QLN 14 (130) - EVTOL Craze, Solar Panels Recycling, Blockchain Vulnerabilities, Ernie Bot & Lunar Micro-Reactor

This newsletter has?5?cover stories,?28?articles,?9?videos &?1?quote

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SMALL TALK

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The aviation industry is primed for a makeover with eVTOLS

Numerous companies believe that it's high time for a transformation in the aviation sector, and they're placing their bets on eVTOLs - electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles - as the solution. These small aircraft take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane. Hundreds of companies are working to develop them, and if they obtain regulatory approval, they have the potential to revolutionize our perception of air travel.

Nevertheless, the industry has several questions to address before these novel aerial vehicles become a tangible reality. At present, around 250 companies are striving to transform urban transportation, with some like Wisk, Kittyhawk, and Joby already test-flying a limited number of prototype aircraft, while others are still in the design phase. If this vision materializes, swarms of eVTOLs could soar through the skies during rush hour in major cities, transporting a small number of passengers at per-kilometer costs that are no higher than driving a car.

As Millions of Solar Panels Age Out, Recyclers Hope to Cash In

At a startup called SolarCycle in Odessa, Texas, workers are unloading trucks that carry end-of-life photovoltaic panels from commercial solar farms across the US. The panels are then separated from their aluminum frames and electrical boxes before being fed into machines that detach their glass from the laminated materials that have been generating electricity from sunlight for around 25 years.

Afterward, the panels are ground, shredded, and processed through a patented method that extracts valuable materials such as silver, copper, and crystalline silicon. These components are sold, along with the lower-value aluminum and glass that may even be used in the production of the next generation of solar panels. This process provides a glimpse into the possible future of an anticipated influx of retired solar panels, which will stem from an industry that represents the fastest-growing source of energy in the US.

Researchers discover vulnerabilities in over 280 blockchain networks

In March 2022, Halborn received a contract to assess the open-source codebase of Dogecoin for potential vulnerabilities that could compromise the security of the blockchain. Through this evaluation, Halborn discovered a number of severe and exploitable vulnerabilities, which the Dogecoin team promptly resolved. However, a wider review by Halborn revealed that these same vulnerabilities posed a threat to over 280 other networks, including Litecoin and Zcash, endangering digital assets worth more than $25 billion. Halborn has designated this vulnerability as Rab13s.

Chinese tech giant Baidu just released its answer to ChatGPT

Baidu's co-founder and CEO, Robin Li, presented the company's latest innovation, Ernie Bot, at an event in Beijing yesterday. This new large language model was showcased through pre-recorded demonstrations, showcasing its capabilities in tasks such as solving math problems, generating marketing copy, and answering questions related to Chinese literature. With the Chinese public yearning for a ChatGPT alternative and both OpenAI and the Chinese government prohibiting the use of the American chatbot in China, the release of Ernie Bot seemed to be a hasty solution. Despite its launch, Li emphasized that the system is still imperfect, and work remains to be done.

Rolls-Royce gets funding to develop a miniature nuclear reactor for a moon base

The U.K. Space Agency has committed to funding Rolls-Royce's project aimed at creating a small, nuclear-powered reactor that could serve as a sustainable energy source for future lunar bases. This recent funding injection follows a previous study that was financed by the U.K. Space Agency in 2022. With these new resources, Rolls-Royce is aiming to deliver a demonstration model for a modular micro-reactor to the moon by 2029. In a joint press release issued on March 17th, Rolls-Royce and the U.K. Space Agency emphasized that the micro-reactor program is an important step towards developing technology that could potentially power human life and work on the moon. The ongoing research will focus on three key aspects of the micro-reactor: heat generation, transfer, and conversion into usable energy.

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It's your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you,

but no one can walk it for you.

Rumi

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Read every story from?Faisal Khan on Medium?to stay informed with the best content across a wide range of topics including Business, Tech, Space, Cryptos, Health & Science.

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