54361451
submission
mbstone writes:
Scientists at the University College of London — where argon was originally discovered in 1894 — have now found spectroscopic signatures of molecules of argon hydride (ArH), said to be produced via explosive nucleosynthesis in a core-collapse supernova in the Crab Nebula. The post-supernova molecular dust was observed by the Herschel Space Observatory shortly before it ran out of coolant in April..
54227013
submission
mbstone writes:
Color change in chameleons isn't just for blending in, as is commonly assumed. According to scientists at Arizona State University, male chameleons' success in competing with one another depends on who has the brighter stripes and who can change color the fastest. In the study, the males were placed facing one another and watched with hidden cameras. Whether a given pair fought, or stayed away from one another, correlated with differences in color brightness between the two. (Images)
45150591
submission
mbstone writes:
Lightning researcher Joseph Dwyer of the Florida Institute of Technology claims that thunderstorms unleash sprays of X-rays and even intense bursts of gamma rays which could cause airline passengers to receive in an instant the maximum safe lifetime dose of ionizing radiation — the kind that wreaks the most havoc on the human body. Dwyer hopes rove hopes his sensor aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, will provide more data.
44549729
submission
mbstone writes:
Not enough pleasure, too much hassle, says Bill G., whose charitable foundation is offering cash prizes for new and improved wearable contraceptives. The first million went to University of Washington researchers, whose drug-elucting fiber meshes cause condoms made with the material to deliver anti-HIV and contraceptive drugs. Other new designs include, I kid you not, the Receptive Anal Intercourse Condom.
44522403
submission
mbstone writes:
No, seriously. Gates' foundation is offering anywhere from $100,000 up to $1 million to anybody who can solve the twin problems of diminished sensation and confusing application.
Some jokes write themselves.
41401529
submission
mbstone writes:
The Air Force has a problem: Its drones generate thousands of hours of video (I almost said "footage.") And most of it is miles of endless desert. USAF needs to distill the highlights, if you will, and nobody does it better than ESPN, the TV sports network. Air Force officials have asked ESPN for help in analyzing the 327,384 hours collected just this year.
What we really need in times like these is sportscaster Warner Wolf. 'Let's go to the videotape, pick it up right here, Taliban in the home black.'
40277339
submission
mbstone writes:
The Namib Desert Beetle generates water from water vapor via its shell, which has alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic bumps which channel water droplets into its mouth. Scientists at MIT developed a self-filling water bottle using this technology, and have announced a contest for the best design of a countertop water-from-air generator.
40246967
submission
mbstone writes:
There's three quadrillion gallons of water vapor in the air, but will this still be true after mass production of the self-filling water bottle? The invention is based on the Namib Desert Beetle which gets its moisture (12% of its weight) from water vapor.
39936543
submission
mbstone writes:
3 Chicagoland teens were accused of huffing and driving after inhaling an aerosol product, familiar to every techie who cleans keyboards and other electronic assemblies, and causing at least two fatal auto accidents. Signs your kid might be huffing include 'sudden weight loss, changes in mood, changes in friendships, acting confused and rebellious.'
29524977
submission
mbstone writes:
Arvind Narayanan writes: What if authors can be identified based on nothing but a comparison of the content they publish to other web content they have previously authored? Naryanan has a new paper to be presented at the 33rd IEEE Symposium on Security & Privacy. Just as individual telegraphers could be identified by other telegraphers from their "fists," Naryanan posits that an author's habitual choices of words, such as, for example, the frequency with which the author uses "since" as opposed to "because," can be processed through an algorithm to identify the author's writing. Fortunately, and for now, manually altering one's writing style is effective as a countermeasure.
23521314
submission
mbstone writes:
In Bonn, Germany, prostitution is legal, but a working girl must now pay for the privilege of soliciting on the Immenburgstrasse. She does so by inserting 6 euros ($8.45) in a hooking-meter made by Siemens and receiving a slip of paper licensing her to practice her trade for the evening.
8867632
submission
mbstone writes:
You know those big, electromechanical displays that used to grace railroad stations and airports, the ones with the letters that would flip around and around until the correct message appeared? Sadly, none remain in service, but Cary Dunn has done it in ActionScript — how cool is that? — and I bet his emulation makes its way into real airports real soon now.
6996784
submission
mbstone writes:
Aside from ending painful daily fingerpricking for millions,the invention of the color-changing blood sugar tattoo should also reduce the vast amount spent on glucose test strips ($1/test). Next, I want to see artistic diabetic tattoos that morph according to the wearer's blood sugar.
