05.06.11

Increasing Wind Turbine Turn-On Speeds Could Help Reduce Bat Deaths, New Study Says

At the North American bat convention, biologists seek ways to reduce bat deaths at wind farms DENVER - Bad news for bats: Mother Nature is not the only thing wiping them out. Anthropogenic climate change and renewable energy technology are also wreaking havoc on bat
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Superhero-Style Spacesuits Could Provide Vital Compression For Astronauts

This new Spiderman-style suit may not win astronauts a spot in the fashion hall of fame, but it could help keep their bones intact during long spaceflights. Described in a new paper, prototype tests of the Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit, being developed by a
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Can Technology Help Biologists Save Bats from Extinction?

Even the Army Corps of Engineers is involved in the effort to protect bats DENVER - Gerald Carter walked over to Dave Dalton's table and paused, listening to a discussion about infrared light. He set down his backpack full of video and audio equipment and smiled. "I
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The Nissan Leaf: Nicely Done, Not for Everyone

Nissan has produced a quick, fun-to-drive, technologically sophisticated pure-electric car. But inevitably, limited driving range makes it a daily commuter, not a road-tripper The Nissan Leaf is the first of its kind: a truly mass-market battery-electric car. Starting
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The Unexpected Rebirth of the Flying Car

How the 21st-century military may make one of our wildest and longest-held dreams come true "This new millennium sucks! It's exactly the same as the old millennium! You know why? No flying cars!" - Lewis Black Of all the far-out visions for the future
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Spirit Rover Finds Evidence of Liquid Water on Mars

The brave little rover has been stuck in the sand for a year and a half, spinning her wheels and wiggling her robot arm futilely. As she's kicked up sand, though, she has uncovered deeper layers of Martian soil, and analysis of the difference between the surface and
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As the $5 Billion James Webb Telescope Goes, So Goes the Future of Space Science

As the pieces of the James Webb Space Telescope - the next-gen replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope - come together, there's plenty of excitement in the astronomy
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Four Driverless Vans Complete 8,000-Mile Transcontinental Trek From Italy to Shanghai

Back in July, two all-electric, driverless vans set out from Italy bound for China, an 8,000-mile trek through two continents, several countries,
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Northrop Shows Off a Touchscreen-Controlled Robot Wielding a Giant Machine Gun

Even the Army seems scared of this one Northrop's heavy-duty hauler CaMEL has been a success, scoring contracts from Israel and serious interest from the U.S. Army. But why haul miscellaneous stuff when you can haul a giant gun instead? The hauler
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China Unveils 2.507-Petaflop Supercomputer, the World's Fastest

Earlier this week China unveiled the world's fastest bullet train, and today it boasts the world's fastest supercomputer.
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All About the A380

Everyone is talking about the A380 today. Find out why here I live in the upper North Shore
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DIY Helicam Takes Awesome Aerial Videos

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about the BeetleCam, a remote-controlled roving camera that lets photographers take pictures of wild animals up close. While clawed critters present one sort of obstacle to a great photo, the perfect shot is often blocked by something
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Science Confirms the Obvious: Men Look At Porn

Also: The Sky is Blue, Water is Wet? An overseas study into the differences between the
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Atomtronics, Or Atoms Spun By Laser Beams, Could Replace Electronics

A new type of circuit involving a whirling donut of supercold gas could lead to the world's first "atomtronic" devices, potentially more powerful
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Grandad's Wild Ride!

Meanwhile a motorcycle enthusiast with a passion for the unusual has smashed one of the world's weirdest speed records. Colin Furze of Britain has claimed the new top speed record for a personal mobility scooter, usually driven by the elderly. The rules are
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Hubble 3D IMAX Trailer Released, Looks Amazing

Just refrain from trying to touch the screen NASA launched one of its boldest space missions in 2009 to repair and save the aging Hubble Space Telescope. Now everyone can get a glimpse of astronaut derring-do in a preview trailer for the upcoming Hubble 3D IMAX film
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A huge week in photography

In the days leading up to the industry-stopping Photokina event, the major players have lifted the lid on all-new and exciting camera bodies that are sure to command the attention of conference attendees when it finally kicks off.
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Three Zero-Emissions Vehicles End Their Round-The-World Tour in Geneva

After 188 days (80 of which were spent driving), four continents, and one defeated team, the Zero Emissions Race--world tour of renewably-powered electric cars--is finally over, with the three remaining teams having pulled into Geneva this morning. The race took
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Video: Military's New Water Guns Can Rip Through Steel, Disabling IEDs

Need to disarm an IED? Make sure you've got your Super Soaker handy. Sorry, make that your "Fluid Blade Disablement Tool." The Stingray, the military's newest bomb-fighting tech, is a small water gun developed
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Build a life-size paper clone of yourself for under $40

A young German guy has a detailed Instructable online this week that explains how you can exercise your inner narcissist and make a 3D paper clone of yourself. It's worth checking out
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Attack of the clones

I was recently reinformed that the word ‘science’ is derived from the Latin word ‘scientia’ which translates simply to ‘knowledge’. This is a rather apt name for science as it is, at its core, concerned with the gathering of knowledge. We can attribute this gathering of knowledge
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Astronauts have it easy

When we’re knee-high to a grasshopper, our dream jobs are often more impractical than we understand at the time. Doubtlessly, many of us can relate to playing the “When I grow up I wanna be…” game, with common responses often along the lines of “Hollywood movie star”, “Prime Minister”,
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Technological advancements aren’t as exciting as they used to be

It was only last week that I was looking for suggestions for science-fiction technologies that could help to advance science actual. But upon reading
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Humans are antiquated technology that should be replaced

Regardless of whether you’re a football (read: soccer) fan, you’ll doubtlessly have some awareness that the World Cup is scheduled to kick off this year. And even though the thought of the 2014 World Cup is far from most minds, it hasn’t stopped news cropping up about a World Cup that
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What’s the deal with the iPad?

You’ve got to hand it to Apple and their cunning marketeers; put simply, they’ve got the formula right. Once upon a time the humble Mac used to be a niche computer when compared to the dominance of the PC, but now it’s difficult to walk into a university or office without seeing a plethora
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LEGO is still the coolest toy for kids (and kids at heart)

For years now I’ve been trying to come to terms with the fact that I find it hard to resist the urge to walk through the so-called ‘kids’ section of your average K-Mart, Target or Big W to check out the toys. Toys have always been of interest to me and even though I’m no longer an adolescent,
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Technology + lifestyle efficiencies = all work and no play

At one point or another in our lives, most of us would have had the hypothetical conversation surround which era of time we’d like to visit or have been born in. For some, living at the time of knights and fair maidens has chivalrous appeal. For others, living at a time when technology was
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Technological advancements continue to encourage ‘irrational’ fears

You know you’re destined to spread your opinions on a larger scale than your average Joe when you find yourself capable of coming up with a darker/weirder/funnier real-life story when partaking in story swapping. I’m sure that most people can relate to having that one friend who seems to
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New approach to treating human disease wins top international computational science prize

Dr Peer Bork, a bioinformatician from
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Welcome to the new PopSci website!

Welcome to the new popsci.com.au – bigger and better than ever! Apologies for any issues you may have encountered during the last few days while we have been testing the site. Hopefully we have now resolved all the glitches and you will enjoy our new look and many great new features. Make
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