Science & Technology
/Knowledge
What's the latest on the Colorado River negotiations?
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a breakdown Wednesday of five potential paths forward for the fragile state-to-state negotiations surrounding Colorado River operating guidelines that must be updated by 2026.
The Colorado River, which is Southern Nevada’s primary source of water, holds a precarious future as the basin experiences ...Read more
Parmy Olson: Google Chrome's divorce is the DOJ's antitrust warm-up act
News broke this week that the U.S. Department of Justice wants to force Alphabet Inc.’s Google to sell Chrome, its dominant web browser. That has led to much head scratching in the tech industry. Sure, Chrome is an important moat for Google’s business, but is it really the source of the company’s power? And if a company buys Chrome for an ...Read more
Atmospheric river meets bomb cyclone: The result is like a fire hose flailing out of control
The West Coast’s rainy season has arrived in force, as an atmospheric river carrying moisture from the tropics joins a bomb cyclone off the Pacific Northwest coast. Heavy, wet snow began falling in the mountains on Nov. 19, 2024, and bursts of rain have been blasting the Oregon and Northern California coasts. These storms are forecast to ...Read more
Companies are still committing to net-zero emissions, even if it’s a bumpy road – here’s what the data show
Companies around the world are increasingly committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions to slow and ultimately reverse climate change.
One indicator is the number of companies that have set emissions targets as part of the Science Based Targets initiative, or SBTi, a global nonprofit organization. That number grew from 164 ...Read more
How to transfer data from an old console to the Playstation 5 Pro
While some gamers will pick up a PlayStation 5 Pro for the first time, many others will be adding Sony’s newest system to an existing family of consoles. That means transferring all the data from the previous system to a new one.
It’s one of the most trying experiencing with getting a midgeneration refresh. I went through the experience ...Read more
Gadgets: Great turntable for beginners and beyond
Whether you're new to turntables or are getting into them, the U-Turn Audios Orbit Basic Turntable is a great choice. As the name says, it's a simple analog external belt-driven turntable. It would be ideal if you're a beginner or someone like I was a few years ago, with a collection of albums from my youth wanting them to make a comeback in ...Read more
‘March Madness, except it’s video games.’ Sacramento hosts top esports tournament at Cal Expo
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Winners embraced, losers shook their heads and fans erupted in cheers.
The emotions at the Cal Expo soared this weekend as students from across the nation clashed in tense, high-stakes esports battles.
In competitions featuring keyboards and frantic mouse clicks, the video-game players dueled in games like Super Smash ...Read more
Review: With PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony creates attractive alternative to high-end gaming PC
The lines between high-end PCs and video game consoles are blurring, which means the tired console wars are winding down. On the software side, once-exclusive Microsoft and PlayStation games are going cross-platform after a certain amount of time to draw larger audiences. And on the hardware side, Sony has released the PlayStation 5 Pro.
The ...Read more
Jim Rossman: Messages can gobble up storage space
This week a reader writes, “Recently I was notified about needing more storage. Looking at my concentration of 50 gigabytes, about 28 GB is messaging and 12 gb is photos. Do I need to delete from my phone and Mac? Best way to reduce?"
The best settings are what works for you.
If you’ve got that one friend who likes to send you daily ...Read more
GM opened a lab to prevent software bugs in new vehicles. Here's how it works
WARREN, Michigan — General Motors Co. has developed a software-testing lab inside its Global Technical Center that it's replicating elsewhere, including in GM's Silicon Valley office, to prevent bugs from entering new vehicles and affecting customers.
The lab was born out of GM's software struggles, which included a stop sale on the Chevrolet...Read more
What the Delaware River 'salt line' is, and why we should care where it is
Among all the things that Philadelphians love about the Jersey Shore, the taste of the Atlantic Ocean is not one of them.
Fortunately, the Philadelphia Water Department assures that it's highly unlikely that its customers ever would have saltwater running through their taps. But in recent weeks the so-called salt line — the boundary between ...Read more
Delaware River water levels at 60% as salt front increases amid drought
Parched farms, wildfires, and browned vistas are highly visible signs of this fall's drought.
Less visible: Water flow in the Delaware River, which dropped to 60% at Trenton, the regional agency that oversees the river's use said Tuesday.
Officials with the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) said they have released billions of gallons of ...Read more
SpaceX launches sixth Starship test flight, with Trump in attendance
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket system on its sixth test flight Tuesday, with Donald Trump in attendance at the company's Texas launchpad.
Trump's presence underscores the close ties SpaceX owner Elon Musk has established with the president-elect after pouring more than $100 million into his campaign.
The nearly 400-foot tall structure �...Read more
SpaceX launches 6th Starship test flight, but diverts from booster catch attempt
ORLANDO, Fla. — SpaceX launched its sixth test flight of its powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket from its Texas facility Starbase on Tuesday, but called off an attempt to catch the booster back on land like it did on the previous launch, but was able to successfully refire one of the upper stage’s engines while in space.
Liftoff ...Read more
SpaceX aims for 6th Starship test flight from Texas today
SpaceX has lined up the sixth test flight of its powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket from its Texas facility Starbase on Tuesday aiming for another catch of the booster back on land and a first-time refiring of one of the upper stage’s engines while in space.
Liftoff is targeted for a 30-minute window that opens at 5 p.m. EST from the ...Read more
Climate change is encouraging unsanitary toilet practices among vulnerable communities
Everyone knows that climate change has consequences, such as a higher likelihood of severe floods, hurricanes and droughts. But here’s a lesser-known problem: Climate change makes toilets more likely to break, which leaves people more likely to “go” outside.
That’s what colleagues and I found when we studied households across ...Read more
Carbon offsets can help bring energy efficiency to low-income Americans − our Nashville data shows it could be a win for everyone
Under pressure from customers and investors, many U.S. companies have pledged to voluntarily reduce their impact on the climate. But that doesn’t always mean they’re cutting their own greenhouse gas emissions.
A large number of companies are instead paying others to reduce carbon emissions on their behalf through projects that ...Read more
Editorial: How California leaders can protect the environment from another Trump administration
Of the many ways Donald Trump’s return to the White House promises to upend federal policy, few are more predictable or damaging than the U-turn he and his allies threaten to take on climate change and environmental protection. Fortunately, California has considerable power to counter the onslaught.
Trump’s first administration rolled back ...Read more
California water recycling plant gains $26 million to feed Lake Mead
Toilet water in Los Angeles will soon reduce the strain on Lake Mead, thanks in part to a $26.2 million boost that was announced Monday.
The recycled water will benefit Nevada and other states and tribes that depend on the lake for drinking water.
Named the Pure Water Southern California project, when it’s active, it will generate enough ...Read more
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