Nov 23
HP is the latest tech company to announce it is laying off thousands of staff in an attempt to cope with the current economic climate.
Nov 23
The legendary Cummins 6BT engine was featured in the 1989 to 1998 Dodge Ram, and it’s one of the greatest diesel engines ever built. Here’s why.
Nov 23
Hovertrain technology in the 1970s was meant to revolutionize public transit, but the concept has largely been ignored since then due to a variety of factors.
Nov 23
Netflix is apparently making big moves to create an AAA game outside of its mobile gaming realm. Here’s what we know so far about the project.
Nov 23
We’re into the eighth day of the 25-day Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, and the incoming imagery has been as spectacular and intriguing as expected.
Nov 23
Don’t bother putting Lego’s new minifigure collection on your holiday wish list because it’s not slated to hit stores until January 1, but Lego does make up for that unfortunate timing with an excellent roundup of weird and wonderful new figures, including an irresistible Spacebaby.
Nov 23
The White House Is Ready to Shell Out $13 Billion to Modernize U.S. Power Grid
Posted in: Today's Chili
The White House and the Department of Energy (DOE) are soliciting applications from utility companies, state governments, and tribal nations to create a stronger energy grid. The DOE has announced that it is ready to use $13 billion in funding for the much-needed energy upgrade.
Nov 23
A novel medication for hemophilia B has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The treatment is a form of gene therapy, intended to replace a dysfunctional gene that leaves people unable to control their bleeding. It’s expected to cost $3.5 million per patient.
Nov 23
NASA experienced a data connection glitch between the Orion spacecraft and ground control for nearly an hour early this morning, in a surprising disruption to the craft’s otherwise fair-weather journey around the Moon.
Nov 23
Cryptocurrency mining companies hoping to set up shop in New York State may bump into some limits. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation restricting crypto mining in the country, making it the first state to clamp down on the practice. The environment-focused law establishes a two-year freeze on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for mining that uses demanding “proof-of-work” authentication. The Department of Environmental Conservation will also have to study if and how crypto mining hurts the government’s climate change mitigation efforts.
The bill passed the state legislature in June, but didn’t reach Hochul’s desk until this Tuesday. It wasn’t guaranteed to become law. The Hillnotes that the governor didn’t commit to signing the measure during an October election debate. Her main opponent, Lee Zeldin, said he wouldn’t sign the bill if he were in a position to do so.
Politicians and environmental groups have worried that crypto mining, particularly that involving proof-of-work, consumes too much energy. The computationally intensive process adds to the load on the electrical grid, and has even prompted some mining outfits in New York to build natural gas-based power plants to sustain their operations. The cryptocurrency world has sometimes tried to minimize the impact. Ethereum, for instance, recently completed a merge to a less energy-hungry “proof-of-stake” system that revolves around validation from certain users.
It’s not certain if other states will follow suit. Democratic Senators have pressured Texas to take action on crypto mining energy demands, but that state’s government hasn’t budged so far. Not surprisingly, crypto proponents have also balked at laws limiting their activity. The Chamber of Digital Commerce claimed New York’s law sets a “dangerous precedent,” and that proof-of-work mining played a role in economic growth. There’s also the question of effectiveness — New York’s law might drive some miners to states with looser policies.
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