Thursday, November 25, 2021

NUKE NEWS

Puerto Rico study and advanced reactors receive US funding

24 November 2021


The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded funding to the Nuclear Alternative Project (NAP) to study the potential siting of small reactors in Puerto Rico. Funding also goes to address hurdles to the use of small reactors in commercial shipping and to support the development of advanced reactor designs.

Angel Reyes, Ramon Martinez, Jesus Nunez and Valerie Lugo of the Nuclear Alternative Project (Image: NAP)

A total of USD8.5 million was awarded on 18 November to five industry-led projects through the through the Office of Nuclear Energy's US Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development funding opportunity. This funding is intended to "help commercialise promising advanced nuclear technologies," said the DOE.

"Advanced reactors will completely change the way we engineer, build, and operate nuclear reactors," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Katy Huff. "These awards support technical and regulatory strides necessary for commercialising new carbon-free nuclear technologies poised to help our nation reach net-zero emissions by 2050."

The headline award of USD1.6 million was for a "phase 2 site suitability study" regarding small reactors and microreactors in Puerto Rico. The money will go to NAP, which has identified two potential sites on the island, based on Nuclear Regulatory Commission criteria. A previous study by NAP has found small reactors and microreactors would be feasible to complement Puerto Rico's increasingly solar-dominated grid, while increasing resilience and lowering power prices for its manufacturing economy.

NAP said the news was "exciting" for the company, noting that the work will be undertaken by Puerto Rican nuclear experts. DOE said the results would help it to commercialise the technologies for island and remote locations in general.

Another award worth USD800,00 was made to the American Bureau of Shipping to "address hurdles in the maritime domain so that new reactor technology can be rapidly deployed for commercial applications."

Two awards were made to advanced reactor technology companies. The US subsidiary of Terrestrial Energy will receive USD3 million to develop an approach to handling uncertainty in the modelling of off-gas systems for molten salt reactors such as its IMSR. Terrestrial Energy CEO Simon Irish said: "These grant programmes support private companies as they work to deliver nuclear power technologies that can succeed in competitive global energy markets and deliver global net-zero goals. Technologies such as our IMSR Generation IV nuclear plants will produce reliable, cost-competitive heat and power without emissions, making them uniquely capable of competing with fossil fuels."

Lastly, General Atomics' Electromagnetic Systems subsidiary will receive USD 2.7 million from the DOE to deliver a physics-based model for its silicon carbide-based fuel for high-temperature reactors.

Holtec and Hyundai finalise SMR design and deployment agreement

24 November 2021


Holtec International has finalised an agreement with Hyundai Engineering & Construction of South Korea for the turnkey supply of Holtec's SMR-160 small modular reactor (SMR) plant worldwide. Holtec is considering deploying the first SMR-160 at Oyster Creek in New Jersey, where it is currently in the process of decommissioning a former boiling water reactor.

The signing ceremony (Image: Holtec)

Hyundai Engineering & Construction will perform the detailed design of the balance of plant and prepare the full plant construction specification for the SMR-160, which Holtec has been developing since 2010, US-based Holtec said on 22 November. The partnership also provides for project delivery rights for Hyundai, subject to certain provisions. "This agreement is global in scope with provisions to comply with the preference of the customer, effect the most competitive project cost, and in accord with Holtec's existing commitment with Kiewit for the North American market," the company said.

Holtec will serve as the overall architect engineer for the plant and provide the major nuclear components through its US manufacturing facilities and international supply chain, and will provide the instrumentation and control systems through its partnership with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Framatome is the selected fuel vendor for SMR-160.
 
The cooperation with Hyundai combines Holtec's expertise in design, engineering, manufacturing, and project delivery of nuclear components with Hyundai’s EPC and construction management capabilities for major projects, Holtec said. The framework of the agreement and worldwide collaboration will support standardisation of the SMR-160 design, it added.

"The partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction enhances our ability to deliver SMR-160 projects on schedule and at a competitive price," Holtec Senior Vice President of International Projects Rick Springman said.

The SMR-160 is a pressurised light-water reactor, generating 160 MWe (525 MWt) using low-enriched uranium fuel, with flexibility to produce process heat for industrial applications and hydrogen production. The design has completed the first phase of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's three-phase pre-licensing vendor design review, and is undergoing pre-licensing activities with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Holtec said it aims to secure a US construction licence in 2025, and is "actively exploring the possibility" of deploying an SMR-160 at Oyster Creek - which it acquired from Exelon in 2019 following the plant's closure the previous year - and at two other sites in the southern USA.


Contract for Romanian lead-cooled reactor research facility

23 November 2021


A consortium including Italy's Ansaldo Nucleare and Romania's Reinvent Energy has been awarded a contract worth about EUR20.0 million (USD22.5 million) for the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of a research facility for the development of lead-cooled reactors. The Advanced Thermo-Hydraulics Experiment for Nuclear Application (ATHENA) facility will be built at the RATEN-ICN research centre near Pitesti in southern Romania.

The RATEN-ICN facility facility in Mioveni, near Pitesti, Romania (Image: RATEN-ICN)

ATHENA will be a 2.21 MWt pool-type facility housing 880 tonnes of liquid lead in a main vessel, measuring 3 metres in diameter by 10 metres in height. It will accommodate scale components for testing and demonstration of lead fast reactor (LFR) technology.

