<h2>Fizzing-Out</h2>
Recall the Pepsi slogan of yore: &#8220;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/517ca144e4b065cfbf618485/5191e946e4b0576d48b62550/5191e948e4b0fc2bec6e9f4a/1368516938471/Pepsi_Working_0007_OOH_Joy1.jpg">Refresh Everything</a>.&#8221; Apparently, that also includes the truth!
On Saturday, Futurism <a href="https://futurism.com/pepsi-orbital-billboard-night-sky/">broke a story</a> about Pepsi&#8217;s plans to use a space billboard sponsored by one of its energy drinks to protest against what it claimed were stereotypes unfair to gamers. But by Monday, after an outpouring of anger about the project on social media, PepsiCo — which owns brands ranging from Frito-Lay to Tropicana — had changed its tune about the project, saying the plans would go no further than a stratospheric test it recently carried out to try out the technology.
&#8220;This was a one-time event; we have no further plans to test or commercially use this technology at this time,&#8221; a PepsiCo spokesperson <a href="https://gizmodo.com/pepsi-mercifully-spares-humanity-from-its-space-billboa-1834057634">told Gizmodo</a>.
Except, here&#8217;s the thing:
They did.
<h2>The Pepsi Difference</h2>
A press release sent to Futurism last week by Russian space company StartRocket tells a different story than the one Pepsi&#8217;s pouring today. In it, StartRocket claimed the stratospheric test with a balloon was just a prelude to an ambitious space billboard — on which its first advertising client would be PepsiCo&#8217;s Adrenaline Rush energy drink.
&#8220;Adrenaline Rush (owned by PepsiCo Russia) became the test launch partner,&#8221; it read. &#8220;The Adrenaline GameChangers logo — a newly created movement whose goal is to campaign against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers — will be the first branded image on the StartRocket orbital display after its launch.&#8221;
And on Friday, when a Futurism reporter asked Russian PepsiCo spokesperson Olga Mangova whether it was accurate that the company was working with StartRocket to advertise Adrenaline Rush on StartRocket&#8217;s orbital billboard, the response was unambiguous.
&#8220;Nice to meet you!&#8221; Mangova wrote in an email. &#8220;Yes, that’s true.&#8221;
<h2>Pepsi Free</h2>
Asked about its apparent flip flop on the space billboard collaboration with StartRocket, PepsiCo spokesperson Nicole Tronolone said there&#8217;d been a miscommunication, speculating that there had been a &#8220;language issue&#8221; with Russian PepsiCo employees.
&#8220;The PepsiCo position has not reversed; it was inaccurately communicated,&#8221; Tronolone told Futurism in an email.
Tronolone declined to comment on why the press release from StartRocket said the display would be in orbit and why it referred to the space billboard in the future tense.
Mangova said that the press release had been written before the stratospheric test with the balloon, but sent to media afterward. Mangova declined to say why part of the press release was written in the past tense and another part was written in the future tense, and also declined to say why it would call a balloon test an &#8220;orbital display.&#8221;
Asked whether it was true that PepsiCo had never planned to launch the orbital billboard, StartRocket spokesperson Nikita Belov seemed puzzled by PepsiCo&#8217;s evolving stance.
&#8220;Unfortunately, I can’t prove or disprove it because of lack of information,&#8221; she wrote in an email to Futurism.
When it comes to advertising, Pepsi hasn&#8217;t exactly piloted the last few years with any kind of finesse. You may recall that time they made an ad with one of the biggest celebrities on Earth, implying that social unrest and police-state violence can be resolved with a cold can of Pepsi? If you don&#8217;t, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_for_Now_(Pepsi)">here&#8217;s the Wikipedia page</a> on what&#8217;s been referred to as &#8220;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/pepsi-ad-advert-commercial-kendall-jenner-police-protest-black-lives-matter-review-a7667486.html">possibly the worst commercial of all time</a>.&#8221;
So, yeah: this tracks.
<h2>Recovering the Satellites</h2>
Futurism first reported on the existence of StartRocket back in January. Its collaboration with Pepsi wasn&#8217;t yet public, but the story launched a wave of backlash against the concept on social media — and in media outlets ranging from <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/space-billboards-are-just-the-latest-orbital-stunt/">Wired</a> to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/startup-wants-put-huge-ads-space-not-everyone-board-idea-ncna960296">NBC News</a>.
As Futurism readers pointed out on social media, futuristic ads that appear among the stars of the night sky have been suggested by science fiction authors including Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, and Doug Naylor.
It was even tried in real life once before, in 1993, when a Georgia company called Space Marketing proposed launching a similar project that would be visible to billions of people as it cruised across the night sky — prompting cosmologist Carl Sagan to call the idea an &#8220;abomination.&#8221;
In the end, perhaps nothing can stop the relentless force of marketing. In <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2019/04/pepsi-partners-with-russian-start-up-to-test-orbiting-billboards">an interview</a> with the magazine Astronomy about Pepsi&#8217;s flip flop on space billboards, director of conservation for the International Dark-Sky Association John Barentine argued that some form of orbital advertising is probably unavoidable.
&#8220;I think it is inevitable that someone will do this,&#8221; Barentine said. &#8220;They will take the gamble that even a negative public reaction will still benefit the bottom line.&#8221;
&#8220;There’s not a lot that can be done,&#8221; he added, &#8220;other than heaping scorn upon the companies that might advertise with the satellite owners.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2019/04/pepsi-partners-with-russian-start-up-to-test-orbiting-billboards">PepsiCo partnered with a Russian start-up to test orbiting billboards</a> [Astronomy]
More on orbital billboards: <a href="https://futurism.com/pepsi-orbital-billboard-night-sky">Pepsi Plans to Project a Giant Ad in the Night Sky Using Cubesats</a>

