German Investigators Shut Down Biggest Illegal Marketplace On the Darknet

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Associated Press: German prosecutors said Tuesday that they have taken down what they believe was the biggest illegal marketplace on the darknet and arrested its suspected operator. The site, known as DarkMarket, was shut down on Monday, prosecutors in the southwestern city of Koblenz said. All sorts of drugs, forged money, stolen or…

Australia clamps down in response to cases of UK coronavirus variant

Australian authorities have responded to the first case of the UK coronavirus variant escaping quarantine hotels with a swift lockdown and additional measures in a bid to prevent an outbreak Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264588-australia-clamps-down-in-response-to-cases-of-uk-coronavirus-variant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

The Problem With Problem Sharks

A marine biologist’s ideas for singling out sharks that attack humans have prompted objections from other shark scientists. From a report: The war on sharks has been waged with shock and awe at times. When a shark bit or killed a swimmer, people within the past century might take out hundreds of the marine predators to quell the panic, like executing…

Space weather in Proxima’s vicinity dims hopes of habitable worlds

Astronomers used radio waves to study conditions in the vicinity of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our sun. The results suggest Proxima’s 2 known planets are likely bathed in intense radiation from this star, casting doubt on the planets’ potential for life. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/proxima-centauri-space-weather-planets-uninhabitable…

After 11 Years, Australia Declares Its National Broadband Network Is ‘Built and Fully Operational’

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Register: Australia has declared its national broadband network (NBN) is “built and fully operational,” ending a saga that stretches back to the mid-2000s. Minister for communications, cyber safety and the arts Paul Fletcher declared the build complete in a Wednesday statement that admitted 35,000 premises remain unable to connect to the network, but…

The Large Magellanic Cloud, our galactic neighbor

The Large Magellanic Cloud is a petite galaxy visible with the unaided eye – all year round – for those in the Southern Hemisphere. This small neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way is somewhere between spiral and irregular in shape. Source: https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/the-large-magellanic-cloud…

Australian ‘Super Seaweed’ Supplement To Reduce Cattle Gas Emissions Wins $1 Million International Prize

SpamSlapper shares a report from The Australian Broadcasting Corporation: A company commercializing a CSIRO-developed, seaweed feed product, which slashes the amount of greenhouse gases cattle burp and fart into the atmosphere, has won a $1 million international prize for its work reshaping the food system. CSIRO-affiliated company Future Feed said it would use its Food Planet Prize winnings to create an…

Favorite photos of 2020’s Geminid meteor shower

EarthSky community members from around the world share their photos and experiences of this year’s Geminid meteor shower, here. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/favorite-photos-of-2020s-geminid-meteor-shower…

FDA Authorizes 1st Home Coronavirus Test That Doesn’t Require A Prescription

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized the first coronavirus test that people will be able to buy at a local store without a prescription and use for immediate results at home to find out if they’re positive or negative. From a report: The test will cost about $30 and be available by January, according to the Australian company…

The Zodiac Killer’s Cipher Has Been Solved After 51 Years

“It’s taken over 50 years, but the solution to the Zodiac Killer’s cipher has been found,” writes Slashdot reader quonset. CNN reports: Dubbed the “340 cipher,” the message was unraveled by a trio of code breakers — David Oranchak, a software developer in Virginia, Jarl Van Eycke, a Belgian computer programmer, and Sam Blake, an Australian mathematician. The Zodiac Killer is…