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New tech 'addictions' are mostly just old moral panic
The World Health Organization took an unprecedented step in January when it decided to include "gaming disorder" in its 11th International Classification of Diseases (IDC). Though doctors and researchers have examined the effects of heavy internet usage since the days when access arrived on AOL CDs, this marks the first time that the organization has listed this disorder as a mental health condition. Doing so could have far-reaching, and potentially negative, implications for how the disorder is diagnosed and treated.
Saturn's largest moon has enough energy to run a colony
Saturn's biggest moon, Titan, is one of the few viable places humans can explore first-hand beyond Mars. It's relatively safe from radiation, it's covered in liquid (though not water) and otherwise relatively safe. But could more than a handful of people even stay there for very long? Apparently, the answer is yes. Researchers have conducted a study showing that Titan should have enough energy to sustain a colony. The first arrivals might have to build a nuclear power plant and take advantage of radioactive decay, but colonists could use the abundance of hydrocarbon lakes to generate power by combining hydrogen with acetylene (which should also be plentiful). And since Saturn creates strong tides, you could use turbines to generate plenty of electricity.
ICYMI: Hawaiian crows are our new favorite animal
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists filmed young Hawaiian crows and discovered that they're so smart, they figured out how to use tools to get food without ever having been taught by adult crows. There are very few Alala in the world, but some are about to be released back into the wild so researchers are excited they'll bring their stick engineering ways with them.
ICYMI: Mind-controlled prosthetics, architect ants and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-459334{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-459334, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-459334{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-459334").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Johns Hopkins University researchers surgically repositioned a patient's nerves and also implanted a prosthetic adapter to use mind control on his prosthetic arm. French researchers learned that common ants are able to communicate how something should be constructed by leaving pheromone-based instructions on whatever they're building. And the OneCook smart appliance works by having the fresh ingredients loaded into the cooker hybrid, then lets people control adjust the recipe and let it do the rest from an app. It just launched on Kickstarter.
Study proves that you can secretly hijack an older Mac's webcam
If you believe common wisdom, it shouldn't be possible to take over most webcams without alerting users. The indicator LED is supposed to be hack-proof, after all. However, a pair of Johns Hopkins researchers have recently published a research paper showing that it's possible to control the camera while keeping the indicator dark. Their proof-of-concept app, iSeeYou, reprograms a controller chip on pre-2009 Macs to separate the camera and LED functions; users can flick the light on and off like a switch. Apple is aware of the issue with its own systems, but it hasn't said whether or not there will be a fix. It's also unclear how many newer Macs or other PCs are at risk. Regardless of the exact threat, the study isn't very reassuring in an era of widespread surveillance -- if a pair of academics can stealthily record your activity, it's likely that professional spies can do the same.
DARPA outs unmanned drone-launching sub, piracy suddenly less attractive
UAVs and UUVs may be unmanned, but they still need a ride to the mission area. Cue the Hydra: an undersea troop-carrier that transports drones. Unlike a submarine, this submersible can operate in shallow waters and charge the batteries of its pilot-free payloads as well as transmit collected data. Even more impressive, it can launch its flight-worthy passengers without surfacing. If this sort of thing turns your crank, head over to John's Hopkins University next month to catch a presentation from DARPA. If your security clearance is high enough, you can even snag a special classified meeting after the regular Joes leave.
da Vinci Robot pwns Operation, deems our childhoods forlorn (video)
What happens when a robot with immaculate dexterity comes to grips with a notorious board game from our childhood? Just ask Johns Hopkins University students, who successfully removed the wish bone from an Operation board using the da Vinci Robot. If you're familiar with the game, you'll know how incredibly difficult it was to prevent that ear-piercing noise from occurring-- even with our tiny fingers. Of course, we should have expected that a robot -- especially one capable of folding a tiny paper airplane -- would be able to accomplish this feat with such ease. Be sure to peep the pseudo-surgery in video form below the break.
DARPA-funded prosthetic arm reaches phase three, would-be cyborgs celebrate
Last we heard from Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, it wanted a neurally-controlled bionic arm by 2009. Needless to say, the school overshot that goal by a tiny bit, and have now been beaten (twice) to the punch. But DARPA sees $34.5 million worth of promise in their third and final prototype, which will enable the nine pound kit (with 22 degrees of freedom and sensory feedback) to begin clinical trials. Rechristened the Modular Prosthetic Limb, it will be grafted onto as many as five real, live persons, the first within the year. Using the targeted muscle reinnervation technique pioneered at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, patients will control these arms directly with their thoughts, and for their sakes and the fate of humanity, hopefully not the other way around. Press release after the break.
JHU researchers create self-assembling organic wires
Once more it looks like Johns Hopkins has taken humanity a step closer to full-blown Borg-hood. A research team at the school has created water-soluble electronic materials that spontaneously assemble themselves into wires some 10,000 times smaller than a human hair, for potential uses that include regulating cell-to-cell communication, re-engineering neural networks, repairing damaged spinal cords and transforming individuals into cybernetically enhanced drones. The researchers also point out that the self-assembly principles used to create the nano-scale wires are based on those of beta-amyloid plaques (which have been associated with Alzheimers), so the research may someday lead to a better understanding of the disease. This is definitely good news, but we can't help but think that once we've been assimilated into the hive mind Alzheimer's will be the least of our concerns.[Via TG Daily]
