Sunday Special: Supersonic jet takes off without the 'boom'

Welcome back, Superhuman. NASA’s supersonic jet nailed a historic test this week, solving a critical bottleneck that had held supersonic flight back since the retirement of the Concorde. Meanwhile, a video right from the eye of a Category 5 storm is getting a ton of attention online.

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week 

1. NASA’s 'silent' supersonic jet completes historic test flight: The X-59 jet uses its unique elongated nose design to disperse shock waves, reducing the traditional sonic boom to a gentle "thump" sound. If successful, the $518M aircraft could potentially cut flight times in half by allowing supersonic speeds over populated areas without the neighborhood-rattling noise that grounded the Concorde years ago. You can watch the historic test flight here.

2. France unveils new motorway that charges EVs on the go: The country has deployed the world's first motorway that packs dynamic wireless charging technology to power EVs as they drive on it. The road delivered charging rates of about 300 kW to specially equipped vehicles during initial tests. It could potentially allow for smaller, lighter EV batteries in trucks and buses and eliminate charging stops, solving the range anxiety and downtime issues that have slowed electric adoption in the logistics sector.

3. One of the biggest dinosaur debates may finally be settled: In 1988, researchers found a tiny skull of what seemed like a teenage T. rex in Montana. Now, paleontologists have seemingly confirmed alternate theories that the fossils belong to Nanotyrannus, a distinct species with larger forelimbs, more teeth, and different cranial nerves than T. rex. The discovery "overturns decades of research", revealing that the T. rex wasn't the only apex predator of the Late Cretaceous ecosystem.

4. Scientists get their own subsea office space: UK-based company DEEP has unveiled Vanguard, a "subsea human habitat" designed to let scientists live and work underwater for a week or more, dramatically extending current dives that last only a few hours. The unique vessel could potentially revolutionize ocean exploration and conservation efforts by giving researchers unprecedented access to unexplored zones. Check out an animation of what Vanguard looks like from the inside.

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NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Board: A face-to-face gaming console that combines board games and video games into one platform. It packs 12 exclusive games into one console.

2. Autonomous Stand: A clip-on smart device that tracks, reminds, and rewards you with tokens to encourage you to use your standing desk.

3. Bee: A wearable AI designed to act as your personal assistant. It can convert your conversations, tasks, places, and daily moments into summaries, personal insights, and timely reminders.

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

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in tech on socials this week

🌪️ Eye of the Storm: The view from a USAF C-130 J Hercules flying inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa shows the infamous "stadium effect" — the calm eye at the center of the storm.

🎃 Trick or Treat: Tesla’s Optimus caught the internet’s attention this Halloween, as videos showing the robot rocking a zombie costume racked up thousands of likes on X.

📸 Frame Fame: A Reddit thread shows a list of historical figures who lived long enough to be photographed by the world’s first cameras. Some of the entries on this list will surprise you.

🧠 Brain Boost: A video showing a Neuralink patient using his thoughts to play a computer game is blowing up on X right now. Another patient is reportedly taking pre-calc, studying neuroscience, and has kicked off a career in public speaking.

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ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Kidney Crossover: Spanish researchers have transplanted lab-grown human kidney organoids into pig kidneys and reimplanted them, with the organs functioning normally and showing no rejection for 48 hours. If proven safe, the technique could let doctors repair organs before surgery—cutting waitlists and expanding transplant access worldwide.

Back Talk: Scientists claim to have developed the world's first self-powered spinal implant that monitors healing in real-time. The implants send healing data to the cloud, which could help doctors spot complications early after spinal fusion surgery. The breakthrough represents a shift toward "connected recovery," where intelligent implants could eliminate unnecessary doctor visits and dramatically improve outcomes for complex surgeries.

Mind Mend: Scientists say they’ve built nanoparticles that reversed Alzheimer’s in mice. In one case, an 18-month-old (a 90-year-old human equivalent) mouse bounced back to healthy performance after three doses. If confirmed, it could signal a new playbook for neurological care by rebooting the brain’s self-cleaning process, rather than just treating symptoms.

SUNDAY SCIENCE TRIVIA

The Manhattan Earthquake of 1898

Don’t Cheat: You can read more about the shocking incident here.

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