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…

People buying SUVs are cancelling out climate gains from electric cars

Global carbon dioxide emissions from cars are growing because higher numbers of SUVs are cancelling out the reduction due to higher numbers of electric cars Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265449-people-buying-suvs-are-cancelling-out-climate-gains-from-electric-cars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

SpaceX Launches a Falcon 9 Rocket Carrying a Crew Dragon Capsule With Four Astronauts

The big launch finally happens in 2 minutes. “All systems are go for tonight’s launch at 7:27 p.m. EST of Crew Dragon’s first operational mission with four astronauts on board,” SpaceX tweeted this morning. But live coverage is already streaming on SpaceX’s web site. Space.com explains it’s the first operational flight of SpaceX’s “astronaut taxi,” the Crew Dragon:
Called Crew-1, this will…

A Biden Victory Positions America For a 180-Degree Turn On Climate Change

“Joe Biden, the projected winner of the U.S. presidency, will move to restore dozens of environmental safeguards President Donald Trump abolished,” reports the Washington Post, “and launch the boldest climate change plan of any president in history.” destinyland shares their report: While some of Biden’s most sweeping programs will encounter stiff resistance from Senate Republicans and conservative attorneys general, the United…

Cory Doctorow: ‘Self-Driving Cars are Bullshit’

“Self-driving cars are bullshit,” writes Cory Doctorow:
I’m a science fiction writer, so I quite enjoy thinking about self-driving cars. They make for really interesting analogies about data, liability, self-determination, information security and openness… But I’m a science fiction writer and that means I can tell the difference between “thought experiments” and “real things.” Alas, the same cannot be said of corporate…

Acura Invents Airbag That Works Like a Catcher’s Mitt

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Cars, trucks, and SUVs are safer today than they’ve ever been, but with 22,891 recorded U.S. passenger vehicle fatalities in 2018, it’s obvious we still have some way to go. That’s where today’s invention comes in — it’s a new kind of airbag developed by Acura, designed to reduce brain injuries in…