Dune-Inspired Spacesuit Transforms Astronauts’ Urine into Potable Water

A new space suit designed by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune, could enhance spacewalks by extending their duration and alleviating discomfort through the recycling of expelled urine in a specialized filtration backpack.

The traditional NASA spacesuit, in use since the 1970s, only incorporates an absorbent polymer to manage astronauts’ urine. This outdated system has not only posed hygiene and medical challenges, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and gastrointestinal issues, for astronauts but also hampers missions. These improvements are not just science fiction fancy.

The new ‘stillsuits’ feature a “vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit” that astronauts carry on their backs. These suits are designed for upcoming NASA missions, including Artemis II and Artemis III, both of which are moon-bound. However, NASA has yet to adopt this new spacesuit technology.

Oh, and prepare yourself: Amazon’s Prime Day kicks off tomorrow.

— Mat Smith

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Whistleblowers have written to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging that OpenAI employees were coerced into signing “illegally restrictive” agreements that prevent them from disclosing the potential dangers of the company’s technology. They urge the SEC to take immediate and decisive action against OpenAI for these alleged violations. The accusations include making employees sign agreements that did not exempt disclosures of securities violations to the SEC and required company approval before sharing confidential information with authorities. Moreover, these agreements allegedly forced employees to “waive compensation intended by Congress to incentivize reporting and provide financial relief to whistleblowers.”

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The retro PC game emulator UTM SE is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro, marking the first time Apple has permitted a PC emulator for iOS on its marketplace. To use it, you’ll need to download a pre-built virtual machine from UTM’s website or create your own from scratch.

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