Meet The Real-Life 'Pacific Rim' Robots
Whenever we think of the future, we think of robots and flying cars, austere buildings and neatly manicured city greenery. The food deficiency would be replaced with microwaveable pills that will turn into gourmet meals and the only threat to society would be an alien attack. We will end famine and illnesses, and everything will be digitised and stored away in folders, including our thoughts. We will use virtual reality to control <a href="https://rumble.com/v4lbwp-exhibition-of-robots.html" target="_blank">robots</a> that would do the most ordinary tasks, and life would be grand.
Okay, this might have been taken from The Fifth Element and a few other movies, but you get the gist, the future looks bright and we are there to enjoy it. What many people can’t fathom yet is that the future may be closer than one might think. We’re not so sure whether the plot would be closer to Luc Besson’s Fifth Element or Pacific Rim, though.
Humanity is steadily chipping away at robotics and artificial intelligence. We still don’t know what the end goal might be, but for now, artificial intelligence is here to help us live easier lives. We’re creating robots that help us <a href="https://rumble.com/v3wbm3-robots-grow-produce.html" target="_blank">do menial tasks</a>, as well as robots that do the tasks that are too dangerous for us to do. These machines can withstand harsh conditions and reach inside the places that we can’t and it gets more exciting by the minute. This emergency-response robot looks like something out of a movie and is controlled by a human using VR technology to save lives. It has so far been able to use a fire extinguisher but it still needs to be tweaked a bit in order to move faster. How awesome is that?!
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Lifelike Video Games
Hyper realistic video game graphics are blurring the lines between dreams and reality.
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Using Gyms to Generate Free Electricity
A gym in California is using indoor cycling classes to create free energy.
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Making a Waterproof Phone
This lightweight, invisible coating means you'll never have to soak your phone in rice again after dropping it in water.
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Magic Waterproof Shirt
This high-tech shirt repels liquids, stains, & never needs to be ironed.
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The United Arab Emirates Launches a Mission to Mars
The United Arab Emirates Martian probe – called "Hope" – is setting sail.
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NASA's Super-Quiet Supersonic Airplane
NASA is developing a plane that can break the speed of sound... With no sonic boom.
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MIT Built an Amazing Robot Fish Operated by a Simple Video Game Controller
The world's first robotic fish gets up close with ocean life by blending in with it like a chameleon.
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This Time-Lapse Video Shows The Disappearing Of The Arctic Polar Ice Cap
Every year, sea ice forms in the winter and melts in the summer and every year the Arctic sea ice reaches its biggest size in March. Each frame of this time-lapse is one day. The sea ice that survives the melt season thickens with each passing year: newly formed ice grows to about 3 to 7 feet of thickness during its first year, while multi-year ice (sea ice that has survived several melt seasons) is about 10 to 13 feet thick. The older and thicker ice is more resistant to melt and less likely to get pushed around by winds or broken up by waves or storms.
In this time-lapse, <a href="https://rumble.com/v30edz-arctic-sea-ice-dips-to-record-low-nasa.html" target="_blank">Arctic sea ice</a>, the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the Arctic Ocean and its neighboring seas, has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades: as its extent shrank, the oldest and thickest ice has either thinned or melted away, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to the warming ocean and atmosphere.
Replacing this thicker, harder old ice with young ice, which is generally thinner and melts more easily, is also contributing to the steep decline in summer sea ice extent and could trigger a feedback loop. That's because less ice means more dark ocean water is exposed to the sun, which absorbs more of the incoming sunlight than white ice. That means warmer waters, which could, in turn, mean even less old ice and ice cover with each passing year.
Sea ice covers about seven percent of the Earth. In <a href="https://rumble.com/v3ew4g-giant-iceberg-breaks-off-antarctica.html" target="_blank">Antartica</a>, the ice grows as the other pole shrinks.
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IKEA's New Worm Burgers
IKEA Innovation Labs is experimenting with mealworms & beetle larvae (?!) in cafeteria food.
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Self-Stabilizing Fork
A computerized self-stabilizing fork can help people with limited mobility eat more easily.
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This New Laser Technology Might Help You See Through Walls
Whether it’s a child running after a ball, a herd of cows or a broken-down car, unexpected obstacles can prove deadly to drivers.
A team of researchers has come up with a new laser-based system that efficiently produces images of objects that are hidden around a corner - a development which could allow autonomous vehicles to see obstacles before they come into the line of sight.
