Lifeboat Foundation

Something is killing-off galaxies by preventing the birth of stars—and astronomers now think they know why.

While studying 51 galaxies in a “galaxy-cluster” called the Virgo Cluster an international team of scientists have found that molecular gas—the fuel for new stars—is being “swept away by a huge cosmic broom.”

Exactly what is preventing nearby galaxies from birthing new stars has been a long-standing mystery in astrophysics. The new paper, now available online, blames the extreme environment of the Virgo Cluster. It’s been accepted by the journal Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

The interest of the US air force has been caught by the tech company Twelve’s project that allows the manufacture of a carbon-neutral aviation fuel called E-Jet. It can be used at any place, and it uses carbon dioxide from the air, water, and renewable energy.

Usually, the supply lines of energy, fuel, and water are the main targets for the opposing forces. The US Air Force stated that the attacks on fuel and water convoys in Afghanistan amounted to 30 percent of coalition casualties.

This process is being called “industrial photosynthesis” and makes use of the polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis. It is a kind of inverted fuel cell, with a metal catalyst installed on a cathode to break down carbon dioxide and water into their component ions and then convert them into oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide.

Solar activity can heat up so much, in fact, that the Sun’s magnetic poles end up flipping, blasting off massive amounts of solar material in the process.

The strongest X-class solar flare ever recorded was an X28-class flare, meaning that it was 28 times more powerful than the October 28 flare, according to NASA. It may have been even more powerful than that, as the sensors cut out at that level.

These events are the biggest explosions in the solar system and can release as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs, according to NASA. So even though the Sun enables life on Earth, don’t ever forget its potential for terrible destruction as well.

Wellington International Airport officials believe it may be the longest distance flown in an electric plane across any body of water.

“It’s a very exciting day for the airport. A world-record-setting day,” said spokesperson Jenna Raeburn.

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Continue reading “New Zealand strait crossed for first time” »

China’s economy — the 2nd-largest in the world — is teetering on the brink of disaster.

Since this spring, Beijing has canceled initial public offerings, fined tech companies billions for antitrust violations, forcibly shut down China’s entire for-profit education industry, and sent CEOs running for the exits to avoid the government’s ire. Even more dire, the Chinese megadeveloper Evergrande recently started missing payments on its more than $300 billion in debt, shaking global markets. The convulsions have woken the world up to a startling new possibility — that Beijing may be willing to allow some of its private corporate behemoths to collapse in a bid to reshape the economic model that made China a superpower.

Continue reading “If China’s economy keeps stumbling, it won’t just take down Beijing — the whole world will collapse with it” »

We have developed an absolute radiometer to measure laser power by means of radiation pressure in a closed control-loop configuration using diamagnetically levitated pyrolytic graphite as the soft spring and gravity as a contactless restoring force. Our approach takes advantage of an extremely low spring stiffness (2.95 mN/m) afforded by diamagnetic levitation above a permanent magnet array and a lock-in amplifier in the feedback loop to attain a 30mWrms noise. A horizontally directed laser beam impinges on a highly reflective dielectric stack mirror mounted on the levitating pyrolytic graphite shuttle. The light’s momentum displaces the shuttle, and its position is restored by tilting the magnet array with a piezoelectric actuator. The closed-loop configuration avoids the need for accurate knowledge of the system spring stiffness or environmental dependencies of the diamagnetic levitation. Absolute laser power measured is traceable to the mass of the diamagnetically levitating shuttle system, the local gravitational acceleration, and the interferometrically measured tilt angle of the magnet array. The system is demonstrated with a laser power of 2.7 W, yielding a combined relative expanded uncertainty (k=2) of 1.9%. The upper limit of measurable power is determined by the range of the piezoelectric actuator, and the minimum power is currently limited by the noise floor that is constrained by air currents.

Scientists are experimenting with technologies for creating rocket fuel on Mars. The studies could also help combat greenhouse gas emissions on Earth.

Humanity’s quest to set foot on Mars is one of its most ambitious and complex endeavors. Yet, despite all the innovative ideas and intricate technology this goal requires, we may be able to achieve it by improving what we already know how to do. A number of research projects attempt to figure out how to we can utilize the exis… See more.

Dubbed GEH2, the hydrogen system has a size of 1,150×2,200x3350mm and weighs in at 3.5 tons. It features IP43 ingress protection and is able to operate at temperatures between-5 and 45 degrees Celsius. Its output voltage is between 230 and 400 V.

The generator has a power of 110 kVA and its lifetime is guaranteed for two years or 15,000 hours. Its autonomy at 50% of prime running power is around eight hours. It can be started instantaneously and also features a double adduction system that allows continuous operation.

The contract is aimed at design demonstration, says the awardee.

The U.S. Army has moved a step closer to a future where it uses directed energy weapons to counter its adversaries. The Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) of the U.S. Army has awarded a contract to General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing to develop a prototype of a 300kW-class laser weapon system, a press release said.

In its efforts to strengthen its Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD), the U.S. military is using multiple approaches. Earlier this week, we reported that General Dynamics was teaming up with Epirus Inc., to deliver a directed energy weapon using high-power microwave technology. The weapon developed through this collaboration will find its way on the Stryker combat vehicles that General Dynamics makes for the U.S. Army.