Science & Technology News – Page 85

ELON MUSK SAYS UPCOMING SPACEX STARSHIP CAN ‘FLY AROUND SPACE AND CHOMP UP DEBRIS’

July 8, 2021

Elon Musk says SpaceX can fly around space and “chomp up debris” with its upcoming Starship craft.

Starship is central to many of SpaceX’s aims, and continues to be under development. It hopes to eventually use it to carry people to space, the Moon and further, and it has conducted a number of often spectacular tests.

But it comes at the same time as SpaceX and other companies face criticism over their contribution to “space debris”, which can block out the view of the sky and poses a threat as it fills up the sky. Numerous experts have warned that the growing number of satellites and other materials above the Earth could possibly cause a disastrous collision.

Its Starlink space internet satellites, for instance, have faced both criticism and risk from the increasing number of satellites they share the sky with. They have been attacked by astronomers who argue that they are crowding out the view of the sky, and have been forced to change orbit to avoid the risk of collisions.

But Mr Musk has said on Twitter that the company could also help fix that problem, using its Starship to pick up that litter from the sky.

Science & Technology News, Space Flight

Dragonfly Titan Octocopter Mission Next in Line to Use a Nuclear Generator

July 8, 2021

By Daniel Patrascu

Now that NASA has proven helicopter flight can be achieved in alien atmospheres, there are green lights across the board for the Dragonfly mission. That would be the octocopter the American space agency plans on sending to Saturn’s moon Titan in search of, well, life, of course.

The mission is set to depart in 2027, one year later than initially planned, and land on Titan in 2035. It will be tasked with spending its next three years hopping from place to place and collecting samples, from its initial landing spot in the Shangri-La dune fields to exotic places like the Selk impact crater, for a total distance of about 108 miles (175 km).

AI, Science & Technology News

Israel Just Used Fully AI Controlled Drone Swarms in a World First

July 8, 2021

A swarm of drones could launch attacks on their own

By Ameya Paleja

The system is fed with data from satellites, other reconnaissance drones, aerial vehicles, and intel collected by the ground unit.

In July 2019, unidentified drones swarmed the US Navy destroyers, triggering an alert. In May of 2021, Israel allowed the use of drone swarms to locate, identify, and attack Hamas militants, in what is likely the first-ever use of drone swarms in combat.

Last month, we had reported that Israel deployed a semi-autonomous robot during the recent Gaza conflict. Carrying a machine gun, this robot named Jaguar, was capable of driving to a designated location, returning fire, and even self-destructing when compromised. However, the robot needed a human operator to initiate the firing from the machine gun.

A fully autonomous drone swarm is a different level of technology altogether. It is a networked entity that is not controlled by human operators at all. Operated by artificial intelligence (AI), it can continue its mission, even if loses some drones during its mission. The machine learning system is fed with data sourced from satellites, other reconnaissance drones, and aerial vehicles, as well as intel collected by ground units.

brain-computer interfaces, Science & Technology News

Inbrain Neuroelectronics Believes Its Chips Could Outperform Elon Musk’s Neuralink

July 7, 2021

By Nica Osorio
KEY POINTS

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has a new competitor
It’s a startup company called Inbrain Neuroelectronics
It says its chips are made of one of the strongest materials ever tested
It aims to cure brain disorders using its technology

A Spanish startup company called Inbrain Neuroelectronics believes its chips could outperform Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brainchild.

In April, Musk said that Neutralink, which develops brain-machine interfaces, could transition from implanting chips in monkeys to embedding them in humans within 2021. But Inbrain Neuroelectronics, which specializes in brain implants made of graphene, thinks its chip could do better.

Apple, Science & Technology News

Apple’s car obsession is all about taking eyes off the road

July 7, 2021

By REED STEVENSON AND MARK GURMAN

At first glance, the forays Apple Inc., Google and other technology giants are making into the world of cars don’t appear to be particularly lucrative.

Building automobiles requires factories, equipment and an army of people to design and assemble large hunks of steel, plastic and glass. That all but guarantees slimmer profits. The world’s top 10 carmakers had an operating margin of just 5.2% in 2020, a fraction of the 34% enjoyed by the tech industry’s leaders, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

But for Apple and other behemoths that are diving into self-driving tech or have grand plans for their own cars, that push isn’t just about breaking into a new market — it’s about defending valuable turf.

“Why are tech companies pushing into autonomous driving? Because they can, and because they have to,” said Chris Gerdes, co-director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford University. “There are business models that people aren’t aware of.”

A market projected to top $2 trillion by 2030 is hard to ignore. By then, more than 58 million vehicles globally are expected to be driving themselves. And Big Tech has the means — from artificial intelligence and massive data, to chipmaking and engineering — to disrupt this century-old industry.

Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News

The EV Boom Is Coming Much Earlier Than Expected

July 7, 2021

By Felicity Bradstock

The electric vehicle (EV) boom is now expected to come five years earlier than originally anticipated, in 2033, according to new research.

Based on new Ernst & Young AI analysis for supply and demand, experts are suggesting that EV sales will surpass those of traditional vehicles by 2033, with Europe reaching this point in 2028, China by 2033, and the U.S. by 2036. The research suggests that non-EV sales could plummet to as low as 1 percent of total vehicle sales by 2045.

While Europe will be the first to achieve record EV sales, due to increasing vehicle demand China will likely lead the way through to 2050.

Pressure from governments across Europe and in China for companies to meet green policy expectations means increasing fees for car manufacturers buying and selling gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. The goal of net-zero has spread around the globe, meaning many automakers are making the switch earlier than anticipated.

Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News

It’s Official: US Government Says Electric Vehicles Cost 40% Less To Maintain

July 7, 2021

The latest information from the US government shows battery electric cars cost less to maintain than conventional cars, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.

