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First round of tests for entrants in DARPA's Urban Challenge
In DARPA’s Grand Challenge, driverless cars competed in traversing a 130-mile course in the Mojave Desert; in Urban Challenge, driverless cars will compete in navigating through urban traffic
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Autonomous see-shoot systems drawing interest
Remotely controlled weapon systems are deployed in the DMZ and around the Gaza strip; we may soon see humans taken out of the see-shoot chain, and such systems deployed around critical infrastructure facilities
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Self-healing plastic demonstrated
University of Illionis researchers show material that can repair itself multiple times without any external intervention
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Identec shows satellite-assisted RFID tag
Security agencies and shippers alike will be able to ascertain “absolute location identification” of tagged assets and personnel
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House deadlocked on DHS budget; Bush threatens veto
Hill Democrats want to add $23 billion, or 6%, to DHS budget over Bush’s February request; White House threatens veto
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Bear-faced robot developed for rescuing wounded troops, first responders
Extracting wounded soldiers from a battlefield — or wounded first responders from a disaster scene — may be dangerous, and a Maryland company is developing a robot to that just that
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EU regulation may limit use of MRI technology
To protect employees in the electricity and mobile-phone industries, the EU formulated regulations limiting exposure to radiation — regulation which may have unintended consequences
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World military spending reaches $1.2 trillion in 2006
SIPRI report says 2006 military spending rose 3.5% over 2005; U.S. spent $529 billion
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New technology to detect common but difficult to detect explosives
MIT researchers synthesized a molecule based on zinc to allow the detection not only of RDX, but of RDX vapors, which are about 1,000 times more difficult to detect than TNT vapors
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U.S. recommends commercial technologies for communication interoperability
While the debate on emergency communication interoperability continues, the U.S. Commerce Department recommends that the federal, state, and local public safety community consider using commercial technologies
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Affordable, downloadable navigation applications are coming
If millions of phones were to be equipped with cameras and navigation applications and E911, we would have an army of millions of forward spotters
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ATDC at 25: Looking Back with Satisfaction
Companies graduating from Georgia Tech’s science and technology incubator attract more than $1 billion in venture funding
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TraceGuard files for additional patents relating to its detection technology
The company’s propietary Automated Trace Extraction (ATE) uses air jetting, pressurization, and at times even vibration and heating to enhance detection
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Navy to use OPT's buoys in Deep Water
New Jersey-based bouy specialist makes stand-alone buoys which harness wave power to generate energy; the Navy wants to use them for its ocean-based, far-flung vessel tracking project
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Superconductivity at room temperature a step closer
Transporting energy without any loss: Scientists have been dreaming about the possibility — and its benefits — for decades, and CNRS rsearchers have made an important breakthrough toward making this dream a reality
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The long view
Aliens can’t reach Earth because of gravity
If there are aliens out there, on large planets like Jupiter or on slightly smaller planets called super-Earths, why have they not yet come to visit us? Scientists say aliens living on distant planets can’t cruise the cosmos because of gravity. To launch the equivalent of an Apollo moon mission, a rocket on a super-Earth would need to have a mass of about 440 000 tons because of fuel requirements.
Ambulance drones a reality in five years
Would you hop into a driverless drone and let it fly off with you? In a few years you may have the chance to do just that. Autonomous drones with room for passengers could become a reality within five years. They have many potential uses. Taxi drones are now being tested in Dubai. In Norway, researchers are working on developing ambulance drones.
Resilience vs. retreat in the face of climate change
More than 250 million people will be displaced by climate change by 2050. No nation will be able to escape the consequences of climate change, but Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—such as the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, and the Bahamas—will be some of the hardest hit. “Retreat” is a word that frequently comes up in this context: the idea being that people will need to move out of the lands that are most at risk.
Helping banking industry address climate-related risks, opportunities
Sixteen leading banks from four continents, convened by the UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), have published a jointly developed methodology to increase banks’ understanding of how climate change and climate action could impact their business.
Water security key to unlocking African prosperity
There is mounting evidence of the risks posed by water scarcity to business and economic growth. A 2012 projection by the International Food Policy Research Institute says 45 percent of total GDP — $63 trillion — will be at risk due to water stress by 2050. With coordinated action, better water provision in Africa will strengthen economic growth and unlock the path to prosperity for millions, according to SABMiller’s Chief Executive Alan Clark.
Freshwater vulnerability threatens developing nations' stability
Many nations and regions already facing uncertain political futures must contend with a growing threat to stabilization: freshwater vulnerability. An analysis of 119 low-income countries finds common challenges that could inform broad solutions.