Jan122023 by DmediaNo Comments

Plan Advanced to Save Louisiana Wetlands

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The race is on to save the ecologically crucial wetlands surrounding the final 160 kilometers of the Mississippi River, America’s most iconic waterway. “We are losing our communities, our culture, our fisheries, and our first line of defense against the hurricanes that threaten us,” said Kim Reyher, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Adjacent to New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish is disappearing at an alarming rate. In recent decades, nearly 700 square kilometers of land have been consumed by the Gulf of Mexico because of the devastating combination of sinking land and rising sea levels. The parish includes wetlands that are home to thousands of Louisianans and many species of wildlife deemed critical to the ecology — and economy — of the region. In December, the U.S. Army…


Jan112023 by TechmanNo Comments

Journalists Say Elon Musk Needs to Reinstitute Monitoring of Twitter

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Concerns linger over Twitter's stance on free expression and safety since Elon Musk took over the platform in a $44 billion deal. Since taking ownership in late October, Musk has instituted changes including dissolving an oversight review channel, laying off a large portion of the team focused on combating misinformation, and suspending the accounts of several U.S. journalists. Two media advocacy groups on Wednesday called on Musk to reverse course and implement policies to protect the right to legitimate information and press freedom. In a joint letter to Twitter, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) voiced "alarm" that Musk had undermined the legitimacy of Twitter by dissolving the site's oversight review panel that checked postings for their truthfulness and laying off the majority of Twitter…


Jan112023 by DmediaNo Comments

Russia to Send Spacecraft to Space Station to Bring Home Crew

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Russia said Wednesday that it will send an empty spacecraft to the International Space Station next month to bring home three astronauts whose planned return vehicle was damaged by a strike from a tiny meteorite. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, made the announcement after examining the flight worthiness of the Soyuz MS-22 crew capsule at the space station, which sprang a radiator coolant leak in December. Roscosmos and NASA officials said at a joint press briefing that an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft, MS-23, would be sent to the station February 20 to bring Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio back to Earth. "We're not calling it a rescue Soyuz," said Joel Montalbano, the space station program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "I'm…


Jan102023 by DmediaNo Comments

British Scientists Plan to Expand Genomic Sequencing from COVID to Flu

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Genomic sequencing allowed the world to track new coronavirus variants throughout the pandemic. Now British researchers plan to use it to better understand a host of other respiratory pathogens, from influenza to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).   The work is aimed at shedding more light on known threats and, potentially, emerging ones, said the team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute working with the UK Health Security Agency.  The world has never had access to the kind of real-time information for these viruses that scientists obtained on SARS-CoV-2 through sequencing millions of genomes, Ewan Harrison, head of the new Respiratory Virus and Microbiome Initiative, told reporters Monday.  That includes granular detail on how they transmit as well as how they evolve in the face of the human immune response.   "We…


Jan102023 by DmediaNo Comments

WHO Backs Mask Wearing on Long Flights as New Omicron Variant Spreads

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Countries should consider recommending passengers wear masks on long-haul flights to counter the latest Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 given its rapid spread in the United States, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Tuesday. In Europe, the XBB.1.5 subvariant is being detected in small but growing numbers, WHO/Europe officials said at a press briefing. Passengers should be advised to wear masks in high-risk settings such as long-haul flights, said the WHO's senior emergency officer for Europe, Catherine Smallwood, adding: "this should be a recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere where there is widespread COVID-19 transmission." XBB.1.5 - the most transmissible Omicron subvariant that has been detected so far accounted for 27.6% of COVID-19 cases in the United States for the week ending Jan. 7, U.S. health officials have said.…


Jan102023 by TechmanNo Comments

GM, Ford, Google Partner to Promote ‘Virtual’ Power Plants

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Companies including GM, Ford, Google and solar energy producers said on Tuesday they would work together to establish standards for scaling up the use of virtual power plants (VPPs), systems for easing loads on electricity grids when supply is short. Energy transition nonprofit RMI will host the initiative, the Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3), which will also aim to shape policy for promoting the use of the systems, the companies said. Virtual power plants pool together thousands of decentralized energy resources like electric vehicles or electric heaters controlled by smart thermostats. With permission from customers, they use advanced software to react to electricity shortages with such techniques as switching thousands of households' batteries, like those in EVs, from charge to discharge mode or prompting electricity-using devices, such as water heaters,…


