'Elephant Dung' Coffee Known As Black Ivory Is The Most Expensive Coffee In The World

An MGM Macau staff member grinds "elephant dung" coffee beans by hand before serving up the rarefied brew. Photo: Lana Lam

Fancy An 'Elephant Dung' Coffee? Visit Macau To Taste Most Expensive Beans In The World -- South China Morning Post

Adventurous visitors to Macau line up to try unusual beans costing US$1,500 a kilogram

Whether its description involves an expletive that has to be deleted or it is hailed as God's gift to caffeine aficionados, "elephant dung" coffee is the most expensive cup on the planet.

Also known as black ivory, it costs US$1,500 a kilogram, easily exceeding the price of its similarly processed cousin, kopi luwak, or civet coffee, which ranges in price from US$500 to US$1,000 a kilogram.

And the ferry trip to Macau - the only place where you can try this coffee in China - will cost you less than the drink, which will set you back 488 patacas for 35 grams - plus service charge.

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My Comment: $1500 a kilogram for THIS!!!!! Waaaayyyy too rich for my taste.

A Mechanical FISH that Perfectly Mimics The Movement Of Marine Creatures

The Robot Set To Make A Splash! Mechanical FISH Perfectly Mimics The Movement Of Marine Creatures -- Daily Mail

* Robotic fish made of rubber changes direction in a fraction of a second
* Movements are controlled by carbon dioxide from a built-in canister
* Once released, gas passes through a channel, causing the tail to bend
* The fish performs up to 30 manoeuvres before the carbon dioxide runs out
* Its inventor hopes to use it to learn more about the behaviour of fish

Forget clunking, giant humanoid robots, an inventor in the U.S has created a soft machine that is not only waterproof, it perfectly mimics the rapid, elegant movement of a fish.

Andrew Marchese, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), created the soft exterior robot to learn more about how fish behave.

MIT said the robotic fish is ‘the first self-contained autonomous soft robot capable of rapid body motion’ and will be featured in their new Soft Robotics journal.

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My Comment: Impressive video.

50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since The Wheel

The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since The Wheel -- The Atlantic

Why did it take so long to invent the wheelbarrow? Have we hit peak innovation? What our list reveals about imagination, optimism, and the nature of progress.

Some questions you ask because you want the right answer. Others are valuable because no answer is right; the payoff comes from the range of attempts. Seven years ago, The Atlantic surveyed a group of eminent historians to create a ranked list of the 100 people who had done the most to shape the character of modern America. The panelists agreed easily on the top few names—Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, in that order—but then began diverging in intriguing ways that reflected not simply their own values but also the varied avenues toward influence in our country. Lewis and Clark, or Henry Ford? Thomas Edison, or Martin Luther King? The result was of course not scientific. But the exercise of asking, comparing, and choosing helped us understand more about what these historical figures had done and about the areas in which American society had proved most and least open to the changes wrought by talented, determined men and women.

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CSN Editor: The list starts here. My beef with this list is that alphabetization is on it .... but 'numbers' did not make it.

Giant Robot Crab Walks

Giant Robot Crab Walks, Is Probably Coming Right For You -- Popular Science

Next stop: ocean floor.

The Crabster CR200 is a 1,400-pound behemoth of a 'bot soon being sent to the ocean floor—for both scientific and commercial use. Up until now, we've mostly seen it in action through still photos and animations, but here it is, menacingly lumbering into video.

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My Comment: That's one big giant robot crab.

Could We Soon Find Out EXACTLY How Long We’ll Live?

Could We Soon Find Out EXACTLY How Long We’ll Live? Scientists Accurately Work Out Lifespan Of Worms By Analysing Their Cells -- Daily Mail

* Scientists analysed looking at the bursts of activity in mitochondria
* Mitrochondria are the parts of a cell that generates its energy
* The flashes in mitochondria caused by free radicals predicted lifespan
* Findings suggest organism’s lifespan is predictable in early adulthood

Fortune tellers may soon be out of the job.

Scientists have found a way to accurately predict lifespan in worms – a breakthrough that could one day be used to predict how long a human would live.

The secret, they claim, is in looking at the bursts of activity in mitochondria, a part of the cell which generates its energy.

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My Comment:  It seems everything is becoming predictable.

WHO Report: One In Eight People Around The World Die From Air Pollution

People wearing masks are seen on a hazy day at Tiananmen Square in Beijing February 13, 2014. Kim Kyung Hoon—REUTERS

Millions Die Every Year From Air Pollution -- Voice of America

GENEVA — The World Health Organization reports air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk. A new report finds seven million people died from exposure to air pollution in 2012, more than double the number previously estimated in 2008.

Air pollution is a global problem; the World Health Organization reports one in eight people around the world die from air pollution.

It says new data show people exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution die prematurely from cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and ischaemic heart disease, as well as chronic pulmonary diseases and cancer.

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More News On The WHO Report That Claims That Seven Million People Die Globally Each Year From Pollution

WHO: Pollution kills 7 million people every year -- Washington Post/AP
Polluted air linked to 7 million deaths in 2012 - WHO -- Reuters
Tainted Air Kills More Than AIDS, Diabetes, WHO Report Shows -- Bloomberg
Air pollution killed seven million people in 2012: WHO -- The Telegraph
WHO Report: Air Pollution Killed 7 Million People in 2012 -- Time
Air Pollution Kills 7 Million a Year, WHO Says -- NBC

Is This The Most Terrifying Robot Ever?

This Gyrating Animatronic Doll Will Haunt Your Dreams -- io9

The thing dancing in this video is not a person. It's a humanoid installation piece, featuring facial recognition technology that allows it to focus on and follow you with its gaze. And yes, it is freaky as all hell.

