Switched http://www.switched.com Switched http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Switched http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[PEW PEW! U.S. Navy Fires Lasers at Sea]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/04/11/pew-pew-u-s-navy-fires-lasers-at-sea/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/11/pew-pew-u-s-navy-fires-lasers-at-sea/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/11/pew-pew-u-s-navy-fires-lasers-at-sea/#commentsGood news, everyone! The future is finally here, and we'll soon leave bullets behind for a much sexier laser alternative, filled with "PEW PEW" and plenty of cat-shaped guns. The U.S. Navy successfully fired a high-energy laser at another boat, continuing its research into using lasers to blind or disable smaller vessels. The BBC has video but no sound, so you'll have to improvise the "BEYOO! BEYOO!" on your own.

SwitchedPEW PEW! U.S. Navy Fires Lasers at Sea originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lasersmilitaryMilitaryTechsciencetopUsNavyUsNavyLasersMon, 11 Apr 2011 12:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Richard Branson to Penetrate Ocean's Depths With 'Virgin Oceanic' Mission]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/04/06/richard-branson-virgin-oceanic-dive-deep/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/06/richard-branson-virgin-oceanic-dive-deep/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/06/richard-branson-virgin-oceanic-dive-deep/#comments

After unveiling his 'Necker Nymph' submersible last year, Richard Branson is taking his underwater adventures to the next level, with 'Virgin Oceanic' -- an initiative to explore the deepest parts of the world's oceans.

Over the next two years, Branson hopes to penetrate the deepest points of the world's five oceans with a fleet of high-tech toys, including a one-manned submarine and a 125-foot catamaran, which will serve as the sub's mothership. Chris Welsh will pilot the first dive into the Mariana Trench, later this year, with Branson slated to take the helm during the sub's second mission, to the Puerto Rico Trench.

If all goes to plan, the team should break some world records, and do some scientific research along the way.

SwitchedRichard Branson to Penetrate Ocean's Depths With 'Virgin Oceanic' Mission originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>explorationoceanRichardBransonsciencesubmarinetopunderwatervirginVirginOceanicWed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Urdu Translation Software Understands Nuance]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/04/05/rohini-srihari-urdu-translation-app-understands-nuance/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/05/rohini-srihari-urdu-translation-app-understands-nuance/http://www.switched.com/2011/04/05/rohini-srihari-urdu-translation-app-understands-nuance/#comments urdu translator A computer scientist at the University of Buffalo has developed a new program capable of taking automated translation beyond the literal.

Rohini Srihari began working on her software in the hopes of improving computerized translations of Urdu -- a linguistic blend of Hindi and Persian that is widely spoken in Pakistan, and by many Muslims in India. Urdu is a particularly difficult language for computers to translate because its grammar is so different from most Western languages, and its Arabic script can connote important subtleties in meaning. As a result, most digital translations of Urdu remain comparatively basic and literal -- something that Srihari wanted to change.

Continue reading Urdu Translation Software Understands Nuance

SwitchedUrdu Translation Software Understands Nuance originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arabichistorylanguageMiddleEastpakistanpoliticsRohiniSrihariscienceSocialNetworkingtoptranslationtwitterurduWebTue, 05 Apr 2011 17:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Laser Implants May One Day Restore Hearing to the Deaf]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/31/lasers-implants-may-one-day-restore-hearing-to-the-deaf/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/31/lasers-implants-may-one-day-restore-hearing-to-the-deaf/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/31/lasers-implants-may-one-day-restore-hearing-to-the-deaf/#comments Richard Rabbit Scientists at the University of Utah led by researcher Richard Rabbitt, have found a way to stimulate inner ear cells with infrared laser light. Using low-powered optical signals, the researchers triggered the inner ear hair cells of an oyster toadfish to send signals to its brain, raising the possibility of using the technology to restore hearing to the deaf. Rabbitt believes the cells released neurotransmitters because the mitochondria they contain are sensitive to infrared wavelengths. Current hearing implants rely on electrodes that use electrical simulation, but only deliver a limited range of frequencies (usually eight). By contrast, the human ear is capable of hearing over 3,000 frequencies, and Rabbitt believes that optical stimulation, which can be focused on narrow sets of cells and tuned to different wavelengths, could restore the full range of hearing to patients.

Rabbitt said the research is at least five to ten years away from implementation in a viable optical cochlear implant. To be practical, the size of the power supply and light source would have to be dramatically reduced, and power consumption would also have to be minimized to run on tiny batteries similar to those used in hearing aids. The research also has potential for treating vision impairment, balance problems and movement disorders like Parkinson's. The team also developed an infrared laser-based pacemaker, but current electrical pacemakers work well enough that no one is clamoring for a laser-powered replacement.

SwitchedLaser Implants May One Day Restore Hearing to the Deaf originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>deaflaserlasersmedicinerichard rabbittRichardRabbittsciencetopUniversityOfUtahThu, 31 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Electric Wands May Snuff Out Fires, But More 'Star Wars' Than 'Harry Potter']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/electric-wands-may-snuff-out-fires-but-more-star-wars-than-h/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/electric-wands-may-snuff-out-fires-but-more-star-wars-than-h/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/29/electric-wands-may-snuff-out-fires-but-more-star-wars-than-h/#commentsAguamenti! Firefighters, it appears, may be invoking wand-like magic in order to put out the flames. (Sadly, 'Harry Potter' incantations won't be needed.) Ludovico Cademartiri, a Harvard University physicist, will be unveiling an electrical solution to extinguishing the fires of the future. Employing large electric fields to disrupt a fire may help to eliminate blazes more quickly, and will prevent the sort of damage caused by foam and water. By attaching a wand-like controller to the end of an electrical amplifier, Cademartiri has been able to put out a flame nearly a foot high. Just think: firefighters may no longer need hoses and hydrants. And they'll have wands, which is pretty rad too.

(Geek note: Wouldn't this be a bit more like Force lightning than a Harry Potter spell? Just sayin'.)

SwitchedElectric Wands May Snuff Out Fires, But More 'Star Wars' Than 'Harry Potter' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electricityFireFightingForceLightningHarryPotterharvardsciencetopTue, 29 Mar 2011 15:50:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. Military to Roll Out Palm-Sized Bullet Detectors]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/u-s-military-individual-gunshot-detectors/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/u-s-military-individual-gunshot-detectors/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/17/u-s-military-individual-gunshot-detectors/#commentsA high-tech form of miniaturized radar capable of detecting incoming fire will be added to some soldiers' arsenals starting later this month. The Army just announced plans to ship 13,000 of the card-deck-sized Individual Gunshot Detectors to troops in Afghanistan.

