Palestinian people comb a landfill site in Gaza for scrap to sell.Credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty The Chemical Age: How Chemists Fought Famine and Disease, Killed Millions, and Changed Our Relationship with the Earth Frank A. von Hippel Univ. Chicago Press (2020) The Contamination of the Earth: A History of Pollutions in the Industrial Age François Jarrige
Month: August 2020
VALLETTA, Malta — Spanish launch startup PLD Space has completed critical testing of the company’s Teprel-B rocket engine. The engine is expected to power the single-stage suborbital Mirua 1 launch vehicle. In an Aug. 28 statement, PLD Space said it had successfully completed a series of thrust vector control tests on the kerosene-fueled Teprel-B rocket
Deep qubits: practical quantum computers based on superconducting technologies may have to be located underground to protect against decoherence by ionizing radiation. (Courtesy: iStock/Devrimb) Such is their sensitivity to environmental noise, quantum computers might in future be shielded by thick layers of lead and even operated deep underground. So say physicists in the US, who
Several storms may develop this week, and officials are eyeing four tropical systems coming this way. There is currently one off the US coast in its southeast corner, which seems to have the highest chances of developing within the coming few days. Even if Marco and Laura have already gone, officials are still alert for coming weather events detected from the tropics. (Photo:
Amazon.com is testing out the viability of drone delivery for small packages. Amazon.com Amazon received federal approval to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday, a milestone that allows the company to expand unmanned package delivery. The approval will give Amazon broad privileges to “safely and efficiently deliver
Let’s say you wanted to sort people according to the colours they have dyed their hair. You could line them all up, single file, and send those with blue hair to one spot, undyed hair to another, and so on. That’s what we do with cells in a process called flow cytometry. You stain the
Neutrino events from a supernova were first captured in 1987, when a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud exploded, seen here in a wide-field image from Hubble. Credits: NASA/STScI By Korena Di Roma Howley For a particle with no charge and nearly no mass, the neutrino gets a lot of scientific press—and it’s no wonder
HELSINKI — China is making progress with a spaceport to facilitate sea-based launch activity and development of rockets, satellites and related applications. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), the country’s main space contractor, is developing the spaceport in Haiyang City on the coast of the eastern province of Shandong. The ‘Eastern aerospace port’
As corporate interest in carbon removal options grows, Puro.earth, a startup from Finland, is offering a twist on carbon marketplaces. Instead of selling and trading credits related to nature-based solutions, its exchange features industrial businesses that store carbon dioxide in products such as biochar, timber construction and other building materials. Puro.earth co-founder Antti Vihavainen said
TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. Dado Ruvic | Reuters Chinese-owned TikTok is not in talks to sell its U.S. business to rival short-video-sharing app Triller, the company told CNBC on Monday. “We can confirm that we are not and will
In vivo delivery of a gene-editing protein (Cre-recombinase) into the mouse brain, visualized as red fluorescence (scale bar 100 μm). Inset: transmission electron microscopy image of lipid nanoparticles containing Cre-recombinase (scale bar 0.1 μm). (Courtesy: Qiaobing Xu, Tufts University) Nanoparticles doped with molecules derived from a neurotransmitter can smuggle chemical cargoes across the blood–brain barrier
A video of the last moments of a mother dolphin and her calf have been circulating online a month after the disastrous Mauritius oil spill. Minutes before the baby dolphin died, it rolled over on its side as the mother tried to stay its head above waters to stay alive. Yasfeer Heenaye filmed the heartbreaking moment.
