China Restricts Exports of Graphite As It Escalates a Global Tech War

China has unveiled plans to restrict exports of graphite – a mineral crucial to the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) – on national security grounds.

== seen a bit on this before, the serotonin study I believe
New research offers clues to what causes long COVID — fuelling hope for eventual treatments

Different research teams have identified multiple hallmarks of the often-debilitating condition.

Why are whales throwing seaweed on their heads?

Whales enjoy throwing seaweed on their heads and holding it in their mouths as makeshift toothbrushes, new research from Australia suggests.

== yjc, probably will need doing in other places worldwide sooner or later
Rescue mission for UK rainforests’ weird treasures

Conservationists are racing to protect rare flora and fauna clinging to survival in the UK’s last temperate rainforests.

New Nvidia AI Agent, Powered by GPT-4, Can Train Robots

…autonomously writes reward algorithms, has, for the first time, trained a robotic hand to perform rapid pen-spinning tricks…

== yjc, I have never eaten or cooked with a truly hot pepper
== a friend grows ghost peppers, only puts the thinnest slice possible in any meal
The World Has a New Hottest Pepper

Ed Currie has again brought the heat with Pepper X, besting his own world record

== simple?
A Simple Streetlight Hack Could Protect Astronomy From Urban Light Pollution

The spread of light pollution is so fast that it offsets improvements achieved through advances in telescope technology.

== yjc we live in B.C.
New early earthquake warnings could save lives and infrastructure in B.C., experts say

Ocean Networks Canada system will give heads-up to major infrastructure partners before shaking begins.

== in case anyone is looking at a PC upgrade to make their podcasts
== my current best cpu is: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X
== a child’s toy in comparison, purchased just before the covid pandemic
AMD’s Monstrous Threadripper 7000 CPUs Aim For Desktop PC Dominance

AMD’s Zen 4 architecture merges with Threadripper’s massive core counts to create perhaps the most powerful PC processor ever.

Amazon Tests Humanoid Robot in Warehouse Automation Push

Amazon debuts a Digit robot in its warehouses.

Scientists Surprised By Source of Largest Quake Detected on Mars

There are still faults that are active on Mars.

Bees can now get their hives renovated — and it could save their lives

ProtectaBEE won a silver medal from the World Beekeeping Awards last month

Scientists Propose Sweeping New Law of Nature, Expanding On Evolution

It holds that complex natural systems evolve to states of greater patterning, diversity and complexity.

== hard to tell from article if this already built or a new project
== how will it be fueled?
Blue Origin’s New Spacecraft Can Build Projects In Space

The Blue Ring spacecraft, set to launch sometime in 2025, functions as a maneuverable platform that can host, transport, and refuel other spacecraft.

== I have no idea what to say about this one.
Joseon Becomes First-ever Globally Recognized Cyber Nation-state

Joseon, eccentric decentralized project, is nonterritorial successor state to Korean empire of 14-19th centuries.

Mazda’s DMCA Takedown Kills a Hobbyist’s Smart Car API Tool

Financial risk too great for dev working “in my spare time to help others.”

Microsoft-affiliated Research Finds Flaws in GTP-4

Sometimes, following instructions too precisely can land you in hot water — if you’re a large language model, that is.

Baidu Says Its AI as Good as ChatGPT in Big Claim for China

Baidu’s founder Robin Li declared his company’s large language model has finally caught up with OpenAI’s advanced GPT-4.

Could MEMS be the next big leap in headphone technology?

The solid-state drivers are the latest technology to try and change the audio game.

Wearable sensors more accurately track Parkinson’s disease progression than traditional observation

A team of researchers from the University of Oxford has shown for the first time that it is possible to track the progression of Parkinson’s Disease accurately using specially trained machine learning algorithms to analyse data derived from sensor devices worn by patients.

== yjc, we plant numerous tomato plants each year
When Tomatoes Were Blamed For Witchcraft and Werewolves

People have feared tomatoes for 600 years.

Roundup Herbicide Ingredient Connected To Epidemic Levels of Chronic Kidney Disease

A study conducted by Duke University researchers suggests that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, may be a potential cause of the mysterious kidney disease CKDu that has affected rural communities in Sri Lanka and similar regions around the world

== I want one!
World’s First Off-Road Solar SUV Just Drove Across Morocco

The khaki-green SUV uses solar panels on its sloping roof to charge its electric battery, meaning it can drive long distances powered entirely by the sun.

== you will need to continue past the intro to get to the meat of the article
The incredible power of blue LEDs

But not very long ago, blue LEDs powerful enough to illuminate such a large stadium - the third-largest in the world - would have seemed outrageously advanced.

Scotland’s biggest offshore wind farm at full power

Scotland’s biggest offshore wind farm has begun operating at full capacity, removing emissions from power supply.

Have Economists Contributed to Inequality?

In his new book, Angus Deaton discusses why he believes American society is in a darker place than it was 40 years ago. And why there’s still hope.

California Begins World’s Largest Dam Removal/River Restoration Projects

Time was, removing a dam in the West was unheard of. Dams were built to store water, generate electricity, manage the use of rivers for growers.

Alternate article

Long-Dormant Viruses Are Now Waking Up After 50,000 Years as Planet Warms

…we realize there might be some danger coming from the north as the permafrost thaws and frees microbes, bacteria and viruses.

== yjc
Dropbox CEO Defends 90% Remote-Work Model, Says ‘Future of Work’ is Here

…you have to let go of control when managing a remote workforce.

== guess I am going to have learn how to do this
OK, So ChatGPT Just Debugged My Code. For Real

Not only can ChatGPT write code, it can read code. On the one hand, that’s very helpful. On the other hand, that’s truly terrifying.

Climate-Driven Heat Extremes May Make Earth to Hot for Billions of Humans

Humans can only withstand certain combinations of heat and humidity before their bodies begin to experience heat-related health problems, such as heat stroke or heart attack.

== don’t use either language, but…
C# Challenges Java in Programming Language Popularity

The gap between C# and Java never has been so small.

Is Glass the Future of Storage?

Project Silica’s coaster-size glass plates can store data for thousands of years, creating sustainable storage for the world.

== I wish him success
Australian Student Invents Affordable Electric Car Conversion Kit

…the kit is meant to provide a cheaper, easier alternative to current electric car conversion services…

== lengthy
Startup Aims to Build Hundreds of Chip Factories with Prefab Parts and AI

The global quest for semiconductors is dominated by giant, costly factories. With Cubefabs, Peter Thiel-backed Nanotronics is pushing a smaller, more DIY approach.

Chinese Scientists Claim Record-Smashing Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Researchers say that despite the advance, there is still a long way to go before the technology replaces classical computers