New Jet Engine, AutoFlight, Neuralink, AI Software Engineer, AI Beer - SpecialeFocus #16

Mind Control is now Possible. Flying Taxis are Real. AI can make Beer. No, it's not April Fools. Just awesome science.

Can Jet Engines now be used to launch rockets???

Astro Mechanica has recently unveiled a revolutionary advancement in jet engine technology, marking a significant departure from conventional designs. Unlike its predecessors, this innovative engine boasts efficiency across all speeds, a feat previously considered unattainable. This opens doors to a multitude of applications, with perhaps the most promising being its utilization as the first stage of an orbital launch vehicle.

By harnessing the engine's efficiency at every speed, Astro Mechanica anticipates a dramatic reduction in the cost of orbital launches compared to traditional all-rocket systems.

At the heart of this groundbreaking technology lies a key insight: the use of electric motors to drive a compressor. This innovative approach enables the engine to adapt seamlessly to varying airspeeds and combustion cycles. By controlling the speed of the compressor, Astro Mechanica's engineers have unlocked the engine's ability to optimize performance under diverse operating conditions.

The founder Ian Brooke also claimed that the team has already built a version that produces 10x the thrust of the one in the video above.

Flying Taxis: Already a Reality!

AutoFlight, a leading electric air-taxi manufacturer, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing the world's first inter-city demonstration flight from Shenzhen to Zhuhai.

Covering the distance across the Pearl River Delta in just 20 minutes, a journey that typically takes three hours by car, the flight showcased AutoFlight's cutting-edge aviation technology in a complex environment bordering multiple international airports and inhabited by approximately 86 million people.

The demonstration flight underscores the potential of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in revolutionizing urban mobility. Notably, the flight was uncrewed and fully autonomous, with certification for crewed passenger flights expected within approximately two years. One of the unique aspects of eVTOL aviation is its zero-emissions, pure-electric operation, enabling vertical take-off without the need for a runway and utilizing wings for energy-efficient cruising, thus ensuring affordability and sustainability in urban air transportation.

This successful demonstration marks a significant step forward in realizing the potential of eVTOL technology for future urban mobility solutions.

Also, Mind Control is real too.

Well, nothing more to say. Mind Control is REAL.

We’ve been tracking Neuralink for a while now. Feel free to refer to our previous editions to know more about the sequential progress.

AI Software Engineer - Is the world ready for this?

In a groundbreaking announcement, Cognition Labs has introduced Devin, the world's first fully autonomous AI software engineer, showcasing remarkable capabilities that set a new standard in software engineering assistance. Devin's unveiling comes with the revelation of its exceptional performance on the SWE-bench coding benchmark, solidifying its position as a game-changer in the field.

Devin's prowess lies in its ability to execute complex engineering tasks with unparalleled efficiency and precision. Powered by advanced long-term reasoning and planning algorithms, Devin navigates through tasks seamlessly, learning from past experiences and autonomously rectifying errors. Equipped with essential developer tools and an innate capacity for active collaboration, Devin emerges as an invaluable asset for engineering teams worldwide, enabling them to tackle ambitious projects with newfound confidence.

Among its impressive array of capabilities, Devin demonstrates proficiency in learning unfamiliar technologies, building and deploying end-to-end applications, autonomously identifying and resolving bugs in codebases, training and fine-tuning AI models, and contributing to open-source repositories with remarkable agility and accuracy.

In rigorous performance evaluations on the SWE-bench benchmark, Devin has surpassed all expectations, resolving a staggering 13.86% of issues end-to-end, a monumental leap from the previous state-of-the-art performance. Even when provided with exact files for editing, Devin's capabilities shine, resolving 4.80% of issues, showcasing its unparalleled effectiveness in real-world engineering scenarios.

But, is the world ready? We’ll find out soon enough.

Apparently, AI can also make better Beer - LOL

Crafting beer is a complex task, often relying on sensory tasting panels which can be costly and subjective. However, recent research published in Nature Communications reveals the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize this process. AI models trained on data from 250 commercial beers, including chemical properties, flavor compounds, and consumer reviews, accurately predict taste, smell, and consumer ratings. These models identify compounds that enhance beer quality, leading to improvements in taste and consumer appreciation. This approach not only streamlines beer development but also has broader applications in food and beverage industries, including the creation of better alcohol-free beers and tailored products for different populations. Read more here.

That’s it folks. We’ll leave you with this for the month and come back soon with another set of wow reads specially curated for the curious you!

Until then, Team Speciale signing off!