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!

 

[Cannuck]

So, you have to use it while bathing? How many hours does the effect last?

You still sell this? Mind sharing the formula?

Bathing, shampooing, washing clothes...anything. I use it all the time, so I never have to worry. I think I got bit once last summer and that was when I was bathing buck naked in the lake. It doesn't pollute, 100% natural.

I took down my website (EcoSoap) because my supply is beyond reach at the moment...put away in dry storage, taking only a year's supply up north (1 kilo lasts me a year!). I don't have enough on hand to send you a sample, but since you've shown interest and having shared your intellect with others in this thread, I'm grateful, and for that I'll PM you with the details. Keep up the good work!

 

[koolishman]

Study finds Apple Watch blood oxygen sensor is as reliable as ‘medical-grade device’​

A new validation study published this month puts the blood oxygen feature of the Apple Watch to the test. According to the results of the study, the Apple Watch Series 6 is able to “reliably detect states of reduced blood oxygen saturation” in comparison to medical-grade pulse oximeters

As spotted by MyHealthyApple, the study was published this month in the Digital Health open access journal. The objective of the study was to investigate “how a commercially available smartwatch that measures peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) can detect hypoxemia compared to a medical-grade pulse oximeter.”

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20552076221132127

 

[koolishman]

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022​

We are now at “code red” on planet Earth. Humanity is unequivocally facing a climate emergency. The scale of untold human suffering, already immense, is rapidly growing with the escalating number of climate-related disasters. Therefore, we urge scientists, citizens, and world leaders to read this Special Report and quickly take the necessary actions to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Recent climate disasters in 2022.*

Timeframe	Climate disaster
January–September 2022	Many rivers in Europe have run low or dried up partly because of the worst drought in 500 years and intense heat waves. Climate change has likely played a significant role in this crisis by increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and heat waves.
February 2022	La Niña and climate change contributed to record-breaking rainfall on the east coast of Australia. This led to flooding that damaged thousands of properties and killed eight people.
February–March 2022	Record-breaking flooding occurred along the northeastern coast of Australia, leading to standing water, which, in turn, promoted the spread of mosquitoes that carry the Japanese encephalitis virus. Such flooding is likely becoming more common because of climate change.
February–July 2022	The number of people affected by drought in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia who have limited access to safe water increased from 9.5 million to 16.2 million. This increasing drought severity may be at least partly due to climate change (Ghebrezgabher et al. 2016).
March 2022	A severe drought in the Southern Plains of the United States put the winter wheat crop at risk. Although droughts are complex phenomena with many possible causes, increasing drought intensity has been linked to climate change (Mukherjee et al. 2018).
March–April 2022	A deadly heat wave occurred in India and Pakistan, killing at least 90 people and contributing to widespread crop losses and wildfires. It was estimated that climate change made this event 30 times more likely to occur.
April 2022	Climate change likely contributed to extreme rainfall in Eastern South Africa, which triggered flooding and landslides that killed at least 435 people and affected more than 40,000 people.
April–June 2022	Widespread dust storms in the Middle East led to thousands of people being hospitalized; such dust storms may be increasing in frequency because of climate change.
May 2022	Extremely heavy rainfall in northeastern Brazil resulted in landslides and flooding that killed at least 100 people. Climate change may be responsible for the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall.
June 2022	A severe storm in Yellowstone (United States) caused the Gardner River and Lamar River to overflow, destroying parts of various roads in Yellowstone National Park. Such extreme flooding could be increasing in frequency because of climate change.
June 2022	Several countries in Western Europe experienced a record-breaking heat wave. This heat wave contributed to major wildfires in Spain and Germany. Many other parts of the Northern Hemisphere also experienced extreme heat; for example, temperatures reached 104.4 degrees Fahrenheit in Isesaki, Japan—an all-time record for the country. Similarly, a heat dome in the United States contributed to record-breaking temperatures. Other affected countries include Finland, Iran, Norway, and Italy. In general, extreme heat is becoming more common because of climate change (Luber and McGeehin 2008).
June 2022	Following extreme heat, China experienced record-breaking rainfall, which may be linked to climate change.
June 2022	Bangladesh experienced the worst monsoon flooding in 100 years, killing at least 26 people. This flooding is likely at least partly due to climate change causing monsoons to become more variable.
June–July 2022	Extreme rainfall led to flooding in some parts of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney is currently on track to experience the wettest year on record. It is likely that climate change contributed at least partly to this rainfall and flooding.
June–August 2022	Deadly floods in Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 people and affected roughly 33 million people, including 16 million children, since mid-June. Impacts include surging rates of dengue fever, gastric infections, and malaria. These floods may be at least partly related to climate change causing monsoon rainfall to become more intense.
June–August 2022	China experienced an extraordinary heat wave, which may be the most severe that has ever been recorded globally. Such events are likely becoming more common because of climate change. The extreme heat contributed to large-scale crop failures and wildfires, in addition to exacerbating a major drought that caused 66 rivers to dry up and led to a significant decline in hydroelectricity generation.
August–September 2022	California and other parts of the Western United States faced extremely hot temperatures because of a heat dome, which caused seven firefighters to be hospitalized with heat-related injuries. The effects of the heat dome may have been worsened by climate change.
September–October 2022	In the United States, Hurricane Ian caused damage across many parts of Florida and the Carolinas, killing more than 100 people and leaving at least 2.5 million without electrical power. Ian is one of the costliest and strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. Climate change is likely causing strong and rapidly intensifying storms such as Ian to become more common.

