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 Thu, 23 May 2013 22:40:51 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA Multinational high-tech companies looking for new frontiers and fresh ideas are lining up for a slice of Africa’s relatively untapped consumer market.   Many experts are saying the continent is poised to be the next hotbed of technological innovation. Others are even more optimistic.   “Africa is that frontier right now,” said Canada-based New Media marketing strategist Douglas Idugboe. And it is the place where “a lot of technology innovation” is taking place, added Mark Walker, a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/is-africa-technology-next-frontier/1667196.html http://www.voanews.com/content/is-africa-technology-next-frontier/1667196.html Thu, 23 May 2013 16:18:39 -0400 Africa Aida Akl http://www.voanews.com/content/is-africa-technology-next-frontier/1667196.html#relatedInfoContainer Astronomers have gotten a rare glimpse of two distant and ancient galaxies merging. The galaxies, called HXMM01, are about 11 billion light years from Earth, meaning they offer a look at the universe when it was only 3 billion years old. Inside the massive formation are some 400 billion stars. Astronomers have long wondered how galaxies grew. When the universe was three to four billion years old, it was believed to have been populated with large reddish elliptical-shaped galaxies made up of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/telescopes-capture-colliding-galaxies/1667043.html http://www.voanews.com/content/telescopes-capture-colliding-galaxies/1667043.html Thu, 23 May 2013 13:33:49 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/telescopes-capture-colliding-galaxies/1667043.html#relatedInfoContainer Academics, professionals and Star Trek fans are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science, and technology, as the dazzling new sci-fi adventure Star Trek Into Darkness plays in theaters.  The starship Enterprise is well-known to viewers of the iconic Star Trek TV series and visitors to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, where the original model is on display in the gift shop. The fictional craft - whose long-running ... http://www.voanews.com/content/star-trek-movie-influence-live-long-and-prosper/1666982.html http://www.voanews.com/content/star-trek-movie-influence-live-long-and-prosper/1666982.html Thu, 23 May 2013 12:26:02 -0400 Science & Technology Suzanne Presto ​Apple has operated almost tax-free in Ireland since 1980, welcomed by a government keen to bring jobs to what was then one of Europe's poorest country, former company executives and Irish officials have said.   ​Chief Executive Tim Cook faced criticism from a Senate subcommittee in Washington on Tuesday over the iPad and iPhone maker's tax practices, which had been shrouded from full view behind secretive tax-exempt Irish-based corporate entities.   Apple, one of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-enjoyed-irish-tax-holiday-from-the-start/1666899.html http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-enjoyed-irish-tax-holiday-from-the-start/1666899.html Thu, 23 May 2013 11:17:18 -0400 Europe Reuters Astronauts on future missions to Mars may be able to dial up a pizza via a 3D printer. NASA announced it awarded a $125,000 grant to Systems & Materials Research Corporation’s Anjan Contractor, who has already designed the printer. The head of the printer will be fed with a combination of nutrients, water, oils and flavors, which can be sprayed, layer by layer to create three dimensional food. The base ingredients could have a shelf life of up to 30 years. The first test: printing a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/future-astronauts-could-print-food/1666201.html http://www.voanews.com/content/future-astronauts-could-print-food/1666201.html Wed, 22 May 2013 12:37:20 -0400 Science & Technology Matthew Hilburn (Washington, D.C.) http://www.voanews.com/content/future-astronauts-could-print-food/1666201.html#relatedInfoContainer Microsoft Corp gave the world the first look at its new game console on Tuesday, hoping the Xbox One will attract existing video game fans while also becoming a hub for living room entertainment.   The third-generation Microsoft console, coming eight years after the Xbox 360, was unveiled by games unit chief Don Mattrick at an event at the software company's campus near Seattle.   The Xbox One is an “ultimate all-in-one entertainment system,” Mattrick said.   The ... http://www.voanews.com/content/microsoft-unveils-new-xbox-one-game-console/1665564.html http://www.voanews.com/content/microsoft-unveils-new-xbox-one-game-console/1665564.html Tue, 21 May 2013 14:44:21 -0400 USA Reuters Iranians are struggling with slower Internet speeds and limited access ahead of an unpredictable presidential election that has put hardline Islamist authorities on alert for possible unrest.   