Jan102023 by DmediaNo Comments

UK Space Chiefs Vow to Try Again After Failed Rocket Launch

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Space sector bosses on Tuesday said they were disappointed by the failure of the country's historic first attempt to launch satellites from UK soil but pledged to investigate and try again. The failure of the mission late on Monday is a blow to the UK's fledgling space sector. Had it been successful, it would have made the UK one of only nine countries able to launch rockets into Earth's orbit. A Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 carrying the 70-foot (21-meter) rocket took off from a spaceport in Cornwall, southwest England, at 2202 GMT on Monday. The rocket then detached from the aircraft and ignited as planned at a height of 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland at around 2315 GMT. But as the rocket was due…


Jan102023 by TechmanNo Comments

Virgin Orbit Rocket Carrying Satellites Fails to Reach Orbit

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A mission to launch the first satellites into orbit from Western Europe suffered an “anomaly" Tuesday, Virgin Orbit said.   The U.S.-based company attempted its first international launch on Monday, using a modified jumbo jet to carry one of its rockets from Cornwall in southwestern England to the Atlantic Ocean where the rocket was released. The rocket was supposed to take nine small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit.   But about two hours after the plane took off, the company reported that the mission encountered a problem.  "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information," Virgin Orbit said on Twitter.   Virgin Orbit, which is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, was founded by British billionaire Richard Branson. It…


Jan102023 by DmediaNo Comments

James Webb Telescope: Six Months of Images

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It’s been six months since the James Webb Space Telescope began transmitting breathtaking pictures of the cosmos back to Earth, transfixing star gazers and scientists alike.   The images have led to new discoveries about the universe, including the formation of stars, the evolution of black holes and the composition of planets in other solar systems.  NASA’s Webb telescope — a collaboration between the United States, Europe and Canada — was launched on Christmas Day 2021. However, it was not until July 12, 2022, when U.S. President Joe Biden officially released the first set of pictures taken by the $10 billion telescope, that its first images were seen by the world.   Here is a look at some of the best images captured by the telescope over the past six months.  Galaxy cluster (Webb’s first…


Jan92023 by DmediaNo Comments

New Guidance: Use Drugs, Surgery Early for Obesity in Kids

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Children struggling with obesity should be evaluated and treated early and aggressively, including with medications for kids as young as 12 and surgery for those as young as 13, according to new guidelines released Monday. The long-standing practice of "watchful waiting," or delaying treatment to see whether children and teens outgrow or overcome obesity on their own, only worsens the problem that affects more than 14.4 million young people in the U.S. Left untreated, obesity can lead to lifelong health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and depression. "Waiting doesn't work," said Dr. Ihuoma Eneli, co-author of the first guidance on childhood obesity in 15 years from the American Academy of Pediatrics. "What we see is a continuation of weight gain and the likelihood that they'll have [obesity] in adulthood."…


Jan92023 by DmediaNo Comments

Plane Carrying Rocket Takes Off for First UK Satellite Launch

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A modified jumbo jet carrying a Virgin Orbit rocket took off from southwestern England Monday, marking the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from Western Europe. Hundreds gathered for the launch cheered as the repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft, named "Cosmic Girl," took off from Cornwall late Monday. Around an hour into the flight, the plane will release the rocket at 35,000 feet (around 10,000 meters) over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland. The rocket will then take nine small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit, while the plane, piloted by a Royal Air Force pilot, returns to Cornwall. If successful, the mission will mark the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson. The company, which is listed…


Jan92023 by DmediaNo Comments

Hole in Ozone Layer Healing, UN-Led Study Shows

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A U.N.-led study released Monday shows a hole in the protective layer of ozone over Antarctica is on track to fully recover in about four decades, thanks to the global phasing out of nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances. The report, published every four years, was presented Monday at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Denver. The report indicates that if current policies remain in place, the ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 values — before the appearance of the ozone hole — by around 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the Arctic and by 2040 for the rest of the world. It shows the Antarctic ozone hole has been slowly improving in area and depth since the year 2000. The scientific assessment…


Jan92023 by DmediaNo Comments

 Australian Open Tennis Tournament Not Testing for COVID-19

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One year after Australia deported Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic for refusing to get vaccinated, Australian Open tournament officials say players this year will not be tested for COVID-19 and would even be allowed to compete even if they had the virus.  Tournament director Craig Tiley told reporters Monday they are telling players and tournament staff to stay away if they feel ill, but otherwise they will not be tested. If they have already been tested, they will not be required to disclose their status.  Tiley said the tournament just wanted to “follow what is currently in the community.”  The new policy is a stark change from the strict protocols of the past two years, when spectators were banned from the tournament, matches were played in a bio-secure “bubble,” and…


