☄️ 2.6-ton space junk plunges to Earth, Atomic detector to treat brain cancer, Breakfast-inspired harvesting

This weekend, a 2.6-ton piece of International Space Station (ISS) debris is poised to plummet to Earth — potentially marking the heaviest reentry of ISS trash to date. It’s to include nine old batteries that were discarded back in January. Sources indicate minimal risk of casualties. Additionally, the debris’ precise landing locations on Earth remain unknown. For more on this story, don’t miss today’s Must Read. 

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> Systems Engineer, Windows IoT
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MUST READ

☄️ 2.6-ton International Space Station junk plunging to Earth on Saturday

The SUV-sized pallet, released from the International Space Station (ISS) by the Canadian robotic arm Canadarm2 in 2021, has been gradually descending toward Earth since.

In 2020, a cargo shipment delivered replacement batteries to the orbital station. Astronauts utilized the pallet to swap out aging nickel-hydrogen batteries with fresh lithium-ion cells. Due to its substantial size, researchers anticipate some portions of the pallet to make contact with Earth's surface. 

Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell noted that the pallet "will not entirely disintegrate upon reentry—approximately half a ton of debris is expected to reach the Earth's surface." Currently, over 37,000 fragments of debris orbit the Earth, a number projected to rise in the future due to increased satellite launches.

☢️ Miniature version of CERN detector to help treat brain tumors

ADVACAM, a Czech company, has developed a new imaging device by miniaturizing particle detector technology from CERN experiments, now aiding brain tumor treatments. Collaborating with institutions in Germany, the device is undergoing testing.

Investing in massive facilities like CERN, which conducts few experiments annually, can strain budgets, particularly during economic downturns. However, scientific advancements yield not only long-term benefits but also immediate impacts across various fields.

ADVACAM's imaging device exemplifies this, leveraging the original detector design from CERN to accurately guide brain tumor treatments. Known as the Timepix3 pixel detector, it offers promising potential in medical applications.

🥣  Breakfast cereal inspires scientists to harvest water from air differently

Engineers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia have drawn inspiration from breakfast cereal behavior in a bowl to devise innovative methods for harvesting water directly from the air.

In arid regions like Saudi Arabia, freshwater scarcity persists despite seawater desalination, which is energy-intensive and limited to coastal areas. The team observed how droplets mimic Cheerios clustering in milk, driven by surface tension. Larger droplets move by engulfing smaller ones, exhibiting a serpent-like motion that redistributes an oil film.

The researchers believe that this collective motion can increase condensation rates for more efficient water harvesting. They expressed confidence that devices utilizing this approach could harness water through simple condensation without energy input, offering hope for water-scarce interior regions.

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HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> An asteroid the size of a house, traveling at over 50,000 km per hour, is set for a near-miss with Earth today, NASA has said. At one point, the rock named 2024 EJ2 will be closer to Earth than our own moon. (More)

> Scientists from the U.S., France, and Germany have now created a new system for testing Einstein’s Equivalence Principle (EEP): a mixture of two ultracold quantum gases that orbit the Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS). (More)

> Researchers transformed skin cells into eggs that could be used to create healthy embryos. The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers state that this approach holds the potential to treat infertility. (More)

ENERGY

> The U.S. breaks the clean energy growth record by 12.5 percent. The country now boasts a total of 262 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy fueling its grid — an amount that could power around 69 million households. (More)

> Last October, an Idaho farmer accidentally ruptured a 22-inch natural gas pipeline, releasing over 51 million cubic feet of gas. These leaks, typical along the extensive U.S. pipeline network, pose a climate threat not currently included in official greenhouse gas emissions counts. (More)

> Environmental advocacy groups have accused waste-to-energy production methods of greenwashing, pointing to the release of toxic chemicals and pollutants during incineration. (More)

INNOVATION

> A California battery start-up, Rondo Energy, claiming to be capable of reducing global CO₂ emissions by using superhot brick batteries, has signed a deal with Portugal’s EDP to pair its technology with solar farms. (More)

> Researchers have created a flexible sticker that can use a basic ultrasound machine to check patients’ deep tissues and organs. When applied to an organ, this sticker responds to the body’s varying pH levels by undergoing morphological changes. (More)

> Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia are working on a new prototype device that can be implanted on the eye’s retina to restore sight. The device uses solar panels like those used to convert sunlight into electricity. (More)

VIDEO

> Delving into fragments from a rare asteroid, we embark on a journey to unlock the mysteries of Earth’s ancient past. These celestial remnants hold invaluable clues that promise to shed light on the geological and astronomical history of our planet. (More)

> In this video, we explore how Microsoft and OpenAI are joining forces to invest a staggering $500 million in Figure AI. This is a robotics company that is on the verge of transforming industries through its advanced robotic technology. (More)

> Here, IE reveals more about Litheli, a pioneering force in IoT technology and clean energy since its inception in 2017. Litheli is making significant strides in the industry with an impressive portfolio of over 1118 patents and a cutting-edge super factory. (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

Hey there! Yesterday, we threw out a brain teaser on our socials: “Can you find diameter of circle?”

The answer is: 64

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