After backlash, Pepsi says it never planned a space billboard

Space Disgrace

After an outpouring of anger about the project on social media, PepsiCo no longer says it plans to launch a space billboard.

After Backlash, Pepsi Says It Never Planned a Space Billboard

PepsiCo keeps changing its story about its plans for a space billboard.

<h2>Orbital Billboard</h2>
A Russian company called StartRocket says it&#8217;s going to launch a cluster of cubesats into space that will act as an &#8220;orbital billboard,&#8221; projecting enormous advertisements into the night sky like artificial constellations. And its first client, it says, will be PepsiCo — which will use the system to promote a &#8220;campaign against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers&#8221; on behalf of an energy drink called Adrenaline Rush.
Yeah, the project sounds like an elaborate prank. But Russian PepsiCo spokesperson Olga Mangova confirmed to Futurism that the collaboration is real.
&#8220;We believe in StartRocket potential,&#8221; she wrote in an email. &#8220;Orbital billboards are the revolution on the market of communications. That’s why on behalf of Adrenaline Rush — PepsiCo Russia energy non-alcoholic drink, which is brand innovator, and supports everything new, and non-standard — we agreed on this partnership.&#8221;
<h2>SponConstellation</h2>
Futurism <a href="https://futurism.com/startrocket-giant-ads-night-sky-cubesats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> on StartRocket back in January, when the company announced plans to project huge ads into the night sky using cubesats with Mylar sails that&#8217;ll <a href="http://astronomy.com/news/2019/01/billboards-in-space">reflect sunlight back down</a> to Earth during the twilight of early morning or evening.
&#8220;We are ruled by brands and events,&#8221; project leader Vlad Sitnikov told Futurism at the time. &#8220;The Super Bowl, Coca Cola, Brexit, the Olympics, Mercedes, FIFA, Supreme and the Mexican wall. The economy is the blood system of society. Entertainment and advertising are at its heart.&#8221;
The idea prompted <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/experts-orbiting-space-billboards-harmful" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strong backlash</a> among Futurism readers, who objected to the idea of invading the nighttime sky with ads.
&#8220;This startup made an AI read every dystopian fiction novel and is turning its cursed ramblings into business plans,&#8221; wrote one. Another said that &#8220;shooting down those ads should be legal.&#8221;
Researchers were also concerned by the idea.
&#8220;Launching art projects like this with no commercial, scientific, or national security value seems unwise,&#8221; University of Michigan astronomy professor Patrick Seitzer <a href="http://astronomy.com/news/2019/01/billboards-in-space?webSyncID=bb9352c7-a369-7944-5cb1-b9c3a76ccd13&amp;sessionGUID=e5619c21-6305-033e-8d6d-3ed329844e8b">told Astronomy</a>.
Now, StartRocket claims to have tested the technology with a helium balloon that launched one of its reflectors into the stratosphere — where it was visible from the ground.
&#8220;An hour and a half after the launch we concluded that the test was successful,&#8221; Sitnikov said.
StartRocket plans to launch the system into orbit in 2021. It&#8217;s currently raising funds, it says — and a $20,000 investment will buy eight hours of advertising in the night sky.
More on orbital billboards: <a href="https://futurism.com/startrocket-giant-ads-night-sky-cubesats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This Startup Wants to Launch Giant Glowing Ads Into the Night Sky</a>

"An hour and a half after the launch we concluded that the test was successful."

