Government
Engaging look at friction shows how it keeps our world rubbing along
How much do you know about friction? Jennifer R. Vail's charming, if sometimes technical, biography of the force showcases its amazing and largely overlooked role in everything from climate change to dark matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan IN 2009, World Aquatics banned a specific type of swimsuit from all international competitions in water sports, ruling that it gave athletes an unfair advantage. The development of this swimsuit included using NASA's testing facilities and sophisticated computer software. Some versions had ultrasonically welded seams instead of traditional stitches. Swimmers who wore the suit broke 23 of the 25 world records set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Battlefield 'voice of God' sonic weapon used in warzones unleashed on Minneapolis protesters
Alex Pretti's Minneapolis death was murder, Americans declare in damning poll as voters issue new demand to Trump... and reveal how few back the shooting'Greedy pig' Harry Styles is shamefully exploiting obsessed women. I know... because it happened to me: LIZ JONES My sister confided an unbearable secret about her boyfriend. Keeping quiet is intolerable... our mother will be devastated: DEAR JANE Trump accounts: Million-dollar baby plan aims to create a fortune for America's newest arrivals before age 30 Nicki Minaj flashes dagger-long nails as she clutches Trump's hand after gushing she's his No. 1 fan Bryan Kohberger's warped requests from behind bars leave prison guards sickened... as new pictures of Idaho murders reveal full extent of his barbarity Bruce Willis' wife Emma makes heartbreaking admission about star's dementia battle Hilarious live gaffe on David Muir's World News Tonight that'triggered behind the scenes meltdown' Haley Kalil confident her bitter lawsuit with ex-NFL star husband will be thrown out as she cites'free speech' after revealing size of his manhood'He was Mr Perfect... now we're seeing his true colours': How Harry Styles cultivated his'good boy' image... and why fans are now turning on him after this controversial new move Mom who gave all four of her daughters the same name slams critics: 'Our family doesn't need outside approval' Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz share photo of the'world's most expensive wine' at £17,000 a BOTTLE... as it's revealed she gets a '$1m monthly allowance' from her billionaire father Battlefield'voice of God' sonic weapon used in warzones unleashed on Minneapolis protesters A military grade device capable of projecting a deafening, focused sound was deployed during a tense anti ICE protest in Minnesota Monday night. State patrol troopers faced off with activists outside the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, where demonstrators believed federal immigration agents were staying. Officers threatened to engage a long range acoustic device (LRAD), giving the crowd a countdown before deployment.
Panic on crowded train: Passenger tells BBC of moment of Russian drone strike
A Ukrainian soldier has described the moment a passenger train was targeted by Russian drones, killing five people. When a carriage on the train was hit in northeastern Ukraine, passengers threw themselves on the floor in panic and the military officer told them to get out immediately. Without his instruction, issued moments before the carriage burst into flames, many more passengers could have died. The officer, whose army call-sign is Omar, is part of Ukraine's 93rd brigade. He was among the passengers travelling on a route from Chop, on the border with Slovakia, to Barvinkove, the last stop before the front line in eastern Ukraine.
Megalodon could become Maryland's official state shark
Environment Animals Wildlife Sharks Megalodon could become Maryland's official state shark The 66,000-pound prehistoric predator once stalked the Bay State's waters. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In a state better known for its delicious seafood and as the home of the United States Navy, there's a new effort to create the country's first state shark. Earlier this month, Maryland State Senator Jack Bailey and House Delegate Todd Morgan filed SB135 to designate the megalodon () as the official state shark. While the mighty megalodon is not swimming along the shores of the Bay State now, the enormous prehistoric shark relative once dominated the shallow seas that covered Maryland and the rest of the Atlantic coastal plain .
UK police to use AI facial recognition tech linked to Israel's war on Gaza
How much is US support for Israel costing Trump? What is a Palestinian without olives? Why are Gaza's homes collapsing in winter? UK police to use AI facial recognition tech linked to Israel's war on Gaza The United Kingdom's controversial rollout of facial recognition technology will rely on software that appears to have already been deployed in Gaza, where it is used by the Israeli army to track, trace, and abduct thousands of Palestinian civilians passing through checkpoints. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that British police would massively increase the use of facial recognition technology used for surveillance purposes.
