DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of the container ship Dali after the bridge collapsed on Tuesday. After the 1980 collision, he argued, more substantial dolphins or a fendering system should have been added to the Key Bridge. “You knock out one of the support posts, the entire bridge collapses.”The Key Bridge is hardly unique among large bridges in its age. Some other bridges that cross major shipping routes are designed with more extensive protections than the Key Bridge’s. In the wake of the Key Bridge collapse and with the rise of larger container ships, some experts said that engineers should reassess necessary bridge safety features.

Persons: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, It’s, Dali, Francis Scott Key, Jim Watson, ”, Rick Geddes, Wes Moore, That’s, Jean, Paul Rodrigue, Martin Bernetti, “, Mark Wilson, Hussam Mahmoud, Rod Sullivan, Arthur Ravenel Jr, Savannah’s Talmadge, Los Angeles ’ Vincent Thomas Bridge, ” Geddes, Barzin Mobasher, Mobasher, ” CNN’s Daniel Medina, Majlie, Puy, Yahya Abou, Ghazala Organizations: CNN, Getty, Cornell University’s Program, National Research, Evening Sun, Coast Guard, Sun, Maryland Gov, Texas, M University, Galveston, National Research Council, Maryland Transportation Authority, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Colorado State University, Sunshine Skyway, Tampa Tribune, New, Bridge, Arizona State University Locations: Bridges, Baltimore, AFP, Nagoya, Dali, Panama, United States, Panama City, Baltimore , Maryland, Tampa, Florida, Charleston , South Carolina, Los Angeles

☆ Scientists discovered a surprising cooling trend on glaciers in Mount Everest 10 years ago. Now they think they know what's causing it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Saugat Bolakhe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's been collecting hourly data on measurements like the mountain's air temperature, total precipitation, humidity, and wind speed since the early '90s. On warm days, as sunlight heats the glaciers, the air just above the glacier's surface warms and rises. This creates a vacuum causing the cold air around the snowy peaks to rush down due to gravity. Then at night, the ice releases some of that stored heat energy, preventing the air temperature from dropping too low. The terrain has also gotten more technical as melting glaciers open up huge crevasses.

Persons: Everest, It's, Yifei Fang, Franco Salerno, Gordon Janow, Mount Rainier, We're, it's Organizations: Service, Nature, Business, Researchers, National Research Council, Institute of Polar Sciences Locations: Mt, Milan, Janow, Mount

☆ ‘Like going to the moon’: The world’s most terrifying ocean crossing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

And it’s not just the winds making the waters rough – the Drake is basically one big surge of water. We’re not gambling.”Even with that extra safety margin, though, he admits that crossing the Drake can be a hairy experience. A dangerous thrillAurora Expeditions' Greg Mortimer ship has a patented bow to make a Drake crossing more stable. “The only thing that works for me is going to the ship’s medic for a scopolamine patch,” he says. “If you were going to the moon, you’d expect the journey to be uncomfortable but it’d be worth it,” she says.

Persons: CNN —, ” Alfred Lansing, Ernest Shackleton’s, Drake, ”, it’s, Mike Hill, Adam ”, Alexander Brearley, –, ” “, Storm Isha, Brearley, That’s, It’s, Clelia, Fiona Stewart, Garett McIntosh, Horn, “, Stanislas Devorsine, Sue Flood, Le Commandant Charcot, ” Devorsine, Devorsine, “ We’re, Jamie Lafferty, “ Drake, Greg Mortimer, Tyson Mayr, He’s, Mundy, Edwina Lonsdale, ” Lonsdale, Sylvia Earle, Lonsdale, DreamPictures, acupressure, ” Jamie Lafferty, I’ve, ” Warren Cairns, There’s Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, Atlantic, “, AP, South America –, Aurora Expeditions, Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council of Locations: Antarctica, isn’t, South America, Ireland, Panama, Europe, South, California, New York, Cape Horn, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, –, France, Cape, National Research Council of Italy, it’s, Lonsdale

