Errymath

Cyborgs with superhuman strength move a step closer after scientists combine muscles made from living tissue with a machine

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsLyhEqmiLUImREn86N44XGAnGCONUNkYPpshqzRyZzGHstD8GGsFS3JKVzrikecb6unKmmFENvjjRaXwIJHIDldy9_9sT73i-5Zy5yxk2KfognnajE3twxkzYSFzTMvVXuJwds0Hnjo/s1600/cyborgs+with+superhuman+strength+move+a+step+closer+after+scientists+combine+muscles+made+from+living+tissue+with+a+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="634" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsLyhEqmiLUImREn86N44XGAnGCONUNkYPpshqzRyZzGHstD8GGsFS3JKVzrikecb6unKmmFENvjjRaXwIJHIDldy9_9sT73i-5Zy5yxk2KfognnajE3twxkzYSFzTMvVXuJwds0Hnjo/s640/cyborgs+with+superhuman+strength+move+a+step+closer+after+scientists+combine+muscles+made+from+living+tissue+with+a+machine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Biorobotics is a developing area of
 science which aims to combine the best of the natural world with the 
best of the field of robotics. A new study succeeded in merging muscle 
fibres to a robotic skeleton</div>
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</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Human-robot hybrids could be in the 
pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres 
with a robotic skeleton.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Previous attempts at this have been short-lived and prone to failure. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A
 new study took a different approach and grew the muscles from scratch, 
instead of taking a muscle that had grown inside an animal.</div>
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This
 discovery could pave the way for superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say
 larger-scale applications are at least a decade away.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font mol-style-bold">
The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue.  </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A common issue facing scientists before was that the muscles had a tendency to lose their strength and shrink.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Lead author Yuya Morimoto, of the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science, overcame these issues.</div>
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His new method ensures the muscles are stronger and more durable than previous attempts.  </div>
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 <img alt="Human-robot hybrids could be in the pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres with a robotic skeleton. This discovery could pave the way for superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say larger-scale applications are at least a decade away" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="379" id="i-611bace2db55690b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/17/4CC2A11B00000578-5783583-image-a-93_1527696726851.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
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<div class="imageCaption">
Human-robot hybrids could be in the
 pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres
 with a robotic skeleton. This discovery could pave the way for 
superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say larger-scale applications are at 
least a decade away</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
  </div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To do this, the researchers needed to use special sheets which contained myoblasts - muscle precursor cells - from rats.</div>
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Over the course of ten days, the muscles slowly grew on the skeleton.</div>
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The muscles were eight mm long in total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN.</div>
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Full range of motion of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move a plastic ring.   </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1698212.html"></iframe>
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The muscles survived and functioned well for more than a week, far exceeding what others had done previously.  </div>
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'Once
 we had built the muscles, we successfully used them as antagonistic 
pairs in the robot, with one contracting and the other expanding, just 
like in the body,' study corresponding author Shoji Takeuchi says. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'The
 fact that they were exerting opposing forces on each other stopped them
 shrinking and deteriorating, like in previous studies.' </div>
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<br /></div>
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 <img alt="The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="358" id="i-fd3a4da7eb649ae4" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC987700000578-5783583-image-m-87_1527689049698.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
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<div class="imageCaption">
The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
For simplicity, the researchers used antagonistic pairs to demonstrate the functionality of the hybrid. </div>
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These are pairs of muscles which work in direct opposition to one another in order to perform a simple function.</div>
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For example, the bicep and tricep form an antagonistic pair as they work in opposition to either straighten the arm or bend it.  </div>
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 <img alt="The new method ensures the muscles are stronger and more durable than previous attempts. Rather than extract and use a muscle that had fully formed in the body, the team opted to built one from scratch" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="354" id="i-65fa38a661c74470" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC986D00000578-5783583-image-m-90_1527689080759.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The new method ensures the muscles 
are stronger and more durable than previous attempts. Rather than 
extract and use a muscle that had fully formed in the body, the team 
opted to built one from scratch</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 scientists hope to build on their success and develop ever more complex
 arrangements of the human body to replicate with their biohybrid. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Our
 findings show that, using this antagonistic arrangement of muscles, 
these robots can mimic the actions of a human finger,' lead author Yuya 
Morimoto says. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'If we can combine more
 of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce 
the complex muscular interplay that allow hands, arms, and other parts 
of the body to function.' </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr Murimoto 
told MailOnline that although this result is promising 'ten years are 
required' before larger-scale robotic applications will be a reality. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/" target="_blank">dailymail</a></div>
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 <img alt="The muscles were eight mm long in total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN. Full range of motion of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move a plastic ring" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="424" id="i-319cdc7d18376108" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC988400000578-5783583-image-m-91_1527689112196.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The muscles were eight mm long in 
total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN. Full range of motion 
of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move
 a plastic ring</div>
</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1698214.html"></iframe>
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Cyborgs with superhuman strength move a step closer after scientists combine muscles made from living tissue with a machine

Biorobotics is a developing area of science which aims to combine the best of the natural world with the best of the field of robotics...

KF-X Fighter Key Points Program

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<img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="400" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumNdNsJ_uPuHkN-8b6nOeJ7XiI2Mczm8mKJHr_qXhgv4azQsvxQZm7TPlqxWULh9DQJyWFM8BzWP2bOos0PGvLq6HPyIFFI4xmISdncaiS4q5vrK-dydlxE0lvySePE0L5Hh8EgeTLSc/s640/Key+Points+of+KF-X+and+IF-X+Fighter+Program.JPG" width="640" /><br />
KF-X Block 3<br />
<br />
The project goes ahead, the 1st step will involve picking a foreign 
development partner, and the next step will involve choosing between 1 
of 2 competing designs. The C103 design’s conventional fighter layout 
would look somewhat like the F-35, while the C203 design follows the 
European approach and uses forward canards in a stealth-shaped airframe.
 It’s likely that the choice of their foreign development partner will 
determine the design choice pursued.<br />
<br />
<b>KF-X Block 1</b><br />
Either aircraft would be a twin-engine fighter weighing around 10.4 
tonnes, with stealth shaping. In order to keep ambitions within the 
bounds of realism, KFX Block 1 fighters would only have to meet the 
radar cross-section of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet or Eurofighter 
Typhoon. Sources have used figures of 0.1 – 1.0 square meters.<br />

