Singing in the rain: Why the bundengan sounds better wet
Source: phys.orgA bundengan wears many hats—and is one too. This portable shelter woven from bamboo has protected Indonesian duck herders from the sun and rain for centuries. Able to comfortably balance on the wearer's head, a bundengan is equipped with a visor that curves around the side to meet at a long back. A more surprising, but no less practical, feature is the collection of strings and bamboo bars added in to produce music. Duck herders fill the hours spent tending to ducks sitting underneath their outfitted shelter, playing their shield as an instrument.
Source:The Nation
December 06, 2023 00:02 UTC
Identifying vintage wines by their chemical signature
Source: phys.orgDoes every wine carry its own chemical signature and, if so, can this be used to identify its origin? Many specialists have tried to solve this mystery, without fully succeeding. By applying artificial intelligence tools to existing data, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the Institute of Vine and Wine Science at the University of Bordeaux, has succeeded in identifying with 100% accuracy the chemical mark of red wines from seven major estates in the Bordeaux region.
Source:The Nation
December 05, 2023 18:23 UTC
Clean energy innovation or illusion? JETP climate funds
Source: phys.orgThey were billed as an ingenious new way of helping developing countries ditch planet-polluting coal, promising an injection of billions from wealthy governments looking for new ways to tackle carbon emissions.
Source:The Nation
December 04, 2023 19:05 UTC
6 Nepalis Killed Fighting for Russia, One Captured in Ukraine
Nepal said Monday that six of its citizens had been killed while serving as mercenaries in the Russian army, while another had been captured in Ukraine, confirming that Nepalis are fighting in Moscow's invasion. Kathmandu urged Russia to stop the use of Nepali mercenaries and send any men still serving back home. Nepal's Foreign Ministry said it had received information about the death of the "six Nepali citizens while serving in the Russian army," and named another citizen "being held in Ukraine after being recruited into the Russian army." It did not specify where, how or when the six were killed.
Source:The Nation
December 04, 2023 17:36 UTC
Generative model unveils secrets of material disorder
Source: phys.orgNational University of Singapore (NUS) scientists have utilized generative machine learning models to explore the different methods in which atoms between adjacent crystals in a piezoelectric material, which are materials that generate a small electrical voltage upon application of mechanical stress, can experience mismatches. This revelation unveils the pathways through which disorder emerges in such materials.
Source:The Nation
December 04, 2023 15:04 UTC
Whale Transfers 24 Mln XRP Amid Price Jump, What’s Next?
XRP holders are speculating the surge could lead to a potential alteration in XRP price. XRP Whale Accumulation Spikes Amid SEC LawsuitRecent data shows that whales are continuously moving and accumulating XRP. Fundamentally, the XRP whale accumulation could be attributed to Zodia Custody joining the Metaco network. This signifies that if the Bitcoin price elevates, it can indirectly cause the XRP price to elevate as well. Also Read: Cardano (ADA) Price Rises With Soaring Transactions Signaling Institutional InterestThe post Whale Transfers 24 Mln XRP Amid Price Jump, What’s Next?
Source:The Nation
December 04, 2023 11:03 UTC
Bitcoin Hits $40,000 for First Time Since April 2022
Bitcoin's recent rebound continued apace over the weekend, with the price of the leading cryptocurrency passing $40,000 on Sunday afternoon per data from CoinGecko. It's the first time that the price of Bitcoin has been that high since April 2022, right before the broader cryptocurrency market plunged. The rising price appears to reflect continued optimism and excitement over the anticipated approval of a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States. Bitcoin isn't the only cryptocurrency to rise over the weekend. Both coins are only up about 2% over the past 24 hours, but they've been gradually gaining of late.
Source:The Nation
December 04, 2023 04:29 UTC
CC withdraws Rules after clash with President
Two foremost events the country will witness will be a presidential election and a parliamentary general election—both pledged in Parliament by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. We need an economic plan. But to direct the economy, we will ensure that there is economic democracy and targets will be provided to the private sector. The hotels required, guides, vehicles should be provided by the private sector. We should set a target and get the private sector to achieve it.
