== an opinion piece, but, in spite of the possibly biased source,
== likely approaching the truth of the matter. Lengthy.
Will ‘Precision Agriculture’ Be Harmful to Farmers?

The push to embrace precision agriculture is transforming food production in the U.S. It’s also turning farmers into software-bound tenants of OEMs, warns Kevin Kenney. But is anyone listening?

Scientists Discover Water On Surface of an Asteroid

Scientists made the discovery using data gathered by NASA’s now-retired SOFIA airborne observatory.

‘Zombie Fires’ burning at an alarming rate in Canada

Even in the dead of Canada’s winter, the embers of last year’s record-setting wildfire season remain. So-called zombie fires are burning under thick layers of snow at an unprecedented rate, raising fears about what the coming summer may bring.

From fashion to burials: How fungi can help fight climate change

Fungi are among the oldest organisms on the planet and do much more than feed us.

== this is truly sad
Millions of donkeys killed each year to make traditional medicine

To sell water and make his living, Steve relied completely on his donkeys. They pulled him in his cart loaded with its 20 jerry cans to all his customers. When Steve’s donkeys were stolen for their skins, he could no longer work.

Largest Text-To-Speech AI Model Yet Shows ‘Emergent Abilities’

At 980 million parameters, BASE-large appears to be the biggest model in this category.

Their children were shot, so they used AI to recreate their voices and call lawmakers

“This is a United States problem and we have not been able to fix it. If we need to use creepy stuff to fix it, welcome to the creepy.”

Lunar lander launched, separated successfully in latest U.S. moon attempt

Plans currently call for Odysseus, the lander, to reach the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22.

US Patent Office Confirms AI Can’t Hold Patents

But ‘the use of an AI system by a natural person does not preclude a natural person from qualifying as an inventor.’

== as article points out, much more common in Europe
Imagine a furnace that heats the whole neighbourhood, not just your home

District heating and cooling networks are getting to be a hot climate-friendly trend

Scientists grow ‘meaty’ rice hybrid food for protein kick

Scientists have created a new type of hybrid food - a “meaty” rice that they say could offer an affordable and eco-friendly source of protein.

Google joins mission to map methane from space

Tech giant Google is backing a satellite project due to launch in March which will collect data about methane levels around the world.

== yjc, I remember that performance, found this somewhat interesting
How Torvill and Dean chose heart over head and changed a sport

Stepping off the early-morning train from West Germany, Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill were unlikely-looking revolutionaries.

Estate Agents Embrace AI To Stage Rental Listings

Estate agents and landlords are trying to make crappy apartments look better. Does it work?

FTC chair Khan: Stop monopolies before they happen

Focus is on how dominant players expand and then use those markets “to further solidify their primary monopolies”

Sarah Silverman’s copyright infringement suit against OpenAI will advance in pared-down form

A group of authors, including Silverman, can still pursue their direct infringement claim against the company.

Polar bears face starvation threat as ice melts

The bears have many tactics to find food during ice-free times, but still risk starvation, scientists say.

Nvidia’s Chat With RTX is a AI Chatbot That Runs Locally On Your PC

All you need is an RTX 30- or 40-series GPU with at least 8GB of VRAM.

France Uncovers a Vast Russian Disinformation Campaign In Europe

“Portal Kombat” also targets Germany and Poland.

28-Ton, 1.2-Megawatt Tidal Kite Is Now Exporting Power To the Grid [Minesto’s Dragon series are anchored to the sea bed, and fly around like kites, treating the currents like wind.] == expect true pretty much everywhere
Climate Change Reversing Gains In Air Quality Across the US, Study Finds

An increase in large wildfires in the West, along with heat waves and drought, are already yielding a growing “climate penalty” to air quality, the new report finds.

== British perspective, possible repeat, but probably of interest to all of us
Early blood test to predict dementia is step closer as biological markers identified

Scientists have found patterns of four proteins that predict onset of dementia more than a decade before formal diagnosis.

== British perspective
Heart disease hits South Asians earlier and harder

Blood vessel repairs offer clue as to why.

== British perspective with global implications
‘Pirate of the seas’ great skua in big decline after bird flu

A powerful bird known as the pirate of the seas has declined dramatically because of avian flu, the RSPB says.

== paywall ?
Future space food could be made from astronaut breath

The future of space food could be as simple—and weird—as a protein shake made with astronaut breath or a burger made from fungus.

Migrating species crucial to planet under threat, says UN

The world’s most vulnerable migratory species face an increasing risk of extinction, a landmark UN report warns.

Computer Simulations of Atlantic Ocean Currents Finds Collapse Could Happen in Our Lifetime

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) effectively transports heat and salt through the global ocean (1) and strongly modulates regional and global climate.

Chernobyl’s mutant wolves appear to have developed resistance to cancer, study finds

The wolves are exposed to cancer-causing radiation as they roam the wastelands of the abandoned city - with researchers finding part of their genetic information seems resilient to increased risk of the disease.