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News of the day
1. Skyward Wildfire is developing technology to prevent lightning-induced wildfires by seeding clouds with metallic chaff, raising millions in funding. → Read more
2. Santander and Mastercard pilot Europe's first AI-executed payment, demonstrating autonomous transaction completion within live banking networks under strict controls. → Read more
3. Alibaba's OpenSandbox offers a unified, secure API for AI agents to execute code, browse web, and train models, simplifying development and deployment. → Read more
4. Physical AI, through humanoid robots, enhances customer service ROI by blending digital intelligence with human-like interaction, addressing labor shortages and complex operational needs. → Read more
Our take
Hi Dotikers!
On June 1, 2023, over 120 fires broke out in a matter of hours in Quebec, all sparked by lightning. That day marked the beginning of the worst wildfire season in Canadian history: 7,000 fires, 15 million hectares burned, carbon emissions four times greater than all the country's fossil fuels combined. Lightning accounted for only 59% of fire starts, but those fires caused 93% of the total area burned.
Skyward Wildfire claims it can prevent that. The technique isn't new: it dates back to the 1950s with the US Forest Service's Project Skyfire, then the 1970s with NASA's Project Thunderbolt. The idea involves dropping aluminum-coated fiberglass from planes, the same material the military uses to jam radars. These fibers create corona discharges that gradually neutralize charge differences in clouds, theoretically preventing lightning from striking the ground.
Theoretically. Because if the startup had to remove its 100% prevention promise from its website, it's because MIT researchers who studied the matter remain divided. A recent Florida study even found more lightning flashes in clouds containing these metallic particles. The technique seems to work under certain conditions, but which exactly, with what amount of material, and what environmental side effects, nobody can answer with certainty yet.
Between climate emergency and scientific caution, Skyward perfectly embodies the dilemma of bold solutions. Promising on paper, they still require much more evidence before earning our trust.
Alexis
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