Daily Archives: May 23, 2022

Damn, tell us how you really feel! Big Woof

Dogecoin cocreator Billy Markus apparently doesnt think very highly of the people who invest in cryptocurrencies like,well, his.

In a tweet appearing to respond to the precipitous crash of the Terra stablecoin last week, in which the coin meant to be tied to the worth of the US Dollar lost a whopping 97 percent of its worth, Markus said it appears that large swaths of crypto investors dont even understand the fundamental basics of either crypto or how markets work.

I would guess by reading what people say, the 39-year-0ld Dogecoin founder continued, that at least 70percent have absolutely no clue how crypto actually works.

In a follow-up tweet, Markus added some advice to his griping, suggesting that crypto investors do their own research hype YouTube videos are not research,he cautioned and make decisions using common sense.

Have a plan, he added. Dont invest emotionally.

Its pretty good advice. But given that Dogecoin investors and, presumably, its creators got rich only after Elon Musk kinda-sorta plugged their joke coin via memes, italso seems a bit hypocritical.

More on Doge:Elon Musk Explains Why He is Pro Doge, Not Bitcoin

More on the Terra stablecoin crash:Suicidal Posts Spike After Crypto Project Crashes

More:
Dogecoin Creator Says That 70 Percent of Crypto Investors Are Complete Morons - Futurism

"Its like a scallop disco."Clam-iroquai

Just like your average EDM fan, scallops can, as it turns out, be captured more easily when you turn on the pretty lights for them.

AsThe Guardian reports, a group of fishing consultants (yes, thats a thing) have devised a devious plot to lure unsuspecting scallops by flashing disco lights inside trap baskets, which apparently attracts them.

This technique was actually created by the British Fishtek Marine consultancy to lure in crabs, but to their surprise, it was scallops which, apparently, each have more than 200 eyes that were more into the pretty lights.

Its like a scallop disco illuminate the trap and they come in, Dr. Rob Enver, Fishteks chief marine scientist, told The Guardian. Its astonishing that no one else has discovered this before. Its quite an exciting find.

While its kind of heartbreaking to watch these cute shelled creatures jump to their doom after seeing the same kinds of lights we enjoy in bars and on dancefloors, this technique can apparently help the global over-fishing problem as well.

Most of the scallops caught for human consumption today are captured via dredging, a harmful means of fishing that harms marine life when done at large scale. The more environmentally conscious alternative, the report notes, is done by scuba divers handpicking scallops, but this is obviously much more expensive and time-consuming.

With this new technique, however, fishers can catch scallops much more easily, and in a way much less likely to harm the marine floor, Fishtek toldThe Guardian.

The experiment has made waves in the academic and ecological communities as well, with a new paper published in theJournal of Fisheries Research this week lauding the low-impact potted light scallop-fishing method.

This could be huge for scallop fishing and maybe well give them some music to jam to before theyre taken to their dooms, too.

READ MORE:Accidental discovery that scallops love disco lights leads to new fishing technique [The Guardian]

More on fishing ethics:Critics Horrified by Worlds First Octopus Farm

Read more:
Much Like Hipsters, Scallops Can Be Lured to Their Death by Disco Lights - Futurism

Nice.Wipeout

The net worth of Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fallen by a staggering amount just over $69 billion so far this year, according to Bloombergs Billionaire Index making the wealthiest man in the world substantially less wealthy.

While thats a princely sum, and far more than whats needed to tackle a world hunger crisis, Musk has yet to lose the crown of being the richest of the rich. And, for what its worth, his total net worth of over $200 billion is still significantly higher than Amazon founder and chief social rival Jeff Bezos net worth of $131 billion, according to the Index.

Therearea number of reasons that Musks ventures have had a terrible year so far after all, the vast majority of his net worth is tied up in the various companies he runs, most notably Tesla.

The net worth of the electric car company has plummeted by $49 billion since Musk offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion, which has turned into an ongoing media circus of epic proportions, with Musk seemingly getting cold feet as of late. Teslas crash alone wiped out $12.3 billion from the CEOs net worth, according to Fortune.

Its not just his highly controversial and messy bid to take over Twitter causing him trouble. A shocking new report by Insider claims Musks space venture SpaceX had to settle a $250,000 sexual misconduct claim made against Musk by a flight attendant,adding to the general sense that things arent going well for the mercurial entrepreneur.

Musk denied the allegations and pledged allegiance to the Republicans, painting a significant target on his back and potentially driving a wedge between himself and many of his supporters.

While Tesla shares have rebounded slightly, they have yet to recover to anywhere near where they were before Musk announced he wanted to buy Twitter.

The free-spoken billionaire has drawn lines in the sand. The Twitter deal is certainly still on the table, whether Musk likes it or not. The sexual misconduct allegations will only add to making this spring particularly difficult to navigate for the entrepreneur.

But at the same time, the whole crisis seems exacerbated by his own actions.

