a month ago that the European Space Agency had lost contact with its flagship Earth-observing satellite. Today, we must relay with heavy hearts that Envisat has been declared dead on orbit. The ESA will suspend recovery efforts today, the agency has said.

Anyone Can Build an Enormous Next-Generation Jet Engine (In Holographic 3-D)

2020-05-10T03:59:00.0000000+10:00

Building a next-generation jet engine isn't easy, but from the cool confines of a blacked out holographic chamber in Brooklyn, it can at least be easier. Here, GE and its partners at BBDO New York have assembled ThrottleUp, an immersive 3-D holographic experience that lets users build one of GE's new energy efficient GEnx jet engines using a gesture controlled holographic interface.

Pretty Space Pics: The Dark, Artistic Centre of the Omega Nebula

2020-05-10T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

Today's pretty space pic, of the dark, cloudy centre of the Omega Nebula, strikes our fancy due to its ominous scratchiness, like a beautiful cerulean and red painting marred by handfuls of dirt scraped across its surface. The nebula is about 5,000 light-years away, and is a famous star-forming region - those individual little dots glowing through the haze are young stars.

Using Facial Recognition to Identify Unknown Subjects in History's Great Portraits

2020-05-10T01:30:00.0000000+10:00

Agents in the war on terror attempt to identify unknown persons each and every day, but technology developed to battle criminality around the globe could soon be identifying persons of questionable identity going back centuries.

Video: The Energy Fixers

2020-05-09T08:34:00.0000000+10:00

VICE, in concert with GE, recently created a video called ecomagination - The Energy Fixers. The Energy Fixers focuses on eco-minded innovators working to change the energy game and re-envisioning our energy future.

Jeff Bezos's "Blue Origin" Space Company Reveals Spacecraft Design

2020-05-09T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

We've covered Blue Origin, the semi-mysterious space company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, in the past, but we never knew all that much about what they were working on. But they recently showed off their new space vehicle, which has completed wind tunnel testing and is named, in a fit of wild creativity, the "Space Vehicle," and a little bit of their plans for the future.

Using the Microsoft Kinect to Detect Autism

2020-05-09T06:26:00.0000000+10:00

There are five Microsoft Kinects set up all around the University of Minnesota's Institute of Child Development, but they're not for playing games (or any of the other stuff the Kinect can do with an Xbox). They're monitoring the students, looking for signs of unusual behaviour that might indicate a potential autism spectrum disorder.

Blueseed, the Floating City for Startups, Has More Than a Hundred Firms Ready to Ship Out

2020-05-09T05:12:00.0000000+10:00

When startup Blueseed floated the idea to create a seaborne startup community in international waters off the coast of northern California, we were intrigued. We weren't the only ones. A new report released by the company says it has 133 tech startups on board to move their operations offshore when the ship launches next year.

Paralysed Woman Completes London Marathon in Bionic Suit After 16 Days

2020-05-09T04:10:00.0000000+10:00

This is one of the most inspiring stories we've ever seen: Claire Lomas of the UK was paralysed from the chest down in a horse-riding accident five years ago. Yet today, she accomplished something difficult for anyone: she finished the London Marathon. It took 16 days and one impressive bionic exoskeleton, but she did it. Watch the video and try not to tear up a little, I dare you.

Microsoft's Newest Gestural Interface Captures Hand Motions By Listening to Them

2020-05-09T03:07:00.0000000+10:00

WIth the Kinect, Microsoft opened up the world of gestural controls to the masses, allowing users to manipulate video games and otherwise control their devices with simple motion controls. Now Microsoft Research is doing it again, this time using inaudible sound waves to create the same kind of gestural interface, no cameras necessary.

The First Solar-Powered Ship to Circumnavigate the Globe Completes Its Trip

2020-05-09T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar pulled into Monaco's Hercule Harbor on Friday, completing its journey around the world - the very first solely solar-powered watercraft to do so. Of course, it's not an ordinary ship. It cost over $16 million, has over 500 square metres of solar panels, and can house 200 people.

Nevada Issues a Driver's License to Google's Self-Driving Car

2020-05-09T00:53:00.0000000+10:00

The applicant had to drive flawlessly on highways, through neighbourhoods, and on the Strip, while Department of Motor Vehicles officials rode along sternly monitoring its skill. When it passed the test, it became the first autonomous vehicle officially licensed to drive on the nation's roads with no human intervention.

China Takes Off

2020-05-09T00:01:00.0000000+10:00

When discussing any environmental issue in China, it's always a struggle to decide which deserves more emphasis: how dire the situation is, or how hard Chinese authorities are trying to cope with it. China's skies, waters and even sources of food are some of the most poisonously contaminated on Earth. Its efforts to curtail pollution and develop cleaner energy sources are some of the world's most ambitious.

Video: Touch-Sensitive Doorknobs Could Lock or Unlock With the Curl of a Finger

2020-05-08T07:13:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research, which is the lab arm of the Disney Company that focuses on computer animation and interactivity, among other things, have worked out a new version of capacitive sensors - the same sensors used in modern smartphones and tablets. This version is able to detect touch in much more detail, like identifying which finger you've used to tap it.

We Asked Our Readers Why They Love the Samsung Galaxy Note

2020-05-08T06:02:00.0000000+10:00

Nobody expected the enormous, 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note to be anything more than a joke. Many gadget reviewers hate big-screened phones. When I first saw it, all I could think was "cheese board." "Is that the Note? It looks absurd," said our US Web Editor John. Sam Biddle over at Gizmodo called the Note a "distended LED baking sheet," among lots of other creative things.

Nanocomposite Cavity Filler Reverses Decay, Killing Bacteria and Regenerating Tooth Structure

2020-05-08T05:12:00.0000000+10:00

Dentists may soon be getting a potent new weapon with which to wage the global fight against cavities. The University of Maryland has developed a novel new nanocomposite material that can be used not only as filling for cavities, but that will also kill any remaining bacteria in the tooth and regenerate the actual structure lost to decay.

Video: FlexLeg Pseudo-Prosthesis Lets You Run When Your Leg Is Broken

2020-05-08T04:11:00.0000000+10:00

A project from a couple of Masters students in mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University, FlexLegs is sort of like a cross between crutches and Oscar Pistorius's super-fast lower-leg prostheses. They promise to allow those with lower leg injuries to walk, run, tackle steps, and more. Say the creators: "If we can help a person with no legs to run, why can't we help a person with an injured leg to walk?"

NASA and SETI Rent a Giant Zeppelin to Hunt for Meteorite Over Nevada

2020-05-08T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Back on April 22, residents of California and Nevada had their day interrupted by a series of sonic booms and a huge daytime fireball in the sky, products of an incoming minivan-sized asteroid that came slamming into the atmosphere, breaking up on its way to the ground. The fireball ended its descent in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where some chunks of the asteroid have been recovered. But a joint SETI/NASA team thinks there's more asteroid to be found.

South Korea Targets Smuggled Capsules of Human Flesh

2020-05-08T02:01:00.0000000+10:00

South Korea is saying this morning that its customs officials are stepping up their inspections targeting smuggled capsules that contain the powdered flesh of dead human babies. How's that for something to wash down with your third cup of coffee this morning?

Using Magnetic Bacteria to Construct the Biocomputer of the Future

2020-05-08T00:59:00.0000000+10:00

As computer components grow smaller and smaller it becomes more difficult to manufacture them by conventional means, meaning the nano-hard-drives of the future are going to come at a cost. So researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology are enlisting the help of magnetic bacteria, which they say can be harnessed to build tiny computing components similar to those found in conventional PCs, or even to construct the biological computers of the future.

When Giant Koalas Roamed

2020-05-07T14:36:00.0000000+10:00

A giant koala once thrived in the upper reaches of Queensland jungle, according to new Australian research. Scientists have called the the creature Nimbadon. We would rather refer to them as the original drop bears.

An Inspector Gadget Mobile-Phone-In-A-Glove: Impractical, but Awesome

2020-05-07T13:57:00.0000000+10:00

An artist/gadget designer has come up with a novel take on the boring old mobile phone, embedding cell tech into a somewhat cyberpunk-styled glove that requires you to hold it to your face in order to use it. In other words, it's almost entirely impractical and useless, but that's kind of the point.

Testing the Long-Awaited Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid

2020-05-07T11:48:00.0000000+10:00

At the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the start-up Fisker Automotive unveiled its Karma concept , a high-end plug-in hybrid the company would use to challenge Tesla Motors. Cofounder Henrik Fisker said the Karma would go on sale in late 2009. Then the recession, a switch in battery suppliers and other delays kept Fisker from shipping the first trickle of cars until late last year. This spring, we got one of the first test drives.

Smartphones Will Become the Only Device Hardcore Gamers Need

2020-05-05T05:33:00.0000000+10:00

When Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo introduces a new videogame console, its obsolescence within six years is more or less assumed. Nintendo is likely to release the new Wii U later this year, and other console makers are rumoured to be working on next-generation systems. But as early adopters line up to experience whatever new high-def graphics those systems may offer, the next-next generation of console is already gaining momentum. The device is the smartphone, and within a decade it could be powerful enough to replace conventional game systems for good.

Curious Things That Fall From The Sky

2020-05-05T03:16:00.0000000+10:00

Rain and snow aren't the only things to fall from the sky. Throughout history rare occurrences have been recorded of other less expected and surprising forms of deluge. In 2001, parts of India were showered with mysterious red particles that were thought to contain alien microbes. Here are some more examples of this bizarre phenomenon:

Kids These Days Are 3D Printing "Brass" Knuckles

2020-05-05T01:08:00.0000000+10:00

BusinessWeek has a big story today on 3D printers and how great they are. Of course, we all are way ahead of them, having already examined the dream projects of 3D printing's brightest stars, among lots of other things. What we didn't know was that 3D printers could be used as a (totally legal!) supply shop for street toughs like these teenage ruffians in the back alleys of Santa Clara, CA.

High-Speed Data Link Made from Laser Pointers Works Where Wi-Fi Won't

2020-05-04T07:22:00.0000000+10:00

Wi-Fi isn't always practical - in places like hospitals or labs, for instance, where radio transmitters are prohibited - and physical USB cables can be slow and cumbersome as well. So engineers at National Taipei University of Technology have built a low-cost, easy to implement optical setup that can beam data across rooms twice as fast as USB 2.0 technology using conventional laser pointers.

A Personal Simulation of Your Blood Could Help Doctors Study Disease

2020-05-04T06:20:00.0000000+10:00

Absent the creation of a personalised, living avatar, computer simulations will go a long way toward helping doctors figure out what to do about your health. Sophisticated models will be able to look at your heart and predict future coronary problems, for instance. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States are designing new simulations with virtual blood, improving the prospects for this type of tech.

Fed Up With Sluggish Neutrinos, Scientists Force Light To Move Faster Than Its Own Speed Limit

2020-05-04T05:07:00.0000000+10:00

America's official keepers of time and other standards are breaking one of the cardinal rules: They have figured out how to make superluminal light pulses. This paradoxical sentence - faster-than-light light - is from a new paper explaining how to make the sine wave of light hunch in on itself and arrive a few nanoseconds earlier than it would if it had moved at light speed.

Video: Baroque Music Composed and Performed by Robotic String Quintet

2020-05-04T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Well, "composes" might be a little bit of a stretch. Really it's more like a robotic cover band: the robotic system listens to a musician play a tune and then breaks it down into a five-part version that, while it differs from the original, still "retains the essence of the composition." The baroque music played here is nice enough, but we're left to wonder why nobody thought to play the robots some R. Kelly.

Omnivorous Black Holes Like This One Are Pretty Much the Sharks of Space

2020-05-04T02:57:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Johns Hopkins University report seeing a phenomenon we've all imagined: a black hole devouring a star.

In Successful Test, Microsubmarines Help Clean Up Oil Spills

2020-05-04T02:00:00.0000000+10:00

Tiny, self-propelled microsubmarines could pick up and tote droplets of oil away from contaminated waters, according to a new study. The cone-shaped objects are extremely water-repellent, improving their oil-grabbing capabilities, and could serve as simple helpers in oil spills.

How to Fold the Longest-Flying Paper Airplanes

2020-05-04T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

There are lots of way to learn first-hand the principles of flight, but most of them require years of studying or a pilot's license. There is, however, an exception: folding paper airplanes. Da Vinci did it, as did the Wright Brothers and Jack Northrop, and if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. So we enlisted two master paper-plane folders, Takuo Toda (current Guinness record holder for the longest timed paper aircraft flight of 27.9 seconds) and Ken Blackburn (a former record holder and engineer at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base), to show us their best cracks at making a long-flying plane out of a sheet of super-light magazine paper.

Classic FYI: Is It Ever OK To Drink Your Own Urine?

2020-05-04T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

Not really, but urine has been a faddish health drink for centuries nonetheless. Celts in the Iberian peninsula gargled it to whiten their teeth about 50 years before Christ; amaroli is a Sanskrit word that refers to urine therapy, which in ancient Ayurvedic practice meant imbibing urine in the morning, mid stream; Proverbs 5:15 is thought to be in support of the act ("Drink waters from thy own cistern, flowing water from thy own well"); and J.D. Salinger famously sipped his own, as did the former prime minister of India, Morarji Desai, who even appeared on 60 Minutes to defend his habit.

Morphable Concert Hall Ceiling Shape-Shifts For Superbly Customised Sound

2020-05-03T13:20:00.0000000+10:00

Despite creative acoustic design, concert halls can't be one-size-fits-all places - all music is different, and some things may just sound better than others in a given location. But this new concept could change all that, morphing the shape and size of ceilings and walls to dynamically adapt to the sound of performers and individual performances.

The First Drug Made by Genetically Modified Plants is Approved for Humans in the US

2020-05-03T13:01:00.0000000+10:00

Big news on the pharma front today: for the first time the United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a drug for humans that was produced in a genetically engineered plant cell. The approval could open the door to a range of biological drugs that are generated in plant cells and then transferred to human patients.

Using Big Data and Genomics to Create the Ultimate Dairy Cow

2020-05-03T12:36:00.0000000+10:00

What happens when you mash up Big Data, genomics, and a whole lot of Holstein dairy cows? You get the best bull in America. In The Atlantic today there's a great piece on Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie, the Holstein bull that science says is the best among America's 8 million dairy cows.

'Jetman' Yves Rossy Takes to the Skies Above Rio de Janeiro

2020-05-03T08:05:00.0000000+10:00

This morning PopSci's favourite Jetman, Yves Rossy, strapped on his four-engine rigid wing, took a helicopter up into the skies above Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and once again let it rip. Leaping from the helicopter over Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Rossy zipped around the skies over Rio for more than 11 minutes, taking in some famous Rio landmarks along the way.

What Part of Our Brain Makes Us Human?

2020-05-03T06:05:00.0000000+10:00

Brian Christian's book The Most Human Human, newly out in paperback, tells the story of how the author, "a young poet with degrees in computer science and philosophy," set out to win the "Most Human Human" prize in a Turing test weighing natural against artificial intelligence. Along the way, as he prepares to prove to a panel of judges (via an anonymous teletype interface) that he is not a machine, the book provides a sharply reasoned investigation into the nature of thinking. Are we setting ourselves up for failure by competing with machines in their analytical, logical areas of prowess rather than nurturing our own human strengths?

Amid Controversy, Scientists Publish Recipe For Making More Potent Bird Flu

2020-05-03T04:02:00.0000000+10:00

Just a handful of genetic mutations can turn bird flu into a highly infectious pathogen that could wreak havoc on humans, according to a new paper published today. It's the first of two controversial virus mutation papers to get its day in the sun, and it shows how the H5N1 flu could evolve to infect mammals.

How It Works: A Circular Saw That Cuts Any Material Without Swapping Blades

2020-05-03T02:26:00.0000000+10:00

To saw different materials, users often need to switch blades. A blade with big teeth, for example, cuts wood quickly because it scoops out a lot of material with each tooth. But those same big teeth make the saw kick back toward the user if applied to a harder substance such as steel.

Mexican Electro-Receptacle Dispenses Free Wi-Fi in Exchange for Deposits of Dog Poo

2020-05-03T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

You'd think the prospect of clean grass would be enough to induce good behaviour, but still, some dog owners neglect to pick up after their animals. A new concept gives people another incentive: Free WiFi in exchange for your dog's poop.

Video: Herb the Robot Butler Microwaves Your Dinner For You

2020-05-03T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

They can fetch sandwiches just fine, but robots can have a hard time cooking meals, with proper pancake flipping a serious and daunting challenge. So why not have them take a decidedly human-like lazy tack and use the microwave instead?

Bandages Made of Edible Starch Could Dissolve On Your Skin Once You're Healed

2020-05-02T07:29:00.0000000+10:00

Finely spun starch fibres woven into a bandage could dissolve on your skin and be absorbed by your body, eliminating the sting and hassle of ripping it off in one fast motion. Starch fibres could also be used to produce toilet paper, napkins and other biodegradable products, according to researchers at Penn State.

Meet Silicene, Single-Atom-Thick Sheets of Silicon That Could Supersede Graphene

2020-05-02T06:19:00.0000000+10:00

A team of European researchers claims to be the first to synthesise silicene, a new allotrope of element No. 14 that forms two-dimensional single-atom sheets rather than three-dimensional crystals. Excellent. But what does it mean for the future?

Who Is Buying Up More Drones Than Law Enforcement? Universities

2020-05-02T05:11:00.0000000+10:00

Salon's interesting takeaway from last week's big reveal of the Federal Aviation Administration's list of certified drone operators cleared to fly unmanned aerial systems in US airspace: the biggest drone users in the US aren't law enforcement agencies, but universities. Twenty-five academic institutions have received certificates of authorisation (COAs), making up nearly half of the 60 entities with permission to fly unmanned systems.

We've Just Reclassified the Koala as a "Vulnerable" Species

2020-05-02T04:07:00.0000000+10:00

Koalas have had a pretty rough go of it for the past couple centuries, from widespread hunting to the encroachment of settlements and suburbs to the elimination of eucalyptus forests (both the home and sole food source of the marsupials) to dog attacks to disease. The iconic koala, that most plush-like of animals, could now be in trouble, according to Australian officials.

Facebook Now Lets You Advertise Your Organs on Your Profile

2020-05-02T03:03:00.0000000+10:00

There are currently 114,000 people waiting for organ transplants in the US, and roughly 7,000 of them die every year while awaiting a donor organ to become available. Meanwhile, there are 161 million Americans on Facebook. The maths must have seemed pretty simple to Mark Zuckerberg and company at Facebook HQ, where the team has just added organ donation status to its users' profiles.

Airplane-Mounted Laser Weapon Project May Be Resurrected to Defend Against North Korea

2020-05-02T02:16:00.0000000+10:00

Like one of those James Bond villains that just won't die, the US Missile Defense Agency's missile hunting laser weapon is once again battling its way back from the boneyard thanks to the "emerging" missile threat on the Korean peninsula.

Head-Mounted 3-D Mapping Device, Developed for Robots, Can Help Blind People Navigate

2020-05-02T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

A system first made for robot navigation could give blind people the equivalent of a Braille head-up display, according to French researchers. Two cameras mounted to a pair of glasses generate a three-dimensional image of a person's environment and their place in it, displaying the information on a handheld Braille device.

Jawbone Big Jambox Review: Triple the Size, Triple the Sound

2020-05-01T14:01:00.0000000+10:00

Last year, we declared the Jambox by Jawbone the "best, tiniest wireless speaker" with good reason. The six-inch brick produces an unreal amount of high-quality sound for its size, went anywhere, and paired simply with any Bluetooth-ready device. It's great! So Imagine our glee at the first sight of the Big Jambox, which, as its extremely literal name states, is a bigger version of the Jambox.

Rough Sketch: "I Build Flying Robots"

2020-05-01T07:12:00.0000000+10:00

If you want a robot to maneuver aggressively, it has to be small. As you scale things down, the "moment of inertia"-the resistance to angular motion-drops dramatically. Our nano-quadrotor robots are made to be as lightweight as possible: less than 90 grams and palm-sized.

This Week in the Future, April 23-27, 2012

2020-04-28T07:50:00.0000000+10:00

Did you know that pigeons soared with such grace, determination and (literal) magnetism? We were pleased to find the hidden nobility in the much-maligned avian. Other airborne news this week included sky-high wind turbines, drones, and free-falling humans.

Video: ISS Soars Above Beautiful Auroras, Lightning and Stormy Weather Back on Earth

2020-04-28T06:14:00.0000000+10:00

For your morning viewing pleasure, we bring you another beautiful video of one of the rarest views in the universe - Earth lit up from below as the International Space Station soars 350 km above.

Space Shuttle Enterprise Makes Its Final Flight

2020-04-28T02:23:00.0000000+10:00

The Space Shuttle Enterprise flew over New York today, piggyback-style, on its way to its retirement at the USS Intrepid Museum. PopPhoto's Dan Bracaglia, who lives in New Jersey, took these lovely photos as the shuttle and its 747 passed up the Hudson.

Video: A 3D Printed Exoskeletal Glove Gives Precision Control of a Super-Strong Robot Arm

2020-04-28T02:10:00.0000000+10:00

German robot maker Festo is having a good week. After thoroughly impressing us with its oddly graceful robot that flies by turning itself inside out, now its robotic manipulator hand grabbed our attention. We've seen things like ExoHand before of course, but this exoskeletal control mechanism is unique in its dexterity and the fact that the controllers glove is 3D printed for precise fit, feel, and control.

Honda Car Warns You If Your Driving Style Is Likely to Cause Traffic Jams

2020-04-28T01:11:00.0000000+10:00

While we wait for our self-driving cars of the future to autonomously deliver us from gridlock forever, Honda is working to help human drivers reduce traffic in realtime by analyzing the driving patterns of individual vehicles and determine if each one is likely to cause a traffic jam. By analyzing the acceleration and deceleration of individual cars, the technology prods the driver to take steps in realtime that will avoid traffic congestion among trailing vehicles.

NIST's Quantum Simulator Mimics Hundreds of Qubits Interacting

2020-04-28T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

In a case that's somewhat chicken-and-egg, one of the many reasons computer scientists and physicists are pursuing a working quantum computer is to model quantum systems themselves. Modeling some quantum properties for systems even with a just a few dozen particles is impossible on even the biggest conventional supercomputers, and the pursuit of new materials and next-level science requires that we find a way to do so. So it's notable that physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have constructed a quantum simulator can simulate interaction between hundreds of quantum bits.

Video: 'Anti-Piracy Curtain' Makes Boarding Ships a Wet, Dangerous Mess for Pirates

2020-04-27T07:16:00.0000000+10:00

It's perfectly understandable why commercial shipping vessels are prohibited from carrying arms in international waters. But when it comes to dealing with the threat of piracy, battles that pit water hoses against small arms and RPGs are decidedly one sided. So Japanese companies MTI and Yokoi have teamed to create what they call the "Anti-Piracy Curtain," a system that makes it difficult - and quite intimidating - for anyone to board a ship without the consent of a crew.

In a Medical First, Doctors Transplant the Same Kidney Twice in Two Weeks

2020-04-27T06:05:00.0000000+10:00

Transplanting a kidney is a dicey enough proposition at first go, so the fact that Northwestern University doctors have transplanted the same kidney twice is nothing short of remarkable. Working under a set of extenuating circumstances, the surgeons transplanted the kidney twice in two weeks, and the final recipient - the third person to claim ownership of the organ - is reportedly doing well.

Neurons in Bird Brains Encode Earth's Magnetic Field, Giving Pigeons Reliable Internal GPS

2020-04-27T05:13:00.0000000+10:00

Neurons in the brains of pigeons encode the direction of Earth's magnetic field, endowing the birds with an innate internal GPS system, according to a new study. Scientists have long known internal magnetic field receptors exist in many animals - from birds to foxes and possibly even people - but this is the first time someone has tried to explain the brain wiring that can actually use these receptors and provide a sense of direction. They did it by putting some pigeons in the dark and monitoring their brains.

Espro Press Review: French Press Flavor, Hold the Mud

2020-04-27T04:10:00.0000000+10:00

The French press is the simplest, cheapest way to make a legitimately good cup of coffee. Ground beans in pot, water in pot, wait four minutes, press plunger down, pour. But some coffee snobs decry the French press: the coarse screen that "presses" out the grinds allows the bean's delicious oils to make their way into your cup, but also grants passage to a dreaded interloper: fine sediments end up at the bottom of your mug, or, worse, in your mouth. The Espro press aims to deliver the taste of a French press without that silt, thanks to an ultra-fine double-filtering system.

The World's Biggest Digital Camera Begins Engineering Phase

2020-04-27T03:09:00.0000000+10:00

The biggest digital camera in the world, both in terms of physical size and giga-capacity, just won an early approval from the US Department of Energy, which is funding the project. The camera for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will now proceed to a detailed engineering and design phase, another step toward the start of construction in two years.

Video: MIT Engineers Design Fog-Free, Water-Repellent, Anti-Glare Glass

2020-04-27T02:12:00.0000000+10:00

A new type of nano-structured glass can bounce water and dirt off its surface, cleaning itself and preventing fogging, according to MIT researchers. It eliminates glare, too, allowing light to penetrate with pure clarity. It could be used for anything from solar panels to future car windshields to new gadget screens.

64 Speakers Aim to Make Dolby Atmos The Most Realistic/Terrifying Surround Sound

2020-04-27T01:19:00.0000000+10:00

Dolby Laboratories announced a new audio system this week, called Dolby Atmos, that the company calls "an entirely new viewing experience for theatergoers." It's kind of a next-generation surround sound, blanketing the theatre with sound - instead of coming from typical left and right channels, sound will come from as many directions as there are speakers, including above and below. That means footsteps will emanate from the ground, and realistic raindrops will patter above your head - and since it supports 64 speakers, sound could come from anywhere.

Who Is To Blame When A Robotic Car Crashes?

2020-04-27T00:09:00.0000000+10:00

Society must make two big leaps in order to enable truly self-driving cars. The first is technological. Engineers need to improve today's cars (which can warn a driver that he's drifting out of his lane) beyond current Google and DARPA prototypes (which maintain the lane on their own) to the point where automobiles can edge forward through a construction zone while their owners sleep inside.

After Decades of Mystery, Has the G-Spot Been Found?

2020-04-26T07:07:00.0000000+10:00

For decades, researchers have argued over the existence of the G-spot, a supersensitive spongy organ on the front vaginal wall that many women report causes vaginal, rather than clitoral, orgasms. Now, a cosmetic surgeon in Florida says he's finally found the G-spot in a dissected cadaver, but rather than settling the question of the G-spot once and for all, the new findings are kicking off a new round of debate.

Who is Flying Drones in the US and Where Are They Flying?

2020-04-26T05:45:00.0000000+10:00

A list of current entities permitted by the US Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aerial vehicles in American airspace says one thing very clearly: if you fear the drones, stay the hell out of Texas. The Washington D.C. area as well, for that matter. The list of Certificates of Authorization, obtained by civil liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation, shows that even as the FAA scrambles to open up US airspace to commercial drones over the next three years, there are already quite a few of them in the sky.

NASA's New Deep-Space J-2X Rocket Motor is Ready For More Tests

2020-04-26T05:44:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's J-2X rocket engine is on the test stand and ready for its second round of tests, building on last year's successful test-firings that by some metrics were the most successful rocket engine firings NASA has ever undertaken. The J-2X will provide upper-stage power propelling NASA's next-gen Space Launch System (SLS) from the upper atmosphere out into deep space after the first stage is jettisoned.

Super Nano-Waterproof Coating Actively Shrugs Off Water, Grease and Would-Be Stains

2020-04-26T04:52:00.0000000+10:00

A new multilayered nanocoating could make future clothes more than just stain-resistant - they'll be stain-offensive, actively sloughing off dirt and gunk to protect the fabric underneath. Instead of merely repelling water or grease, clothing will push them away.

Video: An Inflatable, Flying Turbine Goes Higher to Find Stronger Winds

2020-04-26T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Oil companies look for oil where they think it might be most abundant, so doesn't it make sense to seek wind power in the places where the wind is most abundant? An MIT spin out called Altaeros Energies seems to think so. Not content to harvest wind energy from atop a static tower just a few hundred feet tall, Altaeros has demonstrated an aerostat wind turbine that can be lofted up 1,000 feet from a trailer, no tower necessary.

New Study Finds Vast Galactic Network, No Sign of Dark Matter

2020-04-26T02:37:00.0000000+10:00

Is dark matter in danger? A few days after scientists said there's no dark matter near our sun, a team of researchers in Germany now says there's no dark matter in our galactic neighborhood. The team found a vast structure of globular clusters and satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way in a smooth, evenly distributed pattern. Most models of galactic distribution and evolution require the gravitational effects of dark matter, but in this model, it doesn't seem to exist.

2012 Military Wishlist Features Smart Wound-Diagnosing Uniforms and Dogfighting Drones

2020-04-26T01:46:00.0000000+10:00

Even though giant companies like Lockheed and General Dynamics produce the majority of US military hardware, the Department of Defense still turns to small businesses for some of its more speculative, futuristic programs. Uniforms that detect the exact place and type of wound, computer targeting for air-to-air machine guns and non-lethal mini-drone missiles are just some of the new technologies the DoD hopes to farm out this year to more boutique firms.

Video: Flying Objects Punch Through Saturnian Ring, Blazing Glittery Trails of Space Dust

2020-04-26T01:08:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists scrutinising Cassini imagery have stumbled on a strange find - evidence of 0.8 kilometre-sized snowballs perforating one of Saturn's rings, creating miniature contrail-like streams in the ring's shape. The pictures answer a mysterious question about the F ring, Saturn's oddest ring.

"Fragile Earth" App Slides Time to Show the Ravages of Climate Change and Development

2020-04-25T08:00:00.0000000+10:00

Fragile Earth, new in the App Store this week, is a simple idea, and it's actually executed simply as well - two or more photos of the same place over time, with a slider so you can see how it looks in the past. But these are places that have been utterly changed by major, unstoppable forces: time, industrialisation, development, and climate change.

In New Quantum Experiment, Effect Happens Before Cause

2020-04-25T07:14:00.0000000+10:00

A real-world demonstration of a thought experiment conducted at the University of Vienna, has produced a result that is somewhat befuddling to people with what the lead researcher calls a "naïve classical world view." Two pairs of particles are either quantum-entangled or not. One person makes the decision as to whether to entangle them or not, and another pair of people measure the particles to see whether they're entangled or not.

Why Mining an Asteroid for Water and Precious Metals Isn't as Crazy as it Sounds

2020-04-25T05:59:00.0000000+10:00

Billionaire-backed space startup Planetary Resources has officially unveiled its business plan to much fanfare and with few surprises. The company's principals - which include X-Prize Foundation founder Peter Diamandis, Space Adventures co-founder Eric Anderson, and former NASA Flight Director Chris Lewicki - today pledged that Planetary Resources would make the abundant resources of space available here on Earth, and introduced a couple of the company's own spacecraft that will make such space prospecting possible. The rush for space resources is officially on.

Will You Use Google Drive?

2020-04-25T03:55:00.0000000+10:00

Google has been rumoured to be working on a cloud storage service for about as long as we've known what cloud storage is, and today the company finally unveiled it: Google Drive. It has a couple of nice features that competitors like Dropbox, MobileMe, SkyDrive and all the others don't, but the main selling point seems to be the same selling point as most other new Google services: hell, you're already using Google. Why not add this? So we're curious: will you?

How It Would Work: A Quantum Computer

2020-04-25T03:16:00.0000000+10:00

Silicon semiconductors have taken us a dazzling distance along the computing road. But even if they continue unabated to get faster and more powerful (and it's growing more difficult to make that happen) there's a limit to what classical computing can do.

First Treatment for Prion-Based Brain Diseases Involves Glowing Polymers

2020-04-25T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Good news in the battle for the brain: Researchers in Sweden and Switzerland have found that toxic prions - diseased variants of naturally occurring neural proteins - can be both detected and treated with a novel kind of self-illuminating polymer. In tests, the researchers have shown that their molecules can render prions harmless, paving the way for treatments for degenerative and potentially fatal nervous system diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Today: Commercial Space Venture Sets Sights on Mining Asteroids for Minerals

2020-04-25T01:04:00.0000000+10:00

Since the announcement last week that a team of high-profile backers - Eric Schmidt and Larry Page from Google, filmmaker James Cameron, Ross Perot Jr. (son of the former presidential candidate), space tourism pioneer Eric Anderson, and X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis, among others - is launching a company that will "overlay two critical sectors-space exploration and natural resources-to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP," media speculation has generally centered on one thing: asteroid mining. And this morning, hours before the official press conference launching Planetary Resources Inc., that speculation appears to be confirmed.

Intel's New Ivy Bridge CPUs Will Give Your Next Laptop Legit Gaming Power

2020-04-24T08:22:00.0000000+10:00

If you buy a cheapie laptop, you're going to get onboard graphics - historically underpowered, since they exist on the same die as the CPU, and thus historically crappy. To play serious games, or do any real video editing, you'd need to upgrade to a discrete graphics card. But that looks like a thing of the past: today, Intel unleashed its new generation of processors, which go by the name Ivy Bridge, and what had seemed like an incremental upgrade actually has a pretty interesting element: these processors have onboard graphics that basically outclass the entire market of entry-level graphics cards. That means your next computer will be able to run games you'd never be able to run now - with no necessary hardware upgrades.

GPS Satellites Could Improve Tsunami Advance Warning Time Tenfold

2020-04-24T07:20:00.0000000+10:00

When the Tohoku earthquake struck Japan in March of last year, seismometer data allowed authorities to issue earthquake earnings within eight seconds of first realizing something was seismologically amiss. But their initial readings were not fully accurate, labeling the ‘quake a magnitude 7.1. It took authorities another 20 minutes to revise the magnitude to its real value of 9. Just ten minutes later, the tsunami hit.

Doors Unlock With Keyed Vibrations Sent From Your Smartphone Through Your Bones

2020-04-24T06:02:00.0000000+10:00

It gives the term skeleton key a whole new meaning: a prototype system from AT&T Labs that beams a unique vibration through a user's bones to be picked up by a receiver in a door handle, automatically unlocking the door at the touch of the handle. Using piezoelectric transducers, the system could someday be embedded in smartphones or wristwatches to create doors that automatically unlock when the right person touches them and stay firmly dead-bolted when anyone else tries to gain entry.

Video: Flying Thing Propels Itself By Flipping Inside Out

2020-04-24T05:09:00.0000000+10:00

Flying objects can achieve forward thrust in a few ways, but here's a unique new one: Flipping inside out to move forward. Designed by the people who brought us the amazing robot seagull, the SmartInversion flying object can move through the air indefinitely.

Today in Mind Reading: Brain Scans Can Predict If You're About to Make a Math Mistake

2020-04-24T04:03:00.0000000+10:00

Along with predicting our future behaviours, brain scans can guess when we're about to make a cognitive error, mis-processing a math problem because we're thinking too hard. Like a dashboard widget watching your computer's RAM, brain wave patterns can be used to detect when the brain is approaching its limits of processing power, according to new research.

DARPA Hypersonic Craft Tore Itself Apart

2020-04-24T02:54:00.0000000+10:00

After roughly eight months of crunching the data, DARPA has released its official report on exactly what happened to its Falcon Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2 (HTV-2), the Mach 20 test vehicle it launched into the atmosphere last summer only to lose contact with it nine minutes later. The conclusion: HTV-2 was moving so blisteringly fast that it tore right out of its own skin.

Cadillac's ‘Super Cruise' Mode Will Keep You In Your Lane Automatically

2020-04-24T01:56:00.0000000+10:00

Though driverless cars are making plenty of inroads, it may be awhile yet before people are willing to hand over the keys and let their cars take over entirely. But a few autonomous functions may make the transition smoother. Cadillac is testing lane-detection and automatic braking technology for use on highways, according to General Motors.

Today in Pretty Space Pics: The Flowerlike Ring Nebula

2020-04-24T00:53:00.0000000+10:00

Gaze into the center of the Ring Nebula, which appears from Earth's vantage to be a "barrel-shaped cloud of glowing gas." Let it take your mind away from Earthly concerns, from taxes and homework and bosses and bills and hangnails. Let it relax you like a spa treatment in which you are plunged into a bath of exotic foreign muds in a container made of exotic foreign woods.

Drones Won't Be Taking Over Our Wars Anytime Soon

2020-04-23T23:50:00.0000000+10:00

Early in 2008 on the Black Sea coast, a Georgian drone flying over the separatist enclave of Abkhazia transmitted an instantaneous artifact from the age of human flight-the video record of its own destruction by an attacking fighter jet. What happened that day was born of incendiary post-Soviet politics. The Kremlin backed Abkhazia and was furious that Georgia had bought surveillance drones to watch over the disputed ground. Georgia's young government flaunted its new fleet, bullhorning to diplomats and to journalists like me what the drones were documenting of Russia's buildup to war. I remember the Georgian bravado. We have drones. Ha! We have arrived. Tensions led to action. Action came to this: A Russian MiG-29 intercepted one of Georgia's unmanned aircraft, an Israeli-made Hermes 450, which streamed live video of the fighter swinging into position. The jet pilot fired a heat-seeking missile. Viewed on the drone operator's screen down below, the missile grew larger and its exhaust plume grew longer as it rushed near. Then the screen went fuzzy. Georgia's drone was dead.

Video: Android Controlled Interactive Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

2020-04-23T12:09:00.0000000+10:00

The evil Queen had this all sorted ages ago - pre-Internet, even - but there's just something about having your magic mirror work with Android. Check out the video below to watch how one guy managed to put together a Bluetooth-enabled mirror that changes functionality through a simple Android app.

This Week in the Future, April 16-20, 2012

2020-04-21T07:55:00.0000000+10:00

This week in news that definitely happened and is full of verifiable facts, a paper-swathed superman closed the lid on his CrabOS laptop to fight a gargantuan deformed flying shrimp and saved the world forever. Or something like that.

PopSci's Lunch: a Can of Surströmming With Harold McGee

2020-04-21T07:35:00.0000000+10:00

When Popular Science was acquired by Sweden's Bonnier Corporation in 2007, some people thought we'd be eating surströmming, the legendary Scandinavian delicacy of fish left to ferment in cans till the cans almost burst, every day. But in fact, the famously putrid herring has been utterly absent from these shores - that is, until today.

James Cameron, Charles Simonyi, and Ross Perot Jr to Unveil Space Project

2020-04-21T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

Planetary Resources, a mysterious organisation whose investors include Google execs Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, Microsoft alum and astronaut Charles Simonyi, director James Cameron, "space visionary" Peter Diamandis, and Ross Perot Jr, is planning to announce more details of a new space project this week.

FYI: Where Is The Centre of the Universe?

2020-04-21T03:19:00.0000000+10:00

First, it's important to know that the big bang wasn't an explosion of matter into empty space - it was the rapid expansion of space itself. This means that every single point in the universe appears to be at the centre. Think of the universe as an empty balloon with dots on it. Those dots represent clusters of galaxies. As the balloon inflates, every dot moves farther away from every other dot.

New Report Urges Extreme Caution Against Infection When Landing on Alien Worlds

2020-04-21T02:11:00.0000000+10:00

As humans begin to seriously consider sending missions to icy worlds like Europa and Enceladus, one of the necessary concerns has to be protection of the environment where such a mission would land. It would be a shame to arrive on a fascinating alien world only to immediately seed it with Earth microbes, carelessly infecting the local ecosystem, ruining the unique scientific opportunity and possibly incurring the wrath of the local alien ruler.

Video: Making a Stream of Water Flow Up, Using Trickery

2020-04-21T01:28:00.0000000+10:00

If you only watch one optical illusion today in which a stream of water appears to have droplets freeze in mid-air or inch their way backwards into the tube from whence they came, make it this one.

Pumping Gas Into Commercial Airliners

2020-04-21T00:25:00.0000000+10:00

At London's Heathrow, which moves more international passengers than any other airport, the fuel jockeys of the Aircraft Service International Group oversee refueling. Filling an Airbus A380 can take two hours, at a rate of about 3,800 litres per minute. So much flow can generate static, which can create a deadly spark (jet fuel is kerosene-based, and much more flammable than gasoline). But the hose is semiconductive to prevent such a conflagration. Add too much fuel, and the extra weight renders the craft less efficient; too little can be disastrous. And placing the wrong amounts of fuel in the various tanks can throw the craft off-balance.

Turn Your Old Notebook Into A Touchscreen Tablet

2020-04-20T07:27:00.0000000+10:00

Tablets are taking over the portable-computing market, but that doesn't mean the netbooks that they've replaced are useless. It's possible to jam the processing power and battery life of most netbook models into a smaller, touchscreen-equipped package. The project is very straightforward: Remove a few parts, add a touchscreen overlay (about $80; MyDigitalDiscount), reseal the device in its new tablet form, install a driver, and calibrate the screen. And if you use an old netbook you have lying around (or buy a used one), it costs a fraction of the price of a new tablet.

This Is My Remote Control

2020-04-20T06:38:00.0000000+10:00

A few weeks ago, a company called VooMote sent me a press kit that included two universal remotes. The first was a VooMote Zapper, a little infrared dongle that turns your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch into a customisable universal remote. The other was the QuantumFx REM-115, a sled-sized slab of blackish industrial plastic outfitted with buttons big enough to be operated with your forehead. The conceit: "look how far remotes have come!"

Self-Inflating Tubes Let You Control Your Bike's Tire Pressure While Riding

2020-04-20T05:28:00.0000000+10:00

Whether you're tackling mountain trails or just trying to get through the Sydney CBD, rough terrain can put your bike's tubes at serious risk. It's not usually an option to hop off and adjust your tire pressure, but a company called Adaptrac has a system that mounts a toggle right on your handlebars and allows you to raise or lower your pressure even while riding.

Video: A DIY Flight Simulator Built in the Nose of a Real Boeing 737

2020-04-20T04:43:00.0000000+10:00

Some people golf. Some build miniature train sets. James Price tinkers with the full-blown flight simulator he's been building in the nose of a Boeing 737 jetliner in his garage for the past two decades. The air traffic controller and aviation enthusiast is now one of only a few people in the world who have built this kind of flight sim in an actual aircraft nose. And he's among only a handful of people in the world with a toy this cool.

For the First Time, Electrons are Observed Splitting into Smaller Quasi-Particles

2020-04-20T03:34:00.0000000+10:00

We generally think of electrons as fundamental building blocks of atoms, elementary subatomic particles with no smaller components to speak of. But according to Swiss and German researchers reporting in Nature this week, we are wrong to think so. For the first time, the researchers have recorded an observation of an electron splitting into two different quasi-particles, each taking different characteristics of the original electron with it.

The World's First Transgenic, 'Handmade' Cloned Sheep is Alive and Well in China

2020-04-20T02:25:00.0000000+10:00

The world's first transgenic sheep produced via a simplified cloning technique, known as handmade cloning (seriously), is here. Peng Peng, named for the two cloner sheep who happened to have identical names, was successfully delivered back on March 26 and is developing so well that researchers have deemed him ready for the spotlight.

Nikon's New Entry-Level DSLR Has 24.2 Megapixels, More Than the 5D Mark III

2020-04-20T01:45:00.0000000+10:00

Our friends and office-mates over at Pop Photo just got themselves a look at the new Nikon D3200. It's Nikon's entry-level DSLR, but that's becoming less and less of a turn-off - the D3200 has a whopping 24.2-megapixel sensor (which is more than the Canon 5D Mark III!), a new processor that gives it a higher maximum ISO, and can shoot 1080p video at both 24 and 30 fps.

Simple Project of the Month: Build A Rotating Time-Lapse Camera Stand

2020-04-20T01:13:00.0000000+10:00

If you're into time-lapse photography here is a way to easily build yourself an affordable panning device using some simple tools and a kitchen timer.

FYI: Is the Glass Really Half-Full?

2020-04-20T00:07:00.0000000+10:00

No one is entirely sure. Water has high surface tension, yet the molecules at its surface are unstable, which makes the air-surface interface mysterious and difficult to describe. Satoshi Nihonyanagi, a researcher at a molecular-spectroscopy lab in Japan, studies water and its surface-"specifically probing the interface," he calls it-using isotopically diluted H₂O, which doesn't vibrate and is easier to observe. He's found that some water molecules are bound to others by a single hydrogen bond. "Occasionally," he says, "this hydrogen bond can break, and the water at the surface escapes into the air." Hydrogen's breaking and re-forming happens trillions of times a second. The hydrogen atoms "point" to their neighbours, inching toward them. But water molecules don't pair up for long. They are swingers, constantly coupling and uncoupling.

Test Drive: The 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

2020-04-19T07:33:00.0000000+10:00

Fiat says its catchphrase "small but wicked," applied frequently to the new 500 Abarth, was coined for the Abarths of the 1960s, and while we think that may be apocrypha, it definitely holds true for the 2012 model. This car is very fast, very fun to drive, and won't break the bank - even if it isn't for everyone.

Nanoparticle Coating Makes Paper Magnetic, Waterproof, and Antibacterial

2020-04-19T06:28:00.0000000+10:00

A nanoparticle spray can turn regular paper into superpaper, rendering it waterproof, antimicrobial, magnetic and probably very expensive. Who said paper was an old technology?

Brain Scans Can Predict Future Behaviour, Including Eating and Sex

2020-04-19T05:42:00.0000000+10:00

Brain scans can hear our thoughts, make us learn by osmosis and even predict our actions. Now a new study claims that functional MRI scans can reliably judge a person's most basic appetites, predicting future sexual behaviour or weight gain.

Intrepid Michigan Tween Restores Her Own Future Car

2020-04-19T04:23:00.0000000+10:00

When I was a kid in Buffalo in the US, the route back to my parents' house passed a Pontiac dealership with a red Fiero displayed on the corner. I was years away from driving age, but I wanted this car. I was crushed when I learned Pontiac was discontinuing the model, and I told my dad we should just go get one and store it in the garage until I was 16. Get this! A 13-year-old Michigan girl actually did this. She bought a Fiero for the future, and she's restoring the car herself. This girl is my hero.

Deformities in Gulf Seafood Found After BP Oil Spill

2020-04-19T03:20:00.0000000+10:00

Al Jazeera just published a thoroughly disturbing report on the deformed fish and shellfish that are being pulled from the Gulf in the wake of the BP oil spill. Shrimp without eyes or even eye sockets, snapper with large pink growths, undersized and misshapen crabs - the fishermen in the Gulf that Al Jazeera talked to have never seen anything like it.

The Louvre Replaces Old Boring Audio Tours With Nintendo 3DSes

2020-04-19T02:09:00.0000000+10:00

The Louvre Museum in Paris overhauled their digital tour guide system last week, replacing it with, surprisingly, a stock of Nintendo 3DS consoles. Now you can browse the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa in...3D! Or in real life, I guess, since you're already in the museum. (The resolution's better in real life.)

Terahertz-Band Mobile Phones Could See Through Walls

2020-04-19T01:09:00.0000000+10:00

Terahertz scanners could potentially see through walls, inside pockets and into wallets, but they're either large and expensive, or contain high-powered nanolasers that limit their use. Now a Texas team has a new approach that could use everyday mobile phones, making terahertz-band scanners simple and ubiquitous.

Grey Matter: Want a Chemical Reaction Without Heat? Add a Catalyst

2020-04-19T00:13:00.0000000+10:00

The copper earring you see above had already been glowing bright orange for half an hour when we took the photograph. There is no flame under it, no electric current through it. Underneath is a pool of volatile and highly flammable acetone, but the liquid is not on fire. So where is the heat coming from?

Cassini Flies Right By Saturn's Moon Enceladus, Snapping New Up-Close Pics

2020-04-18T05:43:00.0000000+10:00

The Cassini spacecraft has been busy over this past week, making close flybys of both Enceladus and and Tethys, two of Saturn's moons. And we're not using "close" as a relative term here. Cassini skimmed Enceladus in such proximity that it was literally able to taste the plume of water ice, vapour, and other organic compounds spewing from the moon's south polar region.

Secret Cyber War Games Between U.S. and China Let Countries Role-Play Their Frustrations

2020-04-18T04:32:00.0000000+10:00

China and the US are playing pretend war to vent their mutual frustrations and avoid a real one, according to a report by the Guardian. The State and Defense departments participated in two hypothetical-conflict sessions last year, and another round is planned for May. The war games were designed to prevent a "sudden military escalation" amid burgeoning anger in Washington over cyber attacks that the US says are originating in China.

Can Eating Buckyball-Infused Olive Oil Prolong Your Lifespan?

2020-04-18T02:43:00.0000000+10:00

With their strange 60-atom structures, buckyballs could have potential as drug carriers, medical tracers, cancer fighters and other interesting applications in the human body, but studies examining their impact on the body have had mixed results. A group of French researchers set out to study its toxicity and other effects, and came up with a surprising find - not only are buckyballs safe, a buckyball diet doubled the lifespan of lab rats.

Video: Massive Solar Eruption Expels a Beautiful Prominence

2020-04-18T01:45:00.0000000+10:00

Yesterday - at least in the northeast US - was a picture-perfect, sun-shine day. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for much of the east coast of Australia. But as many Americans took a few extra minutes at lunch to soak up one of the first nice spring days of the season, the sun overhead was in the midst of some serious violence. At around 1:30pm in America yesterday (most Australians were fast asleep), a huge and beautiful eruption took place on the east limb of our local star, sending a massive prominence looping out into space.

A Model Disaster

2020-04-18T00:42:00.0000000+10:00

The hundredth anniversary of the wreck of the Titanic on April 15 provides a welcome moment to celebrate the many great strides made by engineers. In 2012, people move around the world more quickly and more safely than ever before. But the fate of the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of western Italy in January, reminds us that no matter how much progress we make, disasters still happen. It also presents a question: After a century of advances in naval engineering, why are we still unable to prevent deadly wrecks?

Hubble Snaps a Star Factory at the Centre of the Tarantula Nebula

2020-04-17T23:00:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics: Hubble captures the brightest star-forming region in the neighborhood, a particularly prolific segment of the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud that is home to the most massive stars ever observed from Earth. The image above, hemming in some 650 light-years of space (horizontally), contains one of the fastest rotating stars ever seen as well as the fastest runaway star. In other words, there is no lack of action here in 30 Doradus, at the center of the Tarantula Nebula.

Video: Mood-Sensing Robot Prison Guard Begins First Real-World Test in Korea

2020-04-17T12:00:00.0000000+10:00

Back in November, South Korea announced that a project to create robot prison guards was underway. And just as predicted, the robo-guards are ready for their first tests. Check out video (complete with prisoner/robot interaction) after the jump.

A Computer Constructed From a Consortium of Live Crabs

2020-04-17T11:53:00.0000000+10:00

If biomimicry is the instance of technology emulating natural processes, then this must be something like the opposite: researchers at Kobe University have built a computer out of crabs. Placed within a geometrically constrained environment, swarms of soldier crabs can be effectively used to emulate logic gates. In other words, researchers have replicated the fundamental workings of a computer - with crabs.

Video: Tupac Shakur Resurrected Via Hologram to Perform at Coachella

2020-04-17T11:30:00.0000000+10:00

In the future, we will all live forever - at least if our body of work is popular enough to warrant resurrection. Just ask Tupac Shakur - now deceased for nearly 15 years - who showed up in holographic form to perform alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella over the weekend.

Headphone Technology That Actually Helps Hearing Loss

2020-04-17T05:55:00.0000000+10:00

Of the estimated 36 million Americans who report some level of hearing loss, as many as 20 million have mild to moderate conditions, in which they struggle to pick out voices in cacophonous settings. Although the condition is common, treatment is limited. Custom-fitted hearing aids, which can be adjusted according to an individual's needs, cost as much as $3,000. Users can instead opt for cheaper, over-the-counter amplifiers, but those simply increase the volume of all ambient sounds and do little to help in conversation. To address the needs of this group, the Colorado company Able Planet reconfigured the noise-canceling circuitry from its headphone line and created the first over-the-counter device that isolates and amplifies voices.

Video: 3D Printing Customised Chemistry Labware to Replace the Beaker

2020-04-17T04:54:00.0000000+10:00

The latest area being changed by 3D printing: chemistry. A researcher at the University of Glasgow, frustrated with the inability to modify standardised labware to fit the requirements of his experiments, has created a new breed of easily customisable laboratory containers that can be printed in silicone-based bathroom sealant.

The Viking Mars Missions May Have Discovered Life in 1976

2020-04-17T00:22:00.0000000+10:00

Since the Viking Mars probes traveled to the red planet back in 1976, NASA has sent several more probes, landers, and rovers to the Martian surface to study the planet's geology and search for signs of microbial life. But the evidence for life may have been hidden in Viking's data all along. A new analysis of the data collected by probes Viking 1 and Viking 2 suggest the missions found evidence of microbial life more than three decades ago.

Making a Fractal Computer out of Wood

2020-04-16T13:38:00.0000000+10:00

Fractals are cool. Computers are cool. Things made using laser cutting tech is also very cool. As it happens, one guy has put together a DIY project that takes all these elements and throws them together, adding a touch of steampunk sensibility to the mix.

This Week in the Future, April 9-13, 2012

2020-04-14T07:26:00.0000000+10:00

There's already Angry Birds in space - why not Fruit Ninja in space? At least, that's the thesis put forth (probably; I'm not an art critic) by Baarbarian in this week's This Week in the Future illustration. While you ponder the significance of the precise arrangement and variety of sliced fruit, we'll take this opportunity to wish you a good weekend.

The Thousand-Year-Old Viking Sunstone

2020-04-14T03:46:00.0000000+10:00

A thousand years ago, Vikings navigated with a sunstone, which they used to locate the sun on cloudy days. The stone-a calcite crystal called Iceland spar-funnels light into two beams. When the beams appear equally bright, the rock is facing the light, even if it's obscured. Researchers now use calcite to funnel light around tiny objects for "invisibility" cloaks.

After Much Fanfare, North Korea Launches Rocket, Which Falls Apart

2020-04-14T02:28:00.0000000+10:00

Early this morning, North Korea attempted to put a satellite into orbit - or, at least, that's what the DPRK claims, though hardly anybody actually believes that the aim was solely to launch a weather satellite. The rocket carrying the satellite failed to move into its second phase and exploded into dozens of pieces, which fell into the Yellow Sea in between the Korean peninsula and mainland China.

You Built What?!: A Street-Legal Three-Wheeler That Runs on Nearly 2,000 Batteries

2020-04-14T00:13:00.0000000+10:00

Nap Pepin had been waiting on the side of the highway near his Alberta, Canada, home for more than hour when the tow truck finally pulled up. The driver looked at the stranded electronics technologist and his homebuilt electric trike and asked, "Ran out of juice, eh?"

Which Continent to Put the Square Kilometre Array On? Why Not Both

2020-04-13T07:26:00.0000000+10:00

Splitting the world's largest radio telescope across half the Earth could resolve an international quarrel that is brewing between us and the South Africans, researchers say. Australia and South Africa are vying to host the Square Kilometre Array, which will peer back to the early universe, and now it's getting political.

Hands-On: Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch With GlowLight, Uh, Glows, With Light

2020-04-13T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Today, Barnes & Noble announced a new upgrade to the (pretty excellent) Nook Simple Touch ebook reader: illumination. The Simple Touch With GlowLight, as it'll be called, is in just about every way the same as the non-bright Simple Touch, except it has a little LED at the top of the screen so you can read it in the dark without an external light source.

Pentagon Announces New Strategy: Rapidly Develop Cyberweapons to Attack Specific Targets

2020-04-13T05:57:00.0000000+10:00

The US Pentagon wants cyberweapons, and it wants them fast. Deftly recognizing that cyberweapons are nothing like the materiel of physical warfare, the US Department of Defence (DoD) is devising a means to fast-track and field certain cyberweapons, some of which will take only days to go from development to deployment.

Human Eggs Grown in the Lab Could Produce Unlimited Supply of Humans

2020-04-13T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

The first human eggs grown from human stem cells could be fertilised with human sperm cells later this year, potentially revolutionising fertility treatment for women. This could be one more step on the path toward reproduction sans human interaction - in this case, a potential parent wouldn't even need to donate her eggs. But it could also turn stem cells into an infinite loop, of egg cells into embryos into stem cells, and on and on, in a fractal-like repetition of reproduction.

Video: DARPA's Updated Humanoid Hits the Treadmill, Climbs Stairs, Does Push-Ups

2020-04-13T03:49:00.0000000+10:00

If you fear the robot apocalypse, perhaps your day would be much improved if you just moved on. Boston Dynamics' PETMAN robot, developed for DARPA, is getting more humanoid-like by the day it seems, and here we see it - legs, torso, arms, and all - negotiating staircases, running on a treadmill, and even hitting the floor for some pushups. All this strength training appears to be doing PETMAN some good.

Students Invent a Pothole Repair Patch Made from a Non-Newtonian Fluid

2020-04-13T02:53:00.0000000+10:00

Sometime soon, when you spot a pothole in the street (and they're everywhere in Sydney) you won't have to swerve around it and curse when your wheel dips in. Instead, you would deliberately drive over it, so the pressure of your car tires will stiffen the little plastic baggie the city dropped in there as a temporary fix. A little non-Newtonian fluid pothole filler could spare your wheel alignment after a harsh winter, saving councils money and travelers troubles.

The ESA Has Lost Contact With Its Earth-Observing Envisat Satellite

2020-04-13T01:50:00.0000000+10:00

The workhorse of the European Space Agency's earth observation initiative went silent over the weekend, and the agency admits today that it hasn't heard a beep from the aging satellite since Sunday. The nearly-nine-ton spacecraft is in a stable orbit, but if the problem persists the ESA may have to finally retire Envisat, which has been in orbit twice as long as it was designed to be.

Canada Launches Its Own Virtual Cash, Called MintChip

2020-04-13T01:02:00.0000000+10:00

Next time you visit Canada, you might use digital currency to purchase your poutine, using something called MintChip backed by the Canadian government. The Royal Canadian Mint announced it's getting rid of the penny and starting a new e-currency instead, and it wants the software community to help develop it.

Six Ways Investments in Space are Paying Technology Dividends on Earth

2020-04-13T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Each time NASA gets a new budget from Congress in the United States, a recurring debate takes a spin through a media cycle or two. At its simplest this conflict of opinion is a split between people who think American taxpayers give their national space agency too much money and those who think it's not enough. There are the more nuanced arguments too, those that hinge on specific line items and whether or not a specific program or ambition is worth it (or not worth it). But all the noise can largely be distilled into a question that looms ever larger in the current age of austerity: is what we're getting out of NASA worth what we're putting in? Is space science a good investment?

The Fastest-Ever Random Number Generator Conjures Digits from Subatomic Noise in a Vacuum

2020-04-12T07:19:00.0000000+10:00

It was once thought that vacuums - like the vacuum of space - contained nothing. No particles, no sound, just empty darkness. But it has since come to light, thanks to discoveries in quantum physics, that virtual sub-atomic particles constantly and spontaneously appear and disappear, even in the void. Which doesn't mean a whole lot unless you're trying to build the ultimate random number generator.

NASA Invests In Satellites That Beam Power Down to Earth

2020-04-12T06:05:00.0000000+10:00

As spaceborne energy-harvesting schemes go, this one seems faintly possible - an array of curved mirrors directing sunlight toward solar cells, their energy production microwaved down to Earth. It's so realistic, actually, that NASA is providing funding for a proof-of-concept study.

Video: Introducing the Carkoon, a Child Car Seat that Wraps Your Child in Kevlar Upon Impact

2020-04-12T04:56:00.0000000+10:00

Worried about the safety rating of that child car seat? Perhaps you should swaddle your progeny in a protective Kevlar cocoon. The Carkoon is a new child seat developed by British company Cool Technologies that wraps your child in protective Kevlar and a fireproof Nomex airbag upon impact. It even calls emergency services for you.

What Must a Humanoid Disaster-Response Robot Do to Win DARPA's Challenge?

2020-04-12T04:01:00.0000000+10:00

DARPA has some details about its new Robotics Challenge, which we first told you about last week. Anyone have a robot that can drive a car for a $2 million prize?

How It Works: A Laser-Powered Ear Implant to Boost Hearing

2020-04-12T02:12:00.0000000+10:00

Hearing loss from weapons and explosive devices has been the No. 1 disability in this country's modern military conflicts, saddling thousands of veterans with anything from tinnitus to deafness. Now a new generation of laser-based implants promises to restore their hearing - and that of civilians, too - with higher resolution than existing technology.

How It Works: Nerf's 20-Metre Gun

2020-04-12T01:31:00.0000000+10:00

Since Nerf introduced its first dart gun, the Sharpshooter, two decades ago, the company's engineers have struggled to find ways to significantly advance their toys' range beyond the original 10 metres. Until now, that is.

How It Works: A Futuristic Fire Truck Puts Out Airplane Fires

2020-04-12T00:25:00.0000000+10:00

Aircraft fires pose unusual challenges for first responders. Extinguishing jet fuel requires tens of thousands of litres of flame-smothering foam, and the fuel burns so hot (up to 1,300°C) that firefighters typically have only three minutes to respond before passengers would be overcome by heat and smoke inhalation.

Video: Real-Life Fruit Ninja at 1,200 Frames Per Second

2020-04-11T23:30:00.0000000+10:00

You know that iPhone game Fruit Ninja? Where fruits are flying at you and you have to slice them in half with a finger? It's a good, mildly challenging diversion on the train. Translate it to the real world, though, and suddenly the air is full of slashing blades and squirting pulp, and it's not nearly as easy to cut a fruit in half as you thought it was.

PopSci #42 - May 2012

2020-04-11T14:14:00.0000000+10:00

Take to the skies with our flight tech issue. Strap yourself in as we take you on a high-speed tour through the latest in jet planes, gyrocopters, rockets and unmanned flight technology.

Video: The Stem, A Citrus Spritzer That Stabs Directly Into Fruit

2020-04-11T07:25:00.0000000+10:00

The Stem is a teeny little bit of plastic from Quirky.com, a sort of invention incubator and store, that looks like the top half of a spritzer bottle. Instead of having an actual bottle or vessel on the bottom, filled with the liquid to be spritzed, the Stem ends abruptly with a serrated edge. To use it, you take a whole citrus fruit and stab it with the Stem. Bam: Instant spritzer.

A Unicorn, A Fox, and a Christmas Tree Find Common Ground in a Star Nursery

2020-04-11T06:18:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics: the constellation Monoceros, also known as the unicorn. A solid 2,700 light-years from Earth, this cluster of gas and dust is more formally cataloged as NGC 2264, a star-forming region that shines with both emission nebulae excited by the high energy given off by newborn stars (red) and reflection nebulae, which is light simply bouncing off interstellar dust near young, hot stars (blue).

How It Works: A Two-in-One Turbocharger

2020-04-11T05:21:00.0000000+10:00

Carmakers are responding to high oil prices and strict fuel-economy standards by replacing large gasoline engines with smaller, more-efficient ones. And frequently, they are using turbochargers to make the switch without sacrificing power.

How Well Does Scotch Age in Zero Gravity? A Distiller Launches Some to Find Out

2020-04-11T04:26:00.0000000+10:00

Ardbeg, makers of extremely peaty Scotch whisky, has launched samples of its product into space. Not as a gift from Earth to extraterrestrial races, nor even as a refreshment for human astronauts - no, the idea is to study how whisky ages in zero-gravity conditions.

Dark Matter Collides With Human Tissue An Average of Once a Minute, Study Finds

2020-04-11T03:10:00.0000000+10:00

A dark matter particle smacks into an average person's body about once a minute, and careens off oxygen and hydrogen nuclei in your cells, according to theoretical physicists. Dark matter is streaming through you as you read this, most of it unimpeded.

Video: Creepy Humanoid Robot Mimics Human Head Movements For Science

2020-04-11T02:56:00.0000000+10:00

At a cocktail party, during a baseball game or in any other crowded, noisy place, your brain has to do some high-level filtering so you can separate important sounds from the clanking background. Turning your head helps with this, and researchers are studying how these head movements cause a shift in auditory perception. A team in Japan did the natural thing and used a humanoid robot to figure it out. Watch below as it affably mimics a headphone-wearing human.

Without Smarts, New York's 'Taxi of Tomorrow' is Really the Taxi of Yesterday

2020-04-11T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

One of the more intriguing attractions on display at the New York International Auto Show was Nissan's NV200, the so-called "Taxi of Tomorrow" that the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) will phase in as the exclusive taxi of NYC starting late next year.

Video: This Octobot Walks Using Shape-Memory Alloy Tentacles

2020-04-11T01:02:00.0000000+10:00

As IEEE Spectrum notes this morning, the octopus - with its near lack of bones, fine motor control, and dexterity - is the ideal biological model in the field of soft robotics. As such, building a robotic octopus analog is the primary goal of the European Commission-funded OCTOPUS Project, and if the videos below are any indication it's coming along nicely. The team's newest approach, an eight-tentacled ‘bot with a mix of shape-memory alloy and more traditional servo-cable manipulated appendages, has just surfaced on the Web.

How It Works: Building a Kilometre Deep-Long Pipe Under the Sea

2020-04-11T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

One possibility for future energy production involves harvesting the warmth of Earth's tropical oceans, using the natural heat differentials in the water to drive turbines. It would be relatively simple if you didn't need a ludicrously large piece of pipe, 10 metres in diametre and stretching a kilometre beneath the water. To put that in context, that's a New York subway tunnel wide and two and a half Empire State Buildings high.

Test Drive: the 2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan

2020-04-10T07:38:00.0000000+10:00

When BMW rolls out an all-new 3 Series, it's big news, since these have been the benchmark of German sedans for the last 30 years or more. It also sets off a tectonic shift in the entry-level luxury market, with the Mercedes-Benz C Class, Audi A, not to mention the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G and the Lexus GS suddenly called upon to step up their game to follow along.

Genetic Bar Code Search Can Use RNA to Pick Out Individuals From Huge Gene Pools

2020-04-10T06:36:00.0000000+10:00

DNA databases are highly protected resources, because they contain the most detailed fingerprint that can be used to identify a person - from genetic predisposition to cancer, to paternity tests, to criminal histories. But apparently RNA databases, derived from large genome studies, can also be used to pinpoint a person's identity, according to a new study. These databases are published in journals and are publicly available, and contain genetic information from thousands of people around the world.

Church Leaders Give Blessing to Gadgets in the Pews

2020-04-10T05:31:00.0000000+10:00

Church pews nationwide were lit up this Easter weekend, and not just by the glow of so many churchgoers making their once-a-year appearances - iPads and smartphones were on plenty of parishioners' laps, helping people follow along with the ceremonies. Congregants are feeling increasingly comfortable with using gadgets in church, and priests and ministers are condoning it.

Breaking: Facebook Is Buying Instagram for a Billion Dollars

2020-04-10T04:44:00.0000000+10:00

Mark Zuckerberg just announced that Facebook has agreed to buy mega-popular photo sharing service Instagram for $1 billion. Facebook's been on a buying spree of late, and has been beefing up its own already-ubiquitous photo sharing service lately as well. But it looks like it just landed a whale.

How It Works: How Do You Track Wild Salmon?

2020-04-10T04:15:00.0000000+10:00

At the turn of the 19th century, up to 16 million salmon and steelhead trout migrated up the waterways of the Columbia River Basin to spawn. Today, about one million salmon and an equal number of steelhead return, in large part because the rivers have been dammed. When fish swim from their hatching grounds to the ocean, they learn the route and return by the same course years later. If a dam blocks it, the run discontinues.

Navy's Robot Helicopters Are Getting New Onboard Brains That Will Help Them Fight Somali Pirates

2020-04-10T03:21:00.0000000+10:00

It's tough being a pirate these days. Facing off with foreign navies and missile cruisers on their home turf of the high seas is tough enough for small-arms wielding pirates in diminutive watercraft. Now, the US Navy is bringing in the robots. The Office of Naval Research has plans to imbue its Fire Scout unmanned, ship-launched helicopters with electronic brains capable of identifying the small boats generally used by pirates.

How it Would Work: Destroying an Incoming Killer Asteroid With a Nuclear Blast

2020-04-10T01:42:00.0000000+10:00

One way or another, it's on everyone's minds, living somewhere in the back of our collective consciousness. Hollywood knows it, and continues to plumb it for box office numbers. Sci-fi is rife with it. The fossil record shouts warnings across millennia about it. Even the dinosaurs developed a particular, albeit brief, loathing for it. The killer asteroid - the one that we might never even see coming - could end life on this planet and there would be nothing humans could do about it. It creates a kind of helplessness that's difficult to even think about, and it's Robert Weaver's job to think about it all the time.

The Solar System With the Most Planets Is Now ... HD 10180

2020-04-10T01:08:00.0000000+10:00

It's a shame about Pluto. Now that the astronomical community has downgraded the once-furthest planet from the sun to non-planet status (technically it's now referred to as a protoplanet or dwarf planet), our solar system is at risk of being unseated as the largest known planetary system in the universe. An astronomer at the University of Hertfordshire has revisited data related to nearby star HD 10180 and discovered that it very likely has nine planets, making it the most populous known solar system.

How It Works: Electric Blue, the 280 Km/h Electric Car

2020-04-10T00:08:00.0000000+10:00

Before Electric Blue sped across Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats at 280 kilometres an hour late last year, no one had made an official attempt to set a speed record for battery-powered racecars weighing less than 500 kilograms. Other groups have been racing on the Salt Flats for years in electric cars with heavier batteries and larger motors. But Perry Carter, a professor of manufacturing engineering technology at Brigham Young University, wanted a car that could hit high speeds without so much weight.

Interface The Music: An Introduction to Electronic Instrument Control

2020-04-07T05:31:00.0000000+10:00

I'm no musician, but lately I've been experimenting with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) in my projects. MIDI is a standard for controlling instruments that works by passing messages between pieces of connected equipment. The messages aren't actual music in the same way as, say, an MP3 is. Instead, they are commands for making music - "play middle C on an electric piano," for example. MIDI devices known as controllers create the messages, and MIDI synthesisers receive them, with the result usually being musical sounds (although I've also built projects that map notes to relays that control Christmas lights and fireballs).

How It Works: The World's Fastest Elevator

2020-04-07T01:19:00.0000000+10:00

The first commercial passenger elevator, installed by Otis Elevator Company in 1857, climbed 12 metres a minute. The elevators that Mitsubishi Electric are installing in China's 610-metres-tall Shanghai Tower travel 18 metres a second. When construction is complete in 2014, the elevators will whisk passengers straight from the basement-level entrance to the observation deck near the top of the tower, a 570 metres journey, in less than a minute.

At the New York Auto Show, a Street-Legal Airplane Steals the Spotlight

2020-04-07T00:02:00.0000000+10:00

The biggest attraction at this year's New York International Auto Show isn't an automobile at all. Technically, it's a "roadable aircraft." Sometimes it's called a street-legal airplane. Whatever you call it, Terrafugia's Transition is a vehicle that lives in between strict definitions. And at an otherwise unremarkable showcase of the latest model year automobiles and newest concept cars, the Transition is the star of the show.

Photo Artists Use Filter "Normally Used by NASA" to Remove People From Crowded Urban Places

2020-04-06T07:19:00.0000000+10:00

"Silent World," a photography project by Parisian artists Lucie & Simon, takes the most crowded parts of New York City, Paris, and Beijing, and alters them in a basic (but technically incredible difficult) way. We recognize Times Square, Columbus Circle, and more landmarks from our own hometown, but only barely - those usually people-clogged landmarks are now empty, totally bereft of the swarms of tourists and locals alike that give those areas their personality. Apparently the artist duo used a neutral filter "normally used by NASA for analyzing stars." The filter allows the photographers to take extra-long exposures, and then cut out any moving objects like people or cars. Check out video of the project below.

MIT Predicts That World Economy Will Collapse By 2030

2020-04-06T06:30:00.0000000+10:00

Forty years after its initial publication, a study called The Limits to Growth is looking depressingly prescient. Commissioned by an international think tank called the Club of Rome, the 1972 report found that if civilization continued on its path toward increasing consumption, the global economy would collapse by 2030. Population losses would ensue, and things would generally fall apart.

How It Works: The First Disposable, USB-Powered Genome Sequencer

2020-04-06T05:09:00.0000000+10:00

The first human genome sequence took 13 years and cost $3 billion - now, less than a decade later, a new company promises to sequence a full genome in 15 minutes for a song. If this exponential increase in efficiency and drop in price sounds like something out of the computing industry, that's because it is.

