A virus has been found on the computers that drone pilots use at Creech AFB, NV. (CNET News)

Over the last year US corn use has finally tipped towards biofuels. About 20% are now used for direct human consumption, with the remaining 80% being almost evenly split between livestock feed and fuel. Biofuels are now getting 50 million bushels a year more than livestock. (Scientific American)

Robotics are beginning to assist surgeons in operations where they’re hands just might not be stable enough. While it’s not as cool as replacing a heart, watch this surgical robot peel a grape:

(New Scientist)

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a tool that rapidly multiples DNA so as to allow for Nucleotide Acid Testing (NAT) for the identification of diseases. This is used both for diagnostic testing and screening blood and plasma. One benefit of this type of testing is that it can detect viruses before the body even has a chance to produce antibodies since it looks for the the actual DNA or RNA of the virus. The downside of PCR is that the process is quite slow, at least with pooled samples with a lab I’m familiar with it takes about two days and that’s just to see if the pool is reactive. A new technique allows for a billion-fold amplification in less than three minutes, which would revolutionize this already revolutionary testing. (Scientific American)

The X-37 spaceplane has already completed one eight month space flight and a second has been in orbit since April. The current model is only 9 meters long with the next planned to be 14.3 meters to allow for carrying more cargo to the ISS. Boeing is now thinking about expanding even further to allow for a crew compartment that can carry up to six astronauts. (New Scientist)

As technology advances it’s a good idea to review old data using the latest software. That’s what some astronomers did and they found two previously undetected extra solar planets from a 1998 Hubble image. Just don’t tell congress or they might put a hold on new data collection to save money. (International Business Times)

Evolution works, but sometimes the end result isn’t all that optimal. Richard Dawkins demonstrates the horribly ridiculous laryngeal nerve in it’s most extreme example, the giraffe:

Richard Dawkins Demonstrates Laryngeal Nerve of… by blindwatcher
(Via Pharyngula)