Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 5/6/25. 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 5/6/25. 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.
Paragraphs
!summarize #tesla #semi #ev
When Newton’s laws can’t help nuclear fusion
Engineers use elaborate magnetic confinement systems to prevent the leakage of alpha particles from the reactors. For instance, a stellarator uses external coils that generate magnetic fields to confine plasma and high-energy particles. Such confinement is also referred to as a ‘magnetic bottle’. However, these are holes in the magnetic bottle that allow the alpha particles to escape.
Luckily, some models help estimate where these holes can occur. Using Newton’s Laws of Motion, scientists can precisely predict where the holes occur. Still, such computations take an enormous amount of time.
If the approach is used in designing the stellarator, the simulation would need hundreds of thousands of slightly different designs and tweaks of magnetic coil layouts to eliminate the holes. This would further increase the computation requirement, making it unfeasible to attempt.
A new approach to gravity
In the framework of the Standard Model, the three fundamental forces arise due to certain symmetries in their quantum fields. Each force has a unique symmetry pattern associated with it.
To develop a similar framework for gravity, the researchers introduce a new mathematical quantity called the spacetime dimension field. This entity has four symmetries that give rise to the gravitational field when applied to every point in spacetime.
In other words, gravity naturally emerges from the symmetries of the spacetime dimension field, just as we see with the other three forces in the Standard Model.
!summarize #tesla #gigafactories
“Brave1 has developed an entire ecosystem of Ukrainian defense tech, bringing together more than 1,500 innovative companies in just two years,” said Brave1 Director Nataliia Kushnerska.
“The cluster has helped create entire markets for technologies such as UGVs, short-range electronic warfare systems, interceptor drones, AI-enabled drones, and fiber-optic drones. Brave1’s new priority is to accelerate the deployment of these innovations on the battlefield, and Brave1 Market will help us achieve that.”
Over two years, the cluster has awarded over 540 grants totaling 2.2 billion UAH.
The national budget for 2025 allocates an additional 2.9 billion UAH to support defense tech initiatives.
Brave1’s strategic priorities include the development of rockets, lasers, drone swarms, CRPA antennas, naval drones, anti-Shahed and anti-PGM systems, “mother drones,” Ukrainian Mavics, and guided munitions.
The Brave1 Defense Tech Era event, supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, attracted over 900 participants from the defense tech community, including government officials, top developers, investors, and security and defense forces representatives.
Brave1 Market represents an important step in modernizing Ukraine’s defense procurement process, ensuring that innovative technologies reach the front lines efficiently and effectively.
Under the new RFI, the US government proposes a quick turnaround for any chosen missile design. The timeline would include two six-month design cycles followed by a 12-month follow-on for production.
An evolving battlefield
The call for smaller missiles reflects the evolving nature of modern warfare. Attack drones are ubiquitous in recent conflicts. In May 2024, Ukrainian military officials stated that “drones kill more soldiers on both sides than anything else.”
Meanwhile, an EU Institute for Security Studies report recently claimed that Russia procures 100,000 low-tier drones monthly from multiple sources.
This change has also led to renewed emphasis on air defense training for ground troops. Last month, the US Marine Corps announced it would deploy a new handheld counter-drone system prototype on the battlefield. Alongside this new technology, the Marines are now set to emphasize air defense training.
Beyond nuclear survivability, Vislyuk is a modular support platform designed to serve in multiple battlefield roles.
These include logistics transport, casualty evacuation, route mining, engineering support, surveillance, and signal relay functions.
Its configuration allows conversion into a mobile combat module or a radio repeater, extending communication ranges for dispersed units and ensuring situational awareness in communication-denied environments.
The design, developed by a domestic Ukrainian defense contractor under military specification, resembles a compact tracked vehicle with a flatbed architecture.
This configuration allows for rapid payload integration and stable cross-country mobility. The system can be transported easily to forward positions and deployed in terrains ranging from urban rubble and swamp to sand and deep mud.
Propulsion is provided by two independent electric motors, selected for their low acoustic signature and high torque-to-weight ratio.
This capability is especially critical in Eastern Ukraine, where threat matrices now include dirty bombs, electromagnetic disruption, and chemical-biological scenarios.
As nuclear risk re-enters modern operational planning, Vislyuk is emblematic of a shift in Ukrainian military design: survivability and redundancy take precedence over mass.
By fielding a platform that is both EMP-resilient and fibre-linked, Kyiv ensures its ground operations can remain functional when others falter.
