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Submission + - Rubin Telescope discovers a new solar system planet (behindtheblack.com)

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Using data from the Rubin Telescope in Chile, astronomers have discovered a new planet in the outer solar system beyond Neptune, joining Pluto, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake as the five known large Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNO) so far discovered.

On the evening of 13 October, [Matthew] Holman was running data collected by Rubin earlier in 2026 through a search code he developed with CfA colleague Kevin Napier. The code is built to look at billions of detections of moving objects, compare them, and find the detections that correspond to the same object. Using this method, Holman uncovered ED138, and he immediately noticed that its brightness and distance indicated that it is unusually large. “My first reaction was one of excited disbelief,” says Holman. “Objects like this are very rare, so I immediately started checking whether I or the code had done something wrong.”

To remove any doubt, a detailed search through the data began in the hopes of uncovering more observations of ED138. Juri searched Rubin’s catalogs and images and found 20 more observations, going back to 4 March 2026. In all, Rubin observed ED138 30 times on 20 nights between 4 March and 11 July. Additional archival images from the DOE-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), and uncovered by the Asteroid Institute’s ADAM Precovery service, provided data going all the way back to 2016. These data allowed the team to trace more than 10 years of ED138's orbit. DECam is mounted on the NSF Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

ED138 is currently at a distance of about 46 astronomical units (au), where 1 au is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. For reference, dwarf planet Pluto has an average distance of 40 au. This classifies ED138 as a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) — objects that orbit the Sun at a distance greater than Neptune’s.

The data suggests this new planet is the largest TNO object so far discovered, though at present the size estimate is very uncertain, from 350 to 1400 miles in diameter.

Submission + - Google Begins Certifying Registered App Stores For Android (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Running an app ecosystem has gotten a lot more complex for Google after its loss in the Epic Games antitrust case. While US users can access app stores in Google Play by court order, international users will use Google’s voluntary Registered App Stores program. Google has announced that stores wishing to be part of that program are now free to apply, and support will roll out to some Android devices later this year. App stores accepted into the program will enjoy preferential treatment on the Android platform. Users of approved stores will be able to install apps with a single click, similar to the experience in the Play Store. These stores will also be allowed to update apps silently in the background like Google’s store does.

[...] Registered App Stores are still happening on Android, but they won’t be supported in the US—you can go to Google Play for alternative stores stateside, but so far, Aptoide remains the only one listed. Those operating Android app storefronts who want to be included in the international program can now review the program and begin the enrollment process. Any store hoping to get approval will have to adhere to a number of requirements, including protecting intellectual property, removing illegal content, and publishing a privacy policy for both users and developers. Google also requires several ongoing security measures to ensure the stores do not give malware easier access to Android devices. As part of the application process, store operators must provide documentation for all these points (in English) and upload copies of all their apps.

It costs $10,000 per year to participate in the Android Registered App Stores program, and that fee must be paid before Google will review the application. Google says this fee covers the additional support necessary to run the program. There may also be additional review fees if Google detects a store has a problem with malware. Google plans to roll out support in dozens of nations, which includes most of the world outside of the US and Europe. The program goes live on December 1, but it will only work on Android devices running the latest builds of Android 17. Google says support will start with Android 17 QPR2, which is expected to arrive on Pixel phones in the coming weeks.

Comment Re:Ford EV? (Score 1) 57

Reading the tea leaves, it sounded like the market for a full-size electric pickup is comprised of individuals who seemingly suffer from terminal range anxiety. So Ford is rumored to be relaunching the F-150, except on the new universal platform and also as an EREV - it's supposedly gonna have a generator on board.

I'm actually curious to see the Fathom when it comes out. I don't really need a full-size pickup, but owning a pickup would come in handy a few times a year (if you have to rent one and drive it more than 20-30 miles, you end up paying through the nose). I was originally thinking about the Lighning, but got a bit spooked by all the crap Trump's started pulling to attempt killing the EV market outright. Of course he shot himself in the foot with Iran not too long after, which seems to have changed some of these companies' minds again.

Comment Re: "On Planet Earth" (Score 4, Funny) 83

Must I remind you about the Slashdot Code of Conduct?

- Reading anything except the summary is against the rules and may result in a lifetime ban.

- Reading the full summary is frowned upon, but allowable. However posters are strongly encouraged to stop reading after the first two sentences.

- Responses which make it obvious the author only read the first half of the submission title should be modded "Insightful" if at all possible.

Comment Re:Is it another car or actually a truck? (Score 1) 56

Of course it's a POS, it's a Ford. But I'm not mad at the Maverick for having the form factor that it has, I just don't think it's a truck by any reasonable definition any more than a RAV4 or CR-V is a SUV. If it's based on a car platform, it's a car.

Ironically for this whole conversation I think most people who buy full frame pickups would be better off with something else, Most pickups will never tow and most 4WD pickups will never go off-road, at least not under the original owners. But I also think that there's a real market for a full frame EV pickup, and it would sell both to people who should and shouldn't buy it based on how they actually use the vehicle.

Submission + - A UK teen made fun of a local politician. Then police showed up at his door. (nypost.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The case is a stark reminder to all Americans of just how important our rights are — and how even nations in the supposedly “free” world can devolve into dystopian censorship regimes without those protections.

Then the ‘Streisand effect' came calling
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2026%2F10%2F27%2F...

