Inspirada no romance “Last Days”, de Adam Nevill, “Ascension” acompanha Rose, uma documentarista e mãe recém-divorciada. Ela é especialista em revelar as verdades dos outros, mas luta para resolver as suas próprias. Quando Rose inicia um projeto sobre uma misteriosa seita do século XX conhecida como Igreja da Ascensão, ela encontra um refúgio inesperado em seus ensinamentos — até descobrir algo muito mais insidioso por trás de tudo.
“Ascension” explora o mal e a inocência em seu nível mais elevado, questionando até onde somos capazes de ir — e o que estamos dispostos a sacrificar — para proteger aqueles que amamos, mesmo quando a maior ameaça a eles podemos ser nós mesmos.
O projeto é do Apple Studios e terá como showrunners conjuntos Natalie Erika James (que também será diretora principal) e Christian White, com roteiro de James, White, Alfonso Cuarón e seu irmão, Carlos Cuarón.
The deeper she looks, the darker it gets.
Alfonso Cuarón re-teams with Apple TV and Anonymous Content for a new psychological horror thriller series starring and executive produced by Caitríona Balfe about a documentary filmmaker investigating a mysterious cult.#Ascension —… pic.twitter.com/WTddbntxGd
Quanto mais ela investiga, mais sombrio tudo se torna.
Alfonso Cuarón volta a colaborar com o Apple TV e a Anonymous Content em uma nova série de suspense e terror psicológico — estrelada e com produção executiva de Caitríona Balfe — sobre uma documentarista que investiga uma seita misteriosa.
“Ascension” marca a mais recente colaboração entre Alfonso Cuarón e o Apple TV, após a aclamada minissérie “Disclaimer”. O projeto marca ainda a segunda parceria entre a Apple e Balfe, que também aparecerá no filme “Tenzing”.
O Apple TV está disponível no aplicativo Apple TV em mais de 100 países e regiões, seja em iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Macs, dispositivos Android, smart TVs ou online — além de também estar em aparelhos como Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast com Google TV, consoles PlayStation e Xbox. O serviço custa R$29,90 por mês, com um período de teste gratuito de 7 dias. Por tempo limitado, quem comprar e ativar um novo iPhone, iPad, Apple TV ou Mac ganha 3 meses do Apple TV. Ele também faz parte do pacote de assinaturas da empresa, o Apple One.
NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada mais pelos produtos/serviços usando os nossos links de afiliado.
De acordo com Mark Gurman, a Apple já planeja pelo menos três gerações para os seus iPhones dobráveis, estreando a sua resposta ao segmento com o anúncio do “iPhone Ultra”, previsto para ocorrer no mês que vem.
Um diferencial para as próximas gerações dos celulares dobráveis da Apple já colocado em pauta pelo jornalista da Bloomberg na edição mais recente da sua newsletter “Power On” é o aumento no tamanho das telas — tanto a interna quanto a externa, que deverão contar inicialmente com dimensões de 7,8 e 5,5 polegadas, respectivamente, segundo os rumores —, embora não tenha ficado claro se as mudanças ocorrerão na segunda ou na terceira versão do “Ultra”.
Imagem: fpt.
Cotado para ser lançado ainda este ano, o aparelho que marcará a estreia da Apple no mercado dos smartphones dobráveis e deverá contar com o chip “A20 Pro”, o modem “C2”, a volta do Touch ID (que deverá ser posicionado na lateral do aparelho, no botão liga/desliga) e um preço inicial cujas especulações flutuam entre US$2.000 e US$2.500.
Na avaliação de Gurman, o dobrável marcará a primeira mudança de design revolucionária dos iPhones, que passou por pequenas mudanças visuais ao longo dos anos, mas manteve essencialmente o mesmo formato desde 2007.
Fatigue, troubles du sommeil, brouillard mental… Vous l’avez certainement constaté ces dernières semaines, la chaleur met notre corps et notre cerveau à rude épreuve. Récemment, des chercheurs ont alerté sur une conséquence méconnue des fortes chaleurs : le déclenchement ou l’aggravation de...