The Vislyuk is not for show; it is a workhorse designed for tough modern battles.
In today’s world, where different forces compete for control, even basic support vehicles need to be ready for nuclear threats.
According to researchers, the problem stems from researchers not distinguishing between the behavior of the sensor material and the electrical contacts. “A lot of scientists misunderstand their sensor response because they lump together the behavior of the contacts with the behavior of the sensor material,” said Matthew Grayson, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, in a statement.
The researchers achieved stronger and more reliable electrical contact by sanding down this insulating layer. They also developed a calibration method to measure the thickness of the layer both electrically and microscopically, offering a new troubleshooting approach that other researchers can follow.
Utilizing photographs of real-life manta ray groupings, the researchers designed simulations for three manta rays in the following formations: linear tandem, one with a single ray leading two in a V-like triangle, and an inverted triangle with one trailing behind the pair.
They found the tandem configuration was distinctively advantageous, but only for the manta ray in the middle position. This swimmer received a propulsion boost from the flow created by the front ray, considerably enhancing its maneuverability.
On the other hand, the two arrangements seemed to limit efficiency if set against the metric of an individual swimming solo.
“The tandem formation and the triangular formation are the formations that manta rays often use during group swimming,” said Gao.
“This biological information also supports the idea that a small group of three individuals can be used as a basic unit for more complex group swimming.”
They further explained that exploring every possible electrolyte combination using lab testing alone would be nearly impossible, with the number of potential candidate molecules estimated to go as high as 10⁶⁰.
“It would have been impossible for us to go through hundreds of millions of compounds to say, ‘Oh, I think we should study this one,'” Amanchukwu stated, and compared using AI in research to listening to music online.
Like music recommendation algorithms, the AI learns patterns to predict the most promising molecules. Amanchukwu stated that the next step is developing an AI that doesn’t just pick songs, but also creates playlists, thus paving the way for the design of entirely new molecules.
Despite the dataset’s size, the researchers emphasized that training the model was only the beginning. The AI was evaluated on molecules it had never seen before to test its true potential. It performed well on those chemically similar to known compounds but struggled with unfamiliar ones.
Now the team is focused on overcoming its next major challenge, which involves training the AI model to accurately predict the performance of molecules in completely different chemical spaces. This is an essential step toward advancing next-generation battery design.
Rogers says he was shown the footage by another Air Force officer who invited him to a locked room and then brought up a video feed. The monitor showed a 20-foot flying saucer with U.S. Air Force markings capable of levitating and rotating with propulsion unlike any known to conventional aircraft.
"I know exactly what I saw that day," Rogers told the outlet. "It was in no fashion a conventional flying vehicle."
The former Air Force officer said that he was inspired to come forward following other recent testimony of whistleblowers that allege the U.S. government has not been transparent about the existence of such craft and the obvious implications for extraterrestrial life.
"This administration is devastating one of our nation's fastest-growing sources of clean, reliable and affordable energy," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "This arbitrary and unnecessary directive threatens the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments, and it is delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet."
The states involved are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating the law, which singles out the clergy "with no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic Priests." The DOJ also points to the overall theme of the law potentially violating the First Amendment.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Department is handling the investigation into what the department describes as an "apparent conflict" between the law and the "free exercise of religion under the First Amendment."
The Washington State Standard reported that the bill sponsor, Seattle Democrat state Sen. Noel Frame, needed three years to get the bill to the governor's desk. She said imposing the disclosure requirement on priests was paramount. "You never put somebody's conscience above the protection of a child."
70-year-old nuclear fusion problem solved; can help tokamaks stop escaping electrons
The new approach lets engineers design leak-proof magnetic confinement systems 10 times faster than current methods.
Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Type One Energy Group in the US have finally solved a problem that has troubled fusion energy research for 70 long years. Using a novel symmetry theory approach, the collaboration has resolved a hurdle that has prevented sustaining plasma inside fusion reactors.
Nuclear fusion technology promises abundant clean energy with no planet-warming gases or risk of highly radioactive waste. Research in this field has been ongoing for decades but has picked up pace in recent years, with the National Ignition Facility (NIF) even demonstrating a net energy gain from fusion reactions.
The challenge, however, in scaling up nuclear fusion has been containing high-energy particles within the walls of the reactor. For fusion to occur, isotopes of hydrogen are heated to temperatures greater than those on the surface of the Sun and exist in a fourth state of matter called plasma, before fusing to form helium molecules and releasing energy.
