Quantum computer as detector shows space is not squeezed

UC Berkeley physicists used partially entangled atoms identical to the qubits in a quantum computer to demonstrate more precisely than ever before - to one part in a billion billion - that space is uniform in all directions and not squeezed.

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Bitcoin Scams Steal $11 Million

Bitcoin is the digital world's most popular "virtual currency", with millions in circulation. Fraudulent schemes have scammed at least $11 million in these virtual deposits from customers over the past four years, according to new cyber-security research from Southern Methodist University.

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Senate Passes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, moving the GOP-controlled Congress one step closer to a showdown with President Obama over the long-stalled project.

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AirAsia captain left seat before jet lost control

The captain of the AirAsia jet that crashed into the sea in December was out of his seat conducting an unusual procedure when his co-pilot apparently lost control, and by the time he returned it was too late to save the plane, two people familiar with the investigation said. Details emerging of the final moments of Flight QZ8501 are likely to focus attention partly on maintenance, procedures and training, though Indonesian officials have not ruled out any cause and stress it is too...

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Extreme Weather Tied to Climate Change, Not Recent US Snow Event

The northeastern United States is cleaning up after a powerful snowstorm that hit the region this week, forcing airports, schools and businesses to close..

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U.S., Russian make record-breaking balloon flight across Pacific

Two men made a record-breaking voyage from Japan to Mexico using a helium balloon.

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You can earn $13,000 a year selling your poop

You can donate blood, plasma, eggs, and sperm. Why not poop? Yes, your feces are perhaps your greatest untapped monetary resource. Thanks to a nonprofit organization called OpenBiome, you can cash in to the tune of $13,000 a year -- and save lives while you're at it.

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Researchers grow human lungs in lab for first time

In a breakthrough that could one day revolutionize transplant medicine, researchers have successfully grown human lungs in a lab for the first time, Medical News Today reported. Using portions of lungs from two deceased children, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston created a scaffold-like structure by stripping one set of lungs down to just collagen and elastin – the main components in connective tissue.

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Scars reveal ageing whales' secrets

Baird's beaked whales, sometimes called giant bottlenose whales, seem to prefer the company of specific individuals. Researchers who identified the whales by scars on their bodies, are calling for hunting of the species to be halted while more information is gathered about their complex social structure. Currently, they are hunted by whalers off northern Japan. The new findings have been published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

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The cold fusion race just heated up

The E-Cat, or Energy Catalyser, is an alleged cold fusion reactor invented by Andrea Rossi. While many researchers claim to have produced small quantities of excess heat using nickel and hydrogen, Rossi claims he can produce kilowatts and his technology is ready for industry. Rossi's claims are far-fetched, but the E-Cat refuses to go away. Now it appears to have been not only verified, but replicated. Should we start taking Rossi seriously?

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Scientists say AI fears unfounded, could hinder tech advances

Artificial intelligence research – for at least the foreseeable future – is going to help humans, not harm them. However, fears about artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of smart robots that have made headlines recently could slow research into an important technology. That's the thinking from AI researchers and industry analysts attending the AAAI-15 conference in Austin, Texas, this week.

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Depression, loneliness linked to binge-watching television

Settling on the couch and into an all-night marathon of "Game of Thrones" or "Scandal" can feel like the ultimate in relaxation. For some, the best way to tune out the world is to turn on the television. But while binge-watching television may seem like a perfectly harmless way to occupy your Friday night, it may actually be an indication of serious mental health problem. A study published Thursday found people who binge-watch television tend to be among the most depressed and lonely.

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'Cold plasma' Kills Off Norovirus

Norovirus, the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the world, can be killed with "cold plasma," researchers in Germany have reported.

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U.S. Proposes Effort to Analyze DNA From 1 Million People

The United States has proposed analyzing genetic information from more than 1 million American volunteers as part of a new initiative to understand human disease and develop medicines targeted to an individual's genetic make-up.

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The Surprising History of Hippy Crack

People have been having fun with nitrous oxide – even in the name of science – virtually since its discovery more than 240 years ago.

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Polar Vortex Hits: Extreme Cold Will Last for Days as UK Blizzards Bring a Foot of Snow

WIND-swept Britain is on Arctic freeze alert after forecasts warned the cold weather will bring a week of snow chaos and sub-zero temperatures.

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A glass of red wine is the equivalent to an hour at the gym, says new study

Love a good glass of vino but hate hitting the gym to work it off? This news will make your day. Research conducted by the University of Alberta in Canada has found that health benefits in resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, are equivalent to those that we get from exercise. Red wine over a heavy session on the cross-trainer? Now that's something we can definitely get onboard with.

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Rethinking One of Psychology's Most Infamous Experiments

In 1961, Yale University psychology professor Stanley Milgram placed an advertisement in the New Haven Register. “We will pay you $4 for one hour of your time,” it read, asking for “500 New Haven men to help us complete a scientific study of memory and learning.” Only part of that was true. Over the next two years, hundreds of people showed up at Milgram’s lab for a learning and memory study that quickly turned into something else entirely.

