IBM's new supercomputer dwarfs China's

British Air Force set a world record for the first flight using only synthetic fuel, over one million Americans may have permanently lost the sense of smell from COVID-19 Nov 19, 2021 # Good morning to another day where the race for quantum supremacy is at full throttle. IBM has unleashed its Eagle, the world's most powerful quantum processor, and we are edging past the threshold where commercial supercomputers outperform traditional machines. Speaking of progress, Britain's Royal Air Force set a world record after completing the world's first flight powered by synthetic fuel alone, in a major step toward achieving a net-zero status. Incredible. But on a grim note, scientists say more than one million United States citizens may have permanently lost their sense of smell from COVID-19, and the pandemic has yet to conclude. This is The Blueprint. Keep reading. SCIENCE [IBM's New Quantum Computer Is Double the Size of China's Jiuzhang 2]( [The Eagle processor.]( Computing giant IBM [announced that it has built the world's largest]( superconducting quantum processor, Eagle. And it’s larger than both Google's Sycamore and China's Jiuzhang 2. This is the latest breakthrough in a race to build a supercomputer that can be used for practical applications, spearheaded by Google's announcement of quantum supremacy in 2019 with its Sycamore processor, which utilizes the same superconducting architecture as IBM’s Eagle and China's Jiuzhang 2. - Memory wipe. Back in October, researchers at China's University of Science and Technology announced that their supercomputer Jiuzhang 2 worked using 60 superconducting qubits, a staggering 10 million times faster than [Google's Sycamore](. Now, IBM's new processor will be more than double the size of Jiuzhang 2, using 127 qubits to solve problems and taking the throne of being the most powerful quantum computer in the world. - Tour de force. IBM claims that the number of classical computing bits required to represent a state on its Eagle processor would be larger than the number of atoms in the entire living human population of roughly 7.5 billion people. Quantum computing has the potential to alter practically every industry, like a power-up in the struggle to address the world's most pressing issues. And the arrival of the Eagle processor is a significant step closer to the day when quantum computers can surpass classical computers in useful applications. And it doesn't end there either. [IBM also released a quantum computing roadmap last year]( revealing its plans to demonstrate a 400-qubit processor next year, before building a 1,000-qubit quantum computing chip called Condor by 2024. [Read More]( INNOVATION [British Air Force Set A World Record For First Flight Using Only Synthetic Fuel]( [The Ikarus C42 flying on synthetic fuel.]( Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) [has set a Guinness World Record]( after a senior test pilot completed the world's first flight powered by synthetic fuel alone. - A world-first. The Ikarus C42 aircraft took off from Cotswold Airport on Nov. 2 using synthetic gasoline from the British synthetic fuel company Zero Petroleum, and the historic test flight lasted 21 minutes. Before the flight, the synthetic fuel was thoroughly tested on engines from CFS Aero, and the synthetic fuel demonstrated comparable performance to fossil fuels. The engines also ran at a lower temperature, implying that using this ecologically friendly gasoline may extend the engine's life. - How is that possible? Synthetic fuels are made by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and then converting it to fuel by adding hydrogen molecules from water. They deliver the same energy density as fossil fuels but do not add to carbon emissions. Importantly, they can be used with conventional engines without requiring any modifications. The U.S. Air Force is also interested in this technology and has pursued it, but solely [as an additive to fossil fuel in its aircraft](. So, the RAF's attempt at a full flight with synthetic fuel is a bold move. Wider picture. The RAF has plans to set up a Net-Zero airbase by 2025 and become a fully net-zero force by 2040, much earlier than the U.K. government's goal of achieving a net-zero status by 2050. And the way it powers aircraft will become a big part of achieving this. [Read More]( HEALTH [Over One Million Americans May Have Permanently Lost the Sense of Smell From COVID-19]( [An image depicting how COVID-19 damages the olfactory system.]( Surviving a pandemic, it turns out, may come at a personal cost: More than one million U.S. citizens who contracted the coronavirus [suffered a lingering loss of smell]( in a condition called anosmia, and up to 1.6 million people endured chronic anosmia that lasted at least six months after a coronavirus infection. - Anosmia has multiple possible causes, including respiratory viral infection. Just like COVID-19. Typically, this loss of smell comes with a loss of taste, since the two senses are interrelated. Earlier studies have suggested that 30 to 80 percent of people who contracted COVID-19 will experience some degree of anosmia. But nearly 90 percent of these later regain their sense of smell, often in just two weeks, since the infection usually damages the cells supporting the olfactory nerve and not the nerve itself. - In a novel find, a group of researchers estimated the chances of someone developing anosmia from COVID-19, in addition to the probability of suffering chronic anosmia. Life-altering effects. Anywhere between 700,000 and 1.6 million U.S. citizens have suffered a loss or alteration in their sense of smell that lasted more than six months, with little chance of recovery. And this number could be an underestimation, since roughly 5 percent of all anosmia cases will experience a permanent loss of all or some of their sense of smell. Smell the roses. The pandemic hasn't technically reached a conclusion yet, which means there are many more of us still waiting to contract the illness and see if [our sense of smell]( survives with us. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS When the pandemic will end is a question on the minds of millions of people after it wreaked havoc on our social interactions, work life, and our beloved “normal.” When do you think the COVID-19 pandemic will end? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [It’s already over.]( [There’ll always be other variants, so never.]( [In 2022.]( [I love this. Hope it never ends.]( Yesterday’s Results And now let’s check out your answers to yesterday’s question! We asked you whether Apple doing a U-turn on the right to repair iPhones and Macs is a smart move or not. And nearly 80% of you think it's a clever business move that other firms will follow. The majority has a point since, with Microsoft committing to enabling customers to repair the products it sells, and the E.U. Parliament pushing to grant the Right to Repair to E.U. consumers, we are witnessing monumental progress. The times — they are a-changin'. Yes, others will follow. 78% iPhones are too complex. Who among us? 10% I don’t fix, I buy. 6% No, it won’t be profitable. 6% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die. ” Charles Darwin in ‘On the Origin of Species’ [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [How Bionics Are Behaving More and More Like Real Limbs]( Some bionic limbs even offer a sense of touch. [How Bionics Are Behaving More and More Like Real Limbs]( AND ANOTHER THING... - In a first-of-its-kind attack on U.S. soil, a drone was used to attack an electrical substation in Pennsylvania in 2020. And it turns out we may need [an infrastructural overhaul to defend against drone attacks](. - There’s no rhythm to mass extinctions, no pattern to evolutionary recovery. [Life bursts forth, in cacophonous adaptation](. (Aeon) - A novel skyscraper [could remove 1,000 tons of carbon]( from the atmosphere. And that’s equivalent to 48,500 trees! - Featuring ingots, shipwrecks, pharaohs, and an international trade in colors, [technology is tracing the rich history of glass]( using modern archaeology and materials science. (Knowable Magazine) - Saudi Arabia is building [the world’s largest sea-based industrial site]( and it will run on 100 percent clean energy. - As the world looks to reduce fossil fuel emissions, some companies are focusing on a relatively untapped but vast and abundant source of energy — [tidal waves](. (CNN) - If you happen to have a pile of scrap lying around, you might be wondering what you can do with it. You could dispose of (or sell) it, but another option is to [turn that scrap into something new](. Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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