Lifeboat Foundation

Astronomers using the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) have shown that a jet of material propelled from the core of a giant galaxy is channeled by a corkscrew-shaped magnetic field out to nearly 3,300 light-years from the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole. That is much farther than such a magnetic field previously had been detected in a galactic jet.

“By making high-quality VLA images at several different radio wavelengths of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87), we were able to reveal the 3-dimensional structure of the magnetic field in this jet for the first time,” said Alice Pasetto of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, leader of the team. “The material in this jet traces a double helix, similar to the structure of DNA,” she added.

M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy about 55 million light-years from Earth. A supermassive black hole some 6.5 billion times more massive than the Sun lurks at the center of M87. That black hole is the first one ever to be imaged—an achievement done with the world-wide Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration and announced in 2019. Earlier this year, new EHT images traced the magnetic field in the vicinity of the black hole event horizon.

Wakanda, the mythical setting for Marvel’s superhero film “Black Panther,” is home to some not-so-mythical technology. An indestructible cape might not yet be possible, but Wakanda’s levitating high-speed trains could zoom into reality with the help of superconductors.

Now, a new discovery about electron behavior may represent a step toward that superpowered world.

Superconductors give electrons—and, therefore, electricity—resistance-free highways. They have the potential to create power lines that permit super-fast transmission without shedding energy, enhance imaging technologies like MRIs, and levitate more than trains. But most of today’s fledgling superconductors require extremely cold temperatures to work. And while some scientists hope to find an answer in the right combination of materials, the solution might be hidden in how electrons move, not only what they move through.

Engineers at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore teamed up to develop a chain mail-inspired fabric that transforms from a fluid malleable material into a solid protective material when under pressure, a press statement reveals.

The material could be used for a host of potentially lifechanging applications, including as smart fabric for exoskeletons, for a cast that becomes more or less rigid when needed to facilitate the healing of an injury, and as a deployable bridge that could be thrown over an obstacle and stiffened so that people can walk across with ease.

Neutron’s structure will be comprised of a new, specially formulated carbon composite material that is lightweight, strong, and can withstand the immense heat and forces of launch and re-entry again and again to enable frequent re-flight of the first stage. The launch vehicle will also be mostly reusable, designed to land on a landing pad after launch. It starts with Neutron’s unique shape, a tapered rocket with a wide base to provide a robust, stable base for landing, eliminating the need for complex mechanisms and landing legs.

“Neutron is not a conventional rocket. It’s a new breed of the launch vehicle with reliability, reusability, and cost reduction that is hard-baked into the advanced design from day one. Neutron incorporates the best innovations of the past and marries them with cutting-edge technology and materials to deliver a rocket for the future,” said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder, and CEO.

Continue reading “Rocket Lab reveals new details of its powerful Neutron launch vehicle” »

Circa 2018 c:

Shoes made from stone may sound uncomfortable and something the Flintstones might wear. However, thanks to innovative technology, it is possible to transform ordinary stone into a flexible and paper-thin material. German companies Roxxlyn and Nat-2 decided to work together and use this material to create the world’s first sneakers made from natural stone!

When we think about stone, we think about hard and sturdy material, rather than something flexible. However, Roxxlyn, an expert in creating ultra-light design pieces from stone, developed a technology to use stone to make all kinds of accessories and design pieces, from phone cases to belts, and now sneakers.

Continue reading “The world’s first sneakers made from stone” »

Potential step toward new superconductors.

Digital tongue circa 2019.

“Electronic tongues” are devices that can analyze materials just by coming in contact with them — and they have near-infinite applications, from testing water quality to ensuring an expensive wine isn’t a counterfeit.

The problem is most fall into one of two categories: portable and specialized for only certain materials, or stationary and versatile. But now, IBM researchers have unveiled a new electronic tongue capable of bridging gap, making it easier to identify a range of liquids on the fly.

Continue reading “IBM Unveils New ‘Electronic Tongue’ to Taste and Identify Liquids” »

The market introduction of the MR-Linac technology improves the patient care via the real-time imaging of the targeted PTVs. Conventional Water Phantoms with ferromagnetic material become prohibited due to safety reasons. To overcome this situation, LAP introduced the MR-compatible Water Phantom THALES 3D MR SCANNER. Dr Thierry Gevaert, medical physicist and co-ordinator at the UZ Brussel institute, will share his experience with the THALES 3D MR SCANNER during the commissioning of the MRIdian Linac of Viewray. Furthermore, he will highlight which benefits played an important role for his clinical workflow.

During the webinar you will also learn more about the THALES technology for commissioning and quality-assurance processes of conventional Linacs.

The electronics were also improved with a new full-color touchscreen interface and a modular wiring system. An RGB LED lighting system adds nice ambiance and could help users create more exciting time lapse videos of their prints. Prusa is even considering releasing an official, though unsupported, Klipper firmware for those users who have grown to love Klipper in other CoreXY printers.

The most exciting feature by far, however, is the new swappable toolhead system. This is similar to the E3D ToolChanger design and lets the printer switch between different extruders during a print, allowing for multicolor or multi-material prints. An innovative calibration routine ensures that quality doesn’t suffer after a tool change.

Prusa Research hasn’t yet announced an official release date, but you can reserve a pre-order by placing a $200 deposit right now. A semi-assembled Prusa XL with a single toolhead will cost $1,999. A Prusa XL with dual toolheads will cost $2,499 and a Prusa XL with five toolheads will cost $3,499.