Morning Digest: Exclusive: Obama to announce overhaul to controversial NSA program

	Click to View in Browser 01/17/2014 Exclusive: Obama to announce overhaul to controversial NSA program WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will announce on Friday a major overhaul of a controversial National Security Agency program that collects vast amounts of basic telephone call data on foreigners and Americans, a senior Obama administration official said.. Blast wounds 36 anti-government protesters in Thai capital BANGKOK (Reuters) - An explosive device tossed at anti-government protesters wounded 36 in central Bangkok on Friday and other violence rippled through the Thai capital after several days of relative calm when the movement appeared to be running out of steam.. IBM to spend $1.2 billion to expand cloud services (Reuters) - IBM Corp said it will invest more than $1.2 billion to build up to 15 new data centers across five continents to expand its cloud services and reach new clients and markets.. '12 Years a Slave,' 'American Hustle' win big at Critics Choice awards (Reuters) - "12 Years a Slave," Cate Blanchett and Matthew McConaughey were among big winners at the Critics Choice Movie Awards on Thursday, taking honors for best picture, actress and actor.. Sizzling Serena stays hot as Melbourne cools MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World number one Serena Williams made light of scorching temperatures on the fourth and final day of the Melbourne Park heatwave to blast her way into the last 16 of the Australian Open for the loss of just a dozen games on Friday.. Facebook "relationships guy" courts Hollywood, media in new push SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Beyonce fans got a big surprise at midnight on December 13, when the pop star announced her new album from out of the blue.. Australian scientists microchip bees to map movements, halt diseases SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists are gluing tiny sensors onto thousands of honey bees to track their movements in a trial aimed at halting the spread of diseases that have wiped out populations in the northern hemisphere.. Critic of France's Hollande says it with dung PARIS (Reuters) - A critic of President Francois Hollande and France's ruling elite dumped tonnes of horse manure in front of the national parliament building in Paris on Thursday in a pungent protest against French politics.. Related Video Unease, resignation a day after bloody attack in Iraq Intel earnings miss by a penny; Stocks pullback Great Debate Mexico's reversal of fortune How do we measure whether Americans are better off than in the past? A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Egypt: Sarcophagus leads to the tomb of a previously unknown pharaoh, from 3,600 Years Ago
• Genomes of modern dogs and wolves provide new insights on domestication
• Violence, infectious disease and climate change contributed to Indus civilization collapse
• Natural 3-D counterpart to graphene discovered: New form of quantum matter
• Altering the community of gut bacteria promotes health and increases lifespan
• Massive galaxy cluster verifies predictions of cosmological theory: First detection of kinetic SZ effect in an individual galaxy cluster
• Megafloods: What they leave behind
• Astronomers probe the primitive nature of a distant 'space blob'
• The way to a chimpanzee's heart is through its stomach
• Novel technology reveals aerodynamics of migrating birds flying in a V-formation
• Image perception in the blink of an eye
• First black hole orbiting a 'spinning' star
• Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness
• Hubble and Galaxy Zoo find bars and baby galaxies don't mix
• Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention
• Drinking and driving: Unsafe at any level, study concludes
• Symphony of life, revealed: New imaging technique captures vibrations of proteins, tiny motions critical to human life
• Scientists discover new pathway for artificial photosynthesis

Egypt: Sarcophagus leads to the tomb of a previously unknown pharaoh, from 3,600 Years Ago Posted: 16 Jan 2014 04:03 PM PST Archaeologists working at the southern Egyptian site of Abydos have discovered the tomb of a previously unknown pharaoh: Woseribre Senebkay -- and the first material proof of a forgotten Abydos Dynasty, ca. 1650-1600 BC.

Genomes of modern dogs and wolves provide new insights on domestication Posted: 16 Jan 2014 04:01 PM PST Dogs and wolves evolved from a common ancestor between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago, before humans transitioned to agricultural societies, according to an analysis of modern dog and wolf genomes from areas of the world thought to be centers of dog domestication.

Violence, infectious disease and climate change contributed to Indus civilization collapse Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:20 PM PST A study of skeletal remains from the ancient city of Harappa provides evidence that inter-personal violence and infectious diseases played a role in the demise of the Indus Civilization.

Natural 3-D counterpart to graphene discovered: New form of quantum matter Posted: 16 Jan 2014 12:08 PM PST A natural 3-D counterpart to 2-D graphene with similar or even better electron mobility and velocity has been discovered. This discovery promises exciting new things to come for the high-tech industry, including much faster transistors and far more compact hard drives.

Altering the community of gut bacteria promotes health and increases lifespan Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:06 AM PST Having the right balance of gut bacteria may be the key to enjoying a long healthy life. Scientists promoted health and increased lifespan in Drosophila by altering the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and the absorptive cells lining the intestine. The work provides a model for studying diseases associated with the aging gut, and how we go from having a young, healthy gut to one that is old and decrepit.

Massive galaxy cluster verifies predictions of cosmological theory: First detection of kinetic SZ effect in an individual galaxy cluster Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST By observing a high-speed component of a massive galaxy cluster, scientists have detected for the first time in an individual object the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, a change in the cosmic microwave background caused by its interaction with massive moving objects.

