Eagles are being trained to take out illegal drones

Forget anti-drone drones, one of nature’s most majestic hunters may soon play a valuable role in taking down dangerous UAVs. As part of a new trial, the Dutch National Police force has begun training eagles to intercept troublesome drones during an emergency, when another capture device might put people below at risk.

In collaboration with raptor training company Guard From Above, Dutch police taught an eagle to recognize a DJI drone. Once in sight, the bird flies toward its mechanical prey, snatches it with its enormous talons and then takes it to safe place. The eagle is one of the two “physical” methods the force are trialling — the other being a safety net — but a trained bird of prey gives officers more control over where the offending drone is brought down to earth.

What makes eagles effective drone hunters? Their feet have four powerful toes that are strong enough to grip and carry heavy objects, whether it’s a wild animal or a heavy UAV. But even though they have toughened talons, drone rotors could still damage the bird. A spokesperson says the force will look at ways to better protect their flying counterparts while they conduct trials over the next few months.

Via: IEEE Spectrum

Source: Dutch National Police

Car screens are getting force touch tech

Large touchscreen infotainment systems have become an important feature in modern cars, but they can also be a huge distraction for drivers. Synaptics thinks it would help if you could “feel” the screen, so it teamed with auto accessory supplier Valeo to create a new type of automotive display. It will be equipped with the company’s ClearForce tech that provides force sensing and haptic feedback. The idea is to provide a safer interface that supports single finger, multi- and variable haptic touch, so that drivers or passengers can use the interface without looking at it.

There’s no word of which manufacturers and automakers will be using the screens, or when new devices will come out. On smartphones like the iPhone 6s, force touch screens are particularly handy for features like scrolling, and can be used as a quasi right-click to bring up menus or additional information. Haptic feedback, meanwhile, could signal to drivers that songs or GPS directions have started and keep (most of) your attention outside of the vehicle. For more on Synaptics’ force tech, check out its video from last year.

UK scientists get permission to ‘gene edit’ human embryos

A team of British scientists has been approved to use “gene editing” techniques on human embryos, in the hope that it will better our understanding of early human life. A group at the Francis Crick Institute in London want to research newly fertilised eggs and how they develop in the first seven days — from a single cell to a blastocyst with roughly 250 cells. Using gene manipulation, the researchers will try to glean new insights about our DNA and the exact requirements for a healthy embryo. With this information, medical specialists could, in theory, improve embryo development techniques after IVF and clinical treatments for infertility.

The UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has approved the team’s research application, however a form of ethical approval is still needed before testing can begin. Provided they get the go-ahead, the group, led by Dr Kathy Niakan, will use embryos donated by patients that are considered surplus to their IVF treatment. As the BBC notes, it will be illegal, however, for the scientists to implant any of their tinkered embryos in women — they’re purely for research purposes.

Gene editing, particularly on human embryos, is a sensitive subject. Some believe it’s a natural evolution of medical science, while others think it’s a troubling step towards a “designer baby” future. Scientists in China have already taken the initiative, modifying a gene in a human embryo that’s responsible for a fatal blood disorder. The broader technique has also been used to save lives — at Britain’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, for instance, it helped cure a one-year-old with a drug-resistant form of leukemia.

It’s all theoretical for now, but the tests proposed by the Francis Crick Institute could have huge benefits for the medical community. To get there though, they’ll have to make the case that gene editing, at least in this manner, doesn’t cross an ethical line set by our maker(s).

Via: BBC

Source: The Francis Crick Institute

Researchers are looking into how to use cryotherapy safely

Cryotherapy, not to be confused with cryogenics, involves short-term exposure to sub-zero temperatures, and is used by athletes to reduce pain, improve recovery time, and sometimes in itself for pain relief therapy with non-athletes like the rest of us. There are risks: skin and blood vessels that are hit with temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below can often suffer nerve and tissue damage,according to the University of Texas, which is now looking into the benefits and problems associated with the therapy.

Last year, a woman died in cryotherapy chamber after using it unsupervised — demonstrating the very real risks of low-temperature exposure. The University of Texas says that between 1,500 and 2,000 injuries happen each year due to the therapy. The research has already picked up a four-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, while establishing the “first formal protocols for effective and safe use of cold therapy”, as well as a new cryotherapy device that minimizes potential side effects.

According to Joseph Costello, Senior Research Associate in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at University of Portsmouth, there have not been any studies directly comparing cryotherapy with ice water baths. “There is not enough evidence to say whether cryotherapy is effective or is not effective for athletic recovery and muscle soreness,” said Costello, in a report by CNN. It’s usually administered in a cylindrical tank or a small sealed room, with air temperatures dropping to between -166 and -319 degrees Fahrenheit. There could also be a biological tradeoff for anyone that uses it, Costello adds: “To increase muscle size, you need muscle damage and repair; that’s just the body’s natural regeneration process. However, if cold water or (cryotherapy) blunt the inflammatory response, you may not get [that]).”

Researchers will be looking at how test subjects’ blood flow is affected by the cryotherapy, as well as introducing antioxidants and substances that block nerve responses and constrict blood vessels: in short, the scientists are testing out several things. Anne Bavier, Dean at the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, reiterates the current lack of knowledge regarding the treatment: “It is striking that there are currently no protocols for the use of cryotherapy devices despite awareness of risks to patients.”

“This valuable work will provide the knowledge and new technologies needed to ensure patient safety while providing the benefits that cooling treatments have been known for since the time of Hippocrates.”

Source: University of Texas

Electronic music gets its own televised awards show

Variety is reporting that Fox will broadcast the inaugural Electronic Music Awards on Saturday, April 23rd at 8pm. The network has teamed up with superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold to create the event as a celebration of the genre. It’ll feature red carpet coverage, interviews, the ceremony itself and performances from the world’s biggest artists. Read between the lines and you’ll assume that the move was born out of frustration with the Grammy’s traditional disdain for electronica. As Oakenfold says, he’s “thrilled to be part of an awards show that finally” (emphasis ours) “recognizes and celebrates… one of the biggest music genres in the world.” You can feel the heat radiating off that burn from a mile away.

Stuff that’s been made by a computer has always been treated as a poor cousin of things that are made more “traditionally.” Despite its pervasiveness, CGI gets a bum rap compared to practical effects, and it’s taken years for eSports to receive any degree of recognition from traditional broadcasters. Take a cursory look at the Grammy award categories and you can see where Oakenfold’s annoyance comes from. For instance, R&B and jazz both get five categories a piece, while electronic has to share a table with dance and has just two measly categories. Which seems a little bit unfair, don’t you think?

Source: Variety