On display March 6 – April 19 at David Zwirner Art Gallery in NYC, the unnamed doll is the work of artist Jordan Wolfson, who created the figure in collaboration with creature effects studio Spectral Motion.

There's not a lot about this thing that isn't creepy. There's the metal pole running through its sternum. Its voice (which is actually Wolfson's). The sooty grime smeared across its buttocks, thighs, knees and chest. The version of "Blurred Lines" playing in the background that sounds like it's being performed through a vat of molasses. The gaze that locks onto you and doesn't let go. That mask.

Then, of course, there are the fingers.

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Update: Is this the most terrifying robot ever? Animatronic dancer stares at you as 'she' gyrates to Blurred Lines -- Daily Mail

My Comment: Yup .... freaky as hell.

Building 'Super Telescopes' Is The New Space Race

The race will see sophisticated observatories built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile in an attempt to see the wonders hiding in the outer reaches of the cosmos

New Space Race Begins: Astronomers Compete To Build Next Generation Of 'Super-Telescopes' To Reveal The Hidden Universe -- Daily Mail

* Huge observatories will be built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile
* These include the Giant Magellan Telescope, the Thirty Meter Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope
* Astronomers hope to use these super-telescopes to look at the first stars
* They also plan to uncover life-threatening asteroids heading towards the planet and spot Earth-like worlds

A new space race is heating that could help unravel some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.

Astronomers around the world are going head to head to develop three major telescopes that will be at least 10 times more powerful than anything in operation today.

The race will see sophisticated observatories built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile in an attempt to see the wonders hiding in the outer reaches of the cosmos.

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My Comment: This is a space race that I am all for.

How British Satellite Company Inmarsat Was Able To Track Down Malaysia Flight MH370

UK Firm Behind Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Breakthrough -- BBC

The revelation that flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean is based on new analysis by UK investigators and the British satellite firm Inmarsat, Malaysia's prime minister has said.

Najib Razak said relatives of the flight's 239 passengers and crew had been told of the "heartbreaking" news.

Inmarsat used new techniques to find the plane's last position, he said.

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which probes serious civil aircraft incidents, was also involved.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on 8 March.

The announcement came as the international search effort reached a fifth day of operations in the southern Indian Ocean.

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How British Satellite Company Inmarsat Was Able To Tack Down MH370

Satellite Company Inmarsat Says Its Data Could Help Find Malaysia Airliner -- FOX News
Plane crashed in Indian Ocean according to data -- The Telegraph
Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: French satellite data backs ‘evidence’ that Boeing 777 plane crashed in Indian Ocean -- The Independent
How British satellite company Inmarsat tracked down MH370 -- The Telegraph

DARPA's X-Plane Concepts Revealed

Phantom Swift, built by Boeing, features two large lift fans ¿ inside the fuselage ¿ that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered. It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.

The X-Plane Revealed: US Military Concepts That Can Fly Like A Plane And Hover Like a Helicopter -- Daily Mail

* Four companies have been chosen to develop concepts
* A winner is expected to be chosen in 2015 - with the first test flights scheduled for 2017
* Will be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but land anywhere like a helicopter

The US Military has revealed plans for a radical new type of military aircraft - which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane.

Called the VTOL X-Plane, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded four firms contracts to develop concept planes.

It is hoped they will begin flight tests in 2017, and be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but also land anywhere like a helicopter.

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More News On The X-Plane

X Plane: One step closer to the next military breakthrough -- FOX News
Futuristic Vertical-Flight Aircraft Move Closer to Reality -- NBC
With VTOL X-Planes, DARPA aims for a futuristic lift -- CNet
DARPA contracts for experimental VTOL aircraft design -- UPI
Radical X-Plane Concepts Taking Shape -- Discovery
DARPA's New X-Planes Won't Need Runways—Or Pilots -- Motherboard
Darpa Awards Final VTOL X-Plane Contracts -- AIN Online
US Department of Defense Launches Programme to Improve Unmanned Vertical-Flight Aircraft -- IBTimes
DARPA developing ‘radical’ copter/plane hybrid -- Defense Systems
DARPA awards Phase 1 contracts for VTOL X-Plane program -- Gizmag

My Comment: These concepts look like they came from a Terminator movie.

Drones Can Now Search For Smart Phones That Are Not Secured

This Drone Can Steal What's On Your Phone -- CNN

The next threat to your privacy could be hovering over head while you walk down the street.

Hackers have developed a drone that can steal the contents of your smartphone -- from your location data to your Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) password -- and they've been testing it out in the skies of London. The research will be presented next week at the Black Hat Asia cybersecurity conference in Singapore.

The technology equipped on the drone, known as Snoopy, looks for mobile devices with Wi-Fi settings turned on.

Snoopy takes advantage of a feature built into all smartphones and tablets: When mobile devices try to connect to the Internet, they look for networks they've accessed in the past.

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My Comment: More evidence that our private lives are not really private.

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Makes A Surprise Visit At The TED 2014 Conference In Vancouver

Robot Snowden Promises More US Spying Revelations Via TED Talk -- The Australian/AFP

FORMER intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has emerged from his Russian exile in the form of a remotely-controlled robot to promise more sensational revelations about US spying programs.

The fugitive's face appeared on a screen as he manoeuvred the wheeled android around a stage at the TED gathering, addressing an audience in Vancouver without ever leaving his secret hideaway.

“There are absolutely more revelations to come,” he said. “Some of the most important reporting to be done is yet to come.” Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who has been charged in the United States with espionage, dismissed the public debate about whether he is a heroic whistleblower or traitor.

