What’s the coldest Earth has ever been?

Our planet’s history includes episodes of cold so extreme that glaciers reached sea level in equatorial regions. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/whats-coldest-earth-has-ever-been…

Canadian Regulator Clears Launch of World’s First Bitcoin ETF

Canada’s main securities regulator has cleared the launch of the world’s first bitcoin exchange traded fund, an investment manager said on Friday, providing investors greater access to the cryptocurrency that has sparked an explosion in trading interest. Reuters reports: The Ontario Securities Commission has approved the launch of Purpose Bitcoin ETF, Toronto-based asset management company Purpose Investments Inc. said in a…

See the young moon on February 12, 13 and 14

Beginning on February 12, look west after sunset for the young moon – a thin lunar crescent – in the west shortly after sunset. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-feb-12-13-14-2021…

General Motors Hit by Chip Shortage

General Motors became the latest automaker hit by the global shortage of semiconductor chips as the U.S. automaker said on Wednesday it will take down production next week at four assembly plants. From a report: GM said it will cut production entirely during the week of Feb. 8 at plants in Fairfax, Kansas; Ingersoll, Ontario; and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It…

What causes sun pillars or light pillars?

Sun pillars, or light pillars, are shafts of light extending from the sun or other bright light sources under the right atmospheric conditions. They’re caused by ice crystals drifting in Earth’s air. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/what-is-a-sun-pillar…

Midday fireball, boom thrill gazers from Ontario to Virginia

A noontime boom that was heard and felt from southern Ontario to Virginia was likely caused by a disintegrating meteor, according to an organization in western New York that keeps track of such phenomena. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-12-midday-fireball-boom-thrill-gazers.html…

Cheating-Detection Software Provokes ‘School-Surveillance Revolt’

New webcam-based anti-cheating monitoring is so stressful, it’s made some students cry, the Washington Post reports: “Online proctoring” companies saw in coronavirus shutdowns a chance to capitalize on a major reshaping of education, selling schools a high-tech blend of webcam-watching workers and eye-tracking software designed to catch students cheating on their exams. They’ve taken in millions of dollars, some of it…

‘Fireball’ meteorite contains pristine extraterrestrial organic compounds

On the night of January 16, 2018, a fireball meteor streaked across the sky over the Midwest and Ontario before landing on a frozen lake in Michigan. Scientists used weather radar to find where the pieces landed and meteorite hunters were able to collect the meteorite quickly, before its chemical makeup got changed by exposure to liquid water. And, as a…

NASA to announce mysterious moon discovery on Monday

NASA’s upcoming news conference on October 26, 2020 promises “an exciting new discovery about the moon,” with references to the agency’s ambitious Artemis program, a plan to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/nasa-moon-announcement-monday-october-26-2020-sofia…

Is Momentum Growing for Universal Basic Incomes?

“A successful basic-income trial in Stockton, California, has inspired a chain of similar pilots in other cities,” reports Business Insider:
The city council of Saint Paul, Minnesota, voted to approve funding for a pilot there on Wednesday. The program is set to begin this fall and will give up to 150 low-income families $500 per month for up to 18 months —…