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Jan 14 2025CRYPTO

Crypto: Just Speculation and Crime?

Cliff Asness, a big shot at AQR Capital Management, isn't buying into the crypto hype. He thinks bitcoin is nothing more than a bubble ready to pop. After bitcoin soared past $100, 000 following the November presidential election, Asness is skeptical. He believes crypto is only good for two things:

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Jan 14 2025SCIENCE

New Tool to Spot Microbial Metal Rust on Steel

You know how simple metal rust can cause big trouble, like leaks that hurt the environment? But did you know microscopic critters can also cause metal to rust? Yep, tiny organisms can create what’s called microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). This is different from regular rust (abiotic corr

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Jan 14 2025ENVIRONMENT

Bugs and Bacteria: How Black Soldier Fly Larvae Help Manage Waste

Imagine having a tiny, efficient waste management team in your backyard. That's the idea behind using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to munch on sericulture waste – the leftover materials from silk production. This study looked into a clever way to feed BSFL by fermenting this waste with helpful ba

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Jan 14 2025ENVIRONMENT

Protecting Channels: Why Bed Material Matters in Stormwater Control

Storms can be tough on city channels, especially when urbanization changes how water flows. We've been using rules called the Unified Stormwater Sizing Criteria (USSC) to manage this, but it turns out they might not be keeping channels safe from erosion. So, let's dig into how we can do better. Fir

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Jan 14 2025ENVIRONMENT

Bacterial Buddies: A Tale of Two Lifestyles in the Jinsha River

In the rushing waters of the Jinsha River, two types of bacteria – free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) – play crucial roles in shaping the aquatic ecosystem. Despite their shared habitat, these bacteria have distinct ways of merging their communities, a process called coalescence. Scientists

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Jan 14 2025HEALTH

Bat Rabies: A Growing Threat to Cattle in Latin America

Rabies, a disease shared between animals and humans, is a big problem in rural Latin America. It hurts food security and the economy by killing many animals. The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, is the main reason this happens. These bats spread the rabies virus (RABV) to cows, causing outbrea

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Jan 14 2025ENVIRONMENT

Wildfires in California: Challenges and Solutions for Emergency Managers

Emergency managers in California face a tough job when it comes to dealing with wildfires. They have to handle not just the fires, but also the other problems that come with them, like floods and landslides. Four main issues came up in discussions with emergency managers from nine California countie

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Jan 14 2025POLITICS

Alcohol Taxes: A New Fight

Almost 100 years after the end of Prohibition, the alcohol industry is facing a new challenge in the United States. In New Mexico, where alcohol-related deaths are the highest in the country, lawmakers are considering two proposals to change how alcohol is taxed. One plan suggests a flat 3% tax rate

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Jan 13 2025POLITICS

Senate Faces Busy Week with Cabinet Hearings

This week, the Senate has a packed schedule. They're having more than a dozen hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet picks. Some people are expected to sail through, like Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State. But others might face tough questions, like former Fox News host Pete Hegseth f

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Jan 13 2025POLITICS

US Limits AI Chip Exports: China and Russia Affected

The US has just put new limits on AI chip exports to hold back China and Russia. This comes as Biden's term ends and hot on the heels of similar curbs last month. Tech companies like Nvidia and Oracle aren't happy, saying these rules might hurt US tech leadership. Officials say the goal is to keep

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