Genetics
Technicolor zebrafish reveal how skin heals eurekalert
Every cell on the surface of the fish, from the center of the eye to the tip of each scale, is genetically programmed to glow with a slightly different hue...letting scientists track its movements in a live animal for days or even weeks at a time.
See also Zebrafish With Rainbow-Colored Cells Demonstrate How Skin Heals, which includes a video.
Genetically engineered 'Magneto' protein remotely controls brain and behaviour theguardian
Researchers in the United States have developed a new method for controlling the brain circuits associated with complex animal behaviours, using genetic engineering to create a magnetised protein that activates specific groups of nerve cells from a distance.
US Scientists ‘Build’ Bacteria With Smallest Genome On Earth rinf
American scientists have created a bacterium with the smallest number of genes ever, but they have no idea what almost one-third of them do. What the “designers” do know is that without them, the tiny stripped-down life form would die.
Israel
Yemenite Jew said jailed for helping smuggle ancient Torah to Israel timesofisrael
Yemenite authorities reportedly arrested a local Jewish man on suspicion of helping to smuggle an ancient Torah scroll to Israel, along with 17 members of the community who were secretly taken to Israel earlier this week.
Transhumanism
New Implantable Audio Devices Could Improve Life for Everyone industrytap
The world is now awash in ideas for technologies that may soon make smartphones obsolete. Through implantable technologies such as smart contact lenses and in-ear audio devices, there may be no reason to carry around “heavy,” cumbersome, breakable, expensive smartphones. Today’s smartphones are a big as mainframe computers that took up entire buildings decades ago.
Includes a video…
Medical
Ekso competitor unveils lightest robotic suit ever zdnet
It's an interesting move. After a lot of soul-searching, Ekso has been moving away from targeting spinal cord injury sufferers because it's a relatively small market. They're now focused on the much larger stroke market and their device is marketed as a therapeutic tool to aid recovery, and not for mobility.
See SuitX’s company website for videos.
Creatures
This weird little fish can walk up waterfalls washingtonpost
"The pelvis and vertebral column of this fish allow it to support its body weight against gravity and provide large sites for muscle attachment for walking."
They may say, “evolution” - but all I can say is, “Ah, what an amazing Creator we have!”
Military
Russian military plans buildup from West to Pacific washingtontimes
While announcing the buildup, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the deployment of NATO’s forces near Russia’s borders has caused concern. As part of a response, he said new units in the Western Military District, including two new divisions, will be formed.
Drones
This Drone Startup Just Achieved A Milestone In Doorstep Delivery fortune
The half mile-drone flight took place on March 10 in Hawthorne, Nev., Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny said in an interview with Fortune. Staff members programmed the drone’s flight path using GPS and then loaded a parcel of emergency supplies—including food, water, and a first-aid kit—into a box tethered to one of the company’s drones.
Brain
Samsung Australia tackles concussion head on with the brainBAND sammobile
The brainBAND prototype is capable of tracking impacts to the head in contact sports in real-time, the data obtained can then be used to better understand concussion in sport and its impact on the brain. The specially designed headband features sensors at the back of the head that measure the force of an impact. The data can then be synced via an app to referees, medics and coaches in real-time through Samsung devices. A series of LED lights are also embedded in the headband to show the level of impact of a hit: yellow, orange and red for high alert, which warns that a player should be taken off the field for immediate assessment.
Also has a video of rugby players knocking themselves out :) Well, almost...
AI
Read my lips: New technology spells out what's said when audio fails phys.org
New lip-reading technology developed at the University of East Anglia (UEA) could help in solving crimes and provide communication assistance for people with hearing and speech impairments.
Cloud plus artificial intelligence is creating The Matrix zdnet
A study by advisory firm Leading Edge Forum titled Embracing 'the Matrix' and the Machine Intelligence Era, suggests that the combination of cloud computing and artificial and machine intelligence (MI) "will increasingly be able to perform just about everything that companies and individuals do, and many things that we cannot".
False Religions
Nobel Scientist: I Place My Faith in Human Gods time
I answered that faith was essential to my life, but it was not faith in an all-powerful, life-instructions-providing God. Instead, I place my faith in the unchanging, universal aspects of human nature that have allowed us to work together as social animals to constantly improve our existence.
It gets a little blasphemous near the end but, in general, this one was just sad.
Robots
World’s First Collaborative Dual Armed Industrial Robot Folds Paper Airplanes industrytap
It’s hard to believe, but to date, most industrial robots have had only one arm. Now ABB Robotics has introduced YuMi, a collaborative, dual-arm small parts assembly robot. YuMi is designed with flexible hands, parts feeding systems, camera-based part location, and state-of-the-art robot controls.
The paper airplanes don’t fly well, but they look the part. There are two videos - one of the airplanes and one showing a more practical use for this bot.
DNA
Secrets of ancient DNA from Greek shipwrecks uncovered by police forensic science ibtimes.co.uk
Analysing ancient DNA is a powerful method for classical studies, helping modern-day scientists understand more about life thousands of years ago. These new techniques can reveal the original contents of ceramic archaeological artefacts.
Also includes a video summarizing an exhibition trip to locate, catalog, and 3D scan objects.
North Korea
North Korea's tone toward South Korea is getting increasingly belligerent businessinsider
[North Korea’s] tone has been especially belligerent in recent weeks and personally aimed at South Korean President Park Geun-hye following her warnings of regime collapse in Pyongyang after it conducted a nuclear test and rocket launch earlier this year.
Society
San Francisco Mayor Restricts Government Travel to North Carolina Over ‘Discriminatory’ Law time
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee on Friday announced a ban on all publicly funded city-employee travel to North Carolina “that is not absolutely essential” in protest of a new law that opponents say discriminates against LGBT citizens.
Other
300-year-old cannon unearthed in North Carolina foxnews
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