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A gust of wind sweeps over bare soil, kicking up enough dirt and dust to cut visibility to nearly zero, and for drivers, the dust storm seems to come out of nowhere.Such conditions resulted in a pileup on Interstate 70 last week in western Kansas involving dozens of cars and trucks thatleft eight people dead. Blinding dust also prompted New Mexicos transportation department to close Interstate 25 from the Colorado border southwest to Las Vegas, New Mexico.Hazy or dust-darkened skies have recalled the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when millions of tons of blowing soil buried farms and coated towns across the Great Plains. Lesser storms occur every year, particularly in the western U.S., particularly when farmland hasnt been planted yet in the spring. Some scientists worry that many motorists dont take them seriously enough.We have a very low level of public awareness of a dust storm and what damage it can cause, said Daniel Tong, an associate professor of atmospheric chemistry at George Mason University who is among the authors of a 2023 paper on dust storm deaths.Dust storms have a history of causing fatalitiesThe High Plains Museum in Goodland displays a photo of a tractor buried in blown soil in the 1930s, a reminder of the consequences of a severe drought across the Great Plains that came after farming had destroyed native grasses.The fatalities Friday near Goodland were the first in the area in a dust storm since 2014, said Jeremy Martin, the Weather Service meteorologist in charge there.But they came less than a month after an 11-car pileup on I-25 left three people dead, with heavy dust cited as a factor, accordingto Albuquerque TVs KRQE.Similarly, a dust storm on I-55 between St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois, in 2023 led toa fatal pileupinvolving dozens of vehicles.In 1991, 17 people died in an accident involving more than 100 vehicles on I-5 in Californias San Joaquin Valley, blamed on blowing dust.Tong and four co-authors concluded in their paper published in 2023 in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society that there were232 deathsfrom windblown dust events from 2007 through 2017, far higher than the number recorded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association data.In January,he and four colleagues concluded that the economic damaged caused by wind erosion and dust is four times higher than previously calculated and more than $154 billion a year.A cold front carries dust through western KansasMartin said a cold front moved through the area of the pileup after it had been warm and dry for six hours. Winds that reached 70 miles per hour (113 kph) kicked up dust that then became trapped in the cold front.Thats when you get that classic wall of dust, he said.As blowing dust cut visibility on the road to almost zero, drivers slowed down, causing collisions, authorities said.A preliminary investigation found that 71 vehicles were involved, said Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson April McCollum. Aerial photos showed at least 10 were semis.It was hard to even keep your eyes open outside because there was so much dust in the air, said Jeremy Martin, the National Weather Service meteorologist in charge in Goodland. It kind of stung to even breathe out in it.Similar conditions in eastern Colorado prompted the Colorado State Patrol to warn drivers: Zero visibility due to high winds and blowing dirt.You couldnt see, said Jerry Burkhart, the fire and emergency services chief in Lamar, Colorado. The best thing to do is get way off the road in a parking lot or something like that.A lack of visibility is not the only problemMartin said its hard to tell how thick dust is from a distance, so motorists often dont know they wont able to see until theyre in it.Weather Service forecasters also said some of the advice for motorists in a dust storm is counter-intuitive. Michael Anand, a NWS meteorologist in Albuquerque, said motorists should pull off the road as safely as possible, turn off all lights and never use their high beams.You dont want people behind you to think youre going in the road, Martin said. That light from your tail light might be the only thing they can see. Theyre thinking the road suddenly curves.High winds make cars harder to control, and a dust storm coats the road with fine particles that slow breaking, and drivers panic, Tong said.He said dust storms are frequent and widespread enough across the U.S. that states should test prospective drivers on what to do in a dust storm on license exams.That could be, actually, a very easy way to educate drivers, he said.John Hanna, Associated PressAssociated Press writer Janie Far contributed.

