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Even if humanity stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, Earth will warm for centuries to come and oceans will rise by metres, according to a controversial modelling study published Thursday. Natural drivers of global warming — more heat-trapping clouds, thawing permafrost, and shrinking sea ice — already set in motion by carbon pollution will take on their own momentum, researchers from Norway reported in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. "According to our models, humanity is beyond the point-of-no-return when it comes to halting the melting of permafrost using greenhouse gas cuts as the single tool," lead author Jorgen Randers, a professor emeritus of climate strategy at the BI Norwegian Business School, told AFP . "If we want to stop this melting process we must do something in addition — for example, suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it underground, and make Earth's surface brighter." Using a stripped-down climate model, Randers and coll...

As the coronavirus explodes again, the World Health Organization finds itself both under intense pressure to reform and holding out hope that US President-elect Joe Biden will reverse a decision by Washington to leave the health agency. With its annual meeting underway this week, WHO has been sharply criticized for not taking a stronger and more vocal role in handling the pandemic. For example, in private internal meetings in the early days of the virus, top scientists described some countries’ approaches as “an unfortunate laboratory to study the virus” and a “macabre” opportunity to see what worked, recordings obtained by The Associated Press show. Yet in public, the UN health agency lauded governments for their responses. Biden has promised to overturn President Donald Trump’s decision in June to cut off funds to WHO and withdraw the US WHO has also bowed to demands from member countries for an independent panel to review its management of the pandemic response, and WHO Director-...

As announced at the Apple MacBook event on 10 November, on Thursday, the new macOS 11 Big Sur update started to roll out. The new iteration of macOS is the first version of the operating system to natively support the new M1-powered Apple laptops and PC. The new macOS Big Sur brings a new design, enhancements to Safari, Messages, Maps, and privacy and it has been optimised for Apple’s M1 chip. Here's what is new on the macOS 11, the devices it's compatible with and how you can download the update. macOS Big Sur: Compatible devices The new macOS 11 Big Sur is compatible with iMac 2014 and later, iMac Pro 2017 and later, Mac Pro 2013 and later, Mac Mini 2014 and later, MacBook Air 2013 and later, MacBook Pro Late 2013 and later, and MacBook 2015 and later. macOS Big Sur: How to download and install Apple usually rolls out macOS updates automatically. However, in case you don't see a prompt for the update, you can also download the update manually by heading to System Pre...

As the coronavirus explodes again, the World Health Organization finds itself both under intense pressure to reform and holding out hope that US President-elect Joe Biden will reverse a decision by Washington to leave the health agency. With its annual meeting underway this week, WHO has been sharply criticized for not taking a stronger and more vocal role in handling the pandemic. For example, in private internal meetings in the early days of the virus, top scientists described some countries’ approaches as “an unfortunate laboratory to study the virus” and a “macabre” opportunity to see what worked, recordings obtained by The Associated Press show. Yet in public, the UN health agency lauded governments for their responses. Biden has promised to overturn President Donald Trump’s decision in June to cut off funds to WHO and withdraw the US WHO has also bowed to demands from member countries for an independent panel to review its management of the pandemic response, and WHO Director-...

As announced at the Apple MacBook event on 10 November, on Thursday, the new macOS 11 Big Sur update started to roll out. The new iteration of macOS is the first version of the operating system to natively support the new M1-powered Apple laptops and PC. The new macOS Big Sur brings a new design, enhancements to Safari, Messages, Maps, and privacy and it has been optimised for Apple’s M1 chip. Here's what is new on the macOS 11, the devices it's compatible with and how you can download the update. macOS Big Sur: Compatible devices The new macOS 11 Big Sur is compatible with iMac 2014 and later, iMac Pro 2017 and later, Mac Pro 2013 and later, Mac Mini 2014 and later, MacBook Air 2013 and later, MacBook Pro Late 2013 and later, and MacBook 2015 and later. macOS Big Sur: How to download and install Apple usually rolls out macOS updates automatically. However, in case you don't see a prompt for the update, you can also download the update manually by heading to System Pre...

While physical symptoms and side effects of COVID-19 have been widely researched and reported about, there haven't been many studies that talk about the mental effects of this virus. A new Oxford study has found that in the three months after a person has been tested positive for COVID-19, they have a higher risk of developing some sort of mental illness. This study also talks about those people who have a pre-existing psychiatric disorder, they have a 65 percent higher chance of contracting and being tested positive for COVID-19. Researchers from Oxford University, the Department of Psychiatry and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre looked at the TriNetX electronic health records of 69 million people in the USA. These records include over 62,000 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed between 20 January and 1 August 2020. The results from this study have been published in The Lancet Psychiatry . The study found that one in five COVID-19 survivors, in the three months since they ...

