A computer glitch has allowed all of American Airlines’ pilots to take vacation during the week of Christmas, according to ABC and Reuters. The error could leave thousands of planes grounded during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Citing the union that represents pilots, Reuters reports that over 15,000 planes currently lack pilot assignments in December. “On Friday, management disclosed a failure within the pilot schedule bidding system,” the Allied Pilots Association said in a statement.

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Submitted on November 30th 2017 by everlost

Because why have water when you could have fluidised sand?!

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Submitted on November 29th 2017 by Bluesky2705 with 4 comments

These are not your friendly neighborhood spiders: scientists have mixed a graphene solution that when fed to spiders allows them to spin super-strong webbing. How strong? Strong enough to carry the weight of a person.

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Submitted on November 24th 2017 by Bluesky2705 with 1 comments

Since the internet first heard about poo transplants, perceptions of this procedure have changed from everyone freaking out to a growing appreciation of gut microbiota and its complexities.

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Submitted on November 29th 2017 by kxh with 1 comments and with 4 Related Links:

1. History of medicine: Origin of the term microbiome and why it matters Added by ohtwenty on November 30th 2017.

2. Fecal Transplants for Ulcerative Colitis? - IBD in the News Added by Gozzin on November 30th 2017.

3. Missing Microbes with Dr Martin Blaser Added by Gozzin on November 30th 2017.

4. The Power Of Poop Added by Gozzin on November 30th 2017.

The more researchers learn about metformin, the more it seems like a medieval wonder drug that could extend lifespans in the 21st century.

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Submitted on November 30th 2017 by sjvn with 6 comments

“Smart windows” with the ability to generate electricity are the way of the future, and scientists are another step closer to making it a widespread reality. One building already has electricity-generating windows.

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Submitted on November 25th 2017 by Bluesky2705 with 1 comments

An Ontario physicist is embarking on a NASA-funded expedition to Antarctica to collect meteorites, in hopes that the fallen space rocks will give researchers new insight into the outer reaches of the solar system. Scott VanBommel, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Guelph, is joining the annual Antarctic Search for Meteorites for a six-week excursion to the Transantarctic Mountains, about 350 km from the South Pole.

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Submitted on November 27th 2017 by hedman

SpaceX has raised nearly $500 million as part of the latest funding round valuing the company at $21.5 billion, according to Equidate.

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Submitted on November 28th 2017 by drunkenninja

More than six years after a tsunami overwhelmed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan has yet to reach consensus on what to do with a million tons of radioactive water, stored on site in around 900 large and densely packed tanks that could spill should another major earthquake or tsunami strike.

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Submitted on November 25th 2017 by AdelleChattre

In postwar Japan, a single-minded focus on rapid economic growth helped erode family ties. Now, a generation of elderly Japanese are dying alone.

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Submitted on December 1st 2017 by geoleo