Lidar has long been considered the gold standard of self-driving technology. Most car companies use the technology, alongside cameras, radar, and AI, to fully assess a vehicles environment. Except for one notable exception: Tesla.Elon Musk has always had it out for Lidar, calling it a a crutch,a losers technology and too expensive. After experimenting with Lidar in early autonomous driving prototypes, Musk went a different direction. He ditched radarfrom Teslas production models in 2021,against the criteria of his own engineers,opting instead for his camera-based AI Tesla Vision system, which relies on cameras and AI alone. This has proven to be one of his biggest mistakes when it comes to Teslas future.Lidar, which works by firing laser beams to capture a cars surroundings in three dimensions as a way to assess its environment, is widely used in the autonomous vehicle industry because it provides precise depth perception, even in poor visibility conditions. Radar is also needed to detect obstacles further away and calculate their speedand yet, Musk insisted that vision-based AI aloneusing only cameras, like human eyesis sufficient. As of December 2024, Tesla remains committed to its camera-only Tesla Vision system. We are confident that this is the best strategy for the future of Autopilot and the safety of our customers, the company says on its webpage.But as this video by Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer-turned-YouTuber, demonstrates, Tesla Vision may not be the safest option both drivers and pedestrians.Rober designed an experiment inspired by the classic Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons to compare Teslas Autopilot with Lidar-based systems. He created a polystyrene wall with an image of a road printed on it and placed it in the middle of a real street to evaluate the reaction of the sensors in his own Tesla Model Y, which relies only on cameras. For comparison, Rober also tested a Lexus RX equipped with Lidar under the same conditions.In the initial tests, both the Tesla and the Lexus successfully stopped in front of a stationary dummy and another dummy in motion. But the Teslas camera-based system, which struggles in poor visibility, failed when adverse conditions were introduced. It could not detect the same dummy in fog and rain, while the Lexus Lidar identified it without issue.The ultimate test was the painted-wall experiment. In Chuck Jones classic cartoons, Wile E. Coyote often paints a fake tunnel on a wall, making it appear as though the road continues. The Road Runner always escapes by running through the illusion, while the Coyote, baffled, inevitably crashes into the obstacle.Thats exactly what happened to Robers Tesla, which kept driving until it smashed into the wall. The vehicles artificial intelligence trusted what its cameras saw: an uninterrupted road. The Lexus, on the other hand, stopped immediatelyits laser beams detected a solid wall, regardless of the image painted on it. Some have dismissed the test as a gimmick, but it highlights a fundamental flaw: Teslas system cannot reliably distinguish real objects from illusions. It misinterprets reality because it relies solely on optical sensors. As seen in the dummy test under rain and fog, poor visibility leads the cars AI to make dangerous misjudgments. While Lidar scans the environment in 3D regardless of an objects visual appearance, Teslas cameras only process flat images, making them vulnerable to visual deception. This is a well-documented issue in AI systems, as multiple studies have shown.More concerning is that this test was conducted under ideal conditionsbroad daylight, with no rain or fogyet the Tesla still failed to recognize the obstacle, exposing a fundamental flaw in its technology. This technology has not changed since 2022, when sensor company Luminar conducted a similar test with a child-sized dummy, and Tesla failed in poor visibility conditions.Another Musk mistakeThis isnt the first time Teslas disastrous design choices have called its products viability into question. Elon Musks obsession with only using cameras goes against the strategy of his competitors. As a result, Teslas Autopilot has remained stuck at Level 2 autonomyrequiring constant driver supervisionfor a decade, while Waymo and Mercedes have reached Level 4, and Chinese manufacturer BYD has reached Level 3, meaning their cars can drive autonomously without human intervention.Waymo, Alphabets autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has demonstrated that its self-driving system allows vehicles to travel 17,311 miles between human interventions. In contrast, Teslas misleadingly named Full Self-Driving (FSD) software requires corrections every 71 miles. Waymos cars are not perfect, but they are light-years ahead of Teslas.In 2024, Tesla purchased Lidar sensors from Luminar, leading some to speculate that Musk was reconsidering his stance. But the reality was different. The sensors were only used for reference data collection, not for integration into Teslas vehicles. In fact, Musk recently claimed that Tesla no longer needs Lidar for testing. This confirms that he remains committed to his camera-only approach, despite overwhelming evidence of its limitations.Rather than admitting his mistake, Musk is doubling down. He has been promising full self-driving since 2014, repeatedly claiming the technology would be ready next year. Just months ago, he pitched the idea that Tesla would launch autonomous Cybercab taxis by 2026while Waymo already operates robotaxis in multiple U.S. cities, and brands like Mercedes and BYD have secured certification for driverless operation on roads in Germany and China.After watching Robers test, the notion that Tesla can catch up to its competitors without using Lidar seems as viable as Wile E. Coyotes plans to catch the Road Runner.

