Clever observations on a footprint

I liked this post. Very informative. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/17uYpcGQ3s/ 

Godwit 11 days non-stop flying

From Alaska to Tasmania. Wow. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CAoKQNLSc/

I imagine it shuts down half its brain internally while flying, as described here. 

https://youtu.be/Z4wUhh_xgSQ?si=l-MbxV5Q7TY1L8tE 

Tethered wind turbine aloft

https://youtu.be/GOM8NagknQI?si=0Ejcj374B6JzsW4D

2000m high generated almost 400kWh in just half an hour. which is about 0.75MW. Regular turbines on the ground now generate upwards of 3 MW on land, and as high as 13 MW in 25 mph winds in ocean-based platforms, so this system is curtailed by weight that it can lift aloft with its helium aerostat design. 

Dire predictions about the future of AI.

https://youtu.be/gIxq03dipUw?si=xkJmD3OuYa3tMAds

11:02 Once AI is embedded into infrastructure,  can we switch AI off? 

People assume it's neutral, safe, and Uber human control. None of that is true. 

14:24 AI alignment (with human goals of human preservation) is really important. AI itself predicts the chances of solving "alignment" within 5 years is 10-25%. 

15:18 (Geoffrey Hinton) "If we can't figure out a solution to how we can still be around when they're much smarter than us and much more powerful than us, we'll be toast." 

Sargassum concrete blocks

https://youtu.be/X4rxSz8Oze0?si=D6LjXRZZvtAiEVXi

Pelagic Sargassum blooms have massively increased, littering Caribbean beaches - perhaps fueled by nitrogen runoff from Amazon deforestation. 

At the right proportions, sargassum with its lignin, cellulose, and polysaccharides

3:16 acts like rebar reinforcing the concrete blocks, making them twice as strong as conventional ones. 

The bricks also have 4:07 half the thermal conductivity of regular bricks, reducing air conditioning costs. 

Get exercise! Even if it's just a few minutes a day.

Considering that it is unlikely for all individuals to achieve the WHO physical activity recommendation of 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) weekly, our data underscore the large impact of realistic and achievable behaviour changes on population health. If the least active 80% of participants had increased MVPA by 5 min/day or reduced sedentary time by 30 min/day, 10% and 7% of all deaths, respectively, might have been avoided during the follow-up period.

Brief bouts of device-measured intermittent lifestyle physical activity and its association with major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in people who do not exercise: a prospective cohort study. 2026

"25,241 adults...wore an accelerometer on their wrist...mean follow-up duration of 7.9 years, 824 major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and 1111 deaths occurred. Compared with bouts of less than 1 min, mortality risk was lower for bouts of 1-3 min (hazard ratio [HR] 0·66), 3-5 min (HR 0·56), and 5-10 min (HR 0·48)" 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00183-4/fulltext

Biomass density vs distance from shore

Biomass density along a cross-shore section, for small (blue), medium (red), and large size (yellow) fish.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Biomass-density-along-a-cross-shore-section-for-small-blue-medium-red-and-large_fig9_360370727

No ban on DJI drones after all.

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Friday it has withdrawn a plan to impose restrictions on Chinese drones...

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-commerce-department-drops-plan-impose-restrictions-chinese-made-drones-2026-01-09/

Sleep optimization test

a smart mattress cover that uses sensors and AI to personalize your sleep climate by adjusting temperature for better deep and REM sleep

It begins with a test - an at-home sleep analysis using a sensor patch (the patch collects data on your sleep patterns, heart rate, and breathing, focusing on core body temperature cycles) to understand your natural temperature patterns and improve the system's adjustments for better rest. It's a consumer-focused wellness tool aiming to enhance sleep quality by controlling the most controllable factor: body temperature. https://www.facebook.com/share/1CAgUBU9kF/

Junior miner boom and bust

AI says "parabolic, last-gasp" rallies can sometimes constitute 20% to 50% or more of the total move in the final days or weeks before a crash...Junior miners often experience even more dramatic, last-minute vertical spikes (a 40-fold rise with sometimes 6% over the final day) compared to major producers, meaning the final, pre-crash day can see extreme, unsustainable gains before a 75%–90% crash.Here are some examples.

"FURY", "UAMY", "GSM", "CRML

Can have 40% drops on the way to blow-off top. 

Skating on thin ice

https://youtu.be/v3O9vNi-dkA?si=sQYu2UNR70-IekLx

Reminds me of this sound:

https://youtu.be/b2y2GdkdDbA?si=hq025qLUrnjfMfZ3

What happens to new cars that don't sell?

https://youtu.be/MGvk8VXrVvI?si=hBW83SgqwFgXbe2x

1. Sell within 90 days
2. "Punching" the car - reporting it was sold (to prevent loan fees) then selling it as a used model, with the warranty clock already running. Dealer gets a bonus for a quick sale. 
3. "Sell" it to the service department as a loaner car, then sell it used months later. Often sells faster at higher profit margin as a "certified pre-owned" (CPO) than of it remained new on the lot. 
4. Dealer trades - ship the car to a hotter market
5. Wholesale auction: sell at a loss but avoid loan penalties. 
6. Sell to rental fleet. Manufacturer keeps rights to buy vehicle back and sell as used. 
7. Gray market export - "bought" by intermediaries who ship vehicles overseas where demand is higher. 
8. Emerging market export. Often it's "punched" first (#2 above) then expected as a used vehicle to save on duty. 
9. Scrapped. To avoid tarnishing the brand by flooding the market at low prices. 

When dealers add "market adjustment fees" and so on, it's too pay for all these costs invited on vehicles that don't sell. 

Las Vegas Tunnel dwellers

https://youtu.be/7MkAs99O1LQ?si=EdRn5UHY2wQ432Ep

Hundreds of people living in total darkness in tunnels under Las Vegas - under constant threat of flooding from rain overflow. Crime, violence, and they are rampant. 

"Shine a light" program aims to help by providing supplies and Instant Placement with Access to Treatment and Housing program, offering long-term case management, housing assistance, job development, and essential supplies. 

Stored-heat solar-powered generators

Modular units with solar-tracking Fresnel lenses that heat ceramic bricks for later on-demand power generation with a Stirling engine. 

YouTube "How these insanely cheap solar containers produce 24/7 energy."   

AI in factories

https://youtu.be/Yx1UEdDii5s?si=nIVhawI4EvP5LdtA

2:42 The dream of "dark factories" exclusively run by robots is not coming true.