science news stories on Newser

Scientists Set Record for Ultra-Fast WiFi

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:25:05 CDT

Japanese scientists have set a whopping record for wireless data speeds—20 times faster than typical WiFi—by using an unconventional part of the electromagnetic spectrum known as the "T-ray" band. The researchers were able to transmit data at 3 gigabytes per second. "T-ray" technology could eventually lighten the load...

Dalai Lama Donates $1.5M to Charity

Matt Cantor — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:59:05 CDT

It's a big news day for the Dalai Lama, from the dangerous to the charitable. He will today be awarded $1.5 million for his services to human spirituality, and he's giving away all of the winnings. He'll donate some $1.45 million to India's Save the Children and more...

Just 32% of US 8th-Graders Proficient in Science

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:35:46 CDT

Just 32% of US eighth-graders are proficient in science, according to the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress exam. While that is a slight gain from 2009’s 30%, teachers and policy makers are concerned with the continued low numbers, the Wall Street Journal reports. "This is deeply disappointing," says the...

Conservatives' Faith in Science Failing: Study

Kevin Spak — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:10:37 CDT

Conservatives have become less likely to trust science over the past 40 years—especially if they're educated, according to a new study. The study looked at the General Social Survey, which began asking Americans how they felt about science in 1974. Back then, conservatives were the biggest believers in science,...

Einstein Safe: Neutrinos Do Not Break Light Speed

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:06:06 CDT

Einstein's theory apparently remains untouchable, and flabbergasted theoretical physicists can cease hyperventilating: Neutrinos do not exceed the speed of light, but they do appear to travel at the same speed as light, according to the results of a recent experiment. The new data confirm Einstein's foundational ideas and refute an...

Bees Might Have Personalities

Dustin Lushing — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 07:35:05 CST

Bees are not merely mindless, mechanical insects with rigid behavior patterns. They may actually exhibit personalities and feelings. A new study from the University of Illinois reveals that some bees display a higher willingness to head off on adventures than others, which can be interpreted as a personality trait, reports...

Scientists Create First Full Map of Titanic Wreckage

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:34:41 CST

For the first time ever, researchers have constructed a complete map of the Titanic's underwater shipwreck site. When the Titanic sank in 1912, debris was scattered across an area measuring 3 by 5 miles. To draw a detailed map of the area, scientists dispatched robots to take more than 100,...

Einstein Wrong? Maybe Just Faulty Wiring

Matt Cantor — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:00:00 CST

More evidence that last year's furor over the accuracy of Albert Einstein's work got blown way out of proportion: Physicists believed they'd seen particles traveling faster than light , a phenomenon that would disprove the theory of relativity. But the controversial observations may have been the result of nothing more than...

191 'Most Beautiful' Theories in Science

Mark Russell — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:00:05 CST

Every year, the website Edge poses a big, open-ended question to leading scientists. This year's query— "What is your favorite deep, elegant or beautiful explanation?" —received 191 answers covering a wide range of ideas, with Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution receiving the most replies,...