APGDiscovery

06/09/2019

Be Ready For Hurricane Season 2019 With These 5 Essentials

Storms knock out power often enough in Maryland that this is handy advice here, too. And we can tell you the chainsaw is more powerful than you would think.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykarcz/2019/06/02/be-ready-for-hurricane-season-2019-with-these-5-essentials/#19e1a4e51ec7

Hurricane season is here and it's time to start thinking about, not just what to prepare for the storm, but what's going to help you in the days after. Here are my 5 essential pieces of gear.

06/08/2019

Department Announces Sign-Up Period for Cover Crop Program

"Eligible farmers can receive up to $90/acre in cost-share grants to plant traditional cover crops in their fields this fall. This includes a $45/acre base rate and up to an additional $45/acre in incentives."

https://news.maryland.gov/mda/press-release/2019/06/04/department-announces-sign-up-period-for-cover-crop-program/

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The annual sign-up period for the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s cover crop program will take place June 21 – July 17 at soil conservation district offices statewide. This pop…

06/07/2019

Sometimes we like to post stories about Maryland. Check out all these wonderful dairies in Maryland that make and sell their own cheese, especially the ones in Harford County:

https://marylandsbest.maryland.gov/?dir-search=yes&orderby=post_title&order=asc&ait-dir-item-wesell=cheese

06/06/2019

The Invention That Won World War II

In honor of the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944:

"That landing craft, often referred to as “the boat that won World War II,” could quickly carry up to 36 men from transport ships to the beaches. It also could haul a Willys Jeep, small truck or other equipment with fewer troops. Higgins’ earlier modifications along with an ingenious protected propeller system built into the hull enabled the boats to maneuver in only 10 inches of water."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/invention-won-world-war-ii-180972327/

Patented in 1944, the Higgins boat gave the Allies the advantage in amphibious assaults

06/05/2019

Even Dim Light Disrupts Your Body Clock

If you want your children to be sleepy enough to want to go to bed without a fuss, turn down the lights and don't let them stare into bright screens. Ditto for adults:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2019/05/28/light-circadian-body-clock/#fc1438b75f91

A small amount of evening light can have a big impact on sleep by lowering melatonin levels.

06/04/2019

1919 Live on Twitter

https://twitter.com/1919_Live/status/1135190554030071808

“A vision of “higher than air” travel soon to manifest itself: by 1925, this article promises, 500 passengers at a time will be picked up from the roofs of Manhattan skyscrapers then whisked away on a three-day journey to Europe in helium behemoths like this.”

06/03/2019

After five years, proposal to protect sunken 'ghost ships' in Maryland bay advancing toward final approval

"The sanctuary aims to protect the remains of a boom in American shipbuilding dating to World War I. More than 150 ships — some believed to be even older, dating to the Civil War — were scuttled in the cove just off the Potomac River...."

Five years after Maryland proposed a national marine sanctuary to protect a fleet of sunken "ghost ships" in Mallows Bay, the designation is advancing.

06/03/2019

Couple hire AI powered automated photographer to capture guests

High-speed photography was developed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, so we like to link stories about photography.

"A 'selfie robot' that is set to replace instant cameras and photo booths at parties has made its debut at at a UK wedding.

"The robot, designed by Birmingham-based firm , allowed wedding goers at a local reception to send photos it to themselves by email or text.

"Armed with AI software that can detect faces, the robot can 'roam freely' around a room and stops to ask people if they would like their photo taken...."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7077681/Couple-hire-AI-powered-automated-photographer-capture-candid-shots-guests.html

A 'selfie robot' has made its debut at a wedding in Birmingham, potentially replacing the instant cameras that a favourite of wedding parties.

06/02/2019

How Our Brains Make Memories

"The work suggested that filing an old memory away for long-term storage after it had been recalled was surprisingly similar to creating it the first time. Both building a new memory and tucking away an old one presumably involved building proteins at the synapse. The researchers had named that process 'reconsolidation.'”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-our-brains-make-memories-14466850/

Surprising new research about the act of remembering may help people with post-traumatic stress disorder

06/01/2019

Christopher Columbus' Son Had An Enormous Library. Its Catalog Was Just Found

"Five hundred years ago, a son of Christopher Columbus assembled one of the greatest libraries the world has ever known. The volumes inside were mostly lost to history. Now, a precious book summarizing the contents of the library has turned up in a manuscript collection in Denmark...."

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/24/716600905/christopher-columbus-son-had-an-enormous-library-its-catalog-was-just-found

In the 16th century, Hernando Colón assembled one of the greatest print-media collections the world had ever known. For centuries, its reference book was missing — until it turned up in Denmark.

05/31/2019

Measles erases the immune system’s memory

Why measles is worse than you might think:

"Measles silently wipes clean the immune system’s memory of past infections. In this way, the virus can cast a long and dangerous shadow for months, or even years, scientists are finding. The resulting “immune amnesia” leaves people vulnerable to other viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia, ear infections and diarrhea.

