World

Dinosaurs died not to meteors but… to dust?

Apparently, dinos might not have gone out with a bang, but with a slow suffocation. The aftermath of the extinction event 66 million years ago that wiped out 75% of all life on Earth may have gotten a little clearer. Experts say a new analysis of prehistoric particles in what is now North Dakota has shown something captivating.

The widespread theory is that the explosive impact of the asteroid killed all of the prehistoric creatures, but scientists are now questioning that claim.

The huge meteor that struck Earth sent up trillions of tons of soot and sulfur into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun almost completely and rendering photosynthesis obsolete for almost two full years.

According to Nature Geoscience, too little attention has been paid to “the exact killing mechanisms” and the effect that dust had on the dino’s extinction. As scientists continue to evolve their theories on the exact cause of death for the dinosaurs, we may hope to get a more concrete theory in the coming years.

Genetically modified mosquitos are helping get rid of sickness

Modified mosquitos may be the future to stop certain diseases. Dengue infection rates have fallen 94%—97% from 10 years ago, following the introduction of mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia in Colombia.

Wolbachia is a bacteria that prevents the insect from transmitting viruses, carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes released by the World Mosquito Program (WMP). The WMP is a non-profit focused on conducting experiments in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam, among other countries, dealing with the elimination of local disease.

Since the release of the Aedes aegypti, there have been no major outbreaks of dengue among the human populations in those areas. The Wolbachia bacteria is also inherited genetically, so researchers hope the special mosquitos will breed with wild ones to produce a population resistant to the disease, and possibly others too.

Modified mosquitoes could be the start of a new wave of preventative transmission, helping those in South America and East Asia who deal with the skeeters and their deadly diseases.

Colombian president increasing efforts to recover a $20 billion shipwreck

Who wouldn’t want to recover an ancient sunken treasure? Certainly not the Colombian president. Colombia is accelerating its efforts to recover more than $20 billion in gold, silver, and gems from a 300-year-old shipwreck.

Colombian Minister of Culture Juan David Correa says that President Gustavo Petro wants officials to get a move on and recover the sunken treasure off the Caribbean seafloor before his term ends in 2026. “This is one of the priorities of the Petro administration,” Correa said. I don’t blame him.

The Spanish galleon was sunk by the British in 1708, along with the treasures hidden inside. As Colombia escalates its attempts to recover it, a legal battle is raging on.

What’s with the legal dispute?

In the late 1900s, a US company named Glocca Morra claimed they located the shipwreck and handed over the coordinates to the Colombian government with the stipulation that they would receive half of the treasure.

• The company’s successor, Sea Search Armada, is now taking the case to arbitration in London, seeking $10 billion under the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

In 2015, then-President Juan Manuel Santos said the Colombian Navy had found the shipwreck at a different location. Correa stated Colombia would comply with the ruling but that it has no merit since they “concluded there is no shipwreck there,” citing the coordinates provided by the company. Might be worth it to keep an eye on this story.

Business

WeWork(ed) our way into bankruptcy!

The company which once hailed to “elevate the world’s consciousness” has finally filed for bankruptcy. On Wednesday in bankruptcy court, WeWork begged landlords (which constitute $3 billion of the company’s debt) to be open to renegotiation regarding its leases.

This comes as the short-term office space rental company shot from a $47 billion valuation in 2019 to roughly $44.5 million as of Monday morning. Oofda. The company’s best hope is to restructure its balance sheet and get out of its spendy commercial leases while keeping some less expensive locations operational.

What about those who hosted WeWork?

Landlords who, only two years ago, scrambled to get WeWork’s “revolutionary community spaces” are taking huge losses. One example is the building at 149 Madison Avenue in Manhattan, which sold in February at a $10.7 million loss after WeWork, its main tenant, left in 2020.

As a part of its restructuring plan, WeWork will forfeit 69 of its over 600 locations nationwide.

• WeWork was NYC’s biggest office tenant at one point and still has 41 locations occupied there.

• The Big Apple, Boston, and San Francisco are all expected to be cudgeled, as around 42% of WeWork’s properties are in those cities.

This really couldn't come at a worse time, as real estate company JLL says 20% of all office space in the US is vacant right now, leaving plenty of open rooms to be occupied.

Move over Fahrenheit, Celsius is on the rise

The new hottest energy drink has had record sales. Celsius is now one of the world’s fastest-growing businesses, posting their third straight quarter of triple-digit growth on Tuesday.

• The company is known for its conceptualized flavors like “Tropical Vibe” and “Artic Vibe” and having a more health-based focus compared to energy alternatives.

Earnings exploded from an early valuation of $280 million in 2018 to $13.4 billion today, according to GQ.

Emerging dominance

Celsius has gradually clawed away at the energy drink market, expanding to over one-tenth of the US market, per The Motley Fool. They also boast a few other impressive stats:

• The best-selling energy drink on Amazon, claiming a 21.4% share of the category to Monster’s 18.6% and Redbull’s 13%.

• The third-highest-selling energy drink at US outlets/convenience stores.

Getting here wasn’t easy. The company had to pull themselves from the grave after a botched 2008 IPO. Rebranding as a healthy, athlete, and student-friendly energy drink went a long way, clearly.

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Grab Bag

These lovable bamboo eaters are leaving US zoos… for now

China’s pandas are returning to their homeland. If you remember, in one of our old editions we discussed how China started the decade-long tradition of loaning pandas to the US as a sign of benevolence, but that has since ended.

The giant panda is China’s national symbol and a diplomatic tool since the bamboo munchers have been loaned to foreign zoos as a gesture of goodwill.

Typically these loans are extended every few years, however, due to rising tensions with Western countries, they have expired. Some foreign policy experts state that as China starts to end its “panda diplomacy” it will mark a new era in its foreign policy.

• This leaves Washington D.C. panda-less for the first time in 23 years.

• President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely discuss relations with each other when they meet in San Fransico this weekend for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Despite the panda pullback, things are looking upward in terms of US-China relations. Last month, a Morning Consult poll found that 48% of people in China considered the US an enemy or unfriendly, compared to more than 80% responding to the same question in April 2022.

The actor’s strike has finally come to an end

Your favorite show may be starting up production again. SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative deal with big movie studios last night to end its strike, leading the way for the TV and movie industry to get back to work.

Hollywood has been at a standstill since writers walked off the job in May — making their own tentative deal in September — and actors joined them on the picket line in mid-summer.

More details on how the actors’ union resolved sensitive questions raised by the guild like the use of AI likenesses are expected to emerge tomorrow after the union’s national board meets to discuss the agreement, which will have to be approved by the rest of the members.

Snippets

Nugget Nuisance: 30,000 pounds of dino nuggies are being recalled by Tyson Foods.

Cute Captures: Take a look at the dog photography contest winners of 2023. In addition, check out the most popular dog names in each state.

Conducting Criticism: Nature, the scientific journal that published this year’s alleged discovery of a room-temperature superconductor, officially retracted the paper yesterday after months of criticism.

Corrupted Color: Want to go on vacation but don’t know where to go? Maybe National Geographic’s 2024 list of best places to travel will help.

Ape Agony: Attendees at the Bored Ape NFT festival suffered eye injuries after it featured concerts with lasers and blacklights. Just a cherry on top after your Bored Ape is selling for $2.

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