Lifeboat Foundation

The US military’s nuclear arsenal is controlled by computers built in the 1970s that still use 8in floppy disks.

A report into the state of the US government, released by congressional investigators, has revealed that the country is spending around $60bn (£40.8bn) to maintain museum-ready computers, which many do not even know how to operate any more, as their creators retire.

The Defense Department’s Strategic Automated Command and Control System (DDSACCS), which is used to send and receive emergency action messages to US nuclear forces, runs on a 1970s IBM computing platform. It still uses 8in floppy disks to store data.

Continue reading “US nuclear arsenal controlled by 1970s computers with 8in floppy disks” »

Government finance will lead the way in AI research, including the development of supercomputers, and high performance semiconductor chips, software and the hiring of key talent to lead the field, China’s science and technology minister Wan Gang said in March during the country’s parliamentary meeting.

The Chinese government’s July 8 plan aims to keep pace with AI technology by 2020, make major breakthroughs by 2025, and lead the world in AI by 2030.

PUBLISHED : Friday, 21 July, 2017, 1:28pm.

Continue reading “World dominance in three steps: China sets out road map to lead in artificial intelligence by 2030” »

• Multimedia
• Video
• Space Flight

A Gyroscope Jetpack for Astronauts

A new jetpack, stabilized with high-­tech gyroscopes, could help astronauts navigate low-gravity environments.

TEN FOLD develops ready-to-use, movable buildings and structures that unfold to provide any combination of space and facilities.

Dear Mum,

We’ve missed you over the ten long years since you passed away. You wanted me to write to you to tell you what’s happened, so now in 2030 I am fulfilling that wish.

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Made In Space has 3Dprinted a part on the International Space Station that is made from engineering-grade PEI/PC plastic.

In our last film, we explored how the introduction of autonomous, self-driving cars is likely to kill a lot of jobs. Many millions of jobs, in fact. But is it short sighted to view self-driving vehicles as economic murderers? Is it possible that we got it totally wrong, and automated vehicles won’t be Grim Reapers — but rather the biggest job creators since the internet?

In this video series, the Galactic Public Archives takes bite-sized looks at a variety of terms, technologies, and ideas that are likely to be prominent in the future. Terms are regularly changing and being redefined with the passing of time. With constant breakthroughs and the development of new technology and other resources, we seek to define what these things are and how they will impact our future.

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A team from Cranfield University has published a paper on a small, laser-sail mission to Alpha Centauri at a symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics. Multiple spacecraft are launched sequentially.

You can download the paper here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317491721_Dragonfly_Sail_to_the_Stars

Why fight to charge your phone at a public outlet when a robot could do it for you?