Our galaxy's black hole revealed ⚫

Plus: The UK just unveiled the 'most environmentally friendly rocket' in the world May 12, 2022 [View in browser]( At the center of the Milky Way lies a dark and sinister maw called Sagittarius A*. The supermassive black hole in the galactic core was just captured in an image for the first time by The Event Horizon Telescope. As you gaze into the abyss at the end of time and space, it’s difficult to repress a growing sense of cosmic dread, like it’s gazing right back. Just think: it drives our galaxy’s evolution, and also promises to bring total destruction to everything that strays too close, where gigantic and ancient stars orbit at unconscionable speeds reaching 5,431 miles per second. But before we jump into the darkness, check out today’s video to learn more about one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth: underwater welding. Good morning. I’m Brad, the senior editor of IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s face the darkness. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Underwater welding: One of the most dangerous jobs on Earth]( These professionals risk drowning almost daily. [Underwater welding: One of the most dangerous jobs on Earth]( SCIENCE [Black hole confirmed: Scientists have revealed the first image of Sagittarius A*]( [The full-scale Orbex Prime prototype.]( The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team [just revealed the first-ever image]( of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*. - The last time the EHT teased a reveal with such fanfare, it unveiled the first-ever image of a black hole, showing the world a picture of M87*. During a press conference held by the Earth Science Observatory, Dr. Jose L. Gómez, a research scientist at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), said imaging Sgr A* was significantly harder than imaging M87*, which is more than one thousand times larger. It was "like trying to take a clear picture of a running child at night," Gómez explained. Two to tango. Scientists are incredibly excited to finally have images of two black holes of vastly different sizes, which will allow them to understand how they compare and contrast. They've also started testing theories and models of how gas interacts around supermassive black holes with the new data. This process is not entirely understood, but it's believed to be [important in galaxies' formation and evolution](. [Read More]( INNOVATION [The world's most powerful X-ray laser now boasts pulses that arrive up to one million times per second]( [LCLS II.]( Researchers who need to look at impossibly small objects or incredibly fast phenomena are in luck. After a series of upgrades that took nine years, the world’s most powerful X-ray laser [is back in business]( — and it's far more powerful than before. - The instrument is Stanford’s Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS II), in Menlo Park, California. The cryogenic particle accelerator, which came back online Tuesday, is kept colder than deep space: -456° F, or 2 kelvins. Zooming in on the vibes. The instrument accelerates electrons to nearly the speed of light while using magnets to make them wiggle, and those jittering subatomic particles create X-rays. LCLS II’s X-ray bursts are incredibly useful for looking closely at cells or watching chemical reactions as they happen. The upgraded system can produce up to one million X-ray bursts per second. And the device is finally ready for initial operations. Scientists can now use the accelerator [for a variety of applications]( including in computing, communications, sustainable industries, clean energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, and quantum mechanics. Now that's a development to get excited about! [Read More]( SCIENCE [MIT joins a major startup backed by Bill Gates to build a viable fusion machine]( [CFS.]( The Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) [has signed a new five-year agreement]( with Commonwealth Fusion System (CFS) to continue their collaboration on fusion energy research and education activities. Pick your memory. Backed by Bill Gates, the CFS is a technology spinout from MIT. It announced last year that it had built a first-of-its-kind superconducting magnet to be used in a nuclear fusion reactor. This was the first instance of a nuclear fusion experiment delivering a net energy gain, paving the way for the use of fusion energy in the near future. - With the superconducting magnet's validation having been completed, the stage is now set for a demonstration of the technology. CFS and MIT are collaborating on this front, with a facility currently under construction. Once this is completed, CFS will attempt to put in the first plasma and then harvest net energy from the reactor, [a key step toward the commercialization of this technology](. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Nuclear fusion, long derided as a concept that is always decades away, appears to be approaching commercial viability. Is nuclear fusion a viable source of energy? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes. It’s so close I can taste it.]( [Nope. This is all in vain.]( [We are trying, and I’m hopeful.]( [We should focus on renewables instead.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked which solar panel application appeals to you most. Your answers are in much closer contention than we expected. Solar panels + farming. It's genius. 28% The classic: Put some over my house! 27% Solar panels over highways. Someone make it happen. 26% Floating solar panels are the next big thing. 19% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Progress doesn’t come from early risers—progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things. ” Robert Heinlein in “Time Enough For Love” (1973) AND ANOTHER THING... - China's Tianwen-1 mission [has just uncovered evidence]( of ancient liquid water on Mars. - It’s a bloodbath: Bitcoin has shed more than half its value and a multi-billion-dollar "stablecoin" has imploded, but [investors aren't buying that crypto is dead](. (Vice) - How terrible can things get in the world of medicine? Well, really terrible. [Here are three public health scandal]( that cost thousands of lives. - Rick Doblin revolutionized the way we view MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. But [what does the research actually show]( (The Cut) - NASA's Crew-3 members [weren't “scared” by Russia's missile test]( while aboard the ISS. - States waited too long to decarbonize, and now they have to make tough choices: A New York power line has divided environmentalists. [Here’s what it says about the larger climate fight](. (Grist) - Russia [is “ramping up” efforts]( to take down Starlink internet over Ukraine, Elon Musk said. 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 2022 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]