http://www.voanews.com/archive/science-technology/latest/594/621.html science-technology http://www.voanews.com/img/voa/rssLogo_VOA.gif http://www.voanews.com/archive/science-technology/latest/594/621.html en-US 2012 - VOA 60 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:46:22 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Present warming trends could roll back decades of development and exacerbate poverty in some of the world’s poorest regions in South Asia, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new World Bank study, which calls for urgent action to reverse global warming because the window for action is narrowing rapidly.        From declining food production to water shortages, more extreme heat waves to floods, the picture painted by the new World Bank report is ... http://www.voanews.com/content/report-global-warming-could-reverse-development/1684795.html http://www.voanews.com/content/report-global-warming-could-reverse-development/1684795.html Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:18:51 -0400 Asia webdesk@voanews.com (Anjana Pasricha) http://www.voanews.com/content/report-global-warming-could-reverse-development/1684795.html#relatedInfoContainer South Africa is preparing to host the biggest radio telescope in the world.  Along with Australia, the country has been chosen to host the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), which will be 50 times more sensitive than any equipment so far and will seek answers to the origins of the universe.  About three hours from Cape Town lies the arid and barren Karoo desert.  Soon, that desert will play host to part of the world's largest radio telescope. The SKA will be 50 times more ... http://www.voanews.com/content/south-africa-to-host-worlds-biggest-telescope/1684726.html http://www.voanews.com/content/south-africa-to-host-worlds-biggest-telescope/1684726.html Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:16:01 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Emilie Iob) Space, the final frontier, and one that African nations have largely left unexplored.  But with the emergence of space agencies around the continent, some intrepid space-gazers are studying ways to boldly go where few Africans have gone before. Observers looking at Africa today will see a new reality.   Satellite dishes monitor hundreds of privately owned satellites above Africa in Africa’s largest earth observation center - at the South African National Space Agency.   ... http://www.voanews.com/content/space-africa-looks-to-the-final-frontier/1684704.html http://www.voanews.com/content/space-africa-looks-to-the-final-frontier/1684704.html Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:58:17 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Anita Powell) The U.S. space agency says its proposed asteroid capture mission takes several of NASA's ongoing initiatives and aligns them for one major mission.   These chunks of ancient space rocks hold clues about the formation of the universe, pose threats to our planet, and present new territory for explorers. NASA's proposed asteroid mission is a logical next leap for the space agency, says associate administrator for human exploration and operations Bill Gerstenmaier. "It ... http://www.voanews.com/content/nasa-humans-could-visit-asteroid-in-2012/1684580.html http://www.voanews.com/content/nasa-humans-could-visit-asteroid-in-2012/1684580.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:02:29 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Suzanne Presto) Analysts say the recent leaks exposing top-secret U.S. surveillance programs may benefit China temporarily, but will not likely sway Washington from putting more pressure on Beijing to stop alleged Chinese cyber hacking against U.S. targets. The leaks by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden came at an opportune time for China, just before U.S. President Barack Obama planned to prominently raise the issue of Chinese cyber hacking during a summit in California. The original ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-pressure-on-chinese-cyber-hacking-to-remain/1683965.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-pressure-on-chinese-cyber-hacking-to-remain/1683965.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:08:57 -0400 Asia webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) http://www.voanews.com/content/us-pressure-on-chinese-cyber-hacking-to-remain/1683965.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. space agency has introduced eight new astronaut candidates, selected from a pool of 6,300 applicants. The new astronaut trainees - Josh Cassada, Victor Glover, Nick Hague, Christina Hammock, Nicole Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir and Dr. Andrew Morgan - have all dreamed of becoming space explorers. During the past year-and-a-half, they have passed rigorous medical and psychological evaluations, and have performed well during multiple tests and interviews. Now they are letting their ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-selects-8-new-astronauts/1683685.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-selects-8-new-astronauts/1683685.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:32:29 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Suzanne Presto) Few religious communities have gone as far in fighting climate change as a church in Queensland, Australia, which has 24 solar panels bolted to the roof in the shape of a Christian cross.   “It's very effective. It's inspired some members of our congregation to install panels on their homes,” Reverend David Lowry said of the “solar cross” mounted in 2009 on the Caloundra Uniting Church, which groups three Protestant denominations.   