Short Takes – 2-18-25

Nokia is putting the first cellular network on the moon. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “And that means that if you happened to bring your smartphone to the moon, and it somehow survived both the trip and the brutal lunar conditions, it should work on the moon just like it does here on Earth. “It would connect if we put your phone on the list of approved devices”, Klein explains. All you’d need is a lunar SIM card.” Roaming charges would be rather high….

Congress closing in on shutdown deadline with no clear plan. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has left the door open to the idea of a stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would run through the end of the fiscal year. The idea has some support from conservatives who want to see funding levels kept flat through September, even if it locks in continued spending in line with some of former President Biden’s funding priorities in the meantime. However, some Republicans are resisting the idea.”

What the asteroid with a 1-in-48 chance of hitting Earth in 2032 looks like (images). Space.com article. Pull quote: “There are more Gemini South images of 2024 YR4 in the pipeline, but as the asteroid is currently heading away from Earth, it might be a while until we get a really good look at this space rock — from the ground at least.”

3D-printed 'hydrogels' could be future space radiation shields for astronaut trips to Mars. Space.com article. Pull quote: “This new study builds on previous work where hydrogel was tested to make sure that it was safe to use in space conditions. "There is a constant search for lightweight radiation protection materials," project lead Peter Dubruel said, in the statement. "We are applying different techniques to shape the material into a 3D structure and scale up the production process, so that we can come a step closer to industrialisation."”

Texas measles cases are up, and New Mexico now has an outbreak. Here’s what you need to know. APNews.com article. Pull quote: “Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn’t include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.”

National Science Foundation Fires 168 Workers as Federal Purge Continues. Kim Zetter Wired.com article. Pull quote: “Many of the people terminated on Tuesday work as program managers and experts who make decisions about funding by aligning research proposals with the right program and matching those proposals to the most qualified reviewers to assess them and make recommendations.”

AI-Powered Social Engineering: Ancillary Tools and Techniques. TheHackerNews.com article. Pull quote: “Many tools are open source, allowing users to customize with plugins and modules. For example, Recon-ng can be configured for use cases such as email harvesting and OSINT gathering. Other tools aren't for public use, such as Red Reaper. This is a form of Espionage AI, capable of sifting through hundreds of thousands of emails to detect sensitive information that could be used against organizations.”

As egg prices soar, Trump administration plans new strategy to fight bird flu. APNews.com article. Pull quote: “Hassett didn't provide many details of how the Trump administration's new approach would work. But he said it would involve a “better, smarter perimeter” around poultry farms. He said it doesn't make sense to kill all the chickens inside that perimeter when the disease is being spread by wild ducks and geese.”

Czars versus councils: Organizing space in the new administration. TheSpaceReview.com article. Pull quote: “Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate earlier this month would formally authorize the Office of Space Commerce’s efforts to develop a space traffic coordination system, one currently in beta testing. The bill included a provision that would elevate the office into a Bureau of Space Commerce, led by a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary rather than by a presidentially appointed director as the office is managed today.”