🇮🇷 Helicopter crash kills Iran president, solar storm detected by deep-sea observatories, Neuralink's first patient shares his journey

Plus: A quasi solid-state electrolyte that enhances safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries developed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 20, 2024 | [Read Online]( Get IE’s ‘Mechanical’ t-shirt. Elevate your streetwear game with our Gildan Heavyweight T-Shirt. Crafted from 100% cotton. The Interesting Engineering Shop is now live with a curated collection of merchandise designed specially for engineers. [Shop Now]( Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister lost their lives in a helicopter crash amidst mountainous terrain and icy weather, as reported by state media. Search teams discovered the wreckage in East Azerbaijan. The incident unfolded as Raisi was returning from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, where he had attended a high-profile event with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a cooperative dam project between the two nations. A senior Iranian official, preferring not to disclose their identity due to the sensitivity of the situation, informed Reuters, “President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash.” For more on this development, check out today’s [Must-Read.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Â]([Avionics Systems or Software Engineers]( > [Delivery System Application Support and Engineer]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST READ 🇮🇷 Helicopter crash kills President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister: Iran The first reports of a helicopter crash in the president’s convoy surfaced on social media and quickly gained traction in local media. Initially, the state-affiliated Mehr news agency reported that Raisi had decided to travel to Tabriz by car due to [poor weather conditions](, suggesting he was safe. However, this report was later retracted after state television confirmed that Raisi was indeed aboard the missing helicopter, which had experienced a “[hard landing](” due to adverse weather conditions. President Raisi was traveling with several important officials: Iran’s [Foreign Minister]( Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, [East Azerbaijan Province Governor]( Malek Rahmati, and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, who [represents]( [Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei]( in East Azerbaijan. 🌊 The last solar storm was so severe that it sank to the ocean floor The beginning of May proved to be a highly stormy period for our sun. A powerful [solar storm]( lit up skies worldwide with mesmerizing and strongest displays of [auroras](. Surprisingly, its impacts were felt far beyond our planet’s atmosphere, even at the [bottom of the ocean](. [Ocean Networks Canada’s]( instruments based deep beneath the ocean’s surface detected major disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field. These instruments, which function as [underwater observatories](, are located as deep as [2.7 kilometers below the ocean’s surface](. These mainly serve as magnetic compasses to monitor the ocean off the coast of Canada. ONC’s undersea observatories were able to record the impacts of the intense solar storm that influenced Earth in May. The data indicated “[temporary distortions](” in Earth’s magnetic field, showing how far-reaching these solar events can be. 🧠 Neuralink’s 1st patient shares his journey, company seeks next participant The first human to receive a Neuralink brain implant chip has shared his transformative journey and how the emerging technology changed his life. [Noland Arbaugh](, a 30-year-old who became paralyzed from the shoulders down following an accident eight years ago, received a [Neuralink brain implant chip]( called “The Link” in January. “In long-term, I think we can bridge severed nerve signals to a [2nd Neuralink in the spine](, restoring full body control,” said Elon Musk, CEO of X, in a tweet. Neuralink is currently seeking people with [quadriplegia]( to participate in a groundbreaking investigational medical device clinical trial for its brain-computer interface. 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 > Scientists at the University of Oregon found that gelatinous sea animals swim in corkscrew shapes using jet propulsion, inspiring potential advancements in underwater vehicle tech. ([More]() > Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute and the University of Bonn found that changes in gut microbiota can influence our sensitivity to fairness and how we treat others. ([More]() > Scientists have discovered how Earth's earliest sea creatures drove evolution by stirring the water, possibly affecting the distribution of important resources such as food particles and increasing local oxygen levels. ([More]() ENERGY > Yale chemists are combining new semiconductor materials with new molecular catalysts into more powerful, streamlined processes that could lead to game-changing, alternative fuel products that have the added benefit of removing CO2 from the air. ([More]() > Scientists at Shenzhen University have developed a novel quasi solid-state electrolyte that considerably enhances the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries. ([More]() > Recent research suggests that floating solar farms could prove valuable for limiting Africa's reliance on hydropower, while also potentially offering a more reliable supply of energy. ([More]() INNOVATION > Researchers have discovered a microscopic phenomenon that has the potential to significantly enhance the functionality of soft devices, such as flexible, nimble robots or tiny capsules used to deliver drugs. ([More]() > Through its ambitious ECO-AI research project, Heriot-Watt University has successfully harnessed the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to dramatically accelerate the modeling of carbon capture and storage methods. ([More]() > Scientists recently developed a new three-terminal diode that can both emit and detect light. This diode could open new possibilities for the development of highly performing wireless communication and light-driven computing systems. ([More]() VIDEO > Dexterity Robotics has made a significant breakthrough in warehouse automation by developing robots with “human-like dexterity.” ([More]() > ZeroEyes, a company established by military veterans, has innovated a solution aimed at enhancing school safety through technology. ([More]() > A suspected meteorite was seen streaking across the night sky in Spain and Portugal. The European Space Agency said the object appeared to be "a small piece of a comet." ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, What should be the time in the last watch? The answer is: There is 48 min difference in each whats, so ?=7:05 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > Scientists have uncovered how humpback whales learn songs from neighboring [populations]( > Archaeologists recently discovered a Greek-Illyrian helmet dating 2,500 years in very good condition on Croatia’s PeljeÅ¡ac [peninsula]( > NASA is preparing to launch its latest climate science mission, which aims to capture data on how heat is lost to space from Earth's polar [regions]( > Research led by the University of New Mexico looked at testicular tissue taken from both dogs and humans, finding microplastics in every [sample]( > A bizarre, parasitic plant that looks like a scowling owl has won a global photography contest for the best snapshot of a plant or [fungus]( > A new study finds that Eurasian jays exhibit episodic-like memory, a type of memory previously thought to be unique to [humans]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. 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