25151366
submission
arisvega writes:
Technology radically changes warfare. There have been times where the determinant factor of the outcome would be a subtle technological advancement in folding steel, or a defecting martial artist. Nowadays war is so remote-controlled that whole schools of thought on martial arts, that have been an inspiration for science-fiction weaponary are in danger of extinction- and desperately on the lookout for students.
24913248
submission
arisvega writes:
Russian officials have backed the idea of a rail tunnel linking Russia and the US.
It would run under the Bering Strait for 105km (65 miles) — twice the length of the UK-France Channel Tunnel.
The tunnel itself has been estimated to cost $10-12bn and to take 10-15 years to build.
But an additional 4,000km (2,485 miles) of new track would be needed to link it to Russia's rail network, plus another 2,000km (1,243 miles) to connect to existing services on the US side.
24125102
submission
arisvega writes:
An amateur astronomer has recorded images of the out-of-control US satellite as it tumbles back to Earth. Theirry Legault, from Paris, captured the video as the satellite passed over northern France on 15 September. The six-tonne, 20-year-old spacecraft has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September. The US space agency says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is 1 in 3,200. Mr Legault, an engineer, used a specially designed camera to record the tumbling satellite through his 14-inch telescope, posting the footage on his Astrophotography website.
UARS could land anywhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south of the equator — most of the populated world. Nasa says that most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth. But scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall through the atmosphere. This debris could rain across an area 400-500km (250-310 miles) wide. Robust, spherical satellite components such as fuel tanks are often most likely to survive the fiery plunge to Earth, say space experts. Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite The "productive scientific life" of UARS ended in 2005 when it ran out of fuel. Nasa said scientists would only be able to make more accurate predictions about where the satellite might land two hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere.
23988670
submission
arisvega writes:
A five tonne, 20-year-old satellite has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September, according to Nasa.
Nasa says the risk to life from the UARS — Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite — is just 1 in 3,200.
Hurtling at 5m (8km) per second, it could land anywhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south of the equator — most of the populated world.
Members of the public are not allowed to keep pieces of the satellite that may fall to Earth, or sell them on eBay, as they remain the property of the US government.
I would like to know how the US is planning to enforce this, especially if it damages property (or worse) of say Russia, or China.
23824366
submission
arisvega writes:
Feeding a supercomputer with news stories could help predict major world events, according to US research.
A study, based on millions of articles, charted deteriorating national sentiment ahead of the recent revolutions in Libya and Egypt.
While the analysis was carried out retrospectively, scientists say the same processes could be used to anticipate upcoming conflict.
The system also picked up early clues about Osama Bin Laden's location.
Kalev Leetaru, from the University of Illinois' Institute for Computing in the Humanities, Arts and Social Science, presented the findings in the journal First Monday.
23798242
submission
arisvega writes:
Wikipedia is a great idea, really. Ideally, a healthy and neutral way to "ask the internet" for information. From a scientific point of view it is going very well; more than often I see students, staff and professors using it in all seriousness and professionalism as a starting point for a project, following the references, learning a lot, even ending up editing something themselves. Those are lucky; usually access behind paywalled refereed journal articles is covered by the institution they work at, and is transparent- but for others, or in the case one just ends up with an ISBN code reference, there really is not a simple way to get the information needed. Either you buy the book, or swarm your local library with a list (and with a hope they would have most items) and stay over for days. As if that was not enough, the www wikipedia references (which provide the only access to folk with no scientific journal or library access) are more than often circular or just plain wrong. So I ask you, Slashdot-prowling beings, a) how frequently do you need to look at the references because the article itself is not good enough, b) how do you treat paywalled / ISBN / bad / circular www references and c) do you believe that there will EVER be such a thing as a free, non-greed driven, public, electronic and global library that people can access ISBN books that "normally cost money to buy", on the same grounds that you do not buy books from libraries, but still have access to them? After all, this is the information age, right?
23765204
submission
arisvega writes:
The National Ignition Facility (Nif) in the US is drawing closer to producing a surplus of energy from the idea, buy beefing up the laser power needed for ignition.
The UK company AWE and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have now joined with Nif to help make laser fusion a viable commercial energy source.
Part of the problem has been that the technical ability to reach "breakeven" — the point at which more energy is produced than is consumed — has always seemed distant. Detractors of the idea have asserted that "fusion energy is 50 years away, no matter what year you ask", said David Willetts, the UK's science minister. "I think that what's going on both in the UK and in the US shows that we are now making significant progress on this technology," he said. "It can't any longer be dismissed as something on the far distant horizon."
