Un-earthly, Car-less and Better Organs 🛻

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to set up a factory in space? Or what if you could actually import your medicines from outside earth? Well, wonder no more. 

Some SpaceX veterans are in the process of getting your next prescription manufactured in outer space. 

Varda Space Industries, founded in 2019 by  Will Bruey, Delian Asparouhov, and Tim Ellis, is making manufacturing more sustainable and efficient by setting up factories in space.

Reasons? For one, we're running out of land on Earth. Humans are at 8 billion and if we want to keep feeding the global population, we can't be converting agricultural or forest land into factory space anymore. 🏝️

Second, Earth's gravity and atmospheric turbulence can make manufacturing a bit difficult sometimes. 

Pharmaceuticals, artificial organs and some high-precision optics devices require an extremely stable environment for the chemicals and pure crystal structures to be effective. (Surely, we all want our meds to be effective). Plus, certain manufacturing processes like 3D printing could work better in space without being subject to the same gravitational forces that can cause distortion and defects.

But what about waste and space pollution?
Space garbage is already a big issue. So the startup plans to design their manufacturing processes to minimize waste and recycle as much of it as they can. Any waste that is produced will be disposed of in a responsible manner to avoid contributing to space debris. ♻️

What about jobs?
While Varda's manufacturing process will be automated, they will still need a team of engineers and technicians on the ground to monitor the equipment and troubleshoot any issues that arise. And who knows, they may even send some factory workers to space to perform more complex tasks or repairs in the future!

Excitingly, Varda just announced that they have raised $42 million in funding to support their efforts.

Another part of the same research focusses on small vs. big businesses. 

Small businesses have a special place in the hearts of consumers. They appreciate the unique products and services they offer, and this can give them an edge over bigger companies. In fact, out of the people we surveyed, 39% said they had recently picked a product simply because it was made by a small business. 🛍️

But the love for small businesses goes even further. A whopping 45% of respondents said they were more inclined to buy a product if they knew it was made by a small business.

Few technologies defined the 20th century more than the car. They used to be the coolest thing on the planet. In fact, they've been such a big deal in the past century that our identity and social status is tied to our car use.

However, it looks like people are starting to lose interest in the four-wheeler. Many young people are giving up on the idea of getting a driver's license altogether. 🛻🛻

This trend is making people all over the world rethink their stance on cars. Many cities and politicians are passing laws to limit car usage. They're tearing out parking spots and making streets more pedestrian-friendly. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is even proud of "reconquering" her city for its residents.The idea of ditching cars that seemed strange a few years ago is now starting to become more mainstream.

Some Stats: 

• In 1997, 43% of the country’s 16-year-olds had driving licences. But in 2020, the number had fallen to 25%.
• One in five Americans aged 20 to 24 does not have a licence. 
• In Britain the proportion of teenagers able to drive has almost halved, from 41% to 21%, in the past 20 years. 
• In Paris the number of trips made per resident has fallen below the levels of the 1970s.

So why are people losing interest in cars?

• It's expensive to own and maintain one.
• Younger people are spending more time online and ordering things from home, so they don't need to drive around much. 🛋️
• There are also more cultural reasons. Many environment-conscious young people want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Who knows, maybe in the future we'll be cruising around in flying cars!