Photo puzzle: Can you make the connection?

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Photo_Comp_Features.jpg

Correctly match up 16 pairs of science-inspired images and enter a draw to win a state-of-the-art Olympus E-PL5 digital camera



MANY of the most fascinating sights in the universe are not evident to the naked eye. Happily, cutting-edge imaging - whether done with a microscope, telescope, MRI scanner or just a camera lens - means these sights are now ours for the seeing.



Can you link up 16 intriguing images with their more commonplace counterparts shown here?







Correctly match all 16 pairs and submit your answers by 4 January 2013 for a chance to win an Olympus E-PL5 digital camera worth £600.



A couple of hints: three of the images you'll be matching are not close-ups, and the links are not necessarily straightforward, so be sure to engage your imagination.



Read the full terms and conditions and submit your answers at newscientist.com/photopuzzle



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Egypt prosecutor orders probe into opposition "incitement"

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CAIRO: Egypt's public prosecutor on Thursday ordered a probe into the top three leaders of the opposition on suspicion of trying to incite followers to overthrow President Mohamed Morsi, a legal source said.

The prosecutor, Taalat Ibrahim Abdallah, who was appointed by Morsi late last month, signed the order against the leaders of the opposition National Salvation Front, which led protests against Morsi's drive to have a new constitution adopted.

The probe targets Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize laureate, Amr Moussa, former chief of the Arab League, and Hamdeen Sabbahi, the leader of the nationalist left wing. Moussa and Sabbahi were presidential candidates in June elections that Morsi won.

The National Salvation Front alleged frauds and irregularities in the December 15 and 22 split referendum on the new charter, which Morsi signed into law this week.

It accuses Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood of wanting to use the constitution to introduce sharia law.

Abdallah called on Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki to name an investigating magistrate for the probe, which would examine suspicions of "inciting for the overthrow of the regime".

Morsi on Wednesday hailed the adoption of the new constitution with 64 percent of the votes in the referendum, though turnout was a low 33 percent.

Within two months, Egypt has to hold legislative elections to choose a parliament to succeed the one dissolved by the constitutional court in June. The opposition parties in the National Salvation Front coalition are considering competing in the elections on the same ticket.

- AFP/xq



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Internet on the TV? Meh, say consumers

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Google TV interface

The new Google TV interface



(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)


Your TV may be smart, but you're not making the most of that talent.


Facebook, Twitter, online shopping, Web browsing -- they're simply not getting much screen time on Internet-enabled TVs, according to a new report from NPD. It seems consumers prefer to engage in those activities on other devices.



"In general, these have failed to resonate with the audience, not least because there are better platforms, such as the PC,
tablet, or smartphone, for such services," NPD's John Buffone wrote in a blog post today. "The one saving grace to date has been music services, where the location of the TV and the availability of key music streaming apps such as Pandora has driven reasonable consumer uptake (roughly 15 percent)."


The big draw by far on those smart TVs is over-the-top video, services such as Netflix and Hulu that supplement pay-TV subscriptions. Those services are in use on just under 60 percent of Internet-connected TVs.


A big part of the problem with getting smart TVs to be more than just television sets, says Buffone, is "a complex user experience" in which consumers have too many alternative devices from which to choose in order to bring the Internet to their HDTVs -- the TV itself, video game consoles like the Xbox, Blu-ray Disc players, streaming media set-top boxes, TiVo, and some audio/video receivers.


Just 15 percent of HDTV displays are connected directly to the Internet, but when you factor in those other devices, the number jumps to 29 percent, according to NPD.


Even Internet powerhouse Google has so far failed to convince consumers of the potential wonders of accessing the Internet via TV, but it is continuing to work on making its Google TV services more appealing.


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Space Pictures This Week: Green Lantern, Supersonic Star

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Newtown Shooter's DNA to Be Studied

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Geneticists have been asked to study the DNA of Adam Lanza, the Connecticut man whose shooting rampage killed 27 people, including an entire first grade class.


The study, which experts believe may be the first of its kind, is expected to be looking for abnormalities or mutations in Lanza's DNA.


Connecticut Medical Examiner H. Wayne Carver has reached out to University of Connecticut's geneticists to conduct the study.


University of Connecticut spokesperson Tom Green says Carver "has asked for help from our department of genetics" and they are "willing to give any assistance they can."


Green said he could not provide details on the project, but said it has not begun and they are "standing by waiting to assist in any way we can."


Lanza, 20, carried out the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., just days before Christmas. His motives for the slaughter remain a mystery.


Geneticists not directly involved in the study said they are likely looking at Lanza's DNA to detect a mutation or abnormality that could increase the risk of aggressive or violent behavior. They could analyze Lanza's entire genome in great detail and try to find unexpected mutations.


This seems to be the first time a study of this nature has been conducted, but it raises concerns in some geneticists and others in the field that there could be a stigma attached to people with these genetic characteristics if they are able to be narrowed down.








