🌊 Hugest tidal system, 4 trillion transistors, Starship's reentry

The O2, the most powerful tidal turbine in the world, has been selected as the technical partner for Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) in Washington, U.S.

Each O2 unit generates around 2 megawatts (mW) and can supply power to 2,000 households annually. The entire rig is made of steel and is designed to save costs and future-proof the turbine for mass manufacturing. For more on this tidal system, check out today's Must Read.

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> Project Engineer, Engine Components
> Senior Mixed Signal Design Engineer

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MUST READ

🌊 World’s most powerful tidal turbine eyes US debut with Orbital Marine

The design of the Orbital O2 floating tidal system makes it possible to lower the unit’s draft to less than 9.8 feet (3 meters). In this way, it’s simpler to tow and install in place with workboats of a reasonable size.

The turbine includes retractable legs in the form of “gull wings.” For simplicity of maintenance and repair, these have been specially constructed to elevate the nacelles, pitch hubs, and blades out of the water. Every turbine is capable of 360-degree rotation and has a rotor diameter measuring 64 feet (20 meters).

As a result, the turbine will have the greatest combined rotor area on a single tidal-producing platform to date, measuring 600 square meters (1.969 square feet). With this novel feature, the turbine can produce power without reversing direction when the tides change completely.

💾 World’s largest AI chip with 4 trillion transistors to power supercomputers

California-based Cerebras Systems has unveiled the Wafer Scale Engine (WSE-3), its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chip with a whopping four trillion transistors.

It delivers twice the performance of its predecessor, the Cerebras WSE-2, which previously held the record for the fastest chip. Systems made using the WSE-3 will be able to fine-tune models with 70 billion parameters in just one day.

While chip maker Nvidia has reached new heights with its H200, boasting 80 billion transistors, Cerebras' WSE-3 aims to surpass this performance by 57-fold.

🚀 Watch Starship’s mesmerizing fiery reentry into Earth’s atmosphere

SpaceX’s Starship finally reached orbital velocity yesterday, March 14. Shortly after taking to the skies at 8:25 CT (1325 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in southern Texas, the rocket performed hot-staging separation for only the second time.

The world’s most powerful rocket went on to complete several other impressive milestones. While it didn’t end up re-lighting a Raptor engine, as planned, Starship did reach orbital velocity and travel around our planet.

The launch ushers in a new era of reusable spaceflight. SpaceX’s Starlink internet also did an incredible job of beaming footage back to Earth. It allowed millions to stare in awe as the rocket reentered Earth’s atmosphere surrounded by a wall of plasma.

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INNOVATION

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IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

Hey there! Yesterday, we threw out a brain teaser on our socials: “Find the weight of all: hammer, saw and toolbox

The answer is: 27

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