Saturday, September 25, 2021

Volcanic ash cloud closes La Palma airport; new vent emerges

The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma shut down Saturday because of an ash cloud spewing out of a volcano that has been erupting for a week, and scientists said another volcanic vent opened up, exposing islanders to possible new dangers.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-volcanic-ash-cloud-la-palma.html

Volcanic ash cloud closes La Palma airport; new vent emerges

The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma shut down Saturday because of an ash cloud spewing out of a volcano that has been erupting for a week, and scientists said another volcanic vent opened up, exposing islanders to possible new dangers.

Britain runs coal power stations amid energy crisis

Britain, which faces soaring natural gas prices, has been forced to run coal-fired power stations in order to secure energy supplies, electricity generation company Drax said on Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-britain-coal-power-stations-energy.html

Disabled people can now use Android phones with face gestures

Using a raised eyebrow or smile, people with speech or physical disabilities can now operate their Android-powered smartphones hands-free, Google said Thursday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-disabled-people-android-gestures.html

GM invests $300M in China's self-driving car company Momenta

General Motors is investing $300 million in China's self-driving car company Momenta.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-gm-invests-300m-china-self-driving.html

Fortnite to be 'blacklisted' from App Store until legal battle with Apple subsides, Epic Games CEO says

The CEO and founder of Epic Games says Fortnite will continue to be "blacklisted" from Apple's App Store, the latest in a push-and-shove between the gaming company and the tech giant.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-fortnite-blacklisted-app-legal-apple.html

Tech groups sue in attempt to void Texas social media law

Two technology industry groups filed suit Wednesday is an effort to strike down a new Texas law that will let social media users sue if they or their opinions are blocked from view or removed.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-tech-groups-sue-void-texas.html

Zoo Miami: Orangutan dies following dental surgery

An orangutan has died at Zoo Miami following a dental surgery, officials said.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-zoo-miami-orangutan-dies-dental.html

US military eyes prototype mobile nuclear reactor in Idaho

The U.S. Department of Defense is taking input on its plan to build an advanced mobile nuclear microreactor prototype at the Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-military-eyes-prototype-mobile-nuclear.html

Van Life 2.0: Dutch students' road trip in solar mobile home

A group of Dutch students has reimagined van life and is hitting the road to Portugal. Just don't call their groundbreaking new solar-powered vehicle a campervan.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-van-life-dutch-students-road.html

Mercedes-Benz joins European EV battery joint venture

Luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz is teaming up with Stellantis and TotalEnergies in a European electric vehicle battery joint venture, Automotive Cells Co.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-mercedes-benz-european-ev-battery-joint.html

Flights scrapped as new volcanic eruptions hit Canaries

Fresh volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canary Islands prompted the cancellation of flights, airport authorities said Friday, the first since the Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life again.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-flights-scrapped-volcanic-eruptions-canaries.html

Rolls Royce wins US Air Force contract worth up to $2.6 bn

The US arm of Britain's Rolls Royce won a contract worth up to $2.6 billion Friday to supply engines for the US Air Force's B-52H bomber fleet, the Air Force announced.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-royce-air-worth-bn.html

Guatemala's Fuego volcano quiets after eruption

Guatemala's Fuego volcano on Friday has quieted after a 32-hour long eruption, authorities said Friday.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-guatemala-fuego-volcano-quiets-eruption.html

Theranos founder wooed believers in 'parallel universe'

For critics outside the orbit of fallen US biotech star Elizabeth Holmes, her pledges of a medical revolution reeked of quackery. But the faith of close backers—from a future Pentagon chief to a lab scientist—was very real.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-theranos-founder-wooed-believers-parallel.html

More than 3,000 shark fins confiscated in Colombia

Thousands of shark fins were confiscated by Colombian authorities before they could be illegally shipped to Hong Kong, officials said.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-shark-fins-confiscated-colombia.html

Zoo Miami: Orangutan dies following dental surgery

An orangutan has died at Zoo Miami following a dental surgery, officials said.

Flights scrapped as new volcanic eruptions hit Canaries

Fresh volcanic eruptions in Spain's Canary Islands prompted the cancellation of flights, airport authorities said Friday, the first since the Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life again.

Guatemala's Fuego volcano quiets after eruption

Guatemala's Fuego volcano on Friday has quieted after a 32-hour long eruption, authorities said Friday.

More than 3,000 shark fins confiscated in Colombia

Thousands of shark fins were confiscated by Colombian authorities before they could be illegally shipped to Hong Kong, officials said.

Researchers develop new method for detecting superfluid motion

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are part of a new study that could help unlock the potential of superfluids—essentially frictionless special substances capable of unstopped motion once initiated. A team of scientists led by Mishkat Bhattacharya, an associate professor at RIT's School of Physics and Astronomy and Future Photon Initiative, proposed a new method for detecting superfluid motion in an article published in Physical Review Letters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-09-method-superfluid-motion.html

Researchers develop new method for detecting superfluid motion

Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are part of a new study that could help unlock the potential of superfluids—essentially frictionless special substances capable of unstopped motion once initiated. A team of scientists led by Mishkat Bhattacharya, an associate professor at RIT's School of Physics and Astronomy and Future Photon Initiative, proposed a new method for detecting superfluid motion in an article published in Physical Review Letters.