DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Gilder Center Flies, Wriggles and Surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Laurel Graeber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The American Museum of Natural History has always been known for creatures — just not more than a million live ones. That may change, however, as a result of its Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation. Since this new wing opened in May, almost 1.5 million people have visited the museum, and most are thought to have explored the four floors of the Gilder Center that are open to the public. But even repeat visitors like me are still discovering its many attractions, including crawling and flying animals, mostly of the small but mighty variety. But the center, which was designed by the architect Jeanne Gang and her firm, Studio Gang, has more than wiggly wildlife.

Persons: Richard Gilder, Jeanne Gang, Michael Kimmelman Organizations: American Museum of, Richard Gilder Center for Science, Innovation, Gilder Center, Studio, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan

[1/2] A customer leaves an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Riverside, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. It is unclear if the FTC will try to stop the transaction or when a decision would be reached. "Kroger and the FTC are focused on ensuring that any divested stores are positioned for success," the company said in a statement. Between them, Kroger and Albertsons operate nearly 5,000 stores with more than 800 in California. FTC staff spoke with the group in April.

Persons: Kroger, Biden, I'm, Rob Bonta, Chris Jones, We're, we're, Jones, Dan Waldvogle, Waldvogle, Sara John, Mayor Diego Plata, Diane Bartz, Chris Sanders, Anna Driver Organizations: Albertsons, REUTERS, Federal Trade Commission, Staff, FTC, Kroger, National Grocers Association, Walmart, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Center for Science, Safeway, Mayor, Thomson Locations: Riverside , California, U.S, Colorado, California, COVID, Colorado's Rocky, Gunnison, Plata

Affirmative action supporters and counterprotesters shout at each other outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., June 29, 2023. Now that the Supreme Court has struck down race-conscious admissions, employers could face challenges in how they find diverse talent. A group of 13 Republican attorneys general suggested in the wake of the ruling that companies' diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs could be considered unlawful discrimination. In the wake of the ruling, many fear universities could become less reliable sources from which to recruit diverse talent. However, during the last year there has been a "step back" in terms of diversity hiring, said Reyhan Ayas, a senior economist at Revelio Labs, a workforce data and analytics firm.

Persons: Kent Nishimura, Jocelyn Samuels, Lorraine Hariton, Donald Harris, Stacy Hawkins, Kim Waller, Korn, Waller, Ahmad Thomas, Thomas, it's, We've, Alvin Tillery, Tillery, Carey Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, George Floyd, Russell, Reyhan Ayas, Northwestern's, Salesforce, Kovacevich, VI, Temple's Harris, " Harris Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Washington , D.C, Los Angeles Times, Apple, General Electric, Google, Starbucks, Harvard University, University of North, Democratic AGs, Employment, Commission, Catalyst, Temple University School of Law, University of California, University of Michigan, Urban Institute, Employers, Rutgers University . Companies, . Census, Temple University School of Law Business, Leadership Group, Corporate, Northwestern's Center, Diversity and Democracy, Gettysburg, of Progress, Economic, Revelio Labs, Silicon, Amazon, Microsoft, Civil Locations: Washington ,, University of North Carolina, U.S, Silicon Valley

