Fortnite Spaceship Could Point to Season 4 Space Theme – Heavy.com

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Dook Domini

One of the biggest parts of the most recent Fortnite update was the discovery of the secret spaceship that even featured a human inside of it.

For the time being, its hidden underneath a bunch of water, but we figure after a few more water drops, it will become available to explore.

We do know that there is a set of challenges that will come with this new discovery, so it really is a matter of if, not when.

YouTuber Ali-A came out with a video that explored the spaceship, and he even managed to come up with some discoveries of his own that could prove to be quite interesting going forward. Lets take a look.

*NEW* HIDDEN SPACESHIP has a BIG SECRET in Fortnite!Fortnite Secret Spaceship FOUND and where to find it! ALL my Fortnite: Battle Royale videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1XXHtwbB06kkGsHz17V9Ch0TAa6qfYWR Hit LIKE and Subscribe Thank you! Hey there I'm Ali-A! Thanks for watching one of my videos! 🙂 I make daily gaming videos and have a load of fun doing it. Make sure you're checking out more of my videos and "SUBSCRIBE" to be notified every time I upload. Thanks Enjoy the video! 😀 #UseCodeAliA Follow me! Facebook http://facebook.com/AliAarmy Twitter http://www.twitter.com/OMGitsAliA Instagram http://instagram.com/AliA Join the Ali-A Discord https://discord.gg/3ZA5JJX Ali-A Merch http://AliAShop.com The equipment I use! The headset I use http://bit.ly/1dXHELh How I record my gameplay http://e.lga.to/a Improve your aim (10% off) http://www.kontrolfreek.com/discount/ali-a My controller https://scuf.co/AliA (Use "ALIA" for discount) My Gaming gear https://en.roccat.org/ (Code "ALIA" for 10% off) Cheapest games https://www.g2a.com/r/AliA Intro Music (Listen/Download here) https://youtube.com/FutureHouseMusic https://www.youtube.com/SpinninRec Subscribe for more videos! Ali-A Video uploaded & owned by Ali-A. (PG, Family Friendly + No Swearing!)2020-07-22T23:16:00Z

If you actually look at the Battle Pass, there are a lot of skins and cosmetics that hint at space travel in some way, which is actually pretty interesting consider the initial Season 3 from Chapter 1 also had a similar theme.

Theres also a loading screen that features the same spaceship that is currently found on the map.

Ali-A points out that the Marauders are landing on the map in a similar pod as this spaceship, so its possible they could be tied into all of this in some way.

At the north part of the map, you can see the spaceship underwater and Ali-A openly wonders if this will tie into the larger scheme of things in the season.

A space theme would actually make sense going forward, considering there seems to be a big focus on it this season.

Of course, theres really no way to tell what direction things will go as we progress, but its clear this spaceship will have something to do with it.

Theres not much that Epic adds to the game that isnt on purpose, so itll be fun to keep an eye on what comes out of this ship. The next water drop is set to take place on July 27, so well see if its uncovered then.

READ NEXT: How to Get New Verve Emote in Fortnite For Free

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Fortnite Spaceship Could Point to Season 4 Space Theme - Heavy.com

NASA Reaches Out to Universities for Help With Lunar Dust Problem – Interesting Engineering

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Dook Domini

Did you know that dust is a serious problem that must be considered when it comes to the future of space exploration?

Lunar dust, in particular, is largely made of small particles that can damage spacesuits, machinery, and equipment and in, future habitats, might even pose a health risk by damaging astronauts' lungs.

In a bid to find solutions to this problem, NASA is reaching out to university students for help.

RELATED: 17 FACTS ABOUT INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL THAT WILL HAVE YOU DREAMING OF SPACE

As part of its Artemis program for sustainable human exploration of the Moon, NASA is reaching out to top students to help find a way to removelunar dust from where it's not supposed to be or stop it from getting there in the first place.

Through its annualBreakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge, NASA will be looking for solutions from students for several categories. These include,dust prevention and mitigation during landings, spacesuit dust tolerance, exterior dust clean up, and controlling lunar dust within habitats, NASA explained in a press release.

The five to ten team entries that are selected as winners will receive up to$180,000 each to build, test, and present their dust mitigating technologies.

"This competition gives students an unparalleled opportunity as members of the Artemis generation to help overcome the historically challenging technical obstacles of mitigating lunar dust," said Niki Werkheiser, NASAs Game Changing Development program executive within the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).

The 2021 BIG Idea Challenge will accept entries from teams composed of five to twenty-five undergraduate students fromaccredited U.S.-based colleges and universities. For more information visit NASA's Big Idea Challenge page.

It's not the first time NASA has reached out to civilians for help. Only last month, it made a call for help designing future Moon toilets, and in April it announced a $160,000 reward for a successful mini payload design.

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NASA Reaches Out to Universities for Help With Lunar Dust Problem - Interesting Engineering

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission gets a boost from international partners – Space.com

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Dook Domini

Following the completion of multiple integrated rehearsals, China is ready for the launch of its first fully homegrown Mars mission.

Tianwen-1, which consists of an orbiter, lander and rover, is scheduled to lift off in late July or early August, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Speculation is that the launch is targeted for July 23, the opening of the window.

Last Friday (July 17), the fourth Long March-5 rocket coded as Long March-5 Y4 was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province.

China's bid to explore Mars involves several other nations for tracking, orbital relay of data and science instrument support.

Related: China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover launches this week. Here's what it'll do.

In a recent interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Tianwen-1 deputy director Zhang Yu said that scientists have conducted joint tests on multiple systems of the Mars mission at all levels and are ready for the launch.

"We have carried out multiple coordinated maneuvers over flight and control together with launching site system, the rocket system and the probe system, which have verified the validity of interfaces between different systems and the flight program, and also indicated that we are capable of conducting the first Mars probe of our country," said Zhang.

"We formatted an orbit kinetic model that has [the] same orbit with the rover, as well as the corresponding measurement model," Zhang added. "Then we established the corresponding control algorithm to ensure that the probe lands on the designated location of Mars at the designated time, and can automatically capture information, to ensure it can conduct flight and control [its] mission across Mars."

Related: This is the 1st photo of China's Mars explorer launching in 2020

To cope with the challenges ahead, the Beijing Aerospace Control Center set up a Mars exploration flight control team at the start of 2018.

CCTV reported that, despite the coronavirus pandemic this year, the team has been actively adjusting personnel allocation, coordinating the test and control network and mapping out switching schemes for different sites, in order to meet the needs of the Mars probe.

The center will also adopt the new software and hardware of the flight and control system to assure the correct performance of China's domestically manufactured hardware system.

China's Mars mission is ambitious, aiming to pull off orbiting, landing and roving a historic all-in-one mission.

To do so, the country has beefed up its deep-space monitoring network capability to support the Tianwen-1 mission. Once the probe has entered Earth-Mars transfer orbit, the control center's two monitoring stations, in Kashgar of northwestern Xinjiang's Uygur Autonomous Region, and Jiamusi, in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, will swing into action.

At the Long March-5 rollout, the booster's protective payload fairing was seen to be adorned with European (ESA), French (CNES), Argentine (CONAE) and Austrian (FFG) space agency logos, in addition to that of the CNSA.