Experts and Web users say they believe the Internet obstacles are related to the June 14 presidential vote, the first since 2009 polls in which accusations of fraud - denied by the government - kindled months of protests organized in part via social networking sites like Facebook and ... http://www.voanews.com/content/iranians-face-new-internet-curbs-before-presidential-election/1665299.html http://www.voanews.com/content/iranians-face-new-internet-curbs-before-presidential-election/1665299.html Tue, 21 May 2013 11:01:11 -0400 Middle East Reuters Top executives of American technology giant Apple faced intense questioning from U.S. lawmakers about the company's use of off-shore entities that allow it to shield billions of dollars in global profits from federal taxes. Apple’s chief executive admitted to no wrongdoing, but urged an overhaul of the U.S. tax code.  Apple’s high-tech consumer products are seemingly everywhere, as noted by Democratic Senator Carl Levin at a hearing of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-faces-congressional-question-on-us-tax-dodging/1665235.html http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-faces-congressional-question-on-us-tax-dodging/1665235.html Tue, 21 May 2013 10:21:05 -0400 USA Michael Bowman http://www.voanews.com/content/apple-faces-congressional-question-on-us-tax-dodging/1665235.html#relatedInfoContainer Yahoo Inc said it is buying blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion cash, giving the struggling Internet pioneer a much-needed platform in social media to reach a younger generation of users. The deal, announced Monday, is a bold bet by Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revitalize the company by co-opting a Web property with strong visitor traffic, but little revenue. Yahoo made clear it was sensitive to concerns that it might damage Tumblr by making it less irreverent or more ... http://www.voanews.com/content/yahoo-buying-tumblr-for-more-than-one-billion-dollars/1664655.html http://www.voanews.com/content/yahoo-buying-tumblr-for-more-than-one-billion-dollars/1664655.html Mon, 20 May 2013 13:24:06 -0400 Economy Reuters http://www.voanews.com/content/yahoo-buying-tumblr-for-more-than-one-billion-dollars/1664655.html#relatedInfoContainer Scientists say a new geologic epoch has begun whereby humans are causing major damage to global water systems. They warn of a planetary transformation comparable to the retreat of the glaciers more than 11,000 years ago. Scientists are meeting in Bonn, Germany this week (5/21-24) to discuss what can be done about it. While some still debate the extent to which humans have affected the environment, scientists meeting in Bonn have little doubt. In fact, there’s a name for the informal geologic ... http://www.voanews.com/content/global-water-20may13/1664546.html http://www.voanews.com/content/global-water-20may13/1664546.html Mon, 20 May 2013 11:47:52 -0400 Africa Joe DeCapua China's Internet is brimming with disclosures of officials collecting bribes, homes and luxury accessories as casually as they do mistresses.   But while the government tolerates such anti-corruption vigilantism, it is also extremely leery of the threat the Internet can pose to Communist Party rule.   The Internet is the new tool in the fight against corruption - a cornerstone policy of new President Xi Jinping, who has pledged to tackle the problem head-on.   But while ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-trying-to-manage-exposure-of-corruption-online/1664448.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-trying-to-manage-exposure-of-corruption-online/1664448.html Mon, 20 May 2013 10:19:06 -0400 Asia Reuters A U.S. computer security firm says the Chinese military has resumed cyber attacks on American companies after a hiatus. Mandiant, which accused China of cyber attacks in a February report, says a Chinese army unit recently broke into the computer systems of more than 100 companies to steal trade secrets. It says the attacks started again just days after Chinese officials told Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing last month that they are willing to open cyber security talks with the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-resumes-cyber-attacks-on-us-companies/1664343.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-resumes-cyber-attacks-on-us-companies/1664343.html Mon, 20 May 2013 09:10:22 -0400 USA VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/china-resumes-cyber-attacks-on-us-companies/1664343.html#relatedInfoContainer Excitement has been growing in recent months over the approach of Comet ISON.  Like other comets, this chunk of rock and ice is following a long, elliptical orbit around the Sun, and like other comets, when it nears the Sun later this year, its trailing stream of dust and vapor will catch the sunlight and become a long, luminous, tail. Many astronomers are predicting that when this celestial traveler sweeps by us later this year, it could turn out to be ‘the comet of the century.’   ... http://www.voanews.com/content/astronomers-await-comet-ison-year-end-spectacular/1663642.html http://www.voanews.com/content/astronomers-await-comet-ison-year-end-spectacular/1663642.html Sat, 18 May 2013 10:39:03 -0400 Science & Technology Rick Pantaleo Two new medical discoveries are raising hopes of containing malaria - the mosquito-borne parasitic disease that each year infects more than 200 million people and claims an estimated 660 thousand lives.  Meantime, the World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if a drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia. Artemisinin has helped cut global malaria deaths by more than 25 percent over the past decade. But now, in parts of Southeast Asia, this drug no ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html Fri, 17 May 2013 23:41:32 -0400 Health Carol Pearson http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html#relatedInfoContainer Water on the moon came from the same source thought to have supplied most of the water on Earth, according to new research published in the journal Science. The common origin offers new insights into how planets formed and evolved. Scientists have long believed our Moon was formed when a Mars-size planet collided with the Earth 4.5 billion years ago and jettisoned a disk of molten debris into space. The cataclysm would have generated enough heat on the newborn Moon to burn off the elements ... http://www.voanews.com/content/earth-and-moon-share-water-source/1663500.html http://www.voanews.com/content/earth-and-moon-share-water-source/1663500.html Fri, 17 May 2013 20:19:30 -0400 Science & Technology Rosanne Skirble http://www.voanews.com/content/earth-and-moon-share-water-source/1663500.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. space agency, NASA, has just spotted the biggest explosion on the Moon in the eight years since the agency has been monitoring lunar impacts caused by meteoroids. "On March 17, 2013, an object about the size of a small boulder hit the lunar surface in Mare Imbrium," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "It exploded in a flash nearly 10 times as bright as anything we've ever seen before." The meteoroid, which weighed an estimated 40 ... http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-rocked-by-huge-impact/1663284.html http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-rocked-by-huge-impact/1663284.html Fri, 17 May 2013 14:48:21 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-rocked-by-huge-impact/1663284.html#relatedInfoContainer NASA’s first mission to rendezvous with an asteroid and return a sample to Earth was given the green light to proceed into the development stage May 15 with the goal of a launch in 2016. The Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) will rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu in 2018 and return a sample of it to Earth in 2023. "This means NASA believes we have an executable plan to return a sample from Bennu. It now falls on the project ... http://www.voanews.com/content/asteroid-sampling-mission-gets-green-light/1663146.html http://www.voanews.com/content/asteroid-sampling-mission-gets-green-light/1663146.html Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:42 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/asteroid-sampling-mission-gets-green-light/1663146.html#relatedInfoContainer The carbon-soaking qualities of Australia’s coastal and marine wetlands are the focus of a new international research project.  Experts from 20 countries have this week attended a special seminar in Sydney.    Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney say that seagrass, mangroves and saltmarsh capture carbon up to 40 times faster than forests on land.    Marine wetlands are able to store the carbon for very long periods, but scientists worry that these ... http://www.voanews.com/content/carbon-storing-qualities-of-coastal-wetlands-explored-in-australia/1662835.html http://www.voanews.com/content/carbon-storing-qualities-of-coastal-wetlands-explored-in-australia/1662835.html Fri, 17 May 2013 07:25:20 -0400 Asia Phil Mercer Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's music video has gone viral. In the popular video, Hadfield plays David Bowie's rock classic Space Oddity on his acoustic guitar and sings the lyrics about a space traveler. The real draw, beyond Hadfield's ability to play and carry a tune, is that he performed while floating weightless aboard the International Space Station, at times with a view of our planet out the window.        