The Merck logo is seen at a gate to the Merck & Co campus in Rahway, New Jersey, U.S., July 12, 2018. Merck said Keytruda sales for the quarter jumped 19% to $6.3 billion, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $5.9 billion. Sales of Gardasil, which prevents cancers caused by HPV, surged 47% to $2.5 billion, also well above Wall Street estimates of $2.1 billion. There is room for further Gardasil growth as its use expands into treating males and moves into smaller cities, he added. Despite those challenges, Merck raised its full-year sales forecast to $58.6 to $59.6 billion, from its prior view of $57.7 billion to $58.9 billion.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Merck, Rob Davis, Davis, Keytruda, Caroline Litchfield, Litchfield, Bill Smead, Prometheus, drugmaker, Michael Erman, Leroy Leo, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Merck, Co, REUTERS, Reuters Connect Companies Merck, Merck & Co, Keytruda, Prometheus Biosciences, Analysts, Prometheus, Smead Capital Management, drugmaker, Thomson Locations: Rahway , New Jersey, U.S, United States, China, Europe, Germany, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Merck beats quarterly sales estimate on top drugs' strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Companies Merck & Co Inc FollowAug 1 (Reuters) - Merck & Co (MRK.N) posted better-than-expected second-quarter sales on Tuesday on strong demand for its two top-selling products, cancer immunotherapy Keytruda and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil. Shares of Merck rose about 2% at $108.45 in premarket trading after the company also raised its full-year revenue forecast. Merck said Keytruda sales for the quarter jumped 19% to $6.3 billion, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $5.9 billion. Sales of Gardasil, which prevents cancers caused by HPV, surged 47% to $2.5 billion, also well above Wall Street estimates of $2.1 billion. Merck said it now expects full-year sales of $58.6 to $59.6 billion, up from its prior view of $57.7 billion to $58.9 billion.

Persons: Merck, Rob Davis, Davis, Keytruda, Cantor Fitzgerald, Louise Chen, Prometheus, drugmaker, Michael Erman, Leroy Leo, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Merck, Co, Merck & Co, Merck's, Prometheus Biosciences, Analysts, Prometheus, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ They were slaughtered for their blubber, and nearly wiped out in Brazil. Decades later, humpback whales are making a comeback.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In the 1980s, thousands of humpback whales were slaughtered in Brazil for their blubber. A few decades ago, a population of only 300 to 500 humpback whales survived in the country, scientist Jose Truda Palazzo, who works at the Humpback Whale Institute in the state of Bahia, told the news agency. Humpback whales have grown to about 30,000 in Brazil after being decimated in the 80s. REUTERS/Leonardo BenassattoThe population growth in humpback whales should be taken as a good sign for marine conservation not only in Brazil, but worldwide, Palazzo said. The effort to track the whale population is supported by "citizen scientists," non-professionals with a passion for science who support the work of the scientific community.

Persons: repopulating, Jose Truda Palazzo, Leonardo Benassatto, Palazzo, Julio Cardoso Organizations: Reuters, Service, Whale Institute, REUTERS Locations: Brazil, Wall, Silicon, Bahia, East

A House Oversight subcommittee convened Wednesday’s hearing on UFOs, as the lawmakers who pushed for the hearing are calling for the government to be more forthcoming about the unidentified anomalous phenomena. The hearing is the latest push by lawmakers, intelligence officials and military personnel working on unexplained aerial phenomena to probe the issue on a national platform. “This is an issue of government transparency,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who pushed to hold Wednesday’s hearing. We’re going to uncover the cover up, and I hope this is just the beginning of many more hearings.”No government officials testified at Wednesday’s hearing. Lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense on the sightings, describing them as potential national security threats.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Ryan Graves, Graves, David Fravor, David Grusch, ” Fravor, Tim Burchett, “ We’re, … We’re, Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, “, Robert Garcia of, Garcia, Jared Moskowitz, ” Moskowitz, ” Graves Organizations: CNN, Navy, Safe Aerospace, US Navy, Air Force, Tennessee Republican, Department of Defense, Democratic, Florida Democrat, House Intelligence Locations: Robert Garcia of California, Florida

☆ Rare ‘Trojan’ world may share the same orbit as another planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers may have found a rare “sibling” that shares the same orbit of a Jupiter-like planet around a young star. Two Jupiter-like planets, known as PDS 70b and PDS 70c, are already known to orbit the star. Evidence for Trojans beyond our solar system — specifically Trojan planets — has been sparse until now. The signal suggested a cloud of debris with a mass of about twice that of our moon, which could be a Trojan planet or a planet in formation. A cloud of debris (circled by a yellow dotted line) may be a newly forming planet in the same orbit as the planet PDS 70b.

