Officials Watch for Terrorists With Body Bombs on US-Bound Planes - ABC News

Officials Watch for Terrorists With Body Bombs on US-Bound Planes: "With the anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death looming, American and European authorities told ABC News today that they fear al Qaeda may soon try to explode U.S.-bound aircraft with explosives hidden inside the bodies of terrorists."

Visionary research: Scientists to conduct human trials of a bionic eye that beams images directly to the brain

So far ‘bionic eyes’ have only been seen in sci-fi films such as The Terminator.

In that movie Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a robot with enhanced vision capable of scanning and analysing its surroundings.

Now Australian researchers are set to make computer-aided sight a reality, though not quite as sophisticated as the infamous cyborg’s.

Scientists from the Monash Vision Group at Monash University in Australia will begin human trials of a bionic eye in 2014.

Ray of hope: Researchers will begin human trials of a 'bionic eye' - though not quite as powerful as The Terminator's

The device will consist of a tiny camera mounted into a pair of glasses, which acts as the retina.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2136864/Scientists-conduct-human-trials-bionic-eye.html

Your card details are 'stolen out of thin air': Information could be 'robbed by radiowave' thanks to new contactless technology

Insecure: Radio frequency identification (RFID), transmits bank details via its own radio signal and could be a fraud risk

Millions of credit and debit card users could be ‘robbed by radiowave’ because of new contactless technology being brought in by banks.

Almost 20million shoppers are now able to buy goods by simply waving their card in front of a reader at the tills, even if it is still in a wallet or a purse.

But industry experts have warned that the information emitted by the cards can be stolen by fraudsters using handheld receptors that cost as little as £7 on the internet.

It means cardholders – most of whom are given a contactless card automatically when their old one expires – can unknowingly surrender their personal bank details to a thief by simply walking past them in the street.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137106/Your-card-details-stolen-air-Information-robbed-radiowave-thanks-new-contactless-technology.html

Breakthrough in search for alien life as scientists manufacture DNA-like molecule which can transmit genetic material

A new discovery from scientists has advanced the cause of those searching for extraterrestrial life.

On Earth, all life is made up of DNA and RNA, molecules which can store and transmit genetic information.

But now biologists have confirmed that at least six other types of molecule can also support life, dramatically increasing the likelihood of life on other planets.

Life: DNA is the major building block of life, but it is not the only possibility for organic material on other planets

A team from the University of Cambridge managed to manufacture synthetic XNAs (xeno-nucleic acids) which mimic some of the properties of DNA and RNA.

It is crucial for organisms to be able to grow and reproduce in order for life to be sustainable, so they must have a way to transfer genetic material from one molecule to another.

Read More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2136849/Breakthrough-search-alien-life-scientists-manufacture-DNA-like-molecule-transmit-genetic-material.html

Secretive spaceflight company Blue Origin shoots for reusable rockets

Secretive spaceflight company Blue Origin shoots for reusable rockets: "Blue Origin wants to fly under the radar -- all the way into space."

Bigfoot: The Strangest Case Of All?

While I am personally convinced that the vast majority of people who report encounters of the Bigfoot variety are entirely honest when it comes to talking about their experiences, there’s always some joker who wants to pull the wool over our eyes, muddy the waters, or engage in an outrageous hoax. And although many researchers of the Fortean variety are more than content to ignore such cases, I don’t…

Rather, my view is that it’s important we not only highlight such cases, but that we learn from them as well. And, certainly, one of the strangest of all Bigfoot hoaxes occurred in England, back in March 2006, when monster-based hysteria was at its height deep in the heart of the nation’s Cannock Chase woods.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/bigfoot-the-strangest-case-of-all/

Battlefield Illusion: DARPA working towards better “human-sensory battlefield deception”

Battlefield Illusion: DARPA working towards better “human-sensory battlefield deception” "In the Defense Advance Research Project Agency’s (DARPA’s) new budget, which was just recently unveiled, some startling technologies have been included for increased research and development.

The most glaring of these is the $4 million to be spent on technologies which will supposedly “manage the adversary’s sensory perception” in an attempt to “confuse, delay, inhibit, or misdirect [the target’s] actions.”"

22 Signs That The Collapsing Spanish Economy Is Heading Into A Great Depression

22 Signs That The Collapsing Spanish Economy Is Heading Into A Great Depression: "The following are 22 signs that the collapsing Spanish economy is heading into a great depression....

#1 The unemployment rate in Spain has reached 24.4 percent - a new all-time record high.  Back in April 2007, the unemployment rate in Spain was only 7.9 percent."

Dark Matter May Collide With Atoms Inside You More Often Than Thought

Dark Matter May Collide With Atoms Inside You More Often Than Thought | Dark Matter Human Body Collisions | Space.com: "Invisible dark matter particles may regularly pass through our bodies, and dozens to thousands of these particles may be colliding with atoms inside us every year, according to a new calculation."

Google Engineer Told Others of Data Collection, F.C.C. Report Reveals

Google Engineer Told Others of Data Collection, F.C.C. Report Reveals - NYTimes.com: "SAN FRANCISCO — Google’s harvesting of e-mails, passwords and other sensitive personal information from unsuspecting households in the United States and around the world was neither a mistake nor the work of a rogue engineer, as the company long maintained, but a program that supervisors knew about, according to new details from the full text of a regulatory report."

Spy in the sky: Is it only a matter of time before drone technology is used in civil society?

Spy in the sky: Is it only a matter of time before drone technology is used in civil society? - Features - Gadgets & Tech - The Independent: "Their killing power is immense and the surveillance possibilities are endless. Perhaps it's no wonder that the awesome potential of unmanned aerial vehicles is now being so energetically explored – from the battlefields of Afghanistan to the London Olympics."

H5N1 Flu Virus Could be 'Engineered' to Put Hundreds of Millions at Risk, Scientist Tells Homeland Security Committee

H5N1 Flu Virus Could be 'Engineered' to Put Hundreds of Millions at Risk, Scientist Tells Homeland Security Committee: "(CNSNews.com) - If H5N1 bird flu, which has a 60-percent fatality rate, were engineered to spread like seasonal flu, hundreds of millions of lives would be at risk, a scientist told the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday."

Humans must find new planets to survive › News in Science

Humans must find new planets to survive › News in Science: "Finding planets outside our solar system that can sustain life should be made a top priority, say Australian astronomers."

South Florida Survivalists Prepare for the Apocalypse

South Florida Survivalists Prepare for the Apocalypse - Page 1 - News - Miami - Miami New Times: "Jorge Villa was an exporter with an engineering degree from the University of Miami when Hurricane Andrew struck Kendall in 1992. As the storm arrived, he took his pregnant wife and the rest of his family to a warehouse space across from the Tamiami airport. It was a clear, breezy evening. He bolted the roll-down door, and the family laid out sleeping bags. By 1 a.m., he could hear the ventilation fans being ripped off the roof. By 2 a.m., it sounded like a freight train was running over the building. The rooms filled with water. His wife felt like she was going into labor."

Dr. Barry Taff: Building A Real Time Machine

Dr. Barry Taff: Building A Real Time Machine | Ghost Theory: "When it comes to time travel, most people wouldn’t mind going back hundreds of millions of years in the past and catch a glimpse of some dinosaurs. Possibly to bring back a tissue or DNA sample of a Stegosaurus. You know, to build your own Jurassic Park."

10 Ways Attacking Iran Could Destroy The United States

10 Ways Attacking Iran Could Destroy The United States: "The US and Israel planned the on Iran for years and thought they had it all figured out… But these 10 things they didn’t count on could bring destruction upon them."

