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Apr 6, 2023

China launches inspection of ships in Taiwan Strait | DW News

Posted by in category: futurism

China launched a three-day special joint patrol and inspection operation in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait that includes moves to board ships. The move comes amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan.

Taiwan’s President has met with the US House Speaker in a historic meeting in California. Tsai Ing-Wen and Kevin McCarthy’s talks were the first in the United States in decades. The brief visit came despite warnings from China, which doesn’t recognise Taiwan’s independence — and views the island as part of its own territory. It deems any contact between the US and Taiwan as a challenge to its authority.

Continue reading “China launches inspection of ships in Taiwan Strait | DW News” »

Apr 6, 2023

Using Photons as Neurotransmitters to Control the Activity of Neurons

Posted by in categories: chemistry, neuroscience

Summary: Researchers present a new system that uses photons instead of chemical neurotransmitters to control neural activity.

Source: ICFO

Our brains are made of billions of neurons, which are connected forming complex networks. They communicate between themselves by sending electrical signals, known as action potentials, and chemical signals, known as neurotransmitters, in a process called synaptic transmission.

Apr 6, 2023

Tesla teases 3 next-gen vehicles, each in different segments

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

The idea of a Tesla makes sense now that the company has started manufacturing and delivering its heavy-duty battery electric truck: the Semi. The Tesla Semi’s availability on the market hints that Tesla has solved certain constraints—including battery constraint issues—that prevented it from delivering heavy-duty vehicles.

In its Master Plan Part 3, Tesla notes that its electric bus will use 300 kWh battery packs using LFP cells.

Tesla’s Master Plan Part 3 teases a new direction for the company with its next-generation platform. Tesla’s new adventure will likely feature some challenging obstacles and more meme-worthy moments from Elon Musk. And more fun for Tesla investors and supporters.

Apr 6, 2023

The ‘Manhattan Project’ Theory of Generative AI

Posted by in categories: military, robotics/AI

Both advocates and critics of generative AI have compared it to the atom bomb. Here’s where that comparison breaks down.

Apr 6, 2023

Before the Artemis II crew can go to the moon, they need to master flying high above Earth

Posted by in category: space travel

NASA’s flight commander for the Artemis II lunar mission, Reid Wiseman, explains what the crew will be testing on the Orion spacecraft.

Apr 6, 2023

Walmart to add EV charging to thousands of stores by 2030

Posted by in category: futurism

Walmart plans to add the EV charging stations to stores coast-to-coast, more than quadrupling its current network of roughly 280 locations.

Apr 6, 2023

Starship/SuperHeavy

Posted by in category: space travel

After years of prototype testing, crash landings, and explosions, the Super Heavy booster and Starship second stage are ready for the inaugural flight. This test flight will pave way for future missions to the Moon and Mars, but first, SpaceX must get Starship off the ground.

Due to the nature of this test flight, the launch date and time are fickle and subject to great change as SpaceX will take all precautions necessary to ensure Starship/SuperHeavy collects as much data as possible during its flight.

The vehicles set to perform this inaugural test flight are Booster 7 and Ship 24. The last ship to complete a test flight was SN15, which survived its short suborbital test hop. All of the prior ships and boosters are detailed in the History section of this article. For a comprehensive log of all testing done on Ship 24 and Booster 7, check out our Starship Orbital Launch Timeline Checklist [S24 and B7] | Live Updates article!

Apr 6, 2023

Alzheimer’s disease: Deep brain stimulation may help improve symptoms

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure where electrodes are placed in specific areas of the brain. The electrodes are connected by wires to a small device, similar to a pacemaker, that is placed under the skin in the chest area.

The electrodes create electrical pulses that override abnormal signals that could cause neurological issues.

There has also recently been a move toward developing less invasive methods for deep brain stimulation.

Apr 6, 2023

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is so powerful it discovered sand storms on a planet 235 trillion miles away

Posted by in category: alien life

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has proven just how powerful it is with its latest discovery: sand storms swirling on a planet 40 light-years from Earth, or about 235 trillion miles away.

One of Webb’s greatest powers is its ability to decipher what’s going on in alien atmospheres. From its vantage point in space, Webb can peer at a distant world and analyze the entire infrared spectrum of starlight passing through the planet’s atmosphere.

Different spectra of light correspond to different elements, so Webb can show astronomers exactly which gases and vapors are in another world’s atmosphere.

Apr 6, 2023

It takes a body to understand the world — why ChatGPT and other language AIs don’t know what they’re saying

Posted by in category: futurism

Large language models can’t understand language the way humans do because they can’t perceive and make sense of the world.