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SCIENCE
New
Brain Disease Could Be Affecting Many Thousands - [New
Scientist] A newly discovered neurodegenerative disease
could be affecting tens of thousands of men around the world,
say researchers. The disease closely resembles Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and senile dementia, but appears to be caused
by a genetic defect linked to fragile X syndrome. Until
now carrying the defect was not thought to be harmful.
Two
New Superheavy Elements Weigh In - [New Scientist] Two
new superheavy elements have been fleetingly created in
a Russian lab. Each has many more protons and neutrons in
their nuclei than any naturally occurring elements found
on Earth.
Gene-Altered
Mouse Produces Fish Oils - [New Scientist] Fish oils
known to help prevent heart attacks can now be made by land
animals for themselves, thanks to work by genetic engineers.
Robot
Balloons Could Explore Mars - [BBC] Remote-controlled
balloons carrying armies of mini-robots could be filling
Mars' skies if a project by Californian scientists takes
off.
Virtual
Womb Could Help Premature Births - [Nature] A computer
model of a womb may soon help doctors pinpoint exactly when
a baby will be born. The virtual uterus could aid the prediction
and management of premature births.
Carbon
Found Older than the Solar System - [Space Daily] For
the first time, researchers have identified organic material
in interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), gathered from the
Earth's stratosphere, that was made before the birth of
our Solar System.
DNA-Boosted
Sunscreen May Fight Cancer - [Nature] Slapping on sun-cream
containing DNA fragments might cut the risk of skin cancer,
suggest US researchers, after showing that the treatment
works for mice.
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TECHNOLOGY
Small
Robotic Devices Fly Like Birds - [Science Daily] Sunil
K. Agrawal, UD professor of mechanical engineering, is working
on the design and construction of small robotic devices
that mimic the flight of birds and insects, in particular,
the hummingbird and the hawkmoth.
Thinking
on Mars: The Brains of NASA's Red Planet Rovers - [Space.com]
Humans have long depended on machines to explore strange,
new worlds; guiding mechanical rovers from millions of miles
away, then waiting -- and hoping -- that the robotic beast
carried out its instructions.
Giving
Robots a Human Face - [Miami Herald] With her sparkling
blue eyes, wispy eyelashes and demure smile, Hertz is the
center of attention wherever she goes. If
you're lucky enough to meet her, try to ignore the tangle
of wires slinking from behind her face. If you speak with
her, talk slowly and loudly. And no matter what you say,
don't be offended if she looks at you blankly and repeatedly
asks, "What did you say?"
Visualizing
Paris, Barcelona and other Cities - [Search Engine Watch]
While local search in the U.S. has focused on providing
basic business information, Wanadoo Maps has added a new
twist to online yellow pages in Europe: photos of thousands
of buildings in France and Spain.
Stephen
Thaler's Creativity Machine - [Mercury News] Technically,
Stephen Thaler has written more music than any composer
in the world. He also invented the Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush
and devices that search the Internet for messages from terrorists.
He has discovered substances harder than diamonds, coined
1.5 million new English words, and trained robotic cockroaches.
Technically.
Quantum
Codes Debut in Real World - [BBC] Quantum cryptography
has emerged from the laboratory and into the real world.
Using properties of quantum physics, the technique encrypts
data with keys that reveal if they have been intercepted
or tampered with.
War
Robots 10 Years Away: Expert - [Australian] They may
never wear slouch hats, but unmanned and robot defence systems
will play an important part in Australia's defence within
10 years, an expert from Defence's peak science and research
organisation has said.
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Greenspan:
Fed Worries Mortgage Giants' Debt Could Threaten Financial
System - [San Francisco Chronicle] Mortgage giants Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac could pose a threat to the country's
financial system if their ability to take on new debt is
not restrained, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan
said.
Homeland
Security Seen Spurring Biometrics - [MSNBC] A new government
policy requiring the fingerprinting of foreign visitors
has ignited howls of outrage in many parts of the world,
but for the U.S. biometrics industry, it represents a multi-billion-dollar
opportunity.
On
the Record - Nanotechnology: Unlocking the Smallest Secrets
- [San Francisco Chronicle] It's no surprise that the Bay
Area -- with its concentration of computer scientists, venture
capitalists and biotechnology giants -- is a leading contender
in the emerging field of nanotechnology.