However, at these temperatures and high energy states, alpha particles leak from the fusion reactor, causing the plasma to become less dense. As the plasma loses heat, it can no longer sustain the fusion reaction, resulting in a loss of energy production. To prevent this, scientists and engineers design systems to prevent the escape of alpha particles.
New quantum framework sees gravity emerge from spacetime symmetries
The study addresses the biggest challenge with a theory of quantum gravity—renormalization, by introducing a new mathematical quantity.
A unified theory of everything has long eluded scientists due to gravity being irreconcilable with the three other fundamental forces (electromagnetic, weak, and strong) described using quantum field theory (QFT).
The fundamental discrepancy between the unification lies in how the two theories are described. The gravitational field—described by Einstein’s theory of general relativity—is a manifestation of the very fabric of reality, spacetime.
On the other hand, the Standard Model uses principles of QFT to describe the electromagnetic, weak, and strong fields.
However, the fundamental difference is that these quantum fields are defined on spacetime. This means they exist as fields throughout spacetime, with a value associated with every point in it.
Thus, reconciling the two remains a gruelling challenge for scientists. Aalto University scientists have proposed a fresh perspective on gravity designed to integrate gravitational theory with the Standard Model.
Microsoft Is Key Holdout for OpenAI Restructuring Plan
Microsoft has still not yet approved OpenAI's plans for restructuring. The conversion will also need the approval of the state attorneys general of California and Delaware. Microsoft wants to make sure that any changes to OpenAI's structure adequately protects its investment. It is still actively negotiating the details of OpenAI's proposal.
#technology #ai #microsoft #openai
Waymo ramps up robotaxi production at new Arizona factory
Waymo currently has more than 1,500 commercial robotaxis in operation. It is working with Magna to build more than 2,000 autonomous I-Pace vehicles at a new factory in Arizona. The factory is strategically located in one of Waymo's robotaxi markets and close to its other service areas. Vehicles will be able to pick up their first public passengers less than 30 minutes after leaving the factory. The plant will be capable of building tens of thousands of fully autonomous Waymo vehicles per year when operating at full capacity.
#technology #waymo #robotaxi
Amateur Athletes Are Turning to Ozempic to Raise Their Game
Many athletes are taking GLP-1 weight-loss drugs to gain a performance edge. The practice has caught the attention of the World Anti-Doping Agency. If the organization finds that semaglutide enhances performance, poses a health risk, or violates 'the spirit of the sport', it could end up on its banned list. However, making that determination is complex, and the drug's effects could have different outcomes depending on the sport.
#technology #sports #health #ozempic
Uber and WeRide set their robotaxi sights on 15 more cities
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company WeRide plan to bring robotaxi services to another 15 cities over the next five years. The expansion will focus on cities outside of China and the United States and include cities in Europe. Uber has more than 15 partnerships with a wide range of autonomous vehicle technology companies, the highest-profile of which is with Waymo. Uber and Waymo will soon launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta.
#technology #uber #weride #robotaxi
Google accidentally reveals Android’s Material 3 Expressive interface ahead of I/O
Google's next version of Android might look quite different. The company recently published and quickly removed a blog post that detailed 'Material 3 Expressive', a redesign expected to be revealed at I/O later this month. While the original Material Design did a good job of leveraging colors and consistent theming, it made apps look too similar. The new interface appears much more varied. Screenshots from the deleted blog post are available in the article.
#technology #google #android
An Interview with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg About AI and the Evolution of Social Media
This is a transcript of an interview with Mark Zuckerberg where he discusses the broader themes that place Llama in Meta's historical context. The interview covers Meta's platform ambitions over the last two decades, the evolution of social networking, and how Zuckerberg has changed his thinking about both. Zuckerberg talks about the Llama API and the tension between GPU opportunity cost and leveraging training costs, and why he thinks that the latter is worth paying for. He also discusses why Meta AI may actually bring many of his oldest ideas full circle, how that ties into Reality Labs, and why Meta ended up being the perfect name for the company.
#technology #meta #zuckerberg #ai #socialmedia
I'd rather read the prompt
People shouldn't let computers write for them. Their original thoughts are far more interesting, meaningful, and valuable than whatever a large language model can transform them into. Writing should be a medium for communicating original thoughts - if it's not worth writing, it's not worth reading. Language models are great for making nonsense and not so great for anything else - it's probably better to just read the prompt.
#technology #ai #llm
Inside Apple's Ireland testing labs - How your iPhone survives sandstorms, saunas & salt water
Apple's Reliability Testing Lab is at the company's campus in Cork, Ireland, which employs 6,000 people and serves as Apple's European headquarters.
