HEADLINES ARCHIVE
Artificial Sweetners in Groundwater Signal Contamination from Septic Systems
Researchers have determined that the presence of artificial sweeteners in rural groundwater is evidence of local septic system wastewater contamination.
Restaurant Wait Time Feature Added to Google
The days of waiting for a table at your favorite restaurant to open up may be gone forever thanks to a new feature available from Google.
It's Official: Twitter Doubles Character Limit to 280
Have twice the things to tweet? Twitter announced on Tuesday that it will oblige, doubling the number of characters per tweet from 140 to 280.
Keyboard Shortcuts that Reduce Waste in Knowledge Work
For those that are familiar with lean manufacturing concepts and the 7+ forms of waste, excessive motion is one of them. Excessive motion can be wasteful in a manufacturing environment as it can add time to a process, waste energy and fatigue workers. With knowledge work excessive motion can take the form of moving your hands from the keyboard to the mouse and back again.
New Ultrafast Scan Rate Miniature Spectrometer for High Speed Applications!
The Ocean FX® from Ocean Optics is a versatile spectrometer with acquisition speed up to 4,500 scans per second, onboard averaging of up to 5,000 spectra for improved signal to ratio (SNR) and minimal data transfer time. Ocean FX is an excellent choice for high-speed process applications, measurement of fast events, and reaction monitoring!
Thousands of Lives Could Be Saved by Earlier Introduction of Autonomous Vehicles, According to Report
Instead of waiting until the technology behind autonomous vehicles is perfected before being widely used in the U.S., research from the RAND Corporation indicates that using the technology — imperfect though it may be — could still save thousands of lives each year.
Moving Bus Stop Locations Could Cut Riders' Pollution Exposure
Consequently, the research team believes that exposure to pollutants would be dramatically reduced by moving bus and light rail stops 120 feet from high-traffic intersections.
Students Develop Eye-activated Controller
The sensor, called Vee Vee, will be placed on the wearer’s temple and will, through commands sent via eye movement, allow the wearer to control items such as electric wheelchairs, door locks and drones.
USDA Approves Grants, Loans for Rural Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing more than $2.7 billion in rural electric infrastructure and broadband improvements in multiple states.
Decorative Drinking Glasses Can Contain Harmful Levels of Lead, Cadmium
Using portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to analyze different drinking glass types such as tumblers, beer and wine glasses, and jars, researchers determined that lead levels on some of the glassware exceeded limits — in some cases by as much as 1,000 times.
10 Percent of Meat Dishes Sold in Mexico Contain Horse Meat, According to Study
According to a study conducted by researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine at Mexico's National Autonomous University, nearly 10 percent of the meat sold in five Mexican cities contained horse DNA.
Optical Device May Lead to Cleaner Air and Skies
A new optical device at Sandia National Laboratories that helps image pollutants in combusting fuel sprays might lead to clearer skies in the future.
Study Looks at Consumer Feelings About Lab-grown Meat
Although complex to produce, researchers believe that developing actual meat that doesn’t require raising and killing animals might be a future solution to issues surrounding meat consumption.
Shopping with Amazon's New Augmented Reality Feature
Joining a growing number of retailers adding augmented reality (AR) features to their apps and websites, Amazon announced this week the launch of its new AR feature called AR View, which is available in the Amazon app for iOS devices.
Using AI to Prevent Suicide
Training an artificial intelligence computer program to both recognize and identify emotions, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon believes that how the brain processes certain words can be an important indicator of suicidal tendencies in an individual.
Traffic Signal Countdown Timers May Reduce Fatal Car Accidents
With roughly 20 percent of fatal traffic accidents in the United States occurring in dilemma zones (intersections where drivers decide to stop or go when a traffic light changes from green to yellow) in 2016, researchers from Oregon State University believe that traffic signal countdown timers (TSCT) will help reduce that percentage.
Television Advertisements Tailored to the Viewer
Watching television could become an entirely different experience thanks to software called Dive that lets the viewer control advertisements with the touch of a button.
Safer Water Using UV Light
Inspired by an experience involving contaminated well water in her rural Kentucky hometown, Ph.D. student Natalie Hull is exploring the different wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation needed to kill dangerous drinking water pathogens.
The Robot Uprising Won't Be as Dire as First Predicted
As the threat of being replaced by robots and other technology looms, workers can rest a bit easier with the release of a new study that re-examines the percentage of workers likely to be replaced by automation.
Algorithm Helps Identify Bodies Found Decades Ago
Thanks to new fingerprinting technology, the FBI and medical examiner offices throughout the country have been able to identify over 200 bodies found between the mid-1970s and late 1990s.