Technology, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 15, 2013

Tracking the World's E-Waste (Infographic)

The U.S. and China produce more total e-waste than any other country, according to a new map that tracks e-waste around the world. (Image credit: Ross Toro, Infographic Artist) ...

Dec 19, 2013

Communicating Underground Via Chemical Signals

A new molecular communications system could beam messages and data underground, underwater or inside the body, where other forms of communication aren't practical. Plants and animals use molecular signaling all the time, from sweet-smelling flowers to insect pheromones. Bees, for example, use pheromones — signaling chemicals among animals — to...

Dec 22, 2013

High-Tech Santa: 5 Devices to Give Old St. Nick a Boost

Every year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks Santa Claus' location on Christmas Eve, to the delight of millions who visit the military's website that night. If a high-tech military operation can track Santa, couldn't technology also give the jolly old elf a hand in finishing his rounds?...

Jan 9, 2014

Explainer: After 4G, Why Do We Need 5G Phones?

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Mobile phone users in some nations are just beginning to upgrade to the latest in 4G technology. So it is perhaps surprising to learn that the industry is already working...

Feb 4, 2014

Facebook 10 Years Later: A Look Back

Ten years ago today, (Feb. 4) Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his dorm room at Harvard University. Since then, that little startup has become the most popular social network in the world with more than 1 billion users. In the decade since launching, Facebook has changed almost every aspect of...

Feb 13, 2014

17 Developing Countries That Love Social Media More than the US

The U.S. may be the birthplace of Facebook, but Americans are far from the most social-network obsessed people on the planet. Egypt, Russia, the Philippines and 14 other developing countries outpace the U.S. in the proportion of internet users who log on to social sites. The data comes from a...

Feb 13, 2014

How 24 Developing Countries Use Social Media

Internet use is up in developing nations, but going online is still a rare activity in many countries. The Pew Research Center conducted a global survey in spring 2013 that tracked technology adoption in 24 less-developed countries. The results show that cell phones are ubiquitous but smartphones still rare. Texting...

Feb 20, 2014

6 Types of Twitter Conversations Revealed

Twitter amplifies political echo chambers, hobbyists live in isolated bubbles, and a few trusted information sources still set the conversational agenda for breaking news. That's the picture gleaned from tracking thousands of conversations on Twitter, according to a new study. Surprisingly, conversations on Twitter tend to take one of only...

Feb 20, 2014

Smartphone-Piloted Drones Could Support US Troops on Front Lines

Injured soldiers in dangerous or difficult-to-reach combat zones could one day be carried to safety aboard specially designed, smartphone-piloted drones. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is developing a military drone capable of assisting troops while avoiding hostile threats on the ground, such as ambushes and improvised...

Feb 27, 2014

Top Secret: Boeing Unveils Secure Smartphone That Can 'Self-Destruct'

Taking cues from Mission Impossible, aerospace giant Boeing is developing a highly secure, self-destructing smartphone that can encrypt calls, protect stored information, or, if someone tries to tamper with or open the phone's casing, delete all of the device's data. The so-called Boeing Black is the Chicago-based company's first push...

Feb 27, 2014

Walking Can Recharge the Spirit, But What About Our Phones?

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to Live Science in partnership with the National Science Foundation. By the end of 2014, Earth will be home to more mobile electronic devices than people. Smartphones, tablets, e-readers, not to mention wearable health and fitness trackers, smart glasses and navigation devices —...

Mar 3, 2014

A Self-Destructing Phone Isn't the Last Word in Security (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Businesses battling to keep their information safe pricked up their ears last week as it was announce that Boeing has produced a mobile phone that self-destructs should the wrong...

Mar 4, 2014

New Device Could Charge Your Smartphone As You Walk

Power cords and batteries are the bane of every gadget: You either carry around the necessary cords and cables, or you hope the battery lasts. But now, researchers want to change that, by building a charger powered by the motion of your body as you walk. The device — built...

Mar 24, 2014

Cells Are Chatty: Here's What They May Be Saying

Living things are chatty creatures. Even when they're not making actual sounds, organisms constantly communicate using chemical signals that course through their systems. In multicellular organisms like people, brain cells might call, I'm in trouble! signaling others to help mount a protective response. Single-celled organisms like bacteria may broadcast, We...

Apr 30, 2014

5 Surprising Ways Drones Could Be Used in the Future

Future Fliers The AR.Drone 2.0 Elite Edition quadricopter comes with a sleek hull (one of two) that is meant for outdoor flying. The hull is 14 inches (35 centimeters) long, and the drone's total diameter is 22 in. (55 cm), including the rotors, in this configuration. The front-facing camera is...