this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2026
336 points (98.6% liked)

World News

55698 readers
1730 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The potential collapse of a key Atlantic ocean current − due to human-caused climate change − is in the news again.

You'd be hard-pressed to come up with a scarier scenario than what's going on now with the "Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)," the fickle Atlantic ocean current whose weakening and eventual collapse could change the climate and weather for hundreds of millions of people.

A pair of new scientific studies detail the present and potential future of the AMOC, which was the ocean current at the center of the fictional (and scientifically inaccurate) "Day After Tomorrow" climate change disaster movie in 2004.

In one study released April 8, scientists at the University of Miami determined that over the past 20 years, the AMOC has already been weakening at four different locations in the Atlantic. In the other study, released April 16, a separate group of European scientists said the AMOC will weaken by 50% by 2100, potentially eventually leading to its "collapse."

A weakening AMOC means the Atlantic Ocean’s climate‑regulating currents slow down over a period of a few decades, while a collapse means the entire current system crosses a tipping point and mostly shuts down − triggering abrupt, potentially irreversible global climate disruptions.

Studies -- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx4298

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz7738#sec-3

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Sorry, but why would we not use the name AMOC and instead call it the "22 year old movie current"?

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

... It needs to have a title that Americans might actually read.

You know, half a football field, approximately 8 hamburgers, instead of actual measurements?

We're on average 5th graders, as far as reading ability goes.

[–] Holytimes@sh.itjust.works 0 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Last I saw it was 3rd grade. I would be hyped if it's still at 5th

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 hours ago

Down to 3rd grade?

The zombie apocalypse is progressing that rapidly?

[–] j_elgato@leminal.space 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

For the clicks.

'Scientist warn that environmental acronym is fucked' is a headline everyone has learned to tune out.

But if maybe Jake Gyllenhaal can save us.. I mean, now you want to know more, right?

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I was really more thinking "Wait...what happened in that movie? Shit, when did I even watch that movie? Like 2007?"

[–] j_elgato@leminal.space 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

The movie was based loosely on a 'non-fiction' book written by radio host and conspiracy theorist Art Bell.

So basically, that's where we are currently with the state of discourse involving environmental science. We are being warned about something of massive significance and dire consequence by way of a reference to a 20 year old Roland Emmerich movie based on a book written by a loonie...

I'm not real hopeful for our chances as a species..

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Oh don't worry, I know all about Art Bell and his book 'The Coming Global Superstorm.'

Still waiting on that "Quickening" he was talking about all those years ago.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

What about "Aging Movie is Ominously Current" or AMOC for short?

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

Another Menacing Ocean Con?

[–] Monument@piefed.world 14 points 1 day ago

Golf claps
Well done, old chap!

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Probably because most people wouldn't know what that acronym stood for.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

Sure, but "Atlantic" and/or "Ocean" were right there.

[–] HuudaHarkiten@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So I guess we've just completely given up on how to use acronyms and abbreviations. I've noticed that a increasing amount of people will just use them without explaining it, they just expect others will either already know what it means or will do a search and figure it out. As a non-native English speaker it drives me up the wall. I find my self asking what a acronym/abbreviation means at least once per week, sometimes multiple times a week.

I thought that explaining the acronym on the first use, and then using it as is was the common and courteous way to use them, WTF (what the fuck) happened to that, I do wonder.

[–] LemmyThinkAboutIt@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

As a native English speaker, I concur with your feelings on the matter. I absolutely hate when someone does that and sometimes I won't even bother to finish reading what someone wrote if they just start using acronyms all willy nilly. Hell, you can't even point out spelling errors or grammar errors anymore without upsetting someone.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

[–] ohshit604@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

Rolls right off the tongue.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I need a filter to eliminate any science article with quotes in the title