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Biting the hand that feeds IT

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:31:28 +0100

.::NASA celebrates return of the Zeppelin::.

Eureka! We'll call it...

NASA got a great big balloon for the 75th anniversary of its iconic Moffett airfield in the heart of Silicon Valley.…

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:51:45 +0100

.::Terror in orbit: ISS piss recycler in fire alarm mishap::.

Golden-Pond™ drinks module moistens space pants brows

A quarter-billion-dollar recycler unit - shipped into orbit aboard the space shuttle so as to slake the thirst of hardworking astronauts with a revitalising crystal flow of their own reprocessed urine - is playing up.…

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:50:22 +0100

.::NASA orbiter reveals buried Martian glaciers::.

Vast water ice sheets under rocky debris

The ground-penetrating radar aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has identified extensive Martian glaciers buried under "protective blankets of rocky debris".…

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:31:15 +0100

.::San Francisco enters Agassi's electric car dream::.

'Just do what Shai tells us to do'

The San Francisco Bay Area has embraced Shai Agassi's Better Place vision, announcing a "sweeping plan" to drive public and private investments in electric cars and the infrastructure needed to run them.…

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:29:04 +0100

.::Does it feel good when I twist your circuits?::.

Now it does!

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:32:51 +0100

.::Heidemarie 'Toolbag' Piper set for second spacewalk::.

While ISS crew hunt missing spider

Endeavour mission specialists Shane Kimbrough and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper are getting ready for the second mission STS-126 spacewalk outside the International Space Station this afternoon, scheduled to get under way at 18:45 GMT.…

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:20:16 +0100

.::Lewis Hamilton mulls riding Virgin::.

Galactic jaunt for F1 champ?

Formula 1 champ Lewis Hamilton is planning to stump a cool £625,000 for five seats on a Virgin Galactic flight, according to the Evening Standard.…

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:31:47 +0100

.::Carbon Cult: Ban flushing toilets::.

Pay per dump, and think of Gaia

Australians could face 'pay as you dump' charges as part of a Toilet Tax. It's all in the name of "sustainability" - and part of a growing eco-movement to replace flushing conveniences with smelly and unhealthy inconvenience.…

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:31:09 +0100

.::Lords debate Climate Bill, carbon racket::.

'We don't know what we're talking about'

The government's climate minister in the House of Lords dropped a clanger on Monday evening, when he claimed that the polar ice caps were melting at a record rate.…

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:45:41 +0100

.::Scientists ponder mysterious source of cosmic rays::.

Exotic object or dark matter?

Scientists are pondering the possible source of an "unexpected surplus of cosmic ray electrons at very high energy", and suggest they're either pouring out of an exotic object relatively close to Earth or represent the fall-out from the annihilation of theoretical particles comprising dark matter.…

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:26:19 +0100

.::NASA readies remodeled ISS ENose::.

Smells like Endeavour team spirit

NASA astronauts aboard Endeavour's STS-126 mission will soon be testing the space agency's latest generation of "electronic nose," designed to monitor the International Space Station's crew cabin for harmful chemicals.…

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:20:53 +0100

.::NASA's curious climate capers::.

Computer says: It's getting warmer

There have been a few red faces at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in recent days, to match the predominant color of its October global temperature map. Based at Columbia University in New York, GISS is the division of NASA that is responsible for global climate data and is used by the media in assessing global warming. After analyzing the data, GISS reported that October 2008 was the warmest October since reliable record-keeping began in 1880. But there was something very wrong with the numbers.…

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:04:48 +0100

.::Spacewalking astronaut drops toolbag::.

'Steve, can you lend me a grease gun?'

Space shuttle Endeavour mission specialist Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper yesterday dropped her toolbag as she and Steve Bowen worked outside the International Space Station, in the process consigning to oblivion "two grease guns, scrapers, several wipes and tethers and some tool caddies".…

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:37:27 +0100

.::Endeavour pair prep for ISS spacewalk::.

