http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071121/sc_nm/scorpion_fossil_dc_1
This is as critter akin to a lobster. They found a fossilized claw that put the whole creature at about 8 feet long. Probably about the size of a big bull sea lion. How scary would that be? For the answer, see the inevitable thriller about the people who accidentally run across a group of these things that are still around.
One of the problems with monster SF is that things with exoskeletons don't usually get very big (gravity, inefficiency with exterior supports, the scaling of surface area, and the amount of energy to create a big exoskeleton). The article mentions the possibility of higher O2 concentrations in the air. Also, these were sea creatures, so they have buoyancy to help counteract gravity.
Now imagine what sorts of creatures could evolve on a low gravity planet with high O2 levels. Throw in some stranded astronauts and the story writes itself.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Children bonding with robots
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn12879-giggling-robot-becomes-one-of-the-kids-.html?feedId=online-news_rss20
Now, if this isn't a sign of impending doom (via a Star Trek inspired plot), I don't know what is. THEY have built a robot that giggles when children touch it's head. It wanders around a room full of kids and avoids them, sitting occasionally, and over a few weeks, the children seem to be bonding to it.
Is the government looking for more ways to make the population into automatons? Are aliens prepping the way for an easy take-over? Is this a preview of Battlestar Galactica science gone awry?
I don't know, but if I wrote it, it wouldn't be a giggle robot for toddlers. It would be a slapping robot for politicians who make speeches to congress when they are supposed to be asking the witness a question. NO! Bad senator. Go to your room for wasting everyone's time.
Now, if this isn't a sign of impending doom (via a Star Trek inspired plot), I don't know what is. THEY have built a robot that giggles when children touch it's head. It wanders around a room full of kids and avoids them, sitting occasionally, and over a few weeks, the children seem to be bonding to it.
Is the government looking for more ways to make the population into automatons? Are aliens prepping the way for an easy take-over? Is this a preview of Battlestar Galactica science gone awry?
I don't know, but if I wrote it, it wouldn't be a giggle robot for toddlers. It would be a slapping robot for politicians who make speeches to congress when they are supposed to be asking the witness a question. NO! Bad senator. Go to your room for wasting everyone's time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Solar sails revisited
http://space.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11375&feedId=online-news_rss20
Some ideas for how to use magnetic fields to power satellites and space craft. Basically, a charge in a changing magnetic field (or a moving charge in a static magnetic field) produces a current. Use that to power up a capacitor and then use that energy to run your systems. The moving charge is generated by radioisotopes attached to the capacitor material, so it generates power constantly. They plan to use a device like a sail (probably folded up into a sock-like geometry) with large surface area. Change the surface area or geometry to alter the capacitance and thus regulate the power generation.
You could use that to accelerate or brake as you travel, and Jupiter (with its bigger magnetic fields) could serve as the depot where space stations and ships hang out/get built before being sent off on missions.
Good inspiration for writers, and something I'll use in my Science in Science Fiction talk at Writer's Weekend later this month.
Some ideas for how to use magnetic fields to power satellites and space craft. Basically, a charge in a changing magnetic field (or a moving charge in a static magnetic field) produces a current. Use that to power up a capacitor and then use that energy to run your systems. The moving charge is generated by radioisotopes attached to the capacitor material, so it generates power constantly. They plan to use a device like a sail (probably folded up into a sock-like geometry) with large surface area. Change the surface area or geometry to alter the capacitance and thus regulate the power generation.
You could use that to accelerate or brake as you travel, and Jupiter (with its bigger magnetic fields) could serve as the depot where space stations and ships hang out/get built before being sent off on missions.
Good inspiration for writers, and something I'll use in my Science in Science Fiction talk at Writer's Weekend later this month.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins - Yahoo! News
U.S. warns about Canadian spy coins - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - Money talks, but can it also follow your movements?
In a U.S. government warning high on the creepiness scale, the Defense Department cautioned its American contractors over what it described as a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside."
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Wow, that seems so, I don't know, Cold War. If it is China, they should just embed the transmitters into cellphone plastic when they are made. Or shirt buttons. Something that won't change (ha ha) hands as often as coins.
Reminds me of the nanobarcode technology for embedding tags in plastic at the time of molding, so you can fingerprint each one on a molecular scale.
