Latest science news in Mathematics & Economics
Google co-founder buys seat on rocket
VIENNA, Va., June 13 (UPI) -- Space Adventures Ltd. of Virginia said Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin placed a $5 million deposit on a future flight into space.
China Denies Hacking U.S. Computers
China denied accusations by two U.S. lawmakers that it hacked into congressional computers, saying that as a developing country it wasn't capable of sophisticated cybercrime.
Crude 'oil' from pig manure
After a close examination of crude oil made from pig manure, chemists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are certain about a number of things. Most obviously,...
Decline In Cigarette Smoking Offset By Increase In Cigars, Snuff And Other Tobacco Products
While trends in cigarette smoking and sales have declined in the US for the past decade, sales of non-cigarette tobacco products have been on the rise. Researchers found that 30...
End is in sight on spectrum auction
The end is in sight for the government's auction of wireless airwaves, a sale of licences that is expected to result in new cellphone operators next year and raise at...
Glaxo: 4M people tried diet drug since launch
(AP) -- The only over-the-counter weight loss pill in the U.S. isn't exactly flying off shelves, but it's not because Americans are getting any slimmer. GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday that...
The symbolic monkey? Token-mediated economic choices in tufted capuchins
From paintings and photographs to coins and credit cards, we are constantly surrounded by symbolic artefacts. The mental representation of symbols - objects that arbitrarily represent other objects ...
EPA Fines Homebuilders $4.3M For Pollution
Four of the nation's largest homebuilders have agreed to pay $4.3 million in fines for failing to control runoff at construction sites in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Whole proves to be mightier than the parts
European researchers have developed solutions to help weld a mishmash of different technologies, protocols and system architectures, making it easier to run research and education networks.
Toyota says to produce new hybrid battery next year
Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that it plans to start producing lithium-ion batteries next year as it races against rivals to develop new high-mileage hybrid vehicles.
European businesses not properly advised on how to prepare for flu pandemic
A new report entitled Business Continuity Planning and Pandemic Influenza in Europe, published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), has found huge gaps and differences across...
Report on citation statistics: Numbers with a number of problems
The International Mathematical Union today released the Citation Statistics report. Citation-based statistics, such as the impact factor, are often used to assess scientific research, but are they the best measures...
US tax rebate could be pointless, says behavioural study
The US government has failed if it believes its one-off tax rebate will perk consumer spending and help revive the American economy, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Researchers develop a worldwide tourism network
It wasn't too long ago in human history that people rarely, if ever, traveled beyond the village they were born in. We've come a long way since then: according to...
3 sequencing companies join 1000 Genomes Project
Leaders of the 1000 Genomes Project announced today that three firms that have pioneered development of new sequencing technologies have joined the international effort to build the most detailed map...
Profits in Hand, Wealthy Family Cuts Tobacco Tie
As Newport and other menthol cigarettes have come under scrutiny, the Tisch family has spun off Lorillard.
Opinion: HIV-AIDS loses out in the Budget
The Labor Government's first budget revealed that HIV-AIDS may not be a priority, domestically and internationally, writes Joe Thomas.
Michael L. Norman Appointed Chief Scientific Officer of SDSC
World-Renowned Astrophysicist to Promote Cyberinfrastructure Partnerships Within and Beyond UC San Diego
Security hole exposes utilities to Internet attack
(AP) -- Attackers could gain control of water treatment plants, natural gas pipelines and other critical utilities because of a vulnerability in the software that runs some of those...
65,000 computers for Colombian schoolchildren
An agreement signed between Colombia and the OLPC Foundation will provide 65,000 schoolchildren with laptops.
Kaiser Backs Microsoft Patient-Data Plan
Kaiser Permanente is endorsing the drive toward consumer-controlled personal health records in a partnership with Microsoft.
Concerned About Costs, Congress Pushes Curbs on Doctor-Owned Hospitals
Democrats moving to impose new restrictions on these for-profit hospitals have carved out exemptions for a few institutions represented by influential senators and well-connected lobbyists.
Scenes of nature trump technology in reducing low-level stress
Technology can send a man to the moon, help unlock the secrets of DNA and let people around the world easily communicate through the Internet. But can it substitute for...
New iPhone's business model is tough on unlockers
(AP) -- The new iPhone and the way it will be sold look set to shut down a small industry that arose to make the first version of the...
Rogers says its internet interference is necessary, but minimal
Rogers is defending its control over the flow of internet traffic as light-handed, amid growing complaints from users and the threat of regulatory intervention.
Risk-of-death charts show smokers should beware
WASHINGTON (AP) -- If you smoke, start thinking of yourself as a decade older than you really are. A 55-year-old man who smokes has almost the same chance of dying...
Many Swedes Swallowing Higher Food Prices With a Shrug
Price increases, smaller portions, and supply shortages aren't dulling the appetites of many affluent Europeans. Part of Global Food Crisis: A Special News Series.
Simulations means 'smarter traffic decisions'
Kyoto University and IBM's Tokyo Research Laboratory have developed a system that can simulate urban transport situations encompassing millions of individual vehicles in complex traffic interactions. A simulation can predict,...