While physical symptoms and side effects of COVID-19 have been widely researched and reported about, there haven't been many studies that talk about the mental effects of this virus. A new Oxford study has found that in the three months after a person has been tested positive for COVID-19, they have a higher risk of developing some sort of mental illness. This study also talks about those people who have a pre-existing psychiatric disorder, they have a 65 percent higher chance of contracting and being tested positive for COVID-19. Researchers from Oxford University, the Department of Psychiatry and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre looked at the TriNetX electronic health records of 69 million people in the USA. These records include over 62,000 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed between 20 January and 1 August 2020. The results from this study have been published in The Lancet Psychiatry . The study found that one in five COVID-19 survivors, in the three months since they ...

Scientists have found that Jupiter's ocean-filled moon Europa shines even on its nightside. An experiment conducted at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, which recreated Europa and Jupiter's interactions, made these new exciting finding. As per a JPL   statement , Europa withstands relentless pummeling of radiation with Jupiter zapping Europa's surface day and night with electrons and other particles, bathing it in high-energy radiation. Researchers found that as these radiation particles may be making it glow in the dark. According to researchers, different salt compounds react differently to the radiation and emit their own glimmer. Researchers made use of a spectrometer to separate light into two wavelengths and connect the distinct signatures to different compositions of ice. Most of the observations using a spectrometer on a moon-like Europa are taken using sunlight that is reflected on the moon's dayside, however, the latest results ill...

If there is another segment in the smartphone market that’s growing to be as competitive as budget smartphones, it has to be the budget flagship space. A few years ago, the low-cost flagship would be considered premium. But that’s now down in the food chain after the launch of the $1000 Apple iPhone X. Premium just got real when it broke the $1000 ceiling, and the cost of premium smartphones, be it iPhones or Android devices, has only risen. But with the rise of ultra-premium smartphones, this sub-Rs 45k segment seems to be flooded with options from various brands. Once dominated by OnePlus (in the good old “flagship killer” days), literally every smartphone brand out there now has a phone in this segment. In fact, it has become so important that even Xiaomi (that usually sticks to budget smartphones) launched a premium Mi 10 (Review) around May. And now, it has also decided to step down the ladder and followed up with a low-cost alternative, without the bells and whistles. But ...

Microsoft's latest gaming consoles – Xbox Series X and Series S – have officially launched in India and are available for purchase. The new gaming consoles are priced starting Rs 34,990 in India and are available across Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance Digital, and some offline retailers. The new Microsoft gaming consoles are the ninth-generation consoles by the company. Microsoft first officially announced the Series X in December 2019. Almost a year later, the consoles are now available for purchase across all global markets. Xbox Series X, Series S pricing The Xbox Series X has been announced at Rs 49,990, whereas the stripped-down version, Xbox Series S, will cost Rs 34,990. Along with the Xbox, Microsoft will offer 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting at $24.99 a month, with no upfront costs. EA Play will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost. New video games at launch include  Assasin’s Creed Valhalla ,  G...

Popular game developer Epic Games announced that players of Fortnite who are new Disney+  subscribers and make real money purchases in the game will stand the chance to win a free Disney+ subscription for two months.  Epic Games stated that the offer is going to open from 10 November at 7 pm ET (5.30 am IST) and last till the end of the year on 31 December. Purchasing V-Bucks or making any real money purchase in Fortnite is eligible but the "offer is limited to only one Disney+ offer code per eligible Fortnite account". It’s time to power-up with @DisneyPlus ! From now through Dec 31, 2020, get up to 2 months of Disney+ on us when you make any real money purchase in-game. New Disney+ subscribers aged 18+ only. Select countries only, offer varies by country. More: https://t.co/QdVhx4cPG9 — Fortnite (@FortniteGame) November 11, 2020 Taking the Fortnite and Marvel crossover further, the new offer will let Fortnite players binge-watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe ...

