A rock that was used as a door stop for three decades has turned out to be a meteorite worth $100,000.

A Michigan-based man was gifted the rock by a farmer in 1988 when he bought his property.   The previous owner said he had seen the meteorite coming down at night some time during the 1930s, adding that it was still warm when he dug it out of the crater.  The owner thought little of it and kept it as a door stop, until recently when he decided to find out how much his strange rock was worth.

Mona Sirbescu, a geology faculty member in earth and atmospheric sciences at Central Michigan University examined it under X-ray fluorescence.

'I could tell right away that this was something special,' she said.  She found that it was an iron-nickel meteorite with about 88 per cent iron and 12 per cent nickel, a metal rarely found on Earth.

Iron meteorites typically consist of approximately 90-95 per cent iron, with the remainder composed of nickel and trace amounts of heavy metals including iridium, gallium and sometimes gold.

'It's the most valuable specimen I have ever held in my life, monetarily and scientifically.  Just think, what I was holding is a piece of the early solar system that literally fell into our hands,' Dr Sirbescu said.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, obtained the meteorite when he bought his farm in Edmore, Michigan, about 48 km southwest of Mount Pleasant.

As the farmer was showing him around the property, they went out to a shed.  The man asked about the large, odd-looking rock that was holding the door open.  The farmer said it was a meteorite that 'made a heck of a noise when it hit' Earth back in the 1930s.  The farmer told the man that it was part of the property so he could have it.

The current owner kept it for 30 years, using it as a doorstop and sending it to school with his children for show and tell.

It has been named the Edmore meteorite, after the place in which it fell.  A sample has been sent to John Wasson, professor emeritus in the earth, planetary and space sciences department at the University of California, Los Angeles.  He is doing a neutron activation analysis to determine its chemical composition.  There is a possibility that the analysis could reveal rare elements that could increase its value.

The largest meteorite found on Earth was the Hoba in Namibia, weighing 66 tons.  Experts think it hit Earth 80,000 years ago.  It is made up mostly of iron and nickel, just like the Edmore meteorite.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

1. Relay hack keyless entry

Although, usually, your car keys signal cannot reach the car from inside your home, criminals using a 'relay box' can boost the signal from your car keys even when they're away from the vehicle and imitate the exact signal - causing your car to unlock and allowing the thief access.

Stay safe: The best way to protect yourself from this type of crime is to disable your key signal when not using your car or keeping your keys safe in a secure container that blocks the signal.

2. Keyless jamming

Another method used by criminals is preventing the car key locking signal from reaching your car - it means your car remains unlocked when you move away from it and the thieves are then able to access your unsecured vehicle.

Stay safe: To prevent this from happening, make sure to check your car doors manually and use a steering wheel lock that will stop thieves from being able to take your car, even if it is unlocked.

3. Tyre pressure monitor systems

A less obvious - and not well known - method is hackers who are able to interact with sensors inside a vehicle's tyres.

This means they are able to track the vehicle and display false tyre pressure readings - this could then lure you to check the pressure at a garage and for thieves to pounce.

Stay safe: When you check your tyre pressure, lock all doors when you do and seek advice from a car garage if in doubt.

4. App flaw local remote control

Many cars possess telematics, often without the driver's knowledge, as many vehicle tracking apps integrate with their technology.

Although this can be handy for those with internet connected cars, it does mean that if a server is misconfigured or can be deliberately altered, hackers can locate, unlock and potentially start the engine of nearby cars.

Stay safe: Speak to your car manufacturer for support.

5. Controller Area Network disabled safety features 

Hackers can access the internal car network through vulnerabilities in a car's wi-fi or phone connections and send 'denial of service' signals which can shut down air bags, anti-lock brakes, and even door locks.

Stay safe: Changing your passwords regularly can help prevent hackers gaining access.

6) On-board diagnostics hack

Cars possess a feature called an 'on-board diagnostic port' which allows garages to access the internal data of a vehicle to perform tasks such as checking service light faults and programming new keys for their owners.

