Fake Cow Eyes

"Study confirms that painting eyes on cow butts helps ward off predators". (Via H.R.)

Unsettled Science

"What To Do, Scientifically, When Everyone Is Wrong"

Fast Star

"This Star Is Moving So Fast it Visibly Warps Spacetime":

The star S62 whips around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, at an extremely tight orbit. At its closest approach, it can travel faster than eight percent the speed of light, according to research published in The Astrophysical Journal. That's fast enough to make visible the relativistic phenomena of time dilation and length contraction, turning the star into an interesting sandbox for curious physicists.

Invisible Driver

CNN: "A woman is stunned when her new driver's license came back with a picture of an empty chair"

Photoreal Roman Emperors

"Photoreal Roman Emperor Project"

Quantum-Proof Encryption

"The quest for quantum-proof encryption just made a leap forward"

Early Early Science Fiction

"The first science fiction story":

A True Story (Ἀληθῆ διηγήματα, Verae Historiae) is a novel written in the second century AD by Lucian of Samosata, a Greek-speaking author of Assyrian descent. The novel is a satire of outlandish tales which had been reported in ancient sources, particularly those which presented fantastic or mythical events as if they were true. It is Lucian's best-known work.

It is the earliest known work of fiction to include travel to outer space, alien lifeforms, and interplanetary warfare. As such, A True Story has been described as "the first known text that could be called science fiction".

Fusion Update

"Spacecraft of the Future Could Be Powered By Lattice Confinement Fusion". (Via H.R.)

Origin of Elements

NASA: "The Origin of Elements"

Light Posting

Admin note: Posting may be light for the next few days.

Robot Acrobatics

Video: "Massive Robot Joins Swedish Acrobats on Stage"

Bird Recognition

"Scientists have created a facial recognition software for birds"

Arctic Storage

"A Staggering 21TB of Source Code Were Just Buried in The Arctic For an Unknown Future". (Via H.R.)

DNA Storage

"How Scientists Encoded 'The Wizard of Oz' Into DNA".

Hsieh Forbes Column on Blood Type and Covid Risk

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "Blood Type May Have Minimal Effect On Covid-19 Health Risk"

Another cautionary tale on how early science reporting can be easily overturned by further study.

Alzheimer's Test

NYT: "'Amazing, Isn't It?' Long-Sought Blood Test for Alzheimer's in Reach"

Old Microbes

"Scientists revive 100 million-year-old microbes from deep under seafloor"

Mars In 4K

Video: "New footage from Mars rendered in stunning 4K resolution". (Via H.R.)

Aeroscreen Lifesaver

"IndyCar’s Aeroscreen gets first real test, saves lives at Iowa race". (Via H.R.)

Redesigned Chocolate Chips

"A Tesla Designer Reengineers the Chocolate Chip":

Labesque’s redesign for artisanal Dandelion Chocolate is a square, faceted pyramid, kind of like a flattened diamond. Two edges are thick, and two exceedingly thin, for even more textural pleasure...

 

Enhanced Moon Landing Video

"Historic Moon Landing Footage Has Been Enhanced by AI, And The Results Are Incredible". (Via H.R.)

Searching Before Google

"What Did People Use Before Google to Search the Web?" (Via H.R.)

Tiny Cameras

"A Bug-Sized Camera for Bug-Sized Robots and Bug-Sized Bugs"

Movie Recommendation: A Town Has Turned To Dust

I recently watched "A Town Turned To Dust", available on YouTube.

Excellent 90-minute play, written by Rod Serling before Twilight Zone. Although it was written in 1958, it touches on various themes of human nature and political behavior that are chillingly relevant for today.

Bonus #1: It stars a very young William Shatner, who does a great job of playing the lead role as an unsavory storekeeper in an Old West town.

Bonus #2: Includes embedded 1950's commercials. OMG.

Serling's experiences in getting the script approved apparently pushed him to the direction of science fiction:

Network pressure and sponsor meddling was making it almost impossible for him to say anything meaningful in a straight dramatic setting. A series with a sci-fi/fantasy twist, on the other hand, would open up new story possibilities — and allow Serling's social jabs to fly under the radar of nervous sponsors.

"On The Twilight Zone, I knew I could get away with Martians saying things that Republicans and Democrats couldn't," he said. And a TV legend was born.

Super Hard Proteus

"This new ultrahard material inspired by nature could make uncuttable bike locks"

Ultrablack Fish

"Scientists unlocked the secret of how these ultrablack fish absorb light". (Via H.R.)

Corona-Knights

"Swedish region hires medieval knights on horseback to fight coronavirus". 

The UK really needs to up their game and get The Knights Who Say "Ni!" into action.

Solar Flares Everywhere

"The closest images of the Sun ever taken reveal tiny solar flares dotting the star's surface". (Via H.R.)

Big Map

"Scientists produce the largest 3D map of the Universe"

Sketchy Health Advice?

