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The March Of Technology

More on the lithium story:
Cornwall could be on the verge of a mining revolution as vast reserves of precious lithium found
By LBarton | Posted: January 19, 2017

Vast deposits of a precious metal dubbed 'white petroleum' could be extracted from deep underground in Cornwall pushing the county to the forefront of a $70billion industrial revolution.

Lithium, which is vital for rechargeable batteries in just about every device from phones to cars, could be extracted from the granite beneath Cornwall's landscape - making the duchy Europe's only source of the valuable material.

In a major announcement made to the Stock Market this morning, private firm Cornish Lithium will confirm that it has secured the rights to develop the lithium deposits under Cornwall – undertaking the largest, single unified exploration project in the county's history.

The firm is led by Camborne School of Mines graduate Jeremy Wrathall, pictured below, a mining engineer who has worked with specialist investment banks.

jeremy1.jpg

"We are very excited with the potential for lithium in Cornwall," he told CornwallLive. "We have been working on this idea for some time and are delighted that it has come to fruition. We believe it has the potential to be a major new industry in Cornwall."

Lithium has been described as the 'white petroleum' by some analysts who predict it will help the world move away from fossil fuels and into a new era of battery powered energy.

Batteries with lithium as a core component are lighter, charge faster and last longer than traditional batteries and according to an assessment by bankers Goldman Sachs could "replace gasoline as the primary source of transportation fuel."

According to Fortune magazine growing demand for lithium from the automobile industry is starting to outstrip supply and one intelligence report reported prices for the metal were up 28% last year, while some related products saw a 47% rise.

Cornish Lithium has signed agreements to develop potential deposits beneath the ground held by three main landowners in Cornwall, including the Tregothnan estate of Lord Falmouth and South Crofty in Pool, which is at the centre of a resurgence in tin mining.
Richard Williams, chief executive of Strongbow, the mine's owner, said: "I think this is fantastic that Cornwall Lithium has developed a completely new exploration idea. It is a fantastic new opportunity for the mining industry."

Lithium has been named a strategically important mineral for the UK by the Government because of its importance for developing industries and scarcity.
At present, it is mainly mined in remote parts of Chile, Australia and Nevada in the USA but without a home grown source of lithium the UK would be vulnerable to shortfall as global demand increases.
The development in Cornwall will give the UK access to its own supply of the element, the market for which is expected to quadruple to $70billion by 2020.

The lithium occurs in natural, hot brine springs under Cornwall and extraction is said to be clean and environmentally friendly, as well as offering the prospects of generating geothermal energy.

High levels of lithium readings were first recognised in 1864 in water flowing into Cornish mines.
Historically, the soft, volatile metal was regarded as a mere curiosity, as it effectively had no market, and when the mines in Cornwall closed it was largely forgotten.

Cornish Lithium has identified the potential for these brines to be commercially extracted from deep water bearing structures via drill holes and believes that newly developed technology for extracting lithium offers the chance for a viable extraction industry across Cornwall.

http://www.cornwalllive.com/cornwal...ithium-found/story-30068912-detail/story.html
 
Using lasers to create super hydrophobic materials .. like you do .. (water bounces off stuff)

 
I think they're art, but I think technology can be art, depending on how it's done. And art can certainly be technology.
 
Making tomatoes great again:

Remember when tomatoes didn’t just taste like water? Well, scientists have mapped the entire genome of hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, and identified the genetic traits that make them yummy. Tomato breeders could use this genetic roadmap to create tomatoes that have the original, rich fruit flavor that many of today’s commercial varieties lack. The future for tomatoes is looking up.

Most grocery store tomatoes are flavorless because breeders haven’t been selecting for taste. Instead they have selected the fruit for qualities such as yield, disease resistance, and firmness. Those are key for shipping and storing tomatoes long term before they’re displayed at your local grocery store. But all that came at the expense of flavor.

published today in Science, represents an exhaustive genetic analysis of many varieties, from heirloom to cherry tomatoes. Researchers asked consumers to rate more than 160 tomato samples to identify which tomatoes people like the most. Then, they determined which genetic variants are associated with specific flavor and aroma traits in those most-liked tomatoes. The results can work as the ultimate instruction book for breeders interested in putting more enjoyable tomatoes back on the market.


