New Michael Crichton Novel Discovered by Widow

A newly discovered novel from late writer Michael Crichton is on the way. “Dragon Teeth” is set in the late 19th century American West. It focuses on the real-life rivalry between paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh — during a time known as the “Bone Wars” — as seen through the story of fictional character William Johnson. Sherri Crichton was searching her late husband’s files for material for the Michael Crichton Archives when she discovered the manuscript.
Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/07/29/new-michael-crichton-novel-discovered-by-widow/?source=Snapzu

Day Four: She Stoops to Conquer: Notes From the Democratic Convention

“First things first. I want to apologize to the Sandernistas for any impolite things I may have written about you in the past 10 months. I especially want to apologize to those of you who rose up after your leader abandoned you, after Bernie wiped out your votes and muted your voices, after he turned you over to the DNC’s thuggish floor managers and security guards, after he sat passively as your brave chants of ‘No More Drones’ were drowned out by the fascist war-cry of ‘USA! USA!’”… By Jeffrey St. Clair
Read more: http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/29/she-stoops-to-conquer-notes-from-the-democratic-convention/?source=Snapzu

Breakthrough solar cell captures carbon dioxide and sunlight, produces burnable fuel

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have engineered a potentially game-changing solar cell that cheaply and efficiently converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel, using only sunlight for energy.
Read more: http://phys.org/news/2016-07-breakthrough-solar-cell-captures-carbon.html?source=Snapzu

Luke Aikins: Skydiver jumps out of plane at 7,600m, lands in net with no parachute or wingsuit

Mr Aikins -- who has done movie stunts -- spent a year-and-a-half preparing the death-defying feat, ...
Read more: https://www.veooz.com/news/ALJ6NRA.html?source=Snapzu

Soylent CEO’s shipping container home is a ‘middle finger’ to LA, locals say

Rob Rhinehart lacks permits for his ‘experiment in sustainable living’ and has ignored a removal order, which may lead to criminal charges, authorities say. The windows are smashed, the walls are covered in graffiti, and the solar panels gone. By Rory Carroll.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/27/soylent-ceo-rob-rhinehart-shipping-container-home-la?CMP=share_btn_tw?source=Snapzu

Court ruling shows the internet does have borders after all

J. Trevor Hughes of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, explores the common misconception of an internet without borders.
Read more: http://www.csoonline.com/article/3101850/internet/court-ruling-shows-the-internet-does-have-borders-after-all.html?source=Snapzu

Monumental proof to torment mathematicians for years to come

Conference on Shinichi Mochizuki’s work inspires cautious optimism. By Davide Castelvecchi.
Read more: http://www.nature.com/news/monumental-proof-to-torment-mathematicians-for-years-to-come-1.20342?source=Snapzu

President Signs Law That Overturns Vermont GMO Labeling Rules, Replaces Them With Barcodes

Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fast-tracked a controversial piece of legislation aimed at overturning and preempting state laws for labeling foods made with genetically modified ingredients… By Chris Morran.
Read more: https://consumerist.com/2016/07/29/president-signs-law-that-outlaws-vermont-gmo-labeling-rules-replaces-them-with-barcodes/?source=Snapzu

The ‘smoking gun’ proving North Carolina Republicans tried to disenfranchise black voters

A federal court hands down a damning indictment of North Carolina’s law. By Christopher Ingraham.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/29/the-smoking-gun-proving-north-carolina-republicans-tried-to-disenfranchise-black-voters/?source=Snapzu

David Bald Eagle, Lakota Chief, Musician, Cowboy And Actor, Dies At 97

He was also a war hero and a ballroom dancer — Bald Eagle’s life is hard to fit in a headline. He parachuted into Normandy, acted in Westerns and starred in his first feature film at the age of 95. By Camila Domonoske.
Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/27/487651658/david-bald-eagle-lakota-chief-musician-cowboy-and-actor-dies-at-97?source=Snapzu

Deep space travel might blow your mind, but it could be bad for your heart

Bad news would-be astronauts: Traveling into deep space could be bad for your heart. In a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports, researchers found that astronauts who went to the moon were almost five times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than astronauts who remained in low-Earth orbit on the International Space Station. The findings suggest that leaving the protective fold of the Earth and its magnetic field could be more damaging to the cardiovascular system than was previously thought.
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-space-travel-heart-20160728-snap-story.html?source=Snapzu

