The Search

Ramping Up The Search For Intelligent Life On Other Planets

A $100 million initiative co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri Milner and the late Stephen Hawking to detect signs of intelligent life across the universe announces a major systems upgrade enabling earthlings to probe tens of billions of stars for technologically advanced extraterrestrial lifeforms.

From article, (Installed by scientists and engineers from the University of California, Berkeley SETI Research Center (BSRC), the new digital equipment is capable of handling 130 gigabits per second from the Parkes 13 “multibeam” receiver. For reference, this is many thousands of times faster than your fastest home internet connection. It represents more than 100 million radio channels scanned for each of the 13 beams. Along with an increase in speed, the multibeam receiver better distinguishes between radio-frequency interference (RFI) emitted from our own technology (satellites, airplanes, smartphones, etc.) and errant signals that may possibly indicate non-human technology emanating from other worlds. Breakthrough Listen’s data will also be analyzed for signatures of fast radio bursts (FRBs). FRBs are equal parts puzzling and powerful flashes of radio light documented by various experiments at Parkes, as well as by Listen’s instrument on the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.

“With these new capabilities,” says Danny Price, Parkes Project Scientist with the Breakthrough Listen project at UC Berkeley, “ we are scanning our galaxy in unprecedented detail. By trawling through these huge datasets for signatures of technological civilizations, we hope to uncover evidence that our planet, among the hundreds of billions in our galaxy, is not the only where intelligent life has arisen.”)

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A Token Missile Defense?

Why is America still stuck with token missile defense?

The answer harks back to a 1972 treaty, and despite that agreement expiring years ago, defense experts and politicians failed to move with the times

From article, (the anti-defense mentality of late 1960s politicians and academics, embodied in the spirit and main provisions of the 1972 US-Soviet anti-ballistic defense missile treaty, remains embedded in the US bureaucracy, our military and defense industry.

the 1972 treaty expired in 2002

the heart of official US policy: we must do nothing, develop or research anything, that poses obstacles to missiles from Russia or China striking America.

The ABM Treaty’s prohibition of missile defense by weapons based on “other physical principles” was inserted not because of a technical consensus that boost-phase defense by lasers was infeasible. On the contrary. The technical paths to space laser weapons’ development were already clear.

By 1976, the US Navy had developed a near-infrared laser scaleable to several megawatts. It had intended it for the defense of ships against cruise missiles, but discovered that lasers don’t propagate well or even reliably within the atmosphere – a lesson that the US government would have to re-learn again and again.

Not a few noted, however, that it would be lethal if deployed in orbit. That same year, the KH-11 intelligence satellite went into service. Its pointing-tracking system, accurate to tenths of a nano-radian, and its huge mirror, were the space laser weapon’s main missing ingredients. By 1979, a low-level effort to combine them began. Fifteen years later, The New York Times reported that the prototype was “nearly ready to fly.” It was canceled precisely because it would have defended against Russian and Chinese missiles. That was, and remains US policy.)

Me, "So while the US took the high road, countries like Russian and China are developing these very same weapons we refuse not too. If the U.S. does not pull our heads out of the sand and start building these weapons, Russia and China will one day use them against us."

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Satellite Debris could mean Advanced Life.

We Could Find Aliens by Spotting Their Satellites

Alien civilizations with technology on a par with humanity's could be detectable using today's instruments. A new study suggests that if geostationary satellites are thick enough around an alien world, they could be spotted with telescopes already hunting for undiscovered planets.

From article, (Alien civilizations with technology on par with humanity's could be detectable using today's instruments. A new study suggests that if geostationary satellites are thick enough around an alien world, they could be spotted with telescopes already hunting for undiscovered planets.

Both governments and private corporations on our own world use geostationary satellites — which orbit such that they hover over the same spot on Earth — for science, communications, espionage and military applications. 
If advanced alien civilizations loft enough satellites into their own geostationary belts, these spacecraft could create a dense, ring-like structure visible from Earth, according to the study.)

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Spooky Atoms

These 'Spooky' Entangled Atoms Just Brought Quantum Computing One Step Closer

Scientists have made the biggest and most complex quantum-computer network yet, getting 20 different entangled quantum bits, or qubits, to talk to each other. The team was then able to read out the information contained in all those so-called qubits, creating a prototype of quantum "short-term memory" for the computer.