First mission STS-126 EVA this afternoon

Endeavour mission STS-126 specialists Steve Bowen and Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper will this afternoon venture outside the International Space Station for the first of four planned spacewalks on this shuttle jaunt to the orbiting outpost.…

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:12:26 +0100

.::NASA images LA wildfires::.

Aqua satellite in smoke detector mode

NASA has released an image captured on 16 November by its Aqua satellite, showing the extent of the California wildfires which, the BBC estimates, had by yesterday destroyed a total of 800 homes and razed roughly 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares):…

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:01:23 +0100

.::Roachzilla menaces Florida::.

Lizard owners fingered for monster cockroach threat

University of Florida scientists have warned that several species of imported giant cockroach, favoured by reptile owners as an alternative to putting crickets on the menu, could escape and thrive in the state's roach-friendly climate.…

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:21:16 +0100

.::Happy Birthday, Turing's universal machine::.

Solving the unsolvable

It's just 71 years ago this month that a seminal paper from Alan Turing was published, which helped pave the way to today's multi-billion dollar IT industry and confer on Turing the title of father of modern computer science.…

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:13:54 +0100

.::Endeavour launch heralds new dawn for piss-drinking::.

Godspeed and strong kidneys

Space shuttle Endeavour safely blasted off from Kennedy Space Center this evening, delivering extra living space for the International Space Station and the promise of cold, refreshing recycled urine on tap.…

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:55:01 +0100

.::India plants flag on Moon::.

'Impact probe' crash lands to glory

India has become the fourth nation to join the stuff-on-the-Moon club, after the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in lunar orbit successfully launched an impact probe at the lunar surface this afternoon. The 35-kg impactor was blazoned with the Indian flag.…

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:07:17 +0100

.::Hubble snaps planet orbiting distant star::.

First visible-light image of gravitationally-bound world

The Hubble space telescope has captured the first visible-light image of an exoplanet orbiting a star - a body no greater than three Jupiter masses, gravitationally-bound to Fomalhaut in the constellation Piscis Australis.…

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:19:09 +0100

.::'Ruggedised, weaponised' raygun modules now on sale::.

FIRESTRIKE™: still too heavy for the average shark

US killtech behemoth Northrop Grumman has has said that it is ready to take orders for the "world's first ruggedised, weaponised high energy solid state laser designed for battlefield applications". The raygun module is dubbed FIRESTRIKE™.…

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:07:35 +0100

.::NASA's CO₂-scan sat arrives at launch site::.

Two year atmo-mapping mission to get facts on carbon cycle

NASA's first satellite dedicated to monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide has arrived at its launch site. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory will take off from Vandenberg airforce base in January.…

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:44:56 +0100

.::DARPA: Self-repairing, learning kill-robot tech is go::.

Beware, aware 'ware!

Once again the observant techbeat watcher finds his or her lower-torso garments endampened by fear, as news emerges that heavyweight US military nerds believe that they have developed IT tech which can "regenerate" autonomously, allowing it to self-repair in the face of shutdown attempts - and even to learn and develop its capabilities. More terrifyingly still, plans are afoot to put this technology into the US forces' next generation of robotic weaponry.…

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:35:16 +0100

.::Endeavour crew set for ISS gig::.

Shuttle launch tomorrow

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour is set for tomorrow's scheduled launch to the International Space Station on mission STS-126 to equip the outpost with extra kit for its intended expansion to accommodate six full-time residents.…

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:24:48 +0100

.::World's first AI birth achieved using frozen rhino sperm::.

Horny Colchester perissodactyl in Budapest triumph

An alliance of Eastern-European boffins has achieved what they describe as a "landmark technique for AI". The I in this case, however, stands not for Intelligence but Insemination, and the breakthrough is the the world's first live birth achieved using frozen rhinoceros semen.…

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:47:10 +0100

.::Royal Society of Chemistry defines perfect Yorkshire pud::.

