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May 7, 2020

The Real-Life Science Behind Crysis’ Nanosuit

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology, science

Circa 2013


“Nanotechnology offers unprecedented possibilities for progress—defeating poverty, starvation, and disease, opening up outer space, and expanding human capacities. But it also brings unprecedented risks—the specter of devastating wars fought with far more powerful weapons of mass destruction.” — Chris Phoenix, Director of Research, Center for Responsible Nanotechnology.

May 7, 2020

Watch DARPA’s magic bullets change course to hit moving targets

Posted by in category: military

Circa 2015 face_with_colon_three


We already have smart guns, but DARPA has taken the next logical step — the defense agency has built smart bullets. The military agency has shown off new footage of its Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance — shortened to EXACTO rounds — that show the smart bullets maneuvering in mid-air to hit moving targets.

Continue reading “Watch DARPA’s magic bullets change course to hit moving targets” »

May 7, 2020

Powerful new magnet provides fresh insight into ‘frozen’ quantum materials

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have finished the preliminary commissioning of a new 14-tesla magnet at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). This new sample environment allows researchers to explore the fundamental physics behind complex behavior of quantum matter.

The magnet, which also features an optional dilution refrigerator insert, is the latest low-temperature sample to be commissioned at SNS. Weighing 2,670 pounds and standing nearly 7 feet tall, this massive device is an excellent tool for researchers wanting to learn more about materials that exhibit quantum phenomena. Its powerful magnetic field forces quantum particles to behave in an orderly way, giving scientists the opportunity to locate patterns in otherwise disordered . And with its refrigerator—which can chill samples to −459.65° F—scientists can essentially “freeze” molecular vibrations in materials that might appear as background noise in neutron scattering studies. This allows for more accurate measurements of the excitations associated with quantum magnets.

“Quantum systems often lack discernible order. This makes it difficult to understand their fundamental characteristics. This new sample environment lets us bring order to these systems we’re interested in studying,” said Matt Stone, a lead instrument scientist at ORNL.

May 7, 2020

Corpse-detecting robots will use AI to recover bodies from the Korean War

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

South Korea is developing autonomous robots to recover the remains of soldiers killed in the Korean War.

The excavations will take place in Arrowhead Ridge, a former battlefield inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that bisects the Korean Peninsula.

The droids will use AI to scan underground for bodies of soldiers still missing from the war, which began in 1950 when North Korean communist forces invaded the capitalist south.

May 7, 2020

State-of-the-art lasers at the micro level

Posted by in categories: internet, mapping, robotics/AI

Many emerging technologies rely on high-quality lasers. Laser-based LiDAR sensors can provide highly accurate scans of three-dimensional spaces, and as such are crucial in applications ranging from autonomous vehicles to geological mapping technologies and emergency response systems. High-quality lasers are also a key part of the high-speed, high-volume data centers that are the backbone of the internet.

When assessing the quality of a , researchers look to the noise in a laser’s frequency, or the number of times the laser’s light wave toggles in each second. Low-quality, “noisy” lasers have more random variations in those toggles, making them useless for systems that are meant to return or convey densely packed information.

At present, lasers with adequately low frequency noise are bulky, expensive and an impractical choice for mass manufacturing. Penn Engineers have set out to solve this problem with a device called a “phase noise filter” that can turn low-cost, compact lasers into those suitable for LiDAR and more.

May 7, 2020

Potentially historic May snowstorm headed for Northeast and New England

Posted by in category: futurism

In addition to snow, 75 million people will wake up to below freezing temperatures Saturday. For many cities it will be colder than it was on Christmas Day.

Satellite image of the continental United States on May 7, 2020.

May 7, 2020

Kim Jong Un once filmed talking to possible body doubles

Posted by in category: existential risks

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was once filmed chatting to two identically dressed lookalikes — escalating wild conspiracies that a body double was recently used to claim he is alive and well.

Footage from July 2017 discovered by the Sun shows the Hermit Kingdom’s leader with the doppelgangers as he showed off a new missile.

The pair appear the same height and size, with identically cut hair shaved at the back and sides, and wearing suits perfectly matching the one worn by their leader, the Sun noted.

May 7, 2020

Would you rep Blue Origin? The once quiet company is trying for a larger fanbase

Posted by in category: space travel

Blue Origin has never been much for marketing. Now, as it has won a large NASA contract, it is opening up a merchandise store.

May 7, 2020

France is using AI to check whether people are wearing masks on public transport

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

As France makes the wearing of facial masks mandatory on public transport, it’s trialling new AI technology to check whether passengers are complying. The software, made by French startup Datakalab, is being trialed first in Paris, and will only generate anonymous statistical data.

May 7, 2020

Compound found in medicinal fungus can “rapidly” reset the body clock

Posted by in categories: futurism, sex

In the future, people getting ready for a flight — and fearing impending jet lag — might fit an assortment of additions into their carry on: masks, gloves, and maybe a medicinal mushroom hailed for delivering animalistic sex drive.

That’s because a new study suggests that a synthetic form of cordycepin, a compound found in a medicinal fungus with a reputation for keeping bedroom doors closed, may help ease the pain of jet lag.