Category Archives: Futurism

Fish are literally suffocating.Under the Sea

Things are definitely not better down where its wetter.

Ocean life are in the most danger theyve experienced since that one asteroid struck Earth around 66 million years ago and killed off the dinosaurs, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

The Princeton researchers behind the paper said in a press release that if current carbon emissions levels go unchecked, tropical zones could see biodiversity loss and polar zones could suffer mass extinction as marine life runs out of oxygenand food, cooking in too-warm water.

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to warm the worlds oceans, marine biodiversity could be on track to plummet within the next few centuries to levels not seen since the extinction of the dinosaurs, reads the release.

The findings are dark, and echo the protests other scientists have made over government inaction to stop climate change.

Extreme warming would lead to climate-driven extinctions that, near the end of the century, will rival all current human stressors combined, study co-author Justin Penn said in the press release.

There is some slightly good news, though: theres still time to prevent the worst possible extinction scenarios, the researchers say.

The silver lining is that the future isnt written in stone, Penn said. Theres still enough time to change the trajectory of CO2 emissions and prevent the magnitude of warming that would cause this mass extinction.

We might not be moving fast enough, but efforts at clean energy are picking up. Lets hope we can close the gap before we have to see if this study proves right.

More on climate change strategy: CRISPR Creator Says We Could Engineer New Species to Fight Climate Change

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Humans Causing Worst Ocean Extinction Event Since Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs, Scientists Say - Futurism

A few years before NFTs captured global attention, NFT marketplace SuperRare hosted pop-up art exhibits at major tech conferences like DevCon. People were mostly confused and uninterested.

Were about to see how much times have changed.

SuperRare is planning to open a gallery at 417 West Broadway in SoHo, New York on May 19, the company said in a press release Thursday. The gallerys theme is science-fiction and futurism, and will feature a curated selection of 15 SuperRare NFT artists. It will run through Aug. 28.

The gatekeeping involved in running galleries and museums might seem counter to the idea of an open and inclusive crypto ecosystem, but SuperRare CEO said this curation continues to be important in the NFT space.

In a world thats open and permissionless which is part of the excitement its still good to have tastemakers that can help tell these stories, SuperRare CEO John Crain told The Defiant.

SuperRare has been doubling down on their community since launching their DAO based around their $RARE token. A cohort of five SuperRare artists was selected by DAO members to curate themed NFT collections known as SuperRare Spaces.

Although SuperRare has been hosting exhibits in the metaverse throughout COVID, curator An Rong said in an interview, theres a physical component missing in the metaverse where one can have conversations with friends, artists, and collectors.

Rong describes this era of NFTs and crypto art as a digital renaissance. Her curatorial team chose sci-fi and futurism as the theme of the gallery because the traditional art world has historically been dismissive of technology in artwork.

The gallery will feature artworks by Alex Ness, Blake Kathryn, Botto, Dangiuz, David Bianchi, Federico Clapis, Fernando Magalhaes, Idil Dursun, lphacentaurikid, Krista Kim, Mari.K, Maskarade, Reuben Wu, Vintagemozart, Xsullo, and Zomax.

Out of the 1,000 sci-fi artists on SuperRare, Rong chose artists based on their art quality, market performance, and length of time on SuperRare. She said a physical gallery is a win for the artists, collectors, and community: artists will have their work seen by more people, collectors can understand the art and artist more thoroughly, and the community can come together to enjoy themselves and discuss art.

This is not the first time that NFTs could be found in real life. NFTs took Art Basel by storm in Dec. 2021 and ETH Denver in Feb. 2022. As for galleries, BrightMoments leads the space; they are an art organization owned and operated by CryptoCitizen NFT-holders that has galleries in Venice Beach, NYC, Berlin, and London.

NFT artist and educator Dame.eth told The Defiant that although NFT galleries have existed before, SuperRares gallery means that more everyday people will be exposed to the concept as they walk by, so that could be a net positive.

Original post:
SuperRare is Coming to SoHo - The Defiant - DeFi News

The best Garmin watches grace the arms of professional and amateur athletes alike. The company packs a wide range of health sensors into their smartwatches to optimize the wearers training efforts. Models track your runs, let you pre-plan your route, and offer cues as you go with detailed maps. And Garmins keep tabs on far more than your heartbeat and steps, measuring cadence and blood oxygen levels, and sending alerts to your emergency contact if it suspects a fall or accident.