However, it is possible to buy kits which can use this port to program new keys for as little as £50, allowing hackers to use them to create new keys to access vehicles.

Stay safe: Use a steering lock to protect yourself and get advice from a reputable garage.

7) Phone phishing

If you use wi-fi in your car, hackers may be able to access it through phishing schemes.

They can send emails with links to malicious websites and apps that, if opened, take your details and even take control of any apps that you have on your phone that allow you to interact with your vehicle.

Stay safe: Be cautious when opening emails from unknown senders and do not open links within these emails if you do not know the source.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Are you in danger of seeing your treasured car being stolen off your driveway, even without criminals having the key?  The rise of keyless cars - where instead of the traditional key being inserted, cars are opened with a remote fob and started by button - has triggered a wave of thefts, as criminals trick vehicles into believing the key fob is present.

There has been a 19 per cent increase in car crime and a 29 per cent surge in crimes related to vehicle interference since 2014, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

Price comparison website MoneySupermarket looked into car hacking and has revealed the seven sneaky ways a criminal can hack your car.  A significant contributing factor to the rise in vehicle crime, after a period of decline, is the new technology that allows car hackers to gain access to vehicles remotely, says MoneySupermarket.

Worryingly, its study found many of the different methods used by criminals to gain access to vehicles illegally was not known to the majority of the public.  Nearly all drivers were unaware of all the major digital hacking threats their car might face.  More than three in five said they wouldn't buy a keyless car because of hacking concerns.

In an effort to prevent further crime and raise awareness, MoneySupermarket have highlighted the various ways criminals can hack into your car as well how to protect yourself from vehicle crime.

Keyless car owners are also being encouraged to check through their car insurance policy thoroughly to determine what they may or may not be covered for.   Four in five drivers were not aware if they would be covered by their car insurance if they were hacked.

There can be confusion when trying to understand who is liable at what point - is it the driver, the car manufacturer or the maker of the on-board computers?  The Government and insurers are currently working out how to cover autonomous vehicles to resolve any unanswered questions, according to the comparison site.

At present, in terms of insurance, MoneySupermarket says:

• Drivers will have one insurance policy that covers the vehicle when it is driven manually as well as when it is in autonomous mode.
• If the driver of an autonomous vehicle causes injury or damage to a third party, that party can claim against the driver's insurer regardless of what mode the car was in when the accident occurred.
• Drivers won't be held responsible for faults in the car's systems, and they will be able to claim if they are injured or suffer loss because of a fault in the car.

With regards to hacking ('relaying') a car, insurers will pay out if the occasion arises as long as the owner of the vehicle has taken reasonable steps to protect their car.  It is possible that certain insurance premiums could rise depending on if a particular make of car is regularly targeted.

Tom Flack, editor-in-chief at MoneySupermarket, said: 'Car hacking is little understood but a very real threat.  Manufacturers are adding increasing amounts of technology to our vehicles, and new technology comes with new risks that drivers need to understand and guard against.  As far as hacking activity such as keyless theft - so-called 'relaying' - is concerned, insurers will pay out providing the owner/driver has taken reasonable care to protect their property.  Owners of cars deemed by insurers to be a particular risk of keyless theft may find they are charged higher premiums as a result.'

Despite a large number of drivers not knowing if they would be covered by insurance, 16 per cent claim they know someone who has fallen victim to car hacking.  Only 19 per cent of drivers currently protect their cars from hacking by putting into place simple measures such as placing their keys in the microwave or in a Faraday cage - a device that shields its contents from static electric fields - stopping would-be hackers from accessing their signal.  These signal blocking pouches can be bought for a few pounds online.

Recently, we reported on how thieves used a hi-tech relay device to steal a £30,000 Toyota from owner's driveway by scanning car key fob through the front door in Greater Manchester, part of a growing trend.  Mr Flack added: 'We recommend fully researching a vehicle and its capabilities and limitations before purchase, and getting to know a vehicle you already own to make sure you're aware of any potential security flaws.  Sometimes an old-fashioned security method, such as a steering lock, can be all that's needed to protect against criminals.'