Jerome Corsi: Oil creation process discovered by Nazi's kept hidden by US Govt

Jerome Corsi: Oil creation process discovered by Nazi's kept hidden by US Govt - National Finance Examiner | Examiner.com: "On the April 23rd broadcast of Coast to Coast AM, award winning journalist and author Dr. Jerome Corsi provided new information and insights on the vast oil conspiracy, where processes created by Nazi scientists during World War II are being suppressed by the US government and oil corporations to keep the price of petroleum high to the world."

The gates of heaven? Hubble telescope captures extremely rare picture of dying star emitting ethereal beams of light

It looks like the gateway to heaven - but this stunning image taken by the Hubble Telescope has captured the dramatic phase of a dying star's lifespan when it runs out of nuclear fuel and emits beams of light like searchlights.

Swansong in light: this Hubble image of the Egg Nebula shows one of the best views to date of the brief but dramatic phase in a star's life when it runs out of nuclear fuel

It's called the preplanetary or protoplanetary nebula stage and this image shows the Egg Nebula, which was the first preplanetary nebula to be discovered, less than 40 years ago. Scientists admit many aspects of this phenomenon remain a mystery.

NASA and the European Space Agency, who run the telescope, explained that over a few thousand years the hot remains of the aging star in the centre of the nebula, or cloud of dust, heat it up, 'excite' the gas, and make it glow.

At the centre of the image, hidden in the thick dust cloud, is the nebula’s central star. Four beams of light shine out from it through the nebula like searchlights. It is thought that ring-shaped holes in the thick cocoon of dust, carved by jets coming from the star, let the beams of light emerge through the otherwise opaque cloud. They said the cloud had an 'onion-like' layered structure which is caused by bursts of material being ejected from thedying star every few hundred years.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136594/Is-heaven-looks-like-Hubble-telescope-captures-mysterious-phase-dying-stars-life.html

25 Horrible Statistics About The U.S. Economy That Barack Obama Does Not Want You To Know

25 Horrible Statistics About The U.S. Economy That Barack Obama Does Not Want You To Know: "The cold, hard reality of the matter is that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than it was four or five years ago.

We have never come close to recovering from the last recession and another one will be here soon.

The following are 25 horrible statistics about the U.S. economy that Barack Obama does not want you to know....

#1 The percentage of Americans that own homes is dropping rapidly.  According to Gallup, the current level of homeownership in the United States is the lowest that Gallup has ever measured..."

Transhumanists selling their technological "utopia" to Christians

Transhumanists selling their technological "utopia" to Christians - Mary Meets Dolly: "More and more I am seeing the assertion that transhumanism and Christianity are not only compatible, but that Christians can and should be transhumanist.  Transhumanists know that to bring about their technological utopia, they need to convert the one group that has a real foundation with which to resist the transhumanist future: Christians.  In fact, transhumanist Eric Steinhart wrote the following in the Journal of Evolution and Technology:"

MSN reporting UFO over South Korea

MSN reporting UFO over South Korea: "A pilot video taped a UFO flying over South Korea. It's a pretty good shot, but it leaves many questions. Why can't we figure out why there are so many UFOs sightings lately. It seems we have company of some kind."

What if we ARE all alone? Scientists say Earth may be a 'one-off fluke' and the Milky Way's billions of other planets may all be lifeless

• Analysis suggests idea of extraterrestrial life is 'wishful thinking'
• Scientists have believed that because life evolved early in Earth's history, it must be everywhere
• Idea is simply wrong, say Princeton scientists
• Earth could be a one-off aberration and other worlds could be lifeless

Nasa has said there are 'billions' of planets in our own Milky Way galaxy - but a new study suggests that the idea that they are teeming with alien lifeforms may just be wishful thinking.

Two Princeton scientists used what's known as 'Bayesian analysis' - a technque that 'boils down' ideas to the actual data, as opposed to scientists' own ideas about what 'should' be true.

They suggest that it's very possible Earth is a one-off aberration where life took hold unusually fast - and on the average extraterrestrial planet, the chances of life are very low indeed.

The Milky Way: It contains 100 billion planets, but scientists suggest that it's very possible Earth is a one-off aberration where life took hold unusually fast - and on the average extraterrestrial planet, the chances of life are very low indeed

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2136204/E-T-home-Scientists-say-Earth-fluke-Milky-Ways-billions-planets-lifeless.html

Darpa to troubled soldiers: Meet your new simulated therapist

The Pentagon hasn’t made much progress in solving the PTSD crisis plaguing this generation of soldiers. Now it’s adding new staff members to the therapy teams tasked with spotting the signs of emotional pain and providing therapy to the beleaguered. Only this isn’t a typical hiring boost. The new therapists, Danger Room has learned, will be computer-generated “virtual humans,” used to offer diagnostics, and programmed to appear empathetic.

Read More: http://ispr.info/2012/04/26/darpa-to-troubled-soldiers-meet-your-new-simulated-therapist/

Fukushima: A Nuclear War without a War: The Unspoken Crisis of Worldwide Nuclear Radiation

Fukushima: A Nuclear War without a War: The Unspoken Crisis of Worldwide Nuclear Radiation:

The Family Farm Is Being Systematically Wiped Out Of Existence In America

The Family Farm Is Being Systematically Wiped Out Of Existence In America: "An entire way of life is rapidly dying right in front of our eyes.  The family farm is being systematically wiped out of existence in America, and big agribusiness and the federal government both have blood all over their hands."

New US Stealth F-22 Raptor Fighters Now at Iran's Back Door

New US Stealth F-22 Raptor Fighters Now at Iran's Back Door - ABC News: "America's most sophisticated stealth jet fighters have been quietly deployed to an allied base less than 200 miles from Iran's mainland, according to an industry report, but the Air Force adamantly denied the jets' presence is a threat to the Middle East nation."

Why Can't We See Evidence of Alien Life?

Why Can't We See Evidence of Alien Life? [video] | GrrlScientist | Science | guardian.co.uk: "Given the vast number of planets in the universe, many much older than Earth, why haven't we yet seen obvious signs of alien life? The potential answers to this question are numerous and intriguing, alarming and hopeful."

Cat People, Strippers and Telekinesis: Tales From Alien Abductees

Cat People, Strippers and Telekinesis: Tales From Alien Abductees | Raw File | Wired.com: "Alien abductions make for a good sci-fi plot devices, but it's easy to forget that we walk among people -- in the real world -- who claim to have been visited, beamed up and probed by little gray men."

UFOs Over Russia: Mysterious Sights Spotted In St. Petersburg Sky

It must have seemed like an aerial invasion to the many eyewitnesses who gazed skyward in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the nights of April 9 through 11.

Reports of the UFO activity didn't initially receive wide coverage outside of St. Petersburg, but have since trickled out.

Most of the strange light formations were seen and videotaped by many people in and around Russia's second-largest city, including one ball-shaped object seen hovering above St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport.

According to the Russian news site LifeNews, airport employees were concerned the UFO might cause a disruption during takeoff and landing of aircraft.

A short time later, before any action could be taken, the UFO vanished.

 

Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/ufos-invade-skies-above-russia-st-petersburg_n_1457608.html

New 'solar paint' could generate electricity from the roofs and walls of EVERY home without the need for bulky panels

• 'Nanocrystals' used to generate power
• Can be painted or printed onto walls or windows
• So tiny you could fit 250,000,000,000 on head of a pin
• Thin enough to be painted or printed onto walls

One day, a thin film of 'solar panel' could be painted over windows and walls to turn every home into a giant hi-tech 'sun trap'

One day, a thin film of 'solar panel' could be painted over windows and walls to turn every home into a giant hi-tech 'sun trap'.

The hi-tech solution could make solar energy a practical solution t the energy crisis.

The technology has long been championed as a solution to the growing energy crisis, but as it exists now, it is far too expensive.

