School Shooting: Officials Seek Details on Gunman

The FBI is in at least three states interviewing relatives and friends of the elementary school gunman who killed 20 children, seven adults and himself, trying to put together a better picture of the shooter and uncover any possible explanation for the massacre, ABC News has learned.

The authorities have fanned out to New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts to interview relatives of Adam Lanza, 20, and his mother, who was one of Lanza's shooting victims.

CLICK HERE for full coverage of the tragedy at the elementary school.

The victims died Friday when Lanza invaded Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and sprayed staff and students with bullets, officials said. Lanza also was found dead in the school.

Lt. Paul Vance said 18 children died in the school and two more died later in a hospital.

Six adults also were slain, bringing the total to 26. Among them was the school's principal, Dawn Hochsprung, multiple sources told ABC News. Another adult victim was teacher Vicki Soto, her cousin confirmed.

In addition to the casualties at the school, Lanza's mother, Nancy Lanza, was killed in her home, federal and state sources told ABC News.

According to sources, Lanza shot his mother in the face, then left his house armed with at least two semi-automatic handguns, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, and a semi-automatic rifle. He was also wearing a bulletproof vest.

READ: Connecticut Shooter Adam Lanza: 'Obviously Not Well'

Newtown Teacher Kept 1st Graders Calm During Massacre Watch Video

Newtown School Shooting: What to Tell Your Kids Watch Video

Lanza then drove to the elementary school and continued his rampage, authorities said.

It appeared that Lanza died from what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The rifle was found in his car.

"Evil visited this community today," Gov. Dan Malloy said at a news conference Friday evening.

CLICK HERE for more photos from the scene.

In the early confusion surrounding the investigation, federal sources initially identified the suspect as Adam's older brother Ryan Lanza, 24. Identification belonging to Ryan Lanza was found at the shooting scene, federal sources told ABC News.

Ryan Lanza soon took to Facebook to say he was alive and not responsible for the shooting. He later was questioned by police.

During the rampage, first-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig, 29, locked her 14 students in a class bathroom and listened to "tons of shooting" until police came to help.

"It was horrific," Roig said. "I thought we were going to die."

She said that the terrified kids were saying, "I just want Christmas. ... I don't want to die. I just want to have Christmas."

A tearful President Obama said Friday that there was "not a parent in America who doesn't feel the overwhelming grief that I do."

The president had to pause to compose himself after saying these were "beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10."

As he continued with his statement, Obama wiped away tears from each eye. He has ordered flags flown as half staff.

It is the second worst mass shooting in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 when 32 were killed before the shooter turned the gun on himself. The carnage in Connecticut exceeded the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in which 13 died and 24 were injured.

Friday's shooting came three days after masked gunman Jacob Roberts opened fire in a busy Oregon mall, killing two before turning the gun on himself.

The Connecticut shooting occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, which includes 450 students in grades K-4. The town is located about 12 miles east of Danbury, Conn.

The massacre prompted the town of Newtown to lock down all its schools and draw SWAT teams to the school, authorities said.

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Satellite upgrade should let planes slash emissions

A CONSTELLATION of next-generation communications satellites has a surprise in store for the environment. When Iridium Communications begins launching replacement orbiters in 2015, it will do much more than upgrade its satphone services. Piggybacking on the satellites will be a set of transmitters that could revolutionise long-haul flight, save airlines billions of dollars worth of fuel and prevent millions of tonnes of carbon emissions.

For the first time, these devices, known as ADS-B transponders, will enable air traffic controllers to locate aircraft that are far out over oceans, remote deserts or the poles where there is no radar coverage. On top of the greater safety this offers airlines if a plane gets into trouble, say, it will also let controllers pack planes in closer together along optimal flight paths, which will cut carbon emissions.

The ADS-B radio transmitting system is designed to replace expensive, unreliable and low-range radar tracking. It bundles an aircraft's call sign, GPS position, speed and altitude into 112-bit digital packets, which are broadcast continually from the aircraft to the control stations.

