Study identifies psychology of attraction to religious deities and superheroes

A new psychological study published by University of Otago researchers has addressed centuries-old questions about how and why supernatural beings are worshiped. The "Mickey Mouse problem" commonly referenced in religious psychology refers to the difficulty in predicting which supernatural beings are capable of eliciting belief and religious devotion.
Read more: https://phys.org/news/2019-09-psychology-religious-deities-superheroes.html?source=Snapzu

People Are Already Reporting Collisions With Tesla’s Driverless Smart Summon Feature

The functionality is part of Tesla’s V10 software, which had its widespread release earlier this week.
Read more: https://www.thedrive.com/news/30074/people-are-already-reporting-collisions-with-teslas-driverless-smart-summon-feature?source=Snapzu

Apple Maps is looking better than ever, but it still has a long way to go

Earlier this summer, Apple announced a host of changes to its Maps app as part of the upcoming iOS 13 update. Now that the new operating system is finally here, the tech giant is beginning to gradually roll out those changes in the US. It started with California and Texas, and, as of this week, now includes the US Northeast.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/30/20888734/apple-maps-update-northeast-transit-google-maps?source=Snapzu

Doctor Strange Director Teased Scarlet Witch’s Inclusion Years Ago

Over the summer, Marvel chief Kevin Feige took to the legendary Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con to announce the Phase Four slate for the massive cinematic universe and completely wowed fans. One of the highlights of the upcoming lineup is a sequel for the Master of the Mystic Arts titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and will have Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch coming along for the ride.
Read more: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2481199/doctor-strange-director-teased-scarlet-witchs-inclusion-years-ago?source=Snapzu

NASA is making Transformers-style robots for a 2026 mission to Titan

NASA is testing out flying, rolling and swimming cobots
Read more: https://www.inverse.com/article/59632-nasa-creating-shape-shifting-robots-to-explore-titan?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk to Unveil SpaceX's New Starship Design Tonight. Here's What to Expect

It's that time again. Elon Musk will unveil the latest design of SpaceX's Starship Mars-colonization architecture tonight (Sept. 28) during a presentation at the company's South Texas facilities, near the village of Boca Chica.
Read more: https://www.space.com/elon-musk-starship-design-update-2019-preview.html?source=Snapzu

How Fossil Fuel Companies Are Killing Plastic Recycling

So many things we buy come packaged in plastic containers or wrappers that are meant to be used once, thrown away and forgotten ― but they don’t break down and can linger in the environment long after we’re gone. It’s tempting to think that we can recycle this problem away, that if we’re more diligent about placing discarded bottles and bags into the curbside bin, we’ll somehow make up for all the trash overflowing landfills, choking waterways and killing marine life.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/plastic-recycling-oil-companies-landfill_n_5d8e4916e4b0e9e7604c832e?source=Snapzu

Abortion decriminalized in Sydney after Australian lawmakers overturn 119-year-old law

Abortion has now been decriminalized in almost all of Australia after the country's most populous state voted to overturn a 119-year-old law. On Thursday, lawmakers in New South Wales -- which is home to Sydney -- voted to pass a bill that decriminalizes abortion and makes terminations available to people who are less than 22 weeks pregnant.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/26/asia/abortion-australia-decriminalized-intl-hnk/index.html?source=Snapzu

Discovery By International Team of Scientists may Change Models of Planets Formation

A surprising discovery by an international team of scientists may change our understanding of the formation of planets. An international team of astrophysicists has discovered a large planet, more than half the mass of Jupiter, around a small, cool red dwarf star.
Read more: https://www.matconlist.com/2019/09/discovery-by-international-team-of.html?source=Snapzu

NASA Just Recorded A Black Hole Devour A Sun-Sized Star For The First Time Ever

Astronomers say this type of cosmic event happens once every 10,000 to 100,000 years.
Read more: https://allthatsinteresting.com/black-hole-rips-star-apart?source=Snapzu

First fully rechargeable carbon dioxide battery is seven times more efficient than lithium-ion and carbon neutral

