Charging the OpenCTD is annoying, so we fixed it.

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Open Science

Last month, I wrote a heartwarming little story about how doing a fun weekend hardware project with my daughter led to fixing one of the most annoying non-critical problems with the OpenCTD. After a month of testing, we have fully implemented the new power management system into the next iteration of the OpenCTD. Currently, there … Read More “Charging the OpenCTD is annoying, so we fixed it.” »

Space Crabs, Big Boats, and Fake Sharks: What you read on Southern Fried Science in March

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Blogging

After a trio of very widely read articles triggered a traffic surge in February, including David’s critical expert analysis of cross-order hybridization, our visitor count normalized a bit on the old ocean science and conservation blog. A little more than 19,500 people visited Southern Fried Science in March, a roughly 50% increase from January. You … Read More “Space Crabs, Big Boats, and Fake Sharks: What you read on Southern Fried Science in March” »

No, the ship didn’t steer towards the pylon: A brief fact check on the MV Dali collision with Baltimore’s Key Bridge

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on No, the ship didn’t steer towards the pylon: A brief fact check on the MV Dali collision with Baltimore’s Key Bridge
News

Early this morning, the cargo ship MV Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse, sending several vehicles and people into the water. Search and rescue is currently underway. Because Twitter is now a clearinghouse for the worst and most disingenuous hacks on the web, there’s of course a rumor … Read More “No, the ship didn’t steer towards the pylon: A brief fact check on the MV Dali collision with Baltimore’s Key Bridge” »

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: The Vibes

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: The Vibes
Featured, Policy

The International Seabed Authority is meeting this month in Jamaica, but it is not the entire International Seabed Authority. Only the Legal and Technical Commission and the Council meet this months. The Legal and Technical Commission is a body of experts that reviews documents and proposals, usually in private as many contain privileged information from … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: The Vibes” »

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How to Value Cultural Heritage on the High Seas?

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Featured, Policy

Cultural Heritage is a bit of a tough concept when working in areas beyond national jurisdiction. By definition, the places being considered for deep-sea mining by the International Seabed Authority exist at least 200 nautical miles from land and human habitation. Even most submerged archeological sites lie on continental shelves within nations’ exclusive economic zones. … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How to Value Cultural Heritage on the High Seas?” »

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: untangling the financial regime

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Featured, Policy

The Common Heritage of Mankind. The core principle that underlies all of the negotiations surrounding deep-sea mining beyond national borders is that these resources don’t belong to any one person, organization, or nation, but to humankind as a whole, to be exploited (or not) for the benefit of the world as a whole. With the … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: untangling the financial regime” »

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How are pro-moratorium member states dealing with their own mining leases?

Posted on By Andrew Thaler 1 Comment on What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How are pro-moratorium member states dealing with their own mining leases?
Featured, Policy

One curious contradiction in the International Seabed Authority is that some of the member states that are currently most vocal about enforcing a strong moratorium (if not outright ban) on deep-sea mining also currently hold ISA exploration leases. The UK and France, as well as Germany and Brazil, have all made statements in support of … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How are pro-moratorium member states dealing with their own mining leases?” »

What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How the Council responds to the NORI-D Incident

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Featured, Policy

In November and December of 2023, Greenpeace activists boarded a deep-sea mining vessel conducting exploratory research in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. The executive summary is that the ISA issued interim measure pursuant to Regulation 33 of the Regulations on Prospecting and Exploration for Polymetallic Nodules in an attempt to compel Greenpeace to halt its … Read More “What I’m watching for at this month’s ISA meeting: How the Council responds to the NORI-D Incident” »

Everything is Crabs: How many crabs do you need to land on the moon?

Posted on By Andrew Thaler
Education, Featured, Science

In 2011, researchers from Japan and the Center for Unconventional Computing in the UK asked one of the most important questions ever asked. How many crabs do you need to build a computer? And then, they answered it. If you want to build a computer from scratch, you must first invent a logic gate. Using … Read More “Everything is Crabs: How many crabs do you need to land on the moon?” »