U.S. Air Force's X-37B Breaks It's Own Record After Circling The Earth For 470 Days

Mystery Of The Pentagon’s Space Plane: X-37B Breaks Record After Circling Earth For 470 Days - But Won't Reveal What Mission Was For -- Daily Mail

* Spacecraft taken into orbit on a rocket but lands by gliding down to Earth
* Is the third and longest flight for mission which is shrouded in secrecy
* Some analysts suggest it will help support American soldiers in warzones
* Other rumours are circulating that the craft has been kept in space to spy on the new Chinese space station, Tiangong

A U.S. space plane, shrouded in secrecy, has broken its own longevity record by staying in orbit for more than 469 days.

The flight is the third for the X-37B mystery mission and was launched on December 11, 2012, atop an Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral.

Little is known about the spacecraft, which is taken into orbit on a rocket but lands like the space shuttle by gliding down to Earth.

Read more ....

More News On The X-37B

Air Force’s X-37B breaks orbit record -- FOX News
Air Force’s X-37B Breaks Orbit Record -- Defense Tech
Pentagon's secret X-37B plane breaks space longevity record -- Space Daily/Voice of Russia
Top secret Pentagon spacecraft stays in orbit over 469 days, breaks longevity record -- Space Daily/Voice of Russia
Report: Air Force’s Unmanned Space Plane Close to 500-Day Orbit Mark -- Executive Gov

A Pill That Helps Adults Learn New Skills As Quickly As Children?

In 2011 thriller Limitless, Bradley Cooper, pictured centre, takes a pill that opens up closed regions of his brain. This boost his intelligence, motor skills and ability to learn new languages

The Real-Life Limitless Pill? Drug Helps Adults Learn As Fast As Children By Making The Brain More 'Elastic' -- Daily Mail

* Donepezil is used to improve memory function in Alzheimer’s patients
* Children learn skills quickly as their brains go through 'critical periods’
* Researchers found donepezil can revert adult brains to these periods
* It increases the 'elasticity' of the brain making it capable of learning rapidly
* Researchers rewired a visually impaired patient’s brain to process images
* The drug works by boosting chemicals in the brain that reduce with age

It may sound like something from 2011 thriller Limitless, but researchers have discovered a pill that helps adults learn new skills as quickly as children.

A professor at Harvard rewired the brain of a visually impaired women to process images by giving her Alzheimer’s drug donepezil.

The pill boosts chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin and acetylcholine, which are both found in high concentrations in the brains of young children.

Read more ....

My Comment: Faster please. On a side note .... the 2011 thriller Limitless with Bradley Cooper is a great film.

Seven People Hold The Master Keys To Worldwide Internet Security

Meet The Seven People Who Hold The Keys To Worldwide Internet Security -- The Guardian

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction: seven keys, held by individuals from all over the world, that together control security at the core of the web. The reality is rather closer to The Office than The Matrix

In a nondescript industrial estate in El Segundo, a boxy suburb in south-west Los Angeles just a mile or two from LAX international airport, 20 people wait in a windowless canteen for a ceremony to begin. Outside, the sun is shining on an unseasonably warm February day; inside, the only light comes from the glare of halogen bulbs.

There is a strange mix of accents – predominantly American, but smatterings of Swedish, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese can be heard around the room, as men and women (but mostly men) chat over pepperoni pizza and 75-cent vending machine soda. In the corner, an Asteroids arcade machine blares out tinny music and flashing lights.

Read more ....

My Comment: A fascinating look at the internet that is rarely seen. Hmmmm .... makes you wonder what influence the NSA has in this group.

Knowledge Transfer Between Computers

Researchers had agents -- virtual robots -- act like true student and teacher pairs: student agents struggled to learn Pac-Man and a version of the StarCraft video game. The researchers were able to show that the student agent learned the games and, in fact, surpassed the teacher. Credit: Image courtesy of Washington State University

Knowledge Transfer Between Computers: Computers Teach Each Other Pac-Man -- Science Daily

Researchers in Washington State University's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science have developed a method to allow a computer to give advice and teach skills to another computer in a way that mimics how a real teacher and student might interact.

