Monday, 2 February 2015

Physicists achieve superconductivity at room temperature

Physicists achieve superconductivity at room temperature


Physicists from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter have kept a piece of ceramic in a superconducting state, disproving the widely-held assumption that materials need to be cooled to temperatures of at least -140 degrees Celsius to achieve superconductivity.

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Beating the clock: researchers develop new treatment for rabies

Beating the clock: researchers develop new treatment for rabies


Successfully treating rabies can be a race against the clock. Those who suffer a bite from a rabid animal have a brief window of time to seek medical help before the virus takes root in the central nervous system, at which point the disease is almost invariably fatal. Now, researchers have successfully tested a treatment on mice that cures the disease even after the virus has spread to the brain.

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Sunday, 1 February 2015

Ten Mysterious Undeciphered Codes and Inscriptions

Ten Mysterious Undeciphered Codes and Inscriptions


From Neolithic tablets containing the oldest known system of writing, to a series of letters scrawled on the back of a dead man’s book, some of the most legendary undeciphered codes and texts remain a challenge for even the world’s best cryptographers, code breakers, and linguists.

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Here's Why Google Is Making Human Skin

Here's Why Google Is Making Human Skin


Late last year, Google revealed that it's in the early stages of creating tiny, magnetic nanoparticles that will be able to search the human body for cancer and other diseases. The company's vision is that people will be able to swallow a pill filled with these nanoparticles, which will attach themselves to specific cells, proteins, and other molecules inside the body, depending on what they're "decorated" with.

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The Math Behind Bitcoin Mining

The Math Behind Bitcoin Mining


If you've ever pondered the possibility of getting into bitcoin mining (or have taken the plunge), then you are probably at least a little bit familiar with bitcoin mining calculators. These calculators let you input your hash rate (hash rate is the speed at which your miner mines) and outputs the amount of bitcoin you could expect to earn in a given period of time. While those calculators are awesome and handy, understanding the math behind them is even more awesome!

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The Ongoing Quest For The ‘Brain’ Chip

The Ongoing Quest For The ‘Brain’ Chip


To some they’re the holy grail of computing; computer chips that work like the brain — opening up a wealth of possibilities from artificial intelligence to the ability to simulate whole artificial personalities. To others they are another in a long list of interesting but unpractical ideas not too dissimilar to the ubiquitous flying car.

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The man who studies everyday evil

The man who studies everyday evil


Why are some people extraordinarily selfish, manipulative, and unkind? David Robson asks the scientist delving into the darkest sides of the human mind.

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