Hot stuff: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we speed (or should we say steam?) toward a much-welcomed (and much cooler) extended weekend.
On that note, a quick reminder that Innovate LI will be chilling out over the Independence Day holiday, so no newsletters on Friday (July 2) or Monday (July 5).
Back on schedule next week. Until then, enjoy your long weekend, clean the drip pan before grilling and otherwise stay healthy and safe – and remember, wherever you fall on the political spectrum, we all share this beautiful country, which is kind of the point. So be nice.
Speechless: So many platforms, so much half-baked horse-hockey.
Watch what you say: Speaking of saying something nice, or saying nothing at all, June 30 marks Social Media Day, a dangerous proposition in an era of nontruths, half-truths and fully bonkers conspiracy theories – and however you slice it, a very different observance than the celebration founded on Mashable in 2010.
Silver streak: Look, up in the sky! It’s also National Meteor Watch Day, when earthbound observers are encouraged to watch for so-called “shooting stars.” (For the record, we’re currently between regularly scheduled meteor showers, with the annual Alpha Capricornids not scheduled to begin until July 3).
Diamond jubilee: The 995.2-carat Excelsior Diamond – the world’s largest diamond, at the time, now merely the eighth-largest ever discovered – was unearthed on June 30, 1893, at South Africa’s famous Jagersfontein Mine.
Full cyclotron: The first 60 inch-diameter cyclotron, which accelerated and crashed charged atomic (and subatomic) particles in a vacuum chamber, was fired up by inventor Ernest Lawrence at the University of California 82 years ago today.
The groundbreaking atom-smasher was shut down exactly 23 years later – on June 30, 1962 – after contributing to the atomic bomb, producing all-new elements and creating artificial radioisotopes essential to new medical technologies.
Not much to look at: But the transistor is essential to modern electronics.
Trans-action: Scientists from Bell Labs held a press conference on June 30, 1948, to introduce the transistor, a basic building block of modern electronics.
NOW you get it: Today marks the 55th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, founded on this date in 1966.
One tiny leap: And it was June 30, 1972, when the first “leap second day” occurred, with timekeepers adding one second to Coordinated Universal Time – or UTC, the global time standard – to keep humanity’s super-accurate atomic clocks in step with Earth’s shifty rotation.
For those keeping score, an average Earth day is actually 0.002 seconds longer than 24 hours – and 27 seconds (roughly one second every 1.5 years) have now been added to UTC to keep things straight.
Give or take a billion years: American paleobotanist Elso Sterrenberg Barghoorn Jr. (1915-1984) – a Harvard University professor recognized as the “father of Pre-Cambrian paleontology” and remembered best for resetting the clock on when life evolved on Earth – would be 106 years old today.
Young guns: Mike Tyson — then just 20 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days old — destroyed Trevor Berbick in November 1986 to become the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.
Also born on June 30 were French physicist Félix Savart (1791-1841), an acoustics expert who really shook things up; English innovator Thomas Edmondson (1792-1851), who invented a ticket-printing machine that fast-tracked railroads; Baron Ferdinand von Mueller (1825-1896), a German-Australian botanist, physician and explorer who was arguably Australia’s greatest scientist; semi-retired American boxer Mike Tyson (born 1966), the youngest ever to wear the heavyweight crown; and American swimmer Michael Fred Phelps II (born 1985), winner of a record 23 Olympic gold medals and 28 total Olympic medals, more than any other Olympian.
Aqua man: And take a bow, Robert Ballard! The director of the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Ocean Exploration – credited with locating the RMS Titanic’s final resting place and discovering deep-sea thermal vents, among other undersea adventures – turns 79 today.
Wish the retired American Navy officer/legendary oceanographer well at editor@innovateli.com, where your news tips and calendar events always float our boat.
About our sponsor: Northwell Health is New York’s largest healthcare provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, 750 outpatient facilities and 70,000-plus employees. We’re making research breakthroughs at the Feinstein Institute and training the next generation of medical professionals at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra/Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. Visit Northwell.edu.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Giving them an Edgewise: A Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency incentives package will energize a state-of-the-art sustainability project in Melville.
The IDA has issued preliminary approval of a sales tax-abatement deal for 575 Broadhollow Energy LLC, a subsidiary of California-based sustainable-infrastructure financer Generate Capital, which is partnering with Plainview-based Edgewise Energy on a 7.6-megawatt “community-distributed generation project.” When completed, the 15,298-square-foot, $56 million facility – which aims to convert natural gas, hydrogen and biogas into electricity through a greenhouse gas-reducing electrochemical process – will service up to 10,000 Long Island residents, according to the Suffolk IDA.
