Category: technology

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The Air Force Is Putting Lasers on Their Fighter Jets

You read that right, my friends – laser death rays are a really real thing that the actual military is going to be utilizing in the near future.

I mean, I realize that most of this timeline is a horror show and The Jetsons’ promised us flying cars and our hoverboards are a horrible imitation, but I mean…death rays are pretty cool, right?

The Air Force is working on a laser weapon, known as SHiELD. It’s a pod-mounted laser that’s meant to protect fighters from incoming missiles, and will be used initially to protect older fighters with less effective stealth technology.

Image Credit: U.S. Navy

SHiELD stands for Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator. Lockheed’s plan is to mount the laser on the fuselage or wing of a fighter jet, and will eventually be used in conjunction with a second weapon – the Tactical Airborne Laser Weapon System – to shoot down air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles.

At the moment, pilots only have access to passive defenses against incoming missiles, like evasive action or managing to fly outside an incoming missile’s sensor arc, maybe launching flares or other measures meant to confuse tech.

Image Credit: U.S. Air Force

This new laser would be the first active anti-missile defense in history – and yeah, go ahead and imagine something straight out of Star Wars.

The systems will take up space on fighter jets that is typically reserved for bombs and missiles of their own, which means they won’t be added to stealthy aircraft.

Instead, SHiELD and TALWS will go on fighter jets like the F-15E, F-15C, and the new F-15EX, because they have room for more than one bomb the way it is.

Image Credit: U.S. Air Force

And get this: the laser could very conceivably be controlled by something that looks a lot like R2D2.

Even so, there are a few downsides to using lasers. Water moisture and smoke particles in the air can dilute a laser’s strength, and they can’t travel all that far without the beam weakening.

They’ll also have to be able to focus on the missile for long enough to heat it to the point of dissolving, which could prove tricky in an actual combat scenario.

Image Credit: U.S. Air Force

Even if there are problems that still need to be untangled, there’s no doubt that laser weapons are the future, and will likely go on almost all warplanes in the future.

All that’s left is to make it more practical, more affordable, and then the future is here, my friends.

And I say we could all use a win.

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A Driverless Race Car Swerved Into a Barrier for No Reason, So Maybe The Future Isn’t as Close as We Think

There are times when it feels like the future is RIGHT NOW.

We have instant communication with anyone in the world at the snap of our fingers. There are jetpack men flying through the sky. The military is developing death ray lasers for their fighter jets.

Plenty of people think driverless cars are going to be here before we know it; we’re going to be able to eat with both hands or shut our eyes if we need to while our cars take care of the details.

Now, as someone who enjoys driving a manual transmission, that doesn’t sound all that good to me – and after you read about what happened to this driverless race car, it’s probably not going to sound that good to you, either.

The autonomous car came courtesy of Roborace, who is involved in an autonomous racing league. They were broadcasting their Season Beta 1.1 race in order to showcase the potential of high speed auto races that don’t endanger human drivers.

One of the cars didn’t make it, I’m afraid.

One of the engineers explained what happened on Reddit, and said the steering mechanism was locked to the right during a process in which a human driver guides the car to the start line. That meant when the race started for real, the car drove straight into a barrier on the right side of the track.

The engineer called it an “extremely rare event,” and honestly, it sounds to me like it was more human error than an oopsie by the car.

You should definitely check this shizz out for yourself, though – there are a surprising number of self-driving racing leagues around, and you never know.

We might get treated to another crash here and there without having to worry if someone has gotten hurt in the process.

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These 3D Printers Are Creating Items Out of Steel Instead of Plastic

We’re just getting used to the wild technology of 3D printers, which can print plastic copies out of thin air.

Like seriously, our great-grandparents even would have had zero idea what’s happening and probably have accused us of witchcraft.

Now, HP is coming out with 3D printers that create things in a sturdier steel.

The company announced their Metal Jet printer, which is built on an industrial scale and creates items in steel, not plastic. Previously, the method has been relatively slow and expensive when compared with traditional mass-production techniques, and has only been able to use plastic materials.

HP has been working on the issue of mass production, launching their Jet Fusion plastic 3D printer back in 2016 that was made to do more than one-off jobs. Their hoping the Metal Jet will let 3D printing enter the big manufacturing sectors like automobiles and medical devices in the near future.

For now, the products they’re printing are cosmetic – key fobs with custom engravings, for example – but Tim Weber, head of HP’s head of 3D metals, thinks this ability to print metal will save costs and enable companies to create new products faster in the future.

