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Drilling 12 miles down to power the planet
Drilling 12 miles down to power the planet
Plus: Woman vomiting for two years diagnosed with cannabis-related syndrome.
Feb 01, 2023
Drilling for power is nothing new. But I’d wager you’ve never seen it done like this before.
Matthew Houde, co-founder and Project Manager of Quaise Energy, Inc., says the total energy contained in the heat held beneath the Earth's surface exceeds our planet's annual energy needs by a factor of a billion.
So, he’s pioneering a technique called Millimeter-Wave (MMW) Drilling, which uses high-frequency microwaves with a wavelength of 1–10 mm to drill deeply into the soil. And when I say deeply, I mean 12 miles (20 kilometers.)
But before you take a deep-dive into that, delve a little deeper into this video. It shows a mysterious spiral caught by a telescope, in the night sky over Hawaii.
Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE.
This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in.
Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard from metaverse expert James Coop on why — despite what Bill Gates says –– the metaverse really does have the power to change the world. Don't miss out — subscribe to IE+ today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
It’s enough to make your head spin.
MUST READ
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, only 0.1 percent of the Earth's heat would be enough to meet all humanity's energy needs for two million years.
So Matthew Houde, co-founder and Project Manager of Quaise Energy, Inc., wants to make that happen. Houde says the total energy contained in the heat held beneath the Earth's surface exceeds our planet's annual energy needs by a factor of a billion. But how can we access it?
Houde and his team at Quaise Energy, an MIT spinoff, are pioneering a technique called Millimeter-Wave (MMW) Drilling, which uses high-frequency microwaves with a wavelength of 1–10 mm to drill deeply into the soil.
They intend to be able to drill as deep as six to 12 miles (ten to 20 kilometers), and possibly even farther, by merging traditional mechanical drilling techniques with MMW Drilling technology.
→ The ultimate goal is to be able to drill a large number of boreholes each year that are as deep as the Kola borehole, which at 40,230 feet (12,262 meters) is the deepest borehole ever dug into the earth, and eventually deeper.
READ MORE
HEALTH
A 23-year-old woman who vomited continuously for two years has just been told why – cannabis. For nearly two years, she showed up at the emergency department with the same set of systems: nausea, abdominal pain, and throwing up uncontrollably.
She smoked cannabis at least five times a week, including two days before her most recent hospital visits.
Doctors diagnosed the woman with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a “condition characterized by bouts of severe nausea and vomiting in people who frequently use high doses of cannabis for long periods of time.”
READ MORE
INNOVATION
WindFloat Atlantic is the world's first semi-submersible floating offshore wind farm. It’s been in operation for two full years now, and closed 2022 with an electricity production of 78GWh.
This marks a five percent increase in output compared to 2021 for the 25 MW farm.
The structure was commissioned in 2020 and developed by the Windplus consortium formed by OW, a joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, Repsol, and Principle Power.
READ MORE
SCIENCE
The first-ever report of a Pallas's cat has been made. Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal reported the sighting.
The 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Trip’s joint project is said to have played an important role in the finding.
Made up of a team of scientists, the project collected environmental samples from two locations 3.7 miles (6 km) apart at 16,765 and 17,027 ft (5,110 and 5,190 m) elevation above sea level along Sagarmatha National Park.
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MAIL & MUSINGS
Inner energy: Drilling 12 miles into the Earth to power the planet.
Do you think drilling the biggest ever borehole to power the Earth is a good idea?
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Yesterday, we asked you how soon you think we’ll see Boeing’s stealth cargo plane concept in combat, and 70 percent of you said in the next five to 10 years.
70%
In the next five to 10 years
12%
Further than 10 years away
11%
Probably this year
7%
I am unsure either way
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
Nikola Tesla.
THINGS WE LOVE
AND ANOTHER THING
Europe's biggest battery energy storage system is 'essential to making net zero a reality'.
The deadly VEXAS syndrome is more common than doctors thought. (Science News)
Propulsion technology: The rise of the commercialization of space.
Galaxy clusters are smashing together to form 'flaming cosmic narwhal.' (New Scientist)
An experiment makes lagoon waves pink, here's how.
Miniature T-1000-style robot can shapeshift between liquid and solid states. (BBC)
The COVID-19 pandemic has reached a transition point, says WHO.
Prepared by Alice Cooke
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