Hundreds Still Live In The 'Exclusion Zone' Around Chernobyl
This weekend the BBC reports on the site of the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion -- where "robotic cranes are dismantling 33-year-old, radioactive wreckage" -- investigating an area of more than 4,000 square kilometres [2,485 square miles] that's been abandoned since 1986. "That could be about to change..." An anonymous reader summarizes their… Read More »
Posted on 16 February 2019 | 9:34 amAcademics Confirm Major Predictive Policing Algorithm Is Fundamentally Flawed
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Last week, Motherboard published an investigation which revealed that law enforcement agencies around the country are using PredPol -- a predictive policing software that once cited the controversial, unproven "broken windows" policing theory as a part of its best practices. Our report showed… Read More »
Posted on 16 February 2019 | 7:00 amChicago Mayor Releases Roadmap For Transitioning To 100 Percent Renewable Energy By 2035
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanual has released a roadmap for transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2035 and to an electric Chicago Transit Authority bus fleet by 2040. The move is especially noteworthy as there are 11 nuclear reactors in operation in Illinois. From a report: Yesterday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel unveiled the Resilient Chicago plan,… Read More »
Posted on 16 February 2019 | 4:00 amGravitational Wave Detectors Upgraded To Hunt For 'Extreme Cosmic Events'
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) facilities, residing in Washington and Louisiana, will be upgraded via grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, UK Research and Innovation and the Australian Research Council -- providing stronger, more frequent detections and decreasing noise. CNET reports: Over $34 million… Read More »
Posted on 16 February 2019 | 1:00 amResearchers Are Working With NASA To See If Comedians Help Team Cohesion On Long Space Missions
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: [R]esearchers have found that the success of a future mission to the red planet may depend on the ship having a class clown. "These are people that have the ability to pull everyone together, bridge gaps when tensions appear and really boost morale," said Jeffrey Johnson, an anthropologist at… Read More »
Posted on 15 February 2019 | 9:30 pmNew Drug Rapidly Repairs Age-Related Memory Loss, Improves Mood
A team of Canadian scientists has developed a fascinating new experimental drug that is purported to result in rapid improvements to both mood and memory following extensive animal testing. It's hoped the drug will move to human trials within the next two years. New Atlas reports: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a key neurotransmitter, and when… Read More »
Posted on 15 February 2019 | 8:10 pm