Number 335
More bad news for rat-infested cities: Climate change is making it worse
Study finds strong correlation between rising average temperatures and rat populations in cities.
== yjc
Books written by humans are getting their own certification
Books not created by AI will be listed in a US Authors Guild database that anyone can access.
=== yjc
Study shows music has become less complex
The team used network science techniques to compare the complexity of types of music over time.
Designed and implemented an innovative landscape engineering system, including the construction of extensive drainage canals and farm ponds.
Astronomers Discover 196-Foot Asteroid With 1-In-83 Chance of Hitting Earth In 2032
“Impact probability is still very low, and the most likely outcome will be a close approaching rock that misses us.”
Who’s the daddy? Baby shark hatched at aquarium with no males might not have one.
Female sharks can store sperm from previous sexual encounters — or procreate without male assistance.
Bowel cancer prediction test for IBD patients 90% accurate
It is hoped their method can be used to develop a simple blood test to identify those IBD patients most at risk.
Study of More Than 600 Animal and Plant Species Finds Genetic Diversity Has Declined Globally
Genetic diversity in animals and plants has declined globally over the past three decades.
Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists
OSIRIS-REx sample includes building blocks of proteins and DNA, evidence of water.
Outbursts from black holes help them sustain themselves, Chandra study shows
The results support a model where outbursts from the black holes trigger hot gas to cool and form narrow filaments of warm gas.
Lab-grown T cells with altered metabolism offer lasting cancer defense
The findings have the potential to greatly improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.
An overlooked nuclear force helps keep matter stable, study reveals
The three-nucleon force enhances spin-orbit splitting, which causes a larger energy gap between nuclear shells and stabilizes the nucleus.
Boom Supersonic XB-1 Breaks Sound Barrier During Historic Test Flight
The XB-1 just became the first civil aircraft to go supersonic over the continental United States.
Hugging Face researchers are trying to build a more open version of DeepSeek’s AI ‘reasoning’ model
The project, called Open-R1, aims to replicate R1’s reasoning capabilities while making its training data and code publicly available.
Atomic Scientists Adjust ‘Doomsday Clock’ Closer Than Ever To Midnight
Nuclear risks, AI, climate change among factors cited.
A recent fast radio burst calls into question what astronomers believed they knew
The location of the fast radio burst is on the outskirts of a massive elliptical galaxy.
== yjc
What is the story of hongbao?
Red envelopes are a cherished cultural tradition in China and many other parts of Asia.
Cosmologists Try a New Way to Measure the Shape of the Universe
Is the universe flat and infinite, or something more complex? We can’t say for sure, but a new search strategy is mapping out the subtle signals that could reveal if the universe had a shape.
== yjc, opinion piece
‘AI Is Too Unpredictable To Behave According To Human Goals’
AI “alignment” is a buzzword, not a feasible safety goal.
A private start-up called Helion aims to have a working fusion reactor by 2028
Investors like Sam Altman and Peter Thiel think the company can do it, but historically, the odds aren’t great.
66 million-year-old fish vomit discovered in Denmark
During the period fish and sharks would eat sea lilies, which are hard to digest meaning they would then “regurgitate all the chalk bits”.
Dangerous Temperatures Could Kill 50% More Europeans By 2100, Study Finds
Net increase of 80,000 deaths a year projected in hottest scenario, with milder winters failing to redress balance.
Ancient forest uncovered by melting ice in the Rocky Mountains
The nearly 6,000-year-old forest shows how the world can change as temperatures rise and fall, says researcher.
What is DeepSeek? The Chinese OpenAI rival sparking chaos in tech markets
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI-chatbot app which launched last week, has sparked chaos in the US markets and raised questions about the future of America’s AI dominance.
She was trying to sell a play tent for $40. It ended up costing her $1,250
RCMP and the Anti-Fraud Centre say these types of phishing scams have become more common.
Mitochondria may be a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases
Scientists have discovered how mitochondria influence the body’s immune response through modulating specific cell signaling pathways.
Student project discovers superconductor with hallmark of unconventional superconductivity
They combined iron, nickel, and zirconium, to create a new transition metal zirconide with different ratios of iron to nickel.
Largest study of its kind proves ‘bird brain’ is a misnomer
Study has found that dry museum skulls of long-dead birds can provide surprisingly detailed information on a species’ brain, including the size of the birds’ main computation centers for smartness and nimbleness.
‘Troublesome’ radio galaxy 32 times the size of Milky Way spotted
Astronomers have discovered an extraordinary new giant radio galaxy with plasma jets 32 times the size of our Milky Way.
Internet-Connected ‘Smart’ Products for Babies Suddenly Start Charging Subscription Fees
assinet backlash reflects debate over adding fees to connected devices.
Should Big Tech Plug Its Data Centers Directly Into Power Plants?
Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair.
In addition to operating increasingly common red-light and speed-zone cameras, Seattle has automated enforcement for “blocking the box” and driving in a bus lane.
NASA and ESA share a breathtaking Hubble image of the Tarantula Nebula’s outer edge
The nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud is home to some of the most massive stars ever observed.
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New CIA Director Touts ‘Low Confidence’ Assessment About Covid Lab Leak Theory
It was not made based on new intelligence gathered by the US government and instead was reached after a review of existing information.
Could New Linux Code Cut Data Center Energy Use By 30%?
Nearly all web traffic is routed through data centres, the majority of which use the open-source operating system Linux.
Report of Newly-Discovered Asteroid Turns Out to Be… a Tesla Roadster
Founded in 1947, the Minor Planet Center is the official worldwide authority for observing and reporting new asteroids, comets and other small bodies in the solar system,
Eco-friendly aluminum battery lasts 10,000 cycles with minimal loss
A porous salt produces a solid-state electrolyte that facilitates the smooth movement of aluminum ions, improving this Al-ion battery’s performance and longevity.
Butterfly-inspired method for robot wing movement works without electronics or batteries
Inspired by the efficiency and adaptability of the wings of the monarch butterfly, they enable precise movements without electronics or batteries.
Soap’s maze-solving skills could unlock secrets of the human body
Surfactants are substances that help fluids spread. They naturally exist in the human lungs.
Scientists uncover how cancer cells hijack T-cells
Making it harder for the body to fight back.
== NASA page her: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14762
Hubble’s Largest Panorama Ever Showcases 200 Million Stars
It took more than a decade to create
Ultra-Fast Cancer Treatments Could Replace Conventional Radiotherapy
CERN’s particle accelerator is being used in a pioneering cancer treatment called Flash radiotherapy.
Microplastics Block Blood Flow in the Brain, Mouse Study Reveals
A pioneering new treatment promises to tackle a wider range of cancers, with fewer side-effects than conventional radiotherapy. It also takes less than a second.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.
Upton Sinclair, writer and political activist