Most importantly, Garmin watches are known for their accuracy, whether youre wearing a basic model or a top-of-the-line adventure watch. Garmin uses a three-satellite system to maintain a GPS lock, so if you lose your connection with one satellite, there are two more to keep the watch updated. The company has an extensive line, and weve put together a list of the best Garmin watches, with models for the competitive athlete and the relaxed weekend warrior.

Best Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Best for Running: Garmin Fenix 6 Pro Best for Hiking and Outdoors: Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar Best for Triathletes: Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Best Budget: Garmin Forerunner 45

Garmin offers a few features that are standard across most of their models, like incident detection, step tracking, and heart-rate monitoring. We looked past those kinds of features to the watchs size and weight, ease of use, advanced tracking features, and premium integrations to determine the best Garmin watches.

Size and Weight: Garmin offers several sizes and feature options in their smartwatch lines. Models in different sizes and weights give users a chance to find a model that fits their wrist and workout style.

Ease of Use: Touchscreens and easy navigation entered into our considerations. Even if the watch did not have a touchscreen, it should be fairly easy to navigate through the most-used menus.

Advanced Tracking Features: Advanced tracking features include navigation orcourse assistance, mapping, and workout suggestions or help.

Premium Integrations: Not everyone wants or needs premium integrations. However, for those that do, we looked for watches that could integrate with specialized tracking apps for sports like surfing or golf.

Why It Made The Cut: The Forerunner 245 Music has a few advanced features like music (no need for your phone) but balances them with a relatively affordable price, making it the best Garmin watch.

Specs: Screen Size: 1.2 inches GPS Tracking: Yes Weight: 38.5 grams (1.36 ounces)

Pros: Accurate GPS tracking Course guidance Large, bright display Plays music without a phone Accurate tracking with a few advanced features

Cons: No touchscreen display Some menus are difficult to navigate

The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music balances features with price. It also has a few advanced features like the music option (its also available without the music option). It stores up to 500 songs, so you can go for a run without bringing your phone.

Health monitoring is advanced with the help of the Connect IQ app. Using the information collected by the watch, it can calculate your fitness age, energy levels, and can send alerts if it detects heart rate abnormalities.

Of course, it does the basics incredibly well, like heart-rate monitoring, distance, and steps. However, the 245 Music goes even further, offering interval training, downloadable workouts with guidance, and training status, load, and effect information.

Course guidance is one of the premium features that runners, even amateurs love. You can enter your course or workout before leaving the house, and the watch offers prompts so you dont get lost.

While the Forerunner 245 Music is the best choice for the vast majority of people, it does have its issues. It doesnt have a touchscreen, which is becoming more standard with newer models. Additionally, some of the menus can be difficult to navigate.

Why It Made The Cut: Loaded with features, the Fenix 6 Pro provides all the stats needed to optimize performance and packs an impressive battery life, making it the best Garmin running watch.

Specs: Screen Size: 1.3 inches GPS Tracking: Yes Weight: 85 grams or 2.99 ounces (steel), 72 grams or 2.54 ounces (titanium)

Pros: Easy to use Offers lots of storage Packed with high-end features Outstanding battery life Multiple sizes

Cons: Bulky and heavy Expensive

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro is an improvement on the Fenix 5 in battery life and storage, yet its slightly smaller. The size difference is a good thing because one of the few downsides of the Fenix 5 was the bulk and weight. While the Fenix 6 Pro is still on the heavy side, its smaller than the previous version but has better battery life and storage.

Keep in mind that a watch with advanced integrations, storage, and battery life is going to be larger and heavier than average. It does come in three sizes, so you can reduce the bulk a bit by choosing a smaller size.

The 6 Pro offers a long list of integrations, from Surfline sessions to PacePro and ClimbPro to Trendline. It can load ski resorts, golf courses, and provide animated workouts on the watch face. Mountain bike metrics, running metrics, surf metrics the Fenix 6 Pro tracks them all and a wide range of other activities and has features to optimize performance in each.

Battery life is a huge pro. It can traditionally charge but also includes solar charging to keep the battery up during extended workouts. The expedition mode can extend battery life up to 46 days. However, there are several battery modes so you can adjust the battery use according to your needs.

The Garmin Fenix 6 Pro may be bulky, and the price could make you wince. However, if you appreciate a watch with plenty of integrations and the ability to last longer than you, it doesnt disappoint.

Why It Made The Cut: The Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar can last for days, is packed with integrations and features, including a stamina mode that can prevent overexertion, making it the best Garmin watch for outdoors.

