
casualSTEM delivers brief and informative summaries of the latest science news every Saturday. Full of jokes, silly polls, and a cartoon!
Get the weekly email that explains science in sweatpants. Stay smart for free.


created with ChatGPT 4o, edited by Steve Burgess
Space Trees
Trees will soon be orbiting Earth. LignoSat, a satellite built primarily from wood, will test sustainable alternatives to traditional satellites that often leave metallic particles in our atmosphere.
Size: 4” per side
Made of magnolia wood
September launch to ISS
LignoSat will then launch into a ~6 month orbit before burning to biodegradable ash upon reentry. Understanding wood’s durability in space could lead to more sustainable space exploration. Now hiring: Space Carpenter!
Source: Interesting Engineering
AI (yai yai)
ChatGPT tries stand-up comedy. How do you think it did?
If this works, what’s next? A wooden space station? ‘Houston, we have a problem—termites!’
Last week’s science in sweatpants
Catch-up here: 🔬Space Trees | Brrrain Freeze | Cancer Peas

