Students use science, technology to investigate fictitious crime scene

Walled Lake Central High School students work on processing a fictitious crime scene as part of a program to encourage interest in science and technology. Photo courtesy of Oakland Schools. 

In an effort to encourage interest in science and technology, student crime scene investigators from three Oakland County high schools analyzed fingerprints, hair, blood spatter patterns and more to solve a fictitious death.

The fourth annual CSI: Oakland Crime Scene Competition was held recently at Pontiac High School.

Students worked to solve the “Case of the Unlucky Ladder,” and determined that fictitious wallpaper hanger O.B. Chwari died accidentally.

The Oakland Schools Career Focused Education Department works with nine partner schools in the CSI league.

Pontiac High School teacher Justin Brantley hosted and staged the “suspicious death” scene for three of the top forensic science teams in the county: Birmingham Marian, Walled Lake Central and North Farmington.

The competing teams took turns processing the crime scene and sharing their findings with the audience and a panel of judges.

North Farmington High School scored three awards: judges’ award for best use of technology, best biological analysis and most observant.

Walled Lake Central won two awards: best physical science analysis and presentation professionalism.

Marian also won awards in two categories: fingerprint analysis and best forensics.

For more information, contact Mike McIntyre, science, technology, engineering and math coordinator for Oakland Schools, at 248-209-2039 or visit the league website at www.oakland.k12.mi.us/csi

Oakland Schools is an intermediate district that supports all the public schools in the county.

Source : http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20160505/students-use-science-technology-to-investigate-fictitious-crime-scene

Angel Investors Target Science, Technology Startups

A Propel(x) survey finds that nearly one-third (31 percent) of investors cite solving some of the world’s biggest challenges as their main motivation.


An overwhelming majority (94 percent) of active investment angels believe it helps to have subject-matter experts weigh in when they evaluate a startup investment opportunity, according to a Propel(x) survey of 200 aspiring and active angel investors in the United States.
The survey found the majority of active angels have invested in a science and technology startup (68 percent), but half of respondents very frequently (21 percent) or somewhat often (29 percent) decide not to invest because they don't believe they understand the technology well enough.
"I was pleased to see an overall high interest in science and technology startups, and it’s good news that only 1.32 percent of those who haven’t invested are not interested in science and tech companies," Swati Chaturvedi, CEO and co-founder of Propel(x), told eWEEK. "The disconnect often comes down to a lack of understanding the technology well enough to invest; helping investors overcome this information or knowledge gap is crucial to facilitating investing."
When asked to rank the top three types of science-based companies that are of most interest, the three categories receiving support from more than half of angels were information technology and communications (66 percent), life sciences (56 percent) and energy and green technologies (53 percent)

Survey results found that while nearly half of active angel investors (49 percent) ranked the potential for investment returns as their top motivator for investing in startups, nearly one-third (31 percent) ranked solving some of the world’s biggest challenges as their main motivation.
"Angels will continue to play a larger and more important role in funding early-stage startups," Chaturvedi said. "There is a huge funding gap in the early stages—this is a well-researched phenomenon—called the ‘valley of death’ and other more colorful terms. This gap is being filled by angels. This is a great thing for speeding up innovation."
Less than a quarter of active angel investors (21 percent) cited a legacy of other investors among their top three reasons for investing in a specific opportunity.
Three-quarters of active angels cited the management team as their top reason for choosing to invest in a specific company. More than half (52 percent) noted their ability to understand the technology and 42 percent claimed the potential return on investment.
"Investing goes in waves and we are coming off a huge wave in life sciences that's not abating," Chaturvedi said. "We are now also seeing a re-emergence in energy. This sector had been dormant, but we’re seeing an increased interest and investment in clean tech, with almost half of the angels surveyed having already invested in clean tech. This tells us to expect some clean tech startups coming down the line for VC funding.

Source : http://www.eweek.com/small-business/angel-investors-target-science-technology-startups.html

Angel Investors Target Science, Technology Startups

A Propel(x) survey finds that nearly one-third (31 percent) of investors cite solving some of the world’s biggest challenges as their main motivation.


An overwhelming majority (94 percent) of active investment angels believe it helps to have subject-matter experts weigh in when they evaluate a startup investment opportunity, according to a Propel(x) survey of 200 aspiring and active angel investors in the United States.
The survey found the majority of active angels have invested in a science and technology startup (68 percent), but half of respondents very frequently (21 percent) or somewhat often (29 percent) decide not to invest because they don't believe they understand the technology well enough.
"I was pleased to see an overall high interest in science and technology startups, and it’s good news that only 1.32 percent of those who haven’t invested are not interested in science and tech companies," Swati Chaturvedi, CEO and co-founder of Propel(x), told eWEEK. "The disconnect often comes down to a lack of understanding the technology well enough to invest; helping investors overcome this information or knowledge gap is crucial to facilitating investing."
When asked to rank the top three types of science-based companies that are of most interest, the three categories receiving support from more than half of angels were information technology and communications (66 percent), life sciences (56 percent) and energy and green technologies (53 percent).
Xi emphasizes role of science, technology in powering development