In a U.S. government warning high on the creepiness scale, the Defense Department cautioned its American contractors over what it described as a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside."
============================
Wow, that seems so, I don't know, Cold War. If it is China, they should just embed the transmitters into cellphone plastic when they are made. Or shirt buttons. Something that won't change (ha ha) hands as often as coins.
Reminds me of the nanobarcode technology for embedding tags in plastic at the time of molding, so you can fingerprint each one on a molecular scale.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
BBC NEWS | UK | Human species 'may split in two'
BBC NEWS | UK | Human species 'may split in two': "Human species 'may split in two'
Different human sub-species predicted by Dr Oliver Curry
Humanity may split into an elite and an underclass, says Dr Curry
Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said."
=======================================
As long as we never wind up with C.H.U.D.s, I'll be happy.
Different human sub-species predicted by Dr Oliver Curry
Humanity may split into an elite and an underclass, says Dr Curry
Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said."
=======================================
As long as we never wind up with C.H.U.D.s, I'll be happy.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Quantum Entanglement Demonstrated in Superconducting Wires
Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Quantum Entanglement Demonstrated in Superconducting Wires: "A dark horse candidate for the super powerful quantum computer of the future has now passed an important milestone. Researchers have made the first direct measurement showing they can forge a crucial quantum link between currents flowing through ultracold, superconducting wires.
Quantum computers would take advantage of a particle or other quantum system's ability to exist simultaneously in two states--namely, a superposition of 0 and 1. Combining many such quantum bits, or qubits, into a working quantum computer would allow its operators to perform feats impossible even on today's supercomputers, such as breaking gold-standard encryption schemes or conducting complex searches quickly."
===============================
Hoop, there it is!
Quantum computers would take advantage of a particle or other quantum system's ability to exist simultaneously in two states--namely, a superposition of 0 and 1. Combining many such quantum bits, or qubits, into a working quantum computer would allow its operators to perform feats impossible even on today's supercomputers, such as breaking gold-standard encryption schemes or conducting complex searches quickly."
===============================
Hoop, there it is!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Bringing back the woolly mammoth - maybe - Yahoo! News
Bringing back the woolly mammoth - maybe - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - Descendants of extinct mammals like the giant woolly mammoth might one day walk the Earth again. It isn't exactly Jurassic Park, but Japanese researchers are looking at the possibility of using sperm from frozen animals to inseminate living relatives.
So far they've succeeded with mice — some frozen as long as 15 years — and lead researcher Dr. Atsuo Ogura says he would like to try experiments in larger animals."
=====================================
Ok then. Where did they get that idea? Maybe that's what fertility doctors dream up when they are at the bar and have had a few too many bottles of sake.
WASHINGTON - Descendants of extinct mammals like the giant woolly mammoth might one day walk the Earth again. It isn't exactly Jurassic Park, but Japanese researchers are looking at the possibility of using sperm from frozen animals to inseminate living relatives.
So far they've succeeded with mice — some frozen as long as 15 years — and lead researcher Dr. Atsuo Ogura says he would like to try experiments in larger animals."
=====================================
Ok then. Where did they get that idea? Maybe that's what fertility doctors dream up when they are at the bar and have had a few too many bottles of sake.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
New Scientist News - Make mine a zombie vaccine
New Scientist News - Make mine a zombie vaccine: "Zombie bacteria have been created that could be used to make more stable vaccines.
Traditionally, vaccines use either 'attenuated' live bacteria, grown in conditions that disable their virulent properties, or killed bacteria. Attenuated live vaccines promote a strong immune response, but can be difficult to store and transport safely, while killed bacteria don't work as well in triggering immunity.
Now there could be a third option. Sandip Datta and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, irradiated live Listeria monocytogenes with gamma rays, breaking up their DNA so that they couldn't reproduce, but leaving enough residual metabolic activity to activate an immune response. When injected into mice, the 'zombie' bugs prevented reinfection in 80 per cent of cases (Immunity, DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2006.05.013).
Unlike most vaccines, the irradiated Listeria don't need to be kept chilled. If the approach works with other strains of bacteria, it could lead to vaccines that are cheaper and easier to store for use in developing nations."
======================================
Now, you might find the whole thing disturbing, but really it's the last two sentences that scare me. Because, you know, it always seemed like a good thing at the time.
