Three Sigma: Emerging Tech

Edition 4 - The Science Of Formula 1, 3D Bio-Printing & AI Generated Code

Co-Authored by Nirlep Adhikari and Julian Fayad

This edition of our newsletter delves into the fascinating world of Formula 1 technology, focusing on the details that make it one of the most thrilling, technologically advanced and data driven sports. We also cover some of the breakthrough scientific methods for 3D printing human neural tissues, what this could mean, and how the latest AI LLM's (large language models) compare to humans when it comes to writing code and solving problems.

3D Bio-Printing Of Human Neural Tissues:

The Brain Basics:

1. The primary cell type in the brain is called a neuron.
2. There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the human brain.
3. Every neuron has approximately 10 thousand connections to other neurons which equates to about 100 trillion connections.?
4. Neuron has a distinctive structure with “Axons” and “Dendrites”.
5. Neurons don’t necessarily touch each other but have a very small gap between them called “Synapses”.
6. Synapses are like locks where neurotransmitters can fit like keys, facilitating communication between neurons.

Scientists have developed a method for 3D bio-printing with which it is now possible to print complicated human neural tissues for the first time. Human neural cells of different types will be deposited with utmost precision onto the substrate to form a structured tissue.?

In weeks, those printed cells develop into mature neurons and astrocytes, literally creating a functional neural circuit that can copy specific connections in the brain from the cortex to the striatum. These are the real connections, through active communications, things like spontaneous synaptic currents and responses to stimulation, like in a real brain.?

These astrocytes become mature and act together with neurons to control the calcium flow and glutamate uptake—a duo of extremely crucial processes in the determination of brain function and health. This is the advancement that opens a new way for studying how our brains are wired, the development of diseases, and testing treatment, and thus providing an exciting tool for medical research.

The Science of Formula 1: Exploring the limits of Speed, Physics, and Technology

Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, is not just a test of speed, reaction time and skill but also an arena for some of the most advanced applications of physics in sports today. We were fortunate enough to attend the 2024 Melbourne Grand Prix for the first time with some LoanOptions.ai VIP partners and it was truly an amazing experience.

G Force: The Intense Force of Acceleration, Braking, and Turning

So what is G Force? G Force or gravitational force equivalent in its simplest form, is a measure of acceleration or deceleration leading to a feeling of weight or pressure in the opposite direction. For example, if the force is equal to 4G and the person weighs 80kg, then it means that person would experience a pressure that would simulate 4 times their body weight (320kg) pressing against them. In Formula 1, drivers experience extreme G-forces that can test the limits of humans. They must undergo regular training to build resilience because it is incredibly demanding and dangerous without being prepared.?

During acceleration, a Formula 1 car can reach up to 2G, pushing the driver back into their seat with the force of twice their body weight. Braking is even more severe, with deceleration forces reaching up to 6G, while cornering can also expose drivers to lateral forces of around 6G. These forces not only challenge the driver's physical capabilities but also highlight the car's incredible engineering.?

Eau Rouge (a specific corner on the "Spa Race Track") is one of the most demanding corners because of the combination of its high speed entry, S bend nature as well as its rapid change in elevation.

Watch this video about Eau Rouge - https://youtu.be/SnOOqY8huvA?feature=shared

Here are some more examples of the different G Forces?

• Supercar acceleration - 1.2G
• Bugatti Veyron acceleration - 1.55G
• Formula 1 car acceleration - 2G
• Space Shuttle Launch - 3.2G
• Formula 1 car on maximum braking - 6.3G
• Formula 1 car on peak lateral turns - 6.5G
• Apollo 16 on Re-entry - 7.19G
• Fighter Jets - 7-9G
• Formula 1 crash - Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton - 51G
• Formula 1 crash - David Purley (One of the highest G forces someone survived) - 179G
• V8 Formula 1 Engine - maximum piston acceleration - 8600G
• Mean acceleration of a proton in the Large Hadron Collider - 190,000,000G

Watch former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz pass out in a simulator at 9G

RPMs: Powering the Heart of Formula 1

RPMS or “revolutions per minute” refer to the amount of times the crankshaft in an engine completes a full revolution in a minute. The engines in modern Formula 1 cars can rev up to 15,000 RPMs which previously they could go higher, but regulations reduced them. At these high RPMs, temperatures in the combustion chamber reach over 2,600 degrees celsius. The pistons in the engine move at mind boggling speeds and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 0.003 seconds. The F1 v6 turbo hybrid engines contain over 1,000 horsepower which allows them to accelerate from 0-100km/h in under 2.6 seconds.?

