What Plants Will Survive Climate Change

Wilted tree leaves in a Hawaiian forest during the extreme drought of 2010-11, which was the worst in at least 11 years and was federally designated a natural disaster. The tree is an alahee (Psydrax odorata). (Credit: Faith Inman-Narahari)

Which Plants Will Survive Droughts, Climate Change? -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 6, 2012) — New research by UCLA life scientists could lead to predictions of which plant species will escape extinction from climate change.

Droughts are worsening around the world, posing a great challenge to plants in all ecosystems, said Lawren Sack, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and senior author of the research. Scientists have debated for more than a century how to predict which species are most vulnerable.

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My Comment: I would also like to see a study on what plants will prosper with climate change .... that severe droughts in one area may result in heavy rainfalls and/or warmer climates in another that in the past was more accustom to colder/dryer periods.

Conserving The Titanic Wreck

The sunken Titanic in a grab from a video shot by Dr Robert Ballard in 2004 Photo: National Geographic

Titanic Explorer 'To Dispatch Deep-Water Robots To Conserve The Wreck' -- The Telegraph

The ocean explorer who led the team that discovered the remains of the Titanic has drawn up plans to dispatch deep-water robots to the floor of the North Atlantic to conserve the wreck.

Robert Ballard fears that the Titanic is at risk of disintegration.

It was 100 years ago this week that the liner set sail from Southampton for New York on her maiden voyage. Maritime officials and experts have warned the vessel, which hit an iceberg in April 1912 is rusting away at the bottom of the ocean.

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My Comment: Faster please.

Radio Telescope Will Be Powered by $43-Million IBM Supercomputer

Radio Telescope Square Kilometer Array Will Be Powered by $43-Million IBM Supercomputer -- Sci Tech Daily

The world’s largest telescope will be the Square Kilometer Array, and when it starts peering into radio waves emanating from the skies, it will generate 1,000,000 terabytes of data each day. All of this data needs to be processed, and IBM is building a supercomputer to handle it.

1,000,000 terabytes, or one exabyte, is a lot of information, and it will be generated by 15,000 small antennas and 77 larger stations. The main focus of the Square Kilometer Array is to shed light on the origins of the Big Bang. One exabyte a day, that’s twice as much information as there is traffic on the Internet each day.

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My Comment: I can see the line-up of radio astronomers waiting to get their hands on the data from this project.

Rise Of The Drones: Photos Of Unmanned Aircraft

Amazing Unmanned Aircraft
Credit: NASADrones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are used by the military in a number of ways, including missile testing, air strikes, aerial refueling, surveillance, transporting cargo, live-fire exercises and even long-range bombing. The U.S. military began experimenting with unmanned aircrafts as early as World War I, but they were called remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) at the time. Today, UAVs are used by various organizations, including the U.S. Air Force, Navy and the U.S. Geological Survey.

WNU Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

The Business Of Cancer

The Business Of Cancer -- Al Jazeera

As advancements in DNA sequencing technology lead to personalised treatments, we examine the cost of the war on cancer.

It has been more than 40 years since Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act of 1971, beginning the 'war on cancer'. There have been notable successes since, particularly with childhood cancers. Childhood leukemia, once a death sentence, now has survival rates approaching 90 per cent. The American Cancer Society estimates that 767,000 cancer deaths were prevented over the last 20 years.

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My Comment: In short .... it's big business.

Origins Of The Universe

Origins Of The Universe Exposed In Dazzling 3D Videos -- Live Science

Some of the greatest mysteries of the universe, such as how the first stars were formed, spring to life in a new series of awe-inspiring 3D videos that will be shown at museums and universities in California and New York.

The full-color, high-definition 3D animations depict a range of compelling cosmic scenes, including swirling veils of gas and dust from exploding stars, colorful galaxy clusters, dynamic star formation and enigmatic dark matter.

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My Comment: Awesome video.

'Epidermal Electronics' Tattoos

Purely medicinal? Tattoos, or 'epidermal electronics’, could be a regular feature at the surgery

'Epidermal Electronics' Tattoos: A Giant Step Forward For Cyborgs -- The Telegraph

A new skin patch that can monitor heart and brain functions could be used to enhance the body’s well-being, reports Roger Highfield.

One day soon, your doctor might prescribe you something that looks like a colourful temporary tattoo. But when you apply it to your skin you’ll end up with more than an interesting pattern. Your epidermis will be coated with a gossamer-thin layer of electronics. In the short term, this tattoo will be used to monitor your well-being. But in the long term it could be used to enhance your body as part of a remarkable new phase in human evolution, one foreseen by Edgar Allen Poe in the 19th century.

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My Comment: Tattoos are not for me.

A Cancer Vaccine?

A vaccine that can train cancer patients' own bodies to seek out and destroy tumour cells has been developed by scientists Photo: ALAMY

'Universal' Cancer Vaccine Developed -- The Telegraph

A vaccine that can train cancer patients' own bodies to seek out and destroy tumour cells has been developed by scientists.

