Number 291
== yjc, once thought about trying to code Elo to do club squash rankings
A Chess Formula Is Taking Over the World
What’s your Elo rating?
Revitalizing oyster farms and wild oyster reefs could undo decades of environmental destruction on our coasts.
Devices Infected With Data-Stealing Malware Increased by 7 Times Since 2020
Nearly 10 million devices were infected with data-stealing malware in 2023, with criminals stealing an average of 50.9 credentials per device.
West Africa’s deadly heat wave driven by climate change, scientists say
‘A 5-day heat wave of this intensity would not have been possible,’ climate researcher says.
WHO experts now agree diseases like COVID spread through the air
First step to better prevent transmission for diseases like measles and future pandemic threats, agency says
Water extraction and weight of buildings see half of China’s cities sink
Nearly half of China’s major cities are sinking because of water extraction and the increasing weight of their rapid expansion, researchers say.
Boston Dynamics unveils an all-electric version of its Atlas robot
A brief video shows off the bipedal machine’s dexterity and agility.
US Air Force Confirms First Successful AI Dogfight
An autonomously controlled aircraft faced off against a human pilot in a test last year.
AI Computing Is on Pace To Consume More Energy Than India, Arm Says
AI’s voracious need for computing power is threatening to overwhelm energy sources.
Average World Incomes To Drop By Nearly a Fifth By 2050, Study Says
Cost of environmental damage will be six times higher than price of limiting global heating to 2C, study finds.
How cloud seeding can make it rain or prevent extreme weather
Technology can make water vapour in clouds stick together into droplets of rain or snow.
A ’new’ star will light up the sky soon and you can see it for yourself
Recurrent nova last brightened in 1946 and has a recurring cycle of roughly 80 years
Enormous ancient sea reptile identified from amateur fossil find
Scientists have identified what was probably the largest marine reptile ever to swim in the seas - a creature longer than two, nose-to-nose buses.
This hopping robot with flailing legs could explore asteroids in the future
Students from ETH Zurich recently took SpaceHopper on a parabolic test flight.
ESA’s Gaia mission discovers the biggest stellar black hole in our galaxy yet
It’s 33 times the size of our sun and ‘only’ 1,926 light-years away.
New mpox lineage found in DRC could help fuel another global outbreak, study warns
Study finds distinct form of virus features mutations that are hallmark of efficient human transmission.
NASA pauses Mars sample return plan until a cheaper, faster one can be developed
Current plan ballooned to a cost of $11B US, with a return decades away
Many coral reefs are dying. This one is exploding with life.
Scientists have declared a mass global bleaching event. But some reefs are still hanging on — and even thriving.
California Exceeds 100% of Energy Demand With Renewables Over a Record 30 Days
In a major clean energy benchmark, wind, solar, and hydro exceeded 100% of demand on California’s main grid for 30 of the past 38 days.
== yjc, when on my uncle’s farm, Pincher Creek was a regular visit (shopping and such)
== also as in the southern US expect this is going to become a bigger problem world-wide
== and that a solution in many cases will not exist
‘A race against time’: Alberta community chasing solutions after months of hauling water
Clock ticking as M.D. of Pincher Creek needs to complete project before spring runoff
Song Lyrics Have Become Simpler and More Repetitive Over the Last Five Decades
We investigate the dynamics of English lyrics of Western, popular music over five decades and five genres.
The surprising connection between oral health and general wellness
Bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause problems in other parts of the body, says dentist Amanda Morel
Mini rope bridges built in Forest of Dean to help dormice
Mini rope bridges have been installed in one of England’s ancient forests to help hazel dormice travel safely between treetops.
Coral bleaching: Fourth global mass stress episode underway - US scientists
Coral around the world is turning white and even dying as recent record ocean heat takes a devastating toll.
‘Otherworldly’ plant blooms for first time in decade
Alberto Trinco, a senior glasshouse horticulturist, said he would have to attempt hand pollination as in the wild the plant would rely on hummingbirds.
Emissions Dropped 1.8% Every Year in California’s Bay Area. Researchers Credit EVs
A network of sensors in the San Francisco Bay Area logged decreases in carbon emissions due to the use of electric vehicles.
== always been a bit fascinated with Stonehenge
Stonehenge research explores possible Moon connection
Academics will document the Moon and the stones during a major lunar standstill.
Every year, tuberculosis kills over a million people. Can a new vaccine turn the tide?
For the last 100 years, we’ve only had one TB vaccine — and it leaves a lot to be desired.
== more on the subject
Will the US-China Competition to Field Military Drone Swarms Spark a Global Arms Race?
Military analysts, drone makers and AI researchers don’t expect fully capable, combat-ready swarms to be fielded for five years or so, though big breakthroughs could happen sooner.
AI Could Explain Why We’re Not Meeting Any Aliens, Wild Study Proposes
A new paper in Acta Astronautica explores the idea that Artificial Intelligence becomes Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) and that ASI is the Great Filter.
Fusion Experiment Demonstrates Cheaper Stellerator Using Creative Magnet Workaround
Developed over 70 years ago, the stellarator has long been ignored in favor of options like tokamak reactors. It might be time for its ‘quasiaxisymmetry’ to shine.
Could a New Charge Double the Service-life of Li-Ion Batteries?
Charging with a high-frequency pulsed current reduces ageing effects, an international team demonstrated
Will America’s Next Soldiers Be Machines?
In future wars, U.S. generals want to send robots to face the enemy’s first bullets.
Cloud Brightening Research Begins in California
UW studies a drastic way to cool a warming planet.
ESA Prepares To Create Solar Eclipses To Study the Sun
The two satellites making up ESA’s Proba-3 mission will fly in precise formation to form an external coronagraph in space, one satellite eclipsing the Sun to allow the second to study the otherwise invisible solar corona.
== yjc, mostly because everyone is saying how bad cows are for the environment
Cattle are boosting the soil on this P.E.I. farm — and fighting climate change
Freetown, P.E.I., farmer wins national scholarship to study benefits of grazing livestock on crop land
Going to California with an aching in my heart
Someone told me there's a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair