Sunday Special: Scientists create an "unsinkable" metal

Welcome back, Superhuman. It’s been more than a century since the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Yet, the idea of building a truly unsinkable ship is one that still captures the imagination of engineers all across the world. Now, they might be closer than ever, unveiling a metal they’re calling truly "unsinkable."

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

1. Scientists create a metal to potentially make ships "unsinkable": Scientists claim to have created an "unsinkable" metal that could potentially be scaled up into building ships. The researchers etched out microscopic and nanoscale pits in aluminum, making it superhydrophobic by trapping tiny air pockets inside the metal. After weeks of testing, the tubes remained buoyant even when riddled with holes or battered in rough seas for weeks. Watch the "unsinkable" metal in action here.

2. Hiroshima scientists turn any smartphone into a radiation detector: Researchers at Hiroshima University just turned any smartphone into an accurate radiation detector for less than $70. The setup pairs radiochromic film (which changes color instantly when exposed to radiation) with a portable scanner and your phone's camera. The system could potentially transform disaster response after nuclear accidents by eliminating the need for expensive lab equipment and delivering results on-site.

3. Shanghai lab crams desktop-level computing power inside a single thread: Fudan University researchers have reportedly built a "fiber chip" that crams 10,000 transistors into a single millimeter of flexible thread. Scale that to a little over 3 feet and you've got the processing power of a desktop computer inside the width of a single thread. The breakthrough potentially unlocks smart clothing that monitors health in real-time, and medical applications like brain implants for treating Parkinson's and epilepsy.

4. Surgeons keep patient alive for 48 hours without lungs: In a world-first, surgeons removed a patient's lungs and kept him alive using an artificial lung system for about 48 hours until his transplant arrived. Unlike previous ECMO machines, the novel setup maintained heart function while oxygenating blood, creating the first true artificial lung bridge to transplantation. Two years on, the patient is reportedly thriving with normal heart and lung function, signaling a big leap forward in artificial lung technology.

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NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Kamingo: A compact smart converter that turns your regular bike into an e-bike in less than 10 seconds.

2. Flowtica Scribe: An AI-powered recorder built inside a working pen. It records, transcribes, and creates searchable summaries while you write on paper.

3. Spout Monolith AWG: A compact water generator that uses technology from NASA to harvest water straight out of the air.

4. GoPro Max 2: The company’s toughest 360 action camera yet. It has field-replaceable lenses, is built for harsh environments, and captures everything around you so you can pick the best angle later in the app.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in tech on socials this week

🌧️ Rain Rover: Canadian engineer John Tse has showcased a fully autonomous flying umbrella that hovers and follows him around in the rain using drone propellers, GPS, and sensors.

🛬 Sticking the Landing: After the front wheels of a JetBlue commercial airliner failed, the pilot demonstrated a remarkable display of skill, safely landing the plane and averting a potential disaster. A resurfaced video from 2005 is doing the rounds on social media.

🗺️ Retro Routes: Before the invention of digital GPS, the 1932 “Iter Avto” motor car used a paper-scroll map synced to the speedometer, giving drivers a real-time manual navigation system. See photos of the innovative navigation system here.

⚡️ Class Act: A teacher wowed his students (and thousands of social media users) by carrying out one of the most creative demonstrations of a scientific phenomenon we’ve seen in a while.

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ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Cancer Crusade: Spanish researchers claim to have completely eliminated pancreatic tumors in mice. Current treatments tend to fail within a few months as resistance develops. Now, the scientists used a triple-drug approach, permanently wiping out tumors with no significant side effects or resistance across all mouse models. This could be the first therapy to prevent resistance in pancreatic cancer, critical progress for a disease with less than a 10% five-year survival rate.

Sepsis Sniper: Australian scientists claim to have developed a drug that could be the first targeted therapy for sepsis, a condition that affects millions each year. Unlike existing treatments that only manage symptoms, the carbohydrate-based drug blocks the immune overreaction that makes sepsis one of the world's leading killers, successfully reducing sepsis in patients in Phase II trials. Phase III trials are up next, and if successful, could potentially lead to a market launch in a handful of years.

Peek Power: South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have launched Vision Pulse, a safety system that uses ultra-wideband radio signals to spot people and vehicles that are typically hidden from the driver’s line of sight. The system reportedly maintains 99% detection accuracy in nighttime and adverse weather. Beyond driving, the safety system can also potentially be used in disaster zones to help rescue teams locate trapped individuals.

SUNDAY SCIENCE TRIVIA

The forgotten life of Einstein’s first wife

Don’t Cheat: You can learn more about the interesting idea here.

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Until next time,

Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team