Four sensors detect soundwaves emitted by distant gunfire, while a monitor transmits information on its origins to the soldier. Developed by QinetiQ (the guys behind some badass war tech), the detectors will be spread among ground units, improving their ability to address enemy fire.

SwitchedU.S. Military to Roll Out Palm-Sized Bullet Detectors originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>afghanistanarmydefenseindividual gunshot detectorsIndividualGunshotDetectorsmilitaryqinetiqsciencetopwarweaponryweaponsThu, 17 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Math is Hard: TSA Botched Radiation Levels on Body Scanners]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/tsa-math-error-airport-body-scanners/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/tsa-math-error-airport-body-scanners/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/16/tsa-math-error-airport-body-scanners/#comments airport body scanner The TSA says it will be re-testing hundreds of airport body scanners after its last round of tests found radiation levels 10 times higher than expected -- a number the agency chalked up to a calculation error.

"We understand it as a calculation error," TSA spokesman Sarah Horowitz told Wired, before explaining how difficult it can be to remember to divide by the number of units tested. The TSA claims that the error came about when technicians -- who typically test the radiation output of a machine 10 times in a row -- forgot to divide the total output by 10.

Continue reading Math is Hard: TSA Botched Radiation Levels on Body Scanners

SwitchedMath is Hard: TSA Botched Radiation Levels on Body Scanners originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airportBodyScannersMathIsHardMillimeterWavenewsmainprivacysciencetoptransportationtransportation security administrationTransportationSecurityAdministrationtraveltsaWed, 16 Mar 2011 12:35:00 EST<![CDATA[New Endoscopic Camera Is Disposable, Remarkably Tiny]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/11/rice-sized-endoscopic-camera-is-disposable/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/11/rice-sized-endoscopic-camera-is-disposable/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/11/rice-sized-endoscopic-camera-is-disposable/#comments endoscopy camera Researchers in Germany have developed a new endoscopic camera that's cheap enough to be thrown away after each use, and small enough to see eye-to-eye with a grain of rice.

Designed at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration, the prototype's camera is just one cubic millimeter in size, and features a resolution of 62,500 pixels. But researchers say it's still strong enough to capture vivid images of a patient's internal organs, and transmit them via an electrical cable, rather than the optical cable that most endoscopic cameras use.

Continue reading New Endoscopic Camera Is Disposable, Remarkably Tiny

SwitchedNew Endoscopic Camera Is Disposable, Remarkably Tiny originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camerasDisposableendoscopeendoscopic cameraEndoscopicCameragermanymedicineresearchsciencesurgerytopFri, 11 Mar 2011 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers Develop Technique to Identify Anonymous E-Mail Authors]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/researchers-identify-anonymous-email-authors/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/researchers-identify-anonymous-email-authors/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/researchers-identify-anonymous-email-authors/#commentsIP addresses may help identify the source of anonymous and malicious e-mails, but they can only tell authorities where the message originated, without providing many details on the individual who authored them. Using some pretty innovative analytics, researchers at Concordia University have just come up with a new technique that could help investigators determine the precise identity of these rogue agents.

Led by Prof. Benjamin Fung, the team developed a method based on pattern identification techniques used in speech recognition and data mining. The first step involves analyzing a suspect's e-mails by identifying patterns in other messages that he or she has sent. Once these patterns are identified, investigators can filter any trends that appear in e-mails sent by other suspects.

Continue reading Researchers Develop Technique to Identify Anonymous E-Mail Authors

SwitchedResearchers Develop Technique to Identify Anonymous E-Mail Authors originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>analysisauthorbenjamin fungBenjaminFungconcordia universityConcordiaUniversitycourtcybercrimedataemailidentitylawresearchsciencesecuritytopWebWed, 09 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hell Yeah, Liquid Nitrogen! Eco-Friendly Swedes Will Shatter Your Frozen Corpse 'Terminator'-Style]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/promessa-freezes-corpses-shatters-them-with-sound/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/promessa-freezes-corpses-shatters-them-with-sound/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/09/promessa-freezes-corpses-shatters-them-with-sound/#comments T-1000 getting shattered Um, amazing? Promessa is a Swedish company that will freeze your dead body to -18 degrees Celsius, dip it in liquid nitrogen, and then shatter it with sound waves. The resulting "organic powder" is then "introduced into a vacuum chamber where the water is evaporated away," before being sealed in a coffin made from biodegradable cornstarch. So call your power of attorney, hightail it to the Scandinavian Peninsula and get pulverized like the T-1000, so that your powdered remains can provide nourishment for organic lingonberries and MALM headboards, or whatever they grow in Sweden.

SwitchedHell Yeah, Liquid Nitrogen! Eco-Friendly Swedes Will Shatter Your Frozen Corpse 'Terminator'-Style originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>funeralsgreenlingonberriesliquid nitrogenLiquidNitrogenpromessascienceswedenterminator 2Terminator2topWed, 09 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Study: The Most Effective Virtual Teachers Tailor to Your Feedback Style]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/03/07/study-the-most-effective-virtual-teachers-tailor-to-your-feedba/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/07/study-the-most-effective-virtual-teachers-tailor-to-your-feedba/http://www.switched.com/2011/03/07/study-the-most-effective-virtual-teachers-tailor-to-your-feedba/#commentsHere's a shocker: when dealing with a virtual instructor, people prefer an avatar that looks and acts like them. A collaborative study between George Washington University and North Carolina State found that participants reacted more positively to virtual instructors who were the same gender and ethnicity as themselves. Oddly, they found that these factors alone did not improve responses. Gender had no noticeable effect on its own, and the being presented with an avatar of the same ethnicity alone actually made responses from participants worse. It was only when both factors were combined that participant engagement improved, though the effect was relatively small. The more important factor, though, was how the virtual avatars measured progress. Researchers found that the most effective virtual instructors were those that customized their feedback style to a student's preferences (e.g. being measured against her own progress or against other students).

