Tapping the ‘deep Web’
When you do a simple Web search on a topic, the results that pop up aren’t the whole story. The Internet contains a vast trove of information – sometimes called the “deep Web” – that isn’t indexed by search engines: information that would be useful for tracking criminals, terrorist activities, sex trafficking and the spread of diseases. Scientists could also use it to search for images and data from spacecraft. The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been developing tools as part of its Memex program that access and catalogue this mysterious online world.
Supercomputer reveals plant structure
Scientists from IBM Research, the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland have moved a step closer to identifying the nanostructure of cellulose – the basic structural component of plant cell walls. Tapping into the IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer at the Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (VLSCI), researchers have been able to model the structure and dynamics of cellulose at the molecular level. The insights could pave the way for more disease-resistant varieties of crops, and increase the sustainability of the pulp, paper and fibre industry – one of the main users of cellulose.
Glacier shows no warming signs
NASA images show that the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska is advancing. Since measurements began in 1895, Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier has been thickening and steadily advancing into Disenchantment Bay. The advance runs counter to so many thinning and retreating glaciers nearby...
IoT set to take off in 2015
The worldwide Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to grow 19% in 2015, led by digital signage, according to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC). The second annual forecast focuses on growing IoT use in 11 vertical industries, including...