Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Eavesdroppers can hack 6G frequency with DIY metasurface      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Crafty hackers can make a tool to eavesdrop on some 6G wireless signals in as little as five minutes using office paper, an inkjet printer, a metallic foil transfer and a laminator.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Discovered: 150-year-old platypus and echidna specimens that proved some mammals lay eggs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Jars of tiny platypus and echidna specimens, collected in the late 1800s by the scientist William Caldwell, have been discovered in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Study finds realism a key factor in driving engagement with virtual reality videos      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A recent study finds that realism is a key factor in determining whether viewers engage with virtual reality videos -- and that engagement is itself a key factor in determining whether viewers are interested in watching VR videos in the future.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Laser bursts drive extremely fast logic gates      (via sciencedaily.com) 

By clarifying the role of 'real' and 'virtual' charge carriers in laser-induced currents, researchers have taken a decisive step toward creating ultrafast computers.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Head, body, eye coordination conserved across animal kingdom      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Fruit flies synchronize the movements of their heads and bodies to stabilize their vision and fly effectively, according to researchers who utilized virtual-reality flight simulators. The finding appears to hold true in primates and other animals, the researchers say, indicating that animals evolved to move their eyes and bodies independently to conserve energy and improve performance. This understanding could inform the design of advanced mobile robots.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Brain size determined the chances of survival among large animals, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have examined the mass extinction of large animals over the past tens of thousands of years and found that extinct species had, on average, much smaller brains than species that survived.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Immersive VR: Empowering kids to survive in fire, flood, and war      (via sciencedaily.com) 

When you live in the driest State in the driest country in the world, bushfires are an unfortunate, and all-too-regular part of life. Learning how to survive such emergencies is important for all people, but especially for our youngest citizens.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Humans disrupting 66-million-year-old feature of ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Human-related extinctions of the largest herbivores and carnivores are disrupting what appears to be a fundamental feature of past and present ecosystems, says a new study.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Brains and brawn helped crows and ravens take over the world      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Crows and ravens have great flying ability, which allows them to gain access to new places more easily. While these skills were key to their success, new research also shows that big bodies and big brains played an important role in helping crows and ravens survive in the new climates they occupied.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Palaeontologists have discovered remarkable new evidence that pterosaurs, the flying relatives of dinosaurs, were able to control the color of their feathers using melanin pigments.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

New process enables 3D printing of small and complex components made of glass in just a few minutes      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists combine materials science invention with newly developed 3D printing technology. Components made of highly transparent glass can be manufactured in just a few minutes and with great geometric freedom. Possible applications of the new process technology are micro-optical components of sensors, microscopes or lab-on-a-chip systems

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Research reveals human-driven changes to distinctive foraging patterns in North Pacific Ocean      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The first large-scale study of its kind has uncovered more than 4,000 years' worth of distinctive foraging behavior in a species once driven to the brink of extinction.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

New polymer materials make fabricating optical interconnects easier      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed new polymer materials that are ideal for making the optical links necessary to connect chip-based photonic components with board-level circuits or optical fibers. These materials can be used to easily create interconnects between photonic chips and optical printed circuit boards, the light-based equivalent of electronic printed circuit boards.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Climatic variability might not drive evolutionary change as much as previously thought      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study combining records of climate change during the last 3.5 million years with fossil evidence of mammals in Africa reveals that times of erratic climate change are not followed by major upheavals in evolution.

Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Dynamic rivers contributed to Amazon's rich bird diversity      (via sciencedaily.com) 

One of the most contentious questions in evolutionary biology is, how did the Amazon become so rich in species? A new study focused on birds examines how the movements of rivers in the Amazon have contributed to that area's exceptional biological diversity. The researchers found that as small river systems change over time, they spur the evolution of new species. The findings also reveal previously unknown bird species in the Amazon that are only found in small areas next to these dynamic river systems, putting them at high risk.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

How did visitors experience the domestic space in Pompeii?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have used virtual reality and 3D eye-tracking technology to examine what drew the attention of the visitors when entering the stunning environment of an ancient Roman house. The team recreated the House of Greek Epigrams in 3D and tracked the gaze of study participants as they viewed the home.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Adding AI to Museum exhibits increases learning, keeps kids engaged longer      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have demonstrated a more effective way to support learning and increase engagement at science-focused museum exhibits. They used artificial intelligence to create a new genre of interactive, hands-on exhibits that includes an intelligent, virtual assistant to interact with visitors. When the researchers compared their intelligent exhibit to a traditional one, they found that the intelligent exhibit increased learning and the time spent at the exhibit.

Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published

Mammals put brawn before brains to survive post-dinosaur world      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Prehistoric mammals bulked up, rather than develop bigger brains, to boost their survival chances once dinosaurs had become extinct, research suggests.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Mathematics: Puzzles
Published

Active video games provide alternative workout      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Working out isn't known for being fun. But new active video and virtual reality games may help change that. Exergaming, or active video gaming, may be the perfect introduction to helping people be more active, according to new research.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

Intensity control of projectors in parallel: A doorway to an augmented reality future      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A challenge to adopting augmented reality (AR) in wider applications is working with dynamic objects, owing to a delay between their movement and the projection of light onto their new position. But, scientists may have a workaround. They have developed a method that uses multiple projectors while reducing delay time. Their method could open the door to a future driven by AR, helping us live increasingly technology-centered lives.