Good morning. It's Tuesday, Dec. 16, and welcome to this week's Science & Technology newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
|
|
|
This week, we're covering the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the last reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant being shut down, so we're taking a look back at the 1986 tragedy to better understand what happened. We'll also be breaking down how fracking works before having a look at how smart cities shape the world.
Let us know what you think! Whether it's feedback on our email format, a comment on this week's topics, suggestions for future coverage, or something else, we're happy to hear from readers. You can get in touch by simply replying to this email.
—Marco Machado, 1440 Science & Technology Section Editor |
|
|
|
The Soviet Nuclear Meltdown |
What happened at Chernobyl?
The Chernobyl disaster was the worst nuclear accident in history. During a late-night safety test on April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in present-day Ukraine, a combination of design flaws and operator errors triggered a massive power surge (watch explainer), leading to a pair of explosions that released radioactive material across large parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
The Soviet government initially downplayed the incident, waiting 36 hours to evacuate the nearby city of Pripyat, home to 50,000 people. An exclusion zone spanning 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the reactor was eventually established, displacing more than 300,000 people, while over 500,000 "liquidators" worked to decontaminate the site. A steel and concrete sarcophagus was then built in about seven months to contain the damaged reactor.
Chernobyl undermined trust in Soviet leadership and contributed to the USSR's eventual collapse five years later. Its legacy includes not just environmental damage, but lasting physical and psychological harm for those affected and lasting uneasiness over nuclear power.
Also, check out ...
> Some Ukrainian youth illegally explore Chernobyl's exclusion zone. (Watch)
> The disaster produced the largest documented mass of "radioactive lava." (View)
> How Chernobyl's exclusion zone became a unique wildlife refuge. (Listen)
> The grandmothers who returned to their ancestral homes in Chernobyl. (Watch)
Explore everything else we've found on the Chernobyl disaster. |
|
|
|
|
Water-Intensive Shale Cracking |
Fracking, explained
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, involves blasting fluid deep underground to fracture bedrock and access previously unreachable troves of oil and natural gas. The technique is often done in L-shaped wells—drilled down vertically and then horizontally—to maximize output (find wells where you live).
After drilling, a mixture of water, chemicals, and sand or clay is injected into the well, causing the rock to crack and release fossil fuels, which are pumped up to the surface (watch visualization). Water makes up more than 90% of the mixture and provides the pressure that creates the fissure. The sand or clay keeps the fissures open, while the chemicals are primarily used to dissolve debris, reduce friction, and kill bacteria.
Fracking boomed in the US in the early 2000s, when innovations in horizontal drilling and 3D seismic imaging made it more economically viable, coinciding with geopolitical tensions that prompted reduced dependence on foreign energy (explore timeline). However, the method raises several environmental concerns, including the potential for contaminating drinking water, discharging wastewater into local ecosystems, and increasing earthquake risks (learn more).
Also, check out ...
> Because of fracking, the US became a net energy exporter in 2019. (View)
> About 10% of the world’s crude oil and 32% of its natural gas is reached via fracking. (View)
> When a nuclear bomb was used to perform fracking. (Read)
> Why fracking has made ice cream more expensive. (Read)
Explore everything else we've found on fracking. |
|
|
|
|
Urban Life Meets the Internet |
What are smart cities?
A smart city is a data-driven city. Integrated systems of devices collect and analyze information about citizens' activity and urban infrastructure in real time to improve the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of municipal operations (see examples).
Smart cities rely on sensors scattered throughout urban centers to collect information. That data is shared and analyzed through an interconnected network of devices referred to as the Internet of Things, which can include vehicles, appliances, and other physical objects. From there, software can deploy rapid responses to challenges like traffic congestion and extreme weather (see example).
Proponents argue that smart cities have the potential to significantly enhance the quality of life by addressing everyday concerns, such as energy management and public sanitation, as well as more serious and complex issues, including crime and community health. However, opponents warn that smart cities also open citizens up to cybersecurity threats, unwanted surveillance, and increased inequality. Efforts to build smart cities from the ground up have also faced significant financial challenges.
Also, check out ...
> Average citizens may be the greatest liability to smart cities. (Watch)
> Locations built from the ground up as smart cities may not be appealing. (Read)
> The next generation of smart cities, expected to be built by 2050. (Watch)
> Explore a worldwide ranking of smart cities. (Browse)
Explore everything else we've found on smart cities. |
|
|
|
|
Like all great scientists, we love spending time researching the latest scientific breakthroughs, tech releases, engaging explainers, and the connections between science and society that are making headlines. Here's what we found this week.
> Scientists identify neural circuit that drives relapse after opioid use
WSU Insider | Devin Rokyta. Within rats, reducing the neural activity in a connection between the prelimbic cortex, which is involved in decision-making, and the paraventricular thalamus—a region that integrates signals from the body with emotion and cognition—was found to diminish drug-seeking behavior. (Read) | Explore what we've learned about addiction and opioids.
> Researchers discover the body’s natural 'off' switch for high blood pressure
UVA Today | Traci Hale. Scientists have discovered how calcium activity in kidney cells regulates the production of renin, a hormone that raises blood pressure. Excessive production of the hormone can cause hypertension, and the finding marks a key step toward more precise treatments for hypertensive patients. (Read)
> Brain stimulation during sleep boosts weak memories in mice
Cornell Chronicle | Krishna Ramanujan. By selectively manipulating brain activity at specific times during sleep, scientists found that mice remembered new experiences that were otherwise too brief for them to retain. The results suggest new treatment possibilities for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. (Read) | Explore what we've learned about Alzheimer’s.
> Thick atmosphere, believed to be impossible, found around a broiling lava world
NASA | Staff. Data from the James Webb Space Telescope suggests TOI-561, an ultrahot super-Earth beyond our solar system, has a global magma ocean covered by a thick layer of gases. The results challenge the prevailing wisdom that relatively small planets so close to their stars cannot sustain atmospheres. (Read)
> Geodynamic data shows the Iberian Peninsula is rotating clockwise
The University of Basque Country Magazine | Staff. An analysis of earthquake and satellite data shows the earth’s crust is being compressed and deformed in the stress field where Eurasia and Africa meet in the Western Mediterranean. The two tectonic plates are moving about 4-6 millimeters closer to one another yearly. (Read) | Explore what we've learned about plate tectonics.
Do you or someone you know work in a national lab or research institution and would like the work featured here for our readers? Let me know by clicking here. |
|
|
|
|
The sarcophagus built around the exploded Chernobyl reactor was designed to last no more than 30 years. In the 2010s, a shell was constructed and installed around the sarcophagus to contain radioactive material for another 100 years. |
Watch a time-lapse of the installation of the new structure here. |
|
|
Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. We carry that spirit forward, cutting through the noise and algorithm-driven feeds, to bring fact-driven knowledge to everyone.
Want to connect with 4.5 million insatiably curious minds? Become a 1440 partner here. |
|
1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654
Copyright © 2025, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
