The Cross Heads

After Russian ship docks to space station, astronauts report a foul smell

Russian space program faces ongoing challenges Zak reported that the cosmonauts aboard the Russian segment of the station donned protective equipment, and activated an extra air-scrubbing system aboard their side of the facility. On the US segment of the station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit said he smelled something akin to “spray paint.” As of Sunday […]

November 24, 2024 | iss, russia, Science, Space | No comments

Survivors mark 20th anniversary of deadly 2004 tsunami

In the wee hours of December 26, 2004, a massive 9.2 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, generating an equally massive tsunami that caused unprecedented devastation to 14 countries and killing more than 230,000. Twenty years later, National Geographic has revisited one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history with a new documentary: Tsunami: […]

November 24, 2024 | Science | No comments

What delusions can tell us about the cognitive nature of belief

Natalie also recalled other beliefs, including that she was dead (known as Cotard delusion), which she did not share with clinicians at the time. She noted that she entertained this idea due to the failure of other explanations to account for her strange experiences and an idea from a television show. Natalie said she eventually […]

November 24, 2024 | cognitive dissonance, mental health, Science, syndication | No comments

Elizabeth Warren calls for crackdown on Internet “monopoly” you’ve never heard of

US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York have called on government bodies to investigate what they allege is the “predatory pricing” of .com web addresses, the Internet’s prime real estate. In a letter delivered today to the Department of Justice and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a branch […]

November 23, 2024 | anti monopoly, elizabeth warren, monopolies, Policy, syndication | No comments

Astrocytes play a key role in memory

“In simple terms, we use genetic tools that allow us to inject mice with a drug that artificially makes astrocytes express some other gene or protein of interest when they become active,” says Wookbong Kwon, a biotechnologist at Baylor College and co-author of the study. Those proteins of interest were mainly fluorescent proteins that make […]

November 23, 2024 | astrocytes, Biology, memory, neurobiology, neurons, Neuroscience, Science | No comments

Spies hack Wi-Fi networks in far-off land to launch attack on target next door

While stalking its target, GruesomeLarch performed credential-stuffing attacks that compromised the passwords of several accounts on a web service platform used by the organization’s employees. Two-factor authentication enforced on the platform, however, prevented the attackers from compromising the accounts. So GruesomeLarch found devices in physically adjacent locations, compromised them, and used them to probe the […]

November 23, 2024 | advanced persistent threats, Biz & IT, hacking, Security, tradecraft | No comments

The good, the bad, and the ugly behind the push for more smart displays

After a couple of years without much happening, smart displays are in the news again. Aside from smart TVs, consumer screens that connect to the Internet have never reached a mainstream audience. However, there seems to be a resurgence to make smart displays more popular. The approaches that some companies are taking are better than […]

November 22, 2024 | Amazon, Apple, Google, Monitors, Smart Home, Tech | No comments

Ted Cruz wants to overhaul $42B broadband program, nix low-cost requirement

The law also says the NTIA may not “regulate the rates charged for broadband service,” and Republicans claim the NTIA is violating this restriction. A July 23 letter sent by over 30 broadband industry trade groups also alleged that the administration is illegally regulating broadband prices. ISPs pointed to NTIA guidance that “strongly encouraged” states […]

November 22, 2024 | access, and Deployment program, Broadband Equity, Policy, ted cruz | No comments

Amazon pours another $4B into Anthropic, OpenAI’s biggest rival

Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei in 2021, will continue using Google’s cloud services along with Amazon’s infrastructure. The UK Competition and Markets Authority reviewed Amazon’s partnership with Anthropic earlier this year and ultimately determined it did not have jurisdiction to investigate further, clearing the way for the partnership to continue. […]

November 22, 2024 | AI, Amazon, Anthropic, Biz & IT, ChatGPT, chatgtp, Dario Amodei, large language models, LLMs, machine learning | No comments

Ancient fish-trapping network supported the rise of Maya civilization

Harrison-Buck and her colleagues calculated that at its peak, the system could have produced enough fish each year to feed around 15,000 people. That’s based on modern estimates of how many kilograms of fish people eat every year, combined with measurements of how many kilograms of fish people in Zambia harvest with similar traps. Of […]

November 22, 2024 | aerial archaeology, ancient people did stuff, Archaeology, fisheries, indigenous americans, Maya, Pre-Columbian civilizations, Science | No comments

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