Other companies, like GE Aviation, have been in the 3D metal printing game for years, making things like a fuel nozzle for a jet engine with a similar process. It’s remained a slow and expensive way to go, though, which means that it’s not practical when it comes to metal items that are more proliferate.

HP’s process is different. It’s called binder-jet printing, and it’s cheaper and more efficient, spreading layers of metal powder before spraying it with a binding agent to solidify it. The initial items have to be placed into a furnace to solidify them into something strong enough to use, but the end product is pretty light, smooth, and can include fine details.

Other companies have used binder-jet printing before, so there will be competitors when this one enters the market. The marketing folks at HP believe they’ll have an edge because of their experience making conventional printers, which share many of the same components.

The question of how big the market will be remains, but HP says Metal Jet should be cost-effective for small runs like 50,000-70,000 items.

So, medical facilities will be more likely to jump on the bandwagon than, say, auto manufacturers, who make billions of parts every year.

Whatever happens, I think it’s clear we’ve not seen the best of what 3D printing has to offer, so everyone, prepare to be amazed on the regular.

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Enjoy These Fascinating Examples of Old Technology That Look Pretty Strange Today

We like to think that the age we’re living in is highly advanced and that the people who came before us we’re simpletons, but we have a feeling the photos you’re about to see will completely change your mind about that.

Because you’re about to lay your eyes on amazing examples of OLD technology that was way ahead of its time and is honestly still pretty impressive today.

Are you ready to go back to the future? Let’s go!

1. I’ve never one of these before!

But I like it!

300 year old library tool that enabled a researcher to have seven books open at once, yet conveniently nearby (Palafoxiana Library, Puebla) from interestingasfuck

2. Wow. Pretty impressive.

And I’m willing to bet this is extremely rare.

350 year old pocket watch carved from a single Colombian emerald from interestingasfuck

3. That is so cool.

But I bet that poor officer got tired of sucking in fumes all day.

In 1955, this tiny electric narrow gauge train was installed in New York’s Holland tunnel to monitor traffic speed. from interestingasfuck

4. This is kind of crazy.

But also pretty brilliant.

A British couple sleeps inside a "Morrison shelter” used as protection from collapsing homes during the WWII ‘Blitz’ bombing raids… March 1941 – [1280 × 965] from HistoryPorn

5. The forerunner to the Roomba.

I wonder if it was ever popular…

Robo-Vac, a self-proppeled vacuum cleaner part of Whirlpool’s Miracle Kitchen of the Future, a display at the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, 1959.[1600×2116] from HistoryPorn

6. Wow! Get a load of this thing!

That is awesome!

This car is a French ‘Delahaye 175S Roadster’, introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1949. Only one was ever made. It was recently sold at auction for around five million dollars. from interestingasfuck

7. I bet you sank all the way to the bottom.

Looks pretty heavy, doesn’t it?

The world’s oldest surviving diving suit: The Old Gentleman, from 1860. from interestingasfuck

8. That is one HUGE cell phone.

Zack Morris style!

Motorola Vice President John F. Mitchell showing off the DynaTAC portable radio telephone in New York City in 1973 [495×622] from HistoryPorn

9. Not too easy to lug around.

But it got the job done.

Kodak K-24 camera, used for aerial photography during WW2 by the Americans from Damnthatsinteresting

10. A rail zeppelin.

German engineering at its finest.

A rail zeppelin and a steam train near the railway platform. Berlin, Germany, 1931 (more info in comment) from interestingasfuck

11. I wish this would make a comeback!

I’m all about this!

Motorized roller-skate salesman in California, 1961 [1600×1666] from HistoryPorn

12. You don’t see something like this every day.

Time to hit the open road.

Jay Ohrberg’s ‘double wide’ limousine. Built by the man who also created the ‘american dream’ superlimo from WeirdWheels

13. I think a lot of us could use this right about now.

I need my alone time!

The ‘Isolator’ , by Hugo Gernsback: a helmet for insulating the senses against distraction; from the journal Science and Invention, vol. 13, no. 3, July 1925 [850×717]. from HistoryPorn

Those are so cool!

And now we want to hear from you.

In the comments, share some more photos of old technology that you think we’ll enjoy.

Thanks in advance!

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Nokia Won a NASA Contract for a 4G Network Based… on the Moon!

You actually read that headline right! Science is just getting weirder and weirder.

We’re one step closer to actually making the Star Wars universe a reality, since Nokia is about to put a 4G network on the Moon. Soon enough, there will be literally no excuse for any cell service to be bad.

Image Credit: Deseret

In NASA’s fifth Tipping Point solicitation, Nokia was awarded a $14.1 million contract to deploy an LTE/4G communication system on the Moon.

