Hyundai unveils world’s first hydrogen-powered, silent stealth battle tank
– South Korean company Hyundai has unveiled plans for the world’s first hydrogen-powered battle tank, called the K3. – The next version of South Korea’s K-series battle tanks will utilize hydrogen fuel cells instead of diesel engines to power the tank. This will make it the first hydrogen military vehicle. – Prototypes are currently hybrid […]
Researchers use magnetic fields to freeze light in its tracks
Researchers from AMOLF and Delft University of Technology have demonstrated a new technique to stop light waves using magnetic fields at the nanoscale. They deformed a two-dimensional photonic crystal, which is an array of tiny holes in silicon that light can pass through. By precisely disrupting the regular pattern of the crystal, they were able […]
SpaceX’s Crew-8 Returns NASA Astronauts To Earth After 7 Months
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida on October 25th, returning 4 astronauts from the International Space Station after a 7 month mission. The astronauts included NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, as well as Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency. They had launched aboard the Crew Dragon […]
AI helps humans have a 20-minute conversation with a whale
Scientists from the University of California Davis and the SETI Institute had a 20-minute interaction with a humpback whale named Twain off the coast of Alaska. Using an underwater speaker, the researchers played recorded humpback contact calls. To their surprise, Twain approached and started responding by circling them and matching the timing of the calls. […]
Recycled wind turbines may one day become tiny homes and floating playgrounds
Dutch companies Vattenfall and Superuse showcased a tiny home built inside the hollowed-out nacelle (casing) of a decommissioned wind turbine. The 393 sq ft home includes a living space, bathroom and solar-powered amenities. Recycling wind turbine components is challenging as they often end up in landfills. This project shows one way to reuse major turbine […]
China builds the world’s most powerful magnet
– Scientists in China have built the world’s most powerful magnet capable of generating a magnetic field 800,000 times stronger than Earth’s. – The magnet produced a steady magnetic field of 42.02 tesla, breaking the previous record of 41.4 tesla set by US researchers in 2017. – It required 4 years of development and could […]
Researchers make breakthrough with first-of-its-kind hybrid solar tech: ‘Unlike other technologies’
– Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have developed a new hybrid solar technology that combines silicon-based photovoltaics with molecular solar thermal energy storage. This is the first device to pair these two technologies. – The molecular solar thermal energy storage layer acts as an optical filter, absorbing heat before it hits the solar […]
Norman coin hoard becomes England’s most valuable treasure find after being sold for record-breaking sum
– In 2019, a group of metal detectorists uncovered a hoard of 2,584 ancient coins from the 11th century in a field in Somerset, England. – This coin hoard, known as the Chew Valley Hoard, is now considered the most valuable treasure find ever in England. The coins were recently sold at auction for a […]
A Large Satellite Mysteriously Broke Up in Space, But Why?
– A large communications satellite called Intelsat 33e experienced a sudden power loss and then broke up into at least 20 pieces in orbit. This affected communications in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. – The cause of the breakup is unknown but the satellite had a history of propulsion and fuel issues […]
The Last of Us: Could Fungi Really Cause a Zombie Apocalypse?
– Zombie infections in animals are called zombification. They occur when one organism controls another’s behavior, like certain fungi do to insects. – Famous examples include the zombie ant fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which causes ants to climb plants and be taken over by the fungus. This inspired the video game and show The Last of […]