Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield recently backed down from plans to impose time limits on health insurance payments for anesthesia care in certain states. This decision highlights the crucial role anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety during surgical procedures. Anesthesiologists not only administer anesthesia but also monitor vital signs, pain levels, and deliver medication as…
technologies on The Soothsayer / page 12
China’s market regulator has launched an antitrust investigation into Nvidia’s acquisition of Mellanox, a move that comes amid escalating tensions between the US and China over key technologies, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors. The probe is seen as a retaliatory measure by China following Washington’s restrictions on semiconductor manufacturers, including Nvidia, from selling their most…
A recent study by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) collaboration has confirmed the existence of a “cooling break” in the energy spectrum of cosmic ray electrons and positrons at around 1 TeV. The research, published in Physical Review Letters, suggests that the origins of these particles are still hotly debated, with possible explanations including…
Archaeologists have unearthed clay cylinders in Syria, dated to 4,400 years ago, inscribed with the earliest known alphabetic writing system. The discovery, made in the Umm el-Marra tomb, has sparked excitement among scholars, who believe it may rekindle the idea of the location of the earliest alphabet. The symbols, which correspond to sounds, are similar…
China has banned exports of critical minerals gallium, germanium, and antimony to the US, citing national security concerns. This move comes after Washington’s latest crackdown on China’s chip sector, and several Chinese industry groups have advised their members to avoid US-made semiconductors. The ban is expected to have significant implications for the global supply chain…
This year saw significant advancements in space exploration, with numerous missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Japan’s SLIM spacecraft successfully landed on the moon, while China’s Chang’e 6 mission retrieved samples from the lunar far side. NASA’s Perseverance rover made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, and the Europa Clipper spacecraft launched on a mission…
A Delaware judge has upheld a decision to deny Tesla CEO Elon Musk a multibillion-dollar pay package, rejecting the company’s argument to reverse the previous ruling. The judge found that Tesla’s board was too close to Musk and had not sufficiently protected shareholders’ interests. The decision comes after Tesla shareholders voted to reinstate the compensation…
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting an astrosphere around a star similar to the sun. The astrosphere is a bubble of hot gas blown by a star’s stellar wind, which marks the edge of the solar system and protects planets from high-energy cosmic rays. This finding is significant as it provides insight into…
Physicists at the Niels Bohr Institute and Peking University have made a groundbreaking discovery in particle physics, revealing that xenon nuclei change shape as they collide. Using simulations of experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, the researchers found that the nuclei transform from soft, oval-shaped particles to rigid, spherical ones. This finding could lead to…
The tech industry has been hit with a wave of layoffs in 2024, with over 130,000 job cuts across 457 companies. Major players like Tesla, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all conducted significant layoffs, while smaller startups have also been impacted. The layoffs are a result of a combination of factors, including economic uncertainty, increased…