A typical home needs around 285 square feet of solar panels to meet its electricity needs, costing around £10,000, although that does not include the expensive installation.

Scientists at USC have developed a potential pathway to cheap, stable solar cells made from nanocrystals so small they can exist as a liquid ink and be painted or printed onto clear surfaces.

The solar nanocrystals are about four nanometers in size — meaning you could fit more than 250,000,000,000 on the head of a pin — and float them in a liquid solution.

'Like you print a newspaper, you can print solar cells,’ said Richard L. Brutchey, assistant professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Liquid nanocrystal solar cells are cheaper to fabricate than available single-crystal silicon wafer solar cells but are not nearly as efficient at converting sunlight to electricity.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2135571/The-end-bulky-solar-panels-New-solar-paint-generate-electricity-roofs-walls-EVERY-home.html

Tiny crystal may hold key to future of computers

Tiny crystal may hold key to future of computers: "SYDNEY –  A tiny crystal could hold the secret to computers of the future, unimaginably more powerful than today's most advanced supercomputers."

Sun's Twin Discovered -- the Perfect SETI Target?

Sun's Twin Discovered -- the Perfect SETI Target? : Discovery News: "There are 10 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy that are the same size as our sun. Therefore it should come as no surprise that astronomers have identified a clone to our sun lying only 200 light-years away."

Green clouds over Moscow spark disaster fears

Green clouds over Moscow spark disaster fears: "Mysterious green clouds have been spotted over the Russian capital, sparking fears of a chemical disaster and even some doomsday theories."

Jellyfish-Like Organisms Shut Down California Power Plant

Jellyfish-Like Organisms Shut Down California Power Plant - ABC News: "The workers of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant received a very slimy surprise this week when they discovered hoards of jellyfish-like creatures clinging to the structure, leading to the shutdown of the plant."

Study Hints at Greater Threat of Extreme Weather

Study Hints at Greater Threat of Extreme Weather - NYTimes.com: "New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades."

The 'Icarus' spacecraft: Mystery as Nasa sun-watching satellite captures 'UFO' surfing the hellish surface of the sun

The 'Icarus' spacecraft: Mystery as Nasa sun-watching satellite captures 'UFO' surfing the hellish surface of the sun | Mail Online: "A strange object flying close to the sun looks unnervingly like a huge, metallic 'mothership' familiar from Hollywood blockbusters.

The picture was released by Nasa's sun-watching Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, known as SOHO - and has become an immediate cult hit on the internet.

UFO fan site Gather News said: ‘An unusually shaped, gigantic UFO was spotted on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and posted in a video on YouTube."

In the beginning was the Bang? Universe may not have an end, but it definitely had a beginning, claim physicists

• Three theories of 'eternal' universe all wrong claim mathematicians
• Universe definitely had a 'beginning' - whether or not it was the Big Bang

The Big Bang theory was coined in the 40s - but physicists still puzzle over whether it even happened.

Frederick Hoyle, the astronomer and physicist who coined the term, 'Big Bang,' much preferred the idea that the universe might have existed forever.

Now two mathematicians claim to have 'proved' that it didn't - it might not have an end, but the universe definitely had a beginning.

Big Bang? Two mathematicians argue that although the universe may NOT have an end, it definitely did have a beginning - and they have the maths to prove it

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2135025/In-beginning-Bang-Universe-end-definitely-beginning-claim-physicists.html

U.S Army floats the idea of a 'magic bullet' that hangs around in the air waiting to strike

U.S Army floats the idea of a 'magic bullet' that hangs around in the air waiting to strike | Mail Online: "It sounds like something from a science fiction film, but soon, a ‘magic bullet’ that floats around in the air waiting for its target could become science fact."

Did a UFO cause the Pakistan 737 air crash? Reports suggest pilot may have been 'buzzed' by a triangular-shaped object before the accident

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the cause of the Bhoja Air Boeing 737 crash in Pakistan last Friday may have been a UFO sighting by the pilot.

A Russian news report on the crash posted on YouTube incorporates footage of three mysterious lights moving in formation, leading to speculation in the UFO community that blame for the tragic accident may lie with an extra-terrestrial craft.

There are rumours that the pilot may have been buzzed by the object and complained to the control tower at Islamabad airport as he made his approach, according to Gather News.

Mysterious: A Russian TV news report on the crash shows lights flying in formation

The official line, however, is that the passenger jet’s fuel tanks exploded mid-air during a heavy thunderstorm, killing all 127 people on board.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2135554/Did-UFO-cause-Pakistan-737-air-crash-Reports-suggest-pilot-buzzed-triangular-shaped-object-accident.html

US Moves to Contain Mad Cow Fallout

US Moves to Contain Mad Cow Fallout : Discovery News: "The United States scrambled on Wednesday to contain the fallout from the discovery of mad cow disease in California as the top beef exporter insisted the outbreak posed no threat to consumers."

Did World War II Technology Allow Us to Begin “Seeing” UFOs?

Did World War II Technology Allow Us to Begin “Seeing” UFOs? | Mysterious Universe: "The “Foo Fighters” being reported by both the Allies and the Axis powers during the Second World War seemed, quite obviously, to be an alarming new “enemy” technology at the outset. During the War, the pilots who had been flying what were then the most advanced aircraft on Earth had reported being dogged by strange lights and other objects; it wasn’t until after the conflict that it became certain, with little room for doubt, that these “objects” hadn’t belonged to any of the major superpowers. But if not something of apparent human design and origin, what then?"

UFOs: About That White House Question

One of those longstanding questions relative to UFOs that consistently and constantly pops up is: If aliens and UFOs are indeed visiting us, then why don’t they land on the White House lawn and announce their presence to one and all?

Okay, I know it’s a question that is often asked in a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, or skeptical fashion. But, for some, it’s a question posed with utter and deadly seriousness. And so, keeping that in mind, just why might it be that “the aliens” – if they are among us - don’t land in full view of the President and his staff? Let’s take a look…

For many, the aliens should land on that green and pleasant piece of grass for one specific, and massively important, reason: To say “Hello” to the great Human Race. Pleeeez! The sheer level of never-ending human arrogance and ego-driven nonsense that populates our world never ceases to amaze me. In the bigger scheme of things, and as a species that has actually achieved anything significant (aside from finding better and bigger ways to destroy each other), we have been around for barely a millisecond.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/ufos-about-that-white-house-question/

5 New Lies That The Federal Reserve Is Telling The American People

5 New Lies That The Federal Reserve Is Telling The American People: "The following are 5 new lies that the Federal Reserve is telling the American people.  After each lie I have posted what The Economic Collapse Blog thinks is actually going to happen...."

CISPA, “National Security,” and the NSA’s Ability to Read Your Emails

CISPA, “National Security,” and the NSA’s Ability to Read Your Emails | Electronic Frontier Foundation: "This week the House of Representatives is debating CISPA, the dangerous ‘cybersecurity’ bill that threatens to decimate Internet users’ privacy in the name of security. EFF and a wide variety of other groups have been protesting the law’s provisions giving companies the power to read users’ emails and other communications and hand them to the government without any judicial oversight whatsoever—essentially a giant ‘cybersecurity’ exception to all existing privacy laws."

Expert warns world needs to move ‘rapidly’ toward ‘population shrinkage’

Expert warns world needs to move ‘rapidly’ toward ‘population shrinkage’ | The Raw Story: "The world’s most renowned population analyst has called for a massive reduction in the number of humans and for natural resources to be redistributed from the rich to the poor."

Robot history: The rise of the drone

The front cover of Electrical Experimenter shows the 'Automatic Soldier'

Lurid pictures from the last 100 years show the idea of military drones – and removing humans from the battlefield - has a long history.