Megafloods: What they leave behind Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST South-central Idaho and the surface of Mars have an interesting geological feature in common: amphitheater-headed canyons. Researchers offer a plausible account that all these canyons were created by enormous floods.

Astronomers probe the primitive nature of a distant 'space blob' Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST Himiko, a "space blob" named after a legendary queen from ancient Japan, is a simply enormous galaxy, with a hot glowing gaseous halo extending over 55,000 light-years. Not only is Himiko very large, it is extraordinarily distant, seen at a time approximately 800 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was only 6 percent of its present size and stars and galaxies were just beginning to form.

The way to a chimpanzee's heart is through its stomach Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST Researchers measured the urinary oxytocin levels in wild chimpanzees after food sharing and found them to be elevated in both donor and receiver compared to social feeding events without sharing. Furthermore, oxytocin levels were higher after food sharing than after grooming, another cooperative behavior, suggesting that food sharing might play a more important role in promoting social bonding.

Novel technology reveals aerodynamics of migrating birds flying in a V-formation Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:29 AM PST Researchers using custom-built GPS and accelerometer loggers attached to free-flying birds on migration, have gained ground-breaking insights into the mysteries of bird flight formation.

Image perception in the blink of an eye Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST Imagine seeing a dozen pictures flash by in a fraction of a second. You might think it would be impossible to identify any images you see for such a short time. However, a team of neuroscientists has found that the human brain can process entire images that the eye sees for as little as 13 milliseconds -- the first evidence of such rapid processing speed.

First black hole orbiting a 'spinning' star Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST Scientists have discovered the first binary system ever known to consist of a black hole and a 'spinning' star – or more accurately, a Be-type star. Although predicted by theory, none had previously been found.

Discovery of quantum vibrations in 'microtubules' inside brain neurons supports controversial theory of consciousness Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:51 AM PST A review and update of a controversial 20-year-old theory of consciousness claims that consciousness derives from deeper level, finer scale activities inside brain neurons. The recent discovery of quantum vibrations in "microtubules" inside brain neurons corroborates this theory, according to review authors. They suggest that EEG rhythms (brain waves) also derive from deeper level microtubule vibrations, and that from a practical standpoint, treating brain microtubule vibrations could benefit a host of mental, neurological, and cognitive conditions.

Hubble and Galaxy Zoo find bars and baby galaxies don't mix Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:51 AM PST Harnessing the power of both the Hubble Space Telescope and the citizen science project Galaxy Zoo, scientists have found that bar-shaped features in spiral galaxies accelerate the galaxy aging process. The astronomers found that the fraction of spiral galaxies with bar features has doubled in the last eight billion years -- the latter half of the history of the universe.

Brain regions 'tune' activity to enable attention Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST The brain appears to synchronize the activity of different brain regions to make it possible for a person to pay attention or concentrate on a task, scientists have learned.

Drinking and driving: Unsafe at any level, study concludes Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST A study finds that even "minimally buzzed" drivers -- with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01 percent -- are 46 percent more likely to be officially and solely blamed by accident investigators than are the sober drivers they collide with.

Symphony of life, revealed: New imaging technique captures vibrations of proteins, tiny motions critical to human life Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:48 AM PST Like the strings on a violin or the pipes of an organ, the proteins in the human body vibrate in different patterns, scientists have long suspected. Now, a new study provides what researchers say is the first conclusive evidence that this is true.

Scientists discover new pathway for artificial photosynthesis Posted: 14 Jan 2014 05:31 PM PST Currently, the most efficient methods that we have of making fuel -- principally hydrogen -- from sunlight and water involve rare and expensive metal catalysts, like platinum. In a new study, researchers have found a new, more efficient way to link a less expensive synthetic cobalt-containing catalyst to an organic light-sensitive molecule, called a chromophore.

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ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Natural 3-D counterpart to graphene discovered: New form of quantum matter
• Understanding collective animal behavior may be in the eye of the computer
• Sudden thickening of complex fluids modeled
• Massive galaxy cluster verifies predictions of cosmological theory: First detection of kinetic SZ effect in an individual galaxy cluster
• Astronomers probe the primitive nature of a distant 'space blob'
• Increased mobility thanks to robotic rehab
• Researchers 'detune' a molecule: Scientists control the bonds between atoms in a buckyball
• Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics
• Human arm sensors make robot smarter
• Smart object recognition algorithm doesn't need humans
• 5,900 natural gas leaks discovered under Washington, D.C.: A dozen locations had concentrations high enough to trigger explosion
• First black hole orbiting a 'spinning' star
• Hubble and Galaxy Zoo find bars and baby galaxies don't mix
• Two-proton bit controlled by a single copper atom
• What makes superalloys super? Hierarchical microstructure of a superalloy

Natural 3-D counterpart to graphene discovered: New form of quantum matter Posted: 16 Jan 2014 12:08 PM PST A natural 3-D counterpart to 2-D graphene with similar or even better electron mobility and velocity has been discovered. This discovery promises exciting new things to come for the high-tech industry, including much faster transistors and far more compact hard drives.

