Worm-inspired liquid neural network grants drone autonomy

Plus: SpaceX’s first Starship orbital launch attempt ends in dramatic explosion [Blueprint]( Sponsored by Good morning, yesterday's fully-stacked SpaceX Starship launch may have ended up being one of history's most expensive fireworks, but the team say they have learned a lot from the experience. More on that below. Also today, a team at MIT boosted a drone's problem-solving and navigational skills using a Liquid Neural Network inspired by 302 neurons in the tiny brain of a worm, with impressive results. But first, here’s [your video of the day](. Good morning. I’m Tim, an Editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let's get into it. Last Sunday, Blueprint subscribers heard all about the mystery of where Earth's water comes from. Don't miss out — [subscribe to IE+]( today to receive exclusive interviews, features, and much more. VIDEO OF THE DAY [Nasa’s Crawler Transporter]( [Nasa’s Crawler Transporter is the largest land vehicle ever built]( NASA's Crawler Transporter is a massive vehicle that transports spacecraft to the Kennedy Space Center launch pad. It's among the world's biggest land vehicles. MUST READ [Worm-inspired liquid neural network]( [Worm-inspired liquid neural network grants drone autonomy]( Liquid Neural Networks (LNN) are a newer iteration of neural networks. Inspired by organic brains, they contain a set of neurons connected by synapses and can continuously adapt to new data inputs. Researchers at MIT used an LNN-based network to train a drone and it consistently outperformed other models, even clocking a high success rate of over 90% in fly-to-target tasks. It might not be tomorrow, but soon enough, we might see drones trained to identify other objects, especially humans. Disaster response could soon see a serious level-up. Click below to learn more and watch a video of the drone in action. [Read More]( INNOVATION SpaceX’s first Starship orbital launch attempt ends in dramatic explosion The fully-stacked Starship launch system lifted off for the very first time yesterday. Though it cleared the launch pad, Starship's first orbital launch attempt ended with a dramatic explosion, or as SpaceX put it, "a rapid unscheduled disassembly." [Read More]( THE SPONSOR OF THE DAY [Reading]( [For every six minutes spent reading, you reduce two thirds of your stress…]( Yes, you read that right. Apparently, [research claims]( reading daily can minimize your stress to a great extent. When you immerse yourself in a good book, you escape from the pressures of the outside world and allow your mind to relax and focus on the present moment. This helps to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, promoting a sense of calm and well-being. Also, what if we tell you can be a part of a great social cause when buying the books that you want to read? Booksio is a charity-driven bookstore that gives 10% of every book purchase to a charity you choose. Wish to make this world a better place? Partner with Booksio and make a difference! [Read More]( SCIENCE Record-breaking: Astronomers detect heaviest element ever found on exoplanet 556 light years from Earth Astronomers have detected the heaviest element, samarium (Sm), on an "ultra-hot Jupiter" exoplanet. This intriguing discovery breaks the record for the heaviest element ever discovered in an alien exoplanet beyond our solar system. [Read More]( CULTURE Time to pay up: Facebook users can now file a claim for their cut in $725M settlement Four months after Facebook owner Meta agreed to a payout of $725 million to settle the legal action over its users' private data, a federal judge has given tentative approval to start the process of handing out the cash. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Is adding biological capabilities to AI drones too risky? [Yes, it's scary]( [No, it's fine]( [Only in the lab]( [I want one]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS With 76% of you either not wanting an EV, or believing they remain too expensive, Elon Musk and Tesla have work to do. 38% Still too much 38% I don't want an EV 18% Yes, good news 6% I already own an EV QUOTE OF THE DAY "The greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." Eliezer Yudkowsky THINGS WE LOVE [Mainstays Patio Heater]( [CIARRA Ductless Under Cabinet Range Hood]( [Real Flame Electric Fireplace TV Stand]( [Cosmo Ductless Island Range Hood]( AND ANOTHER THING - [New invention of "counterportation"]( closer first-ever wormholes [premium] - [More than 19,000 volcanoes have been discovered]( under the sea - Animal mummies in ancient Egypt may have been used for magic, [study suggests](. - DART’s data verify its [smashing success at deflecting asteroid moon Dimorphos](. (Nature) - Chandra X-ray Observatory [identifies new stellar danger to planets](. (Phys.org) - [How creating oxygen on the Moon forged a recipe for iron – without CO2]( [premium] [Subscribe to IE]( [About Us]( [Advertise]( [Contact Us]( © Copyright 2023 | The Blueprint is by Interesting Engineering, Inc. 205 Hudson St New York, NY, 10013, USA | All Rights Reserved You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our newsletter. Manage you e-mail preferences or unsubscribe [here.](