New flight simulation at 33x speed of sound

Plus: Why Neanderthal DNA is more widespread than ever Sep 13, 2022 [Blueprint]( Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, we’re going to be experiencing some turbulence… at 33 times the speed of sound. Ok, that’s not quite true – in as much as no one’s on this flight simulation (and honestly who would want to be). But what is true is that Chinese scientists have built the [world's largest free-piston-driven expansion tube wind tunnel](. And not satisfied with merely being the largest, it also boasts the ability to simulate severe flight conditions at speeds ranging from 2.5 to 11.5 kilometers per second (1.55-7.14 miles per second). Which is more than 33 times the speed of sound. But before you let yourself be blown away by that, watch the world's fastest vehicles being compared by horsepower, [in this video](. We’ve really got the need for speed today… Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s get started. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers had an exclusive insight from Ryan Harne, one of the lead researchers on the recent development of the material that can “think and feel.” This week, they’ll hear from Steve Komadina, the DARPA program manager for ANCILLARY, about the development of the new military vertical-takeoff aircraft from the U.S. Defense Agency. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+ today]( to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Watch the world's fastest vehicles being compared by horsepower.]( [World's fastest vehicles.]( Ever seen a Bugatti take on a rocket? Now you have. [Must Read]MUST READ [China’s record-breaking wind tunnel simulates flight conditions 33 times the speed of sound.]( [China’s record-breaking wind tunnel.]( The [biggest free-piston-powered shock tunnel]( in the world is now operational in southwest China. Its aim is to enable low-cost wind tunnel tests for hypersonic research. And in its mission to achieve this, it has been made to simulate severe flight conditions at speeds ranging from 2.5 to 11.5 kilometers per second (1.55-7.14 miles per second), or more than 33 times the speed of sound. Designed by an Australian scientist, it is hoped it will eventually aid in a number of missions, including sending Chinese astronauts to the Moon and developing a hypersonic aircraft that can travel anywhere in the world in an hour. → The testing tube is roughly twice as large as comparable facilities in the West, with a diameter of 80cm (2.6 ft), according to the researchers who developed it. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Linkedin]( [CULTURE]CULTURE [Neanderthal DNA is more widespread than ever 40,000 years later — here's why.]( Most Europeans and Asians have between one percent and four percent Neanderthal DNA, while African people south of the Sahara have almost zero. Ironically, with the size of the world population, this means that there has [never been more Neanderthal DNA on Earth](. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Culture - US Navy [rejects requests to release UFO videos]( due to 'national security' concerns. - More than 1 million US properties to be [swallowed by the sea by 2100]( report reveals. - China lists [nearly 9,000 ‘little-giants’]( to become a bigger tech powerhouse than the US. [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [SpaceX breaks a reusability record as it readies to launch its fully reusable Starship to orbit.]( A SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage has reached orbit for the 14th time, and Starship is due to go orbital for the first time ever very soon. The company is pioneering [reusable rocket technology](. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( And Other Stories in Innovation - China plans [3 Moon missions]( to investigate a potential new source of energy. - Can engineers change the world? Why [we need to rethink a widely-held belief]( about tech. [premium] - These 3D printed glasses could be the [cure for color blind people]( research shows. [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS Chinese scientists have built the world's largest free-piston driven expansion tube wind tunnel. Do you think people would get on commercial flights that took you anywhere in the world in an hour? [Yes, without a doubt]( [Possibly, if they were safe]( [No, they’d be too expensive]( [Not a chance]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you what you think the most significant wider implication of curing cachexia might be, and 40 percent of you said heart failure prognoses. 40% Heart failure prognoses 29% Something else entirely 24% HIV and MS treatment 7% Eating disorder recovery [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “Sapere aude.” (Dare to know). Horace 65–8 BC Roman poet: Epistles bk. 1, no. 2, l. 40. [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Satechi Aluminum Multiport Adapter]( [image]( [Acer Inspire 5]( [image]( [Doona Infant Car Seat]( [image]( [ECOMAX Garden Tiller]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Creator of [groundbreaking ‘UFO patents’]( explains inventions in rare interview. [premium] - How living in a pandemic [distorts our sense of time](. (Science News) - Where are the aliens? A new study may finally [solve the Fermi Paradox](. [premium] - [Self-replicating protein factories]( a step toward artificial life. (New Scientist) - How AI and RFID [could solve the surge]( in lost airport luggage. [premium] - [Who owns the ocean’s genes?]( Tension on the high seas. (Scientific American) - Researchers just built a [synthetic human gut microbiome](. Now they can test it like never before. Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? 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