Happy birthday to Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton, born on January 4, 1643, discovered the laws of motion and other principles that laid the foundation of physics and astronomy. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/this-date-in-science-isaac-newtons-birthday…

Japan Developing Wooden Satellites To Cut Space Junk

Joe2020 shares a report: A Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to develop what they hope will be the world’s first satellites made out of wood by 2023. Sumitomo Forestry said it has started research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in space. The partnership will begin experimenting with different types of wood in extreme environments…

DeepMind’s AI Agent MuZero Could Turbocharge YouTube

DeepMind’s latest AI program can attain “superhuman performance” in tasks without needing to be given the rules. From a report: Like the research hub’s earlier artificial intelligence agents, MuZero achieved mastery in dozens of old Atari video games, chess, and the Asian board games of Go and Shogi. But unlike its predecessors, it had to work out their rules for itself….

2020 in review: What happened to all the tree-planting plans?

Enthusiasm for trees as a way to mitigate climate change seems to have waned, as pledges to plant millions have fallen short this year Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833130-500-2020-in-review-what-happened-to-all-the-tree-planting-plans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

New Milky Way family tree reveals a chaotic history

Scientists in Germany have created a new family tree of our Milky Way galaxy, showing how it has grown over billions of years from chaotic mergers with smaller galaxies. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/milky-way-family-tree-progenitor-galaxy-collisions-kraken…

Woodpecker’s winter stash

Acorn woodpeckers can be found in the North American West, and in Mexico and Central America. They harvest acorns directly from oak trees, then store the nuts in individually drilled holes in one or more trees, known as “granaries.” A single tree may be carrying 50,000 stored nuts! Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/photo-acorn-woodpecker-winter-stash…

Ancestor of pterosaurs might have been a tree-climbing reptile

The origin of pterosaurs has long been a mystery but recent discoveries show clear connections with a long-extinct group of reptiles Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2262116-ancestor-of-pterosaurs-might-have-been-a-tree-climbing-reptile/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

What’s the birthstone for December?

If you were born December, you’ve got 2 birthstones, turquoise and zircon. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/december-birthstone-zircon-turquoise…