{"id":26374,"date":"2005-09-12T13:04:45","date_gmt":"2005-09-12T17:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/?p=26374"},"modified":"2021-10-08T19:05:18","modified_gmt":"2021-10-08T23:05:18","slug":"volume-8-number-13-09-12-2005","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/volume-8-number-13-09-12-2005\/","title":{"rendered":"Volume 8, Number 13 – 09\/12\/2005"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Volume 8, Number 13 See past issues in the Archives<\/a><\/p>\n In This Issue:<\/span><\/p>\n Future Facts<\/span><\/a> – from Think Links At The Arlington Institute, we believe that to understand the future, you need to have an open mind and cast a very wide net. To that end, FUTUREdition explores a cross-disciplinary palette of issues, from the frontiers of science and technology to major developments in mass media, geopolitics, the environment, and social perspectives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>FUTURE FACTS – FROM THINK LINKS<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/a>THINK LINKS \u2013 THE FUTURE IN THE NEWS…TODAY<\/p>\n INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE<\/p>\n Rewriting the Rule Books Rewriting the Rule Books — (BBC — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Researcher Can Make All-White-Meat Chicken — (USA Today — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Science and Food Mix in Molecular Cooking — (Yahoo — September 12, 2005)<\/span> Bikini Reminds Sunbathers to Turn Over — (Ananova — September 12, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n NEW REALITIES<\/p>\n India’s Smoking Gun: Dino-killing Eruptions India’s Smoking Gun: Dino-killing Eruptions — (Science Daily — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Prozac for Plants — (NASA — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Mystery Bulge in Oregon Still Growing — (Live Science — September 8, 2005)<\/span> X-Rays Reveal Ancient Text — (Wired — September 6, 2005)<\/span> Atlantis Sinking Has Scientific Basis — (Discovery Channel — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n GENTICS\/HEALTH TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n RFID Chips Promise to Revamp Medicine RFID Chips Promise to Revamp Medicine — (Space Daily — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Researchers Creating Life from Scratch — (Union-Tribune — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Is brain Still Developing? — (Newsday — September 12, 2005)<\/span> It’s A Miracle: Mice Regrow Hearts — (The Australian — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Scientists Discover Life-Extending Protein in Mice to Slow Ageing — (BBC — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n NANOTECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n Nanoglue Stickier Than Gecko Toes Nanoglue Stickier Than Gecko Toes — (Wired — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Nano-Material Is Harder Than Diamonds — (New Scientist — August 30, 2005)<\/span> Nanocoating Could Eliminate Foggy Windows And Lenses — (Science Daily — August 30, 2005)<\/span> Molecular Motors Push Liquid Uphill — (New Scientist — August 28, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n GLOBAL EPIDEMIC<\/p>\n Vaccines Not Available for Asian Disease Vaccines Not Available for Asian Disease — (Washington Post — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Ebola Threatens Gorillas and Chimps — (Live Science– September 1, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY<\/p>\n Room Lights May Boost Health Room Lights May Boost Health — (Live Science — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Tiny Sensors Run Forever (Almost) — (Wired — September 6, 2005)<\/span> Marketing A Doll With A High-Tech Brain — (CNET — September 8, 2005)<\/span> High-Power Fuel Cells Go Portable — (BioEd Online — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Computer Program Learns Language Rules And Composes Sentences — (Science Daily — September 1, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES<\/p>\n Melting Arctic A Growing Threat Melting Arctic A Growing Threat — (CNN — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Major Ozone Loss Over Antarctic — (BBC — September 6, 2005)<\/span> Impact of Economic Growth on China’s Air Quality — (Science Daily — September 2, 2005)<\/span> Strange Fish Parade Seen in Englewood, FL — (Sun Herald — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Web Trade Threat to Rare Species — (BBC — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n TERRORISM AND THE FUTURE OF WARFARE<\/p>\n Airborne Laser Brings Star Wars One Step Closer Airborne Laser Brings Star Wars One Step Closer — (Reuters — August 31, 2005)<\/span> The State Of Surveillance — (Business Week — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Spy Craft Take Gull Flight Lesson — (BBC — September 8, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n AUGMENTED INTELLIGENCE<\/p>\n Space Penguin Could Hop Around Moon to Explore Space Penguin Could Hop Around Moon to Explore — (Reuters — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Bat-Bot Sounds Out Surroundings — (Wired — September 8, 2005)<\/span> IQ Test for AI Devices Gets Experts Thinking — (New Scientist — August 31, 2005)<\/span> Easy Striders — (Science News — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n ENERGY REVOLUTION<\/p>\n Japan to Test Supersonic Airliner Prototype Japan to Test Supersonic Airliner Prototype — (New Scientist — September 8, 2005)<\/span> Powering A New Generation of Cars — (C|Net News — September 2, 2005)<\/span> Laser Triggers Cleaner Fusion — (Nature — September 8, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n CONTACT<\/p>\n NASA Launches Startups for Ships<\/p>\n NASA Launches Startups for Ships — (Wired — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOCIAL CHANGE<\/p>\n Ancient and Modern Man Lived Side By Side<\/p>\n Ancient and Modern Man Lived Side By Side — (Reuters (Science) — August 31, 2005)<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/a>A FINAL QUOTE…<\/p>\n “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” —George Bernard Shaw<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A special thanks to Bernard Calil, Humera Khan, Deanna Korda, KurzweilAI, Sher Patterson-Black, Diane Petersen, John C. Petersen, the Schwartzreport, Joel Snell, Ken Dabkowski, Jin Zhu, and Richard May, our contributors to this issue. If you see something we should know about, do send it along – thanks. Volume 8, Number 13 09\/12\/2005 Edited by John L. Petersen johnp@arlingtoninstitute.org See past issues in the Archives In This Issue: Future Facts – from Think Links Think Links – The Future in the News\u2026Today A Final Quote At The Arlington Institute, we believe that to understand the future, you need to have an open mind and […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[46],"class_list":{"0":"post-26374","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-futuredition","7":"tag-newsletter"},"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26374\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arlingtoninstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n09\/12\/2005
\nEdited by John L. Petersen
\njohnp@arlingtoninstitute.org<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThink Links<\/span><\/a> – The Future in the News\u2026Today
\nA Final Quote<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\nDID YOU KNOW THAT…<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nResearcher Can Make All-White-Meat Chicken
\nScience and Food Mix in Molecular Cooking
\nBikini Reminds Sunbathers to Turn Over<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/uk_news\/magazine\/4152860.stm<\/a>
\nYou might have encountered “wiki” pages in your search engine results, specifically Wikipedia: an online encyclopedia, written by its users. Anyone can add to an entry, and it’s free. This could help the dispersal and availability of free information to reach new heights.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/tech\/science\/discoveries\/2005-08-28-chicken_x.htm<\/a>
\nA scientist has found a way to transform dark meat chicken into white, a scientific advance some purists say has gone too far. Proponents say it’s a filler that can be used to add protein and amino acids to something else, such as chicken nuggets.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/s\/nm\/20050901\/us_nm\/food_science_dc<\/a>
\nPino Maffeo is part of a new breed of chefs who practice what has become known as molecular gastronomy. Using liquid nitrogen, emulsifiers and an arsenal of equipment typically stocked in scientific laboratories, Maffeo creates what he calls one-bite wonders.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.ananova.com\/news\/story\/sm_1496110.html?menu=news.quirkies<\/a>
\nA bikini which reminds sunbathers to turn over so they don’t get burnt has been launched in Britain. The Tan-Timer Bikini has an electronic timer that beeps every 15 minutes to remind its wearer to roll over or seek shade.<\/p>\n
\n
\nProzac for Plants
\nMystery Bulge in Oregon Still Growing
\nX-Rays Reveal Ancient Text
\nAtlantis Sinking Has Scientific Basis<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/08\/050810130729.htm<\/a>
\nNew discoveries about the timing and speed of gigantic, 6500-foot (2-km) thick lava flows that poured out of the ground 65 million years ago could shift the blame for killing the dinosaurs. The Deccan Traps of India are one of Earth’s largest lava flows ever, with the potential of having wreaked havoc with the climate of the Earth.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/headlines\/y2005\/05aug_nostress.htm?list750202<\/a>
\nOn Mars, plants would have to tolerate conditions that would usually cause them a great deal of stress — severe cold, drought, low air pressure, soils that they didn’t evolve for. But researchers believe they can develop plants that can live in these conditions, and stress management is the key.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.livescience.com\/forcesofnature\/ap_050906_sisters_bulge.html<\/a>
\nA recent survey of a bulge that covers about 100 square miles near the South Sister indicates the area is still growing, suggesting it could be another volcano in the making or a major shift of molten rock under the center of the Cascade Range. Recent eruptions at nearby Mount St. Helens in Washington state have rekindled interest in the annual Sisters survey and its findings.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/technology\/0,1282,68592,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_6<\/a>
\nUsing a technique called X-ray fluorescence, a team of researchers have revealed ancient inscriptions carved into stone that had faded away over the centuries. Scientists fired high-energy X-ray beams at the 2,000-year-old inscriptions, exposing trace elements left over from paint that dried up, which are then mapped along the outline of the letters, making them readable to the naked eye.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/dsc.discovery.com\/news\/briefs\/20050808\/atlantis.html<\/a>
\nPlato’s account of how the fabled city of Atlantis sank below the surface of the ocean does have scientific grounding, according to a seafloor survey of an island west of the Straits of Gibraltar. Researchers performed a detailed mapping of the seafloor on Spartel Island, already proposed as a candidate for the origin of the Atlantis legend in 2001.<\/p>\n
\n
\nResearchers Creating Life from Scratch
\nIs brain Still Developing?
