NEWSLETTER

Edition 115

Daniel McKinnon

1. One thing that helps

Electricity Rocks!

The United States Department of the Interior has just approved the construction of the Fervo Cape Geothermal Power Project, which will produce enough power to supply 2 million homes.

What makes it special? This plant generates its own hot water rather than relying on naturally occurring hot water. It uses enhanced geothermal systems to inject water into hot subsurface rock and then extracts the hot water to generate electricity.

Traditional geothermal plants are restricted to areas with heat, fluid, and permeability. Poor permeability prevents fluids from moving freely, which is why not all locations are suitable for geothermal plants. However, an enhanced geothermal system solves this problem.

Enhanced geothermal systems can be built anywhere, a huge step up in green energy.

2. One thing to be wary of

Racist Vacuums!

I don't need a reason not to pick up the vacuum cleaner. But if it shouted racist slurs at me, my floors would be pretty dirty.

Several reports have been made of people's Ecovacs Deebot X2 model robot vacuums being hacked. In one incident, a lawyer from Minnesota was surprised to hear racial slurs coming from the vacuum's speaker! In another report, a vacuum chased a dog while saying nasty stuff. Yes, this one has a camera that sends a live video feed to your phone.

The hack was made possible because the robot vacuums have security vulnerabilities. Then there's the human part: credentials stuffing, where hackers try to use credentials they've hacked from your other devices. So don't use the same password for everything. Otherwise, you might be on the receiving end of a racist sucker.

3. One to amaze

Space Hotel

Luxurious is the last word you'd think of when thinking about space travel. Enter Vast, a space company that wants to make astronauts a little more comfy up there.

For starters, instead of the metallic, clunky and wire-littered interior we often see, Haven-1, as the space station is called, will feature interiors decorated with fine-grained maple wood. Gone are the sleeping bags strapped to the walls. Haven-1 has comfortable duvets that will give you a good night's sleep. Drawing on the experience of actual astronauts, the space hotel will be equipped with proper lighting to help passengers deal with their circadian rhythm.

You will be treated with an exclusive view of the earth below through a large looking glass. It's also complete with a gym but unfortunately, no swimming pool!

How much will staying for 10 days in this space hotel cost? We still don't know, but taking the ultimate selfie from up there will surely cost a fortune.

A 2-minute future guide, direct to you, once per fortnight.
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