Numlock News: March 5, 2026 • Axes, Cockles, Jinko

Mar 05, 2026

By Walt Hickey

Shellfish

The shellfish ordinarily used in sushi have been scarce, driving up prices. Wild populations have been experiencing changing oceanic conditions that threaten their survival, while the farmed aquaculture-sourced shellfish have had a spate of die-offs. Some 80 to 90 percent of oysters in the Seto Inland Sea died this winter, about 90 percent of the farmed scallops in Mutsu Bay died and Torigai cockles became scarcer and smaller in size when available. That’s translated to Torigai selling for 3,400 yen per kilogram, up 40 percent over the prices five years ago. Oyster prices are up 70 percent, and scallop prices are up 80 percent.

Takumi Sasaki, Nikkei Asia

Axes

Cities have been experimenting with adding green axes, those thin stretches of park and tree-lined streets popping up over the past several years. Barcelona has enjoyed considerable success with them, and a new study found that, in addition to the known traffic calming effect (people drive slower on tree-lined streets than clear-cut wide boulevards), there’s a significant sound level decrease. One year after pedestrianizing several streets, the average daily sound level was down 3.1 decibels.

Autonomous University of Barcelona

Mines

A new report from the Interstate Mining Compact Commission and the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs found that 750,000 of the 1.8 million former mining sites in the United States now pose an “immediate danger” to the general public. The report estimates that addressing the safety and environmental hazards of abandoned mines will cost over $60 billion. Mines that started by speculators but were later abandoned for safety reasons (or better seams of ore elsewhere) pockmark the country. They pose risks of underground mine collapses, pollution from runoff, as well as deep falling or suffocation risks if people wander into openings.

Hanna Northey, E&E News

Football

A new preliminary study (to be released at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology) examined 72,025 traumatic brain injuries sustained in youth sports and found football to be responsible for 19 percent of them. That was followed by soccer (11 percent of examined TBIs), basketball (10 percent) and cycling (seven percent). Football also has the most common repeat TBI. Among the kids who sustained a TBI playing football, they had a 23 percent higher risk of chronic headaches compared to football players who didn’t sustain a TBI.

American Academy of Neurology

Take The Edge Off

An extensive new epidemiological study published in the British Medical Journal found that GLP-1 medications reduced risks of substance use disorders across a variety of drugs. Additionally, secondary effects of the GLP-1s beyond obesity and diabetes management include decreased rates of life-threatening events, as well as evidence of preventing some from developing addictions in the first place. The study followed 600,000 people with type 2 diabetes and found that GLP-1s were associated with a 14 percent reduction in risk across all substance use conditions in general, and in particular, a 25 percent reduction in risk of opioid use disorders.

Lauren J. Young, Scientific American

Soaking Up The Sun

The largest solar cell companies have begun to branch out into other industries, taking advantage of the proceeds from commoditized solar cells and low-margin tech. The companies have plowed those profits into other bets that may prove more profitable. Longi is the largest panel manufacturer in the world, cranking out 120 GW of capacity annually. It has also used that momentum to become one of the top five producers of the electrolyzers used in producing hydrogen from water. JinkoSolar, the second-largest, is moving into batteries, as is JASolar, the third-largest producer. The common theme is these companies investing in tech that can expand the window of solar energy production, which is currently limited to “daytime” (for obvious reasons). Using surplus to crack water molecules into hydrogen or charge up batteries that can be expended in twilight and nighttime means more value for the panels.

David Fickling, Bloomberg

Hoppers

This weekend will see the release of the new Pixar movie Hoppers, which is currently projected to make between $35 million and $40 million at the box office. Given that it will become the main movie for children released for the next several weeks, it will comfortably sit at No. 3 or No. 4 at the box office for the next month or so (barring disaster), which is basically the Disney animated feature playbook by now.

Rebecca Rubin, Variety

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