Detecting earthquakes from the ocean floor ⚡

Plus: A new HIV vaccine trial just kicked off in Africa May 20, 2022 [View in browser]( Ask any kid what they want to be when they grow up, and you might hear something that moves you. For a long time, I was partial to becoming a seismologist, since it seemed like a crucial step to saving the world from devastating magnitude-10 earthquakes. My dreams have changed. My passion for geophysics, however, remains alive and well. So my ears perked up when I heard scientists were turning subsea internet cables into seismographs. From detecting earthquakes and tsunamis to monitoring how climate change affects ocean currents, the possibilities are truly endless. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive right in. INNOVATION [A breakthrough in fiber optics turned an undersea cable into 12 seismographs]( [A map showing the network of undersea fiber optic cables.]( There’s a roughly 3,600-mile-long (5,860-km) cable extending from eastern Canada to the west coast of the United Kingdom. The undersea cable is part of the internet’s vast hidden infrastructure, where immense data is zapped across oceans in far less time than it takes to blink. But that particular cable does something else. - According to a new paper, the cable [can double as a state-of-the-art array]( of more than 100 sensors that detect seismic activity. In tests last November, the cable registered a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that shook northern Peru, thousands of miles away. With any luck, this pilot is just the beginning. “The technique we present has the potential to transform our Earth-monitoring capabilities,” according to the authors. Low tech, high gains. They say the “seafloor could be instrumented with thousands of [such] sensors without modifying the [existing submarine telecommunication infrastructure]( Ultimately, the array could enable scientific research that’s far too expensive with today’s technology. [Read More]( HEALTH [A new HIV vaccine trial just kicked off in Africa. It's groundbreaking]( [A representative image of the HIV vaccine.]( Buoyed by the results of its trials in the U.S., Moderna Inc. [announced that it has launched Phase I]( of a clinical trial in Africa, the first of its kind, for an HIV vaccine currently in development. - Earlier this year, Moderna launched the first human trial of its HIV vaccine in the U.S., in which it used eOD-GT8 60mer, a part of the HIV RNA sequence, as a recombinant protein. The immunogen elicits a specific type of B cell which then leads to the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) which are considered an important goal of an effective HIV vaccine. Will it stick? [In the U.S. trial]( the vaccine was determined to be safe and evoked an immune response in 97 percent of the trial participants. The Phase I trial in Africa aims to replicate the findings of the U.S. trial in the African population. With COVID-19 now more or less out of the spotlight, vaccines that had taken a backseat during the pandemic are receiving more attention. [Read More]( INNOVATION [An off-grid Starlink user achieves 'infinite WiFi' with 300 watts of solar]( [A Starlink satellite in orbit (left) and the off-grid Idaho station (right).]( A Starlink user, Steve Birch, [is running their setup purely on solar energy]( allowing them to live an enviable off-grid lifestyle. - Birch, who works in facility management, is powering SpaceX's internet service completely off-grid. The service, which has recently gained significant public attention [for its role in the Ukraine conflict]( allows users to access the internet almost anywhere — and Birch is taking that concept to its limits. Power couple. In [a Reddit post]( last week, Birch wrote that he has a "remote fully off-grid Starlink station installed in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho". The station includes a 300-Watt solar panel setup made up of three 100-Watt panels and a 450-Amp-hour battery bank, and it's "been running like a champ 24/7 for the last week," he wrote. However, he conceded that "it's a double-edged sword," since now he's "always reachable". An extremely relatable quandary for remote workers the world over. [Read More]( Yesterday’s Results We asked whether a moon base could truly become self-sustainable. According to 44 percent of you, it's totally doable. Totally! We’re just spoiled, on Earth. 44% Let’s put some undesirables on the surface, and find out. 29% Cuckoo, you’re living in a dream world. 21% I’m ready. Bring it on! Let me at ‘em!! (a fight ensues) 7% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Science is an integral part of culture. It’s not this foreign thing, done by an arcane priesthood. It’s one of the glories of human intellectual tradition. ” Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould in Independent January 24, 1990 [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [This Tesla turbine powered a house for 6 years. Here's how it looks like now]( Maintenance makes it perfect. [This Tesla turbine powered a house for 6 years. Here's how it looks like now]( AND ANOTHER THING... - We were promised jetpacks decades ago. [Here's where they are now](. - A SpaceX flight attendant said [Elon Musk exposed himself]( and propositioned her for sex, documents show. The company paid $250,000 for her silence. (Business Insider) - A gigantic ancient forest [was found tucked away inside]( an enormous sinkhole in the Guanxi region of China. - Thanks to a savvy California lawyer, [Albert Einstein has earned far more posthumously]( than he ever did in his lifetime. But is that what the great scientist would have wanted? (The Guardian) - A novel solar cell [generates electricity despite the total darkness]( of night. It's a backward process, but it works. - For decades, measurements of the universe's expansion have suggested a discrepancy known as the Hubble tension, which threatens to transform cosmology. But a new method [suggests the tension may not exist]( after all. (New Scientist $) - A portable, off-grid 3D Gigalab [can turn trash into treasure]( using renewable energy. 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]