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Can learning from the past help us stop a mass extinction?

Cait Harrison Science & Technology

When Marcus Eriksen takes expeditions to Wyoming to find dinosaur remains, he's digging up more than fossils. The dinosaurs he finds — which date back 65 million years — are pieces of history that teach us the reality of extinction, particularly the one he and other scientists believe is happening right now.

FDA draft Guidance on new dietary ingredients: Do you need to file?

Amy Scanlin Pharmaceutical

The August 2016 draft Guidance on new dietary ingredients (NDIs) broadened the definition of what the FDA considers an NDI, leading many manufacturers to wonder if they should submit notifications for products they've had on the market for years. This article explains the issues and discusses steps manufacturers should take to avoid FDA action.

The future of surveying? Quantum computing and blockchain

Robert W. Foster Science & Technology

Forty-four years ago, the U.S. government introduced the global navigation satellite system — what's known today as GPS. I remember attending a seminar where this amazing technology was described with speculation about its application in surveying. The primary purpose of GPS was as a navigation system, but in its ability to solve positioning with precision, some futurist thinkers in the surveying profession could see an application, not only for the geodesist but for the land surveyor as well. To a flat-land surveyor familiar with chains and links, this was Buck Rogers stuff and highly theoretical.

Should there be a new legal framework for the cloud?

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

Kent Walker, Google's SVP and general counsel, recently delivered a speech at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. His thoughts have opened the floodgates for new debates and discussions on cybersecurity, data privacy and, most importantly, on the need for a new legal framework for the cloud.

Help from above: Drones may one day save lives

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Drones are currently useful for capturing breathtaking pictures and video from the air, and in a variety of military capacities. As the capabilities and technology of drones expand, Amazon and other companies are looking into using these unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver packages.

Blockchain: As Bitcoin flounders, its technology is poised to disrupt

Shawn Smajstrla Science & Technology

Since its infancy almost a decade ago, bitcoin has been both viewed skeptically and heralded as the future of currency. Its path to the latter still seems murky. A report by Internet Retailer noted just three of the top 500 online merchants accept bitcoin — down from five a year ago.

How wearable tech is changing the fitness game

Sabrina Fracassi Sports & Fitness

For the past 11 years, the American College of Sports Medicine has published a list of the top 20 health and fitness trends for the upcoming year. In what is a relatively new project, it is interesting to see how public perception of fitness has changed over the years.

Will ‘Day of Action’ have any impact on net neutrality fight?

Ross Lancaster Science & Technology

You might have noticed that one or more of your favorite or most-frequented websites looked slightly different Wednesday. For example, the top trending topic on Twitter was the #NetNeutrality hashtag, promoted by the social networking site's policy account. Reddit featured a pop-up with slow-scrolling type when one accessed its main page. And the top of Netflix's website featured a message stating, "Protect Internet Freedom. Defend Net Neutrality. Take Action," with a loading wheel and directing users to the Internet Association's action page.

Hop in your RV and check out this historic solar eclipse

Dave G. Houser Recreation & Leisure

Solar and lunar eclipses have fascinated mankind through the centuries, and on Aug. 21, the United States will witness a coast-to-coast eclipse of the sun for the first time in 99 years. This eclipse will occur when the moon passes in front of the sun casting a dark shadow across a 70-mile-wide path across the U.S., stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. Most everyone in the country will see at least a partial eclipse, but some parts of 14 states will experience a total eclipse with more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day.

Is doodling good for your brain?

Dorothy L. Tengler Science & Technology

Art therapy — often used in combination with traditional psychotherapeutic theories and techniques — has been touted as a way for us to connect with our creative selves. Now, research has gone a step further, suggesting that art therapy in the form of creative doodling helps people stay focused, grasp new ideas and even retain information.

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