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Jul 1, 2021

NASA’s Hubble telescope fiasco gives China a huge opportunity

Posted by in category: space

NASA is no closer to figuring out what went wrong earlier in June, which is bad news for the telescope, which is the only one currently capable of visible light.

Jun 30, 2021

SOCOM To Test Anti-Aging Pill Next Year

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, military

SOCOM is using Other Transaction Authority (OTA) funds to partner with private biotech laboratory Metro International Biotech, LLC (MetroBiotech) in the pill’s development, which is based on what is called a “human performance small molecule,” he explained.

“These efforts are not about creating physical traits that don’t already exist naturally. This is about enhancing the mission readiness of our forces by improving performance characteristics that typically decline with age,” Hawkins said. “Essentially, we are working with leading industry partners and clinical research institutions to develop a nutraceutical, in the form of a pill that is suitable for a variety of uses by both civilians and military members, whose resulting benefits may include improved human performance – like increased endurance and faster recovery from injury.”

Hawkins said SOCOM “has spent $2.8 million on this effort” since its launch in 2018.

Jun 30, 2021

An aquarium accident may have given this crayfish the DNA to take over the world

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Crayfish DNA can help us conquer cancer finally.


Finding may also provide clues to how cancer spreads.

Jun 30, 2021

Beyond coronavirus: the virus discoveries transforming biology

Posted by in categories: biological, biotech/medical

Over the past ten years, the number of known and named viruses has exploded, owing to advances in the technology for finding them, plus a recent change to the rules for identifying new species, to allow naming without having to culture virus and host. One of the most influential techniques is metagenomics, which allows researchers to sample the genomes in an environment without having to culture individual viruses. Newer technologies, such as single-virus sequencing, are adding even more viruses to the list, including some that are surprisingly common yet remained hidden until now. It’s an exciting time to be doing this kind of research, says Breitbart. “I think, in many ways, now is the time of the virome.”


SARS-CoV-2 is just one of nonillions of viruses on our planet, and scientists are rapidly identifying legions of new species.

Jun 30, 2021

Autonomous excavators ready for around the clock real-world deployment

Posted by in categories: materials, robotics/AI

Researchers from Baidu Research and the University of Maryland have developed a robotic excavator system that integrates perception, planning, and control capabilities to enable material loading over a long duration with no human intervention.

Jun 30, 2021

Micron to Sell 3D XPoint Fab to Texas Instruments for $900 Million

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics

Micron pops the parachute.


Micron announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Lehi, Utah fab to Texas Instruments for $900 million in cash. In March, Micron announced that it planned to sell off the fab, bringing an end to its production of the radical new 3D XPoint (Optane) memory technology that it developed with Intel. Texas Instruments plans to deploy its own technologies at the site, meaning that it will not be used for 3D XPoint production. Intel currently doesn’t have any known high-volume production of the strategically important storage/memory media. However, it is known to produce a small amount of the media for research and validation at its New Mexico facility. As a result, Intel will likely have to establish its own production lines to ensure the supply of its Optane based SSDs and persistent memory DIMMs for its data center clients, though demand has seemed tepid.

Micron chose to exit 3D XPoint manufacturing due to lackluster demand that the company said had “insufficient market validation to justify the ongoing high levels of investments required to successfully commercialize 3D XPoint at scale.” The company recently divulged that it lost $400 million this year alone due to the lack of demand for 3D XPoint.

Continue reading “Micron to Sell 3D XPoint Fab to Texas Instruments for $900 Million” »

Jun 30, 2021

Flying car completes test flight between airports

Posted by in categories: energy, transportation

The vehicle runs on regular fuel and can travel up to 1000km while airborne, its creator says.

Jun 30, 2021

Cybercriminals are deploying legit security tools far more than before, researchers conclude

Posted by in category: cybercrime/malcode

Answer.


Financially motivated cybercriminals are increasingly turning to Cobalt Stike, a legitimate tool that cybersecurity professionals use to test system security, researchers at Proofpoint found.

The cybersecurity firm declined to disclose specific numbers but reported a 161% increase in attacks using Cobalt Strike in 2020 compared to 2019. Proofpoint researchers have already seen tens of thousands of organizations targeted by the tool this year and expect those numbers to climb in 2021, according to the report the firm released Tuesday.

Continue reading “Cybercriminals are deploying legit security tools far more than before, researchers conclude” »

Jun 30, 2021

Your chips will be in short supply this July 4

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, employment, government, military, sustainability

Fortunately, automakers, suppliers and government leaders are examining things like electric vehicles and where batteries and other parts come from as they push for North American production. The Department of Energy has released a National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries, and a plan to support the domestic battery production to meet growing needs as people go back to work and school in the fall.

It is tempting to see the chip storage problem as just a technology story. But it also has real-world implications for our national security as so much of defense relies on computers and communications in the era of modern warfare.

As Americans celebrate our independence, we have to re-commit to being independent when it comes to reliance on others for goods and services that fuel our lives. We can’t make everything at home, but we can make more and ensure that disruptions abroad don’t reverberate, negatively, at home. As Congress continues to debate infrastructure and other major legislation, and the COVID-19 pandemic retreats, we will need to work together to ensure that we are prepared for whatever 2022 might bring.

Jun 30, 2021

David Rolnick

Posted by in categories: climatology, robotics/AI, sustainability

He’s employing artificial intelligence in the fight against climate change.