Pepsi plans to project a giant ad in the night sky using cubesats

Bright Night

PepsiCo says it's struck a deal with a Russian startup called StartRocket to display an enormous energy drink advertisement in the night sky.

Pepsi Plans to Project a Giant Ad in the Night Sky Using Cubesats

Pepsi says it'll use an artificial constellation, hung in the night sky next to the stars, to promote an energy drink.

<h2>Fast Delivery</h2>
A group of DARPA-funded scientists associated with Elon Musk say they&#8217;ve invented a new way to &#8220;rapidly implant&#8221; brain electrodes into rats — and their &#8220;sewing machine&#8221; implantation system could facilitate the creation of a mind-reading brain-computer interface, as <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/team-linked-to-elon-musk-neuralink-outline-brain-monitor-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by Bloomberg</a>.
&#8220;Although more research is needed to refine the overall interface system and better integrate its components, these developments may ultimately open the possibility of bundling next-generation robotics, AI software, and electronics to create alternatives to present-day neurosurgical techniques,&#8221; DARPA biotech director Justin Sanchez told Bloomberg.
<h2>Musk-eteers</h2>
The team&#8217;s paper, <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/578542v1.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published on</a> the preprint server bioRxiv, is notable because of Musk&#8217;s founding role in Neuralink, a secrecy-shrouded venture that aims to build a brain-computer interface.
All the new paper&#8217;s authors — who declined to comment to Bloomberg — have been employed by or associated with Neuralink, according to the magazine.
The report is especially intriguing, Bloomberg pointed out, in light of <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1116092948343480320" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tweet</a> this week in which Musk teased a Neuralink update &#8220;in a few months.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/team-linked-to-elon-musk-neuralink-outline-brain-monitor-system?srnd=technology-vp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Team Linked to Elon Musk Edges Closer to Brain Computers</a> [Bloomberg]
More on Neuralink: <a href="https://futurism.com/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-elon-musks-humanai-brain-merge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here’s Everything You Need to Know about Elon Musk’s Human/AI Brain Merge</a>

It could facilitate the creation of a mind-reading brain-computer interface.

Scientists invent "sewing machine" to implant brain electrodes

Sew Cool

Scientists associated with Elon Musk say they've invented a "sewing machine" system to implant brain electrodes into rats.

Scientists Invent “Sewing Machine” to Implant Brain Electrodes

The team is tied to Elon Musk, who recently teased an upcoming Neuralink update.

<h2>Simulation Hypothesis</h2>
Futurism readers may recognize Rizwan Virk as the MIT researcher <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-living-simulation-hypothesis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touting a new book</a> arguing that we&#8217;re likely living in a game-like computer simulation.
Now, in <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/4/10/18275618/simulation-hypothesis-matrix-rizwan-virk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new interview</a> with Vox, Virk goes even further — by probing whether we&#8217;re protagonists in the simulation or so-called &#8220;non-player characters&#8221; who are presumably included to round out a player character&#8217;s experience.
<h2>Great Simulation</h2>
Virk speculated about whether we&#8217;re players or side characters when Vox writer Sean Illing asked a question likely pondered by anyone who&#8217;s seen &#8220;The Matrix&#8221;: If you were living in a simulation, would you actually want to know?
&#8220;Probably the most important question related to this is whether we are NPCs (non-player characters) or PCs (player characters) in the video game,&#8221; Virk told Vox. &#8220;If we are PCs, then that means we are just playing a character inside the video game of life, which I call the Great Simulation.&#8221;
<h2>More Frightening</h2>
It&#8217;s a line of inquiry that cuts to the core of the simulation hypothesis: If the universe is essentially a video game, who built it — and why?
&#8220;The question is, are all of us NPCs in a simulation, and what is the purpose of that simulation?&#8221; Virk asked. &#8220;A knowledge of the fact that we’re in a simulation, and the goals of the simulation and the goals of our character, I think, would still be interesting to many people.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/4/10/18275618/simulation-hypothesis-matrix-rizwan-virk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Are we living in a computer simulation? I don’t know. Probably.</a> [Vox]
More on the simulation hypothesis: <a href="https://futurism.com/famous-hacker-living-simulation-escape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Famous Hacker Thinks We’re Living in Simulation, Wants to Escape</a>

Are you a background character or a protagonist in the game of life?