This would be the first ever lunar-based network of its kind. The system would assist Moon-based communications at greater speeds, further distances, and more reliability. The network will also support the operation of lunar rovers and video streaming. That’s right, soon enough we might be able to see livestreams from the Moon with minimal lag.

The network also means that astronauts in space could soon communicate more efficiently with those of us on Earth.

Don’t let the development mislead you, though. Space is by no means a dead zone. Astronauts have been able to tweet, email, and livestream pretty efficiently from the ISS since 2010.

Researchers have always aimed to keep outer space from feeling like a desolate no man’s land.

Image Credit: Pexels

Truly, the aim of this development is to further support the construction of a lunar base. With Artemis astronauts set to return to the Moon by 2024, Nokia’s network will help them conduct their necessary research with greater scope and accuracy.

Since NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine aims to have a base on the Moon by 2028, astronauts will need to work as efficiently as possible to get the job done.

Image Credit: Pexels

Nokia’s 4G network has the potential to make that happen.

What are your thoughts on this lunar 4G network? Is it inspiring or totally crazy?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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Could Radioactive Diamond Batteries Be the Answer to Nuclear Waste?

Scientists and technology companies everywhere are looking for the answer to the problem of nuclear waste – nuclear is a viable alternative to fossil fuel energy in the future, but only if we can devise a way to handle the waste, too.

The idea for this radioactive diamond battery began in 2018, when a hobby drone dropped a small package near the lip of an extremely active Sicilian volcano called Stromboli. It’s one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and has long fascinated geologists, but with the constant eruptions, collecting data near the vent has been a challenge.

Image Credit: Arkenlight

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol had the idea of building a robot volcanologist, then used a drone to ferry it to the top. It sat, passively monitoring the quakes and quivers until it was destroyed.

RIP.

The sensor pod was the side of a softball, and was powered by nuclear energy from a small, radioactive battery. They dubbed it a “dragon egg.”

Materials scientist Tom Scott and a small group of collaborators saw something more in the dragon eggs, though, and they’ve been developing a souped-up version of the egg’s nuclear battery that can last thousands of years without needing to be replaced.

Image Credit: Arkenlight

Instead of generating its energy from chemical reactions, like a typical battery, this new battery uses particles shed by radioactive diamonds that can be made from nuclear waste.

Now, the team behind this revolutionary idea is ready to commercialize this nuclear diamond battery. It’s still in a prototyping phase, but they expect to be able to mass produce them soon – in fact, the first nuclear batteries could hit the market as early as 2024.

That said, they won’t replace the batteries in your computer or laptop, most likely. Instead of generating a lot of power for a short amount of time – like traditional or lithium-ion batteries – these nuclear batteries produce smaller amounts of power over a longer time.

Image Credit: Arkenlight

They won’t create enough energy to power a cell phone, but they could provide a steady – small – drip of electricity literally forever, says Morgan Boardman, the company’s CEO.

“Can we power an electric vehicle? The answer is no. The mass of the battery would be significantly greater than the mass of the vehicle.”

That said, in something like a fire alarm, say, he expects a world where the device would need to be replaced before the battery.

As anyone who has be woken up at 3am by a chirping smoke alarm battery can tell you, that would be a welcome world indeed.

If you’re concerned about the health risks of being in close proximity to a radioactive battery, the scientists involved – and those who aren’t, like materials scientist Lance Hubbard – say there’s no reason to worry.

Image Credit: Arkenlight

“Usually just the wall of the battery is sufficient to stop any emissions. The inside is hardly radioactive at all, and that makes them very safe for people.”

There you go, folks – a safe way to recycle nuclear waste and a way to power the device in your life with low energy requirements literally forever.

Good news all the way around, if you ask me.

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The Huge Wind-Powered Boat That Could Transport 7,000 Cars at Once

The time has long passed for innovators to start looking toward the future. Our days of relying on fossil fuels to sustain our energy needs should have already passed, and so we’re out there, searching for replacements that are efficient in every sense of the word.

Enter a shipping barge that’s entirely powered by wind, but is efficient and strong enough to move 7000 cars all the way across the Atlantic.

Image Credit: YouTube

Right now, 90% of the world’s goods are moved by ship, and even though it’s typically better for the environment than using air transport, regular cargo ships are powered by fossil fuels. Their emissions are thought to be responsible for around 2% of energy emissions worldwide – and that number is on the rise.

This new ship design would still be able to move large amounts of goods, but as it requires only wind power, it releases only about 10% of the emissions.

The ship, called the OceanBird, will have the capability of moving 7000 cars across the Atlantic.