 From article, (Modern computers use this language by sending or stopping the flow of electricity through metal and silicon circuits, switching magnetic polarity or using other mechanisms that have a dual "on or off" state.However, quantum computers use a different language — with an infinite number of "letters."If binary languages use the north and south poles of the globes, then quantum computing would use all the points in between. The goal of quantum computing is to also use all the area between the poles.)

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India sets its sights on landing on the Moon.

India's second lunar mission will now launch in October 2018

India's first attempt at landing a semi-autonomous rover near the lunar south pole, originally set to launch this April, will have to wait for at least six more months, thanks to additional tests suggested by experts.

From article, ( India’s first attempt at landing a semi-autonomous rover near the lunar south pole, originally set to launch this April, will have to wait for at least six more months, thanks to additional tests suggested by experts. “Being a very complex mission with a lander, rover, and an orbiter, more critical tests are planned,” said Dr. Arun Sinha, former senior scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

 Chandrayaan-2, aims to demonstrate more of India’s technical capabilities by soft landing a six-wheeled rover on the Moon. By simplifying the system and enacting strict quality-control practices, the team has brought down the mission cost to around $123 million. 

Chandrayaan-2’s scientific goals include studying the topography, exosphere, and elemental abundance of the Moon to better understand both its origin and evolution. One of the primary goals is to soft-land a rover successfully on the lunar surface, where the rover will then operate in semi-autonomous mode, partially controlled by ISRO. Onboard the rover resides a navigation camera that will be used to capture images of the lunar surface to be sent back to Earth.) 

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Several Months a Monkey resists HIV

Single shot protects against HIV in monkeys for several months

Researchers have developed an antibody that protects rhesus monkeys from infection by simian HIV (SHIV), a virus similar to HIV that causes an AIDS-like illness in the species. The paper, published in Nature Medicine , reports that protection lasts up to 20 weeks, and shows that regular use of anti-HIV antibodies could provide long-term prevention of HIV infection in humans.

 From article, (Researchers have developed an antibody that protects rhesus monkeys from infection by simian HIV (SHIV), a virus similar to HIV that causes an AIDS-like illness in the species.

The paper, published in Nature Medicine, reports that protection lasts up to 20 weeks, and shows that regular use of anti-HIV antibodies could provide long-term prevention of HIV infection in humans.

For more than thirty years, enormous research effort has been directed toward finding a cure for AIDS, while simultaneous efforts have sought to develop a vaccine for HIV. Although these efforts have led to extraordinary progress in our understanding of the immune system and the nature of the disease, neither a cure nor an effective vaccine has been found.

While that work continues, neutralising antibodies may provide a way to substantially limit transmission of the virus.

Recent research shows that individuals with HIV can produce antibodies that neutralise the virus, and clinical trials are underway to determine whether such antibodies can control viral levels in HIV-positive individuals.)

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Taiwan wants to Increase its Wind Power Supply.

Wind power companies flock to Taiwan's breezy shores

TAIPEI/TOKYO -- Taiwan is preparing to choose the winners in a crowded global contest to develop offshore wind power for the island, as companies around the world shift their focus toward Asia in search of more profitable projects. The decision is expected to be announced on April 30.

 From article, (Anticipation was intense Friday afternoon as executives from companies including Australian financier Macquarie Group and German wind farm developer WPD gathered at the headquarters of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs. Taipei is entering its final phase of talks before awarding contracts for 3.5 million kilowatts of offshore wind facilities expected to begin operations in 2025. This portion of the project is worth around 630 billion New Taiwan dollars ($21 billion).

Taiwan granted environmental permits at the end of last year to wind power developers to build a total of 10.6 million kilowatts in offshore capacity. Those companies are competing for 5.5 million kilowatts of contracts, with 3.5 million kilowatts guaranteed at a fixed rate through a feed-in tariff system, and the rest up for auction. Investment applications, including costs after 2026, total some NT$1.8 trillion.

Taiwan's capacity in 2017 was 8,000kW, which would grow to more than 5.5 million kW in 2025 if the plan materializes.