Traditionally, vaccines use either 'attenuated' live bacteria, grown in conditions that disable their virulent properties, or killed bacteria. Attenuated live vaccines promote a strong immune response, but can be difficult to store and transport safely, while killed bacteria don't work as well in triggering immunity.
Now there could be a third option. Sandip Datta and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, irradiated live Listeria monocytogenes with gamma rays, breaking up their DNA so that they couldn't reproduce, but leaving enough residual metabolic activity to activate an immune response. When injected into mice, the 'zombie' bugs prevented reinfection in 80 per cent of cases (Immunity, DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2006.05.013).
Unlike most vaccines, the irradiated Listeria don't need to be kept chilled. If the approach works with other strains of bacteria, it could lead to vaccines that are cheaper and easier to store for use in developing nations."
======================================
Now, you might find the whole thing disturbing, but really it's the last two sentences that scare me. Because, you know, it always seemed like a good thing at the time.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
New Scientist SPACE - Breaking News - Plasma bubble could protect astronauts on Mars trip
New Scientist SPACE - Breaking News - Plasma bubble could protect astronauts on Mars trip: "A bubble of plasma could shield astronauts from radiation during long journeys through space, researchers are suggesting. If the idea proves viable, it means heavy metal protective panels could be replaced by a plasma shield of just a few grams."
====================================
Plasma shields up! Ok, maybe it isn't Star Trek...yet. The plasma would have to be contained inside a superconducting wire mesh that would surround the whole ship, but hey, you have to admit that plasma shields are cool. Come on now. Admit it. There you go.
The idea is that in space, you have all sorts of cosmic radiation that would bombard the ship and go right through the hull. Unless you make the hull really thick, e.g. several inches of aluminum. But aluminum (a.k.a. aluminium to the Brits) isn't very heavy, you say. Well, a few inches thick sheets are really heavy. I've used big chunks of aluminum for building microscopes and we aren't even in the same city as the ballpark of the stuff you put over your potato salad (assuming you don't use Saran Wrap).
If you make a ship with a hull that is thick enough to block the cosmic radiation, it will be too massive to effectively work. The more mass, the more fuel you need to burn to get it up to speed (or else you have to go really slow and the trip takes years). So a plasma shield would mean that we could make an interplanetary space ship that is a practical mass.
Accounting for the balance of mass/fuel/radiation shielding is one of those things that many SF writers conveniently ignore.
====================================
Plasma shields up! Ok, maybe it isn't Star Trek...yet. The plasma would have to be contained inside a superconducting wire mesh that would surround the whole ship, but hey, you have to admit that plasma shields are cool. Come on now. Admit it. There you go.
The idea is that in space, you have all sorts of cosmic radiation that would bombard the ship and go right through the hull. Unless you make the hull really thick, e.g. several inches of aluminum. But aluminum (a.k.a. aluminium to the Brits) isn't very heavy, you say. Well, a few inches thick sheets are really heavy. I've used big chunks of aluminum for building microscopes and we aren't even in the same city as the ballpark of the stuff you put over your potato salad (assuming you don't use Saran Wrap).
If you make a ship with a hull that is thick enough to block the cosmic radiation, it will be too massive to effectively work. The more mass, the more fuel you need to burn to get it up to speed (or else you have to go really slow and the trip takes years). So a plasma shield would mean that we could make an interplanetary space ship that is a practical mass.
Accounting for the balance of mass/fuel/radiation shielding is one of those things that many SF writers conveniently ignore.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
ScienceDaily: Live Wires: Microbiologist Discovers Our Planet Is Hard-wired With Electricity-producing Bacteria
ScienceDaily: Live Wires: Microbiologist Discovers Our Planet Is Hard-wired With Electricity-producing Bacteria: "When Yuri Gorby discovered that a microbe which transforms toxic metals can sprout tiny electrically conductive wires from its cell membrane, he reasoned this anatomical oddity and its metal-changing physiology must be related.
A colleague who had heard Gorby’s presentation at a scientific meeting later reported that he, too, was able to coax nanowires from another so-called metal-reducing bacteria species and further suggested the wires, called pili, could be used to bioengineer electrical devices.
It now turns out that not only are the wires and their ability to alter metal connected—but that many other bacteria, including species involved in fermentation and photosynthesis, can also form wires under a variety of environmental conditions."
