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Bio-Bandage | Cloud Eraser | NOsquitoes

Issue #142

Leap year idea: Why settle for just a calendar day when we could add an actual day to the weekend?!

Looking forward to celebrating our long weekend together in 2028!

-Steve

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Bio-Bandage

Mussels could heal your muscles. Scientists developed an internal bandage using proteins from silkworms and mussels.

  • Alternative to surgical gauze sponges that need to be removed

  • Silkworm proteins provide strength and bacteria defense

  • Mussel proteins provide adhesion and clotting

This biodegradable bandaid dissolves inside the body, significantly reducing blood loss and clotting time. Further testing in humans is needed before your local operating room has these in stock. As long as there are fun pictures on them…

Quick! (vote)

What would you call our new leap weekend day?

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Check out last week’s results in “Unnatural Selection” below

Cloud Eraser

Some clouds totally disappear during a solar eclipse, and now we know why!

  • Clouds vanish rapidly as soon as the sun is 15% blocked

  • Primarily shallow cumulus clouds

  • Caused by lack of warm updrafts as the ground cools

Clouds reflect sunlight and help cool the Earth, so we’re glad they reappear after the eclipse. Researchers will continue to study this phenomenon to prevent weather-related disasters due to future climate engineering. And to save the clouds that look like puppies.

NOsquitoes

Drones are airlifting mosquitoes to fight off diseases. These transported bloodsuckers are part of the sterile insect technique (SIT).

  • One drone can release ~300k insects per day

  • All SIT ‘squitoes are non-biting sterilized males

  • Female mosquitoes can only lay eggs once

SIT males continue mating while their partners lay empty eggs, dramatically reducing populations. Field tests currently target mosquitoes that spread diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, zika, and chikungunya. DEET is SO last century.

Hungry for more news?

Clickables

🦘 Get groovy with this year’s “Dance your PhD” champ

🚀 NASA’s lander takes “Break a leg” very literally

🤖 Meet Verdie - cuter than your lawnmower

🌙 Kurzgesagt tells us what the moon smells like

Unnatural Selection

Last week: “Which synthetic brain snack would zombies prefer?”

71% cupcake, 29% lollipop

One of you shared some irrefutable logic last week!

“I don’t think that they would have the dexterity to deal with a lollipop, cupcake is more a jam in your face hole kind of thing” - Dawn

Make sure you vote up top for next week’s “Unnatural Selection”!

st3v on site

Support Bandage

st3v wearing an un-sad bandage over his green heart

Sometimes sad things happen, even to st3v. But he always feels better with his un-sad bandages: succulents, lofi music, and hanging out with you every week!

Just in case, here are some extra un-sad bandages for you!

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