Monday, October 21
Capitalism
- Companies don't care about the customers
- Companies don't care about the vendors/suppliers
- Companies don't care about the employees
- Companies don't care about the community
While a car labeled as "American" is assembled in the United States, a significant portion of its parts often come from other countries, with Mexico being the primary source for imported car parts used in American cars, followed by Canada, China, and other Asian nations; meaning that even a car assembled in the US may have a large percentage of parts manufactured overseas. SOURCE: Chicago Fed
Dark Oxygen Under the Sea
In a revolutionary study, researchers have found that oxygen may be generated in the deep ocean, challenging prolonged theories regarding its beginnings. This surprising fact, labelled dark oxygen, challenges traditional knowledge as well as raises substantial worries regarding the future of deep ocean environments as mining businesses observe the floor of the ocean for beneficial resources.
Ocean researcher finds oxygen generation in deep ocean mystery
Ocean scientist Andrew Sweetman, in 2013, initially noted a perplexing occurrence whilst carrying out a study in the isolated Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an extensive section of the Pacific Ocean. Sweetman’s sensors signaled that the generation of oxygen was occurring at a depth of approximately 4,000 m, where there is no penetration of sunlight.
Primarily, he thought that his gear was defective, as it was extensively understood that the generation of oxygen was completely the realm of photosynthetic organisms which depend on sunlight. But, after frequent analyses as well as authentication of his gear, Sweetman arrived at an astounding understanding. READ MORE...
Sunday, October 20
In The NEWS
Cuba plunges into darkness after island's power grid fails.
A power plant failure in Cuba has led to a nationwide blackout affecting roughly 10 million residents. The Antonio Guiteras power plant, which is the country's largest and provides about 20% of Cuba's electricity, went offline due to technical issues. The shutdown comes as the country already faces a fragile energy infrastructure coupled with fuel and food shortages. Residents and businesses have been experiencing rolling blackouts for months. See an overview of Cuba's crisis here.
CVS shares close down 5% after CEO is abruptly replaced.
The healthcare giant's chief executive officer, Karen Lynch, stepped down Friday after nearly four years at the helm. She will be replaced by David Joyner, an executive vice president at CVS who has led its pharmacy-benefit manager, CVS Caremark. CVS also announced its Q3 earnings would miss expectations for a third consecutive quarter. The company's shares have fallen roughly 25% this year.
Regulators open new probe into Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" system.
The US auto safety regulator is investigating Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" software in 2.4 million vehicles after reports of four crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The probe will assess the software's ability to detect and respond to reduced roadway visibility and examine any system updates that may have affected its performance in these conditions. The investigation comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Tesla's autonomous driving technology.
Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett retires.
Bennett, 55, announced his immediate retirement as head coach of the University of Virginia men's basketball team after 15 seasons. Bennett led the Cavaliers to a national championship in 2019 and became the program's winningest coach with a record of 364-136. His departure comes just weeks before the 2024-25 season, despite signing a contract extension in June that would have kept him at Virginia until at least 2030.
Former Olympic snowboarder wanted for running drug cartel.
Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is accused of leading a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico, the US, and Canada. The FBI is offering a $50K reward for information leading to his capture. Wedding faces multiple felony charges, including murder and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, as part of a broader indictment involving 16 individuals in the alleged criminal network.
North Korea reportedly sending troops to help Russia.
South Korean intelligence reports North Korea has sent at least 1,500 troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. If confirmed, the development would mark North Korea's first major participation in a foreign conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War. Analysts, however, question the effectiveness of North Korean troops due to outdated equipment and a lack of combat experience.
Not of This World
Extraterrestrial Life means life coming from or existing outside the earth or its atmosphere.
- a universe
- a solar system
- a galaxy
- somewhat like a cloud
- a puff of smoke
- a visible breath on a cold day
Using Nuclear Rockets to get to MARS
Scientists have long proposed nuclear fission-fueled rockets to get to Mars fast — but one is warning that making it happen will be an uphill battle.
