Flouting all standards, Russia plans to release early COVID-19 vaccine data

Technology / By

Enlarge / MOSCOW, RUSSIA – AUGUST 14, 2020: Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry that produces a COVID-19 vaccine. (credit: Getty | Vyacheslav Prokofyev) A top Russian researcher behind the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine defended using the vaccine before testing was complete and …

Flouting all standards, Russia plans to release early COVID-19 vaccine data Read More »

Facebook needs to enforce misinfo rules against Trump, Biden campaign says

Technology / By

Enlarge (credit: Fabian Sommer | picture alliance | Getty Images) After being used as a platform for massive voter-interference campaigns in 2016, Facebook promised this time would be better. The company changed its policies and swore up and down that it would work hard to mitigate the spread of misinformation and support Americans’ rights to get …

Facebook needs to enforce misinfo rules against Trump, Biden campaign says Read More »

How Internet-connected voter check-in devices can create election chaos

Technology / By

Enlarge / A polling-place worker holds an “I’m a Georgia Voter” sticker during the primary election on June 9, 2020 in Atlanta. (credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) A federal judge in Georgia has ordered election officials to print paper backups of voter data so that voting can proceed even if the digital system for checking in …

How Internet-connected voter check-in devices can create election chaos Read More »

Studying clay-pot residues could help scientists recreate ancient recipes

Technology / By

Enlarge / Seven La Chamba unglazed ceramic pots were used in a yearlong cooking experiment analyzing the chemical residues of the meals prepared. (credit: Melanie Miller) Archaeologists are fascinated by many different aspects of cultures in the distant past, but determining what ancient people cooked and ate can be particularly challenging. A team of researchers …

Studying clay-pot residues could help scientists recreate ancient recipes Read More »

D-Wave releases its next-generation quantum annealing chip

Technology / By

Enlarge Today, quantum computing company D-Wave is announcing the availability of its next-generation quantum annealer, a specialized processor that uses quantum effects to solve optimization and minimization problems. The hardware itself isn’t much of a surprise—D-Wave was discussing its details months ago—but D-Wave talked with Ars about the challenges of building a chip with over …

D-Wave releases its next-generation quantum annealing chip Read More »

As seawater moves inland, ‘ghost forests’ are spreading. Why that’s so scary

Money / By

Rising sea levels have begun to decimate coastal forests, leaving white, dead stumps in their wake as salt water damages ecosystems that previously relied on freshwater ecosystems. Scientists call them “ghost forests.” And they’re growing at an alarming pace, say researchers at North Carolina State University. A study released this week of the state’s Albemarle-Pamlico …

As seawater moves inland, ‘ghost forests’ are spreading. Why that’s so scary Read More »

Anita Hill: Why Black women are overlooked as Supreme Court nominees

Money / By

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today. Anita Hill, the lawyer best known for testifying at the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991, says there’s a reason that Black women are overlooked as Supreme Court nominees. And …

Anita Hill: Why Black women are overlooked as Supreme Court nominees Read More »

3 ways Walmart and Home Depot execs think retail will change for good

Money / By

Walmart and The Home Depot were fortunate: They were among the retailers that were able to navigate the daily changes and challenges that the new reality of a socially-distanced shopper posed. From quickly shifting to curbside pickup to staffing up distribution centers, execs at Walmart and Home Depot have witnessed (and pioneered) this new retail …

3 ways Walmart and Home Depot execs think retail will change for good Read More »

How the financial impact of coronavirus could haunt consumers for a long time

Money / By

While the U.S. stock market bounced back quickly amid global lockdown orders, the pandemic will undoubtedly have a lasting economic impact that could change the way investors save for retirement.  “This is going to have a longer lasting effect as people rebuild retirement and frankly rethink retirement,” said Penny Pennington who leads financial advisory giant …

How the financial impact of coronavirus could haunt consumers for a long time Read More »

Disney will lay off 28,000 workers at its California and Florida parks

Money / By

Squeezed by limits on attendance at its theme parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday it planned to lay off 28,000 workers in its parks division in California and Florida. Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to hourly workers, Disney …

Disney will lay off 28,000 workers at its California and Florida parks Read More »