Interesting Engineering

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Researchers at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry have connected a commercial large language model to a transmission electron microscope capable of imaging structures about half the size of a hydrogen atom. The assistant, called TEM Agent, carries out experiments described in plain language, adjusting magnification, tilting samples, and refocusing the beam, including demanding techniques like electron tomography and ptychography. It works through a set of prewritten microscope functions rather than open-ended control, and it can chain those steps together for requests that were never specifically programmed. Linked to a supercomputing center and a data platform, it can turn around data in seconds that once took hours, since a single detector can generate roughly 700 gigabytes in 15 seconds. The team says the approach could extend to other instruments and is meant to extend expert knowledge rather than replace it. The research is published in npj Computational Materials.

Flywing's X Wing Fighter is a remote-controlled electric VTOL with four X-shaped wings that hovers like a quadcopter and switches to plane mode at the flick of a switch. Pilots fly it through goggles from a miniature head-tracking cockpit over DJI's O4 Air video link, while a LoRa-based "radar" tracks up to six X Wings for formation flying. It lists at $2,499 on Flywing's store and is currently sold out.

China's archaeological ambitions go beyond history, with a five-year plan to give its civilization a stronger global voice. bit.ly/3WibxRd

Work is underway to adapt Castelion’s Blackbeard missile for the F-16, potentially adding a hypersonic strike capability. No schedule for flight trials has been announced.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are recreating dense fog and heavy rain inside a controlled chamber to measure how well commercial cameras and sensors detect people when visibility drops. Six off-the-shelf cameras, including a thermal model, were synchronized and tested at the same moment so vendor claims could be compared under identical conditions. Fog is produced from a mix of water, ice, and salt sprayed from ceiling nozzles, while a new rain system can generate downpours of 12 inches per hour using netting that forms larger droplets. Lasers fired down the length of the chamber in visible, shortwave infrared, and thermal bands measure exactly how thick the fog is. The resulting labeled data will also be used to train machine learning models that may recognize targets even when people cannot see them in the footage.

Weapons elevator work remains a hurdle for USS John F. Kennedy as construction nears completion, raising concerns about delays similar to those experienced by USS Gerald R. Ford.

Harop-like loitering munitions were displayed during an exhibition and demonstration of unmanned aeronautical technology in North Korea. bit.ly/4iw0hYY

French startup AEMOTION has built a two-seat electric microcar that is just 79 cm wide and tilts beyond 35 degrees in corners, with the rider steering and leaning it through a motorcycle-style handlebar. It reaches 115 km/h, covers up to 200 km on its fixed battery and can be driven in France on a regular car licence plus seven hours of training, with first deliveries expected around 2027.

An M4 rifle exercise aboard USS John Finn focuses on sailors’ readiness for shipboard security duties during the destroyer’s Middle East deployment.

What looks like a mathematical swirl in light could help future quantum computers exchange information more reliably. bit.ly/4yYtGkH

The new Opel Corsa GSE is an electric powertrain and it delivers 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Nm of torque. bit.ly/3V0dqBB

Valuable and overlooked source of dietary fibre in fruits offer potential benefits for both public health and the environment. bit.ly/4yY7Wp4

Arctic data centers and underwater servers sound ideal. Here's why they're rarely practical. bit.ly/47N6Gdj

Chess Dynamics has landed a £3 million contract to upgrade two of Indonesia's aging warships with its SeaEagle optical targeting system. bit.ly/4yVsTRp

ETH Zurich researchers have developed two methods to bind sand into a solid architectural material using Sporosarcina pasteurii, a bacterium that forms calcium carbonate between sand grains, the same mineral found in limestone and chalk. The first method 3D prints a bio-ink of sand, water, and living bacteria, then hardens it in a urea and calcium chloride bath for three days, with the whole process taking up to five days and requiring no heat. The second uses a robotic arm to spray the sand and bacteria mix layer by layer, a process that ran continuously for six months without constant human supervision. Cement production is a major source of CO2 emissions because it demands extremely high temperatures, which makes this room-temperature approach an attractive alternative. The material is not yet as strong as concrete, though it could replace mortar, and toxic ammonium produced as a by-product in the 3D printing method still needs to be neutralized.

A message to Voyager 1 will soon take a full day to reach the spacecraft. bit.ly/4zluAbP

STAR NG is a scalable S-Band Primary Surveillance Radar designed for Approach Control, providing coverage of up to 60 Nautical Miles across civil and military applications. bit.ly/4e5oFPK

Dongfeng Mengshi 4×4, China's equivalent of the Humvee, now features two six-tube launch packs on the vehicle's roof. bit.ly/47TGtd3

China joins US researchers in testing ultrasound to restore consciousness. bit.ly/4A6S7NK

Your blackout backup choice starts with what needs power. bit.ly/3WjbSmD