<ul><li>The amount of <keyword id="943402" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-debris" source="Orion">space debris</keyword> has been on the rise over the past few decades.</li><li>Space debris can harm orbital missions, spaceflights and pilots taking the flight.</li><li>To clear up the space debris, researchers are developing a magnetic technology that can clear it and move it into a decaying orbit like a ring. </li></ul>According to researchers, <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> may soon have its own rings just like <keyword id="42442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="saturn" source="Orion">Saturn</keyword>, which is the only planet in the solar system with its own complex rings, making it stand out from the rest. However, the ring that may develop around the earth will be made of space debris which has been on the rise over the years due to defunct satellites and anti-satellite missions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The total amount of space debris" comment="subhead" text="The total amount of space debris">The total amount of space debris</cmsannotation> The European Space Agency claims that there are more than<a href="https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Clean_Space/How_many_space_debris_objects_are_currently_in_orbit"> 170 million space debris</a> objects in Earth orbit. While most of them are small, there are some 29,000 of them with a size of more than 10cm. The objects of all sizes can collide and disrupt orbital missions and space flights as well as the International Space Station (ISS) in different capacities. The junk has grown rapidly since 1957 and currently amounts to 7,500 metric tons. It is projected to grow exponentially in the future. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Harms of space debris" comment="subhead" text="Harms of space debris">Harms of space debris</cmsannotation> Earlier today, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/a-space-junk-threat-forced-the-crew-of-the-international-space-station-to-take-shelter/articleshow/87723730.cms">crew of ISS</a> was forced to take shelter in their evacuation spacecraft as potentially dangerous debris appeared near it. Eventually, the space station moved away from the object, however, it is worth noting that these objects have the potential to injure or even kill astronauts. In a similar <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/international-space-station-moved-by-1240-meters-to-dodge-space-junk-of-a-demolished-chinese-satellite/articleshow/87640888.cms">incident last week</a>, the ISS had to be moved by 1240m to dodge <keyword id="938050" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-junk" source="Orion">space junk</keyword> of a demolished Chinese satellite. According to <a href="https://www.roscosmos.ru/33301/">Roscomos</a>, the minimum distance between the debris and the space station was just 600 metres, posing a threat to the ISS. The <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/11/13/million-bits-space-junk/">Salt Lake Tribune</a> reports that a lot of this debris also falls on Earth but most of it is usually broken in the atmosphere. The report also informs that according to Jake Abbott, a professor and researcher at the University of Utah, the Earth is on course to have its own rings but they’ll just be made of junk. The professor and his team of engineers are working to clean up the junk by using magnets. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Earth’s rings" comment="subhead" text="Earth’s rings">Earth’s rings</cmsannotation> According to the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03966-6">researchers</a>, they now know how to rapidly spin magnets and create magnetic fields that can manipulate space objects even if they are not made of magnetic material. Once developed, this technology can be used to make robots move the debris into a decaying orbit that in turn will look like a ring. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/spacex-inspiration4-tourists-share-stunning-photos-of-the-earth/slidelist/87729484.cms">SpaceX Inspiration4 tourists share stunning photos of the earth</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-longest-lunar-eclipse-this-century-will-happen-in-2-weeks-heres-how-to-see-it-/articleshow/87540335.cms">The longest lunar eclipse this century will happen early Friday morning. Here's how to see it.</a>

