Daily Archives: April 19, 2021

The University of Texas at Austin set a record this semester with five student teams accepted into the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars Spring Fellowship program. This is the highest number of Longhorn teams accepted in one semester since the global program began. Startups by founders Abhishek Dasgupta, Apoorva Chintala, Becky Xu, Paige Cabianca and Rajya Atluri were among a competitive group of 50 student ventures chosen out of a pool of applications from 30 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Ireland.

The LaunchPad Fellowship program began in June 2020 to support student entrepreneurs during the global pandemic. With over 30 schools in the network, UT Austin is proud to have sent at least two teams each semester since the fellowship began. Throughout the eight-week virtual program, the five UT founders will benefit from coaching, workshops, mentorship conversations and $5,000 in nondilutive grant funding from Future Founders to support their time working on advancing their companies.

This springs cohort focuses on technology ventures. This focus includes both developing new technology to solve existing problems and applying current technology to solve problems in a new way. While some student teams have solutions leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, cloud and blockchain, others are utilizing existing technologies to solve problems related to remote communication, sustainability and security.

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Five Longhorn Startups Launch Futuristic Solutions for the Challenges of Today - UT News - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

A fascinating clip of what appeared to be triangular or pyramid shaped UFOs flying over a US Navy warship circulated online earlier this month.

The footage, obtained by filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, shows the mysterious objects caught on a night vision camera aimed at the skies over the warship.

I can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by Navy personnel, Department of Defense spokesperson Sue Gough told Futurism last week.

The incident left plenty of questions unanswered. What were these stranger pyramid-shaped objects, or were they some type of optical illusion? If they were real, where did they come from?

To The Warzone creator Tyler Rogoway, the answer is obvious: the mysterious craft, and other military UFO sightings like them, are likely swarms of drones that belong to foreign adversaries, as detailed in a recent report for the site.

Yes, I realize that the idea that an adversary is penetrating US military training areas unmolested, and has been for years, using lowly drone technology and balloons, is a big pill to swallow, Rogoway wrote, but as one of the people who have repeatedly warned about the threat posed by lower-end drones for a decade it isnt really surprising at all.

Rogoway decried the Pentagons utter lack of vision and early robust interest in regards to this emerging threat and called out the Defense Department for still playing catch-up when it comes to the realities surrounding the drone threat, and not just to its forces abroad, but also to the homeland overall.

In fact, he argues, the stigma surrounding UFOs only helped adversaries get away with hiding in plain sight inside American air space.

In his piece, Rogoway points to a number of compelling moments in history when not only foreign adversaries but the US itself invested in developing unmanned aircraft, including radar-reflecting balloons designed to confuse enemy radar systems.

In fact, a 1945 radar reflector patent of such a balloon looks strikingly like the pyramid-shaped objects that showed up in the UFO sighting earlier this month.

Rather than looking like the consumer-facing drones we are used to, Rogoway argues there are far more configurations, some of which look downright alien and perform unlike a traditional fixed-wing aircraft or quadcopter.

Drone swarm technologies have also come a long way, allowing them to stay in the sky for significant periods of time, cover long distances, and pull off complex maneuvers in groups.

Thanks to Americas obsession with UFOs, these reports often end up being discredited. Many pilots may even stop short of even reporting sightings due to fear of professional embarrassment.

The fact that pilots have historically refrained from reporting unexplained craft in the skies due to fear of their careers being impacted is all you really need to know when quantifying how relevant and effective such a tactic can be, Rogoway argues.

So why are we starting to see more and more reports on UFOs? That may be in part to new technologies that can actually detect these drones. More data, in other words, means more sightings.

Its a compelling argument that could certainly explain some of the strange sightings made by Air Force pilots and Navy personnel over the last decades.

Rogozin claims that at least one of our adversaries has made a mockery of us and compromised key capabilities using remarkably low-end technology.

By first admitting the US has a drone problem, he says, the Department of Defense can start piecing the pieces back together and get behind these UFO mysteries.

READ MORE: Adversary Drones Are Spying On The U.S. And The Pentagon Acts Like Theyre UFOs [The Warzone]

More on the sightings: Pentagon Confirms That Leaked Video Is Part of UFO Investigation

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This Theory Could Explain Many Military UFO Sightings - Futurism

At first, it was meant to be a joke.

But now the market capitalization of Dogecoin, a popular altcoin, has spiked to $40 billion, CNBC reports, after values skyrocketedand added $20 billion in value in just 24 hours.

The shiba inu-emblazoned token was created as a fun alternative to Bitcoin back in 2013. But thanks to a massive surge in interest, led by communities on Reddit andsome prominent boosterism y Elon Musk the cryptocurrency is starting to look a lot less like a mere joke.

This morning, values of the token hit 32 cents, an all-time high. Just a week ago, the value was hovering around just six cents.

The news comes after Musk, a longtime supporter of the coin, send the value of Dogecoin soaring in February after tweeting a silly picture of a shiba on the surface of the Moon.

Musk has long joked that Dogecoin will go to the Moon, a reference to its soaring value.

The altcoins recent surge meant those who invested early made bank.