"hose aftereffects make measles 'the furthest thing from benign,' says infectious disease epidemiologist and pathologist Michael Mina of Harvard University. 'It really puts you at increased susceptibility for everything else.' And that has big consequences, recent studies show."

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/measles-immune-system-memory-infection

The measles virus can usher in other infections for months, or even years.

05/30/2019

Record-Setting Precipitation Leaves U.S. Soils Soggy

"According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, ten U.S. states had their wettest 12 months, and three others were in the top three. Many of them were clustered in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions."

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145101/record-setting-precipitation-leaves-us-soils-soggy

The continental United States recently finished its wettest twelve months in 124 years of modern recordkeeping.

05/29/2019

Reading Dog Body Language: How to Understand Your Dog

The first bomb-sniffing dogs were trained at Aberdeen Proving Ground, so we love helping people understand dogs:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-read-dog-body-language/

You’ll be deciphering dog-talk like a pro in no time with these tips from American Kennel Club's dog training experts.

05/28/2019

The Colors of Dinosaurs Open a New Window to Study the Past

How scientists are figuring out what colors the dinosaurs were:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/colors-dinosaurs-open-new-window-study-past-180972070/

Old fossils and new technology are coloring in life’s prehistoric palette

05/27/2019

Mozilla is making Firefox faster to compete with Chrome

"While these changes will help Firefox better compete with Chrome, Mozilla is also improving privacy controls and protections in Firefox with today’s update. You’ll now be able to block cryptomining scripts that attempt to use your CPU to generate cryptocurrency. Digital fingerprints can also be blocked to better stop ads from tracking you online."

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/21/18633979/mozilla-firefox-67-update-faster-privacy-controls-google-chrome-competition

New privacy controls are also available in Firefox 67.

05/26/2019

How to block web pop-ups, alerts, and autoplaying video

"If you see that icon, then right-click on the tab and choose Mute Site. This will immediately shut up the page and turn the noisy icon into a silent speaker with a line through it."

https://www.popsci.com/block-pop-ups-alerts-autoplay-video

Pestered by sounds, videos, pop-ups and other distractions you don't want? Here's how to quieten down the web.

05/25/2019

"They also found that when participants cleared clutter from their work environment, they were better able to focus and process information, and their productivity increased."

05/24/2019

A drone could potentially save your life in a mass casualty situation, thanks to a Maryland-based company

"The company, Airgility, is developing a drone to help first responders scope out the scene of a terrorist attack or natural disaster before going in themselves."

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/a-drone-could-potentially-save-your-life-in-a-mass-casualty-situation-thanks-to-a-maryland-based-company/65-7ecae690-813d-4afb-b513-89f41fbbe593

The company, Airgility, is developing a drone to help first responders if a terrorist strike or natural disaster happens.

05/23/2019

Pets and owners - you can learn a lot about one by studying the other

The first bomb-sniffing dogs were trained at Aberdeen Proving Ground, so we are interested in stories about the connection between humans and animals:

https://www.universal-sci.com/headlines/2019/3/25/pets-and-owners-you-can-learn-a-lot-about-one-by-studying-the-other

There’s an old saying that pets and their owners become more similar as time goes by. There may be some truth in that, but can we use information about owners to improve veterinary care?

05/22/2019

Augmented reality training on the horizon to give Soldiers edge in combat

"What it's going to allow our Soldiers to do is to go into (augmented) reality and train on a mission they're about ready to accomplish...."

https://www.army.mil/article/221766/augmented_reality_training_on_the_horizon_to_give_soldiers_edge_in_combat

The Army's new battlefield heads-up display, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, will revolutionize the way Soldiers prepare for future conflicts, the Army's vice chief of staff told lawmakers Thursday.

05/21/2019

Twitter launches new search tool to combat vaccine misinformation

Social media are vectors for epidemics, so it is encouraging news that social media companies are taking steps to stop the spread of deadly misinformation about vaccines:

"The new tool [from Twitter] comes as tech companies face mounting pressure from lawmakers, activists and health experts to prevent anti-vax misinformation from going viral. The misinformation may have contributed to an outbreak of measles in the US."

https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-launches-new-search-tool-to-combat-vaccine-misinformation/

Tool directs users to credible sources of information about public health.

05/20/2019

'Measles Simulator' shows how fast disease can spread in real time

"The simulation showed the stark difference between 80 percent of children, 6-months-old to 15-years-old, vaccinated against measles, and 95 percent of the same group vaccinated.

