Leaving Earth: 78,000 apply for a one-way ticket to Mars
The Mars One project to establish the first human settlement on the Red Planet by 2023 has received 78,000 applications in just two weeks, with as many as 500,000 expected to apply by the time applications close on August 31. Mars One, a Dutch not-for-profit organization, is planning theproject to have no return ticket back to [...]
Spam no more: ‘Biggest’ cyber-attack in history grips web
The ‘biggest cyber-attack in history’ has caused a worldwide web slowdown as the battle between an anti-spam group and a Dutch web host continues to heat up. The largest known distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack in history was sparked when the non-profit group Spamhaus placed CyberBunker on a real-time blacklist of sites to be blocked for spreading [...]
Major US retailers reject ‘frankenfish’
A number of top US grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, have pledged to reject selling the genetically engineered “frankenfish” if it is allowed on the market in April. The mutant fish was engineered by scientists at a company called AquaBounty, which has spent more than 15 years and $50 million researching and perfecting the [...]
Thing and a prayer: NASA chief says Earth defenseless in asteroid strike
If an unknown large meteor or asteroid were on a collision course with Earth, NASA chief Charles Bolden told a US House of Representatives Science Committee hearing Tuesday, then praying is all America or anyone else could do. Events in Russia last month have reignited concern about the threat civilization on Earth faces from asteroids. [...]
US B-52s imitate nuclear bombing of North Korea
In a bid to intimidate North Korea and draw attention to the US military’s capabilities, American B-52 bombers – which are capable of carrying out nuclear strikes – are practicing over South Korea. The move is in response to rising tensions after North Korea conducted its third successful nuclear test last month. This month’s first [...]
Silicon Valley mulls creation of floating colony in the Pacific
Two American entrepreneurs have made plans to build a floating colony in the Pacific Ocean, where they will bring the world’s most intelligent scientists that are unable to attain a visa to enter the US. The floating colony, which will consist of a large cruise ship parked 12 miles off the Californian coast, will host [...]
Scientists predict thousands will die from earthquake expected anytime on US West Coast
Researchers say a massive earthquake and tsunami could soon strike the Northwest US coast, killing more than 10,000 people, flooding entire towns, and causing economic damages totaling $32 billion. An alarming report published by the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission warns about the dire effects of the quake and claims that it is imminent [...]
Facebook knows your secrets: ‘Likes’ reveal users’ personality
Facebook’s ‘like’ button can reveal more than you realize, a new study has showed. By liking posts and links, you may be revealing personal secrets, like your sexuality or religious and political views. The findings have raised privacy concerns. A study by the National Academy of Sciences examined 58,000 Facebook users in the US, who [...]
Asteroid ‘size of city block’ to skim past Earth on Saturday
The 460-foot-long Asteroid 2013 ET is set to whizz past Earth on Saturday – the latest in our planet’s galactic ‘pinball contest’. Earlier in the day, the 2013 EC20 passed even closer, and both within a month of the Chelyabinsk meteor’s Earth strike. The enormous piece of space debris is expected to pass just 2.5 [...]
Spotting ‘fashion fingerprints’: Google Glass app helps locate friends
New Google Glass app InSight takes the experience of spotting your friends to the next level, as it recognizes your peers by their clothes and accessories – matching specific color patterns and textures to the user. This new human recognition software makes it impossible to lose your friends in a packed place, such as an [...]