Number 334
Cosmological data suggest the universe has become ‘messier and more complicated’
Across cosmic history, powerful forces have acted on matter, reshaping the universe into an increasingly complex web of structures.
Curiosity-driven experiment helps unravel antibiotic-resistance mystery
If we can work out the roles plasmids play inside bacteria, then we can use the information to develop a new generation of therapeutics that can target drug resistant infections.
A new twist in an old origin story: Earliest dinosaurs may have emerged in the Amazon
Nyasasaurus could be the earliest known dinosaur, or else a close relative of early dinosaurs.
Why scientists are enlisting fungi to save endangered plants
The mycorrhizae that live among and in plant roots can boost the health of certain species, and even whole ecosystems — but scientists warn against a one-size-fits-all approach.
Researchers say new attack could take down the European power grid
Power grid in Central Europe uses unencrypted radio signals to add and shed loads.
Backdoor Infecting VPNs Used ‘Magic Packets’ For Stealth and Security
J-Magic backdoor infected organizations in a wide array of industries.
== original source consdiered somewhat questionable
Chinese Fusion Reactor Maintains Steady State For Almost 18 Minutes
The ultimate objective of developing an “artificial sun” is to harness the power of fusion for humanity’s benefit.
== not sure why I am including this, but I consider all my PCs modular
== especially since they are all hand built to a set or specifications appropriate at the time
== but I can see where this would be rather useful for laptops
Intel Pitches Modular PC Designs To Make Repairs Less Painful
x86 behemoth calls the approach ‘innovative’ - DIY builders may disagree
Developer Creates Infinite Maze That Traps AI Training Bots
Nepenthes generates random links that always point back to itself - the crawler downloads those new links. Nepenthes happily just returns more and more lists of links pointing back to itself.
== yjc, and I have not yet read the paper, just the introduction,
== don’t expect my math skills are any longer up to the challenge
Game of Thrones Author Co-Writes Physics Paper on Superhero Virus
The resulting model combines Lagrangian mechanics, functional analysis, and probability theory to distill the complex viral behavior into a single mathematical expression.
== creative idea
Solar-Charging Backpacks Are Helping Children To Read After Dark
One day of sunlight provides six to eight hours of reading light.
== British perspective
People With ADHD Have Shorter Life Expectancy, Study Finds
Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, include difficulties with concentration, organization and time management.
Scientists Detect Chirping Cosmic Waves In an Unexpected Part of Space
These bursts of plasma, called chorus waves, ripple at the same frequency as human hearing. When converted to audio signals, their sharp notes mimic high-pitched bird calls.
Canon has developed a 410-megapixel full-frame sensor
Don’t expect it to come to normal cameras.
== yjc, we have a furry friend and our vet clinic is own by VetStrategy
How the corporatization of vet clinics is driving up prices across the country
Lack of transparency in ownership means consumers may not know who’s behind their pet’s care.
Giant iceberg on crash course with island, putting penguins and seals in danger
The iceberg is spinning northwards from Antarctica towards South Georgia, a rugged British territory and wildlife haven.
Anthropic chief says AI could surpass “almost all humans at almost everything” shortly after 2027
He also shared his concerns about how human-level AI models and robotics that are capable of replacing all human labor may require a complete re-think of how humans value both labor and themselves.
== yjc, have recently developed some of these aches and pains
From stiff necks to ‘lazy glutes’: why these unloved muscles could prevent injury – and how to train yours
Never heard of your lower trapezius? Don’t know your rotator cuff from your neck flexor? To alleviate common injuries, it’s time to get to know them.
== yjc, paywall?
There can be no winners in a US-China AI arms race
AI competition is not a zero-sum game. Instead, the world’s superpowers need to work together to make sure AI benefits humanity.
== paywall?
A new company plans to use Earth as a chemical reactor
Ammonia, used in fertilizer, is essential to our lives. Addis Energy is trying to make the chemical underground.
Men Have Grown Twice As Much As Women Over Past Century, Study Shows
Data from dozens of countries reveals height and weight differences between sexes have increased since 1900.