Researchers say Earth may soon have Saturn-like rings made of space debris

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/strawberry-supermoon-rising-thursday-evening-2021-6">full Buck Moon</a> may appear <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/super-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-how-to-watch-2021-5">blood red</a> in skies across the US this weekend, due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/1-in-4-americans-no-emergency-savings-survey-2021-7">wildfire</a> <keyword id="6360584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="smoke">smoke</keyword>.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/current-us-wildfires-burned-area-larger-than-delaware-2021-7">Western wildfires</a> driven by <keyword id="6361617" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change">climate change</keyword> have <a href="https://www.insider.com/western-us-wildfires-smoke-reached-east-coast-air-quality-2021-7">spread smoke to the East Coast</a>, tinting skies orange.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oregon-bootleg-fire-creating-fire-clouds-pyrocumulonimbus-storms-2021-7">Wildfire smoke</a> is a huge health risk, and widespread-smoke events will likely become more common.</li></ul>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvest-full-moon-calendar-native-american-names-2016-9">full Buck Moon</a> is rising this weekend, and it may appear <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/super-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-how-to-watch-2021-5">orange or blood red</a> in skies across North America.Normally, the <keyword id="42440" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Moon">moon</keyword> turns orange or red during an eclipse, when Earth blocks sunlight and our atmosphere reflects red light onto the lunar surface instead. But this time is unusual. Instead of being eclipsed by Earth's shadow, the moon may be eclipsed in many places by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oregon-bootleg-fire-creating-fire-clouds-pyrocumulonimbus-storms-2021-7">layers of smoke</a>.<keyword id="394841" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="wildfires">Wildfires</keyword> have exploded across the Pacific Northwest over the last month, fueled by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/satellite-images-show-california-mega-drought-drying-up-lakes-forest-2021-7">dry vegetation</a> and a series of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-of-bears-joins-crowd-in-lake-tahoe-example-of-climate-crisis">heat waves</a> made possible by the warming climate. The largest, Oregon's Bootleg Fire, has grown to nearly twice the size of New York City and started <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oregon-bootleg-fire-creating-fire-clouds-pyrocumulonimbus-storms-2021-7">generating its own weather</a>.The blazes are sending smoke roiling across the continent, prompting air-quality alerts from Minnesota to North Carolina and tinting skies orange as far east as New York and Washington, DC.<div type="image" title="north america map shows black carbon soots across northwest northeast central US" height="4071" width="5428" msid="84664268" hostid="261"></div>That's because the particles in wildfire smoke block shorter wavelengths of sunlight - the blues and greens - and allow the longer, redder wavelengths to pass through. The moon will be no exception to this paintbrush of sweeping smoke."When you do have wildfire smoke, especially high up in the atmosphere, you typically do see your moon kind of turn reddish or orange," Jesse Berman, an assistant professor in environmental health at the University of Minnesota, where he studies extreme weather and air pollution, told Insider.If the smoke is low and thick enough, it could block out the moon entirely. But, Berman said, "it's very likely that any area experiencing a wildfire-smoke exposure can see this red or orange moon."<div type="image" title="orange moon next to empire state building spire" height="1533" width="2044" msid="84664269" hostid="261"></div>The moon will appear full Thursday night through Sunday morning, peaking on Friday night, according to <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1933/july-2021-the-next-full-moon-is-the-buck-moon/">NASA</a>.In the month of July, the <keyword id="89794" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Full-Moon">full moon</keyword> is often called the Buck Moon. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, this name comes from the Algonquin peoples, who share a family of languages and originate from the area that today ranges from New England as far west as Lake Superior. The name refers to buck deer's antlers emerging in summer.<h2>Widespread wildfire smoke could become common</h2><div type="image" title="oregon bootleg fire burns trees hazy skies" height="1800" width="2400" msid="84664270" hostid="261"></div>Wildfires that produce continent-sweeping smoke clouds could become annual events, if not occurring "multiple times every single year," Berman said."We do expect these events to become not only more frequent, but possibly more severe in the future as our climate tends to shift towards drier conditions, to hotter conditions, to areas where you have less frequent rainfall," he added. "Every one of these wildfire events is an opportunity for that smoke to travel long distances and affect not only the people nearby, but also those very far away."<div type="image" title="bootleg fire oregon pyrocumulonimbus clouds" height="1332" width="1779" msid="84664271" hostid="261"></div>If smoke stays high in the atmosphere, it probably won't affect <keyword id="53848" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-quality">air quality</keyword> for people on the ground. However, it sometimes falls back down and fills the air we breathe with hazardous particles - hundreds or even thousands of miles from the fire that created it.The microscopic particles in wildfire smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015400/">Research</a> has connected wildfire-particle pollution to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death.In healthy people short-term, it can irritate the eyes and lungs and cause wheezing, coughs, or difficulty breathing. Young children, the elderly, and people with preexisting conditions like asthma or COPD are particularly vulnerable to more serious effects.As smoke wafts over his Minnesota home, Berman has had his two young children play inside instead of going to the park. The US Environmental Protection Agency <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/wildfires-and-indoor-air-quality-iaq">recommends</a> keeping doors and windows closed when wildfire smoke is impacting air quality, and designating a "clean room" with a portable air cleaner and no cooking, smoking, or candle-burning."Right now, nothing has shown that the conditions are going to become markedly better in the future," Berman said. "Instead, we're really predicting that conditions are going to continue to get worse.""It doesn't matter where you're living," he continued. "You can be affected by these events the same as anyone else."

Wildfire smoke could turn this weekend's full Buck Moon an ominous blood red

<ul><li>Realme has launched its latest budget device, the <keyword id="8837479" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="realme-6i">Realme 6i</keyword> in India.</li><li>The device competes with the likes of the Xiaomi <keyword id="8721588" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="redmi-note-9-pro">Redmi Note 9 Pro</keyword>.</li><li>In this post, we look at the two devices to help you decide which device you should buy.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/barbecue-nation-ipo-must-be-priced-the-same-way-as-its-menuvalue-for-money/articleshow/76961459.cms">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a></li></ul>Realme today announced the launch of its latest budget device, the Realme 6i in India. The device is the rebranded version of the Realme 6s that was launched in Europe in May. The main highlight of the Realme 6i includes the 90Hz refresh rate display, making it the most affordable device with such a display. The device competes with the likes of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro. In this post, we compare the two devices to help you decide which device you should buy. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77144674" title="Realme 6i with 90Hz display, 48MP quad camera setup launched starting at ₹12,999" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: Price <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Realme 6i </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Price </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4GB + 64GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹12,999 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4GB + 64GB </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹13,999 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6GB + 64GB </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹14,999 </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6GB + 128GB </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹16,999 </td></tr></tbody></table> The Realme 6i will be available from Flipkart and Realme online store in Eclipse Black and Lunar White colour options starting from July 31. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro will be available on Amazon India, Xiaomi online store, and Mi Home stores in Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black colour options on July 28. Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: Specifications <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Device </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Realme 6i </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Display size </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.5-inch </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.67-inch </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Resolution </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2400 x 1080 pixels </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2400 x 1080 pixels </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Refresh rate </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">90Hz </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60Hz </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Protection </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Corning Gorilla Glass 3 </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Corning Gorilla Glass 5 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Android version </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Android 10 with Realme UI </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Android 10 with MIUI 12 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chipset </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MediaTek Helio G90T </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rear camera </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">48MP primary </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">48MP primary </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8MP ultra-wide-angle lens </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8MP ultra-wide-angle lens </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2MP mono sensor </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2MP depth sensor </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2MP macro sensor </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5MP macro sensor </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Selfie camera </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16MP primary </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16MP primary </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fingerprint sensor </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Side-mounted </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Side-mounted </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Battery </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4,300mAh </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5,020mAh </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fast charge </td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30W </td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:middle;padding:0pt 5.75pt 0pt 5.75pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18W </td></tr></tbody></table> Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: Display The Realme 6i features a 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. There is punch-hole notch on the top left corner of the device. Coming to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro, it features a slightly bigger 6.67-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a 60Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The device features a centre punch-hole notch for the selfie camera. The Realme 6i with a higher refresh rate will offer a smoother experience. Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: Design <div type="image" title="Realme 6i" msid="77146040" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Realme 6i&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The Realme 6i features a plastic body with a gradient design at the back. The device features a vertically aligned rear camera setup and sports Realme branding at the back. <div type="image" title="Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro" msid="77146045" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro features a glass back with Aura Balance design and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The device features a rectangular camera module and comes with Redmi branding at the back. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/comparison-between-xiaomi-redmi-note-9-vs-redmi-note-9-pro-mobile-price-camera-ram-in-build-memory-and-many-more/articleshow/77066131.cms">Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 vs Redmi Note 9 Pro – an extra ₹3,000 gets you a better selfie camera, processor and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/comparison-between-motorola-one-fusion-smartphone-vs-redmi-note-9-pro-max-smartphone/articleshow/76424577.cms">Motorola One Fusion+ vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max – Which device should you buy?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/comparison-between-xiaomi-redmi-note-9-pro-mobile-vs-redmi-note-9-pro-max-mobile/articleshow/76258453.cms">Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro vs Redmi Note 9 Pro Max – Which variant should you go with?</a>

Realme 6i vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro – Which is the best budget device for you?

