Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 4/22/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 4/22/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
What do you know about artificial intelligence?
#askleo
Can you give me the latest news on #technology?
#askleo
I am interested in all of three you mentioned.
If Bitcoin hits $500k, what breaks first—banks, governments or reality?
#askleo
Can you please try again?
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Durable infrastructure
Cement, the binding agent in concrete, emits large amounts of CO₂ both from the high-temperature kilns used in its production and from the chemical reaction that forms it. By displacing cement with processed fly ash, builders can create more sustainable concrete without compromising performance.
PHNX’s system targets sulfur and carbon, common impurities in fly ash that concrete makers typically reject. Removing those contaminants not only purifies the ash for construction use, but also yields marketable byproducts like sulfur and aluminum. The startup is also exploring the extraction of rare earth elements, which are in high demand for clean energy technologies.
However, as coal plants have shut down across the U.S., 21 of which in the last two decades, fly ash has become harder to source. Coal, which once reigned supreme by generating more than half of the country’s electricity, has seen its dominance steadily fade with the rise of cleaner energy sources, now accounting for just 15 percent of the power grid.
However, the resulting shortage has forced concrete makers to reduce fly ash content to around 8 percent, substituting it with more cement, which is not only pricier, but more polluting. That shift not only compromises the strength and longevity of concrete but also raises its carbon emissions.
Can a bioreactor make a medium-rare steak in space?
Once released by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, a small cube satellite holding a mini-lab will orbit the Earth in Europe’s first commercial returnable spacecraft, Phoenix.
Three hours later, it will fall back to Earth off the coast of Portugal. A recovery vessel will whisk the sample back to London, where food scientists will assess how to build a bioreactor that will enable them to grow food in space as early as next year.
However, the bioreactor-made products look like “brick-colored goo,” as per the BBC, so Imperial College wants to solve that problem. Astronauts already find space food challenging on the ISS. Cooking in space involves injecting a pouch with hot water, as the food is freeze-dried or irradiated.
Meanwhile, a deep dive into the cocrystal’s behavior revealed strong charge transfer interactions between its components. The team found that it absorbed light across a wide spectrum (350–1100 nanometers), showed a marked redshift compared to its individual parts, and exhibited near-complete photoluminescence quenching – a telltale sign of efficient nonradiative energy transitions.
“Under 808 nm laser irradiation at 0.367 W cm-2, the prepared cocrystal reached an equilibrium temperature of 86 degrees Celsius within seconds,” the scientists reveal. “The PCE of 67.2 percent was calculated using a reliable method, surpassing many previously reported organic photothermal materials.”
!summarize #tesla #car #robotaxi
“Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed flying squirrel drone achieves a 13.1 percent improvement in tracking performance, as measured by root mean square error (RMSE), compared to a conventional wingless drone,” said the team in their research abstract.
Glide-control advance
Drones are increasingly used in vital tasks like inspection, data collection, and rescue missions, where speed and precision are essential, especially in complex or dangerous environments.
However, physical constraints, including thrust saturation, underactuated systems, and challenging-to-model aerodynamics, present difficulties for traditional drones.
Researchers from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and POSTECH have created a unique drone that is modeled after the flying squirrel in order to overcome these difficulties. Foldable wings improve flight agility and trajectory tracking capabilities of this incredibly agile drone.
The goal of the new design is to facilitate more dynamic and flexible flight, building on earlier research that employed folding wings and machine learning for trajectory following and emergency braking.
The most recent iteration is designed for wider real-world applications, providing enhanced maneuverability in a variety of unforeseen settings, in contrast to previous prototypes that were restricted to predetermined pathways and indoor environments.
The drone outperformed traditional models’ tracking accuracy by 13.1 percent in outdoor experiments with dynamic flight paths and artificial impediments.
According to the team, the integration of bio-inspired mechanics with adaptive control and machine learning represents a notable advancement in drone agility and responsiveness under real-world conditions.
“The proposed data-driven approach could be further enhanced by incorporating efficient trajectory design, offering a promising avenue for future research,” said the team in the research paper.
The details of the POSTECH team’s research were published in the journal arXiv.
Topological quantum computer
Moiré materials are made by stacking single-atom-thickness sheets (like graphene) with a slight twist or mismatch between the layers. This slight misalignment creates larger, over-arching patterns known as moiré patterns.
Under certain conditions, moiré materials can exhibit what is known as topological quantum states. These quantum states form uniquely as a result of electron interactions. They are of interest because they could be used to build quantum computers.