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More News On Edward Snowden Making A Surprise Visit At The TED 2014 Conference In Vancouver

Robot Snowden promises more US spying revelations -- Phys.org
Edward Snowden: The Biggest Revelations Are Yet to Come -- Mashable
Snowden: Big revelations to come, reporting them is not a crime -- Wired
Edward Snowden Makes Surprise TED Vancouver Appearance -- Huffington Post
Snowden's robot promises more revelations -- ZDNet
Father of the Web Meets a Robot Edward Snowden, Calls Him a Hero -- Wired
Just A Google Co-Founder Chillin’ With Robo-Snowden -- Tech Crunch

My Comment: The above video is captivating to listen to.

Syria To Set Up A Space Agency

The Syrian government has set up a space agency. Seriously. It is called the Syrian Space Agency. http://t.co/qEOKaBhzRf
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) March 18, 2014

Syria Has Set Up A Space Agency -- Washington Post

The Syrian news agency announced Tuesday that the cabinet approved a bill creating the Syrian Space Agency, "a public body of a scientific research nature." From our Beirut bureau chief:

Countries don't have to have the money and resources of the United States or Russia to mount a space program. India launched an unmanned orbiter to Mars in November for just $74 million, for example. Nigeria has a national space agency. So does Ukraine. And Syria didn't say what its space program is doing. But the announcement comes just days after the third anniversary of a conflict that has killed more than 140,000 and created 2.5 million refugees.

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Update #1: Syria creates 'space agency' despite war -- AFP
Update #2: Syria Creates 'Space Agency' as War Rages On -- NBC/Reuters

My Comment: This makes no sense at all.

Here Are The Robots That Are Defending America's Nuclear Material Stockpiles

These incredible carts work as security staff for the Nevada Nuclear Stockpile Site. One control centre can operate 16 vehicles at once

Caddy Not Included: The Unmanned Robotic Golf Cart That Can Detect Intruders And Is Tasked With Defending American Nuclear Materials Stockpile -- Daily Mail

* Incredible machines patrol the site in the same way as security staff
* Detect intruders from 600 feet by looking for signs such as an ajar door
* Up to 16 vehicles can be operated by one control centre
* Thanks to the caddies the site expects to make $7million in savings

Humans, normally charged with watching over America's nuclear stockpiles, could soon be out of a job after an unmanned robotic golf cart has been created which can do the same thing - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The stockpile, stored at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), is being watched over by a fleet of these incredible machines.

Known as a Mobile Detection, Assessment and Response System (MADR) the diesel-powered carts are fitted with three types of sensors.

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My Comment: It will only be a matter of time before these platforms are armed and readu to go.

Global Warming Will Cause Violent Conflict, Displace Hundreds Of Millions Of People And Wipe Trillions Of Dollars Off The Global Economy

Climate Change: Leaked Draft Of UN IPCC Report Predicts Global Warming Will Cause Violent Conflict, Displace Millions Of People And Wipe Trillions Of Dollars Off The Global Economy -- The Independent

Climate change will displace hundreds of millions of people by the end of this century, increasing the risk of violent conflict and wiping trillions of dollars off the global economy, a forthcoming UN report will warn.

The second of three publications by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to be made public at the end of this month, is the most comprehensive investigation into the impact of climate change ever undertaken. A draft of the final version seen by The Independent says the warming climate will place the world under enormous strain, forcing mass migration, especially in Asia, and increasing the risk of violent conflict.

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My Comment: I am old enough to remember the same alarmist warnings about "global cooling" in the 1970s. The fact is that climate change has been a integral part of earth history since the beginning of time .... and while the debate has always been on mankind's contribution to these changes .... I tend to look more at the sun as the principle reason for this change ... both now and throughout history. And if mankind does have an influence on climate .... I will say that this impact is more on a micro level (not macro level). I need only to look at the pollution levels in Beijing to see the impact that it is having on that environment .... an impact that is "not at all pretty".

Update: I live in Montreal, Canada .... it is -15C right now .... far far far colder than usual.

Europe's Changing Border Over Last 1,000 Years

My Comment: Things do not last forever.

Facebook Founder Zuckerberg Complains To President Obama On NSA Spying

US President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg together in 2011. Photo: Reuters

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Called Obama on NSA Frustration -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Facebook Inc. (FB:US) Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said he called U.S. President Barack Obama to express his frustration over the government’s spying.

“The U.S. government should be the champion for the Internet, not a threat,” he wrote in a post on his Facebook page today. “They need to be much more transparent about what they’re doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst.”

Zuckerberg’s comments follow reports that the National Security Agency has been disguising itself as Facebook to gain access to users’ computers for spying, according to documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to the online news site The Intercept. It was the latest in a string of revelations about government surveillance that led Facebook, along with Google Inc., Apple Inc. and others, to call on the U.S. to disclose more about government requests for user data.

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More News On Facebook Founder Complaining To President Obama On NSA Spying

Facebook's Zuckerberg: Obama's Government Is 'Damaging' Our Future -- Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg phoned Obama to complain about spying -- Reuters
‘Frustrated’ Mark Zuckerberg blasts Obama administration over privacy -- Washington Times
Mark Zuckerberg 'confused and frustrated' by US spying -- BBC
Mark Zuckerberg Is ‘Confused and Frustrated’ With President Obama Over Facebook Snooping -- New York Magazine
Zuckerberg phones Obama, ‘frustrated’ by NSA’s extensive spying -- FOX News
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg phoned US President Barack Obama to complain about spying -- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark Zuckerberg: US government surveillance is a threat to the internet -- The Guardian
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg: Washington is ‘a threat’ to the Internet -- Washington Post
Facebook’s Zuckerberg lashes out at Obama over NSA spy program -- RT
Zuckerberg Says He Called Obama To Express 'Frustration' Over NSA Surveillance -- Forbes
Facebook's Zuckerberg Complains to Obama Over Government Spying -- New York Times
Mark Zuckerberg called Obama about the NSA. Let's not hang up the phone -- The Guardian
Mark Zuckerberg called President Obama to complain about NSA surveillance -- The Verge
Zuckerberg responds to 'frustrating' reports of NSA spoofing Facebook, while the agency denies them -- Endgadget

Newest NSA Revelation: NSA Has Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware

NSA Reportedly Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware -- Seattle Times/L.A. Times

The NSA has been using a program code-named Turbine to contaminate computers and networks with malware “implants” capable of spying on users, according to news website The Intercept.

