<h2><b></b>The Mothballed Bus</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://futurism.com/china-just-tested-their-elevated-bus-that-cars-can-drive-under/" target="_blank">Transit Elevated Bus (TEB)</a> was unveiled several months ago in Hebei province&#8217;s Qinhuangdao City in China. The electric-powered, 4.8 meter (~16 ft) tall elevated bus straddled the road to allow cars to pass underneath it. Its design was meant to ease traffic as well as provide the people of the city an alternative mode of public transportation.</p>
<p>Once a sign of progress in the city, it has now fallen victim to a series of set-backs, mismanagement, and flawed design.</p>
<p><a href="http://shanghaiist.com/2016/12/05/straddling_bus_abandoned.php" target="_blank">A local reporter</a> followed up on the bus but instead of finding a working vehicle, the reporter found a rusting heap of metal guarded by a pair of security guards who couldn&#8217;t even get in touch with management.</p>
<p><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/Lx4Y-fxyiayq2178686.jpg" alt="Credit: Chinanews.com" width="540" height="380" /></p>
<p>It is the culmination of a string of set-backs that befell the once promising piece of technology since its introduction in August. The problems started with the design of the bus. With its vertical clearance just above 2 meters (6.5 ft), it didn&#8217;t make sense to deploy it on roads that also allow vehicles up to 4.2 meters (~14 ft) in height. There were also concerns that the TEB would be too heavy on Chinese roads, fearing that it might fall victim to sinkholes. Additionally, there are also accusations of fraud and <a href="http://shanghaiist.com/2016/08/08/straddling_bus_locked_up.php" target="_blank">postponed tests</a> which lead investors to understandably <a href="http://shanghaiist.com/2016/08/09/straddling_bus_funding.php" target="_blank">pull their money out</a> of the venture. It now sits on a leased road in the city and it currently obstructing 3 lanes of traffic, much to the irritation of local residents.</p>
<h2>Innovation And Practicality</h2>
<p>This case highlights a crucial lesson for city planners who wish to integrate new technologies within their cities: there must be a balance between innovation and practicality. It can come in the form small incremental changes to the existing infrastructure like <a href="https://futurism.com/chiles-next-move-is-to-power-its-subway-with-renewable-energy/" target="_blank">Chile&#8217;s solar powered trains</a>. It must also be unobtrusive when deployed so as not to disturb the everyday activities of its inhabitants. An example of this would be <a href="https://futurism.com/smart-city-singapore-going-get-smarter/" target="_blank">Singapore&#8217;s Smart Nation Program</a> where a bunch of sensors and cctv cameras were scattered throughout the city allowing it to monitor flood levels, and traffic, <a href="http://www.smartnation.sg/about-smart-nation/enablers" target="_blank">among other things</a>.</p>
<p>Hopefully, the local government in Qinhuangdao City is able to learn from this so that they will be able to produce better, thoughtful plans in the future.</p>


Earth & Energy

The development of China's futuristic public transit option has been plagued with poor forethought, mismanagement, and accusations of fraud, thus leading to its abandonment.
Hopefully, this unfortunate sequence of events will serve as a lesson to future developers and municipalities that innovation must be compatible with existing realities.

This is the Sad Fate of China’s Futuristic Road Straddling Bus

The "straddling bus" now exists in a sorry state.

