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World

3-D printing turns nanomachines into life-size workers

Researchers have unlocked the key to transforming microscopic nanorings into smart materials that perform work at human-scale. (via WSJ)

March 23

World

Light used to remotely control curvature of plastics

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a technique that uses light to get two-dimensional (2-D) plastic sheets to curve into three-dimensional (3-D) structures, such as spheres, tubes or bowls. The advance builds on earlier work by the same research team, which focused on self-folding 3-D structures. The key advance here is that rather than having the plastic fold along sharp lines — into polygonal shapes […]

March 23

TAP Research

Researchers create self-sustaining bacteria-fueled power cell

Binghamton University Electrical and Computer Science Assistant Professor Seokheun Choi is one of the co-authors of ‘Self-sustaining, solar-driven bioelectricity generation in micro-sized microbial fuel cell using co-culture of heterotrophic and photosynthetic bacteria.’ Credit: Binghamton University Instead of oil, coal, or even solar energy, self-sustaining bacterial fuel cells may power the future. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed the next step in microbial […]

March 23

Biz Tech

Slack's CSO calls for industry-wide security transparency

Cloud-based collaboration tool Slack is in the business of making work life simple, but the startup darling’s chief security officer Geoff Belknap is in the business of making sure this comes with an unsurpassable level of trust. The route Belknap has taken is one of honesty, providing Slack’s customers with as much transparency as possible — which means divulging as much information as possible. “The reality is […]

March 23

World

Ex-head of Colorado Republicans charged with voter fraud

By Keith Coffman | DENVER DENVER A Colorado talk radio host who once chaired the state Republican Party and has accused Democrats of widespread voter fraud has been charged with forging his ex-wife’s signature on a mail-in ballot in the 2016 election, court records showed on Wednesday. Steven Curtis, 57, who served as state GOP boss from 1997 until 1999, is charged with one felony count of […]

March 23

India Takes

I studied how journalists used Twitter for two years. Here’s what I learned

Twitter reflects the good, the bad and just plain ugly reality of social media these days. For academics, journalists and voters, there’s never been a more crucial time to talk about the impact these social media platforms have on factual journalism and being watchdogs of the powerful. It’s in vogue to attack the messenger for the message. We are called liars. We are called “nasty people.” We […]

March 23

Investing

NOW Can We Admit the War On Terror Has Failed?

In the wake of the terror attacks in England, France, Germany and elsewhere, can we finally admit that the war on terror is an utter and complete failure? 10 Ways to Reduce Terrorism So if the war on terror has failed, what should we do to stop terrorists? I. Stop Overthrowing the Moderates and Arming Crazies We know it’s a difficult concept to grasp, but if we […]

March 23

World

Scientists evade the Heisenberg uncertainty principle

Researchers report the discovery of a new technique that could drastically improve the sensitivity of instruments such as magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs) and atomic clocks. The study reports a technique to bypass the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This technique hides quantum uncertainty in atomic features not seen by the instrument, allowing the scientists to make very high precision measurements. (via WSJ)

March 23

World

Humans, smartphones may fail frequently to detect face morph photos

Both humans and smartphones show a degree of error in distinguishing face morph photos from their ‘real’ faces on fraudulent identity cards, new research has found. (via WSJ)

March 23

TAP Research

Machine learning lets scientists reverse-engineer cellular control networks

In vivo validation of the computationally-discovered, partially converted tadpole phenotype. Credit: Daniel Lobo, Maria Lobikin, Michael Levin The flow of information between cells in our bodies is exceedingly complex: sensing, signaling, and influencing each other in a constant flow of microscopic engagements. These interactions are critical for life, and when they go awry can lead to the illness and injury. Scientists have isolated thousands of individual cellular […]

March 22

Companies

IGCF 2017: Sharjah Ruler Attends Conversation Panel on Climate Change With Al Gore

Former US VP Stresses Role of Governments in Reaching Global Consensus to Fight Climate Change SHARJAH-UAE: March 22, 2017  His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah today attended a conversation panel with Al Gore, former US Vice President and founder-chairman of the Climate Reality Project as part of the sixth edition of International Government Communication Forum (IGCF […]

March 22

Business

Mobileye deal to fuel investment in late-stage Israeli start-ups

By Tova Cohen and Steven Scheer | TEL AVIV TEL AVIV Intel’s $15.3 billion acquisition of Mobileye has catapulted Israeli hi-tech into the global league, and is likely to stimulate investment in the sector’s other late-stage startups, where funds are most needed. Fundraising in late-stage startups – more mature firms that are already selling products rather than just the bright but unexploited ideas of entrepreneurs – has […]

