Tuesday 31 October 2017

The in vitro meat cookbook.

The in vitro meat cookbook.

The in vitro meat cookbook presents 45 recipes that explore and visualize what in vitro meat products might be on our plate one day. As in vitro meat is still being developed you cannot cook our recipes just yet, however, they will provide abundant food for thought and discussion.

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A basic income for everyone? Yes, Finland shows it really can work

A basic income for everyone? Yes, Finland shows it really can work

In a speck of a village deep in the Finnish countryside, a man gets money for free. Each month, almost €560 (£500) is dropped into his bank account, with no strings attached. The cash is his to use as he wants. Who is his benefactor? The Helsinki government. The prelude to a thriller, perhaps, or some reality TV. But Juha Järvinen’s story is ultimately more exciting. He is a human lab rat in an experiment that could help to shape the future of the west.

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Wind powered a record of nearly 200 million European households on Saturday

Wind powered a record of nearly 200 million European households on Saturday

On Saturday, a record 24.6% of total electricity came from wind power sources in the 28 countries of the European Union. The majority of this wind electricity was generated offshore (91.3%) vs onshore (8.7%). With Europe moving into the high wind production winter period, we expect a new season of records being broken. And with massive scale construction continuing for offshore wind farms, these records of 2017 will soon look quaint.

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Delorean Flying Cars by 2022

Delorean Flying Cars by 2022

Flying cars using the Delorean name are in development. They have built two operational scale models. DeLorean expects a full prototype will be ready for a test flight by the end of 2018. While there are other contenders attempting to take to the skies, DeLorean says his aircraft stands apart because of its increased range. While the other hopefuls top out at 50 miles per charge, the DR-7 VTOL will fly for 120 miles or more. DeLorean says he didn’t design the aircraft to look pretty, but to have the lowest drag coefficient possible in order to optimize range.

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A collage created from (100) of our planetary nebulae all are presented north up and at apparent size relative to one another.

A collage created from (100) of our planetary nebulae all are presented north up and at apparent size relative to one another.

"North being the direction of the celestial north pole (near Polaris)."

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United’s new 18-hour flight is longest-ever by a U.S. airline

United’s new 18-hour flight is longest-ever by a U.S. airline

United Airlines is now flying the longest regularly scheduled route ever flown by a U.S. carrier and one that's a contender for the title of world's longest by flying time. The Chicago-based airline officially claimed those superlatives late Friday, when it launched non-stop service on the 8,700-mile route connecting Los Angeles and Singapore.

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My Advice to 50-Year-Olds

My Advice to 50-Year-Olds

So you turn 50 this year, right? Or you just turned 50. It’s so interesting to me that people can’t project or understand where the market’s moving, aka, in this scenario that “we,” as 40–50–60 year-olds are going to live dramatically longer and healthier than your parents’ and grandparents’ generation.

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The concept of schizophrenia is dying

The concept of schizophrenia is dying

Its passing will not be mourned

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Long-lost art of a vanished civilization revealed by British archaeologists

Long-lost art of a vanished civilization revealed by British archaeologists

Five centuries after it was largely obliterated by the Spanish conquistadors, the long-lost culture of a vanished civilisation is being rediscovered by British and local archaeologists. Before the Spanish conquest of the islands of the Caribbean, the region's major indigenous people was a culture known as the Tainos.

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Monday 30 October 2017

Should we get rid of parking spaces to free up land in our cities?

Should we get rid of parking spaces to free up land in our cities?

Cities around the world are starting to rethink the vast areas of land set aside for parking. The convergence of several trends likely will mean this space becomes available for other uses.

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Depression tied to shorter lifespan

Depression tied to shorter lifespan

People who suffer from depression may not live as long as individuals who don’t experience this mental health disorder, a Canadian study suggests. Researchers examined six decades of mental health and mortality data on 3,410 adults during three time periods: 1952 to 1967, 1968 to 1990 and 1991 to 2011. Depression was associated with an increased risk of premature death in every decade of the study for men, and starting in the 1990s for women.

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Tyson Foods Linked to the Largest Toxic Dead Zone in U.S. History

Tyson Foods Linked to the Largest Toxic Dead Zone in U.S. History

What comes to mind when you think of Tyson Foods? A chicken nugget? A big red logo? How about the largest toxic dead zone in U.S. history? It turns out the meat industry—and corporate giants like Tyson Foods—are directly linked to this environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, and many others.

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I lived with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for years. But a recent test says I may not have it after all.

I lived with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for years. But a recent test says I may not have it after all.

