Campaigners call for ban on killer robots

LONDON (Reuters) – Machines with the ability to attack targets without any human intervention must be banned before they are developed for use on the battlefield, campaigners against killer robots urged   Original post on reuters.com    Comments on reddit.com   

Escherichia coli bacteria produce diesel on demand

It sounds like science fiction but a team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel on demand. While the technology still faces many significant commercialisation challenges, the diesel, produced by special strains of E. coli bacteria,…   Original post on phys.org    Comments on reddit.com   

Officer accused of having Trayvon Martin target

(AP) — A police officer accused of bringing targets resembling Trayvon Martin to a gun range has been fired. Port Canaveral Interim Chief Executive Officer John Walsh told WFTV on Saturday (http://bit.ly/175m2lH ) that Sgt. Ron King was leading a target practice with two other Port Canaveral police officers and a civilian port employee when he pulled out the targets April 4.   Original post on seattlepi.com    Comments on reddit.com   

China: Christian Missionaries Target Tibetan Buddhists for Conversion

When Dawa said yes to a party held by American friends in the city of Xining, she expected music, drinks, and a chance to practice her English. But it soon transpired that there would be more to the evening’s activities.   Original post on time.com    Comments on reddit.com   

‘Cannibal cop’ discussed how to murder then roast wife with online chat group – Americas – World

The wife of the former New York police officer known as the “Cannibal Cop” has told a court how she learned her husband was planning to kill and eat her.   Original post on independent.co.uk    Comments on reddit.com   

UCI team finds new target for treating wide spectrum of cancers

UC Irvine biologists, chemists and computer scientists have identified an elusive pocket on the surface of the p53 protein that can be targeted by cancer-fighting drugs. The finding heralds a new treatment approach, as mutant forms of this protein are implicated in nearly 40 percent of diagnosed cases of cancer, which kills more than half a million Americans each year.   Original post on uci.edu    Comments on reddit.com   

Dozens Killed as Explosions Hit Syrian University

Each side in Syria’s conflict blamed the other Tuesday after multiple blasts rocked Aleppo University, leaving 82 people dead, according to a Syrian official.   Original post on nytimes.com    Comments on reddit.com   

Hewlett-Packard Says It May Dispose of Units Not Meeting Targets

Hewlett-Packard Co. said it’s evaluating the disposition of businesses that don’t meet goals more than a year after Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said she didn’t plan to spin off the personal-computer division.   Original post on bloomberg.com    Comments on reddit.com   

Israel/Gaza: Unlawful Israeli Attacks on Palestinian Media – Human Rights Watch

(Gaza City) – Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations.   Original post on hrw.org    Comments on reddit.com   

Hackers target Westboro Baptist Church after Newtown threat – Internet – Media

After church leaders announce plans to protest at site of school massacre, Anonymous posts the personal information for dozens of members of the extremist group, including names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers. Read this article by Steven Musil on CNET News.   Original post on cnet.com    Comments on reddit.com   

Recap: Fed Decision and Ben Bernanke Press Conference – Real Time Economics

The Federal Reserve unveils its latest bond-buying plans Wednesday as one of its easing programs, Operation Twist, ends and QE3 — featuring purchases of mortgage-backed securities — marks its third month. The central bank also releases its latest economic forecasts as the fiscal cliff clouds the outlook for the coming months.   Original post on wsj.com    Comments on reddit.com   

Black Friday slips into ‘Grey Thursday’ as retail giants face staff backlash – Business

Workers criticise ‘pure greed’ as stores like Walmart and Target encroach on family time by opening on Thanksgiving Day   Original post on guardian.co.uk    Comments on reddit.com   

Scientists Find Achilles’ Heel of Cancer Cells

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) and Heidelberg University Hospital have identified the HDAC11 enzyme as a promising target for new cancer therapies. If this molecule is turned off, cancer cells stop growing and die. Normal cells, however, are not affected by blocking HDAC11. The researchers are now looking for compounds that block selectively HDAC11.   Original post on dkfz.de    Comments on reddit.com   

Microsoft DMCA Notice `Mistakenly’ Targets BBC, Techcrunch, Wikipedia and U.S. Govt

Over the last year Microsoft asked Google to censor nearly 5 million webpages because they allegedly link to copyright infringing content. While these automated requests are often legitimate, mistakes happen more often than one might expect. In a recent DMCA notice Microsoft asked Google to censor BBC, CNN, HuffPo, TechCrunch, Wikipedia and many more sites. In another request the software giant seeks the removal of a URL on Spotify.com.   Original post on torrentfreak.com    Comments on reddit.com