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Batteries included: Day of radioactive batteries nears
DARPA funds Cornell U researchers seeking to develop a radioactive battery: Betavoltaic cells with increased surface area may last for 20 years
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Chinese develop wave-hugging plane
Harnessing the “ground effect,” a WIG (wing-in-ground) plane flies long distances at the height of but a few metres above the sea surface
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Fake company obtains licence to buy nuclear materials
Sting operation proves that a fake company could obtain a license to buy enough radioactive material to build a dirty bomb
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Demonstration of perpetual motion machine, well, grinds to halt
Irish security company planned to demonstrate a perpetual motion machine last week; demonstration delayed owing to problems
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Gary, Indiana, expands ShotSpotter coverage area
The City of Gary was so pleased with the results of the initial deployment of the gunshot detection and location system, that it is expanding the system’s area of coverage
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One-time passcode generator for mobile devices unveiled
The safest password in the world is one which is used only once, then discarded; California company launches a one-time pass code genrator
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Airwave emergency communication radios "seriously flawed"
In 2002 London launched a £3 billion emergency communication service; 7/7 highlighted shortcomings in the system, and a new study finds that two years later the system is still flawed
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Many 7/7 attack victims are still dealing with its repercussions
Those who survive a terrorist attack have many problems to cope with, and government bureaucracies set up to help vitims are often not as nimble as we would hope
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The day of smart CCTV nears
Developments in observational techniques, when married with remote surveillance cameras, will allow CCTVs not only to identify perpatrators after the fact, but identify them before they commit the terrorist or criminal act
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Surveillance society: CCTVs in the U.K.
The United Kingdom has 1 percent of the world’s population, it occupies 0.2 percent of the world’s inhabitable land mass, but it accounts for more than 20 percent of the world’s CCTV cameras
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Terrorists' tactics may be shifting
In addition to its signature operations, which emphasize long planning and preparation for spectacular attacks, al-Qaeda appears to have launched a parallel track, involving quick-hit strikes against soft Western targets
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Vibration energy harvesting moves forward
The periodic replacement of batteries is not feasible for embedded applications and is highly unattractive in wireless sensor networks containing hundreds of sensor nodes; harvesting vibration energy is the answer
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It could be worse: Doctors may use knowledge, access in plots
The eight suspected arrested in the U.K. after last week’s terror attacks are either doctors or members of the health profession
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Making fertilizer safer
Timothy McVeigh showed how destructive common ferilizers can be; University of Kentucky researcher is trying to make them safer
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State-owned Dubai fund buys stake in EADS
Dubai fund acquires stake in EADS; fund will not seek seat on board or role in management
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The long view
Nuclear Has Changed. Will the U.S. Change with It?
Fueled by artificial intelligence, cloud service providers, and ambitious new climate regulations, U.S. demand for carbon-free electricity is on the rise. In response, analysts and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at a controversial energy source: nuclear power.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Exploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.