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Comment Re:Incredible shrinking planet... (Score 1) 13

Lots of interesting findings for such a short time on the job.

Indeed, it's a long overdue mission to have a seismograph on the red planet.

For one, this answers the question of how Mars could be seismically active without tectonic activity.

This (AFAIK) is at least partially due to it still cooling, thus shrinking.

But the magnetometer readings raise another mystery. Why is the field stronger on the surface than orbital readings would suggest.

It is a very good hypothesis that a magnetic field is generated as a result of a solidifying core in rocky planets (e.g. Earth), Mars has long lost it's magnetic field, which got kind of frozen in it's iron reach crust in various ways, with various concentrations - as it's expected to not have a uniform magnetic field. On Earth we can learn about magnetic reversals from the rocks (versed geologists please expand).

It would be nice to have a couple dozen of these probes ...

Agree, especially that the ones we have (the orbiters) are not getting younger and are in most of the cases past they warranty.

Comment Re:In high-tech countries, not that much. (Score 1) 194

It will just become another flu variant you have to get a jab for. The only reason it's hitting so hard now is because nobody had time to prepare and whip up a vaccine for it. Give six months of lead time, and this problem goes away.

Quite an optimistic view, however:
- FDA approval for a new vaccination takes much longer than 6 months (we're talking about a new virus here)
- this new virus mortality is at the moment at about 2%, whilst influenza is at about 0.1% (200 x more)
- this virus seems more contagious (reported cases of infecting through eyes)
- there are also more severe cases than for influenza, which combining with all the above might result in shortages of medications and hospital places, thus more deaths

In short, it's not just another influenza.

Comment but all this money ... (Score 1) 171

<sk>
But all this money we wold have to spent to make this clean air and sustainable environment.
What? You say it's actually cheaper? - but all this talk is just a hoax ... My radio host told me.
Oh no - not myself, he reads scientific papers, and says it's all hoax
Actually warming? Earth always has been changing - it's natural, there's nothing we can do.
It's actually humans? Oh not at all, it's all conspiracy by scientists, they just want they grants.
You say other countries they just get salaries not matter what? No, they're all in the conspiracy manipulating data.
How do I know? Because there's one scientist, who says so. .... My radio host said on the radio.
He gets money from oil? No, it's impossible - he always tells the truth.
How do I know? The other radio host said so.
It's actually human activity? Well, anyway there's nothing we can do, it's too late.
Not too late? But all this money we would have to spend, we cannot afford it.
</sk>

Comment It should have never been named AI (Score 2) 43

... as it's very misleading. A technology savvy person understands its limitations, however an average one will not, and as these statistical and pattern sorting algorithms are branded AI people can put too much trust in them. The examples are numerous, from chat bots being easily fooled or thinking they like surfing to image recognition algorithms being fooled by some random stickers.

Personally I think this technology is very useful and will revolutionize our life, but it has to be used wisely and more importantly people have to be aware of it's shortcomings as we humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects - it should be taught at schools, that it's not really intelligent, just a more sophisticated tool good at limited tasks, yet still having no knowledge or understanding of it.

Comment Re:Extraordinary claims require ... (Score 1) 94

Thank you for all the details, it's really interesting (the gravitational waves detection) - especially with regard to recently suggested possible prove for Hawking BH description, which might result in detectable echos.

I have a less scientific question though: considering the Alcubierre drive (I know all the drawbacks - it's just a theoretical question) - would such a drive generate any detectable signal from some reasonable distance, let's say few parsecs?

Also a more scientific one: would it be possible to use the Big Bang generated waves to detect the size and expansion of the early Universe in a similar way as the barionic oscillations are used, if so, would LISA be enough for this?

Comment Re:At least make the lies believable. (Score 1) 178

On the other hand:
- my Nexus6p flag phone went dark about a month after it's warranty expired, turned out the main board died - fixing was not worth it
- my Pixel phone battery suddenly (during a week) went from holding more than a day to about 20 minutes about 3 months after warranty
- fixed the phone above myself with a new battery, however about 2 years of me having the phone I received a message that this phone no longer will be getting any updates
- yet, my 15 years old iPad (yes - the generation 1) is still working and kept getting upgrades as long as was capable of handling them

Things are not black and white.

Comment Re:Extraordinary claims require ... (Score 1) 94

Thanks, so hence "unanticipated", as it didn't match any known models of such events?
Do you know anything more about this signal, as it was detected by all 3 detectors it might be an actual event, so is there any theoretical model, which would match the recorded signal?

Comment Extraordinary claims require ... (Score 1) 94

The linked article does not provide any references except a twitter, additionally the use of phrases such as "unknown or unanticipated", "picked up unexpectedly by the LIGO" (as all such events by their nature are unanticipated) make me very skeptical regarding this revelation, which seems to be purposely over-hyped.
Additionally I have not found anything of this nature on other science services, except one mention of newly detected merger of a neutron start and a black hole, and one event which was registered only by one detector, hence they cannot pinpoint (triangulate) it's location.

Would be glad to have some reference to something more specific.

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