Lifeboat Foundation

The chief inspector of schools in England has told parliament that children’s rights should take priority over religious concerns and schoolgirls should be free from pressure to wear hijabs.

The National Secular Society has welcomed the remarks from Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman, which came in an appearance before the Commons public accounts committee on Wednesday.

Spielman defended a recent assertion that schools should enforce “muscular liberalism” and said religion should not “get priority over all the other protected characteristics”, referring to anti-discrimination protections in equalities legislation.

As Wi-Fi is deployed more widely in cities, and perhaps at higher frequencies, it may depend on an abundant urban asset: streetlight poles.

To help ensure these networks work well, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and verified a novel model that will help wireless communications providers analyze how high to attach Wi-Fi equipment to light poles.

In general, the NIST team found that the optimal height depends on transmission frequency and antenna design. Attaching equipment at lower heights of around 4 meters is better for traditional wireless systems with omnidirectional antennas, whereas higher locations 6 or 9 meters up are better for the latest systems such as 5G using higher, millimeter-wave frequencies and narrow-beam antennas.

With its clementine-colored wings bordered with black lines and white spots, the monarch, also known as Danaus Plexippus, is a widely recognizable insect. As the weather changes and gets cooler, the monarchs migrate from their breeding grounds in Canada and the northern United States and fly to central Mexico, where they form clustered colonies on oyamel fir trees to conserve heat until the days grow longer and they migrate north once again.

In this spectacular clip filmed by the PBS series Spy in the Wild, a mechanical “spy hummingbird” flies over a swarm of resting monarchs. Creators chose the flying creature because it feeds on nectar and thus isn’t seen as a threat. As the sun warms the butterflies’ wings to 50 degrees, the insects wake and start to flutter and move. The hummingbird spy finds itself within the very heart of the swarm and captures a spectacular scene in which millions of butterflies take to the sky once more in a mesmerizing confetti-like cloud. (via Laughing Squid)

The world’s most advanced four-legged robot finally sees in color.

Drones with ion drive. now if could rig it up with indefinite batteries and solar power skin and a tesla wave receiver system.

Undefined Technologies has revealed the new design of its ion drone MIAMI, APRIL 18, 2022 – Undefined Technologies, a Florida-based tech startup, has unveiled the new aesthetic design of its silent eVTOL drone powered by ion propulsion. The concept vehicle named “Silent Ventus™” uses proprietary technology to fully use the ion cloud surrounding the craft to generate high levels of ion thrust in atmospheric air. “Silent Ventus™ is a vivid example of our intent of creating a sustainable, progressive, and less-noisy urban environment,” says Tomas Pribanic, Founder and CEO of Undefined Technologies. “The design brings us closer to our final product and enables us to showcase the dual-use of our technology.”

Over the last couple of years, we’ve continued to make improvements to Spot to better enable our customers. Today we’re adding to the list! https://bit.ly/3y68Ow1

Finally, Spot’s charger is now smarter and faster, bringing Spot’s newest battery models to full capacity in an hour or less. Users can refer to the OLED display for real-time information on battery charge and can continue to charge the robot directly or hot-swap batteries for continuous operation.

Continue reading “Doing More with Spot” »

A growing group of startups and established logistics firms have created a multi-billion-dollar industry applying artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge… See more.

LONDON, May 3 (Reuters) — Over the last two years a series of unexpected events has scrambled global supply chains. Coronavirus, war in Ukraine, Brexit and a container ship wedged in the Suez Canal have combined to delay deliveries of everything from bicycles to pet food.

In response, a growing group of startups and established logistics firms has created a multi-billion dollar industry applying the latest technology to help businesses minimize the disruption.

Continue reading “Startups apply artificial intelligence to supply chain disruptions” »

AI take over of entertainment industry by about 2030. Already starting, and already messy.

Will the robots replace us all one day? Who knows, but chances are they will eventually learn how to create a superhero movie. Ergo, the start of one of the great legal debates in Hollywood history.

Researchers have created one-way superconductivity, paving the way for superconductors to supersede semiconductors in electronics.