Archaeologists Uncover 300,000-Year-Old Kitchen in Israeli Cave

Sure, early hominins used fire for upwards of a million years. But when did early hominins start acting like humans—for example, cooking in the same spot each night? The new discovery of an old ( really old) hearth at an Israeli dig site could hold the answer. Read more…        

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Archaeologists Uncover 300,000-Year-Old Kitchen in Israeli Cave

Astronomers know when Monet made this painting — to the very minute

Back in the late 19th century, impressionist artist Claude Monet captured this striking sunset on the Normandy Coast. Now, thanks to the work of forensic astronomers, we known the precise moment it happened: February 5th, 1883 — at exactly 4:53 PM. Read more…        

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Astronomers know when Monet made this painting — to the very minute

This Transforming Medieval Text Is Actually Six Books in One

With a literacy rate hovering around an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the population during the Middle Ages, only a select few of society’s upper echelons and religious castes had use for books. So who would have use for a sextuplet of stories bound by a single, multi-hinged cover like this? Some seriously busy scholar. Read more…        

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This Transforming Medieval Text Is Actually Six Books in One

Rumor: The Full Start Menu Might Be Coming Back to Windows 8, Too

Microsoft were forced to make some come compromises to their original vision for Windows 8 come the recent update , reinstating the Start Button due to popular demand. Now, rumors suggest that the 8.2 update could take that one step further. Read more…        

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Rumor: The Full Start Menu Might Be Coming Back to Windows 8, Too

3D-Printed Mini Human Liver Survives 40 Days, Works Like the Real Thing

Organovo’s 3D-printed mini-liver just shattered its own record, carrying out the same cellular functions as a natural human liver for 40 days in the lab. That may not seem like a lot — human liver cells are replaced about every 300 to 500 days — but the company’s previous millimeter-sized liver slivers only managed five days. The trick: Organovo uses the same mix of hepatocytes (the cells that carry out liver functions) and endothelial cells (which form the liver’s architectural support) found in nature, leading cells to develop more naturally than other experiments that used only the functional cells. It’s a small but significant step for the more than 120, 000 people on organ transplant waiting lists worldwide. Read more…        

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3D-Printed Mini Human Liver Survives 40 Days, Works Like the Real Thing

Pop Music Makes Experimental Solar Panels Work 50% Harder

Ever notice how you feel more productive while listening to a great song? It’s not just you. Researchers just discovered that a certain type of solar panel works most efficiently when exposed to the acoustic vibrations of pop music . Crank it up! Read more…        

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Pop Music Makes Experimental Solar Panels Work 50% Harder

Diamond Rain In Saturn

Taco Cowboy writes “Back in 1999, it was postulated that diamonds may rain from the sky in the atmospheres of our solar system’s gas giants. Now, research has shown that diamond rains on Saturn are more than probable. ‘”We don’t want to give people the impression that we have a Titanic-sized diamondberg floating around, ” said researcher Mona Delitsky, of California Specialty Engineering, “We’re thinking they’re more like something you can hold in your hand.” Recent data compiled by planetary scientists … has been combined with newly published pressure temperature diagrams of Jupiter and Saturn. These diagrams, known as adiabats, allow researchers to decipher at what interior level that diamond would become stable. They also allow for calculations at lower levels – regions where both temperature and pressure are so concentrated that diamond becomes a liquid. Imagine diamond rain or rivulets of pure gemstone.’ ‘At even greater depths, the scientists say the diamond will eventually melt to form liquid diamond, which may then form a stable ocean layer.’ Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Diamond Rain In Saturn

iOS 7’s Biggest Annoyances (and How to Fix Them)

With the release of any new operating system comes a slew of slight problems and annoyances. iOS 7 is no different. While certain things won’t annoy everyone, a few minor problems are bound to trouble people. With that in mind, here’s how to fix some of the more common annoyances. Read more…        

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iOS 7’s Biggest Annoyances (and How to Fix Them)

The new version of iTunes is now available, complete with the new iTunes radio streaming.

The new version of iTunes is now available, complete with the new iTunes radio streaming. If you’re planning on upgrading to iOS 7 , you’ll need the latest iTunes anyway, so might as well go grab it. Learn more here . Read more…        

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The new version of iTunes is now available, complete with the new iTunes radio streaming.

California School District Hires Firm To Monitor Students’ Social Media

An anonymous reader writes “A suburban Los Angeles school district is taking a novel approach to tackling the problem of cyber-bullying. It’s paying a company to snoop on students’ social media pages. ‘The district in Glendale, California, is paying $40, 500 to a firm to monitor and report on 14, 000 middle and high school students’ posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media for one year. Though critics liken the monitoring to government stalking, school officials and their contractor say the purpose is student safety. As classes began this fall, the district awarded the contract after it earlier paid the firm, Geo Listening, $5, 000 last spring to conduct a pilot project monitoring 9, 000 students at three high schools and a middle school. Among the results was a successful intervention with a student “who was speaking of ending his life” on his social media, said Chris Frydrych, CEO of the firm.'” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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California School District Hires Firm To Monitor Students’ Social Media