Beef History6. 26. 20  Beef History6. 26. 20  Image by Victor TangermannAfter it went public a few weeks ago, stocks for the electric and hydrogen-powered car startup Nikola Motors soared enough to give it a valuation of , a princely sum that surpassed valuations of both Ford and Fiat-Chrysler, two of America's oldest automakers.Nikola's promise is to revolutionize trucking in the US using hydrogen fuel cells, technology that turns potential energy from molecular bonds in hydrogen into electrical energy.But not everybody is buying that hydrogen is the future of long-haul...…Beef History6. 26. 20  Beef History6. 26. 20  Image by Victor TangermannAfter it went public a few weeks ago, stocks for the electric and hydrogen-powered car startup Nikola Motors soared enough to give it a valuation of , a princely sum that surpassed valuations of both Ford and Fiat-Chrysler, two of America's oldest automakers.Nikola's promise is to revolutionize trucking in the US using hydrogen fuel cells, technology that turns potential energy from molecular bonds in hydrogen into electrical energy.But not everybody is buying that hydrogen is the future of long-haul...WW…

Put Me Out6. 11. 20  Put Me Out6. 11. 20  Image by SpaceWorks EnterprisesIt could take months if not years to travel to faraway planets.Science fiction has long suggested that for humans to survive such a lengthy and intense journey, their best bet it so be put into a deep sleep state, whether by flash-freezing their vital organs or being put under with a cocktail of drugs.Such a state of suspended animation is still far off. But that could now be starting to change, thanks to cutting edge research by a team of Harvard scientists.They were able to put mice into a state...…Put Me Out6. 11. 20  Put Me Out6. 11. 20  Image by SpaceWorks EnterprisesIt could take months if not years to travel to faraway planets.Science fiction has long suggested that for humans to survive such a lengthy and intense journey, their best bet it so be put into a deep sleep state, whether by flash-freezing their vital organs or being put under with a cocktail of drugs.Such a state of suspended animation is still far off. But that could now be starting to change, thanks to cutting edge research by a team of Harvard scientists.They were able to put mice into a state...WW…

Let's Go to Mars6. 11. 20  Let's Go to Mars6. 11. 20  Image by Bjarke Ingels GroupBack in 2017, architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group were asked to design a prototype of a Martian city by the Dubai government. What they came up with is a stunning vision of what life on the Red Planet could one day be like, .The project is part of the United Arab Emirates' Mars Science City, a space intended for Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.So far, the city is not much more than a concept — but that doesn't make the vision itself any less beautiful.The architects imagine a...…Let's Go to Mars6. 11. 20  Let's Go to Mars6. 11. 20  Image by Bjarke Ingels GroupBack in 2017, architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group were asked to design a prototype of a Martian city by the Dubai government. What they came up with is a stunning vision of what life on the Red Planet could one day be like, .The project is part of the United Arab Emirates' Mars Science City, a space intended for Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.So far, the city is not much more than a concept — but that doesn't make the vision itself any less beautiful.The architects imagine a...WW…

Big News / Small Bytes6. 11. 20 Moonship6. 11. 20NASAIn an exchange on Twitter this week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk elaborated on the design tweaks his space company is considering to allow its massive Starship spacecraft to safely land on the Moon."We’re working on new legs," he . "Wider stance & able to auto-level. Important for leaning into wind or landing on rocky & pitted surfaces."Responding to YouTuber Tim Dodd, better known as Everyday Astronaut, Musk that the atmospheric Starship variant meant to one day make it back to Earth — or perhaps land on other planets with an atmosphere...…Big News / Small Bytes6. 11. 20 Moonship6. 11. 20NASAIn an exchange on Twitter this week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk elaborated on the design tweaks his space company is considering to allow its massive Starship spacecraft to safely land on the Moon."We’re working on new legs," he . "Wider stance & able to auto-level. Important for leaning into wind or landing on rocky & pitted surfaces."Responding to YouTuber Tim Dodd, better known as Everyday Astronaut, Musk that the atmospheric Starship variant meant to one day make it back to Earth — or perhaps land on other planets with an atmosphere...WW…

Graphics So Real5. 13. 20  Graphics So Real5. 13. 20  Image by Epic GamesSoftware developer Epic Games, the company behind "Fortnite," just released the first look at Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its popular game engine — and it looks genuinely spectacular.Epic Games' flashy new demo, "Lumen in the Land of Nanite," runs in real-time on a PlayStation 5 and looks extraordinarily impressive. The company claims it could "achieve photorealism on par with movie CG and real life."The demo offers a tantalizing glimpse of the fidelity that next-gen consoles — the...…Graphics So Real5. 13. 20  Graphics So Real5. 13. 20  Image by Epic GamesSoftware developer Epic Games, the company behind "Fortnite," just released the first look at Unreal Engine 5, the next generation of its popular game engine — and it looks genuinely spectacular.Epic Games' flashy new demo, "Lumen in the Land of Nanite," runs in real-time on a PlayStation 5 and looks extraordinarily impressive. The company claims it could "achieve photorealism on par with movie CG and real life."The demo offers a tantalizing glimpse of the fidelity that next-gen consoles — the...WW…