Video: An App That Gives Apes the Ability to Control Robots

2020-04-06T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

Did you know that bonobos have a "fascination with computers"? No? Neither did we. But a new Kickstarter project from the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary in Des Moines, Iowa needs funding to make every bonobo's technological dreams a reality - from operating vending machines to, improbably, controlling their own robots.

How It Works: An Underground Robot Library

2020-04-06T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

Engineers from Dematic, a firm that builds automated parts and storage-retrieval systems for Boeing, Ford and IBM, designed a five-story underground storage area managed by five robotic cranes. Dematic has built 17 automated library systems worldwide, but the University of Chicago's is the most complex. The company has three more libraries under construction.

DARPA Wants Humanoid Robots That Can Drive Tractors, Open Doors and Save the Day

2020-04-06T02:12:00.0000000+10:00

DARPA is poised to launch a new Grand Challenge for a humanoid robot, according to robotics insiders - and the result could be a souped-up metal soldier running alongside BigDog, driving an ATV, unlocking doors and clearing a path to safety for its human counterparts. There's no official agency announcement yet, but robotics companies heard all about it at a recent industry day.

How It Works: A Recycled-Air Scuba System

2020-04-06T01:41:00.0000000+10:00

Conventional scuba systems have some major limitations. Divers using them must carefully monitor the depth and time they stay underwater and endure a series of lengthy decompression steps during resurfacing. Rebreathers recycle air, allowing divers to go deeper and remain underwater for longer, with shorter decompression on ascent. The Navy has used the devices for decades, but they were very expensive, and difficult to maintain and operate. In 2008, VR Technology introduced the Sentinel, a $12,000 rebreather with automated safety systems and full manual backup.

Q&A: The Surprising Phenomenon of Exercise-Induced Orgasms

2020-04-06T00:07:00.0000000+10:00

According to a new study by sex researchers at the Indiana University, women having orgasms during exercise is a real phenomenon. As far as the researchers know, this is the first study that deals directly with exercise-induced orgasms (EIO), known colloquially as "coregasms" because they tend to occur during core-strengthening workouts, like sit-ups and crunches.

The One Millionth Photo Taken from the International Space Station

2020-04-05T09:19:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics: Behold, the one millionth photo taken from the orbiting International Space Station. Snapped from one of the lab's windows as it cruises some 240 miles above our planet, the image manages to capture two Russian spacecraft (a Soyuz and a Progress robotic vehicle) in the foreground, a band of emerald green aurora swathing the Earth, and below that the Tasman Sea - proof that half of photography is a good vantage point.

Minecraft Maker Promises a New Game Rooted in 'Hard Science Fiction'

2020-04-05T07:14:00.0000000+10:00

The maker of Minecraft has a new project in the works, and the first details appear pretty tantalising: space-themed, set 281 billion years in the future, and rooted in "hard science fiction." Markus "Notch" Persson and his development company Mojang plan to allow the game to grow much the way Minecraft did, letting users have a heavy hand in its maturation.

Boeing's Space Capsule Undergoes First Drop Test

2020-04-05T05:13:00.0000000+10:00

In a landing system test, Boeing just dropped its new space capsule from 11,000 feet above the Nevada desert, watching the Apollo-esque craft descend under three massive parachutes. The CST-100 (which really needs a catchier name) is now one step closer to flying to the International Space Station or a future space hotel.

Video: Google's Straight-Out-of-Sci-Fi Augmented Reality Glasses

2020-04-05T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

Google announced just a month or two ago that they were in the advanced stages of work on a pair of augmented reality glasses - a concept we've been waiting for since some sci-fi writer thought of it in decades ago. The company was short on details or, importantly for our fantasies, imagery, until today, when it posted a concept video showing how these glasses might be used. And it's pretty amazing. Video after the jump.

NASA's Flying Telescope Captures the Death Sighs of a Sun

2020-04-05T03:16:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's plane-with-a-hole-in-it has been busy making infrared astronomy observations, and just captured a quiet, sad sight - the feeble last pulsations of a dying star. Astronomers say the images paint the most complete picture yet of how stellar material is recycled and reborn.

Why Turning Mercury Into a Dyson Sphere to Harvest Solar Energy Is Not Worth It

2020-04-05T02:03:00.0000000+10:00

Rising energy prices usually spark some creative ideas for alternatives, but a new one from a futurist named George Dvorsky is pretty far-fetched: He envisions destroying Mercury and scavenging its rocky remains. The debris could be used to build an array of solar power collectors, a Dyson swarm, around the sun.

How It Works: Adding Power to a Bicycle's Gear Shifter

2020-04-05T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

Bicycle shifting has been cable-driven since 1938 - until 2008, that is, when Shimano introduced the first electronic shifters. The company swapped mechanical derailleurs for motorised ones, cable for electrical wire, and levers for buttons. Last fall, Shimano launched Ultegra Di2, a version of the system that can be retrofit onto most road bikes.

Video: A Robot With a Human Skeleton

2020-04-05T00:04:00.0000000+10:00

Over at the BBC, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy has examined what he's calling the world's first anthropomimetic robot - a robot that mimics in extremely high anatomical detail the movements and construction of the human body. The robot, named ECCEROBOT, possesses artificial analogs of human bones, muscles, and tendons that endow it with human-like motions and - perhaps someday - will imbue it with human-like intelligence.

Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Bigger Is Not Always Better

2020-04-04T11:00:00.0000000+10:00

If you want to buy a phone right now, and you're shopping based on quality rather than price, you have two choices in terms of size. You can get the iPhone, with its 3.5-inch screen, or you can choose from a handful of top-tier Android and Windows phones, all of which will have, at the bare minimum, a four-inch screen. Most of them will be bigger - 4.3 inches is much more common right now, and an increasing number are even larger, including the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (4.65 in), HTC Titan (4.7 in), and the Samsung Galaxy Note (which, at 5.3 inches, is more lunchtray than phone).

While the LHC Hunts Higgs, the Jefferson Accelerator Looks to Illuminate Mysterious 'Dark Photons'

2020-04-04T07:17:00.0000000+10:00

While the Large Hadron Collider prepares to fire up its proton beams and get back to particle smashing, another accelerator is dialing up the search for another elusive particle. The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia is turning up its electron beams in search of "dark" or "heavy" photons, and in doing so they hope to unlock the secrets of the so-called "dark sector" where things like dark matter are thought to live.

PopSci Q&A: How To Track Down International Jewel Thieves Via Facebook

2020-04-04T06:12:00.0000000+10:00

Manuel Cebrian and his team just won the Tag Challenge, a State Department-sponsored competition to find five fake jewel thieves in five countries within 12 hours. Team Crowdscanner featured some of the same people who won DARPA's Network Challenge, a strange hunt for red balloons placed around the country. As with the balloon challenge, some team members thought Tag Challenge was an impossible task - and in some ways it might have been, because no one found all five "suspects." But three out of five isn't bad, especially given the complexity of the task.

Enviropig, the Genetically Engineered Eco-Friendly Pork, Is Off the Table

2020-04-04T05:06:00.0000000+10:00

Genetically modified pigs that excrete less waste may be euthanised before they could be slaughtered for human consumption, according to a report out of Canada. The current herd of Enviropigs, which digest their feed more efficiently, just lost their funding.

Video: Design, Program, and Build a Customised Army of Robots In a Day

2020-04-04T03:58:00.0000000+10:00

The robots I've personally used are just vacuum cleaners and toys, but even so, these creations took their designers years and countless sums of money to build. But a new project aims to let anyone design and create a custom automaton from the comfort of home.

Scrunchable Space Sieves Could Work as Tiny Foldable Satellite-Borne Telescopes

2020-04-04T03:04:00.0000000+10:00

A perforated plastic sheet carried into space in a microsatellite could serve as a cheap alternative space telescope, according to researchers at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The devices would sift photons like spaceborne cheesecloths.

Video: The Navy's 'Shoulder-to-Shoulder' Firefighting Robot's First Trial By Fire

2020-04-04T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

A couple of weeks back we first heard about Octavia, the American Naval Research Lab's (NRL) and Office of Naval Research's (ONR) new firefighting robot designed to perform "shoulder-to-shoulder" firefighting operations with humans aboard Navy vessels. Today we get to see Octavia in action, fighting a simulated fire in a demonstration video that is somewhat less-than-confidence-inspiring.

Video: Controlling Your Kinect By Waggling Your Tongue

2020-04-04T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

A new Kinect-driven device can follow the creepy, lizardy flicking motion of a person's tongue moving from side to side, and translate the movement into a video game. The tongue is the gun, as it were, and you can shoot circular objects on the screen like some trippy version of Asteroids. The bullet's trajectory is determined by the position of the tongue.

The Internet Goes Local

2020-04-04T00:07:00.0000000+10:00

When the soon-to-be-defunct government of president Hosni Mubarak shut off Egypt's Internet early on the morning of January 28, 2020, it proved the US State Department's working theory: that the arc of history bends toward democracy, but it needs Internet access to get there. One project meant to ensure what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls "the freedom to connect" is an "Internet-in-a-suitcase," a kit of wireless routers and software that could be smuggled into an authoritarian country and allow revolutionaries to set up their own local area network (LAN) on the fly. Its developers at the public policy institute the New America Foundation call the concept "device as infrastructure," a platform that operates on its own, without requiring a connection to the broader Internet. By avoiding the traditional phone-company cables-and, in the process, a connection to the backbone of the Internet-this ad hoc network would be extremely difficult to monitor or shut down.

Google Maps Re-Launches Its Traffic Mapping, Incorporating Real-Time Data From Drivers With Phones

2020-04-03T09:36:00.0000000+10:00

Google Maps is bringing traffic estimates back to its estimated travel time feature, and this time it's relying on realtime data obtained from third party reports and drivers voluntarily running Google's "My Location" feature on their Android phones. The reboot hopes to stifle user frustration with the old traffic estimate feature and, hopefully, to make Google Maps a more accurate predictor of transit times in urban areas around the globe.

Video: Flying Car (or Driving Autogyro) Completes First Flight Tests

2020-04-03T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

So this video was uploaded on April 1st (*danger! danger!*) but we've known of the Pal-V for a few years and we'll assume for the moment that the Dutch company was not aware of the risk in uploading a video of a flying car on April Fool's Day. The Pal-V, which stands for Personal Air and Land Vehicle, is actually more of a driving autogyro than a flying car, but it can drive like a car, and it can also fly, so we are definitively on board.

The World's Most Sensitive Scale Can Weigh Single Protons

2020-04-03T06:35:00.0000000+10:00

A group of scientists at the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology have created a new scale (and process for weighing) that increases the accuracy of small-scale, um, scales to new heights.

Invention of The Month: Conductive Ink

2020-04-03T05:50:00.0000000+10:00

Don't wire a circuit-doodle it. To connect batteries to devices such as resistors and LEDs, a newly developed ballpoint pen uses silver-based ink that conducts electricity through lines drawn over paper, wood, plastic and even some textiles. Jennifer Lewis, the materials scientist who led the pen's design at the University of Illinois in the US, says she is now looking for business partners and hopes to have products that integrate the pen and ink on the market within a few months. Check out video of the ink below!

Tattooing Teeth With Graphene Could Warn of Bacteria and Dental Decay

2020-04-03T05:43:00.0000000+10:00

Electronic tattoos promise to help people monitor health in all kinds of ways, from heart rates to blood sugar and more. Now here's one that can monitor your tooth-brushing skills. A tooth-based sensor can detect different types bacteria in your saliva that can cause a variety of health problems.

Free-Market Fans Encourage Rush for Off-Planet Real Estate

2020-04-03T04:35:00.0000000+10:00

Getting to the moon is a noble and ambitious goal for any country, and other nations will probably follow in the footsteps of America pretty soon. But private companies won't go without the promise of profit, and until they do, space will be left unsettled, advocates say. The latest in a drumbeat of pro-colonisation comes from the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, which is advocating the recognition of property rights on the moon or other celestial bodies.

Video: 'Smart Sand' Could Self-Sculpt into Any Shape, Duplicating Objects Automatically

2020-04-03T02:38:00.0000000+10:00

It sounds like something out of a fantasy film: a vat of sand into which you plunge a small object only to watch the sand bind together to form larger copies of the same object. Such "smart sand" isn't exactly a reality just yet, but a team at MIT's Distributed Robotics Laboratory (DRL) has a vision for tiny granules - "smart pebbles" - imbued with a small amount of computing power and covered in magnets on the outside. Piled together in a heap, the small amount of computing power in each grain would become a single distributed computing platform capable of shaping itself into objects, with the unneeded grains falling away to leave behind the finished product.

Mitt Romney Campaigns According to the Rules of Quantum Mechanics, Says Times Op-Ed

2020-04-03T02:02:00.0000000+10:00

Much the same way that light is both a particle and a wave, Mitt Romney is both a moderate and a conservative, all at the same time. And just as the act of observing a particle's state cannot be untangled from the outcome of the observation, Mitt Romney holds all political positions at once, until such time as he is asked to state an opinion. This is from a superb op-ed in the Sunday New York Times: "A Quantum Theory of Mitt Romney."

Rec-Room Cockpit: How One Reader Built His Own Flight Simulator

2020-04-03T00:16:00.0000000+10:00

Clint Fishburne, a regional-airline pilot based in Atlanta, wanted to help his children develop the body movement and muscle memory necessary to fly and land a plane. With the cost of commercial flight simulators starting at $2,800, though, Fishburne, a longtime PopSci reader, decided to make one from scratch. Building the plywood-and-PVC plane, frame and control stick was relatively easy. The challenge was making a platform that could mimic a plane's motion and that was strong enough to support and move a 34-kilo child.

Video: VICE Goes to SOFEX, a Massive Jordanian Weapons Convention

2020-03-31T07:14:40.0000000+11:00

Weapons conventions, basically the military equivalent of the Consumer Electronics Show that we attend every year, are massive events in which generals and representatives from countries around the world come to gawk at and buy that year's crop of weaponry. A lot of the military tech that we write about will pop up in some form at these events, and VICE went out to SOFEX, a major convention in Jordan, to see (and be a bit disturbed by) how it all works. Check out the video below - it's a really interesting 20 minutes.

Scientist Behind Earth-Shaking Neutrino Finding Resigns Due to Slowness of Subatomic Particles

2020-03-31T06:32:10.0000000+11:00

Professor Antonio Ereditato, the man who found neutrinos traveling faster than light late last year, has resigned from his job at the Gran Sasso physics laboratory in Italy. Attempts to reproduce the amazing superluminal result were not successful, and the finding was eventually blamed on a loose cable.

Face.com (Wildly) Guesses Your Age and Mood From Your Photo

2020-03-31T05:45:21.0000000+11:00

The next creepy step in facial recognition comes from Face.com - a little bit of software that purports to not only identify you with a photo of your face, but also deduce your age, gender, and mood. We'd be more creeped out if it wasn't sort of...not accurate. The above photo of Pop Photo's Dan Bracaglia, a 24-year-old who we'd describe as "smiling sardonically," was identified as a non-smiling 33-year-old man in a "happy" mood. Try it for yourself here. [via Gizmodo]

Ten Dollars Is Not a Lot to Pay for All of the Music Ever

2020-03-31T04:35:00.0000000+11:00

According to the RIAA's yearly sales report, which was released this week, this year for the first time Americans are buying as much digital as physical music. Great!

Simple Project of the Month: Build Your Own Hoverpuck

2020-03-31T03:35:00.0000000+11:00

Love air hockey, but find the tabletop version a little confining? How about busting out the concept of a fan-powered hockey puck into a full-sized version? Here's how to make your own.

How Activist Data Mining Is Penetrating the Veil Around Syria's Bloody Conflict

2020-03-31T01:14:00.0000000+11:00

It's been nearly a year since the beginning of a bloody uprising in Syria that has taken thousands of lives, both military and civilian. Just how many? Depends on whom you ask.

'Cyberplasm,' a Micro-Robot Modeled After the Sea Lamprey, Could Swim Around Inside You

2020-03-30T08:13:00.0000000+11:00

Tiny microelectromechanical machines running Magic Schoolbus-style through our bodies are the pursuit of nano labs across the globe, but a team of researchers jointly backed by the American National Science Foundation and the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council wants something more: a tiny biomimicking robot that functions like a living creature loaded with sensors derived from animal cells.

Video: French Electronic Musical Jelly

2020-03-30T07:07:00.0000000+11:00

The creators of this video and project describe it as a "game," which it isn't, really, but it is really, really cool: you make a sort of extra-firm jelly-like product by mixing water, agar agar, and some food colouring (optional, but why wouldn't you want your final product to be blue or pink?) in a mould. Then, you make it sing.

Investigation: Despite Repeated Failures, DARPA Bought Director's Family's Lousy Bomb Tech

2020-03-30T06:10:00.0000000+11:00

Generally when PopSci writes about DARPA in the US, we do so with enthusiasm, as the Pentagon's far-out research arm tends to prod at the edges of what seems possible, even when it fails spectacularly. But when it fails institutionally, we have to acknowledge that even the storied Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is at a fundamental level a bureaucracy prone to the same problems and inefficiencies as any other bureaucracy. With that, point you toward a piece by the crew over at Danger Room, who today tell the tale of a seemingly huge DARPA fail.

"Wonders of the Universe" App Is Your Space Textbook of the Future

2020-03-30T05:14:00.0000000+11:00

The potential of tablets to transform the way we learn is pretty extraordinary. The first really "wow" app we saw for the iPad was a re-imagining of the periodic table. Wonders of the Universe, a new app from the BBC, HarperCollins, and Professor Brian Cox, takes you zooming through our universe, from a broad view at multiple galaxies all the way down to a look at subatomic particles - with more than a film's worth of videos, a staggering amount of gorgeous space photos, and hundreds of interesting articles as well. It takes the idea of an interactive textbook far beyond what we've seen before.

Video: With This Camera, Your Fingers Frame the Shot

2020-03-30T04:07:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes when framing a photo, you might draw a little box with your fingers, visualizing the field of view before looking through the viewfinder. Now there's a device that turns your little hand-rectangle into an actual camera. You frame the shot with your fingers, and you determine the view by moving your hands closer to or further from your face.

Video: Blind Driver Takes Google's Autonomous Car for a Spin

2020-03-30T03:09:00.0000000+11:00

Future self-driving cars could make traffic smoother and safer, among plenty of other potential benefits, but one thing you don't hear much about - and should - is their utility for people with physical limitations. For example, Steve Mahan, who has lost 95 per cent of his vision. He becomes Google Autonomous Car Driver #1 in the video past the jump.

Jeff Bezos Finds Apollo 11 Rocket Engines on Seafloor, Plans to Go Get Them

2020-03-30T02:05:00.0000000+11:00

Renowned space fan and would-be space explorer Jeff Bezos is the latest billionaire with his head in the deep ocean. This time it's not to reach the seafloor, but to dredge up the massive Saturn V engines that powered Apollo 11 to the moon.

What Can a Videogame Tell Us About How Economies Work?

2020-03-30T01:13:00.0000000+11:00

On October 3, 2020, President George W. Bush signed the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill into law, delivering $450 billion to failing banks on the premise that it would prevent their collapse and stimulate a faltering economy. Like millions of Americans, Dmitri Williams, an associate professor of communications at the University of Southern California, found TARP troubling-not because the bill provided too much or (as many economists argued) too little, but because it was unscientific. "We did a half-a-trillion-dollar experiment with the economy and had no control group," he says. Setting up a test bed for a program as complex as TARP might be difficult, but it wasn't impossible. Williams had found just such a petri dish in videogames.

Telepresence Robots Will Join Doctors on Their Rounds in Singapore Next Month

2020-03-29T08:20:00.0000000+11:00

Deploying telepresence robots in a medical setting isn't exactly a new notion, but a Singapore-based startup is easing the technology into the clinical setting in a clever way. While other telepresence platforms have largely focused on allowing doctors to examine patients and oversee care remotely, CtrlWorks envisions its Puppet as more of a remotely piloted assistant that will reduce doctor workloads, dutifully taking down case notes and filing them in the proper places as a doctor makes his rounds. And next month at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore it will get a chance to prove its value.

Fossilised Raindrop Dimples Add to Mystery of Ancient Earth's Warmth

2020-03-29T06:50:00.0000000+11:00

Pumice-like cratery indents formed by ancient raindrop splats are adding to the mystery of why the adolescent Earth was warm enough to host rivers and oceans, despite the dim sun of the day. Thanks to fossilised impressions from rains that fell down on Africa 2.7 billion years ago, the "Faint Young Sun" paradox is getting curiouser and curiouser. That's right, 2.7 billion-year-old raindrops. And you thought spring showers were ephemeral.

100-Year-Old Lightbulb Unearthed From Time Capsule Still Works

2020-03-29T05:55:00.0000000+11:00

Modern lightbulbs may be getting slightly more environmentally conscious (or at least having unexpected things stuffed into them), but it's still equal parts impressive and depressing that a 100-year-old lightbulb discovered by GE in a time capsule still works perfectly well when plugged into a circa-2012 socket. This one's a tungsten filament bulb, which was slowly brought up to 60 volts (plugging it into a regular 120-volt socket would probably not have been good) and gave off a healthy, century-old glow. Somehow though, we bet people in 1912 would have expected 2012 to be lit by something like bacteria, not a slightly brighter and rounder version of their own bulb. Video after the jump.

Is It Snowing Microbes on Enceladus?

2020-03-29T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

Aside from ancient Mars, the moons of Saturn might be one of the best places to look for life outside this planet. The methane lakes of Titan are promising places, but so are the spewing plumes of ice on Enceladus - and the latter would be an easy one to check, as it turns out. The Cassini orbiter just flew through them, and Cassini scientists want to go back and take a longer look.

Video: Former DARPA Chief Regina Dugan Talks Hypersonic Gilders and Hummingbirds at TED

2020-03-29T04:25:00.0000000+11:00

PopSci's favorite DARPA head turned Google exec has done her turn at TED, and the video has just hit the wires. Titled "From Mach-20 Glider to Hummingbird Drone," Dugan's theme of discouraging the fear of failure is a retrospective on DARPA's technological milestones and how the nerds at DARPA reached them by believing in impossible things.

US Zoo's Poo-Powered Rickshaw Turns Animal Waste into Energy

2020-03-29T03:13:00.0000000+11:00

Teddy Roosevelt famously said "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." The folks at the Denver Zoo must have thought he was talking crap. The zoo happens to have a lot of animal dung on hand where it is, and via its own patent-pending gasification tech it is doing what it can, introducing a poo-powered rickshaw that turns animal waste and human trash into mobility.

PopSci Q&A: The Quest for a Male Contraceptive

2020-03-29T03:13:00.0000000+11:00

John Amory, a doctor at the University of Washington, has been developing a male contraceptive for 15 years. Turns out, it's harder than it sounds. We spoke with him to find out why.

Video: Little Sand Flea Robot Makes Prodigious Leaps

2020-03-29T02:04:00.0000000+11:00

This little robot may not look like much, but its standing jump two stories high is one of the most incredible robotic feats I have ever seen. Boston Dynamics, creator of the BigDog, Petman and other awesome military robots, is sending it off for testing by the Army. Click past the jump to see video of it in action.

Australia Needs To Reintroduce Top Predators

2020-03-28T10:18:00.0000000+11:00

A new study shows Australia’s biodiversity is diminishing as native species are threatened by introduced animals, and suggests the reintroduction of “apex predators” including dingoes and the Tasmanian tiger across the country could help restore order. But will this solve problems? Or cause more?

Video: A Swirling Visualisation of the Ocean's Currents

2020-03-28T07:20:00.0000000+11:00

For whatever reason things grow popular, this NASA animation - titled "Perpetual Ocean" - has been making the rounds over the past 24 hours, mesmerising all who dare click "play." Compiled from data produced by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Earth, Phase II (ECCO2 for short), the animation is a high-res model of global ocean and sea ice movements from June 2005 through December 2007. And it's strangely therapeutic to watch.

Electric Animals That Aren't Eels

2020-03-28T06:47:00.0000000+11:00

Eels aren't the only creatures that can deliver a painful zap of electricity. In fact, not all of them are even marine animals. Here are some others.

High Court Rejects Patents on Genes, Sending Breast Cancer Gene Case Back to Square One

2020-03-28T06:15:00.0000000+11:00

Over in the old US of A, the high court has rejected an appeals court ruling allowing genes to be patented. The case involves two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer, patented by Myriad Genetics Inc, which obviously has implications for future issues surrounding patent law and commercial gene therapy.

Meet 'Buckliball,' a New Class of Engineered Structure Inspired By a Toy

2020-03-28T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

This squishy ball, inspired by an equally cute kid's toy, is a breakthrough in a new class of three-dimensional structures that can buckle reversibly. It starts out as an inflated sphere, and if you suck the air out of it, it buckles down along its dimples into a smaller ball 46 per cent its original size. It looks sort of like a buckyball, so its creators at MIT nicknamed it a "buckliball."

Video: NASA Launches a Rapid Fire Five-Rocket Barrage to the Very Edge of Space

2020-03-28T04:15:00.0000000+11:00

After a couple of delays, NASA finally launched its five-rocket barrage into the upper atmosphere this morning in an attempt to study the winds at the very edge of space. The ATREX (Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment) mission successfully lobbed all five rockets into space from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia with 80 seconds of separation between each rocket, creating a dazzling display of fireworks for anyone who happened to be awake and watching on the East Coast at 4:58 a.m.

LG's 55-Inch OLED TV Will Be Available (to Extremely Rich People)

2020-03-28T03:10:00.0000000+11:00

OLED TVs are as much a tradition at the annual CES electronics conference as anything else: you see, you drool, you shake your head and remember that OLEDs are still several years away. Or are they? CES 2012 seemed to suggest they're right on the horizon, with a couple of big manufacturers, now including LG, seemingly lining up models for the coming year.

Video: The First Footage from James Cameron's Record-Setting Dive to Challenger Deep

2020-03-28T03:07:00.0000000+11:00

The first video footage is surfacing from James Cameron's record-setting dive to the deepest known point in Earth's oceans over the weekend, and the landscape down there is about what one might expect when you're 11,000 metres below the surface: desolate, dark, and vaguely reminiscent of the moon. "I really feel like literally in the space of one day I've been to another planet and come back," Cameron says in the video.

Swimming On The Hot Side

2020-03-28T02:10:00.0000000+11:00

I first heard about nuclear diving while I was getting my hair cut in downtown Manhattan. My stylist seemed out of place in an East Village salon, so I asked her where she lived. Brooklyn? Queens? Uptown? "Well, my husband has kind of a weird job," she said. "He'd rather not live around other people."

FYI: Why Does Some Food Taste Bad To Some People And Good To Others?

2020-03-28T01:19:00.0000000+11:00

People who have a lot of papillae-the bumps on our tongue, most of which house our taste buds-often find flavors overwhelming. They're "supertasters," and as such they add cream to their coffee and order food mild instead of spicy. Subtasters, on the other hand, have low papillae density and prefer their chicken wings "atomic."

Watch the Planets Line Up With Crescent Moon in Rare Conjunction

2020-03-27T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

If people in the Northern Hemisphere look toward the west tonight, they'll see Jupiter and Venus together, lining up with the crescent moon in a rare and beautiful conjunction. Venus is so bright you can see it during the day today, a few degrees above the sun, just like Abraham Lincoln famously did during his second inauguration. In the Southern Hemisphere? No problem - check here for a live feed of this event.

Video: At 360 Kilograms and 14 Metres Long, The Largest-Ever Paper Aeroplane Takes Flight

2020-03-27T11:16:00.0000000+11:00

Arturo Valdenegro, 12-year-old Tucson resident, made paper aviators everywhere look minuscule by comparison last week. In the skies over the Sonora desert in Arizona, the Pima Air & Space Museum launched the biggest paper aeroplane ever constructed - a paper airplane based on Valdenegro's design - into the sky, accelerating it to speeds topping 160 kilometres per hour before it came crashing down (as paper aeroplanes do).

Petite Particle Accelerator: A Proton Gun For Killing Tumours

2020-03-27T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

Since 1990, doctors have been regularly treating cancer patients using proton beams, which work similarly to radiation. Proton therapy is more precise, however, causing less harm to healthy surrounding tissues. Unfortunately, generating a proton beam requires a particle-accelerator facility that's the size of an aeroplane hangar and costs more than $100 million to build. Thus, proton-beam therapy remains a rarity, with only 37 working facilities worldwide, 10 of which are located in the US. Just 10,000 people were treated last year, less than 5 per cent of suitable patients.

James Cameron Has Completed the Deepest Solo Dive Ever

2020-03-27T10:50:00.0000000+11:00

Sorry, Virgin. The first successful solo dive back to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was completed yesterday by none other than filmmaker James Cameron.

"Jarno Smeets" and the Physics of True Human Flight

2020-03-27T10:31:00.0000000+11:00

The notion of a person flying like a bird has universal and enduring appeal, so it's not surprising that the "Human Bird Wings" video from "Jarno Smeets" went viral within a few days. However, now that it has been revealed to be an elaborate hoax, eight months in the making, and now that our dreams have been thusly dashed, let's examine a scientific red flag in the video, one that when pursued bursts the entire fantastical premise: the problem of speed.

New Plastic Bleeds Red When Scratched, Then Heals Itself Like Skin

2020-03-27T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Self-healing materials will eventually fix anything from cell phone screens to car fenders, enabling surfaces to heal on their own in the presence of different types of light. But none of the earlier prototypes we've seen work quite like this new plastic: It bleeds red at the site of injury. Then it heals itself, inspired by the properties of tree trunks and human skin.

Nikon D800 Sample Gallery: "Seriously Satisfying"

2020-03-27T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends and office-mates over at Pop Photo just put up a sample image gallery of shots taken by the brand-new Nikon D800, and they are very impressed by its performance.

San Francisco Startup Wants to Deliver Tacos Via Unmanned Quadcopter (Maybe)

2020-03-27T03:49:00.0000000+11:00

It's the kind of tech startup that we could really get excited about if we weren't fairly certain it's some kind of hoax. A Web site has popped up at TacoCopter.com that offers a unique service: tacos airlifted directly to your doorstep via unmanned quadcopter drone. The rise of the machines never sounded so scrumptious.

Scientists Hijack Mouse Neurons to Take Control of Their Memories

2020-03-27T02:52:00.0000000+11:00

In a new study with powerful implications for mental health, scientists hijacked the memories of lab mice, inducing them to form synthetic "hybrid memories" that were a combination of real experience and confused context. The work could eventually pave the way for false-memory or real memory manipulation in people with schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder.

At Arm's Length: Robot Motion Simulator

2020-03-26T13:09:00.0000000+11:00

Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Victoria's Deakin University, a gigantic robot arm is shaking a man to death. Or at least, that's how it might look to the untrained eye: a slim human figure strapped to the end of this great mass of steel and hydraulics. But really, this is a new kind of motion simulator, flexible enough to train fixed-wing pilots, helicopter aces, racing drivers and even kayakers.

Increasing Freak Weather Incidents Caused By Climate Change, New Study Finds

2020-03-26T12:56:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany claim the increasing number of freak weather incidents around the world are linked, and are caused by human-created climate change.

No More GPS Voice: Haptic Steering Wheel Buzzes to Give You Directions

2020-03-25T22:30:00.0000000+11:00

GPS devices are great, but sometimes I want to throw mine out the window. There's something so obnoxious about the Garmin voice, especially when you disregard its navigation choice and it tells you it's "reCALCulating" in that disapproving tone. A new haptic steering wheel concept would be so much friendlier! Instead of smarmy commentary, the wheel simply vibrates to tell you which way to turn.

Video: Face-Recognition System Can Sort Through 36 Million Faces Per Second

2020-03-25T10:29:00.0000000+11:00

Diginfo brings us news of this Hitachi Kokusai system that can monitor video feeds from around the world in real time, scanning for a particular face. When it finds what it's looking for, it closes in to provide footage of what the person has been doing previously and what he or she is doing next.

This Week in the Future, March 19-23, 2012

2020-03-24T08:45:00.0000000+11:00

It's been a great week in the future. Apparently we've spent the whole week up in the sky? There was that human bird wing hoax, and the search for Amelia Earhart, and the FAA deciding to make their damn planes Gameboy-safe 20 years after everyone forgot what a Gameboy even is.

When, Why, and How You Should Harpoon a Comet

2020-03-24T06:50:00.0000000+11:00

How do you get a core sample from a comet? There's so little gravity that if you used a scoop or a drill, you'd push yourself right off the surface. To solve this problem, we came up with a harpoon that collects samples. The concept is that the spacecraft flies next to the moving comet and fires from about 30 feet away, we would use a dampening system and propulsion to counteract the recoil. Our prototype harpoon is stainless steel, about one foot long, two inches wide and four pounds. We don't want it to be too lightweight, because it needs momentum to cut through the comet's surface. The harpoon hits the comet with its tip open, the material fills an internal cartridge, and a garage-door-like mechanism shuts behind it.

The 2012 Heat Wave: "Almost Like Science Fiction"

2020-03-24T05:50:00.0000000+11:00

Today is World Meteorological Day, and across the North American continent, records have been smashed: from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, a heat wave like nothing we've ever seen before is hitting the US and Canada, while out west, Oregon has gotten a new record for snowfall. Just what is going on here?

Yes, Deepwater Horizon Oil Did Enter the Food Chain

2020-03-24T03:26:00.0000000+11:00

Along with the death of scores of marine animals and seabirds, one of the main concerns during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the impact on the food chain. A new study clarifies that impact: hydrocarbons from the Macondo well trickled into the ocean food chain via its tiniest members, zooplankton.

'Hypervelocity Planets' Zoom Through the Galaxy at 50 Million Kilometres Per Hour

2020-03-24T01:10:00.0000000+11:00

Astronomers have long known that when binary star systems wander too close to a supermassive black hole under the right conditions, they can be torn apart in such a way that one star is pulled into orbit around the black hole and the other is violently ejected outward, sending it speeding out of the galaxy and into interstellar space. Now it turns out individual planets can suffer a similar fate - and when they do, they can do so at up to 50 million kilometres per hour, making them some of the fastest-moving objects in our galaxy.

Humans Likely Responsible For Extinction of Australian Prehistoric Animals

2020-03-23T12:54:00.0000000+11:00

A new study conducted by a number of Australian universities has found that many of our prehistoric animals, including the giant marsupial known as the diprotodon, began to die off in large numbers about 40,000 years ago, a little after the first Aboriginal peoples arrived on the scene.

Your Guide to the Best Superconducting Wines

2020-03-23T08:04:00.0000000+11:00

Red wine can efficiently turn iron compounds into superconductors, a finding Japanese researchers stumbled upon at a boozy party last year. Now they have figured out how. Tartaric acid in the wine - especially in a French Beaujolais, from the gamay grape - seems to be the culprit.

Mercury Has a Liquid Core, and Other New Surprises From the Innermost Planet

2020-03-23T06:49:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's Messenger spacecraft entered orbit around Mercury one year ago this week, and the spacecraft has been hard at work. It has captured nearly 100,000 images, mapped Mercury's gravity field, and taken sensitive altimetry measurements that are shedding light on the planet's surface features like never before. This week, scientists on the Messenger mission published another round of new findings about the innermost planet, which turns out to be an altogether weirder world than we'd thought.

Self-Powered Flying Dutchman Is Fake, Right Down to His Name

2020-03-23T06:38:00.0000000+11:00

On a Dutch TV show named, with utter Dutchness, De Wereld Draait Door, the man previously known as Jarno Smeets - of the Human Bird Wing video, in which he flies under mostly his own power - confessed to faking the whole thing.

Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Invests $300 Million Into Mapping the Brain

2020-03-23T05:56:00.0000000+11:00

Paul Allen's commitment to tackling big questions in neuroscience grows larger still. The Microsoft co-founder has already contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to brain science, much of it to the establishment of the Allen Brain Institute, a nonprofit charged with building a massive database of information about the brain. Now, seemingly from a frustration with the slow pace of discovery elsewhere in the field, Allen has committed another $300 million over the next decade to expanding his institute to include it's own lab for neuroscience investigation.

Opportunity Snaps a Self-Portrait As It Preps for the Martian Winter

2020-03-23T04:51:00.0000000+11:00

Now entering its ninth year of operation on Mars, NASA's Opportunity rover is proving that there's not much it can't do. It's even getting into self-portraiture to pass the time. The image above was stitched together from pictures snapped by Opportunity's panoramic camera (or Pancam) back in December, showing the accumulation of dust on the rover's solar panels as it prepares for its fifth Martian winter.

Video: A Giant Scientific Graphing Calculator, Built Out of Minecraft Blocks By a 16-Year-Old

2020-03-23T04:10:00.0000000+11:00

This is extremely impressive. It can multiply, divide, trigonometrize, figure roots, graph quadratic functions, and everything else you always need to do when you're playing a video game. All the calculations are done by blocks.

Slow-Motion Video: We Slice Through Bottles and Cans

2020-03-23T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

Master knifemaker Bob Kramer has visited the PopSci offices before in a mission to slice apart every type of can and bottle he could find. Great fun! But how we wished we had had an ultra-slow-motion camera like the Phantom on hand that day. Guess what - now we do. Hit the jump for the slow motion video.

A Single Dose of Targeted X-Rays When You're Young Could Provide Lifelong Protection From Glaucoma

2020-03-23T02:18:00.0000000+11:00

Glaucoma affects more than 400,000 Australians, and over 4 million Americans, many of whom don't even realize they are affected by it. It's a leading cause of blindness with no known cure. But researchers at the non-profit Jackson Laboratory have found that a single, targeted X-ray treatment of a single mouse eye is enough to provide complete and lifelong protection from glaucoma, even in mice who are prone to the disease.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta Is Now Available

2020-03-23T01:42:00.0000000+11:00

Our buddies over at Pop Photo just posted their first impressions of the newest beta version of Photoshop, CS6.

Python Truck Fixes Potholes in Two Minutes Flat

2020-03-23T01:01:00.0000000+11:00

Our buddies over at Gizmodo found a "Monster Machine" that's of particular interest to me, given that I was viciously attacked by a pothole once already this year (yes, to be fair, I started the fight by stepping into it, but it wildly overreacted by spraining my ankle). The Python 5000 takes what used to be a six-step job requiring a multiple-man team that could take hours and completes it in two minutes with a single operator.

Get a Keyboard Case for that New iPad, And Basically Turn it Into an Ultrabook

2020-03-22T15:12:00.0000000+11:00

For all our complaining about carrying netbooks and ultrabooks around with us, deep down we know that if we're actually going to do anything constructive with our personal electronics, we probably will at some stage need a keyboard. Thankfully, CruxCase are ready to launch their newest case for the new super-HD iPad, so you can wrap your tablet in some good ol' fashioned typeset loving.

New Photos Show Bright Spots on Asteroid Vesta

2020-03-22T12:21:00.0000000+11:00

A series of photos taken by NASA's Dawn space explorer have shown in depth for the first time the features of the asteroid Vesta, including a series of bright spots dotting its service, made by a material a few billion years old.

Video: How MIT's Laser Camera Can See Around Corners

2020-03-22T07:09:00.0000000+11:00

Back in late 2010, MIT Media Lab announced that it was working on technology that would allow a camera to see around corners and image objects that were never in its direct line of sight. Now, the lab has released a video explaining exactly how they do this and showing the technology in action.

A Mouse Made Just For You Will Model Your Medical Problems

2020-03-22T06:03:00.0000000+11:00

When you check in to a hospital in the future, along with checking your vitals and ordering a blood panel, your doctors may assign you a personal mouse. The immune-deficient creature will receive a transplant of your tissue, which will allow it to mimic your immune system, or maybe your specific type of cancer. Then doctors can try out a cocktail of drugs or gene therapies to see what might work on you.

Meet Robojelly, the Hydrogen-Powered Jellyfish-Shaped Immortal Underwater Surveillance Robot

2020-03-22T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

A new robotic jellyfish is powered by hydrogen, and could theoretically never run out of energy as it pulses through the sea. It's designed to work as a search and rescue or surveillance ‘bot for the US Navy.

Book Review: Can Science Determine Which Foods Taste Best Together?

2020-03-22T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

The idea that Canadian sommellier François Chartier presents in his book Taste Buds and Molecules: The Art and Science of Food, Wine, and Flavor is a very intriguing one. Look at the aroma molecules that give foods and wines their characters, he says, and use that as a basis for pairing foods with wines and with each other. Instead of years of tastings and trial and error, a few simple principles and charts can guarantee exquisite pairings every time.

National Ignition Facility Fires Record-Setting 2-Megajoule Laser

2020-03-22T02:54:00.0000000+11:00

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab designed its super laser to fire powerful laser shots at intensities up to 1.8 megajoules, but researchers aren't stopping there. This week the NIF combined 192 lasers to fire a single 1.875-megajoule shot into a test chamber, and by the time it passed through its final focusing lens the shot had reached 2.03 megajoules, setting a new record for ultraviolet lasers.

Personal Monitoring Tech: Invasion of the Body Trackers

2020-03-22T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

Personal fitness monitors designed to encourage healthy habits typically involve uncomfortable gear, such as chest straps and armbands, that can discourage people from wearing them. As sensors shrink and software improves, health-tracking systems are becoming less intrusive and capable of collecting more biometric data. One day, users may not have to don any equipment at all.

How to Build the World's Biggest Indoor Ski Run

2020-03-22T01:11:00.0000000+11:00

Stockholm, Sweden, has plenty of cold, but not much in the way of snow or hills. So the members of a Stockholm ski club convinced architecture firm Berg/C.F. Møller to construct the most energy-efficient indoor ski park in the world. Skipark 360° will be powered by sun, wind, water and heat from the earth.

Video: Dutchman Flaps His Arms And Flies - Right?

2020-03-21T11:40:00.0000000+11:00

Jarno Smeets has been working for several months on his Human Bird Wings project - assembling long nylon wings powered by outrunner motors, rigging up a complicated Android + Arduino + Wii arm-waving control system - and now - according to the breathtaking video he's just published - they work! Man can fly!

The New iPad Review: Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers)

2020-03-21T09:40:00.0000000+11:00

The new iPad is an uncomplicated update. It's a spec bump year, not a redesign year: what's different, aside from the stunning high-res Retina display, is mostly inside. Internal specifications are important, but what matters most is how it feels to actually use. We've been using the new iPad since Friday, chatting with you guys on Twitter all the while, and here we've pulled together our review as a list of frequently asked questions and answers aimed to help you make that all-important decision: to buy or not to buy?

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Begins New Search for Amelia Earhart

2020-03-21T06:16:00.0000000+11:00

An aviation history society plans to launch a new search for Amelia Earhart's lost airplane, and it's apparently piqued the interest of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She was set to meet today with historians and scientists from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, which is starting a new search in June, according to the AP.

Nokia Patents a Tattoo That Vibrates When Someone Calls You

2020-03-21T04:19:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes, when I'm occupied or just don't feel like answering it, I ignore my phone. Sorry, but I don't always have time for a telemarketer or whatever. Now Nokia wants to make this physically impossible by patenting an electronic tattoo that would vibrate, on your body, whenever someone calls. It would work like a body-based caller ID system, vibrating in a specific pattern according to the caller or the type of message. Talk about a rude interruption.

Longest-Ever Fiber-Optic Link Will Run Through Thawing Arctic, Between UK and Japan

2020-03-21T02:15:00.0000000+11:00

Diminishing sea ice in the Arctic could be a boon for international trade - both for heavy ships using the Northwest Passage, and now for speedier telecommunications via new fiber-optic cables. In August, companies will start construction on the first deep sea cables to cross the Arctic Ocean.

The First Truly Smart Headphones

2020-03-21T01:06:00.0000000+11:00

Despite the landslide of smart devices in recent years, headphones have remained decidedly dumb, lacking the multitude of sensors found in everything from phones to watches. The ZIK Parrot - which was one of our favorite gadgets at this year's CES - is the first pair of headphones with the intelligence of a smartphone.

Local Scientists Help Find Square, Emerald-cut Galaxy

2020-03-20T11:07:00.0000000+11:00

An international team, with a smattering of Aussie scientists, has discovered a rarity in stellar body research - a galaxy cut into the shape of a rectangle.

Catalyst Helps Store Hydrogen In Liquid Form for Simple, Safe Future Fuel Use

2020-03-20T08:07:00.0000000+11:00

A future powered by hydrogen fuel, whose only byproduct is water, has long been an eco-friendly dream too difficult to realise. Storing and transporting hydrogen can be difficult and dangerous, and hydrogen production methods can also produce unwanted carbon dioxide. A new catalyst promises to solve these problems, using CO₂ and hydrogen to store energy in liquid form. The only thing you need to worry about is pH.

The Navy's New Autonomous Research Lab is a 'Hunger Games' Arena for Robots

2020-03-20T07:09:00.0000000+11:00

The US Navy gets around, and its technology has to be versatile, with the ability to deploy in all kinds of terrains, climates, and ecosystems. So the Navy Research Laboratory (or the NRL, but not that NRL) has constructed what Innovation News Daily is describing as the real-life robotic equivalent of the arenas depicted in the sci-fi literary trilogy The Hunger Games: a configurable series of arenas resembling arid deserts, hostile jungle environments, and even oceans in which up to 50 battlefield robots, human soldiers, and other unmanned systems can test their mettle. May the odds be ever in their favour.

US Flight Regulator Reconsidering Its Stance on Gadgets Aboard Airplanes

2020-03-20T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Amid all the discussion about iPads in the cockpits of commercial and military airplanes, one question has remained unclear - what about during takeoff and landing? Passengers are supposed to turn these devices off, lest they interfere with aircraft avionics - at least, that's the line the American FAA's been giving its passengers, despite evidence to the contrary. Now the FAA is planning to investigate itself whether iPads, Kindles and other electronic devices really can harm a plane during crucial flight phases. Let's hope it makes the jump over to here as well.

A Taste of Exotic Meats at the Explorers Club Annual Dinner

2020-03-20T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

This past Saturday, March 17, was the 108th Explorers Club Annual Dinner. It was held, as ever, at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan, because that's traditional and also because the Waldorf has a very liberal attitude toward allowing camels and kangaroos to mill around in its ballroom.

Pirate Bay Wants to Put Unassailable Servers in the Sky, Aboard Small Aerial Drones

2020-03-20T04:06:00.0000000+11:00

In an effort to outmanoeuvre the law enforcement entities that have pursued its swashbuckling operation across the land, the Pirate Bay is looking to the skies. In a blog post yesterday, the Bay's MrSpock said that in an effort to keep its front machines - the ones that redirect your illicit traffic to servers in a secret location - one step ahead of the law, the organisation is going to try to build a network of traffic-relaying aerial drones.

The Supersonic Jet of the Future Will Be a Biplane

2020-03-20T03:12:00.0000000+11:00

When supersonic travel inevitably returns to the skies, the airplanes are going to look a lot different. At least one design harks back to the early days of aviation with a biplane design, rather than a sleek delta-winged jet like the Concorde. This shape can apparently produce much less drag and therefore much less noise at supersonic speeds, MIT engineers say.

Too Much Monkey Business Leads to Monkey Vasectomies

2020-03-20T02:06:00.0000000+11:00

A rhesus macaque awaits a vasectomy at a wildlife rescue facility in Himachal Pradesh, India. The state's estimated 319,000 monkeys frequently ransack garbage cans and harass citizens. Last year, the state government announced a bounty of 500 rupees (US$9.50) to anyone who captured and transported a monkey to a sterilisation centre, and program administrators estimate that they will neuter 200,000 monkeys, at 25 sterilisation centers statewide, by June.

Breaking Blades: The Engineering Lab Where Wind-Power Propellers Get Built To Be Snapped

2020-03-20T01:12:00.0000000+11:00

To demonstrate what the Advanced Structures and Composites Center's new lab will do to wind blades, Larry Parent, an engineer at the University of Maine, takes out his bifocals and begins bending them. The 70-metre-long fibreglass composite blades will suffer greater strain; most will be bent until they begin to break. The Offshore Wind Laboratory is busting blades to design the toughest ones possible, capable of handling the extreme weather conditions 20 miles off the coast, in the Gulf of Maine. Habib Dagher, the facility's director, says that the Gulf is the future of offshore energy in the US-it opens up to the stormy North Atlantic Ocean and endures consistent class-7 winds (32 to 42 kph). Wind turbines there could generate more energy than those inland, in the wind corridor between Kansas and Texas. The Gulf, Dagher says, is "the Saudi Arabia of wind power."

The Future Whisperer: Aussie Futurist Mark Pesce

2020-03-19T14:51:00.0000000+11:00

PopSci chats with one of Australia’s most well-known futurists about how today’s innovations are going to change everything – including the way we think and feel.

Aussie Research Finds Better Ways To Track Proteins Behind Alzheimer's Using Lasers

2020-03-19T11:44:00.0000000+11:00

A team of Melbourne researchers has developed a new way to use a flow cytometer to track and identify dysfunctional proteins inside human cells, a technique which could go some way to helping find and ultimately defeatbrain diseases like Alzheimer's.

KFC via NFC - Fast Food Without Leaving Your Seat

2020-03-19T10:50:00.0000000+11:00

Lining up behind shopping bag-laden customers, balancing a burger, drink and fries on a flimsy plastic tray, searching endlessly for a vacant seat - these are just some of the first-world problems we encounter at the local food court. But, like with everything else, technology is here to make us just that little bit lazier.

Video: See (and Hear) the Space Shuttle Launch Like Never Before

2020-03-17T06:52:00.0000000+11:00

Michael Interbartolo, a staffer on the Space Shuttle Program, has posted this video of a shuttle launch, with the cameras attached to the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). Apparently this video will be a bonus feature on the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of Ascent: Commemorating Shuttle. The big deal here is the sound - there was some assistance from Skywalker Sound, the company that provides the sound for George Lucas's movies. Watch (and listen) for the splash into the Atlantic in the video, embedded after the jump.

The New iPad's Screen, Under a Microscope

2020-03-17T03:32:00.0000000+11:00

The new iPad's screen is apparently so amazing it can't be described in words (though we're certainly going to try; look for our review early next week). But images can sometimes tell the story more effectively, anyway. Lukas Mathis over at Ignore the Code stuck the new iPad, as well as about a dozen other gadgets, under a microscope to check out what the pixels look like way up close, at 80x magnification.

The Electric-Car Movement Enters A Quiet, Crucial Phase

2020-03-17T02:43:00.0000000+11:00

Early this year, when it became clear that the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf had missed their 2011 sales targets, critics declared the electric-car revolution over. Yet at Detroit's annual North American International Auto Show in January, plug-in cars abounded. BMW displayed its forthcoming i3 electric city car, along with its i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Acura unwrapped a hybrid concept version of the NSX supercar. Tesla Motors brought its all-electric Model S sedan. But the most important car on the show floor might have been one that, on the surface, seemed much less exciting: the new Ford Fusion, which will be available in gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.

Wheel Wars: Can The Scooter Be Improved?

2020-03-17T01:28:00.0000000+11:00

Since the Razor came out in the US in the late ‘90s, inventors have tried, with varying success, to create the next generation of kick-powered conveyance. Now a Nevada start-up aims to beat the Razor in both maneuverability and stability. The Sbyke is a BMX bike mixed with a skateboard. The company claims that the fixed 50 centimetre wheel allows its scooter to negotiate uneven surfaces better than a Razor. It also says its novel rear-axle mount, which uses ball bearings that let the axle turn up to 50 degrees in either direction, makes the Sbyke the nimblest scooter yet - one that can purportedly execute tight one-metre turns.

Video: Robot Tells Time By Drawing It

2020-03-16T10:51:00.0000000+11:00

Need a timepiece that's a little more out of left-field than a regular everyday clock? Make an Arduino-based robot arm, equip it with a marker and an eraser, and set it to work.

THX's New Audio Engine Makes Every Seat The Best One In The Room

2020-03-16T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

An audiophile can spend thousands of dollars on one speaker-a multi-driver tower that can produce a broad range of frequencies clearly at high decibel levels. But even the best speaker, or an entire home theater full of them, will typically sound its best in only one spot: the sweet spot. THX has designed a speaker, the Steerable Line Array, that produces up to eight sweet spots. No matter where a person sits, he'll hear near-perfect audio. THX expects to sell the Array as part of custom installations soon and will eventually license it for other companies to use in their own TVs and audio systems.

Crime-Reporting App Lets You Officially Rat Out Your Neighbours Right From Your Smartphone

2020-03-16T07:04:00.0000000+11:00

West Virginia has launched a smartphone app that's one part clever crowdsourcing and community engagement and one part sinister report-on-your-neighbor Big Brotherism. The Suspicious Activity Reporting Application is exactly what it sounds like. See something that looks like a violation of the law, no matter how insignificant? Snap a pic, tag it with GPS, and anonymously report it to the state. Parking illegally will never be the same.

Video: The First Living Animal Ever Imaged With a Scanning Electron Microscope

2020-03-16T06:07:00.0000000+11:00

You didn't wake up this morning thinking that a tick under a scanning electron microscope was going to be the coolest thing you saw all day, and yet here you are. After discovering some ticks alive inside a vacuum drying chamber, Yasuhito Ishigaki of Kanazawa Medical University decided to see if the hardy little bloodsuckers could stand up to the electron bombardment and vacuum conditions inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). They could, and he's got the video to prove it.

During Two-Year Personal Study, Doctor Watches Himself Get Diabetes In Close Detail

2020-03-16T05:01:00.0000000+11:00

For more than two years, Stanford University geneticist Michael Snyder donated his living body to science. He and fellow researchers examined his DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites, creating an incredibly detailed profile of his personal "omics." They watched in real time and at the molecular level as viruses attacked his cells, and they figured out, to their shock, that he was prone to developing type 2 diabetes. And then they watched him develop it.

Birds Might Have a Built-In Heads-Up Display Overlaying Navigation Data Onto Their Vision

2020-03-16T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

It's long been known that birds have a sense for the Earth's magnetic field and can use it to aid in navigating their long migratory routes across the continents, but researchers at Oxford University and the National University of Singapore think their innate navigation tools are even cooler than once supposed. A new study shows that birds may actually see that magnetic field. In other words, birds have a natural head-up display akin to that used in fighter jets and other aircraft that overlays information on their fields of vision.

For the First Time, a Message Sent With Neutrinos

2020-03-16T03:02:00.0000000+11:00

In a major step for truly wireless communications, scientists have figured out how to send a message with neutrinos, transmitting a single word through 780 feet of bedrock and translating it at the other end. It's just a first step, but the message suggests that someday, submarine crews and maybe average civilians will communicate by sending chargeless, ghostly particles through any obstacle. The message? "Neutrino."

Video: Sledgehammer Meets Television, in Ultra Slow Motion

2020-03-16T01:11:00.0000000+11:00

If we were still in high school, this would be our video art project about the dehumanising, isolating effect of mass media, and how it's everyone's obligation to take arms against the mind-controlling one-eyed machines.

Video: The Evolution of the Moon Involved a Lot of Big Explosions

2020-03-15T14:22:00.0000000+11:00

That big, serene looking orb sitting amongst the stars on a clear night often does the rounds as a symbol of peace and elegant serenity in many cultures. But NASA in their wisdom have set out to show that, as with most things, the Moon's beginnings were anything but peaceful.

A Deep Voice Is The Sign of a Leader

2020-03-15T12:12:00.0000000+11:00

Back when humans killed the meat they ate themselves, moved from place to place, and slept in caves, making the right decisions was an everyday matter of life or death - and people paid close attention to signs of leadership. A deep voice was one of these - and a new study suggests a relationship between a deeper voice and leadership has endured into the 21st century.

Video: To Kill Predators, Japanese Honeybees Surround Them in a 'Hot Defensive Bee Ball'

2020-03-15T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

How would you like to be literally cooked to death by bees? Bees are biologically interesting little creatures for a variety of reasons- and now, thanks to Japanese researchers at the University of Tokyo and Tamagawa University, we are learning that bees can cook. Presenting: the "hot defensive bee ball."

Video: Robot Squirrel Confuses a Snake

2020-03-15T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

When studying animal behaviours, biologists generally have to wait for something to happen - either for an animal to do something, or for one animal to provoke another. Alternatively, they could use robot animals, tempting them with sexy fembots, mama-bots or tasty prey. Meet RoboSquirrel, an example of the latter.

Russian and Korean Researchers Will Inject Mammoth DNA Into Elephant Eggs, Resurrecting 10,000-Year-Old Beast

2020-03-15T06:03:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers in Russia and South Korea are moving forward with a plan to resurrect the Ice Age woolly mammoth. Scientists in both countries inked a deal Tuesday to share technology and research that could lead to the birth of a mammoth clone, gestated in a surrogate Indian elephant mother.

"Designer Electrons" Can Be Custom-Made for Future Devices

2020-03-15T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at Stanford and the DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Lab have created a new kind of graphene that promises the first-ever "designer electrons" that can be custom tuned to exhibit exotic properties. This "molecular graphene" could lead to whole new types of materials with new electrical properties, which in turn could spawn whole new kinds of devices.

First Humanoid Robot in Space Inspires a Grip-Enhancing Robotic Glove For Humans

2020-03-15T04:23:00.0000000+11:00

If you've been following the Twitter account of our favourite robot (and the only humanoid) in space, then you know Robonaut 2 is out of the box and getting to work aboard the International Space Station (this morning it is using a tool to take air velocity measurements). But R2's technological contributions extend further than the ISS. Using technology developed for R2's hands, a partnership between NASA and General Motors has unveiled a new robotic glove that gives humans a stronger grip.

Video: Aircraft Carrier Crews Guide In Robot Planes With Visible Hand Gestures

2020-03-15T03:06:00.0000000+11:00

Landing airplanes on moving ships is no mean feat, but this will be especially true when the airplanes are unmanned. Along with making decisions, autonomous airplanes will have to heed their human counterparts during aircraft carrier takeoff and landing - but can a robot read and understand arm-waving signals?

Ocean-Crossing Robots Reach Hawaii, Setting a New Distance Record

2020-03-15T02:41:00.0000000+11:00

The four Wave Glider robots that set out from San Francisco in November on an unprecedented robotic crossing of the Pacific have arrived at the big island of Hawaii for a quick systems check-up. Their arrival marks the shattering of the world distance record for unmanned wave powered vehicles, as the PacX Wave Gliders, built by California-based Liquid Robotics, have now travelled 6,000 kilometres - and that's just a third of the total 16,500 kilometres they will cover in their total journey.

An Ocean of Data: Looking for Sunken Treasure in a New Way

2020-03-15T01:00:00.0000000+11:00

Early last October, Brendan Foley found himself on a small, inflatable boat making rings in the middle of the Aegean Sea. The 43-year-old maritime archaeologist was waiting on three divers, who were searching for ancient shipwrecks 30 metres below.

PopSciAU Webcast: Shell Fuel, Formula One, Ferrari, and the Future of Racing

2020-03-14T15:11:00.0000000+11:00

Ah, the thrill of the race. There's almost nothing as terrifying, yet at the same time so exhilarating, as speeding towards a tight corner at a couple of hundred kilometres an hour, only to break hard and turn hard, lining up the next straight in order to put the pedal to the metal once again. For this sport, high performance fuel is literally its lifeblood, and today we spoke to one of its life-givers, Shell technology manager Cara Tredget.

Mercedes EV to use F1 Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems

2020-03-14T15:02:00.0000000+11:00

Mercedes has loosed a few more details about its upcoming E-Cell vehicle, pilfering drive train materials and lithium-ion tech from its F1 designs in order to incorporate the materials into the new EV.

Galaxy Note Launches in Australia For People With Giant Hands

2020-03-14T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

Let's face it - some of us just have big hands. Even something the size of an HTC Desire HD (which is still fairly big) is still puny enough for some to crave more. For others, a smartphone isn't large enough to draw with, or to efficiently browse with, and they don't want to spend money on, or alternatively carry around, a tablet. It's presumably for these two kinds of people that Samsung have now released the super-sized Galaxy Note right here in Australia.

The Creepiest Looking Artificial Muscle Motor Ever

2020-03-14T12:04:00.0000000+11:00

It takes a lot to creep us out. Most of us here at PopSci, and a lot of you as well, and seen all sorts of weird, uncanny robots and bizarre biological specimens, but the simple sight of this New Zealand-made artificial muscle - and now high-torque motor - seemed to touch a nerve. Thankfully, it will also turn out to be incredibly useful in a variety of applications.

The Future of Skyscrapers: Green Edition

2020-03-14T11:24:00.0000000+11:00

Even from the outside, 1 Bligh St Sydney looks obviously different to the buildings around it. Their square, stubby designs contrast the sleek glass which coats the outside of the skyscraper as it rises over 120 metres into the air.

New Health Risks Discovered For Astronauts Spending Long Periods in Space

2020-03-14T10:46:00.0000000+11:00

The problems surrounding sending the first humans into space were mainly technical - how to build a rocket that could shoot through the atmosphere while protecting its passengers. But now that we’ve got people up there, and for increasingly longer amounts of time, a whole new host of issues present themselves - including the effect living in space has on the bodies of our astronauts.

FYI: Why Do Kids Hate Brussels Sprouts?

2020-03-14T07:23:00.0000000+11:00

Because Brussels sprouts are bitter, and kids generally don't like bitter tastes. It's not their fault. Researchers say that an aversion to bitter and sour (generally a heightened gag reflex) is a survival instinct, since most toxins taste that way too. On the other hand, sweetness typically indicates that something is safe to eat, so children are born with a preference for sweets.

Video: Cambridge Researchers Use Lego to Build Artificial Bone in the Lab

2020-03-14T05:24:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at Cambridge University are building artificial bone in the lab, and they're doing so with what might be considered an unorthodox partner: Lego. The tedious process of building up a sample of artificial bone requires a lot of repetitive dipping of samples into various substances, rinsing, and repeating. So to automate sample creation, the researchers built a couple of inexpensive laboratory robots using Lego Mindstorms.

Lasers Can Be Used to Steer Lightning In Mid-Strike

2020-03-14T04:13:00.0000000+11:00

Laser light can not only trigger lightning but redirect it, causing it to strike in the same place over and over, according to new research. This means lasers could serve as lightning rods. Because that would be awesome.

DARPA Chief Departs Defense Department to Work for Google

2020-03-14T03:14:00.0000000+11:00

From the agency that created the Internet to the company that arguably controls it - there's some nice symmetry in the news that DARPA chief Regina Dugan is heading over to Google. She is leaving the defense agency to assume a senior executive position at the web giant, according to DARPA.

Aussie Scientists Find Flying Faster Than the Speed of Light Could Create Deadly Explosions on Arrival

2020-03-14T02:18:00.0000000+11:00

Imagine: you've travelled all the way across the galaxy to some faraway, potentially life-embracing planet orbiting a faraway star, only to obliterate your destination upon arrival. It's a very real threat according to a group of physicists from the University of Sydney. It turns out that a spacecraft emerging from a so-called Alcubierre warp drive does so quite violently, releasing an accumulation of high energy particles that would annihilate anything in their path.

The Mars Experiment

2020-03-13T11:08:00.0000000+11:00

On August 5, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will reach the outer edge of the Martian atmosphere. The 3,900-kilogram craft will have traveled 566 million kilometres at speeds of up to 21,200 km/h, but its real work will have only just begun. Over the next seven minutes it will plummet through 130 kilometres of atmosphere, withstanding temperatures of up to 2,000°C, and guide itself to a sudden halt in the massive Gale Crater.

Video: Super High-Res 3D Laser Printer Prints at Five Metres Per Second

2020-03-13T10:21:00.0000000+11:00

What's the point of 3D printing an Indy car if it's not ultra-fast? Using a high-resolution 3D printing technology known as "two-photon lithography" - a technique that is normally quite slow - researchers at the Vienna University of Technology have made a huge breakthrough in printing speed, setting a new high-speed record by printing orders of magnitude faster than was previously possible.

Video: Slime Mould Inspires Autonomous Brainless Undulating Robot

2020-03-13T09:38:00.0000000+11:00

A creepy new pulsating robot can ooze across a surface and pick its own path autonomously, using feedback from its ooze controls without requiring a smart command center. It's modeled after slime mould, which can also make decisions without any sort of neural network.

A Train to Space: All Aboard the 32,000-Kilometre-Per-Hour Low-Earth-Orbit Express

2020-03-13T08:32:00.0000000+11:00

Today in grandiose space ambitions that would make even Newt Gingrich balk: a $60 billion, 1600-kilometres long, 19-kilometres high, 32,000-kilometres-per-hour maglev train that starts on the ground and arrives in low Earth orbit. The minds behind the Startram project think it could reduce the cost per kilo for cargo from roughly $10,000 to just $50.

Is It Possible to "Brooklynise" Floridian Tap Water? Bagelmaker Says Yes, Lawsuit Says No

2020-03-13T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

A water war has broken out in Florida in the US, and New York is being dragged into the fray. A Palm Beach County bagel purveyor called The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. claims it has devised a novel water treatment system that reproduces an exact chemical replica of New York City's famously pure tap water, allowing it to reproduce bagels with that unique NYC flavor. A Boca Raton franchisee claims the treatment process is a fraud. Chemistry - and the future of breakfast in South Florida - is going to court.

Microsoft's 'Universal Translator' Lets You Speak Foreign Languages In Your Own Voice

2020-03-13T05:32:00.0000000+11:00

Siri's ability to speak and recognise various languages is impressive, but Microsoft is not to be outdone. Microsoft Research labs has demoed a new prototype software that could be the next big step toward a so-called "universal translator" device, one that can instantly flip one language into another and back again so a conversation can be carried on between two people even when neither can understand the other's language.

Feature: Water, Water Everywhere

2020-03-12T12:33:00.0000000+11:00

Australia is the world’s largest island (or smallest continent!), and it’s also one of the driest. Droughts and water shortages have been a regular part of the local climate for millennia, but a highly competitive agriculture industry and expanding urban populations mean that dry spells affect far more people in far more different ways than ever before in the country’s history. Managing the relatively scarce water in Australia is, quite literally for some, a matter of life and death.

Study: Some Varieties of Coral Adapting to Global Warming

2020-03-12T11:43:00.0000000+11:00

A new Australian study has found that, while many types of coral react to temperature increases by dying off in large quantities, some types of coral seem to do the reverse, becoming healthier and more colourful in the warmer water. In other words, they appear to be adapting.

Video: Newest US Non-Lethal Weapon Is A Long-Range Heat Ray

2020-03-12T11:34:00.0000000+11:00

According to those unfortunate enough to find themselves blasted by the US military’s newest non-lethal crowd control weapon, the sensation is one of intense discomfort and heat.

Australia's SKA Bid Falters, New Report Favours South Africa

2020-03-12T10:32:00.0000000+11:00

Australia’s chances of hosting the Square Kilometre Array have been plunged into doubt by a report from the SKA Site Advisory Committee which recommends South Africa be chosen as the nation to host the telescope.

This Week in the Future, March 5-9, 2012

2020-03-10T09:55:00.0000000+11:00

A pink violin strung with spider silk, and a brand-new iPad upon which, of course, one types with one's right hand. That's this week in the future.

Has Google Discovered Dark Butter?

2020-03-10T09:09:00.0000000+11:00

Lately, when you search for certain measurements on Google - say you're going to do some baking - the search engine's calculator returns results with its usual estimable speed. But, for unknown reasons, the result is given in units of six-dimensional metres.

Video: Supermarket Checkout Scanner Uses Object Recognition Instead of Bar Codes

2020-03-10T05:24:00.0000000+11:00

This Toshiba scanner, just demonstrated in Japan, knows what vegetables look like - just hold up your daikon or mizuna to the camera at the cash register, and it tots up the item. No need for stickers on your food, no need to consult a human, no need to even know what kind of onions you're buying. This is the future. The tireless videographers at Diginfo.tv bring us the scoop.

GiiNii AudioBulb Review: You've Always Dreamed of a Speaker in Your Lightbulb

2020-03-10T04:22:00.0000000+11:00

Eventually, practically every conceivable pair of disparate technologies gets combined into a single package-cameras and cellphones, game consoles and e-readers, chocolate and peanut butter. The combination of speakers and lightbulbs seems like it would be one of the last ideas we'd see, but, well, the future is now. GiiNii's on-the-nose-named AudioBulb brings these strange bedfellows together for the first time.

Holey Optochip! The One-Trillion-Bits-Per-Second Chip is Here

2020-03-10T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

The high data loads of the future - and even the present - require that optical communications platforms continue to get faster, leaner, and cheaper. At the Optical Fiber Communication Conference in Los Angeles today, IBM will report on a prototype optical chip it has developed that has hit a significant milestone in optical data transfer: one terabit - that's one trillion bits - per second.

How Do You Tell Time On Mars?

2020-03-09T12:54:00.0000000+11:00

When NASA’s new Mars rover lands on the Red Planet this summer, it’s safe to assume it’ll be sometime in the morning or early afternoon at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, home of the rover science and engineering teams. So that means it’ll be mid-afternoon on the East Coast, evening in Europe, and so on — pretty easy to figure out the time zones. But what time will it be on Mars? What time zone will Curiosity live in -- and how can you even tell?

Lockheed's Space Fence Prototype Starts Tracking Space Junk With Advanced Radar

2020-03-09T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Orbital debris is a large and growing problem, and no one is quite sure how to deal with it - polar lasers, nets and other concepts are still merely ideas. But we should at least monitor all that space trash, to be certain where it is and whether it's heading for something we want to protect, like the ISS or a military satellite. The Air Force's new Space Fence, designed to keep an eye on space trash, is getting closer to reality.

The Mixed Blessings of the iPad's Retina Display

2020-03-09T07:09:00.0000000+11:00

The newest iPad's new Retina display is a marvel of engineering: a combination of exacting manufacturing, advancements in LCD technology (smaller transistors lead to smaller pixels, which equals higher pixel density at lower power), and possibly some gypsy magic paid for with Jonathan Ive's toenails. With four times the resolution to work with, apps are going to look almost painfully sharp. But it's not an immediate win/win: almost everything that currently looks crystal-clear on an iPad's screen will need a high-resolution overhaul to look equally good spread across 3.1 million pixels. And that comes with some drawbacks, both for app developers and consumers.

Reconstructed: a Dinosaur With Four Iridescent Wings

2020-03-09T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Dinosaur fans have barely recovered from the revelation that some dinosaurs were not scaly, but feathered. Now it looks like those fans will have to update their mental imagery once more: several of the same researchers who brought us vivid images of colorfully feathered velociraptors two years ago have come out with a paper today in Science offering conclusive evidence of the first known iridescent dinosaur.

Today in Good Reads: Inside the Mysterious Disorder of the Le Roy High School Girls

2020-03-09T05:39:00.0000000+11:00

One of the more bizarre and sad television-news gawkeries in recent memory has centered on the uncontrollable tics of a group of high school girls in upstate New York. The afflicted patients have been shown flailing on the "Today Show," Erin Brockovich got involved, and the community has been up in arms. In next week's New York Times Magazine, journalist Susan Dominus offers a reasoned and sympathetic explanation of the psychology behind the girls' behavior, the mass hysteria that ensued, and the power of group behavior.

James Cameron Will Dive to the Deepest Point on Earth in Aussie-Built Sub

2020-03-09T04:37:00.0000000+11:00

An expedition to the deepest place on this planet is set for later this month, in a custom-built one-man sub to be helmed by Hollywood director James Cameron. The vessel Deepsea Challenge will dive to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, 11 kilometres into the Challenger Deep, where Cameron will shoot 3D video.

Reconnaissance Orbiter Captures a Twister on the Martian Plains

2020-03-09T03:41:00.0000000+11:00

Check out this Martian dust devil twisting across the Martian Amazonis Planitia region. The 30-metre-wide column of swirling air was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter last month as it passed over the northern hemisphere of Mars.

Video: Gigantic Solar Flare Began To Wash Over the Earth Overnight

2020-03-09T02:50:00.0000000+11:00

We love a good solar storm, and a pair of flares that erupted late Tuesday are just the latest in a string of activity from our awakening sun. The second-biggest flare yet burst forth Tuesday and spewed a coronal mass ejection toward our planet, the leading edge of which arrived overnight.

Robotic Balloon Cranes Could Turn Any Shore Into a Seaport

2020-03-09T02:02:00.0000000+11:00

The future of seaports could be not having any seaports at all. At least that's the vision of Jeremy Wiley, founder of Tethered Air. Wiley envisions a system of robot cranes tethered to huge heavy-lifting balloons that could deployed anywhere to ferry shipping containers or other heavy cargo from ship to shore, or vice versa. Such systems would be relatively inexpensive, he says, and could create a near-instant seaport just about anywhere water meets the land.