Note that even this specification amounts to developing a plane similar 
to or more advanced than the JAS-39E/F Gripen, from a lower 
technological base, with less international help on key components, all 
for less development money than a more experienced firm needed to spend.
 South Korea’s own KIDA takes a similar view, questioning the country’s 
technical readiness for something this complicated, and noting an 
overall cost per aircraft that’s twice as much as similar imported 
fighters.<br />
<br />
<b>KF-X Block 2</b><br />
KFX Block 2 would add internal weapon bays. Present plans call for Block
 1 would be compatible with the bays, and hence upgradeable to Block 2 
status, but Block 1 planes wouldn’t begin with internal bays. The 
fighter’s size and twin-engine design offer added space compared to a 
plan like the Gripen, but this feature will still be a notable design 
challenge. Additional tolerance and coating improvements are envisioned 
to reduce stealth to the level of an F-117: about 0.025 square meters.<br />
<br /><b>
KF-X Block 3</b><br />
KFX Block 3 would aim for further stealth improvements to the level of the B-2 bomber or F-35.<br />
No timeline has been discussed for Block 2 and Block 3 improvements. At 
this stage of the program, any dates given would be wildly unreliable 
anyway.<br />
<br />
The ROK Agency for Defense Development says that if full-scale 
development begins in October 2014, the 1st KF-X Block 1 prototype 
flight wouldn’t take place until September 2020. Based on the history of
 other programs, the new plane would be hard pressed to enter service 
before 2025. (DefenseIndustryDaily)<br />
<br />
Block 1 for Indonesia, Block 2 & 3 for Korea.<br />
"At this point, there is almost no difference between KF-X and IF-X shapes," says the official.<br />

Still, the South Korean and Indonesian examples are likely to be 
different. Previously, officials have said that a Block I configuration 
without stealth coatings and the ability to carry weapons internally 
will go to Indonesia. South Korea will have a Block II aircraft, with 
stealth coatings and weapons bays.<br />
<br />
Seoul will also develop indigenous capabilities in key areas where it 
failed to obtain export licences from the US, an early stumbling block 
for the programme. These include the jet's active electronically scanned
 array (AESA), which will be developed with Israeli assistance, infrared
 search & track (IRST), electro-optical targeting, and the 
aircraft's electronic warfare suite.<br />
<br /></div>

KF-X Fighter Key Points Program

KF-X Block 3 The project goes ahead, the 1st step will involve picking a foreign development partner, and the next step will involve ch...

Researchers reveal solar-powered tiles that can create enough energy to power entire cities

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPBUpiQZOl_vG58e2GOyxp9V0r0roweNtBi0Q4nSmC6eswowGLksq-gl_a-HLDyJPbQfOY7cVHG21JaHZSZ7EPlxBxehMtrIJ4OWoX9JFJ1FxBG1_kAVPWoSkxC__FInX68h6ZzOtdSc/s1600/Solar_powered_tiles_could_soon_line_pavements_harnessing_the_sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="634" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPBUpiQZOl_vG58e2GOyxp9V0r0roweNtBi0Q4nSmC6eswowGLksq-gl_a-HLDyJPbQfOY7cVHG21JaHZSZ7EPlxBxehMtrIJ4OWoX9JFJ1FxBG1_kAVPWoSkxC__FInX68h6ZzOtdSc/s640/Solar_powered_tiles_could_soon_line_pavements_harnessing_the_sun.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
A computer generated image of what a walkway by the Arabian Gulf in 
Doha, Qatar could look like<br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Solar-powered tiles could soon line pavements, harnessing the sun's energy to power our cities. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
At
 least that's the vision of Scottish scientists who are working on 
creating paving tiles that converts energy from the sun into 
electricity.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Scientists say the tiles are tough enough to withstand pedestrian traffic and waterproof enough to survive rainy weather.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A 
team, including scientists at Glasgow Caledonian University, have 
invented the energy-producing tile which in their hundreds could line 
whole pavements.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
On sunny days the tiles could produce 200 watts of energy per square metre, and about 150 watts if cloudy.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Lead
 researcher Dr Azmy Gowaid and his team received £75,000 ($100,000) 
funding when organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar invited 
competitive bids for innovative designs that could deliver a tournament 
powered by as much renewable energy as possible.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The team of five scientists has already conducted a pilot study at the Al Shamal stadium in Qatar. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
They are planning to demonstrate its prototype either outside one of the World Cup venues or in a fan zone.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr
 Gowaid, who is a lecturer in Power Electronics at Glasgow Caledonian 
University, said: 'Qatar has a drive to deliver as much as possible a 
sustainable tournament and so they are keen to get some sort of 
renewable technology running alongside the tournament.'</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Prior
 to that, Dr Gowaid's project, called PVTopia, will be rolled out in the
 hotter climates of North Africa and the Middle East. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 tile’s innovative cooling system that prevents heat damage will be put 
to the test under severe surface temperatures reaching 80°C. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
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 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
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 <img alt="The tile, which comes at regular paving stone sizes, could light up the buildings we live and work in. Pictured is the same bit of pavement without solar panels. Pictured is the same walkway by the Arabian Gulf in Doha, Qatar as it currently looks" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="471" id="i-8fecdcc18001b0fc" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95C23700000578-5766641-The_tile_which_comes_at_regular_paving_stone_sizes_could_light_u-a-24_1527173843464.jpg" width="632" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The tile, which comes at regular 
paving stone sizes, could light up the buildings we live and work in. 
Pictured is the same bit of pavement without solar panels. Pictured is 
the same walkway by the Arabian Gulf in Doha, Qatar as it currently 
looks </div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
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 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="Pictured are early laboratory-test prototypes of the PVTopia solar tile. It is made of a tough resin and contains photovoltaic cells which convert the energy from the sun into a flow of electrons" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="356" id="i-f2a286f200f526e8" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95C15D00000578-5766641-Pictured_are_early_laboratory_test_prototypes_of_the_PVTopia_sol-a-25_1527173854833.jpg" width="633" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="imageCaption">
Pictured are early laboratory-test 
prototypes of the PVTopia solar tile. It is made of a tough resin and 
contains photovoltaic cells which convert the energy from the sun into a
 flow of electrons</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr Gowaid said: 'This is about cities generating their own energy rather than supplying the whole country's needs.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'You're
 looking – for a start - at the owners of residential houses or small 
commercial shops generating their energy on their own.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'If
 this is deployed amongst thousands and thousands of people then 
eventually the overall impact is going to relieve the (national) grid 
significantly.' </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The spread of solar energy means roof space will be a diminishing resource, Dr Gowaid said. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Meanwhile cities are getting more dense as electricity demand rises amid serious climate change challenges', he said.  </div>
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<br /></div>
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 <img alt="Scientists say the tiles are tough enough to withstand pedestrian traffic, and waterproof to deal with our rainy weather. Pictured is an artist's impression of walkable solar tiles laid in St Enoch pedestrian square in Glasgow" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="488" id="i-3ba74b37bd1b8c29" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95C05D00000578-5766641-image-a-27_1527173861798.jpg" width="632" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
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</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
 <span></span> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
 <span></span> </div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Scientists
 say the tiles are tough enough to withstand pedestrian traffic, and 
waterproof to deal with our rainy weather. Pictured is an artist's 
impression of walkable solar tiles laid in St Enoch pedestrian square in
 Glasgow</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt=" On sunny days the tiles could produce 200 watts of energy per square metre, and about 150 watts if cloudy. Pictured is St Enoch pedestrian square in Glasgow as it currently looks" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="357" id="i-6bdcdaeccccfbbf8" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95C06400000578-5766641-image-a-26_1527173856829.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
 On sunny days the tiles could 
produce 200 watts of energy per square metre, and about 150 watts if 
cloudy. Pictured is St Enoch pedestrian square in Glasgow as it 
currently looks</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr Gowaid points 
out that while the costs of the tiles can be double that of normal 
paving, the energy they produce means the installation costs will soon 
be met.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Once the break-even point is reached the tiles will continue producing power for another 15-20 years – for free.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr
 Gowaid said 'At low scale, say on a pavement of a street or general 
pedestrian walkways, the installation cost would be more than double the
 cost of paving stones. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'However, the 
generated revenue by feeding to street lighting, traffic systems, or 
simply selling energy to the electricity provider means the walkable 
solar pavement will be much cheaper than paving stones over the expected
 lifetime'.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="The team of five scientists has already conducted a pilot study at the Al Shamal stadium in Qatar. Pictured are the tiles during lab tests" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="475" id="i-5a5247a01783f4bc" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95BF7900000578-5766641-image-a-28_1527173866815.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The team of five scientists has 
already conducted a pilot study at the Al Shamal stadium in Qatar. 
Pictured are the tiles during lab tests</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="Researchers are planning to demonstrate its prototype either outside one of the World Cup venues or in a fan zone. Pictured is a prototype " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="357" id="i-4f16d1371632a4c2" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/24/15/4C95C06800000578-5766641-image-a-29_1527173872814.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Researchers are planning to 
demonstrate its prototype either outside one of the World Cup venues or 
in a fan zone. Pictured is a prototype </div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Traditional
 solar panels are mostly limited to slanting roofs as they cannot be 
walked on and render any space they lie on useless for other purposes.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To
 generate energy from flat rooftops that are normally used for other 
purposes, walkable solar tiles are a potential alternative solution.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
As
 well as being made of a tough epoxy resin the tiles are also fitted in a
 hard frame from recyclable material that makes it very durable.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Should
 this prove successful, it is our dream that this product can eventually
 be installed at mass scale anywhere in the world – even in rainy old 
Glasgow,' said Dr Gowaid.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'We want to 
see the tiles contribute to the energy supply mix of stadia, other 
sporting facilities and beyond to public squares, pavements, schools and
 university campuses'.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Fatma Al Numai, 
of the Qatar tournament's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, 
said: 'We set up a legacy programme for exactly this reason – to support
 entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists like Dr Gowaid.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'What the team at PVTopia are doing is incredible and we can't wait to see everything in action at the World Cup'.</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3 class="mol-factbox-title">
HOW MIGHT SOLAR PANELS ALSO GENERATE ENERGY FROM RAIN?</h3>
</blockquote>
<div class="ins cleared mol-factbox-body">
 <blockquote>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A
 new type of solar panel cell that generates energy from rain as well as
 the sun's rays could be used in countries that see little sunshine.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A
 prototype recently developed by Chinese scientists works like a normal 
silicon cell with an extra power generator layered on top.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
In
 the rain, the cell switches over to this 'triboelectric nanogenerator' 
(Teng), which converts the downward force exerted by raindrops into 
electricity. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Because the plastics used
 to make the Teng are transparent, the solar cell could still generate 
energy from sunlight, as well as falling raindrops.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The physics behind the hybrid device involves the transfer of electrons between two conducting materials when they make contact.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
When
 raindrops fall on the cell, they compress the upper Teng layer, 
generating a current of electrons that flows to an electrode below.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
It
 could be useful in areas that see little sunshine, such as the UK, 
which can produce up to 8GW of solar power on sunny days - a quarter of 
the nation's power demand - but just 1GW of power on dull days in 
winter. </div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br />
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<br />
<br /></div>