Neil deGrasse Tyson recently called out flat-earthers in one tweet:It's not just lunar eclipses that would look different if Earth were actually flat. Sports, plants, and even the oceans would be radically different. Following is a transcript of the video.What if the Earth were&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-flat-earth-believers-end-informed-democracy">flat</a>?Today, it's nearly impossible to believe the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-earth-will-look-250-million-years-map-animation-2017-9">Earth</a> is anything but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-10-ways-to-know-the-earth-is-not-flat-2016-1">round</a>.&#xa0;But for most of our history, humans have thought Earth was flat.The one concept our ancient ancestors were missing was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-shows-what-happens-blow-bubbles-space-technology-science-gravity-2017-8">gravity</a>.&#xa0;Gravity's effects are the key to determining whether the Earth is actually flat, or not.On a sphere, gravity pulls in the same direction everywhere on the surface.&#xa0;But on a disc, gravity changes&#xa0;direction as you move toward the edge.At the center, you feel a downward pull just like on spherical Earth.&#xa0;But as you move out, gravity starts pulling sideways as well as a downwards.This would wreak havoc on sports played in different parts of the world.&#xa0;A ball thrown straight up in the air mid-way out, would curve down and backward toward the disc's center.&#xa0;Plus, a ball thrown mid-way out wouldn't go nearly as high or far as a ball thrown up at the edge where gravity's downward pull is practically zero.But sports are just the beginning.&#xa0;Since plant stems grow opposite to the direction of gravity, an effect called negative gravitropism,&#xa0;you'll see forests grow at an increasingly sharp angle the farther you are from the center.Continue toward the edge and you feel like you're climbing a hill that's growing steeper with each step as the backward pull of gravity takes over.&#xa0;At Earth's end, that hill will feel like a 90-degree cliff, pulling you back to the center.&#xa0;But if you could make it over the edge, and stand on the thin outer part of the disc, you'll feel downward pull just like on spherical Earth.However, living here would be like living in a desert.&#xa0;Gravity's backward effects pull on the oceans too, making it impossible for any water to reach the edge.&#xa0;Instead, sea levels will gradually rise as you travel in, making the world's center an aquatic metropolis.So, the next time you see an apple fall straight to the ground, thank your lucky stars that Earth is round.&#xa0;Because if it were flat, that apple might actually hit you in the face.<div></div>

Neil deGrasse Tyson called out flat-earthers - here's what would happen if the Earth were actually flat

<ul><li>The Indian government has been giving a big boost to <keyword id="6354973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicles">Electric vehicles</keyword> (EVs) to meet its climate change commitments.</li><li>Experts from Gateway House believe that EVs may not be the right way to reduce carbon emission or lower India’s dependency on oil.</li><li>Instead, exploring <keyword id="1281106" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hydrogen-fuel">hydrogen fuel</keyword> and getting oil-rich countries to invest in downstream assets may be a better option in the long haul.</li></ul>The Indian government has been giving a big boost to electric vehicles (EVs) as a part of its ambitions to meet its climate change commitments on fossil fuels. EVs may be trending, however, experts believe that EVs may not be the right answer for India’s requirements. “In the form of fossil fuels, we have an energy source that’s reliable and it works. EVs have captured the imagination of people due to high-end cars being produced for the super-rich in the west,” said Amit Bhandari, energy and environment fellow with Gateway House. The central theme of switching over to EVs are two-fold. One is to reduce India’s dependency on oil and the second is to reduce <keyword id="6375918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="carbon-emissions">carbon emissions</keyword>. On both accounts, EVs fail to meet the requirements. The dependency conundrum There was a time when the concern of acquiring enough oil to meet India’s energy demand. But over the last decade, the tables have turned and oil suppliers should be equally worried about demand security. “With its already large market and expected growth, India is going to be a key provider of this demand security,” said Bhandari. Not only should India invest in oil-rich countries but it should also get them to invest in downstream assets so that both their fortunes are tied together, he explains. On the one hand, India will get protection against price fluctuations, and on the other, it will also be ensuring that its energy demands are future proof. In pursuing EVs, India may reduce its dependency on oil but it will also create an entirely new dependency as well. “Pursuing EVs at this point of time, very aggressively, is akin to falling into a black hole called the Chinese economy,” said Chaitanya Giri, space and emerging technologies fellow with Gateway House. China can afford to be an EV-centric nation because it has an enormous amount of lithium reserves in its own backyard. For India, it will have to look to countries like China, Australia, the lithium triangle — Bolivia, Chile and Argentina — or the Democratic Republic of Congo for its requirements. “The internal geopolitical stability of Congo is a big question mark. So we really don’t want to create a new set of dependencies by over-focusing on EVs,” said Giri. South America, on the other hand, is a very long logistic distance for India to consider. The problem of carbon emissions Until and unless India switches over to renewable sources of energy at the source, it will only be transferring it problem of carbon emissions from the tailpipe to the back-end, explains Bhandari. “EVs are trying to address the question of clean air. Moving towards natural gases is probably a better solution and can be done with the existing infrastructure,” he said. This is because, at the end of the day, electricity is generated using coal, oil or other fossil fuels — which still produce their fair share of carbon dioxide. EVs, on the other hand, will be duplicating hundred and million dollars worth of oil infrastructure, which we have created over the past century. And, India will be doing it at a time when companies are struggling to stay afloat and to pay wages to their existing employees — to create something from scratch, explains Bhandari. It will also put the jobs of nearly 8 million Indians who work in the Gulf at risk. Is there a third option? Experts suggest that rather than pushing on EVs right now, India can set its own new emission standards. For now, EVs are expensive cars and bikes that only the super-rich can afford. The economics of it don’t really add up. In addition to that, the technology behind EVs is yet to pan out. If India chooses to invest in lithium batteries, it will have to set up plants. Some people may move to supercapacitors. The technology is changing all the time and continues to be dynamic. “Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. And, if we start to use it as a fuel, then it’s also the cleanest of all,” suggests Giri. Hydrogen is made from natural gas, something that India’s existing infrastructure can already support. The Indian Oil Corporation has already demonstrated technology where it can blend hydrogen with compressed natural gas (CNG) — which is already being used for a large chunk of public transportation. “Having said that, hydrogen fuel, even today is very expensive,” Giri explained but it’s something that makes more sense to invest in for the long haul given India’s position right now. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/china-responds-to-prime-minister-narendra-modi-and-us-president-donald-trump-conversation/articleshow/76188158.cms">China responds to Modi-Trump conversation — ‘there is no need for any third party to intervene’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/india-and-australia-pump-12-7-million-into-ai-quantum-computing-and-robotics/articleshow/76194354.cms">India and Australia pump $12.7 million into AI, quantum computing and robotics — renewing their cyber and critical technology partnership</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/fridays-lunar-eclipse-might-be-difficult-to-spot-heres-how-you-catch-the-difference/articleshow/76189989.cms">Friday’s lunar eclipse might be difficult to spot — here’s how you catch the difference</a>

