David Attenborough documentary A Perfect Planet blends earth science with dazzling images of flamingos, finches and frogs to reveal how natural forces have nurtured life Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264866-a-perfect-planet-review-attenboroughs-new-show-is-one-of-his-best/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: perfect
Five reasons the covid-19 pandemic has been such a nightmare
Humans have faced pandemics before, but some unusual features of covid-19 and modern society have conspired to create the perfect storm this time Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933162-400-five-reasons-the-covid-19-pandemic-has-been-such-a-nightmare/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
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…
No leap second for December 31, 2020
World timekeepers have decreed there will be no leap second on December 31, 2020. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/leap-second-june-30-december-31-why-need-controversy…
Humans are destroying our ‘perfect planet,’ Attenborough says
A new series explores the powerful natural forces that work together to sculpt and support life on our fragile pale blue dot. Source: https://www.livescience.com/perfect-planet-david-attenborough.html
AI-Enabled Cheetos Offer Promise of the Perfect Puff
Microsoft says in a blog post that PepsiCo is using their Project Bonsai “machine teaching” service to “help ensure its Cheetos cheese-puff snacks all have the same texture, crunch and shape,” reports The Wall Street Journal. From the blog post: PepsiCo built a computer vision system that continually monitors Cheeto attributes. Data about qualities such as density and length are fed…
Can’t Get a PlayStation 5? Meet the Grinch Bots Snapping Up the Holidays’ Hottest Gift.
Computer programs that automate online tasks, called bots, have aligned with the coronavirus pandemic and low inventories of hot products to create a perfect storm of holiday disappointment — or opportunity, depending on your perspective. From a report: On Black Friday, when it launched a deal on the console, Walmart.com says it blocked more than 20 million bot attempts in the…
The curious case of the “glacier mice” that seem to dance on ice
Fuzzy moss balls that colonise glaciers and move in perfect unison have puzzled scientists for decades. Now, thanks to some painstaking surveillance, they are finally giving up their secrets Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833132-900-the-curious-case-of-the-glacier-mice-that-seem-to-dance-on-ice/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Cyberpunk 2077 Bugs Hit CD Projekt
An anonymous reader shares a report: Numerous glitches reported by players as the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 game went live robbed creator CD Projekt of a stock surge on the back of encouraging advance-order sales figures. Poland’s biggest computer-games studio sold more than eight million copies of the futuristic title prior to its official release, mainly using higher-margin digital distribution. Excitement around…
For 3rd data release, Gaia gazed toward galactic anticenter
The 3rd data release from the Gaia mission will provide astronomers with a “treasure trove” of information they didn’t have before. As they analyze Gaia’s data in the years ahead, we’re sure to learn new and surprising things about our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/gaia-3rd-data-release-edr3-dec-2020…