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A photographer has snapped a rare quintuple rainbow over his home in New Jersey.

So-called 'supernumerary rainbows' only form when falling water droplets are all nearly exactly the same size, according to NASA, which featured the image as part of its astronomy picture of the day on 2 October.  The result is a series of three or more rainbows hanging in the sky that can sometimes stretch to five in 'exceptional' circumstances, according to one expert.

Photographer John Entwistle took the amazing snap while photographing a sunset from his backyard.  The incredible spectacle faded in and out for around half an hour, much to the delight of the photographer.

Writing on Instagram on September 18, Mr Entwistle said: 'I could be wrong but that sure looks like a quintuple rainbow at sunset tonight over the Jersey Shore, NJ.'

NASA featured the amazing image as part of its astronomy picture of the day on 2 October, describing the phenomenon pictured as a 'hall of rainbows'.  The agency wrote: 'Supernumerary rainbows only form when falling water droplets are all nearly the same size and typically less than a millimetre across.  Then, sunlight will not only reflect from inside the raindrops, but interfere, a wave phenomenon similar to ripples on a pond when a stone is thrown in.'

Experts said that while supernumerary rainbows were relatively common, a quintuple sighting was 'exceptionally' rare.  This is because the viewer has to be lined up at precisely the right angle when observing the rainbow to see so many in a row.

Raymond Lee, a research professor at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, said: 'Supernumerary rainbows are actually fairly common and, despite their superfluous-sounding name, are an intrinsic part of any rainbow.'

Dr Gunther Können, a retired climate scientist with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, told Live Science: 'In general, supernumeraries are quite common.  There are many pictures of 2 or 3 supernumeraries.  But the appearance in nature of 5 supernumeraries is exceptional.'

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A hug really does make you feel better after an argument, according to a new study.  Holding hands also improves a person's mood after a conflict, and the effect lasts into the next day, researchers found.

Studying 400 people, the team at Carnegie Mellon University found those who shared a hug with the person they had fought with were less likely to harbor negative feelings in the hours and days after.  They believe this adds weight to other studies showing affectionate human touch has a calming effect on the nerves.

Dr Michael Murphy, of Carnegie Mellon University, said: 'Non-sexual interpersonal touch is emerging as an important topic in the study of adult social relationships.  Interpersonal touch can be defined as touch behaviors for example hugging and holding hands that are used to communicate affection or are generally thought to indicate affection.  Enthusiasm for this topic is bolstered by multiple lines of converging evidence suggesting that individuals who engage more frequently in interpersonal touch enjoy better physical, psychological, and relational health.  Mechanistically, theorists have proposed that one of the key pathways through which interpersonal touch benefits well-being is by helping buffer against the deleterious consequences of psychological stress.'

An argument with a loved-one can be distressing in many ways - both psychological and physiological.  Severe or repeated distress from arguments can build up feelings of anxiety, paranoia, loneliness, and depression.  If that accumulates, it can put someone at risk psychiatric illnesses and suicide.

Dr Murphy explained: 'Conceptually, touch may buffer against these consequences by promoting a number of positive interpersonal processes thought to communicate care and inclusion and be protective in the face of conflict.  In particular, interpersonal touch is associated with increased attachment security, greater perceived partner support, enhanced intimacy, higher relationship satisfaction, and easier conflict resolution.'

But past studies have largely focused on the role of touch in romantic relationships.  So the new study focused on hugs - a relatively common support behavior that individuals engage in with a wide range of social partners.

The researchers interviewed 404 adult men and women every night for 14 consecutive days about their arguments, how they resolved them, and how they felt afterwards.  Those who did share hugs or hold hands were questioned further about those intimate moments: how often do they normally hug, do they often hug after a fight, and how does it make them feel?  Pooling the results, they saw a clear correlation between hugs and moods.