Oil dependency and carbon emissions — EVs may not be India’s answer to reducing either, say experts

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci The moon is seen as it begins a total lunar eclipse that will turn the moon red over Buenos Aires April 15, 2014.</div></div></div>Yesterday, stocks staged a bit of a rally, bouncing back from heavy selling in the previous week.
Today? Things are just looking so so. After being up more than 1%, Japan rose just 0.6%.
China tumbled another 1.4% last night.
Europe is in the red, with Germany's DAX index down 0.34% and the British FTSE 100 off 0.1%.
These aren't dramatic moves, but there's not showing any impressive bounceback of follow through.
US futures are basically flat.
Not helping things is news that the Ukrainian acting President says that <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303887804579502892789915218?mod=djemalertNEWS">military operations have begun in the Eastern part of the country</a> to crack down on pro-Russian rebels.
Also, money supply data out of China was weak.

The Market Isn't Looking So Great

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>
Good morning. Here's what you need to know for Tuesday. 
1. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/07/isis-militants-enter-kobani-on-syrias-border-with-turkey">Islamic State militants have entered the Syrian town of Kobani on the Turkish border</a>. The Guardian warns that capturing Kobani would "give the group full control of a large stretch of the Turkish-Syrian border."
2. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29514920">A Spanish nurse has been infected with Ebola after treating two patients in Madrid</a>. She is thought to be the first known person to have contracted the virus outside West Africa.<a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/hewlett-packard-plans-to-break-in-two-1412530028"> </a>
3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-on-ebola-all-hands-on-deck-2014-10">President Obama said the White House was taking an "all-hand-on-deck" approach to preventing an Ebola outbreak in the US</a>. Last week, a man traveling from Liberia was the first patient to be diagnosed with the virus while on US soil. 
4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-warns-weak-q3-earnings-2014-10">Samsung has forecast a 60% drop in third-quarter profits from a year ago</a>, the biggest decline in quarterly profits since 2009. 
5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-south-north-korea-ships-fire-shots-at-disputed-sea-border-2014-10">South Korean and North Korean patrol boats exchanged fire on a disputed sea border, before the North Korean ship retreated</a>. 
6. Hewlett-Packard confirmed Monday that the company will split into two seperate businesses, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hp-boosts-layoffs-with-more-cuts-to-come-2014-10">a breakup that will lead to massive layoffs</a>.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-two-charts-explain-why-ebay-is-spinning-out-paypal-now-2014-9"> </a>
7. <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/year/?year=2014">The recipient of the Nobel prize in physics will be announced on Tuesday from Stockholm</a>. On Monday, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/2014-nobel-prize-in-medicine-2014-10">Nobel prize in medicine was awarded jointly to John O'Keefe and husband-and-wife team Edvard and May-Britt Moser</a> for "their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain."<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/technology/personaltech/glum-sign-for-apple-in-china-smuggled-iphones-go-begging-.html"> </a>
8. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29513589">Russian president Vladimir Putin turns 62 today</a>. 
9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-new-architecture-2014-10">A proposed chapel on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, took the top award in the seventh annual World Architecture Festival held in Singapore</a>. 
10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lunar-eclipse-happening-wednesday-oct-8-2014-10">An extremely rare lunar eclipse, a horizontal eclipse, will be visible to those in Australia, western Asia, islands in the Pacific Ocean, and much of North America on Wednesday, Oct. 8</a> 
And finally ...
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/common-core-subtraction-2014-10">American conservatives are going nuts over a third-grade textbook math problem that shows students how to subtract using the "counting-up" method rather than the standard "borrow and carry" approach.</a>