Sandy Hook Shooting: 'The View' on What Can Be Done Watch Video









Arthur Beaudet, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said the University of Connecticut geneticists are most likely trying to "detect clear abnormalities of what we would call a mutation in a gene…or gene abnormalities and there are some abnormalities that are related to aggressive behavior."


"They might look for mutations that might be associated with mental illnesses and ones that might also increase the risk for violence," said Beaudet, who is also the chairman of Baylor College of Medicine's department of molecular and human genetics.


Beaudet believes geneticists should be doing this type of research because there are "some mutations that are known to be associated with at least aggressive behavior if not violent behavior."


"I don't think any one of these mutations would explain all of (the mass shooters), but some of them would have mutations that might be causing both schizophrenia and related schizophrenia violent behavior," Beaudet said. "I think we could learn more about it and we should learn more about it."


Beaudet noted that studying the genes of murderers is controversial because there is a risk that those with similar genetic characteristics could possibly be discriminated against or stigmatized, but he still thinks the research would be helpful even if only a "fraction" may have the abnormality or mutation.


"Not all of these people will have identifiable genetic abnormalities," Beaudet said, adding that even if a genetic abnormality is found it may not be related to a "specific risk."


"By studying genetic abnormalities we can learn more about conditions better and who is at risk and what might be dramatic treatments," Beaudet said, adding if the gene abnormality is defined the "treatment to stop" other mass shootings or "decrease the risk is much approved."


Others in the field aren't so sure.


Dr. Harold Bursztajn, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is a leader in his field on this issue writing extensively on genetic discrimination. He questions what the University of Connecticut researchers could "even be looking for at this point."






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2012 review: The year in environment

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Read more: "2013 Smart Guide: 10 ideas that will shape the year"











For anyone living on planet Earth, 2012 was a rough year. The US sweltered in a devastating drought, only to then bear the brunt of superstorm Sandy. Meanwhile Arctic sea ice shrank to its lowest extent on record, months after evidence emerged that it might have passed the point of no return.












Even as evidence for human-driven climate change continued to mount, the world did little about it. A major UN summit achieved little other than a vague promise to pay developing countries when they suffer harm from the changing climate. Developed countries continued their dash for gas, often using hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" to extract it, and greenhouse gas emissions kept rising. On a bright note, solar panels became the cheapest energy source in parts of the tropics.













Here is our pick of this year's environment stories.











Sandy aftermath: New York City is rotting at the coreMovie Camera
Beneath the destruction brought by superstorm Sandy lies a more insidious problem. Our reporter Lisa Grossman visited the city days after the storm struck and discovered that rising sea levels are corroding the very foundations of the Big Apple.












Arctic sea ice low heralds end of 3-million-year cover
It is smaller, patchier and thinner than ever – the extent of the Arctic ice cap hit a record low in September. The loss of the Arctic sea ice is arguably the greatest environmental change in human history, and its consequences will extend far beyond the North Pole.












Fungus-powered superplants may beat the heat
2012 saw the US suffer the worst drought in over 50 years, and crops withered. Plants that have been genetically modified to need less water could have helped, but they are time-consuming and expensive to create. So researchers turned to symbiotic fungi that could help crops survive extreme conditions.












Geoengineering with iron might work after all
If you want to help stop climate change, try tipping some iron into the sea. For years, this idea has been considered a busted flush, but new results suggest it really can work – although by itself it won't come close to offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions.












Seismologists found guilty of manslaughter
In a case that shocked the scientific world, six Italian seismologists, and a local civil protection official, were sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter. They were convicted of falsely reassuring the residents of the Italian town of L'Aquila that a major earthquake was not going to happen. The area was struck by a magnitude-6.3 earthquake in 2009, killing over 300.












Lonesome George dies but his subspecies' genes survive
The rarest animal in the world is no more. Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island tortoises, was found dead in June. But a small hope remains for his subspecies, as its genes have survived on one island in the Galápagos, and a careful breeding programme could bring the subspecies back to life.












Hidden green benefits of genetically modified crops
Fears about genetically modified crops returned after two studies claimed that they were bad both for our health and the environment. But the evidence was weak at best – and a special investigation by New Scientist suggested that some GM crops may actually have green credentials.












Europe in 2050: A survivor's guide to climate change
Europe is now in a race against the climate. With little hope of a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions, big temperature rises are likely before 2100. That means countries have just decades to prepare. From reshaping cities to defending coastlines, we examine how countries need to change to survive.












Geoengineering would turn blue skies whiter
Blue skies would fade to hazy white if, in a bid to offset global warming, geoengineers inject light-scattering aerosols into the upper atmosphere. Critics had long warned that this might happen, and now the effect has been quantified.












