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Apr 14, 2020

SpaceX’s 1st-generation Dragon retires after final landing in San Pedro harbor

Posted by in category: space travel

The capsule was recovered from the waters by SpaceX crew.

Apr 14, 2020

New handle for controlling electromagnetic properties could enable spintronic computing

Posted by in categories: computing, particle physics, space

Materials scientists at Duke University have shown the first clear example that a material’s transition into a magnet can control instabilities in its crystalline structure that cause it to change from a conductor to an insulator.

If researchers can learn to control this unique connection between identified in hexagonal iron sulfide, it could enable new technologies such as spintronic computing. The results appear April 13 in the journal Nature Physics.

Commonly known as troilite, hexagonal iron sulfide can be found natively on Earth but is more abundant in meteorites, particularly those originating from the Moon and Mars. Rarely encountered in the Earth’s crust, most troilite on Earth is believed to have originated from space.

Apr 14, 2020

Smithsonian Scientists Discover Six New Coronaviruses in Bats in Myanmar

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The new viruses are not harmful to humans or closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Apr 14, 2020

The Ancient History of Artificial Intelligence

Posted by in categories: business, robotics/AI

The Ancient History of AI:


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Apr 14, 2020

Israeli researchers at Hebrew U develop faster, cheaper COVID-19 test

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, economics, robotics/AI

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced on Sunday that they have developed a new method of testing for COVID-19 which is not only 4–10 times faster than the tests most commonly used today, but also significantly cheaper, while supplying the same level of accuracy. Moreover, most of the materials required to perform the new test are already available in Israel, easing significantly both the country’s dire shortage of testing materials and its heavy economic dependence on foreign commercial markets. The method was developed in the labs of Prof. Nir Friedman of the Institute of Life Sciences and the School of Engineering and Computer Sciences and Dr. Naomi Haviv of Hebrew University’s Neuroscience Research Center, and is based on materials which are not affected by global shortages and can be recycled for repeated used on future tests. The method commonly used today for COVID-19 testing involves extracting RNA molecules from a patient’s sample to determine if the molecules produced have viral RNA within them, which confirms the presence of the coronavirus. The new test developed by the researchers performs the same action, but is made from more commonly attainable materials, that produce results at a much higher speed. Dr. Naomi Haviv said that “We have an efficient RNA extraction method, 4–10 times faster than the current method. It is based on magnetic beads and can be performed both robotically and manually.”

Other than the magnetic beads, all of the other materials needed to perform the tests are available for purchase in Israel. The beads themselves are recyclable and can be reused to perform future tests. “The robotic method has already undergone a series of tests at Hadassah Hospital, using hundreds of samples from patients — and is now becoming operational.”

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Apr 14, 2020

Forget Fuel Tanks and Batteries: This New Electric Jet Concept Uses Air Friction to Generate Power

Posted by in categories: space, sustainability, transportation

Designer Michal Bonikowski’s concept is probably four or five generations ahead of the current mode of thinking, but Bonikowski told Robb Report that he was inspired by the recent Maveric concept by Airbus. “That aircraft’s unique design helps reduce drag while providing more cabin space,” he said. “I have been thinking a lot about this lately, and wondered what could happen if a big company would like to create an electric plane.”

Apr 14, 2020

Research identifies detection constraints for dark photons

Posted by in categories: cosmology, particle physics

:oooo.


Past cosmological and astrophysical observations suggest that over one quarter of the universe’s energy density is made up of a non-conventional type of matter known as dark matter. This type of matter is believed to be composed of particles that do not absorb, emit or reflect light, and thus cannot be observed directly using conventional detection methods.

Researchers worldwide have carried out studies aimed at detecting dark matter in the universe, yet so far, none of them has been successful. Even the for dark matter, weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), have not yet been observed experimentally.

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Apr 14, 2020

At Least 70 Coronavirus Vaccines Are Already in Development, WHO Report Shows

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

At least 70 potential coronavirus vaccines are currently in development, with 3 already in clinical trials, according to the World Health Organisation.

WHO published an updated list of vaccine efforts on April 11, showing a vast array of companies pursuing shots that could halt the coronavirus. Bloomberg News reported on the document earlier.

As the virus continues to spread, infecting more than 1.9 million people and killing more than 110,000 worldwide, researchers have been racing to develop vaccines.

Apr 14, 2020

Study: One type of exercise “reverses” aging’s effect on stem cells

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

According to new research in mice, aerobic exercise may actually reverse aging’s toll on essential muscle stem cells.

Apr 14, 2020

Get ready for all-electric flying car races, they’re coming

Posted by in categories: economics, transportation

The Airspeeder vehicle, which weighs about 550 pounds, uses a battery pack that can be swapped out during the race. The packs are expected to last for about 15 minutes. Four 32-horsepower electric motors propel the cars to a top speed of about 125 miles per hour. The vehicle tears through the air between about 15 and 130 feet off the ground.

Matt Pearson, founder of Alauda and the Airspeeder series, said:

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