Tern, a joint program between DARPA and the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR), seeks to greatly increase the effectiveness of forward-deployed small-deck ships such as destroyers and frigates by enabling them to serve as mobile launch and recovery sites for specially designed unmanned air systems (UASs). DARPA last year awarded Phase 3 of …
The newest NASA emdrive paper concludes a force generation of 1.2mn/kw after errors measurement is accounted for. A low thrust pendulum at the NASA Johnson space center was used. The best conventional Hall thruster can produce 60 millinewtons per kilowatt which is an order of magnitude more than the emdrive that was tested. Light sails …
This September Tesla Motors began shipping version 2 of our Powerpack system. With a new energy module and power electronics, Powerpack 2 provides twice the energy density and a more seamless integration into multiple levels of the grid. Powerpack 2 is also now matched with a new inverter, designed by Tesla and manufactured at the …
A new dwarf planet has been found and it is 330 miles across and some 8.5 billion miles from the sun. It takes 1,100 years to complete one orbit. David Gerdes of the University of Michigan led the team that found the new dwarf planet. They used a special camera called the Dark Energy Camera …
A new study led by an Iowa State University agronomist may help scientists sift through vast amounts of plant seeds stored in gene bank facilities across the globe to identify those useful to plant breeders attempting to produce better varieties. The effort represents a proof-of-concept experiment that may help plant scientists separate the wheat from …
The human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a double-stranded, circular molecule of 16 569 bp and contains 37 genes coding for two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and 13 polypeptides. Mitochondria genes are outside the nucleus and are more prone to defects and damage. Aubrey de Grey and the SENS research team are looking to move the mitochondria …
LPPFusion is trying to develop aneutronic fusion with a dense plasma focus device. A dense plasma focus (DPF) is a machine that produces, by electromagnetic acceleration and compression, a short-lived plasma that is hot and dense enough to cause nuclear fusion and the emission of X-rays and neutrons. The electromagnetic compression of the plasma is …
11 patients were injected with stem cells during bypass surgery. The stem cells injected into their hearts caused a 40% reduction in the size of scarred tissue. Such scarring occurs during a cardiac event such as a heart attack, and can increase the chances of further heart failure. The scarring was previously thought to be …
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, said it will fully implement extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to make 5 nanometer chips by the end of this decade. “We estimate that EUV will be a cost-effective tool for high-volume manufacturing by 2020, in time for our 5nm ramp,” TSMC Co-CEO Mark Liu said at …
I am at the Recession Generation unconference. Robin Hanson is speaking on his new book – The Age of Em: Work, Love and Life when Robots Rule the Earth Robin is talking about a world where human Brain emulation works. What would be needed Massive computers Superhigh resolution scan of the brain Model each cell …
Remarks made by senior leaders since 2012 make it clear that the long-term goal is for China to be a leader across all aspects of maritime power; having some of these capabilities means that China has some maritime power but that it is “incomplete.” Research strongly suggests that China will achieve the goal of being …