A balancing act, at 300 kmph

There is no denying that motorsports and F1, specifically is dangerous prima facie. Hurtling through space at 250kmph-300kmph is no amateur feat. It requires immense physical and mental strength. The level of speed naturally brings in an element of risk. The risks involved are one of the main factors that draw drivers and fans alike to the sport.

But human life is paramount and F1 has seen numerous advances in driver safety over the years, regulations have also been moulded and re-moulded to penalize drivers who overstep limits. The modern monocoque is a true testament to advances on safety. Not just technology, F1 culture itself has evolved to prioritize driver safety from the Prost-Senna era.

Yesterday, Verstappen and Hamilton collided in the British GP, sending Verstappen scurrying towards the barriers. It was later known that Verstappen took a 51G impact as he hit the barriers. A big, big hit. Verstappen was understandably winded. Thankfully, Verstappen is alright now and hasn’t been injured, which is an immense relief.

Not Tomorrow’s War

Yes, the globe is warming up. No, don’t trust Trump on this.

Yes, there are multiple efforts to counter climate change. No, they aren’t doing enough. But at least there is widespread acknowledgement of the scale of disastrous effects of climate change and remedial steps are being purported.

Global warming is already upon us. News bulletins shout out “never before” droughts, rains and floods from time to time. There is something that is still in a nascent stage, that might have just as deleterious effects as global warming. Am talking about electronic waste.

E-waste is piling up, quite literally, in dump yards. The Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), which counts the UN and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as founding members, predicts e-waste will reach 74 metric tonnes in ten years, double the number in 2014.

Raining hell, from up above

The backstory

About a week back, there was a drone attack on an Indian Air Force base in Jammu. Two drones dropped explosives and flew back. We do not yet know where the drones came from or if they had a specific target, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting an enquiry. All we know so far is that the twin explosions did not damage any defense equipment nor did they cause loss of lives.

So what?

While the direct impact of the detonations does not seem to be high, there is cause to worry. Although the use of drones for disaster relief, mapping and surveillance is becoming commonplace, drone warfare is still new to India, especially on the contentious Jammu & Kashmir border. Disturbances on the Line of Control (LoC) have been either due to direct shelling from the Pakistani side or the disquiet created by proxies in the region, that is to say disturbances did not have an aerial angle to them.