The idea involves sending laser pulses towards a surface and measuring the time it takes for light to be reflected. But the new technology takes the idea further, using lasers to see around corners. The researchers used a setup in which a laser and photon detector were placed in front of a wall next to an object, and were separated from the object by a partition. <a href="https://rumble.com/v39u2t-student-builds-laser-shooting-pizza-box-robot-immediately-regrets-it.html" target="_blank">Laser pulses</a> were then fired at the wall at an angle and they wanted to collect light that bounced off the wall, hit the object and was then scattered by it.
While previous approaches to the problem have involved directing laser pulses at one point on the wall and then collecting signals from another point, Stanford researchers used a different technique, pointing both the laser and the detector at the same point on the wall. They used the timing of the signals to remove those from light that bounced back directly. The remaining signals were then rapidly processed using an <a href="https://rumble.com/v3686r-algorithm-for-studying-planets.html" target="_blank">algorithm</a> to reconstruct the shape and form of the hidden object.
But there are still obstacles to overcome such as improving the system so it is better at detecting objects that are not highly reflective or stationary, such as children or wild animals, and make sure it can be used outdoors in bright, sunny conditions.
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London Designer Creates A Prosthetic Third Thumb
The human body is a marvelous design. Almost every single cell in it is there for a reason and almost every organ has a purpose. Evolution has made sure that we focus and enhance what’s necessary in our bodies and reduce the excess. Naturally, there would always be some leftover traits from our predecessors, but that is okay because we are not perfect and those tiny flaws are what makes us human.
When it comes to extremities, we never seem to have enough. We could always use one more hand to hold things and have one more finger to type. Well, guess what? It has finally come true. A London-based designer called Danielle Clode has created a revolutionary third <a href="https://rumble.com/v40b9r-can-you-do-this-with-your-thumb.html" target="_blank">thumb</a>. This artificial limb is 3D printed and is attached to the exterior of our palm, right next to our pinky finger. It is controlled by pressure sensors under our toes and can help us do things more easily.
It’s hard to adjust to everyday chores and duties once you’ve lost a limb so <a href="https://rumble.com/v40vjh-elephant-gets-new-prosthetic-leg.html" target="_blank">prosthetics</a> have been used for a long time to facilitate the movement of many people. You have to relearn how to do certain things, and the prosthetic is there to help you along the way. Ms. Clode was fascinated by the relationship between the human body and the artificial limbs so she decided to to create this prosthetic that can be used by everyone.
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Flying Cars Are No Longer Just A Figment Of Our Imagination
Isn’t it funny when you’re reading books from a <a href="https://rumble.com/v3fa3s-1905-electric-car.html" target="_blank">hundred years ago</a> or watching movies from the past century that portray what the future holds? Well, their future is now and unfortunately we are no closer to their predictions than they were. Sure, we’re launching rockets into outer space, but we probably have a few centuries of trials and tribulations to go until we manage to reach warp speed (sorry, Trekkies).
Fortunately for us, our dream of flying a car is soon becoming a reality. We present you the PAL-V ‘flying car’ and it does exactly what it says it does. It was constructed by a Dutch company as a car which can easily transform into an aircraft. It can only host two passengers. The transition from one vehicle to the other takes about 5-10 minutes and you would need both a driving and a flying permit. The car is set to be released in 2019 and the preordering has already started. The cheaper model starts at $399,000 while another one costs $599,000.
Having a device that can both roll on the road and <a href="https://rumble.com/v30p7d-home-made-flying-machines.html" target="_blank">soar in the sky</a> definitely has its convenient side. It would make transportation faster since you won’t be needing to change from tires to wings any time you reach a barrier. It also paves the way to developing this kind of technology that can benefit society in the long run. Sure, it’s nowhere nearly as cool as cars floating on thrusters, but we’re getting there. What do you think? Would you like to own this kind of vehicle? Would you even consider getting into one? Tell us more of what you think in the comments down below.
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Hairy Wolverine Frog
This frog has bones that break through its skin & then regenerate when attacked.
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Here's How NASA Keeps Astronauts From Drifting Into Space
There is that one particularly iconic photo of a free floating astronaut in space. It is a real photo of a real Nasa astronaut.
Bruce McCandles II was floating free through space on February 7th, 1984, more than 300 feet away from Challenger space shuttle. He was the first person to <a href="https://rumble.com/v4cwux-live-spacewalk-coverage-of-iss-expedition-53-u.s.-spacewalk-46.html" target="_blank">spacewalk</a> untethered, wearing only a jetpack, or a Manned Maneuvering Unit. These units were used to retrieve faulty communication satellites.
Today, no astronaut goes on a spacewalk without a tether to his shuttle, for obvious safety reasons. The tether is a braided steel rope, which has a tensile strength of 1,100 pounds. They also wear a SAFER (Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue) backpack. The SAFER has a built-in nitrogen-jet small joystick, there in case the tether breaks for any reason, to propel them back to the International Space Station.