Image Credit: YouTube

Her retractable wing sails stand 262 feet high and are controlled by calculations that find the most efficient way to use wind power over the ocean. It does have a backup engine that runs on clean fuel; in an ideal world, it will be used mostly for navigating the world’s harbors.

The OceanBird is capable of an average speed of 10 knots, which means it can cross the Atlantic in around 12 days – about 4 days longer than current, fuel-powered ships make the trip.

The design was helped along by the discovery that wind speeds vary less than they thought, and also that their hull design has an impact on wind speed and direction, not only the ship’s sails.

Image Credit: YouTube

They also believe their design could be applied to ships that use traditional fuels, even cruise ships, says Per Tunell, the COO of Wallenius Marine.

“It’s not a competition, but rather a direction we all need to take.

By being transparent in the process, we want to inspire others to test the limit to what is possible.”

We could see a test of the design as early as the end of 2021, though 2024 seems a likely date to expect the fully-built OceanBird to make its maiden voyage.

Said Tunell,

“A lot of reactions contain hope.

Finally a solution that is real and will make an actual contribution to slow down climate change.

I think we are all starving for positive news in that area.”

Check out this video:

I think he’s right about that.

No news may be good news, but when it comes to combating climate change, good news that’s good news is even better.

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A Molten Salt Reactor That Eats Nuclear Waste Might Be the Next Big Thing

Scientists are always looking for ways to do things that relate to the way we use energy better, faster, smarter, and better for the environment.

Molten salt reactors were invented in the 1950s, but since the Atomic Energy Commission (which became the Department of Energy) was committed to light water reactors – they were already used in the electric power industry and were powering the nuclear navy.

A few engineers and scientists kept quietly working on developing the molten salt reactors, though, even without government support, and two engineers – Carl Perez and Ed Pheil – founded Elysium Technologies USA.

Image Credit: Elysium Technologies

Now, they have an updated design for a Molten Chloride Salt Fast Reactor (MCSFR).

The reactor offers a number of upsides and benefits, like zero downtime to fuel (online), not needing a large water source nearby, using less electricity, and that it’s fueled by nuclear waste from other reactors and weapons.

The reactor is a potential source of hydrogen generation and doesn’t cost much to run and operate, creating safe and reliable energy with built-in failsafes like not needing an operator to shut it drown.

Image Credit: Elysium Technologies

The Elysium salt reactor stands out from its peers by requiring less safety infrastructure in general, due to its low operational pressure requirements and its components having a high technical readiness.

The fact that it burns up nuclear fuel from water reactors and weapons waste, transforming it into useful energy, is a great bonus, too.

Once it’s finished burning, only about 5% of the nuclear waste remains, and it’s less toxic for a shorter amount of time, too – it decays in around 300 years instead of 10,000, like the waste from conventional solid-fuel reactor waste.

Image Credit: Public Domain

Obviously, that’s great for the environment, too.

Elysium believes they can built these on both large and small scales, and with the world turning to nuclear power as a leading option to reduce carbon emissions and meet climate goals, this seems to be a no-brainer as the way to go.

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This Guy Used a Weird “DIY” Lifehack to Outsmart a Mechanic

It’s pretty much a meme at this point that any time you think you’re doing OK in life or you finally have some money saved, that’s when car problems strike and ruin absolutely everything. It’s a huge problem for me, a mechanically inept person.

My grandfather knows absolutely everything about cars, my dad knows some things, I know nothing. Following this pattern I assume my future son will not even understand what a car is.

Mechanical issues are of course exacerbated by unscrupulous mechanics who know that you can’t fix the problem on your own and will come up with all sorts of ways to trap you into paying way too much for a process that’s actually pretty simple. I need a new headlight installed. How long does that take? 10 minutes? 4 hours? I have no idea. I’m at the mercy of the guy quoting me a price.

Unless, of course, I come up with an ingenious plan, like this Tumblr user did.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

Nothing like a little bit of price gouging to start off a good story.

Step 2: Shop Around

Hey man, I’m just trying to play my part here.

Step 3: Find an Alternative Route

If you wanna play, we can play.

Step 4: Do It Yourself

When your own incompetence is secretly your greatest weapon.

Step 5: Revel in the Satisfaction

Holy, indeed.

So there ya have it. A life hack for those of us who are mechanically challenged. Go forth, and save some dough.

What weird loophole have you used to save money?

Tell us in the comments.

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Do You Have an Irrational Fear of Answering the Phone? People Confess That You’re Not Alone!

It’s one of the more ironic things about our society that now that we all have phones in our hands pretty much 24/7, we’ve developed an intense dislike of actually speaking on them.