Hadfield, who recently wrapped up ... http://www.voanews.com/content/skylab-era-astronauts-reflect-on-life-on-earth/1662721.html http://www.voanews.com/content/skylab-era-astronauts-reflect-on-life-on-earth/1662721.html Thu, 16 May 2013 19:32:26 -0400 Science & Technology Suzanne Presto The Moon and Earth share the same source of water, according to new research. The latest analysis is based on new data collected by NASA spacecraft as well as the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo missions. It shows that water inside the Moon’s mantle comes from primitive meteorites, which also supplied most of the water on Earth. The research raises questions about the formation of the Moon. Prevailing theory holds that the moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago from a disc of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-and-earth-share-same-water-source/1662706.html http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-and-earth-share-same-water-source/1662706.html Thu, 16 May 2013 17:25:22 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/moon-and-earth-share-same-water-source/1662706.html#relatedInfoContainer Arizona State University atmospheric scientist Kevin Gurney is mapping carbon dioxide emissions for the entire planet and he wants you to help.  Data is sketchy Power plants account for more than 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Gurney wants more information on the 25,000 plants around the world.    He says good data exists for the United States, Canada, India and the European Union, but estimates for the rest of the world are sketchy. “In ... http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html Thu, 16 May 2013 16:26:44 -0400 Science & Technology Rosanne Skirble http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html#relatedInfoContainer Applying painless but targeted electrical stimulation to parts of the brain that play a role in number manipulation may in future be a way to help people who struggle with math, scientists said on Thursday.   Researchers who experimented with a type of brain stimulation called transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) found that in less than a week it improved students' performance in both calculation and rote learning of mathematical tasks.   The researchers stressed this ... http://www.voanews.com/content/transcranial-random-noise-stimulation-trns-neurobiology-mathematics-brain-function/1662421.html http://www.voanews.com/content/transcranial-random-noise-stimulation-trns-neurobiology-mathematics-brain-function/1662421.html Thu, 16 May 2013 13:03:09 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters Google Inc launched a music service on Wednesday that allows users to listen to unlimited songs for $9.99 a month, challenging smaller companies like Pandora and Spotify in the market for streaming music.   With its new service, announced at its annual developers' conference in San Francisco, Google has adopted the streaming music business model ahead of rival Apple Inc, which pioneered online music purchases with iTunes.   Google's “All Access” service lets users ... http://www.voanews.com/content/google-launches-streaming-music-service-ahead-of-apple/1661925.html http://www.voanews.com/content/google-launches-streaming-music-service-ahead-of-apple/1661925.html Wed, 15 May 2013 19:25:58 -0400 Economy Reuters NASA says its Kepler space telescope, which has been leading the search for Earth-like planets throughout the universe, has been crippled by the failure of one of the mechanical reaction wheels that helps keep it pointed. The U.S space agency announced Wednesday that unless the reaction wheel's operation can be restored, or another way found to orient the spacecraft, Kepler's planet-hunting efforts will have come to a premature end. Kepler was launched in 2009 on a seven-year ... http://www.voanews.com/content/kepler-malfunction-imperils-search-for-distant-earths/1661873.html http://www.voanews.com/content/kepler-malfunction-imperils-search-for-distant-earths/1661873.html Wed, 15 May 2013 17:46:40 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News Nearly three years after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig spilled nearly 5 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, oil is still being found on Gulf beaches and coastal marshes. Officials have used everything from straw, to wool, to feathers to try to soak it up. Now, scientists at Texas Tech University report that unprocessed raw cotton may provide the ideal clean-up solution for crude oil spills. Seshadri Ramkumar and his colleagues studied the properties of low ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cotton-is-ecofriendly-way-to-clean-oil-spills/1661827.