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab successfully launched a radar imaging satellite for Capella Space Aug. 30 in the first flight of its Electron rocket since a failure nearly two months earlier. The Electron lifted off from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:05 p.m. Eastern. It deployed its payload, the Sequoia radar imaging
Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman Snowflake In an era of founder-led tech companies, Snowflake’s Frank Slootman is a corporate throwback. Slootman, 61, is a professional CEO. He’s an operations guru, the leader who turns a jet plane into a rocketship and makes piles of cash for investors, employees, and himself. Along the way, some feelings will get
Have you ever lost something and never found it again? I just sometimes wish that everything should have some sort of a GPS device attached to it so that we know its location always. Might sound pretty impractical but then just imagine, I could have found my favorite jacket that was left behind on a
Congress in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requires an annual update on the $150 million Space C2 program. WASHINGTON — Space-monitoring software apps used by U.S. military are now being updated every 90 days, says a new report delivered to Congress Aug. 21. The apps are developed under a program known as Space C2,
A few weeks ago, I wrote a GreenBiz piece about what Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can teach us about the moment we’re in right now, based on our latest polling of Americans. At Circularity 2020, I’m talking about how to engage people in recycling, and the two ideas are linked together. The gist is that
Taken from the August 2020 issue of Physics World. Members of the Institute of Physics can enjoy the full issue via the Physics World app. Unsafe science There is a lot we still don’t know about natural disasters, such as exactly when a volcano will erupt. (Courtesy: iStock/Beboy_ltd) “Comfort’s in Heaven, and we are on
Hurricane Laura is counted among the most powerful storms in US history. In its wake, it ravaged Louisiana, killed six people and left massive damage and destruction. (Photo: Reuters Connect )Workers Bobby Ore and Steve Piersall remove a tree that fell onto a house in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., August 28, 2020. The
Amazon Halo accessory bands Source: Amazon This week’s launch of the Amazon Halo wearable represents a critical new entrant not only into the health-tech wearable industry, but also into the broader health care ecosystem. Amazon’s Halo will compete with Fitbit and Apple Watch, and start-ups like the Oura Ring. But the device not only allows customers
Introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), the proposal to use navy ranks got a prominent endorsement from the Starfleet captain himself, William Shatner. WASHINGTON — Before the House passed the so-called “Starfleet” amendment, Space Force officials had been internally debating a new rank structure to set the space branch apart from its parent service the
© AuntMinnieEurope.com As a medical physicist at a large public trauma hospital in Melbourne, Australia, I’m not a frontline worker, but many of my colleagues in radiology are face-to-face with COVID-19 positive or suspected patients. As staff get more fatigued and confront the many challenges of the pandemic, I wanted to support them by making
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)Seaweed has many benefits; it may be able to replace plastic as a future source of fuel and food. Seaweed has many benefits; it may replace plastic as a future source of fuel and food. Seaweed is classified as algae. It is fast-growing, uses energy from the sun, and consumes carbon dioxide and nutrients from seawater. Scientists are suggesting
Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the F8 Facebook Developers conference on April 30, 2019 in San Jose, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images When I was in college in 2008, I bought and sold used items on Craigslist. I used it to buy speakers, TVs and old microwaves. But, when it came time for
Marine Corps Mastery Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker will take over for Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman WASHINGTON — Marine Corps Mastery Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker on Aug. 28 will assume duties as the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Space Command, a spokesperson for U.S. Space Command said Aug. 27, Stalker will take over
In 10 short years, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) arguably has done more than any other group to define and advance the circular economy. Its landmark report, “The New Plastics Economy” (PDF), sounded the alarm in 2016 that if “business as usual” continues, by 2025 the ocean may hold more plastic than fish by weight. Its commitment
Elon Musk isn’t content with electric cars, shooting people into orbit, populating Mars and building underground tunnels to solve traffic problems. He also wants to get inside your brain. His startup, Neuralink, wants to one day implant computer chips inside the human brain. The goal is to develop implants that can treat neural disorders —
The TikTok app icon sits displayed on a smartphone in front the national flags of China and the U.S. in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. Hollie Adams | Bloomberg | Getty Images An updated export rule from China could jeopardize the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to reports published
WASHINGTON — Emirati fleet operator Yahsat on Aug. 27 announced a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to build a satellite for its Thuraya mobile voice and data connectivity subsidiary, beginning a long-awaited refresh of its L-band network. The contract covers a satellite designated Thuraya-4 NGS, and includes an option for a Thuraya-5 NGS satellite
If you believe Earth has some bad weather, you might want to think again. Earth’s worst storms are nothing compared to the sulfuric acid rain on Venus, towering dust devils on Mars, or supersonic winds on Neptune. We actually have it pretty cushy here on Earth. —————————————————— #ExtremeWeather #SolarSystem Science Insider tells you all you
Taken from the August 2020 issue of Physics World, where it appeared under the headline “The power of authority”. Members of the Institute of Physics can enjoy the full issue via the Physics World app. The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined why the authority of science is so important – and how it’s so easy to
Cats and dogs are said to be colorblind or see the world in black and white and have more heightened senses than humans. But according to Katherine Houpt, a professor at Cornell’s College of Veterinary of Medicine, but colorblindness is not entirely true. Here are some things you should know about your cats and dogs: Colorblindness is not entirely true.
