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

NASA Designing Advanced Shapeshifting Robots for Saturn’s Moons

Impressive versatility here:

https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-designing-advanced-shapeshifting-robots-for-saturns-moons-video/

US Soldiers Could Receive Night Vision Eye Injections

They can call it "iSight":

https://futurism.com/the-byte/soldiers-night-vision-eye-injections

Watch Boston Dynamics’ Humanoid Nail a Tricky Gymnastics Routine

It seems like only a year or two ago Atlas was just walking. My, how fast they grow up:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/boston-dynamics-humanoid-gymnastics-routine

"First they came for Simone Biles, and I did not speak out because I was not a gymnast...."

The coming collapse of the industrial livestock industry

The end of factory farming and the vast majority of the meat industry may be 10-15 years away:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/livestock-disruption?rebelltitem=5

Immunity Against Cancer? Engineered Killer T Cells May Be the Key.

I could use a dose of this:

https://scitechdaily.com/immunity-against-cancer-engineered-killer-t-cells-may-be-the-key/

Bypassing Moore’s Law With High-Speed Photonic Computers

Another possible way to continue with Moore's Law:

https://scitechdaily.com/bypassing-moores-law-with-high-speed-photonic-computers/

Google Says It's Achieved Quantum Supremacy, a World-First

Impressive if true: "the company’s quantum processor can perform a calculation “in three minutes and 20 seconds that would take today’s most advanced classical computer, known as Summit, approximately 10,000 years”":

https://gizmodo.com/google-says-its-achieved-quantum-supremacy-a-world-fir-1838299829

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

Promising, but it needs to be scaled WAY up:

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

New Material – 14x Stronger & 8x Lighter Than Steel – May Lead to Next-Gen Military Armor

Surely the civilian applications should dwarf the military applications?

https://scitechdaily.com/new-material-14x-stronger-8x-lighter-than-steel-may-lead-to-next-gen-military-armor/

Watch This Flying Taxi Soar Over a German City

I think we'll see a lot of these before long:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/flying-taxi-volocopter-flight-german-city

Amazing New Material Combines Wood Fibers and Spider Silk

A potential strong and resilient biodegradable replacement for plastic:

https://scitechdaily.com/amazing-new-material-combines-wood-fibers-and-spider-silk/

Stanford Researchers Discover a New Route to Carbon-Neutral Fuels From Carbon Dioxide

Perhaps a good stopgap method:

https://scitechdaily.com/stanford-researchers-discover-a-new-route-to-carbon-neutral-fuels-from-carbon-dioxide/

Scientists propose ‘Spaceline’ elevator to the Moon

An elevator from the Moon (almost) to Earth might be done for a mere few billions of dollars:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/12/scientists-propose-spaceline-elevator-to-the-moon/

The world needs carbon-neutral flying. Here’s how to bring it one step closer

Sustainable fuels:

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/carbon-neutral-flying/

Low-Cost Device Generates Electricity Naturally in the Dark

Solar power is so yesterday. Dark power is the next big thing:

https://scitechdaily.com/low-cost-device-generates-electricity-naturally-in-the-dark/

Electric vehicles won't save us from climate change

This is not encouraging, but it also doesn't take into account advancing technologies:

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/460496-electric-vehicles-wont-save-us-from-climate-change

Why This Earth-Like Planet is a Big Step Forward in the Search for Life

The best chance for extraterrestrial life yet:

https://time.com/5674014/life-exoplanet-k2-18b/

Using a DNA Construction Kit to Replace Expensive Antibody Medication

This could cut costs drastically:

https://scitechdaily.com/using-a-dna-construction-kit-to-replace-expensive-antibody-medication/

Reprogrammable Ink That Lets Objects Change Colors Like a Chameleon

Just because it's cool:

https://scitechdaily.com/reprogrammable-ink-that-lets-objects-change-colors-like-a-chameleon-video/

Tesla Researcher Says New Battery Could Last One Million Miles

That would be a huge help for solar storage too:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-new-battery-last-one-million-miles

What did Earth look like ______ years ago?

