If you’re thinking of buying a Rivian EV, you might want to reconsider. The company has announced some steep price increases for its R1T truck and R1S SUV. The changes, which were updated on the company’s website Tuesday afternoon, signals an approximately 17% increase for the R1T, pushing the base price to around $78,975 from $67,500. The R1S goes up approximately 20% to $84,000 from $70,000. The R1T. Image: Rivian And here’s the worst part: these price increases not only impact prospective b
A spate of cyber attacks has affected Ukraine’s digital systems since Russia’s invasion began. It soon became clear Russia’s “boots on the ground” approach would be supplemented by a parallel cyber offensive. Last week Ukraine called on its citizens to take to their keyboards and defend the country against Russia’s cyber threat. At the same time, a campaign was underway among the hacktivist collective Anonymous, calling on its global army of cyber warriors to target Russia. Who is Anonymous? Ano
On March 4, 2022, a lonely, spent rocket booster will smack into the surface of the Moon at nearly 6,000 mph. Once the dust has settled, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will move into position to get an up-close view of the smoldering crater and hopefully shed some light on the mysterious physics of planetary impacts. As a planetary scientist who studies the Moon, I view this unplanned impact as an exciting opportunity. The moon has been a steadfast witness to solar system history, its heavi
In June 2021, scientists at the AI lab DeepMind made a controversial claim. The researchers suggested that we could reach artificial general intelligence (AGI) using one single approach: reinforcement learning. They titled their paper on the subject: “Reward is Enough.” The team argued that AGI could emerge through an incentive mechanism known as a reward function. “We hypothesize that intelligence, and its associated abilities, can be understood as subserving the maximization of reward,” the st
In March 2019, NASA had to postpone the first all-female spacewalk due to an unexpected snag: a shortage of medium-sized spacesuits. The milestone was pushed back after astronaut Anne McClain realized she needed a smaller configuration than originally planned. While the spacesuit had swappable parts, replacing the necessary piece could have taken up to 12 hours. On McClain’s recommendation, NASA switched the spacewalkers to avoid delaying the mission. The move was rational, but it put the spotli
In the first six months of 2021, more than 20,000 people died in car accidents in the US alone, the majority of which was attributed to dangerous, distracted, or drunk driving. But what if advanced technology could eliminate human weaknesses? Could we then make zero deaths possible? The latest research by Neural Propulsion Systems (NPS) thinks so. It posits that new technology can actually enable vehicles to eliminate roadway deaths — with or without human supervision. And we’re not talking ab
It’s 2022 — which means we’ve been promised VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft for over a decade now. But while pioneer founders are incrementally moving towards commercial deployment, there’s a new breed of startups snapping at their heels. Many are in their early stages, but all promise something unique, so I reached out to four of the most interesting companies to find out more. Oh, and I gave them all a rating along the way. Let’s take a look: Zeva (US) If your idea of the futur
New U.S. sanctions on Russia will encompass Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, according to a speech U.S. President Joe Biden gave on Feb. 24, 2022. In response to these sanctions, the head of Roscosmos on the same day posted a tweet saying, among other things, “If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?” The International Space Station has often stayed above the fray of geopolitics. That position is under threat
Are you a skilled tech worker? And want to help Ukraine in its war against Russia? Then the best thing you can do is donate. While many in the tech industry have the skills and talent to provide support in situations like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they simply don’t have the necessary experience in these specific environments. I won’t share any examples of this, as singling specific attempts is mean-spirited. But, believe me, they are happening. Andrew Therriault — founder of Civin, a company
Ebikes are awesome. They take the edge out of long cycling trips, especially if you live in a hilly city, they’re exponentially better than cars for the environment, and they’re just fun to ride. Contrary to popular belief, they’re even comparable to regular bikes for exercise. But with an ever-increasing number of options in the market, it can be hard to sift through what’s actually good and what’s junk. Fret no more, young cycling padawan: this guide offers our selections of some of our favori