Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


The Komodo Dragon Chilli is 400 times hotter than a jalapeno - and it's available in supermarkets

The Komodo Dragon Chilli doesn’t look like much; it’s pretty small, reddish (but not very bright) and a bit shriveled; but this pepper measures 1.4 million Scoville units – the official measure of chilli potency. Yes, that’s a lot. “Do not consume whole,” reads the mildly unnerving warning label on the packet. “Do not touch without gloves.” The […]

When dams go down, the beaches and the fish win

Hydro-energy is clean, cheap and reliable – in many ways, it’s every man’s dream: you get the reliability of fossil fuels with the eco-friendliness of wind and solar. But hydro also comes at a price, one that we are only recently discovering: it threatens biodiversity and encourages erosion. The removal of a dam on the Elwha […]

California drought is so tough L.A. is throwing 96 million balls to shade a reservoir

Faced with the worst drought in recorded history, officials in California are turning to all sorts of creative methods to curb the rising water shortage. Most recently, 96 million black plastic balls were thrown in the LA Reservoir, which is filled with enough water to last the whole city of four million for weeks. Together, the millions of plastic balls act as a cover, shielding the water inside the reservoir from the sun's rays, especially the UV frequencies. This way, less water becomes evaporated or degraded through chemical means - about 300 million gallons of it.

Growing graphene nanoribbons jut got a lot easier, spelling great news for electronics

University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers devised a new method that grows graphene nanoribbons directly on a germanium wafer. The ribbons are of excellent quality and the technique is compatible with current manufacturing methods. These sort of ribbons have been heralded by industry experts as the component of the future which will make electronics faster and more efficient. The only thing that's been missing until now was a sound way to make them.

MIT tackling more serious science: they program beer-delivering robots

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is on the brink of revolutionizing relaxation with their recent breakthrough: they have programmed two robots that can deliver beverages.

Humand lends reflexes to a stumbling robot

Let's face it, even the most cutting edge robots developed today are stumbling goofs. So, in an effort to make robots less blundering a team at MIT has borrowed human reflexes to one of their lab's creation: a robot called Hermes. When the bot is just about to stumble about an obstacle, a human operator who is strapped with all sorts of actuators and motors synced to bots' movements is alerted. In a split-second, Hermes is back on his feet thanks to the innate reflexes of good ol' humans.

World population could double by 2100, according to the UN

A new report presented by United Nations officials at the American Statistical Association meeting in Seattle estimates that by 2100 the world's population will reach 11.2 billion people. Another less conservative scenario, however, estimates a numbers of 13 billion. Right now, there are 7.3 billion living in the world or around 80 million people more than last year.

Drought and low aquifer levels made the Guadalupe river vanish

Vidal Mendoza, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic technician, has been spending his past Tuesday scanning the upper Guadalupe River, looking for the right spot to measure the flow of the water. Perhaps more accurately, Mendoza has been spending his past Tuesday on a hot, mostly dry riverbed searching where the river should have been.

This 3D-printed Stradivarius inspired violin sounds gorgeous

A French company called 3Dvarius partnered with musician Laurent Bernadac to see just how far they could stretch 3D printing capabilities. Why not, they thought, stretch the strings of a fully playable 3D-printed violin? Combing the leading craftsmanship of the past two centuries with the cutting edge tech of today, the engineers designed an electric violin based on the legendary Stradivarius.

Finally, a new pentagon shape that tiles in a plane

Both bathroom decorators and mathematicians have a reason to rejoice (how often does that happen?). Using a computer algorithm, a group of mathematicians at the University of Washington Bothell discovered the 15th kind of pentagon that can tile in a plane. The 14th was discovered in 1985 by mathematician Rolf Stein, while the previous five before were proven by Majorie Rice, a housewife from San Diego.

