To the Stars with Data: July 11 2021
"Mind of a Car", Branson's spaceflight, ecocide, and more...
Hello Datanauts!
This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about space tourism with Richard Branson’s space flight. You can read more about this in the Space News section.
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Here’s to this week’s issue!
Joe
Thought-Provoking Data Viz
Quick Hits. This map shows the percent of primary energy generated by renewable sources for each country. The map is interactive, so I recommend hovering and clicking to explore.
My Thoughts. To have a chance of combating global warming, it’s pivotal we begin using renewable energy sources to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Some countries show promise: the US increased energy generation through renewable sources by nearly 3% and China by over 5.5% from 2010 to 2019, but we must continue to push to avoid catastrophe.
Earth News
🚗 Tesla’s “Mind of a Car” coming soon
Quick Hits. Tesla is upgrading the software in their cars made after ~April 2019 to include a new user interface. The new interface will likely include some of the design features in the above video, which is a prototype of the user interface in a Model S Plaid. It’s a tad unclear exactly what “mind of a car” is referring to, but some are speculating it is the dashboard representation of the car and its surroundings as shown in the above video.
My Thoughts. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the public is somewhat hesitant when it comes to autonomous vehicles. Perception plays a key role in a rider’s sense of safety in an autonomous vehicle. I think the “mind of a car” feature will greatly enhance a rider’s sense of safety by knowing what the car “sees”. I’m not the only one excited about what Tesla has in store; Tesla’s stock price has more than doubled between one year ago and today.
🔋 98% of Stellantis models to have an electric or hybrid version by 2025
Quick Hits. Stellantis, which owns 10+ car companies (including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Maserati, Fiat, and Peugeot), has committed to 98% of their models having an electric or hybrid version by 2025. Stellantis will spend no less than $35.6 billion on electric vehicles (EVs) within the next 5 years and they plan to have 70% of European and 40% of American sales derive from EVs in 2030. Here’s their recent “EV Day” presentation with more details.
My Thoughts. This is a big deal for two primary reasons. First, Stellantis has been late to the game in providing a commitment for EVs. Second, many of the brands that are popular in the US are generally considered to be “gas guzzlers” (i.e. Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler). Stellantis’s commitment signals they’re aware of the importance of EVs in future markets.
Space News
✈ Sir Richard Branson successfully flies in space on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity 22
Quick Hits. Sir Richard Branson made history earlier today (July 11, 2021) by being the first billionaire in space. The craft that made this possible, SpaceShipTwo, was carried by airplane to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) then released. SpaceShipTwo then ignited its rocket motor and flew to 50 miles (~80 km), where passengers experienced about 4 minutes of weightlessness. The craft then landed similar to a typical airplane would: on a runway.
My Thoughts. For me, this event is a huge deal for one particular reason: public perception.
Branson, a billionaire, rode on the spacecraft. Because he’s so wealthy, some may see him as having more to lose than the average person. For these folx, Branson riding the spacecraft himself proves that venturing into space is safe. Additionally, non-astronauts going into space (even if they are billionaires) arguably makes space seem more accessible. (For context, there have been many successful space tourism journeys in the past.)
Branson and Virgin Galactic also made this event into a spectacle. Khalid performed a new song and Stephen Colbert hosted the event. This fanfare extends the excitement of space to audiences that may not have previously considered it a topic of interest.
It goes without saying that Virgin Galactic made this event into such a spectacle because they want more sales. Considering their ticket prices will be a hefty $250,000, they need to drum up a lot of support. (Though, previous to today’s launch, 600 people have already signed up.)
In my mind, this spectacle plays a role larger than Virgin Galactic: to encourage and inspire people to expand their horizons past the Earth’s atmosphere.
Bonus. If you're interested in more space news, you should check out The Space Roundup. In this free weekly newsletter, The Curious Astronaut shares the most interesting updates about space exploration and human spaceflight so that you’re always up to date.
Things that make you think
⚖ Legal experts worldwide draw up a ‘historic’ definition of ecocide
Quick Hits. The International Criminal Court (ICC) intends to adopt a fifth offence to prosecute: ecocide. The current offences are war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression. Past attempts of defining and adopting ecocide have proven unsuccessful. The curent definition (below) only reaches so far; it doesn't criminalize the daily activities that cause more harm to the environment on a global scale. But experts note its solid basis that countries are likely to adopt.
[Ecocide is the] unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.
My Thoughts. Though I wish that a law addressing ecocide were enacted long ago, we need to start somewhere. I hope this initiative ends in success and paves the way to enacting laws that affect our day-to-day lives, leading us all to live more environmentally friendly. Imagine if there were a law stating that all packaging had to be biodegradable. I would no longer cringe with every item I pick up at the grocery store.
What do you think? Should ecocide be one of the offences prosecuted by the ICC? Does the above definition align with how you would define ecocide?
Future-Thinking Companies
💻 Internet-in-a-box. Stores a snapshot of various internet resources (i.e. Wikipedia, Khan Academy, OpenStreetMap, E-Books) on a small device for those without access to the internet.
🌾 Sentera. Monitors crop growth and problems via drone and provides that information to farmers through software.