Tianwen-1 will use ESA's Estrack communications network, and in several ways.

Estrack's Kourou ground station, in French Guiana, South America, will follow the mission on departure from China. Extremely precise navigation/trajectory determination, via ESA's stations in Australia and Spain, will also be provided as Tianwen-1 makes its way to Mars.

"Successful space travel often means pooling resources, and at ESA we are happy to support the new Martian mission with our Estrack network of antennas as well as with our Mars Express spacecraft, currently in orbit at the Red Planet," ESA's Beatriz Arias told Space.com.

ESA's Kourou ground station will catch signals from the spacecraft as it separates from the launcher after liftoff, providing information on the probe's distance and movements and enabling communications.

After liftoff and until Tianwen-1 enters Martian orbit, ESA's New Norcia (Australia) and Cebreros (Spain) stations will make a total of eight communication linkups with the spacecraft to support a highly precise navigation/trajectory determination technique known as Delta-DOR (short for "Delta-Differential One-way Range").

Once at the Red Planet, the Mars Express orbiter will provide data relay support, acting as a go-between, alongside the Chinese orbiter, for the data gathered by China's rover on the Martian surface and ground stations on Earth, ESA officials have said. However, this is backup only, as China's own orbiter will provide the prime relay service.

Argentina's Comisin Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) is thought to be tied to Tianwen-1 by way of a Chinese-run tracking station installed in Las Lajas, Argentina. The facility played a role in China's landing of the Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the far side of the moon in January 2019.

The Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) in Toulouse, France is collaborating with China on the Tianwen-1 rover.

CNES is the program manager of this collaboration, Sylvestre Maurice of IRAP told Space.com.

"For their Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, we have delivered a calibration target that is a French duplicate of a target which is on [NASA's] Curiosity [Mars rover]. The idea is to see how the two datasets compare," Maurice said.

Meanwhile, the Austrian space sector, under the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), has been reported to aid in the development of a magnetometer installed on the Chinese Mars orbiter.

The Space Research Institute (Institut fr Weltraumforschung, IWF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Graz has confirmed the group's contribution to the Tianwen-1 magnetometer and helped with the calibration of the flight instrument, explained Andreas Geisler, head of the FFG Aeronautics and Space Agency.

"The Aeronautics and Space Agency of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency has framed the cooperation on the basis of an agency to agency memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CNSA," Geisler toldSpace.com.

Leonard David is author of "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" (National Geographic, 2019). A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. This version of the story published on Space.com.

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China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission gets a boost from international partners - Space.com

Space Tourism Is Getting Interesting (…And Weird) – Forbes

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Dook Domini

Getty

For less than a century, humans have been sending objects, both organic or inorganic, into space. We have not yet managed to travel beyond our galaxy, but our descendants will possibly find a way to travel to distant galaxies in the future.

Though human exploration of space is in its infancy, how we nurture the infancy of space exploration will determine its maturity for future generations. We must consider the opportunities space exploration presents to us now and how we can use those opportunities to prepare for a better life for future generations.

Here are nine innovative, and sometimes strange ways, some companies are preparing now for the future of space exploration.

Eau de Space

To most people, the smell of burnt cookies brings back memories of baking and burning cookies for the holidays or other special occasions. But to astronauts, the smell of burnt cookies or lingering gun powder (depending on their childhood activities) may remind them of the smell of space.

For more than a decade, NASA has used the smell of space in-field training to prep astronauts for any unusual events they may experience in space. But now a team of people in the fashion, tech, design, and logistics fields are bottling the smell of space in a scent called Eau de Space and bringing it to the general public.

In 1895, when Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky visited Paris, he was inspired by the sight of the newly constructed Eiffel Tower and imagined constructing a space elevator. He based his concept on designing a compression structure built to run along a free-standing tower from the earth to the height of the geostationary orbit.

Now, more than a century later, while humans chosen mode of transportation to outer space is the shuttle, companies like Obayashi, are reimagining space elevators. Modern designs consist of Carbon nanotube composite ribbon running from a giant platform in the middle of the ocean into space, and Obayashi hopes to start transporting people into space by 2050.

The worlds youngest astronaut in training, Alyssa Carson, collaborated with Berlin-based, Horizn Studios, to develop a concept for a smart, carbon fibre suitcase suitable forspace tourism.

Carson is said to be on track to be the first person to set foot on Mars and the concept luggage they developed is called HORIZN ONE, the worlds first luggage for space travel. What will you pack when you go to space?

With the desire for any type of exploration comes the need for supplies, and food is a supply we must consider for long term space exploration. That is why U.S. Air Force Colonel Nick Hague is aboard the International Space Station (ISS) studying how to grow plants in space.

Right now, astronauts carry processed, pre-packaged astronaut food that contains the required nutrients. The difficulty with making space food is the research and development costs required for it to meet the many necessary criteria. Growing plants in a zero-gravity environment also comes with challenges, but NASA and Hague are determined to keep astronauts and other space explorers well fed.

Starting in 2021, one space focused startup company, Space Perspective, will start sending scientific research payloads into space via a balloon called Spaceship Neptune. The intent of SpaceShip Neptune, which will reach a height of 30 miles, is that it will carry eight passengers at a time on six-hour flights within about the next three-and-a-half years.

While passengers traveling to sub-orbital space via Spaceship Neptune will not experience weightlessness, they will hover above 99% of our atmosphere for two hours. And during that time, they will enjoy a panoramic view of earth and the stars from a cabin with wrap-around windows.

Space Coffins

Another part of life we do not always like to talk or think about is death, but one company wants to help families honor the deceased in space while also aiding in mankinds space exploration. Enter Space Coffins, which is literally working on space coffins.

While the idea of space burial my seem far fetched to some, this company is hoping to make it a reality w/ an interesting twist. Per Space Coffins, they offer a space-age alternative to traditional options by organizing the preparation, celebration, and shipping of a person's body to travel through space on a trajectory of their choosing. The coffin is designed to protect their body in peace while collecting data and broadcasting. Any data collected by the coffin can be donated or commercialized to further space exploration.

In essence, you can check in on Grandpa Joes voyage thru space in the afterlife, which is transmitting data and is probably connecting to other interstellar coffins.

Their cofounder Chris Johnson says the company wants to change the Death Care industry from a negative expense to something positive for that person and mankind. He also sees it as a way for everyone to have a chance to participate in the Space Industry and help space startups and companies gain funding.

So after reading this, does a space coffin seem so far fetched?

While NASA works on making long-term and long-distance space travel more convenient, Voyager Station plans to make space exploration more comfortable. The station is planned for a polar orbit (sun-synchronous) launch and it would the first of a new class of large rotating space stations that are luxurious and have artificial gravity, in some ways making it the first space hotel.

Along with using this space hotel, which will feature 24 individual pods and accommodate 400 guests, for luxury stays, they hope to also use it for educational seminars. Voyager Station hopes to attract 100 guests every week, as well as they plan to build a much larger space hotel that will accommodate 1400 guests.

A Russian startup called StartRocket is working on creating and launching an orbital display or billboard that will beam ads from space. They would do this using an array of cubesats, but have gotten pushback from scientists, researchers, and even advertising professionals. Were not sure that humanity really needs space ads.