Texas family sues fracking company after water well exploded from leached methane

In the latest in a long string of lawsuits filled against fracking operations, a Texas family is claiming damages after the water well on their property exploded. The family's ranch is located just 1000 yards away from two fracking drills, which likely leaked methane to the groundwater according to the lawyer representing the family. The explosion left Cody Murray, the 38-year-old husband of the family of four, with severe burns on his arms, upper back, neck, forehead and nose along with “significant neurological damage.” He is now permanently disfigured, disabled and cannot work. He is now asking the court for retribution.

Copper clusters could revolutionize CO2 capture and turn it into fuel to boot

The chemical reactions used to make methanol from carbon dioxide rely on a catalyst to speed up the conversion, and scientists identified a new material that could fill this role. With its unique structure, this catalyst can capture and convert carbon dioxide in a way that ultimately saves energy.

Your favorite drinks - under the microscope

Well, microscopic drinks are not really a thing, aren’t they? Not in the clubs where I go, anyway – we like our drinks large. But just stop a moment and think – how would your cocktail or beer look under a microscope? I’d wager this: it’s not like anything you thought. So, this awesome company […]

Kickstarter project plans to put you virtually on the ISS

SpaceVR started a Kickstarter campaign today with the goal of sending a 3D, 360-degree camera to the ISS. This camera will collect footage that you can then view in virtual reality goggles. Space-views from the comfort of your home? Yes please!

Heartbreaking archaeology: 4,000 year old skeletons of mother and child found embraced in 'China's Pompeii'

The loving embrace of a mother and her child lasts for 4,000 years, Chinese archaeologists reported after finding their interlocked skeletons. The mother was trying to shield her child from a massive earthquake that struck China in 2000 BC and triggered massive floods; the event is sometimes referred to as ‘China’s Pompeii’. The site is […]

Advances in magnet technology could bring cheaper, modular fusion reactors from sci-fi to sci-reality in less than a decade

Advances in magnet technology have allowed MIT scientists to design a cheaper, more compact, modular and highly efficient fusion reactor that is efficient enough to use commercially. The era of clean, practically inexhaustible energy may be upon us in as little as a decade, scientists report.

A drug used for decades for liver diseases could effectively slow down Parkinson's

It seems like re-purposing drugs can be a gold mine for future drug development. Now, scientists have discovered that a drug used for decades in liver treatments might effectively slow down Parkinson's disease.

Space-grown veggies are delicious, astronauts say

As we were telling you yesterday, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were preparing for the first meal that involved space-grown veggies. It's a remarkable moment, which might pave the way for future space exploration... and it's delicious!

New diseases threatens world's tadpole population

A new highly infectious diseases has been observed in tadpoles from three continents, threatening global populations. The disease, which was identified and described by British scientists, is a distant relative of an oyster disease. “Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this infectious agent was affiliated with the Perkinsea: a parasitic group within the alveolates exemplified by Perkinsus […]

2,000 Year Old Cat Pawprint Found in Roman Tile

Society has changed a lot in 2,000 years, but you know what hasn’t really changed? Cats. Cats don’t really care about much today, and they didn’t really care about much 2,000 years ago – and now archaeologists have evidence of that. Paw prints made by a cat 2,000 years ago have been found on a […]

Meet 'Virgin Rainbow': quite possibly the finest opal ever unearthed

As a geologist, I'm not into gemstones and "pretty rocks" - but every once in a while, I see a rock so spectacular that it just blows my mind. Such is the case with "Virgin Rainbow", a glorious opal unveiled by the South Australian Museum in Adelaide.

Astronomers find huge lava lake on Jupiter's moon Io

Scientists analyzing data from the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory in Arizona spotted a huge lava lake on Io, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. We’ve known for a while that Io is quite an amazing (and hellish) place; it’s the most geologically active place in the solar system, with extreme geologic activity occurring as a result of tidal […]

Drinking guidelines are irrelevant for casual drinkers, scientists claim

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Sheffield found that people ignore drinking guidelines, especially as most of them rarely drink during the week but might party heavily during the weekend or on holiday.