<h2><b></b>Faster Flows</h2>
<p>&#8220;It seems some chemistry textbooks may need revisions,&#8221; declares <a href="http://m.phys.org/news/2016-12-discovery-super-premium-gasoline.html">Yang Zhang</a>, an assistant professor of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering (NPRE) and Beckman Institute at Illinois. Those are bold words coming from the professor but a new paper published in<i> <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/anie.201607316/abstract" target="_blank">Angewandte Chemie International Edition</a> </i>does support his claim<i>. </i>For the first time, they were able to capture a &#8220;video&#8221; of alkanes, a main component of petroleum products, through the use of neutrons.</p>
<p>What they discovered was that they could change the rate of flow for liquid alkanes by changing the configuration of its carbon atoms. &#8220;By changing one carbon atom in the backbone of an alkane molecule, we can make it flow 30 times faster,&#8221; says Zhang. The paper states that a never-before-seen odd-even effect was observed in liquid alkanes. The odd-even effect pertains to the differences in properties, like density and melting point, between alkanes with odd and even variations on their periodic structure. The effect could only observed before in solid alkanes.</p>
<p>The paper disproves a well-established theory on viscosity called the <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja01868a059" target="_blank">Kauzmann-Eyring theory</a> which predicts that all alkanes have the same viscosity near their melting points.</p>
<h2>Improving A Damaging Substance</h2>
<p>This research could lead to a wide range of implications including a better understanding of chemical processes like lubrication and heat transfers. It could also lead to better petroleum products by improving on how fast it can be transported.</p>
<figure style="width: 785px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="" style="width: 501px;height: 390px" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/160421-trans-atalnatic-pipeline-jpo-322a_53ebbce1abbf5500b24560154465b5cd.nbcnews-ux-2880-1000.jpg" alt="Credit: Associated Press/Al Grillo" width="785" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Associated Press/Al Grillo</figcaption></figure>
<p>But it does lead one to wonder if these types of substances that ruin the environment by contributing to climate change need to be improved upon. The use of gas in electricity generation and transportation leads to carbon emissions that are one of the factors for the increase of Earth&#8217;s temperatures. Higher temperatures leads to a vastly different environment that can <a href="https://futurism.com/climate-change-new-research-verifies-that-local-extinctions-are-already-occurring/" target="_blank">impact biodiversity</a> and even cause higher incidences of <a href="https://futurism.com/climate-chaos-study-predicts-a-shift-in-the-polar-vortex-and-a-colder-winter/" target="_blank">weather anomalies.</a></p>
<p>Increasing the speed of distribution for these substances could exacerbate this problem in the long run. However, initiatives like Tesla&#8217;s <a href="https://futurism.com/island-in-the-sun-tesla-is-powering-an-entire-island-with-solar-energy/" target="_blank">solar energy projects</a> will not only reverse the effects of climate change, but could also help humanity wean off of fossil fuels.</p>


Using state-of-the-art video imaging, researchers were able to prove that by changing a single carbon atom in gasoline could help it flow 30 times faster.
While the development would make the transportation of gasoline much faster, there are questions of whether the upgrade is necessary given the trend toward cleaner energy.

A New Discovery Could Help Oil Companies Transport Gasoline 30 Times Faster

Debunking an established theory to upgrade fossil fuels.

