☢️ Rolls-Royce’s mini space nuclear reactor gets funding, ‘dark oxygen’ factory discovered 13,000 feet below sea level, intersex mosquitoes may help stop Zika, dengue

Rolls-Royce has secured funding from the United Kingdom Space Agency under the National Space Innovation Program (NSIP) for more support to the development of its space nuclear power technology.

The $6.2 million (£4.8 million) award will help Rolls-Royce advance the development and demonstration of key technologies in the space nuclear micro-reactor.

The Rolls-Royce NSIP will have a total project cost of $11.7 million (£9.1m), it aims to bring the reactor closer to a full system space flight demonstration. For more on this development, check out today’s Must-Read.

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

> Network Engineer
> Software Engineer

Reading Time: 4 mins

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

MUST READ

☢️ Rolls-Royce’s 120-inch-long mini space nuclear reactor gets funding boost

The project is being carried out to meet the demand for reliable power supply in space, which can help enable long-term exploration on the Moon and beyond.

The company had unveiled the conceptual model design of a nuclear Space Micro-Reactor that may one day supply electricity for a lunar settlement. The prototype was presented at the UK Space Conference held in Belfast last year.

The unavailability of sunlight on the south side of moon poses a problem for researchers and other expeditions. This is where the nuclear-powered reactor can come in handy, and it could also lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon.

🌊 In a 1st, ‘dark oxygen’ factory discovered 13,000-feet below sea surface

Scientists may have spotted another route for oxygen production in the deep ocean floor. They discovered oxygen-emitting metallic minerals 13,000 feet below the surface.

Aiming to study the seabed and its features in the Pacific Ocean focusing on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an international team of scientists undertaking the research ended up discovering polymetallic nodules on the deep-ocean floor producing oxygen.

The minerals were in the deep end of the ocean living in absolute darkness. This finding also challenges the previous notion that only photosynthetic organisms can generate Earth’s oxygen.

🦟 Bizarre male mosquitos with female traits may help stop dengue, Zika virus

Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered a novel method for identifying genetic targets that could help control mosquito populations, potentially providing an alternative to insecticides.

The study investigated the genetic basis of species incompatibility by crossing Aedes aegypti, a primary vector for global arboviral diseases, with its sibling species, Aedes mascarensis, from the Indian Ocean. When the hybrid offspring were crossed back with one parent, about 10 percent of the progeny became intersex and were unable to reproduce.

These findings are crucial for controlling diseases such as Zika and dengue, as improved mosquito control can significantly reduce the transmission of these illnesses.

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 used sensor-laden seals and other equipment to find a complex network of ocean currents that are playing a key role in the ice melting across Antarctica. (More)

> A micrometeoroid struck ESA’s Gaia space telescope in April, causing damage to Gaia’s protective covering. This could threaten the space telescope’s performance, which has been reportedly built at the cost of over $800 million. (More)

> A drug that could extend women’s fertility by five years—and help them live longer in better health—is safe for a young, healthy population, according to early results of a study. (More)

ENERGY

> A Norwegian company has been working on a unique wind energy concept called “Windcatcher” offshore floating facility. It will be a gigantic floating wind farm made up of hundreds of tiny turbines packed together, rather than single, giant ones. (More)

> In a global first, researchers at Tsinghua University in China have successfully demonstrated a meltdown-proof nuclear fission reactor. The twin reactor design can generate 105 MW of power each and has been in the works since 2016. (More)

> According to the US Energy Information Administration, in the five years from 2019 to 2024, electricity production using wind power has almost doubled, significantly outdoing generation from coal-fired power plants in the US. (More)

INNOVATION

> Researchers are looking at utilizing rice husk ash as a partial substitute for cement in the construction industry, aiming to find eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cement. (More)

> In a landmark achievement in forecasting weather accurately, Google researchers have developed a new machine learning (ML)-based approach, called NeuralGCM, to simulate Earth’s atmosphere. (More)

> Artificial intelligence-powered agents will be able to work together and solve tasks in a so-called multi-agent AI system by 2025, according to technology services giant Capgemini. (More)

VIDEO

> Researchers at the University of Queensland have, for the first time, captured images and video in real-time of early embryonic development to understand more about congenital birth defects. (More)

> Japanese scientists have devised a way to attach living skin tissue to robotic faces and make them "smile," in a breakthrough that holds out promise of applications in cosmetics and medicine. (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

In yesterday’s quiz, we asked you, What is the unknown weight if the scale is balanced?

The answer is: 2 lbs

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

FROM THE WEB

> Biologists discover male elephants use infrasonic rumbles to signal 'let's go'

> California officials say that a ransomware attack has shut down the computer system of the largest trial court in the country

> Archaeologists have uncovered a 4th-century Christian building in Bahrain, shedding new light on the historic roots of Christian communities in the Gulf

> Pacific nations have urged Japan to clean up WWII shipwrecks, since oil leaks put coral reefs, mangroves and fisheries at risk

> Regular daytime naps reduce dementia risk, an intelligence expert has claimed

> Nepalese farmers are turning a native shrub previously used to weave ropes for domestic use into a cash crop, utilized for Japan’s new banknotes