One Way That Could Improve Space-Based Power: Relays

Intermediate transmitters could more effectively beam power to the ground.

Researcher’s ‘unfollow everything’ lawsuit against Meta gets dismissed

It relied on a ’tech shield law’ clause allowing third-party tools that can block objectionable content.

Has the world ‘surrendered’ to climate change? These authors think so

They examine how politicians, business leaders and, yes, even some climate scientists have downplayed the imperative to make deep emissions cuts.

What are the private flights of the 1% doing to the planet? The numbers are in.

Some who use private jets could be producing roughly 500 times more CO2 in a year than the average person.

Global Temperatures Likely To Exceed Key Limit For First Time

With October’s initial temperature data in, 2024 will rank as the first calendar year in modern record-keeping in which global average surface temperatures exceed the Paris Agreement’s aspirational 1.5°C guardrail.

‘Just Have AI Build an App For That’

Noticing a trend of people just using AI agents to create full blown apps for these simple use cases.

Plastic Pollution is Changing Entire Earth System, Scientists Find

Pollution is affecting the climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, ocean acidification and human health, according to analysis.

The Other Election Night Winner: Perplexity

On Tuesday, two AI startups tried convincing the world their AI chatbots were good enough to be an accurate, real-time source of information during a high-stakes presidential election.

DataBreach.com Emerges As Alternative To HaveIBeenPwned

The site comes from Atlas Privacy, which has compiled information on data breaches to help victims learn if they’re affected.

Nearly three years since launch, Webb is a hit among astronomers

Demand for observing time on Webb outpaces supply by a factor of nine.

Canada orders TikTok to shut down its business operations in the country

The app isn’t being banned, however.

German Firms’ 4-Day Workweek Trial Slashes Stress, Keeps Productivity High

A few dozen German companies have allowed their staff to work four days a week without cutting their wages accordingly. The trial showed promising gains, but are they sustainable across the economy?

Health-care workers push for better access to frostbite treatment popularized in Yukon

Yukon surgeon says treatment protocol has helped reduce number of amputations.

The Hyperloop Lives On As a 1/12th Scale Model In Switzerland

Though no hyperloop is currently under development or viable, the concept itself has found a new lease on life in a scaled-down version overseas

Oil Giant BP is Killing 18 Hydrogen Projects, Chilling the Nascent Industry

BP has been a supporter of hydrogen. The company’s venture capital arm has invested in several green hydrogen startups.

== had something on this before, but now it has actually been launched
Japan just sent the world’s first wooden satellite to space

This is a test to see if the material is durable enough to handle the endless void of the cosmos.

US Regulator Rejects Bid To Boost Nuclear Power To Amazon Data Center

The decision could throw a wrench in efforts by large technology companies to secure so-called “behind the meter” power from nuclear plants.

Researchers Spot Black Hole Eating Stuff At Over 40x the Theoretical Limit

Observations from JWST and Chandra reveal a low-mass supermassive black hole that appears to be consuming matter at over 40 times the theoretical limit.

Sweden Scraps Plans For 13 Offshore Windfarms Over Russia Security Fears

Decision comes after military concludes projects would complicate defending Nato’s newest member against attack.

Mystery of blobs washing up on Newfoundland’s beaches solved, as scientists pinpoint chemical

Memorial University’s Christopher Kozak subjected substance to battery of tests.

== yjc
‘Incredibly rare’ pygmy hippo born at Edinburgh zoo

The tiny endangered pygmy hippo calf, named Haggis, arrived on 30 October.

== yjc, I handwrote a bit of assembler way back when, though nothing this involved
FFmpeg Devs Boast of Up To 94x Performance Boost After Implementing Handwritten AVX-512 Assembly Code

AVX-512 can benefit the average Joe, it appears.

Novel way to beat dengue

Deaf mosquitoes stop having sex.

Meta’s Plan For Nuclear-Powered AI Data Centre Thwarted By Rare Bees

Even if AI turns out to be a hype cycle, getting a lot of clean energy could make it worth the hassle.

L.A. County Sues Pepsi and Coca-Cola Over Their Role in the Plastic Pollution Crisis

The Los Angeles County suit alleges that the global beverage companies misrepresented the environmental impact of their plastic bottles.

What Happened After Remote Workers Were Offered $10,000 to Move to Tulsa?

Can remote workers reverse brain drain?

== yjc
Will Charging Cables Ever Have a Single Standardzed Port?

Prepare for the era of USB-C. Or not.

Researchers Develop New Method That Tricks Cancer Cells Into Killing Themselves

Stanford researchers hope new technique will flip lymphoma protein’s normal action — from preventing cell death to triggering it.

How a Slice of Cheese Almost Derailed Europe’s Most Important Rocket Test

“Yes, it was indeed Gruyère cheese, and it almost caused a disaster!” acknowledged GSP president Jérémy Marciacq.

As Ontario eyes Crown land for renewable energy, parking lots seen as having ‘untapped potential’

Northern Ontario firm says lots preferable to Crown land for solar projects.

New Study Suggests Oceans Absorb More CO2 Than Previously Thought

New research confirms that subtle temperature differences at the ocean surface, known as the “ocean skin,” increase carbon dioxide absorption.

== pretty amazing little creature
After Silence, NASA’s Voyager Finally Phones Home - With a Device Unused Since 1981

This interstellar traveler is a survivor.

Invisible, Super Stretchy Nanofibers Discovered In Natural Spider Silk

Spider silk nanofibrils are just a few molecular layers thick, equivalent to approximately one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair.

Can Heat Pumps Still Save the Planet from Climate Change?

Heat pumps were supposed to help save the planet. But they’ve run into a bump.

== I have been looking at trying LangChain, but haven’t gotten there just yet
AI Bug Bounty Program Finds 34 Flaws in Open-Source Tools

“Through our own research and the huntr community, we’ve found the tools used in the supply chain to build the machine learning models that power AI applications to be vulnerable to unique security threats.”

Rebuild or retreat? Repeat flooding forces tough decisions on homeowners, governments

Managed retreat can be a safer, cheaper option as flood risk grows.

== expect this is happening in places other than the US
As Data Centers for AI Strain the Power Grid, Bills Rise for Everyday Customers

Costs have already begun going up for customers — or are about to in the near future.

Inventory Counts Air Pollution Cost of Space Launches and Re-Entries

Researchers report rise in material falling back to Earth and growing emissions from satellite megaconstellations.

Royal Navy Successfully Tests Quantum-Sensing Technology

The Royal Navy has successfully demonstrated the capabilities of ground-breaking cold atom technology.

US Plans $825 Million Investment For New York Semiconductor R&D Facility

EUV lithography has emerged as a critical technology to enable the high-volume production of transistors beyond 7nm, previously unattainable.