UN official highlights how better preparation has shrunk disaster deaths despite worsening climate
Last year, on Kishore’s watch, Cyclone Biparjoy killed fewer than 10 people. The same goes for flood deaths, Kishore said. While there are fewer deaths globally from disasters, there are still pockets in the poorest of countries, especially in Africa, where deaths are worsening or at least staying the same, Guha-Sapir said. India and Bangladesh are poster nations for better dealing with disasters and preventing deaths, especially in cyclones, Guha-Sapir said. “Fewer people are dying, but that’s not because climate change is not happening,” Kishore said ”That is despite the climate change.
Source:The Nation
June 01, 2024 15:02 UTC
A new deep-learning algorithm can find Earth 2.0
Source: phys.orgHow can machine learning help astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets? This is what a new study hopes to address as a team of international researchers investigated how a novel neural network-based algorithm could be used to detect Earth-like exoplanets using data from the radial velocity (RV) detection method.
Source:The Nation
May 31, 2024 23:32 UTC
CPC reduces fuel prices with effect from midnight today.
CPC reduces fuel prices with effect from midnight today. NewsPetrol Octane 92 reduced by Rs.13 to (new price Rs. 355), Auto Diesel by Rs.16 (Rs. 317), Kerosene by Rs.13 (Rs. No change in prices of Petrol Octane 95 and Super Diesel.
Source:Sunday Times
May 31, 2024 17:53 UTC
Weerawansa raises objections with US Ambassador
Weerawansa raises objections with US AmbassadorNewsChairman of the National Freedom Front, Wimal Weerawansa has raised objection with the US Ambassador in Colombo on the inclusion of Cuba into the list of states that support terrorism published by the US State Department on 16 May 2024. Mr. Weerawansa raised the objections in a letter addressed to the Ambassador Julie J. Ms. Chung. The letter also said;The US State Department began to list states sponsoring terrorism from 2nd December 1979 & included Iraq, Libya, South Yemen & Syria to its list. However, on 13th September 1990, Iraq was added to the list of states sponsoring terrorism by the US State Department accusing Iraq of “invading Kuwait”. Sudan was included to the US State Department “State Sponsor of Terrorism list” on 12th August 1993 and removed on 14th December 2022.
Source:The Nation
May 31, 2024 13:54 UTC
Criminal gang leader brought back from Dubai
Criminal gang leader brought back from DubaiNewsA criminal gang leader involved in drug trafficking. operating from Dubai has been arrested and brought back to Sri Lanka today. Midigama Ruwan was arrested in Dubai two months back during a brawl at a night club. He was a suspect wanted by the international Police – Interpol. The suspect was brought to the Colombo from the Bandaranaike International Airport under heavy security.
Source:Sunday Times
May 31, 2024 04:44 UTC
'Metaholograms': Researchers develop a new type of hologram
Source: phys.orgResearchers have developed a new type of hologram, known as "metaholograms," capable of projecting multiple high-fidelity images free of crosstalk. This breakthrough paves the way for next-generation technologies including virtual/augmented reality (AR/VR) displays, information storage, and image encryption.
Source:The Nation
May 30, 2024 21:45 UTC
Lies used in the name of transforming a nation - Opinion
People on this ‘sun-kissed island’ are used to this bluff, but sadly they aren’t immune to being fooled time and time again. Wickremesinghe has always waited patiently for his opportunity in politics; not necessarily his turn to assume political power. That wait was for his turn to become the party (JVP) leader and eventually the leader of the alliance he represents. This is a country where lies help sell products and promote heroes who have clay feet. Wickremesinghe too has asked the nation to back him in his efforts to lift the country’s economy out of depression.
Source:The Nation
May 30, 2024 18:36 UTC
Fully automated detection robot promotes efficient soil testing
Source: phys.orgA research team developed new equipment that achieved fully automatic and unmanned detection of soil nutrients (such as organic matter, available potassium, available phosphorus) and heavy metals (including Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr). They named it High Throughput Soil Composition Intelligent Detection Robot Equipment. The team is led by Prof. Wang Rujing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Source:The Nation
May 30, 2024 15:05 UTC
A new Hungarian method may aid protein research
Source: phys.orgIn a paper recently published in Nature Communications, the HUN-REN-ELTE Protein Modeling Research Group (Institute of Chemistry) has laid the foundations for a mathematical method, allowing the computer-assisted comparison of the three-dimensional structures of proteins. The method is unique in that while the alternatives available so far only took into account the position of the atoms, the new technique, called LoCoHD (Local Composition Hellinger Distance), also includes the chemical information of the atoms.
Source:The Nation
May 29, 2024 22:05 UTC
Why do dyeing poison frogs tap dance?
Source: phys.orgThe toe tapping behavior of various amphibians has long attracted attention from researchers and pet owners. Despite being widely documented, the underlying functional role is poorly understood. In a new paper, researchers demonstrate that dyeing poison frogs modulate their taps based on specific stimuli. The research is published in the journal Ethology.
Source:The Nation
May 28, 2024 21:06 UTC
Will generative AI change the way universities communicate?
Source: phys.orgIs artificial intelligence an unprecedented opportunity, or will it rob everyone of jobs and creativity? As we debate on social media (and perhaps use ChatGPT almost daily), generative AIs have also entered the arena of university communication. These tools—based on large language models that were optimized for interactive communication—can indeed support, expand, and innovate university communication offerings.
Source:The Nation
May 27, 2024 18:36 UTC
Sloshing cold front detected in a massive galaxy cluster
Source: phys.orgBy analyzing the data from NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, astronomers from India and South Africa have investigated a massive galaxy cluster known as Abell 2566. They detected sloshing cold fronts in the intracluster medium (ICM) of this cluster. The finding was reported in a research paper published May 17 on the preprint server arXiv.
Source:The Nation
May 27, 2024 14:04 UTC
Mexico On Course To Elect Its First-Ever Woman President
Mexico is on course to elect its first woman president this weekend, with two front-runners competing to break the highest political glass ceiling in a country with a history of gender violence and inequality. "It's a huge change," said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University, in the United States. "A woman president will be an inspiration for women in every single sector of the economy, politics, society and culture," she told AFP. Another major challenge will be Mexico's complex relationship with the United States, particularly if former president Donald Trump is reelected in November, Shifter said. Having a woman president will not transform the lives of ordinary Mexican women overnight, Correa-Cabrera said.
Source:The Nation
May 27, 2024 13:33 UTC
EarthCARE satellite to probe how clouds affect climate
Source: phys.orgWill clouds help cool or warm our world in the years ahead? The EarthCARE satellite will soon blast off on a mission to find out, aiming to investigate what role clouds could play in the fight against climate change.
Source:The Nation
May 26, 2024 21:33 UTC