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The best idea in a long time: Covering parking lots with solar panels

America is a nation of pavement. According to research conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, most cities’ surfaces are 35 to 50 percent composed of the stuff. And 40 percent of that pavement is parking lots. That has a large effect: Asphalt and concrete absorb the sun’s energy, retaining heat — and contributing to the “urban heat island effect,” in which cities are hotter than the surrounding areas.

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How to Solve the Problem of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives—but their misuse and overuse is making them less effective as bacteria develop resistance. Despite scientists’ warnings, antibiotic prescriptions in many countries continue to soar. Venki Ramakrishnan, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist based at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge, tells us about the importance of gaining a better understanding of the use and misuse of these wonder drugs.

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Missing link in metal physics explains Earth's magnetic field

Earth's magnetic field is crucial for our existence, as it shields the life on our planet's surface from deadly cosmic rays. It is generated by turbulent motions of liquid iron in Earth's core. Iron is a metal, which means it can easily conduct a flow of electrons that makes up an electric current. ...

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Genetic Memory: How We Know Things We Never Learned

I met my first savant 52 years ago and have been intrigued with that remarkable condition ever since. One of the most striking and consistent things in the many savants I have seen is that that they clearly know things they never learned. Leslie Lemke is a musical virtuoso even though he has never had a music lesson in his life. Like “Blind Tom” Wiggins a century before him, his musical genius erupted so early and spontaneously as an...

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Malaysia Airlines MH370 Declared an 'Accident', Search for Survivors Ends

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been officially declared an "accident" and the search for survivors has been called off, authorities said Thursday. A statement released by Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation said that all 239 people aboard the Boeing 777 were now presumed dead.

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Green Tea Ingredient May Target Protein to Kill Oral Cancer Cells

A compound found in green tea may trigger a cycle that kills oral cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone, according to Penn State food scientists. The research could lead to treatments for oral cancer, as well as other types of cancer.

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The science behind brain farts

It happens to you all the time. You're mid-sentence during a meeting with your boss, working on The New York Times' crossword puzzle, typing up an essay for grad school, or even talking to your mom on the phone — and the next word you're looking for just doesn't ... come. You know the word. You've used it before. Maybe you remember the letter it starts with or the syllabic rhythm when it leaves your mouth.

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Meet The "Living Rock"

Fantasy literature is full of creatures that are basically living rock. From Tolkein's trolls that turn to stone in daylight, to Pratchett's silicon based life-forms of the same name. As usual however, the forces of natural selection have come up with something beyond our imagining.

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If I Could Only Remember My Name

By any reasonable measure, I’m an even-keeled sort of fellow, one who doesn’t kick cats or raise a ruckus at the supermarket when a customer ignores the 15-or-less items rule or fidgets for several minutes with the credit-card swiping machine. A hairy eyeball exchanged with the person behind me, sure, but that’s it. I have friends at local retailers, tip well at restaurants, drop a buck in a busker’s hat, and banter with the lovely ladies at the Starbucks near my office.

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New Graphene 'Wonder Material' Breakthrough Enables Doubling of Solar Panel Efficiency

One of the major reasons that solar panels are facing such hurdles to replace conventional electricity sources is because they are very inefficient. The most efficient (and most expensive) panel is currently somewhere around 32 percent efficiency. However, scientists in Switzerland have figured out a way to utilize Graphene in solar panel design, raising its efficiency to an absolutely staggering 60% – a finally feasible amount.

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Graphene production technique makes revolutionary 'wonder material' 1,000-times cheaper

A PhD student in the Netherlands has demonstrated a technique that could cut the cost of producing graphene by a factor of a thousand, opening up the real-world potential of the so-called "wonder material". Shou-En Zhu from the Delft University of Technology described in his thesis how chemical vapour deposition of methane on a copper sheet can create graphene crystals that align together to form an "endless sheet" of pure graphene.

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A Coffee Cup Designed to Let Astronauts Sip Espresso in Space

Here on Earth, it’s easy to take things for granted. Drinking a cup of coffee, for example, is a shockingly simple act when you’re affected by gravity, yet it’s infinitely more difficult once you leave Earth’s atmosphere. In space you don’t sip, you suck, from a bag. That’s a good thing. The typical coffee cup simply doesn’t work in low gravity, unless you want scalding hot liquid floating through the air.

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Long-necked 'dragon' discovered in China

University of Alberta paleontologists including PhD student Tetsuto Miyashita, former MSc student Lida Xing and professor Philip Currie have discovered a new species of a long-necked dinosaur from a skeleton found in China.

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Robot explores volcanic depths where humans dare not go

How do you see what's happening inside an active volcano? NASA researchers are sending in a tiny rolling robot

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Is That My Car or Just a Drift?

