Texas High Speed Rail Project will have Bechtel for project management

Texas Central, developers of the high-speed train between North Texas and Houston, announced an agreement today with Bechtel to work together on project management services. Bechtel has completed more than 300 major train and subway projects, including the Channel Tunnel High Speed 1, Crossrail in London, Riyadh Metro and Dulles Corridor Metrorail in the Washington, …

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Air pollution deaths at 7 million per year are like unending WW2 scale deaths

Air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world. New data from WHO shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Updated estimations reveal an alarming death toll of 7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution. This is World War …

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Defense Secretary Gates messed up F-22 stealth fighter and other military procurement

Retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz has stated in his new memoir that F-22 production was axed after building less than half the required number so that the flying force could get then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to approve building a new stealth bomber. Gates made near-sighted decisions based upon focusing on …

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NuScale Small Modular Nuclear Reactor First Ever to Complete NRC Phase 1 Review

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed the first and most intensive phase of review for NuScale Power’s design certification application (DCA). NuScale’s is the first and only small modular reactor (SMR) application to ever undergo NRC review. This major achievement brings NuScale Power closer to introducing the country’s first SMR to market, putting …

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Bosch reduces diesel exhaust smog to 1/10th the legal limits

Robert Bosch GmbH said its engineers have developed a new diesel-exhaust system that cuts emissions to 1/10th the legal limits taking effect in 2020 and can help automakers avoid potential driving bans in Europe that threaten to doom the engine technology. Automakers have relied on diesel to help the industry meet limits on CO2 emissions, …

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Danish Thorium Molten Salt Reactor receives pre-seed funding

Copenhagen-based Seaborg Technologies, which is developing thorium-based Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), has received pre-seed investment round. from an investment coalition led by Danish innovation incubator PreSeed Ventures. The company hopes the funding will accelerate development of its CUBE (Compact Used fuel BurnEr) reactor concept. Seaborg Technologies has received early funding for its thorium molten salt …

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Graphene reinforced concrete is twice as strong and four times more water resistant

Experts from the University of Exeter have developed a pioneering new technique that uses nanoengineering technology to incorporate graphene into traditional concrete production. The new composite material, which is more than twice as strong and four times more water resistant than existing concretes, can be used directly by the construction industry on building sites. All …

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China Electric Car makers want competition with Tesla like Apple made smartphones better

Tesla will be expanding into the Chinese electric vehicle market since Beijing will be removing foreign ownership caps. Telsa will be welcomed according to the president of a Chinese electric vehicle start-up. “Tesla reminds me of Apple. It educated the high-end market for China, but it also spurred a lot of competitive, diverse brands like …

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