Non-IT News Thread
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Record number of China planes enter Taiwan air defence zone
Taiwan has urged Beijing to stop "irresponsible provocative actions" after a record number of Chinese warplanes entered its air defence zone.
Monday's incursion marks the fourth straight day of incursions by Chinese aircraft, with almost 150 aircraft sent into Taiwan's defence zone in total. Some analysts say the flights could be seen as a warning to Taiwan's president ahead of the island's national day. Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province. However, democratic Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign state. Taiwan has been reporting for more than a year that China's air force has been repeatedly flying nearby. -
'Chief dragon' is UK's oldest meat-eating dinosaur
More than half a century after first being unearthed from a Welsh quarry, four small fossil fragments have finally been assigned to a new species of dinosaur.
Researchers from London's Natural History Museum say Pendraig milnerae is the oldest meat-eating dinosaur ever discovered in the UK. It existed over 200 million years ago, their analysis suggests. The name Pendraig means "chief dragon" in Middle Welsh. The animal was very likely the apex, or top, predator in its environment. That said, it wasn't exactly a giant. Think of something chicken-sized with a very long tail. "It was a typical theropod; so, a meat-eating dinosaur that walked around on two legs, like T. rex or Velociraptor that you'll know from the movies, but much earlier in time," explained the NHM's Dr Stephan Spiekman. -
Stink bug discovery raises fears of threat to crops
A stink bug that can spoil crops and infest homes has been trapped in Surrey as part of a monitoring study.
The brown marmorated stink bug is native to Asia, but has spread to parts of Europe and the US, where it can destroy fruit crops. A lone stink bug was caught at RHS Garden Wisley this summer within weeks of the setting up of a pheromone trap. The adult may be a stowaway brought in on imported goods or part of an undiscovered local population. Dr Glen Powell, head of plant health at RHS Garden Wisley, said the stink bug may become commonplace in gardens and in homes within a decade. "This isn't a sudden invasion but potentially a gradual population build-up and spread, exacerbated by our warming world," he said. -
'Dragon Quest' music composer Koichi Sugiyama dies at 90
Japanese composer Koichi Sugiyama, best known for creating the music for the "Dragon Quest" video game series, died on Sept. 30 of septic shock. He was 90.
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China's Moon mission returned youngest ever lavas
The rock samples brought back from the Moon in December by China's Chang'e-5 mission were really young.
It's all relative, of course, but the analysis shows the basalt material - the solidified remnants of a lava flow - to be just two billion years old. Compare this with the samples returned by the Apollo astronaut missions. They were all over three billion years of age. The findings are reported in the journal Science. China's robotic Chang'e-5 mission was sent to a site on the lunar nearside called Oceanus Procellarum. It was carefully chosen to add to the sum of knowledge gained from previous sample returns - the last of which was conducted by a Soviet probe in 1976. -
Firms call for help over surging gas prices
Industries hit by soaring energy costs have made another appeal to the government for action.
Talks with ministers will continue on Monday over a crisis that has sparked warnings about some factories. Sectors such as ceramics, paper and steel manufacturing have called for a price cap, though talks with government on Friday failed to reach a solution. The Treasury has denied being in detailed talks with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng about the crisis. Dave Dalton, chief executive of the British Glass trade body, called that "very alarming". He was part of Friday's talks with Mr Kwarteng, but told the BBC the meeting "was very much an introductory one. We did not get to specifics". -
Walrus counting from space: How many tusked beasts do you see?
A new project aims to get a better idea of the number of walruses on Earth by counting them from space.
Volunteers are being sought to search through thousands of satellite images to see how many of the tusked animals they can spot. Scientists need improved population data as they try to asses how this polar keystone species will be affected by climate change. Walruses are heavily dependent on sea-ice, which has been in sharp retreat. The marine mammals will haul out on to the floes, to use them as a platform on which to rest and raise their young, and as a base from which to launch foraging trips. A walrus will drop to the seabed to hunt in the muds for clams and other invertebrates, such as snails, soft shell crabs and shrimp. All this is being made more difficult as the extent of the seasonal sea-ice declines. -
Robert Durst: US millionaire sentenced to life for murder
US real estate heir Robert Durst, subject of HBO crime documentary series The Jinx, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his best friend.
