The Sunday Brew #74
In this brew - Railway Track Electrification in a picture | Kintsugi & Ikigai | NASA training robotic canines for Moon, SF tests cloud brightening and gravity-free graphite synthesized in Japan.
Welcome to The Sunday Brew, weekly 1-2-3 newsletter by The Percolator. Every Sunday we drop in your inbox 1 story in a picture, 2 concepts, ideas or frameworks to expand your horizons and 3 news from the week, to keep you updated.
If you are not a paid subscriber, here is what you missed last week:
ONE STORY IN A PICTURE
Legend: Black - Not Electrified | Red - Electrified
TWO IDEAS, FRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS
This week we bring to you two Japanese concepts - Kintsugi & Ikigai
Kintsugi
Kintsugi or Kintsukuroi is a traditional Japanese art form where broken pottery is repaired using a lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.
Rather than disguising the cracks, kintsugi celebrates them, turning the mended piece into a beautiful work of art. The philosophy behind kintsugi is deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics and the concept of wabi-sabi, which embraces imperfection and impermanence.
It symbolizes the idea that breakage and repair are part of the history of an object, making it more valuable and unique. Beyond its visual appeal, kintsugi carries a profound metaphorical meaning, suggesting that flaws and scars can be transformed into something beautiful and valuable.
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Ikigai
"Ikigai" is a Japanese concept that roughly translates to "reason for being" or "purpose in life." It is a holistic approach to finding fulfilment and meaning by aligning four key elements:
What you love (your passion): This refers to activities and pursuits that bring you joy and make you feel energized.
What the world needs (your mission): This involves identifying ways in which you can contribute to the world or make a positive impact on others.
What you are good at (your vocation): This pertains to your skills, strengths, and talentsโthings that you excel at or have the potential to develop proficiency in.
What you can be paid for (your profession): This aspect focuses on identifying opportunities for financial reward or stability through your work.
Ikigai suggests that true fulfilment and purpose are found at the intersection of these four elements. When you engage in activities or pursuits that encompass all of these aspects, you are likely to experience a deep sense of satisfaction and meaning in your life.
Finding your Ikigai involves introspection, self-awareness, and a willingness to explore different paths until you discover what resonates most with you.
THREE NEWS FROM THE WEEK
Moon Rover Gets Legs: NASA Trains Robot Dog for Lunar Exploration
Move over rovers, there's a new kind of explorer on the horizon! NASA is getting ready to unleash robotic canines on the moon.
As part of their Legged Autonomous Surface Science in Analog Environments (LASSIE) project, they're training a four-legged robot named "Spirit" to navigate the moon's rough and rugged terrain.
This isn't your average fetch companion though. Spirit is a high-tech marvel, the brainchild of a dream team of engineers, planetary scientists, and cognitive scientists from across various institutions. Funded by a $2 million NASA grant, the LASSIE project is all about pushing the boundaries of lunar exploration.
So, why the switch to legs? Traditional wheeled rovers can struggle with uneven surfaces and steep slopes. Spirit's unique design allows it to adapt to challenging terrain, much like a real dog. This agility could prove invaluable for future lunar missions, allowing robots to access previously unreachable areas and gather vital scientific data.
The project isn't just about moonwalking canines โ it's about developing innovative technologies. By training Spirit to "feel" the lunar surface through its leg movements, the LASSIE team hopes to equip the robot with the ability to adjust its own movements and science gathering strategies in real-time. Imagine a robot that can not only navigate craters but also analyse the ground it walks on, autonomously deciding where to take samples!
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San Francisco Takes a Shot at Cooling the Planet with Cloud Brightening Test
In a novel attempt to combat rising global temperatures, researchers conducted a cloud brightening experiment in San Francisco Bay. This experiment, part of a larger effort exploring geoengineering solutions, tested the effectiveness of marine cloud brightening.
Imagine misting the atmosphere with a special ingredient to cool the Earth. That's the basic idea behind marine cloud brightening. The San Francisco test involved spraying a fine mist of sea salt particles into the air above the bay. These particles act like tiny mirrors, reflecting more sunlight back into space and potentially leading to a slight cooling effect.
The scientific term for this phenomenon is albedo - a measure of how reflective a surface is. By increasing the cloud's albedo, the hope is to mimic the natural cooling effect of certain pollutants, but in a more controlled and environmentally friendly way. Read More ยปยปยป
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OIST Scientists Achieve Levitation Breakthrough with New Material
Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan have achieved a significant breakthrough in magnetic levitation. Their experiment, known as the gravity-free graphite demonstration, successfully levitated a small piece of graphite nearly motionless above a grid of magnets โ and all without external power sources.
The key to this feat lies in a specially developed material. The OIST team took regular graphite and chemically modified it to become an electrical insulator. This crucial alteration prevented the flow of electrical currents within the graphite, a phenomenon known as eddy damping, which typically leads to energy loss and hinders stable levitation.
By overcoming eddy damping through the use of this innovative material, the OIST researchers were able to levitate the graphite in a vacuum chamber. This eliminates the interference of air resistance, allowing for near-perfect levitation.
The implications of this experiment are significant. It paves the way for the development of frictionless bearings and magnetic levitation technologies with minimal energy requirements.
These advancements could have applications in various fields, from ultra-sensitive scientific instruments to frictionless transportation systems. Watch Video ยปยปยป
The Sunday Brew by The Percolator brings to you curated news on tech, business & entrepreneurship, from across the internet to give your week a perfect start.
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