Climate Change Alters Earth’s Rotation, Alzheimer’s Resilience, and Eco-Friendly Crypto Risks

Top insights:

• Groundbreaking Research on Earth's Rotation: At ETH Zurich, researchers have used advanced AI methods to identify climate change as a significant factor influencing Earth's rotation, challenging the traditional view that lunar effects are the primary driver. Their findings show that the melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, due to climate change, cause a redistribution of Earth's mass, slowing its rotational speed and lengthening the days.

• Impact of Mass Redistribution: The accelerated melting of polar ice sheets shifts mass toward the equator, increasing Earth's inertia and slowing its rotation, similar to a figure skater extending their arms. If greenhouse gas emissions continue, this phenomenon, which is subject to the law of conservation of angular momentum, will likely result in millisecond-longer days. The research indicates that climate change may eventually have a greater impact on Earth's rotation than lunar effects.

• Implications for Polar Motion and Space Navigation: Surface and deep Earth processes, such as mantle movements and outer core heat flows, influence polar motion as melting ice sheets alter Earth's axis of rotation. AI models integrating physics principles have enhanced predictive capabilities for space navigation and environmental planning. These findings emphasize the need for global action to mitigate climate change and preserve Earth's equilibrium for future generations.

Important highlights:

• Alzheimer's Resilience and Immune System Genes: A recent study found that some people are resilient to Alzheimer's disease despite having high levels of amyloid and tau proteins in their brains. This resilience may be linked to genes related to immune system activity, which help clear excess proteins from the brain, potentially protecting these individuals from developing Alzheimer's symptoms.

• Impact of Physical Activity on Alzheimer's Risk: Even without the protective genes, lifestyle changes such as regular physical activity can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Exercise enhances immune system function, which might help clear amyloid and tau proteins from the brain, mimicking the resilience seen in people with the "right" genes.

• Nature vs. Nurture in Alzheimer's Resilience: The study raises questions about whether genetic factors (nature) or lifestyle choices (nurture) play a more significant role in Alzheimer's resilience. While the resilient individuals in the study did not develop Alzheimer's during their lifetimes, it's uncertain whether they might have developed the disease later had they lived longer.

Principal observations:

• Energy-intensive nature of cryptocurrency mining: Traditional cryptocurrency mining, especially using the proof of work (PoW) method, consumes vast amounts of energy due to the high computational power required. In 2021, Bitcoin mining alone consumed more energy than several countries, highlighting the environmental impact of digital currencies.

• Shift to energy-efficient alternatives: Green cryptocurrencies, like Ethereum, have significantly reduced their energy consumption by up to 99.9% since their transition to proof of stake (PoS) in 2022. PoS relies on validators staking cryptocurrency rather than using powerful computers, making it a more eco-friendly approach to securing transactions.

• Challenges and future innovations: While green cryptocurrencies offer promising solutions like PoS and sharding to reduce energy usage, concerns remain over their security and fairness. Wealthier users could dominate PoS networks, and while improving efficiency, sharding requires careful implementation to maintain security and decentralization.