Those who shared a hug with the person they had been fighting with were more likely to feel positive emotions after, and less likely to feel negative emotions.   That powerful effect seemed to linger too: interviewees reported a generally positive mood the next day.

Dr Murphy said: 'We hypothesized that individuals experiencing interpersonal conflicts would have greater negative and lesser positive affect on both the same day and the following day.  Moreover, we further predicted that these associations would be attenuated for those receiving hugs on conflict days.  Conflicts were independently associated with greater concurrent negative affect and lesser concurrent positive affect, though not with next day negative or positive affect.  Receiving a hug on the day of conflict was associated with improved concurrent negative and positive affect and improved next day negative affect compared to days when conflict occurred but no hug was received.'

While more research is needed to determine possible mechanisms, the findings from the large community sample suggest that hugs may be a simple yet effective method of providing support to both men and women experiencing interpersonal distress.

Dr Murphy added: 'This research is in its early stages.  We still have questions about when, how, and for whom hugs are most helpful.  However, our study suggests that consensual hugs might be useful for showing support to somebody enduring relationship conflict.'

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

A company's plan to open a so-called sex robot brothel in Houston has been short circuited by city leaders.  Houston's City Council on 3 October 2018 updated one local ordinance to specifically ban individuals from having sex with an 'anthropomorphic device,' a device that resembles a human being, at a sexually-oriented business.  The change wouldn't ban the company from selling the dolls for use elsewhere.

The company, Canada-based KinkySdollS, had wanted to open a 'love dolls brothel' in Houston in which people would be able to use its human-like dolls - a concept that that has drawn comparisons to the science fiction series 'Westworld.'  It would have been the company's second location.  The first location opened in 2017 in Toronto.  On its web site, the company says it provides an 'adult love dolls rent before you buy service.'

On its web site, KinkySdollS says its human-like dolls, which can speak and feel warm to the touch, are available for sale or rent.  The dolls can cost more than $3,000 each.  KinkySdollS did not immediately return emails seeking comment on 3 October.

Before the City Council unanimously approved the change to the ordinance, council member Greg Travis called the proposed robot brothel 'weird' and 'gross.'  Travis said he believed that most residents don't want the business to open in Houston.  'We are not sin city,' Travis said.

Officials said they are not trying to legislate morality with the updated ordinance.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said a business could sell such robotic devices but individuals couldn't use them at the premises before buying them.  'We want businesses to come.  But then they're some that we say, 'You know it's fine if you go someplace else,'' said Turner, who has been part of a chorus of local leaders and community groups that have pushed back against the robot brothel, which would have been the first such business in the U.S.

Elijah Rising, a Houston-based nonprofit focused on ending sex trafficking, has started a Change.org petition asking that the business be kept out of the city.  The petition has received more than 13,500 signatures.  The petition read in part: 'robot brothels will ultimately harm men, their understanding of healthy sexuality, and increase the demand for the prostitution and sexual exploitation of women and children.'

The city ordinance that was updated deals with the regulation of adult arcades and adult mini-theatres in Houston and classifies a robot as an arcade device.  Turner said the change in the ordinance was not targeted at any one particular business but targeted 'at this type of behavior than any business of this kind would engage in.'

Houston has long had a culture that's resistant to regulation and remains the only major U.S. city without zoning.  Turner has said that this lack of zoning might have been one of the reasons why the owners of the robot brothel thought to try to open it in Houston.

Construction of the site for the proposed robot brothel had already begun but was stopped after city inspectors visited the location and determined the business owners didn't have the proper permits, Houston's public works department said the week before.  It was not immediately known if the business had obtained additional permits or had resumed construction.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

While it might be common to assume that Earth rotates around a fixed axis, scientists say that isn’t quite the case.  Our planet drifts and wobbles as it spins, shifting roughly four inches per year in a phenomenon known as polar motion.  But, according to new research, climate change may be making the effect more extreme.