Read More: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120403-robots-go-to-war

Technicolor visions of the future

BBC - Future - Science & Environment - Technicolor visions of the future: "Cartoon strips from the middle of the last century give a vivid insight into the beginnings of our technological age."

Hunting Bigfoot in Florida

Hunting Bigfoot in Florida - NYTimes.com: "A BIGFOOT’S howl is multidimensional: a deep and undulating whoop that starts low and ends in a high, feral squeal or resolves completely, like a siren. The first time I unleashed one, while crouching on a bluff overlooking the eastern bank of the Apalachicola River, Matt Moneymaker — who, moments earlier, had loosed a robust, commanding shriek that echoed cleanly through the valley — responded with a hearty guffaw."

How To Prove You've Been Abducted by Aliens

How To Prove You've Been Abducted by Aliens: "Here's something else to consider. We know-not only from research experiments in psychology but also from the history of science-that the lowest form of evidence is eyewitness testimony. Which is scary, because in a court of law it's considered one of the highest forms of evidence."

Leathernext: Marines Want Better Networks, Sensors — And Terminator Vision

Marines might soon see the world the way the Terminator does. Screencap: Atari via IGN

The Marines of the future are all about communication.

The Leathernecks want data networks that can keep them connected all the way from the decks of their ships to the beaches they storm. They want online search tools that rely on natural language instead of keywords (like the rest of us). And they want software that can sift through the oceans of data their wartime sensors and cameras collect — including tools that can scan through faces in a crowd, like the Terminator, and alert Marines to danger.

That’s according to the Corps’ blueprint for its science and technology needs over the next 20 years. Communications are a big, gaping hole for the Marines of the present, and the Marines want to hand their successors more seamless, networked ways of talking. That’s on top of other wish-list material, like advanced sensors that can sniff drugs and homemade bombs — oh, and laser-stopping goggles.

Read More: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/04/leathernext/

Global warming puzzle becomes even MORE complex - as methane is detected seeping directly from the Arctic ocean

Global warming puzzle becomes even MORE complex - as methane is detected seeping directly from the Arctic ocean | Mail Online: "Airborne surveys of the Arctic appear to have found a puzzling new source of greenhouse gas - methane seeping directly from the Arctic ocean

A report in Nature Geoscience suggests that as well as huge 'surges' of methane being released by melting permafrost, the gas might be being released from the ocean itself.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas - and this unpredictable effect makes the climate puzzle even more complex."

Huge Asian 'tiger' mosquitoes poised to invade UK - and could bring deadly tropical diseases such as dengue fever with them

A mosquito that spreads tropical diseases including dengue fever may be poised to invade the UK because of climate change, experts have warned.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has already been reported in France and Belgium and could be migrating north as winters become warmer and wetter.

Scientists urged ‘wide surveillance’ for the biting insect across countries of central and northern Europe, including the UK.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has already been reported in France and Belgium and could be migrating north as winters become warmer and wetter

The mosquito can carry dengue and chikungunya viruses, both of which cause high fevers.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2134583/Huge-Asian-tiger-mosquitoes-poised-invade-UK--bring-deadly-diseases-dengue-fever-them.html

Chinese scientists create cloned lamb with 'good' fat in its meat

Chinese scientists create cloned lamb with 'good' fat in its meat: "Scientists there have cloned a genetically modified sheep containing a ‘good’ type of fat found naturally in nuts, seeds, fish and leafy greens that helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.  

‘Peng Peng’, which has a roundworm fat gene, weighed in at 5.74 kg when it was born on March 26 in a laboratory in China's far western region of Xinjiang.  

‘It's growing very well and is very healthy like a normal sheep,’ lead scientist Du Yutao at the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) in Shenzhen in southern China told Reuters."

Seeing through the ages: X-Ray scanner sheds light on 'most important Bronze Age find' of past century

Seeing through the ages: X-Ray scanner sheds light on 'most important Bronze Age find' of past century | Mail Online: "A bag unearthed in a Dartmoor burial site in Devon could prove to be one of the most important archaeological finds of the last 100 years."

Volcano behind Atlantis legend re-awakens

Volcano behind Atlantis legend re-awakens: "The volcano that may have given rise to the legend of Atlantis has awakened, researchers say."

Swiss scientists demonstrate mind controlled robot

Swiss scientists have demonstrated how a partially paralyzed person can control a robot using brain signals alone.

The team at Switzerland's Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne says the experiment takes them a step closer to enabling immobile patients to easily interact with their surroundings through a robot `avatar.'

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/24/swiss-scientists-demonstrate-mind-controlled-robot/

Should Robots Be Blamed for Battlefield Mistakes?

Should Robots Be Blamed for Battlefield Mistakes? : Discovery News: "If a robot in combat accidentally kills a civilian, who is to blame?"

ROBOTS COULD SWIM IN ALIEN SEAS

A laser-powered probe might be the next step in seeing what's under the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa.

The idea was presented by inventor Bill Stone at NASA's Astrobiology Science Conference in Atlanta. His company Stone Aerospace has built robotic underwater vehicles for exploring under the Antarctic ice sheets. Stone's proposal is for a "cryobot" powered by a 5,000-watt laser. The laser light is transmitted via a fiber optic cable that unspools behind the robot as it drills through 250 meters of ice.

The robot, a 10-inch-wide, six-foot-long cylinder called VALKYRIE, would melt the ice ahead of it and leave the power plant on the surface. Stone Aerospace has tested a protoype of such a device and plans to try it out on an Alaskan glacier in June 2013.

Read More: http://news.discovery.com/tech/laser-powered-robot-could-explore-europan-seas-120424.html

Junk DNA Can "Sense" Viral Infection --New Discovery

In molecular biology, "junk" DNA is a collective label for the portions of the DNA sequence of a chromosome or a genome for which no function has yet been identified --until now. About 98.5% of the human genome has been designated as "junk", including most sequences within introns and most intergenic DNA.

While much of this sequence is probably an evolutionary artifact that appeared to serve no present-day purpose, in fact, recent studies have suggested functions for certain portions of what has been called junk DNA. Moreover, the conservation of some "junk" DNA over many millions of years of evolution may imply an essential function. The "junk" label is therefore recognized as something of a misnomer, and many prefer the more neutral term "noncoding DNA."

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/04/junk-dna-can-sense-viral-infection-new-discovery.html

Pentagon establishes Defense Clandestine Service, new espionage unit

Pentagon establishes Defense Clandestine Service, new espionage unit - The Washington Post: "The Pentagon is planning to ramp up its spying operations against high-priority targets such as Iran under an intelligence reorganization aimed at expanding on the military’s espionage efforts beyond war zones, a senior defense official said Monday."

Russian Defense ministry tests electromagnetic weapon, might use it to suppress mass protests

Russian Defense ministry tests electromagnetic weapon, might use it to suppress mass protests | StratRisks: "Experts from the science and research center of Russia’s Defense Ministry are testing a unique electromagnetic weapon with non-lethal effects, Interfax news agency reported Tuesday."

Mysterious 'monster' discovered by amateur paleontologist

Mysterious 'monster' discovered by amateur paleontologist: "Around 450 million years ago, shallow seas covered the Cincinnati region and harbored one very large and now very mysterious organism. Despite its size, no one has ever found a fossil of this "monster" until its discovery by an amateur paleontologist"

Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering

Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering: "Fluorescence helps track what pollutants do to the body."

Rural kids, parents angry about Labor Dept. rule banning farm chores

Child Labor Laws | Farming | Department of Labor | The Daily Caller: "A proposal from the Obama administration to prevent children from doing farm chores has drawn plenty of criticism from rural-district member of Congress. But now it’s attracting barbs from farm kids themselves."