☆ Milky Way-like galaxy spotted in distant universe by Webb telescope
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers have spied an intriguing phenomenon in the distant universe — a galaxy that closely resembles the Milky Way — and it’s challenging key theories on how galaxies evolve. Like our home galaxy, the newly discovered ceers-2112 is a barred spiral galaxy, and it’s now the most distant of its kind ever observed. While massive spiral galaxies are common in the Milky Way’s cosmic neighborhood, that hasn’t always been the case. The bars take shape when stars within spiral galaxies rotate in an orderly fashion, as they do in the Milky Way. “The discovery of ceers-2112 paves the way for more bars to be discovered in the young universe,” de la Vega said.

Persons: James Webb, it’s, Webb, “, ”, Luca Costantin, hasn’t, Alexander de la Vega, didn’t, la Vega Organizations: CNN —, James Webb Space, Spanish National Research Council, Centro, Astrobiología, University of California, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: Madrid, Riverside, ceers

In the latest of a long string of tremors, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake hit the region of Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) Monday. Experts at INGV have warned authorities and residents that tremors could intensify in the near future as seismic activity continues. However, they have clarified that the intensity of the tremors doesn’t imply an increased or imminent risk of a new eruption. The Campi Flegrei area extends west from the outskirts of Naples to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city of Naples is surrounded by volcanoes on both sides: Campi Flegrei to the west, and Mount Vesuvius to the east.

Persons: INGV, ”, De Astis, “, Flegrei, Giorgia Meloni, Nello Musumeci, ” De Astis Organizations: ROME, National Institute of Geophysics, INGV, Associated Press, National Research Council Locations: Italian, Naples, Campi, Flegri, Europe, Pozzuoli, Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Southern Campania, –

☆ Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight took off this week. Here are the players taking civilians to space.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Galactic launched its first space tourism flight for paying customers on August 10. It marks a new era in space tourism for the company, with monthly flights expected to follow. Seats on a Virgin Galactic flight cost $450,000 each. This week, Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight successfully launched from New Mexico, taking three passengers who weren't traditional astronauts, to the edge of space and back. Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's commercial space venture, was established in 2004 and completed its first commercial spaceflight in June.

Persons: Virgin Galactic's, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia, Jon Goodwin, Richard Branson's, Goodwin, Jeff Bezos, Shepard, There's, Jared Issacman Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin, Caribbean, Galactic, Italian Air Force, National Research Council, Origin, Amazon, SpaceX, Elon Musk's, SpaceX's, Space, International Locations: New Mexico

☆ How to watch Virgin Galactic's first space tourist launch 300,000 feet above the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space tourist flight. Watch it here:Who are Virgin Galactic's first space tourists? These are the first commercial passengers to fly aboard Virgin Galactic's first private commercial spaceflight, due to take off Thursday. "The whole team just swarmed into my house saying 'You're the winner, you're going to space,'" Schahaff told the BBC. This is Virgin Galactic's second commercial flight and the first to carry paying customers.

Persons: Richard Branson's Virgin, Sir Richard, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Virgin Galactic's, Virgin Galactic Goodwin, Goodwin, Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Beth Moses, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, OceanGate Organizations: Virgin, Service, VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic, Sky News, BBC, University of Aberdeen, Italian Air Force, National Research Council of Italy, Galactic's, Galactic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Munich, nought, Antigua, London, Caribbean, Scotland, New Mexico

☆ Europe endures another year of droughts and wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last year, heatwaves resulted in over 61,600 heat-related fatalities across 35 European countries and triggered devastating wildfires. Below is a list of the most recent blazes and heat-related warnings issued in Europe. Another broke out on Aug. 20 in the southern Hautes-Alpes region of France, burning at least 140 hectares. It was the biggest blaze the region has faced in the last 20 years, media reported. Portugal's authorities declared some 120 municipalities across Portugal at maximum risk of wildfires due to the heat.

