Calibration error in early Satellite sensors hid sea level rise

There were problems with the calibration of a sensor on the first of several satellites launched to measure the height of the sea surface using radar. Adjusting the data to remove that error suggests that sea levels are indeed rising at faster rates each year. Nerem’s team calculated that the rate of sea-level rise increased …

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Elon Musks path to worlds richest person with Spacex, Global Internet Satellite Network, Tesla

Elon Musk has plans to launch V-band low-Earth orbit (VLEO) constellation that would consist of 7,518 satellites which will follow the earlier proposed 4,425 satellites that would function in Ka- and Ku-bands. This global gigabit per second low latency satellite network would be projected to earn $30 billion per year in revenue by 2025. Before …

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NASA has new test for life on other planets that is ten thousand times more sensitive

A simple chemistry method could vastly enhance how scientists search for signs of life on other planets. The test uses a liquid-based technique known as capillary electrophoresis to separate a mixture of organic molecules into its components. It was designed specifically to analyze for amino acids, the structural building blocks of all life on Earth. …

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Modular Exoskeletons by WeaRobot

WeaRobot wants to democratize robotic exoskeletons. They want to make modular exoskeletons, so that is more affordable. The exoskeleton can boost the mobility joint by joint. Just supporting the movement of one knee or one elbow or assembling all modules for a full body exoskeleton. This is targeted at enhancing mobility and function for the …

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China stabilizes GDP growth at about 6.5-7%

China’s economy performed better than expected in the third quarter and the country’s debt risks are under control, Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday. “China’s economy in the third quarter not only extended growth momentum in the first half but showed many positive changes,” Li said in the speech in Macau that was broadcast live …

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AMD, GlobalFoundries Focus on Path to 7 nanometers

Zen Expectations AMD showed off some of its new Zen-based silicon in San Francisco last month and talked up the new high-performance cores. The next-gen microarchitecture design, led by renowned chip architect Jim Keller, is said to enable a 40 percent improvement in instructions per clock over Zen’s predecessor, Excavator. The “Zen”-based “Summit Ridge” desktops …

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FPGAs solve IoT implementation issues around power efficiency, interfaces and processors

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a wildly popular term these days, often used to describe a world in which virtually every electronic device connects to the Internet and each other. It comprises a staggering list of applications—everything from smart consumer appliances and vehicles to wearables—and that list will only grow as mobility continues …

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Israel wants a $5 billion island off Gaza for a seaport, hotels, airport

The Israeli government is considering a proposal to build an artificial island off the Gaza Strip that a top official says would give Palestinians living in the besieged enclave their one and only seaport — and maybe a hotel and an international airport, too. The Israeli minister of intelligence who is promoting the plan, Israel …

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Toward genome editing and a lot of cured diseases at Editas and other genetic companies

Rival firms Editas Medicine, Intellia Therapeutics, and CRISPR Therapeutics are all pioneering gene editing. They use CRISPR-Cas9 that holds the promise of curing thousands of genetic diseases by cutting out and revising, removing, or repairing DNA, the building block of life. Editas, cofounded by Harvard geneticist George Church, has set its sights initially on a …

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China’s military spending will only increase by 7-8% in 2016 because of a slowing economy

There had been rumors that China would have a big 20% military budget increase but instead military spending will grow by 7 to 8 percent in 2016, the smallest increase in six years. Although experts say actual spending is significantly higher than the official budget, China’s military spending is still dwarfed by that of the …

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