Tag: bbc

Mice brains store backup copies of memories

Turns out that even the human brain might use redundancy when it comes to storage. New research out of the Riken-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics suggests that memories are stored in two places in the brain: the hippocampus for short-term and the cortex for longterm. Previously, the prevailing theory was that once a memory was formed in the hippocampus , it would then move to the cortex for storage. But that may not be the case, according to a paper published in Science . Recently, researchers called in the mice (of course) and watched a cluster of brain cells that formed after the rodents were administered a shock. From there, the scientists used light to “control the activity of individual neurons, ” as the BBC reports , which let them turn memories on and off. As a result, the mice forgot about the jolt of electricity until the memories were manually activated in the cortex. This hasn’t been proven to hold true in humans just yet, and it’s only one experiment, but the learnings could shape how we understand brain disease in the future. Specifically, this might give us a chance to see how things like dementia and Alzheimers affect the way memories are formed and stored, and devise ways to sidestep those heartbreaking conditions. Via: BBC Source: Science

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Mice brains store backup copies of memories

Driverless pods begin ferrying the public around Greenwich

It’s been almost a year since the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) opened sign-ups for a driverless pod trial in Greenwich. The original plan was to start before Christmas, but given today’s date that obviously didn’t happen. Still, better late than never, eh? Over the next three weeks, roughly 100 people will clamber aboard “Harry, ” a self-driving shuttle named after clockmaker John Harrison. It will take them around a two-mile course in North Greenwich, near The O2, to demonstrate how the technology could be used for “last mile” trips in urban areas. The shuttle is a repurposed Ultra Pod , which is already in operation at London’s Heathrow Airport. With a maximum speed of 10MPH (16KPH), it’s not the fastest electric vehicle — you could beat it on a Boosted Board — however it’s hoped the leisurely pace will reassure pedestrians and minimise dangerous incidents. Each pod carries up to four people, including a safety operator who can pepper the breaks in an emergency. It’s able to ‘see’ it’s surroundings using a mixture of cameras and lasers, and use that information to track obstacles and create a collision-free route. Notably, it doesn’t need to rely on GPS for any of these calculations. The purpose of the trials is to see how the public reacts to self-driving vehicles, and to examine how the technology can best be applied in built-up areas. Each trip will give the research team a wealth of valuable information — four terabytes of data every eight hours, to be precise. It’ll be supplemented with passenger interviews, taken before and after each trip, and written feedback that anyone can submit online through an interactive map . “It is critical that the public is fully involved as these technologies become a reality, ” Professor Nick Reed, academy director at TRL said. The “GATEway Project” at Greenwich is one of many research initiatives being funded by the UK government. We’ve already seen the ” Lutz Pathfinder ” pod, which is being tested in Milton Keynes, and a modified Land Rover that’s serving as a research testbed in Bristol. Plans are also underway for a 41-mile ” connected corridor , ” which will be used to test LTE, local WiFi hotspots and other forms of connectivity in self-driving vehicles. In the private sector, Nissan is testing its electric Leaf cars in the capital, and Roborace is developing a driverless motorsport . It’s an impressive hub of activity, even without Google and Uber’s involvement. Via: BBC

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Driverless pods begin ferrying the public around Greenwich

Mass-produced artificial blood is now a real possibility

Doctors dream of having artificial blood always on hand, but the reality has usually been very different. While you can produce red blood cells in a lab, the current technique (which prods stem cells into action) only nets a small number of them at best. British researchers appear to have found the solution, however: they’ve developed a technique that can reliably produce an unlimited number of red blood cells. The trick is to create “immortalized” premature red blood cells that you can culture as much as you like, making mass production a real possibility. The biggest challenge is translating the technique to commercial manufacturing. Scientists have produced a few liters of blood in the lab, but there’s a big difference between that and the massive volumes needed to serve even a single hospital. Although the UK’s National Health Service is planning to trial artificial blood this year , this new technique won’t be involved. As it is, you wouldn’t likely see a wholesale switch to artificial blood even if this new method was ready for the real world. Any mass production is most likely to focus on people with rare blood types that can’t always count on donations. Even that limited effort could make a huge difference, mind you. Hospitals could always have a consistent supply of rare blood, so you wouldn’t have to worry about them running out in a life-or-death situation. Via: BBC , Digital Journal Source: University of Bristol , Nature

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Mass-produced artificial blood is now a real possibility

London police allegedly used hackers to target activists

If it wasn’t already clear why it’s a problem when police surveillance goes wrong , it is now. An independent investigator is looking into claims that London’s Metropolitan Police used an illegal, roundabout way to access the emails of activists and journalists. An anonymous former worker alleges that a Met intelligence unit took advantage of India “counterparts” that used hackers to obtain email logins for innocent people ranging from Greenpeace protesters to Guardian reporters. The snooping had been going on for a “number of years, ” according to the insider, and there was reportedly widespread document shredding to cover up the monitoring. There’s evidence to support the claim. The tipster provided passwords for 10 email accounts, most of which have been proven authentic by the users themselves. The investigation is still early, but a police spokesman says that the claims are “deeply troubling” and that the force will provide its “fullest possible support.” If the allegations are as serious as they sound, though, they would represent a serious blow to the Met’s reputation. They would show that a key law enforcement division was regularly spying on people who weren’t even suspected of crimes, and was fully aware that it was doing something wrong. Via: Ars Technica Source: The Guardian , BBC

