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owl writes:

https://science-news.co/a-new-model-for-a-real-warp-drive-that-doesnt-break-the-laws-of-physics/

In science fiction literature a warp drive is a technology that allows travel faster than the speed of light by warping space-time to beat the speed of light barrier. This is also not entirely impossible in reality. Einstein’s theory of general relativity says you can’t accelerate objects from below to above the speed of light, because that would take an infinite amount of energy, however this restriction only applies to objects in space-time not to space-time itself. Space-time can bend expand or warp at any speed and even physicists think, that the universe expanded faster than the speed of light. So on the spectrum from fiction to science, warp drives are on the more scientific end.

Recently two researchers at Applied Physics have created a new model for a warp drive. They describe it as a model for a space craft that could travel faster than the speed of light, without breaking the laws of physics. The researchers Alexey Bobrick, and Gianni Martire say, that this is the first general model for a real warp drive.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

New Zealand police arrest pair trying to enter Auckland with ‘large amount’ of KFC:

The men were arrested after allegedly trying to flee from police near the Auckland border. When their car was searched, police said they found a large quantity of KFC, as well as the cash and a number of empty ounce bags.

The arrest struck a chord with New Zealanders – especially Aucklanders, who have spent a month in a strict level four lockdown that does not allow restaurants to open or residents to order takeaway food.

[...] After the KFC arrest, a police spokesperson said “officers noticed a suspicious looking vehicle travelling on a gravel road, and upon seeing the police car, the vehicle did a U-turn and sped off trying to evade police.

[...] A breach of the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act can result in imprisonment for up to six months; or a fine of up to $4,000.

The men will appear in court for breaching the health order, and police said further charges were likely.

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

A new way to solve the ‘hardest of the hard’ computer problems:

A relatively new type of computing that mimics the way the human brain works was already transforming how scientists could tackle some of the most difficult information processing problems.

Now, researchers have found a way to make what is called reservoir computing work between 33 and a million times faster, with significantly fewer computing resources and less data input needed.

In fact, in one test of this next-generation reservoir computing, researchers solved a complex computing problem in less than a second on a desktop computer.

Using the now current state-of-the-art technology, the same problem requires a supercomputer to solve and still takes much longer, said Daniel Gauthier, lead author of the study and professor of physics at The Ohio State University.

[...] Reservoir computing is a machine learning algorithm developed in the early 2000s and used to solve the "hardest of the hard" computing problems, such as forecasting the evolution of dynamical systems that change over time, Gauthier said.

upstart writes:

Alleged Scammers Charged With Using Stolen Ids To Trick Delivery Apps - The Verge:

The Justice Department has charged over a dozen people with running a scam on ride hailing and delivery apps. Prosecutors say the alleged scam ring created fake accounts using stolen personal information, then sold those accounts to otherwise unqualified drivers — while also collecting referral bonuses and building software to trick the apps.

The indictment was revealed on Friday and adds to wire fraud claims first revealed in May. It accuses 14 people — all Brazilian nationals and most living in Massachusetts — with identity theft against five unnamed companies. (Prosecutors filed the wire fraud charges against 19 people in total, and 16 have been arrested.) The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the aggravated identity theft charges carry a sentence of at least 2 years.

[...] From around January of 2019 to April of 2021, the group’s members allegedly told customers (falsely) that they needed to scan their driver’s licenses when delivering alcohol. Prosecutors say defendants altered the photos on the licenses, paired them with other personal information, and started accounts that they could sell or rent to drivers.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

New Research Shows Regular Exercise May Lower Risk of Developing Anxiety by Almost 60%:

Anxiety disorders – which typically develop early in a person’s life – are estimated to affect approximately 10% of the world’s population and have been found to be twice as common in women compared to men.

And while exercise is put forward as a promising strategy for the treatment of anxiety, little is known about the impact of exercise dose, intensity or physical fitness level on the risk of developing anxiety disorders.

To help answer this question, researchers in Sweden recently published a study in Frontiers in Psychiatry to show that those who took part in the world’s largest long-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet) between 1989 and 2010 had a “significantly lower risk” of developing anxiety compared to non-skiers during the same period.

