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Aug 29, 2020

New materials developed that are as light as aerogel, yet 10,000 times stronger

Posted by in categories: chemistry, space, sustainability

Circa 2017


Imagine materials strong enough to use in building airplanes or motor cars, yet are literally lighter than air. Soon, that may not be so hard to do because a team of researchers from MIT and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed new ultra-lightweight materials that are as light as aerogel, but 10,000 times stiffer, and may one day revolutionize aerospace and automotive designs.

Aerogels are incredibly light, so light that the record holder, aerographene, boasts a density of just 0.16 mg/cm3. Currently, aerogels are used for insulation, tennis racquets, as a means of controlling oil spills, and were used on the NASA Stardust mission to collect samples from a comet’s tail. Unfortunately, despite its seemingly ephemeral nature, its very much a solid and will shatter if pressed hard enough, so its use is limited.

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Aug 29, 2020

Transparent solar panels for windows hit record 8% efficiency

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability, transportation

In a step closer to skyscrapers that serve as power sources, a team led by University of Michigan researchers has set a new efficiency record for color-neutral, transparent solar cells.

The team achieved 8.1% efficiency and 43.3% transparency with an organic, or carbon-based, design rather than conventional silicon. While the cells have a slight green tint, they are much more like the gray of sunglasses and automobile windows.

“Windows, which are on the face of every building, are an ideal location for because they offer something silicon can’t, which is a combination of very and very high visible transparency,” said Stephen Forrest, the Peter A. Franken Distinguished University Professor of Engineering and Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering, who led the research.

Aug 29, 2020

AI Magic Makes Century-Old Films Look New

Posted by in categories: entertainment, information science, robotics/AI

Denis Shiryaev uses algorithms to colorize and sharpen old movies, bumping them up to a smooth 60 frames per second. The result is a stunning glimpse at the past.

Aug 29, 2020

Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall

Posted by in categories: drones, electronics

THOR puts high-powered microwaves to fry drone swarms’ electronics in a rugged and deployable package.

Aug 29, 2020

Here comes the Army’s first laser battalion

Posted by in categories: energy, military, space

The Defense Department expects to stand up its first battalion of Stryker vehicles outfitted with high-powered laser weapons by some time next year, Army officials say.

“Expect to have the first battalion fielded in 2021 with four battalions by 2023,” U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command chief Lt. Gen. Dan Karbler told the audience at the virtual Space Missile Defense symposium on Tuesday.

The so-called “laser battalion,” as Defense One described it, would eventually deploy the new 50 kw Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE-MSHORAD) Stryker that the Army is working to field by 2022, a ten-fold power increase over the 5 kw-class system that artillery soldiers have been testing in Germany since early 2018.

Aug 29, 2020

Elon Musk unveils pig with chip in its brain

Posted by in categories: computing, Elon Musk, neuroscience

Gertrude the pig is a prototype of a brain-to-machine interface.

Aug 29, 2020

Elon Musk Neuralink Presentation: 4 Main Takeaways in 4 Minutes

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, neuroscience, transhumanism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ZJh8wfGVs&feature=youtu.be

Quick recap of Neuralink’s update event.


Han from WrySci HX goes over the main points of Elon Musk’s Neuralink Presentation. More below ↓↓↓

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Aug 29, 2020

Google is working on tattoos that turn your body into a touchpad

Posted by in category: futurism

Just think of how much more user data Google could extract from us.

Aug 29, 2020

Drug Cartel Now Assassinates Its Enemies With Bomb-Toting Drones

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, drones

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OyVGiJacQqI

The tactic has become widespread on battlefields overseas and now appears to be proliferating to organized crime.

Aug 29, 2020

Up to three launches planned this weekend from Cape Canaveral

Posted by in categories: government, satellites

Up to three launches planned this weekend from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now.


Delays have set up the possibility of up to three rocket launches this weekend from different pads along Florida’s Space Coast, including two SpaceX missions on Sunday that could set a company record for the shortest span between two Falcon 9 rocket launches.

But in the world of ever-changing launch schedules, numerous factors such as weather and technical issues could thwart launch plans this weekend.

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