Earth cracking up under Indian Ocean
You may not have felt it, but the whole world shuddered on 11 April as Earth's crust began the difficult process of breaking a tectonic plate. When two huge earthquakes ripped through the floor of the Indian Ocean, they triggered large aftershocks on faults the world over, and provided the best evidence yet that the vast Indo-Australian plate is being torn in two.

















































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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US home prices up in October from year earlier

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WASHINGTON: US home prices rose 4.3 percent in October as compared with last year, the fastest 12-month increase since May 2010, according to S&P/Case-Shiller statistics released on Wednesday.

The 20-city price index declined 0.1 percent from September, according to data not adjusted for seasonal variations, but the group emphasized the strong year-on-year figures.

On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the index climbed 0.7 percent between September and October.

"It is clear that the housing recovery is gathering strength," said David Blitzer, head of the index committee.

"Higher year-over-year price gains plus strong performances in the southwest and California, regions that suffered during the housing bust, confirm that housing is now contributing to the economy."

According to Barclays Research, the 4.3 percent year-on-year rise represented the "fastest pace of increase since May 2010 when the home buyer tax credit was boosting sales and prices."

While Phoenix home prices rose for the 13th month in a row, San Diego posted nine consecutive monthly gains. Only Chicago and New York saw negative annual returns in October.

Twelve cities saw a drop in prices last month according to non-seasonally adjusted data, compared to seven in September. Chicago saw a decline of 1.5 percent while prices in Boston dipped 1.4 percent.

- AFP/de



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HTC's global One S gets Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

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Android 4.1.1, also known as Jelly Bean, will finally make its way to some global version of the HTC One S.



It's still unclear when the U.S. version of the
One S, sold by T-Mobile USA, will get the update. PocketNow was the first to pick up on the new software release.


HTC phones have been slow to get the latest version of Android, partly because the company has chosen to heavily customize their products with the Sense skin, which adds a layer of complexity to future software upgrades. In addition, the updates must be approved by the carriers, further slowing the process down.


HTC had promised an update as early as July, but has only now sent out the update.


The update also brings Sense 4+, a enhanced version of its skin seen in newer flagship devices such as the Droid DNA.


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Space Pictures This Week: Green Lantern, Supersonic Star

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Storms Spawn 34 Tornado Reports Across South

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Severe Christmas day weather tore across the deep South, spinning off 34 possible tornadoes and killing at least three people in its path, while extreme weather is forecast throughout today for parts of the East Coast.


The storm first pounded Texas, then touched down in Louisiana and blasted through homes in Mississippi. In Mobile, Ala., a wide funnel cloud was barreled across the city as lightning flashed inside like giant Christmas ornaments.


Bill Bunting with the National Weather Service's Severe Storms Prediction Center said that the damage may not yet be done.


"Conditions don't look quite as volatile over a large area as we saw on Christmas day but there will be a risk of tornadoes, some of them could be rather strong, across eastern portions of North Carolina and the northeastern part of South Carolina," he said.


Across the Gulf region, from Texas to Florida, over 280,000 customers are still without power, with 100,000 without power in Little Rock, Ark. alone.


The punishing winds mangled Mobile's graceful ante-bellum homes, and today, dazed residents are picking through debris while rescue crews search for people trapped in the rubble.


"We've got a lot of damage, we've got people hurt," one Mobile resident told ABC News. "We've had homes that are 90 percent destroyed."






Melinda Martinez/The Daily Town Talk/AP Photo













In the Houston area a tree fell onto a pickup truck, killing the driver, ABC affiliate WTRK reported. In Louisiana, a 53-year-old man died when a tree fell on his house, and a 28-year-old woman was killed in a crash on a snowy highway near Fairview, Okla., according to the Associated Press.


At least eight states issued blizzard warnings Tuesday, as the storms made highways dangerously slick heading into one of the busiest travel days of the year.


Tuesday's extreme weather caused an 8-foot deep sinkhole in Vicksburg, Miss. Alma Jackson told ABC News that a concrete tank that was in her backyard fell into the sinkhole.


"It's really very disturbing," she said. "Because it's on Christmas day, and then to see this big hole in the ground and not have any explanation, and not be able to cover it. And the rain is pouring down."


Teresa Mason told ABC News that she and her boyfriend panicked when they saw the tornado heading toward them in Stone County, in southern Mississippi, but she says they were actually saved when a tree fell onto the truck.


"[We] got in the truck and made it out there to the road. And that's when the tornado was over us. And it started jerking us and spinning us, "she said."This tree got us in the truck and kept us from being sucked up into the tornado."


The last time a number of tornadoes hit the Gulf Coast area around Christmas Day was in 2009, when 22 tornadoes struck on Christmas Eve morning, National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro told ABC News in an email.


The deadliest Christmastime tornado outbreak on record was Dec. 24 to 26, 1982, when 29 tornadoes in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi killed three people and injured 32.


The last killer tornado around Christmas, Vaccaro said, was a Christmas Eve EF4 in Tennessee in 1988, which killed one person and injured seven. EF4 tornadoes can produce winds up to 200 mph.


ABC News' Matt Gutman, Max Golembo and ABC News Radio contributed to this report.



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