Military
US fighter jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska thehill
The official noted that TU-95s are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but the planes involved in Monday’s incident did not appear armed. The interception was conducted in a “safe and professional” manner, the official added, as the bombers did not violate U.S. airspace or break international norms.
CRISPR
Chinese scientists use gene-editing techniques in humans for first time cnn
On October 28, genetically modified cells were injected into a patient at the West China Hospital in Chengdu with aggressive lung cancer, according to the scientific journal Nature.
Liao Zhilin, who handles communications for the team, told CNN "everything is going as planned," but would not go into details.
Society
Christian-owned bakery in Oregon closes after religious freedom fight results in steep fines christiandaily
On Sept. 29, the Christian-owned bakery Sweet Cakes thanked the people who prayed for and supported the business, but at the same time announced that the bakery has already closed. No explanation was provided on the Facebook statement, Catholic News Agency details.
According to Q13 Fox News, Sweet Cakes' storefront in Oregon has been closed since 2013. However, owners Aaron and Melissa Klein continued to operate their business from their home. Their legal representative Hiram Sasser explained that the bakery was closed "months ago" but the couple still received inquiries for possible orders, thus the Facebook announcement.
False Religion
The Curious Rise of Scientology in Taiwan theatlantic
Scientology around the world is in broad retreat, but to be in Taiwan you would never know that. In an area slightly smaller than the combined size of Delaware and Maryland, with a total population of 23.4 million—roughly the same as that of the New York metropolitan area—Taiwan has 15 Scientology missions and churches. Per capita, it’s one of the most Scientology-friendly countries on earth. The island serves as a major source of donations and new members for the church, which has capitalized on L. Ron Hubbard’s early suggestions that he was a new Buddha. In a sign of Taiwan’s importance to the church, Scientology chief David Miscavige also attended the 2013 Kaohsiung reopening of the hotel as a Scientology megachurch.
Peace
Israel-Palestinian peace initiatives are suddenly popping up everywhere washingtonpost
Until a week ago, it seemed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was a flat-liner. President Obama thought so. In March, he said he wouldn’t seek to jump-start talks — the two sides were too far apart; it was not in the cards.
Global Economy
Connecting everyone to internet 'would add $6.7tn to global economy' theguardian
Bringing internet access to the 4.1 billion people in the world who do not have it would increase global economic output by $6.7 trillion (£4.6tr), raising 500 million people out of poverty, according to a study by PwC.
Babel
This nifty earpiece will translate your conversations in real-time thenextweb v
Working much like the Babel Fish from ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,’ the Pilot can translate live speech. So, if you have it in your ear and you’re talking to someone who speaks French – you will hear what they say in English and they will hear you in French.
AI
Artificial Intelligence Recreates Nobel Prize-Winning Physics Experiment - In One Hour forbes
“A simple computer program would have taken longer than the age of the universe to run through all the combinations and work this out.”
Google made an insanely high-res camera to preserve great works of art theverge v
"The capture time has been reduced drastically," says Marzia Niccolai, technical program manager at the Cultural Institute. "Previously it could take almost a day to capture an image. To give you an idea, now if you have a one meter by one meter painting, it would take 30 minutes."
Government Tech
UK developing digital driving licence bbc
CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood said: "Security has taken a significant step forward to support digital payments on phones, so the framework is in place for other secure applications, such as a digital driving licence.
There are not many people in the UK that do not carry a smartphone with them every day, so it is a logical next step.
Exosuits, robot arms and mini subs: This is the military's future armytimes
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency filled the courtyard at the Pentagon on May 11 with a variety of exhibitions at its annual DARPA Demo Day, giving the defense community and media a chance to see the next steps to maintain supremacy on the battlefield.
See this article for DARPA’s New Robotic Arm is Straight Out of Terminator v. Note: the video might make some a little uncomfortable. Like me. :)
Self Driving Vehicles
Otto, founded by ex-Googlers, is bringing self-driving technology to trucks techcrunch v
Unlike others, which are designing new vehicles that drive autonomously, Otto focuses on technology that can be fitted into trucks that are on the road now. Rather than eradicating drivers by making them obsolete, the immediate goal is assistance. The duo told Backchannel that, among many things, they aim to let drivers safely take a sleep break while leaving their truck driving autonomously.
3D
3D printer uses lasers to create metallic objects in midair engadget v
...instead of spitting out one layer over another, the machine was designed to ooze out metal that immediately freezes solid. That allows it to print free-form patterns that look like they're suspended in air, like coils. Created by the university's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the printer uses "ink" composed of silver nanoparticles. A focused laser then heats the material and solidifies it as it comes out.
Shape-shifting modular interactive device unveiled bristol.ac.uk v
Cubimorph is a modular interactive device that holds touchscreens on each of the six module faces and that uses a hinge-mounted turntable mechanism to self-reconfigure in the user’s hand. One example is a mobile phone that can transform into a console when a user launches a game.
Ok...so this looks like blocks...moving around :) To get a 'long view' perspective on the intention of this kind of technology, Create Anything You Want With Programmable Matter v is a good, introduction video of how dreamers dream when they dream of programmable matter.
