Space-based film studio officially in development for 2024
Space Entertainment Enterprise, co-producers of Tom Cruise’s forthcoming space-set film, have announced plans to build a fully-fledged production studio 250 miles above Earth. Remember back in 2020, when Tom Cruise teamed up with Elon Musk’s Space X to shoot the first ever feature film in space… no? That’s probably because...
Current in Science
Will nuclear fusion revolutionise clean energy for centuries?
With the potential of generating 10 million times the energy of burning coal, is nuclear fusion the answer to sustainably powering the world for centuries to come? Imagine a technology capable of replicating the chemistry of the stars, unleashing nearly unlimited clean energy, and safely powering the entire world for...
Are space-built supermaterials a secret weapon against climate change?
‘Earth is a terrible place to make things,’ according to aerospace engineer Andrew Bacon. Here’s how low gravity provides the unique conditions to build high-performance materials which may arm us against climate change. Finding ways of building sustainable technologies in a sustainable way is a requirement which perpetually limits our...
NASA hires theologians to prepare humanity for extra-terrestrial life
A priest and other religious experts have been called on to determine how different religions around the world would react to contact with aliens. As favourable as it is to live in blissful ignorance and choose to disregard the fact that we’re tiny creatures on a rock floating through...
Scientists discover perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo
Believed to be between 66 and 72 million years old, the fossil was found in southern China and offers new insight into the very first stages of animal life on Earth. On Tuesday, scientists announced the discovery of the most complete dinosaur embryo ever found, tucked into a position that's...
Thred Daily – Can we fuel planes with plants?
Would you fly 30,000 feet in the air on a plane powered by vegetable oil? The correct answer is yes, because it's far more sustainable than traditional fuel. But if you still need convincing, in this video Jess breaks down all the details about sustainable aviation fuels and how they...
Earth’s tiniest bugs are officially evolving to eat plastic
In the first large-scale study of its kind, researchers have found that microbes living in oceans and soils around the world have learned to eat at least ten different types of plastic. Plastic is by far the world’s biggest issue when it comes to pollution. Most types are notoriously hard to recycle and even single-use plastics can remain in-tact for 500 years once thrown out. Although human led clean-up efforts are commendable,...
Seaweed film could be the future of single use plastic packaging
London-based company Notpla was granted $13 million to boost sustainable packaging using seaweed. It hopes to replace hard-to-recycle plastic films used for food and clothing wrapping. The magical plant that holds together sushi rolls, adds flavour to our ramen bowls, and grows abundantly in the ocean has become an unlikely, yet perfect alternative to plastic film. Notpla, short for ‘not plastic’, is based in London. The company started its venture...
Psychedelics are on course to be a catalyst for mass mental health
Poised to be the hottest new therapeutics since Prozac, psychedelics have come a long way since their hallucinogenic hippy heyday. Last year, upon discovering that a growing number of scientists had begun asking whether mind-altering drugs such as DMT, magic mushrooms, and LSD could help treat trauma, addiction, and depression, I posed a question: do psychedelics have the potential to transform mental health? Almost twelve months on, and the answer is...
NASA launches its first asteroid-deflecting spaceship
Named DART, the spacecraft has no other purpose but to slam into and redirect an asteroid 6.8 million miles out in space. It’s the first planetary defence mission of its kind. Considering that we exist on a floating rock in the endless, chaotic abyss of the universe, NASA’s plan to practice deterring an asteroid from hitting our planet is warranted. Though DART’s target isn’t a threat to Earth at present, there...