The Ansaldo Nucleare and Reinvent Energy consortium will be supported by Italy's National Agency for New Technologies, Energy & the Environment (ENEA) and SRS Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo srl for the conceptual and executive design of the technological part. It will also be supported by Romania's Institute for Studies & Power Engineering and Somet for the design of civil works and installation activities, respectively.

The project - to be carried out over about two years - involves the construction of an electrical core-based simulator, a main pump and a heat exchanger similar to the arrangement of the Advanced Lead-cooled Fast Reactor European Demonstrator (ALFRED) system.

The facility will also be equipped with a water-cooling circuit to ensure representative conditions on the secondary side of the heat exchanger. The main scientific objectives of ATHENA concern the research and development needs (e.g. chemistry control, lead/water interaction), as well as stationary and transient testing of thermohydraulic phenomena occurring during normal operation and accidental conditions of an LFR reactor.

"The ATHENA project will bring to light the largest facility in Europe for research on LFR technology," said Ansaldo Nucleare CEO Luca Manuelli. "The experimental results produced will be key to supporting the development of ALFRED in Romania and in Europe. In line with our NewClear vision, the collaboration between research centres and key industrial players will bridge the gap for faster deployment of advanced nuclear technologies with small modular reactor characteristics, towards a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable role of nuclear in the European energy transition."

Catalin Ducu, general manager of RATEN-ICN, added: "ATHENA is the first step in a complex technological infrastructure through which the physics and engineering of the next generation of lead-cooled nuclear power plants will be better understood and validated. ATHENA is a first milestone in the ambitious ALFRED infrastructure project and represents a great opportunity for the South-Muntenia region for the development of highly-qualified Romanian professionals, as well as for the European research and development programme."

"The Romanian industry is deeply involved in this important project, so we are honoured to have this significant contribution," said Marius Gheorghiu, general manager of Reinvent Energy. "Together with our partners, we believe in a healthy green future, built with sustainability, quality and innovation."

A 300 MWt demonstration ALFRED unit is being built at ICN's facility in Mioveni, near Pitesti, where a fuel manufacturing plant is in operation for the country's two operating Candu reactors. ALFRED is seen as a prelude to an industrial demonstration unit of about 300-400 MWe. The lead-cooled reactor will employ mixed-oxide fuel and will operate at temperatures of around 550°C. It features passive safety systems. The total cost of the project is put at some EUR1.0 billion (USD1.1 billion).

The conceptual design of the ALFRED reactor and the integrated project were led by Ansaldo Nucleare under the seventh Euratom framework programme. ENEA performed the core design, technological development and safety analyses through numerical and experimental approaches.

The reactor is being developed through the European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII), which brings together industry and research partners in the development of so-called Generation IV Fast Neutron Reactor technology, as part of the EU's Strategic Energy Technology Plan. ESNII was set up under the umbrella of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform, formed in 2007 and bringing together more than 90 stakeholders involved in nuclear fission.

Components headed to Akkuyu

23 November 2021


Russian manufacturers are dispatching several components to Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, which is currently the largest nuclear construction site in the world with 13,000 people working on a daily basis on the site that will house four large reactors.

Akkuyu 2's reactor pressure vessel in transit (Image: OMZ Group)

The first reactor at Akkuyu began construction in April 2018 and is scheduled to start up in 2023. It has already had major components for its reactor and primary coolant circuit installed.

Last week, Rosatom's main manufacturing subsidiary Atomenergomash announced it had made most of the components for one of Akkuyu 1's passive safety systems, the so-called SPZAZ tanks. These large metal tanks are installed above the reactor and steam generators. If the pressure in the reactor coolant system drops below a certain level, a solution of boric acid held in the SPZAZ tanks would flow automatically into the reactor core. Boric acid cuts reactivity and therefore heat generation in the reactor core by absorbing neutrons. The tanks are made to hold 120 cubic metres of boric acid solution each.

Atomenergomash said it has made seven of the eight SPZAZ tanks for Akkuyu 1, and the final one will be complete in time for shipment in December.

Akkuyu 2 is about one year behind unit 1 and should soon receive its reactor pressure vessel and main circulation pump. Its steam generators were shipped in August.

The reactor pressure vessel is thought of as the heart of the power system, housing the fuel assemblies and reactor internals, as well as being the central part of the water coolant and steam production system. The vessel for Akkuyu 2 has now begun its journey to the site, according to its manufacturer OMZ Group, which undertook the work for Atomenergomash at its Izhora plant.

OMZ said the cylindrical vessel is 12 metres long and 4.5 metres wide and made of steel some 20 centimetres thick. It weighs 334 tonnes. It was dispatched from Izhora on a barge to Saint Petersburg where it will be loaded on a ship for transport to Akkuyu, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

Meanwhile, at Atomenergomash's Petrozavodsk plant, the main circulation pump for Akkuyu 2 was assembled and checked. This component ensures the circulation of coolant through the reactor vessel and steam generators and therefore has an important safety role. Built to operate at temperatures of 300°C and withstand pressures of 16 MPa, the roughly spherical pump is 3.5 metres in diameter and weighs 48 tonnes when fully assembled. It will be given protective coatings and painted before shipment.