Source:Sunday Times
December 03, 2023 15:24 UTC
Sri Lanka secures $1.52 billion in foreign financing
Sri Lanka secures $1.52 billion in foreign financing By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):Sri Lanka has secured new external financing amounting to around US$1.52 billion by entering into 13 agreements with foreign development partners and lending agencies during the period January 1 to September 30, 2023, the Finance Ministry’s fiscal management report showed. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) extended fund facility arrangement has filled part of the external financing gap, the difference between the projected demand for and supply of foreign currency financing. A sum of $247.6 million has been secured under the Resilience, Stability, and Economic Turnaround (RESET) Development Policy Financing programme, the ministry’s latest report revealed. Accordingly the government was able to secure a substantial amount of foreign financing, amounted to$ 1,516.3 million, from January 1 to September 30, 2023It has obtained foreign financing of $1,479 million by entering into 13 agreements with foreign development partners and lending agencies during the first nine months this year. This consists of $ 333.0 million received under the IMFEFF arrangement, $350.0 million for the Economic Stabilisation programme extended by the ADB, and $495.6 million for RESET Development Policy Financing.
Source:Sunday Times
December 03, 2023 14:55 UTC
A new possible explanation for the Hubble tension
Source: phys.orgThe universe is expanding. How fast it does so is described by the so-called Hubble-Lemaitre constant. But there is a dispute about how big this constant actually is: Different measurement methods provide contradictory values.
Source:The Nation
December 02, 2023 20:33 UTC
US joins in other nations in swearing off coal power to clean the climate
(AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)DUBAI – The United States committed Saturday to the idea of phasing out coal power plants, joining 56 other nations in kicking the coal habit that's a huge factor in global warming. U.S. Special Envoy John Kerry announced that the U.S. was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, which means the Biden Administration commits to building no new coal plants and phasing out existing plants. The amount of coal burned in the United States last year is less than half what it was in 2008. The Powering Past Coal Alliance started six years ago and had 50 country members until Saturday when the United States and six others joined, said alliance spokeswoman Anna Drazkiewicz. "Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance reiterates Kosovo’s clear commitment and ongoing efforts towards a socially just and clean energy sector.”___Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment.
Source:The Nation
December 02, 2023 16:04 UTC
Japan Debuts Six-Story Experimental Fusion Reactor
The biggest experimental nuclear fusion reactor in operation was inaugurated north of Tokyo today, as scientists continue to plug away at making nuclear fusion a viable source of the world’s energy. Nuclear fusion is often referred to as the holy grail of energy research, because if economical fusion reactions were realized it would greatly reduce—if altogether eliminate—humankind’s reliance on fossil fuels. The new reactor, along with its counterpart currently under construction in Europe, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), are merely experiments to prove the technological feasibility of fusion at scale. Nuclear fusion can be done in different ways, but it is regardless a much cleaner process than nuclear fission. The running joke about scalable nuclear fusion is that it is always just over the horizon—maybe 30, 50 years from now.
Source:The Nation
December 02, 2023 08:32 UTC
New methods for improving water management to develop sustainable cities
This makes it challenging for the authorities to manage water resources and the increasing demand for water while controlling sewage and pollution. Lack of usable water resources can lead to unbalanced water distribution and worse water quality. Credit: Yi QianMeasures for improvementThe researchers have made several recommendations to further improve water and environmental management in cities. "On the macro level, cities should modify their industrial structure towards one that is compatible with the water capacity. More information: Jiaxi Chen et al, Towards Sustainable Cities: Studying Evaluation Index of Water Environment Carrying Capacity, Water Resources Management (2023).
Source:The Nation
December 02, 2023 08:16 UTC
Ethereum’s Goerli Testnet to Cease Support and Undergo Final Upgrade
In an announcement on Thursday, November 30, the Ethereum development team announced that the blockchain’s multi-client testnet Goerli shall lose support from the client and Ethereum Foundation testing teams. The Ethereum Foundation has advised users relying on Goerli for stable testnet environments to migrate beforehand. While Goerli is likely to be the first testnet to activate the Dencun upgrade, the Ethereum team will announce the specific date very soon. Danksharding stands out as the imminent significant Ethereum upgrade, leveraging distributed data sampling to augment the scalability of the Ethereum network. The post Ethereum’s Goerli Testnet to Cease Support and Undergo Final Upgrade appeared first on CoinGape.
Source:The Nation
December 01, 2023 10:10 UTC
Pick the Best Image in This Nature Photography Contest
Online voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, an annual competition developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. You can chose your favorite from among 25 shortlisted photos of the near-50,000 submitted to the competition. From mudskippers and bulrushes to lions and jellyfish, the natural world has something for everyone... and it’s up to you which gets the final say. You can vote for a winner online or in person at the museum. See the impressive lineup here.
Source:The Nation
November 29, 2023 08:30 UTC