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Radios, how do they work?
A brief introduction to antennas, superheterodyne receivers, and signal modulation schemes.
New
The latest blog posts to take off on Hacker News. 384 posts.
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Boom announces successful flight of XB-1 demonstrator aircraft
Today, Boom announced the successful flight of XB-1, the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. Like Overture, Boom’s supersonic airliner, XB-1 leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including carbon fiber…
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Research shows plant-based polymers can disappear within seven months
Finding viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics and microplastics has never been more important. New research from scientists at UC San Diego and Algenesis shows that their plant-based polymers biodegrade — even at the microplastic level — in under seven months.
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The baffling intelligence of a single cell: The story of E. coli chemotaxis
I want to tell the story of a beautiful phenomenon in biology. In some sense it’s the prototype of much of the activity of life. The phenomenon is the way in which an individual cell of E. coli forages for nutrients. This process, known as “chemotaxis”—the “chemo-” for chemical and the “taxis” from the Greek τάξις…
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Parrots love playing tablet games. That's helping researchers understand them
A new Northeastern study delves deep into how parrots use touchscreen devices, with the help of a bespoke gaming app.
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20 Years of "Not Even Wrong"
The first entry on this blog was 20 years ago yesterday, first substantive one was 20 years ago tomorrow (first one that drew attacks on me as an incompetent was two days later). Back when I starte…
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Story of Vitamin D Toxicity (2022)
How much Vitamin D should I take? This is still the looming question, and it’s time to address it. First, though, imagine that someone in a public forum online asked me, “How much metoprolol (a…
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Research shows that people who BS are more likely to fall for BS (2021)
People who frequently try to impress or persuade others with misleading exaggerations and distortions are themselves more likely to be fooled by impressive-s
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Learning From DNA: a grand challenge in biology
Is DNA all you need?
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Romeo and Julia, Where Romeo Is Basic Statistics
Hello there. This is an open access book entitled: “Romeo and Julia, where Romeo is Basic Statistics”. So I guess it’s gonna be about a programming language named Julia and its usage for basic statistics.
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Prostate cancer includes two different evotypes
Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer, which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.
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IBM and NASA build language models to make scientific knowledge more accessible
At IBM Research, we’re inventing what’s next in AI, quantum computing, and hybrid cloud to shape the world ahead.
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How photos were transmitted by wire in the 1930s
I didn’t know what to expect from this 1937 video explanation of how wire photos were transmitted to newspapers, but a double stunt sequence featuring an airpla
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Vehicle brakes produce charged particles that may harm public health: study
The work could help efforts to contain an important source of air pollution
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Weather forecasts have become more accurate
A four-day forecast today is as accurate as a one-day forecast 30 years ago.
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Webb and Hubble confirm Universe's expansion rate
Webb measurements shed new light on a decade-long mysteryThe rate at which the Universe is expanding, known as the Hubble constant, is one of the fundamental parameters for understanding the evolution and ultimate fate of the cosmos. However, a persistent difference, called the Hubble Tension, is seen between the…
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mRNA vaccines: let's eradicate herpes, cure cancer, and be sick a whole lot less
Quick, inexpensive, made-to-order treatments
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Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion
A comprehensive study of high-temperature superconducting magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant.
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Chlorpyrifos: Pesticide tied to brain damage in children
Prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos, a widely used insecticide, is linked to lower birth weight, reduced IQ, loss of working memory, attention disorders, and delayed motor development.
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Reentry of International Space Station Batteries into Earth's Atmosphere
UPDATE (8 March, 20:00 CET): The reentry of the ISS batteries is now expected between approximately 19:30 CET and 21:08 CET on 8 March. This will be the final update ...
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How the Great Green Wall is holding back the Sahara desert
The Great Green Wall being built in Africa to halt the southern progress of the Sahara Desert is a favorite public works project of mine — it’s massive, ambitio
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Hurried Thoughts: You're Wrong About Tidal-Locking
Space Engine ...
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Sky lapse in two tone
Using Sentinel-1 radar imagery to make out the shapes of our changing seaborne energy system
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Combating olive oil fraud with nuclear innovations
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is developing new and rapid methods to rapidly screen and authenticate the origin of foods like extra virgin olive oil.
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"AI will cure cancer" misunderstands both AI and medicine
AI, science, education, & ethics
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Old vs. new growth trees and the wood products they make
Dedicated to the craft of architectural millwork, residential construction, & historic restoration.
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Heinz’s sustainable ketchup cap
CT scans of Heinz's new recyclable ketchup cap reveal the channel geometry that replaced a silicone valve and why the redesign took eight years.
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Airfoil
Interactive article explaining the physics of an airfoil and what makes airplanes fly