discuss Science & Technology news & discussion

[CraigD]

Post and discuss interesting articles & videos about science and technology.

You don't need to be an expert - just interested in the wonders of modern science, technology, and the history of these fields.

Please keep it rational, and post articles from reputable sources.
Try not to editorialise headlines and keep the copy to just a paragraph with a link to the original source. When quoting excerpts from articles, I think the best method is to italicise the copy, and include a link to the source.

Have some fun with your comments and discussions... just keep the sources legitimate.

Other threads:
The Break Room has a number of other popular threads, so there is no need to post material here that is better suited to these other threads:

- Covid19-Coronavirus updates and news
- Conspiracy Thread Free For All
- The *religious* discussion thread

Please enjoy!

 

[koolishman]

China to conduct asteroid deflection test around 2025​

China will aim to alter the orbit of a potentially threatening asteroid with a kinetic impactor test as part of plans for a planetary defense system.

China is drafting a planetary defense plan and will conduct technical studies and research into developing systems to counter the threats posed by near Earth asteroids, Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), told China Central Television (CCTV).

At the same time, CNSA will establish an early warning system and develop software to simulate operations against the near Earth objects and test and verify basic procedures.

 

[koolishman]

Asteroid sample leaking from Osiris Rex

NASA to repurpose OSIRIS-REx for second asteroid encounter

A NASA mission to return samples from one near Earth asteroid will get an extended mission to visit a second asteroid under a plan approved by the agency April 25.

NASA announced that the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft, on its way back to Earth after collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu, will travel to the asteroid Apophis after returning samples in September 2023.

 

[koolishman]

Sea levels rising twice as fast as thought in New Zealand​

Explosive new data shows the sea level is rising twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of Aotearoa, massively reducing the amount of time authorities have to respond.

The major new projections show infrastructure and homes in Auckland and Wellington - as well as many other places - risk inundation decades earlier than expected.

For example, in just 18 years parts of the capital will see 30cm of sea level rise, causing once-in-a-century flood damage every year.


Previously, councils and other authorities had not expected to reach this threshold until 2060 - halving the time to plan for mitigation or retreat.


The new information comes from a programme comprising dozens of local and international scientists called NZ SeaRise, which also includes GNS Science and Niwa.

 

[koolishman]

Could Future Skyscrapers Be Made of Wood? Two New Timber Towers Are Going Up​

Plans for two such buildings were announced in the last week: the first, in Switzerland, will be 328 feet (100 meters) tall and made entirely of timber. The second will be almost twice that height at 600 feet (183 meters) in South Perth, Australia, but will have a concrete core, which designates it as “hybrid timber.”

 

[koolishman]

mRNA breakthrough offers a potential heart attack cure​

King’s College London researchers are turning to the same technology behind the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to develop the first damage-reversing heart attack cure.

They used mRNA to deliver the genetic instructions for specific proteins to damaged pig hearts, sparking the growth of new cardiac muscle cells.

To develop their heart attack cure, the researchers turned to mRNA, which delivers the instructions for protein creation to cells.

Whereas the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines instruct cells to make the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, priming the immune system against the virus, the same technology can deliver a potential heart attack cure by carrying the code for proteins that stimulate the growth of new heart cells, PharmaTimes reported.

In an experiment with pigs (a close match for the human heart), the mRNA treatment stimulated new heart cells to grow after a heart attack — regenerating the damaged tissues and creating new, functional muscle rather than a scar.

 

[koolishman]

Fossils of giant marine reptiles found high in the Swiss Alps

Fossils from some of the largest creatures ever to swim Earth's oceans - whale-sized marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs - have been found in a counterintuitive place: atop three mountains in the Swiss Alps up to 8,990 feet (2,740 meters) above sea level.

