Helene’s most unexpected ripple effect

Plus, using Q-Tips? Stop. AirPods under $150 (p.s. they ship free) »]( [StackSkills]( [Advertise]( | [Talk To Us](mailto:letschat@getthefuturist.com) | [Shop]( | [Unsubscribe]( [The Futurist is your daily tech, cosmic, and science (both weird or otherwise) newsletter with articles and content curated just for you.]( [/earth] [Hurricane Helene's devastation of a small town in North Carolina could spell disaster for global automotive industry | Jalopnik]( [Hurricane Helene's devastation of a small town in North Carolina could spell disaster for global automotive industry]( “Hurricane Helene left a trail of death and destruction throughout the U.S. Southeast, but the impact of the massive storm may disrupt the automotive industry worldwide for months to come. … Spruce Pine, a small town in North Carolina, is the world’s main source of high-purity quartz needed to make semiconductors. Hurricane Helene ravaged Spruce Pine last week, inundating the tiny town with over two feet of water, according to PBS, which may seriously hamper the production of those conductors.” [// Jalopnik »]( [/afk] [StackSocial - No more boring games — ever again | [Partner]]( [No more boring games — ever again]( Ever played a game and thought… meh? Sure, there are some good ones out there, but the market is oversaturated with a lot of duds that just don’t hit. The good news is it’s a solvable issue — and a fun one to fix. Studying Unity — the game engine used to make Among Us, Pokemon Go, and other hits — can teach you how to make your own #1 app or video game. Study as a beginner and take on the digital world of game dev for $25. [Ad] [// Make games »]( [/cosmos] [Astronomers find Earth-like exoplanet orbiting dead star | ExtremeTech]( [Astronomers find Earth-like exoplanet orbiting dead star]( “The Earth of today is a lush garden that supports countless living organisms, but give it a few billion years, and Earth will be swallowed up by the Sun. Or maybe not. Astronomers have discovered an Earth-like world 4,000 light-years away that shows another way forward. This world remains intact, orbiting an ancient white dwarf that was probably very much like the Sun at one point.” [// ExtremeTech »]( [/health] [Why using Q-Tips to clean your ears can be more harmful than helpful | Courier Post]( [Why using Q-Tips to clean your ears can be more harmful than helpful]( “Hygiene is a major key to remaining healthy and happy. Using the right tools properly is key. And some experts say Q-tips and cotton swabs aren't a good method for cleaning your ears. … In a video for Business Insider, New York University otologist Erich Voigt said Q-Tips may push some earwax further into the canal. An overflow of earwax there can prevent new earwax from working its way out naturally. … The back of a Q-tips box contains a warning against putting Q-tips in the ear canal, stating that they should be swabbed ‘gently around the outer surface of the ear only.’” [// Courier Post »]( [/lifehack] [StackSocial- So… what’s the best way to clear your ears, then? | [Partner]]( [So… what’s the best way to clear your ears, then?]( Allow us to get a bit gross for a sec. Some pros recommend using ear drops or just plain water to remove earwax — but when there’s a serious build-up (à la Q-Tips), it’s helpful to see everything that’s ~going on~ in your ear canal. This smart ear cleaner gives you a 360° view with soft silicone spoons so you can see where you’re poking around and safely remove any wax buildup. Plus, you can reuse the tips for a while and ditch those single-use cotton swabs. Give it a try — you know you’re kinda curious to see what’s going on in there. [Ad] [// Clean your ears »]( [/epic] [Hummingbirds thrive on an extreme lifestyle. Here’s how. | Knowable Magazine]( [Hummingbirds thrive on an extreme lifestyle. Here’s how.]( “Everyone loves to watch hummingbirds — tiny, brightly colored blurs that dart about, hovering at flowers and pugnaciously defending their ownership of a feeder. But to the scientists who study them, hummingbirds offer much more than an entertaining spectacle. Their small size and blazing metabolism mean they live life on a knife-edge, sometimes needing to shut down their bodies almost completely just to conserve enough energy to survive the night — or to migrate thousands of miles, at times across open ocean.” [// Knowable Magazine »]( [/bites] [// AI could probably write better copy than you. No offense. It’s just true. See for yourself with AI Magicx »]( [// Squinting at the night sky will only get you so far. Get a telescope that attaches to your phone to view the cosmos up close and personal »]( [// Meal prep is just one more thing you shouldn’t have to waste your energy on. Fooducate keeps you on a healthy diet with little effort »]( [/trippy] [@designideahub on Instagram]( [@designideahub]( Interested in having one of your social posts featured in The Futurist? 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