The paper by Matthew E. Taylor, WSU's Allred Distinguished Professor in Artificial Intelligence, was published online in the journal Connection Science.

Read more ....

My Comment: Pac-Man today .... who knows what tomorrow.

A 200+ Mile Backpacking Experience Through Yosemite National Park (Video)

My Comment: Beautiful.

Android Has 97 Percent Of Global Mobile Malware

Such mobile market. Very malware. Wow! [Image Source: F-Secure via Forbes]

Android Has 97 Percent Of Mobile Malware, But Nearly None In The U.S. -- Daily Tech

But almost all of that comes from third party apps stores in Asia and the Middle East

Google Inc. (GOOG) has fought the mobile war against Nokia Oyj. (HEX:NOK1V), Apple, Inc. (AAPL), and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (among others) and it has won -- at least in terms of OS market share.

I. Almost No Android Malware in the U.S.; a Whole Lot in China

Roughly four out of every five devices sold around the globe today run a version of Android. And Android is now the world's largest tablet platform as well, in terms of unit share.

But Android also has a massive malware headache. A new report from Finnish security firm F-Secure claims 97 percent of the fast-growing field of mobile malware is Android exclusive. But here comes the twist -- virtually all of that malware comes from smaller Asian and Middle Eastern third-party app stores. - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com

Read more ....

My Comment: China and Chinese malware is the problem.

A Letter From A Roman Soldier 1,800 Years Ago

The newly translated letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer Roman legion in Europe.

Arguing With Mum And Missing Home: The 1800 Year Old Letter That Reveals What Life As A Roman Soldier Was Really Like -- Daily Mail

* From an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer Roman legion in Europe
* Reveals a row with his mother, and plans to return to his family

A letter home from a Roman soldier 1,800 years ago has revealed that even for a volunteer on the front, family rows are still an issue.

The newly deciphered letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer in a Roman legion in Europe.

It reveals a row with his mother, and plans to return to his family.

Read more ....

My Comment: It seems that aside from advancements in science and technology .... nothing much else has changed over the years.

Médecins sans Frontières: Guinea Faces An Ebola Epidemic On An Unprecedented Scale

Image: The outbreak of Ebola had centred around Guinea's remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore but it took the authorities six weeks to identify the disease. BBC

Guinea Faces Ebola Epidemic On Unprecedented Scale, Doctors Warn -- The Guardian

Médecins sans Frontières says lethal virus has broken out in areas hundreds of miles apart, while death toll passes 80

Guinea faces an Ebola epidemic on an unprecedented scale as it battles to contain confirmed cases now scattered across several locations that are far apart, the medical charity Médecins sans Frontières said.

The warning from an organisation used to tackling Ebola in central Africa came after Guinea's president appealed for calm as the number of deaths linked to an outbreak on the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone passed 80.

The outbreak of one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases has alarmed a number of governments with weak health systems, prompting Senegal to close its border with Guinea and other neighbours to restrict travel and cross-border exchanges.

Read more ....

More News On The Spread of The Ebola Virus In West Africa

Ebola Spreads from Guinea to Liberia -- Time
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented: aid agency -- Reuters
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented, aid agency says -- FOX News
Deadly Ebola Virus Sparks Fears in West Africa -- Voice of America
Ebola Virus Hits Second Country in West Africa -- The Wire
Ebola Outbreak in Guinea Spreads to Liberia, Sierra Leone -- ABC News
Ebola outbreak in Guinea 'unprecedented' - MSF -- BBC
Liberia confirms Ebola's arrival from Guinea -- Al Jazeera
Outbreak of deadly flesh-eating Ebola virus has now spread to three countries and already killed 78 -- Daily Mail
Ebola death toll hits 82 as doctors warn West Africa outbreak is 'unprecedented' -- The Telegraph
Guinea reports Ebola death toll rises to 78 -- AP
Guinea: Ebola death toll reaches 70 -- CNN
Ebola outbreak spreads to Liberia after killing 70 in Guinea -- The Verge

