August 7, 2024: Look out for intense space weather heading our way, what the Google monopoly ruling means, and Hurricane Debby dumps a foot of rain on the South. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | | The sun's magnetic action goes through cycles over the course of 11 years. Scientists think we're at the peak of the current phase, with more magnetic activity on the star's surface. Experts expect to see more solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME), where plasma and magnetic fields erupt into space. At solar maximums (like the one we're in now) scientists observe two to three CMSs a day.
How it works: Earth is shielded from solar wind by the magnetosphere, which diverts most particles from the sun. During solar storms, CMEs of billions of particles slam into Earth's magnetosphere, compressing it dramatically and injecting energy, plasma and particles into our planet's magnetic field and heating up and distorting Earth's upper atmosphere.
The effects: We'll see lots of beautiful auroras here on Earth as particles from the sun slam into our atmosphere. CMEs that hit Earth's magnetosphere could wreak havoc on radio signals between satellites and induce strong electric currents that can damage power grids. | | | Earlier this week, U.S. district judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google is a monopolist that used illegal methods—including billion-dollar deals with Apple—to secure its dominance as the most-used search engine. By establishing Google Search as the exclusive default option on Android and Apple devices, the tech company made it extremely difficult for any would-be search engine competitors to enter the mobile market. Google plans to appeal this decision, and the remedies haven't been decided yet (those could include fines Google has to pay or business changes it'd have to make).
Why this matters: This is one of the most significant antitrust cases since the Justice Department sued Microsoft two decades ago. In the past few years there's been a wave of antitrust lawsuits brought against big tech. This case, the first to be decided, shows that even the most massive modern corporations aren't too big to lose.
What the experts say: Fiona M. Scott Morton, a Yale economist and antitrust expert, says that this decision could breathe new life into the search engine industry, depending on the remedy. Imagine a new search engine that, even if it lacked the strength of Google's algorithm, gives "a really clean page with organic links and a couple of clearly marked ads down the side," Scott Morton says. One can dream! -- Ben Guarino, technology editor | | | A Volcanic Monster The volcano near Grindavík, Iceland, has been erupting for the last few years. We followed geologists and volcanologists into the field, where they are collecting data to better understand what will happen next with this fuming monster. Watch the short documentary here. | | | • Anthropologists found a fossilized arm bone of the tiny human relative called the "Hobbit." The finding suggests that the species may have evolved from a larger ancestor that shrank after arriving on the Indonesian island of Flores. | 4 min read | | | • Multiple reviews that summarize all the available research on sleep training infants show that these practices improve sleep in children, from those under six months through five years old. The "cry it out" method is particularly effective, if the parents can tolerate it, writes Jasmine Mote, a clinical psychologist and research assistant professor at Boston University. When we argue against parenting methods like sleep training, "we are perpetuating the myth that what makes a good parent is sacrifice—sacrificing our mental health, our preferences, our sleep," she writes. | 5 min read | | | I'm looking forward to a new round of aurora photos when the next inevitable solar plasma hits Earth. Here's how to see the lights if they're forecast in your area. You can capture a pretty good shot of an aurora with a smartphone. I checked in with our chief multimedia editor, Jeff Delviscio, and he recommended trying out special photo apps (like ProCamera or DeepSkyCamera) that allow you to control settings manually to use long exposures in low-light and more. | Thank you for being part of our circle of science-curious readers! Email me anytime: newsletters@sciam.com. I love hearing from you. | —Andrea Gawrylewski, Chief Newsletter Editor | | Subscribe to this and all of our newsletters . | | | | Scientific American
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