🌊 World’s largest underground thermal lake, most powerful neutrino ever detected, thinner-than-hair sensors

In Southern Albania, scientists have confirmed the discovery of what is now believed to be the world’s largest underground thermal lake.

A Czech research team led by cave explorer Marek Audy first glimpsed the lake four years ago but lacked the specialized instruments to document its scale.

The hidden wonder was finally revealed during a recent expedition to the Vromoneri Valley. State-of-the-art 3D lidar scanning precisely mapped its dimensions, and the discovery was named “Lake Neuron” after the funding foundation. Let's take a closer look at this Must Read.

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

> Mainframe Engineer
> Senior Cloud Data Engineer

Reading Time: 4 mins

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

MUST-READ

🌊 World’s largest underground thermal lake found in Albanian cave

The subterranean lake lies at the bottom of an abyss more than 330 feet (100 meters) deep, near the mountainous region around Leskovik.

Researchers originally spotted a towering column of steam rising from the rugged terrain, an unusual sight that led them to descend into the hidden realm below.

There, they found an expansive system of caves complete with thermal springs. One chamber housed a massive body of water that measured 454 feet (138 m) in length and 138 feet (42 m) in width.

💥 Telescope spots first ever 220 million billion electron volt neutrino

In February 2023, a deep sea detector detected evidence of a cataclysmic cosmic event.

A neutrino with an estimated energy of 220 PeV – that’s 220 million billion electron volts – slammed into the seawater near the detector. The event designated KM3-230213A is the “most energetic neutrino” ever observed.

The researchers state that this discovery is the first concrete proof that the universe produces neutrinos at these incredible energy levels.

✨ US scientists design thinner-than-hair sensors to detect high-energy particles

Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have made a breakthrough in high-energy particle detection by repurposing photon-sensing nanowire sensors as highly accurate high-speed particle detectors that can be used even in particle accelerators.

The researchers carried out their experiments at the Test Beam Facility at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, popularly known as Fermilab, according to a press release.

Particle accelerators are a crucial component of our attempt to understand the origins and building blocks of the universe.

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

> Australian scientists have genetically modified fruit flies and zebrafish to neutralize methylmercury, a highly toxic pollutant. (More)

> The University of Manchester team has found that the internal biological structure of pterosaur bones could inspire the creation of lighter and stronger materials for future aircraft. (More)

> A new blood test shows promise for the early detection of pancreatic cancer, a disease notorious for its high mortality rates due to late diagnosis. (More)

ENERGY

> Researchers have used waste pomelo-peel biomass to power small electric devices and monitor biomechanical motions. (More)

> Despite facing a terrific nuclear disaster more than a decade back, Japan aims to maximize its nuclear power. (More)

> A compact thermoelectric generator can convert exhaust heat from cars, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into usable electric energy. (More)

INNOVATION

> Japan has taken a major step forward in biohybrid robotics by developing a hand based on lab-grown muscle tissue. (More)

> Chinese computer researchers have achieved a near-tenfold boost in performance over Nvidia-powered US supercomputers using domestically made graphics processors. (More)

> The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has unveiled a powerful quadruped robot equipped with massive robotic arms, enhancing human-robot teleoperation. (More)

VIDEO

> At $128bn dollar and three decades of work, the California High-Speed Rail looks to be one of the largest and most complex projects attempted in the USA. (More)

> Apple is advancing health tech with accessible products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, but why the focus? (More)

FROM THE WEB

> Trump administration set to purchase $400 million worth of armored Teslas

> Scarlett Johansson calls for deepfake ban after AI video goes viral

> Archaeologists find 'exceptionally rare' Roman helmet in Denmark

> NASA Successfully Joins Sunshade to Roman Observatory’s ‘Exoskeleton’

> Sofas that self-assemble when you heat them up? How 4D printing could transform manufacturing

> A bacteria-based Band-Aid helps plants heal their wounds