CSN Editor: Wow .... I am impressed.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
How Do You Train A Dog To Sniff-Out Bombs
Photo credit: Sgt. Joshua LaPere for the U.S. Army
Priceonomics: How Do You Train a Dog to Sniff Bombs?
To a well-trained dog, nothing is more exciting than finding a bomb.
When Lucca, a German shepherd–Belgian Malinois mix, smelled explosives in the Nahri Saraj District of Afghanistan in March 2012, her tail started wagging. She looked toward her handler, Marine Corporal Juan Rodriguez. He patted her side and said in a singsong voice, “Good girl, Lucca!” before alerting his unit that Lucca had found a hidden improvised explosive device.
The thirteen-year war in Afghanistan was the longest in American history. The Iraq War lasted another eight, and America’s involvement in both countries has not truly ended.
In both cases, American troops faced insurgents whose most lethal weapon was the improvised explosive device (IED): explosives rigged to radio transmitters, timers, or motion sensors (stripped from washing machines, security floodlights, and garage openers) and buried along routes taken by American patrols.
The Department of Defense spent $19 billion researching the best way to detect IEDs before settling on an old technology: dogs. Lucca was one of over 2,500 dogs trained to associate the scent of explosives with a reward, teamed up with a soldier-handler, and sent to Afghanistan or Iraq.
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CSN Editor: So typical of the Pentagon .... after spending billions they then go back to what always worked before .... in the case of finding bombs .... dogs. But having said that ... this is a fascinating read.
Bad Military Tactics In The New 'Independence Day' Movie?
Joseph Trevithick, War Is Boring: The new Independence Day is full of terrible military tactics
The original 1996 movie Independence Day pitted American pilots and troops — and eventually the entire world — against an extraterrestrial threat armed with laser cannons and energy shields. Marine aviators, including Will Smith's character Capt. Steven Hiller, watch helplessly as their missiles disintegrate.
Nimble otherworldly fighters quickly pick off the F/A-18 fighter jets, killing most of the pilots. By the dramatic climax, very little has changed. Even after Hiller and David Levinson — played by Jeff Goldblum — succeed in disrupting the alien shields in a near-suicidal mission, the invaders wield considerable firepower and inflict heavy casualties.
But according to the December trailer for the sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, the American military did very little soul searching in the interceding two decades. "I spent 20 years trying to get us ready for this," Goldblum's Levinson says in the teaser as we see the first images of the new flying machines.
CSN Editor: I am still going to see the movie. :)
Blame Our Ancient Ancestors For Our Allergies
Researchers found large numbers of people carry genes for Toll-like receptors, which play an key role in the immune system, that were inherited from Neanderthals. In the map (pictured), orange and green segments are proportional to number of people in each population with these Neanderthal and Denisovan genes
Daily Mail: Suffer from allergies? Blame Neanderthals! Genes inherited from our ancient human relatives made our immune systems 'oversensitive'
* Two studies reveal our immune systems were shaped by Neanderthal DNA
* Neanderthals are thought to have interbred with humans 50,000 years ago
* One to 6 per cent of DNA in modern Eurasians is from these early humans
* Scientists have found variants of three genes from Neanderthals that have made our immune systems more sensitive and so produce allergies
They died out around 45,000 years ago as our ancestors moved into their territory and perhaps even killed them off, but Neanderthals may have had the last laugh - by causing us to suffer from allergies.
A new genetic study has revealed the genes inherited by modern humans from Neanderthals after our species interbred 50,000 years ago play a key role in our immune system today.
While these genetic variations have increased the ability of those who have them to ward off infection, they have also left large numbers of people more prone to allergies.
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CSN Editor: Unfortunately .... as a sufferer .... this news does not give me any comfort from the symptoms that I am suffering right now.
Hoverboard Patent Disputes Are Now Out In The Open
The Chinese firm calls its vehicles "surfing electric scooters"
BBC: CES 2016: Hoverboard booth raided following patent complaint
US marshals have raided a Chinese hoverboard-maker's stand at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.
The officials confiscated all the company's one-wheeled vehicles and took down its signs after a Silicon Valley-based rival filed a patent infringement claim.
The case is set to return to court in a week's time.
The Chinese firm, Changzhou First International Trade, told the BBC it did not believe it had broken the law.
It claimed it had developed its hoverboard a long time ago and had hidden it until now to avoid it being copied by other Chinese firms. It added that this was the first time it had been involved in such an incident.
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CSN Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... this Chinese company is going to lose its case.