Researchers reveal solar-powered tiles that can create enough energy to power entire cities

A computer generated image of what a walkway by the Arabian Gulf in Doha, Qatar could look like Solar-powered tiles could soon line p...

CRISPR gene therapy produce rice with 25-31% higher yield

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hH3ZIm4TnmoflT8ZMzEgWHd8ts4HJYnWPXAP5QRoo83NHdOQg9lajDEi1ylwqUNgWSD1H4e5XOXz65Yzk0GOqnRVD-FUR610cmskqzmJ7hDb2PMYK1s1M6txoGovud8Q3pbQ_5QdJU0/s1600/7dc4255b58595df749b8a69e92512582-730x430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="730" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hH3ZIm4TnmoflT8ZMzEgWHd8ts4HJYnWPXAP5QRoo83NHdOQg9lajDEi1ylwqUNgWSD1H4e5XOXz65Yzk0GOqnRVD-FUR610cmskqzmJ7hDb2PMYK1s1M6txoGovud8Q3pbQ_5QdJU0/s640/7dc4255b58595df749b8a69e92512582-730x430.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Jian-Kang Zhu’s research team used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing 
technology to silence a suite of genes in rice, leading to a variety 
that yields as much as 31 percent more grain.</i><br />
<br />
A <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q2/crispr-edited-rice-plants-produce-major-boost-in-grain-yield.html" target="_blank">team of scientists</a> from Purdue University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing
 technology to develop a variety of rice that produces 25-31 percent 
more grain and would have been virtually impossible to create through 
traditional breeding methods.<br />
<br />
The team, led by Jian-Kang Zhu, a distinguished professor in the 
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue and 
director of the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology at the Chinese 
Academy of Sciences, made mutations to 13 genes associated with the 
phytohormone abscisic acid, known to play roles in plant stress 
tolerance and suppression of growth. Of several varieties created, one 
produced a plant that had little change in stress tolerance but produced
 25 percent more grain in a field test in Shanghai, China, and 31 
percent more in a field test conducted on China’s Hainan Island.<br />
<br />
Zhu’s team, which includes Purdue’s Ray A. Bressan, a distinguished 
professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, 
and researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, silenced suites of
 pyrabactin resistance 1 (PYR1)/PYR1-like (PYL)/regulatory components of
 ABA receptor (ACAR) genes, or simply, PYL genes. These genes enhance 
tolerance of abiotic stresses, such as drought, soil salinity and other 
environmental factors, but also inhibit growth.<br />
<br />
Since plants have evolved to create genetic redundancies, especially 
for traits required for survival, knocking out one gene in the PYL 
family might not have much effect on stress tolerance or growth since 
redundant genes can kick in to provide a similar function. Crafting the 
right knockout combination, however, led to a plant that uses just the 
right redundancies to hold onto its stress-tolerance characteristics but
 reduces the growth inhibition.<br />
“There is lots of evidence that although each PYL gene may have an 
individual specialty in function, by and large they also share some 
common functions,” Zhu said. “When you remove one, others will function 
as a replacement.”<br />
<br />
The CRISPR/Cas9 technology allows plant breeders to quickly and 
accurately snip portions of DNA out of a sequence, editing the DNA code.
 The method allowed Zhu’s team to modify multiple genes at one time, 
something that would have taken decades to do with traditional methods 
without a guarantee that the resulting plants would have the desired 
characteristics.<br />
<br />
“You couldn’t do targeted mutations like that with traditional plant 
breeding. You’d do random mutations and try to screen out the ones you 
don’t want,” Bressan said. “It would have taken millions of plants. 
Basically, it’s not feasible. This is a real accomplishment that could 
not have been done without CRISPR.”<br />
<br />
The improved rice plants created in these experiments come from a 
common research line. The next step is to use CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the 
same genes in elite varieties of rice to determine if those will also 
show similarly improved yield.<br />
“If this holds true for the varieties that farmers currently use, 
this big increase in yield would be very important,” Zhu said. “It would
 really help produce a lot more grains to feed more people.”<br />
<br />
<b>Significance</b><br />
Climate change is challenging plant agriculture and our ability to 
manage food security. Crop growth and yield are controlled by several 
phytohormones and their overlapping signal networks. We report here an 
unexpected aspect of the abscisic acid (ABA) signal network that 
directly impacts rice productivity. Simultaneously mutating the genes 
encoding the ABA receptors pyrabactin resistance 1-like 1 (PYL1), PYL4, 
and PYL6 causes improved growth and increased grain yield in rice. Our 
work thus reveals an important role of these ABA receptors in growth 
control and a genetic strategy to improve rice yield.<br />
<br />
<b>Abstract</b><br />
Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key phytohormone that controls plant growth and
 stress responses. It is sensed by the pyrabactin resistance 1 
(PYR1)/PYR1-like (PYL)/regulatory components of the ABA receptor (RCAR) 
family of proteins. Here, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to edit 
group I (PYL1–PYL6 and PYL12) and group II (PYL7–PYL11 and PYL13) PYL 
genes in rice. Characterization of the combinatorial mutants suggested 
that genes in group I have more important roles in stomatal movement, 
seed dormancy, and growth regulation than those in group II. Among all 
of the single pyl mutants, only pyl1 and pyl12 exhibited significant 
defects in seed dormancy.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, high-order group I mutants, but
 not any group II mutants, displayed enhanced growth. Among group I 
mutants, pyl1/4/6 exhibited the best growth and improved grain 
productivity in natural paddy field conditions, while maintaining nearly
 normal seed dormancy. Our results suggest that a subfamily of rice PYLs
 has evolved to have particularly important roles in regulating plant 
growth and reveal a genetic strategy to improve rice productivity.<br />
<br /></div>

