Technology Tuesday: February 16
Welcome to Technology Tuesday! Every week The Job Shop Blog will bring you our 5 top science and technology news stories from around the web.
This week: Gravitational waves discovered ushering in a new era for physics and astronomy, Bionic “spinal cord” gives hope of walking again, NASA’s first launch of the Space Launch System will carry 13 satellites on deep space missions, researchers engineer a flexible transistor for flexible devices, and the federal government recognizes Google’s self-driving cars as a legal driver.
Gravitational Waves Discovered
After months of speculation, and decades of continuous effort and hard work, scientists at LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) have finally snagged their first confirmed gravitational wave detection.
Minimally Invasive Procedure For Neural Interface
A DARPA-funded research team has created a novel neural-recording device that can be implanted into the brain through blood vessels, eliminating the need for invasive surgery and the risks associated with breaching the blood-brain barrier. The technology was developed under DARPA’s Reliable Neural-Interface Technology (RE-NET) program, and offers new potential for safely expanding the use of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) to treat physical disabilities and neurological disorders.
First Launch of the SLS
The first flight of NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), will carry 13 CubeSats to test innovative ideas along with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft in 2018.
These small satellite secondary payloads will carry science and technology investigations to help pave the way for future human exploration in deep space, including the journey to Mars. SLS’ first flight, referred to as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), provides the rare opportunity for these small experiments to reach deep space destinations, as most launch opportunities for CubeSats are limited to low-Earth orbit.
Breakthrough In Flexible Design Technology
(Edmonton) An engineering research team at the University of Alberta has invented a new transistor that could revolutionize thin-film electronic devices.
Their findings, published in the prestigious science journal Nature Communications (read the article here), could open the door to the development of flexible electronic devices with applications as wide-ranging as display technology to medical imaging and renewable energy production.
Feds Will Treat Google’s Driverless Car System As A Legal Driver
Google’s robot just got its driver’s license.
On Tuesday, the federal agency that sets road rules — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — released a letter to the Internet giant that supports its interpretation of a driverless system as legally adequate for roadways, a key victory for the critical initiative within Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Know any interesting stories we missed? Let us know in the comments!#Electronics #Neuroscience #ScienceandTechnologyNews #SpaceExploration #NASA #Physics #GravitationalWaves #HardScience #Google #Space #SelfDrivingCars #DriverlessCars #Astronomy #MedicalScience #Spaceflight #Science #SpinalInjuries