Science & Technology News.

[W.11]

space was american thing, i hate brits seeing in space

 

[W.11]

The Microjoule competition car is the lovechild of a caterpillar and a jellybean. And maybe a go-cart that was originally just filming but ended up getting in on the action. The amazingly green vehicle can "make the journey between New York and Los Angeles over three times on just one gallon of gas." !!! It has won Shell's Eco-Marathon every time since the car's original inception in 1992. "Amazingly the Microjoule doesn't have any fancy tricks -- it's just an aerodynamic, lightweight one-seater that runs off gasoline, but runs for a long time.

 

[Audio]

NASA Expanding ISS With Bigelow Aerospace Inflatable

The inflatable test facility, known as a Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, will launch aboard a SpaceX cargo resupply mission to the ISS in 2015. After its arrival, astronauts will install the module on the aft port of the station’s Tranquility node, and then activate a pressurization system to expand the structure to its full size.

The BEAM will remain attached to the ISS for two years, during which station crew members and ground-based engineers will test the module’s structural integrity and leak rate, and track environmental details like radiation and temperature changes. Once the test period is over, the BEAM will be jettisoned from the station and will burn up as it re-enter’s Earth’s atmosphere.

More at NASA Expanding ISS With Bigelow Aerospace Inflatable - Forbes

Balloon-like dwelling to be tested on Int'l Space Station-Reuters

 

[Audio]

PAPER COMPUTER

A flexible paper computer developed at Queen’s University in collaboration with Plastic Logic and Intel Labs could one day revolutionize the way people work with tablets and computers.

The PaperTab tablet looks and feels just like a sheet of paper. However, it is fully interactive with a flexible, high-resolution 10.7” plastic display developed by Plastic Logic, a flexible touchscreen, and powered by the second generation Intel Core i5 Processor.

More at A paper-thin flexible tablet computer | KurzweilAI

I wonder if it overheats and if it does will it melt the plastic.

 

[darkinsky]

PAPER COMPUTER

More at A paper-thin flexible tablet computer | KurzweilAI

I wonder if it overheats and if it does will it melt the plastic.

its cool that it picks the info from another by just touching and its as thin as a plastic sheet, but it seems gay that there are wires and so many tabs for different use, so the one tab is not like computer, its a very basic machine incapable of multitask

and whats with the cold zone and warm zone?

 

[Splurgenxs]

PAPER COMPUTER

More at A paper-thin flexible tablet computer | KurzweilAI

I wonder if it overheats and if it does will it melt the plastic.

i can safely speculate ,tht the processing unit wont be with the paper like input/output device. if a very small form factor Cpu+Gpu are coupled with the screen then it would probably be a small bulk of solid mass at the edge.

as to ur question, with 22nm electronic etching twch available and an oled display ...the heat is almost negligible as the power usage is very minuscule.

 

[Audio]

its cool that it picks the info from another by just touching and its as thin as a plastic sheet, but it seems gay that there are wires and so many tabs for different use, so the one tab is not like computer, its a very basic machine incapable of multitask

and whats with the cold zone and warm zone?

Well, i would imagine that a single paper displaying tabs is just a question of programming. The wires are indeed gay, however the technology should be mature enough in 5-10 years (according to predictions) that wifi charging and transfer of files will probably be implemented.

I dont understand the hot/cold zones to be honest.
They say that in the hot zone there is a paper which is being worked on and in the cold and warm zones are papers that are not being used by the user but hold sort of a desktop (video explains in the cold zone there are papers with icons for apps.)
It does not mean temperature zones but rather activity zones. Hot being the one most worked on and cold being the one that is not worked on.

i can safely speculate ,tht the processing unit wont be with the paper like input/output device. if a very small form factor Cpu+Gpu are coupled with the screen then it would probably be a small bulk of solid mass at the edge.

In the first seconds of the video they are rotating it, on the right side it looks to be bulkier then on the left.
Freeze it on 0:02 and 0:05.

