Peru"s Operation Mercury stopped most illegal gold mining in one biodiversity hotspot—then the COVID-19 pandemic hit
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a lifeline for many who live in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru, where poverty is high and jobs are scarce. But the economic development in this part of the Amazon basin comes at a cost, as it cau.....»»
Europe is uncertain whether its ambitious Mercury probe can reach the planet
"We are working hard on resolving these uncertainties." An artist's rendering of the BepiColombo mission, a joint ESA/JAXA project, which will take two spacecraft to the harsh environment of Mercury. (credit: ESA) This.....»»
Ultra-spicy One Chip Challenge chip contributed to teen’s death, report says
The high dose of capsaicin paired with a heart defect appear to have contributed. Enlarge (credit: Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images) An autopsy report of a Massachusetts teen who tragical.....»»
A devastating fire 2,200 years ago preserved a moment of life and war in Iron Age Spain, down to a single gold earring
A ruined building in the middle of the Pyrenees records a tragedy for the people who lived there—a devastating fire that burned a settlement to the ground, destroying almost everything except a hidden gold earring. Now archaeologists' excavation of.....»»
It could soon be illegal to publicly wear a mask for health reasons in NC
Senators skeptical of legal trouble for harmless masking after moving to make it illegal. Enlarge (credit: Getty | Spencer Platt) The North Carolina State Senate on Wednesday voted 30-15, along party lines, in favor of a.....»»
How biodiversity-productivity relationships change along elevation in forests
A study published in the journal Forest Ecosystems has revealed that the relationship between biodiversity and forest productivity is not as straightforward as previously thought......»»
Ebury botnet compromises 400,000+ Linux servers
ESET researchers released its deep-dive investigation into one of the most advanced server-side malware campaigns. It is still growing and has seen hundreds of thousands of compromised servers in its at least 15-year-long operation. The Ebury group a.....»»
Monitoring strategies of suspended matter after natural and deep-sea mining disturbances
"Dust clouds" at the bottom of the deep sea, that will be created by deep-sea mining activities, descend at a short distance for the most part. That is shown by Ph.D. research of NIOZ marine geologist Sabine Haalboom, on the bottom of the Pacific Oce.....»»
Connected cars’ illegal data collection and use now on FTC’s “radar”
The regulator is warning OEMs to respect data privacy or it will get mad. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) The Federal Trade Commission's Office of Technology has issued a warning to automakers that sell connected cars. Co.....»»
How to ensure biodiversity data are FAIR, linked, open and future-proof
Within the Biodiversity Community Integrated Knowledge Library (BiCIKL) project, 14 European institutions from ten countries, spent the last three years elaborating on services and high-tech digital tools, in order to improve the findability, accessi.....»»
Ultrasensitive gas detection empowered by synergy of graphene and sub-comb dynamics
Since the inception of microcomb, whose generation relies on Kerr nonlinearity in microresonator, the coherent soliton state has attracted intense research. Although the operation of sub-comb outputs is straightforward, as a noncoherent comb state,.....»»
Researchers develop increasingly sustainable methods for dissolving gold, silver and copper from recycled materials
Waste from computers and cell phones, solar panels and other discarded electronics are becoming an important source of noble metals alongside mining. Researchers at the University of Helsinki have developed sustainable dissolution methods for noble m.....»»
Finding the chink in coronavirus"s armor—experiment reveals how the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 protects itself
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in millions of deaths. Despite an unparalleled collaborative research effort that led to effective vaccines and therapies being produced in record-breaking time, a complete understanding of the structure and lifecycle o.....»»
Wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal trade during COVID lockdown—what can we learn from their resilience?
The world literally stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while countries locked down to keep coronavirus at bay, wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal activities. Global risk governance and criminology academics Annette Hübschle and Mer.....»»
Beethoven likely didn’t die from lead poisoning, new hair analysis reveals
There was also mercury and arsenic but none of the toxins likely caused composer's death. Enlarge / Portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. Toxocology analysis of the composer's locks of hair showed high levels of lea.....»»
How a GRC consultant passed the CISSP exam in six weeks
Ask any IT security professional which certification they would consider to be the “gold standard” in terms of prestige, credibility, or difficulty, and almost invariably they will answer: the CISSP. If an organization is seeking some peace regar.....»»
Beethoven likely didn’t die from lead poisoning, new DNA analysis reveals
There was also mercury and arsenic but none of the toxins likely caused composer's death. Enlarge / Portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. Toxocology analysis of the composer's locks of hair showed high levels of lea.....»»
Retro gold rush: which emulators are on the App Store, and what"s coming
Apple is allowing emulators on App Store. Here's what's arrived, and what's on the way to play your favorite retro games on your iPhone, updated on May 13.Emulators can bring retro gaming to the iPhoneThe early April changes to the App Store Review G.....»»
Optical power evolution in fiber-optic networks: New framework for better modeling and control
With the emergence of internet services such as AI-generated content and virtual reality, the demand for global capacity has surged, significantly intensifying pressures on fiber-optic communication systems. To address this surge and reduce operation.....»»
In the race for space metals, companies hope to cash in
Mining asteroids could reduce the burden on Earth’s resources. Will it live up to its promise? Enlarge / An illustration depicts a NASA spacecraft approaching the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. Though there are no plans to mine P.....»»
Areas with more illegal market opportunities more likely to be targeted by organized crime, study shows
Communities with higher-than-average illegal market opportunities (proxied by drug-related activities) are more likely to be targeted by organized crime groups, a new study shows......»»