=====================================
How cool is that? Maybe the earth really does have a collective "intelligence". Must...fight...urge...to...start...new...story...
A colleague who had heard Gorby’s presentation at a scientific meeting later reported that he, too, was able to coax nanowires from another so-called metal-reducing bacteria species and further suggested the wires, called pili, could be used to bioengineer electrical devices.
It now turns out that not only are the wires and their ability to alter metal connected—but that many other bacteria, including species involved in fermentation and photosynthesis, can also form wires under a variety of environmental conditions."
=====================================
How cool is that? Maybe the earth really does have a collective "intelligence". Must...fight...urge...to...start...new...story...
ScienceDaily: Live Wires: Microbiologist Discovers Our Planet Is Hard-wired With Electricity-producing Bacteria
ScienceDaily: Live Wires: Microbiologist Discovers Our Planet Is Hard-wired With Electricity-producing Bacteria: "When Yuri Gorby discovered that a microbe which transforms toxic metals can sprout tiny electrically conductive wires from its cell membrane, he reasoned this anatomical oddity and its metal-changing physiology must be related.
A colleague who had heard Gorby’s presentation at a scientific meeting later reported that he, too, was able to coax nanowires from another so-called metal-reducing bacteria species and further suggested the wires, called pili, could be used to bioengineer electrical devices.
It now turns out that not only are the wires and their ability to alter metal connected—but that many other bacteria, including species involved in fermentation and photosynthesis, can also form wires under a variety of environmental conditions."
=====================================
How cool is that? Maybe the earth really does have a collective "intelligence". Must...fight...urge...to...start...new...story...
A colleague who had heard Gorby’s presentation at a scientific meeting later reported that he, too, was able to coax nanowires from another so-called metal-reducing bacteria species and further suggested the wires, called pili, could be used to bioengineer electrical devices.
It now turns out that not only are the wires and their ability to alter metal connected—but that many other bacteria, including species involved in fermentation and photosynthesis, can also form wires under a variety of environmental conditions."
=====================================
How cool is that? Maybe the earth really does have a collective "intelligence". Must...fight...urge...to...start...new...story...
Friday, July 07, 2006
New Scientist Tech - Breaking News - Flat 'ion trap' holds quantum computing promise
New Scientist Tech - Breaking News - Flat 'ion trap' holds quantum computing promise: Tom Simonite
"Quantum computers could be more easily mass produced thanks to the development of a two-dimensional ion trap - one of their key components.
A quantum computer could be much faster than a conventional computer. While electronic bits can exist in one of two states – '0' or '1' – a quantum bit, or qubit, can be in both states simultaneously. Connecting lots of qubits together would allow many more calculations to be carried out simultaneously.
Ion traps have so far proved the best way to make qubits, allowing up to eight to be connected together. They work by trapping super-cooled ions in an electric field. Lasers can then be used to manipulate the ions to alter their quantum states."
=================================
Ah ha! Another piece in the quantum computing puzzle. All signs point to me writing that next science thriller...
"Quantum computers could be more easily mass produced thanks to the development of a two-dimensional ion trap - one of their key components.
A quantum computer could be much faster than a conventional computer. While electronic bits can exist in one of two states – '0' or '1' – a quantum bit, or qubit, can be in both states simultaneously. Connecting lots of qubits together would allow many more calculations to be carried out simultaneously.
Ion traps have so far proved the best way to make qubits, allowing up to eight to be connected together. They work by trapping super-cooled ions in an electric field. Lasers can then be used to manipulate the ions to alter their quantum states."
=================================
Ah ha! Another piece in the quantum computing puzzle. All signs point to me writing that next science thriller...
BIOTERRORISM: BioShield Is Slow to Build U.S. Defenses Against Bioweapons -- Kaiser 313 (5783): 28 -- Science
BIOTERRORISM: BioShield Is Slow to Build U.S. Defenses Against Bioweapons -- Kaiser 313 (5783): 28 -- Science: "BioShield Is Slow to Build U.S. Defenses Against Bioweapons
Jocelyn Kaiser
Developing vaccines against potential bioweapons such as smallpox and Marburg virus is tough going for small companies. But it's even harder when their comrade-in-arms on the front lines, a $5.6 billion federal program called BioShield, is AWOL."