Ever witnessed something so ingenious it feels like magic? The Coravin wine preservation system certainly qualifies. For someone like me who considers successfully extracting a cork without it crumbling into a thousand floating pieces a major life achievement, this device is nothing short of miraculous. Half the battle with wine isnt choosing the right bottleits winning the wrestling match with that stubborn cork without looking like youre reenacting a slapstick comedy routine. This remarkable device has revolutionized how wine enthusiasts enjoy their bottles, allowing access to wine without removing the cork and preserving the remaining contents for weeks, months, or even years.Designer: Greg LambrechtNo more cork fragments swimming in your Cabernet. No more desperate attempts to jam a mangled cork back into a bottle while muttering nobody saw that to yourself. Just wine, when you want it, how you want it. Let me break down this seeming voodoo black magic thats changing how we drink wine.The Genius Behind the MagicThe Coravin system represents brilliant engineering with practical applications. Invented by Greg Lambrecht, a medical device entrepreneur with a passion for wine, the Coravin applies principles from medical technology to solve a common wine lovers dilemma: how to enjoy a single glass without committing to the entire bottle. Lambrechts background in developing medical needles proved crucial. He spent years perfecting a system that could extract wine without exposing the remaining liquid to oxygenwines greatest enemy once a bottle is opened.The result? A device that lets you pour wine while leaving the cork in place. For cork-challenged individuals everywhere, this feels like discovering you can eat cake without gaining weight. Or finding out calories dont count on weekends. Pure fantasy made real.For wine collectors with extensive cellars, this innovation provides an invaluable tool. They can now sample bottles throughout their development without committing to opening them fullyperfect for monitoring how wines age over time without sacrificing entire bottles for a taste.How It Actually WorksThe Coravins operation follows a deceptively simple yet ingeniously effective process. Heres what happens when you use one: First, you place the device over the bottles neck and secure it in position. A thin, hollow needlesimilar to those used in medical procedurespierces through the cork without removing it.This begins the truly innovative part of the process. The system releases argon gas (an inert gas that doesnt react with wine) through the needle into the bottle. As the argon enters, it creates pressure that forces wine up through the needle and out through the Coravins spout into your glass. When youre done pouring, you remove the needle. The cork, being a natural, elastic material, reseals itself. The remaining wine stays protected under a blanket of argon gas, preventing oxygen from entering and spoiling the wine.The entire process takes about 20 seconds. Thats less time than it takes me to find the corkscrew, position it correctly, and begin the usual prayer ritual before attempting extraction. (Dear Wine Gods, please let this cork come out in one piece, and I promise to never buy screw-top bottles again.)Restaurants and wine bars have enthusiastically embraced this technology. The Coravin allows them to offer premium wines by the glass that would otherwise remain economically unfeasible. Imagine being able to sample a $200 Bordeaux without buying the whole bottlethis technology has transformed wine service in high-end establishments around the world.Why Its RevolutionaryBefore Coravin, wine preservation methods offered limited effectiveness for long-term storage. Once opened, most wines begin deteriorating within days: Sparkling wines lose their bubbles within hours. Delicate whites may last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Robust reds might remain drinkable for 3-5 days. Even with vacuum pumps or gas sprays, quality declined noticeablyabout as effective as putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg.The Coravin changed everything. By never actually opening the bottle, it extends wines drinkable life dramatically. Users report successfully returning to bottles months or even years later to find the wine tasting as fresh as the first pour. This technology transforms our approach to wine consumption in ways previously unimaginable. Its like having a time machine for your wine.For solo wine enthusiasts, this solves a perpetual dilemma. No more choosing between finishing a bottle alone (hello, Tuesday morning headache) or watching it deteriorate in the fridge. Premium bottles become accessible for individual enjoyment over weeks or months without waste.The Coravin LineupCoravin offers several models to suit different needs and budgets. The Timeless series (including Models Three, Six, and Eleven) represents their premium offerings. These use the needle-through-cork technology and can preserve wines for extended periods. Prices typically range from $199 to $300 depending on features and included accessories.For more casual wine drinkers, the Pivot model offers a simpler alternative. Rather than piercing the