Category Archives: Transhuman News

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Waymo, the self-driving outfit owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, says it wants its autonomous cars to be much safer than humans. As if to prove its own point, a Waymo vehicle being driven by a human struck a person on a scooter in San Francisco Wednesday.

The incident, which was first shared by WIRED reporter Tom Simonite, occurred at the intersection of McAllister and Larkin streets in the Tenderloin neighborhood. According to a Waymo spokesperson, "The autonomous specialist had recently disengaged the vehicle from autonomous mode and was driving in manual mode when the vehicle entered the intersection and made the left turn. After turning, and while still in manual mode, the vehicle came into contact with an individual on a motorized scooter." No serious injuries have yet been reported.

Did you witness this crash? Have you witnessed or been involved with any other incidents involving self-driving vehicles? We'd love to hear from you. Email Aaron Gordon at aaron.gordon@vice.com.

The incident highlights the complicated dyna

mics around self-driving cars in cities, which were not designed for nor are best with lots of cars zipping around. And human drivers pose a distinct and well-documented threat to pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders, and other people not in cars. But there is yet no clear evidence computer-controlled vehicles will be any better. And in the absence of reliable, independently verified data, the future remains uncertain and scary as billion-dollar corporations forge ahead rolling out a technology that may one day be an improvement over current practices but nevertheless scares a lot of people. But, as this Waymo driver reminded us, the present is pretty scary, too.

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Futuristic Self-Driving Car Hits Person the Old Fashioned Way - VICE

"We're not really sure what can cause a torque on this scale."Tilt-a-Whirl

Some of the gigantic filaments that make up the cosmic web an unfathomably massive network of tendril-like structures linking the universes galaxies together seem to be spinning.

A team of scientists made the shocking discovery that some cosmic filaments, which are the largest known structures in the entire universe, are rotating around their central axis like gigantic drills, according to research published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. But thats as far as they got, Space.com reports: The team has no idea why the filaments started to spin or what force could have been powerful enough to set them in motion.

Were not really sure what can cause a torque on this scale, study coauthor Noam Libeskind told Space.com.

Libeskind, a cosmologist for Germanys Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, added that scientists previously assumed that individual galaxy clusters, which can move extremely slowly about their axes, were the largest spinning objects in the cosmos. Spinning is common in space on smaller scales, but theres nothing about the Big Bang that ought to have set the massive filaments in motion, especially given their incredible scale.

[Cosmic filaments] are structures so vast that entire galaxies are just specks of dust, Libeskind told Space.com. These huge filaments are much, much bigger than clusters.

Libeskind is still searching for possible answers, a task thats made even more difficult by the fact that only some filaments appear to be spinning while others are more static. One possible explanation, according to Space.com, is that the filaments built up some momentum as their intense gravitational pull sucked up and compacted nearby gases and dust but thats just speculation for now.

READ MORE: Astronomers discover largest known spinning structures in the universe [Space.com]

More on cosmic filaments: Heres The First-Ever Pic of Cosmic Web Connecting All Galaxies

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The Largest Structures in the Universe Started To Spin and We Don't Know Why - Futurism

Yes, fusion. Billionaires are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into fusion energy startups.Bezos Fusion

A Canadian fusion energy company is set to break ground on a large-scale nuclear fusion demonstration plant in Culham, UK and its being funded by one of the richest men in the world: the one and only Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, as the BBC reports.

The company General Fusion is one of many startups attempting to make fusion energy a reality. Rather than splitting atoms, the process involves fusing hydrogen atoms together under high heat and pressure inside a reactor.

The process releases copious of amounts of energy but so far, researchers have yet to make a net gain. Getting the fusion reaction started still takes significantly more energy than what its capable of producing.

With funding from the likes of Bezos however, the private sector has a better shot than ever in making fusion a viable alternative to other renewable forms of energy production.

General Fusions upcoming test plant wont however be generating power. The facility, which is roughly 70 percent the size of a commercial reactor, aims to be operational by 2025, according to the BBC, and lay the groundwork for future reactors.

The company raised $100 million in its last round of funding and has also received funding from the UK government.

Its approach to fusion energy involves compressing extremely hot plasma inside a cylinder that is lined by a wall of liquid metal, a process called magnetized target fusion. The heat then is used to generate steam and spin a turbine.

