The Daily Flash -Eco, Space, Tech (11/04)
African desert rift confirmed as new ocean in the making
In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial. Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is indeed likely the beginning of a new sea.
Judge OKs Challenge to Human-Gene Patents
A federal judge ruled Monday that a lawsuit can move forward against the Patent and Trademark Office and the research company that was awarded exclusive rights to human genes known to detect early signs of breast and ovarian cancer.
RFD-TV: Go for it! How an Ex-Farmer Built a $25 Million Media Empire for Rural America
Patrick Gottsch's networks, based in Omaha, Nebraska, reach 40 million homes in more than 20 countries. RFD, the most successful cable network you've never heard of, boasts a weekly aggregate audience of 11 million and is available through every major cable carrier in the United States. Gottsch's success demonstrates that while global media seems to be consolidating, consumer tastes are more diverse than ever -- and cable TV, like the Web, offers rewards for those who can discover and exploit new niches in the marketplace.
USS New York Warship Is Made With Steel from the Twin Towers
The 684-foot, $1.2-billion warship USS New York is actually made of New York. At least, 7.5 tonnes of salvaged steel from the Twin Towers. Watch it come back home, under the eyes of the Lady of the Harbor.
Google’s Chrome Browser Is Now 30 Million Users Strong
Now, 30 million is certainly a big number, but it is still a tiny fraction of Internet Explorer or Firefox (which has 330 million users). NetApplications shows Chrome with only a 3.58 percent market share at the end of October, compared to 24 percent for Firefox and 65 percent for IE. But remember, Chrome only launched a year ago, so that is a fast ramp by any standard.
Last week Google launched the Music Onebox — a special new search result that lets users stream songs in their entirety for free. The feature is being powered through partnerships with MySpace and Lala, who are providing the song streams, with contributions from a host of other partners like Pandora and imeem.
X Files Whooper: The Moon Skeleton
America’s Apollo 11 lunar module photographed a human skeleton on the moon when it landed there in 1969. That’s the blockbuster claim of Chinese astrophysicist Dr. Kang Mao-pang, who first stunned the world when he released pictures of bare human footprints on the moon at a news conference in Beijing last winter.
Moon Skeleton!? I've been looking for info on this but it all leads me back to the same place. What happened to that doctor mentioned, or even the photos? It looks like either it's being deeply covered up by the folks who want it covered up or that it was a hoax all along. Would be really cool to hear some follow up on this though.
Posted by: ooma | November 04, 2009 at 07:51 AM