Des dents d'un noir profond, entretenues pendant toute une vie. Au nord du Vietnam, des crânes vieux de 2 000 ans viennent de livrer la recette : du fer, des tanins végétaux, et plusieurs semaines de patience. Une pratique esthétique que l'on croyait bien plus récente, et qui n'a jamais...
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers | Image: Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images
Four weeks ago, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in an accident near downtown Palo Alto. At the time Shanahan said only that the accident was his fault. But during a recent press conference he shared more details about the incident, including the fact that he had his Tesla's Autopilot engaged at the time. Shanahan was not passing the buck, however, saying it was his fault regardless of whether or not Autopilot was engaged.
"I've had Autopilot for nine years, so I'm pretty comfortable with it and, you know, who knows what happened when I turned around? Whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off? That's somethi …
A new way to move around Earth's outer atmosphere could soon get a field test.
The Spanish company Kreios Space plans to launch into orbit the world's first satellite that uses scooped-up air to push it forward, the company announced on Tuesday (Aug. 4).
The technology Kreios Space has been developing is called air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP). It relies on air sourced from Earth's atmosphere, which is then heated up, ionized and expelled to generate thrust.
Diagram showing the different types of orbit around Earth. (Image credit: ESA)
This method will allow satellites in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) — the region from roughly 60 miles to 250 miles (100 to 400 kilometers) above our planet — to counteract atmospheric drag without the aid of liquid fuel.
"Kreios is building the satellites that make sustained operations in very low Earth orbit possible," Kreios Space CEO Adrián Senar said in the Aug. 4 announcement.
"By enabling satellites to fly lower, longer and more efficiently, we are enabling higher-resolution Earth observation, much better satellite communications, more responsive and accurate missions and a more sustainable orbital infrastructure," he continued.
Kreios Space chose Lithuanian-based Kongsberg NanoAvionics to provide the satellite bus that will carry the ABEP system into orbit for the test run.
"Kreios is tackling one of the most demanding operating environments in space, and this mission joins a very short list of European VLEO initiatives," Kongsberg NanoAvionics CEO Atle Wøllo said in the same statement.
"Our engineering team has worked closely with Kreios to configure the MP42 satellite bus to the mission's specific requirements and support the integration of Kreios' technology," he added.
Kreios Space did not give a target launch date for the mission in Tuesday's statement, saying that the company will launch it "at a time when interest in and development of VLEO technologies has accelerated." But the company's website identifies 2027 as a notional target for its first space mission.
A new, very low frontier
Satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) — altitudes of roughly 100 miles to 1,200 miles (160 to 2,000 km) — generally don't need constant propulsion. Usually, a small boost from traditional thrusters here and there is enough to keep a LEO satellite on the right track. To power the thrusters, these satellites usually have some form of fuel built in.
VLEO works differently. It's low enough that there's still some atmosphere present, which generates drag on spacecraft. If you want a satellite to move around VLEO, it'll need to employ propulsion most or all of the time to counteract that drag. Any fuel that the satellite brings with it therefore won't last long.
So, if satellites are going to operate in VLEO, it would be very helpful to have a method of propulsion that doesn't require traditional fuel — a method like ABEP.
Satellites in VLEO have a few advantages over those operating in LEO, like sharper imagery thanks to the closer vantage point. One of the biggest advantages is that VLEO is much less crowded. There are thousands of satellites in LEO — most of them SpaceX's Starlink broadband spacecraft — and the number is growing all the time. But VLEO has plenty of room.
If ABEP technology works and companies start outfitting satellites with this new propulsion method, then we might start seeing satellites operate quite close to Earth, zooming through the atmosphere and using the air around it to stay on course.
On Aug. 9, 1976, the Soviet space program launched its last moon mission.
Luna 24 was a robotic sample return mission and the third of its kind. It lifted off on a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and safely landed on the lunar surface nine days later.
The probe landed in a dark plain of the moon known as Mare Crisium, or the "Sea of Crises" and collected 6 ounces (170.1 grams) of soil samples, which it brought back to Earth on Aug. 22, 1976. Scientists then found that the samples from Luna 24 contained tiny traces of water — about 0.1% by mass.