Manufacturing of Akkuyu 3's reactor pressure vessel continues at Atomenergomash's Volgodonsk plant.

Akkuyu is being built by Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom. The company's internal magazine, Strana Rosatom, said it is the world's largest nuclear construction site, with 13,000 people working on a daily basis towards four large reactors. Units 1, 2 and 3 are officially under construction, while unit 4 is at a preparatory stage and received authorisation to pour first concrete in October

NRC 'indicates acceptance' of Kairos safety evaluation

23 November 2021


The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a draft safety evaluation report indicating its initial acceptance of Kairos Power's source term methodology for its Kairos Power fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (KP-FHR). The topical report, which Kairos submitted to the regulator in June 2020, is the first of its kind to be reviewed by the NRC.

How the KP-FHR plant could look (Image: Kairos Power)

The report, which outlines the company's approach to calculating the amount of radioactive material that could be released to the environment during an accident, was developed through a cost-shared award from the US Department of Energy (DOE). If approved, a final safety evaluation report could be issued by February 2022 and could be used throughout the licensing process, reducing risks associated with the licensing and deployment of the reactor.

The KP-HFR uses TRISO - TRI-structural ISOtropic - fuel, first developed by DOE in the 1960s. Research by Idaho National Laboratory has indicated that the source term for TRISO-based fuel is significantly less than for traditional fuels, DOE said, adding that this "further reinforces the enhanced safety and operation of Kairos's reactor design as it continues with the pre-licensing phase of the NRC process".

"This accomplishment strengthens our team's extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC and builds licensing certainty for our advanced reactor technology," Kairos Power CEO Mike Laufer said. "In combination with our iterative hardware demonstrations, our licensing engagement contributes to the cost certainty that will be necessary for commercial demonstration and deployment."

Kairos on 29 September filed the first portion of an application for a construction permit to build the 35 MWe Hermes molten salt test reactor at a site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This has now been made available for public comment by the NRC.

Hinkley Point C cleaner than renewables, study shows

22 November 2021


Carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity generated by the UK's newest nuclear power plants will be even lower than wind and solar power, a new analysis has confirmed. A detailed and independently verified study into lifetime emissions from Hinkley Point C (HPC) was carried out for EDF by environmental specialists Ricardo Energy & Environment and verified by engineering consultants WSP.

How the completed Hinkley Point C plant should appear (Image: EDF Energy)

EDF said it commissioned the report "to communicate the potential life cycle environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation, and decommission of the future HPC nuclear power plant, in terms of electricity output generated and then delivered to a downstream user." The study, it said, "follows internationally agreed standards and is thought to be one of the most detailed ever undertaken for a nuclear power station."

The company said it wanted to prepare a lifecycle carbon assessment (LCA) for HPC over its life, "aligned as closely as possible to the relevant product category rules (PCR), and to communicate these results publicly." PCRs set out the category-specific requirements for conducting LCAs and reporting results in environmental product declarations to internationally recognised standards.

EDF commissioned Ricardo to undertake an LCA in accordance with PCR 2007:08 Electricity, steam and hot/cold water generation and distribution - also known as the Electricity PCR - as much as possible, using the best available data from sources such as the Development Consent Order submission and data recorded during construction so far. This work assesses HPC's impacts across its life cycle, considering: the activities 'upstream' of generation, such as the procurement of raw materials and fuel fabrication; the 'core' activities associated with constructing, operating and decommissioning HPC; and the 'downstream' activities associated with distributing electricity to customers.

The study - titled Life Cycle Carbon and Environmental Impact Analysis of Electricity from Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant Development - shows the global warming potential associated with generating 1kWh of net electricity at HPC as 5.49 grams of CO2 equivalent, whilst that associated with a downstream user receiving 1kWh of electricity generated by HPC has been calculated as 10.91g CO2 equivalent once the impacts of the transmission and distribution networks are taken into account.

By comparison, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's median estimate for offshore wind is around 12g CO2 equivalent per kWh and 48g CO2 equivalent per kWh for large-scale solar energy. All are drastically lower than coal at 820g CO2 equivalent per kWh and gas at 490g CO2 equivalent per kWh.

Hinkley Point C, construction of which began in December 2018, is composed of two EPR reactors of 1630 MWe each and Sizewell C is proposed to be an exact copy from the ground up, EDF Energy has said. Sizewell C has planning permission and awaits a final approval from the UK government.

"This detailed study confirms the low-carbon credentials of new nuclear at Hinkley Point and Sizewell," said Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director for Sizewell C. "By replacing fossil fuel power with low-carbon electricity which doesn't depend on the weather, Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will support the expansion of renewables in the UK and make a big contribution to lowering emissions to net-zero."

UN report supports findings


The findings of the EDF study are in line with those of a report published recently by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). That report confirms that nuclear technology as a whole has the lowest lifecycle carbon intensity of any electricity source, ranging from 5.1-6.4g CO2 per kWh.

The UNECE report also found nuclear has the lowest lifecycle land use, as well as the lowest lifecycle mineral and metal requirements of all the clean technologies.