<h2>A Skeptic Weighs In</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://futurism.com/the-physics-defying-emdrive-just-passed-peer-review-heres-what-you-need-to-know/">recent paper</a> in the <em>Journal of Propulsion and Power</em> from NASA outlines the possibility of a working <a href="http://emdrive.com/principle.html">EM Drive,</a> a propulsion system that uses microwaves bouncing around inside a cavity to produce thrust. The peer-reviewed paper was met with heavy skepticism, in part because it violates current laws of physics – specifically<a href="https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/newton3.html" target="_blank"> Newton&#8217;s Second Law of Motion</a>. Physicists were quick to point out the impossibility of a machine that claims to gain momentum without a propellant.</p>
<p>But what could have caused the <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.B36120" target="_blank">1.2 ± 0.1 millinewtons per kilowatt</a> (mN/kW) recorded thrust-to-power ratio in the paper? <a href="http://www.engr.uconn.edu/me/cms/index.php/people/37-bricecassenti.html" target="_blank">Brice Cassenti,</a> an advanced propulsion systems expert from the University of Connecticut, points out that the thrust might have actually been an artifact (a misleading alteration in data resulting from flaws in technique or equipment).</p>
<figure style="width: 785px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/figure15.jpeg" alt="Credit: White, et al." width="785" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: White, et al.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>&#8220;Mundane Reasons&#8221;</h2>
<p>Cassenti says the artifact might have come from the propulsion system itself: &#8220;For example, electric currents are heating components within the Drive that expand during the experiments, causing motion that would appear as a force,&#8221; he says in <i><a href="http://today.uconn.edu/2016/12/the-em-drive-science-fact-or-science-fiction/" target="_blank">Uconn Today</a></i>. It&#8217;s a concern that has also been <a href="http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.B36120" target="_blank">discussed in the paper</a> itself, among other, possibly invalidating reasons.</p>
<p>According to NASA:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Despite considerable effort within the NASASpaceflight.com forum to dismiss the reported thrust as an artifact, the EM Drive results have yet to be falsified. After consistent reports of thrust measurements from EM Drive experiments in the US, UK, and China – at thrust levels several thousand times in excess of a photon rocket, and now under hard vacuum conditions – the question of where the thrust is coming from deserves serious inquiry.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>The next step for a lot of people is testing the EM drive in space. For Cassenti, an EM drive experiment in space would &#8220;eliminate all of the confusion associated with force measurements.&#8221; However, he goes on to say that a space experiment would be a costly endeavor, and that a better solution would be to find out what causes the thrust first.</p>
<p>Until other scientists can independently verify the conclusions drawn from the paper, a working EM drive is still a ways off. For now, there are other, more viable <a href="https://futurism.com/images/these-theoretical-propulsion-systems-might-make-interstellar-travel-a-reality/" target="_blank">propulsion systems being developed</a> for interstellar travel, such as <a href="https://futurism.com/nasas-newest-project-sailing-interstellar-space/" target="_blank">NASA&#8217;s solar sail</a>. Even if EM drive proves to be a failure, these systems could be a reliable back-up that could take us to the far reaches of the universe.</p>


Hard Science

Scientists don't yet understand what caused the 1.2 ± 0.1 millinewtons per kilowatt recorded thrust-to-power ratio in NASA's EM Drive paper. 
Brice Cassenti, an advanced propulsion systems expert from the University of Connecticut, points out that the thrust reported in the paper might have actually been an artifact. 

Expert in Advanced Propulsion Says NASA’s EM Drive Results Are Likely Not Valid

An expert takes the momentum out of NASA's EM drive.

