Dinosaur die out might have been second of two closely timed extinctions

Dinosaur die out might have been second of two closely timed extinctions: New research indicates that shortly before an asteroid impact spelled doom for the dinosaurs, a separate extinction triggered by volcanic eruptions killed life on the ocean floor.

Bill Clinton Backs 100 Year Starship

Bill Clinton Backs 100 Year Starship:



astroengine writes "The light-years between the stars is vast — a seemingly insurmountable quarantine that cuts our solar system off from the rest of the galaxy. But to a growing number of interstellar enthusiasts who will meet in Houston, Texas, for the 100YSS Public Symposium next week, interstellar distances may not be as insurmountable as they seem. What's more, they even have the support of former U.S. President Bill Clinton."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Man Walks With Aid of Brain-Controlled Robotic Legs

Man Walks With Aid of Brain-Controlled Robotic Legs: A new brain-computer interface allows an able-bodied person to walk using a pair of mechanical leg braces controlled by brain signals (video), as reported on the electronic database arXiv. The device, while limited, lays a foundation for helping people with paralysis walk again.

Smart school bullies less likely to become criminals

Smart school bullies less likely to become criminals: Having a high IQ and coming from a small family could mean school bullies are less likely to become criminals, according to new research.

Quantum Teleportation Sends Information 143 Kilometers

Quantum Teleportation Sends Information 143 Kilometers:
SchrodingerZ writes "Scientists from around the world have collaborated to achieve quantum teleportation over 143 kilometers in free space . Quantum information was sent between the Canary Islands of La Palma and Tenerife. Quantum teleportation is not how it is made out in Star Trek though. Instead of sending an object (in this case a photon) from one location to another; the information of its quantum state is sent, making a photon on the other end look identical to the original .'Teleportation across 143 kilometres is a crucial milestone in this research, since that is roughly the minimum distance between the ground and orbiting satellites.' It is the hope of the research team that this experiment will lead to commercial use of quantum teleportation to interact with satellites and ground stations. This will increase the efficiency of satellite communication and help with the expansion of quantum internet usage. The full paper on the experiment can be found [note: abstract only, full article paywalled] in the journal Nature."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Mathematicians offer unified theory of dark matter, dark energy, altering Einstein field equations

Mathematicians offer unified theory of dark matter, dark energy, altering Einstein field equations: A pair of mathematicians have proposed a unified theory of dark matter and dark energy that alters Einstein's equations describing the fundamentals of gravity. They suggest the law of energy and momentum conservation in spacetime is valid only when normal matter, dark matter and dark energy are all taken into account. For normal matter alone, energy and momentum are no longer conserved, they argue.

Obama Finally Talks Drone War, But It's Almost Impossible to Believe Him

Obama Finally Talks Drone War, But It's Almost Impossible to Believe Him: President Obama just made his most extensive comments yet on robot warfare. They were also total baloney, outside experts say.

More grandparents fill caregiver role

More grandparents fill caregiver role: Grandparents, an increasingly important source of child care in the United States, vary greatly in the kind of care they provide. A new study shows that 60 percent of grandparents provided some care for their grandchildren during a 10-year period, and 70 percent of those who did provided care for two years or more.

Preventing noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers

Preventing noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers: Antioxidants, dietary supplements and high-tech brain imaging are among some of the novel strategies that may help detect, treat and even prevent noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus among American troops, according to researchers.

North America's Rocky Mountains affect Norway’s climate

North America's Rocky Mountains affect Norway’s climate: Both the Gulf Stream and the Norwegian Sea have a major impact on Norway's climate. However, it turns out that weather conditions are also influenced by geographical elements from much farther away. North America's Rocky Mountains, for instance, play a major role in weather in Norway.

Quantum world only partially melts: Ultracold atoms reveal surprising new quantum effects

Quantum world only partially melts: Ultracold atoms reveal surprising new quantum effects: Scientists are investigating the transition of quantum systems as they approach thermal equilibrium. Scientists have now detected an astonishingly stable intermediate state between order and disorder.

Biologists tag 'zombees' to track their flight

Biologists tag 'zombees' to track their flight: After last year's accidental discovery of "zombie"-like bees infected with a fly parasite, researchers are conducting an elaborate experiment to learn more about the plight of the honey bees.

Even the very elderly and frail can benefit from exercise

Even the very elderly and frail can benefit from exercise: A new study has shown that all seniors, even those considered frail, can enjoy the benefits of exercise in terms of their physical and cognitive faculties and quality of life and that these benefits appear after only three months.

Things that boom in the night sky

No, these are not pictures of rare flowers or colorful sea creatures. With the trick of his camera, photographer David Johnson captured these shots at the International Fireworks Show in Ottawa, Canada.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/things-that-boom-in-the-night-sky-slideshow/fireworks-photo-1346344009.html

Supersonic Flying Wing Nabs $100,000 from NASA

An aircraft that resembles a four-point ninja star could go into supersonic mode by simply turning 90 degrees in midair. The unusual "flying wing" concept has won $100,000 in NASA funding to trying becoming a reality for future passenger jet travel.

http://news.yahoo.com/supersonic-flying-wing-nabs-100-000-nasa-155935257.html