🪸 Great Barrier Reef is ‘on fire’, tracking objects by thought, building better humanoid robots

Plus: Researchers crack the code of origin of plant life on land                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 06, 2024 | [Read Online]( By 2025, the US Marine Corps aims to deploy three mobile air defense systems, including a modified Iron Dome launcher. The Marines are considering adding two vehicle-based defense weapons to their arsenal: MADIS and LMADIS. Both are scheduled for operational testing, and if successful, will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific region next year. Amidst the current drone threat, there’s an urgent demand for an expeditionary system capable of effectively countering it. The Marines assert that the LMADIS meets this need by providing a solution that can be rapidly deployed and attached to units in need of counter-UAS capabilities. For a deeper look at the details, read today’s [Must-Read.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Â]([Delivery System Application Support and Engineer]( > [Director of Engineering Strategy & Operations]( 🎙 New podcast [Â]([Democratizing Autonomous Drone Delivery at Scale]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🪸 Great Barrier Reef is ‘on fire’, so are coral reefs around the world Coral reefs across the world are faced with dire conditions. The rising global warming due to climate change is causing [mass coral bleaching events](. One of the major sufferers is Australia’s renowned Lady Elliot Island. Bleaching is a scientific process which occurs when marine heatwaves induce [extreme stress in corals](. This stress causes corals to expel the symbiotic algae that give them their vibrant colors. Subsequently, only the white skeletons of corals remain visible. Global sea surface temperatures have been alarmingly high this year. It has stayed above [69.8 degrees Fahrenheit]( (21 degrees Celsius) for over three consecutive months since January. 🧠 Non-invasive brain-computer interface to help control objects by thought Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University recently showed that an [AI-powered, non-invasive brain-computer interface]( (BCI) can allow a person to track a moving object on a screen just by simply thinking about it. The problem with conventional non-invasive BCIs is that they are not as accurate as invasive BCIs. According to the CMU researchers, AI-based [deep neural networks]( can solve this problem. They are more advanced than artificial neural networks used for facial recognition, speech recognition, and various other simple tasks. This can make it easier for people to interact with technology, allow scientists to study the human brain function in great detail, and improve the quality of life for [individuals with amputations and disabilities](. 🤖 Sanctuary AI to use Microsoft’s Azure for building better humanoid robots Sanctuary AI, a Vancouver-based AI and robotics company, will leverage [Microsoft’s Azure cloud resources]( for their AI workloads. The robotics company will use Azure infrastructure for training, inference, networking, and storage. The robotics company claims that it is on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots to help us work more safely, efficiently, and sustainably, helping to address the [labor challenges]( facing many organizations today. Sanctuary AI has several breakthroughs in the AI and robotics industries and notably has built [industry-leading robotic hands]( with a broad set of precision, tactile, and payload capabilities. Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. [Subscribe here]( HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > Scientists have discovered a genetic mechanism that can determine the sex of the squinting bush brown butterfly, also recognizing that when individuals carrying identical variants of a sex-defining gene mate, the resulting embryos cannot survive. ([More]() > A team of researchers has cracked the genomic code of the beginning of plant life on land, which happened about 550 million years ago. ([More]() > Scientists have created a large atlas of half a million cells in the embryonic brain in an effort to map the development of different types of cells in healthy brains.([More]() ENERGY > AI robotics startup EverestLabs is developing recycling technology that could help America's recycling centers recover $1 million per year of recyclable materials that have been ending up in the trash. ([More]() > Villanova University’s rain garden has showed a 20-year-long success at soaking up stormwater runoff. ([More]() > This year, around 17 million new fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles will be sold worldwide, according to new estimates from the International Energy Agency. ([More]() INNOVATION > A UK-based startup is studying insect brains, turning these findings into algorithms, calling it “natural intelligence,” which could completely change how autonomy works. ([More]() > Researchers have utilized Nvidia’s Eureka platform, a human-level reward design algorithm, to train a quadruped robot to balance and walk on top of a yoga ball. ([More]() > Researchers have identified a gene module with 256 genes that are significantly correlated with both depression and cardiovascular diseases. ([More]() VIDEO > The landscape of warehouse operations is on the brink of transformation with the emergence of innovative solutions like the TruckBot ([More]() > Two colossal solar flares explode from the sun, and Earth is in the firing line. ([More]() >  China has launched a spacecraft to collect samples from the far side of the moon. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, Can you find the appropriate number? The answer is: 6 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > The face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman has been revealed by [scientists]( > An international team has developed a system using nanotechnology that could allow people with diabetes to take oral insulin in the [future]( > A recent study sheds light on AI’s massive water and electricity [consumption]( > The father’s gut microbes matter for pregnancy health and baby’s [growth]( > Red squirrels were hosts for leprosy in medieval [England]( > Jet activity on Saturn’s moon Enceladus has been linked to tidally driven motion along tiger [stripes]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. [🛩️ Aerospace:]( The latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more. [🧑🏻‍🔧 Engineer Pros:]( The latest in engineering news, career updates, and insider knowledge. 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