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A single cable is the last obstacle to reaching the space elevator

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A traditional traction elevator operates using cables to move the cabin up and down within the building shaft. An attached counterweight at the opposite end of the cable helps facilitate the movement of the cabin. Simply enter the cabin, select a floor, press a button, and let the electric motor transport you to your desired level. As the cabin ascends, the counterweight descends, and vice versa.

Enter the concept of space elevators, a more ambitious take on this idea. The system relies on cables, spanning several thousand meters, extending from space to Earth. Instead of launching rockets into space, the cabin travels along these cables. By utilizing some of the energy from rocket launches, the cable eliminates pollution.

Although it may seem far-fetched, the idea of space elevators has been under serious consideration for many years. The concept was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist and space exploration pioneer Konstantin Ziolkovsky, who introduced the concept of the Sky Ladder.

The primary challenge lies in establishing the connection point of the cable to space. Geostationary orbit satellites provide a solution. Positioned at a specific distance from Earth, geostationary orbit satellites remain fixed in one spot above the Earth, creating an ideal anchor point approximately 36,000km (22,200 miles) above the equator.

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2025/02/GettyImages-137195165.mp4
Space elevators offer a quicker means of reaching outer space, especially for supplies

The process involves dropping lengthy cables from the satellite, causing the satellite to rise and counteract the weight of the cable to maintain its position. To counteract gravity’s effect on the cable under geostationary orbit, the centrifugal effect also contributes to stabilization.

The cables must be anchored and secured to the ground. Some proposals suggest securing anchors on mountaintops or towers to reduce the length of cables required. Another innovative concept suggests utilizing a mobile base on marine aviation vessels or platforms in international waters, allowing for flexibility in avoiding inclement weather or mitigating potential failures at the top.

Currently, a space elevator prototype, known as the “Climber,” is used to transport payloads up the cable. However, experts propose the idea of pulling the entire system into space once payloads reach orbit. Calculations indicate that payloads representing up to 1% of the cable’s mass can be accommodated. Despite the challenges, such as developing a cable 50 times stronger than steel, advancements in materials like carbon nanotubes or graphene offer promising solutions.

With predictions suggesting that space elevators could become a reality in the near future, ongoing research continues to explore innovative approaches to overcome the remaining obstacles.

This article addresses the question posed by Thomas Bletso, “Can we really build a space elevator?”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

The Tampa Bay area experienced record-breaking rain levels from Hurricane Milton, reaching levels not seen in a millennium.

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Hurricane Milton dumped so much rain on parts of Florida’s Tampa Bay area that it was classified as a once-in-1,000-year rainfall event.

The government said 18.31 inches, or more than 1.5 feet, of rain fell in St. Petersburg in the 24 hours the storm made landfall. Precipitation data from the National Weather Service.

This includes a whopping 5.09 inches in one hour from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET. This level is believed to have an approximately 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.

“This is insane! St. Petersburg reported 5.09 inches of rain in one hour and 9.04 inches in three hours,” said Matthew Cappucci, Atmospheric Scientist and Senior Meteorologist at MyRadar Weather. states.Posted on Wednesday by X. “That’s rarer than a once-in-a-millennium rain event.”

Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a strong Category 3 storm Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Other significant precipitation amounts across Florida include 14.01 inches in Clearwater Beach, 13.09 inches in Baskin, 11.43 inches in Tampa, and 10.12 inches in Seminole.

Scientists have not yet completed their analysis of the impact on Milton because it takes time to understand the effects of climate change on individual weather events. But in general, experts know that global warming is making storms wetter and more intense.

Research shows that global warming causes sea surface temperatures to rise, which provides extra energy to storms, increasing their speed and intensity. The unusually high sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico that strengthened hurricanes Milton and Helen are 200 to 500 times more likely to be caused by climate change, according to a study released Wednesday. It is said that

The warmer the atmosphere, the more water it can hold. For every 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in Earth’s temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 3% to 4% more water. Therefore, storms can dump large amounts of rain on land.

Milton’s heavy rains quickly flooded roads, homes, and other structures along the Florida Gulf Coast. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Tampa and St. Petersburg, which lasted until 2:30 a.m. ET Thursday.

Forecasters expected heavy rain as Milton moved into Florida. Hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center said it expected 6 to 12 inches of rain to fall across the central and northern Florida peninsula through Thursday, with local rainfall totals up to 18 inches.

The east coast of Florida is also experiencing rain. Preliminary measurements Wednesday showed 7 inches of precipitation in St. Augustine, 7.38 inches in Titusville, and 3.05 inches in Daytona Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Milton has returned to the ocean, but additional rain and flooding is expected to continue into parts of eastern and central Florida through Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Dennis Chow

Dennis Chow is a science and space reporter for NBC News.

Kathryn Plosif and Joe Murphy contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

By 2050, Half of the Amazon Rainforest May be Reaching a Climate Tipping Point

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Forest fires in the Amazon in October 2023

Gustavo Basso/Null Photography via Getty Images

Large parts of the Amazon rainforest are threatened by the combined effects of drought, heat and deforestation, and some ecosystems may be pushed past tipping points. But the likelihood of a larger collapse remains uncertain.

“Forests as a whole are very resilient, so we still have room to act,” he says. Marina Hirota at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Researchers have warned for decades that rising temperatures and deforestation could push the Amazon past a tipping point, leading to runaway feedbacks that could lead to a rapid transition from forest to savannah. The drought and heat caused by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, as well as the warming temperatures caused by climate change, are once again on the rise.

But climate and ecological models that describe the Amazon's highly complex structure disagree on when and where such a tipping point would occur.

To understand which regions of the Amazon are most at risk, Hirota and his colleagues looked at satellite data to see how several different ecosystem stressors might change in the coming decades. evaluated. These include dry season temperatures, exposure to drought, and the risk of fire and deforestation.

They estimate that 10 percent of the Amazon basin is at risk of being exposed to at least two of these stressors by 2050 and is therefore likely to transition to degraded forest- or savanna-like ecosystems. I discovered that. 47% of this watershed is predicted to be exposed to at least one stressor, meaning it is also exposed to some hazard.

“Due to ongoing changes, we will lose some forest, but there are things we can do to prevent it from reaching 47%,” Hirota says. She said the majority of forests that are not exposed to stressors are located within protected areas; indigenous territory, which is associated with low deforestation rates. Brazil's deforestation rate also fell sharply under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration. Increased in other areas as well Amazon's.

dominique spracklen Researchers from the University of Leeds in the UK say the study is a powerful investigation into the range of threats facing the Amazon. But he says the discrepancies between models predicting potential tipping points remain unresolved.

For example, models predict that some of the negative effects of warming could be offset by increased concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere, which could boost plant growth. . However, other factors such as nutrients and water availability vary widely across the basin and influence the strength of this impact, creating considerable uncertainty in modeling the future of the Amazon. .

“It's a very scary place for such an important ecosystem,” he says.

Nature
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06970-0

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Source: www.newscientist.com