Ready to toss yesterday into a dumpster? Keep reading.
Plus: Why your dog is green.
Writing to you from a too-cold apartment while it rains outside. My kid took her first steps yesterday (!!!) but other than that, it was a pretty wretched 24 hours! If you, too, are ready to toss most of yesterday into a Dumpster, keep reading for some stories about our future.
I’m Nick Lucchesi, editor-in-chief at Inverse, and this is Inverse Daily, your list of essential science and innovation reads. It’s...Thursday.
This is an adapted version of the Inverse Daily newsletter for July 22, 2021. Subscribe for free and earn rewards for reading every day in your inbox.
What will happen after Earth is destroyed by the Sun? — Here’s Passant Rabie on new research that sheds light on the possibility of life emerging on planets orbiting white dwarf stars:
A new study suggests that following the death of a white dwarf star, a new form of life may unexpectedly take shape on the planets that orbit it.
The new findings not only have implications for what kind of life may emerge around the Sun after the Earth is long gone but could also help astronomers in their search for life on distant worlds.
Go deeper:
- Astronomers discover new dwarf planet or strange comet on eccentric orbit around the Sun
- Red supergiant Betelgeuse: The biggest mystery in space in the last few years has been solved
- Scientists solve an 80-year-old paradox about the Sun
The scientific reason rockets look like ... — After Blue Origin took Jeff Bezos to space on Tuesday, people all over collectively realized something: Have rockets always looked like a penis? John Wenz reports on the science behind it:
On Tuesday, Jeff Bezos (cue the song) launched himself up to space along with three other passengers — his brother, a rich teen, and a historically important aviatrix who never got her chance to fly up to space. Gauging by the reactions of the public, one of the most important takeaways wasn’t the flight itself but the shape of the ship.
New Shepard, the reusable suborbital rocket system, looks like a dick.
Go deeper:
- Blue Origin: How Jeff Bezos plans to open up space after crewed flight
- Blue Origin: 9 moments from Jeff Bezos’ historic space launch
- Blue Origin launch: Stunning images and videos capture historic crewed flight
Perseids is 2021's brightest celestial shower — Elana Spivack reminds us of the dates and viewing spots of the best meteor shower of the year:
If we celebrated real celestial stars the way we celebrate movie and TV stars, the astronomical Met Gala would have to be the Perseids meteor shower.
This cavalcade of bright orbs doesn’t involve any actual stars but rather the large, burning shards that break off from a particular comet as the planet passes through its tail. We are in the midst of Perseids season now, and soon we will be treated to their most glamorous moment in the night sky.
Go deeper:
- What Carl Sagan’s Star Wars video gets right about life in space
- Delta Aquariids: How, when, and where to watch this marvelous summer shower
- Near-Earth asteroid and more: Understand the world through 9 images
Why is my dog green? — Tara Yarlagadda reports on a viral tweet that sparked a discussion of the chemistry behind dog spit and how dog drool can turn your pup's fur green.
It’s no secret that dogs drool. A lot. They might slobber to cool themselves down on a hot day or salivate when they’re anticipating a tasty bowl of kibble.
But dogs’ drool actually contains a strange superpower, as Twitter learned this week. It can turn your pup’s coat into a vibrant shade of green.
Go deeper:
Actor Willem Dafoe marks a birthday today. He’s an Inverse favorite. Dafoe famously played Green Goblin in the 2002 smash hit Spider-Man.
- About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share a story about the time you met an astronaut? Send those thoughts and more to newsletter@inverse.com. Sound off!
- Today’s metal song loosely related to science: “Hornet’s Nest” by Power Trip
- Before we go: Selena Gomez (29), Willem Dafoe (66; pictured above), Danny Glover (75), Prince George of Cambridge (8), George Clinton (80). (Source: AP)