SwitchedStudy: The Most Effective Virtual Teachers Tailor to Your Feedback Style originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatarseducationsciencetopvirtual instructorVirtualInstructorMon, 07 Mar 2011 08:52:00 EST<![CDATA[$200 Scanner Detects Cancer Cells, Diagnoses With iPhone App]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/cancer-scanner-costs-200-diagnoses-via-iphone/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/cancer-scanner-costs-200-diagnoses-via-iphone/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/cancer-scanner-costs-200-diagnoses-via-iphone/#comments cancer scanner Researchers at Harvard University and MIT have developed a handheld scanner that can detect potential cancer cells and diagnose them with an iPhone app -- all in about an hour. According to Physorg, the scanner uses antibodies and magnetic particles to identify suspicious lumps. But rather than biopsy the entire mass, the scanner, which costs just $200 to create, extracts cells from all over the mass using a small needle. The device can then be connected to an iPhone, and an app will diagnose the sampled cells in an hour or less. In Dr. Ralph Weissleder's trial of 50 patients, the scanner provided an accurate diagnosis 96-percent of the time. A typical diagnosis, which involves a painful biopsy and a few days of waiting for lab results, is only accurate 84-percent of the time.

Switched$200 Scanner Detects Cancer Cells, Diagnoses With iPhone App originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ApplecancerCancerResearchhealthhospitaliosiphonemedicalRalph WeisslederRalphWeisslederresearchsciencesmartphonetopMon, 28 Feb 2011 16:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Goes Medieval With Trebuchet Competition]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/google-storm-the-citadel-trebuchet-competition/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/google-storm-the-citadel-trebuchet-competition/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/28/google-storm-the-citadel-trebuchet-competition/#comments Trebuchet Science and wanton destruction go together like peas and carrots. Just ask the Myth Busters. The guys and gals at Google got together with The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina, to organize the "Storm The Citadel Trebuchet Competition." The event puts engineering, math and science knowledge to work building medieval weapons of mass destruction. Nineteen teams, 13 of them culled from area high schools, converged on the college's parade grounds to hurl oranges at a model of the school. Google had its own, much larger demo unit on hand, too, flinging squash, bags of flour and watermelons with the aid of an Android phone connected to the trebuchet over Bluetooth.

Eric Wages, operations manager at Google, told the Post and Courier, "What you want to do is make sure that kids understand that this kind of science is cool." The competition wasn't just about smashing stuff (though that certainly was part of the appeal), but rather about solving problems as a team, exploring the effects that variables have on results, and learning physics and engineering through real-world examples. The event was also a joint effort by Google and the Citadel to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs in schools, fields in which American students have fallen behind other nations. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Google Goes Medieval With Trebuchet Competition

SwitchedGoogle Goes Medieval With Trebuchet Competition originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgooglesciencestemStormTheCitadelTrebuchetCompetitionTheCitadeltoptrebuchetweaponsMon, 28 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Study: Cell Phones Can Speed Up Brain Activity, Long-Term Effects Remain Unclear]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/23/cell-phone-use-speeds-up-brain-activity-study/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/23/cell-phone-use-speeds-up-brain-activity-study/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/23/cell-phone-use-speeds-up-brain-activity-study/#commentsA new study from the National Institutes of Health suggests that using cell phones can change the way our brains behave, though it remains unclear whether these changes can be harmful.

The study, published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that just 50 minutes of cell phone use can noticeably speed up brain activity in the region closest to the phone's antenna. While overall brain metabolism didn't change when exposed to wireless radiation, activity in the area next to the antenna spiked by 7-percent. Dr. Nora Volkow, who led the study, told Reuters that the findings are significant because they demonstrate that even weak radiation from cell phones can alter the brain's metabolism. But she added that it's still too early to tell whether or not cell phones pose a tangible neurological risk, emphasizing that the results do "not in any way indicate that" cell phones can cause cancer.

Continue reading Study: Cell Phones Can Speed Up Brain Activity, Long-Term Effects Remain Unclear

SwitchedStudy: Cell Phones Can Speed Up Brain Activity, Long-Term Effects Remain Unclear originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>braincancercellphonesCellPhonesAndCancerelectromagnetichealthmetabolismradiationresearchsciencestudytopWed, 23 Feb 2011 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Robotic Snake Slithers in for Surgery Through a Hole in Your Chest]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/cardio-arm-robotic-snake-helps-heart-surgery/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/cardio-arm-robotic-snake-helps-heart-surgery/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/22/cardio-arm-robotic-snake-helps-heart-surgery/#commentsHaving a snake burrow its way through your chest doesn't sound like a terribly enjoyable experience, but that's exactly what the Cardio Arm is designed to do to patients undergoing heart surgery.

Created by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the Cardio Arm is a snake-like robot capable of entering a patient's chest through a three-quarter inch incision in the solar plexus. The snake and all of its 102 joints can be controlled with a joystick, while a camera attached to its head allows a surgeon to see where it's headed.

Continue reading Robotic Snake Slithers in for Surgery Through a Hole in Your Chest

SwitchedRobotic Snake Slithers in for Surgery Through a Hole in Your Chest originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biotechcardioCardioArmdoctorhealthheartmedicineRobotssciencesnakesurgerytopTue, 22 Feb 2011 09:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Watson Thrashes Human Meatbags, Andy Richter Gets Revenge]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/watson-thrashes-humans-on-jeopardy-andy-richter-revenge/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/watson-thrashes-humans-on-jeopardy-andy-richter-revenge/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/17/watson-thrashes-humans-on-jeopardy-andy-richter-revenge/#comments Watson and Ken JenningsLast night saw the final round of competition between Watson, the 'Jeopardy'-playing supercomputer, and the two contestants selected to represent all mankind. Our delegates performed admirably, but, at the end of the day, that bundle of neurons we call the human brain simply couldn't stand up to that room full of servers and the avatar with 42 "thought threads" (a nod to the greatest book ever written). The depth of Watson's knowledge was impressive, but its ability to decipher natural language, (such as the clues' puns and riddles) was even more astounding. The questions aren't impossible. (Though we'd hardly go as far as to say a high schooler with Wikipedia access could ace them, as Paul Miller at Engadget suggests.) 'Jeopardy' is tough because of the clues' syntax and multi-layered references, which can't be answered by simply typing them into Google. The ability to analyze human language beyond simple fact-based queries is an astounding accomplishment for a machine, and the engineers at IBM should be proud of that alone. Trouncing the two greatest champions in 'Jeopardy' history is just a bonus. (The final scores weren't even close, with Ken Jennings placing second with $24,000 to Watson's $77,147.)
The longest running Jeopardy champ later wrote a piece for Slate describing his face-off with Watson. Jennings notes, "Playing against Watson turned out to be a lot like any other Jeopardy! game." He even points out that Watson has a lot in common with other 'Jeopardy' champs: "It's very smart, very fast, speaks in an uneven monotone, and has never known the touch of a woman." But Watson does have an advantage in that it "cannot be intimidated... [and] never gets cocky or discouraged." In the end, Jennings decided "there's no shame in losing to silicon." But if you're feeling a little less conciliatory, check out the pair of videos after the break, in which Andy Richter exacts some revenge on the future master of mankind. Hell hath no wrath like a talkshow sidekick scorned.