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s is tricky. Dementia and cognitive decline have many causes.

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Possible tariff on imported solar panels makes the industry nervous

Possible tariff on imported solar panels makes the industry nervous

Until the last few weeks, Christopher Hanson’s work as a foreman installing rooftop solar systems was as bright and steady as the midmorning Wasatch Front sun. By his measure, Hanson has completed over 2,000 residential solar projects in his nearly five-year career, including one more he’s about to finish for Vivint Solar here in the suburbs south of Salt Lake City.

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Sunday 29 October 2017

Antarctic Adélie penguin colony in jeopardy as Marine Protection Area is rejected

Antarctic Adélie penguin colony in jeopardy as Marine Protection Area is rejected

huge colony of Adélie penguins in Antarctica is at risk after an international commission founded to preserve wildlife at the South Pole refused to establish a Marine Protection Area, despite pleas from conservationists. The 18,000 pairs of penguins in Terre Adélie suffered a catastrophic breeding failure at the start of 2017 with only two chicks surviving.

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To Stay Young, Kill Zombie Cells

To Stay Young, Kill Zombie Cells

An anti-aging strategy that works in mice is about to be tested in humans

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Law Enforcement Descended On Standing Rock A Year Ago And Changed the DAPL Fight Forever

Law Enforcement Descended On Standing Rock A Year Ago And Changed the DAPL Fight Forever

No other incident during Standing Rock better illustrates the collaboration between police and private security in suppressing the NoDAPL movement. By Alleen Brown, Will Parrish, Alice Speri.

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‘Fat but Fit’? The Controversy Continues

‘Fat but Fit’? The Controversy Continues

Can you be fit and healthy, even if you’re overweight? And will working out, despite the extra pounds, reduce your risk of a heart attack? The idea that you can be “fat but fit” has long been controversial. While health experts endorse physical activity as beneficial, many doctors view the concept of being “fat but fit” with suspicion.

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Peter Thiel: Bitcoin Is Like A 'Reserve Form Of Money'

Peter Thiel: Bitcoin Is Like A 'Reserve Form Of Money'

Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, believes that critics of bitcoin are "underestimating" the cryptocurrency. In remarks made on the third day of the Financial Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia, Thiel said that while he is "skeptical of most [cryptocurrencies]," he believes bitcoin has a promising future depending on the trajectory it takes, according to CNBC.

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We Were Promised Fusion Energy

We Were Promised Fusion Energy

For the entirety of recorded history, humans have worshipped nuclear fusion. It's gone by different names over the millennia, of course: the Egyptians called it Ra, the Greeks called it Helios, and the Aztecs knew it as Tonatiuh. Today, most of us know it as the Sun, but leading physicists around the world regard it with the same sense of awe as our ancient ancestors. This is not because these physicists believe the Sun rides across the sky in a giant reed boat...

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Saudi Arabia is investing $1 billion in Virgin Galactic and its spinoff companies

Saudi Arabia is investing $1 billion in Virgin Galactic and its spinoff companies

Saudi Arabia plans to invest $1 billion in Richard Branson’s private space venture Virgin Galactic, as well as its spinoff companies The Spaceship Company and Virgin Orbit. The country has the option of investing an additional $480 million in the future, too. The money will go toward Virgin’s space tourism program and help accelerate the development of the company’s new launch vehicle to send small satellites into orbit.

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High libido? Cannabis smokers have 20% more sex, researchers find

High libido? Cannabis smokers have 20% more sex, researchers find

Cannabis smokers have about 20% more sex than those who abstain from the drug, an American study has shown. Survey participants were asked how many times they had had heterosexual intercourse in the past four weeks and how frequently they had smoked marijuana over the past 12 months.

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UCLA neuroscientists use weak electrical signal to stimulate human brain and improve memory

UCLA neuroscientists use weak electrical signal to stimulate human brain and improve memory

Neuroscientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have discovered precisely where and how to electrically stimulate the human brain to enhance people’s recollection of distinct memories. People with epilepsy who received low-current electrical pulses showed a significant improvement in their ability to recognize specific faces and ignore similar ones.

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Not just available, but also useful: we must keep pushing to improve open access to research

Not just available, but also useful: we must keep pushing to improve open access to research

Could the real open access please stand up? If more research was published according to true open access principles, we'd see better application of evidence for everyone's benefit.

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Saturday 28 October 2017

Math’s Beautiful Monsters

Math’s Beautiful Monsters

Much like its creator, Karl Weierstrass’ monster came from nowhere. After four years at university spent drinking and fencing.

