ReHacked #63: academic corruption, EU exemptions from jet fuel tax, China’s gene giant harvests data from millions of pregnant women around the World and more

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Juul: Taking Academic Corruption to a New Level #health

The e-cigarette company bought an entire issue of a scholarly journal, with all the articles written by authors on its payroll, to ‘prove’ that its product has a public benefit.

EU draft exempts private jets, cargo from jet fuel tax #economy

The European Commission has proposed exempting private jets and cargo flights from the planned EU jet fuel tax. A draft indicates that the tax would be phased-in for passenger flights, including ones that carry cargo.

The draft, which the commission will on 14 July present with its proposed revisions to the bloc's 2003 energy-taxation directive, indicates there could be an exemption from taxation for energy products and electricity used for intra-EU air navigation of cargo-only flights. It proposes allowing EU states to only tax such flights either domestically or by virtue of bilateral or multilateral agreements with other member states.

China’s gene giant harvests data from millions of pregnant women #privacy #health #longread

A Chinese gene company selling prenatal tests around the world developed them in collaboration with the country's military and is using them to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations, a Reuters review of scientific papers and company statements found.

U.S. government advisors warned in March that a vast bank of genomic data that the company, BGI Group, is amassing and analyzing with artificial intelligence could give China a path to economic and military advantage. As science pinpoints new links between genes and human traits, access to the biggest, most diverse set of human genomes is a strategic edge. The technology could propel China to dominate global pharmaceuticals, and also potentially lead to genetically enhanced soldiers, or engineered pathogens to target the U.S. population or food supply, the advisors said.

Sub-zero water splitting marks a new dawn for solar hydrogen production #technology #nature #hydrogen

Researchers have developed a solar-powered system that splits water at -20°C. The technology could serve as a renewable fuel source in high altitude and polar environments.

Distributing fossil fuels to remote locations with cold climates, such as research stations in Antarctica, presents a number of challenges. These include the cost and difficulty of shipping the fuel (usually diesel) to these locations and the potential for contaminating delicate ecosystems in the event of a spillage on top of the carbon emissions generated by using them.

Soviet Venus Images #history #space #nature

Most of what we know about Venus is derived from the intensive Soviet study of the planet. The only existing images from the surface were returned from four of their landing craft. Attempts to carry phototelevision cameras to Venus in 1962 and 1965 failed, but the Venera-9 orbiter performed the first long-term imaging survey of cloud circulation, in 1975.

Virgin Galactic Branson launch: Watch video stream with live updates #space #technology

Branson, in remarks from his Virgin Galactic flight on Sunday, said the spaceflight was the “complete experience of a lifetime” shortly after the spacecraft successfully took off over New Mexico.

“Now I’m looking down at a beautiful spaceport,” said Branson, who is flying along with two pilots and three Virgin Galactic employees. “Congratulations to everyone for creating such a beautiful, beautiful place.”

MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials #learning

OCW makes the materials used in the teaching of MIT's subjects available on the Web.

Older job seekers on LinkedIn get fewer job offers, but a younger profile photo helps #career

A study published on June 10 in the Journal of Personnel Psychology has found that older job seekers on LinkedIn receive fewer job offers than younger ones. But using a profile photo with a younger appearance reduces this effect.

The study, written by researchers from Switzerland and the United States, recruited two groups of U.S.-based LinkedIn users: an older group and a younger group. The average age of the 110 participants in the younger group was 28. The average age of the 88 people in the older group was 55.

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Dainius