lear

A Scheme of Heaven reveals what scientists can learn from astrology

Astrology is bunk, but a new book exploring its ancient history argues that it has crucial lessons for today's data science with its seemingly opaque algorithms




lear

Five things we have learned about Mars from NASA's InSight mission

NASA’s InSight lander has been on the surface of Mars for over a year now – here are five of its strangest and most fascinating discoveries from the Red Planet




lear

Construction Robots Learn to Excavate by Mimicking Humans

Human movements can teach robots the skills they need to dig holes and—maybe someday—build the first colonies on Mars




lear

Want a Really Hard Machine Learning Problem? Try Agriculture, Says John Deere Labs

John Deere, the nearly 200-year-old tractor manufacturer, now considers itself a software company



  • robotics
  • robotics/artificial-intelligence

lear

From Mainframes to PCs: What Robot Startups Can Learn From the Computer Revolution

In their search for killer apps, robotics companies should look at the amazing evolution of computers




lear

Bipedal Robot Cassie Cal Learns to Juggle

Cassie may not have any arms to work with, but that doesn’t keep it from juggling a ball on its head




lear

India's nuclear future put on hold

Safety fears derail plan to import reactors.




lear

Dear fellow motherless daughters: Here's how I've learned to cope on Mother's Day

Marisa Bardach Ramel is co-author of “The Goodbye Diaries: A Mother-Daughter Memoir,” written with her mother Sally Bardach. As Mother’s Day approaches, I long to sit beside you, pour you some tea and talk about all the things.





lear

All product creators can learn something from Jackbox Games’ user experiences

While Jackbox clearly owes a great deal of its current popularity to the shelter-in-place policies, they've also been honing their craft for years. It's worth looking at what makes them work.





lear

Skeptical judge could hold up Trump administration's bid to clear Flynn, legal experts say

The notoriously independent-minded federal judge who once said he was disgusted by the conduct of Michael Flynn could block the administration's bid to drop criminal charges against the former adviser to President Donald Trump, legal experts said.




lear

'Great entertainer' Stokes clearly deserving of world's best honour, says Ford

Graham Ford hailed Ben Stokes as a "great entertainer" after the England all-rounder's recent recognition by Wisden.





lear

A nuclear waste site where the biggest fear isn’t radiation, but coronavirus

Workers at ‘most toxic place in America’ are terrified to return to a site where there has been very little protection from the outbreak

For more than a month, coronavirus has brought cleanup of a 586-square-mile decommissioned nuclear production complex in south-eastern Washington state to a near standstill.

Most of the more than 11,000 employees at the Hanford site were sent home in late March, with only essential workers remaining to make sure the “most toxic place in America” stays safe and secure.

Continue reading...




lear

Critics alarmed by US nuclear agency's bid to relax rules on radioactive waste

Nuclear Regulatory Commission keen to allow material to be disposed of by ‘land burial’ – with potentially damaging effects

The federal agency providing oversight of the commercial nuclear sector is attempting to push through a rule change critics say could allow dangerous amounts of radioactive material to be disposed of in places like municipal landfills, with potentially serious consequences to human health and the environment.

Related: Coca-Cola and Pepsi falling short on pledges over plastic – report

Continue reading...




lear

Researchers Are Learning How Asian Elephants Think—in Order to Save Them

As the pachyderms increasingly clash with farmers and villagers over disappearing land, scientists study the way the animals' minds work




lear

Seven Ways to Learn About Natural History From Home

Deepen your understanding of the natural world with these free resources




lear

What We Can Learn From 1918 Influenza Diaries

These letters and journals offer insights on how to record one's thoughts amid a pandemic




lear

Fifty Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since the First Earth Day

On April 22, 1970, Americans pledged environmental action for the planet. Here’s what scientists and we, the global community, have done since




lear

What Rome Learned From the Deadly Antonine Plague of 165 A.D.