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cotton-is-ecofriendly-way-to-clean-oil-spills/1661827.html Wed, 15 May 2013 16:45:48 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News Kaspersky Lab, the Russian anti-virus software maker, plans to open an office in the Washington area to spearhead sales to the U.S. government, a bid to offset slowing demand for its programs for consumers. Kaspersky makes one of the top-selling anti-virus programs in the United States, where it has gained market share in recent years against products from Symantec Corp, Intel Corp's McAfee and Trend Micro Inc. Yet the Moscow-headquartered company has struggled to make inroads with the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/kaspersky-plans-increased-sales-to-us-government/1661786.html http://www.voanews.com/content/kaspersky-plans-increased-sales-to-us-government/1661786.html Wed, 15 May 2013 15:47:01 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters The Sun has emitted four giant, X-class flares over the past few days, the most recent coming May 14. X-class flares are the largest class of solar flares. According to NASA, the latest flare was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is a huge release of matter and radiation in the form of plasma, a collection of charged particles reacting to an electromagnetic field. CMEs erupt with billions of tons of solar material. The matter can travel at speeds of up to 1,200 kilometers ... http://www.voanews.com/content/sun-unleashes-massive-solar-flares/1661774.html http://www.voanews.com/content/sun-unleashes-massive-solar-flares/1661774.html Wed, 15 May 2013 15:35:24 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/sun-unleashes-massive-solar-flares/1661774.html#relatedInfoContainer While much of the discussion about climate change focuses on the threat of future sea level rise, scientists at the University of British Columbia say warmer global temperatures have been affecting the world's oceans and fisheries for some 40 years. They used known temperature preferences of fish and other marine species as a sort of "thermometer" to gauge the extent of the change, and they saw a gradual migration of fish species away from the equator into cooler, deeper ... http://www.voanews.com/content/fish-thermometer-reveals-longstanding-global-impact-of-climate-change/1661657.html http://www.voanews.com/content/fish-thermometer-reveals-longstanding-global-impact-of-climate-change/1661657.html Wed, 15 May 2013 14:06:17 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has made an ambitious offer to the country’s schoolchildren - free laptops for every first-year student.  But some question whether the country is ready and whether the president’s plans can really happen. At the Muthaiga primary school outside Nairobi, first-year students are learning addition and subtraction the old-fashioned way - with chalkboards, textbooks, and memorization.   But a new government program aims to radically change Kenyan ... http://www.voanews.com/content/can-kenya-fulfill-laptop-promise/1661549.html http://www.voanews.com/content/can-kenya-fulfill-laptop-promise/1661549.html Wed, 15 May 2013 11:58:54 -0400 Africa Gabe Joselow Four British hackers who took part in 2011 cyber-attacks on targets ranging from the CIA to Sony were audacious, arrogant men whose motivation was “anarchic self-amusement'', a court heard on Wednesday.   The men, who have pleaded guilty to a variety of offenses, were members of the hacking collective LulzSec that caused millions of dollars of damage to corporate and government computer networks during an online crime spree they boasted about on Twitter.   “They are at the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/lulzsec-hackers-at-cutting-edge-of-cyber-crime/1661420.html http://www.voanews.com/content/lulzsec-hackers-at-cutting-edge-of-cyber-crime/1661420.html Wed, 15 May 2013 10:11:19 -0400 Europe Reuters http://www.voanews.com/content/lulzsec-hackers-at-cutting-edge-of-cyber-crime/1661420.html#relatedInfoContainer Students at the University of Maryland want to make aviation history by building the world's first human-powered helicopter. In 1980, the American Helicopter Society announced an award for the first person to accomplish such a feat. The $250,000 Sikorsky Prize would go to a vehicle that could hover for 60 seconds, not stray beyond a three-meter-square area, and at some point in the flight reach an altitude of three meters. The prize has gone unclaimed for 33 years, but the student ... http://www.voanews.com/content/students-aim-for-aviation-history-with-human-powered-helicopter/1661270.html http://www.voanews.com/content/students-aim-for-aviation-history-with-human-powered-helicopter/1661270.html Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:19 -0400 Science & Technology Rosanne Skirble http://www.voanews.com/content/students-aim-for-aviation-history-with-human-powered-helicopter/1661270.html#relatedInfoContainer A recent study is providing new support  for a theory that many scientists consider to be one of the two major pillars of modern physics - Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. It seems