For decades, scientists have attempted to establish fusion energy as a limitless low-carbon form of energy whether the investment will end up paying off? Anybodys guess. But the basic fact of a power player like Bezos continuing to establish themselves in this space makes one thing clear: Its a question someone and someone very important, with several nations worth of wealth wants answered, now more than ever.

READ MORE: Nuclear energy: Fusion plant backed by Jeff Bezos to be built in UK [BBC]

More on fusion: Worlds Strongest Magnet Could Help Make Fusion Energy a Reality

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Jeff Bezos Is Helping Build a Fusion Power Plant in the UK - Futurism

Image credit: Disney

Walt Disney Animation Studios has teamed up with a newcomer for the first time ever on a groundbreaking new series, Iwaju. Disney and Kugali have decided to collaborate to give animation fans a taste of whats in store when the series hits Disney+ in 2023 at Annecy Festival. Disney and African entertainment company Kugali revealed new details about the original animated series which will be set in the futuristic world of Lagos.

Iwaju will include themes like class divide and inequality. Thats the everyday reality of life in Nigeria and other parts of the world, and [themes include] the consequences they have on a society and challenging the status quo, said Kugali co-founder and writer/director Ziki Nelson.

Disney Animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee shared why partnering with Kugali aligned with her vision. One of my initiatives really is that we, as Disney, can tell stories of the world, but by the people of the world. I was blown away by the storytelling. In many ways its epic There were themes that I had never seen put together in that way, there were folklore that I had never had access to. Initially the idea was a series of shorts, but each idea was an epic feature, so we picked the one that we felt could translate into a series the best.

Kugali co-founder and cultural consultant Tolu Olowofoyeku added, Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria and whats unique about Lagos is that its physically separated into two areas, theres the island and the mainland. That means it has very unique problems that require very unique solutions. She continued to say that the strange but wonderful city would provide an interesting base for the story and an opportunity to give people a more wholistic view of Nigeria.

Head of story Natalie Nourigat added that having a virtual story room with both Disney and Kugali talent was a great way to introduce new people. Her previous work, Disney animated short, Far From the Tree, debuted at Annecy this week and will play before Disneys Encanto in theaters this fall. This idea that we build a team that collaborates instead of drives in a way that diminishes Kugali was important, Lee added.

Calling Iwajus city a Kugali-Disney mash up, Kugali production designer and co-founder Hamid Ibrahim said, The series design includes a mainland made up of huge towers, reflecting overcrowding, while the more affluent island has a lot of space and room for creative expression.

The making and production of Iwaju involves talent working remotely from Nigeria, Uganda, London, Montreal and Burbank. Disney VFX supervisor Marlon West (Frozen, Frozen II) noted that its not just a team from around the world but from all parts of their careers. Lee commented that this teaming up is moving the studio toward the future. Theres so much more we can do in storytelling if we could diversify our storytellers. They have made us better storytellers.

Technology is a crucial aspect of the setting, where the usage of smartphones and gadgets is extensively being replaced by the adoption of augmented reality glasses. Flying cars will solve many problems, helping people avoid flooded roads and even offering door-to-door delivery in high-rise skyscrapers. Not revealing too much about the story, Nelson said, Its really about that inspiration for aspiration and desire to try to engineer society forward in a more positive way.

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Disney and Africas Kugali to unleash a futuristic Lagos in the upcoming series Iwaju - Animation Xpress

The Southern Ocean gets its due.Big Promotion

Finally, experts in the National Geographic Society have determined that Earth actually has five oceans, not the four that it already officially recognized.

Joining the crew is the Southern Ocean, the National Geographic publication reports, a circular body of water that envelops Antarctica. While the Southern Ocean was first named in the 1500s and scientists commonly refer to it in their work, Live Science reports, the body of water has been promoted and demoted from ocean status several times over the course of history. This official recognition finally sets things straight.

In 1921, when the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) was founded, it readily referred to the Southern Ocean as a distinct body of water, Live Science reports. It later changed its mind and demoted the ocean in new guidelines published in 1953. But scientists and trade organizations continued to refer to the ocean as such anyway.