Big News / Small Bytes6. 2. 20 Not for the Faint of Heart6. 2. 20NASAOn Saturday, SpaceX shot its Crew Dragon spacecraft with human astronauts on board, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to do so.The astronauts who rode it up seem impressed with the vehicle overall — though NASA veteran Bob Behnken compared parts of the experience unfavorably to the now-retired Space Shuttle.Both astronauts have had extensive experience piloting NASA's now retired Space Shuttle."The space shuttle was a pretty rough ride heading into orbit with the solid rocket boosters," Behnken said during a...…Big News / Small Bytes6. 2. 20 Not for the Faint of Heart6. 2. 20NASAOn Saturday, SpaceX shot its Crew Dragon spacecraft with human astronauts on board, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to do so.The astronauts who rode it up seem impressed with the vehicle overall — though NASA veteran Bob Behnken compared parts of the experience unfavorably to the now-retired Space Shuttle.Both astronauts have had extensive experience piloting NASA's now retired Space Shuttle."The space shuttle was a pretty rough ride heading into orbit with the solid rocket boosters," Behnken said during a...WW…

Space Race Movie Edition9. 22. 20  Space Race Movie Edition9. 22. 20  Image by RoscosmosTom Cruise is officially in an international race to become the first movie star to shoot footage in space.According to by Russian space agency Roscosmos, Russia wants to become the first country in the world to make a movie in space.Yellow, Black and White studio, one of the largest production studios in Russia, is behind the efforts, according to the news."The plot will include a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for autumn 2021 on the Russian Soyuz MS crewed...…Space Race Movie Edition9. 22. 20  Space Race Movie Edition9. 22. 20  Image by RoscosmosTom Cruise is officially in an international race to become the first movie star to shoot footage in space.According to by Russian space agency Roscosmos, Russia wants to become the first country in the world to make a movie in space.Yellow, Black and White studio, one of the largest production studios in Russia, is behind the efforts, according to the news."The plot will include a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for autumn 2021 on the Russian Soyuz MS crewed...WW…

Big News / Small Bytes9. 29. 20 Come With Me If You Want to Live9. 29. 20GNAASThe Great North Air Ambulance Service, a UK registered charity dedicated to providing helicopter emergency services, is testing a jetpack made by Gravity Industries to one day allow paramedics to fly up a mountain to provide first aid, the .A jetpack could allow paramedics to soar up the mountain in 90 seconds rather than hiking for 30 minutes, according to GNAAS director of operations Andy Mawson."In a jet pack, what might have taken up to an hour to reach the patient may only take a few minutes, and that could...…Big News / Small Bytes9. 29. 20 Come With Me If You Want to Live9. 29. 20GNAASThe Great North Air Ambulance Service, a UK registered charity dedicated to providing helicopter emergency services, is testing a jetpack made by Gravity Industries to one day allow paramedics to fly up a mountain to provide first aid, the .A jetpack could allow paramedics to soar up the mountain in 90 seconds rather than hiking for 30 minutes, according to GNAAS director of operations Andy Mawson."In a jet pack, what might have taken up to an hour to reach the patient may only take a few minutes, and that could...WW…

Big News / Small Bytes10. 2. 20 No Brainer?10. 2. 20 USDA Forest ServiceHeating and cooling a home is costly, and inefficient building materials often make a house's carbon footprint even worse.But thanks to a new generation of futuristic building materials, those materials could be poised for a significant upgrade. A team of researchers at the USDA and several research institutions say they've developed "transparent wood," a glass-like material made almost entirely out of trees that they claim is stronger, safer, more cost efficient and more thermally efficient than glass.It's a...…Big News / Small Bytes10. 2. 20 No Brainer?10. 2. 20 USDA Forest ServiceHeating and cooling a home is costly, and inefficient building materials often make a house's carbon footprint even worse.But thanks to a new generation of futuristic building materials, those materials could be poised for a significant upgrade. A team of researchers at the USDA and several research institutions say they've developed "transparent wood," a glass-like material made almost entirely out of trees that they claim is stronger, safer, more cost efficient and more thermally efficient than glass.It's a...WW…

Twitter CEO Elon Musk just got absolutely roasted on Twitter — a joke that appears to have flown completely over his head. Paul Graham, venture capitalist and founder of Y Combinator, highlighted an extensive list of "unicorn" companies making the rounds on social media that were comprised mostly of software ventures, with a notable lack of manufacturing and other heavy industries in the mix. "Making physical stuff is hard," Graham argued. "But don't let that deter you, if that's what you're interested in." "Major misallocation of capital IMO," replied Musk, a billionaire who is in the...…Twitter CEO Elon Musk just got absolutely roasted on Twitter — a joke that appears to have flown completely over his head. Paul Graham, venture capitalist and founder of Y Combinator, highlighted an extensive list of "unicorn" companies making the rounds on social media that were comprised mostly of software ventures, with a notable lack of manufacturing and other heavy industries in the mix. "Making physical stuff is hard," Graham argued. "But don't let that deter you, if that's what you're interested in." "Major misallocation of capital IMO," replied Musk, a billionaire who is in the...WW…