The National Security Agency has reportedly used automated systems to infect user computers with malware since 2010, according to a Wednesday report. And at times the agency pretended to be Facebook to install its malware.

The NSA has been using a program code-named Turbine to contaminate computers and networks with malware “implants” capable of spying on users, according to news website The Intercept, which cited documents provided by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Between 85,000 and 100,000 of these implants have been deployed worldwide thus far, the report said.

To infect computers with malware, the NSA has relied on various tactics, including posing as Facebook.

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More News On The Latest NSA Revelation That The NSA Has Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware

How the NSA Plans to Infect ‘Millions’ of Computers with Malware -- The Intercept
Snowden: NSA uses fake Facebook to hack into users’ computers -- Washington Times
NSA mimics criminals in bid to infect millions of computers, report says -- Christian Science Monitor
NSA's Malware Methods Outed in Latest Leak -- NBC
NSA 'hijacked' criminal botnets to install spyware -- Reuters
Snowden leak: NSA plans to infect ‘millions’ of computers -- RT
NSA's TURBINE robot can pump 'malware into MILLIONS of PCs' -- The Register
The NSA Has Impersonated Facebook To Spread Malware -- Gizmodo
The NSA Is Using Facebook to Hack Into Your Computer -- Nextgov
New Documents Show NSA Uses Fake Facebook Profiles To Spread Malware -- Opposing Views
NSA Has Been Hijacking the Botnets of Other Hackers -- Threat Level
NSA: We didn’t pose as Facebook -- The Hill
NSA says “indiscriminate” Facebook hacking allegations “are simply false” -- Ars Technica
The NSA Responds To Allegations It Impersonated Facebook And Infected PCs With Malware -- Tech Crunch
NSA denies mass Internet infection and website impersonation -- Slash Gear

Russia To Embrace Robot Senties To Protect Its Strategic Missile Facilities

Russian Military to Deploy Security Bots at Missile Bases. © RIA Novosti. Sergei Pyatakov

Russian Military To Deploy Security Bots At Missile Bases -- RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is planning to deploy mobile security robots in 2014 to protect its strategic missile facilities, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

“In March, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces [RVSN] began testing mobile robotic systems being developed to protect key RVSN installations,” spokesman Maj. Dmitry Andreyev said.

Andreyev said the security bots will be deployed at five ballistic missile launch sites around Russia as part of an upgrade to the existing automated security systems.

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My Comment: I am curious to know if the U.S. has such a set-up also.

Robots Will Be Smarter Than Us All By 2029

Photo: Google has spent billions of its £57bn fortune quietly buying up the world’s top robotics companies including Boston Dynamics, the company behind this robot

Robots Will Be Smarter Than Us All By 2029, Warns AI Expert Ray Kurzweil -- The Independent

World’s leading futurologist predicts computers will soon be able to flirt, learn from experience and even make jokes

By 2029, computers will be able to understand our language, learn from experience and outsmart even the most intelligent humans, according to Google’s director of engineering Ray Kurzweil.

One of the world’s leading futurologists and artificial intelligence (AI) developers, 66-year-old Kurzweil has previous form in making accurate predictions about the way technology is heading.

In 1990 he said a computer would be capable of beating a chess champion by 1998 – a feat managed by IBM’s Deep Blue, against Garry Kasparov, in 1997.

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Update: Computer robots will outsmart humans within 15 years, Google director claims (and a giant laboratory for artificial intelligence is already planned) -- Daily Mail

My Comment: This is an optimistic prediction .... but I will admit that Kurzweil has a better track record than I do.

How Can An Airliner Just Disappear?

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: How Can an Airliner Just Disappear? -- Popular Mechanics

Improvements suggested after similar midair disaster never made their way into this Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777.

The clock is ticking on the search for clues to what caused a Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines 777-200 to vanish suddenly from radar screens last weekend, forty minutes after leaving Kuala Lumpur. As leads and potential evidence surfaced and just as quickly fizzled, a flotilla of 40 ships from nine countries as well as two dozen aircraft scoured an area within a 50 nautical mile radius of Flight 370's last known position.

The mystery has seemed to deepen days after the event, and the possibility that the answers lay at the bottom of the sea in the plane's black boxes is ratcheting up the pressure. As anyone who has followed the course of similar mid-air catastrophes knows, these recorders emit a ping to guide rescuers that lasts about one month. Failure to find them before the battery dies means a lengthy and frustrating probe for the causes of the disaster.

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My Comment: It is clear that the aircraft had a catastrophic failure. The question that needs to be answered is .... what exactly happened.

How To Disappear From The Internet

The infographic, pictured, from London-based WhoIsHostingThis, details the nine steps needed to remove yourself from the web. It includes deactivating accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

How To DISAPPEAR From The Internet: Nine-Step Guide Helps People Vanish Without A Trace And Then Surf Anonymously -- Daily Mail

* Hosting firm created a graphic explaining how to disappear from the web
* The nine steps include deactivating accounts and setting up fake profiles
* For people who'd rather hide, the guide suggests anonymous searching
* The graphic gives step-by-step instructions on how to carry out each task
* It also recommends Google’s URL removal tool, and contacting websites

Could you give up the internet for Lent - or even for good?

