Lifeboat Foundation

For Army scientists, the goal of neuroscience research is pursuing the inner workings of the human brain to advance scientific understanding and improve Soldier performance.

Researchers recently applied new techniques to modify brain activity. Not only are these techniques used to characterize and study complex networks such as in telecommunications or social networks—they describe how different nodes, or elements of the network: brain regions in neuroscience, or individuals in social networks, interact with each other.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory, in collaboration with academic partners, collaborated on a neurostimulation study, where they safely and non-invasively modified brain activity and then characterized the dynamics of the brain’s response to this modification. This research provides some of the foundational knowledge for future technologies that may one day expedite cognitive processes. The journal Network Neuroscience published the recent discoveries.

Most existing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) integrate graphite anodes, which have a capacity of approximately 350 milliamp hours (mAh) per gram. The capacity of silicon anodes is almost 10 times higher than that of their graphite counterparts (around 2,800 mAh per gram), and could thus theoretically enable the development of more compact and lighter lithium-based batteries.

Despite their higher capacity, silicon anodes have so far been unable to compete with graphite anodes, as silicon expands and contracts during battery operation, so the anodes’ outer protective layer can easily crack while a battery is operating. In a recent paper published in Nature Energy, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland College Park and Army Research Laboratory has reported a new electrolyte design that could overcome the limitations of existing silicon anodes.

“Silicon anodes and their formed solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) protecting layers are easier to pulverize during battery operation, because the SEI strongly bonds to Si, so both experience a large volume of changes,” Ji Chen, one of the leading researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org.

The C20 will replace the C8 as the personal defence weapon for Canadian Forces sniper teams, confirmed Department of National Defence spokeswoman Andrée-Anne Poulin.

The government will also launch a competition sometime this month to buy 229 bolt action sniper rifles. That rifle, designated as the C21, will be used for long-range shooting and will come in two different calibres.

The Canadian Forces says the new C20, which will be in 7.62 calibre, will be more accurate and an improvement over the current C8 used by sniper teams.

The Borei-A class Knyaz Vladimir is out for sea trials again and could get commissioned very soon after years of delays.

Last week, the Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a face-off along the LAC in north Sikkim.

Meet the fascinating Avro Avrocar.

By Caleb Larson

The JL-3, which could reach the United States if launched from the Chinese coast, is expected to be used to arm Type 096 submarines.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency plans to launch the first experimental satellites of the Blackjack program in late 2020 and early 2021, the agency said May 11.

DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office started the Blackjack program in 2018 to show the military utility of low Earth orbit constellations and mesh networks of low-cost satellites.

As many as 20 satellites will be launched by 2022.

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) announces that the Camcopter S100 VTOL UAV is now fully integrated with French Navy Mistral-class LHD Dixmude, stressing that for the first time in Europe, a rotary wing UAV is fully operational and connected to the combat system of a warship.