My story centers on the concept of a genetically modified virus (named) which infects the brain and gives people enhanced empathy. The narrative takes place in a fictional middle eastern city called Fakhoury and explores bioethical themes. Love acts as a central motif which ties the story together. Note that this piece will be available online for a limited time, after which you will need to pay for the magazine. I encourage you to check out my story!
Read Philosophy Ethics Short Stories with your friends, family, book club, and students. Each story comes with suggested discussion questions.
Following the iconic first view of a fully integrated Starship stack during fit checks on the Orbital Launch Site (OLS) mount, both Ship 20 and Booster 4 are being prepared for testing ahead of the milestone orbital launch attempt. Ship 20 has returned to the launch site, taking up suborbital Pad B ahead of proof testing objectives, while Booster 4 is undergoing final closeout work inside the High Bay.
The pre-launch campaign is ongoing while SpaceX makes preemptive moves on the future, with modifications to future Starships designs and the preparations to increase production cadence with a second, much larger, High Bay.
South Korean company LG Electronics, working with German research organisation The Fraunhofer Society, has successfully transmitted data a distance of 100 metres with a 6G signal.
6G is the next generation of wireless communication technology, following the current 5G standard. It operates at much higher frequencies than the latter and is expected to offer a ten-fold boost in data rates when eventually commercialised.
Still in the early stages of research and development, 6G is currently limited to short ranges and has the problem of power loss during transmission and reception between antennas. A major technical challenge to date has been the need for power amplification to generate a stable signal across ultra-wideband frequencies. The power amplifier developed by LG and its German partners was crucial to the success of this latest test. It generated a stable signal output up to 15 dBm in the frequency range between 155 to 175 GHz.
Purple bacteria are poised to turn your toilet into a source of energy and useable organic material.
Household sewage and industrial wastewater are very rich in organic compounds, and organic compounds can be very useful. But there’s a catch: we don’t know of any efficient way to extract them from the eww goo yet. So these resource-laden liquids get treated, and the material they contain is handled as a contaminant.
From voice-controlled personal assistants to smart robots on factory floors, Artificial Intelligence is having a profound effect on our lives. No surprise then that countries all over the world are trying to stay ahead of the curve. But when it comes to investment, who’s putting their money where their mouth is? Looking at private funding, the United States leads the way — with well over 23 billion dollars going into the sector last year. Coming in second is China, with almost 10 billion dollars. That said, Chinese state investment is particularly significant. And the European Union falls far behind, with investment of just over 2 billion dollars. So why is the EU lagging? And does Germany — its largest economy — have any plans to play catch-up? An example of AI in action can be found at a Rolls Royce control room just outside Berlin. Robots destroy jobs and artificial intelligence will soon make us all superfluous. We’ve all seen headlines like that. But the reality of the situation looks a little different. Artificial intelligence is nothing more than a system that processes large amounts of data and makes predictions about the future based on that data. Engine manufacturer Rolls Royce has been a fan of AI for a long time. Even in emergencies, it keeps its cool. In the control room at Rolls Royce just south of Berlin, safety engineers monitor more than 9,000 airplane engines worldwide. Long before the owners of the commercial jets would even notice a defect, the systems here sound the alarm. Artificial intelligence at work. The systems are fed massive amounts of data. Then the owners of the aircraft are informed. The plane can then be taken in for maintenance long before the problem becomes expensive or life-threatening. In the adjacent building, engines are assembled. Many parts are custom-made, previously developed by the design engineers, who also use artificial intelligence. For example, how would it affect the engine if certain components are changed? AI helps to find the best method. The Center for Artificial Intelligence opened at the Dahlewitz site near Berlin in 2019. People here aren’t afraid that artificial intelligence will take their jobs. In fact, the mechanics will probably have to install even more sensors and cables in the future. After all, in about five years’ time, the plan is for the aircraft to fly here with hybrid drive systems — based on sustainable fuel and electricity.
After comparing the gut microbiomes of 160 centenarians with those of the elderly and young, scientists found centenarian microbiomes had a special mix.
