Thursday 6 June 2019

Social interactions impact climate change predictions, study reveals

Something as simple as chatting with your neighbours about their new energy-efficient home renovations can affect wider climate change predictions, a new University of Guelph study reveals.

* This article was originally published here

Q&A: Why you should quit smoking even after a cancer diagnosis

Dear Mayo Clinic: My father, who is 68, just started treatment for bladder cancer. He's been a smoker since his 20s, and his oncologist is strongly encouraging him to quit. It seems like trying to stop smoking now, while he's going through chemotherapy, will just add more stress to a tough situation. Is this really the best time to work on his smoking?

* This article was originally published here

Decoding Beethoven's music style using data science

EPFL researchers are investigating Beethoven's composition style using statistical techniques to quantify and explore the patterns that characterize musical structures in the Western classical tradition. They confirm what is expected against the backdrop of music theory for the classical music era, but go beyond a music theoretical approach by statistically characterizing the musical language of Beethoven for the first time. Their study is based on the set of compositions known as the Beethoven String Quartets, and the results are published in PLOS ONE.

* This article was originally published here

Argentine fossils take oak and beech family history far into Southern Hemisphere

One of the world's most important plant families has a history extending much farther south than any live or fossil specimen previously recorded, as shown by chinquapin fruit and leaf fossils unearthed in Patagonia, Argentina, according to researchers.

* This article was originally published here

Under the surface: Understanding the (ultra-small) structure of silicon nanocrystals

New research provides insight into the structure of silicon nanocrystals, a substance that promises to provide efficient lithium ion batteries that power your phone to medical imaging on the nanoscale.

* This article was originally published here

First-of-its-kind platform aims to rapidly advance prosthetics

A new open-source, artificially intelligent prosthetic leg designed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is now available to the scientific community.

* This article was originally published here

Cracking open the black box of automated machine learning

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed an interactive tool that, for the first time, lets users see and control how automated machine-learning systems work. The aim is to build confidence in these systems and find ways to improve them.

* This article was originally published here

News Media Alliance pushes for new Senate antitrust bill

The News Media Alliance is scoring some legislative points against the much bigger K Street players Google and Facebook with a bipartisan Senate bill unveiled Monday evening that would temporarily exempt publishers from antitrust laws.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers uncover indoor pollution hazards

When most people think about air pollution, they think of summertime haze, traffic or smokestack exhaust, wintertime inversions, or wildfire smoke.

* This article was originally published here

Name an exoplanet

In recent years, astronomers have discovered thousands of planets and planetary systems orbiting around nearby stars. Some are small and rocky like the Earth, whilst others are gas giants like Jupiter. It is now believed that most stars in the Universe could have planets orbiting them and that some of them may have physical characteristics that resemble those of the Earth. The sheer number of stars in the Universe, each potentially with orbiting planets, along with the ubiquity of pre-biotic compounds, suggests that extraterrestrial life may be likely.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers find ways to hackproof smart meters

Smart electricity meters are useful because they allow energy utilities to efficiently track energy use and allocate energy production. But because they're connected to a grid, they can also serve as back doors for malicious hackers.

* This article was originally published here

Can racquet sports give you a fitter, longer life?

(HealthDay)—When you think of effective cardio exercise, the activities most likely to come to mind are aerobics classes, running, swimming and cycling. But racquet sports like tennis may hold even greater benefits, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

* This article was originally published here

Vegans and vegetarians: the history of how plant-based diets grew out of left-wing ideology

The rise of the vegetarian and, more recently, the vegan diet is generally perceived to be a new phenomenon. So, too, is their association with contemporary progressive ideas, politics and lifestyles. But plant-based diets have deep historical roots, and a longstanding connection with the political left.

* This article was originally published here

Thwarting oil-pipeline corrosion by identifying a nanoscale villain

Steel pipes rust and eventually fail. To preempt disasters, oil companies and others have created computer models to predict when replacement is needed. But if the models themselves go wrong, they can be modified only through experience, a costly problem if detection comes too late.

* This article was originally published here

Mojo Vision shows off display technology for augmented reality

What meets the eye is important—but in the case of entering the realm of augmented reality, how it meets the eye is an issue. A California company is on that case. They have technology to let AR users keep in the flow eyes-up. Hands-free.

* This article was originally published here

Apple's new Photos app for iOS 13 may just be the tool you've been waiting for

We take more and more photos every year on our new and improved smartphones, but finding them is probably the greatest pain point consumers face.

* This article was originally published here

GM adds highways to semi-autonomous driving system

General Motors is adding 70,000 miles (113,000 kilometers) of roads across the U.S. and Canada to the area where its Cadillac Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system can run, including some with cross traffic similar to those that have confused Tesla's Autopilot system.

* This article was originally published here

Change agents: Education specialists a growing force at CSU campuses

There is so much emphasis placed on STEM skills and boosting students' understanding and interest in these fields. But are school teachers and college faculty able to engage their students and deliver teaching in a way that makes it hands-on and gives them the ability to tackle and solve real-life problems?

* This article was originally published here