Sci-Tech

Open SESAME: science center inaugurated in Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) – Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday formally launched an international research center whose members include experts from around the world including arch-rivals Iran and Israel. The International Center for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, known by the acronym SESAME, “is the first research center of its kind in the region,” said the royal court. SESAME council president Chris Llewellyn Smith said the center, located in Balqa […]

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SpaceX launches Inmarsat communications satellite

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX on Monday launched a communications satellite for Inmarsat, marking its first launch for the London-based mobile broadband company. The Inmarsat-5 F4 satellite, built by Boeing, blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 7:21 pm (2321 GMT). “We’ve had confirmation of spacecraft separation,” said a SpaceX commentator about 30 minutes after launch, signaling that the satellite was successfully deployed to a distant, geostationary orbit. “We’ve […]

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Astronaut’s helmet-cam captures space views

Reuters — The National Aeronautics Space Administration has released an action camera video shot by astronauts on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough conducted a seven-hour space walk on March 30 recording their work outside the ISS on their helmet-cams. The video shows the astronauts reconnecting wires and installing covers and shields on one of the three Pressurized Mating Adapters on the ISS used for dockings, the […]

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Microsoft says cyberattack should be wake up call for governments

Washington, UNITED STATES (AFP) — Microsoft warned governments Sunday against storing computer vulnerabilities like the leaked one at the heart of the cyberattack that has crippled computers in more than 150 countries. “The governments of the world should treat this attack as a wake up call,” Microsoft’s president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, wrote in a blog post about what is being called the largest ransomware attack ever. He warned of the danger of exploits […]

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Researcher finds ‘kill switch’ for cyberattack ransomware

by Kate Bartlett Agence France-Presse HONGKONG, China (AFP) – A cybersecurity researcher appears to have discovered a “kill switch” that can prevent the spread of the WannaCry ransomware — for now — that has caused the cyberattacks wreaking havoc globally, they told AFP Saturday. The researcher, tweeting as @MalwareTechBlog, said the discovery was accidental, but that registering a domain name used by the malware stops it from spreading. “Essentially they relied on a domain not […]

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Smart glove could help measure muscle stiffness

CALIFORNIA, United States (AFP) — Mike Crossley was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that has among its symptoms muscle stiffness. Doctors assess the degree of his muscle stiffness using touch and feel during physical exams, grading it on a subjective rating scale they use to decide on medications and therapies. The problem, according to Dr Andrew Skalsky, director of the division of Rehabilitation Medicine at Rady Children’s Hospital, is that the scale often […]

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Fluorescent sorting could light up recycling rates

LONDON, United Kingdom (Reuters) — British-based scientists behind a new technique that adds luminescent markers to plastic packaging labels say it will lead to marked improvements in recycling rates, if applied across the industry. Researchers at Brunel University London and their industry partners Nextek say their new technology is an inexpensive solution to low plastic container recycling rates because it can be retrofitted to existing sorting systems. The marker will only cost an additional £1 […]

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Facebook takes aim at ‘low quality’ websites

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Wednesday it was making changes designed to keep its users from linking to “low-quality” websites, part of an effort to fight spam and misinformation. The world’s biggest social network said it is updating its ranking algorithm with the help of artificial intelligence so users would see fewer posts “that link to these low-quality web page experiences.” “With this update, we reviewed hundreds of thousands of web pages linked […]

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The virtual doctor will see you now

Reuters — Virtual doctors could bring health information to patients’ smartphones with a new app being developed at the University of Southern California’s Center for Body Computing. The DocOn app aims to create avatars of medical experts and allow their patients to ask them questions about conditions and treatment, instead of watching videos or searching for information online. Dr. Leslie Saxon, a cardiologist and the executive director of the Center for Body Computing, hopes the […]

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Scientists create ‘DIY acoustic kit’

FALMER, United Kingdom (AFP) — A super material made of tiny 3D-printed bricks will allow people to create their own acoustics by diffracting, scattering and refracting sounds, using their own do-it-yourself kit, say British-based researchers. Scientists at the universities of Sussex and Bristol created 3D printed metamaterial bricks which bend, shape and focus sound waves that pass through it. Each individual brick works by slowing down the sound through a series of flaps that coils […]

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The art of filmmaking

Making a film is a test of talent, team spirit, and requires a lot of patience! The videographic is about making movies, from script to screen. AFP-VIDEOGRAPHIC https://youtu.be/DFxj470xJNQ

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Underground tunnels fight traffic in Elon Musk’s new venture

Reuters — An Elon Musk founded venture called The Boring Company has uploaded a video showing an innovative underground car tunneling system to beat traffic. The animation published on April 28 illustrates a prototype for the idea, showing cars being taken underground via slots that transport them across extensive tunnel networks at speeds of 200km/h. Musk sent out a tweet on December 17, 2016, that reads: “Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build […]

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