control

Watch Global Temperatures Spiral Out of Control in New Climate Change Animation

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Climate change is spiraling out of control, and that’s never been easier to see. A winding coil of global temperatures spanning 1880 to 2021 is practically a maelstrom of menace.   The animation is based on data from NASA’s GISS Surface Temperature Analysis and was designed by climate scientist Ed Hawkins, who is known for … Read more

This Weird ‘Breathing’ Cushion May Have a Surprisingly Useful Purpose

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After throwing 129 volunteers into the stressful situation of a sudden group math test, researchers found that people using a huggable ‘breathing’ cushion were more relaxed in the lead up to the questions than those without one.   “We were excited to find that holding the breathing cushion, without any guidance, produced a similar effect … Read more

Here’s How The Human Brain Reboots Itself After The Deep Sleep of Anesthesia

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You may well have spent hours wondering what your laptop is up to as it takes its time to boot up. Scientists have asked the same question of the human brain: How exactly does it restart after being anesthetized, in a coma, or in a deep sleep?   Using a group of 30 healthy adults … Read more

NASA control center named for Apollo launch director Rocco Petrone

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The NASA control center from where engineers oversaw the launch of the first astronauts to walk on the moon now bears the name of one of its pioneering directors. Agency officials gathered at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday (Feb. 22) to honor the late Rocco Petrone, who as director of launch operations … Read more

There’s an Effective Way to Treat Gaming And Internet Addiction in Teens

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Being unhealthily addicted to video games or the internet is now recognized by the World Health Organization‘s International Classification of Diseases, with adolescents particularly at risk – and as you might expect, the global coronavirus pandemic has made the situation worse.   With the disorders linked to mental health problems and poorer academic performance, researchers … Read more

Fusion power: DeepMind uses AI to control plasma inside tokamak reactor

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For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to control the super-hot plasma inside a fusion reactor, offering a new way to increase stability and efficiency Technology 16 February 2022 By Matthew Sparkes Plasma inside the TCV fusion reactor in Switzerland Curdin Wüthrich/SPC/EPFL Fusion reactors promise cheap, abundant and relatively clean energy – if … Read more

Control review: The troubling past, present and future of eugenics

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By Layal Liverpool A rising global population has led to a resurgence of eugenics-based ideas Ben Edwards/Getty Images Control: The dark history and troubling present of eugenics Adam Rutherford Weidenfeld & Nicolson WHAT does the word “eugenics” bring to mind? For many, it is Nazi Germany and the atrocities that were committed in its name, … Read more

Here’s How The Sound of Mosquitoes’ Mating Rituals Could Help Us Control Malaria

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In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that almost half the world’s population was at risk of malaria, while some 627,000 people died from the disease. Although a malaria vaccine may soon be available (the WHO recommended one for children last year), malaria is just one of several mosquito-borne diseases. And the total number … Read more

Mosaic Flight: NASA’s 100th flight director leads Mission Control

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For over 60 years and more than 230 missions, teams of dedicated engineers and specialists in NASA’s Mission Control have provided ground support for astronauts in space and on the moon. Out of the thousands of people who staffed the consoles and backroom support areas in that time, less than 100 have led the room. … Read more