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]

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.

I honestly didn't know who invented the digital camera. Sasson said, “Now I had no idea that starting in ’97 and ’98, CCDs and eventually CMOS imagers would advance at about a million pixels a year. That was the rate of improvement that I did not think would happen.”

In terms of video capture, our team (back in the early 90's) weren't too far off with home-made digital images transmitted via fibre optics, uploaded to the web from my friends basement with help of a web geek (it took hours to upload using a Pentium 50mhz in 1993). I've still got the file on a floppy disk and could make an NFT from it. The resolution on our ASV's was equivalent to that of NASA Sojourner and featured alongside Rover at an International Science Expo. The difficulty then was not just capturing video, but displaying it on a laptop TFT screen, since the hardware hadn't been developed yet. Our CCV's recorded both still and video images (b/w and colour @2-4mp which was groundbreaking at the time).

First image uploaded to the Web - 18 July, 1992​

 

[koolishman]

I honestly didn't know who invented the digital camera. Sasson said, “Now I had no idea that starting in ’97 and ’98, CCDs and eventually CMOS imagers would advance at about a million pixels a year. That was the rate of improvement that I did not think would happen.”

In terms of video capture, our team (back in the early 90's) weren't too far off with home-made digital images transmitted via fibre optics, uploaded to the web from my friends basement with help of a web geek (it took hours to upload using a Pentium 50mhz in 1993). I've still got the file on a floppy disk and could make an NFT from it. The resolution on our ASV's was equivalent to that of NASA Sojourner and featured alongside Rover at an International Science Expo. The difficulty then was not just capturing video, but displaying it on a laptop TFT screen, since the hardware hadn't been developed yet. Our CCV's recorded both still and video images (b/w and colour @2-4mp which was groundbreaking at the time).

First image uploaded to the Web - 18 July, 1992​

You did pretty cutting edge work, for the period, then.

I was just learning early version of word and excel, back then.

 

[koolishman]

Rhinos are evolving smaller horns to avoid being a target for poachers​

The team used image software to estimate various anatomical measurements for each of the animals in the photos and then calculated the horn size relative to the body size. As horn size varies depending on the species, the researchers created separate size chars for the five kinds of rhinos represented in the photos selected for the study.

The list includes the Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum), the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus), the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and the black rhino (Diceros bicornis). The last three are critically endangered, with about 75 Javan and 80 Sumatran rhinos left in the world.


Most of the rhinos in the photos had been born in the wild but were living in zoos, wildlife parks, or sanctuaries when the photos were taken. The researchers mapped horn sizes along a time chart and found they had decreased within each species. While they can’t provide percentages of size change, the overall trend is clear, they said.

 

[Cannuck]

You did pretty cutting edge work, for the period, then.

I was just learning early version of word and excel, back then.

Didn't like DOS. I was a Mac guy back then, did alot with Paint and Superpaint. The advent of the mouse was killer. We farmed out alot of the programming, in fact the guy who set up our telemetry system programmed the space shuttle. Expensive sh*t. What cost nearly $75G back then I could probably build for $5G today.

Here's a shot of our CanAm ASV from a 1994 newspaper clipping...

(ASV = automated submersible vehicle)

 

[koolishman]

Germany to force plastic makers to help pay for cleanups​

The German government said Wednesday that it plans to make plastic manufacturers contribute to the cost of cleaning up litter in streets and parks.

The Cabinet agreed on a bill that makers of products containing single-use plastic will need to pay into a central fund managed by the government, starting in 2025.

The fund is estimated to collect about 450 million euros ($446 million) in the first year, based on the companies’ past production of single-use plastic.

Affected items include cigarette filters, drink containers and packaging for takeout food.

 

[koolishman]

Not-so-tough Teflon​

Just one surface crack on a Teflon-coated pan can release about 9100 plastic particles, found researchers from the Global Centre for Environmental Remediation and Flinders Institute of NanoScale Science and Engineering.

And at a micro scale, their Raman imaging and an algorithm model have identified the release of 2.3 million microplastics and nanoplastics from broken coating.

