Eight years after an asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, scientists are taking advantage of a flyby of the infamous asteroid Apophis to practice protecting Earth from space rocks. Source: https://www.livescience.com/apophis-2021-flyby-for-planetary-defense-practice.html
Tag: Dangerous
Boston Dynamics Is Selling its 70-Pound Robot Dog To Police Departments
The New York Times reports on what the city’s police department calls Digidog, “a 70-pound robotic dog with a loping gait, cameras and lights affixed to its frame, and a two-way communication system that allows the officer maneuvering it remotely to see and hear what is happening.”
Police said the robot can see in the dark and assess how safe it is…
Biden Signs Executive Order To Address Chip Shortage Through a Review To Strengthen Supply Chains
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday meant to address a global chip shortage impacting industries ranging from medical supplies to electric vehicles. From a report: The order includes a 100-day review of key products including semiconductors and advanced batteries used in electric vehicles, followed by a broader, long-term review of six sectors of the economy. The long-term review will…
Python Turns 30. A Steering Council Member Reflects
Today is the 30th anniversary of the Python programming language, “which has never been more popular, arguably thanks to the rise of data science and AI projects in the enterprise,” writes Venture Beat. To celebrate the historical releases file has been updated to include Guido van Rossum’s original 0.9.1 beta release from 1991. (Its ReadMe file advises that Python 0.9 “can…
Texas Was ‘Seconds and Minutes’ Away From Catastrophic Monthslong Blackouts, Officials Say
Texas’ power grid was “seconds and minutes” away from a catastrophic failure that could have left Texans in the dark for months, officials with the entity that operates the grid said yesterday. Texas Tribune reports: As millions of customers throughout the state begin to have power restored after days of massive blackouts, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or…
Unity review: A powerful debut sci-fi novel packed full of ideas
In Unity, Elly Bangs conjures a post-apocalyptic Earth where her protagonist, once part of a hive mind, faces a dangerous, fractured future. The novel is a powerful exploration of union, trauma and consent, says Bethan Ackerley Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933220-900-unity-review-a-powerful-debut-sci-fi-novel-packed-full-of-ideas/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Here’s how NASA will safely land a $2.7 billion rhino-sized rover in a dangerous Martian crater
When NASA’s $2.7 billion Perseverance rover plunges like a meteor into the Martian atmosphere on Thursday (Feb. 18), it will put on a show unlike any before in the five-decade history of Red Planet exploration. Source: https://www.livescience.com/perseverance-landing-sequence.html
Why Some Amazon Delivery Drivers Hate Its Safety Monitoring App
Amazon is using AI cameras to monitor drivers of its delivery vans for safety issues — but also a second driver safety app on their phones. Though it’s named Mentor, Mashable reports that “it doesn’t seem to be helping…” CNBC talked to drivers who said the app mostly invades their privacy or miscalculates dangerous driving behavior. One driver said even though…
How the Ozone Layer Was ‘Rescued’ From a Spike in CFC
Thelasko shared this report from the BBC: A steady decline in the levels of ozone-harming CFC chemicals in the atmosphere has resumed, scientists say. This follows a recent, dangerous pause in that downward trajectory, which could have slowed the healing of Earth’s protective ozone layer. Atmospheric measurements published in 2018 pointed to illegal CFC production that was occurring in Eastern China….
Saturday’s strong earthquake in Japan called ‘aftershock’ of deadly 2011 quake
No fatalities have been reported in the February 13, 2021 strong earthquake in Japan, which occurred off Japan’s east coast, near the epicenter of the 2011 9.0-magnitude Tohoku earthquake. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/feb-13-2021-7-magnitude-quake-japan-aftershock-2011…