By Steve Hanley

We have heard it over and over again — electric vehicles cost less to own. The reasons are fairly obvious. A vehicle with an internal combustion engine and transmission has about 10,000 parts whirling around in order to make it go. A battery electric car has less than 10. Fewer parts means fewer things that require servicing which in turn means paying less money to technicians to keep our transportation devices running.

While we understand intuitively that electric vehicles should be less expensive to maintain, now there’s proof. The US government operates the largest vehicle fleet in the world, so it stands to reason it should know a thing or two about how much it costs to keep them all running.

Agriculture, Science & Technology News

Tiny, needle-like sensors inserted into plants are the latest addition to precision agriculture

July 7, 2021

Using microneedles, a technology borrowed from medicine, researchers mine real-time data to make farming hyper-efficient—and more sustainable

By Emma Bryce

What if we could closely track the health of plants, the way we use a monitor to track a human heartbeat? Researchers have moved us closer to this goal, with a new type of microsensor that can be inserted into the leaves and stems of crops to directly monitor information about their health and productivity.

This is one of the most recent innovations to come out of precision agriculture, a field of research and technological development that aims to gather as much data as possible on the optimal growing conditions for plants – typically using technologies like soil sensors and camera-fitted drones. Gathering this information could increase the efficiency of fertilizer and water to cut back on waste, pollution, and emissions. By finding out exactly what crops need, precision agriculture could also increase yields, which would have the added benefit of maximising land use and limiting agricultural expansion — one of the biggest threats to wild habitat, and a contributor to climate change.

The researchers on the new study think their newly-developed sensors — tiny, needle-like structures made of polymers, which are inserted into plants — could be a powerful addition to the precision agriculture toolbox.

AI, Science & Technology News

How AI Is Bringing Intelligence to TV Screens

July 6, 2021

By Daniel Elad

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been creating quite a stir across all industries, including the Connected TV (CTV) realm. In fact, it has already switched from being an attribute of siloed players to become something most actors dip their toes into.

While AI-driven data mining helps build predictions and foresee peoples’ attitudes to video content, machine learning algorithms segment viewers according to their habits. With such a slew of capabilities, no wonder AI has received a warm welcome in the CTV space.

Cancer, Science & Technology News

Japan launches new cancer treatment using special antibodies and beams of light

July 6, 2021

Hisataka Kobayashi (right), senior investigator at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, shakes hands with Rakuten Group Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hiroshi Mikitani

A new cancer treatment that uses light to target and kill only cancer cells, and is believed to have few side effects, has entered into use in Japan, in a world first.

In the treatment, called photoimmunotherapy, antibodies that bind only to cancer cells are administered to patients.

Harmless by themselves, the antibodies, when illuminated for several minutes with near-infrared lasers, trigger a chemical reaction that “destroy only cancer cells with pinpoint accuracy,” according to Hisataka Kobayashi, senior investigator at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, who developed the method.

Green Friendly, Science & Technology News

Hyundai’s experimental hydrogen-powered trucks are America-bound

July 6, 2021

The fleet just reached a big milestone

By RONAN GLON
Hyundai’s fleet of hydrogen-powered truck prototypes reached a significant milestone in Europe in June 2021. With a successful testing phase comes a tremendous amount of data, and the information gathered during 11 months of real-world evaluation across the pond will ultimately help the firm design a truck sized for American roads.

Real-world users have collectively put 1 million kilometers (about 621,400 miles) on the 46 trucks that Hyundai built for testing purposes, meaning each rig has covered an average of around 13,500 miles. They’re in the hands of 25 different companies operating in Switzerland, including some in the logistics, distribution, and supermarket sectors. So far, users have been pleased: They praised the Xcient truck’s long driving range and short refueling times, attributes that a comparable electric model wouldn’t be able to offer. Specific figures weren’t released.

Hyundai will continue manufacturing the Xcient for early adopters in Switzerland. It plans to build 140 units of the truck for the Swiss market in 2021, and it hopes that number will grow to 1,600 by 2025. Starting the project in Switzerland was a decision that carried relatively few risks. It’s a country that’s roughly a tenth the size of California, and its road network is relatively well developed. Next, the South Korean company will branch out into other European countries. It hasn’t decided where yet, but it singled out Germany and Holland as likely candidates.

The trucks that Hyundai is letting loose on European roads are all rigid-body models, meaning the box is attached to the frame. Looking ahead, engineers hope to use the data gathered on the Old Continent to develop a semi truck (also called a tractor unit) that will be closer to the Freightliner and Peterbilt models that roam America’s highways. It’s no coincidence that these prototypes will be launched and tested in the United States.

Via Autoblog.com

Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

Scientists devise a battery-free pacemaker that can be absorbed by the body

July 6, 2021

By Kevin Lin

Scientists have designed a temporary, battery-free pacemaker that can be broken down by the patient’s body when its work is done, the latest advance in the emerging field of bioelectronics.

In a paper published this week in Nature Biotechnology, researchers report that the device reliably kept the heart’s pace in check in tests on mice, rats, and other animals, as well as in human heart tissue in a dish. And while the research is still in the early stages, the scientists say the pacemaker was able to overcome key limitations of existing devices.

“There are about 1 million people a year who receive pacemaker implantations worldwide. It’s a huge, huge medical field, but mostly pacemakers are permanent,” said Igor Efimov, a biomedical engineer and professor at George Washington University and co-author of the new paper.

Unlike traditional pacemakers, which are left inside a patient for the rest of their life or until the battery dies, a traditional temporary pacemaker is implanted and later removed. The devices are typically for children with congenital heart defects or adults who have had a coronary artery bypass graft, who may need a temporary pacemaker to correct a slowed heart rhythm for only a few days or weeks.