Costa Rica is pioneering the future of running on renewable energy and may be the model for future countries to follow suit.

In the last four years, Costa Rica has generated 98.53% of its electricity from renewable sources. 

How? With its unique geography, forward thinking solutions, and commitment to sustainability, Costa Rica has used its rivers, volcanoes, wind, and solar power to generate its country’s power.

By the year 2021, Costa Rica plans to be completely carbon-neutral.

Since they’ve already operated on only renewable energy (much more difficult than simply being ‘carbon-neutral) for the majority of the last few years, it is definitely feasible.

Carbon Neutral vs 100% Renewable Energy

Before we get too deep in this, let’s have a firm understanding of the difference between what is considered ‘carbon-neutral’ and ‘100% renewable.’

Here is the definition of carbon neutrality:  

In other words, a country can be considered carbon neutral while still using fossil fuels by planting trees that offset the carbon, or funding conservation programs which aim to reduce the amount of carbon in the air.

A country using 100% renewable energy, however, is the process using sources of energy that will never run out. In other words, no fossil fuels.

In addition, any carbon the country does use, it intends to offset through different initiatives. 

Costa Rica: Leading the world in carbon neutrality

For several years now, Costa Rica has run on entirely renewable energy for an average of about 300 days per year. 

That means the government did not burn any oil, coal, or natural gas to power the country.

No other country this size has done this. 

For example, Portugal was recently praised in the news for running on 100% renewables for 4 days. Which is amazing, but also a testament to Costa Rica’s amazing progress.

Here’s how Costa Rica powers their country with renewable electricity

Costa Rica invested early in the power of renewable energy resources and made it a priority to become environmentally sustainable.

Because of that, the country has an abundance of geothermal renewable sources that account for much of the necessary energy to make the country successfully function.

Also, Costa Rica can get a lot of rain. With consistent rainfall, their hydroelectric plants can produce a plethora of energy.

Lastly, the population is small and their workforce is not manufacturing intensive, which means their energy requirements are not as large as some countries.

The future of renewable energy in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has been focused on environmental sustainability from the outset, and they are working hard to keep it a priority in the future. Here is what is in store.

Recently approved to be built, Costa Rica is constructing THREE 50 MW geothermal power plants costing $954 million. It should be known, this is no cheap investment…especially for a small country that is 50th in GDP.

However, the country is taking advantage of their dozen volcanoes (5 of which are active) and investing in the future by showing the world they stand for environmental sustainability.

But it doesn’t stop there.  Costa Rica is also unveiling a 305.5 MW hydroelectric plant that is set to power over half a million homes…which is A LOT, considering there are less than 5 million people in the entire country.

What do you think?

How do you feel about investing in renewable energy?

Written by: Miles Rote – under30experiences.com

By: CARLY CASSELLA MARCH 5, 2021 

An important new study suggests octopuses are likely to feel and respond to pain in a similar way to mammals – the first strong evidence for this capacity in any invertebrate. 

The experience of pain is far more than a simple reflex to harmful stimuli or injury; it’s a complex emotional state, leading to distress or suffering.

While vertebrates are generally thought to experience both the physical and emotional aspects of pain, it remains unresolved whether or not invertebrates, which generally have much simpler nervous systems, are capable of something similar.

Octopuses are the most neurologically complex invertebrates on Earth, and yet surprisingly few experiments have focused on their potential for experiencing pain.

Neurobiologist Robyn Crook from San Francisco State University has been investigating this issue for years, and the latest work from her lab has now used the same protocols for testing pain in laboratory rodents on cephalopods – specifically, the octopus.

Using detailed measurements of spontaneous pain-associated behaviors and neural activity, Crook has identified three lines of evidence that all indicate octopuses are capable of feeling negative emotional states when confronted with pain. 

These are the same characteristics that mammals show, despite the fact that the octopus nervous system is organized in a fundamentally different way to vertebrates.

Of course, it’s really difficult for scientists to interpret a subjective feeling or emotional state in an animal – especially one so different from us – but Crook argues the behavior shown by octopuses in these experiments suggests they are probably experiencing the physical and emotional components of pain in a way not so different to rodents, including lasting changes in their affective state (what we would call, in humans, our mood, feelings and attitudes).

“Even in the absence of proof on conscious awareness or sentience in cephalopods, it remains clear that the responses demonstrated by octopuses in this study are so similar to those that would be expressed by mammals experiencing pain, that a reasonable, cautionary argument can be made that internal state of these disparate species is likely also similar,” Crook concludes.

