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☆ Russia can't seem to stop this Ukrainian Cessna-style drone that, compared to missiles, is basically a 'flying brick' with a bomb onboard
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Experts say these aircraft underscore the success of Ukraine's innovative long-range drone program, which Kyiv has employed to go after Russia's military and energy facilities. The Ukrainian drones are in fact slow-flying ultralight planes. And if Ukraine can find a corridor that lacks proper air-defense coverage, then the drone can effectively penetrate right through Russian territory, Hoffmann said. Notably, the Cessna-style drone underscores the success of Ukraine's ever-evolving drone program. The aircraft was converted into a drone - A-22 Flying Fox.

Persons: —, JzjMc83uA4 —, Fabian Hoffmann, it's, Hoffmann, Petersburg —, It's, Gordon Davis Jr, Davis, Ukraine's, …, obdWO5ACNA, Washington, Lance Landrum, Landrum Organizations: Service, Cessna, Business, Kyiv, University of Oslo, US Army, Center for, Fox, US Air Force Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Republic of Bashkortostan, Bashkortostan, Russian, Tatarstan, Moscow, St, Ukrainian

☆ I've been living in Spain for 12 years. I've stopped dating locals because too much gets lost in translation.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Nicola Prentis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Say something to me in Spanish," said my date in the small Catalan city where I've lived since 2016. It's an inevitable part of the first date scenario I've come to hate while dating in Spain. Navigating the apps with my level of Spanish is easy, and I can even manage whole dates. But it wasn't the first time I've been mocked for speaking Spanish in a supposedly romantic context. Debating something complex in Spanish is beyond my language level, but I also know I'll sound rude if I disagree using the blunt language tools I do have.

Persons: I've, It's, I'm, it's, I'd, There's, Nate Young, Marie Sklodowska, Young, Queen Mary , Organizations: Curie, University of Oslo, Queen Mary, Queen Mary , University of London Locations: Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Mexican, Queen

☆ Men benefit more from their looks at work than women do, new research shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New research upends the trope that women use their looks to get ahead in their careers, showing that men actually reap greater benefits from being attractive in the workplace. A recent study of more than 11,000 Americans conducted over 20 years has found that good-looking men are more likely to attain better jobs and make more money than similarly attractive women. Alexi Gugushvili and Grzegorz Bulczak recorded participants' demographic information and socioeconomic status, then asked volunteers to rate the participants' physical attractiveness on a 4-point scale: Very attractive, attractive, unattractive, and very unattractive. Even with potential obstacles like coming from a low-income household or growing up in a dangerous neighborhood, attractive men still managed to achieve upward mobility. Good-looking women had a slight advantage in their careers over other women deemed less attractive, but men saw the greatest benefits from their physical appearance, according to the report.

Persons: Alexi Gugushvili, Grzegorz Bulczak, Bulczak, it's Organizations: University of Oslo, Polish Academy of Sciences, Adolescent Health

☆ Mars rover data confirms ancient lake sediments on red planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this concept illustration provided by NASA, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter stands on the Red Planet's surface as NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover (partially visible on the left) rolls away. NASA's rover Perseverance has gathered data confirming the existence of ancient lake sediments deposited by water that once filled a giant basin on Mars called Jerezo Crater, according to a study published on Friday. The findings from ground-penetrating radar observations conducted by the robotic rover substantiate previous orbital imagery and other data leading scientists to theorize that portions of Mars were once covered in water and may have harbored microbial life. The findings reinforced what previous studies have long suggested - that cold, arid, lifeless Mars was once warm, wet and perhaps habitable. In the meantime, the latest study is welcome validation that scientists undertook their geo-biological Mars endeavor at the right place on the planet after all.

Persons: David Paige, Mars, Perseverance, Paige, that's Organizations: NASA, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA, University of Oslo Locations: Mars, Los

☆ Russia made a flashy upgrade to its cruise missiles since Ukraine shot down so many — but it likely won't help
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia appears to have put decoy flares on its cruise missiles, a world first. AdvertisementRussia appears to be putting decoy flares on its cruise missiles to reduce how often Ukraine successfully shoots them down. A video at the end of December appeared to show a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile using decoy flares during an attack. Ballistic missiles, which are typically faster than cruise missiles and can have larger warheads, have used such flares in the past. Russia is trying to stop losing missilesRussia has been firing vast numbers of cruise missiles across Ukraine during its invasion.