Continued:
http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/26/14398882/tomato-genetics-flavor-science-study
 
Some of the robotic guys could learn something from those. I love them.
Yes, the way they walk is so much better than most of the robots I've seen.
 
It seems British interest is turning to more than just Space Tourism:
New support for British spaceports
By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent
9 February 2017

The government is looking to push forward commercial spaceflight activity in the UK with a series of grants totalling £10m.
The money is aimed at consortia that want to start launching satellites - and even people - from British soil.
Previous feasibility work has already identified a number of aerodromes that might make suitable spaceports - from Cornwall to Scotland.

Ministers also intend to introduce supporting legislation.
As the law stands, the rocket planes and other launch systems currently in development around the world would not be able to operate out of the UK.
The legislation would put in place the necessary regulatory and licensing framework.
A Spaceflight Bill is likely to be tabled towards the end of the month.

To win grants, consortia will have to show how they will "develop spaceflight capabilities, such as building spaceport infrastructure or adapting launch vehicle technology for use in the UK".
Ministers have identified space as a key sector that can help rebalance the services-dominated British economy.
They regard satellites as one of the "eight great technologies" that will lead to significant growth opportunities.

And in recent years, the UK has made heavy investments into industry through the European Space Agency to support this strategy.
But satellites have to get into space to be useful and the business of launching them also has the potential to bring significant earnings - particularly now that low-cost launch systems are becoming available.

Announcing the new grants, Science Minister Jo Johnson said the commercial spaceflight market could be worth an estimated £25bn over the next 20 years.
"Spaceflight offers the UK the opportunity to build on our strengths in science, research and innovation," he said.
"It provides opportunities to expand into new markets, creating highly-skilled jobs and boosting local economies across the country. That is why it is one of the key pillars of our Industrial Strategy.
"We want to see the UK space sector flourish, that is why we are laying the groundwork needed for business to be able to access this lucrative global market."

A number of consortia are already pushing to use horizontal launch systems.
These would see rockets carried by planes to an altitude where they would then be released to make their way into orbit to deliver a satellite.
For safety reasons, this activity would be done somewhere over the ocean, but ministers have not ruled out the possibility that conventional vertical lift-off rockets could also be launched from the UK.

And although satellites are the focus of business leaders, it is conceivable that "tourist" flights on sub-orbital rocket planes could become part of the services being offered as well.
In 2014, the government identified eight coastal aerodromes that might become a spaceport.
At the time it was thought officials would pick a "winner" - as if it was a competition.
But ministers' views have changed. They now see the establishment of spaceports as a bottom-up process.
It is up to consortia to come forward with a realistic plan that includes a practical site and a committed launch provider.

Government's role is to be a regulatory facilitator and cheerleader; ministers are not interested in using substantial public funds to build spaceport infrastructure or to support launch operations.
There is also a deeper, more mature understanding of how spaceports should work, says Stuart McIntyre from Orbital Access.
His company, based at Prestwick Airport, is developing a satellite launch system based on a standard wide-body jet.

"We would fly a carrier aircraft with a launcher out over the ocean to conduct the launch operation," he told BBC News.
"So clearly we would need a diversionary site if for any reason we cannot land back at the runway from which we took off.
"We therefore envisage a system of collaborating spaceports and a system of operators whose needs will describe the capabilities that are required at those spaceports. So, I would say the government's approach has matured and it's matured in a sophisticated way."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38920584
 
About blinking time!
Britain could lead the world in space plane technology, if only fingers were extracted from arses.
 
