🌗 Chang'e-6 takes off with far-side moon samples, schoolkids discover teenage T. rex fossil, Columbia makes Bose-Einstein condensate at -459.66 °F

China has taken the lead over the US by collecting the world’s first rock samples from the far side of the moon.

China’s Chang’e-6 mission has started a historic return journey to Earth to deliver the first rock and soil samples from the moon’s far side. Notably, this marks the first time a spacecraft has launched from the hidden, dark side of the moon.

According to the latest mission update from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the ascent vehicle carrying the sample cargo has successfully entered the designated lunar orbit after lifting off from the surface early Tuesday morning. For more on this development, check out today’s Must-Read.

🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com:

> Director, Platform Engineering
> Senior Software Engineer, Web 3

Reading Time: 4 mins

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subscribe here.

MUST READ

🌗 China: Chang’e-6 makes history with far-side moon samples returning to Earth

The mission was launched in May and landed on the moon’s far side on Sunday.

Using its drill and robotic arm, it scooped two kilograms of surface material from the moon’s oldest and largest crater on the far side. The South Pole-Aitken Basin is estimated to have formed more than 4 billion years ago. Therefore, it could provide crucial insights into the moon’s formation and early solar system.

The samples were carefully stowed in a metal vacuum container within the ascender module of the spacecraft. The state media Xinhua reported that the CNSA has described the mission as an ”unprecedented feat in human lunar exploration.”

🦖 3 little fossil hunters discover rare 67-million-year-old teen T. rex

In an unexpected discovery, fossils of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) were discovered by three school-going children.

On July 31, 2022, three young fossil hunters—brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, and their cousin Kaiden Madsen—made this extraordinary discovery during a casual walk. The trio spotted the fossils embedded in the rock formation of Hell Creek, North Dakota.

Soon, they sent a photo to a family friend and paleontologist, Dr. Tyler Lyson, to identify the skeleton’s remains. To their amazement, Lyson realized they had spotted a very rare juvenile T. rex.

❄️ Coldest US lab achieves a rare quantum state at -459.6 Fahrenheit

Researchers at Columbia University were able to create a rare quantum state of matter called a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). The group made use of its expertise in raising atom and molecular temperatures to very slight variations from absolute zero.

Their BEC is composed of sodium-cesium molecules, which are stable for an astonishingly lengthy two seconds when cooled to just five nanoKelvin, or roughly -459.66 °F.

According to researchers, the research paves the way for studying special types of quantum materials in new ways, potentially leading to the development of unique formations like dipolar droplets, crystal phases that organize themselves, and spin liquids in controlled environments.

Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. Subscribe here

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Researchers have developed a new instrument called a penetrometer to devise a portable, accurate, and durable device capable of measuring the viscosity of lava in its natural emplacement environment. (More)

> Scientists have investigated plastic debris found floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and stumbled upon a marine fungus known as Parengyodontium album that consumes plastic. (More)

> After 128 years of exploration, fossil excavation and investigation, researchers have finally uncovered the skull of Australia’s own giant and charismatic megafauna bird – Genyornis newtoni. (More)

ENERGY

> China has just connected what it believes to be the world’s biggest solar power plant to the grid in northwestern Xinjiang. The plant covers an area of 200,000 acres and is reported to have an output of 6.09 billion kWh annually. (More)

> Researchers from the National Institute of Technology Silchar have developed a scheduling system for electric vehicles (EVs) that enhances power grid efficiency and accommodates the growing influx of solar energy. (More)

> The European vehicle battery venture Automotive Cells (ACC) is halting construction of two factories in Germany and Italy as it weighs shifting to a less-expensive battery technology. (More)

INNOVATION

> Scientists have come up with a new approach to night vision technology, one that includes an ultra-light infrared filter that is quite thin, even more than a piece of cling wrap, and could one day even be placed on regular eyewear. (More)

> Chinese state-owned automaker Dongfeng Motor is partnering with robotics firm UBTech to introduce the latter’s humanoid robots into its manufacturing process. (More)

> In an advance for robotics technology, researchers have unveiled a novel hybrid-driven origami gripper, designed to tackle the challenge of grasping and manipulating objects with unprecedented versatility and precision. (More)

VIDEO

> Autonomous vehicles are a logical end product of ongoing technological development. But unpicking the multiple systems that make them work is not easy. (More)

> Microplastics or tiny plastic particles are everywhere. Now a new study has found them where they've never been seen before, sitting deep inside human lungs. But what does it mean for our health? (More)

> We've set foot on the moon multiple times. But getting to the lunar surface is far from straightforward. Are we worse at moon landings than 50 years ago? (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, If weight is placed on the top of each stack of blocks, which stack would you support the most weight?

The answer is: A

Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on Instagram and Facebook! 

FROM THE WEB

> A new study found that food, and not sex, drove the evolution of giraffes’ long neck

> Scientists have created an implantable 3D-printed material that both restores shoulder motion and boosts the regrowth of torn tendons

> Researchers have discovered a new species of ant, which are blue in color, in the Indian subcontinent

> New Jersey has proposed removing the bald eagle from its endangered species list, citing a rebound

> Scientists have nicknamed a gigantic flying reptile from the Jurassic period “Abfab” after a fossilised bone was found in a gravel pit in Abingdon-on-Thames

> Climate change made the recent flooding that devastated southern Brazil twice as likely, a team of international scientists stated