This photo, taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the location of the Soviet Luna 24 moon lander on Mare Crisium near a crater. (Image credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
Why it mattered
The Soviet Union lost the Space Race to land the first humans on the moon, but its Luna program of robotic probes was prolific. The country's Luna 2 was the first spacecraft ever to land on the moon (it slammed into the lunar surface in 1959), with the more advanced Luna 9 making the first-ever soft-landing on the moon in February 1966, beating NASA's Surveyor 1 by about 4 months.
By 1976, 12 NASA astronauts had walked on the moon, the last two on Apollo 17 in 1973 and the Space Race was over. But the Soviet moon program was not, with Luna probes and Lunakhod rovers.
A Roscosmos illustration of the Luna 24 lunar sample return capsule launching from its lander to return pieces of the moon to Earth in August 1976. (Image credit: Roscosmos)
The Luna sample return missions consisted of a lander equipped with a descent stage, ascent stage and Earth return capsule. The probes could collect samples of the moon, place them in the return capsule on the ascent stage, then rocket it from the moon for the trip back to Earth. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured photos of the descent stages of Luna 16, Luna 20 and Luna 24 still on the moon.
The Luna 23 spacecraft remained on the moon entirely, as it was damaged during landing and wasn't able to return a sample. NASA's LRO images later revealed Luna 23 likely fell on its side. But Luna 24, the last of the series, worked as planned, landing on Mare Crisium on Aug. 16, 1976, collecting a sample of the lunar regolith and launching back into space less than 24 hours later.
While Luna 24 was the last Soviet moon sample return mission, it was not the last for Russia.
In August 2023, Russia's Roscosmos space agency launched the Luna 25 mission, its first in 47 years, toward the lunar south pole.
Luna 25 was planned to be the first in a new fleet of moon probes, but ultimately crashed into the moon after an orbital maneuver went wrong.
A security researcher has designed an algorithm that can create computer-generated patterns capable of hiding people, faces, and vehicles from detection by surveillance cameras.
Canada-based BTQ Technologies and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have completed the first milestone in a multi-year program to validate a new chip architecture designed to accelerate post-quantum cryptography.
The Quantum Compute-in-Memory (QCIM) architecture is being developed as part of a broader chip roadmap led by BTQ and ICTK. The technology is intended to provide hardware-based cryptographic acceleration for devices and systems that will need protection against future quantum computers.
The companies say the results could support future applications across military systems, industrial equipment, automotive technology, IoT devices, Physical AI and connected infrastructure.
Architecture validated in 28-nanometre environment
The first phase of the collaboration focused on validating the QCIM core under demanding operating conditions. The architecture was tested within a TSMC 28-nanometre design environment, where researchers evaluated its ability to accelerate cryptographic operations while maintaining functional correctness.
The tests covered algorithms associated with FIPS 203, 204 and 205, which form part of NIST’s emerging post-quantum cryptography standards. The architecture is also being designed to support additional algorithms as security requirements and standards evolve.
BTQ describes QCIM as a soft IP cryptographic accelerator capable of supporting both conventional and post-quantum cryptographic functions in a compact, low-power design.
The key concept is to perform cryptographic operations inside the memory subsystem rather than moving data between separate processing and memory components. This approach is intended to reduce data movement, latency and power consumption.
Furthermore, the architecture is also designed to be “crypto-agile,” allowing it to support different cryptographic algorithms as requirements change.
From post-quantum algorithms to real-world hardware
The development is part of a collaboration involving three different areas of semiconductor expertise. BTQ is contributing its cryptographic architecture, while ICTK provides secure semiconductor and physical unclonable function capabilities. ITRI is contributing semiconductor design, integration and validation expertise.
The companies say the completed milestone reduces technical uncertainty around the QCIM architecture and provides a foundation for moving toward broader system integration. The next phase will focus on module-level integration, verification and validation. This work will examine how the QCIM core can be incorporated into larger chip and system architectures while maintaining performance, interoperability and functional correctness.
“The results demonstrate that the QCIM architecture can accurately and efficiently accelerate multiple NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptographic algorithms under demanding conditions while maintaining the flexibility required to respond to evolving security standards,” said Olivier Roussy Newton, CEO and chairman of BTQ Technologies.
