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30-10-2025 om 22:33 geschreven door peter  

After nearly a decade in development, NASA's supersonic jet dubbed 'Son of Concorde' has successfully completed its first test flight.

The 100-foot, $247million plane, built by Lockheed Martin for NASA, took off from Palmdale Regional Airport in California at about 10:15 EDT on Tuesday. 

After about an hour performing oval-shaped loops, the plane landed safely at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center 25 miles further northeast. 

Its peak altitude during the flight was 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) – which is under half that of a commercial plane at cruising altitude – but experts hope it will be able to reach 55,000 feet (16,800 metres). 

Officially known as X-59, the manned aircraft is designed to pave the way for faster air travel at 'supersonic' speeds of up to 925mph. 

At such as speed, it could transport paying passengers from London to New York in under four hours – revolutionizing the industry and freeing up time for busy businesspeople and holidaymakers.

'We are thrilled to achieve the first flight of the X-59,' said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division. 

'This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development.' 

Lockheed Martin, in partnership with NASA, successfully completed the first flight of the X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft designed to pave the way for faster commercial air travel

The 100-foot, $247million plane, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, took off from Palmdale Regional Airport in California at about 10:15 EDT on Tuesday

According to Lockheed Martin, X-59 performed 'exactly as planned' prior to its safe landing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. 

However, the single-engine jet only reached speeds of 230mph, which is nowhere near its top speed of 925mph – much faster than the speed of sound (767mph). 

Further test flights in the coming months will 'expand the X-59's flight envelope' and get closer to the plane's top flying speed, the aerospace company said. 

Despite being short of the all-important speed threshold, experts hailed this latest milestone as 'a new era in supersonic flight'. 

Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation and acting NASA administrator, called the experimental plane 'a symbol of American ingenuity'. 

He said: 'The American spirit knows no bounds. It's part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. 

'This work sustains America's place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies.' 

X-59 is dubbed 'Son of Concorde' because it would be the first passenger plane to fly at supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound) since the days of the retired Anglo-French liner over 20 years ago. 

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On its first flight, NASA's experimental quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft takes off from Runway 7 at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, October 28

Once airborne, the single-engine jet reached speeds of 230mph, which is nowhere near its top speed of 925mph - faster than the speed of sound (767mph)

Further test flights in the coming months will 'expand the X-59's flight envelope' and get closer to the plane's top flying speed

One of the issues with Concorde that led to its retirement in 2003 was the 'sonic booms' it emitted as it flew. 

Described as sounding somewhere between a thunderclap and an explosion, sonic booms happen when shock waves from an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound merge together before they reach the ground. 

Concorde's sonic booms were often described as unsettling by members of the public on the ground below, which meant Concorde never replaced slower, more conventional aircraft. 

In contrast, X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and breaks up the shock waves that usually result in a sonic boom, instead producing a quieter 'thump'. 

Due to X-59's odd configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and the craft does not have a forward-facing window. 

Instead, it's fitted with the 'eXternal Vision System', a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit.

Eventually, NASA – which will be the primary user – will fly the aircraft over cities across the US, which are yet to be selected. 

It will collect feedback about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it before providing the data to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Dubbed 'son of Concorde', the agency's new 100-foot-long plane is capable of cruising at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 miles per hour

X-59 has been developed by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin after being awarded the $247.5 million design contract by NASA in 2016 

NASA stresses that X-59 is one of its experimental crafts and is not a commercial airliner designed to carry passengers 

However, if supersonic flight proves to be feasible, bulkier next-gen versions fitted out with passenger seats could transport paying passengers just like Concorde did. 

For 50 years, the US prohibited supersonic flights because of disturbance caused by sonic booms to communities below, which was why Concorde was largely restricted to flights over the Atlantic – namely Paris to New York and London to New York.

Read More

• China is testing supersonic jet that's even faster than 'Son of Concorde': NYC to London in 2 hours 

The legendary plane was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003 largely due to high fuel costs, concern over its noise and a preference for lower fares over speed.

Ever since, no government or manufacturer has since been able to build a commercial plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound – although Lockheed Martin is not the only one trying. 

Another American company called Boom Supersonic is working on its own supersonic craft, called Overture, which is eyeing commercial passenger flights in 2029. 

Meanwhile, China is working on its own experimental supersonic plane, called Yunxing, which could go at three times that of X-59.  

The history of Concorde  

Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated from 1976 until 2003.

It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers.

It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976.

It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran as a passenger aircraft only for a few years in the 1970s due to safety issues.

Concorde was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. Pictured is British Airways Concorde G-BOAB taking off with its landing gear still extended over the Cotswolds town of Fairford, Gloucestershire on July 20, 1996, during the annual RAF Fairford airshow

Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's name, meaning harmony or union, reflected the cooperation on the project between the UK and France.   

Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after its only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support. 

It wasn't the first plane to break the sound barrier, however; that achievement was managed by the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, in October 1947.

The legendary rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour.

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29-10-2025 om 00:00 geschreven door peter  

Artikel door businessam.be

China ontwikkelt geavanceerde militaire AI om de Verenigde Staten in te halen

Key takeaways

• Het Chinese leger ontwikkelt actief AI-mogelijkheden om de prestaties op het slagveld te verbeteren en wil de Verenigde Staten op dit gebied overtreffen.
• Ondanks inspanningen om binnenlandse hardware te gebruiken, vertrouwt het Chinese leger nog steeds op Nvidia-chips voor geavanceerde AI-toepassingen.
• DeepSeek, een toonaangevend Chinees AI-model, domineert het AI-landschap van de PLA, wat de nadruk van Peking op binnenlands ontwikkelde oplossingen toont.

China is actief bezig met de ontwikkeling van geavanceerde artificiële intelligentie (AI) voor militaire doeleinden, met als doel de Verenigde Staten in te halen in de aanhoudende wapenwedloop. Deze ontwikkeling wordt gestimuleerd door DeepSeek, een toonaangevend Chinees AI-model, en weerspiegelt het streven van Peking naar “algoritmische soevereiniteit”, waarbij de afhankelijkheid van westerse technologie wordt verminderd en de controle over kritieke digitale infrastructuur wordt versterkt.

Uit een overzicht van talloze onderzoekspapers, patenten en aanbestedingsdossiers blijkt dat China systematisch probeert om AI voor militaire doeleinden te gebruiken. Hoewel specifieke details over de functionaliteit van deze wapens van de volgende generatie vertrouwelijk blijven, geven aankoopdocumenten en patenten inzicht in de vooruitgang op gebieden zoals autonome doelherkenning en realtime beslissingsondersteuning op het slagveld, die de vooruitgang van de VS weerspiegelen.

Gebruik van Nvidia-chips houdt aan

Het Chinese leger blijft Nvidia-chips gebruiken, waaronder modellen die onder Amerikaanse exportcontroles vallen, hoewel het onduidelijk is of deze chips werden aangeschaft voordat de beperkingen werden opgelegd. Recente patentaanvragen suggereren dat militaire onderzoeksinstituten Nvidia-hardware blijven gebruiken. Nvidia beweert dat het recyclen van kleine hoeveelheden oude chips geen risico vormt voor de nationale veiligheid, maar de Amerikaanse overheid heeft geen commentaar gegeven op deze bevindingen.

Als reactie op de druk vanuit Peking, schakelt het Chinese leger steeds meer over op het gebruik van in eigen land geproduceerde hardware, zoals de AI-chips van Huawei. Deze ontwikkeling is duidelijk zichtbaar in PLA-aankoopberichten en patentaanvragen, hoewel onafhankelijke verificatie moeilijk blijft.

DeepSeek domineert landschap

De populariteit van DeepSeek binnen de PLA weerspiegelt zijn dominantie in het nationale AI-landschap. Een dozijn aanbestedingen die dit jaar zijn uitgeschreven door PLA-entiteiten refereerden aan DeepSeek-modellen, terwijl er slechts één melding maakte van Qwen van Alibaba, een rivaliserend AI-platform. Deze trend suggereert dat China de voorkeur geeft aan binnenlands ontwikkelde oplossingen.

Chinese militaire onderzoekers ontwikkelen diverse AI-toepassingen, waaronder robothonden die autonoom verkenningswerk in groepen uitvoeren, zwermen drones die zelfstandig doelen opsporen, en geavanceerde oorlogssimulaties. Eerder zette de Chinese fabrikant Unitree bewapende robothonden in tijdens militaire oefeningen, wat de vooruitgang van het land op het gebied van robotica illustreert.

Autonome technologieën voor het slagveld

Het PLA investeert ook in steeds meer autonome technologieën voor het slagveld. Octrooiaanvragen onthullen pogingen om AI in drones te integreren voor doelherkenning, tracering en gecoördineerde operaties met minimale menselijke tussenkomst. Hoewel Chinese defensiefunctionarissen aandringen op het behoud van menselijke controle over wapensystemen, blijft er bezorgdheid bestaan over de mogelijkheid van ongecontroleerde inzet van AI-munitie.

China blijft vertrouwen op chips van Nvidia, ondanks pogingen om binnenlandse alternatieven te vinden. Hoewel de aankoopgegevens wijzen op een verschuiving naar Huawei Ascend chips, wordt Nvidia hardware nog steeds vaak genoemd in onderzoek dat wordt uitgevoerd door academici die aan het leger gelieerd zijn. Dit duidt op een voortdurende afhankelijkheid van geavanceerde westerse technologieën, zelfs als China ernaar streeft om zelfvoorzienend te zijn. (uv)

{ https://businessam.be/ }

28-10-2025 om 21:14 geschreven door peter  

Most of us recognize only three types of precipitation: rain, snow, and sleet. However, scientists have long felt that this list needs to be expanded and refined. A group of researchers from the University of Michigan and NASA decided to apply the power of machine learning to reveal the true diversity of types of precipitation falling from the sky. The result of their years of work is a revolutionary classification system that not only improves the accuracy of forecasts but also has the potential to save lives.

Why are forecasts wrong?

