A Boeing 737 crashes

Plus: Belgium postpones plans to quit nuclear energy Mar 21, 2022 [View in browser]( We wish we could start the week off with better news, but the universe had other ideas. A Boeing 737 aircraft carrying 133 people crashed while flying from the city of Kunming to Guangzhou in South China. Although little is known about the incident, our hearts go out to all who were affected. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine rages on: Anticipating a potential blackout of traditional internet in some locations, Elon Musk's Starlink is rushing in to ensure that Ukrainians won’t lose touch with the rest of the world. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Stay with us. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Build your own mini dam and farm using RC vehicles]( Put your RC vehicles to work by building a dam and a farm. [Build your own mini dam and farm using RC vehicles]( TRANSPORTATION [Boeing 737 carrying 133 people crashes into mountains in China]( [China, airplane.]( A Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to China's Eastern Airlines with 133 people on board [crashed while on a flight]( from the city of Kunming to Guangzhou in South China on Monday. The aircraft lost contact while flying over the city of Wuzhou, with radar tracking showing the aircraft taking a steep descent. The impact sparked a mountainside fire. China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) has already initiated the emergency procedure and dispatched a working group to the area. - [The doomed aircraft]( was six years old. As of writing, the cause of the crash and the number of casualties is not known. This is said to be the biggest aviation incident China has had in years. Over the last decade, China's airline industry has had one of the best safety records in the world. The country's last fatal jet accident was in 2010, when 44 of 96 people aboard an Embraer E-190 regional jet flown by Henan Airlines were killed following its crash on approach to Yichun airport in low visibility. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Elon Musk's Starlink connects Ukrainians to the world effectively]( [Elon Musk.]( Back in February, Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, tweeted at SpaceX founder Elon Musk [asking the billionaire to connect]( the Ukrainian nation with the internet. Within hours, Musk replied that the company's Starlink satellite internet service "is now active in Ukraine" with "more terminals en route." - Now, The Washington Post [reported in an interview]( that the service is reportedly working effectively and connecting Ukraine with the rest of the world. Fedorov said his struggling nation has received thousands of internet antennas that are "very effective." “The quality of the link is excellent,” Fedorov said, using a Starlink connection. “We are using thousands, in the area of thousands, of terminals with new shipments arriving every other day.” Feud continues. The Washington Post reached out to Musk for comment on this story and received a reply to give his regards “to your puppet master Besos” (sic). In case you didn’t know, he’s not wrong: Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Belgium postpones its plans to exit from nuclear energy in 2025 by a decade]( [Tihange Nuclear Power Station in Huy, Belgium.]( Belgium [has decided to extend the life]( of two nuclear reactors by ten years, in a bid to strengthen the country's independence from fossil fuels amid a turbulent geopolitical environment. - Belgium currently has at its service two nuclear power plants with a total of seven reactors. The government will extend operations of the Doel 4 reactor near the port city of Antwerp and the Tihange 3 reactor near Liege until 2035. Going nuclear. Nuclear has experienced a revival in popularity with Bill Gates' company Terra Power attempting new types of nuclear reactors and President Biden's recent infrastructure law setting aside $6 billion to preserve nuclear power reactors in the U.S. The U.S. military is also considering a mobile nuclear power station to address its energy needs overseas, while NASA wants to power [missions on the Moon using nuclear energy](. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS While some people are completely opposed to nuclear power, others believe it must continue to play a crucial role in the energy mix until renewables can be scaled up. Do you agree with governments phasing out nuclear plants? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes. It’s too dangerous.]( [They should do that in the future, but it’s not logical yet.]( [Let’s not fearmonger. We need nuclear, forever.]( [Why not, if the energy mix works without them?]( Yesterday’s Results We reported yesterday that a drug once used to treat alcoholism may be able to cure retinal degeneration. Then, we asked whether you think it can end progressive vision loss, and more than half of you think it could improve the current treatments. Even if it couldn’t, it may lead to the improvement of a new treatment. 54% Yes, it is a promising development. 36% I think this is a trivial coincidence that can’t lead to any significant development. 6% Definitely no, the side effects are too severe. 3% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ There is no land unhabitable nor sea innavigable. ” Richard Hakluyt in “The Principal Navigations, Voyages, and Discoveries of the English Nation" (1589) AND ANOTHER THING... - On April 25, two pilots will jump out of their single-seater aircraft and [attempt to switch planes as they plummet]( toward the Earth. - Biomechanical interactions, rather than neurons, control [the movements of one of the simplest animals]( offering a glimpse into how animal behavior worked before neurons evolved. (Quanta Magazine) - Archeologists [are planning to scan the Great Pyramid of Giza]( with cosmic rays. - [Here’s why NASA's new “Mega Moon rocket”]( one of the most impressive space launch systems ever built, is so incredible. (Live Science) - [A new theory proposes]( that information about what goes into a black hole can come out again without violating any of the important principles of general relativity and quantum mechanics. - Many inscriptions are so decrepit that large chunks are illegible. [An innovative tool assists]( historians in filling in the blanks. (WIRED) - The U.K. and the U.S. [are joining forces to fly]( the first drone using only synthetic fuel, which could help ween the military off of fossil fuel. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. [Read Details]( Share your link Copy & share your referral link with others. [ [Referral Program Terms and Conditions]( Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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