DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 'You're in the room for a reason': How to stop doubting yourself at work, says Linda Fagan, first woman commandant of the Coast Guard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

She knew she'd join the Coast Guard as a teenager, but "my long-term plan was graduate, be an officer," she says. Here's how she built her legacy in the Coast Guard, as well as her advice for any woman doubting herself at work. "You can't be on the water in New England and not notice the Coast Guard," she says. As a sophomore in high school, she learned there was a Coast Guard Academy where she could receive a bachelor's then serve in the Coast Guard herself. Women had only begun to be let into the Coast Guard Academy in 1976, just five years before she herself would attend.

☆ Meet 6 trailblazers in the NFL, Coast Guard and more: 'Success isn't being the first,' it's having 'many others follow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Morgan Smith Gili Malinsky Ashton Jackson Jennifer Liu | Morgan Smith | Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"There was something about the Coast Guard, the missions, seeing the small boats that just spoke to me," she says. Fagan ended up attending the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and her first tour of duty in 1985 took her to Antarctica. From there, the Coast Guard would offer a new assignment every couple of years. Of all 32 teams in the NFL, less than 10 have a Black or female president. "To me, the definition of success isn't being the first — it's to have many, many others follow behind you."

☆ Take a Plunge Under Antarctica’s Ice, With Robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Daniela Hernandez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Glaciologists are using robots to capture close-up views of ice shelves, floating platforms of ice that slow down the flow of ice into the ocean. They can use the measurements robots collect to improve climate models that predict sea-level rise. Icefin/NASA PSTAR RISE UP/Schmidt/Dicheck

☆ Fact Check-Images of ‘spaceship’ in Antarctica were created by a digital artist
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Two digitally created images depicting a flying saucer covered in snow have been shared on social media alongside claims they are “leaked” photographs of a spaceship found in Antarctica circa “1945-1950.”Examples are viewable on Twitter (here) and Instagram (here) . Reuters, however, found higher-resolution versions of the images in Facebook groups dedicated to showcasing digital artworks (here) (here) . User Zach Heishman, who posted the content to the Facebook groups AI Art Universe and AI Generated Art, has described himself as the creator of the images (ibb.co/cyxYGvJ). These images were digitally created, they are not authentic historic photographs of a spaceship found in Antarctica. Update Feb. 28, 2023: Replacing paragraph 5 to include response from digital artistThis article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have been publicly criticizing each other for years — but now Meta is mirroring Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the launch of Meta Verified, Mark Zuckerberg is appearing more like Elon Musk by the day. Now, let's look at why people are starting to say that Zuckerberg "idolizes Elon Musk." With the announcement of Meta Verified, Meta's new verification subscription service for Facebook and Instagram, many have drawn comparisons between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Schilsky added: "I think it's clear that Mark Zuckerberg idolizes Elon Musk." Black VCs like Beta Boom's Kimmy Paluch are addressing long-standing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the industry head-on.

☆ These high school sweethearts have visited 112 countries. Here's how they pay for it on a budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Audrey Wan | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Hudson and Emily Crider have visited 112 countries, but their journey together began long before that. Hudson and Emily Crider in high school. Hudson and Emily Crider on a safari in Kenya, Africa. Hudson and Emily Crider camping during their self-drive safari in the Serengeti in Tanzania. Hudson and Emily Crider

☆ Animals full of PFAS 'forever chemicals' have been found on every continent except Antarctica, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Animals, birds, and fish across the planet are contaminated with forever chemicals, a new report found. Though they're useful for resisting water, heat, and stains, PFAS do not break down in the environment, earning them the "forever chemicals" nickname. The new report suggests that contamination from forever chemicals may pose yet another threat to many species' survival. Cleaning up these emission sites is key to stopping more forever chemicals from building in the environment. "It will take regulatory action to move the entire market and country away from dependence on these chemicals," Andrews said.

☆ Ukraine’s Troops Came From Concert Halls and Antarctic Labs, and It Still Needs More Fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAKHMUT, Ukraine—A scientist who swapped Antarctica for Bakhmut, a famed ballet dancer and the actor who dubbed Captain America into Ukrainian all left stellar careers to fight on the front-line. All three ended up hospitalized or dead, highlighting that while ordinary Ukrainians are committed, fighting with an improvised army poses danger not only for combatants but also for Ukraine’s prospects on the battlefield as it mobilizes fresh volunteers and conscripts.

☆ Ukraine’s Troops Came From Antarctica and Ballet, and It Still Needs More Fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Alistair Macdonald | Oksana Pyrozhok | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAKHMUT, Ukraine—A scientist who swapped Antarctica for Bakhmut, a famed ballet dancer and the actor who dubbed Captain America into Ukrainian all left stellar careers to fight on the front line. All three ended up hospitalized or dead, highlighting that while ordinary Ukrainians are committed, fighting with an improvised army poses danger not only for combatants but also for Ukraine’s prospects on the battlefield as it mobilizes fresh volunteers and conscripts.

