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šŸŽˆ Ukraine's balloon sensors track Russian drone operators, BMW trials UKā€™s first bladeless wind system, worldā€™s fastest supercomputer decodes decade-long mystery

Plus: Researchers find new way to forecast hurricanes weeks ahead using Kelvin waves

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Companies in Ukraine have developed an easy-to-use electronic warfare system that can detect enemy drone operators. Called Aero Azimuth, the system can be installed on large balloons to carry out the operation.

The Aero Azimuth is developed by a company called Kvertus and uses an aerostat made by Aero Bavovna for staying airborne.

The electronic warfare system that can go airborne was displayed by Kvertus at the ā€œProtect Warrior from Droneā€ event, as reported by Ukrainian defense portal Militarnyi. Dive deeper into this story with our Must-Read.

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MUST-READ

The report states that the primary task of Aero Azimuth will be to detect the location from which enemy drone operators are controlling UAVs. The locations can then be targeted by the countryā€™s forces to disrupt or end the drone menace.

It is an interesting approach, as it targets the root cause of the drone menace rather than targeting an individual drone or swarm. Taking out the droneā€™s pilot and supporting crew along with the equipment would mean a long-term solution to the problem.

It is not easy to operate drones, and with both Russia and Ukraine extensively resorting to the use of UAVs there is a lot of reliance on them and their operators for carrying out strikes and surveillance.

BMW is collaborating with the US-based clean technology company Aeromine Technologies to test bladeless wind power generation across its global properties.

To that extent, the UKā€™s first ā€œmotionlessā€ wind energy system has been installed on the roof of BMW Groupā€™s Oxford MINI Plant. The system generates clean electricity without relying on any visible moving parts.

This initiative is part of a broader project by BMW Group aimed at exploring innovative and efficient energy solutions.

Nuclear physicists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have achieved a significant breakthrough by utilizing Frontier, the worldā€™s most powerful supercomputer.

They have inched closer to resolving a long-standing disagreement in the field of nuclear physics. Their research is focused on deciphering the magnetic properties of the calcium-48 atomic nucleus.

ā€œThe calcium-48 nucleus has an excited state that decays quickly because it has strong magnetic interactions and one of the highest transition strengths,ā€ said Gaute Hagen, a computational physicist at ORNL.

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HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Researchers have pioneered a new method to examine evidence in sexual assault cases. This innovative technique has the potential to significantly expedite the forensic process, cutting down on the time required to analyze DNA evidence. (More)

> The worldā€™s first nuclear clock could begin ticking soon after researchers at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder, successfully demonstrated the workings of all the components needed to build one. (More)

> At CERN's CLOUD experiment, physicists are studying the link between aerosols, cosmic rays, and cloud formation and using the data to inform climate models. (More)

ENERGY

> Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) scientists seem to have cracked the code of a potential fuel source for the next generation of nuclear reactors by documenting the unique chemical dynamics and structure of high-temperature liquid uranium trichloride (UCl3) salt. (More)

> The Aqueous Battery Consortium, comprising Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and 13 other institutions, aims to overcome batteriesā€™ major limitations by using water as the primary component of its electrolyte. (More)

> A total of nine offshore wind farm contracts have been awarded by the UK government after last year's auction failed to attract any bidders at all. (More)

INNOVATION

> In a breakthrough, new research has discovered a way to predict periods of increased hurricane activity weeks in advance more accurately. (More)

> MIT has demonstrated a new lightwave-electronic mixer at petahertz-scale frequencies, a first step toward making communication technology faster. (More)

> Zelim, the Edinburgh based sea survival innovator, has today officially launched the worldā€™s first unmanned/manned remotely controlled person-in-water rescue vessel. (More)

VIDEO

> The demand for electric car chargers is expected to spike as legislation pushes for restrictions against internal combustion engines. With the limited time and the high cost of constructing them, will the demand be met in time? (More)

> Drone footage has revealed the ruins of the sunken Greek village Kallio re-emerging from the water after a reservoir partially dried up. (More)

IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS

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The answer is: 15

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FROM THE WEB

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> Researchers develop tool that measures health of a person's gut microbiome

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