READ MORE: Elon Musk lost $10 billion in net worth in a single day after sexual misconduct claims emerged [Insider]

More on Musk: Tesla Driver Briefly Trapped in Burning Car, Kicks Out Window

Link:
Elon Musk Has Officially Lost $69 Billion This Year - Futurism

This seems, uh, pretty bad. Exhausting

It looks like the exhaust fumes from SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets (and others like it, including Blue Origin) are actually toxic to humans and to the planet we call home.

A new paper in the journal Physics of Fluids details how researchers digitally modeled the type of fumes that come from rockets like those made by SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other private rocket manufacturers and their conclusions are pretty grim.

We believe that the problem of atmospheric pollution caused by rocket launches is vital, the Cyprus University of Nicosia research team wrote, and needs to be addressed appropriately as commercial space flights, in particular, are expected to increase in the future.

Each launch using RP-1 rocket fuel, like SpaceXs Falcon 9, produces large amounts of carbon gases and nitrogen oxides. Per the modeling done by the Cyprus team, the noxious fumes released by ascending rocket launches would be considered hazardous to human health per guidelines set by the World Health Organization.

In an email statement toBusiness Insider pegged to the study, a Blue Origin spokesperson said its New Shepard rocket is fueled by highly efficient and clean liquid oxygen and hydrogen and only has water vapor with no carbon emissions as a byproduct. Futurism has reached out to SpaceX for comment but has not yet heard back.

The looming issue, of course, is that commercial space companies and particularly SpaceX are working to scale rocket launches up to an astonishing degree. If thats going to pose a major environmental and health issue, better to learn that now.

READ MORE:Atmospheric pollution from rockets [Physics of Fluids]

More on rockets:Journalists Slam NASA for Lack of Transparency Behind Moon Rocket Prelaunch

View original post here:
SpaceX Rocket Fumes "Hazardous to Humans" and the Climate, Scientists Warn - Futurism

The community is invited to takea walk throughSoul Desse's magical Afrolandscape, Hermafrodek: A Suspension of Identity,"an interactive environment in which mobile sculptures hanging from reclaimed Afro hair morph seamlessly into gender-fluid shapes.

Desse, an artist whose work has been exhibited around the globe,describes the installation as a "sculptural exploration of surrealist gender-bending Afro-futurism." She developed Hermafrodekduring a recent ATLAS B2 Creative Residency; the B2 Center for Arts Media and Performance/CMAPis an interdisciplinary and wildly experimental community located in the Roser ATLAS Center at CU Boulder.

If you go

Who: Everyone and anyone

What: "Hermafrodek: A Suspension of Identity," a magical Afrolandscape

When: Open viewing hoursMay 23-26, 2-4 p.m.; May 27, 11-1 p.m.

Where: Roser ATLAS Center, ATLAS Black Box Experimental Studio (ATLS B2 level), 1125 18th St. Boulder

Cost: Free

Registration

Learnmore about the technologies in the Black Box Experimental Theater, including Augmester course offerings with hands-on learning opportunities.

This interactive exhibit, located in the ATLAS Black Box Experimental Studio,utilizes the highly specialized equipment available in B2, incorporatingmotion capture, projection mappingand Ambisonic sound technology to create an endlessly shifting soundspace which engages and captivates visitors.

For this project, Desse's collaborators include ATLAS AffiliateBrad Gallagheras technical art director,Andy DiLalloas sound designer and technical supportand staff memberGary McCrumbas lighting designer and audio engineer.

Desses work has been exhibited in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, at institutions including the Katonah Museum of Art;Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art;Printed Matter, Inc., New York, NY;the Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center in Asheville;Mahmoud Darwish Museum; Center for Global Justice; San Miguel De Allende, Mexico; Bogot Arte Contemporaneo Gallery, Bogota, Colombia; Galerie Nord Berlin, Germany; Greatmore Studios, Capetown, South Africa; Total Arts Gallery, Dubaiand the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi.

More here:
B2 Creative Residency: Walk in a magical Afrolandscape - CU Boulder Today

Another one.Fatal Collision

Earlier this month, a 2022 Tesla Model S rammed a curb and plowed into construction equipment, killing its three occupants.

Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revealed that its investigating the fatal crash, suggesting the vehicle may have had semiautonomous driving features turned on, The Wall Street Journal reports, in yet another grisly and high profile crash linked to Teslas controversial self-driving features.

To date, the regulator has already opened investigations into 35 Tesla crashes that may have involved Autopilot, the electric car companys advanced driving assistance system. The first fatal accident involving the system dates back to 2016, according to Bloomberg.

There are seven additional investigations into crashes that involved ADAS, but not Tesla vehicles.

Teslas Autopilot system has repeatedly come under fire, with critics arguing that its dangerous and not ready for public use yet, as detailed in an upcoming New York Times documentary, scheduled to premiere tomorrow.

US regulators still arent tightly overseeing advanced self driving technologies, allowing companies like Tesla to beta test controversial software, including its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system an optional $12,000 add-onwhich, misleadingly, does not allow a Tesla vehicle to fully drive itself on public roads.