======================================
Maybe I should be editing Viral Coat and sending it out. Hmmm, two novels to edit. Which to choose?
Jocelyn Kaiser
Developing vaccines against potential bioweapons such as smallpox and Marburg virus is tough going for small companies. But it's even harder when their comrade-in-arms on the front lines, a $5.6 billion federal program called BioShield, is AWOL."
======================================
Maybe I should be editing Viral Coat and sending it out. Hmmm, two novels to edit. Which to choose?
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Atari Plays a Waiting Game With Test Drive Unlimited - New York Times
Atari Plays a Waiting Game With Test Drive Unlimited - New York Times: "The second surprise is Test Drive Unlimited itself, a sprawling, sumptuous experience that seems poised to become one of the more engaging games of the year. The game models the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu and allows players to race any of 90 cars over more than 1,000 miles of roads.
Extensive testing is still needed to fine-tune the innovative online mode, but the idea is that thousands of players will cruise the island simultaneously over the Internet, challenging one another at any traffic light to lay down some rubber. On the Xbox 360, the game's main system, the graphics dazzle and the cars evoke a realistic sense of speed."
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I may have to break down and get an Xbox360 after all. This game looks like a great step forward in virtual reality world. It is an open-ended sandbox game, and they hope virtual communities form up. Like Second Life, but with an underlying game. Or like Star Wars Galaxies without the need to grind out experience points.
Extensive testing is still needed to fine-tune the innovative online mode, but the idea is that thousands of players will cruise the island simultaneously over the Internet, challenging one another at any traffic light to lay down some rubber. On the Xbox 360, the game's main system, the graphics dazzle and the cars evoke a realistic sense of speed."
=============================================
I may have to break down and get an Xbox360 after all. This game looks like a great step forward in virtual reality world. It is an open-ended sandbox game, and they hope virtual communities form up. Like Second Life, but with an underlying game. Or like Star Wars Galaxies without the need to grind out experience points.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
New Scientist News - Road crash could set off nuclear blast
New Scientist News - Road crash could set off nuclear blast
Trident nuclear warheads damaged in a vehicle pile-up or a plane crash could partially detonate and deliver a lethal radiation dose, according to a newly declassified report from the UK Ministry of Defence obtained by New Scientist. The MoD has also revealed that an attack by terrorists on a nuclear weapons convoy could produce an even more disastrous outcome. "The consequences of such an incident are likely to be considerable loss of life," says a senior MoD official.
Trident warheads are regularly transported to weapons facilities in the US and the UK, where they are inspected to make sure that ageing materials don't render them unreliable or unstable.
====================================
They go on to say the chances are 2.4 in a billion, but hey, those are great odds for a novelist. Maybe a nice suspense as the good guys try to prevent the bad guys from doing it. Or society dealing with the after effects. Lots of ways to go with it.
Trident nuclear warheads damaged in a vehicle pile-up or a plane crash could partially detonate and deliver a lethal radiation dose, according to a newly declassified report from the UK Ministry of Defence obtained by New Scientist. The MoD has also revealed that an attack by terrorists on a nuclear weapons convoy could produce an even more disastrous outcome. "The consequences of such an incident are likely to be considerable loss of life," says a senior MoD official.
Trident warheads are regularly transported to weapons facilities in the US and the UK, where they are inspected to make sure that ageing materials don't render them unreliable or unstable.
====================================
They go on to say the chances are 2.4 in a billion, but hey, those are great odds for a novelist. Maybe a nice suspense as the good guys try to prevent the bad guys from doing it. Or society dealing with the after effects. Lots of ways to go with it.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tropical Stonehenge may have been found - Yahoo! News
Tropical Stonehenge may have been found - Yahoo! News: SAO PAULO, Brazil - A grouping of granite blocks along a grassy Amazon hilltop may be the vestiges of a centuries-old astronomical observatory — a find archaeologists say indicates early rainforest inhabitants were more sophisticated than previously believed.
The 127 blocks, some as high as 9 feet tall, are spaced at regular intervals around the hill, like a crown 100 feet in diameter.
On the shortest day of the year — Dec. 21 — the shadow of one of the blocks, which is set at an angle, disappears.
"It is this block's alignment with the winter solstice that leads us to believe the site was once an astronomical observatory," said Mariana Petry Cabral, an archaeologist at the Amapa State Scientific and Technical Research Institute. "We may be also looking at the remnants of a sophisticated culture."
