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Tree-rings could reset key dates across the ancient world

Anthony Watts
Watts Up With That?
Wed, 17 Aug 2016 01:12 UTC
Tree Rings
© Wikimedia Commons
Trees which grew during intense radiation bursts in the past have 'time-markers' in their tree-rings that could help archaeologists date events from thousands of years ago

Oxford University researchers say that trees which grew during intense radiation bursts in the past have 'time-markers' in their tree-rings that could help archaeologists date events from thousands of years ago. In a new paper, the authors explain how harvesting such data could revolutionise the study of ancient civilisations such as the Egyptian and Mayan worlds.

Until now scholars have had only vague evidence for dating when events happened during the earliest periods of civilisation, with estimates being within hundreds of years.

However, the unusually high levels of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 found in tree-rings laid down during the radiation bursts could help reliably pinpoint dates.

The distinct spikes act as time-markers like secret clocks contained in timber, papyri, baskets made from living plants or other organic materials, says the paper published in the Royal Society Journal Proceedings A.

Scholars believe that intense solar storms caused major bursts of radiation to strike the Earth in 775 and 994AD, which resulted in distinct spikes in the concentration of radiocarbon in trees growing at that time. The events are precisely datable because the tree-rings belong to archives in which the growth year of each tree-ring is exactly known. In the new research, the authors outline how they could detect similar spikes elsewhere within the thousands of years of available tree-ring material from across the world. They say even a handful of these time-markers could allow them to piece together a reliable dating framework for important civilisations.
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Info

Microsoft joins forces with Israel so Army can use HoloLens on the virtual battlefield


Sputnik
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 19:14 UTC
Microsoft HoloLens
© AFP 2016/ Freek van den Bergh
The Israeli Army has bought two HoloLens virtual reality headsets from Microsoft for the use of battlefield commanders, to help give them the edge against the enemy.

Major Rotem Bashi, the Israeli Army's commander of programming at its C2 Systems Department, said there are numerous practical applications for so-called augmented reality during war.

The technology has been thrust into the spotlight this summer, with the advent of the viral hit sensation Pokemon Go, which layers virtual Pokemon characters on top of real environments seen through the player's phone camera.
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Satellite

China launches first quantum communications satellite - theoretically hack-proof


RT
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:42 UTC
satellite launch
© CCTV America / YouTube
The world's first quantum communications satellite has been launched into orbit aboard a Long March-2D rocket. The main task of the Chinese satellite is to potentially secure communications in an age of cyberattacks and global electronic surveillance.

The 600+kg Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gobi Desert at 1:40am local time on a two-year mission on Tuesday.

Nicknamed 'Micius', in honor of the 5th century BC Chinese philosopher and scientist, QUESS will be positioned at sun-synchronous orbit, some 600km (373 miles) above the Earth at an angle of 97.79 degrees, allowing it circle our planet once every 90 minutes.

"The newly-launched satellite marks a transition in China's role - from a follower in classic information technology (IT) development to one of the leaders guiding future IT achievements," said Pan Jianwei, chief scientist of QUESS project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as quoted by Xinhua.

Comment: Further reading:

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People

New study finds generosity is linked to specific part of brain


RT
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:36 UTC
brain MRI scans
© Ueslei Marcelino / Reuters
While it may seem that generosity comes straight from the heart, a new study suggests otherwise. The research found that a person's desire to be good to others is down to their brain's wiring.

Scientists from Oxford University and University College London (UCL) used an MRI machine to locate the part of the brain that is responsible for making some people more generous than others.

Thirty-one participants with an average age of 23 were scanned by the machine. During that process, the participants then used a computer game that linked different symbols to cash prizes that either went to the player or to one of the study's other participants, according to New Scientist.

The researchers found that while people easily learn to make choices to benefit other people, they learn to benefit themselves even faster.

But when people were in the mindset to help other people, the scientists found that one specific part of the brain - the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex - was activated.

However, that region of the brain wasn't equally active in each person. Instead, empathetic people were found to have more activity.

Comment: See also:

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Moon

NASA building 'deep space habitats' near the moon


RT
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:45 UTC
Concept image of Boeing's prototype habitation module
© Boeing / NASA
Concept image of Boeing's prototype habitation module.
It's not quite the Star Trek Enterprise but NASA has revealed it's developing "deep space habitats," which will house astronauts in outer space in the future.

The space agency's NextSTEP-2 program, which has a budget of around $65 million, aims to both advance the commercial development of space while also allowing for the further exploration of deep space.

The hope is for the habitats to support missions in the area of space near the moon, which will be the testing ground for trips to Mars.
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Nebula

US physicists say possible 5th force of nature discovered


RT
Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:33 UTC
Galaxy
© NASA
Scientists are ecstatic over the fact that they may have just discovered the fifth fundamental force of nature. The possible discovery of a previously-unknown subatomic particle looks set to finally bring the elusive dark matter into the mix.

The discovery centers on a new type of boson that possesses characteristics previously unseen in particles. Furthermore, its existence casts doubt upon whether the known 'sector' of matter and particles exists alongside a 'dark' sector - both interacting with each other via another, unseen force.

"If true, it's revolutionary," said Jonathan Feng, professor of physics & astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, in a press release.

"For decades, we've known of four fundamental forces: gravitation, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. If confirmed by further experiments, this discovery of a possible fifth force would completely change our understanding of the universe, with consequences for the unification of forces and dark matter."
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Bug

Shift workers may be more prone to infections

Bill Condie
Cosmos
Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:40 UTC
Circadian Virus
© Craddock Tony/Getty Images
The time of day we are exposed to a virus may affect how we respond to it and how sick we become, a new study by scientists at the University of Cambridge has found.

