The US military has given the first public display of what it says is a revolutionary heat-ray weapon to repel enemies or disperse hostile crowds.
The gun - called Silent Guardian - projects an invisible high energy beam that produces a sudden burning feeling, but is actually harmless.
The beam can be fired as far as 500m (550 yards), much further than existing non-lethal weapons like rubber bullets.
The gun should be in use by the US military within three years.
Science & Technology
An astonishing collection of fossil animals from southern Australia is reported by scientists.
The creatures were found in limestone caves under Nullarbor Plain and date from about 400,000-800,000 years ago.
The creatures were found in limestone caves under Nullarbor Plain and date from about 400,000-800,000 years ago.
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| ©WAM |
| The discovery of the complete Thylacoleo skeleton attracted international media interest when it was first announced in 2002. |
Comment: They seem to be missing some data on global cyclical cataclysms as a cause for extinction - hmmm - wonder why that is?
At last, scientists claim to have found a link between our satellite and human behaviour - like how it governs the size of your dinner
A 5,000-year-old Semitic text dealing with magical spells and snakes has been deciphered from an ancient Egyptian pyramid inscription, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced Monday.
The texts, which were first discovered a century ago in a 24th Century BCE Egyptian pyramid, are the earliest continuous Semitic texts ever to have been deciphered, said Semitic languages Prof. Richard Steiner of New York's Yeshiva University in a premiere presentation at the Hebrew University.
The passages, serpent spells written in hieroglyphic characters, are estimated to have been written between the 25th to the 30th centuries BCE.
The texts, which were first discovered a century ago in a 24th Century BCE Egyptian pyramid, are the earliest continuous Semitic texts ever to have been deciphered, said Semitic languages Prof. Richard Steiner of New York's Yeshiva University in a premiere presentation at the Hebrew University.
The passages, serpent spells written in hieroglyphic characters, are estimated to have been written between the 25th to the 30th centuries BCE.
A year-long quest to identify the worst sound in the world ended yesterday with top honours going to the backdrop of market town Britain on a Saturday night: a person vomiting. The sound, recreated for acoustics experts by an actor with a bucket of diluted baked beans, won out over fingers being dragged down a blackboard, a dentist's drill and wailing babies in an online study that attracted 1.1m votes from around the world.
Microphone feedback, crying babies and the scrapes and squeaks of a train on a track ranked second and joint third, with a cat howling and mobile phone ringtones coming joint 12th and snoring an unexpectedly low 26th.
Microphone feedback, crying babies and the scrapes and squeaks of a train on a track ranked second and joint third, with a cat howling and mobile phone ringtones coming joint 12th and snoring an unexpectedly low 26th.
Future lunar astronauts could be harmed by X-ray outbursts from the Sun that occur without warning and can deliver dangerous doses of radiation in just a few minutes, a new study says. The researchers suggest that lunar rovers be equipped with metal shields that astronauts could duck behind during such events.
NASA has long recognised that protons and other particles spewed out by solar flares pose a threat to astronaut safety, but particles are relatively easy to block with layers of polyethylene.
NASA has long recognised that protons and other particles spewed out by solar flares pose a threat to astronaut safety, but particles are relatively easy to block with layers of polyethylene.
Oil refineries and power stations pumping acid air pollutants along Mexico's Gulf coast threaten to erase carved stone murals at the pre-Aztec ruined city of El Tajin, a scientist said on Sunday.
Air pollution specialist Humberto Bravo said acid levels in the air around El Tajin, in oil producing Veracruz state, were among the highest in Mexico.
El Tajin's architecture is famous for intricate reliefs, many depicting an ancient Mesoamerican ball game sometimes compared to basketball.
Air pollution specialist Humberto Bravo said acid levels in the air around El Tajin, in oil producing Veracruz state, were among the highest in Mexico.
El Tajin's architecture is famous for intricate reliefs, many depicting an ancient Mesoamerican ball game sometimes compared to basketball.
In President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night, odds are he will make reference to insurgents, perhaps more than once.
President Bush, though, would be only the latest U.S. chief to give the word major airtime. In his 1861 State of the Union, President Lincoln decried "insurgents in open rebellion to loyal citizens who are even now making great sacrifices," a line that could be borrowed for tomorrow night's address.
Plenty more interesting observations can be made by following the evolution of major presidential speeches, and you don't need to be a history buff to come up with your own.
President Bush, though, would be only the latest U.S. chief to give the word major airtime. In his 1861 State of the Union, President Lincoln decried "insurgents in open rebellion to loyal citizens who are even now making great sacrifices," a line that could be borrowed for tomorrow night's address.
Plenty more interesting observations can be made by following the evolution of major presidential speeches, and you don't need to be a history buff to come up with your own.
Just a year after it was dispatched on the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the APL-built New Horizons spacecraft is on the doorstep of the solar system's largest planet - about to swing past Jupiter and pick up even more speed on its voyage toward the unexplored regions of the planetary frontier.
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| ©NASA |
| This image was taken on Jan. 8, 2007, with the New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), while the spacecraft was about 81 million kilometers (about 50 million miles) from Jupiter. Jupiter's volcanic moon Io is to the right; the planet's Great Red Spot is also visible. The image was one of 11 taken during the Jan. 8 approach sequence, which signaled the opening of the New Horizons Jupiter encounter. (Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) |
GHOST hunters are trying to unravel the secrets of haunted Swindon.
Dave Wood and his team of paranormal investigators visited the Jolly Tar pub in Hannington on Sunday to try and find an explanation behind some mysterious sightings.
Dave said: "Two unusual figures have been reported in the public bar, who looked out of place. One, a man, was seen walking out of the fireplace in the main bar. Another figure, a lady was seen, and then not seen a split second later.
Dave Wood and his team of paranormal investigators visited the Jolly Tar pub in Hannington on Sunday to try and find an explanation behind some mysterious sightings.
Dave said: "Two unusual figures have been reported in the public bar, who looked out of place. One, a man, was seen walking out of the fireplace in the main bar. Another figure, a lady was seen, and then not seen a split second later.
Comment: Might be handy for Texans 'herding cattle' too. Good job its "harmless", one wouldn't want to damage the livestock.