The U.N. Issues Another Gobal Warming Report

Threat From Global Warming Heightened In Latest U.N. Report -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Global warming poses a growing threat to the health, economic prospects, and food and water sources of billions of people, top scientists said in a report that urges swift action to counter the effects of carbon emissions.

The latest report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the effects of warming are being felt everywhere, fuelling potential food shortages, natural disasters and raising the risk of wars.

"The world, in many cases, is ill-prepared for risks from a changing climate," the IPCC said on Monday, after the final text of the report was agreed.

Read more ....

More News On The U.N. Issuing Another Gobal Warming - Weather Report

Climate impacts 'overwhelming' - UN -- BBC
Climate impacts report: Key findings -- BBC
Costs of climate change steep but tough to tally -- Washington Post/AP
Climate change could cost more than $100 billion a year -- CNN
UN warns of climate change risks -- Al Jazeera
Massive U.N. Report Says Climate Risks Go Beyond Red Alert -- NBC
UN climate report warns permanent change has already begun -- Sydney Morning Herald
The U.N.'s Latest Disaster Forecast -- Wall Street Journal
UN Report Warns Of Severe, Irreversible Impact Of Global Warming -- RTT
IPCC report: 'No one will be untouched by climate change' -- The Telegraph
Wake up to the reality of climate change -- Bill Richardson, CNN
Little time left to turn down the world's heat, U.N. says -- Matt Smith and Brandon Miller, CNN
Viewpoints: Reactions to UN climate impacts report -- BBC

My Comment: I live in Canada but this was my reality this winter .... It was March misery in frigid northern, eastern USA -- USA Today

China Considering Plans To Cover The Globe With Surveillance Satellites

China mulls global satellite surveillance after flight 370 riddle

China Mulls Global Satellite Surveillance After Flight 370 Riddle -- South China Morning Post

Beijing mulls launching network of dozens of satellites, giving it the ability to monitor the whole world, in wake of lost flight 370

China is considering massively increasing its network of surveillance and observation satellites so it can monitor the entire planet, scientists working on the project said.

The government is mulling building more than 50 orbiting probes, which Chinese researchers said would make the nation's satellite surveillance network on par with, or even larger than, that of the United States.

Frustration with the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft over the past three weeks had led the project to win strong backing from decision makers in Beijing, the researchers said.

"If we had a global monitoring network today, we wouldn't be searching in the dark. We would have a much greater chance to find the plane and trace it to its final position," said Professor Chi Tianhe, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth.

"The plan is being drafted to expand our regional monitoring capability to global coverage."

Read more ....

More News On Reports That China Is Developing Plans To Cover The Globe With Surveillance Satellites

‘Frustrated’ China mulls building 50 satellites following failure to find MH370, says daily -- Malaysian Insider
In wake of MH370 saga, China plans 50 satellites for global surveillance -- Malaysia Chronicle
China’s plan for global network of surveillance satellites spurred by fruitless search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 -- Daily Telegraph
China considers launching 50 satellites to set up global monitoring network -- Today Online
China mulls global satellite surveillance after flight 370 -- Indian Defense

A New XPrize In The Field Of Artificial Intelligence Announced

TED XPrize

Can A Robot Give A TED Talk? TED Hopes So -- Popular Science

A new XPrize for artificial intelligence takes center stage

Today, Peter Diamandis and Chris Anderson, the heads of the XPrize Foundation and the TED series of conferences respectively, announced a new XPrize, in the field of artificial intelligence. The winner will be the first to develop an AI system capable of independently delivering "a compelling TED talk with no human involvement."

