💠 DeepMind just discovered nearly half a million new materials in 17 days

Plus: The first lunar habitat revealed, liquid metal octopus arm and glove, the most powerful tabletop laser particle accelarator. What if AI could rapidly invent new materials that might unlock world-changing technologies? Google DeepMind is turning that idea into reality by unleashing its powerful AI to generate nearly 400,000 new materials. Guided by massive datasets and robot scientists, this ingenious system identified compounds and crystal structures that humans would take centuries to discover unaided (eight centuries, by the researchers’ estimate). Read on to discover how DeepMind’s artificial brain could turbocharge innovation and provide the missing ingredients needed to develop groundbreaking advances across industries. Jump to today’s [Must Read]( to glimpse into the future of AI-powered scientific breakthroughs. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let's look into the matter! ⏰ Don’t let the 50% IE+ discount go! 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Must Read [🤯 DeepMind AI adds 400,000+ new materials to database, powering advancements]( Google's artificial intelligence lab DeepMind has created almost 400,000 new materials and added them to Berkeley Lab's Materials Project database. This helps scientists explore more materials to find promising ones for developing future technologies like better batteries or solar panels. DeepMind developed an AI tool called Graph Networks for Materials Exploration (GNoME) that was trained on data from the Materials Project and used to generate millions of potential crystal structures, with around 400,000 appearing stable and useful. The computations also powered A-Lab, a robotic lab guided by AI that successfully created 41 new compounds very quickly, showing how AI and automation can dramatically accelerate materials discovery. Learn more about this groundbreaking innovation. [[Read More]( [Science]( [🐙 Liquid metal octopus arm is the future of soft robotics]( Researchers created a highly flexible robotic arm called the Electronic Soft Octopus Arm (E-SOAM) that expertly senses, reaches, and grasps like the real animal. Inspired by octopuses’ characteristic motions, E-SOAM uses pneumatic actuators and flexible liquid metal electronics to move six arm segments independently, even in confined spaces. A novel finger-glove interface allows intuitive remote control by a human operator. [[Read More]( [Innovation]( [👨‍🚀 This cylindrical module could be first home for lunar astronauts]( Thales Alenia Space is engineering a pioneering lunar habitation module, called the Multi-Purpose Habitat (MPH), to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. The cylindrical module with extendable legs aims to provide astronauts protection from hazards like space radiation and extreme temperatures. It recently completed an initial design review by NASA. With countries accelerating efforts to build Moon bases this decade, the MPH could be the first permanent shelter for lunar explorers. Learn more about this “secure, comfortable, and multifunctional habitation module for astronauts.” [[Read More]( [Science]( [✳️ Tabletop laser particle accelerator smashes energy record]( University of Texas at Austin scientists built a compact laser-driven particle accelerator, spanning under 20 feet, that achieved a record-breaking 10 billion electron volt beam. That’s over 1,000 times more powerful than similar tabletop accelerators. This advanced technology fires electrons using intense laser pulses and may enable new applications like assessing electronics’ radiation resilience or capturing nanochip designs in 3D. Learn how this advanced wakefield laser accelerator works. [[Read More]( QUESTION OF THE DAY What is most exciting about DeepMind’s trove of AI-created materials? [The speed (41 new materials in 17 days!)]( [Potential for sustainability breakthroughs]( [Possibilities for advancing technology]( [Uncovering things no human could conceive]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS 62 percent of you keep an eye on space weather forecasts while 19 percent confess to being solar storm nerds. 62% I've some interest, I guess 19% Yes, I'm a solar storm nerd 10% It doesn't effect me at all 9% I'll check it if all the lights go out “Making a material is not for the faint of heart. 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