Science

NASA’s Valkyrie robot, ready to be inhabited through virtual reality James Woodford I am standing before one of the most advanced robots in the world and am awestruck and disoriented by its humanoid form. Part Transformer, part Star Wars stormtrooper and with hands that look like they can crush beer cans, at 1.8 metres tall

Fusion’s public-relations drive is obscuring the challenges that lie ahead – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

Even as the community of nations on Earth fractures further into rival blocs, an effort to build greater cohesion in space is gathering momentum. The extent to which this succeeds, or not, may set the course of global peace and security for the foreseeable future. Diplomats along with military, industry, civil and academic experts are

Medical clowns can help children through their treatments FatCamera/Getty Images Children and teenagers with pneumonia seem to spend less time in hospital if they are visited by a medical clown, who helps to reduce their heart rates and encourage independence. Visits from a medical clown, who may help children role-play or distract them during treatments,

Researchers with a large network of unique collaborators have longer careers, finds study – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

WASHINGTON — Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully landed in New Mexico early Sept. 7, completing the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission but without any crew on board. The Starliner spacecraft landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. Eastern, about six hours after undocking from the International Space Station. The spacecraft’s

Bands of fast-moving wind that blow west to east around the globe play a crucial role in weather – a poleward shift in parts of these jet streams could cause dramatic changes in weather from the western US to the Mediterranean Read the original article here

BepiColombo takes its best images yet of Mercury’s peppered landscape – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

Identifying anomalous operations of satellites is more than a technical task. It must depend on human intelligence gathering and advance warning.  Missile launch detection and characterization is a longstanding example of how to overcome similar challenges. It is widely known that the United States operates high altitude satellites that perceive infrared emissions from rocket engines.

The internet could not exist without information theory Mehmet BAYSAN / Alamy The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or mathematician to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time

Taking the leap – how to prepare for your future in the quantum workforce – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

TAMPA, Fla. — European small satellite maker Aerospacelab announced the opening of its first manufacturing facility in the United States Sept. 5 amid efforts to break into the lucrative U.S. government market. The company sees the potential for contracts that would enable the 3,300 square-meter facility in Torrance, California, to reach a capacity to produce an

A little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) with white-nose syndrome, which has ravaged bat populations across the US piemags/FWL / Alamy Stock Photo The decline of bats in the US due to the spread of a fungal disease reduced farmers’ earnings and led to an additional 1300 deaths in children under 1 year old, a study

Hybrid quantum–classical computing chips and neutral-atom qubits both show promise – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

ARLINGTON, Va. — Two SpaceX-built satellites successfully exchanged data using optical communications terminals in a milestone for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA), the agency’s director Derek Tournear said Sept. 4. The satellites, part of SDA’s Tranche 0 experimental spacecraft in low Earth orbit, used laser terminals manufactured by Tesat-Spacecom to communicate. This marks the

After any problem with a rocket launch or mission, experts echo the same refrain: space is hard. As progress in the space industry accelerates, that mantra is becoming more relevant, not less, but that is because we are facing the difficulties of space flight more frequently – and, largely, overcoming them. The situation unfolding on

Twisted fibres capture more water from fog – Physics World Skip to main content Close search menu Discover more from Physics World Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors Read the original article here

TAMPA, Fla. — Canadian geostationary operator Telesat has sold off Infosat Communications, a remote satellite services specialist, to bolster finances as investments in its low Earth orbit (LEO) Lightspeed constellation ramp up.  Calgary, Canada-based connectivity integrator Network Innovations said Sept. 3 it acquired the company from Telesat for an undisclosed sum, expanding its team by about