Continue reading Watson Thrashes Human Meatbags, Andy Richter Gets Revenge

SwitchedWatson Thrashes Human Meatbags, Andy Richter Gets Revenge originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AndyRichterconangamingibmjeopardyjeopardy+watsonjeopardywatsonKenJenningsmediasciencetoptvwatsonwatson+jeopardywatson+on+jeopardywatsonjeopardywatsononjeopardyThu, 17 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hi-Tech, Auto-Focus Eyeglasses Appearing in Stores This Spring]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/16/hi-tech-auto-focus-eyeglasses-appearing-in-stores-this-spring/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/16/hi-tech-auto-focus-eyeglasses-appearing-in-stores-this-spring/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/16/hi-tech-auto-focus-eyeglasses-appearing-in-stores-this-spring/#commentsemPower glasses While much of the tech world's attention to eyewear has focused on creating non-dorky 3-D glasses, Dr. Ronald Blum has been developing an astounding -- and potentially revolutionary -- set of hi-tech specs. Now, after more than a decade of research and advancement, Dr. Blum's PixelOptics firm appears set to release emPower, "the world's first electronic focusing eyewear."

These loaded, enhanced bifocals house microchips, accelerometers and rechargeable batteries. The emPower's lenses feature liquid crystal displays that enable effortless perspective shifts, merely by touching the side of the frame. According to the New York Times, that simple touch triggers an electronic current that "changes the orientation of molecules in the crystals," which appropriately alters how the lenses refract light. The embedded accelerometers can even automatically activate the lenses' "reading power" based on certain movements, such as looking down at a book.

Continue reading Hi-Tech, Auto-Focus Eyeglasses Appearing in Stores This Spring

SwitchedHi-Tech, Auto-Focus Eyeglasses Appearing in Stores This Spring originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AutoFocusempowerPixelOpticsPixelopticsEmpowersciencetopwearablesWed, 16 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Artificial Retina Allows Some Blind Patients to See Text, Shapes]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/artificial-retina-allows-some-blind-patients-to-see-text-shapes/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/artificial-retina-allows-some-blind-patients-to-see-text-shapes/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/artificial-retina-allows-some-blind-patients-to-see-text-shapes/#commentsAn artificial retina designed to help some blind people regain their sight has already paid dividends for a few patients.

Developed by the U.S. company Second Sight, the Argus II is an implant that can be surgically inserted into a patient's eye. A small camera attached to the patient's glasses captures images, and transmits them to a small wireless computer. The computer processes the images, converts them into an electronic signal, and sends the signal to the retina implant. From there, it's up to the patient to decode the visual information, which is translated into patterns of light that outline a given object. An image of a triangle, for example, will be translated as three dots of light.

Continue reading Artificial Retina Allows Some Blind Patients to See Text, Shapes

SwitchedArtificial Retina Allows Some Blind Patients to See Text, Shapes originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ArtificialImplantblindeyesfdamedicineresearchretinaRetinaImplantscienceSecondSightsighttopTue, 15 Feb 2011 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Motion Gaming May Lift Spirits, Restore Self-Worth for Senior Citizens]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/wii-move-kinect-may-help-senior-citizens/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/wii-move-kinect-may-help-senior-citizens/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/15/wii-move-kinect-may-help-senior-citizens/#commentsScientists have already discovered a variety of health benefits that video games offer to elderly gamers, including heightened mental acuity and vision restoration. After performing a 10-week observational study, Dr. Patricia Kahlbaugh of Southern Connecticut State University now believes that motion control gaming alleviates other afflictions that commonly plague senior citizens, including feelings of depression, isolation and irrelevance.

Kahlbaugh initially selected 36 participants (with an average age of 82) from various retirement communities in New Haven County, Connecticut. Of those test subjects, 16 played the Nintendo Wii for one hour every week with one of Kahlbaugh's students. (Now that's fieldwork.) Another group, with 12 participants, spent that weekly hour merely watching television with a different student observer.

Continue reading Motion Gaming May Lift Spirits, Restore Self-Worth for Senior Citizens

SwitchedMotion Gaming May Lift Spirits, Restore Self-Worth for Senior Citizens originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>elderlygamingkinectmicrosoft kinectMicrosoftKinectMotionControlGamingMotionControllermovenintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiisciencesony moveSonyMovestudytopwiiTue, 15 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists Build a Fake Twitter to Predict Twitter Activity]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/07/social-network-write-generator-predicts-twitter/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/07/social-network-write-generator-predicts-twitter/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/07/social-network-write-generator-predicts-twitter/#commentstwitter graphs Various scientists believe Twitter possesses significant benefits as a predictive tool for cultural events. Researchers already analyze overall Twitter use in order to forecast and gauge various financial scenarios, including stock market activity and the potential box office success of movies. A group of analysts with Telefonica Research now believe they could predict potential Twitter activity with a virtual Twitter called the Social Network Write Generator (SONG).

According to Technology Review, the group hopes to "use the virtual Twitterverse to create massive datasets that researchers can then use to study how various scenarios might play out in the real world." To generate the data sets, the researchers used 16 connected Pentium class machines over a ten day period to simulate "a virtual network of synthetic tweeters." The group believes its virtual network can conceivably facilitate Twitter analysis, simply because of the massive, overwhelming activity on the real site. The analysis could aid advertising firms, website creators and other businesses that hope to predict the future market success of their services and campaigns.

