After 18 years spent playing the game and millions of matches won and lost, a computer has now solved the riddle of whether there can be a perfect game of checkers. Computer scientists working at the University of Alberta in Canada used a program called Chinook to factor out the 500 billion positions possible in any one game of checkers. The result was that it is possible to reach a draw against your opponent but it’s exceedingly rare to happen. Chinook was able to plot out every possible move and reach the determination but for flesh and blood players, thinking ahead 20 or 30 moves down the line is asking a little too much from the software in our heads.

The U of A researchers also said that checkers was by far the most complex game ever to be successfully worked out by …

Stephen Hawking is a name that by now we all know well. The Cambridge professor, best selling author and the world’s reigning expert on black holes is now set to take a zero-gravity ride out of Cape Canaveral. Since he has spent most of his life working around the nature of gravity, it seems only fit that he should experience it himself, first hand.

Said the executive of Zero G, “the idea of giving the world’s expert on gravity the opportunity to experience zero gravity” was irresistible. He will be accompanied by his own medical team to make sure that all is well with the genius.

Hawking, now 65, suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is unable to move any part of his body, save his eyes and a small part of his fingers. Though this particular disease usually kills …

Are surgeons who regularly play video games better equipped to operate on you?

A study by an Iowa State University psychologist indicates that Surgeons who play video games more are skilled and less likely to make mistakes than their non-playing counterparts.

The study identifies a strong relationship between time spent playing video games and the surgeon’s capabilities performing laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is a surgical technique where operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions – normally less than 1.5 cm – as opposed to the larger incisions needed in traditional procedures.

“We found that laparoscopic surgeons who played video games were quicker and more accurate, and you typically don’t tend to see those two elements working together when it comes to surgery. So these were surprising results,” said Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State

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Scientists in Japan have discovered a method to grow teeth from single cells in lab dishes and transplant them into mice.

The method involves the use of primitive cells that are injected into a collagen mold. The cells were taken from the tooth germ – a mass of tissue that has the potential of developing into a tooth. The cells eventually mature into a structure that shares the qualities of teeth, including dentin, enamel, dental pulp, blood vessels, and periodontal ligaments. Once transplanted to a mouse, the teeth grew and developed normally.

This is a significant breakthrough in regenerative therapies and demonstrates the possibilities of developing bioengineered organs to replace organs failing from age, disease, or injury.

Stem Cell research is the source of great controversy and heated debate due to the techniques used to obtain and use them. With current technology, starting a stem …

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker has long been considered by bird-watching enthusiasts to be “The Holy Grail” of bird watching. The bird is an extremely rare member of the woodpecker family, and is officially listed as an endangered species and even considered extinct by many people.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker made headlines back in 2004 when a kayaker in Arkansas reported seeing one. In 2005 a team led by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology also reported spotting the elusive bird. In September 2006, a team of ornithologists from Auburn University and the University of Windsor also published a paper detailing evidence for the existence of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in northwest Florida. In 2006, a $10,000 reward was offered for any information that leads researchers to an Ivory-bill nest.

In order to get conclusive evidence that the Ivory-Billed is not extinct, scientists …

A company named EEStor is claiming that it is close to commercially manufacturing a battery that will last 10 times longer than standard electrochemical batteries. If fact the company’s goal is to completely replace standard batteries anywhere they are currently found from cell phones to cars.

EEStor is claiming specifically that their new battery will store ten times more power and cost half as much as current lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries are currently used in most automobiles. EEStor also claims it batteries will operate in conditions ranging from -4 below 0 to almost 150 degrees above zero. Not quite good enough for much of the northern United States in winter, but good enough for the southern parts of the country.

The company claims they have produced a battery capacitor hybrid that will …

We had such a great response to our post about ferrofluid a few months back that I thought I would share this video showing the effects of a gas that is six times more dense than ambient air. In the video after the jump a light boat made out of tin foil floats on top of sulfur hexafluoride contained in an aquarium, and the gas is actually able to be “scooped” like water to fill the boat and make it sink.

My first thought was that the sulfur hexafluoride might be toxic, but according to Wikipedia the gas is colorless, odorless, non-toxic and non-flammable. The gas is actually dense enough to even float some light woods. To give you some reference; air is 784 times less dense than water compared to the 6 times of sulfur hexafluoride, and water is about 2.5 times less dense than dirt in case …

European scientists think they may have an answer to the nurse shortage: build robot nurses to replace the puny hu-mon nurses. The robots would perform basic tasks and free up the real nurses to do the important stuff like look hot and give naughty boys shots in the bum or something like that.

