You're 60% more creative when walking, a study has found

Is this the biggest motivation to buy a treadmill desk yet? Researchers at Stanford University in the US have compared creativity levels while walking and sitting, and found people are more likely to think outside of the box while taking a walk and shortly after they sit back down.

It's not a surprising result - most of you have probably experienced inspiration after taking a break and heading out for a walk - but the research could finally be a step towards finding out why.

Interestingly, the study found that it was the act of walking, rather than the environment, that was the key factor in creative output. 

In the study of 176 adults, the researchers compared people walking indoors on a treadmill facing an uninspiring blank wall, and those who walked outside in the fresh air. Both of these walking groups were equally better than those sitting down at answering "divergent thinking" creativity tests, as well as generating complex analogies to prompt certain phrases.

People were even wheeled around outside in wheelchairs to make sure it wasn't a change of scenery that was prompting this creative thinking.

"Many people anecdotally claim they do their best thinking when walking. We finally may be taking a step, or two, toward discovering why," the researchers wrote in the study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition.

But despite the benefits to creative thinking, walking wasn't shown to benefit the kind of focussed thinking required for single, correct answers. So pick your moment, guys.

Tribute to M S DHONI - The Dominance of Serenit

Affordable prosthetic eyes! Thank you 3D printing

A collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University and Fripp Design and Research resulted in a novel way of making prosthetic eyes.

The researchers use coloured powdered and resin to make 3D-printed prosthetic eyes that can match the patient’s existing eye. The cost of each socket is US$150 dollars, reports io9, and can be ready in hours. To gain some perspective, the cost of a handmade prosthetic eye is about US$5,000 and it takes about 10 days to make one.

Dezeen Magazine reports that India has shown particular interest in the technology as a high number of patients has lost their eyes due to, in most cases, less advanced surgical procedures. "Because of the high number of relatively poor individuals in the country, they tend to simply go without," said Fripp to Dezeen. "However, our system will allow them to purchase a prosthesis."

The eyes come in small, medium and large sizes and its creators said that the technology should be ready to be implemented in 12 months.

A three-million-year-old landscape is frozen in time beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet

The study by the US National Science Foundation suggests some of the landscape beneath the massive Greenland ice sheet hasn't been disturbed for almost 3 million years.

After analysing the chemical composition of silt taken from the bottom of a more than 3km-long ice core, the scientists suggest that pre-glacial landscapes can remain preserved under ice sheets.

They concluded: "the soil has been preserved and only slowly eroded, implying that an ancient landscape underlies 3,000 meters of ice at Summit, Greenland."

The research, which will be published in Science, also suggests that there was a green and forested landscape in northern Greenland before the ice sheet formed.

While the idea of a frozen landscape hidden beneath kilometres of ice is awesome, this work will also help scientists understand more about who climate change will affect Greenland's giant ice sheet in the future. As global average temperatures rise, scientists are worried about the ice sheet melting and raising sea levels by many metres.

A new mineral has been discovered in Australia

The new mineral is unique in structure and composition among the world's 4,000 known mineral species.

'Putnisite', described in Mineralogical Magazine by a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide, was found in a surface outcrop at Lake Cowan in central Western Australia.

After x-raying a single crystal of the mineral, Dr Peter Elliott realised it was completely unlike anything currently known.

“Most minerals belong to a family or small group of related minerals, or if they aren’t related to other minerals they often are to a synthetic compound – but putnisite is completely unique and unrelated to anything. 

“Nature seems to be far cleverer at dreaming up new chemicals than any researcher in a laboratory," he said in a press release.

Named after Australian mineralogists Andrew and Christine Putnis, Putnisite occurs as tiny crystals, no more than about 0.5mm in diameter, and is found on a volcanic rock. It appears as dark pink spots on the dark green and white rock, and under the microscope looks cube-shaped.

It's made up of an unusual combination of the elements strontium, calcium, chromium, sulphur, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.

The researchers have yet to be determined if the new mineral will have any practical use. For now it's just wonderful to know there's still plenty left to discover in the world.

Artificial blood could be used in trial transfusions by 2016

Cheap blood supplies could soon be a reality thanks to a breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine.

