Despite problems hitting its economy, Russia has pledged to contribute US$18 billion to the reserve fund that will create the US$100 billion BRICS fund that will rival the United States’ dominated global banking institution IMF. The BRICS group is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, described as five leading emerging economies in …
The BMO Blue Book ( BMO Investment Banking Group, Bank of Montreal, 26 page blue book), uses the expertise of BMO economists and information given to commercial bankers from local businesspeople. It projected B.C.’s real gross domestic product (GDP) would expand 2.6% this year before falling to 2.5% in 2016. Alberta’s GDP, which grew at …
The General Atomics 150-kw Hellads (high energy laser) will be tested this summer at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico The third generation solid state laser is to be demonstrated in 2018 on the USS Paul Foster, a decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer that now serves as the U.S. Navy’s ship-defense test vessel at Port Hueneme …
The Ground-Based Air Defense On-the-Move is a vehicle-based, mobile, high-energy laser that is a cost-effective defense against asymmetric threats like UAVs. GBAD’s evolution has mirrored that of other directed-energy programs sponsored by ONR, including the Laser Weapon System (LaWS). A three vehicle laser system should be demoed with on the move downing of drones using …
HEXAFLY aims to create a multi-disciplinary platform where several breakthrough technologies can be mounted on board for testing in free flight at high speed. This approach will create the basis to increase gradually the Technology Readiness Level (TRL). The emerging technologies and breakthrough methodologies strongly depending on envisaged flight tests at high speed can be …
The world’s first Malaria vaccine provides modest protection. Four injections of the RTS,S vaccine reduced cases of malaria in children aged 5 to 17 months and babies aged 6 to 12 weeks at first vaccination by 36 and 26 per cent respectively after four years, compared with non-recipients. “Given that there were an estimated 198 …
X-energy, a Greenbelt-based nuclear engineering company,recently convened a group of world-renowned nuclear experts to discuss best-practices in pebble fuel fabrication. X-energy will use the spherical elements to fuel their Xe-100 gas-cooled nuclear reactor in the mid-2020s. The Xe-100 is a “pebble bed” high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). The Xe-100 is a helium-cooled “pebble bed” HTGR …
Optalysys announced that the company has successfully developed a demonstrable prototype that can process mathematical functions optically in a scaleable, lensless design. Optalysys optical processing systems will “turbo-charge” existing computers by performing processor-intensive tasks at much faster rates and with a significant reduction in energy consumption. The prototype is portable and has a footprint similar …
Tesla Motors Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from the utility grid …
U.S. Special Operations Command is moving on to Phase 2 in the development of its “Iron Man” exoskeleton that would give Special Forces troops head-to-toe bulletproof protection while allowing for fluid movements. Socom has issued a grant to Ekso Bionics, a robotic exoskeleton company and one of the companies that worked on the first phase, …
Wait but Why summarizes some of the timelines and definitions for artificial super-intelligence. The general consensus among AI researchers is that Artificial superintelligence could arrive around 2060. Nick Bostrom defines superintelligence as “an intellect that is much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom and social skills”. …