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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

As for the new chips, both feature a hybrid core architecture and include a combination of Zen 4 and Zen 4c cores. The more high-end one is the Ryzen 5 7545U, which is a 6-core, 12-thread part with 2 Zen 4 cores and 4 Zen 4c cores. It comes with a 3.2GHz base clock and a 4.9GHz boost clock, a 15-30W TDP range, and Radeon 740M integrated graphics. The 7545U has 22MB of total cache, including 16MB of L3.

The other new chip in AMD's portfolio is the Ryzen 3 7440U, which is a 4-core, 8-thread part with a base clock of 3GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.7GHz. It has the same TDP range of 15-30W as the Ryzen 5 part, but only offers 12MB of total cache, including 8MB of L3. Like the 7545U, the 7440U also comes with Radeon 740M integrated graphics.

The new hybrid core architecture has thrown a spotlight on the new Zen 4c cores, with obvious questions about how they differ from Zen 4. According to AMD, the new cores are designed for density and power efficiency and are 35 percent smaller than Zen 4. The new core architecture also offers better scalability, with the potential for allowing higher core counts in future high-end mobile processors.

The company claimed that Zen 4c is a great option for entry-level devices, as the smaller cores with the same IPC consume less power than Zen 4, allowing the chips to deliver more performance below 15W. However, Zen 4 still supports a higher absolute clock limit compared to Zen 4c, enabling the new hybrid chips to offer optimized performance in heavy workloads while delivering a high degree of efficiency.

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taylorvich writes:

https://phys.org/news/2023-10-sunflowers-sun-mechanism.html

Sunflowers famously turn their faces to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. But how do sunflowers "see" the sun to follow it? New work from plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, published Oct. 31 in PLOS Biology, shows that they use a different, novel mechanism from that previously thought.

"This was a total surprise for us," said Stacey Harmer, professor of plant biology at UC Davis and senior author on the paper.

Most plants show phototropism—the ability to grow toward a light source. Plant scientists had assumed that sunflowers' heliotropism, the ability to follow the sun, would be based on the same basic mechanism, which is governed by molecule called phototropin and responds to light at the blue end of the spectrum.

Sunflowers swing their heads by growing a little more on the east side of the stem—pushing the head west—during the day and a little more on the west side at night, so the head swings back toward the east. Harmer's lab at the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences has previously shown how sunflowers use their internal circadian clock to anticipate the sunrise, and to coordinate the opening of florets with the appearance of pollinating insects in the morning.

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AnonTechie writes:

[Source]: IEEE Spectrum

Whether we like it or not, we all use the cloud to communicate and to store and process our data. We use dozens of cloud services, sometimes indirectly and unwittingly. We do so because the cloud brings real benefits to individuals and organizations alike. We can access our data across multiple devices, communicate with anyone from anywhere, and command a remote data center's worth of power from a handheld device.

But using the cloud means our security and privacy now depend on cloud providers. Remember: The cloud is just another way of saying "someone else's computer." Cloud providers are single points of failure and prime targets for hackers to scoop up everything from proprietary corporate communications to our personal photo albums and financial documents.

[...] It's not just attackers we have to worry about. Some companies use their access—benefiting from weak laws, complex software, and lax oversight—to mine and sell our data.

Our message is simple: It is possible to get the best of both worlds. We can and should get the benefits of the cloud while taking security back into our own hands. Here we outline a strategy for doing that.

In the last few years, a slew of ideas old and new have converged to reveal a path out of this morass, but they haven't been widely recognized, combined, or used. These ideas, which we'll refer to in the aggregate as "decoupling," allow us to rethink both security and privacy.

Here's the gist. The less someone knows, the less they can put you and your data at risk. In security this is called Least Privilege. The decoupling principle applies that idea to cloud services by making sure systems know as little as possible while doing their jobs. It states that we gain security and privacy by separating private data that today is unnecessarily concentrated.

[...] The needed protocols and infrastructure exist, and there are services that can do all of this already, without sacrificing the performance, quality, and usability of conventional cloud services.

But we cannot just rely on industry to take care of this. Self-regulation is a time-honored stall tactic: A piecemeal or superficial tech-only approach would likely undermine the will of the public and regulators to take action. We need a belt-and-suspenders strategy, with government policy that mandates decoupling-based best practices, a tech sector that implements this architecture, and public awareness of both the need for and the benefits of this better way forward.

Do you think this strategy will work ?

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

Forty percent of parents who worked remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher parenting stress compared with only 27 percent of parents who worked onsite, reports a new survey from scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The study results revealed a gender difference: Fathers who worked from home were twice as likely to report that parenting was stressful all or most of the time compared to fathers who worked onsite. Parenting stress for mothers who worked at home was slightly higher, but it did not reach statistical significance.

