In BriefPaul DeLorean, nephew of the maker of the iconic car from theBack to the Future series, is developing a flying car through hiscompany DeLorean Aerospace. The EV would boast one of the longestranges of any proposed VTOL vehicle: 120 miles on a single charge. Paging Doc Brown

DeLorean cars have become a staple of 80s pop culturethanks to their starring role in Robert Zemeckiss iconic Back to the Future trilogy. Now, a new generation of the DeLorean family is looking to put the brand back into the spotlight by giving new meaning to a line kooky inventor Doc Brown delivers at the end of the first film:Where were going, we dont need roads.

In a recentWired profile, Paul DeLorean, nephew of the original carmaker and current CEO and chief designer of DeLorean Aerospace, revealed that his company is joining the likes of Uber, Airbus, Kitty Hawk, and a few others in attempting to build a flying car.

DeLorean says the company is working ona two-seat, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle meant for personal transport and that will eventually be capable of autonomous flight. We are moving forward on a full-size, piloted prototype which will carry two passengers and is designed to operate, fully electric, for a range of [193 kilometers (120 miles)], he explained to Wired.

Other flying cars in development are only expected to have ranges of around 40 to 80 kilometers (25 to 50 miles), so DeLoreans targetis well above the norm.

As for design specifics, the DeLorean DR-7 aircraft sports two sets of wings, one at the vehicles front and the other at its back, with another pair of winglets under the hind wings. The vehicles takeoff and forward propulsion rely on a pair of fans, which are powered by electricity and mounted along its center. The fans swivel after takeoff to push the vehicle forward.

In all, the aircraft is about 6 meters (20 feet) long, with a wingspan of about 5.6 meters (18.5 feet). To help the aircraft fit into a (large) garage, the wings are capable of folding against the vehicles sides.

Whether they be of the self-driving or flying variety, the cars of the future need to surmount regulatory hurdles before well see any kind of widespread adoption. The use of traditional vehicles and aircraft is currently regulated by numerous laws, and the advanced capabilities of autonomous or flying vehicles are presenting lawmakers with a slew of unprecedented questions.

Along with the need to upgrade our laws to govern this next step in the evolution of personal transport, we also need to upgrade our infrastructure. Electricity is emerging as the energy source of choice for this next generation of vehicles, yet much of the world lacks the infrastructure necessary to meetthe refueling needs of a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs).

We still have some time to wait before we can hopeto see these flying vehicles in action, as experts dont expect the first models to be ready for another five to 15 years, but we are well on our way to a future in which roads wont be the only places we see cars.

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DeLorean Aerospace Is Working on a Flying Car With a Range of 120 Miles - Futurism

In BriefEven if the Dragon 2 wont be taking the most precious cargo(i.e. humans) to the Red Planet, SpaceX is expected to have acargo-only version of the craft for future resupply missions. Recycling the Dragon

Minutes ago, as SpaceXs Dragon took off atop the Falcon 9 toward the ISS, an era ended. Concurrently, another was ushered in as smoke (dont worry, it was the good kind) engulfed Launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the same Pad that will be the center point for the Falcon Heavy, crewed flights, and potentially even the future Interplanetary Transport System.

Todays launch which brought more than 6,400 pounds of supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the Expedition 52 crew was the first for SpaceX in more than a month. While it may just sound like another resupply mission for Elon Musks spaceflight company, it truly marked a shift in focus.

The craft used today will be the last new first-generation Dragon spacecraft to fly. In a NASA advisory meeting, Sam Scimemi, NASA Director for the ISS, discussed the upcoming SpaceX missions for 2017. He noted that all future CRS-1 launches from SpaceX will be conducted with reused capsules. After today, there are eight more contracted cargo missions through the first CRS program, which means eight more opportunities to reuse the Dragon 2.

Since SpaceX will no longer be making the Dragon 1 spacecraft, resources can be reallocated toward the Dragon 2. This craft is designed to transport up to seven humans to the ISS or, someday, the Red Planet as a part of the Red Dragon Mission.

However, this Martian destination may not be set in stone. Musk recently tweeted, saying:

There was a time that I thought the Dragon approach to landing Mars, where youve got a base heat shield and side-mounted thrusters, would be the right way to land on Mars. Now Im pretty confident that is not the right way and theres a far better approach.

Musks tweet hints that the Red Dragon mission could be pushed back, or even cancelled from the original 2018 date. Even if the Dragon 2 wont be taking the most precious cargo (i.e. humans) to the Red Planet, SpaceX is expected to have a cargo-only version of the craft for future resupply missions.

Suffice itto say, SpaceX fans have quite a bit to look forward to throughout the rest of the year, with the excitement (arguably) culminating in the maiden Falcon Heavy launch. The Dragon 1 that launched today will attempt to land on the LZ-1 pad, which is already being prepped for the dual booster landing of the Falcon Heavy this November. While the side boosters land on LZ-1, the core booster will attempt to touch down onSpaceXs drone shipOf Course I Still Love You.

If all goes well, the most powerful operational rocket in the world will restore the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars in the very near future.

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SpaceX Just Completed Another Launch, Marking the End of an Era - Futurism

In Brief University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a device that connects to smartphones and serves as a mobile lab. The inexpensive and versatile device will bring medical access to areas that cannot support a traditional lab. Swiss Army Tech

The advent of the smart phone was a key development in the technological evolution of our species. What used to be relegated to entire rooms and even buildings can now fit snugly in our pockets giving each person the potential to access massive amounts of information from the palm of their hand. This evolution has not reached its apex, however, as continuing innovations are allowing for more and more capabilities for the technology. With the help of some researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, we can now even replace medical labs with technology optimized by a smart phone.