#technology #apple #iphone
AI code is legacy code from day one
AI-generated software starts off already aged, and the people maintaining the code aren't its original creators, making it legacy code by definition.
#technology #ai #code #programming
IRS' Crypto Leads Are Leaving the Agency After Accepting DOGE Deals
Two senior IRS officials specializing in crypto, Seth Wilks and Raj Mukherjee, have resigned after just over a year. They accepted voluntary buyouts under a federal downsizing initiative linked to the Trump administration's DOGE program. Both previously worked in the crypto industry and played a central role in shaping IRS policy on digital asset taxation, including updates to the 1099-DA tax form and the development of the now-overturned DeFi broker rule.
#technology #crypto #doge #irs
U.S. House Introduces Crypto Market Structure
The Crypto Market Structure Bill delineates responsibilities between the SEC and CFTC, introduces stricter definitions like reducing the "affiliated person" threshold from 5% to 1% ownership, and outlines requirements for token listings, disclosures, and consumer protections. Unlike other countries with unified regulators, the US' dual-agency approach has led to jurisdictional competition, complicating crypto oversight. This legislation seeks to resolve these ambiguities and provide a structured environment for crypto regulation.
#technology #crypto #unitedstates #us #sec #bill
An Open Letter to the Democratic Party on Stablecoins
Democratic leaders are urged to support stablecoin legislation like the GENIUS Act to appeal to younger, tech-savvy voters who distrust traditional banks. Stablecoins function like on-chain money market funds, offering near-zero fees, permissionless access, integration with U.S. Treasuries, and global financial inclusion. Advocates argue these benefits align with core Democratic values around consumer protection, antitrust, and equity.
Crypto music is a joke
Crypto music projects often fail because they focus on problems like NFTs and fan tokens instead of addressing the industry's real needs, such as boosting ticket, merch, and sponsorship revenue, reducing payout friction, and modernizing publishing. Without support from key stakeholders like labels, venues, and rights organizations, "artist-first" tools remain unused. KYD aims to engage directly with these gatekeepers to drive adoption.
World’s first Amazon-style weapons marketplace debuts with drones, robots, ammo
Brave1 Market enhances the efficiency of decentralized procurement by allowing military units to use their funds to purchase codified and non-codified products.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation has unveiled a first-of-its-kind marketplace to buy weapons, called the Brave1 Market.
The initiative is designed to expedite weapons delivery directly to the battlefield.
This platform, often likened to a military-grade Amazon, aims to streamline the procurement process for Ukrainian forces, ensuring they have timely access to essential technologies.
Brave1 Market
Brave1 Market is an online marketplace that currently hosts over 1,000 innovative solutions.
These include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), electronic warfare (EW) systems, signals intelligence (SIGINT) tools, AI-driven technologies, software, and ammunition.
Access to the public catalog requires authorization via the Diia platform to safeguard manufacturers.
At the same time, sensitive information is housed in a closed catalog accessible only to verified military personnel through the Delta system.
Brave1 Market enhances the efficiency of decentralized procurement by allowing military units to use their funds to purchase codified and non-codified products.
Personnel can choose items from either the open or the closed catalog in the Delta system. After that, they can contact manufacturers to set up direct agreements.
US Air Force wants drone-ready missiles half the size of today’s Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile
The US Air Force wants missiles small enough for drones but powerful enough for modern combat.
The US Air Force (USAF) is looking at new options for air-to-air missiles. It’s seeking cheaper, smaller, long-range missiles suitable for its new Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.
In a recently published request for information (RFI), the Air Force Materiel Command outlined proposals for two types of required missiles. These reflect ongoing changes in real-world battlefields.
As drones become ubiquitous on the battlefield, the USAF is increasingly searching for countermeasures.
The USAF’s new missile request
The first missile outlined in the Air Force Materiel Command’s RFI is a low-cost weapon that would be similar in size to the Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).
This would “provide a low-cost solution with maximum range,” the RFI explained. It would arm the F-16 and F-15E, reflecting the US military’s desire to field longer-range AAMs.
The RFI also calls for a missile roughly half the size of the AMRAAM. This would “double aircraft loadout while maximizing range in the design.”
A low-cost weapon half the size of an AMRAAM would greatly increase the air-to-air missile capacity for CCAs.
According to a report from The War Zone, the RFI suggests that the missiles the Air Force seeks will prioritize range and affordability above agility. The Air Force also seeks to “maximize reuse of existing components” to achieve that affordability.
