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ravi_iitian
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News & Science Thread

If humans are going to send tiny probes across the vast distances of space, the designs of their sails will need to strike a delicate balance of mass, strength, and reflectivity. Now engineers have invented a nanomaterial that might just do the trick, helping us push space probes closer to light speed. 

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-nanomaterial-silica-silicon-solar-sail-technology

 

"Certa bonum certamen"
127 REPLIES 127


Rene K wrote:

The speed of light is not about light.


 This is true. It is just one form of radiation that travels through a vacuum at a certain arbitrary speed, which in itself, means nothing. 

 

Steam-powered spacecraft could explore the asteroid belt forever, refueling itself in space

 

“At the moment, one of the main challenges is how these craft would be able to get around and refuel once they are in space. To address this, the New York-based company Honeybee Robotics has teemed up with the University of Central Florida (UFC) to develop a steam-powered robotic spacecraft. The company recently released a demonstration video that shows their prototype World is Not Enough(WINE) ‘steam hopper’ in action.”

 

https://www.universetoday.com/141281/steam-powered-spacecraft-could-explore-the-asteroid-belt-foreve...

 

"Certa bonum certamen"

Scientists developed an AI so advanced they say it's too dangerous to release

 

“A group of computer scientists once backed by Elon Musk has caused some alarm by developing an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) they say is too dangerous to release to the public.

 

“OpenAI, a research non-profit based in San Francisco, says its ‘chameleon-like’ language prediction system, called GPT–2, will only ever see a limited release in a scaled-down version, due to ‘concerns about malicious applications of the technology’.

 

“That's because the computer model, which generates original paragraphs of text based on what it is given to 'read', is a little too good at its job.”

 

Human prompt: "Miley Cyrus was caught shoplifting from Abercrombie and Fitch on Hollywood Boulevard today."

 

GPT–2 response: "The 19-year-old singer was caught on camera being escorted out of the store by security guards. The singer was wearing a black hoodie with the label 'Blurred Lines' on the front and 'Fashion Police' on the back."

 

Human prompt: "Recycling is good for the world. NO! YOU COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG!!"

 

GPT–2 response: "Recycling is NOT good for the world. It is bad for the environment, it is bad for our health, and it is bad for our economy. I'm not kidding. Recycling is not good for the environment. It is destructive to the earth and it is a major contributor to global warming."

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-developed-an-ai-so-advanced-they-say-it-s-too-dangerous-to-r...

 

"Certa bonum certamen"

New paper describes how we could detect alien spacecraft powered by black holes

 

“In the course of looking for possible signs of Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (ETI), scientists have had to do some really outside-of-the-box thinking.

 

“Since it is a foregone conclusion that many ETIs would be older and more technologically advanced than humanity, those engaged in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have to consider what a more advanced species would be doing.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/gamma-ray-telescopes-could-detect-extraterrestrial-civilisations

"Certa bonum certamen"

You've heard of black holes. But 'white holes' might just break your puny brain

 

“As the name implies, a white hole is the opposite of a black hole. And astrophysicists have been playing with the concept since the 1970s.

 

“Where a black hole's event horizon is the boundary at which its gravitational strength prevents even light from reaching escape velocity, a white hole's event horizon prevents anything from entering.”

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/what-in-the-freaking-heckballs-are-white-holes

 

"Certa bonum certamen"

Are we in a 'Galactic Zoo' protected by aliens? Scientists meet to investigate the 'Great Silence'

 

Today, leading researchers from the fields of astrophysics, biology, sociology, psychology, and history are meeting at the Cité. “Every two years, METI International (METI stands for messaging extraterrestrial intelligence) organizes a one-day workshop in Paris as part of a series of workshops entitled What is Life? An Extraterrestrial Perspective,” said Florence Raulin Cerceau, co-chair of the workshop and a member of METI’s Board of Directors. The scientists are discussing some pretty insane-sounding questions:

  • Are extraterrestrials staying silent out of concern for how contact would impact humanity?
  • Do we live in a "galactic zoo?"
  • Should we send intentional radio messages to nearby stars to signal humanity’s interest in joining the "galactic club?"
  • Will extraterrestrial intelligence be similar to human intelligence?
  • Did life get to earth from elsewhere in the galaxy (interstellar migration)?

