Today on New Scientist: 3 December 2012

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Screening athletes for heart problems much too pricey

The cost of screening all US athletes for heart abnormalities could reach $10 million per life saved - providing defibrillators everywhere may be better



Beyond boiling, bubbles vanish when the heat is up

See what happens inside a kettle when liquid overheats, creating a boiling crisis



2012 Flash Fiction shortlist: Digital Eyes

From scores of science-inspired stories, our judge has narrowed down a fantastic shortlist. Story one of five: Digital Eyes by Tamara Rogers



3D print yourself something big, piece by piece

A new software tool called Chopper breaks big objects into smaller ones that can be printed out of a home 3D printer



North Korean rocket launch will heighten missile fears

Despite doubts over its capabilities, North Korea intends to launch a long-range rocket this month, heightening tensions with its neighbours



Before the big bang: something or nothing

Has the cosmos existed forever, or did something bring it into existence? Time to grapple with the universe's greatest mystery, says Marcus Chown



Algerian oases: Earth with its living skin pulled away

These Algerian oases start looking like footprints on a beach as they stretch out toward the horizon, but the water's underground, not up ahead



Dyson patents the tap that also dries your hands

Why should washrooms have more sinks than hand dryers? A novel patent answers that thorny question



Personality disorder revamp ends in 'horrible waste'

Patients will be the losers as the American Psychiatric Association fails to endorse a new way of diagnosing debilitating personality problems



Elon Musk: Mars base will open the way to other stars

The SpaceX founder says he'd like to "die on Mars". Why the obsession with going to the Red Planet?



Tiny tug of war in cells underpins life

The minuscule forces that allow cells to divide in a teeny tug of war have been measured for the first time



Weaver ants help flowers get the best pollinator

The Singapore rhododendron is the first flower found to recruit ants to chase small bee varieties - which make poor pollinators - away




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US calls Israel to 'reconsider' settlements decision

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WASHINGTON: The United States called on Israel Monday to "reconsider" a decision to allow 3,000 more homes for Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

"We urge Israeli leaders to reconsider these unilateral decisions and exercise restraint as these actions are counter-productive and make it harder to resume direct negotiations," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

His comments came amid intensifying international pressure on Israel in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision last week.

The areas opened for settlement construction included E1, a corridor east of Jerusalem where Jewish settlements would effectively split the occupied West Bank, further complicating the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.

The State Department warned in an earlier statement that the E1 area "is particularly sensitive and construction there would be especially damaging to efforts to achieve a two-state solution."

Israel announced the decision on settlements after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade the Palestinian status to a UN observer state, over vehement Israeli and US objections.

A source in Netanyahu's office said Israel would not bend to the international pressure.

- AFP/fa



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Real-life Pixar lamp wants to play hide-and-seek

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Pinokio

The Pinokio lamp plays hide-and-seek.



(Credit:
Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)


When I see a cute critter like Fizzgig or an Ewok in a movie, I want to take it home with me. I get the same feeling when I see Pixar's sweet Luxo Jr. lamp mascot. It's like a little metal puppy you want to hold on your lap and take care of.


The sprightly lamp has now hopped out of the screen and into the real world thanks to a project created at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand by Adam Ben-Dror, Joss Doggett, and Shanshan Zhou. This lamp is black, rather than white like Luxo Jr. The project is called Pinokio and the lamp is imaginatively named "Lamp."


Pinokio uses six servos, a Webcam, and Arduino to track human faces, play hide-and-seek, hear sounds, and try really hard to get your attention.



The project's description includes this explanation: "Pinokio is an exploration into the expressive and behavioural potentials of robotic computing." That may sound a little dry, but what it really means is that humans don't require fluffy fur and a heartbeat to get all mushy about something.


The lamp's movements and ability to interact with people imbues the cold metal gadget with a puppy-like charm. Pinokio's hide-and-seek skills are on par with a baby's, which somehow makes the lamp even more adorable.


I would love to have a Pinokio on my desk, but I'm afraid I would feel guilty if I neglected it. Plus, my cats would get jealous.



(Via io9)


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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea

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Kate Middleton Is Pregnant, in Hospital

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Kate Middleton is pregnant.


The most eagerly awaited pregnancy was announced today by St. James Palace on behalf of Middleton and her husband Prince William.


The child, whether boy or girl, will eventually be heir to the British throne according to new legislation awaiting final approval.


The duchess was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital today in central London with hyperemesis gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which requires supplementary hydration and nutrients, the palace said.


Prince William is by his wife's side at the hospital, according to Britain's Press Association.


Click here for photos of Kate through the years.


"As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter," the statement said.


The royal family was clearly delighted with the news.


"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby," the palace said in a statement today. "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."


British Prime Minister David Cameron also reacted to the big news, telling BBC, "It's absolutely wonderful news and I'm sure everyone around the country will be celebrating with them tonight."


The prime minister told BBC that he found out when "I was handed a note in a meeting. And I have to say, it was difficult to keep it a secret."


The baby will be the queen's third great-grandchild.






Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images











Kate Middleton Pregnant, Admitted to Hospital Watch Video









Click here to vote for a royal name for a royal baby.


Robert Lacey, author of the definitive book "Majesty" said, "The British public and indeed the whole world will be delighted for the same, it keeps the monarchy going. The royal wedding brought a magic back to the monarchy and people are fascinated by William and Catherine."


The announcement follows relentless public and media speculation about when Prince William and his wife would have an heir. The guessing game began almost immediately after the couple said, "I do."


Click here for an interactive look at William and Kate's love story.


Tabloids began snapping close-ups of Middleton's stomach for any indication of a baby bump. Baby rumors abounded when the duchess held a baby at a press event and when she declined peanut butter at another event. British physicians are known to warn women against eating peanuts during pregnancy. When the couple got a dog, Lupo, headlines wondered if they were practicing for another addition to the family.


Click here for more on royal heirs around the world.


The palace, which rarely comments on speculation, took the unusual step of saying, "We would be the ones to make the announcement, not Hollywood."


"It is quite strange reading about it, but I try not to let it bother me," Prince William said in an interview with ABC News' Katie Couric in May 2012. "I'm just very keen to have a family and both Catherine and I are looking forward to having a family in the future."


Asked by Couric if there was anything else he wanted to share, he coyly answered, "You won't get anything out of me. Tight lipped."


Due to a dramatic change in the rules of succession, the royal couple's first-born will likely be the heir to the throne, regardless of the baby's gender.


Last year, the heads of 16 Commonwealth countries agreed to a change in the rules of succession so that first-born children of either gender can take the throne. Queen Elizabeth II was only eligible to be monarch because her father had no male children. The British Parliament must still amend existing law to make the succession change official.


"Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen," British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters in 2011.


Royal babies have typically been born within one year of marriage. Princess Diana gave birth to William just 11 months after her wedding and the queen gave birth to Prince Charles six days before her first wedding anniversary.


Prince William and Kate were married on April 29, 2011.


William, who has long been known for making privacy a priority, will now be faced with the inevitable fascination with his first child. And the scrutiny will doubtless be familiar to him.






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Tiny tug of war in cells underpins life

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TUG of war could well be the oldest game in the world. Cells use it for division, and now researchers have measured the forces involved when an amoeba plays the game.












Hirokazu Tanimoto and Masaki Sano at the University of Tokyo, Japan, studied what happens during the division of Dictyostelium - a slime mould that has barely changed through eons of evolution. The amoeba uses tiny projections or "feet" to gain traction on a surface.












The pair placed the amoeba on a flexible surface embedded with fluorescent beads. They used traction force microscopy to measure how the organism deformed the pattern of beads: the greater the deformation, the greater the force.












Dictyostelium normally exerts a force of about 10 nanonewtons when it moves, but the pair found this roughly doubles during division. That's because the cell uses its feet to pull itself in opposite directions, as if playing tug of war with itself.












The forces involved are about 100 billion times smaller than those used in the human form of the game, Tanimoto says (Physical Review Letters, in press).


















































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Football: Norwich beat Sunderland to extend unbeaten run

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NORWICH, United Kingdom: Norwich City extended their unbeaten run to eight Premier League games with a 2-1 win at home to Sunderland on Sunday that left the visitors just a point above the relegation zone.

Goals from Sebastien Bassong and Anthony Pilkington put Norwich 2-0 up and although Craig Gardner replied before half-time, Martin O'Neill's side could not find an equaliser despite a spate of second-half opportunities.

Sunderland remain one place above the bottom three, albeit with a game in hand on most of the teams around them, while Chris Hughton's Norwich climb one place to 12th.

Beaten only once in their previous seven home games, Norwich began brightly at Carrow Road and went ahead in the eighth minute.

Robert Snodgrass' inswinging free-kick glanced off the arm of Sunderland defender Carlos Cuellar and into the path of Bassong, who charged in to volley past Simon Mignolet from close range.

Sunderland threatened through Danny Rose, whose low strike from a corner forced a smart save from Mark Bunn, but in the 37th minute, the hosts doubled their lead with a neat goal.

Bradley Johnson's pass released Pilkington and he showed excellent composure to flick the ball inside Cuellar before curling a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Sunderland were floundering, but they grabbed a lifeline on the cusp of half-time when Gardner beat Bunn with a 20-yard shot from Adam Johnson's lay-off.

Pilkington stung Mignolet's palms with an ambitious volley early in the second half but Sunderland were soon pressing their hosts back in search of an equaliser.

Their best chance arrived just before the hour, with defender Matt Kilgallon spooning the ball over an open goal from 10 yards after Gardner's swerving 25-yard free-kick came back off the post.

Javier Garrido then had to hack a Gardner effort clear from just in front of the Norwich goal, while Bunn saved from Stephane Sessegnon, who also flashed an overhead kick wide.

Sunderland substitute Connor Wickham, a half-time replacement for injured top scorer Steven Fletcher, then had the ball in the net, only for his celebrations to be cut short by the assistant referee's flag.