Following various reports about companies stealing information and complaints about oversharing on social media, a web hosting firm has created a nine-step guide on how to disappear from the web completely.

It includes deactivating accounts, removing links from search results and how to remove yourself from various lists - and for people who'd rather just stay hidden than disappear, the guide also gives tips on how to use the internet anonymously.

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My Comment: It is a lot of work to disappear from the web .... but this is a good start.

Google Glass Copycats

Epson Moverio BT-200. Jonathon Kambouris

5 Glasses That Can Change How You See The World -- Popular Science

Google Glass might not have done much to move fashion forward, but it has inspired a bevy of copycats—many of which will be on the market before Glass. Some of them are subtle, some futuristic, and some seem plucked straight from 1950s B-movies. The common thread: All of them will transform how we interact with our surroundings. How we’ll look wearing them is another story entirely.

The Awkward Scale: Smart glasses come with sacrifices, such as looking awkward. So we ranked the current models on a scale of 1–5, with 1 being the least awkward. As a baseline, Glass rates a 3.

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My Comment: Epson Moverio BT-200 appears to be the winner (above pic).

The Future Of Wind Turbines?

Sheerwind has designed an alternative to bladed wind systems that uses a series of funnels and tubes. Its Invelox turbine, pictured, directs winds into a funnel and through a tube to the turbine's generator on the ground. Sheerwind claim it produces 600% more energy than the traditional designs

The Future Of Wind Turbines? Bizarre-Looking Funnel Produces SIX Times More Energy Than Traditional Designs -- Daily Mail

* The Sheerwind Invelox turbine directs wind through a funnel
* This wind is passed through a tube towards the turbine’s generator
* The movement creates a ‘jet effect’ which increases the wind’s velocity
* Sheerwind claims the turbine can work at speeds as low as 2mph
* It produces 600% more electrical energy than commercial blade systems
* It is scalable meaning smaller versions could be used in back gardens

Wind turbines may be considered an eco-friendly way to generate electricity, but they're heavily criticised for blotting the landscape and killing hundreds of birds.

Minnesota-based Sheerwind has designed a bizarre-looking alternative to these bladed systems that uses a series of funnels and tubes.

In its Invelox turbine, winds as low as 2mph are directed into a funnel and through a tube to the turbine’s generator on the ground.

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My Comment: If true .... this is a big game changer in the wind industry.

NASA's MAVEN Mission Successfully Blasts Off To Solve Major Martian Mystery

NASA Launches Robotic Explorer To Mars -- Washington Post

CAPE CANAVERAL — NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on Monday on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.

The Maven spacecraft is scheduled to make it to Mars next fall following a journey of more than 440 million miles.

Scientists want to know why Mars went from being warm and wet during its first billion years to cold and dry today. The early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life. But much of that atmosphere may have been lost to space, eroded by the sun.

Maven set off through a cloudy sky Monday afternoon in its effort to provide answers. An unmanned Atlas V rocket propelled the spacecraft toward Mars, launch controllers applauded and shook hands over the success.

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Update: What happened to Mars' atmosphere? MAVEN now on way to find out. -- Christian Science Monitor

My Comment: We will get some answers one year from now.

Are Terminator-Robots The Soldiers Of The Future?

Robot-at-arms: Atlas is 6 foot, 2 inches tall and weighs 330 pounds. (Credit: DARPA/Boston Dynamics)

Be Afraid: DARPA Unveils Terminator-Like Atlas Robot -- CNet

Atlas looks like the prototype for a future robot infantryman, and it can tackle rough terrain and carry human tools. Can you say "Skynet"?

If you're short of nightmare fuel, say hello to Atlas.

On Thursday, DARPA unveiled this hulking, 6-foot robot developed by Boston Dynamics, creator of the infamous BigDog and other scary creatures. Surprisingly, the 330-pound terror is designed to help us meatsacks.

Atlas is a testbed humanoid for disaster response, but it looks like it knows its way around a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range. Fortunately, it comes from Massachusetts, not the future.

We've seen hints of Atlas with Boston Dynamics' Petman soldier robot, which can do pushups and run on a treadmill.

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More News On DARPA's Newest Robot

ATLAS: Probably the Most Advanced Humanoid Yet, Definitely Terrifying -- Gizmodo
DARPA's Newest Robot Is The Coolest And Most Terrifying Creation Yet -- Business Insider
DARPA robot no longer just a computer simulation -- The Business Of Robots
DARPA's ATLAS humanoid robot gears up for disaster response -- Gizmag
DARPA unveils 6-foot-tall humanoid robot Atlas for researchers to program and pilot -- The Verge
Details on DARPA Robotics Challenge Trial Events -- IEEE Spectrum
Domo arigato, Mr Atlas -- CNet
This Robot Can Survive Being Hit By A Wrecking Ball -- WebProNews
DARPA ATLAS Humanoid Robot is Here -- Robots.net

The CIA Invests In 'Narrative Science'

Narrative Science: The CIA is Investing in Artificial Intelligence That Actually Works -- Policymic

As part of the Central Intelligence Agency's growing trend of partnering with the private sector, the CIA announced Wednesday that it would be investing in Narrative Science, a Chicago-based startup that uses computers to make sense of data and present it in prose. Once a leader of technology innovation, the CIA recognized it could not compete for IT innovation and talent with private profit-driven firms. In one of the more impressive government adjustment to economic pressures, the CIA has changed the way the government creates IT innovation.

