400x faster with a new superconductor?

Plus: Repurposing disposable masks by adding them to concrete Apr 29, 2022 [View in browser]( Physicists have a way of making the impossible possible. A team of researchers has demonstrated a novel superconductor that has zero resistance in one direction but blocks current completely in the other. Long thought to be impossible, this discovery could offer a 400-fold increase in computing speed and massive energy savings. Just think about it. But, before we get into the technicalities, watch today’s video to see how a billionaire tried to stop a $5.4-billion bridge project on the U.S.-Canada border. The reason behind it might surprise you — or not. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s wrap it up. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [A billionaire tried to stop a $5.4BN bridge project at the US-Canada border. Here's why]( It's a battle of the bridges. [A billionaire tried to stop a $5.4BN bridge project at the US-Canada border. Here's why]( INNOVATION [A world-first one-way superconductor could make computers 400 times faster]( [Superconductor.]( In a world-first, a team of researchers from TU Delft [demonstrated a one-way superconductor]( with zero resistance that blocks any current coming in the opposite direction. - Superconductors have the potential to make electronic devices hundreds of times faster while eliminating energy losses. However, magnetic fields have traditionally been required to prevent them from conducting in all directions, meaning they haven't been practical for classical computing. Ditch the magnet. The TU Delft team has provided an alternative method for controlling the current direction in a superconductor without magnets. They used a novel quantum material developed by a material physics team at Johns Hopkins University called Nb3Br8. Like graphene, the material is atomically thin. The scientists built many different devices to test their superconductor and found every time that it enabled a strong one-way current without the use of a magnetic field. The discovery could [enable massive energy savings]( while making computers up to 400 times faster. [Read More]( SCIENCE [Researchers find a way to repurpose disposable masks. Adding them to concrete?]( [The face masks broken down before going into cement.]( Researchers at Washington State University [have used disposable masks]( to improve the strength of concrete by as much as 47 percent. - The team developed a process to turn masks into microfibers that can be used in concrete production. By cutting them into five to 30 mm-long pieces and treating them with graphene oxide before mixing them in the cement paste, they managed to absorb or dissipate the fracture energy that usually contributes to tiny cracks in concrete. Up the ante. Their proof of concept study showed that the concrete made using mask materials was 47 percent stronger after a month of curing. The team is now working to determine if [the concrete is protected]( from frost damage and the persistent use of deicers on roadways. This may be very beneficial to our environment, as concrete production is a carbon-intensive process and is responsible for as much as eight percent of global emissions. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Japanese railway company to use a giant humanoid robot for fixing power lines]( [The giant robot being with human operator]( The West Japan Rail Company, also known as JR West, has [unveiled its giant worker robot]( that can be tasked with carrying out jobs that are considered risky for humans. - The robot has a human-like torso and a pair of hands to carry out a range of tasks, like cleaning the power lines with a specially-designed multi-angle brush. However, it is not just a cleaning robot but also one that can carry out maintenance tasks using its clamp-like hands that are compatible with a host of other tools. A pair of digital cameras serve as eyes for the human operator that handles the robot [through a virtual reality (VR) headset](. Using motion-tracking, the operator controls the movement of the cameras on the robot, while a pair of handles help him control the robot's arms and hands. Work in progress. The first-of-its-kind robot will be put to full-time work in 2024. There will likely be more spin-offs of these giant robots that will help take humans out of high-risk jobs involving electric lines and working at tremendous heights. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS The robotic future is already here. It just looks different than you thought. Would you like to be in charge of a robot that does your job? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Sounds good to me, I prefer sitting anyway.]( [No, thanks. I like to be hands-on.]( [It would get boring really fast.]( [I don't like it, but it's the future.]( Yesterday’s Results We asked whether 3D printing can drive down the cost of space exploration. For more than half of you, it’s only a matter of time. Yes, it’s only a matter of time. 53% It’s already doing that! 23% Maybe, in the future. 19% No, I don’t think it makes sense. 6% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error. ” Bertolt Brecht in “The Life of Galileo” (1939) AND ANOTHER THING... - Spacecraft have come a long way since the Apollo era, and [continue to evolve before our eyes](. - The human body produces energy, most of which is released as heat. [Buildings can—and should—harness that](. (Fast Company $) - Shared gene variants could reveal [novel COVID-19 treatment methods](. - In some places, black holes with massive appetites [are tearing apart thousands of stars]( at a time. (Universe Today) - A unique non-tilting vectored thrust system [will allow for quieter flying cars](. - A Tesla-backed [solar-power startup promised to give]( thousands of African villagers access to clean energy – but instead is giving them a headache. (Bloomberg) - Our oceans [are facing a mass extinction event]( comparable to the "Great Dying." Prepared by Derya Ozdemir 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 2022 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94105 | All Rights Reserved [Interesting Engineering]