Scientists on Thursday described rib and vertebrae fossils from two ichthyosaur individuals: one about 69 feet (21 meters) long and the other about 49 feet (15 meters). They described from a third individual the largest-known tooth from any ichthyosaur with a base 2.4 inches (6 cm) wide and an estimated length of 6 inches (15 cm), suggestive of a fearsome predator.


https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2021.2046017

 

[koolishman]

Balloon detects first signs of a ‘sound tunnel’ in the sky


About 1 kilometer under the sea lies a sound tunnel that carries the cries of whales and the clamor of submarines across great distances. Ever since scientists discovered this Sound Fixing and Ranging (SOFAR) channel in the 1940s, they’ve suspected a similar conduit exists in the atmosphere. But few have bothered to look for it, aside from one top-secret Cold War operation.

Now, by listening to distant rocket launches with solar-powered balloons, researchers say they have finally detected hints of an aerial sound channel, although it does not seem to function as simply or reliably as the ocean SOFAR. If confirmed, the atmospheric SOFAR may pave the way for a network of aerial receivers that could help researchers detect remote explosions from volcanoes, bombs, and other sources that emit infrasound—acoustic waves below the frequency of human hearing.

 

[koolishman]

X-ray Dating of a Turin Shroud’s Linen Sample ​

We obtained one-dimensional integrated WAXS data profiles for the TS sample, which were fully compatible with the analogous measurements obtained on a linen sample whose dating, according to historical records, is 55–74 AD, Siege of Masada (Israel). The degree of natural aging of the cellulose that constitutes the linen of the investigated sample, obtained by X-ray analysis, showed that the TS fabric is much older than the seven centuries proposed by the 1988 radiocarbon dating. The experimental results are compatible with the hypothesis that the TS is a 2000-year-old relic, as supposed by Christian tradition, under the condition that it was kept at suitable levels of average secular temperature—20.0–22.5 °C—and correlated relative humidity—75–55%—for 13 centuries of unknown history, in addition to the seven centuries of known history in Europe. To make the present result compatible with that of the 1988 radiocarbon test, the TS should have been conserved during its hypothetical seven centuries of life at a secular room temperature very close to the maximum values registered on the earth

 

[koolishman]

Israeli balloon tipped as world’s 1st affordable, scalable method for carbon capture​

High Hopes Lab, in central Israel, which captures frozen carbon 9 miles above Earth, aims to catch 1,000 metric tons per balloon per day, for less than $50 a ton.

 

[koolishman]

US scientists have developed a battery that can retain 92% of its initial capacity over periods of 12 weeks, with a theoretical energy density of 260 W/hour per kg.

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed an aluminum-nickel (Al-Ni) molten salt battery that, under thermal cycling, exhibits high retention of cell capacity over periods of weeks.

The scientists described the small prototype as a “freeze-thaw battery” that cuts off the self-charge function when a battery is idling. “It’s a lot like growing food in your garden in the spring, putting the extra in a container in your freezer, and then thawing it out for dinner in the winter,” explained researcher Minyuan Miller Li.

 

[koolishman]

Sound of a black hole from NASA.

 

[koolishman]

These seed-firing drones are planting 40,000 trees every day to fight deforestation ​

Talk about an army of seed-firing drones, however, and suddenly you’re the coolest person there.

Well believe it or not, an Australian start-up is doing exactly that. Using a fleet of highly advanced 'octocopters', AirSeed Technology is fighting deforestation by combining artificial intelligence with specially designed seed pods which can be fired into the ground from high in the sky.

"Each of our drones can plant over 40,000 seed pods per day and they fly autonomously," says Andrew Walker, CEO and co-founder of AirSeed Technologies.

"In comparison to traditional methodologies, that's 25 times faster, but also 80 per cent cheaper."

 

[koolishman]

Korean scientists develop world’s 1st photothermal filters that kill coronavirus​

South Korean scientists have developed the world’s first photothermal-effect-based high efficiency particulate air filter — also known as HEPA filter — that can take out 99.9 percent of influenza and COVID-19 viruses, the Korea Institute of Energy Research said Tuesday.


The photothermal effect, which refers to the mechanism of how a substance absorbs light energy and turns it into heat energy, is used in various areas such as drug delivery, cell death, sensor and solar battery.

The new filters can be easily installed onto existing filters and new products and it has been licensed out to local air filter developer Cleantech based in Busan for production, the institute said. The company is currently in the process of building facilities for the production of photothermal HEPA filters and plans to release the products later this year, according to the institute.