Jan92023 by DmediaNo Comments

Paxlovid Not on ‘Approved Drug List’ for China’s Health Insurance

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China will not include Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid in an update to its list of medicines covered by basic medical insurance schemes as the U.S. firm quoted a high price for the COVID-19 drug, China's Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) said Sunday.    The COVID-19 antiviral drug is currently covered by the country's broad health care insurance scheme under temporary measures the regulator introduced in March last year as outbreaks rose.    But authorities held talks with Pfizer in recent days to decide whether to include it in the latest version of their list, which they update annually.    Inclusion on the list means a drug is accessible via state insurance schemes, which will boost volumes but comes with the condition that manufacturers lower prices. Past rounds have seen drugmakers cut prices by as much…


Jan92023 by TechmanNo Comments

Seattle Schools Sue Tech Giants Over Social Media Harm

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The public school district in Seattle has filed a novel lawsuit against the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth. Seattle Public Schools filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court. The 91-page complaint says the social media companies have created a public nuisance by targeting their products to children. It blames them for worsening mental health and behavioral disorders including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and cyberbullying; making it more difficult to educate students; and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans about the effects of social media and providing additional training to teachers. “Defendants have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth, hooking tens of millions of…


Jan82023 by TechmanNo Comments

CES 2023: Smelling, Touching Take Center Stage in Metaverse 

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Is the metaverse closer than we think? It depends on whom you ask at CES, where companies are showing off innovations that could immerse us deeper into virtual reality, otherwise known as VR. The metaverse — essentially a buzzword for three-dimensional virtual communities where people can meet, work and play — was a key theme during the four-day tech gathering in Las Vegas that ends Sunday. Taiwanese tech giant HTC unveiled a high-end VR headset that aims to compete with market leader Meta, and a slew of other companies and startups touted augmented reality glasses and sensory technologies that can help users feel — and even smell — in a virtual environment. Among them, Vermont-based OVR Technology showcased a headset containing a cartridge with eight primary aromas that can be…


Jan82023 by DmediaNo Comments

Thailand Introduces New Entry Regulations as China Reopens Border

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Thailand will require international travelers to show proof they are fully vaccinated for COVID before flying to Thailand, according to the country's aviation regulator, as it prepares for more tourists after China reopened its border on Sunday. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said in a statement Saturday that starting early Monday, all foreign arrivals starting early on Monday must prove they are vaccinated or provide a letter certifying that they have recovered from COVID within six months. Unvaccinated travelers must show a medical certificate explaining why they have not received the vaccine. CAAT said airlines would be responsible for checking documents before passengers board and has released a list of how many doses are required for various types of COVID-19 vaccines on its website. The new measure will remain…


Jan82023 by DmediaNo Comments

China Ends Quarantine for Overseas Travelers

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China lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travelers Sunday, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in COVID cases. The first people to arrive expressed relief at not having to undergo the grueling quarantines that were a fixture of life in zero-COVID China. And in Hong Kong, where the border with mainland China was reopened after years of closure, more than 400,000 people were set to travel north in the coming eight weeks. Beijing last month began a dramatic dismantling of a hardline zero-COVID strategy that had enforced mandatory quarantines and punishing lockdowns. The policy had a huge impact on the world's second-biggest economy and generated resentment throughout society that led to nationwide protests just before it was eased. At Shanghai's Pudong International Airport,…


Jan82023 by TechmanNo Comments

Ukrainian Startups Bring Tech Innovation to CES 2023

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The past year has been difficult for startups everywhere, but running a company in Ukraine during the Russian invasion comes with a whole different set of challenges. Clinical psychologist Ivan Osadchyy brought his medical device, called Knopka, to this year's consumer technology show known as CES in Las Vegas in hopes of getting it into U.S. hospitals. His is one of a dozen Ukrainian startups backed by a government fund that are at CES this year to show their technology to the world. "Two of our hospitals we operated before are ruined already and one is still occupied. So this is the biggest challenge," Osadchyy said. "The second challenge is for production and our team because they are shelling our electricity system and people are hard to work without lights,…


