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43918317
submission
Submitted
by
sciencehabit
day March 08, 2013 @10:02AM
sciencehabit writes: After a long day buzzing between flowers, even the most industrious worker bee could use a little help remembering which ones she wants to return to the next day. Some plants have a trick to ensure they end up at the top of the list: caffeinated nectar. A team of researchers bombarded honey bees with floral smells paired with sugary rewards, some of which contained the same levels of caffeine found in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers. Three times as many bees remembered the odors associated with caffeine after 24 hours, when compared with the scents associated with sugar alone. When the researchers applied the stimulant directly to honey bee brains, it had a positive effect on the neurons associated with the formation of long term memories. Now, they want to see if bees go out of their way to feed on caffeinated nectar, perhaps even ignoring predators to do so—behavior that, if observed, could shed light on the neurological processes behind addiction.
43878253
submission
Submitted
by
Anonymous Coward
Thursday March 07, 2013 @12:08PM
An anonymous reader writes: The European Union is voting on a proposal next week that could lead to a blanket ban on porn in member states, and it seems the measure may well be approved.
The proposal, called "Eliminating gender stereotypes in the EU," mentions issues such as women carrying a "disproportionate share of the burden" when raising a family, violence against women as "an infringement of human rights," and gender stereotypes that develop early in life.
From the proposal:
17. Calls on the EU and its Member States to take concrete action on its resolution of 16 September 1997 on discrimination against women in advertising, which called for a ban on all forms of pornography in the media and on the advertising of sex tourism
18. Calls on the EU to conduct research into the links between child pornography and adult pornography and the impacts on girls, women, boys and men, as well as the relationship between pornography and sexual violence
43779061
submission
Submitted
by
misanthropic.mofo
AM
misanthropic.mofo writes: "Leaping from drones, to recon "turtlebots", humanity is making its way toward robo-combat. I for one think it would make it interesting to pit legions of robot warriors against each other and let people purchase time on them. Of course there are people that are for and against such technology. Development of ethical robotic systems seems like it would take some of the fun out of things, there's also the question of who gets to decide on the ethics."
41611743
submission
Submitted
by
Anonymous Coward
Friday December 28, 2012 @08:23PM
An anonymous reader writes: Prenda Law — one of the most notorious copyright trolls — has sued hundreds of thousands of John Doe defendants, often receiving settlements of thousands of dollars from each. Prenda Law principal John Steele has reportedly made a few million dollars suing BitTorrent file-sharers. Prenda Law has been accused in federal court of creating sham offshore corporations using the identity of his gardner. In other words, it is alleged that the law firm and their client are the same entity, and that Prenda law has committed identity theft and fraud. Now, a judge in California has granted a John Doe defendant's motion to further explore the connection between the offshore entity and the law firm. With lawyers and their clients allegedly one in the same, has copyright trolling reached a new low?
41606285
submission
Submitted
by
theodp
cember 28, 2012 @03:18PM
theodp writes: Facebook is unlikely to make many new (non-investor) friends with reports that it paid Irish taxes of about $4.64 million on its entire non-US profits of $1.344 billion for 2011. 'Facebook operates a second subsidiary that is incorporated in Ireland but controlled in the Cayman Islands,' Kenneth Thomas explains. 'This subsidiary owns Facebook Ireland, but the setup allows the two companies to be considered as one for U.S. tax purposes, but separate for Irish tax purposes. The Caymans-operated subsidiary owns the rights to use Facebook's intellectual property outside the U.S., for which Facebook Ireland pays hefty royalties to use. This lets Facebook Ireland transfer the profits from low-tax Ireland to no-tax Cayman Islands.' In 2008, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg cited 'local world-class talent' as the motivation behind Facebook's choice of tax-haven Dublin for its international HQ. Similar tax moves by Google, Microsoft, and others who have sought the luck-of-the-Double-Irish present quite a dilemma for tax revenue-seeking governments. Invoking Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's famous common sense definition of ethics ('Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do') is unlikely to sway corporations whose top execs send the message that tax avoidance is the right thing to do and something to be proud of.
41591469
submission
Submitted
by
cylonlover
y December 28, 2012 @02:38AM
cylonlover writes: NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion engine has set a new world record by clocking up 43,000 hours of continuous operation at NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Electric Propulsion Laboratory. The seven-kilowatt thruster is intended to propel future NASA deep space probes on missions where chemical rockets aren't a practical option. The NEXT ion thruster is one of NASA’s latest generation of engines. With a power output of seven kilowatts, it’s over twice as powerful as the ones used aboard the unmanned Dawn space probe. Yet it is simpler in design, lighter and more efficient, and is also designed for very high endurance.
