🇺🇸 28 major US cities are sinking fast, France to field battle robots by 2027, CERN breakthrough turns lead into gold

A new study reveals that all 28 of the most populous U.S. cities are experiencing land subsidence, with many areas sinking at different speeds. This surprising finding doesn’t just apply to coastal cities but includes many urban centers far inland.

The main culprit? Intensive groundwater extraction, although other human and natural activities impact it.

This study, conducted by Columbia University, used ultra-high-resolution satellite data to track the vertical movement of the land for as little as 1 mm, which is undetectable for conventional satellites. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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🇺🇸 Houston to New York: 28 major US cities are sinking fast, says study

It was found that in 25 out of 28 cities, at least two-thirds of the land area is subsiding. Altogether, roughly 34 million people live in areas where the ground is dropping.

“As cities continue to grow, we will see more cities expand into subsiding regions,” said lead author Leonard Ohenhen. “Over time, this subsidence can produce stresses on infrastructure that will go past their safety limit. A lot of small changes will build up over time, magnifying weak spots within urban systems and heightening flood risks.”

With a staggering two-fifth of its area dropping over 5 mm per year, Houston became the fastest subsiding city.

🤖 France to field battle robots by 2027, aims full robotic army by 2040

France is increasing its combat reliance on robots, as countries worldwide consider the future of warfare.

While many nations have discussed deploying robots in combat, France has developed a concrete roadmap to achieve this goal.

According to an AFP report quoting senior military officials and defense sector stakeholders involved in the nation’s ongoing autonomous systems trials, France’s Ministry of Armed Forces remains on track to deliver battlefield-ready robotic systems by 2040.

✨ Eureka moment for alchemy: CERN breakthrough turns lead into gold

Physicists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have revealed, for the first time, the direct measurement of lead being transformed into gold during high-energy particle collisions.

“Thanks to the unique capabilities of the ALICE ZDCs, the present analysis is the first to systematically detect and analyse the signature of gold production at the LHC experimentally,” said Uliana Dmitrieva of the ALICE collaboration.

This landmark research marks a modern-day fulfillment of the ancient alchemists’ quest for chrysopoeia, albeit on a fleeting, subatomic scale.

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