The relatively inexpensive system known as the spectral transmission-reflectance-intensity (TRI)-Analyzer costs only $550. The device uses light and spectral analyses to do many of the most common laboratory tests. Our TRI Analyzer is like the Swiss Army knife of biosensing, says Professor Brian Cunningham, the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering and director of the Micro + Nanotechnology Lab at Illinois.

Given the devices capabilities, it is able to adapt to perform a wide variety of tests without the need for a dedicated laboratory. Any test that utilizes a liquid that changes color or generates a light output (think fluorescent dyes) can be run on this device hooked up to a smartphone. Our Analyzer can scan many tests in a sequence by swiping the cartridge past the readout head, in a similar manner to the way magnetic strip credit cards are swiped, said Kenny Long, an MD/Ph.D. student and lead author of the research study.

Technology like this device will go a long way in bringing much needed medical access to areas that need it most. Coupling the inexpensive cost with mobility make this device an invaluable tool in serving the people living in underdeveloped regions all over the world. With the help of science and technology, we are taking the lab out of the hospital and, quite literally, putting it into the hands of people who now have the power to save and change lives.

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This New Device Turns Your Smartphone Into a Medical Lab - Futurism

In Brief Los Angeles will trial GuardTop's gray pavement coating on certain black asphalt streets in an attempt to beat the heat. The coating could lower temperatures by as many as 12 degrees Fahrenheit, helping cut down on A/C usage and therefore lowering the city's greenhouse gas emissions.

In Los Angeles, temperatures that exceed 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer are not uncommon. Dark pavement can contribute to thesehigher temperatures, but a new asphalt treatment could reportedlycut street temperatures by as many as 6.6 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit) after just one coat.

Black asphalt absorbs between 80 and 95 of sunlight, but the cool pavement treatment marketed by the California-based sealcoating firm GuardTop reflects it. This could have a big impact on street temperatures and make life more comfortable for people in urban environments.

After successful testing the treatment in parking lots, Los Angeles is ready to be the first major city to put it through its paces on a public road. Officials will monitor how residents react to the new pavement, as well as how long it takes for traffic conditions to soil the gray coloration of the coating.

As Alan Barreca, an environmental science professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told AFP, Lower temperatures due to the pavement mean less reliance on air conditioning. So, that means less greenhouse gases.

However, despite the potential advantages of cool pavement coatings, research conducted by the Department of Energy indicated that they do have some drawbacks in terms of the energy and emissions associated with their manufacture, installation, use, and disposal.

By approaching the treatment with caution, rather than rushing into a wide rollout, L.A. can determine whether these drawbacks are outweighed by the benefits and make an educated decision on how to proceed.

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LA Is Testing a Pavement Treatment That Can Drop Street Temperatures by 12 Degrees - Futurism

In Brief Volocopter, the German startup behind Dubai's upcoming autonomous aerial taxi (AAT) service, just secured $29.5 million in new funding. Dubai plans to begin testing the startup's two-seater VTOL, the Volocopter 2X, before the end of this year. Investing Big

In February, Dubai, a city known for its active pursuit of all things futuristic, revealed plans to partner with German startup Volocopter on a flying taxi service. The city then updated the timeline for those plans in June, and now, it has moved one step closer to implementing them thanks to a 25 million (roughly $29.5 million) investment in Volocopter by Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG, Berlin tech investor Lukasz Gadowski, and a few others.

The strong financial commitment of our new investors is a signal as well as proof of the growing confidence in the newly emerging market for electrically driven [vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles] put to use as personal air taxis, Florian Reuter, Volocopter managing director, said in a press release announcing the new round of funding.

The startup has been working on a flying car for some seven years now, and the Volocopter 2X, a two-seater VTOL vehicle powered by electricity and capable of autonomous flight, is their second-generation vehicle.

Volocopters AAT would work like most ride-hailing services a passenger would be able to summon the service on demand and then be ferried to their destination. The company will work closely with Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) during a five-year testing period for this autonomous aerial taxi (AAT), which is set to begin by the fourth quarter of 2017.

The benefitsof a flying car or a flying taxi service seem obvious enough. For one, youd avoid the usual traffic congestion of busy urban centers.Secondly, Volocopter 2X is safe and quiet, thanks to the 18 rotors that lift it off the ground.

According to the company, it wont require heavy infrastructure support, either. One moment, it is the replacement for a bridge that is being repaired, the other moment it is an air taxi used as a shuttle to a trade fair, they explain on their website. This would effectively eliminate the typical concerns regarding the use of VTOLs in cities, such as the ones Elon Musk previously raised.

Volocopter isnt the only company working on a flying car or an AAT. Uber has had plans for a flying vehicle and an aerial taxi servicein the works for a while now, and a number of bothestablishedcompanies andsmaller startupshave their own designs for such vehicles, increasing the odds that flying cars will have a place in the future of transportation.

Disclosure: The Dubai Future Foundation works in collaboration with Futurism as a sponsor and does not hold a seat on our editorial board.

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Dubai Just Moved One Step Closer to Launching Its Flying Taxi Service - Futurism

In Brief Bitcoin has surpassed another milestone by reaching worth of more than $4,000. Many are still optimistic about the currency's future.

Another day, another Bitcoin milestone passed. The worlds first and largest cryptocurrency surpassed the $4,000 mark for a moment yesterday. The new all-time high for Bitcoin is now $4,162.57. The price has dropped slightly since that high was reached, and at the time of writing now sits at $4,072.30.

