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Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

[...] The rainy season in the Amazon should have started in October but it was still dry and hot until late November. This is an effect of the cyclical El Niño weather pattern, amplified by climate change.

El Niño causes water to warm in the Pacific Ocean, which pushes heated air over the Americas. This year the water in the North Atlantic has also been abnormally warm, and hot, dry air has enveloped the Amazon.

"When it was my first drought I thought, 'Wow, this is awful. How can this happen to the rainforest?'" says Flávia Costa, a plant ecologist at the National Institute for Amazonian Research, who has been living and working in the rainforest for 26 years.

"And then, year after year, it was record-breaking. Each drought was stronger than before."

She says it's too soon to assess how much damage this year's drought has done, but her team has found many plants "showing signs of being dead".

Past dry seasons give an indication of the harm that could be done. By some estimates the 2015 "Godzilla drought" killed 2.5bn trees and plants in just one small part of the forest - and it was less severe than this latest drought.

"On average, the Amazon stopped functioning as a carbon sink," Dr Costa says. "And we mostly expect the same now, which is sad."

[...] As it stands, the Amazon creates a weather system of its own. In the vast rainforest, water evaporates from the trees to form rain clouds which travel over the tree canopy, recycling this moisture five or six times. This keeps the forest cool and hydrated, feeding it the water it needs to sustain life.

But if swathes of the forest die, that mechanism could be broken. And once this happens there may be no going back.

Meeting Announcement: The next meeting of the SoylentNews governance committee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 21:00 UTC (4pm Eastern) in #governance on SoylentNews IRC. Logs of the meeting will be available afterwards for review, and minutes will be published when complete.

Minutes and agenda, and other governance committee information have a page on the SoylentNews Wiki at: https://wiki.staging.soylentnews.org/wiki/Governance

The community is welcome to observe and participate, and is encouraged to attend the meeting.

upstart writes:

Google settles $5bn lawsuit for 'private mode' tracking:

Google has agreed to settle a US lawsuit claiming it invaded the privacy of users by tracking them even when they were browsing in "private mode".

The class action sought at least $5bn (£3.9bn) from the world's go-to search engine and parent company Alphabet.

Large technology firms have faced increased scrutiny of their practices in the US and beyond.

Lawyers representing Google and its users did not immediately respond to the BBC's requests for comment.

[...] Judge Rogers had rejected Google's bid to have the case dismissed earlier this year, saying she could not agree that users consented to allowing Google to collect information on their browsing activity.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. However, lawyers are expected to present a formal settlement for the court's approval by February 2024.

The class action, which was filed by law firm Boies Schiller Flexner in 2020, claimed that Google had tracked users' activity even when they set the Google Chrome browser to "Incognito" mode and other browsers to "private mode".

It said this had turned Google into an "unaccountable trove of information" on user preferences and "potentially embarrassing things".

It added that Google could not "continue to engage in the covert and unauthorized data collection from virtually every American with a computer or phone".

upstart writes:

SSBs on Linux and when they may be most useful.:

These days, users can usually assume that Linux has the same functionality as other operating systems. The application may differ, but the functionality is available. Occasionally, though, Linux may lack any equivalent. A case in point is Single-Site Browsers, aka Site-Specific Bowsers (SSBs). Although Wikipedia lists a number of SSBs, Peppermint OS's Ice and its successor Kumo are the only free software versions of SSBs available on Linux. Fortunately for those who want this functionality, Peppermint OS is a Debian derivative, and both can be installed on Debian and most other derivatives.

As the names imply, SSBs are web browsers that open to a single URL. They are one effort to address the dichotomy that exists on modern computers between local applications and Internet resources. That is to say, while local applications are in a user's control –and can be positioned as desired on a workplace or on the desktop panel or menu – Internet resources are ordinarily accessed through the extra step of opening a web browser. Moreover, while most users long ago became accustomed to web browsers, they add another level of complication with bookmarks, tabs, and extensions that is often unnecessary and not needed with an SSB. The idea is that by creating SSBs, Internet resources can be accessed in the same way as local applications, making for a simpler, more efficient user experience. Moreover, an SSB can be isolated as a security measure. In addition, companies can install SSBs without a web browser so that employees access selected Internet resources but not use the web for personal purposes during work hours. A business might also use SSBs to view its intranet or web page.

