Half a century ago a tiny military-funded experiment changed the world in ways we are only just coming to terms with – for good and bad Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24432530-300-happy-50th-birthday-internet-how-it-was-born-with-an-error-message/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: birthday
Alphabet’s ‘Wing’ Finally Launches America’s First Drone Delivery Service, Beating Amazon
An anonymous reader quotes Newsweek: Wing, an offshoot of Google parent company Alphabet, officially launched its drone delivery service Friday, delivering a FedEx package — a birthday gift for Susie Sensmeier from her husband, Paul — through the air from a distribution center to the couple’s home in Christiansburg, Virginia, according to the company’s blog. the first company to receive Federal…
Analogue Announces Game Boy Clone Dubbed ‘Analogue Pocket’
Analogue is set to announce a new Game Boy clone. From a report: Analogue, known for their FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)-based hardware clones of the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis/Megadrive, will be launching a handheld addition to their lineup called the “Analogue Pocket.” The unit will be compatible with the entire library of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games,…
Alexei Leonov, the First Human To Walk In Space, Has Died At Age 85
The Russian space agency confirmed Friday that legendary cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first human to walk in space and later the commander of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that docked with a NASA Apollo capsule, has died after a long illness. CBS News reports: An accomplished amateur artist and a widely respected statesman in the international space community, Leonov remained a lifelong…
A year with 13 Friday the 13ths?
Should we ever adopt the International Fixed Calendar, we’d have 13 months in a year, with each month containing a Friday the 13th. Friggatriskaidekaphobia – aka fear of Friday the 13th – would be rampant! Or not. Read more about this calendar system here. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/13-month-calendar-would-mean-13-friday-the-13ths…
New Universal Basic Income Experiment Finds 40% of Money Spent On Food
“The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy people get $500 a month from the government shows they spend most of it on things such as food, clothing and utility bills,” reports the Associated Press: The 18-month, privately funded program started in February and involves 125 people in Stockton…. But critics say the experiment likely won’t provide…
Today in science: Happy birthday Albert J. Myer
As you check your local weather forecast today, give a nod to Albert J. Myer, born on this date in 1828, who helped to establish the US National Weather Service. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/albert-j-myers-birthday-national-weather-service…
Jack Ma Steps Down On 20th Birthday of Alibaba
Jack Ma has stepped down from the position of chairman at the company he co-founded exactly 20 years ago. Ma announced his retirement plans last year, saying at the time he wanted to spend more time focusing on education. ZDNet reports: Ma bid farewell to Alibaba, sporting a rock star wig and guitar at an employee event Tuesday, according to Reuters….
Study Suggests Link Between Air Pollution and Psychiatric Disorders
pgmrdlm shares a report from StudyFinds: Could the very air we breathe have an impact on our mental health? That’s the suggestion coming out of a new international study conducted in the United States and Denmark. After analyzing long-term data sets from both countries, researchers from the University of Chicago say they have identified a possible link between exposure to environmental…
100-Year-Old James Lovelock Predicts Humans Will Be Replaced by Self-Aware AI
A new book by futurist James Lovelock argues “Our supremacy as the prime understanders of the cosmos is rapidly coming to end. The understanders of the future will not be humans but what I choose to call ‘cyborgs’ that will have designed and built themselves.” An anonymous reader quotes NBC News’ Mach blog:
Lovelock describes cyborgs as the self-sufficient, self-aware descendants of…