MIT prof: If we live in a simulation, are we players or NPCs?

Game Theory

If the simulation hypothesis proves true, an MIT scientist wonders whether we're protagonists or so-called non-player characters.

MIT Prof: If We Live in a Simulation, Are We Players or NPCs?

"The question is, are all of us NPCs in a simulation, and what is the purpose of that simulation?"

<h2>Simulation Hypothesis</h2>
In a <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/we-spoke-to-an-mit-computer-scientists-about-the-simulation-hypothesis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new interview</a>, MIT researcher Rizwan Virk told Digital Trends that, in his estimation, we&#8217;re probably living in a simulation.
&#8220;I would say it’s somewhere between 50 and 100 percent,&#8221; he told the site. &#8220;I think it’s more likely that we’re in simulation than not.&#8221;
<h2>The Matrix</h2>
During the interview, Virk outlined ideas from his new book, &#8220;The Simulation Hypothesis,&#8221; which delves into why he suspects the universe might be more like a video game than an absolute physical reality.
&#8220;It’s very possible that whoever created our simulation would like to see, given random choices, where we as a civilization would end up,&#8221; he told Digital Trends. &#8220;Would we destroy ourselves? Would we end up creating nuclear weapons? Would we end up creating our own simulation?&#8221;
<h2>Freedom of Choice</h2>
Virk also expanded on Nick Bostom&#8217;s <a href="https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iconic 2003 paper</a> about the simulation hypothesis by speculating about the meaning of life inside what he said could amount to a massive multiplayer online role playing game.
&#8220;I don’t necessarily think we’re in a simulation that has one purpose, such as to see if we can handle climate change,&#8221; he told Digital Trends. &#8220;Instead, just like in any multiplayer video game, every character has their own individual set of quests and the freedom of choice to decide what to do next.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/we-spoke-to-an-mit-computer-scientists-about-the-simulation-hypothesis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Are we living in a simulation? This MIT scientist says it’s more likely than not</a> [Digital Trends]
More on the simulation hypothesis: <a href="https://futurism.com/famous-hacker-living-simulation-escape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Famous Hacker Thinks We’re Living in Simulation, Wants to Escape</a>

"It’s very possible that whoever created our simulation would like to see, given random choices, where we as a civilization would end up."

MIT prof: It's more likely we're living in a simulation than not

No Spoon

In a new interview, "The Simulation Hypothesis" author and MIT professor Rizwan Virk asserts it's more likely we're living in a simulation than not.

MIT Prof: It’s More Likely We’re Living in a Simulation Than Not

"I would say it’s somewhere between 50 and 100 percent." 

<h2>Antibodies for Algernon</h2>
Scientists at Stanford University say they&#8217;ve devised antibodies that block a specific gene related to brain aging — and that it&#8217;s giving old mice the cognitive prowess of younger ones.
&#8220;The mice became smarter,&#8221; senior author Tony Wyss-Coray said in <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190403135103.htm">a statement</a>. &#8220;Blocking [the gene] CD22 on their microglia restored their cognitive function to the level of younger mice. CD22 is a new target we think can be exploited for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.&#8221;
<h2>Dr. Mouse</h2>
In <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1088-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">findings</a> published in the journal Nature — and which New Atlas <a href="https://newatlas.com/stanford-mycroglia-cd22-cognition/59172/">called</a> &#8220;a stunning piece of research&#8221; — the scientists identified a gene called CD22. It shows up in both mice and humans, and seemingly hinders the ability of certain cells to promote normal brain activity. The gene was also, tellingly, more prevalent in older mice than young ones.
Armed with that knowledge, the researchers designed antibodies that block CD22 and injected them into the brains of test mice. After a month, the mice that&#8217;d been injected with the antibodies outperformed their peers on several intelligence tests.
<h2>Gene Hack</h2>
The research is a long way from human trials, but the implication is that it may be possible to reverse some cognitive effects of aging, including, according to the researchers, those associated with Alzheimer&#8217;s and Parkinson&#8217;s.
&#8220;We think we may have discovered a way to get these cells back on track and make them work the way they used to when we were young,&#8221; Wyss-Coray said in the statement.
READ MORE: <a href="https://newatlas.com/stanford-mycroglia-cd22-cognition/59172/">Stanford team develops brain-rejuvenating antibodies that let old mice think like youngsters</a> [New Atlas]
More on brain aging: <a href="https://futurism.com/neurologists-discovered-key-ally-fight-against-brain-aging">Neurologists May Have Discovered a Key Ally in the Fight Against Brain Aging</a>

"We think we may have discovered a way to get these cells back on track and make them work the way they used to when we were young."