Hey guys, I just became a Dogecoin millionaire, one Reddit user exclaimed in a Thursday post, with a screenshot showing a balance of $1,081,441.29 in their account.

But the surge is also causing some worry among crypto experts.

People are buying the cryptocurrency, not because they think it has any meaningful value, but because they hope others will pile in, push the price up, and then they can sell off and make a quick buck, UK-based analyst David Kimberley told CNBC.

Kimberley also noted that when everyone is doing this, the bubble eventually has to burst and youre going to be left short-changed if you dont get out in time.

But only time will tell when or if Dogecoins bubble will pop.

READ MORE: Dogecoin spikes 400% in a week, stoking fears of a cryptocurrency bubble [CNBC]

More on Dogecoin: Elon Musk Invites SEC Into Battle Over Dogecoin

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Dogecoin Is Spiking and People Are Losing Their Minds - Futurism

Look at this cute lil Dustbuster!

In case you haven't been paying attention lately, minivans are cool again, and Hyundai has been hard at work on a new minivan (or MPV, as they call it) for a while now. It's called the Staria, Hyundai debuted it on Monday, and it's arguably one of the coolest vans we've seen in a while -- but there's a catch: It's not coming to the US.

*sad trombone*

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So, if it's destined to forever be forbidden fruit, why do we care? Well, we care because Hyundai claims that this will establish a model for its future "Purpose Built Vehicles" -- aka, this could be a hint of the shape of things to come, even for us in North America.

But apart from what it could mean, what the Staria is is plenty cool all on its own. On the exterior, it looks a little like the Oldsmobile "Dustbuster" vans from the '90s, only run through some kind of cyberpunk filter. It's odd but charming.

Inside the Staria is where the magic happens. The minivan is configurable to have anywhere from two to 11 seats, depending on your needs. There is even a premium version that offers gorgeous, almost private-planelike reclining leather captain's chairs. Hyundai's press release claims that the interior was inspired by cruise ships, though thankfully, they only took that vibe so far.

The interior is also packed with many little storage cubbies and even a glovebox that can move and give the front passenger more legroom. There are also plenty of cupholders and USB ports -- because minivan. Overall storage capacity in its most cargo-oriented form is a not-inconsiderable 176.6 cubic feet. For comparison, the Toyota Sienna only offers a maximum of 101 cubic feet, while the Chrysler Pacifica -- one of our favorite vans -- has room for 140 cubic feet.

The Staria will be powered by either a 2.2-liter diesel engine or a 3.5-liter gasoline engine from Hyundai's SmartStream family. The diesel can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic, while the gasoline version only gets an eight-speed automatic.

Like I said earlier, the Staria won't be coming to the US, but it's slated to hit the streets of select markets (we know that South Korea and Australia are getting it, for sure) in the second half of 2021.

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Hyundai's Staria is the coolest futuristic minivan that we'll never get - CNET

Officials are concerned China may dethrone the US as the global leader in space.Weaponizing Space

The US intelligence community issued a dire warning that China, perceived to be the top threat to Americas dominance in space,is taking steps to weaponize space.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a new Global Risk Assessment report last week in which it details an upswing in Chinas military and commercial activity in Earths orbit. Chief among its concerns, in Defense News analysis, is Chinas increasing capability to shoot satellites out of the sky with missiles or disable them with lasers a sign of increased space militarization and a concrete threat in any future conflict.

Weapons aside, the report highlights that China seems to be intensely focused on becoming the new global leader in space operations, research, and more.

I think theres just no question, as a general matter, that China is focused on achieving leadership in space, in fact, as compared to the United States and has been working hard on a variety of different efforts in this area to try to contest what has been presumed our leadership, ODNI Director Avril Haines told lawmakers, according to Defense News.

Case in point, China is almost ready to begin constructing its next space station in orbit. Thats not an outwardly military action by any means, but it demonstrates that China is poised to become a major force in space, especially as the International Space Station approaches retirement. With its new report, the intelligence committee is urging officials to take notice of those changing geopolitical dynamics.

READ MORE: China aims to weaponize space, says intel community report [Defense News]

More on the politics of space: Congress Bars NASA From Working With China. Thats Likely a Mistake.

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US Spies Warn That China Is Building Space Weapons - Futurism

Turns out it wasn't an escaped iguana after all.Pastry Panic

A mysterious creature caught in a tree caused residents in Krakow, Poland, to shut their windows and hunker down.

People arent opening their windows because theyre afraid it will go into their house, a woman recalled, as quoted by the BBC.

The putative creature spent two days in the tree worrying onlookers. Eventually the Krakow Animal Welfare Society was called in, not sure what to expect. What they found was as amusing as it was unexpected: a croissant stuck in a tree.

According to a post on the Societys Facebook page, a womanwho called the sighting in said she thought the mysterious entity was an iguana.

When the inspectors arrived, they were looking for a mysterious legless and headless reptile stuck high up in a lilac tree.

It is difficult to help something that has been previously baked, but not by the means of the Suns rays, an official quipped in the post, as crudely interpreted by Google Translate.

Helpfully, the Society took the opportunity to remind residents that it is still very much worthwhile to report any concerning sightings of animals in trouble, adding that theyre still taking donations which may or may not go toward future croissant rescues.