CRISPR gene therapy produce rice with 25-31% higher yield

Jian-Kang Zhu’s research team used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to silence a suite of genes in rice, leading to a variety that y...

A Star Wars Story - Movie Review

Rotten Tomatoes

Star Trek-style invisibility cloaks come a step closer after scientists find a way of making submarines undetectable by sonar

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttyvIJ_RkxE3dm8g2vRXCpJyu8rjZHiBvuKS2_u9sUBQab4HUaYByJ9EJNqXNU_dWKdEfOJCOSvTvLLnp-rwTqq95nYm_rogld4pROT7jFT3oyM1BgJnCHquao_Y1ErhbkLCllKyU_TU/s1600/4C0C64F900000578-0-image-a-4_1525951688969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="634" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttyvIJ_RkxE3dm8g2vRXCpJyu8rjZHiBvuKS2_u9sUBQab4HUaYByJ9EJNqXNU_dWKdEfOJCOSvTvLLnp-rwTqq95nYm_rogld4pROT7jFT3oyM1BgJnCHquao_Y1ErhbkLCllKyU_TU/s640/4C0C64F900000578-0-image-a-4_1525951688969.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Researchers developed the new material and incorporated it into a 
three-foot high prototype (pictured). Sonar works by firing soundwaves 
and listening for their 'echo', but the pyramid-shaped prototype was 
able to redirect redirecting approaching waves<br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Star Trek-style invisibility cloaks are a 
step closer to becoming reality after scientists developed a material 
that could make submarines invisible to sonar detectors.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The invention deflects sound waves without echoing them back meaning sonar equipment cannot detect it.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 device could lead to military submarines that are invisible to enemy 
sonar, paving the way for an invisibility cloak that deflects light like
 the device used by the Starship Enterprise spacecraft in the Star Trek 
film and TV franchise.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Radar-evading 
stealth aircraft are a fixture of the world's air forces but until now 
underwater craft able to hide from sonar have proved elusive.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University developed the new material and incorporated it into a three-foot high prototype.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Sonar works by firing soundwaves and listening for their 'echo', but the pyramid-shaped prototype was able to redirect<span style="font-size: 16px;"> approaching waves.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 16px;">Rather
 than deflecting off the object, the waves skirted around it without 
scattering any energy, rendering sonar technology useless.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To create the device, scientists 
engineered a new type of metamaterial - materials engineered in a lab to
 produce extraordinary properties not found in nature.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To
 work, the unit cell - the smallest component of the metamaterial - must
 be smaller than the acoustic wavelength of the sonar wave.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Study
 coauthor Dr Amanda Hanford said: 'These materials sound like a totally 
abstract concept, but the math is showing us that these properties are 
possible.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
<div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Star Trek cloaking devices (pictured) are a step closer to reality after scientists developed a material that could make submarines invisible. Until now underwater craft able to hide from sonar have proved elusive" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="359" id="i-91fad8d10afcdf46" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/10/12/4C0C64FD00000578-0-image-a-3_1525951667793.jpg" width="634" /><br />
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Star Trek cloaking devices 
(pictured) are a step closer to reality after scientists developed a 
material that could make submarines invisible. Until now underwater 
craft able to hide from sonar have proved elusive.</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<h3 class="mol-factbox-title">
HOW DID SCIENTISTS CREATE A MATERIAL THAT IS INVISIBLE TO SONAR?</h3>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Researchers at Pennsylvania State 
University designed and built a material that deflects the probing sound
 waves produced by sonar equipment.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Sonar works by firing sound waves and listening for their 'echo', but the pyramid-shaped prototype device was able to redirect<span style="font-size: 16px;"> approaching waves.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 16px;">Rather
 than deflecting off the object, the waves skirted around it without 
scattering any energy, rendering sonar technology useless.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To
 create the device, scientists engineered a new type of metamaterial - 
materials engineered in a lab to produce extraordinary properties not 
found in nature.</div>
To work, the unit cell
 - the smallest component of the metamaterial - must be smaller than the
 acoustic wavelength of the sonar wave.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'We are working to open the floodgates to see what we can create with these materials.'</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Until now most acoustic metamaterials have been designed to deflect sound waves in air.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Acoustic
 cloaking underwater is more complicated because water is more dense and
 doesn't compress as well as air, limiting engineering options.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
After multiple attempts, the team designed a three-foot-tall pyramid out of perforated steel plates.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
They then placed the structure on the floor of a large underwater research tank. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Inside the tank, they fired acoustic waves between 7,000 Hz and 12,000 Hz at the object and monitored the reflected waves.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
They
 found the phase and amplitude of the waves reflected from the cloaking 
device matched those reflected by the tank's surface - rendering the 
object invisible. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
These results 
demonstrated this material could make an object appear invisible to 
underwater instruments like sonar, the researchers said. <i><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/" target="_blank">dailymail</a></span></i></div>
<br />
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Star Trek-style invisibility cloaks come a step closer after scientists find a way of making submarines undetectable by sonar

Researchers developed the new material and incorporated it into a three-foot high prototype (pictured). Sonar works by firing soundwaves...

