This week in R&D: the first quantum computer in space is now orbiting the Earth; a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s, thanks to cancer drugs; a startup is breaking ground on their first fusion power plant, they say they are on track to deliver fusion energy by 2030; Google DeepMind announced their AI Earth mapping model; physicists at Rutgers discovered a new state of matter with strange electrical properties; finally, a record-breaking lightning bolt stretched 515-miles.
Aerospace and defense technology
An international team sent the first quantum computer into space
The story: An international team of scientists sent the first quantum computer into space on June 23 and is now operational.
A quantum computer designed to work in space is now orbiting Earth on a satellite. Credit: Walther Group/Courtesy of DLR RSC3 (Trauen, Germany)
The numbers:
- The quantum computer is orbiting Earth at approximately 550 km (342 miles)
- It fills a volume of 3 liters and uses about 10 watts of power
Why it matters: The quantum computer has an onboard camera that could be used for Earth observation. This mission will provide scientists with insight into the potential of quantum computers for space missions and what is required to make them small and resilient enough for space travel.
Watch for: Project leader Philip Walther from the University of Vienna says demonstrations of the quantum computer’s ability will be released soon.
Health and medicine
Researchers discovered two cancer drugs that might reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s
The story: Researchers have discovered two cancer drugs that might reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the brain. With publicly available data, the scientists were able to produce gene expression signatures for Alzheimer’s disease in the brain that they compared to a database of the effects of thousands of drugs on human gene expression.
The numbers:
- Out of 1,300 drugs, 111 reversed the gene signature of Alzheimer’s in one or multiple cell types.
- Out of these, only 10 were approved by the FDA.
- The researchers chose 2 cancer drugs from the top 5 candidates to test: letrozole and irinotecan.
- In the database, compiled of cancer patients taking either drug who also had AD, as well as a control group of cancer patients not taking either drug who had AD, the prevalence of AD was 2.4%
- The prevalence of AD in patients taking letrozole was 2.18%, and 1.83% for irinotecan
- The researchers also conducted a study in mice to further investigate, finding that only the combination of letrozole and irinotecan resulted in significant rescue of memory impairment
Why it matters: AD affects 7 million people in the U.S., but it has a lack of effective treatments. Only two FDA-approved drugs are available, neither of which significantly slows the advancement of the disease. This study presents a promising potential treatment that could be more effective.
Watch for: Further studies of irinotecan and letrozole for AD using brain cells at human-relevant dosages.
Energy
Helion Energy breaks ground on its first fusion power plant
The story: Helion Energy has started construction of its first power production reactor, the startup announced Wednesday.
Helion Energy is breaking ground on its new site in Washington. (Credit: Helion)
The numbers:
- The company says they are on track to deliver electricity within three years to Microsoft under a 2023 agreement
- The startup has amassed $1 billion in investments, one of three developers to do so
- The plant is expected to produce at least 50 megawatts of power
Why it matters: Fusion energy is an attractive potential alternative to fossil fuels. It aims to harness the heat energy from the fusion of two light atoms, a process which occurs in stars.
Watch for: Although there is uncertainty about when fusion power might be commercially possible, Helion has promised to deliver by 2030. Other companies have made similar goals: TAE Technologies aims for the early 2030s, and General Fusion says they are on track for the early to mid-2030s.
Artificial Intelligence and big data
Google DeepMind unveiled an AI ‘satellite’ that can map the Earth in “unprecedented detail”
The story: Google DeepMind has a new AI mapping system which can show the Earth in “unprecedented detail”, according to the press release published on Wednesday. The model is called AlphaEarth Foundations and is designed to provide scientists with a more complete picture of the planet.
The numbers:
- According to the team’s paper, the new model has a 24% lower error rate than other models
- The model is powered by the Satellite Embedding dataset, which has over 1.4 trillion embedding footprints each year
- Each 10 meter pixel in the dataset is a 64-dimensional representation of surface conditions
Why it matters: This could help scientists and policy makers make informed decisions about issues including food security, deforestation, urban expansion and water resources.
Watch for: The Satellite Embedding dataset is available in Google Earth Engine, and organizations are already embarking on projects utilizing it. To understand the real impact of this release, look for results from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Harvard Forest, MapBiomas, Global Ecosystems Atlas and more.
Physics
Rutgers physicist discovered a new state of matter
The story: Physicists at Rutgers University discovered a new state of matter: quantum liquid crystal.
Physicists, led by Jak Chakhalian (left), and including Tsung-Chi Wu (right) and Michael Terilli (center), are studying new quantum phenomena that could pave the way for advanced technologies. Credit: Rutgers University
The details:
- The new state was discovered by combining Weyl semimetals and spin ice.
- When combined, the electronic properties of the Weyl semimetal are influenced by the magnetic properties of spin ice.
- This interaction leads to electronic anisotropy, where the material conducts electricity differently in different directions.
- When the magnetic field is increased, the electrons flow in two different directions.
Why it matters: This study reveals new methods for controlling the properties of materials. The findings could be applied to design ultra-sensitive quantum sensors of magnetic fields that would work in extreme conditions, such as in space.
Watch for: Further studies exploring new quantum materials when they are combined into a heterostructure.
Meteorology
Record-breaking 515-mile lightning strike stretched from Texas to Kansas
The story: A record-breaking 515-mile lightning bolt was recorded stretching from eastern Texas to Kansas City.
This graph uses satellite data to show the reach of a megaflash from a storm that crossed the Great Plains in 2017. Credit: ASU
The numbers:
- The “megaflash” broke the previous record of 477 miles (from April 2020) by 38 miles.
- The results come from a re-examination of satellite footage from a storm in Oct. 2017
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency’s GOES-16 satellite detects around one million lightning flashes per day, one of four NOAA satellites with geostationary lightning mappers
- Most lightning strikes are ten miles long or less; a bolt longer than 60 miles is considered a megaflash
- Less than 1% of thunderstorms produce megaflashes
Why it matters: The findings are helping scientists understand thunderstorms, improving public safety. Lightning regularly strikes 10-15 miles from the storm center, something most don’t realize.
Other extreme lightning occurrences:
- Longest duration of a flash: 17.102 seconds, June 18, 2020, during a storm over Uruguay and northern Argentina
- Deadliest direct strike: 21 people killed by a single flash in Zimbabwe in 1975
- Deadliest indirect strike: 469 people killed in Egypt when lightning struck a set of oil tanks in 1994