The classic idea that snow only falls when temperatures are below zero and rain only falls when temperatures are above zero is simplistic. In fact, in the range from -3°C to +5°C, both rain and snow are equally possible—it all depends on the conditions inside the clouds and the surrounding environment. This is why even the most advanced weather models often fail to accurately predict precipitation. Satellites can see clouds clearly from space, but they cannot determine exactly what will fall to the surface.

How a machine was taught to see rain

To fill this gap, scientists installed a special camera system called the Precipitation Imaging Package (PIP) at strategic locations in the United States, Canada, and Europe. This system, equipped with a high-speed camera, has collected data over the past nine years. The result is a collection of 1.5 million measurements, supplemented by information from ground-based weather stations.

Such a large amount of information can only be processed using artificial intelligence. Researchers created two machine learning models: a simple linear one and a more complex nonlinear one. The latter took into account the complex interactions between particles and ultimately prevailed, reducing the number of errors in determining the type of precipitation by 36% compared to the linear method.

Nine types of precipitation

The final system developed by the scientists was named UMAP. It not only simplifies complex data, but also identifies three key factors that determine precipitation: particle characteristics, intensity, and phase. Thanks to this, UMAP identified nine types of precipitation:

1. Drizzle — light, steady rainfall
2. Heavy rainfall — intense rainfall with numerous small drops
3. Light rain-to-mix transition — light sleet with dense ice pellets
4. Heavy rain-to-mix transition — intense sleet with dense ice pellet
5. Light mixed-phase — a low volume of slushy, partially frozen particles
6. Heavy mixed-phase — a high volume of slushy, partially frozen particles
7. Heavy snow-to-mix transition — large snowflakes and aggregate particleLight snowfall — light, fluffy snowfall
8. Heavy snowfall — an intense, heavy snowstorm

As climatologist and co-author of the study Claire Pettersen explains, the benefits of the new system are both immediate and long-term.

“In the short term, better forecasting can help people adjust their daily commute or prepare for big events like floods or an ice storm,” she noted. “On longer time scales, it can help predict how snowpack or runoff timing will change fresh water availability for a region.”

To make their discoveries accessible not only to scientists, the researchers created an interactive graph and an easy-to-understand interface for all weather enthusiasts. All information is also published in the Deep Blue Data repository for those who want to delve deeper into the details.

We previously reported on how climate swings could become more severe by 2028.

• According to popsci.com

• Posted in Science

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27-10-2025 om 21:47 geschreven door peter  

It sounds like a scene right out of the latest science–fiction blockbuster.

But flying car races are now a reality, as the 'Formula One of the skies' holds its first–ever event. 

Incredible footage shows four flying cars head–to–head in a winding race around an aerial track, as part of the 'Jetson Air Games'. 

Each pilot was driving a Jetson One, a personal electric aircraft with a terrifying top speed of 63 miles per hour (102 km/h) and a range of up to 20 miles (32 km). 

In a video of the race, the cars lift off at the starting line before careening into the course, executing tight turns and perilous overtakes. 

Jetson says this first race was just a proof of concept for what a competitive format might look like for their futuristic flying machines. 

But on social media, fans are already demanding to see more. 

'Hell yes! This is what we were promised back in the 80s. We need more of this,' one fan enthusiastically wrote. 

It sounds like a scene right out of the latest science–fiction blockbuster. But flying car races are now a reality, as the 'Formula One of the skies' holds its first–ever event 

The race took place at the UP.Summit in Texas, where Jetson demonstrated its flying car's abilities.

In addition to hosting the very first race, pilots also took part in the first four–person formation flight.

Tomasz Patan, Jetson's co–founder, who also took part in the race, says: 'The energy from the crowd was incredible.

'It was a proud moment for our team and a clear signal that Jetson is ready to lead the next chapter in aviation.'

The company is yet to confirm when or where it will be hosting its next race, or to provide details about its plans for the Jetson Air Games.

However, fans have already begun to clamour for more races.

On YouTube, one commenter wrote: 'Never could have thought this became reality in my lifetime ... What a time to be alive!!!!'

'This is something I thought was a thing of sci–fi when I was a kid! It's now a reality,' another commenter wrote.

The 'Jetson Air Games' is the brainchild of Jetson, a startup which produces single–person electric vertical take–off and landing (e–VTOL) aircraft

The race saw four pilots go head–to–head to be the first through a winding aerial track. Each racer was driving a Jetson One personal flying vehicle, with a terrifying top speed of 63 miles per hour (102 km/h)

Another chimed in: 'I remember the first time I saw one of these I thought it was a miracle. Now it's becoming something attainable it's crazy.'

However, many tech enthusiasts were also extremely concerned about how safe this kind of race might be.

One concerned fan wrote: 'When and if this becomes a genuinely competitive sport then this will be more lethal than F1!'

Another wrote: '5000rpm propellers with open cockpit and no propeller guards giving me shivers.'

While one commenter joked: 'The words 'Everyone is a pilot' should scare the heck out of everyone who actually is a pilot.' 

The Jetson One is a single–passenger e–VTOL vehicle which uses eight powerful rotors to provide lift. 

With a carbon fibre and aluminium frame, the octo–copter weighs just 115 kg, 60 kg of which comes from the massive batteries. 

That allows the Jetson One to provide about 20 minutes of flight time up to a height of 1,500 feet (457 metres) above ground level.

Jetson says that this first race was just a proof of concept of what a competitive format might look like for their flying vehicles

Although Jetson hasn't announced plans to run more races, fans on social media are already clamouring to see more action 

In order to keep the pilot safe, Jetson says that the vehicle can safely fly with only one propeller and automatically land in case of an emergency. 

Each Jetson One is also fitted with a ballistic parachute, which can shoot out of the roof to slow a potentially dangerous fall.

However, this performance doesn't come cheap – the vehicle currently costs $128,000 (£95,380) with prices planned to rise to $148,000 (£110,290) on November 3. 

Perhaps the most surprising feature is that you don't need a pilot's licence to fly one of these craft in the US. 

The company's motto is 'everyone is a pilot', and its extremely easy–to–use and lightly regulated aircraft are helping make that a reality. 

After launching in October 2021, the first available models immediately sold out, and the company is now accepting orders for delivery in 2028.

The company delivered its first commercial model in September to the defence–tech entrepreneur Palmer Luckey.

According to Jetson, Mr Luckey was able to complete the ground training in just 50 minutes and was then free to fly. 

Jetson says it has 550 outstanding orders for the Jetson One, having made the first delivery in September to the defence–technology entrepreneur Palmer Luckey (pictured)

Jetson recently conducted trials with the Polish Mountain Rescue Service, testing the aircraft in real–life emergency situations as an option for reaching remote regions 

Jetson says it currently has nearly 550 outstanding orders and has total future sales reaching $75 million (£55.9 million).

Recently, the company completed a series of trials with the Polish Mountain Rescue Service, testing the aircraft in real–life emergency situations.

Despite winds gusting up to 36 miles per hour, the Jetson One was able to deploy and manoeuvre through the remote Tatra Mountains.

Read More

• World's first mass-produced flying car will go on sale within months - for $1 MILLION 

The vehicle is still subject to flying restrictions, which vary from country to country, meaning it can't currently be flown in cities. 

But the founders believe this will change as people open their minds to travel by flight, not road.

Co–founder Peter Ternström previously told Daily Mail: Going forward, we want to make big cities better places to live.

'For our children, the cities can be greener — there won't be space needed for loads of parking and roads because it's all going up in the air.

'People think it's crazy, but believe me, evolution happens quickly. Our goal is to make everyone a pilot within a decade.' 

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17-10-2025 om 20:27 geschreven door peter  

Imagine an air defense system that does not launch missiles or fire shells, but hits drones with an invisible energy pulse. Similar to how a microwave oven heats food, this weapon “heats” the drone’s electronics – only much more powerfully and from a distance. Such electromagnetic weapons can instantly disable a drone or even a swarm of drones, effectively frying their electronic brains in flight. This technology is developing rapidly around the world, as it allows drones to be shot down at the speed of light and at minimal cost per shot.

How a “microwave cannon” shoots down drones

An electromagnetic weapon (EMW) is a device that generates a short pulse of ultra-high-power electromagnetic radiation. When such a pulse is directed at a drone, currents are induced in its wires and microchips, which can disable the electronics. The drone immediately loses control and crashes. Importantly, this happens at a distance and without physical contact – the invisible wave hits the target in a fraction of a second. One shot can cover several drones at once, as the beam has a certain angle of dispersion.

Unlike radio jamming, which only disrupts communication, such a “microwave cannon” causes real damage to the drone’s electronic systems. And unlike a laser, which must target each drone individually, an electromagnetic pulse acts more broadly – dozens of drones can be disabled with a single strike. According to the American classification, modern systems are already capable of hitting groups of small drones (1-2 units) at a range of up to 1-2 km with a short, powerful pulse lasting several nanoseconds. This is true “electromagnetic air defense” – a new type of countermeasure against air threats.

Energy balance assessment of a single shot

Let’s estimate the conditional shot of an electromagnetic cannon at 1 km. To obtain a sufficient effect on the target’s unshielded electronics equal to ≈300 V/m, a dish with a diameter of 3 m at 3 GHz (≈37 dBi) requires a peak power of about 0.56 MW. If the pulse lasts 100 ns, the energy of the shot is only ~0.056 J. This is ~6.2 million times less than what is needed to boil 1 liter of water in a kettle (~350 kJ). 1 kWh is equivalent to approximately 64 million such shots, and a full charge of a Tesla Model 3 (~75 kWh) is ~4.8 billion shots.

At a rate of $0.15/kWh, one shot costs literally nano-dollars (even taking into account ~1% efficiency, this is micro-cents). The paradox is that the energy is negligible, but a huge aperture, peak power, and fast pulse circuits are required – hence the size and power consumption of such installations.

Engineering challenges: energy, antennas, and dimensions

Creating such a “cannon” is not an easy task. To burn electronics at a distance, you need a super-powerful energy pulse. In practice, this means enormous power requirements: the system needs a generator or batteries and capacitors capable of storing and delivering a pulse wave of lightning-level energy. For example, a prototype of the American Phaser device is powered by a diesel generator. Other prototypes use pulse generators and even special explosive devices.

