Silicon Valley is debating if AI weapons should be allowed to decide to kill

The U.S. does not ban companies from making fully autonomous lethal weapons nor does it explicitly ban them from selling such things to foreign countries.

== more on this one (earlier article below)
U.S. Officials Race to Understand Severity of China’s Salt Typhoon Hacks

Among the concerns are that the hackers may have essentially been able to spy on the U.S. government’s efforts to surveil Chinese threats, including the FBI’s investigations.

== many years old, but I didn’t know of all those events, you may not have either
The commas that cost companies millions

For most people, a stray comma isn’t the end of the world. But in some cases, the exact placement of a punctuation mark can cost huge sums of money.

The FBI Secretly Created a Coin To Investigate Crypto Pump-and-Dump Schemes

NexFundAI, the FBI’s Ethereum-based token, was used to investigate price manipulation in crypto markets.

Overshooting 1.5C Risks ‘Irreversible’ Climate Impact: Study

Even temporarily exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius before bringing temperatures back down — a scenario known as an “overshoot” — could cause sea level rises and other disastrous repercussions that might last millenia.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Is Shapeshifting in Ways ‘Never Identified Before’

The famous red eye of the storm squeezes in and out for reasons unknown. The famous red eye of the storm squeezes in and out for reasons unknown.

We’re finally going to the Solar System’s most intriguing but unexplored frontier

If you’ve been waiting for a real mission of discovery into the unknown, this is it.

== seen something on this before
Sustainable building effort reaches new heights with wooden skyscrapers

Wood engineered for strength and safety offers architects an alternative to carbon-intensive steel and concrete.

== paywall?
The weeds are winning

Weeds have evolved resistance to 168 different herbicides and 21 of the 31 known “modes of action."

Rises In Life Expectancy Have Slowed Dramatically, Analysis Finds

Rapid rises achieved in 20th century have slowed significantly, with life expectancy in the US falling.

NASA image shows the biggest super star cluster in our galaxy

Westerlund 1 is a young cluster of stars up to 100,000 times bigger than our sun.

Using math and machine learning, researchers predict early flu spike in Canada, U.S.

University of Alberta professor says the data could help public health officials prepare.

== yjc
Nostalgic 1950s photos that were almost lost forever

An amateur photographer’s images from the 1950s have been generating fresh interest more than a decade after they were almost lost forever.

Explorer Shackleton’s lost ship as never seen before

The new 3D scan lifts the veil of darkness and water from the wreck lying 3km beneath the surface.

Wildlife numbers fall by 73% in 50 years, global stocktake finds

Wildlife populations have plummeted, mainly due to habitat loss, WWF figures reveal

== paywall?, opinion piece
How the US Lost the Solar Power Race to China

Bloomberg Opinion’s climate columnist visited Michigan, the former heart of the solar industry, and China to learn how good, old-fashioned capitalism won out.

Eating less can lead to a longer life: massive study in mice shows why

Weight loss and metabolic improvements do not explain the longevity benefits of severe dietary restrictions.

Grassland birds in crisis on the Canadian Prairies, conservationists warn

Species living on the grasslands habitat have declined 90%, report says.

How (And Why) to Build Some Boredom Back Into Your Life

Believe it or not, sometimes not doing anything at all is the most productive thing you can do.

A cave in France is revealing how the Neanderthals died out

Discoveries from the genomes of the last Neanderthals are rewriting the story of how our own species came to replace them

== had article on this before, but…
Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal is About to Go Big

Following its Singaporean pilot project, carbon sequestration start-up Equatic aims to build a massive plant in Quebec.

Researchers Claim New Technique Slashes AI Energy Use By 95%

Researchers have cooked up a novel recipe for AI that could cut its energy consumption by up to 95%. Here’s the secret ingredient.

== in case anyone is thinking of trying out flying drones
The best $200 drone ever made

It has powerful features and sharp video — too bad it sounds like a banshee.

Homes damaged by floods could be renovated to withstand future flooding. So why aren’t they?

‘Identical reconstruction’ tradition causes issues, but incentives could improve resilience.

Man denies being mysterious inventor of Bitcoin

The question has captivated the internet since the digital currency was launched by an unknown person or persons calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009.

== yjc
Tadpoles steal show in wildlife photography contest

“The real payoff is that this wonderful scene highlights environments and species that are often overlooked.”

== paywall?
For How Much Longer Can Life Continue on This Troubled Planet?

New data on the end times.

== yjc, we are faced with some serious downsizing issues, don’t know if this will help me or not
How I Learned to Love Minimizing My Possessions

By making new meaning from them, it’s easier to let things go.

‘Moon Goo’ Is Shifting Under the Moon’s Surface

The discovery of a ‘moon goo’ layer challenges our previous understanding of lunar geology and potentially offers new insights into the Moon’s formation and evolution.

== lengthy
Artist Appeals Copyright Denial For Prize-Winning AI-Generated Work

AI art may create a whole new world of copyright trolling, expert warns.

== yjc
Germans decry influence of English as ‘idiot’s apostrophe’ gets official approval

Linguistic body has relaxed rules on use of apostrophe to show possession, not traditionally correct in German.

Smart TVs Are Like ‘a Digital Trojan Horse’ in People’s Homes

48-page report urges FTC, FCC to investigate connected TV industry data harvesting.

== yjc
The Slow Death of the Hyperlink

Journalism and the changing nature of the internet.

== have seen most of this before, but…
How is climate change affecting hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones?

Hurricanes are powerful storms which develop in warm tropical ocean waters.

800,000 Tons of Rock Excavated for Massive Underground Neutrino Detector

The two detectors will each be filled with 17,000 tons of liquid argon cooled to minus 184 degrees Celsius.

== yjc
Hobbyist Builds a Modern System That Still Runs MS-DOS

Build one with the ability to still reach back into the past to run MS-DOS.

U.S. Wiretap Systems Targeted in China-Linked Hack

It’s possible the hackers had access for months or longer to networks the U.S. uses to make lawful requests for communications data.

Plastic-Eating Bacteria Could Combat Pollution Problems, Scientists Hope

Scientists discovered that bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source.

Will Hurricanes Prompt More Purchases of Electric Cars?

EV owners are using their cars to keep the lights on.

Drought shrinks river that feeds the Amazon to lowest level ever recorded

Water level of Brazil’s Negro River has dropped far below normal levels amid unusually intense dry season.