<h2>Throwing Money at the Problem of No Money</h2>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/tag/universal-basic-income/" target="_blank">The concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI)</a> has been popping up left and right all around the world lately. Discussions and tests are and will be carried out by countries like <a href="https://futurism.com/finland-explores-offering-a-universal-basic-income-to-its-citizens/" target="_blank">Finland</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/a-canadian-province-just-passed-a-resolution-for-universal-basic-income/" target="_blank">Canada</a>, and <a href="https://futurism.com/a-new-basic-income-project-is-set-to-launch-in-january/" target="_blank">Uganda</a> to find out if granting periodic and unconditional <a href="http://basicincome.org/basic-income/" target="_blank">cash transfers</a> to every individual in a community could solve that area&#8217;s economic problems. These studies, however, remain inconclusive, with some reporting that UBI has a <a href="https://www.givedirectly.org/research-on-cash-transfers" target="_blank">positive effect on a population</a> while others report a <a href="http://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-buy-when-theyre-just-given-cash/" target="_blank">negative one</a>.</p>
<p>The latest in a long line of groups trying to uncover a definitive answer to this question is the <a href="http://economicsecurityproject.org" target="_blank">Economic Security Project (ESP)</a>, an eclectic group of people with signatories that include activists, investors, and visionaries. This group has pledged to spend $10 million in the next two years in order to find out if UBI can work in the United States.</p>
<p>This wide-ranging project would involve the ESP funding a <a href="http://qz.com/857557/universal-basic-income-gets-a-real-test/" target="_blank">diverse group of organizations</a>, each with a distinctive question they would like answered regarding the benefits, or lack thereof, of UBI. <a href="http://rooseveltinstitute.org" target="_blank">The Roosevelt Institute</a>, for example, will contribute macroeconomic modeling, behavioral studies, and public opinion research on UBI. Another group, <a href="http://chesapeakeclimate.org" target="_blank">the Chesapeake Climate Action Network</a>, aims to find out the feasibility of carbon pricing and dividends to fund UBI.</p>
<figure style="width: 512px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/rsz_jp-robot-1-jumbo.jpg" alt="Credit: Associated Press/Paul Sakuma" width="512" height="331" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Associated Press/Paul Sakuma</figcaption></figure>
<h2>We Need Answers</h2>
<p>Poverty is not currently as big of a problem in the U.S. as it is in places like Kenya and Uganda, but a major concern for the U.S. is the encroachment of <a href="https://futurism.com/automation-is-the-greatest-threat-to-the-american-worker-not-outsourcing/" target="_blank">automation on American workforce</a>. How will those <a href="https://futurism.com/the-age-of-the-automaton-walmart-cuts-7000-office-jobs-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">unfortunate enough</a> to have the same skill-set as the robots that could replace them survive once they no longer have jobs?</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a concern that worries <a href="https://futurism.com/obama-in-the-age-of-autonomy-universal-basic-income-will-enter-our-debates/" target="_blank">government officials</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/expert-universal-basic-income-is-an-alternative-to-unemployment-and-low-paying-jobs/" target="_blank">financial experts</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/stephen-hawking-automation-and-ai-is-going-to-decimate-middle-class-jobs/" target="_blank">and scientists</a>, and the UN has <a href="https://futurism.com/un-report-robots-will-replace-two-thirds-of-all-workers-in-the-developing-world/" target="_blank">even predicted</a> that 75 percent of jobs in developed nations could be lost to automation. As a solution to this potential job loss in the coming years, some have been <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-theres-a-pretty-good-chance-well-end-up-with-universal-basic-income/" target="_blank">pushing for UBI</a>, but first the ramifications of such a system must still be studied. If this $10 million investment generates solid evidence one way or the other with regards to UBI, it could give officials a better action plan for humanity as it enters the age of automation.</p>


Future Society

A group of activists, investors, and visionaries have pledge to invest $10 million over the next two years to study whether a universal basic income system would work in the United States.
The system is already being tested in places like Canada and Finland, and if successful, it could offset the widespread unemployment expected by increased automation.

A $10 Million Investment Is Set to Determine If Universal Basic Income Would Work in the U.S.

This group is determined to find out whether the U.S. would benefit from UBI.

