NASA will likely shut down its Institute for Advanced Concepts, which funds research into futuristic ideas in spaceflight and aeronautics in August 2007 unless there is budgetary change. I hope they do not shutdown the NIAC because it is doing fantastic work. Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger …
IDC estimates that the world had 185 exabytes of storage available last year and will have 601 exabytes in 2010. But the amount of stuff generated is expected to jump from 161 exabytes last year to 988 exabytes (closing in on 1 zettabyte) in 2010. Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a …
Different materials for solar sails with wide variation in capability are all in development. The lighter the sail then the faster it will accelerate. This link has a table which shows the different speeds possible with different accelerations. The carbon nanotube sail has the highest potential. 1 square kilometer 30 kg or 0.03 grams per …
I think the main benefit for these new methods is to extend the capabilities of these DNA nanotechnology systems along with DNA origami, Ned Seemans DNA systems, rotaxane molecular chemistry, other molecular chemistry, laser/electric manipulation, synthetic biology and advanced self assembly. More tools and methods in our rapidly growing molecular manipulation toolbox. Scientists from Duke …
A team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has created the world’s first material that reflects virtually no light. Reporting in the March issue of Nature Photonics, they describe an optical coating made from the material that enables vastly improved control over the basic properties of light. The research could open the door to much …
This is a more accurate breakdown of what equals one cubic mile of oil. The IEEE Spectrum comparison compares oil’s inputs to the other’s outputs. The world’s annual consumption, one cubic mile of oil, can be replaced by [this includes converting all cars and trucks to electric or PHEV/biofuels a likely 30-40 year effort with …
I have described a bouncing laser mirror system for accelerating space vehicles to very fast speed. How would braking work ? The braking is done with a receiving laser bounce system at your destination (like Mars) OR you would need to carry a good superconducting magnetic sail to slow you down OR you have to …
The first in a new generation of nanotechnology-based cancer treatments will likely begin clinical trials in 2007, and if the promise of animal trials carries through to human trials, these treatments will transform cancer therapy. One of these new approaches places gold-coated nanoparticles, called nanoshells, inside tumors and then heats them with infrared light until …
Dwave systems plans to demo a 16 qubit (4×4 grid) superconducting AQC (adiabatic quantum computing) in the first quarter of 2007. Each qubit is connected to nearest- and next-nearest neighbors using tunable couplers. The chip is programmed by setting the values of the biases on each qubit (16 total), and the values of each of …
Here is a pdf of a 2005 Congressional Budget Office study of improved strategic mobility It has options for buying more exising air transports like the C17 and more of the LMSR (Large medium speed roll on/roll off ships) The more interesting options are the development of improved airlift and sealift systems. For airlift, they …