Explorers seek ancient Antarctica ice in climate change study
An explorer and a glaciologist have embarked on a three-month mission to cross part of Antarctica on kite skis in search of ice that is 130,000 years old. ⌘ Read more
China’s Shenzhou 21 docks with space station, sets the country’s own speed record
China announced Saturday that its Shenzhou 21 spaceship docked with China’s space station with its latest three rotation crew at the country’s own record speed after a successful launch. ⌘ Read more
Rate my AI teacher? Students’ perceptions of chatbots will influence how they learn with AI
A “transformation” is upon us. After a multi-year procession of educational technology products that once promised to shake things up, now it’s AI’s turn. ⌘ Read more
Java’s Swing is allegedly in “maintenance mode”, so I doubt it’s a good idea to use it for new programs. For example, I very much doubt that it will ever support Wayland.
The replacement is supposed to be JavaFX, but that’s not included in JREs – anymore! It used to be, now it’s not, even though it’s well over 15 years old now.
This whole thing (“Java GUIs”) appears to have stagnated a lot. Probably because everything is web stuff these days …
https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javafx/faq-javafx.html#6
Calorimetric experiment achieves tightest bound on electron neutrino mass
In a Physical Review Letters study, the HOLMES collaboration has achieved the most stringent upper bound on the effective electron neutrino mass ever obtained using a calorimetric approach, setting a limit of less than 27 eV/c² at 90% credibility. ⌘ Read more
Growing rice in the UK ‘not so crazy’ as climate warms
Wearing large rubber boots, Nadine Mitschunas joyfully handled mature rice plants peeking through the water of her small plot growing in the fertile soil of eastern England. ⌘ Read more
Endangered across west Africa, leopards thrive in I.Coast reserve
Like other big cats, the leopard is endangered across West Africa. Yet in Ivory Coast’s Comoe National Park, the famously spotted feline appears to be doing rather well—surprisingly, given the reserve’s conflict-riven recent history, according to researcher Robin Horion. ⌘ Read more
Camels replace cows as Kenya battles drought
“God, God, God, protect them,” chanted two herders, their eyes following a dozen camels rushing toward acacia trees, oblivious to the dry riverbed in northern Kenya where it hasn’t rained since April. ⌘ Read more
Grandparenting tells us much about our history—it’s important to preserve these stories
Grandparents can play a fundamental role in families, yet they have often been overlooked in Australian history. ⌘ Read more
We’re putting lots of transition metals into the stratosphere. That’s not good.
We successfully plugged the hole in the ozone layer that was discovered in the 1980s by banning ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). But, it seems we might be unintentionally creating another potential atmospheric calamity by using the upper atmosphere to destroy huge constellations of satellites after a very short (i.e. 5 year) lifetime. ⌘ Read more
Checkup time for Fido? The wait to get an appointment might be longer in rural areas
Most people can get their pets in for veterinary visits relatively quickly, but access to care could be improved in rural areas, suggests a recent study. ⌘ Read more
Ocean iron fertilization or artificial ocean alkalinization? Study reveals divergent effects on climate
Global warming poses a significant threat to human society. Rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary measures to mitigate global warming. However, substantially reduced emissions alone may not be sufficient to achieve the temperature control targets of the Paris Agreement. ⌘ Read more
Plastic packaging could be a greater sin than food waste
Food waste has long been reviled as an immoral, largely preventable feature of our consumer society. ⌘ Read more
Three wolf pups sought in California’s Sierra Valley after parents euthanized
Three wolf pups from a pack whose adult members were euthanized by state conservation officials earlier in October had still not been captured despite weeks of searching by scientists and wildlife officers, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said. ⌘ Read more
Electrochemical system converts plant compound into two valuable products at once
A research team has created a new kind of electrochemical “two-in-one” system that turns plant-based molecules into two useful products at once. Using a finely tuned single-atom ruthenium catalyst, the process combines two chemical reactions, oxidation and hydrogenation, inside a single electrolytic cell, much like cooking two dishes in the same pot without mixing up the flavors. Details of the research were p … ⌘ Read more
Were Neanderthals capable of making art?
The ability to make art has often been considered a hallmark of our species. Over a century ago, prehistorians even had trouble believing that modern humans from the Upper Paleolithic (between 45,000 and 12,000 years ago) were capable of artistic flair. ⌘ Read more
Genome-wide analysis of gene expression in sorghum furthers efforts to improve stem biomass
Sorghum bicolor is a deep-rooted, heat- and drought-tolerant crop that thrives on marginal lands and is increasingly valued for its applications in biofuel, bioenergy, and biopolymer production. ⌘ Read more
EU in race against time to agree climate emissions target
European diplomats are scrambling to agree on a 10-year target to cut EU carbon emissions this week, with time running out ahead of the United Nations COP30 climate summit. ⌘ Read more
Eyes above the trees: LiDAR technology improves forest assessment with laser beams
Forests have been benefiting humanity since long before the health benefits of forest bathing were discovered. They are major carbon sinks that provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including timber and non-timber forest products, recreation, and climate regulation. ⌘ Read more
Cubans flee the coast as Hurricane Melissa looms
Under sheets of rain and laden with possessions, residents of southeast Cuba fled inland Tuesday—escaping the peril of the coast before Hurricane Melissa’s arrival. ⌘ Read more
Melissa is a beast among a string of monster Atlantic storms. Scientists explain
Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica with record-tying 185 mph winds Tuesday, was a beast that stood out as extreme even in a record number of monster storms spawned over the last decade in a superheated Atlantic Ocean. ⌘ Read more
Researchers develop highly fluorescent helical quinolizinium salts via rhodium-catalyzed synthesis
A research team has successfully synthesized a new class of helical quinolizinium salts exhibiting exceptionally strong fluorescence in the orange-to-red light region (606–682 nm). ⌘ Read more
XMPP Interop Testing: Putting NTA 7532 to the Test (Literally)
You might have seen the XMPP Standards Foundation’s open letter to NEN about NTA 7532, the Dutch effort to standardise secure healthcare chat. It’s a good read, and, as it happens, right up our street.
If you’re building a chat system that has to actually talk to someone else’s chat system (and keep doctors happy while doing it), you’ll kno … ⌘ Read more
Plantation forests are key for koalas’ survival: Researchers say urgent rethink on logging is needed
A new study has shown areas of state forest in Northern New South Wales, currently zoned as hardwood eucalypt plantation and slated for logging in 2025–2026, are in fact vital koala habitat. ⌘ Read more
Unlocking cell identity: RNA sequestration in P-bodies directs cell fate transitions
A new study published in Nature Biotechnology shows that stem cell differentiation is linked to cellular structures called P-bodies, providing a potential means of controlling cell identity. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Colorado Boulder and collaborating institutions studied P-bodies in various developmental stages across multiple vertebrate species and found that selective RNA seques … ⌘ Read more