==================================
Cool! An excuse to travel to Brazil! This story reminds me of the Nan Madol ruins that James Rollins used in his thriller Deep Fathom. More info to get you started:
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461519901/Ruins_of_Nan_Madol.html
The 127 blocks, some as high as 9 feet tall, are spaced at regular intervals around the hill, like a crown 100 feet in diameter.
On the shortest day of the year — Dec. 21 — the shadow of one of the blocks, which is set at an angle, disappears.
"It is this block's alignment with the winter solstice that leads us to believe the site was once an astronomical observatory," said Mariana Petry Cabral, an archaeologist at the Amapa State Scientific and Technical Research Institute. "We may be also looking at the remnants of a sophisticated culture."
==================================
Cool! An excuse to travel to Brazil! This story reminds me of the Nan Madol ruins that James Rollins used in his thriller Deep Fathom. More info to get you started:
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461519901/Ruins_of_Nan_Madol.html
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
ScienceDaily: Underwater Microscope Finds Biological Treasures In The Subtropical Ocean
ScienceDaily: Underwater Microscope Finds Biological Treasures In The Subtropical Ocean: "Underwater Microscope Finds Biological Treasures In The Subtropical Ocean
Scientists towing an underwater digital microscope across the Atlantic have found possible missing links to the global nitrogen cycle, which in turn is linked to ocean productivity.
In a recent report in the journal Science, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found abundant colonies of Trichodesmium. The multi-celled, filamentous organism is thought to play a significant role in the input of nitrogen to the upper layers of the tropical and subtropical ocean, nearly half of the Earth’s surface.
Lead author Cabell Davis, a senior scientist in the WHOI Biology Department, and co-author Dennis McGillicuddy, an associate scientist in the WHOI Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department, suggest that nitrogen fixation rates for Trichodesmium may be 2.7 to 5 times higher than previously estimated from traditional sampling."
=====================================
So, these guys are out trolling the oceans with a digital microscope. Pretty sweet deal. I'd have my science thriller main character do that, but then it would be too Clive Cussler. Maybe he could troll the skies in a high performance glider or airship. Hmmmm. Then I could finally get a glider license and write it off. Excuse me a moment...
Scientists towing an underwater digital microscope across the Atlantic have found possible missing links to the global nitrogen cycle, which in turn is linked to ocean productivity.
In a recent report in the journal Science, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found abundant colonies of Trichodesmium. The multi-celled, filamentous organism is thought to play a significant role in the input of nitrogen to the upper layers of the tropical and subtropical ocean, nearly half of the Earth’s surface.
Lead author Cabell Davis, a senior scientist in the WHOI Biology Department, and co-author Dennis McGillicuddy, an associate scientist in the WHOI Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department, suggest that nitrogen fixation rates for Trichodesmium may be 2.7 to 5 times higher than previously estimated from traditional sampling."
=====================================
So, these guys are out trolling the oceans with a digital microscope. Pretty sweet deal. I'd have my science thriller main character do that, but then it would be too Clive Cussler. Maybe he could troll the skies in a high performance glider or airship. Hmmmm. Then I could finally get a glider license and write it off. Excuse me a moment...
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Microsoft sees future in robots - Yahoo! News
Microsoft sees future in robots - Yahoo! News: "Microsoft Robotics Studio"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) sees the future and it is robots.
The Seattle-based company on Tuesday previewed a set of new software tools that aims to give developers a simpler way to design robots and to create and test programs that operate a wide range of machines -- from toys to floor sweepers to those used in factory production lines.
"We believe this is a key part of the future of computing," said Microsoft Robotics Group general manager Tandy Trower, who called robots the next evolution of the personal computer.
While the fragmented robotics market is now in its infancy, Trower said forecasts call for the industry to grow into a multibillion-dollar market in the next five to 10 years.
The group's first product, called Microsoft Robotics Studio, is designed for hobbyists, students or commercial developers, who have had to reinvent the wheel each time they use different hardware to build a robot.
"It's all about making it easy for everyone from beginners to advanced developers," Trower said.
Trower said the new software is meant to bootstrap the robotics industry much in the way that Microsoft's operating system helped get the personal computer industry going.
