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Study Shows Deepwater Oil Plume in Gulf Degraded by Microbes

In the aftermath of the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, a dispersed oil plume was formed at a depth between 3,600 and 4,000 feet and extending some 10 miles out from the wellhead. An intensive study by scientists with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that microbial activity, spearheaded by a new and unclassified species, degrades oil much faster than anticipated. This degradation appears to take place without a significant level of oxygen depletion.

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IBM and EU Partner to Enable the Digitization of Historic European Texts on a Massive Scale

Technology

HAIFA, Israel – IBM (NYSE: IBM) and the EU have expanded their research collaboration, which now includes more than two-dozen national libraries, research institutes, universities, and companies across Europe to provide new technology that will enable highly-accurate digitization of rare and culturally significant historical texts on a massive scale. Unlike past digitization projects where the result has been static, online libraries of texts, this unique widescale effort, called IMPACT (IMProving ACcess to Text), will offer new tools and best practices to institutions across Europe that will enable them to efficiently and accurately continue to produce quality digital replicas of historically significant texts and make them widely available, editable and searchable online. (more…)

Bacteria Make Thrift a Habit

Science

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— In these lean times, smart consumers refuse to pay a lot for throwaway items, but will shell out a little more for products that can be used again and again. The same is true of bacteria and other microbes, researchers at the University of Michigan have learned.

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Males Driving Europe’s Summer of Mobile Love

Technology

Mobile Dating Sites on the Rise, Males 25-34 Represent Nearly a Quarter of UsersItalians Lead European Countries in Seeking ‘Amore’ on their Mobiles

LONDON, U.K., August 26, 2010 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from its comScore MobiLens service showing that young adult males factor prominently in the increase in Europeans accessing dating sites on their mobile phones. (more…)

IBM X-Force Report Reveals Global Security Threats Have Reached Record Levels

Technology

ARMONK, N.Y., – 25 Aug 2010: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today released the results of its X-Force 2010 Mid-Year Trend and Risk Report, which showed that vulnerability disclosures are increasing dramatically, having reached record levels for the first half of 2010. (more…)

Facebook Captures Top Spot among Social Networking Sites in India

Technology

*Indian Social Networking Audience Soars 43 Percent in Past Year*

Mumbai, India, August 25, 2010 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a report on traffic to Social Networking sites in India, revealing that Facebook.com grabbed the number one ranking in the category for the first time in July with 20.9 million visitors, up 179 percent versus year ago.

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Smallest U-M Logo Demonstrates Advanced Display Technology

Science

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— In a step toward more efficient, smaller and higher-definition display screens, a University of Michigan professor has developed a new type of color filter made of nano-thin sheets of metal with precisely spaced gratings. (more…)

Directed Energy Weapons: New System Developed to Test and Evaluate High-Energy Laser Weapons

Weapons

Technologies for using laser energy to destroy threats at a distance have been in development for many years. Today, these technologies — known as directed energy weapons — are maturing to the point of becoming deployable.

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