President Tsai Ing-wen has pledged to end the island's dependence on nuclear power by 2025 while sourcing 20% of Taiwan's electricity from renewable energy, five times the share in 2015. Her plan depends on offshore wind, for which the Taiwan Strait is particularly suitable. Wind speeds in the strait average over 25km per hour year-round, making it the best place in Asia to generate wind power, one participating company noted.)

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Using Century Old Mines to confront the Poor Working Conditions of the DRC.

British Mines Could Be New Source of Electric-Car Battery Materials

The next big source of metals for electric-car batteries may be centuries-old British mines, many of which haven't been active since the 1990s, according to a new report. A new source of metals is exactly what's needed as automakers seek to boost production of electric cars. Mines in the U.K.

From article, ( The next big source of metals for electric-car batteries may be centuries-old British mines, many of which haven't been active since the 1990s, according to a new Reuters report. A new source of metals is exactly what's needed as automakers seek to boost production of electric cars.

Mines in the U.K. county of Cornwall access one of the world's largest tin deposits, but were shut down in the 1990s when a drop in prices made them unviable. Now, researchers are looking at the possibility of reopening the mines, which may contain lithium deposits as well, to supply metals for batteries.

This would solve many problems for the battery industry. Increased demand from automakers is expected to create a shortage of the metals used in lithium-ion battery cells. Chinese companies also control most of the existing mines and refineries, leaving Western companies concerned that they will be shut out. Poor working conditions in existing mines in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo also present ethical issues.)

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"NOx Is not a Problem," says Bosch.

Breakthrough: new Bosch diesel technology provides solution to NOx problem

Bosch CEO Denner also calls for transparency on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions

 From article, (“Equipped with the latest Bosch technology, diesel vehicles will be classed as low-emission vehicles and yet remain affordable.” The Bosch CEO also called for greater transparency with regard to the CO2 emissions caused by road traffic, and called for fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions to be also measured under real conditions on the road in the future.

Since 2017, European legislation has required that new passenger car models tested according to an RDE-compliant mix of urban, extra-urban, and freeway cycles emit no more than 168 milligrams of NOx per kilometer. As of 2020, this limit will be cut to 120 milligrams. But even today, vehicles equipped with Bosch diesel technology can achieve as little as 13 milligrams of NOx in standard legally-compliant RDE cycles. That is approximately one-tenth of the prescribed limit that will apply after 2020. And even when driving in particularly challenging urban conditions, where test parameters are well in excess of legal requirements, the average emissions of the Bosch test vehicles are as low as 40 milligrams per kilometer.)

Me, "I still think all car and truck producing companies should transition to Battery Electric Vehicles (because it is a Superior Technology to Internal and Diesel combustion engines. It has less maintenance issues, longer driver ownership, better resale value, 'if it still drives your okay on purchasing it, even if you have to buy a new battery pack, a high mileage used electric car costs a lot less, with all the above benefits than a high mileage used Combustion Engine car, which tend to breakdown more often with age.' and, of course, a Battery Electric car creates a lot less pollution). But I decided to add this article to my Facebook friends page to be fair to Diesel Engine fans. This article shows there are still technological leaps for Diesel Engines, if your into that thing."

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Ford Shape Shifts on Production Line Models

Ford getting rid of most car models to focus on trucks, SUV and newUS is not buying regular cars so Ford will stop making them and shift to more SUV, trucks, SUV and new electric vehicles electric vehicles | NextBigFuture.com

By 2020, almost 90 percent of the Ford Motor company portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles. Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America.

From article, (By 2020, almost 90 percent of the Ford Motor company portfolio in North America will be trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles. Given declining consumer demand and product profitability, the company will not invest in next generations of traditional Ford sedans for North America. Over the next few years, the Ford car portfolio in North America will transition to two vehicles – the best-selling Mustang and the all-new Focus Active crossover coming out next year. The company is also exploring new “white space” vehicle silhouettes that

combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility.

Ford will stop making the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Taurus, and C-MAX.

The Ford Taurus had a peak sales of 400,000 in 1996 but has since fallen to about 42,000.

Ford brand targeting North America’s freshest lineup among full-line makers by 2020, replacing more than 75 percent of its current portfolio and adding four new trucks and SUVs.