Specs: Screen Size: 1.3 inches GPS Tracking: Yes Weight: 58 grams (2 ounces) to 96 grams (3.4 ounces), depending on which model

Pros: Stamina mode keeps track of exertion Sport-specific metrics for many activities Solar charging extends battery life Touchscreen Excellent satellite connections

Cons: Expensive Cannot take calls or send texts

Outdoor adventurers, prepare yourselves for all that the Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar has to offer. First, the Fenix 7 line comes in several configurations that vary in size and weight and, sometimes, features. But for those of you with smaller wrists who want a powerful watch with less bulk, you can find one in the Fenix 7S lineup.

This powerhouse of a timepiece does a little of everything, including sport-specific metrics for a very long list of activities from surfing to golf and skiing to traditional smartwatch sports like running and cycling. The Sapphire Solar version also includes solar charging to extend the life of the watch.

The Fenix 7S features an easy-to-use touchscreen and excellent satellite connections for improved accuracy and mapping. We love the onboard maps and option to load maps of golf courses, ski resorts, and other venues.

One of our favorite features is the real-time stamina tool. First, you have to establish your VO2Max using the app. From there, the watch uses that information to predict your stamina, as in how much farther you can go at your current pace. Its a lifesaver during endurance training or events because you can adjust your pace to make sure youre still upright at the end.

Get ready for sticker shock with this watch and realize that it cannot take or send calls and texts.

Why It Made The Cut: The Instinct 2 comes in several size options and offers advanced training features for running, cycling, and swimming, making it the best Garmin watch for triathlons.

Specs: Screen Size: 1.3 inches GPS Tracking: Yes Weight: 52 grams (1.83 grams)

Pros: Multiple size options, including a smaller size Impressive battery life Slim but durable design Advanced training tools Excellent GPS tracking

Cons: Poor map display No touchscreen

The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar jumps ahead of the triathlon watch competition thanks to its practical, easy-to-use design and rugged build. The battery life alone, which can go on for days thanks to the solar charging, makes it an excellent tool for triathlon training or competition. That rugged build can take a few falls and spills that may happen with off-trail sports. Despite its durable design, its surprisingly slim, especially considering the number of features packed inside.

The Instinct 2 offers Garmins impressive accuracy when it comes to location, heart rate, and other important factors. However, the map display is basic, which saves battery life but lags behind more expensive course-mapping models. Besides that, there are very few weaknesses.

This model can estimate your VO2Max, fitness age, and estimated recovery time. The Instinct 2 also has advanced training tools for the big three running, cycling, and swimming like the training status, load, and effect feature, which estimates aerobic or anaerobic workouts. These features help you adjust your training schedule and load to maximize every session.

We only wish it had a touchscreen. Instead, the Instinct 2 has five manual buttons to scroll through menus.

Why It Made The Cut: The Garmin Forerunner 45 keeps tracking simple but accurate, making it the best budget Garmin watch.

Specs: Screen Size: 1.04 inches GPS Tracking: Yes Weight: 32 grams (1.12 ounces) small; or 36 grams (1.27 ounces) large

Pros: Accurate GPS tracking 13 hours of battery life in GPS mode Lightweight for running Includes adaptive training plans with guidance Music control (phone needed)

Cons: Limited sports tracking

The Garmin Forerunner 45 is one of Garmins entry-level running watches. Its well known for its accuracy, simplicity, and light weight. Runners can use Garmins adaptive training plans and receive guidance throughout your workout on the watch.

While it doesnt have Garmins most impressive battery life, in standard mode, it can last 7 days and up to 13 hours in GPS mode. One of our favorite features is the music control. It doesnt store songs as some of the more expensive Garmin watches do. Instead, it syncs with your phone and lets you control your music with your watch, so you dont have to mess with your phone while you run.

At its heart, the Garmin Forerunner 45 is a running watch, which means its a little short on tracking other sports. Its got the basics but not much more.

How do you want to use your smartwatch? Are you looking for an advanced fitness tracker? Will uploading workouts and using the watch to prompt your next move be helpful? What health stats do you want to monitor? Do you need a waterproof Garmin watch? Think about your style too. Stylish Garmin watches look at home in the boardroom, whereas others are sporty and rugged.

The answers to these questions and a good look at your lifestyle can help you narrow down your choices. You also need to consider the kinds of activities you do. Those who stick mostly to running dont need a watch that automatically offers insights into 50 types of exercise. The best smartwatches get big the more features they have packed inside. Consider how big (and heavy) of a device you want strapped to your wrist.