The outbreak was far deadlier than COVID-19, but the empire survived




lear

To err is human, to learn, divine

New research describes a new model for how the brain interprets patterns in complex networks. They found that the ability to detect patterns stems in part from the brain's desire to represent things in the simplest way possible and that the brain is constantly weighing the pressures of complexity and simplicity when making decisions.




lear

'Critical' situation as forest fires rage on near Chernobyl nuclear plant

Forest fires are raging in the contaminated area near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but officials insist there is no radiation threat.




lear

Three new wildfires break out near Chernobyl nuclear power plant

Three new wildfires have broken out in the radiation-contaminated evacuation zone around the wrecked Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.




lear

2019 was hottest year on record for Europe as clear global warming trend continues, report shows

2019 was the hottest year on record for Europe as global warming trends continue, major analysis has shown.




lear

Some NHS staff re-tested for coronavirus after being wrongly given all-clear as RAF plane with PPE lands four days late

Some NHS medics are being re-tested for Covid-19 after being wrongly cleared of carrying the virus.




lear

Couple at sea reveal 'surreal' experience of learning about coronavirus pandemic after landing at Caribbean island

A couple who were living their dream of sailing across the Atlantic have shared their "shock" of returning to land and hearing the news about the global coronavirus pandemic.




lear

Baby hope for thousands as IVF clinics are cleared to reopen

Fertility treatment is being restarted after it was stopped due to coronavirus — bringing hope to thousands of couples desperate for a baby.




lear

Food For London Now faces: 'Children can't learn if they're hungry'

Gary Kynaston from Hammersmith Academy shares his story You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




lear

Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component, By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Smart Education And Learning Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Age, By Component (Hardware, Software, Service), By Learning Mode, By End User, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN The global smart education and learning market size is expected to reach USD 680.1 billion by 2027. The market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 17.9% from 2020 to 2027. Demand for smart education and learning solutions is increasing among the growing population in corporate and academic sectors, owing to benefits such as improved education quality and easy access to educational content. Increasing adoption of consumer electronics, such as smartphones, e-readers, laptops, and e-learning applications, has altered conventional education methodology and has enhanced the efficiency of an individual to learn. Additionally, there are enormous opportunities for advancements in the market, owing to improved internet accessibility.Also, the COVID - 19 outbreak has emerged an opportunity for the market with an increasing number of states and countries closing educational institutes. For instance, over 90.0% of the world's students are not attending their schools due to this pandemic, as mentioned by UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organization of The Commonwealth (Canada), has supported educational institutions and governments in building robust distance education solutions for quality e-learning practices. However, lack of awareness among end-users about the latest technologies and inadequate amount of resources for delivering quality education in developing regions is anticipated to hinder market growth.The simulation-based learning segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest CAGR because this mode enables corporate professional and educational institutions to create a realistic experience in a controlled environment.It also allows professionals and learners to practice, navigate, explore, and obtain more information through a virtual medium before they start working on real-life tasks.Growing awareness among people and the rising popularity of smart education are encouraging solution providers to invest in research and development for creating more reliable, better, and cost-effective solutions. Manufacturers are making substantial investments in developing new products for enhancing the user experience.Smart education and learning market report highlights:• Growing demand for smart educational practices can be accredited to factors, such as reducing expenses of online training, curbing geographic challenges in physically attending classes, and time constraints faced by aspirants• Increasing penetration of the Internet of Things (IoT), enhanced internet accessibility, and rapid adoption of mobile technology have encouraged users to adopt smart education and learning solutions• Innovative techniques, such as gamification, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), microlearning, and adaptive learning, which improve the overall educational process, are expected to drive the market over the projected period• North America accounted for the largest market share in 2019 owing to its large consumer base for e-learning methodsRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05891723/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001






lear

Flamingos form lasting friendships and 'choose to hang out' with each other, scientists learn

'It seems - like humans - flamingos form social bonds for a variety of reasons,' researcher says




lear

Home Secretary Priti Patel 'cleared of bullying staff after investigation'

Priti Patel has reportedly been cleared of bullying members of staff after an official investigation.




lear

Labour calls for immediate release of Priti Patel bullying probe after reports she has been cleared

The investigation into bullying accusations against Priti Patel must be released "as soon as possible", Labour has demanded.




lear

5 Things We Learned from the Tiger King Special

Netflix has capitalized on the huge success of their docuseries Tiger King by releasing an “aftershow” special. Here are 5 things we learned.