Is there a drone in your neighbourhood? Rise of killer spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S.

Is there a drone in your neighbourhood? Rise of killer spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S. | Mail Online: "There are at least 63 active drone sites around the U.S, federal authorities have been forced to reveal following a landmark Freedom of Information lawsuit.



The unmanned planes – some of which may have been designed to kill terror suspects – are being launched from locations in 20 states.

Most of the active drones are deployed from military installations, enforcement agencies and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Authority."

Papers on mutated bird flu okay to publish, says U.S Government

Papers on mutated bird flu okay to publish, says U.S Government: "The U.S Government has given the go-ahead for research papers on a deadly new strain of H5N1 avian flu virus to be published.
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) concluded in March that they should be made public – and this recommendation has now been formally accepted."

Death from above: Video of drones fitted with machine guns that could transform the battlefields of the future

Missile-carrying robot drones have been used for years by the U.S Army - but they’re deployed against large targets and need a runway to take off from.

Now a new YouTube video shows that in the future, drones could also carry out the close-combat duties of foot soldiers.

In the clip ‘FPSRussia’, whose Call of Duty videos and real-life weapon demonstrations have earned him a cult following, shows off a quadrotor – a mini helicopter with four rotors - outfitted with a machine gun.

Air we go: FPSRussia demonstrates a hover drone outfitted with a machine gun

The machine is controlled by a tablet computer and FPSRussia explains that a camera on front of the quadrotor gives him a ‘birds’ eye view’ of the target.

It’s capable of flying at 30mph and at an altitude of a quarter of a mile, but for the demonstration, FPSRussia takes the drone a short distance away to a group of life-size dolls positioned on a slope.

The machine gun is capable of firing 100 rounds a minute – and it’s not long before the figures are completely destroyed.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2134024/FPSRussia-shows-flying-drone-fitted-machine-gun.html

Hundreds of thousands may lose Internet in July

Hundreds of thousands may lose Internet in July: "WASHINGTON –  For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.



Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down."

Spooky Physics: Quantum Mechanics can Mimic an Influence of Future Actions on Past Events

Spooky Physics: Quantum Mechanics can Mimic an Influence of Future Actions on Past Events: Physicists at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, the University of Vienna, and the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology have demonstrated in an experiment that the decision whether two particles were in an entangled or in a separable quantum state can be made even after these particles have been measured and may no longer exist. 

How Ancient Viruses Invaded Our Genomes --New Clues Discovered

Scientists have uncovered clues as to how our genomes became riddled with viruses. The study reveals important information about the so–called 'dark matter' of our genome. For years scientists have been struggling with the enigma that more than 90 percent of every mammal's genome has no known function. A part of this 'dark matter' of genetic material is known to harbour pieces of DNA from ancient viruses that infected our ancestors going back as far as the age of the dinosaurs.

Researchers at Oxford University, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York and the Rega Institute in Belgium wanted to know how these ancient viruses got into their hosts' genomes in such abundance.

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/04/mystery-solved-how-ancient-viruses-riddled-our-genomes.html

The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Is Far From Over

Robert Alvarez: The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Is Far From Over: "Spent reactor fuel, containing roughly 85 times more long-lived radioactivity than released at Chernobyl, still sits in pools vulnerable to earthquakes."

N. Korean army vows to turn Seoul to ashes

N. Korean army vows to turn Seoul to ashes - Yahoo! News: "North Korea's military Monday threatened "special actions" soon to turn parts of the South Korean capital to ashes, accusing Seoul's conservative government of defaming its leadership."

Military Wants an Arctic Knight Rider

Military Wants an Arctic Knight Rider | Danger Room | Wired.com: "The U.S. military must be suffering massive Knight Rider nostalgia. First it signed a deal to develop an autonomous car to speed through minefields and destroy homemade bombs. Now it’s interested in another kind of KITT: this one an all-terrain vehicle for the arctic tundra. That’s the basic idea behind a military proposal that’s barely off the ground called, adorably, KODIAK. The military wants a rugged vehicle capable of operating in sub-zero conditions. Driver strictly optional."

Medical breakthrough with computer-generated implants that help restore feeling in severely injured limbs

Medical breakthrough with computer-generated implants that help restore feeling in severely injured limbs | Mail Online: "Patients with severely injured limbs often suffer a devastating loss of sensation – but help is on the way thanks to a medical breakthrough pioneered by British scientists."

Private Spaces: Google Goes to Outer Space for New Business Idea

Dispatches from the future, in which astronauts farm the blackened mare plains on our Moon’s dark side for rich Helium-3 isotopes to be used in advanced fuel cells back on terra firma, sound far more like science fiction than anything we’re capable of right now (unless, of course, Newt Gingrich were to be elected… but I digress). Then again, potential candidates in the present U.S. election may not be the only ones with their eyes on the stars.

In fact, shortly after his historic solo descent to the depths of the Mariana Trench, filmmaker James Cameron has been named along with such names as Ross Perot Jr. in an alliance with the uber-company Google Inc, in a project that could seek to make not only galactic mining operations a reality, but which could move us ever more close to the privatization of space travel.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/private-spaces-google-goes-to-outer-space-for-new-business-idea/

Pentagon Fears Global Technological Progress

Pentagon Fears Global Technological Progress: "Pentagon’s Fear of Technological Progress Mirrors Global Elite’s Fear of Progress in General."

Web surveillance plans create 'nation of suspects'

BBC News - Web surveillance plans create 'nation of suspects': "Government proposals to extend powers to watch what people do online would create a "nation of suspects", said MP David Davis."

Could a microwave save your electronics during an EMP attack?

Could a microwave save your electronics during an EMP attack?: "If a nuclear bomb is detonated high in Earth's atmosphere, the damage from the blast would not be in the form of vaporized buildings, but in the form of a wide-scale electromagnetic pulse. With the EMP would come a voltage spike that would likely fry most electronics."

Egypt cancels gas pact with Israel

Egypt cancels gas pact with Israel | SBS World News: "Egypt has scrapped a 2005 gas export deal with Israel, which relies on Egyptian natural gas for 40 percent of its supplies to produce electricity. "

Future of Antarctica -- Greener, More Robots

Future of Antarctica -- Greener, More Robots : Discovery News: "Big changes are afoot for Antarctica and 'big science' is expected to follow."

BBC News - US introduces $60 LED light bulb

BBC News - US introduces $60 LED light bulb: "A prize-winning light bulb that lasts for 20 years is going on sale in the US on Sunday - also known as Earth Day."

Lair of the Beasts: British Mermaids

Lair of the Beasts: British Mermaids - Mania.com: "While the controversial notion that the United Kingdom might actually be the home of living, breathing, flesh and blood mermaids will inevitably, and quite justifiably, be greeted by many with the rolling of eyes and loud hoots of derision, it is an undeniable and astonishing fact that such beliefs persisted for centuries"

“Christian Transhumanism” is an Oxymoron

“Christian Transhumanism” is an Oxymoron » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: "Good grief.  Christians certainly believe that they will indeed become a new (“glorified”) being–but not “post human,” and certainly not through human efforts.  And Rev. Douglas also seems to embrace a trend I see growing within some Christian circles, which expediently conflates what I want with that which supposedly God wants for me."

XNA, Synthetic DNA, Could Lead To New Life Forms, Scientists Say

XNA, Synthetic DNA, Could Lead To New Life Forms, Scientists Say: "Synthetic molecules resembling DNA can function and evolve just like the real thing, its developers say. These new, unnatural building blocks could be more useful than DNA or its closely related biomolecule, RNA, in a variety of medical and biotechnology applications, researchers added. Other investigators noted they could even lead to novel forms of life."