 

[koolishman]

Ozone Hole Continues Shrinking in 2022, NASA and NOAA Scientists Say​

The annual Antarctic ozone hole reached an average area of 8.9 million square miles (23.2 million square kilometers) between Sept. 7 and Oct. 13, 2022. This depleted area of the ozone layer over the South Pole was slightly smaller than last year and generally continued the overall shrinking trend of recent years.

 

[J Sokol]

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022​

With evidence of a disintegrating earth everywhere, it's mind-boggling how many people seem oblivious. They keep living their lives as though it's not happening. Here in the U.S. where we have a mid-term election in two weeks, I rarely hear climate change listed among the top concern of voters.

 

[Cannuck]

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022

U.N. report: Global climate change action insufficient to curb global warming​

A U.N. Climate Change report Wednesday said global efforts to curb greenhouse gasses causing climate change are falling short of the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

The report said, "current commitments will increase emissions by 10.6% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels."

The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change earlier this year indicated that "emissions need to be cut 43% by 2030."

References:

https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2022_04.pdf

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report_smaller.pdf

 

[koolishman]

From Pitless Cherries to Softer Kale, This Startup Is Using CRISPR to Make Better Produce​

A startup called PairWise is out to help change the way we eat by making fruits and vegetables more appealing. The company is zeroing in on traits that may deter people from consuming produce and tweaking those traits using CRISPR gene editing. Their hope is that the resulting products will not only pique consumers’ interest, but keep them healthy and keep them coming back. Tom Adams, PairWise cofounder and CEO, shared details about the company and its products in an interview.

CRISPR is made up of a synthesized sequence of guide RNA that matches a target DNA sequence—that is, the portion of DNA to be altered—and a Cas enzyme. Once in a cell’s nucleus, the guide RNA links up with the target DNA sequence. The Cas enzyme cuts the DNA at that point, and the cell repairs the cut. The repairs can either knock out a gene, inactivating it, or insert a new sequence.


Modifying a gene that encodes for a given trait either eliminates or alters that trait; in the case of fruits and vegetables, say, the bitterness of mustard greens or the seeds in blackberries. Given that the genomes of PairWise products are modified, some consumers may want to know whether the fruits and vegetables are classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).


The short answer is no. The USDA doesn’t regulate gene-edited plants as long as their traits could have occurred through traditional breeding methods or a whim of nature. The CRISPR technique PairWise uses involves manipulating genes that exist naturally in a given species’ genome. “The changes PairWise has made in our greens are no different than what can be achieved through conventional breeding, contain no foreign DNA, and therefore are not considered GMOs,” Adams said.

 

[Cal2]

For coffee drinkers:

Love Coffee? Science Says the 1-Week Rule Maximizes Productivity, Focus, and Learning​

Research shows coffee can help increase energy and focus, but only if you mix in a periodic caffeine reset.​

I'm thinking decaf for the 1 week reset could work as a fill in(?)

 

[koolishman]

Scientists discover material that can be made like a plastic but conducts like a metal​

The research, published Oct. 26 in Nature, shows how to make a kind of material in which the molecular fragments are jumbled and disordered, but can still conduct electricity extremely well.