A NASA study has found that the 7,500 gigatons of Greenland ice that melted into the ocean during the 20th century played a major role in pushing Earth’s spin axis.  In addition, the researchers found that glacial rebound and mantle convection contribute to the motion too, providing fresh insight on the mass changes that cause our planet to wobble.  Over the course of the 20th century, Earth’s spin axis drifted more than 11 yards (10 meters).

In the past, scientists have attributed polar motion entirely to the effects of glacial rebound, the researchers explain.  Glacial rebound is the phenomenon in which the land slowly bounces back to its original position after glaciers melt.  But, the new work shows that melting ice – particularly that from Greenland – has a significant impact on Earth’s drifting axis.

Lead author Surendra Adhikari of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab said: ‘The traditional explanation is that one process, glacial rebound, is responsible for this motion of Earth’s spin axis.  We assembled models for a suite of processes that are thought to be important for driving the motion of the spin axis.  We identified not one but three sets of processes that are crucial – and melting of the global cryosphere (especially Greenland) over the course of the 20th century is one of them.’

The team analyzed data spanning the entire 20th century, during which Greenland’s ice decreased by about 7,500 gigatons.  Given Greenland’s location, this has no small effect.

‘There is a geometrical effect that if you have a mass that is the 45 degrees from the North Pole – which Greenland is – or from the South Pole (like Patagonian glaciers), it will have a bigger impact on shifting Earth’s spin axis than a mass that is right near the Pole,’ said co-author Eric Ivans, of JPL.

Instead of just one thing driving the shift, researchers say there are three factors to be considered.  Mantle convection, which describes the circulation of material in the mantle caused by the Earth from Earth’s core, also contributes to the wobble.

The researchers say the newly identified contributors could help us assess how long-term processes are affecting polar motion – and now climate change may be accelerating it.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Keep an eye on your smart home devices.  Security experts have identified what they consider the 'most sophisticated botnet they've ever seen' and it's believed to be targeting internet of things gadgets.

Antivirus firm Avast said in a new report they've been closely watching a new malware strain, called 'Torii,' which uses 'advanced techniques' to infect devices.  '...This one tries to be more stealthy and persistent once the device is compromised, and it does not (yet) do the usual stuff a botnet does like [Distributed Denial of Service attacks], attacking all the devices connected to the internet, or, of course, mining cryptocurrencies,' Avast researchers wrote in a blog post.

The malware goes after devices that have weak encryption, using the Telnet remote access protocol.

Telnet is a remote access tool that's primarily used to log into remote servers, but it's largely been replaced by tools that are more secure.  Once it has identified a poorly secured system, Torii will attempt to steal your personal information.  It's entirely possible that vulnerable IoT device owners have no idea their device has been compromised.

'As we've been digging into this strain, we've found indications that this operation has been running since December 2017, maybe even longer,' the researchers wrote.

While Torii hasn't attempted cryptojacking or carried out DDoS attacks, researchers say the malware is capable of fetching and executing commands of different kinds on the infected device, making it very sophisticated.  What's more, many smart home gadgets are connected to one another, and it's unclear yet if the malware is capable of spreading to other devices.

'Even though our investigation is continuing, it is clear that Torii is an example of the evolution of IoT malware, and that its sophistication is a level above anything we have seen before,' the Avast researchers explained.

Once Torii infects a device, it floods it with information and communicates with the master server, allowing the author of the malware to execute any code or deliver any payload to the infected device, according to researchers.

'This suggests that Torii could become a modular platform for future use.  Also, because the payload itself is not scanning for other potential targets, it is quite stealthy on the network layer.  Stay tuned for the follow ups,' the researchers continued.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

The online dating app profile picture has become something of an art form, with everything from carefully lit shots to hugging tigers becoming commonplace.  However, researchers have now revealed that men might be wasting their time.

Experts from the University of Oxford Internet Institute commissioned by dating site eHarmony found that in fact, looking average could be the better option.

