A gravity telescope to find Earth 2.0 🔭

Plus: Microbe-based faux beef could cut CO2 pollution by more than 80 percent May 09, 2022 [View in browser]( Who would have thought the sun could act as a big magnifier for finding Earth 2.0? It doesn’t sound intuitive at all – at least to me. But it’s actually possible using the gravity of the sun and a quirk of Einsteinian physics. Built upon these principles, a “gravity telescope” could let scientists discern minute details of Earth-sized exoplanets. Imagine zooming in on an exoplanet and seeing green. That would change everything. As we head into a brand-new week with breathtaking space innovations, let's kick it off with a video of a skin-like invention that moves by itself. No, it’s not alive, and it’s not coming to get you. Yet. Good morning. This is Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s pick up the pace. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [YouTuber creates creepy skin that moves on its own]( It looks like worms but is not actually alive. [YouTuber creates creepy skin that moves on its own]( INNOVATION [A novel 'gravity telescope' concept could help us explore life on exoplanets]( [Exoplanet system.]( A team of Stanford researchers [revealed a futuristic telescope concept]( that may revolutionize how we explore space beyond our solar system. - It's called the “gravity telescope,” and it would use the sun to examine faraway worlds previously beyond the scope of Earth's astronomers. Researchers hope this technology would enable us to snap a picture of a planet 100 light-years away that can rival the quality of pictures of Earth snapped by Apollo 8. Moonshot. How would the new telescope capture such images? Through a process called gravitational lensing that was first observed in 1919 during a solar eclipse. The researchers engineered a new method that can reconstruct a planet’s surface from a single image taken looking directly at the sun. Now, if the researchers can get [the funding and technology to further develop]( this technique together, it could open literal new worlds of imaging possibilities for distant until recently impossible-to-view planets, in addition to assessing the presence of life on alien worlds. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Some lunar water may have come from Earth's atmosphere]( [The moon.]( Not all of the moon's water comes from its own surface; [some of it is siloed from the Earth's atmosphere]( according to new research. This is good news for NASA's Artemis project, the planned long-term human presence on the moon, which will rely heavily on the moon's water supplies. - The researchers have estimated that the moon’s polar regions could hold up to 840 cubic miles or more of surface permafrost or subsurface liquid water. These deposits were not created locally but rather emerged from ions that escaped Earth’s atmosphere. Eternal rain. That's not the only way the moon accumulated water, however. Some of it is believed to have been deposited by asteroids and comets that collided with the moon during a period known as the Late Heavy Bombardment roughly 3.5 billion years ago. Regardless of where it comes from, the fact that there is water on the moon is good news for space explorers. After all, if moon water is widespread and easily accessible, explorers could use it for drinking water, oxygen, [or even rocket fuel](. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Microbe-based faux beef could cut CO2 pollution by more than 80 percent]( [Vegan beef.]( We have all heard of meat alternatives and their many benefits from being better for health to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Now, [a new study is quantifying]( those advantages. - Conventional meat production is known to destroy CO2-absorbing tropical forests to replace them with grazing pastures and cattle feed crops while belching cows produce [significant amounts of methane]( a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than CO2. This spells disaster for an already struggling environment. Woah. The research found that replacing just 20 percent of global beef and lamb consumption with meat alternatives could see reductions in tree loss and CO2 pollution of more than 80 percent. That's an impressive amount! Better yet, microbe-based faux meat is rich in protein and amino acids, making it an ideal substitute for regular meat. With so many advantages both environmental and health-wise for the use of meat alternatives, the only question that remains is: [why haven't we made the shift yet]( [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS A growing body of evidence suggests that the things we eat are fueling some of the greatest threats to humanity’s survival. Would you change your diet to help the world? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes, if its impact is backed with research.]( [I already have.]( [Maybe, I’m trying. I could cut back on meat.]( [Just because we can rationalize a moral high ground, doesn’t make it true.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked whether you think companies should turn back to the on-site working model with the end of the pandemic. For the majority, going back to the office is meaningless as the pandemic has proved that some jobs can be done remotely. Why should they? The pandemic has proved that some jobs can be done remotely. 59% Nope, it’s unprofitable for both employers and employees. 19% Absolutely! An office is the best environment for working. 16% Maybe only office jobs. 7% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it and you argue about what to do about it only after you have had your technical success. That is the way it was with the atomic bomb. ” J. Robert Oppenheimer in “In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer” (1954) AND ANOTHER THING... - Elon Musk, who shared a threatening note from the head of the Russian Space Agency, [fears his life could be in danger]( for supporting Ukraine. - Everyone wants to build green energy projects. [What's the holdup]( (WIRED) - Why is Bitcoin in a slump? [The slide could continue further]( experts warn. - To see the universe more clearly, [think in terms of processes]( not objects. (Aeon) - WHO says COVID [claimed nearly 15 million lives globally]( which is thrice the official count. - If you don’t like companies knowing when and where you read your email, [Apple’s feature can help you reclaim some privacy](. (Vox) - Hyundai has kicked-off production on [novel 4x4 vehicles with robotic legs](. 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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