Fwd: ☕️ FacePlant

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

July 20, 2019 Read in Browser SPONSORED BY Good Saturday morning. We're saying goodbye to Giant Leap Week on the most fitting of days, the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Consider what you learned this week: quantum computing, nanomedicine, cellular agriculture, whole brain emulation, and nuclear fusion. A HUGE shoutout to the Brew's Alex Hickey, who is singularly responsible for uploading all that information to your brains.  As for the finale...you didn't think we could stay away from space, did you? Mars, here we come.   MARKETS S&P 2,976.79 -0.61% NASDAQ 8,146.49 -0.74% DJIA 27,157.73 -0.24% 10-YR 2.049% +2.6 bps GOLD 1,426.50 -0.11% OIL 56.08 +1.41% *As of market close U.S. markets: Instead of taking a Giant Leap forward, stocks posted their worst week since May. Meanwhile, more than 15% of S&P companies have reported earnings so far. Geopolitics: We're starring the Strait of Hormuz in Google Maps, because frankly that's where all the action is happening. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it seized a British-flagged oil tanker in this vital stretch of water for the energy industry.   PRIVACY A Privacy FacePlant Francis Scialabba This week, many of us were treated to previews of our 50th high school reunions, with endless friends (and celebrities) posting photos of themselves looking much, much older. The culprit? The photo-distorting app FaceApp, which became the most downloaded smartphone app in the U.S. Wednesday.  But FaceApp also sparked a privacy controversy  The realization that FaceApp was developed in Russia and had access to hundreds of millions of faces gave lots of people a queasy feeling—and flashbacks to the 2016 elections, when Russian nationals hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC sent an alert to its entire ecosystem alerting people to delete FaceApp, citing the app's Russian origins.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer followed up with a letter to the FBI and the FTC calling for an investigation.  It's not clear that the alarm was warranted FaceApp may be what Mark Zuckerberg calls the meal before the main course, but it's also a fairly straightforward photo-morphing application.  It's based in Russia, but it uses servers run by American companies to store photos. The company says it deletes them after 48 hours.  So far, no evidence has emerged to suggest any connection to the Russian government.  FaceApp's terms of service give it broad rights to the images it captures, but experts point out that many other tech companies, including Facebook and health apps, reserve similarly broad rights, too.  The story here is less that Russians might be stealing our faces ...and more that people are becoming highly skeptical of tech.  Bottom line: While Americans are increasingly worried about the privacy issues around Big Tech, experts say this fracas shows that we don't always choose the most sensible targets.            PRIVATE EQUITY For Private Equity, It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times This year, PE firms are expected to strike the most deals ever, per a report from Bain & Company.  Flush with cash and carried on the wings of low interest rates, private equity shops are forecasted to complete 212 take-private deals in 2019. Second place would go to 2007 with 192 such transactions.  What we mean by flush with cash: Roughly $4 trillion has been committed to PE in the last decade, and industry giant Blackstone raised $88 billion just for itself in the first half of the year.  But look who just showed up to the party The Buzz Killington of private equity, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She unveiled a proposal that would severely hamstring, if not kill entirely, the leveraged buyout industry. Comparing private equity firms to "vampires," Warren would make them responsible for the debts they use to buy companies (the "leveraged" part of the buyout).  Zoom out: The role of private equity in high-profile bankruptcies like Toys "R" Us has made it a popular target for Wall Street critics.             SPORTS So That's the Fastest Formula One Pit Stop Ever Congrats to the Red Bull F1 team for changing four tires in 1.91 seconds at the British Grand Prix last weekend. It's a new world record. YouTube   SPONSORED TOGETHER WITH CARIUMA Brew HQ Loves a Good Debate We'll argue the merits of everything from the length of tomorrow's subject line to next week's team lunch order. But there is one thing we all agree on—our CARIUMA sneakers are an everyday must-have.  They're a constant in our office (and everywhere else, too). Why? They're crazy comfortable and their styles come in leather, suede, and canvas, so there's an option for every outfit. One more thing? Their sneakers are consciously made with raw natural rubber and fairtrade cotton and their packaging is made from 100% recyclable materials, which is a major bonus for everyone in the office who cares about the future of the planet (that's all of us).  Want to upgrade your everyday style? Get free express shipping when you grab a pair of CARIUMA sneakers here.   MARS What's Another Night on Mars Next year, NASA, SpaceX, and a handful of other space agencies plan to send unmanned spacecraft to Mars. If you thought the running of the interns was dramatic, the return trips from Mars will be carrying critical information on the planet's climate, radiation, and other factors relevant to a manned mission slated for the 2030s.  Yep, even the U.S. government, which can barely commit to a budget every 12 months, has a deadline for the next great benchmark in space travel...and it's in our lifetime. So how are we gonna do it?  Sometimes to go forward, you have to first go back. NASA is eyeing a "Moon to Mars" approach that will use the moon as a proving ground for Mars.  In 2022, the space agency is planning to launch the Gateway, a spaceship that will orbit the moon and serve as, well, a gateway for Mars expeditions and forays into deeper space. It's the equivalent of the Iowa State Fair for presidential candidates.  