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More News On The CIA And 'Narrative Science'

The CIA Invests in Robot Writers -- Mashable
The CIA takes an interest in Narrative Science’s quick summaries of big data -- Gigaom
The CIA Invests in Narrative Science and Its Automated Writers -- All Things D
CIA invests in robot journalism -- Poynter
Narrative Science goes beyond ‘robot journalism’ with CIA investment -- Venture Beat
Local AI startup gets CIA-linked funding -- Chicago Tribune
Chicago's Narrative Science lands deal with the CIA -- Chicago Business

A Guide To Killer Robots Everywhere

Semi-Autonomous Killer Drones From Around The Globe -- Killer Apps/Foreign Policy

With the United Nations Human Rights Council debating the development of lethal robots at its meeting in Geneva today, Human Rights Watch is ramping up its campaign to get world governments to preemptively ban the use of killer robots that can decide to attack a target without consulting their human controllers first. Despite the fact that the Pentagon has said that U.S. drones will not be able to fire weapons without "appropriate" levels of human control, HRW worries that battlefield necessity will do away with such voluntary restrictions.

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My Comment: A brief but concise review.

Interpreting Global Flight-Path Maps

Global Flight-Path Maps: Five Interpretations -- BBC

Michael Markieta's images depicting flight paths across the planet attracted huge interest from our readers. What do the maps reveal? We asked five experts to give their interpretation.

The art critic

Wow, it's beautiful. It is not only dealing with two-dimensionality, it's trying to create three dimensions, or four dimensions - giving you a notion that you are travelling across the surface of this image.

It's almost like contemporary fractalisation - based on fractals, those beautiful divisions of science and nature. A number of artists have exploited them. Max Ernst based a lot of his surreal landscapes on fractalisation.

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My Comment: Northeastern U.S., Europe, and northeastern Asia .... those are the hot spots for air travel.

WHO Chief: Novel Coronavirus 'Poses A Threat To The Entire World'

 

New SARS-Like Virus Is A 'Threat To The Entire World' -- CNN 

(CNN) -- A new SARS-like virus recently found in humans is "a threat to the entire world," according to the director-general of the United Nations' World Health Organization.

The so-called novel coronavirus "is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself," Margaret Chan said Monday in her closing remarks at the 66th World Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

The world needs to pull together its resources to properly tackle the virus which, Chan said, is her "greatest concern" at present.

"We understand too little about this virus when viewed against the magnitude of its potential threat," she said, and more information is needed "quickly" and "urgently."

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More News On The Novel Coronavirus Posing A Threat To The Entire World  

UN health chief urges global cooperation to tackle novel coronavirus threat -- UN News Centre
WHO Chief Sounds Alarm Over Novel Coronavirus, 'A Threat To The Entire World' -- RTT
WHO calls Middle Eastern virus, MERS, ‘threat to the entire world’ as death toll rises -- New York Daily News First coronavirus sufferer in France dies in hospital -- Reuters
French man, 65, dies from SARS-like virus as World Health Organisation warns deadly disease is global threat -- Daily Mail
A timeline of SARS-like virus -- Global Post/AFP

What It’s Like Inside A Violent Tornado (Video)

Incredible Video: What It’s Like Inside A Violent Tornado -- Washington Post

It might strike you as foolish, but storm chasers Brandon Ivey and Sean Casey literally rode out a raging tornado with winds to 175 mph from inside a motor vehicle on Memorial Day. 

Watch the astonishing, “ear-popping” video below… 

But the vehicle, positioned intentionally to bear the brunt of the raging Kansas vortex, is no ordinary vehicle. 

Called the Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2 (TIV2, the second vehicle of its kind), it is designed to withstand a top of the scale EF-5 twister, with winds over 200 mph. 

Wikipedia offers the following details on this 14,000+ pound, armor-reinforced machine:  

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My Comment: What a terrifying experience lasting two minutes.

Nuclear Detonation Timeline "1945-1998" (Video)

From YouTube: The 2053 nuclear tests and explosions that took place between 1945 and 1998 are plotted visually and audibly on a world map.

As the video starts out detonations are few and far between. The first three detonations represent the Manhattan Project and the two bombs that ended World War II.

After a few representative minutes the USSR and Britain enter the nuclear club and the testing really starts to heat up.

Even though the video does not differentiate between sub-critical "safety" tests and full detonations, you get a good idea of the fever of the nuclear arms race. T

he time line does not extent to tests by North Korea (October 2006 and May 2009).

Video credit: goes to Isao Hashimoto (www.ctbto.org/specials/1945-1998-by-isa­o-hashimoto/) The video was cleaned up, re-sized and edited to fit You tube's 10min limit by the folks at Bit of Fun  

My Comment: A mesmerizing video .... check it out.

End Of The World In 2036?

Asteroid Apocalypse -- Michio Kaku, The Daily Beast/Newsweek

The recent crash-down in Russia was a fleabite. The one in 2036 could destroy entire nations...

It was an amazing spectacle, a rapid succession of giant asteroids blazing across the sky. First, on February 15, Russia was hit with the biggest asteroid in 100 years. Barely a few hours later, an even bigger one made the closest approach to Earth ever recorded for an asteroid of its size. Then the residents of San Francisco, Cuba, and south Florida looked up and saw meteors streak across the sky, rattling their nerves.

It was a historic display of nature’s cosmic firepower, something I never expected to see in my lifetime. Mother Nature was showing Hollywood who’s boss.

The city of Chelyabinsk in Russia bore the brunt of the celestial fireworks. A piece of rock, about 50 feet across and weighing more than 7,000 tons, came crashing to Earth. Traveling at a blinding speed of over 40,000 miles per hour, it created a sonic boom and shock wave that shattered windows across the city: 1,200 people were injured, mainly by the flying pieces of glass, and 52 were hospitalized, 2 of them in serious condition. Chelyabinsk, once known as one of the most polluted places in the world due to its storage of nuclear waste, will now be known as “meteor city.”  

