Last year, the world witnessed the inauguration of the tallest wooden wind turbine near the town of Skara, in close proximity to the city of Gothenburg in Sweden. This remarkable feat took place in a country that is widely recognized for its expertise in producing flat-pack wood furniture.

According to Modvion, the company behind this impressive achievement, the turbine has a remarkable 105-meter (345-foot) wooden tower that boasts a towering height of 150 meters (492 feet) with its blades.

According to BBC News, the tower’s 2-megawatt generator became operational and started supplying electricity to the local grid in late 2020, benefiting around 400 households with power.

Wind power is an incredibly cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy source. Nevertheless, there is a cost associated with it. Many turbines are made from steel, which has a significant carbon footprint. With the rise of more powerful turbines, the demand for larger towers has also increased, leading to a higher demand for this metal.

Modvion has developed the “Wind of Change,” which is the first commercial wooden wind turbine tower, as a solution to this problem.

The structure can be constructed on the designated location in seven distinct sections, each consisting of a combined total of 28 individual modules. The tower’s modularity facilitates its transportation via roads and sea, in contrast to conventional steel towers that can be heavy and cumbersome to relocate.

The turbine tower is constructed using 144 layers of laminated veneer lumber, each measuring 3 millimeters in thickness, which have been bonded and compressed together. The timber originated from approximately 200 spruce trees, all of which belonged to the same species commonly utilized for Christmas trees. It is worth noting that these trees were cultivated in a sustainable manner.

“It is our proprietary formula,” stated David Olivegren, a former architect, boat builder, and co-founder of Modvion, in an interview with the BBC.

“Wood and glue have been recognized as an ideal pairing for centuries.” “Furthermore, due to the lower weight of wood compared to steel, it is possible to construct taller turbines using a reduced amount of material,” he stated.

Isolated in the rural landscape of Sweden, the solitary and comparatively diminutive wooden wind tower will not have a substantial impact on the worldwide climate emergency.

However, Modvion is confident that this proof-of-concept holds significant potential and aspires to pursue even more ambitious plans in the future. The company aims to construct 100 wooden towers annually by 2027, potentially on a significantly larger scale than the current scale.

The maximum attainable height of a wooden tower is 1,500 meters (4,921 feet). “A distance of 150 meters (equivalent to 492 feet) appears to be an ideal starting point,” states Modvion on its official website.

Explore the most recent cutting-edge innovation from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, commonly referred to as DARPA. Introducing a colossal uncrewed submarine inspired by the manta ray, created by the same innovators behind hypersonic air-breathing weapons, submarine-detecting shrimp, and robot jazz musicians. Northrop Grumman’s prototype has just finished its initial in-water trial.

The submarine has been designed to transport substantial loads across extensive distances beneath the water’s surface without the presence of any human occupants for assistance. During deployment, it can enter a state of “hibernation,” where it remains attached to the seabed in order to conserve energy.

In 2022, Northrop Grumman stated that their design for the project would serve DARPA’s objective of generating “strategic surprise.” We believe it is safe to assert that they have successfully accomplished that objective.

In February and March of this year, DARPA conducted a comprehensive test of the prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) off the coast of Southern California.

“The successful and comprehensive testing of the Manta Ray confirms that the vehicle is prepared to progress towards real-world operations. It was quickly assembled in the field using modular subsections,” stated Dr. Kyle Woerner, the DARPA program manager for Manta Ray. The integration of cross-country modular transportation, on-site assembly, and subsequent deployment showcases a unique capability for an extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

The level of specificity we can currently provide is limited to “extra-large.”. New Atlas reports that DARPA and Northrop Grumman have thus far maintained confidentiality regarding the majority of the technical details of the aircraft. However, it is speculated that the online images reveal concealed propulsors, an antenna, water inlets, and potentially maneuvering thrusters.

By examining the images, we can gain an understanding of the size and observe that its sleek curves truly resemble the animal it is named after—and perhaps even a few science fiction creations as well.

Manta Ray #UUV prototype completes full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of SoCal. DARPA program exhibits modular, first-of-kind capability for an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle. Built by @northropgrumman. https://t.co/BIDfh3cZCD pic.twitter.com/t6dqWB3i33

— DARPA (@DARPA) May 1, 2024

Manta rays, which belong to numerous species, can be found in various bodies of water worldwide. Numerous reports of these creatures actively interacting with divers and snorkelers show that they are sociable and intelligent. However, it was the elegant movement of the manta rays that truly motivated the engineers responsible for the development of the new UUV, thus upholding a longstanding practice of drawing inspiration from nature for design purposes.