HeroX & NASA

While for-profit companies imagine ways to explore space in profitable ways, NASA is giving anyone the chance to make space exploration more practical. A few months after the toilet paper crisis of 2020, NASAs Lunar Loo Challenge gives anyone the opportunity to ensure astronauts and Astro-tourists never experience an out of this world crisis.

The Lunar Loo Challenge consists of a $35,000 prize that will be split between the top three designs (by individuals or teams of people over 18 years of age) for a toilet for the Artemis astronauts. There is a junior division, but they will only receive public recognition and an official NASA item.

With as much as we dont yet know about our own planet, one must wonder how far our exploration of the final frontier of space will extend. Future generations may explore parallel galaxies, discover what is on the other side of a black hole, and walk on the surfaces of more planets.

For those who watched Star Trek, you may remember the opening words of almost every episode, Space: The Final Frontier . . . . Captain James T Kirk said those words at the beginning of all but two episodes of the original Star Trek.In this first century of space exploration, we will see innovation beyond our wildest imagination as companies and individuals continue to pioneer this final frontier.

And to quote Captain Jean Luc Picard, Things are only impossible until they're not."

Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP

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Space Tourism Is Getting Interesting (...And Weird) - Forbes

Critters ‘Wild’ and ‘Exotic’; ‘Red Dwarf’ returns – The Union Leader

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Dook Domini

ANIMAL STORIES both ennobling and depressing dominate Saturdays programming. Richard Attenborough narrates Wild India (8 p.m.), debuting on BBC America. With its billion-plus population of human beings, India still has vast territories filled with exotic creatures, unique landscapes and a large percentage of the worlds tiger and elephant populations.

Much of the excitement on Wild takes place in the Karnataka region, where arid winds have carved forbidding sculptures out of some of the planets oldest rock formations. As always, its a colorful eyeful animated by critters both fearsome and cuddly, sometimes both at the same time.

If Wild India inspires with the absence of human contact, Surviving Joe Exotic (10 p.m. Saturday, Animal Planet, TV-14) concentrates on such human traits as selfishness, pride and avarice. Surviving lives up to its name, profiling some of the former employees of the colorful character at the center of Netflixs Tiger King documentary, as well as following the stories of the big cats and other wild animals who found safer forever homes after being taken from Exotics down-market empire after his arrest.

TNT devotes the weekend to marathon helpings of movies from the Star Wars franchise, including the broadcast debut of the 2018 adventure Solo: A Star Wars Story (6 p.m. Sunday, TV-14). In this saga, we meet Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) early in his career, working on the seedy side of the galaxy amid space criminals and smugglers. We also learn how he hooked up with his tall and hirsute Wookiee sidekick, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

Despite the usual bells, whistles, soaring score and the presence of Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, Solo was as close as a Star Wars movie ever got to being a box office failure. Earning a mere $393 million worldwide, it was described as a money-loser for its Disney overlords. Despite such modest earnings, it was generally well received by critics. Aggregator Rotten Tomatoes summed things up with the phrase Flawed yet fun.

If Solo represents the backstory of a mega franchise, the 2020 feature Red Dwarf: The Promised Land updates a space comedy from the 1980s and 90s. Streaming on BritBox, Dwarf always put the emphasis on the unglamorous aspects of space travel, focusing on the drudgery and nuts-and-bolts aspects of technology and bureaucracy, the surreal nature of interplanetary and interspecies interaction as well as the mind-bending potential of human isolation.

Todd McFarlane: Like Hell I Wont (11 p.m. Saturday, Syfy) profiles an artist associated with the Spider-Man comic franchise and the creator of Spawn, and follows his iconoclastic nature as he rebelled against the conventions of the comic book and toy industries. Speaking of conventions, this documentary is part of Syfys Fan Fest, filling a void created by the cancellation of this summers usual Comic-Con gatherings. It can also be streamed on Syfy.com and Syfys YouTube page.

You cant accuse the folks at Epix of not having a favorite time and place. Scant months after their two-part docuseries on the Laurel Canyon music scene of the 1960s and 70s, Epix presents Helter Skelter: An American Myth (10 p.m. Sunday).

The six-part docuseries revisits the Manson Family, a sordid fringe cult that has fascinated many since their participation in the bloody Tate/LaBianca murders of 1969. Helter promises never-before-seen interview footage with former Manson Family members as well as law enforcement officials on the scene at the time. While this series takes its name from Vincent Bugliosis 1974 best-selling account of the murder and trial, it promises to upend some long-held assumptions established by that very book.

The Nationals and Yankees meet as MLB baseball (7 p.m., Fox) enters its shortened season.

Players anticipate renewed competition on NBA Countdown (8 p.m., ABC).

A new romance unravels when a woman is Stalked by My Husbands Ex (8 p.m., Lifetime, TV-14).

Its now or never when a fetching former tour guide meets a single dad in the 2019 romance Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays (8 p.m., Hallmark, TV-G).

Shaun makes a big assumption on The Good Doctor (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).

Repeat reports scheduled on 60 Minutes (7 p.m., CBS): gene therapy; child refugees get the Sesame Street treatment; a sightless piano prodigy wowing audiences.

The New York Mets host the Atlanta Braves in MLB baseball (7 p.m., ESPN).

On two helpings of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (TNT, TV-MA): a nurse holds evidence (9 p.m.), a press baron throws a party (10 p.m.).

Beth shares a secret on Yellowstone (9 p.m., Paramount, TV-MA).

Perrys courtroom debut does not go smoothly on Perry Mason (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

Kevin balks at his birthday on The Chi (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

Maggie risks all on NOS4A2 (10 p.m., AMC, BBC America, TV-14).

Greg awaits his appeal on Outcry (10 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

DNA evidence links elements in the killers family tree on Ill Be Gone in the Dark (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

French director Jacques Demy (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) relocated to Los Angeles to direct Model Shop (10:45 p.m. Saturday, TCM, TV-14), about a floundering architects (Gary Lockwood) love affair with a French woman (Anouk Aimee, A Man and a Woman). Made a year after Lockwoods appearance in 2001: A Space Odyssey (8 p.m.).

Nobody mourns a corporate bully on Magnum P.I. (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... Two hours of Dateline (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... Evidence takes Pride to New York on NCIS: New Orleans (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... 48 Hours (10 p.m., CBS) ... A vintage helping of Saturday Night Live (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

The Titan Games (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... Dispensations on The Simpsons (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Celebrity Family Feud (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... Henry Jr.s big decision on DCs Stargirl (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... Jennys new job on Bless the Harts (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14).

Trafficking on NCIS: Los Angeles (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... Americas Got Talent (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-PG) ... Louise stands up for Gene on Bobs Burgers (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG) ... Press Your Luck (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... Illusionists audition on Penn & Teller: Fool Us (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... What a fool believes on Family Guy (9:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) ... A female assassin stalks Europe on NCIS: New Orleans (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) ... Match Game (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).

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Critters 'Wild' and 'Exotic'; 'Red Dwarf' returns - The Union Leader

Who still needs the office? U.S. companies start cutting space – Reuters

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Dook Domini

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Corporate America is downsizing its real estate footprint as companies allow more employees to work from home, a growing threat to the bottom line of owners of traditional office buildings and a sign that companies are looking for ways to cut costs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Men walk into the Chrysler building in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., July 22, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

A Reuters analysis of quarterly earnings calls over the past week revealed more than 25 large companies plan to reduce their office space in the year ahead, a move designed to reduce the second-largest expense after payrolls at corporations.