By 2020, Ford estimates SUV sales could account for 50 percent of U.S. industry retail sales – one reason Ford is reallocating $7 billion in capital from cars to SUVs. By 2020, Ford plans an industry-leading lineup of eight SUVs – five of which will offer hybrid powertrains and one battery electric. Ford SUV sales are estimated to grow 20 percent – more than double the industry rate – to more than 950,000 by 2020, according to LMC Automotive, and surpass 1 million by 2021.

Ford will make new hybrid-electric powertrains for high-volume, profitable vehicles like the F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Escape and Bronco. The company’s battery electric vehicle rollout starts in 2020 with a performance utility, and it will bring 16 battery-electric vehicles to market by 2022.)

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Gwynne Shotwell on BFR Rocket, StarLink, Space Telescopes, And Global Trips.

$10 billion for SpaceX global internet satellite network and SpaceX BFR will have ten flights per day | NextBigFuture.com

SpaceX will make a massive network of literally thousands of low earth orbit satellites to provide high-bandwidth, low-cost internet connection to every square foot of planet earth. (This is at 9:38 to 10:37 in the TED talk video) Gwynne Shotwell: We actually don't chat very much about this particular project, not because we're hiding anything, but this is probably one of the most challenging if not the most challenging project we've undertaken.

From article, (SpaceX will make a massive network of literally thousands of low earth orbit satellites to provide high-bandwidth, low-cost internet connection to every square foot of planet earth. (This is at 9:38 to 10:37 in the TED talk video)

Gwynne Shotwell: We actually don’t chat very much about this particular project, not because we’re hiding anything, but this is probably one of the most challenging if not the most challenging project we’ve undertaken. No one has been successful deploying a huge constellation for internet broadband, or basically for satellite internet, and I don’t think physics is the difficulty here. I think we can come up with the right technology solution, but we need to make a business out of it, and it’ll cost the company about 10 billion dollars or more to deploy this system. And so we’re marching steadily along but we’re certainly not claiming victory yet.

There’s no question it’ll change the world.

BFR can take the satellites that we’re currently taking to orbit to many orbits. It allows for even a new class of satellites to be delivered to orbit. Basically, the width, the diameter of the fairing is eight meters, so you can think about what giant telescopes you can put in that fairing, in that cargo bay, and see really incredible things and discover incredible things in space.But then there are some residual capabilities that we have out of BFR as well.

…

space travel for earthlings. I can’t wait for this residual capability. Basically, what we’re going to do is we’re going to fly BFR like an aircraft and do point-to-point travel on earth, so you can take off from New York City or Vancouver and fly halfway across the globe. You’ll be on the BFR for roughly half an hour or 40 minutes, and the longest part — yeah, it’s so awesome.

The longest part of that flight is actually the boat out and back.

The first BFR is going to have roughly a hundred passengers. And let’s talk a little bit about the business. Everyone thinks rockets are really expensive, and to a large degree they are, and how could we possibly compete with airline tickets here? But if you think about it, if I can do this trip in half an hour to an hour, I can do dozens of these a day, right? And yet, a long-haul aircraft can only make one of those flights a day. So even if my rocket was slightly more expensive and the fuel is a little bit more expensive, I can run 10x at least what they’re running in a day, and really make the revenue that I need to out of that system.

So within 10 years, an economy price ticket, or, like, a couple thousand dollars per person to fly New York to Shanghai.)

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The U.K. Wants to Revive Old Mines for Material Used in EV batteries. Why this is a good idea.

British Mines Could Be New Source of Electric-Car Battery Materials

The next big source of metals for electric-car batteries may be centuries-old British mines, many of which haven't been active since the 1990s, according to a new report. A new source of metals is exactly what's needed as automakers seek to boost production of electric cars. Mines in the U.K.

 From article, (The next big source of metals for electric-car batteries may be centuries-old British mines, many of which haven't been active since the 1990s, according to a new Reuters report. A new source of metals is exactly what's needed as automakers seek to boost production of electric cars.

Mines in the U.K. county of Cornwall access one of the world's largest tin deposits, but were shut down in the 1990s when a drop in prices made them unviable. Now, researchers are looking at the possibility of reopening the mines, which may contain lithium deposits as well, to supply metals for batteries.