Would YOU sit on it? Scientists develop a futuristic chair that puts you in an 'altered state of mind' within minutes
Alex Pretti's Minneapolis death was murder, Americans declare in damning poll as voters issue new demand to Trump... and reveal how few back the shooting'Greedy pig' Harry Styles is shamefully exploiting obsessed women. I know... because it happened to me: LIZ JONES My sister confided an unbearable secret about her boyfriend. Keeping quiet is intolerable... our mother will be devastated: DEAR JANE Trump accounts: Million-dollar baby plan aims to create a fortune for America's newest arrivals before age 30 Nicki Minaj flashes dagger-long nails as she clutches Trump's hand after gushing she's his No. 1 fan Bryan Kohberger's warped requests from behind bars leave prison guards sickened... as new pictures of Idaho murders reveal full extent of his barbarity Bruce Willis' wife Emma makes heartbreaking admission about star's dementia battle Hilarious live gaffe on David Muir's World News Tonight that'triggered behind the scenes meltdown' Haley Kalil confident her bitter lawsuit with ex-NFL star husband will be thrown out as she cites'free speech' after revealing size of his manhood'He was Mr Perfect... now we're seeing his true colours': How Harry Styles cultivated his'good boy' image... and why fans are now turning on him after this controversial new move Mom who gave all four of her daughters the same name slams critics: 'Our family doesn't need outside approval' Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz share photo of the'world's most expensive wine' at £17,000 a BOTTLE... as it's revealed she gets a '$1m monthly allowance' from her billionaire father Would YOU sit on it? Scientists develop a futuristic chair that puts you in an'altered state of mind' within minutes READ MORE: People are using'binaural beats' to simulate the effects of drugs Would you be brave enough to sit on a chair that can send you into an'altered state of mind' within minutes? That is the wild promise of the Aiora chair, a futuristic seat designed by scientists from the University of Essex and British furniture company DavidHugh LTD.
China lags behind US at AI frontier but could quickly catch up, say experts
Since 2021, China has reportedly poured $100bn into support for AI datacentres. Since 2021, China has reportedly poured $100bn into support for AI datacentres. Beijing's AI policy is focused on real-life applications but Chinese companies are beginning to articulate their own grand visions S tanding on stage in the eastern China tech hub of Hangzhou, Alibaba's normally media-shy CEO made an attention-grabbing announcement. "The world today is witnessing the dawn of an AI-driven intelligent revolution," Eddie Wu told a developer conference in September. " Artificial general intelligence (AGI) will not only amplify human intelligence but also unlock human potential, paving the way for the arrival of artificial superintelligence (ASI)."
BBC director general to depart in April after resignation
The BBC's director general is to leave the broadcaster in April, five months after he announced his resignation amid a storm about the way Panorama edited a Donald Trump speech. Tim Davie stayed in his post after announcing his resignation in November, but will depart on 2 April. He will be replaced by an interim DG, Rhodri Talfan Davies, who has been director of nations since 2021 and is currently leading the BBC's work on generative AI. The search is under way for a permanent director general, one of the most demanding jobs in the British media. Davie has been responsible for dealing with a series of scandals and crises since becoming the BBC's 17th director general in 2020.
The Download: A bid to treat blindness, and bridging the internet divide
Plus: TikTok won't be heading to court this week The first human test of a rejuvenation method will begin "shortly" Life Biosciences, a small Boston startup founded by Harvard professor and life-extension evangelist David Sinclair, has won FDA approval to proceed with the first targeted attempt at age reversal in human volunteers. The company plans to try to treat eye disease with a radical rejuvenation concept called "reprogramming" that has recently attracted hundreds of millions in investment for Silicon Valley firms like Altos Labs, New Limit, and Retro Biosciences, backed by many of the biggest names in tech. Today, an estimated 2.2 billion people still have either limited or no access to the internet, largely because they live in remote places. But that number could drop this year, thanks to tests of stratospheric airships, uncrewed aircraft, and other high-altitude platforms for internet delivery. Although Google shuttered its high-profile internet balloon project Loon in 2021, work on other kinds of high-altitude platform stations has continued behind the scenes. Now, several companies claim they have solved Loon's problems--and are getting ready to prove the tech's internet beaming potential starting this year.
Windscribe review: Despite the annoyances, it has the right idea
The first step is always to figure out how easy or hard the VPN is to use. Windscribe and other VPNs are important tools, but you'll never use them if the UI gets in the way. I tested Windscribe's desktop apps on Windows and Mac, its mobile apps on iOS and Android and its Chrome and Firefox browser extensions. To start with, let me say that installing Windscribe is a breeze no matter where you do it. The downloaders and installers handle their own business, only requiring you to grant a few permissions. The apps arrive on your system ready to use out of the box.