Lifeboat Foundation

Adam Becker, Scientific American March 23, 2018.

Targets included nearly 8000 professors in 22 countries.

Earthquake early warning systems can give people crucial seconds to move to safety—but only if they send the message in time. Now, scientists working on such systems have discovered that the bigger the tremor, the longer it takes to issue an alert—giving people little time to prepare for the big one, but lots of time to brace for a ho-hum event.

All earthquakes start with P waves, which are fast moving and cause little damage. S waves come next, moving more slowly but causing more destruction. Early warning systems measure ground movement during the fast P waves to predict how much shaking the S waves will cause, and then send out an alert.

Continue reading “The bigger the earthquake, the longer it takes to issue an alert” »

Compete to create an avatar system that will enable us to see, hear, touch, & interact with physical environments & people, anywhere in the world.

Associated Press historical news archive articles dating back to 1985.

There are two large sinkholes in West Texas, both near the town of Wink. These sinkholes are growing and are thought to be the result of destabilized ground caused by oil production in the area. A new study shows that Wink is not the only part of West Texas that suffers from shaky terrain.

The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft will be a test bed for future missions wanting to use solar sails — including NASA’s proposed Near-Earth Asteroid Scout cubesat.

Watching this closely.

After it emerged a huge ‘fountain of magma’ has been discovered under the supervolcano we take a look at the catastrophic effects it could have if it blows

By.

Continue reading “What would happen if the Yellowstone volcano erupted? How catastrophic blast could impact the world” »

A full-scale demonstrator of the thrust chamber for an upper-stage rocket engine incorporating the newest propulsion technologies is being prepared for its first hot firing.

The Expander-cycle Technology Integrated Demonstrator, or ETID, has arrived at the DLR German Aerospace Center test facility in Lampoldshausen for tests. It will help to prove new technologies, materials and manufacturing techniques that offer higher performance at lower cost for Europe’s future launchers.

ETID is a precursor of the next generation of 10-tonne rocket engines. Some of the technologies could also be used on upgrades to the existing Vinci, which powers the upper stage of Ariane 6.

Continue reading “ESA proves new technologies to power future launchers” »