Previous studies by Crook and others have shown octopuses can reflexively respond to noxious stimuli, learning to avoid those harmful contexts. The new research goes several steps further. After a single training session in a three-chambered box, octopuses that received an injection of acetic acid into one arm showed clear avoidance of the chamber in which they received that shot.

Those injected with non-harmful saline, on the other hand, showed no such avoidance.

Furthermore, when the octopuses that had been given a painful injection were then administered lidocaine (an analgesic), they tended to prefer the chamber in which they experienced immediate pain relief. Those that received saline only couldn’t care less about the chamber where they had analgesic applied.

This preference for place, free from harm, is considered strong evidence of an affective pain experience in vertebrates. Nor is that the only parallel.

Crook also found evidence that octopuses could discriminate between different qualities and intensities of pain in different locations on their bodies. 

All of the octopuses injected with the acid showed grooming behaviors at that injection site for the full 20-minute training trial, removing a small area of their skin with their beak. 

This differs to other studies on peripheral pain responses, where octopuses had their arms crushed or cut off, and suggests the acid injection is producing some sort of centralized response. In mammals, ongoing pain is caused by sustained activity in the periphery, which then drives long-term changes in the brain or spinal cord.

Cephalopods, on the other hand, rely heavily on their peripheral nervous system and it’s unclear how much of that information makes its way to their central circuits.

Using electrophysiological recordings, Crook has indirectly shown a prolonged peripheral response in the pathway to the octopus’ brain, which appears to represent the intensity of pain experienced from the acid injections. What’s more, these messages are rapidly silenced and reversed with an analgesic – a strong sign of pain experience. 

“Together, these data provide strong support for the existence of a lasting, negative affective state in octopuses,” the paper concludes.

To date, ongoing pain, as opposed to transient pain, has only been demonstrated in mammals, so it’s pretty incredible that scientists have noticed something similar in an invertebrate. 

Earlier this week, scientists also showed that cuttlefish are capable of passing the marshmallow test – a cognitive test designed to measure children’s self regulation.

Such knowledge raises ethical questions about how we care for and study cephalopods, while also providing a novel evolutionary origin for the experience of pain in the animal kingdom.

“Our goal with this study was to move the question of invertebrate pain beyond reasonable doubt,” reads a press release from Crook’s lab, “so that efforts to better regulate their humane use can proceed with a strong evidentiary foundation that until now, has been lacking.”

The study was published in iScience. 

By Chaim Gartenberg@cgartenberg  Mar 2, 2021, 2:57pm EST

NASA’s brand-new Perseverance rover is the most advanced machine that’s ever landed on Mars. But when it comes to rovers, “state of the art” is a subjective term. Perseverance is running on none other than a PowerPC 750, a single-core, 233MHz processor with just 6 million transistors that’s most famous for powering the original “Bondi blue” iMac from 1998. It’s the same type of processor that NASA already uses in its Curiosity rover. 

That may seem like a waste to some. After all, even with the difficulty of buying computer parts these days, surely NASA could have found the budget for something like Intel’s $500 Core i9-10900K CPU (with 10 cores and a max clock speed of 5.3GHz) somewhere in the $2.7 billion cost of Perseverance. But as New Scientist explains, such an advanced chip is actually a detriment to the unique operating conditions of Mars.

That’s largely because Mars’ atmosphere offers far less protection from harmful radiation and charged particles than Earth’s atmosphere. A bad burst of radiation can badly wreck the sensitive electronics of a modern processor — and the more complex the chip, the more can go wrong. Plus, at 138 million miles away, it’s not like NASA can just swap out the processor if things go sideways. Because of those conditions, Perseverance actually features two computing modules: one is a backup just in case something goes wrong. (A third copy of the module is also on board for image analysis.)

To make the system even more durable, the PowerPC 750 chip in Perseverance is a little different than the one in the old iMacs. It’s technically a RAD750 chip, a special variant that’s hardened against radiation and costs upwards of $200,000. The chip is popular for spacecraft, too: in addition to Perseverance and Curiosity, it also powers the Fermi Space Telescope, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Deep Impact comet-hunting spacecraft, and the Kepler telescope, among others. 

While the processor may be weak compared to a modern smartphone or gaming PC, NASA’s spec sheet for Perseverance notes that it’s far more powerful than earlier rovers like Spirit or Opportunity: its 200MHz clock speed is 10 times faster than those older rovers, and with 2GB of flash memory, it offers eight times the storage. (Rounding things out, Perseverance also has 256MB of RAM in case you were looking to build your own rover.)

