We have learned that Brad Cox, computer scientist known mostly for creating the Objective-C programming language with his business partner Tom Love, died on January 2, 2021 at his residence. He was 76. From a Legacy.com post: Brad was born on May 2, 1944 in Fort Benning, Georgia, to the late Nancy Hinson Cox and Dewey McBride Cox of Lake City,…
Tag: Connecticut
Personal solstices
Photos from EarthSky community members around the world, showing what the December solstice – bringing winter to half of Earth, and summer to the other half – means to them. Thanks to all of you for sharing these evocative images with us! Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/personal-solstices-photos-dec-earthsky-community…
LiquidPiston’s ‘Inside-Out’ Rotary X-Engine Wins Army Research Contract
Connecticut-based company LiquidPiston is developing a portable generator for the US Army that uses its X-Engine, a fresh and extremely powerful take on the rotary engine that’ll deliver as much power as the Army’s current-gen-set at one-fifth the size. New Atlas reports: We’ve written a few times before about the fascinating LiquidPiston rotary engine. It’s not a Wankel — indeed, it’s…
Comcast To Enforce 1.2TB Data Cap In Entire 39-State Territory In Early 2021
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Comcast’s 1.2TB monthly data cap is coming to 12 more states and the District of Columbia starting January 2021. The unpopular policy was already enforced in most of Comcast’s 39-state US territory over the past few years, and the upcoming expansion will for the first time bring the cap to every market…
Ancient microbial life used arsenic to thrive in a world without oxygen
Today, most life on Earth is supported by oxygen. But ancient microbial mats existed for a billion years before oxygen was present in the atmosphere. So what did life use instead? Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/ancient-microbial-life-arsenic…
Can you see the Big Dipper in autumn?
Sure, it’s easy to recognize, but sometimes the Big Dipper is low in the northern sky, or not visible at all. That’s the case now, in the evening. How to spot it. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/can-you-see-the-big-dipper-in-autumn…
EarthSky’s top 10 tips for super stargazers
Here are 10 simple tips that can help you connect with the night sky, and have fun. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/getting-started-2…
New Hubble Observations Suggest Gap in Current Dark Matter Models
Long-time Slashdot reader bsharma shares an announcement from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope site:
Researchers found that small-scale concentrations of dark matter in clusters produce gravitational lensing effects that are 10 times stronger than expected. This evidence is based on unprecedently detailed observations of several massive galaxy clusters by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in…
AMC Is Reopening Theaters Today With 15-Cent Tickets
In honor of its 100th anniversary, AMC is reopening theaters across the nation today after closing down because of the coronavirus pandemic. “[F]or one day only, tickets will be priced at their 1920 cost of 15 cents apiece,” reports CNET. From the report: More than 100 AMC locations are scheduled to reopen Aug. 20, including in areas across Georgia, Texas, Connecticut,…
Many Police Departments Have Software That Can Identify People In Crowds
An anonymous reader quotes a report from BuzzFeed News: As protesters demand an end to police brutality and the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the nation, police departments around the country are using software that can track and identify people in crowds from surveillance footage — often with little to no public oversight or knowledge. Dozens of cities around the country are using…