<h2>Unintended Consequences</h2>
<p>During his campaign, president-elect Donald Trump made a promise to keep jobs in Indiana. Now, he&#8217;s making good on that promise by brokering a deal with Carrier that ensures that the manufacturer would keep 1,000 jobs across two locations in Indiana. That victory might be short-lived, however, as the deal could create unintended consequences for the company&#8217;s employees in the future.</p>
<p>Carrier initially intended to <a href="http://www.ibj.com/articles/57162-carrier-plans-to-lay-off-1400-indy-workers-in-mexico-move" target="_blank">relocate its plant to Mexico</a> where costs would be lowered due to the country&#8217;s  cheaper and more dedicated labor force. &#8220;Wages are obviously significantly lower. About 80% lower on average. But absenteeism runs about 1%. Turnover runs about 2%,&#8221; said Greg Hayes, the CEO of United Technologies (the parent company of Carrier), during an interview with <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/05/cnbc-transcript-united-technologies-chairman-ceo-greg-hayes-on-cnbcs-mad-money-w-jim-cramer-today.html" target="_blank">CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Mad Money</a>.&#8221; The move would have resulted in the loss of about 1,400 jobs in Indiana.</p>
<p>As part of the deal brokered by the Trump administration, 850 jobs will remain in Indiana and United Technologies will be awarded $7 million in tax incentives. In the interview with &#8220;Mad Money,&#8221; Hayes revealed that United Technologies will be making a $16 million investment in the plant, but it&#8217;s what the CEO said is the ultimate goal of that investment that&#8217;s key: &#8220;&#8230;to automate to drive the cost down so that we can continue to be competitive.&#8221;</p>
<figure style="width: 519px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/carrier-mexico-leed-factory-519x219-070114.jpg" alt="Credit: Carrier" width="519" height="219" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Carrier</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Sting of Automation</h2>
<p>As Hayes elaborates in the interview, automating won&#8217;t be as cheap as moving to Mexico would be, but the result for many of the state&#8217;s workers will eventually be the same: &#8220;we will make that plant competitive just because we&#8217;ll make the capital investments there&#8230;But what that ultimately means is there will be fewer jobs.&#8221;</p>
<p>While outsourcing used to be the most financially sensible choice for companies operating in countries with no labor cost advantage, that role has been taken over by automation. Companies like <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/nike-unloads-contract-factory-workers-showing-how-automation-costing-jobs-vulnerable-1587447" target="_blank">Nike have closed</a> some of their factories in China in favor of automation, and they subsequently saw their profits rise (for Nike, by 16 percent during its 2013 fiscal year). <a href="https://futurism.com/137-million-southeast-asian-workers-could-lose-their-jobs-to-automation-in-the-next-20-years/" target="_blank">This doesn&#8217;t bode well</a> for low-skilled workers who depend on these jobs to live.</p>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-theres-a-pretty-good-chance-well-end-up-with-universal-basic-income/" target="_blank">Industry experts</a> and<a href="https://futurism.com/stephen-hawking-automation-and-ai-is-going-to-decimate-middle-class-jobs/" target="_blank"> scientists</a> have been warning us about the bleak outcome for the human labor force in the age of automation. Perhaps now is the time to stop focusing on the positive effects of automation and start figuring out how to mitigate the negative ones.</p>


While president-elect Donald Trump's Carrier deal will keep some jobs in Indiana, United Technologies' plan to invest $16 million to automate the plant will ultimately lead to job loss.
Job loss in inevitable in the age of automation, so we must find ways to mitigate the negative impact on the human labor force.

Automation Is the Greatest Threat to the American Worker, Not Outsourcing

Saving jobs is no longer a matter of keeping them in the U.S.

<h2>Noise-Canceling Optical Chip</h2>
<p>While light helps us see things better here on Earth, it can actually <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-blogs/astrophotography-signals-noise/" target="_blank">pose a challenge</a> for practitioners of astronomy whose views of celestial bodies can be obstructed by background light from nearby stars.  Now, scientists from the <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/" target="_blank">Australian National University</a> have found a way to address the problem.</p>
<p>The ANU researchers <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/anu-ntc120516.php" target="_blank">have created a new optical chip</a> for telescopes that can negate the light from the closest star to a planet. The new chip works similarly to noise-canceling headphones. &#8220;This chip is an interferometer that adds equal but opposite light waves from a host sun, which cancels out the light from the sun, allowing the much weaker planet light to be seen,&#8221; <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/new-telescope-chip-offers-clear-view-of-alien-planets" target="_blank">explains Associate Professor Steve Madden from the ANU</a>.</p>
<figure style="width: 785px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/ah1p6226_Steve_Madden_lab_wafer.jpg" alt="Credit: ANU/ Stuart Hay" width="785" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: ANU/ Stuart Hay</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Search for Life</h2>
<p>Previously, astronomers could make an educated guess as to which planets could contain life by determining if they were in the habitable zone of a star or not. This method has given us a whole slew of <a href="http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog" target="_blank">possibly habitable planets</a> outside of our solar system. However, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/kepler20130717.html" target="_blank">Lucianne Walkowicz from Princeton University</a> says that location is just one variable with regards to habitability and that the presence of radioactive flares from a star could affect the habitability of a planet as well.</p>
<p>Not only would this new optical chip give us a better look at other planets in general, it could also be used to determine if a planet is protected from star flares by ozone, thus giving it a higher possibility of harboring life. &#8220;The chip uses the heat emitted from the planet to peer through dust clouds and see planets forming,&#8221; says Kenchington Goldsmith from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering. &#8220;Ultimately the same technology will allow us to detect ozone on alien planets that could support life.&#8221;</p>


The chip uses technology similar to that of noise-canceling headphones, removing light from a nearby sun by adding equal but opposite light waves, making an object easier to observe.
Because it can also be used to detect ozone on alien planets, the chip could help in the search for celestial bodies capable of hosting extraterrestrial life.