But, if that fails, saving an <a href="https://rumble.com/v3ghuz-nasa-astronaut-captures-aurora-space-spectacle.html" target="_blank">astronaut</a> from drifting further into space will require several tethers hooked together, a SAFER backpack and some good, old fashioned luck.
Such a thing has never happened and NASA is confident it never will. But there is always a darker scenario, like what if the spacewalker gets a boink of the head, falls unconscious and cannot operate his SAFER? "A rescue effort could and would be undertaken by the second spacewalker and/or other members of the space station crew," says Michael Curie, a spokesman for NASA's space operations. He wouldn't speculate on the exact steps a rescue team would take, because they would depend on the circumstances. But he adds, "we are really happy with the tether-and-Safer approach."
Still, we wouldn’t be going on any space strolls anytime soon.
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A ‘Gently Used’ SpaceX Rocket Is For Sale On The Craigslist
If you are looking for a new lawn ornament someone has listed a gently used orbital launch vehicle for sale on the Craigslist for $9.9 million and you should check it out. The curious advertisement was posted by an unknown user named Elon Musk about a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, so if you’ve thought about buying a pricey object only to balk at the massive price tag, today might be your lucky day!
Hurry up, this “gently used orbital rocket is in good condition” and is “fully loaded with a flight computer and landing hardware”. The rocket is from SpaceX’s GovSat-1 communications satellite launch last month and has survived an intentional water landing.
If you can live with the “slightly burnt paint” this beauty can be yours in no time. “Serious buyers” will have the option to pay in bitcoin if they please. However, make sure to bring your own tugboat to tow it away,since it is located in the Atlantic Ocean just off the eastern coast of Florida.
Given its cost is just $9.9 million, or your “best offer,” it really opens up the possibilities for a motivated buyer keen on owning its personal space rocket. Keep in mind that a new <a href="https://rumble.com/v3ldzt-spacex-launches-falcon-9-rocket.html" target="_blank">Falcon 9 rocket </a> reportedly costs around $60 million to manufacture, not to mention roughly $200,000 to fuel!
Listed for sale under Craigslist’s “heavy equipment” section, the ad for the rocket includes a map that seems to show the rocket’s location since Elon Musk offers no shipping. It is resting in “Port Canaveral,” which is near the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where SpaceX regularly holds rocket launches. Do you think that this <a href="https://rumble.com/v42vh7-baby-listed-for-sale-on-craigslist.html" target="_blank">Craigslist</a> ad is a joke?
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Falcon Heavy Ready For Liftoff
SpaceX is gearing up to launch the world's most powerful rocket.
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The Smell Of Space
Did you ever wonder what outer space smelled like? Astronauts have the answer.
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Killer Whale Imitating Speech Says A Lot About Their Adaptation Skills
We know cockatoos can speak, we know that crows can imitate human laughter, but to see a killer whale imitate human speech, not that is new!
A group of scientists taught a 14-year-old <a href="https://rumble.com/v3yfs1-amazing-moment-killer-whale-mimics-boys-movements.html" target="_blank">killer whale</a> named Wikie to copy human speech. She is very well trained and in a previous study, Wikie was taught to copy behaviors.
The researchers recorded a talking session with Wikie, where she repeats words like “hello”, “bye bye”, “one two”, even her handler’s name, Amy. “Killer whales use their blowhole to make noises, almost like speaking out of your nose, so we were not expecting it to be perfect,” said Dr Jose Abramson, a researcher at the Complutense University of Madrid, who led the study.
The goal of the research was to understand how capable <a href="https://rumble.com/v34ca1-orcas-cruise-alongside-jet-ski-off-kaikoura.html" target="_blank">orcas</a> are in imitating noises, so that they can ultimately understand how they learn in their natural habitat. Wikie was also exposed to noises created by other whales, to see if she can imitate them as well. Her trainer trained Wikie to reproduce the sounds by giving her the command “do this”.
Wiki’s calf, three-year-old Moana, was even taught to make five unique sounds that could later be used to test her mother’s skill.
Human judges were asked to determine whether Wikie’s versions of human speech matched, and then ran algorithms for a more objective assessment. Imitating vocal sounds in this way is a key component of language, and the ability to do so is rare in mammals besides humans.
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Elon Musk's Flamethrower Might Save Us From A Zombie Apocalypse
Elon Musk's Boring Company is selling the Tesla of flamethrowers. This company is anything but boring. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO says they’ve sold 15,000 flamethrowers since pre-orders started on the company’s website three days ago. All to help us prepare for a ‘zombie apocalypse’ or ‘liven up any party’!