Distraught cooks offered recipe for success

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has ordained that a Yorkshire pudding is not in fact a Yorkshire pudding if it's less than four inches tall, and has issued the definitive recipe for the traditional pud so aficionados can bake 'em up just like granny used to.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:01:17 +0100

.::GooFlu searches for sickness::.

Google tells you when to get sick

Google's philanthropic tentacle, google.org, has found a strong correlation between official data on influenza from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the number of people searching for flu information on google.com.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:07:37 +0100

.::Philips pops out the drug packing iPill::.

Take one of these computers with a glass of water

An "intelligent pill" with a microprocessor, battery, wireless radio, pump and a drug reservoir to release medication in a specific area in the body was announced yesterday by Dutch electronics firm Philips.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:00:33 +0100

.::Date set for Jatropha Jumbo biofuel-2.0 test flight::.

Misery-free oily nut juice to power Kiwi 747

Boeing and Air New Zealand have announced that they will carry out the first flight test of "second generation" sustainable biofuel in an airliner on 3 December.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:45:06 +0100

.::Boffins plan Titanic balloon trip::.

Floating insights into Saturnian moon

Scientists are drafting a plan to further explore Saturnian moon Titan, involving an orbiting spacecraft, surface probe and hot-air balloon designed to float gracefully through the body's hazy hydrocarbon atmosphere, Space.com reports.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:00:39 +0100

.::Mankind to detect alien life 'by 2025'::.

SETI astronomer sticks his neck out

Senior Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) astronomer Seth Shostak last night boldly claimed that mankind would certainly detect intelligent alien life by 2025, assuming the right technology is in place to probe 500 light years into space where there are doubtless thousands of ET radio stations transmitting into the ether.…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:38:46 +0100

.::US lost Cold War bomb under Greenland ice::.

Dude, where's my nuke?

The US secretly abandoned a nuclear weapon forty years ago after it was lost beneath the ice in northern Greenland, according to a BBC report.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:02:24 +0100

.::Farmers demand 'special' climate deal for flatulent cattle::.

'Limited in how much they can cut emissions'

The International Federation of Agricultural Producers has asked for a "special deal" in climate negotiations, insisting there are "limits to what farmers could do to curb emissions" from the flatulent, burping cattle which contribute a fair whack of the 20 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions attributed to agricultural activities.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:23:46 +0100

.::German boffins plan frictionless liquid crystal lubricant::.

'Sliding rod' slips in easily with right orientation

German boffins at the Fraunhofer Institute say they are working on an "almost frictionless" lubricant made from liquid crystals like those used in flat-panel displays. They think that the LCD lube could be ready for market as soon as 2011.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:52:30 +0100

.::Boffin finds gene for coke addiction::.

Boring sniffler? It's not your fault

A German researcher has found a gene linked to cocaine addiction - coke addicts were 25 per cent more likely to have the gene than those who do not use the drug.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:12:25 +0100

.::DARPA inks $2m deal for vat-grown artificial blood tech::.

'Blood pharming' to replace US troops' spilt claret

An American biotech company has been awarded a $2m deal to produce "blood pharming" technology for the US military. The proposed kit would allow US forces to grow large supplies of genuine human blood in tanks, for use in transfusions to help wounded troops.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:53:48 +0100

.::Dutch plan 'Energy Island'::.

Dyke ring 'leccy pumpage to smooth bursty wind

A Dutch company has proposed an interesting new kind of pumped-storage energy station. Normally, such facilities work by pumping huge uphill reservoirs full of water and letting it flow out through hydro-power turbines later on to release the stored energy. This one, however, works by emptying a huge reservoir.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:22:32 +0100

.::Mars lander has probably carked it, says NASA::.

Phoenix robot won't rise again

The Phoenix robot lander, situated in the arctic dune seas of Mars, has ceased communicating and NASA does not expect to hear from it again. The onset of autumn in the chilly polar plains of the Red Planet has, as was expected, meant that the probe's solar panels can no longer supply sufficient power to keep it running.…

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:37:34 +0100

.::Vintage IBM tape drive in Apollo moon dust rescue::.