This is just a very cool way to view the world over the past up to 750 million years, and to see where the place you live used to be:

http://dinosaurpictures.org/ancient-earth#0

In One-Year Study, Drug Cocktail Appears To Reverse “Genetic Age”

Very exciting prospect:

https://futurism.com/neoscope/study-drug-cocktail-reverse-genetic-age

The end of anonymity

It seems David Brin's "The Transparent Society" is coming to be:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-deep-dives-54d9b1ac-c774-4f8f-bbca-a750039f4563.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0

If Will Smith had said yes to 'The Matrix' instead of Keanue Reeves

Deep fakes are getting better and better:

https://youtu.be/1h-yy3h1u04

Catalytic Reactor Turns Greenhouse Gas Into Pure Liquid Fuel

This sounds promising, although CO2 is the byproduct of the fuel use:

https://scitechdaily.com/catalytic-reactor-turns-greenhouse-gas-into-pure-liquid-fuel/

Aristo A.I. scores ‘A’ on 8th-grade science test

A.I. is rapidly catching up in yet another field:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/aristo-ai-test

We're One Step Closer to a Blood Test that Predicts When a Person Will Die

Interesting concept:

https://time.com/5656767/blood-test-longevity/

Lab-Made Mini Brains Produce Brain Waves Just Like Those of Preterm Babies

Sounds like a good analog for testing brain modifications and treatments:

https://www.livescience.com/mini-lab-brains-produce-waves.html

Advanced Microprocessor Built Out of Carbon Nanotubes

This is a huge advance in using nanotechnology in computers:

https://scitechdaily.com/advanced-microprocessor-built-out-of-carbon-nanotubes/

Quantum Gravity Could Reverse Cause and Effect

More from the bizarre world of quantum mechanics:

https://www.livescience.com/quantum-gravity-could-scramble-cause-and-effect.html

These Researchers Want to Run a Cable From the Earth to the Moon

I'm familiar with the space elevator concept and how it wouldn't work for Earth, but this "partial" space elevator system just might work:

https://futurism.com/scientists-cable-earth-moon

Nanoparticles Grant Superpower: Infrared Night Vision

It would make it hard for people who can't sleep with the lights on:

https://scitechdaily.com/nanoparticles-grant-superpower-infrared-night-vision/

KFC partners with Beyond Meat to test plant-based nuggets, wings

Great to see this trend continuing:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yum-brands-beyond-meat/kfc-partners-with-beyond-meat-to-test-plant-based-nuggets-wings-idUSKCN1VG1CG

Physicists Create World’s Smallest Engine – 10 Billion Times Smaller Than a Car Engine

A component of nanotech!

https://scitechdaily.com/physicists-create-worlds-smallest-engine-10-billion-times-smaller-than-a-car-engine/

Why self-driving car companies are spilling their secrets

Interesting cooperation:

https://www.axios.com/why-av-companies-spilling-secrets-1fab42a4-6e22-4269-8bf8-42b4886d093b.html

Complex Quantum Teleportation Achieved for the First Time

Another advance toward quantum computing:

https://scitechdaily.com/complex-quantum-teleportation-achieved-for-the-first-time/

Bioprinting Complex Living Tissue in Just a Few Seconds

Impressive step forward in creating replacement organs and bones:

https://scitechdaily.com/bioprinting-complex-living-tissue-in-just-a-few-seconds-video/

An Artificial Intelligence Program Just Beat 5 Poker Professionals in a Texas Hold'em Tournament casino theme, poker game, aces casino

A.I. keeps getting better and better over humans:

https://time.com/5624968/facebook-ai-beats-professional-cardplayers/

AI hubris

A.I. research may be insufficiently diverse in its focus:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-future-8fd2e463-177d-4dfb-b81f-2477f21ba3f8.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0

Astronomers Create 8 Million Baby Universes Inside a Computer and Watch Them Grow. Here's What They Learned.