A Look At North Korea's Newly-Opened Science And Technology Center
CNN: Inside North Korea: High-tech science center lauds nuclear advances
Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN)At the Korean demilitarized zone, speakers are blasting propaganda and troops are massing, but in the heart of Pyongyang, talk is only of the purported success of North Korea's first hydrogen bomb test.
As dictator Kim Jong Un celebrated his birthday, CNN, the only U.S. broadcaster operating in the country, spoke to North Koreans at the newly-opened Science and Technology Center.
Architecture student Lee Won, visiting the center that is the public face of the government's push to develop its technological and scientific capabilities, said that it was "one of his favorite places."
Asked what he thought of the purported H-bomb test, the 27-year-old said: "I think it is very wonderful, it is a very good result for our country's safety."
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CSN Editor: Pure North Korean propaganda via through CNN.
Half Of The World Lives On 1% Of The Land
Land covers 196.9 million square miles of the planet, which is broken up into 196 countries that are home to 7.125 billion people. With so much land available on Earth you would think people are spread out evenly throughout the world - but a stunning new map reveals that isn't the case. An entrepreneur used data from Nasa to understand where most of the world’s population resides and found half of us are crammed into just one percent of the world.
Daily Mail: Where the world lives: Map shows half the planet's population lives on just 1% of its land
* The map was created using gridded population data compiled by Nasa
* Yellow means there are over 8,000 people, which is 900 people for every square mile
* World is evenly split between yellow and black, but map shows yellow is only in one percent of the Earth’s surface
* Map reveals half of the world's population lives in urban areas
Land covers 196.9 million square miles of the planet, which is broken up into 196 countries that are home to 7.125 billion people.
With so much land available on Earth you would think people are spread out evenly throughout the world - but a stunning new map reveals that isn't the case.
An entrepreneur used data from Nasa to understand where most of the world’s population resides and found half of us are crammed into just one percent of the world.
Read more ....
CSN Editor: Looking at Asia .... yup .... that is where the people are.
U.S., Russia, And China Are In A Race To Have 'Super Soldiers' And Artificial Intelligence
Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work warned that America would soon lose its military competitive advantage if it does not pursue technologies such as employing artificial intelligence.
Altering human beings from the inside to more effectively fight in combat is claimed to presents ethical dilemmas for American scientists and military planners.
Work says those ethical concerns typically don't apply to authoritarian governments like Russia's or China's, but their lack of hesitation in developing EHOs may force America's hand.
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CSM Editor: I always find it fascinating that what was once labelled science fiction is now being seriously developed today. This is one of those cases.
How Much Does It Cost To Be 'Buried' In Space?
(Click on Image to Enlarge)
Priceonomics: The Business of Space Funerals
In November 2015 near the beaches of Hawaii, the latest incarnation of a military rocket dating back to the early 1960s called the Super Strypi launched its inaugural voyage. At first operations appeared normal. The rocket lifted off, departed the white sands, began spinning, which stabilizes the craft, and seemed destined for a planned orbit about 260 miles above the planet.
But about a minute after takeoff something went wrong –– the Defense Department doesn't share specifics –– and the Super Strypi came crashing back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific. Failed rocket launches aren't noteworthy by themselves. But this vessel had a curious payload: human remains, packed into metal cubes.
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Editor: Bottom line .... it's not cheap.
How Can You Tell The Difference Between A Nuclear Bomb Test And An earthquake
Ko Yun-hwa (L), Administrator of Korea Meteorological Administration, points at where seismic waves observed in South Korea came from, during a media briefing at Korea Meteorological Administration in Seoul, South Korea, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Defense One: How to Tell The Difference Between a Nuclear Bomb Test and an Earthquake
The preliminary data suggests that the event in North Korea was not, in fact, the end of the world
Shortly after North Korea claimed it had tested a hydrogen bomb — a weapon potentially hundreds of times more powerful than the fission bombs the country had already set off — seismologists at the United States Geological Survey, or USGS, went to work trying to understand the event. Their early findings suggest that a nuclear bomb test did occur but that it wasn’t a hydrogen bomb. So how do you tell the difference?
First, you try to rule out the possibility that North Korea was just trying to claim credit for an earthquake. Geologists and seismologists look at several factors to determine whether a seismic event is natural or manmade. One is the location: is it on a known fault line, a place where there’s a lot of mining activity, etc.? Another factor is the seismological waveform itself, the waving lines that appear on the seismograph. An explosion forms wiggles that are different from the ones generated by an earthquake, according to USGS seismologist Paul Earle.
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CSN Editor: Yup .... the science that is used in telling the difference between an earthquake and a nuclear test is very detailed and exact.
Are Advanced Alien Civilizations Living In Globular Star Clusters?