The therapy, which targets a molecule found in 90 per cent of all cancers, could provide a universal injection that allows patients' immune systems to fight off common cancers including breast and prostate cancer.

Preliminary results from early clinical trials have shown the vaccine can trigger an immune response in patients and reduce levels of disease.

The scientists behind the vaccine now hope to conduct larger trials in patients to prove it can be effective against a range of different cancers.

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My Comment: Faster please.

F-18 Navy Pilots Ejected While Flying At 170 MPH

Credit: U.S. Air Force

Navy Pilots Ejected From Jet Flying 170 MPH -- Discovery News

Yesterday, just minutes after an F/A-18D jet took off from the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virgina Beach, Va., the two pilots on board realized their aircraft engine had failed catastrophically. Immediately, they turned back toward the airfield, dumping jet fuel in order to reduce the aircraft's weight, a technique that could have helped them reach the runway just two miles away.

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My Comment: This could have been a catastrophic crash with multiple fatalities .... talk about good luck.

Russia Reveals Their Moon Program

Russia Plans to Launch Lunar Rovers to Moon after 2020. © RIA Novosti. Anton Denisov

Russia Plans To Launch Lunar Rovers To Moon After 2020 -- RIA Novosti

Russia plans to send two lunar rovers to Moon after 2020 and a landing station after 2022 as the first steps to form the future manned lunar base there, the country's Academy of Sciences said in its report on Saturday.

Under the document, obtained by RIA Novosti, core aims of the Russian scientists are to study polar regions of Moon and gas-dust exosphere of the satellite, make a soil samples and find the most comfortable areas for lunar base deployment.

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Update: Russia’s moon re-conquest plan revealed -- RT

My Comment: I wish them the best.

Liquid Armor?

Forget Kevlar! Liquid Body Armor Hardens On Impact -- FOX News

A revolutionary new armor relies on a liquid that hardens when something hits it, promising unprecedented protection while letting soldiers move freely, unrestricted by bulk and weight. Protection for warriors has long meant weight and bulk from ceramic plates and Kevlar that cover large areas of the body but reduce maneuverability, agility and speed. And in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, temperatures can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning heavy armor can also accelerate fatigue.

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My Comment: Impressive

Here Comes The Humanoid Robots

As if existing robots, like the Army's Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot (BEAR), weren't humanoid enough -- Darpa wants next-gen robots to resemble us even more. Photo: U.S. Army

Military Wants Humanoid Robots In The Driver's Seat -- MSNBC/Innovation

New job demands include steering a vehicle and climbing a ladder.

A U.S. military agency once focused on self-driving robot cars has turned its attention to humanoid robots that could roam tomorrow's battlefields. An upcoming announcement suggests the military wants robots that can steer a vehicle from the driver's seat, use a key to open a locked door, climb a ladder and perform handyman repairs.

The robots must also have the brains to carry out their jobs with only loose supervision from humans, based on the unofficial leak of a new Grand Challenge for humanoid robots hosted by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Such details emerged from a talk by Gill Pratt of DARPA at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Industry Day held on March 20, according to the robotic news portal Hizook.

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More News On The U.S. Military wanting Humanoid Robots

DARPA seeks humanoid robots in Grand Challenge -- CNET
Darpa’s Next Grand Challenge: Build Us Lifelike, Humanoid Robots -- Danger Room
Humanoid Robot Creation Becomes New Focus for DARPA -- Tech & Biz
DARPA Wants Humanoid Robots That Can Drive Tractors, Open Doors and Save the Day -- Popular Science
Pentagon eyes 'human like' handyman robots: But why? -- RT
DARPA's next Grand Challenge to focus on humanoid robots -- Endgadget
The U.S military wants YOU, to build a humanoid robot -- Ubergizmo
New DARPA Grand Challenge to make humanoid robots -- Next Big Future

A Genetic Link To Autism

Photo: Researchers from the University of Washington analysed the DNA of children with autism and both of their parents Photo: ALAMY

New Genetic Link To Autism -- The Telegraph

Autistsm could develop in children with no family history of the condition due to genetic mutations which develop in older father's sperm cells, a new study shows.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is known to be strongly influenced by genetics because it often runs in families, but which genes are at fault and how strong a role they play remains unclear.

Now three studies of autistic children who had no family history of the condition suggest it could in some cases be caused by gene mutations which are not shared by either parent and occur for the first time in sperm or egg cells as they develop.

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A Cloud Operating System Takes Shape

Image: Data united: If everyone's mobile and desktop apps use the same cloud data store, collaboration and managing personal data becomes easier, says cloud startup Box.

A Cloud Operating System Takes Shape -- Technology Review

Cloud storage company Box says it can offer a universal data store to unite data spread across different mobile apps.

