Number 252
Astronomers Just Discovered an Unusual Object Pulsing Radio Waves in Space for Decades
Experts say object is a match for predicted class of neutron star with ultra-powerful magnetic field.
Your questions about Meta and other social media giants blocking news in Canada, explained
Social media companies say move is necessary to comply with Online News Act.
Dementia Risk Linked To Blood-Protein Imbalance in Middle Age
Abnormal levels of certain proteins — many of which have roles outside the brain — could be an early hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease or similar conditions.
== yjc
Working on the Edge: A Reading List About Extreme Jobs
A livelihood is not a life—yet many risk the latter in order to create the former.
What cats’ love of boxes and squares can tell us about their visual perception
“Vision has evolved to answer questions having to do with boundaries and contours.”
Two-Faced Star With Helium and Hydrogen Sides Baffles Astronomers
White dwarf nicknamed Janus could be in transition from one element dominating at its surface to the other.
Hearing Aids May Cut Risk of Cognitive Decline By Nearly Half
A large study showed that older adults with a higher risk of dementia may be able to reduce their risk of cognitive decline by almost 50 percent by using hearing aids.
High-profile A.I. chatbot ChatGPT performed worse on certain tasks in June than its March version, a Stanford University study found.
The Best IMAX Movies Still Need a Palm Pilot To Work
Oppenheimer is 600 pounds of 70mm IMAX film, and it wouldn’t work so well on-screen if it weren’t for a 21-year-old PDA.
Endangered seahorses find a home in underwater hotels
Frames of biodegradable metal are being installed underwater off Australia’s east coast to provide a home for the endangered White’s Seahorses.
== British perspective, but expect applicable in most of the developed world
Eating less meat ’like taking 8m cars off road’
Having big UK meat-eaters cut some of it out of their diet would be like taking 8 million cars off the road.
== a bit of a repeat, but…
Orca mothers keep 5-tonne sons out of trouble
Older, ‘post-menopausal’ orca mothers protect their adult sons from fights, according to new research.
Two planets appear to share the same orbit around a star
‘They are allowed to exist by theory, but no one has ever detected them.’
Can a heat pump beat the heat and wildfire smoke at home?
Your questions about how to keep your home cool and smoke-free, answered
Researchers Discover That ChatGPT Prefers Repeating 25 Jokes Over and Over
When tested, “Over 90% of 1,008 generated jokes were the same 25 jokes.”
Gem Hunters Found the Lithium America Needs. Maine Won’t Let Them Dig It Up
The lithium deposit in Newry would feed the demand for the mineral used in batteries and computer screens. But at what cost?
Researchers Produce ‘Green’ Hydrogen With Over 90% Efficiency
The hope is that in the future, TAU’s method could be commercially implemented to lower the cost of green hydrogen production and hence enable its use in more industries and agriculture.
Federal Ruling Approves Construction of North America’s Largest Lithium Mine
Several area tribes and environmental groups have tried to block or delay the Thacker Pass mine for more than two years.
‘Breakthrough’ geothermal tech produces 3.5 megawatts of carbon-free power
An enhanced geothermal system expands the range of sites able to be tapped for geothermal energy, and Fervo’s demo is the first time a company has shown it can be done on this kind of commercial scale.
WHO says intensifying heat waves signal urgent need for action on climate change.
== yjc
She’s been cooking a stew for 40 days — and it’s attracted hundreds of new friends
Annie Rauwerda says about 300 people have contributed to her stew so far
== yjc
Kitchen shrine serpents and more fascinating new Pompeii discoveries
A kitchen shrine adorned with serpents, a bakery, human skeletons, exquisite frescos, and yes, a picture of something that looks very much like pizza.
Canada’s looming power problem is massive but not insurmountable: report
Shifting to emissions-free electricity could require tripling the amount of power we make now, estimates show.
Fierce mammal and its dinosaur prey fossilized in volcanic eruption
Preserved animals provide rare direct glimpse into ancient interactions.
‘Scary situation’ in Alberta’s drought-stricken fields raises questions about farming’s future
Wheatland County, east of Calgary, among latest municipalities to declare disaster.
This family breeds millions of insects to help farmers choose predators over pesticides
Bugs are sold to greenhouses to manage other unwanted pests.
Vibrating Haptic Suits Give Deaf People a New Way To Feel Live Music
…developed a haptic suit with vibrating plates to enhance the live music experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
Startup will test self-flying aircraft in remote regions of Canada
Ribbit is using light passenger planes with the seats removed to transport cargo.
The US government wants to label secure IoT devices with a ‘Cyber Trust Mark’
It could label qualifying items like smart fridges, baby monitors, alarm systems, and routers.
Wix’s New Tool Can Create Entire Websites from Prompts
Wix is betting that today’s customers don’t particularly care to spend time customizing every aspect of their site’s appearance.
An email typo has reportedly sent millions of US military messages to Mali
Spelling error misdirected sensitive Pentagon messages to company running Mali’s TLD.
== yjc
Australia baffled as unidentified mystery object washes up on beach
Police have been baffled by a mysterious “unidentified” dome that washed up on a West Australian beach.
== fup
Isro: India space chief says no mystery over rocket debris on Australian beach
India’s space chief says a giant metal dome that washed up on an Australian beach was definitely part of a rocket - but may or may not be Indian.
B.C. farmers test game-changing cherries developed by federal lab
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been cross-breeding cherries resilient to climate change.
Scientists Have Found a Hot Spot on the Moon’s Far Side
Data from two Chinese orbiters helped a team of scientists explain why a patch of lunar terrain is so much warmer than the surrounding area.
I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.
A. J. Liebling