 

[koolishman]

Virtual communication curbs creative idea generation​

In a laboratory study and a field experiment across five countries (in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia), we show that videoconferencing inhibits the production of creative ideas.

By contrast, when it comes to selecting which idea to pursue, we find no evidence that videoconferencing groups are less effective (and preliminary evidence that they may be more effective) than in-person groups. Departing from previous theories that focus on how oral and written technologies limit the synchronicity and extent of information exchanged we find that our effects are driven by differences in the physical nature of videoconferencing and in-person interactions.

Specifically, using eye-gaze and recall measures, as well as latent semantic analysis, we demonstrate that videoconferencing hampers idea generation because it focuses communicators on a screen, which prompts a narrower cognitive focus. Our results suggest that virtual interaction comes with a cognitive cost for creative idea generation.

 

[Cannuck]

Brief to MND - UFO files​

Report from US Senate Intelligence Committee on UAP + CAF/DND connections to US partners + NORAD + DG Space / US Space Force « SJS / US Pentagon

Documents obtained through access to information ​

 

[J Sokol]

God’s own gardens: why churchyards are some of our wildest nature sites

They are in nearly every village, town and city across the UK, thousands of church buildings peppering the landscape. But while many may no longer be in regular use, the churchyards surrounding them – quiet, peaceful and often ancient – amount to what Olivia Graham, the bishop of Reading, equates to “a small national park”. The land beyond the church gate is some of the most biodiverse in the UK because it has largely stayed untouched.

“A churchyard is a little snapshot of how the countryside used to be,” says Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Pippa Rayner, who is working on Wilder Churches, a new initiative with the diocese of Bath and Wells “to enhance churchyard biodiversity across the county”.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...rchyards-are-some-of-our-wildest-nature-sites

 

[J Sokol]

‘Nature doesn’t fix itself fast’: Greenland weighs up economy v climate crisis​

Ujarneq Egede’s farm sits among a cluster of compact houses and squat barns on the snowy slopes of Equaluit Ilua in southern Greenland. The journey from Narsaq, the nearest town, involves a 30 minute boat trip across the fjord, mooring on a sheet of ice and a snowmobile ride up to the farm.

This is the biggest island in the world, yet Greenland’s population is tiny – less than 57,000 of whom nearly 90% are Inuit, concentrated around the jagged coastline. The country’s remoteness is extreme: there are no roads or railways between towns and settlements. Transport is only by boat, helicopter and propeller planes – ice, winds and storms permitting.

Narsaq itself is a small town of about 1,300 people, where jobs revolve around fishing, farming, a slaughterhouse and summer tourism. Its population has fallen 25% since 1991.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/07/greenland-weighs-up-economy-v-climate-crisis

 

[koolishman]

Severe COVID is equivalent to 20 years of ageing – new study​

Severe COVID results in cognitive impairment similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent of losing ten IQ points, our latest research shows. The effects are still detectable more than six months after the acute illness, and recovery is, at best, gradual.

There is growing evidence that COVID can cause lasting cognitive and mental health problems, with recovered patients reporting symptoms including fatigue, “brain fog”, problems recalling words, sleep disturbances, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) months after infection.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258953702200147X

 

[koolishman]

Psychologists found a “striking” difference in intelligence after examining twins raised apart in South Korea and the United States​

In the new study, the twins completed assessments of family environment, general intelligence, nonverbal reasoning ability, personality traits, individualism-collectivism, self-esteem, mental health, job satisfaction, and medical life history. They also completed structured interviews about their general life history.

Not only did the twins experience different cultures growing up, they also were raised in very different family environments. The twin who remained in South Korea was raised in a more supportive and cohesive family atmosphere. The twin who was adopted by the U.S. couple, in contrast, reported a stricter, more religiously-oriented environment that had higher levels of family conflict.

The researchers found “striking” differences in cognitive abilities. The twin raised in South Korea scored considerably higher on intelligence tests related to perceptual reasoning and processing speed, with an overall IQ difference of 16 points.

