The Size of Space

Fun for size comparisons of objects in outer space (though mine stopped functioning toward the end):

https://neal.fun/size-of-space/

Swarms of Self-Transforming Robot Blocks Unlock Stealthy Abilities to Accomplish Complex Tasks

https://scitechdaily.com/swarms-of-self-transforming-robot-blocks-unlock-stealthy-abilities-to-accomplish-complex-tasks/

Doubt Cast on Carbon Capture by Stanford Study – “It Usually Increases Air Pollution”

At least this is regular carbon capture, not the latest developments:

https://scitechdaily.com/doubt-cast-on-carbon-capture-by-stanford-study-it-usually-increases-air-pollution/

Make Like a Leaf: ‘Carbon Photosynthesis’ With Nanotechnology to Convert CO2 Into Fuels

https://scitechdaily.com/make-like-a-leaf-carbon-photosynthesis-with-nanotechnology-to-convert-co2-into-fuels/

New Robot Makes Soldiers Obsolete (Bosstown Dynamics)

An amusing update on the Atlas robot testing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3RIHnK0_NE

“Revolutionary” New Way to Remove Carbon Dioxide From Air Developed at MIT

It's capable of stripping CO2 from the atmosphere at a reasonable cost. The video shows it all nicely:

https://scitechdaily.com/revolutionary-new-way-to-remove-carbon-dioxide-from-air-developed-at-mit-video/

Tesla is unveiling a 3rd version of its solar roof this week, Elon Musk says

I really hope this works, because it would be a game changer:

https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-solar-roof-version-3-is-coming-elon-musk-says-2019-10

Tesla: Autopilot Is Nearly 9 Times Safer Than the Average Driver

This comes with a number of caveats, though:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-autopilot-safer-average-driver

These U.N. Climate Scientists Think They Can Halt Global Warming for $300 Billion. Here's How

$300 billion is incredibly cheap to stave off the effects of climate change for a couple decades:

https://time.com/5709100/halt-climate-change-300-billion/

The Director of the NIH Lays Out His Vision of the Future of Medical Science

The near future advances:

https://time.com/5709207/medical-science-age-of-discovery/

Why Do Some People Need Less Sleep? It’s in Their DNA

"We all wish we could get by on less sleep, but one father and son actually can—without suffering any health consequences and while actually performing on memory tests as well as, or better than, most people."

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-some-people-need-less-sleep-its-in-their-dna/

ROBOTICS: Teaming for Future Soldier Combat

According to this, we still have a long way to go to get true general artificial intelligence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loCEM9b_pxc&feature=youtu.be

Google Has Achieved 'Quantum Supremacy.' Just What the Heck Is That?

"What makes Google’s accomplishment worthy of the hoopla was, for starters, speed: The Sycamore computer solved the random-number problem in just 200 seconds. Even the most powerful traditional supercomputer would require a somewhat pokier 10,000 years — give or take a century — to achieve the same feat."

https://time.com/5708327/google-quantum-supremacy-explainer/

Giant Plasma Guns Could Be the Answer to Limitless Fusion Power

Fusion power would be world-changing, making up the difference from solar and wind:

https://www.livescience.com/fusion-power-new-method-plasma-guns.html

"Game changer" superconductor discovered to power future computers

Paving the way for quantum computers:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/quantum-computing-john-hopkins

Scientists extend mice lifespan 12% by tweaking telomeres

Tweak my telomeres, baby:

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/telomere-aging

CVS to test drone delivery for your medications

I wonder what the skies will look like in a decade or so:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/tech/cvs-ups-drone/index.html

Harvard researchers grew meat in a lab from cow and rabbit cells. It looks a lot like the real thing

It's getting there:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/us/harvard-lab-grown-meat-trnd/index.html

I wonder whether plant-based meat or lab-grown meat will ultimately win out?

Scientists Worried That Human Brains Grown in Lab May Be Sentient

Hmm, problem:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-worried-lab-grown-brains-sentient

Watch a Real-Life Invisibility Cloak Designed for Military Use

Wow, the invisibility cloak is really here:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/watch-invisibility-cloak-military-use

Powered by Sunlight, ‘Artificial Leaf’ Successfully Produces Clean Gas From CO2 and Water

A potentially powerful stopgap option:

https://scitechdaily.com/powered-by-sunlight-artificial-leaf-successfully-produces-clean-gas-from-co2-and-water/

Breakthrough Flexible, Cuttable Lithium-Ion Battery Won’t Catch Fire – Unbreakable & Incombustible

More energy storage per unit weight is more important, but this is good too:

https://scitechdaily.com/breakthrough-flexible-cuttable-lithium-ion-battery-wont-catch-fire-unbreakable-incombustible/

All Plastic Waste Could Be Recycled Into New, High-Quality Plastic With Advanced New Process

Full recycling of plastic is critical, and it seems to have finally been achieved:

https://scitechdaily.com/all-plastic-waste-could-be-recycled-into-new-high-quality-plastic-with-advanced-new-process/

Just How Feasible is a Warp Drive?