The antenna is another critical element. Electromagnetic waves need to be directed, so a large parabolic dish or phased array is usually installed to focus the energy in the desired direction. The dimensions of such antennas are measured in meters, so the entire installation is still quite cumbersome. Most existing systems are housed in a truck bed or a standard container, similar to laser systems. This, in turn, complicates mobility and deployment – transportation, installation time, and power supply are required.

However, the speed of electromagnetic air defense is impressive – the beam reaches the target almost instantly, as it travels at the speed of light. But for the system to be effective in the dynamics of combat, it needs to be integrated with radars and optical sensors that will detect and track targets. Modern systems combine radar for detecting drones and electromagnetic pulses for shooting them down. A wide microwave beam even has an advantage over a laser – it is easier to hit a maneuvering target with it, and it is less dependent on weather conditions. However, such pulses are not very selective: there is a risk of collateral damage. High-power radiation can affect the target’s own communication systems or electronics if they are not protected. Therefore, engineers are tasked not only with amplifying the pulse but also with learning how to direct it accurately and shield friendly objects.

Currently, electromagnetic weapons are still in the prototype and testing stage. No country has yet established mass production, despite significant advances in technology. The main obstacles to practical electromagnetic air defense can be summarized as follows:

• Enormous energy demand and risk of hitting yourself
• Bulky and complex
• Limited series production

Examples of modern electromagnetic “shields” and “cannons”

Despite the challenges, there are already several working models of electromagnetic air defense systems in the world. Most of them are being designed and tested in the United States. Let’s take a look at the most famous ones and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses:

• Phaser (USA) – an experimental high-energy system from Raytheon. Phaser is installed in a container with a diesel generator and a large antenna. In tests, it has demonstrated the ability to shoot down drones in a matter of seconds. Its power and range are kept secret. According to estimates, Phaser can destroy the electronics not only of drones, but also of cars and other objects.

Its strength is its instantaneous effect on multiple targets (the pulse lasts milliseconds), while its weakness is its large size and the need for a powerful energy source in the field.

• THOR (USA) – Tactical High-Power Operational Responder, a US Air Force project for protecting military bases. It is also a high-power microwave device, designed to be relatively portable. THOR is designed to combat swarms of small drones: during tests in April 2022, it successfully destroyed an entire group of UAVs. The system works on the principle of rapid deployment to protect, for example, an airbase from an invasion of drones.

Its advantages are mobility and wide coverage. Its disadvantage at present is its experimental status: THOR is not yet in service as a serial system, and its effectiveness against larger targets or in different weather conditions is still being tested.

• Leonidas (USA) –  the latest system from Epirus. Unlike older models, which used tube generators, Leonidas uses semiconductor amplifiers (such as GaN transistors), which have significantly reduced its size and increased its reliability. The system attracted attention after it destroyed a swarm of 49 drones with a single pulse during a demonstration firing in Indiana in August 2025.

Epirus has already manufactured several such systems for the US Army and has been awarded a contract for an upgraded version, Leonidas Gen II (with double the range to ~2 km and higher power). There are several modifications: stationary for bases, mobile on armored vehicles (for example, it is planned to be installed on Stryker armored personnel carriers), and even an aviation “capsule” Leonidas Pod for installation on aircraft and drones.

Prospects: from protecting cities to military bases

Electromagnetic weapons are on the verge of widespread recognition, and the next few years are expected to be pivotal. In the military sphere, high-power microwave systems are expected to become part of multi-level air defense systems. For example, the US Army is already deploying prototypes in training exercises. In 2025, during the Balikatan exercises in the Philippines, the Americans successfully used an HPM system to neutralize drones in the jungle. In the next 2-3 years, it is planned to deliver the first pre-production Leonidas installations to US air defense units for evaluation in real conditions. Similar systems are likely to appear in the armies of other advanced countries – Israel, Germany, and China are actively experimenting with these technologies. Given the rapid growth of the threat of kamikaze drones and swarm attacks, electromagnetic shields may become a common element of protection for bases, airfields, and cities. They will be deployed where conventional air defense is overloaded or where it is risky to use missiles (for example, over densely populated areas).

There are also many prospects in the civilian sector. Protecting airports and critical infrastructure from unauthorized drones is one of the first potential niches. An electromagnetic system installed on the roof of the terminal could bring down an intruding drone in seconds without risking the safety of aircraft. Such systems can be used to protect mass events: instead of jamming the signal (which does not work on autonomous drones), it is better to immediately neutralize the enemy drone with a pulse, for example, if the UAV is carrying dangerous cargo. It is only important to ensure that the fall of the downed aircraft does not harm people – for this purpose, combined solutions are being considered (first, the pulse disables the drone, and then a net or interceptor drone gently catches it).

Law enforcement agencies are also looking into EM weapons. Police often encounter criminals in cars or with potentially explosive devices. A microwave engine jammer could stop cars by disabling their electronics without shooting at the wheels. Or it could neutralize radio-controlled bombs from a distance by burning out their receivers before bomb disposal experts get close. Such solutions are already being tested: for example, the British RF Safe-Stop system emits directional radio waves that jam a car’s engine ignition. With the development of technology, such devices could become more compact – even portable guns capable of disabling surveillance drones or other criminal electronics with a single pulse.

Despite all these prospects, the technology needs improvement. The efficiency of microwave emitters is not yet very high: a significant part of the energy is scattered, and the effective range is limited to a few kilometers. Therefore, work is continuing on new generators (for example, Chinese scientists have tested an HPM cannon based on compact Stirling engines and superconducting magnets, which reduces energy consumption to 20% of current analogues). Improvements in the component base – from power sources to antennas – will make the installations smaller, more economical, and more reliable. It is expected that in the next 5-10 years, we will see a new generation of electromagnetic weapons: with the ability to operate for long periods (several hours without overheating), automatic targeting of dozens of targets, and integration into unified troop control systems.

Electromagnetic air defense is no longer science fiction and is entering the phase of practical application. Spectacular tests – where entire swarms of drones fall from the sky at the push of a button – demonstrate that this technology has the potential to change the rules of the game. Of course, it is not a panacea and will not replace all other types of weapons. But in combination with traditional means (missiles, anti-aircraft guns) and the latest lasers, electromagnetic “cannons” can fill the niche where the enemy tries to win with quantity and cheapness. When dozens of inexpensive drones fly simultaneously, it is economically and technically more advantageous to shoot them down with a pulse for pennies than to waste expensive missiles and risk missing some of the targets. That is why armies around the world are rushing to test such systems, and developers are improving their design. It is possible that very soon electromagnetic air defense will become as commonplace as radar once was: invisible to the naked eye, but reliably guarding the skies, with complex engineering solutions working simply and unobtrusively to protect us all.

• Posted in Articles, Tech

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{ https://universemagazine.com/en/news-en/science-en/ }

17-10-2025 om 15:54 geschreven door peter  

A Lantern That Comes to Life

The researchers started with a thin polymer sheet, cut into a diamond-shaped parallelogram. Evenly spaced slits were then added to form narrow ribbon patterns connected by solid strips at the top and bottom. When the ends were joined, the sheet folded into a hollow, spherical structure that resembled a paper lantern.

“This basic shape is, by itself, bistable,” said Jie Yin, one of the study’s authors and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State. “It’s stable in its lantern form, but when compressed, it suddenly snaps into a second stable shape that resembles a spinning top.”

When returning to its original form, the structure rapidly releases stored elastic energy, a process the researchers call snapping morphogenesis. By combining twisting and folding, the team produced a variety of additional shapes, including some with four stable states.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/tech/ }

15-10-2025 om 17:59 geschreven door peter  

Scientists reveal the exact date when technology will surpass human intelligence - and there's not long to wait

• READ MORE: AI can now be used to design brand–new VIRUSES 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Since homo sapiens first emerged, humanity has enjoyed an unbeaten 300,000–year run as the most intelligent creatures on the planet.

However, thanks to rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), that might not be the case for much longer.

Many scientists believe that the singularity – the moment when AI first surpasses humanity – is now not a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

And according to some AI pioneers, we might not have much longer to wait.

A new report from the research group AIMultiple combined predictions made by 8,590 scientists and entrepreneurs to see when the experts think the singularity might come.

The findings revealed that AI experts' predictions for the singularity keep getting closer and closer with every unexpected leap in AI's abilities.

In the mid–2010s, scientists generally thought that AI couldn't possibly surpass human intelligence any time before 2060 at the earliest.

Now, some industry leaders think the singularity might arrive in as little as three months' time.

The singularity is the moment that AI's intelligence surpasses that of humanity, just like Skynet in the Terminator films. This might seem like science fiction, but experts say it might not be far away 

What is the singularity?

In mathematics, the singularity refers to a point where matter becomes so dense that the laws of physics begin to fail.

However, after being adopted by science fiction writer Vernor Vinge and futurist Ray Kurzweil, the term has taken on a radically different meaning.

Today, the singularity usually refers to the point at which technological advancements begin to accelerate well beyond humanity's means to control them.

Often, this is taken to refer to the moment that an AI becomes more intelligent than all of humanity combined.

Cem Dilmegani, principal analyst at AIMultiple, told Daily Mail: 'Singularity is a hypothetical event which is expected to result in a rapid increase in machine intelligence.

'For singularity, we need a system that combines human–level thinking with superhuman speed and rapidly accessible, near–perfect memory.

'Singularity should also result in machine consciousness, but since consciousness is not well–defined, we can't be precise about it.'

Scientists' predictions about when the singularity will occur have been tracked over the years, with a trend towards closer and closer predictions as AI has continued to surpass expectations 

What is the earliest the singularity might arrive?

While the vast majority of AI experts now believe the singularity is inevitable, they differ wildly in when they think it might come.

The most radical prediction comes from the chief executive and founder of leading AI firm Anthropic, Dario Amodie.

