The US Is Worried About Its Critical Minerals Supply Chains
The amounts of lithium, cobalt, graphene, indium and other critical minerals needed for low-carbon technologies alone are expected to increase anywhere from 100% to 1,000% by 2050.
An Australian Space Command Could Be a Force for Good — or a Cause for War
Unlike the US Space Force, which is a separate branch of the military in addition to the army, navy and air force, Australia’s space command will oversee space activities across the Australian Defence Force.
Why Would Anyone Buy NFT Crypto Art and Spend Millions on a Link to a JPEG File?
People can create all the NFTs they want about anything, over and over again. I could make my own NFT claiming that I own the Mona Lisa, and record it to the blockchain, and no one could stop me.
Rest to Time Travel
Imagine that as you are sitting on your lawn chair, a rocket will be passing by at about 86 % the speed of light. Let us take it a step further and consider that you have a laser based clock consisting of a rod with parallel mirrors and, whenever fired, it would take the laser one second to travel to the top mirror, reflect off of it, and travel back to the bottom mirror.
Vitamin K: A Little-Known but Noteworthy Nutrient
Most people know about vitamins A, B, C, D and/or E, but vitamin K slips under the nutritional radar. Yet it is essential for life because it’s required for blood to clot normally. Now scientists are now realizing there is more to know about this less appreciated nutrient.
Twitter Stock Plunges After Trump Account Suspension
The decision to suspend the account of President Trump is bringing unexpected troubles for Twitter. On Monday January 11, 2021, Twitter Stock (NYSE: TWTR) continued its sharp decline, trading at $48.53 in the afternoon.
SpaceX Granted Permission to Launch Satellites Into Polar Orbit
SpaceX received FEC’s permission to launch 10 Starlink satellites into polar orbit as part of their new Transporter-1 mission. Despite their high broadband coverage benefits, they may contribute the already complex space junk problem.
Japan to Build Wooden Satellites to Avoid Space Junk
Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese wood processing company, has started developing wooden satellites, in partnership with Kyoto University. The project is proposed as a solution to the space junk problem. Thus, end-of-life wooden satellites would fully burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere without leaving any harmful debris.
What’s the Difference Between an Outbreak, an Epidemic and a Pandemic?
A pandemic on the other hand refers to a worldwide epidemic, which could have started off as outbreak, escalated to the level of an epidemic and eventually spread to a number of countries across continents.
What Is a Tariff? An Economist Explains
An optimal tariff maximizes the difference between the terms of trade gain and the efficiency loss and hence is essentially a “beggar-thy-neighbor” trade policy.
Satellite Data Provides Fresh Insights Into the Amount of Water in the Nile Basin
Flowing through 11 African countries, the Nile River plays an important role in the lives of more than 24% of Africa’s population. To both upstream and downstream countries, the Nile waters are crucial in development planning, food and energy production.
How We Discovered the Vampire Bat That Has Learned To Drink Human Blood
When we compared our vampire bat DNA sequences with those obtained from goats, pigs, cows, dogs, chickens and humans, we found that Diphylla had consumed blood from chickens and humans.
Magnetism of Himalayas’ Rocks Reveals the Mountains’ Complex Tectonic History
Geologists traveled to collect rocks that erupted as lava more than 60 million years ago. By decoding the magnetic records preserved inside them, we hoped to reconstruct the geography of ancient landmasses – and revise the story of the creation of the Himalayas.
How Reagan’s notions of a ‘good society’ resonate with Trump supporters today
Reagan linked American exceptionalism, particularly its role as a “shining city on a hill” to neoliberal ideas including a limited government, tax cuts and reduced social services. At its heart, neoliberalism views every aspect of civic, social and cultural life in terms of the market economy.
What a Link Between Chocolate and Nobel Prizes Reveals About Our Trust in Scientists
In 2012, Dr Franz Messerli published a short article in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine that took a good hard look at the cognitive benefits of chocolate consumption. As chocolate contains flavanols, thought to facilitate brain cell connections and boost thinking skills, such a study seems to make sense.
U.S. Department of Justice Sues Yale University for Race Discrimination
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Yale University for the alleged discrimination against White and Asian applicants. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday October 9, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. It accuses Yale University of illegally considering the race of the candidates in its admission decisions.
Louise Glück Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature 2020
Louise Glück is an adjunct professor at Yale University. Prior to the Nobel Prize, she has received many literary awards, such as the National Humanities Medal, awarded to her by President Barack Obama in 2010.
Instagram Is Spying on Cameras in the Background, Lawsuit Claims
Instagram is allegedly turning on cameras without users’ approval, according to a federal lawsuit filed against Facebook in San Francisco.
Why Face Masks Can Make Eyes Feel Dry, and What You Can Do About It
Face masks help reduce coronavirus transmission, which has prompted mandates and expert recommendations for their use where social distancing is difficult. As the world emerges from shutdowns, wearing face masks for extended periods of time in settings such as offices will increase.
Open, Honest and Effective: What Makes Jacinda Ardern an Authentic Leader
The qualities that have made Jacinda Ardern New Zealand’s most popular prime minister in a century were on display as she took an earthquake in her stride during a live television interview.
Are You a Cat Whisperer? How to Read Fluffy’s Facial Expressions
While cats may seem mysterious, their behaviour can help us to understand how they are feeling. The position of a cat’s body, head, ears and tail are all telltale hints.
Berlin Wall: Secret Police and the Memories of Two Germanies
Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German government has confirmed plans to incorporate the Stasi files into the Federal Archive.
Police Solve Just 2% of All Major Crimes
When considering approaches to police reform, it’s important to remember that Americans still don’t report about half of major crimes.
San Fernando: 4.2 Earthquake Rocks the City
An earthquake of a 4.2 magnitude rocked the city of San Fernando, Los Angeles, at about 4:29 am on Thursday July 30, 2020. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake’s center was 1.3 miles from Pacoima, and 1.4 miles north-east of San Fernando.
How to Hide From a Drone – the Subtle Art of ‘Ghosting’ in the Age of Surveillance
From startups to major defense contractors, there is a scramble to deny airspace to drones, to hijack drones digitally, to control drones physically and to shoot drones down. Anti-drone measures range from simple blunt force, 10-gauge shotguns, to the poetic: well-trained hawks.