Battery life is another feature that can support your life/workout style. Backcountry adventurers may be out of range for hours (or days) but still need features on their smartwatch. Several Garmin watches have solar charging, extending the battery life by days in the right mode. Others may only offer six or seven hours of power if power-sucking features like GPS and music are running.

GPS tracking is one of the most attractive features of any smartwatch. Tracking may mean the watch records your workout and lets you view it when youre done. Others let you upload maps and plan your route before leaving the house, offering course guidance as you go. Consequently, you need to consider the kind of GPS features you need and want.

Several of the Garmin GPS watches are able to play music, too. These watches sync with Spotify and can hold hundreds of songs. Less sophisticated but still good Garmin watches let you control the music on your phone. The watch can then connect to wireless headphones and play music while you run. This feature lets you leave the watch at home.

Do you want to take calls and send texts like a traditional smartwatch, or do you want a Garmin watch thats designed for advanced fitness tracking with third-party integrations? You can use a Garmin watch to monitor your heart rate, get alerts of an abnormal heart rate, or get insights into your fitness age. Many Garmin watches also contain incident detection. If the watch detects a fall or accident, it notifies the emergency contacts on your phone.

Some Garmin watches also: Provide an energy score to help you adjust your workout schedule Send relaxation reminders Monitor pulse blood oxygen saturation Track splits Offer workout guidance or suggestions

Garmin watches cost anywhere from around $150 to over $1,500 for a premium model. Garmins budget watches still offer excellent accuracy and battery life, though theyre not loaded with as many advanced features. Their premium watches contain a long list of recognized activities and training insights and may have incredibly long battery lives thanks to solar charging.

A Garmin watchs life depends on how its used. When you tap it for mapping, music, and other advanced features, your Garmin will wear out faster than one thats worn as a fashion watch and used for light daily exercise. On average, a Garmin watch should last three or four years with regular use. You may get more or less than that depending on your activities.

No, Garmin watches do not measure blood pressure. However, there are models that offer many health-monitoring features, such as resting heart rate, respiration rate, pulse ox blood oxygen saturation, energy monitoring, and estimated stress levels.

Many Garmin features are free and come as a standard package with the watch and Connect IQ app. There are five subscription options available to unlock some premium features. Each subscription is only available with certain watches. For example, the LTE subscription is only available for the forerunner 945 LTE. The subscription allows you to leave your phone at home but still receive phone calls and texts. Other subscriptions provide added satellite network access or specialized features for certain populations like golfers or truckers.

Garmin watches are known for their accuracy. Their GPS system uses three satellites to stay on course. They all rate well when it comes to heart rates, cadence, and distance accuracy. While there may be some variation among the many health features on each model, overall, Garmin watches perform well.

Garmin watches do work with iPhones. But first, you have to download the Connect IQ app and connect the watch. However, there are a few Garmin features that are not compatible with an iPhone.

The Forerunners stay at the front of the pack, with the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music taking the lead. This watch offers the best mix of premium and advanced features for the price. It doesnt hurt that it can store up to 500 songs so you can exercise phone-free. However, if youre looking for an entry-level model, the Garmin Forerunner 45 will keep you on track.

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurisms owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.

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Best Garmin Watches of 2022 - Futurism

US officials are still struggling to communicate about COVID-19 with the public.

Take president Joe Bidens chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, who attempted to say today that the US has weathered the storm, entering a new and less dangerous phase of the crisis.

We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase, he said during an interview with PBS NewsHour on Tuesday a rather confusing remark, given the fact that the US is still recording over 50,000 new cases and almost 400 deaths a day on average.

Clearly, the messaging didnt quite land, with Fauci following up with a Washington Post interview, clarifying that the world is still in a pandemic.

Theres no doubt about that, he said. Dont anybody get any misinterpretation of that. We are still experiencing a pandemic.

The World Health Organization is of the same opinion.

Were in a different phase of this pandemic, certainly, but we are still very much in the middle of this pandemic, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs technical lead on COVID, during a Monday briefing.

But were nowhere near where we were when the COVID pandemic started just over two years ago.

Fauci believes there are five phases of the crisis. The first stage is a full blown, uncontrolled pandemic like the one the US has endured since March 2020, with nearly one million deaths and untold numbers of severe hospitalizations.