The study is based on data from almost 400,000 people in one of the largest ever population-wide epidemiology studies across both sexes.

[...] “We found that the group with a more physically active lifestyle had an almost 60% lower risk of developing anxiety disorders over a follow-up period of up to 21 years,” said first author of the paper, Martine Svensson, and her colleague and principal investigator, Tomas Deierborg, of the Department of Experimental Medical Science at Lund University, Sweden.

upstart writes:

Engineers create 3D-printed objects that sense how a user is interacting with them:

MIT researchers have developed a new method to 3D print mechanisms that detect how force is being applied to an object. The structures are made from a single piece of material, so they can be rapidly prototyped. A designer could use this method to 3D print “interactive input devices,” like a joystick, switch, or handheld controller, in one go.

To accomplish this, the researchers integrated electrodes into structures made from metamaterials, which are materials divided into a grid of repeating cells. They also created editing software that helps users build these interactive devices.

“Metamaterials can support different mechanical functionalities. But if we create a metamaterial door handle, can we also know that the door handle is being rotated, and if so, by how many degrees? If you have special sensing requirements, our work enables you to customize a mechanism to meet your needs,” says co-lead author Jun Gong, a former visiting PhD student at MIT who is now a research scientist at Apple.

[...] “What I find most exciting about the project is the capability to integrate sensing directly into the material structure of objects. This will enable new intelligent environments in which our objects can sense each interaction with them,” [co-author Stefanie] Mueller says. “For instance, a chair or couch made from our smart material could detect the user’s body when the user sits on it and either use it to query particular functions (such as turning on the light or TV) or to collect data for later analysis (such as detecting and correcting body posture).”

upstart writes:

New Study Explains Why Human Languages Share a Lot of The Same Grammar:

There are around 7,000 human languages that we know of worldwide, and while they're all unique, they're also more similar than you might have realized – particularly when it comes to the grammar, or the way that sentences can be formed and used.

[...] "We propose that in the evolution of language, talking about language was a way of forming some of the first complex language structures and that from these structures new types of grammar could develop," says linguist Stef Spronck, from the University of Helsinki in Finland.

In many languages, reported (or indirect) speech – so sentences indirectly communicating what someone has said, rather than someone actually saying it – can give rise to new meanings that fit with certain grammatical categories.

[...] This extension of meaning, found in certain languages where reported speech is used, can be matched with grammatical constructions like aspect (how something extends over time), modality (discussing possible situations), and topic (what is being talked about), the researchers contend.

So it seems our collective understanding of grammar may have emerged out of the way we talk about other people. Using a sample of 100 languages, the researchers found that reported speech is found on all major continents, occurring independently of language families or areas of contact.

"Humans talk about other people's thoughts and statements all the time, from the moment we first learn to speak," says Spronck.

[...] The researchers suggest that reported speech is an important source for certain core parts of grammar, as well as the meaning of some verbs. It would, in fact, have been one of the first examples of complex language: talking about language.

Journal Reference:
Stef Spronck, Daniela Casartelli. In a Manner of Speaking: How Reported Speech May Have Shaped Grammar, Frontiers in Communication (DOI: 10.3389/fcomm.2021.624486)

Original Submission

Runaway1956 writes:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-firm-unveils-autonomous-armed-robot-to-patrol-battle-zones-borders/

An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot it says can patrol battle zones, track infiltrators and open fire. The unmanned vehicle is the latest addition to the world of drone technology, which is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield.

Proponents say such semi-autonomous machines allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear this marks another dangerous step toward robots making life-or-death decisions.

The four-wheel-drive robot presented Monday in Lod was developed by the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries’ “REX MKII.”

It is operated by an electronic tablet and can be equipped with two machine guns, cameras and sensors, said Rani Avni, deputy head of the company’s autonomous systems division. The robot can gather intelligence for ground troops, carry injured soldiers and supplies in and out of battle, and strike nearby targets.