Many religions have been wary of moving to ... http://www.voanews.com/content/religions-going-green-pope-francis-environment/1683649.html http://www.voanews.com/content/religions-going-green-pope-francis-environment/1683649.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:31:02 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) http://www.voanews.com/content/religions-going-green-pope-francis-environment/1683649.html#relatedInfoContainer China can now boast the world’s fastest supercomputer, according to the semiannual TOP500 official listing of the world's fastest supercomputers released Monday. Tianhe-2, or Milky Way-2, clocked in at number one with a performance of 33.86 petaflops per second, according to a press release issued byTOP500. The computer was developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology and will be deployed at the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzho, China, by the end of the year. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-boasts-worlds-fastest-computer/1683465.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-boasts-worlds-fastest-computer/1683465.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:55:37 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) http://www.voanews.com/content/china-boasts-worlds-fastest-computer/1683465.html#relatedInfoContainer The Apple company said Monday it had received as many as 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data over the past six months. In an online statement issued June 17, Apple said it had received “between 4,000 and 5,000 requests” from U.S. law enforcement for customer data and “between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in those requests, which came from federal, state and local authorities and included both criminal investigations and national security ... http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-reveals-number-of-nsa-requests/1683363.html http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-reveals-number-of-nsa-requests/1683363.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:23:07 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-reveals-number-of-nsa-requests/1683363.html#relatedInfoContainer June 17 is World Day to Combat Desertification. In 1992, the Rio Earth Summit described desertification as one of the greatest challenges to development. This year’s theme is drought and water scarcity. Water covers most of our planet,  but only about two and a half percent of it is freshwater. And of that small amount, U.N. experts say, “The total useable supply for ecosystems and humans is less than one percent.” This year’s World Day to Combat Desertification slogan is: Don’t Let Our ... http://www.voanews.com/content/desertification-day-17jun13/1683327.html http://www.voanews.com/content/desertification-day-17jun13/1683327.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:48:56 -0400 Africa webdesk@voanews.com (Joe DeCapua) While many Americans want to reduce both pollution and energy costs, the nation's automobile-based transportation system undermines these goals by being largely dependent on petroleum. But in the western state of Oklahoma, Ethel Clayton drives a truck that can run on much cheaper and cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG). "Not just because you save a whole lot of money, but it is also good for the environment and it also keeps your engine in better condition," Clayton said. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/companies-try-natural-gas-to-fuel-vehicles/1683216.html http://www.voanews.com/content/companies-try-natural-gas-to-fuel-vehicles/1683216.html Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:15:16 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Greg Flakus) http://www.voanews.com/content/companies-try-natural-gas-to-fuel-vehicles/1683216.html#relatedInfoContainer A solar-powered plane nearing the end of a cross-continental journey landed early Sunday at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. The aircraft, the Solar Impulse, began its journey May 3 in San Francisco and has made stops in Arizona, Texas, Missouri and Ohio, staying several days in cities along the way. The Solar Impulse is powered by about 12,000 photovoltaic cells that cover its enormous 63-meter wings and charge its batteries during the day so it can fly at night. The ... http://www.voanews.com/content/solar-plane-nears-end-of-crosscontinent-flight/1682842.html http://www.voanews.com/content/solar-plane-nears-end-of-crosscontinent-flight/1682842.html Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:38:17 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Google scientists have launched up to 30 helium-filled test balloons into the skies above New Zealand, with the dream of bringing the Internet to nearly five billion people across the globe without access to the World Wide Web. The technology giant unveiled the project Saturday in Christchurch, where some 50 volunteer households have begun receiving Internet signals beamed from the balloons to their home computers. The wind-driven balloons are floating 20 kilometers above the earth and are ... http://www.voanews.com/content/google-launches-internet-balloons/1682643.html http://www.voanews.com/content/google-launches-internet-balloons/1682643.html Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:18:26 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Most of the loss Antarctic ice is not caused by icebergs falling apart into the sea, but instead by warmer ocean waters underneath the massive ice shelves causing melting, according to a new study by NASA and university researchers. The study found that so-called basal melt accounted for 55 percent of all ice shelf mass loss from 2003 to 2008.  