Robots Could Be The Future Of Prostitution, Researchers Claim

Robots Could Be The Future Of Prostitution, Researchers Claim: "Researchers believe that one day prostitutes might lose their grip on the underground sex realm to robots.

The slutty robots would become the apple of the eye for those wanting to partake in the sex-for-profit industry in 2050, according to Australian researchers Ian Yeoman, management professor, and Michelle Mars, sexologist.

They wrote in a journal called Futures that they envision an Amsterdam sex club called “Yub-Yum” that is littered with robot women, who will be “sexual gods and goddesses of different ethnicities, body shapes, ages, languages and sexual features.”"

Real Stargates on Earth…?

Pentagon releases results of 13,000-mph test flight over Pacific

The results are in from last summer’s attempt to test new technology that would provide the Pentagon with a lightning-fast vehicle, capable of delivering a military strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour.

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-darpa-hypersonic-missile-20120420,0,4564567.story

UFOs: The Project Beta Scandal

Many people unacquainted with the complexities of the UFO puzzle assume that all talk of attempts by “the government” to silence certain players in the field is nothing but outright paranoia and lies. Even within Ufology there are those who dismiss such stories as X-Files-like nonsense. How wrong they all are. Published in 2005, Greg Bishop’s book, Project Beta: The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth, provided the field of UFO research with what was without doubt one if its most important contributions in years.

The subject matter of Project Beta was an unusual one; and while seasoned researchers were already aware of certain aspects of this dark and ultimately tragic affair, those unaccustomed to the events in question might have been forgiven for thinking that they had stumbled upon a high-tech, X-Files-meets-Robert Ludlum-style thriller. But Project Beta told a very real story – one that was as harrowing as it was informative.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/ufos-the-project-beta-scandal/

One Nation Under Debt With Endless Debt Slavery For All

One Nation Under Debt With Endless Debt Slavery For All: "Debt is a "soft" form of slavery.  In America today, it is not legal to bind people up with chains and force them to work for you, but that doesn't mean that there are not millions upon millions of slaves in this country.  When you borrow money, you willingly become a servant to the lender.  Sadly, there are millions of Americans that will spend the rest of their lives working to pay off their debts but they will never escape the endless debt slavery that they have gotten themselves into."

FDA Targets Nanoparticles in Food, Appliances Over Health Risks

FDA Targets Nanoparticles in Food, Appliances Over Health Risks | Natural Society: "Although not known by many people, many companies and manufacturers are actually using tiny, engineered particles in consumer products, food, and even clothing. These particles are called nanoparticles, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause potential bodily harm."

UFO Video Over France Analyzed and Enhanced

A UFO caught on tape over France, showing several white orbs flying like no known aircraft, has been enhanced and analyzed. What is it?

The video, shot out a window overlooking an unidentified French city, catches at least five, silvery disk-shaped saucers several miles away on the horizon.

As the videographer realizes he's not looking at airplanes, he zooms in on the objects just enough to see they are not birds and not any kind of aircraft usually flying over a busy metropolitan city.

 

Read More: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981278022

In Nothing We Trust

In Nothing We Trust - Ron Fournier and Sophie Quinton - NationalJournal.com: "Americans are losing faith in the institutions that made this country great."

How do you like your meat?

How do you like your meat? - FT.com: "Bioengineers in the Netherlands are now growing meat in a laboratory where the future of food is being prepared – in a Petri dish"

All robots great and small: Underwater metal Titan that stands 22-foot tall and fishbots that fit in your pond steal show at exhibition

Do androids dream of electric fish? Korean robot exhibition shows off convincing 'fishbot' that swims just like the 'reel' thing | Mail Online: "A robot exhibition which is expected to attract 10 million visitors is gearing up for launch in South Korea - with swimming 'fishbots' and an underwater metal giant."

Google in space: Search giant reveals plans to mine asteroids for 'human race's prosperity' in project headed by James Cameron

It could be the plot from a Hollywood movie: After exhausting the Earth's supply of natural resources, global corporations turn to space to replenish their stockpile of raw materials.

However the stuff of science fiction could soon become a reality following the revelation of proposals to begin mining asteroids to guarantee the human race's prosperity.

A team of scientists are to unveil plans for the new space venture - and the project has the backing of Hollywood film maker and explorer James Cameron.

Cosmic quarry: A team of scientists have unveiled plans to mine asteroids for their raw materials

As well as the Hollywood director, other investors include chiefs from internet giant Google and a former software architect for computer corporation Microsoft.

Details of the the space mission are to be officially launched on Tuesday, by start-up company Planetary Resources.

Read More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2132797/Asteroid-mining-company-form-backing-Google-chiefs-director-James-Cameron.html

Slingshot drone fleet targets US heartland

Slingshot drone fleet targets US heartland | Fox News: "A new fleet of model-airplane sized unmanned drones that can be launched from a slingshot on a moment’s notice are among the first wave in the massive rollout of commercial robot planes currently underway into U.S. skies."

Life Beyond Earth? Jupiter's Moons May Have Clues

Life Beyond Earth? Jupiter's Moons May Have Clues : Discovery News: "If you were alien life, where would you live? A new mission wants to explore Jupiter's moons to find out."

REWIND: Embryos involving the genes of animals mixed with humans have been produced secretively for the past three years

Embryos involving the genes of animals mixed with humans have been produced secretively for the past three years | Mail Online: "Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories.

The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases.

The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far."

The Betz Mystery Sphere: Alien Artifact or Doomsday Device?

This bizarre, allegedly self propelled, seamless metallic orb was discovered by members of the Betz family in 1974, and rapidly became the object of fascination, controversy and alarm for scientists, military officials, ufologists and the general public as the story of this mystery sphere spread like wildfire through the international media.

On May 26, 1974, Terry Mathew Betz, a 21 year-old pre-med student, along his mother Gerri and his marine engineer father, Antoine, were inspecting the damage caused by a brush fire that had raged across an 88-acre swathe of woodland that they had recently acquired on marshy Fort George Island, which is nestled just east of Jacksonville, Florida.

At first the trio found nothing out of the ordinary, but before their expedition was over they stumbled across a peculiar highly polished, metal orb that was just under 8-inches in diameter. The only delineating mark that the three could find on the eerily unblemished object was an elongated triangular shape stamped into its surface.

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/the-betz-mystery-sphere-alien-artifact-or-doomsday-device/

Monsanto threatens Vermont legislature over GMO labeling bill, says it will sue state

Monsanto threatens Vermont legislature over GMO labeling bill, says it will sue state: "(NaturalNews) Things are heating up on the genetic engineering front in the state of Vermont, where an overwhelming 96 percent of Vermonters vehemently support "right to know" legislation that mandates full disclosure of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) on food labels. But according to Ronnie Cummins from the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), Monsanto is now threatening to sue the state of Vermont should it dare to pass such legislation, which has stalled it in committee."

'Huge' water resource exists under Africa

BBC News - 'Huge' water resource exists under Africa: "Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on a vast reservoir of groundwater."

'Eggless' chick laid by hen in Sri Lanka

BBC News - 'Eggless' chick laid by hen in Sri Lanka: "A Sri Lanka hen has given birth to a chick without an egg, in a new twist on the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first."

BP oil spill two-year anniversary marked by somber statistics

BP oil spill two-year anniversary marked by somber statistics: "Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the massive BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Coast. While the FDA says the local fish are safe to eat, several new reports suggest that local wildlife and the overall environment continue to suffer from damaging effects of what many consider the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
The Associated Press reports that a number of fish in the Gulf are suffering from visible maladies, including, "open sores, parasitic infections, chewed-up-looking fins, gashes," and " "mysterious black streaks" along their bodies."

