🤖 FBI busts Russian ‘social media bot farm’ spreading fake news in US, EVs give power back to grid during outage, Europe launches Ariane 6

Plus: Amazon meets 100% renewable energy goal, but with a caveat                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 July 11, 2024 | [Read Online]( INTERESTING ENGINEERING SHOP [[We Work Until It Hertz - Unisex Tee] Amped For Fun - Unisex Tee $43.99 $25.99]( [[Engineering Inspiration Mug] What's Your Super Power Water Bottle $45.00 $34.99]( The United States and its allies announced that they have succeeded in seizing control of a Russia-owned artificial intelligence (AI) driven social media bot farm that used to peddle propaganda on platforms like X. The Justice Department of the US said it had seized two domain names and 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors that spread disinformation in the United States and abroad. According to the Justice Department’s press release, the bot farm was developed by Russia’s state-run RT News Network and operated by Moscow’s Federal Security Service (FSS) using AI. For more on this development, check out today’s [Must-Read](. 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Â]([Data Engineer]([Â]( > [Machining Engineer]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🤖 [FBI busts Russian ‘social media bot farm’ spreading fake news in US]( The agencies involved in the operation released a [joint advisory]( aimed at raising awareness of the propaganda mill’s modus operandi and intentions. According to the advisory, the Russian state-sponsored actors used the covert [Meliorator software](for foreign malign influence activity aimed at benefiting Moscow. The actors obtained and controlled two domain names from a U.S.-based provider. They then used those domains to create the email servers that ultimately allowed them to create [fictitious social media accounts]( using the bot farm software. ⚡️ [World-first: EVs give power back to grid during outage in Australia]( The development of electric vehicles was primarily driven by the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower the impact of climate change. However, a major benefit of EVs was unexplored until a [fleet of electric cars supplied power]( to the grid during a blackout in Canberra. The power supply to tens of thousands of homes was interrupted during a major storm in Canberra. The power was supplied from [vehicles’ batteries](. “It’s the first time in the world this type of [vehicle-to-grid response]( to an emergency has been demonstrated,” said lead author of the study, Senior Research Fellow Dr Bjorn Sturmberg from the Australian National University. 🚀 [Europe returns to space with the successful launch of the Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket]( Europe’s newest rocket, the heavy-lift Ariane 6, successfully lifted off on Tuesday from Europe’s spaceport in [French Guiana](, adding a vital new launch vehicle in a booming space industry. Ariane 6 is an entirely new rocket rocket for Europe, featuring a modular design that can carry out missions to either [low-Earth orbit]( or deeper into outer space. “A completely new rocket is not launched often, and success is far from guaranteed,” said ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher in an [Arianespace]( statement. “I am privileged to have witnessed this historic moment when Europe’s new generation of the Ariane family lifted off – successfully – effectively [reinstating European access to space](.” 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 > Two male African lion brothers, Jacob and Tibu, completed a record-breaking swim across the predator-infested Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. ([More]() > Paleontologists unearthed a new dinosaur species from the Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. The well-preserved fossil, along with anatomical features, suggests that these dinosaurs likely spent part of their lives in underground burrows. ([More]() > A research team found that seedlings sourced from wet sites performed just as well under drought conditions as seedlings of the same species sourced from dry sites, simplifying seed sourcing for reforestation projects with climate change in mind. ([More]() ENERGY > Amazon on Wednesday announced that it met its 100% renewable energy goal seven years ahead of schedule, with a caveat. Rather than