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Jul 31, 2018
Neil deGrasse Tyson scolds cherry picking climate science
Posted by Bill Kemp in categories: climatology, policy, science, sustainability
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says lawmakers and the media cherry pick scientific papers to reinforce political ideals on climate change and says it’s irresponsible to create public policy while ignoring the scientific community’s consensus.
Jul 31, 2018
348-Year-Old Radioactive Molecule Spotted in Space
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: entertainment, space
“When Stars Collide” sounds like the title track of Barry Manilow’s latest album.
Unfortunately, Barry hasn’t released a single since 2012.
Continue reading “348-Year-Old Radioactive Molecule Spotted in Space” »
Jul 31, 2018
This ‘flow battery’ could power green homes when the sun goes down and the wind stops blowing
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: futurism
Long-lasting “Methuselah” molecule brings industrial organic flow battery closer to market.
Jul 31, 2018
The band of biologists who redrew the tree of life
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: futurism
John Archibald praises a compelling guide to the past 3 billion years — and its molecular historians.
Jul 31, 2018
Hong Kong Subway Study Shows How Quickly Bacteria Travel Across a City
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: biological, transportation
If you’re one of the billions of people worldwide to use mass public transit regularly, you’re sharing a lot more than a commute with your fellow passengers, suggests a new study published Tuesday in Cell Reports. You’re also sharing and swapping the teeming microbes that call our bodies home.
Researchers in Hong Kong—home to a public transit system that services 5 million commuters every day—recruited volunteers for an unique experiment. Over the course of several days, volunteers were asked to ride one of eight subway lines on the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway system during the morning and evening rush hour. Before they boarded, they washed their hands, and once on board, they made ample use of the handrails. After they spent 30 minutes on the train, they exited and had their palms swabbed by researchers.
Jul 31, 2018
How To Overthrow A Scientific Theory In Three Easy Steps
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: futurism
The hallmark of a good scientist is changing your mind when new evidence arises. Here’s what that looks like.
Jul 31, 2018
Is Bitcoin Erasing 300 years of Monetary Evolution?
Posted by Philip Raymond in categories: bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, economics, finance, government, innovation
Today, economist and Nobel laureate, Paul Krugman, wrote in the New York Times, that Bitcoin is taking us back 300 years in monetary evolution. As a result, he predicts all sorts of bad things.
A significant basis for Mr. Krugman’s argument is that the US dollar has value because men with guns say it does.
Is Bitcoin erasing 300 years of monetary evolution?
Running with the metaphor that fundamental change to an economic mechanism represents ‘evolution’, I think a more accurate statement is that Bitcoin is not erasing the lessons of history. Rather, it is the current step in the evolution of money. Of course, with living species, evolution is a gradual process based on natural selection and adaptation. With Bitcoin, change is coming up in the rear view mirror at lightning speed.
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Jul 31, 2018
Teenager Finds Classical Alternative to Quantum Recommendation Algorithm
Posted by Bill Kemp in categories: computing, information science, quantum physics
18-year-old Ewin Tang has proven that classical computers can solve the “recommendation problem” nearly as fast as quantum computers. The result eliminates one of the best examples of quantum speedup.