Persons: ”, Olga Balsalobre, Lucy, “ Exotrojans, Jorge Lillo, Itziar De Gregorio, Monsalvo, “, Ruza, ALMA Organizations: CNN —, Astrophysics, Madrid’s, Astrobiology, IAU, Southern, Science, NASA Locations: ALMA, Chile

☆ Fact Check-Online conspiracies link Pixar’s use of the number A113 with adrenochrome
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Yet, some online link Pixar to the QAnon conspiracy theory by saying the number represents the chemical adrenochrome. A tweet that has garnered at least 980 retweets reads: “Has anyone heard of this A-113 equals Adrenochrome? A113 AT PIXARInsider reported in February that references to the number A113 are in at least 23 Pixar movies, including its first studio film Toy Story (here). GOOGLEThe link between adrenochrome and A113 may stem from screenshots accompanying these claims on social media that show that searching the terms “a113 chemical” or “A-113 chemical” on Google brings up the Wikipedia page for adrenochrome. There is no chemical link between “A113” and the substance adrenochrome.

Persons: Brad Bird, Andrew Stanton, Pete Doctor, John Lasseter, Lasseter, Pete Docter, adrenochrome, ”, Kabrena Rodda, Read Organizations: Pixar, California Institute of the Arts, PIXAR, CalArts, Reuters, Wired, McGill University’s Office, Science and Society, American Chemical Society International, Committee, Google Locations: mater, adrenochrome

☆ Soaring temperatures to record rainfall: flooding ravages East Asia as climate crisis takes hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Record temperatures also led to a rise in heat-related illnesses, particularly among vulnerable communities such as the elderly. In response to the loss of life, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for an overhaul of the country’s approach to extreme weather. “This kind of extreme weather event will become commonplace — we must accept climate change is happening, and deal with it,” Yoon said Monday. A vulnerable regionScientists have warned the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will continue to increase as the human-caused climate crisis accelerates. “Floods, droughts and other devastating climate events are “all showing us very clearly what will the future be,” she added.

Persons: Yoon Suk, ” Yoon, ”, John Kerry, Reuters Heatwaves, Shehbaz Sharif, Manish Swarup, —, “, Sunita Narain Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Japan’s Meteorological Agency, Reuters, World Meteorological Organization, ”, United Nations General Assembly, Disaster, World Bank, Centre for Science Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, China, South Korea, India, South Korean, Cheongju, Philippines, Cambodia, Manila, Phnom Penh, Delhi, Beijing, Washington, Chongqing, Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, Kyoto, Tokyo, Hatoyama, Saitama Prefecture, Asia, Pakistan, New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, “

☆ India blasts Chandrayaan-3 lander toward moon's south pole
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Nivedita Bhattacharjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

About 16 minutes later, ISRO's mission control announced that the rocket had succeeded in putting the Chandrayaan-3 lander into an Earth orbit that will send it looping toward a moon landing next month. India's much-awaited moon mission Chandrayaan-3 has been scheduled for launch on July 14, 2023. [1/5]India's LVM3-M4 lifts off carrying the Chandrayaan-3 lander from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, India, July 14, 2023. The lunar landing is expected on Aug. 23, ISRO has said. Modi had earlier said on Twitter that the moon mission "will carry the hopes and dreams of our nation".

Persons: Jai Hind, Satish, Space, Stringer, ISRO's, Narendra Modi's, Modi, India, Technology Jitendra Singh, Nivedita, Kevin Krolicki, Jamie Freed, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Indian Space Research, Soviet, YouTube, REUTERS, ISRO, Twitter, State for Science, Technology, Skyroot Aerospace, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Andhra Pradesh, India, United States, Soviet Union, China, Sriharikota, Bengaluru

☆ The sun’s activity is peaking sooner than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Every 11 years or so, the sun experiences periods of low and high solar activity, which is associated with the amount of sunspots on its surface. Over the course of a solar cycle, the sun will transition from a calm to an intense and active period. During the peak of activity, called solar maximum, the sun’s magnetic poles flip. A solar activity spikeThe current solar cycle, known as Solar Cycle 25, has been full of activity, more so than expected. The solar storms generated by the sun can affect electric power grids, GPS and aviation, and satellites in low-Earth orbit.