The second phase is deceleration and the third is control, the one we currently find ourselves in, Fauci argued.

Were really in a transitional phase, from a deceleration of the numbers into hopefully a more controlled phase and endemicity, he told WaPo.

Endemic means that while it wont be gone, it could become far less deadly, just as many experts have long predicted.

That also means were not going to eradicate this virus, as Fauci told PBS.

Faucis communication skills certainly leave something to be desired here. While the media took him by his word, quoting him for saying that the US is out of the pandemic phase, the reality of the situation is far more nuanced than that.

And thats certainly something he, of all people, is painfully aware of.

More on medical futures: Woman Says Coors Paid Her $1,000 to Successfully Inject Advertisements Into Her Dreams

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Dr. Fauci Says the "Pandemic Phase" of COVID Is Over, Then Says Pandemic Is Actually Still Happening - Futurism

That's gotta sting.Cleaned Out

Despite the old saying, not everything lives forever on the internet including stolen crypto.

This week, crypto security firm BlockSec announced that a hacker figured out how to exploit lending agreements and triple their crypto reward on the ZEED DeFi protocol,which runs on the Binance Smart Chain and trades with a currency called YEED.

Our system detected an attack transaction that exploited the reward distribution vulnerability in ZEED, BlockSec said on Twitter this week.

The end of the thread threw readers for a loop, though, because BlockSec also said the stolen currency had been permanently lost because of a self-destruct feature the hacker used.

Interestingly, the attacker does not transfer the obtained tokens out before self-destructing the attack contract. Probably, he/she was too excited, BlockSec said in a following tweet.

The sheer thought of losing a million dollars is enough to make anybody sweat bullets, but its possible the hacker did this on purpose. BlockSec isnt sure what the motive was, and suggests it couldve been an accident.

A report by VICE published this week says the hacker couldve been a vigilante with a message or something to prove. Because the self-destruct feature burned the tokens, theyre essentially gone forever. VICE suggests the hacker couldve wanted to watch the crypto world burn and the mysterious attacker certainly did cause a lot of chaos.

After selling the hacked tokens, YEEDs value crashed to near zero. Sales wont resume until ZEED takes steps to secure, repair and test its systems.

Maybe the hacker messed up, or maybe we just witnessed a modern day Robin Hood attack. Its possible well never know who pulled off the hack, or why.

More on crypto hacks: Hackers Reportedly Get Away With $13.7 Million Worth of Bored Ape NFTs

Originally posted here:
Oops! Hacker Steals $1 Million in Crypto and Then Destroys It - Futurism

Recent work exuding the rich, prismatic worlds Ademola creates includes an earth-conscious brand film for House of Marley; the music video for Sidibes single Place For You & I,where a woman falls in love with a man trapped inside a painting; and Fearless Leader, a commercial he co-directed with MJZ director Fredrik Bond for Northwell Health, which won a Muse Award for Creativity. Currently, Ademola is in post-production of a film titled Ellas Vinieron de las Nubes, an experimental documentary about the Afro-Mexicans of La Costa Chica.

Ademola believes that truth and authenticity of expression is essential for brands to connect with todays consumers: The brands that excite me most are the ones that are brave enough to be vulnerable and answer to a larger purpose, such as social justice, mental health, mindfulness, and sustainability in their marketing.

Outside of the commercial world, the LA-based director keeps busy writing and directing original films. His recent short film, I Dreamed of Seeing Myself, will screen at the 2022 Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival. Combining video, painting, drawing, photography, and performance, the film is a surreal exploration of self-identity and African experience. He also recently starred in an episode of Hulus Your Attention Please, a series on Black innovators and creators who are leaving their mark on the world.

Ademola is also renowned in art scenes from Lagos, Nigeria, to New York City. Last month, his triptych video installation titled I Forever Am(2021) displayed as part of a group exhibition produced by the NEW INC-supported Black Beyond in partnership with Parsons School of Design. He is also the recipient of the 2021-22 Kala Media Art Award and Fellowship and has been awarded residencies at Caldera Arts (founded by Dan Wieden); the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts; and Pocoapoco.

From the very first project we did together, I could tell the WTBR ecosystem was just different, concludes Ademola. Tim and [WTBR Founder/Executive Producer] PJ [Koll] just seemed to get it as they put a lot of trust in the artist while upholding client integrity. I'm thrilled to make magic with them.

