Bryan Chaffin

A new study based on astronauts Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly—identical twins—found that space travel can alter DNA, at least the way we’re doing space travel now. The study found that 7% of Scott Kelly’s DNA did not return to normal after a one-year mission in space. Gizmodo noted that the change is epigenetic in nature, rather than simply genetic. It’s the way Mr. Kelly’s genes are expressed, not the genes themselves, otherwise he would now be a new species. Important semantics aside, the changes were thought to be caused by “oxygen-deprivation stress, increased inflammation, and dramatic nutrient shifts that affect gene expression,” according to CNN. It’s important to both understand and solve these kinds of issues when it comes to prolonged space flight, travel to Mars, and other space-related activities, and the Kellys being part of this study will pay untold dividends towards that understanding. The video below on the topic is from NBC.

Check out Wave, a device I think has a real future. It’s a wearable MIDI controller in the form of a ring. If you watch the video, you’ll see that it can act almost like a Theramin, by turning motion into data. It also has buttons you can tap with your thumb, and you can trigger samples by tapping on a surface. Wave is currently a little big, but I can easily see this kind of technology bringing marked innovation to live performances and leading to all kinds of unforeseen ways to make, shape, and effect music. This company said Wave has been in development for three years, has been tested by hundreds of musicians, and has been used live on stage. The Indiegogo campaign is for taking Wave to manufacturing. They’ve already surpassed their $30,000 goal, having raised more than $46,000 with 21 days to go.

Check out Lunavity, a sort of wearable helicopter that’s supposed to help you jump. Right off the bat, I don’t believe in this product—it’s never, ever going to be a thing. But it’s cool. More importantly, it’s the kind of absurd product idea whose research could eventually lead to unimagined products and ideas sometime in the future. It’s also an innovative approach to tackling both mobility challenges and enhanced mobility, even if no one is going to wear one of these things around. Ever. In a million years. But check it out anyway!

OK, confession: I love high-end fidget spinners. I have several, including my most recent, which is made from Tungsten. Fine. I’m a dork. Or an overgrown kid, whatever, I love these beautifully-machined mechanical devices. I got a 10 minute spin out of one of my spinners—once—and I’m giddy when I can get 8 minutes. Well, the folks at automobile, airplane, boat Japanese behemoth Mitsubishi would laugh at that because they made a spinner that claimed the new Guinness record of 24 minutes and 46.34 seconds, according to The Kids Should See This (via Gizmodo). That’s just crazy, and what’s crazier is that they had 50 (well-paid) people spend 6 months making it! Don’t worry, though, because you’ll be able to buy one of these puppies for about US$450. OK, I hear you, sure, that’s, like, a ton of money for a spinner, but I’ve seen vanity spinners that cost way more! One way or another, I think this is way cool, and kudos to the Mitsubishi Suits who held up a spinner with one finger for more than 20 minutes. That’s a long time to hold anything in a stationary position, but they would have gotten better spin times holding it vertical between two fingers, just saying.

The trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald—the next film from the Harry Potter universe—has dropped. And it looks great! The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the new film continues the adventures of Newt Scamander, who is in the services of the handsome young Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (played by Jude Law). This is all happening in the 1920s, remember. The trailer indicates the film will more deeply focus on the anti-fascist themes that have always been part of the Potter universe, and seem all the more relevant today. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is set to debut on November 16th, 2018, and I can’t wait!

Martin Shkreli, he of the 5,000% drug price increases. He of the one-off Wu-Tang Clan album. He of the “you can’t quell the Shkrel” self-boosting. That’s him leaving court back in June, 2017, and thanks to that case, he can now add another he of: he of the seven year prison sentence. That’s what happened today, as Mr. Shkreli was sentenced to seven years, including time served since September while awaiting sentencing, for securities fraud. According to Bloomberg, the judge also ordered him to turn over $7.4 million in cash or assets, and stipulated that everything is eligible, including a “Picasso, $5 million in a personal trading account, a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album and shares in a drug company he once ran.” Here’s hoping that Wu-Tang Clan album winds up in worthier hands out of this.