Using reconstructions of ice accumulation as well as satellite and aircraft readings of ice thickness and changes in elevations, scientists were ... http://www.voanews.com/content/warming-oceans-cause-antarctic-ice-loss/1682131.html http://www.voanews.com/content/warming-oceans-cause-antarctic-ice-loss/1682131.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:44:43 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Matthew Hilburn) http://www.voanews.com/content/warming-oceans-cause-antarctic-ice-loss/1682131.html#relatedInfoContainer Summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica is at its highest in 1,000 years, according to a new study which finds that the melt is coming largely from underneath ice shelves, the floating edges of the ice sheet that extend over the ocean. The study is the first comprehensive survey of all the Antarctic ice shelves, which are the 1.5 million square kilometers that fringe much of the frozen continent.  Lead author Eric Rignot, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, says ice ... http://www.voanews.com/content/warm-ocean-accelerating-massice-antarctic-ice-loss/1682047.html http://www.voanews.com/content/warm-ocean-accelerating-massice-antarctic-ice-loss/1682047.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:13:49 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Rosanne Skirble) http://www.voanews.com/content/warm-ocean-accelerating-massice-antarctic-ice-loss/1682047.html#relatedInfoContainer What appears to be a planet about 176 light years away from Earth may cause scientists to rethink prevailing theories on how planets are formed. The potential planet is orbiting the red dwarf star TW Hydrae. According to NASA, it is an astonishing 12 billion kilometers away from its star. Scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope spotted a “mysterious gap” in the proto-planetary disk of gas and debris surrounding TW Hydrae. The gap is 3 billion kilometers wide and the disc itself is 66 ... http://www.voanews.com/content/exoplanet--could-change-views-on-how-planets-are-formed/1681855.html http://www.voanews.com/content/exoplanet--could-change-views-on-how-planets-are-formed/1681855.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:18:24 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) http://www.voanews.com/content/exoplanet--could-change-views-on-how-planets-are-formed/1681855.html#relatedInfoContainer Few first-time participants at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles this week would have realized that the $66 billion videogames industry is in steep decline. Microsoft Corp, Sony Corp, Electronic Arts and other industry giants whipped up the crowd of gamers and developers at the event into a frenzy, with displays of high-powered new consoles and previews of popular genre games. For an industry accustomed to dwindling revenue in recent years, the pervasive visual ... http://www.voanews.com/content/good-times-roll-at-e3-videogame-trade-show/1681831.html http://www.voanews.com/content/good-times-roll-at-e3-videogame-trade-show/1681831.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:40:00 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) Americans found out this week that intelligence agencies are tracking nearly every phone call they make. While some lawmakers and experts believe it’s necessary to prevent terrorist attacks, others worry that the country’s intelligence apparatus has grown too large.   Americans still only have a sketchy idea of how the phone surveillance program works and what it has achieved. After a closed door meeting with the head of the National Security Agency, the chairman of the House ... http://www.voanews.com/content/Americans-weigh-balance-between-privacy-and-security/1681774.html http://www.voanews.com/content/Americans-weigh-balance-between-privacy-and-security/1681774.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:49:49 -0400 USA webdesk@voanews.com (Jerome Socolovsky) http://www.voanews.com/content/Americans-weigh-balance-between-privacy-and-security/1681774.html#relatedInfoContainer When news broke about U.S. government agencies collecting metadata about its citizens’ Internet and phone communications, many were surprised by its scope.  The surveillance covered a vast number of Internet messages and phone calls.  The government did not deny the action but pointed out that the collected data contained, not the substance of the communication, but the so-called metadata. Although many suspected that U.S. intelligence agencies were collecting data about suspicious ... http://www.voanews.com/content/how-to-shield-from-internet-snooping/1681747.html http://www.voanews.com/content/how-to-shield-from-internet-snooping/1681747.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 09:46:42 -0400 Science & Technology webdesk@voanews.com (George Putic) http://www.voanews.com/content/how-to-shield-from-internet-snooping/1681747.html#relatedInfoContainer A steady decline in the overall honeybee population year to year is a growing problem worldwide. The decreasing bee population could contribute to a dramatic increase in commodity prices for goods dependent upon pollination by honeybees. Researchers continue to study the decline as beekeepers are struggling to keep their colonies, and their profits, alive. Terrence Ingram considers himself a naturalist. He said he’s best able to commune with the natural world around him at the center of a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/raising-crops-linked-to-declining-bee-population-worldwide/1681412.html http://www.voanews.com/content/raising-crops-linked-to-declining-bee-population-worldwide/1681412.html Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:04:03 -0400 USA webdesk@voanews.com (Kane Farabaugh) http://www.voanews.com/content/raising-crops-linked-to-declining-bee-population-worldwide/1681412.html#relatedInfoContainer