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MIT new 3D chainmail interlock system with ten times the stiffness by weight will revolutionize assembly of airplanes, spacecraft, and even larger structures

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Researchers invent a new approach to assembling big structures — even airplanes and bridges — out of small interlocking composite components. MIT researchers have developed a lightweight structure whose tiny blocks can be snapped together much like the bricks of a child’s construction toy. The new material, the researchers say, could revolutionize the assembly of …

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Direct Fusion Drive for Fast Mars Missions

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Joseph Mueller of Princeton Satellite systems presented to the NASA Future in Space Operations (FISO) on Direct Fusion Drive for Fast Mars Missions * Total mass of the mission is critical * Cost is proportional to mass Princeton Satellite Systems has licensed two fusion patents from Princeton University NBF Note – John Slough is also …

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Six Japanese nuclear reactors likely to resume operating by March next year and a total of 16 reactors by March 2015

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The Institute of Energy Economics Japan says that their forecast is that the first nuclear reactor of the new batch (of about ten applicant reactors) will restart by July 2014. Out of Japan’s 50 reactors, only two have been online since they were forcibly shut down in 2011, following the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima …

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Fast Reactor Status and a two step closed nuclear fuel cycle

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the Russians have the most commercial experience with fast neutron reactors. They operated the 600 MWe BN-600 for a few decades. Fast neutron reactors increase the burnup of fuel up to 15-20% vs 5% with LWS and the used fuel is easier to process and with a liquid pyroprocessing method can enable a closed fuel …

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World’s largest building has fake sun and beach like the movie the Truman Show

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The largest building in the world is the New Global Century center in Chengdu China. It is 1600 feet long (500 meters) X 1300 feet wide (400 meters) X 300 feet tall (100 meters). It the world’s biggest building measured by floor space. The Boeing Everett Factory in Everett, Washington has the largest volume, and …

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Is the Phillippines shifting to prolonged 6-7% annual GDP growth ?

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Growth forecasts for the Philippine economy have been hiked by two institutions after the strong performance registered in the first quarter. Nomura, in a report released Friday, expects the gross domestic product (GDP) — the broadest measure of the economy — to grow by 7.3% this year and 6.2% in 2014. Its earlier estimates were …

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UK Telegraph article China may not overtake America this century and other China articles

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The UK Telegraph has an article by Ambrose Evans Pritchard which collects doubts that China economy as measured by nominal GDP and even PPP GDP will surpass the United States this century. All of the statements are just collections of maybe China’s economy will have big problems. * Maybe China has a debt that is …

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World Bank President Adopts Nextbigfuture Poverty Target

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In December 2012, Nextbigfuture proposed bringing world extreme poverty below 3% by 2025. Yesterday (April 2, 2013) World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim outlined a bold agenda for the global community toward ending extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity to boost the incomes of the poorest 40 percent of the population in …

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By 2015 the Chinese yuan will be the number three currency in the world after the US dollar and the Euro

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There are several recent forecast / predictions for the Chinese yuan by noted economists. * By 2015, a third of China’s cross-border trade will be settled in yuan, making the yuan one of the three most-used in global trade along with the dollar and euro, HSBC forecast in a report this month * The Chinese …

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Elon Musk at TED Video

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Entrepreneur Elon Musk is a man with many plans. The founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX sits down with TED curator Chris Anderson to share details about his visionary projects, which include a mass-marketed electric car, a solar energy leasing company and a fully reusable rocket. He discusses the need for electric cars. * …

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