The study found no differences in mental or general health between parents who worked remotely or onsite.

"Our survey results show that teleworking during the pandemic was associated with more parenting stress, especially for fathers," said lead author Dr. John James Parker, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a pediatrician at Lurie Children's. "This might be a reflection of societal expectations that men should prioritize work obligations over family needs, which creates additional stress for fathers working from home."

[...] The study authors recommend parents reflect on their family and work situation and try to find an arrangement that limits stress and promotes well-being.

"This can be as simple as putting a noise-cancelling machine in the workspace, rearranging schedules to limit distractions and planning time for parents to step away from work to be fully engaged with their children," said Parker, who also is an internist at Northwestern Medicine.

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looorg writes:

According to an observational study cats are found to have at least 276 different facial expressions combinations. That humans can identify and distinguish between, maybe or sort of ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/67273692

Each of the cat's expressions was made up of a mix of four out of 26 unique facial movements - things like open mouths, wide or small pupils, blinks, nose licks, whisker movements, and ear positions. By comparison, humans have around 44 unique facial movements, and dogs have 27, but the total number of expressions isn't known. Of the recorded facial expressions, around 45% were thought to be friendly, and 37% were more aggressive or angry, with the leftover 18% an unclear mixture of the two.

https://www.science.org/content/article/cats-have-nearly-300-facial-expressions

"Many people still consider cats—erroneously—to be a largely nonsocial species," says Daniel Mills, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Lincoln who was not involved in the study. The facial expressions described in the new study suggest otherwise, he notes. "There is clearly a lot going on that we are not aware of."

[...] Georgia Mason, a behavioral biologist at the University of Guelph, says she was "very impressed" by the new study. One day it might be used to design an app to help cat owners better understand their pets' subtle cues, she adds. "This could really help the cat-human bond."

Journal Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635723001419

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upstart writes:

Bcachefs Merged Into The Linux 6.7 Kernel:

Less than twenty-four hours after Bcachefs was submitted for Linux 6.7, this new open-source file-system has been successfully merged for this next kernel version.

Given the past struggles to get Bcachefs mainlined, I certainly didn't expect to see Linus Torvalds act so soon on merging it. But after it spent all of the 6.6 cycle within Linux-Next, overnight Linus Torvalds did in fact land this new file-system developed by Kent Overstreet.

[...] It's merged and I'll be running some fresh Bcachefs file-system benchmarks soon on Phoronix. Keep in mind though this file-system is initially considered experimental.

Also at bcachefs.org

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/11/major-critic-of-x-sues-after-being-banned-from-platform/

X has banned the account of a prominent critic after he published data that he claims exposed the site's embrace of the far-right after Elon Musk's takeover last year.

Travis Brown, a software developer based in Berlin, alleges his account was first suspended on July 1 this year, several months after his data formed the basis of New York Times and CNN reports claiming that far-right influencers featured prominently among Twitter Blue subscribers, and how thousands of previously banned X accounts, including members of the far-right, were being reinstated on the site.

On Tuesday, Brown announced his decision to challenge his account's suspension in court in Berlin. "This is a matter of principle," he says. "I think it is important that platforms like Twitter are not allowed to shut down criticism arbitrarily." X did not reply to repeated requests for comment.
[...]
The legal proceedings in Germany are ongoing. For Ballon, the best case scenario would be if the court reinstates Brown's account again or rules the block to be unlawful. The worst outcome would be if the court declines to rule on the case because X's European Union headquarters are based in Ireland. HateAid is asking the European Commission to intervene using the Digital Services Act, a new rulebook that went into effect in August and is designed to protect freedom of expression online.

The best case is, if his account is reinstated?!?

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has published research that reveals its Chandrayaan-3 mission made quite a mess on the Moon.

The mission's Vikram lander touched down on August 23 without incident, becoming India's first successful Moon mission – as well as humanity's first craft to land near the lunar south pole.

[...] According to ISRO researchers, over two tons of lunar epiregolith – the top layer of Moon dust – were ejected and displaced to an area of over 100 square meters around the landing site when the spacecraft landed.

Scientists were able to compare the pre- and post-landing high resolution images from a camera residing on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter to detect the ejecta halo. Their research, published last week in the Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, explains that the halo was created by Vikram's descent stage thrusters.

The halo was described as an "irregular bright patch surrounding the lander."

The discovery sheds some light into Moon dust material and lunar geology. It can also inform future interactions between lunar-bound astronauts and their environment.

[...] The fine yet abrasive silicate-heavy material on the lunar surface has proven to be hazardous for all 12 past humans that have set foot on the Moon.

