Parasitic flies attack honeybees turning them into zombies

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“Zombie” fly parasite causing decline of honeybee population.

A pile of dead bees was supposed to become food for a newly captured praying mantis. Instead, the pile of bees ended up revealing a previously unrecognized suspect in colony collapse disorder a mysterious condition that for several years has been causing declines in U.S. honeybee populations, which are needed to pollinate many important crops. This new potential culprit is a bizarre and potentially devastating parasitic fly that has been taking over the bodies of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Northern California.

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Car seat sensors ID drivers by their rear ends

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Pressure-sensing seat

Hilarity quickly ensues when Larry David calls out “I’d know that tush anywhere!” When your car says it – or at least, thinks it – the result is the engine starting and personal comfort preferences like climate control and seat positioning being remembered and activated, hands free. It’s still sort of hilarious, of course, but you can’t deny the security or the practicality inherent in the concept.

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Ten paradoxical traits of the creative personality

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Of all human activities, creativity comes closest to providing the fulfillment we all hope to get in our lives. Call it full-blast living.

Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives. Most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the result of creativity.

What makes us different from apes–our language, values, artistic expression, scientific understanding, and technology–is the result of individual ingenuity that was recognized, rewarded, and transmitted through learning…

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Office ceilings mimic lighting of cloudy days with new LED design

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Will LED ceilings improve our office moods?

We know that nature makes us nicer, but can we bring nature inside virtually and still keep the positive effects? researchers from the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO want to find out with an interesting concept for making an office ceiling look like the sky, complete with rolling clouds.

The ceiling, which extends the entire length and width of the room, simulates lighting conditions similar to what you’d experience sitting out on a lawn somewhere, with slight variations as clouds pass over. The goal is to make you feel like you kind of are sitting out on a lawn somewhere…

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5 whimsical workspaces in Inventionland

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George Davison, founder and chief executive officer of Davison International.

Davison International Inc., a 285-employee company that designs and creates kitchen gadgets, toys and other consumer products, relocated in 2006 to a 61,000-square-foot building in Pittsburgh, Pa. Its interior, which followed a year-long, $5 million renovation, is intended to encourage creativity and a positive attitude among staff. One third of its inventions are its own creations. The remainder are commissioned by third parties. (Pics)

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World’s first hybrid shark found off Australia

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A hybrid black tip shark containing both common and Australian black tip DNA

Scientists said on Tuesday that they had discovered the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, a potential sign the predators were adapting to cope with climate change.
The mating of the local Australian black-tip shark with its global counterpart, the common black-tip, was an unprecedented discovery with implications for the entire shark world, said lead researcher Jess Morgan…

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Stone Age temple found in Orkney is 800 years older than Stonehenge

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Stonehenge may not have been the centre of Neolithic culture after all.

A 5000-year-old temple in Orkney could be more important than Stonehenge, according to archaeologists.
The site, known as the Ness of Brodgar, was investigated by BBC2 documentary A History of Ancient Britain, with presenter Neil Oliver describing it as ‘the discovery of a lifetime’.

So far the remains of 14 Stone Age buildings have been excavated, but thermal geophysics technology has revealed that there are 100 altogether, forming a kind of temple precinct…

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