Space.com: Advanced Alien Civilizations Could Live in Globular Star Clusters
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Densely packed groups of stars may make excellent cradles for complex space-traveling life to evolve. Despite studies that claim these environments, known as globular clusters, may be too harsh for life, a new study argues for a more optimistic view based on the evolving understanding of where planets lie outside the solar system.
"A globular cluster might be the first place in which intelligent life is identified in our galaxy," lead study author Rosanne Di Stefano, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said in a statement. Di Stefano presented the new research today (Jan. 6) here at the 227th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.Globular clusters are massive groupings of millions of stars in a region only 100 light-years across. The clusters date back to the early life of the Milky Way — nearly 10 billion years ago. (For comparison, the universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old.) Although these clusters' age raises some questions, it also provides ample time for civilizations that emerged to evolve and become complex.
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More News On The Investigation Of Alien Life Living In Globular Star Clusters
Dense Star Fields Might Be Home To Extraterrestrial Life -- National Geographic
Star Clusters Could Be Best Place to Look for Intelligent Alien Life: Study -- AP
In search for alien life, focus on globular star clusters -- CBS
Star clumps harbour 'sweet spot' in search for alien life -- BBC
Old stars may have some new tricks – possibly even life -- CSM
Do Extraterrestrials Exist? Alien Life Could Thrive In Globular Star Clusters -- tech Times
Alien Life May Be Hiding in These Brilliant Star Clusters -- Gizmodo
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
The World is Experiencing A 'Volcano Season' Right Now
Express: Yellowstone about to blow? Scientists warning over SUPER-VOLCANO that could kill MILLIONS
SCIENTISTS have warned the world is in "volcano season" and there is up to a 10% chance of an eruption soon killing millions of people and devastating the planet.
Instances of volcanic eruptions are their highest for 300 years and scientists fear a major one that could kill millions and devastate the planet is a real possibility.
Experts at the European Science Foundation said volcanoes – especially super-volcanoes like the one at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, which has a caldera measuring 34 by 45 miles (55 by 72 km) - pose more threat to Earth and the survival of humans than asteroids, earthquakes, nuclear war and global warming.
There are few real contingency plans in place to deal with the ticking time bomb, which they conclude is likely to go off within the next 80 years.
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CSN Editor: Yellowstone has exploded before .... so it will probably happen again in the future. The question is .... when?
Is Vinyl Making A Comeback?
Tech Times: The Turntable Is Alive And Well: Sony Unveils Direct-Drive PS-HX500 To Battle Panasonic’s Technics SL-1200
The turntable is something many audiophiles still enjoy using, and that is not going to change anytime soon, not with Sony pushing its PS-HX500 turntable to those who are interested.
There aren't many differences to the PS-HX500 when compared to other high-end turntables. If you want it to do the regular turntable stuff, this Sony offering will do just fine, but so will other competing products.
What the Japanese giant is betting on is the device's analog-to-digital conversion. Other competing products similar to the PS-HX500 do not come with this feature, so that's a huge defining thing Sony will surely want to transform into a selling point.
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CSN Editor: YES!!!! Being one who grew up with vinyl .... and who still has a large vinyl collection .... this puts a smile on my face because this type of music is great to listen to.
More News On Sony's New Turntable For Music Lovers
It's all about the audiophile as Sony shows off light-bulb speaker, high-tech turntable -- CNet
CES: Sony debuts high-tech turntable, super-thin TVs, 4K video camera -- FOX News
Sony Unveils LP Turntables for High-Resolution Audio Era -- WSJ
This new Sony turntable is turnt -- The Verge
Sony's New PS-HX500 Turntable Will Make You Want To Start A Record Collection -- Tech Times
The Coolest Technology At CES 2016
ABC News: CES 2016: The Coolest Technology We've Seen So Far
The annual CES technology show is a time when we're given a glimpse into what the future could look like, new technology stars can be born and of course, zany ideas are celebrated.
"With 2.4 million square feet of space and so many categories from robotics to 3D printing to drones and driverless cars, there is a lot going on," Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association told ABC News.
The 49th annual show, officially kicks off in Las Vegas on Wednesday, but ABC News has already checked out some new technology ahead of the event.
What will we be talking about when this week comes to a close? Here are some of the biggest standouts we've seen so far. Check back throughout the
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Visible Light Has Been Detected From Black Holes For The First Time
A Nasa illustration of a supermassive black hole. Before the V404 Cygni observations, similar outbursts had only been seen as intense flashes of x-rays and gamma-rays, using high-spec telescopes. Photograph: Nasa/Reuters
The Guardian: Visible light from black holes detected for first time
Scientists observing V404 Cygni discovered that even amateur telescopes are capable of capturing violent outburst from black holes closest to Earth.
