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Jul 25, 2019

Could a Chinese supercharged bacterium spark a superhuman revolution?

Posted by in category: energy

Researchers say they created E coli strain that can draw free energy from the environment; its next task is to see if technique can be applied to complex life forms such as humans and animals.

Jul 25, 2019

What is Machine Learning (Unsupervised Learning) — Part 2

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LI1l9E_MeA

This video was made possible by Brilliant. Be one of the first 200 people to sign up with this link and get 20% off your premium subscription with Brilliant.org! https://brilliant.org/singularity

In the last video in this series, we started on a quest to clear up the misconceptions between artificial intelligence and machine learning, beginning with discussing supervised learning, an essential foundational building block in understanding the modern field of machine learning.

Continue reading “What is Machine Learning (Unsupervised Learning) — Part 2” »

Jul 25, 2019

Audi A9 Concept Car Repairs Itself And Changes Color

Posted by in categories: nanotechnology, transportation

Imagine an amazing sports car that could repair itself from damage and automatically change color! Well that’s exactly what Spanish designer Daniel Garcia was thinking of when he created this awesome concept design for the Audi A9. He got some inspiration for this particular design from Santiago Calatrava’s buildings in his hometown of Valencia. Calatrava’s architectural style looks very modern and futuristic, which is exactly what we would describe this car to look like. The windscreen and roof are to be made from a nanotechnology material that can auto-repair and adjust colors. This material isn’t even something that exists right now, so will it be a long time before we actually get to see something like this in action? The idea of it sounds awesome though, right?!

Jul 25, 2019

Seabed mining is coming — bringing mineral riches and fears of epic extinctions

Posted by in categories: business, existential risks, sustainability, transportation

Now, it seems this nascent industry’s time has come. A growing demand for batteries to power electric cars and to store wind and solar energy has driven up the cost of many rare-earth metals and bolstered the business case for sea-bed mining. What’s more, the industry’s long-awaited regulations — in the form of a mining code — are due to be finalized by 2020, putting in place a process whereby contractors can apply for 30-year licences to mine assigned ‘claim areas’ in parts of the international sea bed such as the CCZ. Already, miners are exploring the potential wealth of these claim areas, but no commercial extraction will begin until the regulations are in place. Investments in this industry are now growing.


Plans are advancing to harvest precious ores from the ocean floor, but scientists say that companies have not tested them enough to avoid devastating damage.

Jul 24, 2019

Happy Birthday To Vera Rubin: The Mother Of Our Dark Matter Universe

Posted by in category: cosmology

Vera Rubin is shown here in 1974, analyzing data from different portions of a galaxy to ascertain its rotational properties. The discovery that the effects of gravity did not trace out the same path that the starlight does was one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century, and brought dark matter into the mainstream of science from the fringes, where it had languished for most of the 20th century. Her work changed our conception of the Universe forever.

Jul 24, 2019

Paging Dr. Robot: How Robotics Is Changing The Face Of Medicine

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

Can robotics transform the medical industry? While there are plenty of medicine-focused robotics apps in development, the long-term outlook for their use remains to be seen.

Jul 24, 2019

Unconventional phenomena triggered by acoustic waves in 2-D materials

Posted by in categories: energy, quantum physics

Researchers at the Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems (PCS), within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea), and colleagues have reported a novel phenomenon, called Valley Acoustoelectric Effect, which takes place in 2-D materials, similar to graphene. This research is published in Physical Review Letters and brings new insights to the study of valleytronics.

In acoustoelectronics, surface (SAWs) are employed to generate . In this study, the team of theoretical physicists modelled the propagation of SAWs in emerging 2-D , such as single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). SAWs drag MoS2 electrons (and holes), creating an electric current with conventional and unconventional components. The latter consists of two contributions: a warping-based current and a Hall current. The first is direction-dependent, is related to the so-called valleys—electrons’ local energy minima—and resembles one of the mechanisms that explains photovoltaic effects of 2-D materials exposed to light. The second is due to a specific effect (Berry phase) that affects the velocity of these electrons travelling as a group and resulting in intriguing phenomena, such as anomalous and quantum Hall effects.

The team analyzed the properties of the acoustoelectric current, suggesting a way to run and measure the conventional, warping, and Hall currents independently. This allows the simultaneous use of both optical and acoustic techniques to control the propagation of charge carriers in novel 2-D materials, creating new logical devices.

Jul 24, 2019

Warning over ‘onslaught’ of new Windows malware after Bluekeep details were published on GitHub

Posted by in category: cybercrime/malcode

GitHub Bluekeep explainer significantly lowers the bar for writing malware similar to NotPetya and WannaCry, Threats and Risks, Github, WannaCry, NotPetya, ransomware, BlueKeep”

Jul 24, 2019

SpaceX attempts first short flight of Starship prototype rocket but stops shortly after engine fires

Posted by in category: space travel

SpaceX was attempting to fly its “Starship” prototype rocket in its first short flight of more than a few feet off the ground on Wednesday.

Jul 24, 2019

UPS Seeks Authority for Commercial Drone Flights

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI

The parcel carrier said Tuesday it had applied to the Federal Aviation Administration for certification of drone flights through the company’s recently formed subsidiary called UPS Flight Forward Inc.

The certification if approved, would allow drone flights beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, at night and without limit to the number of drones or operators in command, the company said. Such flights are highly restricted in the U.S.

The FAA is working out the regulatory framework to govern commercial uses of unmanned aircraft, which has been generally restricted to flights below 400 feet and within sight of an operator on the ground.