Non-IT News Thread
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Floods: Research shows millions more at risk of flooding
A new study shows that the percentage of the global population at risk from flooding has risen by almost a quarter since the year 2000.
Satellite images were used to document the rise, which is far greater than had been predicted by computer models. The analysis shows that migration and a growing number of flood events are behind the rapid increase. By 2030, millions more will experience increased flooding due to climate and demographic change, the authors say. Flooding is the environmental disaster that impacts more people than any other, say researchers. That view has echoed around the world in recent weeks, with huge inundations destroying lives and property. -
@gjacobse said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Boeing delays rerun of Starliner space capsule test
The American Boeing company is attempting this week to run another test flight of its new astronaut capsule.
The CST-100 Starliner will launch from Florida at some point to showcase how it can ferry crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS). It will be the second test flight, and conducted with no people aboard. The previous demonstration in 2019 encountered software problems that very nearly caused the loss of the capsule. The Starliner will ride to orbit on an Atlas-5 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Controllers had been targeting Tuesday for the launch but scrubbed the countdown with two-and-a-half hours left on the clock, to allow for investigation of technical issues related to the capsule's propulsion system.Starliner has been rolled back to the Assembly Building for additional check, and it is unknown when they will attempt again.
If it is anything like the 737 Max, let's hope they table this forever.
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Climate change: New report will highlight 'stark reality' of warming
UN researchers are set to publish their strongest statement yet on the science of climate change.
The report will likely detail significant changes to the world's oceans, ice caps and land in the coming decades. Due out on Monday, the report has been compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It will be their first global assessment on the science of global heating since 2013. It is expected the forthcoming Summary for Policymakers will be a key document for global leaders when they meet in November. The politicians are due to gather for a climate summit, known as COP26, in Glasgow. -
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Greece fires: PM apologises as blazes rage on Evia island
Greece's prime minister has apologised for failures in tackling the wildfires tearing across the country.
Hundreds of firefighters have been battling huge blazes that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes and destroyed dozens of properties. "We may have done what was humanly possible, but in many cases it was not enough," Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. Thick smoke is still pouring off the island of Evia, north-east of Athens, which has been ablaze for a week. Dozens of homes and acres of forest have already been scorched to the ground in Evia, on the outskirts of the capital, and in other parts of Greece. Hundreds of residents have been ordered to leave the island to escape the fires, though some were determined to stay to defend their properties. -
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Wildfires: How are they linked to climate change?
Recent heatwaves and wildfires around the world have caused alarm - with warnings that parts of Europe and North America could be experiencing the worst fire season ever.
Parts of the western US have seen record-breaking temperatures this year, which - along with severe drought conditions - have triggered a series of major wildfires. So far this year in California, more than twice as many acres of land have been burned by wildfires compared with the five-year average. Dr Susan Prichard, from the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington, says: "We now have the conflagrations in California that we feared, following the record-setting heatwaves. -
Council policies often inconsistent with climate goals
More than a third of English councils support policies that could increase carbon emissions despite having declared a "climate emergency", BBC research suggests.
Road building and airport expansion are among examples provided by 45 out of 121 questionnaire respondents who say they have passed climate motions. Environmentalists say the findings reveal "inconsistencies" in approach. Local leaders insist they are taking action but need more funding. Between March and June the BBC surveyed all 149 top tier councils in England, of which 136 responded. The government has committed to cutting greenhouse gases to almost zero by 2050 - this target is known as net zero. This means reducing emissions as far as possible, then balancing out any remaining releases by, for example, tree planting. The similar term of carbon neutrality refers to doing this for CO2 emissions rather than all greenhouse gases. -
Report: U.S. Citizens Trapped By Taliban In Kabul As State Department Demands Foreign Nationals Be Allowed To Leave
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Haiti earthquake: Death toll climbs to 1,297 as storm nears
Rescue workers are rushing to locate survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday as a tropical storm is heading towards the Caribbean nation.
At least 1,297 people are known to have died in the 7.2-magnitude quake and an unknown number are still missing. Tropical Depression Grace is expected to pass over the worst affected area later on Monday. It is feared heavy rain brought by Grace could trigger landslides. Roads already made impassable by the quake could be further damaged by the rains, so aid teams are racing to get essential provisions to the quake-hit region before Grace hits. -
US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goal
A US science institute is on the verge of achieving a longstanding goal in nuclear fusion research.
The National Ignition Facility uses a powerful laser to heat and compress hydrogen fuel, initiating fusion. An experiment suggests the goal of "ignition", where the energy released by fusion exceeds that delivered by the laser, is now within touching distance. Harnessing fusion, the process that powers the Sun, could provide a limitless, clean energy source. In a process called inertial confinement fusion, 192 beams from NIF's laser - the highest-energy example in the world - are directed towards a peppercorn-sized capsule containing deuterium and tritium, which are different forms of the element hydrogen. -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goal
A US science institute is on the verge of achieving a longstanding goal in nuclear fusion research.