Energy company Halliburton Co said it intends to close more than 100 facilities. Financial services company State Street Corp said it is going to nearly double the workers assigned to one office before adding additional space, based on the assumption that a significant portion of its workforce will continue to work from home even after a vaccine for COVID-19 emerges. Bedding company Sleep Number Corp plans to slow the growth of its total square footage as more consumers shop online.

You should expect and hold us to a much lower footprint really starting quite soon, State Street Corps CEO, Ronald Philip OHanley, said on the companys July 17 earnings call.

Regions Financial Corp, meanwhile, told analysts: Whether through increased use of hoteling, work from home or modified scheduling, we are confident overall office square footage will continue to decline, as some workers share desks or stop coming into the building.

Analysts say the plans to cut back on real estate are likely the first wave of cost-cutting measures to hit office workers as companies try to maintain margins going into what may be a long recession. So far, the majority of the 14.7 million U.S. jobs lost during the pandemic have been in hard-hit areas such as restaurants, travel and retailers.

Reductions in office spending could likely be followed by layoffs and investments in technology that should help improve productivity with a reduced workforce, said Bill McMahon, chief investment officer of active equity strategies at Charles Schwab.

Clearly, were seeing businesses starting to rationalize their physical plants and at some point they will turn to labor too, he said.

Morgan Stanley in June forecast that work-from-home policies will increase vacancy rates in office buildings. Vacancy rates in New York will reach 10%-12% in the next two to five years from 8.7% now, while San Francisco will reach 7-9% from 5.8%, it predicted.

So far, concerns about declining office space use have not hurt commercial mortgaged-backed securities, with the iShares CMBS ETF up 4.4% for the year to date.

While companies tend to cut back on their real estate needs during typical recessions, the last four months of economic lockdown have shown that many workers can remain productive at home, said Danny Ismail, an analyst at independent research firm Green Street Advisors. As a result, the cutbacks that companies are making are more likely to be permanent, he said.

Every company just went through a mass work-from-home experience and for the majority it was mostly positive, he said.

Green Street Advisors expects that office demand will be reduced by up to 15% as a result of work from home policies once the coronavirus pandemic is contained.

That reduction in necessary space will most likely hurt real estate investment firms with large exposures in cities such as San Francisco and New York as workers are expected to be given more freedom by employers to live in lower-cost areas away from the coasts, Ismail said.

Even before COVID-19, youd seen a migration from majority coastal cities along the Northeast and West Coast to Sun Belt markets, he said, referring to the region stretching from Florida to Southern California, collectively known as the Sun Belt. We think that will accelerate in the future as the cost of living, quality of life and ability to keep your job is much better in a post-COVID-19 world than before.

(Corrects to say that office demand will be reduced by up to 15%, instead of that up to 15% of U.S. office workers will likely remain remote, paragraph 13.)

Reporting by David Randall in New York; Editing by Megan Davies and Matthew Lewis

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Who still needs the office? U.S. companies start cutting space - Reuters

25 Space Movies That Are Actually Worthy of Being Called "Out of This World" – Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Dook Domini

Photo credit: Khadija Horton

From Cosmopolitan

Earth is a beautiful planet, but that doesn't mean we always love every single day living on it. Honestly, there are days when it seems like the best thing we could possibly do as a species is abandon this rock and start over from scratch somewhere new. (Just me?) Star Trek got it right when it described space as " the final frontier," but, while the time when humans will set out to explore this great, big universe is fast approaching (thanks, SpaceX!), that time is still, tragically, not right now.

But, just because we can't board intergalactic spaceships and hit a giant red warp speed button to jet around the universe (yetDARE TO DREAM, people), there are still ways to explore the cosmos from the comfort of our own living rooms. Luckily for any cosmo-nuts out there, film history is full of truly amazing movies about other planets, intrepid astronauts, alien species (of both the nice and friendly and definitively not nice and friendly varieties), and these movies are out there, just waiting to be added to your Netflix queue to serve as fuel for your space-loving imagination.

Here, we're offering up some of the best space movies of all time, from science fiction classics like Star Wars to non-fiction space stories like Apollo 13. Because here's the thing that science fiction nerds have known for years: Space movies can be anything we can imagine. They can be serious, like 2001: A Space Odyssey. They can be hilarious, like Galaxy Quest. They can be inspirational, like Hidden Figures. When it comes to space movies, even the sky is not the limit.

Now that Disney owns the rights to Star Wars, we're well on our way to having approximately a bajillion movies set in the story's universe, but the original trilogy, which kicked off with 1977's A New Hope, will always be a classic.

It's always been fun to imagine super-futuristic space travel, but The Martian proved that it's also fun to imagine what space exploration will be like in the not-so-distant future. The movie offered a pretty realistic, scientifically-backed look at what surviving on another planet would actually entail.

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If you prefer your space movies to come with near nonstop laughs, then stream Galaxy Quest now. The movie focuses on the washed up cast of a Star Trek-esque TV show, who are enlisted by a group of actual endangered aliens to help save their people.

This Best Picture winner tells the story of a real-life space adventurethe 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission, which nearly ended in disaster for the American astronauts on board.

Very real space drama doesn't have to involve actually boarding a rocket, and just because most astronauts in movies are boring white dudes does mean that boring white dudes deserve a monopoly on space-based glory. Hidden Figures tells the real story of the black women who worked as mathematicians for NASA in the 1960s and were instrumental in America's journey to put a man on the moon.

The original Star Trek TV series put an unprecedented emphasis on diversity and representation when it premiered in 1966. That legacy has continued throughout the franchise, including the newest film series, which kicked off with 2009's reboot of the story and an amazing cast that includes Zoe Saldana, John Cho, and Chris Pine.

When you picture a "space epic," the movie you're picturing in your head is 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's required viewing for sci-fi lovers and film buffs alike.

Part gorgeous animation. Part robot love story. Part harrowing look at mankind's future. If there's anything WALL-E doesn't have, we can't figure out what it is.

This movie focuses on a team of scientists working in space to perfect a new technology that could solve Earth's energy crisisbut which could also throw them into a terrifying alternate reality. Win some, lose some, right?

Some movies make kids want to be astronauts. Gravity, in which almost all of the astronauts die in a freak accident in space and Sandra Bullock has to desperately space walk her way to safety all while risking the very real possibility of accidentally floating off into space to die, might have the opposite effect.

Zoe Saldana is apparently perfect for space movies. In 2009, she appeared in the Star Trek reboot and Avatar, which focused on a group of terrible, corporate humans hellbent on destroying an entire culture to mine their planet for a resource.

Even the tagline for Alien"In space, no one can hear you scream"is iconic. The movie, which stars Sigourney Weaver as one of cinema's ultimate badasses, Ripley, is an absolute classic.

On the surface, Interstellar is about a group of scientists looking for a planet that can serve as humanity's next home. But, since it's directed Christopher Nolan, the plot is obviously much more complicated and twisty than that.