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have successfully tested a lithium-carbon dioxide battery prototype running up to 500 consecutive cycles of charge/recharge processes.
Read more: https://www.adapt-network.com/tech/first-fully-rechargeable-carbon-dioxide-battery/?source=Snapzu

Why engineers in Alberta think they've found a way for the oilsands to produce clean fuel

As the world reaches for cleaner energy, hydrogen has long been viewed with a lot of hope. Often called the fuel of the future, the gas can be used to generate electricity and power vehicles. It produces water — not carbon — when burned.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/alberta-hydrogen-innovation-1.5290297?source=Snapzu

Portable electronics: a stretchable and flexible biofuel cell that runs on sweat

The potential uses for wearable electronic devices continue to increase, especially for medical and athletic monitoring. Such devices require the development of a reliable and efficient energy source that can easily be integrated into the human body. Using “biofuels” present in human organic liquids has long been a promising avenue.
Read more: https://www.cnrs.fr/en/portable-electronics-stretchable-and-flexible-biofuel-cell-runs-sweat?source=Snapzu

First, Alexa came into your home. Now it wants to get on your body

Amazon doesn't just want to bring its virtual assistant, Alexa, to your home. Now, it's aiming to have Alexa come with you everywhere, by putting it on your face, in your ears, and even on your finger. At a major media event on Wednesday, Amazon introduced a wide range of new products and services — all part of an ongoing effort to make Alexa an ever-more-important part of users' lives.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/25/tech/amazon-alexa-wearables-loop-earbuds-frames/index.html?source=Snapzu

iPhone 11 sees strong festive demand across India as people throng stores

New Delhi: Heralding a perfect Diwali for Apple, iPhone lovers on Friday thronged Apple Authorised Resellers and premium stores across India to grab new iPhone 11 — a scene reminiscent of the arrival of Apple 6 and 7 series in the country in 2014 and 2015.
Read more: https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/indians-throng-apple-stores-strong-festive-demand-for-iphone-11-1569594400776.html?source=Snapzu

Tons of Water in Asteroids Could Fuel Satellites, Space Exploration

When it comes to mining space for water, the best target may not be the moon: Entrepreneurs' richest options are likely to be asteroids that are larger and closer to Earth. A recent study suggested that roughly 1,000 water-rich, or hydrated, asteroids near our planet are easier to reach than the lunar surface is. While most of these space rocks are only a few feet in size, more than 25 of them should be large enough to each provide significant water.
Read more: https://www.space.com/water-rich-asteroids-space-exploration-fuel.html?source=Snapzu

Nasa’s chief scientist ‘worried’ world is not ready for discovery of life on Mars

Nasa is close to finding life on Mars but the world is not ready for the “revolutionary” implications of the discovery, the space agency’s chief scientist has said. Dr Jim Green has warned that two rovers from Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) could find evidence of life within months of arriving on Mars in March 2021.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-mars-life-discovery-space-exomars-rover-chief-scientist-jim-green-a9125076.html?source=Snapzu

Australia Is Using New Technology to Catch Drivers on Phones

An Australian state is attempting to persuade people to put down their smartphones while driving by rolling out cameras to prosecute distracted motorists. New South Wales Roads Minister Andrew Constance said Monday that Australia’s most populous state is the first jurisdiction in the world to use such technology to punish drivers distracted by social media, text messages or phone calls.
Read more: https://time.com/5683862/australia-technology-drivers-driving-phones/?source=Snapzu

Skin cancer: Half of people surviving advanced melanoma

More than half of patients can now survive a deadly skin cancer that was considered untreatable just a decade ago, say UK doctors. Ten years ago only one-in-20 patients would live for five years after being diagnosed with late-stage melanoma. Most would die in months. But drugs to harness the body's immune system mean 52% now live for at least five years, a clinical trial shows.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/health-49853878??source=Snapzu

