Weekly Weird News for 21 January 2022

Sure would be great if smart humans always used good science

It was a headlining week of weird news. There were several news stories involving weird observations of worldwide interest this week. And, some you may not have caught. Before I tell you about some of the more obscure items you might have missed, let’s run down the big items for the week to put them in perspective.

Earth-shaking eruption

The Hunga Ha'apai eruption in Tonga of January 14/15 was one of the largest eruptions ever recorded, at least in this century. The blast of ash and gas created incredible electrical effects (191,309 lightning events during a 21-hour period) and a massive boom heard all the way in Australia. The ash cloud entered the stratosphere. The power of the steam-driven cataclysm (most of the volcano was submarine) was estimated to be equivalent to 5-10 megatons of TNT. Communication to the islands was cut off. Volcanologists were stunned by many features of this eruption. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/volcanic-explosion-in-tonga-created-many-mysteries

Some of the other notable observations were as follows:

• The moment of the explosion was captured by several weather satellites.

• Tsunamis 2-15 meters high devastated local islands, killing at least 3 people. The waves appeared hours later across the Pacific in South America, California, and then in Canada and Alaska.

• Two additional people drowned in Peru due to high waters where an oil spill also resulted from the waves. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/two-people-drowned-by-abnormally-high-waves-peru-after-tonga-volcano-2022-01-16/

• Thousands of lives may have been saved due to the Pacific-wide tsunami warning network. Yay, science!

• The pressure wave of the explosion was recorded in Anchorage Alaska, 5820 miles (9360 km) away, 7 hours after the eruption - a speed of 830 mph. The wave was recorded traveling around the world at least twice. The pressure wave created multiple “meteo-tsunamis” that resembled storm surges pushing the water with each pass.

• The small island originally created by the stratovolcano was almost entirely obliterated (and it was not the first time that happened).

See related visuals at https://earthsky.org/earth/tonga-volcano-felt-around-the-world/

Weekly reports from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=243040

Here is a video that explains what happened in the eruption. (I strongly recommend ALL the related videos on this GeologyHub channel.)

Not what the media told you to think

Two stories I’ve previously noted here have major updates this week. Both were related to social panics that had scant evidence to support the sensationalized suspected causes. Many people assumed the condition known as “Havana syndrome” was caused by some secret sonic or microwave weapon. Most people also assumed that women reporting injuries in UK clubs had been deliberately injected with drugs. This week, new assessments showed that there wasn’t good evidence for either claim.

Not a secret weapon directed by a foreign bad guy

Something affected diplomats and foreign operatives causing them serious illness but it wasn’t one single thing, and it was not a secret weapon wielded by a hostile power. The CIA has concluded that plausible alternative explanations could be found for most cases attributed to Havana Syndrome. About two dozen cases remain mysterious and foreign deviousness hasn’t been ruled out. But, as with UFOs, the residual cases should not prompt an extreme conclusion. As expected, many are rejecting this report as a way to close the book on the subject. But, from the start, a coordinated attack with a mystery weapon made no sense. https://www.nbcnews.com/a/rcna12838 and https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/cia-havana-syndrome-investigation-russia/2022/01/20/2f86d89e-795c-11ec-bf97-6eac6f77fba2_story.html

Not bad guys injecting drugs

The Scottish Police Authority has concluded that there was no evidence of drugs being injected via needles into club-goers in the UK. Police in various areas of the UK received reports of puncture marks where victims say they were injected and later felt unwell. The police concluded that excessive alcohol was the major culprit. No “spiking” drugs were discovered in tests. The rumors and reports were fueled by media-driven panics about attacks. As with the previous story, the descriptions of the event never made sense as needle injections are difficult and very noticeable at the time. Police do warn people to be careful about other types of “spiking” such as being offered pills or having a drink tampered with. Reports of spiking have finally died down in the UK. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-60069229

In both of those social panics, the credulous media reporting led people to believe they experienced the same trouble, creating a wave of claims that were treated as valid prior to being fully investigated. It will be difficult to wash away the pervasive false beliefs about these incidents.

