Two different smoke/CO₂ detectors in the BlueTower are chirping low battery warnings, so I've decided it's time to upgrade the entire place. There are sealed units where the battery lasts 10 years, which is appealing. I figured I'd mention this here in case anyone has any expertise on the right way to go. I'm looking to replace five units, and I see that there are models now that communicate with each other. This seems like a smart way to ensure being properly notified in case there's a problem. But maybe it's just a useless gimmick? Does anyone have experience or recommendations to share on these? This is one of those projects that one doesn't think about on a day-to-day basis, so I'd like to make a wise decision while it's on the front burner. Or maybe these detectors are fairly generic at this point and I shouldn't over think it?

Smokey Round-up
Thanks Ant and Neutronbeam.

Story

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Science
Thanks Max.

• US nuclear regulator greenlights its first small modular reactor.
• Helping cells become better protein factories could improve gene therapies and other treatments – a new technique shows how. Thanks Acleacius.
• Researchers add second copy of gene to give rice a 40% yield boost. Quadrotriticale?
• Asexual reproduction leads to harmful genetic mutations. I always heard it can make you blind.

Media

• Longest table football/foosball table - 137.756 metres in Jiujiang, China.
• U-40 Miss Beacon Plumbing Flip- HAPO Columbia Cup Heat 2. Almost stuck the landing. Thanks WarPig.

Follow-ups

• Why Rotterdam Wouldn’t Allow a Bridge to Be Dismantled for Bezos’ Yacht (may require registration or subscription). Thanks j.c.f.
• Drinking Coffee Can Reduce Your Risk of Kidney Injury by 23%. Thanks Max.
• Space debris: How do we solve the problem of dead satellites?