Gregory Benford and Larry Niven have created as a ‘modified’ Shkadov Thruster for a propulsion scheme capable of moving stars. Information from Centauri Dreams Gregory Benford describes his modified Shkadov thruster. Shipstars engines are Smart Objects–statically unstable but dynamically stable, as we are when we walk. We fall forward on one leg, then catch ourselves …
Sand, cement, wood, and steel are China’s weapons of choice as it asserts its claim over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Brunei have sparred for decades over ownership of the 100 islands and reefs, which measure less than 1,300 acres in total but stretch across …
For San Francisco, the median Uber fare is only $22. For UberX it’s $17. That means that 50% of UberX trips cost less than $17 (and 50% more) but you can expect to pay around $17 for any given trip. Uber Alles means above everything else. The math here is simple: Uber’s demographic probably tends …
For global fish availability to meet projected demand, [the World Resources Institute] estimates that aquaculture production will need to more than double by midcentury, rising from 67 million tons (Mt) in 2012 to roughly 140 Mt in 2050. This level of growth could bring about significant food security and development benefits. For example, we estimate …
Researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have generated a high-resolution blueprint for how to build a human brain, with a detailed map of where different genes are turned on and off during mid-pregnancy at unprecedented anatomical resolution. This is the first major report using data from the BrainSpan Atlas of the Developing Human …
Google Fiber — Internet that’s up to 100 times faster than basic broadband has started early discussions with 34 cities in 9 metro areas around the United States to explore what it would take to bring a new fiber-optic network to their community. These cities are led by people who have been working hard to …
MIT researchers have a new framework for approximately solving ow problems in capacitated, undirected graphs and apply it to provide asymptotically faster algorithms for the maximum s-t flow and maximum concurrent multicommodity flow problems. For the first time there is an almost-linear-time construction of an O(mo(1))-competitive oblivious routing scheme. No previous such algorithm ran in …
Bernanke argues that the headwinds to economic growth that dominated his second four-year term in office are now abating and growth could pick up. Mainly Quotes, Predictions and Explanation from Bernanke The encouraging news is that the headwinds I have mentioned may now be abating. Near-term fiscal policy at the federal level remains restrictive, but …
One method for gene therapy that targets problem genes in muscles did not require immunotherapy treatment. Removing the need for immunotherapy while still having effective gene therapy greatly reduces the cost and side effects of gene therapy. Journal of Clinical Investigation – Human Treg responses allow sustained recombinant adeno-associated virus–mediated transgene expression Recombinant adeno-associated virus …
1. Technology Review – Five Technologies to Watch in 2013 * Wireless charging – Around five million devices using wireless charging were sold in 2012, but we might see numbers closer to 100 million in the coming two to three years * 3-D printing – 3d printing grew in a few unexpected ways in 2012. …
Technology Review – Microsoft researchers have demonstrated software that translates spoken English into spoken Chinese almost instantly, while preserving the unique cadence of the speaker’s voice—a trick that could make conversation more effective and personal. The first public demonstration was made by Rick Rashid, Microsoft’s chief research officer, on October 25 at an event in …