Survey results found that while nearly half of active angel investors (49 percent) ranked the potential for investment returns as their top motivator for investing in startups, nearly one-third (31 percent) ranked solving some of the world’s biggest challenges as their main motivation.
Hixon science and technology park plans do not compute with parish councillors

FG to use science technology to explore Nigeria’s potential – Minister

"Angels will continue to play a larger and more important role in funding early-stage startups," Chaturvedi said. "There is a huge funding gap in the early stages—this is a well-researched phenomenon—called the ‘valley of death’ and other more colorful terms. This gap is being filled by angels. This is a great thing for speeding up innovation."
Less than a quarter of active angel investors (21 percent) cited a legacy of other investors among their top three reasons for investing in a specific opportunity.
Three-quarters of active angels cited the management team as their top reason for choosing to invest in a specific company. More than half (52 percent) noted their ability to understand the technology and 42 percent claimed the potential return on investment.
"Investing goes in waves and we are coming off a huge wave in life sciences that's not abating," Chaturvedi said. "We are now also seeing a re-emergence in energy. This sector had been dormant, but we’re seeing an increased interest and investment in clean tech, with almost half of the angels surveyed having already invested in clean tech. This tells us to expect some clean tech startups coming down the line for VC funding."

Source : http://www.eweek.com/small-business/angel-investors-target-science-technology-startups.html

Hixon science and technology park plans do not compute with parish councillors

PLANS to earmark farmland for a science and technology park in Hixon have branded a "red herring" by parish councillors.

Proposals for a phased development of a science, technology and commerce park for research and development on land next to Hixon Airfield's former runway have been submitted to Stafford Borough Council.

The application area covers 12.9 hectares (31.5 acres). But it is outside the industrial estate boundary defined in the emerging Hixon Neighbourhood Plan and there is already 10.6 hectares (26 acres) of undeveloped land on the airfield with approval for industrial uses, a newsletter produced by Hixon Parish Council said.

At a recent Hixon Parish Council meeting councillors questioned the need and demand for the park in the area, particularly in the wake of Staffordshire University removing its computing, engineering and science courses from Stafford's Beaconside campus.


Councillor Nigel Baxter said: "If you compare Beaconside's technology park, it seems mainly to be service industry offices for care companies. There seems to be very little IT or science there."

Councillor Claire Murdoch said: "If they can't fill that close to the M6, what makes the applicant think he will fill a park near a village?

"It's a red herring. Planners have described Hixon as off the main roads, peripheral and not well-served by public transport."

Council chairman Brendan McKeown told the meeting the Plan for Stafford Borough, which provides a blueprint for development in the borough in the years leading up to 2031, had earmarked 50 hectares of land outside of Stafford and Stone for employment. If the latest plan was approved, 47 per cent of that target would be met in the first five years of the 20-year plan in Hixon alone, he said.

"This seems grossly unfair when the plan for Stafford Borough set out that Hixon is not a target area for development or employment land. Raleigh Hall and Ladfordlands were identified as growth areas," he added.

"This 10.6 hectares that has got permission has not been developed. I would suggest having another 12.9 hectares added on is going to be a crazy decision."


Source : http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/Hixon-science-technology-park-plans-compute/story-29194729-detail/story.html

FG to use science technology to explore Nigeria’s potential – Minister

The federal government has promised to use science, technology and innovation to fully explore the potentials of the country’s diverse resources for its growth development, and diversification of the entire economy.
The Special Assistant to the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Mr. Sunny Onyeukwu, in a signed statement on behalf of his boss made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Onu expressed confidence that the proposed Assumpta Science Centre, Owerri, (ASCO), Imo state, would stimulate and sustain the interest of young Nigerians, in choosing careers from Science, Engineering and Technology-related disciplines.
Onu, who had just returned into the country from Rome, Vatican City, sealed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi.


The minister thanked the Holy See for choosing Nigeria as headquarters of the Centre in Africa and pledged the commitment of the federal ministry of Science and technology to honour her obligations as contained in the MoU for the take-off of the Centre.
He reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to fully explore the potentials of science and technology in the task of nation building.
The statement also added that in his remarks, Cardinal Ravasi said the Assumpta Science Centre, though an informal science learning centre, was borne out of the need to deepen the culture of science, technology innovation and engineering in Africa.
On why Nigeria was chosen, he said: “Nigeria was chosen as the headquarters of the programme for Africa due to her leadership role and position in the continent.”

Source : https://www.today.ng/news/national/114691/science-technology-explore-nigerias-potential-minister

Xi emphasizes role of science, technology in powering development

For the second time in a week, President Xi Jinping has emphasized the important role of science and technology in powering China's development
 

President Xi Jinping visits the Institute of Advanced Technology in University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, east China's Anhui province, on April 26, 2016, where he was introduced to different innovative technologies.[Photo/Xinhua] 

Speaking at a symposium on internet and cyberspace security on April 19 in Beijing, he called for China to make a breakthrough in next-generation internet technologies.

On Tuesday, at one of the events highlighted most by Chinese media during his field-study tour of Anhui province, Xi visited the University of Science and Technology of China, in Hefei, the provincial capital.

He visited the province from Sunday to Wednesday.