"In Franklin County, [Ohio,] if only 80 percent of children are vaccinated, the simulation showed just one measles case could lead to thousands infected in less than a year. The simulation that showed a 95-percent vaccination rate, which is needed for herd immunity, only a handful of residents were infected."

https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/measles-simulator-shows-just-how-quickly-disease-can-spread-in-real-time

A simulation developed by researchers shows just how quickly measles can spread if a community doesn't have a high vaccination rate. FRED,A Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics, was developed by the Public Health Dynamics Laboratory in the Graduate School of Public Health, Universit...

05/19/2019

"Physicists have made numerous proposals for theories beyond the Standard Model. These bear exciting names like Grand Unified Theories, Supersymmetry, Technicolor, and String Theory.

"Sadly, at least for their proponents, beyond-the-Standard-Model theories have not yet successfully predicted any new experimental phenomenon or any experimental discrepancy with the Standard Model."

05/18/2019

Only 2 full moons in a season possible? | EarthSky.org

You know the expression, "once in a blue moon"? Well, the full moon tonight is a blue moon. Here are some fun facts about how rare they are:

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/blue-moon-seasonal-definition-possible-two-full-moons-one-season

We know it's possible to squeeze 4 full moons into a single season. But can a season have just 2 full moons? Turns out it can.

05/17/2019

The Secret of Velveeta: How Cheese Food Is Made | DiscoverMagazine.com

The difference between cheese and cheese food is that heating cheese releases its fats but the chemistry of cheese food keeps its fats locked in when it melts.

http://discovermagazine.com/2011/sep/16-the-secret-of-velveeta-how-cheese-food-is-made

As fall quickly approaches, it's time to look into a ubiquitous yet controversial component of American summer cuisine.

05/16/2019

Army discovery opens path to safer batteries

"In the latest issue of the journal Nature, researchers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory, the Army's corporate research laboratory known as ARL, and the University of Maryland demonstrated a transformative step in battery technology with the identification of a new cathode chemistry."

https://www.army.mil/article/221700/

Soldiers carrying 15-25 pounds of batteries could carry batteries a fraction of the weight but with the same energy and improved safety, a new study shows.

05/15/2019

When Apps Don't Work: How To Block Robocalls, Stop Spam Calls On iPhone, Android

"Why go nuclear? Because it's the most effective."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2019/05/12/how-to-block-and-stop-robocalls-on-iphone-android-summer-2019-apps-vs-nuclear-option/#4422abea6de2

There's two ways to stop robocalls. One works all the time.

05/14/2019

NASA’s initiative to put a woman on the Moon is named Artemis, after Apollo’s twin sister

This is genius branding. In Greek mythology, Apollo is the god of the sun and his twin sister, Artemis, is goddess of the moon. The goal of the Apollo program was to land men on the moon and bring them home safely. Now, the goal of the Artemis program is to land an American woman on the men, along with men, and bring them all home safely.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/13/18622415/nasa-moon-return-first-woman-astronaut-artemis-program

Oh my goddess

05/12/2019

Sports tourism creates nearly $50 million annual economic impact in Harford County

The APG Discovery Center will be bringing tourism to Harford County and creating jobs, too. Tourists like to have a variety of attractions, so there will be a synergy between the sporting events and the APG Discovery Center beginning in September, when our preview center opens in Aberdeen.

"Sports tourism in Harford County was the source of nearly a $50 million economic impact, and supported 650 jobs, each year over the last three years, primarily in three sports at three sites, according to a recent study.

“'Tourism in general, according to a study from the Maryland Office on Tourism, created an impact of $374 million in Harford County alone, that’s more than $1 million a day,' Greg Pizzuto, executive director of Visit Harford!, which commissioned the study. 'Obviously, $50 million is a big chunk of that that comes from sports tourism.'”

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-harford-sports-tourism-0329-story.html

Sports tourism in Harford County was the source of nearly a $50 million economic impact, and supported 650 jobs, each year over the last three years, primarily in three sports at three sites, according to a recent study.

05/11/2019

Instagram will block hashtags spreading fake news about vaccines

It's important news in the fight against epidemics that social media companies are refusing to allow their platforms to become disease vectors.

"When a hashtag is blocked by Instagram, it makes it basically impossible to find content or organize around. Attempting to click on a banned hashtag won't produce any results and the hashtag won't come up when users search for it."

https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/09/instagram-blocking-anti-vaccine-hashtags/

Instagram will start banning hashtags that spread debunked claims about vaccines in an attempt to crack down on misinformation.

05/10/2019

How to Spot an AI-Generated Photo

"There are still a few telltale signs that a photo is a fake. Here are the things West and Bergstrom say we should look for before we assume a photo is real...."

https://lifehacker.com/how-to-spot-an-ai-generated-photo-1834558395

The first time I explained to my son, as a preschooler, that cartoon characters were not really real but drawn and animated on a computer, it blew his mind. How could something that looked so realistic actually be fake? I think I now know how he felt; lately, the more I learn about AI-generated phot...