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Submission + - Miracle Blue Goo Cleans Up Japan Nuclear Waste (

kkleiner writes: "It looks like Smurf blood and it may keep Japan safe from nuclear waste. DeconGel is a liquid polymer that can spread easily on almost any surface. As it hardens it traps hazardous materials, including radioactive particles, and then easily peels away for disposal. CBI Polymers, the creators of DeconGel, recently donated ten pallets of the polymer to aid in Japan’s decontamination of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster site. DeconGel’s lightweight and easy to use approach to cleaning up radioactive waste could go a long way to restoring the Fukushima prefecture."

Submission + - Good CS High School Homeschool Curriculum?

dingo_kinznerhook writes: I grew up in a homeschooling family, and was homeschooled through high school. ( I went on to get a B.S. and M.S. in computer science; my mom has programming experience and holds bachelor's degrees in physics and math — she's pretty qualified to teach.) Mom is still homeschooling my younger brother and sister and is looking for a good computer science curriculum that covers word processing, spreadsheets, databases, intro to programming, intro to operating systems, etc. Does the Slashdot readership know of a high school computer science curriculum suitable for homeschooling that covers these topics?

Submission + - No Moon Needed for Extraterrestrial Life (

sciencehabit writes: Given the generally accepted idea of how Earth got its big moon—through a dramatic collision with a Mars-sized body that knocked a huge chunk of Earth loose—astronomers estimate that only 1% of all Earth-like planets in the universe might actually have such a hefty companion. That would mean that planets harboring complex life might be relatively rare. But researchers have now carried out large numbers of detailed numerical simulations of "moon-less Earths," which show that the consequences are less dire than is generally assumed. According to the simulations, these planets would have ample time for advanced land life to evolve. As a result, the number of Earth-like extrasolar planets suitable for harboring advanced life could be 10 times higher than has been assumed until now.

Submission + - Lockheed Keeps Mum On Reported Data Breach (

Batblue writes: "The nation's No. 1 defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, would neither confirm nor deny a Reuters story saying the company had experienced a major data breach.

A Lockheed spokesman, Jeffrey Adams, said today in a brief statement via email that the company did not, as a matter of policy, discuss specific threats or responses. "We have policies and procedures in place to mitigate the cyber threats to our business, and we remain confident in the integrity of our robust, multi-layered information systems security," the statement noted.

Earlier, a Reuters story quoting unnamed sources within Lockheed had reported that the defense contractor was grappling with a major internal computer network problem that had affected a "lot of people." The incident has forced Lockheed to reset passwords for employees and take other unspecified measures. Lockheed has notified the Pentagon about the problem, the report said."

Submission + - Improve cell phone reception indoors

Dishwasha writes: I just bought a snazzy new 4G CDMA cell phone that works great, but inside my house the reception is spotty. As soon as I walk outside I've got plenty of bars. What is the best and what is the cheapest way to extend the signal in to my house?

Submission + - Geely McCar Features a Built-in Electric Scooter (


Submission + - Another Dimension to Touch Screens


In addition to adding pressure sensitivity to screens, the company claims that the technology, called Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC) Clear, could make touch screens thinner, more rugged, and more energy-efficient. Peratech aims to bridge the gap between the two main touch-screen technologies: capacitive and resistive, says joint CEO Philip Taysom.

Technology Review by MIT:


Submission + - Industrial sorting machine built from Legos (

An anonymous reader writes: One man + 6 years + Lego NXT = pure awesome. Chris has spent years studying and researching industrial pick and place mechanisms, and has constructed one of his own using Lego NXT parts. The 4-way machine automatically sorts Lego blocks by color as they move down one of two conveyor belts. It might not be super useful, but it sure is awesome!

Submission + - Microsoft counts down to XP death (



Company Seeks To Boost Linux Game Development With 3D Engine Giveaway 140


Submission + - Canadian Copyright Law unveiled (

SJrX writes: The new proposed copyright law was unveiled in montreal today, according to the CBC. While codify practices such as time and format shifting, the law would also require a notice and notice system, as well as prevent users from circumventing DRM.

Submission + - Body’s Own Stem Cells Used To Grow Teeth In ( 1

kkleiner writes: Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found a way to replace missing teeth by having them regrown by stem cells in your mouth. Jeremy Mao, director of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Lab (TERML), used tooth shaped scaffolds augmented with growth factors and proteins to attract stem cells from the body and grow the appropriate bone in place in just 9 weeks. The work was performed in rats using both rat and human-based scaffolds and was reported in the Journal of Dental Research.

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