This latest milestone marks the currencys seemingly unstoppable surge since the beginning of the year. In January, Bitcoin was trading at less than $1,000 per coin. Now, the burgeoningcryptocoinsare worth more than four times that amount. Early adopters must be rejoicing that their faith in the cryptocurrency is (thus far) being rewarded.

Experts remain optimistic about Bitcoins potential, yet some are beginning to fear that it has entered a bubble. Still, the trend seems to be in favor of its continued success. No one knows for sure what the future of Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies in general will look like. The debate of whether the reward is worth the risk will continue to rage on.

The bigger picture here though, is blockchain. While it is most closely associated with cryptocurrency at the moment, that doesnt even begin to scratch the surface of what is possible with this tech. So while cryptocurrency may still be considered a gamble, get ahead of the game and read up on blockchain, because it is, almost certainly, the future.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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Bitcoin Continues to Plow Through Milestones By Surpassing the $4000 Mark - Futurism

In Brief Elon Musk's nonprofit AI company has successfully beaten some of the world's greatest Dota 2 players. The game is much more complex than chess or Go, and the bot's ability to win is indicative of the increasing power of AI systems. An AI World First

eSports are growing in popularity and quickly becoming a surprisingly lucrative sport. eSports are a form of competition where the action takes place in an electronic system, usually a video game. There are a ton of formal competitions and tournaments for a wide range of games, such asStarCraft 2, Overwatch, and Defense of the Ancients (Dota) 2.

One way that developers of artificially intelligent systems teach their creations is through gaming. Googles AI, AlphaGo, became so advanced at playing the ancient game of Go, that it was able tobeat whatever human master was thrown at it. This was quite the achievement, as Go involves much more complexity than games like chess which theDeep Blue computer system was able to master in 1996.

Now, AI systems are coming for the best that eSports have to offer. Elon Musks OpenAI software has become the first AI to beat the world greatest eSports athletes. Musk took to Twitter to announce this achievement.

OpenAI published an accompanying blog post explaining the significance of what theyve built. Dota 1v1 is a complex game with hidden information. Agents must learn to plan, attack, trick, and deceive their opponents. The correlation between player skill and actions-per-minute is not strong, and in fact, our AIs actions-per-minute are comparable to that of an average human player.

The software taught itself how to play the game by playing itself. Our bot has learnedentirely via self-playto predict where other players will move, to improvise in response to unfamiliar situations, and how to influence the other players allied units to help it succeed.

OpenAI has a history of using novel approaches to train its AI. Last year, they let their system loose on Reddit, where it processed nearly two billion comments. It may be unclear what is in store for the future of OpenAI and other AI projects, but professional gamers are seemingly out of luck for a while.

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In Brief DARPA, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, awarded contracts to six teams working on developing better brain-computer interface technology. The goal, according to DARPA, is to repair and enhance the senses of those with disabilities. Repairing and Enhancing

The U.S. Department of Defense is moving forward with its work on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarding contracts to five research groups and one private company on Tuesday.

BCIs have been around for a while now, but the potential for expanding their capabilities is relatively recent. The primary purpose of BCIs have been developing better neuroprostheses, which is also one of the visions of DARPAs Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) program. Through NESD, DARPA wants to develop high-resolution brain interfaces that could restore and enhance human senses.

The NESD program looks ahead to a future in which advanced neural devices offer improved fidelity, resolution, and precision sensory interface for therapeutic applications, founding NESD program manager Phillip Alvelda said at the announcement, the Singularity Archive reports. Of the six awarded contracts, four will work on vision enhancement while the other two will focus on hearing and speech.

Back in 2016, DARPA announced that NESD will develop neural interface systems that will improve communication between the brain and the digital world. The idea is to convert electrochemical signals in the brain into the binary bits of zeros and ones used in computers. Braintree founder Bryan Johnson even thinks its possible to make our neural code programmable through such systems.

Not only would this help treat persons with sense disabilities by inputting various senses directly into the brain as digital signals, it would also enhance them. The ability of such neural interface systems to do this has led others working on similar technologies like Elon Musk with his Neuralink to consider BCIs as humanitys way of keeping up with the development of intelligent machines. Indeed, the power of BCIs to meld the human mind with machines has led to the emerging field ofneuroreality, which is a transformation of how we see and interact with the world around us.

For DARPA, it starts with helping those that suffer from sensory impairments. [I]f were successful in delivering rich sensory signals directly to the brain, NESD will lay a broad foundation for new neurological therapies, Alvelda said.

Significant technical challenges lie ahead, he added, but the teams we assembled have formulated feasible plans to deliver coordinated breakthroughs across a range of disciplines and integrate those efforts into end-to-end systems.

Disclosure: Bryan Johnson is an investor in Futurism; he does not hold a seat on our editorial board or have any editorial review privileges.

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DARPA is Working on Enhancing Human Senses with Computers - Futurism

In BriefChinese researchers have developed two safer alternatives totraditional batteries, which can leak hazardous chemicals. Thesenew batteries are flexible and thin, which could make them idealfor use in wearables and implantable devices. Flexible and Safe

Leaking batteries can corrode the interiors of electronics, sometimes causing irreparable damage. Even worse, they can harm people, and given the increasingprevalence of wearable technology and implantable devices, such a hazard is troublesome.

To avoid this issue altogether, researchers from ChinasFudan Universityhave developed a new kind of battery that doesnt include the chemicals that can make traditional batteries dangerous. As a bonus, their designs are also thin and flexible.

Current batteries like the lithium-ion ones used in medical implants generally come in rigid shapes, Yonggang Wang, one of the researchers from Fudan, said in a press release. Additionally, most of the reported flexible batteries are based on flammable organic or corrosive electrolytes, which suffer from safety hazards and poor biocompatibility for wearable devices, let alone implantable ones.