Persons: ”, Mark Miesch, “, Alex Young, ” Miesch, Scott McIntosh, Robert Leamon, Leamon, Miesch, Young, auroras, Bill Murtagh, ” Murtagh, NASA’s Parker, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, NASA's Solar Dynamics, NASA, SpaceX, Heliophysics, Goddard Space Flight, GPS, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Goddard Planetary Heliophysics, University of Maryland, College Park, American University, Dynamics, Geological Survey, Probe Locations: Boulder , Colorado, Greenbelt , Maryland, Baltimore County, New Mexico , Missouri, North Carolina, California, United States, England, United Kingdom, Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Scandinavia, Michigan, Upper Midwest, Pacific, Quebec

Reuters reported last month that the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), was set to make that declaration on July 14, according to two sources with knowledge of the process. The designation as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" will provide an incentive to fund more rigorous research into the safety question, toxicology and cancer experts say. "We have been pushing for an IARC review for many years now." But no action was taken until 2022, after aspartame was again nominated for review by CSPI and Melnick in 2019. The research body has said "new evidence" prompted its aspartame review, without giving any details.

Persons: Andy Smith, Smith, Coke, Peter Lurie, Lurie, James Huff, Ron Melnick, CSPI, There's, Samuel Cohen, Erik Millstone, Millstone, Jennifer Rigby, Michele Gershberg, Catherine Evans Organizations: Reuters, World Health Organization, WHO, International Agency for Research, Cancer, MRC, Unit, University of Cambridge, Cola's, Regulators, for Science, Joint Food and Agriculture Organization, U.S . National Institutes of Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Paris, Britain's University of Sussex, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, France

☆ South Korea wants to be a top A.I. hub — its chip dominance could be an advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty ImagesSouth Korea's dominance in the memory chip market and a robust artificial intelligence ecosystem gives it an advantage in the global AI chip race, said industry observers. South Korea dominating in the memory market is definitely an advantage," said James Lim, senior research analyst at Dalton Investments. "South Korea seeks to emerge as a prominent player in rapidly growing and promising areas such as AI semiconductors," said Lee. "South Korea has a robust local AI ecosystem, capable of competing with global tech giants," said Sung Nako, executive for large scale AI development at South Korean internet giant Naver. ChatGPT maker OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman had urged South Korea to lead AI chip production during his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in June.

Persons: Jung Yeon, James Lim, Lee, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, ., TrendForce, Sung Nako, Sam Altman, Yoon Suk, Altman, Dalton's Lim, Geoffrey Cain Organizations: Getty, Dalton Investments, CNBC, Samsung, SK Hynix South, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Science, Micron, South, South Korean, Nvidia, Intel Locations: Seoul, Korea, South Korea, China, U.S

☆ Tiny Bundles of Hope: Critically Endangered Turtles Hatch in Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Now that they’re identified as Burmese peacock turtles, more research can begin. Other turtle species’ eggs, even in the Nilssonia genus, hatch after just two or three months. The total number of Burmese peacock turtles is unknown, but scientists suspect that their population may have declined by at least 80 percent over the past 90 years. While adult turtles are mostly invulnerable to predators, very few turtles survive from the egg and hatchling stages to adulthood, Dr. Platt said. That makes these Burmese peacock turtle babies all the more precious.

