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The 360-degree SkyDeck: this is what First Class should really look like

A company called Windspeed Tech has for the past year or so been busy designing a novel upgrade to carriers and jets: a little bubble placed on the tail of an aircraft that offers a fantastic 360 degree view.

These buckyballs sell for $167 million per gram. The only thing more expensive in the world is antimatter

. According to Designer Carbon Materials - the only company in the world that manufactures this exotic material - it sold 200 micrograms of pure endohedral fullerenes for $33,400.

Device harvests energy from walking to charge your mobile and wearable electronics

A promising power generation system uses the energy you expend walking or running to power mobile devices.

Earth rotates slower from sea-level rise: 'Munk's Enigma' now solved

Scientists finally crack down a puzzle that has eluded the community for years. It seems sea level rise does indeed slow down Earth's spin.

Developing countries need at least $3.5 trillion to oblige their COP21 pledges by 2030

Developing countries need an astonishing amount of cash to respect the commitments made at COP21, Paris. This money needs to come from developed nations.

How much weight you need to lose to appear more attractive

Obesity rates have increased virtually everywhere in the world, especially in the developed world. Some 160 million Americans are obese or overweight. Over 70 percent of all men and 60 percent of all women from the US are overweight, and it seems like the next generation will have similar problems: nearly 30% of boys and girls under age 20 are either obese or overweight, up from 19% in 1980. When talking strictly about obesity, one-third of American men (32%) and women (34%) were obese in 2013 compared with about 4% of Chinese and Indian adults. Being obese puts you at risk of developing a myriad of conditions from heart disease and stroke, to diabetes, to some cancers, to osteoarthritis. Yet, for all the hazards that being overweight causes most people would rather lose weight to appear more attractive, than be more healthy. The two are interlinked, as we shall see. But that's better than not having any reason at all to lose weight, and now a new study quantified just how much weight men and women need to lose for this to show and make them look more attractive. Some might find the findings useful.

U.S. small town rejects solar project out of fear it would 'suck up all the energy from the sun'

Citizens were against installing a solar farm because it would suck all the energy from the sun -- so plants will die.

The only thing that might stop Elon Musk from getting to Mars is WWIII

"There's a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars," Musk says.

This is what a simulation of the universe looks like

The image above is a timeline with each frame showcasing a stage in our Universe's evolution, from humble beginning to present date (left to right), as simulated by the Argonne National Laboratory. Called the Q Continuum simulation, this is the most complete cosmological simulation to date covering a volume of 1300 Mpc on a side (one Mpc = 3.08567758 × 1022 meters) where half a trillion particles evolved for a mass resolution of ~1.5x108 Msun.

Tech entrepreneurs launch $1 bn. non-profit to 'solve AI for the good of humanity'

Powerful and smart people in the tech space join hands to found a new AI lab - one focused on making AI safe and beneficial to mankind.

Researchers devise AI that allows machines to learn just as fast as humans

From its first try, a computer can now draw handwritten characters from an unfamiliar language just as well as humans can.

Faraday Future, a new electric car company, opens $1bn. factory in Nevada

There's a new player in the EV market -- one that might give Tesla a run for its money.

At age four, most children are willing to make sacrifices in the name of group loyalty

Loyalty is a complex emotion, and paradoxical at times. For many loyalty is intrinsically link to identity, since our loyalty and allegiance to our nationality, families and friends or lack thereof defines us as persons. Psychologists have been studying the interplay of social injustice, righteous anger and group allegiance of many years (marketers especially love these kinds of studies). Loyal persons are seen by others as nicer and more trustworthy. But how early in life do we actually see group loyalty develop? As early as age four, a new research suggests.

How DNA can predict what you look and sound like

The craziest thing you'll see all day -- predicting what you look like from DNA.

Big Oil is hiding behind the scenes of COP21 -- what does it hope to gain?

You know something is down when the most important climate change event in history is sponsored by fossil fuel companies.

Finally, global greenhouse gas emissions peaked!

Emissions flatlined in 2014 -- the first time in 15 years. There is still hope!

Plants aren't growing as much as they should from more CO2

Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment claim that plants aren't keeping up with CO2 levels.

Gun violence in America in one Inglorious Map

This map shows what gun ownership on a per capita basis looks like around the world, based on data compiled by the Guardian. As you can see from the color codes, the United States tops the list being home to 88.8 guns per 100 people! The only country that marginally comes close is Yemen with 54.8 guns per 100 people.

Google and NASA say quantum computer works (with a catch): 100 million times faster than single core processor

Researchers run a problem on a quantum machine and found it performed 100 million times faster than a conventional processor.

State of emergency in Beijing after city issues smog Red Alert for the first time

Talks are in full force in Paris at the COP21 climate change conference, but meanwhile in China, Beijing is going through one of its hardest smog events ever. The mayor of Beijing announced on Monday its first red alert for pollution, showing that Chinese smog is still a huge problem.

Why empty book shelves can deter kids from a life of reading

A few words on how a well stocked library can drastically improve academic performance later in life for your children.

