Faster boiling water is finally here

Plus: Britain’s Royal Air Force says drone swarms are ready to overpower enemy defenses Jul 18, 2022 [Blueprint]( Boiling water is neither a scientific experiment nor anything groundbreaking… right? Wrong! Because MIT scientists [have been doing exactly that]( and they’ve come up with a way to do it much more quickly and efficiently. They’ve done this by finding a way to improve the two key parameters that are conducive to the boiling process, (namely the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and the critical heat flux (CHF)). Why does this matter? Because it could benefit a huge amount of industrial processes, in terms of speed and efficiency but also energy use — it has the potential to have a hugely positive environmental impact. But before we get on to that, how about we defy gravity? No, really… A YouTuber has [created a video]( that explains how the anti-gravity wheel works. What for? Well, it's most often used to show the conversion between potential energy and kinetic energy, since you ask. It’s essentially a base with two strings holding up a wheel with a rod going through it — and yet, we think you’ll agree, it’s pretty cool. Good morning. I’m Alice, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. If you haven’t already, check out our [new IE+ subscription]( featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, premium features, and more. Claim your [free one-month trial here](. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Watch: A YouTuber demonstrates how the anti-gravity wheel works.]( [Anti-gravity wheel explained.]( How does a wheel defy gravity? [Must Read]MUST READ [MIT scientists have found a way to boil water more quickly and efficiently.]( [Boiling water quicker.]( MIT scientists say they have achieved “[a more efficient and quicker boiling process](. They did this by adding a series of microscale cavities, (or dents) to a surface, which controls the way bubbles form. This effectively pinned the bubbles to the locations of the dents and prevented them from spreading out into a heat-resisting film, which is what they would normally do. The microcavities were then positioned at an ideal length to optimize the process. → As to how easily this can be scaled up (and potentially make a huge difference to industries across the world) the co-author of the study, MIT Professor of Engineering Evelyn Wang, said it took place in small-scale laboratory conditions that might not be very easily be scaled for practical application. So you might say the idea is… simmering. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Britain’s Royal Air Force chief says drone swarms are ready to overpower enemy defenses.]( The RAF has trialed five drone types in 13 experiments with various payloads, platforms and control systems and produced an “[operationally useful and relevant capability]( [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - [Here's why]( uranium enrichment is central to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. - NASA's low-noise supersonic plane has no front window. [Here's how they see through](. - Crashing a jet into a nuclear reactor [helped officials prepare]( for the worst. [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [Space scholars explain why NASA's warning that China may try to claim the Moon is unlikely.]( Both America and China are actively working on [missions to the Moon]( – and China has not been shy about its lunar aspirations. Currently, however, China cannot legally take over the Moon. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Science - Microsoft President warns Orwell's 1984 could "[come to pass]( in 2024. - Nuclear tests by North Korea were powerful enough to [move an entire mountain](. - China's [new space station]( will be powered by ion propulsion system. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS MIT scientists say they have achieved a more efficient and quicker boiling process. Do you think industry heavyweights would change their processes if it would have a huge environmental impact? [Only if it made them money]( [They should, but they probably wouldn’t]( [They might phase it in over time]( [Yes, the world is becoming a much greener place]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked if you're worried about the effects of solar flares, and 44% of you said you are, because they can cause technological errors, which are annoying. 44% They can cause technological errors, which can be annoying. 28% Yes. Anything can happen. 15% I don’t know, should I be worried? 12% Nope, they don’t pose any direct dangers to humans on Earth. [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “I ask you to look both ways. For the road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars." Arthur Eddington 1882–1944 British astrophysicist: Stars and Atoms (1928). [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Echo Frames]( [image]( [Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2]( [image]( [Brio Water Dispenser]( [image]( [Asian Decor Fountain]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - A new study suggests that alcohol consumption is [detrimental for people under 40](. - How these satellites are [helping fight methane pollution](. (CNN) - Interested in [buying ethereum]( Here's the complete guide. - Now is the [best time to see Pluto]( our beloved dwarf planet. (New Scientist) - Could humans [live on a desert planet]( like Dune’s Arrakis? - [Meet the giant sequoia]( the ‘super tree’ built to withstand fire. (Scientific American) - This ship can fly at [speeds of 125 mph]( and carry 12 passengers. Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? [Join Free!]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail 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]