At the university's Institute of Advanced Technology, Xi was shown achievements in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to public security, and from drones to alternative energy.

He visited the control center of the 2,000-kilometer Beijing-Shanghai quantum communication main network, due to become fully operational in the second half of this year, and the university's Laboratory of Physic Science for Advanced Medical Application.

Talking to faculty members, researchers and students, Xi praised the university's recent progress in innovation and new technologies.

He urged his audience to show a greater "sense of mission" by educating more people and making greater achievements in the new frontiers of science and technology.

An economy of China's size would be unsustainable if it relied entirely on imports for its new science and technologies, Xi said.

Zhang Xiaojun, vice-president of Anhui Huami Information Technology, which has investment from Chinese mobile phone producer Xiaomi, was one of the high-tech company leaders who met with the president.

He said he thinks Xi's comments will greatly encourage technology companies like his, and he is more confident in serving the Chinese economy with smart wearable gadgets.

Yao Hongyu, CEO of Beijing-based cloud computing and big data company Yoyo Systems, said he thought the president was saying in Anhui that the next 10 years is the best time for China to build up its power in new technologies.

He said the country's current scientific research capability still lags behind many developed nations, and most of the core components of China's industrial robots are imported.

Yao added that it will be "a long and tough journey" for the country to improve its capability on core technologies.

He said State-owned companies and government departments should buy domestic brands to support the development of China's science and technology, and the nation needs to develop core technology in fields such as cloud computing and big data.

During his Anhui trip, Xi visited the village of Xiaogang, which was one of China's poorest four decades ago and took a lead in the country's economic reform and opening-up in the late 1970s.

He also visited mountainous Jinzhai county, where many farmers are beginning to use solar power to change their lives under the government program to eliminate poverty.

Souce : http://www.china.org.cn/china/2016-04/28/content_38340977.htm

APNewsBreak: Sushi alert: Grim outlook for bluefin tuna

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2015, file photo, Kiyoshi Kimura, president of Kiyomura Co., poses a bluefin tuna at his Sushi Zanmai restaurant near Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. The latest assessment by scientists paints a likely bleak future for the Pacific bluefin tuna, the favorite of sushi-lovers whose population has dropped by more than 97 percent from its historic levels. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

The latest scientific assessment paints a likely bleak future for the Pacific bluefin tuna, a sushi lovers' favorite whose population has dropped by more than 97 percent from its historic levels.
A draft summary of a report by the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean seen by The Associated Press shows the current population of bluefin tuna is estimated at 2.6 percent of its "unfished" size. A previous assessment put the population at an already dire 4.2 percent.
Overfishing has continued despite calls to reduce catches to allow the species to recover. In some areas, bluefin tuna is harvested at triple the levels considered to be sustainable.
"The situation is really as bad as it appears," said Amanda Nickson, director for Global Tuna Conservation at The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Limits imposed after the previous estimates actually allowed some countries to up their catches, she said.
"If those managers again fail to act in a conservation-minded way this time, it may be time for other actions, such as an international trade ban or complete fishing moratorium," Nickson said.
The independent scientists who compiled the report said improved data make them more confident in their latest estimates than in previous ones. The report is due to be reviewed by the committee in July.
The report estimated that in 2014, the total recruitment level of the fish, or the percentage of new fish that survive each year, was below 3.7 million fish, the second lowest level ever.
Under current levels of reproduction and management of the fisheries in the Pacific, the likelihood of rebuilding stocks to healthy levels is only 0.1 percent, the report says.
Cutting catches by a fifth would improve those odds to only 3 percent.
Japanese eat about 80 percent of all bluefin tuna caught worldwide, and stocks of all three bluefin species — the Pacific, Southern and Atlantic — have fallen over the past 15 years as demand for the luscious, buttery pink-to-red fleshed fish has soared globally.
Organizations charged with helping to manage bluefin fisheries have set a goal of rebuilding the species' population to 6.4 percent, or 42,592 metric tons, of unfished levels by 2024.
But 6.4 percent levels for a species like the Pacific bluefin, which can live for up to 40 years, are no guarantee of a recovery. Many experts believe 20 percent of historic levels is the minimum size for a sustainable fishery.
The international body that monitors fisheries in most of the Pacific Ocean, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, was unable to reach consensus last year on either short-term or long-term measures to help restore the bluefin population.
In Europe, officials have agreed last month on implementing a recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
A next step by conservationists could include efforts to get Pacific bluefin tuna banned from international trading.
Pacific bluefin tuna are spawned in the western parts of the northern Pacific but migrate throughout the ocean, complicating management of catches. The population of the species is estimated to have peaked in 1960.
An earlier estimate put the 2014 population of the bluefin at 26,000 tons. The most recent reduced that estimate by 9,000 tons, to 17,000 tons.
If the population of Pacific bluefins drops much further, it may no longer be economically feasible to fish for them.
At that point, "Pacific bluefin would be considered commercially extinct," Nickson said.

Source by : http://www.heraldstandard.com/science_ap/apnewsbreak-sushi-alert-grim-outlook-for-bluefin-tuna/article_e881381e-1568-578f-8ea7-c70f7e1b0b30.html