"This puzzle of why we haven’t detected extraterrestrial life has been discussed often, but in this workshop’s unique focus, many of the talks tackled a controversial explanation first suggested in the 1970s called the 'zoo hypothesis,’” said Raulin Cerceau. Ah yes, the idea that we're being watched by aliens and ... perhaps even being protected by them.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2019/03/18/are-we-in-a-galactic-zoo-protected-by-alie...

 

"Certa bonum certamen"


Ravindra B wrote:

Are we in a 'Galactic Zoo' protected by aliens? Scientists meet to investigate the 'Great Silence'

 

Today, leading researchers from the fields of astrophysics, biology, sociology, psychology, and history are meeting at the Cité. “Every two years, METI International (METI stands for messaging extraterrestrial intelligence) organizes a one-day workshop in Paris as part of a series of workshops entitled What is Life? An Extraterrestrial Perspective,” said Florence Raulin Cerceau, co-chair of the workshop and a member of METI’s Board of Directors. The scientists are discussing some pretty insane-sounding questions:

  • Are extraterrestrials staying silent out of concern for how contact would impact humanity?
  • Do we live in a "galactic zoo?"
  • Should we send intentional radio messages to nearby stars to signal humanity’s interest in joining the "galactic club?"
  • Will extraterrestrial intelligence be similar to human intelligence?
  • Did life get to earth from elsewhere in the galaxy (interstellar migration)?

"This puzzle of why we haven’t detected extraterrestrial life has been discussed often, but in this workshop’s unique focus, many of the talks tackled a controversial explanation first suggested in the 1970s called the 'zoo hypothesis,’” said Raulin Cerceau. Ah yes, the idea that we're being watched by aliens and ... perhaps even being protected by them.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2019/03/18/are-we-in-a-galactic-zoo-protected-by-alie...

 

...from ourselves, or from other aliens that are not members of the "galactic club"? I wonder which scanario is more scary...


 


Reinier B wrote:

Ravindra B wrote:

Are we in a 'Galactic Zoo' protected by aliens? Scientists meet to investigate the 'Great Silence'

 

Today, leading researchers from the fields of astrophysics, biology, sociology, psychology, and history are meeting at the Cité. “Every two years, METI International (METI stands for messaging extraterrestrial intelligence) organizes a one-day workshop in Paris as part of a series of workshops entitled What is Life? An Extraterrestrial Perspective,” said Florence Raulin Cerceau, co-chair of the workshop and a member of METI’s Board of Directors. The scientists are discussing some pretty insane-sounding questions:

  • Are extraterrestrials staying silent out of concern for how contact would impact humanity?
  • Do we live in a "galactic zoo?"
  • Should we send intentional radio messages to nearby stars to signal humanity’s interest in joining the "galactic club?"
  • Will extraterrestrial intelligence be similar to human intelligence?
  • Did life get to earth from elsewhere in the galaxy (interstellar migration)?

"This puzzle of why we haven’t detected extraterrestrial life has been discussed often, but in this workshop’s unique focus, many of the talks tackled a controversial explanation first suggested in the 1970s called the 'zoo hypothesis,’” said Raulin Cerceau. Ah yes, the idea that we're being watched by aliens and ... perhaps even being protected by them.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2019/03/18/are-we-in-a-galactic-zoo-protected-by-alie...

 

...from ourselves, or from other aliens that are not members of the "galactic club"? I wonder which scanario is more scary...


 


Well, if they mean to be protecting us from ourselves, they're not paying very close attention.

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