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World's first thermal glider takes off
The world’s first thermally powered robotic vehicle takes off; the new glider draws its energy for propulsion from the differences in temperature — thermal stratification — between warm surface waters and colder, deeper layers of the ocean
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Wireless CCTV shows body-worn surveillance service
U.K. company launches body-worn CCTV aiming to help security agents in the field; the equipment comes in both overt and covert configurations; devices help field agents gather information and evidence — and it also helps supervisors at HQ to monitor the situation in the field
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Innovative fan design wins Live Edge Electronic Design award
Ceiling fan combines an electronically commutated motor and controller, and an aerodynamically efficient blade design that reduces fan input power by up to 66 percent of that of a traditional ceiling fan
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Knee brace acts as charger for cell phones, artificial limbs
Canadian researcher develops new device which harnesses the energy of a person’s leg as it swings forward during a step; running the generator constantly through the stride generated 7 watts of power
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Billions spent on airport security, but major security gaps remain
In the post 9/11 rush to bolster airport security, billions were spent and different technologies and systems were tried, but experts — and government watchdog organizations — say major security gaps remain; Congress, TSA, and the industry are increasingly anxious; the latest hope: Millimeter wave machines, which can see through clothes by analyzing the reflection of radio frequency energy bounced off passengers
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DOE grants $114 million to small-scale biorefinery projects
DOE grants $114 million for four small-scale biorefinery projects; these biorefineries will use a wide variety of feedstocks and test novel conversion technologies to provide data necessary to bring online full-size, commercial-scale biorefineries
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EU and industry launch Clean Sky technology initiative
The initiative, a joint EU-industry scheme in which $2.3 billion will be invested between 2008 and 2014, aims to speed up technological breakthrough developments and shorten the time to market for new green aviation solutions
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Hazard protective suits made of new, "breathing" material
Chemical protection suits can make the wearer hot, sweaty, and extremely uncomfortable, thus limiting the time such suits can be worn; Drexel University researcher develops better material for protective suits: The new material is a new class of polymer membrane incorporating nanopores filled with an ionic polymer that allows water vapor to pass through
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New method for anthrax decontamination developed
Yellow Jackets, SMD researchers develop an X-rays and UV-C light-based method for anthrax decontamination; it is rapid and nondisruptive, and also less expensive than currently available decontamination methods; it kills anthrax spores — even those hidden in crevices and cracks — within two to three hours without any lingering effects
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Harder video game to help in better pilots head-up displays
Canadian researchers tracks the eyes of video game players for the purpose of making enemies appear where a player is least likely to see them; research could be used to design harder video games — and head-up displays for helicopter rescue pilots that would put vital information in easy-to-see places and less important information where it would not be distracting
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CCAT looking to fund new military technologies
CCAT is seeking funding applications for technologies which support the smart unmanned ground robotics initiative; technologies of interest to the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC); and force health protection
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Quantum teleportation and memory demonstrated in tandem
In quantum communication, information is transmitted using atoms, photons, or other quantum objects; researchers, for the first time, show quantum teleportation and quantum memory in a single experiment
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Protein found in mouse urine offers powerful biosensor
Proteins found in mouse urine could help create powerful biosensors for environmental monitoring and security applications; major mouse urinary proteins coated on a standard piezoelectric crystal enabled a one thousand-fold increase in sensor sensitivity compared with existing electronic sensing methods
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Robots use electromagnetic force to create shape-shifting swarm
Carnegie Mellon researchers develop herds, or swarms, of robots using electromagnetic forces to cling to each other so they assume any shape or formation on the go; The prototype robots use electromagnetic forces to maneuver themselves, communicate, and even share power
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RFID technology ever more pervasive, pt. I
RFID tags are everywhere — on boxed goods, in some computer printers, car keys and tires, on shampoo bottles and department store clothing tags; they are also in library books, contactless payment cards, passports, and travel documents; they introduce efficiency and security to the supply chain, but also allow companies and organizations to track the behavior and shopping patterns of individuals
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The long view
Build-a-Satellite Program Could Fast Track National Security Space Missions
Satellites equipped with remote sensing technology execute many critical national security missions, from detecting explosions to tracking sea ice, but until now it could take a team years to move from a concept to a deployable space system. High-performance computing enables custom satellite design and analysis in weeks.
Boosting Efforts to Predict Harmful Solar Weather Events
When big blasts of energy from the sun envelop the Earth, they can very strong: a 2015 event so weakened Earth’s protective magnetic field that it penetrated to the atmosphere, posing a threat to everything from circling space station astronauts to delicate electronics and communication systems.
Developing Novel Hybrid Reef-Mimicking Structures
Despite previous efforts to implement storm mitigation solutions — including concrete breakwaters — damage due to storm surge and flooding continues to devastate coastal areas around the world. In response to these threats, DARPA has launched the Reefense program to develop self-healing, hybrid biological, and engineered reef-mimicking structures to protect civilian and DoD infrastructure, personnel by mitigating damage related to coastal flooding, erosion and storm surge.
Hurricane-Resilient Wind Turbines -- Inspired by Palm Trees
Today’s offshore wind turbines can tower more than 490 feet above ground, their spinning blades churning out up to 8 megawatts (MW) each—about enough to power 4,000 homes in the U.S. But with their increasing size comes challenges. To make those turbines more hurricane-resilient, scientists are taking a cue from nature.
Hack Post-Quantum Cryptography Now So That Bad Actors Don’t Do It Later
In February, the cryptography community was stunned when a researcher claimed that an algorithm that might become a cornerstone of the next generation of internet encryption can be cracked mathematically using a single laptop. Edward Parker and Michael Vermeer write that this finding may have averted a massive cybersecurity vulnerability, but it also raises concerns that new encryption methods for securing internet traffic contain other flaws that have not yet been detected.
Reliance on Dual-Use Technology is a Trap
The current approach to promoting the use of emerging technology by the Pentagon is for emerging technology companies to work with the Department of Defense is to build commercial applications first and only then move into defense. But the notion of developing “technologies for the commercial market first and only then slap some green paint on them so that they can begin exploring the U.S. defense market” is untenable, Jake Chapman writes. “A better solution would enable entrepreneurs to focus on solving defense challenges by making the Department of Defense a better customer.”
A Retrospective Post-Quantum Policy Problem
In May 2022, a White House memorandum warned that a quantum computer of sufficient size and sophistication will be capable of breaking much of the public-key cryptography used on digital systems across the United States and around the world. The various steps taken by the administration, and proposed by lawmakers, to deal with the problem are all forward-looking. “However, despite these efforts, policymakers have given little or no attention to what could be called a retrospectivepost-quantum problem,” Herb Lin writes. “Policymakers would be wise to consider the very real possibility that in a PQC[post-quantum computing] world, messages they once believed would be kept secret could in fact be made public.”
A Retrospective Post-Quantum Policy Problem
In May 2022, a White House memorandum warned that a quantum computer of sufficient size and sophistication will be capable of breaking much of the public-key cryptography used on digital systems across the United States and around the world. The various steps taken by the administration, and proposed by lawmakers, to deal with the problem are all forward-looking. “However, despite these efforts, policymakers have given little or no attention to what could be called a retrospectivepost-quantum problem,” Herb Lin writes. “Policymakers would be wise to consider the very real possibility that in a PQC[post-quantum computing] world, messages they once believed would be kept secret could in fact be made public.”