An New Way of Tracking Hurricanes

Daily Upsider on July 17, 2024

Some tropical storms rapidly become category five hurricanes. Cutting-edge saildrones are revealing how this happens.

Hurricane Otis hit southern Mexico on October 25, 2023, with 165mph (270km/h) winds, killing at least 27 people and causing widespread damage and power outages in Acapulco. NOAA described Otis as a “life-threatening storm surge” with destructive winds and heavy rainfall, leading to flash flooding and mudslides. Otis intensified by 110mph (177km/h) within 24 hours.

Scientists aim to understand why these storms intensify so quickly. NOAA, partnering with Saildrone, uses seafaring drones to collect oceanic and atmospheric data. Saildrones, which resemble sailboats and range from 23ft (7m) to 65ft (20m), use wind propulsion and solar-powered sensors to measure hurricane paths and intensity changes. They also analyze ocean currents, creating a comprehensive picture of the air and water column.

The mission is not about predicting hurricanes but improving future hurricane modeling by studying their intensification. Hurricanes form over warm waters, where evaporating water creates low pressure, drawing in more air and forming storms. When wind speeds reach 74mph (119km/h), it becomes a hurricane. Kerry Emanuel from MIT notes the importance of understanding heat transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere, a gap the saildrones aim to fill.

The One Man Castle

Daily Upsider on July 16, 2024

If you have never heard about this enormous stone “castle” that was built all by one man, then you will really want to check this video out.

It is absolutely incredible! Not just because it was built by one person, but because it is a genuinely amazing structure.

Provide Free Tuition for Future Doctors

Daily Upsider on July 16, 2024

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $1 billion donation to make medical school free for most students at Johns Hopkins University and increase financial aid for students at its nursing and public health schools.

This announcement came in Michael R. Bloomberg’s (JHU ’64) annual letter on philanthropy in the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2023-2024 Annual Report.

Currently, nearly two-thirds of Johns Hopkins medical students qualify for financial aid, with an average total student loan debt of about $104,000. Starting in fall 2024, Johns Hopkins will offer free tuition for medical students from families earning less than $300,000 a year, covering about 95% of Americans. Additionally, living expenses and fees will be covered for students from families earning less than $175,000 a year.

“As the U.S. faces a shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals, the high cost of education often prevents students from enrolling,” said Mr. Bloomberg. “By reducing financial barriers, we can enable more students to pursue these essential careers.”

The donation is expected to reduce the average student loan debt for Johns Hopkins medical students to $60,279 by 2029, with most American families paying nothing. This initiative aims to ensure that talented aspiring doctors from diverse socio-economic backgrounds can graduate debt-free.

The gift will also increase financial aid for students at the School of Nursing and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, as well as for low and middle-income students pursuing graduate degrees in other Johns Hopkins schools, including the School of Education, Whiting School of Engineering, Carey School of Business, School of Advanced International Studies, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Peabody Institute, and the upcoming School of Government and Policy.

This donation follows Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2018 contribution of $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins to support need-blind admissions, which significantly lowered the net cost of attendance and increased economic diversity among students.

Last year, Michael Bloomberg donated over $3 billion to charity, making him one of the top American philanthropists.

The History of Olympic Mascot Design

Daily Upsider on July 15, 2024

For over fifty years, Olympic athletes have often been cheered on by mascots representing the host city’s culture and history. These mascots, chosen and finalized years before the Games, aim to spread a festive atmosphere and embody the spirit of the event, according to the International Olympic Committee.

Throughout the decades, mascots have ranged from snowmen and sasquatches to bears and aliens. This year, the mascot is a hat, specifically the red Phrygian cap worn by emancipated Roman slaves and later a symbol of freedom during the French Revolution.

The first Olympic mascot, created by designer Aline Lafargue for the 1968 Grenoble Winter Games in France, was named “Shuss.” Despite its iconic status, Lafargue designed Shuss in just one night. Host countries often hold contests to select mascots, such as the 2014 Sochi Winter Games competition, which received over 24,000 submissions. The winning trio of arctic mammals was chosen by public vote and announced on Russian TV. In contrast, Disney privately designed the mascot for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Mascots play a crucial role in merchandise sales, so designs aim to be cute and appealing. For instance, the panda mascot Bing Dwen Dwen from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games sold exceptionally well, and Disney’s Sam the eagle from 1984 was crafted to look friendly and appealing to children. Deviations from this trend have sometimes been poorly received, as with the silver cyclops mascots for the 2012 London Games. In a unique moment, the bear mascot Misha went to space on the “Soyuz” rocket in 1978, two years before the 1980 Moscow Games.

Character design becomes especially important during historically significant Games. For example, the 2000 Sydney Olympics featured three mascots, Syd, Olly, and Millie, referencing Sydney, the Olympics, and the Millennium. T-shirts from these Games are still popular on second-hand resale sites today.

This Radical Mars Rocket Could Revolutionize Space Travel

Daily Upsider on July 15, 2024

NASA has invested $725,000 in a new rocket system to address one of the major challenges of sending humans to Mars: travel time.

Currently, a round-trip to Mars takes nearly two years, posing significant health risks for astronauts, including exposure to high levels of solar and cosmic radiation, zero gravity effects, and prolonged isolation. Space radiation is particularly concerning, as six months in space exposes astronauts to the equivalent of 1,000 chest X-rays, increasing the risk of cancer, nervous system damage, bone loss, and heart disease.

To shorten the trip, NASA is collaborating with Howe Industries to develop the Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR), a propulsion system using pulses of superheated plasma to generate efficient thrust. Funded by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, the PPR is in phase two of development, focusing on optimizing engine design, conducting proof-of-concept experiments, and designing a PPR-powered, shielded spaceship for Mars missions.

The PPR’s significant advantage is its ability to make a spacecraft travel extremely fast, with both high thrust and high specific impulse. It generates 10,000 newtons of thrust with a specific impulse of 5,000 seconds, enabling a spacecraft to travel approximately 100,000 miles per hour.

While it will likely take a couple of decades before the PPR is ready for spaceflight, once available, it will significantly expand the range of human space exploration.