Category Archives: Futurism

Accidentally Rediscovered Be careful what you tweet. Credit: Netflix

In the final episode of NetflixsBlack Mirror, the government claims to be using Autonomous Drone Insects to counteract the collapse of the bee population. Spoiler alert: theyre lying.

Its soon discovered that these bee drones are actually being used for mass public surveillance. Worse, the drones areprogrammedto kill. The deaths are linked to awebsite promoting a Game of Consequence where Twitter users can vote to kill one hated public figure using the hashtag#DeathTo.

Now, similar drones are coming to Japan, without all the government secrets and Twitter deaths (we assume). Japans insect-sized drones were turned into artificial pollinators with the help of a coating of horse hair and an ionic sticky gel. The drones work like bees and use their hairs to pick up pollen from one flower and deposit it into another.

Researchers from Japan actually discovered this ionic gel accidentally, and then published their work in the journal Chem. Back in 2007, one of the researchers, chemist Eijiro Miyako, was working on possible liquid electrical conductors. One attempt to do so produced a wax-like sticky gel. The gel was shelved after Miyako considered it a failure. It was rediscovered after a decade during a lab cleanup and, to Miyakos surprise, the gel remained unchanged.

This project is the result of serendipity, Miyako said. We were surprised that after 8 years, the ionic gel didnt degrade and was still so viscous. Conventional gels are mainly made of water and cant be used for a long time, so we decided to use this material for research.

Miyako tested the pollen-grasping abilities of the gel by coating ants with it, which he then left to roam free in a box of tulips. Researchers observed that ants coated with the gel were able to collect more pollen than those that werent. In addition, a separate test applying the gel to houseflies revealed that it changes color when exposed to different sources of light potentially giving it a camouflage effect that can help artificial pollinators avoid predators.

With the gel tested and proven to be sticky enough, the next thing to do was to look for the artificial pollinator. Miyako found a $100-four propeller droneand gave it a fuzzy, bee-like exterior. It was the teams AIST colleagues Masayoshi Tange and Yue Yu who decided to use horse hair on the drones surface. These bristles gave more surface area for pollen to attach to, and at the same time, provided electric charge that kept the pollens in place.

The drones were tested on Japanese lilies, with the team flying them by remote control. The drones would pick up pollen from one flower, and then flewto another flower todeposit the pollen.

The findings, which will have applications for agriculture and robotics, among others, could lead to the development of artificial pollinators and help counter the problems caused by declining honeybee populations, Miyako said. We believe that robotic pollinators could be trained to learn pollination paths using global positioning systems and artificial intelligence.

As bees enter the endangered species list in the United States, these natural pollinators will need all the help they can get. Artificial pollinators can lessen the burden of modern agricultural demand, giving the bees breathing space to recover their numbers. Hopefully, these drones wont turn out to the way their Black Mirror counterparts did, but we can worry about that later. For now, getting these drones out there to see just how much they could help will keep the world pollinated.

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Japan Has Created Black Mirror-Inspired Bee Drones - Futurism

In Brief

Usually, any news fromElon Musk regarding Tesla is good news. However, some may be disappointed by the CEOs latest round of tweeting. In response to a question on battery capacity, Musk hinted that the currently unannounced capacity of the companys next model, the Model 3, will not exceed 100 kWh.

This particular wording led some to wonderif the top battery pack option would be 100 kWh. Unfortunately, Musk was quick to dash those hopes as well, tweeting that the size of the new model is a limiting factor.

No specifics have been released on just how far below 100 kWh the capacity of the highest end Model 3 will be. Last year, a Tesla executive did mention that the base option would have a capacity of under 60 kWh, and Musk has said that the base model would have a range of at least 346 kilometers (215 miles). The higher-end versions are expected to achieve a range of more than 482 kilometers (300 miles). Given that the Model 3 is smaller and lighter than other Tesla models, it will likely be able to achievethose ranges even with smaller capacity batteries.

Original post:
Elon Musk: The Model 3 Battery Will Be Below 100 kWh - Futurism

In Brief

Tesla has just beaten another record. This time, the companys new Model S P100D has shattered the Motor Trend all-time world record for acceleration with its ability to go from 0 to 97 km/h(0 to 60 mph) in 2.28 seconds. A tweet from Tesla CEO Elon Musk cites the time at 2.27 seconds after rounding down from 2.275507139 seconds.

This will certainly be welcome news for those who enjoy the power of traditional muscle cars but also valuethe various environmental advantagesof electric vehicles. The speed comes as a benefit of a user-activated upgrade called Ludicrous mode, which greatly increases the vehicles performance, but not without extra wear and tear on the motor, gearbox, and battery.

Tesla is showing through its various innovations that it is, in many ways, the future. From theirself-driving cars to Powerpack stations that ease dependence on fossil fuels, the companys strength is clearly its eye toward the future. However, its nice to see them flex some musclewith regards to the standards of the past as well.

This announcement comes on the heels of another, less record-breaking announcement that the company ischanging its name from Tesla Motors Inc. to simply Tesla Inc.

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Tesla Just Shattered a World Record - Futurism

The Bore-ing Company

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been moving quickly on the development of what he calls The Boring Company.In January of last year, he presenteda proposal at the Hyperloop Pod Competition for a company that would lighten traffic through the use of underground tunnels. One year later, Musk mentioned that construction of a tunnel could begin in Los Angeles by the end of February.

