With The Releases Of IOS 16 And MacOS Ventura In 2022, Apple Debuted Its Lockdown Mode For People At

With the releases of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura in 2022, Apple debuted its Lockdown Mode for people at particular risk of being targeted by mercenary spyware.

(via What It’s Like to Use Apple’s Lockdown Mode | WIRED)

Meet the Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus)! This reef-inhabiting cephalopod lives in warm shallow waters, spanning southern Florida to the Caribbean, through to South America’s northern coast. It’s distinguished by its eye-catching blue coloring, but this master of disguise can change its looks in an instant. Like other octopuses, it uses pigmented cells in its skin, called chromatophores, to alter its appearance. When confronted by a foe, such as a shark, it may emit a cloud of unpleasant-tasting ink to deter its enemy from further pursuit.

Photo: francoislibert, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, iNaturalist

Why you age slower on a plane?

According to the theory of relativity, the faster you travel, the slower time will pass for you. While the effect may be small, it is still significant. For instance, if you were to embark on a transatlantic flight from London to New York, the time displayed on your watch would be slightly behind that of a watch left on the ground by a ten-millionth of a second. This seemingly minuscule difference in timekeeping actually translates to you aging a fraction more slowly than if you had chosen to stay at home.

The Hafele-Keating experiment, conducted in 1971 by physicists Joseph C. Hafele and Richard E. Keating, stands as a seminal test of Einstein's theories of relativity. At the heart of the experiment were highly precise cesium atomic clocks, which served as the tools to investigate the effects of time dilation predicted by special and general relativity.

Cesium atomic clocks operate based on the vibrations of cesium atoms, which resonate at a specific frequency. The stability of these vibrations allows for incredibly accurate timekeeping. In the context of the experiment, the researchers strategically placed atomic clocks on commercial airliners that circumnavigated the globe in opposing directions.

Einstein's theory of special relativity, formulated in 1905, predicts that time is not absolute but rather relative to the observer's motion. Specifically, time dilation occurs when an object is in motion relative to an observer at rest. Clocks in motion appear to run more slowly, an effect proportional to the object's velocity. This concept was a fundamental departure from classical Newtonian physics, challenging the notion of a universal and absolute time.

The Hafele-Keating experiment tested these principles by sending atomic clocks on flights. Clocks traveling eastward, in the direction of the Earth's rotation, were expected to experience less elapsed time than stationary clocks due to their high speed. Conversely, clocks flying westward against the Earth's rotation were anticipated to register more elapsed time.

The results of the experiment were in line with the predictions of special relativity. Clocks that flew eastward recorded less time compared to their stationary counterparts, while clocks flying westward recorded more time. This experimental validation added significant weight to the revolutionary ideas introduced by Einstein in the early 20th century and demonstrated the practical implications of relativity on our understanding of time. The success of the Hafele-Keating experiment underscored the profound impact of Einstein's theories on our comprehension of space, time, and the nature of the universe.

A Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) Airbus A350 has been involved in a serious accident at Tokyo Haneda Airport on the evening of Tuesday, January 02, 2024. The aircraft collided with a De Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q operated by the Japan Coast Guard on the runway at 17:47 local time. 

A significant fire subsequently took hold, with video footage of the firefighting efforts being shared widely around online and traditional media channels. 

The accident marks the first hull loss of an Airbus A350 aircraft. 

(via Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collides with aircraft on landing in Tokyo | Flightradar24 Blog)

Starlink Satellites via astronycsc

Starlink refers to a satellite internet constellation project developed by SpaceX, the private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk. The goal of the Starlink project is to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet service to underserved and remote areas around the world.

Starlink, as a satellite internet constellation, has raised concerns about its potential to cause visible optical interference or "satellite trails" in the night sky. This interference occurs when sunlight reflects off the satellites, making them visible as bright points of light moving across the sky.

The individual satellites in the Starlink constellation are equipped with solar panels and reflective surfaces, which can catch and reflect sunlight when they are in the dark part of the Earth but are still illuminated by the Sun. This can result in visible trails of light moving across the night sky.

Astronomers and astrophotographers have expressed concerns about the impact of these satellite trails on astronomical observations. The bright streaks created by the reflections can interfere with observations of celestial objects and may be particularly disruptive for long-exposure astrophotography.

SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, has acknowledged these concerns and has been actively working on mitigating the impact of satellite reflections on astronomical observations. They have been testing various solutions, including adjustments to the satellites' orientation, changes in the satellite design, and coatings to reduce reflectivity.

One attempt to address this issue involved the launch of a prototype satellite called "DarkSat" or "VisorSat." This satellite had experimental coatings to reduce its reflectivity and make it less visible from the Earth. However, the effectiveness of such measures is still under evaluation.

YouTuber parents Ben and Kami Crawford, accompanied by their six children, achieved a remarkable feat by successfully completing the 26.2-mile Flying Pig marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio. Notably, one of the family members, the resilient 6-year-old boy named Rainer, showcased exceptional determination by completing the marathon in a commendable 8 hours and 35 minutes—apparently, all in exchange for the enticing reward of two cans of Pringles.

According to a post on the family’s Instagram, Rainier was “crying” and “struggling physically” toward the end. As an incentive to keep moving, the Crawfords said they promised Rainier two cans of Pringles. 

via today.com