However, as National Geographic Society geographer Alex Tait explained, officially recognizing the Southern Ocean could have a tangible impact by improving the state of kids science educations.

Students learn information about the ocean world through what oceans youre studying, Tait said in the NatGeo article. If you dont include the Southern Ocean, then you dont learn the specifics of it and how important it is.

Since most of Earths surface area is covered in water, designating the number and boundaries of oceans is actually a fairly arbitrary endeavor. After all, the various oceans are all technically connected to one another and the closest thing to a tangible boundary separating the Southern Ocean from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans is a circular current in the area that gives the Southern Ocean a different temperature and salinity from the others.

The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it, Tait said in the NatGeo article. Its sort of geographic nerdiness in some ways.

READ MORE: Earths fifth ocean just confirmed [Live Science]

More on oceans: The Early Universe Was a Vast Liquid Ocean, Scientists Say

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Experts Decide That Earth Has Five Oceans, Actually - Futurism

"There are a few technical issues to be cleared up, but I expect we will come to a resolution."Sharing Superchargers

Germanys Minister of Transportation Andreas Scheuer is reportedly in talks with Tesla about opening up its Supercharger network to other carmakers, according to Reuters.

Scheuer believes that existing infrastructure, for example Teslas Superchargers, will open to other manufacturers, Scheuer told local newspaper Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung.

There are a few technical issues to be cleared up, but I expect we will come to a resolution, he added. The aim is the barrier-free use of the charging stations of all providers for all e-cars, and that with a uniform payment system, ideally via smartphone.

Its a sign that regulators are starting to think seriously about the hurdles facing widespread electric vehicle adoption. Lacking charging infrastructure remains to be one of the biggest factors slowing it down.

Teslas Supercharger network is one of the most extensive electric car charger networks around today, operating more than 1,000 charging spots in Germany alone. There are over 25,000 individual charging stalls at over 2,700 Supercharger stations worldwide, with North America accounting for roughly half.

And the network is growing quickly. According to a Wednesday tweet by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a massive increase in Supercharger network is underway.

Other carmakers and regulators are starting to pay attention. In fact, other carmakers are already being made accessible to other electric cars, according to a December 2020 tweet by Musk, adding that its kind [of] low-key.

Details about Teslas plans to allow other carmakers to use its Superchargers are still sparse, however.

Its unclear what Teslas approach will be but its unlikely the company will open up its considerable infrastructure investment free of charge.

READ MORE: German minister in talks with Tesla over sharing supercharger network [Reuters]

More on Superchargers: Tesla Files Patent for Burger Chain at Supercharger Locations

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Germany Wants Tesla to Share Its Supercharger Network With Other Carmakers - Futurism

Battlefield 2042 has been announced and shown off through game engine and gameplay footage during the past week. More recently, EA performed its first Battlefield Briefing, which gave a closer look at the upcoming game. In that briefing, which was recently updated, we found out that Battlefield 2042 will be introducing artificial intelligence soldiers to the series.One of the most frustrating things about playing games is when you want to play, but the player base is not what it once was. Sometimes all you can find are empty servers, which can also prove to be very disappointing. However, Battlefield 2042 is bringing AI soldiers to the battlefield to fill up those empty slots to combat this problem.AI will also be used in co-op matches which Allows you to play together with friends, against AI soldiers. Furthermore, you can also face off against AI in solo mode to perfect your skills for multiplayer. All of this will make it so no matter how you play the multiplayer-only game, there will always be people to fight against.

Hopefully, EA will give us a deeper dive into the AI soon as the implementation could be interesting. Perhaps the AI will be able to learn from its mistakes as well as other players to allow for different difficulty tiers. Whatever the case, it will be exciting to see how this all shapes up, so stay tuned to HotHardware for Battlefield 2042 updates.

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Battlefield 2042 Enlists AI Soldiers To The Fight On The Futuristic Multiplayer Front - Hot Hardware

Heres what it looks like. Artemis-1 Space Launch System

NASA has finished assembling the first of its massive Space Launch System (SLS) rockets that will carry astronauts back to the Moon.

The agencys engineers lowered the 212-feet-tall core stage of SLS between smaller twin booster rockets at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, according to the BBC. SLS is the first rocket of NASAs Artemis-1 mission which will lay the foundation for eventually sending astronauts to the Moon and establishing a colony on the lunar surface.

