we sent a probe into the sun and I became a VR developer
It's been quite a year for me. I started writing this newsletter in earnest in late March, this will be my 36th episode since then and 42nd in total. Next week I'll take a week to be with family and see you all in 2022 :)
1 life update ☝
I just finished up a 12 week VR developer bootcamp and I'm stoked to end the year with a newly cemented identity:
Daniel Sisson, VR Developer & Writer
My reward for 12 weeks:
2 crazy things ✌
🌞 We touched the sun
Yes, we actually sent a probe into the sun and it survived.
How did it not melt?
Paraphrasing from Nasa:
The probe will fly through the sun's corona, which is very hot, but not dense. "Think of the difference between putting your hand in a hot oven versus putting it in a pot of boiling water — in the oven, your hand can withstand significantly hotter temperatures for longer than in the water... the corona is less dense, so the spacecraft interacts with fewer hot particles and doesn’t receive as much heat."
The corona is several million degrees, but the surface of the heat shield will only get to about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, which is slightly hotter than lava from a volcano. The probe has a heat shield 4.5 inches thick, and that will keep the spacecraft body at 85 F (30 C).
85 degrees F is a sunny day at the beach, a human could survive that easily.
Nasa
🏬 Living in a former Sears?
Sears is dead, but they had prime real estate, so let's live there.
3 Metaverse things ✌+👆
🥽 VR gift ideas
Say what you will about Facebook, but the Quest 2 is a nice headset for beginners. Get one for yourself or a loved one. If you already have one, treat yourself to an upgraded head strap, you'll thank me.
🌐 Bill Gates on Metaverse meetings
Bill Gates says most office meetings will be happening in the Metaverse within 2-3 years. That's a pretty aggressive timeline!
CNBC
₿ jack on Web3
Shots fired
Jack straight up calling out the current iteration of the Web3 movement.
Oh, the comments section:
Jack is absolutely on board with cryptocurrency, the blockchain, and decentralization as a concept.
He's calling out Eth in particular and the VCs jumping into a lot of current crypto projects.
Just click on that tweet and scroll the comments. It's a fascinating debate on both sides and the finest drama in crypto twitter at the moment.
What do you want to learn in 2022?
Let me know. Just hit reply, I read and respond to everyone!
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Have an awesome week and see you next year!
Daniel
We’re approaching a threshold where the technology begins to truly replicate the experience of being together in the office
Bill Gates