Clock Based On Atoms Loses Less Than A Second Over Lifetime Of The Universe

2020-03-08T16:12:00.0000000+11:00

Australian researchers, in collaboration with international scientists, have come up with an idea for a clock that would lose less than a second over the entire length of time the universe has existed to this point. That's a lot of non-lost seconds, right there.

Aussie Smartphone Take on Laser Tag Funded on Kickstarter

2020-03-08T13:59:00.0000000+11:00

An Australian take on laser tag called Laser AppTag, uses an everyday smartphone to track scores and game progress, and has met its $30,000 funding target on Kickstarter. Lock and load, people. It begins

Coronal Mass Ejections Are Speeding Towards Earth, Southern Lights May Be Visible In Hobart

2020-03-08T10:53:00.0000000+11:00

Two solar flares that erupted on the sun’s surface on Tuesday have sent large coronal mass ejections through space towards Earth. The CMEs have the potential to damage satellites in space on their way through and disrupt the Earth’s geomagnetic field, a problem for GPS systems and radio.

Electron Ptychography Could Create Tiniest, Sharpest Images Ever

2020-03-08T09:07:00.0000000+11:00

A new microscopy method that ditches lenses altogether could create the highest-resolution images ever seen. The system reconstructs an image from the electron waves scattered by a sample, and has no fundamental experimental limits imposed by constraints like blurry glass or wavelengths of visible light. It can even be used to image live cells without harming them.

To Show Us All the Winds of Space, NASA Will Launch Five Rockets at the Same Time

2020-03-08T08:14:00.0000000+11:00

One rocket launch is a good time, but five rocket launches is a party. And at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the party is on. This month, NASA will launch five sounding rockets within about five minutes from Wallops on a mission to test the winds in the high-altitude jet stream some 95 kilometres up.

Is Typing Changing the Way We Think?

2020-03-08T07:19:00.0000000+11:00

According to a new study exploring the interrelation of language and emotion, if a word consists of letters typed with predominantly the right hand, it is felt to be more positive in meaning; a word typed predominantly with the left hand is associated more with negative emotion.

Captured: The First-Ever Images of Atoms Moving Inside a Molecule

2020-03-08T06:34:00.0000000+11:00

Ohio State University researchers have captured the first-ever images of atoms moving within a molecule using a novel technique that turns one of the molecules own electrons into a kind of flash bulb. The technique has yielded a new way of imaging molecules, but could one day help scientists to intimately control chemical reactions at the atomic scale.

Apple's New iPad: The Screen Is Better, and It's Faster

2020-03-08T06:05:00.0000000+11:00

Apple just announced the newest iPad, which will be called the iPad, and not the iPad 3 or iPad HD or iPad: Eddie Bauer Edition or with any other modifier. The big hits: it's got a better screen ("better" in this case meaning Apple has stolen all the pixels in the world and crammed them into the new iPad), a faster processor, an optional 4G LTE chip, and some software updates.

Stop the Foolishness: Of Course Pink Is a Colour

2020-03-08T05:07:00.0000000+11:00

There's an interesting volley online right now between two science journalists I admire, Michael Moyer and Robert Krulwich, over the colour pink. In a blog post for NPR last week, Krulwich was shocked to learn from a video that pink does not exist, and Monday Moyer responded with his own ontological take.

An Apple TV With Siri Could Finally Replace Remote Controls

2020-03-08T04:03:00.0000000+11:00

One of the smaller rumours going around about today's Apple event predicts that Apple will release a new version of its little black set-top box, Apple TV. A sub-rumor suggests that this Apple TV might incorporate Siri, Apple's voice-command Lady of Wonder. Siri on Apple TV could legitimately be the first alternative way to control your TV that isn't actually worse than a black plastic stick with buttons on it.

Tevatron Finds Hints of Higgs Boson, Just Where CERN Sniffed it Last Year

2020-03-08T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

Before it stopped colliding for good, America's defunct Tevatron collider saw a hint of the elusive Higgs boson, physicists have announced. Even more interesting: scientists spotted something unusual in the same energy range when their European colleagues glimpsed something unusual at the Large Hadron Collider last year.

Grey Matter: In Which I Dip My Finger In Molten Lead

2020-03-08T02:24:00.0000000+11:00

Last year, I stuck my hand in super-cold liquid nitrogen for the amusement of PopSci readers. My skin survived that demonstration, but I wimped out on a related experiment at the opposite extreme: dipping my finger into molten lead. That's because the only time I've ever burned myself badly enough to need a doctor was while casting a lead plaque as a kid.

Queen Mary 2 Docks in Sydney Today

2020-03-07T11:54:00.0000000+11:00

If you're in Sydney today, you may want to head down to Circular Quay and check out the mother, or should we say 'queen', of all ships. The world's largest ocean liner, The Queen Mary 2, docks today at Sydney's International Passenger Terminal.

Video: Microsoft Shows Off Screenless, Shoulder-Mounted Touch Interface

2020-03-07T11:36:00.0000000+11:00

We look forward to the day where interfaces are just everywhere. Forget about screens - we want to use our walls as tablets. Those days may not even be that far away, with Microsoft showing off a Pico projector-based interface that can project onto any surface and then scale said projection to fit.

Video: Paper Safe Made of Paper Rotors Keeps Valuables (Very Slightly) Safe

2020-03-07T10:40:00.0000000+11:00

So, we all have valuables and things that we want to keep safe, but the idea of lugging a giant cast iron safe into your house seems like too much like hard work. So what should you do? The answer, at this point, is simple - make a miniature working, lockable safe entirely out of paper.

Hubble Catches a Warped Spiral Galaxy in Profile

2020-03-07T10:04:00.0000000+11:00

The Hubble Heritage Team captured the warped structure of spiral galaxy ESO 510-13 so beautifully in this pretty space pic. Behold, the product of galactic collisions.

Aussie Scientists Find Most Distant Example Yet of Galactic Cluster

2020-03-07T09:43:00.0000000+11:00

A team of international scientists led by Australian researchers have found the most distant example of a galaxy cluster yet discovered, in one of the most well observed sectors of sky, but a whopping 10.5 billion light years away.

Stowaway Seeds Carried By Unwitting Humans Are Colonising Antarctica

2020-03-07T07:26:00.0000000+11:00

Seeds are surreptitiously hitching a ride on human visitors to Antarctica, threatening to sow invasive species in one of the last remaining pristine environments on Earth. About 20 percent of visitors to the frozen continent bring stowaway seeds on their clothing and luggage, according to a new study. The research highlights the potential risk to Antarctica's indigenous species, but also the impressive travelling abilities of plants.

Video: Lego Space Shuttle Lifts Off for the Stratosphere

2020-03-07T06:25:00.0000000+11:00

So many intrepid stratonauts send stuff into the upper atmosphere these days, it's almost hard to keep track - there's even a suborbital balloon factory now. But this weather balloon experiment still caught my eye. It's a little space shuttle, winging its way into orbit one more time...in Lego form.

Video: Meet Piccolo, the Pocket-Sized CNC-Robot That Draws What You Design

2020-03-07T05:20:00.0000000+11:00

It's no secret that PopSci loves robots, but even we think they have some shortcomings - mainly that there aren't more of them everywhere doing everything, from the very big to the very small. Plus, robots are expensive and often complicated. But not Piccolo. This pocket-sized CNC platform from London shop Diatom Studio turns your ideas into high-quality doodlings for less than US $70.

FBI Arrests Members of LulzSec Hacking Group, With Help From the Inside

2020-03-07T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

Fox News revealed this morning the identity of the man who's been assisting the FBI in their takedown of LulzSec, a hacker group loosely associated with Anonymous that's variously referred to as a group of "hacktivists," "pranksters," and "cyber terrorists," and is responsible for attacks against government agencies like the CIA and FBI in addition to corporations like Sony.

The Air Force's Mysterious X-37B Spaceplane Celebrates Its First Full Year in Orbit

2020-03-07T03:18:00.0000000+11:00

NASA may no longer possess a reusable vehicle for travelling to and from low earth orbit, but the United States Air Force has all but established a permanent presence up there. Maybe you've forgotten about the X-37B, the USAF's pilotless, reusable space plane that's been in orbit since launching on March 5, 2020, but it's still up there making laps. Today marks one of the first days of its second year in continuous orbit, a milestone for the mysterious program that the Air Force will tell us virtually nothing about.

By the Numbers: Flu Season, Visualised

2020-03-07T02:10:00.0000000+11:00

Strains of seasonal influenza behave slightly differently season to season and strain to strain. The differences are revealing. The rate of transmission of the 1918 pandemic, which killed 40 million people, closely mirrors the data from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The two strains are, in fact, closely related.

Aussie Virtual Reality Buildings That Never Were

2020-03-06T11:40:00.0000000+11:00

The University of Western Australia has recently opened up an augmented reality gallery on campus, showcasing in 3D a number of the most creative local examples architecture you'll ever see that, for one reason or another, never saw the light of actual physical day. Now, they'll get the artificial glow from your smartphone instead.

Could Iran's Ultra-Tough Concrete Withstand Bunker-Busting Bombs?

2020-03-06T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Iran may not impress us with its flying saucer drones, but the country does at least one thing better than anyone else: Make concrete. Iran is in an earthquake zone, and its engineers make some of the world's toughest building materials, which could conceivably withstand small earthquakes.

Smart, Self-Healing Hydrogels Repair Themselves After Sustaining Damage

2020-03-06T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

The ability to heal - to repair oneself repeatedly and thus sustain damage repeatedly - is one of biology's greatest tricks, and one that humans have been trying to replicate in synthetic materials for years. Now, bioengineers at University of California, San Diego, have done so via a hydrogel that could be something of a game-changer in disciplines like medicine and materials science.

Massive Extraterrestrial Rock Hit Earth 13 Millennia Ago, According to Nano-Evidence

2020-03-06T07:25:00.0000000+11:00

About 13,000 years ago, a chunk of a comet or asteroid hurtled into the atmosphere at a shallow angle, superheating the atmosphere around it as it careened toward the surface. The air grew hot enough to ignite plant material and melt rock below the object's flight path. Within a few microseconds, atmospheric oxygen was consumed and the freed carbon atoms condensed into nanodiamond crystals.

Nikon's D4 Is Not Troubled by Your Low-Light Scenes

2020-03-06T07:10:00.0000000+11:00

Nikon's D4, the sequel to the D3s and basically the most badass camera you can buy, is not troubled by the darkness. It loves the darkness. It thrives in the darkness. So let's see it work in the darkness.

Video: DARPA's Cheetah Sets a Land-Speed Record for Running Robots

2020-03-06T06:10:00.0000000+11:00

About a year ago we got our first look at DARPA's Cheetah ‘bot via a concept drawing that looked more like a storyboard frame for a Transformers film than real, live robotics. Today, we get to see much more than a concept. In a video released by DARPA, the Boston Dynamics-built Cheetah hits the treadmill, notching what DARPA says is a new land speed record for legged robots at 29 kilometres per hour.

Did An Optical Illusion Doom the Titanic?

2020-03-06T05:39:00.0000000+11:00

The Titanic may have struck an iceberg and sank helplessly because of a strange atmosphere-caused optical illusion, a new book argues. British historian Tim Maltin says super refraction, an extraordinary bending of light that causes mirages, prevented the Titanic's crew from seeing the fateful iceberg.

In the Last Year, Hackers Gained 'Full Functional Control' of NASA Networks, Stole the Control Codes for the ISS

2020-03-06T04:10:00.0000000+11:00

This NASA hack story keeps getting worse and worse. We knew that NASA had been the target of a handful off attempted cyber attacks last year, but in testimony before the US House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology over the last week, we're getting the details straight from Paul Martin, NASA's inspector general. NASA was targeted 47 times last year and 13 of those hacks were successful, at various points handing hackers "full functional control" of critical NASA networks. At one point the agency even lost the keys to the International Space Station.

Japanese Researcher Crafts Violin Strings From the Silk of Three Hundred Spiders

2020-03-06T03:03:00.0000000+11:00

Nature's toughest fiber can make bulletproof vests, future sutures, and even be engineered to come out of goat milk. Now a Japanese researcher has gone one step further, using spider silk for art. Specifically, a set of violin strings, which apparently have a "soft and profound timbre."

You Built What?!: A Compact Mechanical Crossbow With the Precision of a Laser

2020-03-06T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

Last October, after hurting his knee playing hockey, Patrick Priebe was holed up in his apartment near Cologne, Germany, with nothing to do. He was sitting at his computer, staring at his keyboard, when the "Y" key caught his eye. Priebe didn't see a letter. To him, it looked like a crossbow. Immediately he knew what his next project would be.

Study: Mobile Web Traffic Increased By More Than a Third In Eight Months

2020-03-05T15:11:00.0000000+11:00

According to a recent study by web analysts Chitka, web traffic from mobile devices increased by up to 35 per cent over the period from July of 2011, showing that mobile consumption of online content is continuing to grow apace.

Homemade Foot Pedals Ideal For Giving Your Gaming A Magnetic Edge

2020-03-05T11:23:00.0000000+11:00

We don't know about you, but sometimes gaming, particularly on the PC, can require the use of more fingers than you have on your hand if you want to play effectively. Cars got around this problem long ago by introducing pedals for acceleration and braking instead of simply buttons or levers, and there do exist plastic pedals you can buy for gaming purposes, but one guy has decided to just go and do it himself, applying that logic to first person shooters and making a homemade set of USB footpedals. Specifically so he can play Battlefield 3.

This Week in the Future, February 27-March 2, 2020

2020-03-03T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

Aw, this is cute. This robot is so in love with Mona (or is motivated by her red lipstick, whatever) that he draws a heart. Only it's a robot heart. With no heartbeat. Look, just because a robot can sketch a person's face doesn't mean it understands all the intricacies of visual art or the complexities of love.

Meet Your New Robot Receptionist, the DARPA ARM 'Bot

2020-03-03T08:30:00.0000000+11:00

Bad news for long-term receptionists: DARPA's ARM (Autonomous Robotic Manipulation) robot can perform a whopping 18 different reception-ready tasks, from stapling to answering the phone to... turning on a lamp? Grasping things? Also it can't speak, or redirect calls, really, but it can drill a hole in a piece of wood, which I'm not entirely sure I can do, so it's an easy shoe-in for our incredibly prestigious Robot of the Week award. Congratulations! Watch the video after the jump.

Was This Robotics Research Done Just As Setup For a Pun?

2020-03-03T06:09:00.0000000+11:00

We had to laugh about this robot from Georgia Tech. To design it, researchers put snakes on a plane - an inclined surface - and watched them slither.

PopSci Q&A: Kate Findlay Talks About the Confluence of Quilting and the Large Hadron Collider

2020-03-03T04:06:00.0000000+11:00

We first became aware of Kate Findlay's work thanks to Symmetry Magazine, which publishes articles relating to particle physics. Kate isn't a particle physicist; in fact, she's not even a scientist. She works as an art teacher at a private elementary school in the UK, and also makes these amazing quilts. Symmetry's interest (and ours, and yours, we think) comes from her inspiration for one particular line of quilts: the hardware of the Large Hadron Collider. We've put together a little Q&A with her which you can read after the jump.

Will People Alive Today Have the Opportunity to Upload Their Consciousness to a New Robotic Body?

2020-03-03T03:22:00.0000000+11:00

When Steve Jobs passed away last year, a joke bounced around - not that there was anything particularly funny about it - that the man who had done so much to shape modern technology hadn't really died at all, but rather had figured out how to upload himself into the Mac OS so he could live on with us, and with his products, forever. The notion was ostensibly so far out as to be ridiculous. But not everyone sees it that way.

US State Department Wants You to Find Fugitive Gem Thieves Via Twitter

2020-03-03T02:19:00.0000000+11:00

How quickly can an organically grown network of manhunters find five fugitives in five different countries? Later this month, the US State Department aims to find out. The Tag Challenge will pay US $5,000 to the people who find all of them first.

Hands On With Windows 8 on the Desktop

2020-03-02T11:21:00.0000000+11:00

Since Windows 7, Microsoft's been busily honing the interface for Windows tablets, which uses a bold bunch of squares and rectangles in flat neon colors and has been christened "Metro." Windows 8--undoubtedly the biggest change to the operating system in a few generations--finally brings Metro to the desktop. So how does it work with a keyboard and mouse?

Video: GRASP Lab Quadcopters Play the James Bond Theme on Actual Instruments

2020-03-02T09:20:00.0000000+11:00

We've written so much about the American University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab and their adorably awesome autonomous quadcopters that we kind of feel like we've watched them grow up. We've watched them learn how to move around, watched them play with building blocks, and watched them learn how to interact with each other. So we'll never forget this, our favorite quadcopters' first music recital.

Now Underway: the US's First Suborbital Balloon Factory

2020-03-02T09:11:00.0000000+11:00

The Near Space Corporation, which has won contracts from NASA in the past, announced this week that it'll be building a commercial high-altitude (still suborbital) balloon flight facility, the first of its kind in this country.

Video: The Smart Shopping Cart of the Future Follows You Through the Store

2020-03-02T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

Since the less-than-earth-shattering development of the self-checkout line, grocery shopping hasn't come a long way, technologically speaking. But Whole Foods is looking into creating a new kind of shopping experience, thanks to a new smart cart developed by Austin-based Chaotic Moon - one that pulls the lowly shopping cart into the 21st century with the help of a Microsoft Kinect.

Speech Jamming Gun Freezes Any Talker Mid-Sentence

2020-03-02T07:04:00.0000000+11:00

Want to be the kind of person who causes entire rooms to fall silent when you enter? Researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tskuba and Ochanomizu University in Japan have created a speech jamming gun that takes the words right out of speakers' mouths using a clever trick of psychology.

Japanese Home-Levitation System Could Protect Buildings From Earthquakes

2020-03-02T06:09:00.0000000+11:00

Instead of building super-strong yet flexible structures to withstand earthquakes, what if you built your house to levitate on a cushion of air? This is already being employed in Japan, a little less than a year after the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.

Storm Watch: Driven By Warm Air, Massive Tornado Outbreak Forecast for Friday

2020-03-02T05:10:00.0000000+11:00

A storm system brewing in the Rockies in the US today might trigger an outbreak of deadly tornadoes in the nation's midsection on Friday, according to meteorologists. The last twelve months have been a time for tornadoes, with Australia experiencing a couple of scares, including in Melbourne. In case you missed it, read PopSci senior editor Seth Fletcher's piece about how tornadoes form - and how climate change may be making them worse.

Text Message Autocorrect Results in Police Lockdown

2020-03-02T03:52:00.0000000+11:00

IMHO, people should spell out their words in text messages. Otherwise you get embarrassing mistakes. Then your whole school gets locked down. This just happened in Florida in the US. Srsly.

Virgin Oceanic Wants to Send Humans Back Down into the Mariana Trench

2020-03-02T02:07:00.0000000+11:00

If you thought space was the only frontier Virgin has an interest in tackling, you've been missing out on Virgin Oceanic's drive to pilot the first manned submersible all the way to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench - and thus dive deeper than any solo human has ever dived before. It's a cool story that is still ongoing, and PopSci favourite IEEE Spectrum has an amazing semi-long read from its March issue up online today.

Wireless EV Charging: Viable or Just a Daydream?

2020-03-01T15:58:00.0000000+11:00

One of the key weaknesses of the current crop of electric vehicles is that they require fairly frequent charging because of the less-than-stellar battery capacity, a problem compounded by the fact that you need to connect up to a wired charger to refill the thing. But what if we could charge more flexibly than that? What if we could charge in parking spots, or when stopped at traffic lights? What if we could charge our EVs wirelessly?

'Earthshine' Could Help Us Find Alien Life

2020-03-01T11:09:00.0000000+11:00

Earthshine is light that’s reflected from the Earth to the moon, then back to the Earth again. Now scientists have discovered a way to use this shine to determine the amount of vegetation, water and cloud on our planet. Of course we already know this - but what’s significant is this technique could be used to analyse the surface of other far-off planets too.

Lytro Light-Field Camera Review: Shoot, Then Focus

2020-03-01T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

To win our Innovation of the Year award, the Lytro had to captivate us enough for us to pass over significant medical diagnostic breakthroughs and a complete reinvention of the internal combustion engine - and it did. So we're naturally excited about the opportunity to spend a little QT with the Light-Field camera.

Video: NASA's Methane-Powered Launcher Lifts Off With a Blue-Hot Column of Flame

2020-03-01T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's Project M, an awesome concept to use vertical launch systems to send robonauts to the moon, is still moving forward despite Robonaut's one-way trip to the International Space Station. It's now called Project Morpheus, and it's a test bed for autonomous, environmentally friendly vertical launch systems. Watch below as Morpheus fires its new engine for the first time.

Video: Japanese Robots Attempt Chaotic Game of American Football

2020-03-01T05:44:00.0000000+11:00

During the dark sports month of February, when there's nothing to watch but mid-season NBA games, sometimes I think about the NFL draft. With so many long months to go before the NFL returns, it's the only football-related thing I have, okay? But now I can look at this - some Japanese robots playing football! Not European football (Aus Ed- you know, the real kind of football), but actual, ~~real~~ American football!

Video: The Doctors Who Made the No-Pulse Heart

2020-03-01T05:04:00.0000000+11:00

Heart Stop Beating is a three-minute documentary film about the no-pulse, continuous-flow artificial heart, which Dan Baum writes about in our Future of Medicine issue. It tells the story of Billy Cohn & Bud Frazier, two visionary doctors from the Texas Heart Institute, who in March of 2011 successfully replaced a dying man's heart with the device they developed, proving that life was possible without a pulse or a heart beat.

Chinese Drones Will Use Genetic Algorithms to Learn to Hunt For Submarines

2020-03-01T03:58:00.0000000+11:00

China usually holds its military hand very close to the vest - that, or things "mysteriously" leak that it doesn't (does) want the world to know about - so we're left to wonder why the People's Republic has decided to publish plans for a new submarine hunting scheme that uses ship-launched UAVs running genetic algorithms in the journal Advanced Materials Research.

No Pulse: How Doctors Reinvented The Human Heart

2020-03-01T03:13:00.0000000+11:00

Meeko the calf stood nuzzling a pile of hay. He didn't seem to have much appetite, and he looked a little bored. Every now and then, he glanced up, as though wondering why so many people with clipboards were standing around watching him. Fourteen hours earlier, I'd watched doctors lift Meeko's heart from his body and place it, still beating, in a plastic dish.

Will Doctors Ever Cure Migraines?

2020-03-01T02:18:00.0000000+11:00

My first migraine arrived in a fuzzy cloud of reds and purples, a stab of pain that left me bent over in the back of an auto-rickshaw, squinting and nauseous, on my morning commute to Connaught Place, in New Delhi. Months later, when I left India, I thought that the headaches would disappear along with the chaos of the overcrowded capital. They didn't. And finally, after months spent stumbling into my room, drawing the curtains, and lying in the darkness for hours wishing for sleep, I went to an internist, who prescribed a brain scan. When he found nothing, he told me what I already suspected: migraines. I asked him the cause, but all he could say was, "Stress, probably, which can mean any number of things."

Video: World's Furthest Flight - By a Paper Plane

2020-02-29T15:29:00.0000000+11:00

The ability of mankind to construct more and more incredible feats of engineering should never cease to amaze. Take this latest example, for instance. Now, sure, it's a paper airplane. We know. But to be honest, sometimes those things can be even more fiddly to make than the real thing. Occasionally they won't even go at all, let alone travel this world-record 69 metre distance.

Pretty Space Pics: The Crescent Nebula

2020-02-29T10:56:00.0000000+11:00

This particular image, taken by an astrophotographer named Ian Sharp, is of the Crescent Nebula, located in the Cygnus constellation 5000 light years away.

Video: Microsoft IllumiShare Lets You Play Remotely With Physical Objects

2020-02-29T09:52:00.0000000+11:00

IllumiShare from Microsoft Research is a system to allow two people to interact with various objects remotely. It gives cooperative activities like taking notes or creating documents a physicality: you're not typing in Google Docs, you're actually writing with ink and paper. Or playing cards with real cards, only your partner is on the other side of the world.

Video: Hack a Common Slingshot into a USB Peripheral for 'Angry Birds'

2020-02-29T08:39:00.0000000+11:00

Launching Angry Birds from a slingshot on your iPhone screen is fun, but actually launching Angry Birds from a slingshot sounds difficult, and borderline dangerous (well, definitely dangerous to the bird, variably dangerous to you depending on size of bird and degree of anger). A clever hack over on mbed shows you how to have the best of both worlds - real slingshot, digital birds - by turning a slingshot into a USB peripheral for playing Angry Birds.

In the Age of Wireless, Can't We Do Better than Fibre Optic Cables?

2020-02-29T07:26:00.0000000+11:00

In this day and age, it makes sense to think that we should be transitioning to wireless technologies, right? Leaving cables lying around, whether it be under the vastness of the ocean, or simply through the middle of your hallway at home, is fraught with danger, not to mention inconvenience. Our government wants to build an extensive network of fibre optic cable around Australia - but why not just jump ahead and cut straight to wireless. Well, the answer to the question is not as simple as that.

Apple to Announce iPad 3 on March 7th (With Bonus Rumours)

2020-02-29T07:04:00.0000000+11:00

Apple just sent out invites to what, with our Holmesian deduction skills, we can safely say will be an event announcing the next iPad. It'll be held on March 7th in Apple's favorite announcement spot, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and of course we will be breathlessly reporting the details of the gadget that will inspire us to throw our current iPads out of the 9th-floor windows of our office in disgust.

Video: Flamethrowing Navy Railgun Blasts Terrifying Projectiles Through Superheated Air

2020-02-29T06:17:00.0000000+11:00

A new prototype of the Navy's weapon of the future just completed its first test, blasting a chunk of metal through the air at speeds up to 9,012 kph. Watch below as the Navy's electromagnetic railgun spews a formidable jet of orange flame. The best part is when the air behind the speeding projectile blurs with heat!

German Industrial Bot Takes Up the Art of Portraiture

2020-02-29T04:51:00.0000000+11:00

Though he was destined for manual labour, countless days spent toiling in the factory could not dampen this robot's dream. He was built to examine how objects reflect light, but he never failed to see the beauty in the patterns of light bouncing off a mundane object, say a child's backpack. He always wanted to be an artist, he just needed the chance!

Could Climate Change Make Mount Everest Unclimbable?

2020-02-29T04:18:00.0000000+11:00

Changes on the planet are affecting the world's tallest mountain, casting doubt on its climbability and even its height. Sherpas are wondering whether warmer climates will render Mount Everest too dangerous to summit, and geologic changes in the Himalayas have raised uncertainties about its altitude, according to separate reports.

Does a Splash of Red Make a Woman More Attractive?

2020-02-29T03:09:00.0000000+11:00

At the Oscars this year, Angelina Jolie paired a leggy black dress with bombshell hair. What stood out, though, was her bright red lipstick. I thought she looked great, and - according to science - most of the men watching agreed.

The Virus Station: A Field Lab for Finding a Deadly Disease

2020-02-29T02:05:00.0000000+11:00

A man who worked in a lead and gold mine in southwest Uganda died suddenly from a hemorrhagic fever. Concerned that it could be the beginning of an outbreak of Marburg virus, which is similar to Ebola, doctors sent a blood sample to the Uganda Virus Research Institute, where pathologists confirmed that Marburg was indeed the cause of death and alerted the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both the WHO and the CDC are tasked with containing the spread of virulent diseases. If scientists could locate the animal that transmitted the virus to the miner, they could stop an outbreak.

First Aussie 4G-Enabled Tablet Goes On Sale Today

2020-02-28T11:56:00.0000000+11:00

If you hadn't already heard enough about 4G in recent weeks, here's one more nugget of information - you can now get 4G speeds on an 8.9'' form factor, following the launch by Samsung and Telstra of the Galaxy Tab 8.9 on local shores today.

Steer Your Wheelchair With Your Computerised Tongue Piercing

2020-02-28T08:07:00.0000000+11:00

Today in non-cosmetic body piercings: A group of engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a way to control, well, just about anything (but most likely, things like wheelchairs) with a combination of a magnetic tongue piercing and a paired retainer. The user would press the tongue piercing against different parts of the retainer to send signals. Shift into neutral! Pretend like you're saying the word "lilt"!

IBM Photographs the Electric Charge in a Single Molecule

2020-02-28T06:32:00.0000000+11:00

This is a molecule, and the circles represent how the electrical charge is distributed inside it. It's a glimpse of the forces that bind molecules together, essentially. This picture is a major breakthrough for nanotechnologists - understanding how charge is arranged inside molecules could help research in anything from solar energy to biology.

PopSci Talks To Neil deGrasse Tyson About Politics, New Frontiers, and Science Evangelism

2020-02-28T05:45:00.0000000+11:00

2012 marks the first year in three decades that the U.S. is not launching its own publicly funded manned space vehicle, and it could also be China's year to shine, on Earth and in space. It's a transition period for American space exploration, but even amid all this change there's something greater, yet less tangible, that's lacking: The US needs a clear mission. America's unofficial space spokesman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, has something to say about that.

Geeks Fund a Futuristic Underground Park in New York

2020-02-28T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

A couple of months ago, the Lowline Park was just a crazy design for a futuristic underground public space in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Now, it's on Kickstarter, and the project's creators are making some serious headway in actually getting construction moving. They're asking for US$100,000 to build and display a working demo to show that their blend of solar tech and natural sunlight could actually make an appealing park below street level. Check out the project over at Kickstarter.

Newly Discovered Space Rock Is Headed Toward Earth, Estimated Time of Arrival 2040

2020-02-28T04:34:00.0000000+11:00

All eyes are on the asteroid Apophis, but a new threat - just 140 metres wide - dominated the conversation at a recent meeting of the UN Action Team on near-Earth objects (NEOs). Known as 2011 AG5, the asteroid could well be on a collision course with Earth in 2040, and some are already calling on scientists to figure out how to deflect it.

Scientists Use Stem Cells to Generate Human Eggs in the Lab

2020-02-28T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

The conventional line of thinking says that women can produce only a finite number of egg cells over their lifetimes. Some researchers dispute this, but a new study suggests that it might not matter. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital claim they have isolated stem cells from human ovaries and used them to generate egg cells in the lab, a breakthrough that could someday lead to new infertility treatments.

Nokia Announces 41-Megapixel Smartphone, Depleting the World's Supply of Megapixels

2020-02-28T02:40:00.0000000+11:00

Mobile World Congress, Europe's biggest mobile tech conference, was the site of Nokia's ruthless mining of the world's natural megapixel reserves. The Finnish company (who's lately started making phones we really like) announced the 808, a smartphone with a 41-megapixel camera, along with a sensor and flash big enough to feel at home in a point-and-shoot. That'll give the phone better digital zoom capabilities and hopefully better image quality - Nokia has a new system to take all those pixels and turn them into nicer, smaller pictures. (Oddly, the phone will use, of all things, the very dead and very awful Symbian OS.)

The $1,000 Genome, and the New Problem of Having Too Much Information

2020-02-28T02:19:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists needed $3 billion and 13 years to sequence the three billion base pairs encoded in a single human genome-the first time. By 2011, eight years after that first project was completed, the cost of sequencing a human genome had fallen to $5,000, in a process that took just a few weeks. And in January, Jonathan Rothberg, a chemical engineer and the founder of the biotech company Ion Torrent, unveiled an approach that is faster and cheaper still. He says his machine will be able to sequence a human genome, some 3.2 gigabytes' worth of data, in two hours for just $1,000. Now thousands, and soon enough millions, of patients will have their genetic makeup laid bare, which presents an entirely new problem: How to analyse all that information?

New Neural Interfaces Can Bring True Feeling to Artificial Limbs

2020-02-27T16:25:00.0000000+11:00

New plastic scaffolds attached to prosthetic devices could enable nerves to feel and control artificial limbs, using electrical signals to bring back real sensations. The research could eventually realise the dream of connecting artificial body extensions to the living nervous system.

Early Ripening of Grapes Caused By Global Warming - Aussie Study

2020-02-27T14:51:00.0000000+11:00

An analysis of 24 years worth of vineyard records has shown that those times when the yield comes in early are due to increases in temperature long term.

Nokia Gunning For Low End Smartphone Market with Possible WP7 Lumia 610?

2020-02-27T13:03:00.0000000+11:00

Windows Phone might be a viable alternative to Android and iOS, but there's one market it hasn't cracked: the cheap, low end smartphone. But if these possibly leaked image and specs are anything to go by, they may just be about to make their move via Nokia.

This Week in the Future, February 20-24, 2012

2020-02-25T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Ah, a nice bucolic, rural-to-the-max farm scene. Pigs with augmented-reality glasses browse a plate of fast food with prehistoric housecat-sized horses. A farmer shoots a drone. Dear all other countries that aren't the United States: this is what it's really like here.

Galaxy May Be Full of Wandering Hobo Planets (Planet-Sized Bindles Unconfirmed)

2020-02-25T07:45:00.0000000+11:00

Over at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC), which is associated with Stanford University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, a new study indicates that not only are there many so-called "nomad planets" in our galaxy, but that there may be tens of thousands of them, drifting through the Milky Way unattached to a star or your buttoned-up corporate way of life.

New Tubes: Redesigning the Toilet to Produce Water, Fertiliser, and Energy

2020-02-25T06:45:00.0000000+11:00

About 2.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to a sanitary toilet. To fix this, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded eight grants last year to scientists and engineers to invent a toilet that could function without piped water, a sewer system or outside electricity-and would cost less than 5 cents a day to operate.

Kickstarter Is On Track to Out-Fund the US National Endowment for the Arts

2020-02-25T05:35:00.0000000+11:00

Yancey Strickland, a co-founder of Kickstarter, said today that the crowd-sourced funding machine is on track to distribute over $150 million in 2012 - more than the American's have in their National Endowment for the Arts, which has a 2012 operating budget of $146 million. That's incredibly impressive for Kickstarter, which has been on a roll lately, what with sending 31 Kickstarter-funded films to SXSW and breaking records with the new Double Fine Productions adventure game.

There Are Way More Blood Types Than You Think

2020-02-25T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at the University of Vermont have discovered two new proteins on red blood cells that confirm the testable existence of two new blood types. It's an important discovery, one that'll greatly reduce the risk of incompatible blood transfusions among tens of thousands of people. But what we were more struck by in this press release was the fact that these two new blood types - named Junior and Langereis - bring the total number of recognized blood types up to 32. 32!

5-Minute Project: Chemicals-in-a-Bag Hand Warmers

2020-02-25T02:30:00.0000000+11:00

Instant hand warmers are great - just shake 'em up, and you've got spontaneous warmth to thaw your hands during the cold winter months. But they're awfully expensive, and not because they're complicated to manufacture. In fact, you can make them yourself in a few very easy steps.

Video: Wireless Devices Swim Through Your Bloodstream and Fix You Up, 'Fantastic Voyage' Style

2020-02-24T09:31:00.0000000+11:00

Implantable medical devices will eventually dispense drugs, get rid of blood clots and perform micro-surgeries inside our bodies, but powering them could be problematic. If the point is to have minimally invasive gadgets keeping tabs on our health, cutting patients open to swap out their batteries is not an ideal situation.

It's Official: DiscoRobo Wins PopSci's Ultimate Robot Dance-Off

2020-02-24T08:40:00.0000000+11:00

Thousands of votes were cast in our first robot dance-off, but the winner was clear early on. Tosy's DiscoRobo earned a dominating 78 per cent of the tally. Mattel's Fijit friend earned 13 per cent of the electorate for personality, and MyKeepon took home the remaining 9 per cent - likely based on cuteness alone, since as basically two-thirds of a rubber yellow snowman, MyKeepon is not the most agile of dancers. Check out the full results breakdown and re-watch the video after the break.

Hot Weather Makes Mammals Smaller, So Will Global Warming Make Us Shrink?

2020-02-24T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Back in the day of the first mammals, horses started out the size of house cats, weighing about three and a half kilos and standing only a few inches tall. Then they got even littler, a direct result of the warm temperatures that characterised the Eocene era. Only when Earth cooled down a bit did the beasts get big, according to a new study - the first evidence that temperature directly affects body size. Interesting results when you think about rising global temperatures. Are Earth's animals about to undergo a New Shrinkening?

Scan Your Food For Bacteria With Your Mobile Phone

2020-02-24T06:37:00.0000000+11:00

Have you ever been tempted to order steak tartare but decided against it for fear of getting sick? This little cell phone scanner can take a look at it for you and let you know if it does in fact harbour any E. coli bacteria.

Today in Great Reads: "The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks" at The Atavist

2020-02-24T06:03:00.0000000+11:00

The Atavist, one of our favorite venues for long-form journalism (and a great example of what the future of the medium looks like - their iPad stories have videos, photos, timelines, references, and more, all elegantly presented), just announced their latest story: "The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks", by Joe Kloc.

Earth's Clouds Are Getting Lower, Which Could Be a Good Thing

2020-02-24T05:31:00.0000000+11:00

Earth's clouds are sinking lower in the sky, with fewer clouds at high altitudes and lower cloudtops in general, says a new analysis of satellite data. The coming fog means that Earth will cool down more efficiently - so the lowering of clouds could slow the effects of global warming.

Creator of Breathable Caffeine Wants You to Drink Your Drink, Then Eat the Bottle

2020-02-24T04:38:00.0000000+11:00

Dr. David Edwards, of Harvard University's Wyss Institute, is the man behind the controversial (as in, the FDA plans to investigate its safety) breathable caffeine and other vitamins, has been working on a new futuristic food item: edible containers. They've already created tomato containers with gazpacho inside, among other treats.

With New Standard, Wi-Fi Could Become As Widespread As Mobile Data

2020-02-24T03:20:00.0000000+11:00

Our first local 4G LTE network rolled out on Telstra late last year, but in the States, LTE has been around since late 2010, with the Verizon network. The problem is that as mobile data traffic continues to grow - experts anticipate that it will increase 26-fold in the next three years - it's unlikely that any network will be able to keep up. Fortunately, something else is set to happen over the next three years: Wi-Fi could become as ubiquitous and easy to access as cellular is now.

E-Readers Finally Get a Splash of Colour

2020-02-24T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

LCD e-readers have one big advantage over e-paper ones: colour. But what makes LCD screens so vibrant is also their downfall-the backlight necessary to illuminate pixels adds heft, slashes battery life, and can strain readers' eyes. LCDs require a protective layer, typically glass, so they suffer from extreme glare in direct light. E Ink's new Triton e-paper display, which came out in the U.S. this year on the Ectaco jetBook Colour, produces 4,096 colours (the same palette as a newspaper) with ambient light alone.

What Happens When Our Biggest Telco Goes Down?

2020-02-23T15:08:00.0000000+11:00

It's one of those things that is obviously plausible, but is equally written off as practically impossible in most people's minds. We jab and laugh at the likes of Vodafone for their own network woes, but when it comes to Telstra, we consider them to be the pricey, yet suitably solid, member of the pack. So what happens when their wholesale internet service goes completely down?

Ant Collective Memory Helps Them Fight Like the Borg - And Footy Fans

2020-02-23T12:38:00.0000000+11:00

Research from the University of Melbourne has found that ants can share collectively information about individual encounters with rival ants, and also that the amount of aggression is determined by factors such as proximity and the intensity of previous encounters.

The Best Science Podcasts for the Enjoyment of Your Ears and Brain

2020-02-23T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Podcasts are undergoing a minor renaissance lately - every comedian has one, and every news publication has at least one - and, luckily for us, the explosion in quantity has also meant a tonne of really amazing, high-quality stuff. In the last few years, writers, scientists, journalists, and all kinds of other interesting folks have taken to the microphone in new record numbers. Podcasts now have sold-out live tapings in front of rapturous audiences. They play at festivals like South by Southwest and Bonnaroo. They're downloaded millions upon millions of times. And there are hundreds of science podcasts out there, each with their own loyal audiences. But some are, of course, better than others. Here are the best of the best.

Bummer: Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Weren't.

2020-02-23T08:28:00.0000000+11:00

Apparently neutrinos are not moving faster than light after all - some of the brightest minds in modern physics were bamboozled by a loose wire.

How Pigs on Antibiotics Are Making Superbugs Stronger

2020-02-23T07:29:00.0000000+11:00

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA) a nasty strain of bacteria that resists most antibiotics, probably developed its defenses while spending time down on the farm, a new study says. It has been thought that humans' antibiotic abuse is the catalyst in superbug genesis, but this new research suggests it's the animals, and the drugs we feed them, that we should worry about.

DNA Sequencer Plugs Right Into Your USB Port, Analyses Your Genome

2020-02-23T06:21:00.0000000+11:00

In the nine years since the Humane Genome Project wrapped up, gene sequencing has gotten faster and cheaper at a pace rivaling the computer industry. Now a technology company in the UK has another breakthrough, taking a cue from the computer industry itself: A cluster of fast individual compute nodes, so easily scalable that the company made a USB-powered disposable version.

Google's Smartglasses Will Basically Make the Whole World Googleable

2020-02-23T05:14:00.0000000+11:00

Google employees yesterday let is spill that before the end of 2012, you will be able to buy augmented-reality smart eyeglasses from the search giant. The Android-powered glasses will have an onboard camera that monitors in real time what you see as you walk (or, heavens preserve us, drive) down the street. The lenses will then overlay information about people, locations, and whatnot directly into your field of view.

Thermoelectric "Power Felt" Fabric Lets You Sit on Your Phone to Power It

2020-02-23T04:22:00.0000000+11:00

A team from Wake Forest University's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials has created a new thermoelectric fabric they call Power Felt. It's constructed of "tiny carbon nanotubes locked up in flexible plastic fibers," though the final product looks and feels like fabric, and creates and electrical charge from changes in temperature - like, say, touching it with your hot finger, or sitting on it with your hot butt (hot in this case referring to temperature and thus wholly inoffensive science).

Japanese Construction Company Plans Space Elevator By 2050

2020-02-23T03:29:00.0000000+11:00

Space elevators have been our shared dream for years, but like other promising technologies of the future, they're just concepts on a distant horizon. Now a Japanese construction firm that specialises in the very tall could make them a reality. By 2050, so still pretty far on that horizon, but hey, it's a start.

The Race For The Next Big Thing In Green Illumination

2020-02-23T02:13:00.0000000+11:00

In October, manufacturing 100-watt incandescent lightbulbs will become illegal in the US. As part of the same legislation, 60- and 40-watt ones will be banned by 2014. Compact fluorescents (CFLs) are the simplest-to-make replacement but contain the neurotoxin mercury, have a bluish hue, and don't illuminate instantly. The regulations are prompting lighting companies to develop new, environmentally friendly ways to produce light that have none of CFLs' downsides.

CSIRO Research Vessel Being Built Around Its Own Mini-NBN

2020-02-22T11:10:00.0000000+11:00

The CSIRO is managing the construction of a new top of the line ocean research vessel on a skeleton of networked fibre optic cable, that will enable the rapid movement and handling of the large amounts of data the ship will be expected to generate.

The Yamaha Moegi Demonstrates The Future of Fuel Efficiency

2020-02-22T09:36:00.0000000+11:00

Since the days of pricey petrol began, the single-cylinder motorcycles and scooters that dominate international megacities have become increasingly common on our streets. Engineers at Yamaha created the Y125 Moegi concept to capitalise on that trend. They based it on the company's first motorcycle, the 1955 125-cc YA-1, but they also included some modern touches, in particular an ultralight frame and a new cylinder design that could help make the Moegi one of the lightest and most fuel-efficient motorcycles ever.

Tested: The Canon G1 X

2020-02-22T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends at Popular Photography got themselves a brand-new Canon G1 X, a super high-performance compact camera that, according to their tough tests, can compete with compact interchangeable-lens cameras like the 2011 Camera of the Year winner, the Sony NEX-7.

Simulated Mars Base Will Help Future Menu Planners Pack the Interplanetary Pantry

2020-02-22T07:29:00.0000000+11:00

With Mars500 now behind us, NASA is dialing up its own Mars mission simulation in conjunction with Cornell and the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Unlike Mars500, the NASA-sponsored sim won't run the full 520 days estimated as necessary to complete a real Mars mission. But the four-month simulation will focus very heavily on one critical aspect of any future manned voyage to deep space: food.

Hubble Discovers the First 'Waterworld,' an Exoplanet Covered in Water

2020-02-22T06:42:00.0000000+11:00

The James Webb Space Telescope may someday put Hubble out of business, but until then NASA's old standby is still making new discoveries. Today, that comes to us in the form of the first exoplanet "waterworld" - a water-covered planet shrouded by a dense, steamy atmosphere, the first confirmed planet of its kind.

Animal Activist Group Shuts Down Pigeon Hunt With Drone, Pigeon Hunters Shoot Down Drone

2020-02-22T05:35:00.0000000+11:00

An animal rights group stopped a planned pigeon shoot over the weekend, leaving the would-be marksmen to shoot down another target: The animal group's aerial drone.

Russian Scientists Grow Pleistocene-Era Plants From Seeds Buried By Squirrels 30,000 Years Ago

2020-02-22T04:33:00.0000000+11:00

On the frozen edge of the Kolyma River in northeastern Siberia, in an ancient pantry harboring seeds and other stores, an Arctic ground squirrel burrowed into the dirt and buried a small, dark fruit from a flowering plant. The squirrel's prize quickly froze in the cold ground and was preserved in permafrost, waiting to grow into a fully fledged flowering plant until it was unearthed again (sound familiar?). After 30,000 years, it finally was. Scientists in Russia have now regenerated this Pleistocene plant, transplanting it into a pot in the lab. A year later, it grew forth and bore fruit.

Pretty Space Pics: A Rocket Arcs Across the Northern Lights

2020-02-22T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

Here, a two-stage suborbital rocket rips across the auroras over Alaska. The small rocket was launched by scientists Saturday as part of a NASA-backed study into how auroras can affect signals coming to and from satellites and spacecraft. Scientists hope to better understand the way space weather impacts our electrical systems on Earth and in orbit in order to possibly mitigate those effects as the sun builds toward its solar maximum in 2013.

The Airborne Laser, Missile-Zapping Laser Plane of the Future, Is No More

2020-02-22T02:58:00.0000000+11:00

The Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser Test Bed (ALTB) is dead after a long battle with Pentagon budgetary priorities and Congress.

How We're Creating "Terminator Vision" in Your Future Contact Lenses

2020-02-22T02:13:00.0000000+11:00

"We made a lens that displays a single pixel that can be turned on and off wirelessly. An integrated circuit stores the energy, and a light-emitting diode shoots light toward the eye, but the optics are tricky. You can't focus on something that's that close. To correct this, we put a series of tiny lenses between the LED and the eye-imagine holding your finger too close to your eye so it's blurry; you could bring it into focus by putting a magnifying glass between your eye and your finger.

Another Use for RFID: A Home (or Office)-Made Door Scanner And Lock

2020-02-21T14:14:00.0000000+11:00

While we're all sitting around waiting for RFID tech to really take off at the consumer level, people here and there are dabbling in different ways to make use of that kind of technology. For instance, have you ever thought about making your own card scanner to unlock your office, or even bedroom, door?

Volcanoes on the Moon?

2020-02-21T12:48:00.0000000+11:00

Of a night time, our moon looks rather ordinary up in the sky - an orb, or crescent, of white against the blackness of space. Imagine instead if it was lit up with lava erupting from volcanoes across its surface.

The $290,000 Test-Tube Hamburger

2020-02-21T12:12:00.0000000+11:00

Would you eat test-tube meat? Scientists from Maastricht University in the Netherlands believe they’ll have a test-tube burger created by the end of this year, and hope to develop the technology to produce artificially created meat through this experiment.

PopSci #40 - March 2012

2020-02-21T11:39:00.0000000+11:00

Our medical technology issue will show you how new innovations in high-tech treatment will not just prolong your life, but help you enjoy more of it. Time to get that nagging cough fixed!

On Sale 29 February 2020

FYI: Will People Ever Evolve Out of Craving Unhealthy Food?

2020-02-21T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

Maybe, but it's going to take a long time. For the past 200,000 years or so, fatty and sugary foods were hard for humans to come by and well worth gorging on. Fats help maintain body temperature, sugars provide energy, and craving such food is hardwired: Eating fats and sugars activates reward centers in the brain.0

Can I Update the Software on My Old Android Phone?

2020-02-21T05:07:00.0000000+11:00

Manufacturers of Android smartphones often won't provide an updated, custom version of the operating system for models they no longer sell, so users can't take advantage of new features. For older phones, there's a workaround: CyanogenMod, a free OS built from the source code for the latest versions of Android that Google releases to developers. CyanogenMod is very similar to the official Android platform, but it includes a few extra features, such as Wi-Fi tethering, a screenshot tool, and more security and power-management settings. Many users also say it runs faster than their phone's original Android software.

Avatar vs Terminator: DARPA Creating Human-Controllable Robot Avatars

2020-02-20T14:30:00.0000000+11:00

Ok, kids, Wrap this one up. It's clearly the end of the world as we know it. DARPA, that source of everything awesome and ever-so-slightly-deadly, is creating robot 'avatars' to act as surrogate bodies for remotely located human controllers. Kill them. Kill them all.

Australians Create Single-Atom Transistor Which Could Make Computers Millions of Times Faster

2020-02-20T14:25:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists from the University of New South Wales have created the smallest transistor in the world, which could pave the way for supercomputers millions of times faster than those we have today.

The SKA - How to Process a Universe of Data

2020-02-20T12:49:00.0000000+11:00

There's been a lot of talk over the last week about the Square Kilometre Array, and the final showdown in the bid for rights to host the primary array, now just between Australia and South Africa. A team involving a number of scientists in Western Australia, however, are already in the throes of planning how to deal with the mass of data the SKA will generate, possibly reaching up to an exabyte a day through the front end antennae, with the final array likely requiring a supercomputer faster than any currently in existence.

This Week in the Future, February 13-17, 2012

2020-02-18T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

All that happened this week pales in the face of Tiny Chameleon. Tiny Chameleon is the most important news of the week. Of the year. I mean, yeah, we also learned about a teenager who achieved nuclear fusion in his parents' garage, and saw the future of toys, and the most powerful portable games console ever made. But just look at Tiny Chameleon. Look at him!

A New Motor Makes For A Stronger 18-volt Drill

2020-02-18T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Light 18-volt batteries have become the standard for cordless power tools, but they often underperform when faced with difficult tasks such as boring large holes into wood or metal. To produce more strength without resorting to a heavier, higher-voltage battery, engineers at Milwaukee Tools redesigned the motor of the new M18 Fuel drill. The result is a tool that generates about 25 per cent more torque than the average 18-volt drill and can create big holes faster than any of them.

Depression Can Be Diagnosed With a Blood Test

2020-02-18T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

The jury is still out, in many respects, on exactly what depression is and how it should be treated, but clinically speaking it is usually diagnosed in a psychological rather than a physiological manner - that is, via a questionnaire that is given to patients rather than by some method of empirical testing. But The Atlantic reports that a new study has shown that blood tests can diagnose depression - a finding that could change the way depression is both diagnosed and viewed by patients.

Sony PlayStation Vita Review: Full-Power Gaming, Portable Package

2020-02-18T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

Okay, so: The obvious question here, in 2012, is "Is there any reason to buy a dedicated portable gaming system when I already have a smartphone?" And I will say yes. I'm not a hardcore gamer, and I found the Vita to be not just the most powerful handheld console ever made, but also an awful lot of fun.

Turning People Into Plastic

2020-02-18T02:07:00.0000000+11:00

At Dalian Hoffen Bio-Technique Company in northern China, people turn other people into plastic. Plastination is a four-step process during which polymers replace water and fat molecules in biological specimens.

FYI: Do Competitive Eaters Have Unusual Stomachs?

2020-02-17T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Yes. Marc Levine, the chief of gastrointestinal radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, has found that a competitive eater's stomach works more like an expanding balloon than a squeezing sac.

Video: Watch Kink Instability Corkscrew a Jet of Super-Hot Argon Gas

2020-02-17T08:10:00.0000000+11:00

Instability begets instability. At least, that's the lesson learned from a couple of researchers at the California Institute of Technology in the US who have studied the way magnetic field lines break and reconnect. Such magnetic breakage and reconnection at some scales can be quite violent, like when the sun's magnetic field lines snap and toss off a coronal mass ejection. But at smaller scales, it just looks really cool.

For the First Time, A Wirelessly Controlled Implantable Pharma-Chip Oozes Drugs Into the Body

2020-02-17T06:53:00.0000000+11:00

In the future, implantable computerised dispensaries will replace trips to the pharmacy or doctor's office, automatically leaching drugs into the blood from medical devices embedded in our bodies. These small wireless chips promise to reduce pain and inconvenience, and they'll ensure that patients get exactly the amount of drugs they need, all at the push of a button.

How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole

2020-02-17T06:25:00.0000000+11:00

For something that might not even exist, black holes do a whole lot of work for modern physics. These regions of compact mass - so dense that not even light can escape their gravitational fields - are a major underpinning of general relativity, and inform much of what we think we understand about how galaxies work. It's a lot to ask of a phenomenon that we've never actually seen.

Waterless Washing Machine Levitates Laundry and Cleans It With Dry Ice

2020-02-17T05:06:00.0000000+11:00

It makes my day when new technology promises to make life's most tedious tasks more interesting. Take laundry, for example. I would loathe it so much less if I had a friendly robot to help me fold my socks. Or perhaps if I had this waterless washing machine, which would levitate my clothes and scrub them clean with dry ice in a matter of minutes.

With New Technique, Tiny Robots Can Be Mass-Produced Like Pop-Up Books

2020-02-17T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

A technique inspired by pop-up books could enable quicker production of tiny robots and other electrical devices, according to Harvard engineers. Usually, building a micro aerial vehicle - or any other robot - requires a painstaking assembly process, with each little wing or sensor folded and machined just so. Now it can come together in a single fold.

Apple's New Mac OS, "Mountain Lion," Is a Head-On Collision of Mac OS and iOS

2020-02-17T02:52:00.0000000+11:00

Apple just announced the next version of Mac OS X, the operating system that runs on all Mac computers. It'll be called Mountain Lion, it'll come out this summer for an unspecified price, and it'll be chock full of the same apps you use on your iPhone and iPad. It's one more stop on the way to Apple's Ultimate Plan for Gadget Dominance (not an official title.): the convergence of Mac OS and iOS, which began in earnest with the current version, Lion.

FYI: What Is the Oldest Toy in the World?

2020-02-17T02:04:00.0000000+11:00

The National Toy Hall of Fame awarded "oldest toy" to the stick. Edward Bleiberg, a curator of Egyptian art at the Brooklyn Museum, says that Neolithic balls made from mud are probably out there, but in any case it would be difficult to determine if they were playthings .

World's Greenest Supercomputer Heading Down Under

2020-02-16T15:33:00.0000000+11:00

The world’s greenest supercomputer, the IBM Blue Gene/Q, will be set up in Melbourne this year to join the University of Melbourne’s Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative.

Get Some Sleep: Your Memory Might Depend On It

2020-02-16T14:25:00.0000000+11:00

A new study from Washington University has found there may be a link between an individual’s quality of sleep and memory problems in later life.

Video: A 'Virtual' Bike Ride That is Almost Completely Mechanised

2020-02-16T13:15:00.0000000+11:00

If you've ever gotten bored riding an excercise bike, you might be interested in this. It's a virtual bike ride with one little trick: it's almost completely mechanical in nature.

World's Tiniest Chameleons Found in Madagascar

2020-02-16T12:03:00.0000000+11:00

This little chameleon is one of four miniature lizards identified in Madagascar, adding to our growing list of amazingly teeny animals. The one on the match in this picture is a juvenile, but even the adults max out at 30 millimetres. They're the smallest lizards in the world, and some of the smallest vertebrates found to date.

Dust Causes Explosions, And Apparently Nanodust Causes Mega-Explosions

2020-02-16T11:07:00.0000000+11:00

Along with annoyingly adhering to your TV screen and tabletops, dust can be a deadly material, exploding with enormously destructive force in places like coal mines, sugar refineries and grain silos. The explosive properties of normal dust are pretty well known, but what about non-traditional dust? Not all dusts are created equal - and dust derived from the materials of the future could present a very different type of danger.

How Do Your Speakers Work?

2020-02-16T09:45:00.0000000+11:00

Our good friends over at Sound + Vision just posted a great little explainer on crossovers, "the part of a loudspeaker that people least understand." (They're kind of like filters that send different parts of the input audio to different parts of the speaker.) It's a great way to actually figure out what's going on inside your boom-cubes (the preferred audiophile term for speakers, we assume).

New Law Opens Civilian American Skies to UAVs, Starting In Just 90 Days

2020-02-16T08:09:00.0000000+11:00

Just a week after US Congress finally passed an FAA spending bill requiring the aviation regulator to expedite the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the national airspace, President Barack Obama has already signed it into law.

Video: PopSci's Ultimate Robot Dance-Off

2020-02-16T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

We may still be a long way from fully-functioning robot maids or dog-walkers, but there's one thing consumer robot-makers have figured out: how to make 'em dance. This year, three music-responsive 'bots will be on sale, leaving us to wonder: who's got the best moves? So we gathered up the three contestants and blasted some "Robot Rock." We'll leave it to you to decide who rocks out the best.

Video: Coffee-Filled Robot Paw Learns How to Throw

2020-02-16T06:21:00.0000000+11:00

Our favorite grippy robot fist, the balloon filled with coffee grounds, has graduated from grabbing to throwing. Its developers at Cornell University and the University of Chicago have taught it how to hurl objects, from mini basketballs to darts.

Satellites: The Garbagemen of Outer Space

2020-02-16T05:02:00.0000000+11:00

The growing space junk problem in various orbits around the Earth gets plenty of ink these days, particularly when the ISS has to fire its thrusters to dodge a piece of a satellite, or when a defunct satellite smashes into a perfectly good, multimillion dollar piece of orbital communications hardware. Gathering up and disposing or all that fast-moving refuse makes for a difficult problem, but over at EPFL in Switzerland a team of researchers is developing a new kind of micro-sat that could help clean up low Earth orbit, starting by disposing of Switzerland's own leftover space debris.

Compound Reinvigorates Classic Antibiotics In Fight Against New Superbacteria

2020-02-16T02:02:00.0000000+11:00

A new drug compound can recharge a class of antibiotics used to fight superbug bacteria, improving the antibiotics' effectiveness 16-fold. It's another volley on the part of humans in the ongoing battle between new drugs and bacterial resistance.

Australian Research Team Makes World's Most Efficient Thin Film Solar Cells

2020-02-15T11:40:00.0000000+11:00

It seems to be the week for local solar cell research. The Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility (VSASF), a collaboration of Swinburne University and Suntech Power Holdings co-funded by the Victoria State Government, have created the world's most efficient thin film solar cells.

Video: Spray-On Antenna Material Turns Just About Anything into a Signal Array

2020-02-15T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

Presenting at Google's "Solve for X" gathering, an American startup has unveiled a spray-on antenna that improves signals by anything, just about anywhere, into a signal array. Using a novel nanoparticle spray, Chamtech Enterprises demonstrated how their product can be used on all kinds of materials - trees, walls, fabrics - and in all kinds of environments, even underwater.

Video: McSweeney's and the Stanford MRI Lab Host the World's First Love Competition

2020-02-15T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

McSweeney's, American purveyor of pretty books, magazines, and short-form web comedy, teamed up with the Stanford MRI Lab for a short film, featured in McSweeney's newest Wholphin DVD quarterly, and it is appropriately themed for a certain recent pink-hued February day.

NASA's Mars Budget Takes a Beating, Leaving Europe to Fly Joint Missions Solo

2020-02-15T09:50:00.0000000+11:00

Of the panoply of dollar values and percentages that made headlines during yesterday's federal budget unveiling, there's one number that stands out that nonetheless received almost no mention yesterday: Five. That's the number of large-scale space missions, originally designed as joint NASA-ESA operations, that the US has backed out of in the last 12 months. Bailing on its international partners is starting to become a disturbing trend at the world's premiere space agency.

How Much Would You Pay to Plug In Your Gadgets?

2020-02-15T09:02:00.0000000+11:00

According to a press release, Sony is fielding proposals for a way to charge users to, well, charge. The technology would allow building owners to require authentication for power outlets, which could be used to reduce unwanted energy usage, but could also be used to demand money from, say, coffeeshop squatters who want to charge their laptops.

Say 'I Love You Very Little' With the World's Smallest Valentine

2020-02-15T06:56:00.0000000+11:00

In one of those scientific breakthroughs that makes John McCain want to strangle an experimental cocaine-addled monkey, researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK have created the world's smallest atomic valentine, measuring just five nanometres by three-and-a-half nanometres. The previous record, set two years ago by the very same group, was eight nanometres.

The Boy Who Played With Fusion

2020-02-15T04:52:00.0000000+11:00

"Propulsion," the nine-year-old says as he leads his dad through the gates of the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "I just want to see the propulsion stuff."

Machine Can Tell If Plants' Genes Are Modified By Watching Them Grow

2020-02-15T04:10:00.0000000+11:00

Watching a plant grow and develop roots can be as tedious as ... watching a plant grow. But seeing plant development as it unfolds can expose just what happens to a genetically modified organism, and how certain gene expressions can make plants do certain things. Robotic cameras and machine-vision algorithms are making the process easier.

In Midst of Budget Woes, NASA Contemplates a Manned Waypoint In Orbit Near the Moon

2020-02-15T03:17:00.0000000+11:00

The NASA budget that went to Capitol Hill yesterday dashed any plans to initiate new Mars exploration missions in the next few years, but amid the belt-tightening SPACE reports that NASA is exploring another idea that, while much closer to home, is still quite ambitious - the building of a manned waypoint (read: space station) at the Lagrangian point EML-2 on the far side of the moon.

Robotics Kit Makes Building Robots as Easy as Stacking Blocks

2020-02-15T02:07:00.0000000+11:00

Building and programming robots is no small feat. Just to get a robot to perform a simple action-say, turning when someone claps-can require hours of coding. Cubelets make robot creation as simple as stacking blocks.

How to Pump Almost 2 Million Litres of Fuel From a Listing Cruise Liner

2020-02-14T09:29:00.0000000+11:00

It's been nearly a full month since the Costa Concordia ran aground just off the Tuscan island of Giglio, and after two weeks of delays salvage workers yesterday began pumping operations aimed at recovering most of the nearly two million litres of fuel aboard the badly listing Italian cruise liner. Roughly 84 per cent of that fuel is stuck in 15 large tanks, and pumping that volume out of the ship will likely take another month - and that's with the pumps running around the clock.

Frozen Fruit Flies Come Back to Life

2020-02-14T08:21:00.0000000+11:00

A larval fruit fly is hatched in the year 2011 and frozen while still pupating, half its body water solidified in frigid temperatures. After spending many generations in a state of suspended animation, the wee Drosophila melanogaster awakens and is allowed to grow up. One day, it wonders if it will ever be able to mate - but should it bring new larvae into this dystopian future?

Today's NASA Budget: 'Irrational' Cuts to Planetary Science Mean Mars Missions Get the Axe

2020-02-14T07:31:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's new budget is slated to land on Capitol Hill today, and it's not quite what the space agency was hoping for. US President Barack Obama is asking Congress for US$17.7 billion for NASA in 2013, funding it at its lowest level in four years and a full billion dollars less than the President mapped out for the agency in the five-year budget he sent Congress last year. Perhaps hardest hit: future Mars missions. The planetary science division will lose $300 million (down to $1.2 billion, or a 20 per cent cut), and Mars exploration will take the brunt of that reduction.

A Tribute to the Fifty: A Nine-Story Forging Press That Can Benchpress a Battleship

2020-02-14T06:44:00.0000000+11:00

At PopSci we've always got our eyes to the future, but every now and then we have to pause and take a look back at the giants on whose shoulders we stand - especially when those giants stand nine stories tall, weigh 16 million US tons, and exert 50,000 tons of pressure. The Fifty - pictured above - is one of ten machines built in the 1950s as part of a U.S. government initiative called the Heavy Press Program, and it is to the HPP that we owe many of the large-scale trappings of modern life, including the Jet Age.

Free To a Good Home: One Space Telescope, Still In Orbit

2020-02-14T05:44:00.0000000+11:00

In an unusual move, our cash-strapped space agency is contemplating the donation of one of its still-functional space telescopes. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer mission is out of money, but the observatory still works just fine, so NASA might give it away - if Caltech wants it.

The All-Electric BMW Active E

2020-02-14T04:47:00.0000000+11:00

The ActiveE is BMW's all-new electric vehicle, designed as a ‘beta' version of the forthcoming i3. Based on the swell little 1 Series Coupe, the Active E uses similar drive train and battery technologies as the i3, but in a less future-luxe package.

Australian Scientists Devise Solar Panelled Roofing Materials

2020-02-13T16:16:00.0000000+11:00

A team from the University of New South Wales has come up with a way to integrate solar cells with actual roofing materials, enabling more carbon efficient heating and temperature regulation in buildings.

Amazon Mapped With New Level Of Detail

2020-02-13T15:11:00.0000000+11:00

Though the Amazon rainforest is typically green all over, you’re actually looking at it in the above image. It isn’t any ordinary photograph though - researchers have bounced lasers off the tree canopy hundreds of thousands of times a second to get a precise map of the area.

Nukes Really Could Save Earth From Asteroids

2020-02-13T14:20:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists at the Los Alamos National Labs in the US have used Cielo, one of the top 10 supercomputers in the world, to model the impact of a megaton warhead on a hypothetical Earth-bound asteroid. In short, we're safe.

Video: A Pneumatic Lego Robot Arm

2020-02-13T09:22:00.0000000+11:00

Ahh, Lego. You're useful for so many different things. Entertaining kids, entertaining adults, arguably inspiring multi-million dollar indie video games. But here's another thing to add to the list - pnematically driven robotic hands.

A Smartphone That Detects Whether Its User Is Depressed

2020-02-13T07:25:00.0000000+11:00

"Siri, how do I feel right now?" Apple's automated assistant might not be so perceptive as to know, but your smartphone may soon be able to assess your mood and determine if you are suffering from symptoms of depression. Researchers at Northwestern University are creating a kind of virtual therapist called Mobilyze to help people that tend to ignore symptoms of their depression realise that they need to take measures to deal with their moods.

Video Microscopy Unveils the Tricks of Nature's Toughest Glue, Oozed By a Bacterium

2020-02-13T02:15:00.0000000+11:00

A soybean-shaped bacterium called Caulobacter crescentus, found in freshwater and seawater, makes one of the strongest adhesives in the world. Now high-resolution video microscopy is shedding light on how it can carefully use this adhesive, like a super-precise application of superglue, to stick on surfaces in wet environments.

This Week in the Future, February 6-10, 2012

2020-02-11T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

We've been obsessed with fun this week. "Gamifying" your life to be a better person, playing with great new videogame technology and learning about a Teutonic revolution in board games. And this week's Baarbarian illustration wraps it all up so nicely.

Do-It-Yourself Projects That Deliver Hours of Play

2020-02-11T08:18:00.0000000+11:00

Sure, you can buy fun things. But if you make them, you get the fun of construction plus the fun of use, with a dash of satisfaction and an anecdote to tell anyone who uses your creation. These three projects - a sledding winch to get you up a hill, a giant version of the board game Operation, and an Angry-Birds-playing robot - are all homemade.

PopSci Primer: The German-Style Board Game Revolution

2020-02-11T05:39:00.0000000+11:00

German- or Euro-style board games - the best-known of which is probably Settlers of Catan, at least here in the States - are a revolution in analogue gaming. They're everything Monopoly is not: often simple but fiendishly clever, designed with a minimum of boring down-time and a maximum of player interaction, without the indignity of getting eliminated or any semblance of luck. (Dice are pretty much verboten in these games.)

The LEGO Master Builder Academy, Part One: In Which I Begin My Training

2020-02-11T03:45:00.0000000+11:00

I'm getting my MBA. Of course, MBA stands in this case for the Master Builder Academy, a program run by LEGO that's designed to take your LEGO-building abilities from playful amateur to impress-your-friends amazing. It's a six-part course, and I've worked my way through the first two parts. Already I'm seeing a major change in the way I think about LEGO. This is the first of a three-part series documenting my journey from neophyte to Master Builder.

Found: The Oldest Animal Ever on Planet Earth

2020-02-11T02:55:00.0000000+11:00

Our earliest evolutionary ancestor may have been found in the form of microscopic sponge-like organisms recently discovered inside extremely ancient African rocks. If that turns out to be so, it would displace animal life's previous earliest known ancestor (unremarkably, another sponge-like "metazoan") by predating it by perhaps 100 million years.

Study Finds Icecaps Lost 4.3 Trillion Tonnes Between 2003-2010

2020-02-10T14:49:00.0000000+11:00

Just how much ice has been lost from the world’s ice caps and land ice? A new study from the University of Colorado has used NASA satellite data to find out.

Super-Soldiers Not Far Off Through Neuroscience Advances

2020-02-10T13:21:00.0000000+11:00

The brains of soldiers directly controlling weapons systems? Electrical stimulation to improve brain function and alertness in the army? This isn’t the blurb of a science fiction novel, but a future we could see for the military within the next ten years.

Australian Scientists Travel To Antarctica For Climate Change Research

2020-02-10T12:06:00.0000000+11:00

Two Australian scientists from Australia’s ANSTO nuclear research facility have travelled to Antarctica to research the impact solar activity has on climate change.

What Do Your Apps Know - and Say - About You?

2020-02-10T08:41:00.0000000+11:00

What do your smartphone apps say about you? Not in the "who am I and what is my place in the world?" sense, but literally - what are your apps telling other people about you? Your location? Your identity? Your username and password? The Wall Street Journal has put online a pretty amazing, sometimes outraging, definitely interesting interactive graphic analysing 101 popular iPhone and Android apps, telling you exactly what your apps are telling other people.

3D Laser Maps Show How Major Quakes Rend the Earth

2020-02-10T07:40:00.0000000+11:00

Using lasers to map the Earth following an earthquake could reveal exactly where the planet's crust ruptured, augmenting other seismological networks that document the destruction. With detailed maps, experts could potentially judge where the Earth might split - not necessarily predicting earthquakes, but pinpointing their likely locations and preparing for the worst hazards associated with them.

Can Treating Your Life As a Game Make You a Better Person?

2020-02-10T06:56:00.0000000+11:00

The experiment began at 11 am. in my bedroom in Brooklyn. I bought an app from the iTunes store called EpicWin, a fantasy-themed game designed to improve users' lives by motivating them to accomplish real-world goals with virtual-world rewards. Before starting the game, I had to pick and customise an avatar that would represent me in the digital landscape of EpicWin. I chose a cadaverous warrior named Calcium Facebone. He held a blunt mallet in one hand. "Add new task," the screen read. Since I was planning to write a story about my experience, I typed in "Start article." A surge of ominous music rattled from the iPhone speakers, and Calcium Facebone appeared on a rumpled map on the screen. Kilometres travelled: 0.

Double Fine Productions Smashes Kickstarter Record, Raises $400,000 in Eight Hours for Next Videogame

2020-02-10T06:20:00.0000000+11:00

Double Fine Productions, the cultishly adored videogame developer founded by gaming legend Tim Schafer, may have just blown up the entire system of videogame production. Struggling to get funding for their next game, Double Fine posted on Kickstarter, asking for $400,000. Eight hours later, they got it. 16 hours after that, they'd shattered the previous record for the most money ever earned on Kickstarter in 24 hours.

Testing the Best: Sony's 3D TV Eliminates the Splitscreen

2020-02-10T05:52:00.0000000+11:00

Gamers who prefer their multiplayer limited and local, as opposed to massive and online, will be familiar with the practice of screen cheating. The technique involves sneaking glances at your opponent's section of the bi- or quadrisected television screen to determine his or her location to gain an advantage. If you were good at the seminal split screen multiplayer games - GoldenEye, Mario Kart, the first Halo - you screen cheated. If you were bad, you screen cheated. Whining about screen cheating was always sort of equivalent to a nuclear power whining that another country was building the bomb. Screen cheating was mutually assured destruction. And soon, it could be a thing of the past.