A car buried under a night's worth of snow in East Lyme, Connecticut. Tuesday January 27, 2015

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Drones Will Be Everywhere Watching, Listening, and...Planting Millions of Trees?

More and more people are getting to know drones, and not just the military kind. Drones were one of the hottest gifts over the holidays because they’re not only getting easier to fly (though not yet a no-brainer), they’re also pretty affordable. In fact, a toy drone recently crash landed on the White House lawn, prompting President Obama to call for more regulations (something the FAA is already working on). While these aircraft show the growing...

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Watch the first ever video of a laser beam moving through thin air

For the first time ever scientists have captured a video of a laser’s flight path as it moves through the air. The clip above was created using a new ultra high-speed camera capable of detecting single photons at a time — the smallest amount of light possible. To create the video, researchers from the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in the UK recorded 2 million laser pulses over a 10 minute period, aggregating individual collisions of photos with air particles to map the laser’s entire...

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Fighter jet crash in Spain kills 10

Eight French people were among 10 killed when a Greek fighter jet crashed during take-off at a base in Spain. The F-16 jet "lost power", crashing at Los Llanos air base in Albacete, Spain's defence ministry said. At least five other planes were damaged. One of the two Greek pilots had performed a wrong manoeuvre, local media said. Both pilots were killed. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will travel to the scene of the crash on Tuesday.

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Indiana Solar Bill Crafted By Utilities Sparks Outrage, Raises Costs

A confusing bill making its way through the Legislature could hamper Indiana's nascent solar industry.

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The future of SpaceX rockets looks so freaking awesome in this new video

Despite the 80s hard rock soundtrack—or maybe because of it—SpaceX's new 3D animation showing their future Falcon Heavy in action, complete with the landing of three of its stages back on Earth, is freaking cool. I can't wait for Elon Musk's bandits to solve all problems and see this happening in real time.

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Flow Visualization Through the Years

This video takes a look at the evolution of various ways NASA has observed flow visualization in aircraft structures over the years. Whether in the lab or flying high over the Mojave Desert, capturing these flow visuals is important for the development of future aeronautical concepts and designs.

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Dementia 'linked' to common over-the-counter drugs

A study has linked commonly used medicines, including over-the-counter treatments for conditions such as insomnia and hay-fever, to dementia. All of the types of medication in question are drugs that have an "anticholinergic" effect. Experts say people should not panic or stop taking their medicines. In the US study, in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, higher doses and prolonged use were linked to higher dementia risk in elderly people.

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NASA might put a drone on Mars

Drones, and autonomous helicopters in particular, seem to be quite the buzzing technology these days. But could they be headed to Mars, too? Engineers have gotten pretty good at putting rovers on Mars -- and making them so they last a long, long time. As of this weekend, the Opportunity rover has outlived its primary mission length by 44 times. But one of the reasons that longevity is so critical? Mars has rocky, uneven terrain. It takes a long time for a wheeled rover to traverse a...

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Birth of a Star

In galactic nurseries like the Orion Nebula, clouds of gas and dust mingle, birthing new stars and planetary systems. The ALMA radio telescope made a recent observation of possible planets being born.

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The Amazing Life of Sand

There’s a story in every grain of sand: tales of life and death, fire and water. If you scooped up a handful of sand from every beach, you'd have a history of the world sifting through your fingers. From mountain boulders to the shells of tiny ocean creatures, follow the journey that sand takes through thousands of years across entire continents to wind up stuck between your toes.

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Risk of Extreme Weather 'Doubles'

Extreme weather arising from a climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean will get much worse as the world warms, according to climate modelling.

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Near Asteroid 2004 BL86 Has a Moon

The 325m-wide object, known as 2004 BL86, swept by our planet at the very safe distance of 1.2 million km on Monday, and gave researchers a good view of its shape using radar imaging. As well revealing information on the space rock's rotation rate and surface properties, the pictures also identified the 70m-diameter moon.

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Secrets of the orchid mantis revealed – it doesn't mimic an orchid after all

In his 1879 account of wanderings in the Orient, the travel writer James Hingston describes how, in West Java, he was treated to a bizarre experience: I am taken by my kind host around his garden, and…

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Wake No More

For most teenagers, getting out of bed in the morning is a drag. But when Lloyd Johnson was 13 years old, he suddenly found waking up not just irritating, but agonizing and confusing. Sometimes he would open his eyes and already be in the car on the way to school — with no memory of showering or getting dressed. Other days, his family would drag him outside and pour water over his head to stir him, but still he’d remain asleep. His toughest mornings began when he woke up in an empty house...

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Newly discovered ‘Super Saturn’ has colossal ring system

Astronomers have found a planetary ring system with such enormous proportions, it makes Saturn’s rings look puny.

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The Wrists of Birds Reveal Evolution Undoing Itself

Contrary to earlier claims, a new study shows that evolution may be reversible

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Grounded

Cheryl Stearns was on a mission to collect her 20,000th skydive, until things down on earth got complicated.

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