Category Archives: Transhuman News

In Brief A prototype of Faraday Future's flagship vehicle, the FF 91, made an appearance this weekend at a car show in Long Beach. The company is positioning itself as a competitor for Tesla in the electric autonomous vehicle market. An Actual First Look

Three months afterits unveiling at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Faraday Futures concept autonomous electric vehicle finally made an encoreappearance this weekend. A beta version of the FF 91, the flagship vehicle from the California-based startup, was spotted byMotorworld Hypeat a car show in Long Beach.

Faraday Future has been accepting reservations for the FF 91 since January, with the first 300 orders eligible for an exclusive launch upgrade called the Alliance Edition, though no word yet on what that would entail.

With the FF 91, Faraday Future seems to be hoping to emerge as a serious challenger to Tesla in the electric and autonomous vehicle markets. The company has evenbuilt its own megafactory right in Teslas backyard.The FF 91 does, though, warrant attention as its own entity. Not only is it a rather beautiful electric vehicle (EV) with autonomous capabilities, the FF 91 packs its own hefty punches in terms of specs.

The FF 91 was designed and built following Faraday Futures so-called Variable Platform Architecture (VPA).According to the company, the vehicles130 kWh battery is the worlds highest energy density battery, and it deliversan estimated range of 378 miles on the EPA cycle and over 700 km on the NEDC cycle. The FF 91runs on a 1,050 horsepower electric propulsion system capable of zooming from zero to 96 kmh (zero to 60 mph) in just 2.39 seconds. (For its part, Tesla seems to have acknowledged the rather stealthy Faraday Future by topping that acceleration rate almost as soon as the new vehicle was unveiled and before it actually hit production.)

The FF 91 isimpressive as an autonomous vehicle, too. Its set to be the first vehicle to feature retractable 3D lidar [], part of a complex sensor system including 10 high definition cameras, 13 long and short range radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Its topped with more sensors than any of its counterparts.

Clearly, the FF 91 is a formidable foe for both EVs and self-driving cars. All thats left now is for Faraday Future to actually roll it out. Hopefully, that future event isnt too far away.

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Tesla Challenger Faraday Future Just Showed off Its Flagship ... - Futurism

In Brief By combining photographs of distant galaxies 4.5 billion light-years away, scientists now have photographic evidence of dark matter linking galaxies together. Any new insight into dark matter will lead to a more complete understanding of the universe in which we live. Seeing the Unseeable

The theory that birthed the concept of dark matter came to be out of necessity. Based on the matter we can see, our universeshouldnt be able to exist and operate as it does this visible matter cant generate the gravity necessary to keep our galaxies held together.Dark matter is a way for scientists to account for this discrepancy. They posit that our universe must containa kind matter that we cannot see, a kind that doesnt absorb, reflect, or emit light a truly dark matter.

For our scientific models to hold true, dark matter mustmake up more than a quarter of all the matter in the universe. Still, what dark matter is actually made of remains a mystery, and finding evidence of something that cannot be seen is a daunting task. Previously, the gravitational effects of dark matter are the closest thing to proof that scientists have, but now, researchers from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, have something even better: a composite picture that proves that galaxies are indeed connected by dark matter.

Using a technique known as weak gravitational lensing, the researchers combined images taken over the course of years to show the presence of dark matter. The composite was created usingimages from more than 23,000 galaxy pairs situated 4.5 billion light-years away.

We may not have greater insight as to exactlywhat this matter is composed of, but at least we now have a physical representation of its existence between galaxies.

For decades, researchers have been predicting the existence of dark-matter filaments between galaxies that act like a web-like superstructure connecting galaxies together, explained Mike Hudson, a professor of astronomy at Waterloo, in a press release from the Royal Astronomical Society.This image moves us beyond predictions to something we can see and measure.

Indeed, the image is an important step toward legitimizing dark matter and dark energy at a time when other scientists are proposing models that would do away with the need for dark matter to exist entirely. Itbrings us closer to understanding dark matter and the role it plays in binding the universe together. Existenceis an infinitelylarge puzzle comprising innumerable pieces. Any time we can find a way to connect those pieces we bring the big picture into greater focus and move one step closer to truly understanding the world in which we live.