According to the European Space Agency, exposure to Moon dust caused symptoms ranging from wheezing to nasal congestion that lasted for days in some cases, and made the inside of the Apollo 17 spacecraft smell like gunpowder.

The problem is compounded by the low gravity on the Moon, which keeps epiregolith particles suspended in air within spacecraft.

One study has already determined that "chronic or long-term effects of such dust exposure could be a problem for future missions."

But it's best to know these things now, to make preparations or amendments for future missions.

Original Submission

looorg writes:

Coding with the pope: Catholic school children are going to be tempted to learn to code with the Pope. Or the pope is going to tell them to learn to code, cause that is what God wants? One imagines it will be a bigger draw in catholic countries, not so much in the rest of the world. Unless the program is really good and can be used by heathens and heretics to.

Apparently the Pope, or God or some other earthly minion picked Python. What does that tell us ...

Mr Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican. But he admits he's not anticipating the pontiff to emulate his students in acquiring new skills.

"I don't expect him to know Python very well, at least," he said. "But he will get a certificate for his efforts in helping start the programme."

So the pope isn't working on his own backup- or retirement career then. It's more of a do as I say, not do as I do. Or don't.

So what is next? A coder Saint? Some kind of coding miracles? Coding with Jesus? Coding for Allah?

Who hasn't said a little prayer, or an endless stream of profanity, when you hit the compile button, hoping it will run this time without to many or any errors?

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67209806
https://www.codewithpope.com/

Original Submission

taylorvich writes:

https://phys.org/news/2023-11-presumed-starfish.html

For centuries, naturalists have puzzled over what might constitute the head of a sea star, commonly called a "starfish." When looking at a worm, or a fish, it's clear which end is the head and which is the tail. But with their five identical arms—any of which can take the lead in propelling sea stars across the seabed—it's been anybody's guess how to determine the front end of the organism from the back. This unusual body plan has led many to conclude that sea stars perhaps don't have a head at all.

But now, labs at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, each led by Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco Investigators, have published a study finding that the truth is closer to the absolute reverse. In short, while the team detected gene signatures associated with head development just about everywhere in juvenile sea stars, expression of genes that code for an animal's torso and tail sections were largely missing.

Researchers used a variety of high-tech molecular and genomic techniques to understand where different genes were expressed during the development and growth of sea stars. A team at Southampton used micro-CT scanning to understand the shape and structure of the animal in unprecedented detail.

In another surprising finding, molecular signatures typically associated with the front-most portion of the head were localized to the middle of each of the sea star's arms, with these signatures becoming progressively more posterior moving out towards the arms' edges.

[...] "It's as if the sea star is completely missing a trunk, and is best described as just a head crawling along the seafloor," said Laurent Formery, a postdoctoral scholar and lead author of the new study. "It's not at all what scientists have assumed about these animals."

Journal Reference:
Formery, L., Peluso, P., Kohnle, I. et al. Molecular evidence of anteroposterior patterning in adult echinoderms. Nature (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06669-2

Original Submission

upstart writes:

The companies still have to settle on Hulu's worth:

The Walt Disney Company, which currently owns two-thirds of Hulu, is buying the remaining third from Comcast's NBCUniversal to "further [its] streaming objectives."

Disney's announcement Wednesday said it's expecting to pay "approximately" $8.61 billion for the remaining 33 percent stake in Hulu. That figure is based on a 2019 valuation of Hulu, pegging the streaming service's value at $27.5 billion.

But Disney noted that it may pay more than $8.61 billion, pending an appraisal. Disney said it's unsure how long the appraisal process will take but expects to complete the deal in 2024.

Disney has owned two-thirds of Hulu since it bought 21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71 billion. Comcast also made a bid for the business.

That same year, Comcast and Disney entered an agreement that enabled either party to force the sale of Comcast's piece of Hulu, starting in January 2024. But the companies announced on September 6 that they were moving up that timeline, so this week's news was expected.

When the companies announced moving up the sales process, Brian Roberts, Comcast CEO, noted that the appraisal procedure would "take a little time ... to play out."

Disney sounds prepared to pay nearly $9 billion for Hulu, if not more, but there's reasonable debate over how much the streaming service is worth. Hulu's minimum valuation was set in 2019 when the streaming landscape looked very different.

DannyB writes:

High mobile phone use may impact sperm count, study says

Male sperm count has fallen by more than 50% globally in the last 50 years, leaving researchers scrambling to understand why. Could it be pollution, PFAS and other potential toxins in our food and water, an increase in obesity and chronic disease, or even the ever-present mobile phone?

A new study explored the role of cell phones and found men between the ages of 18 and 22 who said they used their phones more than 20 times a day had a 21% higher risk for a low overall sperm count. The men also had a 30% higher risk for a low sperm concentration, a less important measure of sperm count in a milliliter of semen. The study did not specify whether the men called or texted or used their phones to do both.

