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Innovation

FAA Certifies First Air Taxi

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Archer Aviation a crucial certification, moving the electric air taxi maker closer to flying travelers.

Archer is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, and won orders and backing from United Airlines in 2021.

Airlines have been investing in or ordering eVTOL aircraft, which take off and land vertically like helicopters. For instance, United Airlines envisions passengers using them for trips to and from airports in major cities, such as between Manhattan and United's hub in Newark, New Jersey.

“Today we have received the Part 135 certification, which allows us to effectively become an airline so we can carry passengers,” Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told CNBC.

The certification process took Archer about two years, during which they submitted over 2,000 pages of documents and 14 manuals outlining operational procedures, training, and maintenance.

Archer now needs to get its four-passenger aircraft, called “Midnight,” certified by the FAA. Goldstein mentioned that the company is currently working on this, with the possibility of air taxis entering service as early as next year. While he couldn't provide an exact timeframe, he noted that Archer's aircraft are much simpler with far fewer components than commercial jets, which might expedite the certification process.

Archer’s demonstrator aircraft, Maker, can fly up to 60 miles at top speeds of 150 mph. The company’s Midnight aircraft, the bigger of the two, has a range of 100 miles, although Archer plans to use it primarily for shorter distances.

Here are two videos showing off their two models:

Culture

Abandoned Glory Restored After 111 Years

The historic Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood first opened in 1913 as one of the nation’s most impressive transportation terminals.

At its peak, the Beaux-Arts building welcomed 4,000 visitors daily. However, by 1988, after decades of declining rail travel, the station was closed. For over 30 years, the once-ornate facade fell victim to weather, vandalism, and neglect. But on Thursday, following a six-year, $950 million renovation, the 18-story structure reopened to much fanfare.

This renovation is the centerpiece of a massive project by Ford Motor Company, which acquired the station in 2018 with plans to transform it and the surrounding area into a 30-acre technology and cultural hub.

“There’ll be nothing like this anywhere in America because not only will this be a beautiful building to work in, we’re going to invent the future of mobility down here too. We want to make the Motor City the Motor City for the next 100 years again,” Ford Executive Chair William Clay Ford Jr. told CBS News.

More than 3,000 tradespeople restored the building to its former grandeur, with Ford sourcing limestone from the same Indiana quarry that supplied the original stones over a century ago. Efforts were made to preserve as much of the station’s original architecture as possible while also paying tribute to its recent history by keeping some of the graffiti on its walls.

“Everything Ford could save, we did, and other elements were re-created through technology and tenacity,” Melissa Dittmer, head of place at Michigan Central, explained in a statement. “At the same time, it was important to us to respect the station’s extraordinary past, including its ongoing role in Detroit’s cultural landscape.”

The reopening was celebrated with a massive outdoor concert executive-produced by Eminem and featuring performances by Michigan natives Diana Ross, Jack White, Theo Parrish, and others, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This event kicked off a 10-day open house welcoming visitors to explore the station’s ground floor.

Health Sciences

Edible Carbon Beads Reduce Liver Cirrhosis

Researchers at University College London have developed innovative carbon beads that reduce harmful bacteria and inflammation in animal models, addressing issues linked to liver cirrhosis and other serious health problems.

Published in the journal Gut, the study found these carbon beads effectively restored gut health and improved liver, kidney, and brain function in rats and mice. The beads were also deemed safe for human use.

Professor Rajiv Jalan from the UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health explained that an imbalance in the microbiome allows harmful bacteria to outcompete beneficial bacteria, leading to gut inflammation and organ damage.

In liver cirrhosis, characterized by liver scarring affecting 100 million people globally, inflammation from endotoxins worsens liver damage. Standard treatments like antibiotics pose risks of resistance and are used only in advanced stages.

To address this, UCL scientists developed oral carbon beads, designed to adsorb harmful molecules in the gut. Known as CARBALIVE, these beads were tested on liver, kidney, and brain function in rats and mice. Daily ingestion for several weeks prevented liver scarring progression and reduced mortality in acute liver failure.

Licensed to UCL-spinout Yaqrit, the beads were tested on 28 cirrhosis patients, proving safe with minimal side effects. If human trials replicate animal model results, the beads could significantly combat liver disease.

“These carbon beads, smaller than a grain of salt, absorb endotoxins and harmful metabolites in the gut, preventing damage to other organs,” said Michal Kowalski, CARBALIVE product lead at Yaqrit. "Animal model results show reduced gut permeability and improved liver, brain, and kidney function."

Further human trials are planned to confirm efficacy. If successful, these beads could be a valuable treatment for liver disease and other conditions related to poor microbiome health, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

With funding from a European Union innovation program, a factory was built to manufacture the beads and continue research into their potential uses.

“I am hopeful that these beads will soon be approved to treat liver disease and other conditions,” added Jalan, a Hepatology professor at UCL.

Mind Stretchers 

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The answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretcher was:
Your will! — Props to Gerry Moore for getting this answer right!

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