Researchers at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service have manufactured type O negative blood, which is considered the universal donor type. O negative is not common, only seven percent of people have it.

An unlimited, disease-free supply of O negative will be a game changer for hospitals, as surgeons won’t need to worry about sorting out blood types first.

Over at Forbes, Paul Rodgers explains how the blood was made:

The artificial blood was derived from stem cells that have been made from an adult donor’s skin or blood. These donor cells are genetically rewound to become induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which have the potential to develop into any of the body’s 200 tissues.

The iPS cells are cultured for a month in a chemical environment, similar to that found in bone marrow, that encourages them to mature into red blood cells. Up to half of them do so. Standard techniques, such as centrifuging, are then used to separate the artificial blood from other cells.

Trials will commence by 2016, reports Smithsonian, and hopefully soon after large-scale production will begin.

Your smart phone could soon be an awesome microscope

Just like many things in science, this happened by accident.

Dr Steve Lee and his team were adding droplets of the polymer used in contact lenses onto microscope cover slips to try to develop a new type of lens. Lee was about to throw one away when one of his colleagues realised they had created a tiny lens that could be used for portable microscopes.

“We put a droplet of polymer onto a microscope cover slip and then invert it. Then we let gravity do the work, to pull it into the perfect curvature,” Dr Lee said in a press release. “By successively adding small amounts of fluid to the droplet, we discovered that we can reach a magnifying power of up to 160 times with an imaging resolution of four micrometers.”

The tiny lens, which costs less than a cent to make, can be used on smart phones to create a high-resolution microscope.

The technology has a lot of potential and it could help doctors in developing countries as well as in remote areas. Farmers could also benefit from the technology as they can take images of insects or fungus affecting their crops and send them to specialists who can identify them and provide a solutions.

According to the press release the researchers have been approached by a German company who is interested in using the lenses for tele-dermatology.

New mobile application launched by Railways to Track Train Schedules

  


indian railways information and technology arm, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) on 23 April 2014 launched a new mobile application. This application can be used for various enquiries including train running status. This application has been launched for Windows 8 phones and further the application will be developed for other mobile platforms. 

An important feature of this application is 'Spot your train' option. This feature will help passengers to get information about current position, expected time of arrival and departure of a train at a particular station

The Train Schedule feature will provide complete schedule of a train along with its all stoppages on route. The Trains between Stations query will help a person to find out the list of all types of trains available between any two stations. This newly launched application also provides a feature for query on rescheduled, diverted and cancelled trains.

Wireless charging device can power your phone from 5 metres away

While a lot of high-end smartphones boast wireless charging, the technology is still in its very early stages and usually doesn't work at distances of more than a couple of centimetres.

But a new inductive wireless charging system developed at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology can beam power to devices up to five metres away.

The system relies on transmitters and receiver coils, which is the same set-up that current inductive charging systems use, but the team managed to get a much larger range by developing a new mechanism called the Dipole Coil Resonant System. The receiver coil in their device has two magnetic dipoles - a primary one that induces the magnetic field and a secondary one that receives the electric power. 

Of course, the current prototype is huge - three metres long and 10cm wide - so it's not going to be built into your phone any time soon.

But the potential extends far beyond small electronic devices. As Ryan Whitwam reports forExtremeTech:

"To demonstrate that this system is still viable at five meters, Rim and his team set up a demo with the receiving coil powering a large LCD TV and three 40 watt oscillating fans. This really drives the point home that we’re not just talking about a more effective way to charge electronics, but a way to power everything in a room without running wires."

At the moment, the device (check it out in the video below) delivers 1403 watts of power with 36.9% efficiency at the optimum distance of three metres away. That's enough to power several high-end desktop PCs or almost 24 new LCD TVs without wires, reports ExtremeTech.
 We need one, now. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6UCwqjdpo0

Scientists have found a potential cure for Ebola

Ebola and related viruses cause hemorrhagic fever and death through organ failure, and can have a mortality rate of up to 90%, among the highest of any known human disease.

But researchers working in a high-contaminant biological laboratory maintained by USAMRIID at Fort Detrick in Maryland, US, may have found a potential cure, they've reported in Nature.