Persons: heatwaves, BRGM, Fernando Clavijo, Dina Kartit, Gaëlle Sheehan, Piotr Lipiński, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spanish National Research Council, ITALY, Thomson Locations: Europe, Sicily, France, Perpignan, Alpes, GREECE, Alexandroupolis, Spain, Greece, Rhodes, Corfu, Italy, Sardinia, Rome, Lazio, PORTUGAL, Portugal, SPAIN Tenerife, Canary, La Palma

☆ A mother-daughter duo will join an 80-year-old Olympian on Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight on Thursday. Here's how to watch live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space tourist flight on Thursday. These are the first commercial passengers to fly aboard Virgin Galactic's first private commercial spaceflight, due to take off Thursday. Keisha Schahaff won her tickets through a raffle while on a Virgin flight from Antigua to London in 2021. "The whole team just swarmed into my house saying 'You're the winner, you're going to space,'" Schahaff told the BBC. This is Virgin Galactic's second commercial flight and the first to carry paying customers.

Persons: Richard Branson's Virgin, Sir Richard, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Virgin Galactic's, Virgin Galactic Goodwin, Goodwin, Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Beth Moses, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, OceanGate Organizations: Virgin, Service, New Mexico's, Sky News, Virgin Galactic, BBC, University of Aberdeen, Italian Air Force, National Research Council of Italy, VSS Unity, Galactic's, Galactic Locations: Wall, Silicon, New, America, Munich, nought, Antigua, London, Caribbean, Scotland, New Mexico

☆ Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight is set to take off this week. Here are the players taking civilians to space.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Galactic is set to launch its first space tourism flight on August 10. It marks a new era in space tourism for the company, which will have have monthly flights. Seats on a Virgin Galactic flight cost $450,000 each. This week, Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight is set to take off from New Mexico — and three of the passengers on board aren't traditional astronauts. Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's commercial space venture, was established in 2004 and completed its first commercial spaceflight in June.

Persons: Virgin Galactic's, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia, Jon Goodwin, Richard Branson's, Goodwin, Jeff Bezos, Shepard, There's, Jared Issacman Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin, New Mexico —, Caribbean, Galactic, Italian Air Force, National Research Council, Origin, Amazon, SpaceX, Elon Musk's, SpaceX's, Space, International Locations: New Mexico

☆ Ornate necklace found in an ancient grave site of a child and reassembled
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Researchers have reassembled an ancient ornate necklace discovered in the grave of a child who lived in the Neolithic village of Ba’ja in what’s now southern Jordan. More than 2,500 colorful stone and shell beads were found in the grave, which was dated between 7400 and 6800 BC. In 2018, researchers discovered the grave of an 8-year-old child buried in a fetal position. Instead, researchers focused on the beads and the story they might tell about the child as well as Neolithic funerary practices. Decoding ancient meaningThe intricate design of the necklace, one of the oldest and most impressive Neolithic ornaments yet discovered, suggests the child was of high social status.

Persons: Hala Alarashi, Alice Burkhardt, Ba, It’s, ” Alarashi, ” Organizations: CNN —, Spanish National Research Council, University of Côte, Petra Museum Locations: Ba’ja, what’s, Jordan, Petra

☆ 'We are in a political deadlock,' sociologist says after Spanish election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We are in a political deadlock,' sociologist says after Spanish electionLuis Miller, sociologist at the Spanish National Research Council, discusses the results of the Spanish general elections and says it is "almost impossible that the Popular Party can form a government."

Persons: Luis Miller Organizations: Spanish National Research Council, Popular Locations: Spanish

In mid-2020 Rome secured the lion's share of a 724-billion-euro kitty aimed at helping EU members emerge from COVID greener and more tech-friendly. Italy's 191.5 billion euros ($210 billion) of cheap loans and grants, to be received in tranches through 2026, was intended for productive investments in the bloc's most chronically stagnant economy. MICRO-PROJECTSMore than half the EU money is meant to go on digitalisation and ecological transition, with the rest devoted to sustainable transport, education, social cohesion and health. The government is still awaiting a 19-billion-euro tranche of the EU funds blocked in March over missed policy targets stemming from 2022. It brings Italy's byzantine rules closer to EU standards, but Gobbato said people will initially find it hard to adapt.

