Turning CO2 into baking soda 💨

Plus: The Air Force’s new futuristic aircrew helmet Jun 28, 2022 [Blueprint]( Can you feel the carbon capture gold rush in the air? I certainly can. Sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it underground sounds like an ideal way of fighting climate change, but the technology could also help fuel other industries. The U.K.’s biggest carbon capture project, which is now operational, uses carbon dioxide to make sodium bicarbonate for dialysis machines, pharmaceutical tablets, and baking soda. Before we dive into the innovative facility, watch today’s video to see the world’s smallest rotary engine run at 30,000 rpm. It packs lots of power in a tiny, simple, and lightweight package. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Watch the world’s smallest rotary engine run at 30,000 rpm]( [Rotary engine.]( It’s a small beast! [Must Read]MUST READ [The UK’s largest carbon capture plant is now operational]( [Carbon capture plant.]( The U.K.'s largest carbon capture plant is now operational in Cheshire in northwest England, the facility's operator, Tata Chemicals Europe (TCE), [announced in a press release](. → TCE is one of the largest manufacturers of sodium carbonate, salt, and sodium bicarbonate in Europe. These chemicals are crucial components of many everyday use items ranging from glass to washing detergents while also being used for water purification, in animal feed, human food products, and pharmaceutical purposes. Goals. This demonstration plant will capture as much as 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, which is the equivalent of taking 20,000 cars off the roads. TCE will use most of the carbon dioxide released by the power plant to make 130,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical-grade, sodium bicarbonate, dubbed Ecokarb. The operations at the facility will serve as [proof that these projects are viable]( and help channel larger investments into these technologies in the future. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Here’s the Air Force’s new futuristic aircrew helmet]( The U.S. Air Force [has selected California-based LIFT Airborne Technologies]( to continue the development of a new helmet that is being designed for fixed-wing aircrew in the future. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - After 19 years, the Mars Express spacecraft [will get rid of Windows 98](. - Venus' atmosphere [inspired researchers to develop]( a new air pollution-busting technology. - SpaceX wants to launch Starship to orbit next month, [but it may need a little more time](. [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has started collecting its ‘first science data’]( We're almost there. In a new update, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope team [said it had approved]( 10 out of 17 science instrument modes as it prepares to start scientific operations. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - A 30,000-year-old perfectly preserved baby woolly mammoth [has been found in Canada](. - It turns out that [birds see magnetic fields]( thanks to a “quantum compass." - Psychedelic mushrooms [can regrow brain tissue lost]( in depression. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Carbon capture has been hailed as a game-changing technology that can help us prevent the worst effects of climate change. Is carbon capture a silver bullet or a dangerous distraction? [Carbon capture will save us.]( [It needs to be coupled with other measures to be effective.]( [This distracts us from funding proven solutions like renewables.]( [It’s better than nothing.]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked if you believe we will ever fully comprehend how the brain functions. According to 44 percent of you, it's a "maybe". 44% Maybe. Not with our current technology, though. 37% Yes! Anything is possible. 13% No, it’s beyond our capabilities. 7% Only the aliens can… [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “What was once thought can never be unthought.” Friedrich Dürrenmatt in “The Physicists” (1962) [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Anti-Gravity Water Droplet Clock]( [image]( [Dash Stand Mixer]( [image]( [Necklace Adapter]( [image]( [Spy Pen Camera]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - [Dangerous viruses “hitchhike” on microplastics]( to survive in freshwater, and you could swallow them while swimming. - Tesla [is bundling battery users]( to make it look like lower power demand. (ArsTechnica) - Here are [five interesting facts about the Chernobyl disaster](. - What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently? A roboticist [describes the fascinating minutiae]( and the medical jobs these tiny machines could do for us. (Knowable Magazine) - Explorers [have found the USS Samuel B. Roberts]( the deepest sea wreck ever discovered. - Death is a trip – here’s how [new research links near-death and DMT experiences](. (Aeon) - Check out [the most anticipated electric trucks of 2022](. Prepared by Derya Özdemir 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]