How information design eases our understanding of the world
"How do you land a 2,000-pound rover on a planet 100 million miles away from Earth without controlling it in real time?" asked Mark Davis, an Emmy-winning producer and director of science and...
View ArticleGeologists in Norway are using flying drones with cameras to hunt for oil
Geologists have long used seismology on the bottom of the ocean or have been throwing dynamite from snowmobiles when they look for oil. But now researchers at Centre for integrated petroleum research...
View ArticleQuality control in the manufacturing cycle
Even the minutest deviations are detected: Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF have created the "Wheelinspector", an in-line compatible system for 100...
View ArticleNature valued from space
Satellites show how we can promote economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner by putting a price on nature's resources.
View ArticleGrocery stores add tech features to stay competitive
Like many grocery shoppers, Michele Ricketts dreads long checkout lines. But lately, she's been breezing by the cash register at her neighborhood Ralphs even with the usual crowds at the store.
View ArticleExperts size up potential biodiversity sanctuaries
Western Australian scientists are using laser technology to determine the most carbon-rich areas of southwest forests that may act as a refuge for biodiversity during climate change.
View Article3-D printing incorporates quasicrystals for stronger manufacturing products
Researchers at the University of Lorraine in France say that quasicrystals, a type of complex metal alloy with crystal-like properties, can be useful in the design of new composite materials.
View ArticleCreating music in classrooms using code teaches 'risk-taking' in next generation
Early research into new education practices that fuse computing with music-making shows they create "enquiry-rich" conditions that empower children to take risks, and allow teachers to build innovative...
View ArticleResearchers develop 3-D reconstruction software
Researchers have designed a program to generate 3D imagery from the projection and digitization of binary data that allows reconstruction of various objects in order to reproduce parts of classic...
View ArticleImage: Aletsch Glacier from orbit
Parts of the Swiss and Italian Alps are pictured in this satellite image.
View ArticleTwo centuries of map-making – from William Smith's survey to satellites
This year marks the 200th anniversary since William Smith published his life's work, a geological map of England and Wales, in 1815. While "Strata Smith" and his map are well-known among geologists,...
View ArticleESA image: Las Vegas and Lake Mead
This image from the Landsat-8 satellite acquired on 23 September 2014 brings us over the southwest United States: Nevada and Arizona.
View ArticleFlorentine basilica gets high-tech physical
Late last year, two University of California, San Diego students set out for Florence, Italy, to diagnose a patient that had no prior medical record, couldn't be poked or prodded in any way, and hadn't...
View ArticleLiDAR studies of the Sept. 2013 Colorado Front Range flooding and debris flows
Scott W. Anderson and colleagues use repeat aerial LiDAR to quantify the erosional impact of the heavy rains that inundated the Colorado Front Range in September 2013. The five-day storm triggered more...
View ArticleBig data keeping track of bushfires
More than 5000 bushfires occurred in WA between July 2013 and July 2014, making the development of the Aurora Bushfire Detection System a big deal for local communities.
View ArticleNew technique allows study of clouds in 3-D
With two off-the-shelf digital cameras situated about 1 kilometer apart facing Miami's Biscayne Bay, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists David Romps and Rusen Oktem are collecting...
View ArticleThe robot that learns everything from scratch
Two researchers at NTNU have made a robot that learns like a young child. At least, that's the idea. The machine starts with nothing—it has to learn everything from scratch.
View ArticleHigh-resolution mapping produces ecological data
Beyond simple topographic data, high-resolution digital elevation models can provide estimates for a diverse range of ecological variables. But as shown in a recent study, higher resolution models do...
View ArticleNSF, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency support development of new...
The National Science Foundation (NSF), in partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), is supporting development of high-resolution topographic maps of the Arctic that for the...
View ArticleOctocopter! Experimental drone for agricultural research
Following the revelation that English Premiership football club Everton FC is using drones to monitor player training sessions, it seems there's nothing these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) aren't...
View ArticleBackyard photo of Lee Harvey Oswald is authentic, study shows
A new Dartmouth study confirms the authenticity of the famous backyard photo of Lee Harvey Oswald holding the same type of rifle used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.
View ArticleCichlid fish view unfamiliar faces longer, from further distance than...
Fish viewed digital models with unfamiliar fish faces longer and from a further distance than models with familiar faces, according to a study published November 25, 2015 in the open-access journal...
View ArticleWhat makes Tom Hanks look like Tom Hanks?
Tom Hanks has appeared in many acting roles over the years, playing young and old, smart and simple. Yet we always recognize him as Tom Hanks. Why? Is it his appearance? His mannerisms? The way he moves?
View ArticleVirtual time machine of Earth's geology now in the cloud
How did Madagascar once slot next to India? Where was Australia a billion years ago?
View ArticleNew method reconstructs highly detailed 3-D eyes from a single photograph
A digitally created face can have the most realistic looking skin imaginable and still look fabricated to audiences if the eyes aren't quite right. But a new technique developed by Disney Research can...
View Article3-D elevation maps of Alaska for White House Arctic initiative
Less than one year after President Barack Obama announced a White House Arctic Initiative that included better mapping of the area, a team of researchers led by the University of Minnesota Polar...
View ArticleA funnel on Mars could be a place to look for life
A strangely shaped depression on Mars could be a new place to look for signs of life on the Red Planet, according to a University of Texas at Austin-led study. The depression was probably formed by a...
View ArticleCryoSat reveals Antarctica in 3-D
Around 250 million measurements taken by ESA's CryoSat over the last six years have been used to create a unique 3-D view of Antarctica, offering a snapshot of the undulating surface of this vast ice...
View ArticleAugmented reality system to help medical professionals
A mixed reality system which allows medical practitioners to view and interact with virtual replicas of patients' organs, bones or body parts is being developed by academics.
View ArticleVideo: Flyover of Pluto's majestic mountains and icy plains
In July 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft sent home the first close-up pictures of Pluto and its moons – amazing imagery that inspired many to wonder what a flight over the distant worlds' icy...
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