NASA supersonic X-plane that could fly from London to New York in THREE HOURS without producing a loud sonic boom

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AcEsInv2QPuHN55WH4JmnGLWS3GBuUObelF-PMnSvPP2LKOKeFRShoO6L9zy_aeDDjRIleqya0VHQz3tDG90Om8cRofP-JaaUpc8nGJKNyT8UCs6GeIx9SpIBkIdUEYqHU3XGLsQGi8/s1600/4928E9F300000578-5384865-image-a-2_1518511156358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="634" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AcEsInv2QPuHN55WH4JmnGLWS3GBuUObelF-PMnSvPP2LKOKeFRShoO6L9zy_aeDDjRIleqya0VHQz3tDG90Om8cRofP-JaaUpc8nGJKNyT8UCs6GeIx9SpIBkIdUEYqHU3XGLsQGi8/s640/4928E9F300000578-5384865-image-a-2_1518511156358.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Nasa is set to begin tests for its 1,100mph (1,770kph) 'Son of Concorde' commercial jet that can travel from <span class="class">London </span>to New York in just three hours.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 plane, dubbed the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight 
demonstrator (LBFD), aims to cut out the noise associated with 
supersonic travel.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Flights conducted by Nasa in November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic noises, a researcher has revealed.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'This project, QSF 18, is a test so we can
 test the methodology for future community response testing for projects
 like the LBFD,' said Larry Cliatt, principal investigator for Nasa.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
LBFD
 aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the 
era of Concorde, while travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 
1,700 km/h).</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The loud booms that rang out whenever a Concorde aircraft broke the sound barrier were often described as 'unsettling.'</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
LBFD, which Nasa is developing with 
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, will make its first flight in 2021 
if production goes according to plan.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 team hopes to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, 
similar to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance or a neighbour 
closing their door. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Before LBFD's first flight Nasa intends to simulate the sounds to gauge public responses to the aircraft's sonic booms.</div>
<br />
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="Flights conducted by Nasa in November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic noises above their homes, a Nasa researcher has revealed. Pictured is an artist's impression of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD)" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="422" id="i-a2fafbeb9c3ea638" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/09/4928F6AD00000578-5384865-image-a-14_1518512721492.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Flights conducted by Nasa in 
November will study the US public's reactions to 'quiet' supersonic 
noises above their homes, a Nasa researcher has revealed. Pictured is an
 artist's impression of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom
 flight demonstrator (LBFD)</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
With 
low boom flights, Nasa said it 'intends to gather data on how effective 
quiet supersonic technology is in terms of public acceptance.'</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Tests
 scheduled for November will see an F-18 fighter jet conduct a dive 
manoeuvre off the shores of Galveston, Texas - an island city near 
Houston.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The plane will dive 49,000 
feet (15,000 metres), briefly going supersonic and firing off the sound 
likely to come from LBFD aircraft.</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3 class="mol-factbox-title">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">HOW WILL NASA REDUCE SONIC BOOMS?</span></h3>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: white;">In
 a conventional supersonic aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, 
inlets, wings and other features come together as they move through the 
atmosphere into strong shocks emanating from the nose and tail.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: white;">These are known as bow and tail shocks, respectively.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: white;">As these shockwaves pass over the ground, air pressure rises sharply, declines, then rises rapidly again.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="background-color: white;">It's this that produces the classic 'double-bang' sonic boom.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="In a conventional supersonic aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, inlets, wings and other features come together as they move through the atmosphere into strong shocks emanating from the nose and tail" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="370" id="i-ef07951c093247ce" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/08/4928F6A500000578-5384863-image-a-1_1518510748688.jpg" width="586" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
In a conventional supersonic 
aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, inlets, wings and other 
features come together as they move through the atmosphere into strong 
shocks emanating from the nose and tail</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
 <span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
<blockquote>
Reshaping the aircraft to produce a longer, more slender shape is the best way to generate shockwaves of lower, more equal strength that do not form into such strong bow and tail shocks.<br />Nasa and other organisations are working on creating shapes to reduce sonic booms. <br />Stretching the nose to break the bow shock into a series of weaker shockwaves is particularly effective.<br />This lowers and spreads that initial pressure peak and softens the first bang of the sonic boom.</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'It's extremely exciting, and I expect the Galveston people will be excited, as well,' Mr Cliatt said. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
QueSST
 is the latest addition to the X-series of experimental aircraft and 
rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic 
concepts.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Their X designation indicates their research mission status within the US system of aircraft naming.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="The team hopes to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, similar to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance or a neighbour closing their door. This graphic compares the F18 sonic boom to the sonic 'thump' that Nasa aims to achieve in the future" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="311" id="i-268f97c51a5467a9" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/08/11/4BF7DBA100000578-5702735-The_team_hopes_to_reduce_the_sound_of_the_sonic_boom_to_a_quiet_-a-4_1525774133339.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The team hopes to reduce the sound 
of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, similar to the sound of thunder 
rumbling in the distance or a neighbour closing their door. This graphic
 compares the F18 sonic boom to the sonic 'thump' that Nasa aims to 
achieve in the future</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
This all 
dates back to Chuck Yeager's sound-barrier-breaking craft, the X-1, a 
rocket engine–powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, that 
achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 kmh) in 1948.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Nasa's vision for the LBFD was approved In the latest proposed US budget released by the <a class="class" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/budget-fy2019.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Office Of Management And Budget</a> In Washington, DC, in February.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The space agency was awarded $19.9 billion (£14.3bn) for the next year, $500 million (£360m) more than the previous year.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h3 class="mol-factbox-title">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">WHAT WAS CONCORDE?</span></h3>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It
 had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 
(1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 
128 passengers.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 and could seat 92 to 128 passengers " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="418" id="i-cc9cce6f0ff7e27" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/08/4928E9DF00000578-0-image-a-1_1518510156371.jpg" width="640" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Concorde was a turbojet-powered 
supersonic passenger jet that was operated until 2003. It had a maximum 
speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 and could seat 92 to 
128 passengers </div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde entered service in 1976 and continued flying for the next 27 years.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran for a much shorter 
period of time before it was grounded and retired due to safety and 
budget issues.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde
 was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British 
Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's 
name, meaning harmony or union, reflects the cooperation on the project 
between the United Kingdom and France. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In the UK, any or all of the type are known simply as 'Concorde', without an article. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Twenty aircraft were built including six prototypes and development aircraft.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Air
 France (AF) and British Airways (BA) each received seven aircraft. The 
research and development failed to make a profit and the two airlines 
bought the aircraft at a huge discount.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Concorde
 was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial 
aviation industry after the type's only crash in 2000, the September 11 
attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale
 and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1555879.html"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
It is not known what proportion of this will be spent on the supersonic aircraft project.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
QueSST will be used as a test bed for technologies that could make their way into commercial planes.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Writing
 in the latest budget, its authors said: 'The Budget fully funds the 
Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, an experimental supersonic airplane that 
would make its first flight in 2021. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'This
 'X-plane' would open a new market for US companies to build faster 
commercial airliners, creating jobs and cutting cross-country flight 
times in half. ' </div>
 
