Lifeboat Foundation

Is search of the sound of silence.

To a physicist, perfect quiet is the ultimate noise. Silence your cellphone, still your thoughts, and muffle every kind of vibration, and you would still be left with quantum noise. It represents an indeterminacy deep within nature, bursts of static and inexplicable motions that cannot be gotten rid of, or made sense of. It seems devoid of meaning.

Considering how pervasive this noise is, you might presume that physicists would have a good explanation for it. But it remains one of the great unsolved problems in science. Quantum theory is silent not just on where the noise comes from, but on how exactly it enters the world. The theory’s defining equation, the Schrödinger equation, is completely deterministic. There is no noise in it at all. To explain why we observe quantum particles to be noisy, we need some additional principle.

Continue reading “The Noise at the Bottom of the Universe” »

He may or may not be joking.

Very nice.

Researchers from Northrop Grumman, working with DARPA, have developed two different amplifiers capable of using the THz range of the spectrum, which could lead to a new range of high-speed, secure communications.

DARPA’s self-repairing security system’s challenge.

In a few weeks, a town better known for events like the World Series of Poker will host the World Series of Hacking.

Continue reading “You say you want a revolution: DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge” »

If you are interested in the work of SENS and how Dr Haroldo Silva and his team are looking for ways to treat cancer why not come along and join them?

There is going to be a SENS AMA on Reddit with Aubrey de Grey and OncoSENS researcher Haroldo Silva. Ask them anything about SENS and the long term goal of developing universal cancer therapies.

FUTUROLOGY JULY 19TH 1 pm EST/10 am PST/6 pm BST.

Continue reading “Dr Aubrey de Grey is doing an AMA 19th in Reddit Futurology 1pm EST/6pm BST” »

Sad for Russia.

President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials dream of a technological leap that could immediately close the gap between Russia and more advanced economies, as Sputnik did for the Soviet Union. The hyperloop, a kind of train in a tube that can reach speeds of up to 700 mph, fits that dream, and a well-connected Russian businessman has invested in it — only to see the project become embroiled in a lawsuit involving a Silicon Valley startup’s founders and claims of financial mismanagement.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, proposed the hyperloop four years ago. This “fifth mode of transport” would involve a system of practically airless tubes through which magnetically levitated pods could carry passengers and cargo. Musk has not set up a company to bring the project to reality, but others have. For example, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, wants to build a system in Slovakia. Another, Hyperloop One, offered a public demonstration of some elements of its technology in May.

Continue reading “Russia’s hyperloop dream is undone” »

Russia’s other option to long range missals.

RUSSIA is preparing to unveil a hypersonic stealth bomber capable of reaching such high speeds it could reach a target ANYWHERE in the world within two hours.

How zinc atoms improved Nanolaser light emission which could lead to the development of low-cost biomedical sensors, quantum computing and faster internet.

By adding impurities in the form of zinc atoms, researchers have improved nanolaser light emission by a hundredfold.

Could we soon be saying goodbye to long-haul flights? One company has taken an important step in making this dream come true.

Oxford’s Reaction Engines Ltd (REL) announced it has received a €10,000 development contract with ESA, so it can work on its revolutionary Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE).

This technology can work both in the Earth’s atmosphere and in space — which is crucial to space planes.

Continue reading “‘Space Plane’ which could fly anywhere in the world in four hours secures €10,000 development contract” »