The National Ignition Facility uses a powerful laser to heat and compress hydrogen fuel, initiating fusion. An experiment suggests the goal of "ignition", where the energy released by fusion exceeds that delivered by the laser, is now within touching distance. Harnessing fusion, the process that powers the Sun, could provide a limitless, clean energy source. In a process called inertial confinement fusion, 192 beams from NIF's laser - the highest-energy example in the world - are directed towards a peppercorn-sized capsule containing deuterium and tritium, which are different forms of the element hydrogen.Images of Stargate Atlantis come to mind. Specifically where Rodney wipes out a Solar System.
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@nadnerb said in Non-IT News Thread:
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
US lab stands on threshold of key nuclear fusion goal
A US science institute is on the verge of achieving a longstanding goal in nuclear fusion research.
The National Ignition Facility uses a powerful laser to heat and compress hydrogen fuel, initiating fusion. An experiment suggests the goal of "ignition", where the energy released by fusion exceeds that delivered by the laser, is now within touching distance. Harnessing fusion, the process that powers the Sun, could provide a limitless, clean energy source. In a process called inertial confinement fusion, 192 beams from NIF's laser - the highest-energy example in the world - are directed towards a peppercorn-sized capsule containing deuterium and tritium, which are different forms of the element hydrogen.Images of Stargate Atlantis come to mind. Specifically where Rodney wipes out a Solar System.
I thought that's what the Large Hadron Collider was for?
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Hurricane heading to Mexico's Yucatan. Expected to be pretty rough. Our office there is preparing with stockpiling water and getting ready to go offline.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
Hurricane heading to Mexico's Yucatan. Expected to be pretty rough. Our office there is preparing with stockpiling water and getting ready to go offline.
Was watching some of the recent notices on the National Hurricane Center and visualizing where the office is and how it would track your direction.
Stay safe - do you know where 'higher' ground is and the route to get there?
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@gjacobse said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
Hurricane heading to Mexico's Yucatan. Expected to be pretty rough. Our office there is preparing with stockpiling water and getting ready to go offline.
Was watching some of the recent notices on the National Hurricane Center and visualizing where the office is and how it would track your direction.
Stay safe - do you know where 'higher' ground is and the route to get there?
As he is on the pacific coast and in Nicaragua, not the Yucatán peninsula, not close.
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@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@gjacobse said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
Hurricane heading to Mexico's Yucatan. Expected to be pretty rough. Our office there is preparing with stockpiling water and getting ready to go offline.
Was watching some of the recent notices on the National Hurricane Center and visualizing where the office is and how it would track your direction.
Stay safe - do you know where 'higher' ground is and the route to get there?
As he is on the pacific coast and in Nicaragua, not the Yucatán peninsula, not close.
While it may have seemed implied - but I do know where House Miller is - and just how much farther South it is to most historically tracked hurricanes.
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Nature: Rattlesnakes' sound 'trick' fools human ears
Rattlesnakes have evolved a clever method of convincing humans that danger is closer than they think, say scientists.
The sounds of their shaking tail get louder as a person approaches, but then suddenly switches to a much higher frequency. In tests, the rapid change in sound made participants believe the snake was much nearer than it was in reality. The researchers say the trait evolved to help snakes avoid being trampled on. The sibilant sound of the rattlesnake's tail has long been a movie cliché. The tell tale rattle is made by the rapid shaking together of hard rings of keratin at the tip of the reptiles' tails. Keratin is same protein that makes up our fingernails and hair. -
Something we have discussed in here a few times.
Elon Musk says we need universal basic income because 'in the future, physical work will be a choice'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is stepping behind the universal basic income movement because of the potential rise of robots — in fact, he's working on one himself.
During a Thursday presentation on artificial intelligence (AI) hosted by Tesla, Musk said he is working on creating a "Tesla Bot," or a robot that would do "dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks" so humans don't have to. But Musk recognized that the creation of this robot might take the place of jobs that people are currently getting paid for, which is why he said a guaranteed income will likely be necessary in the future.
"Essentially, in the future, physical work will be a choice," Musk said during the presentation. "This is why I think long term there will need to be a universal basic income," he added.
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@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
Something we have discussed in here a few times.
Elon Musk says we need universal basic income because 'in the future, physical work will be a choice'
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is stepping behind the universal basic income movement because of the potential rise of robots — in fact, he's working on one himself.
During a Thursday presentation on artificial intelligence (AI) hosted by Tesla, Musk said he is working on creating a "Tesla Bot," or a robot that would do "dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks" so humans don't have to. But Musk recognized that the creation of this robot might take the place of jobs that people are currently getting paid for, which is why he said a guaranteed income will likely be necessary in the future.
"Essentially, in the future, physical work will be a choice," Musk said during the presentation. "This is why I think long term there will need to be a universal basic income," he added.
Us all in the future