But like today's radar, ADS-B radio packets have limited range. "If you're way out in the Pacific or over the North Pole no one's going to pick it up," says Dan Mercer of Iridium Communications. So the transponders piggybacking on the new satellites will pick up those signals and beam them back down to Earth. "For the first time, they'll have total vision of the aircraft at all times," Mercer says.

To avoid potential collisions, planes on long-haul routes out over the oceans currently have to fly quite a long way apart. And only some planes can fly in air lanes with kind tailwinds, while others have to push through less-favourable air currents. "If air traffic control can see where aircraft are precisely, they can fly them all closer together and on the most efficient routes. So they will save fuel and cut emissions," says Mercer.

A study commissioned by Iridium found that between the service's proposed start in 2017 and 2030, the technology should save airlines about $7 billion on fuel and cut carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 35 million tonnes. Another projection that looked at just North Atlantic flights says orbital ADS-B will save airlines $110 million in fuel and 300,000 tonnes in emissions in 2018 alone.

The system can "improve the efficiency of oceanic air traffic management by reducing aircraft separation distances and allowing greater route optimisation", says Pauline Lamb, operations director of National Air Traffic Services in Prestwick, UK. She adds that her organisation is working to fully understand the benefits it will provide.

Meanwhile, one of the world's largest air traffic management firms, Nav Canada of Ottawa, Ontario, has formed Aireon, a joint venture with Iridium. Aireon will operate and sell the transponder service to airlines and air traffic control providers. In combination with other measures - such as use of lighter carbon fibre planes and more efficient engines - Iridium's move should help aviation fight its environmental corner.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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MICE organisers reeling from rising rentals and wages

SINGAPORE : It is a mixed bag for Singapore's Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. Exhibition venues are raking in the cash, but event organisers have said they are reeling from rising rentals and wages.

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said attractions such as its Marine Life Park are luring in customers.

RWS will pull in 600,000 delegates for 3,000 events this year - 20 per cent more than last year. And it is convinced there is more upside.

Noel Hawkes, vice president of Attraction Sales at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore, said: "2013 is going to be an interesting year. The world economy is a bit shaky at the moment, but we are cautiously optimistic that we will continue to grow our business. And we can definitely see a growth of at least 10 per cent in our MICE business.

To keep up with competition, RWS said it must not "rest on its laurels" and has to continuously find new products to excite customers.

Visitors can expect a new "Sesame Street" ride to be unveiled at Universal Studios in the first quarter of next year.

In this business, the old adage "you have got to spend money to make money" rings true.

Suntec Singapore will close its doors for six months for wide-scale renovations, and it is convinced the facelift will give it an edge over the competition.

Arun Madhok, CEO of Suntec Singapore, said: "Our entire building is re-modelled to deliver a high level of flexibility. This will allow us to meet the volume needs of customers.

"We are improving our food production techniques and service style. We are adding a whole range of technology into the building to actually assist us in delivering the perfect experience for our customers."

But it isn't rosy for everyone.

Event organisers like Conference & Exhibition Management Services said they are in a fix.

Edward Liu, managing director of Conference & Exhibition Management Services, said: "Most of the venues that we make use of...tend to increase their rental rates every couple of years.

"Their rationale is that they are also facing cost challenges due to manpower costs, maintenance and so forth. So obviously, they are passing the higher charges to the hirers of their facilities."

Mr Liu added that event organisers now need to secure about 1,500 square metres of exhibition space, or about 150 booths in order to breakeven. That is an increase of 15 per cent in 10 years.

The organisers warn if they do not fill their event calendars, the rising cost of rentals and wages will squeeze their margins.

- CNA/ms

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iPhone, iPad 2013 sales estimates cut by analyst

Apple faces a few challenges that could take a bite out of iPhone and
iPad sales next year, at least in the opinion of one analyst.