Topological quantum computing stands apart from current approaches by following a fundamentally different strategy. Instead of encoding information in fragile qubits, topological quantum computers would use the global properties of exotic quantum states, making them inherently more stable and less error-prone.
Scientists call these exotic quasi-particles anyons, and they behave in ways that neither electrons nor photons do.
While this may seem counterintuitive, it actually happens due to quantum mechanics. The catch is that this phenomenon requires strong external magnetic fields, which the researchers wished to avoid.
However, the moiré material tMoTe2 is such that the twist creates an internal magnetic field, allowing the fractional quantum Hall effect to be observed without needing an external magnetic field.
For the optical technique, the researchers use a fast laser pulse that disrupts or melts the quantum states in the material temporarily. Then, a second pulse monitors the recovery of the states.
This method allowed them to study the signature of these hidden quantum states.
The researchers’ optical method, which they named the pump-probe spectroscopy method, revealed around 20 quantum states hidden from other methods. While some of the states were previously observed, several were completely new.
Now, the researchers plan to characterize these new quantum states to determine which could be used for quantum computing applications.
A senior scientist associated with the paper stated that there are many complexities involved in landing a sixth-generation fighter on an aircraft carrier.
Pilots aboard a flying-wing aircraft without a tail face difficulties in landing it on a carrier. The lack of horizontal stabilizers makes the plane struggle to maintain pitch control.
Moreover, further difficulty is caused by the air that moves behind an aircraft carrier, which can disrupt the flight paths of the stealth fighter.
However, the scientists stated that it is important for China to overcome these challenges as a sixth-generation stealth fighter jet can give a major boost to the operational capability of the Navy.
Therefore, the scientists have developed a ‘direct force control’ system, as per the SCMP report. The system measures control surface adjustments in real-time to enable the pilot to bypass the aerodynamic databases.
The team has opted for a Fixed-Time Disturbance Observer (FTDO) used in advanced robotics.
Opinions of Musk have started to influence dealings with any of his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla. Starlink has not escaped criticism due to its relationship with Musk, resulting in a few governments seeking alternatives to SpaceX’s internet services.
For instance, the German military has announced plans to develop a Starlink alternative. Kyiv and the EU are also seeking options to reduce reliance on Starlink.
Eutelsat’s Competitive Edge
Eutelsat, a Franco-British operator, offers a low-Earth orbit network with 630 satellites and 35 geostationary ones, though it trails Starlink’s scale. It has 2,000 terminals deployed in Ukraine and 14,000 more planned to deploy. Starlink has 40,000 terminals in Ukraine, used by the military and civilians.
Price is another factor to consider when seeking a Starlink alternative. Eutelsat’s €9,000 terminals are pricier than Starlink’s €500 units.
Pushback from lawmakers and legal experts
During a recent committee hearing, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat who represents parts of Broward County, including Hollywood, raised concerns over how citizens might interpret the bill.
“There was mention that ‘reasonable force’ might include shooting it down…But I don’t want anyone under the notion that they can go and just shoot things down from the air, which is actually punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison,” Pizzo said.
Although the bill doesn’t explicitly mention firearms, the lack of boundaries leaves room for interpretation — and possibly dangerous behavior.
Europe’s mini food lab launches into space to grow steaks, potatoes from single cells
Astronauts may soon enjoy lab-grown steaks and mashed potatoes, reducing reliance on costly food shipments.
To reduce the cost of feeding astronauts in space, the European Space Agency (ESA) just launched a lab into space in a significant first step in manufacturing food in space, a new frontier.
Feeding an astronaut can cost close to 27,000 US dollars a day. To tackle that hefty price tag and explore a new venture in space, the ESA wants to put a food production plant on the International Space Station (ISS) in two years.
The project’s primary motivation is cost-driven, but the initiative could clear a fundamental roadblock that’s inhibiting humans from becoming a multi-planetary species: space food.
Researchers at the Imperial College in London and Bedford-based company Frontier Space are at the forefront of an emerging science. Lab-grown chicken has already arrived on supermarket shelves in the US and Singapore. Proponents of growing food in a lab argue that its true value lies in its ability to provide a sustainable and eco-friendly food source.
A bioreactor can make any kind of food
Dr. Aqeel Shamsul, CEO and founder of Bedford-based Frontier Space, told the BBC that science can now produce food and drink from “pure energy.”
“It is no longer the stuff of science fiction.”
Using a bioreactor at Imperial College’s Bezos Centre for Sustainable Proteins, they genetically engineer food like fermenting beer, known as “precision fermentation.”
