Humans have long dreamt of being able to talk with their best friends, but "dog-translator" devices are an old and hokey sort of concept. Yet now, a new communication invention by scientists at North Carolina State University seems to be much more realistic, allowing humans to talk to their dogs in a new, unique way. The device has many practical applications for a wide range of situations - from search and rescue missions to everyday training.
Assuming we one day contact aliens, how will we communicate with them? That's the subject of a new book from NASA called Archaeology, Anthropology and Interstellar Communication. (Kudos to Jesus Diaz of Gizmodo for uncovering it.) The book steps outside astrophysics and computer science to explore how archeologists and anthropologists have approached cross-cultural communications between human cultures, and what those techniques and analytical frames could contribute to understanding a message from an alien culture.
In January, we wrote about an impressive feat—when NASA sent the Mona Lisa to the moon using lasers. In the accompanying video, NASA noted that they've been using lasers to track satellites, and in the future, lasers may also work well for space communication. Well, that futureis happening.
Multiple explosions were triggered at the finish line of the Boston Marathon today, with at the time of writing an estimated two dead and dozens injured. We know many are trying to get in touch with people who were running the race or nearby, but with cell service all but disabled and communication avenues totally chaotic, it can be difficult to do, or even exacerbate the communication problems for others. Here are some tips.