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other 
supersonic aircraft, such as the Concorde, a turbojet-powered supersonic
 passenger jet that was operated until 2003.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="LBFD aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 1,700 km/h). Pictured is an concept design of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD)" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="300" id="i-bf47c756470d7a79" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/02/13/09/4928E9E700000578-5384865-image-a-22_1518512820156.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
LBFD aims to cut out the noisy 
sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while 
travelling at speeds of 1,100mph (Mach 1.4 / 1,700 km/h). Pictured is an
 concept design of the Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom 
flight demonstrator (LBFD)</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The 
QueSST low-boom flight demonstrator (LBFD), or X-plane, aims to produce a
 much lower 'boom' than other supersonic aircraft at speeds beyond Mach 
1.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
It is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (1,100mph / 1,700 kph), 55,000 feet (10 miles) above the ground.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated 
with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and
 was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Recent
 research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be 
shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster 
than the speed of sound can generate a sound at ground level so quiet it
 will hardly will be noticed by the public, if at all.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 space agency is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other 
supersonic aircraft, such as the Anglo-French Concorde. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
In
 a written statement, a Nasa spokesman previously said the aim was to 
create a boom 'so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public, if at 
all... like distant thunder [or] the sound of your neighbor forcefully 
shutting his car door outside while you are inside.' </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
It's
 been decades since Nasa has worked on a manned supersonic X-plane, and 
after the contract is awarded, the winning team will undergo critical 
design review in 2019 to bring the plan closer to life.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Nasa is hoping to see the first flight tests take place in the first quarter of 2021. </div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1483393.html"></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>

NASA supersonic X-plane that could fly from London to New York in THREE HOURS without producing a loud sonic boom

Nasa is set to begin tests for its 1,100mph (1,770kph) 'Son of Concorde' commercial jet that can travel from London to New York...

Flying-wing bomber unveiling forecast by aviation experts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTfarPvcib97LjYxX38Ky4KcoYW4GtYFr7HA6gNCcPWm3uvYSU6vOAf5IfzeAvszUQeFi-1XLdOMEseowDUN9eEWG9C7UmjQLaJf39yAMmqCqwparFD_S64kTTSbV0CR1f2YfT_jmISg/s1600/TB2OciqquSSBuNjy0FlXXbBpVXa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="860" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTfarPvcib97LjYxX38Ky4KcoYW4GtYFr7HA6gNCcPWm3uvYSU6vOAf5IfzeAvszUQeFi-1XLdOMEseowDUN9eEWG9C7UmjQLaJf39yAMmqCqwparFD_S64kTTSbV0CR1f2YfT_jmISg/s640/TB2OciqquSSBuNjy0FlXXbBpVXa.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
<b>A new-generation long-range bomber </b>is likely <b>soon unveil</b>, aviation industry observers said amid disclosure of the plane’s appearance by its developer on <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201805/08/WS5af1b0a5a3105cdcf651cb2a.html" target="_blank">Tuesday</a>.<br />
<br />
Aviation Industry Corp of China, the nation’s leading aircraft maker, 
displayed a front view of what appears to be a flying-wing aircraft 
concept at the end of a promotional <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201805/08/WS5af1b0a5a3105cdcf651cb2a.html" target="_blank">video</a>. The video was published on 
its WeChat account to mark the 60th birthday of Xi’an Aircraft Industry,
 an AVIC subsidiary in Shaanxi province that is China’s major builder of
 bomber aircraft.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201805/08/WS5af1b0a5a3105cdcf651cb2a.html" target="_blank">video</a> shows an artistic rendering of a triangle-shaped plane under 
two English words and ellipses, “The Next……”. The scene closely 
resembles a moment in a 2015 promotional video from United States 
aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman that depicted 
what is now known as the B-21 Raider, the US’s next long-range, stealth 
strategic bomber.<br />
AVIC did not explain the six-second episode, placed at the end of the
 video in an unmistakable attempt to highlight the plane’s significance 
and mystery.<br />
<br />
Despite its brevity, the video seems to have ended debate among Chinese 
military fans and aviation industry observers on whether the country’s 
new bomber will adopt a conventional aerodynamic configuration or a 
flying-wing design previously used only by the Northrop Grumman B-2 
Spirit stealth bomber.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
China is likely to soon unveil one of its most anticipated weapons — a new-generation long-range <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bomber?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bomber</a>, aviation industry observers said amid disclosure of the plane’s appearance by its developer on Tuesday.</div>
—  (@ChinaDailyUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaDailyUSA/status/993936072441761793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Shi Jian, senior editor at Aviation World Monthly magazine, said the 
latest AVIC move indicates that the State-owned defense giant believes 
the new bomber’s design and technologies have advanced enough that the 
company wants to let people know of the program’s progress.<br />
He said the flying-wing design should not have been difficult for 
Chinese engineers when they designed the bomber, explaining the real 
challenges lie in the plane’s flight-control system and engines.<br />
<br />
Fu Qianshao, an aircraft expert said it will probably have an operational range of at least 12,000 kilometers and a maximum payload of 20 metric tons of bombs and missiles.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxqM4Y1jMK3EBNg51yXT4tB4zDhUl5oszSlqgnfdEVticiESI47ZjBIg77C4j7M8FHtf5TvwWbR1KsS783O8PzFZihCSPbEnDlncuZduL9nIiTntxag_u_bg6tr24nEs3ANKzIwvnGKU/s1600/TB2DaxZqwaTBuNjSszfXXXgfpXa_%2521%2521195235561.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="920" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxqM4Y1jMK3EBNg51yXT4tB4zDhUl5oszSlqgnfdEVticiESI47ZjBIg77C4j7M8FHtf5TvwWbR1KsS783O8PzFZihCSPbEnDlncuZduL9nIiTntxag_u_bg6tr24nEs3ANKzIwvnGKU/s640/TB2DaxZqwaTBuNjSszfXXXgfpXa_%2521%2521195235561.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
This concept plane:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Length: 34.5m</li>
<li>Wing Span: 32.9m</li>
<li>Height: 4.9m</li>
<li>Empty weight: 56,000 kg</li>
<li>Take-off weight: 126,000 kg</li>
<li>Max take-off weight: 132,000 kg</li>
<li>Thrust: 4 x 150 kN</li>
<li>Internal fuel: 60,000 kg</li>
<li>Max speed: Mach 2.0</li>
<li>Cruise speed: Mach 0.9</li>
<li>Range: 12,500 km</li>
<li>Combat radius: 6000 km</li>
<li>Service ceiling: 18,000 m</li>
<li>Thrust to weight: 0.48</li>
<li>Max internal payload: 20,000 kg</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Tg463lS0wuk9Bg69ZXBcx0-PpXpNOMI78H-yTzLvobPHBVk7xjJXFBvlyfS_deNs-iPQM_rPcAoWUjrD1WyNh0Pa1aPBItEnn5Y624H6WVB9ntYx_4ELPRzdhITW8SFlfDaNOKh9zE/s1600/h-20-2017-image2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="900" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Tg463lS0wuk9Bg69ZXBcx0-PpXpNOMI78H-yTzLvobPHBVk7xjJXFBvlyfS_deNs-iPQM_rPcAoWUjrD1WyNh0Pa1aPBItEnn5Y624H6WVB9ntYx_4ELPRzdhITW8SFlfDaNOKh9zE/s640/h-20-2017-image2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /></div>

