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☆ Opinion | The 17th-Century Heretic We Could Really Use Now
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Ian Buruma | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Enlightenment philosopher Baruch Spinoza almost died for his ideals one day in 1672. Spinoza, a Sephardic Jew born in Amsterdam in 1632, was a passionate and outspoken defender of freedom, tolerance and moderation. Only one of his books, about the French philosopher Descartes, could be published under his own name during his lifetime. This is perhaps why new books about him are coming out all the time, including Jonathan Israel’s 2023 magnum opus “Spinoza, Life and Legacy” and even a best-selling French novel, “Le Problème Spinoza,” by Irvin Yalom. And all that for a philosopher who was denounced by Christians and Jews as the devil’s disciple long after his own time.

Persons: Baruch Spinoza, Spinoza, Johan de Witt, ”, rousers, hadn’t, Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, demagoguery, Jonathan Israel’s, “ Le Problème Spinoza, Irvin Yalom, George Eliot, unreservedly Locations: Amsterdam, Dutch Republic, British

☆ A strange wall submerged in the Baltic Sea may be the oldest man-made megastructure in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Stone Age hunting wall was discovered in Europe's Baltic Sea. The wall was estimated to have been built more than 8,500 years ago to hunt reindeer. AdvertisementA Stone Age wall discovered in the Baltic Sea may be the oldest man-made megastructure in Europe. Researchers believe this particular hunting wall was used to catch reindeer, which used the region as a habitat 11,000 years ago, according to the article. It could also allow scientists to find other Stone Age walls submerged by water.

Persons: —, Jacob Geersen, Marlize Organizations: Service, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Leibniz Institute, New, Stone, University of Johannesburg, National Academy of Sciences Locations: Baltic, Europe, Germany, Rerik

☆ Bay of Mecklenburg:Stone Age megastructure found submerged in the Baltic Sea wasn’t formed by nature, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A megastructure found in the Baltic Sea may represent one of the oldest known hunting structures used in the Stone Age — and could change what’s known about how hunter-gatherers lived around 11,000 years ago. The stones, which connected several large boulders, were almost perfectly aligned, making it seem unlikely that nature had shaped the structure. The team determined that the wall was likely built by Stone Age communities to hunt reindeer more than 10,000 years ago. Hunting sites around the worldThe discovery marks the first Stone Age hunting structure in the Baltic Sea region. The Lake Huron wall’s construction and location, which includes a lakeshore to one side, is most similar to the Baltic Sea wall’s, the study authors said.

Persons: ”, Jacob Geersen, Marcel Bradtmöller, . Hoy, J . Auer, LAKD, Bradtmöller, hasn’t, Geersen, it’s, ” Geersen, Jens Schneider von Deimling Organizations: CNN, Kiel University, Office for Culture, Stone, National Academy of Sciences, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, University of Rostock, ”, Marine Geophysics Locations: Baltic, Germany, Mecklenburg, Rerik, Vorpommern, Europe, United States, Greenland, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lake Huron, Michigan, The, Huron

☆ Eptesicus serotinus: Unusual mating behavior discovered in mammals for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Also known by the scientific name Eptesicus serotinus, serotine bats mate by touching their genitals together. The behavior is similar to a “cloacal kiss,” a way of mating used by many birds. The information on bat mating behavior could help with efforts to come up with a way to artificially inseminate endangered bat species. “It’s a bit of an open question how their semen really gets into the female reproductive tract. “There are more than 1,000 species of bats, and many of them are also endangered, she said.

Persons: Nicolas Fasel, ”, ” Fasel, Olivier, Fasel, Teri Orr, ” Orr, “, Alan Dixson, hadn’t, Susanne Holtze, Holtze, ’ ” Orr Organizations: CNN —, University of Lausanne, New Mexico State University, Victoria University of Wellington, Leibniz Institute for Zoo, Wildlife Research Locations: Switzerland, “, Dutch, Netherlands, Ukraine, New, New Zealand, Berlin

Cheetahs are usually daytime hunters, but the speedy big cats will shift their activity toward dawn and dusk hours during warmer weather, a new study finds. While cheetahs only eat fresh meat, lions and leopards will sometimes opportunistically scavenge from smaller predators. But the new study found that on the hottest days, when maximum daily temperatures soared to nearly 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), cheetahs became more nocturnal — increasing their overlapping hunting hours with rival big cats by 16%. In addition to competition with lions and leopards, cheetahs already face severe pressure from habitat fragmentation and conflict with humans. The fastest land animal, cheetahs are the rarest big cat in Africa, with fewer than 7,000 left in the wild.

Persons: ”, Briana Abrahms, Bettina Wachter, Wachter, Kasim Rafiq, Rafiq —, it's Organizations: Cheetahs, Royal Society, University of Washington, “, Cheetah Research, Leibniz Institute for Zoo, Wildlife Research, Botswana Predator Conservation, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: “ Lions, Namibia, Botswana, Africa, Zambia

☆ German GDP expected to contract by 0.6% this year, economic institutes say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Business sentiment has recently deteriorated again and overall, the indicators suggest that production fell noticeably in the third quarter of 2023, the economic institutes said. GDP is expected to shrink by 0.4% in the third quarter, following stagnation in the second quarter. For 2024, the institutes - four German and one Austrian - forecast GDP growth of 1.3%, down from 1.5% previously. In the following years, a decreasing potential growth rate due to the shrinking labour force will become more and more apparent, the economic institutes said. The Joint Economic Forecasts are prepared by the Ifo Institute, the Halley Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Oliver Holtemoeller, Maria Martinez, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Halle Institute for Economic Research, Ifo Institute, Halley Institute for Economic Research, Kiel Institute, Institute for Economic Research, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany

Growth of 0.3% had been expected in the institutes' spring forecasts. The so-called Joint Economic Forecasts are to be presented in Berlin on Thursday. The economics ministry usually updates its forecasts incorporating the results of the Joint Economic Forecasts. For 2024, the institutes - four German and one Austrian - forecast GDP growth of 1.3%, down from 1.5% previously. The Joint Economic Forecasts are prepared by the Ifo Institute, the Halle Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.

