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The DARPA Grand Challenge 10 years later

March 17, 2014

2004 DARPA Grand Challenge

Fifteen vehicles left a starting gate in the desert outside of Barstow, Calif., to make history in the DARPA Grand Challenge on March 13, 2004, a first-of-its-kind race to foster the development of self-driving ground vehicles. The goal of the race was to autonomously navigate a 142-mile course that ran across the desert to Primm, Nev. The longer-term goal was to accelerate development of the technological foundations for autonomous vehicles that could ultimately substitute for men and women in hazardous military operations, such as supply convoys.

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New Discoveries, Science & Technology News

Discovery of water-containing gem points to vast oceans beneath the Earth

March 14, 2014

Diamond sample containing the hydrous ringwoodite.

The Earth’s transition zone is the part of the Earth that exists between the upper and lower mantle. Scientists often theorize what lies in the transition zone. Many believe that the transition zone contains a lot of water, but there was no proof to support that idea. A group of geologists from the University of Alberta uncovered a water-containing gem that finally confirms this theory: there is water, possibly massive oceans of it, deep beneath the Earth’s surface.

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Analysis, Science & Technology News

Myth that 10,000 hours of practice can turn anyone into expert has been debunked

March 14, 2014

Will 10,000 hours of practice make you an expert?

Can you become an expert at anything with 10,000 hours of practice? The widely touted theory, highlighted in a 1993 psychology paper and popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, says that anyone can master a skill with 10,000 hours of practice. There’s even a Macklemore song about it, so that makes it real.

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Analysis, Big Problems, Great Videos, Robots, Science & Technology News, Weapons

Controversy brews over use of autonomous killer robots in war

March 20, 2014

U.N. will begin to lay the groundwork for the role robots will play in war.

People are promised their quality of life will improve with the advances of technology, and what could be a better example of that than sending robots instead of humans into dangerous situations? Robots can help conduct research in deep oceans and harsh climates, or deliver food and medical supplies to disaster areas. (Video)

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Analysis, Business, Globalism, government, Latest Trend, Money Talk

How China’s official bankcard is used to smuggle money

March 14, 2014

Chinese government-supported payment card network, China UnionPay.

There are a growing numbers of people in China who are using the country’s state-backed bankcards to illegally smuggle billions of dollars abroad, according to a report by Reuters.

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Globalism, Science & Technology News

Graphene oxide could offer a solution to unlocking our most abundant water source

March 14, 2014

Dr Rahul Nair demonstrates a graphene-based membrane device.

Many of us struggle to satisfy our thirst even though we live on a water world. That is because the Earth’s oceans are salty. Just 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater, and of that, 60% is trapped in glaciers, 30% in groundwater (not all of which is accessible), and just 10% is on the surface in lakes and rivers.

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Business, Science & Technology News

Liquid Light develops cheaper process to make chemicals from CO2

March 14, 2014

A startup says it has a more efficient process to use carbon dioxide for making valuable chemical feedstocks.

Liquid Light startup has developed an electrochemical process to use waste carbon dioxide as a starting ingredient for chemicals. The company says its method is significantly cheaper than conventional methods for converting CO₂ into chemicals.

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Analysis, Great Videos, Science & Technology News

Preschoolers can outsmart college students: Study

March 14, 2014

Simple test of logic produces surprising win for 4 and 5-year-olds over college students.

A new study published in the journal, Cognition, finds that preschoolers can outsmart college students because they are less biased and more flexible than adults. The study put 170 college undergrads up against 106 four and five-year-olds in a test of learning and reasoning. (Video)

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Analysis, Business, Latest Trend

Colorado’s soaring demand for marijuana ushers in weed cottage industry

March 14, 2014

Demand outstrips supply in Colorado

Supply can’t keep up with demand in Colorado. Colorado is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use (the other being Washington), Colorado’s pot industry has ushered in a booming warehouse market–part of a greater cannabis cottage industry.

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Analysis, Food, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

WHO proposal to cut recommended sugar intake by half

March 14, 2014

WHO recommends that adults have less sugar per day than is found in one glass of many soft drinks.

Scientists are gearing up for a battle with the food industry after the World Health Organization (WHO) moved to halve its recommendation on sugar intake.

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Alternative Transportation, Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, Business, Historical Perspectives, Latest Trend, People Making a Difference, Science & Technology News

The Next Bold Step in Transportation: Personal Rapid Transit Systems

March 13, 2014

Futurist Thomas Frey: Throughout history, speed has been synonymous with greatness. In sports, those who ran the fastest were heroes. In times of war, those with the fastest chariots, ships, planes, and weapons had a significant advantage. In the business world, a company’s competitive edge has typically been formed around speed – quickest delivery, fastest transaction times, or speed of information.

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Analysis, Latest Trend, Robots, Science & Technology News

Top 5 technologies that are shaping the future of design

March 13, 2014

The Sproutling

Wearables for babies, theatrical robots and 3D bio printers are some of the types of technologies that might be “out there,” but they show off key enabling technologies that are pushing the future of design forward. These types of technologies were highlighted at Bloomberg Business Week’s Design Conference in San Francisco this week.

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