Previously announced XPrizes have involved challenges such as cleaning up oil spills or landing a lunar rover.

Read more ....

My Comment: This could be a fascinating talk.

The Family Tree Of DOGS

From pugs to pinchers and spaniels to samoyeds, one artist has created a dog family tree (pictured) that highlights the diversity of dogs and how breeds are interconnected

The Family Tree Of DOGS: From Tiny Chihuahuas To Rottweilers - This Infographic Reveals Exactly How Every Breed Is Related -- Daily Mail

* Family tree highlights the diversity of dogs and how the pure breeds are interconnected
* Chart features 181 dog breeds from tiny ‘toy’ animals like the pug and the fluffy pomeranian to working dogs like the Alaskan malamutes and family favourites such as golden retrievers and terriers
* It might seem incredible that dogs with such different visible characteristics – from their size to their type of hair – can be so different, but it is because all dogs are members of the same species – Canis lupus familiaris

Have you ever wondered how tiny chihuahua can be related to a rottweiler or a pit bull terrier can be similar to a dalmatian?

One artist has created a dog family tree that highlights the diversity of dogs and how breeds are interconnected.

From terriers to toys and mountain dogs to sight hounds, it delineates almost every standard pure-breed dog so you can see how one canine is connected to another.

Read more ....

My Comment: Border Collie is my favorite dog (had one for 14 years). And for the GF .... she has a 2 year old Rottweiler right now.

The U.S. Air Force Secret Space Plane X-37B Breaks It's Own Space Longevity Record

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flightline during testing at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida in this U.S. Air Force handout photo dated March 30, 2010.(Reuters / U.S. Air Force)

Pentagon’s Secret X-37B Plane Breaks Space Longevity Record -- RT

One of the US Air Force’s most mysterious projects – an unmanned space-faring plane – has broken its own longevity record by staying in orbit for more than 469 days.

There aren’t many details floating around in public regarding the X-37B – a classified project that’s seen three launches into space thus far – but a new report by the IDG News Service suggests the plane is being used to test out the Air Force’s new space capabilities while also boosting the intelligence community’s surveillance capacity.

Launched back in December 2012, the Boeing-designed X-37B has been floating above the Earth ever since. The plane looks like a smaller cousin to NASA’s past space shuttle models, and has been designed with quick turn-around times in mind, so that it can easily be re-launched after landing.

Read more ....

More News On The Air Force Space Plane X-37B Breaking It's Own Space Longevity Record

Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbital Endurance Record -- Huffington Post/Space.com
Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbit Record -- NBC
Air Force’s unmanned ‘shuttle’ breaks orbital endurance record -- Defense Systems
Classified X-37B space plane breaks space longevity record -- Computer World

Predicting Lottery Numbers

The mathematician behind the study has created a website which uses colour patterns to show number combinations which are more likely to win the lottery based on previous draws in 20 lotteries from around the world - but you may need more than GCSE maths to decipher the code

Mathematician Claims Probability CAN Predict Lottery Numbers More Likely To Be Drawn (But You May Need A Maths Degree To Work Them Out) -- Daily Mail

* Renato Gianella says it is possible to predict winning lottery numbers
* Theory is based on patterns as predicted by Law of Large Numbers
* Brazilian claims not all numbers have equal chance of being drawn
* He's developed website to help people select more favorable combinations
* But users may need more than basic maths to understand how it works
* Study was based on 20 lotteries around the world

A Brazilian mathematician claims it is possible to predict the results of a lottery draw by applying complicated maths and probability theories.

Renato Gianella has found it is entirely possible to predict numbers which are more likely to appear than others, by following the same behaviour patterns as predicted by the Law of Large Numbers.

His study called The Geometry of Chance: Lotto Numbers Follow a Predicted Pattern, finds not all combinations of numbers have the same probability of occurring – so in short, it is possible to predict patterns of numbers with a greater chance of being drawn.