About blinking time!
Britain could lead the world in space plane technology, if only fingers were extracted from arses.
The local press here seems to think this £10 billion is aimed at Newquay, but as they're not seeing the wider picture I'm not going to quote them! :twisted:
 
10 most influential personal computers – in pictures
Machines that helped transform the way we work and play, from big beige boxes to laptop-tablet hybrids
Samuel Gibbs
Friday 17 February 2017 08.00 GMT

1. Xerox Alto, 1973

The Alto introduced the world to computers built around a graphical user interface (GUI), instead of the norm of command line up until that point, a decade before GUIs went mass market. It filled a small cabinet, had a three-button mouse, a portrait monitor, 2.5MB of storage, a 5.88MHz processor, cost thousands of dollars and only about 2,000 were ever produced, but it was the future of desktop computing.

2. IBM Personal Computer, 1981

The computer that kickstarted the whole third-party revolution of ‘IBM compatible’ accessories, the IBM Personal Computer was the first computer to be officially named a PC. Despite having its own superior parts and operating system, IBM uncharacteristically used Intel’s 8088 processor, off-the-shelf parts and Microsoft’s DOS, and in doing so left its PC open.Its overnight success prompted an explosion of compatible software, hardware and peripherals leaving everything else in its wake, spawning the burgeoning PC industry.

3. BBC Micro, 1981

Another significant computer released in 1981 was a different kind of success to IBM’s PC. The BBC Microcomputer System was made by the Acorn Computer company, which later became ARM – the designer of most processors in mobile devices.The Micro was part of the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project, accompanied by BBC 2’s The Computer Programme. A government subsidy and rugged, expandable design meant 80% of British schools had a Micro, leading to a generation of programmers being taught on its advanced BASIC operating system.

4. Apple Macintosh, 1984

The forbearer to Apple’s entire Mac line of computers, the Macintosh was the company’s first mass-market computer, an all-in-one proceeding the iMac and many other computers built around a screen. Like the Apple Lisa, it had a GUI and mouse, and found success in education and publishing.Conceived in 1979 by Jef Raskin, named after his favourite Apple the McIntosh with an alternate spelling to avoid trademark issues, it was taken over by Apple founder Steve Jobs in 1981 and launched with the $1.5m Ridley Scott-directed 1984 Super Bowl XVI advert.

5. Big beige box

There was a lot of innovation within the computer industry in the 80s and 90s – the CD ROM, the 3.5in floppy, the Zip drive and even the Pentium – but they were all fitted into boring beige boxes spawned by IBM’s PC and third-party compatible competitors. They were great if you could hide them under a desk. They were modular and they could be as expensive or as reasonably priced as your specifications required and without them we wouldn’t have the powerful, small and good-looking computers of today. Here’s to the big beige box.

etc...

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...st-influential-personal-computers-in-pictures
 
10 most influential personal computers – in pictures
Machines that helped transform the way we work and play, from big beige boxes to laptop-tablet hybrids
Samuel Gibbs
Friday 17 February 2017 08.00 GMT

1. Xerox Alto, 1973

The Alto introduced the world to computers built around a graphical user interface (GUI), instead of the norm of command line up until that point, a decade before GUIs went mass market. It filled a small cabinet, had a three-button mouse, a portrait monitor, 2.5MB of storage, a 5.88MHz processor, cost thousands of dollars and only about 2,000 were ever produced, but it was the future of desktop computing.

2. IBM Personal Computer, 1981

The computer that kickstarted the whole third-party revolution of ‘IBM compatible’ accessories, the IBM Personal Computer was the first computer to be officially named a PC. Despite having its own superior parts and operating system, IBM uncharacteristically used Intel’s 8088 processor, off-the-shelf parts and Microsoft’s DOS, and in doing so left its PC open.Its overnight success prompted an explosion of compatible software, hardware and peripherals leaving everything else in its wake, spawning the burgeoning PC industry.

3. BBC Micro, 1981

Another significant computer released in 1981 was a different kind of success to IBM’s PC. The BBC Microcomputer System was made by the Acorn Computer company, which later became ARM – the designer of most processors in mobile devices.The Micro was part of the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project, accompanied by BBC 2’s The Computer Programme. A government subsidy and rugged, expandable design meant 80% of British schools had a Micro, leading to a generation of programmers being taught on its advanced BASIC operating system.