Flying-wing bomber unveiling forecast by aviation experts

A new-generation long-range bomber is likely soon unveil , aviation industry observers said amid disclosure of the plane’s appearance by ...

New Antman and the Wasp movie trailer

Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and The Wasp is In theaters July 6. There is a new trailer.

Major upgrade to Gmail

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<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blog.google/products/gmail/stay-composed-heres-quick-rundown-new-gmail/" target="_blank">Google announced</a> major improvements to Gmail on the web to help people be more productive at work. <br />
You can start using these new updates in Gmail on the web today, with
 some features appearing within the coming weeks. Go to Settings (the 
cog wheel in the top right corner of your inbox) and select “Try the new
 Gmail.” If you want to switch back later down the road, you can go to 
the same place and select “Go back to classic Gmail.”<br />
<br />
Many new Gmail features are designed to get more businesses to switch
 to G Suite. Google has 4 million businesses paying for G Suite right 
now while there are 120 million Office 365 commercial users. Microsoft 
has 29.2 million consumers paying for Office 365, and Microsoft has more
 revenue from Office 365 commercial subscriptions than regular 
standalone software copies of Office.<br />
The new Gmail tries to improve integration of Calendar and tasks. Office 365 integration is a key benefit.<br />
<a href="https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7677724?utm_source=gmail&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=new_gmail" target="blank">Google has online support here.</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144417" height="490" src="https://www.nextbigfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/eb9d42258bf2fbe5b4b10a65b7f58673.gif?x71037" width="908" /><br />
<br />
Gmail’s new look helps you get more done. Click on attachments—like 
photos—without opening or scrolling through large conversations, use the
 new snooze button to put off emails that you just can’t get to right 
now or easily access other apps you use often, like Google Calendar, 
Tasks (now available on Android and iOS) and Keep.<br />
Gmail will also “nudge” you to follow up and respond to messages with
 quick reminders that appear next to your email messages to help make 
sure nothing slips through the cracks.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-144416" height="489" src="https://www.nextbigfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/b70e493ae6a76f00b33669ff1c8f407a.gif?x71037" width="906" /><br />
<br />
New features on mobile, like high-priority notifications, can notify 
you of important messages to help you stay focused without interruption.
 Plus, Gmail will start suggesting when to unsubscribe from newsletters 
or offers you no longer care about.<br />
<br /></div>

Major upgrade to Gmail

Google announced major improvements to Gmail on the web to help people be more productive at work. You can start using these new updat...

Footage of a black object falling from a rainbow baffles locals

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlTbQFT7lc3lz54nauy3JJXFWiuivqCDM4fqD2tKw75BsvZpIbRlkwc1qoA8mx6fU9HXJqBPr2jmt79qGeutC6BgfpGtSFucrLOGTFM-Bba3hykOjgynqQl6xY0SiWSfPAYgGonXXdvI/s1600/4B880E6500000578-5655127-image-a-1_1524649755385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="634" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlTbQFT7lc3lz54nauy3JJXFWiuivqCDM4fqD2tKw75BsvZpIbRlkwc1qoA8mx6fU9HXJqBPr2jmt79qGeutC6BgfpGtSFucrLOGTFM-Bba3hykOjgynqQl6xY0SiWSfPAYgGonXXdvI/s640/4B880E6500000578-5655127-image-a-1_1524649755385.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
UFO, bird - or just a smudge on the camera?<br />
Footage of a black object falling from a rainbow baffles locals and has War of the Worlds fans excited.<br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A falling UFO eerily reminiscent of a scene from an iconic movie has been captured on camera.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Strange footage has revealed what appears to be a large black object plunging into the Earth from the middle of a rainbow.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
While
 it's not exactly clear what the object is, a number of explanations 
have been suggested - including a smudge on a camera or a bird. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
One
 viewer wrote: 'It's a bird'. Another said: 'That would be a huge bird. 
There'll be an Earthly, sane, explanation. But it's way, way, too big to
 be a bird.'</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The video is remarkably similar to a scene from the 2005 film War of the Worlds directed by Steven Spielberg.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
In
 it aliens are recorded falling to Earth in dark pods during lightning 
storms, before activating giant war machines buried beneath the ground. </div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Local
 resident Megan Taylor was filming a storm over Bridgwater, Somerset at 
the weekend after dramatic storms hit the historic market town.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Ms Taylor caught dramatic footage of lightning in the skies above the area.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
But
 what she didn't bank on was capturing something else too - a black 
object is seen falling from the sky just after a lightning strike. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Ms Taylor says she was left puzzled by the what she saw.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'I've
 never seen a storm quite like it,' she added 'and I've definitely never
 seen something falling to Earth like that either. I have no idea what 
it was.' </div>
<br />
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
<div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Megan Taylor was filming a dramatic storm when she captured something else too - a black object is seen falling from the sky just after a lightning strike" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="1" height="355" id="i-fe41c7a8e47a2177" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/10/4B880E5100000578-5655127-image-a-5_1524649771768.jpg" width="634" /><br />
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
Megan Taylor was filming a dramatic
 storm when she captured something else too - a black object is seen 
falling from the sky just after a lightning strike</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
<div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Ms Taylor says she was left puzzled by the what she saw. She said: 'I've never seen a storm quite like it and I've definitely never seen something falling to earth like that either. I have no idea what it was." class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="2" height="355" id="i-b41c673f2927327" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/10/4B880E5D00000578-5655127-image-a-4_1524649770177.jpg" width="634" /></div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Ms Taylor says she was left puzzled
 by the what she saw. She said: 'I've never seen a storm quite like it 
and I've definitely never seen something falling to earth like that 
either. I have no idea what it was.</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
<div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
<div class="image-wrap" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="While it's not exactly clear what the object is, a number of explanations have been suggested - from the otherworldly to a smudge on the camera's lens" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="3" height="355" id="i-6ed1c5c57767e8c6" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/10/4B880E6900000578-5655127-image-a-6_1524649775417.jpg" width="634" /><br />
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
While it's not exactly clear what 
the object is, a number of explanations have been suggested - from the 
otherworldly to a smudge on the camera's lens</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Speaking
 to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mail</a>Online, Nigel Watson, author the Haynes UFO Investigation 
Manual, said: 'The video does make it look like this is something solid 
falling from the sky, like one of the Martian cylinders in The War of 
the Worlds. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Yet, it somehow looks 
artificial in its descent. Such an apparently big object would have made
 a big impact on landing but nothing of this nature has been reported. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'I would say it is something mundane rather than the start of a Martian invasion.'</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A number of readers of the <a class="class" href="http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/news/16178321.Mysterious_UFO_caught_on_camera_during_lightning_storm/#comments-anchor" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bridgwater Mercury</a>, which broke the news, have commented on the unusual apparition in the skies above their town. </div>
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<img alt="The video is remarkably similar to a scene from the 2005 film War of the Worlds directed by Steven Spielberg. In it aliens are recorded plunging to earth in dark pods during lightning storms to activate war machines (pictured) buried beneath the ground" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="4" height="381" id="i-30d3b2ae1fad840b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/17/4B8A12CF00000578-5655127-The_video_is_remarkably_similar_to_a_scene_from_the_2005_film_Wa-a-3_1524672181350.jpg" width="631" /><br />
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The video is remarkably similar to a
 scene from the 2005 film War of the Worlds directed by Steven 
Spielberg. In it aliens are recorded plunging to earth in dark pods 
during lightning storms to activate war machines (pictured) buried 
beneath the ground</div>
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<img alt="A number of readers of the Bridgwater Mercury, which broke the news, have commented on the unusual apparition in the skies above their town. Rick1973 said: 'It's a bird'" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="5" height="354" id="i-59898940f80f01e7" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/17/4B880E7100000578-5655127-A_number_of_readers_of_the_Bridgwater_Mercury_which_broke_the_ne-a-1_1524672181336.jpg" width="633" /></div>
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A number of readers of the 
Bridgwater Mercury, which broke the news, have commented on the unusual 
apparition in the skies above their town. Rick1973 said: 'It's a bird'</div>
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<img alt="Kevthefire suggested 'It's a spec of dirt running down the camera!' while Alex@SDA said: 'Blue Ice!', referring to frozen sewage material that can leak mid-flight from commercial aircraft lavatory waste systems" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" data-track-pos="6" height="355" id="i-e374c2a8bf46289a" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/25/10/4B880E4900000578-5655127-image-a-2_1524649761739.jpg" width="634" /><br />
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Kevthefire suggested 'It's a spec 
of dirt running down the camera!' while Alex@SDA said: 'Blue Ice!', 
referring to frozen sewage material that can leak mid-flight from 
commercial aircraft lavatory waste systems</div>
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Rick1973 said: 'It's a bird.'</div>
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Xuri
 was unconvinced, adding: 'That would be a huge bird. There'll be an 
Earthly, sane, explanation. But it's way, way, too big to be a bird.' </div>
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Kevthefire suggested: 'It's a spec of dirt running down the camera!'</div>
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This
 refers to frozen sewage material that can leak mid-flight from 
commercial aircraft lavatory waste systems, and has reportedly torn 
holes in buildings below which it has impacted over the years. </div>
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Footage of a black object falling from a rainbow baffles locals