☆ See inside the former Emirates Airbus A340 that flies passengers to Antarctica by landing on a runway made of ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

For example, the company flies a large number of scientists to and from research stations, as well as luggage, cargo, and equipment, so the A340 would be more appropriate than the G550 for those missions. Inside HiFly's Airbus A340 it flies in partnership with White Desert to Antarctica.

☆ The most dangerous cruise routes, ports, and destinations are in parts of the world where conditions are unpredictable — and help is nowhere nearby, travel analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But some cruise destinations and routes are prone to dangerous conditions and risky activity. These are some of the most dangerous cruise locations around the world. AntarcticaThe world's southernmost continent is among the most beautiful — and dangerous — cruise destinations, according to Chiron and Klein. Cruise passengers during a lifeboat drill in the Northwest Passage near Nunavut, Canada. National Park Service via APCruise lines avoid dangerous portsWhile rough seas and high winds can make ocean travel dangerous, uncertainties on land pose their own risks for visitors.

[1/3] An Icefin is seen in the water as scientists work in the field at the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on February 14, 2023. Becka Bower/Cornell University/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Scientists studying Antarctica's vast Thwaites Glacier - nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier - say warm water is seeping into its weak spots, worsening melting caused by rising temperatures, two papers published in Nature journal showed on Wednesday. As part of the International Thwaites Glacier collaboration - the biggest field campaign ever attempted in Antarctica - a team of 13 U.S. and British scientists spent about six weeks on the glacier in late 2019 and early 2020. "Warm water is getting into the weakest parts of the glacier and making it worse," Schmidt told Reuters. Scientists have previously depended on satellite images to show the behavior of the ice, making it difficult to get granular details.

☆ ‘The Ship Beneath the Ice’ Review: Endurance Found
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Michael O Donnell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

One of the best adventure books ever written begins with a failure. “The order to abandon ship was given at 5 p.m.” So opens Alfred Lansing’s “Endurance” (1959), the definitive account of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 attempt to sail to Antarctica and cross it on foot. The eponymous ship was trapped in ice for nine months and eventually sank after being crushed by the pack. But in the Antarctic—here was a burden which challenged every atom of his strength.” His leadership and willpower kept the men’s resolve intact through months of suffering, yet his optimism faltered after the loss of the Endurance. In his diary, Shackleton recorded the ship’s sinking and then the simple line, “I cannot write about it.”

☆ Spate of passenger deaths aboard Antarctic cruises prompts Coast Guard to investigate as the 'treacherous' destination rises in popularity and access
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Coast Guard is assisting with probes into four deaths on Antarctic cruise ships last year. The small boat capsized with six passengers onboard near Elephant Island in Antarctica, the Coast Guard said. Portugal is leading the investigation while the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board conduct a marine casualty probe into the deaths. Another American was injured in an inflatable zodiac while traveling with Norway's Viking Polaris near Damoy Point, Antarctica, according to the Coast Guard. Norway is heading both investigations stemming from the Viking Polaris, the Coast Guard said.

☆ Space power China to build ground stations on Antarctica to support satellites
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China's global network of ground stations to support a growing number of satellites and outer space ambitions has drawn concern from some nations that it could be used for espionage, a suggestion China rejects. In 2020, Sweden's state-owned space company, which had provided ground stations that helped fly Chinese spacecraft and transmit data, declined to renew contracts with China or accept new Chinese business due to "changes" in geopolitics. The project was part of broader initiatives aimed at building China's marine economy and turning China into a marine power, according to China Space News. A Chinese-built ground station in Argentina's Patagonia has stirred concerns about its purpose despite China's assurance that the station's goal is peaceful space observation and spacecraft missions. China in October launched the last of three modules of its space station, which became the second permanently inhabited outpost in low-earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station.

☆ As ice recedes, Italian ship makes record journey into Antarctic
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Jan 31 (Reuters) - An Italian ice-breaker carrying scientists researching in the Antarctic has sailed further south than any ship has done before, the organisers of the voyage said on Tuesday, a further sign of how ice is retreating around the poles. The Laura Bassi vessel reached a point with the coordinates of 78° 44.280 S in the Bay of Whales in the Ross Sea, according to Italy's National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics. The voyage was made possible by an unusual lack of ice in the area, it said. Satellite analysis last year showed that Antarctica's coastal glaciers are shedding icebergs more rapidly than nature can replenish. A previous voyage with a different vessel to the same area in 2017 came up against impenetrable ice, he said.

☆ Moving species emerges as last resort as climate warms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Moving species to save them — once considered taboo — is quickly gaining traction as climate change upends habitats. Concerns persist that the novel practice could cause unintended harm the same way invasive plants and animals have wreaked havoc on native species. “Climate change is causing a greater need for this — for taking a species outside its known historical range.”A pending change to the U.S. “In the future, some species’ ranges may shift due to climate change, or their current habitats might become unsuitable due to invasive species encroachment,” Armstrong said in an email. Humanity has been moving species around for centuries, often inadvertently and sometimes causing great harm.