Continue reading here:
Jamal Ademola joins Where The Buffalo Roam | shots - Shots

Earth: what a planet. Easily in the top three in the entire solar system. Earth Day is a good time to reflect not only on small steps we can take to live more sustainably but celebrate a planet we call home. To ring in the day right, Amazon, Home Depot, eBay, Samsung, and Walmart offering tons of great deals on everything from sustainable home goods to tech. But like any deal tied to a holiday, these wont last long, so act fast.

One of the easiest ways to curb your energy use is by using a smart thermostat. This thermostat sets up easily (in as little as 45 minutes, in fact) and connects to your Alexa-enabled devices so you can do everything with easy voice commands. Its Energy Star-certified, and can save you as much as $50 a year on your energy bills. Alexa does all the heavy lifting, adjusting the temperature at will from anywhere. Not only is this smart thermostat great for more energy-efficient living, but its Climate Pledge-friendly so its built sustainably too.

Amazon Smart Thermostat $47.99 (was $59.99)

Stasher Platinum Silicone Food Grade Reusable Storage Bag 4-Pack $52.07 (was $67.95)

IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter (Black) $80.90 (was $99.99)

Bamboo Cutting Board Set with Juice Groove (3 Pack) for $24.97

Hit the trails or save energy by commuting to work with the Schwinn Boundary Electric Bike. Designed with a 250-watt pedal-assist motor, the bike makes it easier to get up those hills and ride for longer. The aluminum frame and front wheel suspension are built to withstand obstacles and bumps on the trails, while the front and rear disk brakes, and sturdy tires help you stop quickly, no matter what the weather.

Schwinn Boundary ELECTRIC Mountain Bike $798 (was $1,098)

ExpertPower 2.5KWH 12V Solar Power Kit $2,159.99 (Save $150 with coupon)

LEFANEV 40A EV Electric Vehicle Charging Station $449 (was $499)

Solar Battery Portable Waterproof Solar Panel Trickle Charging Kit $35.99 (was $65.99)

Wed forgive you if you wanted to take a break from this world and escape for a while. Immerse yourself in another universe while minimizing your impact on this one with a refurbished model of the Oculus Quest 2. Join a new virtual community for workouts, live experiences, and more. Get started with some of the best VR games.

Oculus Quest 2 128GB Advanced All-in-one VR Headset Certified Refurbished $249.99 (Was $299.99)

Take an extra 15 percent off eBay refurbished tech, tools, home, and morewith the code REFURBISHED15.

Certified Renewed Samsung Galaxy S21 $225 (was $675)

DJI Mini 2 Bundle with Extra New Battery (Refurbished) $424

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurisms owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.

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Snag the Best Earth Day Deals from Amazon, eBay, Samsung, and Walmart - Futurism

Shallow pockets of water "must have been, or maybe still are, extremely common" on Europa.Waterworld

Scientists have found that Jupiters moon Europa could be home to even more pockets of liquid water than previously thought, meaning that its an even better candidate in our solar system to look for alien life.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications this week, a team of scientists at Stanford University found that Europas icy shell could be more porous than believed.

The smoking gun: double ridge features that greatly mimic those found in Greenlands ice sheet. The theory goes that if those ridges were formed the same way they were in Greenland, there should be a lot more water on the Jovian moon than previously thought though we wont know for sure,most likely, until we have a look for ourselves.

The observation was a bit of a happy accident.

One of my colleagues on this paper, who is a planetary scientist, was giving a presentation on the big open questions in Europa science and showed a picture of these double ridges on the surface, Riley Culberg electrical engineering PhD at Stanford University, and study lead, told The Daily Beast.

It struck me that I had seen a similar looking feature in my own data from Earth while working on a totally different project related to climate change impacts on the Greenland ice sheet, he added.

Even accounting for the vastly different level of gravity on Europa, the theory appears to check out, with the moons ridges two peaks having the same proportional height and distance between them as in Greenland.

In the case of Greenland, pressurized liquid from below forces the ice sheets upward, causing a crest of two peaks, with pockets of water underneath.

That means Europas icy shell could also be riddled with shallow pockets of liquid water.

If Europas double ridges also form in this way, it suggests that shallow water pockets must have been, or maybe still are, extremely common in the ice shell, Culberg told Beast.

Of course, we wont be able to test the theory without more direct observations. But fortunately, NASA is looking to do just that, launching a probe to the icy moon called Europa Clipper some time in 2024, with a special radar on board that can peek beneath its mysterious icy shell.

