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May 6, 2019

Telescopes in space for even sharper images of black holes

Posted by in categories: cosmology, satellites

The idea is to place two or three satellites in circular orbit around the Earth to observe black holes. The concept goes by the name Event Horizon Imager (EHI). In their new study, the scientists present simulations of what images of the black hole Sagittarius A would look if they were taken by satellites like these.

More than five times as sharp

“There are lots of advantages to using satellites instead of permanent radio telescopes on Earth, as with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT),” says Freek Roelofs, a PhD candidate at Radboud University and the lead author of the article. “In space, you can make observations at higher radio frequencies, because the frequencies from Earth are filtered out by the atmosphere. The distances between the telescopes in space are also larger. This allows us to take a big step forward. We would be able to take images with a resolution more than five times what is possible with the EHT.”

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May 6, 2019

If Drones Had ‘Claws,’ They Might Be Able To Fly For Longer

Posted by in categories: drones, robotics/AI

Drones Might Work Longer With Some Bird-Inspired Modifications Small drones have a problem — their battery life runs out relatively quickly. A team of roboticists says it has created special landing gear that can help conserve precious battery life.

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May 6, 2019

New look at VW’s ID all-electric hatchback

Posted by in category: transportation

Volkswagen is about to open its order book for the ID all-electric hatchback, the first all-electric vehicle built on its new MEB platform made to mass produce electric vehicles.

We now get a rare new look at a camouflaged ID prototype ahead of the production version unveiling.

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May 6, 2019

Navy’s Giant New Robot Sub Will Prowl Ocean For Months Autonomously

Posted by in categories: military, robotics/AI

The Navy just awarded Boeing a contract to build a giant robot submarine, called the Orca Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle, which it says will prowl the depths of the ocean autonomously for months at a time.

The U.S. Naval Institute says the sub will be used for “mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and strike missions.”

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May 6, 2019

New Strain of Virus That Threatens Pets Is “Great Reminder” to Vaccinate Dogs

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

There’s only one way to prevent pets from catching this fatal virus.

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May 6, 2019

Up to 1 million species are facing extinction, according to a new UN report. Without them, we could run out of food

Posted by in categories: existential risks, food, habitats

A new United Nations report on the world’s biodiversity found that between 500,000 and 1 million species face extinction due to habitat destruction.

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May 6, 2019

Girl’s $143,000 bill for snakebite treatment reveals antivenin price gouging

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The average list price for the antivenin is $3,198. The hospital charged $16,989.

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May 6, 2019

China Develops Groundbreaking Heat-Resistant Material For Hypersonic Weapon

Posted by in category: materials

The new material is far superior than Western hypersonic technologies.

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May 6, 2019

Watch the Google I/O 2019 Keynote Right Here

Posted by in categories: alien life, robotics/AI

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of Google executives practicing their lines ahead of Google I/O. The company’s annual developer conference in Mountain View, California, kicks off this Tuesday. The three-day event gives Google a chance to show off its latest work and set the tone for the year to come.

Can’t make it to the Shoreline Amphitheater? You can watch the entire keynote on the event page or on the Google Developers YouTube channel. It begins at 10 am PT (1 pm ET) on May 7 and should last for about 90 minutes. We’ll liveblog the whole thing here on WIRED.com.

Google I/O is technically a developer’s conference, and there should be plenty of talk about all the fun things developers can build using Google’s latest tools. But it’s also an opportunity to get consumers excited about what’s cooking in Mountain View. Last year, the company used the conference to debut its “digital wellness” initiative and a suite of new visual search tools for Google Lens. It also introduced Duplex, the eerily realistic AI assistant that can make dinner reservations and schedule haircuts like a human would.

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May 6, 2019

Microsoft Patented an Xbox Controller With a Braille Display

Posted by in category: futurism

The live haptic feedback reads off on-screen text for people who can’t make it out.

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