rely on clean energy to power its facilities, Amazon procured corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) that amount to its operations. ([More]() > A 55-foot solar-electric sailing catamaran has been unveiled by German yacht design and engineering studio iYacht GmbH. Named Hu’chu 55, the firm claims the vessel represents a significant leap forward in eco-friendly design. ([More]() > Italian firm Energy Dome is building a "CO2 battery" in Sardinia that will store excess power from renewables and release it back to the grid when needed. ([More]() INNOVATION > A global research team has devised a method to decompose plastics and other materials into their smallest components using a laser, enabling their future reuse. ([More]() > An ice park in China’s Harbin city has been named the world’s largest indoor ice and snow theme park by the Guinness World Record. Now open for visitors, the park’s ice and snow sculptures were created by 10,000 people in almost a month. ([More]() > A developing new materials discovery framework creates a pathway to printable parts for turbine engines. ([More]() VIDEO > Researchers at the University of Michigan are working to improve batteries for electric vehicles. They plan to create solid-state, non-combustible batteries that can power vehicles for longer. ([More]() > The continuous collapse of honey bee colonies is a huge threat to global food security. Bees pollinate a third of our food, with a global annual value of $220 billion. CIBER is at the forefront of helping honey bees survive. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked you, How much does the orange ball weigh? The answer is: 25 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > A salazar pit viper, named after a character the Harry Potter series, has been found in Kaziranga National Park in [India]( > A union representing workers at South Korean technology giant Samsung has called on its roughly 30,000 members to go on strike [indefinitely]( > A first-of-its-kind survey has uncovered new information about underwater canyons around [Australia]( > After thousands of sequoias were destroyed by extreme wildfires, tribes are conducting cultural burns to protect this sacred [species]( > A new species of dinosaur that was as heavy as an elephant roamed the Isle of Wight around 125 million years ago, analysis [suggests]( 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. [🎓 IE Academy:]( Master your field and take your career to the next level with IE Academy --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to share your feedback? [contact@interestingengineering.com](mailto:contact@interestingengineering.com?subject=User%20feedback%20for%20the%20Blueprint) --------------------------------------------------------------- //link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.K6ndGU8d_KOkj4UfGsJPEcktYIaxSR7SdCQbODD_GYGnsx9za6C1sEpqYvc81lIl4tfEpOmm8xUuBEuIh5zJrlfb1rsr5ND63XCkm8kVGSM8t1uZRVycYZUIEwgtjnu7Nnj-cx5JwttVGvCCDyvISTcMFpp64URT7I1oXLjx4LTcIPbdArhHgC_hheVASCZXASlTwg-7h4AWDizHSBB195SrXa9VjcdTQzCPVyCwDKITPBcRNqU3MrnC5mULRKZLTyTSZwd4q8cr-g77QtVVQCnil8bwdcZ4DZIJAtAatacBl1AcL_YALZdbeosO9CmjGMGI3tJq3m-0TPehDJCULbtuYezigzcR5ivzZg2sDLc/47y/_Gg9yAA9TFKWDhj9mYCTcw/h52/h001.SakGZzb5BfhdJInEZFJVXfuEPz5cUYlOS6PQhTnJd5k//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.O7cX42TEUwaVzaXjvY3lIBaVSA5HCDbqRL0r1mrSAZjXlQfx3AeIAMCqNceFzEl_q_WARK627ZB44CnqOlm3oTZ0yZKe8JXrMhFD-jMzqqvjp4J32PN1uuhmS8YPt7FAcRddKkfA6zrJyQ_MwUm_ChUtJxB58R3zA4xpZtgzo44hU1QseHZM3Vy6TMzM3AxQ5uZZkGNRicuOxV77T9tXUYQABYOy6IfKQK1X9Z_bw3l3xq0flByrlyddrO0EOtkL0bEspHgbSEMS4XNnRZwHrhSDf1JniYbLQFGEa1pgIDmKAH9-EGLN0EsgXe8jmzRCc5UXu3q4ye2a4SerpzSLEg/47y/_Gg9yAA9TFKWDhj9mYCTcw/h54/h001.ZcT2FbWpvi_wMMJh8T3fvwu69IDWs0pfRQ8Sa36DNJU//link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.lXP8MAk3H8kfS_nzsfeb6jWgiQY_x4ZXj58uyQyAyaI0CN1hGvPpnFTKRJASHsrgFRI6zYgMz7Ggye5P1topNMUNMsuuY4b3iLyuTPdFF6tfIApB3BuuNjln4raz9DTCy24HAAf2yxwlbJcZRxeP2dX3dppNxvhwzURvdZp7V_nqoeQwReTYHaRIJH7KZYQuO3fbrH37zPr5tZ28irimTmIbnN4n51oVdRaSFuuRIXgMzkFuVu4mLRcHe0hL1HgvR_H3Qvamh2ZLtHILtPfMo7lOLPvS-L56e_cSD8xHPkXNFR8JwEdbwVkPlPIlnGkCtUM0bh0G-SrHff4vLlhM8Q/47y/_Gg9yAA9TFKWDhj9mYCTcw/h56/h001.AOVVCLO2zCAJ6zJOFvxy3mZO30t0nF-rpyMpuLNGxQs Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here]( © 2024 The Blueprint 530 5th Ave New York, New York 10036, United States of America [Terms of Service](