Pavel Sokolovsky

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fun facts · Jan 2025

Why did humans keep mules around when they already had horses?

“Hi, cool question. It says there are 30 comments on here but for some reason I can't see any of them, so I'll answer because I'm a historian working on my PhD dissertation focused on the mule trains of colonial Panama, and I am very very interested in the global history of mules! … ” ~ learn more

fun facts · Jan 2025

Europe faces an unusual problem: ultra-cheap energy.

Solar production peaks during the day, causing very low or even negative energy prices in some countries. It’d be best to send that energy elsewhere to meet demand, but the grid infrastructure is lacking. Building it takes time, and also faces some opposition because… “When a connection is established, the market with lower electricity prices will inevitably export power to the one with higher prices. Even if both sides benefit…

on the blockchain · Jan 2025

The FBI secretly created a coin to investigate crypto pump-and-dump schemes.

“As a result of the investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged three “market makers” and nine people for allegedly engaging in schemes to boost the prices of certain crypto assets. The Department of Justice charged 18 people and entities for “widespread fraud and manipulation” in crypto markets.” ~ learn more

big ideas · Jan 2025

World’s largest onshore wind turbine has 430 ft blades.

“The lovingly named SI-270150 turbine features 430-ft-long blades (131 m), making for a maximum swept area of 616,298 sq ft (57,256 sq m). That's equivalent to nearly 11 American football fields. According to Sany, it's also set a record for the largest onshore turbine rotor diameter at 886 ft (270 m), surpassing the previous largest onshore wind turbine on the planet, Goldwind's 12-MW design launched in 2023 with a 787-ft…

big ideas · Jan 2025

It’s time to build the exoplanet telescope.

Physicist Casey Handmer strikes again with another big vision, this time presenting the Monster Telescope. “The full 1 km telescope will require about 20,000 mirrors. With a 30% learning rate, running the numbers gets us down to about $300,000 per mirror and a cumulative cost of about $10 billion. The same as JWST, only 150 times wider and 22,000 times more sensitive.” How does he have the time when he’s…

big ideas · Jan 2025

Ultra-deep fracking for limitless geothermal power.

“As stated before, if these companies succeed, and manage to bring this kind of power plant to the market at scale, humanity's ongoing energy needs simply cease to be a problem. Clean, grid-responsive, 24/7, virtually limitless... There's a lot of cause for optimism here in theory, and while many unprecedented problems remain to be solved, we hope there's more progress to report on soon.” ~ learn more

thoughts of food · Jan 2025

Goldfish is relaunching its beloved cheesy cracker under a new name.

“The update is inspired by those who loved Goldfish as kids but now might feel pulled towards more adult-leaning snacks. “We know the love for Goldfish spans all ages. Chilean Sea Bass is a playful nod to adults that the iconic fish-shaped snack is for grown-up tastes too,” said Danielle Brown, Vice President of Goldfish.” ~ learn more