Researchers analysed ten years of data from the site, and found men who rate their looks as five or six out of 10 receive more messages than men who give themselves a 10 out of 10 rating.  For women, the ideal rating is higher, at eight out of 10.

Taha Yasseri, professor of computational social science at the University of Oxford Internet Institute, who led the research said: 'It's the first time we've been able to measure this.  We knew not being a perfect looking person wasn't key, but this is the first time we've been able to plot it.  The more attractive you are, the more messages you receive - up to a point.  If you think you're a perfect 10, the truth is you're not that popular.  The pattern is the same between the sexes, but for women 8/9 out of 10 in the optimum, for men being a 6/7 is actually optimal.'

Yasseri said users often believed a 'perfect' score told them something about the person.   'I might think they are out of my league, I want someone who is just a bit better looking than me.'

The analysis of messages also found that women were becoming less and less likely to initiate conversations.

Rachel Lloyd of eHarmony said in a Facebook Live broadcast discussing the research 'We wanted to look at ten years of behaviour online, and we found we are still very traditional when it comes to gender roles.  Men still like to make the firm move online, and women that take the risk and take the first move see a 15% decrease in interest.

She also said both genders don't like it when their matches 'oversubscribe on sexuality' but prefer their partner to be athletic and altruistic.

Men were six per cent more likely to send the first message in 2008, which had risen to 29 per cent this year.

The research also found single people have become less likely over time to see a potential match’s religion, wealth or education as important, though women are more selective across all criteria, including age.

Figures released last year by YouGov found that women preferred men to be average looking rather than extremely attractive.  It is found that seven per cent of women saw their ideal partner as a “perfect 10”, while just over a quarter said they would score a five.

It found men are more focussed on looks when it comes to relationships.

Extracted from: www.dailymail.co.uk

Girls are better than boys at both reading and writing as early as age 10 - a gap that only widens as they head towards adulthood, according to a new study.

Researchers came to their conclusion after reviewing the test scores of four-million American high school students, spanning a period of almost three decades.  They suggest reading and language are largely seen as feminine skills, meaning boys are less likely to work hard to improve them in a bid to conform to 'masculine ideals'.  The finding also challenges the idea that boys and girls enter secondary school at roughly the same level, said the researchers, from Griffith University in Australia.

'It appears that the gender gap for writing tasks has been greatly underestimated.  Despite our best efforts with changes in teaching methods, this gap does not appear to be reducing over time,' said study lead author David Reilly.

Mr Reilly and his team crunched data on 3.9 million literacy test scores stored in the US National Assessment of Educational Progress database.  Scores were from high school students in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades - a period that spans ages 10 to 18.

Across 27 years of test scores, girls ranked significantly better in both reading and writing in the fourth grade, a gap that only widened in the eighth and twelfth grades.

Mr Reilly said: 'The common thinking is that boys and girls in grade school start with the same cognitive ability, but this research suggests otherwise.  Our research found that girls generally exhibit better reading and writing ability than boys as early as the fourth grade.'

The team believes the shock discovery could be a result of boys being more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability than girls.

Behavioural problems seen more commonly in boys, such as inattentiveness, may also contribute, as could the difference in the way the genders use their brains.  Girls use both brain hemispheres for reading and writing, while boys typically rely on just one, according to previous studies.

The authors also suggest the peer pressure boys face to follow 'masculine norms' could make reading less of a priority for some.  They argue that expressive writing exercises should be pushed on boys earlier to help them catch up with the other sex.

Mr Reilly said: 'The magnitude of the writing gender gap was really quite surprising.  Many boys are highly proficient in reading, and yet really struggle when it comes to writing tasks.  This study shows the need for a greater focus on writing beginning in primary continuing throughout high school.  In an ever-crowded curriculum that is focusing more on STEM [Science Technology Engineering and Medicine], it highlights the increased need for further work.'

The study was published in the journal American Psychologist.