A new path to nuclear fusion?

Plus: Here’s why most smokers don't get lung cancer Apr 12, 2022 [View in browser]( The nuclear fusion sector is heating up, if you'll excuse the pun. And one of the ocean's tiniest organisms, the shrimp, is getting a piece of the action. First Light Fusion, an Oxford spinoff, claims that its novel shrimp-inspired approach offers the fastest, simplest, and cheapest route to commercial fusion power. That's a lofty statement, but First Light’s novel technique manages the same feat without expensive lasers or magnets. But, before we get into the company’s unique approach to nuclear fusion, today’s video will show you how to convert an old stream into a small hydroelectric dam. It's all about energy these days. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get the turbines turning. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [How to turn an old stream into a mini hydropower dam]( If you've got a spare stream, why not consider putting it to work to make power? [How to turn an old stream into a mini hydropower dam]( INNOVATION [A new path to nuclear fusion? A novel pistol shrimp-inspired system succeeded]( [Nuclear fusion.]( First Light Fusion [claims it achieved nuclear fusion]( by using a novel "projectile" approach that doesn't rely on lasers and powerful magnets. Amazingly, it's inspired by one of the smallest creatures in the ocean, the shrimp. - Most big tokamak projects rely on lasers and magnets to contain hot plasma reactions. First Light Fusion's method takes a completely different approach. High pressure. Using a railgun, the company fires a projectile toward a falling target at hypersonic speed, allowing it to generate precisely timed collapsing shockwaves that momentarily create pressure levels almost one billion times higher than atmospheric air pressure at sea level. - These pressure levels are high enough to cause small embedded deuterium fuel pellets to implode at high enough speeds to overcome nuclear repulsion and kickstart fusion reactions. First Light says a commercial plant using its design would have [an output of around 744 MW]( which is a little less than the typical nuclear power plant, though without the risk of meltdown. [Read More]( HEALTH [A breakthrough in DNA sequencing hints at why most smokers don't get lung cancer]( [Cigarettes contain dozens of chemicals that cause changes to DNA in lung cells.]( If you’re worried about lung cancer, then smoking is incredibly dangerous. The chance of a non-smoker developing the disease is roughly one in 6,000. For someone who smokes regularly, the chances skyrocket to one in five or ten. And yet, most people who smoke won’t develop lung cancer. - A team of researchers [has begun to figure out why](. They’ve found that smoking appears to drive a predictable increase in the number of cancer-causing mutations in lung cells — but only up to a point. Once someone had smoked the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes per day for 23 years, the number of mutations stopped rising. Target the healthy. This is an early finding from a small study; however, if researchers can figure out how to identify those people before it’s too late, they can offer targeted help — and give the people most likely to suffer [an even better reason not to smoke](. [Read More]( INNOVATION [SpinLaunch is catapulting a NASA payload. Cutting 70 percent on fuel and structure?]( [The Suborbital Accelerator Launch System.]( SpinLaunch, the company designing a catapult-like device to launch rockets into space without propellant, [just signed a Space Act Agreement]( with NASA. - A NASA payload will be developed, integrated, and flown on SpinLaunch's Suborbital Accelerator Launch System to gather information relevant to NASA's future commercial launches. The technology. SpinLaunch's Orbital Accelerator system uses a rotating carbon fiber arm inside a 300-ft diameter steel vacuum chamber to accelerate a payload-carrying launch vehicle to speeds of up to 5,000 mph before launching it out of the chamber and up toward orbit. The company claims its system can eliminate more than 70 percent of the fuel and structures required for typical rocket launches. While it's in the early testing phase, the system could completely [change the way the space industry]( deploys satellites by massively reducing the cost and environmental impact of smaller payload launches. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS SpinLaunch is using an electric, vacuum-sealed centrifuge to catapult rockets into orbit in a bid to cut costs. Do you think catapulting payloads into space is a good idea? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes! Genius.]( [No. It doesn’t really make sense.]( [I’m not sure about the engineering side of it, but it sure does sound fun.]( [Take my money and put me inside the centrifuge.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked which planet you would pick if you could learn everything there is to know about one object in our solar system. Turns out, most of you like to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Earth. No need for travel. 49% Mars. Let’s accelerate the space race. 27% Jupiter. There’s so much to learn. 16% Uranus. It’s so unlike our home. 8% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ In wildness is the preservation of the world. ” Henry David Thoreau in “Walking” (1862) AND ANOTHER THING... - [Something weird is happening]( to Neptune's temperature: it should be getting hotter, and it isn't. - University of Kansas chemical engineer Feng “Franklin” Tao, who was accused of hiding ties to a university in China, [has been found guilty of wire fraud](. (Nature) - Here's why the James Webb Space Telescope's most sensitive instrument [needs cryogenic cooling](. - Doctors used to swear by the slow recovery period known as convalescence. Some experts say [embracing it again could offer]( benefits for long-term illnesses and injuries. (National Geographic) - The United States' $13.3-billion aircraft carrier, Gerald R. Ford, [is finally ready for action](. - Complex weapon systems are inherently prone to accidents, and India’s latest inadvertent missile launch [underscores the risk of accidental nuclear warfare](. (Scientific American $) - A new cancer immunotherapy [is substantially enhanced by]( mRNA vaccine technology. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]