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The mysterious Chinese submarine that apparently sunk in a shipyard earlier this year was the first of a new class featuring a hybrid nuclear/conventional propulsion system, according to a new report. The latest development in the saga of the Type 041 Zhou class submarine would seem to clear up some of the previous uncertainty about the boat as well as signal that China is working on novel solutions for its fast-growing underwater fleet.

In a recent report citing unnamed defense officials, the Washington Times notes that the Type 041 “employs both conventional and nuclear propulsion,” specifically, “a small nuclear reactor” in addition to a conventional powerplant.

When the Type 041 was first identified in Wuchang Shipyard, it was assessed as being one of the Type 039A series boats, also known in the West as the Yuan class or a variant of it. The Type 039A is the first Chinese submarine with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, which greatly increases the time that it can remain submerged and makes it harder to detect, compared with traditional conventionally powered subs.

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The USS Bulkeley and USS Cole fired “approximately a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles,” which were captured on video streaking across the night sky above Israel.

The Cole has a history with Muslim terrorists.

Watch it. (Practical Engineering)

More than you ever wanted to know about the Foundation of Civilization.

Read it.

If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

I’ll pass.

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For decades, one of the most fundamental and vexing questions in neuroscience has been: what is the physical basis of consciousness in the brain? Most researchers favor classical models, based on classical physics, while a minority have argued that consciousness must be quantum in nature, and that its brain basis is a collective quantum vibration of “microtubule” proteins inside neurons.

New research by Wellesley College professor Mike Wiest and a group of Wellesley College undergraduate students has yielded important experimental results relevant to this debate, by examining how anesthesia affects the brain. Wiest and his research team found that when they gave rats a drug that binds to microtubules, it took the rats significantly longer to fall unconscious under an anesthetic gas. The research team’s microtubule-binding drug interfered with the anesthetic action, thus supporting the idea that the anesthetic acts on microtubules to cause unconsciousness.

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Researchers in Australia have found a whole new type of cell that fills a major hole in our understanding of how the mammal body heals.

For over a century, scientists have hypothesized that a cell like this existed – and now, an adult version has been found at last, hiding in the aorta of grown mice.

The discovery was nine years in the making. Researchers have named the cells ‘EndoMac progenitors’, and the team is now searching for similar players in the human body.

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The mysterious incident that TWZ previously reported that occurred at China’s Wuchang Shipyard in the spring of this year resulted in the sinking of the country’s latest nuclear-powered attack submarine, according to U.S. officials. The boat in question, originally identified as a conventionally powered submarine, was the first of the new Type 041 Zhou class SSNs.

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, a report in The Wall Street Journal today describes an attempt by the Chinese authorities to cover up the accident, involving a submarine “likely” carrying nuclear fuel when it sank. The boat had been undergoing its final fitting out before going to sea.

“American officials haven’t detected any indication that Chinese officials have sampled the water or nearby environment for radiation,” the article continues. “It is possible Chinese personnel were killed or injured when the sub sank, but U.S. officials say they don’t know if there were casualties.”

“Nice submarine you got there. Be a real shame if anything happened to it.”

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T cells are our first line of defense against cancer, but the battle tends to exhaust them. Now, scientists have found a way to give them extra “batteries” to keep them fighting longer, with promising early results in mice.

In a fair fight, the immune system would wipe out cancer every time – but this crafty disease doesn’t play fair. Along with its many tricks to avoid detection, tumors build microenvironments around themselves that are toxic to immune cells, draining them of energy. Sustained immune responses against a pathogen like cancer can lead to T cell exhaustion.

Finding ways to supercharge the immune system to continue the fight is the main goal of immunotherapy. Now, a team from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has demonstrated a new way to refresh T cells, by essentially replacing their batteries.

Read it. And watch the video … if you dare.

If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

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The conservative Patriots for Europe (PfE) group in the European Parliament has nominated Elon Musk for a major EU human rights prize.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded by the EU Parliament to people who have made a significant contribution to the protection of human rights and freedom of expression.

“His commitment to free speech, transparency, and fighting against censorship aligns with the values of freedom and human rights,” the group wrote on X.

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As traditional delivery methods contribute to urban traffic congestion and pollution, cargo bikes – a staple of bike-friendly countries like Denmark and the Netherlands – are becoming a common sight in cities across Europe as a sustainable and efficient alternative to vans.
These larger, typically electric bikes with separate carriers can transport a wide range of loads, from small parcels to larger items, making them ideal for urban deliveries.
In Europe, it is estimated that up to 50 per cent of motorised trips involving the transport of goods in cities could be made by cargo bikes and bicycles, according to a recent study.

