‘Rods from God’ weapon not that destructive after all, Chinese study finds

Plus: LK-99 superconductor sample could be ready in ‘weeks’ [Blueprint]( The Cold War concept of orbital “Rods from God” — telephone pole-sized tungsten rods that would strike like meteors — has taken on a near-mythical status as the ultimate bunker buster. But surprising new Chinese research reveals raining down rods from space may not penetrate bunkers as deeply as believed. Find out why in today’s [Must Read](. Also, if you’re looking to improve on software delivery time, learn how [Thoughtworks helped Workrise empower]( their product and engineering teams with new ways of working and a technical strategy that realigned business and tech. Good morning. I’m Tim, an Editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! VIDEO OF THE DAY [Is Nikola Tesla Overrated?]( Why do Russian tanks dread Challenger 2 so much? The Challenger 2 represents the pinnacle of tank engineering, combining speed, endurance, impenetrable armor, lethal armament, and a sophisticated fire control system. Its unbeaten battlefield record speaks volumes about its capabilities and the dedication of its crews. SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING Invest in science and engineering Insider access to exclusive content, featuring riveting stories that take you right to the heart of the action. Engage with our thriving online community, dive into captivating science discoveries, and stay informed with our enlightening weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, quality reporting is more than just news - and it is Ad-Free. [SUBSCRIBE]( Must Read [‘Rods from God’ not that destructive after all, Chinese study finds]( 💥 “Rods from God” - orbital tungsten rods deployed to strike like meteors - have long seemed the ultimate bunker buster. But Chinese research now reveals hypersonic impacts may not penetrate as deep into concrete as expected. At 9 times the speed of sound, an entire rod arm-length vaporized on impact in experiments. The resulting plasma eroded the rod away instead of deepening the crater. Beyond Mach 5, ultra-high speeds did not improve penetration any further. While they are still likely to be devastating at the point of impact, this finding challenges the bunker-busting abilities of orbital “Rods from God.” [Read More]( HOT TOPICS - 🌄 [Solar power generation averted Europe's heat crisis]( Solar panels played a leading role in addressing the increased electricity and cooling demand during heatwaves. - ❎ [SpaceX tests Super Heavy prototype ahead of Starship launch]( Elon Musk says Starship has a "~50 percent probability of reaching orbital velocity" during its upcoming second test flight. - 😵‍💫 [NASA finds Mars days shrinking, cites increase in spin speed]( The data indicates Mars is spinning faster each year, leadi ng to a slight annual decrease in the length of a Martian day. - 🌡 [Ancient lake microbes triggered 304-million-year-old warming]( A recent study uncovers ancient warming secrets of a Paleozoic ice age. - 👁 [Lab-grown cells promise to cure age-related blindness]( Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells grown on 3D nano scaffolds could treat age-related macular degeneration, a disease that blinds millions. [Science]( 🔮 LK-99 superconductor sample could be ready in ‘weeks’ The original samples of the alleged superconductor LK-99 could be available for validation studies as early as two weeks, so we can soon ascertain whether a room-temperature superconductor, with the potential to profoundly alter the world, has indeed been achieved. [Read More]( [Innovation]( 🚀 Russia to evacuate entire town due to danger of falling rocket Luna-25 is Russia's first lunar lander since 1976 and it will launch atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in east Russia. However, Russian officials must first temporarily evacuate an entire town underneath the Soyuz rocket's flight path, as there's a danger its boosters could crash into it. [Read More]( [Culture]( 👊🏻 Zuckerberg ready for cage fight but Musk isn't committing Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said he is ready for the cage fight. After months of cross-talking, Zuckerberg claimed that he had even suggested August 26 as the date for the showdown, but it is Musk, who hasn't confirmed yet. [Read More]( job alert In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Software and Integration Engineer]( [Houston,US]( [Technical Sales and Field Service Engineer]( [Nashville,US]( [Principal Engineer]( [Remote,US]( [Senior Structural Engineer]( [Apopka,US]( [Senior Software Engineer, Credit Card (Backend Platform)]( [Remote,US]( [Senior Agile Software Engineer (Azure Cloud Native)]( [-,US]( [Cyber Security Engineer]( [Fayetteville,US]( [Web Hosting Engineer]( [Remote,US]( [.NET Software Developer]( [Raleigh,US]( [Cloud Engineer (SLC)]( [Salt Lake City,US]( QUESTION OF THE DAY After a week of hype, how do you feel about LK-99 as a room temperature and ambient pressure superconductor now? [I am very optimistic]( [Cautiously optimistic]( [I have doubts]( [All hype, no substance]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Yesterday’s poll revealed that many of you share Elon Musk’s current level of enthusiasm, with 70 percent having no interest in watching his proposed fight with Mark Zuckerberg. 70% Not interested at all 17% I'll catch the highlights 8% Depends on the cost 6% Yes, every second “The very significant growth in solar [in Spain] basically compensates for the peaks that are caused by air conditioning.” Kristian Ruby, secretary general of Eurelectric AMAZON AMAZERS [Newsoul Portable Monitor]( [$109.96]( [ARZOPA Portable Monitor]( [$129.99]( [CUIUIC Portable Monitor]( [$159.99]( [UPERFECT 2K 120Hz Portable Gaming Monitor]( [$168.97]( AND ANOTHER THING - [USAF considers mounting hypersonic missiles on B-1B ‘Lancer’]( - [UK detector might be our 'last-chance saloon' to find Wimps]( - [You can hear silence, claim researchers, settling an old debate]( [premium] - [European startup shows the way to reduce rubbish on the Moon]( - [Giant panda remains found in 2,000-year-old Chinese royal tomb]( - [Could a gene switch off anxiety?]( [premium] - [ESA's “JoeySat” can “beam-hop” to advance 5G connectivity]( Need help with advertising? 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