== paywall?
Why Online Returns Are a Hassle Now

Getting your money back is not as simple as it used to be.

US data-center power use could nearly triple by 2028

Between 2017 and 2023, data-center power demand more than doubled with roll-out of more AI servers.

== had a look, not one correct answer in first 5 questions, gave up
Test your science knowledge with this fiendish quiz of the year

From a fish with a tiny brain to the world’s oldest cheese, we have reported on plenty of strange and unusual science discoveries this year. Challenge yourself and see what you can remember in this fiendish set of questions.

== paywall
APpaREnTLy THiS iS hoW yoU JaIlBreAk AI

Anthropic created an AI jailbreaking algorithm that keeps tweaking prompts until it gets a harmful response.

== paywall?
== we used FPGAs on some of our conveyor systems at the post office back in the day
The next generation of neural networks could live in hardware

Researchers have devised a way to make computer vision systems more efficient by building networks out of computer chips’ logic gates.

== nothing really new, but…
== as a child during my stays at my uncle’s farm, we all drank raw milk,
== drawn by hand twice a day, not to mention butter made from cream separated
== from said raw milk, that butter was gorgeous, the buttermilk went to the pigs,
== the diet during my visits would likely today be considered unhealthy
Breaking down the escalating U.S. bird flu situation

More than 60 people in eight U.S. states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses.

== not something I would have expected
Doctors call for more scurvy testing in B.C. in light of vitamin C deficiency data

Data obtained by CBC News shows hundreds of cases of vitamin C deficiency in province since 2014.

== worth a read m’thinks, also lengthy
The Inside Story of Casio Watches, 50 Years Later

I asked someone at the brand if they could put a ballpark figure on how many different watches there have been in the past 50 years. Including different colourways, they guessed in the region of 50,000.

== European perspective, doubt much of this in North America at present
How balcony solar is taking off

Balcony solar panels can save 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill and, with vertical surface area in cities larger than roof space, the appeal is clear.

== yjc, lengthy
What happens to our culture when websites start to vanish at random?

The internet is forever. But also, it isn’t.

== pretty unique for North America
Montana Supreme Court Upholds Right To ‘Stable Climate System’ For Youngsters

Court rules in favor of 16 young people who said their health and prospects were being imperiled by climate crisisCourt rules in favor of 16 young people who said their health and prospects were being imperiled by climate crisis.

== going digital always has its down side and a monthly subscription??
Hackers Can Jailbreak Digital License Plates To Make Others Pay Their Tolls, Tickets

Digital license plates sold by Reviver, already legal to buy in some states and drive with nationwide, can be hacked by their owners to evade traffic regulations or even law enforcement surveillance.

CDC Confirms First Human Case of Severe Bird Flu In US

The patient was hospitalized in Louisiana, the health agency said.

Could tariffs fight climate change?

EU, U.K. set to tax imports that generate large carbon emissions, and it could become a global trend.

== expect similar situation for Canada
U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made Router in Millions of American Homes

The router-manufacturer TP-Link, established in China, has roughly 65% of the U.S. market for routers for homes and small businesses.

Coal use to reach new peak – and remain at near-record levels for years

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked record coal production, trade and power generation from coal.

Legal Language Is Deliberately Arcane To Signal Power, Study Finds

The convoluted “legalese” used in legal documents conveys a special sense of authority, and even non-lawyers have learned to wield it.

Brain Cells Mature Faster In Space But Stay Healthy, ISS Study Finds

The cells exposed to microgravity developed faster and replicated less than those on Earth.

Companies Issuing RTO Mandates ‘Lose Their Best Talent’: Study

Despite the risks, firms and Trump are eager to get people back into offices.

== probably not a good story
Bin-busting bears in Tofino and Ucluelet making quick work of bear-resistant garbage cans

Officials say the bears have switched from breaking into sheds and cars to get at food to burglarizing bins.

A Third Person Has Received a Transplant of a Genetically Engineered Pig Kidney

A 53-year-old woman was the third to undergo the transplant procedure. Researchers are hoping to monitor the long-term effects.

Seagate’s Breakthrough 32TB HAMR Hard Drives Are Finally Here

A HAMR HDD has long been anticipated since Seagate started experimenting with the technology in 2007.

== yjc, I grew up with neon signs everywhere
The Slow Death of Neon

Of approximately 75,000 outdoor neon signs permitted between 1923-1956, only about 130 remain.

Will Even the Most Advanced Subs Have Nowhere to Hide?

The scramble to preserve submarine stealth in an age of AI and all-seeing sensors

== yjc
The Audi Q6 E-Tron is an OLED dream machine

The cabin of Audi’s latest EV is an audiovisual wonderland.

== in case anyone might be interested; me? I am one of those adults forgetting how to read!
Bill Gates Recommends Four Books That ‘Make Sense of the World’

E.G. The Coming Wave: Gates says it offers something rare: a clear-eyed view of both the extraordinary opportunities and genuine risks ahead.

Canada’s cities are losing up to 19 days of winter

Days above 0 C have seen dramatic increase around the world, Climate Central analysis finds

NASA’s new Webb telescope images support previously controversial findings about how planets form

Long-lived “protoplanetary disks” suggest earlier models of planet formation need an adjustment.

AI Helps ID Paint Chemistry of Berlin Wall Murals

Italian scientists designed a neural network to analyze spectral data from handheld Raman spectroscopy devices.

Google’s new AI video model sucks less at physics

But can Veo 2 beat Sora and generate a gymnast that moves like a human?

Are Adults Forgetting How To Read?

Are you smarter than a ten-year-old? New data suggest that a shockingly large portion of adults in the rich world might not be.

== lengthy
Are People Starting to Love Self-Driving Robotaxis?

Tailing a robotaxi for hours and hours is weird. And revelatory. And jealousy-inducing. But a driverless world is coming for all of us. So close the door and buckle up.

Single Crystal Lithium-Ion Batteries Last 8x Longer, Researchers Show

A new type of lithium-ion battery material that’s been charging and discharging non-stop in a Halifax lab for more than six years.

Early humans were ‘big game hunters’ with mammoth appetites, new research shows

Study gleaned evidence from bones of Clovis child, Alberta fossil record.

Why a Bacteria Can Withstand Radiation Which Would Kill a Human

Scientists say they’ve found its secret weapon.

Could an Undersea Hyperloop Train Tunnel Offer One-Hour Trips From London to New York?

But with a price tag of almost $20 trillion, the project is a big ask.

What can parasite eggs preserved in medieval poop tell us about human history?

New research sheds light on trade between Belgium and Africa 500 years ago.

World’s biggest iceberg heads north after escaping vortex

A23a is twice the size of Greater London and will likely break up and melt as it drifts north.

Yearlong supply-chain attack targeting security pros steals 390K credentials

Multifaceted, high-precision campaign targets malicious and benevolent hackers alike.