Superworms get plastic for dinner 🍽️

Plus: Bitcoin isn't as anonymous and decentralized as most believe Jun 10, 2022 [Blueprint]( Who would have guessed that a worm with a penchant for polystyrene might be the key to mass-scale plastic recycling? I certainly didn't. In fact, I try not to think about worms that can burrow under my skin to lay hundreds of eggs. But a team of scientists thankfully did, and found that a plastic diet didn't kill the superworms. To the contrary, they even gained some healthy weight. Before we dine with these extremely hungry superworms, watch today’s video to see how heat pumps might be a brilliant piece of counter-intuitive technology that are 300 to 500 percent efficient. You read that right. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let's get right to it. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [How heat pumps can suck 3 to 5 times more energy out than the electricity put in]( [Heat pumps.]( But why aren't they everywhere? [Must Read]MUST READ [Extremely hungry superworms had plastic for dinner. Now they'll help recycle it]( [Superworms.]( In a lab at the University of Queensland, plastic is a delicacy. You heard it here first. A species of worm known as the common Zophobas morio "superworm" fancy polystyrene (aka styrofoam) so much that they could have it three times a day or more without any ill effects. Yummy. Scientists [discovered that superworms can eat]( through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme in their gut. Fed only polystyrene for three weeks, the superworms survived at comparable rates to larvae fed on a diet of bran. The fact that the superworms were able to gain a small amount of weight from eating polystyrene exclusively is an indication that they're able to convert the material into energy. → Zoom out, and you'll realize the ramifications of this discovery. Superworms or “mini-recycling plants” can incentivize [plastic waste recycling and reduce landfills](. It's still early days, and the next step will be to engineer the enzymes to increase their efficiency. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [A fast radio burst from 3 billion light-years away stuns the scientific community]( An international team of researchers has discovered [a strange, repeated rapid radio burst]( terminating from a distant dwarf galaxy roughly three billion light-years away. The bursts stand out very clearly when compared to previous radio burst detections in recent years. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - An FDA-approved drug [showed promising results]( in another breast cancer trial. - The James Webb Space Telescope [was hit by micrometeoroids]( five times since its launch. - A 98-million-year-old dinosaur fossil [has been uncovered]( at a famous site in Egypt. [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [​​It turns out Bitcoin isn't as anonymous and decentralized as most believe]( A new study on Bitcoin raises questions about whether it is really as decentralized and anonymous as its biggest fans say it is. The study has found that [only 64 people possess most cryptocurrency](. That's an issue. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - A new plasma ignition system [can improve fuel combustion]( by 20 percent. - The "world’s largest" solar power and storage project [will displace 1.4 million tons of coal](. - A newly proposed lunar rover is a [cross between a centaur and a robot](. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Plastic factories are increasing production, even as plastic pollution sweeps into the oceans at record volumes. Are you making any efforts to use fewer plastics in your daily life? [Yes! My tote bag comes with me everywhere.]( [No. I find such measures ineffective and futile.]( [I’m working on industrial-scale solutions.]( [Funny you should ask — What are the billionaires doing about it?]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked if you've ever been in a wind tunnel like the one at MIT. Turns out, the majority of you are overdue for a trip. 64% Never. I’d like to! 15% No, but it doesn’t seem that interesting. 11% Yes! It was magical. 10% Hey, I’ve even used one! [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY "Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one." Neil Gaiman, speaking before the McFadden Memorial Lecture, North Central High School, Indianapolis, April 16, 2010 [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub]( [image]( [Kicker KB6B Indoor Outdoor Speakers]( [image]( [Retevis RT628 Walkie Talkies]( [image]( [Bose SoundSport Wireless Earbuds]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - NASA's science panel to investigate UFOs [will start work this fall]( using artificial intelligence. - When it comes to human extinction, we could be [our own worst enemy and best hope](. (CNET) - A molecule therapy effective against Parkinson's disease in rats [is also safe for humans](. - Even though more companies than ever are proclaiming that they’re powered by renewable energy, [those claims are usually exaggerated]( new research shows. (The Verge) - An electric tugboat called Sparky [is able to move nearly 80 tons]( on a single charge. - In January 2022, a giant undersea volcano explosion rocked Tonga in the Pacific. [How do scientists find where]( and when the next one will blow? (BBC) - [Here are the biggest EV recalls]( since the electric vehicle era began. Prepared by Derya Özdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail 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]