\nIt’s A Miracle: Mice Regrow Hearts
\nScientists Discover Life-Extending Protein in Mice to Slow Ageing<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.spacedaily.com\/news\/gps-05zzzo.html<\/a>
\nRadio frequency identification chips are on the market and available for implantation in the human body. There is no risk of an RFID chip moving inside the body, because muscle tissue holds it in place. When a RFID scanner is run over the chip, a 16-digit number appears which when typed into a secure computer system, the number provides information about identity and medical history.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/hosted.ap.org\/dynamic\/stories\/E\/ENGINEERING_LIFE?SITE=CADIU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT<\/a>
\nThey’re called “synthetic biologists” and they’re mixing, matching and stacking DNA’s chemical components like microscopic Lego blocks in an effort to make biologically based computers, medicines and alternative energy sources.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.newsday.com\/news\/health\/ny-hsbrai0909,0,6946681.story?coll=ny-health-big-pix<\/a>
\nScientists have discovered a gene variation, perhaps involved in brain size, that showed up only 6,000 years ago — a mere blink of the eye in evolutionary time. This discovery, along with another brain gene that arrived about 37,000 years ago, is providing scientists with strong evidence that the human brain is still a work in process.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.theaustralian.news.com.au\/common\/story_page\/0,5744,16417002%255E29677,00.html<\/a>
\nScientists have created “miracle mice” that can regenerate amputated limbs or damaged vital organs, making them able to recover from injuries that would kill or permanently disable normal animals. The experimental animals are unique among mammals in their ability to regrow their heart, toes, joints and tail. And when cells from the test mouse are injected into ordinary mice, they too acquire the ability to regenerate, researchers say.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4186324.stm<\/a>
\nScientists have identified a hormone that significantly extends the life span of mice, a discovery that could mark a crucial step toward developing drugs that boost longevity in people. The hormone is the first substance identified that is produced naturally in mammals, including humans, and can extend life span.<\/p>\n
\n
\nNano-Material Is Harder Than Diamonds
\nNanocoating Could Eliminate Foggy Windows And Lenses
\nMolecular Motors Push Liquid Uphill<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/medtech\/0,1286,68639,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_6<\/a>
\nResearchers have used their knowledge of what makes geckos stick to create a carpet of super-sticky carbon nanotubes that could form the basis for future types of adhesives. In this case, science has even surpassed nature by producing bundles of nanotubes with an adhesive power 200 times greater than that of the gecko foot hairs.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn7926<\/a>
\nA material that is harder than diamond has been created in the lab, by packing together tiny “nanorods” of carbon. The new material, known as aggregated carbon nanorods (ACNR), was created by compressing and heating super-strong carbon molecules called buckyballs or carbon-60. These molecules consist of 60 atoms that interlock in hexagonal or pentagonal shapes and resemble tiny soccer balls.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/08\/050830071452.htm<\/a>
\nResearchers have developed a unique polymer coating made of silica nanoparticles that they say can create surfaces that never fog. The transparent coating can be applied to eyeglasses, camera lenses, ski goggles even bathroom mirrors.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn7911<\/a>
\nDroplets of liquid have been moved uphill by molecular motors designed to manipulate Brownian motion. While other researchers have found ways to make drops of liquids move before, what’s new here is the use of molecular motors to achieve it: This is the first time you can use molecular-level motion to move a macroscopic object.<\/p>\n
\n
\nEbola Threatens Gorillas and Chimps<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2005\/08\/31\/AR2005083100334.html<\/a>
\nA Japanese encephalitis outbreak that has killed hundreds of children in northern India and Nepal in recent weeks has no cure or effective treatment. It is easily preventable, but the necessary vaccines are simply not available to millions in the affected area.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.livescience.com\/animalworld\/ap_050805_ebola_apes.html<\/a>
\nThe dreaded Ebola virus along with decades of hunting and logging are putting some ape species on the brink of extinction in Central Africa. Ebola was reported in May for the first time in Republic of Congo’s Odzala National Park, which contains the world’s largest concentration of western lowland gorillas.<\/p>\n
\n
\nTiny Sensors Run Forever (Almost)
\nMarketing A Doll With A High-Tech Brain
\nHigh-Power Fuel Cells Go Portable