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France tackles obesity by hiking 'soda tax' on sugary drinks

France tackles obesity by hiking 'soda tax' on sugary drinks

The cost of a can of soda or fizzy drink is expected to rise significantly in France after French MPs overwhelmingly backed a new hike in taxes on sugary beverages. "The only objective is to boost the health of children and reduce the risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes," said French MP Olivier Veran, who was behind the bill. The new tax, which is part of the government's 2018 Social Security budget, is an update of the initial "soda tax" that was brought in in 2013.

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Why small talk is so excruciating

Why small talk is so excruciating

It's like patting your head while rubbing your belly.

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Tesla succeeds where Trump flails, brings power to Puerto Rico with solar panels

Tesla succeeds where Trump flails, brings power to Puerto Rico with solar panels

Five weeks after hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump’s team has only managed to restore power for a mere 26 percent of the island’s 3.5 million U.S. citizens. Meanwhile the tiny Trump-linked energy contractor that won a $300-million no-bid contract to rebuild the grid, Whitefish Energy, is also under fire.

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To Let Self-Driving Cars Go Anywhere, You Must Train Them Everywhere

To Let Self-Driving Cars Go Anywhere, You Must Train Them Everywhere

For a moment there, Arizona was the place for autonomous vehicles learning to drive. It's a logical starting point for experimental tech—still in its wobbly, Bambi legs stage—that likes warm weather, little rain, and wide open roads. It’s easier for their complicated sensors to “see” there, you see. Arizona is, in other words, a lot like California, without the aggressive Department of Motor Vehicles and its pesky regulations. Governor Doug Ducey has directed all state agencies to make it as easy as possible for fully self-driving cars to test in Arizona, no permitting or reporting required.

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Star’s magnetic field could turn habitable-zone planets into magma soup

Star’s magnetic field could turn habitable-zone planets into magma soup

The inner planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system might get melted by induction heating. By John Timmer.

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Dinosaur sported 'bandit mask'

Dinosaur sported 'bandit mask'

A dinosaur from China had a "bandit mask" pattern in the feather on its faces, fossil analysis has shown.

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Chile Bans Plastic Bags in 100+ Coastal Areas

Chile Bans Plastic Bags in 100+ Coastal Areas

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed a bill Wednesday that prohibits the sale of single-use plastic bags in 102 coastal villages and towns in a bid to stop the build-up of ocean plastic and to "[take] care of our marine ecosystems." An estimated eight million tons of plastic trash gets dumped into our oceans each year, literally choking marine life, harming ocean ecosystems and threatening the larger food chain. Businesses found using and distributing plastic bags could face a US$300 fine, Telesur reported about the legislation.

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Prototyping Real-World Problems

Prototyping Real-World Problems

An excerpt from Luis Perez-Breva’s “doer’s manifesto” on innovating

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Friday 27 October 2017

This mystery object may be our first visitor from another solar system

This mystery object may be our first visitor from another solar system

NASA doesn't know where A/2017 U1 came from, but it's not behaving like the local space rocks.

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Gene-editing tool CRISPR can now manipulate more types of genetic material

Gene-editing tool CRISPR can now manipulate more types of genetic material

The powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR has been making headlines for its ability to edit DNA, which could one day transform how we fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Now, scientists have created a new version of CRISPR that can target and edit a different genetic building block: RNA. The new tool, described in a study published today in Science, offers several advantages: its edits, for instance, aren’t permanent, which makes gene editing much safer.

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The man who 'discovered' 780 languages

The man who 'discovered' 780 languages

Ganesh Devy and his team of 3,500 volunteers have made the largest ever count of Indian languages.

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‘Dinosaur mummy’ unveiled in Canada museum, 3000 lbs when alive, still weighs 2500 lbs after ages

‘Dinosaur mummy’ unveiled in Canada museum, 3000 lbs when alive, still weighs 2500 lbs after ages

Scientists are hailing this prehistoric dinosaur as the “best-preserved dinosaur on Earth.” In fact, it is so well-preserved that it cannot be defined as a fossil. This magnificent ancient 18-foot-long specimen has been called a genuine “dinosaur mummy.”

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Climate change is much, much worse than we thought, study finds

Climate change is much, much worse than we thought, study finds

Global warming might be far worse than we thought, according to a new study. The research challenges the ways that researchers have worked out sea temperatures until now, meaning that they may be increasing quicker than previously suggested. The methodology widely used to understand sea temperatures in the scientific community may be based on a mistake, the new study suggests, and so our understanding of climate change might be fundamentally flawed.