"The mice became smarter": new treatment restores aging brains

Brain Gang

Scientists say they've devised antibodies that block a specific gene related to brain aging — causing old mice to regain lost cognitive abilities.

“The Mice Became Smarter”: New Treatment Restores Aging Brains

A new antibody treatment allows old mice to regain the cognitive abilities of young ones.

<h2>Bomb Squad</h2>
Japan&#8217;s Hayabusa-2 probe keeps attacking the asteroid Ryugu with a vengeance.
First it <a href="https://futurism.com/ryugu-asteroid-hayabusa2-shoot">shot the hapless asteroid</a> with a bullet, and then Japan&#8217;s space agency, JAXA, <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/japan-plan-bomb-asteroid">announced a plan</a> to have the probe blow a hole in Ryugu with plastic explosives — a scheme it put into motion on Friday, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/science/hayabusa2-ryugu-crater.html">according to the New York Times</a>, by dropping the bomb and kicking up dust on the surface, &#8220;suggesting that the blast had gone off as intended.&#8221;
<h2>Bruce Ryugis</h2>
The bombing wasn&#8217;t be an act of space vandalism. The idea is to blow a 10-meter-wide crater in Ryugu in order to see what it looks like on the inside, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47818460">according to the </a>BBC — instead of the surface, which has been bombarded by cosmic radiation for untold millions of years.
Hayabusa-2 dropped the explosive payload from a height of about 500 meters — and then hid on the other side of Ryugu to avoid flying debris.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/science/hayabusa2-ryugu-crater.html">For Deeper Insights, Japanese Space Mission Bombed an Asteroid to Make a Crater</a> [The New York Times]
More on asteroids: <a href="https://futurism.com/nasa-plumes-erupting-asteroid-surface">NASA Shocked by “Plumes Erupting From an Asteroid’s Surface”</a>

Japan's probe keeps attacking the asteroid Ryugu with a vengeance.

Japan lobs bomb to blow hole in asteroid... for science

Big Boom

The bombing won't be an act of space vandalism. Japan's goal is to blow a 10-meter-wide crater in Ryugu in order to see what it looks like on the inside.

Japan Lobs Bomb to Blow Hole in Asteroid… For Science

Die, asteroid! Die!

<h2>Not the Bees!</h2>
NASA is sending a pair of &#8220;robotic bees&#8221; to the space station later this month, <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/space-station-to-take-delivery-of-flying-astrobee-robots/">according to Digital Trends</a> — a project the space agency is positioning as one of the most advanced space collaborations between humans and robots.
&#8220;Astrobee is a robot that will soon be flying around the International Space Station (ISS) alongside the astronauts,&#8221; reads a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee">NASA page</a> about the bees, which it says will &#8220;help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in zero-gravity&#8221; and &#8220;help the astronauts do their routine chores.&#8221;
<h2>The Sting</h2>
According to a <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20160007769.pdf">spec sheet</a>, the Astrobees — which look vaguely like the &#8220;Weighted Companion Cube&#8221; from the hit Valve video game &#8220;Portal&#8221; — are outfitted with air impellers for movement, small robotic arm for gripping, and a variety of sensors, lasers, and input devices to allow it to interact with astronauts and the ISS environment.
The robo-bees will also have an intriguing telepresence component: NASA employees back in Houston will be able to jack into the floating bots from the ground, according to the space agency, giving them &#8220;eyes and ears&#8221; <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-iss-experience-vr">on board the ISS</a>.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/space-station-to-take-delivery-of-flying-astrobee-robots/">Robotic bees are set to invade the International Space Station</a> [Digital Trends]
More on the ISS: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-iss-experience-vr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See the Stunning New Trailer for a VR Series Filmed on the ISS</a>

"Astrobee is a robot that will soon be flying around the International Space Station alongside the astronauts."

NASA is sending cute "robotic bees" to the space station

A Bee C

NASA is sending a pair of "robotic bees" to the ISS — a project the space agency is positioning as one of the most advanced experiments in space robotics.

NASA Is Sending Cute “Robotic Bees” to the Space Station

They look kind of like the "Weighted Companion Cube" from the videogame "Portal."