"Report: Millennials, Generation Z Turn To Social Media First For Health Advice"

Space Law

"How Not to Deal With Murder in Space"

Trending Searches Over Time

Video: "The Top Trending Google Searches in Every US State Throughout the 2010s"

Amazon Fake Review Marketplace

"My Bizarre Stint As An Amazon Reviewer for Hire"

Enigma Rebuilt

"Enigma code-breaking machine rebuilt at Cambridge". (Via H.R.)

Light Posting

Admin note: Posting may be lighter than usual the rest of this week due to external circumstances.

Cat Burglar

"Mysterious clothing thief turns out to be neighborhood kitty". (Via H.R.)

Noise-Cancelling Window

"Noise-Cancelling Smart Window Blocks Street Din"

Work In Barbados

CNBC: "Barbados is planning to let people stay and work remotely for a year"

Robo-Bird

"Festo's New Bio-Inspired Robots Include a Feathery Bionic Bird". (Via H.R.)

Kung Fu Nuns

"The Kung Fu Nuns Of Kathmandu"

Penguin Poo Physics

"The explosive physics of pooping penguins: They can shoot poo over four feet"

Colonizing The Sun

Robin Hanson: "We Colonize The Sun First"

New Larson

New cartoons from Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson.

Tesseract Visualization

Bartosz Ciechanowski has an amazing interactive Tesseract visualization tool.

High Res Last Supper

"See 'The Last Supper' in a New High-Resolution Scan Online"

F-15C Cockpit

"Human Interface: What (almost) every button in an F-15C fighter’s cockpit does". (Via H.R.)

Black Hole Collision

"A supermassive black hole lit up a collision of two smaller black holes":

Astronomers from Caltech have reported that they’ve observed a collision between two black holes. Normally such an event is invisible, but this time a more massive black hole sitting nearby helped illuminate the other two as they collided. If confirmed, the findings, published in Physical Review Letters, would be the first optical observations ever made of a black hole merger.

Mega Coffee

"What Does Death Wish Coffee Taste Like? (And Is It Safe?)"

Death Wish is billed as the “world’s strongest coffee.” And although the company doesn’t release caffeine-content figures, we have seen third-party test results in an eye-opening range of 650 to 728 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce (Starbucks “tall”-size) cup. By contrast, Starbucks’s dark, medium, and blonde roasts have 193, 235, and 270 mg, respectively. (Darker beans generally have less caffeine than lighter ones.) So drinking a cup of Death Wish is like drinking 2½ to 3 cups of Starbucks coffee.

After brewing a 12-ounce cup of Death Wish (using the company’s recommended brewing ratio and grind size, and our top-pick pour-over dripper), I found the taste hearty and, yes, potently strong—all coffee, no subtlety. It was stronger than two Starbucks dark roasts I compared it with, but not bitter or unpleasant. It’s what I’d expect to find in the thermos of a lumberjack or a Bering Sea crab-boat skipper.

Holiday Hiatus

Admin note: I'll be taking a quick posting break for the long holiday weekend!

Herd Immunity Math

"The Tricky Math of Herd Immunity for COVID-19"

Patron Saint Of Internet?

"Italian teen moves closer to becoming 'patron saint of the internet' as miracle recognized"

Ninja Studies

"Japan university awards first-ever ninja studies degree"

Advanced Rocket

"The rocket motor of the future 'breathes' air like a jet engine". (Via H.R.)

Funny Looking Actors Wanted

"Lord of the Rings Series Puts Out Casting Call for Hairy, Burned, and 'Funny Looking' Actors"

Big Lightning

"700-km Brazil 'megaflash' sets lightning record". (Via H.R.)

Win10 Gmail Glitch

"Warning Issued For Millions Of Google Gmail Users"

N95 Physics

Video: "The Astounding Physics of N95 Masks"

Prescription Videogame

"The FDA Just Approved The First Prescription Video Game For Kids With ADHD". (Via H.R.)

Children aged 8-12 years old can now be prescribed gaming sessions on EndeavorRX, in which players pilot a small aircraft through a variety of alien environments – including icy rivers, fiery volcanoes, jungle treehouses and underwater paths.

The game has been specifically constructed to improve attention in youngsters with ADHD, potentially in combination with other treatments, depending on each person – it's certainly much more fun than having to remember to take tablets every day.

Alaska Volcano And Rome

"An Alaskan volcano may have hastened the end of the Roman Republic"

Minimum Mars Colony Size

Nature Article: "Minimum Number of Settlers for Survival on Another Planet". 

They calculate 110 would be the viable minimum.

Mysterious Black Hole Collision

"Ripples in space-time hint at a black hole or a neutron star like we've never seen before".

Maybe this is what thrust our world into this bizarre alternate timeline for 2020!

Over-Showering?

Atlantic: "You're Showering Too Much". (Via M.M.)

Hsieh Forbes Column: Delayed Cancer Care Due To Covid-19 Could Cost Thousands Of Lives"

My latest Forbes piece is now out: "Delayed Cancer Care Due To Covid-19 Could Cost Thousands Of Lives".

