Live, Love, Live

Kepler-62e: Super-Earth & Possible Water World

9 MAY 2016         SPACE.COM         ELIZABETH HOWELL

Kepler-62e is an exoplanet believed to be a water world, orbiting at about the equivalent distance of Mercury in its planetary system some 1,200 light-years from Earth.  The planet is an exciting find to exoplanet researchers because it is close in size to Earth, and also orbits in the habitable region of its star (which is smaller and dimmer than that of Earth's).

The planet is about 16 times the size of Earth and orbits its parent red dwarf star about once every 122 days. It is actually one of two possibly habitable planets in its system. Also present, but farther out from the star, is Kepler-62f, which is about 1.4 times the size of Earth. 

... "Kepler-62e probably has a very cloudy sky and is warm and humid all the way to the polar regions," modeling co-author Dimitar Sasselov of Harvard University stated. "Kepler-62f would be cooler, but still potentially life-friendly." 

... The planets are quite distant from Earth, but as researchers edge closer to finding an Earth 2.0, some scientists speculated that these finds could spur travel that could move faster than the methods that we have available today. Read More

Rafael de Cardenas creates Neon Jungle as Maison&Objet Americas Designer of the Year 2016

11 MAY 2016         DEZEEN         DAN HOWARTH

Mirrored blocks, neon lights and tropical plants are combined to form this "prismatic oasis" by Rafael de Cardenas, who has been named Designer of the Year at the Maison&Objet Americas 2016 fair.

... Its opening yesterday coincided with the first day of this year's Maison&Objet Americas -- a relatively new offshoot of the established biannual Paris trade fair. 

The space is designed to look like a nightclub, complete with a bar and DJ booth, but also sells ice lollies or popcicles. 

"I think Miami is a fitting place for a series of platforms, plants, neon and rum," de Cardenas told Dezeen. 

... In the room, modular black and white blocks form a central two-tiered platform for visitors to lounge on.  Palm trees sprout from  the middle of the deck, illuminated by ever-changing coloured lights.  Read More