WhatsApp isn’t fully deleting its 'deleted' chats

WhatsApp retains and stores chat logs even after those chats have been deleted, according to a post today by iOS researcher Jonathan Zdziarski. Examining disk images taken from the most recent version of the app, Zdziarski found that the software retains and stores a forensic trace of the chat logs even after the chats have been deleted, creating a potential treasure trove of information for anyone with physical access to the device. The same data could also be recoverable through any remote backup systems in place.
Read more: http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/28/12319610/whatsapp-forensic-security-deleted-chats-encryption?source=Snapzu

1,400-Square-Foot Roman Mosaic of Hercules’s Labors Found in Cyprus

Construction crews working on the sewage system beneath the southern coastal city of Larnaca in Cyprus recently found themselves face-to-face with Roman-era scenes of toil: a large-scale mosaic floor of the Labors of Hercules dating to the 2nd century CE.
Read more: http://hyperallergic.com/312903/1400-square-foot-roman-mosaic-of-herculess-labors-found-in-cyprus/?source=Snapzu

Concealed carry firearm permits hit new all-time high

More than 14.5 million Americans are now licensed to carry a concealed handgun — a jump of 1.73 million in just a year, according to new research that says women and black Americans are among the most eager to sign up. More than 6 percent of the adult population in the U.S. now has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, according to John R. Lott Jr. at the Crime Prevention Research Center. And those who actually carry is likely much higher because nearly a dozen states don’t even require a permit to do so, he said.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/26/concealed-carry-firearm-permits-hit-new-all-time-h/?source=Snapzu

Ice Age Hunting Camp, Replete With Bird Bones and Tobacco, Found in Utah Desert

In the dead-flat desert of northwestern Utah, archaeologists have uncovered a scene from a distant, and more verdant, time.
Read more: http://westerndigs.org/ice-age-hunting-camp-replete-with-bird-bones-and-tobacco-found-in-utah-desert/?source=Snapzu

Scientists grow dandelions to make rubber

Scientists have developed a dandelion strain with natural rubber in its roots. The summer weed that invades suburban lawns could be the next rubber tree. Researchers are working to improve the weed so that it can be produced fast and efficiently enough to be a sustainable source of rubber.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2016/07/27/Scientists-grow-dandelions-to-make-rubber/1741469649860/?source=Snapzu

With Degree Debunked, Melania Trump Website Is Taken Down

The action was taken after Ms. Trump’s claim to have earned an undergraduate degree in her native Slovenia proved to be false.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/us/politics/melania-trump.html?source=Snapzu

England's plastic bag usage drops 85% since 5p charge introduced

Number of single-use bags handed out dropped to 500m in first six months since charge, compared with 7bn the previous year
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/30/england-plastic-bag-usage-drops-85-per-cent-since-5p-charged-introduced?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk endorsement sparks rush to find out-of-print history book

A forgotten, out-of-print history book from 1929 has sold out across the internet after it was praised by Elon Musk. The Tesla chief executive and billionaire told Bloomberg on Thursday that he was currently reading a book called Twelve Against the Gods by William Bolitho. “It’s really quite good,” Musk added, sending the price of the now obscure text up from $6.35 (£4.82) on Amazon.com for a secondhand paperback edition, to $99.99, before it sold out at the online retailer.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/29/elon-musk-endorsement-sparks-rush-to-find-out-of-print-history-book?source=Snapzu

What Bill O’Reilly Doesn’t Understand About Slavery

Bill O’Reilly, historian, has had quite the week. On Tuesday night, responding to Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, the Fox News host pointed out—just as a point of interest!—that slaves working on the construction of the White House’ were joined by free black, white, and immigrant labor, and that they were “well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government.” On Wednesday night, O’Reilly brought up the subject again, expressing wonder at the pushback he got for his comments. He berated the media, professing an...
Read more: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2016/07/what_bill_o_reilly_doesn_t_understand_about_slavery.html?source=Snapzu

MTV Launches 'Classic' Channel Dedicated to 1990s

MTV plans to rebrand VH1 Classic as MTV Classic starting on August 1st. According to a statement from the company, the new channel will focus on "an eclectic mix of fan-favorite MTV series and music programming drawn from across its rich history, with a special focus on the 1990s and early 2000s." The August 1st switch date has special significance, commemorating the launch of MTV 35 years ago on August 1st, 1981. The debut hour of MTV Classic will replicate the first hour of programming in MTV's history. In a nod to modern technology, fans will also be able to watch "MTV Hour One" via Facebook Live on the channel's Facebook page.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mtv-launches-classic-channel-dedicated-to-1990s-w431416?source=Snapzu