Musk hasnt fallen short of his promise his new boring machine began to dig a tunnel as part of a demonstration at SpaceXs Hyperloop Pod Competition last weekend. Although the machine has only created a mere hole, his team plans to eventually construct a full-fledged tunnel.

Musk hasntbeen too clear about how the tunnel will function, but the Hyperloop could be involved after, it is supposed to be able to work above or below ground. Musk has, at the very least, not denied the connection:

For those that are curious enough to see what Musks boring machine looks like, he released a photo of it on Twitter recently. This might be only one part of a massive machine without the cutting head attached.

Although tunneling machines already exist, Musks company would be unique because the machines would make tunneling faster, speeding up the digging process almost tenfold compared to conventional methods. If Musks boring machine can make tunneling quicker and easier, underground transit could also become more popular. Tunnels would be a solution to heavy traffic, especially in urban areas, as well as a potential way to bring transportation into buildings.

Musk isnt exactly serious about creating a separate entity called The Boring Company. Thankfully, the project fits into Teslas mission to alleviate traffic which, in turn, will reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

His boring machine is also in line with SpaceXs mission to eventually settle a colony on Mars. It could be used to test the viability of tunnel construction on the Red Planet, creating underground habitats that would protect people from extreme cold, low pressure, and high radiation.

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Elon Musk Has Released Photos of His Underground Tunnels - Futurism

In Brief

Right now, birth control options for men are limited to physical prophylactics (condoms) or surgery (a vasectomy), and there hasnt been a major update in male contraception in more than 100 years. Last year, trials for a hormonal optionbegan, but they had to be stopped early due to some unforeseen adverse side effects. Now, a new option is making its way through the required steps toward approval for widespread use, and it is reported to be completely reversible and much less invasive than a vasectomy.

Vasalgel is a one-time injection that has been shown to control sperm counts in monkeys. In fact, several of the treated monkeys were unable to get female monkeys pregnant for up to two years after the injection. The injection places a polymer gel in the tube through which sperm travels, the vas deferens, blocking sperm from joining the other bodily fluids that make up a mans ejaculate. No adverse reactions were reported in either the testing done on rabbits or the monkeys.

The cost and potential complications of male or female surgicalmethods of birth control limit their availability worldwide. Condoms can be expensive given that they are only designed for a single use. Thats not even considering their relatively high rate of failure, from 15 to 20 percent.The not-for-profit company behind Vasalgel plans on marketing the product with an international pricing structure to maximize the potential of universal affordability for all men. This means it could play a huge part in the lives of people all around the globe.

Giving people more choices when it comes to birth control actually benefits us all. According to an article in The Atlantic, couples who experience unintended pregnancy and unplanned childbirth are more likely to have depression and anxiety while adults who plan their children tend to be happier. These findings come from a group of studies compiled by the Guttmacher Institute. And the benefits dont stop at better mental health.

There are also clear economic benefits to greater control over reproduction. According toMartha Bailey, a University of Michigan professor of economics, Cheaper and more reliable contraception allows parents to delay childbearing, to invest in their own human capital, and have children when their incomes are higher. This kind of choice also allows for healthier individuals and families as poverty can be tied to higher rates of illness.

The product still has a few more regulatoryhoops to jump through even before it can be submitted for approval to bodies such as the FDA. Still, any news regarding male-centered methods of birth control are worth noting, especially when they seem as promising as this one. The Parsemus Foundations original estimates of availability by 2018 may have been a lofty goal, but Vasagel is well on its way.

Originally posted here:
A New Method of Reversible Male Birth Control Passed a Major Test - Futurism

Shooting Stars

If you havent noticed, the Super Bowl LI is trending on social media the Patriots won in overtime and Lady Gaga impressed during halftime. But the pop superstar wasnt the only one that lit up the night Intel literally did so with 300 drones thatmoved behind Lady Gaga as she sangon the stadiums roof.

The Intel Shooting Star drone is the companys first drone created for entertainment light shows, says Anil Nanduri, VP for Intels New Technology Group. Weve also worked with the FAA to receive a Part 107 Waiver to fly these drones as a fleet with one pilot at night in the U.S.

These Shooting Star dronesare actually quite simple. They use a desktop software suite of programs, allowing them to follow a pre-programmed route. The software also keeps the drones form colliding with one another, as they dont have hardware to detect collisions, nor do they communicate directly with each other.

Each of Intels drones can be assembled in less than 15 minutes.There are no screws and everything snaps together. They have a large, multicolored LED light on the bottom, are encased in a styrofoam housing, and weigh about the same as a volleyball. Currently, Intel uses these drones to conduct fantastic, well-coordinated light shows in the night sky. Intel says these are near-limitless in its scale they re able to control more than 10,000 drones at a time.

In the future, Intel hopes that this fleet drone technology will find other applications beyond that of entertainment. As Josh Walden, senior VP and GM at the New Technology Group said: The potential for these light show drones is endless, and we hope this experience inspires other creatives, artists and innovators to really think about how they can incorporate drone technology in new ways that have yet to even be thought of.

These drones, combined with Intels other proprietary technologies, could even be used in search and rescue operations, or for industrial inspection. Intels leaders are positioning the company to provide the compute, sensor, communications, and cloud integration for the growing drone ecosystem, the company notes.

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Lady Gaga's Backup Dancers Were Actually 300 Drones from Intel - Futurism