A Roller Coaster That'll Leave You Weightless for Eight Long Seconds

2020-02-10T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Kingda Ka, the tallest roller coaster on Earth, drops its passengers a life-flashing 127 metres. Ferrari World's Formula Rossa, the fastest, literally takes riders' breath away at speeds of up to 240 kph. Though thrilling, these are phenomena of degree, not kind. BRC Imagination Arts, a Southern California design firm, has proposed something entirely new: a ride that creates the sensation of zero gravity for up to eight seconds at a time.

The Air Force is Buying iPads To Replace Pilots' Books and Maps

2020-02-10T04:07:00.0000000+11:00

First commercial pilots started getting iPads, and now military pilots want in - the US Air Mobility Command is planning to buy up to 18,000 iPad 2 tablets "or equal devices," replacing heavy flight bags that pilots use to stow their charts and other flight materials. The devices will apparently be used on the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster. The Air Force Special Ops Command is also planning to buy 2,861 iPad 2s for its crews.

Tiniest Telecommunications Laser Ever Made, 200 Nanometres Wide

2020-02-10T02:52:00.0000000+11:00

Lasers are getting smaller and more powerful - earlier this month, we saw the first-ever atomic scale laser, and now researchers are reporting the smallest telecommunications-frequency laser ever built. The laser is one-fifteenth the size of the light waves it can produce, and it works at room temperature.

Doctors Grow Parkinsonian Human Brain Cells In Vitro, Shedding Light on the Genetics of the Disease

2020-02-10T02:01:00.0000000+11:00

For the first time, Parkinson's researchers have made human brain cells derived from the skin cells of patients who carry a mutated gene related to Parkinson's disease. This means researchers can now track exactly how this mutation, in a gene called parkin, causes the disease in about 10 per cent of Parkinson's patients.

Video: Creepiest Mirror Ever Displays Ghostly Animal Heads Mimicking Your Facial Expression

2020-02-09T09:07:00.0000000+11:00

Augmented reality can do some really creepy things to mirrors. This new concept displays a 3D animal avatar as your reflection, mimicking your facial expressions in a horrifying, mocking way.

The EU is Considering Using Drones to Police Farm Subsidies, Enforce Environmental Rules

2020-02-09T08:39:00.0000000+11:00

When European farmers turn their eyes skyward, they soon may have more than the weather to worry about. The more progressive aviation framework in Europe means that government monitors potentially have a new weapon in their arsenals - unmanned aerial drones - to enforce regulations, and they're starting with agriculture. EU regulators are exploring potential aerial systems that can help them spot farm subsidy cheats and violators of Common Agricultural Policy rules.

Video: DARPA's Legged Squad Support System (a.k.a. Big Dog) Goes Outside to Play

2020-02-09T07:40:00.0000000+11:00

Here at PopSci, we've been fascinated by Boston Dynamics' Big Dog ever since it was an adorable robotic puppy that couldn't even open its eyes. Now that the technology is all grown up, repackaged, and rechristened the Legged Squad Support System (or LS3), its eyes are very much open - and fixed firmly on the soldier in front of it. The new LS3 prototype has just undergone its first outdoor exercise, demonstrating the ability to "see" its surroundings and distinguish between objects and humans.

An Oral History of Extreme Sports

2020-02-09T06:41:00.0000000+11:00

In the waning decades of the 20th century, men from New Zealand began inventing new ways to injure themselves. They jumped from bridges with elastic bands attached to their ankles, ran class-five rapids without boats, and fixed themselves to large kites to achieve great speed. Soon enough, a culture had emerged - one that paired backyard engineering with the pursuit of adrenaline. Today, thanks to these pioneers, brave souls the world over may hurtle through the air, down mountains and up rivers and live to brag about it. In their own words, the inventors explain how extreme sport on this island nation came to be, and where it might go next.

Grey Matter: Recasting The Highly Hazardous Toys of the Past

2020-02-09T03:42:00.0000000+11:00

Among the most strictly enforced consumer-protection laws are those banning lead in toys. Lead is an insidious poison: It's slow-acting and results not in immediately noticeable effects like rashes but in behavioral problems and a slightly lowered IQ. Even a very small amount of it is harmful. Yet a few decades ago, a lot of the most popular playthings were made from solid lead, including tin soldiers.

Pretty Space Pics: The Carina Nebula 'Dramatically' Captured in Infrared

2020-02-09T03:35:00.0000000+11:00

Today in Pretty Space Pics: The Carina Nebula, detailed as never before in the infrared spectrum. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) snapped the above image from its perch at Paranal in Chile, revealing features of Carina's space-scape that are hidden in the visible spectrum. Even the ESO's press machine is impressed with this one, calling it "one of the most dramatic images ever created by the VLT."

Video: Barack Obama Test-Fires a Marshmallow Cannon at the White House Science Fair

2020-02-09T02:35:00.0000000+11:00

"The Secret Service is going to be mad at me about this." And with due cause, Mr. President, for we're pretty sure projectile weapons are prohibited in the State Dining Room of the White House. Nonetheless, an exception was made yesterday as President of the United States Barack Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair, where he surveyed more than 30 student projects, cracked jokes with youngsters and the press, and - most notably - participated in a demo of 14-year-old Joey Hudy's "Extreme Marshmallow Cannon." Which is exactly what it sounds like.

Aussie Scientists Declare 200,000-Year-Old Seagrass World's Oldest Lifeform

2020-02-09T02:01:00.0000000+11:00

A patch of Posidonia oceanica, a species of seagrass native to the Mediterranean, has just gotten its DNA sequenced and its age determined - and as it turns out, some parts of this particular patch are up to 200,000 years old. That easily destroys the previous world record of the oldest living organism, a Tasmanian plant believed to be around 43,000 years old. Ha! A youngun!

Nearly One Third of Americans are Afraid of Dangerous Electric Cars

2020-02-08T13:32:00.0000000+11:00

A survey into consumer attitudes towards electric cars in the United States has found that by far the biggest barrier to a purchase is maximum trip distance, but also found a rather large percentage of people are worried that the vehicles are actually more dangerous than standard cars.

Canon SX260 HS, Powershot D20, IXUS Line to Launch Locally First Half This Year

2020-02-08T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

Canon are launching a suite of compact cameras for the Australian market this year, with the flagship Powershot SX260 HS, the waterproof Powershot D20, and the Wifi enabled IXUS 510 HS and 240 HS units all due to land in the first half of this year.

UK Report Suggests Soldiers Could One Day Plug Their Weapons Right Into Their Brains

2020-02-08T09:58:00.0000000+11:00

A group of forward-thinking military scientists want to plug soldiers' weapons directly into their brains, and this time DARPA is nowhere to be found. The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of scientific thought, issued a report today on the applications of neuroscience in the military and law enforcement contexts. Discussed therein: new performance-enhancing designer drugs, brain stimulation to boost brain function, and weapons systems that plug directly into the brain.

iRobot's 710 Warrior, Strong Enough to Tow a Car, is Finally Ready for the Field

2020-02-08T08:16:00.0000000+11:00

We've been catching glimpses of iRobot's 710 Warrior ground robot at trade shows and in videos for something like 2 years now. We even saw a couple of pared down prototypes deployed to Fukushima prefecture to assist with the radiation cleanup after the earthquake in Japan in last year. And finally the behemoth of the iRobot ground fleet is going up for sale. Ready the 45-metre strings of mine-excavating explosive charges - seriously.

Attempt at the World's Highest Skydive, from 120,000 Feet, is Rescheduled for August

2020-02-08T08:13:00.0000000+11:00

Man has never crossed the sound barrier outside of an aircraft, and Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner - holder of several records for jumping off of very tall things - has wanted to be the first for several years now. And he finally might get his chance in 2012. After being set back by a lawsuit, the Red Bull Stratos initiative is back on track, which means Baumgartner could make the world's highest skydive jump from 120,000 feet as soon as August of this year.

Video Gallery: The Most Amazing Movies of the Minuscule World

2020-02-08T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Every year we're enthralled by the smallest things among us, as scientists capture stunningly beautiful and bizarre images under the microscope. For the first time, the people who bring us the annual Small World Microphotography Competition have caught the world of the tiny on tape.

Making Your Own Fun, One Brick At a Time

2020-02-08T07:13:00.0000000+11:00

As part of our series on fun, we look at the Minecraft phenomenon. Now a gold release game instead of simply being in Perpetual Beta (it hit 1.2 a couple of days ago), Minecraft is proof that one guy - and then a couple of other guys - in a garage - and then later, in an office - can make piles of money. But what is it that makes the game so much fun to play?

Drones Will Be Admitted to Standard US Airspace By 2015

2020-02-08T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

The skies are going to look very different pretty soon, and it's been a long time coming. United States Congress finally passed a spending bill for their Federal Aviation Administration, allocating US$63.4 billion for modernising the country's air traffic control systems and expanding airspace for unmanned planes within three and a half years.

Nikon's New D800 Is a 36.3-Megapixel Multimedia Monster

2020-02-08T04:45:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends over at Popular Photography got themselves a look at the new Nikon D800 DSLR, the followup to the well-liked D700 and the soon-to-be little brother to Nikon's newest Official Big Boy Camera (note: this is not an official term used by Nikon (though maybe it should be? Call us, Nikon)), the D4. .

This Cuddly Phase-Change Robot Will Keep You Warm at Night

2020-02-08T04:02:00.0000000+11:00

The space heater nestled perpetually at my side this time of year can be pretty comforting, but it's not great for my utility bills. It would be better to direct the heat in my house more efficiently, like capturing warmth from the refrigerator, computer, DVR and other appliances. This prototype phase-changing heater ‘bot would do just that.

Building a Drivable OutRun Arcade Cabinet

2020-02-08T02:20:00.0000000+11:00

In the late 1980s, millions of arcade-addicted kids sat in the faux racing seats of Sega's OutRun videogame, grabbed the rubber-covered wheel of the imitation Ferrari Testarossa, pressed down on the pedals, and imagined they were roaring down the street. Twenty-five years later, one of those kids, Garnet Hertz, has realised that fantasy, modding a 500-kilo arcade machine to ride on pavement.

MIT Scientist Offers $100,000 to Anyone Who Can Prove Quantum Computing Is Impossible

2020-02-07T09:24:00.0000000+11:00

Scott Aaronson, a scientist at MIT who works mostly with theoretical quantum computers, issued a challenge to all of those deniers out there: prove that "scaleable quantum computing is impossible in the physical world," and Aaronson will personally pony up $100,000 to the winner.

83-Year-Old Woman Gets the World's First 3D Printed Jaw Transplant

2020-02-07T04:57:00.0000000+11:00

A European octogenarian is the recipient of the first-ever 3D printed jawbone, made of titanium powder that was sintered together one layer at a time. The recipient regained her ability to speak a few hours after the surgery, Belgian doctors said Monday. It could pave the way for a new wave of 3D printed body parts - maybe not full organs yet, but certainly bones or joints.

How to Get Yesterday's Games on Today's Mobile Devices

2020-02-07T04:09:00.0000000+11:00

Fans of classic video games have long been able to mimic old game systems on their computers using apps called emulators. Now, smartphones and tablets can also run them. With the right emulator and game files (downloaded separately), virtual versions of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis and other consoles - as well as dozens of vintage arcade titles that can't be found as standalone downloads - will be available anywhere.

Antarctica's Frozen Lake Vostok, Isolated for 20 Million Years, Breached By Russian Drills

2020-02-07T03:09:00.0000000+11:00

The Russian scientists drilling into ancient buried Antarctic Lake Vostok have reached their destination, the Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported today. The team is apparently alive and well despite a week of suspicious radio silence, but more details are to come about what they've found buried under three kilometres of ice.

The PopSci Flash Arcade

2020-02-07T02:32:00.0000000+11:00

In our February issue, Popular Science explores the Future of Fun. Now we've teamed up with the video game experts at Kill Screen to bring you a week-long special feature exploring the unexpected ways we have fun with games today - and how what's even considered a "video game" is ever-changing.

Malaria Kills 1.2 Million - Twice As Many As Previously Thought

2020-02-06T15:55:00.0000000+11:00

An international study has found that over 1.2 million people died from malaria around the world in 2010 - almost twice as many people as recorded in the next best set of records kept by a UN sponsored agency.

Can The Open Source Spark Carve Out A Niche?

2020-02-06T12:53:00.0000000+11:00

Over the past couple of days the internet discovered there was a new, open source tablet in the works. It's been built to try and deal with the particular qualms some users have with using the major tablet OS's - the extreme limitation or "walled garden" imposed in iOS and Windows 8, and the licensing restrictions (and the lag between Google's development and release of source code) with Android. The question, though, is this: do enough people actually care?

VIDEO: Astronaut Ice Cream, For When You Have Cravings In Space

2020-02-06T11:42:00.0000000+11:00

Now, let's be honest. The first thing we all think when considering a weekend jaunt into space is "Whatever will I do for desserts?" Well, that's what I think anyway. Regardless, we salute the man who made this video, who has made the life of prospective-but-not-really astronauts that little bit more pleasant. And creamy, in a crunchy, freeze-dried sort of way.

Aussies Help Create New Material From Graphene That Is Tougher Than Kevlar

2020-02-06T10:27:00.0000000+11:00

A team of international scientists, including researchers from the University of Wollongong, have developed a new graphene-based material that is unusually tough, even beating out bulletproof substances such as kevlar by a far margin.

This Week in the Future, January 30-February 3, 2020

2020-02-06T09:45:00.0000000+11:00

Whoa, you guys. This is one of our favorite Baarbarian illustrations ever. That weird story about the blue goo spheres dropping from the sky did seem like something dreamt up by a sheep.

To Compare Human and Monkey Brains, Humans and Monkeys Watch a Clint Eastwood Film

2020-02-06T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

Scores of animals exist in scientific laboratories for the purpose of serving as our proxies, their cortices mapped and their flu responses studied so scientists can figure out how humans work. But in many cases, there's little agreement between their functions and ours, and scientists need to figure out how to draw useful comparisons. To get a better handle on this, brain researchers had humans and monkeys watch "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" inside an MRI machine.

The Future of Fun Is Repetitive Drudgery

2020-02-04T09:13:00.0000000+11:00

Look at this video game. It's a great motivator to keep your monitor spotlessly clean - go on, get your chemical-impregnated microfiber cloth and give it a wipedown right now - but is it actually fun? I contend not.

A Modern Super Bowl Sunday Is Nothing Without Foamed Gastro-Morsels

2020-02-04T07:47:00.0000000+11:00

The creators of Modernist Cuisine are getting ready to watch the big game just likeeverybody else in the States: infusing water with cheddar cheese, blending an emulsified sauce with engineered tapioca starch, and deep-frying delicious snacks for all to enjoy.

10-Year-Old Accidentally Creates New Molecule in Science Class

2020-02-04T05:52:00.0000000+11:00

Clara Lazen is the discoverer of tetranitratoxycarbon, a molecule constructed of, obviously, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. It's got some interesting possible properties, ranging from use as an explosive to energy storage. Lazen is listed as the co-author of a recent paper on the molecule. But that's not what's so interesting and inspiring about this story. What's so unusual here is that Clara Lazen is a ten-year-old fifth-grader in Kansas City, MO.

Russian Scientists Drilling into "Alien" Antarctic Lake Vostok Fall Silent

2020-02-04T04:48:00.0000000+11:00

At Lake Vostok, the coldest place on earth, a Russian team of scientists have been attempting to drill through a 3.2-kilometr-thick ice layer into the subterranean lake, which has been isolated for some 20 million years. But the team has not been heard from for five days, according to a report by the Global Post.

The ancient, pristine cache of fresh water below the ice is a unique environment. It may be supersaturated with dissolved gases and geyser up when the drill penetrates the last few feet. It may also hold unknown lifeforms, such as ancient extremophile bacteria. We anxiously await word.

Cool Plasma Torch Kills Germs on Raw Chicken

2020-02-04T04:04:00.0000000+11:00

We've seen the plasma beam toothbrush, where a blast of room-temperature plasma destroys plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Now researchers at Drexel University have applied the technology to raw chicken and found that the gentle blue blast of ionised matter effectively removes pathogens on the poultry's surface.

The Seventh-Generation Porsche 911 is Lighter, Faster and More Efficient

2020-02-04T03:09:00.0000000+11:00

Since unveiling the 911 Carrera in 1963, Porsche has built many dozens of variations, ranging from convertibles to racing editions to subtly tweaked versions distinguishable only to board members of the Porsche Club of America. Full-blown generational revamps have been rarer. When the seventh Porsche 911 arrives this month, 90 per cent of the vehicle's components will be new or redesigned. The result is a car that corners more evenly and consumes less gas, yet is substantially quicker than its predecessors.

Video: PopSci's Favorite Japanese Fembot Gets a Modeling Job at the Mall

2020-02-04T02:10:00.0000000+11:00

In this economy, a job is a job. And while we await the day that we can hire our robot companions to handle our household duties, humanoid semi-celeb Geminoid-F is exploring other possibilities at a Takashimaya department store in Tokyo. Here, Geminoid is blazing a trail for androids everywhere by taking a job in a storefront window to see how the humans passing by respond.

We Christen Thee the Pentax BananaCamera

2020-02-03T09:20:00.0000000+11:00

Pentax just announced their cheerfully-colored K-01, an interchangeable-lens compact camera. It's sort of in the same category as the Sony NEX-7, which we love: it's the size of a point-and-shoot, but it has an APS-C sensor and the ability to swap lenses like a DSLR. Compared to the NEX-7, it's quite a bit cheaper, and you get access to Pentax's roughly 25 bajillion (science.) available lenses, but it's also larger and does not have a viewfinder. On the other hand, yellow. Read more at PopPhoto.

Chili Crab Dinner Inspires Robot That Crawls Down Your Throat To Grab Your Cancer

2020-02-03T09:11:00.0000000+11:00

Who ever doubted an amazing meal could change your life? Researchers in Singapore have developed a robotic surgery device inspired by the country's famous national dish, chili crab. The mini crab robot crawls down your throat and into the stomach, where its pincers grab onto a cancerous mass and a hook slices it away.

New Climate Change Culprit: Chilean Man Stealing Glaciers to Put In Cocktails

2020-02-03T09:09:00.0000000+11:00

Police in Capitán Prat Province, Chile, have stopped a refrigerated truck carrying nearly 5 1/2 metric tons of ice bound for cocktail bars in Santiago, and arrested the driver on suspicion of having thieved the ice from a glacier in a Patagonian national park.

GRAIL Probes Shoot the First Movie of the Dark Side of the Moon

2020-02-03T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

A camera on board NASA's gravity-mapping moon probes captured its first view of the dark side of the moon, a collection of images as part of a camera test in January. The clip serves as a prelude to the GRAIL probes' secondary mission, which will allow schoolchildren to control its cameras and snap pictures of moon features.

Is This New Study the Nail in the Coffin of "Arsenic Life"?

2020-02-03T06:55:00.0000000+11:00

Microbiologist Rosie Redfield, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, spent several months trying to reproduce the results of an experiment conducted by a team led by Felisa Wolfe-Simon (see the feature "Scientist in a Strange Land" I wrote for PopSci in October.) In the original paper, published in the online edition of the journal Science in December 2010, Wolfe-Simon and her team suggested that a bacterium called GFAJ-1 could substitute arsenic, poisonous for most life forms, for phosphorus, considered an essential element for all living cells.

2011 Visualisation Challenge Winners Teach Science Through Art

2020-02-03T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

A multicoloured mouse eye, the macro-scale universe, alien slugs on the face of a baby cucumber - all these images accomplish a pretty impressive feat: They look awesome, and they can teach us something about the world we live in and our place in it. They are among the winners of the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualisation Challenge, sponsored by the journal Science and the National Science Foundation.

Video: To Enable the Robo-Insects of the Future, Researchers Capture Butterfly Flight at 3,000 FPS

2020-02-03T05:04:00.0000000+11:00

Neither bio-mimicking robots nor insect-analog micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) are new concepts. But where super high-speed video capture, competitive figure skating, and lepidopterology collide, there PopSci shall be. Today, that means turning our attention to Johns Hopkins University, where engineering undergrad Tiras Lin is potentially shaking up insect-like aerial robot design.

Paint Your Roof With Working Solar Cells Made from Grass Clippings

2020-02-03T04:06:00.0000000+11:00

Installing a solar roof on your home could one day be as simple as mixing your yard clippings into a stew of inexpensive chemicals and painting the resulting mixture right onto your rooftop. An MIT researcher has developed a method of manufacturing solar panels on the spot from agricultural waste, sidestepping the need for silicon and making ready-to-mix solar cheap and abundant virtually anywhere.

DARPA Invests In Megapixel Augmented-Reality Contact Lenses

2020-02-03T02:24:00.0000000+11:00

The augmented reality future we were long ago promised has been slow to come around, perhaps restrained most by the basic biology of our own eyes, which are unable to properly see detailed images placed very near the pupils. But via technology developed in part with a certain government agency, Washington-based Innovega has created a unique contact lens technology that allows the eye to focus on images projected very close to the eyes as well as objects in the real world beyond.

Today in Scientific Papercraft: Anatomical Cross-Sections

2020-02-03T02:04:00.0000000+11:00

Artist Lisa Nilsson's "Tissue Series" is a collection of some pretty incredible paper work - she used a technique called quilling or paper filigree ("a technique of rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper [...] first practiced by Renaissance nuns and monks who made artistic use of the gilded edges of worn out bibles") to reconstruct various parts of the human body with only paper. Check out more at her site.

Video: SpaceX Test-Fires Its New Super-Powerful Capsule Engines

2020-02-02T08:51:00.0000000+11:00

SpaceX's dream of fielding a spacelaunch system that is completely reusable is inching forward with the successful test-firing of its new SuperDraco engine. The powerful new SuperDraco will be installed in the side walls of the next-gen Dragon spacecraft and provide up to 54,000 kilos of axial thrust, enabling not only on orbit maneuvering, but emergency escape from the rocket tower should something go awry during launch.

Amazonian Rainforest Fungus Eats Polyurethane, Potentially Solving a Big Landfill Problem

2020-02-02T07:40:00.0000000+11:00

To the multitude of arguments for protecting rainforest biodiversity, here's a new addition: An Amazonian fungus could eat our most durable landfill waste. A group of students from Yale found the fungus during an expedition to Ecuador and learned it breaks down polyurethane.

Mitt Romney: The US Republican's Uncanny Valley Candidate?

2020-02-02T06:46:00.0000000+11:00

The presumptive Republican nominee looks pretty much like a presidential contender should, with the right business-y haircut, dazzling smile and nice-seeming family. But he has a really hard time connecting with voters. Over at the Atlantic, Brian Fung says this is because he's like a creepy robot - almost too perfect, yet wrong, and therefore deep in Uncanny Valley.

Hilarious "Theory of Everything" Paper Provokes Kerfuffle

2020-02-02T05:05:00.0000000+11:00

Erik Andrulis, an assistant professor of molecular at Case Western University, has published an article in a new peer-reviewed journal called Life. His "theoretical framework," he says, "unifies the macrocosmic and microcosmic realms, validates predicted laws of nature, and solves the puzzle of the origin and evolution of cellular life in the universe."

FYI: Do Animals Dream?

2020-02-02T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

Yes. Many pet owners have seen their sleeping dog or cat twitch or paw the air, as if dreaming of bones to bury or mice to chase. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia in the US, and author of the book The Intelligence of Dogs, says that canines go through the same sleep stages as we do, only faster.

Video: Swarm of Tiny Quadcopters Do a Delicate Dance

2020-02-02T02:03:00.0000000+11:00

The GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is a perennial PopSci favorite. Yeah, yeah, we've all seen robotic quadcopter drones before. But these tiny, so-called "nano quadrotors" are kind of blowing my mind right now. Dial the video below up to about 0:40 and you'll see why.

VIDEO: Material From Beyond Our Solar System Is Like Nothing We've Seen Before

2020-02-01T15:24:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer satellite, also know as IBEX, has caught the best look yet at particles from outside our solar system. The result? They're strange and different, matching nothing we've seen before.

The Best Way to Unbuild a Dam

2020-02-01T15:17:00.0000000+11:00

In 2010, engineers in the U.S.A dismantled 60 dams, helping to reclaim rivers for wildlife. Most of these dams were small, though; removing large ones poses a much bigger challenge. In September, the US National Park Service started the largest-ever dam-removal project in the US, on the 64 metre (the tallest ever removed) and 33 metre dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park in the state of Washington.

Climate Change Impacts Long Term Human Survivability

2020-02-01T12:43:00.0000000+11:00

According to Australian archaeological and historical research, climate change could potentially cause more problems than simply than economic hard ship and ecological damage. It has been shown to have previously caused more sustained damage to human survivability, increasing the likelihood of things such as longer-term food shortages and disease.

Translating Brain Waves to Reconstruct Sounds and Conversations You've Heard

2020-02-01T11:09:00.0000000+11:00

As you listened to your colleagues' conversations at work today, or to a podcast on the train home, or to your personal trainer shouting lift, your brain completed some complex tasks. The frequencies of syllables and whole words were decoded and given meaning, and you could make sense of the language-filled world we live in without actively thinking about it. Now a team of researchers from the University of California at Berkeley has figured out how to map some of these cortical computations. It's a major step toward understanding how we hear - and a possible step toward hearing what we think.

Video: People Flying, Superhero Style, Over New York City

2020-02-01T09:32:00.0000000+11:00

Viral marketing agency Thinkmodo has been bringing sci-fi to life in the skies over New York City for the past couple of weeks, so if you were in NYC and thought you saw something out of the ordinary in the past few days - like perhaps a few people lazily looping around the skyline like superheroes - no need to adjust your medication. To promote an upcoming film, the agency custom built three remote controlled aircraft shaped like humans and put them in the air over New York and New Jersey.

Nanotube Paint Can Spot Structural Defects and Alert Authorities Before Damage Occurs

2020-02-01T09:03:00.0000000+11:00

A new paint made of power plant waste and carbon nanotubes can automatically detect structural faults, alerting authorities before damage occurs. It could be a cheaper, easier way to monitor facilities like bridges, mines and even wind turbines.

Handheld Pathogen Sensor Could Diagnose HIV in 30 Minutes

2020-02-01T08:02:00.0000000+11:00

Working with support of the Bill & Medlinda Gates Foundation's Grand Challenge to develop field-worthy point-of-care diagnostics for the developing world, a couple of Cornell researchers are mashing up their individual inventions to create a handheld pathogen detector that can quickly diagnose pathogens ranging from chlamydia and tuberculosis to HIV.

Online Shopper Habit Analysis in Offline Stores

2020-02-01T07:21:00.0000000+11:00

Millions of security cameras capture constant video at businesses and retail locations around the world, but for the most part their footage is only useful if someone shoplifts and cops need to check it out. But there's a wealth of data buried in that video, from customer density to crowd shopping preferences. A new US startup can analyse surveillance video to help business owners see what their customers do, in the way websites can easily track online shoppers' browsing habits.

Translucent Blue Spheres Rain Down in the UK, Mystifying Meteorologists

2020-02-01T02:06:00.0000000+11:00

Prepare your tinfoil hats: A man in Dorset, UK, was showered with tiny spheres of blue goo that rained down from the sky during a hailstorm last week. The tiny, one-inch gelatinous spheres are odorless, are not sticky, and are not meteorological, British authorities say. Basically, no one has any real clue what they are. Somebody get PopSci chief space correspondent Newt Gingrich on the line.

Why Shell runs a portable fuel lab as part of Ferrari's F1 team

2020-01-31T15:28:00.0000000+11:00

You know when Ferrari has arrived for the big race. Suddenly, there are huge, red trucks everywhere. They park and unfold all sorts of marvellous toys. Workshops, tools, clever men and women, and of course those beautiful crimson F1 cars.

But there's another truck in the Ferrari F1 team, and on the side there's a shell next to the famous prancing stallion. It's a fully-equipped fuel laboratory, unique in the competition, dedicated to analysing the petrol and lubricants that go into the race cars. Let's take a look inside...

Scientists Warn of Tipping Points Approaching In Arctic Climate

2020-01-31T12:13:00.0000000+11:00

A team of scientists led by a climate researcher from the University of Western Australia have found a series of climate "tipping points" in the Arctic regions that, if realised, could cause large scale climate changes across the entire planet.

Should Scientists Be Held Legally Responsible for Their Results?

2020-01-31T11:29:00.0000000+11:00

On March 31, 2020, a panel of scientists and civil servants met to assess the risk presented by a recent series of tremors in the Abruzzo region of Italy. They concluded that a major seismic event was unlikely. Soon thereafter, Bernardo De Bernardinis, the vice-director of Italy's Department of Civil Protection, the organisation that put together the panel, told reporters that citizens should not worry, and even agreed with a journalist who suggested that people should relax with a glass of wine.

Hip-Hop Basslines Could Power Implantable Medical Devices

2020-01-31T08:28:00.0000000+11:00

Your favorite hip-hop artist could save a life someday - or at least control a person's bladder - through the power of heavy bass beats, according to new research. Acoustic waves from rap music shudder through your body with ease, and can readily power a new implantable medical device.

Curiosity Rover, on its Way to Mars, Finds Out What a Solar Storm Feels Like

2020-01-31T08:17:00.0000000+11:00

Last week's solar eruption and resulting radiation bombardment - the biggest recorded in seven years - made its presence felt here on Earth via altered flight paths for some planes in the Northern Hemisphere and a certain degree of hand-wringing over the health of satellites in the solar storm's path. But it also made an impression far from Earth aboard the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, currently cruising the interplanetary space between Earth and Mars.

Video: Skin Augmented With Spider-Silk Stops a Speeding Bullet

2020-01-31T07:24:00.0000000+11:00

Extolling the many virtues of spider silk is something of a trend these days, as the fine yet remarkably hardy material continues to best even the strongest synthetic materials (a good spider silk weave is supposedly four times stronger than Kevlar). But this latest application makes transgenic, spider silk-producing goats seem simple by comparison: A bioengineered skin so tough that it stops a speeding bullet from penetrating.

Video: A New 'Smart Bullet' Deploys Fins and Guides Itself to a Laser-Designated Target

2020-01-31T05:21:00.0000000+11:00

Precision guided weapons are usually the purview of larger weapons platforms, like naval vessels, combat aircraft, or assault vehicles. But a couple of Sandia National Labs engineers are bringing the guided munition down from the mountaintop and putting it into the hands of the average infantryman. The engineers have developed and patented a new breed of self-guided bullet that can navigate its way to a laser-designated target at ranges of more than a mile.

Zapping Testicles With Ultrasonic Pulses Shown To Be Effective Contraceptive

2020-01-31T04:12:00.0000000+11:00

An ultrasound zap to the testicles can stop the production of sperm, reducing overall sperm count to a level that would render males infertile, according to a new study involving rats. Further studies are still needed to test how long this new contraceptive method would last, and whether infertility could be reversed. But for the researchers studying rat and monkey testicles, the early results are pretty gratifying.

Testing the Best Audiophile-Quality Headphones

2020-01-31T03:45:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends over at Sound + Vision rounded up six of the best-sounding over-the-ear headphones out there. Put away your packaged Apple "White Plastic Circles of Pain" earbuds - these will fill your earholes with some of the finest-quality audio on the market.

Big Batteries Give Electric Yard Tools the Power to Compete with Gas-Guzzlers

2020-01-31T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

While battery-powered yard tools are quiet, efficient and hassle free, they rarely pack the same power as their gas-consuming counterparts. But new electric yard tools with bigger batteries have muscle that rivals their gaseous brethren.

FYI: Will Listening to Mozart Really Make Me Smarter?

2020-01-31T02:14:29.0000000+11:00

Yes, but no more than listening to Justin Bieber. The misconception that there's something unique about Mozart's ability to increase brainpower began in 1993, with a paper in Nature. Neurobiologists Gordon Shaw, Frances Rauscher and Katherine Ky of the University of California at Irvine found that students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata demonstrated a temporary increase in spatial-temporal reasoning, as measured by an IQ test. The public seized on the romantic idea that listening to Mozart would make them smarter, and Don Campbell, a teacher and music educator from Texas, capitalized on the notion with an international bestseller, The Mozart Effect.

Tasman Warming Three Times Global Average

2020-01-30T16:42:00.0000000+11:00

A study co-authoured by a CSIRO scientist has just been published that examines warming in the Tasman Sea, finding that major oceanic currents like the Eastern Australian Current (EAC) are moving towards the poles, generating ~~heat~~ warming at a rate two to three times the global oceanic average. This has implications not only for the ecology of south-east Australia, but warming globally.

Video: Have An Old Bike? Turn It Into a Working Machine Instead

2020-01-30T12:50:00.0000000+11:00

It can be hard to know what to do with an old bike. I'm sure I have one or two partially collapsed examples lying around in my garage. But here's an eye-opener - the mechanisms that make your bike work can actually be useful in a range of other applications as well, like pumping water, or shelling nuts. If you're in a country that's struggling, that can be a big deal.

Nokia Lumia 800 to Launch in Australia for March

2020-01-30T12:26:00.0000000+11:00

It's official - Nokia's flagship Windows Phone handset is set to be on sale with all three major Aussie telcos, as well as major retailers, from March of this year.

Numbers: Kindle Fire Driving Android Sales?

2020-01-30T11:49:00.0000000+11:00

We all like pie graphs, especially when they're about hot gadgets. One online analytics group has served up interestingly-flavoured pastry-based visualisation, showing the Kindle Fire now sharing top spot as the most used Android tablet, taking a third of the total Android tablet usage pie and eating into the huge portion the Samsung Galaxy Tab held in November last year.

This Week in the Future, January 23-27, 2012

2020-01-30T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Look, world's longest ongoing experiment. You're impressive. We won't deny that. But the fact that nobody has ever seen your tar pitch actually drip in person, after 85 years, is infuriating. Just ask this trio of impatient folks: Ms. Hawk, Admiral F-35, and Dr. Whiskeybottle are all waiting for something, anything, to happen.

Growing Snow to Help Predict Avalanches

2020-01-30T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Ed Adams, an engineering professor at Montana State University in the US, used to study avalanches from inside a fortified shack. He would attach his shack to a boulder on a mountain, set small explosives in the snowpack, and trigger an avalanche, surrounding the shack.

Building a Vertical Farm in an Old Chicago Meatpacking Plant

2020-01-28T15:30:00.0000000+11:00

Recently I had the opportunity to visit The Plant, Chicago's first vertical farm. This claim depends on your definition of vertical farm, of course, because The Plant isn't the sort of futuristic vegetation-filled skyscraper you might expect, and it isn't solely agricultural. While food will be grown there, the space will also house small food-related businesses, breweries and bakeries and the like, so it might be more accurate to classify it as a "food business incubator." Whatever you call it, The Plant is definitely an example of innovative green food production, with the ambitious goal of being net-zero energy and net-zero waste by 2015.

How D-Dalus Flies Like Nothing Else

2020-01-28T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

Last year, the Austrian engineering firm IAT21 set out to construct a flying machine that floated like a hummingbird, traveled as fast as a jet, was as quiet as a hot-air balloon, and was simple enough that a car mechanic could repair it. The company's working prototype, called D-Dalus, is roughly one and a half by one square metre and can lift about 45 kilos. But the size and lift are not what's most impressive. A flying machine with no airfoil, rotor or jet propulsion can travel where most cannot: in very tight spaces and through terrible weather.

Study Shows Females Can Delay the Aging of Sperm Cells for Decades

2020-01-28T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

A new study, led by Dr. Klaus Reinhardt at the University of Sheffield, shows that females of some species can prolong the lifespan of ordinarily short-lived sperm cells by days, months, or even decades, waiting for the optimal time to use it. The study could have some big implications for the general study of aging, as well.

The Photographs of Fritz Goro, One of the Best Science Photographers of All Time

2020-01-28T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Life put together a gallery of the photographs of Fritz Goro, a German-born photographer for Life as well as Scientific American. Goro died in 1986, but was once called "the most influential photographer that science journalism (and science in general) has ever known."

How To Significantly Reduce Carbon Emissions - Paint Roofs White

2020-01-27T11:47:00.0000000+11:00

A study by the University of Melbourne has shown that the city could reduce CO2 emissions by over a million kilograms simply by painting the roofs of every building in the CBD white.

How Disposable, Networked Satellites Will Democratise Space

2020-01-27T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

In 1999, professors Robert Twiggs of Stanford University and Jordi Puig-Suari of California Polytechnic State University began to standardise the satellite business. They designed a small orbital unit - a four-inch cube with little metal feet - that was wide enough for solar cells, basing their design on a plastic display box for Beanie Babies. Their "CubeSat" had enough room for a computer motherboard and a few other parts necessary to do limited experiments in space, such as monitoring weather or photographing Earth. The design would significantly lower the cost for students to conduct experiments in space. CubeSats could be launched at the same time and piggyback on larger, more expensive missions, mitigating the expense of getting satellites into orbit.

The World's First 3D, Free-Standing Invisibility Cloak Conceals from All Angles

2020-01-27T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

The search for the perfect invisibility cloak lumbers onward, but that lumbering is starting to pick up speed. We're hearing more and more these days about metamaterials, the possibilities of time cloaking, and other such future-stuff. And today, from deep in the heart of Texas, we get another tantalising finding: UT researchers have, for the first time, cloaked a three-dimensional object in free space. That is, no matter the angle of observation, the object was rendered invisible in 3D.

The New York Public Library Helps You Turn 100-Year-Old Photographs Into 3-D GIFs

2020-01-27T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

The New York Public Library has an archive of over 40,000 historical stereographs, many well over a hundred years old. Stereographs are regular photographs, except in pairs, with the perspective very slightly different. Essentially, stereographs are what you were looking at through your ViewMaster as a kid. And now the NYPL has created a pretty amazing tool they're calling the Stereogranimator that lets users create animated 3-D GIFs from the photos in the archive.

Video: Researchers Produce the First High-Quality 3D Images of an Individual Protein

2020-01-27T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

Proteins are like the workhorses of genetic biology, but they can be notoriously difficult to study. Their structure has everything to do with their function - and sometimes dysfunction - which has far-reaching implications in health and medicine. That's why it's such a big deal that a couple of researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have more or less hacked their cryo-electron microscope to see at far greater resolutions than its manufacturer intended and produced the first 3D images of an individual protein with enough clarity to determine its structure.

The Moon Should Be the 51st State, and Other Space Dreams From Newt Gingrich

2020-01-27T05:30:00.0000000+11:00

At the sunset of Newt Gingrich's putative presidency, the moon would be the 51st state, colonised by permanent American settlers. Tourists would honeymoon in low-Earth orbit, space factories would manufacture goods in microgravity, and America would have a rocket powerful enough to send us to Mars.

Video: New Quantum Dot Tech Could Boost Current Optical Fibre Band Tenfold

2020-01-27T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

Current optical communications schemes rely on a narrow 1.55 micron wavelength band of about 10 terahertz, a band in which optical signals can be well controlled and loss of signal/data is fairly low. But to open up optical networks to the high data load of the future, we need to open up the span of available wavelength. And using a novel quantum dot technology, researchers at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan have done exactly that, to the tune of a roughly tenfold increase.

How Men Can Decode Women's Menstrual Cycles

2020-01-27T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

"Are you on your period?" It's a question most women have been asked at one point or another by their boyfriend or spouse during a disagreement. It turns out that some men actually can tell when it's a woman's time of the month - and it's not because of the bratty behaviour.

Making the Blackest of Black Materials

2020-01-27T02:20:00.0000000+11:00

This material absorbs more than 99 per cent of visible and ultraviolet light and 98 per cent of infrared light. It's at least 10 times as good at capturing light as black paint, so we can use it in telescopes, where stray light can contaminate measurements. The nanotubes are sparse enough that light passes between them, like sunlight through trees in a forest. When photons hit the sides of the carbon tubes, they transfer their energy to the carbon's electrons, which start to move. The light is converted to motion-heat- which dissipates in the tube - John Hagopian, optical physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Pretty Earth Pics: This Is Our Marble

2020-01-26T11:25:00.0000000+11:00

In the grand tradition of the awe-inspiring "blue marble" pictures, this newest shot from NASA's recently-renamed Suomi NPP satellite is the sharpest, highest resolution picture of its kind we've ever seen.

The World's Only Iridescent Mammal Is Blind and Lives Underground

2020-01-26T09:10:00.0000000+11:00

The golden mole, a small mammal (though not a "true mole") native to southern Africa, is the world's only known iridescent mammal: its coat is made of peculiar hairs that show a blue or green iridescence. This quality isn't unknown to animals; many fish, birds, and insects are iridescent, so why not mammals? But the golden mole can't attract a mate with its shiny coat: it lives underground, and is completely blind.

Video: Eight Years After Martian Touchdown, Opportunity Rover Soldiers On

2020-01-26T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Its solar panels are dusty and its instruments are weakening, but the intrepid Mars rover Opportunity is still undaunted. Today marks the rover's eighth anniversary on the Red Planet, truly a feat for a mission that was designed to last a single season. As the rover embarks on its ninth year of work, it has some brand-new tasks that will give Mars scientists plenty to do long after it has beeped its last transmission home.

Judge Rules Americans Can Be Forced to Decrypt Personal Data - What Does That Mean For You?

2020-01-26T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

In the data age, pretty much nobody stores sensitive information under physical lock and key. Whether it's in Dropbox, Megaupload, a hard drive or an SD card, our confidential records are stored in ones and zeroes protected by encryption software.

Rainforest Expedition Turns Up 46 New Creatures, Including This Cowboy Frog

2020-01-26T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists trekking through the Suriname rainforest, one of the last road-free wilderness areas in the world, turned up a host of animals that conservation biologists believe are new to science. This little guy was just one of them.

Setting Up a House-Shaking, Multi-Room Stereo System

2020-01-26T02:15:00.0000000+11:00

Wiring up a home audio system is the past. Why bother, when there are so many great wireless options out there? Here's a quick guide to the kinds of unplugged music gear that can transform every room in your house into a neat, powerful listening chamber.

FYI: What Is the Longest-Running Lab Experiment? Well, It's In Australia...

2020-01-25T12:10:00.0000000+11:00

Eighty-five years so far. The pitch-drop experiment-really more of a demonstration-began in 1927 when Thomas Parnell, a physics professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, set out to show his students that tar pitch, a derivative of coal so brittle that it can be smashed to pieces with a hammer, is in fact a highly viscous fluid. It flows at room temperature, albeit extremely slowly. Parnell melted the pitch, poured it into a glass funnel, let it cool (for three years), hung the funnel over a beaker, and waited.

Pirate Bay Starts Offering Tangible 3-D Objects For Download

2020-01-25T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

The Pirate Bay, best known as the shady repository of copyright-violating Justified episodes and other audio, video, and software offerings that are not as fun as Justified, is expanding into something a little more legitimate: models for 3D printers. The Pirate Bay is referring to these models as "Physibles."

DARPA Has a Simple Solution to Authentication: Reading Users' Minds

2020-01-25T10:45:00.0000000+11:00

Having contributed in large part to the Internet's very existence, DARPA is now setting out to make its secure networks more secure. But rather than relying upon the conventional notion of a password - a complex string of letters and numerals that an individual must remember - the agency is looking to create a "cognitive fingerprint" for individuals that constantly authenticates that person for the duration of the time he or she has access to a network.

Massive Anti-Doping Testing Facility Unveiled for the Olympics, Will Run 24x7 To Screen Athletes

2020-01-25T10:11:00.0000000+11:00

The BBC just got a look at the newly-unveiled anti-doping testing facility that'll be used at the London Olympics this summer, and it is rightfully hailed as the most high-tech, complete such facility ever conceived. We're talking thousands of workers, testing going 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a space estimated at the size of seven tennis courts.

A Recumbent Tricycle Allows Those Who Have Trouble Balancing to Cycle

2020-01-25T09:51:00.0000000+11:00

Our inspiration came from a classmate who has spina bifida-a split spine-and can't ride a regular bike. Our trike has extra back support and a steering system to make turning easier. On a normal bike, leaning in the direction you want to go helps you turn. It's hard to do that on a trike because it's rigid, but ours has hydraulic pistons that tilt the tires when you lean, allowing you to make tighter corners. You can go just as fast as you could on a regular bike, and we're going to add an electric motor, so it is going to be really fun to ride. We're building a prototype in our shop at school.

A New Moratorium on Research Into Engineered Avian Flu: What It Means for Science

2020-01-25T09:14:00.0000000+11:00

In an unusual move, an international coalition of flu researchers agreed last week to a hiatus on work surrounding a highly contagious, mammal-adapted version of the avian influenza virus. Research on transmissible H5N1 flu will halt, and two manuscripts describing how to modify the virus won't be published, at least not yet.

A Massive Solar Eruption, the Strongest in 7 Years, Has Earth Bracing for a Radiation Storm

2020-01-24T09:34:00.0000000+11:00

There was a time when one rarely had to worry about incoming doom born of outer space, but that time is not now. Between mysterious space balls, falling satellite after falling satellite, and the buildup to 2013's solar maximum, the sky seems more threatening all the time these days. Just ask NOAA, which is today warning of the strongest solar storm since 2005 currently en route to Earth, spawned by a massive M8.7 class flare that erupted from the solar surface late last night.

Video: DARPA Rubs a Flame With an Electric Wand to Extinguish It

2020-01-24T07:45:00.0000000+11:00

A recently-concluded DARPA program sought to extinguish fires using unusual methods. No water or simple common chemicals for DARPA: instead, this is "a novel flame-suppression system based on destabilisation of flame plasma with electromagnetic fields and acoustics techniques." After the jump, you will find a video of somebody rubbing a fire with some sort of rod, which puts the fire out.

Physicists Hope to Catch Neutrons in the Act of Jumping from Our Universe to Another

2020-01-24T06:26:00.0000000+11:00

The notion of multiple universes is one that cosmologists like to theorise about but generally don't relish proving, mainly because doing so would be very difficult. But a team of researchers that showed a few years ago how matter might travel between our universe and others now think they ought to be able to observe this phenomenon in action using existing technology, lending credence to the multiverse theory. All they need is a neutron bottle, some neutrons, and a year.

The Maximum Airspeed Above Which Birds And Drones Are Bound to Crash

2020-01-24T05:23:00.0000000+11:00

In pursuit of fleet-footed prey, the northern goshawk wings through thick forest canopies and underbrush at breakneck speeds, dipping and diving to avoid colliding with trees or other obstacles. But it can only go so fast, apparently obeying an unspoken speed limit dictated not by biology, but by the density of its environment - beyond a certain threshold, it is certain to crash into something. This is an important lesson for makers of drones and other flying objects, according to researchers at MIT and Harvard.

In Its First Night Flight, the F-35 Soars at Sundown

2020-01-24T04:18:00.0000000+11:00

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter hasn't enjoyed a whole lot of good press lately, with a slew of budget overruns, technology concerns, and one very public grounding for the Marine Corps' F-35B variant casting long shadows over the effort to develop America's new fifth-generation fighter jet. But that hasn't stopped the press team at Lockheed Martin from casting the F-35 in a more favorable light in these newly released images of the jet's first night flight.

A Scientific Way to Make Whiskey Taste Years Older Overnight

2020-01-24T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

It takes only 48 hours to distill a barrel of whiskey. The next decade is spent making it taste good. The liquor undergoes constant chemical changes, some from the charred oak of the barrel itself, which acts like a sieve, trapping the large-molecule forms of alcohol (methanol, butanol) that give young whiskey such a rough edge. The process takes years, and as a result good whiskey is old and expensive. Four-year-old bourbon runs about $40 and tastes OK. But a truly delicious bourbon out of its teens will easily fetch $300.

Aussie Tablet Stylus That Communicates Via Sound

2020-01-23T16:20:00.0000000+11:00

A Brisbane-based inventor is working on a snazzy (and now well funded) stylus and software package to be used with practically any tablet (and if you so desire, smartphone), communicating across platforms by both touch and, interestingly enough, sound. We ask him a little more about this project, known as the jaja.

Scientists Create Index To Better Predict Tornado Activity

2020-01-23T13:04:00.0000000+11:00

Well timed to coincide with our feature on the Joplin tornado and its relation to climate, scientists from Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society are looking into climate indicators that tell us when tornadoes will appear.

Tricorders Are Real: Scientists On The Way To Making Handheld Medical Scanners

2020-01-23T10:54:00.0000000+11:00

A group of scientists from Singapore and London have discovered a way to create strong directed beams of terahertz radiation, also known as T-Rays, and do so reliably at room temperature. this could open a way to incorporate the radiation into hand held, portable medical scanners. Hellooooo tricorders.

Did Global Warming Destroy My Hometown?

2020-01-23T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

The tornado that destroyed my hometown was born in an otherwise unremarkable atmospheric collision over the American Central Plains. On May 22, 2020, a geostationary satellite 35,888 kilometres overhead recorded a large collection of cloud lines drifting over southeastern Kansas. At around 2 pm, one of the cloud lines exploded, like a cartographic-scale dry-ice bomb. Dense white vapours poured from nothing, and over the next five hours the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitored the growing supercell thunderstorm as it drifted toward a three-letter abbreviation on the map: "JLN."

This Week in the Future, January 16-20, 2012

2020-01-21T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Good thing all that noise about SOPA and PIPA worked, at least a little. Otherwise you might not get to see this week's great Baarbarian illustration - we might've had to replace all of our images with big black censored bars.

ISS Video: Lightning Over Africa

2020-01-21T07:04:00.0000000+11:00

The best space images are the ones that put our humble place in perspective, whether it's an image from the moon or a particularly stunning nebula. This one accomplishes the task brilliantly, giving a glimpse of the arm of our galaxy hovering over our little planet. Watch a timelapse video below.

Artificially Intelligent Thermostat Automatically Creates a Climate Schedule for You

2020-01-21T06:36:00.0000000+11:00

Programmable thermostats help save money by resetting the temperature when homeowners are asleep or away. But setting them up can be painstaking, and 89 per cent of users never get them out of manual mode. The Nest thermostat requires almost no setup and teaches itself when to adjust the temperature.

Tesla's Model S Sets a New Standard for Battery-Powered Cars

2020-01-21T04:05:00.0000000+11:00

Until now, there hasn't been an all-electric car fit for road-tripping. But Tesla's Model S, due out late in 2012, is made for extended drives. Its battery goes up to 482 kilometres on a charge. Its cabin is spacious enough for seven passengers. And it can get up to cruising speed fast - the Model S accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres in 5.6 seconds.

Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Peruvian Burial Ground

2020-01-21T03:03:00.0000000+11:00

Last August in Huanchaquito, a town on the arid northern coast of Peru, the winter winds uncovered six human skulls. A villager alerted Yale University archaeologist Oscar Gabriel Prieto Burmester to the find, and soon thereafter Burmester and his team had unearthed the ancient remains of 43 children and 76 llamas, and not a single adult - a sacrificial site. Preserved by the area's dry climate, the 900-year-old mummies date to the age of the pre-Columbian Chimú culture.

Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Will Allow Secure Calculation on Encrypted Bits

2020-01-20T12:51:00.0000000+11:00

When quantum computers eventually reach larger scales, they'll probably remain pretty precious resources, locked away in research institutions just like our classical supercomputers. So anyone who wants to perform quantum calculations will likely have to do it in the cloud, remotely accessing a quantum server somewhere else. A new double-blind cryptography method would ensure that these calculations remain secret. It uses the uncertain, unusual nature of quantum mechanics as a double advantage.

Video: How Flies Somersault to Safety Just Before You Swat Them

2020-01-20T12:01:00.0000000+11:00

Ever wonder why flies always get away when you try to swat them? It turns out they're extremely acrobatic. Like, Neo-in-the-Matrix acrobatic. And New Scientist has captured one in near bullet-time to prove it.

Survey Establishes What Kids Want From Robots: Homework Help and Friendship

2020-01-20T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

What would happen if robots were part of your daily life? For us adults, the answer might include sandwich expeditions, help with laundry, cleaning, tricking our friends ... and so on. But kids imagine a whole different level of companionship. Along with playing games, robots would help with students' homework - even more effectively than their parents. They would be non-judgmental friends and constructive critics, helping students think better. They'd be cool because they're smart.

Apple's New iBooks App for iPad Aims to Replace High School Textbooks

2020-01-20T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

This morning at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Apple announced their newest version of iBooks, with a major twist that's designed to remove it from its position as a late-entry contender in the Kindle vs. Nook ebook battle. Instead, Apple's focusing on education, with the eventual aim of replacing paper textbooks with iPad versions.

A Tiny Transistor Hooks Up To Individual Proteins In Human Tears

2020-01-20T09:08:00.0000000+11:00

Wiretapping an enzyme and listening as it unfolds could shed new light on the way proteins work, allowing researchers to monitor structural changes over a longer period of time than was previously possible. To do it, scientists tethered a nanoscale transistor to a molecule found in human tears.

Pretty Space Pics: The Eye-Like Helix Nebula, Staring Right Back at You

2020-01-20T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: The Helix Nebula, captured in infrared light by the European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope at Chile's Paranal Observatory. How this nearby space fixture escaped being named the Eye of Sauron, we have no idea.

When Seconds Count: Today's UN Debate Could Abolish the 'Leap Second'

2020-01-20T05:59:00.0000000+11:00

Unless you're disputing the world record in the 100-metre dash or a buzzer-beater in basketball, a single second is generally not something worth arguing about. But today in Geneva, a single second will be the topic of intense debate as hundreds of delegates from more than 70 nations decide whether or not to kill the "leap second" at a meeting of the UN's telecommunications agency.

World's Radio Telescopes To Take First Photo Of Black Hole

2020-01-19T15:30:00.0000000+11:00

A group of international astronomers are gearing up to knock off another international first - to take the world's first image of an actual black hole with a virtual radio telescope array the size of... well, the world.

FYI: What Happens if I Put Rocket Fuel in My Petrol Tank?

2020-01-19T14:05:00.0000000+11:00

One of life's great, unanswered questions - if one were to put rocket fuel in a car, would it actually run? Well, the answer may surprise you.

A New Faster Fourier Transform Can Speed One of IT's Fundamental Algorithms

2020-01-19T13:07:00.0000000+11:00

An algorithm called the fast Fourier transform is one of the most important aspects of your digital life that you never think about. It's a core concept in information technology, making possible the signal processing, image and audio compression, and other complex mathematics necessary for you to cram every episode of Breaking Bad onto your mobile device alongside every track Jay-Z ever made, and then play it all back without a hitch.

ICS Running On The HP Touchpad: My Life Is Complete

2020-01-19T11:18:00.0000000+11:00

If you're anything like me (and if you also own a firesold HP Touchpad), you've no doubt been checking the various Android-related forums and Twitter accounts at least three times a day for news of Cyanogenmod 9, the premier custom Ice Cream Sandwich Android ROM. You've been hoping that, before long, your Touchpad cup would runneth over with the sweet, ever so slightly dairy-based joy of an OS built for tablets, but unlike WebOS, with a robust app marketplace to go with it. Well, now it's here. Kind of.

How Robots Will Do the Heavy Lifting in the Sahara and Antarctica

2020-01-19T10:50:00.0000000+11:00

Already under construction, these two projects are saving humans from having to work in two of the most inhospitable environments on the planet: the Sahara Desert, and the South Pole in Antarctica.

Newly Found Meteorites Came From Mars, Scientists Confirm

2020-01-19T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

Meteorite chunks that fell in Morocco last summer came from Mars, yielding an unexpected 7 kilo sample of the Red Planet, scientists confirmed recently. It's the first time in 50 years - and only the fifth time ever - that scientists have chemically confirmed that pieces of rock came from Mars.

Microrockets Can Zip Around the Human Stomach, Powered by Hydrogen Bubbles

2020-01-19T09:12:00.0000000+11:00

Tiny machines that can enter our bloodstreams and do work inside of our bodies are a staple of both science fiction and real-world biomedical science, as MEMS and other micromotor devices become increasingly small and effective. A team from the University of California, San Diego USA, is taking the idea even further by creating what it is calling "microrockets": tiny self-propelled motors that can zip around an acidic environment, like the human stomach, without the need for an external fuel source.

In Which I Designed a Part for My Truck, and Got It Built From Scratch

2020-01-19T08:19:00.0000000+11:00

Recently I converted my old Ford pickup to diesel, and I needed to make a bracket to hold a throttle position sensor, which helps to control the new transmission. Often I wing this sort of thing, working from notebook drawings or cardboard models. But this time I decided to use 3D CAD modeling, CNC manufacturing and 3D printing to design and fabricate the part to the exact specifications I wanted.

Metamaterials Can Exert a Whole New Kind of Force

2020-01-18T13:07:00.0000000+11:00

Today in crazy tricks of physics, a few researchers over at the University of Southampton in the UK have theorised that metamaterials ought to be able to generate a wholly new kind of force - something akin to the adhesive force created by gecko toes - that can be turned on and off optically with the throwing of a switch. That force ought to be strong enough to overcome the force of Earth's gravity, opening the door to a range of potential applications - if and when the actual force is found.

Video: Rescuing Disaster Victims With Snake Robots Deployed By Dogs

2020-01-18T11:24:00.0000000+11:00

Dogs and robots are both known for their search and rescue abilities, but each has its own flaws. Robots can't sniff, and other than barking, dogs can't relay specific information about survivors. But put them together and you've really got something.

The Army's Newest Surveillance Drone Can Shoot 80 Years' Worth of Video In a Day

2020-01-18T10:54:00.0000000+11:00

Sometimes the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and the US Army is about to find out if they can create some amazing ISR synthesis by combining two pieces of bleeding-edge technology from its own stores: Boeing's A160 Hummingbird unmanned helo and ARGUS - the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System. Together, the duo will reportedly be able to collect 80 years' worth of HD video each and every day.

Wikipedia Joins Legion of Sites Going Dark This Afternoon Protesting SOPA

2020-01-18T10:12:00.0000000+11:00

From social networking sites to megacompanies, this evening will be a dark day on the Internet. Wikipedia is one of the sites on the list of web giants who plan to shut off temporarily today at 4pm AEST, protesting two bills in Congress that could douse freedom of speech (and freedom of perusal) online.

Space Telescopes Paint A New View of Eagle Nebula

2020-01-18T03:49:00.0000000+11:00

Does the image above look familiar? It shouldn't, because it's brand new. But the subject should certainly ring a bell for any space buff - it's the same vast nebula that became one of the most beloved, coffee-table-booked, computer-wallpapered images in astronomical history. This new image of the Eagle Nebula shows the value of having space observatories that span the light spectrum.

SpaceX Delays the First Launch of its Dragon Spacecraft to the ISS (Again)

2020-01-18T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

The first launch of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to the ISS has been delayed yet again. No new date has been set, but the SpaceX apparently feels its Dragon could benefit from further testing and will not be ready for its scheduled February 7 launch.

The Northernmost Dish In The World: Tracking Satellites and Dodging Polar Bears

2020-01-18T00:30:00.0000000+11:00

Sten-Christian Pedersen oversees the northernmost antenna array on Earth, 25 dishes tracking about 100 satellites on the small archipelago of Svalbard, 805 km south of the North Pole. Even when the winds are -60°C and visibility is 3 metres, Pedersen drives to the satellite station. When there is a risk of avalanche, he takes a helicopter. When there are polar bears, he carries a firearm.

Consumer 3D Printer - Print Your Own Stuff

2020-01-17T14:01:00.0000000+11:00

Ever had a burning desire to digitally design objects and have them realised in the physical world? Maybe you’ve just lost a chess piece and need a new one, pronto. Either way, Cubify’s new home 3D printer has got you covered.

Map Shows The Spread of Trees Across The US

2020-01-17T11:35:00.0000000+11:00

Cataloguing changes in our environment, and particularly the number and spread of trees in a particular area, is important in understanding how we’re affecting our planet over time. To this end, NASA has put together a map of the spread of trees across the whole of the US.

Sydney's Space Aces: Father-Son DIY Exploration

2020-01-17T11:18:00.0000000+11:00

In between playing Xbox and surfing the web, the average Australian kid may build a billycart or cubby-house with his dad. But Sydney's Jason Brand isn't your average kid. At the ripe old age of 9, Jason has launched a weather balloon a quarter of the way into space.

Who Are You Calling Bird Brain?

2020-01-16T12:25:00.0000000+11:00

You might see pigeons as dirty, dumb animals, but your feathered friends are much smarter than they appear. New research from the University of Otago, New Zealand, has found that pigeons have numerical abilities far beyond what was previously known.

Phobos-Grunt Debris Falls To Earth

2020-01-16T11:48:00.0000000+11:00

Allaying the fears of some that the failed Russian spacecraft Phobos-Grunt may crash on land and hurt somebody, debris from the craft’s re-entry is believed to have fallen into the Pacific Ocean, 1,247 kilometres off the coast of Chile.

Teenager developing app gets $250,000 backing from billionaire

2020-01-16T11:19:00.0000000+11:00

Ever wished you didn’t have to sift through the boring details of an article or email? Instead, many people want a nice summary with bullet points highlighting the main facts. The trouble is, computers have difficulty recognising the most important pieces of text to turn into a list or summary - but that's about to change with the help of a 16-year-old living Australian living in London.

Last 'Unique' Moon Mineral Confirmed Found in West Australian Outback

2020-01-16T10:50:00.0000000+11:00

Ever since the moon landings, scientists have been steadily knocking off minerals from a list of those supposedly unique to the moon. The last of the three minerals brought back from the Apollo missions, Tranquillityite, has been confirmed to have been found in, of all places, the WA outback.

This Week in the Future, January 9-13, 2012

2020-01-14T09:20:00.0000000+11:00

The PopSci staff has been darting all over the country this week - Las Vegas, Detroit . . . I guess that's it, but still, those are two places more than we usually go. And at those conventions, surrounded by tens of thousands of people, we often get to wishing we were undetectable, able to drift through the crowds silently and unseen, snapping our photos and then getting the hell out of there. This week's roundup illustration speaks to us.

What's the Most Efficient Design For a Solar Collector? Shape It Like a Sunflower

2020-01-14T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Concentrated solar power plants could get an efficiency boost inspired by flowers, according to MIT researchers. Designing solar mirrors in a spiral pattern similar to sunflower heads could reduce the space required for CSP plants and increase the amount of sunlight the mirrors collect.

Next-Generation Surveillance Robots Can Analyse Their Environment

2020-01-14T08:56:00.0000000+11:00

Manned surveillance missions are critical to obtaining useful intelligence. But sending a soldier into sensitive areas can often be too dangerous. Scientists are developing robots that could do the job. Last spring, the Advanced Technologies Laboratory at Lockheed Martin unveiled a prototype that uses sensors to model its environment, detect potential threats, calculate lines of sight, and locate good hiding places.

The Newest Revolutions in Metamaterials Bring Invisibility Within Reach

2020-01-14T08:52:00.0000000+11:00

The science of stealth has long been a matter of fading into already obscure environments-the night sky, say, or the deep sea. But engineers are now developing materials that could hide anything in plain sight. Instead of bending light inward, like water and glass do, these optical metamaterials bend it outward, guiding photons around an object like river water around a stone.

How Can I Tell if My Phone's Performance Measures Up?

2020-01-14T08:15:00.0000000+11:00

Without conducting some tests on a smartphone, it's hard to tell whether an upgrade is overdue or just a waste of money. The most important component to benchmark is the CPU, which is most easily done on Android phones-the free application Quadrant generates a graph comparing processor speed with that of other popular phones.

Found: The First Ever Saturn-Like Exoplanet Surrounded by Orbital Rings

2020-01-13T13:25:00.0000000+11:00

The hits just keep on coming out of Austin this week as the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society rolls on. Researchers there have announced the discovery of the first Saturn-like ringed object outside our solar system, documented when researchers were trying to diagnose the cause of a strange eclipsing effect emanating from a nearby star.

An Aerial Drone That Could Recon the Skies Over Titan

2020-01-13T13:10:00.0000000+11:00

Drones: they're not just for controversial cross-border airstrikes anymore. Physicist Jason Barnes has designed a robotic aircraft that could cruise the methane skies of Saturn's moon Titan almost indefinitely, beaming data and images back to Earth and terminating with extreme prejudice any terrorist threats it encounters there (we made that last part up).

The Navy's Gremlin Uses Sonic Waves to Find Underground Bombs

2020-01-13T12:11:00.0000000+11:00

The tools for safely disposing of explosive threats like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have come a long way over the last decade, but one rule of explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) holds fast regardless of how much technology you throw at it: you can't terminate a threat if you don't know where it is. To that end, the Office of Naval Research is hoping to field a new sensor package that can see bombs buried under the ground or otherwise obscured from view by blasting them with sound waves and seeing what kinds of vibrations come back.

New App Downlinks Mars Rover Images Straight to Your Smartphone

2020-01-13T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Amid all the excitement about the new Mars rover, some people (not us) might forget there's a functional one up there already, still driving around craters and snapping new photos. So why not take advantage of it? A new app delivers Mars photos straight from the Opportunity rover's most recent downlink to your smartphone.

Invisible Warriors: The Future of Camo

2020-01-13T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

Camouflage works by confusing the brain. Disruptive patterns obscure a form's outline, making objects less likely to stand out. But camo has a weakness: No pattern works for every environment. Special Operations Apps, a software design firm in Wilmington, North Carolina, has developed a process to make site-specific camouflage.

The Largest-Ever Quantum Calculation Uses 84 Qubits and Takes Just 270 Milliseconds

2020-01-13T10:53:00.0000000+11:00

Vancouver-based quantum computer maker D-Wave Systems is the kind of company that often gets mixed reviews - either kudos for working on the very edge of a new and potentially groundbreaking technology, or dismissal for not exactly delivering the kind of Earth-shattering technology that people were perhaps expecting. Regardless, today D-Wave is marking one in the win column after announcing that it has achieved the world's largest quantum computation using 84 qubits.

Existence Finally Confirmed of Hypothetical Particle That Could Help Cool the Planet

2020-01-13T09:50:00.0000000+11:00

We can fit everything we knew before today about Criegee biradicals inside the period at the end of this sentence, but from what we understand they are pretty amazing. At least, that's the word from a team of researchers form the Uni of Manchester, the Uni of Bristol, and Sandia National Labs, who have just detected these invisible chemical intermediates for the first time. Apparently they can not only oxidise pollutants from combustion, cleaning up the atmosphere as they go, but they also contribute to cloud formation, helping to cool the planet.

Video: A 50 km/h All-Terrain Electric Skateboard Steered With a Kinect

2020-01-13T09:18:00.0000000+11:00

One of the most fun Kinect hacks we've seen in a while gives the idea of motion capture a whole new meaning. Behold the Board of Awesomeness, an all-terrain motorised longboard wired to a Kinect and a Samsung tablet running Windows 8. To roll ahead, the rider simply pushes his hand forward.

World's Smallest Memory Bit Stores Data Using Just 12 Atoms

2020-01-13T06:34:00.0000000+11:00

The world's smallest magnetic data storage unit is made of just 12 atoms, squeezing an entire byte into just 96 atoms, a significant shrinkage in the world of information storage. It's not a quantum computer, but it's a computer storage unit at the quantum scale. By contrast, modern hard disk drives use about a million atoms to store a single bit, and a half billion atoms per byte.

Australian Co-Study Clears Path To Practical Quantum Communication

2020-01-12T16:31:00.0000000+11:00

A key problem with the use of quantum mechanics in communications is one of reliability. Unless you can ensure accurate detection of photons, you can't ensure both the security and the reliability of any information transmitted. However, it seems a combined US and Australian research team has achieved the previously impossible, doubling the previous photon detection ratio, and potentially. making reliable quantum communications a real possibility.

Video: MakerBot Replicator Prints a Plastic Bust of Stephen Colbert

2020-01-12T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

I just stopped by MakerBot's far-flung booth somewhere in the back caverns of CES (I believe it may technically be in Arizona) to check out their new Replicator 3D printer. Check out the video below - pretty sure that's a bust of Stephen Colbert being slowly brought to life with swirling circles of molten plastic.

PopSci #39 - February 2012

2020-01-12T10:10:00.0000000+11:00

We've seen the future, and the future is fun. This is the issue where you get to unwind and have a good time with a surprising array of technologies that go far beyond the average videogame. Get ready to relax:

On Sale 25 January 2020

The Next Generation of Silent Submarines Could Defeat Radar and Sonar Sensing

2020-01-12T09:52:00.0000000+11:00

Defense systems can detect stealth submarines using two methods: sonar, which bounces sound waves off a craft, and radar, which can identify subtle disturbances on or below the ocean's surface that can indicate a sub at depth. Now scientists are developing acoustic and fluid cloaking methods that could defeat both tactics.

Future Tanks Will Be Cooler, and Thus Invisible to Thermal Detection

2020-01-12T09:46:00.0000000+11:00

Tanks are easy to see by day and, since they generate a lot of heat, they are also easy to spot at night, at least for those equipped with infrared imaging equipment. In August, the British company BAE Systems unveiled its new Adaptiv system, which hides a tank's heat signature beneath hundreds of electrothermal cells bolted to the vehicle's exterior.

The Age of the Pico Projector is Upon Us (For Real this Time)

2020-01-12T09:35:00.0000000+11:00

There's always been a lot to love about a pico projector. A palm-sized device that can port video from anything from a laptop to an iPod onto a large projected screen? Sign me up. Until now, though, picos only came is two forms: as a standalone box, or strapped onto the back of a device like a smartphone, rendering the gadget bulky and extremely power inefficient. Enter MicroVision's PicoP Gen2 projector, debuting this week. The PicoP Gen2 is among the smallest pico system we've seen, and it's incredibly power efficient - perfect for embeds in multi-function devices. Oh yeah, and it's 720p high-def, too.

The World's First "Nano-Ear" Can Listen to the Songs of Bacteria

2020-01-12T09:23:00.0000000+11:00

German researchers have turned an optical tweezer device into the world's first "nano-ear" capable of detecting sounds six orders of magnitude below the threshold of human hearing. Using an optically trapped gold nanoparticle as their listening device, the team says they can now detect sounds made at the bacterial level or use their device to tune (or perhaps to test?) the minuscule MEMS machines of the future.

Robotic Pillow Cradles Your Head With Machine Comfort

2020-01-11T19:52:00.0000000+11:00

There are plenty of pillows out there designed to properly cradle the weary noggins of back sleepers or side sleepers or front sleepers. Today, I saw one that does both.

The Second Wave of Gesture-Controlled TVs

2020-01-11T16:30:00.0000000+11:00

The overwhelming success of Microsoft's Kinect sensor is just now showing up in grainy photocopied forms - meaning, the ripoffs are emerging. But that's actually okay with us. Some of them work really well, and do things the Kinect, due to it being a third-party accessory, won't ever be able to do. We played with new gesture experiments from LG and Samsung, and we're kind of looking forward to the next year, when we can heave our remote controls out the window forever.

Black Holes Can Shoot Gas Bullets At A Quarter Of The Speed of Light

2020-01-11T12:40:00.0000000+11:00

An international team of astronomers has found that blackholes are capable of ejecting 'bullets' of compacted gas outwards at high velocity, accelerating them to around a quarter of the speed of light.

Video: LG's Beer Blast Chiller In Action

2020-01-11T10:34:00.0000000+11:00

A single can cools to refreshing temperatures in 5 minutes; two cans or a bottle of wine, eight minutes. The contoured cradle will secure anything cylindrical - I would imagine it would be fun to experiment with blast chilling other things. And the LG man on hand said he'd never had a can blow up in his face - it's in the swirl, not the shake, he says.

Video: Parrot's New AR.Drone 2.0 Can Record HD Video

2020-01-11T10:26:00.0000000+11:00

Parrot's AR.Drone - what we suppose we should now call the AR.Drone 1.0 (spoiler alert) - won a 2010 Best of What's New award, so we were definitely excited to see the new version here in Las Vegas, at the annual consumer electrics convention. So what's new in version 2.0?

One Third of the US Military's Aircraft Are Now Drones

2020-01-11T10:15:00.0000000+11:00

Nowadays, nearly one in three American military aircraft is a drone, according to a congressional report, a 40-fold increase in the drone army from just a few years ago. From tiny man-portable flying wings to behemoth strike planes, unmanned aircraft now make up 31 per cent of the military's air power.

Failure of Phobos Grunt Blamed on America

2020-01-11T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos - you know, the one that hasn't enjoyed a lot of success lately - isn't sure exactly why Russia's doomed Phobos-Grunt mission failed to fire its engines and escape Earth's orbit on a trajectory for Mars. But he's got a theory: it's the West's fault. At least, that seems to be the between-the-lines meaning of a statement made to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Scientists Build a Data Storage Device Out of Salmon DNA

2020-01-11T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

It's good smoked, straight up on the grill with a little lemon and butter, or rolled into sushi. And now, thanks to researchers at Taiwan's Tsing Hua University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, salmon is also good sandwiched between two electrodes. Using silver nanoparticles, a couple of electrodes, and a thin layer of salmon DNA, those researchers have developed a "write-once-read-many-times" (WORM) data-storge device that they think could eventually lead to a replacement for silicon.