Moderators banned 2,200 accounts during Donald Trump's AMA

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump participated in a Reddit AMA last night on the pro-Trump forum, /r/The_Donald, allowing a handful of internet denizens to ask him questions about the election and his proposed policies. He answered 12 questions in total and stuck to fairly broad statements such as, "I think NASA is wonderful." Trump reiterated his distrust of the press and of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and his goal to repeal the Affordable Care Act. His most in-depth answers invited former Bernie Sanders supporters to vote for him and reached out to people considering voting for a third-party candidate.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/2016/07/28/donald-trump-reddit-ama-censorship/?source=Snapzu

Australia has moved 1.5 metres, so it's updating its location for self-driving cars

Strewth! Australia will update its latitude and longitude to make sure self-driving cars, drones and tractors know where they're going.
Read more: http://www.cnet.com/news/australia-has-moved-1-5m-so-its-updating-its-location-for-self-driving-cars/?source=Snapzu

Flint water crisis: New criminal charges filed

Six current and former Michigan employees were charged Friday in a widening criminal investigation into the Flint water crisis, state Attorney General Bill Schuette said. Additional charges could be forthcoming. Prosecutors said the state Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services manipulated and altered reports about lead contamination in the drinking water. Investigators were still working their way up the chain of command.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/29/us/flint-water-crisis-charges/index.html?source=Snapzu

Rudy Giuliani suggests Muslims on US watchlist should wear GPS bracelets

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has suggested the US government should put electronic monitoring bracelets on Muslims who are on the federal government’s terror watchlist. “I would think that’s an excellent idea,” Giuliani told NJ.com. “If you’re on the terror watchlist, I should know you’re on the terror watchlist. You’re on there for a reason.” At an “RNC at the DNC” event, Giuliani, who is currently acting as an informal adviser to Trump on terrorism and national security, said the Republican nominee could employ the same tactics used in France.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/28/rudy-giuliani-muslims-watchlist-monitoring-bracelets?source=Snapzu

'Babylon 5' Star Jerry Doyle -- Dead at 60

Jerry Doyle -- best known for his role on "Babylon 5" -- died Wednesday ... TMZ has learned. Sources tell us ... a call was made to his Las Vegas home yesterday afternoon after he was found unresponsive. It's unclear how the political radio talk show host and actor died ... but we're told no foul play is suspected. An autopsy is pending. Jerry starred as security officer Michael Garibaldi from 1994 to 1998 and was married to co-star Andrea Thompson from 1995 to 1997. He worked on Wall Street before going into acting.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2016/07/28/jerry-doyle-babylon-5-dead/?source=Snapzu

Haitians at DNC: 'We Hate Hillary'; She 'Belongs in Jail'

Haitians at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia took to the streets to protest Bill and Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation’s actions in the wake of the 2010 cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti. “The main message is that Hillary Clinton belongs in jail,” one protester said when asked what the overall message of the protest was. “We believe that the world should know about the crimes the Clinton family has committed against the country of Haiti–the money they have stolen from the earthquake victims. And we believe that were this to be anyone else, they’d be in jail right now,” he continued.
Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/28/we-hate-hillary-haitians-at-democratic-national-convention-say-hillary-clinton-belongs-in-jail/?source=Snapzu

Watch Stormtroopers Show a Tiny Kylo Ren the Proper Respect

Disneyworld's Stormtroopers are well trained.
Read more: http://time.com/4430441/stormtroopers-tiny-kylo-ren/?source=Snapzu

From virtual communities to real-life enterprises … How Kickstarter generated more than $5bn

The Fed Ex guy is always delivering intriguing parcels to Mini Museum’s headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, but he’s never allowed to see what’s inside. On Wednesday, it was something very cool from Norway, co-founder Jamie Grove explains – though he can’t say any more. But Mini Museum has the fascinating, rare and bizarre delivered every day; it’s a unique startup that collects scientific and historic artefacts from around the universe, meticulously divides them and presents them encased in clear acrylic as a “mini museum”.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/28/from-virtual-communities-to-real-life-enterprises-how-kickstarter-generated-more-than-5bn?source=Snapzu