Do you hear that? It's your childhood nostalgia calling. The amazingly absurd plot of Space Jam, in case you somehow managed to forget, involves an evil alien trying to kidnap the Looney Toons to force them to be an attraction in his weird theme park. The Looney Toons can only get out of the situation by winning an intergalactic game of basketball, which the aliens try to cheat at. The solution? Bring in a ringer in the form of basketball legend Michael Jordan. Obvi.

If you see a delightfully bizarre space story and lean in hard, then The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and the hilarious 1979 Douglas Adams novel on which it's based) is the version of the universe you need in your life.

Humans don't always have to go to space for a good space movie. Sometimes, elements of outer space come to Earth instead. Men in Black takes the basic "aliens are among us" concept and imagines how the government would handle that. Answer: By recruiting a painfully cool '90s era Will Smith to help secretly police earth's alien population, that's how.

When it comes to dystopian-skewing portraits of Earth's space travel-infused future, Blade Runner is the reigning champion.

In the pretty-distant future, a Great Evil is posed to destroy the world and life as we know it unless the mysterious Fifth Element can combine with the other four (earth, water, air, fireeverything you can bend in Avatar: The Last Airbender). Said element arrives on earth in human form (Milla Jovovich in peak form) and ropes a flying taxi cab driver from NYC into joining the cause. As you do.

Brad Pitt as a hot, brooding astronaut on a mission to solve the mystery of his also-an-astronaut father's disappearance 30 years ago? You had us as hot and brooding.

This Mel Brooks classic is a direct spoof of the original Star Wars trilogy, so watch that first as a refresher first for the best, most laugh-filled experience.

The plot shouldn't even matter to you, because this family-friendly epic features Reese Witherpoon, Mindy Kaling, and freaking Oprah as mysterious astral beings.

In addition to being the amazing Zoe Saldana's third appearance on this list, Guardians of the Galaxy redefined what we collectively thought a superhero movie could be.

Rogue One was Disney's first go at a standalone Star Wars story and it definitely delivered. Plus the story, which takes place just before the events of A New Hope, added some (although still not really enough) much-needed diversity to the Star Wars universe, which has historically been a lot whiter than it seems like the galaxy could possibly be. Like statistically impossible levels of whiteness.

No setting screams "here's a place to contemplate the impact of solitude" like space, right? In Moon, Sam Rockwell plays an astronaut who spirals into a personal mental, emotional, and possibly physical crisis as he nears the end of a three-year assignment mining solo on the moon. Give Rockwell all the awards, please.

This Chinese sci-fi epic takes place in a future in which the sun is expanding and the people of Earth have built enormous thrusters to help physically move the planet out of harm's way. Yes, that sounds like the plot of a spoof movie, but The Wandering Earth isn't that. The movie actually has amazing reviews and a lot of heart.

Space Travel Calculator | Relativistic Rocket Equation – Omni

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

Now that you know whether interstellar is travel possible and how fast can we travel in space, it's time for some formulas. In this section, you can find the "classical" and relativistic rocket equations that are included in the relativistic space travel calculator. There could be four combinations since we want to estimate how long it takes to arrive at the destination point at full speed as well as arrive at the destination point and stop. Every set contains distance, time passing on Earth and in the spaceship (only relativity approach), expected maximum velocity and corresponding kinetic energy (if you turn on the advanced mode), and the required fuel mass (see Intergalactic travel - fuel problem section for more information). The notation is:

Relativistic space travel calculator is dedicated to very long journeys, interstellar or even intergalactic, in which we can neglect the influence of the gravitational field, e.g., from Earth. We didn't include in destination list our closest celestial bodies like Moon or Mars, because it would be pointless. For them, we need different equations that also take into consideration gravitational force.

Newton's universe - arrive at destination at full speed

It's the simplest case because here T equals t for any speed. To calculate distance covered, at constant acceleration during a certain time, you can use the following classical formula:

d = 1/2 * a * t.

Since acceleration is constant and we assume that the initial velocity equals zero, you can estimate the maximum velocity using this equation:

v = a * t,

and the corresponding kinetic energy:

KE = m * v / 2.

Newton's universe - arrive at destination and stop

In this situation, we're accelerating to the half-way point, reaching maximum velocity and then decelerating to stop at the destination point. Distance covered during the same time is, as you may expect, smaller than before:

d = 1/4 * a * t.

Acceleration remains positive until we're half-way there (then it is negative - deceleration), so the maximum velocity is:

v = a * t/2,

and the kinetic energy equation is the same as the previous one.

Einstein's universe - arrive at destination at full speed

The relativistic rocket equation has to consider the effects of light speed travel. These are not only speed limitations and time dilation, but also how every length becomes shorter for a moving observer which is a phenomenon of special relativity called length contraction. If l is the proper length observed in rest frame and L is length observed by a crew in a spaceship, then:

L = l / .

What does it mean? If spaceship moves with the velocity of v = 0.995c, then = 10 and the length observed by a moving object is ten times smaller than the real length. For example, the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy equals about 2,520,000 light years with Earth as the frame of reference. For a spaceship moving with v = 0.995c, it will be "only" 252,200 light years away. That's a 90 percentage decrease or 164 percentage difference!

Now you probably understand why special relativity allows us for intergalactic travel. Below you can find relativistic rocket equation for the case in which you want to arrive at destination point at full speed (without stopping). You can find its derivation in the book by Messrs Misner, Thorne (Co-Winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics) and Wheller titled Gravitation, section 6.2. Hyperbolic motion. More accessible formulas are in the mathematical physicist's, John Baez, article The Relativistic Rocket:

t = c/a * sh[a*T/c] = [(d/c) + 2*d/a],

T = c/a * sh[a*t/c] = c/a * ch[a*d/c + 1],

d = c/a * [ch(a*T/c) - 1] = c/a * [(1 + (a*t/c)) - 1],

v = c * th[a*T/c] = a*t / [1 + (a*t/c)],

EK = mc * ( - 1)

The symbols sh, ch and th are respectively sine, cosine, and tangent hyperbolic functions, which are analogs of the ordinary trigonometric functions. In turn, sh and ch are the inverse hyperbolic functions that can be expressed with natural logarithms and square roots according to the article Inverse hyperbolic functions on Wikipedia.

Einstein's universe - arrive at destination point and stop

Most websites with relativistic rocket equations consider only arriving at desired place at full speed. If you want to stop there, you should start decelerating at the halfway point. Here, you can find set of equation estimating interstellar space travel parameters in situation when you want to stop at destination point:

t = 2*c/a * sh[a*T/(2*c)] = [(d/c) + 4*d/a],

T = 2*c/a * sh[a*t/(2*c)] = 2*c/a * ch[a*d/(2*c) + 1],

d = 2*c/a * [ch(a*T/(2*c)) - 1] = 2*c/a * [(1 + (a*t/(2*c))) - 1],

v = c * th[a*T/(2*c)] = a*t / (2 * [1 + (a*t/(2*c))]),

EK = mc * ( - 1)

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Space Travel Calculator | Relativistic Rocket Equation - Omni

Be You: Jori Bercier created a community space where everyone is welcome – The Advocate

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

Jori Bercier is the co-owner of Alexander Books. She bought the bookshop along with four friends when she heard it was closing. Jori obviously loves books, but she also had another motive for buying the bookstore it was part of her master's thesis Sense of Place as Positive Distraction." She knows that small, local bookstores are culturally important and provide community space that is vital.

