Month: February 2022
Uttar Pradesh Election
The state packs in a disproportionate quota of despair. It seems to fester with India’s grisliest crimes, its harshest oppressions by caste, sex or faith, its most feckless politicians and its most polluted environments. It has remained grindingly poor. At $991, nominal gdp per person amounts to less than half of the country’s modest average,
Binance to take $200m stake in Forbes
Binance, one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency firms, will take a $200m stake in Forbes in the latest twist for the 105-year-old media brand. Analysts also noted that crypto assets have proven particularly vulnerable to manipulation by celebrities and media hype, prompting warnings from regulators around the world. In a statement announcing the investment, Binance
Tesla Racism Claims
Tesla is being sued for alleged racial discrimination and harassment by a California regulator which claims the electric carmaker operates “a racially segregated workplace”. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing said it had received “hundreds of complaints” from workers at the Fremont factory. The lawsuit, filed after an investigation by the agency, also
AirTag tracking misuse
Apple launched AirTags in April last year. The small, circular devices can be attached to luggage or keys – anything you could lose. Apple plans to introduce a number of changes to make it harder to misuse AirTags to track someone. The button sized devices are designed to work with Apple’s ‘Find My’ network to
Climate Resistance Roads
Climate change and global warming is an increasing threat for transport networks .One of the biggest problems with roads is their vulnerability to high temperatures. Extreme heat can soften pavements, leading to more cracks, buckling and rutting or surface depress. One solution is heat shields. These are special coatings and tiny hollow ceramic particles that
Starship rocket on orbital
Elon Musk is hopeful he can launch his new monster rocket system in perhaps a couple of months from now. Much depends now on the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s the licensing authority and it will not issue a permission to fly until an environmental assessment is complete. Mr Musk said that if the FAA process
Flying Cras Certification
Flying car manufacturers are working on designs that resemble hovering drones using multiple small rotors to take off and land like a helicopter. The idea is that, being simpler, cheaper, greener and quieter than combustion-engined elicopters, evtols will be well suited to operate short-range passenger services across large urban areas, such as flying people between
Nuclear space
In november last year Russia blew up a defunct satellite, creating shrapnel that will orbit the Earth for decades. The “direct ascent” missile test was a first for Russia and echoed a similar weapons test carried out by China in 2007, which also created an enduring cloud of debris. India and America have shot at
Russia in Ukraine
A battalion tactical group (btg) is a Russian army unit which consists of 800 or so troops, sometimes rather more, and most of the armour, artillery and air defences they need in order to fight. When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014, stirring up separatism among Russian speakers in Donbas, at the eastern end of the
Europe Race in Global Chip Shortage
Europe no longer makes any of the most advanced chips of the sort that go into data centres or smartphones .Judged by numbers alone, the eu’s new Chips Act, unveiled on February 8th, could move the needle. It is meant to generate public and private investment of more than €43bn ($49bn), about as much as