UFO, bird - or just a smudge on the camera? Footage of a black object falling from a rainbow baffles locals and has War of the Worlds fa...

Stealth ‘invisibility cloaks’ on regular Fighter Jets

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China has for long been trying to develop stealth technology for its fighter aircraft, and the end results have been questioned by experts. 
However, the Asian giant seems to be taking the problem in a manner 
that's totally different from how the West, particularly the US. The 
Chinese are trying to develop materials that when used to cloak 
aircraft, can even make older non-stealth aircraft nearly invisible.<br />
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Reports in Chinese <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2142887/now-you-see-it-now-you-dont-china-tests-stealth-invisibility" target="_blank">media</a> have referred to it as the 'cloak of invisibility'. This approach is different from the Western methods of 
relying on stealthy airframes and surfaces for the aircraft. It will 
rely on 'metamaterials' to either absorb or deflect radio waves, 
theoretically making the aircraft invisible on command.<br />

The news is likely to gain sustained interest and analysis in <a href="http://www.news.com.au/military/invisibility-cloaks-china-claims-it-is-making-its-old-combat-jets-stealthy/news-story/4b661f44065627078b77d17e3efe50d9" target="_blank">defence circles</a> because it would help turn much older aircraft into stealth 
variants.<br />
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Stealth technology is not a single unit of technical know-how. It is 
more of a collection of design principles and material usage that helps 
an aircraft or a ship minimise its radar cross-section. That means a 
massive craft will show up as a much smaller object when it is picked up
 by a radar. The very idea of stealth is aimed at giving fighter jets 
more time before they are detected, cutting down on the reaction time 
available to the adversary.<br />
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For instance, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, considered the pinnacle 
of stealth technology so far, has wings that stretch 13.56 meters from 
tip to tip. But it will be detected by radar as an object that's the 
size of a steel marble, according to some estimates. The technologies 
and radar-absorbent materials developed for the F-22 are presently 
available only to the US, and that's why the manufacturer is banned from
 selling the F-22 to anyone other than the US military.<br />
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The Chinese have claimed that their bid at building a stealth fighter - 
the Chengdu J-20 - has been successful. But defence experts have raised 
doubts on what they point out are design elements that are fundamentally
 anti-stealth - like the J-20's canards.<br />
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The Chinese are now testing the metamaterial 'cloak of invisibility' on 
non-stealth aircraft at a testing facility near Eastern China's 
Shenyang, Chinese media have reported. The metamaterials used were 
developed at the State Key Laboratory of Millimetre Waves at Nanjing's 
Southeast University.<br />
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The 'metamaterial' is a layer that features microscopic structures 
similar to integrated circuits. The metamaterial can alter the way radio
 waves bounce off its surface to create a ghost image or minimise echo 
on a radar.<br />
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However, the reports did note that there are significant difficulties to
 be surmounted before the technology can come to fruition. The team 
developing the material had said in 2011 that it could absorb the three 
most commonly used military radar waves. In 2013, they claimed to have 
developed a 'ghost illusion device' that render the aircraft with almost
 no radar signature.<br />
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But 'metamaterials' alone would not be enough to equip an aircraft with 
stealth. It would only be a piece of the puzzle. Metamaterials are also 
difficult to mass-produce, placing crushing curbs on their widespread 
use.<br />
Either way, the Chinese may be doing the same things the Americans did, 
but time will tell whether their difference in approach will help them 
reach an innovative result that the world has not seen yet.<br />
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Stealth ‘invisibility cloaks’ on regular Fighter Jets

China has for long been trying to develop stealth technology for its fighter aircraft, and the end results have been questioned by expe...

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Footage of a black object falling from a rainbow baffles locals

Stealth ‘invisibility cloaks’ on regular Fighter Jets

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