Alexander Books is open (with social-distancing rules) at 2116 Johnston St. and you can also buy from them online at http://www.alexanderbookstore.com. If you visit them, be sure to look on the walls; they collect the little notes and photos they find inside secondhand books and display them because "they are the real stories."

What was your first job? Administration support at a medium size travel company.

Describe a typical day in your life. Wake up at 7 a.m. Grab a cup of coffee, maybe two and rest, check emails, etc. Complete tasks working at home for the bookstore, and meet others for meetings. Head to Cafe Cottage, or Carpe Diem for a sazerac and to complete more work. Head home to play video games, read a book and have dinner. Bedtime at 11.

What advice would you give the younger you? Go easy on yourself. Just live life. You are doing just fine.

What event in your life most shaped who you are now? I would say a trip I took in 2013 to Brazil, which allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, opened my eyes, and filled my heart with so much joy for other cultures. I learned the amazing healing that could happen in building close relationships with others.

What values do you live by?Be open to new things. Always be learning. Seek truth. Be authentic.

What do you most appreciate? I love deep discussions over a fire; it always causes me to sit back and appreciate the life I have.

What is your favorite journey? My favorite journey is, by far, traveling through Poland. It is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been, both culturally, community wise, and of course in landscape.

Where is your favorite place to be alone? I love to be alone in my room in the morning, early before anyone is awake with the comfort of a good book and warm coffee.

What living figure most inspires you? There are quite a few who inspire me, but most of them are just ordinary people. They taught me in my college and grad school careers more than just how to write a thesis, or design a building. They were hard on me, and pushed me beyond my limits. They werent always my favorite during school because it was tough. However, now that I have graduated, there is a long list of people that inspire my day to day, you may even know some of them from the UL Architecture Department: Hector Lasala, Anika Miller, Kiwana McClung, Michael McClure, Sarah Young, all from UL. Janet Roche, Davis Harte, and Mary Jo Cooper at the Boston Architectural College. Each of these people has taught me perseverance, perspective and how to dream.

What was the best advice you were ever given?Just take the first step, everything else will fall into place.

What book would you tell everyone to read? I absolutely love "Jurassic Park." There are many other things that I would tell people to read, but the best that I could read over and over again would be "Jurassic Park."

What is the best thing about where you live? The best thing about where I live is the great outdoors surrounding me! I couldnt ask for anything more.

How do you "let the good times roll"? I let the good times roll by having a concert at the bookstore, with friends and great music! If you havent experienced one yet, when its safe, everyone should consider the amazing experience a concert at the store.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I actually always wanted to be a teacher. Still do. Working on that dream currently.

What is your motto? Just live.

How would you like to be remembered? I would love to be remembered for my acceptance of everyone, my love for everyone, and being a place of safety for anyone who needs ti.

What do you say to yourself when you doubt yourself? Just take the step, do the thing, even if its a mistake, it always turns out for the best.

What three things are vital to BEing YOU? Authenticity; love of research and learning; being adventurous.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Oh yeah, I bet. Sure, I understand, that makes sense." How do you feel about that?

What is your favorite word?Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, courtesy of my brother. It was his favorite word as a child, and now It is just fun to say.

What do you collect? I obviously collect books, but I also have a classic 1973 Karmann Ghia which I love.

What food could you live on for a month? Hamburgers

What would you change about yourself? I have severe social anxiety; every day I work to overcome it! It makes it hard for me to trust myself, and to do the things I love.

What literary, movie or cartoon character do you most identify with? I most identify with Phoebe from "Friends." She is a little chaotic, but full of fun.

Describe yourself in five words. Honest, loyal, ambitious, dreamer, friendly.

What is your idea of happiness? Living a life with no regrets, and seeking authenticity in all things.

What is your favorite movie? Ooh, definitely a tie between the Kiera Knightly version of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Mean Girls." What a contradiction, huh?

What music defines who you are? Absolutely, Indie music; it definitely makes me feel alive.

Who is your style icon? Im not really sure I have one. However, I do prefer the button-down, doc Martens look, for sure.

What do you most regret? I regret the times that I allowed fear of uncomfortable situations to make me shrink, to not be who I am, to not say yes and go for what I wanted.

What question do you wish I'd asked? Why did you open the bookstore?

What would the answer be? I bought the bookstore because I am a designer for human health, interested in how community spaces help to heal trauma and build stronger resilient cities. Thats why I opened the bookstore. I wanted to create a community space that allowed everyone to feel welcome, like they belonged, and like they have a home.

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Be You: Jori Bercier created a community space where everyone is welcome - The Advocate

First Deep Space Mission By An Arab Country Is On Its Way To Mars. This Is What It Will Do – Forbes

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

Hope probe will reach Mars in February 2021 and aims to build the first full picture of Mars ... [+] climate throughout the Martian year.

After a few false starts due to bad weather, the Emirates Mars Mission and its Hope probe has successfully launched from Tanegashima Space Center off the coast of Kyushu, Japan. It will spend the next seven months moving towards Mars at an average speed of 121,000 km/h.

Whats Hope all about, and what will it do when it gets to the red planet?

Hope is an orbital spacecraft that will explore the atmosphere of Marsgloballywhile sampling bothdiurnal (daily) andseasonal timescales. Thats never been done by any previous Mars mission. Its scheduled to orbit Mars for at least one entire Martian yearthats 687 days.

Its an almost completely autonomous spacecraft because it will take radio signals 13 to 26 minutes to travel from Hope at Mars to the ground network on Earth. In addition, the Command and Control Center in the Emirates will only contact Hope for 6-8 hours, twice a week. This is, after all, a super low-cost mission.

Hope is scheduled to reach Mars in February 2021 after traveling 495 million miles.

In about a month from now the control center in Dubai in the UAE will adjust Hopes trajectory to push it towards Mars. Then comes Mars orbital insertion, when Hope has to slow down from 121,000 km/h mph to 18,000 km/h. If successfully in that capture orbit, Hope will initially go into an elliptical orbit 500-20,00 km from Mars. Later it will change to a science orbit from 22,000-44,000 km from Mars.

The probe will then complete one orbit of the planet every 55 hours.

The journey of the Emirates Mars Mission Hope Probe.

When the probe begins to collect science data in the third quarter of 2021 it will have two areas of study; the lower and the upper atmospheres of Mars.

The plan is to understand the changes that happen throughout an entire day and night on Mars, across all seasons and across the whole of the planet over an entire yearwhich on Mars last for 687 days (the time it takes for the planet to orbit the Sun). Were focusing on the lower atmosphere of Marsits weather dynamics, dust cycle, carbon dioxide cycle, temperature of the atmosphere and the surface, water cycle, and ice-cloud cycle throughout an entire day-to-night cycle, Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and Deputy Project Manager of the Emirates Mars Mission, told me.

Mars is losing its atmosphere, and Hope will try to find out why. Previous missions have determined that the solar wind strips the atmosphere of some of its constituents, but its also thought that Mars own weather system might play a part in the loss of hydrogen and oxygen. Through simultaneous measurements between the lower and upper atmosphere well be better able to understand if the cloud dynamics, the temperature changes and the dust storms have an impact on the loss of hydrogen and oxygen, said Al Amiri. And if so, how.

