The Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Mona Nemer, is looking into the unidentified aerial phenomena. The Sky Canada Project evidently will collect information with a view to producing a draft report in the fall and setting the stage for a public report in early 2024. [node:read-more:link]
The Ontario Power Generation utility is being loaned $970 million by the federal government to support development of grid-scale small modular nuclear reactors as a key element of its fight against global warming. “We are doing this because nuclear energy – as a non-emitting source of energy – is critical to the achievement of Canada's and the world's climate goals,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said. “Nuclear power is one source that can help in reaching our climate targets while addressing growing future demand.” [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. National Aeronautics & Space Administration says it did succeed in changing a 160-metre asteroid’s orbit around a larger body by ramming a spacecraft into it in late September. “NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us,” the agency’s administrator said October 11. [node:read-more:link]
After months of tests, troubleshooting and repairs, NASA's long-overdue Artemis-1 moon launch with an uncrewed capsule was scrubbed early today due to problems with one of the massive launch vehicle’s rockets. “This is a very complicated … system and all those things have to work,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “You don't want to light the candle until it's ready to go.” That now is expected to be September 2 at the earliest. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. government is being told by one of its own agencies that it must strengthen policies that protect scientific advice used in decision-making. “Political intrusion into the conduct, management, communication, and use (or misuse) of science has a severe impact on public trust,” a committee of the National Science and Technology Council,” says in a report released by the White House Jan. 11. It is essentially a reaction to four years of former President Donald Trump’s persistent undermining of government scientists. [node:read-more:link]
Private cars are responsible for about 11% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions. That’s the greatest share in the transport sector, which accounts for 24% of emissions overall. More than 99% of new passenger cars sold worldwide still rely on fossil fuels. If consumers systematically underestimate total costs, this could make alternative forms of transport — car sharing, alternative-fuel vehicles, public transport, biking or walking, say — seem less attractive. [node:read-more:link]
University researchers seeking federal government grants are now required to complete a security risk assessment and work with national security agencies and the federal government in a bid to prevent foreign interests from acquiring Canadian intellectual property. The decision, initially applicable to the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council but expected to be broadened, was announced today by Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne. [node:read-more:link]
By providing government and law enforcement agencies with a unique combination of services, weaponry and equipment, from enhanced tactical clothing to firearms, ammunition, optics and electro-optics, Beretta Defense Technologies can match every operational need to cover a wide range of complex scenarios. [node:read-more:link]
With innovation come the challenges of integrating emerging technologies across the armies of Finabel’s 22 European member states, and the organization aims to put itself at the centre of that discussion. [node:read-more:link]
The ongoing and politically-contentious scramble to secure personal protective equipment is giving procurement gurus a chance to say “I told you so.” Successive federal governments have been pressed to develop a list of strategic sectors not dependent on foreign suppliers but, as pointed out recently by Health Minister Patty Hajdu, the call has been essentially ignored. Now Alan Williams, a former Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel) at the Department of National Defence, is joining the debate, saying that “we've been totally negligent.” [node:read-more:link]
The ongoing and politically-contentious scramble to secure personal protective equipment is giving procurement gurus a chance to say “I told you so.” Successive federal governments have been pressed to develop a list of strategic sectors not dependent on foreign suppliers but, as pointed out recently by Health Minister Patty Hajdu, the call has been essentially ignored. Now Alan Williams, a former Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel) at the Department of National Defence, is joining the debate, saying that “we've been totally negligent.” [node:read-more:link]
The prospect of having to deal with an estimated 900,000 pieces of debris in low-earth orbit when planning future space missions has prompted the UK Space Agency to set aside £1 million for research grants on how to sense and track objects which could be a threat. [node:read-more:link]
China’s latest robotic space mission has placed a lander on the moon.It is programmed to collect about two kilograms of material to be returned to Earth by an orbiter. The last such mission, 44 years ago, saw a Russian mission collect a smaller amount of material for research. [node:read-more:link]
The 305-metre Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, one of the most scientifically productive facilities in astronomical history, is permanently out of commission. After the recent collapse of a second of its supporting cables, engineers say they are unable to repair the structure safely. [node:read-more:link]
An Ottawa nurse has tested positive for the novel coronavirus just a few days after having received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As one of Ottawa’s front-line health-care workers, he had received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Dec 18th and second dose exactly three weeks later, on Jan 8th. [node:read-more:link]