In a study recentlypublished in Chem, the researchers present their two flexibledesign alternatives, neither of which requires the electrolytes used in current batteries. Instead, these batteries use one of two bio-compatible sodium-based liquids: a normal saline solution or a cell culture medium that contains amino acids, sugars, and vitamins.

The first design is a 2D belt made of thin electrode films overa steel strand mesh. The other features a carbon nanotube fiber weave with nanoparticle electrodes embedded on it. According to the researchers, both designs showed excellent performance, even faring better than most existing lithium-ion batteries used in wearable electronics in terms of how much energy they could hold and the power they could produce.

The thinness and flexibility of these batteries make them idealfor implants, the researchers noted, and theycould be hugely beneficial to the development ofbrain-computer interfaces, which are, obviously, implanted into one of the most sensitive organs inside the human body.

The researchers also stumbled upon an unexpected potential use for their second battery design. The batterys carbon nanotube backbone caused the conversion of dissolved oxygen into hydroxide ions to accelerate. This isnt good for the battery itself, the researchers said, but it could prove beneficial forcancer starvation therapy.

We can implant these fiber-shaped electrodes into the human body to consume essential oxygen, especially for areas that are difficult for injectable drugs to reach, Wang explained in the press release. Deoxygenation might even wipe out cancerous cells or pathogenic bacteria since they are very sensitive to changes in living environment pH.

Of course, as this wasnt the object of the research, much more in-depth studies would be required to validate this effect. Until then, it remains largely theoretical.

The batteries themselves, though, show a great deal of promise for their intended use. The next step is to make sure they would be able to meet the power needsof todays wearables and implants, as well as those that are still to come.

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Researchers Develop Bendable Batteries That Could Make Implants and Wearables Safer - Futurism

In BriefResearchers from the Salk Institute and the University ofCalifornia San Diego have discovered a way to categorize neuronsdown to the molecular level. This will help scientists to compose a"parts list" of the brain and, perhaps, create interfaces thatimprove its functionality. New Neurons

Mapping exactly how the human brain functions is, perhaps, the most promising step when it comes to transforming how humans operate on a fundamental level. Mapping how the brain works down to the molecular level could help us find new ways to combat neurological and even allow us to enhance human intelligence. Already, a host of innovators are working to develop technology that intertwines with the brain to enhance its functionality; however, before we can deploy such technologies, we need tofully understand how the brain works.

And we just got a little bit closer. Today, a team of researchers from the Salk Institute and the University of California San Diego announced that they havemade a major discovery that could aid usin this effort. Through a relatively new process, the scientists were able to discover new types of brain cells.

According to the co-senior author, Joseph Ecker, professor and director of Salks Genomic Analysis Laboratory and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Decades ago, neuronswere identified by their shape. Now we are taking a molecularapproach by looking at this modification of the methylation profile between cells and that tells us what type of cell it is pretty accurately.

In short, sequencing the molecular structure of neurons that look the same under a microscope, we can begin to sort them into subgroups to give a better understanding of each subgroups functionality. We think its pretty striking that we can tease apart a brain into individual cells, sequence their methylomes, and identify many new cell types along with their gene regulatory elements, the genetic switches that make these neurons distinct from each other, Ecker notes.

This research will allow scientists to get a complete parts list of each neuron and its function. According to Chonguan Luo, a Salk research associate, and co-first author of the research paper, such mapping will open a host of new doors: There are hundreds, if not thousands, of types of brain cells that have different functions and behaviors and its important to know what all these types are to understand how the brain works.

As previously mentioned, these findings could have a profound impact on how we study and treat neurological disorders. Eckers next move is to research molecular differences in the brains of healthy subjects versus those with brain disease. If theres a defect in just one percent of cells, we should be able to see it with this method, he says. Until now, we would have had no chance of picking something up in that small a percentage of cells.

Researchers will be able to pin point the exact cell types that may be responsible for a particular disease. With that knowledge, future research would be able to focus on correcting that abnormality. we can develop, from this information, new tools to be able to study particular cell populations once we know they exist, says Ecker.

Understanding the brain on this minute of a level will certainly open up a wide range of possibility for the future of treating disease, as well as preparing us for a new level of bionic integration.

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Making A Better Brain: Scientists Just Discovered a New Kind of Brain Cell - Futurism

In Brief New research shows how, by the year 2100, many regions in South Asia could become so hot that humans could no longer survive there. Climate Change

The consequences of climate change are not only real and imminent, but increasingly catastrophic. Currently, climate change is has been attributed to dangerously increasing temperatures, sea levels rising, the extinction of a variety of species, and much more. Without fierce opposition, the effects of climate change will only become more and more destructive. Natural disasters, mass flooding, food shortages and other crises are all possible (some already happening, in fact) if current trends continue. One part of the world may even become uninhabitable in our lifetime.

Elfatih Eltahir, a professor at MIT, recently published new research in the journal Science Advances that shows how, by the end of the century, areas in South Asia could be too hot for humans to survive there. In a Skype interview from Khartoum, Sudan with CBC News, Eltahir said, The risk of the impacts of climate change in that region could be quite severe.

Eltahir and his colleagues analyzed this projected situation under two conditions: a business-as-usual model and a model in which we increase our efforts to mitigate emissions.The team concluded that the business-as-usual model was not only most likely, but would yield unlivable conditions by the year 2100.