For folks who'd like to read the published report (and for those who actually understand statistical terms like "diurnal variations"), it can be found at Cornell University's online library.

SwitchedScientists Build a Fake Twitter to Predict Twitter Activity originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>sciencesocial network write generatorSocialNetworkWriteGeneratorSONGtelefonicatoptwitterTwitterAnalyticsMon, 07 Feb 2011 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Archaeologist May Have Found Over a Thousand Tombs with Google Earth]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/05/david-kennedy-used-google-earth-find-tombs/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/05/david-kennedy-used-google-earth-find-tombs/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/05/david-kennedy-used-google-earth-find-tombs/#commentsphoto of potential archaelogical site With the aid of revolutionary technology, archaeologists continue to expose exciting historical discoveries. According to The New Scientist, University of Western Australia professor David Kennedy has utilized Google Earth in hopes of identifying archaeological sites, and he just may have stumbled across nearly two thousand potentially significant locations.

Using the satellite software from Perth, Kennedy analyzed approximately 500 square miles of the Arabian Peninsula and pinpointed 1,977 specific areas of interest, with 1,082 representing what he believes may be ancient "pendant" tombs. An associate within Saudi Arabia photographed two of the sites from the ground, and then Kennedy compared the resulting images to similar tombs in Jordan. Further site analysis is still needed from actual diggers, though, because Kennedy asserts that, "Just from Google Earth it's impossible to know whether we have found a Bedouin structure that was made 150 years ago or 10,000 years ago."

Archaeologists have utilized satellite imagery for years, but Google makes the practice universally and easily available. Coupled with the fact Google is publishing the Dead Sea scrolls for public consumption for the first time, a search engine may have shockingly eclipsed the standard, ancient trowel as an archaeologist's most significant tool.

SwitchedArchaeologist May Have Found Over a Thousand Tombs with Google Earth originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>archaeologygooglegoogle earthGoogleEarthsciencetopuniversity of western australiaUniversityOfWesternAustraliaSat, 05 Feb 2011 09:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Statistics Prove Lottery Isn't a Game of Chance at All]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/mohan-srivastava-cracks-lottery/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/mohan-srivastava-cracks-lottery/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/03/mohan-srivastava-cracks-lottery/#commentsThe lottery's appeal stems from the fact that anyone could be a winner; it is a game of chance. But Canadian statistician Mohan Srivastava, who has degrees from MIT and Stanford, has realized one completely "duh" factor. In order to receive scratch-off lottery tickets, a machine must first print the numbers, over which the latex is pasted. "It would be really nice if the computer could just spit out random digits," Srivastava told Fox News. "But that's not possible, since the lottery corporation needs to control the number of winning tickets. The game can't be truly random." Anything that can't truly be random, he concluded, can be hacked using statistics and laws of probability.

What he discovered was pretty simple: he looked for numbers that never repeated, increasing the likelihood that they'd appear underneath the scratch off. He was right, and his trick netted him winnings nearly 90-percent of the time. Since Srivastava wasn't interested in making money or ripping off the lottery, he duly reported his findings to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which promptly pulled the flawed game.

Continue reading Statistics Prove Lottery Isn't a Game of Chance at All

SwitchedStatistics Prove Lottery Isn't a Game of Chance at All originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chancelotteryLotteryTicketmathprobabilitysciencestatisticstopThu, 03 Feb 2011 15:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Laser Wand Scans Molecules for Melanoma Within Seconds]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/laser-wand-scans-molecules-for-melanoma-within-seconds/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/laser-wand-scans-molecules-for-melanoma-within-seconds/http://www.switched.com/2011/02/02/laser-wand-scans-molecules-for-melanoma-within-seconds/#commentsverisante auraDetecting potential skin cancer cells is an inexact process that depends on a doctor identifying a suspicious mole before waiting a few weeks for the biopsy results to come back from a lab. But according to Technology Review, scientists at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BBCA) have developed a handheld wand that could help doctors instantly identify melanoma by scanning the molecular makeup of a mole. Dubbed the Verisante Aura, the device uses Raman spectroscopy to scan for molecules that are characteristic of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. The doctor holds the wand over the suspicious mole, and the Aura blasts laser light onto the molecules, thus changing their vibrational state. The light is then reflected back at different angles and magnitudes depending on the molecules. Within seconds, the device compares the scan to a database of skin cancer molecules. The results help doctors more accurately determine whether or not a biopsy is necessary.

SwitchedLaser Wand Scans Molecules for Melanoma Within Seconds originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biotechhealthLaserWandmedicalmedicinemelanomaresearchscienceskinSkinCancertopVerisanteAuraWed, 02 Feb 2011 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Auburn Developing Hi-Tech, Remote Doggie Guidance System]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/22/remote-control-dog-guidance-system/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/22/remote-control-dog-guidance-system/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/22/remote-control-dog-guidance-system/#commentsauburn university dog harness Auburn University's Canine Detection Research Institute (CDRI) endeavors "to develop and innovate unique and novel applications for detection dogs." Well, the renowned Institute's new high-tech harness certainly seems to adhere to that innovative standard. The CDRI, whose furry bomb-sniffers and drug-detectors have been drafted by government and military organizations, reportedly equipped the harness with a variety of advanced guidance features.

According to Gizmodo, the device houses "GPS sensors, a processor and a wireless radio," so that human handlers can safely guide the dogs from a remote location. The handler conceivably commands the detection-dog via auditory tones, and steers it by triggering vibrations on the sides of the harness's "backpack." Initial tests apparently generated positive results, as subject "Major" responded to commands with an 80-percent accuracy rating.

Continue reading Auburn Developing Hi-Tech, Remote Doggie Guidance System

SwitchedAuburn Developing Hi-Tech, Remote Doggie Guidance System originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>animalsAuburnUniversityBombDogdogsPaulWaggonerRescueDogsciencetopSat, 22 Jan 2011 11:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect Hack Helps With Robotic Surgeries]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/21/kinect-hack-helps-with-robotic-surgeries/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/21/kinect-hack-helps-with-robotic-surgeries/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/21/kinect-hack-helps-with-robotic-surgeries/#commentsKinect assists with robotic surgeries. While surgical robots are much more precise than clunky human hands, the surgeons who use these devices aren't able to guide the 'bots with their natural sense of touch, and this can make it easier to bump into a delicate organ or artery. In response to this problem, some graduate engineering students at the University of Washington recently developed an Xbox 360 Kinect hack, which uses the hardware to create 3-D maps of the body's interior and to provide force feedback to surgeons. Aside from rumbling, the joystick will actually lock up in certain instances when a surgeon nears an area that could hurt the patient, creating a so called "force field" around specific body parts.