there are always members of the scientific community who are eager for the chance to knock the air out of Albert Einstein's nearly 100 year-old General Theory of Relativity. This milestone work describes how the elemental force of gravity helps to shape the geometry of space and time. And ... http://www.voanews.com/content/pulsar-gravity-relativity-theory/1661136.html http://www.voanews.com/content/pulsar-gravity-relativity-theory/1661136.html Tue, 14 May 2013 18:48:32 -0400 Science & Technology Rick Pantaleo A team of Americans and Kenyans has developed a new Internet router - and it's creating buzz. That's because it is an affordable, reliable solution for people without consistent Internet access. It can run while plugged in or on battery power, jump between networks at will, and become a mobile hotspot for multiple devices. The team presented the device - called the Brck [pronounced Brick] - at the Re:publica tech conference in Berlin. Erik Hersman and his team in Nairobi have created ... http://www.voanews.com/content/device-keeps-internet-on-when-power-goes-off/1661067.html http://www.voanews.com/content/device-keeps-internet-on-when-power-goes-off/1661067.html Tue, 14 May 2013 16:26:01 -0400 Science & Technology Michael Scaturro http://www.voanews.com/content/device-keeps-internet-on-when-power-goes-off/1661067.html#relatedInfoContainer BlackBerry announced plans on Tuesday to offer its popular instant messaging system on rival devices and introduced a new mid-tier smartphone targeted at countries where its faded brand remains strong.   Tapping into its popularity outside North America, BlackBerry said the new Q5 smartphone would be available in selected markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.   It gave no prices, but it will clearly target a younger, more price-sensitive crowd with ... http://www.voanews.com/content/blackberry-opens-up-messaging-unveils-mid-tier-smartphone/1661037.html http://www.voanews.com/content/blackberry-opens-up-messaging-unveils-mid-tier-smartphone/1661037.html Tue, 14 May 2013 15:48:15 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters Sometimes we get a clearer perspective by taking a step back. A new project by Google, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), NASA and TIME offers the distance we need to see our planet, and our species, like we’ve never seen them before. The project, called Earth Engine, is made up of more than 28 years of satellite images taken of Earth and turned into an interactive timelapse map that shows expanding cities, shrinking rainforests, drying lakes and melting glaciers. Dubai, 1984 - 2012. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/google-earth-engine-timelapse-shows-changing-planet/1661012.html http://www.voanews.com/content/google-earth-engine-timelapse-shows-changing-planet/1661012.html Tue, 14 May 2013 15:28:38 -0400 Science & Technology Kate Woodsome Cars that “talk'' to each other to avoid crashes or traffic jams, like those being tested here, will save lives but the cost of the systems will determine consumers' acceptance of such technology, the U.S. transportation secretary said on Tuesday.   “These are definitely safer vehicles. At what cost though?'' Ray LaHood told reporters at a connected-vehicle conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “To me, that's what the bottom line's going to be. Safety has a cost ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cost-big-factor-intalking-cars-acceptance-us-transport-chief/1660961.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cost-big-factor-intalking-cars-acceptance-us-transport-chief/1660961.html Tue, 14 May 2013 14:44:56 -0400 USA Reuters Unchecked climate change will cause widespread global loss of plants and animals, according to a new study of 50,000 common species. It's the most comprehensive analysis ever done of global warming's potentially calamitous impact on biodiversity. The study looks at plant and animal losses in a world that is four degrees Celsius warmer than in pre-industrial days. Under this scenario, the report predicts dramatic declines by the end of this century, according to lead author Rachel ... http://www.voanews.com/content/climate-change-threatens-loss-of-comon-plants-animals/1660872.html http://www.voanews.com/content/climate-change-threatens-loss-of-comon-plants-animals/1660872.html Tue, 14 May 2013 13:33:12 -0400 Science & Technology Rosanne Skirble Astronomers have found a new exoplanet for the first time using a method that relies on physicist Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity. These distant worlds are usually discovered by looking for stars that wobble or that dim, and identifying the orbiting planets that cause those effects. The newly-discovered planet - formally known as Kepler-76b - was detected from three small effects that occur simultaneously as it orbits its star. One is subtle