Rolling on the Rideau River - Ice, Ice Baby

A woman in a yellow car went speeding down the surface of a frozen river in Canada. The scene on the Rideau River in Ottawa reached a climax when the car broke the ice and the woman calmly climbed out and took a selfie. The unnamed woman was later charged with dangerous driving. I hope she was directed to a psychological examination as well. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/driver-crashes-car-through-ice-on-rideau-river-takes-selfie-to-commemorate

5G fear-mongering

US Airlines are warning of travel disruptions related to the rollout of 5G technology. AT&T and Verizon expressed their frustration at the claim and at the FAA because dozens of countries have this technology with no problems to aircraft altitude systems as alleged. Does 5G cause aircraft interference? No. Remember when you had to turn all electronic devices off during takeoff and landing? Yeah, that was pointless too. https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/1/12/22878622/5g-airplanes-c-band-interference-faa

There have never been documented cases of malfunction or interferences traced to 5G signals. The wireless companies have agreed to a delay for a month, however, in response to FAA’s baseless claims. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/11/faa-forced-delay-in-5g-rollout-despite-having-no-proof-of-harm-to-aviation/

So, the concern appears to be overblown and is resulting in a delay of much-needed technology improvements. https://liveandletsfly.com/5g-airplane-interference/

WTF was that noise?

Just before midnight on the night of Jan 17 in Immingham, Lincolnshire, England, residents heard a very weird noise. Some thought it might be an earthquake or an alien invasion. Caught on camera, a small boom was followed by a longer rumbling/growling sound. Definitely weird. Later, it was confirmed that the sound came from a nearby steam electric power plant. https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/it-sounded-like-alien-invasion-6508730

Sharon of the Strange Times @IDoubtIt

Immingham noise. #mysteryboom Was from local electric power/steam plant.

Crow town, USA

Sunnyvale, California is inundated by crows. They make a mess and residents find the huge numbers of roosting crows to be annoying. The new weapons of choice to get rid of them are loud sounds and green lasers. The green lasers appear to the crows to be a threat so they disperse. The harassment is harmless and gets them to move on. An alternative method, using small explosives, is more disruptive and can cause the birds to panic and be injured. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/17/us/sunnyvale-california-crows-lasers.html

Hong Kong officials overreact to hamster COVID

A pet store was infected by COVID - an employee and several hamsters tested positive for the virus. Officials say they will euthanize all the animals in the store - a crazy overreach. A government director noted in a press conference that people should not take their hamsters out (maybe that’s a thing in Hong Kong) and “Do not kiss your pets”. I don’t know, I can think of at least a dozen better bits of advice than this to halt the spread of COVID. How awful. Animals have not been found to play a significant role in spreading COVID. They are catching it from people. https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-covid-hamsters-animals-75f2d3507bdb8255cd2aee79e962fc35

Dog-rescue by sausage drone

A dog caught by the rising tide in the Hampshire mudflats was rescued by a sausage-carrying drone. Dangling from a string, the sausage was enough to entice the dog to follow to higher ground. The dog had escaped her lead and got lost. The drones were first used to locate her. What is unclear to most readers is why she couldn’t be rescued by conventional means, like a person or boat. I am assuming that the mudflats are too hard to traverse on foot. The small dog was able to walk over the ground without sinking in. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/20/stranded-dog-saved-from-drowning-after-rescuers-attach-sausage-to-drone

Cats in dishes

Outdoor cats have discovered that Starlink satellite dishes are nice, warm resting spots. The self-heating dishes melt snow but the cats take advantage of this. The presence of cats on the dish disrupts the streaming signal. Maybe, keep the cats inside - they are cold, they die from accidents, get injured in fights, eaten by coyotes, etc. and they devastate wild bird populations. Just sayin’. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/outdoor-cats-are-using-500-starlink-satellite-dishes-as-self-heating-beds-180979401/

Martian meteor bust

In 1996, a group of scientists concluded that organic compounds in a Martian meteorite appeared to show evidence of life. That conclusion has been overturned. That’s how science works - the information gets tested and it is discarded if it doesn’t withstand scrutiny. Oh, if only all human decisions underwent these evaluations for improvement. https://apnews.com/article/space-exploration-science-business-planets-mars-33dc55ce0ebced0b65322b03ae06feda

WOOooo, Black Diamond

In a more stunning space rock development, a 555-carat black diamond is on the Sotheby’s auction block in Dubai. Known as “The Enigma”, it’s expected to bring at least $6 million. It’s a rare carbonado diamond that scientists believe are formed as a result of meteorites colliding with earth. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/17/1073703748/sothebys-unveils-555-55-carat-black-diamond-thought-to-come-from-outer-space

Come ‘round again next week for another episode of Weekly Weird News. I’ll rustle up some more strange things just for you.