"Here we have a detailed, scientific assessment confirming nuclear as a green and sustainable technology, that uses less carbon, less land, and less material than any other," said Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association. "If we are serious about cutting emissions and meeting net-zero targets, we must act on the science and build new nuclear alongside other low-carbon sources of energy."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Walmart pulls children's toy that swears and sings in Polish about doing cocaine

Pat Foran
CTV News Toronto
 Consumer Alert Videojournalist
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 

A Brampton grandmother who bought a toy cactus was shocked when it started swearing and singing about doing cocaine.

TORONTO -- An Ontario grandmother who bought an educational toy for her 15-month-old granddaughter was shocked when the dancing cactus started swearing and singing about doing cocaine.

"This toy uses swear words and talking about cocaine use," Ania Tanner told CTV News Toronto. "This is not what I ordered for my granddaughter."

The cactus was sold on Walmart’s website as an educational toy for about $26 and sings songs in English, Spanish and Polish.

But Tanner, who is Polish, said when she listened to the Polish lyrics, the cactus was singing about doing cocaine, drug abuse, suicide, depression and used profanities.

"It just so happens that I am Polish and when I started to listen to the songs and I heard the words," she said. "I was in shock. I thought what is this some kind of joke?"

The song is by Polish Rapper Cypis, who is reportedly unaware his song was used by the Chinese manufacturer of the children's toy.



"It's about taking five grams of cocaine and being alone … It's a very depressing song," Tanner said

This singing cactus toy was also sold in Europe through Amazon and in July 2021 other families also noticed and complained about the lyrics that many felt were inappropriate for a children’s toy.

The Polish artist said he planned to take legal action against the Chinese company for using his song without permission.

CTV News Toronto was unable to contact Cypis or the manufacturer for comment.

Tanner said she feels Walmart should not be selling the toy and wants a refund.

Walmart told CTV News Toronto they take this customer complaint concern seriously.

"These items are sold by a third-party seller on our marketplace website. We are removing the items while we look into this complaint further," a Walmart spokesperson told CTV News Toronto.

That was a relief for Tanner who said “I just don't want anybody before Christmas to think this is a great toy and go online and have the same thing happen, that happened to me."

Some families may already have the dancing cactus toy and if they don’t speak Polish, they wouldn’t know what it was saying.

Complaints with the toy go back almost five months so it’s not clear why the toy is still being sold.

Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition

Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition
Randy Prickett (left) pilots MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts while 
Senior Scientist Steven Haddock (right) documents the mammoth tusk before beginning 
the retrieval operation. Credit: Darrin Schultz, MBARI

The ocean's dark depths hold many secrets. For more than three decades, MBARI has been exploring the deep waters off the coast of central California. During an expedition aboard the R/V Western Flyer in 2019, ROV pilot Randy Prickett and scientist Steven Haddock made a peculiar observation.

While exploring a seamount located 300 kilometers (185 miles) offshore of California and 3,070 meters (10,000 feet) deep, the team spotted what looked like an elephant's tusk. Only able to collect a small piece at the time, MBARI returned in July 2021 to retrieve the complete specimen. Now, Haddock and researchers from the Paleogenomics Lab, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), and the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan (U-M) are examining the tusk.

The researchers have confirmed that the tusk—about one meter (just over three feet) in length—is from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi). The cold, high-pressure environment of the deep sea uniquely preserved the tusk, giving researchers the opportunity to study it in greater detail. Computed tomography (CT) scans will reveal the full three-dimensional internal structure of the tusk and more information about the animal's history, such as its age.

Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition
UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral researcher Katie Moon (left), MBARI Senior Scientist Steven 
Haddock (center), and University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher (right) examine
 the smaller tusk fragment in the ship’s lab. Credit: Darrin Schultz, MBARI

The team believes it could be the oldest well-preserved mammoth tusk recovered from this region of North America. Researchers hope to sequence the ancient DNA embedded in the specimen, which could provide valuable insight about how mammoths colonized North America.

"You start to 'expect the unexpected' when exploring the deep sea, but I'm still stunned that we came upon the ancient tusk of a mammoth," said Haddock. "We are grateful to have a multidisciplinary team analyzing this remarkable specimen, including a geochronologist, oceanographers, and paleogenomicists from UCSC; and paleontologists at the University of Michigan. Our work examining this exciting discovery is just beginning and we look forward to sharing more information in the future."

"This specimen's deep-sea preservational environment is different from almost anything we have seen elsewhere," said University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher, who specializes in the study of mammoths and mastodons. "Other mammoths have been retrieved from the ocean, but generally not from depths of more than a few tens of meters."

Researchers recover ancient mammoth tusk during deep-sea expedition
MBARI Senior Scientist Steven Haddock (left), UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral researcher 
Katie Moon (center), and University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher (right) prepare 
to clean the large tusk piece in the ship’s laboratory. Credit: Darrin Schultz, MBARI

Fisher and his U-M Museum of Paleontology colleagues will use their knowledge of the structure and composition of mammoth  to analyze CT scans of the specimen. The other members of the U-M team are Adam N. Rountrey, Michael D. Cherney, Ethan A. Shirley, and Scott G. Beld.