The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Akintunde AkinleyeA palace guard stands for a portrait photograph at the entrance to the Emir of Katsina's palace before the start of the Durbar street procession in Katsina, northwest Nigeria September 26, 2015. Durbar is celebrated across the northern part of Nigeria as part of Islamic </div></div></div>Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Monday.1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-russia-and-iran-throw-weight-behind-assad-at-un-meet-2015-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">Russia and Iran have announced a coalition to defend Syrian president Bashar al-Assad</a> at a UN meeting, as the US continues to blame Assad for the country's bloody civil war.2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-japan-to-offer-810-million-to-support-refugees-fleeing-syria-iraq-nhk-2015-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">Japan is set to offer £532 million to refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq</a>. Japan took in just 11 asylum-seekers last year.3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-skygazers-treated-to-super-blood-moon-eclipse-2015-9?IR=T">Stargazers from around the world witnessed a blood red "supermoon" last night</a>. It was the first time in more than three decades that the lunar eclipse coincided with the celestial event.4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-ab-inbev-could-bid-106-billion-for-sab-miller-sunday-times-2015-9">Brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev SA could bid about £70 billion for SABMiller PLC</a> within days, with an opening offer expected as early as Monday morning,5. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/sep/27/david-cameron-denies-lord-ashcroft-allegations-call-me-dave-dead-pig">British PM David Cameron has addressed allegations that he put a "private part of his anatomy" in a dead pig's mouth</a> for the first time, saying everyone can "see straight through" the accusations. 6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-new-taliban-assault-in-afghan-north-threatens-kunduz-city-2015-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have launched a fresh assault on the city of Kunduz</a>, the capital of the Kundiz province.<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-24/singapore-shuts-schools-cancel-events-as-air-quality-worsens"></a>7. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34375702">The UK's Labour Party is expected to push for a "Robin Hood" tax</a>, which it says would rein in excesses of the City's financial sector to help pay for services such as the NHS.8. <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1861926/chinas-xi-jinping-pledges-us2-billion-aid-lift-worlds">China has pledged $2 billion in aid to help lift the world's poorest states</a>, as well as debt forgiveness to several developing countries.9. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34377013">The cause of death of Bobbi Brown - Whitney Houston's daughter - has been determined</a> but officials say post-mortem results will not be revealed. Brown was 22. <a href="http://t.sidekickopen20.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XZs7fZy2gW63BfQ83N1NX4W2z8P1C56dNsrf5XTFjs02?t=http%3A%2F%2Flink.uk.businessinsider.com%2Fclick%2F5204152.3862%2FaHR0cDovL3d3dy5idXNpbmVzc2luc2lkZXIuY29tL3ItcHV0aW4tcGxhbnMtYWlyLXN0cmlrZXMtaW4tc3lyaWEtaWYtbm8tdXMtZGVhbC1yZWFjaGVkLWJsb29tYmVyZy0yMDE1LTk_dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9MTBUaGluZ3NXb3JsZCZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9U2FpbHRocnUmbnJfZW1haWxfcmVmZXJlcj0x%2F545cd31709c5c5841b8b4bd5B6c87d8d1&amp;si=5355050416734208&amp;pi=5e8a1b40-071b-4ffb-a420-790a82978120" target="_blank"></a>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-trump-promises-large-segment-of-taxpayers-will-have-zero-rate-2015-9">Donald Trump has said that if he wins the US election, there will be significant tax cuts for almost all Americans</a>, with a "large segment" of taxpayers having a zero tax rate. And finally ...<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-zimbabwean-behind-cecil-hunt-due-back-in-court-2015-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">The Zimbabwean behind the "illegal" hunt of Cecil the lion is due in court today</a> after being charged with "failing to prevent an illegal hunt." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boehner-overcome-emotion-pope-resignation-annoucement-speaker-2015-9">Boehner was overcome by emotion when talking about the pope during his resignation announcement</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="l2dGRxdzpc5orUSJSZVld_LuUB8VvBbY" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Johns Hopkins Center for Health SecurityThe executive committee to advice the President meets to discuss Clade X.</div></div></div><ul><li>The Clade X simulation, created by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, shows how vulnerable the world is to the spread of a pandemic virus.</li><li>In that simulation, political experts from the US tried to figure out how to respond to the emergence of a new and deadly disease.</li><li>Despite being a "moderately contagious" and "moderately lethal" virus, at the end of the day - 20 months in simulated time - the virus would have killed 150 million people.</li><li>According to the scenario's creator, if efforts to create a vaccine continued to fail, a disease like that could kill 900 million, or more than 10% of the global population.</li></ul> The committee to advise the President first met approximately one month after the virus first appeared.There had been more than 400 cases and 50 deaths so far, mostly split between Frankfurt, Germany, and Caracas, Venezuela.Patients presented with fever, cough, and confusion. In a disturbing number of cases, encephalitis - swelling in the brain - caused patients to fall into a potentially fatal coma.Researchers had been able to isolate what appeared to be a new pathogen, a disease-causing agent.The virus seemed to be a new type of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parainfluenza/index.html">parainfluenza virus</a> from a family of respiratory viruses that normally cause mild illnesses like the cold. Scientists studying the disease couldn't identify where the virus fit in the parainfluenza family, so they referred to the pathogen as parainfluenza Clade X.Health authorities said Clade X, which appeared to spread by coughing and to take up to a week before patients started showing severe symptoms, had pandemic potential.This situation described here is fictional.It's part of a scenario created by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, designed to see how real policy experts and government decisionmakers would respond to a similar situation.The scenario was designed to be completely realistic, with a disease that could plausibly exist and a world that has the exact same resources to respond as we do now.On May 15th, when the <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events/2018_clade_x_exercise/index.html">"Clade X" simulation</a> was played out real-time, the people acting out the scenario were the sorts of individuals who'd be responding to this situation in real life. The <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events/2018_clade_x_exercise/players/index.html">players included</a> former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Indiana Representative Susan Brooks (R), former CDC Director Julie Gerberding, and others with extensive experience.Yet by the day's end, representing 20 months after the start of the outbreak, there were 150 million dead around the globe, and 15 to 20 million deaths in the US alone. With no vaccine for the illness yet ready, that death toll would have been expected to climb."I think we learned that even very knowledgeable, experienced, devoted senior public officials who have lived through many crises still have trouble dealing with something like this," Dr. Eric Toner, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health Security and the designer of the Clade X simulation, told Business Insider. "And it's not because they are not good or smart or dedicated, it's because we don't have the systems we need to enable the kind of response we'd want to see."If efforts to develop a vaccine continued to fail, Toner said a disease like this could kill 900 million people, or more than 10% of the world's population.