Scientists think they've figured out why green tea helps you lose weight

Green tea is one of those things that’s really healthy for you, but its health benefits have been greatly exaggerated; one of the things which has been consistently reported about green tea is that it helps you lose weight, but scientists didn’t know how (or if) this happens. Now, a team from Poland believe they’ve […]

Take out your phones: sexting could improve your relationship, study finds

Sexting has been taking a lot of flak recently, the debate focusing mostly on its negative aspects, such as the vulnerability of young people sending sexually explicit communications or how peer pressure can determine them to engage in the activity. A recent study, presented at the American Psychological Association’s 2015 convention reveals how wide-spread sexting actually is amongst adults, and looks at the benefits it brings to a relationship.

Fifteen ton Monolith found under the Mediterranean Sea, estimates put its carving at 9350 years ago

Zvi Ben-Avraham of Tel Aviv University and Emanuele Lodolo of the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics in Trieste, have discovered a monolith in deep water, resting on a spot that was once an island off the coast of Sicily. Their study has been published in the Journal of Archeological Science.

Cannabis traces found on Shakespeare's pipe - was the bard into pot?

William Shakespeare – universally praised as one of the best writers in history, eminent dramatist and England’s national poet, is still a controversial figure. There is speculation about the authorship of his works, with some scholars claiming they were written by someone else; there’s also speculation about his sexuality, his religion, and even his looks. Contrary […]

Scientists find the last vestiges of Martian surface water

Mars is now a cold and dry place, but it wasn't always like this - the Red Planet used to have a lot of water on its surface. Now, researchers have discovered one of the very last places where (potentially habitable) liquid water existed on Mars.

Pupil shape reveals what kind of animal you are

Your eyes are a window to your soul, or so the saying goes – but a new research suggests that the pupil shape and size have a lot to do with an animal’s nature. Hunters like cats tend to have vertical pupils, while horizontally elongated pupils are generally plant-eaters. Pupils are the eyes’ aperture – […]

Astronauts to eat food grown in space, for the first time

Back in 2013, we were telling you about about a small agricultural project on the International Space Station - now, the space veggies are ready to be harvested; for the first time, astronauts will be eating food grown in space.

Amateur radio enthusiast chats with the International Space Station

An amateur radio enthusiast from the UK has managed to have a quick chat with the International Space Station using a device he built in his shed. Adrian Lane, of Gloucestershire, sent out a call signal to the ISS and was absolutely shocked when they actually replied to him. “They came back to me and […]

Underwater Stonehenge-Like Monolith Found Off the Coast of Sicily

Archaeologists have uncovered an enigmatic monolith deep off the coast of Sicily, Italy. The 15 tonne Stonehenge-like monolith is at least 10,000 year old and may shed new light on ancient Mediterranean civilizations.

Simple device shows where your patient's veins are

No one likes to take a shot, and if there’s one thing we hate more than taking a shot is having to take more shots because someone missed your vein. But as any doctor will tell you, finding a vein is sometimes difficult – here’s where VeinViewer enters the stage. Designed by Memphis-based company Christie Medical Holdings, […]

How long does food stay fresh? Learn what expiration dates really mean

Experts did the math and they estimate that $165 billion worth of perfectly edible food gets tossed each year, due to it passing it's expiration date. But most of these dates are largely made up.

Community Fridge in Spain lets people avoid food wasting by sharing

Food waste is a growing problem throughout the world; on one hand, we've got so many people starving or living in food insecurity, and on the other hand, in places like Western Europe or the US people are wasting almost 50% of what they eat. It seems rational to find ways to send the excess food to the places where it's most needed, but that doesn't happen nearly as much as it should. With that in mind, people in Galdakao, Spain, took initiative.

Weapons shouldn't be able to decide themselves to end a life - Hawking, Musk, Wozniak sign letter requesting the ban of autonomous weapons and military AI

A very large number of scientific and technological luminaries have signed an open letter calling for the world's governments to ban the development of "offensive autonomous weapons" to prevent a "military AI arms race."

Parasitic wasps turn spiders into zombies... again!

Wasps are a nasty bunch; you don't want to mess with them no matter who you are. Not only can they sting you really bad and ruin your day, they can actually control your mind, force you weave a web for their offspring and then kill you - well, if you're a spider at least.

