Glaciers Shrink by 2% in a Decade
According to researchers from the University of Edinburgh, the world’s glaciers shrunk by 2% from 2010 to 2020 due to high air temperatures. The team analyzed data from the ESA satellite CryoSat-2 and found that around 2,720 gigatonnes of ice was lost in just 10 years. The researchers equated the amount of melted ice to be enough to fill a cube towering over Mont Blanc. The new findings were published after a misuse of data from a different satellite that measured sea ice and polar ice sheets.
Robotic Hand Can Work Without Visual Input
Scientists from Columbia Engineering University in New York developed a robotic hand that can perform tasks without visual input such as cameras, even in the dark. The team used tactile sensors in the top finger joints and reinforcement learning techniques to make it possible. The robotic hand was developed as a proof-of-concept that skilled robotic hands can be used in logistics, transportation, and product manufacture. The device boasts real dexterity and can be controlled through machine learning techniques.
Debian 12 Release Date Announced
Developers of the open-source Linux distribution Debian announced that version 12.0, called “Bookworm”, will be released on June 10. Debian 12.0 is expected to be released mid-2023 as the distribution follows a two-year cycle, and predecessor Bullseye was released in August 2021. Debian users are encouraged to test the upgrade from Bullseye to Bookworm to report any bugs or errors encountered during the process.
Layoffs at Clubhouse
Audio-based talk app Clubhouse founders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, announced in an email to staff that more than 50% of jobs will be cut at the company. The number of people affected is unclear. The two managers explained that the growing, geographically distributed team has become too large to communicate and implement changes effectively. The aim is to reduce the company to a small, product-oriented team with no direct cost pressure.