The technology is being targeted at applications where long-term security, device authentication and efficient cryptographic processing are particularly important, including edge computing, industrial systems, secure elements and AI-enabled devices. BTQ also expects to ship test chips to selected customers and strategic partners by the end of the year for performance and functional validation.
Dr. Chih-Cheng Lu, manager of ITRI’s Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories, added that the next stage will build on the current results through additional integration and verification.
A new study has looked at historic flooding of the Yangtze River and concluded that human attempts to temper flood risks may have actually made things worse. From ancient dykes to modern dams and floodgates, the team has concluded that, overall, these may have made flood events more devastating.
The core idea is deceptively simple: if you squeeze a river into a narrower space, the same volume of floodwater has fewer places to go. The result is that flood events, when they occur, can be amplified rather than dampened.
Historically, when the Yangtze flooded, water spread into surrounding floodplains, lakes and wetlands. Locally, this was clearly bad news, but those areas acted like enormous temporary storage tanks.
In other words, they absorbed water, slowed it down and released it gradually. In response, people then built embankments, drained lakes and reclaimed floodplains for farming and development. That protected those particular areas from ordinary floods, but the team claims, removed much of the river system’s overflow capacity.
To support their claims, the international team, led by Yu Shiyong of Jiangsu Normal University, looked at flood events over the last 500 years as the core of their study. They combined sediment archives, historical reports, and high-resolution climate reanalysis data to reconstruct the size and scale of historic floods along the river.
Did humans make Yangtze floods worse?
They found that embankment construction increased the estimated magnitude of a 100-year flood by about 18%, while lake enclosure and reclamation increased it by about 8%. A “100-year flood” does not mean one flood every 100 years. It means a flood of that size has historically had roughly a 1% chance in any given year.
But, you may well wonder, aren’t dams and levees supposed to prevent this? In short, they do, for smaller, more frequent flooding events. But the team argues that measures intended to control flooding can amplify the peak discharge of rare, extreme events.
Another problem human measures like dams and levees seem to have created, the team argues, is a perception of safety. With them in place, locals feel more secure in living in flood plains and will build houses, factories, etc, in places where they otherwise wouldn’t.
Termed the “levee effect,” when an extreme flood eventually overtops or exceeds those defences, the resulting damage can be much greater because more people and assets are now exposed.
So what can be done? The team argues that a more hybrid water management system might be better going forward. Rather than removing dams and levees, etc, they argue for strengthening defenses where needed, especially near large population centers.
They also argue that lakes and wetlands should be reconnected to rivers, and floodplains should be restored and preserved to act as natural flood absorbers. The team also suggests setting up controlled areas that can act as artificial floodplains, and restoring forests and wetlands upstream to slow rain runoff into rivers.
Nature knows best
“The core idea is not to eliminate floods, but to allow them to accumulate, divert and be released slowly in a predictable, controllable and minimally damaging space,” Lead author Yu Shiyong said in an interview.
“An ideal flood control system for the Yangtze River should be a robust river and lake ecosystem with self-adjusting capabilities, rather than relying solely on ever-rising dykes,” he added.
“Truly modern water management is about scientifically determining which areas must be protected, which areas should be left flood-prone, and when to store water and release it, while ensuring that the costs and benefits are shared fairly,” Yu added.
Researchers from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have successfully developed an optimized spark-ignited hydrogen engine suitable for medium-duty commercial vehicles. As a form of internal combustion engine (ICE), the new engine behaves much more like a diesel engine than earlier hydrogen engines.
In other words, it is not a new kind of fuel-cell engine, but rather burns hydrogen inside cylinders using spark ignition. Just like a petrol engine, the new ICE produces mechanical propulsion using pistons.
“In addition to decades of developing medium- and heavy-duty engines, SwRI has some of the most extensive experience in the world developing and testing H2-ICEs for internal research, clients and industry demonstrations,” said Dr. Qilong Lu, a program manager in SwRI’s Powertrain Systems Engineering Department and one of the leads on this project.
“The engine was designed, constructed and rigorously tested at SwRI to ensure efficiency and performance,” Dr. Lu added.
