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They War-Gamed Dimming the Sun. It Went Even Worse Than You Think

WIRED

Solar geoengineering could buy humanity time against climate change--or trigger a dangerous new arms race. A first-of-its-kind simulation offered a glimpse of what happens when geopolitics takes the wheel. When it comes to deciding the fate of the planet, Colleen Golja always thought science and reason would have a seat at the table. That was until one morning last September in London, when the climate researcher took part in the first in a series of war games. The goal: to prevent an uncontrolled global race to develop a technology aimed at cooling the planet but that comes with vast, unknown risks that could reshape life on Earth. "I thought that would be such an easy thing. Like, we can all agree to do ethical research and make sure it's for the better of all humans," she told WIRED.


Mars may be a hellhole, but the moon is not far behind

MIT Technology Review

There are just a few obstacles in the way. Welcome to the second space race. You can be forgiven for experiencing déjà vu. Last time, it was the Soviet Union and the United States vying to be the first to plant some flags. And this time it looks like they're getting ready to set up camp. There will be, the contenders say, bases on the moon, permanently inhabited castles under the stars. The notion of a moon base, fanciful as it might sound, isn't new. But this year, under the leadership of Administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA has been flooding the zone with bold announcements . If all goes according to plan--a plan that will likely cost tens of billions of dollars to start--there will be drones, robotic landers, communication satellites, and a nuclear power plant; there will be plant terrariums and moonquake sensors; there will be mechanized scouts exploring craters for water. NASA is building the first nuclear reactor-powered interplanetary spacecraft. Initial astronaut missions to the lunar surface, which the US is currently planning to start in 2028, will be focused on exploration and technological experimentation. But the idea is that we will--some time in the 2030s--get to a point where there will be habitation quarters for long-term stays, surrounded by a network of scientific research stations, resource mining and processing plants, and landing pads for spaceships.


iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Apple's biggest, heaviest and longest-lasting superphone

The Guardian

This maxed out iPhone requires two hands to use. This maxed out iPhone requires two hands to use. We earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Apple's largest Pro iPhone gets its biggest battery upgrade yet to make it a true two-day phone with new Siri AI and a variable aperture camera. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is the supersized sibling of the regular 18 Pro and, though it is no longer Apple's most expensive phone thanks to the £2,000 iPhone Duo, it has a similarly large price tag to match costing from £1,299 (€1,599/$1,299/A$2,299). The 18 Pro Max follows the familiar formula of its Pro Max predecessors: take everything that's great about the 18 Pro and supersize the screen and the battery.


How the 2026 Super El Niño and Climate Change Are Related

WIRED

Let's Talk About the Super El Niño and Climate Change Here's what we know about the record-setting El Niño on a record-hot planet, and the most important questions scientists are trying to answer. The tropical Pacific has seen heat build for months as a "super" El Niño takes shape. A climate phenomenon that forms every few years, this year's iteration of El Niño has been on a tear of daily records and is forecast to reach unprecedented strength this winter. While it's characterized by hotter-than-normal waters in the eastern tropical Pacific, El Niño is a global problem. It's fair to wonder how another global problem is interacting with El Niño: climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels.


Fixated on AI, the world has forgotten what is staring it in the face: nuclear annihilation Simon Tisdall

The Guardian

This is no scoffing matter. The accelerating proliferation of advanced nuclear weapons is bringing'end times' closer by the day H umankind has fearfully and sometimes joyfully anticipated the end of the world ever since it began. The Bible's Book of Revelation speaks of "end times", a period of tribulation, war, famine, plague, floods and environmental catastrophe that may seem a less absurd prospect today than perhaps it once did. Christian evangelicals believe that, in the final rapture, a chosen few - the righteous or the "elect" - will be saved while sinners burn. Matthew's gospel predicts most people will defy, ignore or ridicule warnings of imminent Armageddon.


Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky criticises 'gift to Putin'

BBC News

Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky criticises'gift to Putin' US President Donald Trump says he has reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Moscow to immediately release diesel into the global market. He said Putin had agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and another million after that. Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST! Trump wrote on Truth social. An envoy to Putin welcomed the deal, but Ukraine's president said any easing of sanctions on Russia played into Moscow's hands and would prolong a war that must be ended. Diesel prices in the US have doubled since the war with Iran began in February, putting pressure on Republicans ahead of the midterm elections over the rising cost of living.


Carbon Accounting May Be the Most Important Climate Fight You've Never Heard About

TIME - Tech

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Video Friday: Robot Decommissioning Takes a Fun Turn

IEEE Spectrum Robotics

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As freezing winter approaches, Kyiv residents look for shelter elsewhere

BBC News

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. As Russia's attacks on Ukraine's cities intensify and autumn's cooler temperatures hint at another tough winter to come, Ukrainians are wrestling with how to meet the twin challenges ahead: Russian drone and missile strikes and the biting cold. It was a very difficult winter last year in Kyiv, says mother of two Mariia Shostak, who is now packing her bags and leaving her small flat. With prolonged periods of sub-zero temperatures and frequent power cuts brought about by Russia's attack on the country's power grid, last winter was one of the hardest so far. There were some days and weeks that were unbearable.


Chernobyl particles look remarkably similar to explosion day in 1986

Popular Science

Fuel particles embedded in the dirt aren't changing much, and that's actually a good thing. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A general view shows the current state of the 18.6-mile Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Established in the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the 1,003-square-mile restricted area remains under strict state control. Just over 40 years ago, what began as a routine safety test at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (or Chornobyl in Ukranian) in Soviet Ukraine spiraled into one of the most recognizable disasters of the 20th century.