Why Do Facebook and Instagram keep crashing?

Technical difficulties: Facebook and Instagram crashed for the second time in a month last night, while a string of banks and other companies have also experienced outages recently  

Daily Mail: Why DO Facebook and Instagram keep crashing? Human error, centralised back-end systems and a surge in traffic are blamed for a string of outages over the past two months 

* Meta's Facebook and Instagram crashed for second time in a month yesterday 

* String of banks, phone networks and fellow tech giants have also had outages 

* MailOnline has spoken to a number of cyber security experts to find out cause 

* They blamed centralised systems, an increase in users and ageing infrastructure 

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook and Instagram crashed for the second time in a month last night, while a string of banks, phone networks and fellow tech giants have also experienced major outages recently. 

Even Britain's biggest supermarket Tesco was brought to its knees by a hack of its website and app last month, leaving thousands of customers unable to order groceries for 48 hours and costing the retailer an estimated £40m in lost revenue.  

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CSN Editor: Human error, aging infrastructure, centralized back-end systems, and surges in traffic are the main culprits on why websites crash.

What Next For mRNA Vaccines?

The Guardian: Flu, cancer, HIV: after Covid success, what next for mRNA vaccines? 

The technology was viewed with skepticism before the pandemic but there is now growing confidence about its use 

 It is one of the most remarkable success stories of the pandemic: the unproven technology that delivered the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines in record time, helping to turn the tide on Covid-19. The vaccines are based on mRNA, the molecule that instructs our cells to make specific proteins. By injecting synthetic mRNA, our cells are turned into on-demand vaccine factories, pumping out any protein we want our immune system to learn to recognise and destroy. 

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WNU Editor: It has cost a lot of money to develop the current mRNA Covid vaccines. That is why I an willing to bet that it will be money that will be the biggest obstacles for developing these type of vaccines in the future.

Facebook Is Shutting Down Its Facial Recognition System

 

CNET: Facebook is shutting down its facial recognition system, affecting over a billion people 

The company will delete all of its face scan data, citing societal concerns and regulatory uncertainty. 

Facebook will shut down its facial recognition system this month and delete the face scan data of more than 1 billion users, the company said Tuesday. It cited societal concerns and regulatory uncertainty about facial recognition technology as the reasons. 

More than one-third of the app's daily active users have opted into its Face Recognition setting, the social network noted in a blog post.  

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CSN Editor: This shutting down will impact one billion users.

What Are The Trojan Asteroids?

 

SciTechDaily: We Asked a NASA Scientist: What Are the Trojan Asteroids? 

What are the Trojan asteroids? 

These mysterious space rocks have been gravitationally trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun for billions of years and hold clues to the formation of our solar system. NASA’s Lucy mission will be the first spacecraft to study these ancient relics up close. Lucy scientist Audrey Martin at Northern Arizona University has the details.  

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CSN Editor: So, what are the Trojan asteroids? They’re asteroids that orbit with Jupiter around the Sun that ultimately hold the clues to the formation of our solar system.

Creating Fuel From Thin Air

 

Daily Mail: Scientists create FUEL from thin air and sunlight for the first time, paving the way towards carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels 

* Researchers have created fuel from thin air and sunlight for the first time 

* Findings may pave the way towards producing carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels 

* But a lot of work would be needed to upscale the ETH Zurich study's process 

* Aviation and shipping contribute to about 8% of total carbon dioxide emissions 

Scientists have created fuel from thin air and sunlight for the first time, paving the way for the production of carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels. 

Researchers called their discovery 'an important milestone' that could ultimately help decarbonise the aviation sector, but said a lot of work is still needed to upscale the process. 

Aviation and shipping currently contribute to around 8 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions attributed to human activity.  

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CSN Editor: The problem with this process is that it is still more expensive than current production methods.

When It Is Launched In December The James Webb Telescope Will Be Facing 'Two Weeks Of Terror'

So much could go wrong, but the engineering teams believe they have all eventualities covered 

BBC: James Webb: Hubble telescope successor faces 'two weeks of terror' 

Engineers like to describe the process of landing a rover on Mars as the "seven minutes of terror". 

That's how long it takes for a robot to come to a standing-stop at the surface of the Red Planet after entering the atmosphere faster than a rifle bullet; and so much has to go right in-between to avoid smashing into the ground. 

But when it comes to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), it's more like "two weeks of terror". 

The successor observatory to the mighty Hubble telescope has been built to see the very first stars to shine in the Universe.  

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CSN Editor: This new telescope took years to assemble at a cost of $10 billion. So yes. This launch and deployment better work out.