Microsoft is offering a free technical preview for download at the company's Web site. It has not set a release date or price for the final version of the product.
============================
That's how it starts. You give kids the power to program robots, and then the next thing you know, they (the robots) have taken over the world. Curse you Microsoft!
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Software giant Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) sees the future and it is robots.
The Seattle-based company on Tuesday previewed a set of new software tools that aims to give developers a simpler way to design robots and to create and test programs that operate a wide range of machines -- from toys to floor sweepers to those used in factory production lines.
"We believe this is a key part of the future of computing," said Microsoft Robotics Group general manager Tandy Trower, who called robots the next evolution of the personal computer.
While the fragmented robotics market is now in its infancy, Trower said forecasts call for the industry to grow into a multibillion-dollar market in the next five to 10 years.
The group's first product, called Microsoft Robotics Studio, is designed for hobbyists, students or commercial developers, who have had to reinvent the wheel each time they use different hardware to build a robot.
"It's all about making it easy for everyone from beginners to advanced developers," Trower said.
Trower said the new software is meant to bootstrap the robotics industry much in the way that Microsoft's operating system helped get the personal computer industry going.
Microsoft is offering a free technical preview for download at the company's Web site. It has not set a release date or price for the final version of the product.
============================
That's how it starts. You give kids the power to program robots, and then the next thing you know, they (the robots) have taken over the world. Curse you Microsoft!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Wine researchers using biotechnology - Yahoo! News
Wine researchers using biotechnology - Yahoo! News
By MARCUS KABEL, Associated Press Writer
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. - Every season, wine makers fight the same battles to protect their grapevines they have been fighting for thousands of years.
From ancient Mesopotamia to today's vineyards, the eternal enemies include fungus and bugs, extreme heat and unseasonable cold.
Now, Missouri State University researchers hope to apply genetic technology to make cultivated wine grapes as hardy as their wild cousins.
At the newly created Center for Grapevine Biotechnology, researchers are working to identify and transplant individual genes that make native grapes resistant to funguses that plague the European and hybrid vines most wine is made from.
Unlike the traditional crossbreeding of plants, genetic modification holds the potential for transferring specific traits without changing others, like the distinctive flavor of a pinot noir or chardonnay grape. It would also be much faster than the years it takes to grow hybrids.
============================================
I really hope the CGB makes it into a novel someday. That's the sort of name that I'd make up. And regarding teh science, just remember people, we've been genetically modifying plants for ages. Ditto for animals. That's what crossbreeding is all about.
These guys want to do it in a more controlled fashion. They don't seem to be adding in genes from other species or anything whacky. I'd drink their wine.
By MARCUS KABEL, Associated Press Writer
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. - Every season, wine makers fight the same battles to protect their grapevines they have been fighting for thousands of years.
From ancient Mesopotamia to today's vineyards, the eternal enemies include fungus and bugs, extreme heat and unseasonable cold.
Now, Missouri State University researchers hope to apply genetic technology to make cultivated wine grapes as hardy as their wild cousins.
At the newly created Center for Grapevine Biotechnology, researchers are working to identify and transplant individual genes that make native grapes resistant to funguses that plague the European and hybrid vines most wine is made from.
Unlike the traditional crossbreeding of plants, genetic modification holds the potential for transferring specific traits without changing others, like the distinctive flavor of a pinot noir or chardonnay grape. It would also be much faster than the years it takes to grow hybrids.
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I really hope the CGB makes it into a novel someday. That's the sort of name that I'd make up. And regarding teh science, just remember people, we've been genetically modifying plants for ages. Ditto for animals. That's what crossbreeding is all about.
These guys want to do it in a more controlled fashion. They don't seem to be adding in genes from other species or anything whacky. I'd drink their wine.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Hawking says humans must go into space - Yahoo! News
Hawking says humans must go into space - Yahoo! News
By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG - The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.
The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.
"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added Hawking, who arrived to a rock star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold out.
He added that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.
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Probably not going to get much arguement on that claim. Also, this means that we can officially set near-term SF on Mars or the moon. That will make a nice change of pace.
By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG - The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.
The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.
"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added Hawking, who arrived to a rock star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold out.
He added that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.
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Probably not going to get much arguement on that claim. Also, this means that we can officially set near-term SF on Mars or the moon. That will make a nice change of pace.
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