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Dec 30, 2018

“Farout!” Newfound Object Is the Farthest Solar System Body Ever Spotted

Posted by in category: space

A newly discovered pink-colored object is the most-distant body ever observed in the solar system—and the first object ever found orbiting at more than 100 times the distance from Earth to the sun.


The pink-colored object is nearly four times more distant from the sun than Pluto, and hints at the possibility of an as-yet-undiscovered giant planet farther out.


Dec 30, 2018

A self-driving car can choose who dies in a fatal crash. These are the ethical considerations

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI, transportation

Can machines make moral choices?


A massive new survey developed by MIT researchers reveals some distinct global preferences concerning the ethics of autonomous vehicles, as well as some regional variations in those preferences.

The survey has global reach and a unique scale, with over 2 million online participants from over 200 countries weighing in on versions of a classic ethical conundrum, the “Trolley Problem.” The problem involves scenarios in which an accident involving a vehicle is imminent, and the vehicle must opt for one of two potentially fatal options. In the case of driverless cars, that might mean swerving toward a couple of people, rather than a large group of bystanders.

Continue reading “A self-driving car can choose who dies in a fatal crash. These are the ethical considerations” »

Dec 30, 2018

#UltimaThule is an icy rock located ~1 billion miles past Pluto in the Kuiper Belt

Posted by in category: space

On #NewYearsEve, our New Horizons spacecraft will fly within 2,220 miles of this object, providing the first close-up look at such a pristine building block of the solar system. Get the latest update: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/


Dec 30, 2018

What will be the biggest stories of 2019? | Part One | The Economist

Posted by in categories: economics, health, law enforcement, robotics/AI, sex, transportation, wearables

Power suits, robotaxis, Leonardo da Vinci mania—just a few of the things to look out for in 2019. But what else will make our top ten stories for the year ahead?

Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: https://econ.st/2xvTKdy

Continue reading “What will be the biggest stories of 2019? | Part One | The Economist” »

Dec 29, 2018

Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to create the US Space Force

Posted by in categories: military, space

The Space Force would constitute the sixth branch of the US armed forces.

The news: During a meeting with the National Space Council today, President Donald Trump directed the Department of Defense and the Pentagon to begin work on the creation of the Space Force. He stated, “‘We are going to have the Air Force and we’re going to have the Space Force, separate but equal.”

Some background: This isn’t the first time Trump has brought up this idea. He has continued to express interest in the idea during visits to West Point and in speeches to military members.

Continue reading “Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to create the US Space Force” »

Dec 29, 2018

Underwear You Can Wear For Weeks at a Time Without Smell Is Finally Here, Start-Up Claims

Posted by in category: futurism

2019 is off to a great start.


A Danish startup called Organic Basics claims its underwear will remain fresh through weeks of wear, eliminating the need for frequent washing.

And this could be a boon for the environment — if it’s actually true.

Continue reading “Underwear You Can Wear For Weeks at a Time Without Smell Is Finally Here, Start-Up Claims” »

Dec 29, 2018

Artificial neurons compute faster than the human brain

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

A computing system that mimics neural processing could make artificial intelligence more efficient — and more human.


Dec 29, 2018

Science Has Gone Too Far: This Is Apparently the ‘Perfect Human Body’

Posted by in category: science

Anthropologist Alice Roberts and a team of SFX model makers designed the “perfect human,” and it’s fucked up.

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Dec 29, 2018

Strapping a high-speed camera to a lawnmower blade is the best idea anyone has ever had

Posted by in category: electronics

People (including myself) love slow-motion videos and we also tend to love watching things being destroyed. Lawnmowers are really, really good at destroying things, but capturing its destructive power with a high-speed lens isn’t the easiest thing in the world… unless you flip it upside down and strap the camera right to the blade.

Now, I wouldn’t want to be the one to tackle such a project, but the good news is that a YouTuber by the name of Tesla500 has already done all the hard work. The over 20-minute-long video shows the building of the rig itself as well as lots and lots of random household objects meeting their end in super slow motion.

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Dec 29, 2018

Earthquake Off Philippine Coast Hits A Region Already On High Alert

Posted by in category: futurism

U.S. Geological Survey says it was magnitude 7.0. No casualties have been reported. On Dec. 22, a tsunami, likely caused by the volcano Anak Krakatau, hit Indonesia and killed about 430 people.

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