By Tim Stevens 
posted Dec 9th 2010 8:59AM
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Proverbial Wallets make your metaphysical money a little more tangible
By Tim Stevens
Goodbye, VGA
jones_supa writes"Leading PC companies have expressed their will to finally start kicking out legacy display interfaces. Intel plans to end support of LVDS in 2013 and VGA in 2015 in its PC client processors and chipsets. While the large installed base of existing VGA monitors and projectors will likely keep VGA on PC back panels beyond 2015, PC and display panel makers are in strong support of this transition. The DisplayPort connector interface provides backwards and forwards compatibility by supporting VGA and DVI output via certified adapters, while also providing new capabilities such as single connector multi-monitor support."
Kinect finally fulfills its Minority Report destiny (video)
By Vlad Savov posted Dec 9th 2010 8:35AM
Influenza Virus Strains Show Increasing Drug Resistance and Ability to Spread
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — Two new studies raise public health concerns about increasing antiviral resistance among certain influenza viruses, their ability to spread, and a lack of alternative antiviral treatment options. The findings are published in the January 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
'Secret Ingredient' in Religion Makes People Happier
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — While the positive correlation between religiosity and life satisfaction has long been known, a new study in the December issue of the American Sociological Review reveals religion's "secret ingredient" that makes people happier.
Scientists Create Mice From 2 Fathers
Posted by samzenpus on Thursday December 09, @04:33AM
from the heather-has-two-mommies dept.
from the heather-has-two-mommies dept.
An anonymous reader writes"Using stem cell technology, reproductive scientists in Texas, led by Dr. Richard R. Berhringer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, have produced male and female mice from two fathers. The study was posted today (Wednesday, December 8) at the online site of the journal Biology of Reproduction. The achievement of two-father offspring in a species of mammal could be a step toward preserving endangered species, improving livestock breeds, and advancing human assisted reproductive technology (ART). It also opens the provocative possibility of same-sex couples having their own genetic children, the researchers note."
Doubling of CO2 Not So Tragic After All?
Posted by samzenpus on Thursday December 09, @12:03AM
from the let-the-flame-war-begin dept.
from the let-the-flame-war-begin dept.
carvalhao writes"The Register reports on a study from NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that claims that new climate models that account for the effects of increased CO2 levels on plant growth result on a 1,64 C increase for a doubling of CO2 concentrations, a far less gloomy scenario than previously considered."
Scientists Discover Solar Powered Hornets
Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday December 08, @08:03PM
from the beware-of-the-electric-bees dept.
from the beware-of-the-electric-bees dept.
adeelarshad82 writes"The oriental hornet is more active during the day, and tends to become even more active as the temperature rises. And now scientists have discovered the reason: the hornets are solar powered. It turns out that the distinctive yellow stripe on the hornet's abdomen is actually full of tiny protrusions that gather sunlight and harness it for energy. The insect also features a special pigment, called xanthopterin, that helps with the process."
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dr. Who's Sonic Screwdriver Exists
Phoghat writes"Television's favourite Time Lord could not exist without his trusty sonic screwdriver, as it's proved priceless in defeating Daleks and keeping the Tardis in check. Now Doctor Who's famous cure-all gadget could become a reality for DIY-ers across the world, say engineers. Ultrasonic engineers at Bristol University and The Big Bang: UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair are uncovering how a real life version of the fictional screwdriver — which uses sonic technology to open locks and undo screws — could be created."
NASA's 'Arsenic Microbe' Science Under Fire
radioweather writes"The cryptic press release NASA made last week that set the blogosphere afire with conjecture, which announced: 'NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life.' may be a case of 'go fever' science pushed too quickly by press release. A scathing article in Slate.com lists some very prominent microbiologists who say the NASA-backed study is seriously flawed and that the finding may be based on something as simple as poor sample washing to remove phosphate contamination. One of the scientists, Shelley Copley of the University of Colorado said 'This paper should not have been published,' while another, John Roth of UC-Davis says: 'I suspect that NASA may be so desperate for a positive story that they didn't look for any serious advice from DNA or even microbiology people,' The experience reminded some of another press conference NASA held in 1996. Scientists unveiled a meteorite from Mars in which they said there were microscopic fossils. A number of critics condemned the report (also published in Science) for making claims it couldn't back up."
New Blood Test Could Detect Heart Disease in People With No Symptoms
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — A more sensitive version of a blood test typically used to confirm that someone is having a heart attack could indicate whether a seemingly healthy, middle-aged person has unrecognized heart disease and an increased risk of dying, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.
Feeling Chills in Response to Music
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — Most people feel chills and shivers in response to music that thrills them, but some people feel these chills often and others feel them hardly at all. People who are particularly open to new experiences are most likely to have chills in response to music, according to a study in the current Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Road Test: Seeing Green in New Way With Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is not just an excellent all electric car. It's a flat-out excellent car that happens to be electric.