Elon Musk wrote ‘When the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you bought a flamethrower. Works against hoarders of the undead or your money back!’ and ‘The Boring Company flamethrower guaranteed to live up any party’.
At $500 a piece, the company’s raked in at least $7.5 million and at least $90,000 on ‘overpriced’ fire extinguishers. Before making the move to flamethrowers, the company started with selling $20 hats to help build underground tunnels and stop ‘soul-destroying traffic’ in California.
However, not everyone is thrilled with the <a href="https://rumble.com/v30a0n-torch-burns-out-hornets-nest-with-a-flamethrower.html" target="_blank">flamethrowers</a>. California assemblyman tweeted this ‘If this is real, I am outraged and you should be too. If this is a joke, then this is terribly insensitive one given we are coming off of the worst wildfire season in history. Either way: NOT FUNNY, NOT GONNA HAPPEN’!
Elon ‘Zombie Defender’ Musk has yet to respond to the concerns regarding this issue!
In addition, Elon Musk revealed the first teaser image of the new <a href="https://rumble.com/v4dhzh-elon-musk-describes-epic-spacex-launch.html" target="_blank">SpaceX</a> space suit. The white and black streamlined suit is our first official peak at the suits that will be worn by astronauts who will be going to the ISS. Is SpaceX and Elon Musk planning to send a car to Mars?
Reports are stating Musk is considering sending a Tesla Roadster to the Red planet aboard a Falcon Heavy on its maiden flight. Some are accusing Musk of spreading fake news about the matter.
What are your thoughts about Elon Musk and his company? Let us know in the comments below!
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Brain-Controlled Hand Exoskeleton
This lightweight, portable hand exoskeleton can be controlled with brainwaves.
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There Is A New Dwarf Planet In Town That Is Potentially Habitable
NASA has found 300+ bright spots on this dwarf planet that may have underground oceans.
Could there be life on Ceres? There is a new dwarf planet in town, it is Ceres, the largest object in the Asteroid belt, you know the one between Mars and Jupiter. Well, it is not the floating hunk of rock that scientists once thought it was.
Ceres may have had an ancient ocean and potentially water underground today. Because of this exciting finding NASA is extending the mission. They want to get yet again even closer to Ceres’ surface, which is closer than ever before. Previously, the closest view of Ceres has been from 240 miles away. <a href="https://rumble.com/v30nx6-did-nasa-send-astronauts-to-another-planet.html" target="_blank">NASA</a> to send Dawn to a much closer 120 miles away in the spring of 2018.
Prior to the Dawn spacecraft's arrival in early 2015, dwarf planet Ceres was the largest unexplored world in the inner solar system. Highlights from the mission's first science orbits will be presented.
Occator Crater on <a href="https://rumble.com/v4bgm3-nasa-unveiling-ceres.html" target="_blank">Ceres</a> is home to the brightest area on the entire dwarf planet. At 57 miles (92 kilometers) wide and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, Occator displays evidence of recent geologic activity. NASA's Dawn mission found that the bright spots may have been produced by upwelling of salt-rich liquids after the impact that formed the crater. Pan and zoom as you fly over the crater with Dawn in this 360-degree animation made with observations from the spacecraft.
Did you know that dwarf planet Ceres existed? What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
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Experience The Rare Natural Phenomenon 'Super Blue Blood Moon'
Nature can be quite the treat. The wonderful blue skies and the almighty sun just breaking through the atmosphere is a godly divine. The skies have always been a mystery to us, although we put lots of effort, time and money towards finding out what lives in the great unknown. We believe that no matter how much time we spend searching through space, that we will always have more to find out and discover.
January sky watchers are in for a rare treat: a <a href="https://rumble.com/v4aznt-what-is-a-super-blue-moon-eclipse.html" target="_blank">Blue Moon</a> , a total lunar eclipse and a "supermoon" all in the same month.
A Blue Moon is when two full moons happen in the same calendar month; lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes into Earth's shadow; and "supermoons" happen when the moon's perigee — its closest approach to Earth in a single orbit — coincides with a full moon. In this case, the "supermoon" also happens to be the day of the lunar eclipse.
The first full moon of January occurred on the night of Jan. 1 or the morning of Jan. 2, depending on your location. The second full moon and the lunar eclipse will occur on the night of Jan. 31 or the morning of Feb. 1. And the "supermoon" will take place on the night of Jan. 30, which is technically one day before the moon reaches peak fullness, but even NASA is willing to call the event a "supermoon" nonetheless.
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