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U.K. start-up to demo serious flying robo-saucer in 2009
Innovative British company will demonstrate a robotic flying saucer next year; the hovering craft is based on the Coanda effect, and will be of help to soldiers and first responders in urban settings
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New system thwarts Internet eavesdropping
The growth of wireless networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications; Carnegie Mellon researchers develop a low-cost system that can thwart these Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks
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Making precast concrete structures safer
Precast concrete helps builders save time and money, and also increase buildings’ durability; new research aims to make them better able to withstand earthquakes
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Robot aircraft rides thermal currents to save fuel
Soaring birds use thermal air currents to keep them aloft for hours and save energy; the same principle is now being applied to UAVs
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New U.K. center's mission: Use science to make world safer
The Institute for Security, Science and Technology at Imperial College London will scour the research world for innovations which would make the world safer
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Team Stellar wins U.K. MoD's Grand Challenge
The U.K. Ministry of Defense holds a competition to determine the best autonomous robots that can identify, monitor, and report military threats faced by U.K. troops; Team Stellar, comprising several technology-savvy companies, wins
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Mexicans turn to radio implants as kidnapping for ransom soar
Kidnapping for ransom has become a growth industry in Mexico; in response, more and more Mexicans are having tiny radio transmitters implanted under their skin so they can be quickly tracked and rescued
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Unmanned helicopter to aid in search and rescue
The UAVs will search for people in isolated regions, monitor large-area disasters such as floods or forest fires, sample gas emissions over industrial disaster sites, and act as a communication platform when the regular infrastructure is down
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Grant for hand gesture-computer technology
University of Buffalo researcher develops technology that would allow a user automatically to manipulate a computer through hand gestures
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NASA awards general aviation technology prizes
NASA wants to encourage innovations that would lead to aircraft that are safer, more affordable, easier to fly and also have less of a negative impact on the environment and on the communities that surround airports
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U.K. Grand Challenge mini-vehicle competition held this weekend
Eleven teams made it to the final of the U.K. Ministry of Defense mini-vehicle competition, aiming to promote devising highly autonomous vehicles capable of identifying threats that are being encountered by U.K. troops on overseas operations
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Scientists to study synthetic telepathy
Researchers are lookig into synthetic telepathy — for example, a soldier would “think” a message to be transmitted and a computer-based speech recognition system would decode the EEG signals and transmit the thought to its intended target
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Simple aluminum structure protects against explosions
Norwegian researchers develop a simple aluminum structure which is made of double-walled panel that can be filled with a suitable heavy substance found on site, such as dirt, sand, gravel, or pebbles
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ITT awarded contracts for land mine jammers
EDO makes the Warlock jammer, a derivative of its earlier “Shortstop” product; EDO has a new name for the anti-IED device — CVRJ (CREW Vehicle Receiver/Jammer) — and a new owner — ITT; company wins a new contract, worth up to $1 billion, for its jammer
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Commercial use of invisibility cloak now within sight
Researchers engineer 3-D materials that can reverse the natural direction of visible and near-infrared light, thus forming the basis for higher resolution optical imaging — and for cloaking devices that could render objects invisible to the human eye
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The long view
Encryption Breakthrough Lays Groundwork for Privacy-Preserving AI Models
In an era where data privacy concerns loom large, a new approach in artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape how sensitive information is processed. New AI framework enables secure neural network computation without sacrificing accuracy.
AI-Controlled Fighter Jets May Be Closer Than We Think — and Would Change the Face of Warfare
Could we be on the verge of an era where fighter jets take flight without pilots – and are controlled by artificial intelligence (AI)? US R Adm Michael Donnelly recently said that an upcoming combat jet could be the navy’s last one with a pilot in the cockpit.
AI and the Future of the U.S. Electric Grid
Despite its age, the U.S. electric grid remains one of the great workhorses of modern life. Whether it can maintain that performance over the next few years may determine how well the U.S. competes in an AI-driven world.
Using Liquid Air for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
New research finds liquid air energy storage could be the lowest-cost option for ensuring a continuous power supply on a future grid dominated by carbon-free but intermittent sources of electricity.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: A Promising Source of Round-the-Clock Energy
With its capacity to provide 24/7 power, many are warming up to the prospect of geothermal energy. Scientists are currently working to advance human-made reservoirs in Earth’s deep subsurface to stimulate the activity that exists within natural geothermal systems.
Experts Discuss Geothermal Potential
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat from within Earth—the term comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). It is an energy source that has the potential to power all our energy needs for billions of years.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”