Jan72023 by DmediaNo Comments

NASA Satellite Falling From the Sky Soon

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A 38-year-old retired NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky. NASA said Friday the chance of wreckage falling on anybody is “very low.” Most of the 5,400-pound (2,450-kilogram) satellite will burn up upon reentry, according to NASA. But some pieces are expected to survive. The space agency put the odds of injury from falling debris at about 1-in-9,400. The science satellite is expected to come down Sunday night, give or take 17 hours, according to the Defense Department. The California-based Aerospace Corp., however, is targeting Monday morning, give or take 13 hours, along a track passing over Africa, Asia the Middle East and the westernmost areas of North and South America. The Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, known as ERBS, was launched in 1984 aboard the space shuttle Challenger.…


Jan72023 by DmediaNo Comments

US Approves Alzheimer’s Drug That Modestly Slows Disease

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 U.S. health officials on Friday approved a closely watched Alzheimer's drug that's been shown to modestly slow the early stages of the brain-robbing disease, albeit with potential safety risks that doctors and patients will have to weigh carefully. The drug, Leqembi, is the first that's been convincingly shown to slow the decline in memory and thinking that defines Alzheimer's by targeting the disease's underlying biology. The Food and Drug Administration approved it specifically for patients with mild or early cases of dementia. An uncommon success Leqembi, from Japan's Eisai and its U.S. partner Biogen, is a rare success in a field accustomed to failed experimental treatments for the incurable condition. The delay in cognitive decline brought about by the drug likely amounts to just several months, but some experts say…


Jan72023 by DmediaNo Comments

EPA Moves to Toughen Standards for Deadly Soot Pollution

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The Biden administration is proposing tougher standards for a deadly air pollutant, saying that reducing soot from tailpipes, smokestacks and wildfires could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year.  A proposal released Friday by the Environmental Protection Agency would set maximum levels of 9 to 10 micrograms of fine particle pollution per cubic meter of air, down from 12 micrograms set a decade ago under the Obama administration. The standard for particle pollution, more commonly known as soot, was left unchanged by former President Donald Trump, who overrode a scientific recommendation for a lower standard in his final days in office.  Environmental and public health groups that have been pushing for a stronger standard were disappointed, saying the EPA proposal does not go far enough to limit emissions of what…


Jan62023 by DmediaNo Comments

India Makes $2.3 Billion Green Hydrogen Push to Meet Climate Goals

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India has announced a $2.3 billion plan to promote “green hydrogen” -- hydrogen produced with renewable energy -- which experts say could be the clean fuel of the future. The initiative could help the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2070.  A series of incentives are aimed at making green hydrogen affordable by bringing down production costs of a technology that has yet to become commercially viable.   While India has been rapidly expanding renewables such as solar energy, these will not be enough to meet climate goals in a country whose energy needs are expected to grow more than anywhere in the world over the next two decades. India’s current reliance on carbon-emitting coal, its primary source of electricity, has raised…


Jan62023 by DmediaNo Comments

Study: Two-thirds of Glaciers on Track to Disappear by 2100 

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The world's glaciers are shrinking and disappearing faster than scientists thought, with two-thirds of them projected to melt out of existence by the end of the century at current climate change trends, according to a new study. But if the world can limit future warming to just a few more tenths of a degree and fulfill international goals — technically possible but unlikely according to many scientists — then slightly less than half the globe's glaciers will disappear, said the same study. Mostly small but well-known glaciers are marching to extinction, study authors said. In an also unlikely worst-case scenario of several degrees of warming, 83% of the world's glaciers would likely disappear by the year 2100, study authors said. Thursday's study in the journal Science examined all of the…


Jan52023 by TechmanNo Comments

Ukraine’s Sumy Finds Alternative Energy Sources

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With Russian rockets targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and electrical grid, scientists in the northern city of Sumy, some 330 kilometers east of Kyiv, are hoping to start mass producing solar technology that could help keep the lights on. Olena Adamenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera and video editing by Mykhailo Zaika. ...


Jan52023 by TechmanNo Comments

Amazon CEO Says Layoff to Exceed 18,000 Jobs

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Amazon.com layoffs will now stretch to more than 18,000 jobs as part of a workforce reduction it previously disclosed, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said in a public staff note on Wednesday. The layoff decisions, which Amazon will communicate starting January 18, will largely impact the company's e-commerce and human-resources organizations, he said. The cuts amount to 6% of Amazon's roughly 300,000-person corporate workforce and represent a swift turn for a retailer that recently doubled its base pay ceiling to compete more aggressively for talent. Jassy said in the note that annual planning "has been more difficult given the uncertain economy and that we've hired rapidly over the last several years." Amazon has more than 1.5 million workers including warehouse staff, making it America's second-largest private employer after Walmart. It has…