Society
Supreme Court dodges major decision on Obamacare birth control reuters
The court's action avoided a possible 4-4 split that would have affirmed the lower-court rulings. The justices, shorthanded following February's death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, threw out seven rulings by federal appeals courts around the country that had backed the Obama administration.
Canada Moves to Ban Discrimination Against Transgender People nytimes
The legislation comes at a time of intense debate over transgender rights in the United States, and it fulfills a pledge Mr. Trudeau made during his election campaign last year. The government timed the introduction of the bill to coincide with an International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
Mexico's president calls for nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage theguardian
The announcement, which coincides with the National Day Against Homophobia in Mexico, came after Nieto met at a roundtable with representatives of LGBT groups.
Abortion
South Carolina passes bill banning abortion after 19 weeks startribune
The legislation will now head to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk. The Republican said in March she will almost certainly sign it, but wants to look at the details once it reaches her desk.
Pope
Pope Francis says Islam and Christianity share an ‘idea of conquest’ washingtonpost
“It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam," he said. "However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."
Yet another reminder that the Pope does not speak for God! Also see Pope Francis: Christianity and Islam must integrate in Europe
China
Pentagon: China Restructures for War freebeacon
The armed forces were reformed with new military regions, a new command structure, and updated strategies to better fight regional, high technology warfare, the 145-page report to Congress says.
Israel
Jerusalem is being divided de facto' israelnationalnews
A number of leftwing NGOs including Ir Amim and Tag Meir have called upon Israeli police this week to bar the annual Jerusalem Day “Rikudgalim” march from parts of the Old City.
Without peace, Mideast extremism will hit Israel,' Abbas warns jpost
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the French initiative for an international peace conference aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict.
“When two sides are invited to a meeting, one cannot present preconditions,” the Palestinian leader said. “It’s the international community that should determine what is right and what isn’t.”
Future
Huawei prepares for robot overlords and communication with the dead washingtonpost
...Kevin Ho, president of its handset product line, told the CES Asia conference in Shanghai that the company used science-fiction movies such as “The Matrix” to envision future trends and new business ideas.
He described a future where children use apps such as WeChat to interact with dead grandparents, thanks to the ability to download human consciousness into computers. Such technologies would require huge amounts of data storage, which could generate business for Huawei, he added.
AI
Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence whitehouse.gov
...the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is excited to announce that we will be co-hosting four public workshops over the coming months on topics in AI to spur public dialogue on artificial intelligence and machine learning and identify challenges and opportunities related to this emerging technology.
Fuel
There will be pandemonium: The end of the old oil order has already begun (Opinion) salon
It is hard to overstate the significance of the Doha debacle. At the very least, it will perpetuate the low oil prices that have plagued the industry for the past two years, forcing smaller firms into bankruptcy and erasing hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in new production capacity. It may also have obliterated any future prospects for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers in regulating the market. Most of all, however, it demonstrated that the petroleum-fueled world we’ve known these last decades — with oil demand always thrusting ahead of supply, ensuring steady profits for all major producers — is no more. Replacing it is an anemic, possibly even declining, demand for oil that is likely to force suppliers to fight one another for ever-diminishing market shares.
Space
Stephen Hawking announces $100M ‘Breakthrough Starshot’ project to find alien life nydailynews v
The Breakthrough Starshot Project was unveiled Tuesday on the 102nd floor of One World Observatory, where Hawking was joined by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner in announcing the ambitious plan.
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
Space
Spacecraft to seek life on Mars in European-led mission reuters
A spacecraft is due to set off for Mars next week on a mission that scientists hope will help answer one of the most burning questions of spacefaring times: Is there life on other planets?
Also: Europe's ExoMars spacecraft launches to Red Planet to seek out signs of life
Same-Sex
Missouri State Senate Overcomes 39-Hour Filibuster to Pass Religious Freedom Bill thenewamerican
By a margin of over three-to-one, members of the Missouri state Senate passed a bill that allows religious leaders and business owners to refuse service to homosexual partners requesting wedding services.
Genetics Tech
Researchers grow human tissue on a chip wwlp
It’s shaped like a microchip, but if you look closely, blood is flowing into those tiny vessels. This is a patch of heart tissue made entirely in a lab.
Has video
10 Biohackers Who Turned Into Superhumans youtube
A video highlighting the creepy, unnatural things people are doing to change who God created them.
Brain
The U.S. Government Launches a $100-Million "Apollo Project of the Brain" scientificamerican
...[IARPA] has dedicated $100 million to [this] project. The Machine Intelligence from Cortical Networks program, or MICrONS, aims to reverse-engineer one cubic millimeter of the brain, study the way it makes computations, and use those findings to better inform algorithms in machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Has video
Archeology
Hiker finds rare 2,000-year-old gold coin in northern Israel timesofisrael
The coin carries an image of the Emperor Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire, who ruled from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE, and was minted by Emperor Trajan in 107 CE.
Has video
Other...
Mysterious 'sea monster' washes up on beach in Mexico travel.aol