Horrific Solar Explosions Spell Earth's Doom

Horrific Solar Explosions Spell Earth's Doom | Before It's News: The sun is angry and may be dying. Earth is beginning to feel its wrath. More than any other factor it is the turbulent, unpredictable sun that drives the planet's meteorological and geophysical events.The list of the sun's expected Doomsday events is long and reads like a Hollywood disaster movie:

Mindmelding: two brains, one consciousness?

Mindmelding: two brains, one consciousness?: "Have you ever wondered if it is really possible for others to know what you are thinking? Our brains seem to allow both “internal” points of view, and “external” ones.  As individuals, we know them from the inside as we experience our thoughts, perceptions, and emotions. Scientists, on the other hand, only know our brains from the outside, as they employ brain imaging, EEG, or other types of techniques. This appears to imply that scientists are cut off from ever studying our brains from the internal point of view.  But if this is right, it has huge consequences for the way we think of our minds. If our thoughts and feelings exist in a realm that science can never touch, then perhaps they aren’t really physical?  And if this is right, it would lend great support to the ancient theory of dualism, according to which the mind and the brain (along with the rest of the body) belong to two different metaphysical categories, the mental and the physical."

10 Pieces of Evidence That Plants Are Smarter Than You Think

10 Pieces of Evidence That Plants Are Smarter Than You Think: "Though plants possess nothing even remotely like brains, they can nevertheless communicate, measure time, and even use camouflage. They may not be thinking in a way that we'd recognize, but our chlorophyll-saturated pals are certainly doing a lot more than sitting around splitting water molecules. Here are ten things plants do that look pretty damn smart — even to those of us over here in the Kingdom Animalia."

Upgrades to Killer Drone Could Make It Fly for 2 Days Straight

MQ-9 Reaper. Photo: Air Force

The Air Force’s premier killer drone could get a lot more dangerous, if the flying branch agrees to upgrades proposed by the robot’s manufacturer. California drone-maker General Atomics has figured out ways to nearly double the flight time of the camera-, missile- and radar-equipped MQ-9 Reaper by adding fuel pods, longer wings and stronger landing gear. With all three enhancements, a Reaper’s endurance jumps from 27 hours to a whopping 42 — almost two days of continuous flying, which makes a big difference now that the Air Force is scaling back its drone buys.

Read More: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/04/killer-drone-upgrade/

Who wants to live forever? Genetic breakthrough could pave way for drugs that slow - or halt - the ageing process

Who wants to live forever? Genetic breakthrough could pave way for drugs that slow - or halt - the ageing process: "A genetic 'switch' that determines how quickly we age has been discovered by scientists - and the breakthrough could lead to drugs that halt or slow ageing. Scientists found four 'Father Time' genes that determine how quickly we age - and which are controlled during our lifetime by factors such as diet."

Is this the Loch Ness Monster? Sonar picture shows 'serpent-like creature' at bottom of mysterious loch

• New sonar image described by monster hunters as totally unexplained
• Experts have ruled out the ‘sighting’ being any other fish, seal or debris

It is one of the greatest mysteries of the deep, and its legend has outfoxed score of investigators over the generations.

Stories, pictures and rumors about a monster living below the surface of Scotland's deepest loch go back for decades.

But it is now hoped this grainy image of a long ‘serpent-like creature’ may finally unlock the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster.

Questions: This exciting new image of has revived belief that there's something unexplained out there

The sonar picture, that shows a large unidentified living object deep underwater, was recorded by Loch Ness boat skipper Marcus Atkinson.

The mysterious being was recorded at a depth of 75ft in the murky water and measured nearly 5ft wide.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2132574/The-Loch-Ness-Monster-Sonar-picture-shows-serpent-like-creature-mysterious-loch.html

Nearby dark matter mysteriously missing

Nearby dark matter mysteriously missing: "A new study has found no trace of the mysterious substance known as dark matter around the sun, adding a twist to current theories, researchers say."

Humanoid visitors from beyond our time and space

Humanoid visitors from beyond our time and space | weirdaustralia: "The following Australian humanoid encounters are a small sample from a comprehensive collection of experiences compiled by Albert Rosales and include reports from the likes of Australian UFO researchers Bill Chalker and Keith Basterfield."

New federal agency OFR stirs 'Orwellian' fears

New federal agency OFR stirs 'Orwellian' fears: "It is the most powerful federal agency you’ve never heard of -- and lawmakers from both parties on Thursday vowed to keep abreast of its astonishing growth and rein it in, if necessary."

Evolution seen in 'synthetic DNA'

Molecules called polymerases help to faithfully copy the genetic information stored in single strands of DNA

Researchers have succeeded in mimicking the chemistry of life in synthetic versions of DNA and RNA molecules.

The work shows that DNA and its chemical cousin RNA are not unique in their ability to encode information and to pass it on through heredity.

The work, reported in Science, is promising for future "synthetic biology" and biotechnology efforts.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17769529

Cryobots Could Drill Into Icy Moons With Remote Fiber-Optic Laser Power

Cryobots Could Drill Into Icy Moons With Remote Fiber-Optic Laser Power | Wired Science | Wired.com: "Future extraterrestrial rovers may be powered remotely by high-energy laser beams shot through miles of thin fiber-optic cables. This new technology could allow robotic probes to penetrate thick layers of ice to explore Antarctic lakes or the subterranean oceans on icy moons like Europa or Enceladus, and even power a new kind of rocket into space."

Boundary between electronics and biology is blurring: First proof of ferroelectricity in simplest amino acid

Boundary between electronics and biology is blurring: First proof of ferroelectricity in simplest amino acid: "The boundary between electronics and biology is blurring with the first detection by researchers at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory of ferroelectric properties in an amino acid called glycine."

World's first handmade cloned transgenic sheep born in China

World's first handmade cloned transgenic sheep born in China: "Chinese scientists made a significant breakthrough in animal cloning. The world’s first transgenic sheep produced with a simplified technique, handmade cloning"

The REAL X-Ray spex: New 'terahertz' scanner lets mobile phones see through walls - and through clothes

• Scanner uses 'terahertz' spectrum - between infrared and microwaves
• Can see through walls, wood and plastics
• Doctors could use small, cheap devices to see tumours inside body

Comic-book superpowers could become reality as scientists have designed a phone that works as 'X-Ray spex'.

A hi-tech chip allows a phone to 'see through' walls, wood and plastics - and (although the researchers are coy about this) through fabrics such as clothing.

Doctors could also use the imagers to look inside the body for cancer tumours without damaging X-Rays or large, expensive MRI scanners.

A hi-tech chip allows a phone to 'see through' walls, wood and plastics - and (although the researchers are coy about this) through fabrics such as clothing

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2131932/The-REAL-X-Ray-spex--new-terahertz-scanner-lets-mobile-phones-walls.html

Next, the Tardis? Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver becomes reality as new gizmo lifts and spins objects using sound alone

Doctor Who's famous object manipulating 'Sonic Screwdriver' has come a step closer to reality.

Scientists at the University of Dundee have created an ultrasound-powered machine which can lift, spin and manipulate objects using sound alone.

The device echoes Dr Who's multi-purpose device - which the doctor uses as a lock pick, a medical scanner and even a weapon.

Matt Smith as Dr Who demonstrates the sonic screwdriver. Now scientists at Dundee University have created a similar device

The team said the beam carries momentum that can push an object in its path and can cause the object to rotate when shaped like a helix or vortex

Physicists at the University of Dundee used equipment designed for MRI-guided ultrasound surgery and created a tool that can lift and spin a 10cm rubber disk with an ultrasound beam.

The team said the beam carries momentum that can push an object in its path and can cause the object to rotate when shaped like a helix or vortex.

