Lifeboat News: The Blog – Safeguarding Humanity

No speed limits: It works for Germany but could it work for California?

Posted by Quinn Sena in transportation | 1 Comment on No speed limits: It works for Germany but could it work for California?

Feb 21
2019

VISALIA, Calif. – Forget about the high-speed rail zipping commuters from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

One Southern California politician, state Sen. John Moorlach, has introduced a bill that would do away with speed limits for certain lanes on I-5 and Highway 99 – two vital roadways that stretch across the Golden State.

The measure would require the Department of Transportation to expand the 235-mile stretches from Bakersfield to Stockton on both sides of I-5 and Highway 99 by two lanes.

VASIMR plasma engine: Earth to Mars in 39 days?

Posted by Quinn Sena in nuclear energy, space travel

Feb 21
2019

Circa 2017

“We’re likely to find hydrogen pretty much anywhere we go in the Solar System,” he said.

A spacecraft using conventional chemical rockets would take eight months to get to Mars during opposition. However, the VASIMR engine would make the journey in as little as 39 days.

Chang Diaz explained: “Remember, you are accelerating the first half of the journey – the other half you’re slowing, so you will reach Mars but not pass it. The top speed with respect to the Sun would be about 32 miles per second [or 51.5 km/s]. But that requires a nuclear power source to heat the plasma to the proper temperature.”

You Can Now Check the Weather on Mars Every Day

Posted by Quinn Sena in climatology, space

Feb 21
2019

Instruments aboard NASA’s InSight lander are now gathering meteorological data from the Martian surface, allowing for daily weather reports that are being made available to the public.

The daily weather reports from Elysium Planitia began on February 11, and contain information about air temperature, wind speed, and air pressure, reports NASA.

These New Computer Chips Are Made From Wood

Posted by Quinn Sena in computing, mobile phones

Feb 21
2019

Circa 2015

A new technique replaces the bulk of smartphone-friendly microchips with a transparent, flexible material made from wood pulp.

Watch Samsung unveil the Galaxy Fold

Posted by Quinn Sena in mobile phones

Feb 21
2019

Samsung’s first foldable phone costs $1,980 and goes on sale April 26. Here is the announcement at the company’s event in San Francisco.

Samsung’s foldable phone is here!

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Scientist Who Gene-Hacked Babies “Likely” Boosted Their Brainpower

Posted by Albert Sanchez in biotech/medical, neuroscience

Feb 21
2019

He Jiankui did more than make the twins immune to HIV.

China’s CRISPR twins might have had their brains inadvertently enhanced

Posted by Klaus Baldauf in biotech/medical, genetics, neuroscience

Feb 21
2019

New research suggests that a controversial gene-editing experiment to make children resistant to HIV may also have enhanced their ability to learn and form memories.

Mysterious signals are probably coming from space every second and no one can explain why

Posted by Alberto Lao in space

Feb 21
2019

No one knows what it is, just where it comes from.

Neuralink’s ‘Neural Lace’ vs a Digital Brain

Posted by Klaus Baldauf in neuroscience

Feb 21
2019

In this post we discuss the differences between a Neuralink-style ‘Neural Lace’ and how this compares to a digital brain.

India Just Swore in Its First Robot Police Officer

Posted by James Christian Smith in robotics/AI

Feb 21
2019

India just swore in its first robotic police officer, which is named KP-Bot.

The animatronic-looking machine was granted the rank of sub-inspector on Tuesday, and it will operate the front desk of Thiruvananthapuram police headquarters, according to India Today.