Following deployment, the vehicle navigates the water with effective buoyancy-powered gliding, according to Woerner.

An additional significant benefit of the Manta Ray UUV, emphasized by both DARPA and Northrop Grumman, is its capability to be transported in separate components and quickly reconstructed at the desired location. The prototype was transported from the build location in Maryland to the opposite side of the country and could also be useful in the field.

According to Woerner, transporting the vehicle directly to its intended area of operation helps to save energy that would otherwise be used during transit.

DARPA is presently collaborating with the US Navy to determine the subsequent actions for this technology. The exact timeline for the deployment of Manta Ray in actual water remains undisclosed.

A novel approach to diamond production eliminates the need for extreme temperatures and pressures, thus making it possible to create diamonds at a significantly reduced cost. The world of precise crystal manipulation, as depicted in the science fiction novel The Diamond Age, may be within reach sooner than anticipated.

Despite our knowledge of synthetic diamond production dating back to the 1950s, the prevailing method still involves subjecting materials to extreme temperatures of 1,300–1,600 °C (2,400–2,900 °F) and applying 50,000 atmospheres of pressure for a period of 5–12 days. This has been instrumental in meeting the industrial demand for diamonds as cutting instruments while also offering unique colors for those with a preference for rare hues. Nevertheless, the expense of the procedure is comparable to that of discovering natural diamonds, whether for industrial use or as high-quality gemstones, which allows the mining industry to persist.

There might be a significant shift on the horizon as a method to produce diamonds under normal atmospheric pressure has been unveiled. The temperatures remain high at 1,025 °C (1,877 °F), but even at this level, significant savings can be achieved compared to the current heat requirements.

Low-pressure diamonds were once considered a paradoxical concept. Natural diamonds form deep within the Earth’s mantle under immense pressure from layers of crust above, and many of them were created long before complex life forms existed. The synthetic version utilizes liquid metal catalysts, but high pressures in the gigapascal range are still deemed necessary.

Nevertheless, scientists at Korea’s Institute for Basic Science have challenged this notion by demonstrating that diamonds can be grown using a liquid metal alloy of gallium, iron, nickel, and silicon, even without applying significant pressure in a hydrogen/methane atmosphere. The carbon in the diamond is derived from methane.

“This groundbreaking achievement was made possible through human creativity, persistent dedication, and the collaborative efforts of numerous contributors,” Professor Rod Ruoff stated. He omitted a significant amount of trial and error, which the team at the Institute employed while fine-tuning the combination of metals and other variables. When the team switched to a smaller chamber, they were able to make real progress in a surprisingly short amount of time, even though making the diamond itself was a quick process.

After extensive research, it was discovered that the diamonds tend to form at the lower part of the liquid alloy consisting of 77.75 percent gallium, 0.25 percent silicon, and 11 percent each of iron and nickel. It’s not a ratio that comes to mind right away. In addition, seed particles are not necessary for the production of these synthetic diamonds, unlike traditional methods.

“One day, when I conducted the experiment, subsequently cooled the graphite crucible to solidify the liquid metal, and extracted the solidified piece, I observed a fascinating pattern resembling a rainbow that extended over a few millimeters on the bottom surface of this piece,” shared graduate student Yan Gong. “We discovered that the colors of the rainbow are caused by diamonds!”

The process typically takes around 10 to 15 minutes to initiate diamond formation, with growth ceasing after approximately 150 minutes. However, the team is actively exploring methods to address this limitation.

The diamonds produced thus far are of a smaller size, resembling a film rather than a precious gemstone. As a result, diamond companies do not need to be overly concerned at this point. That could potentially change if scientists discover ways to enhance the supersaturated carbon layer that comes before the formation of diamonds. The silicon vacancy, which is highly sought after for creating colored diamonds, can also be created by nitrogen impurities. This characteristic makes these diamonds perfect for conducting experiments in the field of quantum computing.

The exact reasons behind the desired outcome of this particular combination of metals and gases remain a subject of ongoing investigation. The resemblance between silicon and carbon bonds is believed to play a crucial role. It is possible that carbon clusters containing silicon atoms could act as precursors to diamonds.

Mass production rarely relies on the initial iteration of a process demonstrated in a laboratory. According to Ruoff, there are several lower melting point metals that could be beneficial in terms of cost reduction or in creating diamonds with specific shades or properties.

The study has been published in the prestigious journal Nature.