Researchers say the Kinect is the perfect device for assisting in robotic surgeries, because it's already programmed to measure and map 3-D environments by using infrared light reflected off surfaces. And, most importantly, it costs only $150 -- pocket change in the medical device world. Fredrik Ryden, one of the students involved, said this project could have cost upwards of $50,000 without the Kinect.

Continue reading Kinect Hack Helps With Robotic Surgeries

SwitchedKinect Hack Helps With Robotic Surgeries originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>healthkinectkinect-hacksmedicalMicrosoftMicrosoftKinectresearchrobotsciencesurgerytopuniversity of washingtonUniversityOfWashingtonVideoGamesXbox-360Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers Use LCD Projectors to Control Worm Brains]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/20/lcd-projectors-control-worm-brains-georgia-tech/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/20/lcd-projectors-control-worm-brains-georgia-tech/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/20/lcd-projectors-control-worm-brains-georgia-tech/#commentsResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered a way to use modified LCD projectors to control the brains and muscles of small creatures such as worms -- provided they've been properly genetically modified. Using red, green and blue lights emitted by a projector, the researchers were able to activate light-sensitive proteins engineered within the subject organisms, triggering neurons to fire and muscles to contract. The experiments were fairly rudimentary; for example, a particular color of light projected on the rear of a tiny Caenorhabditis elegans worm compels it to move forward, and a different color of light on the head makes it turn in a specific direction. Until now, though, such light-based body control has required implanting optic fibers directly into an animal's brain. It's not clear whether the technique will scale to larger creatures (as the Caenorhabditis elegans had to be placed under a microscope for proper monitoring), so don't expect mind-controlling light arrays to start popping up on battlefields anytime soon.

Continue reading Researchers Use LCD Projectors to Control Worm Brains

SwitchedResearchers Use LCD Projectors to Control Worm Brains originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>braingeorgia techGeorgiaInstituteOfTechnologyGeorgiaTechlcdMindControlsciencetopWormBrainsThu, 20 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM's Watson Beats Humans in 'Jeopardy' Practice Round]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/ibm-watson-supercomputer-beats-humans-jeopardy-practice-round/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/ibm-watson-supercomputer-beats-humans-jeopardy-practice-round/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/14/ibm-watson-supercomputer-beats-humans-jeopardy-practice-round/#commentswatson vs. humans on jeopardy When 'Jeopardy' legends Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter face off against IBM's Watson supercomputer next month, they'll be going up against a machine that clearly knows a thing or two about... well, everything.

Yesterday, Watson went head-to-head in a practice 'Jeopardy' round against Jennings and Rutter -- the Ruth and Gehrig of televised trivia. Not surprisingly, all three contestants proved that they know more about everything than anyone else, and, between them, answered every single question correctly. Ultimately, though, Watson triumphed over its mortal competitors. The supercomputer won $4,400, while Jennings and Rutter piled up $3,400 and $1,200, respectively.

Continue reading IBM's Watson Beats Humans in 'Jeopardy' Practice Round

SwitchedIBM's Watson Beats Humans in 'Jeopardy' Practice Round originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlexTrebekArtificialIntelligenceBradRutterGameShowibmjeopardyJeopardyRobotKenJenningsscienceSuperComputertoptriviawatsonFri, 14 Jan 2011 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Cookie Monster Teaches the Scientific Method in Interactive YouTube Vid]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/cookie-monster-teaches-the-scientific-method-youtube/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/cookie-monster-teaches-the-scientific-method-youtube/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/cookie-monster-teaches-the-scientific-method-youtube/#commentsCookie Monster Teaches Science You can always count on 'Sesame Street' to teach our kids valuable lessons via TV, but now Cookie Monster has taken to YouTube to extend its educational reach. The show's first interactive YouTube vid teaches kids the basics of the scientific method, and asks them to guess whether objects will sink or float. It's not rocket science, but, remember, it's only 'Sesame Street.'

Continue reading Cookie Monster Teaches the Scientific Method in Interactive YouTube Vid

SwitchedCookie Monster Teaches the Scientific Method in Interactive YouTube Vid originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CookieMonstereducationalkidsscienceSesameStreettopyoutubeThu, 13 Jan 2011 15:23:00 EST<![CDATA['POND PONG' and 'PAC-mecium' Games Run on Living Organisms]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/biotic-video-games-pac-mecium-stanford/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/biotic-video-games-pac-mecium-stanford/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/biotic-video-games-pac-mecium-stanford/#comments Most video games offer some sort of escape from reality, but researchers at Stanford University are now working to inject actual life back into the gaming ecosystem -- one single-celled organism at a time.

As NBC Bay Area reports, the scientists recently developed a series of games involving microscopic organisms, which players must move around various obstacle courses. Thus far, the team has created four so-called "biotic games": 'PAC-mecium,' 'Biotic Pinball,' 'POND PONG,' 'Ciliball,' and 'PolymerRace.' In each game, players must move the organisms around a game board, which is superimposed over a live feed of the creatures. 'PAC-mecium,' for example, requires players to navigate paramecia across a 'Pac-Man'-like board by manipulating an electric field.

Continue reading 'POND PONG' and 'PAC-mecium' Games Run on Living Organisms

Switched'POND PONG' and 'PAC-mecium' Games Run on Living Organisms originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biologybiotechbioticeducationexperimentgamesgamingpac-mansciencestanfordtopVideoGamesThu, 13 Jan 2011 14:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Study: More Screen Time Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/screen-time-increases-heart-attack-stroke-death-risk/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/screen-time-increases-heart-attack-stroke-death-risk/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/13/screen-time-increases-heart-attack-stroke-death-risk/#commentscouch potato You can work out all you want, but if you spend a good part of the day sitting in front of a TV or computer screen, you could still be putting your health at serious risk.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people who spend more than four hours per day watching TV, surfing the Web or playing video games are 113-percent more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who spend less than two hours per day in front of a screen. Couch potatoes are also 50-percent more likely to die than their more active counterparts -- regardless of their age, gender, exercise routine, and whether or not they smoke.