Persons: —, Timothy Wright, Fabian Hoffmann, Hoffmann, It's, JUAN BARRETO, Wright, they'll, William Alberque, Alberque Organizations: Service, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Norway's University of Oslo, Russia, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Donetsk

☆ Cancer Deaths Are Falling, but There May Be an Asterisk
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The cancer society highlighted three chief factors in reduced cancer deaths: declines in smoking, early detection and greatly improved treatments. Breast cancer mortality is one area where treatment had a significant impact. That includes metastatic cancer, which counted for nearly 30 percent of the reduction in the breast cancer death rate. Breast cancer treatment has improved so much that it has become a bigger factor than screening in saving lives, said Ruth Etzioni, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. “The biggest untold story in breast cancer is how much treatment has improved,” said Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a cancer epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Persons: “, ”, Donald Berry, Sylvia K, Plevritis, Ruth Etzioni, Mette Kalager, H, Gilbert Welch Organizations: University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Brigham, Women’s

☆ Russia has shifted beyond its 'stupid' missile attack strategy, and it is bad news for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementRussia has changed its longstanding missile strategy to one that could have worse effects for Ukraine's effort on the battlefield, experts say. During its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used its guided missiles to knock out the heating and electrical systems Ukrainians need to get through the winter. A local resident takes a photo of a missile crater and debris of a private house ruined in the Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, in December 2023. Related storiesThat involves targeting Ukraine's equipment, either at the manufacturing plants or while it is en route the front line. But Russia is increasing its missile production, and Ukraine says it desperately needs more air defense systems, as Russia tries to wear them down.

Persons: —, I'm, Fabian Hoffmann, Hoffmann, it's, Ukraine Vitalii, Timothy Wright, Russia's Organizations: Service, AP, University of Oslo, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Getty, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Norway, Poland

☆ The mystery of Siberia's strange exploding craters may have finally been solved
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They may be due to hot time bombs made of natural gas building up under the frozen ground. AdvertisementScientists are putting forward a new explanation for the giant exploding craters that seem to be randomly appearing in the Siberian permafrost. AdvertisementNow scientists are proposing that hot natural gas seeping from underground reserves might be behind the explosive burst. The natural gas building up over a layer of sediment is represented in purple. The area is rife with natural gas reserves, which lines up with Hellevang and colleagues' theory, per the study.

Persons: —, Helge Hellevang, VASILY BOGOYAVLENSKY, It's, Sofie Bates, Hellevang, Helge Hellevang et, Lauren Schurmeier, Thomas Birchall, Hellenvang Organizations: Service, University of Oslo, Gas, Getty, NASA, University of Hawai'i, New, University Locations: Siberia, Norway, AFP, Northern Russia, Canada, Svalbard

☆ Mysterious gold foil figures found in Norway
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The tiny pieces — intricately detailed gold foil figures discovered during excavations of a pagan religious temple — are a rare find in Norway. A total of 35 gold foil figures have been found at the Hov temple site. The remains of the Hov temple were uncovered in 1993 along with two gold figures. The five latest pieces uncovered were buried under the temple's walls and within post holes of the structure, leading researchers to believe the gold figures were placed there intentionally. The gold foils were pressed into a stamp dye made of bronze, similar to the process of making a coin, according to Watt.

Persons: Ingunn Marit Røstad, “ They’re, ” Røstad, “, Nicolai Eckhoff, ” Echkoff, Kathrine Stene, ”, Røstad, Margrethe Watt, Museum’s, ” Watt, Watt, gullgubber, it’s, ” Eckhoff, Eckhoff Organizations: CNN, Museum, University of Oslo, Kulturhistorisk, Science, Bornholms, telltale, Facebook Locations: Norway, Scandinavia, Oslo, Science Norway, Rønne, Denmark

☆ Arctic puffins evolved into a new species six generations ago, but they might be less fit to survive, a new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists analyzed Atlantic puffin genes and found they had been interbreeding in recent history. The hybrid group formed when two of three subspecies of Atlantic puffins began mating six generations ago, around 1910, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. It's important to study the genetic changes happening in puffins right now so we can best plan for how to protect, "such an iconic species," Kersten said. That likely corresponds to the breakup of an ancient glacier over the Arctic, Kersten told Insider. Kersten and his colleagues hypothesize that this happened because climate change made the northern habitat unsuitable for puffins.

