🏹 UK’s new UAV killer uses 13-cent shots to destroy drones, Caltech develops tech to translate thoughts into words, and farmer finds 88-pound piece of SpaceX debris

Plus: Startup eyes reusable reentry capsules to deliver cargo anywhere on Earth within an hour                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 18, 2024 | [Read Online]( Get IE’s ‘May the F=MA be with you!’ 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]( The United Kingdom Government has announced the development of a new drone killer that can knock out multiple targets at once for around 13 cents (10 pence) a shot. The new directed energy weapon will be developed and built entirely in the UK and will use radio waves to render drones’ electronics useless. This weapons system could have near unlimited ammunition. According to the UK government, the weapons system would be capable of detecting, tracking, and engaging with targets across land, sea, and air. For more on this development, check out today’s [Must-Read](. 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Engineer III - Collaboration & Messaging]( > [Avionics Systems or Software Engineers]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🏹 UK’s new UAV killer uses 13-cent radio energy shots to destroy drones At just 10p per shot fired, the new weapons system, dubbed Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon ([RFDEW](), provides an alternative to traditional missile-based air defense systems with a significant cost saving. “The [war in Ukraine]( has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them, too,” said James Cartlidge, UK’s Minister for Defence Procurement. RFDEW can be installed on various military vehicles and will leverage a mobile power source to generate [sequenced pulses]( of Radio Frequency energy in a beam. 💡 Caltech’s tech translates thoughts into words for those who can’t speak Researchers at Caltech have developed [brain implants]( that can [decipher internal speech](. This technology could transform the lives of individuals with severe paralysis or those who have lost the ability to speak. This brain-machine interface (BMI) [records signals]( from individual neurons in the brain in real-time, focusing on a specific brain region known as the [supramarginal gyrus](. The team implanted their device into this region of the brains of two participants with spinal cord injuries. While the device recorded a [79% accuracy]( rate in one participant, the second could only achieve [23%](. The team says that their technology is still in its [nascent stages](. 🚀 88-pound piece of SpaceX spacecraft debris crashes on a farm in Canada A farmer and his son made a surprising discovery on their canola field: a charred piece of [heavy metal](. Astronomy professor Samantha Lawler examined the [debris]([Â](and suggested that these fragments were most likely from the [SpaceX Dragon]( spacecraft. The spacecraft undocked from the [International Space Station]( on February 7 earlier this year, returning its crew to Earth. The reusable crew capsule splashed safely off the coast of Florida. Its [disposable trunk module](, which was left to reenter on its own, is likely what landed on the farm. The incident has raised concerns about [space debris]( and the minimal, but not entirely ruled out possibility of casualties caused by uncontrolled return. 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 > The Aurora Borealis, while an amazing spectacle mesmerizing viewers worldwide, poses a threat to our planet’s technological infrastructure. Such geomagnetic storms could disrupt electrical grids, satellites, and essential services. ([More]() > A team of researchers analyzed a fossil of a ancient spider-like species discovered in the 1980s. This species has been traced back to an ancient species of arachnid named Douglassarachne acanthopoda. ([More]() > The UK is ready to build the world’s largest ground-based optical telescope: Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). ([More]() ENERGY > Germany eyes new natural gas and coal power plants to keep the lights on during winter. ([More]() > A large-scale sodium-ion battery capable of charging to 90% in just 12 minutes is now online in China. ([More]() > Amid a shaky time for hydrogen investments, Honda has announced a new class 8 hydrogen-powered semi truck. ([More]() INNOVATION > A startup is developing reusable reentry capsules that could store cargo in orbit and deliver it anywhere on Earth within an hour. ([More]() > Researchers take inspiration from spider legs to develop a small flexible robot that could help rescue people from rubble and danger zones. ([More]() > Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed the world’s smallest quantum light detector on a silicon chip, thinner than the width of a human hair. ([More]() VIDEO > The United States Air Force, a consistent leader in bomber technology, deployed some of the world’s most advanced aircraft, including their latest addition, the B-21. ([More]() > The UK and Denmark have constructed the world’s longest land-and-sea electricity cable, the Viking Link. ([More]() > Stanford researchers propose an idea to make holographic head-up display technology mainstream. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, Solve the problem? The answer is: Top left: (4×6)+(7+3)+5=10 so to find the ?, (4x?)+(9+3)+5=35 ?=3 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > Scientists develop new geochemical 'fingerprint' to trace contaminants in [fertilizer]( > Researchers have revealed a microscopic phenomenon that could lead to faster, more flexible [robots]( > For the very first time, cultivated meat— no-slaughter meat grown in bioreactors— is being sold at retail stores. But there is a [catch]( > Spacecraft debris could become a threat to our space economy. We need a global agreement to keep space [clean]( > The social network X, formerly known as Twitter, has switched over to [X.com]( > Canada’s security agency is trying to dissuade citizens from using TikTok, citing data [concerns]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. [🛩️ Aerospace:]( The latest on propulsion, satellites, aeronautics, and more. 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