How to build a human, in one amazing infographic

It all starts with a lucky spermatozoon and one egg. When the two merge, a genetically unique entity is formed shortly thereafter, called a zygote which has half of its DNA from the sperm, and the other half from the egg. The zygote first divides into two identical cells, called blastomeres. Five days after conception, the grouping of cells are now called a blastocyst. A cavity appears in its center. It has an inner group of cells which will become the embryo and later the fetus, and still later the newborn. In between, there's a lot of things happening and this fantastic animated infographic designed by Eleanor Lutz does a great job summing things up visually.

Carbon tax critical to stopping runaway global warming, Elon Musk said in Paris

Elon Musk - involved with cutting-edge tech companies like Tesla, SpaceX and Solar city - told youngsters gathered at an event at the University of Sorbonne, Paris that carbon pricing would accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to a renewable energy economy.

'The 2 degrees goal is a political figure, not generated by scientific reports', says IPCC at COP21

Today, at a press conference at COP21, a panel of scientists and chairmen from the IPCC said that they never suggested one or the other figures as a baseline for averting climate change. "The 2 degree goal is a political figure, not generated by scientific reports," the panel warned.

The 2,440 new coal fired power plants expected by 2030 could destroy 2 degrees warming target

Some 2,440 new coal fired plants are expected to come online by 2030 in eight countries like India, China, Indonesia and the European Union. Combined with already existing plants, their emissions make averting 2 degrees of warming past industrial levels impossible, and the respective countries' national pledges aimed at curbing emissions - the so-called INDCs - now sound completely ridiculous.

What touching Fairy Holograms in mid-air looks like

Most people would love to a holographic display in their rooms, and seriously you might not have to wait too long for this to happen. Japanese researchers demonstrate how lasers can be used to manipulate holograms.

Almost $3.4 trillion divested away from fossil fuel, $800 bn. more than in September

More than 500 institutions representing over $3.4 trillion chose to divest away from fossil fuels, $800 million of which only in the past 10 weeks.

Male and Female brains are not different, MRI scans suggest

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, or so the old adage goes. But it's wrong.

Some of the pledges at COP21 need to be legally binding, says President Obama

President Obama voiced his concerns that any agreement made in Paris, COP21 will be ineffective if it lacks the force of treaties.

King coal is dying: demand peaked in 2014 and dropping fast worldwide

A report released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) found we are beyond the peak of coal consumption and demand. Effectively, the demand for coal has virtually dropped all over the world with few exceptions, most notably India. The news suggests we're well on our way to leave coal behind for good, and never turn back. Replacing coal are more efficient and energy friendly measures,including renewable energy, nuclear and gas.

Scientists find new phase of carbon at room-temp that's harder than diamond

To make diamonds, the industry typically resorts to subjecting graphite to immense pressure and temperature, which makes production volumes low and costly. This paradigm is about to change, since researchers at North Carolina State University found a new phase for carbon called Q-carbon, produced at ambient temperatures and pressure. This is surprisingly close to diamond in structure, with the added benefit of exhibiting a couple of unique properties.

Some of the richest in the world join Bill Gates to invest in the biggest private climate fund

Bill Gates and 27 other billionaires with a collective net worth of $350 billion have joined forces to launch the biggest private climate fund in history. The multi-billion dollar fund, called the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, will focus on cutting edge research and development to accelerate the growth of renewable energy and other sustainable technologies.

Bill Gates to launch multi-billion climate fund - the biggest ever

The wealthiest man in the world, Bill Gates, will announce on Monday a massive private-government partnership for a new clean energy research fund. This is reportedly the biggest research and development fund for clean energy ever, which will funnel billions to support innovation in this section. The precise details of the multi-billion partnership will be revealed once with the opening of the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris.

Head of (anti)-science in America harasses NOAA over paper that refutes global warming hiatus

You know things are messed up when the head of the House committee that covers science doesn't really understand it. Or, worse even, chooses to bury it and persecute scientists. Such is the case of Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, who suspects of fraud a group of scientists that explained in a new paper that the global warming hiatus isn't actually thing. Seems like the world is warming at the same rate as in the 20th century - fast. That didn't bode well with an obviously biased conservative Republican, so Smith subpoenaed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to gain access to the private documents and emails of scientists involved in the study.

Scientists are teaching robots to say 'No' to commands. Is that a good thing?

Researchers at Tufts alter the laws of robotics to teach robots to say "no".

Congress passes law that makes extracting resources in space fair game

Officially, US citizens are now entitled to any resources they mine off the moon, asteroid or any celestial body outside Earth.

Finally, the metal wiring in solar cells might stop reflecting light. One up solar efficiency

There's an inherent flaw in solar cells: the metal wiring that's quintessential to harnessing the electrons reflects the incoming light, acting like a mirror. Now, must people would brush off this issue and leave it like that. It's a necessary trade off. But a team at Stanford University devised an elegant chemical technique that basically hides the wiring with silicon, away from the light while preserving energy harnessing. Metal wires cover 5 to 10 percent of a solar cell's surface. Now, in the same area more light can be absorbed, hence more electricity generated which jumps the efficiency. Of course, this also means cheaper solar panels -- if only the chemical technique is covered by the recurring costs of increased efficiency.

