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Latest Articles: Science/Tech
A rare 'black moon' is set to rise this Friday night
Post Date: 2016-09-27 07:54:32 by Tatarewicz
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ScienceAlert... A rare 'black moon' will rise this Friday night, turning the sky dark as the Western Hemisphere experiences its second new moon of the month. Those on the other side of the world will have to wait until next month for the same event to occur, but it’ll be worth it - their eerie black moon is set to coincide with Halloween. If you’re having trouble keeping up with all the different types of 'moons' we've got now - with blood moons, blue moons, and supermoons clogging up your sky-watching calendar - the black moon is a fairly new addition, and experts are still trying to nail down its definition. Some say a black moon occurs about once every 19 ...
Current Lockheed test pilot says China J-20 stealth fighter will outclass US fourth gen fighters and threaten carrier groups as China narrows stealth tech gap
Post Date: 2016-09-26 20:36:04 by BTP Holdings
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Current Lockheed test pilot says China J-20 stealth fighter will outclass US fourth gen fighters and threaten carrier groups as China narrows stealth tech gap Nate “Buster” Jaros is a retired USAF fighter pilot with over 2,000 hours in F-16 C/D/CM and T-38A/C aircraft and over 500 hours in General Aviation aircraft. He is currently a Test Pilot, Instructor Pilot, and LO SME with Lockheed Martin Skunkworks. Nate provides a detailed review of China J-20 stealth fighter. Several other analysts have said that the the J-20 is not a fifth generation fighter. Nate says China will have a fifth generation fighter, and its development of the J-20 (amongst other fifth gen platforms) is ...
Aussie scientists create "revolutionary" new waterproofing material
Post Date: 2016-09-23 05:56:29 by Tatarewicz
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CANBERRA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have developed a revolutionary "spray-on" waterproofing material, which they say could change how consumers protect everything from phones and shoes to ships and airplanes. Scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) have created a material which has a "remarkable ability" to repel water, and William Wong from the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory at the ANU Research School of Engineering said it was much more effective than previous waterproofing materials as the team blended two plastics - one tough and one flexible. "The surface is a layer of nanoparticles, which water slides off as if it's ...
China Motor City sets up fund developing hydrogen energy vehicles
Post Date: 2016-09-23 05:35:47 by Tatarewicz
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WUHAN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Long positioned as China's Motor City, Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, has set up a fund to invest in the industry for the hydrogen energy automobiles of the future. On Wednesday, the city government signed a deal with two top Chinese universities -- Tongji and China University of Geosciences -- to jointly set up a fund worth 200 million yuan (30 million U.S. dollars) in efforts to initiate the industry. Wuhan is China's major auto production base, home to the Shanghai General Motors resposible for the Buick Excelle, the Dongfeng Renault plant, PSA, Honda and dozens of auto part-makers. The auto industry now supplies 20 percent ...
China Focus: National gene bank to improve health, preserve biodiversity
Post Date: 2016-09-23 05:25:08 by Tatarewicz
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SHENZHEN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The China National GeneBank (CNGB), located in Shenzhen, was officially opened Thursday, aiming to promote human health research and the conservation of global bio-diversity. Initiated by China's National Development and Reform Commission in 2011, the project was established by Shenzhen-based BGI, one of the world's leading genomics organizations. Covering an area of over 47,500 square meters, the gene bank has saved more than 10 million bio-samples and established cooperation and research with over 100 organizations in areas such as human health, bio-diversity, and biological evolution. BGI president Wang Jian said the mission of the CNGB is to ...
Scientists teleport quantum information across four-mile cable
Post Date: 2016-09-21 04:02:40 by Tatarewicz
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Though quantum communication may not make the information highway any faster, it could make it much more secure, as quantum communication is virtually unhackable. CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A pair of research teams -- one in Canada and one in China -- just showcased quantum teleportation across four-mile cables. The feat promises to pave the way for a quantum internet. Quantum teleportation relies on a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, which describes two inextricably linked particles, whereby the measure or manipulation of one particle is observed in the other, regardless of time or location. A change in a light particle's state can be transferred, or teleported, ...
