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- 🌈 This Week: Microplastics in Drinks, Scout Motors Revival & AI Defense
🌈 This Week: Microplastics in Drinks, Scout Motors Revival & AI Defense
Weathering Change with Confidence

Relevant News
B-2 Stealth Bomber Set to Retire as B-21 Arrives

🗞️ News
The US Air Force will retire its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet by the early 2030s, citing high costs and the upcoming B-21 Raider.
🔍 Insight
Debuting in 1988, the B-2 was a marvel of stealth tech but costs ~$135k per flight hour to operate. Its successor, the B-21, promises modernized stealth and efficiency, influencing the retirement decision.
You think the B-2 Spirit is cool?
Yeah, it is. They're amazing aircraft. But they were revealed in 1988. Nearly 40 years ago.
The B-21 Raider is the FAR more advanced successor to the B-2.
And the best part? It's already flying.
Coming soon to an enemy near you.— Jer 🇺🇲 (@Mcoorah)
6:49 PM • Jun 21, 2025
🚀 Future
The transition to the B-21 Raider signals a new era of strategic bombers. As the B-2 era winds down, the Air Force pivots to smaller fleets of advanced aircraft to maintain an edge in future conflicts.
Application
Hospitals Deploy AI to Combat $600K/hour Cyberattacks

💻 Alert
A major hospital network warns a full IT outage could cost $500K–$600K per hour, so it’s using AI-driven cybersecurity to fight off ransomware. The AI tools cut incident response times by 30% and false alarms by 90%, saving money and potentially lives.
🔍 Insight
Hospitals have become prime targets for cybercriminals as digital records and ransomware proliferate. In Alberta, one CISO overseeing 106 hospitals uses an AI platform (Securonix) that behaves like an army of analysts—spotting subtle threats humans might miss.
🚀 Future
AI defenses are increasingly essential for critical infrastructure. As cyber attacks grow more sophisticated, healthcare providers worldwide may lean on machine learning to protect patient data and keep vital systems running safely.
Insightful Framework
Winning In BusinessExtreme Ownership![]() 🎖️ Insight: Former Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin champion the principle of extreme ownership—leaders must take full responsibility for outcomes, no excuses. In business, they argue, this mindset creates clarity, trust, and accountability. Over 400 companies have adopted this battlefield-tested approach to leadership. | 💡 Context: Through their firm, Willink and Babin help companies hire ex-military leaders trained in decisiveness, discipline, and taking ownership under pressure. Their core belief: no bad teams, only bad leaders. 🚀 Applicability: As “extreme ownership” gains traction, demand is rising for engineers who can not only communicate this skill in interviews, but also practice it day-to-day. In business, this skill is incredibly important in driving success. |
New Tool
Beehiiv: The Newsletter Tool Built for Growth & Monetization
🛠️ Tool: Beehiiv is an all-in-one newsletter platform created by former Morning Brew team members. It helps creators easily write, design, and send newsletters, while also providing built-in tools to grow subscribers and earn revenue.

🔍 Features: The platform offers a code-free editor, referral programs for audience growth, SEO optimization, and analytics dashboards. Creators can monetize via subscriptions, ads, or paid tiers—all without needing multiple separate services.
🚀 Trend: As newsletter publishing booms, Beehiiv and similar tools empower independent writers and brands. By combining growth hacks and monetization in one place, they lower barriers for content creators aiming to build and profit from loyal audiences.
Breakthrough Research
Laser Welding Breakthrough: Deeper and Cleaner Welds Ahead

🔬 Discovery: Scientists visualized how vapor plumes (hot metal gas) in high-power laser welding scatter the laser beam and heat. By filming the welding plume with special cameras, they revealed how it can defocus laser energy during deep welds.
🔍 Insight: In deep laser welding of steel, evaporated metal forms a bright plasma plume above the molten pool. The research shows this plume can absorb or redirect the laser’s light, affecting weld quality. Understanding this interaction helps engineers tweak parameters to minimize energy loss.
🚀 Future: With these findings, manufacturers could develop smarter laser welding systems that adjust in real time for plume effects. The result may be stronger, cleaner welds in industries like aerospace and automotive, as laser techniques become even more precise.
Source: Johannes Wahl, Christian Frey, John Powell, Felix Zaiß, Michael Haas, Simon Olschok, Uwe Reisgen, Christian Hagenlocher, Thomas Graf, Laser-plume interactions in deep-penetration remote laser welding of stainless steel, Optics & Laser Technology, Volume 186, 2025, 112678, ISSN 0030-3992, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlastec.2025.112678. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003039922500266X)
Opportunities
Scout Motors Breaks Ground on South Carolina EV Plant
🏭 Event
Scout Motors has begun construction of a 1,600-acre electric vehicle factory in Blythewood, South Carolina. The plant will produce all-electric Scout trucks and SUVs, reviving the classic Scout off-road vehicle brand and creating a major new manufacturing hub.
🔍 Impact
State leaders hail the project as an economic boon that will bring thousands of jobs and investment. The groundbreaking celebrated American manufacturing “coming home,” with officials noting it will boost the region’s economy and position South Carolina as an EV production leader.
Construction at the Scout Motors Production Center in Blythewood, South Carolina, is in full swing.
Crews have moved over 16 million cubic yards of dirt, laid floors in the Paint Shop, and installed the final steel beams for the Assembly Building. Work has also started on
— Scout Motors (@Scout_Motors)
7:20 PM • Jan 9, 2025
🚀 Future
Scout plans to roll out its first electric trucks by late 2026, targeting up to 200,000 vehicles annually at full capacity. This could be a great employment opportunity for aspiring or established engineers, and a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs to take advantage of growth in South Carolina.
World News
Microplastics Found in Everyday Beverages; Health Concerns Raised

🌍 Alert: A scientific study detected microplastic particles in a variety of popular beverages sold in France. Even drinks in glass bottles contained tiny plastic fragments, revealing that everyday drinks can carry unseen plastic contamination.
Here are the culprit caps
— Samuel Hume (@DrSamuelBHume)
4:45 PM • Jun 21, 2025
🔍 Context: Microplastics – often shed from packaging or the environment – have been found in water, salt, and seafood across the globe. This research adds evidence that our daily food and drink expose us to these particles, sparking concerns about cumulative intake.
🚀 Global: Health experts are unsure of the exact effects of ingesting microplastics, but they worry these particles could carry toxins or disrupt human biology. The findings bolster calls for reducing single-use plastics and improving filtration to keep our food and beverages safer.
That’s The End of The RAINBOW 🌈.
📬 Stay tuned for next week’s edition of R.A.I.N.B.O.W.
We’re dropping fresh insights across engineering, business, and breakthrough tech—every Saturday morning.
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About Nimbus News and the RAINBOW Newsletter
We deliver clear, technically sound updates on engineering, innovation, and business — without hype or filler. Whether you're in mechanical, industrial, chemical, electrical, or entrepreneurial fields, we break down what matters so you can stay sharp and informed.
Our goal is simple: Help you weather change with confidence.
If we get something wrong, we strive to correct it. If you see something worth sharing, we’ll listen. Contact us at [email protected] for feedback.
The Nimbus News Team
P.S.
Content in this article may be generated by artificial intelligence. All content is reviewed by Humans on Earth.
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