READ MORE: Mystery tree beast turns out to be croissant [BBC]

More on creepy creatures: This Creepy Toddler-Sized Robot Will Haunt Your Dreams

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Terrifying Mutated-Looking "Creature" Turns Out to Be a Croissant - Futurism

"So then please drink it."Shots Shots Shots

Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the government could no longer delay its plan to dump radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

The Japanese government has repeatedly insisted that the plan wont put biodiversity or people in the area at risk, but plenty of residents of Japan and neighboring countries are reasonably concerned about the dump. Now, the Chinese government is demanding dramatic proof that the water is safe, Japanese newspaper The Mainichi reports.

A Japanese official said it is okay if we drink this water, so then please drink it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Wednesday, according to the paper.

Japan is already capable of purifying Fukushimas contaminated water to a certain extent, but it cant scrub out the radioactive tritium. The plan, however, is to dilute the water down so it contains just 2.5 percent of the tritium concentration permitted by its national standards before dumping it over the course of decades. But still, drinking it straight from the source sounds a bit dicey.

Lijian has since doubled down on the challenge.

Japanese politicians said treated [waste water] is innocent, why dont they drink, cookand wash clothes with the water first? he tweeted on Thursday. They should guarantee sea food wont be contaminated; accept the advice of [The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)] and set up a technical working group with China and [Korea] to make assessment.

However, its worth noting that the IAEA came out in support of Japans plan before Lijian issued his challenge.

The Japanese Governments decision is in line with practice globally, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano said in a press release, even though the large amount of water at the Fukushima plant makes it a unique and complex case.

READ MORE: Please drink treated Fukushima water: China asks Japanese minister [The Mainichi]

More on Fukushima: Japan Says Sorry, But it Has To Dump This Radioactive Water Into the Ocean

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Japanese Prime Minister Challenged to Drink Radioactive Water Before Dumping It Into the Ocean - Futurism

Based on estimated holdings, Satoshi Nakamoto just beats out Michael Bloomberg.High Score

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous figure who created Bitcoin back in 2009, is now one of the richest people alive assuming the unidentified coder is still alive in the first place.

Based on Bitcoin.coms calculations, the roughly 1 million Bitcoin in Nakamotos account is worth around $59 billion today. With additional funds like various Bitcoin caches, that would make Nakamoto the 19th-wealthiest person alive, according to Forbes recently updated list of the worlds richest billionaires right above Michael Bloomberg and immediately between Walmart heirs Sam and Jim Walton.

Of course, no one really knows who Satoshi Nakamoto is, or even whether theres really just one person or a team behind the pseudonym all questions that help explain why Nakamoto wasnt included in Forbes ranking in the first place.

But Bitcoins creator, whoever it may be, mined and then never spent between 750,000 and 1.1 million of the cryptocurrency shortly after creating it. So even with a more conservative estimate than Bitcoin.coms, theres definitely a whole lot of money at play here given that each Bitcoin is worth around $63,150 today.

And most of that value appeared very recently. Just five months ago, Nakamotos Bitcoin stash was only enough to make them the 159th richest person on Earth, Bitcoin.com notes.

READ MORE: Bitcoins Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Is Now a Member of the Top 20 Worlds Richest People [Bitcoin.com]

More on Satoshi Nakamoto: Shocker: John McAfee Suspends Plan to Unmask Bitcoins Creator

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Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakomoto Is Now One of the World's Wealthiest People - Futurism

Whatever that means.Imperator of Mars

Another week, another preposterous outburst by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Last month, Musk claimed the title Technoking of Tesla, a mostly nonsensical distinction. Now, the billionaire has added the phrase Imperator of Mars to his Twitter bio.

Characteristically, nothing in particular seems to have prompted the move. Its also a bit unclear what he means. Imperator is a term that usually refers to a commander in chief of the ancient Romans, Newsweek pointed out in the wake of the update.

Is Musk suggesting hes taking martial control over the Red Planet? Will his space company declare martial law? With this mercurial billionaire, anything is on the table.

The bio might also be a nod to the hit 2015 action film Mad Max: Fury Road, which starred Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, a driver in a post-apocalyptic Australia.

Perhaps the explanation is simpler than that, though. Musks ambitions with SpaceXs Starship are sky high, with Musk suggesting one thousand of them could one day allow us to establish a permanent foothold on Mars.

After all, weve learned over the years not to take Musks mutterings at face value. Theres a considerable chance Musks new-and-improved Twitter bio is the result of a couple of hours of idly scrolling through his Twitter mentions.

Besides, its still far too early for Musk to declare himself emperor of Mars. The prototypes of his companys Mars-bound rocket have yet to launch to orbit or even land without erupting in a violent fireball.

Carthaginian general Hannibal, one of the Romans most reviled enemies, would laugh him out of the streets of ancient Rome.

READ MORE: Imperator Meaning As Elon Musk Changes Twitter Bio to Imperator of Mars [Newsweek]

More on Musk: Famed Neurobiologist Slams Neuralinks Monkey Demo

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Elon Musk Says He Is Now the "Imperator of Mars" - Futurism