Ukraine attacks a Russian helicopter.

Plus, these solar panels create clean water in the desert, Japanese encephalitis was spotted in Australia. Mar 05, 2022 [View in browser]( Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is becoming more and more critical each day. Now, Ukraine’s defense ministry shared a video on Twitter and claimed that they had blasted a Russian helicopter. The video shows the rocket sending flames toward the chopper and transforming the Russian helicopter into a giant fireball before it can even react. But before we get into this breaking news, let’s take a look at an informative video about the Silurian hypothesis that questions whether there was a civilization before humans. Good morning. I’m Mert, an editor here at IE. This is The Blueprint. Keep Reading. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [The Silurian hypothesis: Was there a civilization on Earth before humans?]( Untold secrets may await us, hidden in geological records. [The Silurian hypothesis: Was there a civilization on Earth before humans?]( CULTURE [Ukraine shares a video of their forces blasting a Russian helicopter with a missile]( [Screenshots from the footage.]( War rages in Ukraine as Russian forces [continue to attack]( the nation. On Saturday morning, Ukraine's defense ministry[shared a video]( on Twitter where it claimed that its [forces had blown a Russian helicopter]( out of the sky. - The footage shows the moment the Ukrainian missile strikes the aircraft. All is quiet at first as what is believed to be a Russian Mi-24 Hind helicopter flies over a desolate landscape with only one small town in the background. All of a sudden, a guided missile - possibly a Stinger - is seen coming in from the right of the frame straight towards the chopper. Before the helicopter can even react, the powerful rocket strikes it, sending flames spurting out of it and transforming it into one giant fireball. It then crashes into a field exploding with full force in a pristine area believed to be near Kyiv. [Read More]( INNOVATION [These solar panels create clean water in the desert]( [A schematic of the researchers' design.]( Most of the energy that hits a solar panel is wasted. Energy technology researcher Peng Wang told IE that less than 20 percent of the energy that hits a solar panel gets turned into electricity. The rest is turned into heat, which can cause the panel to become even less efficient. Researchers have spent decades figuring out how to squeeze more electricity out of solar panels, coming up with solutions like harvesting energy from more colors of light by replacing silicon with quantum dots. A different approach. Wang's team at King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia takes a different approach. They found a way to use the wasted heat. Their system, described in a paper published this week in the academic journal [Cell Reports Physical Science]( uses the otherwise [unusable energy to pull water from the desert air.]( An NPR journalist reporting from the event called the university the king's "pet project" and described it as "a graduate-level institution that will research how to harness solar power, desalinate water, and genetically alter plants to survive in the harsh desert." [Read More]( HEALTH [Japanese encephalitis was spotted in Australia. What do we know about it?]( [Macro of mosquito sucking blood.]( Japanese encephalitis is a viral disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It is spread through mosquito bites and some animals such as pigs and waterbirds serve as a host for the virus. Although it does not usually develop into a serious illness, it can cause fever, joint pain, rash, or a brain infection when contracted by humans. Last week, [NSW Health stated that]( the disease had been detected in pigs on pig farms in the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. [This was the first indicator]( that the virus is prevalent among the mosquitos of the area. - Now, it is confirmed that the virus has been detected in a [New South Wales resident](. The condition of the patient, who is in the intensive care unit, is reportedly stable. Cases are expected to surge. A number of more people are being tested, and more cases are expected to be confirmed in the following weeks. [Read More]( THINGS WE LOVE - Bring the future to your feet right away with [A.I.-based gadgets]( that silently work for your well-being 24/7. - Have access to millions of TV series and movies with the[best Smart TVs out there]( on a budget. MAIL & MUSINGS The southern hemisphere is currently experiencing summer. So… Do you think the number of Japanese encephalitis cases will decrease as the summer ends in Australia? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes, because the mosquitos will decrease as well.]( [No, on the contrary, it will increase even more.]( [Even if it does, another viral disease will come up.]( [I’m not sure since it’s not transmittable from person to person.]( Yesterday’s Results Yesterday we asked you if you find reverse engineering useful. Well, more than half of the voters seem to have a positive attitude towards it. 34% of the participants think it's a smart innovation but not always a useful one. And only 13% disagree with its usefulness entirely. Yes! You can learn anything through it. 53% It’s the smartest way of working. But not always useful. 34% Nope. It's just a result of creative desperation. 8% It’s too labor-intensive. Just engineer whatever you can. 5% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress. ” Richard P. Feynman in “The Character of Physical Law” AND ANOTHER THING... - We’re answering the most common questions after Russia’s attack on Europe's largest nuclear power plant. What are the [differences between the Chernobyl and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plants?]( - [Russia blocks access to Facebook and Twitter]( in response to social media platforms placing restrictions on Russia’s state-owned media. (The Guardian) - Russia is believed to be [using the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower](. Why is the use of this worrisome weapon considered a war crime? - A study suggests that a [deer may have passed COVID-19 to a person](. (National Geographic) - Let’s take a look at how [Hawking radiation pokes holes]( in the largest black holes. - Why [Ethereum is switching to proof of stake]( and how it will work. (MIT Technology Review) - NASA’s Curiosity rover spots a [curious rock formation]( that resembles a flower. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. [Read Details]( Share your link Copy & share your referral link with others. [ [Referral Program Terms and Conditions]( Prepared by Loukia Papadopoulos and Mert Erdemir Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? [Subscribe]( [About Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe [here.]( © Copyright 2021 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]