One half of a deadly duo, the blue-ringed octopus enjoys an interesting symbiotic relationship with colonies of bacteria that inhabit its salivary glands. The bacteria produce potent neurotoxins that can kill a human in just a few minutes yet appear to have no harmful effect on the octopus. This toxic saliva, injected through shells broken with the octopus’s birdlike beak, also helps it to digest crabs and mollusks — via National Geographic
Airbus unveils its vision for air travel in 2050, complete with a transparent plane, auto-morphing seats, and virtual golf — via drich13.newsvine.com
This six part epic follows knife maker Jesus Hernandez as he builds a pair of Japanese tanto knives from homemade steel. He begins with building a smelter to produce steel from ore and progresses through to the process of folding and forming the blades into an elegant pair of traditional weapons. Each step is documented in detail with plenty of photographs — via MAKE
Melbourne researchers have developed smart bandages that change colour to reveal the state of the wound beneath.
Their invention could reduce the $500 million cost of chronic wound care in Australia.
We hope that the dressing could lead to more rapid and effective treatment of chronic wounds such as leg ulcers, saving time and money, as well as improving patient well-being,
says the lead inventor Louise van der Werff, a CSIRO materials scientist and Monash University PhD student — via redwolf.newsvine.com
A new exhibition exploring the historical and cultural significance of the Sikh turban is touring the UK — via lauhal63.newsvine.com
Thousands of furious public sector workers have descended on Sydney’s CBD, blocking off the street as they gather outside NSW Parliament House.
Nurses, police, firefighters and other frontline workers stopped worked today to attend the rally, turning Macquarie Street into a sea of flags and banners — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Security software maker Kaspersky Lab has told its Australian call centre provider that its services are no longer needed — via redwolf.newsvine.com
The Baillieu Government’s controversial Equal Opportunity Amendment Bill has been passed through the Upper House.
The bill passed early this morning, with 19 votes to 17.
The legislation will reverse changes made by the former Brumby Government — due to come into effect in August — which tightened the ability of religious organisations to discriminate against GLBT people — via redwolf.newsvine.com
A safety device that projects a bright green laser image of a bike on to the road ahead — alerting motorists to its presence — could be a life saver.
Developed by Emily Brooke, a student at the University of Brighton in England, the invention has won her a place at Babson College in Massachusetts in the US, on an entrepreneurship programme, the university said.
Her innovation, BLAZE, is a small, battery-powered device that is attached to the handlebars of bicycles, motorcycles or scooters, and projects a laser image on to the road ahead — via redwolf.newsvine.com
There are reports Aboriginal people in Western Australia’s north have been transferring cash to Indian con-men pretending to be from Centrelink — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Pauline Hanson has finally shut down her campaign to snatch a seat in NSW parliament, but irregularities in documents obtained by Crikey raise serious questions about whether her case should have been abandoned long ago or not pursued at all — via redwolf.newsvine.com
For years now Chinese authorities have been installing spying devices on all dual-plate Chinese-Hong Kong vehicles, enabling a vast network of eavesdropping across the archipelago, according to a Hong Kong newspaper.
The report in Apple Daily states that the recording devices began being installed as inspection and quarantine cards
in July 2007. They were installed without charge by the Shenzhen Inspection and Quarantine Bureau on thousands of vehicles — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Eleven men have been charged around the country and two children have been removed from harm after police uncovered a child abuse ring online — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Mich L in LA’s blog is always filled with interesting ways to turn dollar store items into jewellery components. In this tutorial, she cuts silicone pencil grips into sections and uses them to make lots of cute earrings, bracelets and pendants — via CRAFT
In a decision with likely wide-ranging impact, a judge in Las Vegas today dismissed as a sham an infringement case filed by copyright troll Righthaven LLC. The judge ruled that Righthaven did not have the legal authorization to bring a copyright lawsuit against the political forum Democratic Underground, because it had never owned the copyright in the first place. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Fenwick & West LLP, and Las Vegas attorney Chad Bowers are defending Democratic Underground — via redwolf.newsvine.com
It must have set a record, but it’s one a South Canterbury family would surely much rather not have, after three of them were booked for drink-driving on the same night — via redwolf.newsvine.com
As rumored, GPS device company Garmin has bought its European competitor Navigon AG. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but previous reports have indicated that the company was acquired for roughly $72 million. Navigon will operate as a subsidiary of Garmin — via redwolf.newsvine.com
— via Articulate Matter
Gallbladder got ya down? I love this crochet gallbladder, complete with removable gallstones, from Etsy seller AnOptimisticCynic — via CRAFT
Police who stopped a white van veering from side to side on a busy road were somewhat surprised when they opened the back doors of the vehicle to find a car wedged in on its side — via cartooncat.newsvine.com
RSS – Posts