The Search for Life: New Tech Opens a Universe of Alien Worlds

Welcome to the new age in the hunt for extraterrestrial life.

<h2>People-Free Piloting</h2>
<p>As companies like Tesla continue to show how autonomous cars can safely take over our roads, U.K. defense contractor <a href="http://www.baesystems.com/en/home?r=US" target="_blank">BAE Systems</a> is on track to do the same for the skies.</p>
<p>The company is preparing to conduct a new round of testing that will increase the capability of its autonomous system to pilot aircraft. “Our priority as always is to demonstrate the safe and effective operation of autonomous systems, and together with NATS we are working towards the possibility of flying our own unmanned systems in a highly controlled environment in the U.K.,” Maureen McCue, the head of research and development at BAE, told <i><a href="https://www.theengineer.co.uk/bae-systems-kicks-off-next-stage-of-unmanned-air-trials/" target="_blank">The Engineer</a></i>.</p>
<p>BAE&#8217;s converted Jetstream 31 aircraft will complete 17 flights, flying routes 482 km (300 miles) in distance between the cities of Inverness and Lancashire, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38207976" target="_blank">according to a <em>BBC</em> report</a>. The flights won&#8217;t be complete autonomous, though, as the aircraft will only engage its autonomous systems midair at 4.6 km (15,000 ft) while putting take-off and landing duties in the hands of human pilots.</p>
<p>The converted Jetstream 31 has a range of features designed to replace the human contributions to flying a plane. The aircraft is equipped with an identification system that can log data from transponders of other planes, and cameras mounted in the cockpit allow the plane to note obstacles like clouds. The system can identify any upcoming hazards in the air and adjust its course away from danger if the need arises.</p>
<figure style="width: 785px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img style="width: 469px;height: 331.586px" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/RS53319_BAE_jetstream_infographic_2016_v5-scr-1.jpg" alt="Credit: BAE Systems" width="785" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: BAE Systems</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The More The Merrier</h2>
<p>Over the years, planes have been given various <a href="https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/advanced_avionics_handbook/media/aah_ch04.pdf" target="_blank">automation functions</a> that can assist pilots while flying a plane. They have systems that guide the altitude and speed of a plane akin to a cruise control system in cars. Systems are in place that <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-navigation/article/div-classtitleblind-landingdiv/2ED82092EDC6DB9682F6FBB9ABE78BA6" target="_blank">automate a plane&#8217;s landing</a>, as well, which make it easier for pilots to perform the crucial maneuver.</p>
<p>These systems combined with the ones that BAE is testing right now are unlikely to completely replace commercial pilots in the near future since the general public still views autonomous systems with caution. However, an autonomous system can be helpful to pilots by acting like another set of eyes in a cockpit, ones that never get sleepy or distracted, which ultimately leads to safer skies and more peace of mind for passengers aboard a plane.</p>


Advanced Transport

A converted Jetstream 3 aircraft is poised to complete 17 flights of 300 miles to test its autonomous systems, which include the ability to note potential hazards and adjust course.
The system is unlikely to completely replace airplane pilots any time soon, instead acting in a complementary role that will make flying safer for passengers.

An Artificially Intelligent Plane Is Going to Be Flying Over the U.K.

Future flights could avoid turbulence using AI.

