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‘Man flu’ may be all a matter of evolution

‘Man flu’ may be all a matter of evolution, Cambridge scientists say - Anguished complaints from men afflicted with seemingly minor ailments are often attributed to “man flu”. Now scientists say that men may have been left by evolution less well-equipped to fend off disease. In an evolutionary twist, it appears that there is a trade-off between high testosterone levels and being able to produce a robust immune response. The theoretical study, by University of Cambridge scientists, looked...

World's First Programmable Quantum Computer Created

World's First Programmable Quantum Computer Created. Using a few ultracold ions, intense lasers and some electrodes, researchers have built the first programmable quantum computer. The new system, described in a paper to be published in Nature Physics, flexed its versatility by performing 160 randomly chosen processing routines. Earlier versions of quantum computers have been largely restricted to a narrow window of specific tasks. To be more generally useful, a quantum computer should be programmable,...

Extreme Global Weather

Extreme Global Weather: ‘the Unprecedented Is the New Normal’ - A rising death toll, the catastrophic flooding and destruction of entire neighborhoods, and billions of dollars in property damage. The impact of Hurricane Sandy, which hit the East Coast earlier this week, will be felt for years, both in the United States and in the Caribbean region where it had earlier killed more than 70 people. Sandy is being called the "Storm of the Century" but floods, droughts, heat waves and storms...

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling turns 500

The Agony and the Ecstasy: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling turns 500 - It is one of the most famous works of art in the world - so why isn't the Vatican making more of its big anniversary? Perhaps second only in fame to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel opened to the public for the first time 500 years ago this week in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. ukiegeneric.cm - Michelangelo's inspired imagining of the Creation...

Return of the Master

Return of the Master: Halo 4 a hit with critics - Even more nerve-wracking? Halo 4 is the first core Halo game to be developed by a team other than longtime franchise caretaker Bungie Studios. The new crew, 343 Industries, doesn't just have the weight of the world on its shoulders. It has the weight of an entire sci-fi universe. But like iconic Halo hero Master Chief, 343 thrives under pressure. Currently averaging a 90 on Metacritic, Halo 4 is already a big hit with critics, opening a thrilling...

Top Ten Real Dangers of Halloween

Top Ten real dangers of Halloween - Straddling the season between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween has been a time of celebration and superstition. The holiday is thought to have originated with the ancient Irish as the Samuin festival (loosely translated as summer's end) and later adopted by the Celts who would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts and spirits. Halloween has evolved into a more secular event characterized by family friendly...

Fungal Meningitis Outbreak: Who's At Risk?

Fungal Meningitis Outbreak: Who's At Risk? - There is a scary new twist in the national meningitis outbreak among patients who received a tainted steroid drug. As fungal meningitis deaths and cases rise across the US, the FDA has announced that two additional drugs could also be culprits in the outbreak. About 14,000 people are thought to have been exposed to the contaminated steroid. So far, 15 have died and 214 have been stricken, mostly with fungal meningitis, the CDC reports, though some...