Image: Curtin University
Trapdoor spiders spend most of their lives in their burrows
Trapdoor spiders’ habit of rarely coming out of their burrows seems to be a tactic that works. The oldest-known spider, a trapdoor spider, found in WA (not Washington State but Western Australia), lived until she was 43 years old.
But it’s not a tactic that helps spiders meet mates, which is why males must emerge from the safety of their burrows. When outside their burrows, the spiders are exposed to predation by wasps.
Drone with explosives used in attempt to kill candidate
On July 31, 2018, a drone carrying an explosive is reported to have been flown toward a Venezuelan presidential candidate in an attempt to kill him.
Drones capable of such an attack are easily available to anyone in the US and around the world. The technology is simple. Many Americans, even high school students, could today obtain and operate such a drone, arm it with explosives made from components available in grocery stores, fly it to and explode it against any disliked person.
Various ways of stopping such a drone are envisioned and easily buildable but have serious secondary dangers like injuring bystanders and disrupting public events. No such defense is known to be in place now.
A third of teens haven’t read a book in the past year.
A study at San Diego State University suggests that today’s teens are no less curious or intelligent than previous generations. But many simply don’t have experience delving into long-form texts. Learning to do so is imperative, the study argues, as it lays the groundwork for developing critical thinking skills and understanding complex issues.
“Think about how difficult it must be to read even five pages of an 800-page college textbook when you’ve been used to spending most of your time switching between one digital activity and another in a matter of seconds,” the study empathizes.
“It really highlights the challenges students and faculty both face in the current era.”
Just 2% of sophomores read a daily newspaper — compared to third of same-aged teens in 1990s.
MJI Mavic Drone
The MJI Mavic Drone has:
- Four mile radio control range.
- Battery life 30 minutes.
- Propeller tip to propeller tip: 21”.
- 24 oz.
- Five cameras.
- Obstacle avoidance system.
Automatic return to launch location on loss of control signal. - Lift extra load capacity 2.3 lb.
- Up to 40 mph speed.
- Folded for carrying: 3”x3”x8” the size of a water bottle. Easily packable by hiker.
- $818 refurbished from Amazon.
Editor Note: Very inexpertly, I enjoy flying—trying to fly– a very simple drone. I wish I had time to learn to fly it better. I’m fighting the urge to order a drone like the Mavic.
US suspects Russia’s new space weapons
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United States voiced deep suspicion on Tuesday over Russia’s pursuit of new space weapons, including a mobile laser system to destroy satellites in space, and the launch of a new inspector satellite which was acting in an “abnormal” way.
Russia’s pursuit of counterspace capabilities was “disturbing”, Yleem D.S. Poblete, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, told the U.N.’s Conference on Disarmament which is discussing a new treaty to prevent an arms race in outer space.
Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled in March “six new major offensive weapons systems”, including the Peresvet military mobile laser system, Poblete said.
“To the United States this is yet further proof that the Russian actions do not match their words,” she said.
Referring to a “space apparatus inspector”, whose deployment was announced by the Russian defence ministry last October, Poblete said: “The only certainty we have is that this system has been ‘placed in orbit’.”
She said its behaviour on-orbit was inconsistent with anything seen before, including other Russian inspection satellite activities, adding: “We are concerned with what appears to be very abnormal behaviour by a declared ‘space apparatus inspector’.”
Excerpted from euronews.com