Oldest, Massive Black Hole Discovered With JWST Data. Confirms ‘Collapsed Gas Cloud’ Theory

Black hole is 13.2 billion years old and 10 times the size of Milky Way’s black hole.

Scientists Build Yeast With Artificial DNA

They’ve created synthetic versions of the 16 chromosomes in a yeast cell and successfully combined some of them in one cell.

Indonesia Floats Southeast Asia’s Biggest Solar Plant For 50,000 Homes

Covering an area of over 250 hectares (2.5 km2), the new plant also happens to be Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar plant.

NVIDIA may soon announce new AI chips for China to get around US export restrictions

The new chips were designed to be less powerful than the models sold in the US, according to sources.

== I have a friend scheduled to fly into Iceland next week, wonder if this will impact his flight
== airport is ~27 km from Grindavik by road, a lot less as a crow flies
Iceland volcano: Emergency declared over volcano Fagradalsfjall eruption concerns

Iceland has declared a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes raised fears of a volcanic eruption.

== lengthy
The Evolutionary Reasons We Are Drawn To Horror Movies and Haunted Houses

Scary play lets people—and other animals—rehearse coping skills for disturbing challenges in the real world.

== the only known specimen and they remove it from its home and nature?
New Kenyan volcano toad species reveals hidden evolution of African amphibians

A remarkable discovery in the high forests of Mount Kenya has unveiled a new species of toad.

Cyber Attack Forces World’s Biggest Bank to Trade via USB Stick

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd.’s U.S. unit had been hit by a cyberattack, rendering it unable to clear swathes of U.S. Treasury trades after entities responsible for settling the transactions swiftly disconnected from the stricken systems.

SpaceX Will Launch the Space Force’s Mysterious X-37B Space Plane On Falcon Heavy

The X-37B has previously launched atop the smaller Falcon 9 rocket.

== yjc
First-ever images prove ’lost echidna’ not extinct

Scientists have filmed an ancient egg-laying mammal named after Sir David Attenborough for the first time, proving it isn’t extinct as was feared.

== figured it went with the one above
Echidnas, snails and scary plants… species named after Sir David Attenborough

While the elusive egg-laying mammal may be rare, it is part of a long line of extraordinary species bearing the Attenborough name.

Number of Species at Risk of Extinction Doubles To 2 Million, Says Study

New research on insects – without which the planet would not survive – shows a higher proportion are at risk of disappearing

A neural network can map large icebergs 10,000 times faster than humans

The AI could help scientists better track how much meltwater is going into oceans.

== well maybe
You can now see these secret sketches by Michelangelo

Bargello Museums’ director says its like stepping back in time and seeing Michelangelo’s sketchbook.

Man receives 1st full eye transplant — ‘one step closer’ to restoring sight in future patients

Until now, doctors have only been able to transplant the cornea

Lightning fires threaten planet-cooling forests

Climate change could bring more lightning to forests in northern reaches of the globe, increasing the risk of wildfires, a new study shows.

== somewhat lengthy
Data Broker’s ‘Staggering’ Sale of Sensitive Info Exposed in Unsealed FTC Filing

Judge: Data broker’s motion to sanction FTC “long on hyperbole, short on facts.”

== lengthy
Untangling the genetics that underlie our facial features

After turning up hundreds of genes with hard-to-predict effects, some scientists are now probing the grander developmental processes that shape face geometry.

The sun is smaller than we thought it was

Measurements of sound waves passing through the sun seem to confirm that it isn’t as big as we thought and we don’t fully understand its interior.

The world’s largest aircraft breaks cover in Silicon Valley

Sergey Brin-backed airship startup LTA Research begins flight testing today.

North Greenland Ice Shelves Have Lost 35% of Their Volume In Last Half-Century, Study Finds

Scientists have long thought that the glaciers in North Greenland have been stable, however that does not appear to be the case.