Population of the Maldives Could to Move to Australia

2020-01-11T09:53:00.0000000+11:00

If their islands are deluged by rising seawater, the people of the Maldives would have to evacuate, becoming the first refugees driven from their homes by global warming. Their president considers this an eventuality, not a possibility, and so he is buying up land in foreign countries and urging those countries to be prepared for an influx of people with no return destination.

Hands-On Impressions of the Lumia 900, Nokia's Great New Windows Phone

2020-01-11T09:40:00.0000000+11:00

I just got back from Nokia's booth here at CES in Las Vegas, where things are decidedly focused on Windows Phone. And with good reason; the Lumia 800, which is available in Australia, is the best Windows Phone on the market, and the new 900, announced officially just yesterday, is set to become the best Windows Phone in the US. I played with the Lumia 900 for a little while, and came away reassured: this phone is just as good as I expected.

MIT's Nano-Bio-Bandage Can Stop Your Bleeding Almost Immediately

2020-01-11T09:26:00.0000000+11:00

Bleeding out on the battlefield - far from the trauma wards and triage units that might save their lives - is a scenario that soldiers simply have to live with (and try like hell to avoid). But thanks to a nanoscale breakthrough at MIT, the chances of it happening could be significantly reduced. Researchers there have created a nanoscale coating that can stop bleeding nearly instantaneously using a clotting agent already found naturally in blood.

The Lovely Sunset On Exoplanet HD 209458 b

2020-01-11T06:27:00.0000000+11:00

We may never see the surface of a planet in another solar system, but that doesn't mean we can't imagine it with great accuracy. Equipped with careful observations, it's possible to visualise the sunset as it would look from a distant exoplanet. This is what it looks like.

Cyborg Insects Could be Powered by the Bugs' Own Digestion

2020-01-11T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Our enthusiasm here for cyborg insects keeps us firmly plugged in to the cyborg-insect-sphere such that we've been able to bring you up-to-date coverage of such innovations as the nuclear powered cyborg insect and the cyborg insect powered by harnessing the kinetic energy generated by the insect's own wings. But today's dispatch from the cyborg insect desk might just top all of our previous coverage: Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have created a biofuel cell that can power electronics embedded in an insect from the insect's own natural digestion.

Samsung's Diving into the Future of TV With a 55-inch OLED Set

2020-01-10T10:32:00.0000000+11:00

As the world's largest and most popular TV manufacturer, it's worth paying attention to the direction they take at the high end. This year, that high end is defined by their own 140-cm OLED TV, which it sounds like they intend to actually sell in America this year. No word yet on whether they plan on bringing it to our shores, though.

Amateur Video: Phobos-Grunt's Last Days In Orbit

2020-01-10T10:27:00.0000000+11:00

Days before Phobos-Grunt reenters the atmosphere, a new video captures the failed Mars probe traveling backward above the Earth. Its solar panels face away from the sun and there's no sign of it tumbling, which most spacecraft are designed to do to maintain stability.

To Track Mental Illness, Researchers Are Taking the DNA Of Century-Old Brains In Jars

2020-01-10T09:28:00.0000000+11:00

DNA extracted from canned human brains could help researchers studying mental health disorders, if scientists can figure out how to mine it. Preserved brains taken from autopsied patients - some dating to the 1890s - could serve as a new archive of old data related to mental health.

What, Exactly, Is an Ultrabook?

2020-01-10T06:40:00.0000000+11:00

"Ultrabook" is a word you may have heard used to describe a thin, powerful laptop. You've probably also seen a MacBook Air - the genre's archetype. But if you haven't heard the term this year, get ready for some major exposure: ultrabooks are the way PC laptops will be marketed to us in 2012. But are they something new? Or simply a laptop, refined?

New Artificial Cheese Rind Can Turn Organic Material Into Safe Sealant

2020-01-10T06:17:00.0000000+11:00

A new material based on blue cheese fungus can attack and eat bacteria that comes in contact with it, protecting foods from spoiling. The material was designed to mimic the way rinds protect soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie, but it could conceivably be used as a self-cleaning coating for other surfaces - so long as you don't mind a little fungus.

LG's 55-Inch OLED TV Is a Four-Millimetre Beauty

2020-01-10T04:30:00.0000000+11:00

At the very first press conference of this year's CES, LG started things off by making my (pretty nice!) TV feel like the 32-inch CRT that's in my hotel room. There are precious few details about this guy, including when (or if) it will ever go on sale. But based on my limited time with the screen, crammed in with a hundred other people at the press event, I am very, very impressed.

New Material Can Scrub Carbon Dioxide Right Out of the Air at Unprecedented Rates

2020-01-10T04:28:00.0000000+11:00

If cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was easy, we'd already be doing it. But carbon capture has proven to be a tough technology to feasibly roll out on a grand scale, and that means all the things we do that produce carbon dioxide emissions - which seems to be just about everything these days - are still roughly as bad for the planet as they were several years ago. That's a problem in a warming world, and one that a team of researchers may have just found a solution for via an inexpensive polymeric material.

Video: A Nanotech Treatment For Your Phone Lets It Survive Dunking In Water

2020-01-10T03:24:00.0000000+11:00

Water and personal electronics are probably the two most essential elements in this modern life, yet the two don't get along very well at all. Drop your Blackberry in the drink - or even simply spill your coffee on it - and often enough that's the end of your device. A California-based company called Liquipel feels your pain, and has devised a clever nanotech solution to the water-meets-brand-new-iPhone problem via a thin, clear coating that causes water to wick right off the guts of your gadgets.

Australian Scientists Create One of the Smallest Silicon Wires Ever

2020-01-09T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

A team of Australian Scientists from the University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, along with their counterparts at Purdue University, Indiana, have created a silicon wire just four atoms wide and one atom tall. The wire, which has the same capabilities as modern copper wires, could revolutionise engineering, computing and electrical physics.

Starting Tomorrow: CES 2012

2020-01-09T13:10:00.0000000+11:00

Here we are again, in Vegas. Tomorrow, the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off, and PopSci will be here to report on all the best new gear and the most intriguing trends and ideas that will define your gadget-buying year.

Human CO2 Emissions Could Avert the Next Ice Age, Study Says

2020-01-09T05:04:00.0000000+11:00

Earth could be entering a new Ice Age within the next millennium, but the deep freeze could be averted by warming from increased carbon dioxide emissions. Humans could be thwarting the next glacial inception, a new study says.

FYI: Why Do Libraries Have That Smell?

2020-01-07T08:36:00.0000000+11:00

The musty smell is most likely cellulose decay. Since the mid-19th century, when papermakers began using groundwood pulp in place of cotton or linen, most paper has contained an unstable compound called lignin, which breaks down into acids and makes paper very brittle. Since 2001, the Library of Congress has treated at least 250,000 books every year with magnesium oxide. The chemical deacidifies paper and slows decay.

Predictions for 2012: China Steps Up

2020-01-07T06:08:00.0000000+11:00

The US spent some $400 billion on research and development last year, well over twice the amount invested by China, its next closest rival. But as the US rolls back research budgets in 2012, China will take another approach: When its current leaders step down next fall, their replacements will oversee a major increase in science spending.

Early Lives Of The Scientists: Teen Isaac Newton Admits to His Sins

2020-01-07T03:50:00.0000000+11:00

The Newton Project, a UK organisation that's putting the complete works of Isaac Newton online, is featuring an amazing list of 48 "sins" that 19-year-old Isaac committed in 1662, according to a list he wrote. The young genius was both very pious and very peevish, having punched his sister, poked Iohn Keys with a pin, and even threatened to burn down his stepfather's house.

Loch Ness, Like a Giant Level, Shows How Scotland Bends With the Tides

2020-01-07T03:02:00.0000000+11:00

The Earth's crust bends and deforms in response to ocean tides, and this barely noticeable warping affects other bodies of water as well as the land, according to a new study. With exacting precision, scientists in the UK have measured the way Loch Ness sloshes around as all of Scotland bends under the strain of the North Sea's tides. The lake could be used like a level to gauge the planet's response to the back-and-forth movement of all its water.

On Land Destroyed by the Tsunami, Japan is Building a Futuristic Robot Farm

2020-01-07T02:02:00.0000000+11:00

You have to hand it to the Japanese; Last March's Tohoku earthquake and associated tsunami wasn't the first natural (or unnatural, for that matter) disaster to befall the island nation, but as just as before the country isn't simply rebuilding. Instead, it's rethinking and improving upon what was there before. The latest example: Japan's agriculture ministry is building a fully robotic experimental farm on a swath of farmland inundated by the tsunami.

Video: Spring-Loaded MEMS-Driven Pixels Could Enable 3D Holographic Video Displays

2020-01-06T15:58:00.0000000+11:00

Holographic video is sort of the Holy Grail of video display technology right now. Stereoscopic 3D is fine and everything, but it basically works by tricking the brain into seeing that 3D depth via two offset 2D images - hence the occasional headaches associated with current commercial 3D displays. Holographic video, by contrast, creates images that are really three-dimensional, no glasses or headaches required. And while high-quality holographic vid is still out of reach, researchers in Belgium think they can get us there via tiny MEMS-driven spring-loaded pixels.

Video: Phobos-Grunt Will Make Its Fiery Return to Earth Next Week

2020-01-06T15:58:00.0000000+11:00

When the German ROSAT satellite fell from the sky back in October - right on the heels of NASA's UARS satellite, which came crashing down in September - we were told that we wouldn't have to worry about any more falling satellites for awhile. Then, Russia launched Phobos-Grunt, and suddenly your carefree days of not worrying about high-speed orbital debris speeding through the atmosphere and slamming into random places across the planet were over. The doomed Russian Mars probe is coming down, probably next Sunday.

Mae Jemison, Who Was the First Black Woman in Space, Will Now Lead 100-Year Starship Project

2020-01-06T15:46:00.0000000+11:00

A project to pave the way for humanity's journey to the stars will be helmed by a former astronaut, Mae Jemison, already a pioneer in her own right. She will lead DARPA's 100-Year Starship project, the BBC says, citing DARPA documents.

German Hackers Plan DIY Space Program

2020-01-06T15:33:00.0000000+11:00

There's more than one way to stick it to The Man. There's civil disobedience, subversive propaganda, political art, outright violent revolt - each possessing its own degree of difficulty and consequence. In a decidedly 21st-century twist, team of German hackers bent on fighting the powers that be has chosen a rather ambitious means of taking the power back: building a hacker-owned and -operated space program, complete with a constellation of communications satellites beaming uncensored Internet to users on the ground.

US Navy Plans Autonomous Interplanetary Rovers Powered By Microbes

2020-01-06T15:20:00.0000000+11:00

Next-generation Mars rovers might not need solar panels or plutonium packs for juice - they'll bring microbes with them to use in fuel cells. The Naval Research Laboratory is working on potential fuel cell designs that will provide lasting power via the reproductive cycle of bacteria astronauts.

Monkey Embryo Mashup Results In First Primate Chimeras

2020-01-06T15:00:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists have produced the world's first chimeric monkeys, developed from stem cells harvested from separate embryos. They contain genetic material from as many as six genomes. The infant rhesus monkeys are totally healthy and could hold great promise for future stem cell research in primates, researchers say. They also carry an interesting and controversial message for future stem cell research: Those cultured stem cell lines in labs throughout this country, such a crucial scientific tool and such a cultural flashpoint, may not be as potent as the ones inside embryos.

The USAF's X-37B Secret Space Plane Appears to Be Tracking China's New Space Station

2020-01-06T06:46:00.0000000+11:00

Here at PopSci we don't like to spread rumours. And that's how I generally like to start off a post wherein I intend to propagate some kind of hearsay rooted mostly in speculation. Hearsay like this: America's X-37B spaceplane, the shuttle-like unmanned robotic orbiter that the Air Force put into orbit for the second time back in March, is possibly spying on China's Tiangong-1 space station.

Male Wolf Spiders Swipe Other Males' Dance Moves

2020-01-06T06:01:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati performed an experiment on a type of the widespread and unnerving wolf spider that shows that these invertebrates may be much more complex than we give them credit for. The spiders were capable of observing, remembering, and mimicking mating dances, just like cast members on Jersey Shore.

National Science Foundation Is Studying Grecian Urns To Make Better Spacecraft

2020-01-05T08:43:00.0000000+11:00

Upon examining a piece of Attic pottery, certain words may come to mind: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty" - and some would have you believe that is all you need to know here on Earth. But in space, you need to know a bit more. Like "how did this thing last so long?" Understanding how a Grecian urn survives for 2,500 years could yield improved ceramics - not for leaf-fringed scenes of deities or mortals, but for the sake of heat shields, and therefore safer astronauts.

Leaping Lizards' Helpful Tails Inspire New Robot Design

2020-01-05T07:33:00.0000000+11:00

Even when it starts out in a nosedive, a leaping lizard uses its tail to right itself, flinging the appendage to alter its own angular momentum and ensure it lands safely on its feet. Robots can do this, too, using controlled robotails that will guarantee a safe landing, a new study says. So the next generation of search and rescue robots may not be modeled after snakes, spiders or flying creatures, but lizards and dinosaurs.

How Scottish Scientists Re-Created a Hundred-Year-Old Whisky

2020-01-05T06:28:00.0000000+11:00

In 1907, Ernest Shackleton and crew set out on the ship Nimrod to visit Antarctica and, they hoped, the South Pole. The good news was, the entire party survived the trip, thanks in part to the Rare Old Highland Whisky they brought to the frozen continent. But the expedition was forced to evacuate in 1909, some 160 kilometres short of the Pole they sought. And, as winter ice encroached and the men hurried home, they left behind three cases of the choice whisky.

Roku Introduces Flash-Drive-Sized "Streaming Stick" for (Future) TVs

2020-01-05T05:54:00.0000000+11:00

Roku, makers of, you know, the Roku, introduced a new product this morning, to be called the Streaming Stick. It's a teeny little device that looks mostly like a Roku-branded USB flash drive, but instead of a USB plug, it has a particular kind of HDMI plug. You plug it right into your HDTV's HDMI port, and, theoretically, you have a brand-new connected TV that you can even control with your regular remote.

Video: MIT Constructs Old-Age-Simulator Suit to Make Young People Feel Elderly

2020-01-05T05:03:00.0000000+11:00

I have a vague memory of an exercise in elementary school in which, among other contrivances, the students smeared Vaseline on a pair of non-prescription glasses in order to simulate the effects of old age. As good as that science was, some researchers over at MIT created an impressive full-body aging simulation, complete with bungees (to bend the body and make everyday tasks more difficult) and a jumpsuit (because old people like jumpsuits, I think).

Predictions for 2012: Now or Never for the Standard Model of Physics

2020-01-05T05:01:00.0000000+11:00

In the beginning of the beginning, the exploding hot universe was full of elementary particles, but the particles had no mass. The universe also contained force fields, and one of those fields, the Higgs, cooled and condensed into a quantum liquid. The liquid dragged on the other particles, giving them mass. The liquid rippled, and the ripples formed a new particle, called the Higgs.

China Builds the World's Largest Battery, a Building-Sized, 36-Megawatt-Hour Behemoth

2020-01-05T04:05:00.0000000+11:00

The largest battery in the world has arrived, and you likely won't be surprised where it landed: Hebei Province, China. The State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and electric car maker BYD - the company that most recently made big headlines a few years back when Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway took a 10 per cent stake - have teamed to create a massive battery array capable of storing 36 megawatt-hours of electricity.

Drill, Don't Kill: Lessons From Two Underground Lakes

2020-01-05T03:01:00.0000000+11:00

This month, Russian scientists will nearly reach the waters of Lake Vostok, which have been sealed more than three kilometres under Antarctica's surface for at least 15 million years. If all goes well, the drill will never touch the fragile ecosystem.

The Successor to the B2 Stealth Bomber

2020-01-05T02:03:00.0000000+11:00

The youngest active stealth bomber in the US turns 15 this year, and the other 19 B2s in the Air Force fleet are nearly five years older. Meanwhile, the integrated defense systems they face have become much more sophisticated. Multi-static radar, which is now relatively common, is so sensitive that it can detect certain stealth craft. To stay ahead of such defense systems, the US Air Force has budgeted $3.7 billion over the next five years to develop a successor to the B2 that could be active by 2020. Actual designs of the new bomber are classified, but some secrets are already out.

Video: Swiss Jumpglider Bot Leaps Into Flight, Inspired by Insects and Bats

2020-01-04T11:40:00.0000000+11:00

For animals and animal-inspired machines, launching into flight takes lots of energy. Some animals have evolved to achieve air not by accelerating and lifting off, but by jumping and then using their wings or flaps of skin to glide - like sugar gliders, for instance, or grasshoppers. Now a new Swiss robot can do this, too.

NASA Rings in the New Year As Twin Grail Probes Arrive at the Moon

2020-01-04T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Happy New Year! NASA may not launch any people into space in 2012, but a successful robotic mission just as the new year dawned sets the stage for the space agency's near-term future. The twin Grail probes arrived at the moon on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and are preparing to study our only natural satellite's past.

A Rethought Calendar Makes Each Year Identical to the One Before

2020-01-04T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

As the calendar turns over to a new year, a couple of researchers over at Johns Hopkins University are rethinking the way we tick off the days during our annual trip around the sun. The duo has devised a new yearly calendar in which each 12-month period is identical to the one before - meaning if your birthday is on a Monday one year, it's on a Monday every year - until the end of time.

Apps for Apes: Orangutans Skype with iPads

2020-01-04T09:55:00.0000000+11:00

Orangutans living in captivity will soon start using iPads for primate play-dates, using Skype or FaceTime to interact with their brethren in other zoos, according to zookeepers. The great apes have been playing with iPads for about six months at the Milwaukee County Zoo, and they've been such a hit that other zoos plan to introduce them, too.

Video: Groombot Brushes Cat, Ushering in a New Era of Remote Robo-Petting

2020-01-04T08:02:00.0000000+11:00

Telepresence is cool, but it's currently not very versatile and - at least if you're going the commercial telepresence robot route - pretty expensive. For a princely sum, you can remotely putter around a faraway office or home and communicate with people there via a computer terminal.

Nobel-Winning Quasicrystals Appear to Have Come From Space

2020-01-04T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

First they were thought to be impossible on Earth, then when they were grown in the lab they were thought to be so novel that they earned their discoverer a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Now, it turns out the quasicrystals - unusually structured crystals that break several rules of crystalline symmetry and exhibit strange physical properties - unearthed in Russia's Koryak mountains a couple of years ago are probably from outer space.

Predictions for 2012: Garage Rocketeers Approach Orbit

2020-01-04T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

In 2012, two large, well-funded companies, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, will begin making regular journeys to suborbital and orbital space, commencing the post-NASA era of commercial space travel. But those companies will not be alone in their efforts. In 2009, the US Federal Aviation Administration changed its regulations to allow amateur rocketeers to launch their craft as high as 150 kms, and now, as composite materials and electronic tracking systems become increasingly affordable, small companies and even garage inventors are taking flight.

You Built What?! A Wearable LED Television

2020-01-03T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

David Forbes was on his way home to Tucson, Arizona, after a family trip last summer when a policeman stopped him in the Detroit airport. The officer said he had received 50 panicked phone calls since Forbes had entered the building, and now his entire family had been marked for extra screening. The delay was inconvenient, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Forbes had 160 circuit boards and enough electronics to start a data center strapped to his body. What the authorities didn't realise, though, was that all the equipment wasn't dangerous - it was actually a wearable TV set.

Tested: Wilton B.A.S.H. Sledgehammer and Two-Faced Crowbar

2020-01-03T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Sledgehammers are the monsters of demolition. They can deliver enough force to pound boulders into dust, but strangely, it doesn't take much to break them in two. When workers miss their target and whack the hammer's handle on debris, called overstriking, the hammerhead can snap off, becoming a dangerous projectile. Wilton guarantees its Bad Ass Sledge Hammers (B.A.S.H.) against breaks, and will cut a $1,000 cheque to anyone who can destroy one. Depending on the model, up to six steel rods run the length of the handle and affix to a plate inside the head, holding the two parts together. When the hammerhead strikes, the rubber handle disperses the force evenly among the rods, a design that also absorbs vibration.

Feature: Another Kind of Oil Man

2020-01-01T13:57:00.0000000+11:00

Back in July 2011, we spoke to Jeremy Bentham, Shell's VP of Global Business Environment. He told us how his research team helps the company be smart about the future. Read on to discover how sometimes the common-sense approach is actually the result of a lot of deep thinking.

How Mollusc Blood Could Cure Cancer

2020-12-31T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The giant keyhole limpet's hemolymph carries a protein that is the essential component of a new cancer vaccine. Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) carries oxygen in limpet blood. It is an unusually large protein - near virus size - and contains many epitopes, which trigger our body to produce antibodies. When doctors inject KLH into the human bloodstream, it provokes a powerful immune response. If markers for a certain cancer are attached to KLH, the immune system can be stimulated to attack them. Unlike some synthetic alternatives, KLH is nontoxic. Researchers use the protein in cancer vaccines to "break tolerance," says Frank Oakes, the CEO of Stellar Biotechnologies, which grows limpets in a business park for aquaculture next to the Pacific Ocean in Port Hueneme, California. "Your body tolerates the cancer cell because the body believes it is a part of you," he says.

Instant Kool-Aid is a Marvel of Technology

2020-12-30T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

When you think of technology, you probably think of computers and jet engines and such. But there are other feats of engineering that are equally sophisticated, just less obviously so. Instant Kool-Aid, for example.

Ask a Geek: How Can I Track My Stolen Gadget?

2020-12-30T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Thieves make off with millions of dollars' worth of laptops and mobile devices every year. Most stolen gadgets go unrecovered, but tracking software can help. The software runs in the background of the operating system or, with some services, the boot-level layer, which makes detecting the tracker much more difficult. Services like Prey provide free software for up to three laptops or Android devices. BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad owners can use GadgetTrak (from $4).

Cheap Tricks: Slow the Expensive Data Flow From Your Smartphone

2020-12-29T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The average smartphone user consumed 89 per cent more megabytes of data in the first quarter of 2011 than in the same period last year. But the era of unlimited data is almost over as, more and more, mobile providers are instituting tiered pricing plans. To avoid coverage fees, you'll need to rein in data consumption. Cutting back doesn't have to be painful, though. A few tweaks to the phone will reduce the data stream considerably, and certain apps and browsers can bring even greater savings.

PopSci BatSci: Biologists Use Old Weather Data to Track Bat Signals

2020-12-28T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The hundreds of millions of bats in the US are in serious trouble, threatened by such hazards as wind turbines and a fungal infection called white-nose syndrome, all while facing the uncertainty of a changing climate. Most bats hide in caves during the day and live in the air at night, making them notoriously difficult to study. But if scientists are going to help them, they need to be able to track them.

While Listening for Underwater Earthquakes, Seismologists Record Whale Songs

2020-12-28T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

With enormous sets of instruments and giga-amounts of data, it's easy to have too much information in science these days, requiring the careful sifting of signals to reach a target. But researchers can just as easily share their surpluses, and they probably should - time and again, one scientist's discarded data is another researcher's treasure. This time, a seismology tool used for monitoring underwater earthquakes is being used to track the endangered fin whale.

Will We Soon Be Able to Fire Laser Beams From Our Eyes?

2020-12-27T13:54:00.0000000+11:00

By day, Seok-Hyun Yun and Malte Gather are physicists at Massachusetts General Hospital. But at night, for the past four years, they worked on making a human cell behave like a laser. They built their human laser out of the same three components found in all lasers: a pump source, which provides the initial light energy; an optical cavity, which concentrates the light from the pump source into a beam; and a gain medium, a substance in which electrons are excited until they reach a higher-energy state and simultaneously release that energy as a beam of photons-laser light.

A Car Seat That Authenticates the Driver With Butt Recognition

2020-12-27T13:50:00.0000000+11:00

Biometric security is often focused on the more boring anatomical parts, like the pads of the fingers (ehhh) or the eyes (who cares). So little attention has been paid to the security possibilities of the butt. Well, not anymore: researchers at the Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology in Tokyo have come up with a car seat that measures the precise contours and pressures left by your posterior.

Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface

2020-12-27T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The 40-inch SUR40, co-created by Samsung and Microsoft, is a thin tabletop computer that sees and responds to whatever is placed on it. Each of the table's LCD pixels emits an infrared beam that reflects off an object back to a sensor. The processor synthesises the sensor data to create an eight-bit image from which it can pick out shapes and large text, such as product names and numbers. Once the object is identified, the table displays related YouTube videos and other product information. Right now most apps are on the simpler side, but developers are free to program custom games and more, depending on what bar or store the table winds up in. US $8,400

Add Some Veterinary Apparatus To Your High-Tech Cooking Toolkit

2020-12-24T03:37:00.0000000+11:00

A team of veterinarians have taken time away from helping fluffy animals to focus on what's really important: dinner. Specifically, what's the best way to sew your holiday bird back up after you've deboned and stuffed it?

The One-Cent Solution

2020-12-24T02:26:00.0000000+11:00

Twenty years ago, the Pentagon asked George M. Whitesides, a chemist at Harvard University, to invent a way to quickly detect anthrax and other biohazards in the field. His solution was a handheld device that used polymers to draw samples through a complex series of very small chemical baths. If biohazards were present, the chemicals would react. The device worked, but Whitesides was more excited about its civilian potential. Nearly a billion people live without access to hospitals or any reasonably sophisticated means of diagnosing illness; if he could transform the biohazard detector into a universal diagnostic tool, he could help save millions of lives. The design was straightforward. The only problem was that the Pentagon version was too expensive. For years, he and other researchers tried shrinking parts or using cheaper components. Then, four years ago, Whitesides had another idea. What if the whole thing was made out of paper?

FYI: Can Snakes Really Be Charmed By Music?

2020-12-24T02:01:00.0000000+11:00

No. The charm has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the charmer waving a pungi, a reed instrument carved out of a gourd, in the snake's face. Snakes don't have external ears and can perceive little more than low-frequency rumbles. But when they see something threatening, they rise up in a defensive pose. "The movement of the snake is completely keyed in on the guy playing the toodley thing," says Robert Drewes, chairman of the department of herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles) at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. "He sways, the snake sways."

Comet Lovejoy, as Seen from the International Space Station

2020-12-23T12:13:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: Comet Lovejoy, still alive and heading back out toward the far reaches of the solar system, as seen from the International Space Station. This photograph was snapped yesterday as the ISS passed over Australia by Dan Burbank, one of the station's current crew members. And needless to say, it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime shots.

Mysterious Metallic Space Ball Falls to Earth in Africa, Baffling Authorities

2020-12-23T11:26:00.0000000+11:00

A large metallic ball has fallen from the heavens and landed in a remote region of Namibia, spurring a lot of speculation about its origins and spurring local authorities to get NASA and the European Space Agency on the horn. No one is sure where the hollow metallic object came from, but it definitely came down hard - it was found 18 metres away from its landing site, a hole more than 30 cms deep and about 3 and a half metres across.

The LHC Has Discovered Its First New Particle

2020-12-23T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

Though researchers think the Higgs boson is running out of places to hide, the LHC has yet to provide conclusive proof of its existence. But the ATLAS experiment at the LHC - one of the two main experiments taking precise measurements of particle collisions - has found what is thought to be the first observation of a new particle at the world's largest science experiment. Known as c_b(3P) - or Chi-b (3P) - observations of the particle should yield new insights into the strong force that holds atomic nuclei together.

Japanese Roboticists Are Building the Tallest Humanoid Ever

2020-12-23T09:12:00.0000000+11:00

When you can make a humanoid robot that plays soccer and dances, why limit him to below-average or even average human stature? He should definitely be a giant robot instead, because there is nothing terrifying or awkward about that, not at all. Don't worry, a Japanese robotics company is planning just that - a 13-foot-tall iron giant.

Video: Plasma Torch Toothbrush Successfully Used In Human Mouth

2020-12-23T07:14:00.0000000+11:00

Attentive followers of dentistry developments that we are, we've been following the story of the plasma brush for a while now. And it seems like it's making some serious progress: human clinical trials are supposed to begin in early 2012, and there's also a video (below) of the World's Bravest Dentist shooting a plasma beam into his own mouth.

The First Direct Measurements of Earth's Rotation, Made With the World's Most Stable Ring Laser

2020-12-23T05:06:00.0000000+11:00

Deep in an underground bunker near the German-Czech border, through a 20 metre long tunnel and locked behind five cold storage doors, German scientists are building a laser so advanced, so precise, that there isn't another laser in the world that can challenge it. But despite the sinister-sounding backdrop, there's nothing nefarious going on here. Researchers there have built the world's most stable ring laser, and they're using it to make unprecedentedly accurate measurements of the Earth's rotation.

DARPA's 'Membrane Optics' Spy Satellite Could Capture Close-Up Video of Earth from Orbit

2020-12-22T14:07:00.0000000+11:00

Just when the drone war was starting to get good, DARPA is looking for a way to make stealthy reconnaissance drones - like the not-so-stealthy RQ-170 that ended up in Iranian hands a couple weeks ago - obsolete. The DoD's blue sky research arm is looking to develop recon satellites with optics so good that they can hover way up in geosynchronous orbit and still capture live high-res video of any spot on the planet's surface.

Newly Discovered "Fried" Planets Are Smallest Ever

2020-12-22T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

Two more little Earth-sized planets have been discovered orbiting a distant star, astronomers said Wednesday, and their bizarre baked death may foreshadow the destiny of our own solar system. The publication comes a day after the announcement of the first Earth-sized planets ever confirmed outside our solar system. Already firmly in the exoplanet age, we're apparently entering an era of exo-Earths, full of small worlds with a past and a future very much like our own.

Hubble Spots Complex Carbon Compounds, Possibly Organic, on Pluto's Surface

2020-12-22T08:27:00.0000000+11:00

The Hubble Space Telescope has sniffed out evidence of complex carbon molecules, the building blocks of life in this corner of the cosmos, lying on the frozen surface of Pluto. The distant dwarf world is known to harbour methane ice and other frigid compounds, but this is the first time scientists have suggested there could be other complex carbon chemicals, too.

Eco-Friendly Battery Runs on Old Newspapers

2020-12-22T07:15:00.0000000+11:00

I'll start you guys off with a quote here: In talking about Sony's new battery technology, which uses old cellulose product like newspapers and cardboard to generate electricity, the BBC says: "Their work builds on a previous project in which they used fruit juice to power a Walkman music player." Thank you, crazy Sony recycling-engineers.

How a Decade of IEDs Has Reshaped Bomb Disposal Tech

2020-12-22T05:05:00.0000000+11:00

When American and coalition troops rolled into Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, they quickly began doing exactly what any military playbook said they should do, leveraging their superior firepower and aerial superiority into a string of quick victories. In both engagements, coalition forces quickly hammered conventional military threats into submission and settled into a long role of occupation and rebuilding. That's when the bombs started going off.

Video: Swarming Teams of Robo-Farmers Will Change the Face of Agriculture

2020-12-22T04:12:00.0000000+11:00

Farming has always been about man, says David Dourhout, but man is now the limiting factor in agriculture. The future of farming is not about getting more efficiency out of each farmer - the human farmer has already been pretty well optimized by technology.

Brain-Enhancing Drug Shown to Greatly Improve Mouse's Memory

2020-12-22T03:04:00.0000000+11:00

A new drug that blocks a stress-provoked immune molecule in the brain can dramatically improve memory and learning abilities in mice, a new study says. A future pill that can suppress this molecule could show promise as a therapy for Alzheimer's disease in humans, researchers say.

Discovered: The First Earth-Sized Worlds Outside Our Solar System

2020-12-21T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

Two small, scorched Earth-sized worlds orbiting a reddish sun-like star in the Cygnus constellation mark yet another milestone for the storied Kepler Space Telescope mission. They're the smallest exoplanets found to date - one of them is just 1.03 times the size of Earth, a veritable body double. The planets aren't in their star's habitable zone, but they are the right size - and as such, they fill in even more of the interstellar planetary puzzle.

Telescope Would Voyage to the Edge of the Solar System to Escape Zodiacal Light Pollution

2020-12-21T08:02:00.0000000+11:00

When space agencies or institutions want to erect a space telescope, they usually look to some remote area like Chile's Atacama desert where clouds are few and light pollution is likewise scarce. But a team of NASA/Jet Propulsion Lab researchers wants to go even further off the grid to escape the likes of clouds and light pollution. Many millions of kilometres off grid in fact. The team is exploring the idea of tethering a space telescope to the next space mission to the outer solar system so they can gather optical data from beyond the asteroid belt.

Nano-Engineered Bioconstructs Perform Photosynthesis Faster Than Nature Does

2020-12-21T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists have been trying for a while now to recreate the process of photosynthesis, using sunlight and water to spark chemical reactions. Now a team from Penn State University in the US has done one better, producing an engineered biological system that can produce a hydrogen biofuel twice as fast as nature.

A Rare Final Look Inside Space Shuttle Atlantis

2020-12-21T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Space shuttle Atlantis, which only five months ago flew the final mission of NASA's 30-year shuttle program, is now being prepared for its public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. That means, sadly, that Atlantis is scheduled to be powered down for the very last time this week. Its insides are being shamelessly pulled out to ensure it's safe for exhibit - it's important to lighten the shuttle's weight, since it'll be displayed on a steep angle at Kennedy.

Video: SpaceX's Future Rocket System Will Guide Itself Home, Land Gently on the Launchpad

2020-12-21T04:02:00.0000000+11:00

Commercial spaceflight venture SpaceX has been talking for a while now about reusing every part of its space launch system, from the optionally manned Dragon capsule (which is already reusable) to the rocket stages that it discards on its way to orbit.

Marines in Afghanistan Execute the World's First Cargo Resupply with an Unmanned Helicopter

2020-12-21T02:58:00.0000000+11:00

In Afghanistan, supply convoys have been a favorite target of insurgent fighters, not only because they make warfighting possible for troops at forward operating bases but also because they are so very vulnerable to ambushes and IEDs. But on Saturday, NATO logisticians hit a major milestone in Afghanistan, reaching out and touching one of the holy grails of robotic warfare when an unmanned K-MAX helicopter successfully delivered a sling-load of beans, bullets, and band-aids to an unspecified base for the first time.

How to Lift 3,500 Tonnes Worth Of Oil Rig Out Of The Ocean

2020-12-21T02:04:00.0000000+11:00

Before Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004, hurricanes were rarely able to knock over any of the thousands of aging oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. A rig can withstand an 80-foot wave. But Ivan brought 100-foot peaks. So did Katrina and Rita. In the past seven years, the region's fiercest recorded hurricanes have torn down more than 200 rigs.

Your Next Suture Could Be Made of Shrilk, a Superstrong Synthetic Insectoid Material

2020-12-20T21:59:00.0000000+11:00

Taking design cues from insects and shrimp, materials scientists at Harvard have created a material that's as strong as aluminum alloy but only half the weight. The substance, dubbed "Shrilk" by its creators, is a material analog for insect cuticle - the material found in the exoskeletons of insects - and is the synthetic equivalent to one of nature's strongest, lightest, and most interesting materials.

Fermilab Looks To Commercialise Particle Acceleration

2020-12-20T11:09:00.0000000+11:00

When the Europeans are all off busy finding Higgs Bosons and the like, what do the Americans do to compete? Why, the thing they've always done. Go into the private sector. It's the American way.

Air Force Researchers are Building Simple Quantum Computers Out of Holograms

2020-12-20T10:56:00.0000000+11:00

In a paper far too daunting for even a Tuesday, researchers at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) have described a novel way to build a simple quantum computer. The idea: rather than using a bunch of finicky interferometers in series to measure the inputs and outputs of data encoded in photons, they want to freeze their interferometers in glass using holograms, making their properties more stable.

Geologists Pinpoint Welsh Quarry as Source of Stonehenge's Oldest Stones

2020-12-20T09:01:00.0000000+11:00

It's long been known that the stone monoliths that make up the mysterious Stonehenge site in the UK traveled a great distance to get there, but up to this point the exact origin of the stones was unknown. Now, a team of British geologists have found the exact site from which the innermost circle of bluestone rocks were quarried.

How to Mine an Asteroid

2020-12-17T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

The prospect of great wealth will be one of the main draws of space exploration in the coming decades. A 200-metre-diameter asteroid (about average) can contain $1 billion or more worth of platinum-group metals and untold amounts of ice or water-which are perhaps even more valuable in space because they can be converted to fuel in situ. But extracting those resources will present some unique challenges. For example, the combination of asteroids' near-zero gravity (because of their small mass) and quick spin (up to one rotation every couple of minutes) means that asteroid-nauts must attach everything, including themselves, to the rock, or risk floating off into space.

Audi Connect

2020-12-17T07:15:00.0000000+11:00

The Audi A7 is the world's first fully Web-connected car. A built-in mobile data connection allows drivers to pull high-resolution 3D aerial images from Google Maps into the navigation screen, dispatching with current cartoonish maps. Using voice commands or controls on the center console, drivers can also search phone numbers, weather maps, real-time petrol prices from nearby stations, or Google "coffee shop" to look for a spot in the neighbourhood. For safety reasons, drivers can't pull up fantasy-football scores at a stoplight - but because the A7 generates a Wi-Fi signal, any passenger with a laptop can check them for you.

Pasteurisation Technology Group Wastewater System

2020-12-17T06:42:00.0000000+11:00

Most communities in the US treat their wastewater just enough to legally dump it, but not reuse it. Pasteurisation Technology Group has developed an inexpensive treatment system that yields water clean enough to be returned to aquifers. Instead of using chlorine, the system pasteurises wastewater by heating it to 80ºC. The warmth comes from the waste heat of a nearby electricity generator running on either natural gas or biogas produced by an associated sewage digester. A PTG water plant opening next year in California expects to make a $160,000 annual profit by selling its extra biogas-generated electricity. Even if the turbine is fuelled with natural gas, the pasteurisation is energy-efficient enough to be about half the cost of chlorine treatment.

iTwin

2020-12-17T05:01:00.0000000+11:00

When it comes to the most personal files, it can be hard to trust the cloud. The iTwin USB dongle provides secure access to a computer's hard drive from any machine with a Web connection. Users plug half of the iTwin into a primary computer and set a password. Connecting the other half to another machine opens a direct link between the two. As files move between the pair, they are encrypted in 256-bit AES, the same standard used for military documents. If either half goes missing, both can be remotely deactivated. US $100

Video: Ice Comet Lovejoy Survives Its Narrow Brush With the Sun

2020-12-17T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

Yesterday, comet fans were glued to their observatories as Lovejoy, a brave comet made of ice and dirt, headed on a collision course into the sun. The outcomes of these match-ups are pretty much foregone conclusions: the proverbial snowball's chance in Hell.

SecuraSeal Sliding Patio Door

2020-12-17T01:56:00.0000000+11:00

Anyone who has ever had a sliding patio door knows the drill: The lock latches at a single, easily jimmied point, so real security requires keeping a broomstick or dowel rod stowed in the track of the door. The SecuraSeal Sliding Patio Door turns the entire 193 centimetre floor-to-ceiling edge of the door into a single, sturdy locking mechanism. The groove along the door's edge surrounds an expandable flange in the doorjamb. A switch on the jamb (rather than the door handle) engages the lock, further thwarting any attempt to disengage the lock from the outside. US $1,900

How Neanderthal Are You?

2020-12-16T18:04:00.0000000+11:00

Till now, we've had to rely on guesswork based on our officemates' forehead bulges, receding chins, and subliterate grunts to gauge how much Neanderthal is in their ancestry. No more! 23andMe, the popular personal genomics company that analyses your DNA based on a saliva sample, has added a test for Neanderthal percentage into their analytic suite.

Done With Your 360? Turn It Into An Aquarium

2020-12-16T11:59:00.0000000+11:00

If for whatever reason you've had enough of your Xbox 360, and decide you just need to move on (perhaps to a PS3?), then one enterprising chap has gone and given you yet another possible use for your former console of choice, by turning his own defunct device into a reef aquarium.

Amateur Radio Balloon Flies From US to Algeria

2020-12-16T11:17:00.0000000+11:00

A weather balloon built and powered by amateur radio balloon enthusiasts made an epic three-day journey from California to the Mediterranean, splashing down after it apparently burst somewhere off the Algerian coast. The transcontinental transatlantic flight covered a record-shattering 10,036 kms.

Titanium-Modified Cotton Cleans Itself When Exposed to Sunlight

2020-12-16T10:22:00.0000000+11:00

Future shirts and socks could clean themselves using just sunlight, chemists report - all you'll have to do is drape them over the balcony and voila, clean laundry. A coating of titanium dioxide makes this possible.

Toshiba Qosmio F755-3D290

2020-12-16T09:45:00.0000000+11:00

Glasses-free 3D screens allow viewers to ditch the dorky shades, but with a trade-off: Images are sharp only in a narrow sweet spot; move, and the picture distorts. The Qosmio F755 adjusts its sweet spot as the viewer shifts. The 15.6-inch LCD directs left and right images to the corresponding eyes using a thinly striped overlay, known as a parallax barrier. A built-in webcam tracks the viewer's eyes and tells the graphics processor to shift the barrier microscopically to match any ticks in head position. US $1,700

Portable Gamma Camera Displays Radioactivity in Real Time

2020-12-16T09:33:00.0000000+11:00

Tracking down radiation hotspots is tricky and time consuming because it's hard to see where the problem areas are. Radiation doesn't spread itself evenly over an area, and as such it can be hard to find the spots within a contaminated area that require cleanup and differentiate them from the places that do not (typically this is done by walking around waving a handheld meter around, a process that is really, really slow). To simplify the task, Toshiba has developed what it's calling a Portable Gamma Camera that mashes up gamma ray data with image data to create visual radiation heat maps on the fly.

Chimps are Unnecessary for Most Research and Should Be Used Sparingly, Report Says

2020-12-16T08:45:00.0000000+11:00

Chimpanzees are only necessary as research subjects in a very limited number of cases, according to an expert committee convened by the US' National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences. And the apes' future use as lab animals - which is not being banned outright in the US - should be determined according to a new set of specific criteria, the committee said.

Video: A Water-Propelled 'Dolphin Jetpack'

2020-12-16T08:43:00.0000000+11:00

Some people go swimming with dolphins, enthralled with their easy movement through the water and the grace with which they occasionally breach the surface. Others, like Franky Zapata, make dolphins look pretty lame by comparison. Zapata, a professional jet ski racer and designer of the watercraft has created what he calls a Flyboard, a wearable apparatus that makes him part aquatic Iron Man, part dolphin analog, and all awesome.

Next-Gen GPS Satellite, Accurate to Within Three Feet and Indoors, is Ready for Testing

2020-12-16T07:41:00.0000000+11:00

Were America's NavSat handlers perhaps feeling slighted when it was revealed that the new Apple iPhone 4S would augment its existing GPS coverage with Russia's GLONASS constellation? The US is getting ready to launch a new generation of Global Positioning System satellites starting in 2014 - part of a $5.5 billion upgrade - and the first prototype has been delivered for testing to Lockheed Martin.

Wound-Treating Jelly Regenerates Fresh, Scar-Free Skin

2020-12-16T06:45:00.0000000+11:00

Tissue engineering and tissue healing have a common complication - it's difficult to build new blood vessels throughout the rebuilt skin, but vasculature is required to keep the skin alive. This is especially problematic for victims of severe burns. A new customised sugary gel substance can work wonders to re-grow skin and the associated blood vessels, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

PURETi

2020-12-16T02:49:00.0000000+11:00

Titanium dioxide, typically used as a pigment in toothpaste and an active ingredient in sunscreen, can also, in ultraviolet light, act as a catalyst to break down air pollutants. After 10 years of research, PURETi produced a titanium dioxide nanoparticle spray that dries into a clear coating on almost any surface, including rooftops, fabric, windows and roadways. In tests, coating asphalt roads with PURETi decreased smog-causing pollutants by about 50 per cent.

Building a Massive Neutrino Hunter Beneath the Mediterranean

2020-12-15T12:20:00.0000000+11:00

Neutrinos may or may not move faster than light, but regardless, they're special little things. They speed through the planet, and through you, and through everything; but, chargeless and puny, they interact with their surroundings so minimally that other particles hardly take notice.

Video: To Hunt Comets, NASA is Building a Giant Harpoon

2020-12-15T11:55:00.0000000+11:00

In Kepler, NASA has an exoplanet hunter. In the Curiosity rover, the space agency has finely tuned mechanism for tracking down geological signs of past life on Mars. It even has an asteroid hunter capable of chasing down hurtling chunks of rock from millions of miles away. Now, NASA wants a comet hunter.

Children's Hospital Boston Sends Telepresence Robots Home With Post-Op Patients

2020-12-15T11:50:00.0000000+11:00

Children's Hospital Boston is sending some bedside manner home with its discharged patients via a pilot program that integrates telepresence robots into its regular post-op care regimen. Using five robots made by Vgo Communications Inc., doctors and nurses are opening a direct line of communication and observation between themselves and patients even as they recover at home.

New Australian Imaging Tech To Take Colour Pictures Of Viruses In Real Time

2020-12-15T11:45:00.0000000+11:00

The University of Technology Sydney has gotten their hands on a cutting edge, world first imaging system that can take images in real time of viruses an bacteria, some of which are only one or two hundred nanometres large, and do so in full colour.

Already 50 Million Kms From Earth, Mars Curiosity Science Lab Gets to Work

2020-12-15T11:41:00.0000000+11:00

With eight months to go before the Mars Science Laboratory reaches its destination, the spacecraft is already getting to work. All systems have checked out beautifully - so much so that NASA didn't have to perform course-correction maneuvers as planned - and the spacecraft is already making measurements.

Amazon Software Knows Where You Are, Predicts Where You'll Go Next

2020-12-15T11:35:00.0000000+11:00

Location-aware apps are pretty prevalent on most smartphones - some help you find your friends, others can help you find your phone if it's lost, and so on. So the news that Amazon has patented a new location-tracking software system isn't a big deal. Until you notice that it's also a location-predicting system. Amazon wants the ability to not only track where you've been and where you are, but where you might go next, to better target ads and messages that would show up on your mobile device.

Video: WHILL Turns Ordinary Wheelchairs Into Electric Superchairs

2020-12-15T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Japanese company WHILL's eponymous product is one of those things that's so smart that it's almost annoying that no one has done this before. WHILL, which debuted recently at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, is a prototype aftermarket drive train that attaches externally to an ordinary wheelchair, augmenting it with electrically powered drive.

To Monitor Radiation, Researchers in Fukushima are Enlisting Local Wild Monkeys

2020-12-15T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers from Fukushima University in Japan are enlisting the help of some locals to monitor radiation near the damaged nuclear power facility in their prefecture. To get a better read on what kind of radiation levels exist in the forests around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, scientists plan to fit the area's native wild monkeys with collars containing radiation meters and GPS transponders.

4moms Origami Power-Folding Stroller

2020-12-15T07:10:00.0000000+11:00

Baby strollers are notoriously difficult to fold up to store or load into the back of a car. The Origami saves time and trouble by collapsing and unfolding itself at the touch of a button. (Onboard sensors ensure that it won't fold up while a baby is in the seat.) It also comes equipped with other features not typically found on a stroller, including daytime running lights, an LCD screen with a speedometer and odometer on the handlebar, and a generator that charges the batteries whenever the wheels spin. US $850

Can a Single Injection Cure the Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

2020-12-14T15:20:00.0000000+11:00

Everything from magnetic stimulation of the brain to virtual reality therapy to heavy regimens of conventional pharmaceuticals (and even some, like MDMA and cannabis, that aren't exactly conventional) has been floated as a potential treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and yet researchers have yet to find a method that works all - or even most of - the time. As the Pentagon grows quietly more desperate some in the services are willing to reach a little further for a potential cure, and now a Navy doctor thinks perhaps she's found one in the form of a single injection to the neck.

Google's Trek-Inspired Version of Siri To Land By The End of The Year?

2020-12-14T15:02:00.0000000+11:00

Search-and-everything-else powerhouse Google has long incorporated voice control into their Android operating system, but it's been a bit rocky, and not a feature that will ship phones. Given the success of Apple's Siri software, though, it appears that Google has decided to try and put some resources into their own natural language control suite, known as Majel. And Majel features could perhaps land as early as this month.

Brand-New Stratolaunch, the Biggest Plane in the World, Could Replace the Space Shuttle

2020-12-14T10:02:00.0000000+11:00

The people who built the first private aircraft to fly into space are teaming up once again to construct the largest aircraft ever flown, a behemoth air-launched orbital cargo delivery system called Stratolaunch. And SpaceX, the first company to launch a privately built spaceship into orbit, will build the rocket. As a reusable rocket-plus-glider system, it certainly seems like a potential replacement for the space shuttle.

Canada Pulls Out of Kyoto Protocol

2020-12-14T09:50:00.0000000+11:00

After UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa, produced yet another international commitment to wait a few more years before committing to anything, Canada has gone and done exactly what many feared it would do and pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, making it the first country to formally do so. And today, the finger-pointing begins.

Video: A Trillion-Frame-Per-Second Camera Captures Individual Photons Moving Through Space

2020-12-14T09:45:00.0000000+11:00

Here at PopSci we love super-fast cameras and super slow-mo video, so you can imagine our glee when we heard that MIT researchers have built a camera with a visual capture rate of one trillion frames per second. That's fast enough to watch photons travel the length of a one-litre bottle in the video below. In other words, absolutely nothing in the universe looks fast to this camera.

Video: Graceful Globular Hexapod-Bot Unfurls Leafy Limbs And Scampers Along

2020-12-14T09:36:00.0000000+11:00

This transformer ‘bot is one of the more interesting and sort-of-creepy robots we have seen in a while - it can curl up in a ball and await a command, or unfold its servo-driven limbs and pick its way, crab-like, across a surface. It cannot roll yet, but we are actually OK with this, because there is something much more unsettling about a rolling robot that unfolds and starts to walk.

BMW Twinpower Turbo Four-Cylinder

2020-12-14T06:32:00.0000000+11:00

Prompted by high oil prices and tight new fuel-economy regulations, automakers are replacing six-cylinder engines with more-economical but less-powerful four-cylinders throughout their lineups. BMW resisted this trend until it developed a four-cylinder that actually outperforms its six. A pricey twin-scroll turbocharger and high-pressure electronic fuel injectors increase compression and wring more power from each drop of fuel. As a result, the TwinPower four-cylinder produces 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque - 40 pound-feet more than the 3.0-litre six it replaces - while consuming up to 23 per cent less fuel. The engine first goes into the 2012 528i sedan and Z4 sDrive 28i convertible.

Does the "God" particle exist?

2020-12-13T13:20:00.0000000+11:00

At a science seminar in Geneva, a group of scientists are preparing to make an announcement. It's an announcement that many believe could revolutionise what we know about the mass of, well, everything - but others aren't so sure. Do you believe in the elusive "God" particle?

Chinese Government Plans to Cause Ten Percent More Rain By 2015

2020-12-13T11:55:00.0000000+11:00

China is already doing plenty of things to the atmosphere above it, but most changes are byproducts of the country's marathon industrial revolution. Now China plans to make some purposeful atmospheric changes - namely making it rain, for the purpose of growing crops.

The World's Smallest Stirling Engine is a Single Particle, Just Three Micrometers Across

2020-12-13T11:45:00.0000000+11:00

At the University of Stuttgart and the nearby Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, researchers are taking the notion of smaller, more compact engines to a micro-machinery extreme. Their new power generator is a single particle - just 3 mircrometres wide - that functions like a Stirling engine to generate actual work.

For the First Time, Predator Drones Participate in Civilian Arrests on US Soil

2020-12-13T11:40:00.0000000+11:00

A somewhat strange story emerged yesterday involving an extremist antigovernment group, a North Dakota sheriff's office, and six missing cows, but there's a much larger story behind this brief legal tangle between local law enforcement and the Brossart family of Nelson Country. Only in America.

Be Buried in Space, Receive Tax Breaks

2020-12-13T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

When it's time to shuffle off your mortal coil and find a place to spend eternity, there are plenty of futurific ways to do it - from screwdriver-like vertical burial, to cryogenic preservation, to the Best of What's New winner the Cryomator (see our December issue). Although it's not exactly new, there's just something extra special about the notion of being shot into space.

Is Vesta Actually a Planet Posing as an Asteroid?

2020-12-13T11:10:00.0000000+11:00

The asteroid Vesta was first discovered two centuries ago, but until NASA's Dawn spacecraft arrived there earlier this year and began beaming back images and data, Vesta was seen as just another blurry, rocky satellite out there orbiting in the asteroid belt. Now, with Dawn's instruments giving researchers their first really good look at Vesta's composition and surface features, some astronomers are wondering if perhaps they haven't discovered a small terrestrial planet rather than an asteroid.

Ulcer Treatment Could Lead to New Anti-Obesity Device

2020-12-13T10:02:00.0000000+11:00

In the 1980s, doctors noticed that chronic-ulcer patients who received a "vagotomy" - cutting the vagus nerve that controls the stomach - lost their ulcers and ended up with an intriguing side effect: They lost weight. The vagus nerve is the main route for signals between the stomach and the brain, regulating acid production, stomach expansion and satiation. Now medical companies are working on a pair of devices that modify these signals to help people with obesity.

Bosch GLM 80 Laser Distance Measurer

2020-12-13T02:56:00.0000000+11:00

The GLM 80 takes most of the time and thought out of measuring distances for home-construction projects. Just point the handheld unit at a spot up to 80 metres away, press a button, and the display shows how far it is. An internal two-axis tilt sensor allows the device to take angle readings when it's not level, whether it's held horizontally or vertically. By taking an angle measurement and a secondary distance reading and doing some clever math, it can calculate distances indirectly from any position. US $249

Australian Research Finds Large Regions of Sub-Surface Mars Could Support Water - And Life

2020-12-12T17:03:00.0000000+11:00

Mars might look like a total desert of a planet, but scientists are finding more and more reasons to think that there's a lot more going on beneath the surface. Now, that's literally the case, after researchers at the Australian National University found that sub-surface of the Red Planet might hold greater potential for life within its soil and rock than our very own planet Earth.

LHC Researchers To Reveal Glimpse of Higgs Boson This Week?

2020-12-12T14:30:00.0000000+11:00

There's no official announcement yet but word on the street and around the cafeteria at CERN says that scientists may have glimpsed the elusive Higgs boson. Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider have been saying that they are closing on the so-called God Particle for a while now, and while a rock-solid 5-sigma event isn't in the offing we might soon see our first experimental data that points toward a real Higgs sighting.

Driving a London Cab (or Just Studying for the Test) Causes Structural Changes in the Brain

2020-12-12T11:15:00.0000000+11:00

London cabdriver tests are notoriously difficult and complete. You don't just pass the test - you earn "The Knowledge," or the ins and outs of a massive and complex city from end to end. And, it turns out, the level of training needed to pass the test actually changes the structure of the brain, according to a new study.

HP to Make the Late, Great, WebOS Open Source

2020-12-12T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

HP has spent the last year or so, as the new owner of the WebOS mobile operating system, alternately making arbitrary decisions about the platform's future and making sure to not release any nice hardware for it. After the company ignominiously shut down WebOS for good this summer, we thought that was it for the best smartphone platform nobody used - but HP has surprised us with an announcement that WebOS will be going open-source.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review: This Is Android

2020-12-12T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

Here's the thing about the Galaxy Nexus: It is the best Android phone available now by such a huge margin that I am prepared to say that shoppers should either buy it or steer clear of Android entirely. And that has nothing to do with its hardware.

Bill Gates to Collaborate With China on a Fourth-Generation Nuclear Reactor

2020-12-12T08:48:00.0000000+11:00

Bill Gates recently confirmed during a talk at China's Ministry of Science and Technology that a company in which he is a primary investor, Terrapower, will be collaborating with Chinese scientists on a next-generation nuclear reactor. It's still in the early stages, but already there are a lot of impressive superlatives being thrown around.

This Week in the Future, December 5-9, 2011

2020-12-11T09:40:00.0000000+11:00

We're in for a weird one, you guys. Surfing, sandwich-eating mammoths will surf in the mountaintops. The threatened American crocodile gets saved by nuclear power plants. At least the future won't be boring.

[Updated] Video: Iran Puts Its Captured RQ-170 Drone on Display

2020-12-11T08:14:00.0000000+11:00

At least on the record.You know, it's one thing to "shoot down" someone else's top secret spy drone. But come on Iran - stop bragging. Iran today released a two-and-a-half minute video and the first images depicting the RQ-170 stealth drone that it claims it shot down on Sunday. It's the first visual proof that leaders of the Islamic Republic are actually holding the drone it their possession.

Brammo Empulse

2020-12-10T02:15:00.0000000+11:00

With a 160 km/h top speed and 160 kilometres of driving range, the Brammo Empulse 10.0 is the fastest and farthest-driving consumer electric motorcycle ever made. The speed comes from the 57-horsepower motor; the range comes from the hefty 10-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. The Empulse 10.0 recharges in 10 hours from a 110-volt household outlet. Brammo also sells two less-expensive variations on this bike-the 6.0 and the 8.0, which come with smaller battery packs. US $14,000

Toasty - Kindle Fire Cooks Up Some Ice Cream Sandwich

2020-12-09T15:43:00.0000000+11:00

For those of you hanging out for a local Kindle Fire launch, good news - by the time it gets here, you'll probably be able to run a highly polished version of Android 4.0 on it instead. How do we know this? Because someone has already gotten a relatively stable install to go already.

Should Video Games Try To Adhere to International Humanitarian Law?

2020-12-09T11:20:00.0000000+11:00

How many people have you killed in your valiant attempt to end World War III? Among all the countless hours of game play worldwide, billions and billions of virtual people have met their ends during various editions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and other first-person shooter games. This might be an affront to international humanitarian laws, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Opportunity Finds Veins of Water-Deposited Minerals on Mars, Suggesting a Wet Past

2020-12-09T10:20:00.0000000+11:00

We hear about evidence for water on Mars more regularly these days, but we're pretty sure this is the first time a discovery has been described as "slam-dunk" evidence of a wet past on the Red Planet. The rover Opportunity has found bright veins of what is probably gypsum in the rim of Mars' Endeavour Crater that were almost certainly deposited there by water running through underground fractures in the rock, researchers say, and that points to a past Mars where liquid water was present.

Video: Rats Choose to Liberate Their Jailed Pals, A Sign of Empathy Among Non-Primate Mammals

2020-12-09T09:05:00.0000000+11:00

Given a choice between eating chocolate alone and rescuing their pals, rats will apparently save their pals and then share the chocolate with them. Trapping a rat in a cage sparks its cagemate into action, as it figures out how to open the cage and liberate its jailed friend. This is an unusual example of rats expressing empathy, a trait thought to be reserved to us higher mammals, the primates.

Video: Rats Choose to Liberate Their Jailed Pals, A Sign of Empathy Among Non-Primate Mammals

2020-12-09T09:05:00.0000000+11:00

Biologists Sequence Genome of Controversial Arsenic Bacterium

2020-12-09T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

One of the most controversial science stories in recent memory, the saga of arsenic-loving microbes, resurfaced again this week, a year after the initial claims created a media firestorm. Now scientists at the University of Illinois-Chicago have sequenced the genome of the disputed bug, a step toward comparing its genetic predisposition (or lack thereof) to surviving incorporation of a toxic chemical.

Pretty Space Pics: The Dragonfish, a Crowded Cluster of Super-Massive Stars

2020-12-09T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: Using the Spitzer Space Telescope's knack for infrared imagery, astronomers have snapped an image of the most crowded grouping of supermassive stars ever spotted in the Milky Way. Dubbed the "Dragonfish," the cluster of stars, gas, and dust contains hundreds of the largest class of stars, most dozens of times larger than the sun.

A Global Astronomy Social Network To Let Amateurs Peep Through Robotic Telescopes

2020-12-09T03:20:00.0000000+11:00

Anyone who has ever owned a telescope understands the feeling of anticipation that comes with a cloudless, moonless night. Whether it's humid and mosquito-y or freezing cold, when the stars show themselves, you do what it takes to prepare for a night outside. What should I look for tonight? Maybe a nice globular cluster; maybe Jupiter at opposition, looking graceful through new colour filters.

Sony Alpha SLT-A77

2020-12-09T02:14:00.0000000+11:00

Sony made a DSLR that could continuously refocus high-speed bursts last year, but that camera's slow-to-refresh LCD viewfinder often displayed a delayed view of subjects. So on the 24.3-megapixel A77, the company swapped the LCD for a 2.3-million-dot OLED that responds to changes millions of times a second - fast enough to keep up with a sprinting quarterback. For continuous focus, a two-way mirror bounces light up to the autofocus sensor at the same time that the previous shot hits the image sensor. $2,799

Hands-On: OnLive's Mobile App Gives Your iPad the Power of a Gaming PC

2020-12-08T13:00:00.0000000+11:00

OnLive has been around for a little while now, but it's no less improbable than it was when it was announced (at which time some gaming blogs called it a technically impossible scam): a service that streams full games, from major publishers, right to your TV or computer, no console necessary. This week, the company will release mobile apps for smartphones and tablets. Let me say that again, in case you don't realise how bonkers this is: You can now play Batman: Arkham Asylum, a demanding and graphically intense game, on your iPad. And it works.

A Surf Park High In the Pyrenees

2020-12-08T11:05:00.0000000+11:00

High in a misty valley in the Basque Pyrenees, miles from the ocean and surrounded by verdant sheep pastures, lies a prime surf spot. Its swells break with no wind or reef, and you can turn them on and off whenever you want. While a surf spot might form over hundreds of thousands of years, a team of Spanish engineers took the Wavegarden from concept to reality in just ten.

Da Vinci Surgery Robot's Deft Manoeuvres Could Help Fix Ailing Satellites

2020-12-08T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

When a satellite becomes unresponsive in orbit, there's not much to be done - engineers can try in vain to hail the spacecraft and send it instructions, or perhaps blow it up in a show of bravado. But fixing it is pretty much out of the question, especially now that the space shuttle is retired. But what if a remotely operated robot could do the job? Engineers at Johns Hopkins University have been working with a da Vinci surgical robot in a test of long-distance mechanical repair - call it satellite surgery

Scientists to World: We're Going to Finally Clone that Woolly Mammoth We've Been Talking About

2020-12-08T09:35:00.0000000+11:00

It's long been something of a holy grail for those bent on the idea of recreating species lost to the Earth through extinction, and now the Russians and Japanese are actually planning to do it - we're going to clone a woolly mammoth, you guys. That's right. Using intact bone marrow recovered from the thigh bone of a woolly mammoth found in the thawing permafrost of Siberia, researchers think they will likely clone a living, breathing mammoth in just five years. (Whether we believe them is a different matter entirely.)

Ecomotors Opoc Engine

2020-12-08T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

Three decades ago, Volkswagen engineer Peter Hofbauer found himself staring at a Beetle engine's cylinder head - that awkward slab of metal sitting on the combustion chamber-and wondering, Can't we just replace that thing with more pistons? The answer turned out to be yes, so he eventually started a company, EcoMotors, to do just that. The company's product is the opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder engine: OPOC. Each OPOC engine consists of two horizontal cylinders, each containing two opposite-facing pistons. Twice the pistons per cylinder equals almost twice the power. OPOC weighs 30 per cent less than the most efficient turbodiesel engines, and it has the highest thermal efficiency of any automotive engine in the world, converting as much as 50 per cent of the energy in gasoline or diesel fuel into propulsion. A small OPOC-powered car could approach 50 kilometres a litre.

ThinkEco Modlet

2020-12-08T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

ThinkEco's smart socket is one of the easiest ways to cut down on "vampire power" consumption by devices in off or standby modes. Once plugged into a standard outlet, the Modlet starts tracking the electricity needs of hooked-up devices, using a built-in wireless connection to communicate via website or app. After a week or two, it suggests a schedule of when it should cut off power, which users can modify at any time. US $50

The Army's Latest Innnovation: A Sandwich That Stays Fresh for Two Years

2020-12-08T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

The US military's M.R.E. - the Meal Ready to Eat, or those freeze-dried packages full of gummy pastes and freeze dried dreck that soldiers carry into the field - is getting a much-needed upgrade. But it's not in the form of better tasting dehydrated foods or better freeze-drying technology. Rather, the US Army has developed the world's most cutting edge sandwich, the BBC reports, one that can be served fresh after sitting on the shelf for a full two years.

Voyager 1 Has Entered 'Cosmic Purgatory,' Where No Probe Has Gone Before

2020-12-08T03:45:00.0000000+11:00

More than three decades after launching from Earth, Voyager 1 is about to leave the solar system. The probe, which was originally launched along with companion spacecraft Voyager 2 in 1977, has entered a new and uncharted region of space between our solar system and the interstellar space beyond that NASA is calling a kind of "cosmic purgatory," the Telegraph reports.

Materials Tortured in Space

2020-12-08T02:05:00.0000000+11:00

High-energy radiation and atomic oxygen wreak havoc on satellite parts. To evaluate the durability of materials being developed for future satellites, the US Naval Research Laboratory is running samples through a space-based torture test called MISSE-8. Astronauts bolted a platform full of 2.5 centimetre samples of mirror coatings, laser-tuning crystals, structural foam and other materials to the outside of the International Space Station, where it will remain for just over two years. The samples, which were sent to the ISS on one of the last space shuttle flights, in May, will return to Earth in July 2013 on the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Scientists from the labs that made each sample will examine them for pitting, cracks and discolouration.

Video: On Board Footage Of John Carmack's Rocket

2020-12-07T15:58:00.0000000+11:00

John Carmack is probably best know for his work as a leading programmer on classic video games such as Doom and Quake, and more recently for his work on the game Rage. However, he also has a bit of a thing for rockets, and along with his company Armadillo Aerospace, he recently launched a rocket that made it a whole 140,000 feet (or nearly 43 kilometres) up into the sky.

Carbon Nanotube Paint Makes Objects Ultra-Black

2020-12-07T15:40:00.0000000+11:00

Another day, another blacker-than-black materials science breakthrough aimed at making stealthy objects even stealthier. A research team from Michigan University in the States has created a new kind of nanostructured coating made of carbon nanotubes that could cloak an aircraft in complete blackness, concealing it in the visible range and beyond (think: radar). Suspended in paint, the nanomaterial could be rolled right onto aircraft to turn them super-black and super-stealthy.

A Nuclear Plant Helping Save US Crocs?

2020-12-07T14:40:00.0000000+11:00

Here's something you probably don't hear very often: A nuclear power plant that lights up thousands of homes in Florida in eastern USA has become a major refuge for a once-endangered species. Canals designed to divert power plant water provide a safe haven for American crocodiles, a supremely cold-sensitive species that once numbered fewer than 300 in this country. The closed-loop cooling system channels warmed water into the canals, heating the crocs' once-disappearing habitat.

Another Crowsourced Puzzle Game Helps Solve Diseases - This Time Diabetes, Alzheimers

2020-12-07T14:03:00.0000000+11:00

It seems that more and more researchers are making use of the power of the crowd to do their grunt work, especially when it comes to genetic research. McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has its own such puzzle game, known as Phylo, which is already helping to increase our understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer's, epilepsy and diabetes.

Heat Map: Every Auto Accident Resulting in Injury in Great Britain, 1999-2010

2020-12-07T13:30:00.0000000+11:00

Every now and then, someone takes a data set and does something absolutely illuminating. Here, the BBC has graphically mapped every road casualty on every road in Great Britain from 1999 to 2010. That's 2,396,750 crashes, with each individual point of light representing an individual crash resulting in a casualty (that's injury or death).

A Dead Sea Microbe's Fluorescent Protein Sheds Light on Brain Activity

2020-12-07T13:01:00.0000000+11:00

A fluorescent protein derived from a Dead Sea microbe could be a novel way to track electrical signals in the brain, researchers say. It's noninvasive and nontoxic, so it could enable neuron tracking without harming the neurons.

Pretty Space Pics: Dawn Captures Vesta's Composition in Brilliant Color

2020-12-07T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: the asteroid Vesta, captured in all its multicoloured glory by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. The colours, of course, aren't true. Rather, they've been assigned by scientists to show different mineral and rock types as data streaming back from Dawn is informing the analysis of this unique asteroid.

Keeping Heads Above Water With An Inflatable Swimsuit

2020-12-07T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

In February 2010, Shane Dorian chased a winter swell to Maverick's, a surf spot south of San Francisco known for its massive waves. Things were going well for the then-37-year-old Hawaiian, a celebrated pro surfer, until he lost his balance on a 50-footer, and the crashing mountain of water pushed him deep below the surface.

Slow-Motion Video: Playing Racquetball With a Hard-Boiled Egg

2020-12-07T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

So, here's a question for you: what happens when you hit a hard-boiled egg with a racquetball racquet? Those crazy kids at PopSci US set out to investigate, with a Phantom super-slow-motion HD camera and the intrepid (and, as you might notice in this video, remarkably graceful) Stan Horaczek.

Camera Test: The Tiny, Amazing Sony NEX-7

2020-12-07T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

We know how amazing Sony's tiny new 24.3-megapixel interchangeable-lens camera, the NEX-7, is - it's our camera of choice when we're taking photos for reviews, for one.

Living in the Future: Play Any Song, Anytime, Anywhere

2020-12-07T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

These days, we have a tendency to assimilate new tech into our lives without giving it much thought, much less gratitude, as Louis C.K. reminds us. But every once in awhile, we're struck by a moment, as visceral as it is literally incredible: "Wow. I can't believe this is possible."

Memjet Technologies

2020-12-07T04:45:00.0000000+11:00

A Memjet printer cranks out photo-quality pages at four times the rate of the average laser model and much more quickly than your standard inkjet. The 22 centimetre fixed print head covers the width of a letter-size sheet of paper. As the paper passes underneath, 70,400 nozzles - 17 times as many as in an inkjet-deposit 774 million dots of ink per second. Although the technology was introduced in 2009, this year Lenovo launched the first consumer Memjet printer in China, and a handful of other companies, including LG, have licensed the design to use in photo printers in the next year. From US $600 (est.)

Capturing Electricity with a Shoe

2020-12-07T02:13:00.0000000+11:00

Humans are not very efficient. When we walk, we waste close to 20 watts of energy per second. Instead of turning all calories into lift or forward motion, we turn most of them into heat that's quickly dissipated. So my colleagues and I came up with a way to harvest the wasted energy from human motion and convert it into about 10 watts of electricity.

Kepler Team Confirms First Earth-like Planet in a Habitable Zone, And Finds 1,094 More Worlds

2020-12-06T12:11:00.0000000+11:00

Nestled in the Goldilocks zone of a small, sun-like star is a room-temperature world a little more than twice the size of Earth. Scientists do not yet know if it is rocky or gaseous and whether it has water or clouds, but they do know that it’s the right size, and in the right place, for liquid water to exist. If it does exist, it may be one of the best places to look for life outside of our solar system.

Video: A Yeti Crab That Grows Its Bacterial Meals on Its Own Body

2020-12-06T11:15:00.0000000+11:00

A species of deep sea crab, named - as more things should be - after the Himalayan snow monster, grows its own food...on its body. The crab, part farmer and part farm, raises cultures of extremophile bacteria and harvests its meals off of its claws.

Italian Mathematician Maybe Explains Away Dark Matter With Maths

2020-12-06T10:51:00.0000000+11:00

An interesting piece in Universe Today over the weekend takes the dark matter out of the hunt for dark matter, but you’re probably going to want to approach this one carefully--or as Universe Today says, “put on your skeptical goggles and set them to maximum.” An Italian mathematician has done some creative number crunching and accounted for the force that holds galaxies together without the need for dark matter. It’s a bold claim to make--and one that’s going to get a good going-over from physicists.

Two Behemoth Black Holes, the Largest Ever Discovered, Could Swallow Billions of Suns

2020-12-06T09:40:00.0000000+11:00

Astronomers have measured the two most enormous supermassive black holes found so far, vast realms of titanic gravity large enough to swallow 10 of our solar systems. The black holes are much bigger than predicted, suggesting extra-large galaxies and their black holes grow and evolve differently than smaller ones.

