Science

SAN FRANCISCO--Did you know you can help to fight disease and study climate change by sharing your computer? This practice, called distributed computing, refers to using computers' spare processing power to tackle programming jobs.

One newer example of distributed computing is BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing). David P. Anderson, a scientist at the Space Science Laboratory at U.C. Berkeley who pioneered the project, spoke at AAAS's (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting here.

Before BOINC, of course, was SETI@home, also initiated by Anderson. The program is downloaded by more than 5 million … Read more

Expect several intriguing space research findings at the ongoing American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting in San Francisco.

My favorite's a birth happening right now in deep space, over in the Eagle Nebula, you know, a little to the left of that bright star. NASA and University of Colorado astronomers say it's a new little star being born. It might someday be like our own sun. What have they named this little baby? E42, and there's even a picture.

Then there's one report that has me throwing out my ancient physics textbook. All … Read more

A collection of new scientific findings being presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2007 meeting in San Francisco could be headed, "Don't be afraid, be aware."

A University of Victoria scientist is tracking back through fossil history, tracing the ups and downs of dinoflagellates. These small creatures in the Pacific Ocean's plankton are at the base of the maritime food chain. Two dino-species are poisonous, and research may help predict when these species will rapidly increase as the climate changes, thus killing fish and other plankton-feeding animals.

Oregon State scientists, meanwhile, are … Read more

As pet robots go, we can't exactly say this one is the cutest or cuddliest. In fact, we can't even say what it looks like at all, except for maybe a giant shark tooth.

But to hear the Taiwanese Industrial Technology Research Institute tell it, this is actually a robotic fish with the unlikely name of "POPO," according to I4U News. POPO can reportedly swim on its own for 24 hours on its rechargeable batteries without bumping into things because of its ultrasound system.

That's all well and good, but we think they could have … Read more

Carbon nanotubes are stronger and lighter than steel. You're not. But you and nanotubes have something else in common, according to researchers at Rice Unviersity. You and the little guys are self-healing. Carbon nanotubes can regrow their own molecular skin. Now that you may be intrigued, check out CNET News.com's special report on nanotubes.

You may like being similar to a nanotube, but a rat? English research shows rats' whiskers are similar to your fingertips. Whisker sensing makes rat sense.

And at U.C. Berkeley they use organic molecules and metal nanoparticles to create heat. So what? … Read more

The island city-state of Singapore announced a contest to build a Terminator-style robot, able to operate in urban warfare environments independent of direct human control. That's right; no joystick.

Individuals, companies, universities and research institutes are invited to compete in what the country's Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) calls the TechX Challenge. The autonomous robot DSTA has in mind would be an all-weather unit, able to negotiate stairs, use an elevator and generally move and shoot in a search-and-destroy mode without the aid of satellite navigation, just like a human soldier.

"Operation in urban areas represents … Read more

The U.S. government wants to build and deploy a huge stratospheric airship, three times the size of the Goodyear blimp, that is capable of spying on an entire city.

The idea is that the blimp, dubbed the "Integrated Sensor is Structure" (ISIS), would hover above the jet stream at 70,000 feet and use its giant, flexible radar antennae to acquire a "dynamic, detailed, real-time picture of all movement on or above the battlefield: friendly, neutral or enemy." And we thought surveillance satellites were sitting ducks.

One of the challenges has been to come up … Read more

Surfing in shark-infested waters isn't exactly our idea of fun, but we feel obligated to mention this item for all the California Cravers out there. Australia-based Shark Shield (gotta love that name) has released the board-mounted "Surf," which it describes as "the first electronic shark-deterrent system specifically designed for surfers."

Creating a "shark-safe zone" that's about 26 feet in diameter, the system supposedly generates an electrical field that the offending shark senses through receptors in its snout. (We're not making this up.) The fish then goes into "muscular spasms" … Read more

As far as complicated computer apparatuses are concerned, we weren't so sure about the "Ergopod 500," especially for those who live anywhere near earthquake country. But Russian-based Gravitonus seems to have done it right, with a new gaming system for the physically disabled that appears a lot more secure.

The "Alternative Computer Control System" shown on Medgadget looks like a cross between a piece of ultra-modern Danish furniture and something you'd find in Dr. Evil's underground control center. Despite the aesthetic qualities, it's an engineering marvel that incorporates features even quadriplegics can … Read more