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- 8 Step | Asteroid Finder | Big Grass - The Convo Kit #51
8 Step | Asteroid Finder | Big Grass - The Convo Kit #51
Did a lot of awkward “shake or bump?” greetings while looking at apartments this week. Realized a hand presented must be shaken. Nature is healing.
-Steve
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8 Step
Dance off, the wolf spiders’ chosen method for finding a mate. Researchers observed Schizocosa stridulans prioritizing partners with the most creative moves.
Dance off: 44 males boogied
9 dance champs had the most complex moves
Dances last up to 45 minutes
Researchers believe the path to female-spider hearts is creativity. Chosen male spiders adjusted their routine based on audience reactions. Though it may be easier to think on your feet when you have 8.
Asteroid Finder
Astronomers enlisted THOR to help protect Earth. The software identifies previously unnoticed asteroids in existing space data.
THOR: Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery
Tracklets = observations of individual moving objects
Discovered 104 new objects so far
THOR scans archived data and calculates potential orbits for detected objects. If the same object is seen 5-6 times, it’s flagged and reviewed. Supposedly, the 7th time an object is seen, Chris Hemsworth throws a hammer at it.
Big Grass
Poseidon, god of the…grass? Researchers recently discovered the world’s largest plant, a seagrass known as Poseidon’s Ribbon Weed, Posidonia australis.
Over 77 square miles
~4,500 years old
Growing at 6-14” per year
Found while studying the genetic diversity of Australia’s Shark Bay. P. australis clones itself via root systems and dominates ecosystems thanks to two different genomes. Also making it resistant to climate change killing similar plants.
3D Printear
3D printed body parts, coming to a hospital near you? 3DBio Therapeutics successfully transplanted an ear onto a microtia patient.
Printed using the patient's own cartilage cells
Microtia: underdeveloped ear affecting 1 out of 2-10k babies in the US
Clinical trial is still ongoing
Printing body parts using recipient’s cells theoretically reduces transplant rejection. While the technology has a long way to go, 3DBio’s initial success proves that it’s only a matter of time.
Back to the Present
The future is now, DeLorean is back. Its new Alpha5 is a luxury EV inspired by the original DMC-12’s design, including gull-wing doors.
0-88 mph in 4.35 seconds
Over 300 miles of range
Battery: 100 kWh (electric, not nuclear)
DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in 1982, but was revived by an engineer in 1995 primarily to service the vintage DMC-12. News on how to buy an Alpha5 is expected later this summer, so we’ll hear back in the future.
1 More Thing
Thank you for reading!
Missed last week’s Convo?
Catch-up here: Dolphin Pharma | Ro-boat | Home Tint - The Convo Kit #50
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