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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

Engineering the boundary between 2D and 3D...

In recent years, engineers have found ways to modify the properties of some “two- dimensional” materials, which are just one or a few atoms thick, by stacking two layers together and rotating one slightly in relation to the other. This creates what are known as moiré patterns, where tiny shifts in the alignment of atoms between the two sheets create larger-scale patterns. It also changes the way electrons move through the material, in potentially useful ways. But for practical……

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'Fossils of the 20th Century Civilization' in...

All of the stations on the Toei Ōedo subway line are adorned with some form of public art, from unusual sculptures to technological marvels such as the computer-designed “Web Frames” lighting at Iidabashi Station. The most fascinating of these is located in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. Titled “Fossils of the 20th Century Civilization” (20世紀文明の化石), this mural was created by contemporary artist Shōichirō Higuchi and installed here in 2000, the same year the station opened. It was created from scrap metal produced in……

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3 Questions: Task Force 2021 and the...

MIT’s Task Force 2021 and Beyond has been at work for seven months, charged by President L. Rafael Reif with exploring “how MIT might invent a thriving new future” in a post-Covid world. The effort’s Academic Workstream, which looked specifically at the future of the MIT education, was co-chaired by Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the School of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Melissa Nobles, Kenan Sahin Dean of the School of Humanities,……

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Could pandemic further erode the New England...

MIDDLESEX, Vt. (AP) — The town meeting, for centuries, was a staple of New England life — but the coronavirus pandemic could accelerate the departure from the tradition where people gather to debate everything from the purchase of local road equipment to multimillion-dollar budgets to pressing social issues. The basis of the town meeting is to bring everyone together in the same room — sometimes a literal town hall, sometimes a school gymnasium — where voters will hash out…

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Valaste Waterfall in Valaste, Estonia

At a height of just over 90 feet (30 meters), this beautiful waterfall flows down off the Ontika limestone cliff situated on the northern coast of Estonia between Ontika and Valaste.  There was once a rickety platform across the cliff, but it was eventually replaced by a more solid metal structure in 2018. This allows visitors the opportunity to walk down and follow the flow of the water. Those who continue on the short trail through the ancient coastal……

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Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis,...

When Thomas Sadler Roberts retired from his career as a doctor, he remained hard at work in the field of ornithology. Roberts became a professor in the discipline at the University of Minnesota. He also helped establish the Bell Museum of Natural History.  Ten years before Roberts’s death, this vital stretch of 31 acres was designated as a wildlife refuge by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The area was a favorite of Christian Bossen, the park board’s first superintendent……

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Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis,...

When Thomas Sadler Roberts retired from his career as a doctor, he remained hard at work in the field of ornithology. Roberts became a professor in the discipline at the University of Minnesota. He also helped establish the Bell Museum of Natural History.  Ten years before Roberts’s death, this vital stretch of 31 acres was designated as a wildlife refuge by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The area was a favorite of Christian Bossen, the park board’s first superintendent……

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What to know before buying a riding...

Getty Images Keeping your yard looking sharp is an important part of homeownership. A well-maintained lawn not only enhances your home’s curb appeal, it could also increase its value. That’s why it makes plenty of sense to invest in a decent lawn mower. With robot mowers still struggling to gain traction, your choices are mainly split between walking models and riding models. A walking lawn mower is perfect if you have a small yard. However, if your yard exceeds a quarter…

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3 Questions: Devavrat Shah on curbing online...

The specter of “fake news” looms over many facets of modern society. Waves of online misinformation have rocked societal events from the Covid-19 pandemic to U.S. elections. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to Devavrat Shah, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Institute for Data, Systems and Society. Shah researches the recommendation algorithms that generate social media newsfeeds. He has proposed a new approach that could limit the spread……

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Panthers stun Stars 3-2 with late rally

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Frank Vatrano scored the go-ahead goal with 3:10 remaining and the Florida Panthers stunned the Dallas Stars 3-2 with a late comeback Thursday night. Aleksander Barkov and Anton Stralman also scored in the final 6 1/2 minutes as the Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit. Sergei Bobrovsky made 37 saves. Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn had the goals for Dallas. Rookie netminder Jake Oettinger stopped 32 shots. Florida scored three times in 3:11 after a nine-minute…

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Why an English Manor Is Deploying Parasitic...

Battle wasps, to war! At least that’s the way it sounded when conservators in England recently announced that they were going to deploy an army of wasps to fight a moth infestation at a stately manor home. But alas, the reality is less an epic battle and more like a quirky rom-com (with a little parasitism thrown in). Blickling Hall, reportedly the birthplace of Anne Boleyn and a celebrated example of both Jacobean and Georgian architecture, is under attack…….

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King Climate Action Initiative announces new research...

The King Climate Action Initiative (K-CAI), a research and policy initiative of MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), announced the results of its first competition aimed at identifying and scaling innovative solutions at the intersection of poverty and climate change. K-CAI will fund 10 research studies to generate evidence and four projects that will take evidence-informed approaches to scale.  Launched in July 2020 in partnership with King Philanthropies, the $25 million initiative is among the first major……

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Driving on the cutting edge of autonomous...

In October, a modified Dallara-15 Indy Lights race car programmed by MIT Driverless will hit the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour. The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is the world’s first head-to-head, high-speed autonomous race. It offers MIT Driverless a chance to grab a piece of the $1.5 million purse while outmaneuvering fellow university innovators on what is arguably the most iconic racecourse. But the IAC has implications beyond the track. Stakeholders……

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Braiding diverse networks

Professors Kristin Bergmann and Larry Susskind listen fully and compassionately to students. Both are deeply invested in crafting inclusive environments — and many students attest to how effective they are in this endeavor. For their thoughtful advising and wholehearted support of students, Bergmann and Susskind have been honored as “Committed to Caring.” Kristin Bergmann: Cultural evolution Bergmann holds the D. Reid (1941) and Barbara J. Weedon Career Development chair in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. A……

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Styx Waterfall in Kleitoria, Greece

Near the summit of Mount Chelmos along the Peloponnese lies a mythical secret to immortality. Chelmos mountain is situated a few miles from the neighboring city of Kalavryta, known for its ski resort, the oldest monastery in Greece, and the impressive Cave of the Lakes. Also perched atop this mountain is the Aristarchos Telescope, named after Aristarchus of Samos, the first astronomer to propose a heliocentric model of the solar system. Below the telescope on the peak of Neraidorachi is the……

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