The great pandemic: a quick update
- First, the numbers. India recorded 255,025 new cases, a 40% increase from a week ago. Maharashtra is at the top with 41,327 cases, followed by Karnataka (34,047) and Tamil Nadu (23,975). Meanwhile, Kerala’s positivity rate has soared to 30.55%.
- A related read: An NDTV analysis suggests that India is under-reporting its numbers.
- As expected, the Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal was a debacle—despite 150,000 masks being distributed to pilgrims. Almost 50% refused to put them on. One religious seer’s argument: “Main sadhu hun. Hum sada aadmi hain. Humko mask ki zaroorat nahin hain” (I am a seer and a simple person. I don’t need any mask).
- A preprint study suggested that a booster shot of mRNA vaccines offers only 37% protection—and quickly went viral with anti-vaxxers. Turns out the results were seriously flawed, but it is too late to stem the tide of misinformation. Also: why we need to be more sceptical of research that has not been peer reviewed.
- Here’s an unexpected upside of the pandemic: A new study has found that men and women look more attractive in a facemask. The most attractive variety oddly enough is the disposable surgical kind.
- The Beijing Winter Olympics are due to kick off on February 4—and stringent Covid protocols are already in place: Strictly banned: Vocally cheering for teammates. Only clapping is allowed. What to watch for: The Games are sure to test China’s zero-Covid policies. On that note, Beijing reported its first local case of omicron.
- A useful read: The Conversation has the latest research on where and how you are most likely to catch covid.
On a lighter note: Watch this Mexican TV anchor have a total meltdown over folks who won’t wear masks. Translation: “You damned antivaxxers, gaggle of morons! Stop with your bullshit and at least put on a goddamned face mask, and stop hitting the brakes for the entire world! Yes, you antivaxxers, you are a moron! Put on a face mask!”
Tonga’s tsunami woes
On Saturday, the massive eruption of an underwater volcano in the South Pacific—triggering tsunamis that hit Hawaii, Japan, and Tonga. Satellite images of the eruption went viral:
The eruptions sent a plume of ash, gas and steam 20 kilometers into the air. The worst hit: Tonga. There are no reports of deaths or injuries as yet. But information remains hard to come by as the tsunami cut power and communications with Tonga. New Zealand and Australia are sending surveillance flights to assess the damage. Experts suspect up to 80,000 residents may have been affected. FYI: The eruption was so loud it could be heard in New Zealand, some 2,383km from Tonga. BBC News and CNN have the most recent details. National Geographic explains the geology behind the eruption.
Drumbeats of war in Ukraine
Fears of a Russian invasion continue to rise. The US says it has “credible evidence” of a planned attack—and claim that Moscow has sent in operatives to carry out a “false flag operation”:
“[The White House]... charged that Russia has already dispatched operatives trained in urban warfare who could use explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces—blaming the acts on Ukraine—if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides he wants to move forward with an invasion.”
Meanwhile, a massive cyberattack hit Ukrainian government websites—splashing them with a warning to “be afraid and expect the worst.” And Microsoft issued a warning that computer systems of several Ukrainian government agencies and non-profit organizations have been infected with malware—aimed at incapacitating the target devices.
Djokovic is deported
When Australia cancelled his visa for the second time (our explainer is here), Novak Djokovic appealed the decision in a higher court. He lost the appeal on Sunday and will be immediately deported. The decision also means he is banned from entering Australia for three years—”except in compelling circumstances, such as compassionate or Australian national interest grounds.” FYI: The ruling basically affirms the Immigration minister’s absolute power to cancel a visa—and doesn’t look at the merits of the decision itself. Read Djoko’s fairly classy statement here. The Guardian has more details.
Speaking of sports’ exits: Virat Kohli stepped down as test captain—sealing the end of his career as the leader of the Indian team. He’d already been removed as captain for the ODI and T20 series. Kohli said: “I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it's now.” BCCI President Sourav Ganguly called it a “personal” decision. According to AFP, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are BCCI’s top contenders for his replacement. Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar is rooting for Rishabh Pant.
Yes, Kohli’s departure likely has something to do with the 1-2 series loss in South Africa. But tensions between him and the board were already running high before the series began—with Kohli contradicting the BCCI version of how he lost his ODI captaincy. One uplifting note in this sad saga: Anushka’s lovely Insta post marking this milestone in her husband’s career. (Hindustan Times)
Crypto crisis in Kosovo
Quick background: The current method of verifying all cryptocurrency transactions is called mining. Miners use a complex system called ‘Proof of Work’ (explained here so we don’t have to) in a race to verify each transaction—and the winners are rewarded with cryptocurrency as their reward. (For more, read our crypto explainer)
The crisis: But mining—which requires thousands of powerful computers performing complex tasks—guzzles 125.96 terawatt hours a year in electricity. This is more than entire countries like Norway (122.2 TWh) and the United Arab Emirates (113.20 TWh). Kosovo was the hub for crypto mining thanks to its cheap fuel prices—until huge energy shortages kicked in at the end of last year. The government has announced an immediate (if temporary) ban on all mining—calling it a “no brainer.” And crypto miners are selling their equipment in a panic—while authorities are conducting raids for hardware.
