'Ndràngheta, solar storms and the Spratly Islands
#315 Outriders Magazine
Solar storms, Earth's magnetic field and plate tectonics
Could the Sun be responsible for the next crisis on Earth? A severe solar storm can potentially cause satellite failures, undersea fibre-optic communication cables, and power grids. Scientists have identified three intense solar storms in the last 150 years that caused significant disruptions: in 1859, 1872, and 1921, when telegraphs broke down worldwide. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a severe solar storm could cost up to $2 trillion for the first year after the event.
According to research from the University of Rochester, a significant weakening of the Earth's magnetic field over 500 million years ago coincided with a sharp increase in oxygen levels and biodiversity. At that time, the Earth's magnetic field was 30 times weaker than it is today. Scientists believe stronger solar radiation hitting the Earth's atmosphere precipitated hydrogen and other light atoms, leaving excess oxygen. This excess oxygen, in turn, fueled the development of multicellular organisms.
Plate tectonics, which determines the shape of Earth's continents, may have resulted from the collision of the Earth with the planet Thea approximately 4.5 billion years ago. As a result, huge "spots" of matter were formed near the Earth's core, shaping how tectonic plates moved. Plate tectonics is the geological process that drives earthquakes and volcanoes and allows life to exist on Earth.
Zimbabwe's illegal currency market, money laundering and bribery
Zimbabwean authorities are attempting to crack down on currency trading on the black market, which is believed to be causing the devaluation of the newly introduced local currency, the ZiG. Currency traders, predominantly using the US dollar, have gone underground to evade mass arrests by the police and are now communicating with clients through instant messaging. Zimbabwe has been grappling with a prolonged economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, high unemployment rates, and significant fluctuations in the value of the local currency.
Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange based in the Cayman Islands, was reportedly asked by a member of the Nigerian government to pay $150 million in cryptocurrencies, which was perceived as an attempt at bribery. This incident occurred during discussions with Nigerian lawmakers who accused the company of tax violations. A Binance employee who authored the bribery report has been detained in Nigeria and is awaiting trial.
German prosecutors have filed charges against three suspected collaborators of the Italian 'Ndràngheta mafia for alleged money laundering at an ice cream shop in the German town of Siegen in North Rhine-Westphalia. 'Ndràngheta intended to invest approximately 400,000 euros in the ice cream shop to launder the mafia's illegal drug profits and use it as a logistics base. As part of cross-border cooperation and efforts by Italian law enforcement, over 100 individuals have been arrested in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
Between economy and economics: biopiracy and Malaysian orangutans
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is currently finalizing an agreement on an "international legal instrument" to enhance the patent system's effectiveness, transparency, and quality. Developing countries are hopeful that this agreement will help reduce biopiracy, which involves the taking over and patenting of products based on the flora, fauna, knowledge, and culture of local communities by wealthier Western countries. Additionally, databases covering traditional knowledge and cultural expression will be established.
In response to accusations of biodiversity destruction, the Malaysian authorities plan to showcase the orangutans' habitats to countries that import palm oil. As the world's second-largest palm oil producer after Indonesia, Malaysia aims to bolster its credibility as a protector of biodiversity. Orangutans are critically endangered, partly due to the production of palm oil.
In Papua New Guinea, biodiesel produced from coconuts—specifically from copra (coconut pulp)—is used as a cost-effective alternative to imported fuel. This biodiesel powers local schools, hospitals, and cargo ships, and the PNG University of Technology is exploring broader applications for it. The production process involves extracting the oil from copra, mixing it with lye and alcohol, and subjecting it to chemical processes.
Tech: "The purest silicon in the world" and Neuralink
A group of scientists has created a new, groundbreaking material that will make it possible to build large quantum computers. Unlike natural silicon, the "purest silicon in the world" does not contain any impurities that could result in the loss of information by computer components. Researchers have already identified several potential breakthroughs that may become possible thanks to purified silicon and practical quantum computers. These include new opportunities in developing artificial intelligence, communication, and the creation of new drugs. But first, scientists must demonstrate that pure silicon can be used to build a computer with multiple qubits (units of quantum information) while maintaining their integrity.
Dr. Benjamin Rapoport, the co-founder of Neuralink, revealed in an interview that he left the company run by Elon Musk, most likely due to concerns about the safety of Neuralink program participants and the invasiveness of the method used. Meanwhile, participants who were the first to have the Neuralink brain chip implanted admit that they use this technology, for example, to play video games for up to 12 hours daily. "I beat my friends in games that, as someone with quadriplegia, I shouldn't have to beat them," says one of the people who had the Neuralink system implanted.