 

[koolishman]

Brainiacs, not birdbrains: Crows possess higher intelligence long thought a primarily human attribute

Now the birds can add one more feather to their brainiac claims: Research unveiled on Thursday in Science finds that crows know what they know and can ponder the content of their own minds, a manifestation of higher intelligence and analytical thought long believed the sole province of humans and a few other higher mammals.

A second study, also in Science, looked in unprecedented detail at the neuroanatomy of pigeons and barn owls, finding hints to the basis of their intelligence that likely applies to corvids’, too.

“Together, the two papers show that intelligence/consciousness are grounded in connectivity and activity patterns of neurons” in the most neuron-dense part of the bird brain, called the pallium, neurobiologist Suzana Herculano-Houzel of Vanderbilt University, who wrote an analysis of the studies for Science, told STAT. “Brains can appear diverse, and at the same time share profound similarities. The extent to which similar properties present themselves might be simply a matter of scale: how many neurons are available to work.”

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6511/1567

Crows able to understand the concept of recursion

For many years, scientists believed that humans were the only animals capable of understanding the concept of recursion, in which meaningful structures are embedded in other structures. An example would be "The rat the cat chased ran." In this example, the words "the cat chased" are embedded in another sentence. But two years ago, a team of researchers conducted experiments that showed that some kinds of monkeys are able to understand the idea of recursion on a par with three- to four-year-old human children.

In this new effort, the research team conducted similar experiments with crows that show that they, too, have the cognitive ability to understand recursion.

 

[koolishman]

​

Long read. From The Economist.​

The world is going to miss the totemic 1.5°C climate target​

The demise of 1.5°C does not mean that the fundamental policy implication of the Paris agreement is changed. The world needs to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse-gas levels by massively reducing its emissions and by gaining the ability to reabsorb those emissions that it cannot abate. And doing so more quickly is better. For some, a global temperature target never made sense in the first place. Dr Schrag at Harvard points out that the climate system as a whole mostly operates on a sliding scale, where higher global temperatures bring greater impacts and risks. “1.5°C is not safe and 2.2°C is not the end of the world,” he says. Scientists do know, though, as the ipcc showed in 2018, that the less the temperature rises, the better. 1.6°C is better than 1.7°C: 1.7°C is better than 1.8°C. As a new mantra has it, “every fraction of a degree matters”. To Dr Schrag, it is never too late. “It is always the case that reducing the severity of climate change is a worthy investment. If we were at four degrees, keeping it from going to six is a noble thing to do.”

 

[NameInbox]

Japan is the most urban tech country now ?
AI / Solar / Drones ...

https://www.facebook.com/worldecono...ing-a-futuristic-smart-city/1427919080919279/
+
https://www.graana.com/blog/tokyo-bay-esg-project-a-sustainable-mini-city/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...development-seeks-to-build-city-of-the-future

 

[Cannuck]

Japan is the most urban tech country now ?
AI / Solar / Drones ...
Show attachment 226483

An island city built on gomi...

 

[koolishman]

Electricity-generating windows? Swiss scientists design more efficient transparent solar panels ​

Scientists in Switzerland have reached a new efficiency record for transparent solar cells, paving the way for electricity-generating windows that could help power our homes and devices.

Also known as Grätzel cells, dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs) are a type of low-cost solar cell that use photosensitised dye attached to the surface of a semiconductor to convert visible light into energy.


The previous versions of DSCs were largely reliant on direct sunlight, but scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have found a way to make transparent photosensitisers - molecules that can be activated by light - that can “adsorb” light across the entire visible light spectrum.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05460-z

 

[Cannuck]

Electricity-generating windows? Swiss scientists design more efficient transparent solar panels​

I can see the next generation of solar windows actually emitting light at night, doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility, and reasonably inexpensive. In fact, that's kinda what the natives around here used to do with glow sticks (phosporescent fungus) in teepees that served as a night light. I found some glow wood last summer, it seemed to work best when the weather conditions were just right and were little more than a babies night light.