The scientists have discovered a molecule, named BCX4430, which looks a lot like the "A" that makes up DNA: adenosine. Adenosine is one of four base pairs in DNA, and is also used in the genomes of RNA-based viruses, such as Ebola.

But because BCX4430 looks so much like Adenosine, the scientists found that members of the Filoviridae virus family, such as Ebola, can accidentally use it as a building block when trying to grow inside our cells.

This is a deadly mistake, writes RealClearScience, as BCX4430 blocks virus growth and reproduction and stops the virus in its tracks.

In the study, the team gave Macaque monkeys effected with the deadly Marburg virus (a close relative to Ebola) two doses for BCX4430 a day for 14 days.

The monkeys who weren't given any of the treatment were dead by day 12, whereas all but one monkey who was given BCX4430 survived, even if they only received treatment 48 hours after they were infected.

Luckily, only virus cells appear to be tricked into using BCX4430, and human and monkey cells do just fine with the molecule around.

In vitro experiments also suggest that BCX4430 could potentially be used against a wide range of viruses, including SARS, influenza, measles and dengue.

It's too early to get excited just yet, with no human trials yet conducted. But the newly discovered molecule holds the greatest potential we've ever seen for curing these terrifying diseases.

Powdered alcohol is now a thing

                                 

Forget trying to sneak a hip flask into a venue, spiking your drink could soon be as simple as adding powder (if you're in the US that is).

Researchers have invented powdered alcohol, which can even be sprinkled on food or snorted, according to the Palcohol website:

"Let’s talk about the elephant in the room… snorting Palcohol. Yes, you can snort it. And you’ll get drunk almost instantly because the alcohol will be absorbed so quickly in your nose. Good idea? No. It will mess you up. Use Palcohol responsibly."

It sounds like a pretty reckless idea, but the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has now approved the product and it's expected to hit liquor stores within months.

Thanks science...we think.

Dwayne Johnson not Dead: Another Scam Claims The Rock Has Died After Fall in New Zealand for ‘Fast & Furious 7′

Dwayne Johnson, known as The Rock, has not died but has become the victim of two death hoaxes in the same week. One says he was killed in a fall and another scam said he died during “Fast & Furious 7″ filming, but neither are true.

A recent one being spread via Facebook says Johnson died after falling to his death in New Zealand. It comes a few days after one–complete with a “RIP” image–said he died while filming a movie stunt for “Fast & Furious 7.”

But a new scam, which was being spread on Tuesday and Wednesday, reads: “Actor Dwayne Johnson died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning … Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (April 05, 2014), our beloved actor Dwayne Johnson passed away. Dwayne Johnson was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Amid the scams, Johnson tweeted on Wednesday: “Alright.. 3 hrs sleep, but kickin’ jet lag’s [expletive]. Its time to work.. Good morning from lovely London.” He also offered his condolences to the family of wrestler Ultimate Warrior, who died Tuesday night.

The first hoax was created to drive traffic to a specific Facebook page, which will likely then be sold to other scammers or online marketers.

The other death hoax Facebook post that claims Johnson died while filming “Fast & Furious 7” serves the same purpose–generate traffic to a website.

It’s not recommended to “like” or share the death hoax posts. They can prompt the downloading of malware or useless software, rogue Facebook apps that access your account, or have bogus survey scams.

“And, once you share, ‘like’ or comment on the page, you will only help them achieve their goal. So, if you have already shared, ‘liked’ or commented on the hoax, please remove the shared post, comment or unlike it, because this will help stop this hoax from spreading to other social networking users,” says a bulletin from Online Threat Alerts

World’s largest single crystal of gold identified

The world’s largest single crystal of gold, weighing 217.78 grams, has been verified by U.S. experts.

The crystal is worth an estimated $ 1.5 million, and was found in Venezuela.

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory used a neutron scanner to effectively look inside the 217.78 g piece of gold, roughly the size of a golf ball. Neutrons, differ from probes such as X-rays and electrons, and are able to penetrate many centimetres deep into most materials, researchers said.