[...] "I am intrigued by the observation that the biggest effect was apparently seen with older 2G and 3G phones compared to modern 4G and 5G versions. This is not something I am able to explain," said Allan Pacey, deputy vice president and deputy dean of the faculty of biology, medicine and health at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, in a statement. He was not involved in the study.

[...] Results showed that men who used their phones one to five times a day or less than once a week had much higher sperm counts and concentration. As cell phone usage climbed, sperm count dropped, with the lowest levels among men using their phone 20 or more times a day.

Tin foil underwear is an excellent and high fashion accessory to go with tin foil hats.

See Also:

• Sperm Counts Have Been Falling For Decades—Researchers Think Cell Phones Could Help Explain Why
• Sperm's Secret Voltage Switch: Scientists Unlock The Mystery Of Motility
• The First Babies Conceived With a Sperm-injecting Robot Have Been Born
• Sperm Counts Worldwide are Plummeting Faster Than Ever
• Is the Air We're Breathing Reducing Sperm Counts? Scientists Think So

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UPDATE: We think that we have succesfully renewed the certificates - but if anyone encounters anything unusual please let us know either here or on IRC.

upstart writes:

Wrong deductions "withheld hard-earned pay from drivers," NY AG says:

Uber and Lyft have agreed to pay $328 million after "cheating drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars," New York Attorney General Letitia James' office said today. "Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million into two separate settlement funds which will be entirely distributed to current and former drivers," the AG's office said.

The ride-hailing companies also agreed to provide sick leave and better pay to drivers going forward. "The settlements resolve multi-year investigations into Uber and Lyft, which found that the companies' policies withheld hard-earned pay from drivers and prevented them from receiving valuable benefits available under New York labor laws," the announcement said, calling it the largest back-pay settlement in the NY AG office's history.

The AG's office estimates that over 100,000 drivers, most of whom are immigrants, will be eligible for payments. Notices will be sent to people who are eligible for payments, and links to claims forms are available here.

The AG's announcement has quotes from several New York Taxi Workers Alliance members, including Malang Gassama, a former driver for Uber and Lyft. "I've calculated that Uber and Lyft took at least $25,000 from my pay that they shouldn't have in the form of sales tax and the Black Car Fund surcharge," Gassama is quoted as saying.

The Uber settlement fund is for people who "drove for Uber between November 10, 2014, and May 22, 2017, and had deductions taken for New York sales tax and Black Car Fund fees." The Lyft fund is for people who drove for Lyft between October 11, 2015, and July 31, 2017, and had the same kinds of deductions.

James' office described the companies' violations as follows:

From 2014 to 2017, Uber deducted sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from drivers' payments when those taxes and fees should have been paid by passengers. Uber misrepresented the deductions made to drivers' pay in their terms of service, telling drivers that Uber would only deduct its commission from the drivers' fare, and that drivers were "entitled to charge [the passenger] for any tolls, taxes or fees incurred," though no method to do this was ever provided via the Uber Driver app. Lyft employed a similar method to shortchange drivers from 2015 to 2017, deducting a 11.4 percent "administrative charge" from drivers' payments in New York equal to the amount of sales tax and Black Car Fund fees that should have been paid by riders. Uber and Lyft also failed to provide drivers with paid sick leave available to employees under New York City and New York state law.

DannyB writes:

Wild Experiment Reveals What Would Happen if You Touched a Quantum Superfluid

[....] Physicists dunked a special, finger-sized probe into an isotope of helium cooled to just a smidge over absolute zero, and recorded the physical properties therein.

It is, they say, the first time we have gleaned an inkling of what the quantum Universe might feel like. And no one had to get horrific frostbite, or ruin an experiment, to find out for real.

[....] Superfluids are a state of matter that behave like a fluid with zero viscosity or friction. There are two isotopes of helium that can create a superfluid. When cooled to just above absolute zero (−273.15 degrees Celsius or −459.67 degrees Fahrenheit), bosons of the helium-4 isotope slow down enough to overlap into a high-density cluster of atoms that behave like one super-atom.

[... youtube video embedded in article ...]

Helium-3 is a little different. Its nuclei are fermions, a class of particles that spin differently from bosons. When cooled below a certain temperature, fermions become bound together in what are called Cooper pairs, each made up of two fermions that together form a composite boson. These Cooper pairs behave exactly like bosons, and can thus form a superfluid.

Autti and his team have been experimenting with helium-3 fermionic superfluid for some time, and discovered that, although Cooper pairs are quite fragile, researchers can stick a wire inside without breaking the pairs, or even disrupting the superfluid's flow. So the team decided to design a probe to study the properties of the fluid up close and personal.