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Researchers have developed a new organic thermoelectric device that can harvest energy from ambient temperature. While thermoelectric devices have several uses today, hurdles still exist to their full utilization. By combining the unique abilities of organic materials, the team succeeded in developing a framework for thermoelectric power generation at room temperature without any temperature gradient. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Sharrow has redesigned the common marine propeller by replacing the usual blades with gently twisted loops that promise to eliminate efficiency-sapping tip vortices and cavitation. Put simply, less energy is wasted, leading to claimed efficiency boosts of up to 30%, not to mention smoother, quieter overall performance.

Not only has Sharrow’s 150-patent-deep design won a host of major awards from the marine and tech industries, it’s been put to the test on numerous vessels, both internally and by third-party reviewers, with some intriguing results.

The first time we took a look at Sharrow’s unique propeller design, we noted that the one big drawback seemed to be price. At about US$5,000 a pop to start, they were an estimated 10 times more than a typical propeller, a steep upfront investment that might be difficult to recoup even with a 30% efficiency boost.

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Researchers at Princeton University have developed a cement paste that is 5.6 times stronger than cement, mortar, and other conventional cement-based construction materials.

The paste features a tubular architecture inspired by the structure of human cortical bone, which forms the outer layer of the femur (thigh bone).

“Cement paste deployed with a tube-like architecture can significantly increase resistance to crack propagation and improve the ability to deform without sudden failure,” according to the researchers.

We have the technology.

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Since 5G began its rollout in 2018 or 2019, fifth-generation wireless networks have spread across the globe to cover hundreds of millions of users. But while it offers lower latency than precursor networks, 5G also requires more base stations. To avoid installing unsightly equipment on more and more shared spaces, Japanese companies are developing transparent glass antennas that allow windows to serve as base stations that can be shared by several carriers.

Because 5G networks include spectrum comprising higher frequencies than 4G, base stations for 5G networks serve a smaller coverage footprint. Which means more base stations are needed compared to 4G. Due to a lack of installation spots and the high cost of rolling out 5G networks, carriers in Japan have been sharing mobile infrastructure.

Last month the Tokyo-based communications company JTower announced the deployment of the new glass antenna, created in part by glassmaker AGC (one of the world’s largest) and the mobile carrier NTT Docomo. The first was installed on a window in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.

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Westinghouse Electric Company has reached a significant milestone in the development of the eVinci nuclear microreactor.

The powerhouse has successfully completed the Front-End Engineering and Experimenting Design (FEEED) phase, according to a press release by the U.S.-based firm.

“Westinghouse is the first reactor developer to reach this milestone in support of siting its test reactor at NRIC’s Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) test bed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL),” read the release published on Monday

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Special fat cells called brown adipocytes help regulate body temperature by converting calorie-rich nutrients into heat. This process helps prevent excess weight gain and metabolic disorders.

An international team of researchers led by Professor Alexander Bartelt from the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK) has deciphered a new mechanism that increases respiration and metabolic activity of brown fat cells. The researchers hope that this discovery will lead to novel approaches utilizing brown fat against metabolic diseases. Their results were recently published in The EMBO Journal.

The Register.

According to a Chinese state-sanctioned study, signals from SpaceX Starlink broadband internet satellites could be used to track US stealth fighters, such as the F-22.

They can claim that all they want but the reality is: It’s not that useful militarily, and if it were, Beijing almost certainly wouldn’t let anyone blab about it.

The research details how the academics were able to recognize the rough location of a commercial drone by observing disturbances in electromagnetic signals from Starlink satellites caused by aircraft passing through them. The system could “provide significant advantages in detecting small and stealth targets,” the team claimed.

The academics, led by professor Yi Jianxin from Wuhan University’s School of Electronic Information, launched [paywall] a commercial DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone and sent it over the coast near the Chinese city of Guangdong. The researchers chose the drone as they estimated it has the same radar signature as a modern F-22 fighter.

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Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new type of electrochemical cell that can effectively convert a bicarbonate solution—a product derived from captured carbon—into a formate solution, which is a potent source of green fuel.

It could be considered a major development in carbon capture and utilization technology.

This innovation overcomes significant challenges in reactive carbon capture (RCC) and demonstrates performance levels similar to those of traditional gas-fed methods, which are usually more energy-intensive.

Check it out.

Cognitive Biases and Principles you can use to create products people love.

Or destroy modern civilization. Your choice.

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If, of course, that’s what you want to do.