lear

How a Nuclear Submarine Officer Learned to Live in Tight Quarters - Issue 84: Outbreak


I’m no stranger to forced isolation. For the better part of my 20s, I served as a nuclear submarine officer running secret missions for the United States Navy. I deployed across the vast Pacific Ocean with a hundred other sailors on the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class ship engineered in the bygone Cold War era to be one of the fastest, quietest, and deepest-diving submersibles ever constructed. The advanced reactor was loaded with decades of enriched uranium fuel that made steam for propulsion and electrical power so we could disappear under the waves indefinitely without returning to port. My longest stint was for two months, when I traveled under the polar ice cap to the North Pole with a team of scientists studying the Arctic environment and testing high frequency sonar and acoustic communications for under-ice operations. During deployments, critical-life events occur without you: holidays with loved ones, the birth of a child, or in my case, the New York Giants 2011-2012 playoff run to beat Tom Brady’s Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time. On the bright side, being cut off from the outside world was a great first job for an introvert.

It’s been a month since COVID-19 involuntarily drafted me into another period of isolation far away from home. I’m in Turkey, where a two-week trip with my partner to meet her family has been extended indefinitely. There were no reported cases here and only a few in California in early March when we left San Francisco, where I run a business design studio. I had a lot of anticipation about Turkey because I’d never been here. Now I’m sheltering in a coastal town outside of Izmir with my partner, her parents, their seven cats, and a new puppy.

Shuttered in a house on foreign soil where I don’t speak the language, I have found myself snapping back into submarine deployment mode. Each day I dutifully monitor online dashboards of data and report the status of the spread at the breakfast table to no one in particular. I stay in touch with friends and family all over the world who tell me they’re going stir crazy and their homes are getting claustrophobic. But if there is one thing my experience as a submarine officer taught me, it’s that you get comfortable being uncomfortable.

OFFICER OF THE DECK: Author Steve Weiner in 2011, on the USS Connecticut, a nuclear submarine. Weiner was the ship’s navigator. Submarine and crew, with a team of scientists, were deployed in the Arctic Ocean, studying the Arctic environment and testing high frequency sonar and acoustic communications for under-ice operations.Courtesy of Steve Weiner

My training began with psychological testing, although it may not be what you think. Evaluating mental readiness for underwater isolation isn’t conducted in a laboratory by clipboard-toting, spectacled scientists. The process to select officers was created by Admiral Hyman Rickover—the engineering visionary and noted madman who put the first nuclear reactor in a submarine—to assess both technical acumen and composure under stress. For three decades as the director of the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, Rickover tediously interviewed every officer, and the recruiting folklore is a true HR nightmare: locking candidates in closets for hours, asking obtuse questions such as “Do something to make me mad,” and sawing down chair legs to literally keep one off balance.

Rickover retired from the Navy as its longest-serving officer and his successors carried on the tradition of screening each officer candidate, but with a slightly more dignified approach. Rickover’s ghost, though, seemed to preside over my interview process when I applied to be a submariner as a junior at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I was warned by other midshipmen that I would fail on the spot if I initiated a handshake. So, dressed in my formal navy blue uniform and doing my best to avoid tripping into accidental human contact, I rigidly marched into the Admiral’s office, staring straight ahead while barking my resume. When I took a seat on the unaltered and perfectly level chair in front of his desk, the Admiral asked me bluntly why I took so many philosophy classes and if I thought I could handle the technical rigors of nuclear power school. My response was a rote quip from John Paul Jones’ “Qualifications of a Naval Officer.” “Admiral, an officer should be a gentleman of liberal education, refined manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor.” My future boss looked at me, shook his head like he thought I’d be a handful, and told me I got the job.

Confinement opened something up in my psyche and I gave myself permission to let go of my anxieties.

Nuclear power training is an academic kick in the face every day for over a year. The curriculum is highly technical and the pedagogy resembles a cyborg assembly-line without even a hint of the Socratic method. Our grades were conspicuously posted on the classroom wall and a line was drawn between those who passed and those who failed. I was below the line enough to earn the distinguished dishonor of 25 additional study hours each week, which meant I was at school at 5 a.m. and every weekend. This is how the Nuclear Navy builds the appropriate level of knowledge and right temperament to deal with shipboard reactor operations.