Persons: Zau Lunn, ”, Steven Platt, Platt, isn’t Organizations: Wildlife Conservation Society, International Union for Conservation

☆ My final, unexpected conversation with Cormac McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

My last conversation with Cormac McCarthy, the acclaimed and elusive novelist who died last week at 89, came as unexpectedly as the first. "I thought you said Cormac McCarthy edited your book on theoretical physics?" "I got the manuscript back in the mail, and it was marked up on every page," Randall told me. By the time I interviewed Randall, Cormac was spending his days at the Santa Fe Institute, a theoretical-research institute in the piñon foothills of New Mexico. "Don't do this to yourself," McCarthy told the guy, before shutting the door in his face.

Persons: Cormac McCarthy, McCarthy, —, Belying, Cormac, Lisa Randall, Randall, Gil, Jon, MacArthur, Murray Gell, Mann, it's, Einstein, they're, Doug Erwin, David Krakauer, David, Stella Maris, I'd, He'd, David Kushner Organizations: Wired, Stone, Harvard, drifters, Santa Fe Institute, Atari Locations: backwoods Florida, piñon, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, El Paso, Rolling Stone, SFI

☆ A 16-year-old pocketed $50,000 for her award-winning discovery in the brains of people who died by suicide
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Adam Barnes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

She researches the brains of people who died by suicide to identify biomarkers. Identifying biomarkers of suicide in the human brainKulviwat found differences in the brains of 10 people who died by suicide compared to the control group: 10 people who died of other causes. The brains of those who died by suicide, which were donated for study by their next of kin, contained higher numbers of inflammatory cytokines. Though treatments for suicidal behavior exist, including psychotherapy and medications, suicide rates have mostly increased over the last 20 years. Hearing different perspectives and questioning why suicide research isn't progressing as much as other fields — like cancer or infectious diseases — inspired her research, she said.

Persons: Natasha Kulviwat, —, Gordon E, Moore, Natasha, it's, Kulviwat, she's, Dr, David Feifel, Feifel, What's, I'm Organizations: Regeneron, Science, Engineering, Service, Columbia University, Society for Science, Centers for Disease Control, University of California, Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute —, National Institute of Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Locations: claudin, University of California San Diego

☆ Mothers accused of harming their babies are turning to the same science that freed Kathleen Folbigg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Confirmation of a likely genetic cause for the children’s deaths has implications far beyond Australia for parents who have been accused of killing or harming their babies. The advances in genetic testing used to free Folbigg are giving other families hope that science may explain why their children have died, but experts say sometimes even that can’t exonerate parents – often mothers – accused of harming them. How the science is helping othersOne of the lead authors of the study, Professor Carola Vinuesa, says that Folbigg’s case has encouraged other families and lawyers to come forward, seeking genetic evidence to clear mothers accused of harming their babies. Some mothers accused of injuring their children are seeking a genetic explanation for their symptoms to counter claims of child abuse, she said. “The majority of these mothers have not harmed their children, but the children have these very rare conditions.

Persons: Australia CNN — Kathleen Folbigg, Folbigg, seeped, don’t languish, ” Folbigg, –, Kathleen Folbigg, Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, Laura, Folbigg’s, Craig, Emma Cunliffe, ”, Cunliffe, Roy Meadow, ” Cunliffe, Sharmila Betts, Betts, there’s, Reginald Blanch, she’d, – Caleb, Patrick –, Tom Bathurst, Carola Vinuesa, I’ve, we’ve, Meadow, Francis Crick, Carola Vinuesa's, Michael Bowles, Helen Hayward, Brown, “ It’s, Hayward, they’ve, aren’t, George W Bush, Tracy Chapman, she’s, Chapman, “ I’ve, We’ve, “, ” Chapman, Stringer, Rhanee Rego, Andrew Dyer, Dyer, Michael Daley, Mr Bathurst, Mark Dreyfus, I’ll Organizations: Australia CNN, New South, CNN, ” Police, University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law, “, NSW, BSN, ABC, Child, Francis Crick Institute, Concorde, MySpace, Reuters, Australian Academy of Science, Law Council, Sydney Institute of Criminology, Australian Lawyers Alliance Locations: Brisbane, Australia, New South Wales, British, United Kingdom, Canada, London, United States, Iraq, Coffs Harbour , New South Wales, Reuters Bathurst, Scotland, Norway, New Zealand