- AFP/fa



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Kids, here's 3D proof that Santa exists

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See, he's coming.



(Credit:
NORADTracksSanta/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)


Dear Children of the World,


I have a very important message for you.


A few days ago, a man in Kingston, Ontario, (look it up) turned up at the annual Santa Claus parade and began shouting that Santa doesn't exist.


I know, I know. He must have been a really, really mean man. Or just really crazy. Or he'd been at Dad's tequila.


You'll be pleased to know that he was arrested. However, I wonder if some of you might have lost a little sleep, scared that maybe Santa was really Uncle Jim in a silly red suit -- or, worse, an invention of a marketing company.


So I'm here to bring you good news: living proof that Santa is real and lives far, far away.


You see, from Christmas Eve at 2 a.m. EST (that's Eastern Santa Time), you'll be able to use 2D and 3D tracking maps to follow Santa's progress, as he descends among us, loaded with
iPad Minis,
Nokia Lumia 920s and two BlackBerrys for Auntie Janice the actuary.


All you have to do is go to NoradSanta.org and pan and zoom around Santa's incredible journey.



More Technically Incorrect



This amazing service is brought to you in conjunction with Analytical Graphics, whose very clever people really want you to get a complete picture of Santa, so that no miserable Canadian can never again try to tell you he doesn't exist.


Those of you whose dads and moms work at Google and Apple (so you hardly ever see them) will be wondering how these clever people can track Santa all the way from the North Pole.


Well, NORAD has placed Santa Cams all over the world, so that you will never, ever miss a thing.


Some of you -- the really insistent ones who can't help asking questions -- will be wondering who these NORAD people are.


You know that lovely song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"? Yes, the one recorded by everyone from Mariah Carey to Justin Bieber to Bruce Springsteen.


Do you remember how the song begins: "You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, Better not pout, I'm telling you why"?


Well, NORAD are the people who, every day of the year, sing to the rest of the world: "You'd better watch out."


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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea

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Geithner on Fiscal Cliff: Ball Is in GOP's Court

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abc timothy geithner jp 121130 wblog Timothy Geithner on the Fiscal Cliff: The Ball Is in the GOPs Court

(ABC News)


With the fiscal cliff looming and no deal to resolve it in sight, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner expressed confidence that a compromise could be reached during my interview with him on “This Week,” but said the burden is now on Republicans to help find a solution to avoid a potential economic crisis.


(More from Sunday’s show HERE.)


“I actually think that we’re gonna get there. I mean, you know, just inevitably gonna be a little political theater in this context,” Geithner said, when asked whether Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell laughed after hearing President Obama’s plan to avert the fiscal cliff. ”Sometimes that’s a sign of progress. Think we’re actually making a little bit of progress, but we’re still some distance apart.”


Echoing widespread Republican rejection of the White House’s proposal last week, House Speaker John Boehner said after meeting with Geithner that ” the White House has to get serious.”


“And at this point though — you gotta recognize that they’re in a very difficult place. And they recognize they’re gonna have to move on a bunch of things.  But they don’t know really how to do it yet. And how to get support from the — from the members on the Republican side,” he said, adding later that the proverbial ball was “absolutely” in the GOP court. “And, you know, when they come back to us and say, ‘We’d like you to consider this.  And we’d like you to consider that,’ we’ll take a look at that.”


Geithner — who met with top GOP leaders this week to present the White House’s proposal to end the fiscal standoff — predicted support from “the business community” and “from the American people” for a deal approximating the one being offered, which reportedly includes tax hikes on the wealthy, cuts to Medicare and some stimulus spending.


However, if there is no agreement by the end of the year, the treasury secretary told me going over the cliff would be “very damaging.”


“Look, there’s a huge amount at stake here in this economy, George.  And there’s just no reason why 98 percent of Americans have to see their taxes go up because some members of Congress on the Republican side want to block tax rate increases for 2 percent of the wealthiest Americans.  Remember, those tax rates, those tax cuts, cost a trillion dollars over 10 years,” he said.


Geithner said the White House plan offered a “good mix” of increased taxes and spending cuts. He also added that Social Security reform would not be part of the discussion to resolve the fiscal cliff.


“We think we have a very good plan, a very good mix of tax reforms that raise a modest amount of revenue on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, combined with very comprehensive, very well designed, very detailed savings that get us back to the point where our debt is stable and sustainable,” he said. “We’re prepared to, in a separate process, look at how to strengthen Social Security.  But not as part of a process to reduce the other deficits the country faces,” he said.


Finally, with Geithner wrapping up his time in the president’s cabinet, I asked him if banking executive Jamie Dimon – who has  billionaire Warren Buffett’s endorsement — should be named the next treasury secretary, but Geithner declined to answer directly.


“George, the president’s gonna choose somebody very talented to lead the Treasury for his next four years.  And– I’m very fortunate I’ve been able to work with him to help solve these problems in the country over this period of time.  And I’m very confident he’s gonna have somebody in place– in January to succeed me,” he said.


Like “This Week” on Facebook here. You can also follow the show on Twitter here.


Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com

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