Robots do chin-ups, pushups and situps for the sake of science
A team of Japanese engineers has designed robots that can perform pushups, do crunches, stretch and even sweat while doing so.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-robots-chin-ups-pushups-situps-sake.html
Bay Area aerial imaging startup teams up to detect disease in crops before outbreaks
An Oakland-based startup is sending its aerial imaging technology to the Midwestern plains to help farmers detect pests and diseases in their corn and soybean fields before an outbreak.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-bay-area-aerial-imaging-startup.html
Facebook admits social media can be bad if you use it in this way
Facebook's mission is to "bring the world closer together," but the tech firm this year has faced mounting criticism that social media could be ripping society apart.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-facebook-social-media-bad.html
Social interactions override genetics when birds learn new songs
New UC San Francisco research finds that although young male songbirds are genetically predisposed to sound like their fathers, enriched early experience with a foster-father can overcome this genetic destiny. This finding has striking implications for our thinking about how experience influences the genetics of complex human traits like learning ability or even psychiatric disease, the authors say.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-social-interactions-override-genetics-birds.html
Puget Sound whales get a break from boaters at no loss to whale-watching
Restrictions on vessel traffic have helped keep more boaters farther from critically endangered southern-resident killer whales, while not harming the whale-watch industry, a new study has found.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-puget-whales-boaters-loss-whale-watching.html
A perk that's keeping Silicon Valley workers healthy—and on the job
At LinkedIn, employees at the world's largest online professional networking website enjoy a smorgasbord of perks, from gourmet meals to on-site dry cleaning to car washes and oil changes.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-perk-silicon-valley-workers-healthyand.html
An ancient mastodon ignited a debate over humans' arrival in North America
"Oh my God," Richard Cerutti said to himself. He bent down to pick up a sharp, splintered bone fragment. Its thickness and weight told him that it belonged to an animal, a very big animal. His mind started to race.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-ancient-mastodon-ignited-debate-humans.html
Alaskan microgrids offer energy resilience and independence
The electrical grid in the contiguous United States is a behemoth of interconnected systems. If one section fails or is sabotaged, millions of citizens could be without power. Remote villages in Alaska provide an example of how safeguards could build resilience into a larger electrical grid. These communities rely on microgrids—small, local power stations that operate autonomously. Nine articles in the recent issue of the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, from AIP Publishing, provide the first reviews of energy technologies and costs for microgrids in Alaska.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-alaskan-microgrids-energy-resilience-independence.html
Winds of worry: US fishermen fear forests of power turbines
East Coast fishermen are turning a wary eye toward an emerging upstart: the offshore wind industry.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-fishermen-forests-power-turbines.html
College students come up with plug-in to combat fake news
A team of college students is getting attention from internet companies and Congress after developing a browser extension that alerts users to fake and biased news stories and helps guide them to more balanced coverage.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-college-students-plug-in-combat-fake.html
Electric bike crackdown spurs delivery worker concern
Cheap, electric bicycles have made life a lot easier for New York City's legions of restaurant delivery workers, but the party may be over in the New Year.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-electric-bike-crackdown-spurs-delivery.html
Source: https://phys.org/