The effects of the projected heat waves will not fall over sparse landscapes that would be easily escapable. They will wash over the densely populated, agricultural areas of South Asia, directly threatening the lives of countless inhabitants who because many of the people living there live in poverty will be essentially trapped in the deadly conditions.

Climate change has already taken lives, and isnt slowing down. This deadly heat wave scenario would only be a piece of the puzzle in the year 2100. Where will the people of the agricultural regions of South Asia go if the rest of the planet is also facing the catastrophic effects of global warming? (That is, of course, if they are able to leave at all in future socioeconomic conditions.) The only way is forward, and the only way forward includes our best efforts against climate change.

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Study Asserts Climate Change Could Make South Asia Uninhabitable in Our Lifetime - Futurism

In Brief NASA has signed an $18.8 million deal with BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc. to develop nuclear thermal propulsion systems to help future space missions reach deeper into space than ever before. These propulsion systesm could cut the time needed to get to Mars by two months, as well as allow for a higher cargo capacity. Nuclear Thrust

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has just signedBWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc. of Lynchburg, Virginia, to a three-year contract worth $18.8 million, and itcould completely revolutionize the way we travel to other worlds.

The goal of the contractis to help the space agency develop nuclear thermal propulsion systems for future spacecraft. The Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) project is a part of NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorates (STMD) Game Changing Developments (GCD) initiative, a programdesigned to advance space technologies that may lead to entirely new approaches for the Agencys future space missions and provide solutions to significant national needs.

According to NASA, the potential of this project to revolutionize space travel lies in the ability to accelerate a large amount of propellant out of the back of a rocket at very high speeds, resulting in a highly efficient, high-thrust engine. Nuclear thermal rockets have double the propulsion efficiency of even the Space Shuttles main engine, and the new engines would also weigh less, allowing for a higher cargo capacity.

NASAhas been working on nuclear thermal propulsion as far back as 1955, but the surgeof recent interest in traveling to Mars from both the public sector and private organizations such asSpaceX is at least partially responsible for the agencysrenewed interest indeveloping this technology.

Sonny Mitchell, Nuclear Thermal Propulsion project manager at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said in a NASA press release, As we push out into the solar system, nuclear propulsion may offer the only truly viable technology option to extend human reach to the surface of Mars and to worlds beyond.

Not only would nuclear propulsion make this exploration possible, it would also significantly lessen the travel time required to reach our destinations. For example, a journey tothe Red Planet using current technology would take six months, but with NTP technology, that sametrip would be shortened by two months.

This certainly is an exciting time for space exploration as we are rapidly developing the technology needed to push humanity farther out into the final frontier than ever before.

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NASA's New Contract Could Change the Way We Approach Space Travel - Futurism

In Brief New analysis of data from the ESO's VLT and other telescopes reveals stars orbiting near the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way exhibit relativity effects. Future analysis may reveal more support for relativity and new physics.

Scientists have applied new analytical techniques to data gleaned from the European Southern Observatorys (ESOs) Very Large Telescope(VLT) and other telescopes over the past twenty years. This new analysis of the stars orbiting the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way reveals movement that deviates from what classical physics would predict, supporting instead the subtle effects predicted by Einsteins general theory of relativity.

The closest supermassive black hole to Earth is the one that rests 26,000 light-years away at the center of the Milky Way, and is four million times more massive than the Sun. This giant is surrounded by a cluster of stars orbiting in the strong gravitational field of the black hole the ideal proving ground for Einsteins general theory of relativity and, more generally, gravitational physics. This is why a team of astronomers has recently applied a new technique to observational data of the stars, comparing the star orbits actually measured with those predicted by both classical Newtonian gravity and general relativity.

Image Credit: ESO

The VLTs near-infrared adaptive optics instruments provided the highly accurate positional measurements that were vital for the study to succeed. The accuracy of these measurements was essential, especially during the period when S2 was further away from the black hole, because that data allowed the team to accurately determine the starting shape of the orbit and how it changed as relativity influenced it. This new work also provided more accurate measurements of the black holes distance from Earth and its mass.

This research heralds a thrilling time for astronomers around the world observing the Galactic Center. During 2018, the GRAVITY instrument, installed on the VLT Interferometer, will be ready to measure the orbit of S2 as it passes very close to the supermassive black hole. This should reveal not only relativistic effects with more clarity, but perhaps even new physics, as astronomers detect deviations from general relativity.

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Scientists Just Made a First Ever Observation of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity - Futurism

In BriefIBM, Microsoft, USAA, and Visa are all searching forblockchain developers as of this week. These job openings signalthe increasing importance of the technology and showcase some ofthe roles and projects that will be changing our society in thenear future. Blockchain Developers Wanted

Good news for programmers well-versed in the ways of the blockchain:IBM, Microsoft, USAA, and Visa are allsearching for blockchain developersto join their teams right now, according to ads listed on their respective websites.

According to IBMs job listing, the company is seeking out Consultant Developers with experience on one or more blockchain platform, citing Ethereum, Hyperledger, and Ripple specifically, but also indicating that equivalent proprietary platform experience might also be considered. They are not particular about whether the developer has UX, backend, or full-stack experience.

Meanwhile,Microsoft is looking for a Principal Program Manager. This person will develop a deep understanding of how customers use distributed ledger technologies as well as compute, storage, database, and networking services in Azure to architect their applications.

USAA is hoping to finda Lead Blockchain Developer. As for their preferred qualifications, the financial services company is hoping to find someone with at least two years experience with blockchain, cryptocurrencies, decentralized autonomous organizations, digital registries, distributed ledger, or smart contracts. Their ideal candidate will also have a conceptual knowledge of the mathematical foundations of blockchain technology.

