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How the white tiger got its distinctive coat

May 24, 2013 – 4:05 am
By Tanya LewisLiveScience The strikingly beautiful, milky coats of white tigers are caused by a single change in a known pigment gene, a new study finds.Since their discovery in the Indian jungle centuries ago, white tigers, a variant of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris), have had a certain mystique. Captive white tigers have been inbred to preserve the recessive white coat trait, leading som...
    


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Satellite’s failure on eve of hurricane season ruffles meteorologist

May 24, 2013 – 3:49 am
For the second time in less than a year, the main satellite that keeps an eye on severe weather systems in the eastern half of the United States has malfunctioned, according to government officials. The failure is indicative of the overall aging of the nation's weather satellite network that could lead to gaps in coverage as the fleet is replaced, an expert said.Although a backup satellite began o...
    


John Roach, Contributing Writer, NBC News | Techno News | Comments (0)

Google’s ‘conversational search’ lets you chat with your search engine

May 24, 2013 – 3:49 am
Google has issued an update to its Chrome browser that lets you use everyday language like "how do I get there?" to interact with its search — and lets the browser respond vocally as well. It's still an early form of what the search giant demonstrated on stage at Google I/O, but it's an indicator of features to come.The live demonstration last week had Google's Johanna Wright planning an afternoon...
    
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Old Mars rover finds more proof of possible life

May 24, 2013 – 3:43 am
By Megan GannonSpace.comThe venerable Mars rover Opportunity, the older and smaller cousin of Curiosity, has discovered another water-weathered rock hinting that the Red Planet could have supported life in its ancient past, NASA officials said.In its last days exploring "Cape York," a site on the rim of the giant Endeavour crater, the Opportunity rover examined a fractured rock unlike any it has s...
    


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During video hangout, astronauts review star-studded space mission

May 24, 2013 – 3:21 am
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield reflected on his space station stardom and the challenging readjustment to life back on Earth during a Google+ Hangout with his NASA crewmates, Tom Marshburn and Kevin Ford.All three astronauts are back in Houston and undergoing rehabilitation after working for months aboard the International Space Station, 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.Hadfield noted tha...
    


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Telescope celebrates birthday with ’strawberry cocktail’ nebula

May 24, 2013 – 2:59 am
By Miriam KramerSpace.comAn amazing photo of a stellar nursery located 6,500 light-years away from Earth marks the 15-year cosmic anniversary of a telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.The Very Large Telescope — located in Chile's Atacama Desert and operated by the European Southern Observatory — captured this incredible image of the nebula IC 2944 as it shines in the southern constellation Centaur...
    


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Europe opens new asteroid-hunting center

May 24, 2013 – 1:37 am
By Mike WallSpace.comEurope has a new hub that will help coordinate scientists' efforts to detect and track potentially dangerous asteroids.The European Space Agency inaugurated its Near-Earth Object (NEO) Coordination Center on Wednesday, cutting the ribbon on a facility that officials said will strengthen Europe's contribution to the hunt for potentially dangerous asteroids and comets.The new fa...
    


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Life-sized Star Wars X-Wing fighter is world’s largest LEGO model

May 24, 2013 – 1:37 am
It took 32 master builders, over five million LEGO bricks, and more than 17,000 hours to put together a full-scale replica of a Star Wars X-Wing fighter, but the finished model was well worth it. It's currently the world's largest LEGO model and it's sitting in the middle of Times Square in New York City.The 5,335,200-brick model is a one-to-one replica of LEGO Star Wars set #9493—it's just 42 tim...
    


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Cicada bugfest closes in on the East Coast’s cities: How loud will it get?

May 24, 2013 – 1:26 am
Hordes of winged cicadas are coming out and turning up the music for their biggest party in 17 years, stretching from North Carolina through Virginia to New York — but experts aren't yet sure just how big the party will get.Billions of the bugs are climbing out from the ground as the spring weather warms up and soil temperatures reach the magic turning point of 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Ce...
    


Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News | Techno News | Comments (0)

During video hangout, astronauts reflect on star-studded space mission

May 24, 2013 – 1:20 am
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield reflects on his space station stardom and the challenging readjustment to life back on Earth during a Google+ Hangout with his NASA colleagues, Tom Marshburn and Kevin Ford.All three astronauts are back in Houston and undergoing rehabilitation after working for months aboard the International Space Station, 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth. The video hangout...
    


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