Actually, the robots would be performing more of a janitorial function than actual nursing activities. The robots would clean up spills, deliver messages and guide visitors to their beds. Wouldn’t a Roomba, a telephone and some old people be a lot better at this and a lot cheaper? No wonder Europe is such an economic disaster. Their brilliant minds are busy re-inventing stuff Americans can buy on late night TV.

In all seriousness, it appears that …

How many games have you played that featured a railgun as a weapon? I’m guessing just a few under a thousand. From Halo to Stargate to the movie Eraser, railguns are just as much a part of the sci-fi genre as bad acting and large-chested blue aliens. Now however, railguns are no longer science fiction. They are a reality for the US Navy.

The Navy demonstrated its new toy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The weapon uses electromagnetism to propel non-explosive projectiles to high speeds. The new weapon should increase the range of US Navy vessels as well as decrease the cost. The railgun is expected to replace the expensive Tomahawk missile saving the Navy a lot of money. Because of the speed of the projectile …

Do cell phones cause cancer? That is what the British government wants to know. Some recent studies have raised questions about the safety of cell phones after ten years of use. Specifically, does using a cell phone for ten or more years lead to an increased chance of brain cancer?

Many studies have been conducted over the years, some with conflicting results but the latest consensus is that cell phones are generally safe for use in the short term. The effects of long term usage have yet to be studied. Some researchers feel that there is a critical need to study the long term effects and believe governments should be more concerned about the health of its citizens.

Professor Lawrie Challis is one such researcher. He is currently securing funding from the British Department of Health …

The EcoShpere is not really a new discovery; they’ve been around for a number of years but the idea doesn’t seem to get old with us.

The EcoSphere is a tiny, completely enclosed ecosystem that is contained in a small orb between 3 and 9 inches in diameter. Inside the EcoSphere are tiny shrimp, algae, filtered sea water, gorgonia, gravel and a magnet. If you keep your tiny world in a moderate amount of sunlight or artificial light and maintain the desired temperature, the living organisms will usually keep the system alive for 2-3 years, but some have been going as long as 8.

Basically the cycle works like this: light energy grows the algae inside the Ecosphere. The algae create oxygen and food which the tiny shrimp need to survive. The shrimp make some organic waste from eating the algae which creates some bacteria that …

2006 was notable for the Wii, the PS3 and the temperature. Government scientists are reporting that 2006 was the warmest year on record since record keeping started in 1895.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its National Climatic Data Center collected temperature readings from 1200 weather stations around the contiguous US. They found that the temperature was 2.2 degrees higher than the mean temperature for the last century.

The temperature was notable but so was the government claim that the temperature change is being cause by build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The government is blaming human activity for the rise in temperature along with natural local weather phenomenon. Of particular interest were bears who wouldn’t hibernate and cherry trees blooming on New Year’s day.

Jay Lawrimore, crybaby at the National Oceanic and …

This is one for those World of Warcraft gamers who can’t be bothered by things like personal hygiene. Scientists have developed clothing with special molecules that repel water and oil and also kill bacteria.

The materials were designed for the United States Air Force for use in under garments. The t-shirts and underwear can be worn for several weeks without changing.

Before you dismiss this technology as trivial you should learn of the reasons behind the development. According to Jeff Owens, one of the researchers of the technology, “During Desert Storm, most casualties were from bacterial infections-not accidents or friendly fire. We treated underwear for soldiers who tested them for several weeks and found they remained hygienic. They also helped clear up some skin complaints.”

So the self cleaning or more aptly described dirt and germ repelling under garments can …

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, has released some detailed information about a literal rocket launch in a project that has been under wraps since it’s inception over 6 years ago.

Goddard, a 50 foot tall rocket, lifted off under it’s own power, flew about 285 feet into the air and then landed less than a minute later, seemingly with out a hitch. Multiple photos and a video of the rocket launch can be found at the Blue Origin web site. The video shows the full rocket launch and landing, and there are pictures of the rocket and the event of the launch on November 13, 2006.

The Blue Origin website leads off with a pitch for engineering applicants to join the Blue Origin team. “We’re working, patiently and step-by-step, to lower the cost of spaceflight so that many people can afford to …

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have patented a possible cure for cancer that involves sugar and fat. It’s not a chocolate chip cookie, it’s a designer molecule made of sugars and fatty acids.

Researchers urged caution as the treatment has not been tested on animals or humans yet. However, researchers are optimistic for its success.

The new substance was synthesized from a combination of two molecules. The first is a short chain fatty acid known as butyrate. Butyrate, known for over two decades to restore healthy cell function, has been shown to slow the rate of cancer. However, finding a way to deliver Butyrate to cells has been a problem.

The breakthrough comes by combining butyrate with the sugar N-acetyl-D-mannosamine otherwise known as ManNAc. The hybrid molecule can infiltrate a cell with ease …