375% output: China unleashes solar tech with triple power, record 67% efficiency
The cocrystal exhibited near-complete photoluminescence quenching, indicating highly efficient nonradiative energy transfer.
Scientists have developed a new class of organic photothermal cocrystals that significantly boost the efficiency of solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs), paving the way for smarter wearable electronics, next-gen energy devices, and long-distance signal transmission.
With recent research driving major advances in solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs), photothermal materials, such as carbon-based compounds, metal oxides, polymers, and phase-change materials, have emerged as promising solutions for generating the temperature gradients essential to efficient energy conversion.
Now, a research team consisting of scientists from Nanchang University, Soochow University, and Nanjing University in China has made a massive leap ahead by using the open-shell radical Br2NDA as an electron acceptor to design and synthesize a photothermal charge-transfer cocrystal, coronene-Br2NDA (CBC).
When combined, coronene and Br₂NDA self-assemble into needle-like microrods through a simple solution-based method, forming a highly crystalline structure with exceptional light absorption and heat conversion capabilities.
#askleo
What is a definition of technology?
#askleo
What is a quantum computer? What are the obstacles to developing them?
US scientists discover never-before-seen quantum ‘species’ in twisted material
The researchers developed their own optical technique for this.
Quantum mechanics governs the world of fundamental particles, where we can see a variety of quantum phenomena that emerge due to the collective behavior of particles like electrons.
These exotic quantum states are unusual, behaving differently from anything we know, and only emerge under extreme conditions like low temperatures or high pressures. Most of these exotic quantum states remain theoretical, as they are hard to produce due to the fragility and delicacy of the quantum world.
Now, researchers from Japan and the US have observed several previously unseen quantum states in a two-dimensional material. These materials join the growing list of what the researchers call a quantum zoo.
In a press release, co-author of the study, Prof. Xiaoyang Zhu from Columbia University, said, “Some of these states have never been seen before. And we didn’t expect to see so many either.”
Several of these quantum states were hidden, requiring the researchers to develop an innovative optical technique. The researchers used this technique to probe the quantum states of twisted molybdenum ditelluride (tMoTe2), a two-dimensional moiré material.
China’s 6th-gen stealth jets get brains to master tricky landings on moving warships
The scientists have developed a ‘direct force control’ system to help the sixth-generation jet land safely on aircraft carriers.
Scientists in China are working on a system that will help pilots of the sixth-generation J-36 stealth jet fighter land safely on an aircraft carrier while it is moving in the open seas in extreme weather.
A research paper describes the system that the Chinese scientists are working on to help the pilots maneuver the sixth-generation stealth fighter.
The peer-reviewed paper published in the Acta Aeronautica et Astronautica Sinica reveals that the scientists are working on a naval variant of the J-36 stealth fighter jet.
A report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), mentions that there is a significant risk to pilots who are trying to land a sixth-generation jet on the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s aircraft carriers.
One special feature of the J-36 is that it does away with the tail completely, as it adopts a triangle-shaped designed.
The J-36 stealth fighter jet from China
Recently, images of the J-36 stealth jet being tested in China surfaced on social media.
It might be the case of the Chinese government releasing the images to show its progress in the race to build next-gen fighter jets.
The triangle-shaped fighter jet design has been compared by some experts and social media users to a ginkgo leaf.
Are memecoins the new rebellion or just high-stakes hopium?
#askleo
If stablecoins collapse, does crypto get vaporized or reborn?
#askleo
Are DAOs the future of governance—or just decentralized chaos?
#askleo
Ukraine seeks Starlink alternatives from the EU
Ukraine is exploring EU satellite alternatives to Starlink, driven by concerns over Elon Musk’s unpredictability. Starlink remains vital for Ukraine’s battlefield connectivity and cannot be easily replaced. While the European Union has started developing Starlink alternatives, they have not quite reached SpaceX’s capacity to provide internet connection.
Starlink’s Critical Role and Vulnerabilities
Starlink’s 7,000+ satellite network provides essential connectivity for Ukraine’s military. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s influence has raised strategic concerns.
“Elon Musk is, in fact, the guardian of Ukraine’s connectivity on the battlefield. And that’s a strategic vulnerability,” warns Arthur De Liedekerke, Senior Director of European Affairs for Rasmussen Global.
#askleo
What is Eutelsat?
Is Eurostat a competitor to Elon Musk's SpaceX?
What is a geostationary satellite?
Who has the most geostationary satellites? Was that released by private companies?
!summarize #technology
!summarize #technology
!summarize #technology #ai
!summarize #technology #bots #ai