Information Technology

Chinese Rocket satellite A Chinese Long March 4C rocket body broke apart in orbit on Tuesday, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The agency reported that the debris was expected to burn up in the atmosphere before reaching Earth’s surface. The Long March 4C carried two satellites into orbit, one of which was set to be China’s first astronomical space probe. The other satellite was a communications satellite that would help China create its own navigation system, which will be needed to make sure autonomous cars can work without relying on other countries’ technology or GPS systems, Xinhua said. What Happened? On Tuesday, September 15, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a Long March-2F rocket carrying an experimental satellite into orbit. Shortly after launch, the rocket's second stage broke up in orbit and scattered debris over an area of 1,000 square miles (2,600 sq km). The satellite is still intact and is being monitored by CNSA. This is the first time tha...

Farmers have long known that different crops have different weed problems. For example, legumes are particularly good at preventing parasitic weeds from growing nearby, but they also bring their own challenges in the form of herbicide resistance and diseases like soybean rust.  What isn’t as well-known is how using multiple crops on the same farm can help you get rid of your weed problems altogether! A recent study published in PLoS ONE has found that farms with high crop diversity had 60% less parasitic weed abundance than farms with low crop diversity. Crop diversity can reduce weed pressure A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers a potential explanation for why crop diversity can reduce weed pressure. It turns out that when farmers grow two or more crops, they are able to avoid most parasites that are specialized on one type of plant. This is because a host plant and its parasite depend on each other for survival, so only host plants w...

How common are dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever?  Sindh province in Pakistan reported more than 20,200 cases of dengue fever from January 1 to September 30, 2017, according to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR). This number far surpasses the province’s total dengue cases reported in 2016, which was 5,787. In 2015, Sindh province reported 10,872 cases of dengue fever compared to 8,893 in 2014. Dengue is a virus that is spread by mosquitoes Dengue fever is a viral infection that can be spread by mosquitoes. The symptoms of the virus include high fever and joint pain. The virus can develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever in some patients which is characterized by bleeding, low blood pressure and vomiting. Dengue is not usually fatal but it may result in death if not treated promptly. It can lead to hospitalization, severe illness and even death among children. People who are more vulnerable are those with pre-existing medical conditions like asthma or o...

Edison Research predicted that Republicans had won at least 210 House seats, eight fewer than the 218 needed to take the House from Democrats and effectively halt President Joe Biden's legislative agenda. According to a Reuters analysis of the leading nonpartisan forecasters, 33 House races had not yet been decided, including 21 of the 53 races that were considered to be the most competitive.  This likely means that the outcome will not be known for some time. Republicans continue to hold the advantage. The Senate's future was much less certain. In Nevada and Arizona, where officials are methodically counting thousands of uncounted ballots, either party could win sweeping races that are too close to call. In the event of a split, Georgia's Senate majority would be decided in a runoff election for the second time in two years. Both Republican challenger Herschel Walker and Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock failed to reach 50% on Tuesday, putting them in a one-on-one battl...

                       If you’re wondering where the best place to see the world’s sight of the total lunar eclipse is, the short answer is that it doesn’t matter too much.                          The Moon will be visible from anywhere in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of West Asia and East Asia on November 8th-9th during the hours of darkness (for those in North America). This celestial event will also be streamed online for viewers who can’t make it out to see it live—click here to watch it with Slooh. When is the next total lunar eclipse?                          In order to get your questions answered about the world's latest news on the total lunar eclipse, you might want to click here. This is a video that is a thirty-five minute countdown. It starts at zero and counts up f...

NASA has used the space station’s dust sensor to map 8 methane ‘super-emitters’ on Earth that may be responsible for the largest part of the global methane budget and its increase over recent years, reported a study published in Nature Sustainability . Until now, methane emissions have been poorly quantified on regional scales. Methane is about 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, so reducing its emission could have significant global warming impacts. 1) Satellites capture plumes of pollution in cities around world Satellites are a way to get an aerial view of Earth. This past summer, NASA launched the International Space Station Dust Sensor (ISS-DS) to measure trace gases in the upper atmosphere. The ISS-DS identified 50 super emitters - patches of Earth with high levels of atmospheric methane. 2) This explains how satellite data can help scientists find sources of pollution NASA scientists have developed a technique to use satellite data in order to uncover t...

  In an unusually strongly worded statement, the US State Department said it would not allow disinformation to come in the way of its bilateral relationship with Pakistan, which is going through a rough patch currently. The statement came after US President Donald Trump criticized Pakistan on Monday, saying the country had given the United States nothing but lies and deceit and safe haven to terrorists. Trump's comments were provoked by the Pakistan government releasing on Friday jailed Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav in an apparent attempt to de-escalate simmering tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. United States We have deep and longstanding relationships with many Pakistani partners-businesses, civil society organizations, government officials, and others, the statement said. Our goal is to build and strengthen these relationships to create economic opportunity for more Pakistani citizens. Strong bilateral relations Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan have been tense sinc...

Summary: Imran Khan’s supporters have been barred from staying in Islamabad hotels due to security concerns, local media reported citing the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson will lead his ‘Azadi March’ towards the federal capital on November 2, calling on the government to resign and give people their rights. The party fears that if the government blocks all roads leading to Islamabad, the participants of Khan’s march won’t be able to stay overnight in the city. Where can we stay? This is a real problem for the people who are coming to participate in the march. Imran Khan is planning on holding this march from 14th-16th of October, and there has been no word yet about where all of these participants will be staying for the duration of this event. If you want to plan your trip now and make sure that you have a place to stay, you might want to start looking at hotels outside of Islamabad. Hotel Options in Rawalpindi As the march particip...

DUBAI, Oct. 22 (Reuters) - After a Sunni cleric claimed that officials, including the supreme leader, were to blame for dozens of deaths in the city of Zahedan last month, Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused him of agitating against the Islamic Republic and warned that it could cost him a lot. On the official news site of the Reva During his sermon on Friday, Zahedan's most prominent Sunni cleric, Molavi Abdolhamid, stated that officials responsible for the Sept. 30 murders included Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, head of the Shi'ite-dominated state. lutionary Guards, Sepah News, a brief statement read: Mr. Abdolhamid, your efforts to persuade young people to oppose the cherished Islamic Republic of Iran could cost you a lot of money. The final warning is here!" Even though the protests do not appear to be getting any closer to overthrowing the government, unrest has spread across the entire country, including areas where ethnic minorities have long-standing com...