March 22

World

New software tool powers up genomic research

A group of computational biological researchers has developed a new software tool, Salmon — a lightweight method to provide fast and bias-aware quantification from RNA-sequencing reads. (via WSJ)

March 22

TAP Research

Researchers adapt a DIY robotics kit to automate biology experiments

Elementary and secondary school students who later want to become scientists and engineers often get hands-on inspiration by using off-the-shelf kits to build and program robots. But so far it’s been difficult to create robotic projects to foster interest in the “wet” sciences – biology, chemistry and medicine – so called because experiments in these field often involve fluids. Now, Stanford bioengineers have shown how an off-the […]

March 22

World

Manipulating magnetic textures

While the ability to easily control the magnetic properties of small electronic systems is highly desirable for future small electronics and data storage, an effective solution has proven to be extremely elusive. But now, a group of researchers reports a simple way to gain control of magnetism that starts by controlling the shape of the systems. (via WSJ)

March 22

World

Estimating the glass transition temperature for polymers in 'confined geometries'

Polystyrene has a glass transition temperature of about 100 C — at room temperature it behaves like a solid material. But as its temperature approaches the glass transition temperature, polystyrene’s mechanical properties change drastically. This makes the ability to approximate glass transitions for confined geometries in polymers highly desirable. And now, as researchers report that they’ve developed a simple formula to do just that. (via WSJ)

March 22

TAP Research

Water filter from wood offers portable, eco-friendly purification in emergencies

The purified water is compared with its original source, as well as a reference sample from the tap. Credit: KTH Royal Institute of Technology What can the forests of Scandinavia possibly offer to migrants in faraway refugee camps? Clean water may be one thing. A bacteria-trapping material developed from wood by researchers KTH Royal Institute of Technology is now being tested for use as a water purification […]

March 22

Investigation

Five Center for Public Integrity projects garner awards in journalism contests

Center for Public Integrity investigations involving the opioid crisis, state insurance commissioners, South Sudan, broadband access and offshore corporations have been honored in recent days by prestigious journalism competitions. The Center was a winner in three categories of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers “Best in Business” competition, while taking a first place and a second place prize in the Association of Health Care Journalists’ […]

March 22

World

Revealing the microscopic mechanisms in perovskite solar cells

In just a few years, researchers have achieved remarkable power conversion efficiency with materials with perovskite crystal structure, comparable with the best photovoltaic materials available. Now, researchers have revealed the physics for how an important component of a perovskite solar cell works — a finding that could lead to improved solar cells or even newer and better materials. (via WSJ)

March 22

World

Spintronic technology advances with newly designed magnetic tunnel junctions

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) have played a central role in spintronic devices, and researchers are working to improve their performance. A prominent achievement that accelerated the technology’s practical applications was the realization of giant tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios by using rock-salt type MgO crystalline barrier. Researchers have now succeeded in applying MgGa2O4 to a tunnel barrier, the core part of an MTJ, as an alternative material to […]

March 22

Biz Tech

Apple Patent Hints At Shape Changing Mobile Devices

Apple Inc. has been granted another patent, which may usher in a change in future devices. The company has obtained rights for a mobile device with the ability to change dimensions of its screen, which may well lead to Apple capturing the market with a dynamic product. Incidentally, as reported earlier, Apple also acquired a patent for facial recognition integration for its phone locking mechanism. The Shape […]

March 22

Middle East

Plane cabin ban on devices could be in response to threat, says aviation expert

ABU DHABI // An aviation expert has said the ban on large electronic devices in the cabin could be a move of caution in response to a real-time event or threat. Saj Ahmad, chief analyst for StrategicAero Research in London, said it seems to contradict a US Federal Aviation Administration directive that banned lithium batteries in airplane cargo holds. That had been put in place after the […]

March 22

Middle East

UAE Government backs local organic produce

ABU DHABI // A new government programme is making local organic produce not only more readily available in supermarkets around the country but also more affordable in comparison with its more expensive, imported counterpart. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has made a concerted push in recent years to subsidise farming equipment, provide expertise and connect local farmers with supermarkets to help market their products. On […]

March 22

World

Having a laugh with recruitment

Can humour on social media help managers find the most appropriate candidates for the job vacancies they hope to fill? Researchers suggest that humorous recruitment campaigns can increase exposure for a given job ad but conversely the approach might lead to flippant applications at which point it might be difficult to separate the serious candidate from an inappropriate one. The team also suggests that choosing a particular […]

March 22