No, no asteroid will hit us in 2046 ● A high-profile scandal is connected with the opening of the world’s first octopus farm ● Football players are at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases

No, no asteroid will hit us in 2046

The chances of a 50-meter-diameter asteroid hitting Earth on February 14, 2046, as originally announced, are slim, NASA and ESA officials say. Less than a week ago, NASA announced that an asteroid, named 2023DW, could hit Earth, although the probability of such an event was quite low.

According to preliminary data, the asteroid, which was discovered on February 26 by a small space observatory in Chile, had a 1/432 chance of colliding with Earth. However, new calculations by NASA and ESA show that the probability is much lower, somewhere around 1/1548.

Also, according to initial data, 2023DW would have a 70% chance of falling into the Pacific Ocean. But there is also a small chance that it will hit North America, Australia or the Caribbean. Now we don’t have to worry anymore. The probability that 2003DW will pass by the Earth is 99.87%, and its closest point to our planet will be 1.8 million kilometers.

Even if it was an imminent impact, we still shouldn’t have too many problems, NASA officials say. As the recent DART mission showed, we already have the technology to deflect an asteroid from its path. Then, although less talked about, China is also developing its own project to deflect potentially dangerous asteroids.

In summary, nothing happens. Quietly sit in your seats!

A high-profile scandal is connected with the opening of the world’s first octopus farm

Nueva Pescanova, one of the world’s largest multinational seafood companies, has announced plans to open a first-of-its-kind octopus farm.

The announcement was met with widespread criticism from academics and sparked protests in several Western countries. What exactly worried researchers and the general public?

First, experts say, octopuses cannot be killed in a “humane” way, contrary to what Nueva Pescanova officials claim. The Spanish businessmen, who recently revealed details of their investment, say the animals will be placed in a pool of freezing water (-3 degrees Celsius), leading to a quick death. On the other hand, scientists say that this process leads to a slow and painful death, contrary to what the company management claims.

Secondly, no one has built farms of this profile yet, and there are reasons for that. Octopuses are solitary animals that live in dark places, and placing them in captivity, in tanks with dozens of other specimens, will lead not only to a high mortality rate (10-15%, according to Nueva Peskanova), but also to a huge mortality . stress for animals in captivity.

Chickens also eat only live feed, which makes it difficult to raise them. In addition, octopuses can injure each other and some can even resort to cannibalism, another reason why they have never been bred in captivity.

Perhaps the most important of all the aspects taken into account by the researchers is that, as a proven fact, octopuses are among the most intelligent animals, some of which are capable of feeling pleasure, pain, fear or other emotions. And the fact that they will be contained in special tanks, in which there will be about 15 specimens for every cubic meter of water, this will cause enormous suffering to animals in captivity.

So far, officials in the Canary Islands, where the farm is planned to open, have not made a decision. Instead, Nueva Pescanova has already invested more than $65 million in the facilities and is expected to not give up on its business plan so easily.

Football players are at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases

You may have heard that it has been discussed on football forums for some time that heading should be banned from football pitches, at least for juniors. A recent study published in the journal The Lancer Public Health, conducted by neuroscientists at the Karolinska Institute of Medicine in Sweden, supports this idea.

According to the statistics they collected, 9% of men who played professional or amateur football developed neurodegenerative diseases, compared to 6% of the population who did not play the royal sport.

The Swedish researchers say the data is telling, especially when comparing the rates of certain diseases in field players and goalkeepers. Goalkeepers do not exceed the limit of 6% when hitting a mine with their head much less often. In general, outfielders are 1.5% more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases.

Where football players live better is the mortality rate. 40% among athletes and 42% among those who did not play sports. To some extent, this is a normal conclusion, given the best physical condition of the athletes.

There are no studies on women’s soccer yet, but Swedish researchers suggest some changes to reduce the risk of injuries and their subsequent consequences. For example, as I already mentioned, it is forbidden to hit the ball with the head. Since this would mean significant changes in the way football is played, another option would be to replace leather balls with balls made of synthetic materials that do not absorb water and do not become heavier. In any case, until a decision is made, if it is made, everything remains at the project stage.

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