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Nov 27, 2018

SpaceX’s Next Launch Will Spark a Space Internet Showdown

Posted by in categories: internet, satellites

An unusual SpaceX launch will carry several startups’ satellites, some of which will jockey to provide dirt-cheap internet for earthbound IoT sensors.

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Nov 27, 2018

Bill Gates thinks a coming disease could kill 30 million people within 6 months — and says we should prepare for it as we do for war

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

New pathogens emerge all the time. It’s becoming easier for small groups to create weaponized diseases. Bill Gates says a small group could build a deadlier form of smallpox in a lab. And people are always hopping on planes, making it possible for a disease to reach a new continent in a few hours.

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Nov 27, 2018

Meatless burgers and 3D-printed meals: a look at the future of food

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, food

From replacing basic protein sources to high-tech gourmet wizardry, we examine the culinary future.

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Nov 27, 2018

Burial sites from 5th and 6th centuries yield unexpected treasures

Posted by in category: futurism

Jewellery and grooming items found during summer excavation in Lincolnshire.

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Nov 27, 2018

Paving the way: An accelerator on a microchip

Posted by in categories: computing, physics

Electrical engineers in the accelerator physics group at TU Darmstadt have developed a design for a laser-driven electron accelerator so small it could be produced on a silicon chip. It would be inexpensive and with multiple applications. The design, which has been published in Physical Review Letters, is now being realised as part of an international collaboration.

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Nov 27, 2018

Ultrafast laser pulses control electrons in graphene, making ultrafast computing possible

Posted by in categories: computing, physics

IMAGE: The driving laser field (red) ‘shakes’ electrons in graphene at ultrashort time scales, shown as violet and blue waves. A second laser pulse (green) can control this wave and thus determine the direction of current. (Image credit: FAU/Christian Heide)

Being able to control electronic systems using light waves instead of voltage signals is the dream of physicists all over the world. The advantage is that electromagnetic light waves oscillate at petaherz frequency. This means that computers in the future could operate at speeds a million times faster than those of today. Scientists at Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU; Erlangen-Nurenberg, Germany) have now come one step closer to achieving this goal as they have succeeded in using ultra-short laser impulses to precisely control electrons in graphene. The scientists published their results in Physical Review Letters.

Current control in electronics that is one million times faster than in today’s systems is a dream for many. Ultimately, current control is one of the most important components as it is responsible for data and signal transmission. Controlling the flow of electrons using light waves instead of voltage signals, as is now the case, could make this dream a reality. However, up to now, it has been difficult to control the flow of electrons in metals as metals reflect light waves and the electrons inside them cannot be influenced by these light waves.

Continue reading “Ultrafast laser pulses control electrons in graphene, making ultrafast computing possible” »

Nov 27, 2018

Youbionic Combines 3D Printed Bionic Arms with SpotMini the Nightmare Robotic Dog

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, biotech/medical, cyborgs, robotics/AI, transhumanism

Ever since 2014, Italy-based Youbionic, which was founded by Federico Ciccarese and specializes in robotics and bionics, has been working on its 3D printed, robot-controlled, bionic prosthetic hand. The company started taking pre-orders for the bionic prosthetic two years ago, and has since been making improvements and updates to the original model, even coming out with a 3D printed double hand device for the augmented human. Now, Youbionic has released its latest bionic product – the Youbionic One.

Continue reading “Youbionic Combines 3D Printed Bionic Arms with SpotMini the Nightmare Robotic Dog” »

Nov 27, 2018

Rural America Could Reboot the Old DIY Spirit of the Internet

Posted by in category: internet

Grassroots efforts are bringing broadband connections to small communities. Maybe this is just the beginning of their influence over connectivity.

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Nov 27, 2018

Volvo’s Self-driving Trucks Are Ready to Start Work at a Mine in Norway

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Volvo is about to launch its first-ever commercial operation using its driverless truck technology. A deal with a Norwegian mining firm will see six of its autonomous vehicles carry limestone between the mine and a port in an operation aimed at boosting productivity and reliability, as well as safety.

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Nov 27, 2018

Light-activated, single-ion catalyst breaks down carbon dioxide

Posted by in category: energy

A team of scientists has discovered a single-site, visible-light-activated catalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into “building block” molecules that could be used for creating useful chemicals. The discovery opens the possibility of using sunlight to turn a greenhouse gas into hydrocarbon fuels.

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