Airlie Beach, Australia (AFP) June 5, 2024 With legs like a velociraptor and a striking neon blue neck, the southern cassowary cuts a fearsome figure in the rainforests of northeast Australia. It is best to admire these human-sized birdies – and their rapier-sharp 10 centimetre (four inch) talons – from afar. “It’s a modern-day dinosaur,” said Peter Rowles, the rugged president of a community group … Continue reading Australia’s fearsome ‘dinosaur bird’ stares down extinction

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 06, 2024 NASA’s second PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) satellite has successfully launched and is now communicating with ground controllers. The CubeSat launched at 3:15 p.m. NZST on Wednesday (11:15 p.m. EDT, June 4) aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first PREFIRE CubeSat launched on May 25. Both satellites … Continue reading NASA Launches Second CubeSat to Study Earth’s Polar Regions

Lyon (AFP) May 23, 2024 The estimated number of wolves in France last year was 1,003, down nine percent from the year before, environmental associations said Thursday, urging the French government to lower its quota for the number of the animals which can be killed each year. The drop in the predator’s population is the first in almost ten years, according to loupfrance.fr, a site … Continue reading Culling controversy as French wolf population falls in 2023

Phnom Penh (AFP) May 23, 2024 India will send four tigers to Cambodia this year in a “historic” bid to revive the kingdom’s big cat population, Delhi’s ambassador said Thursday. Cambodia’s dry forests were once home to scores of Indochinese tigers but conservationists say intensive poaching of both tigers and their prey has devastated their numbers. The last sighting of a tiger in the Southeast … Continue reading India plans ‘historic’ tiger transfer to Cambodia this year

Huntsville AL (SPX) May 23, 2024 Working together, NASA and IBM Research have developed a new artificial intelligence model to support a variety of weather and climate applications. The new model – known as the Privthi-weather-climate foundational model – uses artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that could vastly improve the resolution we’ll be able to get, opening the door to better regional and local weather … Continue reading NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024 Using satellite-based hyperspectral sensors, Orbital Sidekick offers global monitoring services. The company has launched five commercial satellites, including two in March, with plans for a sixth later this year. Co-founder and CEO Dan Katz credits the ISS National Laboratory for helping test their sensor technology. Hyperspectral imaging identifies specific chemicals and materials, provihttp://dlvr.it/T7Jz9x Continue reading Satellite-Based Hyperspectral Sensors Enhance Monitoring Capabilities

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024 A new CubeSat, AEROS-MH1, is now orbiting Earth as part of a collaborative project between Portugal and MIT, marking Portugal’s return to space. Developed in Portugal through the MIT Portugal Program, the satellite aims to monitor ocean health using spectroscopic techniques and a software-defined radio to collect data from marine life and aerial drones. The project, known as … Continue reading Small satellite launched to monitor ocean health

Boston MA (SPX) May 23, 2024 For people with paralysis or amputation, neuroprosthetic systems that artificially stimulate muscle contraction with electrical current can help them regain limb function. However, despite many years of research, this type of prosthesis is not widely used because it leads to rapid muscle fatigue and poor control. MIT researchers have developed a new approach that they hope could someday ofhttp://dlvr.it/T7Jz8t Continue reading MIT scientists learn how to control muscles with light

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 23, 2024 Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL) has expanded its commercial partnership with BASF Digital Farming GmbH. BASF is increasing its use of Planet’s satellite data products to enhance its xarvio Digital Farming Solutions. Planet operates the world’s largest constellation of Earth observation satellites, offering near-daily data on environmental and industrial changes. As demand for sustainable and efhttp://dlvr.it/T7Jz6Y Continue reading Planet and BASF Digital Farming Expand Partnership for Enhanced Farming Solutions

Washington (AFP) May 21, 2024 Almost 20 percent of adults in the United States were financially impacted by natural disasters last year, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday, marking a nearly 50-percent rise from 2022. The Fed’s annual report into the economic wellbeing of US households found that 19 percent of adults reported being financially affected by natural disasters or severe weather events like flooding and … Continue reading Natural disasters hit 1 in 5 US adults’ finances in 2023: Fed