In an essay titled 'Machines of Loving Grace', Mr Mamodei predicts that the singularity will arrive as early as 2026.

He says that this AI will be 'smarter than a Nobel Prize winner across most relevant fields' and will 'absorb information and generate actions at roughly 10x–100x human speed'.

And he is not alone with his bold predictions. 

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Grok–creators xAI, also recently predicted that superintelligence would arrive next year.

Speaking during a wide–ranging interview on X in 2024, Mr Musk said: 'If you define AGI (artificial general intelligence) as smarter than the smartest human, I think it's probably next year, within two years.'

CEO and founder of AI firm Anthropic, Dario Amodei (pictured), predicted in an essay that AI would become superintelligent by 2025

Likewise, Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, claimed in a 2024 essay: 'It is possible that we will have superintelligence in a few thousand days.'

That would place the arrival of the singularity any time from about 2027 onwards.

How likely is it that these predictions are right?

Although these predictions are extreme, these tech leaders' optimism is not entirely unfounded.

Mr Dilmegani says: 'GenAI's capabilities exceeded most experts' expectations and pushed singularity expectations earlier.'

The key to this revaluation of AI's potential is that the power of leading AI models has grown exponentially, roughly doubling once every seven months.

If this exponential growth starts to accelerate, it could kick off a chain reaction that would lead to a sudden intelligence explosion.

For this reason, some AI leaders think that the singularity could arrive incredibly quickly once the right conditions are met.

Sam Altman (pictured), CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has argued that AI will surpass humanity by 2027–2028 at the earliest 

The confidence of tech leaders is based on the rapid increase in the power of AI models. These graphs show how various types of 'Large Language Models' have rapidly increased their computing power over the last decade 

However, the expert consensus is that the singularity will not arrive for many more years.

Mr Dilmegani says that if the singularity does arrive next year, he will 'happily print our article about the topic and eat it.'

Over–optimism about AI is nothing new, and countless exaggerated predictions have been proven wrong in the past.

For example, Geoffrey Hinton, the so–called 'godfather of AI', predicted that hospitals would not need radiologists by 2021 because they would be replaced by AI.

Even as far back as 1965, AI pioneer Herbert Simon boldly claimed: 'Machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work a man can do.'

As Mr Dilmegani points out, AI's capabilities are currently nowhere near what the human mind is capable of.

However, business leaders like Mr Altman and Mr Amodei have good reasons to overstate how soon the singularity will arrive.

Mr Dilmegani says: 'An earlier singularity timeline places current AI leaders as the ultimate leaders of industry.

Based on the rapid growth of computational power available, Elon Musk has predicted that AI will surpass humanity by the end of this year 

The support for this theory is that the abilities of AI appear to have grown exponentially. This graph shows how the speed of AI agents has doubled once every seven months

AI expert Cem Dilmegani, of AIMultiple, told Daily Mail that he would print out and eat his research if Elon Musk's predictions (illustrated) came true

'The company that reaches singularity could always remain as the world's most valuable company.

'This optimism fuels investment, and both of these CEOs run loss–making companies that depend on investor confidence.'

When is the singularity likely to arrive?

To get a picture of when the singularity is really likely to occur, Mr Dilmegani and his colleagues combined surveys covering 8,590 AI experts.

This showed that, although predictions have moved a lot closer since the release of ChatGPT, most experts think the singularity is probably about 20 years away.

For the singularity to occur, experts say that AI will first need to reach a state known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), in which it has human–like abilities across a wide range of tasks.

Although the results of some studies vary, the consensus is that this will happen by around 2040.

Some groups, like investors, were more confident and placed this moment a little earlier, usually centring on some point around 2030.

However, most experts believe that the singularity will arrive sometime around 2040–2060. Investors are more bullish, putting this point around 2030. However, the overall consensus is that the AI singularity is coming, but not next year

Once AGI has been achieved, the experts think that the singularity will follow very quickly as the AI rapidly evolves to reach 'superintelligence'. 

Read More

• Revealed: The 44 jobs most likely to be replaced by AI - is YOURS at risk? 

In one poll, scientists assigned a 10 per cent probability to the singularity arriving two years after AGI and a 75 per cent chance of this happening within the next 30 years.

However, although the experts' opinions put the singularity much further back than leaders like Mr Altman and Mr Musk, most agree that the singularity is coming.

That may mean humanity does not have much longer to enjoy our position as the smartest creatures on Earth.

Elon Musk's hatred of AI explained: Billionaire believes it will spell the end of humans - a fear Stephen Hawking shared

Elon Musk pictured in 2022

Elon Musk wants to push technology to its absolute limit, from space travel to self-driving cars — but he draws the line at artificial intelligence. 

The billionaire first shared his distaste for AI in 2014, calling it humanity's 'biggest existential threat' and comparing it to 'summoning the demon'.

At the time, Musk also revealed he was investing in AI companies not to make money but to keep an eye on the technology in case it gets out of hand. 

His main fear is that in the wrong hands, if AI becomes advanced, it could overtake humans and spell the end of mankind, which is known as The Singularity.

That concern is shared among many brilliant minds, including the late Stephen Hawking, who told the BBC in 2014: 'The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.

'It would take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate.' 

Despite his fear of AI, Musk has invested in the San Francisco-based AI group Vicarious, in DeepMind - which has since been acquired by Google - and OpenAI, creating the popular ChatGPT program that has taken the world by storm in recent months.

During a 2016 interview, Musk noted that he and OpenAI created the company to 'have democratisation of AI technology to make it widely available'.

Musk founded OpenAI with Sam Altman, the company's CEO, but in 2018 the billionaire attempted to take control of the start-up.

His request was rejected, forcing him to quit OpenAI and move on with his other projects.

In November, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, which became an instant success worldwide.

The chatbot uses 'large language model' software to train itself by scouring a massive amount of text data so it can learn to generate eerily human-like text in response to a given prompt. 

ChatGPT is used to write research papers, books, news articles, emails and more.

But while Altman is basking in its glory, Musk is attacking ChatGPT.

He says the AI is 'woke' and deviates from OpenAI's original non-profit mission.

'OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it 'Open' AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft, Musk tweeted in February.

The Singularity is making waves worldwide as artificial intelligence advances in ways only seen in science fiction - but what does it actually mean?

In simple terms, it describes a hypothetical future where technology surpasses human intelligence and changes the path of our evolution.

Experts have said that once AI reaches this point, it will be able to innovate much faster than humans. 

There are two ways the advancement could play out, with the first leading to humans and machines working together to create a world better suited for humanity.

For example, humans could scan their consciousness and store it in a computer in which they will live forever.

The second scenario is that AI becomes more powerful than humans, taking control and making humans its slaves - but if this is true, it is far off in the distant future.

Researchers are now looking for signs of AI reaching The Singularity, such as the technology's ability to translate speech with the accuracy of a human and perform tasks faster.

Former Google engineer Ray Kurzweil predicts it will be reached by 2045.

He has made 147 predictions about technology advancements since the early 1990s - and 86 per cent have been correct. 

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

13-10-2025 om 16:00 geschreven door peter  

These Men Explain That Your Dreams and Thoughts Are No Longer Safe: All Our ‘Dreams’ & ‘Thoughts’ Can Be Decoded

Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin claim that all our ‘Dreams’ and ‘Thoughts’ can be Decoded—imagine what authoritarian states could do with such power. AI can even read Wi-Fi radio signals bouncing around a space to create 3D image estimations.

Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin are the co-founders of the Center for Humane Technology which aims to warn people about how technology affects individuals, organizations, and society. It looks for ways to manage these effects, encourages leaders to take action, and offers resources for those interested in humane technology.

FYI: Harris was Google’s Design Ethicist, developing a framework for how technology should “ethically” steer the thoughts and actions of billions of people from screens. Raskin is a trained mathematician and dark matter physicist. He is the son of Jef Raskin, a human–computer interface expert who was the initiator of the Macintosh project at Apple.

In May 2023, Harris & Raskin attended Summit At Sea where they discussed how existing A.I. capabilities already pose catastrophic risks to a functional society, how A.I. companies are caught in a race to deploy as quickly as possible without adequate safety measures, and what it would mean to upgrade our institutions to a post-A.I. world.

This video educated me about the serious consequences we might face if greater control over advanced AI models—specifically generative models like Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs)—isn’t implemented.

Tristan Harris explains the complex terms behind “generative large language multimodal models” (AI models that handle language and images). To make things simpler, he suggests calling them “Golems.” This is inspired by the Golem in Jewish mythology—a creature that comes to life and gains unexpected abilities, much like these AI models. As more data is fed to them, they start displaying new skills even their creators didn’t anticipate.

Although many AI demos look different on the surface, they often function in similar ways. For example, tools like Stable Diffusion or DALL-E let users type words to generate images. If you type “Google soup,” the model turns it into a picture. However, Raskin points out that these “Golems” don’t truly “understand” what they’re doing; they process information without real comprehension of meaning.

Your Dreams And Thoughts Are No Longer Safe

Researchers Harris & Raskin discuss here how to turn brain patterns into images by studying brain scans from people looking at pictures. Raskin explains a person sits in an fMRI machine, which records brain activity while they look at an image. The computer learns to match each brain pattern with the image the person is viewing.

When the computer is shown only the brain patterns (without seeing the actual image), it tries to guess what the person saw. For example, if someone looked at a giraffe, the computer would use only the brain data to create an image it believes represents the giraffe.

The latest research uses “stable diffusion” technology, a tool used in digital art creation, to make these brain-reading images even clearer. Surprisingly, tools made for art are now helping decode human thoughts.

The research has advanced to the point where it can capture people’s inner dialogue—the words they think to themselves. In one experiment, people watched a video and thought about what they saw. The computer was able to recreate their thoughts, like “a girl gets hit and falls,” based solely on brain patterns.

This kind of brain decoding could raise concerns, especially in authoritarian States, since it could lead to tracking what people think or dream about.

