Number 278
Ultra-Large Structure Discovered In Distant Space Challenges Cosmological Principle
Discovery of a second ultra-large structure in distant space further challenges what we understand about the universe.
Revolutionary ‘LEGO-Like’ Photonic Chip Paves Way For Semiconductor Breakthroughs
Integrating photons into electronic chips enhances bandwidth and improves filter control.
Water Ice Buried At Mars’ Equator Is Over 2 Miles Thick
The Mars Express orbiter has detected enough water ice buried beneath the Red Planet’s equator to cover the entire planet in a shallow ocean if melted.
Take a look at the full asteroid Bennu sample in all its glory
NASA shared an image of what’s inside the TAGSAM after finally getting the lid off last week.
Researchers Claim First Functioning Graphene-Based Chip
The semiconductor bests silicon alternatives for electron mobility.
== yjc, rather lengthy for the topic in my opinion
Why Every Coffee Shop Looks the Same
From the generic hipster cafe to the ‘Instagram wall’, the internet has pushed us towards a kind of global ubiquity – and this phenomenon is only going to intensify
30TB Hard Drives Are Nearly Here
Seagate plans to ship HAMR HDDs for cloud customers in Q1 2024.
== paywall?? and lengthy
Crime Rings Are Trafficking in an Unlikely Treasure: Sand
Organized crime is mining sand from rivers and coasts to feed demand worldwide, ruining ecosystems and communities. Can it be stopped?
== paywall ?? and lengthy, but again I think a good read
How Much of the World Is It Possible to Model?
Mathematical models power our civilization—but they have limits.
Japan lands uncrewed spacecraft on the moon, but with complications
The SLIM probe touched down successfully on the moon today (Jan. 19), but its solar panels aren’t generating electricity as planned.
== yjc
‘Where Have All the Websites Gone?’
“It feels like there are no websites anymore. There used to be so many websites you could go on. Where did all the websites go?”
Physicists Design a Way to Detect Quantum Behavior in Large Objects, Like Us
The general consensus is that quantum physics applies at every scale, but as objects grow in mass and complexity, their quantumness become harder to observe.
Each Facebook User is Monitored by Thousands of Companies
A new study looks at who is sending information about your online activity to Facebook.
Greenland’s Ice Sheet Melting Faster Than Scientists Previously Estimated, Study Finds
Total is 20% higher than thought and may have implications for collapse of globally important north Atlantic ocean currents
== yjc
80 Years Later, GCHQ Releases New Images of Nazi Code-Breaking Computer
GCHQ unveils new docs on Colossus, a 1943 marvel that let allies “read Hitler’s mind.”
DragonFire laser: MoD tests weapon as low-cost alternative to missiles
The UK has successfully fired a high-power laser weapon against an aerial target for the first time in a trial.
Milky Way: Manchester astronomers find mysterious object
A new object in the Milky Way that is heavier than the heaviest neutron stars known to scientists, and yet lighter than the lightest known black holes, has been found by astronomers
== seen similar article before
Astronomers spotted something perplexing near the beginning of time
Monsters lurk in the background of James Webb Space Telescope images. Scientists are scrambling to make sense of them.
A Flaw In Millions of Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm GPUs Could Expose AI Data
Patching every device affected by the LeftoverLocals vulnerability—which includes some iPhones, iPads, and Macs—may prove difficult.
Have I Been Pwned Adds 71 Million Emails From Naz.API Stolen Account List
The Naz.API dataset is a massive collection of 1 billion credentials compiled using credential stuffing lists and data stolen by information-stealing malware.
Mobile Device Ambient Light Sensors Can Be Used To Spy On Users
A tricky hack demonstrates that even seemingly innocuous components can pose risks
== paywall ??
Google DeepMind’s New AI System Can Solve Complex Geometry Problems
Its performance matches the smartest high school mathematicians and is much stronger than the previous state-of-the-art system.
Scientists extract the sharpest image of a black hole yet
The brightest spot in the outer disc shifted to the right, showing off the object’s chaotic nature.
When it comes to climate change, we should be paying more attention to our oceans
Oceans absorb 90% of Earth’s excess heat. That will have long-term consequences.
== yjc
Famous xkcd comic becomes reality with AI bird-identifying binoculars
Swarovski AX Visio, billed as first “smart binoculars,” names species and tracks location.