Mike MacDonald, of the university's Institute for Medical Science and Technology, said: ‘This experiment not only confirms a fundamental physics theory but also demonstrates a new level of control over ultrasound beams which can also be applied to non-invasive ultrasound surgery, targeted drug delivery and ultrasonic manipulation of cells.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2132100/Doctor-Whos-Sonic-Screwdriver-reality-Dundee-scientists-create-gizmo-lifts-spin-objects-using-sound-alone.html

Mutant Crabs Turning Up in the Gulf

Mutant Crabs Turning Up in the Gulf : Discovery News: "BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may be related to the eyeless shrimp, clawless crabs and other deformed animals now found in the Gulf, reported Al Jazeera. Fishers and marine biologists believe tremendous amounts of highly toxic chemicals may have had a negative effect on creatures that are constantly bathed in them, contrary to what BP asserts."

EXTREME LIFE: THAWING ICE REVIVES ANCIENT BACTERIA

Like Han Solo in frozen in carbonite, bacteria entombed in Earth’s polar ice sheets can live in a sort of suspended animation. The difference is the bacteria can persist this way for hundreds of thousands of years. And now, with the ice melting at unprecedented rates, they are poised to re-enter the ecological scene, eliciting new worries about the effects of global warming.

Extreme not only in age but also in number, the biomass of bacteria and other microbes beneath the ice sheets may be “more than 1,000 times that of all the humans on Earth,” freelance writer Cheryl Katz reported this week in The Daily Climate and in Scientific American.

"It's a way of recycling genomes," Montana Sate University microbiologist John Priscu told Katz. "You put something on the surface of the ice and a million years later it comes back out."

It’s that “coming back out” part we should hope the scientists keep an eye on. They have already managed to revive creatures that last lived long before humans walked the planet: Louisiana State University microbiologist Brent Christner revived bugs encased in 750,000-year-old ice.

Older still may be the microbes that other research teams may soon encounter as they drill into subglacial lakes Vostok and Ellsworth, two bodies of water that sit beneath a mile or more of Antarctic ice and have been sealed off from the outer world for millions of years.

Read More: http://news.discovery.com/earth/extreme-life-thawing-ice-revives-ancient-bugs-120419.html

Earth unprepared for super solar storm

Earth unprepared for super solar storm | Fox News: "Humanity needs to be much better prepared for massive solar storms, which can wreak havoc on our technology-dependent society, a prominent researcher warns.

Powerful blasts from the sun have triggered intense geomagnetic storms on Earth before, and they'll do so again. But at the moment our ability to predict these events and guard against their worst consequences — which can include interruptions of power grids and satellite navigation systems — is lacking, says Mike Hapgood of the British research and technology agency RAL Space."

Jurassic Lark? Expedition to Seek Living Dinosaurs in Africa

Jurassic Lark? Expedition to Seek Living Dinosaurs in Africa : Discovery News: "A Missouri man is on a misison to meet the mythological Mokèlé-mbèmbé."

10 Disgusting Examples Of Very Young School Children Being Arrested, Handcuffed And Brutalized By Police

10 Disgusting Examples Of Very Young School Children Being Arrested, Handcuffed And Brutalized By Police: "When did we decide that it was okay to treat very young school children as if they were terror suspects?  When I was growing up, I don't remember a single time that the police ever came to my school and arrested anyone.  But now police are being called out to public schools at the drop of a hat.  All over America, very young school children are being arrested and marched out of their schools in handcuffs in front of all their friends."

Brain decoder allows monkeys to control paralysed muscles

Brain decoder allows monkeys to control paralysed muscles: "Spinal injuries often leave people with paralysed limbs, as commands from their brains can no longer reach the muscles in their arms. So why not bypass the spine entirely? A team from Northwestern University has used a brain decoder to give monkeys control over their temporarily anaesthetised arms. The decoder deciphers the activity in the monkey’s motor cortex (the part of the brain that controls movements), and electrodes in the monkey’s arm stimulate its muscles in the right way. Even though it can’t feel its arm, it can grab a ball using this electronic middle-man."

Swedish Stonehenge? Ancient Stone Structure Spurs Debate

Swedish Stonehenge? Ancient Stone Structure Spurs Debate: "Ancient Scandinavians dragged 59 boulders to a seaside cliff near what is now the Swedish fishing village of Kåseberga. They carefully arranged the massive stones — each weighing up to 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) — in the outline of a 220-foot-long (67-meter) ship overlooking the Baltic Sea."

For ALEX: Russian 'Mothership' UFO Analyzed: What is It?

Russian 'Mothership' UFO Analyzed: What is It?... | Gather: "The UFO which has reappeared over the skies of St. Petersburg, Russia, is the subject of an extended report asking what it might be and why it is flying over the city."

The Population Control Holocaust

The New Atlantis » The Population Control Holocaust: "There is a single ideological current running through a seemingly disparate collection of noxious modern political and scientific movements, ranging from militarism, imperialism, racism, xenophobia, and radical environmentalism, to socialism, Nazism, and totalitarian communism. This is the ideology of antihumanism: the belief that the human race is a horde of vermin whose unconstrained aspirations and appetites endanger the natural order, and that tyrannical measures are necessary to constrain humanity."

Getting Ready for the Paradigm Shift

Land Destroyer: Getting Ready for the Paradigm Shift: "April 18, 2012 - A paradigm shift is coming that will change everything about the way people work, learn, and interact - it will be the beginning of a new age and the shape that age takes depends greatly on the number of informed people that take part in it and where they decide to steer it."

Mandatory ‘Big Brother’ Black Boxes In All New Cars From 2015

Mandatory ‘Big Brother’ Black Boxes In All New Cars From 2015: "A bill already passed by the Senate and set to be rubber stamped by the House would make it mandatory for all new cars in the United States to be fitted with black box data recorders from 2015 onwards."

Spiders from Mars? Nope - further than that: Hubble captures 'starburst' in heart of Tarantula nebula

A 'starburst' is the focus of a new image that shows off the sheer power of the Hubble space telescope - capturing millions of young stars being born in 30 Doradus, a star-forming complex in the heart of the Tarantula nebula.

It's one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble photographs - released to celebrate the space telescope's 22nd anniversary - and captures space oddities such as the fastest-rotating stars ever detected.

The nebula is 170,000 light years from Earth - 'next door' in galactic terms - so Hubble can pick out individual stars in the prolific star-forming region

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2131421/Hubble-space-telescope-captures-starburst-heart-Tarantula-nebula.html

15 technologies today's infants will never use

15 technologies today's infants will never use | Fox News: "From the moment that I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, I’ve thought of his development in terms of tech. As he grows to match the size of a large-screen TV, I can’t help but think about all the gadgets he won’t even remember using that were so important to his dad."

Humans Still Eating Humans

Humans Still Eating Humans : Discovery News: "The three people suspected of making empanadas out of human flesh are not the only cannibals out there."

Sun Unleashes Flare, Blows Magnetic Bubble

Sun Unleashes Flare, Blows Magnetic Bubble : Discovery News: "On April 16, an M-class flare erupted on the limb of the sun, triggering a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME -- a magnetized bubble of superheated plasma -- wasn't thrown in the direction of Earth, but toward Mars and Venus, both of which may experience a glancing blow according to Spaceweather.com."

Black-Eyed People: A Race in the Shadows

Leanne Davies couldn’t explain her panic. Davies carpooled to work in Deale, Maryland, in 1999 when one night her driver stopped at a small grocery store, leaving Davies in the pickup alone. “We parked at the edge of the parking lot with the store entrance and lot behind us,” Davies said. “We had worked late and it was well after dusk.”

Read More: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/04/black-eyed-people-a-race-in-the-shadows/