Good Morning! 🌞 

The numbers for last months mind stretcher winner are in.

In first place was Linda Runatz with 19 correct answers. Followed by Gerry Moore and Debbie Ettinger with 16 each.

At the beginning of May we announced that we would be giving away a small prize for the winner. So Linda, we will be sending you a $25 Amazon gift card!

If you want to see how you placed, you can check on our website here.

Innovation

Hover Tech is Here

Last week we wrote an article about the FAA giving a landmark certification to Archer Aviation, a cutting edge eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) air taxi company. This is exciting because their technology is very practical and could be in use very shortly.

However, there is a company out their with a propulsion system unlike any of the others. CycloTech, an Austrian aviation technology company, is breaking the mold with its CycloRoters. CycloRoters are a 360° thrust vector systems based on the same physical principle Voith Schneider Propeller.

What this means is that instead of having horizontal propeller blades like helicopters or other eVTOls, they have a cylinder with multiple blades that extends horizontally in a way that looks more like the a water wheel or propellers on a steamboat than an aircraft.

Despite the strange look, this design does fly, and it offers quite a few advantages. First of all, it can produce thrust in 360 degrees. This design allows the main rotors to propel the vehicle forward, backwards, up, and down unlike a traditional rotor which can only go in one direction. If you want to see a good demonstration of what this looks like, check out this video.

This design also allows for easier hovering and does not require the blades to stick out far from the vehicle, significantly reducing the size of the aircraft while improving maneuverability. Additionally, and maybe most importantly, is significantly more quiet than standard propellers. If these technologies are ever to be adapted for common use in urban environments, they will likely need to be relatively quite.

CycloTech is working on designs for both manned crafts as well as unmanned drones. So far, this year they have raised 20 million euros of funding, and have a target of 53 million euros by the end of the year.

It seems likely that CycloTech’s designs could be the future of the small and medium sized manned VTOLs, while companies like Archer Aviation seem well equip for the longer distance and larger passenger use-case.

I would highly recommend watching this video if you want to learn more about the fascinating cycloidal rotor design.

Environment

Possible Colossal Squid Caught in Video

Last year, scientists trying to film a colossal squid, the largest invertebrate on Earth, may have succeeded when their underwater cameras captured footage of a juvenile glass squid.

Colossal squids are part of the glass squid family and appear transparent. Although no one has seen an adult in its natural habitat, the high-definition footage showed vermillion tentacles and faint blue bioluminescence, suggesting it could be a colossal squid. The "colossal squid" turned out to be a 12-centimeter juvenile, but the privately funded expedition spurred the team to continue their search in Antarctic waters.

Kolossal Expedition leader Matthew Mulrennan worked on the Antarctic tourist boat Ocean Endeavour, sharing quarters with 200 tourists between December 2022 and April 2023. The tourists' curiosity and support motivated the team during their grueling monitoring of the frigid waters.

“We’d put the camera in the water at midnight or 1:00 a.m., be up until 4:00 or 5:00 a.m., and then have to get up at 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.,” Jennifer Herbig, a doctoral candidate at Memorial University in Newfoundland, told Hakai Magazine. The team captured 62 hours of footage, often interrupted by efforts to free the camera lines from sea ice. Eventually, they recorded the tiny squid that might be a colossal squid or another large glass squid, Galiteuthis glacialis. The footage was sent to Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, where the only live adult colossal squid was found in 2007.

“The two known Cranchiidae taxa seen in the Antarctic are Galiteuthis glacialis and Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni,” Dr. Aaron Evans, who studies the Cranchiidae family, told IFL Science. “The squid seen here could belong to different life stages of either of those taxa—and is an exciting example of wild cranchiid behavior.”

Colossal squids rely on the intense oceanic pressures of their deep-sea home to maintain their structure and disintegrate at sea level. Most knowledge about them comes from remnants found in the stomachs of sperm whales. Studying them in their natural habitat is crucial to understanding these enormous cephalopods.

Kolossal and Mulrennan plan to return in November with more cameras, longer cables, and equipment for collecting DNA samples to confirm any future discoveries.

World News

Strangers Raise $54K for Terminally Ill 22-Year-Old Mom

A Northern Irishwoman faced a heart-wrenching reality when, just after celebrating her daughter Raeya's first birthday, she received devastating news. Rachel Burns, only 22 years old, learned she had an advanced-stage brain tumor with a rare and aggressive mutation, leaving her with approximately four months to live.

Despite the grim prognosis, Rachel wasted no time. With the support of her partner, she launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for an experimental treatment in Germany known as ONC201. This treatment, discovered in recent years, aims to induce tumor cell death through a specific genetic pathway.

The response was overwhelming. Within 24 hours, the campaign had raised £30,000, and support continued to pour in, bringing the total to £48,000 of their £60,000 goal within days. Rachel expressed profound gratitude for the outpouring of kindness from both local communities and strangers alike, highlighting how it had injected a glimmer of hope into their challenging situation.

Reflecting on the journey ahead, Rachel shared, “Belfast is a small place, but the generosity from people all over has been incredible. This support gives me hope that I can cherish more time with my family.” She also extended heartfelt thanks to everyone who had contributed to the fundraiser.

For those who wish to support Rachel and her family during this critical time, donations can be made through their GoFundMe page.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

What is as big as you are and yet does not weigh anything?

Answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

The Calendar

Galen Garretson got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.