Since SSBs first appeared in 2005, they have been available on both Windows and macOS. On Linux, however, the availability has come and gone. On Linux, Firefox once had an SSB mode, but it was discontinued in 2020 on the grounds that it had multiple bugs that were time-consuming to fix and there was "little to no perceived user benefit to the feature." Similarly, Chromium once had a basic SSB menu item, Create Application Shortcut, which no longer appears in recent versions. As for GNOME Web's (Epiphany's) Install Site as Web Application, while it still appears in the menu, it is no longer functional. Today, Linux users who want to try SSBs have no choices except Ice or Kumo.

AnonTechie writes:

During the pandemic, a third of people in the UK reported that their trust in science had increased, we recently discovered. But 7% said that it had decreased. Why is there such variety of responses?

For many years, it was thought that the main reason some people reject science was a simple deficit of knowledge and a mooted(*) fear of the unknown. Consistent with this, many surveys reported that attitudes to science are more positive among those people who know more of the textbook science.

But if that were indeed the core problem, the remedy would be simple: inform people about the facts. This strategy, which dominated science communication through much of the later part of the 20th century, has, however, failed at multiple levels.

In controlled experiments, giving people scientific information was found not to change attitudes. And in the UK, scientific messaging over genetically modified technologies has even backfired.

[...] Recent evidence has revealed that people who reject or distrust science are not especially well informed about it, but more importantly, they typically believe that they do understand the science.

[...] A common quandary for much science communication may in fact be that it appeals to those already engaged with science. Which may be why you read this.

That said, the new science of communication suggests it is certainly worth trying to reach out to those who are disengaged.

(*) Moot; see: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/moot or https://www.etymonline.com/word/moot.

[Source]: The Conversation

What solution would you suggest ?

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Sodium-ion batteries have lower density but are cheaper and perform better in cold weather:

JAC Motors, a Volkswagen-backed Chinese automaker, unveiled the first mass-produced EV with a sodium-ion battery through its new Yiwei brand. Although sodium-ion battery tech has a lower density than lithium-ion, its lower costs, simpler and more abundant supplies and superior cold-weather performance could help accelerate mass EV adoption. CarNewsChina reports that the JAC Yiwei EV hatchback deliveries will begin in January.

[...] The new Yiwei EV reportedly uses cylindrical sodium-ion cells from HiNA[sic] Battery. JAC assembles the batteries in the company's modular UE (Unitized Encapsulation) honeycomb structure, similar to CATL's CTP (cell-to-pack) and BYD's Blade. The layout can provide for greater stability and performance.

Original Submission

Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:

The Indian services giant advised [PDF] investors of the deal on September 14th, describing it as “a Memorandum of Understanding with a global company to provide enhanced digital experiences, along with modernization and business operations services, leveraging Infosys platforms & AI solutions” with a total client target spend of $1.5 billion over 15 years.

That announcement included the caveat that Infosys and the unnamed company would have to conclude a Master Agreement to seal the deal.

A December 23rd filing revealed that didn’t happen.

“The global company has now elected to terminate the Memorandum of Understanding and the parties will not be pursuing the Master Agreement,” the statement revealed.

Infosys’s annual revenue topped $18 billion last year, so losing this deal won’t cause massive pain.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Research found little ones typically begin to distinguish fantasy from reality during preschool years:

[...] Research found little ones typically begin to distinguish fantasy from reality during preschool years

'I cried for hours': the moments people realised truth about Father Christmas

From empty glasses of sherry on the mantelpiece to sooty footprints leading to the bedroom door, evidence of Santa's existence is clearly irrefutable. Yet most children will begin to question it at some point – and many parents anticipate this moment with dread. Now psychologists have identified the average age when Santa scepticism creeps in, and which children are at greatest risk of harbouring negative feelings when it does.

While most adults have fallen for the myth that Santa doesn't exist, many children still believe – even if the idea of a single individual visiting the homes of billions of children in a single night is at odds with their wider reasoning skills.

Dr Candice Mills, a psychologist at the University of Texas in Dallas, US, and a Santa sceptic, said: "Children typically begin to distinguish fantasy from reality during the preschool years, but their belief in the existence of a singular magical Santa Claus often continues into middle childhood."

Mills became interested in this issue when she became a parent and "got immersed in the world of promoting Santa Claus" herself. "I felt a bit of tension about it, because on one hand we often encourage our children to be scientific thinkers and to not deceive others, yet with the Santa story, sometimes there's some stretching of the truth that goes along with it.

"I was worried about coming across to my children as lying, because I knew I had felt upset about being lied to about [Santa]."

upstart writes:

Chinese engineers claimed to have created a "revolutionary" dual-mode rotating detonating and straight-line oblique detonation engine setup:

Chinese engineers claimed to have created a "revolutionary" dual-mode rotating detonating and straight-line oblique detonation engine setup.