It is the most advanced of more than half a dozen unmanned vehicles developed by Aerospace Industries’ subsidiary, ELTA Systems, over the past 15 years.

Several other sites carrying very similar stories:

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/9/13/israeli-firm-introduces-armed-combat-drone-to-patrol-borders
https://techxplore.com/news/2021-09-israeli-firm-unveils-armed-robot.html
https://slickgunsnews.com/robogrunt-israel-to-patrol-its-borders-with-armed-robots/
https://newsnationusa.com/news/usanews/washington/israeli-firm-unveils-armed-robot-to-patrol-volatile-borders/

Previously: Israel Assassinated Iranian Nuclear Scientist Using a Remote-Controlled Machine Gun

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Explainer: Australia's nuclear-powered submarine deal is fueling anger in the country. Here's why

The US and UK will be sharing technology and expertise with Australia to help it build nuclear-powered submarines as part of a newly-announced defense pact between the three countries. The move has sparked fury in France, which has lost a long-standing agreement to supply Australia with diesel-powered subs.

But it's not only the French who are furious. Anti-nuclear groups in Australia, and many citizens, are expressing anger over the deal, worried it may be a Trojan Horse for a nuclear power industry, which the nation has resisted for decades.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke personally to her Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, to tell him the vessels would not be welcome in the waters of her country, which has been a no-nuclear zone since 1984.

French ambassador: Australia made a 'huge mistake' canceling submarine contract

The French ambassador to Australia issued a sharp rebuke of the country's decision to cancel a submarine contract with France, calling it a "huge mistake," according to a report from The Associated Press.

Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said that the original agreement was based on sincerity and trust. However, the diplomat said, "This has been a huge mistake, a very, very bad handling of the partnership," according to the news wire. ​​"I would like to be able to run into a time machine and be in a situation where we don't end up in such an incredible, clumsy, inadequate, un-Australian situation," Thebault said.

[...] The deal is a blow to France, which was set to help provide 12 diesel-electric submarines under a deal worth roughly $66 billion, the AP noted.

Original Submission

LabRat writes:

From Jupiter just got smacked by a space rock and an amateur astronomer caught it on camera:

Brazilian observer José Luis Pereira captured a bright flash on the solar system's largest planet Monday night [...], memorializing the fiery death of a space rock high in the Jovian atmosphere.

"I am an assiduous planetary observer," Pereira told Space.com in a written statement Tuesday (Sept. 14). "When the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are in opposition, I try to make images in every possible night of clear skies. Especially [of] the planet Jupiter, my favorite."

[...] His observing setup consists of the following, he added: a Newtonian Telescope 275mm f/5,3 with a QHY5III462C camera, plus a Televue Powermate 5x (f/26,5) eyepiece and an IRUV cut filter.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/office-2021-will-be-available-for-non-microsoft-365-subscribers-on-october-5/

New versions of Microsoft Office aren't as big a deal as they used to be, thanks to the continuously updated (and continuously paid for) versions of the apps that come with a Microsoft 365 subscription. But for everyone else, there's still Office 2021, an upgrade to Office 2019 that's coming to both Windows and macOS on October 5, Microsoft announced today. Office 2021 will add the same features as the Office Long-Term Servicing Channel (or LTSC, catchy) release, which is [now] available

Interpretation:
There are some users that prefer not to pay an annual fee for basic software. We prefer that they at least buy new software, so we can get more money. They should like this. LibreOffice, what's that?

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Extreme weather to cost US over $100bn this year: Joe Biden:

President Joe Biden predicted extreme weather events are set to cost the United States more than $100bn this year after a series of raging wildfires and punishing hurricanes wrought havoc across the country.

[...] “We have to make the investments that are going to slow our contributions to climate change, today, not tomorrow,” Biden said.

He made the comments after touring the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, the last stop on a three-state western tour in which the president visited California and Idaho, where global warming has scorched the region’s landscape even as states in other parts of the country battle hurricanes and storms that have caused flash floods and killed dozens.

Biden sought to build support for his administration’s infrastructure spending plans aimed at fighting the growing threat of climate change.

