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While the current Oppenheimer blockbuster film focused on the destructive power of nuclear weapons, more peaceful uses of atomic propulsion for space exploration are now gaining once again momentum. ROB COPPINGER reports.

Nuclear fission and fusion power propulsion are under investigation in Europe and the US with an in-space engine demonstration planned by 2027 — with the news last month that Lockheed Martin had been selected to develop a nuclear thermal propulsion system for DARPA’s DRACO programme (see below).

Nuclear propulsion is attractive as it is far more efficient and powerful than conventional chemical rocket engines – with nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) having twice the propellant efficiency of chemical rockets. SpaceX plans to use its Starship Heavy rocket, propelled by liquid oxygen and methane, to take Elon Musk’s colonists to Mars. NASA’s decades of research have also concluded that NTP is the best choice for crewed missions to the red planet with its Human Exploration of Mars Design Reference Mission 5.0, published in 2009, making clear NTP’s advantages. With NTP, a propellant, liquid hydrogen, is propelled by the heat from a nuclear reactor. It offers a high thrust-to-weight ratio around 10,000 times greater than nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and two-to-five times greater specific impulse than in-space chemical propulsion.

Elon Musk on Friday announced plans to remove the block feature on X, the microblogging social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

It’s a move many users are decrying as a step toward openly allowing harassment on the platform, and if he goes through with it, the change would appear to violate the rules of both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

And it wouldn’t be the first time the billionaire has gotten what he wanted despite existing rules on the App Store.

Warren Buffett missed a trick when he passed on Tesla early on, Elon Musk said.

“He could’ve invested in Tesla when we were worth basically nothing and didn’t,” the SpaceX and Tesla CEO posted on X, the website formerly called Twitter, on Thursday.

He was responding to a post highlighting Buffett’s vast wealth and the enormous value of his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate.

The price of bitcoin plunged about 10% hours after it was revealed that Elon Musk’s SpaceX sold the cryptocurrency.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that SpaceX, which first purchased bitcoin in 2021, wrote down the value of its bitcoin holdings by a total of $373 million in 2021 and 2022 and has sold the crypto.

The write-down coincides with a steep drop in bitcoin’s price, which crashed in late 2021, setting off a “crypto winter” that extended through most of 2022.

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, revealed that one of the toughest choices he’s had to make in his life was when he had “$30 million dollars left.”

Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX, revealed that choosing which company to invest his last $30 million in was tough.

In a conversation with screenwriter, producer and director Jonathan Nolan during a SXSW interview titled “Elon Musk Answers Your Questions!”, Musk shared his insights on topics ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to Mars and business. He delved into his early entrepreneurial years, which ultimately led to the creation of his groundbreaking companies, including how he made $180 million from the sale of PayPal.

Elon Musk delves into the groundbreaking potential of Neuralink, a revolutionary venture aimed at interfacing with the human brain to tackle an array of brain-related disorders. Musk envisions a future where Neuralink’s advancements lead to the resolution of conditions like autism, schizophrenia, memory loss, and even spinal cord injuries.

Elon Musk discusses the transformative power of Neuralink, highlighting its role in restoring motor control after spinal cord injuries, revitalizing brain function post-stroke, and combating genetically or trauma-induced brain diseases. Musk’s compelling insights reveal how interfacing with neurons at an intricate level can pave the way for repairing and enhancing brain circuits using cutting-edge technology.

Discover the three-layer framework Musk envisions: the primary layer akin to the limbic system, the more intelligent cortex as the secondary layer, and the potential tertiary layer where digital superintelligence might exist. Musk’s thought-provoking perspective raises optimism about the coexistence of a digital superintelligence with the human brain, fostering a harmonious relationship between these layers of consciousness.

Elon Musk emphasises the urgency of Neuralink’s mission, stressing the importance of developing a human brain interface before the advent of digital superintelligence and the elusive singularity. By doing so, he believes we can mitigate existential risks and ensure a stable future for humanity and consciousness as we navigate the uncharted territories of technological evolution.

For more insights, visit EM360tech.com:
https://em360tech.com/tech-news.

#AI #superintelligence #machinelearning.

In the latest controversial change at Elon Musk’s social network, the service formerly named Twitter reportedly added a five-second delay when users load links to certain news sites and rival social networks. The New York Times and Reuters were affected by the delay with the t.co link-shortening service used by X, according to several news reports published yesterday.

X eliminated the delay in links to news sites yesterday afternoon, according to Reuters and The Washington Post. “When contacted for comment, X confirmed the delay was removed but did not elaborate,” Reuters wrote.

Links from X to the NYT and Reuters loaded almost instantly for us today. But we still found delays of three to five seconds in links to Substack, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads today in our tests.