In an investors note out today, UBS analyst Steven Milunovich slashed his iPhone sales estimates for the March, June, and September 2013 quarters by 5 million. Sales estimates for the iPad were cut by 2 million for the same period.

The analyst now expects Apple to sell 41 million iPhones in the March quarter, 36 million in the June quarter, and 33 million in the September quarter. iPad sales are forecast at 21.7 million in the March quarter, 24.5 million in the June quarter, and 20.7 million in the September quarter.

In line with the lower unit sales estimates, Milunovich also trimmed his earnings estimates for Apple for fiscal 2013 and 2014 and lowered the stock's target price to $700 from $780.

Why the dour outlook? Milunovich cited a few reasons.

Supply chain checks show that the manufacturing rate for the iPhone is dropping to 25 million units for the March quarter. The
iPhone 5 is just now starting to sell in China, but UBS's Chinese sources don't think it will sell as well as the iPhone 4s.

The lower-priced
iPad Mini looks to be cannibalizing sales of the larger and more expensive iPad.

And finally, the analyst believes his previous estimates were too aggressive in light of the lackluster economy in Europe and rougher competition from other smartphones.

The analyst did throw Apple a bone, citing some optimism ahead.

"We expect that China Mobile may start to sell iPhones in the Dec quarter, so a summer 5S with TD-SCDMA and fingerprint recognition is possible," Milunovich said. "Apple is driven to make beautiful products. Whether it is an iTV, wearable computers, or another new product category, we have faith that innovation is not dead."

Earlier this week, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek struck a bearish tone when he cut his price target for Apple stock to $800 from $900.

Apple was once the dominant smartphone and tablet player. But lately the company has been challenged on both fronts. Samsung's Galaxy S lineup and other Android smartphones have given the iPhone a run for its money. And the iPad's market share has been sliced by an array of lower-cost Android tablets.

The company has also put itself in a dicey position by releasing so many new products around the same time -- the iPhone 5, the iPad Mini, the 4th-generation iPad. Though the new devices are positioned to take advantage of the holiday buying season, the timing of them puts a temporary strain on Apple's profit margins.

Apple's stock has been battered the past couple of months. From a high above $700 in September, the stock has slipped almost 200 points. In trading early this morning, shares were hovering around $514.

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Pictures: Surveying Rain Forest Arthropods

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Insects on High

  
  Photograph courtesy Jürgen Schmidl, University of Erlangen

  After an exhaustive search for the creepy crawlies living in a small patch of Panama's rain forest, researchers have discovered that the entire 6,000-hectare forest could harbor up to 25,000 arthropod species.

  Dawn Frame and Alexey Tishechkin, researchers with Project IBISCA-Panama—supported by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute—stand in a crane gondola so that they can capture insects feeding on flowers in the forest canopy.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Open “Eyes”

  
  Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski, National Geographic

  An Io moth—known for the false "eyes" located on its hind wings—is one of the many species identified by scientists during a project spanning nearly a decade.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Ant Mimic

  
  Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

  A broad-headed Hyalymenus nymph (right), mimics its ant neighbors (left) while visiting a flower. By looking like an aggressive ant that can sting attackers, the harmless nymph tricks predators into leaving it alone. Mimicry is a type of camouflage and occurs throughout the animal kingdom. ("Art of Deception": Can you find the animals hidden in these photos?)

