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If you have clear skies and are willing to brave the chilly temperatures, you might want to head to a dark site and look for a passing visitor.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen, first discovered in 1948, will have its closest encounter with Earth on Dec.16. But it’s already visible in the sky.

While this is the brightest comet of the year and the 10th closest comet in modern times, don’t expect one with a well-defined tail, a hallmark of comets.

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I’m speaking next Friday evening, Dec 14, at 6PM then doing a panel at the NodeSF in San Francisco. Hosted by the Institute for Competitive Governance and Startup Societies Foundation, the event will discuss innovative approaches for new cities and societies. Join us in building the future! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/future-cities-distributed-socie…gFeha96wn2 #transhumanism


How are the future cities going to look like? Are they going to be sovereign states? Will people have decentralized governments? What is the future of law like?

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The hepatitis B virus (HBV), which spreads through blood and bodily fluids and invades liver cells, is thought to kill just under 1 million people every year around the world, mostly from cancer or scarring (cirrhosis) of the liver. HBV is less likely to be fatal than HIV, and many people who carry the virus don’t have symptoms. But because more than 250 million people live with chronic HBV infections, more than 7 times the number with HIV, its global death toll now rivals that of the more-feared virus.


Viral hepatitis is on the rise. Tackling hepatitis B in Africa is key to fighting back. Viral hepatitis is on the rise. Tackling hepatitis B in Africa is key to fighting back.

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While things have seemed quiet after Diwata-2’s launch into space last October 29, the team has been busy working on the initial tests and calibration of Diwata-2’s payloads. Stay tuned for more images and updates in the coming weeks! Read more about the first few images here: https://bit.ly/2E9oi6m&h=AT3JRdu_Q1bmVIKgKhh6i5isF4r0_KorJah…-f_F-Lf8F8 #Diwata2 #D2nMe

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Optical fibers are then inserted through an area called the perineum, found between the testes and the anus, and directly into the prostate gland. Afterwards, the scientists turn on a red laser that is induced through the optical fibers. This process utilizes the photosensitivity of the WST11 drug and activates it. Upon activation, free radicals are released within the area, attacking and destroying the tumors. Unlike conventional treatments which might affect a general area of body cells, this treatment is localized. The nearby cells are left more or less unharmed.

Beating The Big ‘C’

The trial for this prostate cancer treatment has shown promising results. Endgadget reports that, from the 415 participating men, nearly half were rid of the malignant disease by the end of treatment. This is a huge improvement compared to conventional procedures, which only have an average success rate of about 14 percent. Of those that had cancer in remission, only six percent needed to have their affected prostate removed, which is again a stark contrast to the conventional procedures’ 30 percent.

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By Luke Miller

A fungus that can “eat” plastic has been discovered in Pakistan. This discovery could tackle the growing plastic problem the planet is currently facing, by cutting the lifespan of plastic from up to 1000 years, to just weeks.

One of the largest environmental problems we are currently facing is plastic. Taken from sas.org pollution facts and figures:

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Today, NASA released the first ever audio recording from Mars!

NASA’s InSight lander touched down successfully on Mars on November 26th. The primary mission of the lander (which is not a rover) is to study the interior of Mars by drilling below the surface. The goal is to analyze seismic activity and monitor for Marsquakes, which are Earthquakes, except on Mars.

“Capturing this audio was an unplanned treat,” Bruce Banerdt, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a press release. “But one of the things [the InSight mission] is dedicated to is measuring motion on Mars, and naturally that includes motion caused by sound waves.”

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