Short Takes – 1-16-24

Iceland volcano could erupt again 'without warning' as magma still moving beneath Grindavík. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “The eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula are part of a 1,000-year volcanic cycle that could last for centuries. In 2021, the Fagradalsfjall, another volcano on the peninsula, erupted after around 800 years of inactivity. Geological records suggest the region experiences periods of quiet that last between 600 and 1,000 years, followed by pulses of volcanic eruptions that last for 200 to 500 years.”

Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-3 launch for Axiom Space. Space.com article. Pull quote: “Axiom Space is constructing its own habitation module to berth to the ISS, which it plans to build out and eventually detach to become its own private space station. Throughout development, crews from each of the company's commercially-funded missions to the ISS work, in part, toward helping Axiom reach that goal.”

EV drivers struggle to keep batteries charged amid winter freeze. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “A 2019 study of five EVs by AAA found that cold temperatures can temporarily reduce EV range by more than 40% when drivers use interior heaters, according to the Associated Press. Specifically, the AAA study found that EV ranges fell by 41% when the cars’ heaters were used in 20-degree weather, but only 12% when the interior heater was off.”

New analysis raises doubts over autonomous lab’s materials ‘discoveries’. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “Having attempted to repeat the original analysis carried out by A-Lab, Palgrave and Schoop now report finding ‘systematic errors all the way through’ which, Palgrave says, could be put down to issues with both the computational and experimental work.”