Short Takes – 7-2-24

Surface Forces: Attacking Novorossiysk. StrategyPage.com article. Larger impact described. Pull quote: “Nations with major warship fleets, like the U.S. and China, have much to fear from this new development of weaponized seagoing USVs. These USVs are difficult to spot visually, especially at night. Sonar can detect them, and autocannon-equipped ship weapons, like Phalanx, can be adapted to accurately target and destroy USVs. Since the United States provides most of the military aid to Ukraine, they can get some cooperation from the Ukrainians that will help American warships and those of other NATO nations develop weapons and tactics to deal with USVs. The Russians were taken by surprise when their Black Sea Fleet was attacked by USVs. In less than a year, most of the Black Sea Fleet warships were destroyed or severely damaged by USVs. Because of the USVs, Ukraine, which does not have a conventional navy, now controls most of the Black Sea.”

Farm-to-Table Study Reveals Why Whole Grains Are Healthiest. NewsWise.com article. Pull quote: “In the two types of whole wheat flours, levels of major minerals remained virtually unchanged from kernel to flour to bread, while the levels of some trace minerals actually increased during processing. In refined flours and breads, major minerals were reduced by up to 72% and trace minerals were reduced by up to 64% compared with wheat kernels.”

1,1-Dichloroethane and 1,2-Dichloroethane; Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) Peer Review; Notice of SACC Meeting, Availability of Draft Documents and Request for Comment. Federal Register EPA notice. Summary: “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or “Agency”) is announcing the availability of and soliciting public comment on the draft risk evaluation for 1,1-dichloroethane and the draft human health hazard technical support document for 1,2-dichloroethane (also known as ethylene dichloride). The draft documents were prepared under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and will be submitted to the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) for peer review. EPA is also announcing that there will be two virtual public meetings of the SACC: On August 27, 2024, a preparatory meeting for the SACC to consider the scope and clarity of the draft charge questions for the peer review; and on September 17 through 20, 2024, the peer review meeting for the SACC to consider the draft documents and public comments.”

NASA Selects SpaceX to Destroy the International Space Station. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “For the mission to destroy the ISS, SpaceX will need to either substantively overhaul an existing vehicle or design something entirely new—and fast. Although NASA hopes the deorbit vehicle won’t need to launch until early 2030, the agency is aware that a stroke of bad luck on the aging station would require a scramble to fly the deorbit vehicle much sooner.”

Hurricane Beryl’s Unprecedented Intensification Is an ‘Omen’ for the Rest of the Season. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “Before Beryl, there has never been a hurricane known to form this far east in June, McNoldy says. The only other storm that came close was during the record-breaking 1933 season, before storms were given names. Beryl also became the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record for the Atlantic; the previous record-holder was Hurricane Dennis on July 8, 2005—during another blockbuster season. On late Monday evening Beryl beat another record from that season (the same year that produced Hurricane Katrina), becoming the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record by two weeks. The previous earliest Category 5 was Hurricane Emily on July 16, 2005. “That is not a couple of years that you want to be breaking records of,” McNoldy says. Beryl is also the strongest Atlantic hurricane to occur in July on record, with 165 mph maximum wind speeds, beating Emily’s winds of 160 mph.”

Pasteurization Kills Bird Flu Virus in Milk, New Studies Confirm. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “Pasteurization completely inactivated the virus in all of the tested samples. This was true even when the team checked on the milk midway through the process, before it went into the holding tube. The researchers predict that pasteurization may be effective at killing as many as one trillion viral particles per milliliter.”