Next-generation steel and metal alloys are a step closer to reality, thanks to an international research project. The work could overcome the problem of hydrogen alloy embrittlement that has led to catastrophic failures in major engineering and building projects. (via WSJ)
Nanoscale pillar-shaped distribution of iron in strontium titanate can change its magnetic and magnetooptical response drastically, say researchers. Surprisingly, the polycrystalline film on the silicon substrate showed stronger magnetism than a single crystalline film. (via WSJ)
A security researcher has published a way to gain the highest level of a network’s access — without needing a password. Alexander Korznikov said in a blog post that a privileged user, such as a local administrator with system rights and permissions, can use built-in command line tools to hijack the session of another logged-in user who has higher privileges. He said that if that other logged-in […]
It is now well-established that the economics of cloud computing services add massive value to the business, a contention supported both by research and by the number of organisations that either have moved or are now moving production systems into the cloud. Challenges remain of course, and among them is automation. Cloudy challenges Cloud certainly changes the economics of IT but it does not necessarily change all […]
The advent of spring heralds many changes such as a rising temperature, the melting of ice, and the blooming of flowers. This transition from winter to the growing season is called the “vernal window” by scientists. According to a new study conducted led by researchers at the University of New Hampshire, there is an early opening of the vernal window and the phase may last longer. This indicates […]
Written by Ritu Sarin | New Delhi | Updated: March 16, 2017 10:32 am Image for representational purposes. Nearly a year after The Indian Express published the Panama Papers, tax authorities have succeeded in obtaining 165 replies — partial or complete — from among 13 jurisdictions where Indian nationals had incorporated offshore companies through the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. According to data made available at the latest […]
Real growth in the non-oil sector of Bahrain’s economy reached an annual rate of 4.7 percent in the third quarter of 2016, according to new official figures. This marked a clear acceleration from the 3.6 percent pace seen during Q2, said the country’s Economic Development Board in its latest research note. Overall, during the first three quarters of 2016 the Bahraini economy expanded by a real 3.6 […]
A team of scientists has been able to reveal, for the first time, the dynamics of the orbital angular momentum of plasmons. The researchers used a combination of extremely high-quality single crystals of gold, ultrafast laser pulses and an electron microscope. (via WSJ)
AJMAN // Four adventurers drove 1,400 kilometres to a far-flung area of Oman and planted the UAE flag on one of the world’s highest sand dunes. The members of the UAE Adventure Club, a non-profit organisation that teaches people about the desert and off-roading, made the trip to Mazyouna province, in the south of Oman near the Yemen border, aiming to become the first to raise the […]
Junk bond funds saw their biggest outflows since December 2014, as investors expressed concern about high prices for speculative debt and falling energy prices put pressure on companies in the sector. Investors withdrew $5.7bn from high-yield bond funds in the week up to Wednesday, according to EPFR Global. It came as West Texas Intermediate, the US crude marker, last week dropped back below $50 a barrel. Oil […]
Researchers have lengthened the lifetime of perovskite solar cells by using nanotube film to replace the gold used as the back contact and the organic material in the hole conductor. (via WSJ)
The GCC mobile phone market returned to growth in the final quarter of 2016 after suffering three consecutive quarter-on-quarter declines, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). The global technology research and consulting firm said the region saw the shipment of 5.98 million units in Q4, up 7.7 percent on the previous quarter. When viewed year on year, however, the shipment numbers for Q4 were still down […]
World-first research into the sole remaining living insects of an ancient super-family of crickets has revealed vibrating areas on seemingly unspecialized wings which create sound, representing a transitional stage between those of their fossilized ancestors and the adapted form of modern bush-crickets. The findings will help evolutionary biologists and entomologists better understand the acoustic world the now extinct species once lived. Source
Researchers are taking the first steps towards of a quantum theory model of humor, to explain what really happens on the cognitive level in the moment when we ‘get the joke.’ (via WSJ)
A new study has discovered the fundamental principles of handling polymers. Researchers presented the intrinsic molecular characteristics of the slip phenomena by using atomistic nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of polyethylene melts under shear flow. Polymer melts are polymers with an overall number average molecular weight of 10,000 in the liquid-like melt state without solvent. (via WSJ)
Beijing, China – 16 March 2017 On the sidelines of King Salman bin Abdulaziz visit to China and during the 2017 ‘Saudi-China Investment Forum’, Huawei Tech. Investment Saudi Arabia and Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu have signed a milestone agreement to establish a training academy and a smart city innovation center in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, accelerating smart city deployment in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. […]
Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn, has frequently piqued the interest of NASA and is the subject of several studies and research. A new study funded by NASA, now sheds light on how the hydrocarbon lakes, as well seas on Titan may erupt with patches of bubbles occasionally. The Cassini spacecraft has shared that Titan’s composition of the lakes and seas, differs from place to place, with few […]
A new 10,000 square metre arts centre will open on Dubai Creek at the end of next year. The Jameel Arts Centre is set to be a non-profit contemporary art institution housing a gallery space, research centre, sculpture garden, library, artist studios and a roof terrace with event capacity. Its size and scale mean it will contribute vastly to the art scene already existing in the UAE, […]
Eruptions on the Sun’s surface not only send bursts of energetic particles into the Earth’s atmosphere causing disturbances in our planet’s magnetic field, they can also strangely decrease the number of free electrons over large areas in the polar region of the ionosphere, new research concludes. (via WSJ)
Humans, especially Americans, are kind of slobs. We mess up the Earth by throwing out about 4.5 pounds of garbage per person on average every day. Two-thirds of that waste could be composted, but isn’t. And half of the rest of it could be recycled, according to research from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, corroborated by studies from the Global Footprint Network and others. Now, […]
For Diana Sugg, writing a big story is a little bit like eating a slice of pizza. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew at the beginning, said Sugg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor at The Baltimore Sun. Start with the small end. The slice — and the story — gets wider the farther in you go. At the beginning, find something appetizing and easy to “swallow” […]
At 38 years and counting, the clock is ticking against the famed environmental artist for his proposal to create the world’s largest sculpture in the UAE desert. Even though many of Christo’s memories may be cherished, not every anniversary is a cause for celebration. “I am not a masochist, I don’t like to spend 38 years working on this project,” says the white-haired artist who wrapped the […]
Slow wi-fi is a source of irritation that nearly everyone experiences. Researchers have come up with a surprising solution: a wireless network based on harmless infrared rays. The capacity is not only huge (more than 40Gbit/s per ray) but also there is no need to share since every device gets its own ray of light. (via WSJ)
Credit: Public Domain Slow wi-fi is a source of irritation that nearly everyone experiences. Wireless devices in the home consume ever more data, and it’s only growing, and congesting the wi-fi network. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology have come up with a surprising solution: a wireless network based on harmless infrared rays. The capacity is not only huge (more than 40Gbit/s per ray) but also there […]