In an explainer for The Conversation, nuclear engineering expert Dan Kotlyar noted that fueling rockets with nuclear fission, which results from the energy emanated from splitting atoms, will indeed cut the years-long journey to and from Mars by a wide margin.
One of the chemical compounds that goes into the production of nuclear fuel, however, makes those dreams difficult to achieve.
Kotlyar, a nuclear and radiological engineering assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, pointed out that the United States government and major companies like General Electric funded development into nuclear thermal propulsion technology. READ MORE...
Saturday, October 19
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Netflix adds 5 million subscribers in Q3, bringing its total global subscriber base to 283 million (More) | Universal Orlando's fourth theme park, Epic Universe, to open May 2025 (More)
> Mitzi Gaynor, actress and singer best known for starring role in "South Pacific" film, dies at age 93 (More)
> Stage musical adaptation of "Dirty Dancing" set for late 2025 Broadway opening (More) | Famed music festival the Warped Tour returning to three cities in 2025 after a five-year hiatus (More)
Science & Technology
> Astronomers detect 13-billion-year-old quasars—extremely bright galactic cores powered by supermassive black holes—floating in relatively empty space; discovery challenges current theory about quasar formation (More)
> AI-powered model reveals how sperm cells stick to eggs across a range of vertebrate species; findings may help develop new fertility treatments in humans (More)
> Researchers develop "smart" insulin, which can turn itself on or off in response to varying blood sugar levels; therapy may eventually replace injections for diabetics (More) | Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes (More, w/video)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.0%); Nvidia shares close at new record (More) | TSMC shares close up 10% after chipmaker reports strong Q3 earnings (More, free w/email) | Lucid shares close down 18% after EV maker announces public stock offering to raise $1.67B (More)
> European Central Bank cuts interest rates for the third time in four months, lowering key rate by a quarter point to 3.25%; inflation rate in September slowed to 1.7%, falling below the 2% annual target for first time in three years (More)
> FBI arrest Alabama man in connection to January hacking of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's X account and a fake post that led to a spike in the value of Bitcoin (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Independent panel investigating July assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump recommends Secret Service to undergo overhaul in findings released yesterday (More) | Read the report (More)
> Grand jury indicts father, son for September mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which killed four people (More) | Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880M to settle sex abuse claims; settlement is the largest single payout by an archdiocese (More)
> Biden administration forgives $4.5B in federal student debt for 60,000 public service workers under fixes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (More)
Japanese Quality
On a recent trip to Nashville, my Toyota Venza (2015) is not a small vehicle nor is it a large SUV, but still large enough to feel comfortable and protected. I get about 25/26 miles per gallon which is fine but not as good as the 33/34 miles per gallon I got with my Toyota Camry.
I switched from American made vehicles to Japanese made vehicles in the mid 1980s when I discovered that Japanese vehicles were BETTER MADE. Simply stated, Japanese vehicles are made based upon 103 out-of-spec parts per million manufactured as opposed to American made vehicles based upon 2600 out-of-spec parts per million manufactured.
NOW... I am confident (hopefully?) that American vehicles have improved since the 1980s but I, personally, do not want to take the chance or spend MY MONEY on vehicles that MIGHT BE BETTER today.
How do I know this?
In the 1980s, I was trained by the same man (Dr. Edwards W. Deming) who trained the Japanese after WWII as to how to manufacture quality products. Deming offered his services to American manufacturers, and they DECLINED HIS OFFER because they were too busy supplying the rest of the world with products.
The concept is simple... You reduce the variation systematically in the process so that you have an ever-increasing quality product. Variation in ALL PROCESSES comes from:
- Manpower
- Methods - how we do things
- Machines
- Raw Materials
- Environment - too hot or too cold and/or morale
Quantum AI Reshaping our World
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, a new frontier is emerging that promises to reshape our world in ways we can scarcely imagine. This frontier is Quantum AI, the powerful fusion of quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
Demystifying Quantum AI: The Power Of Qubits And AI
But what exactly is Quantum AI, and why should you care? At its core, Quantum AI leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to process information in ways that classical computers simply can't.