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The 155-year-old Campbell Soup Company plans to drop “soup” from its corporate name, rebranding as The Campbell’s Company. More consumers are reaching for snacks and ditching ready-to-serve soups, and the company has bought up other food lines to grab them.

In addition to its lineup of soups, Campbell now owns snack brands like Goldfish, Snyder’s of Hanover, Cape Cod, Pepperidge Farm and others. Campbell also recently bought Sovos Brands, maker of popular Italian food brands like Rao’s sauces.

“This subtle yet important change retains the company’s iconic name recognition, reputation and equity built over 155 years while better reflecting the full breadth of the company’s portfolio,” Campbell CEO Mark Clouse said Tuesday in a statement. The name change is subject to shareholder approval at the company’s annual meeting in November.

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Israel destroyed a secretive missile production facility in northwest Syria last week in an attack that included inserting special operations forces by helicopter to retrieve equipment and documents, media outlets are reporting. The new details shed light on an attack initially described as only an airstrike. Not only did the raid strike at the heart of the Iranian military presence in Syria, but it also sent a clear message to Tehran that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) can and will attack deep underground complexes with ground troops that it otherwise cannot destroy from the air.

The raid, which took place September 9, “obliterated” the facility, located in northwestern Syria near the Lebanese border, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed American and other Western officials. “A number of people” were killed at the site, those sources said. It is located about 140 miles north of Israel.

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I’ve written in the past about the Greater Idaho movement, whose goal is the secession of a number of counties in eastern Oregon and their merger with Idaho, their eastern neighbor.

Oregon is not the only state where counties are looking to secede: a group of counties in southern Illinois wants to escape the death grip of the Chicago metropolitan area. According to the website Red-State Secession (“Preserving the American parts of America”), seven counties in southern Illinois are voting on whether to secede.

Go where you’re treated best.

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Multispectral imaging is a way of capturing a digital image using non-visible wavelengths such as ultraviolet and infrared (click here to learn more). Where medieval manuscripts are concerned, UV imaging in particular can make faded or effaced text legible. This is because most medieval inks (including that used to write the Voynich Manuscript) have a significant iron component. This allows the ink to “bite” into the surface of the parchment rather than sliding off of it. When ink is scraped away or fades, the molecular bond remains, and the faded text may therefore fluoresce when exposed to UV bandwidths. This technology has proven invaluable in helping scholars read palimpsests and damaged manuscripts such as the Archimedes Palimpsest and the Syriac Galen Palimpsest. Could such imaging of the Voynich Manuscript help reveal its secrets?

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Via testing with a skin stand-in, a trio of physicists at Technical University of Denmark has ranked the types of paper that are the most likely to cause a paper cut. In an article published in Physical Review E, Sif Fink Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Matthew Biviano and Kaare Jensen tested the cutting ability and circumstances involved in paper cuts to compile their rankings.

Paper cuts occur through the handling of paper products. In addition to the nuisance factor due to the sudden flow of blood, there is also often a great deal of pain involved. In this new effort, the researchers noted that most research done on the topic revolves around infection factors. They chose instead to focus on the types of paper most likely to cause a cut, thereby allowing paper users a means to reduce their chances of an injury.

To test the cutting ability of different types of paper, the researchers used ballistics gelatin as a stand-in for skin. They then attempted to cut the gelatin using multiple types of paper. They noted the sturdiness and thickness of the paper, and the angles that were involved when cutting occurred.

Slow news day. (Hey, tenure doesn’t grow on trees….)

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This particular topic piqued my interest after seeing negative feedback about the quality of tracking on services like AllTrails and Strava. Users often complain about inaccurate routes, inaccurate mapping, “incorrect” elevations, “wrong” distances and more. What I find really interesting about these related complaints is that there are a lot of fundamental misunderstandings about how GPS works, expectations around accuracy, and confusion around how that data interfaces with other applications. So today, I’m going to dive a little bit into how digital mapping systems are built and how GPS works.

The Register.

An international team of scientists has developed a drug delivery system that could one day treat human brain aneurysms in a way without the need for traditional surgery.

The team said it built billions of tiny simple magnetic nanorobots – each 300nm in diameter, or about a twentieth the width of a human red blood cell – that contain clotting medications. After injecting several hundred billion of these into a rabbit’s artery, the scientists used magnets and medical imaging technology to cause the bots to cluster together inside an aneurysm, according to the boffins.

The bots were then heated to their melting point. The process released a naturally occurring blood-clotting protein to prevent or stop the aneurysm bleeding into the brain, the researchers noted.

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In a lengthy post on X, one of the best-known fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) has again strongly suggested he may run for the Irish presidency.