☆ Scientists unearth megaraptors, feathered dinosaur fossils in Chile's Patagonia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Marion Giraldo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Scientists in Chile's Patagonia region are unearthing the southernmost dinosaur fossils recorded outside Antarctica, including remains of megaraptors that would have dominated the area's food chain before their mass extinction. The specimens, according to University of Chile researcher Jared Amudeo, had some characteristics not present in Argentine or Brazilian counterparts. "The enormous variation we are seeing, the biological diversity, was also responding to very powerful environmental stimuli," Leppe said. "This world was already in crisis before (the meteorite) and this is evidenced in the rocks of the Rio de las Chinas Valley," he said. Reporting by Marion Giraldo; Writing by Sarah Morland, Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The planet had one of its hottest years on record in 2022, as ocean heat soared and sea ice coverage in Antarctica melted to near-record lows, two federal science agencies announced Thursday. Last year was the fifth-warmest in recorded history, with global average surface temperatures that were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (about 0.8 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average, according to the latest yearly analysis by NASA. A separate report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that Earth had its sixth-warmest year on record. That’s not a robust change,” Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said Thursday in a news briefing. The key thing is the long-term trends, and they’re very consistent from one record [to the next].”

☆ Blood Falls gushes red water from Antarctica's ice. It took scientists 106 years to figure out what causes its color.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

"Among the big questions here are 'how does an ecosystem function below glaciers? ', 'How are they able to persist below hundreds of meters of ice and live in permanently cold and dark conditions for extended periods of time, in the case of Blood Falls, over millions of years?," Jill Mikucki, a microbiologist and the study's lead author, said in a press release. Blood Falls overlooking Lake Bonney. Peter West / NSFSource: National Science Foundation

☆ UN says ozone layer slowly healing, hole to mend by 2066
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says. “In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better,” said Paul Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment. Natural weather patterns in the Antarctic also affect ozone hole levels, which peak in the fall. A third generation of those chemicals, called HFC, was banned a few years ago not because it would eat at the ozone layer but because it is a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. The report also warned that efforts to artificially cool the planet by putting aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect the sunlight would thin the ozone layer by as much as 20% in Antarctica.

☆ Bernard Kalb, longtime foreign affairs newsman, dies at 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

“You have a historical memory to call upon and you see the trust of American foreign policy and other foreign policy,” he said. “Anything that hurts America’s credibility, hurts America.”New York Times columnist William Safire praised the resignation. “In his final official act, Bernard Kalb rose above ‘State Department spokesman’ to become the spokesman for all Americans who respect and demand the truth,” Safire wrote. At CBS Marvin and Bernard were known as “The Kalbs,” but Bernard lived somewhat in the shadow of his younger brother. One widely circulated, but apocryphal, story had their mother calling the CBS foreign desk in New York and saying: “Hello, this is Marvin Kalb’s mother.

☆ The Earth's ozone layer is slowly recovering, UN report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In this NASA false-color image, the blue and purple shows the hole in Earth's protective ozone layer over Antarctica on Oct. 5, 2022. Earth's protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says. The Earth's protective ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, closing an ozone hole that was first noticed in the 1980s, a United Nations-backed panel of experts announced on Monday. The findings of the scientific assessment, which is published every four years, follow the landmark Montreal Protocol in 1987, which banned the production and consumption of chemicals that eat away at the planet's ozone layer. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere protects the Earth from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, which is linked to skin cancer, eye cataracts, compromised immune systems and agricultural land damage.

☆ Map shows the ice sheets and glaciers melting that scientists most fear will be the source of catastrophic rising sea levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Annie Fu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Melting ice that could tip sea level rise into catastrophic levelsSource: NASA Ice ViewerChart: Annie Fu/InsiderWhile it's easier to plan for a steady sea level rise, scientists are very concerned about what would happen if huge chunks of ice collapse and abruptly change sea levels. The Antarctic ice sheet is much bigger than the ice sheet on Greenland. If they were to melt totally, the Greenland ice sheet would contribute about 23 ft to the sea levels, while the Antarctic ice sheet holds enough ice to raise sea levels by 58 feet. Local sea level variationGlobal mean sea level rise is only a snapshot of the whole picture. Because sea levels are influenced by the local environment, the sea level rise can be much higher locally than it is on a global scale.

☆ 6 climate wins from 2022 that are worth celebrating
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Sweeping climate legislation passed, climate candidates won, and animals got important protections. Here are six of the year's highlights in climate progress, according to experts. But through it all, there was encouraging progress on climate that's worth celebrating. Peter B. de Menocal, president of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, told Insider that the event featured the first-ever Ocean Pavilion. "I want to invite other Indigenous communities in Ecuador and the world to join these collective fights happening in Amazonia," Lucitante previously told Insider.

Search resuls for: "Antarctica"

25 mentions found