The US Army Is Getting Its Most Powerful Laser Weapon Yet

An illustration of the 300-kilowatt laser weapon system General Atomics and Boeing are developing under a contract for the U.S. Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. (Courtesy of Boeing)  

Defense News: US Army awards Boeing, General Atomics contract to develop powerful laser weapon 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has awarded a Boeing and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems team a contract to develop a 300-kilowatt solid-state laser weapon, according to an Oct. 25 Boeing announcement. 

The Distributed Gain High Energy Laser Weapon System will consist of both GA-EMS’ distributed gain laser technology and Boeing’s beam director and precision acquisition, tracking and pointing software. 

The program will culminate in a demonstration of the system for the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, according to the statement.  

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Update: The military is getting its most powerful laser weapon yet (Popular Science)  

CSN Editor: A first demonstration of the high-energy laser capability is expected in August 2022.

New Research Reveals Redheads May Have Different Pain Thresholds

Redheads have a genetic mutation which means their melanocytes have a faulty version of a key receptor and therefore can not make dark pigment to get a tan. But a knock-on effect of this is a chemical imbalance leading to a cascade of different hormones which ultimately enhances the effect of pain-blocking receptors (stock)  

Daily Mail: Redheads have a higher PAIN threshold than blondes or brunettes because their skin's pigment-producing cells lack the function of a certain receptor, study reveals 

* Redheads have a faulty receptor on skin pigment cells that stops them tanning 

* But also has a hormonal knock-on effect which results in elevated pain threshold 

* The end result is that gingers produce more opioid signals than people with other hair colours and complections and have an elevated pain threshold Ginger people can tolerate more pain than brunettes and blondes, and a new study has found out why this is. 

It found that the skin cells that determine a person's pigmentation, called melanocytes, are pivotal in deciding a person's pain threshold. Redheads have a genetic mutation which means their melanocytes have a faulty version of a key receptor and therefore cannot make dark pigment to get a tan.  

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Update #1: Redheads May Have Different Pain Thresholds – New Research Reveals Why (SciTechDaily)  

Update #2: Why redheads feel less pain, according to scientists (NYPost)  

CSN Editor: The connection between skin pigmentation and pain is a surprise.

NASA Rules Out A Weekend Launch For A SpaceX Crew Dragon

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft sits atop its Falcon 8 launcher at Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 31. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky  

Spaceflight: NASA rules out weekend Crew Dragon launch, may bring station crew home first 

NASA has ruled out a weekend launch for a SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station, delaying the Crew-3 flight to Monday at the earliest due to expected bad weather, agency officials said Thursday. 

Given an uncertain forecast, the mission managers may opt instead to bring four station astronauts — Crew-2 — back to Earth first, delaying the Crew-3 launch to later next week.  

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CSN Editor: Bad weather is the reason.

What Happens When A Baby Takes Its First Breath?

Care.com  

Live Science: What happens when a baby takes its first breath?  

Two blood vessels unique to fetuses disappear 

Within seconds of birth, a baby takes in its own oxygen for the first time. For that to happen, their tiny lungs and circulatory system have to transform in a matter of seconds. So how does a tiny human manage to take what could be the most challenging breath of its life just seconds after birth? 

First, it helps to understand how the circulatory system — specifically, the lungs and heart — work in utero. The lungs don't provide oxygen to the fetus during gestation. Instead, they are partially collapsed and filled with liquid during development while the baby gets oxygen through the umbilical cord from the placenta, according to the Texas Heart Institute.  

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CSN Editor: The miracle of life is truly amazing.

U.S. Survey Of Astronomers Puts The Search For Extraterrestrial Life At The Top Of Their To-Do List For The Next 10 Years

ABC News: Search for life on other worlds tops astronomy to-do list  

A U.S. survey of astronomers puts the search for extraterrestrial life at the top of their to-do list for the next 10 years 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A U.S. survey of astronomers puts the search for extraterrestrial life at the top of their to-do list for the next 10 years. 

In a report issued Thursday by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, astronomers stressed the need to continue the hunt for potentially habitable planets circling other stars, building on the “extraordinary progress” already made. 

The ultimate goal, they noted, is to capture pictures of any Earth-like worlds that might be out there.  

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CSN Editor: This telescope should help .... James Webb Space Telescope Arrives At Europe's Kourou Spaceport To Be Prepped For Launch (November 1, 2021).