But while the chip itself has been to Mars before, Perseverance features some new computer technology that’s debuting on the planet for the first time: Linux, which powers the Ingenuity helicopter that will attempt to fly autonomously on Mars as part of Perseverance’s mission.

Follow us to find updates on prices and aftermarket coolers as things develop:

Read more at : https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/30-series/

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The vigil will be held on Saturday, June 27th, 2020 at City Center Park in Aurora at 8:30 p.m.

From 9news:

Author: Marc Sallinger (9 News) Published: 7:47 PM MDT June 26, 2020
Updated: 7:48 PM MDT June 26, 2020

“AURORA, Colo. — Elijah McClain’s name has spread far beyond his memorial in Aurora.

It hasn’t always been that way. It’s been 10 months since the 23-year-old died at the hands of Aurora Police and paramedics.

“I see myself in him a lot. That easily could have been me in a lot of situations,” said Ashanti Floyd, a six-time Grammy-nominated violinist. “I’ve heard about it for a long time but I just watched the video a couple of days ago. It really made me think about life and how blessed I am.”

Floyd is from Georgia. His friend Lee England Jr. lives in New York. 

“I was really just looking somewhere that I would fit because I’m not one to just sit by and do nothing. I wanted to be able to back up my words with action,” said England Jr., a world-renowned violinist and artist who is signed to Michael Jordan’s ‘Jordan’ brand. “It was like, I saw myself in his story. That could have been me.”

Floyd and England Jr. heard Elijah’s story, saw the video of how he died, and knew they had to speak up.

Saturday they’ll fly to Denver from Georgia and New York to use the most powerful voices they have to fight for justice: their violins. 

RELATED: Aurora officers involved in Elijah McClain’s arrest have been re-assigned in department

RELATED: Messages of love and hope are being put up in Summit County to bring people together

RELATED: Body cameras show pivotal moments in Elijah McClain case

RELATED: Polis assigns special prosecutor to investigate McClain case

“With all the emotions weighing down on us, I’m sure we’re going to go tomorrow and play our souls out,” said Floyd. 

They’ve helped plan a “violin vigil” for McClain, who also played the instrument. Musicians from around the country will join local artists — another example of people from all parts of the world demanding justice for Elijah McClain. Nearly 3.5 million people have signed a petition online asking for an investigation into McClain’s death and that the officers involved be removed from the streets. 

“If it weren’t for the internet and all these petitions, who knows if there’d be any kind of justice for this young man,” Floyd said. “People like us are regular just like anybody else. You don’t have to call the police on us walking down the road. What’s dangerous about a young black man walking down the road?”

The “violin vigil” will be held Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at City Center Park in Aurora. 

“I feel like it’s necessary for me to do my part,” England Jr. said. “At this point, I’m at a loss for words. I don’t actually know what me showing up there is going to bring and how it’s going to impact the community. I just feel drawn, I feel called to show up.”

Note for D.A. In the Case regarding Elijah McClains Death while walking home by Police Officer the ketamine administered after it was said by the police suggesting to give him 500mg would never have caused his death. This would have had an effect of which to open up his vascular and bloodflow to and from his entire body including the carotid artery which was damaged by the Assaulting Officers as an attempt to correct their unacceptable and unjustified actions. This was their attempt to save Elijah’s life from the damage caused by the carotid choke, therefore covering their own behinds and not to kill him because maybe it wasnt their intent to murder him but to subdue him, however that may be they had no right to implement this force on Elijah McClain. These officers knew he wasn’t a threat and proceeded to assault Mr. Elijah McClain regardless of knowing this to be true. Elijah’s death was caused by unnecessary and excessive force from the carotid choke hold and attack from the police. These Aurora Police Officers killed Elijah McClain and should be prosecuted for their crime. Whether it was intentional or not, it is due to the damage caused by their excessive force and choke hold which caused the damage to Elijah’s body. Please do realize this.. Is this how we treat the artists and massage therapists of our community, while walking home? I would sure hope not because if it is, we have a MAJOR PROBLEM with our system.

Kindly, Rebel Buddha

Article by: Ian Allison

(Sundry Photography/Shutterstock)

Fintech giant PayPal plans to roll out direct sales of cryptocurrency to its 325 million users, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Currently, PayPal can be used as an alternative means for withdrawing funds from exchanges such as Coinbase, but this would be a first in terms of offering direct sales of crypto.

“My understanding is that they are going to allow buys and sells of crypto directly from PayPal and Venmo,” a well-placed industry source told CoinDesk. “They are going to have some sort of a built-in wallet functionality so you can store it there.” 

