February 2022 Current Events: Science & Technology News
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The world is a very busy place, and it's hard to stay on top of everything. Infoplease has got you covered. Here are the science and technology news events you need to know so far for February 2022:
- Scientists Make Fresh Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion
- Google Seeks More Privacy For Android Customers
- Russia Faces Multiple Sanction For Big Technology Firms
Scientists Make Fresh Breakthrough In Nuclear Fusion
Photo Source: iStock
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – European scientists made a significant advance in their effort to produce practical nuclear fusion—the energy mechanism that drives the stars. The JET laboratory in the United Kingdom has broken its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by compressing two types of hydrogen together, producing 59 megajoules of energy (11 megawatts of power) over a period of 5 seconds.
The energy derived is more than double what was obtained in 1997 in similar testing; however, It only produced enough energy to boil roughly 60 kettles of water. The relevance is that it confirms design decisions made for a larger fusion reactor currently under construction in France.
"The JET trials have brought us one step closer to fusion power," said Dr. Joe Milnes, the reactor lab's chief of operations. If nuclear fusion can be successfully replicated on Earth, it opens the door to nearly limitless amounts of low-carbon, low-radiation energy.
Source: BBC
Google Seeks More Privacy For Android Customers
Photo Source: iStock
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – Google's proposal to limit data monitoring on its Chrome browser has been expanded to include apps on Android devices. Its Privacy Sandbox initiative tries to limit the user data marketers may collect.
Google said in a blog post that it is now expanding its Privacy Sandbox to Android applications and working on methods to minimize data sharing and "run without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID." These IDs are associated with cell phones and are used by applications to collect data. Google stated that it would maintain them for at least two years while it works "with the industry" on a new method.
The news will devastate companies like Meta, which rely on placing their code on applications to analyze customer behavior. Third-party cookies, which target advertisements based on people's surfing history, will be taken out of Google's Chrome browser by 2023.
Source: BBC
Russia Faces Multiple Sanction For Big Technology Firms
Photo Source: iStock
Monday, February 28, 2022 – Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are all toughening their views on Russian state media material as European politicians increase pressure on the Big Tech platforms to act against pro-Russian propaganda and confront the increasing information war in Ukraine and throughout the internet.
YouTube also said on Saturday that it would "seriously reduce recommendations to these channels" as part of its plan to block RT and other Russian state media on its platform.
However, there are fears that cracking down too hard may have unexpected effects, both for the platforms and Russian individuals who rely on them. While Western leaders pushed digital platforms to adopt a stronger position, Russia has taken the opposite stance.
The Russian government has previously demanded that YouTube lift its limitations on Russian official media channels, and it has sought to "partially restrict" Facebook access for "fact-checking and labeling" of various Russian sites.
Source: CNN
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