'Google' Is The Most Searched Word On Bing

BBC: 'Google' is most searched word on Bing, Google says 

The top entry on Microsoft's Bing search engine is for its rival Google, Google has said. 

The claim was made in court, as Google made its case to appeal against a €4.3bn ($5bn) fine from the European Union for abusing its market power. 

The EU accused Google of using Android's success in the smartphone market to make Google the default search engine. But Google says its service is simply the most popular. 

"We have submitted evidence showing that the most common search query on Bing is, by far, 'Google'," lawyer Alfonso Lamadrid told the EU General Court, as first reported by Bloomberg. 

"People use Google because they choose to, not because they are forced to.  

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CSN Editor: I am willing to bet that Bing is not the most searched word on Google.

World's Languages Can Be Traced Back To A Single African Mother Tongue

The World: World's languages traced back to single African mother tongue: scientists 

Scientists say they have traced the world's 6,000 modern languages — from English to Mandarin — back to a single "mother tongue," an ancestral language spoken in Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago. 

New research, published in the journal Science, suggests this single ancient language resulted in human civilization — a Diaspora — as well as advances in art and hunting tool technology, and laid the groundwork for all the world's cultures. 

The research, by Quentin Atkinson from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, also found that speech evolved far earlier than previously thought. And the findings implied, though did not prove, that modern language originated only once, an issue of controversy among linguists, according to the New York Times.  

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CSN Editor: The stat that caught my attention in this post is that there are 6,000 modern languages.

William Shatner Describes His Short Trip To Space 'It's Indescribable'"

 

Kotte.org: Captain Kirk Goes to Space: “It’s Indescribable” 

 Last week, William Shatner finally got a chance to boldly go where he hadn’t actually been before: into space. And upon returning from the 11-minute flight, the 90-year-old TV spaceship captain had come down with more than a touch of the Overview Effect. 

From the transcript of his post-flight remarks:  

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CSN Editor: William Shatner's description of his space flight after landing is below: 

Japanese Startup Is Selling A Hoverbike

In a video grab from Japanese startup A.L.I. Technologies, the "XTurismo Limited Edition" hoverbike is pictured during its demonstration at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, October 26, 2021. A.L.I. Technologies/Handout via REUTERS  

Reuters: Japan startup targets supercar users with $700,000 hoverbike 

TOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A Japanese startup backed by soccer player Keisuke Honda hopes to persuade wealthy consumers to swap their supercar for a 77.7 million yen ($680,000) hoverbike which went on sale on Tuesday. 

The "XTurismo Limited Edition" from Tokyo-based drone startup A.L.I. Technologies is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors and promises to fly for 40 minutes at up to 100 kph (62 mph). 

"Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement," Chief Executive Daisuke Katano told Reuters.  

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CSN Editor: The era of the Jetsons is coming.

To Combat Global Warming, The Whitest Paint On Record Has Been Developed

Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering, holds up his lab’s sample of the whitest paint on record. (Purdue University/Jared Pike)  

Perdue University: The whitest paint is here – and it’s the coolest. Literally. 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In an effort to curb global warming, Purdue University engineers have created the whitest paint yet. Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to reduce the need for air conditioning, the researchers say. 

In October, the team created an ultra-white paint that pushed limits on how white paint can be. Now they’ve outdone that. The newer paint not only is whiter but also can keep surfaces cooler than the formulation that the researchers had previously demonstrated. 

“If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that you could get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts. That’s more powerful than the central air conditioners used by most houses,” said Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering.  

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CSN Editor: This paint will definitely be popular in hot climates.

The Inside Story Of Mining Bitcoin

Bitcoin miner Zack Pettit skating on his work break at the SCATE Ventures mining facility in Dallesport, Washington. SCATE Ventures Inc.  

CNBC: This 19-year-old earns $54,000 a year mining bitcoin as a full-time job — here’s what it’s like 

* Nick Sears was 17 years old when he helped build a bitcoin mining farm in Dallesport, Washington. 

* Sears oversees a hydro-powered data center with 4,500 ASICs, all mining for bitcoin. 

Nick Sears was 17 when he helped build a bitcoin mining farm in Dallesport, Washington. He was 18 when rules allowed him to buy bitcoin for the first time. And now, at 19, Sears has doubled down on his life as a bitcoin miner, saying “no” to college and “yes” to living in a room inside a data center that houses 4,500 whirling ASICs. 

“My room is sound-locked,” said Sears of the acoustic retrofitting of his living quarters. “So I can’t hear the machines when I close my door, but they are definitely noisy if I have my door open.”  

