Thoughts about the future, world, and technology

"Artist’s impression of Dragonfly soaring over the dunes of Saturn’s moon Titan. NASA has authorized the mission team to proceed on development toward a July 2028 launch date. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben" (ScitechDaily, NASA’s Dragonfly: SpaceX To Launch Daring Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan) The Dragonfly is one of the most daring missions in history. The AI-controlled quadcopter will be launched to Saturn's moon Titan, and there. That probe will research the distant moon. Its atmosphere. And its hydrocarbon lakes. The Dragonfly itself is an interesting concept. If the image above really portrays a Dragonfly. That probe is like a quadcopter. And it seems to have four Kamov-type propellers that give it higher speed than traditional propellers.  In those propellers, the system tilts the rotor's edge against each other. And that makes it possible to aim the thrust. Those propellers give that system extremely good maneuverability.  Those propellers are s...

"A recent study shows tungsten disilicide’s potential in efficient heat-to-electricity conversion, promising advances in thermoelectric technology. Credit: SciTechDaily.com"  (ScitechDaily, Clean Energy Breakthrough Turns Waste Heat Into Usable Electricity) "Researchers have demonstrated a new method for converting heat to electricity using tungsten disilicide, showing potential for more efficient thermoelectric devices that could revolutionize energy efficiency in various applications." (ScitechDaily, Clean Energy Breakthrough Turns Waste Heat Into Usable Electricity) "Thermoelectric materials, which convert heat into electricity, play a crucial role in capturing waste heat and transforming it into usable power. These materials are particularly beneficial in industries and vehicles where engines produce significant waste heat, enhancing energy efficiency by generating additional electricity. They also hold promise for portable power applications, such as remot...

"In the Sensing With Independent Micro-Swimmers (SWIM) concept, illustrated here, dozens of small robots would descend through the icy shell of a distant moon via a cryobot – depicted at left – to the ocean below. The project has received funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech" (ScitechDaily, Could NASA’s Tiny Robots Discover Life on Europa?) The most impressive mission for drones or independently operating miniature submarines will be the search for life from Jupiter's moon Europa. The thing is that also two other large moons, Ganymede and Callisto could have similar oceans under their icy surfaces.  And the third Galilean moon, Io has sulfur volcanoes that are also interesting geological objects. But the main object for that mission could be Europa, the icy moon with icy geysers. The probe can slip the small submarine into those geysers and maybe they can reach the ocean under that icy surface. The done can communicate with ...