Hydrogen-powered train line in Germany

Germany became the first country in the world to unveil a railway line powered by hydrogen. The fleet of 14 trains was produced by the French company Alstom and will replace diesel locomotives on the 60 miles of track that connects the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude, near Hamburg.

This will save around 8 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The company has also signed contracts for trains between Germany, France and Italy.

“By 2035, around 15 to 20 percent of the regional European market could run on hydrogen,” Alexandre Charpentier, a rail expert at consultancy Roland Berger, told.

Alstom has also begun to integrate its hydrogen trains into Britain’s commuter services.

Mysterious purple cloud over Chilean town

A mysterious purple cloud appeared over a town in Chile, baffling locals and officials, according to a report in Philadelphia-based news outlet Al Dia.

Locals posted the images on social media showing the vibrant purple clouds hanging low over Pozo Almonte, while the sky appears to be clean. The cloud cover originated at the Cala Cala mine, very close to the town.

“We are carrying out an inspection process, which shows us that this fact is due to the failure of a motor of the booster pump,” Deputy Regional Director of Tarapaca, Christian Ibanez said.

Reportedly, the pump failure caused iodine at the plant to change from a solid to a gaseous state. There was no medical emergency reported. The cloud disappeared within 48 hours.

Ancient giant shark 3D model created

Megalodon, a giant shark that roamed the oceans an estimated 23 million to 2.6 million years ago, could have devoured a creature the size of a killer whale in just five bites, new research suggests.

Researchers used fossil evidence to create a 3D model of the megalodon, one of the biggest predatory fish of all time, and found clues about its life.

At around 50 feet from nose to tail, the megalodon was two to three times the size of today’s great white shark, according to the study in the journal Science Advances. It would have weighed around 70 tonnes, or as much as 10 elephants and its gaping jaw allowed it to feed on other big creatures. Once it filled its massive stomach, it could roam the oceans for months at a time.

The megalodon was a strong swimmer, too: its average cruising speed was faster than sharks today and it could have migrated across multiple oceans with ease.

Bats invade Nevada fire station

Bats have infested a Nevada fire station for the second time in seven years, forcing officials to temporarily close it.

The bats have been flying around the living quarters of the small fire station between Reno and Carson City, and dead bats have been found in a bay where an ambulance was parked, said fire station spokesperson Adam Mayberry.

Officials in 2015 managed to get bats out of the fire station but their return has generated health and safety concerns since bats can transmit rabies and other viruses to humans.

Firefighters and rescue workers based at the station dating to the 1950s will be relocated until the bats are gone.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 3rd, 2022