Exploring topics like space flight auctions, fear of humans in marsupials, feral canola spread, geomagnetic storm preparedness, financial astrology, debunking armor myths, and humorous quotes from a legendary baseball player.
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Quick takeaways
The solar storm of May 2024 was the strongest geomagnetic storm in years, visible as stunning auroras, with potential risks of blackouts and grid collapses.
Non-GMO canola plants were overrepresented in the wild, suggesting a selection against GMO traits over time.
Earth weathered the G5 level geomagnetic storm in 2024, showcasing improved resilience and preparedness mechanisms.
Recent studies show non-GMO canola traits have a competitive advantage over GMO traits in feral populations.
Deep dives
Solar Storm of 2024: A Record-Breaking Geomagnetic Event
The solar storm of May 2024 marked the strongest geomagnetic storm in years, stemming from notable solar flares and seven coronal mass ejections directed at Earth. Visible as stunning auroras even in atypical locations like Mexico and Europe, this G5 level storm resulted from intense solar activity and could have potentially caused blackouts, transformer damage, and grid collapses, though the actual impact was milder than feared.
Feral Canola and Transgenic GMOs in the Wild
A study on feral canola plants revealed a surprising trend: non-GMO canola plants were overrepresented in the wild compared to their GMO counterparts. Despite concerns about transgenic genes proliferating in feral populations, the evidence suggested that the GMO traits were actually selected against over time, with transgenic genes decreasing in number, hinting at potential losses of genetic traits in the wild.
Historic Space Weather: Geomagnetic Storms and Space Resilience
The space weather event of 2024 led to the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades, classified as a G5 level event. While potentially posing risks like power outages and satellite disruption, Earth largely weathered the storm, showcasing improved resilience and preparedness mechanisms developed over time, contrasting with the significant impacts observed during a similar event in 2003.
Misconceptions and Reality of GMOs in Agriculture
Clarifying misconceptions around GMOs, recent studies indicate that genetically modified canola traits do not dominate feral populations in the wild. Contrary to fears of transgenic gene spread, evidence suggests that non-GMO traits have a competitive advantage and that transgenic genes are actually declining in feral canola plants, underpinning the role of selective pressures in shaping genetic diversity in agricultural and natural environments.
Oldest Example of Plate Armor
The oldest example of plate armor dates back to Europe 3500 years ago and has been demonstrated to have been fully functional.
European Full Suit of Armor Weight
A European full suit of armor weighed about 200 pounds, requiring a hoist to assist them onto horseback.
Graphene-based Body Armor
Graphene-based body armor has been shown to have twice the stopping power as Kevlar and 10 times that of steel.
What's the Word: Zooxanthellae; News Items: Blue Origin Update, Human Predator, Escaped GMOs, Solar Storm, Crypto Astrology; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: AI; Science or Fiction
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