Today on New Scientist: 14 January 2013

Activist's death sparks open-access tribute on Twitter Hundreds of researchers have been offering free access to their work in tribute to internet freedom activist Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide on Friday Exploding microchip could make arms dumps safer Shrapnel and bullets can set off huge explosions if they hit weapons stores. But microchip-based detonators could help keep them safeThe...

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Tilted jack-up rig in Jurong Shipyard restored

SINGAPORE: Jurong Shipyard has restored and floated the jack-up rig that tilted in 2012 to its original upright position.Eighty-nine workers were injured in the incident at the shipyard on 3 December.Sembcorp Marine said on Tuesday that with the rig now back to its upright position, Jurong Shipyard and the authorities will focus on investigations into what caused it to tilt.Repairs and...

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Clarence Thomas ends seven-year silence

By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producerupdated 8:17 PM EST, Mon January 14, 2013Clarence ThomasJohn G. RobertsAntonin ScaliaAnthony M. KennedyRuth Bader GinsburgStephen G. BreyerSamuel A. Alito Jr.Sonia SotomayorElena KaganSTORY HIGHLIGHTSClarence Thomas known for remaining quiet during oral argumentsOn Monday, he joked about lawyers educated at Yale, his alma materCurrent Supreme Court known as...

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Hillary Clinton to testify on Benghazi Jan. 23

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will testify Jan. 23 before the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the deadly Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. mission in Libya. That's the word from Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the panel. He said in a statement late Monday that Clinton will answer questions about the raid that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi. Clinton...

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Armstrong Admits Doping in Tour, Sources Say

Lance Armstrong today admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, sources told ABC News.A goverment source tells ABC News that Armstrong is now talking with authorities about paying back some of the US Postal Service money from sponsoring his team. He is also talking to authorities about confessing and naming names, giving up...

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Benefits of emissions cuts kick in only next century

Are we the altruistic generation? Do we care what happens to our grandchildren, and to their children? Or are we with Groucho Marx when he said: "Why should I care about future generations? What have they ever done for me?" A new study of climate...

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"Homeland", "Girls" big TV winners at Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES: The terrorism-themed thriller "Homeland" and the quirky Brooklyn hipster comedy "Girls" took top television honours Sunday at the 70th annual Golden Globe awards."Homeland", which wrapped its second season on the Showtime cable channel last month, won for best dramatic series, and took home best actress and best actor honours for its two stars, Claire Danes and Britain's Damian...

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Fleischer: Hagel is wrong about Israel

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel was nominated by President Obama for defense secretary.STORY HIGHLIGHTSIn 2006, Hagel said 'the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here'Ari Fleischer: The support for Israel isn't because of 'intimidation,' but meritPolls show most Americans view Israel favorably, but don't support Iran or PalestiniansFleischer: Israel is a steady friend of the U.S. and a tolerant...

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"Argo," "Les Miserables" win best-picture Globes

Updated 11:28 p.m. ET"Argo" was the best drama winner at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards, beating out the Civil War epic "Lincoln," which had emerged as an awards-season favorite.The Iran hostage thriller also claimed the directing prize for Ben Affleck, a prize that normally bodes well for an Academy Award win -- except he missed out on an Oscar nomination this time.Affleck is now in an unusual position...

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'Argo' Wins the Golden Globe for Best Movie Drama

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: The women of the night. Credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBC/AP Photo.11:06 p.m. ET: And finally, the Globes by the numbers: “Les Miserables” was the top winner, with three major trophies, followed by “Argo” and “Django Unchained, which each got two. On the TV side, “The Game Change” and “Homeland” scored three major awards, “Girls” got two.11:00 p.m. ET: Fey and Poehler...

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