Lugh

joined 2 years ago
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Canada is heating up at twice the global average thanks to climate change. The fire seasons of 2023 and 2024 were the worst two years for wildfires in Canadian history - now 2025 looks set to beat their record.

Canadian wildfire smoke carries PM2.5 particles that can travel far into the U.S., worsening air quality in the Midwest, Northeast, and Great Lakes regions. These fine particles penetrate lungs and bloodstream, causing inflammation, lung damage, and higher infection risks. Children, the elderly, pregnant individuals, and those with heart or lung conditions are most vulnerable. Long-term exposure can worsen asthma, heart disease, and increase premature death risk.

Tough luck for Americans that they're living in the age of 'drill baby, drill' when the fossil fuel industry comes first, not them. As Lord Farquaad would say "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make".

Article - More than 90 wildfires are out of control in Canada

 

The rocket is quoted as having a cargo capacity of ten tonnes. How much do they think each launch will cost? If it's $1 million, then that is $100 per kg. Is there anyone willing to pay that much money for same day delivery?

There are four other Chinese companies who say they are close to launching reusable rockets too, and expect to launch in 2025/26 - iSpace, LandSpace, Deep Blue Aerospace, Galactic Energy - though the last is only talking about a reusable booster.

Also interesting - the publicly disclosed funding for this company is less than $100 million. I'm assuming they had more they did not disclose. If they managed to do this for $100 million, that seems very impressive.

China completes first sea-based vertical landing of reusable rocket

The startup's wikipedia page

China's Taobao working with startup on deliveries by reusable rocket

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 3 days ago

In fairness to them, if you are a government or economic body, trying to plan for these events, then you do need to get granular and look at things from specifics like demographics, age groups, gender and so on.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

To add to the confusion when you click on the link to the report, it talks about generative AI, so it is not talking about AI as a whole. One of the biggest categories of jobs that will disappear is driving jobs and delivery jobs, thanks to self-driving tech. I'm guessing that these jobs are overwhelmingly male dominated.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 5 days ago

There's good news too. It says the AI can persuade people who hold false beliefs. Maybe it can school people who've been led into delusion bubbles by misinformation?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I thought voice might take off more, though Alexa and Siri are popular. Maybe it just isn't efficient enough for large amounts of information.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Yes, unethical practices seem baked in now with Big Tech, and Big Tech aspirants. I'm gratified to see open source AI keep up with the Big Tech offerings. At least it means there will be widespread alternatives. I hope it hobbles any one company from being as big as Google.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Google recently held its big annual product announcement event - I/O 2025 - and it got lots of upbeat coverage. There were dozens of new product upgrades across Android, Search, Gmail, etc. Of course, the big focus was AI.

Google seemed to be lagging in AI but has caught up to speed lately with its models topping various AI leaderboards. Not surprising, Google has deep wells of computing power and talent to compete in AI.

However, behind the scenes, all is not so rosy. Almost 75% of Google's revenue comes from search, and it's about to be obliterated. As anyone who has gotten used to using ChatGPT, Claude, or DeepSeek instead of Google Search will tell you - AI is miles better. Google is about to transform old Search into an AI Search like ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and all the other AIs, but the problem is their days of 90% market domination in this new medium don't seem repeatable.

Google are about to be replaced as the dominant means of internet search - but just how much, and how fast?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 6 days ago

Great article. I'm glad 'Star Trek' still looms so large in the public imagination; it's given us a really hopeful template for the future.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

This topic fascinates me. There are more space telescopes from Europe, the US and China due to launch, that will have even greater capability for biosignature detection than now. I wonder how soon the day will come when one of these findings will be regarded as definitive proof?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I don't like or support Hezbollah, but the added irony here is that Northern Ireland (where Mo Chara is from) is festooned with British-supporting terrorist flags from groups like the UDF & UDA; pro-British terrorist groups active during The Troubles.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Both the US & Russia have claimed Mach 20 with the HTV-2 (DARPA's Falcon Project) & Avangard respectively. China’s DF-ZF HGV reportedly reaches Mach 5–10.

If this golden dome goes ahead, I suspect/guess the ensuing counter-developments will mean true Mach 20 will be achievable within a ten year time frame for all three countries.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I’m calling bullshit.

Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nature.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59698-y

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