40-year-old data recovery

An Australian scientist hopes to restore a vintage, refrigerator-sized IBM tape drive stored in a museum to recover Apollo moon mission data the space agency misplaced nearly 40f years ago.…

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:09:57 +0100

.::Ancient galaxies pose for the camera::.

Fetching ultraviolet snap of deep, deep space

The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (aka ESO, or European Southern Observatory) has released a rather fetching snap of distant galaxies posing in the U-band - the boundary between visible light and ultraviolet - which shows some clusters of stars so old that they're seen "as they were when the universe was only two billion years old".…

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:03:16 +0100

.::Honda debuts groin-clutching walker exoskeleton::.

Bot-bot offers crouch/cringe mode for car workers

Mighty motors'n'tech globocorp Honda has wowed the world's media today as it unveils a combination of two-legged indoor robotic horse and lower-body exoskeleton walker device.…

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:24:47 +0100

.::Webcast quango: One-third of UK teachers are creationists::.

Teachers may be silly: Gov mediacrats, sillier

In a recent survey, barely half of a self-selecting sample of UK teachers who use the webcast service Teachers' TV disagreed with the idea that "creationism or intelligent design should be given the same status as evolution in the classroom". Some 87.9 per cent of respondents thought that it was appropriate to discuss religious matters in science classes if pupils brought them up.…

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:47:21 +0100

.::Elon Musk's SpaceX offers non-ISS spaceship::.

Cutting NASA's apron strings?

PayPal multihecamillionaire Elon Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, has announced that it will fly a genuinely private-sector space mission - including return to Earth - as soon as 2010.…

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:35:50 +0100

.::US sea-bottom sensor net powered by 'stroking buoys'::.

Green tech keeps oceans true blue

The US Navy, often at odds with environmentalists, made a move which might please the green community yesterday. The service has awarded a $3m contract to a company producing wave-power buoys, intending to use them in an oceanic sensor array.…

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:35:12 +0100

.::Bletchley Park gets £330k lifeline::.

Historic code-breaking centre bailed out by English Heritage

Bletchley Park has secured a much-needed lifeline with a £330,000 grant from English Heritage.…

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:24:31 +0100

.::Doctor debuts field-tested brainwave comms kit::.

Mind over matter

The designer of a high-tech system allowing brain-damaged people to communicate and perform physical tasks through the power of thought has claimed to be the first able to successfully test it on such patients.…

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:13:18 +0100

.::Boffins: global warming kills lemmings, not suicide::.

Norwegian rodents dying against will

The Norwegian lemming population is dwindling - through no fault of its own.…

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:45:08 +0100

.::Bombproof TV rolling-news eco bins target the City::.

Zeitgeistgasm: Rubbish/media security recycling

City workers not yet living in old fridge boxes under motorways will now be able to receive news of their redundancies even faster, as a new video news channel may soon deploy onto street screens across the Square Mile. The screens will be attached to recyclo-eco-bins - which will also feature secret terrorist-bomb-proofing technology.…

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:09:52 +0100

.::Tesla Roadster safe after Musk-promised money arrives::.

Model S everyman 'leccycar - don't hold your breath

Tesla Motors, the troubled California firm behind the famous "Roadster" battery supercar, says it now has finance in place which will carry it to the point of positive cash flow - though it remains coy as to who put up the money. The firm also insists that some development work is proceeding on its next model, the broader-appeal "Model S".…

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:38:32 +0100

.::Taurid meteors promise Guy Fawkes fireball show::.

'Unusually good' display expected on 5 Nov

Aficionados of meteor showers should cast their eyes heavenwards on 5 and 12 November for what are expected to be "unusually good" displays from the Taurids, possibly including fireball-inducing larger meteors colliding terminally with Earth's atmosphere.…