Why Concrete Genie is a game that no one should ignore

Concrete Genie was revealed back in 2017 at Paris Games Week. It was the most nominated game for Gamescom Awards and won an award for the Most Original Game. The Game itself has one of the best art and design ever since most of the elements are hand-drawn. Concrete Genie will also have PlayStation VR Support and, a breath-taking 6-8 hours Story. Whatever you create will eventually come to life.
Read more: https://gamingroute.com/why-concrete-genie-is-a-game-that-no-one-should-ignore/?source=Snapzu

SpaceX Starship Will Be Fully Operational Tomorrow

The SpaceX orbital prototype of the Starship is fully assembled. They placed the nosecone on it and it has three Raptor engines. This is time for Elon Musk to make a presentation on Starship tomorrow.
Read more: https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/09/spacex-starship-will-be-fully-operational-tomorrow.html?source=Snapzu

Scientists discover a worm that has three sexes and a pouch like a kangaroo's

There's a new species of worm, and this one has three different sexes, can survive 500 times the dose of arsenic it would take to kill a human and keeps its young in a pouch, not unlike a kangaroo.
Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/27/us/new-worm-species-three-sexes-scn-trnd/index.html?source=Snapzu

Turkish scientist gets 15-month sentence for publishing environmental study

Bülent Şık went to a newspaper after the government sat on a study of a cancer cluster in polluted region
Read more: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/turkish-scientist-gets-15-month-sentence-publishing-environmental-study?source=Snapzu

Amazon Echo Loop: Who Is This Alexa Ring For?

Jef Bezos wants to have you from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death embraces you or your credit card gets cancelled, whichever comes next. And that’s why he has came up with the Amazon Echo Loop — a ring that puts Alexa right on your finger so you can whisper at it when you need more toilet paper.
Read more: https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/amazons-bizarre-echo-loop-who-is-this-alexa-ring-for?source=Snapzu

Report: 2020 iPhones to utilize iPhone 4-like metal frame

The iPhone 11-series barely hit store shelves in some regions and there’s already chatter about the 2020 successor. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the 2020 iPhones will be redesigned, with Apple possibly looking at the past and recycle the iPhone 4’s metal frame in building the new models around it.
Read more: https://pocketnow.com/report-2020-iphones-to-utilize-iphone-4-like-metal-frame?source=Snapzu

Logitech is buying Streamlabs for $89 million

The hardware maker gets game live streaming software
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20886060/logitech-streamlabs-obs-acquisition-twitch?source=Snapzu

Do Mirror Neurons Help Us Feel Empathy?

In 2000, prominent neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran wrote that mirror neurons would do for psychology what DNA did for biology (Ramachandran: 2000). Although he has since admitted that this was an overstatement, mirror neurons have still contributed a lot to our understanding of how the brain works in social situations- especially those that require empathy. But how?
Read more: https://www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/15730/mirror-neurons-help-feel-empathy?source=Snapzu

AI equal with human experts in medical diagnosis, study finds

Artificial intelligence is on a par with human experts when it comes to making medical diagnoses based on images, a review has found. The potential for artificial intelligence in healthcare has caused excitement, with advocates saying it will ease the strain on resources, free up time for doctor-patient interactions and even aid the development of tailored treatment. Last month the government announced £250m of funding for a new NHS artificial intelligence laboratory.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/24/ai-equal-with-human-experts-in-medical-diagnosis-study-finds?source=Snapzu

Man who created labradoodle breed describes it as his 'life’s regret'

The man who created the world’s first labradoodle has spoken of his regret in creating the popular mixed-breed dog, describing them as “crazy Frankenstein’s monsters” prone to hereditary problems. Australian, Wally Conron, bred the first labradoodle, Sultan, in 1989 as a guide dog for a blind woman whose husband was allergic to dog hair.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/labradoodle-wally-conron-regret-frankensteins-monster-hypoallergenic-a9120971.html?source=Snapzu

Green tea could hold the key to reducing antibiotic resistance

Scientists at the University of Surrey have discovered that a natural antioxidant commonly found in green tea can help eliminate antibiotic resistant bacteria. The study, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, found that epigallocatechin (EGCG) can restore the activity of aztreonam, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections caused by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Read more: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-09/uos-gtc092319.php#.XYyYgiAY0U4.reddit?source=Snapzu

