Tuesday☕️

Earth Intelligence

17 Dec 2024 — 6 min read

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On December 2, 2024, a shipment containing a Ge-68 pin source, a radioactive material used in medical imaging, was reported lost in transit in New Jersey. The container arrived at its destination damaged and empty, prompting immediate notifications to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). With an activity level of approximately 0.267 millicuries, the material poses limited risk if handled properly but could raise safety and security concerns.
The investigation is ongoing, and while federal agencies have remained notably quiet, it is anticipated that they will weigh in as the situation unfolds. At the same time, New Jersey residents reported widespread sightings of drones operating in coordinated patterns across the region, sparking speculation that they were foreign-operated. However, given the scale and precision of these drone sweeps, covering sectors in a systematic manner, it is far more likely that the drones were deployed by U.S. agencies as part of a search operation for the missing radioactive material.
Due to the extensive reach of U.S. satellite infrastructure and NORAD’s airspace surveillance, it would be virtually impossible for foreign drones to operate at such a scale without immediate detection. The simultaneous timing of the drone activity and the missing radioactive shipment strongly suggests a coordinated effort, likely domestic, to locate the lost source quickly and prevent any potential misuse. However, it is also possible that the drones were operated by contractors, military units conducting tests, or private entities responding to an asset of interest, as the exact purpose and origin of the operation have not been officially confirmed.

Economics & Markets:

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Geopolitics & Conflicts:

Yesterday, December 16, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a precision airstrike in Sana’a, Yemen, targeting an Iran-backed Houthi command and control facility. This site was used to coordinate Houthi attacks on U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

In Syria, CENTCOM carried out airstrikes on ISIS camps and operatives, killing 12 terrorists and disrupting their operations. With Russia and Iran retreating from Syria, the U.S. and Israel have emerged as the dominant forces in the country, enforcing security and stability where Iran and Russia previously operated.
To further bolster its presence, the U.S. has deployed the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), which arrived in the CENTCOM region on December 14, 2024. The carrier group was likely used to coordinate or launch the recent strikes in Syria and Yemen, showcasing the U.S. military’s ability to project power quickly and effectively.

As the strongest military force in the Middle East, the U.S. is stepping up its role to monitor and stop threats before they escalate. Iran, now weaker in the region, is relying on proxy groups like the Houthis to attack U.S. and allied interests indirectly. By targeting these proxies and extremist groups, the U.S. is countering enemy influence and solidifying its control. Combined with Israel’s ongoing operations, this strengthened presence ensures regional stability while signaling a clear deterrence to adversaries.

Environment & Weather:

Yesterday, December 16th, heavy flooding continued to cause problems in southern Thailand, especially in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where at least four people have died. The flooding started on December 14th and has affected homes, roads, and hospitals. Thasala Hospital and other areas, like Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital, are surrounded by water, making it hard for people to get in or out.

In some areas, water levels are between 20 to 70 centimeters (8 to 28 inches), and many roads are now blocked. Travel to Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport has also been disrupted, with officials asking people to leave extra time for their trips. So far, over 43,500 households have been affected across four southern provinces: Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Emergency teams are working hard to help those in need as efforts continue to manage the flooding and provide support.

Security:

Rhode Island’s RIBridges public assistance system, which manages benefits for programs like Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and HealthSource RI, was taken offline after a cyberattack that potentially exposed the personal data of hundreds of thousands of residents. Operated by Deloitte, RIBridges serves as a central system for processing applications and distributing benefits to vulnerable populations. The attack compromised sensitive data, including names, Social Security numbers, addresses, and banking details, raising serious concerns about identity theft and financial fraud.
State officials believe the breach was carried out by an international cybercriminal group. The system remains offline as officials and cybersecurity experts investigate the breach, contain the threat, and secure the platform against future attacks. To support affected residents, Rhode Island is offering free credit monitoring, call center assistance, and alternative paper-based application options. This disruption underscores the critical role RIBridges plays in delivering essential services and highlights its vulnerability to cyberattacks.

Space:

Yesterday, December 16th, 2024, China completed two space launches to expand its orbital infrastructure. The first, using a Long March 5B rocket, lifted off at 10:00 UTC from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, delivering ten SatNet LEO Group 01 satellites to improve satellite communications and Earth observation. Later, at 18:55 UTC, a Long March 2D rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, carrying an undisclosed payload. These missions demonstrate China’s continued progress in space technology and its focus on boosting both commercial and strategic capabilities.

Meanwhile, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral at 7:52 PM EST, deploying the GPS III-10 satellite for the U.S. Space Force. Built by Lockheed Martin, the satellite enhances global positioning accuracy and anti-jamming protections for military and civilian use. SpaceX also successfully recovered the rocket’s first stage, underscoring cost-efficient, reusable launch systems. These events highlight the growing global competition to advance space technology.

Science & Technology:

Last week, Microsoft introduced Phi-4, a small language model (SLM) that performs remarkably well on many challenging benchmarks, despite being much smaller than large models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Google’s Gemini. While large models contain hundreds of billions of parameters, Phi-4 has only about 14 billion. This smaller size makes it faster, cheaper, and easier to use while still delivering impressive results. Microsoft achieved this by using synthetic data to train Phi-4 and applying a method called mid-training to extend how much text it can process at once. This approach allows the model to handle longer inputs without requiring the vast resources needed for larger models.
The key difference between small and large models lies in their trade-offs between size and performance. Larger models can tackle very complex tasks and understand more detailed information thanks to their scale, but they require significant computing power and storage. Smaller models, like Phi-4, are ideal for specialized tasks that prioritize speed and efficiency while still performing at a high level. By using synthetic data—essentially AI to train AI—Microsoft has shown that smaller models can achieve impressive results without the need for massive amounts of real-world data or computing power, making them a practical and powerful alternative for many applications.

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