Tech posts are back.

Source: The Times In April, scientists will be testing a robotic system which will build a prototype house with no human intervention. The catch is that they can only build the house out of concrete and gypsum. The technology is based on ink-jet printing and should be able to construct the house in 24 hours.

Source: The Free-Lance Star On Tuesday, the US military conducted a live demonstration of their new 8-megajoule railgun. The protoype is only slightly less powerful than guns currently found on naval vessels. They plan to increase the power of the system to 64-megajoules, giving it a 200 nautical mile range. A 32-megajoule version is slated for release in June.

Source: Hamilton Spectator The Canadian inventor of the anit-bear suit has slimmed down the design into an suit of armour for the military. The suit has already proven to be able to handle bullets, knives and other hand-to-hand weapons, but is comfortable enough to wear for hours. The 18-kg suit costs about $2,000(Cdn) to make.

Source: New Scientist A new handheld sensor is more sensitive to changes in colour than the human eye. It may be used to help spot camouflaged objects. Where the human eye divides colours into three spectral bands (trichromatic) consisting of red, green, and blue, but this system uses 32 spectral bands. The image shown here demonstrates that oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood pathways are clearly visible where they would be invisible to the human eye. As an interesting side note, birds and reptiles are tetrachromatic (four colour bands), dogs are dichromatic (two colour bands), and colour-blind people are trichromatic but have a shift in their colour perception that has lead scientists to theorize that some women who carry the gene could become tetrachromatic but this has never been observed.

Source: The Register A company has successfully tested an RFID ink that can be used to create tattoos. The system has been successfully tested on cattle where it is hoped to replace the current practice of clipping an RFID tag to their ear. Expect to see thsi adapted for humans soon. The tattoos can be made either visible or invisible depending on the formulation.

Source: Engadget Speaking of tattoos, back in December it was reported that a form of erasable tattoo ink was developed. The biodegradable ink is encapsulated in microspheres that remain under the skin until irradiated with a laser of a particular wavelength. The capsules then break down and the ink is absorbed into the body, causing it to disappear. So far the ink is only available in black.

Tech post #2

Source: Defense Tech China has successfully tested an anti-satellite ballistic missile system on one of their own old weather satellites.

Source: ABC News Northrop Grumman has armed a commercial jet with an anti-missile system. The FedEx flight, an MD-10 cargo plane, took off from LAX airport on Tuesday. The system is designed to protect against ground-based portable missile launchers.

Source: BBC News Chickens have been genetically modified to produce eggs carrying proteins used in anti-cancer treatments.

Source: Science Blog "Cloudy" apple juice has been found to contain 4 times more polyphenols, widely believed to have anti-cancer properties, than clear apple juice.

Source: Science Blog Tomatoes and brocolli have been found to have a synergistic effect in the fight against prostate cancer. Each is believed to have cancer-fighting properties of their own, but seem to address different cancer pathways. The result is that the combination is far more effective than either tomatoes or brocolli alone.

Tech Posts #3

Source: BBC News Apparently a tiny planetoid (not planet, as the article states) is in danger of being ripped form its orbit by Neptune and being transformed into what may be the brightest comet we've ever witnessed.

Source: Globe and Mail A researcher at Carleton Univeristy here in Ottawa is raising 6000 locusts. They plan to use a laser range scanner to examine their wings to determine how they are able to fly they way they do. Other experiments include (I kid you not) a tether and a miniature saddle.

Source: EurkAlert Researchers are considering how to design the next generation cyborg. In particular, they want to grow neurons onto electrodes and sensors, then implant the neural tissue. The idea is to avoid the type of damage experienced by today's neural interfaces in which sharp gold wires are plunged into the brain. The new method would consist of a microship with neural tissue extending from its surface into the surrounding nervous system tissue, what is referred to as "stretch-grown axons".

Source: Science Blog Researchers have developed a way to clear excess glutamate from head trauma sites, thus preventing further damage by the body's own response to the injury.

Source: Psychology Today Readers of fiction have been shown, in some studies, to be more empathetic and socially aware than non-fiction readers. Another good reason to shut off the boob-tube and pick up a good novel.