The case for criminalizing scientific misconduct. I think a case can be made for deliberate misrepresentation of something that is supposed to be a scientifically-derived fact. It can lead to a lot of wasted time, money and energy.
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Can a thin fabric make a 16 °F difference in keeping you cool? This is a...
three-layer textile. The top layer is made of polymethylpentene or PMP, a type of plastic commonly used for packaging; the researchers had to figure out how to spin it into a fiber. The second is a sheet of silver nanowires, which acts like a mirror to reflect infrared radiation. Together, these block both the solar radiation and the ambient radiation reflected off of surfaces. The third layer can be any conventional fabric, like wool or cotton.
The Thousand Brains Project is an AI endeavor that will try to mimic the human neocortex. Not clear if this is the best approach, but the simple expansion of neurons could engender emergent phenomenon. Worth exploring.
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OHSU had better read this. When Hospital Prices Go Up, Local Economies Take a Hit.
Mergers aren’t the only reason for escalating hospital prices, but they are a persistent one.
How do you get to artificial general intelligence? I like François Chollet's definition of the Singularity better than even Kurzweil's. Chollet is a very smart guy, and listening to him speak, you can tell he's really thought hard about this.
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Citigroup says AI could replace more than half of jobs in banking. I suspect this is very much like X/Twitter firing the vast majority of the company and finding that it still works just fine. Getting rid of folks who do stuff like "quiet quitting" is probably for the best.
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I read The Origin of Jupiter's Red Spot, thinking I'd get an answer. The authors think it developed from a South Tropical Disturbance, but that just evades the explanation. What caused the STrD?
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The first multicellular organism that doesn't require oxygen to survive is discovered. Life finds a way, as Jeff Goldblum says.
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How to prolong lithium battery life. Yes, it's safe to leave the computer plugged in all the time. Don't let the battery drain to zero. And avoid extreme heat.
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Delivery Drivers Got Higher Wages. Now They’re Getting Fewer Orders. This is what happens when professional politicians tell businesses what to do.
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Tina Kotek has been MIA. I thought she'd get involved in the nurses' strike, but she didn't. What's she doing?
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Providence nurses' strike was a waste of time. They put patients' lives at risk, and got nothing out of it. The hospital survived it pretty well.
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California's revised jobs report showed minimal job growth in 2023, far less than estimates. (Caution, the graph in the article doesn't start at zero.)
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What happened to climate change concerns? The U.S. Olympic team is bringing their own air conditioners to Paris. And no one complains. Hypocrisy at its finest.
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Who wants a used Tesla? Not many, it seems. Why would anyone want to buy a car that has less battery life than a new car, and which costs about as much as a new car to replace?
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