Knowledge Empowerment

Most elevator “close door” buttons are actually nonfunctional.

The 'Close Door' Buttons in Elevators Don't Actually Do Anything Humans are incredible creatures, no doubt about it, but for all our intellectual and physical prowess, you have to admit that we’re pretty neurotic.  Case in point: the 'close door' buttons in most elevators have been obsolete since the 1990s,

How the makers of a beloved board game reworked it to address the climate crisis

How the makers of a beloved board game reworked it to address the climate crisis | CNN Catan’s creators researched and incorporated climate science into gameplay. They’re hoping it will start deep moral and ethical discussions between players.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/13/weather/el-nino-la-nina-summer-forecast-climate?cid=ios_app

El Niño is dead. Here’s what to expect in the coming months | CNN El Niño has officially come to an end and the ripples from its demise will shake up weather around the globe.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/10/tech/apple-ai-next-big-thing?cid=ios_app

Everything Apple announced at its big AI event | CNN Business Apple just kicked off a brand new era for the company with the introduction of its first generative AI features for the iPhone.

New study finds Earth warming at record rate, but no evidence of climate change accelerating

New study finds Earth warming at record rate, but no evidence of climate change accelerating New study finds that the rate Earth is warming hit an all-time high in 2023 with 92% of last year’s surprising record-shattering heat caused by humans.

No longer on offer as of May 30. No loss.

Cicada-infused Malört available at Lombard brewpub

https://chicago.suntimes.com/environment/cicada-watch-2024/2024/05/21/cicada-infused-shots-served-at-lombard-bar-noon-whistle-pub
(Via Sun-Times)

Cicada-infused Malört shots are all the buzz at Lombard brewpub Noon Whistle Brewing's timely offering is made with the real insects.

Naperville, St. Charles, Winnetka and dozens of other communities urged to double down on coal

Naperville, St. Charles, Winnetka and dozens of other communities urged to double down on coal Under contract until 2035 to buy a share of Prairie State’s electricity and help pay off $5 billion in debt, towns are now being asked to extend to 2050.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/nasa-finally-admits-what-everyone-already-knows-sls-is-unaffordable/

NASA finally admits what everyone already knows: SLS is unaffordable "At current cost levels the SLS program is unsustainable."

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/10/chicago-river-plastic/

Tiny pieces of plastic pose one of the biggest threats to Chicago River wildlife and water quality In 2023, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District collected 675 tons of debris from the river using skimmer boats. Between 75% and 95% of debris collected is plastic.

NASA Releases Video of What It's Like to Fall Into a Black Hole Falling into the event horizon of a black hole may mean certain death, but it sure as hell makes for a cool view.

Tesla Autopilot Was Uniquely Risky—and May Still Be | WIRED

Tesla Autopilot Was Uniquely Risky—and May Still Be In an investigative report into crashes and deaths associated with Tesla Autopilot, federal regulators concluded that the system lacked standard protections.

They’re coming….

Invaders from underground are coming in cicada-geddon. It’s the biggest bug emergence in centuries Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers not seen in decades and poss…

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/camembert-brie-disappear-scientists-france-warn-rcna143862

Sacre bleu! Camembert and brie 'on the verge of extinction,' French scientists warn Some beloved cheeses “could disappear,” owing to a decline in the strains of fungus that give them their unique taste, smell, color and texture, France’s science agency says.

https://apple.news/AfOrSRz50RpmHBgpaW5JDYw

Apple users targeted by incredibly annoying 'Reset Password' attack — Mashable Those requests just keep on coming.

For these extreme eclipse chasers, there's one place to be April 8: Mexico

For these extreme eclipse chasers, there's one place to be April 8: Mexico 'I've seen people cry. I've seen them scream': For die-hard eclipse chasers, this year’s most important destination is in central and western Mexico.

