A University of Utah study produced new mathematical support for a theory that explains why men in some cultures often feed and care for their sisters' children: where extramarital sex is common and accepted, a man's genes are more likely to be passed on by their sister's kids than by their wife's kids. (Credit: © yanlev / Fotolia)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 27, 2012) A University of Utah study produced new mathematical support for a theory that explains why men in some cultures often feed and care for their sisters' children: where extramarital sex is common and accepted, a man's genes are more likely to be passed on by their sister's kids than by their wife's kids.
The theory previously was believed...
Mathematics
Model sheds light on chemistry that sparked origin of life
- 26 November 2012
- Editor
The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. (Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 26, 2012) The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. However, recent mathematical research sheds light on a possible mechanism by which life may have gotten a foothold in the chemical soup that existed on the early Earth.
Researchers have proposed several...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 26, 2012) The question of how life began on a molecular level has been a longstanding problem in science. However, recent mathematical research sheds light on a possible mechanism by which life may have gotten a foothold in the chemical soup that existed on the early Earth.
Researchers have proposed several...
Modeling the breaking points of metallic glasses
- 26 November 2012
- Editor
A simulation of crack initiation in a metallic glass. The metallic glass on the left is initially more relaxed, due to a longer heat treatment, than the metallic glass on the right. The very different crack tip shapes and deformation patterns under the same external conditions result in a significantly reduced breaking resistance for the more relaxed glass. (Credit: Courtesy of Christopher Rycroft, Berkeley Lab)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 26, 2012) Metallic glass alloys...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 26, 2012) Metallic glass alloys...
Star Trek classroom: Next generation of school desks
- 22 November 2012
- Editor
This shows the SynergyNet classroom. (Credit: Durham University)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 22, 2012) Researchers designing and testing the 'classroom of the future' have found that multi-touch, multi-user desks can boost skills in mathematics.
New results from a 3-year project working with over 400 pupils, mostly 8-10 year olds, show that collaborative learning increases both fluency and flexibility in maths. It also shows that using an interactive 'smart'...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 22, 2012) Researchers designing and testing the 'classroom of the future' have found that multi-touch, multi-user desks can boost skills in mathematics.
New results from a 3-year project working with over 400 pupils, mostly 8-10 year olds, show that collaborative learning increases both fluency and flexibility in maths. It also shows that using an interactive 'smart'...
Filtering spam: New method to rid inboxes of unsolicited email
- 20 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 20, 2012) Once upon a time, Spam came in a can and could be easily avoided. Nowadays, spam plagues email inboxes around the world, hawking miracle pills and enticing the gullible with tales of offshore bank accounts containing untold fortunes.
These once text-based email infiltrators have recently turned high-tech, using layers of images to fool automatic filters. Thanks to some sophisticated new cyber-sleuthing, researchers at Concordia University's...
These once text-based email infiltrators have recently turned high-tech, using layers of images to fool automatic filters. Thanks to some sophisticated new cyber-sleuthing, researchers at Concordia University's...
A more peaceful world awaits, statistical analysis suggests
- 19 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 19, 2012) Statistical analyses show that the world will be more peaceful in the future. In about 40 years only half as many countries will be in conflict. The decrease will be greatest in the Middle East.
In 1992, almost every fourth country was involved in an armed conflict. In 2009, that proportion had fallen to every sixth country. In 2050, only every twelfth country will be involved in a conflict. In other words, half as many again. This is indicated...
In 1992, almost every fourth country was involved in an armed conflict. In 2009, that proportion had fallen to every sixth country. In 2050, only every twelfth country will be involved in a conflict. In other words, half as many again. This is indicated...
Scientists pioneer method to predict environmental collapse
- 19 November 2012
- Editor
Researcher Enlou Zhang takes a core sample from the bed of Lake Erhai in China. (Credit: University of Southampton)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 19, 2012) Scientists at the University of Southampton are pioneering a technique to predict when an ecosystem is likely to collapse, which may also have potential for foretelling crises in agriculture, fisheries or even social systems.
The researchers have applied a mathematical model to a real world situation, the...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 19, 2012) Scientists at the University of Southampton are pioneering a technique to predict when an ecosystem is likely to collapse, which may also have potential for foretelling crises in agriculture, fisheries or even social systems.
The researchers have applied a mathematical model to a real world situation, the...
New model reveals how huddling penguins share heat fairly
- 17 November 2012
- Editor
Group of young magellan penguins, Falkland Islands. (Credit: © lisastrachan / Fotolia)
TechAndComputer (Nov. 16, 2012) Penguins that face the bitter cold and icy winds of Antarctica often huddle together in large groups for warmth during storms. Mathematicians at the University of California, Merced created a model of penguin huddles that assumes each penguin aims solely to minimize its own heat loss. Surprisingly, the model reveals that such self-centered...
TechAndComputer (Nov. 16, 2012) Penguins that face the bitter cold and icy winds of Antarctica often huddle together in large groups for warmth during storms. Mathematicians at the University of California, Merced created a model of penguin huddles that assumes each penguin aims solely to minimize its own heat loss. Surprisingly, the model reveals that such self-centered...
Pursuing problematic polymers
- 16 November 2012
- Editor
TechAndComputer (Nov. 16, 2012) "You look at the material world and see objects and how you can use them. I look at the material world and see a fascinating hidden life which is within our control, if we can only understand how it works," says Jane Lipson, the Albert W. Smith Professor of Chemistry at Dartmouth. Lipson looks at things from the point of view of both a chemist and a physicist. "What I do lies between the two sciences, and there is some engineering thrown in there, too,"...