Researchers have made a seaweed-derived material to help boost the performance of superconductors, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. Seaweed is an abundant algae that grows easily in salt water. While Yang was at Griffith University in Australia, he worked with colleagues at Qingdao University and at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the U.S. to make …
Eric Schmidt was CEO of Google from Aug 2001 to April 2011. Eric has recently admitted that he underestimated machine learning and artificial intelligence Schmidt’s assessment back then was that artificial intelligence research faced tremendous obstacles that inhibited its progress. He “didn’t think it would scale,” he said of the machine learning tech. And he …
Spacex has a successful return to flight. The mission was a success with successful deployment of all satellites and the first stage landed on the drone ship Over the next 14 months, the company plans six additional Falcon 9 launches to deploy 60 more Iridium satellites that will completely replace the constellation. In the short-term, …
Planetary Resources, Inc., the asteroid mining company, announced today that it has finalized a 25 million euro agreement that includes direct capital investment of 12 million euros and grants of 13 million euros from the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the banking institution Société Nationale de Crédit et d’Investissement (SNCI). The funding …
The Carnival of Space 482 is up at The Venus Transit Universe Today – NASA’s New Asteroid Alert System Gives 5 Whole Days of Warning Universe Today – China Just Launched Its Largest Rocket Ever Nextbigfuture – The new Long March 5 rocket launched successfully on Thursday. The rocket could be used to support a …
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 …
Engineers from MIT and Tsinghua University in Beijing have precisely simulated how electrical power may generate heat between a single layer of graphene and a simple cell membrane. While direct contact between the two layers inevitably overheats and kills the cell, the researchers found they could prevent this effect with a very thin, in-between layer …
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using bamboo fiber in 3-D printing experiments to determine whether bio-based feedstock materials are feasible in additive manufacturing. Chopped bamboo fibers were added to a bio-polymer resin to create bamboo-based pellets, resulting in a more sustainable material that can be used for manufacturing molds, prototypes, appliances and furniture. …
Tesla today has made an offer to acquire SolarCity. Elon Musks two companies have been working toward similar goals. The Tesla batteries would provide storage for SolarCity solar power. This move will simplify Elon Musks work running both companies. It will let them fully cooperate without the illusion of two independent companies. The proposal represents …
The US Army is currently testing High Energy Laser Mobile Test Truck (HELMTT) with a 10 kilowatt laser. They are destroying drones and other targets in field tests. They will upgrade the 10 kilowatt laser to a 60 kilowatt laser for more range and ability to operate in fog, rain and other conditions. High Energy …
Kuth and Ranieri, the husband-and-wife founders of a namesake architecture firm in San Francisco’s North Beach, submitted a proposal in the International Rising Tides competition to solve the problem of rising ocean water. The answer was was equal parts high-tech and high-design. They envisioned a “ventilated levee” that minimized impacts on the environment and bay …