Referred to as "revolutionary," the new air-breathing engine should carry an aircraft to 18.6-mile (30 km) altitudes and travel around Mach 16. If true, at this velocity, intercontinental flights should take only hours and consume far less fuel when compared to conventional jet engines.

Designed by Zhang Yining and his team at the Beijing Power Machinery Institute (in conjunction with the People's Liberation Army's 93160 Unit), little is known about the engine beyond a blueprint published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Journal of Propulsion Technology in December SCMP reports. The engine operates in two modes, with the first being a sub-Mach 7 mode, which works as a continuous rotating detonation engine (RDE). Air from outside mixes with fuel and gets ignited, which leads to the creation of a shock wave.

This shock wave propagates in an annular chamber. During rotation, the shock wave ignites more fuel, resulting in a powerful and continuous thrust for the aircraft. China, the United States, and other nations like Japan are currently working on their own RDE concepts with NASA, and contractors like GE recently tested prototype engines on the ground. China has also reported breakthroughs in RDE technology recently with its own ground tests and even a drone variant.

In the second mode, when the aircraft travels above Mach 7, the shock wave stops rotating and focuses on a circular platform at the engine's rear. This helps maintain the thrust through a nearly straight-line oblique detonation format. As the researchers describe in the paper, fuel auto-detonates as it reaches the rear platform due to the high speed of incoming air. The engine relies on detonation as its primary driving force throughout its operation.

upstart writes:

Regulators said its quality is nearly identical to what is traditionally used in planes:

Firefly Green Fuels, a UK-based company, has developed a new form of jet fuel that is entirely fossil-free and made from human waste. The company worked with experts at Cranfield University to confirm that the fuel they developed had a 90 percent lower carbon footprint than what is used in aviation today, according to the BBC. Tests by independent regulators validated that what Firefly Green Fuels has developed is nearly identical to standard A1 jet fuel.

In 2021, the company received a £2 million grant from the Department of Transport to continue developing its sustainable aviation fuel. Although it's not yet available commercially, the company says it is on track to bringing its fuel to the global market and it will have its first commercial plant operating within 5 years. The company has already inked a partnership with the budget airline Wizz Air — the name of the company and the source of its potential combustibles could scarcely be a more perfect pairing — to supply it with fuel starting in 2028.

It currently sources its waste from water companies in the UK and takes the refined sewage through a process called hydrothermal liquefaction, which converts the liquid waste into a sludge or crude oil. Solid by-products can also be made into crop fertilizer. The company claims that the carbon intensity of the whole process — which measures how much carbon is needed to produce energy — is 7.97 grams of carbon dioxide per megajoule (gCO²e/MJ). Comparatively, the ICCT says carbon intensity recorded for jet fuel ranges from 85 to 95 gCO²e/MJ.

[...] The achievement of carbon neutrality in our airspaces has been a longtime goal for regulators and leaders in Europe and the US. While EVs have made headway in the car industry, it might be a while before we see battery powered commercial jets. So in the meantime, solutions for creating more environmentally-friendly jet fuel are welcome.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

A new, lightweight foam made from carbon nanotubes could be the future of protective helmets:

Researchers have developed a new, lightweight foam made from carbon nanotubes that, when used as a helmet liner, absorbed the kinetic energy caused by an impact almost 30 times better than liners currently used in US military helmets. The foam could prevent or significantly reduce the likelihood of concussion in military personnel and sportspeople.

Among sportspeople and military vets, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of permanent disability and death. Injury statistics show that the majority of TBIs, of which concussion is a subtype, are associated with oblique impacts, which subject the brain to a combination of linear and rotational kinetic energy forces and cause shearing of the delicate brain tissue.

[...] For the current study, Thevamaran built upon his previous research into vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) foams – carefully arranged layers of carbon cylinders one atom thick – and their exceptional shock-absorbing capabilities. Current helmets attempt to reduce rotational motion by allowing a sliding motion between the wearer's head and the helmet during impact. However, the researchers say this movement doesn't dissipate energy in shear and can jam when severely compressed following a blow. Instead, their novel foam doesn't rely on sliding layers.

VACNT foam sidesteps this shortcoming via its unique deformation mechanism. Under compression, the VACNTs undergo collective sequentially progressive buckling, from increased compliance at low shear strain levels to a stiffening response at high strain levels. The formed compression buckles unfold completely, enabling the VACNT foam to accommodate large shear strains before returning to a near initial state when the load is removed.

