The Know Daily - Thursday 25 May 2023

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Tina Turner}

A man who moved to the US from Mali and won $100,000 on a lottery scratch card will use his winnings to support schoolchildren back in his home country. Souleymane Sana, who works as a dance instructor in North Carolina, plans to put the money towards building classrooms and a dance centre for kids. What a hero!

🇺🇸 Ron DeSantis enters the race

Ron DeSantis formally kicked off his 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination yesterday in a conversation with Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces - but the long-awaited launch was hit by technical issues.

First things first - who is Ron DeSantis?
The 44-year-old Florida governor is a relative newcomer in US politics having first joined the House of Representatives in 2012 - but he is already viewed as Donald Trump’s main rival. DeSantis has overseen the enactment of high-profile laws in his state which make it easier to own a gun and limit abortion access.

In 2022, he approved the so-called “don’t say gay” ban which prevents discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity at schools, and in January he rejected a course in African American studies from being taught at the state’s high schools.

So how did his launch on Twitter go?
It was less than ideal for DeSantis. His announcement was “hit by technical malformations” after a “Twitter livestream malfunctioned”, the BBC reported, meaning that it got underway 20 minutes late. “I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback,” he then announced.

His team tried to spin the glitches by writing on Twitter that DeSantis “broke the internet with so much excitement”, but Trump was quick to mock his main rival. “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER!”, the former president wrote on Truth Social, his own social network.

How popular is DeSantis compared to Trump?
Trump remains the firm favourite among Republican voters in the primary. A newly released CNN poll shows that Trump is the first choice of 53% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters, compared to DeSantis’ 26% - but the survey also found that many voters are willing to consider either of the two, as well as other candidates.

Through a lengthy primary process beginning next year, Republican voters will decide which candidate will face Democrat Joe Biden in the November 2024 election.

😲 Food that’s made “out of thin air”

Earlier today, Singapore became the first country in the world to try Solein, a yellow, microbe-based protein produced “out of thin air”. Its manufacturers claim that it’s “the purest and most sustainable protein in the world” - but is it all that it’s hyped up to be?

What exactly is Solein?
Manufactured by Finnish-based start-up Solar Foods, Solein is a protein-rich powder which contains all nine essential amino acids, along with fibre, fat and other nutrients.

It’s created by taking a single microbe and growing it through fermentation, using air and electricity to “feed” it. Other nutrients which can’t be taken from the air, such as calcium and potassium, are also added. You can check out a more in-depth guide to the science here.

Okay… but what does it taste like?!
According to Solar Foods, the vegan powder can “taste and look like anything you use it for”, given its “umami flavor and mild aroma”. It could be used as the protein source in alternative meat or dairy products, for example, or to raise the protein content of bread.

Just how sustainable is it?
Writing in The Guardian last year, journalist George Monbiot argued that precision fermentation - the technique used to produce food such as Solein - “might be the most important environmental technology ever developed”.

The technology has the potential to shrink the carbon footprint of food production “to a remarkable degree” as it uses significantly less land and water than farming. It could also break “the extreme dependency of many nations on food shipped from distant places”, Monbiot added.

Is there anything else I should know?
Last year, Singapore became the first country in the world to approve Solein after it was found to meet all safety standards - and the first official Solein tasting event took place at a restaurant on the island today.

According to the Asia News Network, Solar Foods’ first commercial facility is currently being built in Vantaa, Finland, and will be up and running in 2024. From then, if all goes well, Singaporeans - and likely others around the world - will be able to tuck into bread, pasta and plant-based meats infused with this natural and nutritious protein.

🎙️ Tina Turner: The pioneering rock’n’roll star, best known for songs including Proud Mary, ​​What's Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer, died at her home in Switzerland on Wednesday aged 83.

👀 Partygate plays on: Rishi Sunak is under pressure to delay or cancel Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list - which is set to reward dozens of his allies - over fresh claims he broke lockdown rules at Chequers and Downing Street.

🪫 Energy price cap: Households will see a significant fall in their energy bills from July after the UK energy regulator cut the price cap - which sets a maximum price that energy suppliers can charge consumers - by £1,206.

🧠 The power of AI: A man who was paralysed in a cycling accident 10 years ago can walk again thanks to AI. Scientists positioned electronic implants which use “adaptive artificial intelligence” in his brain and spinal cord, creating a wireless connection between them.

✈️ Brace yourselves: Today is predicted to be the busiest day at British airports since before the onset of the pandemic, with data showing that more than 3,000 flights are due to depart ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

Trivia answer: B) A herd of water buffaloes who’d escaped from a nearby farm. CCTV captured the moment they fell through the pool cover and into the water.

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