NASA’s holographic doctor?

Plus: Mercury has geomagnetic storms similar to Earth’s Apr 18, 2022 [View in browser]( With raging wildfires and devastating droughts, Earth is signaling its distress. But it’s not too late to take action, which is why I’m happy to announce that we're celebrating Earth Day, April 22 — all week long, with hand-picked stories brilliantly written by our writers each day. Stick with us as we hone in on the problems affecting our planet and the ingenious solutions found by innovators, one article at a time. But first, the main news of the day will tell you how NASA managed to “holoport” a doctor to the International Space Station. It’s a new verb for your vocabulary, which goes to show we're truly living in a “Star Trek” episode. Good morning. This is Derya, an editor at IE, welcoming you into a week full of stone-cold facts combined with a pinch of hope. This is The Blueprint. Let’s build a new future. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [A YouTuber explains how electric trains work]( Electric trains are true marvels of engineering. [A YouTuber explains how electric trains work]( SCIENCE [NASA 'holoported' a doctor to the International Space Station]( [NASA flight surgeon, Josef Schmid.]( Onboard the International Space Station (ISS), astronaut Thomas Pesquet interacted with NASA's flight surgeon Josef Schmidt in October last year. What was different about this interaction was that Schmidt's [hologram was projected on the ISS]( while he was comfortably sitting on Earth. - NASA termed this technique "holoportation," an amalgamation of the words hologram and teleportation that take us a step further than the conventional 2D computer interfaces. Beam me up. In this technique, high-quality 3D images are captured, compressed, and transmitted in real-time, and then displayed over a mixed reality display. This two-way communication demonstration is the precursor to a more extensive application of the technology in future NASA missions where astronauts can not only seek medical services but also welcome VIP visitors at the ISS, who are being "beamed up" from the Earth. [Teleportation can wait]( since Holoportation does the job for now. [Read More]( INNOVATION [SpaceX launches the second spy satellite for NRO in 2022]( [Falcon 9’s launch of the NROL-85.]( SpaceX [has successfully launched]( another spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with the NROL-85 spacecraft took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday at 9:13 AM EDT. - In case you missed it. NRO develops sensitive space reconnaissance satellite systems and operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites. The satellites once in orbit collect space-based intelligence and raw data to help support several American agencies. As with most of these spacecraft, NROL-85's activities and payload are classified, so we don't know much about it or what it will be doing once it reaches orbit. The agency revealed little about the launch, describing the mission as "a national security payload designed, built and operated by NRO." This is the NRO’s second launch of 2022, with two more launches currently planned for this year. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Mercury has geomagnetic storms similar to those on Earth]( [Mercury.]( Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, but it shares one key similarity with Earth: [it boasts geomagnetic storms]( according to recent research by scientists in the United States, Canada, and China. Uncovering the cosmos. The studies indicate that the planet has a ring current consisting of charged particles that flows laterally around the planet and excludes the poles while the second points to the existence of geomagnetic storms triggered by this specific ring current. - The question now remains: do these storms on Mercury produce auroras, like on Earth? It turns out they don't, since solar wind particles on the planet don’t encounter an atmosphere. The scientists further speculate that Mercury's storms would therefore only be visible through X-ray and gamma-ray examination. In the past, scientists have studied Mercury's inner core via its gravity and spin, and have also deduced that [its surface is covered in diamonds](. What other secrets may our neighboring planet hold? [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Some planets have to sit back and watch while Earth, Mars, and even Venus get all the attention. Which oft-overlooked planet is your favorite? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Mercury.]( [Uranus.]( [Neptune.]( [Pluto.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked whether you think we will manage to find life on alien worlds soon. And there’s fierce competition between different viewpoints. No, not likely in the near future. 39% Why not? There are numerous studies carried out on this topic. 36% I hope we won't. We already have enough problems. 16% Yes, at least they can contact us. 10% INNOVATION [The power of Smog Tower turns pollution into a chance to save ourselves]( [Smog Tower.]( In a special feature for PLANET SOLVERS, IE’s Earth Day 2022 edition, Senior Editor Brad Bergan interviews Professor Daan Roosegaarde, who invented a tower that [sucks in pollution and turns it into diamonds](. - “Beijing, one of the world’s most polluted cities, houses one of the futuristic towers, which sucks in around 30,000 cubic meters of smog particles per hour,” writes Bergan. “Called the Smog Free Project, the structure filters smog via a scientific process that some may be tempted to call alchemy. But it’s not magic.” [Read More]( QUOTE OF THE DAY “ The earth is what we all have in common. ” Wendell Berry “The Unsettling of America” (1977) AND ANOTHER THING... - Halley’s Comet is one of the most famous comets in history. [But where is it now]( - OpenAI’s GPT-3 and other neural nets [can now write original prose]( with mind-boggling fluency — a development that could have profound implications for the future. (New York Times $) - Here’s [why banks are taking a chance]( with the metaverse. - Apollo 10½? [Richard Linklater's latest film]( follows a young boy's fantasies about traveling to space, using beautiful rotoscoped animation to tell his story. (New Scientist $) - What does Ukraine's ostensible success in [defending itself against cyberattacks]( mean for the United States? - Have you ever gone through a breakup and listened to a sad song on repeat? Why do we have such strong emotional connections to music? Well, [the answer lies in our brains](. (CNN) - [A novel AI technology predicts]( if and when a patient could die of cardiac arrest. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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