Still plenty of hurdles to overcome...but it may indeed be possible:

https://www.universetoday.com/143422/just-how-feasible-is-a-warp-drive/

Paris zoo unveils the 'blob', an organism with no brain but 720 sexes

Okay, this is a contender for the weirdest known life form:

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/paris-zoo-unveils-the-blob-an-organism-with-no-brain-but-720-sexes

Why a computer will never be truly conscious

I'm dubious. This article seems narrow in its approach, ignoring things like reverse-engineer the human brain:

https://theconversation.com/why-a-computer-will-never-be-truly-conscious-120644

A New Bioreactor Captures as Much Carbon as an Acre of Trees

A 63-cubic foot box filled with algae that supposedly absorbs as much carbon as 400 trees and keeps it out of the environment. It's a start:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/bioreactor-captures-carbon-acre-trees

Is NASA ignoring proof of Martian life from the 1970s?

Intriguing...and disturbing that it wasn't followed up on with subsequent visits:

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/life-on-mars-proof

NASA to test its first all-electric plane, the X-57

12 propellers. Huh. I'd think the extra weight and blocking of the wing would be an issue:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/electric-aircraft

New Electrolyte Improves Cycle Life of Next-Generation Lithium-Ion Batteries

https://scitechdaily.com/new-electrolyte-improves-cycle-life-of-next-generation-lithium-ion-batteries/

Navy Scientist Known For “UFO-Like Tech” Patents Fusion Reactor

"Salvatore Cezar Pais, the engineer who also patented room-temperature superconductors for the Navy, was granted a patent for a small nuclear fusion reactor capable of generating anywhere from 1 billion to 1 trillion watts."

If this pans out, it would change the world:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/navy-scientist-ufo-tech-fusion

Converting Plastic Waste From Cities and Rivers Into Fuel

Great to put discarded plastic to use, but it still puts CO2 in the atmosphere:

https://scitechdaily.com/converting-plastic-waste-from-cities-and-rivers-into-fuel/

Oh Good, They’re Adding Guns to the Flying Iron Man Jet Suit

Yeah, but it IS cool:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/adding-guns-flying-iron-man-jet-suit

Toyota Used VR to Teach a Home Helper Robot How to Clean

I've been wondering why there hasn't been much mentioned about using VR (or motion capture suits) to demonstrate to a robot how to carry out the desired tasks, with the motions being automatically converted into the necessary computer code:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/toyota-vr-teach-home-robot

Peeking at Schrodinger’s Cat Without Disturbing It – A Way of Measuring a Quantum System While Keeping Its Superposition Intact

Quantum mechanics is just so damn weird. I love it:

https://scitechdaily.com/peeking-at-schrodingers-cat-without-disturbing-it-a-way-of-measuring-a-quantum-system-while-keeping-its-superposition-intact/

As Graphene Turns 15, It Is on Track to Deliver on Its Promises

Looking forward to it. It should change the world:

https://scitechdaily.com/as-graphene-turns-15-it-is-on-track-to-deliver-on-its-promises/

Kitty Hawk's Extremely Quiet Flying Car Has a 100-Mile Range

100x quieter than a helicopter. Very cool indeed:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/kitty-hawk-flying-car-heaviside

Paralysed man moves in mind-reading exoskeleton

The early beginning of proper bionics?

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49907356

AI bests humans in medical diagnosis

And A.I. surpasses humans yet again:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/ai-bests-humans-medical-diagnosis?rebelltitem=1

A floating device created to clean up plastic from the ocean is finally doing its job, organizers say

Finally!

"Ocean Cleanup plans to build a fleet of these devices, and predicts it will be able to reduce the size of the patch by half every five years."

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/02/tech/ocean-cleanup-catching-plastic-scn-trnd/index.html

Algae might be a secret weapon to combatting climate change

Algea is FAR more efficient at absorbing CO2 than trees are:

https://qz.com/1718988/algae-might-be-a-secret-weapon-to-combatting-climate-change/

Some Black Holes May Actually Be Blobs of Dark Energy

Bizarre and unexpected:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/black-holes-dark-energy