Taking to the social media platform previously called Twitter, McGregor set out his goal, if elected, of using the powers of the Uachtarán na hÉireann to summon and dissolve the Dáil Éireann (the lower chamber of parliament).

Scott Adams brought this situation to my attention. If you consider the chief value of modern politics to be entertainment, as Scott and I do, this would be extremely entertaining.

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The mapping of 50,000 mysterious “knots” in the human genome may someday lead to the development of new cancer drugs, researchers say.

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Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown that therapeutically restoring ‘youthful’ levels of a specific subunit of the telomerase enzyme can significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of aging in preclinical models. If these findings are validated in clinical trials, they could have important therapeutic implications for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and cancer.

The study, published in Cell, identified a small molecule compound that restores physiological levels of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), which normally is repressed with the onset of aging. Maintenance of TERT levels in aged lab models reduced cellular senescence and tissue inflammation, spurred new neuron formation with improved memory, and enhanced neuromuscular function, which increased strength and coordination.

The researchers show that TERT functions not only to extend telomeres, but also acts as a transcription factor to affect the expression of many genes directing neurogenesis, learning and memory, cellular senescence, and inflammation.

“Epigenetic repression of TERT plays a major role in the cellular decline seen at the onset of aging by regulating genes involved in learning, memory, muscle performance, and inflammation,” said corresponding author Ronald DePinho, M.D., professor of Cancer Biology. “By pharmacologically restoring youthful TERT levels, we reprogrammed expression of those genes, resulting in improved cognition and muscle performance while eliminating hallmarks linked to many age-related diseases.”

Not coming to anywhere near you anytime soon, because reasons, mostly having to do with government regulation.

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Get woke, go broke….

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Anti-woke crusader Robby Starbuck is making headlines again, this time taking credit for Lowe’s scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Starbuck, known for his relentless campaign against far-left white-collar activists infiltration of corporate America’s management teams and corporate boardrooms, argues that companies like Lowe’s should focus on selling products instead of being woke activists.

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Researchers have discovered a “spatial grammar” in DNA that redefines the role of transcription factors in gene regulation, influencing our understanding of genetic variations and disease.

A recently uncovered code within DNA, referred to as “spatial grammar,” may unlock the secret to how gene activity is encoded in the human genome.

This breakthrough finding, identified by researchers at Washington State University and the University of California, San Diego and published in Nature, revealed a long-postulated hidden spatial grammar embedded in DNA. The research could reshape scientists’ understanding of gene regulation and how genetic variations may influence gene expression in development or disease.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday revived part of an Arizona voter law requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, in response to a request from the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans.

The justices in a 5-4 ruling agreed to reinstate a provision of the law after a federal judge blocked it in response to legal challenges by Democratic president Joe Biden’s administration and advocacy groups.

The decision comes before the Nov. 5 election in which Democratic vice president Kamala Harris is facing off against Republican former president Donald Trump.

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A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday barred a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers’ rivals or launch competing businesses.

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As demand for clean energy is increasing and countries are exploring alternatives for fossil fuels, a nuclear-powered container ship can help reduce cargo ship emissions.

In this arena, three companies have launched a study to assess multiple factors including regulatory feasibility.

Lloyd’s Register (LR), CORE POWER, and AP Moller – Maersk will research on frameworks needed to establish nuclear container ship using a fourth-generation reactor.

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China appears to have installed a laser directed energy weapon on one of its Type 071 amphibious assault ships, mirroring U.S. and other nations’ expanding activities in the same arena. Recent actions against Houthi drones in the Red Sea have helped to spur further interest in fitting warships with directed energy weapons of various types, although most of China’s activities with laser weapons have, so far, been conducted on land.

A photo that recently appeared on social media shows an apparently newly installed laser weapon on a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 071 amphibious transport dock, the vessel having reportedly just emerged from a refit. The system is mounted immediately aft of the 76mm dual-purpose gun on the ship’s bow. When not in use, the weapon is concealed under a relatively large dome-like cover.

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The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies.

In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer’s, may have been based on fabricated data.

One year earlier, in June 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration had approved aducanumab, an antibody-targeting beta-amyloid, as a treatment for Alzheimer’s, even though the data supporting its use were incomplete and contradictory.

Some physicians believe aducanumab never should have been approved, while others maintain it should be given a chance.

With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind?

The Guardian.

Some do it to explore their ancestral heritage or an unknown part of their identity. Others are hoping to find parents, siblings and new relatives.

More than 40 million people worldwide are thought to have tested their DNA ancestry via companies such as Ancestry, 23andMe and MyHeritage since the first genetic genealogy test was offered to the public in 2000.