Why Do Facebook and Instagram keep crashing?

Technical difficulties: Facebook and Instagram crashed for the second time in a month last night, while a string of banks and other companies have also experienced outages recently  

Daily Mail: Why DO Facebook and Instagram keep crashing? Human error, centralised back-end systems and a surge in traffic are blamed for a string of outages over the past two months 

* Meta's Facebook and Instagram crashed for second time in a month yesterday 

* String of banks, phone networks and fellow tech giants have also had outages 

* MailOnline has spoken to a number of cyber security experts to find out cause 

* They blamed centralised systems, an increase in users and ageing infrastructure 

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook and Instagram crashed for the second time in a month last night, while a string of banks, phone networks and fellow tech giants have also experienced major outages recently. 

Even Britain's biggest supermarket Tesco was brought to its knees by a hack of its website and app last month, leaving thousands of customers unable to order groceries for 48 hours and costing the retailer an estimated £40m in lost revenue.  

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CSN Editor: Human error, aging infrastructure, centralized back-end systems, and surges in traffic are the main culprits on why websites crash.

What Next For mRNA Vaccines?

The Guardian: Flu, cancer, HIV: after Covid success, what next for mRNA vaccines? 

The technology was viewed with skepticism before the pandemic but there is now growing confidence about its use 

 It is one of the most remarkable success stories of the pandemic: the unproven technology that delivered the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines in record time, helping to turn the tide on Covid-19. The vaccines are based on mRNA, the molecule that instructs our cells to make specific proteins. By injecting synthetic mRNA, our cells are turned into on-demand vaccine factories, pumping out any protein we want our immune system to learn to recognise and destroy. 

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WNU Editor: It has cost a lot of money to develop the current mRNA Covid vaccines. That is why I an willing to bet that it will be money that will be the biggest obstacles for developing these type of vaccines in the future.

Facebook Is Shutting Down Its Facial Recognition System

 

CNET: Facebook is shutting down its facial recognition system, affecting over a billion people 

The company will delete all of its face scan data, citing societal concerns and regulatory uncertainty. 

Facebook will shut down its facial recognition system this month and delete the face scan data of more than 1 billion users, the company said Tuesday. It cited societal concerns and regulatory uncertainty about facial recognition technology as the reasons. 

More than one-third of the app's daily active users have opted into its Face Recognition setting, the social network noted in a blog post.  

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CSN Editor: This shutting down will impact one billion users.

What Are The Trojan Asteroids?

 

SciTechDaily: We Asked a NASA Scientist: What Are the Trojan Asteroids? 

What are the Trojan asteroids? 

These mysterious space rocks have been gravitationally trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun for billions of years and hold clues to the formation of our solar system. NASA’s Lucy mission will be the first spacecraft to study these ancient relics up close. Lucy scientist Audrey Martin at Northern Arizona University has the details.  

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CSN Editor: So, what are the Trojan asteroids? They’re asteroids that orbit with Jupiter around the Sun that ultimately hold the clues to the formation of our solar system.

Creating Fuel From Thin Air

 

Daily Mail: Scientists create FUEL from thin air and sunlight for the first time, paving the way towards carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels 

* Researchers have created fuel from thin air and sunlight for the first time 

* Findings may pave the way towards producing carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels 

* But a lot of work would be needed to upscale the ETH Zurich study's process 

* Aviation and shipping contribute to about 8% of total carbon dioxide emissions 

Scientists have created fuel from thin air and sunlight for the first time, paving the way for the production of carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels. 

Researchers called their discovery 'an important milestone' that could ultimately help decarbonise the aviation sector, but said a lot of work is still needed to upscale the process. 

Aviation and shipping currently contribute to around 8 per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions attributed to human activity.  

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CSN Editor: The problem with this process is that it is still more expensive than current production methods.

When It Is Launched In December The James Webb Telescope Will Be Facing 'Two Weeks Of Terror'

So much could go wrong, but the engineering teams believe they have all eventualities covered 

BBC: James Webb: Hubble telescope successor faces 'two weeks of terror' 

Engineers like to describe the process of landing a rover on Mars as the "seven minutes of terror". 

That's how long it takes for a robot to come to a standing-stop at the surface of the Red Planet after entering the atmosphere faster than a rifle bullet; and so much has to go right in-between to avoid smashing into the ground. 

