Curating the Internet: Science and technology digest for December 12, 2019

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Authored by @remlaps

SpaceX testing surface coating to reduce reflectivity of Starlink satellites; An argument that open software leads to kinder science; Flight achieved by a fully electric sea plane; Verizon layoffs impacting AOL/Yahoo employees; and a Steem essay discussing food and nutrition for aging populations


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  1. SpaceX will test making Starlink satellites less shiny to appease angry astronomers - SpaceX and the community of astronomers were surprised when SpaceX's low-orbit satellites turned out to be visible in the night sky. This triggered a rush of complaints from astronomers that a network of tens of thousands of satellites will interfere with researchers' ability to study the night sky. In response, SpaceX has developed a less reflective coating that will be tested on a single satellite in the next launch. The coating is not being tested on the entire fleet because it may have undesirable thermal properties. The company said that they expect to solve the problem in an iterative fashion of trial and error as time goes forward. Johnathan McDowell, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics expects the coating to make the satellites invisible to the naked eye, but says it's impossible to know if the reduced reflectivity will be offset by the lower orbit and continue to interfere with astronomical viewing. SpaceX has been covered earlier in this series, here, here, here, here, and here.

  2. Open Software Means Kinder Science - Marine biologist, Julia Stewart Lowndes says that open software has enhanced her " ability to analyze data and collaborate with other scientists". She argues that a frequently overlooked feature of open source software is its ability to bring together inclusive communities and promote a kinder culture. She supports this argument by describing her own experience learning to code in the R programming language in 2014. She launched on the effort with feelings of intimidation, but says she found support and inclusion from communities like rOpenSci, RStudio, the Carpentries and R-Ladies. She also makes note of the use of the "Pac-Man Rule", which is a suggestion that participants in a group conversation stand in way that leaves a gap for new people to join, and goes on to say that people in these communities learn from each other, use each other's work, and that the open and accepting atmosphere makes her more willing to ask questions. Related: I'm currently in the middle of Smarter, Faster, Better, by Charles Duhigg. That book points out the vital importance of inclusion and psychological safety as the foundation for effective teaming. As a result of her advocacy for open software, Lowndes has launched the Openscapes Foundation, which is an organization that advocates "for open practices in environmental science."

  3. A fully electric aircraft has just made its first commercial flight - A 62 year old six-passenger sea plane was retrofitted with an electric engine, and flew for about 15 minutes in the area of Vancouver, Canada. The plane was designed by MagniX, an Australian engineering firm, and owned by Harbour Air, which is the world's largest seaplane airline. If the firm can secure the necessary safety and regulatory approvals, they plan to electrify the entire fleet by 2022. The article notes that the plane can fly up to 100 miles, which is sufficient for their specialized use cases, but that transporting more than 50 passengers depends on elusive battery technology breakthroughs, and will likely require hybrid solutions.

  4. Verizon lays off more Yahoo/AOL employees after another drop in revenue - The Verizon Media division includes Yahoo and AOL, and it employs about 10,500 people, so this represents about 1.4% of the division's workers. The article notes that Verizon purchased Yahoo in 2017 for $4.48 billion, and AOL in 2015 for $4.4 billion, but the company's efforts at taking-on Google and Facebook have been less than successful. Verizon issued a statement saying, "Today we are investing in premium content, connections, and commerce experiences that connect people to their passions and continue to align our resources to opportunities where we feel we can differentiate ourselves and scale faster." Personally, I have often thought that with the right marketing, tech-sector layoffs could be a gold mine for Steem recruiting efforts.

  5. STEEM Food and Nutrition in the Elderly - In this post, @abgjosesalas notes that aging is typically accompanied by a combination of reversible and irreversible changes that include sedentary life style, decrease in energy expenditures, and declines in bone density, joint mobility, and muscle mass. It also notes that poor nutrition can lead to problems ranging from weakness and infections all the way up to early mortality. As a result, it suggests that people need to change our diets as we age, and suggests that people over the age of 60 should eat "fruits, vegetables, white meats, nuts, vegetables, legumes, dairy products or derivatives, fish", and also, "eggs, foods rich in water, vitamins and antioxidants". The article also suggests that education should be provided so that proper nutrition can be realized at the societal level. (A beneficiary setting of 10% has been applied to this post for @abgjosesalas.)


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About this series


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