23088866
submission
arisvega writes:
Authorities in Kunming began searching out the copycats after pictures of one convincing replica were circulated on the web.
An early search found five fake stores, two of which were shut down for trading without a licence.
Now, according to Chinese trade officials, 22 have been found unlawfully using Apple's brand and logo.
The investigation into unauthorised Apple stores in Kunming was brought about when an American living in the city published a blog post describing a visit to one such shop.
Describing it as a "beautiful rip-off", [the blogger] BirdAbroad revealed how far the owners had gone to copy the decor and ambience of a real Apple store.
Staff also wore the same colour T-shirts as real Apple staffers, and sported lanyards of the same design.
23067416
submission
arisvega writes:
DARPA attempted to fly the fastest aircraft ever built; the Agency’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) is designed to fly anywhere in the world in less than 60 minutes. This capability requires an aircraft that can fly at 13,000 mph (~21000kph), while experiencing temperatures in excess of 3500F (~2000C). Program manager Air Force Maj. Chris Schulz does not see it as a failure; “We know how to boost the aircraft to near space. We know how to insert the aircraft into atmospheric hypersonic flight. We do not yet know how to achieve the desired control during the aerodynamic phase of flight. It’s vexing; I’m confident there is a solution. We have to find it.”
22300034
submission
arisvega writes:
It seems like what will comprise the Chinese Space Station's first module has been moved to its final testing location, and will soon be launched into orbit- two manned missions are scheduled to follow after an unmanned mission checks out. The best part? A movie about China in space is already premiering.
22254598
submission
arisvega writes:
Dead battery in Belgrade, Serbia? Head to the city's Obrenovac district, where a group of students has developed the world's first public charging station powered entirely by solar energy. Known as the Strawberry Tree, the structure's 16 ports support a variety of handhelds, allowing pedestrians to juice up their hendhelds in just ten to 15 minutes, at no charge. Its built-in batteries can also store up to a month's worth of back-up energy, enabling the station to hum along at night, or even during Serbia's less sunny seasons. "Energy from the sun is free, and it would be unethical to charge people to use the Strawberry Tree...We are trying to inspire young people to think about the source of the energy they use, and behave and act responsibly.", said the inventor Milos Milisavljevic 9(17 years old when he came up with the idea) and now, at the ripe old age of 22, is looking to plant new stations across other Serbian cities.
22244492
submission
arisvega writes:
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has berated the rating agencies sharply; "Europe must not be led to ruins by three U.S. private companies", referring to Standard & Poors (S&P), Moody's and Fitch, which dominate the market of credit rating agencies largely [original in the German language, google translation is smooth]
"It should not be that a cartel of three U.S. companies decide the fate of national economies". Reding proposes two solutions: "Either G20 countries decide together that the cartel of the three U.S. rating agencies is to be dismantled; then the U.S. could make, say, six rating agencies out of the existing three. Or it is independent European and Asian credit rating agencies that are to be created, given time."
22192742
submission
arisvega writes:
Earlier Thursday, the Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov said that the FSB will be "working on a close relationship" with Google, Skype and "other members of the online community." Contact with cellular operators working in Russia is already in place, he added. The Intelligence Agency has the right and should have access to the codes and ciphers of mobile operators, "in order to control the light of emerging data on possible wrongdoing by specific individuals," concluded Bortnikov
22152566
submission
arisvega writes:
The US House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science approved by voice vote a yearly spending bill that includes no money for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The move — spurred on by belt-tightening in cash-strapped Washington — still requires the full committee's approval, the full House's approval, the Senate's approval, and ultimately President Barack Obama's signature.
But the relatively mild dissents in the committee, which said in a terse statement this week that the project "is billions of dollars over budget and plagued by poor management," suggests the JWST faces an uphill fight to survive.
The vote struck a blow at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's goals with the space shuttle program about to end after 30 years, and Obama's decision to axe a new plan to return astronauts to the moon.
22152014
submission
arisvega writes:
PayPal owner eBay said Thursday that it has agreed to buy mobile payments provider Zong for $240 million in cash.
"With Zong, PayPal will have greater ability to offer consumers even more choices in how they want to pay," the San Jose, California-based eBay said in a statement.
The acquisition of Zong will help PayPal "reach the more than four billion people who have mobile phones, giving them more choice and security when they pay," PayPal president Scott Thompson said.
"Commerce is changing," Thompson added. "With mobile phones, we walk around with a mall in our pockets."
PayPal said it expects to transact more than $3 billion in mobile payments this year with eight million customers making purchases on their mobile phones using its services.
So it looks like PayPal, which has many discontent customers around the world, is expanding with practically no competition- where do you think that leads, Slashdot?