The research could explain why shift workers appear more prone to infections and chronic disease than regular daytime workers.

"The time of day of infection can have a major influence on how susceptible we are to the disease, or at least on the viral replication, meaning that infection at the wrong time of day could cause a much more severe acute infection," said Akhilesh Reddy, senior author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This is consistent with recent studies which have shown that the time of day that the influenza vaccine is administered can influence how effectively it works."

Circadian rhythms - our body clocks - control many of our bodily functions including our immune systems and the release of hormones.

That means that resources available to cope with a viral infection vary during the course of a day.

To test the impact of this on the progression of infection, the researchers put a group of mice in a controlled environment where they lived 12 hours in daylight and 12 hours in the dark.

They then infected the mice with the herpes virus at different times of the day, measuring levels of virus infection and spread.
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Hearts

13 out of 15 dogs agree: Luvvies are better than treats

Rachael Lallensack
Science
Fri, 12 Aug 2016 14:28 UTC
dogs
© Gregory Berns
When training dogs, a pat on the head may be more effective than a treat. A new study suggests that most dogs respond more positively to praise than to food. Researchers scanned (pictured) the brains of 15 dogs of various breeds while presenting objects paired with rewards. For example, after the scientists showed the canines a toy car, their owners would praise them. In other tests, the researchers gave the dogs a toy horse and a piece of hot dog. The scans revealed that when praised, 13 of the dogs showed equal or greater levels of brain activity in the region that controls decision-making and signals rewards than when they received food, the scientists will report in an upcoming issue of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

In a follow-up test, the team set up a Y-shaped maze with the dogs' owners on one side and a bowl of treats on the other. Although most of the canines preferred to go the direction of their owner for a belly rub, the dogs that showed a greater reaction to food in the scanner consistently chose food in the maze. The scientists suggest using brain scans to determine preference could be used to improve the way service jobs are assigned to working dogs. Therapy jobs with close human contact might better suit dogs that have a higher preference for praise, whereas dogs that don't could succeed in more independent roles like search and rescue, where receiving a treat after a job well done would keep them motivated. At the very least, the study supports how important social interaction is to dogs—and provides a healthier alternative to treats, too.
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Airplane

Atmospheric scientists drop shocking bombshell: Chemtrails aren't real!

Anthony Watts
Watts Up With That
Fri, 12 Aug 2016 19:24 UTC
contrails chemtrails
© Mick West
A commercial airliner produces a condensation trail in the skies over California.
The world's leading atmospheric scientists overwhelmingly deny the existence of a secret, elite-driven plot to release harmful chemicals into the air from high-flying aircraft, according to the first peer-reviewed journal paper to address the "chemtrails" conspiracy theory.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the Carnegie Institution for Science and the nonprofit Near Zero organization asked 77 atmospheric chemists and geochemists if they had come across evidence of such a large-scale spraying program, and 76 responded that they had not. The survey results were published Wednesday in Environmental Research Letters.

Heat from aircraft engines produces condensation trails that can be clearly seen from the ground. A small but vocal segment of the population firmly believes that these are composed not merely of condensed water vapor but of chemicals and elements such as strontium, barium and aluminum that powerful, high-level entities have been intentionally and covertly releasing into the atmosphere for decades.

They find the increased number and lingering presence of these aerial streaks suspicious and claim to have identified toxic substances in soil and water samples.
"The chemtrails conspiracy theory maps pretty closely to the origin and growth of the internet, where you can still find a number of websites that promote this particular brand of pseudoscience," said study co-author Steven Davis, UCI associate professor of Earth system science. "Our survey found little agreement in the scientific community with claims that the government, the military, airlines and others are colluding in a widespread, nefarious program to poison the planet from the skies."
The belief in chemtrails parallels increasing public distrust of elites and social institutions, according to earlier social science research. To those convinced, the chemicals are sprayed to regulate the food supply, control human population and/or manipulate weather patterns. In recent years, the theory has expanded to include government-sponsored geoengineering to mitigate climate change.

Comment: There are plenty of conspiracy theories that compete for the greatest lack of credibility, rationality and substance. 'Crisis actors', 'Elvis is alive and partying in Graceland', 'Putin did it', and 'the moon is actually cheese' all vie for first place in the most absurd conspiracy theory competition, but the chemtrail movement is also a fierce competitor not to be forgotten!

In case anyone missed these Sott Focus pieces on chemtrails, be sure to check them out:

Chemtrails, Disinformation and the Sixth Extinction
Chemtrails? Contrails? Strange Skies

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Gingerbread

New - for authoritarian followers! The smart stick-on tattoo that can monitor your alcohol levels - and even call police if you're over the limit!

Mark Prigg
Daily Mail
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 17:57 UTC
flexible patch
© Wang Lab
The flexible patch can detect a person's blood-alcohol level from their sweat. It can even message doctors and even police if the wearer drinks too much!
A new smart stick on tattoo will be able to monitor exactly how much a person is drinking.

The flexible patch can detect a person's blood-alcohol level from their sweat.

It can even message doctors and even police if the wearer drinks too much.

The monitor, reported in the journal ACS Sensors, works quickly and can send results wirelessly to a smartphone or other device.

Recent research has demonstrated that sweat can be a more reliable real-time indicator of blood alcohol content.

At least two transdermal sensors have been developed to measure alcohol levels in sweat, but users have to wait up to 2 hours for results.

Comment: Yet another ostensibly "useful" piece of technology that further encourages individuals to rely on outside authority to keep people safe - from themselves.

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