Short Takes – 10-3-24

Explainer: what is ricin? ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “Efforts are also underway to develop vaccines to protect against ricin exposure. In 2020, the US Food and Drug Agency granted a fast-track designation to Soligenix for its RiVax vaccine candidate. RiVax contains a genetically altered version of ricin’s A chain and so primes an antibody response to ricin exposure. The vaccine appears to have provided a high level of protection against ricin exposure in animal studies.”

NASA prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle testing. Phys.org article. Pull quote: “In April 2024, as part of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, NASA selected three vendors—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab—to supply rover capabilities for use by astronauts on the lunar surface. While the test unit will never go to the moon, it will support the development of additional rover prototypes that will enable NASA and the three companies to continue making progress until one of the providers comes online.”

Alien civilizations are probably killing themselves from climate change, bleak study suggests. An interesting take on climate change. Pull quote: “In this case, the flooded house is the atmospheric temperature of a planet. A buildup of energy leakage, even from green energy, will eventually overheat any planet to the point where it is no longer habitable. If energy levels aren't curbed, this disastrous level of climate change could take less than 1,000 years from the start of energy production, the team found.”

Getting space traffic coordination on track. SpaceReview.com article. Traffic deconfliction not traffic control. Pull quote: “In the statement about the beginning of TraCSS [Traffic Coordination System for Space] phase 1.0, a Pentagon official emphasized the cooperative nature of the work between the two departments. “The Department of Defense is working side-by-side with the Department of Commerce to ensure the seamless transfer of responsibility for civil and commercial space situational awareness services and information,” said John Hill, performing the duties of associate secretary of defense for space policy.”

Class-action lawsuit filed against Georgia lab after fire released chemical plume into atmosphere. NBC26.com article. Pull quote: “On Sunday, a fire broke out on the roof of the BioLab facility in Conyers, Georgia, triggering a malfunctioning sprinkler head and causing water to interact with a water-reactive chemical housed at the plant, Rockdale County Fire Chief Marian McDaniel said. This sent a large cloud of dark smoke into the atmosphere that could be seen and even smelled for miles, with residents of both Rockdale County and neighboring communities reporting scents of strong chemicals and a heavy haze that's continued to create low visibility as far as Atlanta as of Wednesday.”