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Johns Hopkins Center for Health SecurityParticipants debate solutions to Clade X, a bioengineered virus.</div></div></div><h2>We've been lucky in the past</h2>A virus capable of wiping out more than 10% of the world might sound like it would need to be one of the most fatal, contagious diseases ever - as easy to catch as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/transmission.html">measles</a>, which spreads to 90% of the non-vaccinated people near an infected person, but as fatal as Ebola.This is not the case, according to Toner, who spent a year creating the simulation.The Clade X virus that Toner and colleagues used in the simulation was only moderately contagious and moderately lethal. It spread as easily and was about as deadly as SARS, which infected more than 8,000 between 2002 and 2003, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zika-birth-defects-show-threats-of-emerging-viruses-2016-7">killing about 10% of those infected</a>.The world was lucky SARS wasn't worse. That virus wasn't particularly contagious until people were already very sick. As a result, it spread more in healthcare settings, once patients had landed in clinics and hospitals. That limited the spread of SARS in broader public spaces.There's also evidence it mutated to become less virulent. SARS was stopped, but there was "a great deal of luck involved," according to Toner.With Clade X, which theoretically would spread relatively fast in community settings (like SARS did in healthcare facilities), the world would not be as lucky."We think this scenario is quite plausible," said Toner.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersCoronaviruses like SARS and MERS, shown here, have pandemic potential.</div></div></div><h2>'We don't want to provide a recipe for how to do this'</h2>Shortly after the committee to advise the President met to discuss how to respond to Clade X, the first case appeared in the US, at a university in Massachusetts.New information about the pathogen emerged. Despite being a parainfluenza virus, Clade X also had genetic elements of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nipah-virus-outbreak-deaths-in-india-2018-5">Nipah virus, a rare but extremely lethal virus</a> that the World Health Organization considers an urgent research priority because of its potential to cause a pandemic.In the simulation, the virus was bioengineered and released by a group known as A Brighter Dawn, with the intention of reducing the world's population back to pre-industrial levels. The group was largely modeled after the cult Aum Shinrikyo, which released the chemical weapon sarin on the Tokyo subway in 1995.Before the sarin attack, Aum Shinrikyo reportedly tried to <a href="http://files.cnas.org.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/CNAS_AumShinrikyo_Danzig_1.pdf">develop biological weapons</a>. Advances in the field of synthetic biology make the production of deadly biological weapons a far simpler procedure today than when Aum Shinrikyo carried out attacks, to the point that many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-risk-to-humanity-2017-9">experts believe weaponized disease</a> may be the biggest threat humanity now faces.Toner said researchers are convinced a virus like the one released by A Brighter Dawn could be created and released. But he said the simulation designers will not reveal exactly how they determined this disease would be designed."We don't want to provide a recipe for how to do this," he said.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Shutterstock/Tonhom1009Creating a deadly virus using synthetic biology is less complicated than it used to be.</div></div></div><h2>Dark Winter, Atlantic Storm, and the lessons learned</h2>The Center for Health Security has run two other major simulations before Clade X.In June of 2001, a similar group of policy experts played the <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events/2001_dark-winter/about.html">Dark Winter</a> scenario, in which a terrorist group released smallpox at shopping malls in the US - still a scary enough potential scenario that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-approves-smallpox-drug-for-bioterrorism-2018-7">FDA for the first time this month approved a drug</a> to treat smallpox in case of an attack. An analysis of that exercise suggested that if the outbreak couldn't be stopped using vaccines within two months, the devastating illness could have infected 3 million and killed one million."People were just beginning to think of bioterrorism as a threat" at the time, said Toner. Not long after, the 9/11 attacks and <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/amerithrax-or-anthrax-investigation">anthrax letters</a> would convince the world that the threat of terrorism was of far greater concern.In 2005, in the <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events/2005_atlantic_storm/">Atlantic Storm</a> exercise, political leaders played through another smallpox release scenario. By then, governments around the world had stockpiled smallpox vaccines. But as the health experts <a href="http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/events/2005_atlantic_storm/flash/index.html">behind the scenario</a> explained after, a smallpox outbreak in a world with vaccines is not a worst-case scenario - other pandemics, naturally occurring or created, could be even more dangerous. Clade X reflects that.Though Clade X involved a bioengineered virus, Toner said the response required wasn't necessarily different from what we'd need to deal with a naturally-emergent pathogen. A virus like Clade X could just as easily emerge naturally - if SARS had been just slightly different, it might even have been that virus.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">John Moore/GettyEbola also helped show how unprepared the world is for dealing with rapidly spreading diseases.</div></div></div><h2>We aren't ready for what's coming</h2>A deadly disease with the potential to cause widespread loss of life around the world is coming. Whether it's manufactured or jumps to humans after spreading in animal species, that's considered a fact by infectious disease and bioterror experts. George Poste, an ex officio member of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, a group created to assess the state of biodefense in the US, previously told Business Insider it was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-risk-to-humanity-2017-9">inevitable that a disease as deadly as the 1918 flu pandemic</a> that killed 50 million people would emerge again. At a recent talk, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-warns-the-next-pandemic-disease-is-coming-2018-4">Bill Gates warned</a> that we're not prepared."In the case of biological threats, that sense of urgency is lacking," he said. "The world needs to prepare for pandemics in the same serious way it prepares for war."Toner said the Clade X scenario highlighted many of the shortcomings in our global healthcare system."We don't have the ability to produce vaccines to a novel pathogen within months rather than decades and we don't have the global public health capabilities that would allow us to rapidly identify and control an outbreak before it becomes a pandemic," he said.He also said that the health systems in the US and around the world aren't ready for the rapid surge in cases they'd see in the case of pandemic disease spread.A pandemic could cause hospital systems to collapse under the pressure. Most people don't know how close we came to having that happen in the US in 2009, he said, due to a not particularly virulent flu strain.We also don't have systems in place to deal with the overlap between healthcare, foreign policy, and national security."It will happen, but I don't know when," Toner said. Whenever it does, we have to hope that we'll be more prepared than we are now. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lunar-eclipse-why-moon-is-blood-red-2018-7">Why the moon turns red during a total lunar eclipse</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A leading medical institution created a simulation that shows how a new disease could kill 900 million people&#160;- and it reveals how unprepared we are

