Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition approved in the UK, the last regulatory hurdle
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulator decided to block Microsoft’s proposed $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard in late April. At the time, … The post Microsoft’s $69 billion Activision Blizzard.....»»
Ancient unicellular organism indicates embryonic development might have existed prior to animals" evolution
Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals......»»
Making farming better for bees: Can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?
Where once there were vast areas of forest and other natural habitats, farmland now covers much of Earth—including 70% of the UK. This transition has helped feed a growing number of people......»»
The high cost of complexity: New study explores energy needs of multicellular life
Between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, earthly life was in the doldrums. During this period, called the "boring billion," the complexity of life remained minimal, dominated by single-celled organisms with only sporadic ventures into multicell.....»»
Food security in Africa: Managing water will be vital in a rapidly growing region
Sub-Saharan Africa's population is growing at 2.7% per year and is expected to reach two billion by the year 2050. The region's urban population is growing even faster: it was at 533 million in 2023, a 3.85% increase from 2022......»»
How imposter syndrome and a lack of self-confidence can hold small businesses back
It might come as a surprise that most of the UK's income and employment is provided not by the big national or multinational companies we all recognize but by what are known as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)......»»
Volcanic ash as a source of nutrients: How the Hunga Tonga eruption affected ecosystems in the South Pacific
The eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) in January 2022 ejected about 2.9 billion tons of volcanic material into the atmosphere and across the South Pacific. In early 2022, a scientific expedition (GEOTRACES GP21) investigated the impact of.....»»
New bird flu outbreak confirmed in UK
The UK government warned bird keepers to remain vigilant after bird flu was detected at a commercial poultry farm in northern England, the second outbreak this year and first of the season......»»
Extreme weather already cost vulnerable island nations US$141 billion—and 38% is attributable to climate change
Two years ago, when the curtain fell on the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, developing nations on the frontline of climate change had something meaningful to celebrate......»»
Asteroid grains shed light on the outer solar system"s origins
Tiny grains from a distant asteroid are revealing clues to the magnetic forces that shaped the far reaches of the solar system more than 4.6 billion years ago......»»
Downward mobility from top backgrounds in the UK is even rarer than previously thought
Only a tiny fraction of children from the most privileged backgrounds will end up in working class jobs, suggesting that social mobility in the UK may be even more limited than previously thought......»»
Mapping the maze where the IRS could find billions in unpaid taxes
In 2021, the difference between what U.S. taxpayers owed the federal government and what they paid hit nearly $700 billion. This "tax gap" has been growing for years while the Internal Revenue Service's budget has shrunk, declining by 18% between 201.....»»
Lumifi acquires Critical Insight to boost incident response capabilities
Lumifi announces the acquisition of Critical Insight, marking its third acquisition in 13 months. This strategic move expands Lumifi’s service offerings and strengthens its presence in the healthcare and critical infrastructure cybersecurity se.....»»
Portal to the past: Geologist identifies metamorphic rock as a crucial feature of the ancient Earth"s carbon cycle
If Earth's history were a calendar year, humans would not appear until the last few minutes before midnight on Dec. 31. During the Proterozoic Eon—2.5 billion years to 543 million years ago—the sun was still a young star, much dimmer than today,.....»»
Is the M4 Mac mini Apple’s first true gaming PC?
Apple wants the Mac to become a gaming destination, and it has the perfect machine to take on consoles from Sony and Microsoft in the form of the M4 Mac mini......»»
Apophis: A new European space mission could get up close with a large asteroid that"s set to brush by Earth
The European Space Agency has given the go-ahead for initial work on a mission to visit an asteroid called (99942) Apophis. If approved at a key meeting next year, the robotic spacecraft, known as the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses),.....»»
UK finance regulator wants businesses to better prepare for IT meltdowns
An over-reliance on unregulated third parties has led to operational disruption.....»»
Week in review: Windows Themes spoofing bug “returns”, employees phished via Microsoft Teams
Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos: Patching problems: The “return” of a Windows Themes spoofing vulnerability Despite two patching attempts, a security issue that may allow attack.....»»
Exxon"s $8.6 billion profit beats as record output offsets weak fuel prices
Exxon"s $8.6 billion profit beats as record output offsets weak fuel prices.....»»
There’s a new challenger to one of our favorite laptops
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 15 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition are both 15-inch laptops with the newest chipsets. Which one is the better choice?.....»»
Beloved SLO County doctor — a ‘brilliant surgeon’ and community pillar — dies at 69
Beloved SLO County doctor — a ‘brilliant surgeon’ and community pillar — dies at 69.....»»