The discovery of the most metal-poor globular cluster recorded to date has forced scientists to rethink how both galaxies and globular clusters form. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/metal-poor-globular-cluster-ext8-found-in-andromeda-galaxy…
Tag: balance
Facebook Bans Holocaust Denial On its Platform
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Monday that the tech giant would be expanding its hate speech policies to ban any content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust.” From a report: Zuckerberg was caught flat-footed in a 2018 interview with Kara Swisher, then host of the Recode Decode podcast, when he said that he didn’t believe Facebook should take down Holocaust denial…
Cory Doctorow: Tech Workers Are Now Questioning the Powers Technology Gives
“Anyone who has ever fallen in love with technology knows the amount of control that it gives you,” says Cory Doctorow. But in a new interview about his recently-released scifi novel Attack Surface, he argues that many Silicon Valley employees are now having second thoughts: If you can express yourself well to a computer it will do exactly what you tell…
The human heart in space: What can we learn from mathematical modeling
Human spaceflight has been fascinating man for centuries, representing the intangible need to explore the unknown, challenge new frontiers, advance technology and push scientific boundaries further. A key aspect of long-term human spaceflight is the physiological response and consequent microgravity (0G) adaptation, which has all the features of accelerated aging involving almost every body system: muscle atrophy and bone loss, onset…
Bad balance: why dangerous falls are on the rise around the world
Modern lifestyles are making our balance worse – and leaving us more vulnerable to devastating trips and falls. The good news is, it’s never too late to regain your poise Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833030-800-bad-balance-why-dangerous-falls-are-on-the-rise-around-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
MS Treatment a Step Closer After Drug Shown To Repair Nerve Coating
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Doctors believe they are closer to a treatment for multiple sclerosis after discovering a drug that repairs the coatings around nerves that are damaged by the disease. A clinical trial of the cancer drug bexarotene showed that it repaired the protective myelin sheaths that MS destroys. The loss of myelin causes a…
Senators Introduce Bipartisan ‘Unplug Internet Kill Switch Act of 2020,’ Preventing a President From Denying Access To the Internet
Yesterday, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the bipartisan ”Unplug the Internet Kill Switch Act of 2020” (S. 4646), which would help protect Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights by preventing a president from using emergency powers to unilaterally take control over or deny access to the internet and other telecommunications capabilities. Slashdot reader…
CIA’s New Tech Recruiting Pitch: More Patents, More Profits
America’s most famous spy agency has a major competitor it can’t quite seem to beat: Silicon Valley. From a report: The CIA has long been a place cutting-edge technology is researched, developed, and realized — and it wants to lead in fields like artificial intelligence and biotechnology. However, recruiting and retaining the talent capable of building these tools is a challenge…
Earth in the balance today
Guy Ottewell’s insights on today’s autumnal equinox. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/insights-equinoxes-solstices-guy-ottewell…
New design principles for spin-based quantum materials
As our lives become increasingly intertwined with technology—whether supporting communication while working remotely or streaming our favorite show—so too does our reliance on the data these devices create. Data centers supporting these technology ecosystems produce a significant carbon footprint—and consume 200 terawatt hours of energy each year, greater than the annual energy consumption of Iran. To balance ecological concerns yet meet…