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CSN Editor: He is living his dream.

Chinese Satellites Have The Capability To Dodge US Surveillance

Shijian 20, China’s most advanced communication satellite, was launched in 2019. Photo: Weibo  

SCMP: Chinese satellite hints at space warfare prowess by dodging US surveillance  

A Chinese satellite has used a manoeuvre to avoid being followed by a spying US satellite, hinting at its capability in potential space warfare. 

But some defence analysts said the scenario was not new and the incident should not be seen as escalating the rivalry between China and the United States in space.

 "It is not difficult to monitor satellites," said Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping. "The US, Russia and China are all able to monitor each other's satellites in orbit. But the US will certainly plan its space infrastructure through monitoring the satellites of China and Russia."  

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CSN Editor: More details on what China, Russia, and the US are doing in space can be read here .... US, China, Russia Test New Space War Tactics: Sats Buzzing, Spoofing, Spying (Breaking Defense).

Nasa Delays SpaceX Launch To ISS Over A ‘Medical Issue’ With An Astronaut

The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station for NASA pose for a photo on the gantry to their Crew Dragon Endurance during a launch rehearsal. They are (from left): ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron. (Image credit: SpaceX)  

Space.com: SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut launch for NASA delayed by 'minor medical issue'  

Crew-3 will now launch no earlier than Saturday (Nov. 6). 

SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA has been delayed until at least Saturday (Nov. 6) by a "minor medical issue" affecting a crewmember, agency officials said. 

The mission, known as Crew-3, had been scheduled to lift off early Wednesday morning (Nov. 3) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. 

The earliest it could now launch is 11:36 p.m. EDT on Saturday evening (Nov. 6; 0336 GMT on Nov. 7). 

"The issue is not a medical emergency and not related to COVID-19," NASA officials said in an update today (Nov. 1). 

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Update #1: SpaceX Crew Dragon launch to space station delayed by "minor medical issue" (CBS)  

Update #2: Nasa delays SpaceX launch to ISS over ‘medical issue’ with astronaut (The Guardian)  

CSN Editor: NASA and SpaceX are not elaborating on the nature of the problem or say which astronaut was involved.

Astronauts Heading Back To Earth From The International Space Station This Month Will Be Without A Bathroom

The toilet aboard SpaceX's Inspiration4 craft malfunctioned during the crew's three-day journey around the Earth last month, causing urine to leak inside the capsuleNASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency  

Daily Mail: This stinks! SpaceX capsule's leaky toilet is going to leave astronauts without a bathroom and force them to wear 'undergarments' on their return trip from the International Space Station this month 

* Engineers first noticed trouble with the toilet design when the all-civilian Resilience capsule returned in September 

* Urine had pooled beneath the floor panels after a tube from the toilet came unplugged 

* SpaceX engineers fixed the issue in the Resilience but the Endeavour capsule is stationed on the ISS and unable to be repaired 

* Astronauts commonly use the undergarments to relieve themselves in spacesuits for launches, landings and spacewalks 

Astronauts heading back to Earth from the International Space Station this month will be without a bathroom, thanks to an issue with the toilets on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule. 

Instead, NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will have to rely on 'undergarments' for waste management while aboard the Endeavour capsule, Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, told reporters at an October 29 press conference.

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Update #1: SpaceX's Dragon space toilet is off limits for astronauts returning to Earth soon (Space.com)  

Update #2: Leaky SpaceX toilet problem will force astronauts to use backup 'undergarments' (CNN)  

CSN Editor: Thank God for diapers/undergarments.

James Webb Space Telescope Arrives At Europe's Kourou Spaceport To Be Prepped For Launch

BBC: $10bn James Webb Space Telescope unpacked in Kourou 

Engineers have unboxed the James Webb Space Telescope in French Guiana and will now prepare it for launch. 

The $10bn successor to the Hubble observatory arrived at Europe's Kourou spaceport five days ago after being shipped from the US. 

It's now been relieved of its transport container and raised into the vertical to allow preflight checks to begin. 

JWST is one of the grand scientific projects of the 21st Century and will ride to orbit on 18 December.  

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CSN Editor: The space telescope will be launched on December 18.

Global Covid-19 Death Toll Tops Five Million

 

Daily Mail: Global Covid death toll tops five million with US, UK, Brazil, India and Mexico accounting for more than half of all fatalities 

* Grim landmark of 2 million Covid deaths comes less than 2 years into pandemic 

* US, Brazil, India, Mexico and the UK account for 50% of world's reported deaths 

* US recorded more than 740,000 lives lost - higher than any other nation 

The global death toll from Covid-19 has topped five million, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

The grim figure comes less than two years into a crisis that has not only devastated poor countries but also humbled wealthy ones with first-rate healthcare systems. 