☆ Astronomers discover the fastest runaway stars in our galaxy racing away at over 5 million mph
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Astronomers found two renegades, runaway white dwarf stars on an escape route out of our galaxy. These runaway stars are on a one-way ticket out of our galaxy. Runaway stars racing away at breakneck speedsIn the new study, astronomers using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia survey identified two runaway stars with the fastest radial velocities ever seen. Two white dwarf stars orbiting each other can trigger an especially enormous explosion called a D^6 supernova. The first explosion kicks off when one of the white dwarf stars accumulates too much helium gas, which triggers a thermonuclear explosion, reported Starr.

Persons: —, Parker, Juan Ruiz Paramo, Tod Strohmayer, Dana Berry, Chandra X, Michelle Starr, Starr Organizations: renegades, Service, Probe, Parker, NASA, Ray, Science, Astrophysics

☆ Taiwanese minister to make rare Britain visit this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, June 11 (Reuters) - Taiwan Digital Minister Audrey Tang will make a rare high-level ministerial trip to Britain this week where she is expected to visit government departments and meet a company specialising in low-earth orbit satellites, her ministry said on Sunday. The two sides will "exchange views on issues related to digital governance and digital industry cooperation", the ministry added, without giving details. Tang will also visit OneWeb, which specialises in low-earth orbit satellites, and hopes to bolster Taiwan's communications resilience plans, the ministry said. Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu is expected to go to Europe this week, too, where he will attend a security forum in Prague. The last Taiwanese minister known to have visited Britain was Taiwan's top trade negotiator John Deng, who went last June.

Persons: Audrey Tang, Tang, Elon Musk's, Joseph Wu, John Deng, Britain's, Trade Greg Hands, Tsai Ing, Taiwan's, Ben Blanchard, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Taiwan Digital, WHO, Twitter, London Tech, Britain's Department for Science, Innovation, Technology, Department for Business, Trade, Elon, Taiwan, State, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Britain, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Europe, Prague

☆ Contraceptive injections for cats show promise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Now, scientists have announced a potential new method of feline contraception that’s shown early promise: long-lasting contraceptive injections that prevent ovulation. “That’s what led us to start collaborating with Bill (Swanson).”The Cincinnati Zoo, Swanson says, is home to the widest array of wild cats in North America, including lions, tigers and tiny sand cats. Three cats were a control group, while six received injections of the gene of the hormone in question, hitched to a mild virus. The three control-group cats all became pregnant, but none of the six cats in the experimental group did. “We’re really focused on adopting these cats out,” said Swanson, who’s adopted three cats from earlier studies.

Persons: ”, Bill Swanson, “, David Pépin, Pépin, ” Pépin, Bill, Swanson, ” Swanson, Michelle, Betty, Abigail, Nancy, Dolly, Barbara, Rosalyn, Jacque, Mary, We’re, can’t, we’ll, it’s, Pierre Comizzoli, It’s, ” Jacque, Jacqueline, Jackie, Kennedy Onassis, who’s, they’ve, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, Nature Communications, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Animals Foundation, Michelson, Conservation Biology Institute, Kennedy Onassis . Cincinnati Zoo Locations: Massachusetts, Boston, Angeles, North America, Cincinnati, Chicago

BEIJING, June 6 (Reuters) - Chinese universities are drastically increasing tuition fees this year, with some making their first rises in two decades, hurt by a reduced national budget for tertiary education and tight local government finances. The higher fees come amid a financial crunch among local governments after three years of disruptive COVID-19 policies, a property crisis and a sluggish economy. Chinese universities, almost all public, rely heavily on state funding. The study suggested increasing tuition fees for international students to as much as 110,000 yuan per year from about 20,000 yuan. ($1 = 7.1165 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ella Cao and Ryan Woo.