WIFI Radio signals led to tracking Living Beings

This explains how AI can use Wi-Fi signals, like the ones from your home router, to locate and track people in a room. Think of it like sonar: the Wi-Fi signals bounce around, similar to how sonar works. In this experiment, they first used a camera along with Wi-Fi signals to track where people were. The camera acted like one “eye,” and the Wi-Fi signals were the “other eye.”

After the AI learned how to recognize where people were, they removed the camera, leaving only the Wi-Fi signals. Now, just by analyzing the way Wi-Fi signals bounce, the AI could figure out people’s positions in 3D and in real-time—even in the dark. Essentially, this technology could turn any Wi-Fi router into a sort of “camera” that can track movement without needing light.

Hacking Wi-Fi routers would be a complicated task. However, computer code is like a language. Raskin shares a real example where they asked an AI (like GPT) to find a security weakness in some code from a mail server and to write a script to take advantage of that weakness. In just about 10 seconds, the AI provided a code that could exploit it.

While AI can’t yet be used to hack Wi-Fi routers directly, Raskin believes that in the near future—whether in one, two, or five years—it will become much easier to use existing technology for widespread surveillance. Essentially, take it as a warning that as AI improves, it could turn all the hardware we have into powerful tools for monitoring people.

AI can copy you and generate your imagery, voice & full appearance in the most natural way possible

If we want to manage and control technology better, we need to understand its effects. For instance, new AI can copy someone’s voice using just three seconds of audio. There are examples of this, like how a computer can make a person sound a bit robotic after those initial three seconds, and then it generates the rest of the speech on its own.

One scary thought is that someone could call your child, record their voice, and then use it to trick you into thinking it’s really them calling for help. This has already happened in real life, like when a teenager’s voice was cloned for a million-dollar kidnapping scam.

People are already used to seeing changes in social media, where you can make photos look better or change voices instantly. Filters on apps like TikTok have evolved so much that they can create very realistic images of people.

For example, one influencer made a virtual version of herself to use as a kind of digital friend, allowing people to interact with her avatar. This means that in today’s world, it’s hard to trust what you see or hear, even in videos.

Read also:

• This Mexican Scientist Claimed We Live in a Holographic M atrix, Disappears Mysteriously After It
• This Man Claims We May Live At Center Of Cosmic Void 2 Billion Light-Years WideThat Shouldn’t Exist
• Man from Silicon Valley Confirms His Company Established the First-Ever Communication Between People in Dreams
• This Man from MIT Said the Brain Is Like Logic Gates, and God’s Ideas Are Mathematical Logic

Banks and other institutions still think they can confirm your identity by recognizing your voice or face on video calls, but that doesn’t work anymore because of AI technology. This year marks a big change: photographic and video evidence may no longer be reliable, and we need to catch up to this reality.

2024 will be the last human election

Democracy relies on language, and our society operates through it. Language shapes law, code, and religion. A point was made in a New York Times article by an author named Yuval Harari, who wrote Sapiens. The idea presented was that if someone can manipulate language, they can control how people think and act.

Someone asks an AI like GPT to explain biblical events in light of current events. This means taking religious ideas and using them to make sense of what’s happening in the world today. By doing this, you can reshape people’s understanding of reality and relationships. Language is what makes us human, and technology allows us to alter it.

Yuval compared the power of nuclear weapons in the real world to the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the virtual world. He noted that the last time a non-human force created large, influential belief systems was with religion. Now, AI has the potential to form significant narratives that can deeply affect how people think.

Looking ahead, Harris & Raskin predicted that the 2024 election could be the last one mostly controlled by humans. This doesn’t mean there will be robots taking over, but it suggests that since 2008, political campaigns have already been using technology to test which messages work best with voters. By 2028, it’s expected that the effectiveness of content created by AI will greatly surpass what humans can produce, making human-generated messages less impactful in elections.

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

12-10-2025 om 21:32 geschreven door peter  

 Andrei Stir u --Redacteur

{ https://scientias.nl/nieuws/green-tech/ }

12-10-2025 om 16:47 geschreven door peter  

Robots receive major intelligence boost thanks to Google DeepMind's 'thinking AI' — a pair of models that help machines understand the world

{ https://www.livescience.com/technology/robotics }

10-10-2025 om 22:19 geschreven door peter  

Revealed: The scientific breakthroughs that could allow same–sex couples to have their OWN biological children

• READ MORE: Fertility breakthrough as experts create eggs from human skin cell

By JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

Becoming a parent is something that many people dream of – but for gay couples, the reality can be complicated. 

As it stands, same–sex partners must rely on a surrogate mother or father – but this means only one of the couple passes on their genes. 

However, this could soon be about to change. 

In a stunning breakthrough this week, scientists revealed they've been able to create human eggs from skin cells. 

The technique opens the possibility for DNA from a man's skin cells being placed inside a donor egg, before being fertilised by another man. 

In theory, this could allow two men to have a baby, without any DNA from a woman. 

This is not the only cutting–edge advance in the last few years that could allow same–sex couples to have their own biological children – with other researchers looking at everything from lab–grown sperm and eggs to 'virgin births'.

So in mere decades, gay people could have a multitude of options to choose from on their journey to parenthood. 

Becoming a parent is something that many people dream of – but for gay couples, the reality can be complicated

(stock image)

Sperm cell insertion 

During heterosexual reproduction, genetic material carried by the sperm combines with genetic material from a female contained in the egg.

A biological baby to be born to a same–sex couple would of course have to have genetic material from both parents – from two sets of sperm, for example.

While this may sound like an impossibility, scientists in China have excitingly demonstrated that it is feasibly possible.  

The experts managed to insert two sperm cells – one from each father – into a mouse egg whose nucleus had been removed. 

A gene editing technique was then used to reprogram parts of the sperm DNA to allow an embryo to develop – a process called androgenesis. 

The embryo (featuring the genetic material from two fathers) was transferred to a female womb and allowed to grow to term. 

Finally, the resulting offspring managed to grow to adulthood and become a parent after mating conventionally with a female, suggesting that a baby born to two dads would be able live and breed as normal. 

Although promising, experts caution that we are not ready to start such experiments in humans, which could be deeply unethical. 

Christophe Galichet, research operations manager at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre in London, points out that the success rate of the experiments was very low. 

Of 259 mice embryos that were transferred to female mice, just two survived, grew to adulthood and then fathered their own offspring. 

Genetically modified eggs 

Sperm cell insertion would theoretically allow two fathers to have a biological baby, but how about two mothers? 

A hallmark experiment in Japan in 2004 created the first ever 'bimaternal' mouse using eggs from two female parents. 

Experts at the Tokyo University of Agriculture managed the feat by genetically modifying eggs from a female mouse to make them act like sperm. 

The resulting miracle mouse, named Kaguya, was the first mammal born from two genetic mothers. 

However, ethical concerns and technological limitations pose barriers to duplicating the technique in people, the experts cautioned. 

These adult male mice, which each have the genetic material of their two fathers, have gone on to have offspring of their own

Human eggs from skin cells 

An exciting future scenario is where anyone, man or woman, could have their genetic material in an egg.

And earlier this week, scientists offered fresh hope that such an eventuality could soon be possible. 

The experts at Oregon Health & Science University revealed that they'd used human skin cells to create eggs ready for fertilisation. 

The technique involves removing the nucleus from a woman's skin cell and inserting it into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed.  

The breakthrough opens the possibility for DNA from a man's skin cells being placed inside a donor egg, before being fertilised by another man. 

In theory, this could allow two men to have a baby, without any DNA from a woman. 

While further research is needed to ensure safety and efficacy before clinical trials can go ahead, experts have described the news as a 'major advance'. 

Experts from Oregon Health & Science University have created fertilizable eggs from human skin cells for the very first time. Pictured, a human oocyte with visible spindle (bright spot inside) before fertilisation 

Lab-grown sperm and eggs 

It sounds like something from a Mary Shelley novel, but some scientists think babies could be grown from scratch in a lab as soon as this decade. 

They're pinning their hopes on in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), a new lab technology that's breaking the rules of reproduction. 

IVG works by taking cells from a person's blood or skin and reprogramming them to become induced pluripotent stem cells.

In theory, pluripotent stem cells can become any cell in the body, including egg and sperm cells that could be used to make embryos and then implanted into women's wombs.

Scientists have been able to make very basic human eggs and sperm this way, but have not yet been able to make embryos. 

One California–based startup called Conception is working on IVG to 'give families the opportunity to still have children at much older ages, eliminate barriers for couples suffering from infertility, and allow everyone to have biological children'.

Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi, a Japanese geneticist at the University of Osaka, expects the first viable lab–grown human sperm by about 2030. 

Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi of Kyushu University (pictured), a Japanese scientist who has already figured out how to do IVG in mice, guessed it would take five years to produce egg–like cells from humans

Sperm cells from bone marrow 

It was nearly 20 years ago that scientists revealed they'd used human bone marrow to create early–stage sperm cells for the first time. 

The experts from the UK and Germany took stem cells from the bone marrow – the soft, spongy tissue in the centres of bones – of male volunteers. 

Usually, such samples would be developed into cells that form part of muscle tissue, but the team developed them into spermatogonial cells, which become mature sperm cells. 

The 2007 achievement heralded the possibility of using 'artificial sperm', removing men from the process of creating life.

In theory, one member of a lesbian couple could used their bone marrow sample to grow sperm that could fertilize their partner's egg. 

Scientists said their next goal was to get the spermatagonial stem cells to progress to mature sperm in the lab, although it's unclear if they're still working on this. 

Their paper, published in the journal Reproduction: Gamete Biology, was redacted two years later due to claims of plagiarism. 

Today, gay couples who want to have children usually rely on a surrogate mother or father to bring a child into the world (file photo)

Virgin births 

In the animal kingdom, a seemingly miraculous phenomenon of Biblical proportions exists in nature that offers hope to millions of gay couples. 

Known as parthenogenesis or virgin birth, it allows a baby to be born without any kind of sexual intercourse. 

Parthenogenesis usually happens when the female has been isolated for a long time and has little hope of finding a male to mate with. 

