Mysterious release of radioactive material uncovered
Radiation leaks are never a good thing, no matter how small they may be. It was the most serious release of radioactive material since Fukushima 2011, but the public took little notice of it: In September 2017, a slightly radioactive cloud moved across Europe. Now, a study has been published, analyzing more than 1300 measurements…
A ‘super-Earth’ discovered just 31 light-years away
A potentially habitable ‘super-Earth’ has been discovered just 31 light-years away from our solar system, astronomers announced Wednesday. The planet, named GJ 357 d, is about six times larger than Earth and orbits a dwarf sun GJ 357, much smaller than our own, every 55.7 days. The international team of astronomers that discovered the planet…
‘Missing Link’ Planets Discovered Nearby
TESS discovers three new planets nearby, including temperate ‘sub-Neptune’. NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, has discovered three new worlds that are among the smallest, nearest exoplanets known to date. The planets orbit a star just 73 light years away and include a small, rocky super-Earth and two sub-Neptunes — planets about half the…
Massive Capital One data breach
Capital One’s massive data breach may affect more than 100 million customers. On Monday, Capital One announced a massive breach involving more than 100 million customers, compromising information such as Social Security numbers, credit scores and credit card transaction data. For more, check out this USA Today story.
Device could automatically deliver drug to reverse opioid overdose
Purdue University researchers are developing a device that would automatically detect an overdose and deliver naloxone, a drug known to reverse deadly effects. For more, check out this Purdue.edu story.
SpaceX’s Mars rocket prototype takes its first flight
The brief flight was a key step in the development of a rocket that the company hopes will take people to Mars. The [Starhopper] rocket is the prototype for SpaceX’s vehicle called Starship. The company is building the enormous rocket to achieve its goal of transporting up to 100 people in the space flights. For…
NASA tracked three large asteroids passing by
And one was closer to the Earth than the moon! The asteroid 2019 OD passed the closest, flying closer to the Earth than the moon. It will cross Earth’s orbit within 222,164 miles of the surface. The moon is 238,900 miles away. For more, check out this CNN story.
CBS blackout on DirecTV
The CBS blackout on DirecTV is the latest frustration for TV viewers caught in the middle of price wars. More than 6.5 million CBS viewers found their screens dark on Saturday, after a dispute with AT&T led to the network’s feed getting blacked out in markets from Los Angeles to New York. It’s the latest…
Equifax’s $700 million settlement could benefit you
Americans will now get compensation for losses tied to one of the biggest data security failures ever. Starting in 2020, all U.S. consumers will be entitled to six free Equifax credit reports each year for seven years. This can help you to monitor for any suspicious activity. All Americans are entitled to get free identity…
Toshiba Memory to Rebrand as “Kioxia”
The new brand name will begin in October. The future will bring many new challenges. Global society is becoming ever more complex, connected and borderless in the face of dramatic technological innovation. There is a tremendous amount of data being generated, analyzed and stored. Sitting at the very heart of this trend, we will build…