China Launches Second Space Station Tiangong 2

China has launched its second space station in a sign of the growing sophistication of its military backed programme. The Tiangong 2 was carried into space on 15 September night atop a Long March 7 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on the Edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China. Plans call for the launch next month of the Shenzhou 11 spaceship with two astronauts on board to dock with the station and remain on board for a month. The station, whose name means “Heavenly Palace,” is considered a stepping stone to a mission to Mars by the end of the decade.

Boeing Altering Planes to Help Passenger Beat Jet Lag

During the development of the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing encountered countered countless engineering hurdles. One of which was the decision to build much of the plane out of carbon fiber reinforced plastics and other composite materials instead of aluminum most, commonly used on airliners. While the engineering of the composite airframe may have been a challenge, it’s a decision that allowed Boeing to make a major change to its aircraft that could greatly reduce the effect of jet lag on its passengers. The Dreamliner has a composite fuselage and that allowed them to pressurize it at whatever altitude they wanted because the material is not as susceptible to fatigue.

The very symptoms they attribute to jet lag may actually be attributed to acute mountain sickness, which affects individuals exposed to altitudes above 6,500 feet. A study with the help of Boeing found that flyers that go from sea level up to 8,000 feet saw the oxygen content in their blood fall 4%. The research showed passengers’ bodies reacted at 6,000 feet similar to that at sea level. So they decided to pressurize the Dreamliner at 6,000 feet. At 6,000 feet, the cabin air is denser and has a greater level of oxygen saturation. As result, the body does not have to work as hard to oxygenate blood and sustain itself. Boeing has also increased in cabin humidity as well as hot a new air-filtration system to reduce jet lag. Boeing upcoming 777X wide body mini jumbo jet, which comes into service in 2019m will also be pressurized at 6,000 feet.

New 'Peptide Polymers' Which Kill Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs Developed

Scientists claim to have developed tiny, star-shaped molecules which may effectively wipe out deadly bacteria that can no longer be killed by current antibiotics. The study holds promise for a new treatment method against antibiotic resistant bacteria, commonly known as superbugs. The star-shaped structures are short chains of proteins called ‘peptide polymers’. Researchers said that currently the only treatment for infections caused by bacteria is antibiotics. However, over time bacteria mutate to protect themselves against antibiotics, making treatment no longer effective. These mutated bacteria are known as ‘superbugs’. It is estimated that the rise of superbugs will cause up to 10 million deaths a year by 2050. In addition, there have only been one or two new antibiotics developed in the last 30 years.

Recently, the team created a star-shaped peptide polymer that was effective at killing Gram-negative bacteria – a major class of bacteria known to be highly prone to antibiotic resistance – while being non-toxic to the body. Tests undertaken on red blood cells showed that the star-shaped polymer dosage rate would beed to be increased by a factor of greater than 100 to become toxic. The star-shaped peptide polymer is alos effective in killing superbugs when tested in animal models. Superbugs showed no signs of resistance against these peptide polymers. The discovered that their star-shaped peptide polymers can kill bacteria with multiple pathways, unlike most antibiotics which kill with a single pathway.

Researchers believe that this accounts for the superior performance of the star-shaped peptide polymers over antibiotics. One of these pathways includes ‘ripping apart’ the bacteria cell wall. While more research is needed, researchers believe that their discovery is the beginning of unlocking a new treatment for antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

50% Chance We Are Living In Matrix-Style Virtual Reality

Analysts at Bank of America have reportedly suggested there is a 20 to 50% chance our world is a Matrix style virtual reality and everything we experience is just a simulation. The report, which was issued to clients, also implies even if our world was an illusion, we would never know about it. Bank of America Merrill Lynch backed up the claims by citing comments from leading philosophers, scientists and other thinkers. It is conceivable that with advancements in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and computing power, future civilizations could have decided to run a simulation of their ancestors. The analysts took inspiration from inventor and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who believes there is a high probability the world is part of an artificial intelligence created by a future civilization.

Its claims also appeal to the work of a philosophy professor from the University of Oxford. In 2003, Professor Nick Bostrom concluded there is significant possibility we live in a simulation. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson also maintains the likelihood of the universe being a simulation may be very high. The report, which was looking at the implications of virtual reality, explained: Many scientists, philosophers, and business leaders believe that there is a 20-50% probability that humans are already living in a computer simulated virtual world.

Dolphins' Language Resembles Human Communication

Dolphins are capable of “highly developed spoken language” which resembles human communication. While it has long been acknowledged dolphins are of high intelligence and can communicate with a larger pack, their ability to converse with each other individually has been less understood. But researchers at the Karadag Nature Reserve, Feodosia, Crimea believe the pulses, clicks and whistles – of up to five “words” – made by dolphins are listened to fully by another before a response is made. Essentially, this exchange resembles a conversation between two people. Each pulse produced by a dolphin is different from another in its time span and the frequencies it emits.

In this regard, we can assume that each pulse represents a phoneme or a word of the dolphin’s spoken language. However the dolphin’s speech unfortunately lies beyond the time and frequency characteristics of the human hearing, and is thus available to humans. The study was conducted on two adult bottlenose captive dolphins, a male and a female. The pair has lived for 20 years in a swimming pool. Without food rewards, a special audio system recorded the exchanges between the dolphins.

The noises emitted were of a different pattern than those produced in a pod. The analysis of numerous pulses registered in our experiments showed that the dolphins took turns in producing pulse packs and did not interrupt each other, which gives reason to believe that each of the dolphins listened to the other’s pulses before producing its own. This language exhibits all the design features present in the human spoken language.

A T-Shirt to Convert Body Heat Into Electricity

Scientists have developed a new light weight, conductive material which can convert body heat into electricity, and lead to t-shirts or arm bands that generate power for wearable electronics. The prototypes, developed by researchers at North Carolina State University in the US, are lightweight, conform to the shape of the body, and can generate far more electricity than previous lightweight heat harvesting technologies. The researchers also identified the optimal site on the body for heat harvesting. Wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) generate electricity by making use of the temperature differential between your body and the ambient air.

Previous approaches either made use of heat sinks – which are heavy, stiff and bulky – or were able to generate power only one microwatt or less of per square centimeter. This technology generates up to 20 microwatt per square centimeter and doesn’t use a heat sink, making it lighter and much more comfortable. The new design begins with a layer of thermally conductive material that rests on the skin and spreads out the heat. The material is topped with a polymer layer that prevents the heat from dissipating through to the outside air.

New Mobile Fridge to Store Vaccines

A 22-year-old student in the UK has invented a mobile fridge that can store vaccines at an ideal temperature while in transit, which could potentially save millions of lives. Current methods of transporting can result in the vaccines freezing before reaching their destination in countries where poverty and conflict are major obstacles. The device, called Isobar, maintains a steady two to eight degrees for 30 days. It heats ammonia and water to create ammonia vapors, which are then released into its main chamber when cooling is needed.