Hopes mission is focused on atmospheric dynamics. It will explore the atmosphere of Marsglobally ... [+]while sampling bothdiurnal (daily) andseasonal timescales.

Hopea 1,350 kg mass spacecraft about the size of an SUVwill carry three instruments:

EXI The Emirates eXploration Imager is a digital camera that will capture high resolution images of Mars along with measuring water ice and ozone in the lower atmosphere through the UV bands.

The ASU-built Emirates Mars Infrared Spectrometer (EMIRS) on the UAE Hope Orbiter will examine ... [+] temperature profiles, ice, water vapor and dust in the atmosphere of Mars.

EMIRS The Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer will measure global distribution of dust, ice cloud, and water vapor in the Martian lower atmosphere. It was built by Arizona State University.

EMUS The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer will measure oxygen and carbon monoxide in the thermosphere and the variability of hydrogen and oxygen in the upper atmosphere.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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First Deep Space Mission By An Arab Country Is On Its Way To Mars. This Is What It Will Do - Forbes

PolyU contributes to the Nation’s first Mars mission with the Mars Camera – PR Web

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

Prof YUNG Kai-leung and his team develop and produce the Mars Landing Surveillance Camera for the Nations first Mars mission.

HONG KONG (PRWEB) July 23, 2020

The spacecraft for the Mars probe comprises an orbiter, a lander and a rover, aiming to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one single mission, an unprecedented attempt globally, as well as to obtain scientific exploration data on the Red Planet. Located on the outside top surface of the Mars lander platform, the Mars Camera will monitor the landing status, the surrounding environment and movements of the rover with respect to the unfolding and status of the solar panels and antennae. The information is critical for the successful movement of the Mars Rover onto the Mars surface.

Professor Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, We are deeply honoured to have taken part in and contributed to the Nations historic Mars mission. The delivery of the Mars Camera has again proved the creativity, capability and credibility of PolyUs researchers in developing and manufacturing homegrown space instruments that meet the stringent requirements of space exploration. As the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with experience in international space missions, PolyU looks forward to contributing to more national deep space exploration projects in the future.

The Mars Camera is light in weight (around 390g) yet strong and durable enough to withstand the extreme temperature differences of about 150 degrees Celsius experienced during the nine-month journey between Earth and Mars, followed by operation under the extremely low temperatures on the Mars surface. As this Mars Camera is designed for the lander, it has also to withstand huge impact shock of 6,200G (i.e. 6,200 times the force of Earths gravity). Despite having a wide-angle field of view (a maximum of 120 degrees horizontally and a maximum of 120 degrees vertically), the Mars Camera has low image distortion.

Led by Professor YUNG Kai-leung, PolyUs Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the 20-member research team overcame many technical difficulties and time constraints to develop a novel Integrated Radiation Protection and Heat Flow Design, Testing and Quality Control System used in the development of the Camera.

Despite having a wealth of experience in developing state-of-the-art space tools, Professor YUNG found the Mars Camera project a challenging one. He said, To capture ultra-wide angle images on Mars for scientific research, the Mars Camera has to have a wide field of vision with low distortion optics within the little allowable payload, but at the same time be able to withstand extreme temperature variation, mechanical impact and vibration within the little available mass. Whats more, high reliability is required under the extreme space travel environment. Thanks to their dedication and perseverance, as well as the support of the University, the team successfully completed and delivered the Mars Camera with the corresponding space qualification experiments in less than three years.

PolyU has been actively participating in other space exploration projects, designing and manufacturing a number of sophisticated space tools in the past decade. These include the Mars Rock Corer for the European Space Agencys 2003 Mars Express Mission and the Soil Preparation System for the Sino-Russian Space Mission in 2011.

Being the only tertiary institution in Hong Kong that possesses international space qualification experiences, PolyU has been contributing to the Nations space projects since 2010. As part of the Nations lunar exploration programme, Professor YUNG collaborated with the China Academy of Space Technology to develop a Camera Pointing System for Change 3 in 2013 and Change 4 for the historic landing on lunar far side in 2019. A PolyU research team is collaborating with the China Academy of Space Technology again to develop a Surface Sampling and Packing System for the Change 5 and Change 6 missions. Change 5 will be launched later this year to collect samples from the surface of the moon.

About PolyU

While boasting a proud history of over 80 years, PolyU is a vibrant and aspiring university with a forward-looking vision and mission. Committed to building a talent pipeline and research strength for advancing the development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world, PolyU provides the best holistic education to nurture future-ready global citizens and socially responsible leaders, conducts high-impact interdisciplinary research, and proactively transfers knowledge to create value and build impact. We embrace internationalisation and engage the Nation for education and research through strategic partnerships and collaborations.

With Opening Minds. Shaping the Future as our brand promise, the University is currently offering more than 160 taught programmes in six faculties and two schools, engaging in 3,200 exciting research projects, and collaborating with over 660 institutions overseas and in the Chinese mainland on a wide variety of initiatives. We have over 400,000 alumni around the globe and currently 28,000 students.

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PolyU contributes to the Nation's first Mars mission with the Mars Camera - PR Web

Halo Infinite reveal pits the Master Chief against The Banished in an open world – VentureBeat

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

Microsoft has begun to peel back the layers of Halo Infinite today with a reveal trailer during the Xbox Games Showcase and a deep dive into the gameplay of the new installment in the 19-year-old sci-fi shooter series that stars the supersoldier Master Chief. This preview showed the Spartan warrior fighting against The Banished faction and its huge Brute fighters in an open world with a grappling hook.

Halo Infinite will probably be one of the top games that could help Microsoft sell the Xbox Series X video game console. But Microsoft has also said such games will likely be available on the current console, the Xbox One, and the Windows PC as well. In that sense, players wont be forced to buy a new console just to play Halo Infinite.

Among the leaks: Halo Infinites box art revealed Master Chief is getting a grappling hook, which should give him a lot more mobility on the battlefield. And yes, this leak proved accurate, as the first gameplay demo showed the chief making use of the grappling hook to move to higher ground. He also used the hook to zip right to an Elite and take it out with a punch to the face.

There is a lot of pent-up demand for Halo Infinite, as this is the first new core game the series has received in five years. Back in 2015, Microsoft said that Halo had generated $4.6 billion in revenue and sold 65 million copies. But players who havent revisited the franchise during that time may have forgotten that Halo 5: Guardians had a convoluted story, as you might expect when a series hits its fifth installment and the storytellers are hard-pressed to come up with something original. The headline of Halo 5 was that Master Chief, the hero of the series who had saved humanity many times over, had become a traitor. It ended with a cliffhanger.

Above: Halo Infinite

Image Credit: Microsoft

There were, of course, many fans who didnt care about that storyline in the single-player campaign because all they cared about was multiplayer. Halo 5 had a co-op-enabled single-player campaign and a 12v12 multiplayer mode dubbed Warzone with lots of additional cannon fodder. The multiplayer-only fans have been itching for something new to play as well, and they could care less what the new story is going to be about.