The launch of NROL-44 was aborted three seconds before the Delta 4 Heavy was to lift off from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral WASHINGTON — A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office classified spy satellite remains on the ground after a mission abort Aug. 29 during the ignition
German auto giant Mercedes-Benz announced its largest order of electric vehicles to date Friday: 1,800 electric delivery vans for retail giant Amazon to use across Europe. The deal shows how companies are increasingly paying attention to ways to decarbonize transportation including buying more zero-emission commercial vehicles. In particular, the market for electric last-mile delivery vehicles
Plastics recycling is failing. Globally, over 350 million metric tons of plastic are produced annually, but according to the OECD, only 14-18% of that is recycled. And now that China has stopped importing the world’s plastic waste, we’re being forced to deal with it domestically. The problem is, most plastics just aren’t recyclable. And even those
Electrical current in graphene shows fluid-like flow. Courtesy: Walsworth and Yacoby research groups, Harvard and University of Maryland A team led by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Maryland in the US has used defects in diamond to map the magnetic field generated by electrical currents in graphene. Their experiments reveal that currents
A chemicals plant located in Lake Charles in Louisiana is on fire due to the ravages of Hurricane Laura. The fire occurred this morning. It is considered to be the worst damage currently caused by Hurricane Laura since it started to pass through the region last Thursday, August 27, making landfall last night with a
The Space and Missile Systems Center needs a digital workflow system for the development of classified early-warning and communications satellites. WASHINGTON — Space Force managers of classified satellite programs are asking tech companies for ideas on how to build a virtual work environment with high levels of security. The Space and Missile Systems Center in
Jeep has been releasing preview images of the Grand Wagoneer concept vehicle ahead of its official debut on Sept. 3. Jeep The future direction of Jeep will be unveiled next week with the debuts of two new SUVs: a concept version of the resurrected Grand Wagoneer and a hybrid electric version of the brand’s flagship Wrangler SUV. Both
A pig with a Neuralink implant. Screengrab of live demo Elon Musk’s brain-machine interface company, Neuralink, conducted a live demo of its technology on Friday, showing a coin-sized device without wires. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO brought along three pigs, who had varying levels of interest in cooperating. Eventually, the audience was shown real-time neural
The decades-old dream of zipping around in the sky as simply as driving on highways may be becoming less illusory. Japan’s SkyDrive, among the myriads of “flying car” projects around the world, has carried out a successful though modest test flight with one person aboard. In a video shown to reporters on Friday, a contraption
A health worker immunizes a child during a polio vaccination campaign in northwest Nigeria in 2017.Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Africa is free from wild poliovirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on 25 August — leaving just two countries where the virus remains endemic. The Africa Regional Certification Commission, an independent body responsible for overseeing
WASHINGTON — NASA and Boeing announced an updated schedule of test flights of the company’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle that would allow it to begin operational missions to the International Space Station at the end of 2021. In an Aug. 28 statement, NASA said it had scheduled a second uncrewed test flight, known as
Week in Review Stories discussed this week (6:45). Features Mainstage highlights from Circularity 20 (19:10) This week, GreenBiz hosted Circularity 20, the largest North American conference focused on circular economy issues. We’ll be posting videos for many systems in coming weeks. Meanwhile, here are highlights from four of our mainstage speakers. (A second batch is forthcoming
Complex physics: a water polo goalkeeper uses the eggbeater kick to rise up in the water. (Courtesy: Ryanjo/CC BY-SA 3.0) Water polo is a gruelling sport and even staying in one place requires the continuous effort of treading water. To extend their reach for the ball while stationary, players use a kick called the “eggbeater”
Founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the annual Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2020. Kuhlmann | Munich Security Conference Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday told employees that the company’s failure to remove the page and event for a militia group before two people were killed at a protest in Kenosha,
The use of glue bird traps was suspended by French President Emmanuel Macron to stop the controversial practice of hunting birds on Thursday. France was warned in July this year by the European Commission that it would face legal sanction should the practice continue, and was given three months to comply with the EU’s 2009
The risk of dying from COVID-19 increases significantly with age.Credit: Jose Coelho/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock For every 1,000 people infected with the coronavirus who are under the age of 50, almost none will die. For people in their fifties and early sixties, about five will die — more men than women. The risk then climbs steeply as the
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