Earlier this week, I suggested that William Shatner was the perfect personality for Blue Origin to generate positive publicity. Judging by the interrupted coverage of the rocket launch on CNN Wednesday, perhaps the man who played Captain Kirk (now age 90) is just what Jeff Bezos’ oft-criticized rocket company needed.
I’m Nick Lucchesi, an editor at Inverse. Keep reading for more on that story and more. Scroll to the bottom for a special song of the day.
This is an adapted version of the Inverse Daily newsletter for Thursday, October 14, 2021. Subscribe for free and earn rewards for reading every day in your inbox. ✉️
Star Trek actor William Shatner speaks during a media availability on the landing pad of Blue Origin’s New Shepard after flying into space on October 13, 2021 near Van Horn, Texas. Shatner became the oldest person to fly into space on the ten-minute flight. He flew with three other civilians aboard mission NS-18, the second human spaceflight for the company which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Blue Origin second human flight — Bryan Lawver reports on William Shatner's space flight with Blue Origin and the James Webb Space Telescope’s steps toward launch. They are part of our weekly review of the most interesting science and innovations stories:
Read the full story and see the photos.
Related headlines:
- Inspiration4 has the same glaring problem as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic
- Watch: Blue Origin completes 17th New Shepard launch
- Blue Origin: The scientific reason rockets look like dicks
How to stargaze during the daytime — For some sky gazing events, it's best to see them during the early morning hours. And a few, like Jupiter and Venus, can even be seen during the daytime hours, writes Passant Rabie:
Stargazers during the nighttime usually have to avoid the moonlight, which washes out the light from many stars or meteor showers.
The Earth rotates through the night, and the early morning hours bring about new stars and planets scattered across the skies. Astronomers can see these cosmic bodies in the quiet lull of the morning before the rush of the daytime begins.
More headlines:
- Apollo 17 rocks reveal something strange and new about the Moon
- Why NASA may put a telescope on the moon
- Scientists imaged an intensely powerful force coming from a black hole
Starlink’s next launch will bring a huge upgrade — Mike Brown reports that SpaceX's internet connectivity constellation is taking shape, as the Starlink service continues to improve during its Better Than Nothing beta:
SpaceX will likely host its second Starlink launch from the west coast of the U.S. as soon as Sunday, October 17. The mission is expected to launch 51 Starlink satellites, complete with optical interlinks that will enable the satellites to bring internet access to Earth’s poles.
It’s another moment of expansion for SpaceX’s under-construction internet constellation, designed to bring high speed and low latency access to almost anywhere in the world. The company first started signing up beta testers in mid-2020, and early reports suggested that users are receiving up to 150 megabits per second.
Go deeper:
- Subscribe to the Musk Reads+ newsletter to support premium, original reporting
- Starlink alternatives: 3 SpaceX rivals you need to know
- SpaceX Starlink: When is it coming to my area?
Improve your sleep — Katie MacBride reports on new research examining sleep in people with depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia:
We’re grumpy if we don’t get enough sleep one night, but figure we’ll be fine if we catch up on sleep later.
But that’s not really how it works. Research shows the connection is much deeper than that. This is also evidenced by the power of sleep interventions, which can mitigate depression, PTSD and improve people’s quality of life. A study published Tuesday in PLOS Medicine takes this understanding further.
Go deeper:
- These six sounds will help you fall asleep faster, according to science
- Why do we need to sleep? Brain research reveals the evolutionary reason
- Tired all the time? 4 tips for dealing with sleep deprivation
THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY’S DAILY DISPATCH! THANKS FOR READING.
John C Reilly, Ben Whishaw (center), and Colin Farrell in The Lobster. Whishaw marks a birthday today.
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