In the first half, professor of biology and environmental studies at New York University Michael R. Rampino discussed the science behind major planetary upheavals and extinction events. According to Rampino, the climate models run by his research team in the 1980s predicted exactly the kind of record temperatures we're experiencing with the current record-breaking heat waves. The cause, he went on, is the amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that have been pumped into the Earth's atmosphere for decades by human activity― mostly related to our use of carbon-based fuels. For Rampino, it gets worse: it's too late to stop the damage that's been done. Summers will continue to be extremely hot, with wildfires breaking out and ocean temperatures rising.
Rampino also talked about the dangers posed by asteroids crashing into the Earth. Most asteroids that pass near us come from a large bunch that have collected in a "belt" between Mars and Jupiter, he explained. At their worst, collisions with stray asteroids cause major cataclysmic events: one such collision is what is believed to have been what wiped out the dinosaurs millions of years ago. But even relatively tiny pieces of space debris can wreak havoc, he noted. An asteroid only a few hundred feet across can destroy a city. Scientists do track the paths of asteroids, but they're usually not detected until they're past the Earth. Our best hope is that in the future, we'll come up with a means to detect oncoming debris and divert it away from us.
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In the latter half, C2C's investigative reporter Cheryll Jones presented recorded excerpts of her interview with entrepreneur Doron Merdinger, who's in the process of developing his company's H1 model flying car. About twenty feet long and made of carbon fiber, the car would typically hover at between just a few feet off the ground and about 1000 feet; its cruising speed is about 100 miles per hour. Both automated instruments and the operator's visual control would ensure that the H1 can be used safely. The vehicle runs on electricity, and is expected to get about 60 miles to a charge.
At this time, Merdinger projects that a functioning flying car will go to market by 2025, at an estimated price of about $250,000. Although about twenty hours of training would be necessary for owners to learn to drive the flying vehicles, Merdinger is confident that operation is relatively simple. In cases of emergency, the car will automatically initiate a landing that would return it safely to the ground.
At the end of the fourth hour, George played a recording of one of the late Kevin Mitnick's past appearances on the show. Mitnick talked about the vulnerability of cryptocurrency to hacking and other security compromises. He stressed the importance of maintaining strong passwords and being proactive about protecting oneself in all online activity.