A team of researchers from UCSC's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences will examine when and how the tusk may have arrived deep offshore. Terrence Blackburn, who specializes in geochronology, will study the mineral crusts on the tusk to determine when it landed on the deep seafloor, while Christopher Edwards and Patrick Drake will examine the oceanographic currents to better pinpoint where the tusk originally came from. Katie Moon and Beth Shapiro from the Paleogenetics Lab and the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute at UCSC will extract and sequence DNA from the tusk to learn about its lineage and the evolution of mammoths in North America.

The ocean represents 99 percent of the space where life can exist on this planet and yet we still know very little about it. As interest in exploiting the  by mining for valuable metals has grown—with the potential to place many  in harm's way—this surprising discovery, hidden on the seafloor for eons, serves as a fragile reminder of the many remaining mysteries worthy of our protection.'Well-preserved' rare mammoth skull unearthed in Channel Islands puzzles scientistsProvided by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute 

SPECULATIVE CAPITALI$M

Einstein’s notes on theory of relativity fetch record €11.6m at auction

Manuscript handwritten by physicist and a colleague in 1913-14 fetched nearly four times estimate


A page of the Einstein-Besso manuscript is displayed at Christie's in Paris. Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images


Agence France-Presse in Paris
Tue 23 Nov 2021 

Albert Einstein’s handwritten notes on the theory of relativity fetched a record €11.6m (£9.7m) at an auction in Paris on Tuesday.

The manuscript had been valued at about a quarter of the final sum, which is by far the highest ever paid for anything written by the genius scientist.

It contains preparatory work for the physicist’s signature achievement, the theory of general relativity, which he published in 1915.

Calling the notes “without a doubt the most valuable Einstein manuscript ever to come to auction”, Christie’s – which handled the sale on behalf of the Aguttes auction house – had estimated prior to the auction that it would fetch between €2m and €3m.
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Previous records for Einstein’s works were $2.8m for the so-called “God letter” in 2018, and $1.56m in 2017 for a letter about the secret to happiness.

The 54-page document was handwritten in 1913 and 1914 in Zurich, Switzerland, by Einstein and his colleague and confidant Michele Besso, a Swiss engineer.

Christie’s said it was thanks to Besso that the manuscript was preserved for posterity. This was “almost like a miracle”, it said, since Einstein would have been unlikely to hold on to what he considered to be a simple working document.

Today the paper offered “a fascinating plunge into the mind of the 20th century’s greatest scientist”, Christie’s said. It discusses his theory of general relativity, building on his theory of special relativity from 1905 that was encapsulated in the equation E=mc2.

Einstein died in 1955 aged 76, lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time. His theories of relativity revolutionised his field by introducing new ways of looking at the movement of objects in space and time.

In 1913 Besso and Einstein “attacked one of the problems that had been troubling the scientific community for decades: the anomaly of the planet Mercury’s orbit”, Christie’s said.

This initial manuscript contains “a certain number of unnoticed errors”, it added. Once Einstein spotted them, he let the paper drop, and it was taken away by Besso.

“Scientific documents by Einstein in this period, and before 1919 generally, are extremely rare,” Christie’s said. “Being one of only two working manuscripts documenting the genesis of the theory of general relativity that we know about, it is an extraordinary witness to Einstein’s work.”

Einstein also made major contributions to quantum mechanics theory and won the Nobel physics prize in 1921. He became a pop culture icon thanks to his dry witticisms and trademark unruly hair, moustache and bushy eyebrows.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_capitalism

Late capitalism, or late-stage capitalism

  • The Failure of Speculative Capitalism

    https://www.catholiceducation.org/.../the-failure-of-speculative-capitalism.html

    The Failure of Speculative Capitalism. While the media blames good old-fashioned greed, the reasons are more complex, involving financial practices that constitute a "structure of sin." Since the global financial crisis began in September, stock markets around the world have careened hundreds of points up and down almost every day, sometimes 

  • The Crisis and Speculative Capitalism - MLToday

    https://mltoday.com/the-crisis-and-speculative-capitalism

    2008-03-15 · Contemporary speculative capitalism relies more on the tools of game theory, computational speed, statistical analysis, and, in far too many cases, inside or privileged information. It is one thing to acquire all the public information about market entities and weigh it in investment decisions, quite another to possess and use tools that guarantee an advantage in investment speculation.

    • Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins
    • The Crisis and Speculative Capitalism, Revisited - MLToday

      https://mltoday.com/the-crisis-and-speculative-capitalism-revisited

      2008-10-22 · Speculative capital, as we know it, developed at a particular time and place for reasons that reflect the evolution of the capitalist 



    • Montrealer spends decades buying entire island to donate it to Nature Conservancy of Canada

      Rachel Lau
      CTVNewsMontreal.ca 
      Digital Reporter
       Wednesday, November 24, 2021 

      Andrew Howick has donated Molson Island to the Nature Conservancy of Canada in the hopes of protecting it from development. (Nature Conservancy of Canada/Handout)


      MONTREAL -- Andrew Howick has been busy over the last few decades buying property on Molson Island in Lac Memphrémagog in the hopes of protecting it from development.