Fossilised microbes from 3.5 billion years ago are oldest yet found

We have finally uncovered hard evidence that 3.5 billion year old rocks in Australia really do contain fossils of the oldest known microorganisms. The findings put to bed a debate that has raged for years and may even enlighten us as to how some of Earth’s earliest life forms functioned.
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2217747-fossilised-microbes-from-3-5-billion-years-ago-are-oldest-yet-found/?source=Snapzu

Galaxy S11 May Feature 108MP Camera and 5X Optical Zoom

Supply chain sources claim that Samsung will adopt a quadcamera setup for the Galaxy S11, including a 108MP sensor and a 5X optical zoom telephoto lens. It seems like Samsung has decided to fight Apple, Google and Huawei to capture the title of best camera phone.
Read more: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s11-may-feature-108mp-camera-5x-optical-zoom?source=Snapzu

Reddit and Gab's most toxic communities inadvertently train AI to combat hate speech

A team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara and Intel took thousands of conversations from the scummiest communities on Reddit and Gab and used them to develop and train AI to combat hate speech. Finally, r/The_Donald and other online cesspools are doing something useful.
Read more: https://thenextweb.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/09/25/reddit-and-gabs-most-toxic-communities-inadvertently-train-ai-to-combat-hate-speech/?source=Snapzu

New Mortality Indicator Published on People with Learning Disabilities

Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities: Standardised Mortality Ratio Indicator compares the number of deaths occurring in the learning disabilities population, aged 0–74, to those that would be expected for people of the same characteristics in the general population.
Read more: https://www.psychreg.org/mortality-indicator/?source=Snapzu

Before Trump, Cambridge Analytica’s parent built weapons for war

How the parent company of Trump’s campaign firm plied its skills on the battlefield and in elections, while working for the U.S., the U.K., and NATO.
Read more: https://www.fastcompany.com/90235437/before-trump-cambridge-analytica-parent-built-weapons-for-war?source=Snapzu

Google wins case to keep right to be forgotten EU only

Court rules Google does not have to remove sensitive information from global search
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/24/victory-for-google-in-landmark-right-to-be-forgotten-case?source=Snapzu

The world's largest offshore wind farm is nearly complete. It can power 1 million homes

The world's largest offshore wind farm is taking shape off the east coast of Britain, a landmark project that demonstrates one way to combat climate change at scale. Located 120 kilometers (75 miles) off England's Yorkshire coast, Hornsea One will produce enough energy to supply 1 million UK homes with clean electricity when it is completed in 2020.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/25/business/worlds-largest-wind-farm/index.html?source=Snapzu

Given the State of the World, Is It Irresponsible to Have Kids?

A team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara and Intel took thousands of conversations from the scummiest communities on Reddit and Gab and used them to develop and train AI to combat hate speech. Finally, r/The_Donald and other online cesspools are doing something useful.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/t-magazine/should-have-kids.html?source=Snapzu

Three billion North American birds have vanished since 1970, surveys show

North America's birds are disappearing from the skies at a rate that's shocking even to ornithologists. Since the 1970s, the continent has lost 3 billion birds, nearly 30% of the total, and even common birds such as sparrows and blackbirds are in decline, U.S. and Canadian researchers report this week online in Science. "It's staggering," says first author Ken Rosenberg, a conservation scientist at the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology.
Read more: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/three-billion-north-american-birds-have-vanished-1970-surveys-show?source=Snapzu

UK wages flatline as robots take skilled jobs, pushing workers into low-paid roles

Wages are flatlining because companies are scrapping swathes of mid-tier positions – replacing them with algorithms and cheap offshore labour, according to a new report. White-collar recruitment specialist Hays found that with jobs like paralegal work and administration, new technology is making these roles redundant, leaving over-qualified professionals working in lower-tier positions instead.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/wages-fall-automation-robots-skilled-office-jobs-low-pay-a9116246.html?source=Snapzu