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Foggy With a Chance of Bugs

  
  Photograph courtesy Roger Le Guen, Panacoco

  Researcher Jürgen Schmidl fogs the rain forest understory in an attempt to collect insects in the vegetation. Some techniques use chemicals that stun the insects, causing them to rain down on sheets laid out to catch them.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Deceptive Defense

  
  Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

  Normally, saw-nosed plant hoppers try to keep a low profile. Blending in with tree bark offers some protection from predators. But when their cover is blown, plant hoppers have a second line of defense: Flashing the red spots hidden under their wings gives the impression that the eyes of a much larger animal are staring back.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











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  Brown on the Ground

  
  Photograph courtesy Thomas Martin, Jean-Philippe Sobczak, and Hendrik Dietz, T.U. Munich

  Although some beetles are famous for their metallic jewel tones, this scarab beetle (Megasoma elephas), also known as an elephant beetle, is covered in brownish yellow hairs. This scarab beetle species flaunts itself in other ways—males sport a horn that they use in fights with other males for mating rights.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











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  Bubbling Up

  
  Photograph courtesy Maurice Leponce, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

  Researcher Maurice Leponce floats above the San Lorenzo forest canopy on the Canopy Bubble.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Nighttime Snack

  
  Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

  Africanized honeybees visit an Ochroma flower just after sunset, looking for some nectar. (Late-night nectar binge: See pictures of animals caught in the act.)

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Red Flags

  
  Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

  A flat-footed bug uses flashy red "flags" on its hind limbs to distract potential predators, such as birds. By placing attractive lures away from vital areas such as the head, the insect ensures a striking predator will miss the important bits.

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  











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  Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt, National Geographic

  Published December 14, 2012

  
  

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'Active Shooter' Reported at CT Elementary School

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school this morning prompted the town of Newton to lock down all of its schools and drew SWAT teams to the school, authorities said today.

A gunman has been killed, authorities told ABC News.

The shooting occurred at the Sandy Creek Elementary School in Newtown, about 12 miles east of Danbury.

A photo from the scene shows a line of distressed children being led out of the school.

Shannon Hicks/The Newton Bee

Newton Public School District secretary of superintendent Kathy June said in a statement that the district's school were locked down because of the report of a shooting. "The district is taking preventive measures by putting all schools in lockdown until we ensure the safety of all students and staff."

State police sent SWAT team units to Newtown.

All public and private schools in the town are on lockdown.

State emergency management officials said ambulances and other units were also en route and staging near the school.

A message on the school district website says that all afternoon kindergarten is cancelled today and there will be no mid-day bus runs.

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Laser drills could relight geothermal energy dreams

FROM fossil fuels to geothermal heat, accessing the planet's energy riches usually involves boring deep into the Earth with giant metal drills. But could lasers do the same job?

Foro Energy, a start-up company in Littleton, Colorado, has developed what it claims is an inexpensive system of high-powered lasers that can rip through rock, potentially revolutionising drilling and hastening the adoption of greener forms of power.

Foro announced last month that a test system had sent a beam from a 20-kilowatt commercial laser through 1.5 kilometres of optical fibre. Development has been funded by the US Department of Energy's research arm, ARPA-E. Borehole drilling trials are planned for next year.

Mechanical drills can easily grind through soft rocks like sandstone to tap petroleum reserves, but they wear out quickly in hard crystalline rocks such as granite and basalt. It is these harder rocks that often hide the best sources of geothermal energy. Foro's intense laser beam heats hard rock surfaces so fast that thermal shock fractures the upper few millimetres, leaving a crumbled layer that a mechanical drill can scrape away quickly and with little wear. This approach could increase drilling rates, a major component in well cost, by up to a factor of 10, says ARPA-E.

But a flashy prototype is far from proof that the rig will hold up in the brutal environment found in the bottom of a borehole, which is filled with rock chips and churning water that lubricates the drill bit. The optics must deliver the beam directly to the rock, says Jared Potter of Potter Drilling in Redwood City, California, who is developing a drilling process that shatters rock with extremely hot water. If the beam hits fluid, it will heat the liquid instead of the rock face. "It's amazing how much energy it takes to boil water," Potter says, and even a powerful laser couldn't hope to zap both water and rock at once. He thinks Foro "has a long way to go to have a tool they can deploy in a geothermal or oil well".

