Short Takes – 6-7-24

FCC proposes reporting requirements targeted to improving internet routing security. Docs.FCC.gov press release. Pull quote: “BGP’s initial decades-old design, which remains widely deployed today, does not include intrinsic security features to ensure trust in the information that is relied upon to exchange traffic among independently managed networks on the internet. BGP national security experts have raised concerns that a bad network actor may deliberately falsify BGP reachability information to redirect traffic. These “BGP hijacks” can expose Americans’ personal information; enable theft, extortion, and state-level espionage; and disrupt services upon which the public or critical infrastructure sectors rely.”

Redox reactions ‘mine’ old fluorescent light bulbs for europium. ChemistryWorld.com article. Relatively simple, high-yield process. Pull quote: “The researchers are now working to adapt the technology to separate other lanthanides, such as neodymium, and to further improve the sustainability of the separation process, replacing triflic acid with greener chemicals, such as methanesulfonic acid. ‘We’re currently looking at both the techno-economical assessment [and] the full life cycle assessment, and evaluating the process on a larger scale, thanks to a recycling plant that provided us with a large quantity of lamps,’ says Perrin.” I wonder if this could be used on coal combustion waste?

SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Successfully Completes 1st Return From Space. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “Real-time data continued to stream back, relayed via SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, to the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., all the way until the altitude was reported at 0 — the surface of the Indian Ocean.”

Boeing Starliner crew aboard ISS after challenging docking. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “But the [helium leak] issue will have to be monitored and further studied in other Starliners under construction at Boeing's factory, said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program.”

First case of bird flu detected in Minnesota dairy cows. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “The cow cases come amid a resurgence in bird flu infections at Minnesota poultry operations, including the euthanizing of tens of thousands of turkeys and more than 1.3 million egg-laying hens last month. That pushed the state's virus-related poultry losses to nearly 8 million since 2022.”

Giant viruses discovered living in Greenland's dark ice and red snow. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “For the first time, in a new study published May 17 in the journal Microbiome, scientists identified signs that giant viruses are living on ice and snow that contain lots of colored algae, suggesting a relationship between the two. The team hopes that finding and understanding these viruses could unlock ways to naturally control algae growth and, therefore, reduce melting. “

Request for Applicants for Appointment to the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. Federal Register TSA request for applicants. Summary: “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requests that qualified individuals interested in serving on the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee (STSAC) apply for appointment as identified in this notice. All applicants must represent one of the constituencies specified below in order to be eligible for appointment. STSAC's mission is to provide advice, consultation, and recommendations to the TSA Administrator on improving surface transportation security matters, including developing, refining, and implementing policies, programs, initiatives, rulemakings, and security directives pertaining to surface transportation security, while adhering to sensitive security information requirements. The STSAC considers risk-based approaches in the performance of its duties.”