Genes determine our perfume preferences.
You may love the scent of a particular perfume but someone else may find the scent repulsive. Our genes determine our perfume preference, a new study suggests.
Continue reading… “Perfume preference determined by our genes”
Moral machines in the future?
Will robots in the future be capable of follow moral principles and understand them? A robot walks into a bar and says, “I’ll have a screwdriver.” That is definitely a bad joke. But what if the robot says “Give me what’s in your cash register?” That would be even less funny.
Continue reading… “Will future robots be capable of following moral principles?”
Abraham Karem began tinkering with drones in his garage in 1980.
Abraham Karem, is an engineer who had emigrated from Israel. In 1980 he retreated into his three-car garage in Hacienda Heights outside Los Angeles and, to the bemusement of his tolerant wife, began to build an aircraft.
Continue reading… “Drones: garage invention spawns multibillion-dollar defense industry”
Onchocerca volvulus
Large areas of northern Uganda are experiencing an outbreak of nodding syndrome, a mysterious disease that causes young children and adolescents to nod violently when they eat food. The disease, which may be an unusual form of epilepsy, could be linked to the parasitic worm responsible for river blindness, a condition that affects some 18 million people, most of them in Africa.
The current outbreaks are concentrated in the districts of Kitgum, Pader and Gulu. In Pader alone, 66 children and teenagers have died. More than 1000 cases were diagnosed between August and mid-December…
Continue reading… “Mysterious nodding syndrome spreading through Uganda”
Look up on Monday!
If the day after Christmas strikes you as a letdown, make a note to yourself now to get outside on Monday evening. NASA tells us there’s going to be a conjunction of heavenly bodies.
The action begins shortly before sunset. Around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm local time, just as the sky is assuming its evening hue, Venus will pop into view, glistening bright in the deepening twilight. No more than 6 degrees to the right lies the crescent Moon, exquisitely slender, grinning like the Cheshire cat with his head cocked at humorous attention. This is a wonderful time to look; there are very few sights in the heavens as splendid as Venus and the Moon gathered close and surrounded by twilight blue…
Americans added 10 new words to improve their vocabularies in 2011.
Take heart if you tried to improve your vocabulary in 2011. It was almost impossible to pay attention to the news this year without learning a new word or phrase, or perhaps learning new definitions for old standbys. Americans can celebrate the new knowledge they acquired in 2011 with a list of 10 words that entered the national lexicon or gained new significance over the last year.
Continue reading… “10 words Americans learned in 2011”
Futurist Thomas Frey: Understanding trends is more of an art form than an exact science. But for those who can read the tealeaves, and make bold moves, leveraging trends can give them a serious competitive advantage.
Continue reading… “28 Major Trends for 2012 and Beyond – Part 2”
People that sleep on left side of bed are more cheerful and positive.
Snuggling up for the night on the left-hand side of the bed is key to a happier life, so says a new study .
Continue reading… “Sleeping on the left is key to a happier life”
MSU chemist Jim McCusker and postdoctoral researcher Dong Guo proved an 84-year-old theory.
The same principle that causes figure skaters to spin faster as they draw their arms into their bodies has now been used by Michigan State University researchers to understand how molecules move energy around following the absorption of light.
Conservation of angular momentum is a fundamental property of nature, one that astronomers use to detect the presence of satellites circling distant planets. In 1927, it was proposed that this principle should apply to chemical reactions, but a clear demonstration has never been achieved…
Continue reading… “How molecules move energy after light absorption”
27% of photos and videos taken this year were shot with smartphones.
Film is already passe for snapshots. Are basic digital point-and-shoot cameras next to go?
Continue reading… “Basic digital camera sales fall as smartphones fill the niche”
“Most of us can’t recall anything about infancy, it’s only at about 3- or 4-years of age we can start to remember.”
A majority of adults suffer from childhood amnesia. They are unable to remember infancy or toddlerhood. That’s what scientists thought. But a new study indicates that even six years after the fact, a small percentage of tots as young as 2 can recall a unique event .
Continue reading… “First memories may happen as young as age 2: study”
Muppets
Chris Anderson, a director of Omnicom Group’s marketing agency The Marketing Arm says, “In times of uncertainty, we tend look back. We long for seemingly simpler times. From music to motorcars to Muppets, we seek out products and brands that we’re familiar with.”
Continue reading… “10 brands that could make a comeback in 2012”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.