Why this matters: In the midst of all the hoopla over cryptocurrency, no one is acknowledging this big problem. Even China is vowing to ban all mining—because for governments the math is simple, as Kosovo’s finance minister explained:
“We have allocated €20 million for subsidising energy, which is probably not going to be sufficient, and this is taxpayers’ money that is going to subsidise electricity consumption. On the other hand we have crypto mining, which is a highly energy-intensive activity and is not regulated.”
Betting big on future tech: Walmart, which is making moves to enter the metaverse, and plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of NFTs. CNBC has that story.
Arrest of Yati Narsinghanand
The Hindutva leader who called for genocide of Muslims at a Haridwar event has been booked in two separate cases. First is the Haridwar case while the other involves making derogatory and abusive remarks against women. The latter appears to involve some kind of altercation with a woman journalist—who then filed a complaint. Indian Express’ reporting doesn’t tell us what he said.
New rules for airbags
All cars manufactured in India starting October 1, 2022, must have at least six airbags—as opposed to the current requirement of two front airbags. Manufacturers now must also include two side airbags and two curtain airbags to protect the occupants of the back seat. Indian Express explains why six airbags are a good thing. (Reuters)
Speaking of new features: WhatsApp is developing a drawing tool for Android users that will allow you to edit, write or blur images in photos and videos. But the feature is still in beta and there is no launch date. (Mint)
Speaking of apps: Looking for Wordle, the online game that has taken the world by storm? Don’t go looking for the app because it is available only on the browser (here). The unintended beneficiary of all this buzz is a completely different app—created five years ago—also called Wordle. It suddenly received 150,000 downloads in the span of a few days—and earned a flood of money. The Wordle app creator has now teamed up with the Wordle game creator to donate the proceeds to charity. Read Steve Cravotta’s Twitter thread talking about this life-is-weird story. (Games Radar)
The oldest known human-bred animal
Archaeologists have identified the remains of an animal called kunga in Mesopotamia. This cross of a female donkey and a male wild ass was bred to pull vehicles of the elite and tow chariots in war, while smaller kungas were used in agriculture. Why this matters: “It is surprising to see that these ancient societies envisioned something so complex as hybrid breeding.” Here’s what it looked like in art from that period:
In very sad animal-related news: Two elephants were found dead in a landfill in Sri Lanka. They had swallowed huge amounts of polythene, food wrappers, and other plastics. What’s truly heart-breaking: “there were no signs of food elephants normally eat found in their bodies.” The reason: The destruction of elephant habitats has driven them closer to humans—and to the kind of desperation that makes them look for food in a giant garbage dump. Twenty elephants have died in the same circumstances at this landfill. The Associated Press explains why this is happening.
Space is bad for your blood
New research shows that being in space literally ruins humans’ blood. Why this happens: At zero gravity, astronauts rapidly lose 10% of the liquid in their blood vessels. Their bodies destroy a matching 10% of red blood cells to get things back into balance. But when they return to Earth, their bodies regain the fluid to cope with the increase in gravity—but their red blood count remains low. In other words, they become clinically anemic. FYI: The study’s findings showed that being in space destroyed 3 million red blood cells every second, as compared to 2 million per second on Earth—a 54% increase. (Ars Technica)
Helen Mirren in ‘Jewface’ row
The actor is slated to play the legendary Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the biopic ‘Golda’—to be directed by Guy Nattiv who is both Jewish and Israeli. Yet her casting has become a controversy, with critics calling it a case of ‘Jewface’—since Mirren is not Jewish. Actor Maura Lippman said: “[T]he Jewishness of the character is so integral. I’m sure [Mirren] will be marvelous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela. You just couldn’t even go there.” (Variety)
A ‘sex scandal’ at the Acropolis
Greek authorities are vowing to take legal action against LGBTQ+ activists who shot a brief sex scene between two men at the famous ancient citadel in Athens. The scene in the short film titled ‘Departhenon’ is intended to create “a fissure… at the archaeological site… which is symbolically charged with nationalistic and heteronormative elements, so that the saught eroticism can flourish.” The Culture ministry was not impressed: "The archeological site of the Acropolis does not lend itself to activism or any other action that offends or shows a lack of respect to the monument.” (Vice)
Two things to see
One: Collarwali—the famous tigress of Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve—died on Saturday evening at the ripe age of 16. The “supermom”—who had 29 cubs—was given a proper funeral as you can see. (Indian Express)
See an older photo with her babies below:
Two: A single page of a 1984 issue of Spider-Man sold for a whopping $3.3 million. The reason: it debuts his now-iconic black costume. The previous record for a single page of a comic—marking the first appearance of Wolverine—was $657,250. (BBC) Tap to zoom.