READ MORE: The Chances of Finding Alien Life on Jupiters Moon Europa Just Shot Way Up[The Daily Beast]

More on Jupiter: Watch the Rare Triple Transit From Jupiters Moons

Originally posted here:
Jupiter's Icy Moon May Be Way More Habitable Than We Thought - Futurism

With the rising temperatures and its impending doom on planet earth, it is imperative for us to focus on sustainability in tourism. And presenting us with a fitting alternative is the novel Six senses resort in Norway. Touted to be the worlds first net energy positive destination in the world, the property features 94-room in total. It is located at the foot of the breathtaking Svartisen glacier and is slated to open in 2024. The hotel is further perched above the Holandsfjorden fjord via poles to minimize the impact on the surrounding glacial environment.Image Six SensesThe propertys design is inspired by the fiskehjell (an A-shaped wooden structure for drying fish) and the rorbu (a coastal fishermans cabin) and is a modern-day ode to futurism and sustainably. It features the highest energy-efficiency standard in the northern hemisphere and will be able to harvest enough solar energy to go back into the system such that it is independent of the power grid.

Image Six SensesThe hotel will also come with its own waste and water management systems, thanks to its ingenious recycling and renewable infrastructure. Not one that is completely deprived of technology, each room at the resort will boast a non-invasive touchless technology called the Svart Touch. It will be capable of adjusting as per the guests state of mind and health and thereby provide an immersive experience to guests.Further, visitors will also be able to indulge in other purpose-driven initiatives such as the Experience Center, the Alchemy Bar, the Earth lab, and more. They will be invited to dine at The Marketplace, a zero-waste venue, and sample drinking water that is filtered and bottled in-house.

Image Six SensesCommenting on it, CEO of Six Senses Neil Jacobs, in a statement, said, Sustainable properties call for extraordinary creativity, and Six Senses Svart takes us to a whole new level in terms of pushing boundaries.

He further added, The concept has become bigger than the project itself, as it will provide a futuristic showcase for what can be achieved in terms of sustainability and energy solutions, and therefore a blueprint within our hospitality industry and the development sector in general.

Who said luxury always comes at an environmental cost?

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As incredible as it will be, the Six Senses Svart In Norway will be the first net energy-positive hotel in the world - Luxurylaunches

The concept of the nanofabricator presents us a Star Trek version of the future. Need a meal? Push the button on the replicator. Need a wrench? Push the button on the replicator. There is no use for money when anything you want can be instantly manufactured on the spot.

Building wondrous new inventions atom-by-atom was first floated by Richard Feynman in his fantastic lecture, Plenty of Room at the Bottom. The idea gained traction in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred on by the popular and scientific work of K. Eric Drexler. In Drexlers imagination, a foundry for molecules would suck in feeds of raw material and build up objects (like a 3D printer) rather than starting with large masses of material and carving them down to shape. This dream excited futurists and science fiction authors. It also inspired many researchers and students (including, at one time, yours truly) to pursue research in nanotechnology.

As Feynman noted in his lecture, there is no physical law that forbids molecules and even atoms from being assembled in this way. Not only is it plausible, we are the living embodiment of nanofabrication. Cells possess the machinery necessary to use blueprints (DNA) to encode messages (RNA) that provide instructions to molecular foundries (ribosomes).And Nature is no longer the only nanofabricator.

Human ingenuity has created synthetic instruments to operate at this scale. We use microscopes with tiny scanning needle tips to view single atoms. A graduate student running such a microscope can position one atom, or a small molecule though with some difficulty. We also implement complex chemical processes to synthesize large quantities of new chemicals, such as polymer plastics.

Yet, neither of these techniques are practical for nanofabrication. Our industrial production processes are very large and very crude in atomistic terms. The casting, molding, or machining of a small part is a rough treatment of a trillion trillion atoms (in which being within 100,000 atoms of a particular design parameter is a tight requirement).

Our student with the nano-manipulating microscope could mechanically assemble atoms with high precision, but it would take a time greater than the age of the Universe to build the head of a pin. Thus, building anything out of atoms with a giant machine is just too slow and too hard. What we need are tiny machines lots (and lots) of them to assemble substantial quantities of matter from microscopic building blocks.

Drexler engaged in a famous debate with Nobel Prize-winning chemist Richard Smalley over the practical design of a nanofabricator. Smalley, himself a founder of and advocate for the field of nanotechnology, and an admirer of Drexlers ideas, took issue with the application of an industrial engineering approach to the nanofabrication problem.