Diesel-like torque hydrogen engine
“We began at the single-cylinder level, focusing on optimizing combustion and injection strategies,” Lu said. “From there, our team ramped up efforts to develop the full multi-cylinder engine, addressing key challenges such as pre-ignition, combustion stability and overall systems integration,” Lu added.
The attraction is that hydrogen contains no carbon, so burning it produces water rather than carbon dioxide. It also allows manufacturers to retain much of the familiar internal-combustion ecosystem: engines, transmissions, manufacturing equipment, servicing knowledge and supply chains.
The team also managed to deliver the new hydrogen ICE’s diesel-like torque using a turbocharger that forces more air into the engine. This allows it to burn more hydrogen and produce the strong low-speed torque needed to move loaded trucks.
The new engine also has improved airflow thanks to an innovative intake-port geometry allowing hydrogen to burn much faster than petrol and requiring different air movement inside the cylinder.
The engine also features larger intake valves and hydrogen-specific injectors to enable optimum fuel-to-air mixing within the cylinders. It also uses special software and calibrations to precisely manage injection, ignition, boost pressure and the air–fuel mixture.
Another wrinkle they had to overcome is safety. Hot engine surfaces or residual gases can ignite hydrogen before the spark fires, producing knocking, power loss or potentially engine damage.
Low-emissions but not zero
In terms of emissions, the engine produces what the team describes as “near-zero tailpipe CO₂.” While this is true in terms of the engine itself, the way in which the fuel hydrogen is produced matters here.
If produced from natural gas, rather than renewable electricity, CO₂ could remain high, all things considered. Also, hydrogen combustion can still produce nitrogen oxides, or NOx, because combustion heats nitrogen and oxygen from the air to very high temperatures.
It therefore isn’t literally a zero-emission engine and may require careful combustion control and exhaust after-treatment.
“The project brought together many areas and experts at the Institute to complete,” said Chris Bitsis, assistant director of SwRI’s Powertrain Systems Engineering Department, who oversees combustion research programs. “SwRI’s hydrogen combustion engine program is working every day to advance this technology and showcase its potential as a near-zero carbon emissions industry solution,” he added.
Wind propulsion company bound4blue has completed the installation of a 22-metre (72-foot) tall suction sail on the 292-foot (89-metre) cargo ship Na Hiro E Pae. This makes it the “first multipurpose vessel” worldwide to adopt a wind propulsion system. The unit was fitted at the Astilleros Armon Vigo yard in Spain for Greek shipping firm Société de Navigation des Australes SNA Tuha’a Pae.
“We hope Na Hiro E Pae leads the way for other ambitious shipping companies keen to unlock sustainable advantages,” said José Miguel Bermúdez.
Capable of carrying 200 passengers and 1,500 tonnes of supplies between Tahiti and the Austral Islands, the ship is expected to cut its energy consumption by 10 percent using the autonomous system alongside existing service from the Tuhaa Pae IV, which has operated on the route since 2012.
Delivering significant fuel savings
The installed technology, known as the eSail, yields sevenfold the thrust generated by an equally sized conventional rigid sail. This high efficiency allows a relatively small unit to deliver significant fuel savings without interfering with the fast loading and unloading operations required on multipurpose ships.
“bound4blue’s mechanically simple suction sail, producing up to seven times the propulsive force of a standard rigid sail of the same size, slots into a ‘green technology mix’ that includes engines capable of running on biofuel or e-fuel, electric POD propulsion, efficient waste management, and autonomy in fresh water supply,” highlighted the company in a press release.
The system functions by pulling airflow across a wide aerodynamic contour to assist the main engines. An autonomous vertical sail uses suction technology to draw air over this shape, creating propulsive thrust that decreases the mechanical burden on the vessel’s primary engines.
By pulling the air over its surface, the system prevents airflow separation that normally limits conventional sails. This aerodynamic effect allows the unit to generate far higher propulsive force relative to its physical surface area, directly lowering fuel usage and engine emissions.
“Multipurpose vessels have traditionally been seen as a challenging segment for wind power, due to the required flexibility of operations and related integration demands,” added Bermúdez.
Utilizing other green technologies
The compact nature of the eSail provides high force efficiency, allowing the vessel to maintain open deck space for cargo handling while utilizing wind energy.
