Aug 26 California law orders kill-switch software in smartphones By Charles Pulliam-Moore Starting on July 1, 2015, residents of California will be able to remotely wipe their cell phone data with the push of a button. Continue reading
Aug 25 Human workers report feeling most productive when led by artificial intelligence By Charles Pulliam-Moore Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab found that teams of human workers were at their happiest and most productive when their tasks were directed by robotic artificial intelligence. Continue reading
Aug 22 As governments invade privacy, tools for encryption grow more popular By Charles Pulliam-Moore In the wake of Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA collecting massive amounts of user meta-data, many people went in search of safer, more secure ways to use the internet anonymously. Once thought to be something only used by the… Continue reading
Aug 21 California honey production crippled by drought By Anna Christiansen An exceptional cut in rainfall has adversely affected honey production in the Golden State. The drought, now in its third year, has ravaged flowering plants thereby reducing the number of spots available for bees to collect nectar. Continue reading
Aug 20 Watch Why in ‘remote, cold corners’ of the world, melting ground is giving way By PBS News Hour When holes opened up in the earth recently in Siberia, a wave of speculation was set off as to their cause. Scientists are now pinpointing a dramatic increase in arctic thawing, which may have released methane once trapped below the… Continue watching
Aug 20 City living makes spiders grow larger By Justin Scuiletti It turns out that spiders love city life, especially rich cities. According to a study published Wednesday by journal PLOS ONE, certain species of spiders thrive when urbanization occurs, as opposed to areas with larger vegetation. Continue reading
Aug 20 Take a look at a jellyfish sting in slow motion By Justin Scuiletti Imagine being stabbed by a hypodermic needle that pumps a painful venom into your body once it penetrates your skin. Now, imagine being stabbed by a countless number of these, all on a microscopic level. Continue reading
Aug 19 Watch ‘Crowd-sourced’ science sheds new light on new mammal olinguito By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Aug 18 Charging smartphones by soundwaves By Charles Pulliam-Moore Finnish-based mobile technology giant Nokia and researchers at Queen Mary University of London are dreaming up a way to turn ambient noise into a power source for the cellphones of tomorrow. In a press release published Friday, the University… Continue reading
Aug 18 Stinging tumors with scorpion and honeybee venom By Justin Scuiletti When honeybees and scorpions sting, it is usually an act of defense -- a painful one at that, thanks to the venom injected through the stingers. Scientists, however, may have found a way to co-opt those venoms as a means… Continue reading