Iran Has America's Missing RQ-170 Stealth Drone

2020-12-06T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

If reports from Fox News are correct, the "Beast" is out of the bag. US military sources appear to be confirming reports - first circulated yesterday by Iranian state media - that Iran has in its possession one of America's most sophisticated pieces of stealth technology: the RQ-170 drone, a.k.a. "the Beast of Kandahar" (the same drone that provided support for the Osama bin Laden mission back in May). US military sources have confirmed that the Iranians have the drone, Fox says, but say there's "absolutely no indication" it was shot down, as Iran claims.

Video: International Cell Race Clocks Cells Speeding Along Microscopic Race Tracks, For Science

2020-12-06T06:25:00.0000000+11:00

A clump of bone marrow cells are the fastest cells in the world, moving at a glacial pace of 5.2 microns per minute across a petri dish. They beat a line of breast cells by a hair's breadth - OK, well less than that, because the entire race track was about a hair's breadth long.

Kyocera Echo

2020-12-06T05:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Echo is an Android phone that can mimic a tablet. Kyocera added a second 3.5-inch touchscreen that snaps into place alongside the primary one; together the screens have a total resolution of 960 by 800 pixels, only slightly fewer than a seven-inch tablet. By default, the pair of screens share one image, be it the NYTimes or Hulu. App creators are using the developers' kit to code games that play on both panes - for example, an overhead view of a pool table up top and a first-person view on the bottom. Free (with contract)

Software Predicts Bushfire Movement in 30 Seconds

2020-12-05T16:38:00.0000000+11:00

A team from the University of Western Australia have finished work on a new simulation software package that can accurately predict the sweep of bushfires, and where they're likely to head next.

Microsoft Kinect, Version 2.0: Dust Off Your Kinect and Start Talking to It

2020-12-05T16:00:00.0000000+11:00

The last time I wrote about the Kinect in any kind of big-picture way, I was complaining about how this gadget, one of the most amazing, futuristic devices we've ever seen, sits in my living room, covered in dust. It's capable of so much, and hardly did anything, I said. Today, a new update to the Xbox 360 includes a ton of Kinect improvements - and we're that much closer to having the future in our living room.

Look at This Giant Bug!

2020-12-05T10:56:00.0000000+11:00

This amazing/disturbing picture is of a giant weta, a species of cricket native to New Zealand. This particular specimen is the largest ever recorded, and weighs a whopping (for an insect) 71 grams in weight. The giant weta is was eradicated from mainland New Zealand after being predated on by rats and other small mammals introduced by Europeans.

Camera Test: Canon's Awesome S100 Compact

2020-12-05T10:11:00.0000000+11:00

Algorithm Can Detect When Cars Are About to Run a Red Light

2020-12-05T09:18:00.0000000+11:00

Cars with infrared sensors, cameras and collaborative connectivity will eventually go a long way toward avoiding collisions, but human drivers will still be a wild card. Now a new algorithm can predict whether they'll behave at intersections, and could someday prevent crashes and save lives.

Video: Japanese Astronaut Plays Baseball With Himself Aboard ISS

2020-12-03T10:25:00.0000000+11:00

The Japanese seem to have the most fun aboard the ISS. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa has accomplished what so many only children on Earth have unsuccessfully attempted: successfully playing a team sport all by your lonesome. In this case, baseball. In this video, shot aboard the ISS during missions 28 and 29, the JAXA astronaut throws a few pitches, hits them with a tiny bat, and even manages to get himself out.

Alpinestars Tech Air Race Suit

2020-12-03T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Alpinestars suit can reduce the impact of a motorcycle crash to one tenth of what a racer wearing conventional body armour would suffer. The suit continuously monitors the rider's movements using embedded sensors, which communicate with a computer programmed to differentiate the motion that immediately precedes a crash from normal motion. When the system determines that a crash is imminent, it deploys airbags along the shoulders and collarbone in milliseconds to soften the blow. US $8,000 (est.)

New Map Imposes New York City Grid System on the World

2020-12-03T04:59:00.0000000+11:00

If the Manhattan grid system was extended beyond the island, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom would live at the intersection of 63,709th Street and East 10,894th Avenue. A wild interactive map by Harold Cooper, called ExtendNY, imagines an entire globe laid out according to the New York City grid of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811.

Camera Test: Canon's Awesome S100 Compact

2020-12-03T04:34:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends at Popular Photography just posted their review of what might well be the very best point-and-shoot camera on the market: the Canon S100, the followup to the similarly amazing S90 and S95 (what will the next one be called? Who knows!). The S100 has a serious overhaul internally, capable of shooting at a higher ISO, with a higher megapixel count and greater optical zoom, and now also has GPS for geotagging your shots. Read the full review at PopPhoto.

Bio Soil Enhancers Forage Boost

2020-12-03T03:40:00.0000000+11:00

Farmers and ranchers worldwide use about 180 million tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser every year, much of which eventually runs into waterways and oceans, causing algae blooms that kill aquatic life. The mix of more than 30 microbes in Forage Boost could eliminate all other fertiliser use on the planet's eight billion acres of pasture grass. Forage Boost's microbes replace naturally occurring ones that are lost in overfarmed soil, increasing productivity by locking nitrogen in the soil and breaking down organic waste into useful nutrients. The treatment increases grass yield by some 20 per cent over standard fertiliser. And because microbes create micro-channels in the soil structure, water runoff decreases by about half, reducing watering needs. From US $40/gallon

A 3D Printer Makes Customised Human Bones To Order

2020-12-03T01:59:00.0000000+11:00

We're already printing organs to order, so why not some customised 3D bone? Washington State University researchers have tweaked a 3D rapid prototyper designed to create metal parts to print in a bone-like material that acts as a scaffold for new bone cells. In just a few years, the researchers say, doctors and dentists could be printing up custom bone tissue to order.

Video: Fire Does Weird Things In Space

2020-12-02T14:45:00.0000000+11:00

It might sound a bit brazen to play around with fire in an artificially oxygenated environment, but that hasn't stopped the crew of the ISS from studying the behaviour of flame aboard the orbiting science station. Fire behaves very strangely - relative to the way it behaves on Earth, at least - in microgravity, and the Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX) has conducted more than 200 tests over two years to try and understand why.

CO2 Levels Dove Significantly During Initial Antarctic Ice Formation, Says Australian Researcher

2020-12-02T14:42:00.0000000+11:00

An international study, with involvement from Australian researchers, has shown that, contrary to prior science, global levels of CO2 were significantly lower than expected during the intial formation of the Antarctic ice sheet.

FAQ: Controversial Android, iPhone Tracker Carrier IQ

2020-12-02T12:02:00.0000000+11:00

News regarding Carrier IQ, a third-party service loaded on certain smartphones that's capable of tracking users and even recording keystrokes, has been spreading rapidly in the past few days. The world is still learning more about what the service specifically does, but the latest news is that references to Carrier IQ were found in Apple's iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone and iPad. Here's what you need to know.

Video: The World's First Stretchable, Elastic Electrical Cord

2020-12-02T10:59:00.0000000+11:00

Japanese Spandex-maker Asahi Kasei Fibers has developed the world's first elastic electrical cable, a stretchy conductive connector that could go a long way toward reducing cord clutter. But it's not just a way to help you manage your multi-cord mess. Called Roboden, the stretchable cord could enable new generations of electronics-embedded textiles and robotic skins.

Gotthard Base Tunnel

2020-12-02T10:07:00.0000000+11:00

The Swiss have solved one of Europe's great problems: The Alps make shipping freight expensive. Remove that problem, and you create a much easier way to move trade throughout the eurozone.

Researchers Quantum Entangle Two Millimetre-Sized Diamonds

2020-12-02T09:19:00.0000000+11:00

Quantum entanglement, the spooky action at a distance that promises to be so useful for things like high-powered computing and security, is generally considered a function of the tiny world. It's easy - OK, not easy, but relatively practical nowadays - to take two particles or two microscopic things and intertwine their fates. Now for the first time, scientists have accomplished quantum entanglement on the macro scale, entangling two millimetre-sized diamonds.

China Daily: The Should Be a Beijing-Washington Hotline to Avoid Cyber-Misunderstandings

2020-12-02T08:55:00.0000000+11:00

Generally we would shy away from "New Cold War" rhetoric, but sometimes it's hard not to draw comparisons. The ongoing cyber defense arms race and the establishment of an official cyber warfare strategy by the US - and we all know specifically who that is aimed at - more or less smack of the old days when the US and USSR were trapped in that tenuous relationship held fast by the threat of mutually assured destruction. And now there's this: China Daily, in an editorial dated last week, is calling for a Sino-American cyber "red phone." All that's missing is cyber duck-and-cover drills.

Clear of Solar Pollution, Voyager Glimpses Star Formation in the Milky Way For the First Time

2020-12-02T06:10:00.0000000+11:00

Like city lights blinding the night sky, the sun blocks out a lot of the signals from our galactic neighbourhood. Our star and its magnetic fields shield the planets from cosmic rays and the interstellar wind - by and large a good thing, but it's somewhat frustrating if you want to study the galaxy in greater detail. We cannot see, for instance, the hydrogen signals that serve as the birth pangs of stars in our neighbourhood. Until now - the Voyager spacecraft have seen it for the first time.

Japanese Scientists Make A Crab Transparent

2020-12-02T02:50:00.0000000+11:00

In the latest issue of Soft Matter, a team of biochemists from Kyoto University show off their latest creation: a crab shell that came from a normal crab, but which has been made as clear as glass. The hapless crustacean's chitinous exoskeleton was treated with hydrochloric acid, lye, and ethyl alcohol, which removed all the pigments, proteins, and whatnot while leaving the chitin substrate intact. This "nanofibrous structure" was then impregnated with acrylic resin. Result: transparent crab shell.

Video: "Jetman" Flies Alongside Jet Aircraft

2020-12-01T16:32:00.0000000+11:00

The "Jetman," Yves Rossy, is probably the only person on the planet who can claim to have flown alongside L-39 Albatross jets - or any type of jet for that matter. Check out the video of the moment Rossy soars alongside jet pilots, attached to his jet engine powered carbon wing.

AT-AT Wine Cabinet Defends Your Drinks From Rebel Scum

2020-12-01T15:52:00.0000000+11:00

If you're wanting some a bit more geek than a simple drinks cabinet, then you might just be into looking at this full blown AT-AT model. Unfortunately, we don't think it has lasers that actually work, but it's still plenty impressive.

ANU Revisits Old Theories To Deal With Sound Damage From Loud MP3 Players

2020-12-01T15:03:00.0000000+11:00

A researcher at the Australian National University has proposed resurrecting a 150 year old theory of how sound is heard, so as to deal with noise damage caused by modern comforts like MP3 players and live music. If his findings are right, you could help prevent at least some damage to your ear as easily as by chewing a piece of gum.

NASA Commissions Space Washing Machine To Do Space Laundry

2020-12-01T12:10:00.0000000+11:00

Astronauts and cosmonauts are generally chosen based on a balanced blend of desirable traits: mental acuity and psychological stability (it's isolated up there), physical fitness, physiological durability, willingness to be strapped to a massive controlled explosion and hurled into an environment that is extremely hostile toward life, etc. But it's no secret: Right Stuff or no Right Stuff, astronauts stink. There's simply no good way to stay clean in space.

Blue Devil Airship is Getting a Super-High-Speed Optical Laser Downlink Upgrade

2020-12-01T10:53:00.0000000+11:00

The United States Air Force's Blue Devil airship is getting yet another high-tech upgrade. Via a federal announcement put out last week, The Register reports that DARPA will outfit the Blue Devil Block 2 ISR airship with up to two Free-space Optical Experimental Network Experiment (FOENEX) systems. Think of them like optical lasers that move through the air with the fidelity of the kind of fibre optic cable going into our very own NBN.

Laser's Quantum Fluctuations Provide a Better, Faster Source of Random Numbers

2020-12-01T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

In a potential breakthrough for cryptography, a new laser light-scattering technique could be a fast and efficient way to generate truly random numbers, creating unknowable code formulas that will be able to thwart even the most sophisticated hackers. Led by Canadian researchers, the new method relies on the bizarre characteristics of quantum uncertainty.

Video: Qbo Robot Learns to Recognise Itself in a Mirror

2020-12-01T08:56:00.0000000+11:00

Qbo (pronounced "cue-bee-oh") is a new(ish) robot designed by TheCorpora, which in addition to general cuteness boasts some impressive speech and object recognition abilities. But what happens if you put an object recognition robot in a position to see...itself?

Obama Gives Government Agencies Four Months To Make Digital Plan

2020-12-01T08:03:00.0000000+11:00

Despite this era's amazing advances in data storage and data mining, the accumulated records of our federal bureaucracy are largely - and perhaps unsurprisingly - languishing in the early 20th century. Paperwork and filing cabinets still comprise the bulk of government records. President Obama would apparently like to change this, so this week he gave federal agencies four months to come up with a Web 2.0-inspired way to bring their records management systems online.

Driven: The All-New 2012 Porsche 911

2020-12-01T07:06:00.0000000+11:00

It was a scant few years ago that we were testing the brand new 911, codenamed 997. The 997 had more power, thanks to all-new direct-injection engines and a kick-ass dual-clutch transmission with the longest name in the history of transmissions - the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or, PDK for short. It was the ne plus ultra in the history of the model - for a time. That's all history, thanks to the brand-new and better than ever 2012 Porsche 911, designated the 991.

Restaurant Menus Will Include DNA Barcodes to Verify Fish Species

2020-11-30T16:00:00.0000000+11:00

Fish specials at your local restaurant may soon come with an extra guarantee of quality and sustainability, as fishmongers start checking the DNA of their wares. While the International Barcode of Life conference begins today to discuss this very issue in Adelaide, US restaurants are already planning to start using the technology to prove the provenance of their pricey fish, the AP reports.

Galaxy Tab Sales Injunction In Australia Lifted, But Not Quite - For Now

2020-11-30T14:58:00.0000000+11:00

In the world of patent law, it's sometimes a little hard to know what's going on. For instance, today, Samsung successfully managed to have an injunction on sales of their Android-based Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia lifted. Except, it's not until Friday that the lifting will actually occur, presumably so Apple can potentially overturn the overturning. Or something.

Murray River Baby Turtles Co-Ordinate Simultaneous Hatchings

2020-11-30T13:31:00.0000000+11:00

A study conducted by the University of Western Sydney has found that turtle embryos can adjust their rates of development when in the presence of other eggs, in order to coordinate that hatching times. And no mind reading in sight - as far as we know.

Sculpture To Be Made By Autonomous Robot Swarm

2020-11-30T11:06:00.0000000+11:00

Regular readers of PopSci are no strangers to robotic quadcopters, or even to quadcopters that work together to build things. But now, the quadcopters are out of the lab. A new art installation opening this weekend at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France, will be built entirely by quadcopter robots, marking the first time such an exhibition has been constructed by flying robots.

Smartphone Touchscreens Could Analyse Biological Smears to Diagnose Illness

2020-11-30T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

The lab-on-a-chip model has been praised as the future of simplified diagnostic medicine - place a sample of saliva, blood, or urine on a small chip-like device that traps disease biomarkers, and send it off to a lab for analysis and diagnosis. But a couple of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology think we could simplify that process even further by doing the lab work on the touchscreens of our smartphones.

The Iguana 29: A Speed Boat That Morphs Into a Tank-Tracked Beach Lander

2020-11-30T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

Amphibious vehicle designs always sounds great on paper, but in practical use they tend to sink more often than swim. It's not so much that they don't work, but that they tend to handle either land or water well, with the other being an afterthought (not to mention they solve a problem that most people simply don't have). But we'd be lying if we said the Iguana 29 didn't catch our eyes.

Testing the Best: The Wacom Inkling Turns Paper Into a Digital Sketchpad

2020-11-30T08:11:00.0000000+11:00

To test the Wacom Inkling, we asked PopSci's US Art Director, Todd Detwiler, to doodle to his heart's content. These are his thoughts.

Should a New Recipe for Engineered Bird Flu, Potent Enough to Kill Millions, Be Published?

2020-11-30T04:09:00.0000000+11:00

Inside a Dutch medical facility is a potentially devastating weapon that could kill millions: A genetically modified version of the H5N1 bird flu, engineered to be easily transmitted among ferrets. And the researchers who figured out how to do it would like to share their work with the world.

Video: Apple's Voice-Command Sorceress Siri Hacked So She Can Start Cars

2020-11-29T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

Developer Brandon Fiquett is one of the first to hack Siri, Apple's new voice command feature that we have previously insisted is for your mum. But maybe not, given what this hack indicates is possible: Siri can be hacked to communicate with just about anything, and in this case has been persuaded to start a car with a simple voice command.

Video: An Undulating, Shape-Shifting Robot that Runs on Compressed Air

2020-11-29T12:11:00.0000000+11:00

Most robots are built rigid and will break under strain - their durability and resilience is more or less dictated by the amount of stress their material components can withstand before breaking down. But a soft robot - one that lacks a rigid structure - could do all sorts of things, like change its shape and method of movement or survive unique kinds of stresses. And to that end, researchers have built a flexible, pneumatic robot that is exactly that: soft.

Video: Phone App For Distracted Pedestrians Detects When You're About to Get Hit By a Car

2020-11-29T11:41:00.0000000+11:00

Texting while driving can be deadly. Talking while walking? Also deadly. Or at least threatening enough that researchers at Dartmouth and the University of Bologna thought it necessary to develop a smartphone app that makes it safer. Their Android app uses machine learning and image recognition that takes place right on your phone to alert you when you're chatting your way right into an oncoming smash-up.

VIDEO: How To Make Your Old LCD Screen Viewable Only By Using Special Glasses

2020-11-29T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

Have you ever been annoyed by people reading or watching what's happening on your computer monitor, usually by quite conspicuously peering over your shoulder? Or perhaps you simply want a way to prevent people using your computer in a very straightforward, quite secure fashion without using software? Well, there's a hack for that.

Robotic Guards Will Soon Patrol South Korean Prison

2020-11-29T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

The possibility of robot workers raises a certain type of futurey allure combined with a sense of danger - in a variety of settings, they could help humans work better and faster, but they could also replace us, or worse, maim us. So how are we supposed to feel about the news of a new troupe of robot prison guards? It's awesome. And terrifying.

A Stunning Milky Way Captured from an Island Paradise

2020-11-29T09:33:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: the Milky Way, viewed from the Cook Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean on a clear summer night. Snapped by Turkish skywatcher Tunç Tezel on the second largest Cook Island of Mangaia, the image was chosen as a winner of the UK's National Maritime Museum's Astrophotographer of the Year 2011 contest. And it's the most beautiful thing you're going to see on this back-to-work Monday.

Cyborg Insects Could Be First Responders in Rescue Situations

2020-11-29T08:57:00.0000000+11:00

We've seen insects with microchips attached used as zombie drones and weapon trackers, thanks to DARPA. But now a group at the University of Michigan has a plan to unleash cyborg insects equipped with sensors as first responders in dangerous environments.

President Medvedev Suggests Punishing Those Responsible for Phobos-Grunt Debacle

2020-11-29T07:08:00.0000000+11:00

Most of the sentiment surrounding Russia's failed Mars-bound Phobos-Grunt has been a mix of guarded hopefulness that Roscosmos will recover the mission - currently stalled in Earth orbit - and sympathy for a space program that's been dogged by these kinds of failures. Not so for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is reportedly looking to mete out some serious punishment for the high-profile debacle.

Ice Cream Sandwich Starts Making Its Way Onto Everything

2020-11-28T13:14:00.0000000+11:00

Given that the source code to the latest version of Android is already out there in the wild, we really shouldn't be surprised to see the emergence of videos demonstrating the new OS running on a bunch of different devices. Still, we can't help but admire the best Google can offer running on tablets, mobiles -heck, even the old G1.

VIDEO: Curious Rover Sets Off To Sniff Out Signs Of Life On Mars

2020-11-28T10:06:00.0000000+11:00

Over the weekend, NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory from Cape Canavarel. It's the first rover to be launched to Mars in eight years, and it's also the biggest rover ever, weighing a heaving tonne in weight, and costing US$2.5 billion

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2020-11-26T14:43:00.0000000+11:00

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Twine Module Allows Objects To Tweet And Email For You

2020-11-25T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

What we all really need are more email and SMS messages in our lives. Yes, yes we do. And the best way to do this is, of course, to give those significant inanimate objects we know and love the ability to join in the conversation. Now there's an easy way to make this happen, and its name is Twine.

This Holiday Season, Your Shopping Centre May Be Tracking Your Behaviour

2020-11-24T16:52:00.0000000+11:00

Starting on Black Friday, two malls, Promenade Temecula in Temecula, California, and Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, Virginia, will track customers' travels via their smartphones. The tracking system follows shoppers' paths through the mall. It's a way for stores to see where else their customers shop, and for malls to see which stores receive the most (or least) traffic.

Australian Dish Finds Russian Spacecraft

2020-11-24T13:41:00.0000000+11:00

An Australian spacecraft tracking facility has received the first communication from a Russian spacecraft since it failed to move from Earth orbit two weeks ago.

Nanotubes Turn 3D Objects Invisible

2020-11-24T11:41:00.0000000+11:00

The possibility of cloaked spaceships and vehicles in our future is becoming ever more probable, with scientists from the University of Michigan developing a carbon nanotube coating for objects which absorbs light, rendering them “invisible” against a black background.

Graphene Foam Sensors Cheaply Detect Trace Particles in Air Ten Times Better Than Current Tech

2020-11-24T07:13:00.0000000+11:00

Nanotechnology as a discipline is bleeding-edge cool, but so often we hear more about its amazing potential than its practical application. So it's always refreshing to catch wind of a story like this: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York have developed and demonstrated a small, relatively inexpensive, and reusable sensor made of graphene foam that far outperforms commercial gas sensors on the market today and could lead to better explosives detectors and environmental sensors in the very near future.

Video: Truck-Sized Inflatable Anteater 'Bot Traipses Through Water and Grass

2020-11-24T06:17:00.0000000+11:00

Meet Ant-Roach, an inflatable clackety six-legged robot with a protruding proboscis. It's made of fabric inflatable actuators and pneumatic piping, and its limbs are driven by central manifolds that dispense compressed air. It's tough enough that you can ride it, which is undeniably awesome.

Can The Bulldog Be Redesigned?

2020-11-24T05:36:00.0000000+11:00

Here at PopSci we frequently talk about genetic modification, the process of interrupting or editing gene sequences to introduce new traits that nature by itself does not. Far less often do we talk about the other option - let's call it morphologic modification, for the process of unnaturally selecting and breeding for those desired traits. Take, for example, the dog.

Lost Mars Probe Briefly Phones Home, But the Window to Save the Phobos-Grunt Mission is Closing

2020-11-24T03:00:00.0000000+11:00

Finally, Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft has called home. The European Space Agency has confirmed that Roscosmos' marooned spacecraft - stuck in Earth orbit after a failed booster firing failed to set it on a course for Mars earlier this month - made contact with an ESA tracking station in Perth, Australia, yesterday. But no telemetry data was exchanged in the brief contact, and the prospects for the mission are still next to hopeless.

At Tokyo Motor Show, the Public Will Be Allowed to Test-Ride In Robot-Driven Prius

2020-11-23T15:03:00.0000000+11:00

Without a doubt, the best part of an auto show is the test drive - you can sink into the cushiony driver's seat, behold the beautiful control panel, feel the steering wheel slip comfortably between your fingers. At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, that won't happen. Test drivers will sit in the back seat of an autonomous Prius, letting the car drive them around by itself. It'll probably be worth the back seat view.

Remotely Operated Via Kinect, Handy Robot Cleans Your House

2020-11-23T12:47:00.0000000+11:00

A new household servant robot made by the world's largest manufacturer of industrial ‘bots can help people with disabilities or limited mobility move things around. It's controlled via Kinect, with the robot aping the Kinect user's body gestures.

PopSci #37 - December 2011

2020-11-23T12:08:00.0000000+11:00

Our December edition is printed and ready to go! For those who want to grab it from a newsagent, maybe as a special Christmas gift to a friend or relative, you can get your hands on it:

On sale 30th November 2011

Electronic Contact Lenses Tested Successfully in Real Live Eyes

2020-11-23T11:45:00.0000000+11:00

Back in 2009, we wrote about a contact lens in the works that displayed visual feedback right before your eyes, Terminator style. Well, two years and a few months later, Professor Babak Parviz has a working model. He has given the new lens to rabbits, and reports complete success.

Grey Matter: The Fire Bird

2020-11-23T11:13:00.0000000+11:00

Oil and water don't mix: it's an old saying, but it's never more true than when you're talking about a pot of hot cooking oil and the moisture condensed on the surface of a frozen turkey. it's pretty incredible the amount of fire that simple combination can create.

Video: An Augmented-Reality Bananaphone, With a Real Banana (or Anything Else)

2020-11-23T09:10:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers at the Ishikawa-Oku lab at the University of Tokyo have gone one-up on augmented reality with a system they call "invoked computing." Basically, that means computers will be embedded everywhere in your daily life, and you'll "invoke" operations, so everyday, non-computerised objects - like a banana - can be given computer-like capabilities. This is all leading up to a real-life bananaphone, obviously.

Nation's Densest Network of License Plate Data-Trackers Raises Privacy Concerns

2020-11-23T08:11:00.0000000+11:00

In Washington, D.C., where there are plenty of powerful people and precious places to protect, the cops have lots of high-tech tools at their disposal. But one tool, automatic license plate readers, could become much more than a crime-prevention device. D.C. police maintain the country's densest network of plate readers, and keep a three-year database of license plate locations - meaning they can track where everyone's car is, all the time, whether at the supermarket, a pub or hospital.

The iPhone 4S Gets an Expert Camera Test

2020-11-23T06:50:00.0000000+11:00

Our good friends over at Popular Photography just posted a lengthy expert test of the iPhone 4S's camera. It's been called one of the best phone cameras ever released, and not just by Apple - but how does it stack up against point-and-shoots, superzooms, and the other "best cameraphones"? More importantly, how does it fare in a proper camera test? Check out the story over at PopPhoto.

The Most Capable Robot Geologist Ever Built Now Heads to Mars to Find Life

2020-11-22T17:46:00.0000000+11:00

Planetary scientists sometimes joke that we know more about Mars than we do about the moon. NASA first landed a spacecraft on the surface of the fourth planet during the US Bicentennial, five years before the first space shuttle ever lifted off. And we've learned plenty in the intervening 35 years: Viking 1 and 2 analysed Mars rocks, Spirit and Opportunity found evidence of ancient water, and Phoenix saw the Martian snow. Yet the biggest question - whether Mars could ever be home to life - still eludes us.

Sea-Gliding Robots Embark on Ambitious Pacific Crossing

2020-11-22T16:41:00.0000000+11:00

Two pairs of self-propelled oceangoing robots have begun slowly making their way across the Pacific Ocean, setting off Nov. 17 from San Francisco on an epic journey covering 61,000 kilometres. During their 300-day trip, the robots will collect 2.25 million pieces of data, and attempt to break a world record for the longest distance ever traversed by an unmanned vehicle.

Now, A Second Italian Study Rejects Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Claim

2020-11-22T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

Another new twist in the science of scofflaw neutrinos: A second Italian physics group now says they are not moving faster than light after all. So the foundations of modern physics appear safe for now - but this debate will likely not be settled for some time.

Cryomation Cryomator

2020-11-22T11:47:00.0000000+11:00

A person's carbon footprint keeps growing after death. Burial uses arable land, and cremation releases a body's carbon into the atmosphere. The Cryomator instead chills the body with liquid nitrogen until it breaks apart and then freeze-dries the remains to remove water and kill microbes.

Aerovironment Nano Hummingbird UAV

2020-11-22T09:44:00.0000000+11:00

Most flying robots use rotors or propellers, limiting the craft's ability to manoeuvre in tight places. The Nano Hummingbird navigates by changing the angle and shape of its paper-thin wings-which beat 20 to 40 times per second - and can hover in place for up to 11 minutes. It is also small enough to fly through windows or other small openings, strong enough to carry a microphone or camera, and stable enough to maintain a highly controlled hover, even in gusts of wind. Once the design, which is still in prototype, matures and goes into production, operators could use the Hummingbird on reconnaissance missions in environments where maneuverability inside buildings or around near-ground obstacles, such as huts or tents, is essential.

Driven: The All-Electric Rolls Royce 102EX

2020-11-22T09:13:00.0000000+11:00

One of the highlights of the LA Auto Show was a chance to drive the Rolls Royce 102EX, a one-of-a-kind electric Phantom. Powered by two 145-kilowatt motors, one at each rear wheel, for a total of 82 metre-kilograms of torque, the 102EX has a range of about 201 kms per charge.

Testing the Best: The Bose VideoWave, the Best-Sounding TV Ever

2020-11-22T07:52:00.0000000+11:00

Looked at one way, the Bose VideoWave is a 46" LED backlit LCD TV that costs $7,999, a rare bird in a market where such things have become commodity products at a tenth that price. Sure, it's got integrated speakers and does virtual surround decoding, but hey, they make soundbars for that, right? But the VideoWave offers a lot more - and a lot less, which poetically is a lot more. This isn't an all-in-one. It's just the simplest-working, best-sounding out-of-the-box TV you've ever heard.

PopSci Q&A: Lytro CEO Ren Ng Talks About Making Light-Field Happen

2020-11-22T04:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Lytro Light-Field Camera, a US $400 gadget that allows photographers to re-focus pictures after they're taken, is the product of a decade of work from Ren Ng, a computer-science grad student at Stanford University. As a student, Ng saw potential for a consumer camera in a light-field setup, which then necessitated a room-filling array of lenses - already the product of more than 50 years of light-based physics research. About 10 years later, his company has introduced a personal shooter that could be the biggest change in photography since the digital-image sensor.

Faster Than Light Neutrino Results Have Been Repeated

2020-11-21T12:58:00.0000000+11:00

Two months after scientists first announced they had recorded neutrinos travelling faster than the speed of light, they have repeated the experiment and claim the two tests have very comparable results.

New Material One Hundred Times Lighter Than Styrofoam

2020-11-21T11:03:00.0000000+11:00

Perched on top of this dandelion is the world’s lightest material, a newly developed metal that is 99.99 per cent air.

Russian Hackers Breach US Water Utility and Destroy Pump

2020-11-19T08:40:00.0000000+11:00

Apparently, Russian hackers are targeting Springfield, Illinois's water in the US. According to Wired's "Threat Level," last week a group of hackers breached the Springfield, Illinois water utility system and remotely destroyed a water pump.

Avita/ReCell Spray-On Skin

2020-11-19T06:30:00.0000000+11:00

A bad burn needs new skin to heal, but that skin has to come from somewhere. ReCell Spray-On-Skin solution grows cells quickly. Surgeons take a healthy sample from a patient and place it in ReCell's liquid suspension. After 20 minutes, the cells will have multiplied enough to spray onto an area that's 80 times the sample size where the cells can attach and heal. US $20/kit

In Repetition of Controversial Experiment, Neutrinos Beat Light Speed Once Again

2020-11-19T05:19:00.0000000+11:00

Remember in September when neutrinos were observed moving faster than the speed of light, potentially overturning everything we thought we knew about physics? It was met with all sorts of scepticism and dubiety, so the physicists decided to replicate their experiment and take new measurements.

Billabong V1

2020-11-19T03:20:00.0000000+11:00

Several big-wave surfers have been killed while attempting to conquer giant swells. Billabong's V1 wetsuit significantly reduces that risk. After a wipeout, the surfer pulls an attached ripcord, puncturing a carbon dioxide cartridge that inflates a bladder in the back of the suit.

International Scientists Race to Create the Heaviest Element in the Universe

2020-11-19T02:21:00.0000000+11:00

Two international teams are competing to create the heaviest element in the universe. Super-heavy elements are the elements at the bottom of the periodic table with an atomic number (the number of protons) above 104. The previous heaviest element, temporarily called ununoctium, was "discovered" in 2002, and the two teams are now attempting to produce elements 119 and 120.

VIDEO: Head Mounted AR System Does Remote Assistance In Your Eyes

2020-11-18T15:14:00.0000000+11:00

It's the stuff of sci-fi, and yet the Japanese have put it together using a Toughbook, a couple of HMDs, and rubber gloves. The Japanese Advanced Industrial Science and Technology institute has devised a system allowing experts to do remote assistance using augmented reality technology, overlaying their hand movements onto the world around the person they're assisting, making it easy to follow along themselves.

Image Recognition Software Can Help Cops ID Gang Graffiti Automatically

2020-11-18T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

Cops tracking gang activity frequently need to decipher graffiti, decoding messages, identifying gangs and even monitoring individual people by looking at their bubbly letters and spray-painted scrawls. New software can help speed the process by automatically checking graffiti against a library of street art.

Quantum Physicists Create Light out of Thin Air

2020-11-18T09:52:00.0000000+11:00

Quantum physics is an area of science most people don’t even attempt to understand. But researchers, including one from the University of New South Wales, have done just that – using quantum properties to create light out of, well…nothing.

Startup Harvests Otherwise Wasted Lithium From Geothermal Power Plants

2020-11-18T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

Portable electronics and electric cars both need a steady supply of lithium, and while the world has plenty of it (at least for the foreseeable future), hardly any is produced in the US. That is about to change, as a California startup aims to produce lithium from the waste product of another 21st century new-energy technology: Geothermal power plants.

Honduran Teen Invents Cheap, Simple Eye-Tracking Device For Disabled

2020-11-18T09:15:00.0000000+11:00

The gadget world is full of cool eye-tracking interfaces, from an iPhone version to a fully functioning laptop. But these are all fairly pricey and complex, making them niche devices rather than widely adoptable tools. Now a Honduran teenager has an eye tracker that solves the problem: A $300 open-source kit meant for people with disabilities. It's called the Eyeboard.

New Material Promises Faster Chips, Faster Internet, Faster Everything

2020-11-18T09:10:00.0000000+11:00

We've constructed a world out of fibre optic cable and silicon, but Arizona State University researchers think their new material can do better. They have synthesised a new kind of single-crystal nanowire from a compound of erbium - a material generally used to dope fibre optic cables to amplify their signals - and they claim it could increase the speed of the Internet, spawn a new generation of computers, and improve photovoltaic solar cells, sensor technologies, and solid-state lighting.

In NASA's New Budget: Webb Telescope Stays Alive, But Commercial Spaceflight Takes a Hit

2020-11-18T09:02:00.0000000+11:00

NASA's new budget, approved by a House and Senate conference committee and going before the full House today, will save the over-budget James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). But the allotment for commercial space taxis to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station has been cut in half.

In First Clinical Trial, Unemployed Rattlesnakes Find Work as Cancer-Fighters

2020-11-18T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

An Irish company is using four American diamondback rattlesnakes in a new clinical trial that will test snake venom as a treatment for cancer. The snakes, which hail from the Albuquerque BioPark, will be allowed to bite something and have their venom extracted humanely. The venom contains proteins that will be extracted and refined to target and kill cancer cells.

Worx JawSaw

2020-11-18T04:53:00.0000000+11:00

The electric JawSaw is a terror for wood but safe for the operator. Its metal jaws leave only a small amount of the chain exposed, minimising the risk of contact with the user's body as well as preventing kickback and chain damage when it's sawing branches on the ground. The steel teeth can lock onto a piece of wood of up to 10 centimetres in diameter to increase stability while the chain rips through it. And unlike other chainsaws, the JawSaw doesn't require any additional tools to replace the chain or set the tension. US $120

Australian Scientists Develop Gene-Based Treatment for Skin Cancer

2020-11-17T13:28:00.0000000+11:00

Good news for the countless people across the globe suffering from some kind of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which includes a large proportion of those dealing with skin cancer. Australian researchers have discovered the "stop signal" gene for SCC that is absent in virtually every SCC tumor they looked at. Without it, cells replicate uncontrolled causing a tumor, but knowing what gene is missing gives researchers the means to develop new strategies to treat and prevent this common form of cancer.

Pretty Space Pics: The Carina Nebula, Birthing Stars in Both Visible and Invisible Light

2020-11-17T12:33:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: Behold, the Carina nebula - but not as it looks with the naked eye. Astronomers at the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), unsatisfied with the visible light spectrum images taken of this stunning swirl of blue interstellar dust, decided to begin imaging the region in sub-millimetre light invisible to the eye (represented by the the orange in the image above). Aesthetically speaking, it wasn't a bad idea.

Video: Japanese Robotic Polar Bear Gently Smacks Snorers in the Face

2020-11-17T12:30:00.0000000+11:00

Talk about a rude awakening. If you snore, this new pillowbot from Japan will gently brush your cheek to get you to stop - or flip out of bed in terror as its disturbingly slow arm moves toward you.

Giant Ice Blocks To Cool City

2020-11-17T12:15:00.0000000+11:00

Large slabs of ice that will be used to cool a city and provide it with fresh water? This is the latest geoengineering experiment coming from Mongolia.

Researchers Turn Hydrogen Gas Into Metal

2020-11-17T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today in relatively obscure but nonetheless meaningful scientific pursuits: two researchers at the Max-Planck Institute claim to have turned hydrogen into metal. That may seem unremarkable, but the fact is hydrogen - being an alkali metal - should exhibit the qualities of a metal under the right circumstances. Yet no one has ever coaxed the universe's most abundant element into showing metallic qualities until now. Perhaps.

Video: DARPA's FastRunner will be a Robo-Ostrich Capable of 50 k/ph Sprints

2020-11-17T11:59:00.0000000+11:00

When in doubt, look to nature. It's the creed of the biomimicry movement, and it's not lost on blue-sky thinkers over at DARPA. Research carried out by MIT and the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) is delivering to the DoD a robotic biped that will run faster than Usain Bolt - perhaps as fast as 80 kilometres an hour eventually. Presenting DARPA's robo-ostrich.

Video: Military Garbage Burner Utterly Destroys Trash, With Tactical Precision

2020-11-17T11:57:00.0000000+11:00

A new, compact gasification contraption can dramatically compress the things our armed forces leave behind, turning trash into ash. Marines at Camp Smith, Hawaii, are testing the new unit to verify whether it could be used at forward operating bases to cut down on landfill. The Micro Auto Gasification System, or MAGS, can bake 45 kilograms of garbage and compress it into 2.3 kilograms of ash, while creating more energy than it consumes.

New Li-ion Battery Design Boosts Energy Capacity and Charge Rate 10-Fold

2020-11-17T11:49:00.0000000+11:00

For years, battery designers have been looking for the next big thing in energy storage technology that could replace the lithium-ion batteries currently found in everything from laptops to smartphones to cars. It turns out they may have simply needed to rethink the existing li-ion battery. Northwestern University researchers have re-engineered a lithium-ion battery that can hold ten times the charge of current batteries on the market, and can charge ten times faster.

Neuronal Computer Chips Communicate Like Brain Cells

2020-11-17T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Brain-like computers could soon become a lot more common. Earlier this year, we heard about a project involving DARPA and IBM to create a functioning neurosynaptic chip, which works somewhat like a brain in the way it learns and remembers. Now MIT engineers have designed a chip that mimics the function of a synapse in the brain, in its ability to model specific communications among neurons. The new chip could help researchers study the brain, and it could be used in neural prosthetic devices such as artificial retinas.

Amazon Kindle Touch Review: Should You Touch Your Books?

2020-11-17T09:10:00.0000000+11:00

The Kindle Touch is Amazon's top-of-the-line e-ink reader, a compromise between a tablet like the Kindle Fire (easy typing, faster navigation) and the e-ink, single-focus ebook reader named simply Kindle. But Amazon's relentless price slashing makes me wonder if there's a need for this in-between.

Secret Google Lab Holds The Future

2020-11-16T10:45:00.0000000+11:00

Slave-robots, meals in a pill and hoverboards: futuristic innovations that are, so far, works of science fiction. Except for in a top-secret, Californian "Google X" lab.

Video: Robot Manipulates Humans' Arms With Electric Stimulation

2020-11-16T09:31:00.0000000+11:00

Jot it down: November 15, 2020, is when it began. Researchers in France have given a small robot the ability to directly control a living human's arm by running electricity through his muscles. The evil little bot mercilessly forces blindfolded human test subjects to put a toy ball through a toy basket again and again, by stimulating electrodes attached to their arms.

First-Ever Supercomputer Sim of the H1N1 Virus Gives Researchers Resolution Down to the Atom

2020-11-16T09:18:00.0000000+11:00

Back in 2009 when the H1N1 pandemic was sweeping the globe - it would leave about 17,000 people dead by the beginning of 2010, with confirmed cases in more than 200 countries - waves of anxiety followed in its wake. For most, it was a fear of an illness that seemed at the time indiscriminate, unstoppable, and incurable. For the virologists and drug developers trying to battle the virus, it stemmed from the fact that H1N1 was so poorly understood. This new strain of influenza A was a hybrid borrowing genetic elements from a handful of flu viruses, and researchers weren't just without tools - they didn't even know for sure what tools might be useful.

3D Projection Tech Makes Images Hover in Mid-Air, No Screen Necessary

2020-11-16T09:17:00.0000000+11:00

It's a kind of validation when our past visions of the future and the present collide, reminding us that things we thought were possible back then actually were within reach. Take, for example, Tokyo-based Burton's Aerial 3D technology. The company claims it's the first 3D tech that casts three-dimensional objects in mid-air without using any kind of screen. It recalls that scene in Star Wars where the crustacean-faced guy is planning the rebel battleplan around his big holographic table. And it's here today.

Amazon Kindle Fire Review: An iPad Killer?

2020-11-16T09:16:00.0000000+11:00

People throw around a lot of big phrases when they talk about the Kindle Fire - "iPad killer" being an oldie but goodie. But after spending some time with the 18-centimetre Fire, one thing is abundantly clear: this ain't no iPad killer. This right here is something else entirely. Less a "tablet" in the sense we've come to think of it than a content-delivery device, the Kindle Fire is a window to serious, non-stop entertainment consumption. And Amazon shopping. Lots of Amazon shopping.

Video: Robot Manipulates Humans' Arms With Electric Stimulation

2020-11-16T08:01:00.0000000+11:00

First Government-Approved Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Stopped in Its Tracks By Economy

2020-11-16T05:58:00.0000000+11:00

The first company to start human clinical trials using embryonic stem cells is quitting the project and laying off more than a third of its staff. Geron Corp. said it is discontinuing its FDA-approved stem cell test and turning its focus to cancer treatment instead.

FYI: Can Humans Trigger Earthquakes?

2020-11-16T03:12:00.0000000+11:00

Yes. We drill into the earth to mine for gas, oil and minerals and construct massive dams and, as a result, have caused at least 200 quakes of more than 4.5 magnitude in the past 160 years, says Christian Klose, a researcher at Columbia University who studies man-made quakes.

You Built What?! A Remote-Controlled Hacker Drone

2020-11-16T02:24:00.0000000+11:00

Richard Perkins and Mike Tassey both worked in information technology in the US Air Force before decamping to various cybersecurity consulting roles in and around the Department of Defense. But throughout their careers they've always considered themselves hackers at heart, which is why they spent the past two years developing the ultimate mobile hacking device: a drone aircraft that can discreetly break into Wi-Fi networks, emit jamming signals, and even pose as a mobile phone tower to intercept communications from the ground.

Tiny Electric Vehicle Could Treat Disease

2020-11-15T15:09:00.0000000+11:00

Imagine a fleet of microscopic cars zooming through your veins, zapping cancerous cells as they go. Sound unbelievable? Well, it's a possibility that's closer than you think.

Android 4.0 ICS Source Code Released

2020-11-15T11:03:00.0000000+11:00

With the release of the Galaxy Nexus imminent, Google have pleasantly surprised everyone by giving the go-ahead to release the Ice Cream Sandwich source code, after much speculation as to whether the search (and mobile OS) giant would hold onto it for a little longer. This means the new OS could be available on other devices much sooner than anticpated.

Video: Robot Rides Fixed-Gear Bicycle, Makes Humans Say 'Nawww'

2020-11-15T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

At this year's International Robot Exhibition, Masahiko Yamaguchi demonstrated a smallish robot - maybe a foot high or so - that is able to ride a fixed-gear bike, like a 2011 version of the opening scene from The Muppet Movie (and there's a Muppet movie coming out this year, too! Sorry sorry. Back to robots.) What's especially impressive is that the robot is capable of biking just like a human - it moves and brakes solely through the strength of its own body.

For the First Time, Lab-Grown Blood Is Pumped Into a Human's Veins

2020-11-15T09:57:00.0000000+11:00

Artificial blood may become a common reality, thanks to the first successful transfusion of lab-grown blood into a human. Luc Douay, of Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, extracted hematopoietic stem cells from a volunteer's bone marrow, and encouraged these cells to grow into red blood cells with a cocktail of growth factors. Douay's team labeled these cultured cells for tracing, and injected 10 billion of them (equalling 2 millilitres of blood) back into the marrow donor's body.

Phobos-Grunt, Still Stuck in Orbit, Could Burn Up in the Atmosphere in January

2020-11-15T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

It's now been almost a week since the launch of Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, and still mission handlers have received no communication from the interplanetary probe which has been stuck in Earth orbit since launching last Tuesday. The head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos says that the mission is not yet lost, but the window is definitely closing. In the early days of December that window will close completely, and if it does the spacecraft - which includes China's first Mars satellite - will likely burn up in Earth's atmosphere in January.

The New Top 500 Supercomputers: Australia Loses Places, GPUs On The Rise

2020-11-15T07:38:00.0000000+11:00

The newest TOP500 List - the ranking of the world's most powerful supercomputers - dropped today, and one significant thing is clear: graphics processing units are increasingly augmenting the power of the world's most sophisticated supercomputers, allowing relatively cheap ways to help these behemoths of calculation carry out their work in new ways.

Drug That Targets Blood Flow to Fat Cells Is Shown to Slim Down Obese Monkeys

2020-11-15T06:59:00.0000000+11:00

A team at the University of Texas has created a fat-burning drug that doesn't so much burn fat as it seeks and destroys it. Instead of suppressing appetite or increasing metabolism, this drug systematically destroys the blood supply to fat tissue - and in a recent study, obese rhesus monkeys lost 11 per cent of their body weight when treated with the drug.

One of the Most Slippery Materials Ever

2020-11-15T05:59:00.0000000+11:00

A new artificial material appropriately named SLIPS is one of the most slippery materials ever created. The new material, developed at Harvard, is self-cleaning and never gets dirty for a simple reason: nothing can stick to it.

Video: Soyuz Launches for First Manned Trip to ISS Since the Shuttles Retired

2020-11-15T04:04:00.0000000+11:00

After a string of space launch disasters that have pushed Roscosmos's morale into the gutter, the Russian space agency today launched three astronauts - two Russians and one American - into orbit aboard a Soyuz-FG rocket.

What the US Defense Department Wants For Christmas

2020-11-15T02:59:00.0000000+11:00

When you control a budget that exceeds a trillion dollars, you don't have to wait until the start of December to start writing your holiday present wish list. The Department of Defense (DoD) has just released an early version of its small business programs for 2012, with every branch clamoring for futuristic technology that ranges from transforming robots to nanotech medicine to sensors that can figure out political beliefs through language analysis.

Actual Robot Sports Commentator Could Replace Robotlike Human Commentator

2020-11-14T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

If you've suspected for some time now that Tony Grieg has been replaced by an iPod filled with generic cricket commentary, you might be excited to learn that Switzerland's Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne has been working on an even more advanced commentary system. This one is equipped with artificial intelligence so it can actually see what's happening on the field and provide commentary.

Genetic Tweak Creates a Mouse With Super-Endurance

2020-11-14T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

Researchers from University of Lausanne and EPFL University in Switzerland have developed genetically altered mice that have far greater physical endurance than regular mice. These "mighty mice" are able to run almost 50 percent further and for 20 minutes longer, while looking no different than their unaltered cousins, save for slightly larger muscles.

Mobile Connected Devices Let You Keep an Eye on Your Home From Anywhere

2020-11-12T03:08:00.0000000+11:00

As telephone landlines become obsolete, so do the hardwired security systems that rely on them. Mobile modems and Wi-Fi receivers are now so affordable that manufacturers can install them in security devices for a nominal cost. Meanwhile, the proliferation of smartphones means that more people have the ability to receive texts, emails and live video from a home monitor.

FYI: Why Do Old Married Couples Look Alike?

2020-11-12T02:05:00.0000000+11:00

As long as you aren't related, marrying someone who looks similar to you is advantageous, says Philippe Rushton, a psychologist at the University of Western Ontario. We use physical likeness as a way to assess underlying genetic likeness, which can cause us to be subconsciously attracted to reflections of ourselves. In evolutionary biology, the phenomenon is called "assortative mating," or "self seeking like." By mating with people who are genetically similar, you ensure that "your own segment of the gene pool is safely maintained and transmitted to future generations."

Handheld EEG Can Detect Consciousness in Those Otherwise Thought to be Vegetative

2020-11-11T12:32:00.0000000+11:00

What constitutes consciousness--not in the philosophical sense, but clinically speaking--has been a matter of great debate in scientific circles lately, particularly as new technological applications allow neuroscientists to peek deeper into the brains of those thought to be in vegetative states. Now, a cheap and portable EEG device has been developed that has detected signs of consciousness in three people previously thought to be in vegetative states.

MIT Metre Measures the Mood of Passers-By

2020-11-11T12:03:00.0000000+11:00

The great MIT Mood Metre claims to know all your hopes, dreams and fears. Well, perhaps not. But it can count the number of smiles in a given area, giving some kind of indicator of mood expression.

Operation Ghost Click, the Biggest Cyber-Bust Ever, Shuts Down Estonian Bot Ring

2020-11-11T10:03:00.0000000+11:00

In an international cyber sting that is being called the biggest cyber criminal takedown in history, the FBI has arrested six Estonians accused of running a botnet that controlled more than 4 million computers in 100 countries (keep in mind there are only about 200 countries in the world). But as nefarious and far-reaching as that sounds, the scheme itself brings the story to something of an anti-climax. The botnet was simply diverting browsers to sites that served up advertising and then collecting referral fees.

Video: Astronauts Falling Down and Finding It Difficult to Get Up, on the Moon

2020-11-11T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

This is kind of a Friday video, in that it is silly and involves (read: consists entirely of) moments that could be soundtracked with a loud cartoony "BONK!", but this week has been a little bit long already and it feels like maybe by watching this video we can usher Friday in a little faster. So! This is a video of astronauts falling down, on the moon. Enjoy!

Cyborg Yeast's Genes Are Controlled By a Computer

2020-11-11T05:01:00.0000000+11:00

The ability to make cells do our bidding would be a major advance in everything from drug production to biofuels, but it's difficult to hack into nature and make cells obey. A team of Swiss researchers have one way to do it: Create cyborg cells connected to, and controlled by, a computer.

Video: NASA Test-Fires Crucial New Stage of J-2X Rocket

2020-11-11T04:59:00.0000000+11:00

Have you, like us, been missing the rumble and hiss of a good old-fashioned NASA launch? Since the space shuttle retired this summer, there have been a few space payload deliveries, sure - but it's just not the same when it's not a human launch system we're talking about. There was always something special about that guttural roar and plume of white steam streaming from the launchpad. Well here you go: NASA just released this video of their new rocket stage, designed to carry the agency's next generation spacecraft into deep space.

Japanese Researchers Create a Pituitary Gland From Scratch in the Lab

2020-11-11T02:08:00.0000000+11:00

The thing about growing working organs in the lab is that the whole enterprise is completely mind-blowing. Yet we just keep doing it, and so we keep blowing minds. The latest: a team of researchers at Japan's RIKEN Center - the same group who earlier this year engineered a mouse retina that is the most complex tissue ever engineered - have now derived a working pituitary gland from mouse stem cells.

New Super-Black Material Absorbs 99 Per Cent of All Light

2020-11-10T15:02:00.0000000+11:00

Staring at distant, faint objects to study the origins of the universe requires several layers of engineering skill and design trickery. The people at NASA are no strangers to this, having invented all sorts of new materials to improve telescopes and other observational tools. A new design may be one of their best examples yet: A blacker-than-black nanomaterial that absorbs pretty much all of the light that hits it.

Sleek Urban Hive Lets You Keep Bees in the Comfort of Your Apartment

2020-11-10T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

One of my goals in life is to have a bee colony, so I can produce honey, pollinate the neighborhood and help out this country's amazing but threatened honeybees. Obviously this is a much greater logistical challenge than keeping other creatures, which is why I have no bees at present. But this new concept from Philips could make it a lot easier, by simply glomming a bee colony onto an apartment window.

Video: Kinect Provides the Seeing Eye in a Robotic Guide Dog for the Blind

2020-11-10T11:05:00.0000000+11:00

Japanese company NSK has pulled off the mother of all Kinect hacks, and all they had to do was build a fully functioning robotic dog around Microsoft's gaming peripheral. With help from Tokyo-based University of Electro-Communications, NSK has built a robotic guide dog for the visually impaired that uses a Kinect to evaluate and understand its environment and help its owner safely navigate.

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Could Go Drill For Ice on Mars

2020-11-10T10:03:00.0000000+11:00

The privately built Dragon space capsule's maiden flight to the International Space Station is just weeks away, but SpaceX and NASA already have big dreams for Dragon's next steps. In a presentation at NASA late last month, SpaceX and space agency officials discussed sending Dragon to Mars. A "Red Dragon" mission, as NASA officials have nicknamed it, would be a low-cost way to send an ice drill to look for signs of life at the Martian poles.

Smart Contact Lenses Deliver a Steady Stream of Drugs to the Eye

2020-11-10T08:07:00.0000000+11:00

In a breakthrough that is sure to thrill optical ailment sufferers and stoners everywhere, a team of Auburn University researchers has invented a new kind of drug-delivering contact lens that could make the medicinal eye drop a thing of the past. Their lenses are the first to deliver drug doses evenly for as long as the lens is worn, a method that is roughly 100 times more effective than putting sporadic eye drops in the eye.

Image-Recognition Algorithm Diagnoses Breast Cancer Better Than a Human Doctor Can

2020-11-10T07:01:00.0000000+11:00

Add one more item to the list of things machines can do better than humans: Examine and diagnose breast cancer. Stanford researchers have developed new software that can automatically evaluate microscopic images of breast cancer and make determinations about its aggressiveness and type, offering patients an accurate prognosis. It's more accurate than a human doctor, as it turns out.

Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mission to Mars is Stuck in Earth Orbit After Engines Fail to Fire

2020-11-10T02:45:00.0000000+11:00

A day after the successful launch of the Phobos-Grunt probe from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russian mission handlers are already scrambling to save their spacecraft from the fate that has befallen so many Russian Mars missions. Phobos-Grunt found orbit yesterday but then failed to fire the engines that would put it on a path for the Martian moon Phobos. The probe is now stuck in Earth orbit, and engineers have three days to fix the problem before the batteries run out.

New Zealand Researchers Generate 60 Metre Long Electrical Arcs With Tiny Amount of Energy

2020-11-09T17:47:00.0000000+11:00

A team from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have come up with a way to generate long electrical arcs while reducing the amount of energy required by about 95 per cent of previous experiments.

Soldiers Make Their Own Robots By Attaching Old Robots To Other Robots

2020-11-09T16:00:00.0000000+11:00

Over at Fort Benning in America's South East, soldiers at the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment aren't waiting for military robot makers to come up with the right mix of robotic capabilities. Putting that military penchant for improvisation into practice, soldiers there are mashing up their military robots to give themselves the capabilities they want, piggybacking one robot on top of the other until they get the right mix of gear.

Home 3D Viewing Equipment Is Getting Smaller and Smaller and Smaller

2020-11-09T15:07:00.0000000+11:00

3D TV is still experiencing some growing pains, in large part because of its reliance on bulky, uncomfortable and expensive active-shutter glasses. That's now changing. A new wave of 3D sets are using lighter glasses to make immersing yourself in the third dimension less cumbersome. Eventually, believable 3D won't require specs at all.

Video: New Robot Comes Closest Yet To Being Android Avatar For Human Users

2020-11-09T14:41:00.0000000+11:00

Keio University researchers are taking telepresence to the next logical level with a new "telexistence" robot called TELESAR V, a robotic platform that doesn't just transport the user's eyes to another location, but also his or her ears and hands as well. The idea is to break through the limitations of time and space to allow a user to actually feel like he or she is present elsewhere via a remotely operated robot that returns three sensory stimuli back to the user.

Using Light to Target and Kill Cancer Cells, Without Chemotherapy's Side Effects

2020-11-09T13:10:00.0000000+11:00

A new, finely tuned light-based treatment kills cancer cells in mice without harming the tissue around them, and could conceivably used to treat a wide range of human cancers, researchers say. The therapy is much more precise than other light-therapy methods attempted to date, and it has the potential to replace chemotherapy and radiation.

Russian Probe Launched Today, Heading to Mars To See How Planets Form

2020-11-09T11:19:00.0000000+11:00

At around 7 o'clock this morning, Russia launched the Phobos-Grunt mission from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The unmanned probe is traveling to the Martian moon Phobos, in an attempt to bring back the first soil sample ("grunt" is Russian for "soil") from the smaller of the planet's moons. The irregularly shaped Phobos is the closest moon to its planet in the solar system, orbiting the red planet at just under 10,000 kilometres.The mission is a chance to study how planets and moons form.

Sensor Box Tracks Real-World Shoppers Like Web Traffic

2020-11-09T11:15:00.0000000+11:00

A new tool called Euclid Analytics is the physical version of Google Analytics, recording and analysing physical traffic instead of website visitors. The startup's cofounder, Scott Crosby, helped to build the technology of its internet counterpart. But instead of reading IP addresses, Euclid observes physical visitors by listening to smartphone Wi-Fi signals.

Bell Labs's Nethead Makes Telepresence Robots Affordable for All

2020-11-09T10:51:00.0000000+11:00

Talking via a telepresence robot can be a great way to participate in activities when you can't be physically present, but these systems are expensive, can be tricky to use and aren't really designed for spontaneity. And despite what modern meeting-tacular schedules suggest, some of the most productive discussions in an office take place randomly, via subtle personal communications. To deal with this, Bell Labs is working on cheap, simple telepresence camera systems that can give remote participants a more pronounced physical presence.

Nokia Lumia 800 Review: When Will It Get Here?

2020-11-09T10:11:00.0000000+11:00

The Lumia 800 is supposed to be kismet: Nokia makes great hardware, but terrible software. Windows Phone is great software, but the only phones that use it are yawn-worthy plastic rectangles. The Lumia, Nokia's first Windows Phone, is finally here, and if it's not as, well, new as some might have hoped, it's still a very, very fine smartphone--probably the best Windows Phone out there, which should make it high on your list if you're looking to buy a new phone this year (and you live in Europe and/or are rich).

Aussie Airdrop Harvests Moisture From Thin Air

2020-11-09T09:08:00.0000000+11:00

The James Dyson Award winners for 2011 have been announced, and the grand prize winner is a piece of clever biomimicry that sits so perfectly in our wheelhouse that we couldn't resist the urge to write about it. Edward Linacre of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne has tapped the Namib beetle - a desert dwelling species that survives in the most arid conditions on Earth - to create an irrigation system that can pull liquid moisture straight out of dry desert air.

How Computer Modelling Lets Doctors Predict Heart Attacks Before They Happen

2020-11-09T05:49:00.0000000+11:00

Heart attacks strike about 1.2 million people every year in America alone, many of them fatally. Of those, most are caused by coronary artery disease - the biggest killer of both men and women in the US - and something like 70 per cent of those strike without warning. Coronary artery disease is sneaky like that. Symptoms generally don't outwardly manifest themselves until someone is on the floor, short of breath, wondering what just kicked them in the chest. Doctors battling these cardiac blockages generally enter the fight at a severe disadvantage. The disease almost always benefits from the element of surprise.

To Find Alien Cities, Look for City Lights on Distant Planets

2020-11-08T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

The search for extraterrestrial life elsewhere in our universe has taken many forms, from the radio signal searching undertaken by SETI to the rovers and probes deployed elsewhere in our universe. But if it's intelligent civilisations we're looking for, say a couple of Harvard and Princeton researchers, we can likely find them just by literally looking for them. Alien civilisations that evolved in the light from their own stars would likely artificially illuminate their cities, and we should be able to find them by looking for illumination on the night side of exoplanets.

Cargo Guitar Is A Glow-In-The-Dark Paraboloid String Instrument In A Shipping Container

2020-11-08T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

We don't know how easy it would be to actually play this thing, but it at least looks pretty cool - a team of artists/engineers have set up a parabolic musical instrument that glows in the dark inside a cargo container.

Mask-Bot Displays 3D Human Faces With a Plastic Superstructure

2020-11-08T08:30:00.0000000+11:00

A new robot face can display a realistic virtual visage from any angle, making telepresence somewhat less (but maybe actually more) creepy by using actual human features. Mask-Bot, as it's known, displays three-dimensional heads on a transparent plastic mask.

Video: NASA Is Working On a Tractor Beam That Can Reel in Particles with Light

2020-11-08T07:43:00.0000000+11:00

NASA may be temporarily out of the manned spaceflight game, but that doesn't mean it isn't preparing to realise all of our most technologically compelling sci-fi fantasies. The agency's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) has awarded three researchers funding to study three different means of creating a tractor beam--a ray of laser light than can trap and pull objects in the opposite direction of the beam.

Doctor Offers Laser Treatment to Permanently Make Brown Eyes Blue

2020-11-08T07:41:00.0000000+11:00

This week's step forward in conforming to the beauty standard at any cost is a laser that can turn brown eyes into blue ones. The treatment, developed by Stroma Medical's Dr. Gregg Homer, takes only 20 seconds to perform, but is irreversible. Aside from giving you the piercing stare of an Arctic wolf, the procedure could also impair your sight, experts warn. Brown eye pigment helps to prevent problems such as glare and double vision. Removing it could leave the eye with no way to control the light getting in.

2011 Pop Awards: The Best Photo Gear of the Year

2020-11-08T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

Our sister site Popular Photography just released their annual Pop Awards list, in which the best, most influential, and flat-out coolest photography gear gets rounded up for your perusal. This year looks like a great crop, ranging from cameras of all sizes to bags, studio strobes to software, and lenses to tripods. If you're thinking about buying anything image-related, check out this list before you make a decision. Read more at PopPhoto.

Earn Money By Predicting The Future

2020-11-07T16:38:00.0000000+11:00

Want to earn thousands, or even millions of dollars by analysing data and recognising patterns? Teams of mathematicians and scientists are already doing exactly that through a website that asks users to solve problems for cash rewards.

3D Printed Spider Robot Designed To Rescue You

2020-11-07T15:26:00.0000000+11:00

We hope none of our readers ever find themselves in an emergency situation. But if you do, don’t worry if a robotic spider comes crawling towards you - it’s there to help.

The Future of Commuting

2020-11-07T14:31:00.0000000+11:00

Commuting - it's something we all do, and something we all hate. While there's no way of avoiding it, these latest innovations could still make commuting just that little bit awesome.

Scientists Eye Massive Black Hole By Using Suns As Lenses

2020-11-07T12:06:00.0000000+11:00

Black holes, while sounding big and fearsome, are in fact, tiny. So small that they cannot be observed at all. Their huge mass, thanks to their previous lives as high flying, supermassive stars, plus their tiny size is what makes their gravitational influence so great. What this means for science is that the only way to learn about black holes is by watching how they affect surrounding matter, but even that can be difficult. However, a team of researchers have made use of the Hubble Space Telescope and, you know, a giant lens made of suns to study the accretion disc of a quasar to minute levels of detail.

What To Do With A Handheld Scanner: Make Sweet GIFs

2020-11-07T11:44:00.0000000+11:00

We've had this Ion Copy Cat handheld scanner from Planet Gadget sitting around in the office for a few weeks. Obviously, it's useful for boring things like scanning documents, scanning photos, scanning other documents you didn't scan the first time, and so on. But, we thought, given we can just carry this thing around with us, we might as well stretch the brief and find out what else it can be useful for.

Asteroid To Make A Pass At Earth, Will Not Take Us Out On A Date

2020-11-07T10:11:00.0000000+11:00

Space is big. Really big. In fact, it's so vastly, mindbogglingly big that the actual chance of an asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier hitting anything is quite small. Peanuts, really. This Tuesday night, though, an asteroid will pass close by, without quite hitting, the earth. It will actually skip in closer than the Moon.

This Week in the Future, October 31-November 4, 2020

2020-11-06T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

Another week, another suite of stories on everything from the protein in your blood to red hot electric sports cars. And of course another picture from Baarbarian to dazzle the eyes.

Triumphant Mars 500 Crew "Returns to Earth"

2020-11-05T15:39:00.0000000+11:00

Today, the six crew members of the Mars 500 mission have "returned." The six, comprised of three Russians (a surgeon, engineer, and physiologist), an Italian Colombian engineer, a Chinese astronaut instructor, and a French engineer, have lived in a sealed chamber in a Moscow parking lot.

Four Lessons About Data From Ireland's Biggest Bookmaker

2020-11-05T13:31:00.0000000+11:00

At Paddy Power - Ireland's largest bookmaker - teams of quants and risk analysts set the odds on 12,000 to 15,000 events a week - everything from horse races and other sporting events to speculation on the name of Beyoncé's unborn child. Within these events, there are 60,000-70,000 individual bets, or "markets," to be made. And every market needs a set of odds - some kind of calculation of the probability that a specific outcome might occur, based on available data. But how does a bookmaker know what data is good and what data is bad? How can it build safeguards into predictive systems so it doesn't get burned?

Hopper, What Are You Working on Today?

2020-11-05T12:22:00.0000000+11:00

Plasma is a really interesting substance. By understanding it, we can learn all kinds of things about how stars work, what's actually going on when they explode, and hopefully one day work out how to harness nuclear fusion to provide enormous amounts of clean energy. Thankfully, the Hopper supercomputer is working on that.

And Yet... And Yet...

2020-11-05T07:57:00.0000000+11:00

I should perhaps begin by saying that I am as big a fan of the Net and the Web and the whole expanding "information universe" as anyone you are likely to meet. I find myself online all the time, mining for data, merrily skipping from one site to the next, passing the time of day after day (and night after night) in scattershot dalliances (sampling this and sampling that in a virtual delirium of free association), deploying my trove of finds in ever more elaborate collages of discovery (or is it recovery?) of my own. And yet... and yet...

PopSci Q&A: Seth Lloyd Talks Quantum Computing and Quoogling

2020-11-05T05:52:00.0000000+11:00

Seth Lloyd, director of the Center for Extreme Quantum Information Theory at MIT, answers some (very) big questions, about his beer keg superconductors and our quantum universe.

How Dubuque Is Becoming The Smartest City In America

2020-11-05T04:37:00.0000000+11:00

When Roy Buol stepped into the mayor's office of the city of Dubuque in 2005, he did so with a handful of imperatives. There were the needs of his citizens, who throughout his campaign had voiced concerns on issues like public transit, green space, water quality, and recycling. There was the need to live up to his campaign message, which centered on engaging citizens as partners in the administration of the city. And then there were his private concerns about the larger world.

Data Derbies: How Companies Crowdsource Algorithms

2020-11-05T02:30:00.0000000+11:00

In 2006, US movie streaming and DVD-by-post company Netflix made its vast database of user-generated movie ratings available to the public, offering US$1 million to the first team that could improve the accuracy of the company's recommendations by 10 percent. That's a lot of money-but Netflix could have spent much more on in-house development, with no guarantees. By 2009, the top team had its prize, and Netflix had its algorithm. Other groups took notice and are now holding their own contests, asking statisticians, computer scientists and basement hobbyists alike to mine complex data sets for solutions to some difficult problems.

Apple's iOS 5.0.1: Aussies Can Now Speak To Their Phone, And Be Understood

2020-11-04T10:04:00.0000000+11:00

If you've ever tried to use the Nuance dictation features that came out in the last iOS update, you'll probably have found it to be a little hit and miss. Certainly not a feature you can actually use with certainty. We thought for a moment there we Aussies might just be forgotten, but thankfully there's a whole bullet point dedicated to us in the next 5.0.1 update.

Video: A US Air Force 'Micro-Aviary' Gives Tiny Flying Robots a Place to Call Home

2020-11-04T09:35:00.0000000+11:00

We have a lot of love for microdrones here at PopSci--everything from bird-like flapping wing drones to cyborg insects controlled by microcomputers--so we're thrilled to see an air force is showing them some love as well. The US Air Force Research Lab has build a "Micro-Aviary" at Wright Patterson AFB in the state of Ohio where tiny flying robots will be the central focus. And aside from being drone-centric, it is one sweet sensor-filled laboratory.

Franklin, What Are You Working on Today?

2020-11-04T09:03:00.0000000+11:00

We detect the faint spice of irony in the tale of a supercomputer whose day-job consists of both searching for new reservoirs of fossil fuels while also running modelling simulations on the impacts of climate change. And yet, that's the life of Franklin, the American supercomputer housed at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Centre in California.

Secret Security Supercomputer Cielo, What Are You Working on Today?

2020-11-04T08:43:00.0000000+11:00

You wouldn't be wrong if you though thsi supercomputer had a mind of its own. As we found out, the top ranked machine is a lot smarter than you think...

A US Sheriff's Department is Launching an Unmanned Helodrone that Could Carry Weapons

2020-11-04T07:27:00.0000000+11:00

A sheriff's office in the US state of Texas is taking a big and potentially controversial step forward with a new piece of law enforcement technology. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Conroe, Texas, is prepping its deputies to fly a US$300,000 unmanned ShadowHawk helicopter --paid for with a Department of Homeland Security grant--that someday might carry a weapons payload.

Video: China's Shenzou Spacecraft Successfully Docks With Orbiting Module

2020-11-04T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

The journey toward a Chinese space station has taken a huge step forward. Yesterday China's Shenzou 8 spacecraft, which launched earlier this week, successfully docked with the country's Tiangong-1 space module, which was placed in orbit by an earlier launch. The successful docking maneuver demonstrated a leap forward for China's manned space program, and the first in a series of missions designed to test technologies that China hopes to cultivate into a manned space station by decade's end.

Q&A: Stephen Wolfram on the Power and Challenge of Big Data

2020-11-04T05:34:00.0000000+11:00

At some point about halfway through the hurly-burly of pulling together our special issue on what I'd taken to calling The Data Age, senior associate editor Ryan Bradley noticed that Stephen Wolfram had created a timeline of significant milestones in the historical march of data. We thought it would be an excellent piece of contextual glue to apply to our analysis of the burgeoning power of data, well wielded, to both illuminate and influence our world. Fortunately, Wolfram agreed, and the timeline ran as connective tissue along the bottom of our magazine pages.

An Electric Detonator - The Chopper From the Future

2020-11-03T16:07:00.0000000+11:00

Let's face it, motorbikes are stylish. Big choppers even more so, in their loud, punk-rock kind of way. It's going to take some doing to get riders to even think about trading in their gas guzzlers for a leaner, greener version. But perhaps the Detonator might give people some food for thought.

Fracking Caused Earthquakes, Says British Study

2020-11-03T10:38:00.0000000+11:00

Most of the concern in local quarters in relation to coal seam gas mining is usually to do with either the release of the methane gas accidentally into the atmosphere, or the contamination of the water used in fracking, which can potentially then be released into the water table. Well, it turns out we might be able to add one more problem to the list - fracking can aggravate geological faults, causing earthquakes.

What Are You Working on Today, Roadrunner?

2020-11-03T10:12:00.0000000+11:00

Over the last week, we managed to get some of the biggest and baddest supercomputers to take a moment away from their gigabusy schedules and tell us what they were working on. They were happy to share.

Advanced Supercomputer Models Supplant Real-World Nuclear Weapons Tests

2020-11-03T09:41:00.0000000+11:00

While our friends Jaguar and Ranger toil to model the Earth's atmosphere, star formation and battery chemistry, other supercomputers in the US are working on classified national security problems. Namely: What happens when a nuclear weapon explodes? Are we sure nuclear weapons would actually work, should, God forbid, the world decided to use them?

Mathematicians Take on East LA Gangs With Crime-Solving Algorithm

2020-11-03T09:08:00.0000000+11:00

In high-crime, gang-controlled areas of cities like Los Angeles - especially in neighbourhoods like Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno - it can be difficult to figure out even the most basic info about gang violence. That's why UCLA created an algorithm that can fill in the blanks.

What Are You Doing Today, iForge?