This would solve many problems for the battery industry. Increased demand from automakers is expected to create a shortage of the metals used in lithium-ion battery cells. Chinese companies also control most of the existing mines and refineries, leaving Western companies concerned that they will be shut out. Poor working conditions in existing mines in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo also present ethical issues.

A U.K. mining revival creating a source of battery metals in a stable Western country is an attractive prospect for the auto industry, but it's not a done deal. So far, mining efforts have been relatively small scale, with large firms holding back in order to let smaller upstarts take the initial risk, according to Reuters. It's unclear if these initial efforts will point to enough metals to make a difference.)

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What Could TESS Find?

NASA'S TESS satellite could find planet hosting life by 2020

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/REUTERS The excitement among those gathered for the launch of TESS, NASA's latest sky watcher, on April 18 was understandable. Equipped with four telescopes, the satellite will orbit for two years, taking pictures of more than 200,000 stars, dozens within 10 light-years of Earth.

From article, (The excitement among those gathered for the launch of TESS, NASA’s latest sky watcher, on April 18 was understandable. Equipped with four telescopes, the satellite will orbit for two years, taking pictures of more than 200,000 stars, dozens within 10 light-years of Earth. Sara Seager, deputy director of science for the mission, watched with her family from Cape Canaveral that day, knowing exactly what was at stake. “It is fair to say that TESS will be finding a whole bunch of planets in the habitable zone,” she says. In plain English: We might just find a planet hosting life by 2020.

TESS stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, and its mission is to identify planets orbiting the brightest stars in our neighborhood of the universe. When the orbit of a planet takes it between its sun and TESS’s cameras, the light from the star is temporarily dimmed, like an airplane blocking a bit of sunlight as it flies past. Back on Earth, astronomers reading TESS’s data know that those minor fluctuations signal the presence of a planet. They can then direct more powerful instruments—the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, which will launch in 2020—for a closer look. “TESS,” says Paul Hertz, director of astrophysics at NASA, “takes us from knowing there are exoplanets to studying them.”)

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Building Subways? Why Did NYC Stop?

Why New York City Stopped Building Subways

Nearly 80 years ago, a construction standstill derailed the subway's progress, leading to its present crisis. This is the story, decade by decade. In the first decades of the 20th century, New York City experienced an unprecedented infrastructure boom.

 From article, (In the first decades of the 20th century, New York City experienced an unprecedented infrastructure boom. Iconic bridges, opulent railway terminals, and much of what was then the world’s largest underground and rapid transit network were constructed in just 20 years. Indeed, that subway system grew from a single line in 1904 to a network hundreds of miles long by the 1920s. It spread rapidly into undeveloped land across upper Manhattan and the outer boroughs, bringing a wave of apartment houses alongside.

Then it stopped. Since December 16, 1940, New York has not opened another new subway line, aside from a handful of small extensions and connections. Unlike most other great cities, New York’s rapid transit system remains frozen in time: Commuters on their iPhones are standing in stations scarcely changed from nearly 80 years ago.

Indeed, in some ways, things have moved backward. The network is actually considerably smaller than it was during the Second World War, and today’s six million daily riders are facing constant delays, infrastructure failures, and alarmingly crowded cars and platforms.

Why did New York abruptly stop building subways after the 1940s? And how did a construction standstill that started nearly 80 years ago lead to the present moment of transit crisis?

Three broad lines of history provide an explanation. The first is the postwar lure of the suburbs and the automobile—the embodiment of modernity in its day. The second is the interminable battles of control between the city and the private transit companies, and between the city and the state government. The third is the treadmill created by rising costs and the buildup of deferred maintenance—an ever-expanding maintenance backlog that eventually consumed any funds made available for expansion.)

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A Solution to Diesel NOx Problem Comes too Late as EV's Take Off

Breakthrough: new Bosch diesel technology provides solution to NOx problem

Bosch CEO Denner also calls for transparency on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions

Me, "I still think all car and truck producing companies should transition to Battery Electric Vehicles (because it is a Superior Technology to Internal and Diesel combustion engines. It has less maintenance issues, longer driver ownership, better resale value, 'if it still drives your okay on purchasing it, even if you have to buy a new battery pack, a high mileage used electric car costs a lot less, with all the above benefits than a high mileage used Combustion Engine car, which tend to breakdown more often with age.' and, of course, a Battery Electric car creates a lot less pollution). But I decided to add this article to my Facebook friends page to be fair to Diesel Engine fans. This article shows there are still technological leaps for Diesel Engines, if your into that thing."