Still, the cost of drilling has been a roadblock to expanding the adoption of geothermal energy. If Foro can prove its technology is ready for the grunt work of punching hundreds of holes through the hard igneous rocks, it would change the mathematics of low-carbon energy. In the meantime, Potter says Foro's lasers could be used instead of explosives to make holes in the steel casings of oil and gas wells, which are needed to drain fluid from the surrounding rock.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Ukrainian MPs brawl in parliament as PM re-appointed

KIEV: The Ukrainian parliament Thursday voted to reinstate its prime minister after dozens of opposition and pro-government lawmakers brawled for a second day in the chamber notorious for its fisticuffs.

Newly-elected world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko sought to stand above the fray by staying well out of the fighting that came just before parliament voted to re-appoint Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

Deputies in suits and shirtsleeves climbed on tables, shouted and grappled with opponents in an angry protest against lawmakers pressing electronic buttons to vote for absentee colleagues.

While lawmakers are legally obliged to vote in person, many of them run around pressing buttons for absent colleagues.

Opposition politicians rose to their feet and rushed to blockade the speaker's tribune, while being pushed back by pro-government lawmakers.

Amid angry shouts and calls for calm, some clambered on desks from where they dealt blows and jumped down on opponents.

At least one opposition lawmaker had a bruised face after being thrown to the floor and receiving punches and kicks from ruling party lawmakers, the Interfax news agency reported.

The towering boxing champion Klitschko, whose opposition party UDAR, or punch, has won 42 seats in the parliament, refrained from joining the skirmishes and could be seen seated, watching the fight calmly.

"You could call the fists of a world champion a nuclear weapon. I don't think we will use this weapon yet," Klitschko said, quoted by his party press service.

But he added: "We do support the blockading of the tribune."

After a break, the parliament managed to restore calm and hold a vote to reappoint prime minister Azarov that had been postponed from Wednesday.

A total of 252 deputies out of 450 in the single-chamber parliament supported Azarov's return to office, including President Viktor Yanukovych's ruling Regions Party, the Communists and several independents.

Three opposition factions - Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party close to jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the UDAR party of Klitschko and the Svoboda nationalist movement - did not back Azarov.

"The politics of the Regions Party of which Azarov is a representative is anti-Ukrainian, anti-social and anti-democratic," said comments from Svoboda.

It remained unclear why Azarov, 64, took the dramatic step of resigning earlier this month, with the presidency saying at the time that Yanukovych had accepted his request to give up his post and become an MP.

Azarov called on the parliament to leave behind the "confrontation" to "face together outside challenges" including the global economic crisis that is already hurting Ukraine.

The parliament's opening session on Wednesday had earlier seen fighting erupt between opposition lawmakers and deputies whom they accused of defecting to the pro-government camp.

In a typically raucous session, feminist group Femen also staged a topless anti-corruption protest outside the entrance to the parliament wearing only black pants.

The brawls were an ugly start to a new parliament apparently still controlled by Yanukovych's Regions Party, which claims to have won a majority in legislative elections on October 28.

The October polls were widely criticised by the international community, coming as Tymoshenko continues to serve a seven-year prison term for abuse of power that she argues is politically motivated.

The Ukrainian parliament is often the scene of scuffles with lawmakers throwing eggs and letting off smokebombs.

Two years ago several opposition deputies were badly injured in a bloody brawl prompted by the opening of a criminal probe into Tymoshenko that saw punches thrown and chairs hurled.

- AFP/de

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For the Pope on Twitter, many slings and arrows

Now there's speaking truth to power.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

When you come down from on high and mix with us, les miserables, it can be a touch depressing.

For though you try to take us seriously, we may not feel the same way. And, well, social media allows us to express our feelings without fear of permanent damnation.

Pope Benedict XVI, famously a recent convert to Twitter, is discovering that mixing with us isn't always pretty.

His Holiness -- and his almost equally holy advisers -- surely believes that one has to speak to the faithful through every available channel.