Freelancers,
Self-Employed Changing the Work Force on their Own -
[Seattle Times] Ken Gaebler can help explain how the U.S.
economy can be growing so briskly without adding significant
numbers of new jobs. When Gaebler's
3-year-old marketing firm needs a computer programmer, a
speechwriter, a Web designer or just about any other work
done, Gaebler doesn't take out a help-wanted ad. He puts
the project out to bid on the Internet.
Britain
Must Adapt to Beat Globalisation - [Scotsman] Britain
must adapt its economy in the face of the jobs challenge
posed by emerging economies such as India and China, Chancellor
Gordon Brown urged.
Sony
to Deliver Personalized Radio Service to Mobile Phones
- [The Ledger] Under the still-unnamed music streaming service,
subscribers would not own any of the songs but could create
a customized channel to listen to the music they want, storing
favorite tunes in personal playlists. Users would also be
able to listen to music from a collection of predefined
channels.
Japanese
Company Plans to Mass Produce Robot Humanoids by End of
Year - [Canada.com] A Japanese company unveiled a prototype
of a human-shaped walking robot it said will be mass-produced
for sale at the equivalent of $6,165 Cdn by the end of the
year.
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SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Wireless
E-voting Machines Raise Concern - [New Scientist] Computer
scientists are concerned that new electronic voting machines
- already bought by several US states - have been designed
to have the capability to transmit vote tallies wirelessly.
In
Search of India's Inventors - [BBC] It is an Enfield
motorcycle with a difference. By removing the back wheel
and replacing it with a spiked cylinder, it doubles as a
tractor.
Sperm
Donors to Lose Anonymity - [BBC] Men who father children
through sperm donation are to lose their right to anonymity,
the government has announced.
4.4
Million Immigrants will Boost Population - [The Telegraph]
Almost two thirds of Britain's population growth over the
next 25 years will be the result of immigration, according
to a study.
Overseas
Outsourcing Brings Privacy Risks -
[Computer Weekly] Outsourcing jobs overseas can sharply
increase data privacy risks and the complexity of managing
that risk, experts at the Fourth Annual Privacy and Data
Security Summit in Washington DC warned.
Criminals
Follow Laws of Statistics - [Nature] The best way to
combat casual crime is not to search for persistent offenders
but to deter people from committing their first crime.
Campaigns
Track Voters' Personal Data - [MSNBC] Faced with the
possibility of another close election, U.S. political campaigns
and advocacy groups are drawing up detailed profiles of
the voters who will determine their success at the polls
next fall.
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ENVIRONMENT
Changing
Global Nitrogen Cycle Impacting Human Health, Says Colorado
University-Led Study - [Science Daily] Despite greatly
increasing food production for humans, the growing use of
nitrogen as a nutrient is affecting people's health far
beyond just the benefits of growing more crops, according
to a new University of Colorado at Boulder-led study.
Britain
Approves GM Corn - [CNN] The British government has
given conditional approval to the commercial planting of
genetically modified maize crops.
Ocean
Power Techologies to Harness Spanish Waves - [ENN] The
stormy, ship-wrecking seas of the Bay of Biscay are poised
to take on a more constructive role as the site of the world's
first wave-driven power station on a commercial scale.
Huge
Missouri River Management Plan Unveiled - [ENN] In what
may become one of the largest federally funded habitat construction
programs in the country's history, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers on Friday unveiled a 30-year, $1.3 billion plan
to restore the Missouri River.
Scientists
Advance Hydrogen Tech - [Wired] Researchers say they
have produced hydrogen from ethanol in a prototype reactor
small enough and efficient enough to heat small homes and
power cars. The development could
help open the way for cleaner-burning technology at home
and on the road.
Frankencorn
Could Invade Mexico - [CBS] If left unchecked, modified
genes spread by imported U.S. biotech corn threaten to displace
or contaminate native ancestor varieties in Mexico, the
birthplace of corn, a NAFTA watchdog group reported.
Europe's
Weather Could Flip Annually Between Extremes - [New
Scientist] Europe's weather could flip from droughts to
floods every year as climate change kicks in, according
to scientists who have modelled the mechanisms behind the
continent's most recent bouts of extreme weather.
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THE FUTURE
Idea
Futures - [Robin Hanson] "Our policy-makers and
media rely too much on the 'expert' advice of a self-interested
insider's club of pundits and big-shot academics. These
pundits are rewarded too much for telling good stories,
and for supporting each other, rather than for being 'right.'
Instead, let us create betting markets on most controversial
questions, and treat the current market odds as our best
expert consensus."
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