The researchers found that at 25% precompression, the foam exhibited almost 30 times higher energy dissipation in shear – up to 50% shear strain – than polyurethane-based elastomeric foams of similar density.

[...] The researchers had previously demonstrated the VACNT foam's outstanding thermal conductivity and diffusivity, which would enable a helmet liner made out of the foam to remain cool in hot environments. Beyond its use in helmets, VACNT foam could be used in electronic packaging and systems to prevent shocks and keep electronics cool.

The study was published in the journal Experimental Mechanics.

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Original Submission

From the Staff of SoylentNews.Org, may we wish every member of our community a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

In a little over 1 month's time we will have been active as a site for 10 years. Hopefully by then we will also have created the new site and will be looking at another 10 years or more ahead of us. That still requires some more work from everyone as it is the community who will be deciding how the site is run, what the new policies will be, what subjects are discussed and how we grow our community in the future. The entire Board will consist of volunteers elected from the community by the community.

But for now let us all look forward to the new year and celebrate together!

upstart writes:

The honeyguide recognizes calls made by different human groups:

With all the technological advances humans have made, it may seem like we've lost touch with nature—but not all of us have. People in some parts of Africa use a guide more effective than any GPS system when it comes to finding beeswax and honey. This is not a gizmo, but a bird.

The Greater Honeyguide (highly appropriate name), Indicator indicator (even more appropriate scientific name), knows where all the beehives are because it eats beeswax. The Hadza people of Tanzania and Yao people of Mozambique realized this long ago. Hadza and Yao honey hunters have formed a unique relationship with this bird species by making distinct calls, and the honeyguide reciprocates with its own calls, leading them to a hive.

Because the Hadza and Yao calls differ, zoologist Claire Spottiswoode of the University of Cambridge and anthropologist Brian Wood of UCLA wanted to find out if the birds respond generically to human calls, or are attuned to their local humans. They found that the birds are much more likely to respond to a local call, meaning that they have learned to recognize that call.

[...] How did this interspecies communication evolve? Other African cultures besides the Hadza and Yao have their own calls to summon a honeyguide. Why do the types of calls differ? The researchers do not think these calls came about randomly.

hubie writes:

You're Supposed To Be Glad Your Tesla Is A Brittle Heap Of Junk:

Tesla cars are shoddily built pieces of shit liable to fall apart and malfunction in dangerous ways at inopportune moments. No, this is not a blog from 2012! It is also not a blog from 2015 or 2018 or 2022. It is not even a blog from two weeks ago about Tesla's self-driving systems killing people all over the place. It is a blog from today, Dec. 21, 2023.

On Wednesday, Reuters published a big, thorough investigative story documenting a pattern of major parts failures on low-mileage Tesla vehicles—and Tesla's organized years-long effort to obscure the pattern and offload its costs onto drivers, so as to sustain the illusion that it is a profitable company making cars that are not piece-of-shit death traps. By "major parts failures," I should specify here that we are not talking about, like, a faulty turn signal, or an unreliable trunk latch. We are talking about stuff like a whole-ass wheel falling off of your Model 3 while it travels at highway speeds, or the suspension collapsing while you make a left turn, causing the body of the car to crunch down onto the road, or an axle half-shaft fucking snapping while you accelerate, or the power steering suddenly failing while you are zooming along at 60 miles per hour.

We are talking, in short, about engineering failures—failures that anyone would find alarming if they encountered them in a soap box derby racer made out of literally a soap box—happening, abruptly and without warning, to Tesla cars that are for all practical purposes brand new. Moreover, they're happening to lots of them, because of manufacture and assembly problems the company knew about, and hid, and lied about, and blamed on the poor suckers who bought its crappy cars.

hubie writes:

'Our licenses aren't working anymore,' says free software pioneer:

Bruce Perens, one of the founders of the Open Source movement, is ready for what comes next: the Post-Open Source movement.

"I've written papers about it, and I've tried to put together a prototype license," Perens explains in an interview with The Register. "Obviously, I need help from a lawyer. And then the next step is to go for grant money."

Perens says there are several pressing problems that the open source community needs to address.

"First of all, our licenses aren't working anymore," he said. "We've had enough time that businesses have found all of the loopholes and thus we need to do something new. The GPL is not acting the way the GPL should have done when one-third of all paid-for Linux systems are sold with a GPL circumvention. That's RHEL."

RHEL stands for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which in June, under IBM's ownership, stopped making its source code available as required under the GPL.