☢️ Kim Jong-un vows nuclear buildup, how herring farts confused Cold War subs, US recycles old nukes for reactors

Plus: World’s most powerful stellarator begins experiment for better fusion energy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 September 11, 2024 | [Read Online]( 🗓️ [Less than a month to Engineering Talks' automotive webinar]( Our new and free webinar, "[The Future of Automated Automotive Quality Inspection](," is coming soon! Don't miss the opportunity to discover integrated solutions for automotive metrology, participate in Q&A sessions, and more. [Join our webinar]( In a speech to mark the 76th anniversary of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea’s (DPRK) founding, Kim Jong-un has vowed to “exponentially” increase the number of nuclear weapons in the country’s growing arsenal. Given on Monday (September 9), the speech was delivered in Pyongyang to a crowd of thousands of spectators, state media KCNA reports. Kim reportedly explained that the country must more thoroughly prepare its “nuclear capability and its readiness to use it properly at any given time in ensuring the security rights of the state.” Dive deeper into this [Must-Read](. 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: > [Staff Software Development Engineer [Platform]]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST-READ ☢️ [‘US threat’? Kim Jong-un vows to ‘exponentially’ increase nuclear stockpile]( Kim added that North Korea’s “nuclear force” and its deployment should be more thoroughly perfected to counter “various threats posed by the [United States and its followers](.” To this end, Pyongyang “will steadily strengthen its nuclear forces capable of fully coping with any threatening acts imposed by its [nuclear-armed rival states](,” he added. North Korea has been attempting to build its own nuclear weapons program for many decades now with mixed success. However, estimating how many working nuclear weapons they possess is difficult due to the [secretive nature]( of the ruling regime. 🐠 [Underwater spy: How herring fish farts caused confusion during Cold War]( In a BBC’s Spy in the Ocean video clip, a robot herring captured a unique perspective of a [massive school of farting fish](. Herring fish communicate by releasing gas from their swim bladders, which are connected to their anal ducts. This creates small bubbles in the water that produce the clicking sounds heard in the BBC‘s Spy in the Ocean documentary. In 1982, Swedish officials were baffled by mysterious underwater signals in the Stockholm archipelago. After the [Cold War](, Sweden was on high alert for Russian submarine activity. Back then, Sweden launched a massive search for these signals, involving submarines, boats, and helicopters. They feared a [Russian threat](, but the truth was far more… gassy. ☢️ [Warheads to watts: US turns old nukes into HALEU for nuclear reactors]( The problem of maintaining nuclear weapon stockpiles and then dismantling them when the old warheads are retired is a global one, and the United States seems to have found a [solution]( to it. There is a growing demand for reactor fuel today as countries around the world are looking to shift to nuclear energy. According to a report by CNN, the US is now turning its [unexploded nuclear warheads]( into fuel that can be used in modular power stations. The report states that the nuclear warheads are being turned into high-assay low-enriched uranium ([HALEU]() at a government facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 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 > APrinceton research team has developed a groundbreaking tool to study chromosomes by physically moving DNA strands around. ([More]() > In a recent development, researchers uncovered fossilized seeds in the stomachs of one of the earliest bird species, revealing that these birds consumed fruits. ([More]() > An international team of scientists has proposed a new and refined way to test the validity of some proposed alternative models to standard quantum theory, which offers a possible explanation. ([More]() ENERGY > The world’s largest wave-energy converter device, built through a collaborative effort, is set to begin trials off the coast of Orkney, Scotland, after receiving a nod from the European Union. ([More]() > The world’s largest and most powerful stellarator, known as Wendelstein 7-X, is going to resume experimental operation from today at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald. ([More]() > Researchers have proposed that more powerful lasers will make it possible to build a working fusion reaction that can supply electricity to the power grid. ([More]() INNOVATION > Aiming to bounce back from an accident while testing its demonstrator MIRA, German startup Polaris Aerospace is on course to develop the next iteration of its demonstrator modules. ([More]() > US-based solid-state battery developer Factorial has introduced a new all-solid-state battery that has the potential to revolutionize the safety, performance, and sustainability of the next generation of electric vehicles. ([More]() > Chinese tech giant Huawei on Tuesday unveiled its new smartphone, billed as the world's first trifold phone, just hours after US competitor Apple lifted the curtain on its new iPhone built for AI. ([More]() VIDEO > Footage captured by scientists in Japan shows the moment an eel escapes tail-first from the digestive tract of a predatory fish. ([More]() > Four private astronauts blasted into space early on Tuesday in a modified SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, kicking off the company's five-day Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to test new spacesuit designs and conduct the first private spacewalk. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked you to find the speed of the car. The answer is: 38.8 mi/hr Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > After millennia apart, these Tibetan lakes are now [linked]( > Remote surgery performed on a pig 9,000 km away using a game [controller]( > Researchers want to unlock the genetics of the world’s tiniest [animals]( > China is taking a keen interest in lava tubes as possible lunar [habitats]( > 'Remarkable' 1,000-year-old ring from Scotland's 'painted people' found at destroyed [fort]( 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. 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