Read More
Read More
Why Married Men Tend to Behave Better
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2010) — Researchers have long argued that marriage generally reduces illegal and aggressive behaviors in men. It remained unclear, however, if that association was a function of matrimony itself or whether less "antisocial" men were simply more likely to get married.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Electronic neural bridge helps paralyzed mice walk again, human application might prove tricky
By Vlad Savov posted Dec 6th 2010 7:46AM
It's only been a week since we heard about age reversal in mice, yet already we've got another big advancement in rodent medical care: a solution for ameliorating the devastating effects of spinal cord injuries. A UCLA research team has shown off a new system that can restore walking motion to a mouse's hind legs, but not only that, it also grants control to the little fella by responding to its front legs' actions. Electromyography sensors detect when a mouse starts to walk up front, triggering electronic signals to be sent to the functional lower portion of its spine, which in turn starts up the rear muscles for a steady walking gait. It's only been tested on a treadmill so far, but the result seems to be a seamless restoration of walking capacity in rodents that doesn't require any outside assistance. The same will be pretty hard to replicate in humans, bipeds that they are, but that's why it's called research and not reobvious.Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Get Your Very Own Street-Legal Tron Light Cycle
By Keith Barry 
November 30, 2010 |
7:00 am |
Categories: Design, Motorcycles
Just in time for Tron: Legacy, a Florida bike shop put together 10 custom-built, street-legal Tron Light Cycle lookalikes. For a cool $55,000, you could be riding one to the Dec. 17 premier.
According to Jeff Halverson of Parker Brothers Choppers, each bike features a steel frame, fiberglass bodywork and a V-twin engine from a Suzuki TLR1000. Stopping power comes from a custom made friction drum that keeps the bike true to the look of Daniel Simon’s latest Light Cycle design. Customers have a choice between actual gauges and an iPad dock that displays vital statistics on the iPad’s touchscreen.
Though the bike looks like it drove straight off the movie screen, it’s not a replica or recreation since the Light Cycles in both Tron films were virtual. “We basically used the images we could get off the web in order to make the bike,” said Halverson. “Keep in mind, no one ever made this bike before.”
The bike weighs 474 pounds and is just over 100 inches long and 23 inches wide. The rider sits (lies?) 28.5 inches off the ground. Halverson said that it rides like any sportbike, though we’ve gotta wonder with that huge front tire. Still, we’d welcome the chance to ride one to find out.
Four Light Cycles are still available just in case anyone has us on their shopping list.
Photos, video (below): Parker Brothers Choppers
Earth's Water Didn't Come From Outer Space
sciencehabit writes"Where did Earth's oceans come from? Astronomers have long contended that icy comets and asteroids delivered the water for them during an epoch of heavy bombardment that ended about 3.9 billion years ago. But a new study suggests that Earth supplied its own water, leaching it from the rocks that formed the planet. The finding may help explain why life on Earth appeared so early, and it may indicate that other rocky worlds are also awash in vast seas."
US Army Unveils 'Revolutionary' $35,000 Rifle
rbrander writes"Don't call it a 'rifle,' call it the 'XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System' and get your $35,000 worth. Much more than a projector of high-speed lead, this device hurls small grenades that automatically detonate in mid-flight with 1-meter accuracy over nearly 800m. The vital field feature is the ability to explode 1m behind the wall you just lazed — the one with the enemy hiding behind it."
Monday, November 29, 2010
Being Too Clean Can Make People Sick
An anonymous reader writes"Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new University of Michigan School of Public Health study suggests (abstract, full paper [PDF]). Triclosan is a chemical compound widely used in products such as antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, pens, diaper bags and medical devices. Bisphenol A is found in many plastics and, for example, as a protective lining in food cans. Both of these chemicals are in a class of environmental toxicants called endocrine-disrupting compounds, which are believed to negatively impact human health by mimicking or affecting hormones."
Causing Terror On the Cheap
jhigh writes"Bruce Schneier posts on his blog today about the value of terror with respect to cost-benefit for the terrorists. If you look at terror attacks in terms of what they cost the terrorists to implement, compared with what they cost the economy of the nation that was hit, the reward for terrorists is astronomical. Add in the insane costs of the security measures implemented afterward, particularly in America, and it's easy to see why the terrorists do what they do. Even when they're unsuccessful, they cost us billions in security countermeasures."
Methane-Powered Laptops? Materials Scientists Unveil Tiny, Low-Temperature Methane Fuel Cells
ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2010) — Making fuel cells practical and affordable will not happen overnight. It may, however, not take much longer.
Aging Reversed In Mice
Posted by samzenpus on Monday November 29, @04:56AM
from the pressing-the-reset-button dept.
from the pressing-the-reset-button dept.
Hugh Pickens writes"The Guardian reports that scientists claim to be a step closer to reversing the aging process after experimental treatment developed by researchers at Harvard Medical Schoolturned weak and feeble old mice into healthy animals by regenerating their aged bodies. 'What we saw in these animals was not a slowing down or stabilization of the aging process. We saw a dramatic reversal – and that was unexpected,' says Ronald DePinho, who led the study. The Harvard group focused on a process called telomere shortening where each time a cell divides, the telomeres are snipped shorter, until eventually they stop working and the cell dies or goes into a suspended state called 'senescence.' Researchers bred genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase that stops telomeres getting shorter causing the mice to age prematurely and suffer ailments, including a poor sense of smell, smaller brain size, infertility and damaged intestines and spleens. When the mice were given injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of aging raising hope among scientists that it may be possible to achieve a similar feat in humans – or at least to slow down the aging process."
Cambridge Computer IDs World's Most Boring Day
Posted by samzenpus on Monday November 29, @01:52AM
from the because-they-can dept.
smitty777 writes"Scientists hard at work at Cambridge used a computer algorithm and nearly 300 million historical facts to identify the most boring day in history. The winner? On April 11, 1954, absolutely nothing happened. That is, unless you count the most boring day in the world happening."
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