It is unclear which or how many cryptocurrencies would be available. The industry source said they expected PayPal “would be working with multiple exchanges to source liquidity.”

A second source confirmed that PayPal is looking to offer buying and selling of crypto and said the service could be expected “in the next three months, maybe sooner.”

PayPal declined to comment on the plans.

San Francisco-based crypto exchange Coinbase and Luxembourg-based Bitstamp were mentioned as likely contenders by the sources. Both Coinbase and Bitstamp declined to comment. 

It’s worth noting that PayPal has a longstanding relationship with Coinbase, going back as early as 2016. In 2018, Coinbase made instant fiat withdrawals to PayPal available for U.S. customers. Last year, European Coinbase users could withdraw to their PayPal accounts, followed by users in Canada. 

Meanwhile, fintech apps that offer crypto are making money. Square, the payments unicorn launched by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, rolled out bitcoin purchases in its Cash App in mid-2018. Cash App reported $306 million in bitcoin revenue in its most recent earnings report.

London-based Revolut, which began offering crypto to users following a 2017 partnership with Bitstamp, raised $500 million in February, valuing the platform at $5.5 billion. Robinhood, the fintech app thought to be fueling the recent retail boom in equities day trading, first offered crypto in February 2018. 

Crypto is increasingly seen as an obvious way to bolster user numbers on fintech apps and create new revenue streams. Indeed, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman has made it clear his plan this year is to aggressively monetize Venmo, which has over 52 million accounts.

Hiring push

Around the start of 2020, PayPal posted job openings to ramp up its new Blockchain Research Group. PayPal posted eight engineering positions: four in San Jose and four in Singapore.

Following PayPal’s short-lived dalliance with the Facebook-led Libra project last year, the focus now is expanding its own payments expertise, one of the sources added.

In an interview with CoinDesk earlier this year, PayPal Chief Technology Officer Sri Shivananda said the company wanted its own “perspective and view on [blockchain] technology itself to see how it can help us contribute to the concept of creating an open digital payments platform that can serve everyone.” 

Shivananda said he was unable to comment on any of PayPal’s specific plans.

“We are a strong believer in the potential of blockchain. The digitization of currency is only a matter of when not if,” Shivananda said.

Olympus, once one of the world’s biggest camera brands, is selling off that part of its business after 84 years.

The firm said that despite its best efforts, the “extremely severe digital camera market” was no longer profitable.

The arrival of smartphones, which had shrunk the market for separate cameras, was one major factor, it said.

It had recorded losses for the last three years.

The Japanese company made its first camera in 1936 after years of microscope manufacture. The Semi-Olympus I featured an accordion-like fold-out camera bellows, and cost more than a month’s wages in Japan.

The company continued to develop the camera business over the decades, becoming one of the top companies by market share.

“There’s a huge amount of affection for Olympus, going right back,” says Nigel Atherton, editor of Amateur Photographer magazine.

The 1970s was a high point, with their cameras advertised on television by celebrity photographers such as David Bailey and Lord Litchfield.

“Those cameras were revolutionary – they were very small, very light, they were beautifully designed, had really nice quality lenses,” adds Atherton.

A cult following stayed with the firm, despite teething issues with new technologies such as autofocus, Atherton says. But the firm had a second wave with digital cameras, where they were early adopters.

But they targeted their later range of mirrorless cameras at a middle market – “people who weren’t serious photographers – they wanted something better than a point-and-shoot camera, but they didn’t want a DSLR camera”.

“That market very very quickly got swallowed up by smartphones, and turned out not to exist.”

The market for standalone cameras has fallen dramatically – by one estimate, it dropped by 84% between 2010 and 2018.

“Olympus I find a very frustrating company,” Atherton says. “Continually over the last few years, they’ve constantly got it wrong, made wrong decisions, taken wrong turns, and gone down cul-de-sacs.”

One example he cited was the lack of progress in video performance, where rivals have made strides.

The company also faced a major financial scandal involving senior executives in 2011.

Olympus is now seeking to strike a deal to carve off the camera part of its business so that its brands – such as Zuiko lenses – can be used in new products by another firm, Japan Industrial Partners.

In a statement, the Japanese company said that it was business as usual until then.

“We believe this is the right step to preserve the legacy of the brand,” the statement said.

On social media, however, its UK team accepted that fans “may have many questions”.

“We ask for your patience… Olympus sees this potential transfer as an opportunity to enable our imaging business to grow and delight both long-time and new photography enthusiasts,” it said.

Olympus Corporation, however, will continue.

The company never stopped making microscopes, and has turned its optical technology to other scientific and medical equipment such as endoscopes.

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