🌋 Iceland volcano erupts, Brightest sound laser, Longer-life OLEDs

A volcanic eruption in Iceland sent plumes of lava streaking into the night sky on March 16, marking the fourth time the volcano has erupted in a three-month span. Hundreds of guests at a major tourist destination had to be evacuated.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) confirmed that the eruption began with a fissure spanning roughly three kilometers (nearly two miles) stretching between the Stóra-Skógfell and Hagafell mountains on the Reykjanes Peninsula. For more on this story, check out today's Must Read.

👀 Have you signed up for one of our latest newsletters, Engineer Pros? Uncover the latest in engineering news, career updates, and insider knowledge every Tuesday when you Subscribe now.

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

> Cyber Security Engineer
> C++ and Rust Staff /Senior Software Engineer

🎙 New podcast The satellites of NASA's GPM for rain-triggered hazards

Reading Time: 4 mins

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

MUST READ

🌋 Icelandic volcano erupts for fourth time in three months

As per a statement by geophysicist Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, this latest eruption may be the most powerful out of the recent series. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) is closely monitoring the situation with potential lava flow directed towards Grindavik’s defensive barriers.

The volcano is just a few kilometers northeast of Grindavik, a coastal town of approximately 3,800 people. Grindavik sits around 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik and had its residents evacuate prior to the original eruption last December.

Some residents had begun returning home, only to be evacuated once again on Saturday. Thankfully, the recent eruptions have caused no confirmed deaths. However, a worker was declared missing after falling into a fissure created by the ongoing volcanic events.

🔊The most powerful phonon laser ever made

In a recent study, researchers presented the brightest phonon laser. Led by Hui Jing of Hunan Normal University in China and his colleagues, the new laser is touted as the most powerful sound laser’ ever made. 

Just to go back in history a notch, five years ago, two scientists conveyed considerable scientific interest in creating phonon lasers. These replace the oscillations of light waves with the vibrations of tiny solid particles. ‘Phonon’ derives from the fact that sound is composed of particles known as phonons.

As per the latest study, phonon lasers, mechanical analogs of optical lasers, have applications ranging from ultra-sound sensing to atmospherical monitoring and even bio-medical diagnosis.

📺 Research yields method for extended lifespan, high-definition OLED displays

High-efficiency blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are a type of organic electronics that are already widely used in displays and cell phones. Still, despite their vibrant visual quality, OLED television panels are expensive and have relatively short lifespans.

Now, a team of researchers in the UK has developed a novel approach to simplify OLED architecture for high efficiency. Their study highlights that blue light-emitting pixels are necessary for a functional display but are also the source of the issues.

To address this, they created a new molecule that reduces the emissive layer of the blue pixel to just two parts while retaining excellent efficiency. The development could contribute to a significant decrease in cost for both manufacturers and consumers.

IE+ Love what you're reading? Join our vibrant online community, explore fascinating scientific breakthroughs, get special discounts and stay in the know with our exclusive weekly premium newsletter. Upgrade to IE+ for quality reporting beyond the headlines – plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. Subscribe here

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> An international team of researchers from Canada and the U.S. has made a significant breakthrough in understanding how the Ebola virus replicates within human cells. (More)

> Skywatchers may get a rare opportunity to see a comet brighten and dim — while appearing as if it has a pair of devil horns attached — as it makes its approach toward the Sun. (More)

> A new study concludes that Herbert’s imagined world, the Dune planet, which was created long before the advent of climate modeling, possesses remarkable environmental accuracy. (More)

ENERGY

> Did you know just 25 tonnes of helium-3 (a rare isotope of helium) would be enough to power the U.S. for an entire year? A startup is currently working on a robotic lander mission to detect this on the Moon. (More)

> Britain homes could one day be powered by electricity generated in America under plans to install up to six power cables across the Atlantic. (More)

> An entire town in Finland could very well get a lot of its heat from a giant sand battery before too long. The new battery has officially been announced and will be built by Polar Night Energy. (More)

INNOVATION

> Meta-optics promise to solve some limitations of conventional lenses by leveraging engineered surfaces called metasurfaces. These metasurfaces consist of arrays of tiny nanopillars. (More)

> With the high cost of iron rods, engineers are now building with bamboo. While this sounds unthinkable for construction projects, the approach has been described as ‘convenient.’ (More)

> Meet SpyCroc and SpyLizards, the lifelike robots resembling a crocodile and a monitor lizard. They work for the BBC to seamlessly blend into the Ugandan landscape to help capture the nesting behaviors. (More)

VIDEO

> In this video, IE reveals the extraordinary crew members guarding U.S. nuclear submariners. After all, these vessels face unique challenges, such as prolonged darkness, limited communication, and cramped living conditions. (More)

> In the realm of China’s electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasm, the nation has achieved remarkable success, boasting over 8 million EV sales by 2023—five times more than the United States. But there’s a significant hurdle. (More)

> Why doesn’t the U.S. have a high-speed rail like China? IE explains how the reason relates to several factors, including historical shifts, land rights, and politics. Still, initiatives like Texas Central do offer hope. (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

Hey there! Yesterday, we threw out a brain teaser on our socials: “Find the missing area?

The answer is: 28cm²

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

FROM THE WEB

> Astronomers discover a possible water world in the search for a habitable planet

> How a London bridge engineer is making sure a haunting nursery rhyme never comes true

> Polish engineers working on ‘lunar hopper’, future of space exploration

> Spying on wildlife with biorobots: Interview with engineer Kamilo Melo

> SpaceX investor says Starship will open up 'entirely new markets'

> Cosmic cleaners: the scientists scouring English cathedral roofs for space dust

Need help with advertising? Reach 150,000 engineering and tech professionals. Contact us