“The structure or atomic arrangement of gold crystals of this size has never been studied before, and we have a unique opportunity to do so,” geologist John Rakovan from Miami University said.

Brand Dhoni overtakes Virat Kohli

India skipper MS Dhoni has overtaken Virat Kohli as the country's priciest cricketer with endorsement fees of Rs. 13 crore, in spite of India's loss to Sri Lanka in the recently concluded World T20 final in Bangladesh.

Dhoni's brand value has jumped by almost 60% in the last four months — a period that has seen his IPL team Chennai Super Kings battle charges of corruption and match-fixing with Dhoni's role coming under intense scrutiny. Team India has also fared poorly in this period with back-to-back losses to South Africa and New Zealand.

Till last year, Dhoni was charging about Rs. 8 crore per deal per annum. He had been overtaken by Kohli last year after he signed Rs. 10 crore deal with Adidas. In terms of brand fees, Dhoni stands next only to Aamir Khan, who charges Rs. 15 crore per endorsement.

"Dhoni has recently signed deals with six to eight brands where he will get a share of revenues generated by those brands," said Arun Pandey, chairman, Rhiti Sports Management, which manages MS Dhoni's brand engagements.

Dhoni currently endorses 21 brands including Exide, Pepsi, Aircel and Reebok.

His team is adopting the revenue-sharing formula for all brands that come back for a renewal.

Brand experts attribute the rise of ‘Brand Dhoni' to his ability of giving consistent performances and achievements across all formats as the Team India skipper. "Dhoni's brand value has got no dent because of his consistency and stunning performances of team India," said Latika Khaneja, director, Collage Sports Management.

"Also, Indian audiences and sports lovers have a very short memory," she added.

"One of the hardest working players in the cricketing community, Dhoni captains the team for all three formats of the game for India as well as the Chennai Super Kings.  His hardworking, unconventional style fits in perfectly with the culture of our brand," said Spartan, an Australian sports equipments brand, which recently partnered Dhoni in revenue-sharing agreement.

Holy Smokes! BATMAN Tests Google Glass for the U.S. Military

BATMAN is working for the U.S. Air Force and could make Google Glass a regular wartime accessory.

No, Bruce Wayne has not enlisted. BATMAN stands for Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided (K)nowledge, a research program based at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Its overarching goal is to make U.S. soldiers a little more like superheroes.

“It was commissioned to build advanced wearable technologies in a wearable ensemble, so in essence, we are building a Batman suit to improve effectiveness in the battlefield,” Gregory Burnett, chief engineer for BATMAN, told NBC News.

His 13-man team is focusing on Google Glass. They purchased two pairs of the wearable computer through the Glass Explorer program, just like a civilian would, and have been researching the potential and pitfalls of the technology since last May.

Why does the U.S. Air Force need Google Glass?

The military branch’s Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) are often the first medical workers to attend to injured soldiers, Andres Calvo, a software development engineer with BATMAN, told NBC News.

Keeping track of multiple patients in the field is tough. Google Glass, paired with Android smartphones and tablets, could be used to help PJs treat minor injuries while keeping an eye on the vitals of patients in critical condition, Calvo said.

Another potential scenario: Soldiers on the ground could get live video feeds from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), giving them a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield while on the ground.

Before Google Glass sees action, BATMAN needs to make sure that soldiers are not distracted by their displays while doing things like walking and driving.

The research is being shared with other military research teams, with the goal of creating an "integrated heads-up augmented reality" system that members of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army could all use.

The military is looking to "aggressively push it out on the field," Burnett said, meaning it probably won't be too long until U.S. soldiers are sporting high-tech specs.

Xolo announces Q1010i for Rs 13,499

  

Xolo has announced the Q1010i smartphone in India and priced it at Rs 13,499. The smartphone features a 5-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and based on a One-Glass-Solution technology (OGS).

The Xolo Q1010i is a successor to the Q1010 and is powered using a quad-core MediaTek MT 6582 chipset with processors clocked at 1.3 GHz and 1GB of RAM. The smartphone sports an 8MP camera and the sensor incorporated is a Sony Exmor R. The front camera is a 2MP.

The dual-SIM smartphone has 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded further to 32 GB via a microSD card.