4. Apple Macintosh, 1984

The forbearer to Apple’s entire Mac line of computers, the Macintosh was the company’s first mass-market computer, an all-in-one proceeding the iMac and many other computers built around a screen. Like the Apple Lisa, it had a GUI and mouse, and found success in education and publishing.Conceived in 1979 by Jef Raskin, named after his favourite Apple the McIntosh with an alternate spelling to avoid trademark issues, it was taken over by Apple founder Steve Jobs in 1981 and launched with the $1.5m Ridley Scott-directed 1984 Super Bowl XVI advert.

5. Big beige box

There was a lot of innovation within the computer industry in the 80s and 90s – the CD ROM, the 3.5in floppy, the Zip drive and even the Pentium – but they were all fitted into boring beige boxes spawned by IBM’s PC and third-party compatible competitors. They were great if you could hide them under a desk. They were modular and they could be as expensive or as reasonably priced as your specifications required and without them we wouldn’t have the powerful, small and good-looking computers of today. Here’s to the big beige box.

etc...

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...st-influential-personal-computers-in-pictures
So both the Xerox Alto and the film The Exorcist both happened on the year I was born .. it's all starting to make sense to me now ..
 
Influential it might have been. once. but Apple-Safari won't get you that page now! Not in my version anyway. :huh:

I might fire up Chrome later . . . :rolleyes:
 
I've been an owner of Big Beige Boxes since 1992. Slowly upgrading it since it started with 100MB HDD, i486SX and 2MB of memory. The box was probably changed every 4-5 years, while graphic cards only lasted a year. I had a Sound Blaster AWE32 card which lasted from 1995 to 2001. Then the ISA slots disappeared from the motherboards. Got my first CD-ROM drive in 1995.

Before 1992 I owned an ATARI 1040 ST.
 
I've been an owner of Big Beige Boxes since 1992. Slowly upgrading it since it started with 100MB HDD, i486SX and 2MB of memory. The box was probably changed every 4-5 years, while graphic cards only lasted a year. I had a Sound Blaster AWE32 card which lasted from 1995 to 2001. Then the ISA slots disappeared from the motherboards. Got my first CD-ROM drive in 1995.

Before 1992 I owned an ATARI 1040 ST.
I had an AWE32 as well! It was truly awesome! I even had it MIDI'd up to a keyboard.
 
My 'classic' machines include a TRS80 model 1 (the first), TRS80 Model 4, TRS80 model 16

BBC Master, Amstrad PCW 8256 Plus a few others.

The beauty of the BBC was that it was bristling with ports.

The five year old laptop I am using at the moment has three USB ports, and apart for slots for cards and the DVD drive, that's it.
 
The five year old laptop I am using at the moment has three USB ports, and apart for slots for cards and the DVD drive, that's it.
That's all you need now that USB is a standard. You can increase the number of ports with a small USB hub.
 
Mythopoeika,

Agree, that is one way.

But I used to like getting straight to the works via the printer port. Or the serial.

Also you didn't need lots of support programs.

DOS 6.22, GWBASIC along with a printer port break out and your computer was an electronics lab.

Ah, the good old days.

INT21
 
Mythopoeika,

Agree, that is one way.

But I used to like getting straight to the works via the printer port. Or the serial.

Also you didn't need lots of support programs.

DOS 6.22, GWBASIC along with a printer port break out and your computer was an electronics lab.

Ah, the good old days.

INT21
Yeah, it was great back then.
 
I have had a copy of Electronics Today International sat on my desk for months. But (naturally) I can't find it when I need it.

On the front cover it said 'USB. the end of the serial port ?'.

It must have been printed in the very early 80s or late 70s.

And it came to pass.

Little did the people suspect that soon the 'skreeeeee' of the 56K modem would also become a fond memory.

INT21
 
I have had a copy of Electronics Today International sat on my desk for months. But (naturally) I can't find it when I need it.

