Instant-start computers possible with new breakthrough
Ithaca NY (SPX) Dec 19, 2014 -
To encode data, today's computer memory technology uses electric currents - a major limiting factor for reliability and shrinkability, and the source of significant power consumption. If data could instead be encoded without current - for example, by an electric field applied across an insulator - it would require much less energy, and make things like low-power, instant-on computing a ubiquitou ...
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Choreography of an electron pair
Heidelberg, Germany (SPX) Dec 19, 2014 -
Physicists are continuously advancing the control they can exert over matter. A German-Spanish team working with researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg has now become the first to image the motion of the two electrons in a helium atom and even to control this electronic partner dance. The scientists are succeeding in this task with the aid of different laser ...
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Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 17, 2014 -
What do you get when you wrap a thin sheet of the "wonder material" graphene around a novel multifunctional sulfur electrode that combines an energy storage unit and electron/ion transfer networks? An extremely promising electrode structure design for rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries.
Lithium-sulfur batteries are of great commercial interest because they boast theoretical specific ene ...
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In United States, drones take off as Christmas gifts
Los Angeles (AFP) Dec 20, 2014 -
Andrew Steele, 15, chose a drone as a Christmas present. And he's not alone. Thousands of drone fans - young and old - turned out at a recent show in Los Angeles.
While historically people have thought of drones as military aircraft or flying devices used by businesses, the growth of drones as recreational vehicles has exploded.
And the range of devices on offer - many of which could ...
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Companies demo enhanced global communications for military
Mclean, Va. (UPI) Dec 22, 2014 -
A new global reach push-to-talk voice and data communications capability for the Defense Information Systems Agency has been developed by two U.S. companies.
The capability for DISA's Distributed Tactical Communication System, or DTCS, is from Exelis and Iridium and was demonstrated recently in partnership with the agency's Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program office.
Exeli ...
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Opinion: Dysfunctional geopolitics
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 21, 2014 -
The Feinstein CIA torture report has given the U.S. a geopolitical black eye of worldwide dimensions.
For the average Russian, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, African, Arab, Iranian, or any other race or nationality, America is now no better or worse than any other global scoundrel.
And we are not referring to a sophisticated reader and world traveler but even among those we now hear ...
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NASA uses powerful X-ray telescope to take vibrant photo of the sun
Washington (UPI) Dec 22, 2014 -
NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) has taken its first photo of the sun.
The NuSTAR is an extremely powerful X-ray telescope made for taking pictures of black holes and other objects outside the solar system, but it was recently aimed at the sun.
The photo is actually a combination of two photos, with NuSTAR collecting the X-ray imagery and then that image was ...
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New, tighter timeline confirms ancient volcanism aligned with dinosaurs' extinction
Princeton NJ (SPX) Dec 23, 2014 -
A definitive geological timeline shows that a series of massive volcanic explosions 66 million years ago spewed enormous amounts of climate-altering gases into the atmosphere immediately before and during the extinction event that claimed Earth's non-avian dinosaurs, according to new research from Princeton University.
A primeval volcanic range in western India known as the Deccan Traps, w ...
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Ancient Earth Made Its Own Water - Geologically
San Francisco CA (SPX) Dec 23, 2014 -
by Pam Frost Gorder
A new study is helping to answer a longstanding question that has recently moved to the forefront of earth science: Did our planet make its own water through geologic processes, or did water come to us via icy comets from the far reaches of the solar system?
The answer is likely "both," according to researchers at The Ohio State University- and the same amount of water ...
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NASA Commercial Crew Partners Complete 23 Milestones in 2014
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 24, 2014 -
NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the agency's industry partners completed 23 agreement and contract milestones in 2014 and participated in thousands of hours of technical review sessions. The sessions focused on creating a new generation of safe, reliable and cost-effective crew space transportation systems to low-Earth orbit destinations.
"To say we've been busy would truly be an unders ...
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Strela Rocket With Kondor-E Satellite Blasts Off From Baikonur
Moscow, Russia (Sputnik) Dec 22, 2014 -
Russia's Strela carrier rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome with a Kondor-E radar imaging satellite, the country's space agency Roscosmos told RIA Novosti Friday.
On Thursday, the satellite launch was postponed until Friday due to technical reasons.
Kondor is a family of light-class earth imaging satellites developed by rocket design bureau NPO Mashinostroyeniya for the R ...
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SpaceX Completes First Milestone for Commercial Crew System
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 23, 2014 -
NASA has approved the completion of SpaceX's first milestone in the company's path toward launching crews to the International Space Station (ISS) from U.S. soil under a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract with the agency.
During the Certification Baseline Review, SpaceX described its current design baseline including how the company plans to manufacture its Crew Dr ...
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NASA Selects Commercial Space Partners for Collaborative Partnerships
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 23, 2014 -
NASA announced Tuesday the selection of four U.S. companies to collaborate with NASA through unfunded partnerships to develop new space capabilities available to the government and other customers. The partnerships build on the success of NASA's commercial spaceflight initiatives to leverage NASA experience and expertise into new capabilities.
The Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabi ...
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Thirty-five years of Ariane: how Ariane was born
Paris (ESA) Dec 23, 2014 -
As a new and crucial chapter is being written in the extraordinary Ariane saga, the space community is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the first Ariane flight, on 24 December 1979, which made the ambition of European access to space a reality.
After the misfortune encountered by Ariane's forerunner, Europa, and the difficulties experienced by the European Launcher Development Organisat ...
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Milky Way has new neighbor, KKs3
Nizhny Arkhyz, Russia (UPI) Dec 23, 2014 -
The Milky Way galaxy has a new cosmic neighbor - galaxy KKs3 - discovered thanks to newly collected data courtesy of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
The dwarf spheroidal galaxy lies 700 million miles away and is located in the southern sky in vicinity of the constellation Hydrus. It's only the second known isolated dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the Local Group, a collection of some 54 gal ...
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Russian scientists 'map' water vapor in Martian atmosphere
Moscow (SPX) Dec 24, 2014 -
Russian scientists from the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), together with their French and American colleagues, have created a 'map' of the distribution of water vapour in Mars' atmosphere.
Their research includes observations of seasonal variations in atmospheric concentrations using data collected over ...
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Angara-A5 Launch Opens New Page in Russia's Space Exploration
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 23, 2014 -
The successful launch of Russia's newest heavy rocket, the Angara A5, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, is a significant milestone in the history of Russia's rocket industry, providing the state with independent access to space.
The collapse of the USSR in the beginning of 1990s resulted in dissolution of the Soviet airspace industry infrastructure: plants and design bureaus located in former ...
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Iraqi cabinet approves $102.5 bn budget for 2015
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 23, 2014 -
The Iraqi cabinet on Tuesday approved a $102.5 billion budget for 2015 based on a projected oil price of $60 a barrel, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman said.
Rafid Jaboori also said that the projected deficit for the year is $19.1 billion. He did not give details on how the funds will be allocated.
Abadi's office issued a statement saying that the cabinet had approved the budge ...
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After tough year, Iraqis flock to Baghdad market for holiday cheer
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 23, 2014 -
Yaasub Ali stands inside his shop in Baghdad's Shorjah market surrounded by nearly empty shelves cleared of decorations by Iraqis seeking holiday cheer after a year of relentless violence.
In the narrow market, which dates to the Abbassid era more than 700 years ago, Iraqis peruse Christmas and New Year's decorations ranging from wreaths and ornaments to red-and-white Santa Claus outfits and ...
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Global arms treaty enters into force on Wednesday
United Nations, United States (AFP) Dec 23, 2014 -
A treaty laying down international rules for the $85 billion dollar global arms trade goes into force on Wednesday, with campaigners vowing to make sure it is strictly implemented.
The United States - by far the world's largest arms producer and exporter - has signed the treaty, but has yet to ratify it.
Other key exporters such as France, Britain and Germany have ratified the charter ...
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Elbit Systems America upgrading Grumman C-1A aircraft
Haifa, Israel (UPI) Dec 23, 2014 -
The Brazilian Navy has given a directed sub-contract to the U.S. subsidiary of Elbit Systems to upgrade four Grumman C-1A aircraft.
The C-1A is a twin-engine aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy for carrying mail and cargo, and later as an electronic counter-measures platform. The U.S. Navy retired its last C-1A in 1988.
Brazil in 2010 announced it intended to acquire eight of ...
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Lockheed Martin delivers 36th operational F-35 for 2014
Washington (UPI) Dec 23, 2014 -
Lockheed Martin and its industry team have delivered the 36th and final F-35 Lightning II for 2014, meeting the year's production goal.
The aircraft was a "C" variant, for use from an aircraft carrier, and was delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps.
The delivery brings the total number of operational F-35 aircraft delivered by the company to the United States and allied nations to 10 ...
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IS slavery pushes Iraqi victims to suicide
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 23, 2014 -
Women and girls from Iraq's Yazidi religious minority have told rights activists they were beaten and forced into sexual slavery by the Islamic State jihadist group, driving some to suicide.
IS militants have overrun swathes of Iraq since June, declared a cross-border caliphate also encompassing parts of neighbouring Syria and carried out a litany of abuses in both countries.
The group h ...
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More than 1,100 jihadists killed in US-led Syria strikes: monitor
Beirut (AFP) Dec 23, 2014 -
US-led air strikes in Syria have killed more than 1,000 jihadists in the past three months, nearly all of them from the Islamic State group, a monitoring group said Tuesday.
"At least 1,171 have been killed in the Arab and international air strikes (since September 23), including 1,119 jihadists of the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, whi ...
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Italy orders additional trainer aircraft
Rome (UPI) Dec 23, 2014 -
The Italian National Armaments Directorate has ordered additional M346 trainer aircraft from Alenia Aermacchi.
The order for three of the trainers - with a ground base training system and logistics support - for the air force is worth more than $146.9 million.
"The contract is part of a wider agreement already signed by the parties in 2009 for the total supply of 15 M-346s." Al ...
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