      Now, he's donating all 26 hectares -- about the same as 24 soccer fields -- to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

      "I was very anxious to make a gesture for conservation and for climate change and something that my children and grandchildren would be proud of," he said.


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      The Stanstead resident says he had the possibility of selling the land, but was worried about what the future owner might do.

      "I had some sleepless nights worrying about it," confessed the businessman, adding he's passionate about nature.

      Howick's donation is part of the Government of Canada's Ecological Gifts Program, which provides tax benefits to individuals and corporations who donate ecologically sensitive land for conservation.

      "Thanks to his generosity, Molson Island will remain protected from development and its biodiversity will continue to thrive," said Jensen Edwards, spokesperson for the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

      The forested island boasts a variety of habitats, from rocky areas to riparian zones and a forested bog with a bed of moss.

      “The Northern Green Mountains are one of the last remaining areas in southern Quebec where large tracts of wilderness are still relatively undisturbed," said Cynthia Patry, biologist and project manager for the Northern Green Mountains at the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Quebec.

      According to the NCC, these natural spaces are vital for the protection of threatened or vulnerable plants in Quebec and Canada.

      “Environments like Molson Island are becoming increasingly rare in Quebec," notes Environment Minister Benoit Charette. "I am pleased that Mr. Howick, a private landowner, sees the urgency of taking action to protect his island and is turning to NCC to help him in his efforts."


      Andrew Howick has donated Molson Island to the Nature Conservancy of Canada in the hopes of protecting it from development. (Nature Conservancy of Canada/Handout)

      HOW IT STARTED


      Howick says he and his family have admired Molson Island from their cottage since the 1980s.

      "When Howick and six of his neighbours learned in the early 1990s that the island was being eyed for development, they decided they had to do something about it," the Nature Conservancy of Canada notes. "They rolled up their sleeves to contact the descendants of the Molson family and bought all the shares of the island from them."

      Over time, Howick purchased the stocks from his neighbours and eventually became the sole owner.

      "I hope that this gesture might serve as inspiration for people to give," Howick said. "If they have time to give, to volunteer, if they have a few dollars, to donate, or if they have a property, whatever is within their means."


      WATCH Andrew Howick explains why he donated Molson Island to the NCC
      British lawmakers want to change rules that ban babies in Parliament
      CHAUVINIST SEXIST OLD BOYS CLUB

      November 24, 2021
      THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

      Labour member of Parliament Stella Creasy carries her son, Pip, during a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament, London, on Tuesday, in a screen grab from House of Commons TV.House of Commons/PA via AP


      LONDON — Several British politicians demanded a change in parliamentary rules on Wednesday after a lawmaker was told she couldn't bring her 3-month-old baby into the House of Commons.

      Labour Party legislator Stella Creasy said she had received a letter from Commons authorities after she took her son Pip to a debate.

      She said she had previously taken both Pip and her older daughter to Parliament without problems, but had been told the rules had changed in September. Members of Parliament are now advised that they "should not take your seat in the chamber when accompanied by your child."

      THE TWO-WAY
      Senator Becomes First To Breast-Feed On Floor Of Australia's Parliament

      Creasy said the rule undermined efforts to make politics more family-friendly.
      "There are barriers to getting mums involved in politics, and I think that damages our political debate," she told the BBC.

      Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, a Conservative, said he has "a lot of sympathy" for Creasy, but said the decision is for the House authorities to make.

      "I think we do need to make sure our profession is brought into the modern world, the 21st century, and can allow parents to juggle the jobs they do with the family time that they need." Raab said.
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      PARALLELS
      Japanese Lawmaker's Baby Gets Booted From The Floor

      Green Party lawmaker Caroline Lucas said the baby ban was "absurd." She said babies were "far less disruptive than many braying backbenchers."

      House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he had asked Parliament's procedure committee to review the rules, and noted that there were "differing views on this matter."

      "The advice given yesterday ... correctly reflects the current rules. However, rules have to be seen in context and they change with the times," he said.

      "It is extremely important that parents of babies and young children are able to participate fully in the work of this House."

      THAT WOULD BE THE DISCOVERY OF LIFE 
      Alien organisms could hitch a ride on our spacecraft and contaminate Earth, scientists warn

      The risk of invading alien organisms is low, but we're increasing the chances.

      A concept image of alien organisms above Mars.
       (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library via Getty Images)

      The growing demand for space exploration is increasing the chances of alien organisms invading Earth and of Earth-based organisms invading other planets, scientists have argued in a new paper.

      The researchers point to humanity's record of moving species to new environments on Earth, where those organisms can become invasive and harm the native species; they say such behavior suggests the same could happen with alien life from another planet contaminating Earth and vice versa, according to the paper, published Nov. 17 in the journal BioScience.

      "The search of life beyond our world is an exciting endeavour that could yield an enormous discovery in the not-too-distant future," lead author Anthony Ricciardi, a professor of invasion biology at McGill University in Montreal, told Live Science in an email. "However, in the face of increasing space missions (including those intended to return samples to Earth), it is crucial to reduce the risks of biological contamination in both directions."