Persons: Flavio Lo Scalzo, Rome, Roberto Perotti, Giorgia Meloni, Mario Draghi, Giuseppe Conte, Carlo Messina, Intesa, Vittorio Soldavini, Davide Carlucci, It's, Gustavo Piga, Rome's, Ilaria, Dentons, Gobbato, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Milan's Bocconi University, Treasury, European Central Bank, Technology, Tor Vergata University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, ROME, MILAN, tranches, Brussels, Italy's, Italian, Parma

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years of fraught by development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe, Branson, Burt Rutan, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, VSS Unity, America, Galactic, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, . Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years fraught by development setbacks. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

The flight marks a decisive moment for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2004, as it inaugurates commercial service following several years fraught with development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. Virgin Galactic has said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate 400 flights annually. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Italy, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, VSS Unity, International Space, Air Force, America, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Italy, British, Italian, Los Angeles

☆ Virgin Galactic launches first paying customers to the edge of space
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic, the venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, successfully launched its first paying customers to the edge of space — a milestone two decades in the making. (Future Virgin Galactic flights, however, are expected to include a range of high-profile customers.) Bennett’s role was to assess the comfort and function of the flight, using that information to inform future changes Virgin Galactic might make to its rocket-powered space plane, VSS Unity. Organizations such as NASA have routinely flown experiments on suborbital rockets, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin missions. In a tragic 2014 accident, Virgin Galactic’s space plane broke apart during flight, killing the mission’s copilot, Michael Alsbury.

Persons: Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic’s, Jeff Bezos’s, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Colin Bennett, Pantaleone, Branson, Burt Rutan, Paul Allen, Hamish Harding, Michael Alsbury, — Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, Italian Air Force, Virgin, SpaceX, Italy’s National Research Council, Branson, VSS, VSS Unity, NASA, International, National Research Council, Microsoft, Galactic, OceanGate, Scaled Composites, Origin, Congress, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Locations: British, New Mexico, United States

The flight, dubbed Galactic 01, comes two years after Branson himself rode along with five other Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) personnel for the company's first fully crewed test spaceflight of its rocket plane, VSS Unity. Back then, Virgin Galactic officials said they expected to begin regular commercial operations in 2022 following additional test flights. Virgin Galactic had projected booking its first 1,000 paying customers, charging about $250,000 per seat, by the time commercial service opened. An earlier prototype of Virgin Galactic's rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Billionaire rival Jeff Bezos, whose astro-tourist venture Blue Origin has already flown several commercial passenger flights, has disparaged Virgin Galactic as falling short of a true spaceflight experience.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe Skipper, Branson, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson's, Jeff Bezos, Virgin, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin, Unity, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc, VSS, Galactic, SpaceX, Origin, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, . Air Force, America, Corporate, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Branson, Bezos, Los Angeles

☆ Virgin Galactic plans first commercial space service for June; shares take off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 15 (Reuters) - Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE.N), the space tourism firm founded by Richard Branson, said on Thursday its long-awaited commercial spaceflight service would launch later this month, sending its shares up over 55% in trading after the bell. The first spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", is planned between June 27 and June 30, the company said. Shares of Virgin Galactic had lost over two-thirds of their value last year due to delays in the company's launch of commercial service. But in February, it said it had completed a lengthy upgrade period for its centerpiece tourist spacecraft, clearing the path for its first commercial spaceflight. The first commercial mission will carry three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to conduct microgravity research, Virgin Galactic said.

