DARPA, the Pentagon’s high-risk, high-reward R&D arm, has its mind on laser links. The agency is specifically working to develop an interconnected network of links for speedy and secure communications between military, civilian, and commercial space assets.
The DARPA program, known as the Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN), recently announced 11 Phase 1 awardees.
Space-BACN
The Phase 1 Space-BACN awards fall into three technica
On the morning of August 29, hours after sunrise, NASA’s gigantic Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket will blast off from the Atlantic coast, bound for lunar orbit. Perched on top of the rocket will be the Orion astronaut capsule, destined to carry humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.
There will be no humans on board this time, but the “Artemis I” mission will be the first test flight of the shuttle that will propel humans toward Earth’s close
The coming decades will be marked by extraordinary new technological innovations. They could provide us with enormous benefits—or bring us to the brink of disaster. What happens next hinges on whether we can figure out how to handle the risks. So, if you’re aiming at positive impact in your life, one of the best things you might do is to join the effort to make sure the most powerful technologies we are building work for the benefit of all humanit
It seems like everyone is on BeReal these days—including Chipotle.
BeReal, which launched in 2020, asks users to upload one post per day to provide a more authentic view of life for their friends. The photo prompts appear seemingly at random, and users have to send posts within two minutes of receiving the notification. It’s a novel take on social media, and one that’s captivated Gen Z: As of July, the app has been
Apps outdoors can be superfluous. I like being phoneless when I can. But sometimes it’s nice learning about nature while you’re actually in it. Below are the apps I’ve found most useful.
Merlin Bird ID
This wondrous app recognizes nearly any bird you see or hear. It’s a free and fun way to learn about birds, whether youȁ
Shitposting is serious business. Just ask Lit, the pseudonymous creator behind the financial meme account Litquidity. He’s amassed 700,000 Instagram and 270,000 Twi
Several months into a likely crypto winter, token prices have fallen like leaves from a tree, hitting the ground where they might remain for months, if not years. But even as industry star Bitcoin has struggled to recover from losses that halved its value, Ethereum has risen like a phoenix from the snowy ashes—its value soaring nearly 70% in past weeks.
Its revival most likely stems from one promising narrative in the crypto world: that of “the Merge,” a forthcomin
Many of us tailor our home office spaces carefully to help us work comfortably and efficiently—I know I spent hours choosing my desk surface, rug, and other accoutrements. In this process, we often forget to take the same care of our computers. Your Mac is just as much of an “office space” as your physical office: It’s the portal via which you accomplish all of your work, so you should make the effort to configure and optimize it for
When Alexandra Ross started her study on bridled nail-tail wallabies in central Queensland in Australia in 2017, the wildlife ecologist had a pressing concern. The species was already categorized as endangered by the Australian government, and a previous study had shown that these pint-sized kangaroo cousins (Onychogal