Great Barrier Reef Hit By Its Most Widespread Coral Bleaching, Study Finds
More than 40% of individual corals monitored around One Tree Island reef bleached by heat stress and damaged by flesh-eating disease.
== an older article, but some of you may find it of interest
How Large Language Models work
From zero to ChatGPT.
== yjc
Signature moves: are we losing the ability to write by hand?
We are far more likely to use our hands to type or swipe than pick up a pen. But in the process we are in danger of losing cognitive skills, sensory experience – and a connection to history.
Without rain, neighborhoods covered in fine debris from the fires must find a way to deal with it on their own.
Edge of Mars’ Great Dichotomy Eroded Back By Hundreds of Kilometers
What may have been an ancient shoreline has signs of a water-driven transformation.
CIA’s Chatbot Stands In For World Leaders
The CIA has developed a chatbot to talk to virtual versions of foreign presidents and prime ministers.
The Powerful AI Tool That Cops (Or Stalkers) Can Use To Geolocate Photos In Seconds
For months members of the public have been using GeoSpy, a tool trained on millions of images that can find the location a photo was taken based on soil, architecture, and more.
Scallop fishers scoop invasive sea vomit from Bay of Fundy in aid of science
50 fishers are assisting Huntsman Marine Science Centre as it studies rubbery species.
Researchers looked at 175 conditions in people with diabetes.
== yjc
Mystery balls on Sydney beaches found to contain faecal bacteria
Nine beaches were closed on January 14 after the marble-sized balls started washing up.
Inside Iceland’s futuristic farm growing algae for food
If you compare one hectare of soy in Brazil, and imagine we had one hectare of algae field, you could produce 15 times more protein a year [from the algae].
Zebrafish are known to detect color and brightness with the pineal gland, which is part of the brain. How they do so is now being elucidated.
This robot worm digs for geothermal energy in your backyard
There’s nothing boring about this boring bot…
(he Pentagon Says AI is Speeding Up Its ‘Kill Chain’) (https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/19/the-pentagon-says-ai-is-speeding-up-its-kill-chain/)
Generative AI is proving helpful during the planning and strategizing phases of the kill chain.
In AI Arms Race, America Needs Private Companies, Warns National Security Advisor
The security adviser delivered a chilling warning that “The next few years will determine whether AI leads to catastrophe — and whether China or America prevails in the AI arms race.”
Plovers in a dangerous time: Endangered bird may be making a comeback on N.B. shores
Province saw 40 nesting pairs of piping plovers in 2024.
== have had article on this before, but this includes additional findings
Scientists Probe Mysterious Oxygen Source Possibly Discovered on the Sea Floor
Scientists say they found oxygen where it shouldn’t be. Now, the hunt is on for more answers.
A ‘Hubble Crisis’? New Measurement Confirms Universe is Expanding Too Fast for Current Models
Extremely precise measurements of the distance between the Earth and the Coma cluster of galaxies provide new evidence for the universe’s faster-than-expected rate of expansion.
Visiting the Roman Space Telescope - as It’s Being Assembled
A primary goal of the Roman is to understand “dark energy."
World’s First AI Chatbot, ELIZA, Resurrected After 60 Years
Researchers discovered long-lost computer code and used it to resurrect the early chatbot ELIZA.
== paywall?
‘Career Catfishing’ - 34% of Gen Z Workers Didn’t Show Up for a New Job
Ghosting strikes the hiring process, as Gen-Z applicants react to unresponsive hiring managers by no longer replying to messages and sometimes not even turning up on the first day of work.
In this Iron Age society, husbands moved in with their wives’ families, not other way around
Called ‘matrilocality,’ archeologists say this social phenomenon is historically very rare.
OpenAI Has Created an AI Model For Longevity Science
The company is making a foray into scientific discovery with an AI built to help manufacture stem cells.
We should stop pretending that these are companies that give a shit about anything other than making money.
Hany Farid, a professor of computer science at UC Berkeley, feels social media platforms are unmotivated to remove terror attack footage from their services, he tells The Guardian.