wired.com: By Alexis Madrigal

Physics may be the furthest thing from the minds of the presidential candidates right now, but a solid grasp of the science behind some of the latest headlines will be critical for the winner.

Physics has a history of intersecting with politics in ways both large and small, from the creation of the atomic bomb to nuclear meltdowns to terrorist methods. And now, with more specialized, high-tech issues to tackle than ever before, it is increasingly important that world leaders have an understanding of the underlying scientific concepts. [ read more ]

wired.com: By Alexis Madrigal

When geologists wanted a better look at a Yosemite rock face in years past, they only had one option: climb the cliff.
But now, thanks to super-high resolution gigapixel images created by a team of 70 photographers using GigaPan robotic imagers and a laser-mapping airplane, park geologist Greg Stock now has unprecedented access to the geological features of one of the world’s most famous parks. And all from the comfort of his laptop.

[ read more ]

newscientist.com: Paul Marks

The latest request from the Pentagon jars the senses. At least, it did mine. They are looking for contractors to provide a “Multi-Robot Pursuit System” that will let packs of robots “search for and detect a non-cooperative human”.

One thing that really bugs defence chiefs is having their troops diverted from other duties to control robots. So having a pack of them controlled by one person makes logistical sense. But I’m concerned about where this technology will end up. [ read more ]

cnn.com: By Mike Steere

Space travel, security threats and increasing passenger numbers are forcing major changes in the way airports are designed.
Elegant space: the interior of the proposed Virgin Galactic spaceport in New Mexico

In fact, when discussing the future of the airport it is now appropriate to consider both conventional air travel hubs we are familiar with, as well as the imminent ’spaceports’. [ read more ]

seedmagazine.com: by Moheb Costandi

Neuroaesthetics promises to reinvigorate science’s search for a theory of beauty.

Why is something beautiful? David Hume argued that beauty exists not in things but “in the mind that contemplates them.” And everyone has at some point heard the old saw that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But Plato had a fanciful answer made to argue for a universal truth: In his world of forms, he claimed there existed a perfect Form of Beauty, which was imperfectly manifested in what we call beautiful. Despite the allure of Plato’s metaphorical claim, students of aesthetics have struggled to substantiate it. Evolutionary psychologists have argued that there exist quantifiable, describable, universal aspects to the human capacity for appreciating beautiful forms, perhaps originating in our ancestors’ experience on African savannas or in the need to find suitable mates. They have not solved the problem. However, recent work by several researchers at University College London?—?including the establishment of the first major grant-driven research program for the neurobiological investigation of aesthetics, or neuroaesthetics?—?has made the first steps toward a unified biocultural theory of art. [ read more ]

seedmagazine.com: by Greg Downey

An image said to reveal an “unknown” tribe instead exposes a history of our ignorance and greed.

For three days in May, officials from Brazil’s National Foundation of the Indian, a protection agency for the country’s indigenous people, aerially surveyed the remote Amazon rainforest near Peru, scouring breaks in the dense canopy, searching the clearings for signs of isolated tribes. Led by veteran Indian expert José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles and guided by his GPS waypoints, the team spied huts and other signs of life, but no people. Then, in the final hours of the final day, their small Cessna flew over a clearing where people stood looking skyward. The team’s photographer, Gleison Miranda, quickly snapped several images before the plane returned. [ read more ]

livescience.com: By Clara Moskowitz

If the notion of dark energy sounds improbable, get ready for an even more outlandish suggestion.

Earth may be trapped in an abnormal bubble of space-time that is particularly void of matter. Scientists say this condition could account for the apparent acceleration of the universe’s expansion, for which dark energy currently is the leading explanation. [ read more ]

wired.com: By Charlie Sorrel

This could be the 2008 sartorial equivalent of that 1980s classic, the Piano Tie, but it is certainly a lot more useful. Researchers at Iowa State University have glued solar panels onto the symbol of male corporate oppression and hooked it up to a Nokia phone, which sits in a handy pocket at the back of the tie. [ read more ]

seedmagazine.com: by Peter Ward

If almost every species on Earth was killed some 250 million years ago, how did our ancient ancestors survive and evolve into us?

In the deep history of our planet, there have been at least five short intervals in which the majority of living species suddenly went extinct. Biologists are used to thinking about how environmental pressures slowly select the organisms most fit for survival through natural selection, shaping life on Earth like an artist sculpting clay. However, mass extinctions are drastic examples of natural selection at its most ruthless, killing off vast numbers of species at one time in a way that is hardly typical of evolution. [ read more ]

newscientist.com: By Catherine Brahic

Even Jules Verne did not foresee this one. Deep down at the very bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, geochemist Andrea Koschinsky has found something truly extraordinary: “It’s water,” she says, “but not as we know it.”

At over 3 kilometres beneath the surface, sitting atop what could be a huge bubble of magma, it’s the hottest water ever found on Earth. The fluid is in a “supercritical” state that has never before been seen in nature.

The fluid spews out of two black smokers called Two Boats and Sisters Peak. [ read more ]