Geek News

Science Science of the Union. Energy, healthcare, and space all got shoutouts, but a few key topics didn't make it into this year's speech. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Gp1xwy"

Mozilla is concerned about Facebook's lack of transparency regarding political advertising, Chief Operating Officer Denelle Dixon said last week in a letter to the European Commission. Mozilla is currently working to launch its Firefox Election package for the European Union Parliament Elections and says it is not able to provide EU residents with the desired transparency, mainly due to challenges encountered with their Ad Analysis for Facebook add-on.  The add-on, Dixon explains, analyzes a user's Facebook feed to identify ads and how the user is being targeted, and informs the user on that. The data is also compared to information from public sources, to show differences in ads served to specific users. "These two pieces of functionality are critical to bringing greater transparency to political advertising and to advertising in general. However, recent c...

Mozilla is concerned about Facebook’s lack of transparency regarding political advertising, Chief Operating Officer Denelle Dixon said last week in a letter to the European Commission. Mozilla is currently working to launch its Firefox Election package for the European Union Parliament Elections and says it is not able to provide EU residents with the desired transparency, mainly due to challenges encountered with their Ad Analysis for Facebook add-on.  The add-on, Dixon explains, analyzes a user’s Facebook feed to identify ads and how the user is being targeted, and informs the user on that. The data is also compared to information from public sources, to show differences in ads served to specific users. “These two pieces of functionality are critical to bringing greater transparency to political advertising and to advertising in general. However, recent changes to the Facebook platform have prevented third parties from conducting analysis of the ads users are seeing. Th...

Technology The new batch continues the trend of inclusivity. Did you yawn, too? via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2MQKO6p"

Technology Shining a UV light on the gliding mammals reveals something beautiful. Flying squirrels are adorable little mammals that weigh less than half a pound—and have fluorescent bellies. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2GowXmB"

Health It should be no surprise that dense population centers with low vaccination rates would get outbreaks. Of the 14 counties that researchers predicted last June would have measles outbreaks, three have gone on to have them. More cities could be at risk in the near future as… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2DfLptN"

Health Here's what you should know. The report points to a broader issue about heavy metal contamination in foods and what levels are safe to ingest. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2SdINao"

Technology What’s good for art may also be good for you. Are museums good for wintertime dryness? I decided to investigate and found out exactly what our skin and respiratory system need to thrive. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2HW1EC1"

Health How medicine is made: the nitty-gritty of drug research and development. You might have read something last week about how we’ll have a cure for cancer within the year. You read wrong, but it’s not your fault. The Jerusalem Post published an… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Se6ZcL"

Gadgets Useful gear found outside of the dealership. Not all products used for motorcycling are available at the local dealership. This list highlights some useful products not designed for riding. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Gpiyqe"

Environment Developers buried our streams. It's about time we exhume them. Most streets are either too bright or too dark. If we have the technology, why are we still over-lighting our streets? via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Tx8mjb"

Perijove 16: Passing Jupiter Watch Juno zoom past Jupiter again . NASA 's robotic spacecraft Juno is continuing on its 53-day, highly- elongated orbits around our Solar System's largest planet. The featured video is from perijove 16, the sixteenth time that Juno has passed near Jupiter since it arrived in mid-2016. Each perijove passes near a slightly different part of Jupiter's cloud tops. This color-enhanced video has been digitally composed from 21 JunoCam still images, resulting in a 125-fold time-lapse. The video begins with Jupiter r ising as Juno approaches from the north. As Juno reaches its closest view -- from about 3,500 kilometers over Jupiter's cloud tops -- the spacecraft captures the great planet in tremendous detail. Juno passes light zones and dark belt of clouds that circle the planet, as well as numerous swirling circular storms, many of wh...

Technology Shake off that chicken wing hangover with a news dump. This week in tech was more exciting than the Super Bowl. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2HQEL2N"

Animals The beautiful creatures are dying at an alarming rate. More than 20 species of sea stars—including the sunflower star, a keystone predator with a wide range—have been ravaged by a poorly-understood ailment known as sea star… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2DTVTkc"

Science With the occasional assist from beet juice and molasses. These salt solutions decrease the freezing temperature of water to around 15 F. So, unfortunately for folks facing truly frigid temps, treating with salt won’t get rid… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2t30OZU"

Health Rubella isn’t as dangerous as measles, but it can cause real harm. Rubella is like measles’ little cousin: it causes the same kind of red rash, but isn’t as harmful, debilitating, or contagious. You might wonder, then, why you should be… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2HSq9QC"