SpaceX lost a ship, but it’s still progress

// Up to 40% off the upgrade your home seriously needs »

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The Futurist is your daily tech, cosmic, and science (both weird or otherwise) newsletter with articles and content curated just for you.

SpaceX's Starship just had amazing firsts for spaceflight

“SpaceX's colossal Starship reached orbital speed for the first time as well as demonstrated a first step toward being able to refuel in space, before the company ultimately lost the ship on Thursday. Starship, a nearly 400-foot-tall, super-heavy-lift rocket and spacecraft, took off at about 8:25 a.m. CT from SpaceX's private launchpad in South Texas. For its third flight, the rocket survived longer and flew much farther than it did in November, showing significant hardware improvements over the past four months. … The demonstration was a preliminary test for in-space fuel transfers. SpaceX representatives said they'll have to review flight data to determine how successful they were in moving fuel during that operation.”

// Mashable »

Chevron, neon, and inspirational quotes: Get your home décor out of the 2010s

You know that saying — out with the old and in with the new — but when was the last time you actually listened to it? Seriously, take a look around your home and think about the last time you gave your living room or kitchen a little TLC. And no, we’re not saying you have to do a total 180° renovation, but a few simple tweaks could be just what your home needs to feel a bit fresher. And with up to 40% off select furniture, kitchenware, and home décor at The Home Depot, sprucing up the place with some new home goods is an affordable reality. Shop now through 3/20 and finally bring your space back into the 2020s. [Ad]

// Explore home goods »

Surgeons use Apple VR headset during spinal operation

“A surgery team in the UK successfully utilized the recently-released Apple Vision Pro to assist spinal surgery — a fascinating use case for the augmented reality (AR) headsets that goes far beyond movie-watching, productivity-hacking, or distracted driving. … To be clear, it wasn't the surgeons themselves who were wearing bunky AR headsets. The device was instead donned by an assisting surgical scrub nurse, who, according to a press release, used headset-integrated software called eXeX to access things like ‘surgical setup and the procedural guides from within the sterile field of the operating theatre,’ in addition to any needed data or surgical visualizations. So, in short: coupled with the eXeX software, the headset offered the folks in the operating room hands-free access to documents and other information related to the procedure and its workflow.”

// Neoscope »

Artificial building block of life, called TNA, created in the lab

“In a remarkable study by the University of Chicago’s Department of Chemistry, scientists have pushed the boundaries of genetic engineering by demonstrating the ability to extensively modify nucleotide structures in the lab. The research introduces an innovative variant of nucleic acid, termed threofuranosyl nucleic acid (TNA), which incorporates a novel base pair, marking a significant leap towards the development of entirely artificial nucleic acids endowed with superior chemical functionalities.”

// Earth.com »

The upgrade your PC has needed for a long time

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// Buy the bundle »

Instacart reveals each state’s unique grocery habits

“Instacart recently hit a sales milestone: Since its founding in 2012, the app-based grocery shopping service has delivered over one billion orders. To celebrate, Instacart dove into its sales data for a little bit of insight into which types of goods shoppers in each U.S. state (and Canadian province) are ordering in uniquely high volumes. It’s a fascinating look into our regional grocery preferences — some states like to stock up on booze, others seek comfort food, and one state is intensely focused on... yogurt?”

// The Takeout »