Search for ETs among 10 million stars comes up empty

Astronomers used a radio telescope in Australia to search for artificial radio signals among 10 million stars. The search came up empty. But, they say, that’s not bad news for those hoping to find intelligent extraterrestrials. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence-10-million-stars…

The 61 Books Elon Musk Has Recommended on Twitter

Entrepreneur magazine writes:
Although his days are presumably filled with Tesla, SpaceX, cyber pigs and lots and lots of tweeting, it seems Elon Musk also finds the time to make reading part of his routine. The billionaire businessman is known for sharing (and oversharing) all his recommendations and thoughts on Twitter, so it’s no surprise that books are part of that. Most…

Jupiter, Saturn, moon on June 6-8, plus a word about the daytime moon

If you stay up late on the nights of June 6, 7 and 8, 2020, you can glimpse the moon with the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn, ascending in the east. Or see them before daybreak. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/daytime-moon-this-upcoming-week…

Instead of Hazard Pay, Spectrum Offered a $25 Gift Card To Technicians Who Enter Homes Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

Amber Jamieson writes via BuzzFeed News: Spectrum technicians connecting cable and internet for customers during the coronavirus outbreak will receive a $25 gift card for a local restaurant as a “token of our appreciation” from management, after staff called for hazard pay and protective equipment. “These gift cards never expire, so if you choose a restaurant that is currently not open,…

Earliest sunsets for 40 degrees N. around now

Earliest sunsets for 30 degrees N. were centered on late November and early December. Earliest sunsets at mid-northern latitudes are happening now. S. Hemisphere? Watch for your earliest sunrises. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/earliest-sunset-today-but-not-shortest-day…

Google Lured Billions of Consumers To Its Digital Services by Offering Free Cloud Storage. That’s Beginning To Change.

Google has whittled down some free storage offers in recent months, while prodding more users toward a new paid cloud subscription called Google One. That’s happening as the amount of data people stash online continues to soar. From a report: When people hit those caps, they realize they have little choice but to start paying, or risk losing access to emails,…

Bell Labs Plans Big 50th Anniversary Event For Unix

Photographer Peter Adams launched a “Faces of Open Source” portrait project in 2014. This week he posted a special announcement on the web site of Bell Labs: Later this month, Bell Labs will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Unix with a special two day “Unix 50” event at their historic Murray Hill headquarters. This event should be one for the history…

Two Mathematicians Solve Old Math Riddle, Possibly the Meaning of Life

pgmrdlm shares a report from Live Science: In Douglas Adams’ sci-fi series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a pair of programmers task the galaxy’s largest supercomputer with answering the ultimate question of the meaning of life, the universe and everything. After 7.5 million years of processing, the computer reaches an answer: 42. Only then do the programmers realize that nobody…

Would you have believed the Great Moon Hoax?

It sounds preposterous today. But – beginning on today’s date in 1835 – a newspaper claimed a famous astronomer had found life on the moon, including bat-men and unicorns. The Great Moon Hoax was widely read and believed. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/great-moon-hoax-august-25-1835…

Perseid meteors 2019: All you need to know

The Perseid meteor shower has already begun its slow and steady rise to its peak. In 2019, the peak mornings – around August 11, 12 and 13 – will be troubled by moonlight. Plan to watch for Perseid meteors in early August this year, then be prepared for moonlight at the peak. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-perseid-meteor-shower…