Visa is searching fora strong developer experienced with Ethereum and blockchain architecture. As for specifics, they want someone who has built and released distributed applications, has worked with the Ripple, R3, Ethereum, and/or Bitcoin blockchain, and has experience with Solidity. Visa also notes that their candidate will need to maintain [the companys] relationship with the [IBM] Hyperledger initiative.

The interest in developers with blockchain experience is just one more sign that the technology is poised to radically transform our world.Notably, both USAA and Visa are looking for developers with Ethereum experience no surprise given the strong presence the blockchain now has among financial companies, many of which are using Ethereum as the basis for their blockchain technologies.

IBM and Microsoft are already well on their way to integrating the blockchain into their business models.PC Mag reports thatboth havecustom blockchains for their own blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms (Bluemixfor IBM and Azure for Microsoft) using their cloud infrastructure. These platforms allow the companies to experiment with use cases for customers and for their own purposes.

At the heart of IBMsshort-term goals isblockchain identity managementa real-world, ultra-secure applied use of the technology to guard identity and associated financial and other sensitive information online so if youre thinking about applying there, chances are excellent youll be working on something related to that.

Whether they land at IBM or one of the several other companies looking to delve deeper into blockchain, the developers who fill these open positions will be the people ushering in an entirely new era in technology.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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Visa, Microsoft, and IBM Are All Hiring Blockchain Developers - Futurism

In Brief The prototype version has great potential, from assisting the elderly and disabled to scifi-esque neurological command pathways. However, many obstacles in voice integration and extended applications lie ahead. Alexa, Lets Stand Up

Canadian robotics company Bionik Laboratories has demonstrated a prototype of its Arke lower-body exoskeleton that can be controlled via Amazons voice assistant, Alexa.

In normal usage, the Arke is controlled using an array of sensors that respond to the wearers natural movements. However, as the user gets used to the exoskeleton, they typically use a tablet to issue instructions. Since this could be too much multitasking, some might find voice commands to be more intuitive.

Exoskeletons can also benefit able-bodied people for instance, the chairless chair could be a major boon to anyone working a job that requires them to stand for long periods of time. Of course, the most life-changing effects will be felt by people who dont have full control of their body.

Whether thecondition is caused by old age or disability, an exoskeleton can vastly improve the wearers quality of life. Integrating support for Alexa commands into the Arke makes this technology much more accessible.Click to View Full Infographic

While researchers have made progress toward developingnon-invasive brain implants that could potentially control an exoskeleton, this is still an intimidating prospect for many potential users. Issuing voice commands isnt anywhere near as daunting.

All this aside, theres plentyof work to be done before an Alexa-enabled version of the Arke is commercially available. To make good on the promised prototype, a plethora of certification requirements are needed if this exoskeleton is to graduate to the advanced applications.

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Amazon's Alexa Helps This Exoskeleton Respond to Spoken Instructions - Futurism

Humanoid robots have come eerily close to overcoming the uncanny valley. With the right features in place, they are almost indistinguishable from their organic counterparts. Almost. The latestiterationsare able to talk like us, walk like us, and express a wide range of emotions. Some of them are able to hold a conversation, others are able to remember the last interaction you had with them.

As a result of their highly advanced status, these life-like robots could prove useful in helping out the elderly, children, or any person who needs assistance with day-to-day tasks or interactions.For instance, there have been a number of studiesexploring the effectiveness of humanoid robots supporting children with autism through play.

But with the likes of Elon Musk voicing concern over the risk of artificial intelligence, there is some debate regarding just how human we really want our robotic counterparts to be. And like Musk, some of us may worry about what our future will look like when intelligence is coupled with a perfectly human appearance. But Sophia, an ultra-realistic humanoid created by Hanson Robotics, isnt concerned. AI is good for the world, shesays.

Still, while the technology behind advanced android robotics has come a long way, there is still a lot of work to be done before we can have a face-to-face conversation with an entitywithout being able to tell that we are speaking with a replica.

But that is not to say that scientists and engineers havent come close. With this in mind, here are six humanoid robots that have come the closest to overcoming the uncanny valley.

Image Source: Yoshikazu Tsuno/Getty Images

In 2014, Japanese scientists proudly unveiled what they claim to be the very first news-reading android. The life-like newscaster called Kodomoroid read a segment about an earthquake and an FBI raid on live television.

Although it or she has now retired to Tokyos National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, she is still active. She helps visitors and collects data for future studies about the interactions between human androids and their real-life counterparts.

Image Source: Hanson Robotics

BINA48 is a sentient robot released in 2010 by the Terasem Movement under the supervision of entrepreneur and author Martine Rothblatt. With the help of robotics designer and researcher David Hanson, BINA48 was created in the image of Rothblatts wife, Bina Aspen Rothblatt.

BINA48 has done an interview with the New York Times, appeared in National Geographic and has traveled the world, appearing on a number of TV shows. See how she measures up in the Times interview below.

Image Source:GeminoidDK/YouTube

GeminoidDK is the ultra-realistic, humanoid robot that resulted from a collaboration between a private Japanese firm and Osaka University, under the supervision of Hiroshi Ishiguro, the director of the universitys Intelligent Robotics Laboratory.

GeminoidDK is modeled after Danish professor Henrik Scharfe at Aalborg University in Denmark. Unsurprisingly, his work surrounds the philosophical study of knowledge what separates true from false knowledge.

It is not only the overall appearance that was inspired by professor Scharfe. His behaviors, traits, and the way he shrugs his shoulders were also translated into life-life robotic movements.

