🛰️ Satellites snap Baltimore bridge crash, Implantable batteries, Europe's hyperloop

Satellite imaging company Maxar has released images of the Singaporean container ship DALI wedged between the Francis Scott Key Bridge sections in Baltimore.

The 1.6-mile (2.57-kilometer) long bridge completely collapsed moments after DALI collided with it at 1:30 am ET on Tuesday, March 26. To have a look at the satellite images, check out today's Must Read.

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MUST READ

🛰️ Satellite images capture Baltimore bridge collapse

Four lanes of traffic flowed over this bridge, an important part of Interstate 695 and carrying over 11 million people every year. In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the container ship DALI crashed into one of the bridge’s pillars, bringing down the central and southern parts almost immediately.

Moments later, the northern part of the bridge also collapsed, bringing an end to the 47-year-old structure. As seen in the footage, it is likely the ship lost all engine and electrical power.

The ship stopped and remained there, allowing Maxar to capture its satellite images. Additionally, sonar technology spotted cars in the rivers, which likely belonged to construction workers working on the spot. It is now known that six people are missing and presumed dead. Two bodies have recently recovered.

🔋 Chinese researchers engineer implantable batteries sustained by body oxygen

Researchers at the Tianjin University of Technology in China have developed a new type of battery that runs on oxygen in the body and never runs out of power. A press release noted that such a battery can be implanted into the body for multiple purposes.

The battery design consists of electrodes made from a sodium-based alloy and nanoporous gold. In this form, the gold has thousands of microscopic holes. They used gold since it is a good conductor and compatible with living systems. Sodium, on the other hand, is an essential element in the human body.

The electrodes react with oxygen in the body and generate a voltage. To test their device, the research team planted a battery under the skin of rats in the lab. The results serve as a valuable proof-of-concept for further research.

🚝 Europe’s longest hyperloop testing center now open in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the longest tunnel in Europe for testing hyperloop technology is now open for business. The tunnel’s proprietors envision being able to transport people from Amsterdam to Barcelona in a matter of hours.

This state-of-the-art facility, located near Veendam in the country’s northern region, is equipped to demonstrate all essential hyperloop technologies, including an industry-first lane-switch that can be used to test a speed of 47-62 miles per hour (75-100 kilometers per hour).

The facility features a 420-meter test tunnel with 34 interlinked pipes, each around 2.5 meters wide. Elon Musk popularized the hyperloop concept in 2013 when he published a paper about a "fifth mode of transport" connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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