DeepMind's AI will learn inside Unity's video game worlds

This is massively more efficient than real-world testing...assuming the virtual worlds are sufficiently accurate analogs:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90240010/deepminds-ai-will-learn-inside-unitys-video-game-worlds

How Zinc Batteries Could Change Energy Storage

"NantEnergy said that at $100 per kilowatt-hour, the cost of zinc air batteries compared favorably with that of lithium-ion batteries, which can be $250 per kilowatt-hour but are more typically $300 to $400"

However,

"At the present rate of production of zinc, zinc reserves will last about 25 years. So it is not clear from the reserves available if we will have enough zinc to support the enormous need that will result from the demand for grid-scale batteries."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/business/energy-environment/zinc-battery-explain.html

When Will We Have Artificial Intelligence As Smart as a Human? Here’s What Experts Think

https://futurism.com/human-level-artificial-intelligence-agi

New Lithium-Based Battery Design Makes Use of Greenhouse Gas

Yet another battery option:

https://scitechdaily.com/new-lithium-based-battery-design-makes-use-of-greenhouse-gas/

Polestar unveils first production EV with aim to overtake Tesla

Ambitious:

https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/21/polestar-unveils-first-production-ev-with-aim-to-overtake-tesla/

The World’s First Practical Quantum Computer May Be Just Five Years Away

https://futurism.com/quantum-computer-first-practical/

“Synthetic Skin” Could Give Prosthesis Users a Superhuman Sense of Touch

Not just touch...superhuman touch. Nice:

https://futurism.com/synthetic-skin-prosthesis-superhuman/

Thinking Like a Human: What It Means to Give AI a Theory of Mind

https://singularityhub.com/2018/09/19/thinking-like-a-human-what-it-means-to-give-ai-a-theory-of-mind/

This Creepy Toddler-Sized Robot Will Haunt Your Dreams

Telerobotics still has a way to go:

https://futurism.com/creepy-toddler-sized-robot/

Imagine how future soldiers would benefit from this concept.

Quantum computing is on the way

Deterministic teleportation of a quantum gate achieved:

https://bigthink.com/quantum-computing-teleportation-logic-gate

Germany Just Rolled Out the World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Trains

A very practical application for hydrogen power:

https://futurism.com/hydrogen-powered-trains/

How Electronic Tattoos Will Change The World — And Ourselves

Cool uses for 3D printing in the near future (and it's about a lot more than mere tattoos):

https://futurism.com/glimpse-electronic-tattoos/

Scientists Are Developing New Ways to Treat Disease With Cells, Not Drugs

Specifically stem cells:

http://time.com/5394912/stem-cell-treatment/

Why Rigetti’s New Quantum Hybrid Cloud Service Is a Big Deal

https://singularityhub.com/2018/09/13/why-rigettis-new-quantum-hybrid-cloud-service-is-a-pretty-big-deal/

MIT CSAIL uses AI to teach robots to manipulate objects they’ve never seen before

Another important step in the development of a general-purpose home robot:

https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/09/mit-csail-uses-ai-to-teach-robots-how-to-manipulate-objects-theyve-never-seen-before/

The Pentagon plans to spend $2 billion to put more artificial intelligence into its weaponry

It's a good start, DARPA...although I'd rather this not be so military:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/8/17833160/pentagon-darpa-artificial-intelligence-ai-investment

This Battery Is Made of Paper and Powered by Bacteria

Clean and biodegradable:

https://singularityhub.com/2018/09/06/this-battery-is-made-of-paper-and-powered-by-bacteria/

Japan Takes Tiny First Step Toward Space Elevator

Baby steps...but it's happening:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-take-tiny-first-step-toward-space-elevator-180970212/

In Europe, Scientists Need to Share Their Research for Free if They Want Government Funding

This should be a boon to science (although what about weapons and other necessarily secret research?):

https://futurism.com/open-access-science-europe/

Tech Can Sustainably Feed Developing World Cities of the Future. Here’s How

A good summary of all the likely measures:

https://singularityhub.com/2018/09/05/tech-can-sustainably-feed-developing-world-cities-of-the-future-heres-how/

Jobs changing with AI but no mass unemployment expected

I would never bet on this long-term:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/jobs-changing-with-ai-but-no-mass-unemployment-expected-un-labour-experts/articleshow/65682669.cms

Researchers use nanotechnology to develop new super-dense drive

"Using nanotechnology and computer engineering, physicists at the University of Alberta have developed a solid-state drive with 1,000 times more storage capacity than before."

https://nano-magazine.com/news/2018/9/3/researchers-use-nanotechnology-to-develop-new-super-dense-drive

This Autonomous Drone Is Ready to Defend the Great Barrier Reef From Predators

I could see the world being filled with such monitoring robots (of all sorts) within a couple decades:

https://futurism.com/rangerbot-autonomous-drone-reef/

The New AI Tech Turning Heads in Video Manipulation

Creating fake but realistic videos (using alternative audio or video, or even still images) keeps getting better and better:

https://singularityhub.com/2018/09/03/the-new-ai-tech-turning-heads-in-video-manipulation-2/

Anybody have a video of Trump they can have fun with? ;-)