2020-11-03T08:20:00.0000000+11:00

Over the last week, we managed to get some of the nation's biggest and baddest supercomputers to take a moment away from their gigabusy schedules and tell us what they were working on. They were happy to share.

Recording A Century of Night Skies Through A Scanner Darkly

2020-11-03T05:48:00.0000000+11:00

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - In the basement of a quaintly cramped building on the Harvard University campus, down a set of corkscrew stairs that would make a rollercoaster designer dizzy, the shelves and filing cabinets are spilling over with 100 years of stars. Glass photographic plates shipped from telescopes around the world document the Beehive Cluster as it appeared in 1890, or Cepheid variable stars as they looked in 1908. The glass plates - some 525,000 of them - serve as the only permanent record of the skies as seen by our forebears.

This Man Could Rule the World

2020-11-03T04:16:00.0000000+11:00

In 1736 the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler ended a debate among the citizens of Königsberg, Prussia, by drawing a graph. The Pregel River divided the city, now Kaliningrad, Russia, into four sections. Seven bridges connected them. Could a person cross all seven without walking over the same one twice?

VIDEO: Manned Multicopter Takes Flight

2020-11-02T14:40:00.0000000+11:00

It's a recipe for disaster. Create a slightly flimsy looking multi-rotor flying apparatus, equipped with what appears to be an exercise ball as the central landing gear, and then place a person with a remote control pad on it. Ordinarily, you'd expect this to be the cue for screaming and yelling and maybe a missing limb or two. Thankfully, the German pilot emerged unscathed, with nought but a sense of satisfaction and a pretty cool looking show real.

VIDEO: Hi-Res Infrared Space Sensor Excels In Super-Cold Tests

2020-11-02T13:48:00.0000000+11:00

NASA has completed the first round of testing on its Thermal Infrared Sensor (or TIRS), to fly out on the next Landsat satellite. Its mission is to map the Earth and keep track of all the water on it, and to do that it needs to be able to operate at super cold temperatures. And by that we mean almost absolute zero.

Native Gmail App for iPhone About to Land?

2020-11-02T10:14:00.0000000+11:00

For all you ~~poor sods~~ wonderfully fulfilled people who have made iOS your platform of choice, but miss that bit of extra functionality in your Gmail inbox, it seems that Apple may be on the cusp of approving a native Google Gmail app for iOS.

What Are You Working on Today, Ranger Supercomputer?

2020-11-02T10:00:00.0000000+11:00

Today we chat with the 63 thousand processing cores of the University of Texas's Ranger. That might be a bit of an obvious name for a Texan supercomputer, but the raw performance makes up for the lame attempt to be cool...

Bacteria Can Quickly Swap Genes With Each Other Through A Global Network

2020-11-02T09:09:00.0000000+11:00

Bacteria swap genetic information as readily as people can share digital data - there are no cultural, political or systemic boundaries, according to a new study. Researchers say they have identified a massive gene network that facilitates the transfer of 10,000 unique genes among 2,235 bacterial genomes, across international borders and across species.

Rice Is Genetically Modified to Produce Human Blood Protein

2020-11-02T08:44:00.0000000+11:00

You can't squeeze blood from a turnip, but it might be possible to extract it from rice. Blood protein, at least. Genetically modified brown rice seeds can produce a cost-effective and easily stored supply of human serum albumin, researchers in China report.

Chinese Officials Deny Hacking US Environment-Monitoring Satellites

2020-11-02T07:07:00.0000000+11:00

Beijing officials are denying accusations the Chinese military interfered with two US Earth-monitoring satellites, the wires are reporting today. On Friday, a draft report to the US Congress said at least two satellites were tampered with four or more times in 2007 and 2008, and that the breaches were consistent with Chinese military strategy. Given that the Pentagon has said cyberattacks are akin to an opening salvo in a traditional military conflict, this sounds like very troubling news.

BMW's Revamped Jet Plane HUD To Be Available On Nearly All Their Cars

2020-11-01T17:24:00.0000000+11:00

We like cars. We like cool heads up displays. We like jet planes. We like colour. BMW have cleverly combined these in brand new and interesting ways, by taking their 5-series heads up display, shaking it around, adding a drop more of colour, and making it available on practically its entire car lineup.

The Varley evR450 - A Hot Aussie EV

2020-11-01T12:16:00.0000000+11:00

You know, there haven't been a great many truly stylish locally-made electric cars. Things like the Blade Electron are serviceable, yet not quite the kind of thing that will convince people to leave their Lamborghinis (which of course we all own) at home in the garage. Having said that, Varley recently showed off their brand new electric vehicle made in Queensland, and my my, it's a looker.

Cannibal Bacteria Could Prove To Be Living Antibiotic

2020-11-01T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Antibiotics proved to be one of the biggest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century, but as we all know, it becomes less useful with extended use, as bacteria adapt and resist particular varieties of antibacterial medicine. However, scientists may have found a particularly elegant solution to the problem of fighting these harmful bugs - get another friendly bacteria to have them for dinner.

The Dish Turns 50 Today

2020-11-01T11:21:00.0000000+11:00

The Parkes Observatory opened on this day back in 1961 after ten years of planning and construction.

Thanks to Aussie film The Dish, this radio telescope supplanted the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Siding Springs as the icon of antipodean space-watch hardware.

And that's not without some justification.

Video: How to Turn Two iPads Into a Gory, Gaping Hole in Your Torso

2020-11-01T08:40:00.0000000+11:00

Trawling the Web looking for that last minute costume idea today? Look no further. NASA engineer Mark Rober has a "relatively simple" (we're calling it relatively expensive) yet technologically elegant solution to your Halloween wardrobe woes. All you need is two iPad 2s, some fake blood, and a shirt that you no longer care for.

Jaguar, What Are You Working on Today?

2020-11-01T05:36:00.0000000+11:00

Over the last week, we managed to get some of the world's biggest and baddest supercomputers to take a moment away from their gigabusy schedules and tell us what they were working on. They were happy to share.

European Physicists Will Race Neutrinos Again, Trying to Reproduce Faster-Than-Light Results

2020-11-01T04:50:00.0000000+11:00

The physicists who claimed to see neutrinos moving faster than light are moving quickly to replicate their experiment, hoping to substantiate their results before submitting them for publication. Since announcing their bizarre, seemingly impossible findings last month, physicists around the world have offered a few possible explanations. But perhaps the best test will be a retest.

Video: Humanoid Robot Petman Works Out

2020-11-01T03:03:00.0000000+11:00

Everyone's favorite headless bipedal bot is back, just in time for Halloween. Petman won't be riding any horses around Sleepy Hollow, though - just showing off his moves on a treadmill. Boston Dynamics is developing Petman to test chemical protection clothing for the US Army, and if he's joining the army, obviously he needs to get in shape. Watch as he plods along, with an impressively smooth gait, balancing himself when someone pushes him. He's also got a few new calisthenic exercises up his sleeve, working those glutes with some squats and lunges, then executing a far better push-up than any I've ever done.

Universal Laws of Physics May Not Be Universal, Says Australian Study

2020-10-31T14:22:00.0000000+11:00

You know that thing, electromagnetism? It powers your microwave, allows doctors to examine your insides, and lights up your surroundings so that you can see. It's great because it's so dependable. Except, according to an Australian research study, it might not be. Once you get away from Earth, at least.

Photons Can Quantum Encrypt Submarine Comms

2020-10-31T10:09:00.0000000+11:00

We've spent a lot of time talking about quantum stuff lately. Some is just cool for its own sake, some of it could genuinely revolutionise the way we do things, but either way, quantum mechanics has already shown it can be applied to a range of practical uses. Add one more to the list - a US defence firm has come up with the idea of using photons to create highly-dense and principally unbreakable communications.

This Week in the Future, October 24-28, 2011

2020-10-29T12:30:00.0000000+11:00

When it gets too hot, weird things happen. Like de-shelled hermit crabs fighting massive parameciums for piles of 3D printed shells and/or synthetic diamonds. THIS IS THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME.

Robotic Venus Flytraps Will Trap Bugs and Eat Them For Fuel

2020-10-29T01:04:00.0000000+11:00

It's alarming enough when robots ingest plant detritus like twigs and grass clippings. It's another thing entirely when they can start chowing down on members of the animal kingdom. A pair of prototype robots are designed to catch bugs, a major step on the path toward robots that can hunt, catch and digest their own meals.

Mango Update To All Capable Handsets, Except for Three

2020-10-28T14:38:00.0000000+11:00

Windows announced earlier today that everyone will be getting mangoes. Or, maybe it's that everyone on the planet with an eligible Windows phone will be getting an OTA update to the latest Mango release, taking their Windows Phone OS to number 7.5. Both sound good - unless you're the holder of one of three capable handsets that don't fit the bill.

Blinky Is Real, Found Near Argentine Nuclear Reactor

2020-10-28T13:30:00.0000000+11:00

We all remember Blinky, right? The lovable and very-slightly-mutated fishy from The Simpsons? Well, it turns out he actually exists, having been found by Argentinian fishermen in a Cordoba lake. Points to Groening and co for what is now surely to be acknowledged as incredibly insightful prophetic comedy.

Ground-Based Laser Cannon to Turn Space Debris into Self-Powered Flaming De-Orbiting Rockets

2020-10-28T13:30:00.0000000+11:00

Another week, another scheme to clean up our bourgeoning space debris problem. This one, like many before it, calls for a powerful ground-based laser to remove orbital debris from low earth orbit. Using high-powered laser pulses fired from the ground, the system would create a small plasma jet emanating from the piece of junk itself, essentially turning each piece of debris into its own laser-powered rocket that would remove itself from orbit.

3D Holographic Radar Aims To Resolve Conflicts Between Wind Turbines, Air Traffic Control

2020-10-28T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

Among the many factors keeping wind power projects from getting their legs is the annoying and sometimes dangerous tendency for moving wind turbines to mimic aircraft on an air traffic controller’s radar screen. The problem has led to the stalling of some wind projects and criticism of others, criticism that isn’t helping the larger roll out of renewable energy resources. But startup Aveillant has a technological fix that could get things rolling again: 3D holographic radar that can spot even small aircraft flying among wind turbines.

Self-Contained Soft Robot Powered By On-Board Battery

2020-10-28T11:53:00.0000000+11:00

Soft robots would be useful for a variety of things — they could grip objects with precision and sensitivity, and they could roll along more quietly than their counterparts with metal exoskeletons. Here is a new one that could do such tasks purely on its own, without any external power source or command center.

Passive-Walking Robot Can Stroll Downhill Forever With No Power Source

2020-10-28T11:04:00.0000000+11:00

When I was your age, to get to school I had to walk uphill both ways, frequently during snowstorms. (It was good exercise.) Imagine walking downhill both ways — how easy that would be! Gravity would be a friend and not a foe! It’s so simple, even this bodyless robot can do it. Its golf club legs can amble in perpetuity, powered by nothing but its own forward momentum.

Micromechanical Pixels Could Make Low-Power Displays

2020-10-28T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

Organic light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, e-ink and other display technologies get plenty of ink — er, pixels — in these pages. But a non-traditional mechanical approach could be even more efficient, according to a researcher in Taiwan. Mechanical pixels, made of teeny micro-machines, would be visible in bright sunlight and can use far less power than familiar LCD screens.

Your Living Conditions as a Child May Be Detectable In Your DNA for Life

2020-10-28T09:41:00.0000000+11:00

Noted geneticist Snoop Dogg once said--and I’m paraphrasing here--that no matter where one goes in life, one’s surroundings during one's formative years stay with one for life. No matter where you go, you can’t change where you’re from (I think Prof. Dogg was actually calling back to an old Comrads lyric from the song Homeboyz--I’m sure you all will correct me in the comments). Findings published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggest that he may have been correct--socio-economic status and living standards early in life may actually cause changes to your DNA that you carry with you for life, regardless of how your living conditions change along the way.

New Measurements Size Up Distant Dwarf Planet Eris As Pluto's Twin

2020-10-28T09:02:00.0000000+11:00

Pluto may not be a fully fledged planet, but at least it’s not the dwarfiest of dwarf planets. Its sibling, Eris, is not as large as astronomers thought, according to a new study. A rare stellar blockage event last year helped astronomers obtain some new measurements of the distant icy world, and they say it is quite dense and it may develop a feeble atmosphere as it moves closer to the sun.

New Aussie Study May Have Found Way To Fight Parasite Killing Thousands

2020-10-27T15:45:00.0000000+11:00

A research team from the University of Melbourne has completed a study into the genome of the giant intestinal roundworm, a parasite that kills several thousand people a year, and has infected about a sixth of the world's population.

Coalesced Photons Can Be Same And Different, Good for Quantum Computing

2020-10-27T15:35:00.0000000+11:00

Now, quantum computers aren't just a marketing gimmick. Thanks to their ability to work with data in ways above and beyond classical computers, they could potentially revolutionise computing. The problem more generally is how to actually build, but thankfully, a team of American scientists is at work on that, finding a way to use quantum principles to allow the photons of a quantum computer to interact.

UK Man Gets Prosthetic Limb With A Smartphone Dock Built In

2020-10-27T15:00:00.0000000+11:00

Trevor Prideaux was having trouble texting. Prideaux, who was born without his left forearm, used to have to balance his smartphone on his prosthetic arm or lay it on a flat surface to text, dial, or otherwise take advantage of the technology. So with some help form the Exeter Mobility Center in Devon, UK, the 50-year-old Prideaux has become the first person to have a smartphone dock embedded in his prosthetic limb.

Diamond Industry Invests in Lab-Created Knockoffs For Semiconductors

2020-10-27T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

After ages of controlling the international market for natural diamonds, the diamond cartel De Beers is starting to spread its tentacles into Silicon Valley, where the hardest form of carbon is prized for much more than glitter. De Beers is investing heavily in convincing IT pros that lab-grown diamonds - not long ago, the bane of diamond dealers' existence - are the semiconductor substrate of the future.

First GPS-Enabled Walking Shoes Help Caregivers Track Alzheimer's Patients

2020-10-27T13:24:00.0000000+11:00

New shoes with built-in GPS devices will go on sale this month to help track dementia patients who wander off and get lost. Caretakers can download a smartphone app that allows them to track the person wearing the shoes, which could help patients with Alzheimer's disease stay in their homes and live autonomously for longer periods.

Video: Supercooled Levitating Hoverboard Lets Students Glide on Air

2020-10-27T11:00:00.0000000+11:00

You probably saw that super viral quantum locking levitation video that bounced all over the Web last week, in which a team of researchers plays with some liquid nitrogen, a small superconducting disc, and some strange quantum phenomenon that makes the disc hover above a magnet, no strings attached (well, technically, tubes, but no matter). This week's levitation vid also taps the Meisnner effect (with a few differences to the disc video) to achieve this kind of levitation at a decidedly cooler scale: that of the hoverboard.

Nokia Announces the First Great-Looking Windows Phone

2020-10-27T10:02:00.0000000+11:00

Windows Phone, especially with its newest update, is a damn fine mobile operating system, but also one lacking a truly killer phone. We were holding out hope that Nokia's first Windows Phone smartphone would be the one to get, and it just might be--the Lumia 800 is the first Windows Phone that's as eye-catching as the OS inside. Nokia also announced the 800's little brother, the 710, which is no slouch either.

New X Prize Is a Race To Sequence the Genomes of One Hundred One-Hundred-Year-Olds

2020-10-27T09:47:00.0000000+11:00

A newly revamped $10 million prize for sequencing the genomes of 100 centenarians could yield the fastest-ever gene sequencing technology to date, finally bringing ultra-precise personal genetics to the masses on a rapid and inexpensive scale. And perhaps even better, the genomics X Prize could help unlock the genetic secrets - if they really exist - to a healthy, century-long life.

Fukushima Fallout Was Almost Twice as Bad as Official Estimates, New Study Says

2020-10-27T08:54:00.0000000+11:00

This spring's nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant released almost double the amount of radiation the Japanese government has claimed, according to a new analysis. The authors say the boiling pools holding spent fuel rods played a role in the release of some of the contaminants, primarily cesium-137 - and that this could have been mitigated by an earlier response.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Makes Its First Flight (On Time, Too)

2020-10-27T08:07:00.0000000+11:00

After delays (so many delays), the Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally made its first commercial flight, jetting from Tokyo to Hong Kong. According to the AP, the plane was mostly full of reporters and enthusiasts, some of whom paid thousands of dollars to be included on the maiden flight.

New Hi Tech To Arrive At ISS - iPads and an Angry Bird

2020-10-26T17:00:00.0000000+11:00

To work on the ISS is to be at the cutting edge of space exploration, to experience the rigours of space on a daily basis, and to test the changed conditions and their impact on the methods of science. So, naturally, they need the best we earth-dwellers can offer. And so it was that we decided to send them them two iPads and a stuffed Angry Bird doll. Godspeed.

Apple Owns Patent On 'Unlocking Touchscreen Phone', Provides Helpful Diagrams

2020-10-26T15:08:00.0000000+11:00

Ok, look, it was kind of amusing for a while, but at what point does the back-and-forth on the smartphone patent situation just become too much to bear? We surely must be close, with Apple being awarded the patent that describes ~~doing stuff with a thing~~ unlocking a touchscreen device by, incredibly, using the touchscreen on that device. Hello mind. Commence boggling.

iPhone 4S Review: Apple's Restraint

2020-10-26T13:07:00.0000000+11:00

People wanted an iPhone 5. A top-secret new phone to deliver previously unknown pleasures, and to cast the 16-month-old iPhone 4 into the rubbish heap of planned obsolescence.

Gallery: Last Night's Auroras as They Appeared from Across the Hemisphere

2020-10-26T13:00:00.0000000+11:00

If you saw it firsthand then you had no choice but to notice it, but for the rest of us who weren't so lucky, here's the deal: yesterday a coronal mass ejection, a.k.a. a CME, a.k.a. a solar storm or a huge burst of solar wind emanating from our sun slammed into our atmosphere at about 2 p.m. EDT.

iPod Creator Introduces Cute Home Thermostat That Learns Your Habits

2020-10-26T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

A new thermostat designed by the brains behind the iPod promises to save money by learning your household habits, encouraging energy efficiency while looking snazzy on the wall. The Nest looks like a 21st century version of the circular Honeywell heat controls many people grew up with, and it promises a modern, simple solution for lowering utility bills.

Video: Flying Sphere-Shaped Drone Wows Crowds in Tokyo

2020-10-26T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

We got our first look at Japan's Defense Ministry's spherical flying machine earlier this year, but at a recent technology expo in Tokyo the hovering ball got the full coming-out treatment, complete with public demos eliciting "ooohs" and "aaaahs." The video below shows the drone doing everything it was designed to do: zipping around omnidirectionally, rolling across the floor, and staying aloft even when it strikes--or is struck by--an obstacle.

Video: Single-Celled Creatures As Big As Your Fist Found in Mariana Trench

2020-10-26T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

In recent decades, deep sea researchers have upended our notions of what can survive at some of the deepest submerged places on Earth, revealing that a panoply of life thrives around seafloor vents and elsewhere in the depths. So we probably shouldn't be surprised that researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at U of California San Diego have found giant amoebas living at unprecedented depths in the far reaches of the Mariana Trench. What is surprising is that these single-celled organisms are four inches across.

Seamlessly Insert Objects Into Existing Photos

2020-10-26T08:00:00.0000000+11:00

A simple programming tool can build a model of a scene in a two-dimensional photograph and insert a realistic-looking synthetic object into it. Unlike other augmented reality programs, it doesn't use any tags, props or laser scanners to model a scene's geometry - it just uses a small number of markers and accounts for lighting and depth. The result is an augmented scene with proper perspective, which looks so realistic that testers could not distinguish between an original photo and a modified one.

Artificial Skin Feels With Nerves Made of Clear Nanotube Springs

2020-10-26T07:30:00.0000000+11:00

A new stretchy, supple synthetic skin prototype developed at Stanford has some impressive pressure sensitivity, deforming and contorting without any breakage or wrinkling. It's made of spray-on carbon nanotubes, which act as springs and can measure the force being applied to them.

Astronomers Solve Ancient Supernova Cold Case Using Hot Infrared

2020-10-25T17:00:00.0000000+11:00

There's a tonne of unexplained mysteries out there, and stellar phenomena that we can't explain using current scientific models, but a team of American astronomers have at least scratched one off the list - how a 2,000 year old supernova came to be quite as large as it is.

Very Large Telescope Dances With the Stars

2020-10-25T14:47:00.0000000+11:00

Today in pretty space pics: a whirling image of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the stars above it circling the southern celestial pole. It's less a space pic than an Earth pic depicting really cool space searching technology. And it's absolutely breathtaking.

To Save Fuel, Cars Will Drop Off Drivers, Then Search For Parking Spaces on Their Own

2020-10-25T14:43:00.0000000+11:00

Automakers are doing all sorts of things to cars to make them smarter and more autonomous, as regular readers are aware. Here's a new one: General Motors wants to take self-parking cars to a new level, letting them drop off their drivers and go off in search of empty spaces on their own. It'll be more fuel-efficient than having humans circle the block waiting for a spot to open up, GM says.

How To Explain The Brain To Kids - Use Rap

2020-10-25T13:41:00.0000000+11:00

The brain is one of the most enigmatic and incredible organs in the human body, and so is unsurprisingly one of the hardest ones to explain. When you're trying to explain how it works towards kids, though, you have an even harder task ahead of you. Scientists recently tried their hand at making videos to help teach children about the brain in new and effective ways. And also by using rap music.

Orbiting Robot Will Gather Space Junk and Turn It Into New Satellites

2020-10-25T12:42:00.0000000+11:00

Our growing space junk problem could become an orbiting spare satellite parts sale if DARPA has its way. The DoD's research arm has launched a new program, appropriately titled Phoenix, to create new satellites from the decommissioned and dead satellites currently sitting idle in geosynchronous orbit some 35,000 kilometres above the Earth.

Hermit Crabs Need You To 3D Print New Shells For Them

2020-10-25T11:36:00.0000000+11:00

Even hermit crabs aren't immune to swings in their own ecological economies. A global shortage of shells is leaving the entire species short on housing, and the DIY design community over at Makerbot isn't having it. Stepping in to bring shelter to the shell-less, Makerbot has launched Project Shellter along with artist in residence Miles Lightwood to crowdsource new shell designs that can be fabricated on Makerbot's 3D printers.

Most People Are In Favour Of Wild Geoengineering Projects

2020-10-25T10:37:00.0000000+11:00

A majority of people surveyed in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States support studying ways to reflect sunlight as a method to cool the planet, according to a new study. Researchers at Harvard and two Canadian universities say nearly three-quarters of survey respondents approved research into geoengineering.

Climate Sceptic Sponsors New Climate Study, Shows ‘Global Warming Is Real'

2020-10-25T09:16:00.0000000+11:00

Last year, as climate change deniers were up in arms over the so-called "Climategate" controversy involving alleged manipulation of climate data, one sceptical scientist proposed taking a fresh look. Richard Muller, a physicist at the University of California-Berkeley and a self-described climate skeptic, undertook to review the temperature data underlying most global warming studies. Now his team has wrapped up their work, and it apparently solidifies the other studies' findings.

Teenagers Don't Just Have Mood Swings, But IQ Swings Too

2020-10-24T14:55:00.0000000+11:00

Smart young people may want to pay close attention to the latest research coming from Britain on the topic of IQ - one newly released study is indicating that the intelligence quota of a teenager can shift up and down over time based on how different parts of their brain develop.

How Technology Got Gaddafi

2020-10-24T12:10:00.0000000+11:00

He was the infamous leader and self-proclaimed “King of Kings”, whose 42-year dictatorship was condemned by the world. For the last few months of his life, while the Kingdom of Libya was in civil turmoil, Colonel Gaddafi never made a phone call - until right before he was killed.

Brilliant 10 (And Then Some): Molecular Filmmaker

2020-10-24T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

Early every morning, before dawn if he can, Hashim Al-Hashimi goes running. Six miles, rain or shine, summer heat or bitter Michigan cold (Al-Hashimi works at the University of Michigan in the US). His chosen route is hilly for a reason. Just at the uphill crests-when the muscle pain is sharpest and the body most wants to quit-that's when his mind is sharpest. "Most of my thinking is at the top of a hill," he says.

Solar Battery Charges Your Phone, Pays You For Privilege

2020-10-24T10:55:00.0000000+11:00

Now here's a fun little thing - while those of us in NSW are still wondering about the long term viability of the household solar cell rebate scheme, it's good to know you can at least make a little money by green charging your phone, thanks to gadgets like the Changers solar charger.

Custom Made Protein May Prove Cheap New Treatment For Haemophilia

2020-10-24T10:17:00.0000000+11:00

A new protein treatment might hold the keys to a cheaper and easier way to deal with haemohillia, a recent study has found.

Pig-to-Human Transplants Could Be Closer Than You Think

2020-10-24T02:10:00.0000000+11:00

Two scientists at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A discussed the state of xenotransplantation--the use of cells, organs, or tissue from one animal in another--in a review in The Lancet. In that review, they touch on the history of one particular subject: pig-to-human transplants. Their conclusion? Clinical trials of pig-to-human transplants could begin in just a few years.

Chinese Rare Earth Company Strokes Mustache, Cuts Off World's Access to Rare Earths to Inflate Prices

2020-10-24T01:34:00.0000000+11:00

China may only have 30 percent of the rare earths in the world, but they essentially have a monopoly--which the rest of the world has been tirelessly trying to work around. (To wit: Japan looks to Vietnam, the U.S. looks to California and Missouri, everyone looks under the sea.) In a slightly devilish business move, China sought to tighten their grip and raise prices by eliminating all sales to its major buyers, the U.S., Japan, and Europe, for one month.

Enough Water Vapour for A Thousand Earths Found in Still-Forming Solar System

2020-10-21T16:35:00.0000000+11:00

When it comes to planetary formation, water is often one of the trickiest questions scientists find themselves trying to answer. Where is space did it come from, and how on earth did it end up on... well, Earth? It seems we might have the glimmering of a solution, after scientists observed a nascent solar system surrounded by a cloud of water vapour – enough to populate several thousand Earths.

Aerospace Entrepreneur/Motelier Robert Bigelow Thinks the Chinese Will Take Over the Moon

2020-10-21T08:33:00.0000000+11:00

Robert Bigelow is not a small name in the space world. His company Bigelow Aerospace is a pioneer of inflatable spacecraft, and the company has made waves with its plans for an inflatable, orbiting space hotel (not coincidentally, Bigelow's fortunes come from his ownership of the Budget Suites motel chain). So when he says something about the future of space travel, we listen. On the other hand, when he says that China is planning to take over the moon circa 2025, we listen, but with scepticism.

Video: A Two Tonne Minesweeping, Drone-Launching, Armoured Autonomous Mini-Tank

2020-10-21T08:26:00.0000000+11:00

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are (ostensibly) winding down and military budgets are facing the axe in countries such as the US, but that's not stopping contractors from building bigger and badder combat-ready robots. Today in badass autonomous military hardware: Mesa Robotics' Acer, a 2,045 kg mine-clearing, bulldozing, drone-launching, ordnance disposing, pack-muling mini-tank.

Video: Microsoft's Holodesk Lets You Play With Virtual 3D Objects

2020-10-21T07:37:00.0000000+11:00

Microsoft's Research department is always coming up with cool new ways to interact with gadgets, and this newly released video of the "Holodesk" is definitely one of the cooler ones. It uses a Kinect ("hacked" doesn't seem really correct when it's a Microsoft project) to see your hands and face, and allows you to juggle completely virtual 3D objects--balance a virtual ball on a book, then tip it into a bowl of water, or stack virtual 3D blocks. It's pretty amazing.

European Alternative to GPS Lifts Off Tomorrow From South America, Via Russian Rocket

2020-10-21T01:30:00.0000000+11:00

A Soyuz rocket will lift off Friday from the northern coast of French Guiana, carrying two satellites that will formally kick off the European Space Agency's own version of GPS. It will be the first Soyuz ever to launch outside of the former Soviet Union, and its payload will free Europeans from relying on American navigation tech.

The Final Analysis: WhistleOut's NBN Pricing Study

2020-10-20T16:54:00.0000000+11:00

The back and forth on the National Broadband Network is seemingly never ending. Everytime someone makes a comment in the media from one side, there’s a torrent of a response from the other. The last couple of days has seen exactly this happen in regards to a pricing analysis by online comparison site WhistleOut, who also made comments on the fibre-wireless issue in the media. We dig through the issue and examine some of the fallout.

Australian Astronomer Helps Capture First Ever Image of Forming Exoplanet

2020-10-20T15:00:00.0000000+11:00

Not long after the discover of fifty new exoplanets by the European Southern Observatory in September, an Australian astronomer has helped capture the first ever images of an exoplanet being formed with the help of the Keck telescope in Hawaii.

Germany's ROSAT Satellite Could Come Crashing Down Somewhere On Earth As Soon As Friday

2020-10-20T14:05:00.0000000+11:00

If you're feeling lucky after NASA's UARS satellite fell safely from orbit into the middle of the Pacific--rather than into the middle of Sydney--let's hope your luck doesn't run out. The German Aerospace Center says the retired ROSAT satellite's orbit is rapidly decaying, and pieces of it could start falling from the sky as early as Friday and up until Monday. That should make for an exciting weekend.

Plane Rude: Flight Science Overlooked For Luxury

2020-10-20T14:02:00.0000000+11:00

Massage chairs, personal attendants and lie-flat beds - features now regarded as the norm in international first-class travel. Sure, it makes a long-haul flight a little - or, a lot - more bearable, but how much is too much?

Foambot Creates Itself Out of Sprayable Foam, Becoming Whatever Robot You Need

2020-10-20T13:08:00.0000000+11:00

Like most machines, Robots are generally built toward a purpose or a set of narrowly defined applications, like automobile manufacturing or explosive ordnance disposal or making doner kebabs. So how do you make a robot that is truly multi-utility, adaptable to any job? You make a robot that can make itself.

So, Um, Why Does the New Google Phone Have a Barometer in It?

2020-10-20T12:00:00.0000000+11:00

Buried in the avalanche of features in the newest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, was the addition of a new sensor to accompany the standard GPS, proximity, and accelerometer: a barometer. It's one we'd never have thought to add to a smartphone, and we sat for a little while, scratching our heads at the possible use for a sensor that tests atmospheric pressure. So we talked to the experts over at Weather Underground, and got a better sense of what this is--and, more importantly, what it is not.

Be An Astronomer Without The Degree

2020-10-20T11:49:00.0000000+11:00

Stargazers and night-owls alike; this is your opportunity to look to the skies as part of an international amateur astronomy event. All you have to do is find a centaur shooting an arrow with a teapot.

Genetically Modified Algae Are Magnetic, For Ease of Manipulation

2020-10-20T11:30:00.0000000+11:00

Proving that there's always a different way to approach a problem, researchers at Los Alamos National Lab have devised a pretty clever method of algae harvesting that could take a major chunk out of the cost of algae-based biofuel production. And all they had to do was create a magnetic organism.

Video: Google Finally Explains the Tech Behind Their Autonomous Cars

2020-10-20T10:20:00.0000000+11:00

Google's self-driving fleet of robo-Priuses have been cruising around the San Francisco area for months now, logging over 300,000 km, But until recently, the technology behind the autonomous cars had been kept secret. Last month, Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford professor and head of the project, and Google engineer Chris Urmson, delivered a keynote speech at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in San Francisco, explaining how the car works. Their presentation included a video of the car's tech, which also showed what the car "sees" as it drives, a trippy neon image of the surrounding area, with roughly rendered cars and people moving around it.

Smartphone Accelerometers Could Be Used To Eavesdrop On Nearby Devices

2020-10-20T09:07:00.0000000+11:00

As you clicked onto our site this morning, think about where your smartphone was sitting. Was it next to your keyboard, where you could ensure you didn't miss any notifications? If so, your phone could track everything you wrote. It could use the accelerometer to detect keyboard vibrations, deciphering every word of your insightful anonymous commentary. A hacker could conceivably use it to find out everything you write, with up to 80 percent accuracy, researchers say.

First-Ever Pics of a Star Cluster on the Far Side of the Galactic Centre

2020-10-20T07:10:00.0000000+11:00

The European Southern Observatory's VISTA survey telescope has turned its eyes inward to the centre of our galaxy, and for the first time has looked straight through it. VISTA's latest batch of infrared images have discovered two new globular clusters here in the Milky Way that had never been seen before, but more importantly they are the first star clusters that we've been able to image beyond the dusty and gaseous core of our galaxy.

More Support for Allergies Providing Protection From Brain Tumours

2020-10-19T15:10:00.0000000+11:00

A new study from the US has found more experimental data that seems to support the theory that something about the way the body typically reacts to allergies also guards the brain against devloping tumours.

Ice Cream Sandwich Launches, Is Delicious

2020-10-19T14:51:00.0000000+11:00

Google has just concluded a launch event in Hong Kong for its upcoming Android update, 4.0, alongside the flagship handset's manufacturer, Samsung. But really, everyone should call it by its true name, Ice Cream Sandwich.

The World's Most Complete, High Res Topographic Map Gets an Update

2020-10-19T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

NASA and its partners at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) have released an improved and updated version of the most complete topographical map of Earth ever compiled. Produced from data beamed down from NASA's Terra spacecraft, the map data represents the most complete and highest-resolution topographical data available today, covering 99 percent of Earth's landmass.

Facebook isn't a brain-drainer, it's a brain-changer

2020-10-19T13:35:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists have discovered a link between Facebook friends and brain size, suggesting social networking could possibly change your brain - or that some people are just 'hard-wired' to make more friends.

Wearable Projector and Kinect-Like Camera Turns Any Object Into a Touchscreen

2020-10-19T13:00:00.0000000+11:00

A new wearable projection system can turn any surface into an ad-hoc interactive touchscreen, from the palm of your hand to an entire wall. It combines a mini projector combined with a Kinect-type camera to capture a user's interaction with a virtual screen.

Video: A Mashup of 3D Printing and Augmented Reality Helps Find New Drug Targets

2020-10-19T12:30:00.0000000+11:00

Today in things that are just plain neat: a mashup of 3D printing and augmented reality that is helping molecular researchers test potential drug molecules in the lab. At the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., teams are making physical models of biological viruses and then testing them using an added layer of AR wizardry.

Would you pay for a trip to space?

2020-10-19T12:19:00.0000000+11:00

For us common folk, $200,000 is a lot of money. It’s a very cool car, a deposit on a house or a lavish round-the-world holiday - but, for some, it’s a two-and-a-half hour trip into space. So is it worth it?

The New World's Thinnest Phone: The Motorola RAZR

2020-10-19T07:45:00.0000000+11:00

At an event in New York City, Motorola just unveiled their newest, fastest, thinnest phone, with a name you might remember fondly, or not so fondly: the Droid Razr (or as it'll be known here in Australia, simply the Motorola Razr). It'll be the thinnest phone in the world, with a huge battery and waterproof coating and all kinds of other goodies that'll probably make it seem so tough you'll forget about its extreme thinness.

Video: MIT's X-Ray Vision System Can See Straight Through Concrete Walls

2020-10-19T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

The ongoing imperative to turn soldiers into "supersoldiers" has seen some pretty superhero-esque technological enhancements become real-world defense sector pursuits, like the ability to hear through walls, to fly at will, or to harness superhuman strength. Now we can add X-ray vision to that list.

Canon Introduces the EOS-1D X, Its New Flagship DSLR

2020-10-19T01:50:00.0000000+11:00

Canon have announced the new king of the pile when it comes to their DSLR lineup, the Canon EOS-1D X. This isn't your daddy's DSLR camera, folks.

VIDEO: Quantum Locking, Currently Good For 'Flying' Discs

2020-10-18T18:15:00.0000000+11:00

While the underlying science can be a little hard to follow, this video is not. A team at Tel-Aviv University has shown off a physical concept known as quantum locking, which, amongst other things, can make things 'levitate' in fixed positions in the air.

Scientists Track Carbon Emission Chain, Say Pricing Mechanisms at Source Most Effective

2020-10-18T14:14:00.0000000+11:00

At a time when we're about to pass carbon tax legislation as law, scientists have just completed one of the first large scale studies of the carbon emission supply chain, tracking amounts of energy sources traded and consumed across 112 countries.

Video: Face-Controlled Wheelchair Moves With the Clench of a Jaw

2020-10-18T13:16:00.0000000+11:00

For those paralysed from the neck down, controlling a wheelchair even with a joystick is impossible. Researchers at Japan's Miyazaki University have created a wheelchair that solves that problem with electrodes affixed to the face. Certain motions will cause the wheelchair to move, stop, and turn--and it can all be done above the neck.

PopSci #36 - November 2011

2020-10-18T13:08:00.0000000+11:00

Our November edition is printed and ready for shipping to subscribers! Everyone else, you can get your hands on it:

On sale 26th October 2011

Let's take a look at what's inside...

PR2 Robot Learns to Scoop Up Distasteful Matter

2020-10-18T10:45:00.0000000+11:00

The roboticists at the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab have done some truly great things, from flying tricks with aerobatic quadcopters to programming their PR2 to read. And now this: PR2 as pooper scooper.

Structural Self-Replication Based on DNA Could Create New Materials

2020-10-18T10:12:00.0000000+11:00

One of the hallmarks of living things is self-replication, the ability to make new copies of biological structures. Scientists have harnessed this ability in several ways, using DNA and viruses to organize materials for things like solar panels. But inducing artificial self-replication, which would enable new types of self-fabricating materials, has proven more difficult. Now researchers at New York University say they've taken a step in that direction, building a complex artificial system that can self-replicate.

Virgin Galactic Announces Completion of Spaceport

2020-10-18T09:32:00.0000000+11:00

Virgin Galactic and its thoroughly British CEO, Richard Branson, announced another milestone on their way to opening the world's first commercial spaceport: Construction is finished, and the terminal and hangar have been dedicated.

Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos Might Be Explained By GPS Failing to Account For Special Relativity

2020-10-18T07:09:00.0000000+11:00

So it turns out that Einstein may not have been wrong about the universal speed limit. Not only is special relativity safe, it provides an explanation for those faster-than-light neutrinos. They're not breaking the light-speed barrier; they just appear to be, thanks to the relativistic motion of the clocks checking their speed.

Video: Immersive Flight Simulation Dome Offers Seamless, Super-Real 360-Degree Views

2020-10-18T05:58:00.0000000+11:00

Barco, a maker of large-format projector technologies, has just unveiled what it is calling a breakthrough in flight simulator technology, and for all the hardware involved we're inclined to agree that his must be something big. The new flight simulator dome - it's really more like a sphere - offers state of the art high-res visuals and full 360-degree views, allowing fighter pilot trainees to spot other aircraft from 20 kilometres away.

Video: The Motion-Sensing Banking App We've All Been Waiting For

2020-10-18T01:03:00.0000000+11:00

Today in "Solutions to Problems Nobody Actually Has," a Lithuanian company called Etronika has created an app for Kinect that allows you to bank without the stress, difficulty, or efficiency of keyboards, mice, or touchscreens. Instead, you gesticulate wildly at your TV to check your balance, pay bills, or send copies of your bills to your phone.

Samsung Tries to Tie Up Oz iPhone Sales By Claiming 3G Tech

2020-10-17T23:24:00.0000000+11:00

It appears that phase 2 in what is quickly becoming something of a bona fide patent war has commenced, with Samsung seeking injunctions on the newly launched iPhone 4S, in Japan and right here in Australia, on the basis of a variety of patents held in Japan, and also right here in Australia.

Seriously "Green" Building

2020-10-17T14:18:00.0000000+11:00

Many green buildings involve technologies like solar power, recycling of water or natural ventilation. But there's another path of relatively unexplored green potential - literally greening buildings by planting trees on them. The Bosco Verticale, under construction in Milan, Italy, is bridging the gap between this concept and reality.

Nanomaterial May Replace Circuits, Allow For On-The-Fly Etchless Rewiring Of Electronics

2020-10-17T11:47:00.0000000+11:00

You know you're in the future when people start talking about electronics that can rewire themselves on the fly. A team at Northwester University in the United States have developed a new nanomaterial that can move and redirect electrons through itself, which, while not quite allowing your phone to transform into a laptop at a moment's notice, still may open a door to adaptable electronics.

Tracking Typhoid Using Google Earth

2020-10-17T10:46:00.0000000+11:00

Traditionally, tracking diseases such as typhoid, and in particular working out where outbreaks begin, has been a little difficult to accomplish. In the case of fighting the disease in a country like Nepal, the problem is two-fold - not only is the rate of spread difficult to track, but because of the lack of a street address system, plotting cases visually has been almost impossible. Fortunately, this is about where Google Earth steps in.

Seven Major Automakers Agree to a Universal Charging System For Electric Cars

2020-10-15T06:02:00.0000000+11:00

A pretty basic fear of the oncoming electric car boom is a concern that charging will be similar to the old cellphone-charger fiasco. Will the owner of a 2017 Mazda Thundersnake have to find particular Mazda charging stations, or will they be able to pull up behind a Chrysler EnFuego? Those fears can be allayed, mostly: seven major automakers have all agreed to adopt a single, universal charging system.

The Very Large Array Wants You To Rename It

2020-10-15T02:54:00.0000000+11:00

New Mexico's Very Large Array, a giant radio telescope observatory which took a PopSci largeness prize recently, is named in a fine tradition of utilitarian monikers like the European Extremely Large Telescope and the ultimately impractical Overwhelmingly Large Telescope.

The World's Most Failsafe Wireless Bicycle Brake Could Seed a Variety of Super-Safe Technologies

2020-10-14T17:00:00.0000000+11:00

As the world goes increasingly wireless, we've learned to tolerate a certain degree of failure in our wireless systems--like when your computer just won't sync up with the wireless internet at the cafe, or when our phones drop a call. But what about situations when wireless systems simply cannot fail? A failure rate of zero is tough to achieve in any system, but computer scientists at Saarland University in Germany have demonstrated a wireless bicycle brake that works 99.999999999997 percent of the time.

Growing Schizophrenic Brain Cells In A Dish Helps Neuroscientists Study Mental Illness Up Close

2020-10-14T15:22:00.0000000+11:00

Studying mental illnesses involves complex brain-monitoring technology to watch how neurons and large-scale brain components are functioning or malfunctioning. But researchers are increasingly getting out of their patients' heads, monitoring brain cells in petri dishes instead. This is possible with stem cells, and it could yield plenty of new avenues for psychiatric research.

Throw Ball In Air, Take Panoramic Shots

2020-10-14T14:16:00.0000000+11:00

If you've ever wanted to take an in-the-air panoramic photo - say, in the middle of a bustling town square or out in the wild spaces of nature - but haven't had the equipment, your worries now are over, thanks to a nifty little ball embedded with a set of cameras, making it able to take 360 degree panoramas while in mid air. And there's not a button in sight.

Vertebrates Descended From Creature With Electric Sixth Sense

2020-10-14T11:51:00.0000000+11:00

Birds and some mammals are able to sense the Earth's magnetic field, using it to orient themselves and even look for prey. Other vertebrates can detect electric fields and use them for the same purpose. Apparently the fish from which humans and most other vertebrates are all descended had this sixth sense, and we just lost it along the way, a new study says.

Video: Anime-Inspired Yet Very Human 'Bot

2020-10-14T11:15:00.0000000+11:00

San Francisco-based Meka Robotics wants to make robots that are human-safe and human-scale, but their new S2 humanoid head is more anime than animal. And that's not necessarily a bad thing.

iFixit Tears Down the iPhone 4S Before You Can Even Buy One

2020-10-14T10:05:00.0000000+11:00

Our friends at iFixit have, as is their wont, gotten and subsequently taken apart the Gadget of the Moment before anyone else has even seen one in person. This time, it's the iPhone 4S.

Thank You to Dennis Ritchie, Without Whom None of This Would Be Here

2020-10-14T09:41:00.0000000+11:00

This morning the news came over the internet: Dennis Ritchie has died. Dr. Ritchie doesn't have the mainstream adoring following of Steve Jobs, but he can take considerably more credit for the creation, and even the aesthetics, of the computer world we live in. It's almost impossible to find a personal computing product or paradigm that doesn't owe a direct debt to Ritchie.

Blackberry Service Finally Restored on All Planets

2020-10-14T09:27:00.0000000+11:00

RIM said Thursday morning its BlackBerry service had been restored to all terrestrial worlds after the worst outage ever. BlackBerry Messenger is still spotty on Vulcan, but service is back to normal in the other Federation planets.

Dark Matter Not Just For Space, For Genomes Too

2020-10-14T08:42:00.0000000+11:00

A new study into mammalian genomes has found and documented large amounts of what has been referred to as the 'dark matter' of genetics responsible in large part for the way that the functions of genes themselves are regulated.

Update: Iran Tried and Failed to Launch a Monkey Into Space Last Month

2020-10-14T07:05:00.0000000+11:00

This morning, PopSci's dedicated "space monkey" news feed lit up with some distressing news: When Iran indefinitely suspended its plans to launch a monkey into space earlier this month, it was actually because they had already tried and failed.

NASA's Shuttle Chief Will Manage Spaceflight Operations at Virgin Galactic

2020-10-13T17:30:00.0000000+11:00

NASA has gone to great lengths to seed and cultivate the commercial space industry over the past few years, but it may want to be careful that it doesn't make the grass look too much greener on the commercial side. Mike Moses, NASA's deputy space shuttle program manager and former flight director--the guy who oversaw all shuttle operations over the last three years of the program--is jumping ship, heading over to Virgin Galactic to oversee operations at the space tourism front-runner.

iOS 5 Hits the World, Causes Some People's Phones to Brick

2020-10-13T12:27:00.0000000+11:00

Apple today released its last iteration of the iOS software, version 5, across the globe. While the update brings a suite of new features, it doesn't seem as though every user managed to enter Apple's version of mobile nirvana unscathed, with more than a few users reporting issues post-update.

Video: Stanford Yields a Way to Write Braille on Your iPad

2020-10-13T12:19:00.0000000+11:00

Typing in Braille is tricky, requiring clunky and expensive dedicated devices--some costing as much as US$6,000--with limited functionality beyond their primary design purpose. But a team of researchers at Stanford University in California, including an undergrad on loan from New Mexico State University, have created a touchscreen interface that brings the ability to write in Braille to tablet PCs.

Jaguar Supercomputer to Get GPU Upgrade

2020-10-13T11:53:00.0000000+11:00

Back in June when the latest edition of TOP500 dropped (TOP500 lists the world's top supercomputers), Japan's K Computer leapt ahead of China's Tianhe-1A supercomputer to become the biggest, baddest computing platform on the planet. But after more than a year of slipping down the ranks as its competitors across the Pacific surged ahead, Oak Ridge National Labs Jaguar supercomputer is poised to become the fastest computer in the world once more.

Nissan Says It Has Ten Minute Electric Car Charger

2020-10-13T08:44:00.0000000+11:00

We all know that one of the biggest obstacles to electric car adoption is the long, often overnight recharge time. But Nissan claims that they've created a new charging system that'll fill up your car (Nissan would undoubtedly prefer to say "your Leaf") in only ten minutes--not much different than a regular trip to the Earth-killing pump.

Scottish Doctors Use Ultrasound to Heal Broken Bones

2020-10-13T08:31:00.0000000+11:00

Doctors in Scotland are using ultrasound to help patients with severe bone fractures, and finding it speeds recovery time by more than one-third. The ultrasonic pulses induce cell vibration, which doctors say stimulates bone regeneration and healing.

New Brown Dwarfs: The Ultimate Failed Stars

2020-10-12T13:17:00.0000000+11:00

Over two dozen new free-floating brown dwarfs have been discovered in two young star clusters, Science Daily reports. A University of Toronto-led research team made the discovery - and found an unusual surplus of ‘failed stars’ in each constellation.

Optimism Is a Brain Defect, According to Functional MRI Scans

2020-10-12T11:50:00.0000000+11:00

Pervasive, persistent optimism is one of those uniquely human traits/flaws - we tend to believe things are better than they really are, or that negative consequences won't befall us, even if they befall others. It stands to reason that people would adjust their expectations when confronted with harsh reality, yet they don't. Our brains are to blame, according to a new study - we're wired to have a positive outlook.

Video: South Korea's Small Robot Dog Quietly Prances Around

2020-10-12T08:02:00.0000000+11:00

We have been enjoying plenty of BigDog/AlphaDog videos of late, showing off the US Marines' sure-footed four-legged robot. Well apparently the US isn't the only country planning to build a pack of quadruped bots. Check out this small South Korean robot dog, prancing quietly around a trade show.

Winner of Million-Dollar X Challenge Cleans Up Oil Spills Three Times Better Than Existing Tech

2020-10-12T07:00:00.0000000+11:00

Last US summer, as sweet crude oil gushed unabated into the Gulf of Mexico, the overriding emotion was one of frustration. It wasn't just directed at the well owner, BP, or at rig-builders Transocean and Halliburton, or even the government and its difficult-to-understand oil flow estimates. The inability to shut off the well was one thing - but why, in an era of nanotubes and autonomous robots and invisibility cloaks, couldn't we just clean it up?

$79 Kindle Review: Worth the Price?

2020-10-12T02:10:00.0000000+11:00

Take the 3rd-generation Kindle, probably the best ebook reader ever made. Chop off the keyboard, trim the sides a bit, rearrange the buttons. Sell for eighty bucks. Correction: sell about a billion of these things for eighty bucks each.

Awesome but Creepy Japanese Product of the Day: Realistic 3D Face Replicas

2020-10-12T01:06:00.0000000+11:00

Today in somewhat creepy Japanese tech: a company called REAL-f is creating what it calls 3DPFs - that's 3D Photo Forms - of human faces that generate uncannily realistic replicas of faces in a kind of vinyl-resin. The result is either a mask-style replica or a full mannequin head that is accurate down to the blood vessels in the eyes.

Stop Surgical Infections with a Cocoon of Air

2020-10-11T10:04:00.0000000+11:00

An American company headquartered in Texas has received government clearance for a new kind of medical device aimed at reducing incision-site infections that result from surgical procedures. But rather than battling microorganisms with pharmaceutical cocktails or some kind of post-surgical treatment, Nimbic Systems' Air Barrier System (ABS) keeps surgical sites free of bacteria and other bugs by creating a cocoon of purified air around the incision site for the duration of the surgery.

Video: A Homemade Rocket Soars 37 km in 92 Seconds

2020-10-11T09:30:00.0000000+11:00

A while back, John Carmack (of "Doom" and "Quake" fame, as well as the founder of Armadillo Aerospace) issued a challenge: launch a rocket to more than 100,000 feet (or a bit over 30km), get a GPS reading from up there, and recover the launch vehicle, and US$5,000 is yours. Some additional benefactors pushed the Carmack prize to roughly $10,000. And as you will see in this video, Derek Deville might just claim it.

Hubble's New Infrared Mosaic is the Best Picture of Our Galactic Centre Ever

2020-10-11T09:01:00.0000000+11:00

Behold, your galactic centre. This Hubble image, captured with the space telescope's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), is the highest-resolution pic of the Milky Way's galactic center taken to date, taking in a newly discovered group of massive stars, lots of super-hot gas, and roughly 35,000 square light years of space in one sweeping mosaic.

How a Team of Enthusiasts Are Mapping Dark Matter

2020-10-11T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

When the Euclid space telescope mission lifts off at the end of this decade, it will map galaxy clusters in infrared and visible light, helping to blueprint the large-scale structure of the universe. And a bunch of amateur science geeks who signed up for the competition will use their specialised skills to elucidate those findings.

Australian Team Helps Find Genes Responsible For Melanoma Skin Cancer

2020-10-10T12:56:00.0000000+11:00

Here in Australia, a simple sunburn is often the least of our worries. Australia's long hours mean we record some of the highest numbers of melanoma cases in the world, with over 10 000 cases new cases reported annually, according to the Cancer Council Australia. That makes it the fourth most prevalent cancer in this country. So we think it's fitting that an Australian team are part of a new study that has successfully identified four key genetic markers that increase the liklihood of developing the skin cancer reponsible for. over 1000 deaths a year.

US Security Develops New Software That 'Forecasts' New Criminals

2020-10-10T00:00:00.0000000+11:00

The American Department of Homeland Security is developing a system designed to apprehend people before they commit a crime. The Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST, is designed to analyse whether a person is likely to commit a crime, using a long list of factors. Some are akin to lie detection, such as breathing and heart rate, but the system also measures body movements, voice pitch changes, blink rate, breathing patterns, eye movements, body heat changes and prosody (changes in speech rhythm and intonation). The "prototype screening facility" is built to "detect cues indicative of mal-intent" using these algorithms. The system also analyses factors like ethnicity, gender, age and profession.

First Images of Interstellar Turbulence Show a Churning, Gaseous "Snake Pit"

2020-10-09T11:12:00.0000000+11:00

This chaotic image, published in the journal Nature, has been described as a "pit of writhing snakes." Using our very own Australia Telescope Compact Array housed in Narrabri in New South Wales, researchers studied the interstellar regions in the Norma constellation, 10,000 light-years away.

Is The Higgs Boson Somewhere Inside Your Smartphone?

2020-10-08T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

As we all know, the Large Hadron Collider has been grievously behind the times technologically. Sure, its giant array of superconducting magnets, kept cool by almost a hundred tons of liquid helium is pretty neat, and the muon spectrometer is no slouch. But the LHC hasn't put it all in a convenient smartphone app -- until now.

New Robot Arm Uses Static Cling to Grab Objects in Free-Fall

2020-10-08T02:11:00.0000000+11:00

Rarely does a week pass without some concern about space debris, whether it's falling to Earth or threatening the International Space Station. Plenty of private companies and government agencies have proposed solutions for this problem, from giant space nets to ground-based lasers that would push debris out of orbit. Here's one we have not seen before: A sticky robot arm that works like a mechanical tractor beam. It could be used to reach out and grab space debris of any shape or size - and for other purposes, like servicing the ISS.

Unexplained Gamma Rays Pulse From Crab Nebula

2020-10-07T14:00:00.0000000+11:00

The Crab Nebula is full of surprises. Its genesis was spotted by Chinese scientists back in 1054, when nobody had any idea about what it could be, and it was only identified as a nebulous supernova several centuries later. In the mid 1900's, it was found to harbour a pulsar at its heart. And now, another enigma to solve - the Crab Pulsar is shooting out high energy gamma rays, and nobody knows why.

UV Rays May Be Even More Dangerous Than Previously Thought

2020-10-07T12:37:00.0000000+11:00

A new study has shown that the least energetic variety of ultraviolet radiation, UV type A, may be able to cause damage to deep tissue in humans, potentially leading to the development of malignant cancers.

Futuristic Predictions From the Past That Steve Jobs Fulfilled

2020-10-07T10:30:00.0000000+11:00

Predicting the future of technology is often a shot in the dark. But every once in awhile, the complex evolution of tech gives us something that actually fulfills the starry-eyed dreams of years or decades before. And as we look back at the incredible achievements of Steve Jobs, you quickly see that, more than any other single innovator, he was responsible for so many of today's real-life consummations of past predictions.

A US School District is Taking Attendance by Scanning Students' Fingers

2020-10-07T09:11:00.0000000+11:00

Roll call is going high-tech in Washington County, part of the U.S. state of Florida. Rather than the usual name calling and response, students are now checking into class with finger scanning devices. And to keep better track of students from the minute they come under district supervision until they are delivered safely home again, the scanners are now moving from the school building to the school bus.

The Web's Best Tributes to Steve Jobs

2020-10-07T09:00:00.0000000+11:00

An interesting gauge of a person's overall impact on our culture is now found immediately online, as the world learns together the news of that person's passing. By that measure, Steve Jobs has led a truly extraordinary life. But you didn't need us to tell you that.

Video: Monkeys Demonstrate Brain-Controlled Arm With a Sense of Touch

2020-10-07T04:35:00.0000000+11:00

The holy grail of prosthetics research is and has been a kind of "Luke Skywalker hand" interface--prosthetics that respond to stimulus from the brain and function just as the original appendage it is replacing. But ideally the prosthetic wouldn't just respond to stimulus from the brain--it would also provide sensory stimulus to the brain. It would have a sense of touch. And in a paper published today in Nature, we see the groundwork for just such a breed of prostheses.

Space Rocks Like This One Probably Helped Deliver Earth's Oceans

2020-10-07T03:30:00.0000000+11:00

Earth's oceans likely started out as space snowballs born far beyond the orbit of Pluto, a new study says. Water-rich comets collided with the young planet after hurtling through the nascent solar system, and probably delivered a significant amount of the water on this planet.

The Brain's Reality Filter But A Fold Away

2020-10-07T01:02:00.0000000+11:00

Did you actually open the fridge a few minutes ago, or were you just thinking about it and imagined that you did? If you can remember correctly, you might have an extra fold in your brain.

Steve Jobs Has Died, Apple Confirms

2020-10-06T11:02:00.0000000+11:00

Incredibly sad news from Apple today: Steve Jobs has died today at the age of 56.

Apple's New iPhone Assistant is a Voice-Activated DARPA Spinoff

2020-10-06T08:21:00.0000000+11:00

Apple's iPhone 4S announcement yesterday was somewhat anticlimactic save the incorporation of Siri, a voice-command application that is now integrated deeply into Apple's new iOS 5 and allows users to ask their phones questions and give them commands in natural language. And if that kind of voice recognition and command sounds somewhat familiar to you technophiles, it should. Siri is the indirect spawn of DARPA, Danger Room reports, envisioned to help military commanders organise their data and otherwise make sense of fast-moving situations.

Voice Control Is for Your Mum

2020-10-06T07:25:00.0000000+11:00

Voice command has made huge strides in recent years, especially in the mobile space - Google has implemented voice search and some basic commands into Android, and now Apple has integrated Siri, a voice-command app, deeply into the guts of the iPhone.

Researchers Turn Cloned Human Embryo into Working Stem Cell Line

2020-10-06T06:00:00.0000000+11:00

Potentially big stem cell news out of the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laboratory today in Nature, though in our experience it's always good to temper one's expectations when it comes to these sorts of things. After all, we've thought we cracked the code on embryonic stem cell cloning technology more than once, only to find this kind of biology is much more difficult and complex than originally thought. Nonetheless, researchers have reprogrammed an adult human egg to an embryonic state and used it to create a self-reproducing embryonic stem cell line. And that's a big deal.

Can Animals Really Be Gay?

2020-10-06T04:58:00.0000000+11:00

Scientists at California's Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the University of Rhode Island recently reported on the same-sex mating habits of Octopoteuthis deletron, a deep-sea squid that indiscriminately shoots sperm packets onto both male and female squids passing by.

Video: With Semantic Search, PR2 Robot Can Plan Its Own Sandwich-Hunting Mission

2020-10-06T04:08:00.0000000+11:00

The wonderful PR2 robot can do plenty of things food-wise - bake cookies, fix a sausage breakfast, fetch beer - but it's usually following some set of directions when it does these things. Now, semantic search enables PR2 to figure out how to do things on its own.

Chemist Once Accused of 'Quasi-Science' Wins Nobel For Quasicrystal Discovery

2020-10-06T03:11:00.0000000+11:00

Vindication has to be one of the most satisfying effects of a Nobel Prize win - after years of work, the scientific community has finally recognised the real weight of a discovery someone probably fought a very long time to prove. So Daniel Shechtman must feel really satisfied today. The Israeli chemist is a Nobel laureate for his discovery of quasicrystals, a unique form of solid matter whose discovery cost him his job and reputation.

With Two New Space Science Missions, ESA Will Fly to the Sun and Look For Dark Energy

2020-10-06T02:09:00.0000000+11:00

The European Space Agency announced its next two space science missions yesterday, and given recent events they may not come as a huge surprise. The first will orbit the sun, coming closer to the solar surface than any previous science spacecraft to measure the solar wind and its influence on the planets to an unprecedented degree. The second will explore dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe--a characteristic whose discovery won three physicists the Nobel prize in physics yesterday.

Why Amazon's Losses On The Fire Are A Smart Idea

2020-10-05T14:20:00.0000000+11:00

The news today told us what everybody already knew: Amazon is selling its new Fire tablet for a pittance. Actually, even more than a pittance – estimates place the actual profit from hardware sales alone to be.. well, to be nothing at all.

Mine is Bigger than Yours: Section of the Brain May Hold Key to Disorders

2020-10-05T13:26:00.0000000+11:00

A variation in a part of the brain may explain why some people have a good memory, and why others are prone to brain disorders. Scientists from Cambridge University say the discovery could advance the understanding of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Robot Culture Machine Efficiently Grows Biological Cells Without Human Intervention

2020-10-05T08:05:00.0000000+11:00

The tedious, carpal-tunnel-inducing pipette work of cell biologists may soon be relegated to robots, thanks to a new cell factory developed in Germany. This could free humans to perform new studies and ask new questions, as automated equipment takes over the time-consuming task of growing, feeding and observing cells in the lab.

Video: Underwater Nano-Mirage Effect Enables On-Demand Invisibility

2020-10-05T06:55:00.0000000+11:00

Get ready to witness some James Bond-esque, HALO-style active camouflage action. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have cleverly tapped the unique characteristics of carbon nanotubes and the light-bending weirdness of the mirage effect to create a kind of invisibility cloak that can be turned on and off at the flip of a switch.

Tiny Cilia Inside Corpse' Noses Could Be a More Reliable Indicator of Time of Death

2020-10-05T05:54:00.0000000+11:00

Despite how easy they make it look on TV dramas, determining time of death for a body requires a lot of difficult guesswork (unless someone is there when the person passes, of course). A range of environmental factors and other mitigating circumstances make any declaration of time of death an estimation at best. But a team of Italian scientists think they've found a built-in clock in the human nasal cavity that ticks off the minutes after a body expires, and it could make estimating the time of death a more precise exercise.

It's not the iPhone 5... it's the iPhone 4S

2020-10-05T05:42:00.0000000+11:00

Today in Cupertino, USA, Apple announced the newest version of its bajillion-selling iPhone, to be named the iPhone 4S. Like the iPhone 3GS, this is a small, mostly internal upgrade over its predecessor - a new dual-core processor here, an improved camera there - though there is a major addition in the form of Siri, a voice-command service Apple bought awhile back that allows you to ask your phone questions, or tell it to do things, in natural language. Lots of things.

Video: A Real Life "Up" House

2020-10-05T03:33:00.0000000+11:00

This week on the US National Geographic Channel, the answer to that eternal question (providing "eternal" means "since 2009 when the movie came out"): Can we really build a house like the one from Pixar's Up, able to float by balloon power alone? On an episode of popular DIY show "How Hard Can It Be?" that aired this week, a team of builders (including frequent contributor to the US version of PopSci Vin Marshall) actually built a house capable of being lifted--with people aboard--by balloons.

NASA Awards the Largest Prize in Aviation History to an All-Electric, Super-Efficient Aircraft

2020-10-05T02:12:00.0000000+11:00

NASA has awarded the single largest prize handed down in aviation history to Team Pipistrel-USA.com for designing and demonstrating its Taurus G4 electric aircraft. Per the rules of the NASA- and Google-sponsored CAFE Green Flight Challenge, Pipistrel's Taurus G4 covered 320 kilometres in less than 2 hours and did so on the electricity equivalent of less than one gallon of fuel per passenger, scoring US$1.35 million for the effort.

Australian Scientist Finds Universe Is Expanding Faster, Wins Nobel Prize

2020-10-04T23:53:00.0000000+11:00

A scientist from the Australian National University has, along with two American scientists, been named a Nobel Laureate for his work charting the expansion of the known universe, in particular the discovery that said expansion is happening at an increasingly fast rate.

Five Reasons To Care About the Arctic Ozone Hole

2020-10-04T12:10:00.0000000+11:00

A prolonged chill in the atmosphere high above the Arctic last winter led to a mobile, morphing hole in the ozone layer, scientists report in a new paper. It's just like the South Pole hole we all studied in school, but potentially more harmful to humans - more of us live at northern latitudes. Here are five things you need to know about it.

ALMA, the World's Largest Radio Telescope, Grabs Its First Images

2020-10-04T05:15:00.0000000+11:00

The world's largest astronomical facility has opened its eyes, turning nearly two dozen antennae toward the heavens to study the building blocks of the cosmos. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array consists of 20 radio antennae for now, but will contain 66 by 2013, giving it a higher resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Bug-Like Robotic Drones Becoming More Bug-Like, With Bulging Eyes and Tiny, Sensing Hairs

2020-10-04T04:20:00.0000000+11:00

Micro air vehicles, or MAVs, make for a tantalising option for intelligence and surveillance agencies looking to surreptitiously gather information or deliver surveillance devices without being seen. But MAVs--usually modeled after small birds or insects-- are notoriously unstable in flight and difficult to manoeuvre in cluttered environments. So the Pentagon is handing out research contracts to make the DoD's little robotic bugs more stable by making them more bug-like. Specifically, the DoD wants big bulging bug eyes and hairy wings for its MAVs.

Video: Nanorockets Could Deliver Drugs Within the Body

2020-10-04T03:35:00.0000000+11:00

The idea of nanorockets zipping around your body delivering drugs sounds a little Osmosis Jonesy, but German researchers have developed a less toxic fuel that might make that possible.

Iran Indefinitely Suspends Plans to Launch a Monkey into Space

2020-10-04T02:00:00.0000000+11:00

Iran's ambitious 1960s-styled plans to send a live monkey into space aboard one of the Islamic Republic's Kavoshgar-5 rockets have been suspended indefinitely, a top space official told Iranian state television today, which pretty much dashes any hopes that we might see a primate hurled into suborbital space before year's end.

Scrunchable Antenna Sewn Into Life Vests Could Help Rescuers Find the Lost

2020-10-01T06:00:35.0000000+10:00

Adventure-seekers can use all kinds of emergency beacon tech to help themselves get found in case they go missing - but in many cases, this requires sticking something in your pocket, from which it could conceivably fall out. A new antenna could instead be sewn right into your clothes, ensuring rescuers can find you so long as you're wearing something.

Video: DARPA's AlphaDog Gets Up, Scrambles Over Rocks and Runs

2020-10-01T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

We just can't resist, so here's one more video from the maker of the military's robotic pack animals. Check out Boston Dynamics' new AlphaDog - which was previously nicknamed BullDog - in a newly released, DARPA-sanctioned video.

Bats Have Unique Superfast Squeak Muscles to Make Echolocation Calls

2020-10-01T03:00:00.0000000+10:00

The only mammals that can fly are also the only mammals with a larynx that flexes at ludicrous speed, a new study shows. As bats flip and whirl toward their prey, they chirp at an accelerating rate, increasing their echolocating calls to 160-190 chirps per second. This is possible because their laryngeal muscles can contract up to 200 times per second, researchers say.

Video: Plucky Fish Swims Far Away to Find Proper Tool For Eating Dinner

2020-10-01T00:10:00.0000000+10:00

We all know takeaway food sometimes requires special utensils to be eaten properly. The same is true for fish. (The food they're eating, not takeaway fish.) Below, behold the first video of a reef fish using a tool - and traveling a great distance to find it.

Aussies Win IgNobels with Frisky Bottle Beetle, Addled Bladder Studies

2020-09-30T13:24:00.0000000+10:00

Two Aussie scientists today pulled a couple of prizes from the annual IgNobel Prize awards, one for studying why some beetles mistake beer bottles for their mates, and another for looking into how much the need to urinate impacts our ability to think.

Fermilab Stops Smashing Hadrons, Looks Into Smashing Muons

2020-09-30T13:15:00.0000000+10:00

Tomorrow American high-energy physics centre Fermilab will power down their Tevatron particle collider for the final time, marking the end of an era. But for some, that era is so over anyhow. Hadrons, like last season's handbag, have had their time in the spotlight. The next hot trend in physics is muons, and all the cool kids know it. That's why Fermilab physicists are already taking a hard look at muon colliding technologies as a possible next move in the game of international physics research.

For the First Time, Researchers Use an Atom Interferometer to Measure Aircraft Acceleration

2020-09-30T13:12:00.0000000+10:00

Atom interferometers are neat little devices that exploit the wave characters of atoms to make highly precise measurements of things like distance or the force of gravity. But because they are fickle by nature--even the smallest vibrations distort their results--atom interferometers have been mostly limited to highly controlled experiments that take place in either underground labs or in free-falling zero-g experiments. But a team of French researchers has announced today the first use of an atom interferometer to measure the acceleration of an airplane.

China Launches Its First Space Station Module Into Orbit

2020-09-30T10:19:00.0000000+10:00

At 9:16 p.m. local time--that was at 9:16 a.m. eastern time here in the U.S.--China successfully lofted its first inhabitable space station module into orbit on the back of a Long March 2F launch vehicle, marking a milestone for both the People's space program and for the Party's geopolitical ambitions. China--the third nation (behind the U.S.A. and Russia) to independently launch manned missions into space aboard homegrown technology--now joins the old Cold War powers as the third nation to put a space station into orbit.

New Zealand Sees Climb In Cases of Flesh Eating Necrosis

2020-09-30T09:44:00.0000000+10:00

A new study has found that the number of cases in New Zealand of necrotising fasciitis, more commonly known by the much more homely name 'flesh eating disease', has climbed significantly over a sixteen year period.

Tune In Here from 9:30am for the 2011 Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, Live

2020-09-30T09:12:00.0000000+10:00

UPDATE: It's all over, folks. Having said that, you can watch the entire unedited showcase beneath the fold. Or, you can read about the Australian scientists who were IgNobel-ly awarded here.

Video: Da Vinci Surgical Robot Deftly Peels a Grape

2020-09-30T04:19:00.0000000+10:00

Within the confines of the PopSci universe, the Da Vinci surgical robot requires no introduction. But while we've seen Da Vinci do some amazing things--most notably, perform prostate surgery, though lacing the football and making paper planes were pretty cool too--we're always thrilled to see the dexterous machine do something else. And so we bring you this footage of Da Vinci, peeling a grape like peeling grapes is easy.

Weird New Forms of Bacterial Life Found in the Dead Sea

2020-09-30T02:06:00.0000000+10:00

Deep in the depths of the Dead Sea, new life has been discovered. Thanks to newly found freshwater springs, certain forms of bacteria thrive, bacteria that, unlike other known freshwater and saltwater bacteria, can cope with rapidly changing salinity. It's the intriguing results of the first study of the Dead Sea in years, a rare undertaking partly because "accidentally swallowing Dead Sea salt water would cause the larynx to inflate, resulting in immediate choking and suffocation."

American National Security Agency Building a Top-Secret Secure Smartphone

2020-09-30T00:12:00.0000000+10:00

For all the amazing technology developed by and for American defense and intelligence agencies, the government's spooks are apparently lagging way behind in one key area: Smartphones. That means no mobile email or Angry Birds for the US spy corps. One NSA agent is trying to change that.

Army Developing Drones That Can Recognise Your Face From a Distance

2020-09-29T07:01:00.0000000+10:00

It's not enough for the US military to be able to monitor you from afar. The US Army wants its drones to know you through and through, reports Danger Room, and it is imbuing them with the ability to recognise you in a crowd and even to know what you are thinking and feeling. Like a best friend that at any moment might vaporise you with a hellfire missile.

Kepler Analysis Projects One-Third of Sun-Like Stars Have an Earth-Like Planet Orbiting

2020-09-29T04:57:00.0000000+10:00

One of the fun things about astronomy is that we can only know so much through empirical observation, yet we can "know" so much more through enlightened, mathematical guesswork. Such is the nature of the most interesting new science paper I've come across on the Internet today. In it, Wesley Traub of CalTech crunches some Kepler data and makes a tantalising mathematical prediction: one-third of sun-like stars have at least one earth-like terrestrial planet orbiting in their habitable zones.

Nissan Developing Mind-Reading Cars

2020-09-29T03:57:00.0000000+10:00

Barely a day goes by without a new development in smart car technology, from computerised cars to driving directions. Now researchers in Switzerland are developing cars with the ultimate gift of intelligence: The ability to read our minds.

NASA's Falling UARS Satellite Found in Remote South Pacific

2020-09-29T03:10:00.0000000+10:00

NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) has finally returned home after two decades in orbit, and it couldn't have crash-landed in a better place: a 800-km-wide swath of the South Pacific. The falling 5.4-tonne satellite - which had been expected to re-enter the atmosphere for a couple of weeks, causing some degree of worry - plunged into a part of the world that is virtually uninhabited, mere minutes after reports said it might come crashing down in North America, NASA officials said yesterday.

