All over the world, astronomers and astrophysicists are racing to process and analyze the new treasure trove of data coming in from the Webb Telescope. From its point one million miles away from Earth, this revolutionary piece of kit heralds a new age of science discovery — and more than a few jaw-droppingly beautiful and perhaps even profound images to boot.
In today's newsletter, read our story on one of the new images made using Webb's observations of galaxy Messier 74, learn how to prep for summer blackouts, and more.
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Prepare for summer blackouts
In June, state officials from Arizona to Illinois warned of impending blackouts across the West and Midwest over the summer months due, in part, to extreme heat. These warnings come on the heels of a U.S. Energy Information Administration report stressing that the megadrought in California could have serious impacts on the state’s electricity generation this summer.
With looming blackouts on the horizon — Texans are already being asked to conserve energy amidst extreme heat due to power outages — Americans may need to become accustomed to adjustments they wouldn’t previously have considered.
Inverse spoke with energy experts to explain why power outages will become more frequent and what steps you can take to prepare yourself — and your home — for them.
This beautiful new Webb Telescope image looks unreal
The galaxy Messier 74 (M74) shines about 32 million light years away in the constellation Pisces. It’s a fantastic target for any space enthusiast: the galaxy appears face-on from Earth, so its broad spiral arms are easy to admire thanks to its orientation in space.
A new view of M74 comes by way of Gabriel Brammer, associate professor at the Cosmic Dawn Center in the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Denmark.
The unprecedented clarity of the image shows off JWST’s capabilities, and not surprisingly, the picture has excited many of Brammer’s fellow astronomers.
Ms. Marvel head writer reveals the real source of Kamala Khan's power
Ms. Marvel’s powers don’t come from space, magical weapons, or radioactive spider bites. They come from her family.
In an interview with Inverse, series head writer Bisha K. Ali unpacks the show’s mythological lore that puts Arabic myths and comic book IP side-by-side, how she included difficult subject matter like the surveillance of Muslim communities and the Partition of India, as well as how certain Marvel mutations found a way into the show.
The Rehearsal is the best psychological thriller of the year
How do you prepare for a meeting or a phone call you’re dreading? If you’re anything like me, you write down a plan, make sure you have contingencies for every possibility, and do everything humanly possible to make sure you won’t look back afterward and cringe. Eventually, the preparation stops being useful and starts being more stressful than the event itself.
It’s this anxious cycle of prep work that forms the basis of Nathan Fielder’s new HBO comedy series The Rehearsal, where real people who have been putting off stressful circumstances “rehearse” every eventuality using actors, flowcharts, and carefully crafted replicas of familiar places. But beneath this goofy premise is a dark underbelly.
The best cat game ever made is a serious GOTY contender
Stray is about a cat who ends up in a dystopian, cyberpunk city with the goal of escaping and freeing a civilization of trapped robots in the process. It’s presented from a third-person perspective, features light puzzles, lots of exploration, and plenty of platforming that will no doubt keep you entertained, especially if you’re a cat-lover.
Developer BlueTwelve Studio is a master of its craft, both in its handling of Stray’s intuitive gameplay and its clever integration of realistic cat behaviors throughout. The result is a unique adventure, unlike any game you’ve played before.
On this day in history: On July 20, 1969, U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin (“Buzz”) Aldrin, landed on the Moon.
Song of the day: "Moon Song," by Phoebe Bridgers
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