Read more ....

My Comment: Sadly .... he does not mention if he has used this system for himself .... and if has .... how much has he won.

No Pentagon Money For Google's Robot Program

Google Rejects Military Funding In Robotics -- Defense Tech

Google doesn’t want the U.S. military’s money.

Even though the Internet search giant owns two companies that have contracts with the Pentagon, Google is choosing to forego military funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in at least one robotic competition.

Google bought the robotics firm Schaft that had developed a bipedal robot that won DARPA’s Robotics Challenge. The competition asked companies to develop a robot that could perform disaster response tasks to include navigating debris, climbing ladders and turning off a valve.

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My Comment: Too bad .... without this cooperation U.S. troops will probably not be able to benefit from this cooperation.

The U.S. Navy Is About To Deploy Robots

Robots Join The Navy To Fight Fires At Sea -- FOX News

The Navy’s new humanoid robots can detect fires on a ship, withstand extreme heat up to 500 degrees, and fight the fire shoulder to shoulder with human firefighters.

Designed to fight shipboard fires at sea, the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot, known as SAFFiR, is a human-sized robot. Under direction and funding from the Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory researchers have been working with university researchers to develop the tech.

SAFFiR is meant to move autonomously throughout a ship, learn its layout and patrol for structural problems. The robot will be able to interact with the sailors onboard, and take on many of their dangerous firefighting tasks.

Read more ....

Update: Navy’s robot will interact with sailors, fight fires aboard ship -- Defense Systems

My Comment: This is a trend that I expect to continue.

NYC Freedom Tower B.A.S.E. Jump (Video)

CSN Editor: From top to bottom in one minute.

A New Telescope That Could Allow Exoplanets To Be Photographed For The First Time

Could Flower Power Spot Alien Life? Nasa Reveals Giant Space Sunflower That Could Allow Exoplanets To Be Photographed For The First Time -- Daily Mail

* Nasa project could allow pictures of exoplanets to be taken clearly
* Flower would act as a starshade to block light from stars - but allow telescopes to see their exoplants

It may look like a giant sunflower blooming, but in fact this is Nasa's latest attempt to photograph an alien planet capable of sustaining light.

The unfurling flower can block light from a star, allowing space telescopes to get a clear view of planets orbiting it.

Experts hope the invention could revolutionise our knowledge of alien planets

Read more ....

My Comment: This is what makes astronomy exciting.

YouTube Is Now Blocked In Turkey

Turkey Moves To Block YouTube Access After 'Audio Leak' -- BBC

Turkey has moved to block access to YouTube, a day after a court ordered the suspension of a ban on Twitter, which PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan backed.

The telecoms authority (TIB) said it had taken an "administrative measure" against the site but another report suggests that talks are under way.

Some users found access blocked while others could still use the site.

Earlier, what appeared to be a leaked audio recording of Turkish officials discussing Syria appeared on YouTube.

It relates to a discussion of possible military operations in Syria, which was apparently attended by Turkey's intelligence chief, its foreign minister and the deputy head of the armed forces.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That YouTube Is Now Blocked In Turkey

Turkey Blocks YouTube After Leak of Syria Incursion Planning -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Turkey blocks YouTube access amid audio ‘leak’: reports -- Washington Times
Turkey bans YouTube after Syria security talk leaked -- AFP
YouTube Banned in Turkey -- NBC
Turkish telecoms authority blocks access to YouTube -- France 24
Turkey blocks YouTube in addition to Twitter -- RT
Turkey moves to block YouTube in addition to Twitter - reports -- Time
Turkey blocked YouTube over purported Syria leak - source -- Reuters
Google looking into reports that Turkey users unable to access YouTube -- Reuters
Turkey's Erdogan says leaking of Syria recording is "villainous" -- Reuters

Never Turn Your Back On BIG CATS!

My Comment: Their instincts are clearly at play.

Hat Tip: Geek Press