Catastrophic

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” in New York on Tuesday night while being followed by “a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.”A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said Wednesday that the couple and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, were pursued by photographers relentlessly for more than two hours. The chase resulted in multiple near-collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two New York Police Department officers.“While being a public figure…

The year 2023 has seen some of the most intense solar storms in the last decade. We have seen two G4-class solar storms, multiple G3-class storms and a multitude of solar flare-related radio blackouts. Astronomers have realized that the next catastrophic solar storm event may not be too far away. But with how things are, there is not much we can do about it. While NASA has its own prediction models, their accuracy is not too high. In fact, in most cases, we cannot correctly predict when the storm will strike till it has…

Collecting stones on Månesigden mountain, in Heimefrontfjella, Queen Maud Land. The polished surface of the stone shows that is has been covered by an ice layer. The researchers analyzed the stone for cosmogenic isotopes that can tell them how long it has been since the stone was covered by ice. Carl (Calle) Lundberg is taking notes while Ph.D. student Jenny Newall collects samples. Credit: Ola Fredin, NTNUThe potential consequences of climate change-induced melting of Antarctica’s major ice sheets would be catastrophic.…

via EuropaCorp Fantasy is arguably more at risk than most other genres when it comes to the dangers of bombing at the box office, and it’s not a coincidence that so many of history’s biggest flops and money-losing misfires are set in outlandish worlds. Enter the Warrior’s Gate might be one of the most forgotten failures, but it also happens to be one of the biggest. On a budget of $48 million, the turgid video game-infused ancient epic earned the princely sum of $3.5 million from theaters around the world. That…

Last week, SpaceX soared into the headlines with the first launch of the world’s most powerful rocket, the Starship. Standing at nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, the enormous rocket lifted majestically off the pad and reached an altitude of around 25 miles around four minutes after liftoff, at which point it exploded dramatically. The test flight has generally been hailed as a success despite the explosion, as the rocket made it into the air. It certainly was an impressive sight to behold. But subsequent photos of…

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, April 25.A heat wave is headed straight for Central California’s massive snowpack this week, which forecasters say could trigger rapid melting in the mountains and flooding in the San Joaquin and Owens valleys. Regional temperatures could climb into the mid-90s beginning Wednesday and into the weekend. And with lows expected in the 40s, the Sierra Nevada snowmelt could start running around the clock.“The ‘big melt’ is now here,” UCLA climate…

The floods that impacted Durban in April 2022 were the most catastrophic yet, recorded in KwaZulu-Natal. Credit: Chante Shatz. The disastrous flood that hit Durban in April 2022 was the most catastrophic natural disaster yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in collective terms of lives lost, homes and infrastructure damaged or destroyed and economic impact. …

Hubble Space Telescope image of spiral galaxy UGC 2890. Located in the Camelopardalis constellation, the UGC 2890 galaxy is approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth. In 2009, astronomers witnessed a highly energetic Type II supernova explosion in this galaxy, which has since faded from view. Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope diverted from its routine observation schedule to investigate the aftermath of this cataclysmic event. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. KilpatrickThe <span…

Workers of Ubisoft Paris may strike in response to comments from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, with the workers demanding increased salaries, a four-day workweek, more transparency, and an end to abusive management practices.According to PC Gamer, the union's action is both a consequence of Guillemot's comments and Ubisoft's general financial state. Earlier in January, Ubisoft canceled several unnamed projects and delayed Skull and Bones yet again. It also stated that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The House on Wednesday approved and sent to the Senate a measure aimed at preventing a national rail strike from crippling the U.S. economy during the holiday season. The deal was first brokered by the White House in September and adopted by eight freight rail unions, but rejected by others. So…