 

[Splurgenxs]

In the first seconds of the video they are rotating it, on the right side it looks to be bulkier then on the left.
Freeze it on 0:02 and 0:05

THis probably is a prototype, and most of the bullk u correctly noticed are just to charge and decode info onto the screen.
Even in this case they probably had to segment the silicone to provide some flexibility, as with even very flexible silicone wafers nowadays, one wouldn't risk the bending angles this device flaunts.(in the hand of the regular user)
such mobility will definitely will come with major performance sacrifices (for now).

 

[Audio]

Graphene and Human Brain Project win largest research excellence award in history, as battle for sustained science funding continues

The winning Graphene and Human Brain initiatives are set to receive one billion euros each, to deliver 10 years of world-beating science at the crossroads of science and technology.

"Graphene" will investigate and exploit the unique properties of a revolutionary carbon-based material. Graphene is an extraordinary combination of physical and chemical properties: it is the thinnest material, it conducts electricity much better than copper, it is 100-300 times stronger than steel and it has unique optical properties. The use of graphene was made possible by European scientists in 2004, and the substance is set to become the wonder material of the 21st century, as plastics were to the 20th century, including by replacing silicon in ICT products.

100 million a year for 10 years. Not too shabby!

Graphene and Human Brain Project

 

[Audio]

Airbus A380 - cockpit | gillesvidal - photographe panoramiste

360 degree VR cockpit of A-380. You can zoom in/out with mouse wheel.
Seat covers look like on old buses lol.

 

[Audio]

The skin of red grapes contains resveratrol, which appears to have an anti-ageing effect, and if delivered in concentrated form could help us live longer. Photo: ALAMY

'We can live to 150 and stay healthy': Professor says first 'wonder drugs' could be ready this decade

Drugs that can slow the ageing process are likely to be available this decade, raising the prospect of people living to 150 or longer.
'Wonder' pills that help the body repair itself are in the early stages of development and will help us live well into our second century - while stem cell therapies will boost our quality of life.

Harvard geneticist Professor David Sinclair told the Dean's lecture: 'We are seeing the beginning of technology that could one day allow us to reach 150.'
Prof Sinclair is researching resveratrol - an anti-ageing compound in red wine.
A new compound is being trialled which is 1000 times more powerful than resveratrol - and is showing signs of being effective.
He said: 'Our bodies have an extraordinary ability to repair themselves and resveratrol is seemingly able to tap into those healing mechanisms.'
He said that plant-derived compounds like resveratrol had activated enzymes in mice that trigger the DNA repair process.
'Those enzymes exist in human bodies too, so the possibility of drugs that slow the ageing process is very likely within our lifetime,' he said.

Anti-ageing 'wonder pill' drug 'will enable us to live to 150' | Mail Online

Of course this will only be available at first for the filthy rich and the political elite, who to this day have undergone excessive cosmetic surgeries to look young and vibrant etc... example Silvio Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin.

Next in line would be the non expendable human resources, like geniuses, imba scientists etc.....

When it comes to normal citizenry, my thoughts would be young, healthy individuals would be selected first and seeing as i am 32 (though healthy), ill probably miss it. I reckon i will be around 50+ when its use starts to be widespread. Though, i have a good start, grapes are one of my favourite fruits and i eat them with skin.

Side effect of this would be (and maybe even in use earlier), improved life for the elderly 50-60+, enabling them to stay mentally (Alzheimer's, Parkinson disease) and more or less physically fit together with various augments and implants so that they can actively contribute to the society even when by today's standards they would be too weak and frail.
This would have tremendous benefit to the economic model we live in atm, which is based on the baby boomer generation of post WWII, where there were a lot of young to count on to fill the pension funds.

If this actually works like advertised it would mean a world of difference to (the now) many aging societies around the world.

