“Scientists have cultivated plants from date palm seeds that languished in ancient ruins and caves for 2,000 years,” writes ScienceAlert. schwit1 shared their report: This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for centuries. The results make it an excellent candidate for studying the longevity of plant seeds. From…
Tag: Middle East
Hackers Acting in Turkey’s Interests Believed To Be Behind Recent Cyberattacks
Sweeping cyberattacks targeting governments and other organizations in Europe and the Middle East are believed to be the work of hackers acting in the interests of the Turkish government, Reuters reported Monday, citing three senior Western security officials said. From the report: The hackers have attacked at least 30 organizations, including government ministries, embassies and security services as well as companies…
Were snakes the source of China’s coronavirus outbreak?
A report suggests that snakes – the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra – might have been the original source of the coronavirus that’s triggered an outbreak of deadly infectious respiratory illnesses in China this year. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/snakes-original-source-china-coronavirus-outbreak…
71-Year-Old William Gibson Explores ‘Existing Level of Weirdness’ For New Dystopian SciFi Novel
71-year-old science fiction author William Gibson coined the word “cyberspace” in his 1984 novel Neuromancer. 36 years later he’s back with an even more dystopian future in his new novel Agency. But in a surprisingly candid interview in the Daily Beast, Gibson says he prefers watching emerging new technologies first because “To use it is to be changed by it; you’re…
‘Police Tracked a Terror Suspect on WhatsApp — Until His Phone Went Dark After a Warning From Facebook’
“A team of European law-enforcement officials was hot on the trail of a potential terror plot in October, fearing an attack during Christmas season, when their keyhole into a suspect’s phone went dark,” reports the Wall Street Journal: WhatsApp, Facebook Inc.’s popular messaging tool, had just notified about 1,400 users — among them the suspected terrorist — that their phones had…
Are Government Shutdowns of the Internet Becoming The World’s New Normal?
An anonymous reader quotes CNN:
CNN reports that government shutdowns of the internet are becoming the new normal: An ongoing internet blackout in Indian-controlled Kashmir is now the longest ever in a democracy — at more than 135 days — according to Access Now, an advocacy group that tracks internet freedom. Only the autocratic governments of China and junta-era Myanmar have cut…
Solstice sun at southernmost point
The 2018 December solstice happens when it’s sunset (December 21) in the Americas, sunrise (December 22) along the Asian Pacific Coast, noontime (December 21) for Hawaii and Alaska and midnight (December 21-22) for Africa and Europe. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/southernmost-sun-brings-december-solstice…
Driving Measurable Skills Development with Coursera for Business
By Shwetabh Mittal, Director, Product Management 2019 was an unprecedented year for Coursera for Business. With advancing technology and globalization reshaping the future of work, skills development has become a mandate among institutions. Organizations wanting to compete in the changing economy look to Coursera to develop the skills of the future. This year, we grew […]
The post Driving Measurable Skills Development…
Young moon and 3 planets after sunset
Check out the picturesque scene in the west after sunset on November 27, 28 and 29, 2019. The young moon will sweep past 3 planets – Venus, Jupiter and Saturn – wow! Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-3-bright-planets-at-dusk…
Why 536 Was ‘the Worst Year To Be Alive’
Ask medieval historian Michael McCormick what year was the worst to be alive, and he’s got an answer: “536.” Not 1349, when the Black Death wiped out half of Europe. Not 1918, when the flu killed 50 million to 100 million people, mostly young adults. But 536. From a report: In Europe, “It was the beginning of one of the worst…