Archive for October, 2015
The Most Mysterious Star in Our Galaxy
October 14th, 2015Via: The Atlantic: When I spoke to Boyajian on the phone, she explained that her recent paper only reviews “natural” scenarios. “But,” she said, there were “other scenarios” she was considering. Jason Wright, an astronomer from Penn State University, is set to publish an alternative interpretation of the light pattern. SETI researchers have long suggested […]
Japan: Robo-Bulldozers Guided by Drones
October 14th, 2015Via: The Verge: Komatsu is the world’s second largest construction company, a venerable Japanese brand with 94 years of history that sells forklifts and bulldozers to customers around the globe. But in its home country, Komatsu has been struggling with an aging population, a trend that has left few young workers available to operate its […]
Naval Academy Reinstates Celestial Navigation: “After All, You Can’t Hack a Sextant”
October 14th, 2015Via: Capital Gazette: Officials reinstated brief lessons in celestial navigation this year, nearly two decades after the full class was determined outdated and cut from the curriculum. That decision, in the late 1990s, made national news and caused a stir among the old guard of navigators. Maritime nostalgia, however, isn’t behind the return. Rather, it’s […]
If You’re Not Paranoid, You’re Crazy
October 13th, 2015Via: The Atlantic: …we, the sensible majority, owe plenty of so-called crackpots a few apologies. We dismissed them, shrugging off as delusions or urban legends various warnings and anecdotes that now stand revealed, in all too many instances, as either solid inside tips or spooky marvels of intuition.
Paxil: Researchers Said a Popular Antidepressant Was Safe for Teens — It Was Actually Deadly
October 13th, 2015Via: Vox: For years, the drug company GlaxoSmithKline was illegally persuading doctors to prescribe paroxetine, sold under the brand name Paxil, as an antidepressant for children and teenagers. They did so by citing what’s known as Study 329 — research that was funded by the drug company and published in 2001, claiming to show that […]
In California, Electric Cars Outpace Plugs, and Sparks Fly
October 11th, 2015Oh boy, I hope someone reading this makes sure the writers for Silicon Valley include this scenario in season 3. haha Via: New York Times: Of all the states, California has set the most ambitious targets for cutting emissions in coming decades, and an important pillar of its plan to reach those goals is encouraging […]
Ask the Cryptogonners: Run Freezer Off Van and 12v Inverter? [Confirmed: Yes.]
October 11th, 2015Update: Success! I bought a NOMAD MOBILE 1500w pure sine wave inverter from waveinverter.co.nz (I have no affiliate relationship with them, I’m just a customer). For testing, I unplugged the freezer (Westinghouse WCM5000WC) for a couple of hours and let it warm up a bit. Then I connected the inverter to our van’s battery terminals […]
Turkey: Blasts At Peace Rally
October 10th, 2015Update: At Least 95 Killed in Explosions in Turkey’s Capital Ankara — Via: NPR: Eighty-six people were killed and another 186 were injured when two bombs exploded during a peace rally in central Ankara, Turkey, the country’s Interior Minister, Selami Altinok, said during a press conference on Saturday. One video from the scene showed demonstrators […]
Who Is Responsible for a Driverless Car Accident?
October 9th, 2015Via: BBC: Volvo says it will accept full liability for accidents involving its driverless cars, making it “one of the first” car companies to do so. It joins Mercedes and also tech firm Google, who have made similar claims. Volvo says it is trying to expedite regulation in the US, where “a patchwork” of rules […]
Wind Now Competes with Fossil Fuels, Solar Almost Does
October 9th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in NZ. I’m long Enphase Energy (ENPH). — Via: Fortune: When it comes to electricity, it’s all about the cost. A new report shows how clean energy electricity is becoming mainstream. Electricity generated by large wind farms is now cheap enough in many places around the world to compete […]