Velocity: Air Speeds and Engine Air Intakes

When running at maximum speed, a Formula 1 engine ingests air at a rate of 0.40kg per second! The turbocharger pumps in air at up to an astonishing 5x the regular atmospheric pressure (5 bar). The velocity of air plays a crucial role in the performance of Formula 1 cars. The air speed through the engine's intakes must be meticulously managed to optimise combustion and cooling. High-speed air intakes help maintain the engine's efficiency and are crucial for the car's overall aerodynamic setup, influencing both speed and stability. Exhaust gases are emitted from the back of the car at temperatures of around 950 to 1000 degrees celsius.

Downforce, Aerodynamics and DRS: Engineering the Airflow

Aerodynamics in Formula 1 is a complex science involving the management of airflow around the car to minimise drag and maximise downforce. Often these 2 factors need to be balanced to ensure a good middle ground. Teams spend countless hours in wind tunnels and on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to refine their designs and manage turbulence, especially in the wake of other cars.

Downforce is the resultant force generated by a car’s aerodynamic characteristics, effectively pushing it down onto the track to increase grip and stability. This "invisible hand" can effectively double or even triple the car's weight in corners, allowing for faster speeds and reduced slip ensuring the car remains stuck to the track at high speeds. Formula cars can achieve a maximum aerodynamic downforce that is equal to around 2.5 tonnes when travelling at 330km/h.

The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is a technology that allows a trailing car to reduce aerodynamic resistance by adjusting a flap on the rear wing to allow air to pass through the wing, for increased top speed and better overtaking capabilities by reducing drag and downforce momentarily.

AI Software Engineer Devin:

On March 12, 2024, Cognition; a company backed by the Founders Fund, announced the release of the first fully autonomous AI Software Engineer named Devin. Cognition mentions in their article, “With Devin, engineers can focus on more interesting problems and engineering teams can strive for more ambitious goals” which roughly translates to “Devin will in the near future make entry level software developers obsolete and will aim to gradually replace more experienced developers.”?

This doesn’t really come as a surprise as general LLMs have been able to write good code for a while given a good and clear prompt was provided. For anyone who has also tried tools like Github Copilot, it was clear that these tools can augment the speed and quality of the code to a degree but were far from fully replacing software developers.

But, Devin claims to be different from all these tools. Rather than trying to become a tool which helps developers write better code faster, Devin has a clear goal which is to fully replace Software Developers. This is evident from the fact that Devin can take up freelance projects and complete it on its own.?

Devin can plan and execute complex engineering problems, retrieve the required information, learn and improve overtime. It utilises most of the tools developers use to write code, solve problems or for high level design. Devin is equipped with a browser, code editors and shell. It can work with humans to gather information and feedback, reiterate and make improvements based on the feedback. Most importantly, Devin can learn new technologies and start writing code in a new language which most of the current LLMs struggle with. Devin is also more action oriented as it can design, develop and fully deploy the software to the cloud without human intervention.

“Devin correctly resolves 13.86%* of the issues end-to-end, far exceeding the previous state-of-the-art of 1.96%. Even when given the exact files to edit, the best previous models can only resolve 4.80% of issues.”

This seems like another big leap towards a very different tech landscape. What is the entry level software job going to look like??

Read more here

Book Recommendation: Behind The Cloud - Marc Benioff

"Behind the Cloud" by Marc Benioff, the founder of Salesforce, offers insights into how Salesforce transformed the software industry with its innovative cloud computing model.

Key takeaways:

1. Start with a Vision: Benioff emphasises the importance of having a clear, compelling vision from the start. For Salesforce, it was about changing the software industry by delivering software over the internet, which was revolutionary at the time.

1. Customer Focus: A key theme in the book is the relentless focus on customer success. Salesforce's commitment to understanding and addressing customer needs helped them build a loyal customer base and disrupt the market.

1. Innovate Constantly: Salesforce's success was partly due to its continuous innovation, not just in technology but also in business models, like their subscription-based model which was novel for the software industry at that time.

1. Culture Matters: Benioff highlights the role of company culture in driving success. Salesforce's values, such as trust, customer success, innovation, and equality, helped shape its strategies and operations.

1. Marketing is Key: The book details unconventional marketing strategies Salesforce used to gain attention and compete with giants. From staging mock protests to guerrilla marketing tactics, Salesforce showed that creativity in marketing can make a big difference, even for a tech company.

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