 

[koolishman]

Lab-grown blood given to people in world-first clinical trial​

Blood that has been grown in a laboratory has been put into people in a world-first clinical trial, UK researchers say.

Tiny amounts - equivalent to a couple of spoonfuls - are being tested to see how it performs inside the body.

The first two people have taken part in the trial, which aims to test the blood in at least 10 healthy volunteers. They will get two donations of 5-10mls at least four months apart - one of normal blood and one of lab-grown blood.

The blood has been tagged with a radioactive substance, often used in medical procedures, so scientists can see how long it lasts in the body

 

[koolishman]

Pilot project for hydrogen boiler to heat homes allowed to begin​

A pilot project in which central heating boilers in homes run on hydrogen was authorized to continue. The project, run by grid operator Liander, is the first of its kind in the Netherlands.

Supervisor Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) has given permission for the project in Lochem near Zutphen. The watchdog believes it is important that companies gain experience with hydrogen, as it is expected to play an important role in the energy supply going forward. State Supervision of Mines will check the safety of the hydrogen transport.

Ten existing homes in the Lochem project will be fitted with a combination boiler that runs on hydrogen instead of gas. From now on, the gas pipes to those houses will be used to supply hydrogen.

 

[Cannuck]

Tomorrow @ 5:00-6:00 a.m. EST one can witness a total lunar eclipse of a Blood Moon/Beaver Moon
...the last total eclipse we’ll see until March 14, 2025.

 

[koolishman]

10 Side-By-Side Photos Of Horror Movie Poster Originals And Their Recreations By AI​

Comapny Evoluted used AI to recreate some of the most popular horror movie posters in the occasion of Halloween approaching and they are even creepier than the original.

 

[Cal2]

Useful even for just maintaining muscle mass?

Do you even lift? Lowering weights may be faster route to muscle growth​

Squeezing in a solid workout can be a challenge for time-poor fitness enthusiasts, but lately we’re seeing exercise scientists really drill into what the most efficient workouts might look like. A team at Australia’s Edith Cowan University (ECU) has offered new insights in this area, through a study demonstrating that a focus on lowering weights rather than lifting them may be a more efficient way to increase muscle mass.

https://newatlas.com/health-wellbei...ail&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-2458a40d64-90628689

 

[Cannuck]

Useful even for just maintaining muscle mass?

Do you even lift? Lowering weights may be faster route to muscle growth​

Almost counter-intuitive, low impact training. The developers put some serious work into that mad muscle site...inspiring. Thanks Cal

 

[koolishman]

Hybrid rice could put the carbon in our carbs​

A new breed of rice that is a hybrid of an annual Asian rice and a perennial African rice could be a more sustainable option, according to Australian and international research. The researchers say perennial rice, which can last multiple harvest seasons, is more cost effective and accumulates more organic carbon and nitrogen, improving soil quality compared to annual rice. The researchers say the hybrid rice was able to produce grain for eight consecutive harvests over four years at a yield comparable to the standard annual Asian rice, with much lower costs and labour.

From a single planting, irrigated perennial rice produced grain for eight consecutive harvests over four years, averaging 6.8 Mg ha−1 harvest−1 versus the 6.7 Mg of replanted annual rice, which required additional labour and seed.


https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00997-3

 

[koolishman]

In France, all large parking lots now have to be covered by solar panels​

In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that requires all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – be covered by solar panels.

Starting July 1, 2023, smaller carparks that have between 80 and 400 spaces will have five years to be in compliance with the new measures. Carparks with more than 400 spaces have a shorter timeline: They will need to comply with the new measures within three years of this date, and at least half of the surface area of the parking lot will need to be covered in solar panels.


According to the government, this plan, which particularly targets large parking areas around commercial centers and train stations, could generate up to 11 gigawatts, which is the equivalent of 10 nuclear reactors, powering millions of homes. Public Sénat writes that stipulations were put into place excluding parking lots for trucks carrying heavy goods or parking areas in historic or protected areas, to avoid “distorting” them, according to an amendment to the bill.