Persons: Annemarie Loof, Oliver Kersten, Kersten, Evie Easterbrook, they're Organizations: Service, puffin, University of Oslo Locations: Atlantic, puffins, Farne, Northumberland, UK, United Kingdom, Norway

☆ ‘Swifterature:’ Belgian university launches course to analyze Taylor Swift lyrics
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Poetry, prose and now songwriting: Ghent University in Belgium is launching a new literature course dedicated to the literary merit of Taylor Swift’s discography. “Highly prolific and autobiographical in her songwriting, Swift makes frequent allusions to canonical literary texts in her music,” the class syllabus explains. “Using Swift’s work as a springboard, we will explore, among other topics, literary feminism, ecocriticism, fan studies, and tropes such as the anti-hero. In 2016, the University of Texas launched an English Literature course unpacking Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade” and its relationship to Black feminism. “But if anyone can teach you a lesson in how to respond to trolls, it’s Taylor Swift,” she concluded.

Persons: Taylor, Elly McCausland, McCausland, Sylvia Plath, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare —, Geoffrey Chaucer’s “, Criseyde, Charlotte Brontë’s “, Margaret Atwood, Simon Armitage, “, Swift, Taylor Swift, ” McCausland, ”, Sylvia Plath’s, —, I’ll, “ I’m, There’s, it’s Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, Ghent University, Oxford University, University of York, University of Oslo, New York University, Arizona State University, Berklee College of Music, Rice University, University of Texas, University of Copenhagen Locations: Belgium, Charlotte Brontë’s “ Villette, ”, ’, United Kingdom, Norway, Europe, United States, Houston

☆ Antibiotics may not help survival of patients hospitalized with viral infections -study
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Most patients admitted to hospitals with acute viral infections are given antibiotics as a precaution against bacterial co-infection, but this practice may not improve survival, new research suggests. At the height of the pandemic, antibiotics were prescribed for around 70% of COVID-19 patients in some countries, potentially contributing to the scourge of antibiotic-resistant pathogens known as superbugs. In total, 63% of the 2,111 patients received antibiotics for respiratory infection during their hospital stay. Overall, 168 patients died within 30 days, of which only 22 had not been prescribed antibiotics. "Doctors have to dare to not give antibiotics, instead of doubting and giving antibiotics just in case," Hovind said.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of a tornado churning on the sun. The fiery formation of boiling solar plasma grew to an estimated height of 14 Earths. SDO/NASAThe magnetic structure that caused this tornado is actually a lot bigger than what we're seeing. As these move around the sun, they create magnetic fields that erupt through the solar surface. The sun is getting more activeA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ A 2,000-year-old rune stone found in Norway could be the oldest ever, and give a glimpse into ancient writing systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scandinavians likely developed Runic writing after first meeting ancient Romans, but it's not clear how old it is. It is covered in primitive runic writing, and archaeologists believe it dates back to between AD 1 and AD 250. However, one word, that can be made out clearly on the stone, could give the stone another meaning. That's when, inspired by Latin writing, early Scandinavians might have started developing their own alphabet, archaeologists say in the press release. By analyzing the stone, Zilmer thinks archeologists can learn more about the early development of runic writing and how they have evolved over time.

☆ Norway archaeologists find ‘world’s oldest runestone’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Archaeologists in Norway said Tuesday that have found a runestone which they claim is the world’s oldest, saying the inscriptions are up to 2,000 years old and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing. It said it was “among the oldest runic inscriptions ever found” and “the oldest datable runestone in the world.”“This find will give us a lot of knowledge about the use of runes in the early Iron Age. This may be one of the first attempts to use runes in Norway and Scandinavia on stone,” Kristel Zilmer, a professor at University of Oslo, of which the museum is part, told The Associated Press. The earliest runic find is on a bone comb found in Denmark. Zilmer said that maybe the tip of knife or a needle was used to carve the runes.

According to the police, a 6-year-old boy at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia used a gun legally purchased by his mother to intentionally shoot his teacher on Friday. Because, research shows that most children who get intervention early for violent behaviors recover. These can help a child develop a strong foundation for thinking things through and foster an openness or motivation to learn. And I certainly don’t want to draw sweeping and overly upbeat conclusions saying that every individual can be rehabilitated. The reportedly intentional shooting of a teacher by a 6-year-old is awful and heartbreaking.

☆ The death of an American soldier fighting in Ukraine exposes chaos and dysfunction in the foreign legion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The widow, alongside other soldiers, told Insider about mismanagement and dysfunction in the legion. A Foreign Legion fighter looks on at wreckage in Ukraine following a Russian attack. "When we were told to go out again, in my mind I knew someone was going to die," AJ told Insider. "How everything was handled, especially after his death, was scandalous," Lipka told Insider. Mavericks told Insider he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and still mourns the deaths of his comrades.

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