 From article, (“There’s a future for diesel. Today, we want to put a stop, once and for all, to the debate about the demise of diesel technology.” It was with these words that the Bosch CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner, speaking at the company’s annual press conference, announced a decisive breakthrough in diesel technology. New developments from Bosch could enable vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) so drastically that they already comply with future limits. Even in RDE (real driving emissions) testing, emissions from vehicles equipped with the newly premiered Bosch diesel technology are not only significantly below current limits but also those scheduled to come into force from 2020. Bosch engineers achieved these results by refining existing technologies. There is no need for additional components, which would drive up costs. “Bosch is pushing the boundaries of what is technically feasible,” Denner said. “Equipped with the latest Bosch technology, diesel vehicles will be classed as low-emission vehicles and yet remain affordable.” The Bosch CEO also called for greater transparency with regard to the CO2 emissions caused by road traffic, and called for fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions to be also measured under real conditions on the road in the future.

Since 2017, European legislation has required that new passenger car models tested according to an RDE-compliant mix of urban, extra-urban, and freeway cycles emit no more than 168 milligrams of NOx per kilometer. As of 2020, this limit will be cut to 120 milligrams. But even today, vehicles equipped with Bosch diesel technology can achieve as little as 13 milligrams of NOx in standard legally-compliant RDE cycles. That is approximately one-tenth of the prescribed limit that will apply after 2020. And even when driving in particularly challenging urban conditions, where test parameters are well in excess of legal requirements, the average emissions of the Bosch test vehicles are as low as 40 milligrams per kilometer. Bosch engineers have achieved this decisive breakthrough over the past few months.)

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Plastic Can Be Recycled?

This plastic can be recycled over and over and over again

There's a great future in plastics. A new kind of plastic can, when exposed to the right chemicals, break down into the same basic building blocks that it came from and be rebuilt again and again. The recyclable material is more durable than previous attempts to create reusable plastics, researchers report inthe April 27 Science.

From article, (A new kind of plastic can, when exposed to the right chemicals, break down into the same basic building blocks that it came from and be rebuilt again and again. The recyclable material is more durable than previous attempts to create reusable plastics, researchers report inthe April 27 Science.

Designing plastics that can be easily reused is one line of attack against the global plastic waste problem. Only about 10 percent of plastic ever made gets recycled, according to a 2017 study in Science Advances. But the material is so cheap and useful that hundreds of millions of tons of it keeps getting churned out each year.

A major impediment to plastic recycling is that most plastics degrade into molecules that aren’t immediately useful. Transforming those molecules back into plastic or into some other product requires many chemical reactions, which makes the recycling process less efficient. 
And while biodegradable plastics have become popular in recent years, they break down only if the right microbes are present. More often than not, these plastics end up lingering in landfills or floating in the ocean. Creating plastics that could be broken down into their building blocks and reused without additional processing and purifying could help reduce the pollution buildup.

 Zhu and his colleagues modified one of their previous creations, a small ringed molecule, by adding another ring in a way that braced the molecule into a particular conformation. 

That rigidity helped the monomers quickly link together at room temperature into polymer chains that are heat-stable.

Then, when exposed to certain mild chemicals or high enough heat, the polymers degraded back into monomers. The researchers were able to repeat this cycle several times, showing that, in theory, the polymer could be infinitely recyclable.

While each monomer is locked into a particular conformation, not all of them have the same shape even though they’re made from the same chemical recipe. Mixing two different conformations of monomers created an even stronger plastic, says Zhu.

“This is probably the best system out there,” Shaver says.
Still, it’s not perfect yet: Zhu and his colleagues plan to tinker with the monomer design more in the future to make the resulting plastic a bit less brittle. Eventually, they hope to commercialize the product.)

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China Wants to Take Over the Moon.

China lays out its ambitions to colonize the moon and build a "lunar palace"

In one of China's most famous folktales, a woman named Chang'e flew to the moon after consuming an elixir of immortality, choosing to live in a lunar palace so she could remain close to her husband on earth. Inspired by the thousand-year-old fairy tale, China has ambitions to build a real-life lunar palace on the...

