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Using pulse power to stop cars in their tracks
A beam of microwave energy could stop vehicles in their tracks; good solution for perimeter defense, security check points, and police car chases; problem is, it may disable electronic systems in the neighborhood
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Using visualization to see through fuzzy data
Finding method in the madness: DHS’s S&T Directorate supports efforts, building on Edward Tufte’s work, to use visualization to find patterns in and make sense of fuzzy data
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Carbon fiber UAV sets flight duration record
QinetiQ Group’s Zephyr breaks record for the longest duration unmanned flight — 54 hours — nearly doubling Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4A Global Hawk 2001 record of 30 hours, 24 minutes
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More opposition in Europe to Galileo
Growing opposition in Europe to the Galileo Project, Europe’s response to the U.S. GPS network; behind schedule and over budget, many ask whether the benefits of the system would outweigh its costs
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Octopus inspire new camouflage strategies for military applications
New in personal protection equipment: The remarkable shape- and color-changing abilities of the octopus and its close relatives inspire researchers to attempt to understand one of nature’s most stunning feats of camouflage and self-preservation — and see whether such techniques can be applied in the military
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Plasma antennas are stealthy, versatile, and jam resistant
Soldiers in the field would soon benefit from a new antenna made of plasma — that is, a gas heated to the point at which the electrons are ripped free of atoms and molecules) works just like conventional metal antennas, except that it vanishes when you turn it off
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D-Wave demonstrates quantum computer with Google image search
This week in Reno, Nevada, D-Wave demonstrates the first commercial quantum computer by using Google’s forthcoming search-by-image tool; problems remain
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Chinese intelligence engages in industrial spying in Europe
China may be slowly integrating into the global economy, but its massive disregard of intellectual property laws shows that it has yet to internalize important norms of market conduct; and now this: Chinese intelligence is using its considerable assets to engage in industrial spying on behalf of Chinese companies
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FLIR expanding Gulf presence
FLIR’s sensor technology, used in border protection and perimeter defense, among other applications, has won the company several hefty contracts in the Gulf region; company eager to build on its success
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U.S. gives Israel $155 million for missile defense system
Congressional committee approved $155 million for Israel’s two missile defense systems — the Arrow for high-altitude missile and David’s Sling for short-range rockets; sum more than doubles what the administration had in mind
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Quantum computers near: Scientists rotate electron spin with electric field
Researchers succeed in controlling the spin of a single electron merely by using electric fields; this clears the way for a much simpler realization of the building blocks of a (as yet theoretical) super-fast quantum computer
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Canberra cancelled robot IED detection system in 2004
Aussie soldiers in Afghanistan are just as exposed to IEDs as U.S. soldiers; in 2004 the Australian government canceled a project aimed to detect IEDs, and Australians want to know why
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NIST shows tiny sensor with biomedical, homeland security applications
Tiny sensor can detect magnetic field changes as small as 70 femtoteslas — equivalent to the brain waves of a person daydreaming; in addition to medical uses, sensor may be deployed in airport screening for explosives based on detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance in nitrogen compounds
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Going beyond Moore’s Law
Moore’s law states that the number of transistors in a microchip doubles every two years, but this is just not fast enough for current innovation; European researchers stack several functional chips into a single, extremely small, package
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Ensuring imports' safety offers lucrative business opportunities
Mounting worries about hazardous substances in food, toys, and other consumer goods is creating opportunities for makers of devices which detect such dangers; Bay State businesses seize opportunities
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The long view
Are We Ready for a ‘DeepSeek for Bioweapons’?
Anthropic’s Claude 4 is a warning sign: AI that can help build bioweapons is coming, and could be widely available soon. Steven Adler writes that we need to be prepared for the consequences: “like a freely downloadable ‘DeepSeek for bioweapons,’ available across the internet, loadable to the computer of any amateur scientist who wishes to cause mass harm. With Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 having finally triggered this level of safety risk, the clock is now ticking.”
A Brief History of Federal Funding for Basic Science
Biomedical science in the United States is at a crossroads. For 75 years, the federal government has partnered with academic institutions, fueling discoveries that have transformed medicine and saved lives. Recent moves by the Trump administration — including funding cuts and proposed changes to how research support is allocated — now threaten this legacy.
Bookshelf: Preserving the U.S. Technological Republic
The United States since its founding has always been a technological republic, one whose place in the world has been made possible and advanced by its capacity for innovation. But our present advantage cannot be taken for granted.
Autonomous Weapon Systems: No Human-in-the-Loop Required, and Other Myths Dispelled
“The United States has a strong policy on autonomy in weapon systems that simultaneously enables their development and deployment and ensures they could be used in an effective manner, meaning the systems work as intended, with the same minimal risk of accidents or errors that all weapon systems have,” Michael Horowitz writes.
Ukraine Drone Strikes on Russian Airbase Reveal Any Country Is Vulnerable to the Same Kind of Attack
Air defense systems are built on the assumption that threats come from above and from beyond national borders. But Ukraine’s coordinated drone strike on 1 June on five airbases deep inside Russian territory exposed what happens when states are attacked from below and from within. In low-level airspace, visibility drops, responsibility fragments, and detection tools lose their edge. Drones arrive unannounced, response times lag, coordination breaks.
Shots to the Dome—Why We Can’t Model US Missile Defense on Israel’s “Iron Dome”
Starting an arms race where the costs are stacked against you at a time when debt-to-GDP is approaching an all-time high seems reckless. All in all, the idea behind Golden Dome is still quite undercooked.