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Science Archive

Archives for January 2024

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Tesla is getting sued in California for its hazardous waste handling.

Over two dozen California counties accuse the EV-maker of improperly labeling and disposing of hazardous waste in landfills that don’t process that type of material, according to a report from Reuters.

The hazardous materials in question include used batteries, antifreeze, paint materials, brake fluids, and more. As noted by Reuters, a violation of California’s hazardous waste management policies could result in penalties of up to $70,000 per day.

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Baaaaaby shark, do doo do do do do.

This drone footage from wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna might be the first ever captured of a living newborn great white shark.

An associated research paper suggests the white stuff sloughing off of it is either a uterine milk coating or a skin disorder like dermatitis. The researchers believe the shark may be “days or even hours old.”

And now I have a century-old song to scrub from my brain.

Nathan Edwards
Nathan Edwards
For five hours on Sunday, a third of Texas was powered by the sun.

Solar power feeding into the Texas energy grid set two records on January 28th. Production hit 15,222 MW at around 10am, and at 3:10pm, solar power met 36.1 percent of electricity demand, a new peak. Solar met around a third of overall demand every hour from 11am to 4pm.

This doesn’t even count rooftop solar. The sun, y’all!

Justine Calma
Justine Calma
Business groups are suing California over its new greenhouse gas emissions reporting law.

The mandate passed last year requires companies to share how much carbon dioxide pollution they create by 2026. But several industry groups have filed suit to try to stop California from implementing the law, the first of its kind in the nation. The SEC, facing similar industry pushback, has been dragging its feet on finalizing similar nationwide rules.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Elon Musk has news on Neuralink’s first human implant and a new product name: Telepathy.

Elon Musk’s other other company, the brain-machine interface startup Neuralink, has apparently put an implant in a human, who is recovering well and seeing “promising neuron spike detection.”

As for why you’d let Musk put a chip in your brain, he says its first product, Telepathy, would bring control of a phone or computer just by thinking, as demonstrated previously with Pong-playing monkeysread here for more on the monkey experiments.

Elon tweets reading: “The first human received an implant from @Neuralink  yesterday and is recovering well.  Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” “The first @Neuralink  product is called Telepathy.” “Enables control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking.  Initial users will be those who have lost the use of their limbs.   Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal.”
Elon Musk Neuralink tweets on January 29th, 2024.
Screenshot: Elon Musk (X) (1) (2)
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Some more advice on aging, and not just for the young.

Given the emails I’ve been receiving about my advice to Gen Z, I thought many of you might enjoy this bittersweet essay by 90-year-old Sam Toperoff. He suggests that even in the absolute twilight years, there are still things to look forward to:

Here is the paradox simply told: Even while I am moving deeper into very old age, recognizing and recording my own diminishing as time passes, my truth is that this last decade has been the happiest of my entire life.

One day I hope to find out what he means.

In the Land of the Very Old

[The Sunday Long Read]

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Here’s why Japan’s lunar lander couldn’t get solar power.

This picture from Japan’s space agency, JAXA, showing the “Moon Sniper” lander upside-down was snapped by one of the small robots it ejected just as it landed.

Unfortunate as the lander’s resting position is, JAXA pointed out separately that this meant its tiny, transforming robotic ball worked. It also says it still hopes the lander can be salvaged as the sun’s angle changes.

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
NASA caught a glimpse of Japan’s “Moon Sniper” lander after it landed.

The US space agency published the below images (presented in a gallery) showing its appearance on the Moon, as seen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from roughly 50 miles above the surface on January 24th.

The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) made Japan the fifth nation to make a soft landing on the Moon, although an unfortunate malfunction rendered it without power in a matter of hours.

A gif showing the appearance of Japan’s SLIM lander.
A close crop of the SLIM lander.
1/2
Japan’s “Moon Sniper” appears.
Image: NASA
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Trader Joe’s: run by Elon Musk stans?

That’s right, Trader Joe’s also thinks the National Labor Relations Board is unconstitutional, just like Musk’s SpaceX. I’m sure this has nothing whatsoever to do with the case the NLRB is bringing against the grocer, and is just a fun coincidence.