Sci-news.com: Geologists at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg have confirmed that a small piece of the ancient continent Mauritia has been found beneath modern-day Mauritius.
Visual evidence shows brain ‘resetting’ during sleep
MedicalNewsToday.com: New research shows microscopic images of synapses expand with daytime stimulation and shrink with sleep, thus resetting the brain for the next day.
Vehicle safety becoming ‘increasingly complex’, says ZF boss
Majority of vehicles will be driven autonomously in 20 years, he says
The boss of one of the world’s largest automotive parts manufacturers says today’s road vehicles are becoming more sophisticated and ensuring their safe operation more complex.
Speaking at an industry event, Dr Stefan Sommer, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen, also said the further development of safety systems would facilitate autonomous driving, and be an “enabler” for automotive “megatrends”.
Sommer said: “Demands to vehicle safety are becoming increasingly complex due to new vehicle architectures and flexible use of internal space. Meeting these demands is necessary for autonomous vehicles and e-mobility to gain general acceptance.” [Read more…] about Vehicle safety becoming ‘increasingly complex’, says ZF boss
iPhone X to be based on OLED display technology
Valuewalk.com: The iPhone X will be characterized by several new features including the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display that is increasingly being linked with it.
German industrial orders increase
DW.com: Orders for German industrial goods have increased sharply, according to a report on the Deutsche Welle website.
Domestic demand incrased 6.7 per cent while foreign orders were up 3.9 per cent.
The higher demand for capital goods contrasts with business morale in Germany, which DW.com says fell in January.
Policy wonks call for 250,000 redundancies
A think tank in the UK has called on the government to fire 250,000 public sector workers and use automation technology instead.
The Reform group released a report in which it says that the government is excessively bureaucratic and inefficient.
Although similar ideas are being floated in the US, there seems no general public discussion about subject.
US President Donald Trump has, however, ordered a freeze on hiring for all civilian departments of the government.
Search for alien life: Nasa to use more sensitive tests
Inquisitr.com: Scientists at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are developing a new method of chemical analysis which stands to be 10,000 times more sensitive than tests currently used on the Mars Curiosity Rover.
Can’t get to sleep? Pitch a tent for the weekend
Eurekalert.org: According to new research involving Colorado campers, being in natural light during the day and true darkness at night can help us fall asleep earlier and potentially benefit our health.
Mercedes invests in Starship Technologies delivery robots
Mercedes-Benz Vans has invested a large amount of money in Starship Technologies, the maker of small delivery robots making the headlines for taking pizzas here and there.
The company says the move furthers its strategic future initiative, dubbed “adVANce”.
Mercedes-Benz Vans calls Starship Technologies “the world’s leading start-up company for the development of ground-based, autonomous delivery robots”. [Read more…] about Mercedes invests in Starship Technologies delivery robots
Nano-chimneys can cool circuits, say Rice University scientists
From the Rice University website
The Rice lab of theoretical physicist Boris Yakobson found that putting a cone-like “chimney” between the graphene and nanotube all but eliminates a barrier that blocks heat from escaping.
The research appears in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Physical Chemistry C.
Heat is transferred through phonons, quasiparticle waves that also transmit sound. The Rice theory offers a strategy to channel damaging heat away from next-generation nano-electronics. [Read more…] about Nano-chimneys can cool circuits, say Rice University scientists