The Na Hiro E Pae combines the suction sail with several other onboard green technologies. The ship features engines configured to burn biofuel or e-fuel as soon as local regional markets can supply them.
It also incorporates electric POD propulsion, efficient waste management systems, and autonomous fresh water supply capabilities to support its passenger and freight services.
“Sustainability was a key objective throughout the design process, and the eSAIL forms an important part of a wider package of technologies that will help us reduce energy consumption and environmental impact, while maintaining the reliable transport services our communities depend upon,” concluded Boris PIEL technical Director, SNA Tuha’a Pae Shipping Company.
Helicopters are no longer the only aircraft capable of taking off vertically. Electric motors, autonomous flight systems and lightweight materials are giving rise to machines that lift like helicopters but fly more like conventional airplanes.
Some are designed to carry passengers over congested cities, while others could transport soldiers, deliver cargo or give individuals their own personal aircraft. Here are 10 futuristic VTOL aircraft attempting to change how people and goods move through the sky.
Joby Aviation has developed one of the most mature electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in the industry. Its air taxi uses six tilting electric propellers to rise vertically before transitioning into forward flight.
The aircraft is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph, with a range of up to 100 miles. Joby reported that its aircraft had completed more than 2,600 flights and covered over 50,000 miles by December 2025.
Archer Aviation’s Midnight is built for short, repeated journeys across crowded cities. The aircraft has 12 electric motors and propellers, providing additional redundancy if one propulsion unit fails.
Midnight can carry four passengers and a pilot at speeds of up to 150 mph. Although its claimed range reaches 100 miles, it is optimized for consecutive journeys of around 20 to 50 miles. A piloted aircraft completed a 55-mile flight in 31 minutes in August 2025.
BETA Technologies has taken a relatively straightforward approach with its ALIA VTOL. Four horizontal propellers provide vertical lift, while a separate propeller at the rear drives the aircraft during forward flight.
ALIA is designed to carry five passengers or around 200 cubic feet of cargo. It has a listed maximum speed of 153 knots, equivalent to approximately 176 mph.
BETA is targeting passenger transport, medical missions, logistics and military operations with the platform.
China’s AutoFlight is developing Prosperity I for longer passenger journeys between cities and transport hubs. Its unusual propulsion system includes 10 lifting propellers and three propellers for forward flight.
The aircraft has five seats, including one for the pilot, and a typical payload capacity of 350 kilograms. AutoFlight claims a range exceeding 250 kilometres and a cruise speed above 200 kilometres per hour.
The passenger aircraft is currently progressing through airworthiness certification.
5. Vertical Aerospace Valo
Valo is the latest electric aircraft being developed by Britain’s Vertical Aerospace. It uses eight tilt-shift propellers and a carbon-composite airframe to carry four passengers and one pilot.
The all-electric aircraft is designed to travel up to 100 miles at speeds reaching 150 mph. Vertical is also planning a hybrid-electric version with a significantly more ambitious range of up to 1,000 miles.
The company is targeting entry into service after regulatory approval, currently expected in 2028.
Instead of placing its lift propellers outside the aircraft, Horizon Aircraft has hidden them inside the wings. Panels open to expose 12 electric fans during vertical takeoff and close once the Cavorite X7 transitions into forward flight.
The Canadian hybrid-electric aircraft is being developed to carry six passengers and one pilot. Horizon is targeting a range of approximately 500 miles and a maximum speed of around 280 mph.
Its proposed missions include regional transport, defence and emergency response.
The Jetson ONE resembles a cross between an open-wheel racing car and an oversized drone. Its lightweight aluminium-and-carbon-fibre frame carries a single pilot above eight electrically powered propellers.
The aircraft offers approximately 20 minutes of flight and has a software-limited maximum speed of 63 mph.
It is controlled using a four-axis joystick and includes automatic landing, motor redundancy and a ballistic parachute. Unlike many proposed personal eVTOLs, early Jetson ONE aircraft have already reached customers.
ARIDGE’s Land Aircraft Carrier approaches the flying-car problem by separating driving and flying. The system consists of a six-wheeled ground vehicle carrying a detachable two-seat electric aircraft inside its rear compartment.
