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Battlefield medics frequently only have a brief window of opportunity to treat an injury before it's fatal or causes permanent disabilities, and it's frequently so fleeting that there's not much they can do. DARPA is exploring an unusual solution to that problem: slow the biological processes to give medics more room to breathe. Its new Biostasis research program aims to bring cell activity to a near halt by using biochemicals that control energetics at the protein level. If animals like tardigrades and wood frogs can stabilize their cells to survive freezing and dehydration, similar techniques might offer more time to medics who want to treat wounds before a victim's vital systems break down. DARPA knows this won't be easy. The trick is to slow down every cellular process at roughly the same rate -- you can't just pause a few while others run at full speed. You'd also have to minimize any damage when the cells return to their normal function. The Bio...

When Microsoft killed its Band wearables , a leak emerged of what was believed to be the cancelled third-generation model. Well, it's real -- and it says a lot about what Microsoft was thinking before it pulled the plug. Windows Central has obtained a Band 3 prototype and given it a shakedown to see how well it would have worked. True to the rumors, the biggest deals were the additions of waterproofing, swim tracking and (most importantly) an electrocardiogram sensor to track your blood pressure. We now know that the Band 3 could tell if you were stressed out, check your body temperature or otherwise track your health beyond fundamentals like heart rate and calorie burn. This was also going to address some of the Band 2's design issues. The Band 3's clasp was much thinner, so you'd have an easier time slipping it under a shirt cuff. It appeared to be sturdier, too. And charging was considerably faster -- you'd have a full charge in an hour instead of the 1.5 ...

The Trump administration has been eager to prop up the US coal industry despite evidence that it's in a steep decline . But did it have much of an effect? Not really. Reuters has obtained preliminary Mining Health and Safety Administration data showing that there was negligible job growth in coal mining during 2017. The field added a total of 771 jobs, reaching 54,819 -- a figure still near historic lows. There was growth in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, but that was largely offset by mine closures in several states, including Ohio (414 jobs lost) and Texas (455). The picture isn't much brighter for 2018. Pennsylvania, for instance, is poised to see an overall loss in coal jobs now that Dana Mining has planned to close a mine that employs roughly 400. The job losses are unfortunate, but expected. While renewables are growing quickly, it's mainly natural gas driving the shift -- while it's not as clean as solar or wind, it's cheaper than coal and s...