Scientists play with a flatworm and grow another species' head instead

It sounds like a plot from Frankenstein, but apparently there's no limit to how versatile flatworms can be. Previously, researchers at Tufts University determined that the small, yellow worm can retain its memories after it head was severed. As a reminder, flatworms can regrew new heads following decapitation. Now, the same team yet again guillotined some flatworms and interrupted gap junctions, which are protein channels that enable cells to communicate with each other by passing electrical signals back and forth - just to see what would happen. Yes, the flatworm grew a new head, but it was that of another flatworm species. They eventually induced the same flatworm species to grow the heads and brains of multiple other, closely related species. There's a lot of biology and behaviour encoded in genes, but these findings show that tweaking physiological mechanisms in a live body can actually cause new anatomical developments. We might have uncovered a new form of epigenetics.

Sanders to GOP candidates: 'To hell with the fossil fuel industry'

While in South Carolina last weekend, Democrat Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders reiterated a burn he's been feeling for decades: the vested interests of the fossil fuel industry. He told the crowd climate change “is already causing devastating problems all over this world,” and the fossil fuel industry, Koch brothers specifically, are doing everything they can do keep this out of the public's attention. At one point he directly called out Republican candidates to basically man up, grow a backbone and stop lying.

Alberta, Canada taxes carbon emission from 2017 and phases out coal by 2030

Earlier this year, the New Democratic Party took power after 44-years of Conservative rule. Canadians have lot of emotions and hopes invested in the new government, and so far so good. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley recently announced a series of environmental measures which will see the country drastically lower its carbon footprint, expand the renewable energy sector and lower its reliance on fossil fuels.

How big is Google's code? It's huge that's for sure

Google’s Rachel Potvin took the stage @scale and hinted on just how many lines of code Google uses: a staggering 2 billion.

Book review: 'The Biased Mind'

At the end of the day, you'll be less caveman or - at the very least - more aware of the fact that you still are one.

UK will shut down all coal plants by 2025, replaces with gas

Amber Rudd, the UK's Secretary of Energy and Climate Change, announced the government's new plan to generate clean and cheap energy. Rudd says the Britain will add more nuclear power, explore for shale and, most strikingly, replace all coal fired plants with gas.

Blue Origin makes space history: first controlled landing for a rocket

Jeff Bezos just announced a historical feat: Blue Origin, his space company, successfully launched its New Shepard rocket to 329,839 feet — or sub-orbital space — then safely landed the used rocket just a feet away from the launch pad. This is the first time a controlled landing was demonstrated for a rocket, beating Elon Musk's similar efforts to safely land his Falcon 9 rocket. This monumental milestone suggests reusable rockets will shortly become a reality, revolutionizing space flight in the process.

How agriculture shaped our genes through natural selection

Once with the advent of agriculture, and its spread to Europe from the Near East, human society was transformed forever. Resources became more plentiful, communities could stay in one place and develop, and humans were free to pursue other activities. Agriculture turbo boosted the division of labor, an essential prerequisite to any civilization. Agriculture not only transformed human society, it also modified our DNA. A first of its kind study compared the DNA of ancient humans who lived between 8,500 and 2,300 years ago. The analysis revealed that humans underwent widespread genetic changes that influence height, immune system, digestion and skin colour once agriculture was introduced.

Two planets colliding: one short, but beautiful simulation

A beautiful simulation of two planets colliding. What happens next?

Large corporations are buying 75% more clean energy than last year

Starting November 30, the world's leaders will meet in Paris at the UN summit for climate change to discuss a common framework to reduce carbon emissions at a global level. Most countries already have plans set in motion to reduce emissions, either by using energy efficiency and new technology to lower the carbon footprint of their own operations, or use legislation to compel residents and companies to do the same. A lot of big and sizable corporations in the United States have taken matters into their own hands, however, by buying more clean energy and less fossil fuel derived energy, regardless of what the government suggests or coerces.

Shackleton's 1915 expedition to Antarctica showcased in New Photos

n 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole, followed by Scott who died on the return journey. Shackleton searched in his mind for some other daring goal. He finally settled on crossing of the Antarctic continent from coast to coast via the South Pole, a distance of about 1800 miles.

Classic formula for 'pi' connects pure math and quantum mechanics like a 'magic trick'

Until the advent of calculus and computing infinite series, not that many digits were added to the ones found by Archimedes for more than a 1,500 years.

How some fish use polarized light to make themselves invisible to predators

You'd think there's not much a little fish can do to hide from predators in open waters. But when rocks, algae and other marine nooks and crannies are nowhere to be found, fish turn to manipulate the physical interactions of light to balance the scale. For instance, some open ocean fish species employ specialized skin cells that reflect polarized light. This reflection is most effective, not coincidentally, at the 'chase angle' or from the predator's point of view. It's so effective that the US Navy is funding work that might shed light how exactly some fish do this and how this can be applied to make submersibles equally inconspicuous.