 From article, (In one of China’s most famous folktales, a woman named Chang’e flew to the moon after consuming an elixir of immortality, choosing to live in a lunar palace so she could remain close to her husband on earth.

Inspired by the thousand-year-old fairy tale, China has ambitions to build a real-life lunar palace on the moon, according to its space agency. The China National Space Administration released a video (link in Chinese) on April 24, the country’s third space day, laying out its plans to build a scientific outpost on the moon.

“China’s dream of residing in a lunar palace will soon become a reality,” said the video, which recapped the country’s achievements and plans in space.

The proposed lunar outpost would be made of multiple tube-shaped cabins where scientists would live and conduct their research. The agency didn’t provide a specific timeframe, but Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China’s moon-exploration project, told state broadcaster CCTV in March that it could happen by 2030 (link in Chinese). The ideal location would be the moon’s south pole, which might have water and enough sunlight, he added.)

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Volvo to make 50% of Car Sales the Electric Kind

Volvo Says Electric Cars Will Account For 50 Percent Of Its Sales By 2025

Following the declaration that every car it makes will get a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric variant beginning in 2019, Volvo now says that all-electric cars will make up 50 percent of its sales by 2025. That's an ambitious target for an automaker that doesn't have any all-electric cars in its lineup right now.

From article, (Following the declaration that every car it makes will get a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric variant beginning in 2019, Volvo now says that all-electric cars will make up 50 percent of its sales by 2025. That's an ambitious target for an automaker that doesn't have any all-electric cars in its lineup right now.

Volvo made the announcement at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, and the plan seems to be geared toward the Chinese market. China will introduce an emissions-credit system in 2019 that will require automakers to sell specific amounts of electric cars. In a press release, Volvo noted that the Chinese government wants so-called "new energy vehicles" (including battery-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles) to account for 20 percent of the country's annual car sales by 2025.

Emissions standards in the United States will also get stricter over the next few years but, given the uncertain fate of standards for 2022-2025, the lack of a comprehensive U.S. government plan to promote electric cars, and the larger size of the Chinese new-car market, China is likely Volvo's priority.)

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More Info on SpaceX's Starlink

SpaceX's Shotwell: Starlink internet will cost about $10 billion and 'change the world'

CLOSE SpaceX is expected to spend billions on its ambitious goal to construct a massive constellation of internet-beaming satellites that will "change the world," the company's president and chief operating officer said during a conference earlier this month.

 From article, (SpaceX is expected to spend billions on its ambitious goal to construct a massive constellation of internet-beaming satellites that will "change the world," the company's president and chief operating officer said during a conference earlier this month.

The project, known as Starlink in federal filings, aims to launch thousands of satellites on SpaceX rockets to low Earth orbit that can eventually beam internet connectivity back down, bypassing the need for complicated ground-based infrastructure. Users, according to the federal documents, need only have a laptop-sized terminal to gain connectivity to the constellation of nearly 12,000 minifridge-sized satellites.

"We actually don't chat very much about this particular project," SpaceX's Gwynne Shotwell said during a newly released Technology, Entertainment, Design discussion, also known as a TED Talk. "This is probably one of the most challenging – if not the most challenging – projects we've undertaken."

"It'll cost the company about $10 billion or more to deploy this system," she said.

The statements by Shotwell came nearly a month after SpaceX secured critical authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to begin constructing the constellation. SpaceX, the FCC said, must launch 50 percent of its proposed 4,425 satellites by 2024 and fully complete that first phase by 2027.)

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Tunnel in Seattle Instead of a Ferry? Cool!

A tunnel under Puget Sound? Not as crazy as you'd think

SEATTLE -- An idea being floated this week to Kitsap County commissioners would connect Seattle and Bainbridge Island with a 15-minute drive rather than waiting for a ferry. Instead, you'd go under the water in a tunnel. The retired civil engineer that's pioneering this idea says there's already deeper tunnels, longer tunnels and tunnels in more seismically active areas.

 From article ,(An idea being floated this week to Kitsap County commissioners would connect Seattle and Bainbridge Island with a 15-minute drive rather than waiting for a ferry. Instead, you'd go under the water in a tunnel.