A warming island’s mice are breeding out of control

Extermination planned as a warming island’s mice are breeding out of control and eating seabirds Conservationists are planning a mass extermination using helicopters and hundreds of tons of rodent poison, which needs to be dropped over every part of Marion Island.

HAL was fictional. AI is very real.

AI could pose ‘extinction-level’ threat to humans and the US must intervene, State Dept.-commissioned report warns

AI could pose ‘extinction-level’ threat to humans and the US must intervene, report warns | CNN Business A new report commissioned by the US State Department paints an alarming picture of the “catastrophic” national security risks posed by rapidly evolving artificial intelligence and warns time is running out for the federal government to avert disaster.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/RAMTigjpqpdJGcMg/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The 17-year cicadas are coming in May and we’re already getting questions: Will they be harmful to people, trees, pets? We’ve got the answers! See our blog for what you should know: bit.ly/431o62v

Four Black Eggs Found on the Ocean Floor

4 Black Eggs Have Surfaced From the Dark Heart of the Ocean—With Alien Creatures Inside These spheres from the abyss conceal creatures with startling biology.

A 22-degree halo and sun dogs spotted over Milwaukee, US, by John Sieger.

Winter has gone missing in the Midwest

It’s spring in the Midwest. The only problem? It’s midwinter | CNN Winter has gone missing across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and time is running out to find it. Dozens of cities are on track for one of the warmest winters on record, making snow and ice rare commodities.

The ski resorts stockpiling snow to resist global warming

The ski resorts stockpiling snow to resist global warming | CNN Snow is the white gold that keeps ski resorts alive, but as the climate crisis makes it increasingly scarce, some are hoarding it year-round to ensure they can open.

Inside the World Excel Championships

Inside the World Excel Championships (Yes, You Read That Right) — The Wall Street Journal The excitement is off the charts at the Olympics of competitive ‘spreadsheeting’

Caucus, ComEd Award First 12 'EV Ready' Communities The first twelve EV Readiness Program cohort communities received their "EV Ready" Community awards on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at PowerForward DuPage, IBEW Local 701, in Warrenville, Illinois. EV Readiness Program helps local governments prepare for the growing demand for EVs in Illinois CHICAGO (De...

Hyperloop One Is Shutting Down

Hyperloop One Is Shutting Down After raising almost half a billion dollars in funding since being founded in 2014, Hyperloop One is shutting down.

On this day in 1919, an African American woman named Alice Parker was awarded a patent for her “heating furnace”. More than 100 years later, we still don’t know much more about her.

What we know about Alice Parker, a ‘hidden figure’ in modern heating

What we know about Alice Parker, a ‘hidden figure’ in modern heating | Energy News Network Here's what we uncovered about the Black woman inventor whose early-20th-century “heating furnace” foretold the modern smart home.

Grace Hopper and the Democratization of Computer Programming

Grace Hopper and the Democratization of Computer Programming In a room across the hall from where I teach, a group of a dozen kids between the ages of nine and thirteen are learning how to program in Python, grasping the basics of the language with what can only be described as freakish ease and comfort. It's quite a disarming sight, and it wouldn't have been...

Dance Dance Revolution Turns 25

Turn the Beat Around: RevivingDance Dance Revolution After 25 Years Dance Dance Revolution turns 25 this year. The name brand of dancing games has seen better days, but it's staying alive thanks to its fans.

For teen girls victimized by ‘deepfake’ n**e photos, there are few, if any, pathways to recourse in most states

For teen girls victimized by ‘deepfake’ n**es, there is little recourse The FBI has warned that technology used to create pornographic deepfake photos and videos was improving and being used for harassment and sextortion.

Scientists sound the alarm as the world briefly smashes through 2-degree warming limit for the first time

The world briefly smashed through the 2-degree warming limit for the first time ever | CNN The Earth’s temperature briefly rose above a crucial threshold that scientists have been warning for decades could have severe and irreversible impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, data shared by a prominent climate scientist shows.