The $47 Trillion Death Sentence For Oil & Gas

The future of hydrocarbons is becoming bleak if plans presented by international banks, representing around $47 trillion in value, will be fully implemented. Around 130 international banks, all present at the UN climate change summit in New York, have committed themselves to decrease their support and investments in the oil and gas sector the coming years.
Read more: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-47-Trillion-Death-Sentence-For-Oil-Gas.html?source=Snapzu

Jeff Bezos would pay $9 billion a year in wealth taxes under Bernie Sanders' plan

Jeff Bezos would pay about $9 billion in taxes this year under Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposed wealth tax. As part of his presidential primary campaign and efforts to outflank the rise of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sanders announced a wealth tax that would hit multibillionaires like Bezos especially hard. The Amazon CEO would pay more in annual wealth taxes than the net worth of the 50 richest Americans as listed by Forbes.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/24/jeff-bezos-would-pay-9-billion-a-year-in-taxes-under-sanders-plan.html?source=Snapzu

Three billion North American birds have vanished since 1970, surveys show

North America's birds are disappearing from the skies at a rate that's shocking even to ornithologists. Since the 1970s, the continent has lost 3 billion birds, nearly 30% of the total, and even common birds such as sparrows and blackbirds are in decline, U.S. and Canadian researchers report this week online in Science. "It's staggering," says first author Ken Rosenberg, a conservation scientist at the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology.
Read more: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09/three-billion-north-american-birds-have-vanished-1970-surveys-show?source=Snapzu

5 reasons McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC must speak up about the Amazon fires

The Amazon rainforest is on fire. But what does this have to do with McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King? Here are the top five reasons why these fast food giants must take a stand against Amazon destruction...
Read more: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/24341/reasons-mcdonalds-burger-king-kfc-must-speak-up-amazon-fires/?source=Snapzu

Planned for six months, India’s Mars mission Mangalyaan completes five years

The Mars Orbiter Mission is the only artificial satellite that could image the full disc of Mars in one view frame and also image the far side of Deimos.
Read more: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/planned-for-six-months-indias-mars-mission-mangalyaan-completes-five-years/article29501585.ece?source=Snapzu

'Notable' Wisconsin inmate allegedly confesses to 'Making a Murderer' killing

Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, were convicted in the 2005 death, but have maintained their innocence.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/notable-wisconsin-inmate-allegedly-confesses-making-murderer-killing-n1058061?source=Snapzu

Google to Invest $2 Billion in Wind and Solar Energy

Ahead of the UN climate summit and the global climate strike, the world's largest search engine announced that the tech behemoth will make its biggest corporate purchase of renewable energy yet, signing on to a series of agreements that will increase Google's wind and solar investments by 40 percent, as Quartz reported.
Read more: https://www.ecowatch.com/google-invest-renewable-energy-2640582144.html?source=Snapzu

‘I would like people to panic’ – Top scientist unveils equation showing world in climate emergency

A new equation showing that the world is ‘deep in a climate emergency’ was unveiled on 24 September by Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, one of the world’s leading authorities on climate change, who said that people still don’t want to see the truth about the state we’re in.
Read more: https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/i-would-people-panic-top-scientist-unveils-equation-showing-world-climate-emergency.html?source=Snapzu

Facebook promises not to stop politicians’ lies & hate

Facebook confirms it won’t fact check politicians’ speech or block their content if it’s newsworthy even if it violates the site’s hate-speech rules or other policies.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/24/pawn-not-platform/?source=Snapzu

Whale populations in New York Harbor are booming—here's why

“There’s a spout!” naturalist Celia Ackerman calls excitedly to the captain. “Behind the green buoy!” It’s half an hour into a whale-watching cruise aboard the 95-foot American Princess, and we’re not in Hawaii or Alaska—we’re in New York Harbor, within sight of Coney Island and the Brooklyn shoreline.
Read more: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/09/whale-populations-new-york-city-booming/??source=Snapzu