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Hartree writes:

In a followup to a story previously on Soylent News: https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=18/05/17/022243

It seems that at least part of an unexpected increase in CFC-11 (an ozone depleting chemical) is due to small factories in China manufacturing the chemical for use in making Styrofoam insulation for refrigerators. The normal alternative, HCFC-141b is expensive and in short supply. The illegal factories are set up, run for a time until discovered and then move to a new location. In addition to being cheaper, CFC-11 gives a better foaming action than the ozone safe alternative.

"You had a choice: Choose the cheaper foam agent that's not so good for the environment, or the expensive one that's better for the environment," said Zhang Wenbo, owner of a refrigerator factory here in Xingfu, in Shandong Province, where he and many other small-scale manufacturers said that until recently, they had used CFC-11 widely to make foam insulation.

"Of course, we chose the cheaper foam agent," Mr. Zhang said during an interview in his office. "That's how we survived."

As it happens, a crackdown was underway in the town and moments later, four officials entered Mr. Zhang's factory, handed him a leaflet warning against a range of environmental violations, including using CFC-11, and ordered his factory closed.

"They never told us until last year that it was damaging the atmosphere," Mr. Zhang said. "Nobody came to check what we were using, so we thought it was O.K."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/24/world/asia/china-ozone-cfc.html

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Over recent years, more than 30 Chinese military and government agencies have been reportedly using drones made to look like birds to surveil China's citizens in at least five provinces, according to the South China Morning Post Sunday.

The program is reportedly codenamed "Dove" and run by Song Bifeng, a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an. Song was formerly a senior scientist on the Chengdu J-20, Asia's first fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, according to the Post.

The bird-like drones mimic the flapping wings of a real bird using a pair of crank-rockers driven by an electric motor. Each drone has a high-definition camera, GPS antenna, flight control system and data link with satellite communication capability, according to the Post.

While the "scale is still small", according to Yang Wenqing, a member of  Song's team in a comment to the Post, the researchers "believe the technology has good potential for large-scale use in the future ... it has some unique advantages to meet the demand for drones in the military and civilian sectors."

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An Anonymous Coward writes:

Here we demonstrate safe intravenous and intra-amniotic administration of polymeric nanoparticles to fetal mouse tissues at selected gestational ages with no effect on survival or postnatal growth. In utero introduction of nanoparticles containing peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and donor DNAs corrects a disease-causing mutation in the β-globin gene in a mouse model of human β-thalassemia, yielding sustained postnatal elevation of blood hemoglobin levels into the normal range, reduced reticulocyte counts, reversal of splenomegaly, and improved survival, with no detected off-target mutations in partially homologous loci.

[...] Unlike gene editing technologies that rely on the activity of exogenously delivered nucleases18,19—such as zinc finger nucleases, TAL effector nucleases, and CRISPR/Cas9—PNA/DNA NPs can be readily administered in vivo and have been shown to have extremely low to undetectable off-target effects in the genome because the PNA editing molecules lack inherent nuclease activity5,6,7.

[...] Unlike other gene editing technologies that rely on activity of exogenous nucleases (CRISPR/Cas, TAL effector nucleases and zinc finger nucleases) that can create extraneous double-stranded breaks, PNA-mediated gene editing makes use of endogenous, high fidelity repair pathways, which reduces the risk of error-prone end-joining causing additional mutations. With continuing concern regarding off-target effects of CRISPR/Cas951 and the finding that Cas9 proteins can illicit an adaptive immune response52, the safety profile of PNA/DNA editing may be particularly attractive, as avoiding off-target mutations is of exceptional importance during fetal development.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04894-2

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

In the last decade, we have discovered thousands of planets outside our solar system and have learned that rocky, temperate worlds are numerous in our galaxy. The next step will involve asking even bigger questions. Could some of these planets host life? And if so, will we be able to recognize life elsewhere if we see it?

A group of leading researchers in astronomy, biology and geology has come together under NASA's Nexus for Exoplanet System Science, or NExSS, to take stock of our knowledge in the search for life on distant planets and to lay the groundwork for moving the related sciences forward.

In a set of five review papers published last week in the scientific journal Astrobiology, NExSS scientists took an inventory of the most promising signs of life, called biosignatures. The paper authors include four scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. They considered how to interpret the presence of biosignatures, should we detect them on distant worlds. A primary concern is ensuring the science is strong enough to distinguish a living world from a barren planet masquerading as one.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7171

[Abstract]: Exoplanet Biosignatures: A Review of Remotely Detectable Signs of Life

[Also Covered By]: PHYS.ORG

Original Submission

MrPlow writes:

Submitted via IRC for takyon

After years of lobbying, industrial producers are now allowed to make camembert with pasteurised milk. As a result, one of France's beloved cheeses may be disappearing – for good.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180618-the-end-to-a-french-cheese-tradition

Original Submission

takyon and realDonaldTrump wrote in with news on FDA CBD approval:

FDA approves country's first medicine made from marijuana

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the country's first drug derived from marijuana, a medication that treats two rare and devastating forms of epilepsy.

