Paris bans e-scooters, thanks to “overwhelming” vote

Plus: Fantastic Four: NASA announces astronauts for Artemis II moon mission [Blueprint]( Dream of e-scootering around the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower? Well, the mayor of Paris said on Monday (April 3) that electric scooters would be banned beginning September 1 following a public vote. And the vote was overwhelming, to say the least. That is, the e-scooter ban received 89 percent of the votes in what was termed as an unusual "public consultation," according to the city hall tweet. But before we find out more about that, let’s have a look at our [video of the day]( and see how to make a real-world black mirror. Good morning. I’m Sade, an Editor at IE. Still only Tuesday :) This is The Blueprint. Here we go! Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard all about concrete that can power your home. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [black mirror]( [Through a mirror, darkly: Here's how to make a real-world black mirror]( This near-impossible task involves taking a mirror and burning it using the light of a candle until it becomes black. MUST READ [escooter paris]( [Paris just voted to ban e-scooters]( What happens when you have a referendum in Paris? Rental e-scooters become banned. This comes after the public voted to remove them from the streets. A whopping 89 percent of people voted in favor of the e-scooter ban, according to the city hall Twitter account, in what was described as an unusual "public consultation" that resulted in long lineups at polling places across the city. That said, only 7.46 percent of the total number of registered voters took part in the referendum. While the mayor has stated that she will respect the decision, e-scooter operators have also stated that they intend to block the idea. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Fantastic Four: NASA announces astronauts for Artemis II moon mission]( The four astronauts who will travel to the Moon on Artemis II for the first time in 50 years—since Apollo 17 in December 1972—were revealed by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The new mission is historic in many respects, including it will be the first to assign a woman, an African-American, and a non-American (Canadian) to a lunar mission. "The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in his address. "Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation." [Read More]( INNOVATION [New coconut, lemon material could be used to heat and cool our homes]( Each year, millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, which traps heat, are released into the atmosphere by air conditioning systems. Now, a team from Stockholm, Sweden, has developed a building material from modified wood, coconuts, and lemons, creating what they describe as a "wood composite thermal battery." This new material can absorb both heat and cold when it is used to build homes. Given an ambient temperature of 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), the team estimates that 100 kilos (220 pounds) of this material can save about 2.5 kilowatts per hour (kWh) per day in heating or cooling. Anyone else curious as to whether the new cooling systems could also give off coconut and lemon aromas? You know, two-in-one. [Read More]( CULTURE [Midjourney will no longer let you generate images of Xi Jinping]( An AI image generator called Midjourney, which produces realistic deepfakes, has recently come under fire for its submission to China's communist government. Users are able to create phony photos of world leaders, including President Biden and Vladimir Putin, on the company's website, but not of Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a post from a year ago on Discord, Midjourney CEO David Holz addressed the issue, stating that the company wishes to "minimize drama" and that political satire in China is "pretty not-okay." Users from all around the world, not only those in China, are subject to the prohibition against making deepfakes of Xi Jinping. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Paris just voted to ban e-scooters, which will take effect from September 1. Do you think e-scooter operators will be able to overturn this? [Yes]( [No]( [I'd prefer to wait and see]( [I'm not interested in e-scooters]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday we asked you whether kite technology for renewable energy sounded like a realistic solution. Here are the results: 44% Yes, the sky’s the limit 39% No, but it’s a fun concept 12% I’m not sure about it 5% I’m not interesting in Kite power system QUOTE OF THE DAY “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. 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