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Military robotics moves forward
The trend toward autonomous military systems is about to reach a new — and important — phase: machines that do not only aim and shoot, but which also make the decision when and at what target to shoot
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German high-tech sector holds up
Turnover in German-made IT, telecommunications, and digital consumer electronics will hold steady at about €145 billion — still, the German high-tech industry would perform worse than the global high-tech sector as a whole, which is expected to boost sales about 3 percent to €2.416 trillion
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British government to boost investment in science
Gordon Brown: “Science alone gives us hope” that we can eliminate poverty, tackle climate change, and mitigate the impact of disease around the world
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DARPA awards Lockheed nano-copter contract
Both the military and law enforcement are interested in tiny helicopters — 8 grams in weight and the size of a coin — for intelligence missions inside buildings; three years ago Lockheed had a development program for such a device, and it now comes back to it
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San Diego State builds radiation detection system
New Immersive Visualization Center on the campus of San Diego State collaborates with the university’s Homeland Security Program to build, and then demonstrate, gamma radiation detection perimeter system
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New building design withstands earthquake simulation
Wolverines researchers used steel fiber-reinforced concrete to develop a better kind of coupling beam that requires less reinforcement and is easier to construct
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Super-strength gear competition heats up
Berkeley Bionics-Lockheed Martin team challenges the Sarco-Raytheon team for the super solider suit of the future; suit will allow soldiers the wearer to carry up to 200 pounds without much effort — and sprint up to 10 miles per hour in short bursts
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New software allows laptops to talk back boldly to laptop thieves
Your laptop has been stolen? New software allows you to tell those thieves exactly — and when we say exactly, we mean exactly — what you think of them; software also helps police locate the stolen computer
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Intelligence, law enforcement face another hurdle: encrypted VoIP
The intelligence community and law enforcement already are concerned about the difficult they have eavesdropping in Skype communications; a U.K. start-up is going to make life more difficult for them by encryption VoIP communications and concealing more conversations
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Strong future for independent research
Despite the current economic downturn, independent research organizations remain optimistic; many areas of research and development — chief among them energy security, energy conversion, and defense — already see bipartisan support for increased funding
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Random antenna arrays boost emergency communications
When first responders rush to a disaster scene, they are often met with large amount of rubble; the vast amount of metal and steel-reinforced concrete in buildings and rubble often interferes with or blocks radio signals; a new antenna array solves this problem
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New facial, gait recognition software to be integrated in CCTVs
BAE Systems and OmniPerception work on developing a gait and facial behavior recognition to be integrated into street corner CCTVs; it will make identifying known criminals easier
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Lab-on-a-chip detects pollutants, disease, and biological weapons
Researchers develop nano-sized laboratory, complete with a microscopic workbench, to measure water quality in real time; breakthrough will help keep water safe from pollution and bioterrorist threats
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TSA wants to screen your baggage -- emotional baggage, that is
To improve on X-ray and millimeter-wave scanning and go beyond group profiling, some suggest screening passengers for hostile intentions
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Calculations show Iran's 2 February launch used beefed-up rocket
Calculations show that Iran’s 2 February missile launch involved a more sophisticated and powerful rocket than had been initially thought; this two-stage vehicles, with more powerful fuel, are capable of lifting a nuclear warhead farther; Europe — but not yet the United States — is now within Iranian missile range
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The long view
A Review of NIST’s Draft Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
Cybersecurity professionals, and anyone interested in cybersecurity, have noted that the gold standard of cybersecurity is getting a needed polish. “But all that glitters is not gold,” Melanie Teplinsky writes. NIST’s voluntary cybersecurity framework leaves organizations vulnerable to the nation’s most capable cyber adversaries. NIST’s proposed overhaul won’t change that.
Better Cybersecurity with New Material
Digital information exchange can be safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly with the help of a new type of random number generator for encryption developed at Linköping University. The researchers behind the study believe that the new technology paves the way for a new type of quantum communication.
Walking the Artificial Intelligence and National Security Tightrope
Artificial intelligence (AI) presents nations’ security as many challenges as it does opportunities. While it could create mass-produced malware, lethal autonomous weapons systems, or engineered pathogens, AI solutions could also prove the counter to these threats. Regulating AI to maximize national security capabilities and minimize the risks presented to them will require focus, caution and intent.
Wastewater Can Help Tackle Water Shortages
Europe has experienced severe heat and drought over the last few summers, and 2023 has been no different. Vast swathes of Central and Southern Europe are simply too dry from a lack of rainfall. Water shortages are causing tensions in some countries. But, for now, there’s enough water to go around. Using the precious resource more efficiently is key.
U.S. Investment in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Building the Talent Pipeline
To reverse the three decade long decline in the United States’ share of semiconductor manufacturing, a concerted effort is required. Right now, the United States does not have the talent pool to support the ambitious goals of the August 2022 CHIPS Act.
Sediment Movement During Hurricane Harvey Could Negatively Impact Future Flooding
Enormous amounts of sediment, or sand and mud, flowed through Houston waterways during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, due in part to modifications made by humans to bayous, rivers and streams over the past century. Harvey was the largest rainfall event in U.S. history, and it moved 27 million cubic meters of sediment, or 16 Astrodomes, through Houston waterways and reservoirs. This could seriously impact future flooding events and be costly to the City of Houston.