Life

UK firm says fusion on the grid by 2030; Skeptics disagree

OXFORD, United Kingdom (Reuters) — A British fusion reactor, the ST40, has been turned on and officially achieved first plasma, says the company behind it – Tokamak Energy. The firm, based in Oxfordshire, aims to produce a record-breaking plasma temperature of 100 million degrees – seven times hotter than the center of the Sun and the temperature necessary for controlled fusion. Tokamak Energy, one of the world’s leading private fusion energy ventures, says it believes […]

1.4 million children acutely malnourished in Somalia this year: UN

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Somalia, hit by drought and on the verge of famine, will count 1.4 million acutely malnourished children by the end of the year, up 50 percent from late 2016, the United Nations said Tuesday. The UN children’s agency warned that 275,000 of those children were expected to be so severely malnourished that they could easily die. Severe acute malnutrition is the most extreme and visible form of undernutrition, with victims often appearing […]

A trick of the light: How the hatchetfish hides

PARIS, France (AFP) — Hatchetfish, tiny “alien-looking” creatures known for an uncanny ability to hide out in open water, use mirror-like scales to deflect and diffuse light to make themselves invisible to predators, scientists reported Wednesday. Like other silvery fish, hatchetfish are known for using their reflective, aluminium-like skin as a mirror to confuse fellow sea creatures in ambient light. But scientists have long wondered how they manage to hide in deeper water, where a […]

Fares as high as $10,000 on board Japan luxury sleeper train

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — East Japan Railway Co. launched its new luxury sleeper train on Monday (May 1) that comes with a $10,000 price tag for the top-class suite for a four-day trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido. The slick gold-colored “Train Suite Shiki-shima” features Japan’s traditional tatami (pronounce tah-tah-mi) rice straw mats and Hinoki (pronounce hee-noh-ki) wooden bath tubs, sky-view glass ceilings and live piano music in the dining car. Despite the hefty price tags […]

Microsoft unveils Windows 10 S for its Surface laptops

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — Microsoft Corp on Tuesday (May 02) unveiled Windows 10 S, a streamlined version of its popular operating system, geared toward low-cost laptops for students, as it tries to take share from Google’s Chrome OS-run computers. The company said the Surface laptop integrated with Windows 10 S is priced from $999 and will be available for pre-order starting Tuesday. The new version of the operating system comes days after Microsoft […]

Ice loss in southwest Antarctica may be slower than thought: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Global warming has caused ice to melt faster than normal in the Antarctic, but a study Tuesday suggested the rate of loss in some areas may be slower than previously thought. Researchers in Britain mapped the change in the speed of ice loss using data from five different satellites, said the report in Geophysical Research Letters, a US scientific journal. After studying changes at more than 30 glaciers since 1992 […]

Black rhinos to come back home to Rwanda

by Cyril BELAUD Agence France-Presse KIGALI, Rwanda – Around 20 of Africa’s endangered Eastern black rhinos are returning in an “extraordinary homecoming” to Rwanda after the species disappeared there 10 years ago, the African Parks organisation said Tuesday. The rhinos are being moved from South Africa to the Akagera national park in eastern Rwanda, according to the non-profit group that manages protected areas for African governments. “This extraordinary homecoming will take place over the first […]

SpaceX makes first US military launch, then lands rocket again

by Kerry Sheridan Agence France Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX on Monday blasted off a secretive United States government payload, known only as NROL-76, marking the first military launch for the California-based aerospace company headed by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk. The payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which makes and operates spy satellites for the US, soared into the sky atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:15 am (1115 GMT). About 10 minutes after […]

More exercise for kids could save US billions on health: study

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Increasing the number of young children who exercise for just under a half hour a few times a week could save tens of billions in medical costs over their lifetimes, researchers said Monday. Currently, just 32 percent of United States children aged eight to 11 get enough exercise, said the report in the journal Health Affairs. The minimum guideline of 25 minutes a day, three days a week, was established […]

Humanoid robot aims to be affordable home help

GENOA, Italy (Reuters) — Roboticists from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) are developing a new type of automaton to help out around the home; one that will cost the equivalent of a small car. Demand for service robots is expected to accelerate in the next three years as robots – already used to perform tasks such as assisting medical surgery, milking cows or moving objects around warehouses – become more popular for domestic and […]

Smoking weakens a gene that protects arteries: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — People who smoke cigarettes may boost their risk of clogged heart arteries by weakening a gene that is otherwise protective of these important blood vessels, United States researchers said Monday. The findings point to a genetic explanation for how smoking can lead to the plaque buildup that stiffens arteries and causes heart disease, said the report in the journal Circulation. “This has been one of the first big steps towards solving […]

Scientists storing solar energy for future use

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) — A research team in Sweden is developing a new concept which will allow people to capture, store and release solar energy whenever they want. Solar energy storage has proved incredibly challenging, but a team from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg is trying to use artificial molecules to overcome this limitation. The group has shown that it is possible to convert solar energy directly into energy stored in the bonds of […]