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My Comment: We have been bombarded by these meteorite strikes in the past .... and I suspect that we will in the future. I only hope that in the future we have the capability to prevent such catastrophes from hitting us.

What A Nuclear Accident May Cost

World Nuclear Association

Major Nuclear Accident Would Cost France $580 Billion: Study -- Reuters

(Reuters) - A nuclear accident similar to the one at Japan's Fukushima reactor would cost France about 430 billion euros ($580 billion), or 20 percent of its economic output, French nuclear safety institute IRSN said in a study on the possible financial impact of a nuclear crisis.

A major disaster damaging one of France's 58 nuclear reactors and contaminating the environment with radioactive material would displace an estimated 100,000 people, destroy crops and create massive power outages, the study said.

 "A major accident would have terrible consequences, but we would have to deal with them because the country wouldn't be annihilated, so we have to talk about it, however difficult it is," Jacques Repussard, the head of the public-funded IRSN, said on Wednesday at a presentation at the Cadarache nuclear research centre in southeastern France.

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My Comment: The Chernobyl disaster left a legacy that will be present in that part of the Ukraine for centuries .... and the cost is unimaginable. If such a disaster should strike France .... ditto there. Now just imagine what a nuclear war would cost.

The Top 50 Things People Want To Do Before They Die

Dreams: Swimming with dolphins is 19th on the list, but sadly most of us will only fulfill five of our ambitions 

See The Seven Wonders Of The World, Go On Safari And Swim With Dolphins: The Top 50 Things People Want To Do Before They Die -- Daily Mail 

* Researchers complied checklist of lifelong ambitions of the average adult
* But sadly they found most people will only ever fulfill five of their dreams
* The study revealed that 12 per cent of people have no ambitions at all
* Becoming a millionaire and travelling the world are the top two goals

Seeing the seven wonders of the world, going on safari in Africa and swimming with dolphins are among the list of 50 things the average person wants to do before they die.

But sadly researchers have found that most adults will only ever fulfill five of their lifelong ambitions.

Many feel they do not have enough time to tick off the experiences, while others admit to not being fit or adventurous enough or being too afraid of getting hurt.

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CSN Editor: #7 is on the top of my list.

Richard III Remains Are Confirmed

It IS Richard III: Scientists Reveal DNA Results Confirm 15th Century King's Body Has Been Found Under A Car Park In Leicester -- Daily Mail 

* University of Leicester academics unveil their findings at press conference 

* DNA sample matches that of a descendant of the king's maternal line 

 * Skeleton's spinal curvature also matched accounts of the humpback king 

 * Remains were uncovered by archaeologists at former church in Leicester 

* Historical records say he was taken to the city after he was killed in 1485 

Human remains found buried beneath a social services car park in Leicester are those of Richard III who was killed in battle in 1485, archaeologists confirmed today. 

In an extraordinary discovery which rewrites the history books, the skeleton of the last of the Plantagenet kings was identified by DNA analysis after researchers traced his living descendants. 

Investigators from the University of Leicester today revealed that the remains bore the marks of ten injuries inflicted shortly before his death. 

More gruesome, however, was evidence of ‘humiliation’ injuries, including several head wounds - part of the skull was sliced away - a cut to the ribcage and a pelvic wound likely caused by an upward thrust of a weapon, through the buttock.  

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My Comment: This closes the chapter on one fascinating archaeological hunt.

The Rise Of The Robots

Obama Must Face The Rise Of The Robots -- Edward Luce, Financial Times 

Technology will leave a large chunk of the US labour force in the lurch. Early in his first term Barack Obama joked that he would “keep an eye on the robots in case they try anything”. He should have known resistance is futile. During Mr Obama’s presidency, IBM’s Watson has proved computers can outfox the most agile minds, drones have become America’s weapon of choice, the driverless car is now a reality and the word “app” has been detached from its origin. No longer the realm of science fiction, the rise of robots now poses the central economic dilemma of the Obama era.

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My Comment: The genie is out of the bottle .... I doubt that it can be plugged back in.

A Second Oval Office For The President?

2nd Oval Office Readied In White House Rehab Project -- Real Clear Politics

This summer there will be two Oval Offices in the White House complex, and it won’t be a case of double vision. In preparation for a major, two-year renovation of the West Wing, the government is undertaking extensive work to complete a new executive office for President Obama at the south end of the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building, RCP has learned.

The president’s facsimile Oval Office, created as a nearly identical replica of the most famous ovoid room in the world, is slated to be ready for occupancy by August if Obama is ready to move and if design challenges are resolved. The build-out of the new “West Wing quarters” inside the Eisenhower building has begun, but unforeseen construction hurdles may alter plans for the eventual placement of the new office inside the EEOB, according to several knowledgeable sources.

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My Comment: There can only be one Oval Office .... the other office may look like it .... but it does not have it's history .... it is just a replica.

Remembering Colombia

"It Broke Up! The Shuttle Broke Up!": Remembering Columbia -- CBS News

As some might reckon it, the beginning of the end for NASA's space shuttle program came 10 years ago Friday, at 8:48:39 a.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003. That's when strain gauge V12G9921A, a sensor in the shuttle Columbia's left wing, began registering a small but unusual increase in stress as the spaceplane descended from orbit to close out its 28th mission.

Twenty seconds later, a temperature sensor followed suit. Over the next few minutes, a shuttle data recorder captured a cascade of alarming sensor readings and failures on the left side of the spacecraft that clearly indicated a rapidly unfolding catastrophe.  

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My Comment: Wow .... it's already been 10 years.

A New Test For Pancreatic Cancer?

