Number 306
NASA’s Perseverance rover found a rock on Mars that could indicate ancient life
But the rock still has to be sent back to Earth for extensive testing.
== yjc, always a good thing to commune with nature
How a plant identification app helped me find happiness and satisfaction
I’m no expert, but knowing my neighborhood’s trees and flowers by name makes me feel grounded.
Chemist Explains the Chemistry Behind Decaf Coffee
Retaining flavor while removing caffeine.
How decline of Indian vultures led to 500,000 human deaths
By the mid-1990s, the 50 million-strong vulture population in India plummeted to near zero.
== one really has to wonder how this could have happened given all the known threats in the digitial world
Secure Boot Is Completely Broken On 200+ Models From 5 Big Device Makers
Keys were labeled “DO NOT TRUST.” Nearly 500 device models use them anyway.
OpenAI To Launch ‘SearchGPT’ in Challenge To Google
Prototype, initially launching with select publishers and users, set to challenge Google’s dominance of online search.
== paywall?
Google DeepMind’s new AI systems can now solve complex math problems
Russia Announces It Will Create Core of New Space Station By 2030
Despite its domestic space program faltering even before sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has announced it will begin construction of a Russian-only replacement for the ISS and place it in a more difficult-to-access polar orbit, AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2 are steps toward building systems that can reason, which could unlock exciting new capabilities.
== surprisingly, I am feeling sorry for the flies
Australian Scientists Genetically Engineer Common Fly Species To Eat More of Humanity’s Waste
Black soldier flies could help cut planet-warming methane produced when organic waste breaks down, Macquarie University team says.
== fup article to one further down
Researchers say oxygen is being produced on the ocean floor. The mining company funding them isn’t happy.
The study has found that metallic nodules on the ocean floor might be producing oxygen from seawater.
A Hacker ‘Ghost’ Network Is Quietly Spreading Malware on GitHub
Cybersecurity researchers have spotted a 3,000-account network on GitHub that is manipulating the platform and spreading ransomware and info stealers.
Wealthy Western Countries Lead in Global Oil and Gas Expansion
The US and the UK among countries with low dependence on fossil fuels criticized for ‘hypocrisy’ on climate pledges.
Jupiter-like planet even bigger than first thought, according to new space telescope images
Data has led to new information about this previously discovered body.
World breaks hottest day record twice in a week
Record set despite absence of warming El Nino weather pattern.
Rare fossils reveal secrets of mammal evolution
The small furry Jurassic mammal scampered at the feet of dinosaurs.
DHS Has a DoS Robot To Disable Internet of Things ‘Booby Traps’ Inside Homes
NEO carries an onboard computer and antenna array that will allow officers the ability to create a ‘denial-of-service’ event to disable ‘Internet of Things’ devices that could potentially cause harm while entry is made.
Taking charge of your medications includes identifying ones you don’t need anymore
Chinese scientists have become more secretive as the U.S. has tried to hinder China’s technological progress
If too many meds create too many side-effects, deprescribing might be the answer
Taking charge of your medications includes identifying ones you don’t need anymore.
Meet this 500 million-year-old, taco-shaped marine creature that has 30 pairs of legs
Royal Ontario Museum study reveals surprising new details about an animal first discovered 100 years ago
FTC Launches Probe Into ‘Surveillance Pricing’
The agency is seeking more information about how artificial intelligence is used to change pricing rapidly based on data about customer behavior and characteristics.
Alexa Is in Millions of Households - and Amazon Is Losing Billions
Amazon’s device division is deep in losses amounting to $25 billion between 2017 and 2021, and plans to make money from Alexa collapse.
== paywall?
Google’s New Weather Prediction System Combines AI With Traditional Physics
Weather and climate experts are divided on whether AI or more traditional methods are most effective. In this new model, Google’s researchers bet on both.
Intel has finally figured out its long-standing desktop CPU instability issues
It promises to roll out a patch that will solve the problem by mid-August.
Sharks off Brazil coast test positive for cocaine
Marine biologists tested 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks taken from the shores near Rio de Janeiro and found they tested for high levels of cocaine in their muscles and livers.
Here’s What Happens When You Give People Free Money
OpenResearch released the first results of the most comprehensive study on giving unrestricted cash grants to impoverished Americans.
Oxygen discovery defies knowledge of the deep ocean
Until this discovery, it was believed that oxygen could not be produced without sunlight.
== paywall?
== I, back in 1972/3, took a course that involved flipping switches on a PDP.
== Worth a read m’thinks
What Can We Learn from the Computers of 1966?
Reflections on six decades of relations with computers.
== potential pandemic?
Alert issued in India after boy dies from high risk Nipah virus
Kerala state is said to be one of the most at risk places globally for the Nipah virus.
China Is Installing Renewables Equivalent to Five Large Nuclear Plants Per Week
China is installing record amounts of solar and wind, while scaling back once-ambitious plans for nuclear.
== yjc
Invasive fish species dumped in Manitoba water bodies disrupting ‘very delicate’ ecosystems
Native fish populations once thrived, but some now declining because of illegally introduced predators.
On Saturday, July 13, part of a blade from a turbine broke and sent debris into the ocean. That debris started washing ashore Monday.
‘Smart Soil’ Grows 138% Bigger Crops Using 40% Less Water
Watering and fertilizing crops to provide enough food for a changing world is a major challenge in agriculture.
May Solar Superstorm Caused Largest ‘Mass Migration’ of Satellites In History
The May 2024 geomagnetic storm was the first major storm to occur during a new paradigm in low Earth orbit satellite operations dominated by commercial small satellites.
== guess he doesn’t care if live on Earth fries to death; also not exactly an impartial assessment
US Will Fall Behind In the AI Race Without Natural Gas, Says Williams Companies CEO
Williams Companies CEO Alan Armstrong said natural gas is crucial for the U.S. to maintain its leadership position in AI as energy demand surges from data centers.
The Data That Powers AI Is Disappearing Fast
Over the past year, many of the most important web sources used for training AI models have restricted the use of their data, according to a study by the Data Provenance Initiative.
An HIV patient is in remission after a unique stem cell transplant
German man’s experience could open stem cell donor pool, have promising implications for future HIV cure.
== yjc, and, no, I haven’t tried any of these
If You Like Wordle, You Should Try These Puzzle and Word Games Next
These 10 word games are sure to give you a challenge.
To be honest, what concerns me more is the lack of control from humans, who are still making wars after 2,000 years.
Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Italian defense company Leonardo, explains to CNBC
why he thinks stupidity is a greater threat to humanity than AI