We’d rather text or DM or PM or Snapchat or heck, even email before actually picking it up and talking to whoever is on the other end of the line.

This guy has an irrational fear of answering, no matter who is calling, and he wonders if he’s alone.

Does anyone else have this irrational fear of answering calls, no matter who’s calling? from NoStupidQuestions

Luckily, answers like that are just what Reddit is for.

Let’s check them out!

16. Definitely not.

I’m not alone then. I HATE getting calls.

Text me all you want – just don’t call me. I get anxious and uncomfortable and I have no idea why.

It’s gotten so bad even my girlfriend is affected. Yeah, she can call me and I’d answer, but our calls rarely go beyond 3 minutes.

I’m not even joking.

15. Those are the devil, too.

Sort of.

But for some reason I will never listen to a voicemail message as I think for some reason they’ll always be bad.

14. No good reason.

My biggest issue is unknown numbers.

I haven’t deleted a number I’ve saved in my phone since I got it but stuff like I’ve joined some service and the person I’m in contact with will use one number but their contact may contact me from another then the initial person has a work mobile that’s set to private and it’s all WHY IS SOMEONE PHONING ME???

13. Even more reason not to answer in your private time.

Yes.

I also work at a call center.

It’s lots of fun.

12. Things are getting worse, too.

I have a very difficult time answering phone calls. It wasn’t something I’ve always had… it’s progressed over the last 18 years.

Hell, even if I don’t answer and the callers leaves a message, I have a difficult time actually listening to the message. I don’t understand it… it’s completely irrational.

The only thing I can think of is that in my mind, if I don’t acknowledge the call or the message, I don’t have to deal with whatever potential threat/problem/situation exists on the other end.

11. Sometimes we have to.

I’m a 911 operator and I still have anxiety about using the phone, outside of work of course.

I’m guessing a different state of mind exists when you’re working that kind of blocks it out.

10. Sooooo awkward.

Yes, I have social anxiety to begin with but for some reason not being able to see the person I’m talking to makes it so much worse.

Also the city I live in has dogsh%t cell reception so by the fourth time I have to say “I’m sorry, say again?”

I’m about ready to curl up in a ball and give up. LOL

9. Anxiety is no fun.

Yes, but I suffer from generalized anxiety.

When my anxiety is really unsettled, the phone is really hard for me.

Making or receiving calls can be a totally daunting task.

Overwhelming, even.

Without the invention of texting, I would be SOL.

8. Just say no.

Yes. I hate answering my phone unless I know who it is or am expecting a call.

I just let it go to voicemail and then call back if necessary.

7. Apps are a godsend.

Luckily these days most places hat deliver support online or app ordering.

Haven’t called for a good delivery in a couple years.

6. Hopefully next year.

It certainly does make me feel anxious, and if I’m not expecting a call and it’s an unknown number, a little afraid too.

Either way, both of us should leave the house more often.

5. Humans should come with warning labels.

Yep! My boyfriend is nice enough to make appointments for me and pick up my meds.

I don’t know why but every time I make the calls myself it’s like I have this strange kind of goodbye exchange that seems all intimate and weird.

And then one time I accidentally hung up on a lady without saying bye and I could not get over it, I felt so bad.

I hate calling people, god dammit. I also probably never answer the phone when it rings.

Just send me an email or something I’m scared, I’m poor, I’m anxious, I don’t want what you’re selling.

4. It’s a real thing.

Telephone phobia is reluctance or fear of making or taking phone calls, literally, “fear of telephones”. It is considered to be a type of social phobia or social anxiety.

It may be compared to glossophobia, in that both arise from having to engage with an audience, and the associated fear of being criticized, judged or made a fool of.

3. Why would you?

Same.

I never answer my phone if I’m not expecting a call or don’t know who it is.

If they don’t leave a message I don’t call back.

2. This is definitely a thing.

I’ll do you one better.

If I’m going to order ahead from a restaurant and I discover that they don’t have online ordering, I find a different restaurant.

1. At least you’re not alone.

generalized anxiety
That feeling when you are watching the screen, knowing you cant reject the call, and holding your breath until the call leaves the screen, so you can get back to Reddit.

Next, you wonder how long is best to wait, before you text them an excuse as to why you didn’t answer..

Then, you get lost on Reddit and forget someone called, and you never call or text them back.

Eventually, you see them in person, they’re all, “yooo, you never answer your phone! Why do you even have one?!”

Sorry, I just suck at life.

I don’t think I have a fear,  exactly, but I would definitely rather text.

Give us your thoughts in the comments!

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