Microsoft announces new share repurchase program
Post Date: 2016-09-21 02:11:43 by Tatarewicz
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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it would buy back up to 40 billion U.S. dollars worth of shares in a new repurchase program. The multinational technology company headquartered in Redmond, the state of Washington, said in a posting on its website that its board of directors had approved a program authorizing the share repurchase. Listed on the NASDAQ stock market, Microsoft reaffirmed that it was on track to complete its current 40 billion dollars share repurchase program by Dec. 31, 2016. The new repurchase program, according to the company, has no expiration date and may be terminated at any time. While it claims to be "the leading platform and ...
Four basic personality types identified: Pessimistic; optimistic; envious and trusting
Post Date: 2016-09-19 05:37:34 by Tatarewicz
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ScienceDaily: Are you basically envious? A computer algorith organized 90% of people into four groups: the largest group, accounting for 30%, being the Envious -- those who don't actually mind what they achieve, as long as they're better than everyone else; next are the Optimists -- who believe that they and their partner will make the best choice for both of them -- on 20%. Also on 20% are the Pessimists -- who select the option which they see as the lesser of two evils -- and the Trusting group -- who are born collaborators and who will always cooperate and who don't really mind if they win or lose. A study on human behavior has revealed that 90% of the population can be ...
Mysterious Outburst from Comet 67P | Space News
Post Date: 2016-09-18 20:22:38 by Horse
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Further Evidence That IQ Does Not Measure Intelligence
Post Date: 2016-09-18 17:25:31 by BTP Holdings
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Further Evidence That IQ Does Not Measure Intelligence Annalee Newitz 11/09/12 7:40pm Every ten years, the average IQ goes up by about 3 points. Psychologist James Flynn has spent decades documenting this odd fact, which was eventually dubbed the Flynn Effect. The question is, does the Flynn Effect mean we're getting smarter? Not according to Flynn, who argues that the effect simply reveals that IQ measures teachable skills rather than innate ones. As education changed over time, kids got better at standardized tests like the IQ test. And so their scores went up. But some thinkers cling to the idea that IQ measures an inborn intelligence that transcends culture and schooling. If ...
Russia postpones next space station crew launch
Post Date: 2016-09-18 09:15:46 by Tatarewicz
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The launch of the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft planned for Sept. 23, 2016 was delayed indefinitely due to technical issues,Russian space program Roscosmos announced.NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, commander Sergey Ryzhikov and flight engineer Andrey Borisenko were planned to dock at the International Space Station on Sept. 25. Photo courtesy of NASA MOSCOW, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Russian space program Roscosmos announced its next space station crew launch has been postponed indefinitely. A post on the Roscosmos website stated the launch of the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft planned for Sept. 23, 2016 was delayed for technical reasons after routine tests at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The new date of the ...
Study quantifies environmental impact of genetically modified crops
Post Date: 2016-09-18 06:03:01 by Tatarewicz
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"I did not expect to see such a strong pattern," researcher Federico Ciliberto said. Soybean farmers who adopted genetically modified crops use more herbicides, new research shows. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The largest, most comprehensive analysis of genetically modified crops suggest the practice has led to a reduction in insecticide use but a spike in the employment of herbicides. A team of researchers at the University of Virginia, led by economist Federico Ciliberto, compiled and analyzed the growing methods of 5,000 soybean and 5,000 maize farmers in the United States from 1998 to 2011. "The fact that we have 14 years of farm-level data from farmers ...
Backyard ABM defense
Post Date: 2016-09-17 08:46:28 by Tatarewicz
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Thucydides says: Just found this on LiveLeak ************************************************************** ************************************************************** Disassemble a bunch of microwave ovens and put the microwave generators on the armored vehicles. Those microwaves can detonate the missile before it reaches the target. In order to detect infrared homing missiles like the Javelin, you need an infrared detection circuit, which you can make it yourself for less than 10 bucks. ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ I posted this myself many times on LiveLeak (my ...
