Researchers from Tohoku University have been trying to find out how the plasma flow is influenced by its environment via laboratory experiments. They are making progress towards creating an electrodeless plasma thruster used to propel spacecraft. There are many methods of propulsion used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. And while they all have their …
Berkant Göksel at the Technical University of Berlin and his team now want to fit plasma engines to planes. “We want to develop a system that can operate above an altitude of 30 kilometers where standard jet engines cannot go,” he says. These could even take passengers to the edge of the atmosphere and beyond. …
The UK Ministry of Defence has officially awarded a £30m (US$38 million) contract to produce a prototype laser weapon. The aim is to see whether “directed energy” technology could benefit the armed forces, and is to culminate in a demonstration of the system in 2019. If the demonstration is successful, the first laser weapons could …
Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology. Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a …
South Korea will develop or purchase a new laser air defense weapon to bring down small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sent by North Korea, military officials said Wednesday. “Amid growing worries about possible terror attacks by North Korea’s unmanned drones, we are planning to secure a high-precision weapon which can detect, trace and hit a …
When most people think about lasers, they usually imagine them generating heat and even setting something on fire. But, for a group of scientists in The University of New Mexico’s Department of Physics & Astronomy, lasers are actually being used to reach temperatures colder than the arctic circle. Dr. Mansoor Sheik-Bahae, professor of physics and …
China plans to initiate 20 space missions this year including the testing of its most sophisticated rocket and the launching of a habitual space module. But security analysts in the US are expressing suspicions they have military implications. China is already testing surface-to-air missiles that could strike targets in orbit and it’s also working with …
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the Bay Area, official go estimates for rebuilding the damaged Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland. The first cost estimates, released in 1995, figured both east and west spans of the bridge could be upgraded for $250 million. In September 2013, the price tag for eastern span …
1. Forbes – James Conca – Is Radiation Necessary For Life? Recent studies on the biological effects of radiation at essentially zero levels of radiation demonstrated that the absence of radiation is not good for organisms. Removing almost all traces of radioactivity from their environment inhibited bacterial growth and caused stress-related genes to turn on. …
European finance chiefs have poured fresh emergency funds into Greek banks in a desperate attempt to keep them afloat after panicking savers withdrew more than £3billion this week. The amount being offered by the European Central Bank has not been revealed, but it is believed to be around £2billion. It is the bank’s second intervention …
China National Nuclear Power’s IPO is over one hundred times over subscribed. China National Nuclear will sell 3.9 billion new shares at 3.39 yuan each. This will raise about US$2 billion. The share price will likely jump given how oversubscribed it is. The company plans to use the money to build 10 reactors and for …