The discovery of a fibrous dysplasia in a Neanderthal rib is the earliest known bone tumor on record, predating other tumors by more than 100,000 years. The rib, recovered from a site in Krapina, Croatia, indicates that Neanderthals were susceptible to the same types of tumors modern-day humans get, despite living in a remarkably different Read More → "World’s oldest tumor found in Neanderthal rib"
A new study out of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, suggests that those who spend time playing video games lay some of the ground work for socially responsible, good citizens in later life. Conducted by Dr. Kathy Sanford, the study examined children between the ages of 13 and 17 over a period of five years, and some interesting findings emerged. Sanford, who presented her findings this week, toldPolygon, “I found that … Read More → "New study finds gaming helps children learn ‘ethical decision making’"
When atomic bombs were tested between 1945 and 1963, radioactive particles were released into the Earth’s atmosphere. Among the isotopes created was carbon-14, which is commonly used in radio carbon dating.
As cells divide, they incorporate carbon from the environment, and some of that carbon comes from the atmosphere. That’s why carbon-14 released by the atomic bombs found its way into the DNA of multiplying cells. The amount of carbon-14 in … Read More → "Atomic bomb tests confirm formation of new brain cells"
A solar-powered wheelchair designed by students at the University of Virginia has won first prize in a competition, Change My Life in One Minute, to mark World Cerebral Palsy Day. Entrants to the competition were asked to come up with an innovation that could make a significant difference to a person with a disability. The solar-powered wheelchair can run continuously powered only by the sun.
Apparently inspired by the folding roofs of convertible … Read More → "Student-built wheelchair runs indefinitely on solar power"
The UCSD robot is called FFR for “firefighting robot,” although FLR for “firelocating robot” might be more technically correct. The robot uses a stereo camera and a thermal camera to generate 3D pointclouds with thermal overlays, allowing the robot to autonomously generate maps showing hot spots and humans even through smoke. The sensor hardware on board the robots doesn’t look especially complex, meaning that the ‘ … Read More → "Robot scout finds fires with 3D thermal imaging (video)"
“Sonic Water” is an interactive installation that visualizes sound with water. The installation works by playing sound through a speaker on which a small vessel of water is placed. A camera captures the patterns created in the water by the sound and the image is projected live on to a large screen. The installation is accompanied by labs, featuring a smaller scale version … Read More → "Sonic Water, installation that visualizes sound with water (video)"
The ends of the Earth are getting their close-up. NASA today released a new, updated map of the topography — that is, the surface structure — of Antarctica. The new topographical map of Earth’s southernmost continent is based on an older map from 10 years ago called Bedmap. But the new version, Bedmap2, contains literally millions more details about the frozen landscape than its predecessor, as NASA showed off today on its website, with … Read More → "Most detailed map of Antarctica’s surface in over 10 years released"
The secret to a mosquito’s survival during a rainstorm isn’t due to any fancy maneuvers or midair acrobatics. It is a combination of their low mass, hydrophobic wings, and go-with-the-flow mentality, according to David Hu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Hu has researched mosquitoes’ flight behavior in rainy conditions to better understand the limits of micro-airborne vehicles (MAVs). These tiny robot … Read More → "How do mosquitoes survive rainstorms?"
Back in the 1910s, many people were experimenting with next-big-thing technologies for motion pictures. Much of the promise was in developing synchronized sound, a technology that wouldn’t come into common use until the end of the 1920s. But some prognosticators at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties imagined that 3D must be the wave of tomorrow. Albeit, 3D with a decidedly Victorian flair.
< … Read More → "There were plans for 3D movies even before there were talkies"
