Made for each other

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today: Mortgage demand drops 3.8%; Scientists discover a whole new way to brew espresso; and Steve Miller gets back on stage…🤘🏻

Let’s get into it!

A study published in the Journal of Food Engineering by researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney detailed a wild breakthrough in which espresso was brewed at room temperature using nothing but sound waves.

In a process called acoustic cavitation, a small metal device called a transducer was attached to the side of an espresso packet and made to vibrate rapidly.

The sound waves caused by the vibrations formed microscopic bubbles that popped and cracked the interior of the grounds, releasing oils, flavor compounds, and caffeine at a rate that took about 3 minutes to produce a full espresso.

The experiment was conducted at room temperature, using about four times less energy than a typical espresso maker.

"Of course, making a concentrated coffee in the laboratory is one thing. The real test is whether people want to drink it," said lead researcher Francisco Trujillo, a senior lecturer in chemical engineering at UNSW Sydney, in a statement. "So we ran a blind evaluation with around 100 regular coffee drinkers. They were not trained judges; they were everyday consumers who drink coffee at least once a week." 

The vast majority of participants couldn’t distinguish between the traditionally-brewed espresso and the cup produced through acoustic cavitation.

A long-awaited report was published by Canada’s Transportation Safety Bureau (TSB) detailing the findings of an investigation into how OceanGate’s Titan submersible was ever cleared to undertake nearly two dozen deep sea dives, the last of which resulted in its implosion and the deaths of everyone on board.

The TSB shockingly found Transport Canada had never actually required the submersible to clear regulatory hurdles and become officially permitted to carry out the activities it was built for.

It found a representative from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) did flag the vessel to Transport Canada after inspecting it prior to its first dive in Canadian waters in 2021. The inspection revealed the submersible was constructed out of experimental carbon fibre, had no official license of any kind, and was operating without insurance.

Discussions were had on several occasions by Transport Canada officials about Titan, but the TSB found no decisionmakers were ever directly brought into the loop for the purpose of conducting official oversight.

“When it came to the Titan, critical information existed across multiple federal government organizations, but no one was responsible for connecting the dots,” wrote TSB Chair Yoan Marier in a news release.

A study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University suggests there may be a correlation between GLP-1 use (such as Ozempic or Wegovy) and a reduction in a person’s proclivity for violence.

The researchers compiled data from several nationally representative surveys, and compared certain characteristics of those who’d been on GLP-1 drugs at one point, and those who were currently taking them.

They found the respondents currently taking a GLP-1 medication were much less prone to impulsive behaviour and violence.

The researchers by no means drew a causal line between the two, but concluded the link is significant enough to warrant further investigation.

“We view this study as a first step, not a final answer,” lead author Daniel Semenza, director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at the Rutgers School of Public Health, told Gizmodo.

Semaglutide (the active ingredient in GLP-1 drugs) is known to boost impulse control, beyond simply stifling the patient’s appetite. Studies have found the medication can also reduce the frequency and intensity of cravings for other things, including alcohol and hard drugs.

The jet airliner probably won’t be taking off again for any sort of extended run, but 82-year-old rock icon Steve Miller is continuing his nearly ten-year residency at the Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.

The 1,300 seat theatre in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center will host Miller on Oct. 9 and 10, with a pre-show intimate chat with the fans scheduled for 6:30 before the rockin’ gets under way.

Miller hasn’t played a show outside the Rose Theatre since he took on the Utah State Fair on Sept. 12, 2023 in Salt Lake City.

He was scheduled to hit the road for a 28-date North American tour last year, but cancelled every date at the last minute.

"The combination of extreme heat, unpredictable flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes and massive forest fires make these risks for our audience, the band, and the crew unacceptable," Miller said in an official statement.

Upset fans at the time took to social media to accuse Miller of cancelling due to low ticket sales, while pretending it was about heat and disaster risk. His bass player, however, didn’t have any time for such accusations.

"It's too frickin hot for an 81 year-old to go out on that stage as temperatures keep breaking records," Kenny Lee Lewis said.

Bang your head

Throw up the horns and get ready to shred, ’cuz we’re looking back to some hard rock and early metal with today’s trivia! 🤘 🎸