HURRICANE MILTON STRIKES FLORIDA CAUSING WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota as a Category 3 hurricane, causing significant destruction across Central Florida. The storm tore off the roof of Tropicana Field, slammed a crane into a downtown building, and spawned tornadoes that resulted in fatalities over 100 miles inland. While the densely populated Tampa Bay area largely avoided severe storm surge, barrier islands experienced heavy flooding, with uprooted trees and damaged buildings reported in Sarasota. As of Thursday morning, over 3.3 million customers were without power, with some Gulf Coast counties seeing outages affecting more than 80 percent of their population. Tornadoes caused additional devastation, damaging over a hundred structures statewide, prompting search and rescue efforts in Fort Pierce. Recovery efforts commenced in several Gulf Coast counties, with authorities already clearing debris. Evacuees in Tampa huddled in hotel lobbies, exchanging updates and connecting with one another amid the storm’s chaos. (New York Times)
HURRICANE MILTON INTENSIFIES TO CATEGORY 5 THREATENING FLORIDA
Hurricane Milton intensified to Category 5 status earlier this week, causing extensive destruction in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula before threatening Florida, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. The National Hurricane Center warned of an “extremely serious risk” to Florida, with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urging residents to evacuate to avoid potential fatalities. Just weeks prior, Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, left 227 dead and two million without power as it moved inland, causing widespread flooding and damage across multiple states. Climate scientists warn that human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of hurricanes. A new study indicates that climate change has made hurricanes like Helene 2.5 times more likely to occur, with rainfall becoming 10% heavier due to rising temperatures. As ocean temperatures rise, fueling storms like Milton, meteorologists predict increasingly unpredictable hurricane seasons in the Atlantic, raising alarms about future extreme weather events. (El Pais)
SOLAR STORM WATCH ISSUED AS SUNSPOT AIMS AT EARTH
The sun periodically releases massive eruptions of particles into the solar system, which can lead to stunning auroras or disrupt technology on Earth. On Wednesday, the Space Weather Prediction Center issued a severe storm watch due to a significant solar flare and coronal mass ejection observed from a sunspot in the sun’s northern hemisphere. Shawn Dahl from the center noted that the eruption’s central position on the sun suggests it is aimed at Earth, potentially causing disruptions. While the storm is unlikely to be as intense as one in May, which reached “extreme” levels, it could still produce auroras visible as far south as Alabama. Charged particles from the event, traveling at over 2.5 million miles per hour, are expected to impact Earth’s magnetic field. With Hurricane Milton threatening Florida’s power grid, officials contacted grid operators early to prepare for potential outages. Historical solar storms, like the 1859 Carrington Event and the 1989 Quebec blackout, highlight the serious impact such events can have on technology. (New York Times)
MYANMAR’S METHAMPHETAMINE TRADE IMPACTS AUSTRALIA’S DRUG CRISIS
Myanmar’s northeastern region, particularly near the Golden Triangle, is a significant source of crystalline methamphetamine, known as “ice,” which heavily impacts Australia. The Australian Federal Police estimates that about 70% of ice in Australia originates from this area, where the drug is produced and transported through Southeast Asia. A National Drug Strategy survey reveals that 1 in 100 Australians aged 14 and older used ice in the past year, with 7.5% having tried it at least once. Addiction can affect anyone, as exemplified by Charlie Samson, who became addicted at 18 while maintaining a stable job. He noted that many high-functioning individuals also struggle with addiction, despite common stereotypes. The production of methamphetamine and heroin has surged since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, with drug profits funding ongoing conflicts. The Australian Federal Police face challenges in addressing the drug trade, balancing the need for regional security with concerns about human rights abuses by Myanmar’s regime. The increased purity of methamphetamine poses severe risks, leading to criminal behavior and incarceration. (Al-Jazeera)
ARCHIVE.ORG HACK EXPOSES DATA OF 31 MILLION USERS
Archive.org, a vital resource for preserving Internet history, was recently hacked, exposing data from approximately 31 million users. The breach was revealed when the site displayed a message around 2 PM California time, indicating that it had suffered a security compromise and that users’ information could be found on Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), a site that notifies individuals about compromised accounts. The message was short-lived as the site soon experienced downtime, later returning with Brewster Kahle, the founder, reporting a DDoS attack. HIBP confirmed that the hack occurred last month, resulting in the exposure of user records, including email addresses, screen names, and bcrypt-hashed passwords. This incident raises significant concerns about the security of such an important digital archive. (Ars Technica)
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY STARTUP BACTA INNOVATES NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCTION
The synthetic biology and precision fermentation sector is booming, with startups like Paris-based baCta pioneering innovative uses of genetic engineering to produce natural rubber. The company has developed a proof of concept that utilizes engineered E. coli bacteria to synthesize natural rubber in vitro using renewable feedstocks, such as glucose, with plans to diversify to acetate and carbon sources, aiming for carbon neutrality. Having secured €3.3 million (approximately $3.6 million), baCta’s next goal is to industrialize its process, transitioning from lab-scale production to larger quantities suitable for commercial use. Natural rubber, traditionally harvested from Hevea trees, poses sustainability challenges, including deforestation, while synthetic rubber is derived from petroleum. BaCta’s approach could offer a greener alternative with competitive pricing. Initially targeting luxury fashion brands for small-batch applications, the startup plans to expand to industrial uses once production scales. BaCta also aims to develop carbon-neutral isoprenoids for various industries in the future, starting with the more familiar and widely used natural rubber. (Tech Crunch)
BAIDU EXPANDS ROBOTAXI SERVICE APOLLO GO TO NEW MARKETS
Chinese tech giant Baidu is reportedly preparing to expand its robotaxi service, Apollo Go, beyond China, targeting markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East. The company is working with local companies and regulators to facilitate this expansion and plans to release a globally designed version of its autonomous-driving platform, Apollo 10.0. Currently, Baidu operates robotaxi services in multiple Chinese cities, having provided nearly 900,000 rides in the second quarter of this year alone. Other Chinese companies are also pursuing opportunities in the autonomous driving market. Pony.ai has partnered with Singapore’s Comfort DelGro to explore large-scale robotaxi operations, while WeRide has collaborated with Uber to bring its vehicles to the UAE. As various regions, including China, Singapore, and Japan, begin testing self-driving vehicles, concerns about safety and the impact on human drivers have emerged. Incidents involving robotaxis, such as an Apollo Go vehicle hitting a pedestrian in Wuhan, have heightened scrutiny and debate about their safety and effectiveness. (Channel News Asia)
ELEPHANTS SHOW PREFERENCE FOR TRUNK USAGE LIKE HANDS
Recent research has revealed that elephants exhibit a preference for which side of their trunk they use, similar to how humans are divided into right-handed and left-handed individuals. Scientists found that this preference, referred to as “trunkedness,” can be identified by examining the wrinkles on an elephant’s trunk. Left-trunkers, who scoop objects toward the left side, have more wrinkles and longer whiskers on the left side, while the right side shows signs of wear due to frequent ground contact. Published in the journal *Royal Society Open Science*, this study represents the most comprehensive examination of trunk wrinkles in Asian and African elephants. The research indicates that Asian elephants have more wrinkles on the upper side of their trunks compared to African elephants, likely enhancing trunk flexibility. Additionally, while elephants are born with trunk wrinkles, their development begins in the womb, with significant growth occurring during gestation. Overall, the findings underscore the trunk’s complexity as a highly specialized grasping organ, comparable to the human hand. (The Guardian)
Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.
WORDS: The Biology Guy.
IMAGE CREDIT: NASA.