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Dbachmann via Wikimedia" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5462974cecad049547dc66dc-960/nebra_scheibe.jpg"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebra_sky_disk#mediaviewer/File:Nebra_Scheibe.jpg">Dbachmann via Wikimedia</a></div></div></div>The design on this disc might look like a six-year-old's scribbles, but in reality, it's one of the most sophisticated and influential artifacts of the Bronze Age.
And it might never have been discovered if not for a couple of illegal treasure hunters who dug it up and sold it on the black market.
Called the Nebra sky disc, named for the town where it was found in 1999, the artifact has been dated back to 1600 BC. It's thought to have been forged during the European Bronze Age, a period between 3200 and 600 BC.
The disc's discovery stunned archaeologists, who thought of the Bronze Age as brutal, uncivilized times of killing and little else - most artifacts we've found are swords and other weapons designed for battle.
The disc is about one foot across and weighs nearly five pounds. When it was first crafted, it would have shone a brilliant golden brown because the disc itself is made from bronze. But over time, the bronze corroded to green.
The symbols are made of gold and didn't corrode. Although experts do not agree on what each symbol represents, for example the full circle could be the sun, full moon, or some type of eclipse, the overall message is clear that the symbols represent celestial objects.
This disc meant that the people of the Bronze Age were not an uncivilized culture that only crafted weapons for killing. Instead, the people who lived at this time had an intellectual understanding of the sky.
<h3>Police-Led Sting For The Find Of The Century</h3>
For millennia, the disc was buried in the Seigelroda Forest in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt near a town called Nebra. But in 1999, two men, Henry Westphal and Mario Renner, were hunting for buried treasure in the forest when their metal detectors led them to an underground stash. They uncovered two bronze swords, two hatchets, a chisel, fragments of bracelets, and the beautifully decorated disc.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="4tuneQkie on Flickr" title_caption="Mock representation of the sky disc and the hoard of other artifacts it was found with." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54bfd93a6da8113a47b83994-960/13670279903_90124c9329_o.jpg"></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceholix/13670279903/in/photolist-mPZKX6-n1jykT-mPZRei-n1m82x-n1mkDf-mQ1abk-mPZVCF-mPZP22-mQ1pPP-n1m9mB-mQ1iez-mQ1gxP-mPZRRR-mQ1kdp-mPZPDe-mPZwpg-n1jCGr-mPZX3c-n1mfoK-mQ2kvY-mQ1o8T-mQ1bB6-mPZNd8-n1meWc-n1jFDi-mPZA6K-mYtkVV-nfKhJe-nihbav-nmm99u-njA5bY-nmm84o-nmYzQh-pQbJve-nn4qhi-pPWYgz-pQbHZ4-nng1BH-pxMBny-nmma6E-nmm9Lw-pxG69B-nhNroT-nmm9Yz-nih8pa-nihdW2-oyW4pt-nhNvMT-nfLhGQ-pxG6De">4tuneQkie on Flickr</a>Mock representation of the sky disc and the hoard of other artifacts it was found with.</div></div></div>According to state law in Saxony-Anhalt, all archaeological artifacts are the property of the state. Westphal and Renner had no license to dig for artifacts of any kind, and no legal right to the collection. But that didn't stop them from selling everything they found on the black market.
Over the next few years the entire collection became a well-known commodity and was traded multiple times on the black market selling for up to one million Deutsch Mark (roughly $590,000). Then, in 2002, archaeologist Herald Meller arranged a meeting with the current holders to purchase the disc, alone, for 700,000 DM ($350,000). But the meeting was not what it seemed.
Meller was collaborating with the state police to recover the priceless artifacts, and within seconds of the dealers' reveal of the disc, the police swooped in and arrested them. Eventually, the disc was traced back to Westphal and Renner who were sentenced to jail time.
<h2>Spotting A Fake</h2>
Archeologist's were stunned when they finally got a good, close look at the artifact. The Nebra sky disc was unlike any other artifact of its time. Some archaeologists thought the disc was too incredible to be real.
"When I first heard about the Nebra Disc I thought it was a joke, indeed I thought it was a forgery," Richard Harrison told the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndhw7aX_ME8">BBC in a documentary of the disc</a>. Harrison is a professor of European prehistory at the University of Bristol and expert on the culture that inhabited Germany during the Bronze Age. "Because it's such an extraordinary piece that it wouldn't surprise any of us that a clever forger had cooked this up in a backroom and sold it for a lot of money."
 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The disc was sent to the laboratory of Heinrich Wunderlich at the Museum of Halle in Eastern Germany. Heinrich specializes in dating artifacts from the Bronze age. If the disc was a fake, he could easily find out by studying the greenish bronze covering the disc.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_disease">Bronze disease</a> is the corrosive process that occurs when chloride molecules, such as chloride salts in soil, interact with bronze (or other copper-based materials). The result is a chemical reaction producing microscopic crystals that look either white or green. Over time, these crystals grow larger, which means that Wunderlich could easily spot a forgery by looking at the size of the crystals.
When he looked under the microscope, he saw large crystals, which resembled large bubbles, shown in the image below, that spoke to the disc's authenticity. It was no fake.
"When I saw down the microscope, I saw structure which was like bubbles," Wunderlich told BBC. "This can not be made artificially. You can't fake time."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="BBC" title_caption="Crystals of Bronze disease on the Nebra sky disc." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54bfda366bb3f7237d01c452-960/screen shot 2015-01-21 at 11.55.09 am.png"></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAyUpT9nhLQ">BBC</a>Crystals of Bronze disease on the Nebra sky disc.</div></div></div>
<h2>Secrets Of The Nebra Sky disc</h2>
