Lugh

joined 2 years ago
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The paradox of Europe's space efforts is that it has the money and technical expertise to be number 1, but is always playing runner-up, and is now third behind the US and China. ESA - Europe's equivalent of NASA & China's CNSA, has 23 member states - most of which have their own national space agencies too.

This fragmentation and diffusion has always been a huge problem, now ESA has another. NASA is abandoning it's biggest joint NASA/ESA project. The ill-fated SLS/Gateway/Artemis Moon landing program is up for the axe in the latest NASA budget. Taking its place (and money) will be plans to pivot to Mars, led by - you guessed it - a certain South African's space company.

Will ESA do something decisive as it readjusts? If past performance is any guide, don't hold your breath. Then again, maybe this time might be different.

 

This article gives details on the many shortcomings that make the 'golden dome' idea unworkable. These objections have been around since Ronald Reagan proposed the idea in the 1980's, and they are even more true today. The 'golden dome' proposal deals with ICBM-type missiles, but they are already out of date. The 'golden dome' proposal has even less chance against hypersonic missiles that travel at Mach 20.

Ask yourself a question - The $175 billion 'golden dome' idea requires 36,000 satellites. Is there a certain South African at the center of the US government who might be pushing this idea, because he's the man who'll get a lot of that $175 billion to supply & launch them?

[–] Lugh 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

without refrigerant

Yes, they say this does away with the need for compressors or refrigerants.

"This cools by using electrons to move heat through specialized semiconductor materials, eliminating the need for moving parts or challenging coolant liquids."

[–] Lugh 13 points 1 week ago

79% of 16-21 year olds say technology companies should be required by law to build robust privacy safeguards into technology and platforms used by children and teenagers.

This is another illustration of the huge divide between Big Tech and everyone else. Big Tech wants total freedom from regulation with no accountability for any damage or costs to others they cause. The general population overwhelmingly feels the opposite. Thanks to their ability to line politician's pockets, it's Big Tech who usually wins out.

In Britain's case, desperate to get a trade deal with the US, it's been dangling the offer of even less regulation on tech & AI.

 

"The new analysis for Carbon Brief shows that China’s emissions were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 and by 1% in the latest 12 months."

It's possible that this is a blip, and a rise could continue. China is still using plenty of fossil fuels and recently deployed a fleet of autonomous electric mining trucks at the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia. Also, China is still behind on the 2030 C02 emissions targets it pledged under the Paris Agreement.

Still, renewables growth keeps making massive gains in China. In the first quarter of 2025, China installed a total of 74.33 GW of new wind and solar capacity, bringing the cumulative installed capacity for these two sources to 1,482 GW. That is greater than the total US electricity capacity from all sources, which is at 1,324 GW.

[–] Lugh 3 points 2 weeks ago

‘Tele ops’ stands for teleoperations, meaning that Tesla employees will be able to remotely access Tesla’s vehicles and operate them in some capacity.

Alternative headline - 'Tesla behind industry leaders, again.'

[–] Lugh 2 points 2 weeks ago

It's depressing that this is to dig more fossil fuels out of the ground.

[–] Lugh 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

then prescriptions should be done away with and all drugs should be available.

It used to be the way the world was. The result was huge amounts of addiction (laudanum was 10% opium), and gullible people being peddled snake oil.

[–] Lugh 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The bill, which was passed by the state legislature on April 29 and is expected to be signed by Governor Greg Gianforte, essentially expands on existing Right to Try legislation in the state.

The same people who are denying abortions & medical care to trans people, are all for "freedom" and right to choose when it comes to other people's medical choices?

[–] Lugh 1 points 2 weeks ago

…in a similar way as with conventional rental cars – which can be hired to transport people to “a range of destinations, including cultural landmarks and urban tourist attractions.”

Baidu, like everyone else, still hasn't got to true Level 5 self-driving. But it doesn't need Level 5 to be offering services like this. If you have mapped out the 100 most popular destinations in a city, and fixed routes between them, then level 4 self-driving like they have now, is all you need.

This isn't the same as a regular rental car you can drive anywhere, but many people would be happy with a car that covers a city's Top 100 spots. How does this differ from a taxi? Seemingly that you rent it for specified time slots, whether you're in the car driving or not.

[–] Lugh 3 points 2 weeks ago

No mention of which cities, just that they'll be outside China & the US.

[–] Lugh 6 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, Meta are 2nd, I amended the text.

[–] Lugh 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I'm pretty sure in Trump's addled brain he thinks if the US gets a human on Mars first & plants the US flag, he can claim the whole planet as belonging to the US.

[–] Lugh 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The accuracy rate will improve, sadly most of the developing word barely recycles anything.

[–] Lugh 6 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Yes, for once taking the jobs humans don't want.

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