Running at 150,000 RPM, this tiny motor could help satellites keep on course

The future is small in space: picture Cubesats the size of toasters and Femtosats an inch across crowding the skies. A newly invented motor that’s both tiny and powerful goes hand in hand with that vision, providing compact spacecraft with the ability to adjust their position without using a drop of fuel.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/22/running-at-150000-rpm-this-tiny-motor-could-help-satellites-keep-on-course/?source=Snapzu

“Say Our Children’s Names” – Victims of Police Violence Honored on Stage and Off at Democratic Convention

The "mothers of the movement" took the stage at the Democratic convention where they read the names of black victims of police violence.
Read more: https://theintercept.com/2016/07/27/say-our-childrens-names-victims-of-police-violence-honored-on-stage-and-off-at-democratic-convention/?source=Snapzu

Olympians will ‘literally be swimming in human crap,’ scientists say

But Olympic swimmers, sailors and windsurfers will have to look out for more than that, because the city’s waters have what health experts are calling a “petri dish of pathogens,” including bacterias that cause diarrhea, vomiting and even death to those with weakened immune systems. “Foreign athletes will literally be swimming in human crap, and they risk getting sick from all those microorganisms,” Dr. Daniel Becker, a local pediatrician who works in poor neighborhoods, told the New York Times. “It’s sad but also worrisome.”
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article92337342.html?source=Snapzu

Alphabet's 2Q Earns Soar Despite Rising 'Moonshot' Losses

Business is booming at Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., even as it loses billions of dollars on kooky-sounding projects that may never produce any revenue. Huge chunks of the losses have been piling up in Alphabet's "X'' lab, a wellspring of far-out ideas that has become known as a "moonshot factory" since Google co-founder Sergey Brin launched it about six years ago. The lab is responsible for some once-zany projects, such as Google's self-driving cars, that matured into potentially revolutionary technology. It also has pursued but ultimately abandoned other outlandish endeavors...
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/07/28/business/ap-us-alphabet-moonshots.html?source=Snapzu

Sea Slug? Disco Ball? Beautiful Deep-Sea Purple Blob Puzzles Scientists

Researchers have found a curious purple orb near California's Channel Islands – and it's left them stumped.
Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/28/487799041/sea-slug-disco-ball-beautiful-deep-sea-purple-blob-puzzles-scientists?source=Snapzu

Scientists find cancer in million-year-old fossil

Cancer may not be so modern after all. Though we typically think of it as a new affliction attributed to bad habits, bad luck or longevity, a surprising discovery has revealed that the disease existed in human ancestors more than a million years ago. Scientists have found evidence of cancer in a foot bone and spine from two ancient hominin specimens in South Africa.
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/28/health/oldest-human-cancer-found/index.html?source=Snapzu

Here's What 'Free Will' Looks Like in Your Brain

Scientists have for the first time watched the human brain making a purely voluntary decision to act. Unlike in brain imaging studies where researchers wat
Read more: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2117788-heres-what-free-will-looks-like-in-your-brain/?source=Snapzu

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Likely a Massive Heat Source

New NASA-funded research suggests that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot may be the mysterious heat source behind Jupiter’s surprisingly high upper atmospheric temperatures. By Tricia Talbert.
Read more: http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jupiter-s-great-red-spot-likely-a-massive-heat-source?source=Snapzu

The Definitive Ranking of Livestream Wildlife Cams

We witnessed sad sharks, baby bison in danger, and more puffins than any one person deserves to see in a day—and we've determined which stream should occupy your 24 hours.
Read more: http://www.outsideonline.com/2101166/definitive-ranking-wildlife-livestream-cams?source=Snapzu

Climate models are accurately predicting ocean and global warming

For those of us who are concerned about global warming, two of the most critical questions we ask are, “how fast is the Earth warming?” and “how much will it warm in the future?”. The first question can be answered in a number of ways. For instance, we can actually measure the rate of energy increase in the Earth’s system (primarily through measuring changing ocean temperatures). Alternatively, we can measure changes in the net inflow of heat at the top of the atmosphere using satellites. We can also measure the rate of sea-level rise to get an estimate of the warming rate.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/jul/27/climate-models-are-accurately-predicting-ocean-and-global-warming?source=Snapzu

Trump Seeks More Foreign Guest Workers For His Companies

The presidential candidate is seeking to bring in 78 more servers, housekeepers, and cooks for his Mar-a-Lago resort and nearby golf course. By Jessica Garrison, Jeremy Singer-Vine, and Ken Bensinger.
Read more: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicagarrison/trump-seeks-more-foreign-guestworkers-for-his-companies?source=Snapzu