Durst was found guilty of killing Susan Berman in 2000 to stop her talking to police about his wife's disappearance. Then aged 55, she was found shot in the head in her Beverly Hills home. Police believe he killed two others as well. In a victim impact statement in court, Berman's son told Durst "you murdered the person I was" when he killed her. Prosecutors called Durst, 78 - who appeared in the Los Angeles court for his sentencing - a "narcissistic psychopath". Durst has denied killing his friend. His sentence for first-degree murder excludes any possibility of parole, meaning he will now very likely die in prison. The crime carries special circumstances, the jury decided, including murder while lying in wait, and murder of a witness. Durst's lawyers told the judge on Thursday that he intends to appeal his conviction. Durst himself spoke to the judge only once to say "yes" when asked if he was waiving his right to appear at a future hearing. -
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IMF warns Afghanistan's economic slump will impact neighbours Published
Afghanistan's economic woes could fuel a refugee crisis impacting neighbouring countries, Turkey and Europe, the International Monetary Fund has said.
The economy will contract by up to 30% this year - which could push millions into poverty and cause a humanitarian crisis, the fund warned. The IMF said Afghanistan's neighbours would be further hit because they rely on its funds for trade. Bordering Tajikistan has said it can't afford to take in many more refugees. With foreign assets frozen and most non-humanitarian aid halted, inflows of cash to Afghanistan have all but dried up. In its regional economic outlook, the fund said: "A large influx of refugees could put a burden on public resources in refugee-hosting countries, fuel labour market pressures, and lead to social tensions, underscoring the need for assistance from the international community." -
Wil Wheaton gave a perfect explanation of how to separate problematic artists from their art
In an era of debates over cancel culture and increased accountability for people with horrendous views and behaviors, the question of art vs. artist is a tricky one. When you find out an actor whose work you enjoy is blatantly racist and anti-semitic in real life, does that realization ruin every movie they've been a part of? What about an author who has expressed harmful opinions about a marginalized group? What about a smart, witty comedian who turns out to be a serial sexual assaulter? Where do you draw the line between a creator and their creation
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@jaredbusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
Wil Wheaton gave a perfect explanation of how to separate problematic artists from their art
In an era of debates over cancel culture and increased accountability for people with horrendous views and behaviors, the question of art vs. artist is a tricky one. When you find out an actor whose work you enjoy is blatantly racist and anti-semitic in real life, does that realization ruin every movie they've been a part of? What about an author who has expressed harmful opinions about a marginalized group? What about a smart, witty comedian who turns out to be a serial sexual assaulter? Where do you draw the line between a creator and their creation
I feel similar to Wil Wheaton. I have a distaste for more than a few individuals in Hollywood but movies such as "Casino," "The Godfather II" and many others will continually be in my re-watch list for the unseeable future.
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Dark mode is getting popular
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-16/astrotourism-popularity-increasing-in-western-australia/100832996 -
Optimus Prime and Megatron are now officially cute anime girls with Transformers Bishoujo
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@jaredbusch that's a bit of transformation.
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@jaredbusch
Like - what now? -
@jaredbusch
It's Japan - I am amazed it took this long. -
This is my friend Bohdan. He's one of the people who pre-purchased a ticket for MangoCon 2020 that got postponed because of COVID. So everyone almost got to meet him. He was working in Dallas in 2019 and we hung out a bit. He's a software engineer based in eastern Ukraine. He recently opened a bar and was interviewed on CNN talking about the war.
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Wow, thermostat locking in Colorado now...
https://www.theblaze.com/news/energy-company-locks-smart-thermostats