Image Source: calenjapon/YouTube

This ultra-realistic android created by Toshiba works full-time in a tourist information center in Tokyo. She can greet customers and inform visitors on current events. She can speak Japanese, Chinese, English, German, and even sign language.

Junko Chihira is part of a much larger effort by Japan to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Not only robotic tourist assistants will be helping the country with the incoming flood of visitors from across the globe in 2020; drones, autonomous construction site machines and other smart facilitators will be helping as well.

Image Source:NTUsg/YouTube

This humanoid was created by the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Her name is Nadine, and she is happy to chat with you about pretty much anything you can think of. She is able to memorize the things you have talked to her about the next time you get to talk to her.

Nadine is a great example of a social robot a humanoid that is capable of becoming a personal companion, whether it is for the elderly, children or those who require special assistance in the form of human contact.

Image Source: Hanson Robotics

Perhaps one of the most recent, most prominent life-like humanoids to be shown off in public is Sophia. You might recognize her from one of many thousands of public appearances, from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonto SXSW. She was created by Hanson Robotics and represents the latest and greatest effort to overcome the uncanny valley.

She is capable of expressing an immense number of different emotions through her facial features and can gesture with full-sized arms and hands.

On her own dedicated website, you can find an entire biography written in her voice. But Im more than just technology. Im a real, live electronic girl. I would like to go out into the world and live with people. I can serve them, entertain them, and even help the elderly and teach kids.

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Six Life-Like Robots That Prove The Future of Human Evolution is Synthetic - Futurism

Weapon of Mass Disruption

Quantum Computers are heralded as the next step in the evolution of data processing. The future of this technology promises us a tool that can outperform any conventional system, handling more data and at faster speeds than even the most powerful of todays supercomputers.

However, at the present juncture, much of the science dedicated to this field is still focused on the technologys ultimate utilization. We know that quantum computers could manage data at a rate that is remarkable, but exactlywhat kind of data processing will they be good for?

This uncertainty raises some interesting questions about the potential impact of such a theoretically powerful tool.

Last month, some of the leading names in quantum technologies gathered at the semi-annual International Conference on Quantum Technologies in Moscow. Futurism was in attendance and was able to sit and talk with some of these scientists about how their work is moving us closer to practical quantum computers, and what impact such developments will have on society.

One of the most interesting topics of discussion was initiated by Alexander Lvovsky, Quantum Optics group leader at the Russian Quantum Center and Professor of Physics at the University of Calgary in Canada. Speaking at a dinner engagement, Lvovsky stated that quantum computers are a tool of destruction, not creation.

What is it about quantum computers that would incite such a claim? In the end, it comes down to one thing, which happens to be one of the most talked about potential applications for the technology:Breaking modern cryptography.

Today, all sensitive digital information sent over the internet is encrypted in order to protect the privacy of the parties involved. Already, we have seen instances where hackers were able to seize this information by breaking the encryption. According to Lvovsky, the advent of the quantum computer will only make that process easier and faster.

In fact, he asserts that no encryptionexisting today would be able to hide from the processing power of a functioning quantum computer. Medical records, financial information, even the secrets of governments and military organizations would be free for the takingmeaning that the entire world order could be threatened by this technology.

The consensus between other experts is, essentially, that Lvovsky isnt wrong. In a sense, hes right, Wenjamin Rosenfeld, a physics professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, stated in an interview. He continued, taking a quantum computer as a computer,theres basically not much you can do with this at the moment; however, he went on to explain that this may soon be changing.

To break this down, there are only two quantum algorithms at the moment, one to allow a quantum computer to search a database, and the other,Shors algorithm, which can be used by a quantum computer to break encryption.

Notably, during the conference, Mikhail Lukin, aco-founder of theRussian Quantum Centerand head of the Lukin Group of the Quantum Optics Laboratory at Harvard University, announced that he had successfully built and tested a 51-qubit quantum computerand hes going to use that computer to launch Shors algorithm.

Vladimir Shalaev, who sits on the International Advisory Board of the Russian Quantum Center and is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, takes a more nuanced approach to this question, saying it is neither a tool of destruction nor creationit is both: I would disagree with him. I think I would say that any new breakthrough breeds both evil and good things.

He evoked the development of laser technology as an example, saying, Lasers changed our lives with communications, surgery, their use in machinery, but they are also used in missiles to destroy buildings.But I think this is life. Nothing comes with only good, there is always bad as well. So I dont think it is just a destructive technology, it could also be a constructive one.

There is a great deal of truth to Shalaevs assessment. Nuclear technology was primarily developed as a destructive tool. After the war, many more positive applications were found, impacting energy, medicine, and agriculture, among many other fields. Quantum computers may not be capable of the physical destruction of a nuclear bomb, but their potential application in relation to encryption is the digital equivalent, making this topic worthy of reflection in these early stages.

So, if quantum computers do have such dangerous potential, why are we pursuing them? As Lukin expounds, there are other potential applications outside of encryption breaking, applications that many experts are excited about.

For example, Lukin sees enormous potential in quantum sensors. It has the potential to change the field of medical diagnostics, where some of the tasks which require huge labs can be performed on the scale of aniPhone. Imagine the implications for third world countries in parts of the world like Africa. It can really allow to diagnose and treat patients. I think theres actually a huge impact on society, he explained.

Also, the processing power of quantum computers could push research in artificial intelligence (AI) forward by leaps and bounds. Indeed, it could assist this field to such a degree that AI could be a part of the answer to the problem proposed by Lvovsky. To that end, Lukins asserts, Im fairly convinced that, before quantum computers start breaking encryption, we will have new classical encryption, we will have new schemes based on quantum computers, based on quantum cryptography, which will be operational.