changes in the star's ... http://www.voanews.com/content/new-method-of-finding-planets-scores-first-discovery/1660802.html http://www.voanews.com/content/new-method-of-finding-planets-scores-first-discovery/1660802.html Tue, 14 May 2013 12:18:54 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News Researchers are developing new techniques to find hidden graves. They say it would help locate the remains of a lone murder victim or the mass graves of victims of war. The research has been presented at the Meeting of the Americas in Cancun, Mexico, co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union. Jamie Pringle Said, “There are thousands of missing people around the world that could have been tortured and killed and buried in clandestine graves.” Pringle is a lecturer in geoscience at ... http://www.voanews.com/content/finding-graves-14may13/1660815.html http://www.voanews.com/content/finding-graves-14may13/1660815.html Tue, 14 May 2013 12:16:20 -0400 Africa Joe DeCapua A Soyuz space capsule carrying a three-man international crew has landed safely in central Kazakhstan. Canadian Chris Hadfield, American Tom Marshburn and Roman Romanenko of Russia landed Tuesday after a 146-day mission to the International Space Station. Hadfield, 53, is a veteran of two shuttle missions and the first Canadian astronaut to assume command of the ISS. Before leaving the ISS, Hadfield said goodbye to life in space by recording his own version of British rock star David ... http://www.voanews.com/content/threeman-crew-returns-from-international-space-station-mission/1660472.html http://www.voanews.com/content/threeman-crew-returns-from-international-space-station-mission/1660472.html Tue, 14 May 2013 00:51:08 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News A music video shot aboard the International Space Station went viral on Monday, turning an astronaut into an overnight music sensation with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie's hit “Space Oddity.”   As the first Canadian to command the space station, a $150 billion project of 15 nations, Chris Hadfield had already earned himself a place in the history books.   But as he prepared to return home on Monday after more than five months in orbit, Hadfield released a poignant ... http://www.voanews.com/content/astronaut-space-oddity-music-video-hadfield/1660318.html http://www.voanews.com/content/astronaut-space-oddity-music-video-hadfield/1660318.html Mon, 13 May 2013 16:48:12 -0400 Arts & Entertainment Reuters http://www.voanews.com/content/astronaut-space-oddity-music-video-hadfield/1660318.html#relatedInfoContainer The departing top NATO military commander has listed cyber security as the number one challenge for the coming years. Cyber attacks on corporations and governments are no longer unusual. Suspects and their computers are hauled away on a regular basis.  That's why Admiral James Stavridis sees cyber security as the top challenge for his successor. he said, "Our society is so dependent on all these cyber capabilities, and yet our level of preparation is very low, particularly as ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cyber-threat-top-concern-for-new-nato-commander/1659968.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cyber-threat-top-concern-for-new-nato-commander/1659968.html Mon, 13 May 2013 10:29:51 -0400 USA Al Pessin http://www.voanews.com/content/cyber-threat-top-concern-for-new-nato-commander/1659968.html#relatedInfoContainer Astronauts carried out an unscheduled space walk Saturday to replace a pump that they believe was the cause of an ammonia leak from the International Space Station that was first detected on Thursday. NASA flight engineers plan to monitor the site of the leak closely in the weeks ahead to make sure no other problem exists. NASA Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn spent five and a half hours outside the orbiting space station, removing a 97-kilogram pump controller box and replacing it ... http://www.voanews.com/content/spacewalk-to-repair-ammonia-leak/1659118.html http://www.voanews.com/content/spacewalk-to-repair-ammonia-leak/1659118.html Sat, 11 May 2013 09:03:38 -0400 Science & Technology Greg Flakus http://www.voanews.com/content/spacewalk-to-repair-ammonia-leak/1659118.html#relatedInfoContainer The U.S. space agency, NASA, says astronauts aboard the International Space Station will perform a previously unscheduled spacewalk Saturday to deal with an ammonia coolant leak outside the station. The short-notice spacewalk came together after teams on Earth and in space quickly readied a plan of action.    