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Scientists Have Captured the First-Ever "Image" of a Dark Matter Web - Futurism

In Brief Porsche unveiled their first fully electric vehicle last year and we are hoping to see a production model by 2020. An increased focus on the development and manufacture of e-cars is giving a glimpse into the future of personal transport. Car Wars

With each new development, its becoming clear that electric vehicles are the future of personal transport. Gasoline-fueledcars are a major burden on the environment. One third of all air pollution in the United States comes from vehicles. Not only does this contribute to climate change, but also puts everyones health at risk as we end up breathing in these emissions.

More manufacturers are adding electric cars to their lineups. Even the fanciest of automakers are putting their hat in the ring to get carve out a piece of that market. Porsche is planning on rolling out its Mission Eelectric cars by 2020. The company has already unveiled the model as a concept car at last years International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The concept car was a sleek, attractive, four-door sedan. The company plans to offer wireless software updates just like Tesla.

The new car will undoubtedly feature some high-tech bells and whistles. Porsche has not officially confirmed the full spectrum of what will be available with the production model of the car, but we do at least have an idea of where they might be headed.

Inductive charging is a relatively new technology thats, so far, only widely been integrated into portable technology like cell phones and smart watches. It is quickly becoming more popular in future designs for electric vehicles thanks to the implications of creating parking spots that feature charging pads.

Range anxietyis a common concern among electric vehicle consumers. No one wants to get stranded in the middle of a long trip with the nearest charging opportunity potentially miles away. Porsche is hoping to assuage that fear by offering an 800v charging system that will allow a range of 402 km (250 miles) with just 15 minutes of charge time. A fully charged Mission Ecould drive up to 498 km (310 miles), leaving Teslas Model 3s 473 km (294 miles) in the dust.

Porsche is also making a huge switch that may even rival the change that Apple made to its phones by removing the headphone jack. Instead of the traditional exterior mirrors, the vehicles will be equipped with cameras that display the world around the vehicle in the lower corner of the windshield. Other cameras in the vehicle will track the drivers eyes to help control the dashboard menu.

The future of electric vehicles is as clear as it is necessary. Combating climate change is of the utmost importance to the continued health of our planet. However, as each new model is unveiledexactly what that future will look like is only limited by the imagination and innovationit can spark.

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This is the Stunning Electric Car Porsche is Creating to Oust Tesla - Futurism

In BriefAutomaker Lucid Motors just shared a clip of its all-electricAlpha Speed Car clocking a speed of 217 mph. This achievementdemonstrates the ability of electric cars to meet the sameperformance standards set by their traditional counterparts. One Super-Fast EV

Lucid Motorsjust unveiled its luxury Lucid Air and an Alpha Speed Car prototype during the annual New York International Auto Show. Now, the California-based luxury automaker hasshared a video of the vehiclesfirst high-speed stability test.

During the test at the Transportation Research Center test track in Ohio, the all-electricAlpha Speed Car clocked a speed of 350 kmh (217 mph). Thats the same as a Ferrari LaFerrari.

These tests are relevant to the engineering process of the vehicle as they will allow the team to combine computer simulation models with real-world data to improve performance. According toLucid Motors website:

The test, software-limited to 217 mph (350 km/h), was successful in demonstrating the capabilities of the car and in finding areas for improvement that could not be properly evaluated in static bench tests [] The collected data will now be used to finesse thermal and aero computer simulations and to make further performance improvements that will be tested later this year at higher speeds.

The company assures potential drivers, however, that the Air is more than just fast: High-speed capability does not compromise our mission to develop a highly efficient vehicle. On the contrary, the focus on maximizing range provides the high power and aerodynamic efficiency that enables higher speeds.

TheLucid Air is scheduled for production in 2019 and is largely considered a strong competitor for Teslas Model S. Priced at $52,500, the vehicle is expected to come equipped with autonomous-ready hardware. It will have a 400-mile range, a 1,000-horsepower engine, anda strong focus on passenger comfort and luxury.

The diversity of electric vehicles (EV) coming onto the market demonstrates the increased demand for electric alternatives to traditional high-performance transport.

If we really want to reduce carbon emissions, ending our reliance on traditional forms of transportation is one way to do it, so the arrival of numerous EV options is certainly welcome. In addition, many of these cars are being built with advanced autonomous capabilities, which could mean that traffic jams, a perennial problem in urban areas, will be considerably reduced.

Furthermore, the governments support for self-driving technology is drawn from its potential to help address common pedestrian and road safety issues. Given that most traffic-related accidents and fatalities are caused by human error, the rise of autonomous vehicles on the road would ultimately save lives.

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An All-Electric Vehicle Just Reached 217 MPH in a High-Speed Test - Futurism