The drug, GW Pharmaceuticals' Epidiolex, is made of cannabidiol, or CBD, a component of marijuana that does not give users a high. It is given as an oil, and in clinical trials, it was shown to reduce the number of seizures by about 40 percent in patients with Dravet or Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.

"This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. "And, the FDA is committed to this kind of careful scientific research and drug development."

The FDA's decision was expected. FDA officials had indicated they supported approving Epidiolex, and an advisory panel had unanimously recommended it get the green light. There was some concern about the drug's effects on the liver, but experts have said this risk could be addressed by doctors as they monitor their patients during treatment.

Before GW can market Epidiolex, though, the Drug Enforcement Administration will have to reclassify CBD, which in this case, because it comes from marijuana, is considered a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no medical value and a high risk of abuse. The agency is expected to do so within 90 days.

Cannabidiol (CBD).

Also at TechCrunch.

Related: FDA Cracking Down on Unsubstantiated Cannabidiol Health Claims
World Health Organization Clashes With DEA on CBD; CBD May be an Effective Treatment for Psychosis
UC San Diego to Treat Autism Using Cannabidiol

Original Submission #1  Original Submission #2 

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Although originally slated to crash into Jupiter this month, Juno, NASA's Jovian explorer, has been given a three-year extension to gather all of NASAs planned scientific measurements, NASA announced earlier this month.

If it keeps producing images like this, showcasing Jupiter's writhing, stormy face, I really hope they never crash the Absolute Unit.

The picture was snapped on May 23 as Juno swung past the planet for a 13th time, only 9,600 miles from its "surface", the tangle of tumultuous clouds that mark its exterior. The bright white hues represent clouds that are likely made of a mix of ammonia and water, while the darker blue-green spirals represent cloud material "deeper in Jupiter's atmosphere."

Original Submission

SomeGuy writes:

The New York Times reports a disturbing increase in the use of "smart" devices in domestic abuse cases:

In more than 30 interviews with The New York Times, domestic abuse victims, their lawyers, shelter workers and emergency responders described how the technology was becoming an alarming new tool. Abusers - using apps on their smartphones, which are connected to the internet-enabled devices - would remotely control everyday objects in the home, sometimes to watch and listen, other times to scare or show power. Even after a partner had left the home, the devices often stayed and continued to be used to intimidate and confuse.

Connected home devices have increasingly cropped up in domestic abuse cases over the past year, according to those working with victims of domestic violence. Those at help lines said more people were calling in the last 12 months about losing control of Wi-Fi-enabled doors, speakers, thermostats, lights and cameras. Lawyers also said they were wrangling with how to add language to restraining orders to cover smart home technology.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

The Wiretap Rooms: The NSA's Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities

The secrets are hidden behind fortified walls in cities across the United States, inside towering, windowless skyscrapers and fortress-like concrete structures that were built to withstand earthquakes and even nuclear attack. Thousands of people pass by the buildings each day and rarely give them a second glance, because their function is not publicly known. They are an integral part of one of the world's largest telecommunications networks – and they are also linked to a controversial National Security Agency surveillance program.

Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In each of these cities, The Intercept has identified an AT&T facility containing networking equipment that transports large quantities of internet traffic across the United States and the world. A body of evidence – including classified NSA documents, public records, and interviews with several former AT&T employees – indicates that the buildings are central to an NSA spying initiative that has for years monitored billions of emails, phone calls, and online chats passing across U.S. territory.

The NSA considers AT&T to be one of its most trusted partners and has lauded the company's "extreme willingness to help." It is a collaboration that dates back decades.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Q1 saw US$814 million in revenue roll in, up 20 per cent on the same quarter last year and $7m ahead of guidance. The company also experienced strong growth in operating income and 48 per cent year-on-year growth in deals over $1m. 30 per cent growth in emerging technologies came in part from 100 new customers signing up for the company’s OpenShift container platform.

The company’s services business grew nicely and president and CEO Jim Whitehurst proudly pointed out that Red Hat now has over 1,000 subscribers, up 70 per cent year on year.

[...] the company’s shares traded at around $145 apiece after the bell, well below the $169.50 from earlier in the day!

Why the plunge? Because the company adjusted its guidance downwards, that’s why.

But not by much: Q2 was downgraded to between $822M and $830M, about $25m less than expected. Earnings per share were lopped from $089 to $0.81 too. Annual revenue guidance was forecast at $3.375bn to $3.41bn, down from $3.425bn to $3.46bn.

CFO Eric Shander Red Hat said the reason for the change was that “many of the foreign exchange rates we conduct business in have weakened against the dollar since we gave guidance in March.”

[...] Red Hat’s execs tried to be upbeat on the company’s earnings call. But the market didn’t buy it, even though folks like Reg readers are increasingly happy to sign up for the company’s wares. ®

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Apple News will feature a dedicated section for 2018 US Midterm Elections 'fact-based' news

Apple is launching a dedicated section in Apple News to cover the US midterm elections. US Apple users will be able to view the latest updates for the election inside the Apple News app through November.