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London police allegedly used hackers to target activists

Swirling Underwater Fish Tornado Makes Sharknado Look Tame

As currents shift in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, they bring an abundance of nutrients and plankton to the region, luring predators of all sizes. Swarms of anchoveta arrive first for an easy meal, but soon find themselves having to come up with unique ways to fend off larger predators like sharks and tuna. The… Read more…

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Swirling Underwater Fish Tornado Makes Sharknado Look Tame

Two Billion-Year-Old Water Found in Canadian Mine

Scientists have uncovered 2 billion-year-old water in an Ontario mine. (Image: University of Toronto) Canadian Geoscientists have uncovered water that dates back a whopping two billion years. It’s the oldest water ever discovered on Earth, and it could broaden our understanding of how life emerged on our planet—and possibly elsewhere. Read more…

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Two Billion-Year-Old Water Found in Canadian Mine

British Film Institute To Digitize 100,000 Old TV Shows Before They Disappear

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BBC: Thousands of British TV programs are to be digitized before they are lost forever, the British Film Institute says. Anarchic children’s show Tiswas and The Basil Brush Show are among the programs in line for preservation. The initiative was announced as part of the BFI’s five-year strategy for 2017-2022. “Material from the 70s and early 80s is at risk, ” said Heather Stewart, the BFI’s creative director. “It has a five or six-year shelf life and if we don’t do something about it will just go, no matter how great the environment is we keep it in. “Our job is make sure that things are there in 200 years’ time.” The BFI has budgeted $14.3 million of Lottery funding towards its goal of making the UK’s entire screen heritage digitally accessible. This includes an estimated 100, 000 of the “most at-risk” British TV episodes and clips held on obsolete video formats. The list includes “early children’s programming, little-seen dramas, regional programs and the beginnings of breakfast television.” The issue for the BFI, Ms Stewart added, was also to do with freeing up storage space. “We have a whole vault which is wall-to-wall video. If we digitized it, it would be in a robot about the size of a wardrobe, ” she said. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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British Film Institute To Digitize 100,000 Old TV Shows Before They Disappear

Oxford University will offer free online courses in 2017

The highest ranked university in the world will soon join prestigious institutions like Berkeley, Harvard and MIT in offering free massive open online courses (MOOCs). Starting in February 2017, Oxford University will partner with nonprofit online learning platform edX to teach a freely available economics class titled, ” From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development .” While the idea of free online learning has started to catch on in the United States — the New York Times declared 2012 ” the year of the MOOC ” — Oxford has held out on such programs until now. Appropriately enough, this particular course is a perfect fit for promoting accessibility in places of higher education: it will be taught by Oxford Economics and Public Policy professor Sir Paul Collier, and will “examine the vital role that governments play in boosting economic development, ” according to a statement from the university . “The School’s mission is to improve government around the world through research and education, and this requires better educated public officials, teachers, entrepreneurs, journalists and citizens, ” Professor Ngaire Woods, the Dean of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government said. “We see this first massive open online course as an effective way to expand access to knowledge beyond the classrooms of Oxford, and to help people understand how their community and country can flourish wherever they are in the world.” Enrollment is open now through edX’s platform and students can expect to spend about two to three hours per week on the six-week course. The materials will also be available to view after the course closes. Via: BBC Source: Oxford University

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Oxford University will offer free online courses in 2017

Tesco Bank breached: Money stolen from 20,000 accounts

The UK’s Tesco Bank has confirmed that tens of thousands of its customers’ current accounts were compromised over the weekend, leading to fraudulent withdrawals to the tune of several hundreds of pounds, in some instances. Suspicious activity was seen across some 40, 000 accounts, with money taken from around 20, 000 of those, the bank’s chief exec told the BBC . In reaction, Tesco Bank has temporarily frozen all online payment facilities for current accounts, and guaranteed affected customers will receive full refunds as soon as possible. Tesco Bank has said in its latest update that cards can still be used to withdraw cash, as well as make chip and pin transactions. All scheduled direct debits and bill payments are unaffected, too, though customers should’ve been contacted and told all this already. In the immediate aftermath, overwhelmed support phone lines, cancelled cards and the online payments freeze will be a serious inconvenience, not to mention the missing money. But how did this happen in the first place? As yet, we have no real details on the nature of the breach, but of all online services, you expect banking to be unfalteringly secure. Local telco TalkTalk lost 100, 000 customers after last year’s hack exposed personal details — as well as being fined £400, 000 (around $500, 000) just last month. Rebuilding trust after losing customers’ money will be a much taller order, even if only 40, 000 of more than 7 million current accounts were compromised. It could, of course, have been a very sophisticated attack — or lax security, or facilitated by someone on the inside. For now, Tesco Bank will be scrambling to fix the situation, and is working “with the authorities and regulators to address the fraud.” But hopefully it won’t be too long before we understand more about the breach’s origins. Source: Tesco (1) , (2)

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Tesco Bank breached: Money stolen from 20,000 accounts