Briton searches landfill for $7.5 mn bitcoin fortune
A British IT worker has launched a frantic search of a landfill site after realising he accidentally threw away a computer drive holding $7.5 million (5.5 million euros) in the online currency bitcoin.
View ArticleWatchdog: Google breaching Dutch privacy law
A privacy watchdog said Thursday that Google has been breaching Dutch law on personal data protection since it introduced a new privacy policy last year.
View ArticleSun-grazing comet ISON likely broke up
Once billed as the comet of the century, Comet ISON apparently was no match for the sun.
View ArticleBone grafting improvements with the help of sea coral
Sea coral could soon be used more extensively in bone grafting procedures thanks to new research that has refined the material's properties and made it more compatible with natural bone.
View ArticleSpaceX postpones first satellite launch
Private US company SpaceX postponed the launch of a rocket carrying its first telecommunications satellite on Thursday after two unsuccessful attempts at take-off.
View ArticleUS eyes phase-out of old telephone network
America's plain old telephone network is rapidly being overtaken by new technology, putting US regulators in a quandary over how to manage the final stages of transformation.
View ArticleNew study challenges centuries-old Amontons' laws of friction
(Phys.org) —The frictional characteristics of nanotextured surfaces cannot be fully described by the framework of Amontons' laws of friction, according to new research from the University of Bristol,...
View Article44 million stars and counting: Astronomers play Snap and remap the sky
(Phys.org) —Tens of millions of stars and galaxies, among them hundreds of thousands that are unexpectedly fading or brightening, have been catalogued properly for the first time.
View ArticleIndian Ocean phenomenon helping to predict extreme weather
A phenomenon in the Indian Ocean that affects events in southeast Australia is helping to predict extreme weather up to six months in advance.
View Article3-D images, with only one photon per pixel
Lidar rangefinders, which are common tools in surveying and in autonomous-vehicle control, among other applications, gauge depth by emitting short bursts of laser light and measuring the time it takes...
View ArticleLovely bubbly: Price isn't everything with champagne
(Phys.org) —Expert wine tasters cannot tell which grapes are in sparkling wines when asked to taste them blind, an Oxford University-led study has found.
View ArticleSnapshots differentiate molecules from their mirror image
(Phys.org) —Small difference, large effect: Most biological molecules occur in two variants, an original and its mirror image. As a result, they are related to one another like the left hand to the...
View ArticleNew state of liquid crystals discovered
(Phys.org) —New collaborative research, carried out by Dr. Vitaly P. Panov, Research Fellow, and Jagdish K Vij, Honorary Professor of Electronic Materials of Trinity College Dublin's School of...
View ArticleAstro-virology
In HG Wells' 'The War of the Worlds', the invading Martians were beaten by that most unassuming of combatants – the common cold. Could the reverse happen and alien viruses pose a threat to human...
View ArticleDid Comet ISON survive? Scientists see tiny hope (Update)
A comet that gained an earthly following because of its bright tail visible from space was initially declared dead after essentially grazing the sun. Now, there is a silver of hope that Comet ISON may...
View ArticleHydrogen could save regional railways
There is increasing talk of electrification of the UK's railway network. But electrification is an expensive business, requiring much new hardware including masts, wiring, substations and so on. Such...
View ArticleLook, but don't touch: US law and the protection of lunar heritage
With India and China planning lunar surface missions, privately-funded space entrepreneurs competing for the US$40 million Google Lunar X Prize and discussions around lunar mining intensifying, working...
View ArticleNeurobiologists investigate neuronal basis of crows' intelligence
Scientists have long suspected that corvids – the family of birds including ravens, crows and magpies – are highly intelligent. Now, Tübingen neurobiologists Lena Veit und Professor Andreas Nieder have...
View ArticleInvestigation reveals black market in China for research paper authoring
(Phys.org) —The journal Science has uncovered, via investigation, a thriving black market in science paper authoring—people are paying to have their names added to papers that have been written to...
View ArticleResearchers apply Benford's law to physics exams to see if they can do better...
(Phys.org) —A team of scientists who specialize in multiple-choice test assessment at Brock and Trent University's in Canada has conducted a study to find out if students could use Benford's law to...
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