The European Space Agency’s Discovery programme has been assisting 23 organisations in developing technologies for off-Earth manufacturing. A recent online symposium, with an emphasis on building on-site using local materials, was used to determine which technologies are most feasible for infrastructure on the Moon and Mars. In a surprising reversal of conventional wisdom, the European Space Agency believes that “if we can develop methods for manufacturing long-term infrastructure in the harsh environment of space, we may be able to apply similar techniques to build more sustainable infrastructure on Earth.” Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
