HRL researchers originally made headlines with a famous image of a metal microlattice structure resting atop an unaffected dandelion. Now the material has been vetted and confirmed by the Guinness book as having no peer among metals when it comes to weight. Made of nickel phosphorus, the microlattice is approximately 100 times lighter than Styrofoam®. …
When it comes to military electronics – whether in the realm of communications, navigation, or tactical systems – timing and synchronization are critical. When deployed, even the best battery-fueled atomic clocks are less than ideal because of frequency variations under power cycling, long-term frequency drift, and temperature sensitivity. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) …
The second PLAN aircraft carrier, CV-17 is in advanced stages of construction at Dalian Shipbuilding in northeastern China. It will be the first aircraft carrier built entirely in China. The Liaoning was purchased from the Ukraine in the late 1990s and towed to China for an extensive rebuild. The CV-17 has a somewhat larger displacement …
China has tested the latest version of its fifth-generation J-31 stealth fighter The newest version of the J-31, now renamed the FC-31 Gyrfalcon, took to the air for the first time on Friday, the China Daily reported. The new FC-31 has “better stealth capabilities, improved electronic equipment and a larger payload capacity” than the previous …
Jerry Pournelle is a famed science fiction author who also had an interesting technology career Jerry Eugene Pournelle (born August 7, 1933) is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte. Pournelle was an intellectual protégé of Russell Kirk and Stefan T. Possony. Pournelle wrote …
The world’s largest hedge fund is building a piece of software to automate the day-to-day management of the firm, including hiring, firing and other strategic decision-making. Bridgewater Associates has a team of software engineers working on the project at the request of billionaire founder Ray Dalio, who wants to ensure the company can run according …
Asterias Biotherapeutics (NYSE: AST) recently announced ground-breaking results restoring function to patients with spinal injuries from a Phase 1 clinical trial that were nothing short of astounding. AST’s technology comes from one of the leading companies in regenerative medicine, BioTime, Inc., (NYSE: BTX) which spun off Asterias Biotherapeutics a few years ago and is also …
Scientists have identified an unexpected cause of poor performance in a new class of flexible and cheap solar cells, bringing them closer to market. Solar cells are the building blocks of photovoltaic solar panels. They are made from light-absorbing materials that convert sunlight into electricity. Normally the light-absorbing material is silicon, which has an energy-intensive …
In March 2016, the Russian Defense Industry began tests of the new Tsirkon 3M22 hypersonic missile, which is designed to be carried by advanced and modernized warships and submarines. Production of the missile is expected to be launched in 2017. The Admiral Nakhimov and the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruisers will be the first to …
Researchers have discovered that tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide materials can withstand scorching temperatures of nearly 4000 degrees Celsius. Being able to withstand temperatures of nearly 4000°C could pave the way for both materials to be used in ever more extreme environments, such as in heat resistant shielding for the next generation of hypersonic space …
An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to results published in The Lancet. The vaccine is the first to prevent infection from one of the most lethal known pathogens, and the findings add weight to early trial results published last year. The vaccine, called …