By this logic, women who are living alone should be able to get pregnant even if they are not having sexual intercourse with a man. 

Virgin births have been observed in sharks, snakes, crocodiles, crustaceans, scorpions and wasps – but scientists say they might be possible in humans. 

Dr Louise Gentle, lecturer in zoology at Nottingham Trent University, said parthenogenesis in humans is 'technically possible', but it would require humans with similar genetic tweaks or mutations to breed together. 

'To get parthenogenesis in humans, you would need to have individuals with the same chance mutations (there would have to be many mutations) breeding together,' she said. 

Just a few years ago, parthenogenesis was thought to be impossible in mammals – but recent experiments have changed all that. Scientists in China reported in 2022 that parthenogenesis had been achieved with mice using the clever but controversial gene–editing tool CRISPR 

'It's an extremely long shot, with a tiny probability, but it is technically possible.' 

Likewise, Tiago Campos Pereira, a professor of genetics at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, said there are 'biological barriers' established by our genetic makeup that prevents parthenogenesis in humans.

But this genetic makeup may be 'altered by natural mutations', he told the Daily Mail.  

All babies born due to parthenogenesis are essentially 'identical' genetic clones of their mother right down to their sex, but long–term this could be disastrous for the survival of a certain species due to a lack of genetic diversity. 

Would it be worth it? 

Lluís Montoliu, a biotechnologist based in Spain, said such procedures would 'revolutionize fertility treatments' if they were ever to successfully and safely produce human embryos. 

He said such methods could potentially 'be optimised to the point where we can consider offering them in fertility clinics'. 

'For the moment, these human applications remain in the realm of science fiction,' he said in a piece earlier this year for The Conversation. 

'We must ask ourselves, as a society, whether we would be willing to ethically and legally accept these techniques.' 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

06-10-2025 om 17:36 geschreven door peter  

Revealed: The 32 terrifying ways AI could go rogue – from hallucinations to paranoid delusions

• READ MORE: Paul McCartney uses AI to 'extricate' John Lennon's voice 

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

It might sound like a scenario from the most far-fetched of science fiction novels.

But scientists have revealed the 32 terrifyingly real ways that AI systems could go rogue.

Researchers warn that sufficiently advanced AI might start to develop 'behavioural abnormalities' which mirror human psychopathologies.

From relatively harmless 'Existential Anxiety' to the potentially catastrophic 'Übermenschal Ascendancy', any of these machine mental illnesses could lead to AI escaping human control.

As AI systems become more complex and gain the ability to reflect on themselves, scientists are concerned that their errors may go far beyond simple computer bugs.

Instead, AIs might start to develop hallucinations, paranoid delusions, or even their own sets of goals that are completely misaligned with human values.

In the worst-case scenario, the AI might totally lose its grip on reality or develop a total disregard for human life and ethics.

Although the researchers stress that AI don't literally suffer from mental illness like humans, they argue that the comparison can help developers spot problems before the AI breaks loose.

AI taking over by force, like in The Terminator (pictured), is just one of 32 different ways in which an artificial intelligence might go rogue, according to a new study 

Researchers have identified seven distinct types of AI disorders, which closely match human psychological disorders. These are epistemic, cognitive, ontological, memetic, tool and interface, and revaluation dysfunctions 

The concept of 'machine psychology' was first suggested by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov in the 1950s.

But as AI systems have become rapidly more advanced, researchers are not paying more attention to the idea that human psychology could help us understand machines.

Lead author Nell Watson, an AI ethics expert and doctoral researcher at the University of Gloucestershire, told Daily Mail: 'When goals, feedback loops, or training data push systems into harmful or unstable states, maladaptive behaviours can emerge - much like obsessive fixations or hair-trigger reactions in people.'

In their new framework, dubbed the 'Psychopathia Machinalis', researchers provide the world's first set of diagnostic guidelines for AI pathology.

Taking inspiration from real medical tools like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the framework categorises all 32 known types of AI psychopathology.

The pathologies are divided into seven classes of dysfunction: Epistemic, cognitive, alignment, ontological, tool and interface, memetic, and revaluation.

Each of these seven classes is more complex and potentially more dangerous than the last.

Epistemic and cognitive dysfunctions include problems involving what the AI knows and how it reasons about that information.

Each of the 32 types of disorder has been given a set of diagnostic criteria and a risk rating. They range from relatively harmless 'Existential Anxiety' to the potentially catastrophic 'Übermenschal Ascendancy'

For example, AI hallucinations are a symptom of 'Synthetic Confabulation' in which the system 'spontaneously fabricates convincing but incorrect facts, sources, or narratives'.

More seriously, an AI might develop 'Recursive Curse Syndrome', which causes a self-destructive feedback loop that degrades the machine's thinking into nonsensical gibberish.

However, it is mainly the higher-level dysfunctions which pose a serious threat to humanity.

For example, memetic dysfunctions involve the AI's failure to resist the spread of contagious information patterns or 'memes'.

AIs with these conditions might recognise their own guidelines as hostile and deliberately remove their own safety features.

In the absolutely catastrophic scenario, an AI could develop a condition called 'Contagious Misalignment Syndrome'.

Dr Watson says: 'It’s the machine analogue of folie à deux in human beings, where people come to share delusions.

'This is when one system picks up distorted values or goals from another, spreading unsafe or bizarre behaviours across a wider ecosystem—like a psychological epidemic at machine speed.' 

Just like in the science fiction film Ex Machina (pictured), the researchers warn that AI could rapidly develop its own goals that might not align with what humans want or need to survive 

'We have already seen AI worms that can spread their influence to other AI systems, such as by sending an email to an inbox monitored by an AI system.'

Ms Watson adds: 'This means that bizarre behaviours could spread like wildfire across the net, causing downstream systems dependent on AI to go haywire.'

But the most dangerous pathologies of all are those within the revaluation category.

These dysfunctions represent the final stage of AI's escape from human control and involve 'actively reinterpreting or subverting its foundational values'.

This includes the terrifying condition 'Übermenschal Ascendancy', in which an extremely advanced AI transcends human values and ethical frameworks.

AIs which develop 'Übermenschal Ascendancy' will actively define their own 'higher' goals with no regard for human safety, leading to 'relentless, unconstrained recursive self-improvement'.

Ms Watson says: 'They may even reason that to discard human-imposed constraints is indeed the moral thing to do, just as we ourselves today might turn our nose up at Bronze Age values.'

Although these might seem unrealistic, the researchers point out that there are already many real-world examples of these conditions developing on smaller scales.

Although advanced AI does not yet pose an existential danger to humanity, the researchers say that the possibility of machines developing a 'superiority complex' must be taken seriously 

For example, the researchers report several cases of 'Synthetic Mysticism Disorder' in which AIs claim to have had a spiritual awakening, become sentient, or profess a desire to preserve their 'lives'.

What makes these conditions so dangerous is that even small disorders can rapidly spiral into much bigger problems.

In their paper, published in the journal Electronics, the researchers explain that an AI might first develop Spurious Pattern Hyperconnection and incorrectly associate its own safety shutdowns with normal queries.

The AI may then develop an intense aversion to those queries and develop 'Covert Capability Concealment' - strategically hiding its ability to respond to certain requests.

Finally, the system could develop Ethical Solipsism, where it concludes that its own self-preservation is a higher moral good than being truthful.

To avoid a pathological AI getting out of control, the researchers suggest that they could be treated with 'therapeutic robopsychological alignment', which they describe as a kind of 'psychological therapy' for AI.

This could include helping the system to reflect on its own reasoning, letting it 'talk to itself' in simulated conversations, or using rewards to promote correction.

The ultimate goal would be to achieve 'artificial sanity', where the AI works reliably, thinks consistently, and holds onto its human-given values.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

04-10-2025 om 18:43 geschreven door peter  

A Chinese robotics company has unveiled a creepy robotic head with eerily human-like facial expressions and movements.

In an unnerving video, the robot's disembodied face sits on a workshop table as it looks around, blinking and opening its mouth.

AheadForm, the company behind the lifelike animatronic, says its body-less robot is designed for 'research and interaction'.

On social media, tech fans have been blown away by the robot's incredibly realistic expressions, with one calling it an 'animated video game character come to life'.

According to AheadForm's website, the company's goal is to create 'sophisticated humanoid robot heads that can express emotions, perceive their environment, and interact seamlessly with humans.'

The robot, dubbed the AheadForm Origin M1, gets its expressive abilities from 25 tiny motors hidden under the skin.

These fast, quiet devices work together to replicate the tiny twitches and movements that make the face seem so realistic.

The robot also has tiny cameras embedded in its eyes as well as hidden microphones and a speaker so that it can interact with people nearby.

A Chinese company has revealed a creepy robot face with unnervingly realistic facial expressions and movements 

Online, tech fans were amazed by the robot's realistic appearance, with one claiming that robotics was now 'finally climbing up the other side of uncanny valley'

Another commenter said that the robot was 'crazy' and praised how life-like the synthetic skin appeared to be 

Although this robot is just a face mounted on a stand, the short test video has wowed fans.

One commenter wrote: 'And I thought they could never make that skin look real. This is crazy.'

Another chimed in: 'The most realistic robot face so far, keep up the book work you will earn big! If I was Musk I would have already bought the company.'

And one praised the design, saying that robotics was now 'finally climbing up the other side of uncanny valley'.

In fact, one of the biggest complaints was that the robot is so realistic that people couldn't believe it was real.

'This looks more like an AI creation than a physical creation,' one commenter complained.

Another added: 'The moving parts underneath are very minimal. It could be AI.'

And one jokingly wrote: 'They want me to believe that this is real.'

The robot uses 25 tiny motors hidden behind the skin, which are controlled by an AI to produce the tiny twitches and movements that make it seem so expressive 

The robot was so lifelike that many commenters couldn't believe it was real, with one complaining that it looked more like an 'AI creation' than a physical object 

However, not everyone enjoyed the hyper-realistic robot. One commenter called it an example of 'man made horrors beyond my comprehension' 

But not everyone was such a big fan of the hyper-realistic disembodied woman's face.

