SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, the threat to satellites posed by a major solar storm.
A Solar Superstorm Could Wipe Out ‘All Our Satellites’
SurvivalBlog reader Steve A. sent us this, from LiveScience: The next Carrington-level solar superstorm could wipe out ‘all our satellites,’ new simulations reveal.
Banks and Retailers are Running Out of Pennies
From the statist MSN outlet: Banks and retailers are running out of pennies. JWR’s Comments: I predict that most retailers will stop giving change in pennies by 2027, starting first in urban areas. With the relentless onslaught of inflation, nickels will be next. So we should stockpile nickels, as a hedge. I suggest that you do so before Congress mandates that the U.S. Mint debases the nickel’s composition. (Thankfully, their composition hasn’t changed since 1946.) Also, stack all-copper pre-1981 pennies, but only if you can find sorted ones at face value. (Without a sorting machine, it is not worth the time to hand-sort pennies.)
Avoiding the TPM Chip Mandate for Windows 11
Charlie G. sent this: Why Windows 11 requires a TPM – and how you can get around it. JWR’s Comment: It is now best to avoid the Windows OS altogether! Alternatives? See this article at TechRadar: Best alternative to Windows of 2025.
Mystery Drones Over Base Storing US Nukes
Tom Christianson sent this news: Mystery drones buzz military base ‘storing US nuke weapons’ twice in 24 hours as helicopter scrambled & jammers deployed.
ATSC 3.0: TV Antenna Users Should Prepare for Chaos
Another from Tom: ATSC 3.0 is coming: TV antenna users should prepare for chaos. The article begins:
“Things are about to get messy for free, over-the-air TV.
This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a notice of proposed rulemaking that’s designed to allow broadcast TV stations to adopt the emerging ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard more quickly. If the FCC enacts these rule changes, broadcasters will no longer need to support the ATSC 1.0 standard that works with most TVs and tuners. Instead, they’ll be able to scale back their ATSC 1.0 coverage and even switch over to the new standard entirely.
Broadcasters say they have no incentive to abandon ATSC 1.0 anytime soon, and that the rule changes would just give them more flexibility to support the new standard. Viewers, however, stand to lose clarity on how long their existing TVs will keep working with an antenna, and whether they’ll keep getting all the same content.”
Warning: Solar Geoengineering Could Wreak Climate Havoc
In the UK Guardian: Solar geoengineering in wrong hands could wreak climate havoc, scientists warn.
NASA: Non-Gravitational Acceleration in Comet 3I/ATLAS
And lastly, courtesy of blog reader C.B., some food for thought: NASA report detects first signs of non-gravitational acceleration in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS near perihelion. A key quote:
“The acceleration was measured at 203 million kilometers from the Sun (1.36 astronomical units). Analysis shows the comet is being pushed in two distinct directions: a significant outward shove away from the Sun, measured at 135 kilometers per day squared (equivalent to 9×10^{-7} au per day squared), and a lesser, sideways force perpendicular to the Sun’s direction, clocked at 60 kilometers per day squared (4×10^{-7} au per day squared).”
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