Cool experiment:

https://www.livescience.com/universe-machine-probes-dark-matter.html

Seeking Big A.I. Advances, a Startup Turns to a Huge Computer Chip

"Cerebras’s chip is fifty-seven times the size of the leading chip from Nvidia, the “V100,” which dominates today’s A.I. And it has more memory circuits than have ever been put on a chip: 18 gigabytes, which is 3,000 times as much as the Nvidia part."

https://fortune.com/2019/08/19/ai-artificial-intelligence-cerebras-wafer-scale-chip/?fbclid=IwAR2K88MPSs20qHdBVq3RztyYWP4mDKJKpkr_CyhGIH2KUlhGE81-v0jSp9A

The end of the world: a history of how a silent cosmos led humans to fear the worst

Just an interesting exploration of the zeitgeist of the perceived existence of extraterrestrials throughout history:

https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-the-world-a-history-of-how-a-silent-cosmos-led-humans-to-fear-the-worst-120193

MIT Scientists Achieve New Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s Research

Very promising:

https://scitechdaily.com/mit-scientists-achieve-new-breakthrough-in-alzheimers-research/

The robots are coming — but take a breath

Another person thinking very near term, not keeping in mind that once A.I. supersedes ALL areas of human intelligence, there will likely be no jobs for humans:

https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/automation-robot-jobs?rebelltitem=2

Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster

Bummer but no surprise, unfortunately:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/worlds-first-solar-road-disaster

Physicist advances a radical theory of gravity

The nice thing is it doesn't need dark matter:

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/physicist-radical-theory-of-gravity

Engineers Create Smart Robodog With AI Brain

An effective robot dog isn't too far away:

https://scitechdaily.com/engineers-create-smart-robodog-with-ai-brain/

Most Accurate Estimate of Earth-Like Planets Around Sun-Like Stars

"Based on their simulations, the researchers estimate that planets very close to Earth in size, from three-quarters to one-and-a-half times the size of earth, with orbital periods ranging from 237 to 500 days, occur around approximately one in four stars. Importantly, their model quantifies the uncertainty in that estimate. They recommend that future planet-finding missions plan for a true rate that ranges from as low about one planet for every 33 stars to as high as nearly one planet for every two stars."

https://scitechdaily.com/most-accurate-estimate-of-earth-like-planets-around-sun-like-stars/

‘MacGyver’ Robot Can Build Own Tools By Assessing Supplies

A.I. is getting quite clever:

https://scitechdaily.com/macgyver-robot-can-build-own-tools-by-assessing-supplies/

Israeli scientists develop nano-vaccine against melanoma

https://nano-magazine.com/news/2019/8/6/israeli-scientists-develop-nano-vaccine-against-melanoma?

CRISPR Gene Editing Is Being Tested in Human Patients, and the Results Could Revolutionize Health Care

If there are no serious side effects, this therapy could change everything:

https://time.com/5642755/crispr-gene-editing-humans/

There’s No Fire Alarm for Artificial General Intelligence

A bit rambling, but makes the point that technological advancements that are expected to take forever can just suddenly become available, so better prepare in advance:

https://intelligence.org/2017/10/13/fire-alarm/

CGI faces will soon be indistinguishable from real ones. Here’s how

Avatars are about to get "realer":

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/cubic-motion-scanning-technology/

French ‘bird-man’ Franky Zapata successfully crosses English Channel on flyboard

Another milestone in personal aircraft performance:

https://abcnews.go.com/International/french-bird-man-franky-zapata-successfully-crosses-english/story?id=64763747

New Blood Test Could Detect Alzheimer's 20 Years Before Symptoms

This could be critical:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/alzheimers-blood-test-20-years-early

A solar-powered system can turn salt water into fresh drinking water for 25,000 people per day

This is a game-changer:

https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-powered-device-turns-salt-water-into-fresh-drinking-water-2019-7

$500,000 for a solar-powered plant to supply 25,000 people daily with almost 20,000 gallons of fresh water made from seawater. That's just a $20 per person one-time expense. Wait...but that's less than a gallon daily per person. Not enough for Americans, who use an average high of 100 gallons daily. So we would spend $2,500 per person for the same plant. But the plant price is supposed to drop to $100,000, so $500 per American. Not bad.

Quantum Darwinism, which may explain our reality, passes tests

Trippy:

https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/quantum-mechanics-which-may-explain-our-reality-passes-tests?rebelltitem=2

Watch a SpaceX Rocket Generate 2 Sonic Booms and Land in This Amazing Video

Very cool video:

https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-breaks-sound-barrier-crs-18-video.html