Youth and the Internet: threats and countermeasures
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) conducted a thorough study to examine the impact of the three-year-old ban on the use of mobile phones in Norwegian middle schools. The study, which utilized a specific methodology, found that banning smartphone use in schools is an easily accessible way to improve students' mental well-being and academic performance. The ban had a particularly positive impact on the mental health and grades of girls from lower-income families, and it also led to a decrease in cases of bullying among young people.
According to the British Office of Communications (Ofcom) and Internet Matters, one in seven minors between the ages of 9 and 16 experienced image-related sexual abuse online and was exposed to nudity being shared online. Ofcom's research also revealed that children and young people aged 8 to 17 spend between two to five hours on the Internet per day, and almost every child over 12 years of age has a mobile phone and watches videos on social media platforms.
Researchers have noted that teenagers may face particular challenges in navigating social uncertainty as they shape their social identity in the virtual world, where smiles take the form of hard-to-read emojis and physical cues are absent. Misinterpreting social signals can lead to social exclusion and loneliness. However, it is still being determined how vulnerable young people are to these threats, as research on social insecurity in online spaces is virtually nonexistent.
Communication of elephants and sperm whales
Scientists have developed a "phonetic alphabet" for sperm whales to understand better how they communicate. According to researchers, sperm whales can combine and modulate various sounds, creating complex sounds associated with human communication. The sounds of sperm whales alone reach up to approximately 230 dB underwater, enabling communication over thousands of nautical miles.
Conversely, elephants greet each other by flapping their ears and making soft, rumbling sounds. They communicate using a variety of gestures, sounds, and visual cues. According to the latest research, they adapt their greeting to the behaviour of other elephants, and their communication has a specific purpose. For example, when they attract the attention of another elephant, they use visual gestures more often, and if not, they tend to use touch. Their long trunks give them an excellent sense of smell, allowing them to detect age, kinship, and even social groups among elephants and people.
In a remarkable display of ingenuity, a Sumatran orangutan named Rakus was observed treating a cheek wound with a self-made, chewed vine poultice. This innovative approach led to complete healing, with the scar barely visible. This incident marks the first documented instance of a wild animal using a medicinal plant for wound healing. In a different corner of the animal kingdom, osprey grass snakes employ a different survival strategy, feigning death by filling their mouths with blood and smearing themselves with musk and excrement to evade their predators.
Territorial disputes between India and Nepal and China and the Philippines
Authorities in New Delhi criticized Nepal's decision to issue a new banknote featuring a map with three border areas claimed by both countries. The disputed territories of Kalapani, Lipu Lech, and Limpiyadhura are under Indian control. The new banknote adds 335 km2 of area to Nepal, and it will take the Nepalese central bank about a year to print and issue it. The border dispute escalated after New Delhi issued a political map in November 2019, placing the disputed area on Indian territory and constructing an 80-kilometer road through Lipu Lekh. Nepal historically occupied this territory, considered one of the shortest and most practical trade routes between India and China.
China has revealed details of alleged concessions by the Philippines in secret agreements over a disputed area in the South China Sea. The "Gentlemen's Agreement" at the end of 2021 was to concern the Philippine naval facility at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands - a group of approximately 100 small features located in the South China Sea. The facility itself is a rusting warship. In exchange for Chinese forces maintaining the status quo in the disputed area, the Filipinos were to abandon their plans to modernize the facility. The new authorities of the Philippines, a US ally under the defence treaty, firmly deny the agreement with China.
Research on the brain, sleep, memory and the human "neural compass".
Although it is widely believed that a good night's sleep helps remove toxins from the brain, a recent study found that this explanation is invalid. Researchers used a fluorescent dye to study the brains of mice. They discovered that the brain's clearance factor and fluid flow were much lower during sleep (30%) and anaesthesia (50%) than regular activity. Scientists believe these findings may also apply to humans and could have implications for dementia research.
Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich are conducting motion-tracking experiments to understand the human neural compass. This research aims to fill gaps in our knowledge about this crucial neural network, which could significantly advance our understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, often involving impaired navigation and orientation.
UCLA Health researchers have identified a mechanism that creates memories while reducing metabolic costs, even during sleep. This efficient memory, called working memory, occurs in the brain's region crucial for learning and memory, where Alzheimer's disease begins. Using a specially prepared "mathematical microscope," experts revealed the inner workings of the neurons that create memory. Working memory allows a person to remember specific information briefly while dealing with other tasks.