Hello, and welcome to The Edge, the newsletter that brings you groundbreaking stories from the frontiers of technology and science.
We’ve got some great stories for you today including quantum boardgames, a hypersonic Air Force One and the Moon being used as a mirror. For today’s Start-up Stories we’ll be talking about Boom Supersonic. As always, we’ve added extra stories under each article should you find yourself in a curious state of mind.
A reflection of the universe
Who knew the Moon could be used as a mirror? Image credit: NASA/Victor Tangermann
Scientists Are Using The Moon as a giant Mirror to Search For Aliens
These days, finding habitable exoplanets is a core focus of space exploration. Astronomers have found a new trick to search for these planets - using the Moon as a giant mirror.
The way it works is relatively simple. To begin with, NASA and ESA scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to capture light reflected from the Moon once it had made its way through the Earth’s atmosphere. By analysing the reflection of our atmosphere, scientists believe that they could search for the same chemical signatures in distant exoplanets, which may hint to the presence of alien life. Essentially, analysing the Earth’s atmospheric composition in this fashion gives astronomers a framework with which they can analyse the atmospheres of exoplanets with the tools at their disposal.
Some of NASA’s other incredible projects.
A quantum game of Go
A new way to play board games. Image credit: Chad Miller/Victor Tangermann
Scientists Played a Game of Go at the Quantum Scale
Go is an ancient board game that is still popular today. Now, scientists in China managed to play a game of Go at the quantum scale.
In a standard game of Go, the goal is for players to try and claim territory on the board while capturing the other player’s stones by surrounding them with their stones. The game is exceedingly complex yet the rules are simple, which is why it’s a common field of study for AI researchers. In this quantum version, the black and white stones used were replaced by pairs of entangled photons. The experiment itself is an unusual one in terms of quantum experimentation, but the researchers argue that their work could usher in a new era of games based on quantum physics.
The use of entangled photons in a game of Go brings with it new layers of randomness and complexity. The main difference between the two versions of the game is that the quantum version’s progress is determined by whether an encircled photon is entangled with another one. If a player places down two photons, they stay entangled until another photon is put next to one of them. As long as they’re entangled, neither photon can be captured. And thanks to the complex workings of quantum physics, a player won’t know if a photon is entangled with another until they attempt to capture it, making the game an even bigger challenge.
A history of board games.
Getting from A to B in the blink of an eye
‘Fast’ would be an understatement. Image credit: Hermeus
Air Force One’s Successor Could Go 5x the Speed of Sound
A potential future version of Air Force One, the plane used to transport the President of the United States around the world, might soon be capable of reaching blisteringly fast speeds of up to Mach 5 - or 6,125 km/h.
The U.S. Air Force has just given a contract to the Hermeus, an aerospace start-up, in which they call for the first hypersonic version of Air Force One. Hermeus already has a prototype engine that they’ve built and tested - the next step is building the plane itself. The start-up has been working on their engine for over a year, with tests completed in March. With the Air Force contract, Hermeus needs to ensure that the plane also meets safety standards. Interestingly, Hermeus believe the plane can be built with existing technology.
Ultimately, a hypersonic Air Force One is at least ten years in the future. Boeing will be delivering the next Air Force One in 2021, with Hermeus’ plane aimed at being that plane’s successor.
The world’s fastest aeroplane.
Start-ups, electric cars and Mustangs
American muscle, electrified. Image credit: Aviar Motors
Russian Firm Making Tesla Model S-Like Mustang, Carbon Fiber
Electric muscle cars are a tad hard to come by. Ford’s upcoming Mustang Mach-E is an option, but a Russian start-up is working on their own alternative.
Aviar, the start-up in question, are building a carbon-fibre coupe based on Tesla’s Model S but in the shape of original Mustang cars. Dubbed R67, the car looks beautiful and while it takes design inspiration from original Mustangs, a number of visual updates will be added to the car. This includes a front splitter, a rear diffuser, flus-mounted door handles and carbon fibre side skirts. The R67 will also come with a spoiler that auto-extends at 120 km/h and retracts at 80 km/h.
When it comes to the interior, similarities to Tesla are evident, which is perhaps most noticeable in the centre-console touch screen. Air vents are sourced from Mercedes-Benz and the steering wheel is three-spoke. Most internal components are taken from Tesla parts, including the two electric engines, adaptive air suspension, Wi-Fi connection, the six airbags, traction control and certain autopilot features. In terms of power, the R67 is a bit of a monster - the car is able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.2, with 840 horsepower backing that speed up. To give drivers the feeling of driving an authentic muscle car, the R67 comes with an external sound system that is designed to simulate what a classic V8 engine sounds like.
What to expect from electric cars in the next ten years.
Start-up Stories
Boom Supersonic
Image credit: Boom Supersonic
Quick transport is essential, especially in today’s increasingly commercialised world. Boom Supersonic is working towards becoming part of that.
Boom Supersonic is an aerospace start-up that is developing a delta-wing supersonic passenger aircraft. Their upcoming Overture jet will be able to reach speeds of Mach 2.2 (just shy of 2,700 km/h), which means it would be the world’s fastest airliner.
The plane will carry up to 45 passengers, with flights planned to begin in 2023. Boom Supersonic’s goal is to achieve shorter, faster flights at the cost of traditional business class tickets.