But when it comes to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), it's more like "two weeks of terror". 

The successor observatory to the mighty Hubble telescope has been built to see the very first stars to shine in the Universe.  

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CSN Editor: This new telescope took years to assemble at a cost of $10 billion. So yes. This launch and deployment better work out.

'Google' Is The Most Searched Word On Bing

BBC: 'Google' is most searched word on Bing, Google says 

The top entry on Microsoft's Bing search engine is for its rival Google, Google has said. 

The claim was made in court, as Google made its case to appeal against a €4.3bn ($5bn) fine from the European Union for abusing its market power. 

The EU accused Google of using Android's success in the smartphone market to make Google the default search engine. But Google says its service is simply the most popular. 

"We have submitted evidence showing that the most common search query on Bing is, by far, 'Google'," lawyer Alfonso Lamadrid told the EU General Court, as first reported by Bloomberg. 

"People use Google because they choose to, not because they are forced to.  

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CSN Editor: I am willing to bet that Bing is not the most searched word on Google.

World's Languages Can Be Traced Back To A Single African Mother Tongue

The World: World's languages traced back to single African mother tongue: scientists 

Scientists say they have traced the world's 6,000 modern languages — from English to Mandarin — back to a single "mother tongue," an ancestral language spoken in Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago. 

New research, published in the journal Science, suggests this single ancient language resulted in human civilization — a Diaspora — as well as advances in art and hunting tool technology, and laid the groundwork for all the world's cultures. 

The research, by Quentin Atkinson from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, also found that speech evolved far earlier than previously thought. And the findings implied, though did not prove, that modern language originated only once, an issue of controversy among linguists, according to the New York Times.  

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CSN Editor: The stat that caught my attention in this post is that there are 6,000 modern languages.

William Shatner Describes His Short Trip To Space 'It's Indescribable'"

 

Kotte.org: Captain Kirk Goes to Space: “It’s Indescribable” 

 Last week, William Shatner finally got a chance to boldly go where he hadn’t actually been before: into space. And upon returning from the 11-minute flight, the 90-year-old TV spaceship captain had come down with more than a touch of the Overview Effect. 

From the transcript of his post-flight remarks:  

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CSN Editor: William Shatner's description of his space flight after landing is below: 

Japanese Startup Is Selling A Hoverbike

In a video grab from Japanese startup A.L.I. Technologies, the "XTurismo Limited Edition" hoverbike is pictured during its demonstration at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, October 26, 2021. A.L.I. Technologies/Handout via REUTERS  

Reuters: Japan startup targets supercar users with $700,000 hoverbike 

TOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A Japanese startup backed by soccer player Keisuke Honda hopes to persuade wealthy consumers to swap their supercar for a 77.7 million yen ($680,000) hoverbike which went on sale on Tuesday. 

The "XTurismo Limited Edition" from Tokyo-based drone startup A.L.I. Technologies is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors and promises to fly for 40 minutes at up to 100 kph (62 mph). 

"Until now the choice has been to move on the ground or at scale in the sky. We hope to offer a new method of movement," Chief Executive Daisuke Katano told Reuters.  

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CSN Editor: The era of the Jetsons is coming.

To Combat Global Warming, The Whitest Paint On Record Has Been Developed

Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue University professor of mechanical engineering, holds up his lab’s sample of the whitest paint on record. (Purdue University/Jared Pike)  

Perdue University: The whitest paint is here – and it’s the coolest. Literally. 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In an effort to curb global warming, Purdue University engineers have created the whitest paint yet. Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to reduce the need for air conditioning, the researchers say. 

In October, the team created an ultra-white paint that pushed limits on how white paint can be. Now they’ve outdone that. The newer paint not only is whiter but also can keep surfaces cooler than the formulation that the researchers had previously demonstrated. 

“If you were to use this paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet, we estimate that you could get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts. That’s more powerful than the central air conditioners used by most houses,” said Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering.  

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CSN Editor: This paint will definitely be popular in hot climates.

The Inside Story Of Mining Bitcoin

Bitcoin miner Zack Pettit skating on his work break at the SCATE Ventures mining facility in Dallesport, Washington. SCATE Ventures Inc.  