Tesla reveals new robot snake that will charge your car

Tesla released a video in which they unveil a crazy new prototype – a robotic arm that automatically moves and charges your car, without having to move a single finger. Elon Musk (Tesla’s founder, CEO and mastermind) teased the concept on Twitter back in December 2014, when he said the company is working on a snake-like charger […]

First species of venomous frog found in Brazil

The first venomous (yes, venomous – not poisonous) frog was discovered in Brazil by mistake. A frog head-butted Carlos Jared in the hand, and after a while he started feeling a strange pain; it took him a while to connect the dots and realize that the frog was responsible for the pain he was feeling and […]

Biologists fear salmon kill in Klamath river

It's a tough year for salmon all around the world - now, a new health advisory issued by the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation and PacifiCorp raises concerns about the future of salmon in the Klamath river in Oregon and California.

Scientists discover new abyssal angler fish

For all we know about other planets and even other galaxies, there's still much to learn about our very own planet - especially its oceans. The oceans are teeming with life of which we know nothing or very little about; now, Florida researchers have discovered a new species of angler fish that dwells 1 km below sea level (3200 ft).

Huge warm water blob off the Pacific coast causes mass death of sea species

Sea animals are dying off in huge numbers off the Pacific coast from Baja, Mexico - all the way to Alaska; there's a good chance we can't really do anything about it.

Drug trafficking is wiping out an unlikely bystander: wildlife

Central America is home to one of the greatest biodiversity on the planet. It's here among its rainforests that you can still find large swaths of land where there aren't any humans living nearby. But being sparsely populated also makes the region an attractive route to smuggle drugs and other logistical operations. In Honduras and Guatemala, particularly, all law and order seems to cede in the face of the narco-cartels who are razing forests to build airfields, roads and even ranches right in the middle of protected national parks. It's all a nasty business, and the greatest victims are those who play the least part in it all: the wildlife.

More Dutch cities may join in Basic Income experiment

In June, we were telling you about the Dutch city of Utrecht, which will start a new social and economic experiment: basic income: a new concept that could revolutionize society as we know it. Basic income is a type of social security in which all residents receive an unconditional sum of money, regardless of whether or not they have another source of income. Now, more Dutch cities announced their interest in participating in the initial trials.

We finally get to see the Lexus hoverboard in action

After 2 months of speculation and unanswered questions, we finally get to see Lexus’ hoverboard in action – yes, it’s a real hoverboard, and it works. It’s not Back to the Future, but it’s cool, and it’s here. No CGI, no fakery. As it turns out, riding this hoverboard is no easy feat. Professional skater Ross McGouran […]

Divers find car-sized blob of squid eggs

It seems almost too surreal to be true – a gelatinous, four meter across blob of squid eggs – but that’s exactly what divers found off the coast of Turkey, some 20 meters below sea level. Even up close, the spheroid blob looked almost invisible, but when touched, it felt “very soft” and seemed gelatinous. […]

Bonobos use flexible "baby communication"

Researchers have found that just like babies, bonobos exhibit a type of communication in which they use the same sound with different intonations to say different things. They use these high pitch "peeps" to express their emotions.

Scientists find why earthworms are so good at fertilizing the soil

They're a gardener's best friend, and our fields wouldn't be the same without them. The humble earthworm plays a major role in organic matter recycling in soils worldwide, and now researchers have figured out how. The secret lies in their metabolic system and how they digest their food.

Less burns for more sunshine: renewable and fossil fuel technology integration sounds like a beach-goer's dream

Solar-aided power plants could mean less CO2 for a fraction of the costs of solar-only, paving the way for a full-renewable power supply.

Controversial study finds that people would rather live next to a rehab center than to a mosque

People from Finland would rather live next to an alcohol or drug rehab center than a Muslim prayer room or Mosque, a new survey has found. In fact, the unpopularity of the Mosque was surpassed only by a drug users’ needle exchange center.
1 … 337 338 339 340 341 … 417