Its inaugural launch is slated for later this year and will carry Orion, NASAs crew vehicle, into space for testing. No astronauts will be on board for its maiden flight, though which makes sense. NASA probably wants to make sure everything is in working order before we put human beings on top of an ungodly massive and powerful rocket and send them to the Moon. The first crewed missions are slated for 2023.

Heres what it looks like in all its assembled glory:

Now that its assembled, SLS stands taller than the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal and weighs a whopping 5.75 million pounds, according to NASA.

Itll need to be big and sturdy too since itll produce 8.8 million pounds of maximum thrust as it leaves Earths orbit.

The two boosters will give the rocket most of its thrust as it initially takes off. The massive core stage contains propellant tanks along with four engines to take it the rest of the way out of orbit.

It is an extremely exciting time to be a space exploration fan. Not only will the Artemis missions take astronauts back to the Moon, but theyll be building lunar colonies so scientists will have a sustainable research environment on the lunar surface.

The mission will also provide NASA will valuable data and insights to inform future missions to Mars and how we eventually build martian colonies.

READ MORE: SLS: First view of Nasas assembled megarocket [BBC]

More on Artemis: NASA Is Planning to Land on Far Side of the Moon for the First Time

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NASA Has Assembled a Megarocket to Take Humans to the Moon - Futurism

Fresh out the gates today isFull Time Daydreamer, the debut project from rap newcomer BXKS. Dipped in squelchy, futuristic beats and an R&B-leaning sheen (which she describes as alternative grime), the Luton-born rhymer emerges fully formed and to celebrate shes dropping off visuals for one of the tapes brightest highlights, Must Feel.

Soaked in rich purple hues and moody lighting, the visuals from director Brobbey take more than a couple of cues from one of the rappersfavourite anime series,Neon Genesis,as well as more abstract references to the whole dystopian sci-fi field. Its far from miserable though and, surprisingly, just a little bit invitingeven if the disjointed social interactions look a little cold.

Production here comes from TK, peppering its sci-fi funk sound with Gameboy bleeps and just a hint of melancholy. Its a well-chosen entry point for the rest of the project and fairly representative of the expansive, surprising and mercurial beats the producer crafted with multi-talented DJ andproducer p-rallel.

Speaking on her collaboration with BXKS for the Must Feel video, Sheenah says: I really wanted to get BXKS vision across in the best way possible, through lighting, styling, camera movement and the grade. BXKS is truly a visionary artist in my opinion, with a fresh perspective to add to the industryI really wanted people to see this in her first official music video. Theres so much more to come and Im really excited to see what she comes up with next.

Hit play on the visuals for Must Feel at the top and then dip intoFull Time Daydreamer.

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Premiere: Rap Newcomer BXKS Shows Off Her Cosmic Brand Of Futurism On Must Feel - Complex

Dutch-made robots of the Delft-based tech company Prime Vision ran a successful proof-of-concept for a major logistics player in the North American market.

Prime Vision, specialized in Computer Vision Integration, worked on this proof-of-concept solution together with Solution Net Systems (SNS), a similar warehouse automation technology company, located in the United States.

They supplied the robotics system officially an Autonomous Sorting System and installed it together with Solution Net Systems at various locations in the U.S. SNS is an essential partner for us in this project, says Eddy Thans, Prime Visions CEO.

The proof-of-concept, revolved around autonomous sorting, using innovative sorting robots Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) speed up the sorting process and make it more efficient.

Prime Vision and SNS-employees programmed the machines in such a way that they know which items to bring where. Both companies have extensive experience in warehouse automation manufacturing technology and other solutions for sorting processes in the field of mail and parcel sorting and work with the latest technologies. After this successful proof-of-concept and great cooperation, the two companies planned to join forces for more projects in the US.

Solution Net Systems is a global warehouse automation integrator with 50+ years of experience. We are excited about formalizing our partnership with Prime Vision. Adding their robotic sorting solution to our integration portfolio will strengthen both organizations position within the e-commerce market. said Stan Sroka, CEO of Solution Net Systems.

Originally posted here:
Prime Vision to offer a futuristic robotic sorting solution for the US - Post and Parcel