We generally synthesize molecules via chemistry and not mechanical manipulation. The smaller a molecule or particle is, the more surface area it presents, relative to its volume. Tiny particles become dominated by surface-based forces that cause them to act in ways that large particles dont. Soccer balls dont leap up from the ground and attach themselves to our legs mid-kick with such strength that we cannot rip them off again. Nanoparticles can.

Smalley specifically brought this up in the debate. He called it the sticky fingers problem. When you mechanically manipulate molecules and atoms, they tend to adhere to things. They cannot easily be moved without finding something to stick to, and they cannot easily be dislodged once they do. This applies not only to the apparatus, but to unwanted atoms that happen to be nearby as well.

For example, keeping a free oxygen (O) atom from immediately sticking to another O atom and forming O2 is extremely challenging. There is a reason our atmosphere is made of O2, CO2, and H2O, and our ground is made up of quartz (SiO2), alkali feldspar (minerals with O8 groups), Al2O3, and so many other oxidized compounds that 47% of the Earths crust mass is oxygen by weight. Manipulating an isolated O atom, or trying to assemble something in which you are trying to prevent oxygen from running it, would be very hard.

Smalley raised a second practical issue. A nanofabricator presumably needs tiny mechanical arms to do its assembly work. To effectively grasp an atom, the hands on these arms must be about the size of an atom, or a few atoms at most. To bring two atoms together, fingers holding each atom would be required. Ideally, the fingers would be smaller than the atom they grasp so as to move it with high fidelity. The trouble is that a finger cannot be smaller than an atom, and thus we begin to run out of the room at the bottom. Smalley called this the fat fingers problem.

Assembling molecules with the fat fingers can get even more tricky: the molecules cannot just be smashed together. To bond in the desired way, they must be placed, in certain orientations and under certain conditions, with great care. The chemistry concept is the molecules path along a parameterized reaction coordinate. Following the proper path likely requires more flawlessly operating tiny fingers.

Smalley, an experimental research chemist, then proposed that nanofabricators might instead work via chemistry, like the processes inside cells. This too suffers from substantial flaws, revealed by a deeper investigation of potential chemical approaches. The first approach is a nanofabricator operating with organic molecules contained in an aqueous (water-based) environment. It would manipulate not individual atoms but small catalytic molecules (enzymes) to spur on chemical reactions that assemble larger molecules out of smaller component molecules.

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Even with the help of natural machinery like enzymes, selecting, arranging, and bonding molecules is still tricky work. More fundamentally, these processes are limited to certain types of molecules. Cells fabricate proteins and various forms of natural organic compounds, but they dont construct metallic objects. They dont construct semiconductors that we use for computation, nor do they construct many other high-tech materials. Perhaps the nano-future could be made of organic composites.

If we wish to use chemical methods without operating in water or building upon cellular processes, Smalley argued the effort will require development of a vast area of chemistry that has eluded us for centuries.

Drexler counters that nanofabricators will not work via chemistry but indeed will use mechanical synthesis. He repeatedly describes this effort as an engineering challenge. This reveals a philosophical distinction in the debate over nanofabricators. Drexlers mentality is that of an engineer, believing that once a problem is known to be solvable, it is simply a matter of systematically applying known models until the solution is achieved. Smalleys approach is that of a scientist, arguing that the problem cannot yet be tackled by engineering models because the underlying scientific details are not yet fully understood.

Scientific thinking coalesced around Smalleys positions. This put a damper on the research push for nanofabricators. While the wider field of nanotechnology barrels on, it focuses on smaller goals. But, this hasnt shaken the belief of some futurists in nanofabricators and the tiny nanobots (nano-sized robots) they would produce. Some predictions like scads of nanobots swarming through our bloodstream zapping pathogens or rejuvenating our bodies to help us live forever or infiltrating our brains to make us ultra-smart seem a little silly.

So far, the closest we have come to practical nanofabrication is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the crucial invention behind the proliferation of DNA sequencing, infectious disease testing, and criminal forensic investigation. Rather than creating synthetic machinery, we are repurposing cellular machinery to replicate DNA molecules. This molecular photocopying technique generates exponentially more DNA molecules from a few initial ones.

Hence, nanofabrication is certainly possible, though the hurdles are massive. But the revolution it would produce for human civilization means nanofabrication is far too tantalizing to give up on. The reward is worth the cost of patiently funding continued research.

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