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A solar storm could cause an internet apocalypse, and scientists have created a shirt that can do an ECG
Topics of the week
Powerful solar storm could trigger internet apocalypse
If a powerful solar storm occurs on the Sun, it will lead to global problems with telecommunications on Earth. We are in for an internet apocalypse.
Research by scientists from the University of California showed that powerful solar storms have not been observed since 1859, that is, the last time such an event occurred before the advent of modern energy networks and Internet communications. But even then, the result of the storm was the failure of telegraph communications.
The formation of the global Internet took place over the past 30 years, when the Sun was in a relatively calm state, so it is not known exactly how a solar storm can affect the habitual lifestyle of a modern person.
Terrestrial highways are unlikely to be threatened in the event of electromagnetic storms. They are less extensive compared to underwater ones and, as a rule, have grounding. In the case of underwater pipelines several thousand kilometers long, the situation is different. Although fiber optic lines are not affected by electromagnetic storms, the same cannot be said for repeaters used to amplify the signal. Such repeaters are installed every 50–150 km and are vulnerable equipment.
According to scientists, a strong electromagnetic storm is likely to disable repeaters, which will lead to global disruptions in telecommunications networks. Recovery will take from several days to several months.
The probability of such a strong storm in the next decade is from 1,6% to 6%. Scientists attribute such a large-scale Internet disaster to events at the level of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such an event is called a “black swan” because it is rare, difficult to predict, and extremely destructive.
The economic losses of mankind from one day of inactivity of the Internet, according to preliminary data, can amount to $ 7 billion.
Scientists advise preparing infrastructure for a potential catastrophic event.
Created a “smart” shirt that can do a cardiogram
American scientists have developed a “smart” shirt that monitors the work of the heart and can take an ECG. The product is stitched not only with threads, but also with carbon nanotubes. The clothes fit snugly against the skin and control the heart rate. Using Bluetooth, the received data can be sent to a doctor or transferred to a pocket Holter monitor.
“There is no need to wear uncomfortable smartwatches or chest straps to monitor your heart. A “smart” shirt can work better; in terms of functionality, it is no different from ordinary clothes, ”experts say.
Scientists conducted an experiment that showed that the new shirt worked better than a real-time medical monitor on a chest strap.
“The shirt should fit snugly around the chest. Going forward, we will focus on using denser sections of carbon nanotube filaments to increase the surface area for skin contact,” said Rice Lauren Taylor, lead author of the study.
The nanotube fibers have the same conductivity as metal wires, but they are convenient and much less likely to break when the body is in motion, the scientists say.
The researchers noted that the nanotube fibers are soft and flexible. “Smart” clothes with such nanotubes can be washed in the machine. The fibers can be sewn into the fabric like a standard thread. The zigzag stitch allows the fabric to stretch.
News of the week
- COVID-19 refers to vascular diseases – scientists.
- VKontakte launched its own service for exchanging letters.
- Online stores KupiVIP and Mamsy announced their closure.
- IKEA has opened its first green store in Vienna.
- Canadian scientists have learned how to quickly turn cocoa butter into high-quality chocolate.
- In China, found traces of drinking beer 9 thousand years ago.
- A new island has been discovered off the coast of Greenland.
Week numbers
- The population of our country could reach 500 million people today
President Vladimir Putin estimated what the size of the country could have been without the political upheavals of the XNUMXth century. He drew attention to the fact that over the course of the last century, “Russian statehood crumbled” twice.
- Sberbank will start issuing mortgages from the age of 18
Sberbank has reduced the minimum age of mortgage borrowers by three years. There is demand from such young clients, but it is low, experts say. Most banks prefer to issue mortgages to our countries from 21 years old.
- The birth rate in southern Europe fell by 6-9% due to the pandemic
Scientists have found that due to the pandemic of coronavirus infection in all European countries, the birth rate has noticeably decreased. In particular, this affected Italy, Portugal and other southern countries of the subcontinent.
Study of the week
Online sales of products in our country grew by 174%
Online sales of food products in our country in the first half of 2021 increased by 2020% compared to the same period in 174 and reached ₽149 billion including VAT. Such data is provided by analysts of the consulting company Data Insight. The number of orders over this period has almost quadrupled to 118 million.
The average check was ₽1.
The number of online orders in food stores is 18% of all orders made with retailers included in the TOP-1000.
Vkusvill.ru took first place in the ranking (in terms of sales volume), Sbermarket.ru and Samokat.ru took second and third places, respectively.
All stores included in the study use courier delivery, 53% – delivery to pickup points. 26% use the services of the Post to our country, and 23% of stores deliver orders to lockers.
12% of the stores included in the study are registered on Yandex.Market.
The most popular social networks in the segment are Instagram (49% of stores are located) and VKontakte (42%).
What to read
- “Moscow becomes Voronezh”. How are heat waves, floods and snowfalls related to climate change?
The summer of 2021 once again broke heat records. It seems that the weather is going crazy more and more: either meter-long snowdrifts fall, or floods paralyze entire cities. Climatologists and weather forecasters explain whether these events are related to global climate change and what to expect in the future.
What to listen
- The Big Beard Theory Podcast: Dinosaurs – What and How We Really Know About Them
What is modern paleontology, what do we know about dinosaurs, mammoths and more, what methods are used in science and when should we expect cloned raptors in zoos? Dmitry Sobolev, author of the Stoned Paleontologist channel, answers questions.
What to see
- The Hermitage put up for sale NFT paintings by Kandinsky, da Vinci and Van Gogh
The State Hermitage put up for sale digital copies of masterpieces from its collection and their NFTs. They appeared on the Binance platform. The auction will run until September 7th. All digital works exist in two copies: one will be sold and the other will remain in the Hermitage.
- Bipedal robot taught to fly
China has created a bipedal robot that can fly. It has four fans, including two in the feet. With their help, the robot takes off and stabilizes itself in flight.