Microsoft acquired Bungie, the original developer of Halo, in 2000 as it was preparing the 2001 launch of the original Xbox game console. The game was a huge hit and helped Microsoft snag the No. 2 spot in the game console business. Bungie spun out of Microsoft in 2007 and went its own way with the Destiny franchise. But Microsoft kept part of the team, dubbed 343 Industries, and continued to make more games in the Halo series.

While Halo 5 debuted in 2015, 343 Industries also published Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the PC in 2019 (and on the Xbox One in 2014). Counting all of the spinoffs, mobile games, arcade games, and remakes, Halo Infinite is the 16th Halo game.

In a tease on June 24, Microsoft released a clip with an audio log that reveals the return of The Banished, an enemy faction that broke off from the main rival group, The Covenant. The Banished were the main enemies in Halo Wars 2. Cortana, the AI companion of Master Chief, died in Halo 4 and was resurrected in corrupted form in Halo 5. She is reportedly back in Halo Infinite as well.

343 Industries built a new Slipspace Engine for the game, a reference to the technical innovation that made faster-than-light space travel possible in the Halo universe. That means we should see much better graphics for the latest PC and Xbox Series X versions of the game, with real-time ray tracing for realistic lighting and shadows.

The first gameplay revelation trailer started with Master Chiefs suit being crafted. Master Chief says, There wont be a home if we dont stop the Banished.

The chief teams up with a man with a beard on a new homeworld, where they fight The Banished. They crash-land and immediately hop into a Warthog vehicle. They check out an area map of a large region, drive by some places occupied by the Covenant forces, and immediately take them on. Master Chief makes short work of them. Clearly, this is some kind of open world map.

Then some Brutes drop into the scene. Master Chief makes use of a wide variety of weapons during the demo, and he hides behind a shield. He uses familiar weapons and seizes some high-powered gear from the enemies, including a familiar grenade launcher used by the Brutes. Master Chiefs movement is fast, and he seems more nimble in combat. The enemies barely have time to react as he moves around to flank them.

The world itself looks beautiful with real-time ray tracing graphics. You can see great shadows and lighting. The sky looks beautiful, as does the flowing grass and the water. Theres ambient life with birds flocking. The music pounds away with a heavy drumbeat during combat. As the camera pulls out, you can see the planet that you are on has some kind of Halo ring. You can see that it has been damaged, with a whole section of it broken.

The user interface is different, as you see some gold polygons on the outer edges when Master Chief gets hit with fire. The chiefs shotgun is quite powerful. When the chief reaches his goal, he finds The Banished leader saying via transmission that he is one step ahead of the Spartan warrior and its time for the final legendary battle. He says humanitys fleet has been defeated and the ring is already under our control. He adds, This is my last fight, a true test of legends. Set a fire in your heart, Spartan. Bear your fangs. Fight on. Die well.

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Halo Infinite reveal pits the Master Chief against The Banished in an open world - VentureBeat

A Canadian Tax Lawyer’s Perspective On An Out Of This World Shareholder Benefit Decision Lalibert v. Canada – Tax – Canada – Mondaq News Alerts

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Dook Domini

23 July 2020

Rotfleisch & Samulovitch P.C.

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Subsection 15(1) of the Income Tax Act renders shareholderbenefits taxable. A shareholder benefit arises where a shareholderreceives a benefit from a corporation that is not part of a bonafide transaction between the corporation and the shareholder. Ashareholder benefit may also arise where the benefit is received bya person in contemplation of that person becoming a shareholder.The taxation of shareholder's benefits starred in the recentcase of Lalibert v. Canada 2020 FCA 97.

Guy Lalibert is the founder of Cirque du Soleil. In2009, he completed his long term dream of visiting theInternational Space Station. The twelve-day once-in-a-lifetime tripwas organized by a private space travel firm and paid for by acorporation in the Cirque du Soleil corporate group, of whichLalibert was the controlling shareholder. While at theInternational Space Station, Lalibert hosted a multi-hourcharity livestream in support of One Drop, a clean water charityfounded by Lalibert and associated with Cirque du Soleil.He took pictures for a photobook and film for a documentary, bothintended to support One Drop.

When Lalibert returned from the International SpaceStation, he reported $4 million of the $41,816,954 paid for thetrip as a shareholder benefit. He claimed he received noshareholder benefit, but reported the amount on his personal incometax return regardless to avoid a tax dispute and bad publicity. Thecosts of the trip were moved through several of Cirque duSoleil's corporations as a promissory note which was writtenoff.

The Canada Revenue Agency disagreed with Lalibert'stax treatment of the stellar trip. The position of the CanadaRevenue Agency was that the trip was primarily a personal trip forLalibert. Any business aspects of the trip were added byLalibert after planning the trip to make the trip appear asa business trip. They reassessed Lalibert for about $37.6million dollar shareholder benefit from the trip. The remaining 10%of the trip price was allowed as a tax deduction as a businessexpense to reflect Lalibert's promotion of One Drop andCirque Du Soleil during the trip.

The Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court ofCanada both concluded the Canada Revenue Agency's taxassessment and allocation were correct. The Courts found based on27 factors that the "overwhelmingly primary purpose of thetravel was personal". These factors can be summarized in fourcategories:

With the overwhelming evidence the trip was primarily personallymotivated, and would have likely proceeded even if Lalibertcould not have promoted Cirque du Soleil, there was no bona fidebusiness transaction between the corporation and Lalibert.The Canadian tax lawyer for Lalibert attempted to arguethat the Tax Court relied too heavily on considering his intent.Alternately, Lalibert argued there must be an intent toimpoverish the corporation which can be derived from his intent asthe controlling shareholder. He reiterated his intent with the tripwas support of One Drop and Cirque du Soleil. The Federal Courtdisagreed. Many of the above listed factors were unrelated toLalibert's personal interest in space travel. Hispersonal interest was not, by itself, determinative. Further, thecourt rejected an intent to impoverish the corporation wasrequired, or that such an intent could be found in this case. Thecourt found it evident that Lalibert only planned thebusiness aspects of the trip after the contract with the privatespace travel company was signed. This means even if you derivecorporate intent from the controlling shareholder's intent inthese circumstances, that original intent would be the personalbenefit of Lalibert.

The Federal Court found if Lalibert wanted theshareholder benefit assessment overturned, he had to demonstrate ona balance of probabilities that the "that the space trip was abona fide business venture in its entirety." He was not ableto refute the evidence of the personal nature of the space trip.The Federal Court thus upheld the Canada Revenue Agency'sassessment.

Most taxpayer will not encounter the circus of circumstances inLalibert v. Canada, but tax audits and tax reassessments focusing onshareholder benefits are common. It is also common for the CanadaRevenue Agency to attempt to derive the nature of a transactionfrom surrounding circumstances and the intents of the partiesinvolved. The Canada Revenue Agency may see a quick sale of a houseto show intent of business not personal use, the high value of adonation to demonstrate a lack of "donative intent", orfew signs of traditional business planning in a space trip to showa shareholder benefit. Issues frequently arise with the CanadaRevenue Agency's analysis because they are observing thetransaction as an outside party without the full facts the taxpayermay have access to. Our experienced Canadian tax lawyers can assist you inpresenting these facts to the Canada Revenue Agency to successfullychallenge their characterization of your transactions.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Posted on July 23, 2020 by Dook Domini