NASA will test a variety of technologies required for a Mars mission, including systems for:  Extracting water resources  Environmental control and life support  Entry, descent, and landing  Efficient propulsion to get around in outer space Hold your space horses: The first manned trips to Mars will be expeditions, not settlements. There's a lot we need to prove before permanent Mars living can happen, like figuring out a sustainable food source.  And crews will need to be able to operate more autonomously. If something goes wrong on the International Space Station today, an astronaut can get home in a matter of hours; from the moon, in a few days. But even with the lights and sirens on, it could take 6–9 months to get back from Mars. Let's bring it back down to Earth The promise: We've been dreaming of sending humans to Mars for decades. Exploring the red planet isn't just scratching an itch of the human imagination; it could provide tech breakthroughs that can be applied on Earth.  The roadblocks: Getting to space, getting back from space, landing on planets, building technology that you can't perfectly test until it's up there, protecting against contamination...why are we going again?  The timeline: After unmanned missions launch next year, NASA has plans to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. The U.A.E. has plans to establish the first human settlement on the planet by 2117.  The players: National space agencies (NASA and its equivalents from China, Europe, Japan, and the U.A.E.), private space companies (SpaceX), plus an army of dispersed researchers and startups. Before you go, friends don't let friends colonize Mars without a proper packing list.             MARS Get Your Mars Souvenirs You don't have to be an astronaut to enjoy the spoils of space technology. Research from space missions has informed decades of progress in everything from baby blankets to aerospace to medicine. And we could learn a lot from exploring Mars about what's going on with Earth.  Mars-specific systems for life support, food production, or radiation shields could help us extract water from difficult environments on Earth and feed a growing population. Planetary atmospheres change over time, or even disappear altogether. Understanding how, why, and when Mars lost its atmosphere and water could help earthbound researchers unlock clues about their own atmosphere, said David Weintraub, Vanderbilt professor and author of Life on Mars: What to Know Before We Go. Don't forget about Venus. Remember how CFCs ate a hole in our ozone? Studying Venus's atmosphere could help us figure out the tipping point for a runaway greenhouse (the effect that keeps Venus at a balmy 864 °F).            MARS Take the Leap NASA First, check out our full write-up on the challenges and opportunities for Mars travel. If you're still clamoring for more after that... Listen to Are We There Yet?, a space exploration podcast from WMFE, the public radio station in Orlando, FL. Host Brendan Byrne speaks with engineers and scientists working on future space missions, including ones to Mars. Bonus: NASA launched a Mars-specific podcast last year called On a Mission. Stay plugged in to NASA's missions on its Mars Exploration Program site, which includes information about the planet; past, present, and upcoming missions; and everything from podcasts to videos to get you up-to-date.  The 2015 movie The Martian was widely applauded as one of the more scientifically accurate movies about space ever made. If you haven't read the book yet, author Andy Weir turned what could be a bone-dry explainer into thrilling fiction.  Speaking of movies...Mars has been a regular backdrop for science fiction. Check out Slant's list of 15 other famous movies that featured the red planet.  Our question for you: If you had the opportunity to settle Mars, would you sign up? Let us know here.            WHAT ELSE IS BREWING AB InBev (+5.53%) is selling its Australian unit to Japan's Asahi in a deal worth $11.3 billion.  American Express (-2.79%) said operating costs will grow this year as it competes for real estate in your wallet.  Tinder is bypassing the Google Play app store with its own default payment process. Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike had itself a day following its first earnings report as a public company. Shares rose 14.8%.   BREAKROOM Brew's Bets Super long 0% APR?  Sign 👏 us 👏up 👏. You'll get a $150 bonus and 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Avoid interest on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. Apply here.* When it comes to our daily shave, Harry's helps us cut it close. Their 5-blade razor, precision trimmer, flexible hinge, and ergonomic handle guarantees a smooth, high-quality shave. Get your trial set here.* Yesterday, we published a Headline That Makes You Go, "Wow." Here's one that makes you go, "hahahahahah."  Orlando Sentinel  *This is a sponsored post Saturday Moon Mission Facts Figured you've heard enough headlines from us over the past few days, so today we'll switch it up from the usual Saturday Headlines. On this special anniversary, we'll give you three facts about the first moon landing that are true, and one we made up. See if you can figure which is which.  President Richard Nixon prepared a speech in case Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin got stuck on the moon.  Armstrong and Aldrin played rock, paper, scissors to determine who would step foot on the moon first.  After returning to Earth, the astronauts were quarantined for 21 days.  They also had to fill out a customs form after they landed and before they entered Hawaii.  SHARE THE BREW Take 2 minutes to share the Brew → get free stuff. From exclusive content to Brew swag, we've got something for everyone in our premier rewards program. You're at 0 referrals. Click to Share Or copy & paste your referral link to others: morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=5e25388f   BREAKROOM ANSWERS Saturday Moon Mission Facts They didn't play rock, paper, scissors...but they should have.  ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Morning Brew <crew@morningbrew.com> Date: Sat, Jul 20, 2019 at 6:12 AM Subject: ☕️ FacePlant To: <joaoa.dsilva2019@gmail.com> Subscribe | Feedback | Advertise | Careers | Shop 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004. If you aren't absolutely thrilled with the Brew, reply and let us know why. Or you can unsubscribe from all daily updates by clicking here . Copyright © 2019 Morning Brew. All rights reserved.