Comment Re:Is it another car or actually a truck? (Score 0) 56

Nope. It's just not what I am interested in, and also, there's a whole bunch of old guys who have been asking for a simple electric pickup with this kind of functionality. Older than me, I mean. I've talked to them about it when I worked at the RV shop, it came up surprisingly often. There's a market for an old school sized small EV pickup, but it has to be full frame. Just make the frame wider and put a battery between the rails, FFS. It can have IRS or a live axle, it doesn't matter because a smaller pickup doesn't get so crashy. Put a double wishbone in the front and it will handle fine.

I am not against any kind of car existing, and I think most pickup buyers would be better of with minivans. I just know that the market has been ignoring this not very profitable per unit segment for obvious reasons, but would like to see it explored. I, too, am interested in that type of vehicle. But it's hard to get a car company excited about making a vehicle which is maintainable. Ford fucked up big time in the eighties and came up with a pickup and engine that would last for decades, and they haven't wanted to repeat that mistake. (F-150 with a 300 and a 5 speed, ofc.)

Comment Re:Is it another car or actually a truck? (Score 1) 56

My bro-dozer (1992 F250 7.3 w/ATS 088) is long gone (pinholing from cavitation) and I am just going from a hatchback with a 1.8 L4 (2008 Versa hatch 6MT) to a CUV with a 2.5 L4 — A pre-dented base 2011 RAV4 AWD. I WFH 4 days so the reduced MPG won't really affect me.

But, if I am going to buy a pickup, then I want it to have a frame. And if it's an EV, I want it to have either a non-integral or reasonably rebuildable battery. Cars are great, I love cars, I've owned literally dozens of cars and only one pickup. All the pickups worth owning (Toyota this and that) are big moneys up here. I did consider getting a Ridgeline, because if I'm going to have a cruck I want it to be a Honda and not a Ford, but I couldn't find one in my price range.

Full frame pickups have more life in them. And preferably, not some kind of foofoo frame like the Lightning, either. I don't even need IRS, thanks. Just give me an electric live axle and call it good! And there's a ton of fogeys far older than me who would buy the same thing, they've been– well, not shouting out, but at least quietly asking for a simple, affordable EV pickup which works as a generator. So if this is that, then my hat is off to Ford for delivering exactly the thing people have been asking for. And if it isn't, then my response is meh, another Ford. But I think Korean EVs prove that even an automaker that's kind of crap at making cars can start making pretty good EVs, so even I might be willing to give Ford another try.

Submission + - This frog bacterium wiped out cancer tumors in mice with a single dose (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by fahrbot-bot
fahrbot-bot writes: Science Daily has reported that scientists at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have identified a naturally occurring bacterium from the intestines of Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus) that demonstrated remarkable anticancer activity in mice. The findings, published in Gut Microbes, introduce a new approach to cancer treatment that uses living bacteria to directly target tumors rather than simply altering the gut microbiome.

In a mouse model of colorectal cancer, a single intravenous dose of E. americana completely eliminated tumors, producing a 100% complete response (CR) rate. The researchers emphasize that these findings are limited to mice, but they believe the results provide an encouraging proof of concept for developing new bacterial cancer therapies.

First, E. americana directly attacks tumors. As a facultative anaerobic bacterium, it thrives in both oxygen rich and oxygen poor environments, allowing it to multiply inside the oxygen deprived regions commonly found within tumors. Once there, the bacterial population increased by roughly 3,000 fold within 24 hours after treatment, directly damaging cancer cells.

Second, the bacterium stimulates the immune system. Its presence attracted T cells, B cells, and neutrophils into tumors. These immune cells then released inflammatory signaling molecules, including TNF- and IFN-, which strengthened the immune response and promoted cancer cell death.

One of the most striking findings was that E. americana accumulated almost exclusively inside tumors and did not colonize healthy organs.

They found that the bacteria were rapidly cleared from the bloodstream, with a half life of approximately 1.2 hours, and became undetectable within 24 hours. No bacterial colonization was detected in healthy organs, including the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, or heart.

The treatment caused only mild, temporary inflammation that returned to normal within 72 hours. During a 60 day observation period, the researchers found no evidence of chronic toxicity.

Submission + - Greenhouse Gas Levels Set Records In 2025, UN Says (cbsnews.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere rose to record highs in 2025, locking in climate impacts that will persist for centuries, the United Nations said on Tuesday. Levels of the three main greenhouse gases — the climate-warming carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — all rose to unprecedented figures in 2025, the U.N.'s weather and climate agency said. The World Meteorological Organization said the rise would lead to more long-term temperature increases for the planet.

The bulletin looks at greenhouse gas concentrations — the amount of those gases in the atmosphere — rather than new annual emissions amounts as the world burns more coal, oil and gas. In 2025, carbon dioxide concentrations were at 426.8 parts per million (ppm); methane at 1,948 parts per billion, and nitrous oxide at 339.1 parts per billion. That takes them, respectively, to 153%, 267% and 126% of the pre-industrial levels witnessed before 1750. Of the three major greenhouse gases, CO2 accounts for about 66% of the warming effect on the climate.

Around half of the total CO2 emitted each year remains in the atmosphere; the rest is absorbed by the land and oceans. From 2024 to 2025, the global average concentration of CO2 rose by 2.8 ppm — smaller than the record surge from 2023 to 2024 of 3.6 ppm. WMO senior scientific officer Oksana Tarasova said this reflected the "recovery of the land carbon sinks and reduced fire carbon emissions in 2025 after the strong 2023/2024 El Nino," the naturally occurring, climate-warming weather phenomenon. "However, a 2.8 ppm annual increase is still a substantial addition of carbon to the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning." It is also above the average growth rate for the past decade of 2.6 ppm — a figure that stood at 0.8 ppm in the 1960s.

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