Dr. Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and professor of political science at Texas Tech University, where she is the director of the Climate Science Center. She is also the CEO of the consulting firm ATMOS Research and Consulting. She received her undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy from the University of Toronto and a masters and Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We started from basics in this chat and defined how science works via observation. Then we delved into the process of climate change research, successful computer models, the significant findings of climate science and whether some changes are exponential rather than linear. Finally, Dr. Hayhoe filled us in on some great resources for further reading.
Amazon's Eventual Failure, Silicon Valley's Soul – TMO Daily Observations 2018-11-19
Kelly Guimont, Andrew Orr, and John Martellaro chat about Amazon eventually failing and if Silicon Valley has a soul to lose.
Apple Maps Conducting Pedestrain Level Surveys
Apple Maps is collecting pedestrian level data in California. On Friday, a man wearing a Lidar rig, GPS and multiple cameras as well as an Apple Maps backpack, was spotted in San Francisco, according to MacRumors. On its website, Apple said [via AppleInsider] that Pedestrian teams will be in a number of California counties. While cars conducting mapping are not such a rare site spotted in Los Angeles earlier in the week, but as MacRumors noted: “This is the first time we’ve seen someone collecting mapping data on foot.”
The New iPad Pro Bends
YouTuber JerryRigEverything has taken a rather brutal approach to Apple’s new iPad Pro. In a new video, he tested the 11-inch version’s durability and found that it «doesn’t have any of that structural integrity stuff.» He concluded: «A tablet the size of a piece paper folds like a piece of paper.» It is quite painful to watch the beautiful device just give way, but worth knowing where the weak the points are. (Spoiler alert: they’re right in the middle, by the microphone and Apple Pencil charging dock.)
Apple News puts Humans First
The Sydney Morning Herald has taken an in-depth look at how Apple News is developing. Australia is one of only three countries in which the service is available, the others being the US and UK. The piece outlines the radically different approach Apple has taken to news compared to other tech giants. Its focus is on using human journalists, not algorithms, to curate news, not algorithms, in a bid to improve accuracy. That approach was summed up in a quote from Apple News Editor-in-Chief Lauren Kern:
“Misinformation can come out so quickly and spread so rapidly and that’s something that we take pride in not allowing to happen” says Lauren Kern, the platform’s editor in chief, who is a former executive editor of New York magazine. “Our mantra is that it’s better to be accurate than first.”
SolarJuice 26,800mAh External Battery - with Solar Panels: $46.99
We have a deal on the SolarJuice 26,800mAh external battery from Zero Lemon. This large capacity battery has built-in solar panels, built-in emergency lights, and three charging ports. It also has a microUSB port for charging the SolarJuice directly. It’s $46.99 through our deal.
Hidden Setting: Enable Three Finger Drag to Move Windows with Ease
Today’s Quick Tip comes from Forum user Alphaman, who teaches us that the best trackpad gesture in macOS is hidden inside the Accessibility prefpane. Check out how to use this to enable three-finger dragging and never click-and-drag again!
Tips and Tricks for Civilization VI
Jen Karner has some great tips and tricks for Civilization VI. Although her article specifically mentions the Nintendo Switch, these tips work for any platform.
I’ve been playing Civilization VI since it launched on PC in 2016, and with more than 700 hours logged I’ve got strong feelings on just about every kind of start, civilization and play style. During that time I’ve beaten the game a handful of times with Culture and Science victories and have restarted the game more times than I want to count — seriously.
The best tip on there is to play to your civilization’s strengths. Each civilization gives you a unique bonus, and you should take advantage of that.
The Kilogram Could Soon be Redefined. But You Won't Notice
I’ve always been a keen observer of weights and measures, so this interested me. Digital Trends writes: «On Friday, November 16, a 129-year-old tradition will likely come to an end. Nearly all the world’s weighted measurements have relied on a single standard since 1889 — the International Prototype Kilogram (IPK), a block of metal made of platinum and iridium locked in a subterranean vault in Paris.
«Rather than defined by a block of metal, weights will be expressed in terms of the Planck constant (h). The stated goal is to shift the standard toward a more reliable form, one that won’t be damaged or corrupted by environmental factors that cause it to slightly and inexplicably lose weight.»
Behaviourism - the Science That Makes Apps so Addictive
Behaviourism, the psychology theory that the behaviour of human beings is best understood as responding incentives and rewards, has been around since the 1930s. It was overtaken in scholarly thought in the 1950s, but it’s a big deal in Silicon Valley today. Behaviourism helps us understand why games are so addictive. Why Apple is obsessed with making the unboxing experience as pleasurable as possible. A fascinating feature in 1843 Magazine gives an in-depth explanation of how it all works and who the scientists are that make it all happen.
The more immediate and intense a rush of emotion a person feels the first time they use something, the more likely they are to make it an automatic choice. It’s why airlines bring you a glass of champagne the moment you sink into a business-class seat, and why Apple takes enormous care to ensure that a customer’s first encounter with a new phone feels magical.