Continue reading Study: More Screen Time Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death

SwitchedStudy: More Screen Time Increases Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, Death originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>computerdeathexercisehealthheart attackHeartAttackrisksciencescreenscreen timeScreenTimestroketoptvVideoGamesThu, 13 Jan 2011 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Earbuds Radiate the Blues Away With Light Beams to the Brain]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/valkee-earbuds-light-beams-brain/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/valkee-earbuds-light-beams-brain/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/valkee-earbuds-light-beams-brain/#comments
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In the midst of a particularly frigid and brutal winter, fighting the debilitating effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) grows increasingly difficult. A group of scientists believe a new device could eradicate that darkness-induced depression, though, by blasting the brain with a warm and comforting glow. Created by scientists from Finland's University of Oulu, the Valkee reportedly operates as a simple pair of earbuds. But, those headphones also emit penetrating light deep into the wearer's brain in order to "stimulate photo sensitive parts of the gray matter."

The device may seem somewhat ridiculous, but the researchers contend that nine of the original study's 10 participants experienced positive, uplifting results. Renowned tech authorities have reportedly attested to the Valkee's benefits, including Esther Dyson and former Nokia executive Anssi Vanjoki, and the device is also apparently available now. So, if those dark days of winter seem overpowering and unending, you no longer have to wait impatiently for other (furry and infuriatingly fickle) beacons of seasonal and emotional rebirth.

SwitchedEarbuds Radiate the Blues Away With Light Beams to the Brain originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>depressionearbudsEstherDysonhealthMentalHealthscienceSeasonalAffectiveDisordertopWinterBluesWed, 12 Jan 2011 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Human Brain Operates Like Facebook, Study Claims]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/human-brain-operates-like-facebook-study-claims/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/human-brain-operates-like-facebook-study-claims/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/12/human-brain-operates-like-facebook-study-claims/#comments
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Got Facebook on the brain? It could be because Facebook is your brain. Sort of.

That's what Carnegie Mellon neurology researcher Alison Barth claims in a new study published in the December 22nd issue of a journal called Neuron. As LiveScience explains, Barth and her team of researchers arrived at their conclusion after identifying and observing a small group of highly active neurons in the brain's cerebral cortex. Although these neurons were small in number, they were responsible for executing major brain functions, including "conscious thought, language and spatial reasoning."

Continue reading Human Brain Operates Like Facebook, Study Claims

SwitchedHuman Brain Operates Like Facebook, Study Claims originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brainfacebookFarmVilleneurologyneuronsresearchscienceSocialNetworkingstudytopWed, 12 Jan 2011 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Science Fair Is Global Competition for Genius Kids]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/11/google-science-fair-is-global-competition-for-genius-kids/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/11/google-science-fair-is-global-competition-for-genius-kids/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/11/google-science-fair-is-global-competition-for-genius-kids/#commentsGoogle Science Fair Logo Google appears to be tired of waiting for potential genius engineers to do things like graduate college. The company has instead decided to launch the Google Science Fair, a competition that asks 13- to 18-year olds with bright scientific minds to pit their projects against one another for prizes. While ostensibly encouraging students to get involved in science and engineering, it is also likely helping Google to build scouting reports on potentially brilliant talents. The competition is being cosponsored by CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American.

Students from all over the world are encouraged to enter by registering here, and by creating a Google Site that explains their projects' hypotheses and procedures. Submissions will be accepted until April 4th, and Google will announce the semifinalists in May. The public will be encouraged to vote on the semifinalists, which will be competing for prizes such as a trip to the Galapagos Islands or CERN. Students can currently view an example project, after which to model their site. We can't wait to see what these kids (who are most likely much brighter than we are) cook up.

SwitchedGoogle Science Fair Is Global Competition for Genius Kids originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cerneducationgoogleGoogleScienceFairkidssciencetopTue, 11 Jan 2011 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Dental Drill Noise-Canceling Device Connects With MP3 Players]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/10/dental-drill-noise-canceling-device-connects-with-mp3-players/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/10/dental-drill-noise-canceling-device-connects-with-mp3-players/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/10/dental-drill-noise-canceling-device-connects-with-mp3-players/#commentsDevice cancels noise of dentist's drill. For many people, the mere sound of a dentist's drill starting up is enough to make them sweat and panic. But researchers have created a new device that cancels out the drill's high-pitched whir while allowing patients to hear the dentist's voice.

According to BBC News, the device, which was developed jointly at King's College London, Brunel University and London South Bank University, contains a chip that turns every sound in the room into a digital signal. The device analyzes incoming signals, and blocks out unwanted noise -- in this case, the dentist's drill -- by blasting it with an inverted sound wave. It works the same way as noise-canceling headphones. Most importantly, researchers say the device plugs directly into an MP3 player, so the patient can listen to music during a routine teeth cleaning or even a root canal. "The beauty of this gadget is that it would be fairly cost-effective for dentists to buy, and any patient with an MP3 player would be able to benefit from it at no extra cost," Professor Brian Millar, one of the device's creators, told the BBC.

SwitchedDental Drill Noise-Canceling Device Connects With MP3 Players originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiodentisthealthmedicalmp3Mp3PlayermusicNoiseCancellingsciencesoundtopMon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Smartphone App Determines Probability of Successful In-Vitro Fertilization]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/06/in-vitro-fertilization-app-determines-success/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/06/in-vitro-fertilization-app-determines-success/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/06/in-vitro-fertilization-app-determines-success/#commentsBritish researchers have developed a new formula capable of predicting any couple's chances of having a baby through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with up to 99-percent accuracy. Devised by researchers at the Universities of Glasgow and Bristol, the calculator is already available online, and will soon be available as an app for iPhone and Android.

According to research leader Scott Nelson, a variety of factors can influence the success of IVF, "and clinics don't usually take these into account when counseling couples or women." Nelson's new formula, by contrast, accounts for myriad factors, including a woman's age, how long she's been trying to get pregnant, the cause of infertility, and any previous pregnancies, if any.