\nComputer Program Learns Language Rules And Composes Sentences<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.livescience.com\/technology\/050829_ap_lighting_health.html<\/a>
\nRecent technological advances in LEDs have made them much more powerful, able to illuminate swimming pools and serve as traffic signals. Researchers say lighting in offices and schools could be improved to help people stay healthy and productive, by acting on their internal body clocks.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/business\/0,1367,68700,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4<\/a>
\nSmart homes that monitor elderly residents’ every move, networked sprinkler systems that run for seven years on a single battery, radio-equipped windows that call you up if they break — according to boosters of an emerging low-power wireless technology, such applications are about to come to your local home-supply megastore.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.com.com\/Marketing+a+doll+with+a+high-tech+brain\/2100-1041_3-5842980.html<\/a>
\nA marvel of digital technologies, including speech-recognition and memory chips, radio frequency tags and scanners, and facial robotics, soon to be released ‘Amazing Amanda’ could be the future of dolls. It represents an evolutionary leap from earlier talking dolls from the 1960s that cycled through a collection of recorded phrases when a child pulled a cord in its back.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.bioedonline.org\/news\/news.cfm?art=1986<\/a>
\nWith a supply of 500 milliliters of methanol, a new lightweight generator can chuck out 45 watts for a day, which is enough to power a laptop. The cell and fuel together are half the weight of the lithium batteries needed to provide the same power. Unlike traditional generators, fuel cells are totally quiet. And unlike batteries, they can be recharged without being plugged into the wall.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/09\/050901072808.htm<\/a>
\nResearchers have developed a method for enabling a computer program to scan text in any of a number of languages, including English and Chinese, and autonomously and without previous information infer the underlying rules of grammar. The rules can then be used to generate new and meaningful sentences. The method also works for such data as sheet music or protein sequences.<\/p>\n
\n
\nMajor Ozone Loss Over Antarctic
\nImpact of Economic Growth on China’s Air Quality
\nStrange Fish Parade Seen in Englewood, FL
\nWeb Trade Threat to Rare Species<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2005\/TECH\/science\/08\/24\/melting.arctic.ap\/index.html<\/a>
\nThe rate of ice melting in the Arctic is increasing and a panel of researchers says it sees no natural process that is likely to change that trend. Within a century the melting could lead to summertime ice-free ocean conditions not seen in the area in a million years, the group said.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4197566.stm<\/a>
\nNew readings from the European satellite Envisat suggest that this year’s southern hemisphere ozone hole may be one of the largest on record. The hole covers an area of 10 million sq km (four million sq miles) – approximately the same size as Europe. It is expected to continue expanding for two to three weeks.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2005\/09\/050902071928.htm<\/a>
\nChina’s spectacular economic growth during the last decade has brought many benefits and some challenges. Global atmospheric mapping of nitrogen dioxide pollution performed by researchers reveals the world’s largest amount of NO2 hanging above Beijing and northeast China.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/sun-herald.com\/Newsheadline.cfm?headline=6413&banner=1<\/a>
\nA bizarre freeway of fish swimming by the thousands along the shore of Englewood Beach Thursday morning left crowds of beach-goers and marine biologists bewildered. Beach-goers reported that a wide variety of sea creatures came swimming south in a narrow band close to the beach at mid-morning.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4153726.stm<\/a>
\nThe illegal trade in wild animal products over the internet is driving the world’s most endangered species to extinction, wildlife campaigners claim. A probe found 9,000 live animals or products for sale in one week on trading sites like eBay.<\/p>\n
\n
\nThe State Of Surveillance
\nSpy Craft Take Gull Flight Lesson<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/s\/nm\/20050824\/tc_nm\/laser_dc<\/a>
\nA U.S. Pentagon invention could make air combat resemble a battle scene from Star Wars, with a laser so small it can fit on a fighter jet, yet powerful enough to knock down an enemy missile in flight. The laser being designed by the Pentagon’s central research and development agency will weigh just 750 kg (1,650 lb) and measures the size of a large fridge.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.businessweek.com\/print\/magazine\/content\/05_32\/b3946001_mz001.htm?chan=gl<\/a>
