US laser weapon platoon ready next month

Plus: Carbon-eating blocks ingest eight tonnes of CO2 a day, says developer. Dec 22, 2022 [Blueprint]( Today we're talking about a guardian of the galaxy, or in this instance, the U.S. Because Guardian is the name the U.S. Army has given to its latest development – [a platoon of laser-powered weapons](. It’s made up of a 50-kW high-energy laser module, a specialized radar acquisition system, a targeting sensor, and a beam control system. It can take down multiple types of aerial threats, including rotary-wing aircraft, rockets, artillery, and mortars. But before you watch that in action, take a look at this wondrous aircraft. [This video]( shows a Concorde-like supersonic passenger aircraft that’s poised for a comeback …excitingly. Good morning. I’m Alice, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s dive in. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard about the battery development that could change the world, according to the man behind it. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. [Play]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Concorde-like supersonic passenger aircraft poised for a comeback.]( [Concorde-like supersonic passenger aircraft poised for a comeback.]( Brave, brave Concorde! You shall not have died in vain! [Must Read]MUST READ [The US Army's laser weapon platoon will be ready next month.]( [The US Army's laser weapon platoon will be ready next month.]( The U.S. Army will field its [first platoon of laser-powered weapons]( next month. Based on the Stryker vehicle platform, it is essentially a 50-kilowatt laser system that can take down drones, rockets, and mortar - and they’ve named it Guardian. This is important because a laser-powered energy weapon can not only fire at targets rapidly but also has a limitless supply of ammunition. It’s part of the U.S. Army's Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD. The Guardian laser weapon system is made up of a 50-kW high-energy laser module, a specialized radar acquisition system, a targeting sensor, and a beam control system. → The system can take down multiple types of aerial threats, including rotary-wing aircraft, rockets, artillery, and mortars. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [Facebook]( [INNOVATION]INNOVATION [Carbon-eating blocks ingest eight tonnes of CO2 a day, says company.]( Dutch company Masterbloc has engineered an [eco-friendly building material from steel slag]( left over from the steel industry. Its product is CO2-negative, with more CO2 absorbed during production than emitted. At the company's factory, some 8 tonnes of CO2-ingesting building blocks are produced per day. This accounts for a yearly output of roughly 15,000 tonnes. Company CEO Bjorn Gubbels claims the block stores CO2 and can therefore help boost the circular economy. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [HEALTH]HEALTH [World-first: Drug molecules in the human body can now be manipulated by light.]( Researchers at Tel Aviv University have conceived of a way to [control the encapsulation and release of drug molecules by exposure to UV light](. They hope this will allow for the high loading capacity of molecules, which could lead to the further development of delivery systems for the controlled release of biomolecules and drugs in the body by external stimuli using light. The goal was to engineer liquid-like compartments from a complex of peptide and RNA molecules that will enable efficient encapsulation of various biomolecules while keeping their native structure. [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [SCIENCE]SCIENCE [What is ChatGPT? The AI chatbot talked up as a potential Google killer.]( [ChatGPT is the latest (and most impressive) artificially intelligent (AI) chatbot yet](. It was released two weeks ago, and in just five days hit a million users. In fact, it’s being used so much that its servers have reached capacity several times. OpenAI, the company that developed it, is already being discussed as a potential Google slayer. After all, why look up something on a search engine when ChatGPT can write a whole paragraph explaining the answer? (There’s even a Chrome extension that lets you do both, side by side.) [READ MORE [Arrow]]( [MAIL & MUSINGS]MAIL & MUSINGS The US Army's laser weapon platoon will be ready next month. Do you think this development will make a tangible difference in the field of combat? [Yes, especially for drones]( [No, it’s a drop in the ocean]( [Possibly, if used in the right way]( [I am unsure either way]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday, we asked you if you would consider living on an asteroid, and 48 percent of you said no way, not even if Matt Damon lived there. 48% Not even if Matt Damon lived there 27% Yes, it would be an adventure 22% I’d think about it, if it was safe 2% I am unsure either way [QUOTE OF THE DAY]QUOTE OF THE DAY “There are relatively few experiments in atomic physics these days that don't involve the use of a laser.” Eric Allin Cornell, American physicist who, along with Carl E. Wieman, was able to synthesize the first Bose–Einstein condensate in 1995. [THINGS WE LOVE]THINGS WE LOVE [image]( [Frigidaire Cooker]( [image]( [Motorola RDU4100 Walkie Talkies]( [image]( [ClearClick Presentation System]( [image]( [Juicebox 32 EV Charger]( [AND ANOTHER THING]AND ANOTHER THING - Dark futures: [Could World War III still happen?]( [premium] - These are our [favorite animal stories of 2022](. (Science News) - [The great planet debate]( Pluto's redefinition is still controversial 15 years later. [premium] - [It may be possible to traverse a wormhole]( then send a signal home. (New Scientist) - This [space debris removal company]( is on a singular mission to clean Earth's orbit. [premium] - An asthma treatment may also [help tame cat allergies](. (SN Explores) - [Student-made solar-powered car]( sets a new world record by tr aveling 620 miles. [Subscribe to IE+ today.]( Prepared by Alice Cooke Enjoy Reading? Forward this email to a friend. Was this email forwarded to you? 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