Now, people are using their test results in a new way – to apply for citizenship in other countries, DNA experts say.

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A student has successfully developed a small nuclear fusion reactor as part of his A-Levels. The 17-year-old built the reactor to generate neutrons as part of his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).

Notably, Cesare Mencarini’s work is claimed to be the only nuclear reactor built in a school environment.

Showcased at the Cambridge Science Festival recently, the nuclear reactor achieved plasma a few months ago. It also gave Mencarini an A* in his A-Level results, according to reports.

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More high-income households have left California and New York than moved in, but some states saw the opposite.

Florida had the biggest net gain of high-earning households, according to a recent SmartAsset study. SmartAsset analyzed the latest available IRS data from the 2021-2022 tax year. Using $200,000 of adjusted gross income as a threshold, the study examined the number of high-income households moving into and out of each state to determine the net inflow.

Texas came in second in terms of net inflow, followed by North and South Carolina and Arizona.

UPDATE: Map Shows Most Popular States for High Earners (Newsweek)

UPDATE: Here’s where the young and rich are moving – and it’s not New York or California (Fox)

UPDATE: California and New York are losing rich Americans at the highest rate in America — here’s where the money’s moving instead (MoneyWise)

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Researchers assessed many thousands of different molecules in people from age 25 to 75, as well as their microbiomes—the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside us and on our skin—and found that the abundance of most molecules and microbes do not shift in a gradual, chronological fashion. Rather, we undergo two periods of rapid change during our life span, averaging around age 44 and age 60. A paper describing these findings appears in Nature Aging.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes,” said Michael Snyder, Ph.D., chair of genetics and the study’s senior author. “It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”

Xiaotao Shen, Ph.D., a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar, was the first author of the study. Shen is now an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

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Conventional aircraft wings follow design principles established by the Wright brothers and rely on Bernoulli’s principle. This dictates that faster airflow over the top of the wing results in lower pressure, while slower airflow underneath generates higher pressure, thus lifting the plane.

However, as an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, shock waves come into existence, creating turbulence and drag. These reduce lift and cause damaging vibrations.

The research team, led by Professor Gao Chao of the university’s School of Aeronautics, proposed that strategic holes in the wing could solve these ill effects.

They employed computer simulations and wind tunnel experiments, which demonstrated that the holes in the wing disrupted shock waves and mitigated the ensuing vibrations. Remarkably, they also discovered a boost of over 10% in aerodynamic efficiency.

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Scientists looking to tackle our ongoing obesity crisis have made an important discovery: Intermittent calorie restriction leads to significant changes both in the gut and the brain, which may open up new options for maintaining a healthy weight.

Researchers from China studied 25 volunteers classed as obese over a period of 62 days, during which they took part in an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program – a regime that involves careful control of calorie intake and relative fasting on some days.

Not only did the participants in the study lose weight – 7.6 kilograms (16.8 pounds) or 7.8 percent of their body weight on average – there was also evidence of shifts in the activity of obesity-related regions of the brain, and in the make-up of gut bacteria.

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Solving a decades-old problem, a multidisciplinary team of Caltech researchers has figured out a method to noninvasively and continually measure blood pressure anywhere on the body with next to no disruption to the patient. A device based on the new technique holds the promise to enable better vital-sign monitoring at home, in hospitals, and possibly even in remote locations where resources are limited.

The new patented technique, called resonance sonomanometry, uses sound waves to gently stimulate resonance in an artery and then uses ultrasound imaging to measure the artery’s resonance frequency, arriving at a true measurement of blood pressure. In a small clinical study, the device, which gives patients a gentle buzzing sensation on the skin, produced results akin to those obtained using the standard-of-care blood pressure cuff.

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Funny how we never see Republicans switch to being Democrats (at least formally).

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Although mayonnaise typically behaves as a solid, when subjected to a pressure gradient, it begins to flow in a manner similar to plasma under comparable conditions.

Newsbusters.

U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled Monday in U.S. v. Google that “Google is a monopolist and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. It has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.” Former Attorney General William Barr filed the lawsuit initially while Donald Trump was still president. Fox News host Laura Ingraham celebrated the decision on the Aug. 5 edition of her show The Ingraham Angle. Crediting the Trump administration, Ingraham said the former president “may be a Google slayer.”

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Twenty years ago, professor Fredrik Almqvist, an organic chemistry professor at Umeå University in Sweden, was asked by his collaborating researchers at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) to design a compound that would prevent urinary tract infections, which are often caused by Gram-negative bacterial infections.