Science News
Interactions.org Newsdigest 17 Jan 2014
Interactions - 17 Jan 2014 21:00
-- Israel's flag added to the line of flags of Member States of CERN in Geneva -- CERN contest to give students access to accelerator's proton beam -- Welcome to the DarkSide: Project aims to find particles of dark matte...
Photos: Damage to Syrian Ruins Seen from Space
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 19:41
Satellite imagery shows that destruction at some of Syria's most iconic ruins has intensified since the onset of the country's civil war.
Toilet Paper Could Hide a Cancer Warning Sign, Doc Says
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 21:19
Toilet paper containing red ink could disguise a dangerous medical condition, one doctor believes. Paper that is decorated with pictures or designs that include red ink could look bloody when wet, and traces of red blood...
New discovery on Giant Cell Arteritis sheds light on cause
Science Daily - 17 Jan 2014 16:06
New research has revealed -- for the first time -- how the condition Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) may be caused by a certain group of white blood cells called 'neutrophils'. GCA (also known as temporal arteritis) is a cond...
Male Spiders Must Twerk -- or Be Eaten
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 02:03
Miley Cyrus may have made "twerking" a household word, but male black widow spiders are the real masters of the rump-jiggling dance move. These arachnids twerk their abdomens to avoid getting eaten by potential mates.
Who Is the Surgeon General?
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 23:25
The surgeon general of the United States is the leading spokesperson on public health issues for the federal government, nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Seattle NFL stadium now wired for crowd-quakes
New Scientist - 17 Jan 2014 23:22
Seismologists have rigged up the Seattle Seahawks stadium to measure the shaking when the crowd goes wild during Sunday's clash with San Francisco 49ers
Understanding 'Her': Experts Ponder The Ethics Of Human-AI Relationships
IBTimes - 17 Jan 2014 23:20
Samantha, a fictional operating system in Spike Jonze's movie "Her," is a seductive poster child for artificial intelligence. She purrs in your ear with the dulcet tones of Scarlett Johansson, she organizes your emails a...
Brain Structure May Predict Pain Sensitivity
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 22:46
Some people feel pain more intensely than others, and new research suggests differences in pain sensitivity may be related to differences in brain structure.
Northridge Earthquake: 20th Anniversary in Photos
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 22:24
Images from the Jan. 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake and scientific studies that followed.
Supreme Court Confusion: Why Judging Distance Is Tough
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 22:23
Recent research may help explain why even Supreme Court justices aren't good at judging distances. Our sensory systems are flexible and are easily tricked, the study finds.
Obama Announces Changes To NSA's Phone Metadata Collection, Defends NSA Activity As Legal
Popular Science - 17 Jan 2014 22:15
Remarks President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference, August 2013, about reforming U.S. intelligence programs. U.S. White House The NSA's gathering of Americans' phone call metadata is going to see a few chang...
Google Developing Smart Contact Lenses To Help Diabetics
Popular Science - 17 Jan 2014 22:00
Smart Contact Lens Google The Google X labs are at it again. But instead of trying to engineer flying generators or spread WiFi with a balloon, the clandestine research center is developing contact lenses that measure bl...
A Bird Backpack That Can Track Migrations
Popular Science - 17 Jan 2014 21:04
Bird backpack tracker Courtesy Michael Shafer/Northern Arizona University To study migrating birds, engineers have been developing a sensor-loaded backpack that would power itself with vibrations produced by flight. A sp...
Acoustic lens generates tunable 'sound bullets' for ultrasound applications
Phys.org - 17 Jan 2014 20:30
(Phys.org) --Scientists have developed an acoustic lens that produces pressure pulses that are so intense they're called "sound bullets." Although they are too high-pitched to be audible to the human ear, the sound bulle...
Long-lost lake may have helped humans out of Africa
New Scientist - 17 Jan 2014 20:26
A 45,000-square-kilometre lake, which has long since dried up, was at the right place at the right time for key migrations in the history of our species
Record poaching pushes rhinos towards extinction
New Scientist - 17 Jan 2014 20:16
More than 1000 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year – at this rate deaths could soon outnumber births, threatening a population crash
Record ivory poaching pushes rhinos towards extinction
New Scientist - 17 Jan 2014 20:16
More than 1000 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year – at this rate deaths could soon outnumber births, threatening a population crash
Renewable chemical ready for biofuels scale-up
e! Science News - 17 Jan 2014 19:57
Using a plant-derived chemical, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a process for creating a concentrated stream of sugars that's ripe with possibility for biofuels.
Hellish Northridge Earthquake: Is Los Angeles Safer 20 Years Later?
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 19:57
Twenty years ago, no one knew the Northridge fault existed. Thanks to Northridge, the next one won't be such a surprise. The big question is: Are Californians ready?
Widespread Damage to Syria's Ruins Seen from Space
Live Science - 17 Jan 2014 19:56
The impartial eye of satellites could help archaeologists assess, or at least verify, which sites are at risk when conflict makes countries like Syria otherwise inaccessible.
Smooth sailing: Rough surfaces that can reduce drag
Phys.org - 17 Jan 2014 19:51
From the sleek hulls of racing yachts to Michael Phelps' shaved legs, most objects that move through the water quickly are also smooth. But researchers from UCLA have found that bumpiness can sometimes be better.