Hands On: Amazon's Kindle Fire Tablet and Cheaper, Smaller, Touch-Based Kindles

2020-09-29T02:03:00.0000000+10:00

Today at an event in New York City, Amazon announced its new family of Kindles, and it's probably the biggest, or at least most visible, update in the line's history. The three new "traditional" Kindles continue Amazon's trend of "cheaper and smaller," including two touch-based Kindles (one Wi-Fi-only and one 3G-enabled) and one ridiculously cheap non-touch version. But the big news: Amazon's first tablet, a 7-inch model called the Kindle Fire that's priced low enough in the tablet marketplace to ride alongside the iTunes cards and chewy in the impulse buys section.

BullDog: A Scarier Version of BigDog Gets Closer to the Battlefield

2020-09-29T01:30:00.0000000+10:00

That fun video of the BigDog robot we shared last week may have been impressive, but apparently the robot is about to be eclipsed by another member of its own family.

New Supercomputer Adds More Grunt To Aussie Square Kilometre Array Bid

2020-09-29T01:20:00.0000000+10:00

In another plus for Australia's bid for the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, Australia now plays home to another big supercomputer, one specially geared for crunching the amounts of data produced by such projects.

By Encoding Messages in Glowing Proteins, Scientists Turn E. Coli Into Invisible Ink

2020-09-28T07:46:00.0000000+10:00

It's an innovation fit for a Cold War spy novel: a means to transmit secret messages via microbe. Dubbed steganography by printed arrays of microbes (yup: SPAM), the technique involves encoding messages in the colours of glowing bacteria, which can be later unlocked with antibiotics.

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5, AKA "Mango," Starts Rolling Out Today

2020-09-28T06:35:00.0000000+10:00

Windows Phone 7.5, known as Mango, is a massive upgrade to the already impressive Windows Phone platform, including major additions like multitasking, fast app switching (along with threaded conversations, an idea taken from the deceased WebOS), a totally new browser, apps integrated into search, augmented reality, and way more. It's the biggest update since the platform's original release, and we're really looking forward to seeing the next wave of hardware that really takes advantage of it.

Disarming HIV Could Protect the Immune System and Lead to a Vaccine

2020-09-28T06:32:00.0000000+10:00

News from the field of HIV research has been pretty promising of late - this summer, we heard good news that antiretroviral treatment is superbly effective, at least when it's used correctly. And thanks to some video gamers, scientists' understanding of proteins involved in HIV keeps getting better. Now researchers have another tool in their arsenal. They can strip the virus itself of its ability to trick the human immune system.

The Sunspots That Kicked Off This Week's Solar Storm May Be Just Warming Up

2020-09-28T05:55:00.0000000+10:00

That gigantic solar flare that lashed out toward Earth on Saturday is "the geomagnetic storm that just won't go away," the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colo., said via its Facebook page today. And that appears to be true. Active Region 1302, pictured above, continues to pummel earth with solar energy and could disrupt satellite communications as it continues turning toward us in the days to come.

Creepiest Video Software Ever Substitutes Other People's Faces For Your Face

2020-09-28T04:59:00.0000000+10:00

My enduring dream of being able to watch The African Queen with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Hepburn role just got a step closer!

Video: Watch the JSF's New Cruise Missile Acquire and Engage a Naval Target

2020-09-28T02:54:00.0000000+10:00

We hear so many negative things about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program these days: cost overruns, missed deadlines, technology failures, etc. So it's nice to see a video of a small piece of the larger JSF initiative moving forward--and moving quickly. It's not part of the plane itself, but a stealthy cruise missile developed by Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, and it's looking for a ship to sink.

IBM Patents a Mapping Algorithm To Re-Route Drivers Along Retail-Heavy Roads

2020-09-28T01:53:00.0000000+10:00

With connectivity and smarter planning, intelligent cars promise to cut congestion, make roads safer and generally improve the whole experience of getting behind the wheel. But nobody said it was all altruistic.

Heart Patch Made of Gold Helps Cardiac Tissue Rebuild Itself

2020-09-28T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

Giving cardiac patients a heart of gold nanowires could ensure engineered tissue works like it should, pulsing in unison to make the heart beat. First growing nanowires and then growing heart cells, engineers from MIT and Harvard University say their new muscle-machine blended heart patch improves on existing cardiac patches, which have trouble reaching a consistent level of conductivity.

Video: The Dead Sea Scrolls are Now Available for Your Online Perusal, Courtesy of Google

2020-09-27T07:21:00.0000000+10:00

Just as they promised almost a year ago, Google, in partnership with the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, has photographed the Dead Sea Scrolls for the first time since the 1950s, and made them available online for those who can't make the trek to see them in person.

Space Weather Could Delay Manned Mars Missions

2020-09-27T05:28:00.0000000+10:00

Our sun has been more active lately as it enters a new phase in its 11-year cycle, which is one reason we've seen a bunch of enormous coronal mass ejections and solar explosions in the past few months. But it's actually a pretty weak solar maximum, as solar maximums go, so heliophysicists believe the sun is entering a prolonged hibernation unseen since the 17th century. This has some major implications for climate changes - on Earth and in the heavens, according to one new study.

Piezoelectric Remote Control Changes Channels When You Bend It

2020-09-27T04:09:00.0000000+10:00

Piezoelectrics, a technology in which motion creates a small voltage, is one of our favorite up-and-coming areas of research, whether it's powering DARPA's beetle-bots or dampening bumps in the road. Now, Japan's Murata Manufacturing claims they have come up with a remote control that works by harnessing the piezoelectric power generated by, well, bending and twisting the remote itself.

Boeing Dreamliner Delivered to First Customer

2020-09-27T03:43:00.0000000+10:00

After three years of costly setbacks and scary failed test flights, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally made its debut on Sunday when it was delivered to its first Japanese customer.

Listen to StarTalk Live, Featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, Eugene Mirman, Alan Alda, and More

2020-09-27T03:18:00.0000000+10:00

On September 15th, StarTalk, Neil deGrasse Tyson's space-and-science-focused radio show, taped its first ever live show at the Bell House, in Brooklyn, New York. I was there to watch, and tweet about it, and drink tall cans of Tecate while tweeting about it. It was great! And now you can listen to the first part, for free.

Researchers Weave Wearable Memory Out of Copper

2020-09-27T02:42:00.0000000+10:00

Here at PopSci, we're greatly looking forward to wearing our technology. There's been a lot of work done on this front, from fireproofing to power generation, and now we can add memory storage to the list of things fabric of the future will be able to do.

Fermilab Will Double-Check CERN's Revolutionary Faster-Than-Light Claim

2020-09-27T01:29:00.0000000+10:00

So far, the only thing moving faster than light is speculation. But in the wake of last week's baffling neutrino news out of CERN, physicists are crunching numbers to test whether these ghostly particles really can move faster than photons. Physicists at Fermilab are re-examining some old data to help answer the question.

Missing: One Giant Satellite. If Found, Call NASA.

2020-09-26T12:35:00.0000000+10:00

A defunct six tonne NASA satellite has crashed into Earth over the weekend, leaving a mystery as to where the space debris ended up. Last week we reported the satellite was headed for Earth after 20 years in orbit.

Simulation Suggests There May Have Been a Fifth Gas Giant in Our Solar System

2020-09-24T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

A "violent encounter with Jupiter" may have hurled a fifth gas giant out of our solar system billions of years ago. A simulation done by the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado suggests that our solar system may have included another gaseous giant, placed between Saturn and Uranus. The computer models may prove how the planets of our solar system settled in their current position, a long-standing source of mystery to astronomers.

Video: Hydraulic Beverage-Making Typewriter Turns Words Into Mixology

2020-09-24T06:40:00.0000000+10:00

An oft-repeated truism (and a much-loved one, especially on Fridays) holds that writing and drinking go hand in hand. Now this is literally true, with a lovely invention that displays letters via a QWERTY keyboard, and pumps out potent potables with every keystroke.

A Heated Robotic Mother Hen Improves Quail Chicks' Spatial Learning Abilities

2020-09-24T06:00:00.0000000+10:00

We love when live animals follow a robot's lead, from Robofish leading schools of real fish away from harm, to babies fooled into thinking a friendly robot is human. But studies have not yet shown how these robotic surrogates can affect animal development. Now a new study suggests they can have a positive effect - at least for a while.

Video: Watch BigDog, Our Favorite Quadruped Bot, Romp and Grow Through the Years

2020-09-24T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

The proud roboticists at Boston Dynamics compiled a nice new video featuring the greatest highlights from the life and times of BigDog, the big, playful, and very slightly creepy robotic dog. From robot pup playtime to a beach vacation in Thailand, BigDog has had plenty of adventures.

Video: The Trailer for "Urbanized," a Documentary About the Design of Cities

2020-09-24T03:58:00.0000000+10:00

The newest documentary from design doco director Gary Hustwit has just dropped. Titled Urbanized, it's the third movie in Hustwit's "design trilogy," which also includes Helvetica and Objectified. This third film focuses this time on the design of modern cities, and the more interesting question of who actually designs them.

Australian Police Want Aerial Surveillance Drones to Track License Plates and Monitor Cars of Interest

2020-09-24T02:52:00.0000000+10:00

With hackers, DIYers and the military using them for years, domestic police forces the world over are apparently itching to get some surveillance drones of their own. Now, it seems the ACT Government has been discussing using drones alongside a new license plate recognition system, autonomously tracking vehicles of interest.

French Researchers Trap The Most Neutrons Ever Bottled, Setting a Science Record

2020-09-24T01:00:00.0000000+10:00

European researchers working at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France, have trapped the largest number of neutrons ever held in place at one time. But while they've smashed the previous record (also held by the ILL), it's still not quite enough, the lead researcher tells BBC. Still, the new approach that got researchers this far may be able to trap far greater numbers of neutrons with a little finessing.

Scientists Maybe, Possibly Find Particle That Moves Faster Than Light

2020-09-23T12:45:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists at CERN have run an experiment. A very simple time of flight experiment, measuring the time it takes a neutrino to get from A to B. The trick with this particular one is that this particle clocked in at a whole 60 nanoseconds faster than light. That small number is a big deal - if correct, it could overturn Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, the cornerstone of theoretical physics for the last century.

Mind-Reading Tech Reconstructs Videos From Brain Images

2020-09-23T07:27:00.0000000+10:00

A year and a half ago, we published a great feature on the current state of the quest to read the human mind. It included some then in-progress work from Jack Gallant, a neuroscientist at U.C. Berkeley, in which Gallant was attempting to reconstruct a video by reading the brain scans of someone who watched that video - essentially pulling experiences directly from someone's brain. Now, Gallant and his team have published a paper on the subject in the journal Current Biology.

Brain-Scanning "Painometer" Is an Attempt to Measure Pain Objectively

2020-09-23T05:57:00.0000000+10:00

Pain must be the bane of many a doctor's existence. It's a major symptom and indicator of many illnesses, but doctors have to rely on humans to describe and rate it, and humans are a distinctly unreliable source of information. What's a "7" on the pain scale for someone might be a "4" for another. What's a "pulsing" pain for someone might be a "pounding" for someone else. At Stanford, some doctors are figuring out the first steps to objectively measure pain, finally putting that all to rest.

Five of Saturn's Moons Pose Amidst a Backdrop of Planetary Rings

2020-09-23T04:08:00.0000000+10:00

Today in pretty space pics, Cassini proves once again that it's the spacecraft that just keeps on giving. Its mission was supposed to end in 2008 but has twice been extended, most recently out to 2017. That's fine with us, since it keeps sending back pics like these from its wide orbit around what is arguably the solar system's second-coolest planet. Represented here: Saturn's signature rings and five of its more than 60 natural satellites - Janus, Pandora, Enceladus, Mimas and Rhea (from left to right).

SASSA, the US Military's New Satellite Self-Defence System, is Ready to Go to Space

2020-09-23T03:06:00.0000000+10:00

A new satellite defence technology is about to get its first real-world test in orbit, and while we naturally don't get to know much about it just yet, the US Air Force has confirmed that a classified satellite launching sometime in the near future will carry the awkwardly named Self-Awareness Space Situational Awareness system, or SASSA. Like radar for satellites, the system will alert operators of potential space-borne threat to the satellite and perhaps even take kinetic action should a satellite become threatened.

Scientists Successfully Induce Hibernation in Animals for the First Time

2020-09-23T01:51:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks have successfully caused a group of arctic ground squirrels, naturally hibernating animals, to wake from and then go back into hibernation. It's the first time anyone has ever managed to induce hibernation, and it could have some pretty amazing medical benefits for humans as well.

New dinosaur species uncovered in US

2020-09-22T12:47:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists have today announced the discovery of a new species of dinosaur in Utah, the Talos Sampsoni. The raptor is the first discovery of its kind in more than 75 years, exciting scientists and palaeontologists alike.

Driverless Car Completes Successful Test Run Around Busy Berlin Streets

2020-09-22T12:05:00.0000000+10:00

Sitting back, chatting with your mates, watching the scenery pass you by - these pastimes are generally enjoyed by the passengers of a vehicle while the driver remains focused on bringing the carload to its destination. But a car designed by researchers from Berlin has successfully completed an 80 kilometre test run around the traffic-filled streets of Germany’s capital - without the driver lifting a finger.

Will Our Weaponised Robots Become Autonomous?

2020-09-22T12:00:00.0000000+10:00

America's drone fleet has become an increasingly relied-upon wing of its counter-insurgency strategy and plays a key role in its geopolitical policy, particularly in Pakistan where unmanned aircraft routinely venture into sovereign territory and deliver lethal payloads to targets on the ground. But the Washington Post asks: just exactly how far away are we from real "killer robots." The answer, in this morning's piece of recommended reading, is: we're already there.

Scientists extract hydrogen from salt and wastewater

2020-09-22T11:52:00.0000000+10:00

In another step toward a cleaner energy future, scientists in the US have found a way to sustainably generate hydrogen using just water and bacteria. Using a process called reverse electro-dialysis, researchers an Penn State university have extracted the gas from water by breaking up its molecules.

Enhancing Robots' Senses of Touch By Giving them Human-Like Fingerprints

2020-09-22T11:07:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers at the National University of Singapore are enhancing robots' sense of touch by mimicking the ridged and contoured surfaces of human fingertips. Fingerprints, it turns out, don't just give humans better grip but also carry out a sensitive type of signal processing. By imparting that same kind of signal processing to robots, we could reduce the processing loads to robots' CPUs and help them better identify objects through their shapes.

New Theory on World Trade Center Collapse Blames Explosive Chemical Reaction

2020-09-22T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

More than ten years after the fact, a scientist based at the Norwegian research institute SINTEF is proposing that a well-documented chemical reaction spelled the ultimate demise of the Twin Towers after the attacks of September 11, 2020. This isn't another conspiracy theory, nor is it proven fact. But Christian Simensen theorises that a mix of molten aluminium from the aircraft bodies mixed with water from the sprinkler systems could have catalysed secondary blasts that brought the World Trade Center towers to the ground.

Proton Transistor Could Help Machines and Organisms Communicate

2020-09-22T02:40:00.0000000+10:00

Human-machine interfaces are constantly improving, but our inability to fully integrate electronics into our bodies stems in part from the very nature of that word - electronics. For the most part, machines relay information using electrons, but living systems use protons and ions. Now a new proton-based transistor built partly from crab shells could open the gates to a new method of communication between machines and biological systems.

Agriculture Continues to Plow Into the Future, Now With Autonomous Robot Tractors

2020-09-21T06:35:00.0000000+10:00

While the country bumpkin farmer stereotype might suggest otherwise, driving a tractor is difficult, requiring precision skills. Now Flemish engineers have announced a new self-driving tractor with precision that rivals a human driver. This could mean drastically lower operating costs for farmers, and a step towards automated agriculture.

We Incorporate Genetic Information From Food

2020-09-21T05:38:00.0000000+10:00

Research at Nanjing University has found that strands of RNA from vegetables make it into our bloodstream after we eat them, and can regulate the expression of our genes once they're inside us. MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are little strands of RNA that selectively bind to matching sequences of messenger RNA, resulting in repression of those genes.

NASA Will Pay $1.6 Billion for Space Taxis

2020-09-21T04:15:00.0000000+10:00

Likely prompted in no small part by last month's Progress cargo ship crash in Russia, NASA has announced a US$1.6 billion contract running through 2014 to develop complete end-to-end cargo and crew transportation between Earth and the International Space Station. In other words, NASA is getting really serious about developing commercial space taxis that can do what the shuttle no longer can: get people and supplies to and from the space station without relying solely on Russian technology.

Laid-off Shuttle Engineers Build Mad Rocket Trike

2020-09-21T03:10:00.0000000+10:00

In the shadow of Launchpad 39A--where the Space Shuttle Atlantis once stood ready for orbit--a team of former NASA engineers laid off when the shuttle program ended are building a rocket-inspired street legal tricycle. And it's not just for kicks. Treycycle Gold--as the company building the bikes is now known--aims to employ more than 100 people within the year, breathing new life into the Space Coast's engineering economy.

A Beam With the Power of a Laser Pointer Can Detect IEDs at a Distance

2020-09-21T01:58:00.0000000+10:00

Improvised explosive devices are far and away the single biggest killer of coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, so the ability to identify hidden explosive threats is key to keeping soldiers safe. A team of researchers at Michigan State University has developed a tool that could detect roadside bombs from afar, using nothing more than a laser with an energy output of a presentation pointer.

Visible Light Could Keep Hearts Of The Future Ticking

2020-09-21T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

The heart is a delicate instrument, relying on finely timed signals so it can pump blood in just the right fashion to keep you alive. When this process fails, artificial pacemakers, incorporating electrodes and microelectronics, have to step into the breach. As it turns out, scientists might just have arrived at a possible new alternative, and it's as simple as turning on a light.

Wireless Network Accurately and Inexpensively Monitors Patients' Breathing

2020-09-20T04:58:40.0000000+10:00

A couple of years ago we saw wireless technology that would allow us to see through walls. Now, the same team of researchers, from the University of Utah, is putting that motion detection technology to work monitoring breathing patterns. So not only can the network see through your bedroom wall, it can hear you breathing. Less sinisterly, the system could help doctors keep better track of patients with sleep apnea, surgery patients or babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome.

Germans Manufacture Artificial Blood Vessels With a 3D Printer

2020-09-20T02:58:00.0000000+10:00

From intestines to tracheas, tissue engineers are building a handful of new body parts - but progress on larger organs has been slow. This is mainly because tissues need nutrients to stay alive, and they need blood vessels to deliver those nutrients. It's difficult to build those vascular networks, but now a team from Germany may have a solution: Print some capillaries with a 3D printer.

The Incredible Shrinking Shot: Needles Get a Pain-Free Makeover

2020-09-20T00:01:17.0000000+10:00

The design of the hypodermic needle has changed little since 1853, when French surgeon Charles Gabriel Pravaz first attached a hollow, skinpiercing cylinder to a syringe. today, medical-device designers are using micro-scale materials to make the needles shorter and thinner, which makes for less painful needling.

HIV Enzyme Problem Solved Using Online Puzzle Game

2020-09-19T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

It turns out that gaming really can help cure the world's ills, after online problem-solvers helped decypher the structure of an enzyme that may hold clues to fighting HIV.

Video: Timelapse of Earth from the ISS

2020-09-19T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Short of actually getting a ticket on a shuttle headed to space, this just might be the best view you're ever likely to get of our little corner of the universe.

Lab Creates Food Printed With Edible Ink

2020-09-19T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Your friends may be forgiven in thinking you a little strange when you boldly claim you’ll be printing your dinner tonight. But Cornell Creative Machines Lab have already succeeded in printing foods, and are interested in bringing their 3D printers into your home.

NASA Satellite To Smash Into Earth This Week

2020-09-19T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

A five tonne piece of space junk is hurtling out of control towards Earth and is expected to hit the ground sometime this weekend. NASA says that the defunct Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), which was launched in 1991 to study climate change, will make impact somewhere between 57° south latitude and 57° north latitude - basically the entire populated world.

Pluto May Be Hiding Oceans Underneath Its Frozen Exterior

2020-09-17T19:15:00.0000000+10:00

According to some tricky calculations from Guillaume Robuchon and Francis Nimmo at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Pluto may actually have a liquid ocean underneath its frigid, -230 °C exterior.

New Cars Make Me Feel Old

2020-09-17T05:57:00.0000000+10:00

I'm a 28-year-old gadget nerd. Like many of my generation, I don't often read instruction manuals. In dealings with parents, relatives and older friends, I've often struggled to wrap my head around what it is about technology that so fundamentally baffles members of generations past. Is it a fear of experimentation with the unknown? How can something that feels imprinted on my DNA be so utterly foreign to someone else? It's a feeling shared by any son or daughter visiting home who, after a quick hug from mom and dad, is led unsubtly by the arm over to the computer desk: "Fix this. Please."

Classic PopSci: Offbeat Uses for Common Household Objects

2020-09-17T03:35:00.0000000+10:00

Venture into any apartment, and you're likely to find an object used for something other than its intended purpose. We've seen ground coffee used to repel ants, curtain fabric used as wallpaper, cardboard boxes used as coffee tables, and to the delight of DIY enthusiasts everywhere, a La-Z-Boy converted into a motorised easy chair. While most of us don't possess the expertise needed to turn chairs into moving vehicles, we've all struggled with the question of whether to dispose of an old household item, or to save it in case it came in handy later. Care to guess what PopSci would tell you to do?

Russian Soyuz Spacecraft Lands Safely in Kazakhstan, Three Astronauts in Tow

2020-09-17T01:25:34.0000000+10:00

The Russian Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts (Commander Andrei Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyayev, both Russian, and American Ron Garan) safely landed this morning in Kazakhstan, bringing them home after five months on the International Space Station. The landing, about 151 km southeast of the smallish Kazakh city Zhezkazgan, wasn't entirely flawless--mission control lost contact with the capsule briefly--but the landing itself was very smooth.

New Species of Dolphin Discovered Off the Coast of Australia

2020-09-17T00:15:00.0000000+10:00

A new species of dolphin was discovered by Australian zoologists off the coast of Melbourne, after they realized the 150 or so porpoises that were previously thought to be bottlenose dolphins actually differed significantly in skull shape and DNA. That, kids, is why you should always double-check your homework. Or, you know, dolphin skull shape. Same thing.

A Treasure Trove of Dinosaur Protofeathers, Trapped in Amber

2020-09-16T07:25:00.0000000+10:00

A cache of feathers preserved in amber, dating from around 70 to 85 million years ago, was just found in Canada, showing that border between winged dinosaurs and the earliest avians. The study indicates that these feathers, relatively modern, were already appearing even before the non-avian dinosaurs were extinct.

MIT's Tiny Energy-Harvester Makes Electricity From Low-Frequency Vibrations

2020-09-16T07:00:00.0000000+10:00

The rumbling you feel driving along a bridge may soon serve a purpose beyond just waking you up behind the wheel. Researchers at MIT have developed a tiny energy-harvester that is able to harness low-frequency vibrations like those made by a bridge or pipeline and converting them to electricity for wireless sensors.

Boeing to Outfit New 787s With Android-Based Entertainment

2020-09-16T05:45:00.0000000+10:00

There may already be iPads in cockpits, but there will soon be Androids among us, the passengers. Boeing has announced that all of its 787 Dreamliner planes currently in production are being outfitted with Android servers and touchscreens.

Suntory Creates Mythical Blue (Or, Um, Lavender-ish) Rose

2020-09-16T05:00:00.0000000+10:00

In literature and folklore (and the occasional video game), the blue rose signifies the impossible, or mystery, or the unquenchable. It's not much of a leap, really; roses are ubiquitous, but due to a genetic barrier, a blue rose is naturally impossible. Of course, there's no particular reason to do what that meddling bully nature wants us to do, so a Japanese company has genetically modified a rose to create...well, it's not quite blue, but it's certainly closer than any previous effort.

Kepler Spots a Planet Orbiting Two Suns, Just Like Star Wars' Tatooine

2020-09-16T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

A mournful French horn blows. An angsty Luke Skywalker stomps out of his aunt and uncle's sand hut and peers up at Tatooine's double sunset, his hair blowing in the breeze. It's a memorable scene from Star Wars-but now, a precedent for such a sky with two suns has been found in our universe.

Canon Introduces the S100, the New Best Point-and-Shoot

2020-09-16T02:20:47.0000000+10:00

Canon's S90 ushered in a new era of point-and-shoots, where a pocketable camera offered control and quality almost equal to a DSLR. The newest model in this line, the S100, continues the trend: the sensor gets a bump from 10-megapixel to 12.1, it has a new processor (claimed to be faster, more accurate in low light, and with better color reproduction), the ISO and video resolution have improved, and it's got built-in GPS geotagging, so you'll know where your photos were taken. Our friends at Popular Photography call it a "robust update," and considering it's updating just about the best point-and-shoot on the market, that's saying something. Read more at PopPhoto.

Mice Finally Get That Microscope Hat They've Been Wanting

2020-09-15T07:30:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists use mice for all kinds of fun things, from injecting old mice with young mouse blood to training them to sniff for bombs, but when doing research, it's often very difficult to see what's actually going on in a mouse's brain. A new microscope actually mounts to a mouse's head like a hat, allowing the mouse to freely move around while the scientists try to figure out how it tastes umami flavour, or whatever.

The Future of Skin

2020-09-15T05:30:00.0000000+10:00

Of all our human organs, skin is arguably one of the most abused - yet it's also arguably the most reliable. It protects everything inside us, helping us avoid harm by sensing obstacles in our way, making sure we stay hydrated, and ensuring we keep ourselves at the right temperature. It constantly replenishes itself, sloughing off former layers that we've either burned or dried out or scraped or ignored, while new ones grow in their place.

The Mystery of Wrinkly-When-Wet Fingers, Solved

2020-09-15T04:30:49.0000000+10:00

Mystery of the century, you guys. No, the millenium. All time. A new paper in the journal Brain, Behavior and Evolution has a new answer to the eternal question: why do our fingers and toes get all wrinkly after bathtime? The answer: traction.

Meet NASA's New Deep Space Rocket

2020-09-15T03:05:00.0000000+10:00

Today, NASA officially announced the design of its forthcoming Space Launch System--a heavy-lift rocket capable of taking humans into deep space. It will be the primary vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle, but with significantly more power--enough to reach Mars.

The Next Generation of Night-Vision Goggles

2020-09-15T02:30:00.0000000+10:00

Over at Danger Room, Noah Shachtman got a look at the US military's current and next-gen night-vision goggles (or, more accurately, "goggle," or "monogoggle," since they only cover one eye). Hardly anyone ever gets to look at these, so to actually be able to try them out is pretty amazing. The goggles live up to the hype: they pack incredibly sensitive thermal sensors (enough so that reflections and handprints both glow) as well as embedded LCDs that transmit all kinds of data.

Wide Eyed View of the Universe

2020-09-15T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists from around Australia will attempt to shed light on dark energy and dark matter through a new research collective.

Smart Cast "Likes" Your Broken Arm

2020-09-15T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Breaking your arm is an unpleasant experience - the pain, the weeks of healing, losing the ability to perform everyday tasks quickly and easily. But one invention seeks to ease those pains, breathing new technological life into the traditional plaster cast.

Wearable Solar Panels Developed By Australian Researchers

2020-09-15T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

New developments in solar technology could see our soldiers walking around with energy-converting cells on their uniforms in the near future.

Use Your PC to Find a Better Semiconductor

2020-09-14T07:31:00.0000000+10:00

If you want to be a part of discovering the future of solar power, you can be. You don't need any special knowledge or equipment, just let Alán Aspuru-Guzik borrow your computer when you're not using it.

Americans Suffering From Possibly-Imaginary Sensitivity to Wi-Fi Run for the Hills of Appalachia

2020-09-14T03:35:04.0000000+10:00

It's safe to say that most of us have come to accept, if not embrace, the abundance of wireless technology in our everyday lives. Not so for certain Americans who believe they suffer from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, or EHS. According to the BBC, five per cent of Americans think that exposure to electromagnetic fields created by Wi-Fi and mobile phones are causing them to suffer headaches, muscle spasms, burning skin and chronic pain. And some of these people are seeking refuge in the secluded mountains of Appalachia.

Japan's Richest Man Unveils Scheme for $26 Billion Renewable Energy Supergrid

2020-09-14T02:23:00.0000000+10:00

Masayoshi Son, entrepreneurial founder of Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile network, and according to Forbes, the nation's richest man, unveiled a vague but undeniably ambitious plan to completely change Japan's energy infrastructure. His plan, which relies heavily on wind and geothermal power and abandons nuclear, would, he says, shift the majority of Japan's energy sources to renewable energy by 2030.

Scottish Scientists Are Trying to Create Inorganic Life

2020-09-14T01:15:02.0000000+10:00

Scientists at Glasgow University are on a mission to create a form of life from inorganic molecules. The team, led by Professor Lee Cronin, has demonstrated a way of creating an inorganic cell, in which internal membranes control the movement of energy and materials, just as in a living cell. These cells can also store electricity and could be used in medicine and chemistry as sensors or to contain chemical reactions.

Supercomputer Reads the News to Successfully Forecast World Events

2020-09-14T00:19:40.0000000+10:00

Nipping at the heels of yesterday's story about the software that automatically writes news articles comes another technological innovation changing the shape of journalism: software that reads news articles.

Kalev Leetaru of the University of Illinois determined that using the Nautilus SGI supercomputer to analyse news stories can help predict major world events. The analysis he used for the experiment was retrospective, feeding the computer millions of articles from which it was able to determine a deteriorating national sentiment towards Libya and Egypt before the revolutions in those countries. The system was also able to narrow down Osama Bin Laden's location to within about 200km before he was found and killed last May.

Astronomical Studies Tap into the SkyNet - Literally

2020-09-14T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

We all knew it had to happen eventually, but few expected it this early: Skynet has arrived. Only, instead of launching nukes, enslaving mankind, and more or less being a total pain, this version has a much more innocent purpose - to use the power of the crowd to keep an eye on space.

Volkswagen Designs One Seat Car - No Friends Required

2020-09-14T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Volkswagen is bringing out the big guns...or should we say small guns? The German car company is on the verge of releasing a fully electric, one-seater car at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Star Pulling Massive Planet Apart with X-Rays

2020-09-14T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Imagine if Earth was being blasted by radiation so strong that it was disappearing at a rate of 5 million tonnes per second. Sounds pretty disastrous, right?

Well spare a thought for poor old CoRoT-2b, whose companion star is bombarding it with x-rays a hundred thousand times more powerful than rays from our Sun, Science Daily reports.

Crows can play waiting game to get your tasty treats, study finds

2020-09-14T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Crows and ravens are often associated with darkness, evil, and Edgar Allan Poe. But few know they are more than just blood-thirsty, black giants - they are actually quite smart. Especially when it comes to food.

Nearly a Century After We Started Drooling Over Them, America Gets Its First Police Auto-Gyro

2020-09-13T07:22:00.0000000+10:00

Today is a day for fulfilling the dreams of PopSci's past, it would seem. Following the amphibious 70's-esque camping trailer, Jalopnik takes a whirl in the Auto-Gyro MTOsport, America's first police gyroplane, stirring up fond memories of all the fancy fliers we dreamed up in the 20s and 30s.

Robot Journalist Will Snag Pulitzer By 2016, Predicts Robot-Journalist Programmer

2020-09-13T04:57:00.0000000+10:00

The New York Times took a look at start-up Narrative Science today, a company that has developed what is a pretty cool step forward for artificial intelligence, and a pretty frightening step towards human labor's eventual replacement by machines, a piece of software that takes data (sports statistics, financial reports, etc.) and turns it into news articles. They're pretty confident about their product too, with one of the founders predicting that a computer program will win a Pulitzer within five years (and that it may well be their technology).

Video: Take to the Road, and the Seas, in an Amphibious Camping Trailer

2020-09-13T03:44:00.0000000+10:00

The Sealander amphibious trailer is the camping accessory of our 1970s PopSci dreams come to life, except better than we ever imagined. This super-light trailer is tiny enough that it can be towed even by subcompact cars without a special permit, extra mirrors or gear, and serves as a kitchen, a tent and a boat.

Glow-In-The-Dark Cats Could Provide Answers About AIDS

2020-09-13T02:37:00.0000000+10:00

Genetically modified glow-in-the-dark cats not only make stylish, futuristic pets, but now provide insight into feline AIDS as well. The cats were injected with an antiviral gene from a rhesus macaque monkey that helps them resist feline AIDS, along with one that produces the fluorescent protein GFP. The latter gene, which is naturally produced by jellyfish, is regularly used in genetic engineering as a way to mark cells. If the cats aren't glowing, then the AIDS-resisting gene might not have made it into the cell either.

A Supernova Fades Gloriously into a Supernova Remnant

2020-09-13T01:41:42.0000000+10:00

When light from an exploding star in the Large Magellanic Cloud reached Earth in 1987, it was the closest supernova explosion astronomers had witnessed in centuries. Now Supernova 1987a is making history again, this time as the youngest supernova remnant that can be seen from Earth.

Video: Wall-Climbing, Base-Jumping Robot Hurls Itself From Buildings

2020-09-10T05:14:03.0000000+10:00

A new base-jumping robot can climb vertical walls, flip open a parachute and jump off, parasailing to the ground while capturing video of the trip. It's the first compact robot that can both climb and fly, two characteristics that will serve it well when the robots take over the world and need to penetrate humanity's defenses.

Dear Nike: Here's How You Make a Self-Tying Shoe From the Future

2020-09-10T03:14:00.0000000+10:00

Nike just announced that it's bringing the famed self-tying, light-up sneakers from Back to the Future II to market as a limited edition, under the name Nike Air Mag. They're not tech-free, boasting some flashy LED lighting, but everyone knows the main draw of the movie's shoes was the self-tying--and these shoes could have been so much more futuristic. It may not be 2015, the year depicted in the movie, just yet, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve self-tying shoes right now, dammit. Here are some possible routes to the true self-tying shoe.

All the Gold We've Mined Came From Space, New Study Says

2020-09-10T02:33:21.0000000+10:00

When our planet was still forming, collisions with other planetesimals - and a Mars-sized object that sheared away the moon - turned the embryonic Earth into a roiling ball of molten rock. Iron and other heavy elements sank toward the core, and other iron-loving elements did, too. As a result, there's plenty of gold at our planet's center. So why, then, is there also gold in the hills? A new study supports the theory that it was all a gift from above.

Yale Law Journal Ponders the Wisdom of IBM Robot Watson as a Judge

2020-09-10T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

The Yale Law Journal's Betsy Cooper wrote an essay examining our favorite Jeopardy! champion robot Watson, but from a new angle: Could Watson help judges make legal decisions?

Google Releases its Energy Consumption Numbers, Revealing a 260 Million Watt Continuous Suck

2020-09-09T07:25:00.0000000+10:00

After years of playing such numbers extremely close to the vest, Google today released figures spelling out exactly how much electricity the company's massive computing resources consume. Its data centres continuously draw 260 million watts - roughly a quarter the output of a nuclear power plant, says the NYT -to keep services like Gmail, search, Google Ads, and YouTube up and running around the clock and around the globe.

New Social Network Connects People Based on Gastrointestinal Bacteria

2020-09-09T05:40:00.0000000+10:00

A German nonprofit, called MyMicrobes, is hoping you'll want to get your gut bacteria's genomes sequenced. It's expensive, but you'll get access to one of the most exclusive social networks around, where people worldwide can, um, talk about their gastrointestinal difficulties with like-minded people. Two grand seems cheap when we put it like that!

IFTTT Launches, Letting Normal People Program "If This, Then That" Tools

2020-09-09T04:30:09.0000000+10:00

IFTTT, a very simple web tool that might end up becoming indispensable, has just opened to the public, with some new features in tow. IFTTT stands for "if this, then that," a common developer's phrase that indicates a relationship between two events. IFTTT takes that phrase and makes it simple to use for everyone. Want to automatically send your starred Google Reader items to Instapaper? Or get an SMS alert when your favorite comedian tweets that he's coming to your hometown? All easily done, with no development savvy required.

First Big Test of Car-to-Car Communications

2020-09-09T01:06:00.0000000+10:00

Vehicle-to-vehicle technology is about to get its first major real-world test in the US. The Department of Transportation awarded US$14.9 million to the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute last month, and the university is already moving forward with a plan to put 3,000 short-range radio equipped cars on the road in Ann Arbor over the next couple of years.

Tomorrow, NASA Heads Back to the Moon, to Uncover Its Origins and to Inspire A New Generation

2020-09-08T07:52:00.0000000+10:00

NASA is going back to the moon, sending off a pair of spacecraft that will help scientists learn the origins of our closest companion by studying its interior and its gravitational field. But beyond new lunar science, the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, GRAIL, will also help cement NASA's legacy of lunar exploration in the public imagination.

IBM and 3M Team Up to Make a Semiconductor Adhesive That Will Enable Next-Gen Chips

2020-09-08T07:07:29.0000000+10:00

IBM and 3M are collaborating on a new kind of semiconductor glue that will bind together future generations of 3-D semiconductor chips. The idea is to create a whole new kind of adhesive that hold things tightly together while also conducting heat and insulating at the same time.

After A Magnetic Pulse to the Brain, Study Subjects Cannot Tell a Lie

2020-09-08T06:02:00.0000000+10:00

The act of deception is probably as old as civilization - not long after humans began communicating, they began communicating lies. Shortly after that, they probably started trying to force others to tell the truth. Modern technology has given us a few options in this arena, from dubious polygraphs to powerful drugs - and now a new study suggests brain interference can work, too.

Lightweight Cable Made of Braided Nanotubes Could Replace Copper Wires

2020-09-08T05:01:00.0000000+10:00

Cables made out of nanowires could be just as efficient as the copper cables we've been using for more than a century, but at a fraction of the weight, according to a new paper. Braiding billions of carbon nanotubes into a nanowire cable can efficiently replace copper in a light bulb circuit.

The US Army Is Ordering Weaponised, Soldier-Launched Kamikaze Suicide Drones

2020-09-08T03:57:00.0000000+10:00

The idea of small, man portable, soldier-launched aerial drones has been catching on for some time now with military operations commanders, as they bring the unique situational awareness and reconnaissance capabilities of larger drone aircraft down to the platoon--or even the individual--level. Now, the U.S. Army is taking the idea to the next level, ordering its first batch of weaponised drones capable of launching from small, portable tube and suicide bombing a target from above.

Fermilab Sets End-of-Month Deadline to Establish Whether or Not the Higgs Boson Exists

2020-09-08T02:59:00.0000000+10:00

Fermilab's Tevatron collider runs out of money and time at the end of this month, but physicists there say that they are on track to establish whether the Higgs can exist within the most likely predicted mass range before their September 30 deadline. That's not the same as actually finding the Higgs boson of course, but physicists say they'll either rule out the possibility of its existence or not by month's end.

Cloo Hopes to Turn Your City Into a Network of Friendly, Open Bathrooms

2020-09-08T01:58:00.0000000+10:00

Running around a city trying to find a public bathroom/Starbucks/secluded alley is one of those moments that's an urban dweller's nightmare, and one that's guaranteed to happen several dozen times in real life. Cloo (technically, "CLOO'", but, you know, we're not calling it that) is a new app for iOS that tries to solve that problem by connecting those in need with friends or friends of friends that are willing to supply their bathrooms--for a price.

New Mexico Building a 50-Square-Kilometre City to Test Renewable Energy

2020-09-08T00:59:00.0000000+10:00

In the old American West, ghost towns often formed from catastrophe, when natural or economic disasters led occupants to abandon their homes and buildings in search of better options. But in the new West, one purposefully-built ghost town will be a centre, or in this case The Center, of opportunity.

DNA Analysis Catches Carcinogens in a Simple Saliva Sample

2020-09-08T00:02:38.0000000+10:00

Researchers presenting at the 242nd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society this week in Denver have demonstrated a new DNA test that can measure the amount of potential carcinogens clinging to a person's DNA. But unlike previous tests that required white blood cell or urine samples and fairly intensive lab scrutiny, this one can hunt for carcinogens in a simple saliva swab.

New NASA Photos Show Footprints on the Moon

2020-09-07T06:31:00.0000000+10:00

In new photographs taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, we can see the landing sites of some lunar craft, as well as the tracks left by those who flew in them. What creatures left these prints? A semi-dormant species known as the Earth astronaut; to be precise, Alan Bean and Pete Conrad, the crew of the Apollo 12 mission in 1969.

Christchurch May Replace Its Earthquake-Ravaged Church with a Cardboard Cathedral

2020-09-07T05:36:00.0000000+10:00

The Bible has at least a little to say about how to construct a building, but mostly in Proverbs and mostly not having anything to do with actually building a structure (metaphor!). So without rock solid instructions, officials overseeing the Christchurch Cathedral--the one in Christchurch, New Zealand, that was all but leveled in February's 6.3-magnitude earthquake--plan to build a 700-seat cardboard cathedral as a temporary replacement.

Realizing Bondesque Visions, BMW will Mount Lasers in Its Headlights

2020-09-07T04:28:27.0000000+10:00

Calling laser headlights "the next logical step" after the LED headlamp, BMW has announced that it will be rolling out laser-based illumination on its next-gen BMW i8 concept and will further develop laser headlight technology for extension across its various models. Why? It saves fuel. And presumably because laser headlights is something we've all secretly wanted on our European sports cars since MI6 tricked out 007's first ride.

Single-Molecule Motor Runs on Electricity, Could Be Used for Single-Cell Surgery

2020-09-07T03:30:00.0000000+10:00

We've seen single-molecule "motors" before, but they're pretty primitive, motors only in the most basic sense of the word. But this new one, made of a single butyl methyl sulfide molecule, is much closer to what images the word "motor" might conjure: when electricity is applied, the molecule is triggered to spin, without affecting any other molecules around it.

Video: Cloaking System Makes Tank Invisible to Infrared Sensors

2020-09-07T02:28:25.0000000+10:00

BAE Systems's Adaptiv technology enables objects as big as tanks to completely vanish from view--when seen at night with an infrared sensor, admittedly, but that's still a major advantage. An Adaptiv-outfitted tank can change its thermal signature to look like anything from a big rock to a truck to nothing at all, fading into the background and becoming invisible.

The First Manned, Untethered All-Electric Helicopter Flight Takes Off

2020-09-07T01:23:05.0000000+10:00

It's an aviation story so cool we're kind of upset we didn't hear about it a month ago when it happened. Back on August 12th electrical and aerospace engineer Pascal Chretien, working with the backing of French company Solution F, made the world's first untethered, all-electric manned helicopter flight. And it didn't even show up on our radars--probably because he only reached an altitude of about one metre.

Two Key Advances Bring Quantum Computers Closer to Reality

2020-09-03T04:35:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers on two continents are reporting two big breakthroughs in quantum computing today - a quantum system built on the familiar von Neumann processor-memory architecture, and a working digital quantum simulator built on a quantum-computer platform. Although these developments are still constrained to the lab, they're yet another sign that a quantum leap in computing may be just around the corner.

Study Finds That Injecting Old Mice With Young Mouse Blood Has a Rejuvenating Effect

2020-09-02T05:23:00.0000000+10:00

Researchers at Stanford University just published a study in Nature that may give new hope to those looking to stop the effects of aging on the brain. The study found that when blood from a young mouse was injected into an older mouse, that older mouse enjoyed what could almost be termed a "rejuvenation effect": it began producing more neurons, firing more activity across synapses, and even suffered less inflammation.

To Fight Warming, Brits Plan to Launch a Huge Balloon and Really Long Pipe

2020-09-02T02:23:00.0000000+10:00

When most people think of simulating a volcano, they think of baking soda, vinegar, and third grade science fair projects. A team of British researchers are thinking more along the lines of a giant balloon the size of a soccer stadium and a 12-mile garden hose that can pipe chemicals into the stratosphere to slow global warming. And they're planning to test their hypothesis soon, sending a scaled down version of their sky-hose-balloon-thing skyward in the next few months.

FYI: Can I Buy Land on the Moon?

2020-09-02T01:22:00.0000000+10:00

For now at least, the moon is like the sea: everyone can use it, but no one can own it. In 1967 the U.S. and the Soviet Union negotiated the Outer Space Treaty, which states that no nation can own a piece of the moon or an asteroid. "You have a right to go up and take the lunar soil, but you don't have any right to draw a square on the surface of the moon and say, 'That square is mine,' " says Stephen E. Doyle, a retired lawyer who served as NASA's Deputy Director of Internal Affairs. If the Space Settlement Institute-which lobbies for private industry to develop land on other planets-has its way, new laws will allow space colonists to stake moon claims and start a colony.

Building Wi-Fi That Works at 1200 KPH, Into a Car Faster Than Sound

2020-09-02T00:22:24.0000000+10:00

Discovered during a dig through the FCC's experimental radio applications by Steven J. Crowley, it has come to light that North American Eagle is trying to install what will presumably be the fastest-moving Wi-Fi network on the ground--because it's being built inside a vehicle designed to break the world land speed record (and the sound barrier) at 1280 kilometres per hour.

New 'Goldilocks' Exoplanet Could be the Most Earth-Like We've Yet Seen

2020-09-01T07:08:00.0000000+10:00

Scientists have tracked down another goldilocks planet 31 light-years from Earth, and according to astronomers it has some strong points in its favor when it comes to the possibility of harboring the ingredients for life. HD85512b orbits an orange dwarf in the constellation Vela, and it's just the right distance from the sun--and just the right mass--to rank among the most Earth-like planets ever discovered.

Chinese Scientists Plan to Pull an Asteroid into Orbit Around Earth

2020-09-01T04:58:00.0000000+10:00

Last week Chinese scientists wanted to divert an asteroid away from Earth. This week, they want to pull one into orbit around the Earth. What's possible objections could anyone have to this idea?

Japanese Researchers Develop a Way to Turn Biological Tissue Transparent

2020-09-01T01:52:00.0000000+10:00

All the new breakthroughs in microscopy we've seen recently are designed to help scientists see deeper, inside individual cells and into the depths of the brain. Of course, this would be easier to do if there wasn't a bunch of other tissue blocking the cells you want to see. Japanese researchers have a new solution: Make it all transparent.

You Will Actually Be Able to Buy Sony's Crazy 3-D Head-Mounted Display

2020-09-01T01:00:23.0000000+10:00

We caught a preview of Sony's odd, space-agey head-mounted viewer (appealingly named the HMZ-T1) back at CES in January, but we were pretty surprised to learn that not only is it not a mere demo, Sony's actually planning on, like, putting the thing in stores, where you can exchange currency for it and then take it home. Sony claims it offers an incredibly immersive 3-D experience, better than any TV. We've now played with it twice, and in some ways, that's true.

Florida Funeral Home First to Debut Alternative to Cremation: Liquefaction

2020-08-31T06:57:37.0000000+10:00

A Florida funeral home has debuted a new alternative to cremation, known as the Resomator, that uses heated alkaline water to dissolve bodies in about three hours. Why do we need an alternative to cremation in the first place? Turns out cremation devices use lots of energy, release a fair amount of carbon emissions, and, in the U.K., are responsible for 16% of mercury emissions.

Supercomputer Simulation Shows for the First Time How a Milky Way-Like Galaxy Forms

2020-08-31T06:08:00.0000000+10:00

It took nearly a year of high-powered number crunching on various supercomputers, but researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz campus and the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Zurich, Switzerland have finally produced a computer simulation of a galaxy that looks much like our own. That may not sound so huge at face value, but it actually is the first high-resolution simulation of its kind that has turned out a galaxy similar to the Milky Way, and it has rescued the prevailing "cold dark matter" cosmological model of how our disc galaxy formed from a good deal of doubt.

Fermilab Astrophysicist's Method Cuts Plane Boarding Times in Half

2020-08-31T05:15:05.0000000+10:00

Dr. Jason Steffen, an astrophysicist at Fermilab, came up with a method he claimed could cut airplane boarding times drastically about two years ago. More recently, he tested several different methods of boarding, complete with video: Boarding as we do it now (blocks of fliers, boarding from the back of the plane to the front), compared with a random boarding system and a careful one of his own design. Those three methods, by the way, are in ascending order of effectiveness.

Future Mars Colonists Will Pack Their Power to Go in a Suitcase Nuclear Reactor

2020-08-31T04:00:00.0000000+10:00

The term "suitcase nuke" hasn't enjoyed a particularly popular connotation in recent years, but researchers convening at the 242nd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society this week think such a concept is the future of interplanetary space travel. Scientists supporting a joint NASA/US Department Of Energy project to develop future power plants for space colonists envision the first such power supplies being suitcase-sized fission reactors that future space explorers could deploy quickly and reliably in the harsh environs of another planet like Mars.

Bacteria in Gut Influence Brains of Mice, Soothed by Probiotic Broth

2020-08-31T00:58:53.0000000+10:00

Anyone who has ever had a stomach bug knows it can really subdue your spirits as well as your appetite. But other parts of the gut microbiome can have the opposite effect, and make you feel great. Irish researchers have found a type of gut bacteria that seems to have directly interacted with the brains of mice, reducing stress and depression.

Engineers of Laboratory-Grown Muscle Figure Out How to Make It Firm and Strong

2020-08-31T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

In 2009, we heard the wonderful news that scientists at Holland's Eindhoven University of Technology had successfully grown pork in a petri dish: a giant step toward the dream of eating a pork chop without slaughtering a pig for it. Unfortunately, the lab-grown meat was floppy, "soggy," and structureless, not at all what you'd like to toss on your grill and tuck into.

Russia Postpones Mission to the ISS, Could Leave Station Unoccupied for the First Time in a Decade

2020-08-30T07:39:00.0000000+10:00

Following the crash of a Russian cargo spacecraft a few days ago, the country has postponed its next mission to the International Space Station, originally scheduled for September 22nd. Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, hopes to complete that mission by late October or early November--but if it gets delayed again, the ISS may be left unmanned for the first time in over a decade.

New Phase-Changing Gel Method Repairs Severed Blood Vessels Better than Stitches

2020-08-30T06:27:40.0000000+10:00

A new heat-sensitive gel and glue combo is a major step forward for cardiovascular surgery, enabling blood vessels to be reconnected without puncturing them with a needle and thread. It represents the biggest change to vascular suturing in 100 years, according to Stanford University Medical Center researchers.

Quantum Dot Thermometers Take the Temperature of Individual Living Cells

2020-08-30T06:12:14.0000000+10:00

Next time you take your temperature, maybe think twice about its accuracy. Despite what the mercury says, not all of your cells are really at 37 degrees celsius, scientists reported in a new study. Using nanoscale thermometers, researchers have shown for the first time that living cells can exist at different temperatures. Busy sections are warmer, and less-active ones are cooler.

Introducing the Matternet, A Network of Drones For Deliveries In Remote Locations

2020-08-30T04:09:00.0000000+10:00

This summer's crippling famine in Somalia, which has killed tens of thousands of people and led half a million more to seek refuge in Kenya, is notable for many reasons - but the theft and sale of life-saving aid is arguably one of the worst. A new project could be one way to prevent such atrocity in the future: Use drones to drop food and drugs right where they're needed, no human intervention required. Enter the Matternet.

Latest Results from the Large Hadron Collider Do Not Look Good For the Supersymmetry Theory of Everything

2020-08-30T02:13:47.0000000+10:00

The latest news from the Large Hadron Collider: scientists still cannot explain why we're all here. In the most detailed analysis of strange beauty particles - that's what they're really called - physicists cannot find supersymmetric particles, which are shadow partners for every known particle in the standard model of modern physics. This could mean that they don't exist, which would be very interesting news indeed.

Video: Filmmaker Rob Spence's Implanted Bionic Camera Eyeball Is Up and Running

2020-08-30T01:09:21.0000000+10:00

Rob Spence, a self-proclaimed "Eyeborg," had his eye, which was damaged in a shotgun accident, replaced with a camera about two years ago. It's not too much of a stretch for Spence, who otherwise works as a filmmaker--and now he's been sponsored by video game maker Square Enix, which commissioned Spence to create a video about prostheses to promote their new game, Deux Ex: Human Revolution.

GPS Data Could Help Track and Monitor Secret Nuclear Tests From Rogue Nations

2020-08-30T00:10:00.0000000+10:00

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists may have found a new way to track secret nuclear tests from those rogue nations (cough cough North Korea cough cough) who are trying to keep those tests under wraps. Surprisingly enough, that new solution may be possible with analysis of regular old GPS data, along with some clever mathematics.

Jurassic Mammal Fossil Hints At Earlier Split Between Placental Mammals and Marsupials

2020-08-27T07:45:00.0000000+10:00

This pointy-nosed shrew, a new fossil find from China, may be the earliest grandmother of all placental mammals, scientists report in a new study. Or perhaps she is the oldest great-aunt. Either way, it's another big find this week in paleontology.

Social Media and Biometric Software Could Make Future Undercover Policing Impossible

2020-08-27T06:44:00.0000000+10:00

Social media can be problematic for professionals who don't want their bosses to see unflattering uni party photos. But it's even worse for people whose livelihood literally depends on anonymity, like undercover cops. What happens if the gang you've infiltrated finds your grinning mug in Facebook photos from the police union annual picnic?

IBM Is Building the Largest Data Storage Array Ever, 120 Petabytes Big

2020-08-27T05:49:13.0000000+10:00

Researchers at IBM's Almaden, California research lab are building what will be the world's largest data array--a monstrous repository of 200,000 individual hard drives all interlaced. All together, it has a storage capacity of 120 petabytes, or 120 million gigabytes.

Doctors Who Work With X-Rays May Be Adapting at the Cellular Level to Withstand Radiation

2020-08-27T03:47:00.0000000+10:00

Doctors whose bodies are regularly exposed to x-rays may be adapting at the cellular level to protect themselves against radiation, according to a new study. The research hints that humans could adapt to withstand radiation exposure.

Custom-Made Camera Sensor Is 60 Times Bigger Than a DSLR's

2020-08-27T01:48:00.0000000+10:00

This 8x10-inch sensor--about 60 times the size of a full-frame DSLR sensor--is the creation of photographer Mitchell Feinberg, who was sick of spending thousands of dollars on expensive film previews of his work. The sensor (which, he says, cost as much as "a good-sized house--before the housing crash") replaces the Polaroid backs that many photographers use to test exposure. But since these professional-grade Polaroids are so expensive these days due to their huge size and scarcity, he created this sensor (named the Maxback), which lets him see exactly how his shots would look on film, but in only 30 seconds and with no added cost. It's not to be used for regular photography--the resolution is too low for a regular print spread--but to properly simulate how his shots would look on (gigantic) film, a DSLR just wouldn't cut it. You can read more about it at Popular Photography.

Classic Popsci: The Geodesic Life

2020-08-27T01:19:37.0000000+10:00

When it comes to practicality, geodesic domes are a contractor's worst nightmare. Where can you get windows that conform to hexagonal panels? Where should you install the pipes? Would a chimney look out of place? In spite of all these questions, we spent a good portion of the 1970s and '80s touting geodesic structures as the next big suburban fad.

Jurassic Mammal Fossil Hints At Earlier Split Between Placental Mammals and Marsupials

2020-08-27T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Dashboard-Mounted Smartphones Network Together to Watch for Red Light Patterns, Help Drivers Commute Efficiently

2020-08-26T23:58:05.0000000+10:00

The perceived future of driving tends to revolve around a networked traffic infrastructure in which cars, traffic signals, and other roadway implements talk to each other electronically to optimise traffic flow and make driving more efficient all around. But MIT researchers think we can do many of these things on an existing network: the one that ties all of our smartphones together. A network of camera-equipped mobile devices mounted on dashboards could crowd source information about traffic signals and tell drivers what speed to maintain to avoid waiting at traffic lights.

The idea stems from an already popular smartphone setup in which drivers perch their smartphones in dashboard brackets and use them as navigation devices. The MIT team built their SignalGuru app to take advantage of the camera on the other side of the phone by collecting stoplight data as cars drive around and feeding it back to a central system that then builds a larger picture of a city's traffic flow.

Video: HTV-2 in Mach-20 Flight, Just Minutes Before Autonomously Aborting its Mission

2020-08-26T07:16:16.0000000+10:00

Back on August 11th DARPA launched, then lost, its Falcon hypersonic vehicle, also known as HTV-2. Today we found it. Not the actual glider, but a video of it streaking through the sky over the Pacific Ocean as captured by a crew member aboard a tracking ship. And as you can see in this video, it is indeed moving fast.

Apple Will Be Just Fine, Thanks To Aggressive Jobsian Minimalism

2020-08-26T06:30:03.0000000+10:00

In 1996, when Steve Jobs came back to Apple after a decade-long exile, the company's products took a dramatic turn. The next 15 years would be a whirlwind of monstrous success after monstrous success--iMac, iPod, iTunes Music Store, Intel-based MacBook, iPhone, MacBook Air, iPad. Jobs's resignation as CEO yesterday has led to some excessive hand-wringing about Apple's future, near and far, but the Jobsian philosophy--in which the consumer is king, in which there is one right way to do things, in which it is always preferable to trim than to add--will hopefully have permeated Apple enough to weather his departure. It's already had an effect on the world at large.

Sony's Subtitling Glasses for the Hearing Impaired Show Captions Directly to Your Eyes

2020-08-26T05:09:01.0000000+10:00

There are a lot of people out there dealing with some degree of hearing disability--one in six, by some estimates--and that audience is typically underserved when it comes to cinematic experience. Some films are screened with subtitles, but often at odd times. But Sony is working up a fix in its UK lab: a pair of glasses that places subtitles right in the user's field of view.

'Conching,' is the Latest Trend Among Australia's Hippest Dolphins

2020-08-26T03:12:00.0000000+10:00

Attention hipsters and other people seeking hipness: there's a new fad catching on in Western Australia's Shark Bay, and you won't want to be the last to to post pictures of yourself imitating it to your Tumblr feed. "Conching" is a method by which Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are trapping small fish in conch shells, bringing the shells to the surface, and then shaking them with their rostrums to clear out the water and dump the fish into their mouths. More remarkably, the trend appears to be spreading throughout an entire population of dolphins, and fast.

CERN Experiment Finds Possible Link Between Cosmic Rays and Climate Change

2020-08-26T02:04:00.0000000+10:00

Not content with just stirring the pot in particle physics, CERN has embarked on an experiment aimed at addressing whether or not comic rays from deep space might be seeding clouds in Earth's atmosphere, influencing climate change. The early findings are far from deciding the issue of whether climate change is man made or otherwise, but they have borne some interesting results. It turns out that cosmic rays could be influencing temperatures on Earth. Perhaps even more groundbreaking, it turns out they also might not. Welcome to climate science.

"Time Cells" In the Brain Keep Track of Events, Firing As Time Goes By

2020-08-26T01:11:34.0000000+10:00

Whether we're engrossed in an activity or the alarm clock simply fails to chime, we've all been in situations when we say we've lost track of time. But our brains have not really lost track at all. A specific group of cells in the brain's memory center is encoding for the passage of time, researchers report. These "time cells" are key to our perception of sequences of events.

In Which Our Intrepid Reporter Becomes a Drone Pilot for a Day

2020-08-26T00:01:00.0000000+10:00

The offer came simply via the subject line of an email: "Want to fly a drone?" It was from Todd Backus of DATRON, a maker of--among other things--military grade radio communication systems and tactical data networking setups based in Vista, Calif. It was a question that didn't require a whole lot of consideration on my part--if there were drones to fly at AUVSI's massive unmanned systems show in Washington D.C. last week, I was going to fly them.

Painless Protein Scaffold Lets Cavity-Ridden Teeth Re-Grow From the Inside Out

2020-08-25T07:06:00.0000000+10:00

A new tooth-regenerating paste could reverse bacterial-induced tooth decay, sweeping dental drills into the dustbin of history. Hopefully.

NASA Spots a Room-Temperature Brown Dwarf, Coldest Star Ever Found

2020-08-25T06:04:00.0000000+10:00

Using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope, astronomers have finally spotted a collection of ultra-cool brown dwarfs they have been hunting for more than a decade. These tepid almost-star orbs are nearly impossible to see with a normal telescope, but WISE's infrared vision was able to pick them out.

NASA's Laser Communications System Will Enable High-Speed Transmissions From Mars

2020-08-25T02:59:00.0000000+10:00

NASA is spending roughly US$175 million on three new technology demonstration projects, one of which is aiming to take HD data streaming to Mars. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) will explore reliable optical communications technologies that could boost data rates between Earth and deep space by a couple of orders of magnitude.

Unabomber-Inspired Group Sends Bombs to Nanotechnology Researchers

2020-08-24T08:00:00.0000000+10:00

In Mexico, a group of terrorists (or possibly a lone soul, trying to make it seem as if he's a member of a group) has been mailing bombs to nanotechnology researchers at major universities. The bomber(s) cite the Unabomber, a convicted American bomber, anti-technology activist, and former professor as inspiration for their crimes.

What Green Jobs Crisis? Environmental Groups Take a Fresh Look at the Numbers

2020-08-24T07:26:33.0000000+10:00

Last week, we told you about a New York Times analysis of the green jobs sector, painting a disappointingly dismal picture given all the hope surrounding economic growth via clean-energy technology. But now, a new piece from the watchdogs at Grist has taken strong issue with the Times's dreary conclusion.

Smart CCTV System Would Use Algorithm to Zero in on Crime-Like Behavior

2020-08-24T05:02:00.0000000+10:00

Last time we looked at the UK's teeming video surveillance technology sector we were writing about facial recognition software that Scotland Yard was trialling during the recent London riots. But facial recognition is both fraught with privacy concerns and difficult to make reliable. So researches at Kingston University are building a CCTV system that uses AI to recognise specific types of criminal behaviours--like someone brandishing a firearm--and use that to alert authorities and build a video profile of the way a crime unfolded.

At Last, The First Humanoid Robot Astronaut Powers Up Aboard the ISS

2020-08-24T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Our favorite Twitter ‘bot--no, like an actual robot that tweets--is out of the box and live-tweeting its new life on the International Space Station. Robonaut 2 was actually unboxed several months ago (it was delivered by the final Discovery mission in February) but has been sitting idly, waiting for the crew to get around to firing it up. Now R2 is plugged in, and man is it ever chatty.

A New Generation of Throwbots is Ready to Be Flung Into Battle

2020-08-24T02:08:00.0000000+10:00

Throwbot. Small, rugged, easy to deploy. "One time we dropped it out of a helicopter from more than 30 metres," one of the designers tells me. "The worst that happened was that one wheel was slightly damaged so it wanted to drive a little wobbly. But it still rolled."

Video: An Augmented Reality "Mirror" That Alters Your Appearance

2020-08-23T07:37:00.0000000+10:00

Using a webcam hooked up to custom PC software, a pair of researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, have created an augmented reality "mirror" that morphs your facial features at will.

In Boeing Demonstration, Different Autonomous Drones Swarm Together For Reconnaissance Missions

2020-08-23T05:13:00.0000000+10:00

Commanding an army of drones is one thing; letting drones command themselves is something else entirely, especially when they have very little in common. Boeing recently tested a swarm network to help disparate drones work together, sending two types of unmanned aerial vehicles on a reconnaissance mission over eastern Oregon.

Luxury Getaways of the Future: Visit Orbital Technologies' Space Hotel

2020-08-23T04:12:00.0000000+10:00

Until companies start launching private spaceships, Russian-built space capsules will be the only way to get astronauts up to the International Space Station or other orbital outposts. If these images are accurate at all, Russian-built spacecraft might as well stay the only option. Doesn't this look cozy?

DIY Wrist Cuff Equips Blind People With Sonar

2020-08-23T03:05:00.0000000+10:00

Guide dogs are great, but vision-impaired people sometimes need to find their own way through complex environments. Instead of checking for obstacles with a trademark white stick, inventor Steve Hoefer has another idea: Use wrist-mounted sonar.

Hoefer designed a haptic gauntlet with ultrasonic sensors mounted just over the knuckles. The Tacit, as it's called, is encased in a neoprene cuff and can sense objects from about two and a half centimetres all the way up to 3 metres.

Ford Revives the Three-Cylinder Engine in a Quest for Fuel Efficiency

2020-08-23T01:08:00.0000000+10:00

Carmakers have spent the past few years aggressively downsizing engines throughout their lineups to meet increasingly tight fuel-economy regulations. But with the sole exception of the three-cylinder Smart Fortwo, four cylinders is as low as carmakers have expected Americans to go. Three-cylinders are common in Europe but have been scorned in the U.S., where they're tainted by association with claptrap cars like the mousy Geo Metro. Now, with fuel-economy standards set to rise as high as 90.4 kph by 2025, Ford is planning to bring the three-cylinder to the American mainstream.

A Camera With the Processing Power of a Computer

2020-08-23T00:03:00.0000000+10:00

Dual-core processors have been a computing mainstay for more than six years, allowing machines to handle two tasks at once without sacrificing speed in either. This year, dual-core chips have begun popping up in app-hungry phones. The next step: cameras. The Olympus PEN E-P3 is the first digital camera running on a dual-core chip, which lets it capture, retouch, and save shots nearly twice as fast as most competitors.

Aussie Scientists Find Fossils of Ancient Sulfur-Breathing Organisms

2020-08-22T03:01:00.0000000+10:00

Clusters of islands poked through hot oceans 3.4 billion years ago, when the world still had no oxygen and the seas churned under a pallid, overcast sky. But life thrived on Earth even then, scientists say - and now they have the world's oldest fossils to prove it.

Dogs Can Reliably Sniff Out Lung Cancer, German Study Shows

2020-08-20T05:54:00.0000000+10:00

A dog can accurately detect the early presence of lung cancer by sniffing patients' breath, doctors in Germany say. While researchers have known for some time that dogs can sniff out the telltale signs of other forms of cancer, this is the first study that proves dogs can reliably smell this particular kind.

Sony's Binoculars Can Record Full HD and 3-D Video, Perfect for Amateur Nature Films

2020-08-20T02:55:00.0000000+10:00

Digital recording binoculars aren't really new--there are some cheapie versions available--but Sony's new DEV-3 and DEV-5 binoculars lift that humble tech into some really impressive new places. Instead of taking a regular set of binoculars and cramming a cheap video recording device into them, Sony took its high-end HD camcorders and molded them into the shape of binoculars. That means they can both record in 720p (high-def) and in 3-D--these might be the perfect tools for birdwatchers and other nature-types (as opposed to snipers).

13-Year-Old Designs Super-Efficient Solar Array Based on the Fibonacci Sequence

2020-08-20T00:00:00.0000000+10:00

Plenty of us head into the woods to find inspiration. Aidan Dwyer, 13, went to the woods and had a eureka moment that could be a major breakthrough in solar panel design.

RIP WebOS, the Best Smartphone Platform Nobody Used

2020-08-19T08:16:44.0000000+10:00

Today, in an almost insultingly brief statement in the middle of a press release about something else entirely, HP killed off its most recent acquisition, and perhaps its most beloved platform: WebOS, the mobile OS designed by the scrappy gurus at Palm. It's a bitter, inconsequential end for an OS that in its own way paved as much ground as the iPhone, and that even in its current decrepit state is a damn fine platform. WebOS, you deserved better.

Putting the Ferrari FF Through Its Paces, High in the Italian Alps

2020-08-19T06:28:00.0000000+10:00

Brunico, Italy - A snowy K-Mart parking lot would have worked fine. But this being Ferrari, and the star its tradition-shredding FF - a $300,000 all-wheel-drive station wagon -- a little high-altitude showboating seemed in order. So with a boost from the Italian army's Chinook helicopters, Ferrari flew a pair of FF's to the windswept peak of Plan de Corones, a popular ski resort in its wondrous Dolomites, and told us to have at it.

Ridiculous? Why, yes. But no more so than a 208-mph, 651-horsepower Italian pony that can carry four tall adults and cargo while galloping safely over snow, ice, dirt or puddles on the Pomona freeway.

Lockheed's SAMARAI Monocopter Makes Its Public, Neon-Lit Debut

2020-08-19T05:26:00.0000000+10:00

As promised, Lockheed Martin finally put its SAMARAI monocopter drone on display at AUVSI's drone extravaganza in DC this week, for the first time flying it before a public audience as PopSci and everyone else in the air demo area looked on in awe. After all, the thing has just one rapidly rotating wing - it doesn't really look like it can stay aloft by itself. Seeing, however, is believing.

European Space Agency Plans to Team Up with Russia for the First Manned Mission to Mars

2020-08-19T04:33:00.0000000+10:00

If it's a space race the Russians want, a space race they shall have. But et tu, Europe? Russian news outlet Ria Novosti is reporting that the European Space Agency (ESA), long the ally of Cold War champion NASA, is teaming with Russia on a joint manned mission to Mars, and that their crew will be the first to set foot on the Red Planet.

Sandia's Gemini-Scout: A Rescue Robot Optimised for Mining Disasters

2020-08-19T03:40:29.0000000+10:00

At AUVSI's (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) massive robot conference in Washington D.C., in the U.S. this week there is no shortage of robots designed to seek out--and in some cases destroy--human targets. Sandia National Labs chose to go in the opposite direction with their Gemini-Scout, a remotely controlled rolling robot designed specifically to lead search and rescue efforts in the event of a mining disaster.

DARPA Fills Us In On HTV-2's Semi-Successful Flight and Very Successful Crash

2020-08-19T02:05:55.0000000+10:00

Last week, DARPA's HTV-2 (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2) Falcon vehicle launched to near-orbital speeds aboard a Minotaur rocket before beginning what was designed to be a Mach 20 glide back to earth, demonstrating the kind of hypersonic capability needed to deliver a payload anywhere in the world in an hour. Then, a few minutes into its flight, HTV-2's data transmitters went silent and so did the DARPA news stream feeding us the play-by-play.

New Computer Chip Modeled on a Living Brain Can Learn and Remember

2020-08-19T00:30:00.0000000+10:00

A pair of brain-inspired cognitive computer chips unveiled today could be a new leap forward - or at least a major fork in the road - in the world of computer architecture and artificial intelligence.

Alligator Fat Could Fill Your Gas Tank and Fuel Renewable Resource Investment in the South

2020-08-18T07:18:04.0000000+10:00

Every year, about 15 million pounds of alligator fat is dumped into landfills as a byproduct of alligator meat processing. It would certainly be better to reuse this gloopy mess for a greater purpose, no? As it turns out, alligator fat is a prime candidate for animal-derived biodiesel, according to researchers in the United States.

Australians Could All Get Free Lifetime Federally Hosted Inboxes, If Government Quits Snail Mail

2020-08-18T05:33:00.0000000+10:00

In the future, all your government mail - jury duty slips, election notices, those Social Security earnings statements - may not come in the mail at all. Here in Australia, federal politicians are debating ditching snail mail entirely, giving all citizens a state-sponsored inbox where we would receive all government communications.

DIY Solution to Annoying TV Celebs Mutes Your TV Whenever Charlie Sheen Is Mentioned

2020-08-18T04:30:00.0000000+10:00

It's become a refrain in this age of 24-hour news stations, media-starved talking heads, and hundreds of channels of stuff you don't want to watch. "Why won't they just shut up about (insert your least favorite abusive sitcom star, diminutive bepoofed reality star, brain-dead politician, or Kyle Sandilands here). The talking heads may never shut up, but that doesn't mean you have to listen to them--and some enterprising Makers created an Arduino-controlled gadget that'll make that even easier.

"Boozer" the Electric Car Smashes Distance Record, Driving 1,000 Miles on a Single Charge

2020-08-18T03:17:08.0000000+10:00

A German car nicknamed "heavy drinker" or "boozer" has set a new record for electric vehicle stamina: 1631.5 km on a single charge. The single-seat vehicle's aerodynamic shape, with the motors integrated into the wheel hubs, helped the car accomplish this feat.

SpaceX Will Launch Dragon Capsule In November, Bound for the International Space Station

2020-08-18T01:56:31.0000000+10:00

A little less than six months after the final space shuttle launch, a private space company will launch a rocket carrying a cargo capsule bound for the International Space Station. SpaceX said this week that it plans a Nov. 30 launch date for its first rendezvous with the ISS - an encounter that will mark a major milestone in private space exploration.

Acoustic Cloaking Device Lets Sound Travel Uninterrupted Around Objects

2020-08-18T00:57:00.0000000+10:00

A new type of acoustic cloak would allow soundwaves to travel around an object unimpeded, and could be used to build better concert halls, quiet spaces and noise-shielding headgear, researchers say.

Test

2020-03-14T14:45:00.0000000+11:00