Number 349
Eric Schmidt apparently bought Relativity Space to put data centers in orbit
An average nuclear power plant in the United States generates 1 gigawatt of power. People are planning 10 gigawatt data centers.
== too entertaining to leave out
The cat that wouldn’t die
The weird paradox of Schrödinger’s cat has found a lasting popularity. What does it mean for the future of quantum physics?
NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky
After weeks of preparation, the space observatory has begun its science mission, taking about 3,600 unique images per day to create a map of the cosmos like no other.
In a World First, Scientists Summon Lightning With a Drone
Like the kite and the key, but in the 21st century.
Small dietary changes can make a big difference to how you feel, how your body functions and health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
New research reveals not only what changes inside cells in response to force—a push or pull on an object—but that these changes continue after the force subsides.
Forest in sync: Spruce trees communicate during a solar eclipse
This study adds to the emerging evidence that plants are active, communicative participants in their ecosystems.
Is this the first hint of Planet Nine?
After a rigorous analysis and selection process, including visual inspection of images, the team identified one strong candidate pair, where the IRAS and AKARI sources showed the expected angular separation (42’–69.6’) and were not detected at the same position in each survey.
Old growth forests in eastern Canada show that the climate started changing almost 100 years ago
There are many natural processes that leave behind records of past environmental conditions, including tree rings.
Ancient volcanic mystery: 120-million-year-old super-eruption traced back to its source
It’s a discovery that gives us a more complete history of how the Pacific Ocean basin has evolved over millions of years to become what it is today.
Artificial membrane channels enable more efficient rare earth element extraction
The researchers developed artificial membrane channels—tiny pores embedded in membranes—that mimic the selective transport mechanisms of transport proteins found in biological systems.
Marker ink transforms into graphene-based electric circuit for low-cost sensors
Palatable versus poisonous: Scientists reveal how bats learn to identify which prey is safe to eat
The findings provide the first evidence that eavesdropping predators fine-tune their hunting cues over the course of their development.
Giant croc-like carnivore fossils found in the Caribbean
Imagine a crocodile built like a greyhound—that’s a sebecid. Standing tall, with some species reaching 20 feet in length.
ITER completes world’s largest and most powerful pulsed magnet system
The fully assembled pulsed magnet system will weigh nearly 3,000 tons. It will function as the electromagnetic heart of ITER’s donut-shaped reactor, called a Tokamak.
Flying squirrel-inspired drone with foldable wings demonstrates high maneuverability
While drones are already widely used in many countries worldwide, engineers have been trying to enhance their capabilities further so that they can be used to tackle even more complex problems.
== yjc
13 Condiments You Should Never Eat After They Expire, According To Food Safety Experts
Why risk it?
Faster isn’t always better. Slow-charging EVs could have big benefits
Level 1 charging is sufficient most of the time, experts say, using an outlet you probably already have.
Why the trees behind shea butter beauty cream are under threat
A former biology teacher-turned-environmentalist is on a crusade in Uganda to save the once-flourishing trees from which shea butter is made - the cosmetic known as “women’s gold”.
Plans to mine the deep ocean are untested and could cause environmental harm, say mining experts
The U.S. president signed an executive order to fast-track deep sea mining for critical minerals.
Endangered axolotl release raises hopes for rare amphibian
It is no exaggeration to call the axoltol an icon. Aztec legend has it that the creature is a god in salamander form - the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, disguised as a salamander.
Who really calls the shots in crypto decision-making?
When it comes to decision-making within DAOs, the reality may not be as democratic as it seems.
Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe?
These types of atmospheric waves are usually called gravity waves, thermal oscillations or acoustic-gravity waves. While the phrase “induced atmospheric vibration” is not formally established in meteorology, it seems to describe this same family of phenomena.
Engineers develop technique to enhance lifespan of next-generation fusion power plants
Researchers applied an advanced imaging technique using a plasma-focused ion beam and digital image correlation (PFIB-DIC) to map residual stress in ultra-narrow weld zones that were previously too small to study with conventional methods.