The retired civil engineer that's pioneering this idea says there's already deeper tunnels, longer tunnels and tunnels in more seismically active areas. He says it makes sense in so many ways, including helping the native orcas, saving taxpayer dollars and even helping the economy on both sides of the water.

"A light bulb went off,"  says Bob Ortblad, who is retired from civil engineering but still teaches a class at UW on the history of infrastructure. So when a recent ferry trip to Martha's Vineyard cost him $137 but an Icelandic tunnel going the same distance only cost him less than $10, it got him thinking. 

"Starting looking at the Washington State Ferry system, which is highly subsidized," says Ortblad. "A round-trip ticket for car and driver to Bainbridge really should be closer to $75-$100."
So, he's pitching an idea to build a tunnel. So far the Seattle resident of 40 years has pitched it to the Washington State Transportation Commission and later this week to officials in Kitsap County.  
The tunnel would go from Seattle's Smith Cove, under Magnolia Hill, four miles under Puget Sound and resurface on Bainbridge Island.

It would be much like the Eiksund Tunnel in Norway, completed in 2008, which goes a longer distance but a similar depth of about 800-900 feet. Based on the costs, he says, each two-lane tube would cost about $400 million.) 

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SpaceX Expands Rocket Testing Facility

SpaceX execs bullish on BFR as Mars rocket test facilities expand in Texas [photos]

Aerial observations of SpaceX's McGregor, Texas testing facilities on April 17 revealed an unusually frenetic level of construction and expansion centered around Raptor - the rocket engine intended to power BFR and SpaceX to Mars - and a new test-stand, the purpose of which is currently unknown.

From article, (Aerial observations of SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas testing facilities on April 17 revealed an unusually frenetic level of construction and expansion centered around Raptor – the rocket engine intended to power BFR and SpaceX to Mars – and a new test-stand, the purpose of which is currently unknown.

With a minimum of 1200 seconds of hot-fires under its belt, SpaceX’s Raptor propulsion program is likely rapidly approaching the end of what is best described as the experimental phase of testing. While this has not been communicated by SpaceX, it is a logical conclusion following several recent developments. Namely the true beginning of BFR test article fabrication and an impressively bullish level of commitment and confidence in the fully reusable launch system demonstrated in the last few months alone by CEO Elon Musk and President/COO Gwynne Shotwell. While Musk is infamous both within and beyond his companies for painfully impractical development timelines, he demonstrated some level of growing consciousness of that fallibility at 2018’s SXSW, stating that he was working on recalibrating his expectations. Without taking a breath, he reiterated his anticipation for short hop tests of the first full-scale spaceship prototype in the first half of 2019.

While anyone familiar with Musk’s timeline antics may roll their eyes and laugh, far more shocking was Shotwell’s sudden pivot towards a new sense of optimism for the BFR program. At Satellite Conference 2018, the typically reserved and pragmatic executive confirmed beyond any doubt that she had become aggressively bullish on the Mars rocket, stating that she believed the spaceship would be ready for suborbital testing in 2019, while the booster-spaceship system could potentially reach orbit by 2020. )

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Relax your Pacemaker Wont Go Off When you Drive These EV's.

Magnetic fields in electric cars don't seem to cause pacemaker...

By Lisa Rapaport(Reuters Health) - Electromagnetic fields produced by motors in electric cars don't appear strong enough to interfere with implanted heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, a small German study suggests. All electric motors can produce electromagnetic fields.

From article, (Electromagnetic fields produced by motors in electric cars don’t appear strong enough to interfere with implanted heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, a small German study suggests.

 All electric motors can produce electromagnetic fields. If these fields are strong enough, they have the potential to disrupt the normal function of implanted heart devices, researchers note in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Pacemaker malfunctions might cause the heart to stop beating with potentially fatal results, while defibrillators might respond to electromagnetic fields by delivering unnecessary shocks to patients’ hearts, causing pain and anxiety.

For the study, researchers measured the magnetic field strength in four electric cars with the largest market share in Europe: the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 85S, and the Volkswagen e-up!

They also assessed how well pacemakers and defibrillators worked for 108 patients with these implanted cardiac devices who sat in the cars during simulated driving and charging tests.

None of the cars appeared to interfere with patients’ heart devices, the study found.)

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