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Concrete Cafe | Lunar Landing | Water Pow(d)er
Issue #115
My new keyboard has a bunch of fun light settings, but I’m worried they’ll distract from what I’m
-Steve
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Concrete Cafe
Even concrete performs better with coffee. Using spent coffee grounds (SCG) in place of some sand yields 30% stronger concrete.
Estimated annual SCG generation: 60 million tons
SCG tested at various temperatures and mixture percentages
Strongest: 662 °F and replaced 15% of sand
Using SCG in concrete could preserve resources (natural sand) and save space in ever-expanding landfills. Researchers will continue testing this coffeecrete for strength and scalability worldwide. Can’t wait for Starblocks!
Quick! (poll)If you had to choose 1 for the rest of your life: |
Check out last week’s results in “Unnatural Selection” below
Lunar Landing
The moon welcomed its first visitor since 1972, and closest ever to the south pole. India’s Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander touched down Wednesday morning.
Launched July 14, 2023
Rover (Pragyan) will explore for 1 moon day
Moon day = 14 earth days
After their brief mooncation, Pragyan and Vikram will freeze when temps drop as low as -334°F. Until then, they’ll share vital information on the unexplored lunar south, including any evidence of water ice. And maaaaybe moon cheese.
Water Pow(d)er
Hydro-electric power can be improved with less water. RheEnergise’s R-19 liquid packs more power than regular H2O.
R-19 = powdered substance added to liquid
2.5x denser than H2O
Requires 40% less elevation & tank size to match traditional power
R-19 power plants reportedly cost less than lithium-ion alternatives, albeit with more lag time. RheEnergise is rolling out installations across the UK, targeting 10% of the global energy market within 25 years. Just don’t use it in a super soaker.

Clickables
🪐 Listen to space (big fan of Saturn’s sounds)
🍣 Would you eat this sashimi made of Legos?
🪴 Tabletop garden for green thumbs stuck indoors
🦒 Can you spot the spotless giraffe?
📸 See Australia’s best nature pics (#2 is the best)

Unnatural Selection
Last week: “Do you prefer...”

Fun fact: Apple’s ear bud emoji evolved into headphones in 2016. An early indicator of who would win this battle.
Make sure you vote up top for next week’s “Unnatural Selection”!

st3v on site
Coffee Bricks

Always the beezness man, st3v was quick to sell spent grounds building bricks. Beecuzz who doesn’t want to live in a coffee hive?

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