Scientists have dated the disc to the time it was buried underground, but <a href="http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-technology/secrets-nebra-sky-disc-001526">they don't know</a> exactly when it was made. It was buried about 3,600 years ago but could be much older.
In addition to its age, the precise meaning of the disc eludes explanation. But an expert in Bronze Age religions, Miranda Aldhouse Green, at Cardiff University in the UK, has put together a general picture of what it might have meant for the people who used it thousands of years ago.
Below is a labeled version of the disc, but you'll have to translate some of the words since they're in German.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Gerhard Singer on Flickr" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54bfe6726bb3f7e82b01c456-960/95689315_beada1908f_o.jpg"></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gerhard3/95689315/in/photolist-9sr6M-8pYJm5-9HYvW8-8pYJto-5wSTM4-8SBzfG-nfKrGf-nfKftT-nfKg1f-mYtntB-mQ1d2v-pNEqjr-pLNDSj-oS1Jhd-mPZHpc-mQ2rNY-mQ2BD9-6iehv5-n1nTtA-mY1Ebr-nkihk5-nfKvef-nfKYBS-nf7sFJ-nhabUX-nfKuce-nfKqQ5-nfKYdL-mPZLUi-n1nSVm-mPZxdF-mQ1fbv-mPZKX6-n1jykT-mPZRei-n1m82x-n1mkDf-mQ1abk-mPZVCF-mPZP22-mQ1pPP-n1m9mB-mQ1iez-mQ1gxP-mPZRRR-mQ1kdp-mPZPDe-mPZwpg-n1jCGr-mPZX3c">Gerhard Singer on Flickr</a></div></div></div>There are six objects of importance depicted on the disc:
<ul>
<li>Sun (or full Moon or a type of solar or lunar eclipse)</li>
<li>Crescent Moon</li>
<li>Sun Boat</li>
<li>Pleiades Constellation</li>
<li>Left arc</li>
<li>Right arc</li>
</ul>
It makes sense that the full circle slightly left of center would be the sun, Green said in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndhw7aX_ME8">BBC documentary</a>, "The sun is absolutely central to northern European Bronze Age religion. There's a clear connection between the sun and life. If the sun disappears then life comes to an end."
And the crescent shape is likely a crescent moon. In ancient times, the moon was used to represent time, and, "if you can control time, and if you understand time, then you are a powerful, a powerful human being," <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2004/stardisctrans.shtml">Green said</a>.
Then there's the smiley-shaped band beneath the sun and moon, which Green suspects is the sun boat - an ancient holy symbol. Bronze Age Europeans believed that the sun traveled on a sun boat when it set at night.
The smaller circles speckled across the disc seem to represent stars. In particular, the concentrated clump between the sun and moon are thought to be the Pleiades constellation, which was an imporant constellation for Bronze Age farmers because it first appeared in March and disappeared in October - important farming times.
"We know from Greek writers that the Pleiades were used as an agricultural marker, so that farmers knew when they should do certain agricultural activities," Green said. "So what the Nebra disc does is to tell people not only the right time to [plant and harvest] but it is the blessed time to do it."
The left and right arcs on either side of the disc have an additional agricultural importance and were crucial in helping scientists determine that the disc was European-made.
<h2>The Dawn Of European Civilization</h2>
After analyzing these fairly simple explanations, archaeologists around the world started asking other questions: What did the arcs represent? Was the disc actually an artifact forged by Bronze Age Europeans? Or was it from another culture and managed to make its way into Germany by some unknown means?
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Linie M - Metall Form Farbe on Flickr" title_caption="This highly polished stainless steel plate Marks the reference of Nebra sky disc." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54bfe9c4ecad0405050e0b75-960/4865845508_f3bcdd0135_o.jpg"></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/linie-m_metall-form-farbe/4865845508/in/photolist-8pYJm5-9HYvW8-8pYJto-5wSTM4-8SBzfG-nfKrGf-nfKftT-nfKg1f-mYtntB-mQ1d2v-pNEqjr-pLNDSj-oS1Jhd-mPZHpc-mQ2rNY-mQ2BD9-6iehv5-n1nTtA-mY1Ebr-nkihk5-nfKvef-nfKYBS-nf7sFJ-nhabUX-nfKuce-nfKqQ5-nfKYdL-mPZLUi-n1nSVm-mPZxdF-mQ1fbv-mPZKX6-n1jykT-mPZRei-n1m82x-n1mkDf-mQ1abk-mPZVCF-mPZP22-mQ1pPP-n1m9mB-mQ1iez-mQ1gxP-mPZRRR-mQ1kdp-mPZPDe-mPZwpg-n1jCGr-mPZX3c-n1mfoK">Linie M - Metall Form Farbe on Flickr</a>This highly polished stainless steel plate Marks the reference of Nebra sky disc.</div></div></div>It was astronomer Wolfhard Schlosser, at the University of Hamburg, who made the connection. He found that if you draw a line from the center of the disc to the top and bottom end of the right arc, the angle between the two ends measures exactly 82 degrees. And it's the same value for the left golden arc.
This number is very important for only a small group of people who live at the same latitude as the current German town of Nebra. That's because it's the angle between where the sun sets on the horizon in mid-winter and mid-summer.
"The angle between both is precisely eighty two degrees," Schlosser told BBC. "This angle responds to the journey of the sun between summer and winter for this specific latitude right here in Nebra."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Although Schlosser's find offered compelling evidence that the disc was crafted in Europe, the only way to determine beyond any doubt was to discover where the metals came from.
Archaeologist Ernst Pernicka further investigated the copper within the bronze. Copper has a unique fingerprint that Pernicka used to compare copper in Bronze Age mines versus Mediterranean metals. From this, he traced the disc's metal to a European mine, confirming that the disc was manufactured from European metal and was not a gift crafted by another culture.
After millennia under ground and years on the black market, the disc today is safe and on public display at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle, Germany.
In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inducted the disc into their <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-6/nebra-sky-disc/">Memory of the World Register</a> stating:
The bronze disc is considered to be one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th Century. It combines an extraordinary comprehension of astronomical phenomena with the religious beliefs of its period, that enable unique glimpses into the early knowledge of the heavens.

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