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Daily Innovation News

May 13^th 2024

⚡️ Energy

🇺🇸 US researchers find that there’s enough lithium in Pennsylvania’s wastewater to meet 40% of US demand

Researchers have discovered significant amounts of lithium in Pennsylvania's wastewater from Marcellus shale gas wells, which could meet up to 40% of the U.S. lithium demand. A method developed by Justin Mackey and Daniel Bain achieves over 90% efficiency in extracting this lithium. This breakthrough presents a potential shift towards local lithium sources, reducing dependence on imports and transforming fracking wastewater from an environmental liability into a valuable resource. This finding, published in Scientific Reports, supports the U.S. goal to domestically produce all its lithium by 2030.

🚀 Space

🇺🇸 US researchers develop a first-of-its-kind theoretical warp drive model, the first step towards lightning-speed space travel

Researchers have developed a new warp drive model that adheres to general relativity and doesn't require faster-than-light travel. This model utilizes a stable outer layer of matter combined with a distribution of shift vectors, simplifying the traditional energy requirements associated with warp drives. The findings, published in Classical and Quantum Gravity, were developed by the Applied Physics team using their Warp Factory toolbox, which allows for the simulation and analysis of warp drive technologies within the bounds of current physical laws.

🇺🇸 Space X unveils new extravehicular activity suits to be used in the first commercial spacewalk

SpaceX has unveiled new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits for their Polaris Program, aimed at enhancing human spaceflight capabilities. These suits, developed for flexibility and safety, feature new materials, joint designs, redundant seals, pressure valves, a 3D-printed helmet with glare-reducing visor, a camera, and a Heads-Up Display. They're designed for future missions, including the Polaris Dawn mission scheduled for this summer, which will include the first commercial spacewalk and test Starlink's laser communication in space.

🪖 Military

🇨🇳 Chinese researchers develop an AI-driven air combat system that explains its decisions

Researchers in China have developed an AI-driven air combat system capable of explaining its decision-making processes during operations. This system enhances the transparency of military AI strategies, making it easier for human operators to understand and trust AI decisions. The AI uses explainable reinforcement learning to clarify its strategic choices through straightforward explanations, importance assessments, and intention probabilities. This advancement addresses the 'black box' issue common in AI applications, particularly in military settings, and significantly improves human-AI interaction and collaboration.

🇺🇸 US firm launches new missile and cargo-carrying drones that reach speeds of 500 mph

Mayman Aerospace has launched a new line of high-speed vertical take-off and landing drones called Razor, which can reach speeds of up to 500 mph. These drones are equipped with AI for navigation and control, and can be used for both peaceful and military purposes, capable of carrying anything from medical supplies to missiles like Hellfires. Razor drones boast a maximum operational ceiling of 20,000 feet and can handle payloads up to 1,000 lb. They feature advanced AI capabilities for autonomous operation and can operate in GPS-denied environments.

🇺🇸 US company develops an ultra-high density battery vest for military use, doubling runtime for soldiers

Amprius Technologies has developed a new wearable battery vest for military use, featuring their ultra-high density silicon-anode batteries, known as SiMaxx. These batteries claim the highest energy density in the industry, potentially doubling the runtime for soldiers without increasing weight or size. This advancement could significantly enhance the operational capacity of soldiers by allowing longer missions without the need for recharging. Amprius is also increasing production capabilities, with plans to expand to gigawatt-hour scale by 2025.

🌎 Environment

🇬🇧 Virgin Atlantic completes the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel

Virgin Atlantic completed the world's first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), flying a Boeing 787 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines from London to New York. This historic flight reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 95 tonnes and demonstrated that SAF could be used with existing aircraft and infrastructure without modifications. Additionally, the use of SAF showed a potential for improved local air quality and a reduction in non-CO2 particulate emissions by 40%. This achievement highlights the need for increased production and investment in SAF to realize its environmental benefits on a larger scale.

🇫🇷 French startup bioengineers plants to become 30x more efficient at air purification

Neoplants, a French biotech startup, has launched Neo Px, an advanced air-purifying system using bioengineered plants. This system boosts the air-cleaning efficiency of the Pothos plant by incorporating a proprietary blend of microorganisms that enhance the plant’s ability to eliminate harmful pollutants like VOCs. Paired with a self-watering planter, Neo Px simplifies maintenance and increases purification efficiency, making it more effective than traditional methods. This innovation represents a significant advancement in using bioengineered plants for indoor air purification.

🔋 Electronics

🇬🇧 🇳🇿 British and Australian scientists create super-pure silicon chips to stabilize quantum computers

Scientists have developed a method to produce super-pure silicon chips, significantly reducing impurities that interfere with quantum computing. By using an ion implanter to replace silicon-29 with silicon-28 in chips, they reduced silicon-29 content from 4.5% to just 0.0002%. This advancement could stabilize quantum computers by minimizing errors caused by impurities. The process utilizes standard semiconductor equipment, making it accessible for widespread use in improving quantum coherence. The research was published in Nature Communications Materials.

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