U.S. astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn will conduct the spacewalk, which is expected to last six hours and 15 minutes. They will inspect the cooling system, try ... http://www.voanews.com/content/astronauts-to-address-leak-during-short-notice-spacewalk/1659049.html http://www.voanews.com/content/astronauts-to-address-leak-during-short-notice-spacewalk/1659049.html Fri, 10 May 2013 23:06:55 -0400 Science & Technology Suzanne Presto http://www.voanews.com/content/astronauts-to-address-leak-during-short-notice-spacewalk/1659049.html#relatedInfoContainer The International Space Station crew is preparing for an emergency spacewalk Saturday to fix an ammonia coolant leak from the orbiting laboratory.   The space station's commander, Canadian Chris Hadfield, described the leak Friday as a "serious situation," but one that has been stabilized by the six-member crew. He said on his Twitter account that two American astronauts, Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn, are getting their space suits ready to go outside the spacecraft to ... http://www.voanews.com/content/international-space-station-crew-looking-to-fix-ammonia-leak/1658526.html http://www.voanews.com/content/international-space-station-crew-looking-to-fix-ammonia-leak/1658526.html Fri, 10 May 2013 11:24:03 -0400 Science & Technology VOA News Scientists have developed an experimental vaccine to treat heroin addicts.  Such a vaccine would be a major advance for both public health and safety.  Addiction to the powerful, illicit narcotic not only destroys human lives, but also fuels a violent global drug trade.  An estimated 20 million people around the world are addicted to heroin and related opiates.  Their addiction, and frequent use of contaminated syringes, put heroin users at risk of a variety of diseases - ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html Fri, 10 May 2013 10:15:19 -0400 Science & Technology Jessica Berman http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html#relatedInfoContainer France's Muslim leaders have agreed to end almost 1,400 years of Islamic tradition and use modern astronomy to determine the start of the holy month of Ramadan and other Islamic holidays.   The French Muslim Council (CFCM) voted on Thursday to start using astronomical calculations to set the date rather than relying on the naked eye to sight the new crescent moon.   Ramadan traditionally begins the morning after the sighting, which has in the past been delayed by a day or even ... http://www.voanews.com/content/france-muslims-astronomy-science-ramadan/1658049.html http://www.voanews.com/content/france-muslims-astronomy-science-ramadan/1658049.html Thu, 09 May 2013 15:39:42 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters Google's YouTube video service is dipping its toe into pay television by starting on Thursday a subscription service with 30 content creators, including children's programmers Sesame Street and Muppet creator The Jim Henson Co, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.   YouTube, the world's largest video website, allows creators to set subscription fees and accept advertisements, at their discretion, for the channels they create.   Prices for the initial 30 content ... http://www.voanews.com/content/youtube-starts-paid-subscription-service/1658041.html http://www.voanews.com/content/youtube-starts-paid-subscription-service/1658041.html Thu, 09 May 2013 15:31:57 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters Could bioluminescent plants one day replace light bulbs? That is the goal of a group of California scientists who are looking to genetically engineer bioluminescent plants that could eventually be used as streetlights or bedside reading lamps. “We are using Synthetic Biology techniques and Genome Compiler’s software to insert bioluminescence genes into Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant and member of the mustard family, to make a plant that visibly glows in the dark,” the scientists write ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientests-developing-glow-in-the-dark-plants/1657714.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientests-developing-glow-in-the-dark-plants/1657714.html Thu, 09 May 2013 10:23:52 -0400 Science & Technology Matthew Hilburn (Washington, D.C.) http://www.voanews.com/content/scientests-developing-glow-in-the-dark-plants/1657714.html#relatedInfoContainer U.S. beekeepers report losing more than 30 percent of their colonies this past winter. Tuesday's report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the loss is 42 percent higher than the previous winter. Scientists are struggling to find out exactly what is killing off the world's honeybees. Experts suspect parasites, diseases, genetics, or pesticides, but the exact cause remains elusive. The European Union has announced it is banning three pesticides that could be responsible. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-beekepers-lost-30-percent-of-colonies-this-winter/1656624.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-beekepers-lost-30-percent-of-colonies-this-winter/1656624.html Tue, 07 May 2013 20:10:22 -0400 USA VOA News