Nuclear DetectionQuick Detection of Uranium Isotopes Helps Safeguard Nuclear Materials Published 15 October 2021 Researchers have developed a rapid way to measure isotopic ratios of uranium and plutonium collected on environmental swipes, which could help International Atomic Energy Agency analysts detect the presence of undeclared nuclear activities or material. Analytical chemists at the Department of Energy’s Oak

DisastersU.S. Hit with $18 Billion Weather and Climate Disasters So Far This Year Published 14 October 2021 The United States saw an unprecedented eighteen separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first nine months of the year, September 2021 was the 5th-warmest September on record. The United States saw an unprecedented eighteen separate billion-dollar weather

CybersecurityIs There Such a Thing as a Safe Algorithm? Talk of Regulation Gathers Momentum By Tanner Stening Published 14 October 2021 There is now wide agreement among experts and politicians that regulatory changes are needed to protect users, particularly young children and girls, who are vulnerable to mental health problems and body image issues that

China WatchWill China Surpass the US in Military Air Superiority? By John Xie Published 14 October 2021 The Pentagon’s multibillion-dollar investment in advanced warplanes, weapons systems, satellites and aircraft carriers has made air power a central part of America’s global projection of military might. However, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is rapidly modernizing, and military

Truth DecayEnough with the Quackery, Pinker Says By Colleen Walsh Published 14 October 2021 “Another contributor [to the opposition to vaccines] is the Myside bias, probably the most powerful of all the cognitive biases, namely, if something becomes an article of faith within your own coalition, and if promoting it earns you status, that is

Water SecurityMaking Desalinated Water Safer, Cheaper Published 14 October 2021 Approximately 80 percent of drinking water in Israel is desalinated water, coming from the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli scientists and colleagues develop an effective and low-cost way to remove toxic boron from water in the process of desalination. Approximately 80 percent of drinking water in Israel is

Flash FloodsSeismic Forensics and Its Importance for Early Warning Published 14 October 2021 A February 2021 rockslide and the subsequent flood , in India’s Dhauli Ganga Valley, had killed at least a hundred people and destroyed two hydroelectric power plants. The analysis of this flood disaster in the Himalaya may help establish an early warning

VaccinesVaccination Could Have Prevented at Least 90,000 U.S. Deaths Since June: Kaiser Report Published 13 October 2021 A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that at least 90,000 COVID-19 deaths of unvaccinated adults since June could have been prevented with vaccines. Most of the preventable deaths — about 49,000 — occurred in

RansomwareU.S. Leads Global Conference to Combat Ransomware Attacks By Ken Bredemeier Published 13 October 2021 The White House is holding a two-day international conference starting Wednesday to combat ransomware computer attacks on business operations across the globe that cost companies, schools and health services an estimated $74 billion in damages last year. The White House is

Transportation SecurityDeep Learning Helps Predict Traffic Crashes Before They Happen By Rachel Gordon Published 13 October 2021 A deep model was trained on historical crash data, road maps, satellite imagery, and GPS to enable high-resolution crash maps that could lead to safer roads. Today’s world is one big maze, connected by layers of concrete and asphalt