 

[Dubious]

The mantis shrimp is one of the most incredible creatures found in our oceans. Over millions of years, it has equipped itself with an arsenal to rival that of any other organism, besting the limits of human technology on more than one front.
Firstly, it packs the biggest punch of any predator, with a sophisticated muscle mechanism allowing speeds in excess of 50mph to be attained. Couple this with the ability to create extreme low pressure behind it's extended arm, causing the water to spontaneously boil, no prey stands a chance. This action releases intense energy, enough to break sheets of glass. For a very interesting TED talk on exactly this, visit: Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals | Video on TED.com

That is not all. The mantis shrimp has the most sophisticated and extensive eyes of any known creature. With their unique shape and composition, the shrimp can see in most directions simultaneously, as well as observing more of the spectrum than us humans, both at the infra-red and ultra-violet ends. This excellent asset, coupled with the killer punch, makes the mantis shrimp one of the most effective predators in the world, as well as being one of the most beautiful. The in-depth explanation for this exquisite sight can be found here:
http://scubageek.com/articles/mantis_eye.pdf

 

[Alpha1]

The mantis shrimp is one of the most incredible creatures found in our oceans. Over millions of years, it has equipped itself with an arsenal to rival that of any other organism, besting the limits of human technology on more than one front.
Firstly, it packs the biggest punch of any predator, with a sophisticated muscle mechanism allowing speeds in excess of 50mph to be attained. Couple this with the ability to create extreme low pressure behind it's extended arm, causing the water to spontaneously boil, no prey stands a chance. This action releases intense energy, enough to break sheets of glass. For a very interesting TED talk on exactly this, visit: Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals | Video on TED.com

That is not all. The mantis shrimp has the most sophisticated and extensive eyes of any known creature. With their unique shape and composition, the shrimp can see in most directions simultaneously, as well as observing more of the spectrum than us humans, both at the infra-red and ultra-violet ends. This excellent asset, coupled with the killer punch, makes the mantis shrimp one of the most effective predators in the world, as well as being one of the most beautiful. The in-depth explanation for this exquisite sight can be found here:
http://scubageek.com/articles/mantis_eye.pdf

@Talon mail me these interesting things too!

 

[Audio]

Swiss Space Systems (S-3), based in Payerne in the Alpine country, has released plans for a reusable small satellite launch system, with test flights scheduled to begin in 2017.

S-3's plan entails air-launching a reusable lifting body-like vehicle from the top of an Airbus A300, which will, in turn, release a disposable third stage. Though crucial details were not immediately available, the launch system is closely based on Dassault's airborne reusable hypersonic vehicle (VEHRA) concept, which the company has been proposing for several years without any takers. Dassault is one of six industrial partners in the project.

S-3's launcher will deliver up to 250kg (550lb) into low Earth orbit. The company intends to build and flight test a mockup of the second stage in 2014, with a flight-ready spacecraft assembled by 2016, ahead of a 2017 spaceflight.

A deal with Spaceport Malaysia was signed on the same day as the launch vehicle's public unveiling.

The company is associated with a number of notable people within the space sector, including Switzerland's first astronaut, Claude Nicollier.

S-3 was unavailable for immediate comment.

Swiss Space Systems unveils small reusable satellite launch system

S3

^^ ultra hi-res CGI, page may behave a little sluggish, sorry

 

[Audio]

Feasibility study of capturing an asteroid and bringing it to the moon for human training and development of practical models of resource extraction.

(Phys.org)—Researchers at the Keck Institute for Space Studies have released a paper outlining a proposal to send an unmanned spacecraft into deep space to capture an asteroid and return it as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) orbiting the moon. In putting together the paper, the team at Keck worked with several NASA agencies, universities and private groups with the aim of discerning the feasibility of such a project and then outlining how it might come about.

Link to publicly available study with calculations, timeframes and cost estimates. Quite amazing to be honest.

http://www.kiss.caltech.edu/study/asteroid/asteroid_final_report.pdf

And so you don't say this is just a study-here are calls from politics:

NASA is planning for a robotic spaceship to lasso a small asteroid and park it near the moon for astronauts to explore, a top U.S. senator disclosed Friday.

Senator says NASA to lasso asteroid, bring it closer (Update)