Astronomers have discovered that black holes can be observed through a simple optical telescope when material from surrounding space falls into them and releases violent bursts of light.
The apparent contradiction emerges when a black hole’s gravity pulls in matter from nearby stars, producing light that can be viewed from a modest 20cm telescope.
Japanese researchers detected light waves from V404 Cygni - an active black hole in the constellation of Cygnus, the Swan - when it awoke from a 26-year-long slumber in June 2015.
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CSN Editor: More proof that black holes do exist.
The World's First 'Autonomous Aerial Vehicle' For Transporting People Is Unveiled At The CES Show In Las Vegas
Daily Mail: The MEGADRONE big enough to carry a passenger: Chinese firm says self-flying craft could be used as a smart taxi
* The all-electric vehicle has four arms with eight propellers at the end allowing it to travel up to 60mph
* Ehang says the 184 is autonomous, so all the passenger has to do is enter their final destination into an app
* FAA regulators have not approved the drone for human use in the US, but Ehang is hopeful they will do soon
* Cost is yet to be revealed and the company claims a commercial version of the craft will be available this year
A Chinese drone maker has revealed a giant quadcopter big enough to fit a passenger.
EHang claims to be building the world's first 'Autonomous Aerial Vehicle' for transporting people.
Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas and called the 184, the all-electric vehicle has four arms with a total of eight propellers at the end.
'You know how it feels to sit in a Ferrari? This is 10 times better,' George Yan, co-founder of Ehang said in an interview with DailyMail.com.
Read more ....
CSN Editor: They have their work cut out for them .... but my gut is telling me that this product is going to do well .... especially if they can bring down the price.
What Are The Biggest Health Risks For Humans In Space
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Gizmodo: The Biggest Health Risks to Humans in Space
With the The Martian rocketing to the top of box offices worldwide this week, the challenge of surviving on Mars is on everyone’s mind. But while the science in The Martian is pretty solid, there is one obstacle Mark Watney rarely had to cope with: his own body.
During his two years alone on the Red Planet, Mark Watney never fell sick. He never had to splint his own bones or pass a kidney stone, never suffered a bout of insomnia or depression, never got cancer. But real astronauts traveling to Mars could face all of these unpleasantries and more. That’s why NASA has tasked a small army of biomedical researchers with studying how the human body and mind are impacted by long stints in space. Gizmodo spoke with the experts to learn about the biggest health risks facing our astronauts, and what we can do to mitigate them.
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CSN Editor: This article was posted in the fall of 2015 .... but it is still relevant for today.
The Quest To Build An Artificial Brain Gets A Big Financial Boost
Denver Post/Washington Post: Microsoft co-founder launches $500M quest to build an artificial brain
Building a machine that reasons well enough to pass a high school science test will be more complex than engineering the first Windows OS.
SEATTLE — Paul Allen has been waiting for the emergence of intelligent machines for a very long time.
As a young boy, Allen spent much of his time in the library reading science fiction novels in which robots manage our homes, perform surgery and fly around saving lives like superheroes. In his imagination, these beings would live among us, serving as our advisers, companions and friends.
Now 62 and worth an estimated $17.7 billion, the Microsoft co-founder is using his wealth to back two separate philanthropic research efforts at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence that he hopes will hasten that future.
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CSN Editor: I am slightly late on this news item. AI has always been a fascination of Microsoft founder Bill Gates .... and now we know that his partner (Paul Allen) shares the same interest.
Why Do Poor Costa Ricans Outlive Poor Americans?
Bloomberg: A Longevity Puzzle: Why Do Poor Costa Ricans Outlive Poor Americans?
In the U.S., income and health go hand-in-hand. That's not the case everywhere.
Does being poor mean being less healthy? In the United States, the answer is generally yes: Income and health are intertwined, and the richer you are, the healthier you’re likely to be.
Still, the link between poverty and poor health isn't ironclad. Take Costa Rica, where the poorest 25 percent of people live longer than their counterparts in the U.S., according to an analysis published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Costa Rica punches above its weight on many measures of health and social welfare. It’s a middle-income democracy with a population of 4.8 million—about the size of Alabama—and a per-capita gross domestic product about one-fifth that of the U.S. In other words, it's much less wealthy than the U.S. As you would expect, the rich in America enjoy lower mortality rates than do the rich in Costa Rica. But when you look at the other end of the socio-economic scale, the reverse is true.
Read more ....
CSN Editor: Forget about Costa Rica. I live in Canada, and some of the healthiest people that I know are also the poorest. It is all a question of lifestyle, good eating habits, sleep, and staying away from stress.
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