<h2>Light Travel</h2>
Scientists at the University of Central Florida say they&#8217;ve figured out how to make pulses of light travel 30 times as fast as usual — or even backward.
&#8220;We&#8217;re able to control the speed of the pulse by going into the pulse itself and reorganizing its energy such that its space and time degrees of freedom are mixed in with each other,&#8221; researcher Ayman Abouraddy said in <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-researchers-develop-way-to-control.html">a statement</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re very happy with these results, and we&#8217;re very hopeful it&#8217;s just the starting point of future research.&#8221;
<h2>Photon Shake</h2>
Make no mistake: it&#8217;s an extraordinary claim, and one the researchers behind it say could revolutionize optical communication.
But Abouraddy and colleagues got the results <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-researchers-develop-way-to-control.html">published in</a> the prestigious and peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, where they <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08735-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> using a device called a &#8220;spatial light modulator&#8221; to trick pulses of light into traveling faster or slower than usual, or backwards.
<h2>Live Fiber</h2>
Back in 2006, researchers performed a <a href="https://www.livescience.com/790-light-travels-faster-light.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar feat</a> with light traveling through an optical fiber. Now, according to the researchers, they can pull off the same trick in open space.
&#8220;This is the first clear demonstration of controlling the speed of a pulse light in free space,&#8221; Abouraddy said in the statement. &#8220;And it opens up doors for many applications, an optical buffer being just one of them, but most importantly it&#8217;s done in a simple way, that&#8217;s repeatable and reliable.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-researchers-develop-way-to-control.html">Researchers develop way to control speed of light, send it backward</a> [Phys.org]
More on light: <a href="https://futurism.com/nasa-animations-light-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New NASA Animations Show How Slowly Light Travels Through Space</a>

"This is the first clear demonstration of controlling the speed of a pulse light in free space."

Scientists say they can make light travel 30x faster than normal

Buzz Lightspeed

Scientists at the University of Central Florida say they've made pulses of light travel 30 times as fast as usual and even backward in free space.

Scientists Say They Can Make Light Travel 30x Faster Than Normal

Do you know how fast you were going?

<h2>Super Soldiers</h2>
According to <a href="http://sc.mil.ru/files/morf/military/archive/AS_02_2019.pdf">a report</a> in the official magazine of its Defense Ministry, Russian &#8220;supersoldiers&#8221; are able to use &#8220;parapsychology&#8221; techniques to crash enemy computers, access the minds of foreign soldiers, and read documents inside locked safes — abilities they gained, according to the article, from telepathic dolphins they can now communicate with.
The report is almost certainly nonsense. But it does raise questions about the ambitions — and perhaps dysfunctions — of Russia&#8217;s military.
<h2>Telepathy Force</h2>
The report refers to the supposed super powers as &#8220;metacontact&#8221; and &#8220;parapsychology&#8221; — the latter a term often invoked to describe mental abilities that don&#8217;t quite hold up to the scientific method. Russia discovered those techniques, according to the article, by studying telepathic dolphins.
&#8220;With an effort of thought, you can, for example, shoot down computer programs, burn crystals in generators, eavesdrop on a conversation, or break television and radio programs and communications,&#8221; reads the article, according to Business Insider&#8216;s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-troops-telepathy-crash-computers-defense-ministry-says-2019-4">translation</a>.
<h2>Domestic Resistance</h2>
Business Insider also dug up an interview with the chairman of a commission on pseudoscience at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yevgeny Alexandrov, who <a href="https://www.rbc.ru/politics/03/04/2019/5ca48a0c9a794775e7a3a6fd">dismissed the story</a> to a Russian news outlet called RBK.
&#8220;All the talk about the transfer of thought at a distance does not have a scientific basis,&#8221; he said, adding that &#8220;there is not a single such recorded case, it is simply impossible.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-troops-telepathy-crash-computers-defense-ministry-says-2019-4">A Russian defense ministry report claims its elite soldiers can crash computers with their minds and read documents inside a safe after mastering telepathy from dolphins</a> [Business Insider]
More on telepathy: <a href="https://futurism.com/science-brings-us-one-step-closer-to-telepathy">Science Brings Us One Step Closer to Telepathy</a>

"With an effort of thought, you can, for example, shoot down computer programs."

Russia says "super soldiers" can crash computers with telepathy

Scary Thought

Russia's military says that its "super soldiers" are able to use "parapsychology" techniques to crash computers with telepathy they learned from dolphins.

/Author

Jon Christian