It will feature content from Fox News, Vox and other curated publications including some exclusives from the Washington Post, Axios and Politico.

[...] The midterm section will include features including 'The Conversation', opinion columns from diverse sources, and 'On the Ground' which is more localized reporting to individual constituents.

Apple will have a special news section for the midterm elections, curated by human editors

Apple's longstanding approach of using human editors to select a limited number of stories from reliable sources stands in contrast to Facebook's approach of letting publishers and users post stories, then relying on a mixture of technology and human editors to weed out less reliable sources. Facebook has faced sharp criticism for its role in spreading fake news in the runup to the 2016 presidential election, including posts created by Russians attempting to sway the election to Donald Trump, according to a grand jury indictment.

Facebook is taking measures to avoid similar criticism in the runup to the 2018 midterm elections. The company last week said it was ramping up its efforts to fight fake news, including expanding fact-checking programs to more countries and for the first time fact-checking photos and videos.

Apple press release.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

AI bots trained for 180 years a day to beat humans at Dota 2

Beating humans at board games is passé in the AI world. Now, top academics and tech companies want to challenge us at video games instead. Today, OpenAI, a research lab founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman, announced its latest milestone: a team of AI agents that can beat the top 1 percent of amateurs at popular battle arena game Dota 2.

You may remember that OpenAI first strode into the world of Dota 2 last August, unveiling a system that could beat the top players at 1v1 matches. However, this game type greatly reduces the challenge of Dota 2. OpenAI has now upgraded its bots to play humans in 5v5 match-ups, which require more coordination and long-term planning. And while OpenAI has yet to challenge the game's very best players, it will do so later this year at The International, a Dota 2 tournament that's the biggest annual event on the e-sports calendar.

[...] OpenAI says that at any one time its Dota 2 bots have to choose between 1,000 different actions while processing 20,000 data points that represent what's happening in the game.

[...] For this new batch of Dota bots, the amount of self-play is staggering. Every day, the bots played 180 years of game time at an accelerated rate. They trained at this pace over a period of months.

Dota 2 is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA).

Previously: OpenAI Bot Bursts Into the Ring, Humiliates Top Dota 2 Pro Gamer in 'Scary' One-on-One Bout

Original Submission

lordtaw writes:

Spotted over on Phoronix:

While free software/hardware advocates have been ecstatic about the RISC-V open-source, royalty-free processor architecture, hardware so far hasn't been as open as desired.

While this processor ISA is entirely open and living up to its merits, it turns out the RISC-V implementations so far haven't been quite as open as one would have thought. A Phoronix reader pointed out to us some remarks by developers on the main RISC-V development board out so far, the SiFive HiFive Unleashed

Ron Minnich who has run the Coreboot project for more than the past decade and spearheads the effort of getting Coreboot on new Chrome OS devices at Google, commented on the Unleashed development board this weekend:

All this said, note that the HiFive is no more open, today, than your average ARM SOC; and it is much less open than, e.g., Power. I realize there was a lot of hope in the early days that RISC-V implied "openness" but as we can see that is not so. There's blobs in HiFive.

Open instruction sets do not necessarily result in open implementations. An open implementation of RISC-V will require a commitment on the part of a company to opening it up at all levels, not just the instruction set.

The issue stems from the use of third party IP used to complete the SoC as Risc-V is an instruction set, not a physical hardware design. The actual silicon of the CPU must be designed in order to implement the instruction set as actual hardware and glue logic to tie the CPU to other hardware like memory and bus controllers. In the case, the HiFive Unleashed features a DRAM controller from Cadence which uses a proprietary binary blob to initialize the DRAM controller. This makes open firmware implementations legally difficult.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

A month after the enforcement date of the General Data Protection Regulation – a law that businesses had two years to prepare for – many websites are still locking out users in the European Union as a method of compliance.

[...] Another retailer that failed to get its house in order is posh homeware store Pottery Barn, whose notice says that "due to technical challenges caused by new regulations in Europe" it can't accept orders from the EU.

"The pace of global regulations is hard to predict," the shop complains about the legislation, which was adopted on 14 April 2016. "But we have the ultimate goal of being able to offer our products everywhere."

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Recompiling is unlikely to be a catch-all solution for a recently unveiled Intel CPU vulnerability known as TLBleed, the details of which were leaked on Friday, the head of the OpenBSD project Theo de Raadt says.

The details of TLBleed, which gets its name from the fact that the flaw targets the translation lookaside buffer, a CPU cache, were leaked to the British tech site, The Register; the side-channel vulnerability can be theoretically exploited to extract encryption keys and private information from programs.

Former NSA hacker Jake Williams said on Twitter that a fix would probably need changes to the core operating system and were likely to involve "a ton of work to mitigate (mostly app recompile)".

But de Raadt was not so sanguine. "There are people saying you can change the kernel's process scheduler," he told iTWire on Monday. "(It's) not so easy."

Original Submission