Global satellite network planned by China to boost internet
Post Date: 2016-09-15 04:09:45 by Tatarewicz
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China Daily... China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, the nation's largest missile developer, plans to build a space-based information network that will provide global coverage. Liu Shiquan, deputy general manager of the State-owned space and defense giant, said on Monday the company will put 156 communications satellites into low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 160 to 2,000 km. Each satellite of the network will be able to transmit 500 mega-bytes of data per second. "We will launch a satellite this year to demonstrate the technologies for the Hongyun Project. Before 2019, four satellites will have been put into space to conduct trial operations. The rest will follow in 2019 ...
Scientists have just bred live mice without using fertilised eggs
Post Date: 2016-09-15 03:42:18 by Tatarewicz
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ScienceAlert... Centuries-old assumptions about reproduction just got overturned In a world first, scientists have successfully bred mice without using fertilised eggs, and the results could have implications for endangered species with low female numbers, and one day even humans. The experiment, performed by embryologists at the University of Bath in the UK, also suggests that egg cells might not be as vital to reproduction as we’ve assumed, with the team proposing that something as simple as a skin cell could act as an adequate replacement. "This is [the] first time that full term development has been achieved by injecting sperm into embryos," said one of the team, Tony ...
SpaceX Stumped by Mysterious Rocket Explosion
Post Date: 2016-09-13 05:29:26 by Tatarewicz
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An illuminating series of tweets from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company has not ruled out an 'unknown object' as the cause of their recent rocket explosion. In a remarkable display of transparency, the billionaire entrepreneur detailed how the mysterious Falcon 9 disaster constitutes "the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years." He explained that there are a number of aspects surrounding the explosion which have left the company baffled. According to Musk, the incident occurred during a routine operation to supply the rocket with fuel and that "there was no apparent heat source." Additionally, he told his Twitter ...
Tesla upgrades Autopilot, with radar as primary control sensor
Post Date: 2016-09-13 02:49:09 by Tatarewicz
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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Tesla Motors, Inc. on Monday announced software upgrade for the Autopilot mode of its electric vehicles, turning an onboard radar into a primary control sensor. The new software includes dozens of small refinements plus what the automaker called "significant upgrade" in the wake of the May 7 fatal crash of a Tesla S, a luxury model, on a road in Williston, Florida, southeastern United States. In the first fatality on record operating a Tesla electric vehicle on Autopilot mode, neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed a tractor trailer turning in front of the vehicle, so the brake was not applied, resulting in the sedan to pass under the ...
30-ton meteorite found in northern Argentina
Post Date: 2016-09-13 02:43:46 by Tatarewicz
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BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have excavated a meteorite weighing over 30 tons in northern Argentina, it was reported on Monday. The meteorite was found on Sept. 10 in the town of Gancedo, 1,085 km north of Buenos Aires, Mario Vesconi, president of the Astronomy Association of Chaco, told the daily newspaper Clarin. "While we hoped for weights above what had been registered, we did not expect it to exceed 30 tons," Vesconi noted, adding that "the size and weight surprised us." "It was in Campo del Cielo, where a shower of metallic meteorites fell around 4,000 years ago," the team was quoted as saying. The meteorite will be weighed again to ...
Interview: Technological innovation sparks new industrial revolution, says expert
Post Date: 2016-09-12 01:44:15 by Tatarewicz
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LIMA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Technological innovations have sparked a new industrial revolution, and people need to keep up with these developments to understand both opportunities and challenges they pose, according to a leading Spanish academic and advisor. Alberto Andreu, an associate professor with University of Navarra School of Economics and Business Administration based in Pamplona, Spain, shared his opinions with Xinhua on Saturday about the fast pace of technological transformations. "The digital revolution is already disrupting all industries and all sectors, starting with the sector of media and the sector of culture, and it will finally take us to the sector of ...