On Monday, Biden said the economic damage caused by extreme weather cost the US $99bn last year, before predicting on Tuesday the price tag would come in at more than $100bn for 2021.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

The Scientist and the A.I.-Assisted, Remote-Control Killing Machine

If Israel was going to kill a top Iranian official [Mohsen Fakhrizadeh[*]], an act that had the potential to start a war, it needed the assent and protection of the United States. That meant acting before Mr. Biden could take office. In Mr. Netanyahu's best-case scenario, the assassination would derail any chance of resurrecting the nuclear agreement even if Mr. Biden won.

[...] A killer robot profoundly changes the calculus for the Mossad. The organization has a longstanding rule that if there is no rescue, there is no operation, meaning a foolproof plan to get the operatives out safely is essential. Having no agents in the field tips the equation in favor of the operation.

[...] [The] machine gun, the robot, its components and accessories together weigh about a ton. So the equipment was broken down into its smallest possible parts and smuggled into the country piece by piece, in various ways, routes and times, then secretly reassembled in Iran.

The robot was built to fit in the bed of a Zamyad pickup, a common model in Iran. Cameras pointing in multiple directions were mounted on the truck to give the command room a full picture not just of the target and his security detail, but of the surrounding environment. Finally, the truck was packed with explosives so it could be blown to bits after the kill, destroying all evidence. There were further complications in firing the weapon. A machine gun mounted on a truck, even a parked one, will shake after each shot's recoil, changing the trajectory of subsequent bullets.

t-3 writes:

https://spectrum.ieee.org/q-a-with-co-creator-of-the-6502-processor

Few people have seen their handiwork influence the world more than Bill Mensch. He helped create the legendary 8-bit 6502 microprocessor, launched in 1975, which was the heart of groundbreaking systems including the Atari 2600, Apple II, and Commodore 64. Mensch also created the VIA 65C22 input/output chip—noted for its rich features and which was crucial to the 6502's overall popularity—and the second-generation 65C816, a 16-bit processor that powered machines such as the Apple IIGS, and the Super Nintendo console.

Many of the 65x series of chips are still in production. The processors and their variants are used as microcontrollers in commercial products, and they remain popular among hobbyists who build home-brewed computers. The surge of interest in retrocomputing has led to folks once again swapping tips on how to write polished games using the 6502 assembly code, with new titles being released for the Atari, BBC Micro, and other machines.

Mensch, an IEEE senior life member, splits his time between Arizona and Colorado, but folks in the Northeast of the United States will have the opportunity to see him as a keynote speaker at the Vintage Computer Festival in Wall, N.J., on the weekend of 8 October. In advance of Mensch's appearance, The Institute caught up with him via Zoom to talk about his career.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Part of the universe's missing matter found:

Galaxies can receive and exchange matter with their external environment thanks to the galactic winds created by stellar explosions. Via the MUSE instrument from the Very Large Telescope at the ESO, an international research team, led on the French side by the CNRS and l'Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, has mapped a galactic wind for the first time. This unique observation, which is detailed in a study published in MNRAS on 16 September 2021, helped to reveal where some of the universe's missing matter is located and to observe the formation of a nebula around a galaxy.

[...] The perfect positioning of the galaxy and the quasar, as well as the discovery of gas exchange due to galactic winds, made it possible to draw up a unique map. This enabled the first observation of a nebula in formation that is simultaneously emitting and absorbing magnesium—some of the universe's missing baryons—with the Gal1 galaxy.

This type of normal matter nebula is known in the near universe, but their existence for young galaxies in formation had only been supposed.

Scientists thus discovered some of the universe's missing baryons, thereby confirming that 80–90% of normal matter is located outside of galaxies, an observation that will help expand models for the evolution of galaxies.

Journal Reference:
Johannes Zabl, Nicolas F. Bouché, Lutz Wisotzki, et al. MusE GAs FLOw and Wind (MEGAFLOW) VIII. Discovery of a Mgii emission halo probed by a quasar sightline, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab2165)

Original Submission