I finally sat down for a formal psychological evaluation a few months before my first deployment. I was ushered into a room no bigger than a broom closet and instructed to click through a computer-based questionnaire with multiple-choice questions about my emotions. I never did  learn the results, so I assume my responses didn’t raise too many red flags.

During my first year onboard, I spent all my waking hours either supervising reactor operations or learning the intricacies of every inch of the 350-foot tube and the science behind how it all worked. The electrolysis machine that split water molecules to generate oxygen was almost always out of commission, so instead we burned chlorate candles that produced breathable air. Seawater was distilled each day for drinking and shower water. Our satellite communications link had less bandwidth than my dial-up modem in the 1990s and we were permitted to send text-only emails to friends and family at certain times and in certain locations so as not to risk being detected. I took tests every month to demonstrate proficiency in nuclear engineering, navigation, and the battle capabilities of the ship. When I earned my submarine warfare qualification, the Captain pinned the gold dolphins insignia on my uniform and gave me the proverbial keys to the $4 billion warship. At that point, I was responsible for coordinating missions and navigating the ship as the Officer of the Deck.

Modern submarines are hydrodynamically shaped to have the most efficient laminar flow underwater, so that’s where we operated 99 percent of the time. The rare exception to being submerged is when we’d go in and out of port. The most unfortunate times were long transits tossing about in heavy swells, which made for a particularly nauseated cruise. To this day, conjuring the memory of some such sails causes a reflux flashback. A submariner’s true comfort zone is beneath the waves so as soon as we broke ties with the pier we navigated toward water that was deep enough for us to dive.

It’s unnatural to stuff humans, torpedoes, and a nuclear reactor into a steel boat that’s intentionally meant to sink. This engineering marvel ranks among the most complex, and before we’d proceed below and subject the ship and its inhabitants to extreme sea pressures, the officers would visually inspect thousands of valves to verify the proper lineup of systems that would propel us to the surface if we started flooding uncontrollably and sinking—a no-mistakes procedure called rigging for dive. Once we’d slip beneath the waves, the entire crew would walk around to check for leaks before we’d settle into a rotation of standing watch, practicing our casualty drills, engineering training, eating, showering (sometimes), and sleeping (rarely). The full cycle was 18 hours, which meant the timing of our circadian cycles were constantly changing. Regardless of the amount of government-issued Folger’s coffee I’d pour down my throat, I’d pass out upon immediate contact with my rack (the colloquialism for a submarine bunk in which your modicum of privacy was symbolized by a cloth curtain).

As an officer, I lived luxuriously with only two other grown men in a stateroom no bigger than a walk-in closet. Most of the crew slept stacked like lumber in an 18-person bunk room and they all took turns in the rack. This alternative lifestyle is known as hot-racking, because of the sensation you get when you crawl into bedding that’s been recently occupied. The bunk rooms are sanctuaries where silence is observed with monastic intensity. Slamming the door or setting an alarm clock was a cardinal sin so wakeups were conducted by a junior sailor who gently coaxed you awake when it was time to stand watch. Lieutenant Weiner, it’s time to wake up. You’ve got the midnight watch, sir. Words that haunt my dreams.

The electrolysis machine was out of commission, so we burned chlorate candles that produced breathable air.

I maintained some semblance of sanity and physical fitness by sneaking a workout on a rowing erg in the engine room or a stationary bike squeezed between electronics cabinets. The rhythmic beating of footsteps on a treadmill was a noise offender—the sound could be detected on sonar from miles away—so we shut it off unless we were in friendly waters where we weren’t concerned with counter-detection.

Like a heavily watered-down version of a Buddhist monk taking solitary retreat in a cave, my extended submarine confinements opened something up in my psyche and I gave myself permission to let go of my anxieties. Transiting underneath a vast ocean in a vessel with a few inches of steel preventing us from drowning helps put things into perspective. Now that I’m out of the Navy, I have more appreciation for the freedoms of personal choice, a fresh piece of fruit, and 24 hours in a day. My only regrets are not keeping a journal or having the wherewithal to discover the practice of meditation under the sea.