The sales tax-abatement deal would save the partners roughly $3 million over the preliminary package’s lifetime (it must first undergo final IDA approvals) – but the facility will still generate nearly $7.7 million in property tax revenues over the next 25 years. “Drastic increase in tax revenue, utilization of local labor and local vendors [and] the generation of cheaper electric for thousands of residents [all result] from this investment,” noted Suffolk IDA Deputy Director Kelly Murphy. “We believe this is the start of a very productive relationship.”
Karen Boorshtein: Empowering personal wellness.
A league of their own: A new Family Service League facility designed to integrate mental healthcare throughout Suffolk County is open for business.
The $5.6 million Fay J. Lindner Health and Wellness Center, which officially opened its doors last month, offers a host of services related to addiction treatment, pharmacy interactions, primary-care needs and other mental-wellness areas. The 14,000-square-foot center, supported by a $500,000 Empire State Development Corp. capital grant, was constructed alongside the Family Service League’s Bay Shore Family Center, and according to the FSL will create 22 new jobs while helping to retain 40 full-time positions.
Among those professionals are psychiatrists, social workers and medical personnel representing South Shore University Hospital, on board as part of Northwell Health’s Community Health Care Collaborative. “The Fay J. Lindner Health and Wellness Center is an innovative model of care offering a high level of integrated health services for those most vulnerable,” said Family Service League President and CEO Karen Boorshtein. “This unique center is another facet of [Family Service League’s] broad base of over 60 programs, all of which support and empower people and their families on their path to better, healthier lives.”
POD PEOPLE
Can’t keep a secret: And Adelphi University President Christine Riordan doesn’t want to.
The secret is out: Long-overlooked Adelphi University is a true gem of Long Island higher education. One reason is President Christine Riordan, the university’s leader since 2015, the first woman to fill the president’s office and the latest A-lister to grace our exciting podcast series. Episode 11 takes you to school!
TOP OF THE SITE
Train of thought: After months of mapping and world-class modeling, the Great Pine Railway will spend the summer speeding through Old Westbury Gardens.
Sun of a pitch: Albany’s new Office of Renewable Energy Siting has approved plans for a 36-megawatt solar array in Riverhead.
Independence day: Celebrate freedom from forwarding this informative, engaging newsletter to your entire innovation team – subscriptions are always easy, always free.
VOICES
Especially during peak season, the tomato is a blessing unto foodies, whether you slice it, dice it or simply can it. Food-and-beverage boss Kate Fullam, executive director of the East End Food Institute, has a few savory suggestions.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Team effort: How to foster an innovation-friendly workplace. Forbes cultivates the culture.
It’s a process: Even inexperienced entrepreneurs can identify innovative business ideas. CNBC recognizes the pattern.
Baby, it’s hot outside: But there are proven ways to beat the heat. Mental Floss keeps its cool.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ The Single Origin Food Co., a Delaware-based agri-tech producing plant-based foods, raised $1.1 million in seed funding. The round was led by A’Z Angels.
+ Lyndra Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based clinical-stage biotech pioneering a novel platform that transforms daily pills into weekly and monthly oral treatments, closed a $60.5 million Series C financing round led by AIG Investments, with participation from Yipinhong Pharmaceutical (USA), Limitless Ventures and the Catalytic Impact Foundation, among others.
+ Recycle Track Systems, a New York City-based tech firm specializing in waste and recycling management, raised $35 million in Series C funding led by Citi Impact Fund, with participation from Edison Partners, Cue Ball, Greenspring Associates, Gaingels and the Partnership for New York City.
+ Naborforce, a Virginia-based tech firm connecting aging adults to trusted care providers for on-demand support, closed a $2 million seed funding round led by Claritas Capital.
+ Orbion Space Technology, the Michigan-based developer of electric-propulsion systems for smaller satellites, raised $20 million in Series B funding led by Inventus Capital Partners, with participation from Material Impact, Beringea and Wakestream Ventures.
+ Lower, an Ohio-based home-financing platform for younger generations, raised $100 million in Series A funding led by Accel.
BELOW THE FOLD (Light The Grill Edition)
Meat up: Unlocking the secret sauce.
The steaks are high: Science maps out the perfect grilled steak.
A very vegan holiday: The path to perfectly grilled fruits and veggies.
To top it off: The world’s best barbecue sauces, according to registered dieticians.
Flame on: Please continue supporting the amazing organizations that support Innovate Long Island, including Northwell Health, where innovation is always sizzling. Check them out.