\nArtificial noses that sniff explosives, cameras that I.D. you by your ears, chips that analyze the halo of heat you emit. Tomorrow’s surveillance technology may be considerably more effective. But each advance in protection will typically come at the cost of more intrusion into the privacy of ordinary people.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.bbc.co.uk\/2\/hi\/science\/nature\/4185648.stm<\/a>
\nAviation researchers have copied the wing action of seagulls to develop spy drones that can morph shape mid-flight. The toy-sized drones are being developed for tricky urban missions so that they can zip around tight places. They could fly into urban environments to detect biological agents.<\/p>\n
\n
\nBat-Bot Sounds Out Surroundings
\nIQ Test for AI Devices Gets Experts Thinking
\nEasy Striders<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/today.reuters.com\/news\/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=
\n2005-08-31T080244Z_01_DIT128984_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-SPACE-PENGUIN-DC.XML<\/a>
\nA robotic Lunar Penguin explorer could be hopping around on the moon by 2009. The unmanned lunar device, in development for two years, is 3 feet tall and weighs approximately 230 pounds. It hops by reigniting small propulsion engines and could be a delivery vehicle for the science community says researchers.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/technology\/0,1282,68649,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2<\/a>
\nA tiny robot called the Bat-Bot can use echolocation just like flesh-and-blood bats to distinguish one type of plant from another — something most of us couldn’t do with a guidebook and magnifying glass. Although Bat-Bot doesn’t fly, it’s a major step forward in using sonar or sound waves in the air, and an important development for autonomous or self-navigating robots.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn7842<\/a>
\nTraditional measures of human intelligence would often be inappropriate for systems that have senses, environments, and cognitive capacities very different from our own. Researchers have drafted an idea for an alternative test which will allow the intelligence of vision systems, robots, natural-language processing programs or trading agents to be compared and contrasted despite their broad and disparate functions.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.sciencenews.org\/articles\/20050806\/bob8.asp<\/a>
\nA new robot uses a graceful stride which differs radically from the stiff, unnatural motion of traditional two-legged robots. Not only that, says researchers, but the walker uses a small fraction of the energy required by other two-legged machines, and it runs on a control system no more complex than that of a coffee machine. In fact, this slender, 1-meter-tall robot, simple as it looks, introduces a new class of robotics based on the theory known as passive dynamics.<\/p>\n
\n
\nPowering A New Generation of Cars
\nLaser Triggers Cleaner Fusion<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article.ns?id=dn7896<\/a>
\nJapan plans to test a supersonic aircraft prototype in the Australian desert as early as September. During the test, the unmanned aircraft will ride atop a solid-fuel booster rocket and will approach Mach 2. The goal of providing faster air travel across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans will soon be economically viable.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.com.com\/Powering+a+new+generation+of+cars\/2100-7342_3-5845817.html?tag=nefd.top<\/a>
\nToyota, General Motors and virtually every other major automobile manufacturer are tinkering with a technology called Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), which could boost fuel economy in cars by about 20 percent and generate fewer polluting hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/fire.pppl.gov\/fusion_lasers_nature_082605.pdf<\/a>
\nScientists have managed to use lasers to create a billion-degree nuclear fireball. The resulting reaction is far cleaner than the kind currently being investigated to generate nuclear power.<\/p>\n
\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.wired.com\/news\/space\/0,2697,68528,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1<\/a>
\nIn the last year, with $6 million in NASA funding, researchers designed an orbital spaceship called the Crew Transfer Vehicle, or CXV. They built a full-scale mockup of its four-seat space capsule, successfully demonstrated a novel method for launching spaceships from airplanes, and, this month, dropped another full-scale capsule from a helicopter off the California coast to test parachute deployment and capsule recovery.<\/p>\n
\n
\nhttp:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/s\/nm\/20050831\/sc_nm\/neanderthal_dc;_ylt=A86.
\nI0KsdRZDYjsBBxAhANEA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl<\/a>
\nDid Neanderthals and the first ancestors of modern man ever meet? Now a group of scientists claim to have proof — based on radiocarbon dating of artifact finds in France — that the two distinct groups did indeed share the same space at the same time some 38,000 years ago.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\njohnp@arlingtoninstitute.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"