Did This 15-Year-Old Just Change The Course Of Medicine? Schoolboy Invents Early Test For Pancreatic Cancer That Killed Steve Jobs -- Daily Mail 

* Jack Andraka's new test detects pancreatic cancer earlier than any other
* Deadly disease currently kills 19 out of 20 within five years
* He claims his invention could raise survival rates to 'close to 100 per cent'

A 15-year-old schoolboy could save millions of lives after he invented a new, low-cost test that can detect the early stages of a deadly form of cancer.

Jack Andraka from Crownsville, Maryland, developed a simple dip-stick test for levels of mesothelin, a biomarker for early stage pancreatic cancer found in blood and urine.

It promises to revolutionise treatment of the disease, which currently kills 19 out of 20 sufferers after five years - largely because its so difficult to detect until its final stages.

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My Comment: I am sure that before being available to the public that more testing will need to be done. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this is a breakthrough..

Darpa Wants To Put Lasers On Fighter Jets

DARPA Putting Laser Turrets On Fighter Jets Next Year -- DVice

Our first foray into laser-equipped combat aircraft was the Airborne Laser Testbed, a Boeing 747 with a gigantic chemically-pumped megawatt laser turret in its nose. It was pretty awesome from a conceptual standpoint, but it didn't work very well, and was scrapped last year.

This doesn't mean that the idea of high-powered lasers on aircraft doesn't make a lot of sense, and DARPA is still for ways to make it work. It's working on two at the moment: the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS), and Aero-Adaptive/Aero-Optic Beam Control (ABC).  

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More News On DARPA Wanting To Put Laser Weapons On Fighter Jets

US Military Will Install Laser Turrets on Bombers and Fighter Jets -- Gizmodo
U.S. fighter jets to use Star Wars-style onboard laser weapons by 2014 -- Science Recorder
DARPA plans to put laser turrets on fighter jets in 2014 -- Slash Gear
Pentagon wants laser weapons on fighter jets -- TG Daily
The Pentagon Plans To Test More Airborne Laser Weapons As Soon As Next Year -- Popular Science Lasers on planes to be tested by US military -- Global Post

California Has A New Earthquake Alert System

The California area's probability of suffering an earthquake 

New $80million Earthquake Alert System Will Give Californians 60 Seconds To 'Duck And Cover' Before Worst Shock-Waves Hit -- Daily Mail 

* System will use 2,000 sensors already in place to look for 'p-waves', precursors to earthquakes
* Will provide 60 second warning, giving residents 'critical seconds' to prepare
* U.S. Geological Survey predicts a 99 percent chance of a magnitude-6.7 earthquake or larger in the next 30 years in California Plans for an £50 million ($80m)

Earthquake early warning system for California have been unveiled.

The ShakeAlert system, which has taken ten years to develop, would give a minute's warning of a major quake.

Experts say this would give residents critical time for residents to 'duck and cover' and for utilities to power down.

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My Comment: The above image is one of the best maps on the area's probability of suffering an earthquake that I seen in a long time. 

Is Earth’s Global Warming Less Severe Than Feared?

Norway Data Shows Earth’s Global Warming Less Severe Than Feared -- Bloomberg 

New estimates from a Norwegian research project show meeting targets for minimizing global warming may be more achievable than previously thought.

After the planet’s average surface temperature rose through the 1990s, the increase has almost leveled off at the level of 2000, while ocean water temperature has also stabilized, the Research Council of Norway said in a statement on its website.

After applying data from the past decade, the results showed temperatures may rise 1.9 degrees Celsius if Co2 levels double by 2050, below the 3 degrees predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “The Earth’s mean temperature rose sharply during the 1990s,” said Terje Berntsen, a professor at the University of Oslo who worked on the study. “This may have caused us to overestimate climate sensitivity.”

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My Comment: Ooopppsss ....

US Soldier Who Lost All Limbs Undergoes Successful Double-Arm Transplant

Iraq Vet Undergoes Successful Double-Arm Transplant -- CNN

(CNN) -- A U.S. Army infantryman who lost all four limbs in a 2009 roadside explosion in Iraq has undergone radical transplant surgery that may help him regain use of his arms. Last month, the 26-year-old infantryman had successful surgery -- a rare double arm transplant -- at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

"It feels amazing," Marrocco told reporters Wednesday. "It is something that I was waiting for for a long time, and now that it happened, I don't know what to say, because it is such a big thing for my life." The last thing Marrocco remembers before being hit by an explosion in 2009 was that he was driving an armored vehicle.  

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More News On An Iraq Vet undergoing A Successful Double-Arm Transplant

Johns Hopkins Hospital performs double arm transplant on Army soldier -- Washington Post
Soldier who lost 4 limbs has double-arm transplant -- AP
US soldier who lost all limbs gets new arms -- BBC
Quadruple amputee vet says new arms feel "amazing" -- CBS
Double-arm transplant soldier 'getting a second chance' -- NBC
Soldier with new arms determined to be independent -- Wall Street Journal
Transplant patient says new arms feel like his own -- Washington Post
Former US soldier Brendan Marrocco gets double arm transplant -- The Australian  

My Comment: It is amazing on what science is capable of doing right now.

Making Drones To Follow You Around All Day

The tiny little MeCam. Photo: Always Innovating 

Tiny Robot Helicopter Will Follow You Around, Filming Everything You Do -- Smithsonian 

Do you want to obsessively share every detail of your life with everyone you know? Maybe you spend so much time playing video games that you would really just feel more comfortable having a third-person perspective on your own life?

Maybe, you’re really short and just want to know what’s going on around you. Whatever the case may be, advances in technology have now brought our society to the point where you will soon be able to buy a tiny little camera-equipped robot helicopter that will automatically follow you around and film every single thing you do.

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My Comment: This technology is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day.