Videos circulating online have shown vehicles with the FSD beta activated getting confused by pedestrians, streetcar tracks, and traffic cones.

Its still unclear if the most recent fatal crash involved either Autopilot or FSD, but given the NHTSAs statement, it likely involved at least one of the two.

Tesla, a company that dissolved its media relations department two years ago, has yet to respond to request for comments by both the LA Times and the WSJ.

READ MORE: Tesla Autopilots Role in Deadly Vehicle Crash Is Probed by Safety Regulators [The Wall Street Journal]

More on Autopilot: Tesla Engineers Say Elon Musk Misled the Public About Autopilots Safety

Read the original here:
Tesla Autopilot May Have Been Involved in Fatal Crash That Killed Three - Futurism

Immunity-boosting drugs may have huge implications in the pharmaceutical fight against COVID-19.

As MIT Technology Review reports, a number of immunity-boosting drugs are currently being studied to see whether they can help course-correct damage the coronavirus does to the immune system.

One of the most promising avenues of research comes from a class of pharmaceuticals known as statins, which are most commonly used to combat high cholesterol but have in recent years been studied for their off-label immunity-boosting properties and,as it turns out,this fascinating benefit may help with COVID-19 treatment.

As University of Birmingham aging and immunity researcher Janet Lord tells MIT Tech, she and many in her cohort believe this class of drugs is actually better at improving immune systems than lowering cholesterol.

In 2018, Lord and her colleagues ran a small statin trial for older people, aged 68 to 90, who were hospitalized with pneumonia. They found that the patients who took a statin simvastatin were much less likely to die than the ones who took a placebo.

Researchers more recent hope, as the report notes, is that statin regimens may similarly help older patients more likely to succumb to COVID combat acute infections and Lord and her team arent alone in investigating whether statins can help with COVID.

MIT Tech points to Wuhan University researcher Xiao-Jing Zhang, whose team compared the outcomes of patients who happened to be on cholesterol-lowering drugs when they were hospitalized with COVID to those who werent. They found that those who were taking statins were much less likely to die from COVID than their counterparts who werent on cholesterol meds.

Alongside studies around already-extant drugs are upstart labs looking into newer medications that might help older people cope with COVID infections, to varied results.

Perhaps the most promising of these pharma startups is Tornado Therapeutics, according to MIT Tech, which is working on treatments target the mTOR enzyme that regulates metabolism. Though their first study in 2014 looking into a drug to help older people have less severe responses to flu vaccines was promising, a follow-up trial, the report notes, yielded poor results.

During the COVID pandemic, according to the outlets reporting, Tornado Therapeutics has been giving drugs similar to rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug most often given to people to help them recover from kidney transplants, to nursing home patients during coronavirus outbreaks. Intriguingly, the patients taking the rapamycin clone developed no symptoms, while half of those taking the placebo died and an additional 25 percent of placebo subjects developed severe COVID.

Theres obviously much more study needed to figure out whether so-called anti-aging drugs actually do help our immune systems but when it comes to COVID, anything that sticks when thrown at the wall is a good thing.

READ MORE:Anti-aging drugs are being tested as a way to treat covid [MIT Technology Review]

And on completely non-effective COVID treatments:Inmates Treated With Ivermectin Without Their Knowledge

Read the rest here:
Doctors Impressed by Drugs That Rejuvenate Immune System - Futurism

Great, now we're thirsty. Drink Up

Throughout the ups and downs of the American economy, one thing has been astonishingly constant: the price of AriZona Iced Tea drinks, which always has been, and hopefully always will be, 99 cents.

In other words, can you imagine any better asset to back a new stable cryptocurrency?

The website for USDTea, a new AriZona Iced Tea-backed crypto, calls the iconic beverage Americas most stable asset and its hard to argue, given that a big can of the good stuff has been 99 cents since the company began distributing in 1992.

News of the almost certainly tongue-in-cheek USDTea comes in the wake of the ongoing stablecoin nightmare, in which the price of the Terra stablecoin drop more than 99 percentand amid a larger crypto crash thats brought even Bitcoin to its knees.

Created by the mossy tech/art collective the same group behind the unofficial Non-Fungible Olive Gardens project USDTea is on the Ethereum blockchain and can, as its website claims, be redeemed for actual AriZona teas (for a $20 flat fee, of course).

Along with these two seemingly satirical crypto projects, mossy also has a third maybe-joke non-fungible token (NFT) project: Blockedchain, which allows people to mint NFTs when, and only when, someone famous blocks them on Twitter.

Of these three absurdist ventures, USDTea seems to have the most potential to go anywhere though in the world of crypto, which saw the jokingly-named Dogecoin spike in value after Elon Musk tweeted the word doge, whos really to say?

More on crypto schemes:Suicidal Posts Spike After Crypto Project Crashes

More:
New Crypto Backed by "America's Most Stable Asset": Cans of AriZona Iced Tea - Futurism