<h2><b></b>Driving With An Emotional Car</h2>
<p>It&#8217;s a concept that either sounds strange or fascinating depending on who you ask: a car that can feel human emotions. It&#8217;s a claim that Honda has made about their concept car that&#8217;s going to be shown in next year&#8217;s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).</p>
<p><a href="http://hondanews.com/releases/honda-to-showcase-cooperative-mobility-ecosystem-at-2017-consumer-electronics-show" target="_blank">In a press release</a> on Honda&#8217;s website, the automotive company says the theme for their participation in the CES will be &#8220;Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem.&#8221; Honda says it is exploring more interactive and immersive experiences for passenger vehicles.</p>
<p>The centerpiece of their exhibit, and the culmination of this theme, will be the company&#8217;s new concept car called &#8220;NeuV.&#8221; It&#8217;s a concept automated EV commuter vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) called &#8217;emotion engine.&#8217; They go on to explain that the emotion engine is a group of AI technologies that allow the vehicle to generate artificial emotions.</p>
<h2>Assisting Drivers</h2>
<p>At first glance, an emotional AI sounds unnecessary and even asinine. However, the concept Honda is exploring is a new aspect of AI that assists drivers. Recently, AI has been used to assist drivers physically, by enabling them to take over a driver of a car.</p>
<p>This is extremely helpful in lowering a driver&#8217;s fatigue when operating a vehicle for long periods of time and for long distances, as <a href="https://www.tesla.com/autopilot?redirect=no" target="_blank">Tesla&#8217;s autopilot feature</a> demonstrates. It has even been used in the <a href="https://futurism.com/50000-beers-ubers-self-driving-truck-just-made-its-first-delivery/" target="_blank">trucking industry</a> where drivers are often faced with the exhausting job of hauling products across the country.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PUw_DMaQ264?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Honda hasn&#8217;t yet released details on what the &#8220;emotion engine&#8217; will actually do, or its place in the vehicle, but it&#8217;s not hard to imagine what it could do. For example, it could pull up weather data from the internet and announce the results to the driver in a cheery voice. How the driver will react would depend on the person, but having an AI car companion cheer you on while driving is an amusing thought.</p>


The Honda NeuV is a concept automated EV commuter vehicle equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) called 'emotion engine.'
Honda announced that 'Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem' will be the theme for its participation at the 2017 CES.

An ‘Emotion Engine:’ Honda’s New Concept Car Can Feel

Right in the feels. 

<h2>Pumping Money Into Flying Cars</h2>
<p>Flying cars might not have the most beautiful exteriors, nor are they the safest form of transportation, but for Atomico,<a href="http://www.atomico.com/about" target="_blank"> a European venture firm</a>, that doesn&#8217;t matter. They&#8217;re betting flying cars will take-off, not only literally but financially as well.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s faith in this technology that has the venture firm investing <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/05/atomico-backs-backs-new-vertical-take-off-and-landing-flight-developer-lilium-aviation/?ncid=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&amp;sr_share=facebook" target="_blank">10 million euros in Lilium Aviation</a>, a start-up aviation company that plans on bringing flying cars into reality.</p>
<p>The company&#8217;s<a href="http://lilium-aviation.com/development.html" target="_blank"> current prototype </a>is the forth in a line of attempts. It boasts a lightweight frame that has a take-off weight of around 600 kilograms with a maximum payload of 200 kilograms. It&#8217;s able to fly by using VTOL technology, which is also seen in some military fighter jets.</p>
<p>Instead of giant engines though, the flying car is able to lift-off vertically using 36 &#8220;directable, ducted electric fans.&#8221; The vehicle is able to achieve flight by slowly turning the fans horizontally, with the wings and the fuselage generating aerodynamic lift. It has a maximum speed of 250 to 300 km/h (160 to 190 mph).</p>
<figure style="width: 785px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/rsz_ready.jpg" alt="Credit: Lilium Aviation" width="785" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Lilium Aviation</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Bringing Flying Cars to Consumers</h2>
<p>The flying car industry may not be taking off in the near future, what with several challenges standing in its way, including regulation issues and safety concerns. Lilium is confident however: “we looked into, when we designed the plane, that we can certify the plane with existing legislation,” says <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/05/atomico-backs-backs-new-vertical-take-off-and-landing-flight-developer-lilium-aviation/?ncid=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&amp;sr_share=facebook" target="_blank">Daniel Wiegand from Lilium Aviation in </a><i><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/05/atomico-backs-backs-new-vertical-take-off-and-landing-flight-developer-lilium-aviation/?ncid=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&amp;sr_share=facebook" target="_blank">TechCrunch</a></i>.</p>
<p>It also has not stopped several other companies that are planning to bring flying cars to the market. Chinese company<a href="https://futurism.com/videos/chinese-company-unveils-supersized-drone-can-actually-ride/" target="_blank"> eHang</a> has already unveiled a drone that can transport passengers. Other companies like<a href="http://www.aeromobil.com/#s-about" target="_blank"> Aeromobil</a> and <a href="https://www.terrafugia.com/about-terrafugia/" target="_blank">Terrafugia</a> have opted for a more conventional flying car design – slapping wings onto an aerodynamic car/fuselage on wheels.</p>
<p>Whatever the best approach, flying cars are getting a lot of attention from investors that see their potential to reshape the future of transport. Who knows, traffic might become a thing of the past, as Lilium claims.</p>


