To the Stars with Data: August 8 2021
Gene therapy "dimmer switch", SpaceX's Starship, history of electric vehicles, and more
Hello Datanauts!
Before digging in this week, I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone for reading. It means the world to me that I have you all to geek out with. đ If you enjoy To the Stars with Data, please consider sharing it with someone else you think would enjoy it!
Letâs go To the Stars with Data!
Thought-Provoking Data Viz
Quick hits. In this video, Michael DiBenigno (@the.data.guy on TikTok) explores the relationship between COVID vaccinations and COVID cases in the US. He notes that cases recently spiked where vaccination rates were low. He uses an awesome augmented reality data visualization toolâFlowâthat he cofounded.
My thoughts. COVID vaccines are safe and they work! Itâs no wonder areas with high vaccination rates saw low COVID case rates. The tool is also stunning. As a data visualizer, I cannot wait to explore the tool to level up my work.
Earth News
𧏠Researchers find a âdimmer switchâ to help control gene therapy
Quick hits. In a VERY simplified manner, gene therapies have two key components: a vehicle and its payload. The vehicle gets the payload to its target and the payload is the therapy itself, often in the form of rewritten genetic code. This article discusses how researchers found a drug that allows the gene therapy to activate. Without the presence of the drug, the gene therapies had no effect. Critically, controlling the levels of the drug in the body also controlled the expression intensity of the therapy.
My thoughts. One of the largest issues facing gene therapy today is that the intensity of gene therapies is difficult to control. A âdimming switchâ allows for countless possibilities of curing or treating many conditions that humans face.
đ€ South Africa issues world's first patent listing AI as inventor
Quick hits. South Africa granted a professor the world's first patent with AI listed as the inventor. The professor submitted the patent in over 10 countries, including the UK, Europe, and the US, but each country rejected the patent. The professor argues that listing AI as inventors is important for companies that use AI to develop products. If AI werenât allowed as inventors, patents might not be granted because no human fits the role of inventor.
My thoughts. As our capacity for AI grows and more companies begin using AI to augment their creative processes, we should create the infrastructure to incentivize and reward companies using AI to its fullest potential.
Bonus. Two days after the publishing of the above article, a judge in Australia overturned the decision that an AI canât be listed as an inventor. The judge sent the matter back to a commission for reconsideration.
Space News
đ SpaceX combines Starship SN20 and Super Heavy booster for first time
Quick hits. SpaceX successfully stacked Starship SN20 to its Super Heavy booster. Together, they make the tallest rocket in the world at 395 feet (120m). Before Starship can launch, SpaceX needs to outfit the rocket with a few more critical components. The US Federal Aviation Administration also needs to finish an environmental review. For context, Starship recently won the US's bid to be a part of its Artemis mission, which will land humans to the moon in 2024.
My thoughts. As I've mentioned before, Starship is changing the game. As Robert Zubrin, aerospace engineer, puts it:
Starship wonât just give us the ability to send human explorers to Mars, the moon, and other destinations in the inner solar system, it offers us a two-order-of-magnitude increase in overall operational capability to do pretty much anything we want to do in space.
đ° Eutelsat launches worldâs first reprogrammable satellite
Quick hits. Eutelsat launched the world's first reprogrammable satellite ("Quantum") on Friday, July 30. Quantum weighs 3.5 tons, will begin service in Q4 2021, and will remain in function for the next 15 years. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), Quantum can also be mass-produced, unlike typical satellites.
My thoughts. Considering that our needs and technological capability are changing rapidly, static satellites are becoming an increasingly untenable solution. Given Quantumâs potential for mass-production and configuration in space, it looks like we may be gaining access to unprecedented flexibility!
Bonus. If you like space tech, youâll love The Orbital Index. Itâs a concise and technical newsletter from Andrew Cantino and Ben Lachman highlighting developments in space science and exploration, NewSpace startups, and (mostly) related content. Consider checking it out!
Things that make you think
⥠The lost history of the electric car
Quick hits. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, electric cars were briefly more popular than petrol-powered cars in the US. Electric cars were even sold in the US for the first few decades of the 1900s, but were marketed as feminine products. The issues plaguing electric cars in the early 1900s were similar to the issues we still face: length of battery charge and battery weight.
My thoughts. As the article notes, cars solved the problem of ridiculous amounts of horse excrement in our cities, but petrol-powered cars served a more insidious threat: air pollution. As we make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), we must learn from our mistakes and consider the long-term impacts of our vehicle choices. If youâre interested in understanding the potential impact of EVs, I recommend reading this recent International Energy Agency report.
Future-Thinking Companies
đ„ Nobell Foods. They make cheese and other milk products from casein derived from high-quality soybeans. They can produce more caseins per acre more efficiently, sustainably, and cost-effectively than cows.
đ NotCo. They produce a variety of foods (like milk, burger meat, ice cream, mayonnaise) from non-conventional plants (like pineapple). They use an AI named Giuseppe to find how plants can replicate animal products.