I discuss the cost in lives due to the lockdowns, and how this illustrates Bastiat's principle of "the seen vs. the unseen". I also offer some practical suggestions for patients and for lawmakers.

Siri Shortcut For Police Encounters

"'Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over' shortcut makes it easy to record police"

Zoom Security?

"Can Zoom be trusted with users' secrets?"

Foundation Trailer

Video: Trailer for the new SF series "Foundation", based on the classic Isaac Asimov novels.

Apple Chips

"Apple Mac computers make jump to its own chips"

Purchase A Robot Dog

"Boston Dynamics' Spot Robot Dog Now Available for $74,500"

Map Of Universe

BBC: "Breathtaking new map of the X-ray Universe"

Neuromorphic AI's Need "Sleep"

"Artificial intelligence that mimics the brain needs sleep just like humans, study reveals"

Military And Race

"How the U.S. Military Has Been Affected by Racial Inequality Debate"

Popcorn Button

Video: "Do not use popcorn button"

Replika Chatbot Helps Quarantine Isolation

"Riding Out Quarantine With a Chatbot Friend: 'I Feel Very Connected'"

Gravity Is Different

"Why Gravity Is Not Like the Other Forces"

Bad Apples

"How Apples Go Bad". Literal, not metaphorical.

Sneaky Spying

"Spies can eavesdrop by watching a light bulb's variations". (Via J.Z.)

eBay Harrassment

"Feds: eBay staff sent spiders, roaches to harass couple"

Late Ordovician Extinction Mystery Solved

"Familiar Culprit May Have Caused Mysterious Mass Extinction":

It has long been our planet’s greatest and oldest murder mystery. Roughly 445 million years ago, around 85 percent of all marine species disappeared in a geologic flash known as the Late Ordovician mass extinction. But scientists have long debated this whodunit, in contrast to clearer explanations for Earth’s other mass extinctions.

My money was on Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the candlestick.

Ancient Roman City

"Ground-Penetrating Radar Reveals Entire Ancient Roman City". (Via H.R.)

Turtle Migration

"Drone footage shows 64,000 green turtles migrating to Cairns rookery"

Psychic Miss

Psychics apparently did not see the pandemic coming.

SpaceX Spacesuits

"New SpaceX spacesuits get five-star rating from NASA astronauts". (Via H.R.)

Caffeine Withdrawal

"What Happens to Your Body When You Give Up Caffeine"

Pandemic Donuts

"Two New Doughnut Spots Bring Sweet Relief to Denver"

Civil War Pension

"Last Person to Receive a Civil War Pension Dies":

Irene Triplett died last week at the age of 90. She was the last person in America to collect a pension from the Civil War, $73.13 each month from the Department of Veterans Affairs right up until she passed away. Her father Mose Triplett was both a Confederate and US soldier (a North Carolinian, he defected from the Confederacy halfway through the war) and Irene was eligible to receive his pension after he died because of disability.

Fast Chip

"Engineers Successfully Test New Chip With Download Speeds of 44.2 Terabits Per Second". (Via H.R.)

Space Explosions

"It's 2020, And Astronomers Have Just Found a New Class of Massive Space Explosions":

These bursts of energy are extremely powerful and extremely fast, blasting vast amounts of matter into space at intense velocities. Astronomers have named the new class Fast Blue Optical Transients, or FBOTs.

Rocky Mountain Treasure Found

"A treasure chest hidden in the Rocky Mountains for a decade has finally been found"

Black Nitrogen

"Never-before-seen 'black nitrogen' plugs puzzle in periodic table". (Via H.R.)

COVID Contact Tracing

"How Covid-19 Contact Tracing Works on Your Phone"

Secure Signal

"Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption"

Robot Cook

"Robot Learns to Cook Your Perfect Omelet"

Phone Protection For Protestors

"How to Cop-Proof Your Phone Before Heading to a Protest"

Repulsive Polynomials

"Mathematician Measures the Repulsive Force Within Polynomials"

Breathing Tips

"How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience"

AI Journalists

"Microsoft lays off journalists to replace them with AI"

Bogus Device

Ars Technica: "A $350 'anti-5G' device is just a 128MB USB stick, teardown finds"

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

"What Your Noise-Cancelling Headphones Can and Can't Do"

Hsieh Forbes Column: 9 More Bizarre Consequences Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

My latest Forbes piece is out: "9 More Bizarre Consequences Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic".

My favorite:

A clever app developed by Japanese firm Yamaha allows fans to remotely cheer (or boo) players from home, played through the stadium speakers so that players can feel the energy of the online crowd.

The article wryly notes, “The app does not, as yet, allow fans to question the referee’s eyesight, or the eating habits of players who struggled to stay match-fit during the league’s virus-enforced break.”

Taste Simulator

"This Lickable Screen Can Recreate Almost Any Taste or Flavor Without Eating Food"