Tech News 2/12/10
TED 2010: Death Star Laser Gun Zaps Mosquitoes Dead
LONG BEACH, California — If Microsoft founder Bill Gates unleashes more mosquitoes at this year’s Technology, Entertainment and Design conference, Nathan Myhrvold will be ready for him.
Myhrvold demonstrated a “Death Star” laser gun designed to track and kill mosquitoes in flight. The device was crafted from parts purchased on eBay by scientists at Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures Laboratory.
As Myhrvold explained, a child dies every 43 seconds from malaria. Current methods for eradicating the disease aren’t working very well. There’s no viable vaccine yet, and although mosquito nets work, people don’t always use them. When given free nets by public health organizations, many people in the developing world use the nets for fishing instead.
More Proof That Dinosaurs Evolved From Birds, Not The Other Way Around
A new study of ancient fossils suggests that birds are ancient enough as a species that dinosaurs may have evolved from them. In fact, ancient raptors, usually classified as dinosaurs, may actually have been flightless birds.
The study, published in PNAS this week, looks at the fossil of a creature called the microraptor, which had four feathery legs that might have served as glider wings. The researchers propose that this raptor is possibly best classified as a bird, and that its progeny evolved into dinosaurs.
Snuggie mod for netbooks
So you're warm and toasty with your Snuggie* as you're lounging on the couch, but when you pull out your netbook there are problems! Well, one problem. Netbooks are small and if you're resting the netbook on your thighs things just don't quite work out.
Last Updated (Friday, 12 February 2010 09:25)