Meet the B.C. beetles on a cross-country mission to save Nova Scotia’s hemlocks

3,600 beetles have been sent to N.S. to prey on hemlock-destroying invasive species

After Big Drop in ISP Competition, Canada Mandates Fiber-Network Sharing

Bell claims it will cut fiber spending by $1 billion in protest of CRTC ruling.

Will Chinese financing be the saviour of the Japanese video game industry?

Japan is seen as the home of games, but the sector is struggling – and China is poaching its talent. It’s a power shift that may change the gaming landscape for good.

Researcher says that a smartphone can now crack RSA-2048.

Court records and online research reveal how a highly professionalized industry uses malicious insiders at Walmart and fake shipping labels to get high-end items for practically free.

== not good news if true, though lots of skepticism
Scientist Claims Quantum RSA-2048 Encryption Cracking Breakthrough

Researcher says that a smartphone can now crack RSA-2048.

Euclid telescope: First images revealed from ‘dark Universe’ mission

Europe’s Euclid telescope is ready to begin its quest to understand the greatest mysteries in the Universe.

Anastrozole: Thousands to be offered drug in England

Tens of thousands of women in England could benefit from a drug that helps prevent breast cancer.

== the epitome of planned obsolescence?
These super shoes may help you win a race, but that comes with an environmental cost

The Adizer Adio Pro Evo 1 sneakers cost $650, and are only designed for a single marathon

OpenAI is Letting Anyone Create Their Own Version of ChatGPT

The GPT platform is a no-code way to make custom AI agents for all sorts of tasks, and it’s available exclusively for ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

== another article on the subject
OpenAI GPTs are customizable AI bots that anyone can create

Users don’t even need to know how to code to use OpenAI’s newest generative tool.

EPA To Push Ban of Toxic Chemical Found in Drinking Water

Agency had strong limits on TCE use until the Trump administration reversed them; now the agency wants to ban it.

Parkinson’s implant restores man’s ability to walk

A man with advanced Parkinson’s disease has been helped to walk again with a special implant that stimulates nerves in his spine.

Sphinx may have been built from a natural rock feature eroded by wind, study claims

It’s possible that wind erosion made a rock feature in ancient Egypt look something like a sphinx, and then the Egyptians further refined it into the iconic monument.

Scientists Think They’ve Found ‘Blobs’ From Planet that Collided with Earth to Form the Moon

Portions of the moon-forming impactor Theia survived throughout Earth’s history in the deep mantle, according to a new theory proposed in a study published in the journal Nature on November 1, 2023.

== paywall, I could only read part of the article
Some vitamins and minerals simply work better when eaten together

When specific nutrients are used together in a meal, they can boost the nervous system, improve cardio health, and improve the immune response, to name a few benefits.

== have seen a number of articles on sodium batteries
Will Sodium Batteries Become an Alternative To Lithium?

Unlike lithium, sodium is cheap and abundant

== jicai (just in case anyone interested), lengthy
Bill Gates Urges ‘Impatient Optimism’ on Climate Change Innovations

In London, he talked about two of the issues he’s most passionate about—and why they both demand urgent action.

Spacecraft Metals Left In the Wake of Humanity’s Path To the Stars

…discovered significant amounts of metals in aerosols in the atmosphere, likely from increasingly frequent launches and returns of spacecraft and satellites.

== we had a past article on the previous record
A SpaceX ‘Falcon 9’ Booster Rocket Has Launched 18 Times Successfully, a New Record

SpaceX didn’t stop at 10 or 15 flights per booster, and probably won’t stop at 20.

Researchers Found an Abundance of Helium In Canada’s Baffin Island

Researchers found a surprising abundance of a rare gas trapped in the rocks of Canada’s far north, and it could represent a new way to study the core of our planet.

== yjc, almost sent something on this ewe last time, but now it’s been ‘saved’
Resc-ewed: Britain’s loneliest sheep saved from shoreline

A ewe that was dubbed Britain’s loneliest sheep has been rescued from a remote shore in the Scottish Highlands.