Once the vehicle reaches a suitable location, the aerial module can be released and prepared for vertical flight. This modular architecture avoids forcing one machine to operate effectively both on public roads and in the air.
Sikorsky’s Nomad is a family of autonomous aircraft built around a rotor-blown-wing design. Two large propellers generate airflow over the wing, allowing the aircraft to hover before transitioning into efficient horizontal flight.
A 10.3-foot-wing prototype completed more than 40 takeoffs and landings, including 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes.
The larger Nomad aircraft could eventually perform reconnaissance, light-attack and contested-logistics missions without putting a crew onboard.
Bell’s MV-75 Cheyenne II is being developed as the U.S. Army’s next-generation long-range assault aircraft. Derived from the V-280 Valor demonstrator, it uses tilting rotors to combine helicopter-like vertical flight with turboprop-like speed.
The Army expects the MV-75 to fly more than twice as far and twice as fast as parts of its current helicopter fleet. It could eventually conduct air assault, medical evacuation, resupply and disaster-relief missions while replacing the UH-60 Black Hawk in certain roles.
Conclusion
These aircraft show there is no single solution to the vertical-flight problem. Companies are experimenting with tilting propellers, dedicated lift rotors, concealed fans, hybrid engines and autonomous flight systems.
However, flying prototypes are only part of the challenge. Certification, infrastructure, battery life, noise and operating costs will ultimately decide which of these futuristic VTOL aircraft become everyday machines—and which remain captivating visions of aviation’s future.
Et si 1984 n’était plus seulement une fiction ? Plus de 70 ans après sa parution, le roman de George Orwell résonne étrangement avec notre époque. Surveillance, désinformation, manipulation du langage : autant de mécanismes qui, sans atteindre l’extrême du récit, interrogent notre rapport à la...
Mount Toba was the biggest volcanic eruption in the last 2.6 million years, and some have suggested it nearly wiped out humanity. Around 74,000 years ago, a caldera on what is now Sumatra emptied thousands of cubic kilometers of magma in about two weeks, roughly a thousand times more than Mount Pinatubo spewed out in 1991. “People thought it might have caused massive cooling of the planet, and hence threatened the survival of our ancestors,” says Jinheum Park, a geoscientist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.
Park and his colleagues went looking for the records of that catastrophe in the mud taken from the bottom of a small crater lake on the Kenya-Tanzania border. They found instead that the effects of the Mount Toba eruption lasted under two years and amounted to perhaps half a degree of cooling.
Muddy calendars
Volcanic eruptions inject sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, where it becomes a haze of tiny droplets that reflect sunlight back into space. Bigger eruptions eject more sulfur dioxide and, in principle, cause more cooling. But this trend stops working when the eruption exceeds a certain magnitude. “Bigger sulfate aerosols settle quickly, because they are heavier,” Park explains. This quick settling makes them less effective in scattering incoming solar radiation.
Mount Toba was the biggest volcanic eruption in the last 2.6 million years, and some have suggested it nearly wiped out humanity. Around 74,000 years ago, a caldera on what is now Sumatra emptied thousands of cubic kilometers of magma in about two weeks, roughly a thousand times more than Mount Pinatubo spewed out in 1991. “People thought it might have caused massive cooling of the planet, and hence threatened the survival of our ancestors,” says Jinheum Park, a geoscientist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.
Park and his colleagues went looking for the records of that catastrophe in the mud taken from the bottom of a small crater lake on the Kenya-Tanzania border. They found instead that the effects of the Mount Toba eruption lasted under two years and amounted to perhaps half a degree of cooling.
Muddy calendars
Volcanic eruptions inject sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, where it becomes a haze of tiny droplets that reflect sunlight back into space. Bigger eruptions eject more sulfur dioxide and, in principle, cause more cooling. But this trend stops working when the eruption exceeds a certain magnitude. “Bigger sulfate aerosols settle quickly, because they are heavier,” Park explains. This quick settling makes them less effective in scattering incoming solar radiation.
Antarctic guides walked away from their dream jobs after tourism’s environmental damage became impossible to ignore. “You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘Can you not put two and two together?’” Those are the words of a former Antarctic [...]
Login
_(3-25-2025).jpg){kind=link}