 

[koolishman]

China’s robot-built 3D-printed dam ready in 2 years: scientists ​

China is using artificial intelligence to effectively turn a dam project on the Tibetan Plateau into the world’s largest 3D printer, according to scientists involved in the project.

The 180 metre (590 feet) high Yangqu hydropower plant will be built slice by slice – using unmanned excavators, trucks, bulldozers, pavers and rollers, all controlled by AI – in the same additive manufacturing process used in 3D printing.

When completed in 2024, the Yangqu dam will send nearly 5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year from the upper reaches of the Yellow River to Henan, the cradle of Chinese civilisation and home to 100 million people.

 

[koolishman]

World’s Fastest Electric Car Charger Installed in Norway​

With a maximum output of 360 kW, the Terra 360 is a future proof solution capable of fully charging an electric car in 15 minutes or less.

 

[koolishman]

Fecal Transplants Reverse Hallmarks of Aging​

Summary: Transplanting fecal microbiota from young mice to older mice reversed hallmark signs of aging in the gut, brains, and eyes. Transplanting the fecal microbiota from old to young mice had the reverse effect, inducing inflammation in the brain and depleting a key protein associated with healthy vision.

 

[koolishman]

A remarkable new sighting: Dragonfish lurk in the dark depths​

During a recent expedition aboard our research vessel Western Flyer, MBARI’s science team encountered a beautifully bronze deep-sea dragon. Meet the highfin dragonfish, Bathophilus flemingi. Dragonfishes are cunning predators in the ocean’s depths. Although they are strong swimmers, they are sit-and-wait predators. They hang motionless in the midwater, lying in wait for small crustaceans and fishes.

When a tasty morsel comes close, those big jaws open wide and sharp teeth snap shut. MBARI researchers have observed a few different dragonfishes in the depths of Monterey Bay, but this one is the rarest we’ve encountered. In more than three decades of deep-sea research and more than 27,600 hours of video, we’ve only seen this particular species four times! We spotted this individual just outside of Monterey Bay at a depth of about 300 meters (980 feet).

 

[J Sokol]

This California desert could hold the key to powering all of America's electric cars​

(CNN Business)The Salton Sea Basin feels almost alien. It lies where two enormous chunks of the Earth's crust, the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, are very slowly pushing past one another creating an enormous low spot in the land. It's a big, flat gray desert ringed with high mountains that look pale in the distance. It's hot and, deep underground, it is literally boiling.

The Salton Sea, which lies roughly in the middle of the massive geologic low point, isn't really a sea, at all. The largest inland lake in California, it's 51 miles long from north to south and 17 miles wide, but gradually shrinking as less and less water flows into it. At one time, it was a thriving entertainment and recreation spot, business that has also largely dried up. It's left behind abandoned buildings and shallow, gray beaches. The highways that ring the lake are traversed now mostly by passing trucks.

Over the past few years, companies have been coming here to extract a valuable metal, lithium, that the car industry needs as it shifts to making electric cars. Lithium is the lightest naturally occurring metal element on Earth, and, for that reason among others, it's important for electric car batteries, which must store a lot of electricity in a package that weighs as little as possible.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/business/salton-sea-lithium-extraction/index.html

 

[J Sokol]

Revealed: the ‘carbon bombs’ set to trigger catastrophic climate breakdown​

The world’s biggest fossil fuel firms are quietly planning scores of “carbon bomb” oil and gas projects that would drive the climate past internationally agreed temperature limits with catastrophic global impacts, a Guardian investigation shows.

The exclusive data shows these firms are in effect placing multibillion-dollar bets against humanity halting global heating. Their huge investments in new fossil fuel production could pay off only if countries fail to rapidly slash carbon emissions, which scientists say is vital.

The oil and gas industry is extremely volatile but extraordinarily profitable, particularly when prices are high, as they are at present. ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Chevron have made almost $2tn in profits in the past three decades, while recent price rises led BP’s boss to describe the company as a “cash machine”.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...l-fuel-carbon-bombs-climate-breakdown-oil-gas