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Oysters can ‘hear’ the ocean even though they don’t have ears

Oysters can ‘hear’ the ocean even though they don’t have ears

These seemingly oblivious shellfish are highly sensitive to sounds, which could help them monitor incoming tides, hear thunder and spot approaching predators

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Montreal filmmaker's fusion documentary — 'Let There be Light'

Montreal filmmaker's fusion documentary — 'Let There be Light'

In France, scientists are building a machine already decades in the making: TOKAMAK - an artificial star that could provide millions of years of clean energy. Are scientists about to crack nuclear fusion, or chasing an almost century-old delusion? Nuclear fusion has long been considered the holy grail of limitless energy production and since the 1940s, scientists have been looking for ways to initiate and control fusion reactions to produce useful energy.

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Thursday 26 October 2017

Quantum Weirdness of Light Was Just Confirmed by Shooting Photons Into Space

Quantum Weirdness of Light Was Just Confirmed by Shooting Photons Into Space

Quantum physics' two-faced nature has been put to the test over and over again, and every time it's still damn weird.

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Seriously Metal Photos of Canada’s Tree Planters

Seriously Metal Photos of Canada’s Tree Planters

Rita Leistner’s latest exhibition captures the intensity of tree planting.

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DARPA scientists unveil brain device that boosts learning by 40 percent

DARPA scientists unveil brain device that boosts learning by 40 percent

A brain device that can increase learning by up to 40 percent has been revealed by scientists funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). While the device was originally tested on macaques, researchers said it could be a cheap and non-invasive way of “altering functional connectivity in humans” in the future. The device is a non-invasive cap that stimulates parts of the brain via electrical currents. It was developed by researchers at HRL Laboratories, California, McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Soterix Medical in New York.

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Engineers Want Gamers to Explore the Moon with a Remote-Controlled Nanobot

Engineers Want Gamers to Explore the Moon with a Remote-Controlled Nanobot

The last couple centuries have been hard for explorers. Humans have visited almost all of the places on Earth a thousand times over at this point, and it can feel like there's just nowhere to go that's completely new, fresh, and unexplored. But soon, would-be explorers will be able to use a robot to explore the next frontier—the Moon.

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We Might Have Seen the First Interstellar Comet

We Might Have Seen the First Interstellar Comet

Last week, astronomers using the PanSTARRS 1 telescope perched on the Haleakalā volcano on the island of Maui spotted what they believe is the first comet ever detected that does not orbit the sun. The comet, designated C/2017 U1, appears to have come from the direction of the constellation Lyra, and preliminary observations indicate it has a higher eccentricity than any known comet (1.1815), suggesting it is on a hyperbolic interstellar trajectory.

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Bitcoin May End Up being a Bigger Idea than Amazon or Apple, Says Ark Investment Management

Bitcoin May End Up being a Bigger Idea than Amazon or Apple, Says Ark Investment Management

Bitcoin may be a bigger idea than Amazon or Apple. That’s according to Catherine Wood, CEO and CIO of Ark Investment Management, and reporters from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. In a PBS interview, with Charlie Rose, they spoke about the future of bitcoin, blockchain technology, and the future of digital currency. During the interview, Wood compared the market value of bitcoin and bitcoin cash to those of Amazon and Apple.

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India's 2nd Moon trip will analyze atmosphere for colonization

India's 2nd Moon trip will analyze atmosphere for colonization

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is conducting a series of tests to prepare for India's second trip to the moon since 2008, Nature reports. The organization is only operating on a $93 million budget, which Nature notes is relatively low for these kinds of missions.

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Wednesday 25 October 2017

The Gruesome, Bloody World of Victorian Surgery

The Gruesome, Bloody World of Victorian Surgery

A new book follows Joseph Lister as he ushers surgery into the modern age. By Sarah Zhang.

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Eugene Shoemaker Is Still the Only Man Buried on the Moon

Eugene Shoemaker Is Still the Only Man Buried on the Moon

For now, anyway.

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Anti-obesity drug acts on brain's appetite control system

Anti-obesity drug acts on brain's appetite control system

A drug that targets the appetite control system in the brain could bring about significant weight loss in people with clinical obesity, according to new research. On average, people lost 5kg (11lbs) over a 12 week period after receiving weekly doses of semaglutide, a drug currently being developed as a treatment for diabetes. Most of the weight loss came from a reduction in body fat, researchers at the University of Leeds found, after reviewing its effectiveness.

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