Today, I’m learning Turkish so I can understand more about what’s happening around me. I’m doing Kundalini yoga (a moving meditation that focuses on breathwork) and running on the treadmill (since I’m no longer concerned about my footsteps being detected on sonar). On my submarine, I looked at photos to stay connected to the world I left behind, knowing that I’d return soon enough. Now our friend who is isolating in our apartment in San Francisco sends us pictures of our cat and gives us reports about how the neighborhood has changed.

It’s hard to imagine that we’ll resume our lifestyles exactly as they were. But the submariner in me is optimistic that we have it in us to adapt to whatever conditions are waiting for us when it’s safe to ascend from the depths and return to the surface.

Steve Weiner is the founder of Very Scarce, a business design studio. He used to lead portfolio companies at Expa and drive nuclear submarines in the U.S. Navy. He has an MBA from The Wharton School and a BS from the U.S. Naval Academy. Instagram: @steve Twitter: @weenpeace

Lead image: Mike H. / Shutterstock


Read More…




lear

Piers Morgan cleared by Ofcom after 4,000 complaints over interviews with Tory MPs

Presenter was accused of treating care minister Helen Whateley 'unfairly'




lear

Zach Braff reveals what he's learnt about himself during lockdown

Actor and writer also shared what he felt were the hardest things about life during lockdown




lear

JoJo: Good to Know review – mature pop from a clear-eyed star

(Clover Music)
With this long-awaited fourth album, the former teen idol has finally arrived as the kind of artist she was always meant to be

‘Look at me now” is a fitting opening line for Good to Know, the fourth studio album from R&B singer JoJo. The artist has been on a storied journey through the music industry and the public eye: first emerging as the 13-year-old singer of Leave (Get Out), she then spent years mired in legal disputes with her label that prevented her releasing music. After reigniting her passionate fanbase with a string of independent, darker-sounding mixtapes (and one viral Drake cover), she released Mad Love, her long-delayed third album, in 2016. But Good to Know, released on her own imprint Clover Music, with its themes of independence and self-knowledge, carries with it a sense that she has finally arrived as the kind of artist she was always meant to be.

Continue reading...





lear

How Coronavirus Has Helped to Clear the Air

Satellite data shows just how much air quality has improved during the coronavirus crisis, from China, India, Italy and beyond.




lear

Sir David Attenborough and Danny Dyer among celebrities teaching new BBC home schooling learning programming

Parents are getting a helping hand from some famous faces




lear

BBC unveils 'biggest push on education in its history' with new learning programme for kids at home

It's the BBC's 'biggest push on education in its history' and kicks off Monday, April 20




lear

European Day of Languages 2018: Best apps for learning a language on the go

Learning a language is good for brain-training so get out your smartphone and start downloading




lear

Best language learning apps to perfect your skills before your next trip

Learning a language is good for brain-training so get out your smartphone and start downloading




lear

Former Chelsea star Gianluca Vialli given all-clear following cancer battle

Former Chelsea player-manager Gianluca Vialli says he feels "very fortunate" after being given the all-clear from pancreatic cancer.




lear

Jurgen Klopp's lockdown: Liverpool boss discusses Tiger King, Downton Abbey... and learning to tie a tie at 52!

Like most football fans, Jurgen Klopp has found himself with a lot of time on his hands since Premier League action was suspended.




lear

Jan Vertongen hints at Tottenham exit after revealing desire 'to play in Europe and learn another language'

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has hinted that he will look to leave the club once his contract expires this summer.




lear

Former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo given all clear after brain tumour treatment

Former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo has been given the all clear following treatment on a brain tumour.




lear

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris says it's 'a privilege' to learn from Jose Mourinho

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris says he is learning "so much" under manager Jose Mourinho.




lear

Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd learn Koulibaly price plus Sancho latest; Chelsea rival Arsenal for Orkun Kokcu

Welcome to the Evening Standard's live blog covering the latest transfer news and rumours from the Premier League and Europe.




lear

What Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo instantly learned from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Loan sensation Odion Ighalo has revealed he felt the benefits of working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instantly upon arriving at Manchester United.