56186197
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Researchers from Virginia Tech are reporting they have uncovered the secrets behind the genus Chrysopelea's aerodynamic feats. These ophidians are capable of gliding some distance while appearing to slither through the air. The BBC's article on the revelations hosts a short video of the phenomenon. At the heart of Chrysopelea's feat is a remarkable ability of the snakes to alter their body's cross-section. Finally, snakes that don't need to be on no stinking plane.
56139917
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Reuters is reporting that concessions by the Internet giant have paved the way for a resolution to the long-standing European Union investigation into Google's alleged anti-competitive practices.
55833813
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Patterns appearing in images taken by the ESA's Cryosat program at first baffled agency scientists. Fearing malfunction, they poured over the data. It turns out that patterns in ice features known as sastrugi were affecting the reflection of the polarized radar used by the satellite. The sastrugi have been formed by Antarctica's prevailing katabatic winds. The BBC reports.
55046435
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
In what is being touted as a milestone, Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 fighter jets, have flown with 3-D printed parts. The announcement came from defence company BAE Systems, and it depicts the programme as a model for cost-saving.
54988899
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Reminding us of beer's pivotal role in the civilisation of humankind, the BBC comments on the discovery of an Ancient Egyptian tomb, belonging to the distinguished "head of beer production" in the Pharaoh's court.
54477153
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
TechFlash is reporting on articles from TechCrunch and the Wall Street Journal indicating that Amazon is scooping up San Francisco startup, mobile-payments provider GoPago, to compete with the likes of PayPal and Square. Opinions differ as to whether this is a speculative deal or a fait accompli.
54476967
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
The BBC reports on research that points to the possibility of using inkjet technology to print retinal ganglion and glial cells. While the research is preliminary, it is thought to hold great promise for treating certain kinds of eye problems.
54154135
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, at ZDnet, is reporting on a decision in a German court that Microsoft's File Allocation Table patent is invalid due to "obviousness". This threatens MS revenues from the mobile OS that generates the most profits for them, Android.
54149303
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
The BBC reports that Google is making available a new tool that will allow individuals to create their own Street View panoramas. Using photos from an Android device or digital camera, the user will be able to stitch together these custom 360-degree views of their favorite places.
54102577
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
The BBC reports on an attempt to explain the mystery of Mima mounds. These features are found worldwide, but have, until now, defied explanation. Theories have ranged from them being burial mounds to evidence of extraterrestrial activity. This latest attempt, using computer modelling, tags generations of the lowly gopher as the mounds' architects.
53987763
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
The BBC reports that "uptalk" or "valleygirl speak", a raise in pitch at the end of a sentence, is becoming more common in California men. The study was small, but this didn't keep some from coming to conclusions. The opinion seems to vary from this hailing a new age in the use of inflection in human communication, to it just being another So-Cal, androgynous fad.
53886883
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
For some artists, overcoming the limitations of technology is an art form in itself. Consider Kyle Lambert's lifelike images, purportedly created on an iPad, as detailed on Gizmodo.
53849103
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
An article in Current Biology (abstract) details the finding that minute particles of plastic waste are affecting marine worms, potentially having grave impacts on marine biodiversity and leading to the accumulation of toxins in marine animals. Unfortunately, policymakers have routinely treated such wastes as benign. The BBC provides more approachable coverage of the findings.
53836665
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
Research out of the University of Philadelphia concludes there are major differences in the neural pathways in the brains of men and women. Men, they say, are wired more front-to-back, women more side-to-side. They propose this may explain why women have been found to be better multitaskers. Of course, this may also have ramifications for what skill and career proclivities each sex exhibits.
53684949
submission
Rambo Tribble writes:
The long-running struggles of Western society to reconcile official pogroms against recreational drug use with the popular and wide-spread practice of such pursuits, has turned a new page in Berlin. There, the city council has voted to legalize opening a cannabis cafe, apparently justified by a somewhat tortured interpretation of German law.