Continue reading New Smartphone App Determines Probability of Successful In-Vitro Fertilization

SwitchedNew Smartphone App Determines Probability of Successful In-Vitro Fertilization originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappsdoctorshealthInVitroFertilizationiphonemedicinepregnancyprobabilitysciencesmartphonetopwomenThu, 06 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Oregon Scientific Lets You Build Your Own Weather Lab]]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/oregon-scientific-weather-station-lab/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/oregon-scientific-weather-station-lab/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/oregon-scientific-weather-station-lab/#commentsOregon Scientific Build-Your-Own Weather Station Lab Every year at CES, we look forward to the strange offerings from Oregon Scientific, which always debuts some new, geeky gadget of questionable usefulness. This year, the thing that has us scratching our heads, and simultaneously reaching for our wallets, is the Build-Your-Own Weather Station Lab. There are two standard configurations: the basic package (aimed at gardeners and the mildly meteorologically curious, and starting at $34.99); and the advanced custom packages (aimed at amateur meteorologists and outdoor enthusiasts, and starting at $69.99). The advanced packages can range all the way up to $599.99 when loaded with extra sensors and displays.

All of the packages can sense temperature (and, with additional sensors, can do so outdoors and in several rooms throughout a house), and can sync with the U.S. atomic clock for precise time measurement. Optional sensors or more advanced base units can be chosen to measure humidity and rainfall, and to display weather forecasts. Some units are even solar-powered for the eco-conscious. At the high-end, you'll find large, touch-screen control panels, UV sensors, wind vanes and PC software for gathering all your measurements and keeping a detailed record of the weather around your home. Everything from the base station to the sensors can be customized at the Oregon Scientific site. Is the Build-Your-Own Weather Station Lab really necessary? No. But it's hard for any data nerd to deny.

SwitchedOregon Scientific Lets You Build Your Own Weather Lab originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>build your own weather station labBuildYourOwnWeatherStationLabcesces 2011Ces2011oregon scientificOregonScientificsciencetopweatherTue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012']]>http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/http://www.switched.com/2011/01/04/nasa-attack-on-absurd-sci-fi-destroys-the-myths-of-2012/#comments Ridiculous and implausible science fiction movies number in the thousands, but one particularly absurd film has actually provoked public admonishment from NASA. According to The Australian, NASA members recently discussed Hollywood science fiction fare, particularly the inane nonsense offered by 'Armageddon,' 'The 6th Day' and the unprecedentedly terrible [Ed. note: AMAZING] '2012.'

The director of the space organization's Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, Donald Yeomans, called the scenario in '2012' "an exceptional and extraordinary case." The NASA official basically discredited every aspect of the film's scientific material, including the purportedly cataclysmic capabilities of neutrinos and an "exaggerated" depiction of climate change. The fearful public response to the film even forced the organization to assuage concerns on its official website.

Continue reading NASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012'

SwitchedNASA Attack on Absurd Sci-Fi Destroys the Myths of '2012' originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012armageddonBladeRunnerfuturegattacamoviesNASAscience fictionScienceFictionScienceFictionFilmAwardsspacetopTue, 04 Jan 2011 06:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harvard Scientists Disclaim Teen Hearing Loss Epidemic]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/harvard-disclaim-teen-hearing-loss/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/harvard-disclaim-teen-hearing-loss/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/harvard-disclaim-teen-hearing-loss/#commentsLast summer, researchers from the Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston concluded that teen hearing loss has drastically increased over the last 20 years. The scientists based their conclusions on separate, extensive studies conducted for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The first survey analyzed the hearing capabilities of 2,500 adolescents between 1988 and 1994, and the second involved 1,791 teens during 2005 and 2006.

Well, Harvard Medical School scientists have now performed another investigation into those same numbers, and -- apparently -- the kids are actually alright. According to The Atlantic, the Harvard contrarians determined that, despite the heavy prevalence of MP3s and headphones among modern teens, "the results revealed no change in the prevalence of hearing loss from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s." So, parents should probably lay off their oblivious, hard-rocking kids a little bit -- until the next debatable study arrives, of course. For now, concerned and wary parents can reference the Harvard findings at Pediatrics.

SwitchedHarvard Scientists Disclaim Teen Hearing Loss Epidemic originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>headphoneshealthhearingHearingLossmp3musicsciencestudyteenstopTue, 28 Dec 2010 16:55:00 EST<![CDATA[First X-Ray Picture of Lightning Taken]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/first-x-ray-picture-lightning/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/first-x-ray-picture-lightning/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/28/first-x-ray-picture-lightning/#commentsThink, for a moment, about lightning. With all our talk of sci-fi and high-tech, we often forget that, in our world, since long before the dawn of man, rays of fatal electricity have shot down from the sky to stab the earth. Crazy. And it's crazier still to think that we've never tamed it -- never used it to power our personal hovercrafts. Of course, before the other day, we'd never taken an X-ray image of lightning, either...

SwitchedFirst X-Ray Picture of Lightning Taken originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lightningnaturephotographysciencetopxrayTue, 28 Dec 2010 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Linguists Employ Ultrasound to Unravel Mysteries of Ancient Tongues]]>http://www.switched.com/2010/12/22/amanda-miller-ultrasound-decode-ancient-languages/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/22/amanda-miller-ultrasound-decode-ancient-languages/http://www.switched.com/2010/12/22/amanda-miller-ultrasound-decode-ancient-languages/#commentsMany linguists believe the ancient "African click languages" hold the key to understanding the ancestry and evolution of human language. Approximately 30 cultural groups still actively speak the languages, which incorporate dozens of "click consonants." Those clicks have largely remained a phonetic mystery, as linguists have typically struggled to determine the specific vocal actions required, including the direction of airflow, the constriction of the mouth and the actual articulation techniques.

Ohio State University scientist Amanda Miller has devoted the past decade to unraveling those mysteries, and she believes a piece of modern technology holds the key. According to Popular Science, Miller sits with a select group of linguists who use ultrasound technology to watch "the tongue as it moves in real time." Other forms of medical technology, like MRIs, apparently aren't fast enough to effectively capture the incredibly rapid movements involved with click production. Through her ultrasound investigations, however, Miller has been able to organize and classify "more than 40 different kinds of click consonants" for the International Phonetic Alphabet language database.

Continue reading Linguists Employ Ultrasound to Unravel Mysteries of Ancient Tongues

SwitchedLinguists Employ Ultrasound to Unravel Mysteries of Ancient Tongues originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ClickConsonantclickslinguisticsOhioStateUniversityphoneticsciencetopultrasoundWed, 22 Dec 2010 08:31:00 EST