🌋Why volcanic ash could be a key piece in G7 countries' green energy puzzle, China's solar-powered robot astronaut, and Google's latest and greatest AI chip

Plus: A construction robot's zero waste approach hints at a blissful future of building homes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 16, 2024 | [Read Online]( Get IE’s ‘My Intelligence is Artificial’ t-shirt. Elevate your streetwear game with our Gildan Heavyweight T-Shirt. Crafted from 100% cotton. The Interesting Engineering Shop is now live with a curated collection of merchandise designed specially for engineers. [Shop Now]( Researchers at the University of Barcelona have found an unusual but highly remarkable use for volcanic ash: a storage medium for renewable energy. Following the eruption of a volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands, the research team saw an opportunity to explore storing energy from concentrated solar plants in volcanic ash. They found the ash to perform even better than molten salts extensively used to store heat storage in solar plants. For more on this development, check out today’s [Must-Read.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[MIT Field Engineer]( > [Software Engineering Manager]( Reading Time: 5 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🌋 Study finds volcanic ash could store excess solar energy Concentrated solar plants, unlike solar farms, leverages a [large field of mirrors]( to converge the Sun’s energy to a single point, generating temperatures over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (1000 degrees Celsius). These temperatures heat water, generating electricity by rotating turbines. Researchers converted volcanic ash into pellets and mixed them with [molten salts]( to [prevent corrosion](. Their experiments revealed volcanic ash’s [excellent thermal conductivity]( and [heat capacity](. Moreover, the ash was [barely oxidized]( even after many cycles. This inexpensive waste material could play a crucial role as G7 countries seek to grow renewable energy storage by [six times]( by the end of the decade. 🤖 Solar-powered robot astronaut could soon be heading to China’s space station China’s Tiangong Space Station will soon become home to [Taikobot](, a humanoid robot. Developed by the National University of Defence Technology, the Taikobot will help with everyday tasks aboard the [space station](. Taikobot boasts a suite of [advanced sensors]( and cameras to navigate spaces. A pair of [human-like hands]( help perform delicate tasks, including [handling tools]( like hammers and electric screwdrivers. Having undergone extensive testing within a mockup of the Tiangong on Earth, the [5 feet-5 inches]( humanoid robot, weighing [55 pounds](, will undergo further final tests before being deployed for real on the space station. 🖥️ Google unveils its most potent AI chip with 67% energy efficiency Google’s parent company, Alphabet, announced the launch of its most advanced Tensor Processing Unit, [Trillium](. The new chip is one of few options in the market which are not from [Nvidia](. The new chip boasts a [4.7x increase]( in peak compute performance per chip compared to its predecessor. Additionally, the company also claims to have [doubled]([Â](the High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) capacity and the Interchip Interconnect (ICI) bandwidth. Trillium will power the next wave of [AI models and agents](, and help companies utilizing Google Cloud services, including Deep Genomics and [Deloitte](. 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]( OUR SHOP HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > A new study has found indications that certain dinosaurs evolved to generate their own body heat 180 million years ago. ([More]() > An analysis of 50,000-year-old samples of remains has led researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo to believe that viruses may have played a role in the extinction of the Neanderthals. ([More]() > MIT and Georgia Tech researchers repurpose beer yeast to filter out deadly lead contaminates in water. ([More]() ENERGY > Scientists at ETH Zurich generate 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1000 degrees Celsius) with solar power to cook cement and steel. ([More]() > Oakland, California becomes the first US school district to transition to a 100% electric school bus system with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. ([More]() > White House to scrap tariff exemption for imported double-sided panels to protect US solar manufacturers from Chinese competition. ([More]() INNOVATION > Researchers develop a neuromorphic vision-to-control mechanism that could power insect-sized intelligent flying robots. ([More]() > Scientists devise a new approach to make organic semiconductors more conductive using air as a dopant. ([More]() > A new revolutionary technique utilizes specially formulated ink containing light-sensitive molecules to 3D-print multiple drugs in a single tablet. ([More]() VIDEO > A new one-armed robot “Fetch!” will keep your pets amused while you work.([More]() > The future of house-building looks promising thanks to Hadrian X construction robot’s zero waste approach. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, Can you find the missing number? The answer is: The first circle(Top Left)=((8×5)+4)+5= 49, The second circle(Top right)=((7×3)+6)+5=49, The third circle(Bottom)= ((9×4)+5)+5= 46 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > Astronomers detect a pair of merging quasars at high redshift, through the Subaru [Telescope]( > A new study finds that climate change is likely to aggravate brain [conditions]( > A Phase III study says pre-and post-surgical immunotherapy improves outcomes for patients with operable lung [cancer]( > Android 15’s second beta boasts the ability to detect if your phone has been [snatched]( > Experts at Rutgers health find that infertility treatment patients are at twice the risk to be hospitalized with postpartum heart disease in the year after [delivery]( > Some iPhone users face horrors of long-deleted photos resurrecting after updating to the latest version of [iOS]( 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. [🧠AI Logs:]( Insights into the intricacies and developments within the realm of artificial intelligence. [🎬 IE Originals:](Weekly round-up of our best science, tech & engineering videos. [🟩 Sustainability:]( Uncover green innovations and the latest trends shaping a sustainable future for the tech industry. [⚡Electrical:]( From AI to smart grids, our newsletter energizes you on emerging tech. --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to share your feedback? 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