This goes against all of the rules we know about for conductivity—to a scientist, it's kind of like seeing a car driving on water and still going 70 mph. But the finding could also be extraordinarily useful; if you want to invent something revolutionary, the process often first starts with discovering a completely new material.


"In principle, this opens up the design of a whole new class of materials that conduct electricity, are easy to shape, and are very robust in everyday conditions," said John Anderson, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago and the senior author on the study.

 

[koolishman]

Methane 'super-emitters' on Earth spotted by space station experiment​

A powerful eye in the sky is helping scientists spy "super-emitters" of methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
``

Twelve plumes of methane stream westward east of Hazar, Turkmenistan, a port city on the Caspian Sea. The plumes were detected by NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation mission, and some of them stretch for more than 20 miles (32 kilometers). (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

That observer is NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation instrument, or EMIT for short. EMIT has been mapping the chemical composition of dust throughout Earth's desert regions since being installed on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) in July, helping researchers understand how airborne dust affects climate.

 

[koolishman]

Magma on Mars likely

Until now, Mars has been generally considered a geologically dead planet. An international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich now reports that seismic signals indicate vulcanism still plays an active role in shaping the Martian surface.

An international team of researchers, led by ETH Zurich, analysed a cluster of more than 20 recent marsquakes that originated in the Cerberus Fossae graben system. From the seismic data, scientists concluded that the low-frequency quakes indicate a potentially warm source that could be explained by present day molten lava, i.e., magma at that depth, and volcanic activity on Mars. Specifically, they found that the quakes are located mostly in the innermost part of Cerberus Fossae.

 

[koolishman]

Traces of ancient ocean discovered on Mars.​

A recently released set of topography maps provide new evidence for an ancient northern ocean on Mars. Benjamin Cardenas, assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State says the maps offer the strongest case yet that the planet once experienced sea-level rise consistent with an extended warm and wet climate, not the harsh, frozen landscape that exists today

 

[koolishman]

Singapore first to approve protein ‘made from air​

Come 2024, consumers will be able to tuck into bread, pasta and plant-based meats that are infused with protein from a powder made from single-cell organisms and common gases from the air.

The company said the invention involved years of hunting for edible single-celled organisms from the environment, including soil, mud and forest ground. It did not specify what the microbes are but said they will be fed with gases such as hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide so that they can construct amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins that are nutrients for humans.

 

[koolishman]

No new combustion-engine cars from 2035, says European Union​

The days of the new internal combustion engine are definitely numbered—at least in the European Union. On Thursday, the European Council and the European Parliament agreed on provisional rules to heavily reduce passenger vehicle carbon emissions in 2030 before enacting a complete ban on internal combustion engines for new passenger cars and vans in 2035.

The EU is already home to some of the world's stricter emissions regulations. Under the current regulations, automakers must meet a fleetwide average of 95 g CO2/100 km; if they fail to do so, they are fined 95 euro for each gram of CO2/km over that limit for every vehicle they've sold in a given year. But much tougher limits are on the way as the EU tries to reduce its carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990.

 

[koolishman]

California Warned 2.2 Million People Via Phone Alerts Before Earthquake Hit​

On Tuesday, 2.2 million Californians in the San Francisco Bay Area got phone alerts warning that an earthquake was coming before it hit, the first use of a new statewide warning system that goes straight to people's smartphones.


There were no reports of damage or injuries from the 5.1 magnitude earthquake, which hit a suburb of San Jose, California, but the system still alerted residents up to 19 seconds before they felt tremors, according to a press release. The vast majority of alerts -- 2.1 million -- went directly to Android phones, as the state government had negotiated directly with Google to integrate the alert tech into the operating system.


"When it comes to earthquakes, seconds can save lives," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release. Newsom announced the creation of the earthquake early warning system in 2019, and the following year, he unveiled the state's partnership with Google to send its alerts directly to Android phones. Alerts are available on Android 5 and above, though users will need to have location switched on, Earthquake Alerts enabled, be receiving data (either over a cellular connection or Wi-Fi) and be located in a supported region.

 

[koolishman]

NASA’s Webb Takes Star-Filled Portrait of Pillars of Creation​

Show attachment 225622

NASA releases yet another stunning image.