The near-Earth asteroid Apophis rose to prominence after its discovery in 2004 as initial calculations of its orbit had indicated that there was a 2.7 percent chance of it colliding with the Earth during a close flyby in 2029. Although advanced calculations ruled out the impact scenario, it now seems that Apophis is likely to collide with our world in the year 2068. A team of scientists from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA have conducted a new study where they have factored in a phenomenon left out earlier to calculate the chances of asteroid Apophis colliding with Earth. The reassessment has shown that there is a tiny impact probability which stands at around 1 in 1,50,000. The probability arises due to the Yarkovsky acceleratio n, which is a continuous slight push from the sunlight. This happens under certain circumstances when the sun heats up an asteroid unevenly thus resulting in asymmetric radiation of heat energy from the space rock. This in turn leads to slight chang...

If you reached out (and/or yelled) to you Wi-Fi router this morning, wondering what's interrupting your YouTube , it was not your internet, Youtube was down. At around 5.30 am IST today morning, YouTube was down for about 286,000 users across the globe, as per outage monitoring website Downdetector.com . YouTube soon shared a post on Twitter confirming the outage. It said that it detected an error and was fixing it. The reason for the outage is unknown yet but around 8 am IST, the platform was back up running. "Our team is aware of the issue and working on a fix. We'll follow up here with any updates," YouTube said in a tweet. If you’re having trouble watching videos on YouTube right now, you’re not alone – our team is aware of the issue and working on a fix. We’ll follow up here with any updates. — TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) November 12, 2020 At around 8 am IST, YouTube updated that the platform is now back up. ...And we’re back – we’re so sorry for the in...

Scientists have found that Jupiter's ocean-filled moon Europa shines even on its nightside. An experiment conducted at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, which recreated Europa and Jupiter's interactions, made these new exciting finding. As per a JPL   statement , Europa withstands relentless pummeling of radiation with Jupiter zapping Europa's surface day and night with electrons and other particles, bathing it in high-energy radiation. Researchers found that as these radiation particles may be making it glow in the dark. According to researchers, different salt compounds react differently to the radiation and emit their own glimmer. Researchers made use of a spectrometer to separate light into two wavelengths and connect the distinct signatures to different compositions of ice. Most of the observations using a spectrometer on a moon-like Europa are taken using sunlight that is reflected on the moon's dayside, however, the latest results ill...

If there is another segment in the smartphone market that’s growing to be as competitive as budget smartphones, it has to be the budget flagship space. A few years ago, the low-cost flagship would be considered premium. But that’s now down in the food chain after the launch of the $1000 Apple iPhone X. Premium just got real when it broke the $1000 ceiling, and the cost of premium smartphones, be it iPhones or Android devices, has only risen. But with the rise of ultra-premium smartphones, this sub-Rs 45k segment seems to be flooded with options from various brands. Once dominated by OnePlus (in the good old “flagship killer” days), literally every smartphone brand out there now has a phone in this segment. In fact, it has become so important that even Xiaomi (that usually sticks to budget smartphones) launched a premium Mi 10 (Review) around May. And now, it has also decided to step down the ladder and followed up with a low-cost alternative, without the bells and whistles. But ...

Microsoft's latest gaming consoles – Xbox Series X and Series S – have officially launched in India and are available for purchase. The new gaming consoles are priced starting Rs 34,990 in India and are available across Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance Digital, and some offline retailers. The new Microsoft gaming consoles are the ninth-generation consoles by the company. Microsoft first officially announced the Series X in December 2019. Almost a year later, the consoles are now available for purchase across all global markets. Xbox Series X, Series S pricing The Xbox Series X has been announced at Rs 49,990, whereas the stripped-down version, Xbox Series S, will cost Rs 34,990. Along with the Xbox, Microsoft will offer 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate starting at $24.99 a month, with no upfront costs. EA Play will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost. New video games at launch include  Assasin’s Creed Valhalla ,  G...

The coronavirus pandemic may have dealt a blow to energy demand but growth of renewables in the electric power sector has continued at a record pace, an IEA report said Tuesday. Moreover, wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are on course to become the top source of electricity in a few years, first surpassing natural gas and then coal. "In 2025, renewables are set to become the largest source of electricity generation worldwide, ending coal’s five decades as the top power provider," said the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol. "By that time, renewables are expected to supply one-third of the world’s electricity – and their total capacity will be twice the size of the entire power capacity of China today," he added. The IEA's annual report on renewable energy put new capacity of renewable electricity generation on track for a record of almost 200 gigawatts this year despite the disruptions caused by the coronavirus. The electricity gen...