Persons: Annegret, Christian Kraemer, Rene Wagner, Maria Martinez, Rachel Armstrong, Kirsti Knolle, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Ifo Institute, Halle Institute for Economic Research, Kiel Institute, Institute for Economic Research, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany

☆ Archeologists discover 2,000-year-old child’s shoe with laces intact
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A shoe belonging to a child and dating back more than 2,000 years has been unearthed in Austria with its laces still intact. The condition of the shoe found is outstanding,” Professor Thomas Stoellner, head of the Research Department at the German Mining Museum, said in the press release. Excavation work at Dürrnberg is being done to obtain information on the work and lives of Iron age miners, according to the museum. Finding a child’s shoe is “always something special,” because it shows that children were present underground, the museum said. Finds like this child’s shoe, but also textile remains or excrement like those found on Dürrnberg, offer an extremely rare insight into the life of Iron Age miners.”

Persons: ”, Thomas Stoellner, Stoellner Organizations: CNN, German Mining Museum, Leibniz Research Museum, Geo, Research Department Locations: Austria, German Mining Museum Bochum, Dürrnberg

The so-called Joint Economic Forecasts, to be presented in Berlin on Wednesday, expect a 0.1% expansion in gross domestic product in the first quarter. The five economic institutes which prepare the Joint Economic Forecasts predict GDP growth in Germany of 0.3% in 2023, up from a predicted contraction of 0.4% in the autumn, two sources familiar with the data told Reuters. The economics ministry will update its forecasts incorporating the results of the Joint Economic Forecasts this spring. The economic institutes predict inflation of 6.0% in 2023, before slowing to 2.4% in 2024. The Joint Economic Forecasts are prepared by the Ifo Institute, the Halle Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research.

☆ Scientists named a fungicide after Keanu Reeves because it's extremely effective at killing — just like his characters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists discovered a compound in pseudomonas bacteria that can effectively kill certain fungi. The fungus killer was named after actor Keanu Reeves by German researchers. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute in Germany found certain bacteria naturally contained compounds effective at killing fungi that affect plants and humans. The scientists named them keanumycins A, B, and C — after actor Keanu Reeves. The keanumycins were most effective at killing Botrytis cinerea — a fungus that produces gray mold rot.

☆ Saudi Arabia's $500 billion bet to build a futuristic city in the desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Anuz Thapa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia is building a futuristic city in the middle of a vast desert— from scratch. A vital element of the country's Vision 2030 plan, the project is the brainchild of Saudi's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS. "Neom is a mega project seen in Saudi Arabia and the young Saudi population as part of this liberalization process." The Neom project is far from without controversy, though. It also is being seen by some as a way to distract attention from Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

☆ German economic institutes see 2023 contraction as gas crisis hits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Four leading German economic institutes have almost halved their spring economic growth forecast for Europe's largest economy this year and slashed their 2023 projection to -0.4% from 3.1%, they said on Thursday. The four institutes now expect 1.4% growth this year, down from 2.7% seen in the spring. "The crisis on the gas markets is having a severe impact on the German economy," said the four institutes - Munich-based Ifo, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) and the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (RWI). "Soaring gas prices are drastically increasing energy costs, leading to a massive reduction of the purchasing power," they added in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Klaus Lauer and Paul Carrel, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Noi imagini spectaculoase dezvăluie structura Soarelui
▼ + stars: | 2020-09-13 | by ( ) tvrmoldova.md time to read: +1 min

13.09.2020 14:25 Sursa foto:descopera.ro Vizualizari:Noi imagini spectaculoase dezvăluie structura SoareluiOamenii de ştiinţă din Germania au reuşit actualizarea unui telescopul solar numit GREGOR, la Observatorul Teide din Insulele Canare, iar drept rezultat au obţinut un set de imagini spectaculoase cu steaua noastră. „A fost un proiect foarte palpitant, dar şi foarte solicitant. În doar un an, am reproiectat complet sistemul optic, mecanic şi electronic pentru a obţine imagini de cea mai bună calitate posibilă”, a explicat Lucia Kleint, om de ştiinţă de la Leibniz Institute for Solar Physics (KIS), din Freiburg, Germania. GREGOR şi-a început observaţiile în 2012, fiind cel mai mare telescop solar din Europa, iar proiectul de actualizare a început în 2018. Actualizările au inclus modificări asupra sistemului optic şi de control, vopsirea din nou a observatorului pentru a reflecta mai puţin lumina şi astfel limitând influenţa asupra observaţiilor, dar şi implementarea unor noi politici pentru a îmbunătăţi randamentul ştiinţific de observaţii.

Persons: GREGOR, Lucia, Leibniz Locations: Germania, Insulele Canare, KIS, Freiburg, Europa

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