Why does mid-infrared light set such a somber, chilling mood in Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) image? Interstellar dust cloaks the scene. And while mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is, the stars aren’t bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. Instead, these looming, leaden-hued pillars of gas and dust gleam at their edges, hinting at the activity within.

 

[koolishman]

NASA catches the Sun "smiling".

 

[Cannuck]

NASA catches the Sun "smiling".

Sun:

Me:

 

[Cannuck]

@Cannuck I think you have raised a very valid point. The seeds of critical thinking and science were sown by our ancestors, and our desire to interpret those belief systems in a modern context.

I have been told stories of space travel by Lakota Sioux during the Ghost Dance. I've searched for substantive information regarding this, but fell short. The US Army had previously declared war on the Ghost Dance and continued to suppress the religious practice. Once incidence, a woman returned with dust in her hand, it was later given to NASA, said to be of moon origin.

 

[koolishman]

Volkswagen develops hydrogen car that can travel 2,000 kilometers on one tank​

This year, Volkswagen, together with the German company Kraftwerk Tubes, filed a patent for a fuel cell. This is a unit that converts hydrogen into energy for an electric motor. According to the German Business Insider, the fuel cell from Volkswagen is a lot cheaper than that of its competitors because it does not use precious metals. There are also other benefits.

According to Kraftwerk, there is another advantage. The fuel cell would generate heat which can be used for heating, but apparently also for air conditioning. This means that no separate electric air conditioning or heating is required, which saves energy. On the other hand, you would say that energy also disappears with residual heat. Due to the high efficiency, a range of 2,000 kilometers is possible.


Although the patent has been filed with Volkswagen, Kraftwerk also does not want to commit itself exclusively to one brand: ‘Regardless of the manufacturer, our goal is for our technology to be launched in a series vehicle by 2026. We are talking about series of around 10,000 vehicles, distributed over several car manufacturers.’

 

[koolishman]

Bumblebees enjoy playing with balls, according to study – BBC News​

Bumblebees have been observed to be continuously interested in and trying to play with colourful toy balls by a team at Queen Mary University of London. The team said that the study adds to growing evidence that bees' brains are much more complex than first thought.

The scientists behind the study designed multiple experiments where bumblebees were given a task: to roll wooden balls. They found out that the insects showed their playful side by rolling the balls over and over again, even when not having a tasty treat or food to reward them.

 

[koolishman]

An ancient hairy snail was discovered in 99-million-year-old amber from the Mesozoic era​

International researchers say they discovered a new species of snail in a piece of amber that is around 99 million years old.

A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cretaceous Research announced Tuesday the discovery of Archaeocyclotus brevivillosus, a tropical land snail from the Mesozoic era. The snail originated from an amber mine in Burma, Myanmar.

The snail is about 1 inch in length and has a shell lined with short bristly hairs less than 1 millimeter in length.

 

[koolishman]

History.​

How Steve Sasson Invented the Digital Camera​

Steve Sasson is an electrical engineer who invented the digital camera while working for Kodak. The Rochester, New York, company, which had made its fortune by selling photographic film and paper for most of the 20th century, did not think that Sasson’s digital camera had any place in photography, and that lack of foresight ironically put Kodak out of business.

Indeed, they didn’t ask me how this worked,” Sasson says. They simply asked me why anybody would want to take a picture this way when there was nothing wrong with conventional photography. Nobody [including his bosses at Kodak] was asking me to develop this camera. In fact, nobody even knew that I was developing this camera.

 

[koolishman]

NASA’s Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid is back on the books for October 2023​

The mission, which is being led by Arizona State University, will explore the metal asteroid dubbed “Psyche” located between Mars and Jupiter. It was chosen for exploration because scientists believe it is the nickel-iron core of an earlier planet, making it a rich target for understanding how our own planet came to exist.

Folks with asteroid mining ambitions, of course, undoubtedly also have their interest piqued.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/psyche/overview/

 

[koolishman]

'Planet killer' asteroid found hiding in sun's glare may one day hit Earth​

The asteroid, named 2022 AP7, managed to avoid detection for so long because it orbits in the region between Earth and Venus. To spot space rocks in this area, astronomers have to look in the direction of the sun, and that is notoriously difficult due to the sun's luminosity. For example, flagship telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope never look toward the sun, as the star's brightness would fry their sensitive optics.