CNBC: This 19-year-old earns $54,000 a year mining bitcoin as a full-time job — here’s what it’s like 

* Nick Sears was 17 years old when he helped build a bitcoin mining farm in Dallesport, Washington. 

* Sears oversees a hydro-powered data center with 4,500 ASICs, all mining for bitcoin. 

Nick Sears was 17 when he helped build a bitcoin mining farm in Dallesport, Washington. He was 18 when rules allowed him to buy bitcoin for the first time. And now, at 19, Sears has doubled down on his life as a bitcoin miner, saying “no” to college and “yes” to living in a room inside a data center that houses 4,500 whirling ASICs. 

“My room is sound-locked,” said Sears of the acoustic retrofitting of his living quarters. “So I can’t hear the machines when I close my door, but they are definitely noisy if I have my door open.”  

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CSN Editor: He is living his dream.

Chinese Satellites Have The Capability To Dodge US Surveillance

Shijian 20, China’s most advanced communication satellite, was launched in 2019. Photo: Weibo  

SCMP: Chinese satellite hints at space warfare prowess by dodging US surveillance  

A Chinese satellite has used a manoeuvre to avoid being followed by a spying US satellite, hinting at its capability in potential space warfare. 

But some defence analysts said the scenario was not new and the incident should not be seen as escalating the rivalry between China and the United States in space.

 "It is not difficult to monitor satellites," said Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping. "The US, Russia and China are all able to monitor each other's satellites in orbit. But the US will certainly plan its space infrastructure through monitoring the satellites of China and Russia."  

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CSN Editor: More details on what China, Russia, and the US are doing in space can be read here .... US, China, Russia Test New Space War Tactics: Sats Buzzing, Spoofing, Spying (Breaking Defense).

Nasa Delays SpaceX Launch To ISS Over A ‘Medical Issue’ With An Astronaut

The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station for NASA pose for a photo on the gantry to their Crew Dragon Endurance during a launch rehearsal. They are (from left): ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron. (Image credit: SpaceX)  

Space.com: SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut launch for NASA delayed by 'minor medical issue'  

Crew-3 will now launch no earlier than Saturday (Nov. 6). 

SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA has been delayed until at least Saturday (Nov. 6) by a "minor medical issue" affecting a crewmember, agency officials said. 

The mission, known as Crew-3, had been scheduled to lift off early Wednesday morning (Nov. 3) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. 

The earliest it could now launch is 11:36 p.m. EDT on Saturday evening (Nov. 6; 0336 GMT on Nov. 7). 

"The issue is not a medical emergency and not related to COVID-19," NASA officials said in an update today (Nov. 1). 

Read more ....  

Update #1: SpaceX Crew Dragon launch to space station delayed by "minor medical issue" (CBS)  

Update #2: Nasa delays SpaceX launch to ISS over ‘medical issue’ with astronaut (The Guardian)  

CSN Editor: NASA and SpaceX are not elaborating on the nature of the problem or say which astronaut was involved.

Astronauts Heading Back To Earth From The International Space Station This Month Will Be Without A Bathroom

The toilet aboard SpaceX's Inspiration4 craft malfunctioned during the crew's three-day journey around the Earth last month, causing urine to leak inside the capsuleNASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency  

Daily Mail: This stinks! SpaceX capsule's leaky toilet is going to leave astronauts without a bathroom and force them to wear 'undergarments' on their return trip from the International Space Station this month 

* Engineers first noticed trouble with the toilet design when the all-civilian Resilience capsule returned in September 

* Urine had pooled beneath the floor panels after a tube from the toilet came unplugged 

* SpaceX engineers fixed the issue in the Resilience but the Endeavour capsule is stationed on the ISS and unable to be repaired 

* Astronauts commonly use the undergarments to relieve themselves in spacesuits for launches, landings and spacewalks 

Astronauts heading back to Earth from the International Space Station this month will be without a bathroom, thanks to an issue with the toilets on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule. 

Instead, NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will have to rely on 'undergarments' for waste management while aboard the Endeavour capsule, Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, told reporters at an October 29 press conference.

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Update #1: SpaceX's Dragon space toilet is off limits for astronauts returning to Earth soon (Space.com)  

Update #2: Leaky SpaceX toilet problem will force astronauts to use backup 'undergarments' (CNN)  

CSN Editor: Thank God for diapers/undergarments.