Its current record of 43,000 hours is the equivalent of nearly five years of continuous operation while consuming only 770 kg (1697.5 lbs) of xenon propellant. The NEXT engine would provide 30 million-newton-seconds of total impulse to a spacecraft. What this means in simple terms is that the NEXT engine can make a spacecraft go (eventually) very far and very fast.
40143323
comment
bysiliconwafer
19, 2012 @09:05AM
(#42026297)
Attached to: Windows Phone 8 Users Hit Some Snags
That's a shame. I've had an HTC Radar for about a year, running Win Phone 7 Mango, and I can't recall a single spontaneous reboot. Compared to the other phones on the market, I find the UI to be more usable. I'm able to go three days on a single charge with light use, or a day and a half with normal to heavy use. I gave up my Android-based phone, which was running Cyanogen Mod, for this and I haven't looked back. My only gripe? Lack of apps, but it's getting better and everything I *need* is there.
Yeah, my techie friends ripped on me for going to Windows. Whatever. I wanted something that just worked, didn't have a lot of app crashes, and gave me great battery life. I found it.
35352399
comment
bysiliconwafer
2012 @03:21PM
(#40677909)
Attached to: The Web Is Not the Internet
Of course the web is not the internet. AOL is the internet!
25035812
comment
bysiliconwafer
er 26, 2011 @03:10PM
(#37848258)
Attached to: New York State Releases Sex Offender Facebook App
I am a New York state resident, and I think it's ridiculous that taxpayer money (be it state or federal) was spent on this. If you're that concerned, check a state website before your kids go trick or treating - why do we need Facebook or an app for this? Now excuse me while I figure out exactly who paid for this and write a letter to the (ir)responsible party.
20350876
comment
bysiliconwafer
2011 @08:21PM
(#35863088)
Attached to: Is Sugar Toxic?
One doesn't drown from excess consumption of water; instead, their electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc.) are diluted to the point where nerves no longer function properly. It's a condition known as hyponatremia. It is not the same thing as drowning.
19347606
submission
Submitted
by
mschaffer
y February 22, 2011 @11:58AM
mschaffer writes: Looks like Verizon got the FCC's attention:
"U.S. regulators said Verizon Communications Inc.’s networks may have dropped a “truly alarming” number of wireless emergency calls during a snow storm last month, and asked the carrier to investigate."
Makes you wander what's going to happen when all of those iPhones strain the network.
19130116
comment
bysiliconwafer
ary 09, 2011 @08:05PM
(#35157212)
Attached to: Obama Calling For $53B For High Speed Rail
I used Amtrak twice this past weekend in Upstate NY and had a great experience. I was able to work on the train (3G tether to laptop), and the trip was just _slightly_ longer than driving.
You were waiting for the right of way because Amtrak doesn't run on dedicated passenger tracks (with a few exceptions, like Albany to NYC.) It's likely that if high speed rail is to become reality in the US, a right of way dedicated to high speed passenger rail will be constructed. It will also be electrified, and the only diesel locomotives you'll see on the line will be maintenance of way or for rescue (e.g., electricity goes out).
High speed right of way is EXPENSIVE. High speed trains cannot cross roads at grade; flyovers must be constructed. The tracks must be kept clear of animals (deer, etc.). Electrification will be required.
I suspect the Northeast Corridor (Boston -> NY -> Philly ->DC) will be the first place to get high speed rail in the US. It's one place where it might succeed, due to the high population density cities being close to one another.
19099160
comment
bysiliconwafer
y 08, 2011 @12:00PM
(#35139520)
Attached to: Maximum Items You've Powered From a Single Outlet
Code doesn't limit the number of outlets per circuit, so a better question might be, number of items per circuit rather than outlet.
18687222
story
Posted
by
timothy
anuary 19, 2011 @02:00AM
from the oh-the-non-humanity dept.
cylonlover writes "Following on from a successful maiden flight under battery power in 2010, AeroVironment's high altitude, long endurance (HALE) Global Observer unmanned aircraft has now taken to the skies using hydrogen-fueled propulsion. The aircraft reached an altitude of 5,000 feet during the four hour flight on January 11 at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California. Both the endurance and the altitude of the system will be expanded in further test flights in order to achieve the planned operational altitude of 55,000 to 65,000 feet."
18681950
submission
Submitted
by
AndyAndyAndyAndy
:35PM
AndyAndyAndyAndy writes: "It seems that the FCC has approved the proposed merger between Comcast and NBC, effectively kicking apart hopes for protection against "pipes and their water" frameworks. Pres. Obama's 2008 goal also goes ignored: "I strongly favor diversity of ownership of outlets and protection against the excessive concentration of power in the hands of any one corporation, interest or small group." The Dept. of Justice is also onboard, leaving little hope that this will be stopped."
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