Futurism: Science & Technology News

It's the big screen come to life, with final destination space.⁠ ⁠ Well, sort of.⁠ ⁠ Aerospace company Sierra Space is preparing to launch its Dream Chaser into space — a plane that looks amazingly similar to what you'd see in a "Star Wars" movie but is, in fact, a real-life contraption undergoing tests at the Kennedy Space Center.⁠ ⁠ The company is under contract with NASA to fly seven cargo missions to the International Space Station. It's the first private spaceplane ever built and a renewable alternative to SpaceX's Dragon shuttle.⁠ ⁠ And though the focus for now is cargo, Sierra Space is already thinking about how to launch human astronauts.⁠ ⁠ Read more about what's next for Dream Chaser Tenacity at the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

SpaceX’s Starship was returning to Earth after its latest test launch when its aerodynamic fins suddenly started ripping into pieces. It made for a hellish few moments as the plasma heated up, the crowd at mission control murmured and a commentator asked “How much of the ship is left?” In the end, enough for the craft to splash down in the Indian Ocean. Read the full story of the mostly successful test at the link in our bio. 📽️: @spacex_spacenews | Futurism by ASM Channels

Nature is, once again, the MVP.⁠ ⁠ Scientists have found an ocean-borne fungus chomping through plastic trash suspended in the mega-sized garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean.⁠ ⁠ The fungus, named Parengyodontium album, can break down UV-exposed polyethylene, the most pervasive form of plastic waste in our oceans.⁠ ⁠ It's exciting news, but it doesn't mean you can start recklessly going through plastic grocery bags and water bottles. Our new hero can break down a piece of plastic at roughly 0.05 percent per day.⁠ ⁠ It is, however, a reminder of how impressive the world's species are.⁠ ⁠ Read more about plastic-eating fungi at the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

Here's an, ahem, rich plot twist.⁠ ⁠ Some artificial intelligence and workplace leaders believe AI bots could effectively perform the work of CEOs — a 180-degree spin on the widespread worry that droids will replace many rank-and-file workers while leaving executives unscathed.⁠ ⁠ Wildly, many such execs already seem to think so too. More than 40 percent believe an AI could do their job, a recent survey found.⁠ ⁠ "Some people like the social aspects of having a human boss," one professor said. "But after COVID, many are also fine with not having one."⁠ ⁠ And, the thinking goes, a non-human leader could make the most logical — and ruthless — business decisions, free of personal biases, unwieldy egos or moral inhibitions.⁠ ⁠ For more on the brave new future of executive work, click the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

We may soon have a new kind of supercharger.⁠ ⁠ University of Colorado researchers say they've achieved a breakthrough in electrical current theory that could allow for ultra-fast charging of phones, laptops, and electric cars.⁠ ⁠ The scientists say they found an update to Kirchoff's Law, which dictates that voltage must move in specific loops. But when ions move through porous environments like those found in supercapacitors, the team alleges, things change.⁠ ⁠ "That's the leap of the work," said the lead author of the new study. "We found the missing link."⁠ ⁠ Much work remains until this discovery is implemented in next-generation energy storage devices, if it happens at all.⁠ ⁠ But it's a major step forward. To read the full story, go to the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

A major moment in modern medicine could be on the horizon.⁠ ⁠ British health officials are fast-tracking patients for a large cancer vaccine trial — and every shot will be tailored to each individual’s needs.⁠ ⁠ The vaccines use the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer COVID vaccine.⁠ ⁠ The early signs are promising. Though it remains unclear if the first patient’s colorectal cancer has been completely cured, officials are “extremely hopeful.”⁠ ⁠ And if it works, it could be one large step on the path toward cancer-treatment history.⁠ ⁠ For more on the trial and the technology behind the vaccine, go to the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

Tesla's fancy EVs are a far cry from this.⁠ ⁠ Chinese automaker BYD says its new hybrid powertrain can cover 1,250 miles without having to recharge or refuel — about triple the range of a fully electric Tesla.⁠ ⁠ It also far outpaces the Toyota Camry Hybrid (around 680 miles), and domestic buyers can drive one home for less than $14,000.⁠ ⁠ Just don't expect to get your hands on one, Americans: President Joe Biden recently imposed a 100 percent tariff on all imported Chinese EVs, and many models destined for overseas markets may be headed to Europe.⁠ ⁠ It's also a signal of the strength of hybrid vehicles as fully electric cars struggle to find widespread acceptance in many places.⁠ ⁠ Read the full story at the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

The James Webb Space Telescope has made another out-of-this-world discovery.⁠ ⁠ Researchers using the telescope observed the birth of three baby galaxies that were forming as few as 400 million years after the Big Bang — making them some of the youngest ever witnessed.⁠ ⁠ They found the galaxies by noticing the unusually high amount of hydrogen gas surrounding them, a telltale sign of active formation.⁠ ⁠ The research should shed light on the birth of the universe and how it developed over 13 billion years ago.⁠ ⁠ "Whereas the James Webb has previously shown us early galaxies at later stages of evolution, here we witness their very birth," one physicist said.⁠ ⁠ Read what scientists plan to do with these observations at the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

Get ready for another show from the sky.⁠ ⁠ The sunspot that let out coronal mass ejections a few weeks ago is ramping up again, and we could be in store for another geomagnetic storm.⁠ ⁠ The sunspot, AR3664, rotated back into view on Monday and immediately erupted — a sign that it will probably continue to show off.⁠ ⁠ Though it's unlikely we'll see another event quite as strong as the one earlier this month, there's a chance that Northern lights could once again be visible in uncommon locales.⁠ ⁠ And that would be some sunny news.⁠ ⁠ To read more about solar flares, go to the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels

The Sundhnjukar crater has no chill.⁠ ⁠ For the fifth time since December, the crater in southwestern Iceland has erupted, sending plumes of lava into the air and forcing the evacuation of nearby areas.⁠ ⁠ But this one was particularly jarring: Lava was thrown high into the air, and the fissure that emitted the magma has grown to more than two miles long.⁠ ⁠ The eruption occurred just three weeks after magma had stopped leaking from the previous one.⁠ ⁠ "A daunting period of upheaval has begun," Iceland's president said months ago. He was, unfortunately, prescient.⁠ ⁠ To read the full story, go to the link in our bio. | Futurism by ASM Channels