Astronomers observe largest ever sample of galaxies up to more than 12 billion light years away
Peering back in time to when the universe was younger than Earth is now, the images span the period from about 12 billion years ago until 1 billion years ago.
== yjc, have a climber or three in the family
Chemicals released by climbing shoe abrasion could lead to lung issues for climbers in indoor environments
A climbing hall is filled with a variety of smells: sweat, chalk dust and a hint of rubber.
Billion-year-old impact in Scotland sparks questions about life on land
The research team used tiny zircon crystals as geological ’time capsules’ to date the impact to 990 million years ago.
Scientists develop silk microneedles to deliver nutrients and chemicals to plants
When farmers apply pesticides to their crops, 30 to 50% of the chemicals end up in the air or soil instead of on the plants.
Heart disease deaths worldwide linked to chemical widely used in plastics
For decades, experts have connected health problems to exposure to certain phthalates found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, plastic pipes, bug repellents, and other products.
Sugar signaling treatment could boost wheat yields by up to 12%
Experiments in controlled environments looked promising, but this new study shows the application can deliver in field conditions.
Flares from magnetized stars can forge planets’ worth of gold
The group’s calculations show that these giant flares create unstable, heavy radioactive nuclei, which decay into stable elements such as gold. As the radioactive elements decay, they emit a glow of light, in addition to minting new elements.
Hidden transmission of avian influenza virus H5N1 found in Texas dairy cattle
Genetic analysis confirms that a reassortment event in wild birds preceded a single transmission to cattle, after which asymptomatic or presymptomatic cattle facilitated the virus’s spread across the United States.
Simple test can predict risk of heart disease better than current standard
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally.
A vast molecular cloud, long invisible, is discovered near our solar system
The finding marks the first time a molecular cloud has been detected with light emitted in the far-ultraviolet realm of the electromagnetic spectrum.
== yjc, lengthy
Scientists program domestic robots for additional household tasks
Domestic robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners, spend most of their day idle - researchers propose ways to work them harder to make our own lives easier.
== have seen something on this before
Nasal microbiome may help explain link between olfactory dysfunction and cognitive decline
When they analyzed the data they collected, the researchers unveiled correlations between some microbial profiles and different levels of cognitive impairments.
== yjc
Kids Can’t Stop Shouting ‘Six Seven’
Is it a red flag or classic middle school brain rot?
== rather lengthy
A Burning Question: The Risks of Incinerating Forever Chemicals
PFAS aren’t federally regulated as an air pollutant. Where does that leave concerned citizens?
== yjc, I use Firefox and have 100s of tabs open in dozens of browser windows
== will check this out
Firefox tab groups are here
Tab groups have long been the most requested idea on Mozilla Connect.
Bitcoin Mining Costs Surge Beyond Profitability Threshold
Bitcoin mining now costing over $137,000 to mine just one BTC in the US and near $200,000 per coin in Germany. With coins pricing at around $90,000 the math just doesn’t add up.
Magnetic confinement advance promises 100 times more fusion power at half the cost
Generating fusion reactions involves first generating plasma, which has to be contained. Because it is so hot, it cannot simply be contained; instead, it is held in place by a magnetic field.
Soft vine-like robot helps rescuers find survivors
SPROUT can “grow” into tight, winding spaces that are otherwise inaccessible, giving first responders a new way to explore, map and assess collapsed structures.
New satellite will see through clouds to ‘weigh’ Earth’s forests
The Biomass satellite will “weigh” the Earth’s forests, revealing how much planet-warming carbon is being stored within trees and therefore kept out of the atmosphere.
B.C.’s Sunshine Coast declared a state of emergency due to drought in 2022
I'm not interested in reading something that nobody said.
- Emily M Bender, a computational-linguistics professor at the University of Washington, tells the Atlantic why she refuses to use AI text generators.