Norway considers giving mountain to Finland as 100th birthday present

What do you give a country that has 188,000 lakes for a birthday present? Its highest mountain back, obviously. Norway’s government has confirmed that for the centenary of Finland’s independence next year it is considering moving the border, gifting its Nordic neighbour a mountain peak that would be the country’s highest point. “There are a few formal difficulties and I have not yet made my final decision,” the Norwegian prime minister, Erna Solberg, told NRK, the national broadcaster. “But we are looking into it.”
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/norway-finland-move-mountain-halti-halditsohkka-highest-peak?source=Snapzu

Jack Davis, Cartoonist Who Helped Found 'Mad' Magazine, Dies At 91

Money from a job illustrating a Coca-Cola training manual became a springboard for him to move from Georgia to New York.
Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/28/487804779/jack-davis-cartoonist-who-helped-found-mad-magazine-dies?source=Snapzu

Cops mistook Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze for meth, Orlando man says

Daniel Rushing treats himself to a Krispy Kreme doughnut every other Wednesday. He used to eat them in his car. Not anymore. Not since a pair of Orlando police officers pulled him over, spotted four tiny flakes of glaze on his floorboard and arrested him, saying they were pieces of crystal methamphetamine. The officers did two roadside drug tests and both came back positive for the illegal substance, according to his arrest report.
Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-cop-mistook-doughnut-glaze-for-meth-20160727-story.html?source=Snapzu

Chelsea Manning faces charges, solitary confinement after suicide attempt

Serving 35 years for leaking secrets to WikiLeaks, she was being investigated for resisting guards, prohibited property and threatening conduct charges. By Nicky Woolf.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/28/chelsea-manning-suicide-attempt-military-charges-wikileaks?source=Snapzu

Switzerland, land of peace, sees gun sales soar after terror attacks

Business at Daniel Wyss’ gun shop has been brisk lately in the village of Burgdorf near Switzerland’s capital of Bern. He said the increased demand for firearms is triggered by a growing fear among the Swiss public that terrorists could attack their tranquil land at any time. As nations around Europe tighten their gun laws after a series of terror attacks in several countries since 2015, the Swiss are bucking this trend by turning to firearms for protection.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/07/26/switzerland-land-peace-sees-gun-sales-soar-after-terror-attacks/87573224/?source=Snapzu

Warnings of imminent extinction crisis for largest wild animal species

A team of conservation biologists is calling for a worldwide strategy to prevent the unthinkable: the extinction of the world's largest mammal species.
Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160727172008.htm?source=Snapzu

How the United Arab Emirates Intelligence Tried to Hire Me to Spy on Its People

Recently, we’ve been overwhelmed with news of horrors, attacks, monsters who murder the innocent in the name of a faith they don’t truly know. I’m publishing this article today to talk about other monsters, and I can guarantee these can be much worse than the ones we are now familiar with. They are the ones you don’t see coming, those you cannot conceive to be real.
Read more: https://www.evilsocket.net/2016/07/27/How-The-United-Arab-Emirates-Intelligence-Tried-to-Hire-me-to-Spy-on-its-People/?source=Snapzu

The unfolding water crisis at the Third Pole

At the top of the world a climate disaster is unfolding that threatens the lives of more than a billion people. By Matthew Carney.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-25/climate-change-the-third-pole-under-threat/7657672?WT.tsrc=Facebook?source=Snapzu

HBO Cancels Project Greenlight, Matt Damon Says He’ll Shop It Elsewhere

Say goodbye to Project Greenlight. For now. HBO says it will not renew the docuseries, which was executive produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Deadline reports. “When we picked up a new season in 2014, we imagined a one-season revival and decided in early 2016 another season did not make sense for us,” HBO said in a statement. “We are proud of the show and were pleased with its run throughout the years.” Damon told the Associated Press that he was surprised at the network’s decision, but understands it.
Read more: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/07/project-greenlight-hbo?source=Snapzu

Two new highly adorned spiky ant species discovered in New Guinea

The distinctive dorsal spines found on two new species of highly adorned Pheidole ants may help to support the ants' massive heads, according to a study published July 27, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Eli Sarnat, Georg Fischer and Evan Economo from the Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, Japan.
Read more: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/p-tnh072116.php?source=Snapzu