Humans may also be uniquely identified by hair: study
Post Date: 2016-09-12 01:36:24 by Tatarewicz
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Proteins in human hair could be as effective as DNA profiling in identifying unique individuals, researchers from the U.S. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found. Currently, DNA profiling is commonly used for identification in forensic science and archaeology because DNA is unique to each individual. However, environmental and chemical processes can degrade DNA, limiting its usefulness over time, the researchers reported this week in the U.S. journal PLOS ONE. In contrast, protein is more stable than DNA and has variations that may be unique to the individual, they said. In the new study, Brad Hart from the Lawrence Livermore National ...
Darwin Unhinged: The Bugs in Evolution
Post Date: 2016-09-09 18:37:09 by Ada
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This is atrociously long, criminally even, by internet standards but I post it anyway because I get occasional requests. Few will read it, which is understandable. Apologies. The Devil made me do it. Regular readers, if there is one, will have seen most of it before since in large part it is a gluing together of several columns. Archaeopteryx “A scientist is part of what the Polish philosopher of science Ludwik Fleck called a “thought collective”: a group of people exchanging ideas in a mutually comprehensible idiom. The group, suggested Fleck, inevitably develops a mind of its own, as the individuals in it converge on a way of communicating, thinking and feeling. This ...
How to raise a genius, according to a 45-year study on extraordinary kids
Post Date: 2016-09-08 08:10:07 by Tatarewicz
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ScienceAlert... A survey of 5,000 intellectually talented children has now entered its 45th year, and the insights it’s uncovered when it comes to fostering talented and struggling kids alike could inform how future generations are taught in schools. "Whether we like it or not, these people really do control our society," Jonathan Wai, a psychologist at the Duke University Talent Identification Program, said of the participants. "The kids who test in the top 1 percent tend to become our eminent scientists and academics, our Fortune 500 CEOs and federal judges, senators, and billionaires." Initiated by Julian C. Stanley from Johns Hopkins University, the Study of ...
When Artificial Intelligence Judges a Beauty Contest, White People Win,
Post Date: 2016-09-08 01:29:23 by NeoconsNailed
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Sometimes bias is difficult to track, but other times it’s clear as the nose on someone’s face–like when it’s a face the algorithm is trying to process and judge. An online beauty contest called Beauty.ai, run by Youth Laboratories (that lists big names in tech like Nvidia and Microsoft as “partners and supporters” on the contest website), solicited 600,000 entries by saying they would be graded by artificial intelligence. The algorithm would look at wrinkles, face symmetry, amount of pimples and blemishes, race, and perceived age. However, race seemed to play a larger role than intended; of the 44 winners, 36 were white. The tools used to judge the ...
The 'impossible' EM Drive is about to be tested in space
Post Date: 2016-09-06 03:40:02 by Tatarewicz
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ScienceAlert... An actual EM Drive is about to be launched into space for the first time, so scientists can finally figure out - once and for all - if it really is possible for a rocket engine to generate thrust without any kind of exhaust or propellant. Built by American inventor and chemical engineer, Guido Fetta, the EM Drive is as controversial as it gets, because while certain experiments have suggested that such an engine could work, it also goes against one of the most fundamental laws of physics we have. As Newton's Third Law states, "To each action there's an equal and opposite reaction," and many physicists say the EM Drive categorically violates that law. ...
Listverse short: bizarre hellish ecosystem discovered in (where else) Romania
Post Date: 2016-09-05 04:34:58 by NeoconsNailed
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In south-eastern Romania, there is a cave that was locked away from the slightest ray of light for 5.5 million years—and that has a completely different atmosphere from the earth. The cave was discovered by workers looking to set up a powerplant. They tested the ground to see if it was a safe place to build—and cracked open a pathway that leads into one of the strangest places on earth. If you descend through the narrow shaft and past a series of tunnels, you enter a chamber with a lake of sulphuric water stinking of rotting eggs. The air there is toxic, filled with hydrogen sulphide and contaminated with 100 times the surface’s levels of carbon dioxide. The strangest ...
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