== worth a thoughtful read I think
Human ‘Behavioral Crisis’ At Root of Climate Breakdown, Say Scientists
New paper claims unless demand for resources is reduced, many other innovations are just a sticking plaster.
Exciting new cancer drug kinder than chemotherapy
Some children with cancer are receiving a new type of drug treatment far less toxic than chemotherapy.
== yjc, in my view a rather sad story, paywall?
Ken Fritz Built a $1 Million Stereo. The Real Cost Was Unfathomable.
Ken Fritz turned his home into an audiophile’s dream — the world’s greatest hi-fi. What would it mean in the end?
Cloned rhesus monkey created to speed medical research
Chinese researchers have cloned the first rhesus monkey, a species which is widely used in medical research because its physiology is similar to humans.
== rather cool
Ants make their own ant-ibiotic for infected wounds
Ants have a gland that makes an antibiotic, and use it in response to pheromones.
Incredible Footage Of A Deep-Sea Squid Brooding Thousands Of Eggs
Special hooks inside her arms help this squid mother transport her eggs.
Why scientists say Canada’s logging industry produces far more emissions than tallied
New study suggests federal government underreports greenhouse gases from forestry sector.
== jyc
A23a: Spectacular arches, caves as monster iceberg decays
Erosion is sculpting dramatic features into the world’s biggest iceberg in what’s likely to be the final months of its existence.
Urban Youth Most Isolated in Largest Cities
The isolation of young people is exacerbated in larger cities, and for those living in poverty.
What Do Dreams Look Like Across Cultures?
Research that explores the evolution of dreaming reveals what our dreams have in common, and what purpose they might serve.
== yjc
The stunning deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2023
What swims in the dark?
Anthropic researchers find that AI models can be trained to deceive
Most humans learn the skill of deceiving other humans. So can AI models learn the same? Yes, the answer seems – and terrifyingly, they’re exceptionally good at it.
Can Pumping CO2 Into California’s Oil Fields Help Stop Global Warming?
The EPA is considering approval of a plan to store planet-warming carbon dioxide in wells underground.
Scientists Film Genetically-Altered Plants ‘Talking’ to Neighboring Plants With Biochemicals
Plants exude a fine mist of airborne compounds that they use to communicate and protect themselves.
== yjc
Star Trek: The Deep Space Nine episode that predicted a US crisis
In the 1990s the Star Trek series Deep Space Nine predicted a dystopian vision of 2024 homelessness that has parallels with reality.
== UK perspective but expect it applies everywhere, sure does around here
Pothole reports hit a five-year high in 2023
Potholes caused misery in 2023 on a scale not seen in years, but scientists hope technology like self-healing roads will help rid us of them for good.
Seeing Blue At Night May Not Be What’s Keeping You Up After All
We already know that a precise range of wavelengths within daylight triggers a light-sensitive photoreceptor in the back of your eye, causing the body’s internal clock to reset.
Chinese Company Announces Mass Production of Small Nuclear Battery With 50-Year Lifespan
The design uses China’s first diamond semiconductor material.
Post-Quantum Encryption Algorithm KyberSlash Patched After Side-Channel Attack Discovered
Multiple implementations of the Kyber key encapsulation mechanism for quantum-safe encryption, are vulnerable to a set of flaws collectively referred to as KyberSlash, which could allow the recovery of secret keys.
Is your New Year’s resolution to hit up the gym? Read this first.
== of course, not everyone agrees
New Paper on ‘MOND’ Argues That Gravity Changes At Very Low Accelerations
Study of wide binary stars reveals new evidence for modified gravity at low acceleration.
== will the North American public even read this kind of news item or the study report
Wind Turbines Are Friendlier To Birds Than Oil-and-Gas Drilling, Study Finds
A new analysis suggests that wind turbines have little impact on bird populations, and that oil-and-gas extraction may be worse.
== we hope, Canada needs to do the same
America Cracks Down on Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Facilities
U.S. takes another big step on climate ‘super-pollutant’.
NASA Finally Unlocks Stuck Fasteners on Asteroid Sample Capsule
The asteroid samples aboard NASA’s OSIRIS-REx landed in September, but 2 stuck fasteners kept them locked tight.
I feel the ice in my head
Running its hands through my bed
Not even dreaming, I seem to be dead
Colours of yellow and colours of red