Indestructible smartphones and cars: what technologies surprised the whole world

Recently, Russian scientists proved that moths eat plastic, which means they can help recycle it. It’s incredible, but modern discoveries and technologies can surprise the whole world. What are phones and cars made from that cannot be broken? Where did they come up with ultra-high-speed communication that transmits data via a beam of light? And who is going to do a spring cleaning in space? Talks about this program “Science and Technology” with Mikhail Borzenkov on REN TV.

Drone light show

Last June, 1,500 drones lit up the skies of Shenzhen. The annual boat rowing competition was opened on such a grand scale in China.

“First, we drew the shapes in a 3D editor on a computer, calculated the time and direction of movement, and loaded this information into the drones. Each drone was equipped with an LED flashlight. We also built in a navigation system,” – explained the organizer of the drone light show Jerry Supandiman.

A car that can break through brick walls

But fewer and fewer people are surprised by such technologies. Chinese engineers decided to amaze the world with a much more incredible invention. How about a crossover that breaks through brick walls? Footage has appeared on the Internet showing a huge burning ball ramming a car, but it remains moving. An extreme crash test of the SUV was carried out by a Chinese auto company.

The crossover drove through several brick walls, then another car was dropped on it, but it continued driving. The secret of amazing durability is in a special aluminum alloy. It can withstand pressure of one and a half thousand megapascals.

“Marine tankers and deep-sea oil pipelines are built from this steel. Also, all parts of the car are galvanized. Thus, the thickness of the coating on the hood exceeds 150 microns. This gives the car protection against corrosion and resistance to mechanical stress,” – said the director of the dealership of the company that developed the SUV, Son Qiu.

Super rugged smartphone

Engineers have something to surprise not only car owners, but also gadget lovers. The strongest smartphone in the world has been created. The developers assure that they can hammer nails. An unbreakable smartphone was developed in Beijing. Its screen is made of heavy-duty glass, which is ten times more resistant to drops than a regular gadget.

“Glass is made from a combination of materials that are processed at extremely high temperatures to form nanocrystals that create a strong and durable structure. Glass is even harder than tempered steel – almost 30 percent,” – noted the founder and CEO of the electronics development company Lei Jun.

Ultra-high-speed communication and dome screen

Imagine, before you even have time to blink, 150 episodes of all seasons are already on your computer. Chinese developers promise incredible download speeds – 1200 gigabits per second. This is ten times faster than the global average. Three thousand kilometers of high-speed optical fiber have already connected three cities: Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou. Information is transmitted through glass tubes using light. This is many times faster than regular cable Internet, which uses wires with copper wire.

But how are scientists ready to surprise those who don’t like to watch movies at home and prefer to go to cinemas? A dome-screen (the size of eight football fields). A huge spherical monitor was installed in Las Vegas. The screens show video in the highest resolution – 16K. The hall is equipped with a system that simulates wind, changes temperature, smells and even vibrates the chairs.

“The LED screen displays more than 200 million colors. A unique audio system is also used in the area. It emits directed sound waves to any point in the room. That is, part of the audience can hear the film in German, and the other in English, without any headphones,” says Guy Barnett, senior vice president of the exosphere project.

Titanium giant airship

The most amazing invention in the field of aeronautics is an airship twice the size of the largest passenger aircraft in the world. American designers assembled the giant. The airship flies at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour and is capable of carrying both passengers and cargo. For example, it can easily lift 14 cars on board. And this is not the most surprising thing: the airship has already received a certificate of airworthiness and is preparing to conquer the skies over California.

“The flying ship is equipped with 12 electric motors. The frame of the airship is made of titanium and polymer tubes reinforced with carbon fiber. This gives it strength and lightness. At the same time, it is able to withstand hurricane winds,” – noted Alan Weston, CEO of the airship developer company.

How moths can help in plastic recycling

The next, perhaps the most incredible technology for processing plastic, was invented in Russia. What’s amazing about it? Yes, what was created by a schoolboy, and the co-authors of the young inventor were moth larvae. High school student Yuri Melnikov found out that three trillion caterpillars can utilize the annual waste of the entire Moscow.

“We throw polyethylene into the second chamber. Here it is irradiated for two hours, which allows the larvae to digest it faster. Then we throw it into the lower chamber. There the larvae eat and reproduce. It’s like a hostel for moths,” – explained Yuri Melnikov, a student at the International Gymnasium of the Skolkovo Innovation Center.

Now there are more than a hundred caterpillars in the experimental chamber. Over time, Yuri plans to open a larger hostel for plastic eaters.

“The larvae need at least 20 degrees to eat polyethylene. The higher the temperature, the faster they eat it. They digest it into another substance altogether – alcohol, ethylene glycol (used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and absolutely safe),” – says the inventor.

Yuri plans to make the secrets of the unique technology publicly available so that everyone can build a plastic processing farm. It’s a pity that moth larvae cannot be sent to clean up space.

General cleaning in space

But general cleaning of the near-Earth space will not hurt at all. The Earth’s orbit is increasingly reminiscent of a landfill – it is filled with debris from spacecraft. American inventors were puzzled by this and figured out how to clean it up. The same force that raises hair on end when a balloon is rubbed against it will help in this difficult task. We’re talking about static electricity.

A team of scientists at the University of Boulder plans to send space garbage trucks into Earth orbit. They will be able to attract billions of even the smallest debris using an electromagnetic beam.

“The electron gun will shoot negatively charged electrons at the space debris, while remaining positively charged. The electrostatic attraction between them will hold them together. In this case, the garbage truck only needs to approach the waste at a distance of about 20 meters,” said Julian Hammerl, a graduate student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The beam will be able to hold a whole ton of waste and send it away from Earth. Who knows, but suddenly incredible earthly technologies will surprise someone even outside the solar system.

About the most incredible achievements of progress, discoveries of scientists, innovations that can change the future of humanity, watch in the “Science and Technology” program with host Mikhail Borzenkov on REN TV.