      Ricciardi and his colleagues use the paper to call for more collaborative studies between astrobiologists searching for extraterrestrial life and invasion biologists studying invasive species on Earth. "We can only speculate on what kinds of organisms might be encountered if astrobiologists were to find life," Ricciardi said. "The most plausible life-forms would be microbial and probably resemble bacteria."

      The scientists consider the risk of interplanetary contamination to be extremely low, partly because the harsh conditions of outer space make it difficult for potential hitchhiking organisms to survive a ride on the outside of a human spacecraft. However, we should still be cautious of interplanetary contamination based on the negative impacts that invasive species have had on Earth, according to Ricciardi.

      Humans have damaged ecosystems around the world by allowing organisms to invade new environments they'd never reach naturally. For example, a fungus from South America called Austropuccinia psidii was introduced to Australia in unknown circumstances and is taking over the country's native eucalyptus trees, stunting their growth and sometimes killing them.

      The researchers noted that insular ecosystems that evolve in geographical isolation, such as on islands and in countries like Australia, are particularly vulnerable to invasive species, because the native wildlife in those places hasn't evolved adaptations to deal with such invaders. "Biological invasions have often been devastating for the plants and animals in these systems," Ricciardi said. "We argue that planets and moons potentially containing life should be treated as if they were insular systems."

      For evidence of interplanetary contamination, the researchers cited the Israeli Beresheet spacecraft that crashed into the moon in 2019 while carrying thousands of tardigrades, microscopic animals that can survive extreme conditions, including the vacuum of space, Live Science previously reported. A 2021 study published in the journal Astrobiology concluded that the creatures probably wouldn't have survived the impact of the lunar crash but that the incident demonstrates the potential for biological spills.

      Space agencies such as NASA have long been aware of the potential risks of biological contamination, and planetary protection policies have been in place since the 1960s, according to Ricciardi. "However, unprecedented risks are posed by a new era of space exploration aimed at targeting areas most likely to contain life," Ricciardi said. This includes the rise in private space exploration companies such as SpaceX that are making space more accessible, according to the paper. SpaceX, for example, aims to travel to Mars and beyond with its SpaceX Starship program.

      The researchers suggest increasing biosecurity protocols associated with space travel, focusing on the early detection of potential biological contaminants and developing plans for a rapid response to any such detections.

      Planets and moons have always exchanged material via meteorites, but human space exploration could accelerate contamination, said Jennifer Wadsworth, an astrobiologist at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Switzerland who was not involved in the paper.

      The new paper is an "excellent overview" of the current and continuous need for strict and up-to-date planetary protection rules, Wadsworth said. One major issue is that current planetary protection guidelines are not mandatory, Wadsworth told Live Science.

      "The line between exploration and conservation is a thin one," Wadsworth said. "One shouldn't be abandoned at the cost of the other, but both require careful consideration and, most importantly, compliance."

      By Patrick Pester 
      Originally published on Live Science.


      1. https://www.panspermia-theory.com

        Panspermia is a Greek word that translates literally as "seeds everywhere". The panspermia hypothesis states that the "seeds" of life exist all over the Universe and can be propagated through space from one location to another. Some believe that life on Earth may have originated through these "seeds".


      Malawi asks Mike Tyson to back budding cannabis sector


      © Patrick T. FALLON


      Malawi has approached American heavyweight boxing great Mike Tyson to become brand ambassador for the southern African country's nascent medicinal cannabis industry in a bid to attract investment.

      The request was contained in a letter written to Tyson early this month and seen by AFP this week.

      Tyson is expected to bring expertise and help start mass production as a member of a national cannabis industry association in the United States but is yet to respond to the proposition

      Malawi decriminalised cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes in 2020, following other African nations in seeking to profit from growing industrial demand for the hemp.

      But the industry is struggling to grow, stalled by expensive licences and a lack of investors and buyers.

      The government hopes Tyson's backing would "rope in some investors and even potential buyers," said agriculture ministry spokesman Gracian Lungu.

      "We have been facing a lot of challenges and the progress has been very slow," Lungu told AFP on Wednesday.

      The retired professional boxer has long advocated the legalisation of cannabis and launched his own brand of weed products last month.

      But his potential appointment has raised controversy, with a Malawian think-tank accusing the government of seeking to collaborate with a "sex offender".

      Tyson, 55, was found guilty in 1992 of raping an 18-year-old woman.

      He was sentenced to six years' prison and four years' probation. He was released in 1995.

      In a statement, the Centre for Public Accountability said it failed to "comprehend why Malawi would want to have a convicted rapist as its brand ambassador" amid government efforts to curb violence against women.

      Lungu dismissed their concern, saying that Tyson was released on parole for good behaviour and had not committed any other crimes.

      str-sch/sn/imm/ri
      Mother knows best: How bat moms help pups navigate the world


      A bat and her pup flying in a cave north of Tel Aviv (AFP/Sasha Danilovich)

      Issam AHMED
      Wed, November 24, 2021,

      Mothers: they bring you into this world, shower you with care, and help you build up a mind map of local foraging sites while you're still a flightless pup latched to their nipples.

      A new study published in Current Biology on Wednesday by Israeli researchers sheds light on how mammal parents help their young learn critical life skills -- in this case Egyptian fruit bats, as they soar through the night evading predators and finding figs.

