Researchers revive bacteria from the era of the dinosaurs
Aug 1st 2020FAR FROM the life-sustaining light of the sun, the deep sea floor appears barren and desolate. Its appearance, however, belies a thriving bacterial ecosystem that may contain as much as 45% of the world’s biomass of microbes. This ecosystem is fuelled by what is known as marine snow—a steady shower of small, nutrient-rich…
A strange material may make protective helmets more so
Aug 1st 2020ANYONE WHO has experimented as a child with maize starch and water knows about shear-thickening. A mixture of these substances is easy to stir slowly, but solidifies when you speed the stirring up, only to liquefy again when you stop. It’s fun. But it may also be important. For years, people have been…
The EU’s recovery fund revives a debate on common taxes
NOTHING IN THIS world is certain, mused Benjamin Franklin, except death and taxes. He never had to contend with the European Union’s unanimity rule. Eurocrats have long sought to bolster the EU’s budget with “own resources”—ie, revenues that accrue to it, rather than cash handed over by member countries on the basis of national income.…
Bridgewater faces losses and a lawsuit
“WE’VE MADE more money for our clients than any other hedge fund in existence,” declared Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge-fund manager, in 2017. In early 2020 Bridgewater was head and shoulders above the rest, having made $58.5bn, net of fees, for its clients since the firm’s inception in 1975.…
How to Cope When a Loved One Gets the Coronavirus
The coronavirus has dramatically reshaped human society in under six months. It emanated from unknown sources in China’s Wuhan province and spread across the world, forcing lockdowns, quarantines, and other public health measures as doctors struggled to isolate and understand this new disease. With over 13,400,000 cases in the world as I write this and…
Lurking on Location
If you are anything like the Uber driver in one of our articles last year, you know that using location services for a GPS is a great tool. While location services can be incredibly helpful, they can also allow people to know your whereabouts, even if you’d prefer to keep that to yourself. With social…
Researchers Discover Nightmarish ‘Sea Cockroach’ With 14 Legs
At the bottom of the Indian Ocean, researchers from Singapore have unearthed a mammoth ‘sea cockroach’ – and it may haunt your dreams. The singular crustacean was discovered during a marine survey led by National University of Singapore’s Peter Ng and colleagues, according to reports. During the 2-week excursion to the deep sea in Indonesia…
US Government to Shed Light on Recent UFO Sightings
Recent news has reported that the Pentagon and the US military (and Navy) are to release videos and explanations on both recent and historic UFO sightings in the country. It is required for the agency that are handling UFO sighting analysis to provide publicized reports. These will be submitted to an Intelligence Committee to further…