Private companies want to mine asteroids for fuel, and build filling stations in space. A bill now in front of the US Congress would help by allowing them to own what they discover – but it might, if passed, meet stiff international opposition.
Continue reading… “Asteroid Act could unlock billion dollar in asteroid mining business”
There is a 50% probability that human-level machine intelligence will have been attained by 2050.
Machines already have superhuman strength, speed and stamina. One day machines will have superhuman intelligence. Assuming that scientific and technological progress continues, human-level machine intelligence is very likely to be developed. And shortly thereafter, superintelligence.
Continue reading… “Top 5 ways the superintelligence revolution could happen”
High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT)
A cutting-edge solar system that resembles a 10-meter-high sunflower has just been unveiled by IBM Research and Swiss solar technology company Airlight Energy. The High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system can concentrate the sun’s radiation 2,000 times and convert 80 percent of it into useful energy, generating up to 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day—enough to power several average homes. It can also produce clean, fresh water as a result of the process used to cool the solar cells. (Video)
Tesla/SpaceX chief and sustainable energy champion, Elon Musk, has finalized plans to build a 1.2 million square-foot megafactory in Buffalo, NY through his company SolarCity. The factory targets to create enough solar panels a year to harness a gigawatt of the sun’s energy.
Continue reading… “Elon Musk’s SolarCity to build a Gigafactory for producing solar panels”
Ello
Ello, a new upstart social network burst into the spotlight last week. It has grown from just 90 members in August to a reported 30,000 new users per hour, To understand the social network let’s start with its manifesto:
Continue reading… “Ello – a wakeup call for social media marketing”
The fuel cell system is based on the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology.
Those interested in off-the-grid heating and power sources for the home might soon be getting a new option. The Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) has joined forces with the heater manufacturer Vaillant and together they have come up with a domestic fuel cell system, which uses natural gas to produce both heat and electricity.
Continue reading… “New fuel cell system will heat and power homes using natural gas”
Foxconn wants to make an electric car priced less than $15,000.
Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturing partner, is notorious for its empire of iPhone-assembling employees and robots, but the electronics manufacturer is looking to shift gears, by building a dirt cheap electric car and it’s already investing $811 million to speed up the process.
Continue reading… “iPhone manufacturer Foxconn invests $811M in building electric cars in China”
Panther Vision Powercap
When you go out into the darkness then you’d better be prepared with a good durable flashlight to light up your path. However, packing an extra flashlight may sometimes make your gear a bit heavy which can slow you down.
Continue reading… “Panther Vision Powercap – a solar-powered flashlight you wear on your head”
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt, Google’s Chairman, wants to play nice with the European Union, but he isn’t about to give in to calls for regulation. “Europe needs to accept and embrace disruption. The old ways of doing things need to face competition that forces them to innovate,” he wrote in an op-ed for Digital Minds for a New Europe, the European Commission’s new tech series. “Uber, for example, is shaking up the taxi market — for the good. It offers riders convenience and cheaper fares. Understandably, the incumbent taxi industry is unhappy.”
Space elevator
The Japanese construction giant Obayashi has announced they will have a space elevator up and running by the year 2050. If successful it would revolutionize space travel and potentially transform the global economy. (Video)
Continue reading… “Japanese company Obayashi plans to have a space elevator up and running by 2050”
Inexpensive renewable sources will provide more energy than the world needs in less than 20 years.
Leading consultants were skeptical about cellular phones in the 1980’s. McKinsey & Co. noted that the handsets were heavy, batteries didn’t last long, coverage was patchy, and the cost per minute was exorbitant. It predicted that in 20 years the total market size would be about 900,000 units and advised AT&T to pull out.
Continue reading… “We are headed into an era of unlimited and free clean energy”
MIT BioSuit
Science fiction writers must feel like the future is getting too close with all the news about a 3D printer winging its way to the International Space Station (ISS), skintight spacesuits, and plans for construction of a space elevator.