      "How animals, humans included, acquire their behavioral skills is a fundamental question," Yossi Yovel, a scientist at the University of Tel Aviv and one the paper's three authors told AFP.

      "We know that animals do amazing things. Bats for instance navigate dozens of kilometers every night to forage, and we have always wondered how they learn to do so."

      Many bat species carry their young in flight, but there is an energy cost in transporting a pup that can be up to 40 percent of the mother's own weight, and the benefits for the offspring were unclear. It was hypothesized -- but never proven -- this may be to facilitate learning in the young.

      - GPS trackers -


      To find out for sure, Yovel and his colleagues placed miniaturized GPS trackers on dozens of mother-pup pairs, as the offspring passed from dependence to independence.

      Co-author Aya Goldshtein, said they were able to document a set of distinct patterns.

      "At the beginning, the mother and pup are constantly attached, they fly together and the mother carries the pup during the entire night," she explained -- weeks one to three of the young mammal's life.

      Next comes the "drop-off" phase when mothers carry their pups and park them on a tree a few kilometers (miles) from their colony.

      At this stage, three to 10 weeks in, the mothers continuously return from foraging to check on their young, feeding them and helping warm them.

      After that, at eight to 10 weeks, the pups start flying alone to the same drop-off sites during the night and returning to their roost before dawn -- though their mothers' work is not quite done, and they continue to check in.

      "Imagine you have a teenager at home -- he's already kind of independent, but you also want to monitor he's not doing something stupid like not coming back to the house at the end of the night," said Goldshtein. Or, when pups fail to fly out alone, their mums carry them again.

      Finally, at 10 weeks and beyond, the pups use the drop-off sites as starting points for independent exploration of new fruit trees.

      In essence, the sites serve as navigational aids that help the young set out and return home.

      As a control, the team raised some pups without their mothers, and found they often could not find their way back to their cave before sunrise.

      In addition, the sites help mothers find wayward young.

      "These trees are a bit like meeting points for lost-children in amusement parks," said Yovel.

      The drop-off sites also serve as secondary roosts, and having many of them helps reduce the pups' exposure to predators such as owls.

      - The 't' word -

      "One of the craziest parts of the paper was the pup actually learns when he's attached upside down," said co-author Lee Harten. She added it's possible that "his eyes are open and he's actually gathering information while being passively transferred."

      That in turn suggests the pups' brains invert the visual input into an upright image.


      Harten said she was pleased to contribute to the scientific gap about how animals help their young learn -- particularly among bats, who comprise a fifth of all mammals on Earth but remain understudied.


      While the team showed the bat mothers change what they do when they have children, invest energy in specific behavior, and their offspring learn as a result of that behavior, they are hesitant to use the word "teaching" in the study, which is seen as an anthropomorphism by the scientific community.

      "In order to prove teaching -- you must show intention and this is very difficult with animals (you cannot simply ask them)," said Yovel.

      "I would call this teaching, but to be careful, we say that they place the pups in a position that allows them to learn."

      ia/ec
      WORKERS WALK OUT FOR BETTER CONDITIONS AND PAY
      A Colorado liquor-store owner says workers are quitting after one shift if they don't like it because they know they can get a new job on their lunch break


      Mary Hanbury
      Wed, November 24, 2021, 

      A help wanted sign on July 20.Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM/Getty Images


      The owner of a liquor store in Fort Collins, Colorado, said he was struggling to retain workers.


      It's so easy to find work that some people are leaving after one shift to go elsewhere, he said.


      For the first time in years, retail workers have more bargaining power in the labor market.

      The owner of a liquor store in Fort Collins, Colorado, said the labor market in the US was so competitive that retaining workers was almost an impossible task.

      In an interview with the local news site the Coloradoan, Wilbur's Total Beverage owner Mat Dinsmore said people were skipping interviews or quitting after one shift if they decided they didn't like the job. They can simply walk up Main Street and find a new job on their lunch break, he said.

      "We have hired and hired, and the rate of attrition is exponentially what it's ever been," he told the Coloradoan.

      "We never had problems attracting and retaining people. With the 'Great Resignation,' a lot of people were saying they didn't want to go back to customer-facing jobs," he said, citing the risks of getting COVID-19.

      Wilbur's is among the retail businesses in the US that are struggling to find workers who have been put off by low pay, a lack of benefits, and pandemic health concerns, among other things.

      Some are raising wages or offering perks such as free college tuition to attract workers. Others are being forced to close because they can't find enough staff.

      For the first time in years, workers have more bargaining power and the opportunity to pick and choose the best-paying or most stable jobs.

      Experts say it isn't only higher wages enticing workers to enter different fields. Other aspects, such as flexibility in working schedules, have also played a part.

      "People are leaving because they're not feeling valued; they're not feeling as though when they bring something to a manager that they are being listened to, especially if it's a challenge," Adam Crowe, a business-development manager at Larimer County Workforce Center, which helps businesses find workers, told the Coloradoan.

      "It's hard to say they need to be more empathetic because that feels like a slap in the face," he added.

      "Over time, businesses will learn that lesson. Empathy has strong ties to production," he said. "If you take the time to really understand the needs, values, skills, and attributes of individual employees, they'll know how to support them in the very best way."