Why scientists want to microwave the Moon

Plus: Scientists create world’s first ‘vagina-on-a-chip’ to combat bacterial diseases. Dec 23, 2022 [Blueprint]( What's the best way to get us back on the Moon? [With a microwave, apparently](. No, really. Well, with microwaves rather than a microwave, if you're going to split hairs about it. Because scientists have said that microwaving the Moon might make it safer to land on. Specifically, they're talking about melting lunar soil with microwaves, which I'd wager is not a development you saw coming. But before you consider how big a microwave you'd need for that job, take a look at something a little smaller. [This video]( shows CES 2023, the EV that Sony and Honda say will take on Tesla. That’s fighting talk. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. [Phone-charging clothes material could go on sale in 'a few years.’]( [premium] Researchers have invented textiles that can charge a smartwatch or mobile phone. They achieved this by embedding the material with more than a thousand miniature solar cells. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [CES 2023: Sony and Honda set to unveil their EV that they say will take on Tesla.]( [CES 2023: Sony and Honda set to unveil their EV that they say will take on Tesla.]( Maybe Elon will conduct a poll to see how much this matters. [Must Read]MUST READ [Why scientists want to microwave the Moon.]( [Why scientists want to microwave the Moon.]( There's a lot of talk flying around about us returning to the Moon, especially with the launch of NASA’s Artemis Missions, not to mention an increasing number of lunar efforts by other countries So it looks like it's on the cards. But staying on the Moon for good (which is also being considered) will need new approaches and technologies, to put it lightly. It will also need so-called Moon bases, and one area of research NASA is funding with regard to this, is economically-feasible landing pads for our spacecraft. [Which is where microwaves come in](. A NASA-funded team at the University of Central Florida, led by defense and space manufacturing company Cislune and using research from Arizona State University, is working on this project. → They've found that a method that uses microwaves to melt lunar soil, coupled with UCF-developed beneficiation, or sorting, technology, might be the best option. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [HEALTH]HEALTH [Scientists create world’s first ‘vagina-on-a-chip’ to combat bacterial diseases.]( Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University have engineered the [first-ever “vagina on a chip" in the world](. It replicates the human vaginal tissue microenvironment in vitro and is composed of the human vaginal epithelium and underlying connective tissue cells. It mimics many of the physiological features of the vagina, according to the researchers in question. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [88-year-old man goes to the emergency with an artillery shell in his anus.]( According to a report, the man claimed to have found this shell seven inches in length and 3.5 inches in width (18cm to 9cm) at his brother's house. “An apple, a mango, or even a shaving foam... [We are used to finding unusual objects inserted where it should not be. But a shell? Never!]( explained one of the emergency hospital staff of Sainte-Musse, in Toulon, who happened to be working a shift on the day the man came in with his unusual problem. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [What should we do if aliens make contact? Scientist reveals the first four steps to take. [premium]]( [The aliens that reach out to us]( are likely to be more advanced than us, with much more powerful technologies and weapons. One would hope they’ll also be more intelligent and peaceful. But let’s face it, if our own history is any indication, the first groups to explore new worlds tend to be cutthroats and mercenaries in search of new resources to exploit. So when the ETIs, (extraterrestrial intelligences) do come calling, what should we do? A paper titled Geopolitical Implications of a Successful SETI Program gives some sage advice on the subject. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Scientists want to microwave the Moon so we can land on it more easily. How long do you think it will be before we see regular Moon landings? [Within the next few years]( [In over ten years]( [Hopefully in our lifetime]( [We won't]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you if you think the new U.S. laser weapon will be a game changer, and 67 percent of you said absolutely, especially for drones. 67% Yes, especially for drones 25% Possibly, if used in the right way 7% No, it’s a drop in the ocean 1% I am unsure either way [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “If you are in trouble anywhere in the world, an airplane can fly over and drop flowers, but a helicopter can land and save your life.” Igor Sikorsky, Russian–American aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. 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