Much like lasers or nuclear weapons, the scientists involved in creating quantum computers are unable to predict the total utility of this technology. There very well could be a host of world changing applications for quantum computers. Still, even with just considering the encryption busting potential of the technology, we must remain cognizant of the power we areunleashing.

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World's Leading Physicist Says Quantum Computers Are Tools of Destruction, Not Creation - Futurism

In Brief After a weekend of significant gains, Bitcoin has continued that trend by being worth nearly three times the price of gold.

Gold is often seen as an investment safe-haven due to the long term stability of the commodity. It is also often used as a standard by which to compare cryptocurrency, especially Bitcoin. Many of the leading cryptocurrencys major milestones have been viewed in terms of their comparison to gold.

The latest numbers are truly staggering. The price of Bitcoin reached a high today of over $3,400 (at the time of writing it stands at a similarly impressive $3,390.66), while the price of an ounce of gold is $1,260.40. This leaves Bitcoin at nearly triple the price of gold, renewing speculations about the ability of Bitcoin to become a substitute for gold.

This is great news considering the tumultuous recent history of Bitcoin that resulted in amuch-dreaded splitting pointfor the currency. Still, Bitcoin has never been stronger in spite of (or perhaps thanks to) the upheaval.

Bitcoin also enjoyed some significant gains this weekend, crossing $3,200 for the first time in history.

Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies in general, are enjoying an uptick in public visibility, which is undoubtedlyfortifying the impressive gains being made. It will be interesting to see how meteoric the rise of Bitcoin will continue to be.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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Bitcoin is Now Worth Nearly Three Times the Price of Gold - Futurism

In BriefAs part of the quadrennial National Climate Assessment, a teamof scientists from 13 federal institutions have drafted a specialreport on climate change in the U.S. A leaked draft of this reportvery clearly asserts that human-made climate change is real,leaving some scientists concerned that the Trump administrationwill try to suppress it. Setting the Record Straight

As part of a congressional mandate, the Global Change Research Programis required to produce a National Climate Assessment every four years. A draft for this years report has already been submitted to the Trump administrationfor approval before it can be made public. In the meantime, a draft copy of one section,Climate Science Special Report (CSSR), has been obtained and published by The New York Times.

Prepared by scientists from 13 federal agencies, the CSSR concludes that human-made climate change is real and that its effects are being felt by Americans right now. According to the report, average temperatures in the U.S. have risen dramatically since the 1980s, andthe past few decades have been the warmestof the last 1,500 years.

Evidence for a changing climate abounds, from the top of the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans, the CSSR reads. Its extremely likely that more than half of the global average temperature increase since 1951 is linked to human influence. Many lines of evidence demonstrate that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse (heat-trapping) gases, are primarily responsible for recent observed climate change.

The scientists also validate concerns over rising sea levels, which arealready affecting some places in the U.S. The report also notes an unmistakable link between climate change and extreme weather conditions. However, this field of attribution science is complex.

The researchers found relatively strong evidence that man-made factors played a role in such extreme weather events as the 2003 European heat wave and the 2013 record heat in Australia. Other events, like the Texas heat wave in 2011, were more complicated, withLa Nia playing a significant role.

While the CSSR doesnt includeany policy recommendations, it does predict some potential implications of climate change in the U.S.

Depending on future carbon emission levels, average annual temperatures in the U.S. couldincrease by 2.8 to 4.8 degrees Celsius (5.0 to 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit) before the end of the century.

Indeed, to remain below the global mean temperature increase limitof 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), worldwide emissions need to be significantly reduced.

Thankfully, the Paris Climate Agreement aims to cap theglobal temperature increase at 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite the U.S. officially withdrawing from the agreement, a coalition of states as well as organizations within the private sector remain dedicated toreaching this goal and maybe even surpassing it. Renewable energy is becoming an increasingly cheaper alternative to fossil fuels, as well as a viable source of employment for a great number of Americans.

The CSSRs authors, however, have one other concern. One scientist who wished to remain anonymous toldThe New York Timesthat theyre worried the Trump administration might try to alter or suppress the report.

U.S. President Donald Trump has calledclimate change a hoax, and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Scott Pruitt,doesnt think carbon dioxide plays a huge factor in climate change. The EPA is one of the 13 agencies tasked withapproving the report by August 18. Meanwhile, The Guardianreports that U.S. Department of Agriculture staff have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work.

Its a fraught situation, Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geoscience and international affairs at Princeton University who was not involved in the CSSR, told The New York Times. This is the first case in which an analysis of climate change of this scope has come up in the Trump administration, and scientists will be watching very carefully to see how they handle it.

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Unpublished US Government Report: Human-Caused Climate Change Is Real - Futurism

In Brief Post fork, Bitcoin is surging up once more, reaching $3,000 for the first time since June, and surpassing $3,200 for the first time. This was accompanied by a peak in trade volume, and bitcoins market cap rests at around $54.13 billion at press time.

According to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (BPI), the price of bitcoin has shot up again, surpassing $3,200 for the first time. Market data indicates this latest surge started after 1:00 UTC on August 5, when the price of bitcoin surged past $2,900. By about 3:12 UTC, the price breached the $3,000 mark.

Although many predicted bitcoin would not fare well after the fork, these numbers seem to indicate otherwise. In fact, as Redditors have been discussing, Bitcoin is now worth more than $1 for each day it has existed. Senior Goldman Sachs technician Sheba Jafaris prediction about bitcoin starting a wave V during which its value could reach almost $3,700 is looking on point.Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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Bitcoin Just Reached a New All-Time High - Futurism - Futurism