cork, it uses a specialized stopper and preserves wine for up to four weeks. It comes at a more accessible price point and works with both natural and synthetic corks.Each system requires argon gas capsules, which need replacement after approximately 15 glasses of wine. This ongoing cost deserves consideration when evaluating the overall value. Think of it as feeding your wine petit needs argon to stay happy.Couples with different wine preferences find particular value in these systems. They can each enjoy their preferred style without compromisepossibly saving countless relationships from the I wanted red but you opened white argument. One partner can savor a bold Cabernet while the other enjoys a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, all without opening multiple bottles.Real-World PerformanceDoes Coravin actually deliver on its promises? The evidence suggests largely yes, with some caveats. Wine professionals, including Master Sommeliers, have conducted blind tastings comparing freshly opened bottles with those accessed via Coravin months earlier. Most experts couldnt distinguish between themcompelling evidence supporting the systems effectiveness.That said, performance can vary based on several factors. The system tends to work better with bottles sealed with high-quality natural corks, fuller-bodied red wines, and wines with higher tannin and acid content. More delicate wines or those with synthetic closures may not preserve quite as well or for as long.Users also report that while the preservation delivers excellent results, it may not maintain indefinite freshness as initially claimed. Many find that wines begin showing subtle changes after about a month, though they remain highly drinkable. Kind of like how I remain highly functional after a month without a haircutnot perfect, but still presentable.Is It Worth It?At $199-$300 for the initial investment plus ongoing costs for argon capsules, the Coravin represents a significant purchase for most wine drinkers. For casual wine consumers who typically finish bottles quickly or drink primarily inexpensive wines, simpler preservation methods like vacuum pumps might offer more economic sense.However, for serious enthusiasts who regularly enjoy premium bottles, the math works out favorably. When preserving a $50+ bottle becomes possible, the Coravin quickly pays for itself by preventing waste. Beyond pure economics, the freedom it provides creates additional valuethe ability to match exactly the right wine with a meal without worrying about waste, or to compare different vintages side by side for educational purposes.Think about it: how many times have you opened a special bottle for just one glass, only to find the remainder significantly diminished when you returned to it days later? For many, this scenario alone justifies the investment. Its like insurance for your liquid assets.The technology has been particularly revolutionary for the restaurant industry. High-end establishments can now offer rare vintages by the glass, expanding their wine programs dramatically. Customers benefit from being able to sample exceptional wines that would otherwise only be available by the bottle at prohibitive prices.Uncork Your Wine Freedom!The Coravin shatters traditional wine-drinking limitations. This ingenious device unlocks possibilities previously unimaginable for wine lovers. Want to compare that 2015 Barolo with the 2016 without opening both bottles? Done. Craving just one glass of that special Burgundy on a Tuesday night? Pour away. Hosting friends with wildly different wine preferences? Serve everyone their perfect glass without compromise.The system doesnt achieve perfectionno technology does. Some corks seal better than others after puncture, and certain wine styles benefit more from the preservation method. The ongoing cost of argon capsules adds up over time, a consideration for budget-conscious oenophiles.Yet, for many wine enthusiasts, the Coravin fundamentally changes their relationship with their collection. Suddenly, that special bottle becomes accessible any day of the week, not just for celebrations. The pressure to finish an opened bottle vanishes. Wine exploration expands as sampling different bottles becomes practical without waste.For those of us who consider successfully removing a cork intact to be a major accomplishment worthy of Instagram documentation, the Coravin delivers a genuine breakthrough. No more cork anxiety, no more obligation to finish bottles, no more wine-stained teeth from powering through that last glass because it would be a shame to waste it. Just the pure pleasure of wine, one perfect glass at a time.Time to transform your wine experience. Your future selfenjoying that perfect glass from a bottle accessed weeks agowill thank you. The Coravin may not be actual voodoo, but when youre savoring a pristine glass from a bottle you first tapped three months ago, it certainly feels like wine wizardry.The post The Coravin Wine System: Vinous Voodoo or Engineering Wizardry? first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Business-guidance content published during the Biden administration has been removed from the Federal Trade Commission website.