Lifeboat Foundation

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology and Politecnico di Milano have identified a crucial new aspect of charge density modulations in cuprate high critical temperature superconductors. They have identified a new electron wave which could help reveal some of the mysteries about superconducting materials. The findings are published in the journal Science.

High critical temperature superconductors have a variable charge density, meaning that their electrical charge is unevenly distributed. This partly results from what are known as ‘charge density waves’, which were discovered a few years ago. But these have only been observed to exist sporadically, under certain conditions. Therefore, they were not believed to be a contributing factor to the materials’ superconducting properties.

What the researchers have now discovered, however, is an additional aspect to the variable charge density, which they term “charge density fluctuations”. These have been identified as an additional charge modulation, collective and with a shorter correlation length. They are very pervasive, meaning that compared to the conventional charge density waves, they are present at a much greater range of temperatures, up to room temperature and beyond, and at different levels of oxygen doping.

Physicists are trying to rewrite the axioms of quantum theory from scratch in an effort to understand what it all means. The problem? They’ve been almost too successful.

The second half of humanity is joining the internet. People in countries like India will change the internet, and it will change them. Read more from The Economist here: https://econ.st/2zVWeQQ

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L.O. Two simple letters that marked one of the biggest changes in human history. In 1969 programmers were trying to type “login”.

Continue reading “The internet’s second revolution | The Economist” »

PD Aerospace is developing a PD engine that can be used both in the atmosphere and in space. They plan to reach an altitude of 100 kilometers in 2020. https://www8.cao.go.jp/space/policy/suborbi/dai1/siryou2-2.pdf

Consultants at Gartner recently calculated that in 2021 “ai augmentation” will create $2.9trn of “business value” and save 6.2bn man-hours globally. A survey by McKinsey last year estimated that ai analytics could add around $13trn, or 16%, to annual global gdp by 2030. Retail and logistics stand to gain most.

Two surprising leaders have emerged from the pack.

Continue reading “Technology firms vie for billions in data-analytics contracts” »

Travelling can be one of the greatest joys in life and an exhilarating experience. While visiting or moving to a new place to experience the local culture, the sights and the people can be great, there are some challenges that arise with it. Such challenges include finding a trusted accommodation, getting around town in a safe way, booking tickets for an event and more. There are numerous travel tech startups that resolve such problems, and they are hiring! So, let’s have a look at some of the most exciting travel tech startups in London that are hiring in 2019.

Finding good accommodation in a city where you’ve never been before can be a daunting task. The Plum Guide makes this easier by offering personally vetted and tested properties in some of the best neighbourhoods, which can be rented for the duration of your stay. The company is also looking to scoop up some local talent and you can check out their career page here.

During Amazon’s all-hands meeting in March, CEO Jeff Bezos stated that he is fascinated by the emerging trends in the auto industry. Bezos noted that it was this fascination that ultimately played a part in Amazon’s hefty $700 million investment in electric truck startup Rivian Automotive back in February.

“If you think about the auto industry right now, there’s so many things going on with Uber-ization, electrification, the connected car — so it’s a fascinating industry. It’s going to be something very interesting to watch and participate in, and I’m very excited about that whole industry,” Bezos said.

Bezos’ optimism for emerging industries extends beyond the electric car market. Apart from Rivian, Amazon has also invested in self-driving startup Aurora, hinting that the CEO is also looking to capitalize on autonomous driving technology for the e-commerce giant’s operations in the future. If its investment in Aurora pans out, for example, Amazon would likely gain an optimized solution that would allow the company to deliver shipments to its customers using self-driving machines.

The long-awaited reveal of Tesla’s pickup truck will most likely take place November, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in response to a Twitter follower’s question.

Tesla’s first crack at one of America’s most popular body styles, which will begin production after the Model Y, has been the topic of much speculation from Tesla and electric vehicle fans collectively. Information regarding the truck is vague, but Elon Musk has released a number of details, most notably a possible 300,000-lb towing capacity.

November most likely.

When talking about the economics of Tesla’s future fleet of robotaxis at the Tesla Autonomy Event, Tesla CEO Elon Musk emphasized that the vehicles need to be durable in order for the economics to work:

“The cars currently built are all designed for a million miles of operation. The drive unit is design, tested, and validated for 1 million miles of operation.”

But the CEO admitted that the battery packs are not built to last 1 million miles.