For Science! The Science Thread

A comet that was no threat to Earth, whatsoever, and in no way would have obliterated all life on Earth or required the assistance of Bruce Willis, Steve Buscemi and Aerosmith to destroy, is now entirely safely broken up. Really.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10...nin_breaks_up/

Waiting for the conspiracy buffs' explanation on Coast to Coast AM.

I didn't check every link so sorry if it was posted before but we (humans) need to build this.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/s...-of-space.html

Purging Senescent Cells in Mice Is Found to Combat Aging Ills
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/sc...s.html?_r=1&hp


Next week Russia will launch a mission to return soil samples from the Martian moon Phobos.

The project, called Phobos-Grunt also includes a small Chinese spacecraft called Yinghuo 1 that is designed to orbit Mars, as well as an astrobiology experiment from the California-based Planetary Society.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45135882...ience-science/


China succeeds in its first spaceship hookup
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45136872...science-space/


Boeing signs 15-year lease for NASA's space shuttle hangar
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45082073...science-space/


NASA Goddard Space Flight Center aims to examine three possible ways to control particles with laser beams (Tractor Beam).

Such technology would allow robotic rovers and orbiters to collect samples from Mars' atmosphere, for instance, or give deep-space probes a longer reach for scooping up passing particles.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45121481...ce-innovation/


Using a ground based laser to get rid of orbiting space junk
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...ce-junk-laser/


Gecko-inspired robot climbs smooth walls
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_n...t-climbs-walls


ARM CTO predicts that in less than a decade chips that are no bigger than a red blood cell
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/...ze_blood_cells


Japanese team wins Australian solar car race
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44975065...ce-innovation/


The Air Force has begun finding great success by offering modest prizes worth thousands of dollars to attract crowdsourced solutions from innovators it might never reach otherwise
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44994706...ce-innovation/


Lung Regeneration Closer to Reality With New Discovery by Weill Cornell Medical College Researchers
http://weill.cornell.edu/news/releas...10_28_11.shtml


Rice Seed Yields Blood Protein, human serum albumin (HSA)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-blood-protein


Synthetic blood created by British scientists could be used in transfusions in just two years
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ust-years.html


Genetically Enhanced Yeast adds beta-carotene to bread
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_n...amins-to-bread


Giving Cameras The Best Autofocus Possible, Autofocus From The Human Eye
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...ocus-p-2011-10


Microsoft offers a glimpse into the future of productivity (concept video)
http://www.kurzweilai.net/microsoft-...f-productivity

Italian physicist and inventor Andrea Rossi’s Cold Fusion machine “E-Cat” passes test.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45153076...ience-science/

Some of the greatest discoveries are due to accidents that the discoverer didn't understand how it worked. If someone creates more energy than they put in, then we should be learning how to use it and figure out how it works rather than figure out how it works, then use it.

Japanese professor invents mecha HalfLife HEV...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11...uclear_armour/

Worryingly for the operators, the suit is named HAL and is made by the prof's firm "CyberDyne Systems". Hmmm...

Q & A with NASA's new chief technologist Mason Peck
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...hie-speaks-out


Update on Worldwide Fusion efforts
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...e-fusion-front


An electric vehicle designed by a former Formula 1 racecar designer Gordon Murray wins the Future Car Challenge
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_n...-mpg-wins-race


Telexistence robot avatar transmits sight, hearing and touch
http://www.kurzweilai.net/telexisten...ring-and-touch


NASA develops super-black material that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it
http://www.kurzweilai.net/nasa-devel...velength-bands


Space solar power - collect energy from space and transmit it wirelessly anywhere in the world
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-limitles...efinite-future


Pentagon-backed science Regrowing Soldiers’ Muscles From Pig Cells
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011...icine-muscles/

Gene Tweak creates mice whose muscles are twice as strong, capable of running faster and longer before showing any signs of fatigue
http://www.kurzweilai.net/tweaking-a...wice-as-strong


Studies: Stem cells reverse heart damage
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/14/health...ml?hpt=hp_bn10


Smallpox vaccine doubles liver cancer survival time
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...ival-time.html


New Method for Making Neurons Could Lead to Parkinson's Treatment
http://www.technologyreview.com/biom...73/?p1=MstRcnt


An analog silicon chip outfitted with 400 transistors that emulates the activity of a brain synapse
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_n...brain-function


Breakthrough Could Yield Instant-On Computers
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog...7333/?p1=blogs


Batteries for phones and laptops could soon recharge ten times faster and hold a charge ten times larger than current technology allows
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15735478


Physicists launched a major program aimed at upgrading the LHC particle collider into a vastly more powerful cosmic research machine by the year 2020
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45328831...ience-science/


Robot Controls a Human Arm Using Electrodes
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/r...rols-human-arm


DARPA & IHMC’s FastRunner, an ostrich inspired robot (article includes video simulation)
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/r...will-look-like


Google X, Google’s top-secret lab where the future is being imagined & is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/te...he-future.html


Intel shows off its Knights Corner one teraflops chip
(Originally posted by OV_ohms)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15758057


NASA wants YOU to be the next astronaut

NASA has put out a call for applicants for the astronaut class of 2013
http://dvice.com/archives/2011/11/nasa-wants-you.php


Can Algae Feed the World and Fuel the Planet? A Q&A with Craig Venter
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...uel-the-planet


$10 million dollar Gene sequencing X Prize to see which laboratory can accurately and economically sequence 100 human genomes of people over the age of 100
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...79P4GH20111026


Erasing Signs of Aging in Human Cells Now a Reality
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1103120605.htm


Airdrop, an "air harvester" that collects & distributes critical moisture to crops during droughts, is the winner of this year James Dyson Award
http://www.coolhunting.com/tech/airdrop.php

Faster-than-light neutrinos are confirmed.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...inos-confirmed

I'm pretty sure that was dismissed a while ago as the problem was found to be that the miscalculated somewhere

More interesting science news today, again from collider work.

Forget your science fair volcano... how about playing with microgravity?

http://youtube.com/spacelab

Seriously, I was halfway through cooking up an idea before I saw it was for under 18s only. Prize list is great and open to all countries:
- flights from anywhere to DC to meet Proper Scientists and astronauts
- trip on the Vomit Comet

GRAND PRIZE:
- trip to Baikonur where your experiment's launched on an ISS flight (which hopefully won't explode) and performed in space

- custom cosmonaut crash course if you're over 18 by the time your experiment's actually performed

This is good news for Science minded people and skeptics alike.

http://gizmodo.com/5861816/powerbala...into-bankrupcy

from a correction ad:

We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims and therefore we engaged in misleading conduct in breach of s52 of the Trade Practices Act 1974.