As the rise of mobile computing has made the dominance of Microsoft's Windows look shaky, some people wonder which alternative operating system will take its place.

A new service launched today by cloud storage startup Box (previously known as Box.net) is intended to prove that it doesn't really matter. Box founder and CEO Aaron Levie claims that the next decade of computing won't be defined by one platform, but by the cloud service that can successfully link apps, users, and devices strung out across competing mobile and desktop operating systems.

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When AI Machines Overtake Man

When Creative Machines Overtake Man -- Kurzweilai

Machine intelligence is improving rapidly, to the point that the scientist of the future may not even be human! In fact, in more and more fields, learning machines are already outperforming humans. As noted in this transcript of a talk at TEDxLausanne on Jan. 20, 2012, artificial intelligence expert Jürgen Schmidhuber isn’t able to predict the future accurately, but he explains how machines are getting creative, why 40‚000 years of Homo sapiens-dominated history are about to end soon, and how we can try to make the best of what lies ahead.

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My Comment: The above video is a must see. Enjoy .... and be concern.

Earth Usually Has More Than One Moon

"Earthrise" seen by the Apollo 8 astronauts in December 1968. CREDIT: NASA.

Earth Usually Has More Than One Moon, Study Suggests -- Space.com

Earth usually has more than one moon at any given time, according to the results of a new computer simulation.

The huge, bright and iconic moon so beloved by poets and romantics is joined by a rotating cast of captured asteroids that often measure just a few feet across. These mini-moons typically orbit Earth for less than a year before zipping back off into space, researchers said.

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The Russian's Have A 'Zombie Gun'

Putin Targets Foes With 'Zombie' Gun Which Attack Victims' Central Nervous System -- Daily Mail

* Could be used against Russia's enemies and perhaps its own dissidents

Mind-bending ‘psychotronic’ guns that can effectively turn people into zombies have been given the go-ahead by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The futuristic weapons – which will attack the central nervous system of their victims – are being developed by the country’s scientists.

They could be used against Russia’s enemies and, perhaps, its own dissidents by the end of the decade.

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My Comment: I suspect the Americans (and maybe the Chinese) have the same tech.

Inside America’s New Space Force

Smaller, Quicker, Secret, Robotic: Inside America’s New Space Force -- The Danger Room

The past and future of America’s space arsenal intersected, briefly, in the summer of 2011. For two weeks in July, NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis roughly shared its Earth orbit with the Air Force’s X-37B, a 29-foot-long, highly maneuverable robotic spacecraft that entered service in early 2010 and has been cloaked in secrecy ever since. The X-37 was around 80 miles higher than the Shuttle, so it’s doubtful the four-person Atlantis crew, conducting the 135th and last Shuttle mission, ever saw the robotic craft. The X-37′s small size — barely a quarter the length of Atlantis — made a sighting even less likely.

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My Comment: the X-37B is not the NASA space shuttle program .... but it is still impressive.

Why Did DARPA Buy This Bomb Tech?

Dugan at TED

Investigation: Despite Repeated Failures, DARPA Bought Director's Family's Lousy Bomb Tech -- Popular Science

Generally when PopSci writes about DARPA we do so with enthusiasm, as the Pentagon’s far-out research arm tends to prod at the edges of what seems possible, even when it fails spectacularly. But when it fails institutionally, we have to acknowledge that even the storied Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is at a fundamental level a bureaucracy prone to the same problems and inefficiencies as any other bureaucracy. With that, point you toward a piece by the crew over at Danger Room, who today tell the tale of a seemingly huge DARPA fail.

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My Comment: Favoritism at play here?

Where Does Human Consciousness Begin?

This image shows one returning from oblivion -- imaging the neural core of consciousness. Positron emission tomography (PET) findings show that the emergence of consciousness after anesthesia is associated with activation of deep, phylogenetically old brain structures rather than the neocortex. Left: Sagittal (top) and axial (bottom) sections show activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (i), thalamus (ii) and the brainstem (iii) locus coeruleus/parabrachial area overlaid on magnetic resonance image (MRI) slices. Right: Cortical renderings show no evident activations. (Credit: Turku PET Center)

Mystery of Human Consciousness Illuminated: Primitive Consciousness Emerges First as You Awaken from Anesthesia -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2012) — Awakening from anesthesia is often associated with an initial phase of delirious struggle before the full restoration of awareness and orientation to one's surroundings. Scientists now know why this may occur: primitive consciousness emerges first. Using brain imaging techniques in healthy volunteers, a team of scientists led by Adjunct Professor Harry Scheinin, M.D. from the University of Turku, Turku, Finland in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, Irvine, USA, have now imaged the process of returning consciousness after general anesthesia. The emergence of consciousness was found to be associated with activations of deep, primitive brain structures rather than the evolutionary younger neocortex. These results may represent an important step forward in the scientific explanation of human consciousness.

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My Comment: This is impressive work .... unfortunately more is needed.