Google appears to be building a “robotic operating system for manufacturers,” with Foxconn serving as a testbed. Foxconn has been working with former Android executive Andy Rubin since last year to carry out the U.S. company’s vision for robotics. To speed up robot deployment at its own factories, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou met with Rubin …
Almost three years after Fukushima, pro-nuclear officials, business leaders and utilities wielding awesome economic and political clout are regaining strength and maneuvering to tighten the noose around local government leaders who have been demanding that Japan do away with nuclear power. Pro-nuclear candidates are winning elections for mayor over anti-nuclear candidates. Pro-nuclear Osuma Yamada won …
Many sizes of small satellites can be included in unused launch space. If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks 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 …
Drones are projected to be mostly utilized for precision agriculture and public safety (police, medical and fire departments). One industry group projects an $82 billion economic impact from drones operating in the U.S. in 2015-2025. Precision agriculture management practices can significantly reduce the amount of nutrient and other crop inputs used while boosting yields. Farmers …
It is better for the environment for people to live in cities than the same number of people to live in rural areas. Having larger numbers of people occupying a smaller area, confines and contain the human impact. Urbanization reduces population growth. Yes, it attracts people, but people living in rural areas have higher fertility …
The goal of the DARPA Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program is to demonstrate the capability for a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) [soldier with radio and camera system designated to direct attack] on the ground “to visualize, select and employ weapons at the time of his choosing from an optionally manned/unmanned A-10 platform. An …
Virgin Galactic’s Spaceshiptwo was dropped from a carrier aircraft high above California’s Mojave Desert and ignited its rocket engine to go supersonic for a few seconds. Although it has been in the air on more than 20 occasions, this was the first time its hybrid motor had been ignited. It was only a short burn …
An MIT team says that it has succeeded in overcoming all the obstacles to improved quantum dots performance at once, while earlier efforts have only been able to tackle them one or a few at a time. Quantum dots — in this case, a specific type called colloidal quantum dots — are tiny particles of …
Science – Synthetic Lipid Membrane Channels Formed by Designed DNA Nanostructures ABSTRACT – We created nanometer-scale transmembrane channels in lipid bilayers by means of self-assembled DNA-based nanostructures. Scaffolded DNA origami was used to create a stem that penetrated and spanned a lipid membrane, as well as a barrel-shaped cap that adhered to the membrane, in …
Lawrenceville Plasma Physics is working to achieve commercial dense plasma focus nuclear fusion. They have been trying to prevent arcing for the past few months and are still wrestling with that problem. If they can solve that issue then they should get about ten times more current. Their model for nuclear fusion can be thought …
The Futurist magazine has ten predictions for 2013 and beyond (but mainly up to about 2020) Most of the predictions will not be very impactful even if they are true other than the one on space access and robots to help the elderly. 1. Neuroscientists may soon be able to predict what you’ll do before …