1 Hurricane Ian is likely to be Florida’s deadliest in 87 years
The majority of the 100+ casualties are believed to have drowned. (WP $)
+ Areas that embrace solar power fare better in extreme weather. (Slate $)
+ Bangkok’s flooding problem is steadily worsening. (New Yorker $)
2 It’s not too late to avoid a winter of extreme illness
Accepting flu and covid shots can help to lessen the blow. (The Atlantic $)
+ Covid vaccines don’t harm menstrual cycles, a new study says. (Economist $)
+ This nanoparticle could be the key to a universal covid vaccine. (MIT Technology Review)
3 You shouldn’t worry about the US election getting hacked
At least, that’s what the DBI and CISA are saying. (Motherboard)
+The alt-right’s tech tactics have evolved since the Capitol riots. (Slate $)
+ Election misinformation is still thriving in non-English languages. (CNET)
4 Pollution particles can reach babies in the womb
Depending on how much pollution the mother is exposed to, soot particles can cross the placenta. (Bloomberg $)
5 Big Tech destroys millions of data storage devices a year
Even though they could wipe and resell them, companies are scared stiff of confidential data falling into the wrong hands. (FT $)
6 Inside the race to end HIV—using CRISPR
In theory, the technology could return cells to a near-standard state. (Wired $)
+ The scientist who co-created CRISPR isn’t ruling out engineered babies someday. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Chinese apps are still thriving in India
Despite the Indian government’s efforts to push users toward native apps. (Rest of World)
+ Censorship-evading apps are being stamped out in China. (TechCrunch)
8 The rise and rise of facial recognition in US airports
Self-check in kiosks are being phased out in favor of the controversial technology. (NYT $)
+ If you get your face scanned the next time you fly, here’s what you should know. (MIT Technology Review)
9 What it’s like to visit an Instagram tourist trap
It sounds like a whole lot more trouble than it’s worth. (Vox)
10 It’s time to embrace robot dolphins 🐬
They’re an ethical alternative to the real thing in captivity. (Hakai Magazine)
Quote of the day
“The spam finds its way into my inbox, too.”
—Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub of the Federal Election Commission, who helps police US political campaigns, tells the Washington Post that even she can’t escape the deluge of political spam emails.
The big story