Understanding collective animal behavior may be in the eye of the computer Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:10 AM PST An international team of researchers is the first to successfully apply machine learning toward understanding collective animal behavior from raw data such as video without tracking each individual. The findings stand to significantly impact the field of ethology -- the objective study of animal behavior -- and may prove as profound as the breakthroughs that allowed robots to learn to recognize obstacles and navigate their environment.

Sudden thickening of complex fluids modeled Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:08 AM PST A new model may shed new understanding on the phenomenon known as discontinuous shear thickening (DST), in which the resistance to stirring takes a sudden jump. Easily observed in a 'kitchen experiment' by mixing together equal amounts of cornstarch and water, DST occurs because concentrated suspensions of hard particles in a liquid respond differently than normal fluids to shear forces.

Massive galaxy cluster verifies predictions of cosmological theory: First detection of kinetic SZ effect in an individual galaxy cluster Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST By observing a high-speed component of a massive galaxy cluster, scientists have detected for the first time in an individual object the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, a change in the cosmic microwave background caused by its interaction with massive moving objects.

Astronomers probe the primitive nature of a distant 'space blob' Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST Himiko, a "space blob" named after a legendary queen from ancient Japan, is a simply enormous galaxy, with a hot glowing gaseous halo extending over 55,000 light-years. Not only is Himiko very large, it is extraordinarily distant, seen at a time approximately 800 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was only 6 percent of its present size and stars and galaxies were just beginning to form.

Increased mobility thanks to robotic rehab Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST After a stroke, patients often struggle with persistent paresis. Researchers examined whether robot-assisted therapy can help stroke patients. This form of therapy proved successful particularly with the most severely affected persons with arm paresis.

Researchers 'detune' a molecule: Scientists control the bonds between atoms in a buckyball Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST Scientists have found they can control the bonds between atoms in a molecule. The molecule in question is carbon-60, also known as the buckminsterfullerene and the buckyball, discovered in 1985.

Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST Researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including new prosthetics, robotic systems and flexible touch panels. The sensors can measure strain, pressure, human touch and bioelectronic signals such as electrocardiograms.

Human arm sensors make robot smarter Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST Using arm sensors that can "read" a person's muscle movements, researchers have created a control system that makes robots more intelligent. The sensors send information to the robot, allowing it to anticipate a human's movements and correct its own. The system is intended to improve time, safety and efficiency in manufacturing plants.

Smart object recognition algorithm doesn't need humans Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST If we've learned anything from post-apocalyptic movies it's that computers eventually become self-aware and try to eliminate humans. One engineer isn't interested in that development, but he has managed to eliminate the need for humans in the field of object recognition by creating an algorithm that can accurately identify objects in images or video sequences without human calibration.

5,900 natural gas leaks discovered under Washington, D.C.: A dozen locations had concentrations high enough to trigger explosion Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST More than 5,893 leaks from aging natural gas pipelines have been found under the streets of Washington, D.C. A dozen of the leaks could have posed explosion risks, the researchers said. Some manholes had methane concentrations as high as 500,000 parts per million of natural gas -- about 10 times greater than the threshold at which explosions can occur.

First black hole orbiting a 'spinning' star Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST Scientists have discovered the first binary system ever known to consist of a black hole and a 'spinning' star – or more accurately, a Be-type star. Although predicted by theory, none had previously been found.

Hubble and Galaxy Zoo find bars and baby galaxies don't mix Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:51 AM PST Harnessing the power of both the Hubble Space Telescope and the citizen science project Galaxy Zoo, scientists have found that bar-shaped features in spiral galaxies accelerate the galaxy aging process. The astronomers found that the fraction of spiral galaxies with bar features has doubled in the last eight billion years -- the latter half of the history of the universe.

Two-proton bit controlled by a single copper atom Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:50 AM PST Just a single foreign atom located in the vicinity of a molecule can change spatial arrangement of its atoms. In a spectacular experiment, an international team of researchers was able to change persistently positions of the nuclei of hydrogen atoms in a porphycene molecule by approaching a single copper atom to the molecule.

What makes superalloys super? Hierarchical microstructure of a superalloy Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST Materials in high-performance turbines have to withstand not only powerful mechanical forces, they also have to maintain their chemical and mechanical properties almost up to their melting points. For this reason, turbine manufacturers have employed special nickel-based high-performance alloys for decades. New work now shows in detail how new phases in a nickel-based alloy form and evolve, providing clues to how high-performance alloys could be improved.

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ScienceDaily: Consumer Electronics News

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Silver nanowire sensors hold promise for prosthetics, robotics Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST Researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including new prosthetics, robotic systems and flexible touch panels. The sensors can measure strain, pressure, human touch and bioelectronic signals such as electrocardiograms.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Consumer Electronics News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

ScienceDaily: Computers and Internet News

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Smart object recognition algorithm doesn't need humans Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:11 AM PST If we've learned anything from post-apocalyptic movies it's that computers eventually become self-aware and try to eliminate humans. One engineer isn't interested in that development, but he has managed to eliminate the need for humans in the field of object recognition by creating an algorithm that can accurately identify objects in images or video sequences without human calibration.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Computers and Internet News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610