Persons: Richard Branson, Chavi Mehta, Pooja Desai, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Virgin Galactic Holdings, Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity, Italian Air Force, National Research Council, Thomson Locations: Italy, Bengaluru

CNN —Deadly floods that have engulfed the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, killing at least 14 people, are another sign of the accelerating climate crisis, according to researchers. The floods come after years of severe drought in the region, which has compacted the soil, reducing its ability to abemsorb rainfall. Researchers say the devastation is linked to the climate crisis. The town of Lugo, pictured on Thursday, was left under water following floods that left at least 14 people dead. The climate crisis “is affecting territories with increasingly intense extreme events, with risks to people’s lives, and impacts on the environment and the economy.

☆ Long-necked dinosaur fossil found by Argentine scientists is one of biggest ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucila Sigal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The find in the Pueblo Blanco Nature Reserve, presented on Thursday, was first discovered by scientists in 2018. Paleontologist Nicolas Chimento said scientists decided to name the dinosaur "Chucarosaurus Diripienda", meaning hard-boiled and scrambled, because it had rolled around and survived the accident. At 50 tonnes and 30 meters in length, the Chucarosaurus is the largest-ever dinosaur discovered in the mountainous Rio Negro province. Some 140 dinosaur species have been discovered in Argentina, which ranks among the world's top three countries for research and discoveries alongside China and the United States. Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Southern Europe braces for climate change-fuelled summer of drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

As climate change makes the region hotter and drier, years of consecutive drought have depleted groundwater reserves. CLIMATE CHANGE TRENDSouthern Europe is not alone in suffering severe water shortages this year. The Horn of Africa is enduring its worst drought in decades, while a historic drought in Argentina has hammered soy and corn crops. "In terms of the climate change signal, it very much fits with what we're expecting," said Hayley Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University. Some 90% of the mainland is suffering from drought, with severe drought affecting one-fifth of the country - nearly five times the area reported a year earlier.

☆ Italy's ski industry fires cannon against climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Stefano Bernabei | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/7] Skiers pass on an artificial snow slope as end of the ski season nears, in Monte Cimone, Italy, March 31, 2023. "The ski-lifts were closed, the ski instructors and seasonal workers had nothing to do and we lost 40% of our revenue for the whole season," said Luciano Magnani, head of the local consortium of ski tourism operators. Some 90% of Italy's pistes rely on artificial snow, compared with 70% in Austria, 50% in Switzerland and 39% in France, according to data from Italian Green lobby Legambiente. Italy's ski sector directly or indirectly employs 400,000 people and generates turnover of 11 billion euros ($11.92 billion), according to Anef data, equal to about 0.5% of national output. Some economists and climatologists argue that trying to keep low-altitude ski resorts in business is destined to fail, and snow-making merely delays the inevitable.

☆ SpaceX rocket launches world's first global water survey mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The upper stage of the two-stage rocket was expected to reach its initial orbit about 530 miles (850 km) above Earth within minutes. Its payload, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite, or SWOT, incorporates advanced microwave radar technology to collect high-definition measurements of oceans, lakes, reservoirs and rivers over 90% of the globe. Components of the SUV-sized satellite were built primarily by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and French space agency CNES. SWOT's ability to discern smaller surface features also will help study the impacts of rising ocean levels on coastal areas. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Plastic pollution may have met its match: The saliva of wax worms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Two substances in the saliva of wax worms — moth larvae that eat wax made by bees to build honeycombs — readily break down a common type of plastic, researchers said on Tuesday, in a potential advance in the global fight against plastic pollution. For plastic to degrade, oxygen must penetrate the polymer — or plastic molecule — in an important initial step called oxidation. Wax worms are the larvae of wax moths, a species called Galleria mellonella. The idea would be to produce the worms’ saliva enzymes synthetically, which the researchers succeeded in doing, to break down plastic waste. Bertocchini said the use of billions of wax worms to do the job has drawbacks including generating carbon dioxide as they metabolize the polyethylene.

Search resuls for: "National Research Council"

25 mentions found