NASA unveils the revolutionary X-59 Quesst

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.

MIT experts develop AI models that can detect pancreatic cancer early

Two machine learning models dubbed the “PRISM” neural network were created using five million patient health records.

What counts as plagiarism? Harvard president’s resignation sparks debate

Allegations against Claudine Gay have left researchers arguing over academic standards and practices.

Could a byproduct of green hydrogen breathe life into Gulf of St. Lawrence dead zone?

Low oxygen levels in deep water are now a permanent feature in parts of the Gulf.

== more humour than science
What is Going on With ChatGPT?

Over the last month or so, there’s been an uptick in people complaining that the chatbot has become lazy. What’s behind this trend?

== guess they are not as good for some locations as for others
Beaver ponds may exacerbate warming in Arctic, scientists say

Rising temperatures have spurred an influx of beavers to Alaska and northern Canada ‘on a huge scale’.

== yjc, have often thought about installing a solar backup system
It’s a great time to buy a solar generator

CES 2024 has shown the old objections no longer apply.

Huge ancient city found in the Amazon

A huge ancient city has been found in the Amazon, hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation.

Our fingerprints may not be unique, claims AI

There is a belief that each fingerprint on one person’s hand is completely unique but that is now being challenged by research from Columbia University.

NASA Selects Bold Proposal to “Swarm” Proxima Centauri with Tiny Probes

In order to reach places like Alpha Centauri this century, we’ll need to utilize gram-scale spacecraft that rely on directed-energy propulsion.

A Huge Battery Has Replaced Hawaii’s Last Coal Plant

The pioneering project is a leading example of how to shift crucial grid functions from fossil-fueled plants to clean energy.

NHS whole-gene screening helps tailor cancer care

Analysing the entire genetic code of cancer patients can help deliver treatments that work better for the individual, experts have found.

Kew Gardens names mysterious plants and fungi new to science

From an underground “forest” to spectacular orchids, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, discovered 74 new plants and 15 fungi last year.

Hubble Finds Weird Home of Farthest Fast Radio Burst

Hubble’s sensitivity and sharpness reveals a compact group of multiple galaxies that may be in the process of merging.

Linux Devices Are Under Attack By a Never-Before-Seen Worm

Based on Mirai malware, self-replicating NoaBot installs cryptomining app on infected devices.

== expect it applies to all of us of European descent
Scientists crack mystery of how MS gene spread

Why are diseases more common in some parts of Europe than others, and why are northern Europeans taller than their southern counterparts?

DeepMind Spin-off Aims To Halve Drug Discovery Times Following Big Pharma Deals

The head of Google DeepMind believes its drug discovery spinout will halve the time taken to find new medicines.

== opinion piece
Piracy Is Surging Again Because Streaming Execs Ignored The Lessons Of The Past,

Actor and director Werner Herzog may have best expressed this attitude. “Piracy has been the most successful form of distribution worldwide.”

New ‘MindEar’ App Can Reduce Debilitating Impact of Tinnitus, Say Researchers

MindEar delivers CBT through chatbot along with sound therapy allowing brain to learn to tune out condition.

Squad Mobility’s tiny solar-powered EV is a dream for crowded cities

It’s beefier than a golf cart, but not by much.

== I am really not impressed with HP’s approach/attitude, hope suits are successful
HP Built Printer Ink Monopoly With Forced Dynamic Security Updates, Lawsuit Says

Suit seeks injunction blocking HP from bricking printers using third-party ink.

Microsoft’s New Battery is a Test of AI-Infused Scientific Discovery

Working with a national lab, the software giant used AI to tackle the flaws of today’s lithium batteries—and pave a new path for scientific discovery.

== another article on the subject, with a slightly different perspective
New material found by AI could reduce lithium use in batteries

A brand new substance, which could reduce lithium use in batteries, has been discovered using artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing.

== paywall?
Scientists Discover 100 To 1000 Times More Plastics In Bottled Water

A new study finds that ‘nanoplastics’ are even more common than microplastics in bottled water.

2023 was the hottest year on record — by a long shot

2023 ‘surprised all climate scientists,’ says deputy director of EU’s climate agency.

== yjc, we drink a lot of coffee, likely over 10 kg of beans a year, but just plain simple drip coffee< ‘Give the espresso a little swirl’: the very particular science of a good cup of coffee

Understanding the hard science of coffee can help elevate even the cheapest bean and most basic equipment into something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Cells Across the Body Talk to Each Other About Aging

Chemical signals released by mitochondria are somehow communicated to mitochondria in other tissues, with consequences for how rapidly organisms age.

Biden Administration To Unveil Contractor Rule Set To Upend Gig Economy

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will release a final rule as soon as this week that will make it more difficult for companies to treat workers as independent contractors…

ViXion01 glasses reduce eyestrain by doing the focusing for you

Yet another accidental fashion item from CES 2024.

== yjc, I was raised in southern Alberta
How a potential drought would affect highly-coveted water in Alberta’s south

‘We can’t just rely on hope,’ says professor emeritus at University of Lethbridge

== fup
Peregrine spacecraft experiences ‘anomaly’ that could threaten moon landing

This follows a successful launch by the Vulcan Centaur rocket.

== opinion piece
How AI-Generated Content Could Fuel a Migration From Social Media to Independent ‘Authored’ Content

“There will be silver linings to The Great Robot Spam Flood of 2024.”

The Land is Steadily Sinking Up and Down America’s Atlantic Coast

It’s steadily sinking or subsiding, which is destabilizing levees, roads, and airports.

== yjc
New evidence discovered in D. B. Cooper skyjacking case

A microscopic metal fragment found on the tie of infamous plane hijacker D.B. Cooper could help reveal his true identity.

New study investigates threat of ‘watermelon snow’ to mountain glaciers

The colourful algae colonize thousands of North American snowfields each summer.

Lithium Extraction Gets Faster and Maybe Greener, Too

New technologies double production while reducing environmental damage

== yjc
Mouse filmed tidying up man’s shed every night

Despite being an avid wildlife photographer, retired postman Rodney Holbrook never expected to capture a Ratatouille-style scene unfolding in his own shed.

== opinion piece
Computing, You Have Blood on Your Hands!

He argues that the unintended consequences of the rise of social media and mobile computing include hate mongering on a global scale and a worldwide youth mental health crisis.

America’s First Large-Scale Offshore Wind Project Finally Begins Generating Electricity

Electricity from America’s first large-scale offshore wind project is officially flowing into Massachusetts and helping to power the New England grid.

Peregrine Mission 1 heralds the beginning of the moon’s commercialization

Astrobotic’s Peregrine could be the first ever private spacecraft to make a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Neptune Is Much Less Blue Than Depictions

Neptune is fondly known for being a rich blue and Uranus green – but a new study has revealed that the two ice giants are actually far closer in colour than typically thought.