Nuclear-resistant ‘Donkey’ ground robot with fiber control takes on combat logistics
The drone’s core strength lies in its resistance to nuclear warfare effects, particularly in the electromagnetic pulse and radiation spectrum.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has officially added the “Vislyuk” unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to its military service.
This step strengthens Ukraine’s effort to automate its battlefield operations, especially in challenging electronic warfare situations, including potential nuclear events.
Named after the Ukrainian word for “donkey,” the Vislyuk system is designed as a multi-role terrestrial drone optimized for frontline resilience.
Nuclear-resistant robot
The drone’s core strength lies in its resistance to nuclear warfare effects, particularly in the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and radiation spectrum, enabling continued operability in degraded or contaminated environments.
This capability, once reserved for hardened strategic assets, is now embedded in a tactical ground drone.
At the heart of Vislyuk’s survivability is its electric-nuclear warfare-resistant control system, hardened against electromagnetic interference and pulse disruption.
Coupled with a fibre optic communication module, the platform ensures uninterrupted command-and-control over extended ranges, a critical requirement for operating within or adjacent to nuclear-affected zones.
The system is further hardened to maintain integrity across chemically or radiologically compromised terrain, supporting uninterrupted logistics and operational tempo.
Breakthrough sensor material brings human-like touch to robots at low cost
Sanding off an ultrathin insulating layer boosts sensor accuracy by fixing hidden flaws in conductive composite surfaces.
Researchers have made a breakthrough that could pave the way for affordable, highly sensitive robotic touch.
A team from Northwestern University and Israel’s Tel Aviv University discovered that a hidden flaw in widely used silicone rubber composites—insulating layers on the surface—was blocking accurate electrical sensing in robotic skin.
By identifying and addressing this issue, the team unlocked the potential for low-cost robotic skins to deliver precise, human-like touch.
According to the team, the advancement could help robots better detect shapes, curves, and edges, dramatically improving their ability to grasp and handle objects.
Hidden flaw in robotic touch sensors
The team’s study unearthed a hidden flaw in conductive elastomer composites—materials widely used in flexible sensors for robotics and wearable electronics. Their study reveals that an ultrathin insulating layer forms on the surface of these composites during production, significantly affecting the accuracy and reliability of sensor performance.
Electrical engineers and polymer materials scientists worked to address a long-standing problem: inconsistent and irreproducible sensor data caused by poor electrical contact preparation.
China builds smarter naval drone swarms with manta ray-inspired propulsion
The study’s focus on a trio of manta rays forms a foundational model that can be expanded to understand larger groups.
From the mesmerizing formations of birds in flight to the synchronized movements of fish schools, nature often relies on collective motion to maximize efficiency and energy conservation. Manta rays are among the most proficient swimmers; their unique body shapes and wide flippers enable them to glide through the water with effortless grace.
Manta rays are also notable for having high aspect ratios, which allows for greater lift with minimal drag, making them an incredible model for propulsion systems designed to work underwater.
“As underwater operation tasks become more complex and often require multiple underwater vehicles to carry out group operations, it is necessary to take inspiration from the group swimming of organisms to guide formations of underwater vehicles,” said author Pengcheng Gao.
“Both the shape of manta rays and their propulsive performance are of great value for biomimicry.”
Uncovering hydrodynamic secrets
Scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University and its Ningbo Institute in China have turned to manta rays for inspiration in improving the performance of underwater vehicles, exploring how different group formations of manta rays impact swimming efficiency—knowledge they believe could inform the next generation of coordinated aquatic robotics.
Next-gen EV batteries use solid electrolytes to double lithium cell range, life
The University of Chicago research team manually compiled battery data from 250 studies to train their AI model.
A research team from the U.S. has developed an artificial intelligence-based framework that can potentially speed up the development of next-generation batteries by identifying molecules with ideal electrolyte properties.
The new method, developed by Ritesh Kumar, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow working in the Amanchukwu Lab at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and his team, evaluates and ranks potential battery electrolyte candidates using a metric called the ‘eScore’.
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, the system assesses electrolyte molecules across three key performance criteria, including ionic conductivity, oxidative stability, and Coulombic efficiency, properties that are often difficult to optimize simultaneously.
According to Kumar, while electrolyte development typically involves trade-offs, as molecules that offer high stability often lack conductivity, and vice versa, the new tool helps identify candidates that can meet multiple performance requirements simultaneously.