Lilium Aviation's current flying car prototype has a maximum speed of 250 to 300 km/h (160 to 190 mph).
Several other companies are trying to bring flying cars to the market, but must first overcome regulation issues and safety concerns. 

Skype Co-Founder Invests 10 Million in a Flying Car That Can Travel More Than 250 KM/H

Lilium Aviation is flying high on investments.

<p><b></b>OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research center based in San Fransisco, has released an open source software platform that virtually tests and trains AI.</p>
<p>The platform, <a href="https://openai.com/blog/universe/" target="_blank">called Universe</a>, is a digital playground comprised of games, web browsers, and even protein folding software that an AI can interact with. AI does this by sending simulated mouse and keyboard strokes via what’s called Virtual Network Computing, or VNC.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We&#39;re releasing Universe, a platform for measuring and training AI agents: <a href="https://t.co/bx7OjMDaJK">https://t.co/bx7OjMDaJK</a></p>
<p>&mdash; OpenAI (@OpenAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/805661402937565184">December 5, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Universe facilitates reinforcement learning, where the AI learns tasks by trial and error; through risk and reward.  Over time, OpenAI researcher and former Googler Ilya Sutskever says AI can even practice “transfer learning,” in which an agent takes what it has learned in one application and applies it to another.</p>
<figure id="attachment_63510" style="width: 663px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-63510 " src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/dusk_drive-761ac583d0bbb19bb806ef72aa4b8114717470c0237031a601466c79b7e5cfed.png" alt="#ai #machine learning #universe" width="663" height="526" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: OpenAI</figcaption></figure>
<p>Games that AI can currently access include <a href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/games/portal.html" target="_blank">Portal</a>,<a href="http://yachtclubgames.com/shovel-knight/" target="_blank"> Shovel Knight</a>, and <a href="http://www.zachtronics.com/spacechem/" target="_blank">SpaceChem</a>. Video games may be a good benchmark and training-aide for the AI, but the researchers intend to add more apps tot he list, and teach AI problem solving skills in unfamiliar environments.</p>
<p>“An AI should be able to solve any problem you throw at it,” Sutskever <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/12/openais-universe-computers-learn-use-apps-like-humans/" target="_blank">said to Wired</a>. Michael Bowling, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/12/openais-universe-computers-learn-use-apps-like-humans/" target="_blank">a University of Alberta professor</a> lauds the wide scope of the platform and it&#8217;s role in improving AI; “It crystallizes an important idea: Games are a helpful benchmark, but the goal is AI,” he says.</p>


Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI has released Universe, an open source digital playground that virtually tests and trains AI using games, apps, and more. 
In the software, AI can even practice “transfer learning,” in which an agent takes what it has learned in one application and applies it to another.

/Author

Eleazer Corpuz

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