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The Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) isn’t just on the look-out for flowers. In some areas, it’s also on the prowl for poo.

When threatened by a species of giant hornet (Vespa soror) — closely related to the murder hornet — workers will fly off to collect fresh animal faeces to smear carefully around the entrance of their nest, according to a study on bee hives in Vietnam.

It’s still not clear how this dung actually protects the colony, but in the field, it appears to stop scouting hornets from chewing through the nest and causing mass slaughter.

By using a stimulated Brillouin scattering laser in a strontium-ion optical clock instead of the usual bulk-cavity-stabilized laser, the need for vacuum is removed and resonator volume is substantially reduced.

A methodology that utilizes measurements in the variation of flux from cosmic muons (heavy cousins of the electron)—called archaeological muography—detected evidence for a possible second entrance and hidden corridor in the Great Pyramid of Giza (the largest of the Pyramids of Giza). As well, thermal imaging have revealed perplexing thermal anomalies in the Great Pyramid. Several explanations were put forward to explain the cause of the anomalies, but one particularly suggestive explanation was that it is due to increased air circulation caused by a hidden corridor or chamber — corroborating similar findings using muonic radiographic analysis.

(WXYZ) — The Northern Lights could be visible over Michigan this week due to anticipated effects from a coronal mass ejection (CME).

The CME happened on Monday, Dec. 7 and was associated with a C7 flare, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.

It could arrive to earth late on Wednesday night which could result in G1 (Minor) storm levels.

Leveraging structure in data is key to making progress in AI, says AI prodigy Gary Marcus. A forward-looking view on Software 2.0, AI chips, robotics, and the future of AI.

Nuclear Power’s Future? Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/undecided and enter promo code UNDECIDED for 84% off and 4 extra months for free! With the growing popularity of solar and wind, we sometimes forget another powerful low-carbon energy source: nuclear. It can be a divisive topic, but there’s a really interesting alternative to building out massive, expensive nuclear plants that’s worth talking about: Small Modular Reactors. What are they? What are the benefits? And do they really address the downsides of nuclear energy?

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Continue reading “Small Modular Reactors Explained — Nuclear Power’s Future?” »

As soon as Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting that a solar outburst could generate northern lights or aurora as far south as Oregon to Pennsylvania.

If it lives up to initial projections, AMSL Aero’s recently launched Vertiia could have a top cruise speed of 186 mph and eventual range of 500 miles.