 

[Cal2]

Almost counter-intuitive, low impact training. The developers put some serious work into that mad muscle site...inspiring. Thanks Cal

I had a workout system I once developed and worked with for a bit, that I called 'maxi load system'. Or maybe it was 'overload system'. Or maybe both. It was based on rubber bands, that were used in particular ways. Never felt so strong, even with no weights involved. But did some tendon aggravating with it, so stopped and never got back into it. I'm going to compare the 2 with a weight lifting friend who's always into experimenting, analyzing - see what he might think.

 

[koolishman]

Broccoli gas: a better way to find life in space​

Broccoli, along with other plants and microorganisms, emit gases to help them expel toxins. Scientists believe these gases could provide compelling evidence of life on other planets.

These types of gases are made when organisms add a carbon and three hydrogen atoms to an undesirable chemical element. This process, called methylation, can turn potential toxins into gases that float safely away into the atmosphere. If these gases were to be detected in the atmosphere of another planet using telescopes, they would be suggestive of life somewhere on that planet.

 

[Cannuck]

Dragonfire missile-killing laser is successfully tested​

A British-made laser intended to shoot down enemy missiles has moved a step closer to production after successful tests at the Porton Down defence labs. The laser is capable of deploying about 50kW of power and can punch through steel.

The directed energy weapon, fired at long range to demonstrate its accuracy in tests that were described as a "really major milestone", comes as western officials task scientists to find a way to defeat ultra-fast hypersonic missiles being developed by China and Russia - a process that requires both the right weapons, and a supercomputer able to calculate the trajectory of targets moving faster than 3,800 mph.

Dragonfire is being developed to hit missiles, drones and other enemy targets. Using electric power, it does not require ammunition, which is an attractive advantage at a time when the West is burning through missile stockpiles donated to Ukraine.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/tec...ing-laser-is-successfully-tested/ar-AA13XRgj?

 

[Cannuck]

The Oculus founder created a VR headset that can kill people in real life if they die in a game​

The original creator of the Oculus headset, which now serves as the backbone for Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse ambitions, wrote in a blog post that he had modified a VR headset to explode when the wearer loses in a video game, killing the user in real life, too.

"The idea of tying your real life to your virtual avatar has always fascinated me." Luckey wrote, "You instantly raise the stakes to the maximum level and force people to fundamentally rethink how they interact with the virtual world and the players inside it... only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game."

https://www.businessinsider.com/oculus-creator-palmer-luckey-facebook-meta-vr-kill-real-life-2022-11

...

 

[koolishman]

Pig grunts reveal their emotions​

Using more than 7000 audio recordings of pigs, the researchers designed an algorithm that can decode whether an individual pig is experiencing a positive emotion (‘happy’ or ‘excited’), a negative one (‘scared’ or ‘stressed’) or somewhere in between. The recordings were collected in a wide range of situations encountered by commercial pigs, both positive and negative, from when they are born until their deaths.


Show attachment 211991


"With this study, we demonstrate that animal sounds provide great insight into their emotions. We also prove that an algorithm can be used to decode and understand the emotions of pigs, which is an important step towards improved animal welfare for livestock", says Associate Professor Elodie Briefer of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen, who co-led the study.

Pig bystanders are pretty good at resolving anxiety and conflict in the pen

A small study published yesterday in the journal Animal Cognition suggests that when two pigs are fighting, a bystander pig’s intervention can either reduce the number of attacks by the aggressor or can help reduce the anxiety in the victim. This is a step in untangling one part of complex social groups that pigs form—how they may resolve conflict.

According to the authors, the pigs may value different relationships based on what they can provide for each other, such as social support. Damage to social groups caused by feuding closely-related pigs (defined as half or full siblings) might also be less severe because these relationships are possibly considered more secure. However, the distantly related pigs may be more likely to engage in apologetic behavior after a fight to make sure that they still have the social support they need and, importantly, access to shared food resources