And yet this entails encountering the unfaithful too: the lapsed, the skeptical, the jaundiced, the troubled.

Disclosure: I am all of those.

After stepping gingerly in his Prada shoes into Twitter's morass, the Pope has has now offered a handful of tweets. He is even following seven people. (Well, they're actually all himself in different languages.)

Yet there is a large, perhaps heathen crowd lying in wait for what they see as the Pontiff's pontification.

Yesterday, he tweeted: "How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our lives?"

He may not have been expecting the replies he received. There were serious, but critical replies, such as this from klubbkidd: "@Pontifex by preaching more acceptance Your Holiness. the Church has lost it's footing in adapting to the times."

Some were more direct. ElHijoDePutin (I feel sure he isn't) offered in Spanish: "Mmm, by not raping children and by paying property tax."

Oh, yes. This will turn into Apple Vs. Microsoft.

(Credit:
Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

Others went for a certain sort of sociopolitical humor. Take this, from pinchinn: "Explain to me why it's a bad idea to wear a condom." (Sadly, the Pope has yet to reply to this one.)

There were those who just decided to channel absurdist comedy. For example this from GgRrEegOorYy: "Have you got 10 Euros?"

Some in the flock flaunted their chance to simply be passionately rude to the Pope.

More Technically Incorrect

Several replies enjoyed the rude colloquialism beginning with "b" that you think might be a new form of gateau, but then realize you only see it on porn sites. One lady called Binnie suggested "hookers and blow."

To the latter, one Colby Wilson assailed Binnie: "How could you say that to the Pope?"

The Vatican has publicly declared thus far that it is ready to leave all replies up, confident that good will prevail over evil. I may have slightly paraphrased that last part.

Going through all the Pope's tweets and the replies, though, makes me believe that his Twitter account will very soon turn into something livelier than Apple vs. Microsoft.

The Pope might consider not phrasing tweets as questions, as this does tend to incite.

A recent tweet offered: "How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?"

A recent reply from one John Freiler reads: "you are a huge bummer, dude."

Is nothing sacred?

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Hubble Discovers Oldest Known Galaxy

The Hubble space telescope has discovered seven primitive galaxies formed in the earliest days of the cosmos, including one believed to be the oldest ever detected.

The discovery, announced Wednesday, is part of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field campaign to determine how and when galaxies first assembled following the Big Bang.

"This 'cosmic dawn' was not a single, dramatic event," said astrophysicist Richard Ellis with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Rather, galaxies appear to have been formed over hundreds of millions of years.

Ellis led a team that used Hubble to look at one small section of the sky for a hundred hours. The grainy images of faint galaxies include one researchers determined to be from a period 380 million years after the onset of the universe—the closest in time to the Big Bang ever observed.

The cosmos is about 13.7 billion years old, so the newly discovered galaxy was present when the universe was 4 percent of its current age. The other six galaxies were sending out light from between 380 million and 600 million years after the Big Bang. (See pictures of "Hubble's Top Ten Discoveries.")

Baby Pictures

The images are "like the first ultrasounds of [an] infant," said Abraham Loeb, a specialist in the early cosmos at Harvard University. "These are the building blocks of the galaxies we now have."

These early galaxies were a thousand times denser than galaxies are now and were much closer together as well, Ellis said. But they were also less luminous than later galaxies.

The team used a set of four filters to analyze the near infrared wavelengths captured by Hubble Wide Field Camera 3, and estimated the galaxies' distances from Earth by studying their colors. At a NASA teleconference, team members said they had pushed Hubble's detection capabilities about as far as they could go and would most likely not be able to identify galaxies from further back in time until the James Webb Space Telescope launches toward the end of the decade. (Learn about the Hubble telescope.)

"Although we may have reached back as far as Hubble will see, Hubble has set the stage for Webb," said team member Anton Koekemoer of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. "Our work indicates there is a rich field of even earlier galaxies that Webb will be able to study."

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