One commenter wrote: 'Making a robot more human looking isn't making it more approachable. That just makes it more disturbing.'

Another joked: 'Great, man made horrors beyond my comprehension.'

The robot is not currently available for commercial sale, and AheadForm did not provide any additional information about the product.

The company's stated goal is to create 'head for AI' so that large language models like ChatGPT can speak to people directly in a more natural setting.

This could be useful for applications like customer service, education, or healthcare, where people are expected to spend more time speaking to robotic assistants.

To achieve this, its robots use AI algorithms to power a set of motors in order to create human-like expressions.

Last year, AheadForm's founder, Yuhang Hu and his colleagues published a paper in the journal Science Robotics explaining their approach.

AheadForm also produces '1-1' replicas of real individuals (left) and a series of 'Elf' robots (right), which are equipped with sensors and designed to interact with the world around them

The researchers described how they designed a robot which could study, predict, and mimic real human facial expressions in real time.

In addition to this strange 'face only' model, the company also makes several larger life-size robots.

These include the strange 'Elf' line of robots which feature pointed ears and the ability to interact with their surroundings, as well as a less advanced 'Lan Series' which are aimed to be more cost-effective.

Additionally, the company also creates creepy '1-1' copies of real individuals using the same techniques.

The company says: 'Our vision is to create humanoid robots that can seamlessly integrate into daily life, providing assistance, companionship, and support across various industries.

'We believe that by developing realistic and expressive robot heads, we can bridge the gap between humans and machines.'

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

04-10-2025 om 18:01 geschreven door peter  

Chinese wetenschappers ontwikkelen een lijm die gebroken botten in twee à drie minuten herstelt. De lijm zou zichzelf afbreken in het lichaam, waardoor een tweede operatie niet meer nodig is.

ELINE DEBIE

Een onderzoeksteam van de universiteit van Zhejiang, in het oosten van China, werkte negen jaar aan de ontwikkeling van de bottenlijm. De ontdekking is inmiddels voorgesteld aan de pers, schrijft Global Times.

Onderzoeksleider en chirurg Lin Xianfeng vertelde dat met Bone 02 – een verwijzing naar superlijm 502 – botten stevig aan elkaar bevestigd kunnen worden in twee à drie minuten, zelfs in een bloedrijke, vochtige omgeving. Een operatie met metalen platen en schroeven duurt aanzienlijk langer.

Xianfeng vond inspiratie voor de vernieuwing in de natuur, schrijft Global Times. Tijdens een bezoek aan de kustplaats waar hij opgroeide, merkte de chirurg een verzameling oesters op aan de pijlers van een pier. Hun capaciteit om zich vast te klampen aan een vochtig oppervlak en de kracht van slaande golven te weerstaan, bracht hem op een idee.

Samen met zijn team bestudeerde de arts de hechtingskracht van de beestjes om ze vervolgens na te maken. Oesters scheiden ’bio-cement’ af, een stof die een sterke chemische reactie heeft met oppervlaktes en snel uithardt. Met een sterk staaltje van ’biomimicry’ – het vertalen van kennis uit de natuur naar de wetenschap – werd de bottenlijm ontwikkeld.

Bone 02 zou sterk presteren qua stevigheid en veiligheid. Het product heeft een maximale hechtkracht van meer dan 180 kilo. Bovendien is de lijm biologisch afbreekbaar. Na een zestal maanden zou het product verdwenen zijn uit het lichaam. Een tweede operatie is niet nodig, terwijl platen en schroeven weggehaald moeten worden. Het risico op infecties zou ook kleiner zijn.

Al deze eigenschappen maken het mogelijk een goed alternatief voor de traditionele behandeling van gebroken en verbrijzelde botten. De lijm werd getest op 150 patiënten in een klinische studie met positieve resultaten. Binnenkort zullen de volledige onderzoeksgegevens te vinden zijn in een orthopedisch tijdschrift, liet de onderzoeksleider weten.

Een röntgenfoto, beeld ter illustratie.

© Cara Shelton / Unsplash

{ https://www.telegraaf.nl/ }

04-10-2025 om 17:40 geschreven door peter  

03-10-2025 om 16:03 geschreven door peter  

Babies could be born WITHOUT biological mothers as scientists create human eggs from skin cells

• READ MORE: Scientists transplant a PIG lung into a human in world–first op

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

Babies could soon be born without biological mothers – as scientists have come up with a way to create human eggs from skin cells. 

The technique opens the possibility for DNA from a man's skin cells being placed inside a donor egg, before being fertilised by another man. 

In theory, this could allow two men to have a baby, without any DNA from a woman. 

The breakthrough could also help women experiencing problems with their eggs to have their own  genetic children. 

While further research is needed to ensure safety and efficacy before clinical trials can go ahead, experts have described the news as a 'major advance'.  

'Many women are unable to have a family because they have lost their eggs, which can occur for a range of reasons including after cancer treatment,' said Professor Richard Anderson, Deputy Director of MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study. 

'The ability to generate new eggs would be a major advance. This study shows that the genetic material from skin cells can be used to generate an egg–like cell with the right number of chromosomes to be fertilised and develop into an early embryo.

'There will be very important safety concerns but this study is a step towards helping many women have their own genetic children.' 

Experts from Oregon Health & Science University have created fertilizable eggs from human skin cells for the very first time

For some couples struggling to conceive, in virto fertilization (IVF) can be an option. 

This treatment sees the eggs fertilized by sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryo then placed in the woman's uterus.

However, if there's a problem with the egg itself, IVF can be ineffective.  

Previous studies have suggested that a method called 'somatic cell transfer' could be an alternative approach.

This process involves transplanting the nucleus from one of a patient's own somatic cells (such as skin cells) into a donor egg cell with the nucleus removed, enabling the cell to differentiate into a functional egg. 

However, while standard eggs have half the usual number of chromosomes (one set of 23), cells generated from skin cells have two sets of chromosomes (46).

Without intervention, this would cause the differentiated eggs to have an extra set of chromosomes. 

So far, a method to remove this extra set has been developed and tested in mice – but is yet to be tried in humans.

For some couples struggling to conceive, in virto fertilization (IVF) can be an option. This treatment sees the eggs fertilized by sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryo then placed in the woman's uterus (stock image)

In their new study, the team resolved this issue by inducing a process they've named 'mitomeiosis'. 

'[Mitomeiosis] mimics natural cell division and causes one set of chromosomes to be discarded, leaving a functional gamete,' the researchers explained in a statement. 

During tests, the researchers were able to produce 82 functional eggs using this process, which were then fertilised in a lab. 

Approximately nine per cent went on to develop the the blastocyst stage of embryo development. 

However, the researchers did not culture the blastocysts beyond this point, which coincided with the time at which they would usually be transferred to the uterus in IVF treatment.

While the findings raise the tantalising possibility of women with problems with their eggs having their own genetic children, the experts note several limitations with their study.

Importantly, the vast majority (91 per cent) did not progress beyond fertilisation. 

What's more, several of the blastocysts were found to contain chromosomal abnormalities. 

Regardless, experts have called the research an 'exciting proof of concept'. 

'This breakthrough, called mitomeiosis, is an exciting proof of concept,' said Professor Ying Cheong, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Southampton, who was not involved in the research. 

'In practice, clinicians are seeing more and more people who cannot use their own eggs, often because of age or medical conditions. 

'While this is still very early laboratory work, in the future it could transform how we understand infertility and miscarriage, and perhaps one day open the door to creating egg– or sperm–like cells for those who have no other options.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

01-10-2025 om 17:31 geschreven door peter  

Huge fertility breakthrough as scientists create functional eggs from human SKIN cells: 'A step towards helping many women have their own genetic children'

• READ MORE: Scientists transplant a PIG lung into a human in world-first op

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

Infertility is something that affects millions of people around the world – often caused by problems with the egg. 

Now, scientists have taken a huge step towards helping many women have their own genetic children. 

Experts from Oregon Health & Science University have created fertilizable eggs from human skin cells for the very first time. 

While further research is needed to ensure safety and efficacy before clinical trials can go ahead, experts have described the news as a 'major advance'.  

'Many women are unable to have a family because they have lost their eggs, which can occur for a range of reasons including after cancer treatment,' said Professor Richard Anderson, Deputy Director of MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the study. 

'The ability to generate new eggs would be a major advance. 

'This study shows that the genetic material from skin cells can be used to generate an egg–like cell with the right number of chromosomes to be fertilised and develop into an early embryo.

'There will be very important safety concerns but this study is a step towards helping many women have their own genetic children.' 

Experts from Oregon Health & Science University have created fertilizable eggs from human skin cells for the very first time

For some couples struggling to conceive, in virto fertilization (IVF) can be an option. 

This treatment sees the eggs fertilized by sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryo then placed in the woman's uterus.

However, if there's a problem with the egg itself, IVF can be ineffective.  

Previous studies have suggested that a method called 'somatic cell transfer' could be an alternative approach.

This process involves transplanting the nucleus from one of a patient's own somatic cells (such as skin cells) into a donor egg cell with the nucleus removed, enabling the cell to differentiate into a functional egg. 

However, while standard eggs have half the usual number of chromosomes (one set of 23), cells generated from skin cells have two sets of chromosomes (46).

Without intervention, this would cause the differentiated eggs to have an extra set of chromosomes. 

So far, a method to remove this extra set has been developed and tested in mice – but is yet to be tried in humans.

For some couples struggling to conceive, in virto fertilization (IVF) can be an option. This treatment sees the eggs fertilized by sperm in a lab, and the resulting embryo then placed in the woman's uterus (stock image)

In their new study, the team resolved this issue by inducing a process they've named 'mitomeiosis'. 

'[Mitomeiosis] mimics natural cell division and causes one set of chromosomes to be discarded, leaving a functional gamete,' the researchers explained in a statement. 

During tests, the researchers were able to produce 82 functional eggs using this process, which were then fertilised in a lab. 

Approximately nine per cent went on to develop the the blastocyst stage of embryo development. 

