April 26, 2017
HGST has unveiled the Ultrastar He12, the fourth generation of its helium-based hard drives. Cramming 12 TB of storage space into the standard 3.5-in form factor, the new drive is also faster, more energy efficient and more stable, to help businesses and data centers manage ever-increasing loads of data. (Computers and the Internet News and Discussions)
(New Atlas) While graphene can claim the title of science's sexiest wonder material, other substances called metal-organic-frameworks or MOFs, have been quietly changing the world while their single-atom-thick cousin hogs the spotlight. Now, researchers at Northwestern University (NU) have used MOFs to extend the speed and duration of ibuprofen, a result that could mean better pain relief for all of us. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
(Medical Press) In two independent studies, scientists at the University of Basel have demonstrated that both the structure of the brain and several memory functions are linked to immune system genes. The scientific journals Nature Communications and Nature Human Behaviour have published the results of the research. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
April 27, 2017
(Phys.org) NIST has been granted a patent for technology that may hasten the advent of a long-awaited new generation of high-performance, low-energy computers. One highly promising alternative approach, called "spintronics," utilizes the quantum spin of the electron to hold information in addition to the charge. (Computers and the Internet News and Discussions)
(Clean Technica) According to Teslarati, a person claiming to be a field service engineer for Kuka Robotics has taken several photos of 467 new robots that have been delivered to the factory recently and are awaiting installation. The photos were posted on the Southeast Traders forum by a person with the user name Mac11FA, who says he will be onsite for the next 7 weeks to help get the robots mounted and operating properly. (AI & Robotics News and Discussion).
(CleanTechnica) Australia’s total solar power capacity has reached 6GW and is expected to double over the next few years as Australian households continue to invest in rooftop panels to reduce electricity bills, and the large-scale solar sector takes off after years of promise. The latest industry analysis on installed capacity – released by the Australian Photovoltaic Institute – shows that rooftop solar capacity has now reached 5.6GW and large-scale solar capacity is now at 496MW, and growing fast. (Energy and Environmental News and Discussions).
(Think Progress) Donald Trump has already launched an almost unending series of attacks against some of America’s most fundamental environmental protections, from seeking to significantly limit the federal government’s ability to regulate water pollution to crippling the Environmental Protection Agency. (Energy and Environmental News and Discussions).
(New Atlas) One day we may thank scientists at Augusta University for playing a role in saving all that sweat. A team there has found that suppressing a particular protein can enhance muscle mass and help obese people reduce their risk of a number of health concerns. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
(Medical Press) Substances produced by a harmful bacterium in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients may enhance the growth of other bacteria that, in turn, inhibit the harmful bacterium's biofilm, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
(New Atlas) Combining two cellular-editing processes, researchers have developed cartilage that fights inflammation. The scientists hope that the breakthrough could eventually lead to localized injections that combat arthritis or perhaps a vaccine that would eliminate the condition altogether. (Biology and Medicine News and Discussions).
(New Atlas) Over a series of flight tests in the last 12 months, Lockheed Martin's Fury drone has demonstrated a reliable ability to fly for more than 12 hours at a time. Built for electronic surveillance, recon, intelligence and communication link missions, flight tests of the Group 3 Unmanned Air System have recently been ramped up ahead of low-rate production. (Military and War News and Discussions).
(New Atlas) NASA's Cassini spacecraft has re-established contact with Earth following its historic first dive between Saturn's surface and its iconic ring system. The flyby was the closest that any spacecraft has ever got to the atmosphere of the gas giant, and the probe is currently busy beaming back images and science data collected during the event. (Space News and Discussions).
(Extreme TechO) Folks at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have debuted a new kind of engineered metallic fabric that they hope will see diverse applications in space — and on other worlds. The new metal fabric is a flexible hybrid of chain mail and plate armor, in the horticultural sense of a hybrid: the offshoot of two different parents, having certain distinct and hopefully desirable characteristics from both. NASA officials said in a statement that this fabric and its kin have four essential functions: reflectivity, passive heat management, fold-ability, and tensile strength. (3D printer news).
Edit: (Reuters) ISTANBUL - A Russian naval intelligence ship sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast on Thursday after colliding with a vessel carrying livestock, and all 78 personnel on board the navy ship were evacuated, Turkish officials said. (Military War News and Discussions).
Edit: (Reuters) Israel struck an arms supply hub operated by the Lebanese group Hezbollah near Damascus airport on Thursday, Syrian rebel and regional intelligence sources said, targeting weapons sent from Iran via commercial and military cargo planes. (Syrian Civil War News and Discussion).
Edit: (Mother Jones) Students in Washington, DC's federally funded voucher program performed worse academically, particularly on math test scores, after a year of private school, according to a new federal analysis released Thursday. The study, conducted by the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, found that students who left public schools as part of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program performed significantly lower on math scores than those who did not. (President Trump News and Discussions).
April 28, 2017
(Astronomy and astrophysics) The discovery of Proxima b, a terrestrial temperate planet, presents the opportunity of studying a potentially habitable world in optimal conditions. (Space News and Discussions).
(Phys.org) British inventor Richard Browning lifted off from the shore of Vancouver Harbor on Thursday in a personal flight suit that inspired references to comic superhero 'Iron Man.' (British inventor takes flight in Iron Man suit).
Edit: (Teslarati) An employee at SpaceX snapped a photo at work yesterday and posted it on Instagram. The photo has since been removed, but not before it was captured by Business Insider. It shows three large round pieces about the size of a tunnel boring machine. One of those pieces has the words “The Boring Company” painted on it. (Transport & Infrastructure News and Discussions).
Edit: (Next Big Future) The UK’s newest fusion reactor has been turned on for the first time and has officially achieved first plasma. The reactor aims to produce a record-breaking plasma temperature of 100 million degrees for a privately-funded venture. This is seven times hotter than the centre of the Sun and the temperature necessary for controlled fusion. (Nuclear Fusion News and Discussion).
Edit: (CNBC) North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday in local time, but the missile exploded soon after launch, U.S. officials told NBC News. (North Korea News and Discussion).