Monday, September 15
A Glittering Stellar Nursery Shines In New JWST Image
Pismis 24-1 is in the Pismis 24 star cluster. The star is in the center of this image, where the filament of gas points upward.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, A. Pagan (STScI)
The JWST has a well-earned reputation for delivering incredible images of the cosmos. From its very first image, the powerful space telescope has regularly wowed us with images of galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and other cosmic objects. One of the telescope's main science themes concerns the birth of stars, and in a new image, the JWST zoomed in on Pismis 24-1, a brilliant young star in the Pismis 24 cluster.
The Pismis 24 cluster an active star forming region more than 5,000 light-years away in the Lobster Nebula. Pismis 24-1 is the brightest star in the cluster, and it and the entire cluster represent one of astronomers' best opportunities to study the birth of stars.
Sunday, September 14
Apple has a chance to make foldable phones cool
Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images
The flip-phone smartphone could soon shed its reputation as the toe shoe of cellular devices, especially now that Apple is getting involved. The iPhone-maker is widely reported to be releasing its first foldable phone next year, capitalizing on a niche trend right as it’s gaining momentum.
Similar to the Galaxy phones you always see advertised but rarely encounter IRL, Apple’s foldable iPhone (code-named V68) will open like a book, transforming from a phone to a small tablet, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Since The Information broke the news about Apple’s origami foray last year, multiple analysts have predicted that it’ll launch in September 2026 for ~$2,000.
Androids greased the wheels. Apple’s foldable would come seven years after Samsung’s and Motorola’s respective first attempts, and three years after Google’s. Foldables—which now represent 1% to 2% of the smartphone market—have made major strides since the early, clunky days:Samsung’s new Z Fold 7 (pictured above) launched this year to the best types of reviews a foldable can ask for—it reportedly feels just like a regular smartphone, but with more screen.
A fast-growing Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Honor, just released the world’s thinnest book-style smartphone—it’s 0.1mm slimmer than the Z Fold 7.
Sign of the times: First-week sales for Honor’s Magic V5 in Western Europe and the UK roughly doubled that of its previous iteration, the company said, suggesting that the world may finally be warming up to foldables.
Where there’s opportunity, there’s Apple: The iPhone-maker isn’t afraid to be a follower. It pulled the rug out from Pebble, Garmin, Fitbit, and Samsung and ended up leading the global smartwatch market with a 20% share. But the wait-and-release tactic doesn’t always work—Apple reportedly slashed production of its Vision Pro headset after realizing barely anybody wanted a wildly more expensive version of the Meta Quest.—ML
Robert Reich
Friends,
After a horrifying week — horrifying not just because of a politically motivated assassination but also the brutish and angry response from people who should be pulling the nation together rather than adding fuel to its divisions — many of you are understandably worried about America’s future.
As I travel around the United States, I hear concerns that America is losing its identity.
But what is that identity? If you examine our history, you’ll see that the core of that identity has not been the whiteness of our skin, or the uniformity of our ethnicity, or agreement on religion, or like-mindedness about sexual preference or orientation.
The core of our national identity has been the ideals we share: our commitments to the rule of law, to democratic institutions of government, to truth, to tolerance of our differences, to equal political rights, and to equal opportunity.
At A Glance
Illinois harvested 15,000 acres of pumpkins in 2024—the highest among US states.
... and Washington and New York are the top apple-picking locales.
High-growth restaurant Shake Shack started as a hot dog cart in New York City.
Breaking down the connection between tariffs and consumer goods prices.
Ten magnificent photos of lions.
Why personality changes in later life are most often caused by brain changes.
What is the basis of Superman's hometown of Metropolis? Probably Delaware.
How to make sense of the rock layers in a roadcut.
The value of a $100K salary in America's biggest cities.
Why patterns in art are so pleasing.
If it's so toxic, why is lead still used around the world?
Iron gives typical glass its green tint—clear glass requires hyperpure silica.
The technological limitations of the US air traffic control system.
Ten notable cities formed in the medieval world.
Why the US is behind on bidet usage.
What happens in the small and hidden Dark Web.
CoPilot's Truth
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Microsoft Office 365 has an AI program called CoPilot. I asked CoPilot how old the universe was according to the BIBLE... Below is the answer...
Here’s how that estimate is typically derived:
- Genesis 1 describes God creating the universe in six days, with the Earth, stars, animals, and humans all formed during that week.
- The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11, along with other chronological markers throughout the Old Testament, are used to trace time from Adam to later historical events.
- Adding up these ages, many young-earth creationists conclude that the universe was created roughly 6,000 years ago, though some stretch it to 10,000 years depending on textual interpretations.
I understand the Bible is taken on faith, but many religious scholars' belief the Bible is a FACTUAL DOCUMENT...
I also understand that the Bible was written for the people thousands of years ago in such a way that they could understand what was being told to them. However, God is the Alpha and Omega and should know that science at some point in the future is going to prove the Bible as being inaccurate... and yet, there is nothing in the Bible to account for that change in knowledge.
Logic dictates that there must be some sort of CREATOR of the universe and of those who live in the universe even if their lives are only temporary. How this creator operates seems to be what is in question.
Since there must be a CREATOR why does this creator decide to hide creation in a cloud of uncertainty?
FAITH = uncertainty
but then one must have HOPE that their FAITH is CERTAIN...
3D-printed micro ion traps could solve quantum tech's miniaturization problem
The existing bottleneck in efficiently miniaturizing components for quantum computers could be eased with the help of 3D printing.
Quantum computers tackle massive computational challenges by harnessing the power of countless tiny parts working seamlessly together. Trapped ion technology, where charged particles like ions are trapped by manipulating the electromagnetic fields, is one such component.
Current microfabrication techniques fall short when it comes to producing the complex electrode structures with optimal ion confinement suitable for quantum operations.
Saturday, September 13
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