On the front cover it said 'USB. the end of the serial port ?'.

It must have been printed in the very early 80s or late 70s.

And it came to pass.

Little did the people suspect that soon the 'skreeeeee' of the 56K modem would also become a fond memory.

INT21
USB was designed in 1996.
A time traveller must have written that ETI article. John Titor?
 
Mythopoeika,

You are right. How could I have made such an error ? Getting old probably.:(

I have the magazine in front of me.

ETI: ELECTRONICS TODAY INTERNATIONAL.

Vol 26 Issue 7 20 June 1997 £2.50

'The Universal serial bus. A rival for RS232 ?'.

A report by Robin Abbot

I collected most of the ETI issues over the years it was published. Use to really look forward to the next one.

INT21
 
A long but interesting story about the early history of computing. Probably most modern computer users have never heard of compilers...
Grace Hopper's compiler: Computing's hidden hero
By Tim Harford BBC World Service, 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38677721
 
Driverless cars - no halfway house?
Rory Cellan-Jones Technology correspondent

The progress in driverless car technology over recent years has been astounding. A future when you can hop in and have a sleep while an autonomous vehicle takes you to your destination appears to be closer than anyone thought just five years ago.

Getting there, however, will involve quite a few stages, with cars getting more and more autonomous but human drivers still having some role. Or will it?

A report by Bloomberg says Ford is going to skip a step and go straight to fully autonomous driving. The article says that is because engineers who are testing the company's self-driving vehicles are falling asleep at the wheel because there is so little for them to do.

Ford tells me that only part of this story is true: "Reports that Ford engineers were falling asleep while testing autonomous vehicles are inaccurate."
But it goes on to say that "high levels of automation without full autonomy capability could provide a false sense of security".

That means it is difficult for the driver to suddenly take control if there is a situation where the technology is not up to it. And that's why it is going to head straight to what is known as SAE level four - "autonomous capability that will take the driver completely out of the driving process in defined areas".

SAE is a global organisation of automotive engineers that has come up with a definition of six levels of automation, from zero - where the driver is in full control - to five, where the car does everything in all circumstances.

In January, at CES in Las Vegas, Ford's Ken Washington told me confidently that the company would have a fully autonomous car on the road by 2021: "The vehicles we are going to put in our 2021 fully autonomous ride service will not have a steering wheel, they won't have a brake pedal," he explained.

"So this means there's no issue with drivers having to take over control because the vehicle will know how to handle all scenarios."

etc...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39050538
 
Driver less cars are both unnecessary and potentially very dangerous. The whole idea should be dropped.

I doubt that they could ever be programmed for every eventuality.

A good example is where a car in front of you indicates to turn right. Moves over toward the centre of the road to initiate the turn, then turns left across the front of you. This happens surprisingly often.

How would the self drive car see the situation ?

Would it, as most drivers do, say to itself 'there is a good chance this idiot will change his/her mind and cut me up' or will it assume the driver will do as he/she indicated ?

Be prepared for your insurance policy to go through the roof.

INT21
 
Driver less cars are both unnecessary and potentially very dangerous. The whole idea should be dropped.

I doubt that they could ever be programmed for every eventuality.
The real question is "Are they safer than people driving"?

I suspect they very nearly are and if they're not now it won't be long.
 
Driver less cars are both unnecessary and potentially very dangerous. The whole idea should be dropped.

I doubt that they could ever be programmed for every eventuality.

A good example is where a car in front of you indicates to turn right. Moves over toward the centre of the road to initiate the turn, then turns left across the front of you. This happens surprisingly often.

How would the self drive car see the situation ?

Would it, as most drivers do, say to itself 'there is a good chance this idiot will change his/her mind and cut me up' or will it assume the driver will do as he/she indicated ?

Be prepared for your insurance policy to go through the roof.

INT21
Self driving cars will be equipped with deep learning neural networks which learns how the traffic behaves and take decisions on its own. It will not only be computer programs running If-Then loops.
 
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