The US, Brazil, India, Mexico and the UK account for more than half of the world's reported deaths. 

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More News On Global Covid Death Toll Topping Five Million 

COVID-19′s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years -- AP 

Global Covid deaths hit 5 million as pandemic takes staggering toll -- CNBC 

COVID-19: Five million people have now died from coronavirus across the globe -- SKY News 

Global Covid-19 deaths surpass five million -- CNN 

The world has recorded 5 million COVID-19 deaths, but the real toll is likely more than double that -- ABC News Australia  

Global Covid-19 death toll passes 5m -- The Guardian 

Johns Hopkins: World COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 5 Million -- VOA  

The COVID-19 pandemic has now killed 5 million people around the world -- NPR

Shanghai Disneyland Lockdowns 33,000 Visitors After One Posivie Covid-19 Test

 

Daily Mail: Shanghai Disneyland is forced to shut down after one visitor tested positive for coronavirus as China steps up bid to eradicate virus ahead of Winter Olympics 

* Contact tracing blighted fireworks at Disneyland Shanghai on Sunday night 

* Woman tested positive after returning home from the theme park on Saturday 

* Beijing's strict 'zero Covid' strategy does not tolerate transmission of disease 

* More than 33,000 guests at Disneyland require tests before they can leave 

Shanghai Disneyland has gone into lockdown because of a single Covid case, shutting its gates as authorities carry out tests on tens of thousands of guests. 

Frantic contact tracing blighted the theme park's Halloween fireworks last night as health officials in protective suits swabbed families under the watchful eye of the police manning the entrances and exits. 

The Chinese Communist Party is operating a strict 'zero Covid' strategy and hopes to eradicate the virus before it hosts the Winter Olympics in February.  

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WNU Editor: It takes a few days for the Covid coronavirus to incubate. So even if they test 30,000, they would not know who this person infected until next week (or more) later. I suspect quarantines and contact tracing will be the rule for these all of these visitors in the next two weeks. 

Shanghai Disneyland Tests 33,000 For COVID And Closes For 2 Days After 1 Positive Test 

Testing results at Shanghai Disney Resort come back negative; at least two hospitals closed to screen out potential COVID-19 infections -- Global Times  

Over 33,000 people tested negative for COVID-19 at Shanghai Disney -- CGTN 

China Locks 30,000 Visitors Inside Shanghai Disneyland After One Guest Got Covid-19 -- WSJ  

Halloween Covid scare forces Shanghai Disney into lockdown as China steps up efforts to eradicate virus -- CNN  

Shanghai Disneyland tests 33K people for COVID, closes for 2 days after 1 contact -- FOX News/AP

25 Cities Account For The Majority Of Global Urban Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Hill: Study: Just 25 cities account for majority of global urban greenhouse gas emissions 

Just 25 cities comprise more than half of greenhouse gas emissions from a sample of 167 urban centers, according to research published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities. 

Researchers analyzed a sample of 167 cities and metropolitan areas in 53 countries, including more cities from countries that are major emitters, such as China, the U.S. and India. They then compared the cities’ respective levels of progress in carbon reduction based on 2012 and 2016 emissions inventories, in combination with their short and long-term reduction targets. 

The researchers found that 25 cities accounted for 52 percent of the sample’s emissions. All but three of the 25 — Moscow, Istanbul and Tokyo — were located in China, including major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.  

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WNU Editor: The study is here .... Keeping Track of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Progress and Targets in 167 Cities Worldwide (Frontiers).

Hope For Millions Of Patients With Dementia And Parkinson

Image: Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders  

Daily Mail: Hope for millions of patients with dementia and Parkinson's as scientists find likely culprit behind nearly all neurological diseases 

* 'Toxic' acid system to remove damaged cells in the brain could be going wrong 

* Scientists say this is the likely suspect of a number of brain diseases and aging 

* Blocking the fat from working helped to save 75% of brain cells in study on mice 

* While promising, experts warn that treatment is not ready to be used on humans 

Scientists believe they've found the culprit behind nearly all neurological diseases, in a breakthrough that could offer hope to millions. 

Dementia, Parkinson's and many other brain disorders are caused by key cells called neurons dying over time. Researchers have now found other brain cells – known as astrocytes – play a 'critical role' in their death.  

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CSN Editor: Faster please!