Persons: Liu Jin, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Gerry Doyle Organizations: East China University of Science, Technology, Shanghai Dianji University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Shanghai, Sichuan, Jilin

☆ The US has the second-highest number of endangered species. California, Florida, and Arizona lead the nation in threatened creatures.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is second behind Indonesia for the number of endangered species, according to a new report. Among US states, California, Florida, and Arizona have the most threatened species. The report draws its data from a conservation group's Red List of Threatened Species. California, Florida, and Arizona held the top spots in the US for most endangered species: The Golden State had 18, followed by 13 in the Sunshine State, and seven in the Grand Canyon State. The US total of 1,178 endangered species includes 43 mammals and 284 types of fish.

Persons: —, Jane Smart, Smart Organizations: Service, State, Sunshine State, International Union for Conservation of, International Union for Conservation, IUCN's Centre for Science, Associated Press, AP Locations: Indonesia, , California, Florida, Arizona, California , Florida, Nations

☆ Why North Korea’s Latest Nuclear Claims Are Raising Alarms
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Pablo Robles | Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

North Korea has a track record of showing mockups of weapons still under development for the sake of propaganda. So far, North Korea has released photos of three nuclear devices, and the latest one — dubbed Hwasan-31, or “Volcano-31” — is by far the smallest. CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from vehicles NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Launched from train cars NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA YELLOW SEA Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA Underwater launch NORTH KOREA Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang SOUTH KOREA Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA Possible underground launch Pyongyang YELLOW SEA Seoul SOUTH KOREASince 2019, North Korea has launched missiles from locations scattered across the country. Satellites can help North Korea collect data from such long-range missile tests to improve its ICBM technology. If North Korea conducts another nuclear test, its seventh, it may be to show that its new and smaller Hwasan-31 nuclear warhead works.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Kim’s, Donald J, Trump, Hwasan, James Martin, Dr, Markus Schiller, Lee Jong, ” Mr, Lee Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Agence France, Presse Korean Central News Agency, Presse, North Korean, Washington, European Pressphoto Agency, Associated Press, European Pressphoto Agency Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press Korean Central News Agency, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Institute for Science, International Security, Japan Ministry of Defense, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, U.S, SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN Major U.S, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH, US Department of Defense, ST Analytics, South Korean Defense Ministry, CHINA NORTH, Seoul CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KOREA, NORTH, KOREA CHINA NORTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH, Seoul SOUTH, Reuters, North, South Korean, ”, South Locations: North, North Korea, Korea, Japan, Washington, Seoul, United States, Northeast Asia, U.S, South Korea, RUSSIA CHINA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA JAPAN, CHINA RUSSIA, CHINA RUSSIA NORTH KOREA, Kaesong, Presse, CHINA, CHINA NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, Seoul CHINA, Seoul CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA, KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA, Pyongyang, NORTH KOREA Pyongyang, KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Pyongyang Seoul SOUTH KOREA CHINA NORTH KOREA, Seoul SOUTH KOREA, Presse North Korea, North Korean

☆ CHIPS Act Funding for Science and Research Falls Short
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A renewed focus on the need to rein in federal spending has raised concerns about whether a bipartisan law that dedicates billions to advancing scientific research as well as revitalizing the American semiconductor industry will receive all of its promised funding. President Biden and House Republican leaders have reached an agreement in principle to limit federal spending over the next two years in exchange for suspending the debt ceiling and averting the risk of an economic catastrophe. But some lawmakers and other proponents of the bipartisan law, the CHIPS and Science Act, have grown worried that limits on government spending could undercut the legislation’s ambitious goals of bolstering the nation’s scientific edge and countering China’s technological rise. The debt ceiling deal cuts so-called nondefense discretionary funding — which includes scientific research — for the 2024 fiscal year. It also limits all discretionary spending to 1 percent growth in 2025, which is effectively a budget cut since that is likely to be slower than the rate of inflation.

Persons: Biden Organizations: House Republican

Search resuls for: "for Science"

25 mentions found