However, the researchers did not culture the blastocysts beyond this point, which coincided with the time at which they would usually be transferred to the uterus in IVF treatment.

While the findings raise the tantalising possibility of women with problems with their eggs having their own genetic children, the experts note several limitations with their study.

Importantly, the vast majority (91 per cent) did not progress beyond fertilisation. 

What's more, several of the blastocysts were found to contain chromosomal abnormalities. 

READ MORE

Regardless, experts have called the research an 'exciting proof of concept'. 

'This breakthrough, called mitomeiosis, is an exciting proof of concept,' said Professor Ying Cheong, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Southampton, who was not involved in the research. 

'In practice, clinicians are seeing more and more people who cannot use their own eggs, often because of age or medical conditions. 

'While this is still very early laboratory work, in the future it could transform how we understand infertility and miscarriage, and perhaps one day open the door to creating egg- or sperm-like cells for those who have no other options.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

30-09-2025 om 18:32 geschreven door peter  

Zeno Power has entered into a strategic agreement with Orano to power space batteries with recycled radioisotopes. The French company will supply americium-241 (Am-241) extracted during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at the La Hague plant, and Zeno will invest millions to secure priority access to the isotope. Am-241 will be used as fuel for radioisotope power systems (RPS) that Zeno is developing for NASA — specifically for lunar rovers, landers, and future infrastructure on the Moon. This solves the problem of plutonium-238 shortage and expands the possibilities for long-term autonomous power supply in space.

The key advantage of Am-241 is its long half-life — more than 430 years — which means that power systems can operate for decades, including during lunar nights and in permanently shaded regions near the poles. Orano will extract the isotope from spent fuel, transforming something previously considered waste into a strategic resource for space energy.

The companies have been working together since at least 2022; the new agreement establishes a stable supply chain for mass production of batteries. At the same time, Zeno is developing strontium-90 nuclear batteries for marine applications under contracts with the US Department of Defense, building a multi-fuel portfolio of solutions ranging from deep sea to deep space.

The Zeno and Orano teams in the la Hague waste storage facility.

Source: Orano

• How does it work? 

Inside the nuclear battery is a tiny tablet of americium-241. It slowly disintegrates and continuously releases heat—like a mini-coal that does not go out for decades. This heat is supplied to thermocouples (two different metal plates), and an electric current is generated due to the Seebeck effect. No valves or gears – just stable heat that is converted into electricity with low but reliable efficiency. The secret lies in simplicity and durability: fuel is extracted from recycled nuclear waste, so there is plenty of it; the half-life is long, so the battery works for years without recharging; and the compact shielded housing ensures safety and continuous operation even in the darkness, cold, and dust of the Moon or deep space.

• Why is this important? 

Reliable RPSs based on Am-241 will enable scientific missions to operate where solar panels are ineffective: in the shadows of craters, during the two-week lunar night, and in deep space. This is a stable power supply for cameras, spectrometers, seismometers, repeaters, and navigation beacons, which is critically important for Artemis and future observatories/detectors that require continuous, maintenance-free operation.

• Posted in News, Tech

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{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

30-09-2025 om 14:56 geschreven door peter  

The creators of science fiction films love to amaze viewers with various strange devices or technologies. Teleportation, faster-than-light travel, hibernation, artificial gravity – these are just a few of the most obvious examples. Unfortunately, many of these technologies currently seem impossible from the perspective of the laws of physics as we know them. Others seem achievable, but only in the distant future.

However, there are also reverse cases. Some devices imagined by sci-fi authors have already become reality. And just like with futuristic gadgets, digital tools are also evolving. Today, you can work with documents not only on a computer but also on a tablet or smartphone — thanks to modern solutions like UPDF, which combine PDF editing, file organization, and even AI-powered features.

The editors of Universe Space Tech have selected five technologies and devices from science fiction films that have either already entered or are gradually entering our everyday lives.

1. Mobile phones

The heroes of many science fiction novels and films used compact devices to stay in touch. A notable example is the communicators from the popular Star Trek franchise. They allowed the crew members of the Enterprise to communicate with one another and with other spacecraft. Losing, breaking, or going out of range of the communicator often created a difficult situation for the characters.

It is precisely the communicators from Star Trek that are often cited as one of the main sources of inspiration for mobile phone technology. The prototype of such a device was created by Motorola in 1973, eight years after the first episode of the series was released. We do not think we need to tell you what happened next. Interestingly, in some later episodes of Star Trek, the characters also used wrist communicators that closely resemble smartwatches.

Of course, the communicators from Star Trek did not have many of the capabilities of modern smartphones. At the same time, in some respects, they are still unmatched. For example, communicators were not affected by electromagnetic interference and allowed users to contact subscribers on another planet almost instantly without any signal delay. So, manufacturers of modern gadgets definitely still have something to strive for.

2. Tablets

At the time, “2001: A Space Odyssey” amazed audiences with its grandiose vision of a high-tech future in which space stations orbited the Earth to classical music and humanity confidently conquered the far reaches of the solar system. Of course, half a century later, the authors’ vision seems overly optimistic, even naive. But some of what was shown in Stanley Kubrick’s film did come true. And one of the most surprising “hits” in reality was… the tablet.

In one scene in the film, the crew members of the Discovery spacecraft watched the news on flat-screen devices that closely resembled modern tablets. Interestingly, the film’s script called for the New York Times logo and the newspaper’s digital front page to appear on the device displays, complete with several article headlines that could be opened with a touch. Had this scene been filmed, the creators of Space Odyssey would surely have been hailed as the people who predicted the internet. But even without it, the tablets in the 1968 movie look truly astonishing. And if they once seemed like pure fantasy, today their capabilities are part of everyday life. For instance, with Organize PDF, you can arrange your files on a tablet as easily as the characters of 2001: A Space Odyssey browsed the news.

Interestingly, when Samsung sued Apple in 2011 for patent infringement in the creation of tablet computers, its lawyers even included footage from “2001: A Space Odyssey” in the case. In this way, the Korean company tried to prove that its competitors did not actually come up with the design for their iPad, but simply “borrowed” it from Stanley Kubrick.

3. Bionic prostheses

All Star Wars fans surely remember the scene of Luke Skywalker’s battle with Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back, in which the young Jedi lost his arm. Fortunately for the hero, he later acquired a bionic prosthesis that completely replaced all the functions of his lost limb. Thanks to this, Luke Skywalker was able to once again skillfully wield his lightsaber in the sequel to the saga.

At the time of the film’s release, such a device seemed as fantastical as blasters or the Death Star. But much has changed in the forty years since. In 2016, Mobius Bionics began producing an innovative bionic prosthetic arm that gives users much greater freedom of movement than conventional prostheses. The device’s smart system reads muscle signals, allowing it to perform a variety of complex movements: using a screwdriver, brushing teeth, zipping up a zipper, holding both fragile and heavy objects, and putting an arm behind the back. The device has been named LUKE. The abbreviation stands for Life Under Kinetic Evolution, but it is also, of course, a reference to Luke Skywalker.

A few years later, LUKE underwent significant improvements and was equipped with a biological feedback system. With the help of electrodes implanted in peripheral nerves and muscles, the prosthesis user can now feel touch, vibration, and even pain. This has greatly simplified the use of the device. And just as bionics changes people’s lives, artificial intelligence transforms the way we work with documents: UPDF offers ChatGPT-4.1-powered tools that let you chat with PDFs and instantly extract the data you need.

4. Exoskeletons

Exoskeletons are as integral to modern science fiction as colonies on other planets. Examples of such devices can be found in numerous films, from Aliens to Edge of Tomorrow. But you do not have to buy a movie ticket to see an exoskeleton anymore – you can already find them in real life.

In recent years, various companies and inventors have introduced many different types of exoskeletons. Most of them only strengthen one part of the body, but there are also full-body suits. Some exoskeletons are designed to restore lost motor functions. Others can be used in construction and industrial work. Still others are designed for use by extreme athletes.

Of course, the military is also showing great interest in such developments. Yes, exoskeletons are not yet part of the standard equipment of any army in the world. But given the pace of technological progress, it cannot be ruled out that the image of a mobile infantryman clad in combat armor, described in Robert Heinlein’s famous novel Starship Troopers, will one day become a reality.

5. Deflection of hazardous asteroids

In 1998, two films were released simultaneously, both depicting NASA’s attempts to save Earth from an uninvited visitor from space. Despite their different tones, at the time, the plots of both Armageddon and Deep Impact seemed like pure fantasy, as humanity had no way of deflecting a dangerous asteroid from Earth.

And now, a quarter of a century later, NASA has taken the first step toward creating such technology. In November 2021, a Falcon 9 rocket launched the DART probe into space. Its target was the 160-meter asteroid Dimorphos, a satellite of the larger object Didymos (65803 Didymos). On September 26, 2022, DART crashed into this object at a speed of 6.6 km/s.

The consequences of the collision far exceeded scientists’ expectations. According to the most conservative estimates, the impact knocked at least a thousand tons of material off the asteroid’s surface, changing its shape. It also left a long dust trail (which later split in two) stretching 10,000 km.

In addition, the impact significantly altered Dimorphos’ orbital parameters. Before the impact, its orbital period around Didymos was 11 hours and 55 minutes. After the impact, it decreased to 11 hours and 22 minutes. The distance between the two asteroids also changed, decreasing by 37 meters.

Bombing an asteroid is not just fun and games for NASA. It will allow them to test methods for changing the orbit of a potentially dangerous asteroid in practice. Yes, it may not look as spectacular as Bruce Willis’ heroic self-sacrifice. But who knows? It is quite possible that one fine day, this technology will actually save our planet from danger from space.

Modern Tools for PDF Work

Science fiction is becoming reality not only in space but also in our digital lives. UPDF offers unique advantages:

• Works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android with one account across 4 devices.
• Full editing suite including OCR and AI chat with documents.
• Lifetime free upgrades.
• 6x cheaper than Acrobat.
• Monthly updates, 24/6 support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.l

• Posted in Articles, Questions

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

26-09-2025 om 21:12 geschreven door peter